Chapter 2: Crimson Clover
Naruto sighed happily, as a dim spark of consciousness entered his mind. He felt very warm, but in a comfortable way, curled up under the covers of his bed. He vaguely sensed the light flooding his room through the window. In the distance, he heard the hustle of people outside and the busy noise of his father and sister working downstairs.
But it was okay. Today was one of his off days. Kakashi had granted them another couple of days to relax after the encounter with the Sharks, which had quickly been reclassified as another A-rank mission, much to Iruka and Teuchi's chagrin. His sister had just sighed and called it typical of him, before wondering how long it would be before he'd accidentally end up taking on one of the Kage.
But it didn't matter now. All that mattered to Naruto was that he could soak in the blissful warmth of post-sleep, knowing that he could stay there for hours before he had to get up. He opened his eyes slightly, wanting to get an idea of the time.
Konohamaru looked down on him.
Naruto closed his eyes again, before slightly opening them once more.
Konohamaru was still looking down on him, as if waiting for him to say something.
The blond closed his eyes. "Konohamaru."
"Yeah, Boss?" the youth asked.
"You're in my room."
"Ehm, yes," the young boy replied. "Yota suggested we wait for you to wake up. What with you coming back from a mission and so on."
Naruto took a moment to digest the information. Then he slightly opened his eyelids, looking to the other side of the bed.
Yota stood there, observing him with his emerald eyes, a warm smile on his face. Seeing that Naruto was looking at him, he happily waved.
"I see," the genin mumbled, as he closed his eyes again.
All was quiet for a moment.
"WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM!?" he yelled, as he instantly sat up in his bed, the pom-pom on his nightcap swinging wildly.
Konohamaru stumbled back with a squawk and fell on his behind.
Yota, however, only seemed excited to see the blond waking up. "You're awake, you're awake!" he exclaimed happily jumping from one foot to the other. "Naruto, Naruto, Konohamaru and me need your help."
"Ugh, my help? What time is it even?" Naruto grumbled, grabbing his alarm clock. "Couldn't you two have waited until midday at least?"
"Well... We tried waiting," Konohamaru said, getting back up.
"I mean in a not-creepy way," the blond replied, getting out from under his covers. "How did you even get in here without Pops and Sis noticing you?"
"Oh, well, ever since Ebisu changed his teaching methods, I've been making great strides in mastering ninja techniques," Konohamaru said with beaming pride.
"Also, your sister said we could just go upstairs," Yota happily added.
"That too," the Hokage's grandson admitted.
"Of course she did," Naruto sighed, as he got out of his pyjamas.
"She said you'd been hibernating long enough," Yota continued.
The blond responded with a long groan. "Can I at least have some breakfast before whatever it is I need to help you two with?" he asked, pulling his pants up.
"Sure thing, Boss," Konohamaru replied. "Actually, I could go for some Ichiraku ramen right about now. How about you, Yota?"
"Yep, yep, yep," the boy happily chirped.
The three of them headed downstairs, encountering Ayame in the kitchen, who was checking some mail the restaurant had received. "Ah, you're awake," she said innocently. "I was wondering if you'd sleep through the entire day."
"Sis, I'm gonna get you for this," the blond warned her.
"Oh, do give me your best shot," she replied with a teasing smirk. "But before you try and have your revenge, would you like to have some ramen for breakfast?"
"Yes," Naruto replied, his grumpiness immediately vanishing to make way for delighted anticipation. He quickly sat down, the two younger boys taking their places at his sides.
"Oh boy, oh boy, Ichiraku ramen," Yota happily sang.
"Dad, we've got three hungry mouths to feed," Ayame called into the kitchen.
"I'll be right there," he called back.
In the distance, one of the customers called: "Hey, uhm, Teuchi. Is it me or... Is it snowing?"
"Yep," the cook replied. "Yota is visiting."
"Ah, okay. Makes sense," the customer noted.
Soon after, Teuchi entered with three steaming bowls, which he served to the hungry boys.
"Thanks," Konohamaru and Yota said, before they both began digging in with gusto.
"So," Naruto began, after having sucked up a wad of noodles. "What did you need help with?"
"We need the crimson clover from Akagahara," Yota declared.
Naruto stared at him.
The kid just looked back with a smile, as if everything he said had made sense.
"I give up," the blond declared, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I have no idea what you want from me."
"Akagahara," Ayame slowly said, thinking back. "I think that was one of the training grounds. Was used last time we hosted the chunin exam, if I remember correctly. Pretty sure it's been allowed to lie fallow ever since then. Think Kakashi said something about that to Guy last week. Talking about another one of their games." Her brows furrowed. "And a clover you say? Oh, I know I heard one of the other girls saying something about that. Who was it again?"
"They say," Konohamaru began. "That a four-leaf crimson clover from Akagahara can grant a wish to the one who finds it."
"Right. Yeah, that was how it went," the woman replied.
"What do you need a wish for?" Naruto asked.
"Ehm... Well..." the kid replied, squirming slightly.
"We don't need a wish, no, no," Yota explained. "We need it for Kaede. She needs the wish, yep, yep."
Naruto blinked. "I don't get it," he admitted. "Who's Kaede?"
"Ka-Kaede Yoshino," Konohamaru managed, a blush starting to manifest on his face.
"Kaede Yoshino," Teuchi echoed, entering the room. "I know her. She's Okuda Yoshino's daughter." He rubbed his chin. "He was in here the other day, ordering an extra-large bowl. Said he wanted to enjoy my ramen one last time before moving. Apparently, he's gotten a long-term diplomatic assignment out of town, so him and his family are moving out."
"Ye-yeah," Konohamaru replied. "And... Kaede... Doesn't want to... To move. So I-I figured..."
"You figured you'd get her a wish?" Naruto guessed.
"Ye-yes," the Hokage's grandson managed.
Ayame smirked. "So, Konohamaru, do you like Kaede?"
The kid's head was now as red as a tomato, but he managed to squeak out a tiny: "Yes."
"Aw, that's adorable," she cooed. "Konohamaru, you're really brave admitting that." She eyed Naruto. "Unlike certain other people I know who keep denying their crushes."
"Hey, I don't have any crushes," the blond immediately declared.
"Really? And here I thought you had a thing for Sakura," Ayame continued playfully. "I mean, she is cute and that hair is really pretty."
The blond now also began blushing. "I don't have a crush on her," he muttered, fiddling with his finger.
"Hmm, what about Sasuke then? You talk about him a lot," she continued.
Naruto immediately erupted into a squawking and sputtering refutation of the suggestion, combined with some colourful expressions.
"Language, Naruto," Teuchi admonished him. "So, you two want Naruto to help you find this crimson clover?"
"Yep, yep," Yota confirmed energetically.
"Well, it's not like you'll need to help out here today," the cook informed the still grumbling genin. "You could go have an adventure with them."
"So will you help me, Boss?" Konahamaru asked. "Please."
"Alright, I'll lend a hand," he said, a smile starting to appear. "Sounds like a worthy mission of the great ninja Naruto Uzumaki. I'll make sure you get your clover for Kaede. Believe it." He paused. "Ehm, but first, my ramen."
...
Sakura was enjoying the warm weather, wandering the roads just outside the village. She felt like relaxing, but didn't want to be completely sedentary. So as a compromise, she had decided to go for a long walk. But it was while on this long walk, enjoying the pleasant weather and the beautiful nature, that she saw something she hadn't expected.
Sasuke.
The Uchiha scion stood on a wooden bridge overlooking a stream, staring contemplatively at the water flowing below. His arm was still carried in a sling, though a much more professional-looking one.
She approached, unsure if she was disturbing him.
His eyes flickered, as he noted her. "Sakura," he said, acknowledging her presence.
"Hey, Sasuke," she said. "How's the arm?"
The raven-haired ninja looked to his wounded appendage. "The medics mended most of the major damage, but said I should keep it in rest for at least or day or two. So my training options are currently rather limited. I went for a walk instead."
"It is a nice day," Sakura agreed.
"I suppose that is true. Mostly I just wanted to keep myself active," he said. "And..." He paused, as if almost unsure if he should mention it. "I've been thinking on things."
"Oh? Anything you'd... Like to talk about?" the pink-haired ninja gently asked.
Sasuke was quiet for a while. "No," he finally said. "It's not important anyway."
"Oh. Okay then." The two stood in silence for a while. "Ehm, I've been thinking too," Sakura began.
Sasuke didn't respond, but did turn his head to look at her.
"Ehm, I know the Sharks were much more experienced than us and that didn't help at all," she continued. "But between them and Zabuza's team, do you feel like relying on our kunai might be, well, disadvantageous?" she asked.
The Uchiha scion looked contemplative. "It is true. While it is a functional weapon, in direct combat it's short length is disadvantaged against other weapons," he said. "We might benefit from additional training." He frowned. "If Kakashi will ever get around to that instead of all this teamwork talk he's always going on about."
"Well, yes, I, uhm, I was thinking of bringing that up to him," Sakura said. "Maybe we'd all benefit from having at least another weapon to use. That way, we might be better equipped to fight someone like them." She paused, before adding, slightly quieter: "Not that I hope we'll have to do anything like that anytime soon."
Sasuke turned his head back towards the river. "I think it's a sensible idea," he said.
Sakura couldn't help but smile. That was probably the closest the raven-haired genin would get to outright complimenting her. "I'm glad to hear that. I was thinking of bringing it up with Naruto and then Kakashi."
"Naruto? I doubt he has anything of value to add," Sasuke noted dismissively.
"Well, okay, true, I doubt he has given it much thought," she admitted. "But he's still part of the team and he's really trying to be a good ninja."
The raven-haired ninja was quiet for a while, to the point Sakura was starting to question if he had heard her, before he stated: "True." He looked to the other side. "Speaking of whom."
The pink-haired ninja followed his gaze. "Oh. That's him."
Indeed, Naruto was coming up the road, accompanied by Konohamaru and an enthusiastically whistling Yota. They were also accompanied by a fresh breeze that carried the soothing scent of local flowers.
"Heya," the blond greeted them. "How's it going?"
"Fine," Sasuke bluntly replied.
"Arm's still wonky, eh?"
The raven-haired teen stared at him for a moment, before saying: "It is still in need of rest, yes."
"And how about you, Sakura?" Naruto continued, turning his attention to her.
"Me? Oh, I'm managing. Still tired after the mission," she admitted. "Anyway, Naruto, I was actually going to go looking for you."
"Well, you found him. He's right here," Yota helpfully pointed out, indicating Naruto with a nod of his head.
Sakura chuckled. "So I see," she said. "Anyway, Naruto, I was thinking that maybe we should branch out into using weapons other than kunai. They are handy, but I feel like they kinda came up, well, short when we've fought other ninjas with weapons."
"Hm, I hadn't actually thought of that," Naruto admitted.
"And what a surprise that is," Sasuke remarked, rolling his eyes.
"I think it sounds like a cool idea, Boss," Konohamaru enthusiastically added. "You could get a chakra-enhanced katana or maybe a naginata."
"That would be rather cool, yes," Naruto replied, momentarily lost in the fantasy of swinging some mythic weapon around.
"Great. Then I'll bring it up to Kakashi next time I see him," Sakura replied, happy to hear the support her idea was getting. "But, ehm, where are you three going today?"
"We gotta find a wish for Kaede," Yota replied with a smile.
Even Sasuke turned to stare at the cloaked kid in bewilderment.
Naruto sighed and explained: "What he means is that we're going Akagahara to see if we can find a four-leaf red clover. Because apparently, they can grant wishes. And Konohamaru wants to give it to a girl he's crushing on."
"That's cute," Sakura said with a smile, as the kid in question began blushing heavily once again.
"You're not honestly telling me you think a clover will grant a wish?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised.
"I mean, you never know," Naruto replied with a shrug. "It might."
"It won't," the Uchiha scion replied immediately. "You're wasting your time."
Konohamaru frowned a bit.
"Ah, what do you know anyway," the blond shot back dismissively, instantly cheering the Hokage's grandson back up with his support. "Anyway, see you two around"
"See you," Sakura said, as the three headed off. She paused for a moment, watching the trio disappear, before a thought struck her. She turned to Sasuke, asking: "Wait, where's Akagahara? I don't remember any place around here named that."
"It's one of the training grounds. Currently closed down. Been that way since the last time Konoha hosted the chunin exam," he replied, as he returned to his position by the railing.
"I see." She rubbed her chin. "Is that place... Safe?"
He was quiet for a moment, before turning around with a look of contemplation. "I'm... Not sure," he admitted. "It's not being used right now, so, I suppose... But still." He looked a bit concerned, which made Sakura really worried.
The pink-haired genin looked down the path where the three had gone. "Maybe I should mention this to Kakashi."
"Might be a good idea."
...
The blond genin paused his march and observed the situation.
"An obstacle," Yota noted.
"Yep. It sure is," Konohamaru agreed.
In front of them was a tall chain-link fence, its top guarded by coils of barbed wire. A couple of signs had been hung, warning against trespassing. Behind it was a thick tangle of old trees and overgrown bushes.
"Hm, I don't see a door anywhere," Naruto pondered, looking around. "Seems like we'll have go over."
"Is that safe?" Konohamaru asked.
"Pshaw, a little barbed wire can't keep a real ninja out," the genin replied confidently. "Besides, you do want that wish for Kaede, right?"
"Uhm, yeah," the youth mumbled, blushing once more. He took a deep breath and looked up, determination in his eyes. "Okay. Let's do this." His tail unfolded and he leapt at the fence, with ease climbing up. He grabbed the top, sliding his fingers between the wire, and vaulted over, landing on the inside.
"Awesome job, Konohamaru," Naruto praised. "Now it's my turn." He placed his foot against the fence. "Hmm, not sure I can just... Naw, too many holes." He folded his fingers and concentrated. There was a puff and he was suddenly hoisted into the air by a stack of clones.
"Ooo, Naruto tower," Yota commented and giggled.
"Okay, now forward," the real blond ordered, pointing towards the fence.
"Easy... For you... To say..." the bottom clone grunted, slowly stepping forward. "You all... Weight a ton..."
"I agree. I feel like we've kinda been putting on more weight lately," a middle Naruto noted. "Maybe we should cut down on the tonkutsu."
"What, are you crazy?" yet another clone asked. "Dad makes the best tonkutsu."
"Yeah, but it goes straight to our hips."
"Look, can we just get this over with? I feel like my back's about to break," yet another complained.
"All... Of... You... Shut... Up," the bottom one grunted, as he finally managed to get close.
"There we go," the real one said, jumping over. "Thanks for the help everybody." With a puff, they all vanished. "Now its your turn, Yota."
"Okay, okay," he said exuberantly. "Hey, Naruto, watch this, watch me now." He began whistling a melody. The air around him began moving, the grass rustling gently. Then he increased the tone to a sharp note and the wind picked up in speed, suddenly ejecting him into the air, the kid himself emitting a high-pitched but very enthusiastic scream of joy.
"Is he gonna be alright?" Konohamaru asked concerned, as Yota shot far past the top of the fence.
"I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Sorta. Probably," Naruto tried.
The sound of Yota's giggling increased, as he fell back down. As he was about to crash headfirst into the ground, he whistled again, halting his descent with a pillow of air, before being turned around so he could land on his feet. "Tadaa," he said, doing a little jig. "Wasn't that awesome, huh, Naruto? Wasn't it?"
"It sure was," the blond genin agreed. "When did you learn that trick?"
"Now," he replied, with a wide grin.
The blond paused. "Well, you're okay, so I'm sure it's fine." He turned around and began walking towards the tangle. "Come on, everybody. We gotta find the CLAAARRGGHHH!" he screamed, as the ground gave way under him. His eyes widened as he stared at the bottom of the pit he was falling into, a mix of brackish water and small, upturned wooden spikes. His limbs shot out in every direction, chakra flowing through them to anchor himself, abruptly halting his descent moments before a surely grievous encounter with the spikes. "Sage's underpants, that was close," he gasped, staring at the wooden spikes centimetres away from his face.
"Wow, Naruto, you found a hole," Yota said impressed, as he looked into the pit.
"Boss, are you okay?" Konohamaru called worriedly..
"Yep. I'm good. Just gotta..." He carefully reached out with a hand, feeling the bottom. Then he experimentally lowered his foot between spikes, finding solid ground. Taking a moment to breathe and focus, he put a foot against the earthen side of the pit and walked upwards. "Okay, so there are traps," he noted, as he climbed out. "I thought Sis said this place wasn't being used."
"Maybe it's an old trap," Konohamaru suggested.
"What, don't they clean up after themselves? Pops gets on my case if I leave underwear lying around for more than a day," the blond said exasperated. "Okay then, watch out for traps I guess." He shook his head, as they continued into the woodland.
It was a wild and overgrown wilderness, filled with a wide variety of plants, more than a few of them covered in vicious looking thorns.
"Now, if I was a trap, where would I be?" Naruto mumbled, as they carefully made their way through the dense bushes. "Might be more holes. Look out for suspicious piles of leaves or moss. And also be careful of any tripwires or other such things."
"Got it, Boss," Konohamaru said.
"Yep, yep, yep, looking for traps," Yota chirped.
The blond genin halted, a thick tangle of thorny vines growing across their chosen path. "And this isn't helping either," he grumbled, stretching a leg over the plant to avoid being scratched by it. "Man, if only Sasuke was here, he could just burn it away. Or cut it with that shuriken thing he..." He felt something snap under his foot with a twang. Realisation set it, as he heard something move with a thwipt. "DODGE!" he yelled, as a dozen or so kunai were flung at them. Yota breathed out hard, shooting himself out of the way with gust of wind, as Konohamaru leapt up a nearby tree. Naruto himself leapt forward, crashing to the ground as the projectiles hammered into the area the trio had just been occupying. He breathed out and looked them over, several of the kunai were rusty and more than a few had shattered upon impact. "Hey, are you two okay?"
"Yep, yep," the weather salesman confirmed, poking his head out of the leaves of the tree he had launched himself into.
"I'm alright too," the Hokage's grandson said, dangling from a branch by his legs. "But that was close."
"Yeah. Kaede better appreciate this wish," Naruto grumbled, dusting himself off. "Oh no, my pants got torn. Stupid thorn bush." He sighed. "Let's move on."
The three managed to move on through the woods much more carefully, avoiding further incidents, by locating and safely triggering the various traps. Despite the wear and tear of the many years they had been left untended, most were still more than capable of maiming the unwary, if not outright kill them.
"Man, where are those clovers?" Naruto asked. "Sure would... Wait, more tripwire."
"Hmm, seems to lead up to that tree," Konohamaru noted.
"Alright, I'll trigger it. You two move back," the blond said, drawing his kunai. "One, two..." He cut the wire and jumped back. He waited a moment, then looked to the metallic racket, as several rusty shuriken was unceremoniously dumped out of the tree to the ground. "Oh, that one was a dud. Anyway, clover."
"I'm pretty sure clovers would grow in a field, Boss," Konohamaru remarked.
"Yep, yep, they look real pretty," Yota agreed.
Naruto paused. "Then what are we doing in a forest? Let's go find a field instead."
"Right behind you," the two younger kids declared.
It didn't take long for them to find a vast open area, worthy of being described as a field. And in the distance, a vast field of red surrounded a statue.
"Could those be the crimson clovers?" Naruto asked, holding up a hand to shadow his eyes. "I mean, they're crimson, no doubt about that."
"So what now? There might be traps out there too," Konohamaru noted.
"I have an idea," the genin replied with a grin and focused. A second later, a clone manifested. "Alright," Naruto said and pointed. "You just start running in that direction."
The clone stared at the field, then glared at Naruto. "You're kidding, right?"
"What? No, I'm not," he insisted. "Look, just go see if there's any traps."
"Oh, sure. And when I get maimed by a booby-trap, then what?" the clone demanded.
"Ehm, I guess then you die," Naruto tried. "Or I'll unsummon you. Or something. Just go do your job."
"I don't feel like it," the clone pouted.
"Wha... Come on. You're supposed to obey me," the genin replied frustrated.
"Why?"
"Because I'm the original."
"Well, I didn't vote for you."
"Wha... Why would... Would you just get going already?" Naruto demanded.
"Fine. Just swing the whip one more time why don't you," the insubordinate duplicate muttered, as he began jogging across the field.
"Finally. What was his problem?" Naruto sighed.
The three waited, watching him get farther and farther away.
"Huh. Maybe it isn't trapped," Konohamaru said.
There was a loud boom, as the ground under the clone detonated.
"Oh, wow, oh, it, ehm, it's landmines," Naruto managed, staring in horror.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," the Hokage's grandson queasily stated.
"Look, look, his foot landed over there," Yota said, jumping up and down while pointing.
The shattered clone flopped around a bit, before crying out: "MY LEGS!"
"Oh, wow, ehm... STILL ALIVE?" Naruto loudly called.
"OF COURSE I'M ALIVE! NOW UNSUMMON ME!" the duplicate wailed.
"But that would mean that... Ehm... Maybe I should wait," Naruto mumbled.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!" the doppelgänger loudly and angrily inquired.
"IT JUSTS LOOKS KINDA PAINFUL!" the original admitted.
"OF COURSE IT'S PAINFUL, YOU DOLT!" the clone fired back.
"YEAH! AND, I DON'T...!"
"IF YOU SAY YOU'RE NOT GONNA UNSUMMON ME, I'M GONNA CRAWL OVER THERE AND BITE YOUR KNEECAPS OFF!"
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, WOULD YOU RELAX ALREADY?!" Naruto yelled. "Sheesh, these clones." With a puff, the maimed clone vanished. The genin stood still for a moment, before his legs began quivering. "Yep," he said in a strained voice. "That's the memory."
"You need a moment, Boss?" Konohamaru asked.
"No... No, I'm good," Naruto breathed out. "I'm better now. Let's get some more clones out." He focused, five more clones manifesting. "Okay then, you all know the plan."
"Yeah, how about no," one of the clones replied.
"What? Why are you all like this today?" Naruto asked. "Just march that way, there might only have been one mine."
"Or we might all get killed. Again," one of the clones sighed.
"Well, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Now get going, we haven't got all day," the blond insisted.
"Fine. But we better get some of Pops' ramen once this is over," one of the clones insisted, as they walked off.
"Oh, but not tonkutsu," another said.
"Seriously, we're not cutting down on the tonkutsu."
"But my thighs..."
"Your thighs are fine."
"You think so?"
"Yeah, you look good."
"Would you two get a room."
"Wait, wouldn't that be... You know, like with a brother?"
"I don't know, we're all still Naruto, right?"
They conversation was cut off by the first of the clones being blown to bits.
"I'm just gonna look the other way," Konohamaru said, as another explosion went off. "I know they're only clones, but still..."
"Look, his head bounced," Yota excitedly commented.
"You're not helping."
Naruto sat down on the ground, as memories started assimilating. "I swear, this is the worst part," he groaned, as first-hand experience of being torn apart by an explosion settled in his thoughts.
It took a couple more clones, before a safe route could finally be determined, allowing the three to reach the field of crimson plants, surrounding a stone statue depicting the Sage of Six Paths. And indeed, the plants growing here were red clovers.
"Finally," Naruto said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Okay, Konohamaru. Pick one."
The brunette nodded and began going them over. "Huh, these all have three leaves."
"Yeah?" the genin inquired.
"Well, I need one with four leaves. That's the one with a wish," he explained.
"Oh, maybe it's like with regular clover. Four leaves is rare," Yota said excitedly. "Come on, let's all search."
Naruto looked across the large patch of plants and sighed. "We're going to be here all day."
...
Kakashi stood in the shop, letting his finger glide over the packages of instant ramen while considering the flavours. He knew how to cook, but when he finally had some time off, he genuinely preferred to just eat out or warm up a ready-made meal. So all that was left was to decide the flavour of the day.
"Hey, Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura said as she entered into the shop, snapping him out of his taste considerations. "Do you have a moment?"
"I suppose I do," he said. "What is it, Sakura?"
"I've just been thinking of a couple of things," she replied. "Ehm, first of, I've talked with the others, and, eh, well, do you think we could, maybe, benefit from some weapon training?"
"Of course you could," Kakashi replied without even looking up.
"Wait, really?" she asked.
"Beef or chicken?"
The pink-haired ninja blinked. "What?"
"I can't decide. Beef or chicken?" he repeated.
"Oh, ehm, chicken, I guess," she said. "Anyway, you agree?"
"Course I agree," he said, bringing the food to the register and paying. "A ninja can only benefit from learning more skills. I just wanted you all to know how to use your bodies first. But the way the three of you attract trouble, you'll probably need that training sooner or later."
"Ehm, well, hopefully there'll be no more of that," she murmured, twiddling her thumbs. "Ehm, on that note, there was something else."
"On that note, you say." He paused, then put the instant noodles down on the counter. "Hold onto this for me, would you Ms. Yoso? I feel like I'll be really busy in a few moments."
"I mean, it might be nothing but, ehm, you know Akagahara, right?" Sakura began.
"Yes. It's one of our training areas. Was used in the last chunin exam held here in Konohagakure. Currently lying fallow. Will probably be taken into use again in a few years." He turned around to face her. "Why?"
"Is the place... Safe?" she inquired.
"It's full of old traps from the Chunin exam, so no, I wouldn't call it safe," he said. "I mean, for an experienced ninja, a couple of old rusty traps and some outdated landmines might not be an issue."
"Landmines," Sakura echoed with dawning horror.
"But for someone less experienced , yes, it could be quite dangerous," he said. "Not to mention that little gift we got from Sunagakure."
"Oh no," Sakura mumbled. "Ehm, well, Naruto, Konohamaru and Yota said they'd go there. And I got kinda worried."
Kakashi stared. "If you're all that eager to return to duty, I could just get you a mission," he sighed, heading for the exit. "Where's Sasuke? He might as well give a hand while we get those three screwballs out of there."
"Last I saw him, he was down on the bridge towards Akagahara," Sakura said, following him. "He might still be there."
"Great. Also, good job bringing this to my attention, Sakura," he said, as the two began running out of town.
...
"No," Naruto muttered, as he carefully sorted through the crimson clovers with his fingers. "No. Not this one. No." He groaned, sitting down. "Man, this is boring. And I thought getting here was gonna be the hard part. It really is gonna take all day at this rate."
"Why not summon some more clones, Boss?" Konohamaru inquired.
"After the amount of lip they've given me today? They can stay inside me until I feel like letting them out," the blond murmured, before mockingly mimicking: "'I didn't vote for you.' Who does that guy think he is?"
"Hey, hey, look!" Yota called out happily.
"Did you find one with four leaves?" Naruto excitedly asked, jumping to his feet.
"No, one with two leaves," the kid replied, holding up the clover in question. "Isn't it cool?"
Naruto paused, then looked to Konohamaru. "You think that's worth a wish?"
"No. It has to be four leaves," he replied.
"Maybe I could find two and glue them together," Yota suggested, staring at the clover he had found while considering the possibilities.
"If it was that easy, we could just glue one more leaf on one of the regular ones," Naruto said, as he began searching again. "No. No. Does a four-leaf crimson clover even exist?"
"I hope so," Konohamaru replied. "But I've never seen one."
"Great. So there might not even be one," the blond sighed. "No. No. Not this one."
"I wonder how Kaede's wish will happen," Yota said, as he began searching again, his two-leaf clover placed behind his ear.
"What do you mean?" the Hokage's grandson inquired.
"Like, her dad was going on a mission, yes?" the weather seller continued. "So how will she stay? Maybe the Hokage will cancel the mission. Or her parents will forget her and leave her home alone."
"What kind of parents forget their kids?" Naruto commented. "They'd take one look in their wagon and see she was missing."
"Look, I'm sure if the clover grants wishes, it will grant it nicely," Konohamaru insisted, though his voice was a bit uncertain.
"Well, it won't matter if we can't find one of them," the blond said. "No. No. Come on. Wait, this... No that's just two tangled in one another. Man, I thought I had one there."
"Nope, nope, nope," Yota chirped, as he kept going through the clovers. "Oooo, shiny beetle."
"I'd have more luck seeing Sasuke smile than finding this clover," Naruto sighed, stretching his back. "Hey, Konohamaru, maybe we should come back tomorrow."
"But Kaede leaves tonight," the tailed kid replied.
"What? Man, you really came to me at the last moment, didn't you?" Naruto replied, slumping a bit, "Fine, let's get to it. No. No. No again."
Minutes crawled by as the three kept going through the clovers, never once finding one with four leaves.
"It's hopeless," Konohamaru moaned. "Boss, I'm starting to think there isn't one with four leaves."
"Yeah, you might be right," Naruto sighed. "Sorry, kid."
"It's okay. I just hope Kaede won't be disappointed," he muttered.
"But we haven't looked everywhere yet," Yota said.
The blond raised an eyebrow. "Really? Feels like it. Where do you think we should look?"
The weather seller pointed at the sage statue. "Under there."
"I doubt it. Don't think anything's growing under there," Naruto noted, as Konohamaru walked closer to the statue. "I mean, plants need sunlight and there not gonna be much of that under the Sage's butt."
The tailed boy kneeled down and looked into the small gap between the statue's base and the ground. Then he gasped. "Boss, there is a clover under here. And it has four leaves."
"What, really?" Naruto asked. "Well, good job, Yota."
"Yay," he exuberantly replied, his small fangs poking out from his lips as he broadly smiled.
"Ehm, but I can't reach it," Konohamaru groaned, as he stretched his arms under the statue. "It's just too far away."
"Oh. Well, it's just a statue. It'll take more than that to stop a great ninja like Naruto Uzumaki. Believe it," the blond said, as he confidently approached the stone sage. "Yota, give me a hand."
"Sure," the boy said and followed.
...
Sasuke sighed. "Of course that idiot would not be stopped by a stay out sign."
Kakashi, Sakura and the Uchiha scion himself stood outside the fence surrounding the Akagahara training area, eyeing the open pit not far behind it.
The one-eyed shinobi didn't respond. He just crouched and jumped, leaping over the fence. He walked over to the pit and looked down. "The dirt has been scraped off in four places. Classic response to a pit. Neither Konohamaru nor Yota would be big enough to do that. No signs of blood in the water or on the spikes." He turned to the two others, as they made their way over the fence. "So despite stumbling into this trap, I'd say he managed to get off with a scare."
"But not enough to make him turn around," Sakura guessed.
"Nope."
"That stupid, stubborn idiot," Sasuke groaned, rubbing his forehead. "All this trouble for a clover because that dumb brat has convinced himself it'll grant wishes."
"Wishes? Oh, right, the four-leaf crimson clover," Kakashi remarked. "So that's what they're after."
"Please tell me you don't buy that rubbish too," the raven-haired genin commented.
"Well, no, I don't believe that thing will grant a wish," Kakashi clarified. "But... Ah, well, I'll tell you all about it later." He unfolded a map. "For now, let's try and follow the trail. Fortunately, all traps were marked down for future clearing."
"Yeah, but Naruto doesn't have that map," Sakura commented, as the three of them walked into the forest. "He could get seriously hurt."
"Maybe that will finally teach that dense buffoon to think," Sasuke added annoyed.
"Just think of it as an unplanned team-building exercise," Kakashi advised.
The Uchiha scion's mouth became a thin line, one eye twitching slightly.
"Now up ahead should be a simple kunai snare trap," the cyclopean ninja continued. "And yep, they triggered that one too." He paused, examining the scene. "No signs of blood. They avoided it. Probably overlooked the wire due to the bush here. Strip of cloth." He held it up in front of his face and smelled it. "Yep. Naruto. Must have dodged right about here, ripping his, hmm, pants I think. And then they continued."
The three headed further into the thicket, using the trail of disarmed or triggered traps to track the trio.
"So, where are these clovers?" Sakura asked, as the three carefully made their way through the thorny growth.
"Near the middle. There's a large patch of them there," Kakashi said. "But crimson clovers rarely grow four leaves. So they'd probably be stuck there all day."
"At least then he won't run off again," Sasuke commented.
"With that boy, who knows. Hmm, shuriken tripwire trap up ahead." The silver-haired jonin stepped forth and investigated. "Triggered, but the wire looks cut. They spotted this one and decided to disable it. Shurikens landed over there. Malfunction. Nothing else here." He looked at the map as they continued onwards. "If they kept going in this direction, they should avoid most of the other traps."
"Oh, thank the Sage," Sakura breathed out relieved.
"Until the minefield up ahead," Kakashi clarified.
"The what now?" the pink-haired ninja asked.
"Of course," Sasuke groaned. "Does the map at least tell us where the mines are?"
"Indeed it does. Wonder how they handled it?" They exited the dense thicket and entered the wide, green field. Several craters had been blown in the green grass, fragments of shattered stone and earth littering the surrounding area. "Let's see, several mines triggered, no body parts, blood splatters or corpses." Kakashi rubbed his chin. "I think Naruto sent his clones ahead to check for traps. Crude, but effective." He held up his hand over his eyes. "Ah. I even think I can see them at the clover field ahead. And they look okay."
Sakura was about to breathe out in relief again, but Sasuke cut her off with a: "Sounds like there's a but in there."
"But if they keep messing with that statue, they will trigger the little surprise we got from Sunagakure," Kakashi remarked, folding the map. "So, who's ready for a spirited jog through the minefield?"
"I'm gonna punch him. Swear to the Sage and his sons, I'm gonna punch that idiot so hard," Sasuke furiously grumbled, as the three began hurrying across the field.
...
"Why... Is this... So heavy?" Naruto groaned, as he and Yota kept pushing the statue backwards, tilting it to give access to the area underneath it. "Got it yet?"
"No. Almost though," Konohamaru said, stretching his arms as far as he could. "Can you push it a little bit more?"
"I'll try," the blond groaned. "Come on... Yota. Push."
"I'm pushing, I'm pushing," the out of breath weather seller gasped. "Stupid heavy statue." His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth, pushing harder and harder.
"There. Almost. I can reach it with my fingertips. Just a little more," Konohamaru said enthusiastically. "Come on, we almost go it."
"Just... A little bit... More..." Naruto groaned, feeling every single one of his muscles protest. "A little bit..." Suddenly, the statue ceased pushing back. Both Naruto and Yota almost fell over, as the stone sage tipped completely backwards under its own weight and landed on the ground with a thud.
"Oh. Whoops," Naruto mumbled, scratching the back of his head.
"Hey, we got it, we got it," Yota excitedly said, jumping from foot to foot, as Konohamaru carefully plucked the plant.
"Yeah. But that was a Sage statue you just broke, Boss," the tailed boy noted. "That's bad luck."
"What? It's not, it's not broken," Naruto sputtered, gesturing to the fallen icon. "It's just, I mean, a little dirty that's all. Besides, it was for a good cause. The Sage would understand."
It was at that point that the quiet of the glade was interrupted by the sound of dirt moving, accompanied by the subtle snaps of roots being torn. All around them in the clover field, small mounds were growing.
"You were saying, Boss?" Konohamaru nervously asked, as the three of them took up position back to back.
The earth and crimson plants tumbled off the rising forms, revealing them. Old, warped wood was exposed to the sunlight for the first time in years. Rusty blades unfolded with a tortured whine. Limbs and joints creaked as chakra flowed into them. Lifeless glass eyes rolled in their sockets, patchy wigs barely covering their heads. Dozens of marionettes rose up in jerky movements, their arms ending in vicious blades.
"Oh come on," Naruto groaned. "What's this about?"
"Hello," Yota greeted them, while waving his arm. "Do you live here?"
"I don't think they're friendly," Konohamaru noted. "In fact, I think they're really mad about the statue Naruto broke."
"It's not broken," the blond insisted.
"Oh, well, then we'll just fix it," Yota suggested happily. "We'll just get that stupid statue up again, yep yep."
As one, the marionettes began charging.
"Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have called it stupid," the weather seller noted.
"Alright, bring it on," Naruto challenged, drawing his kunai. "You two be careful. Let me take the brunt of them." He prepared to face one of the puppets.
Suddenly, two other marionettes slammed into it from behind, the three constructs splintering, fragments of wood and metal dancing through the air.
The blond blinked, only to notice Sakura, then Sasuke and Kakashi. "Huh? What are you three doing here?"
"Stopping you from getting the Hokage's grandson killed, you absolute imbecile," Sasuke commented annoyed, as the three of them ran in and joined up. "Did you not see the signs on the fence or are you actually illiterate?"
"Hey, we had a wish to find," Naruto insisted.
"You're an idiot. You're a complete and utter idiot," the raven-haired Uchiha hissed back.
"Might I suggest you save the touching reunion for later?" Kakashi noted calmly. "These puppets may be old and worn out, but they can still hurt you."
The animated constructs kept advancing on the group.
Sasuke took a deep breath and then breathed out, his chakra laced breath exploding from his lips in a cloud of flames. Several of the puppets got caught in the fire, their bodies crumbling under the heat. He paused, trying to survey the results of the attack, when a marionette stumbled out of the smoke, its body blackened by flames.
"Duck," Naruto yelled, and the Uchiha scion immediately crouched, allowing the blond to kick over him, his foot launching the animated figure's head off its shoulders. "How about using that giant shuriken thing?" he suggested, as he eyed the approaching enemies. "That might be able to take down a few of them."
"Oh, and what do you want me to throw it with?" Sasuke asked annoyed. "The arm I'm supposed to be resting?"
Sakura punched one, cracking it's torso and launching it back. She grabbed the wrist of another puppet as it tried to attack, slamming her knee into its chest. She pulled her arm back. It felt good to really cut lose. Since these were just unthinking puppets, she could pummel them without hesitation. With that thought, she shot her fist forward, shattering the construct's face. As it fell, two more approached, viciously swinging their rusty blades. She grabbed their arms, trying to hold them back. That's when a third puppet tried to use the opening to stab her.
Konohamaru launched himself over Sakura and landed on the attacker, wrapping his legs and tail around its neck. With a yell, he used both hands to slam his kunai into its forehead. It shuddered and collapsed.
"Thanks," Sakura said, as she slammed the two puppets into each other.
"No problem," the tailed kid replied, giving her a thumbs up.
Yota stared at the puppets approaching him. He frowned. "You want to hurt my friends," he stated, all cheer gone from his tone. "That makes me angry."
One puppet leapt at him.
Yota just stared, not moving.
There was a flash of blinding light and a deafening boom. And then the puppet was gone, nothing left but a thousand fine smoking splinters.
Kakashi redirected the attack of one puppet, slamming the blade into the face of another, then jammed his kunai into the back of its head. As they collapsed, he looked around. The last few stragglers were easily torn apart by the group. "Well, seems we're done."
"Yes, we won," Naruto excitedly declared. "Hey, Konohamaru, please tell me you still have the clover. I remember losing a luxury coupon while in the Land of Waves and it sucked."
"It's right here, Boss."
The blond breathed a sigh of relief.
"Naruto, what were you thinking?" Sakura asked exasperated, now that the danger had passed. "You should know better than to go into a place like this alone. Do you think the council has signs hung up as a joke?"
"But, Konohamaru needed his wish," Naruto tried.
"Not this again," Sasuke groaned.
The pink-haired ninja buried her face in her hands for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath: "And I respect that you want to help and it is really nice of you, but you almost got yourself and those two killed multiple times."
"Yeah, that wasn't the smartest decision," Kakashi agreed. "Still, I gotta say, even if these traps were old, you still did a good job handling them."
"Heh, thanks Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said with a smile.
"That being said, we gotta work on helping you detect them. And brute forcing your way with clones doesn't always work," the cyclopean ninja continued. "You have to realise that a triggered trap can be dangerous, just by the fact that the enemy can use it to determine that intruders have come through."
"Right. I'll try to keep that in mind," the blond said, nodding.
"Now, as your team leader, I should probably come up with some form of punishment for violating the rules," Kakashi noted. "But I think just losing an entire day's worth of relaxation should do it. If you're also up for buying your team a round at your father's shop, of course."
"Hey, that's blackmail," Naruto protested.
"A valuable tool for ninjas, yes," Kakashi agreed.
...
The sun was setting in the distance, painting Konoha in orange colours. Standing in her kimono, nervously scratching at the ground with a foot, Kaede Yoshino watched the people of the city, as in the background, her parents loaded the last furniture on their wagon. Her fingers nervously tangled themselves with each other, as the moment where she'd have to leave steadily approached.
"Kaede, you ready?" her father called.
The girl sighed. "Yes, Dad," she said and turned around.
"Kaede!" someone called, and she turned around, watching as Konohamaru charged through the throng of people.
"Konohamaru?" she said surprised, as the tailed boy stopped up by her, supporting himself against his legs. "I, ehm, I almost thought you wouldn't come."
"I found it," he breathed out and shakily handed her the crimson clover. "I found a four-leaf crimson clover."
The girl's eyes widened as she saw it. "A four-leaf crimson clover," she repeated, starring in amazement, before breaking into a wide smile. "You found one."
"Told you I would," he said in a winded tone. "Now make a wish."
The girl paused, then looked to the plant. A moment passed.
"Kaede, finish saying goodbye to your friend. We have to go now," her father called.
"Aw man," Konohamaru moaned disappointed. "It didn't work."
"But it did," Kaede said while smiling.
"Huh?"
"I wished you'd make it here before I had to go. And you did. And now, I have this to remember you by." She leaned forward, kissing the stunned boy on the cheek. "Thanks, Konohamaru. I hope I'll be back soon."
"Oh, ehm, heh, ehm, yeah, ehm, me too," the heavily blushing boy said, as she hurried to the wagon. "Ehm, yeah, uh, heh, see you around, Kaede."
Not far from the two, the rest of the group watched.
"That was fun," Yota said with a wide grin. "We should adventure again, Naruto."
"Yeah, well, maybe not anytime soon," the blond groaned. "I'd at least like some days of rest now."
"At least Konohamaru seems happy. Even if Kaede is still going," Sakura remarked, before turning to Kakashi. "You said there was something about the clover."
"Yeah. It was one of the other ninjas back in the day who found a four-leaf crimson clover and managed to bring it back," the cyclopean ninja explained. "Since it's in the middle of the area and four-leaf clovers are rare, it took considerable skill to get one. So it became sort of an extra challenge for ninjas to look for one of them. It was said anyone who completed the challenge was destined to be a great ninja. And then it just kinda spread from there, taking on a life of it's own as something that was said to grant wishes."
"Told you there was nothing to it," Sasuke remarked.
"Maybe not," Kakashi said. "Or maybe, if you have the determination to find something as rare as that, you already have what it takes to achieve your dreams."
"That sounds like me," Naruto declared. "I'm gonna be the next Hokage."
"Hokage, Hokage," Yota cheered.
"Exactly. See, Yota agrees," the blond added.
"Yes, well, before you go become Hokage, you still owe the team some ramen," Kakashi informed him. "That includes Yota and Konohamaru too today, by the way."
"Yeah, yeah. I've got more than enough money," Naruto said dismissively. He paused, then looked to Sasuke. "So... You coming along today?"
"What?" the raven-haired ninja replied surprised.
"I mean, you are part of the team. So I was just curious," the blond continued.
"It would be a good team-building exercise," Kakashi noted.
"I'm really starting to hate that term, Sensei," Sasuke noted venomously.
"Yeah, well, you coming along or not?" Naruto asked again.
The Uchiha scion didn't immediately answer, instead staring at the sunset.
The others waited patiently for him to reply.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Yota quietly asked.
"I'm not sure," Naruto admitted.
Sakura coughed. "Sasuke, you okay?"
"Huh? Sorry, I... I just remembered... No, never mind that," he said, rubbing the side of his head. "It's not important. I should... Hmm... I don't..." He sighed. "Sure. I'll come along and see if this ramen you keep yammering on about is really that fantastic."
"Really?" Naruto replied surprised, before a wide grin bloomed on his face. "That's awesome. Just you wait, once you've had a taste of Ichiraku ramen, you'll never want to eat anywhere else."
"If you say so," the raven-haired genin replied dismissively.
"Oh, we have so many varieties you gotta try. There's all the base ones. We gotta get you both a taste of miso and tonkutsu. Oh, and you gotta try some of the fishcakes. We also have some with chicken," Naruto listed.
"Listen, you let me pick what I want or I'm dropping this whole thing," Sasuke insisted.
"Okay, okay, sure, whatever," the blond replied, holding his hands up defensively as they began to walk over to pick up Konohamaru. "But if you do need help, I have a couple of suggestions for you."
Sasuke sighed deeply, as Kakashi patted him on the back while commenting: "Nothing quite like team spirit, eh, Sasuke?"
"Shut up, Sensei."