Chapter Seven
Naruto let out a loud yawn as he shuffled out of his bathroom. Today was his first day off from training in five weeks. Moving over to the large chest near his bed, he opened the top lid and pulled out a pair of light tan shorts and a black t-shirt. Naruto got dressed, pausing to yawn here and there as a smile crept upon his face. Finishing up with his sandals, he cast a look at the discarded headband he'd yet to wear before turning to leave. Naruto opened the door that led out to the wooden patio and stretched with another loud yawn. He'd slept in pretty late, and the sun was already shining high up in the sky. Jumping off the patio, he started on his journey.
As Naruto walked down the winding paths that led away from the Uchiha compound, he couldn't help bet let his thoughts wander to the upcoming exam. He had no idea what it was going to be, and he heard it changed every time. One thing that seemed consistent was that there was always a one-on-one or team combat component to them. Naruto wasn't worried much about the one-on-one fights personally. He doubted there was any genin out there strong enough to beat him. The only one he was sure could even come close now was Sasuke. The team fights could be tricky depending on who they were put up against. He doubted they'd have synergy anywhere near close to the other teams. Between the three of them, he was sure they could pull off a win as long as he and Sasuke could agree on a plan.
Sakura had gotten a lot stronger throughout the training too. Naruto wouldn't be surprised if she were as strong as Sasuke was before the training, which would still rank her as one of the strongest genins. He was confident she could probably win her fights too.
Hopefully, all three of them would get promoted, and he'd be one more step away from his true goal. Once he finished his training with Ero-sennin for good, he could leave Konoha behind and make a home in Uzushio. He could take up bounty hunting for the funds. Once Sasuke killed Itachi, Naruto could claim the bounty. That alone would probably be enough to rebuild half of Uzushio or at least get it started. There were loads of other high-ranking ninjas in the bingo book he could go after too.
Then once Sasuke joined him, no one would dare attack Uzushio again. The last Uchiha and Uzumaki, the students of the great Gama-sennin, would undoubtedly strike fear in potential enemies. He was going to have to convince Ero-sennin to take Sasuke on as an apprentice, though. If Ero-sennin was being truthful about taking him back on as a student after becoming a chunin, then Naruto wouldn't have much time to work with Sasuke. He wasn't sure Kakashi was completely reliable a teacher.
'What about Sakura and Hinata?' Naruto paused for a second as the thought popped into his head. He'd gotten close to both of them over the last five weeks. The idea of leaving them behind, along with Konoha, put a small pit in his stomach. They'd become his friends, and he wouldn't want to leave them behind. 'I guess I could invite them to come with Sasuke and me. It's not like we'd be doing anything technically illegal. Ninja's transfer to other allied villages all the time.' Even as he thought that, Naruto knew it wouldn't be that easy. Due to Naruto's, Sasuke's, and Hinata's statuses, Konoha wouldn't let them go so quickly.
As Naruto got closer to his destination, he could see two people standing guard outside the Hyuga compound. Typically Naruto and Hinata met up after training in a clearing near her team's usual training ground, but today Naruto was looking for her for a different reason. As Naruto crossed the path towards the compound, one of them looked up at him.
"Uzumaki-san," the one on the right said shortly as Naruto approached. "What can we do for you this morning?" Both guards looked exactly like you'd expect from Hyuga's. They had angular features with dark hair and Byakugans. They were dressed in the standard chunin attire for Konoha. If Naruto didn't know better, he'd ask if they were twins.
"I'm here to see Hinata-chan," Naruto said with a shrug. "Hyuga-sama said I could just let you guys know next time I was here." Naruto was careful to show the proper amount of respect. He didn't want to give them any reason to get aggressive or dismissive towards him. From what little interaction he'd have with the Hyugas, he could tell they were very traditional. Hence why they all looked the same.
"Yes," the guard said as he nodded his head. "Hyuga-sama did say you might be by to see Hinata-sama again." The guard looked at the other and nodded curtly. Then he turned and started walking into the compound. "Follow me, please, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto followed behind the guard as he led Naruto down the path and through the front lawn. Naruto once again took a moment to admire the immaculately trimmed bushes and large trees that darted the landscape. However, instead of detouring through a tree and onto a roof this time, Naruto was led through a massive and entrance with two wooden double doors left open. Naruto could see two more guards on either side of the doors.
The inside was immaculate, of course, and Naruto would have been surprised if it wasn't. It was dark polished wood from top to bottom. Large ornate scrolls depicting ninjas in battle hung from the walls alongside priceless art and portraits of other Hyugas. Naruto took off his sandless and slid on the provided slippers, and continued following the guard who had done the same. The floor was polished so well he could see a distorted reflection of himself in it. Naruto was led outside after a few turns onto the wooden deck that wrapped around the outside of the training stage in the center of the manor.
"Uzumaki Naruto-san for Hinata-sama," The guard said with a bow. When he bowed, Naruto noticed Hinata's father standing a few steps away. He was dressed in traditional clothing like always, and his handsome face was stern and unyielding, like his posture.
Naruto quickly bowed to Hinata's father as well, trying to avoid coming off as rude. The last thing he wanted was to give the head of the Hyugas to have any more of a reason to dislike him. His face flushed as he remembered the lack of manners he'd shown before. Hopefully, he'd be able to see Hinata today. He'd been looking forward to it all week.
"Thank you, Hansuke," Hiashi Hyuga said shortly. "Please go collect Hinata and bring her here." The guard bowed once again and left through the same door they came through. Naruto took a few steps forward and looked around. There was a loud thump that quickly caught his attention. Turning his head, he saw the same young girl as before-Hanabi-in the training arena. She was working on her taijutsu with what looked like another Hyuga member. The fight wasn't nearly as intense as the one with her sister Naruto had witnessed.
"This is the second time you've come to my home to call on my daughter, Uzumaki-san," Hiashi said as he took a few steps towards Naruto.
"Well, I took the day off from training to rest before the exams," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I thought maybe Hinata-chan could use a day off as well. Hyuga-sama." Naruto added the last part quickly.
"It's important to rest up before something like chunin exams," Hiashi agreed as he peeled his eyes away from Naruto and focused on Hanabi. "I've been told you've been helping Hinata with training in your spare time."
"Well, I haven't been able to offer a lot of help, honestly." Naruto let his arms fall to his side. "I've been helping her with something I only know how to do in theory, so she's done most of the work."
"Hinata is weak," Hiashi said bluntly as he turned back to look at Naruto. "I appreciate your effort, but your time might be better spent on training yourself. After all, you are the last remaining heir to a noble and respected clan yourself."
Naruto schooled his features, trying his best not to show his irritation to the older man. He couldn't believe he'd be so blunt about his daughter. It came off as almost uncaring. Naruto swallowed hard and kept his eyes focused on Hanabi.
"With all due respect, Hyuga-sama, Hinata-chan is a lot stronger than you give her credit for." Naruto tried to temper the edge in his voice as he spoke.
"I guess we'll see when the exams start," Hiashi replied with a calm tone as he continued to look at Naruto. He could tell the young man was irritated by his statement. His stance had become rigid and tense. "Because of her weakness, I worry your relationship with my daughter might be too distracting. If she doesn't pass these exams, I will no longer be as supportive of you two spending time together as I have been. It may not make much sense to someone raised the way you were, but there are consequences if she can't prove she has the strength to lead the Hyuga clan."
"I have faith Hinata-chan will show you just how strong she is during the exams." Naruto turned and locked eyes with elder Hyuga.
"N-naruto-kun," Hinata's voice cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter. Naruto turned to see her standing by the same door he'd been lead through. Naruto instantly felt more relaxed, and he was relieved she was there.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto said loudly with a large toothy smile. "Sorry to barge in like this, but I have the day off from training. I thought we could go hang out or something."
"W-would that be okay with you, Otou-sama?" Hinata asked, bowing her head towards her father. Hiashi turned away from both of them and focused his attention back on Hanabi.
"That is fine, just be back by dinner. You need to rest tonight and tomorrow before the exams. You know what could happen if you perform poorly." Hiashi refused to look at either of them, but Naruto sensed something off for the first time since he'd been there. It was almost like Hiashi was worried, even if it was just a little bit.
"O-of course Otou-sama," Hinata stuttered as she stepped back a bit into the manor.
"Thank you, Hyuga-sama," Naruto replied as he bowed towards Hiashi. He turned to leave with Hinata when Hiashi's voice stopped him.
"No, Thank you, Uzumaki-san." Naruto turned to look back only to see Hiashi hadn't looked away from Hanabi. "Not enough people in this village have thanked you for what you've done for us, and thank you for having faith in my daughter. Your father would be proud of the young man you are becoming."
Naruto sat there for a moment with nothing to say. There was a cold pit in his stomach as the words rang through his head. Naruto swallowed and nodded at Hiashi's back and followed Hinata into the manor. There was a tense silence as Hinata eyed Naruto as they walked through the estate; his face was slack, and she couldn't read any emotion from it.
Naruto and Hinata quickly and silently put on their shoes and left the manor. Hinata watched Naruto as the young blond stared blankly in front of them as they walked on the path and out through the gates. She'd never really seen Naruto like that before; it clearly had something to do with what her father had said to him.
"It's so intense in there," Naruto groaned as they got a few blocks away from the manor. He turned and smiled at Hinata. "How do you live there! It'd drive me crazy having to be so formal all the time."
"It can be stressful," Hinata whispered as she smiled back at Naruto, her face a light shade of pink. "I guess you don't notice it much when you've been there your whole life, though."
"Yeah, that's true, I suppose," Naruto muttered as he and Hinata kept walking. Naruto and Hinata continued to walk through Konoha, with Naruto leading the way. They chatted a bit about Hinata's teammates and their training. She told Naruto more about her sensei and about the time their team had been forced to chase down a cat through the village. Naruto was telling her about his last day of training and what happened afterward.
"Sasuke made me fight him again last night," Naruto said as they entered a nearby park. They were on a worn dirt path that wound through the whole park, and tall trees lined the way casting shade over them as they walked. There were plenty of people out that day. Some of them seemed to recognize Naruto and sent him the same dirty looks and whispers he was used to getting. Past the trees were large grassy clearings filled with people sitting in the grass and children running around playing. There was an old playground in the distance as well that Naruto remembered from his childhood.
"What happened?" Hinata asked as they made their way down the path. She was staring up at Naruto, who was smiling as they walked through the park. 'I can't believe I'm here with Naruto-kun,' she thought to herself. Even though she'd been spending time with Naruto for the past five weeks, she was still so happy he was finally back. It wasn't just that he was just back, but the fact that he wanted to spend time with her, and it made her incredibly happy.
"Oh, I won," Naruto said casually as he gestured uncaringly with his hand. "I was kind of surprised by how hard he fought back, though. I was hoping it would be just a casual sparing match to test his strength, but he ended up going all out. He'll have to spend today and tomorrow resting up and putting ointment on his bruises now. Hopefully, he's better in time for the exam."
"Are you okay?" Hinata asked in concern as she started to examine Naruto in more detail. He looked perfectly fine. There wasn't a scratch or bruise on him that she could see.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. He was able to get in a couple of hits, but I heal up fast." Naruto shrugged as he noticed an old rickety ice-cream cart. "Want some?" Naruto asked as he motioned to the cart. Hinata smiled and nodded, and they started to walk towards it. "Yeah, he takes that stuff too seriously," Naruto said as he shook his head.
As they approached the cart, Naruto smiled at the older man behind it. The older man had a thick grey mustache and a large bald spot in the center of his head. "Two please," Naruto said as he reached into his pocket for his wallet.
"Hm," The older man grunted as he stared at Naruto. "I don't think so." He said as he turned away to avoid Naruto's gaze. Naruto felt his heart sink for a second before it was replaced with anger. This was actually the first time since he'd been back that he was being treated this way so openly. Not to mention it happened right in front of Hinata. Naruto grit his teeth and balled up his fists, and resisted the urge to beat the man black and blue.
Hinata looked between the two of them curiously. She had no idea what was happening here or why.
"Listen here," Naruto started as he placed his hands on the cart. "I just want a couple of ice-creams. There's no reason to act this way over it. Is my money no good?"
"You're out of your mind if you think I'm serving you," the man said with a sneer. "Now, just get out of here before I call a ninja to deal with you."
"I am a ninja!" Naruto snapped as he glared at the man.
"Then where's your headband?" The man looked Naruto up and down with contempt. "Like they'd ever let you become a ninja."
"You want to treat me like a criminal?! Then how about I act like on- "Naruto was interrupted as Hinata moved to stand between the two of them. She was looking at the older man with a sharp look.
"Two ice-creams, please," Hinata said sternly as she looked at the older man. "I am a ninja, by the way." Hinata pulled her headband out from under her sweater and showed it off. The older man looked down at Hinata for a second before he sighed. Reaching into his cart, he pulled out two packaged ice-creams and handed them over. Hinata paid the man and grabbed Naruto's wrist. She pulled Naruto away as he continued to glare at the man.
The two were quiet for a moment before Hinata handed Naruto one of the ice creams. "Thank you," he muttered as he took it. "I can pay you back for them." Naruto's stomach had dropped as he stared at it. His face turned red when he realized that Hinata had been there for all of that.
"Y-you don't have to." Hinata stuttered a bit, her face red. Just like that, the strong and stern young woman was gone, and she was turning red again. Naruto would have laughed if he still wasn't so upset.
Naruto and Hinata broke from the path and walked through the trees. They found themselves on the crest of a grassy hill. The hill overlooked a river that ran through the park and the rest of the village. Naruto sat down silently and let out a deep breath.
"I hate being back here," Naruto said softly as he absentmindedly stared at the river. "I used to come to this spot all the time when I was a kid. I was always alone. No one wanted to sit with me or play with me." Naruto didn't look at Hinata as he stared out at the river; he'd been hoping to make up for that by being here with Hinata.
Hinata didn't say anything as she took a seat next to Naruto; her face was solemn. She had no idea why that man had treated Naruto that way. She couldn't understand how anyone couldn't like him. To her, Naruto was the best person in the world, and she couldn't understand why people couldn't see that.
"I wanted to," Hinata said softly as she looked down at the grass. "I really did! Every day I wanted to sit with you and play with you! I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to do it before!" Hinata's voice had risen as she went on. She looked up and locked eyes with Naruto. He was smiling at her. Her face turned bright red when she realized how loud she'd gotten, and she looked away.
"Thank you, Hinata-chan," Naruto turned back and pulled the wrapper off of his ice cream. Naruto handed it to Hinata, who took it gingerly. Naruto pulled her ice cream out of her hands and opened it as well. Naruto stuck it in his mouth scrunched his nose up at her. Hinata laughed and took a bite of her ice cream.
They sat there for a while, eating their ice cream and enjoying each other's company. Naruto would occasionally make faces at Hinata, causing her to laugh. Then they watched as a group of kids ran down the river bank chasing after paper boats laughing loudly eventually though Hinata broke the silence.
"Why did that man treat you that way?" Hinata had asked similar questions before. Naruto usually danced around the subject and brushed it off or gave her half-answers. Hinata hadn't minded before, but now she really wanted the truth.
"What did your dad mean by consequences?" Naruto responded with a question of his own. He glanced at Hinata, who looked away sadly. Naruto reached over and wiped some ice cream off her face and stuck his finger in his mouth.
"You first," she muttered.
"The night the Kyuubi attacked the village," Naruto started as he pulled his legs up to his chest. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. 'I can't keep avoiding it; I have to tell her,' he thought to himself. "The Yondaime couldn't beat him. To save the village, he sealed the Kyuubi into a newborn baby. Supposedly only a baby or someone young enough would be able to hold it. I was the only baby born that day." Naruto turned to look at Hinata, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
"The Kyuubi is inside of you?"
"Yeah," Naruto whispered as he turned to look back at the water. "That's why everyone hates me. They blame me for the attack or think I'm the Kyuubi or whatever other nonsense they come up with. My parents died that night, so I had no one to look after me and defend me. The only thing the Hokage did was make it illegal to tell me or to talk about it. It's why no one our age knows because it was illegal for your parents to tell you. It didn't help, though, not really anyway."
"That's why my father thanked you," Hinata muttered as he continued to look at him with wide eyes. "You're the one who saved us all. Even now, you're protecting everyone in the village, even after how they've treated you." Hinata looked at Naruto in awe, 'he's been bearing the weight of this his whole life. Protecting all of us.'
"Your dad was the first person to ever thank me for it. Not that I want people too." Naruto shook his head and paused. "I never wanted this, and I still don't. I'd give anything to get rid of it and just move on with my life. Maybe people would finally treat me just like everyone else. It's why I hate being here. When I'm out with Ero-sennin, no one knows about me. To them, I'm just Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto felt something soft grab his hand. He looked to see Hinata's hand wrapped around his own.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. For protecting all of us." She squeezed his hand and looked away as her face flushed red. She didn't let go, and Naruto made no effort to move his hand. "I'm glad you're here, Naruto-kun, and I don't want you to ever leave again."
Naruto smiled softly as he heard that and tried to ignore the pit in his stomach. One day he was going to leave again. Naruto turned to look at her and smiled softly. He knew it wasn't fair, but when the time came, he'd ask her to go with him. He hated that it would force her to choose, but he couldn't leave without asking.
"Your turn." He said as he turned back to look over the river again. A weight had been lifted off his chest entirely. Hinata didn't hate him.
"The clan elders don't want me to be head of the Hyuga Clan. They want it to be Hanabi-chan. If I can't prove, I'm strong enough to lead the clan during the chunin exams. Hanabi-chan will be made heir to the Hyuga Clan."
"What does that mean?" Naruto had no idea how any of the clan stuff worked in Konoha. He hadn't bothered learning anything about it.
"I honestly don't know." Hinata sighed as she collected her thoughts. "Usually, they only need one heir. My father's twin was born a few minutes later, and they forced him into the branch family. Branch family members get branded with a cursed seal that forces them to serve the main house. If they don't move Hanabi or me over to the branch family, then I guess one of us would be used in a political marriage or something like that. Either way, it's a lose-lose situation. If I do well, I'll become the heir to the clan, and Hanabi will become expendable. If I don't do well, I'll become the expendable one."
"I won't let anything like that happen to you," Naruto said thoughtfully as he looked down at Hinata. "I won't let them brand you or use you like some tool for political gain. I promise." 'I'm not going to let this village do to her what it did to me.'
Hinata stared into Naruto's eyes and felt the tightness in her chest ease. As he said those words, Hinata truly believed them. For the first time in a long time, she felt like everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun."
"You can just call me Naruto if you'd like." Naruto was once again staring at the winding river in front of them.
"O-of course," Hinata muttered as her face turned red. "You can just call me Hinata too if you'd like." She felt Naruto squeeze her hand, and she smiled. 'I've liked Naruto for as long as I could remember…now...' Hinata's thoughts trailed off as he continued to enjoy the feeling of Naruto's hand in hers.
"Want to go get some ramen?" Naruto asked suddenly with a large grin.
"That sounds great," Hinata replied with a matching smile.
Sakura sighed as she stood in front of the entrance to the Uchiha compound. She'd never been there before today. Sakura had been standing outside of it for almost 20 minutes now. The door had been left ajar, and as far as Sakura could tell, she could walk right in. Today was their first day off in weeks, and one of the first things she wanted to do when she woke up was see Sasuke. Now that she was there, though, her stomach felt like it was dropping out of her body. Sasuke had never invited her over, and she thought it would be rude to just show up. 'Naruto invited me over once,' Sakura thought to herself.
'Maybe I can pretend I'm looking for Naruto; yeah, that will work! But what if he thinks you like Naruto?' Sakura shook her head and cleared to clear the thoughts from her head, and took a deep breath. She took a step forward to enter the compound. Then abruptly turned around. 'Whatever, I didn't really want to see Sasuke anyway!' Sakura started to stomp off when she heard Sasuke call out to her.
"What are you doing?" The question was direct, and his tone sounded annoyed. Sakura turned to see Sasuke standing by the open doors, his arms crossed. His arms and face were covered in deep purple bruises, and his nose was swollen and yellow with a large bandage over it.
"Sasuke-kun! What happened to you?" Sakura asked as she rushed over to look at him. Her green eyes were filled with concern as she examined each bruise and blemish. 'What did he get himself into?'
"Nothing, just a sparring match with Naruto," Sasuke said as he turned around and started to make his way back into the compound. He left Sakura standing there, surprised at his answer. Not knowing if she should follow him or not, she continued to just stand there awkwardly.
"Are you coming in or not?" Sasuke asked without turning around. "You've been standing out there for almost a half-hour."
"Y-yes," Sakura replied as she slipped through the open doors. 'You could just invite me in like a normal person!' Sakura followed Sasuke inside, who started moving again. They walked past a couple of smaller buildings and a large building that used to house the Uchiha Police force. Eventually, they came to a large clearing with two rows of houses. Sasuke made his way to the largest home to the left with a large wrap-around wooden deck and sat down on it.
Sakura followed him and took a seat next to him without a word. She looked around at all the presumably empty houses, and she felt a slight tinge of sadness. As she continued to look around, she realized just how big the compound really was. Past the two rows of homes on the street, there were other buildings and more houses. It was almost like a small village. She knew that nearly 500 people had died that night, but she never really thought about it. In just one night, Sasuke had lost 500 family members, including his parents and his older brother had done it.
"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked without looking at Sakura.
"I just wanted to come see you," Sakura muttered as she looked down. "We've spent every day together over the last five weeks. It felt weird not seeing you today." 'Get it together, girl!'
"Tch," Sasuke tutted as he refused to look at the pink-haired shinobi. He wasn't used to getting visitors. Most people avoided this compound and even him like a plague.
"Why do you still live here?" Sakura asked as she looked around again. "It's so empty; it must be hard…."
Sasuke didn't respond as he, too, looked over the empty compound. For a moment, he saw what it was like before that night. Hundreds of Uchiha in the streets, shopping and going about their daily activity. Children were playing in the streets. People were coming to visit his parents every day. He never had to be alone before that night. There had always been someone. Then they all faded away, and he was staring at an empty compound again.
"I don't want to forget," Sasuke replied as he looked out over all the empty homes. "I don't want to forget everyone that used to live here. The village has moved on, and everyone else tries to act like it didn't happen, but these people…my people deserve to be remembered."
"I guess that makes sense…." Sakura trailed off as she looked down at the ground. 'What do I even say to someone like him. He's always so caustic and withdrawn.'
"While you're here, you might as well make yourself useful," Sasuke said shortly as he stood up for a second. Sakura watched as he entered his home and closed the door behind him.
"So rude," She huffed as she crossed her arms. "I don't even know why I try sometimes." Sakura sat there in silence as she stared out into the empty compound. Sasuke was right; of course, the village had moved on from it. 'It must be so hard for him. Everyone around him acting as if nothing happened.' Sakura sat there for another minute or so before she heard the door open. She felt her face start to burn almost instantly. Sasuke had returned wearing just his shorts.
Sasuke walked over back to where he'd been sitting before and sat down without saying a word. Clutched in his hand was a thin metal tin with Chakra Infused Medical Ointment embossed on the lid. Setting it down, he looked at Sakura. Sakura, for the first time since she got there, realized Sasuke's Sharingan had changed. There were now three marks around his pupil.
"Your Sharingan," Sakura muttered as she looked at it.
"Yeah, it changed last night when I was fighting Naruto." Sasuke didn't elaborate any further as he motioned to the tin next to her. "There's a bruise on my back I can't reach."
Sakura shook her head and looked over. Near the middle of his back was deep purple and yellow bruise. 'What makes him think I want to do this! He could at least ask nicely!'
"You could ask me nicely, you know?" Sakura huffed as she picked up the tin and pried it open with her nails.
"You're the one who always wants to help," Sasuke grumbled as he stared off in front of him. "Don't complain now that I actually need it."
"You needed it when we were learning how to climb trees," Sakura muttered as she scooped some ointment onto her fingers. "Not to mention with water walking," she said as she pressed her fingers into Sasuke's bruise harder than she needed to. She was rewarded with a grunt as Sasuke's shoulders jerked back. "I don't know what your problem with me is. You seemed eager to take Naruto's help. You even asked him." Sakura rubbed the ointment in a bit harder than she meant to, eliciting another grunt from Sasuke.
"Naruto's stronger than you. Stronger than me even." Sasuke replied through clenched teeth as she pushed harder into his back.
"He doesn't see the value you bring; he's too short-sighted."
Naruto's words echoed through her head as she scooped up more ointment.
"Don't be so short-sighted," Sakura replied as she gently applied the ointment this time. "I have things I can offer even if I'm not as strong as you two." Sakura finished applying the cream and put the lid back on the tin. "You overuse your chakra when you use ninjutsu; it's why you tire out in training, you need to work on your taijutsu, and you need to get faster if you want to use your Sharingan to its full potential. That's why Kakashi-sensei is so fast so he can react to what he sees."
"Thank you," Sasuke said shortly as he continued to face away from her. 'She's right; she always is.' Sasuke thought to himself bitterly. Sasuke stood up and walked back into the house. This time when he opened the door, he didn't close it right away. "I was going to make Katsudon for lunch. If you want to join me." Sasuke didn't say anything else as he walked away and left the door open.
Sakura sat there in shock for a moment at what just happened tried to register in her head. Sasuke thanked her and then offered to make her lunch at the same time. Sakura felt herself get red as she sat there in shock.
"Are you coming or not? Don't leave the door open all day!" Sasuke shouted irritably from inside the house.
Sakura let out a laugh as she heard Sasuke shouting at her. "I guess some things might never change." Sakura stood up and made her way into Sasuke's house. "Where are all the baby pictures?" Sakura asked loudly as she closed the door behind her.
"Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi greeted with a nod. He and Jiraiya were standing on the roof of a commercial building near the center of Konoha. "I was surprised to hear you were back already. I'm sure Naruto will be glad to see you."
"Well, I couldn't miss an opportunity to see his chunin exams. I even got here a couple of days earlier than I intended, just in case." Jiraiya turned and leaned against a wall, and looked at Kakashi. "How have things been going. I know it's only been five weeks…." Jiraiya trailed off as he waited for Kakashi to respond.
"We've been training for the exams mostly," Kakashi replied as he looked out over the city. "Naruto insisted on teaching them the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Kakashi let the implications hang in the air for Jiraiya.
"That doesn't surprise me," Jiraiya responded as he sighed a bit. "Are the other two being careful? I explained to him how dangerous that training method was for most people." 'Of course, the little brat taught them anyway. He's just like his mother sometimes.'
"I've been monitoring them. Keeping it at two clones at the most. I've caught Sasuke using three on a couple of occasions."
"That's impressive," Jiraiya hummed back. "Most jonin struggle training with just one clone, let alone two or three."
"Naruto and Sasuke are both extremely gifted. In more ways than one." Kakashi replied as he looked at Jiraiya. "Sakura, though, is a different kind of gifted. She isn't as naturally talented or strong as they are, but she's smarter than both of them. The academy hadn't seen test scores as high as hers since…well, you know. Her chakra control is incredible. She quickly learned how to give her clones as little chakra as needed to keep them going so she could use the same amount as Sasuke."
Jiraiya didn't respond, knowing exactly to whom Kakashi was referring. A taboo within the village almost as big as Naruto's and definitely among Kakashi's team.
"Has Naruto said anything about him to Sasuke?" Jiraiya asked as she rubbed his chin softly.
"I don't know. Does he know something worth telling?" Kakashi gave Jiraiya a pointed look who had the decency to look ashamed.
"You try being the village spy-master with a nosy brat by your side 24/ 7. Some things are bound to slip out." Jiraiya muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"What does he know?"
"Not any more than what Sensei and you know. Itachi joined that group, and that's about all we know. Naruto bugged me about them when he found out how big their bounties were. The little idiot wanted to go hunt them for the cash." Jiraiya let out a small chuckle at the thought.
"I wonder if that's what Naruto meant by the deal," Kakashi pondered as he crossed his arms. He knew Naruto had slipped up by the look on Sasuke's face. He hadn't pressed the issue opting to trust them instead.
"What do you mean deal?" Jiraiya asked seriously as he looked at Kakashi.
"Naruto said he made a deal with Sasuke. It had something to do with the training they've been doing together. Do you have any idea what it could be about? Does Naruto want that money for any particular reason? Is there anything else he's mentioned in the past?"
Jiraiya stared down at the ground in thought as he wracked his brain. He was trying to think of anything Naruto had ever mentioned to him. "I can't think of anything in particular. I know the kids hunted a few bounties here and there. Bandits mostly. I just thought he wanted some extra spending money. The only thing he's ever brought up before is Uzushio. He's been nagging me to bring him there ever since he was a kid. I told him there wasn't much left, but he's been insistent about it. I don't know what Sasuke could do with that."
"Maybe he wants Sasuke to accompany him there? Just in case? And he's holding this training and the information on Itachi over his head to get him to go along." Kakashi wondered out loud, but even as he said it, he didn't believe it. That didn't sound the Naruto he knew. Naruto would have told Sasuke out the gate not hold it over him if that were the deal.
"That could make sense," Jiraiya muttered as he looked over the city again. 'I doubt it's that simple, though. What are you planning, Naruto?' Jiraiya asked himself, deep in thought. The two had very different perceptions of the blond ninja. Jiraiya was sure if there was some kind of deal between the two, it was more serious than that. "Helping Sasuke become stronger could be beneficial in case they run into any missing-nin or looters."
"I don't see any harm in it if that's the case," Kakashi replied as he leaned over a railing that ran across the roof. "As long as those two don't run after Itachi themselves or something."
"We'll have to keep an eye on them just in case. The last thing I want to do is fight Itachi if those two get mixed up in something with him." Jiraiya replied as he stood up and stretched. "I heard there's going to be a break before the final round of exams. I'll do my best to keep an eye on Naruto, and you can focus on the other two. If we keep them split up, it won't give them a chance to do something stupid."
"Before I go," Jiraiya said as he looked at Kakashi seriously. "Oto is participating in this year's exams. This is the first time they've ever participated in an Inter-Village Chunin Exam. It's no coincidence they're participating now. Orochimaru is up to something, and we need to be prepared in case something happens. Rumor has it he's after a new body, and I have a feeling he's going to come after Sasuke."
"You think Orochimaru would just go after him in the middle of an event like this?" Kakashi asked as he stood up straight. Orochimaru was a mighty ninja, easily one of the strongest and most dangerous ninjas alive. Kakashi doubted he'd even be able to put up a fight against him if it came to it.
"I think the fact we're questioning it means he will. Be on your toes, Kakashi." Jiraiya made a quick hand sign and disappeared, leaving behind a trail of leaves.
"Great," Kakashi muttered as he pulled a little orange book from inside his vest. "As if things needed to get any more complicated."
"Oh man," Naruto sighed. "Nothing is better than Ichiraku Ramen." Naruto and Hinata were walking down the street having just finished their meal or, in Naruto's case, meals.
"It's terrific," Hinata agreed as she glanced down at Naruto's hand. 'Should I hold his hand again?' Hinata's face went bright red at the thought of her holding Naruto's hand again. She didn't think she could muster the courage to do it again. She could still feel the warmth of his hand in hers, and she couldn't help but trace her thumb over her knuckles.
"Watch where you're going, brat!" A loud voice shouted, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
Naruto and Hinata both looked up to see a tall young man around their age. He was dressed in a baggy all-black bodysuit. He had on a matching black hood with cat-like ears and purple face makeup. Standing next to him was a shorter woman with dark blond hair dressed in what looked like an oversized purple shirt that went down to her mid-thighs. Both had items strapped to their backs.
"Sorry!" A young boy shouted from the ground. He was dressed in a pair of shorts and a yellow shirt. He had spiky brown hair and an oversized scarf that was lying crumpled on the ground. The larger man bent over and picked the kid up by the scruff of his shirt. The kid was squirming in the air, trying to break the older boy's grip.
"That hurt you little shit!" He shook the kid roughly and laughed. "You need to apologize now!"
"He already apologized!" Naruto shouted as he walked up to them. The two of them looked at Naruto with surprise. Hinata stepped forward to stand next to him, glaring at the man in black. "Put him down. Now." Naruto said again in a tone that left no room for debate about how serious he was.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" The young man asked as he threw the kid down to the ground roughly. "I'm a shinobi from Suna. You better treat me with respect."
"Are you okay?" Hinata asked as she bent over quickly and helped the kid off the ground. He was sniffling as Hinata pulled him away from the ninja. She shot him a glare as she wrapped her arms around the young boy.
"And I'm the king of Snow Country," Naruto replied with a sneer before he looked down to check on the kid. Naruto noticed his shirt had a red Konoha leaf sown onto it.
"Kankuro," The blond-haired woman said. Naruto noticed for the first time the headband around her neck. Etched in the center was the symbol of the Sunagakure no Sato. It looked a bit like an hourglass with a line over it. "Maybe it's time to just move on before there's any more trouble."
"Back off Temari! I'm not gonna just stand here and let a couple of punks disrespect me like this." Kankuro snarled back at her. Kankuro reached back and pulled the object strapped to his back over his shoulders. It was a large item wrapped in bandages with brown fuzz sticking out the top.
"Kankuro, are you really going to use Crow-"
"Kankuro, stop now."
Naruto looked up just in time to see someone drop from the tree above him. He landed in front of Kakuro and stood to his full height. He was a bit shorter than Kakuro but taller than the woman-Temari. He had fair skin and short spiky red hair. He was dressed in a simple black shirt with matching leggings. Fishnets stuck out of his short sleeves and low-cut collar.
"If you fight him, you'll lose," the red-haired ninja said. He turned and locked eyes with Naruto, who returned the stare. Naruto looked into his light green eyes for a moment before his eyes were pulled to the symbol that seemed to have been carved into the other boy's forehead. It was the characters for love. Something about the ninja made Naruto's skin crawl and rise with goosebumps. It was unsettling yet oddly familiar.
"Gaara!" Kankuro shouted, but whatever was going to come out of his mouth next was stopped dead in its tracks when Gaara turned around. Naruto's eyes narrowed on the sizeable brown gourd with black markings on the top and bottom.
"If you don't stop embarrassing me, I'll kill you myself," Gaara said calmly to the boisterous black-suited ninja. "Let's go; we're not here to fool around." Gaara started walking away, leaving the two others to stare after him. If either of them was perturbed by being threatened by someone who seemed like their teammate, they didn't make it obvious.
"Tch," Kankuro scuffed as he turned to follow Gaara.
"What's your name?" Naruto turned to see Temari standing there staring at him with dark teal eyes. She was leaning forward slightly, her overly large shirt hanging loose, showing off her cleavage.
"I also want to know your name," Gaara said as he turned back to stare at Naruto. Naruto returned the look and felt an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he replied as he broke eye contact with Gaara.
The other ninja turned and started walking away again. "I hope I get to see you during the exams, Uzumaki Naruto. Mother seems very excited to see you."
"See around, cutie!" Temari called as she winked at him before following her two teammates.
'What did she just call him!' Hinata thought to herself as she glared at the blond ninja's back as she walked away.
"You okay there, kid?" Naruto asked as he kneeled next to the young boy. Naruto placed a hand under the kid's chin and lifted it up. "You're a little scratched up, but you should be fine."
"T-t-thank you," The young boy sniffed as he looked away, embarrassed. "You must be strong to scare them away like that."
"Not really," Naruto said as he put his hand on the kid's head. "Hinata here would have had to do all the fighting." Naruto grinned up at Hinata, who looked away shyly. "What's your name anyway?"
"Sarutobi Konohamaru," The young boy sniffed as he looked at Naruto. Konohamaru seemed to be waiting for Naruto's reaction.
"You must be related to that old fart," Naruto said with a grin. "Well, then I better stop babying you. Since you're probably a really powerful ninja." Naruto balled up his fists and threw a couple of weak punches at the boy. "Look at that Hinata; we didn't even need to help him."
Konohamaru looked up at Naruto with wide eyes. "This kid will probably be the next Hokage, won't you squirt?"
"That's right!" Konohamaru said with a grin as he pumped his fists. "Once I defeat that old man and take his title for myself!"
"Well, once you become a full-fledged ninja, come find me! I'll teach you a jutsu I know will beat that old geezer!" Naruto said loudly as he laughed. "You know I think there's a stall a few streets over selling Taiyaki! Why don't we get some before you get on your way? How does that sound, Hinata?"
"Sounds good to me," she replied with a smile. Naruto stood up and put his hand on Konohamaru's head, and pushed him lightly. The young boy started following Hinata, who had started walking to the stalls on the other side of the road.
"Are you two really ninja?" Konohamaru asked loudly. Konohamaru was calling attention to them, which meant calling attention to Naruto. Naruto kept his focus on the kid and tried to ignore all the stares and dirty looks.
"Yup," Naruto grinned as he laced his fingers behind his head. "My sensei is Kakashi, The Copy Ninja! And before him, Jiraiya the Gama-Sennin!"
"No way! You really trained under Jiraiya The Gama-Sennin! You must be one of the strongest ninjas in the village!"
"Not by a long shot!" Naruto laughed at the thought as Konohamaru turned to Hinata.
"You're a Hyuga. I can tell from your eyes! They're so cool!" The boy shouted excitedly as he looked up at her.
"Yes," Hinata replied with a smile. She looked down at Konohamaru and widened her eyes to show off her Byakugan.
"The Byakugan! That's so cool Hinata-nee-san!" Konohamaru jumped up and down. "I wish I had a cool dojutsu like the Byakugan or the Sharingan. Then that old man would go down one-two." The boy said, throwing a few punches.
As the three of them neared the Taiyaki stall, Naruto stopped and pulled Hinata to the side. Naruto handed her a few bills. "You mind ordering? Just in case?"
"Of course," Hinata said a bit sadly as she took the bills from Naruto. Naruto turned to Konohamaru and gave him a thumbs up.
"She's gonna go get them for us!" He grinned at the boy and let out a laugh.
"Awesome!" Konohamaru looked around for a moment before walking over to another stall curiously. Naruto watched as Konohamaru looked around the shop excitedly. People were stopping to look at him, and one even bowed to him. It seemed like Konohamaru had the same problem as himself. Except everyone loved Konohamaru, and everyone seemed to hate him. Still, Naruto knew what it felt like to be treated more like an object than a person.
"Naruto-nii-san! Look at these!" Konohamaru shouted, waving the blond ninja over. Naruto made his way over to where Konohamaru was with a small smile. "You would look so cool in these!" Konohamaru said excitedly as he pointed down at a small table. Naruto looked down to see a pair of beat-up goggles. They had large protruding silver slots with dark lenses seated inside. Naruto picked them up and held them in his hand. He ran his fingers over the fabric and chuckled.
"Actually, I think these would look better on you squirt," Naruto said as he reached down and pulled the band. Naruto slid the goggles over Konohamaru's head and rested them on his forehead. "Looking cool." Naruto turned to see an older man with long grey hair that hung to his shoulders behind the counter, smiling at them both.
"Those look good on you, young man!" He let out a chuckle and gave Konohamaru a thumbs up.
"How much do I owe you?" Naruto asked, turning to the older man and pulling out his wallet.
"5,000 Ryo should cover it." The older man responded with a grin. Naruto passed him a 5,000 Ryo note and slid his wallet back into his pocket.
"Thank you very much, young man," The older man said as he seemed to hobble around to open till. "Have a good night, you two!" He called to them.
"You too," Naruto said back as he led Konohamaru away from the stall. Naruto paused to look back at him for a moment, a small smile on his face.
"Everything okay Nii-san?" Konohamaru asked as he ran his fingers over his goggles with a bright smile.
"Yeah, everything is fine." Naruto pulled his eyes away from the older man and turned to see Hinata standing there with the Taiyaki.
"You got goggles!" Hinata said in surprise as she looked at them.
"Yeah! Naruto-nii-san got them for me!" Konohamaru said excitedly as he took his Taiyaki. "Aren't they cool!?"
"Very cool," Hinata responded with a smile. She looked up at Naruto and gave him a questioning look. As if to ask if everything went okay.
Naruto smiled at her and nodded. Hinata seemed to understand and beamed back at him as she handed him Taiyaki. Naruto and Hinata continued to walk around while eating their Taiyaki, looking at all the stalls. Eventually, though, the sun started to get low as the afternoon dragged on, and their afternoon was coming to an end. Naruto and Hinata made their way towards Hokage Tower to drop Konohamaru off there. As they got closer, they heard a frantic voice calling out.
"Konohamaru-sama!" A voice shouted. It was a tall man dressed in traditional shinobi clothes in all black. He had a black bandana that held his headband and a pair of dark round sunglasses. "I spent all day looking for you!" He came rushing over towards them and stopped to eye Naruto and Hinata.
"These two haven't been bothering you have they Konohamaru-sama?" The man asked as his gaze lingered on Naruto. Naruto returned the look with raised eyebrows.
"No way! Ebisu-sensei!" Konohamaru said excitedly. "Naruto-nii-san and Hinata-nee-san saved me from some bullies! Then Naruto-nii-san got me these cool goggles! And Hinata-nee-san got us all Taiyaki! Then we walked around the market looking at all the cool things that were being sold. Someone was even selling replicas of the Yondaime's signature kunai!"
"Well, actually Naruto-"Hinata started to speak but was drowned out, however, as Konohamaru continued to go on about their afternoon. He told Ebisu about every stall they stopped to look at and kept going on about the Suna-nin.
"Well, we have to start heading home ourselves, Konohamaru!" Naruto said as he kneeled and held out his fist. Konohamaru reached out and bumped fists with Naruto. Then the young boy quickly hugged Hinata, causing them both to blush.
Konohamaru let go of her quickly and looked up at both of them, red in the face. "I'll come to watch you both at the exams!"
"I-i-I'm looking forward to it, Konohamaru-kun," Hinata said softly as she blushed.
"I'll make sure to give you a good show." Naruto grinned at the young boy. Standing up, Naruto waved at Konohamaru ignoring Ebisu's stare. "See you around; squirt, tell the old-fart you and I are gonna get him one day!"
"Thanks for hanging out with me today," Naruto said as he and Hinata walked down the path that led to Hyuga's main house. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was a dark fiery orange mixed with dark purple.
"I had a good time," Hinata responded as she looked back down at Naruto's hand. Naruto caught her looking and smiled. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand lightly. Both of their faces turned red, but Hinata's was much darker. She looked up and smiled at him before quickly looking away.
"So did I," Naruto responded. The two of them slowed down as they got closer to the main house. Each wanted to prolong their time together just a bit longer. However, soon Naruto and Hinata could see the entrance to the house, and a figure seemed to be standing on the stairs. Naruto and Hinata reluctantly let go of each other's hands. Naruto and Hinata quickly reached the main entrance only to find Hiashi waiting for them
"Have a good night, Naruto," Hinata said with a small smile. She walked forward a bit and bowed to her father before entering the home.
"Uzumaki-san," Hiashi said plainly.
"Hyuga-sama," Naruto said awkwardly as he bowed. 'What do I say now? Good night?' Naruto turned to leave but stopped. Turning back, he turned and locked eyes with Hiashi. "Thank you, sir, for what you said earlier. No one ever thanked me before or acknowledged it like that. Well, I guess except my team and Er-Jiraiya-sama." Naruto corrected himself before he called Jiraiya Ero-sennin in front of Hyuga Hiashi. Naruto turned to leave again before he stopped.
"This is going to come off as rude, and I'm sorry because I really don't know how to talk to people like you," Naruto said awkwardly as he turned back to look at Hiashi again. However, his face became stern, and he stood his ground. "I won't let Hinata be branded with that cursed seal, and I won't let you auction her off for some political alliance either."
"You're either very confident in your abilities or very stupid to say something like that to me," Hiashi responded calmly as he continued to look at Naruto with a stoic expression.
"I know I probably couldn't beat you on my own, but if push comes to shove." Naruto placed his hand on his stomach. "You know what I am, and I will not let anything like that happen to Hinata."
"You'd risk a fight with the whole Hyuga clan for Hinata?" Hiashi asked, turning his head with an inquisitive expression on his face. "Would you risk a fight with the whole village? You come here and say something like that to my face so easily. Can you even fathom the consequences of interfering in something like that?"
"I know it seems dumb," Naruto said harshly as he looked away. "I don't know you, and I've only known Hinata for a while now, but she's my friend and one of the only people who's ever cared about me." Naruto stopped and tried to collect his thoughts as he stared at the imposing jonin.
"I act like I hate my father, but the truth is I can't because I don't know him." Naruto stopped and looked away. "I would give anything to know him and to have been raised by him despite everything because I hope that he'd have cared about me. You're her father, and you should care about her as much as I do, but you act like you don't care at all, and she's trying every day to make you proud. If you'd seen what I've seen…all the hard work she's put into her training…." Naruto trailed off as he lost his train of thought and shook his head. "I-I don't know what I'm trying to say, but I care about Hinata, and if I have to fight you, or the Hyuga Clan, or Konoha itself, I will. I won't let her be treated as an object…I won't let treated like I was."
"Uzumaki Naruto," Hiashi said stoically as he looked at the blond ninja. "For someone who claims not to know his father, you sounded a lot like him just now," Hiashi said in a softer tone as he looked down at the blond with what looked like pity. "Your father was also very much against our clan's traditions. Like him, however, you fail to understand how important those traditions are to people like us. They are our history, and they make up who we are; it's how we honor those who came before us. Unlike your father, though you lack that tact, he showed when discussing such issues. In that way, you are very much like Kushina. I appreciate your feelings for my daughter, but I do not appreciate the insinuation that I do not care for her. If you wish to continue your relationship with her, you will put more stock into how you address me in the future." Hiashi turned around without saying anything else and walked inside his home, shutting the door behind him.
"Thanks for letting me hang out, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as she stood near the entrance to the Uchiha compound. Sasuke was standing a few feet away with his hands in his pockets.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he looked down at the ground. "Thanks for coming, I guess." He replied as he looked back up at Sakura. "See you at the exams."
"Have a good night Sasuke-kun," Sakura said softly as she turned around and started to walk away.
"You too," he muttered to himself. Sakura didn't hear him as she walked away. Sasuke paused for a moment and thought about repeating it but decided against it.
"Hey, Sakura! What are you doing here?" Sasuke heard Naruto ask loudly from the other side of the doors.
Sasuke paused for a moment. The two seemed to share a short conversation he could only pick up bits and pieces of. Something to do with Hinata and some kid and, of course, ramen. Sasuke rolled his eyes. After a couple of minutes, he saw Naruto appear through the doors.
"Hey there, Sasuke!" Naruto said brightly as he strode in. He had a giant grin on his face, and he was snickering. "I hear that you made Sakura lunch." Naruto let out a full-blown laugh. "Why don't you make me lunch Sasuke-kun," Naruto crooned in a fake high trill.
"Shut up, idiot," Sasuke said as he turned around and started walking away. Sasuke and Naruto walked back over to their homes in silence. Sasuke climbed the stairs to his patio and turned towards Naruto.
"Have a good night," Sasuke barked in a harsh tone. Then he quickly turned and entered his house and closed the door with a loud slam.
"What a weirdo," Naruto muttered to himself with a grin.
A/N: Sorry, this is so late, everyone. The real world took hold of me, but I never stopped writing. I've gotten pretty far and have the following six chapters done; they just need probably heavy editing. I'm hoping to go back to getting a couple of chapters out a week for the foreseeable future. I will finish writing the one I'm working on now and edit chapter eight as soon as possible.
Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. This was a character-driven chapter without much action, but I wanted to try and set up the narrative arc for the following few chapters.
