Chapter Fourteen: Scouting out the Mine

Author's Note: Sup everyone, as always, I'd like to start by thanking everyone who's left a like, follow, or review on this story. I genuinely appreciate it.

I promised myself that if this story got to 2k likes, I would start working on some of my original ideas. This story has done this, so I will start seriously working on one of those ideas. Now, what does this mean for this story? Very little. I'll still be working on it because I enjoy it, and I'll probably even be coming out with other Fanfics in the meantime. I brought it up because I plan to post my story–or parts of it–on a similar site, but I don't know which site to choose because I don't know which one people generally prefer.

Please help me out by telling me in D.M.s which site you prefer. (Also, understand that I will not be posting Fanfic chapters there. It will be for my original works only.)

Thanks! Otherwise, I hope that you enjoy this story!

P.S. I won't set up an account until I have a few chapters done, which might take a while.

Bold: Technique (English Translation)

Italics: Thoughts

Horizontal Line: Flashback

(Scene Change): Signals a scene change

A hawk soared high in the clear blue skies above the Katabami gold mine, observing ragged villagers chained together by their ankles being led out of a dark cave by a large man. The man wore black combat clothes and bore a set of wicked-looking metal claws on the backs of his hands. The bird of prey watched the man begin leading his shuffling captives down a stone slope, making it halfway down the decline when disaster struck.

One of the villagers in the middle, an elderly man with wisps of snow-white hair, stumbled over a loose stone. He pitched forward, taking down the woman in front of him, and, like a row of dominoes, everyone in front of the man got knocked down, their collective weights dragging the people behind them down as well.

"Who did it?" the large man roared, stomping over to the pile of groaning villagers. The man's right hand shot forward, his claws hooking onto the shirt collar of a child.

"Was it you, small fry?" the man growled at the squirming and wailing child, a dark grin stretching his sharp features and distending his weatherbeaten skin over his skull.

"Ta-chan! No!" shouted a woman with greasy brown hair as she scrambled to her feet, stepping on a man's stomach as she did so. She tried to reach out for the child, only to suddenly halt as the large man thrust his other hand toward her, the tip of his weapon's middle claw poking between her eyes and drawing a bead of blood.

"Was it you, then?" the large man asked, gazing down at the woman.

The woman gulped, her irises turning to pinpricks as she felt her blood drip a jagged streak down the bridge of her nose, curve around her nostril, and stain the corner of her chapped lips. Unbidden, the woman licked her lips with her splotchy tongue, greedily consuming the globule of moisture. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the first domino to fall.

"It was me!" the old man with snow-white hair declared, holding his ribs as he was gently pulled to his feet by a black-haired man. "I tripped on a stone; I apologize, so please, don't harm the boy," the elderly man begged, bowing deeply.

"You apologize?" the large man sneered, dropping the boy and withdrawing his claw from the woman before stalking toward the elderly man. "And how are you going to make up for it?" the large man demanded, looming over the short elder and casting him in shadow.

"I'll work extra shifts," the elderly man offered, craning his neck to look into the large man's beady black eyes.

The large man gave the elder a once over, mocking, "Extra shifts?' You look like you've got one foot in the grave already, old-timer; can you even handle another four shifts?"

"Four shifts?!" sputtered the black-haired man. "That'll kill 'im. It's-"

"-Punishment for hurting his fellow workers," the large man interrupted, shoving his claws at the man's throat without looking, his eyes never leaving the elderly man's. "Sound fair?"

The elderly man looked away, weakly nodding and croaking, "Yes."

"Good. Never let it be said that the Kurosuki Family isn't merciful," the large man smirked before shifting his attention to the black-haired man, rotating his wrist so that the tip of his claws tickled the man's chin, "And as for you, pipe up again and I'll inform Raiga-sama that he'll be writing a new eulogy."

"Yes, sir," the black-haired man rasped, not daring to breathe as he felt the three tips of those black, steel claws grazing his skin and drawing thin rivulets of blood that ran down his neck and soaked his sweaty brown shirt.

"Great!" the large man stated, turning away and continuing down the slope, withdrawing his claws and flicking his wrist to clear them of blood. A hawk's shadow passed over him, causing the man to look up and spot the bird of prey soaring up the cliffside and out of sight.

(Scene Change)

"Report," Jiraiya ordered as soon as he saw Ino start to awaken, a notepad in hand. He repressed a smirk at seeing the normally fashion-conscious girl wearing his godson's garish orange jumpsuit jacket.

"There are sixty-three villagers: eleven elderly, thirteen children, twenty women, and nineteen men. The enemy has them working in the mines in three shifts, twenty-one per shift. The villagers are kept in line through physical restraints and physical and psychological intimidation. The enemies are six in number: Kurosuki Raiga and five others of unknown origin. However, the five unknowns appear to have shinobi training," Ino reported from her seated position, her legs crisscrossed as she began rubbing feeling into her sleeping limbs.

"Hmm, that's a lot of hostages," Jiraiya stated, rubbing his chin as a sudden breeze blew by on the ridge.

"Brr!" Ino shivered, dropping her task and burrowing her chin into the fluffy white collar of Naruto's jumpsuit, basking in its warmth and, if she were honest, its scent.

"I expected the thing to smell of stale ramen and sweat, which was why I was going to turn it down. But Naruto-ku–Naruto!-was so sweet when he told me to take it so I wouldn't get cold. And I didn't want to be rude. Plus, he looked kinda cute with his big, blue–No!-he was just being nice, that's all," Ino immediately halted those thoughts as she dug her blushing cheeks deeper into the jumpsuit. Unintentionally taking another whiff of Naruto's scent, "There's a slight smell of miso ramen with something else…it's not bad."

Dazed, Ino didn't notice at the time as Jiraiya exchanged his current notepad for a new one.

"You're a natural-born lady-killer, godson!" Jiraiya mentally praised as he began crafting a scene. It featured the main character, Haruto, lending his coat to the slightly standoffish princess, Hana, as she was leaving to conduct a diplomatic mission.

"Here, take it," Haruto said, offering his orange coat to the princess with a smile. "It's cold out there, and I don't want you getting sick."

"Th-thank you," Hana stammered, her cheeks flushing redder than the camellias on her dress as she clutched the garment to her chest.

"It's no problem," Haruto grinned, unknowingly making Hana's heart flutter. He then turned on his heel and walked down the hall to return to his duties.

The princess silently watched the blond man leave. Her blue eyes locked onto his broad shoulders as he disappeared around the corner. They lingered there momentarily as she brought the coat to her nose and smelled.

"This will be brilliant!" Jiraiya crowed, giggling as he finished penning the scene. His actions broke the blond girl out of her daze.

"What's so funny, Jiraiya-sama?" Ino asked, rising to her feet. She glanced at the notepad and felt her gossip instincts rise. "That's a different notepad," she noted, wondering when and why the sannin member switched.

"Nothing. I just remembered something amusing," Jiraiya assured as he quickly secreted his notepad, his actions heightening the blond girl's suspicions. "Now, do you have any ideas for saving the hostages?"

Ino's eyes narrowed, biting her lower lip as she decided to place the mystery of the notepad in the back of her mind and focus on the question asked. "Maybe. If we could isolate Raiga, I could try and use my Shintensen no Jutsu (Mind Transfer Technique) to take control of his body and command his men to gather at an ambush point away from the villagers so that we could eliminate Raiga and his crime family in one fell swoop. However, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to match Raiga's mannerisms or that he won't somehow overpower my will," Ino paused, glancing down at the growing shadows. She continued, "Shikamaru could maybe grab one or two of Raiga's men with his Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Paralysis Technique) while the others occupy the rest. But it would be best if we could guarantee that all hostiles were away from the hostages or if we could somehow secure all of the hostages at one time. But to do that, we'd have to get all the hostages gathered in one area or be in dozens of places at once, which I don't think any of us can do."

"Good analysis," Jiraiya commended before adding, "But you forgot one thing: we can be in dozens of places at once—and hundreds if we need to."

"What? How can we do that?" Ino asked, her blue eyes boggled to the size of ping pong balls.

"Naruto," Jiraiya answered, a proud smile on his face.

"Naruto-kun?" Ino parroted, not noticing the affectionate suffix as she tried to process how Naruto could be in hundreds of places simultaneously.

But Jiraiya noticed.

"Ohhoho, so he's 'Naruto-kun,' now?" Jiraiya teased, his eyes twinkling as he fought the urge to whip out his writing notepad. Again.

"I misspoke," Ino denied, blushing and looking away. "Anyway, how can Naruto help us? Wasn't he the deadlast?"

"Yes, he was the deadlast, and so was I. But just because you're the last academically doesn't mean that you can't grow. Inversely, just because you're the Rookie of the Year doesn't make you a great person," Jiraiya explained, stressing the word 'person.'

Ino looked away, frowning at the implied admonishment and recalling what the Rookie of the Year had said to her.

"I don't care what she looks like because I know who Ino is: a worthless fangirl."

"Is that what you think of me?" Ino whimpered, tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she stood there in her new yukata. She had gotten it the day they had arrived, woven from dark purple silk with a red camellia motif. Ino fell in love with the yukata the second she saw it, not only because it was in her favorite color but also because the flower represented love. The Yamanaka heiress felt that the dress was a sign from the heavens that love was on her horizon, specifically, love from the last loyal Uchiha.

Yet, as she stood there, looking into the indifferent eyes of her crush, his callous words replaying in her head like a depressing earworm, Ino couldn't help but feel a part of her heart wilt like a sunless flower.

Sasuke shrugged and said nothing. His silence spoke volumes for the blond girl, who felt tears roll down her cheeks.

Ino hiccupped, choking down a sob as she readied to turn and flee when Naruto spoke, his words stopping her in her tracks.

"You gay, Teme?" Naruto asked, his head tilted to his right with his arms crossed as he squinted at his male teammate, looking at him like Sasuke was some unknown creature.

The seemingly random question caused the usually cool Uchiha heir to sputter, his cheeks flushing red as he denied, "The hell?! I'm not gay!"

"Really? Are you sure?" Naruto asked, sounding unconvinced as he tilted his head to his left. "I mean, you've got a pretty girl who dressed up for you, and you're giving her the cold shoulder."

"You need to check your ears, Dobe! I said, "I don't care what Ino looks like because she's a worthless fangirl, meaning I don't care how she dresses up if she's not a kunoichi," Sasuke explained, glaring at his blond teammate.

"And you need to check your eyes," Naruto retorted as he gestured at Ino. "Ino's with her Team, a team of Shinobi, meaning she is a kunoichi, same as us—And people think I'm dumb," Naruto finished, dismissing his teammate with an eye roll before he turned to a shocked Ino. "I'm sorry my teammate's an ass; you're not worthless, and I think that your dress is pretty."

Ino didn't know what to say, her pupilless blue eyes wider than cartwheels as her mind tried to process everything that happened. From Sasuke announcing and confirming how he truly thought of her to Naruto's defense. Yet one thing her fellow blond said stuck out in her mind: she blurted, "You think I'm pretty?" The Yamanaka heiress immediately blushed, realizing what she asked. "Wait-"

"-Of course, you're pretty. I'm pretty sure I said that already, right?" Naruto stated, frowning with crossed arms as he reviewed his previous statements, unknowing of the effect his words had on the girl.

"Thank you, Naruto," Ino stammered. For some reason she couldn't understand, Ino felt her heartbeat pick up as she stared at her former classmate, looking at him in a new light—a small smile budding on her lips.

Naruto tilted his head. "Huh? For-"

"-Weren't we going out to dinner?" Haku interjected, wrapping her arms around Naruto's right. She ensured her boyfriend's arm was nestled between her bosoms, drawing a light blush from him.

Ino slightly frowned, her eyes narrowing at the mysterious black-haired girl, wondering who in the hell this hussy was wrapping her arms around Naruto's.

"Yes, we were," Jiraiya coughed, discreetly putting away his notepad into his vest. He glanced at the Yamanaka heiress, noting her running makeup, "But we can wait a few more minutes for Yamanaka-san to clean up, though she should hurry up; we don't want to be late for our reservations."

Ino nodded before quickly running inside to clean up her makeup. "And I'll keep on the dress—but not because Naruto said it was pretty! I'm keeping it on because it would be a waste otherwise!" the blond girl thought, ignoring the warm, fuzzy feeling she got when she recalled Naruto's compliment.

"He was just being nice," Ino thought, shaking her head as she did her best to ignore the heat in her cheeks.

Returning to the conversation, the Yamanaka heiress asked, "So, Naruto-k—Naruto—can be in hundreds of places at once? How can he do that?"

"Clones," Jiraiya answered, not commenting on the girl's near slip. He looked up at the sky, noting the sun's position, and decided that the others should have returned to camp.

"Clones? But wasn't he bad at clones?" Ino stated, looking even more confused.

"Was' being the operative word. Come on; I want to hear what Zabuza and Haku found from their reconnaissance," the elder ninja said before turning on his heel and beginning the trek back.

Ino frowned at the mention of Haku's name as she followed the sennin. "I bet that Yuki-Onna is dangling from Naruto-kun—Naruto's!—arm like an icicle again," the blond-haired girl mentally huffed as she crossed her arms and stewed.

The duo traveled the rest of the way in silence, arriving at their camp a half-hour later. They had set up in a deep cave situated high up in the cliffs. Jiraiya and Ino nimbly avoided the traps their team had set up at the entrance, easily stepping over hidden wires.

"We're home," Jiraiya announced, his eyes flicking upwards when they had gotten past their traps as he walked deeper into the cave towards their tents, spotting a flicker of light a dozen yards ahead.

"Great timing. Zabuza and Haku-san returned a few minutes ago," Asuma said, dropping down from the ceiling next to Jiraiya with nary a sound. "How did things go on your end?"

"It went well," Jiraiya answered, looking over his shoulder at the brooding blond, "Your student did an excellent job scouting."

Ino smiled at the praise, feeling a surge of pride at her skills being recognized by such a legendary ninja.

"That's great," Asuma turned towards his student and flashed her a small smile before returning his attention to Jiraiya, his expression turning more serious, "And how many are we talking here?"

"According to Ino-san, six shinobi and sixty-three potential hostages," Jiraiya stated as they turned the corner and found their tents set up in a hollow that the Sannin had carved out of the stone using his Doton (Earth Release).

Their tents were set up in a semi-circle, with a collapsible lamp sitting in the middle on a stone plinth, one of the few sources of light in the caves. Gathered around the lamp were the rest of their group.

Chōji was munching chips, with a sleeping Shikamaru sprawled out on the ground next to him; the lazy boy had a piece of wire tied around his finger. Sakura was organizing her supplies while Sasuke sat cross-legged nearby, twirling a kunai around his finger. Naruto was sitting, leaning against the wall with Haku by his side, resting her head on his shoulder, while Zabuza stood next to them, leaning against that very same wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Finally, Kakashi stood and read his book, which he stopped doing at the trio's entrance.

"Yo, Jiraiya-sama. How did things go?" the scarecrow Jōnin asked, slipping his book inside his hip pouch.

"They went well," Jiraiya said, pausing as he let Ino pass him. He didn't miss the slight narrowing of Haku's eyes as she watched the blond girl stride across the cave to return Naruto's jacket. The raven-haired girl's eyes nearly became slits when Ino plopped herself on Naruto's free side, much to his godson's confusion.

Jiraiya continued, "No problems on our end. We got numbers for Raiga's men and the villagers. And how did things go on your end, Zabuza? Any problems?"

"None," Zabuza said, opening his eyes. "We approached from the river and saw some of the villagers doing laundry. There were ten villagers: seven women and three girls. They were being guarded by two shinobi that wore similar gear and wielded similar claws," the swordsmen reported.

"Hmm, that coincides with some of Ino-san's scouting," Jiraiya commented, rubbing his chin, "Did you happen to see Raiga?"

"No, didn't spot him," Zabuza shook his head before asking, "What's the plan for killing him?"

"Still figuring that out," Jiraiya admitted, "However, since you know him best, what would you do?"

"We could always wait for Raiga to perform one of his 'Funerals,' then I, Asuma, and Kakashi can take down Raiga while you and Haku take out his crew with the brats acting as backup," Zabuza offered.

"That could work, but what's the guarantee that all the villagers and his men would be gathered for a 'Funeral?" Jiraiya asked.

Zabuza scoffed. "Knowing Raiga, they'll be there. Back in the day, he always wanted as many people as possible attending his service. Something about putting the 'Dearly departed souls at ease."

"This guy sounds like a wack job," Naruto commented, repressing a shudder.

"Better get used to it, Gaki; the Shinobi world is chock full of messed up people. Survive long enough, and you'll find that what Raiga's doing is considered tame by some standards. For example, one of my ex-teammates likes to feed people to his sword," Zabuza stated.

"What do you mean 'feed to' his sword?" Shikamaru asked, opening his eyes and sitting up, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"What I meant. Kisame likes to shred someone's skin off and feed the skinned carcass to Samehada. Some are unfortunate enough to still be alive when the sword gobbles them up," Zabuza explained.

"Gobbles?" Chōji gulped, pausing his snacking, though he soon regretted opening his mouth.

"Samehada is a sentient sword that's got a mouth the size of a great white shark with the teeth to match," Zabuza said.

The whole group was silent for a moment, registering that horrible bit of information. The genin looked green to the gills, while the more experienced ninja only looked slightly disturbed.

Asuma coughed into his hand to break the awkward silence, "I suppose that's something to add to our bingo books."

"Yes, thank you for sharing that cheery bit of information with us, Zabuza," Jiraiya drolly stated. "Besides that, it appears we've got our plan; I'll have my summons monitor the village for the next funeral."

"Wait, but what about the villagers? They're being worked to death! Shouldn't we act now rather than later?" Ino argued, frowning as she jumped to her feet and looked at the Toad Sage.

"We could, but remember that our primary objective is Raiga and his group's elimination and securing the Kiba blades. The safety of the villagers is secondary. However, if you can think of a better plan to achieve our primary objectives and protect the villagers, be my guest," Jiraiya offered.

"Hold on a second!" Naruto shouted, standing up next to Ino. "This sounds like we'll use the villagers as bait!"

"It's because we are, Dobe," Sasuke stated, rolling his eyes. "Check your ears."

Naruto ignored the barb, focusing on his godfather, "We're not seriously using them as bait, right? Ino said that some of the villagers were being worked to death–we can't afford to wait!"

Jiraiya calmly considered his godson before asking, "Naruto, you want to be Hokage, right?"

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms, feeling he was about to receive a lesson. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with this?"

"It has everything to do with this. As Hokage, you will have to make decisions with the village's best interests in mind, weighing its needs against the needs of others and pitting its lives against the lives of others. For example, would you trade Ino's life for one of those villagers down there?" Jiraiya asked.

"What?! How could you ask me something like that?!" Naruto shouted, his blue eyes bulging as his head whipped between the elder ninja and the Yamanaka heiress.

"I ask because those are the types of judgments you'll have to make. Now, answer the question: would you trade Ino's life for one of those villagers down there?" Jiraiya pressed.

"Hell no! I wouldn't trade her! But why does it have to be one or the other?! Why can't I save both?" Naruto argued, not knowing how his forceful declaration made the blond Yamanaka's heart flutter and a light blush bloom on her fair features.

"Because, as Hokage, there'll be times where your only options are between 'bad' or 'worse,' and someone will end up dying," Jiraiya stated, stepping forward and clapping the blond on the shoulder. "I'm not telling you this to dissuade you from your dream but to prepare you for one of the grim realities."

Naruto slightly frowned, "I understand, but," Naruto's eyes gained a determined glint, "I refuse to believe that we can't save those villagers without putting them in danger—come on, Ino, let's go and plan!" Naruto reached out, took Ino's hand, and dragged her out of the cave.

"Wait, what?" Ino said, her burning redder than hot coals as she held onto Naruto's hand. "He's holding my hand! Naruto-kun's holding my hand!" Ino internally squealed.

"You said that you wanted to save the villagers now, right? So, let's go out and plan!" Naruto quickly said as they passed by an amused Asuma and exited the cave.

"Wait for me, Naruto-kun! I want to help as well!" Haku called after the blondes as she shot to her feet and followed after them. If anyone noticed the twitching vein over her right eye, they didn't say. However, they all shivered when she passed, an intense chill surrounding her.

"Stick to the cliffs! And be back in two hours!" Jiraiya yelled after them, internally wishing his godson luck.

(Scene Change)

"So, Naruto-kun, what's the plan?" Haku asked, her arms wrapped around his like a boa constrictor on a trunk.

"Tight," Naruto grimaced, a shaky grin on his face. "Um, I don't really know yet. I want to get the lay of the land before I plan anything."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. I can possess a bird and provide you an aerial view of things," Ino chirped, shooting a smug look at the ravenette.

"This little," Haku growled, narrowing her eyes at the Yamanaka heiress. At that moment, there was nothing more that the last Yuki clan member wanted than to freeze off that shit-eating smile on the young genin's face.

Naruto repressed a shiver as he tried to ignore the sudden chill creeping up his arm. He glanced at Ino, flashing her a grin, "That would be great! Thanks, Ino!"

"You're welcome, Naruto-kun," Ino said, mumbling at the end when she uttered the affectionate suffix. She felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach flip at the grateful expression that graced her fellow blond's handsome face.

"Hmm? What did you call me?" Naruto asked, squinting his eyes at the blond girl. "She didn't just call me Naruto-kun, right?" The Uzumaki's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden huff from his girlfriend and a tightening of her grip. Naruto gritted his teeth, swearing he could feel his bones creak like the walls of a settling house.

He chanced a look toward his girlfriend, spying of all things, a pout. And it wasn't a playful pout that Haku was wont to use when teasing him, but an angry one. Naruto felt a mixture of confusion and worry. Confused about what caused the usually affable girl's change in mood and worried that he might be somehow responsible. Yet, he was hardly one to shy away from danger and did what he always did when confronted with unknown situations: charge ahead.

"Um, Haku-chan, are you alright?" Naruto questioned, observing his girl's reaction.

"I'm fine," Haku tersely said, looking straight ahead.

"Tell that to my arm," Naruto drily pointed out as he suddenly halted on the slope.

"Wha–Oh! I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun!" Haku gasped, quickly releasing Naruto's trapped limb and rapidly bowing up and down.

"It's alright," Naruto assured, stretching out his limb to restore his precious blood flow. "Now, what had you so mad?-And don't say 'you're fine' because we both know you're not." Naruto quickly added on at the end when he saw Haku break out of her bowing fit and open her mouth to speak.

Haku closed her mouth with an audible click. Mulling over what to say, "I could just tell him the truth. Tell him that I'm feeling…what? Jealous? Of Yamanaka-san? Why in the hell should I be jealous of her?" Haku paused in her thoughts, glancing over Naruto's shoulder and spying a beaming Ino who sported a self-satisfied expression, reminding the Yuki heiress of a gloating cat.

Haku felt her hackles rise at the look but resisted lashing out as she decided to give Naruto a half-truth. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I'm just—jealous of Yamanaka-san's scouting jutsu. I wish that I had a jutsu as useful as hers."

"So, you're not angry with me? But you're jealous of Ino's jutsu?" Naruto asked, his arms crossed.

"What?! No! I'm not angry with you. If I were angry with you, I'd tell you," Haku assured, approaching her boyfriend. She grasped his hands, pulling his arms free as she threaded her fingers through his own. "I'm just jealous of Yamanaka-san's abilities."

Naruto smiled, enjoying the feel of his girlfriend's soft hands. However, he considered Haku's words, "So, she's not mad with me, but jealous of Ino's jutsu? I don't really buy that. At least, not completely." The blond decided to be more observant of Haku and Ino's interactions.

His course set, Naruto pulled Haku close and gave her a brief but sweet kiss on her lips. "There's no need to be jealous. We all can't be good at everything," Naruto said as he pulled back. "And if you want help coming up with a scouting technique, I'll be there—I just don't want you to stew. You look prettier when you smile, not when you frown," Naruto complimented, squeezing her hands."

"Will do," Haku blushed, smiling and squeezing back. She felt her insecurities blown away by her boyfriend's praise as she gazed deep into his eyes.

"Lucky bitch," Ino thought, seething with jealousy and feeling like a third wheel as she watched Naruto comfort Haku. In the past, she had imagined little scenes like that occurring between her and Sasuke. The ordinarily aloof and stoic Uchiha would see Ino in distress, sweep her into his strong arms, and whisper soothing words into her ear. But after Sasuke's callous words, her rose-colored glasses were ripped off, and she reexamined all of her interactions and observations of the Rookie of the Year and found him wanting.

"Sasuke's a loner. The only time he'd interact with anyone in the Academy was when he was forced to. And afterward, when Sakura and I would—stalk him—he didn't interact with anyone. He'd just pick up some food on his way home and then disappear behind his apartment door. That kind of antisocial behavior isn't conducive to shinobi work, let alone having a healthy and loving relationship," Ino sighed, concluding her review of Sasuke's psyche as the loving couple began to separate.

"Why can't I have a boyfriend like you?" Ino muttered as a sudden mountain breeze blew by, chilling her to the bone. "Brr!" Ino audibly shivered as she fiercely rubbed her bare arms.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, turning towards Ino. "Would you like my jacket again?" the Uzumaki heir asked, taking off the garment and offering it to her.

Ino rapidly nodded, snatching the jacket and putting it on in a flash. "Thank you," the blond girl sighed, reveling in the fresh warmth of Naruto's body heat.

"No problem," Naruto smiled, standing in his black t-shirt, not seeing Haku's sour look.

"Never have I hated my bloodline more," the raven-haired girl thought. Because of her Hyōton (Ice Release), the cold had never bothered her. However, she didn't know why Naruto wasn't bothered and asked him as such.

"Don't know," Naruto shrugged. "Guess the cold never really bothered me. Anyway, shouldn't we be heading out?" Naruto asked, pointing down the slope.

The girls nodded, flanking Naruto's sides and throwing one another a quick look—one that Naruto noticed—before the trio continued on their way to the village as the sun began to set.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto thought, hiding his frown. "Is Haku-chan still jealous of Ino? But then why would Ino look like she wants to strangle her? I thought she'd be gloating over someone wanting her family jutsu, not—angry?—no. She doesn't look angry. She looks—jealous?—and a bit sad. But about what?"

Naruto pondered the mystery but wouldn't be receiving an answer anytime soon.