CHATPER 4: Wish You Were Here
Hyūga complex, Morning, 182 days since Naruto's departure
"Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" Neji said, striking with both his palms into the chest of Hinata. The force of the attack made the Hyūga princess stagger back a few feet and fall flat on her back. She propped herself up on her elbow, gasping for breath to refill her lungs. She clutched her chest as air started racing into her. She then wiped the sweat off her brow and stood up.
They were standing in the middle of one of the clan's many training grounds. The sun had risen from behind the earth not 1 hour ago. The cool morning air surrounded them as they once again were doing this ritual. The sound of the morning was still ringing through the area, only interrupted by the groans from the Hyūga princess.
This ritual between the 2 Hyūga had been going on now for a month. Neji had first instructed her on the more basics of gentle fist. He said that mastering the basics would be a solid foundation to work on for the more advanced techniques he knew.
Neji had asked Hinata why she didn't ask her father for training, and she replied that Neji had learned the clan secrets simply through observation and not instruction. She believed Neji would give her better insights into gentle fist and the eight trigrams.
Seeing his cousin stand up from the dirt, Neji had a quick grin form on his face but quickly sent it away. He didn't want Hinata to see that, not yet at least. Neji took 5steps back and took his stance opposite the girl. "Again!" He barked out as he reignited his Byakugan.
Hinata followed her cousin's action, and she too activated the Byakugan. Dust kicked off the ground as she charged forward. She thrust her palm forward and Neji sidestepped it. He countered with precise strikes to tenketsu spots on her attacking arm. Ignoring the sharp pains in her arm, she turns to her target and brings her other palm down, seeking to strike him in the diaphragm. Neji swatted her attack down and like before, struck out with his palm to her chest. Pushing her back several feet but she remained standing.
Hinata felt some of the chakra points on her arm had closed. She knew she wouldn't be able to open them up again during this fight and so she had to come up with a new tactic against Neji. Neji was now in his defensive stance. Electric signals coursed through her body, down to her legs. Telling them to get moving and so they did. She lashes out with her good arm as she approaches her cousin. Neji is about to deflect the blow but it's a ruse, Hinata pulls her palm back at the last second and instead heaves a mighty kick to her opponent's side. Not being able to dodge nor deflect the blow, Neji instead catches the kick with both his hands, shocking Hinata. He pours chakra into his muscles and twists his arms, flipping Hinata in the air before she crashes down on her back. She was now acutely aware of the morning dew on the grass.
"Good, your execution leaves a lot to be desired, but your attempts are improving." Neji said as he jumped back from Hinata several feet away. "Again!"
The dust from Hinata's previous fall was now settling upon her. She took a few moments just lying on the ground, looking to catch her breath. Hinata raised her legs up and brought them to her chest, she then with all the force she could, kicked up and landed on her feet and dusted herself off. She then turned her head to her cousin and tried to get a read of him through her byakugen. Her attempt failed though, and she felt frustrated. Yes, she had been making amazing progress over these past few months. Both Hiashi and Neji marveled at the progress she had made in such a short time. but it felt too slow for her liking.
She now thought it best to bring out one of the techniques she had learned. One that she had gotten the hang of. Willing her legs to move forward, she closes the distance between them in less than a second. "Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms." She utters out. First came two strikes, which were blocked by Neji. Then came 2 more quick strikes which Neji dodged. After that came 4 more strikes. Once again, Neji dodged them all. Finally came the final 8 strikes, all in rapid succession. Neji simply swatted them all away. Seeing an opening after the attack, Neji thrust his palm forward, striking Hinata in the diaphragm. This caused the girl to gasp and fall forward onto her knees, clutching at her mid-section.
"I see you have at least shown proficiency with that move. Now you just need to build on it." Neji stated as he walked 20 feet away from Hinata before turning around to face her. "Again!"
Hinata was still in pain. Her whole body was aching, sweat covered her from head to toe but Neji didn't look tired at all. She would need to work on her stamina to keep up. Still gasping for air from Neji's previous attack, she slowly picked herself up from the earth, wiping away the sweat that was going into her eyes. She regained some of her lost breath and got into her attacking stance and stayed there for just a bit. Instead of attacking though, she changed to a more defensive stance. She turned her hand until her palm was facing the sky. She then gave Neji the universal sign to bring it.
Neji was all too happy to oblige. Rocks and dust kicked up in the air as Neji jumped from his location, heading towards Hinata while he was easily 15 feet in the air. His fist was behind him, ready to strike Hinata with all the power it could bring forward. The muscles in his arm taunt and ready. This wasn't gentle fist. It was going to be anything but gentle.
Hinata was stunned by this aggressive move, but it didn't stop her from reacting. Knowing she couldn't hope to block it, she simply dodged out of the way as Neji's fist connected with the ground where she just previously occupied. The sound of the impact was loud and there was a small crater where Hinata once wasting any time, Neji swung his leg out to catch the dodging Hinata, hoping she would do what he wanted her to do. Hinata jumped just to get out of the way, but this is what Neji wanted. He looked up to the airborne girl and she saw a smile on Neji's face.
"Eight trigrams vacuum palm!" Neji shouted out as he directed the attack to Hinata's chin. Chakra poured out of his hand and compressed itself into a dense form that was soon launched at the princess. He was rewarded for his efforts with a satisfying smack and seeing the girl fly higher into the air away from him.
The force of the blow rang Hinata's bell. While flying, she had forgotten why she was there for a second. The whiplash she felt from the attack finally registered and she felt a tremendous pain in her neck. The pain reminded her of why she was there and what she was doing. She was going through this for herself and the man she wanted to make happy. Her thoughts soon went away as more primal concerns took over, namely falling in a safe position. She put herself in such a position and soon hit the ground again, skidding to a halt.
That was a move that Hiashi had taught Neji. Neji had asked his uncle 5 months ago to train him more in the clan's secret techniques. Hiashi happily agreed to the request and during this time he learned of techniques that he had never seen or heard of. Neji wanted to get stronger just like Hinata so he would be ready next time. His pride as a teacher was also at stake and he knew that Hinata was a quick learner. She was learning faster than even he did. He didn't know if this was because she was gifted and her personality held her back all these years, or if it was because of his teachings. Regardless of the answer, Neji was proud of Hinata.
That is why he wasn't going easy on her today. She had earned the right for him to take the training wheels off and to really start the training. He saw her sluggishly rise from the dirt and take her defensive stance. Her stance wasn't perfect. Her exhaustion, bruises, anguish were all taking their toll on the dark blue-haired girl. Her clothes were not spared either, getting dirty and torn from this intense training. This time Neji simply charged forward, faster than Hinata had previously done. "Eight trigrams, 32 palms!" Neji said.
2 strikes, both blocked by Hinata. 2 strikes, both dodged by Hinata. 4 strikes, blocked by her leg. 8 strikes, all masterfully dodged. Final 16 strikes, she blocked all but the last one. The final one she surprised Neji by capturing his strike and twisting her arms just like he did to her earlier. Neji though simply twisted his body midair and landed on his feet, grabbing her arm in turn. He then pulled her over his shoulder and slammed Hinata on her back on the opposite side of where she was previously.
This was it, the final strike of this little spar of theirs. Neji quickly sent the signal to his right arm and told it to prepare for the final attack. It responded to him by reaching back as far as it could, the fingers together in a white-knuckle fist. Once everything was ready, he poured chakra into his fist to the point he could visibly see it surrounding his hand. He then unleashed the final blow.
She had nowhere to go, no way of dodging or blocking. So, she simply closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come. It never did. She slowly opened her eyes to see the fist just mere inches from her face. She looked past the fist and saw a smirk on her cousin's face.
"That last move you did was excellent, had it been any other shinobi you would have easily gotten them on the ground and won the fight." Neji uttered with pride in his voice. He unclenched his fist and offered her a hand to stand up. "Sadly though, you have me as a teacher and that won't work on me."
Hinata gladly took the outstretched hand and rose up from the ground. "I picked that up from you in this fight. It looked like a difficult move to do but I wanted to see if I could do it." Hinata spoke with a feeling of accomplishment. She had finally been able to do something to Neji, even if it wasn't a complete success.
"I'm impressed you were able to pick that up in such a short amount of time. I may have underestimated you at the start." Neji stated, giving praise to his now pupil. Hinata replied only with a small blush at the compliment.
Suddenly, Neji's face lit up. He had just come up with another form of combat. Neji knew of the weakness of gentle fist. He saw and experienced it firsthand against the sound 4. He was determined to fix that weakness now.
Raising his hand in a stopping motion, Neji spoke. "Wait Hinata. I need to go and retrieve some equipment. There is something I want to try with you, something no Hyūga has ever really excelled in."
This confused the poor girl. What could Neji possibly be talking about? Why did he need to leave and get equipment? She wanted to ask these questions but thought better of it and simply responded. "Ok, Neji, I could use a little rest anyways." It was only now that Hinata felt all the exertion she had been doing this morning.
Pleased with his cousin's answer, Neji turned about and marched back to the main complex. Hinata went to the edge of the clearing and sat against a tree, her legs fully extended in front of her. What felt like ages went by and all Hinata had to comfort her were her own thoughts.
I wonder what Neji thinks I can do that even he can't. He's a prodigy and I'm just Hinata. Still if he believes I can do it, I'll trust him and give it my all.
Eventually, her thoughts drifted to Naruto and a blush came to her cheeks.
I wonder what he's doing right now. It's only been 6 months, and I miss him dearly. I hope I'm doing enough for him. I can't wait to see him again. I wonder how much he will change during this time. I hope he keeps those cute whiskers at least. The dark blue-haired kunoichi didn't know if what she was feeling was love. She had never felt any type of love outside familial love. She did know that when she even saw him, she felt warm inside. His smile always brought a smile to her lips. His being happy brought her happiness. She truly would do anything for him.
So engrossed in her thoughts about the blonde genin she was smitten with, she completely missed that Neji had returned. With a bow in his hands.
XxX
Land of earth, afternoon, 270 days since Naruto's departure
Loud grunts and moans could be heard coming from the valley. If one had a dirty mind, they would think it was the sound of pleasure. Well, they would be right. Just not in the way they are thinking.
Naruto was having the time of his life. He'd grown to enjoy strength training. He loved the feeling of sore muscles the next day after a harsh workout. He loved the feeling of his muscles stretching and extending. He especially enjoyed the results he was getting.
He was getting leaner, and his frame was starting to fill out. Most of his baby fat was now gone, although he still couldn't see his abs, he knew he would soon. Not only did he look like he was getting stronger, but he also felt it too. He now had more energy than at any other point in this life. Every week he kept pushing himself to a new plateau and this week was no different.
His diet had also changed. Jiraiya knew that Naruto would never give up ramen, so he worked around it. He let Naruto do ramen every other day while the rest of his meals would include all his nutritional needs, plus enough protein to really get his muscles developed.
Naruto initially hated this arrangement but when Jiraiya said it would help his training, he grudgingly accepted. To his surprise, he found himself liking the meals that Jiraiya came up with. He felt he had more energy than before and wasn't nearly as tired when he woke up from sleeping.
"8" Naruto groaned out. Fully extending the bar above his chest with chakra weights on both sides of said bar. Slowly he lowered the bar back to his chest. He had discovered that he developed faster if he took a few seconds on the return of the weights and so he included it between each rep.
Now with the bar hovering just above his chest, he exploded again. "9" Naruto said out loud with more vigor than his last rep. Like before, he gently lowered the bar to his chest, making sure he was getting the full range of motion.
He was now in a position to do his final rep of his final set for the day. This was it, he just needed to press this 225-pound weight above him one more time and he would set a new personal best. He willed greater effort from his chest, shoulders and arms, gripping the bar tighter as he felt the surge of energy flow into him. Slowly the bar rose, much slower than his previous attempts. His muscles screamed at Naruto to stop but he kept pushing them beyond their limits. He could feel it, he was so close to finishing up the day. He just needed the extra push. He put just a little more effort into his muscles and was finally able to lock out.
"10!" Naruto shouted out loud, waking up the souls of the dead. The clone that was standing above him helped rack the bar. Naruto just laid on his back on a bench of earth he had created with his jutsu. He was gasping for air, heart pumping faster than it ever had before. He could feel the burn especially in his chest. A fire had been set alight in him and he wanted it to continue.
"Very impressive gaki, I didn't expect you to improve at this rate." Jiraiya said, himself sitting on a makeshift rock chair just to the side of Naruto. He was staring at his student and marveled at just how much Naruto has changed in these past few months. He was getting taller now and he was slowly getting to the golden ratio. He was going to catch the eye of the ladies when he returned to Konohagakure. For sure that blonde and dark blue-haired kunoichi.
"It helps when you have a healing factor that helps you recover quicker." Naruto stated, mentioning one of the few benefits he got from the nine-tailed fox sealed inside of him.
"Still, you have the will and discipline to stick with this and I'm more than pleased with the results. Your chakra control has also improved mightily since we started." Jiraiya uttered as he stood up and walked to Naruto's side, stretching out his hand to help pull Naruto up.
Naruto gladly took the hand and got up from his makeshift bench, his clone poofing out of existence. Now came his daily cardio. It sucked at the beginning, and it still sucked now. He was getting results at least; he could now run for a good 2 hours without having to slow down. "Well, pervy sage, I'll see you in a bit for dinner." Naruto spoke as he attempted to continue his daily ritual.
Jiraiya had other plans though. Before Naruto could get away from him, Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Slow down there gaki. I know it's earlier than I told you, but I think you are ready to finally try swift release."
Naruto's face glowed when he heard that come from Jiraiya. He then turned his head to face his teacher. "Really!? You think I can do it now!?" Naruto again shouted out, unable to contain his joy.
"Yes, I know you can handle the basics now. Come with me." Jiraiya ordered his teenaged student. Naruto was more than happy to follow. Both walked down the river that had cut the valley, and they eventually came to a stretch of wetlands. "This should do fine; your control is more than enough to water walk and do this."
Naruto had calmed down now, if only slightly. He was all too excited to finally learn this brand-new release. "So how do I go about using this new release. I know the 5 basic ones, but I've never heard of swift. Is it a combination of the basic elemental ones?" Naruto questioned his master.
"Correct, it is a combination of 2. All shinobi are capable of using the 5 elemental releases. Virtually none of mastered all 5 though. The first 3 Hokage are on that list." Jiraiya stated.
"That's so cool! Back onto swift release though, what are its base releases and why do you think I can use swift?" Naruto again queried his teacher.
"It's because you have both lightning and wind affinities. Remember when I said you needed to have 3 things in order to use swift release?" Naruto nodded in remembrance. "Well, there are 5 actually. You also need wind and lighting affinities to use this release."
Before Naruto could ask his next question, Jiraiya continued. "Do you remember how I had your clones work on your wind and lightning transformations for 4 months?" Naruto shook his head yes, "It was to prepare you for this."
"Ok, that makes sense. So how many swift release techniques have you mastered pervy sage?" The questions just kept flying from the boy, but Jiraiya was willing to be patient with him. It's not every day you attempt to do a combination release.
"None." That's all Jiraiya said. Silence then filled the wetlands they were standing in. Only broken up by the movement of water and the wind blowing through the tall grasses poking out.
"None? Then how can you even teach me this new release if you have never done it before yourself?" Naruto's voice carried a hint of worry in it. He had been training so hard these past months to be ready and he feared it may have all been for nothing.
Jiraiya folded his arms in front of him, giving his god son a disappointed look. "Give me some credit gaki. I may not be able to do any combination release, but I've worked with plenty who could, and they all go through the same process to combine. As for the techniques. That was part of the reason for the many stops these past few months. I was picking up scrolls and texts on this release. There wasn't a whole lot of literature on this release." Jiraiya took a deep breath after giving that little speech.
That explanation put Naruto at ease. Jiraiya wouldn't lead him astray. The look of fear dropped from his face, replaced by content. "Alright, so how do I go about combining them?"
Jiraiya dropped both of his arms to his side. Disappointment was replaced with determination. "It's actually very straightforward, just extremely hard to do. Much like how you add nature transformation to your chakra for some of your jutsu. You simply just need to transform your chakra with both wind and lightning at the same time."
Naruto gawked at this. "It took me 4 months to just learn lightning and wind transformation. Combining them like that will surely take even longer than that." Naruto quipped; annoyance started to flood his emotions.
"Normally yes, but if you noticed, after you first learned wind transformation, it took you half the time to learn lightning transformation. Your clones really are the ultimate cheat code. I think you may actually be able to combine them in one months' time now." Jiraiya stated with pride for his god son. He started wondering if it was perhaps Naruto who was the boy of prophecy and not his other student.
Still irked that he was now going to have to wait again to try cool new stuff, he simply let out a sigh and said sarcastically, "Great, another month of my clones doing transformation training." Resigned to his fate, Naruto summoned 10 clones to begin the combination training. Although he didn't like the transformation training, it was still better than what he did normally at this time. Naruto tried to sneak off with his clones before he felt his progress stop just like before.
"Where do you think you are going gaki? YOU still have your run to do." Jiraiya articulated out loud.
"Ah, can't I join my clones just for today please?" Naruto pleaded with the sannin. He got no respite.
"Run, now"
XxX
Land of earth, afternoon, 300 days since Naruto's departure
Naruto was frustrated. He had been trying to combine his nature transformations this past month and he felt he barely made progress. He decided the best way to channel this frustration was with his squats.
He had wanted to use chakra to help with his lifts, but Jiraiya said its better if he trains his muscles in base form. Something about chakra multiplying effects and what not. So now, he was attempting a new personal best of 450 pounds. He had poured chakra into the weights until the bar showed him the correct number.
His clone spotters were all around him, encouraging him as only a Naruto could. He had long ago dispatched with his jacket. He sweats way too much to workout in it. His body was covered from head to toe in sweat. He relished it. He got under the bar on the rack and rapped his fingers around the bar and lifted. He took a step back to clear the catcher and did his squat. Once he got as low as he could go, he attempted to rise.
Attempted being the key word. His quads cried out to him, begging him to stop this madness. Naruto simply whipped them into submission. Naruto clenched his eyes shut and grinded his teeth. His whole body was shaking as he slowly rose up to full height, his clones cheering him on all the way. Once he was standing tall, he took a step forward and set the bar back on the rack. He let out a roar of triumph for his latest accomplishment.
A slow clap started to form behind Naruto. Jiraiya was once again impressed at Naruto for setting a new personal best. "Nicely done gaki. Now if only your clones could have this kind of success on a consistent basis."
Naruto turned around and grumbled back. "Don't remind me. I'm itching to finally start using swift release. I just..." Suddenly Naruto got a rush of memories all at once. He reviewed them in his stream of consciousness and a crystal-clear image had formed. His clones had finally done it. They had combined wind and lighting.
Slowly, a smile started to creep onto Naruto's face. It continued to grow until his face started to hurt. Jiraiya was about to ask why Naruto looked so happy, but the blonde broke the silence first. "Guess what pervy sage?" Naruto didn't even allow Jiraiya to guess, he was so wired up right now that he had to tell him. "I'VE DONE IT! I CAN FINALLY START USING SWIFT RELEASE!"
"Jeez, I'm right here Naruto! You don't need to shout." Jiraiya responded, covering his ears from the sudden outburst. He let Naruto settle himself down before the sannin spoke once again. "Show me"
Naruto responded by getting into his meditating pose. He slowly breathed in the cool air around him, sweat still dripping from his brow. Once he felt his heart rate get under control, he pulled from his mind the memories he needed to do this combination.
Outwardly nothing was happening for the longest time. Suddenly, Jiraiya could feel a rush of chakra emanating from the genin. It was a perfect mix of wind and lightning. This brought out more clapping from the toad sannin.
"That's perfect Naruto, just perfect!" Naruto was now finally ready to attempt swift release. There was only one more piece of the puzzle he needed, and it was the easiest one. "Now the only thing you need to know is the hand seal for the first technique."
Naruto shot up from his seated position and moved closer to his sensei. "Well don't keep me in suspense! What's the sign!?" Naruto said eagerly. Jiraiya then brought his hands together and formed the hare hand seal.
"The first technique you will be learning is Swift Release: Sprinting Hare." Jiraiya stated. He then saw Naruto close his eyes and get into a semi seated position. "Now before you attempt this release, make sure you only use just a little of the mixed chakra. If you put too much in too soon you might blow up your legs."
Naruto gulped when he heard this. He knew the techniques of swift release were dangerous, but he never really thought of the consequences as they felt so far away until this very moment.
Naruto quieted these thoughts and concentrated on mixing his chakra in small amounts. Once he felt he had an appropriate amount of fused chakra, he formed the hare seal and shouted out. "Swift Release: Sprinting Hare!"
...
...
...
Nothing happened, no fancy explosion, nothing popped into existence. Just silence.
Straightening his body, Naruto muttered to his teacher in confusion. "Uhhh, I don't think I did it right."
Smiling to himself, Jiraiya retorted. "Why don't you try and walk then." Jiraiya knew Naruto had done it correctly, the whisker cheeked boy just needed a demonstration. It just so happened that Jiraiya would enjoy this demonstration very much.
Not fully understanding why he just needed to walk, he took a step forward. His legs suddenly shot out for 2 steps in front of him, faster than he had ever seen them do. The rest of his body didn't respond fast enough, and Naruto fell back first into the wetlands.
Jiraiya was cackling with laughter at this sight, clutching his sides as he started gasping for air. These past 10 months had been worth it just for this moment.
"What the heck was that pervy sage!?" Naruto uttered aloud, embarrassed at his current situation.
Wiping the tears from his face, Jiraiya responded. "That was Sprinting Hare gaki. It makes you move at incredibly fast speeds. The more chakra you put in, the faster you become. Too much though and the chakra overwhelms your muscles, and it can sever the chakra pathways connected to them. Not even your healing factor can heal that."
Letting his previous statement hang in the air for just a bit, he started again. "You will eventually find your limits but for now, do the bare minimum until you get the hang of it. Now, instead of your normal cardio, you will simply walk with Sprinting Hare active."
Naruto picked himself up out of the water and responded with an affirmative "Right!" He then once again fused his chakra and did the seal. This time he was more conscious of his legs, and he could now feel the fused chakra surging through. Naruto then VERY slowly took one step forward. This time he was prepared for the whiplash and braced himself. If it wasn't for all his core workouts, he would not have been able to keep his torso upright. His abs were starting to feel the burn from the strain being put on them.
This 'walk' was about as fast as an average Chūnin running speed but for Naruto's legs, it felt like just a walk. The same though could not be said for his chakra. Keeping this technique active requires a lot of chakra. He figured at this current pace though; he could go a while before he needed to deactivate it. But if he wanted to increase his speed even a little bit, it required vast amounts of chakra to accomplish.
It also required a LOT of chakra control to keep the fused chakra at a constant flow. Too much and he fell back again on his back. Poured too little and he would end up on his face. Naruto got very wet very fast, and Jiraiya was having the time of his life.
Eventually Naruto came walking/running towards Jiraiya and he willed his legs to stop. The force exerted on his body just by simply stopping was immense. It strained his muscles, his joints, his bones. Nothing was spared. If he wasn't in shape, he knew something would have been broken. He needed to train his body more to handle these forces.
Coming to a full stop in front of the toad sage, Naruto said "Can't I have my clones do this too to get the hang of it faster?"
"You could, but as you can probably tell, you would be severely limited in the number of clones you could make and use this technique with." Jiraiya pointed out, causing Naruto to pout for a bit. "Speaking of which, starting tomorrow, I'm gonna have some of your clones switch up their routine. I'm going to have them start practicing a form of Jutsu that many consider the strongest in the world."
"What type of jutsu is that?" Naruto queried sannin.
Jiraiya was happy he asked. Naruto was now going to start learning what his namesake was famous for. So famous that the other nations banded together to destroy his clan and scatter the survivors to the wind.
"I'm going to be having them learn fūinjutsu."
XxX
Konohagakure main hospital, late afternoon, 301 days since Naruto's departure
It was a good day. None of the patients threw up on her, none tried to fight, none tried to escape. It had been a peaceful day for the pink-haired girl. The first one she can honestly say in months.
Sakura had been extremely busy these past 10 months. Tsunade had made sure of that. When not training with Kakashi, she would have Sakura do clinic hours or more chakra control exercises. Only giving her Sundays off. That went for Ino as well, only she also had to work with her father to learn more about the mind-body switch techniques famous to her clan.
Sakura could already see the results of all the training both she and Ino had been doing. They both were well on their way to jōnin levels of chakra control. Sakura was now helping with more major injuries in the hospital now than when she started and Ino wasn't far behind her in this regard. Last month, Tsunade had finally started to teach Ino and Sakura the Strength of a Hundred Seal. For this entire month they each had slowly started to pull chakra into their respective seals. Sakura decided to have hers on her forehead like Tsunade, and Ino had hers placed on her collar bone right below the neck. The effort it took to put the chakra into the seal had left Sakura drained and Ino as well. For Sakura it had been so exhausting that she had skipped some of her regular visits to Sasuke. She could just feel her younger self giving her a lump for missing anytime with Sasuke. She then briefly remembered all the lumps she used to give Naruto...
Sakura was grateful for all the training and little downtime. It kept her mind busy and thoughts away from her blonde knucklehead shinobi. When she did think about him, it only made her feel miserable. It had only been 9 months since he left, and she missed him dearly. Even visiting Sasuke every other day was starting to lose its shine if only slightly. It didn't help that he rarely said anything to her when she was there and would either just meditate or practice his shinobi skills.
"Hey Sakura, do you have any plans after we get out of here?" Ino brought Sakura out of her daydreams. Had she really been that lost in thought thinking of the 2 most important people in her life?
Startled, Sakura answered. "Oh, Ino. Sorry, I was just lost in thought. Can you repeat that?"
"I said, did you have plans for after our shifts end?" Ino phrased once again, a little irritated that she had to repeat herself.
Shaking her head no, Sakura said. "I don't have any plans, why?" Curious as to the blondes' question, Sakura found herself reflecting on her relationship with her fellow apprentice. Sakura had seen the tremendous growth in Ino and it motived Sakura to become even better. They had gotten closer over these past few months; misery does love company. Sakura had long ago apologized to Ino for how she acted that day 10 months ago. Ino had accepted the apology but said there was only one person who she should really apologize to.
During their mutual shifts, Sakura learned that Ino too had been visiting Sasuke, but her visits started becoming less frequent. In fact, Sakura thinks the last time Ino visited him was over a month ago. She had been so busy though that she never noticed it nor questioned it.
"Hello? Earth to Sakura." Ino said, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder and shaking her a bit.
"Oh, sorry I spaced out again." Sakura uttered out embarrassed that she zoned out twice in such a short amount of time.
"You need to quit doing that else something bad might happen to you." Ino stated as she folded her arms in front of her hospital gown, clearly still annoyed. Nevertheless, she continued, "I was saying would you like to go to Yakiniku Q with Shikamaru, Chōji, and myself. I know you haven't been getting out a lot and when you do, you spend it visiting Sasuke. I know how that normally turns out."
Sakura gave thought to the idea. She really hadn't seen the two boys in a long time and only ever saw Ino during their time in the hospital. Ino was right about Sasuke too, being the only person willing to talk in a conversation was starting to grind her down. She needed some socialization in her life.
Bringing her head back up from thought, she replied in a cheery. "That actually sounds fun. I haven't done much socializing in a while."
Ino barely held her squeal of joy upon getting her answer. She really did miss hanging out with Sakura and Ino knows that the pink-haired genin needed this. "Perfect! Meet you there at 8!" Ino said skipping off to do her final assignments.
Sakura laughed to herself a little at Ino's excitement. Now she had something else to occupy her thoughts. She wondered how the two boys were doing. She really hadn't seen either of them since she started her apprenticeship.
Her and Ino's shifts ended, and each headed back to their respective homes to shower and get ready. Both then started heading to Yakiniku Q. For Sakura though, this would be the first time she had been here. She knew it was a good place to eat, but when team 7 came together they ate exclusively at Ichiraku Ramen. She then thought of who was responsible for this and the hole in her soul grew ever slightly larger.
When Sakura arrived, she saw that she was the last to show up. Team 10 was busy chatting when she arrived before they stopped and greeted her.
Exchanging pleasantries outside, they then headed inside and took their table, Ino and Sakura on one side and Chōji and Shikamaru on the other. Once the waiter took their orders and returned with their drinks, they finally started catching up.
"So, tell me, what was your guy's last mission? Ino was tight lipped at the hospital about it." Sakura questioned the two boys.
"It was a B-rank mission, our first as a team actually. We were tasked with guarding a courier to the capital. She had valuable information for the Daimyo and there were many interested parties in that information." Shikamaru voiced out, thinking back on the mission. "It turned out there was a spy in the court that got wind of the courier. We ran into some trouble near the capital."
Now it was Chōji's turn to speak. "You should have seen Shikamaru out there. I thought he was smart before, but he's gotten even smarter these past months. His shadow possession jutsu has greatly improved as well. He can actually now hold them in place and not have them shadow his movements if he doesn't want to." Chōji exclaimed, proud of his best friend.
Feeling a little embarrassed by the high praise from his friend, Shikamaru retorted. "Your jutsu is also improving Chōji. You can expand much bigger now and you hit much harder than you used to."
"Geez, thanks Shikamaru." Chōji responded to the compliment with delight.
Sakura was delighted to know her friends hadn't been idle. They were making the effort to become the best shinobi they could be. Though, she had to admit that she was jealous that they were still a team working together while she didn't have that luxury.
Ino, wanting her friend to open a little, spoke up. "So, Sakura, outside what lady Tsunade has been having us do. What have you been up too lately?"
Sakura unfortunately didn't have to think long on her answer. "Oh, I mainly just train by myself and visit Sasuke."
She received deadpan stares from all 3 shinobi at the table. "I seriously don't get what either of you see in Sasuke. The guy has no interest outside avenging his clan. You do remember the lengths he's willing to go to, right?" Shikamaru took one glance across the table and the looks on the kunoichi's faces said it all.
Sakura spoke up, trying to defend her teammate. "It's because of the curse mark. It poisoned his mind when received it from Orochimaru. That's why he started going crazy right after the chunin exams."
Shikamaru decided it was best to give Sakura a taste of reality. "Think back Sakura, even before the curse mark. What drove Sasuke the most?" He quizzed the girl. The look of knowing on her face was all he needed to see before moving on. "I've heard of the curse mark from Anko. I was curious about it after getting the bastard back. She told me that the seal Kakashi put on Sasuke during the exams makes it so the curse mark will only work if Sasuke allows it." He was hoping that this might get through to her.
The weight of his statement was not lost on Sakura. She could feel a mighty pressure start to squeeze her, suffocating her. I never knew that much about the seal. Kakashi put that seal on Sasuke in the middle of the exams, right after he got the mark. Does that mean Sasuke willingly gave into the mark? Does that mean he did willingly leave the village? Oh Kami!
Sakura could start to feel sick to her stomach. This newfound information was too much for her body to handle. She excused herself to the bathroom and rushed there. Leaving a confused Chōji and Shikamaru behind. Ino decided to follow her friend, having a suspicion.
Sakura reached the thankfully empty bathroom and went to the furthest stall, spilling the contents of her stomach into the bowl. So focused on her task that she didn't hear the bathroom door open. Once the queasiness left Sakura, she stepped out of the stall and saw leaning against the wall was Ino.
"I see you didn't take that news well. I'll admit I had a similar reaction when Shikamaru told me before." Ino said remembering that conversation.
Wordlessly, Sakura went past Ino with a dead look on her face. She reached the sink, cupped some water into her hands, and splashed it on her face. Hands now gripping the sides of the sink, Sakura spoke aloud. "How long did you know?"
"Only a week now, Shikamaru told me right before we left for the B-rank mission." Ino stated.
"I don't understand you Ino, you seem fine with this information! Hell, you didn't even look distraught in the slightest." Sakura half shouted, her emotions starting to get the better of her.
"I've luckily had time to process this information. I came to the conclusion that Sasuke is not the boy we thought we knew in the academy." Ino said in a very serious tone.
In a shocked, almost angry tone, Sakura responded. "How can you say that? He's our friend! We need to help him get through this! I thought you were obsessed with him as I am."
Ino knew this was going to be tough for Sakura to accept. She was now no longer leaning on the wall and simply crossed her arms. "I do still consider him a friend, but I also know what he's become isn't because of some curse mark. He wants power, he willingly choose to leave us all behind. I still care for him but I'm no longer the stary eyed girl I used to be. I now see him for what he has become."
Sakura, now with fury in her eyes, walks right up to Ino. "You are wrong! Sasuke is still my Sasuke. He just needs to be reminded of how things used to be."
"Listen to yourself Sakura, you are still calling him your Sasuke. You want things to go back to the way they used to be because it's easier for you but guess what? People change, for the better and for the worse. Both your teammates exemplify that to a T." Ino said with conviction oozing out of her.
Hearing her blonde-haired teammates name made the pit she felt in her soul grow once again. "What does Naruto have to do with this?" She said, the fury gone from her voice. She cast her head down as she uttered that question.
Ino gave Sakura a disappointed look, the pink-haired genin none the wiser. "Everything! He's the reason Sasuke is back. He's the reason you have felt like utter shit since he left. Kami Sakura! You still see him as the annoying, loudmouth idiot he was back at the academy, not what he is now! Compare him to what Sasuke has become. I'm not saying to give up on Sasuke, but you need to accept him for what he is now and not what you want him to be." Ino finally concluded, going through a mixture of anger, sadness, and a small amount of hope. Seeing no response from her friend, Ino decided it was time to let Sakura be, and so went back to the restaurant and joined team 10 at the table.
Sakura just stood in the bathroom room with her hung low. She was thinking over everything that Ino had told her. It started to terrify her that Ino maybe right about what she said. Sakura DID want things to go back to the way they were. She WAS still seeing Sasuke from there time in team 7. Wanting to see if Ino was truly telling her the truth. Sakura left the restaurant and went to search for her answers.
XxX
Sakura's home, late evening, 301 days since Naruto's departure
Darkness filled the Haruno home. Mebuki and Kizashi were both out having a dinner date. They had left a note for their daughter telling her they wouldn't be back till past midnight. This was fine for Sakura. It allowed her to wallow in her misery alone.
She was currently on her bed, hugging her pillow as if her life depended on it. She hadn't even bothered to get under the covers, simply collapsing on the bed as soon as she entered her room. At first nothing happened. She was simply laid out on the fabric. Not a single sound could be heard from the teenager
This was only possible because she felt dead inside. Dead to the world, Dead to herself. She felt nothing, just emptiness. Sakura tried her best to keep this feeling, the alternative would have been much worse. She used all her will to fight back against the approaching emotions in her mind. She could only hold out for so long though.
Unlike her previous bits of crying that started slowly and gradually rose in crescendo, this time it started at full blast. The wall she had been building around her heart for almost a year now was blown to kingdom come. All her held back emotions now flooded her like a tsunami.
The sounds of Wailing now filled her room. They would have filled the whole house if she hadn't closed the door behind her when she got in. Her chest heaved as her body searched for more air. Her voice carried the sorrow of a year's worth of regret. Her eyes clenched as tight as they could, trying to keep back the emotions she was feeling, but to no avail. Her sheets were now stained with the tears she had so desperately tried to hold back.
She brought her knees to her chest, clutching her pillow even tighter and making herself as small as possible. Eventually, she simply surrendered to her emotions and let it all out it. She has been through so much tonight. First at the restaurant with team 10, and then later when she decided she needed to know the truth. She now came to regret this decision. It was only now that Sakura's thoughts turned to her most recent confrontation with the boy who she once considered her light in the darkness.
FLASHBACK
Sakura now stood in front of the gate of Sasuke's complex. She had stopped referring it by the Uchiha complex name because Sasuke was the only occupant left. Her heart was thundering in her chest. Goosebumps formed on her skin due to the cold air of the night. A wind flowed through her hair, revealing to the world her beautiful features. With determined steps, she entered.
As she walked past the ruins around her, it made her think that this place resembled her current thoughts. Everything around her was falling apart except for one thing. She continued her trek through the compound until she reached the one place still livable. She quietly opened the door and looked inside. This time there was no dust to meet her nostrils. She had taken to dusting the place up for him on her many visits to the place. Sasuke had never turned her down when she asked if she could dust so she took it as implicit permission. All she wanted to do was to help the boy.
"Sasuke, are you here?" She announced. She knew he was still up. He was the kind of person to stay up till past midnight, training or meditating. She was curious as to why he seemed to be doing a lot more meditating now than before. In fact, she never saw him meditate until he was brought back home. Our home.
She quickly saw that there were no lights coming from any of the rooms. A dead end. She once again felt as though she was being watched. This time she KNEW she was being watched. It took her some time to realize it during her many visits to this place, but it was obvious that the Hokage didn't trust Sasuke to not try and leave again. This meant him being under 24/7 surveillance. She had grown to just accept this shadowing of her as the price she needed to pay to help make Sasuke get better.
She then exited the building and closed it behind her, taking a step to the ground from the raised platform she previously occupied. She then marched to the familiar training grounds.
It can't be, it just can't be! Sasuke wouldn't give into the curse mark. It still has to be influencing him. There's no way he would act this way without something affecting him.
She was holding out for hope. Hope that her frequent visits might spark a change in Sasuke for the better. Hope he would accept her into his life. She knew there was nothing she could do for Naruto now that he was gone, but she could still help her Sasuke. His constant rejections of her were straining that hope to its breaking point. The silence he gave her every time she came to see him was steadily withering away her heart.
She had originally been attracted to his cold and distant demeanor. It gave him a cool and mysterious vibe that she ate up. Now though, she saw that they were not good traits to have. She now saw that being expressive and energetic were much better qualities to have, even if it could annoy others at times. Like Naruto
She continued strolling through the trees. Leaves crunching underneath her shoes. The nighttime air was still blowing through her hair and gave a howl through the forest. A full moon was out tonight. She eventually came to a clearing with a tree in the middle. It was a place she was all too familiar with. Sitting underneath the tree where no moonlight could reach was Sasuke Uchiha.
She treaded to the edge of where the moonlight was showing and simply sat on the ground cross legged. Normally Sakura would just stand there and try small take with him. He would always ignore her, hoping she would get the message and leave. Her sudden change of action did cause the boy to become curious. Not enough to acknowledge her though.
Sakura sat there for minutes, thinking about how to put words to her thoughts. Bringing up the courage to ask what she needed to know. Fortifying herself in case the answer she received wasn't to her liking.
"Is the curse mark still controlling you?" Sakura asked boldly, breaking the air of silence that hung there. The only response Sakura got was more silence from the black-haired boy. Undeterred, she continued. "Look Sasuke, I have some questions that I need answers to, so I'll make you a deal. You answer them and I'll stop bothering you so much."
Sakura was hoping a bargain might finally get him to talk to her more. It was her last resort after everything else she tried failed. It seemed to work though; she could see Sasuke visibly twitched when she made her offer. He was seriously considering it.
After a few minutes of thought, Sasuke gave his reply, "I accept" as he opened his eyes and peered into Sakura's. His eyes pierced hers as if looking through her. She had never gotten chills from looking at Sasuke until that very moment.
Thinking about her first question she asked before. Sasuke thought how best to answer this. The mark was affecting him, he was getting stronger every time he went into his dreamscape to train forbidden jutsu. The curse mark though was not controlling him, no, he was allowing the curse mark to take effect, making him stronger every time. He also knew that the ANBU were still watching and listening to everything he said.
"No, it is not controlling me." Sasuke stated in a neutral tone. Trying to make a case for himself with the hidden ANBU, he elaborated. "It hasn't been influencing me since I have returned."
Since his return. That means... "So, it was the curse mark that made you leave!" Sakura felt a rush of relief hit her. She knew it had been the mark that made Sasuke go mad and leave. Tonight was going to end well for her.
"You are mistaken Sakura; it wasn't the curse mark that made me leave the village." Sasuke corrected his former teammate.
Crack
..."What?" Sakura could only utter one word. Her strained hopes were now starting to snap.
"I left the village of my own will to seek power in order to kill Itachi." Sasuke announced to the world. He knew admitting this out loud wouldn't hurt his chances of getting less supervision, the village already knew he had left freely. The only one who was in denial was bizarrely one of the people he used to be somewhat close with.
"T-T-That can't be! The Sasuke I know would never betray his friends like that!" Sakura pleaded out, desperate for what he said to not be true.
"The Sasuke you knew is dead!" Sasuke shouted out from his meditating pose. His malice at the girl continued to grow the more she kept denying reality. "What you see before you now is no longer Sasuke Uchiha, you are now looking at an avenger."
Crack
"No, no, no, NO! My Sasuke is still here! You're still here! I know things can go back to the way they used to be!" Clinging desperately to her delusion, she said these words as her world crumbled.
"Cut it out with that 'My Sasuke' crap! It's so annoying!" Sasuke angrily shouted out, his sharigan active, giving him a menacing look from the shadows of the tree. The moon shone brightly on her face. He could now see every detail clearly of Sakura. Her lips were quivering. Her eyes were fighting tears back desperately. Her heart was racing at its limit. Her breath was short as she was gasping for air. She wasn't completely broken though.
Truthfully, this was hurting Sasuke a little too. While he didn't return Sakura's feelings, he still appreciated what she had done for him. He knew though that the path he was following would only lead her to heart break. He also knew she would more than likely just get in his way of his mission to kill Itachi. Sasuke needed her to get over him and so, resolved himself to shatter her.
"I was NEVER 'your Sasuke'. I am what I should have always been. I will NEVER go back to how things used to be. It disgusts me looking back on how I used to be. You are just a delusional girl with fantasies of a future with me by your side. Stop dreaming, I have never even liked you. I hate how you constantly impose on me. I hate how your hair looks. I hate how your forehead looks. Just get out of my life!"
CRACK
Her world was now in a million pieces. Her eyes lost all the life in them, dull, gray. Her soul had just been ripped to shreds by the boy she had loved so dearly. Her future ripped from her. Her past was lost to the void. Her present directionless.
Without uttering another word, Sakura slowly got up, and ran. Ran as fast as she could away from the scene. Her mind telling her if she stayed any longer that she would be swallowed by the earth. She didn't stop running until she made it back to her house.
END FLASHBACK
She replayed every little detail from her memory about the incident. Trying desperately to find any reason to doubt his words. She could only come to one conclusion. His words were true. Everything she thought she knew about the boy was false.
Sasuke had truly rejected her. There was no going back from this. Her dreams of team 7 going back to how it used to be, lost to time. She was all alone.
For reasons unknown to Sakura, her thoughts drifted to her blonde teammate. This is how he must have felt when I rejected him that final time. I knew I hurt him badly, but I didn't think it was THIS bad. Kami, now I understand why he wanted to leave so badly. He wants to forget about the person who caused him so much anguish.
These thoughts caused her to cry even harder. She felt the millions of pieces of her essence break apart thrice one person who could help her through this, she had pushed away, and he didn't want to be a part of her life anymore. More moisture now soaked the sheets under her. At least Naruto had Hinata to help him through his soul shattering. Sakura had no one and she could only blame herself.
She curled even harder into a ball. Hoping to become so small the world will ignore her. Despite the warmth coming from the house, Sakura felt cold. Colder than any other time in her life. Shivers ran down her spine. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might be having a heart attack. Her lungs yelled at her to get deep breathes, her blood cells desperate for oxygen. Her eyes shut tight as they could get, holding back the flood. Her body was trying to reflect the turmoil going on inside her mind.
Eventually, her body could produce no more tears. Snot stopped pooling in her nose, and she could finally wipe it for good. It didn't stop the feeling she had. Her eyes filled with sorrow, looked over to the picture on her nightstand of team 7. How happy she looked back then. If only she knew back then what was to come. She thought she might have more tears come forth, but her body was tapped out.
She was now resorting to dry heaving. The sound of the heater was her only companion on this dark and lonesome night. Nothing seemed to be helping her. There wasn't a way to fix this. She didn't think anything could help her except for one thing.
She knew Naruto wanted her out of his life, so she couldn't hurt him like that again. Her mere presence caused him to lock up when she saw him last and then run away. It was probably for the best if he never saw her again.
...
...
But she needed him back! She knew she needed desperately to be a part of his life again. She was hoping that he would listen to her one last selfish request of him and give her a second chance.
I was such a fool! My life is spiraling out of control, and I don't know what to do. The one I love hates me and wants nothing to do with me. The one person who gave a damn about me I pushed away due to a blind obsession. Naruto, please come home. I need you. I will say... those words I could not when you left.
I-I-I
AUTHORS NOTES
Alright, I truly think I'm done with the Sakura bashing now. I think I finally got her into the state I want her in to build her back up. It was really hard to come up with her scenes in this chapter.
It was also hard to write my very first (somewhat) action scene. I know my first few will be rough but I hope I will get better at writing them each time.
It always bugged me how it seemed Jiraiya never really taught Naruto any new jutsu during the time skip. For this fic I wanted to give him a style that isn't manga canon but has alot of potential in swift release. For now I plan on it giving him alot of abilities similar to speedsters from comics. As for Hinata's training with a bow. I was always kinda shocked how the clan with eyes who could literally see everything for miles didn't think once to use that for long range attacks unseen. I'm going to try and rectify this.
Take care and have a happy thanksgiving to all my USA readers.