Chapter 6: The Weight of Friendship

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters

Reviews:

Hflp- I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'll keep trying to keep the story up to par!

Elchabon- Thank you for your kind words! It makes me happy that people like the story!

Time Parad0x- Are they the same jutsu? I thought that the Raikiri was an upgraded version of the Chidori. I think Deidara even asked Sasuke if he was using a Raikiri, but Sasuke replied it was only a Chidori. I might be misremembering though. I just mainly thought the Raikiri took more chakra but was stronger and had more piercing power. As for the names, you're probably right about sticking to one term. It's mainly just personal preference because I like some names in English better and some in Japanese better.

KidneyZero- I'm glad you liked the start! I'm not sure if I'm gonna have the girls just straight up educate him but they'll probably give him nudges in the right direction and help with things he doesn't know. As for him taking up his mother's sword, I don't think I'm going to have him learn sword fighting in this story. I might mention it as learning about his parents though.

Naruto groaned from where he lay. He didn't know what happened but he felt the cold, hard ground beneath him. Trying to roll over, he grimaced when he felt pain shoot through his gut. Inching his eyes open, he had to take a moment to adjust to the bright light coming from the sun. When he finally opened them all the way he took notice of a pair of lavender tinted eyes looking down at him worriedly.

Feeling everything rushing back to him, he jumped up and shouted "Hinata-chan!" However, he realized his mistake when he felt pain shoot through him again from getting up so suddenly. As he was hunched over, Hinata came rushing back to his side, fretting over him "A-Are you alright Naruto-kun! I-I didn't mean to h-hurt you l-like that! I-It was just r-reflex when you came c-charging in!"

Trying to reassure her, Naruto stood back up straight and patted her hand. Giving her a grin, he said "I'm ok Hinata-chan! You have nothing to worry about! I should have known better than to run straight at you like that." He grew a wide smirk before continuing "I was right though. Your pokes sure do pack a mean punch!"

Hinata puffed her cheeks out before digging a finger into his side. She watched as he winced before saying "It's not poking Naruto-kun! It's very serious taijutsu!" Her expression then changed into a soft smile "I am glad you're ok though, Naruto-kun. I was worried I might have seriously hurt you."

Naruto chuckled before rubbing her hand soothingly. Ignoring the growing blush on her cheeks he replied "I told you not to worry. I'm super tough and can take a hit or two!" He then looked away slightly before admitting "Although it is pretty embarrassing you took me out straight away."

Seeing Hinata open her mouth again to apologize, he interjected "Well let's go again and I'll do better this time. Although I don't think I can move quite as well straight away so I'll just make a shadow clone for you to practice some of your moves first."

She didn't look convinced but nodded all the same. "Ok Naruto-kun, but don't overdue it. You still need to rest a little before sparring again" she said fixing him with a stern glare.

However Naruto merely thought 'cute' before agreeing "Ok I promise, Hinata-chan." With that, Hinata's gaze softened and Naruto formed a shadow clone. He then went to sit back down against a tree and watch them practice.

Hinata waited until Naruto was sitting back down and then turned to face his shadow clone. Shifting into her stance, she watched as the clone became prepared for her assault. After a moment, Hinata launched forward and began to strike at the clone.

She threw jab after jab at the clone who proceeded to hit them off course by knocking her arms away. When he found an opening, the clone proceeded to throw a right hook towards Hinata's side.

It seemed Hinata expected that however and leaned away avoiding it. The clone kept trying to press his advantage and threw more punches. Hinata just kept avoiding them, twisting her body in different ways to make the clone miss.

When the clone finally got frustrated, he aimed to hit her in a straight on blow. However, Hinata jumped backwards to dodge it and then brought her foot to slam in the underside of the clone's chin. The clone grunted in pain and then dispelled after receiving such a strong hit.

While this was happening, Naruto had been watching Hinata with eager eyes. 'She really is graceful like this. I can tell that while her style isn't complete, she is already working on it pretty hard. The way she dodges those attacks are unlike anything I've ever seen' he thought with amazement.

He continued to watch, fascinated, until Hinata landed her final blow. When the clone dispelled, Naruto flinched and seemed to recoil as if he had been struck. In his mind he saw the moment Hinata hit his clone and he thought 'What was that? It was almost like I was the one fighting her but I know it was my clone!'

"Are you ok, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto jumped a little at Hinata's voice and shook off his thoughts. 'I'll worry about that later' he thought before giving Hinata his attention. Giving her a smile, he answered her question "Of course Hinata-chan! I was just thinking how cool your fighting was and I was out of it for a second!"

Hinata blushed but nodded "I-If you're sure Naruto-kun t-then ok." Naruto replied that he was and she was about to ask something when Naruto interjected "Alright! I think I'm rested enough to face you myself again!"

"I-I don't k-know Naruto-kun. Maybe y-you should rest a little more" she answered worriedly. However, he shook off her worries saying "It's fine, I can go again. I'll be able to help you more than a shadow clone anyway since I won't dispel after a hit."

Hinata looked like she wanted to argue still but relented "Ok Naruto-kun. B-But lets take it s-slower this time." Naruto agreed not wanting to make her mad and then backed up from her and watched as she slid into her stance.

He mentally prepared himself and gave her a small smile to show he was ready. When he did that she returned the smile before charging at him. Infusing the tips of her fingers with chakra she focused on his arms trying to close the chakra points she saw. Naruto did his best to block her but he still felt the occasional sting from a stray hit.

When he found a moment to do so, he left back and took the opportunity to form a shadow clone. It took a moment longer to do so because of his chakra being blocked slightly but he was able to do it. After the clone was formed they split up and tried to attack Hinata from two different sides.

They both charged her at once, fist cocked back ready to clobber her. Just when it seemed like they might hit her, she dropped to the ground and the two Naruto's both hit each other in the cheek. They both staggered back, the clone dispelling after and Naruto bringing a hand to his face, wincing at the pain.

Naruto just chuckled though and said "That was a good one Hinata-chan, but I'll be paying more attention now." Naruto made two more shadow clones but waited for her to approach this time instead of rushing her.

Knowing that he was trying to bait her, but interested in what he could pull off, Hinata ran towards him, palm outstretched. Instead of trying to block like last time, Naruto leaned back and one of his clones grabbed her arm that was trying to hit him. With the clone holding her back, the other one took the opportunity to try to sweep her off her feet.

The clone swung at her legs with one of his own but was taken off guard when she jumped while still having one of her arms constricted. Taking advantage of the clones surprise she used her legs to kick each of the clones while she was in midair.

She had forgotten about the original Naruto however, and he took that opportunity to lean forward again and headbutt her in the stomach since she was unable to escape in the air.

She was pushed back and winced from the pain in her gut. Meanwhile both of Naruto's clones popped out of existence being hit by Hinata's attack.

Hinata straightened back up and giggled, slightly cringing from the pain "Hehe, you really do have a hard head Naruto-kun!"

Naruto smirked back and replied "That's what Kakashi-sensei always says! Get ready Hinata-chan! I'm not done yet!" He was about to begin running towards her when the sound of approaching footsteps caught both of their attention. Turning towards where it was coming from, they met the gaze of a curious Sakura approaching them.

When Sakura had reached them she was quiet for a moment before asking "Um… What's going on here?"

Naruto and Hinata both relaxed before Naruto replied "Hey Sakura! Me and Hinata-chan are sparring together! I'm trying to help her with her new taijutsu style and she's helping me with my Rasengan!"

Hinata turned red at the admission but nodded that it was true. Sakura meanwhile had a whirlwind of thoughts 'He's training with Hinata? I didn't know he even knew she existed, much less was practicing together with her.' She then grit her teeth slightly 'And why is she helping him with the Rasengan when Kakashi-sensei said neither me or Sasuke-kun could learn it!'

Giving voice to her thoughts, but trying not to be mean she said "Oh? She's helping you with the Rasengan? I thought Kakashi-sensei said that only three people knew it and she wasn't one of them?"

Hinata flinched slightly and frowned but Naruto didn't seem to catch her hidden meaning. Instead he just grinned saying "She doesn't know it, but she's helping me by using her Byakugan! She can see the flow of my chakra and tells me how to best control it!"

Sakura watched as Hinata brightened from his praise and felt ashamed at herself 'Good going Sakura! You just indirectly made fun of the nicest girl in the world and she was only trying to help Naruto! Of course she would do anything for the guy she has a huge crush on!'

Trying to make amends, Sakura turned to Hinata and asked "Oh! You can do that Hinata! Would you mind trying to help me with my water walking then? I've almost got it down but I could use a pointer or two."

Naruto frowned at the thought of Sakura taking Hinata away, but Hinata was happy to help her friend. 'Maybe if I help Sakura, then Naruto will be happy' she thought with a wistful smile. Nodding her head, Hinata said "O-Of course Sakura. I will g-gladly help you."

She looked back to Naruto and gave him a sad smile "I'm s-sorry Naruto-kun, but let m-me help Sakura for a l-little bit. I-It shouldn't take long and y-you should be ok without m-my advice for the m-moment."

Naruto had a hard time saying no especially when she was giving him puppy dog eyes. Caving immediately he sighed "Ok Hinata-chan, if that's what you want to do. I'm sure Sakura would appreciate the help."

Hinata brightened and let Sakura lead her to the lake giving Naruto a shy wave. He returned it with a big wave before letting his hand drop and sighing loudly when she was out of sight.

"See something you don't like Naruto?" Upon hearing those words, Naruto spun around and was met with the lazy stare of Kakashi.

"K-Kakashi-sensei! How long have you been there" he asked trying not to appear nervous. Kakashi just gave an eye smile and replied "Oh you know I had to rescue some villager's cat and it just happened to like climbing the trees in this area. So once I caught it, I figured I would watch you and Hinata since I was already here."

Naruto got mad and shouted out "So you've been watching us this whole time!" Kakashi wasn't shaken by his tone however and merely stated "Of course, I think it's great you're getting Hinata to help you. She already seemed to have given you good pointers on the Rasengan and the sparring I saw could help both of you tremendously."

Seeing that he was calming Naruto down, Kakashi added "It also helps you and her get closer, so that's always an advantage for your situation."

When he mentioned that, Naruto turned red and looked to the ground. Kakashi chuckled but then grew more serious "That's why it's important not to have any miscommunications here. I saw your reaction when she left with Sakura. I don't want you to be upset with Hinata already on something trivial."

Instead of getting upset, Naruto just looked confused "Huh? I'm not upset with Hinata-chan. Why would you think that? She's great and I feel like I would have a hard time being mad at her for anything!"

After he finished speaking, Naruto dropped his gaze and sighed again "Honestly I'm not sure why I'm unhappy. Sakura just asked for Hinata's help, the same as I did. It's not like I don't want Sakura to improve, because I do. But for some reason, I didn't want Hinata to leave. It's weird but I felt like I wanted to keep her here with me, to myself."

Kakashi just grinned beneath his mask 'Heh, you're already smitten and you don't even know it. I suppose that will make things easier in the long run but I should just let it play out by itself for now. After all, there's no need to rush this.'

Patting Naruto on the shoulder, Kakashi replied "I see your problem Naruto. I don't think you have to worry though. I have a feeling Hinata doesn't want to leave your side either and she'll fight to stay there."

Naruto just appeared more confused by what he said and Kakashi decided to mess with him a little and not elaborate anymore. Instead he changed the subject "By the way, when I was watching your spar, I noticed some interesting things."

Catching Naruto's attention, he continued "It was good for where you're at right now. I have a few things I want to go over later but for now I want to address something. Your greatest assets are your unpredictability and your clones. You try to confuse your opponents with clones and get in to hit them hard."

He waited until Naruto nodded before saying "However, you have a few flaws with that. For starters, you're not nearly fast enough to take advantage of some openings. Like when you tried to sweep Hinata's legs but she was able to jump up and dodge you."

Naruto winced slightly but stayed silent. Taking that as a cue to continue, Kakashi said "The other problem is your strength. You're trying to land a knockout blow but you currently don't have the oomph behind your strikes. You're not super weak by any means, but you don't have the strength you should either."

Looking disappointed, Naruto mumbled out "I understand Kakashi-sensei." Wanting to cheer him up, Kakashi ruffled his hair and stated "Don't worry Naruto. I know of some ways we can fix this. There are a few other things to correct but we'll work on that later, like I said. For now, I have an idea of how to fix both your speed and power at once."

Naruto looked at him intently and kept inching his head forward, impatient for an answer. Deciding he waited enough, Kakashi answered with a single word "Weights."

"Huh, weights" Naruto asked confused. "Like Bushy Brows uses?"

Eye smiling, Kakashi replied "Yes and no. You are going to be using weights like him but not in the same way. Lee uses weights almost solely on his legs, up to an absurd amount of weight. This allows him to be extremely fast when he loses them and can outpace almost anybody. However, he doesn't use nearly as much for his arms because if he did, then the extra muscle mass from it would slow him down more. That's why when he fights he uses his legs to hit almost as much as his fists."

Pausing to make sure Naruto was following, Kakashi continued when he saw he was "Don't get me wrong, Lee still packs a mean punch with his hands. However, a lot of that comes from the sheer speed he's hitting you with. I don't think that will work as well for you however. Instead, you're going to be using weights on both your legs and arms, not up to the level of Lee of course. This will allow you to increase both your speed and power."

Kakashi watched as Naruto became excited and had to temper his expectations a little "You won't be as fast as Lee or as strong as Lady Tsunade. However, you will be formidable in both areas and will really help your shinobi career in the long run. Of course, this will take a long time to come into effect. You can't start out at the craziness of Lee after all. You have to begin with small amounts, like five pounds for each limb, and slowly creep your way up. It will take a while to see any results but in few weeks or months you should start to see a small increase."

Naruto deflated a little at having it take so long but quickly grew determined again and agreed with fire in his eyes "I'll do it Kakashi-sensei! Anything to help me get stronger and protect my precious people."

While Naruto couldn't see it, Kakashi grinned a wide smile and patted his head, proudly saying "I'm glad Naruto. I'll get the weights for you later today and give them to you tomorrow."

A lightbulb went off in Naruto's head and he asked "Kakashi-sensei? Shouldn't you get weights for Sakura and Sasuke too? And should I tell Hinata-chan about it as well?"

However, Kakashi shook his head "Weights wouldn't be the right thing for Sakura. She doesn't have the muscle mass required for it and I don't know if she ever will with how little she eats. As for Sasuke, they could work but it's probably easier for him with his Sharingan. After all, it provides him a way to both copy other fighting styles and observe them mid combat. So he can look for gaps in his foes stances and exploit them that way. He would probably much rather build up his speed and power naturally and use that effort to study other things instead."

Naruto grumbled something about lucky jerks and their fancy eye powers. Trying to avert his attention elsewhere, Kakashi said "As for Hinata, I don't think it would be right from her either. She seems to be adapting a style where she uses her natural flexibility to avoid attacks. While she could appreciate the speed from weights, it would probably be to her detriment. After all, the extra weight on her limbs could make it harder for her to bend the way she wants to. She should be focusing more on strengthening her core to allow her to more easily do the motions required of her."

Naruto nodded to show he understood and Kakashi finished "The extra power wouldn't be very helpful for her anyways. Since she uses the gentle fist, she is more focused on precision than strength. Plus, extra muscle would make her bigger which goes against what she is aiming for. Since being petite like her means there is less for the enemy to hit and makes it easier to move her body like she wants."

'Of course, if she takes after how her mother was, she won't be petite in all areas. It might make it harder on her to adapt it into her form, but I'm sure she'll get it down. Plus, I'm sure Naruto won't be complaining about it once he gets older and wises up' Kakashi thought with a little giggle.

Naruto eyed Kakashi strangely when he started to giggle but didn't say anything. Upon realizing that he was being stared at, Kakashi shook out of it and coughed "Well like I said, we'll have to start with that tomorrow. For now, why don't you go back to practicing your Rasengan and shuriken shadow clone jutsu."

Nodding, Naruto went to where the targets were to begin practicing with his shuriken. He started throwing his shuriken and calling out the move while Kakashi kept a lazy eye on him, although his hand seemed to itch to take out his book for reading.

When Sakura had finally reached the lake, she turned around to face Hinata who stopped as well. She gestured towards the lake and said "Here we are. I was practicing here yesterday afternoon and almost have the water walking finished." She then grew a tick mark before saying "Although Kakashi-sensei could have warned me about the possibility of getting wet."

Hinata gave a slight giggle and asked "S-Should we get started then?" However, Sakura shook her head "No, first I want to ask you something."

Tilting her head, Hinata gave Sakura a go on gesture. Sakura grew a sly smile "So how long have you and Naruto been so buddy-buddy? From what I saw you two seemed awfully close."

Hinata blushed so hard that Sakura thought she might pass out from all the blood rushing to her face. She managed to calm herself though and stuttered "W-What are y-you talking about? M-Me and Naruto-kun are just f-f-friends! W-We were just h-helping each other with p-practice!"

Sakura didn't look convinced, however, and squinted her eyes "Oh really? So you and Naruto just decided to hang out with no prior communication? When did you even get the time to set this up him? After all, I didn't know if you would ever talk to him about that huge crush you have on him."

Looking down at being told of her crush, Hinata reluctantly said "W-We ran into e-each other yesterday. N-Naruto-kun invited me to have l-lunch along with my sister a-and Konohamaru. W-While we were eating, Naruto-kun s-suggested training t-together and I agreed."

'I guess he wasn't lying about eating with friends yesterday' Sakura thought shamefully, upset with herself that she didn't believe them. 'Although I feel like she's not telling me the whole truth. There's something else going on here but I don't know what. Oh well, I suppose it'll come up later' she thought with a shrug.

"Well I suppose it works out either way. You get to spend time with your crush and I get to have him off my back. Maybe now he'll take a hint and stop asking me out" Sakura scoffed.

She regretted those words as soon as they left her mouth and she watched Hinata flinch and look down sadly. 'Of course she wouldn't want to be reminded that Naruto keeps asking me out all the time. Now I went and made her sad! Again! Today's really not my day' Sakura thought remorsefully.

Trying to cheer her back up, Sakura let out a nervous laugh "I'm sure that he's getting over that. I mean he hasn't even asked me out today! He'll probably be all over asking you for a date before you know it."

Hinata perked up slightly at that but still had a sad smile on her face. Sakura, wanting to change the subject, asked "So how about we get started then! Do you already know how to do the water walking exercise?"

Distracted, Hinata nodded and replied "Y-Yes, the tree walking and w-water walking are standard p-procedures of Hyuga clan training. They are g-good for teaching chakra c-control which is needed for p-precise use of the gentle fist."

Sakura raised her fist into the air and cheered "Alright then, you already know what my chakra is supposed to look like when I'm doing it then! That will make this even easier! Let's not waste anymore time!"

With that declaration, Sakura started to walk out onto the water, shakily maintaining her balance. Meanwhile, Hinata activated her Byakugan and gave her the tips she needed to more accurately control her chakra.

Back with Naruto, he was still practicing his shuriken shadow clone jutsu. After several tries he had managed to make another duplicate, bringing his count up to three. However, it went way off course and missed the target completely. He didn't let that deter him though and continued to try improving his technique.

After a while, he started to hear the footsteps of someone approaching. Turning around, he saw Hinata and Sakura approaching him. His face brightened and he dropped what he was doing to run and meet them halfway.

"Hinata-chan! You're back! Did it go well" Naruto asked when he stopped in front of them, excited to see Hinata again. Hinata blushed at all the attention on her but Sakura just huffed from being ignored.

"Of course it went well! With Hinata's help, I was able to get it done in no time. And I didn't even fall in and get wet this time" Sakura said answering for the both of them.

Naruto grinned and replied "That's great, I'm glad you finished it Sakura!" He then grabbed Hinata and hugged her exclaiming "You're the best for helping her Hinata-chan!"

Hinata started getting feint from the hug and Sakura admonished Naruto "Idiot! You can't just grab a girl and hug her like that!"

Seeming to realize what he did, Naruto let Hinata go and said "Oh. I didn't know that. I'm sorry Hinata-chan, I can stop hugging you if you don't like it."

Upset that he would suggest a thing, Hinata thought 'No! I don't want him to stop! Why did Sakura have to go and say that! I need to let him know it's ok!'

Hinata was struggling with what to say and Naruto started getting dejected thinking she didn't like it. Just as he was about to apologize again, she blurted out "YOU CAN HUG ME ANYTIME!"

Seeing both of them look at her shocked, she felt like dying from embarrassment, but managed to squeak out "I-I mean, I don't m-mind if you h-hug me Naruto-kun. I-It actually feels r-really nice."

Naruto gave her a blinding smile and said "I'm glad Hinata-chan! Hugging you feels really nice too!"

Meanwhile, Sakura just watched as they continued talking. She saw how Naruto would gesture wildly saying something and Hinata would listen intently looking at him with big adoring eyes. 'Ugh, they're so sappy it almost makes me sick' Sakura thought grimacing. However, when she saw Naruto quiet down and whisper something to Hinata with her whispering back, she smiled 'Although, they are pretty cute together like that. I'm sure it makes Hinata happy as well. Besides I would like to be like that with Sasuke-kun!'

At the thought of Sasuke, her demeanor grew somber, remembering how he hadn't responded to anything since he woke up in the hospital. Before she could get lost in her thoughts anymore, a loud growl echoed through the training ground.

Sakura blinked and looked at Naruto and Hinata who both had stopped talking. Coming to her own conclusion, she said exasperated "Naruto, are you really that hungry! It's only barely lunchtime now!"

"That wasn't me, Sakura! Don't blame me for it" Naruto yelled back angrily.

Hearing that caused Sakura to gain a confused look on her face. She looked around before focusing on Hinata, who seemed to be shrinking in her coat with her face on fire. Eyes widening, Sakura asked "H-Hinata, was that you?"

Hinata looked down and tapped her fingertips together, mumbling "I-I didn't h-have much f-for breakfast t-today." Upon confirmation that it was her, Sakura had a dazed look thinking 'Hinata really made a sound like that? I thought she was like the ultimate noble lady! And she's so small that she couldn't eat much!'

Naruto, meanwhile, had a different reaction. When he heard Hinata admit it, he gasped and got closer to her. Grabbing her hands, he asked worriedly "Are you hungry, Hinata-chan? Come on, I'll feed you! It's my duty to make sure you eat well!"

Overwhelmed from his closeness and his apparent eagerness to feed her, Hinata could do nothing but timidly nod. Naruto cheered and Sakura thought 'Why is Naruto so happy to feed her? It seems weird and the fact that he said it's his duty just seems off. Like, why would Naruto have to watch over Hinata like that?'

A hand waving in front of her face shook her out of her thoughts. Following the hand to where it led to Naruto, she met the gaze of him and Hinata looking at her expectantly. Realizing she missed something, she blushed slightly and asked "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said me and Hinata-chan are going to go get some lunch" Naruto answered for her. "Do you want to come with us?"

Sakura took a moment to think before replying "Normally I would say no, but since Hinata is going to be there I suppose it's ok. After all, I have to make sure you don't take her somewhere she could get sick."

Naruto scowled at the thought of doing that to Hinata, but nodded anyway. Taking Hinata's hand, he started to walk away saying "Come on then Sakura, lets get going!" Addressing Hinata he added "I'll get you fed real quick Hinata-chan, trust me!"

Before Hinata could respond to his embarrassing attention, he started to rush off pulling her along. Sakura shook her head and followed after them thinking 'Seriously, something is going on with them. I don't know what it is but I'll figure it out!'

After a moment, she had a stray thought 'When did he start calling her Hinata-chan?' That line of thinking brought upon another one 'And when did he stop calling me Sakura-chan?' Not knowing how she felt about that, Sakura continued to try to keep up with the pair ahead of her, ignoring the pit in her stomach.

Naruto was making his way through the village wearing a bright smile on his face, pulling Hinata along with him. Hinata had a bright blush on her from the close contact but still maintained a cheery expression. Sakura was following them at a brisk pace, but became frustrated when she saw the direction they were heading.

Quickening her pace, she caught up to them and put her arm up in front of Naruto, stopping him and yelling "Oh no you don't!" When they turned to look at her with a confused expression, she elaborated "You were gonna take us to that ramen place weren't you! Well I don't wanna go there and I doubt Hinata does either! Besides, didn't the two of you go there just yesterday?"

Upset at his favorite restaurant being insulted, he bit back "What! Don't be stupid! Ramen is the food of the gods, how could you not like it! I'm sure Hinata-chan loved it yesterday!"

"Oh please, she probably just ate it because she didn't want to upset you. I'm sure she would rather go somewhere else if given the choice" Sakura argued.

Faltering a bit, Naruto thought 'Is that true? Was she only trying to be nice and didn't like it? But she ate it so fast and even ate some of mine, so I'm sure she must have loved it!'

Just as he was about to give voice to his thoughts, Sakura spoke up "Plus, ramen is super unhealthy for you! I'm sure you don't want to feed Hinata something unhealthy, right?"

He froze as soon as she pointed that out and looked down guiltily. Feeling defeated, he sighed and said "Fine. Show us where you want to go."

Pleased that she got what she wanted, Sakura nodded her head and started walking towards the restaurant she had in mind, chatting about it all the while. They reluctantly followed after her, but Hinata looked at Naruto with her big doe eyes saying "W-We don't have to g-go Naruto-kun. I-I'm perfectly happy w-with ramen."

He just smiled sadly and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "No, Sakura's right. You shouldn't have to eat ramen all the time like me. You need to eat something healthy too."

Hinata wanted to say that wasn't the real issue but decided to stay quiet and continued to follow Sakura.

After a short walk, the trio arrived in front of a small restaurant. Sakura turned to them and said "I come to this place all the time! It's nothing fancy but it's got good food and the people are super nice!" She then looked to Hinata and said with a smile "They've got good options to keep us on our diets as well!"

Hinata just sweatdropped and thought 'I'm not on a diet though and I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be either since you're training to be a shinobi.' However, she didn't have the courage to correct her so she just gave a nervous grin back. Hinata then looked towards Naruto and was confused when she saw he had a nervous look on as well.

Sensing her gaze, Naruto glanced over to her and tried to shift his expression back into a jovial one. Before Hinata could ask what's wrong, Sakura interrupted "Well come on, let's go inside!"

Sakura opened the door and they entered, walking towards the hostess to grab a table. When the hostess noticed them, she gave a big smile seeing Sakura and Hinata, however it dropped once she saw Naruto. Giving Sakura her full attention she said "Good day Ma'am, will you be dining with us again today? Do you need a table for two?"

Sakura gave her a confused look and answered "Um yes, we will but I need a table for three, not two." The hostess did not like that answer but hid it behind a forced smile "Very well, follow me and I will show you towards your table."

They followed behind her and were led towards the back of the establishment. There, they were directed towards a table where they all sat down. "Your server will be here soon" the hostess said. "In the meantime, please look over the menu to decide what you would like." Then she turned on her heel and left before they could make any reply.

"Hmm, it's strange. Usually she's much nicer than that. I wonder what's going on" Sakura questioned putting a finger on her chin. Meanwhile, Hinata had a sinking feeling in her gut and looked over to Naruto who seemed to be busying himself in the menu, almost trying to hide behind it.

Trying to take her mind off it, Hinata started to look through her own menu for what she wanted. However, the more she read, the less things she saw that would satisfy her hunger. Eventually, she just decided on what looked to be the most filling and left it at that.

Hinata was about to ask what Naruto was getting, when a waitress walked up towards them. The waitress had a wide smile on and greeted "Hello, ladies! I'll be your server today! What can I get you?" Hinata frowned at the greeting while Sakura looked confused again.

Shrugging it off, Sakura started "I'll have the house salad with my usual specifics." Hinata watched as the waitress wrote it down and then gave her order "I-I would like the fish special and a glass of water p-please."

The waitress nodded and wrote her order down as well. When she finished she said "Alright, I'll have your orders ready in no time!" Before they could say anything else, she turned around and hurried off.

Sakura huffed "They totally forgot to take Naruto's order!" She then had a thought and said it aloud "You know they've actually been ignoring him the whole time." Turning to Naruto, she asked "Do you know why that is?"

Naruto started sweating and getting more nervous. Laughing awkwardly, he answered "Oh, you know, I targeted this place with one of my pranks before. I'm sure they're still mad about that!"

Shaking her head, Sakura told him in an angry tone "I told you your pranks would get you in trouble one day! Now you have to suffer the consequences of your actions!" However, in her mind she had a different thought 'Still, it seems awfully harsh to ignore him totally just for a prank.'

Meanwhile, Hinata saw the fake story for what it was and her heart broke for him. 'Oh Naruto-kun…' she thought trying to figure out how to cheer him up. Gathering her courage, she spoke up "B-But that's not r-right, Naruto-kun! Y-You shouldn't have t-to go hungry because of i-it!"

Naruto was grateful she stuck up for him but shook his head "It's alright Hinata-chan, I can always grab something from Ichiraku's later."

Hinata wanted to argue that it wasn't alright and he didn't have to suffer like this but she couldn't form the words. Instead she made a vow in her mind 'I'll look after you Naruto-kun! You won't have to go hungry ever again while I'm around!'

With that, the table fell into silence and they all waited with different thoughts in their head. After a little bit, the waitress appeared with their food and set it down before them. Just as she was about to leave, Hinata timidly spoke up "E-Excuse me miss?"

Seeing that she had the waitress's attention, Hinata continued "Y-You forgot to take m-my friends order."

The waitress scanned their table with a cold look and replied "I don't see another person here besides you two." Ignoring Hinata and Sakura's shocked looks she turned on her heel and hurried off.

Naruto was downcast and looked away, trying to hide the shame he felt. Sakura was the first to recover and said angrily "What in the world was that! That was beyond cruel for just retaliation of a prank! They won't be getting any kind of tip from me, that's for sure!"

Hinata just looked at Naruto and her sorrow grew. She pushed her plate towards him and grabbed his hand. Seeing his shocked look, she said "D-Don't worry Naruto-kun. W-We can s-share my meal."

He gave her a smile and squeezed her hand, saying "You don't have to do that Hinata-chan. I'll be fine without it. Besides, weren't you super hungry?"

"It's not fine" Hinata replied shaking her head. "You need to eat too and I'll make sure you do! There should be enough here for both of us so please, just eat with me."

Naruto wanted to argue but couldn't deny her pouting "Ok Hinata-chan, I'll share with you. Thank you for being so kind." Hinata beamed when he agreed and he thought it was worth it just to see her smile. 'I'll just eat slow so she can be sure to have enough' he told himself.

With that, the two of them began to eat the meal, each taking turns taking bites to seemingly make the other one eat. Even though it wasn't much, both of them had soft smiles while they did so. Sakura was only half paying attention to what they were doing. She was absentmindedly eating her salad, still going through reasons for the treatment Naruto just received in her mind.

'I've never seen the people here be so harsh before' she thought with a frown. 'Every time I come, they always have the biggest smiles for me. Sure, Naruto said he pranked them but is that really true.' Her frown then deepened as another through struck her 'Come to think of it, he always gets strange looks from people, even when we're doing missions in the village. He couldn't have made everyone angry from his pranks, could he? I always see him take backroads to get everywhere but I just thought he disliked crowds. Now it seems like he's avoiding them for another reason.'

She then started to feel some shame bubble up in her stomach 'Is that why he was so nervous to come eat here? Because he knew he would get this kind of treatment and that ramen place is the only one that treats him normally? Now I feel bad about dragging him here.'

Before she could get anymore depressed from her thoughts, a hand waving in front of her face shook her out of it. Sitting up straight, she blinked and looked over to Naruto and Hinata who were looking at her worriedly. Well more like Hinata look worried and Naruto was just curious.

"Yo Sakura, you alright? You've been staring into space for a while. Me and Hinata-chan already finished our food and you've just been scrapping your empty plate with a fork" Naruto asked with an eyebrow raised.

At that Sakura looked down and saw she had indeed eaten all her food already. Cheeks tinted blink, she nodded and said "Yeah, I was just thinking about some stuff."

Naruto looked like he wanted to ask more but shrugged and let it go. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sakura spoke up to change the subject "Well since we're done, how about we go ahead and leave. I'll pay for it this time since it was my idea."

Happy that he didn't have to pay, Naruto nodded excitedly. Surprisingly, Hinata didn't have any objection and just let Sakura go pay while Naruto practically dragged her outside with him.

When Sakura had finished paying, she left, getting even more confused when the person taking her money was super nice to her again. Upon exiting the restaurant she went over to Naruto and Hinata, who were once again talking to each other in soft voices out of the line of sight of most people.

Sakura sighed but then had an idea. When she reached the two of them she said "Alright, now that we're out of there, I just want to apologize to you two. I didn't know they would be like that when we went." As soon as she finished talking, she bowed to both of them.

Naruto's eyes widened and he frantically waved his hands around in front of him "No, you don't have to apologize Sakura! Like I said, it's just because of a prank I pulled! It's my own fault so if anyone should apologize it should be me!"

Sakura didn't feel like that was true and judging by the sour look on Hinata's face, neither did she. However she let it go and replied "Well let's just put it behind us and say that it was no one's fault."

They both nodded at that and she then asked "Hey, do either of you have anything else going on today?"

Naruto shook his head while Hinata answered "I-I am free f-for a little while, a-although I have training w-with my clan in a f-few hours."

Sakura clasped her hands together and smiled, saying "Great! Then the two of you can come with me to see Sasuke-kun! Maybe he'll feel better with some more visitors!"

Hinata agreed with a soft smile "O-Of course, I've b-been wanting to check on him a-again." Naruto looked slightly reluctant but shrugged saying "Sure, why not? We can't let him just mope around all day in a hospital bed."

"Thank you both so much" Sakura replied with a grin. "Let's not keep him waiting any longer! I'm coming Sasuke-kun!" With that exclamation she bolted off leaving the two of them in the dust.

The both sweat-dropped and thought 'I guess some things stay the same no matter how much everything else changes.' Glancing at each other, they communicated silently and then took off chasing after her.

Naruto and Hinata finally caught up to Sakura when they saw her buying a basket of apples from a food vendor near the hospital. They both slowed down and hunched over, trying to catch their breath. After Sakura completed her purchase and approached them, Naruto stood back up straight and asked "H-How is it that you suddenly have more energy than any of us when it concerns Sasuke?"

Sakura just giggled and replied "Oh, when it's for someone you care about, you can find strength you never knew you had." She then grew a sly smile and said "I'm sure Hinata knows what I'm talking about."

Hinata stood up straight and froze. Turning red, she started to stutter words neither of them could decipher. Naruto looked confused and asked Hinata "Are you ok Hinata-chan? What did she mean by that?"

Hinata panicked at that and tried to find the right words to say. In the end, Sakura came to her aid even though she found it hilarious and wanted to keep watching them fumble with each other.

"Just ignore it, Naruto. It's a girl thing and you wouldn't understand" she said throwing a wink to Hinata when Naruto wasn't looking. Hinata calmed down although she still threw a slight glare to Sakura for bringing that on her. Sakura, of course, ignored it and started walking towards the hospital.

"Well, come on, let's not just stand around here talking" she told them before continuing on her way, spring in her step and basket of apples swinging in her hands.

Naruto felt like he was still missing something but shrugged it off and grabbed Hinata's hand, yelling "Come on, Hinata-chan! We can't let her get ahead of us again!" With that he ran off, dragging her behind him despite her protests for him to slow down.

Reaching the hospital, Sakura went inside to check them in as visitor for Sasuke, while Hinata and Naruto hung back. Hinata took the opportunity to dig her finger into Naruto's side and gently admonish him for dragging her when they could walk normally. Naruto apologized profusely but decided to dig a finger into her side as well, which ended up escalating things.

After a minute, that was the scene Sakura returned to after checking them in. She was treated to the sight of Naruto and Hinata both laughing and giggling, trying to tickle the other. Sakura looked on in disbelief, thinking 'Seriously, something is going on with these two! Before today I would never believe the two of them would even have a meaningful conversation. And here they are, tickling each other! I know Naruto can be a whirlwind but I didn't expect to see this from Hinata too!'

She watched for a few more moments before getting annoyed and clearing her throat loudly. When they heard her, they both froze and moved their heads to look at her. She tapped her foot and said "If you two are done flirting, we can go ahead to Sasuke-kun's room." Ignoring their blushes and sputters, she spun around and walked off.

The two of them glanced at each other and then they both looked away quickly. Seemingly coming to a decision, they started to head towards where Sasuke was located. However, along the way, Naruto glanced back towards Hinata and, gathering his courage, grabbed Hinata's hand softly with his.

Hinata face flushed even more and she glanced back to him, but he was pointedly facing forward. So instead she just looked back downwards and squeezed his hand before interlocking their fingers, letting him guide her towards their destination.

Slowly, they made their way to Sasuke's room. As they got close, Naruto separated their hands, much to the disappointment of both. Turning the corner, they saw Sakura standing outside of the room, hand outstretched towards the door handle looking nervous.

Hearing their footsteps, Sakura turned to them and said with an angry tone "About time! Where have you two been?"

Naruto gained a tick mark and yelled "Hey! We're here now! You don't gotta bite our heads off!" He then winced when Hinata's finger dug into his side and she whispered something about yelling in a hospital. Hinata then bowed lightly and apologized "W-We're sorry Sakura. I-I didn't want to r-rush through the hospital and d-disturb the other patients."

"It's ok Hinata, I wasn't really mad" Sakura said worried she upset her. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted the basket on her arm and said "Let's go in, shall we?" Seeing both of them nod, she opened the door and stepped through the entrance.

'Foolish little brother, you're still too weak.'

'You don't have enough hatred to face me. And you know something? You never will.'

'Go away, you don't interest me at the moment.'

Sitting in his hospital bed with a blank look on his face, these thoughts flew through Sasuke's mind. Each word and memory hammering home the helplessness he felt when he fought Itachi again. When he threw everything he had at Itachi, and Itachi just swatted him away like a fly. Like there was never even a moment Sasuke could be a threat to his life.

'What have I been doing all this time! I've trained for years, never skipping a day of training! Devoted my entire life to killing Itachi! And all for nothing! Even after all this time, the gap in our skill isn't any smaller! It might even be larger than ever before" Sasuke thought bitterly.

Reminiscing on his fight with Itachi, he was reminded of why Itachi was there in the first place. 'And when he does finally show his face, it's because he's after Naruto! Why! What does that loser have to do with anything! Why would Itachi ever be interested in him' he thought, feeling a sour taste in his mouth.

As if he was being summoned, Sasuke heard the voice of Sakura outside his door, then Naruto's unmistakable yelling. Hearing his voice, Sasuke's anger grew but he kept it hidden behind his stoic facade. The door then opened and Sakura came in, followed by Naruto and that skittish Hyuga girl always following Naruto around that he couldn't remember the name of.

However, he ignored them when they all started talking and asking about how he was. He just kept his gaze on the wall, trying to will them to leave. Sakura just took out a chair and started peeling some apples, humming a small tune.

Meanwhile, Naruto bounced between various things, telling about all the stuff he was learning and the mission he had gone on. He would go from yelling something to the top of his lungs, to whispering something in a soft voice to the Hyuga girl, who would blush but reply back in a voice he couldn't quite hear.

All of it was grating to Sasuke's ears though. Each moment, each voice, soft or loud, increased the pounding in his head. Made him grit his teeth and clench the bedsheets harder.

As he heard Naruto laugh at something, images flew through his head. The time when Naruto saved him from Orochimaru's snake in the Forest of Death. Naruto summoning Gamabunta and fighting a fully possessed Gaara, when Sasuke couldn't even touch him. Sakura assuming he saved her, when it was really Naruto. Itachi ignoring him in favor of chasing after Naruto.

'What does he have! Why does he keep getting stronger! I don't understand! I have all the talent and all the drive, so I should be better than him! And yet, he's getting stronger at a pace that I never have' Sasuke thought, each word driving him further into jealousy and anger. His curse mark began to throb painfully and he winced at the sensation.

However, with that pain, came a moment of clarity, almost like it was whispered to him 'Beat him.' With that thought in his mind, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly 'That's right, I still am better. I just have to beat Naruto to prove it. Then there can be no doubt that I'm stronger and I can get back to training to kill Itachi.'

Seeing movement in the corner of his eye, he watched as Sakura lifted up a cut apple on a stick to him with a smile on her face saying "Here you go, Sasuke-kun. A fresh apple should help you feel better!"

Annoyed, he took his hand and smacked the apple out of his face. Sakura screamed in fright, while Hinata gasped. Sakura started to tear up and Naruto grew angry shouting "What are you doing, you jerk! She was just trying to give you some food!"

Sasuke just smirked in response though saying "I don't care." Sakura looked even more hurt and Naruto was about to shout again when Sasuke cut him off "Fight me, Naruto."

Naruto was shocked into silence for a moment. He thought back to the Chunnin Exams and how excited he was to hear Sasuke wanted to fight him back then. How much he liked finally being acknowledged as an equal to Sasuke.

Naruto began to grow excited again at the prospect of finally getting the fight he wanted. Plus, he would be able hit Sasuke for treating Sakura so badly. He was about to accept when he looked over to Hinata and saw her looking worriedly at him.

He felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water over him. Shaking his head, he frowned and said "This isn't the time for that! You're still recovering and we shouldn't be fighting like this anyway."

Sasuke growled in frustration at being blown off. He saw that Naruto was about to accept until he looked at that Hyuga girl. Eyes flashing red as he involuntarily activated his Sharingan, he barked out "So you're fine with staying that same loser as you always have been! Not trying to get stronger through a fight with me! Cowering, just like that useless girl is behind you!"

Hinata flinched and looked down shamefully, memories of the painful things she had been told growing up flowing through her mind. Naruto however, growled louder than she had ever heard him before.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and a fierce expression grew on his face. Sasuke actually gulped a little when he saw a look in Naruto's eyes that resembled the one he saw in the forest. The temperature in the room dropped and Naruto seemed to be straining to hold himself back. Face tight, he growled out "Don't. Talk. About. Her. Like. That."

Hinata and Sakura were both frozen, unsure what to do about the thick and growing tension between the two boys. Sasuke, however, just swallowed his fear and gave a challenging look saying "If you don't want me to, then you better say it with your fists and not your words."

Naruto growled more but seem to agree with his statement. Flicking his head in the direction of the exit, Naruto started to make his way to the stairs. Sasuke followed behind him, smirk still plastered on his face. Meanwhile, the two girls just looked at each other, worried about what was happening. After a moment, they shook out of it and hurried after them.

Once they reached the rooftop, they stopped and looked over to see Naruto and Sasuke standing several feet apart. The rooftop was filled with a bunch of hospital bedsheets drying on clotheslines and some water tanks were off to the side of the building. The entire roof was fenced in and the sun had just reached it's highest point in the sky. However, all Hinata and Sakura saw were the glares the two boys were sending to each other.

Naruto was still angry at Sasuke but wanted to do this fight the right way. Pointing a finger at Sasuke, he growled out "Put your headband on so we can get started!"

Sasuke just smirked in response and cooly replied "There's no need. You won't even get to make a scratch on my forehead."

Growing angrier, Naruto snarled and said "That's not the point and you know it!" Naruto took his thumb and jerked it up to his own headband saying "We wear these headbands to show our pride as Konoha shinobi! Having them on when we fight means that we view each other as equals and respect the other's skill!"

Sasuke laughed in response "Us? Equals? You really expect me to believe that you think we're at the same skill level?"

"Of course I do" Naruto yelled back. "I have never once thought I was inferior to you! I have always seen you as a rival to test my skills against!"

"Well maybe it's time for you to see how you can never measure up to me" Sasuke countered. "Maybe then you'll understand the gulf between us!"

Naruto scowled but didn't say anything else and shifted into his stance. Sasuke took the opportunity to fall into his own fighting stance, sharingan activating. For a moment, everything was silent. Only the breeze of the wind could be heard. Although Sakura and Hinata would say they could hear the pounding of their hearts in their chest.

Almost like it was planned, Naruto and Sasuke both ran to each other at the same time. They both cocked their right fist back and threw it at each other when they came close. However, they both caught their opponents fist in their left hand.

They both struggled against each other for a second, glaring all the while. Deciding it was worthless to continue this way, Sasuke drew his fist back and attempted to kick Naruto's leg out.

Naruto saw the kick approaching and dropped his arms to grab Sasuke's leg. With a grunt of effort, Naruto spun Sasuke and tried to throw him away. Sasuke, however, put one hand on the rooftop and used the leverage to spin around and kick Naruto into the air with his other foot.

Recovering after being blown away, Naruto righted himself in midair and used the moment to create a shadow clone. After he landed, Naruto and his clone both charged Sasuke, one attempting to strike high and the other low.

Sharingan tracking his movements, Sasuke kicked one in the side and pushed the other into a bedsheet hanging nearby. The one he kicked disappeared in a cloud of smoke after a moment, and Sasuke ran towards where the sheet was holding the real Naruto.

Sasuke grabbed the sheet and yanked it off, but instead of seeing Naruto like he expected, he was greeted by thin air. Looking around rapidly, Sasuke tried to locate where Naruto had disappeared to. Scanning the rooftop, he stayed alert and shot his eyes over when he saw one of the sheets flutter upwards due to movement.

When he still couldn't find his opponent, Sasuke's gaze was drawn to the water tower. His eyes raked over the tower until he reached the top and he saw a shadowy figure standing tall in front of the sun. Sasuke had to avert his eyes due to the harsh light of the sun and Naruto took that opportunity to leap down and attack.

Naruto threw a quick punch that Sasuke sloppily blocked due to his vision being harmed by the sun. Sasuke stumbled back and Naruto used the opportunity to rapidly create another shadow clone. Naruto advanced trying to land another hit while the clone quickly ran behind Sasuke.

Sasuke used his arm to deflect Naruto's fist coming towards him, however he was unable to block the clone behind him. Using the distraction, Naruto's clone swept Sasuke off his feet leaving him on the ground for Naruto to follow up.

Naruto quickly turned and attempted to stomp Sasuke into the ground but Sasuke grabbed the clone behind him and pulled him on top so the clone would get hit instead. Naruto stumbled back from the surprise of hitting his own clone and Sasuke jumped up and kicked Naruto in the gut.

Wincing, Naruto jumped back to create some more distance between the two of them. Throwing his hands together in his favorite hand sign, Naruto grinned and shouted "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" With that, Naruto's numbers went from one to one hundred as he and his clones trapped Sasuke in a circle between them.

Sasuke became defensive and looked around to the Naruto's surrounding him. Intent on overwhelming him, the Naruto's began to charge. Sasuke threw kicks and punches at every clone that came close to him. With the sharingan, he was able to anticipate where the next clone would come and move to intercept it.

However, it started to become too much. With every clone that he popped, two more took it's place. Even if his sharingan could see the clone attacking, he just couldn't move his body fast enough to counter each one. Eventually they started to land blows on him. At first it was just a graze from a fist or foot. But it turned into Sasuke taking full body hits that began to wear on his stamina.

Realizing he was on the backpedal, Sasuke quickly came up with an idea to turn things around. When the next clone overshot his punch, Sasuke took the opportunity to jump on his back and launch himself into the air.

Sasuke quickly performed hand signs while flipping around in midair to face the Naruto's on the rooftop. Inhaling a deep breath, Sasuke thought 'Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!' Sasuke exhaled and a huge stream of fire followed the direction of his breath.

When Naruto saw Sasuke performing the hand signs, his eyes widened. 'Crap! I can't believe Sasuke is gonna use that fireball jutsu on me' he thought panicking. 'Think, Naruto, Think! How can I counter something like that? I don't know any water jutsu and I'm not sure if I can blow it away!'

When he thought that, a lightbulb went off in his head. 'That just might work! Well, I don't have any time to test it so I just gotta go with it' Naruto thought with a grin. Summoning a shadow clone, he held his hand out and quickly made a rasengan. However, this time, the clone kept applying rotation to the ball, which allowed it to let out winds from the intense chakra coming from the jutsu.

Sasuke smirked when he finished his jutsu and watched all of Naruto's clones disappear. However, his grin fell when he saw Naruto's form emerge in the center of the flames when whipping winds blew the fire away. He concentrated on Naruto and saw what looked like a ball of chakra in his hands creating the fierce winds.

'What in the world is that jutsu? I've never seen anything like it' Sasuke thought in surprise. Realizing he was reaching the height of his previous jump, he shook off his astonishment 'No matter. It can't be that strong. It won't hold up to my Chidori. I have to take this chance and win! No matter the cost!'

As Sasuke began to fall, he quickly performed more hand signs. Electricity coating his arm, he thrust it in the direction of Naruto and yelled out "Chidori!"

Seeing Sasuke quickly falling to him, Naruto cursed his luck 'He's really taking this seriously! I don't think I can dodge him when he's coming that fast! I just have to use my Rasengan and hope it cancels out!'

Naruto jumped towards Sasuke and thrust forward his palm holding the ball of chakra, yelling "Rasengan!"

While they had been fighting, Sakura and Hinata had been watching growing progressively more worried with each blow. They both stood at the entrance, trying to think of a way to calm them down.

However, when Sasuke jumped in the air and did his hand signs, Sakura's breath hitched. When Sasuke let loose the stream of flames, Sakura gasped and Hinata cried out "Naruto-kun!"

Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Naruto's chakra signature still strong in the flames. She panicked though when Sasuke activated his Chidori and began descending to hit Naruto. 'He's gonna use the Chidori on Naruto! The jutsu that was made for performing an assassination! I can't let that happen!'

Doubt gone, Hinata began sprinting towards them, hoping to be able to do anything to stop a fatal collision.

Meanwhile, Sakura was having similar thoughts 'Are they trying to kill each other! Both of them using such strong jutsus! I have to stop them!'

Sakura started running towards them as well, shouting "Stop it!" However, because she ran a split second after Hinata and was slightly slower than her, Sakura lagged behind.

In the end though, it didn't matter. As Kakashi appeared right before the moment of Naruto and Sasuke's collision. Grabbing both of their arms, he used his momentum to throw both of them away. Naruto and Sasuke both went arm first into the water tanks nearby, jutsus going off as soon as they made contact.

Sakura and Hinata both let out sighs of relief that Kakashi had arrived and prevented a disaster. Meanwhile, once Kakashi feet hit the rooftop he turned towards Naruto and Sasuke giving them a blank look. With a lazy drawl, he asked "What were you two doing? Looked a little too intense to me for a sparring match between teammates."

Naruto groaned and lifted his hand from where it had impacted the water tank. The surface of the tank had indented in a circular area a few feet in diameter where the rasengan had impacted. When Naruto removed his hand, a small stream of water began trickling out of the hole made in the center of the impact area.

Sasuke looked where he impacted his own water tank and saw how the metal twisted around his arm. He pulled out his arm with a little difficulty and smirked when he saw the difference in damage between his jutsu and Naruto's.

"Were you really going to kill him Sasuke?" Jumping at the sound of the voice, Sasuke looked up and saw Kakashi squatting on top of the water tank. 'When did he get there' Sasuke thought in surprise. However, Sasuke just grunted in response, not giving away anything.

Kakashi sighed before giving him a sharp look "The Chidori is an A rank assassination jutsu, Sasuke. It is meant to be used to protect your friends! I didn't teach it to you so you could use it against a comrade from our own village!"

Sasuke just glared slightly and Kakashi turned to Naruto. His tone slightly softer than what he used for Sasuke, he told him "The same goes for you Naruto. The Rasengan is an S rank jutsu that could have done serious damage. I know you only used it because Sasuke backed you into a corner but you need to be careful with that jutsu. It has an important legacy and it's your duty to uphold it."

Naruto winced and looked down in shame at that. Kakashi decided to give him a break since it seemed like Naruto understood where he was coming from. Sasuke was shocked to learn that the jutsu Naruto used was an S rank one. 'That loser learned an S rank jutsu? He must not have been able to use it very well since my Chidori did more damage than his own' he thought, his face morphing into a smirk at the end.

Watching as Sasuke's face changed, Kakashi could tell where his thoughts were going. Trying to nip it in the bud, he spoke up "You need to watch that arrogance Sasuke, it could get you into some serious trouble."

Sasuke snapped out of it at those words and threw Kakashi an annoyed look. Unperturbed, Kakashi continued "There will always be someone stronger than you, and if you think there isn't , then you will find out the hard way."

Snarling at the thought of a certain person stronger than him, Sasuke pointedly looked away. Kakashi sighed again before addressing them both "Alright since you both caused some damage up here, I'm going to have to be taking some funds out of your future mission payments to pay for repairs. You especially Sasuke since you burnt all of the hospital's bedsheets."

Naruto nodded slowly showing he understood, but Sasuke just frowned more. Muttering out "Whatever", he stuffed his hands in his pockets and jumped off the rooftop to the ground below.

As Sasuke started to walk off, he stopped when he felt some water dripping down on him. Looking up, his face morphed into shock when he saw it was coming from the water tank Naruto had hit. The rasengan had blown up inside the tank and created a huge hole in the back causing all the water to escape.

After he got over his shock, he shook with anger and his mouth turned into a snarl. Storming off, Sasuke came up with plans of how he could get stronger than he was now, while wondering just when Naruto had gotten so much power.

Kakashi sighed as he watched Sasuke get angry and walk off. 'I'm going to have to do something about all that rage within him. I just don't know how though' Kakashi thought with his blank look. Deciding to worry about it later, he gave the three remaining genin an eye smile and said "Well, I'll see you all later! Remember, we've got training in the morning!"

Not giving them a chance to respond, Kakashi disappeared in a poof of smoke. Everyone else stood around awkwardly until Sakura blurted out "I-I should probably go check on Sasuke-kun!" She quickly hurried away but not before turning around and shouting "See you tomorrow Naruto! Hinata, it was fun hanging out with you today! We should do it again sometime!"

Naruto didn't seem to hear her but Hinata did and gave her a shy wave and nod in response. With that, Sakura left, intent on catching up to Sasuke.

Hinata and Naruto were left alone after that. Naruto was still silent and Hinata grew more worried. However, she wasn't sure what to say and kept poking her fingers together, giving him quick glances.

Realizing she would have to make the first move, she took a deep breath and then approached him. Reaching out with a trembling hand, she softly gripped his arm. Naruto jumped up in surprise but calmed down once he saw who it was.

Hinata gave him a worried look and asked "N-Naruto-kun, are you ok?" Naruto realized he had worried her and tried to solve the problem. Throwing on a fake smile, he nodded "Yeah! I'm perfectly ok, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata didn't buy it though. She frowned at him and moved her hand to grab his own. Looking him in the eye, she said "P-Please don't lie to me Naruto-kun. I know you're hurting and I want to help you. W-We promised we would be there for each other didn't we? That means we have to speak honestly with each other."

Naruto broke her gaze and looked down shamefully. Dropping his smile, he replied back sadly "I-I'm sorry Hinata-chan. I didn't meant to lie to you. I just didn't want you to worry. The truth is I'm upset because I think Sasuke really might have killed me. Even if he didn't really mean to, I don't know if he would have stopped. And I'm just as bad! I used my father's prized jutsu and almost seriously harmed my friend with it!"

Naruto started to cry before he felt a soft hand stroking his cheek. Facing forward, he saw Hinata giving him a sad smile. She then took her hand off his cheek and put it over his heart saying "You're a good person, Naruto-kun. You have a warm heart that cares about your friends more than you care about yourself. I can't speak for Sasuke but I know you would try to avoid anything that hurts your friends."

Hearing Hinata's kind words filled Naruto with joy. Drying his tears, he grabbed Hinata's hand and gave it a squeeze. Mouth turning up into a genuine smile, he laughed and said "Thank you, Hinata-chan. You always know how to cheer me up."

Hinata gave a radiant smile in response and Naruto felt his cheeks heating up. Hurriedly, he started pulling her along back towards the stairs. "You've got your clan practice today right" Naruto asked turning back to look at her. At Hinata's nod, he continued "Well let me take you back to your house then." Turning red but not denying him, Hinata tightened her hand and let him led her on.

After a trip in silence, they started getting close to the Hyuga compound. When they were not too far away, Naruto let go of Hinata's hand. He would have liked to escort Hinata inside but he knew that he didn't need to start any harmful rumors for her.

Instead he looked to her and gave her a small smile saying "I had fun today Hinata-chan. I'm glad you were able to be with me even if I kinda messed things up."

Shaking her head, Hinata disagreed "N-No I enjoyed it too, N-Naruto-kun. I-I would like to continue t-to see you and t-train with you whenever my schedule allows."

Naruto's smile turned into a giant grin at her words. Unable to resist the urge, he closed the distance between them. Scooping her into a tight hug he yelled out "Really! I'm so glad Hinata-chan! You're always welcome whenever you want to join me!"

Hinata turned crimson and didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing. Instead she nodded happily and tightened her own arms around him.

Naruto loosened his grip slightly and spoke again in a soft voice "And don't let what Sasuke said earlier get you down. You're not useless. You're a strong shinobi and one I would love to fight beside any day. Plus, you're super nice and super pretty."

Naruto separated from her quickly and started to run off, not noticing her atomic red face. Giving her a quick wave, he yelled out "See you later, Hinata-chan" and then ran off towards his home. He didn't seem to hear the thud that Hinata made a moment later when she hit the ground.

Over in Suna, Temari was laying awake in her bed that night. Most of her things were already packed as they were going to be leaving tomorrow, early in the morning to avoid as much of the desert sun as they could. The only things she had left out were the clothes and items she would need to get ready tomorrow and the small tanuki plushie she currently had in her grasp.

Her brothers had helped her pack earlier and Kankuro, of course, gave her a hard time over still having plushies at her age. He shut up pretty quickly though when a fist hit him over the head and she reminded him about his makeup and doll collection. After that, they got back to work and quickly finished packing everything else into seals.

'They may have saw my plushies but at least I had the foresight to seal up my favorite book collection before they came to help' she thought with a light blush. 'I'm sure Kankuro has them too, but he doesn't need to know that I'm a huge fan of it. Not to mention, I have no idea how I would ever be able to explain any of that to Gaara. I guess if there is one upside about all this, I'll be moving to Konoha where the author is from. Maybe if I'm lucky I can get my books signed!'

Temari grew excited at the prospect of having signed books but quickly became somber when she remembered that she was leaving tomorrow. She had already finished saying most of her goodbyes and finishing any business she had. Not that she had too many people to talk to anyway. She loved her village and had immense pride being a kunoichi for it, but she never really connected with too many people there.

The only people she had a personal connection with was her family and her sensei. Even though she was never close with her father, due to the way he treated Gaara, she still felt a slight regret that she never got to say goodbye to him. Besides that, both her brothers and her sensei were traveling with her. So she didn't need to say farewell to them just yet.

Everyone else was intimidated by either her status as the Kazekage's daughter or the fact that Gaara was her brother. In the end, no one wanted to become her friend and truly get to know her.

With that thought in mind, she held some slight hope for moving to Konoha. She was getting a new start, and with it the chance to make some friends. Although it would be hard due to both the fact she was a prisoner of sorts and some people could hold hostility to her because of Suna's invasion.

She knew she would have to get close to both Naruto and the Hyuga heiress, but wasn't sure how they would feel about her. She had tried to do a little research over the past few days when she had time, but nothing proved fruitful.

'Naruto was the proclaimed dead last with no skill to his name whatsoever' Temari thought. 'The only notable thing marked down was his insane chakra reserves and the fact that he knew the shadow clone jutsu. Everything else was stated as either below average or abysmal. And yet, he was able to defeat Gaara and possesses the Toad Summoning Contract! There wasn't even a mention of the Uzumaki clan in his records. I don't know if he or Konoha is hiding his true potential but I suppose I'll find out.

She then shifted her thoughts to what the records said about Hinata. 'The supposed failure of the Hyuga clan. Even though she is the heiress, it says she underperforms in almost all areas. She's not terrible at anything but doesn't excel at much either. It's even reported that her sister is better in almost all ways and is four years her junior. Which makes it even more strange that she hasn't been sealed yet and the younger one declared heiress. Other than a severe lack of self-confidence, nothing else is noted about her.'

Temari sighed 'So I'm getting stuck with two of Konoha's failures. They're so similar and yet so different at the same time. One's a timid mouse who can't speak up and the other is a walking chatterbox. One is from the most impressive clan in the village and the other is an orphan who has no known family.

Temari shifted around in her bed trying to get comfortable. After a moment, she thought 'Well, I don't know how this is going to go but I guess I just have to give my best effort to make it work. If nothing else than for the good of my village. I just hope that I don't become miserable in the process.'

With those last thoughts, Temari fell into a restless sleep. She had several dreams of a possible future she could have in her new role. Some not too bad and others horrible. None, however, could stop the slow trickle of tears that would sometimes roll down her cheeks.

A.N. Chapter 6 is done! Sorry it took so long for this one but work has been really eating into my time. I only have like 30 minutes a day to write so it's taking a good bit longer. At least ya'll get a long chapter. The longest one so far in fact! I was going to cut it off earlier but I kind of wanted to get the Sasuke fight done. Plus I'm sure people are wanting to see more of Temari since she hasn't been seen in a while. She should be showing up next chapter though. Hopefully. If I don't get too distracted again.

By the way, let me know how the few fight scenes went. I know they weren't very long, but I was pretty worried about them. I have no clue how to write fight scenes and I just kind of winged it. Well really, I have no clue how to write anything and I've been winging it this whole time. But the fight scenes especially.

As for recommendations this time, I'll go ahead with two, both by the same author. The Guardian of the Tailed Beasts and One Year Early, both by RaNK001. Guardian of the Tailed Beasts has all the Biju being sent back in time to their younger selves which causes several changes of course. Meanwhile, One Year Early has Naruto and Hinata both graduating early. They get put on a team with Shikaku Nara as the sensei, which is pretty interesting and something I don't think I've ever seen before.

Both of them are Naruhina and usually get updated once a month. They're both pretty lengthy already and are good reads. It might feel like Naruto and Hinata get together too soon but I probably have no right to judge with how this story is sometimes. Plus, I don't really mind it too much anyway.

Like always, if you enjoyed, make sure to favorite, follow or leave a review. I worked pretty hard on this one so I would appreciate it. Hope you have a good one! Later!