Three weeks later, Hinata sat in an unused dojo in her family home. She sat with her back straight and eyes closed as she breathed steadily. She was meditating for a few moments before she would begin to stress her Byakugan as much as she could. The final stage of the exam was in two weeks and while she hadn't been able to do this any sooner, she was still left with enough time to recover and still get a bit more training done.
She activated her doujutsu and took a deep, calming breath, before stretching it as far as she could go and keeping it there. She continued pushing until she could see the entirety of the village, all the way to the walls surrounding it. Her mouth fell open in awe as she had never been able to see that far, but then she frowned at the small blind spot in the very back of her neck. That blind spot, should anyone discover it, could be her downfall. She needed to find a way to make up for that.
She stayed like that for another ten minutes, looking around at different things and people, and ignoring the small burn in her eyes. Then she focused on the forests that the Nara clan tended to and squinted to see the bugs crawling about, the smallest ones she could find. It was taxing and her eyes burned, but she continued on. In order for her to accomplish what she wanted, she needed to exceed her own expectations and those that others held for her as well.
Eventually, she was sweating and her vision was beginning to go blurry as if they were slowly filling with water, and she knew she was losing her sight. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the vial of eyedrops she was currently working on as, right now, she was the perfect test subject. Before her sight could completely worsen, she squeezed a few drops into each eye and waited patiently.
Her eyes began to burn and gradually worsened until she had to shut her eyes tightly and hold them with her hands. A few moments later, it subsided and she hesitantly opened them, afraid of the outcome.
She gasped and moved for the door. "Call for the doctor!" She yelled, one of the maids standing by jumped and rushed to alert the Hyuuga medic. Hinata sat there in disbelief, unmoving and silent as she waited for the medic.
The door slid open loudly. "I'm here, Hinata-sama!" The doctor said breathlessly. She alerted him that she was going to be training with her doujutsu to strengthen it and he agreed to stand by. He looked thoroughly at her eyes and then raised a brow. "You're only going to need a few days with your sunglasses."
The way he said it made Hinata wonder if he thought she didn't train nearly as hard enough as she should have. She wanted to clear that up lest he alert the Elders. "I stopped it," she said, wanting to laugh.
"What did you stop?"
"My vision was going, but I used my own creation," she said as she held the vial up to him. "I've been testing out medication to help with eye strain and I've finally perfected it."
The doctor took it from her and looked it over carefully. "But we have creams that help," he pointed out.
"Yes, but they take too long to work and cannot be applied directly to the eyes. This medication can stop the strain. I will continue to use it while I am using the sunglasses to see if it can reverse as well," she explained. "For now, I can only confidently say that it can prevent vision loss due to overuse if it is administered in time. The only downside is that it can take a few days to make."
"I see. It's very impressive that you've created something so powerful, Hinata-sama. I am not happy that you have used yourself as a test subject as it could have permanently damaged your eyes, however."
Hinata chuckled sheepishly. "I have asked different members to help me test it when they have also strained their eyes, but it was ineffective. I hadn't strained my eyes since correcting the formula, but this was the perfect opportunity!" In her head, she was already planning to make more and set some aside for Itachi. She knew it could stop his inevitable blindness—for now at least, but she wanted to see if it could repair it.
Thinking back to Itachi, she had recently made a breakthrough with her research. She found an extremely old book hidden away between two thick books in the library and discovered the answers to her questions involving the older Uchiha's illness. It was a rare disease that took place in his immune system. Her next step was figuring out a way to suppress the immune system. She had written to Haku to ask him to keep an eye out for any medicinal plants that were capable of doing just that or something similar that would allow her to couple it with another plant that could get the job done.
All she had to do was wait for a delivery as his letters came separately.
The other day she had also given a copy of her research to Lee's doctor, explaining the situation but quickly deflated when she was told that there was no medic skilled enough in the village to perform such a surgery. Afterward, she went to visit Lee and found him doing strenuous workouts which had only been serving to make him worse. She gently reminded him that in order to heal properly, he needed to take it easy or he could stop himself from getting better.
Lately, Sakura had been visiting the taijutsu expert almost every day and it was helping with Lee's mood quite a bit. When the pink-haired girl had heard of Hinata's research, she met her out in the hallway and hugged her tight. No words were exchanged, but Hinata could feel the gratitude pouring out of her friend despite her research doing nothing in the long run. As it was, Hinata wished she could perform the surgery herself, but she was nowhere near ready for anything like surgery.
She would continue working and doing her best.
"Thank you for coming to see me, doctor," Hinata said politely. "I'll continue to document my experience. If it's able to help as I'd like it to, I will provide all byakugan holders their own vial."
"You're very kind, Hinata-sama, for wholeheartedly thinking of and providing for your fellow clansmen starting from such a young age," he replied. He leaned a bit closer and lowered his voice. "You will lead this clan to greatness, alongside Sasuke-sama."
Hinata smiled happily. "Thank you so much for believing in me," she replied, bowing her head slightly. The doctor gave her a smile in return and then left after reminding her to shield her eyes.
She smiled to herself as she held the vial tightly in her hands.
She was improving vastly in all of her fields. Her medical ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, fuinjutsu, and chakra control. Everything. She could feel how much stronger she's gotten since training to the brink of exhaustion every day.
Hinata was in the middle of meditation when there was a knock at the door. "Yes?" She answered.
The door slid open. "Hinata-sama, Kushina-sama has sent a messenger bird requesting your presence as soon as you're available," Mitsuki said. "I brought your sunglasses."
Hinata thanked her and took them from her before putting them on. "I'll be heading that way then. Did she put down the reason?" She had explained to her teacher that she was going to be working on strengthening her byakugan, so she was caught off guard by the summon. She also needed to know if there was anything she needed to bring.
"She did not."
"Okay, thank you, Mitsuki-san. I'll be leaving right away."
She wondered what Kushina needed to tell her that she summoned her with a messenger hawk. She ran into multiple people that she knew on the way, and they all said hello as they passed her, and though she couldn't see very well, she recognized their voices. Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru had even stopped her for a brief conversation. Since Ino and Choji had failed the exam, they were helping Shikamaru prepare for the final stage as well as improving their own skills for the retest.
"How's your training going, Hinata-chan?" Ino asked.
"It's going very well. I've been working on multiple things that I think will aid me during my fight with Shino. He's very strong and I will not underestimate him," she explained. She smiled at Shikamaru. "You're going to do great during your match."
The Nara sucked his teeth. "And if we end up fighting each other? Are you still going to cheer me on?" He asked, smirking. Ino's eyes widened at Shikamaru's sudden playful nature. Choji just snorted a laugh as he ate his chips.
Hinata giggled. "I'm going to fight you with everything I have," she said, nodding.
"That works for me," Shikamaru laughed. "We'll let you go. We're heading out to eat. I'll head over to your place tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay. I'll be there. Have a good evening," she replied. "Eat some extra barbecue for me!" Choji took her request to heart and dragged his teammates to the restaurant with a fire behind his eyes. Hinata laughed softly before continuing on her way to the Uzumaki Household.
When she knocked on the door, Kushina stood there with a bright smile. "Hinata-chan! Come in," she said, stepping aside to let her in. "I'm sorry for summoning you on such short notice." She closed the door behind her and then Kushina popped and turned into Minato.
"Hokage-sama?" Hinata questioned. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everything's fine. I just wanted to check in and also discuss something with you," he explained. "I just didn't want anyone to see me here."
Hinata understood how dangerous the situation was and accepted this. "Is Kushina-sensei here?"
The Hokage shook his head. "She's out watching Naruto train since she discovered Jiraiya making Naruto use his infamous, erm, Sexy Jutsu, as he calls it, to ogle at. She was very disturbed," he chuckled.
Hinata's face went red but she laughed as well. "Naruto did say that his jutsu had a way of making men do his bidding, but I never thought someone would use it against him," she giggled. She followed Minato up to his office and took a seat.
"How are your eyes?" He asked as soon as he closed the door.
"They're just a bit strained." She took this time to explain the medication she made as well as show it to him. She couldn't see his face, but she heard the pride in his voice.
"Kushina is going to be over the moon when she hears," Minato replied. "As it is, I'm immensely proud of you, Hinata-chan. You've come very far in all your studies. All three of you have."
"Thank you, Minato-sensei," she replied, using the title she rarely used, making the man smile. Then, his face turned serious and she straightened up. "What's wrong?"
"I wanted to let you know that I've found it difficult to get any more information on Danzo. The person I called in to help me is also having troubles as Danzo is a naturally paranoid man and he has very skilled shinobi watching him at all times. They will get the information in time, but it'll take longer than I'd expected," he said. "Do you have any more information to give me?"
Hinata relaxed. "I'm afraid not. My source has not been around in a while," she answered.
"I know it's difficult to meet me completely alone outside of the office, so I wanted to teach you something. You don't have to master it as it is an extremely complicated form of Space-Time Ninjutsu and fuinjutsu, I believe you just need to learn the smaller stuff." He pulled out his special kunai and handed it to her. "I use this to transport myself anywhere I need to be, but I can also send objects and other people through it as well. Anything I mark, I can transport to or bring to me. This is something I want you to learn."
Hinata studied the kunai and the seal carved into the handle. "This is how you gained your moniker during the war," she observed. "It's very advanced, yes, but I believe I can learn what you need me to."
Minato smiled at how confident she sounded. "Great. I'll put my seal in your inner jacket pocket. Should anyone try to find anything in your room or on your body, they will find nothing. No one suspects a pocket."
"And where shall mine go?" She asked.
"That's where it gets tricky. Where do you think it'll be safe?" He asked, as though he was testing her.
Hinata stood up and looked about the room. "Do you mind, sensei?"
"Not at all. Go ahead."
She looked about the room, at the bookcases, the paintings on the wall as well as the family photos, and his desk. The room was specially protected with a seal of his kind, one that Kushina herself could not bypass. It was why he was always the one to open and close the door. The first one in and the last one out, as he once explained to her.
"Under your desk," she said eventually. It was the best place she could think of. Everything else stood out and even if it was more obvious, it was still hidden and well-protected.
"Yes, I think you're right," he said. "This room is probably the most secure in the village, even over the Hokage's office. And even if someone does manage to get into the room that is not me, I'll be here in an instant to apprehend them…and they will not be able to leave."
This eased Hinata greatly and she returned to her seat.
"Now, I have a scroll of information that I am slowly filling up. It's all of the evidence that has been gathered against Danzo. Most of it is what I've gathered in my own research and from what you've told me, but some of it is also from Lord Third," he explained. "I'm going to give you access to it, but only once you have any new information."
"But how can I alert you?"
"You see me often as Hokage, yes?" She nodded. "When you have something to share with me, wear Shisui's clip in your hair instead of the one Sasuke gifted you, and I will send the scroll to you at the end of the night. I'll expect it back the same night."
Hinata looked down at the collar of her jacket to her precious hair clip with a dandelion that represented better and easier times. Happier times. "I'll do that."
"Be careful, Hinata-chan. For your safety, I'm going to allow you to keep two of my special kunai. One to have on you at all times when you have your gear and another to place somewhere you're at often without your gear. It's just a precaution. You have my word that I will not appear unless there's danger."
She took the other one he handed her and looked at both of them closely. "I understand. I'll do my best to learn your technique," she promised. "In order to do everything I can to help keep the village safe from those like Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru."
Minato thought for a moment. "I've never heard you speak with such disdain for anyone," he said softly.
Hinata clutched one of the kunai tightly and looked up at him with hard eyes. "Danzo killed one of my best friends and drove another one of them out of the village, turning him into a criminal. And Lord Third let it happen," she said, aware that her words right now could be considered treasonous but she couldn't find it in her to care. "Now, Sasuke's been cursed with a mark meant to manipulate him. We're left to clean up everyone's messes!"
The anger that she had been holding in since Shisui died, the fear, the anxiety, and even the sadness came pouring out. The events of Itachi, their fight with Orochimaru in the forest, the Oto ninja, Kabuto, and especially Danzo.
"Hinata…" Minato's voice was gentle and understanding, but also apologetic. "You're all just children and shouldn't be fighting this kind of battle, especially in a time of peace."
"I will do what it takes," she said firmly, tears welling up in her eyes, "to keep everyone safe. I will do my duty as a shinobi, I promise you that." Her hands gripping the kunai slipped and she hissed as she cut the palm of her hand.
Minato quickly reached out for her but she stopped him with a shake of her head and he watched as she healed her hand. This mission assigned to her from her source had taken its toll. She had done impressive work while being in a very difficult position, but it was coming at a price.
"I'm not sure if you working this mission is good for you," he stated. "It's taking a toll on you mentally, Hinata. And the worse it gets, the more reckless and unpredictable you'll get. It's only going to jeopardize the situation and put you in danger."
Hinata shook her head. "Sensei, these are emotions I've held in for years. I just had a moment of weakness. I won't allow it to happen again," she said. "I know that…everyone probably still thinks that I'm not capable of this kind of life, but I'd like to think that I've more than proven myself by now."
She knew. She had always known how the adults around her worried for her, for her life, about her emotions. She wasn't blind; she had been born with all-seeing eyes, after all. She saw the way her father had once looked at her, how Sasuke and his entire family had once looked at her, all of her teachers, too…including the one in front of her right now.
"Hinata…" He had never realized Hinata had seen so much around her, especially from such a very young age. He felt his chest tighten with a tinge of guilt. "You're right. You've more than proven yourself. You earned your forehead protector and the respect of all of us. You've done well," he assured her, placing a hand on her head. "I trust in you."
Hinata smiled up at him, knowing his words to be true. He was trusting her more than anyone else right now, she figured, and she wasn't going to let him down. Rather than holding in her emotions, she was going to use them to drive her. She was going to make sure Danzo paid for his crimes, and that Itachi was going to be cleared of as many crimes as possible and brought back to them.
"Thank you," she said. "When do I start learning?"
Minato chuckled. His old students were always ready to train. "Right now. I'll start by explaining how this jutsu works and then demonstrate." Hinata nodded and listened closely as Minato began.
Naruto had passed out for the second time today, Jiraiya gave him a few minutes before tossing water on his face and forcing him to get up. Kushina stood on the side, acting as a barrier between the Sannin and the women relaxing on the other side of the tall bushes, worried about her son but never stepping in. She understood how crucial it was for him to train as hard as possible for the final stages of the chuunin exam.
"Come on, kid, get up," Jiraiya said. Naruto coughed up water and sat up quickly.
"What the hell, Ero-Sennin?!" Naruto complained as he shook the water off.
"Three weeks have passed and you're still only able to summon up a froglet. Are you really even trying?"
Naruto got to his feet in an instant. "Of course I am! I'm giving it everything I got!"
Jiraiya sighed. "Look, you have to do as though your life depends on it, otherwise you'll never get anywhere."
The genin crossed his arms over his chest. "That's exactly what I'm doing. I basically train until I drop!"
"Well, then are you prepared to risk your life in order to do this?" The serious tone in the Sannin's voice shocked both Naruto and Kushina.
"Of course I am," Naruto replied. "When I do something, I do it all the way."
Jiraiya hummed and stood up. "I see. If that's the case, then follow me. We have a few things to do. Kushina," he looked over to the red-haired woman, "feel free to join us." By the look in his eyes, Kushina knew she had to go. She followed behind them apprehensively as they made their way to the hot springs, where she waited outside.
Naruto was confused by Jiraiya's sudden change of demeanor. He was being too quiet and also kinder than he had ever been with him since they met. He also wasn't answering any questions about what the plan was, he just changed the subject or outwardly avoided it.
After, Jiraiya asked Naruto if there was a special meal he would like to eat and if he wanted to invite his father as well. Naruto looked at his mom and saw nothing but a tight smile.
"No, my dad's always busy. I'll see him some other time," he declined.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Dad's got a real important job. He can't take off from it just to have lunch with me."
Jiraiya put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly as he led him to Ichiraku Ramen. "You seriously love this stuff, don't you?"
Naruto smiled brightly. "This is where my mom and dad had their first date, so I grew up coming here all the time. I love it, and I'm going to bring my future wife and kids here, too!"
Jiraiya wiggled his brows. "Oh, yeah? Got a girl on your mind?" He teased.
The young boy's smile turned a bit melancholic. "Yeah, but in another lifetime," he said quietly. "I'll bring her here in another lifetime."
The Toad Sage's eyes went wide. "That's a bit…deep. Got your heart broken, huh?" He let out a long sigh. "I understand that feeling all too well."
Naruto raised a brow as they took a seat at the bar in Ichiraku. "You've had a broken heart before?" He asked curiously.
Jiraiya chuckled. "Of course. It's still broken, kid."
Naruto patted his shoulder. "Maybe another lifetime for you, too."
"What's with you and lifetimes?" He asked, his chin on his palm.
Naruto shrugged, chuckling sheepishly. "Ah, well, that's just what I was promised, you know! Not this lifetime, but maybe another."
"I didn't take you for the type to believe in that kind of stuff, kid."
"Well, if you met her, you'd believe it, too!" Naruto huffed. "She just…has that kind of aura about her. Something that makes you believe her words to be true. It's just kinda comforting, you know?"
"Are you talking about your teammate?" Jiraiya asked. At Naruto's face going bright red, he laughed. "I knew it! I haven't met her yet, but I know just how smart and strong she is. Minato's mentioned her a few times, along with your other teammate, Sasuke. The one she's engaged to, right?"
"Yep, that's them. I haven't seen Sasuke in a while, but I think he still visits Hinata every evening," he said, thinking aloud. "I guess I'll have to wait until the final stage to see that bastard."
Kushina sat quietly on the other side of her son as he opened up to the Legendary Sannin about his love life, though she had been shocked to know that Hinata now knew of her son's feelings and had promised him another lifetime. More than that, she was shocked that her son could be comforted by such an idea, something that could be nothing but an empty promise. She knew Hinata always did her best to be honest while also trying not to hurt anyone, and had faith that she truly meant those words. She smiled, happy that her son had a teammate like that he could trust.
After eating more than his weight in ramen, Jiraiya told him that his next objective was to go give Hinata a hug.
"A hug?"
"You don't want to?"
"Of course I want to! I just don't know where she is," Naruto mumbled. "She trains in so many different places to keep possible opponents guessing."
Jiraiya hummed. "That's pretty smart. Wouldn't your best bet be to find out from her family?"
"Oh, yeah, that's true!" Naruto took off in the direction of the Hyuuga Compound. "I'll be right back then!" Kushina and Jiraiya watched as he ran off, deciding to follow after him in a few moments.
"Okay, what's this all about?" Kushina asked him. "What's your plan?"
"If I tell you, there's no way you'll let me do it," was all the Sannin could reply with. "Just trust that I'm trying to do what's best for him."
"I know. I trust that. You took care of my husband, after all." Jiraiya was grateful his beloved student's wife trusted him so much.
At the Hyuuga Compound, Naruto waited as Hinata was called outside to meet him. Apparently, she had just returned home a few moments ago and he felt giddy at the idea of hugging her. Kushina and Jiraiya stayed just out of sight but were still close enough to watch.
Hinata walked out donning her sunglasses. "Naruto, is everything okay?" She asked.
Naruto's excitement was gone and was immediately replaced with concern. "I should be asking you that. Did you strain your eyes again?"
Hinata smiled warmly at him, thankful to have his concern. "Just a little. I can still see a bit." She turned her head toward Kushina and Jiraiya in the distance briefly before going back to Naruto.
"Can she sense us?" Jiraiya whispered.
"She has great hearing and sensing abilities, but I think it's me she sensed," Kushina replied.
"That's interesting." They watched as Naruto fussed about her and as Hinata took it with a patient smile on her face.
"So is it okay?" Naruto eventually fumbled out with a light blush on his cheeks. "Ero-Sennin said it's part of my training but he won't tell me exactly what I'm training for."
Hinata giggled. "It does seem a bit unorthodox, but if he trained Hokage-sama then he must really know what he's doing," she said. "I don't mind giving you a hug at all, Naruto. You can hug me whenever you'd like."
Naruto lit up. "Wow, really?! You're awesome!" He pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face into her indigo locks. He sighed happily when Hinata's arms wrapped around his middle firmly. After a few moments, Naruto stepped back.
"Do your best," she said seriously though not unkindly. "I'll be waiting for our match in the final stage."
Naruto held out his fist and she returned the gesture, bumping it against his. "I'll see you there, you know!" He waved before running off with a large smile on his face. "Bye, Hinata!" She waved at him just as excitedly before returning inside.
Jiraiya smiled when he saw how happy Naruto was. It seemed like he truly didn't mind that she was going to marry someone else and believed they would be together in another lifetime. Maybe Jiraiya could hold the same belief in his heart about his own old teammate.
"What's next, Ero-Sennin?"
"Well, is there anything else you want to do? Maybe a lifelong thing?" He asked.
"Well, I still gotta long while before I'm able to become Hokage. Other than that, nothi—" He was cut off when a hard punch to the gut, effectively knocking him out. Jiraiya caught him and tossed him over his shoulder.
"It's time to go," he told Kushina.
"Jiraiya!" She gasped.
"Kushina," he replied as he began walking to the outskirts of the village. "I'm doing this to help him. I know he's your son, but he's also a shinobi and babying him won't do him any favors."
Frustrated, she followed after him. "I know that, but you can't blame me for being surprised by you knocking my son out without warning right in front of me. Just know that if you kill him, Minato will not be able to save you."
"I'll accept my death with open arms if that truly happens."
When Naruto woke up, he was roughly pulled to his feet by his master. "What's the big idea?!" He yelled, ignoring the tender pain in his gut from the hit received earlier.
"That's enough! Listen up, Naruto!" Jiraiya commanded, silencing Naruto. "The only way you can truly summon as though your life depended on it is if you have stared death in the face. The moment you can understand that feeling, only then will you be able to summon up that red chakra and use it."
"Face death?" He mumbled, briefly looking at his mom who was standing in the back with a worried expression on her face. "What exactly do you mean by that, sensei?"
"You'll have to do this on your own," Jiraiya said. He raised a finger up to Naruto's forehead protector and pushed, sending Naruto flying back off over a cliff.
Naruto gasped and any yells he had were stuck in his throat as he began his descent into a pit so dark that he couldn't see the bottom. He was suddenly struck with the realization that he could really die if he didn't figure out how to get out of this situation. He channeled his chakra into his hands and feet and tried to grab onto one of the rocks, but they were too slippery for him to get a proper grip on and he was once again plummeting to the bottom.
Suddenly, Naruto found himself in a completely different location. In an old factory with low lighting that had a layer of water filling it up. From behind him, he could hear the deep growling of some kind of animal and followed it, recognizing that feeling of the evil chakra that he housed.
When he found the source, he was faced with a large room that held a dark gate with a seal holding it shut.
"Where…am I?" He mumbled. A large face with red eyes and the sharpest teeth he'd ever seen stared at him with a haunting smile. "Are you…the demon inside of me?" He asked.
"Come closer, kid," it growled.
Naruto's brows furrowed and he stayed planted where he was. "I'm not going anywhere near you."
"Then why are you here? For you to approach me, you must want something as all humans are the same."
The genin's gaze turned hard and determined, this not going unnoticed by the fox whose eyes sparked with interest. "All right, listen, you damn fox! You're living on in my body, so you owe me and I'll start with your chakra," he said.
The fox stared at him for a few moments before chuckling. "I guess it can't be helped. After all, if you die, I do as well. You've got some courage, little boy." As he spoke, red chakra flowed out toward Naruto and wrapped up his entire body before squeezing him tightly. "As a reward, I'll lend you my chakra!"
Abruptly, Naruto found himself once again falling over the cliff. He recognized the feeling of the fox's chakra and bit his thumb. He ran through the hand seals for the summon jutsu and thrust his hand down as though he was on solid ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Below him, his blue chakra slowly began changing into red. Before he knew it, he had summoned a large red toad and landed on its head as the toad was confused about its whereabouts.
"Just where in the hell am I?" The toad had a large pipe in its mouth and a coat that had the kanji for ebi on it and on his back was a massive tanto blade.
Naruto stood up and cheered. "I did it! I summoned a toad!" He hollered, giggling like crazy. The toad bumped him down to his nose to get a good look at him.
"Hey, you little brat! You're dancing on my head, you know! Show some respect to me, Gamabunta the Chief Toad!" He roared, frightening Naruto. "And what am I doing in this place anyway?! Where the hell is that Jiraiya at?! Answer me, kid!"
"Wh-who's Jiraiya?" Naruto stuttered. This angered Gamabunta so much that he let out a load belt that nearly caused Naruto to fall once again had he not grabbed onto the toad's pipe.
"Don't lie to me. He calls himself the Toad Sage or whatever. Where is he?!"
Naruto was tossed forward back onto the nose. "If you're talking about Ero-Sennin, he's up there somewhere on the cliff," he said. "What do you want with him, Chief Toad?"
Gamabunta snorted. "That's what I'd like to ask that pervert myself. Just what in the hell he was thinking summoning me to a place like this!"
Naruto smiled proudly. "Um, actually it was me who summoned you, you know," Naruto said, chuckling sheepishly. "I was falling off this cliff and I summoned you because I thought you'd be able to save me. And you did, so thanks a lot, Chief Toad, sir!"
Gamabunta took in this information, regarding the little brat who was on his nose with such a proud smile on his face. Then, he broke out into a laugh. "There's no way a baby like you has nearly enough power to someone up a toad like me!"
"But I really did! I summoned you!" Naruto argued, but this only made the toad laugh more which angered Naruto. "Hey, I really summoned you all on my own and you've done nothing but talk down to me this entire time, but you ought to show me some respect! I summoned you so you have to do what I say!"
"How dare you talk to the Chief Toad that way, kid! There's no way someone as small as you could summon me!" He grabbed Naruto with his tongue and flung him onto his back before jumping high into the air and out of the dark pit. Naruto yelled as his body was pressed harshly against the toad and then began scrambling for a grip on something as gravity began applying to him once again.
He gripped onto the toad's coat as tight as he possibly could, his eyes watering from the force of the wind. When the toad hit the ground, he nearly lost his grip on the coat, but clutched it tightly which strained the muscles in his arms and he swore he felt s pop.
"So you managed to stay on? Well, let's see if you can keep it up!" Gamabunta said as he began running around wildly and shaking his body back and forth in order to get him off.
"Bring it on, you damn toad! I'm gonna be Hokage one day, so this is nothing!" But he didn't feel as confident as he sounded.
Kushina and Jiraiya watched as Naruto yelled and clung on for dear life.
On the outskirts of Konoha, Orochimaru and Kabuto were hidden away in an old underground base of his he had created in secret. The walls and floor were nothing but hardened dirt that had been sculpted to resemble an archway leading into an open room. It was filled with old books, scrolls, and jars filled with suspicious objects submerged in liquid.
"Is everything set up, Kabuto, to meet up with Sasori of the Red Sand?" Orochimaru asked.
"Yes, I got news of his whereabouts. He'll be going through the Land of Fire in two days, and I have the exact route he would take," Kabuto said. "Based off of deductions, at least."
"Good. If we're to take down this damn village and that old man, we're going to need more help than Suna and what little nins we have from Oto. Especially now that the Yellow Flash is Hokage," he mused. "It's going to be a tough battle, for everyone. Just make sure everything goes swimmingly in your designated area."
Kabuto bowed his head. "Of course. It was fortunate that you made the discovery of the true Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki," he said.
"The Akatsuki was is going to love this bit of information. Of course, all they have to do is help me with this attack in exchange," the wanted Sannin chuckled. "I can't wait to rip that old man's heart out with my bare hands."
"And what of Danzo?" Kabuto inquired. "Will he really allow it to happen?"
"That old bastard wants nothing more than to be the Hokage, even if a few people have to die in order for that to happen. I don't suspect he'll be any problem whatsoever, not so long as I keep supplying him with sharingan."
Sasuke fell to his knees panting and clutching his left arm. Mastering the chidori had taken up a majority of his time, but doing so had also increased his chakra reserves.
"It looks like three is your limit. Any more than that, and you'll be at high risk for chakra exhaustion," Kakashi observed. "The final stage is fast approaching. Are you prepared for your fight against the Suna nin?"
Sasuke huffed out a laugh. "I'm ready to face him. I'm ready to win. I'm ready to become a chuunin," he panted. His hand had sustained a multitude of burns, cuts, and a sense of numbness from holding his lightning nature in his hand, but it was nothing. He would do whatever it took to achieve his goal and bring his brother home.
"Have you talked to the others?" Kakashi asked. The jonin hadn't seen them in a week, not since he stopped by the Hyuuga Compound to pick up some more of that salve that Hinata made for him or since he saw Naruto from a distance with Jiraiya. He decided not to tell Sasuke that Naruto was currently training with a legendary ninja and he hoped that Hinata had done the same, knowing how competitive the Uchiha was.
"I see Hinata just about every evening. I'm taking her out on a date soon, but I haven't seen Naruto," Sasuke replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'd prefer to keep it like that."
Kakashi raised a brow. "And Hinata won't distract you?"
The Uchiha scoffed and waved him off. "Not at all. It's not like we discuss our training. We don't even ask questions about it. It's just time for us to unwind and not have to worry about anything," he explained. "I need that."
"I understand," he said. "Do you at least know who her teacher is?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, Kushina-sensei and her father if she has questions about her eyes," he replied.
"Knowing who's teaching her also gives you any information you need to know. Kushina is proficient in medical ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, and stamina," he pointed out. "Keep that in mind when you face her."
"I know. But all three of us are going to become chuunin," Sasuke replied. "Going against each other doesn't matter until we're all at our absolute strongest. That's the match you'll want to see." He sounded so confident and matter-of-fact that Kakashi truly believed him.
Looking at his students from the very beginning, he could see that they were going to be destined for great things and very powerful shinobi. Even Hinata, whom everyone had deemed too soft and kind to be a ninja, had come a long way in terms of skill and mental fortitude. Naruto, who had been dubbed "The Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja" had found strength in his dream and his ninja way. And finally, Sasuke whose darkness was steadily growing but he maintained it well and only wished to bring his brother back without fully obsessing over it. He could still go on dates and just sit and relax. His students were going to make a name for themselves as Team Harmony, and he was just thankful to witness it firsthand and even play a part in guiding them into that role.
Kakashi smiled proudly. "I wouldn't miss it," he replied. They were silent for a few moments before the jonin clapped his hands together. "All right! That's enough break time. Let's keep going. The sun is still high up and we need to work with your sharingan more."
Sasuke got to his feet and activated his doujutsu. Weeks ago, when Kakashi had shown him the fight between Rock Lee and Gaara, he was shocked by how powerful the Suna nin was as well as Lee. He had hidden talents and the ability to adapt well that Sasuke was positive he was a genius in his own right, something Kakashi had agreed with.
To take down Gaara's defense, learning the Chirdori was his best bet to break down the sand, and gaining speed was also imperative to striking it at the right moment, before any damage could be done to him.
"I'm ready," Sasuke said, his eyes determined and motivated.
Eventually, Naruto had fallen off of Gamabunta's head a few minutes before sundown as he had passed out. Having gained respect for the genin, the toad caught him and laid him down before Jiraiya and Kushina.
"I haven't had someone ride on my head for that long since Minato Namikaze," he grumbled. He looked down at Kushina. "This is your son, yes? He very much resembles the Hokage."
Kushina lifted Naruto into her arms. "Yes, sir. This is our boy, Naruto Uzumaki. Thank you for accepting him," she said politely. Gamabunta was a very important toad and she did well to treat him with much respect when they interacted.
The toad hummed. "He's earned the right to summon us. He did well. Well! Now that that's over and since it's been so long since I've been out here, I think I'm going to relax in the water for a bit," he laughed before jumping up high into the sky and going to find a nice lake to relax in.
The red-haired Uzumaki turned to Jiraiya and smiled kindly. "Thank you for doing this, Jiraiya. I'm sorry for getting on your case earlier."
The Sannin put a hand on her shoulder as they began walking back toward the village. "Don't worry about that. You're a mother. If anything, it's actually really nice that you're here to do that, you and Minato…"
Back when Kushina was giving birth, there were many complications regarding the Nine-Tailed Fox and she nearly died during childbirth. It was a miracle that she lived, but it was due to the fox choosing Naruto as his new vessel and her Uzumaki blood. Thanks to him being an Uzumaki and Namikaze, his reserves were larger than normal and he was just barely able to house the full demon; otherwise, they would have waited until he was older to transfer it to him.
She smiled down at Naruto's face and planted a kiss on his forehead protector. "It is," she agreed. "We're very lucky."
After Jiraiya dropped them off at the house, he decided to summon a smaller toad to see how close it could get to Danzo's current location and waited as he meditated in a hidden area. He watched through the toad's eyes, only along for the ride, as it slowly hopped its way around the building he was known to reside at.
He refrained from sighing to himself as he found it frustrating that the toad could not look around at different directions and only forward. The toad had made it halfway around the building toward the back when he suddenly couldn't see anymore and opened his eyes.
"So only to there," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "If that's the case, there's no sneaking in. It's hard to tell who is even part of the foundation." His only chance was to wait around for Danzo to go on one of his walks.
It was a challenging set of circumstances and he was afraid that he wasn't going to be any help in gathering as much information as Minato was expecting him to. Like before, he was convinced that the Hyuuga girl was their best shot at getting any kind of information as she could get close to him and use her eyes to see deeper into his chakra network. Then, they could work from there.
Sighing, he got to his feet to begin the small walk back to Minato's. He needed to share this information and see what they could do next.
Hi! We hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Next week will have another itachi and hinata scene, so i hope those who enjoy seeing them together look forward to that! :)) I'm making headway with the search for Tsunade arc, but my little one has been preoccupying my time. Please let us know what you think about this chapter and thank y'all so much for being on this journey with us :)
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 12/23/23