Chapter 23: The End Of Innocence
"When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind."
-Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
Sakura & Ino-Yamanaka Flowers
'Closed until further notice?'
Sakura double checks her watch: 9:00 am on the dot.
Yamanaka Flowers should be open by now.
Today's not a public holiday as far as she recalls or any official event that would have the stores to be closed, reviewing the messy scrawl of the sign once more.
'This was made in a hurry.'
All the lights inside the shop are off, but she notes white lilies to honey yellow chrysanthemums tucked away in a corner, stream of sunlight hitting the pink ribbon and note tying them together.
"Thinking of you during this difficult time." Sakura reads out in a murmur.
Her skin chills as if doused in ice, stepping back from the main entrance to go around back.
She has to ask Ino for herself what this all means, mentally thanks her for telling her where they keep the spare key to the greenhouse in the back.
A pit of dread clenches at her chest, drawing in a breath as she clicks open the door.
"Ino? Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka?" Sakura calls out.
The greenhouse remains untouched from her visit here earlier in the week, plant scissors lay next to baskets and bouquets midway in progress, pots knocked over spilling dirt and leaves into a mix of greens and browns.
But the fresh scents of dew, shrubs, and ferns temporarily calms her rushing heartbeat, stepping forward hearing Inoichi's voice coming from somewhere towards the front room.
Her hand reaches for the main door pushing it open just slightly right as a guttural sob rings out, body instantly tensing.
She's heard this painful wail too many times to count at Konoha's ER and ICU units...
"-He was my only son Inochi! How could this have happened? W-Why my Choji, my sweet boy who hated to even harm a fly?!"
'Choji?'
"Sakura? What are you doing here?" A cracked voice asks behind her jolting her.
Ino.
Her gaze flits between her Dad and her Mom just barely out of view holding up Choji's mother to keep her from collapsing into a wreck of sobs, grabbing her by the arm.
"Let's go upstairs to my room. I don't want to be in my parent's way at the moment."
Vibrant azure eyes lack their usual shine, tinged with red as Sakura follows her. Both her cheeks and nose are a puffy pink she'd normally hate for anyone to see, tears building in her eyes once more.
"You heard enough just now, right? That Choji died in the line of duty against one of those Sound Four shinobi? At least he took one with him before dying it sounds like."
Sakura forces away coils tearing at her throat at the news, voice still coming out raspy anyways.
"I-I didn't hear those parts."
Ino nods stiffly that she's caught up to speed now as she sinks into her bed, Sakura plopping down beside her.
As soon as Sakura curls her arms around her, Ino's tears turn into a cascade.
"I'm so...so cruel Sakura! The last thing I told him was not to be such a fatty only caring about food because that could slow the others down!"
Ino bites her lip, though another sob and hiccup escape anyways as she slowly calms her shattered nerves.
"I should've told Choji I was glad he was getting more confidence in himself, that he had no reason to think he couldn't keep getting stronger and stronger."
Sakura squeezes and rubs at her back, pulls back some to look at her properly.
"Ino, this isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself."
She wipes at her eyes roughly, nods and its then Sakura sees her features harden to ice.
"You're right; this is Sasuke's fault."
The frigid change in her voice makes Sakura nearly jump. She's never seen Ino speak so harshly of the boy they used to compete for and fawn over.
"Wait, but Sasuke-"
"Is the reason Choji is dead! Yeah, he didn't deliver the final blow, but he's the reason this mission happened in the first place!" Ino harshly cuts her off, sadness morphing to rage.
She wounds up her hands hearing Chieko's muted cries downstairs, Choza equally distraught at the news of their boy's body to be returned to them this afternoon.
Instead of planning a barbecue, they'll be planning his funeral. The next steps they want to do as a shinobi and housewife respectively without their son now...
Sapphire twists back to verdant.
"You hear those cries too, don't pretend you can't Sakura. Sasuke is too far gone; he's going to end up in the bingo books for this, you know that right?"
Sakura fights down a shiver picturing it, curls her tongue back to ask if there's any other options.
'What can I even say to argue for Sasuke knowing this?'
A goodbye kiss and a soft thanks don't make up for death, can't bring back Choji and any other shinobi who may die as Sasuke goes down this road of revenge to kill Itachi and anyone else who wronged his fallen clan.
"...Let me be the one to deal with Sasuke. We both know he wasn't like this before that brother of his put all these ideas in his mind, casted him in that genjutsu Lady Tsunade had to break him out of." Sakura reasons.
Ino crosses her arms; defiant.
"Wake up Sakura! Those days are gone! Sasuke made his choice. So, you're either going to hold on to the memory of what he was or move forward and deal with the traitor he is now."
She softens just slightly seeing her oldest friend squirm in defeat, her feelings stronger for the Uchiha than anything she ever felt for him outside of his looks.
"Look, Forehead. Sakura. As much as it pains you, Sasuke chose Orochimaru for power. Whatever budding feelings he had for you he didn't see worth holding on to."
Sakura blows out a shaky laugh. "Geez, Pig. Ino. I never thought I would hear these words coming from you."
Ino shrugs, smiles faintly. "Things have changed."
Sakura swallows, runs quickly through her next steps to do even as her mind spirals with the knowing there's few people left in Konoha who want to rehabilitate Sasuke.
'Nobody will want Sasuke back in the village now.'
And if so, he will need to be imprisoned and interrogated first, if he's even lucky to get those things alone.
'Focus Sakura. Are you really just going to let Sasuke's body become Orochimaru's?'
"Naruto. Kakashi-sensei. They can still appeal to the Sasuke that isn't...this one. The one we went to Ichiraku's went and sparred with! Before he got that curse seal!"
Ino snorts. "Have you forgotten Naruto purposely didn't go along with Shikamaru and the others? It's time to choose what you'll do next Sakura. You're either following him or choosing the friends and family you have here."
She hugs her close one last time, conversation done for now.
Her lips twist back into a frown, sighing as Sakura moves for the window.
There is much they both need to think about.
Sakura is the first to break their silence, gives her a fragile smile in return.
"I'm sorry. I'll bury my feelings somehow, someway; I promise. And... I'll see you at the funeral, whenever it may be."
Shikamaru & Temari-Konoha Hospital, Morgue
The world has turned just a bit darker despite the sun beating down on his neck during the whole walk here, not a cloud in the sky.
Gone.
Choji, who preferred a good meal to a fight suddenly dead before they even became adults, before he made chunin, before they could even celebrate coming home...
He buries his face into his arms sensing his tears returning, turns away from the corpse of his oldest friend and teammate.
"...Yes, that's him." He croaks out to the coroner Norihiko who nods solemnly at the confirmation of Choji's identity from a teammate.
Performing final assessments on pediatric patients never gets any easier.
The Akimichi are known for their robust figures, the opposite of this child lying here so thin and pale he'd done a double-take at his name.
Shikaku pats at his shoulder as Choji's body is wheeled away. "Don't look away son. Burn this moment into your mind forever as you move forward as a shinobi."
Shikamaru instantly wrenches himself from his hold, voice coming out warped and broken.
"Shinobi?! I'm unfit to be a shinobi! Not only did we fail to get Sasuke to return, but there's also been a death and two major injuries under my watch! Kiba and Neji are still hospitalized!"
Shikaku blows out a breath, taps a finger to the middle of his chest, moves his shadows forward to keep him in place.
Shikamaru slightly falters before Shikaku brings him back into his arms.
"You'll dishonor Choji's last moments alive if you give up now both as his friend and as a Nara shinobi! No jonin got where they are today without experiencing the pain of setbacks. Death." Shikaku mentions.
Shikamaru says nothing for a moment, eyes hazing over while pulling away.
"That's easy to say when most of your job duties now are clerical in nature Dad."
Shikaku frowns then at his smartass tone, raises his hand to strike him no matter how much pain he's currently in, Temari putting her fan between both Nara men.
Dark eyes roam to her slowly, figure slumping once more.
'I forgot she was even here.' Shikamaru considers with a scoff.
"Let me take a walk with Shikamaru around the park upstairs. Give us half an hour tops!" Temari suggests, ignores Shikamaru's flat look that he wants no part in this.
Teal eyes turn to him, mouths quickly.
"You don't have a choice; I'm saving you from being slapped or worse!"
Shikamaru draws out a long sigh.
"Yeah, guess I could use a change of scenery." He grunts.
Temari nods, pulls him along before Shikaku can say anything more.
"The Park" of Konoha's hospital is more just a wing of the hospital decorated with various plants, benches, and winding trails that lead to the gift shop, a coffee shop, and a makeshift fountain people can relax beside.
It smells of orchids and wisteria waft through the air as they find an open table, Temari noting violet and pink vines curling towards the ceilings as she gets them two cups of tea.
"Dad is right...moping around won't bring Choji back. I need to take action; move forward." Shikamaru speaks more into his teacup than her, wipes back tears making ripples in the liquid.
Temari studies his clenched hands, has seen this same wrecked look upon her brother's faces...
"Don't blame yourself." She begins matter of fact, curses inwardly when he simply slouches in his seat.
'He doesn't want empty platitudes. What else am I supposed to say?' Temari considers between sips of tea.
Everything about Konoha feels so different from Suna and not just from the way they treat their jinchuriki. She isn't the type of person people go to lay out their troubles or be the shoulder to cry on.
When death happens in Suna, you mourn behind closed doors unless it's a high public official.
And even then, their body is usually cremated, mixed with the very sands that surround their nation to show they've become part of the winds.
She couldn't do anything to stop her Father's cruelty to Gaara, helped even play a role in the sacrifices given to him to test his power.
And Kankuro usually preferred his puppets to any words of advice or affection she could've given, not bothering to try.
Will this be any different?
'Does he want my comfort even?'
She stretches a hand forward despite nerves pinching at her chest to draw back, freezes midway when Shikamaru looks up at her properly.
A darkness has settled in his auburn eyes.
He downs the rest of his tea, gaze turning in the westward direction of the village.
"Thanks for the drink, it's cleared my mind. If you run into my Dad again, tell him I need to go talk to him. He'll know who I'm referring to."
Naruto & Hinata- Uzumaki Apartment/Konoha Cemetery
The news comes by way of Shino's beetles.
"Oh wait, I can't just squish you." Naruto mutters setting his watering can down, retrieves the note on top of its back and heads back to the living room.
He unfurls the note, stops in place at the short message.
'Choji Akimichi has passed away in the line of duty. Funeral services are to be held this coming Thursday at 2:00 pm. All other members of the Sasuke Retrieval Squad are accounted for and recovering at the hospital or at home.' -Shino
He rereads the message twice over to be sure, reviews the updates at the bottom he has on Shikamaru, Kiba and Neji before gritting his teeth.
'Shit.'
Nobody was supposed to die on what he assumed wouldn't be too difficult of an assignment...
Sasuke would be pissed to be back in Konoha yes, but he'd have guards on him 24-7 much akin to how things are with him. Kakashi-sensei would've kept training him and eventually, thoughts of revenge probably could've faded from his mind.
'Why did I think it would be so easy?'
"Naruto?" Hinata looks up from her scroll on practicing genjutsu, padding over to him.
A frozen expression washes across his face as their gazes meet, pushes the note into her hands.
Hinata only reads it once, fingers drawing to her mouth in shock, opalescent widening.
"Neji. Why...Why didn't F-Father or even Lady Natsu send an attendant to tell me-"
"Because you're not a Hyūga anymore. They're probably upset Neji failed in his fight to get Sasuke back. They look at it as a weakness to the clan as a whole." Naruto snorts before she can finish.
Hinata's shoulders fall, tears pooling into lilac.
Naruto steps forward to swipe at her tears, blows out a shaky breath.
"Hey, you saved his life with that omamori charm. Not that those Old Farts will ever acknowledge that."
Hinata lets out a cracked laugh, leans her forehead against his.
"We should attend this funeral Naruto. Though we didn't know Choji well, he still was our classmate."
"...Not the best reason y'know." He mutters.
Hinata absently nods, both knowing that despite him never openly being cruel or nasty towards them, he didn't exactly pay them any attention or respect.
"Do it to show your care for a fallen comrade." Hinata amends.
Summer storms arrive for the day of Choji's funeral, air sticky with humidity and the scent of pine.
Gray clouds brew over the forests to the east, Naruto forcing his attention to Choji's smiling picture, the bouquets of whites and pinks surrounding his coffin.
He gives a clipped nod to Sakura and Kakashi-sensei once he sees them on the opposite side, sits forward.
Sweat builds at his brow he wipes away, the weight of hundreds of stares are more on him than the boy they're paying their final respects to.
"He actually came? He didn't show for Lord Third's services-" A chunin to his right grumbles.
The woman beside him shushes him with a nudge. "Let's just hope he doesn't cause a commotion. Lady Tsunade, I suppose, must be okay with his presence here."
"Ah, the Hyūga girl. No, she's an Uzumaki now is here with him. Good, we'll be fine with her beside him to help keep him in line."
But is a man to his left that makes heat fully encompass him.
"That Hyūga girl sacrificed to him apparently taught him some manners after all-"
Naruto stomps on the man's foot eliciting a yelp and dozens of stares.
Pink flushes at his cheeks, halfway looks to scarlet eyes boring on him.
"Shh, don't want to cause a 'commotion' now; do you?!" He warns darkly, man gulping and looking away. The woman beside him smiles weakly, pulls him back to shuffle to a pair of open seats further away from them.
Hinata squeezes at his hand gently. "Stop. You'll get us kicked out."
Naruto watches as the man hurriedly leaves without a second glance, forces his attention back towards the center podium where Asuma is speaking.
"-Choji, as you all know, never turned down a chance for barbecue at Yakiniku Q. Heh, my wallet and the owners can attest to how often we visited as a team."
Light chuckles fill the air, clearing his throat before proceeding on.
"Even though Choji was often associated with food and his favorite chips, he never once turned his back or skipped out on training sessions. He often asked me what it would take to be a chunin, even a jonin one day. And...And I told him to keep studying his clan's techniques, blend them with his ninjutsu. I know he gave his final opponent hell with his butterfly bullet."
He feels Hinata's grip tighten and his own stomach lurches at seeing the prickle of tears dot her eyes, blinks his own away at considering all the what if's.
The rest of Asuma's speech turns to static in his ears, waiting for the moment he will line up and add his white carnation to the others.
"Thank you everyone again for coming. My wife and I truly...truly appreciate this turnout for our son." Choza announces.
A new stare needles at his back right as Choza notifies everyone the location of the reception back at the Akimichi compound after the private burial, looking around as the crowds begin to disperse.
Shikamaru meets his gaze.
Naruto turns his attention back to Hinata, brushes at her face.
"I'm going to check in with Shikamaru, you can head back to the apartment."
Hinata follows Naruto's gaze seeing the younger Nara's stormy look. He'd stayed to the back even though the Yamanaka and Nara clans had been given reserved seats at the front.
"Alright, I'll make gyudon or oyakodon. You'll have dinner duty."
Shikamaru has already gone off to the training grounds by the time he catches up, notes the way the trail curves more into paths laden with moss and vine, the parts less visible to the public.
The areas he often goes to alone or with Hinata.
Sunlight falls in cracks through the trees, streams of amber yellow moving along old branches and leaves lost to time.
"You're not the only one who knows about these bends in trails that lead to undergrowth and groves that go deep into the woods. Can't blame you for wanting to get away from the public's eye, it's nice and quiet out here." Shikamaru mentions.
Naruto narrows his eyes, sighs. "I found these places because it gets tiring being ignored in the markets when I simply want to buy food, like I'm invisible. You only slip away from your tasks out of laziness I assume."
Shikamaru twists to look at him then, mahogany eyes dark as the surrounding forests.
"Not anymore."
He turns back around to keep moving until they reach a clearing, below the western side of the village visible.
Shikamaru leans back against an oak tree, Naruto sitting cross legged his opposite near a patch of shrubs.
The scent of rain fully approaches, Naruto glancing up seeing a ball of steel gray clouds rolling in from the horizon. He kicks up dirt and pebbles at his feet, chest tightening all over again how much things have changed in just a few days.
"I...should've been there to help. I know it doesn't matter now, however-"
Shikamaru holds up a hand, half-smiles.
"No empty apologies or words of comfort Naruto. I've gotten too many in this past week alone worth a lifetime and we both know there's nothing that can change the outcome of things now."
A drizzle starts, raindrops concealing his coming tears.
"Tell me something Naruto, is Sasuke your friend? Would you say your friendship was the same as the one I had with Choji?"
Naruto wrinkles his nose, considers their moments together as a team to their one-on-one sparring before shaking his head.
"I didn't know Sasuke as long as you knew Choji, but I considered him a friend and a good teammate. Sure, we had trouble getting along at times, though we at least could understand each other's goals, the loneliness that comes with being in Konoha that most of the others in our class didn't understand. Though I wouldn't say we had that trust like what you had with Choji, that knowing you could always rely on each other."
Shikamaru nods then, wipes strands of brown locks from his face. Whatever sadness in his features melts into resolve.
"Good. You won't care then if I kill him."
Naruto blinks, opens then closes his mouth.
This isn't a question, it's a statement of finality.
Shikamaru pats at his shoulder as he stands to go, Naruto watching him silently move back down towards the village.
"It's fine. You don't have to say anything to me on how you feel about this; just know that it's something I plan to do."
Jiraiya & Naruto-Hokage Monument
Jiraiya blows out a breath as he sees Naruto's figure come into view between the rocks, sitting upon the 4th Hokage's head of all options.
'Or maybe on purpose?' He considers feeling his stomach tighten just slightly at what this could mean, groaning internally at the wind swirling about him. Like his clones, he isn't going to make approaching him easy.
"This better be the original Naruto." He grumbles under his breath, stalking forward.
"Your clones have been busy as of late Kid!" Jiraiya marvels in greeting.
He's hardly seen him around the village these past few days, as if he's actively been avoiding him for once.
Naruto doesn't bother looking his way, azure focused on the buildings below.
"...How do you know I'm not a clone either y'know?"
Jiraiya considers the question; half follows his gaze as shadows of clouds drift over them, notes the way crimson sparks in his eyes.
"Well, considering you're sitting at a high vantage point still within Konoha, I assume it's to watch over where groups of your clones are at. A majority of you were just going about doing mundane chores, perhaps to throw off people's suspicions. The ones I ran into at the shops, visiting with your classmates still in the hospital, and sparring with each other refused to give me too many details on what exactly is running through your mind."
Naruto says nothing, knows Pervy-Sage is purposefully dragging things out.
"Actually, it wasn't until I ran into Kakashi coming from the library that I had an idea of where I would find the real you."
"Geez, you look like you've seen a ghost!" Jiraiya chuckles.
Obsidian peers his way and to anyone else, Kakashi's features remain impassive.
But Jiraiya notes the cracks in his expression to the deep rips in his jonin vest, the hint of red trickling under his sleeves.
'Blood?'
It's rare for anyone to best Kakashi in a match.
His grin instantly evaporates. "What happened?"
Kakashi gestures with his head back towards the library. "Naruto or I should say Narutos'. You know he's still been looking into that photo, right? He never forgot about it in spite of everything that's been going on as of late. He's put the pieces together and he's rightfully angry."
Jiraiya's brows furrow. 'Photo. What photo?'
And then it clicks, the one from the scroll he found regarding the Uzumaki clan.
Knots fills his chest like stones, gritting his teeth. "Does he know it's Minato in that picture? Realize his connection to him as his Father?"
Kakashi sighs. "I'm not 100% certain he knows of their familial ties, but he along with a few other clones were pouring over scrolls and photographs again of previous graduate classes of the Academy. Who knows how many hours they had been there or how often he's been going back to the library after hours. Though eventually, one of them came across the group picture of Minato-sensei along with Rin, Obito, and I. He matched it with the one he had of you with Minato and correctly concluded they're the same person just at different ages."
Jiraiya hums, knows where he's going with this. "And then he looked at the Hokage's inaugural photos and of course himself..."
Kakashi nods. "Naruto at least highly suspects their relation and questioned me on why I never told him this, why it was kept a secret. When I couldn't give him the answers he wanted, his clones gathered together to literally and figuratively, push me out of their sight."
He'd like to see him try and do the same thing now with him.
Jiraiya grins, pats at his shoulder, Naruto instantly shrugging him off.
"Go away."
Jiraiya points at the trees and buildings swaying in the rising breeze, a testament to Naruto's new patience that they haven't completely toppled over yet.
"Can't when you're about to head down a road of destruction! Come on, you've been doing so well these last few weeks since Tsunade took office! Don't burn down the fragile trust you've gained in so many of the shinobi and civilians by letting your temper get to you Naruto."
Scarlet twists to him, swats out a hand unleashing a gale of wind.
Jiraiya stands his ground dodging swirls of stone and water torpedoing for him, draws up a hand to be at ready.
"Shut it. You and Kakashi-sensei both knew and just figured I would never find out the truth until way later! The boy in the photo, the one who's already dead. I'm related to him in some way; aren't I?"
The fox within him pounces on his rage, croons in his ear. "Now is the time to unleash your anger boy. Think of how many people have lied or withheld the truth from you this whole time."
Jiraiya considers his next words. "Yes, though you need to calm down first before I say anything else."
Naruto merely growls in return, crimson of his chakra further coating him, moving onto all fours, Jiraiya preparing himself.
'We always have to do things the hard way.'
"Art of Raging Lion's Mane!"
His hair erupts to life before Naruto can fully race in for him, white wrapping around his legs and arms toppling him down.
Even with his hair piercing him like needles keeping him in place, Naruto still manages to claw his way forward, Jiraiya settling in front of him. He winces as his nails instantly dig into his arms drawing blood, stays in place anyways moving his hands forward.
He rubs at his back, gaze softening. "Naruto, relax. I know you're feeling a torrent of emotions. Anger that Sasuke has left the village and these secrets kept from you. Guilt for not trying harder to stop him or joining the retrieval squad. Sorrow over the Akimichi boy's death, uncertainty on what to do regarding Shikaku's boy decision. But none of this is your fault, trust me. I've been in your shoes before when it came to Orochimaru and you can't blame yourself. As for the secrets...I'm sorry we kept them from you, though we had our reasons."
The wind around him calms briefly, Naruto shutting his eyes as tears bubble up.
"Ugh, I...hate this! I keep thinking every night since I got the news of Choji's death that I should've gone, Hinata wouldn't have minded. Though I wanted to stay here with her, wanted to train, learn more jutsu."
Jiraiya hugs him into his side, Naruto studying the ground.
"Who is he really Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya blows out a long breath, he could lie once more or give him the run around like so many times before. However, the day will come when one of his clones, an outside factor, or he himself digs deep enough to find the complete truth.
'It's fine. I'll guess I'll just have him and even Hinata get away from here for a bit if need be.'
"Minato. He was...your Father and the previous sacrifice to the jinchuriki. Though most in the village didn't know that about him and only knew him as the Fourth Hokage." He admits.
Naruto swallows dryly. "Ah, that explains why we look so similar. And Kakashi-sensei, he was trained under him and you must've trained him before that. All of you knew of his connection to me and were never going to tell me?"
Jiraiya rubs his chin, hates hearing the brokenness in his tone as wind swirls up again. "Minato you must understand had many enemy shinobi who wanted to claim the prize of being known as the one who killed him. As Konoha's latest sacrifice too at the time, he wanted to be certain that as much as possible none of these shinobi could do harm to you or his wife by linking your connection together. I know he made provisions with Old Man Sarutobi via the annual appeasement gifts he and his wife received, wished for a lot of things for you growing up that didn't happen with you being our village's current jinchuriki."
Naruto slips from his hold once more, knows there's much he still isn't telling him.
'Not like I can force the rest of the answers I want out of Pervy-Sage anyways.'
Jiraiya moves his hand into his kimono, pulls out a gift wrapped with toad decorations.
Cobalt eyes the gift and Jiraiya's renewed grin as he pushes it into his hands.
"Open it Kid, consider it an early birthday present!"
Naruto arches a brow, but silently does as he wants, postcards toppling out of snowcapped mountains to boiling lakes. Alongside them are snacks and charms spotted with unfamiliar designs and locations.
"What is this?" He questions curiously, holding up a viridian-blue lily pad to the light.
It looks nothing like the one he sees grow in the Naka River or like the ones he briefly saw in the Hyūga compound's koi pond.
"Mementos from places I've been to, places I want to take you to Naruto. That lily pad is straight from Mount Myoboku; where I trained with the toads and learned Sage mode!" Jiraiya declares.
Naruto straightens in surprise. "Wait, does this mean-!"
Jiraiya nods before he can finish.
He needs to get stronger as the Akatsuki keep growing in numbers, possibly connect with another jinchuriki, and at least get his mind off of all that's transpired recently.
"Yup; it does! You can't be an ambassador for Konoha one day if you're not out seeing the other nations! So, what'd ya say Kid? Want to go on a training trip with me?!"
Naruto & Hinata-Uzumaki Apartment
'Of course there was a caveat.' Naruto huffs, crossing his arms.
Stupid pervert never makes things easy for him.
"Oi Naruto, Hinata doesn't need to come with you everywhere you go! But fine, I see your point that she needs to get stronger too. So, I'll train you both together for one year and then the following year, you two are separating. I have just the assignment I'm interested in Hinata taking on solo before heading back to the village on her own." Jiraiya decides, motioning no room for argument by clapping his hands.
He wouldn't even say what said assignment is!
Hinata studies their backpacks, doublechecks their lists.
'I'm really leaving without saying much of a proper goodbye to Hanabi, Neji, and even Father.'
She'd only managed to poke her head in for a few minutes into Neji's hospital room, Hanabi jolting from her sleep beside him to crush her into a hug.
"Only Father and Lady Natsu have visited, not even one of the branch members have come to check in on him!" Hanabi huffs, Hinata quickly shushing her should a nurse or doctor pop in.
It doesn't surprise her none of the Elders or branch members have visited, the last thing they want is to be connected to the shame of losing.
"How is his condition?" Hinata asks while taking in Neji's sleeping form. An IV line runs a bag of fluids into him, but her gaze focuses most on the bandages wrapped around his abdomen.
Lavender eyes soften following her gaze. "He's been...exhausted when he's awake, but he's keeping down food better than yesterday and the day before. Both Father and Neji believe it was your omamori charm that saved his life."
Hinata blinks in surprise, her bent and warped charm dangling between his right hand's fingers.
'I'm glad I bought them after all despite what happened with Choji.'
A clicking towards the door jolts them, familiar voice ringing out.
"Yes, I already spoke with the infectious disease doctor this morning. I would like to speak with the internal medicine doctor on call today, from speaking with the charge nurse."
Father's voice.
Hinata moves back for the window. "I need to get going; I'd rather avoid an interaction with Father right now. I came just to see how Neji's doing and let you know I'll be heading out on a training trip and assignment with Master Jiraiya and Naruto tomorrow."
Hanabi squeezes at her hand, pushes down a whine not to go as Hinata returns the gesture.
Pearl to pearl meet for the last time in a while.
"Be safe Big Sis."
It's going to be another warm day, dawn beginning its approach through the blinds in a mix of milky yellows and reds.
"We should eat breakfast before Jiraiya or one of his toads comes to fetch us." Hinata decides when she's satisfied she's packed all she'll need to get through the beginning weeks of this journey.
Jiraiya wants them to depart by this afternoon.
Lilac eyes fall to the garden patio steps where Naruto is folding up the last of his personal belongings, sticky note with instructions for watering the plants he plans to pass along to Kakashi-sensei or Sakura to do in their absence.
A giggle escapes her lips hovering over him, cerulean bouncing up to her.
"What? I need to make sure our succulents, aloe vera, basil, and evergreen plants live while we're gone y'know! We might come back and they'll be all dried out and shriveled up! Maybe we should ask Shino or Konohamaru as well. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura may get busy with their own assignments and forget."
Hinata shakes her head, settling beside him on the steps. "I just briefly recalled how my first night here I was so nervous of what would happen to me being a sacrifice, of all the rumors I heard about you that I threw up. And now...I'm heading out on a journey with you."
Naruto chuckles, gently pokes at her side. "Well, the gossip was right in some respects."
He reddens, clears his throat while looking away from her. "I'm glad you didn't run off or believe any of it really."
Hinata leans into his shoulder, silently loops their fingers together.
Her gaze returns to looking out at the approaching day, covering a yawn.
"I don't think our landlord or neighbors will miss us." She remarks softly at watching Mr. Miura run down the steps, late for work at his clothing store in Konoha's business district.
He catches her stare and hurriedly glances away, picking up his pace.
Naruto snorts at that, watching him as well. He recalls his past glares at Hinata considering her bad luck living so close to him, comments to get him and Hinata moved to a different apartment building. All of that only stopped after he 'accidentally' tripped him on his way home from a grocery run, smirking at egg yolk and fruit smashed against his shirt and pants.
"I won't either."
Cobalt switches to Hinata as she stands to stretch, considers for a moment Pervy-Sage's warning on his constant desire to keep her close.
'Your enemies could use that against you Kid, especially these Akatsuki individuals. Not even Yugito knows exactly why they want the Tailed Beasts, but they're not letting anyone stand in the way of their plans.'
He balls up his hands.
Hinata's still considered a sacrifice or the fallen Hyūga in most of Konoha's inner circles, it will probably be the same once they go out of the Land of Fire's borders too.
Maybe that will change by the time they return.
"Hinata Uzumaki, we need to grab breakfast and then head for the entrance gates y'know!" Naruto calls out to her as he finishes zipping up his bag.
Her cheeks are his favorite pink as she turns around, sends him a puzzled look.
"Ehh, why are you calling me by my full title-"
"Because you're mine and I like that you used my clan's name; don't forget!" Naruto chimes out with a light peck to her cheek in singsong as they head back inside.
Hinata giggles. "I'm reminded nearly every day; I have no regrets on doing so."
'But eventually, we're going to make it official.' Naruto decides as Hinata checks the weight of their bags, lilac to cobalt meeting with a nod.
Someday.
Naruto pumps a hand up.
"Alright, let's eat and then get the hell outta here!"
-x-
Part 1 End
Woo! Made it through Part 1 of this story! Just going to post this now before work in case I lose power with storms in my area of the world!
A lot is coming for Part 2 in terms of the changes I'll be making to canon. I have to get my ideas in order so this story will be on a short break. It's not that I don't love writing this and hearing from you guys, but I worry about burning myself out if I try and rush out the chapters! I relatively know how I want the story to go, but I think Part 2 will be a bit harder to write some sections while ensuring they make sense.
Anyways, appreciate any thoughts/suggestions as always!
Pa-tre-ons get early access to chapters as usual, I posted Chapter 2 of The Emperor & I there along with my extra NaruHina works, MHA stuff, and my original writings! I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!