Chapter 24: The Reunion
"Is it possible for home to be a person, not a place?"
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss
Hinata-Kusagakure
'This seems to be a dead end too.'
Mist fans her face, night air humid dotting her skin with specks of sweat she wipes away once more. She calms her breathing looking up above, a half-moon peeks it way out of a thick blanket of clouds. She still has enough time until sunrise to hopefully get all the information that Jiraiya needs here.
This feels like the first true farewell to her youth, far and away so different from the C and D-rank missions she used to do as part of Team 8.
A solo assignment.
One that's involved a mix of spying via her byakugan, attacking under the guise of nightfall, to being completely undercover to gather intel.
It hadn't exactly been easy to get Jiraiya to agree to her coming along in the first place or Naruto's additional conditions regarding his training, smile playing at her lips thinking of him.
"Oi, how long are you going to be grouchy for Kid? I said I was sorry!" Jiraiya huffs at Naruto's silence as they move northeast.
He wasn't the only one who kept Minato from him too.
Midafternoon sun falls over them, warm honey yellow light doing little to keep away sweat, sighing that they're still over a mile from their next rest point.
Naruto stops in place beneath the shade of oak trees, lips flattening into a harsh scowl that shakes everything around them before a bemused smirk rises across his face at an idea.
"Burn all your manuscripts and research you've collected over the past year. Maybe then I'll 'forgive' you."
Jiraiya blinks in disbelief, looks to Hinata to sway his mind only for Hinata to bring out a match from her bag.
She ignites the match in a flash, scarlet-orange flame dancing up.
"Do it. Prove you're truly sorry." She adds.
Her heart thrums hard in her chest, Jiraiya's dark eyes studying her quietly in a way he's never done before.
It the same eyes her Father gave her at challenging, daring to speak back when given an order. She rarely questions Jiraiya's decisions no matter how frustrating they can be, has always gone along with what he says knowing he has some long-term goal lol in mind that typically works out in everyone's favor.
But now...No, she can't keep being that same person.
She hasn't been the same since being sacrificed to Naruto.
Naruto steps to her side grabbing her free hand, cobalt eyes bright.
"Now it's two on one!" He whispers excitedly before turning his attention back to the Toad Sage.
Jiraiya rolls his eyes at their behavior, but the last thing he needs is to deal with Naruto's wrath during the entirety of this trip.
'So much hard work down the drain!' He silently bemoans, clenching his teeth not to yell out.
He tosses out the papers and notepads, Naruto glaring at him hard to ensure he isn't trying to trick them with fakes.
"It's real, look at my dates Kid! You always recognize my handwriting." Jiraiya assures him.
Naruto reviews the files before nodding, accepting the match from Hinata. Fire ensnares around the papers like a blanket turning white to black, Jiraiya squirming holding himself back from leaping in as ash clouds float into the air.
"Hope you're happy about this Naruto." He mutters at the pile of dust that remains.
Naruto studies the flames as they sputter out, shrugging, grins to himself moving ahead of them.
"It's a start."
Out of the two of them, she still feels Naruto was and is the bigger headache.
But he took to Sage mode training with stride from what she saw every morning after breakfast leading into afternoons where they sparred together using a variety of ninjutsu and taijutsu.
"The loser of this match has to eat Ma's caterpillar stew!" Naruto declares while gathering wind to his hands.
Hinata laughs. "Okay, you're on. That's not even really a punishment to me considering I don't gag about eating them the way you do!"
Naruto hums before grinning teasingly. "Fine, we add in that weird grasshopper sauté too y'know. I know you thought it was bitter the last time we had it."
Hinata squirms but doesn't back down.
"Deal."
Naruto claps his hands eagerly, unleashes 5 shadow clones.
3 in front, 2 behind her.
"Wind Release: Vortex!"
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
Hinata activates her byakugan leaps back before the funnel cloud of water and air can trap her.
'Lightning would be my best counter to get rid of a few of the Naruto's.' She decides.
Electricity gathers in her hands, races it forward to mix with remnants of wind.
"Lightning release: Thunder downburst!"
Wind pushes the lightning straight down onto the first 3 Naruto, instantly popping into air. A hand comes up behind her just before she can use her gentle fist, jabbing them backwards with her elbow.
She pierces at the arms of final Naruto attempting to wrap his arms around her waist to keep her still, knocked away into a puff of air.
'That was all of them, but where's the original?'
"You forgot about the ground Hinata." A warm voice tickles in her ear, heat rising to her cheeks wiggling to no avail as the dust clears.
"Yeah, I did." She admits, slumping back into him.
Lavender peers up into cerulean, Naruto's fingers moving under her chin, lips brushing with her own just as a whistle screeches to their right.
"Hey, stop that! You've gone from sparring to kissing!" Jiraiya yells while pointing at their closeness.
Neither Naruto nor Hinata move, Jiraiya rubbing at his forehead when Naruto simply squeezes her right to his chest.
That girl will always be a distraction whether Naruto wants to openly admit it or not.
Shima shakes her head. "Oh relax Little Jiraiya. You were young once too! You still hold a candle for that one blond; don't cha? What was her name now-"
Jiraiya holds up a hand. "Now's not the time Granny Sage."
Fukasaku brightens at recalling, beams at his wife. "Tsunade sweetie! Was always gambling or decking poor Little Jiraiya over the head! Anyways, you still act young Jiraiya I would say! Nothing wrong with showing affection! I show it to Ma every morning and night!"
Jiraiya ignores the pair's teasing and cackling; next week at this time Naruto will officially start his one-on-one training with him.
"Hinata! I need your ear for a moment!" He calls out, Hinata slowly untangling herself from Naruto's arms.
Naruto stays back, brows furrowed though not giving follow.
"Regarding the details of my 2 year assignment I assume?" Hinata asks.
Jiraiya nods, pulls out a set of photos from his vest pocket.
"There's a group of various individuals I want you to look into starting with this man who was a traveling puppeteer user."
Hinata takes in his distinct features, nods slowly.
"Alright, I'll gather as much intel as I can."
They should be heading back for Konoha in a month's time. Perhaps she'll run into them.
And then she can tell Jiraiya directly that this man he met on his global travels throughout the nations is probably already dead or has long disappeared.
Just like the last 3 men as well.
The puppeteer, the shinobi from Takigakure, and the wandering priest.
"There's a man I met on my ventures a few years after the Second Shinobi World War ended that's a farmer in this region. I need you to check and blend in with the locals to see if anyone knows his current whereabouts. I have a mix of theories, and this is one I want to follow up on."
She'd been staying with an older couple Jiraiya had directed her to, giving the name Shioko Nakatsuka.
"It's not often we get a traveling pharmacist to these parts! It's dangerous for a single lady to be moving alone around this region without a guard." Takezawa rubs at his beard, his wife Mayuki nudging him gently.
"She's a widow dear; she has to earn ryo someway! Besides, it's nice to know the herbs and plants that grow in our region can be used to treat debilitating illnesses after that war."
Hinata waves up her hands at Takezawa's dry snort in return, steel eyes regarding her suspiciously.
A shinobi in mind still despite retiring from the career.
"I'm sorry to be such a bother, I promise I'll make you both all the best tonics to treat your flares of arthritis!"
Mayuki waves away her politeness. "No, no! We're happy to have you dear! We've been empty nesters since our Yoichi immigrated to the bigger neighboring villages for work!"
"Ah, must be nice! My family and husband never really traveled beyond the Land of Fire, worried about tradition." Hinata admires.
Takezawa's gaze turns to his wife, stare softening. "Hmph, well some traditions are made to be broken, even if it doesn't happen overnight. If we listened to our folks, we'd still be living under their old rules for courtship and living paycheck to paycheck."
'Sounds a bit like the Hyūga.' Hinata absently notes.
She's learned much from talking with a variety of people from all walks of life on this assignment on how to eventually improve things regarding the Branch and Main families. Mainly in getting the Elders to see the Curse Seal hasn't provided any real benefits to the Branch members or the clan as a whole.
But it will take more than just words to sway their opinion of a decade's long tradition...
They probably couldn't even fathom the thought of being like Takezawa and Mayuki here, people running from their pasts, couples forging a new life for themselves in lands far from where they were born.
Takezawa and Mayuki were born in Iwa and Kiri respectively, the two finding each other amid the relief centers that popped up after the war.
Hinata laughs gently as Mayuki orders Takezawa to fetch her another bowl of rice. She brushes at her chestnut locks, hazel-gray eyes shining with mirth at their light bickering. This transformation jutsu is easier than her last one playing the role of a betrayed artisan having to trade handwoven cloth and silk for ryo.
A young widow who lost her lover to war gets far more sympathy.
Neither noticed her departure, tonics wrapped and ready on the kitchen table when Mayuki wakes at first light.
She waits for the moon to slip back behind a veil of clouds before moving forward, slinks up behind the night guard patrolling these fields.
Her hand crackles with lightning, points her fingers for his neck before he can draw his blade.
"Stay quiet please. I just have a question for you." Hinata orders gently.
His pulse throbs and Hinata kicks away the kunai from his opposite hand, jabs into his back.
The shock freezes him in place, toppling to the ground.
Hinata hovers over him, makes quick work of paralyzing his legs and arms to keep him from running. "I don't intend to kill you, I need to know what happened to the farmer who previously owned this field. I believe he went by the name Shigeru Ito."
The guard takes in shaky gulps of air. "I-I don't know anything! Honest! Ito disappeared years ago after the last shinobi world war! I don't think his body was ever recovered and this land went into foreclosure. I bought it for cheap considering the state it was in."
Hinata considers this, all of these men Jiraiya came across are considered dead or missing.
None of their bodies found...yet.
'Perhaps Jiraiya believes their bodies are being experimented on similar to what Orochimaru does?'
She'd have to ask him herself.
"Thank you. I'll take my leave now." Hinata voices, jabbing at his neck rendering him unconscious. A rolling fog approaches she slips back into, shakes away a rise of goosebumps trying to connect the dots on what these men had in common besides meeting Jiraiya at one point.
Next stop is home and hopefully, more answers.
Naruto & Jiraiya-Mount Myoboku
"Water Release: Acid vortex!"
Naruto steps back from the whirlpool of hot water and toad oil, steam coating the area in a rush of white-gray heat.
Gamakichi nods proudly at the results. "Will certainly cause some burns when launched at an enemy opponent!"
Gamatatsu hums at the whirlwind of power before looking away. "Hey, does this mean we can break for lunch now big brother?! I've been starving since an hour ago and none of my usual snacks have helped curb it!"
Gamakichi ignores his complaining, looks to Naruto instead to see if he's ready for this session to end.
"It's fine, I think Pervy-Sage needs me. You guys can eat my portion." Naruto mentions, waving the two off.
'He's picked up so many things faster than me.' Jiraiya marvels at watching Naruto stretch, finished with his morning meditation for sage mode training and now target practice with the roads it seems.
When he isn't eating or sleeping, he's usually sparring or reviewing the scrolls of the toads.
And while he hasn't perfected in fuinjutsu to a level he knows he wants to be at, he knows a wide variety of wind and water related ninjutsu, has less problems even dealing with genjutsu.
'But I don't know if it will be enough against the Akatsuki.' Jiraiya holds back a frown.
'He doesn't even have full control over the Nine Tails.'
"Kid, you're all done, right? We're setting out back for Konoha tomorrow morning and I know you haven't even started packing yet!" Jiraiya calls out to him.
Naruto stays in place for 10 more minutes anyways, purposely dawdles studying the waterfalls.
Jiraiya plops down beside him at his silence, his reflection in these crystal to mahogany waters giving little away.
He pats a hand at his shoulder, cerulean finally twisting to him. "Figured you'd be a bit more excited about heading home Kid. Annual Appeasement is coming up and you'll get to see Hinata soon enough."
Naruto squirms, too late to hide a rising blush to his face.
Appeasement doesn't matter even if the sacrificial gifts he's received over the last 3 years have been an improvement over broken toys and spoiled food.
'I want to see Hinata, but I want her to be safe too.'
Even if that means being apart a bit longer.
"Did Dad ever take Mom here?" He asks instead to change the subject.
Jiraiya blinks, lets him switch gears looking around.
"No, your Mom was always restricted to the village as far as I'm aware. Minato...your Dad tried to enact new policies considering his pull as a sacrifice and Kage, but I don't think any of them went into effect before his passing."
"And what was he like?" Naruto pursues.
Jiraiya chuckles. "Honestly? Personality wise he was always kind of quiet like Hinata. Always addressing even his opponents or people that disliked him with respectful honorifics and titles."
Naruto nods slowly, tries to picture this man who turned him into a jinchuriki, all the good and bad in his life so far made from this single decision.
"The group going after jinchuriki, the Akatsuki are getting too close to Konoha now. Is it a good idea to go back?" He questions.
Jiraiya purses his lips and Naruto knows then it really isn't his choice. He holds within him Konoha's greatest weapon; a force of power stronger than even their top 20 strongest jonin.
And one they will have to call on if war ever breaks out.
Naruto blows out a breath. "Right. Forget I asked."
Jiraiya chuckles lightly. "You know, I wouldn't mind the idea of extending this training trip even just by a week or two just to see what Danzo's reaction would be. Oh to have a toad hiding in that room watching his face change from red to purple with barely subdued rage!"
Naruto smiles a bit at that. "None of you Old Farts even like him y'know. So why does Granny even have him as an advisor? It can't just be because of his previous war experiences."
Jiraiya's grin vanishes. "To keep an eye on him. Like the old saying goes, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Naruto rolls his eyes, moves to stand.
'Like hell I want the Akatsuki closer to me.'
But he supposes in Danzo's case, it makes sense to watch closer the man who has played an active role in stirring up anger and resentment behind the scenes.
He rolls his shoulders to shake off a rising soreness to his joints, Jiraiya shaking his head he's been pushing himself too hard.
"I'm fine." Naruto mutters between yawns.
Jiraiya simply stands as well, pushes him in the direction of the dwelling he's called home for the last 3 years.
"Yeah, yeah. Get some sleep at your home hut and then start gathering your stuff. I'm not having you procrastinate for once because Tsunade will tear into me for not being responsible getting you back to the village in a timely manner!"
Naruto tunes out his advice, picks up his pace to get away from his nagging.
'Home.' The word repeats over in his thoughts.
As much as he's enjoyed exploring Mount Myoboku's vast mountains that tower to the clouds to the low-lying rivers various shades of greens, blues, and browns, it won't ever feel like home.
Konoha doesn't necessarily feel like home either.
"You'll get to see Hinata again Kid! Maybe see how much she's grown?" Jiraiya persists.
He takes Naruto's instant jab to his nose in stride.
Naruto rolls over in his bed, clicks his tongue grumbling a curse to himself.
'Damn it, stop thinking about her right now! Ugh, should I just go take a cold shower?'
Because everything that's changed with him since puberty has happened to Hinata as well.
Sakura & Ino-Shigawara's Teas
"Here you ladies go! Enjoy!" Shigawara chimes out, passing them a honeydew milk and mango bubble tea respectively.
Ino instantly stabs into her mango tea after giving it a shake, huffs while leaning back into her seat. Sakura arches a brow at her behavior, lips pouty in that way that she knows she's going to have to pry some answers out of her.
"Pig, do you want to harm your tea or actually drink it?" Sakura muses, taking a sip of her honeydew milk, breathing out a sigh of relief as the sweetness hits her tongue. She stretches out her muscles slowly, no longer crackling in her ears at her for agreeing to Lady Tsunade's regimen of a 6:00 am training start time, rolling her shoulders.
Cerulean peers up at her. "Ugh Forehead, would you believe this latest complaint Chiyaki has about our team?! I swear any style of attack Shikamaru and I try to do, she finds something wrong with it! Things were so much easier when Choji was-"
She stops herself gritting her teeth, Sakura patting at her hand as she blinks back a rise of tears, inhales and exhales slowly.
'Alive.'
The word sits unspoken between them because despite Chiyaki's skills as a member of the Akimichi clan too, she isn't him, has none of his personality when it comes to cooperation or kindness.
Ino clears her throat, prattles on. "Anyways, I'm sure she's going to request an official change of teams and that's absolutely fine with me! Shikamaru and I are handling missions just fine without needing to be a 3-man team! Though, I heard we're going to truly get that Root operative that only goes by the name Sai."
Sakura hums. "Yes, I've seen him taking orders from Danzo, walking in and around the Hokage tower. Haven't you done an assignment or two with him already just to get a feel of how you all work together? Like InoShikaSai or something like that?"
Ino nods, half-smile curving at her lips. "Yeah, he's cute and all, a bit weird though!"
"I'm Shikamaru Nara, nice to meet you." Shikamaru states in greeting, holding out his hand.
Asuma-sensei thought it fitting for them all to meet for lunch at Yakiniku Q, but Sai hasn't touched any of his bowls of rice or beef, steam wafting up into a gray cloud in front of his face.
Sai stares at his hand blankly, onyx looking back at him as Shikamaru awkwardly retracts his hand.
"I've heard much about you already. A lazy boy who spends his free time cloud watching."
Asuma nearly chokes on his drink, Ino bristling.
Dark eyes twists to her next before she can respond. "And you're the ugly loudmouth of the Yamanaka clan; Ino, right?"
Ino cracks her fists in response, stands from the table despite Asuma and Shikamaru's attempts to calm her.
"Excuse me?"
Ino holds up a fist revealing a scattering of cuts and faded bruises. "I had to teach him some manners and change that nickname he had for me! I'm sure he'll improve with more social interactions...maybe."
Sakura smiles halfheartedly, absently swirls at her drink.
'At least you have a team Ino.'
Her secret trips to Otogakure have only given her glimpses of Sasuke, twisted her into using her poisons against Orochimaru's captured inmates to keep them quiet when they notice her. She's sure Sasuke saw her once too and her heart clenches all over again recalling his blank stare, the blood along his fingers.
'It will be difficult to take on Sasuke alone, my best bet would be trapping him somehow.'
She's been flying solo these last 3 years; she can't even be sure if Naruto wants to rejoin Team 7 considering he had an apparent falling out with Kakashi-sensei before he left on his training trip that he refuses to give her information on.
Ino sips at her drink, hums.
"I heard from my Dad and Asuma-sensei that Naruto will be back in the next week or two."
Sakura blows out a breath. "So I heard too."
Ino snickers at her dry tone. "Try not to sound so excited Sakura."
She arches a brow, crosses her arms defensively. "Well, it's not like Naruto enjoyed being on Team 7 really and we didn't interact much outside of missions."
Ino snaps her fingers.
"Really? Then he's probably coming back just for Hinata!"
Sakura giggles in agreement, she's the only one who seems to make Naruto truly smile.
She polishes off her drink, moves to stand.
"Well, I have to help do rounds with Lady Tsunade on the Trauma ICU and Neuro ICU floors. She wants me to get better at finding the immediate signs of traumatic brain injuries and concussions when out on the field." Sakura notes.
Ino wrinkles her nose. "I don't envy that, but yeah I gotta hit the road too. Got team training, hopefully Sai can show us more of his skill with his ink. He's always drawing things, though won't show us what!" If he's drawing me, he better be catching my good side!"
They move in the same direction, Ino for the training fields, Sakura for the hospital.
But they each stop seeing violet hair weaving through the crowds, the swish of a lavender jacket and opalescent eyes as they move breezily for the rooftops towards the Hokage Tower.
"That looked like...Hinata, maybe? You saw her too, right? She grew out her hair." Sakura watches what could be her go.
Ino grins. It looks enough like her going by the hair and clothing.
"Things around here are about to get interesting."
Hinata-Hokage Tower
"Congrats on completing your first jonin assignment Neji." Tsunade smiles.
Neji bows thankfully. "I'm pleased everything went according to plan with little to no bloodshed."
'Jonin?'
Hinata hovers outside the Hokage office, steps back into the shadows.
A smile etches up her lips.
'A major feat. Father must be proud.'
"Who are you hiding from?" A voice asks over her shoulder.
Kakashi.
Hinata doesn't even look back at him.
"Naruto told me everything, all the secrets you kept in the dark from him."
Pearl half-glances to him as his pauses, looks away.
"You must understand there were orders to not tell him. And I was, well back then after that night-"
"Your sensei and teammates just recently died; I know. Hinata murmurs.
Kakashi nods slowly. "It isn't an excuse, just I didn't have the right headspace to even help myself, let alone anyone else."
Hinata smiles gently. "Of course. I don't think Naruto blames you for any of that. Just everything you left unsaid regarding his heritage after that. I know you were under orders, but the rules regarding the jinchuriki and sacrifice are always changing."
Kakashi studies her veiled expression, nods.
"Naruto doesn't forgive easily." He admits, he's been considering for days what greeting he should give him for his return or if Naruto will simply ignore him.
None really sound right to his ears.
"And he shouldn't, not anymore. I don't either." Hinata mentions to answer his earlier comment.
Kakashi says nothing more, knows he can't say anything to her either to sway her changed opinion of him.
'I'll find a way to recover the fractures in my team.'
Even if the road to it is filled with cracks of its own.
Hinata watches him go before focusing back on the office to see if Neji's wrapped things up on his report.
Her stomach lurches at her scrambling thoughts of greeting him for the first time in years at the Hokage Tower of all places. It shouldn't be in a location where so many shinobi are milling about keen to gossip about her return to the village.
Neji heads in the opposite direction of her, if he notes her presence, he thankfully doesn't draw attention to it.
She slips in right after him, Tsunade's grin brightening.
"Well, well, sneaky girl! Swooping in as soon as your cousin is gone huh?" Tsunade chimes out in greeting, moving to stand.
Hinata hugs her back warmly, flusters as she takes in her appearance.
"I see you've developed just like I did in my youth!" She teases, Hinata squirming.
'I guess these clothes can't fully hide my body's changes.'
Her mind drifts to if the same can be said for Naruto, shaking the thought away.
"It's...still a bit awkward to see my old clan members about the village and I'd rather put off the coming chatter of my return for a few days if I can." She mentions.
Tsunade barks out a laugh. "Yeah, that Father of yours hasn't changed much since sacrificing you, though I think your sister has softened some of those rough edges he had before you left with Jiraiya and Naruto."
Hinata lightly scoffs making her arch a brow. "Not enough to want to actually visit me. However, that won't matter once we have a proper fight and I break the cycle of having Main and Branch families. No future generations will go through what I, Neji, and Hanabi had to deal with."
'Oh, this attitude is new.' Tsunade considers.
She clasps her hands together as she moves back to her seat, Hinata taking the seat opposite her.
"So, what type of wild goose chase did that Old Pervert have you on? I know he taught you more in fire and lightning related techniques, but he only gave me minimal details on where he wanted you to travel these past two years."
Hinata breathes out a laugh as she pulls out an envelope of pictures.
"Ah, I got a taste of why Master Jiraiya enjoys the thrills of wandering! So many crystal waterfalls and turquoise caverns near Takigakure. Rocky hills that go into the clouds near Kumogakure, and twisting rivers that lead to springs and old volcanoes in the Land of Rivers and Mountains. I met so many of his old comrades and spies from the past war and even now. I even used my byakugan to point out old war injuries and fix the ones I could." She begins.
She blows out a breath, smile fading.
"The real reason though Jiraiya sent me to these lands was to investigate men in particular whose bodies have gone missing. While it's common for many shinobi to go missing during wars, usually their bodies are retrieved and buried back in their home nations. He thought it was suspicious knowing that some of these men were prominent members of their communities for one person to not question their absence."
Tsunade nods along as she reviews Hinata's notes beside each picture.
"So...he thinks the bodies have ties to the Akatsuki it sounds like. All of the nations have little to no information on who's actually a member of that organization and what abilities they have. Though it's likely to be a mix mash of rogue shinobi, ones that have defected from their home countries."
Hinata points to the picture of the puppeteer.
"It's possible they're taking unique bodies from different nations. I don't know if any of these faces could match the ones in the bingo books, shinobi easily change their appearance as needed."
Tsunade hums thoughtfully. "Problem is the bingo books contain information on shinobi whether rogue or not. Hell, I'm sure Jiraiya and I are probably in one of the many versions out there."
Hinata dampens some, Tsunade patting the envelope of pictures and notes with a renewed interest.
"Hey, you've given us some key intel, that's a start! I received word from a messenger toad yesterday that the pervert and your loverboy will be back in the village by Thursday. Get some R until then."
'Today is Monday. Only 3 days left.'
Hinata nods with a bow as she moves from her seat.
"I'll clean up the apartment and visit with my old team in the interim then."
Tsunade squeezes at her arm before she goes, amber eyes hard.
"Be careful out there Hinata. No matter how much I've tried to change and improve things for you two, many still see you as just a sacrifice. And other villages know this about you now too."
Hinata tacks on a smile, nods.
"I never stopped being aware of that Lady Tsunade, only now I'm prepared to not just ignore it."
Naruto & Jiraiya-Konoha Entrance Gates
"Well, here we are Kid! The entrance is in sight!"
Naruto tacks on a smile. "Whoopee."
Jiraiya rolls his eyes at his antics. "Oh, just pretend to be happy Naruto. Can't have people getting another bad impression of you on your first day back in the village after all his time."
And at that, Naruto straightens, grin turning more genuine.
"Sure, right."
Izumo and Kotetsu do a double take at their approach, bow in greeting. Naruto studies their postures closely as their gazes shift to him, smiles becoming just slightly strained.
"Master Jiraiya, Naruto, welcome home!"
"Good to be back!" Jiraiya chirps back with equal enthusiasm.
'I don't think I've ever seen these two not next to each other for one reason or another.' Naruto considers without saying anything in return, keeps his grin in place no matter how artificial it's starting to feel.
'Now I know why Pervy-Sage wanted to keep me apart from Hinata; wouldn't be good for either of us to be so overly reliant upon each other.'
"The village hasn't changed much, has it?" Naruto asks, Izumo shaking his head pointing out a few new buildings towards the market and business districts that popped up in the wake of the invasion.
"Not really, just a few new houses and shops on the northeast side of the village! We've grown some too as shinobi taking a few missions here and there, but nothing as exciting as say Asuma, Gai, and Kakashi!" Kotetsu adds.
Naruto looks him and Izumo up and down.
"...That explains why you two are still just assigned to mostly guarding the main entrance." He muses before walking on.
He ignores Jiraiya's tart look at his rudeness, takes to the rooftops.
"Kid, the Hokage tower is in the opposite direction!" Jiraiya calls out after him.
Naruto waves him off.
"I'm heading home to take a nap, you can update Granny without me y'know!"
He notes Sakura down below talking to an elderly couple, gives a short nod and wave in greeting before continuing on.
"Naruto? Hold on-" Sakura calls out over the crowds.
"Can't, busy! We can catch up tomorrow!" He shouts back, jumping to the next rooftops before she can consider giving follow.
Kakashi-sensei is probably somewhere close by, but luckily, he's keeping his distance.
He jumps down just as his apartment comes into view, pauses right before the corner that will lead up the street to it seeing what looks like Team 8.
"-I'm going home now to shower and clean up some of these cuts. Don't forget to put that wound cream on Akamaru." Hinata instructs.
'That's Akamaru?!' Naruto lowers himself out of sight, he's as tall as Kiba now!
But then his eyes move to Hinata, leans forward once more.
'She grew out her hair...'
But she has the same smile, same bright pearl eyes.
Kiba nods, chuckles pointing at her shoulder where he nicked her earlier.
"Yeah, yeah. We should've made a rule about no fire techniques!"
Hinata beams, brushes away his hand. "Akamaru jumped in the way! I wasn't trying to harm him seriously!"
Shino trails up behind them. "It's important that you use that cream Kiba. Why? Because you don't want to risk it leading to an infection."
Kiba rolls his eyes, looks back at him.
"Obviously."
He turns back to nudge Hinata.
"Heard Naruto is going to be back in the village soon! Have you gotten any updates?"
Hinata moves herself out of the way from his prodding by walking ahead, shrugs lightly.
"I don't know when he'll exactly be back since we didn't kept in touch during our separated training, but yes, he's supposed to arrive before the end of the week."
Kiba hums at that, halfway looks towards the corner where Naruto keeps out of view.
"Huh, well as long as that temper of his is better under control."
Hinata stops in place then, looks back at both him and Shino.
"You're lucky Naruto's temper never caused much more than few cuts and a bruised ego. Even as his sacrifice, I don't plan to stop him from being as curt with those who insult him first."
Hinata turns on her heel then moving once more towards their shared apartment, Kiba blowing out a breath as soon as she's out of earshot.
"You can stop hiding yourself now Naruto." Kiba grunts.
Naruto moves himself into view, snickers at his flat look in return.
"You and Akamaru have shot up!" He regards in greeting. Kiba shrugs in return, but smiles just a bit.
"You too."
Shino rubs his chin. "Hinata knew you were there too."
Naruto glances his way with a nod.
"I know and that's been my favorite welcome back so far."
Naruto & Hinata-Uzumaki Apartment
She hears him before she sees him.
Konohamaru or maybe even Kakashi-sensei kept the apartment clean enough in their absence.
No wilted plants or layers of brown to gray dust covering the furniture.
But the AC has been turned off, humidity of the day having seeped into each room despite the shut windows and closed blinds.
'I need to air out each room some.'
She can't be certain how soon Naruto will return or if he's making his rounds greeting all their old classmates, going ahead with making a light dinner of curry and yakisoba before freshening up.
Exhaustion creeps up on her as soon as she sits down, switches from her futon to Naruto's bed just to get a change of view.
'Relax. Relax. Stop checking his alarm clock.' Hinata rolls over.
She shuts her eyes for what she thinks is a minute only to hear a body sink into the bed beside her, squeal of the mattress's coils shifting her up.
Naruto.
His back is turned to her, tossing off his shoes, absently scratches at his neck when their eyes meet.
"You don't need to get up yet." He mentions, squeezing in to lay down beside her.
Hinata squirms and twists to try and give them space only for Naruto to pull her to his chest.
His head hits against his wall in the process eliciting a curse, legs dangling partially off the bed.
"One of us is going to break this!" Hinata giggles.
"We can just move to the futon next if that happens!" Naruto volleys back.
A silence falls over them, slow tick of the clock echoing into the room.
"I...I thought of dozens of ways I wanted to greet you upon our return and now I'm drawing a blank!" He chuckles softly.
They each take each other in, Naruto more unabashedly than her. She fights with hiding as her face burns vermillion as he traces one finger from her lips down to the center of her chest.
This close she can hear the rushing pulse of his heart too, slowly peers up to him.
"Welcome back; there's so much to catch up on!"
His lips brush at her head, mischief in his eyes giving way to seriousness.
"Start from wherever Pervy-Sage had you running about. He refused to give me any hints every time I asked y'know!"
Hinata hums. "It had to be highly confidential, especially if any of those men were still alive."
Naruto's brows furrow just slightly, sure now it can't be anything related to involving her being a sacrifice.
No, this is something much more important and dangerous.
And the only other reason left must tie to his status as a jinchuriki.
-x-
Welcome back to the fun!
Soo, Naruto and Hinata are both a bit meaner, not mincing their words as much, but we still love them, right?! (Hopefully nothing sounds like bashing, that isn't my intention).
I didn't want to drag their respective training arcs out, just the main highlights.
I really took a lot of you guys' advice to heart as we move into Part 2 of this! I want the dark themes that started in Part 1 to grow in this section. And to do that, canon moments have to change some (or a lot) to match my ideas and enjoyment.
Hopefully, the changes won't be too jarring, but I'll be editing and researching topics before it gets posted so updates may take longer, I'll try to stay consistent. I'm just going to say now that the War arc stuff with Kaguya and Black Zetsu won't happen because I was very ehh on it in the first place and I don't want to write about either character really. Obito and Madara are going to be used differently as well.
As always, pa-tre-ons get early access to chapters, NaruHina NSFW writings, MHA stuff, and my original writings! I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there!
Alright, appreciate any thoughts as always!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!