Kapitel 29: G
Chapter 450:
NARUTO
Rushing back through the afternoon streets of Konoha to Kurenai's home for some much-
needed sleep and snuggling with Kurenai, Naruto hears 'knock, knock,' in his head. The
blond nearly trips by the sudden voice in his head but upon recognizing it, he happily cried
out, "NARU-NII!"
The villagers around Naruto were startled as well, and though he had expected them all to
glare at him like usual, most looked at him in confusion, disinterest, or favorably. Naruto
quickly bows a few times before running up the nearest wall and mentally declaring, 'it's
been so long!'
'Heh heh, yeah,' Naru-nii voices. 'Me and Kurama have been breaking down Tou-chan's
Hiraishin. I don't have to remind you how insane that system is.'
'Ugh, I remember all the days it took to write it out,' Naruto grumbles as he continues jogging
on, only using his chakra when leaping from building to building. 'Have you tried using it? It
takes a lot of practice to use without draining half your chakra. You have to learn to expel
chakra out of all your tenketsus, then do that with like, perfect chakra control; it's insane!
Today's the first time I took three people with me a reeeeeally long distance and it drained
me!'
Naru-nii chuckles before stating, 'sounds fun.'
'It wasn't,' Naruto assured him. 'I was so scared my focus wouldn't hold up and I'd
accidentally crush one of them.'
'But you didn't and you won't; not when lives are on the line,' Naru-nii replies with optimum
confidence.
'You're not wrong,' the younger Naruto quips,
Naru-nii asks then, 'hey, you think you can dig up tou-chan's scroll?'
'I guess. Why?'
'I never wrote a Fūinjutsu contract here,' Naru-nii begins to explain as Naruto leaps over an
entire street to the next building. 'If I can figure out a way to mimic tou-chan's chakra
signature, then I should be able to get out of here by teleporting back to the real world.'
Pausing in shock, Naruto gasps, 'you can do that?'
'I've given others my chakra before, which is a lot like imitating their chakra,' Naru-nii replied.
'All you need is a good grasp of their unique signature and you can connect with them. I'm
not a hundred percent sure just yet, but, I feel like there's an answer in that connection.'
Naruto mentally hums in thought, then shrugs when he doesn't see a reason why that
wouldn't work. Curious, he asks, 'does that mean I can give my chakra to others too?'
'Of course,' he assures his younger counter-part. 'You'll have to be partners with Kurama
first but yeah.'
'Sweet,' Naruto cheerfully voiced. 'Ah, so you need tou-chan's scroll because it has his
chakra signature… but I don't see how that's going to help you if you can't analyze it
yourself.'
'Hmm… another problem to solve,' Naru-nii stated, leaving that conundrum for later.
'Also, what about the Shinigami?' Naruto added. 'How's he going to react if you up and
leave?'
'It's not like I'm going to leave with his stuff,' Naru-nii reasoned. 'I'm sure he'll be cool with
it…'
Knowing him like he knows himself, Naruto asks, 'you're hoping he'll be cool with it, aren't
you?'
After several seconds of silence, Naru-nii moves on. '…Anyway, what's been going on with
you?'
Hit with a series of memories, Naruto guffaws as he relays, 'you were right about Tsunade-
baachan,' to Naru-nii's amusement. Naruto continues jogging on rooftops and leaping from
building to building as they talk about everything he's done on his mission, including beating
back the legendary Orochimaru. Eventually, their conversation had to end and Naruto finally
made it to Kurenai's bed for a well-deserved slumber.
SASUKE
Under the bright afternoon sun, Sasuke saw him; his blond loud-mouth teammate, yelling
something odd as per usual. Sasuke didn't understand what a 'Naru-nii,' was, however, at
least he seemed embarrassed. Sasuke watched the blond run up a wall and disappear to
the building's roof but he didn't follow him. Naruto wasn't his target. Despite all the questions
he has for Naruto, Sasuke turns his back on his teammate, then drags his weary and
chakra-exhausted body to the far and long-abandoned Uchiha compound. He made his way
to his home and found his brother waiting for him.
Itachi was staring down the hallway that leads to their parents' room, and it only angered
Sasuke, ripping out of his throat a very angry, "if you're lying to me…"
Sasuke awoke to a forest drenched in cold darkness. The night was freezing and the canopy
above was shielding the floor of all moonlight. Sasuke looked around and couldn't see
anything through the veil of darkness until he activated his Sharingan.
"A fire may draw unwanted attention," Sasuke heard his brother quietly say.
Sasuke quickly turned to the source of the voice and winced at the pain in his stomach
where his brother hit him and knocked him out.
"You need to learn to harness your anger constructively," Itachi continued. "Or it'll hinder
your movements."
Even in his failure, Sasuke remembered what Itachi said. He hated how easily his body
listened to his brother's words, as if his brother didn't ruin his life, however, he couldn't help
wanting to know. "If what you have to say is a waste of time, I'm going to do anything and
everything I can think of to make you regret it."
"Are you hungry," Itachi inquires.
"Talk," Sasuke ordered, and Itachi did.
In the pitch blackness of the cold forest floor, Sasuke was quickly ready to fight when he saw
the red of his Sharingan, alarming him until Itachi explained it's only for privacy and visual
purposes. The young avenger then heard and saw everything that was kept from him,
including the masked man that helped murder their clan and even Naruto's role in convincing
Itachi to try another way.
Every few minutes for the next hour, Sasuke would ask himself, "why?" He was tired, hurt,
cold, his turbulent mind was in tatters and he'd ask himself, 'why?' Why Hiruzen, why Danzō,
why the masked man, why his brother, why his family, why his clan, and on, and on. Finally,
an exhausted Sasuke asked to know, "if this is all true, how does Naruto know?"
"That's for him to divulge, however, his source appears to be legitimate," Itachi answered,
making Sasuke wonder where his idiot teammate, of all people, acquired this intel.
"I can't believe you… believe this," Sasuke's hollow voice spoke. "It's too much."
"Take your time," Itachi replied, nearly convincing Sasuke that his brother still had a heart.
"I'll meet you when you're ready."
Curious, he asks, "where?"
"…Home."
"I won't lie to you," Itachi promised his brother while still looking down the hall.
Chapter 451:
Sasuke was silent until he couldn't stand the way Itachi seemed to feel anything over what
he did. The younger Uchiha limps over to the living room where he takes out a first aid kit
from the cabinet. He tries not to think about how strange it feels for him and his brother, the
man he's wanted to kill for years, to be under one roof again. It almost sickens him to think
he hasn't killed him like he promised his parents he would. However, after using all the time
he spent walking thinking, it appears Sasuke's been wrong the entire time.
'No,' he thought. 'I've been purposely misled,' making Sasuke ask out, "what's next?" Itachi
pulls himself away from the hallway to meet his brother in the living room. "How are you
going to make them pay?"
"By them, you mean…"
"Konoha, of course," Sasuke hotly exclaims. "Just being here turns my stomach! Watching
them all, walk and talk without a care in the world while our clan was murdered in their
stead!"
Itachi seemed pensive for several moments before saying, "while there are those in the
village at fault, and they will pay one way or another, there are those who had nothing to do
with it. There are more variables to consider."
"What variables," Sasuke demanded, ripping off a piece of tape to keep the binding around
his ankle together. "can't you see this entire village is at fault!"
"And what would you do, weak as you are," Itachi bluntly, yet calmly pointed out. "You can't
even beat your teammate."
Quickly feeling angry and provoked, Sasuke returns, "n-neither could you!"
"I allowed him to defeat me because I wanted to discover what he knew," Itachi informed
him. "Though he's certainly strong, he's not without weakness." Sasuke sucked his teeth and
continued treating his various wounds. It's so much he considered visiting Sakura later. His
brother then told him, "I'll teach you Sasuke. I'll stay and we'll go over everything."
"Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Shimura Danzō," Sasuke irately
voiced. Itachi remained quiet as Sasuke added, "those are the names of the truly guilty. The
ones most directly responsible for the fall of our family and clan… they let me believe you
were… a monster."
"I am," Itachi expounds.
"Because they made you that way!" Sasuke couldn't help but yell back.
Shaking his head in clear disappointment, Itachi warns his younger brother, "throw away
your vengeance, Sasuke. It's not that I believe such a drive is useless, but, I can see it
clearly, it's not your strongest drive, thus, it will always fail you."
"What do you know-"
"I'm your brother," the older Uchiha interjects. "I know."
In the silence that follows, the quiet of their home only annoys Sasuke with memories of
louder, livelier times and he couldn't help demanding to know, "how can you just… don't you
feel anything?"
"Righteous anger will only hinder what we need to do, thus it is useless," Itachi flatly
denoted. "The only thing that matters to a man like me is results. As such, until our goals are
realized, I will do what needs to be done, even if that includes disassociating from my
emotions." Though Sasuke understood compartmentalization, he didn't think he could do so
when it came to the justice his family deserves.
"Get some rest," Itachi said. "Tomorrow we begin."
Chapter 452: Follow The Sun
KURENAI'S BEDROOM
After the meeting with Darui and Omoi from Kumogakure, where Naruto assured Tsunade
and Ji-chan he wanted to accept the Raikage's request, Naruto rushed to Kurenai's home—
chatting with Naru-nii along the way—and to her bed so he can finally sleep. His mission and
battles accumulated enough weariness and fatigue to enjoy sleeping the rest of the day and
night away, and by morning, he felt perfect again. He half-awoke when he felt the
temperature suddenly drop, as if someone pulled away the covers and a chill licked at his
skin. With slumbering eyes closed, a frustrated hand reaches out for the warmth to return,
only to grab hold and bring Kurenai's body back to his side.
"Naruto," Kurenai yelped in surprise, though, she doesn't fight him off from snuggling up to
her. A sound rings through the bedroom air and Kurenai forcibly extricates herself from his
greedy hands, finally waking him up enough to see the comfort he desired was her and not
her comforter. When she's out of bed, he wakes up further when he notes her thin, loose,
white tee and red silk short-shorts, showing off her long and toned legs. As the extremely
sexy sensei dons on a silk robe, covering her apple bottom, Naruto suddenly recalls he
hadn't had deep, dirty, or nasty sex in over a week. She leaves the blond ball of carnal
energy in her room to rush downstairs, and he grows excited by the second for her inevitable
return.
He senses she's talking to someone at the door, and two dreadfully long minutes later, she
returns to find Naruto leaning on the edge of the bed with a massive erection pointing to the
ceiling. He's as hard as steel and his feet immediately hone in on her like a famished bear
after sweet, sweet honey. The raven-haired beauty gasps in surprise before using her
footwork to maneuver out of the way, calling out, "wait! Wait!"
"If there's a mission, it can wait," Naruto proclaimed, using his own footwork to cut off her
evasion.
Gripping his hands and trying to evade his kiss-seeking lips, she quickly announces, "it was
Karin!" Naruto stills at the mention of his cousin. She can read the concern in his blue eyes
and assures him, "don't worry, she's fine. She wanted me to tell you your clan meeting starts
in three hours."
"Oh," Naruto hums, feeling good about remarking with a devilish smile, "so we have three
hours."
"Wait," she quickly protests. "She also wants me there; well, an hour after your meeting. She
wants to talk about the Omiai and what that means for your clan."
"Fine, fine," he hastens to say, leaning in to kiss her again.
Kurenai evaded as she continues to delay his passion to inform him, "I also… told her I'd
bring Temari, Ino, and Hinata, who's in her room right now, so no funny business until the girl
with eyes that can see through walls is no less than eight hundred meters away."
Like a kicked puppy, a wounded Naruto cries, "what!" Kurenai claps her hand over his mouth
before using her sense to check if Hinata had awoken. His arms wrap around her thin waist
while they wait and soon after they were sure she wasn't awake, Naruto begs with large wet
eyes, "she can see eight hundred meters away?"
Nodding, she answers, "which means we're well within her range." At Naruto's sudden
depression, Kurenai assures the cute blond, "it's only been a week, and she'll be returning to
the Hyūga tonight." Caressing his neck and chest, she moans, "come on, you can wait a
little longer, right?"
His face crinkles in pain, as if being kicked in the gut, before grumbling, "I guess."
Kurenai happily kisses his cheek before grabbing his hand and walking to her bed, voicing,
"besides, we need to talk."
She sits on the edge of the bed and crosses her legs as Naruto steps before her, his
erection still prominent. Gesturing down to his crotch, he asks, "what am I supposed to do
with this? Can't she see it right now if she wanted?"
Kurenai peers down at the thick, towering love-meat pitching out of his boxers in longing and
restrained desire. Feeling her resolve begin to crumble, she instead grabs the comforter and
pulls it back, telling him to, "here, sit." When he does, she quickly throws the comfy blanket
over his jutting erection, disappointing them both.
Shifting his legs wider to soothe the tight strain, Naruto bellows, "what happened?"
"As far as…"
"Hinata wanting to marry me," Naruto started. "You being cool with it? But more than
anything, why ask Hinata and Ino when you and I are already a couple? I mean… I'm
worried there's something bad I don't know about, but I get this is the first time we're talking,
so, I want to hear what you have to say."
Kurenai nodded her head as he spoke, then takes a few seconds to gather her response.
Tucking strands of her long ebony hair behind her ear, the beautiful woman looks him deep
in his sky-blue eyes before telling him, "first, I love you." Instantly, Naruto is fighting a smile
creeping on his face. Kurenai felt perfectly at ease to say it out loud and happy to see his
reaction. "I missed you," she added. "And welcome back."
"Thanks," a bashful and blushing Naruto spoke. As if a burdensome weight had been lifted
from his shoulders, he returns her warm gaze and replies, "I love you too."
He leans in and though Kurenai knows it's a risk with Hinata in the room down the hall, their
lips meet after far-to-many days away from each other. Radiating, yet tender, heat is the first
thing they register as their warm soft lips bond to one another, and soon afterward, fluffy
emotion fogs their brains so no thought could remain but how amazing this felt. Tilting their
heads, their kiss deepens and intensifies in a matter of seconds, however, the moment she
felt his hand caress the nape of her neck, the electric shudder that traveled up and down her
spine forced her to pull away with a wet suction.
They take a few calming breaths before Kurenai clears her throat and says, "later. Tonight…
tonight."
"Take a nap today," a very stirred-up Naruto suggested. "I don't know how much sleep you're
going to get tonight."
Chapter 453:
Inhaling deeply, Kurenai absentmindedly bit her lower lip, sitting up straighter with sheer
anticipation coursing through her at the thought. Shaking her head of stimulating thoughts,
Kurenai continues, "the, uh, reason… I didn't say anything to the Hokage about us was
because I wanted to make amends more than I wanted to be forthright."
"How come?"
Kurenai gazes into his eyes a moment before hesitantly revealing, "…I knew how Hinata felt
about you before we even met, let alone became intimate." Naruto quirks his brow as she
continues, "she cares about you deeply and for longer than I have. A part of me always felt
bad, like I was stealing something from you both; maybe a love that could've blossomed into
a happy marriage & family. It's not outside the realm of possibility even if it's unlikely. Not to
imply you're property to be stolen or anything," she added with a laughing scoff.
"It's just, I love her so much, and she loves you, and yet I was the one sleeping with you, her
sensei. I didn't want her to feel betrayed further when she heard about us and Omiai, even
though she still felt betrayed in the end anyway." Kurenai sighs before confessing, "I
suggested Hinata because for a long time now, I felt like I, as her sensei and pseudo-sister,
owed her a chance, if nothing else."
"…And she said yes," Naruto voices in slight awe. "Which still blows my mind."
"If you want to understand her feelings, you should talk to her more," Kurenai happily
suggested.
"Yeah. I'll do that," he mentions before asking, "and Ino? Why recommend her too?"
Huffing with a sense of awe, Kurenai points out, "that girl is a force of nature! I'm certain if I
didn't add her and she would've found out about the Omiai anyway and demanded to be
included." Naruto chuckles as Kurenai adds, "she said yes right away, literally as soon as
Sandaime-sama finished asking." Naruto laughs silently at the thought of the brazen girl.
"You like her, right?"
With flashes of fun times and lots of laughter, Naruto smiles fondly as he answered, "I do."
Kurenai simply nodded sternly, as if his acknowledgment confirmed what she already knew.
Hesitant to address an unnerving thought that's been nagging him since he and Kurenai
became an official couple, Naruto gently asks, "you did all of this, so I have to think you
approve… but are you really okay with this?" Scooching closer, making them bounce on the
bed a bit, he conveys, "I don't know a love like I know you, so even if I could care for the
other girls just as much as I care about you, I'm not there yet. If you said the word, I could
say no to all of this. I love the idea of a big family, but no matter what, you need to be in that
family… even if it's just you and me."
Kurenai was overcome with a pure fondness for the blond boy sitting next to her. Languidly,
her arms gently wrap around his neck as she leans in and takes his warm lips once again.
Their mouths fasten to one another as their heads tilt left and right for minutes, sucking in air
and making out desperately like it's been years since rather than days. At the taste of his
rough tongue entering her oral cavity, an aroused Kurenai pulls away again, visibly pained to
do so.
They're heaving and aroused for several long minutes before Kurenai conveys, "I needed to
hear that more than anything else."
"I just want to be honest," he sincerely admitted.
"Then let me be honest, too," Kurenai softly voiced back. "So long as I'm in your heart, I'll
always be in your life." Naruto smiled to hear her declaration. She then states, "And even if I
couldn't have predicted this situation in a million years, when I focus on Hinata also being
with the person she loves, I'm happy with that." Taking the opportunity to air out a concern of
hers, Kurenai asks, "do you have any idea how this might work? You, me, Hinata, Ino, and
Temari? I have some guesses, but nothing that completes a mission of this caliber."
Tilting his blond head to the side to consider her query, he answered, "I haven't really had a
lot of time to think about it, if I'm being honest. Mnnn, I guess I always pictured a team; doing
what we can to help each other out."
"Ninjas are raised with fanatical order and structure so that's understandable," Kurenai
articulates thoughtfully. "But for this kind of marriage? It would involve a hierarchy, which
would offer challenges since I don't think one wife would like to feel inferior to the other."
Thinking of how he hated feeling inferior to Sasuke, he nodded before acknowledging,
"makes sense." Without any real answers in mind, Naruto suggests, "maybe we should talk
to someone, like an expert or someone with experience. Every time I don't know something,
I just find someone who does."
"That's a pretty good idea," Kurenai noted. "For now, I have to get going. Our team has
training soon." Naruto's face warps into pained frustration and at his whining—like a cute
puppy—Kurenai replies, "tonight, Naruto. Tonight. I'll even clean my ass for you."
His face lit up, repeating with much more energy, "tonight, tonight!"
"Don't train too hard," she asked, suggesting, "save some energy for later."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Naruto assured her with fiercely determined eyes.
"See you at the meeting?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Kurenai assured him with a quick peck on the cheek before getting ready
for the day while Naruto fell back in bed with a flop, lamely waiting for his erection to
subside.
Chapter 454:
UZUSHIO
After Tsunade reassured him Kakashi-sensei would be fine, Naruto and four hundred clones
train for the next three hours on Mount Myōboku. He thought of the lush mountain when he
needed a river large enough for his hundreds of clones to comfortably train in, however, Pa
reminded him of the benefits of training in secrecy. So, while five clones were etching the
hiraishin marker into the metal handle of his kunais with a hammer and chisel, three hundred
were in the large river swimming against current using only their chakra to propel
themselves. The remaining ninety-five clones were practicing the Kuji-in chant his mother
taught him.
Unexpectedly, Naruto felt more and more at ease every time he repeated the chant, like an
old lullaby sung sweetly before bed. He tried to recall the hot, metallic feeling in his body
when his mother used the chains, but the chant amazed him. He always felt like he had
more energy than he knew what to do with but the chant felt like pouring water into words;
something akin to giving his chakra to the chant.
'It's weird… but weirdly comforting,' he thought before opening his eyes. Leaning back to
rest, the sun's position made him realize he was going to be late. He hopped high before
landing on his feet and ordered his clones to dispel a section at a time before being reverse-
summoned back to Konoha.
Popping out of a puff of white smoke in the middle of Konoha, the frantic blond rushed
through his village's bustling streets and avenues as fast as his chakra-filled legs would take
him, all the way to his Clan's established complex, Uzushio and waved to Tsunami-san,
Inari, and Konohamaru before sprinting up the wall of his apartment building.
In his barren home, Karin was tapping her feet waiting, prompting Naruto to give his cousin
the biggest smile and apology. Though slightly annoyed by his tardiness, she quickly forgave
him by shoving a folded article of clothing into his chest then turning the sweaty boy about
and pushing him toward the bathroom.
In the bathroom, Naruto unfolded what was actually a short robe; his clan's official black and
orange accented haori. He quickly took a fifty-second shower before lifting the soft, flowy
clan robe up to his shoulders and his eyes sparkled at the dream turning into a genuine
reality. He drooled at the carefully-stitched orange Uzumaki swirl on the back and over the
heart, and the Konoha leaf of the same color on the shoulder of the black haori. Naruto
cooed in unbridled joy as he delicately donned the black robe over his orange shirt and black
slacks, then meets Karin, Haku, and Jiraiya in his office.
It was the only room in their home that he's had a chance to secure with his best Fūin
security seals, and Jiraiya insisted having meetings in private was a good practice they
should get in the habit of. Naruto immediately notes that he only matched with Karin. Haku's
haori was navy-blue with orange accents & crests, and Jiraiya's was the same, only white
instead of blue. With a chakra-covered palm, Naruto activates the security Fūin seals of his
office while Karin explained the hierarchy to their haoris.
"Black and orange means relation by blood or marriage," Karin began. "Black because we'll
always mourn the near extinction of our clan. Orange because it's your favorite color and
you're the Head. Blue and orange will be for clan members not related by blood or
marriage-"
"But you know I don't care about stuff like that-" Naruto began, while Karin nodded.
However, Haku explained, "it was at my request."
"Why?"
"For distinction," Jiraiya answered. "Within the clan, we can all care for each other the same,
regardless of blood, marriage, or neither. Outside of the clan, it's like a badge of leadership
and responsibility. If- …excuse me, when this clan reaches large numbers once again, this
system will be very helpful in maintaining order and promoting respect."
With the exception of a desk, the room was as bare as the rest of the home leaving more
more than enough space for the four to gather around the only counter in the room. Placing
three hiraishin-etched kunai on the table, the ecstatic blond asks, "is ero-sennin's white
because of his hair?"
"No," Jiraiya caws back with an up-raised jaw. "It means the purity of my heart is
unblemished!"
Naruto only scoffed as Karin explained, "it's a different status."
Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto asks everyone, "please take a kunai. Underneath the
wrapping, I etched the hiraishin mark on it so I can teleport to you in case of danger. Or," he
began to say, creating a visible mark made of chakra on his palm. "If you want, I can mark
your chakra directly but it won't ever go away."
Tilting forward to eye him over her red-rimmed glasses, Karin asks in a serious tone, "you
promise to use it only in emergencies?"
"Oh, obviously," he assured her and she immediately stuck her palm out. Considering she
was nearly kidnapped by Root, Naruto was happy to place the receiving signal on her
outstretched hand. Haku also accepted the mark on his body while Jiraiya simply took a
kunai and slid it in his green kimono.
"Now that that's out of the way," Naruto begins. "Let's get down to business. I'm glad you're
all here for the first-ever official Uzumaki Clan meeting! It's going to be the first of many…
Wow… paving the way for the entire future of the Uzumaki clan… nuts."
Shaking her head good-naturedly, Karin grumbles, "Kami, help us." Naruto snorts a bit
before Karin voices, "as we all know, Naruto is the Clan Head. As Deputy Head, I'll be taking
the minutes." Very professionally, she takes out a pen and a scroll and is ready to do the
task.
Jiraiya asks the young ones, "do we have titles?"
Smiling, Karin answers, "you're listed in our official register as Clan Elder. It's also why your
haori is white. All clan elders will wear white."
The white-haired man smiled proudly at that until Naruto added with affection, "but you'll
always be our Ero-sennin."
He huffed, "shheeuut up! So disrespectful to your Clan Elder… Is that really what you want
to pass on to future generations?"
"Maybe if my Clan Elder would stop peeping on women," Naruto grumbles.
"It's research!"
"Moving on," Karin loudly interjected. Turning to the unnaturally beautiful boy, Karin
announces, "Haku may be wearing blue but he's an honorary member of the Uzumaki Clan,
and First Adviser!." Naruto starts clapping to which they all join in. "We can add levels too,
so different designs mean different ranks, or something," Karin finished.
"Naruto-sama, Karin-san," Haku voices with such mirth. "Thank you for allowing someone
like me, with my history, to be a part of your family and home. I can't say I've ever felt like
this before… Zabuza-sama truly is amazing."
"Hhaahhhh," Karin sounds, looking at the boy in confusion. "How's that?"
Chapter 455:
Haku softly replies, "if he hadn't ordered me to help bring Naruto-sama's dream to life, I can't
say I would've ever come across a feeling like this." None of the others are sure how to
respond, except they know they love Haku and his peculiarity.
Naruto shrugs and voices, "I'm just happy you're here."
"Same," Karin cheered.
Naruto turns to his red-haired cousin to ask, "now that we got our titles, what's next?"
Rather awkwardly, Karin clears her throat before she nervously voicing, "well… the first thing
I wanted to bring up… I propose our clan take out a bank loan."
Quirking his blond brow with confusion, the clan head asks, "how come?"
Karin takes out another scroll and lays it down next to her meeting's minutes. On the scroll
were their financials and she explains to the gathering, "it took all the money we had to buy
the property, titles, licenses, completely renovate the building, and add two more floors. The
little that's left can be saved for emergencies or used for some furnishings, but we certainly
can't afford new appliances like stoves and refrigerators. Tazuna-san and his men are
repairing and using the old ones for now, but many of them are extremely worn. Not to
mention, we don't have the nearly six million ryō to furnish our home."
"Six million," Naruto hollered. Karin nodded in response before her cousins settles to ask,
"so you want to borrow six million-"
"Nine million ryō, actually," Karin interjected, making Naruto whistle at the number. "It's better
to invest in new appliances in the beginning. Less problems later on," she explained. "Plus,
with our property and our Fūin businesses, we can pay it all back in ten years." At Naruto's
raised eyebrows, she quickly adds, "which sounds like a long time but it really isn't."
Not thrilled the financial news, but placidly accepting, Naruto hums, "well, if you think we
should, then that's what we'll do."
Scratching his jaw, Jiraiya closes his eyes and loudly hums, "hhhmmmm," intentionally
drawing everyone's attention. "What should I do? What should I do?" he asked himself. They
eye him curiously, as he voices to no one in particular, "it's true I haven't been around when I
probably should've, but money management is a good lesson for them to learn." After a five-
second pause, he claps the tabletop, then tells his young family, "ah, what the hell! There's
no shortage of lessons in life."
Perplexed by his Godfather's rambling, Naruto asks, "what are you talking about?"
However, Karin realizes right away. "He's going to give us money!"
Jiraiya tries to pacify their large feasting eyes, quickly putting up his large hands and
pumping them as he relays, "relax, relax. I'm only covering the cost of the new appliances
and half of your furnishings; so pick only the necessary rooms. We'll call it your belated
birthday presents… and graduation present… and promotion present, clan restoration
present, grand opening gift… hmm, what else can I tack on?"
"Holiday presents," Karin offers.
"Who cares," Naruto blurts with a wide grin. "Tack on whatever you want! We appreciate it,
Ero-sennin!"
Widening her crimson eyes wide with sudden recollection, Karin shoots up her hand and
calls out, "wait, wait, wait… would you be able to buy the property behind us instead?
Obviously, I'm only asking out of curiosity, but, a realtor came by and told me it's also on the
market. If we can buy that, we can expand our clan's estate."
Jiraiya doesn't flatly deny her query. He hums in deep thought, allowing them to raise their
hopes for a moment before answering, "well… despite my rather social lifestyle, I do make
far more than I spend." When he leans closer, as if to whisper something to them, they lean
closer as well. He then softly suggests, "I'd consider it… if my dear Godson finds it in his
heart to elaborate on the juicy parts I know he's leaving out!" Naruto drops his blond like a
sack of annoyed potatoes as Jiraiya declares, "this could very easily be the best series I've
ever written!"
In utter disbelief, Naruto turns to Karin and replies with absolute conviction, "I guess we're
going to have to go it alone."
"As your elder, I advise against that," Jiraiya quickly countered.
"That's so crooked," Naruto yelled. "What kind of elder are you!"
"Clearly the most enlightened one," Jiraiya happily asserted.
Karin turns to Haku and asks, "what does our adviser think?"
"Hmm," Haku hummed a moment before answering, "it wouldn't be a bad direction to take."
"AHAH!" Jiraiya cheered. "Another man of vision! I always liked you Haku."
"On the other hand," Haku continued. "Purchasing another property when we don't have to
funds or the source of fund to complete the current project may only add more complications
in the years to come."
"Like bitting more than we can chew," Naruto suggested, to which Haku nodded.
Sighing, Karin concedes by telling Jiraiya, "appliances and furnishing it is then."
Eying Haku with comically large eyes of betrayal and huffing in sadness, Jiraiya notes, "I can
see a great feud between Elders and Advisers, but fine!" With a deep breath, Jiraiya
continues onto another topic. "It's surely come to your attention now that the land whispers
to me. Too much of life is spent trapped indoors, so like the nomads of old, my manly feet
must hike far & wide to answer the call."
Mildly amused, Naruto deciphers his Godfather's talk by assuring him, "if you want to come
and go whenever you want, you can just say that."
"Whether you're coming or going, you're going to need a place to rest when your 'manly' feet
decide to stop," Karin tacks on. "What better place than Uzushio?"
"I suppose," Jiraiya gruffly admits. "At the very least, you can benefit from my network, which
should be easy for us," he said, motioning toward Naruto. "I'll send a toad periodically, let
you know what I'm doing, where I've been, what I've seen."
With concern, Karin asks the Elder, "you're not leaving before the grand opening are you?
Because you have to be here."
Chapter 456:
"Yeah," Naruto hotly insists. "You can't leave until you've partied with the clan!"
"I'll stay for the opening," the amused elder assured them. "But afterward, I'm off to gather
information."
Haku found this a proper moment to relay, "I've received word from Zabuza-sama," and
Naruto becomes giddy to learn about the mission he gave the Kiri-assassin. "He said they've
made contact with many of Yagura's forces. He's been at the center of a few skirmishes and
many have died. He seems quite happy. He'll send us a message when they've succeeded."
"…Uh, okay," Naruto politely replied, hoping there weren't too many deaths.
Anxious, Karin turns to her cousin to ask, "do you really have to go to Kiri?"
"Just for a little," he begrudgingly answered, however, he was quick to reassure her. "Once I
finish talking with Yagura and the three-tails, I'll come right back. Promise."
The red-headed Uzumaki was not happy to hear as much, but replies, "…Fine, but I'm
noting on here that I don't like it. Moving on from plans that could get you killed, we've
already started receiving applications to lease our commercial and living spaces."
Giddy by the news, Naruto quickly asks, "what about Teuchi-jichan? Did he say he'd come
over?"
Karin winced a little before delicately answering, "sorry, he decided not to relocate. However,
he did say he'd be happy to open a second location here with Ayame-san running it."
"Oh… well, that's good too," Naruto reasoned with an accepting nod. "So long as they know
the Uzumaki clan will always support them."
Smiling, Karin assures her noodle-loving leader, "they know."
Haku informs the group, "I've convinced Tenten-chan that moving her home and business
here would be more cost-effective than where she lives now."
With evident concern, Naruto asks, "is she doing alright?"
"Well enough," Haku laments. "Even with my help, managing the store and home is a lot for
one person who's also active military. I explained if she came here, the Uzumaki Clan could
potentially offer her more than her current circumstance."
"Yeah, sure," Naruto quickly asserts, before turning to Karin. "Can we offer discounts to
shinobi?"
"Yes," Karin hesitates to answer before adding, "but I also want to have regular civilians stay
here as well. Not to wish any ill omen on anyone, but, a ninja's life is fairly dangerous when
compared to that of a civilian."
"Makes sense," Jiraiya touts. "If you're born, you'll die eventually, but if you become a ninja,
dying tends to happen much quicker. Field operatives can't even sign yearly leases since
they spend most of their deployment post-hopping around the country's borders."
"We won't discriminate or enforce a hard line," Karin assured everyone. "I just think having
some civilians would be good too."
Looking down at Karin's financial notes, Naruto asks, "how much space do we have?"
Karin points down on her notes as she answers, "we can accommodate four moderate-sized
businesses or a combination of six different-sized businesses. The Ramen stand, Ten Out of
Ten-"
"I'll also be supplying my herbal medicines from Tenten's shop," Haku affirmed, adding, "no
sense in wasting space."
Karin continues recounting along with her fingers, "Ichikaru's, Ten Out of Ten, our Uzu-Fūin
company will also double as the leasing office. That's three small spaces and one large, so,
depending on size of applicants, we can accept two or three more businesses. As for
residential space—floor's two through five—that's thirty units total; four 2LDK's, ten LDK's,
and sixteen studios."
At the aggravating memories of paying rent every month since he was six, Naruto hotly
proclaims, "as long as they're cheap, I don't care."
"You should care," Karin resolutely informed him before thoroughly explaining herself. "You
should care a lot. If we rent out apartments at, let's say, ten percent below market value, it'll
only attract cheap-minded people. I'm not saying we should over-charge, but, a renovated
apartment complex at the price range of other apartments in the same district is already a
steal. I actually think we should charge ten percent more."
Naruto focused on, "more?"
His cousin nodded before detailing, "I want to stimulate growth in Wood district and the most
effective way of doing that is by stimulating this section of Konoha's economy. If we have
clean homes and nice stores that attract a lot of business, it'll attract more traffic. With more
traffic, we'll need more police presence, which also means crime goes down. A safer,
cleaner, neighborhood promotes appreciation, pride, and more importantly, growth. Naturally,
other businesses will want to set their product, their restaurants, their services up in this area
as well, which will bring more people, more opportunity, and before you know it, our district
will be just as lively as main street." The three remained quiet, in awe of her unexpected
thoughtfulness. Clearing her throat, Karin assures her cousin, "we can still offer discounts to
those who serve. More shinobi here will help maintain order and safety in the area."
"You really know your stuff," the thoroughly impressed Naruto happily shared with his cousin.
Mildly pleased, she shrugs before Naruto gratefully states, "let's do it that way then. And you
can teach me some of the practical ways I can help." He suddenly recalls. "That reminds
me! I learned this super cool Uzumaki technique I have to teach you! I can teach you guys
too, but it only works with Uzumakis."
Confused, Jiraiya asks the blond, "a blood-limit?"
Seesawing his blond head like a mixture of yes and no, Naruto answers him, "yeah, but not
like a typical kekkei genkai. It's more like a chant and even among Uzumaki, only a few can
use it." Turning to Karin, he happily informs her, "Kaa-chan called it Kongō Fūsa, or
Adamantine Sealing chains."
With a swift trip through memory lane, Jiraiya abruptly stands as he voices, "well, that's my
cue to leave."
Confused, Naruto holds up his palm as he asks the standing man, "wait, what? Why?"
"I heard Kushina mention her chains before," he began. "She made it abundantly clear they
were a clan secret only Uzumakis are allowed to know of."
With much more grace, Haku stands from his seat, prompting Naruto to assure his best
friend, "you don't have to leave."
"I know," Haku affirmed. "But even if I don't have to, I want to respect your mother's customs
and wishes. Apart from that, it's unlikely I'd be able to learn it anyway." Turning to the
Fūinjutsu-tinted window, Haku tells them before exiting the relatively bare room, "I'll go
prepare for the others. They should be arriving in half an hour and I'm not sure we'll have
enough chairs for everyone."
Chapter 457:
After Haku's exit, Jiraiya encourages the dutiful blond, "don't save for tomorrow what can be
done today. You two go ahead and talk. I mean, how often have you been able to spend time
together without a mission or invasion getting in the way?" He smacks his Godson's
shoulder lie it's a travesty as he adds, "I wouldn't be surprised if you've spent more time with
me than your own cousin."
"…Yeah," Naruto weakly grumbled.
"There you go," Jiraiya voiced before waving them goodbye and exiting the secure room.
Realizing the truth in Jiraiya's words, Naruto turns to his cousin and sincerely expresses,
"sorry."
Shaking her head, she quickly assures him, "no, hey, it's okay. I know you have a lot of
responsibilities that keep you busy."
"That's no excuse," Naruto said more to himself than her. "Especially for someone who can
make clones of himself."
Leaning forward to look him deeply in his eyes, Karin confessed from her heart, "Naruto, it's
more than enough that you've given me a place to call home, a bed to sleep in, food to
nourish me, and no one here takes advantage of my ability because you stood up for me."
He silently heard her words and she smiles as she adds, "on top of that, I wake up every
morning with real purpose. What more could I ask for?"
Smiling a bit himself, Naruto admits, "it sounds nice when you put it that way." However,
taking accountability, the blond purports, "still, I should be around more. You're my family
and I want the best for you."
"Spoken like a true Clan Head," she replied, smiling more broadly. He returns her warm
smile before she voices, "if you really want the best for me, how about starting with the
Adamantine chains. I think I remember Okaa-san mentioning it once before. Since she
couldn't do it, I assumed I couldn't either and let it slip my mind."
Recalling fondly the feeling of chains erupting from his body and holding Kurama down,
Naruto boasts happily, "I've seen it in action and it's pretty freakin' amazing!" Tapping his
chin with his finger, he mumbles, "let's see, how did Kaa-chan explain it…"
Raising one hand in confusion while the other rubs the bridge of her nose—momentarily
displacing her glasses—a confused Karin begs to know, "uh, I feel like we're getting off on
the wrong foot. How'd you see the chains? And more importantly, how'd you meet your
mother? I thought she was…"
"Oh, yeah, she is," he somberly answered. Clearing his throat, he explains, "tou-chan and
kaa-chan sealed some of their chakra in me before they died, and during the mission, I got
to meet her; in my head. She used the chains to hold back the Kyūbi inside me."
"Wow," Karin hummed. "That's top-tier Fūinjutsu."
"You know it," he confidently asserted. "The first thing to know, Adamantine chains use both
our chakra and life energies, which is where we lucked out since Uzumakis tend to have
unnaturally strong life-force."
"Does this technique shorten our lifespan?"
"Not sure," he bluntly answered. "But if it did, I'm sure Kaa-chan would've mentioned that."
Absent any confirmation one way or another, Karin simply speculates, "maybe that's the
reason we tend to have longer lives? Like, constant practice and use strengthens our life
force?"
"Maaaaaybe," he queerly sounds with a scrunched facial expression. She shrugs before he
continues. "Kaa-chan explained that our physical form is like a natural Fūin seal for our
chakra, and like any seal, Fūin-specific hand seals are the characters used to harness the
life-energy within us. It's called Kuji-in, or the Nine Seals." Chuckling, Naruto voiced, "Kaa-
chan was sure this would be a lost art, but after I tell you and any other Uzumaki we find, it
won't be lost anymore, huh."
"That's the purpose I was talking about," Karin sincerely professed. "Bringing our clan back
from the brink of extinction feels incredibly meaningful. Not that we should dwell on the past,
or anything, but our history is a long one and that massacre is a big part of that. I mean, we
don't even know details of who or why. I just think it's practically criminal to ignore it and
move on as if our parent's home never mattered-"
"Like it's fine if we forgot them," Naruto strongly corroborated. "I mean, what kind son would I
be if I inherited all of my parent's cool jutsu without even bothering to learn anything about
them or the family history, or our native village? It's kinda cold-hearted."
"Agreed," Karin hummed. "'Out of sight, out of mind until-I-need-a-technique-from-them,' just
feels disrespectful." Considering another angle, Karin tilted her head back in thought before
asking, "did your mother mention if the Adamantine chains was something they could
evaluate, or was it a surprise to the family every time it happened?"
"Nope. I have no clue," an equally dissatisfied Naruto replied. "She did say I should go back
to Uzushiogakure, though. There are probably some bunkers with scrolls and stuff only
Uzumaki can access. We might learn more if we check."
"Definitely planning that trip," Karin adamantly asserted before writing that down in the
minutes. She then assures him, "as soon as things settle down, of course."
Naruto continues, "Kuji-in, or the Nine Seals, is a nine-word prayer you say in your head. It's
meant to give form to your chakra-mixed life force, exactly like how Fūinjutsu characters give
direction to chakra. I remember how it felt when mom used it, so at least I can explain how it
should feel."
"That'll be helpful," the redhead remarks. "How do the seals go?"
Facing her properly, Naruto brings his hands to his sternum as he explains, "like this; Rin,"
he said, showing her the appropriate hand seal for Rin. Karin mimics him before he
continues. "Hyuo… Tou… Sha… Kai… Jin… Retsu… Zai… and Zen," he finished, displaying
all of the Kuji-in hand-seals to her.
They repeat the seals a dozen times, getting quicker with every set and he wonders if she
also feels the pleasant serenity. Observing his redheaded cousin, Naruto was happy to see
how easily Karin seemed to pick up the movements without making mistakes. He recalled it
took him a few times to get it right, however, at the time, talking to his mother felt much more
important. At the fond memory of his flaming red-haired mother smiling proudly as she
taught him their family jutsu, Naruto's whiskered cheeks spread with a gentle smile, and his
eyes prickled with moisture.
Chapter 458:
Taking a deep breath to settle the melancholy taking hold of his woeful heart, he moves on
to explain, "the uh… hand seals translate to, 'May All Those Who Preside Over Warriors Be
My Vanguard.' She said the chant harmonizes your chakra & life force, focusing them into
protective sealing chains, and that the properties of the chain can differ from person to
person since one person can have a different interpretation of the word protection than
another. She mentioned there were only a dozen Uzumaki in the clan who could use the
chains, and apparently, none of them did the exact same thing."
"Mnnn," Karin hums in deep thought. "Makes sense. Do you know what some of them can
do?"
Tilting his head to carefully recall his mother's remarks about past users, he replies, "they
were all great for sealing—Kaa-chan's, in particular, was great for restraining Bijū chakra—
but there was an Uzumaki whose chain was awesome for healing. Another Uzumaki could
cancel ninjutsu, one could absorb chakra, one was great for tracking, and another amplified
the effect of their genjutsu."
With supreme focus on her face, Karin repeats, "all of these extra abilities can be seen as
protection… which is why they vary from Uzumaki to Uzumaki since it depends on what they
believe will best protect them." When a funny thought popped into her engrossed mind,
Karin smirks broadly as she jests, "I bet my chains'll just pop out more Narutos. 'Go forth,
Naruto-sama! And protect your gorgeous cousin!'" Naruto bursts out laughing and she joins
for several long and merry moments. Karin chuckles out, "ultimate protection!" They laugh
together for minutes, winding themselves before they call their first family meeting to an end.
The chuckling Uzumakis exit his bare office to the unfurnished living room, empty hallway,
and exit their bland apartment. They take the elevator down to the lobby to meet the
attendees of the second portion of their first clan meeting. At the sight of the group ahead of
them, Naruto suddenly recalls with teeth-sucking dread something he said he'd do but only
just remembered. and quickly turns around to Karin.
Quickly turning around, he whispered to his cousin so the others wouldn't hear, "I forgot to
mention! We definitely need to honor Kurenai and Ino's family! Without them, it would've
taken us a lot longer to get to this point." Haku, Hinata, Kurenai, Ino, Temari, Gaara, and
Kankurō all watch on as Karin nods and writes in her notepad.
"Way ahead of you," she said. "For the Yamanaka clan, I was thinking of putting their crest
somewhere on our haoris, with their permission, of course." Straightening his black and
orange haori, Naruto nods with keen approval. "For Kurenai-sensei, I can't think of anything
perfect but we can brainstorm when they're not waiting on us!"
"Right," Naruto nodded before turning and greeting the group with his usual gusto.
Noting Kurenai's approving smirk, Naruto enjoyed approaching them in his official black and
orange Uzumaki haori. Only then did he come to understand that the seven people standing
in front of him are very much like the family he's found in life. He couldn't have a family upon
his birth, but the people around him love him… and he couldn't help but grin broadly. So
thrilled to be surrounded by family and future family members, he couldn't even trust his
voice to talk properly. Imagining his parents looking down on him, Naruto barely restrains the
tears of happiness about to burst from his eyes and waves with full swings for everyone to
follow him.
The residential elevator couldn't comfortably accommodate more than eight, but since
Naruto has a hiraishin marker in his office, he tells them, "ah, uh, everyone get in and I'll just
meet you upstairs."
"Actually, Uzumaki-dono," Kurenai softly interjects, drawing everyone's attention. Hearing
her use honorifics with his last name made Naruto grin so broadly his cheeks hurt. However,
he focuses on her as she bids, "I know this is your meeting, but I was hoping Hinata, Ino,
Temari, and I can have a quick word in private before we start."
A dead-eyed Gaara coldly asks the adult, "to what end?" Crossing his arms, he gravely
adds, "what are your intention with my sister," and even without his sand gourd, the blood-
redhead can be quite intimidating.
Without flinching, Kurenai nodded before answering the Kazekage's son, "we'll be
discussing pertinent details of the Omiai. If you don't mind hearing about her marriage,
you're welcome to join."
"He does mind, actually," Temari quickly answered for him, turning to her youngest brother
and emphasize her point with a sharp gaze. "I want to talk with them as well. I've gotten a
few reports but nothing more than a line or two of what's been going on." Turning to Naruto,
she voices with a small smile, "I heard you were on a mission. I never got a chance to
welcome you back."
"Thanks," the blond returns with his trademark smile before telling Kurenai, "I'm cool with
that." Shoulder-bumping Gaara cheerfully, Naruto tells the group, "I can show the boys
around while you talk. Let's pick this up in an hour."
Stepping onto the elevator with the ladies, Karin casually remarks, "I guess I'll go with them."
When Kurenai turns curiously to the pretty redhead, Karin readjusts her glasses as she
responds, "what? I'm his blood and Deputy Head," to which Kurenai nods acceptingly in the
face of truth.
After hearing the lobby's door open and close behind them, the inquisitive sound of
"Naruto?" draws everyone's attention. Sakura watches the girls in the elevator—easily noting
Ino in the square space—and the boys outside of it before the elevator doors slide together
with a ding.
Turning to his teammate, he rushes up to her with a greeting wave before asking, "hey,
what's up?"
Watching the closed elevator doors for a moment, the pink-haired kunoichi slowly answers,
"…I was hoping we can talk."
"Uh, yeah," he agrees. He waves to the men, calling out, "come on!"
Chapter 459:
NARUTO
Under Konoha's typically warm sunny day, Naruto and Sakura trail several paces behind
Haku, Gaara, and Kankurō as they walk around the shoddy neighborhood of Wood District.
Speaking with his teammate in private, Naruto also has the opportunity to view his
neighborhood in a new light. Whereas before, he'd only ever rush through the destitute
district to begin his training. Now, he's looking around the downtrodden neighborhood for
opportunities he and his clan can help with. He's sad to note his neighborhood isn't lacking
in opportunities.
Most of the businesses were dirty, faded, cracked, and or blanketed with graffiti with litter
peppering the base of most buildings. The villagers listlessly meandering the streets wore
either dirty, wrinkled, or ill-suited clothes. Around them, boisterous groups of children or
adults loiter on every slum-like street. Almost every electrical pole had a myriad of bird
droppings. Wild cats, dogs, and smelly garbage were in every alley and the smell in the air
was like inhaling the hairy armpit of a hobo who hasn't showered in months.
This was the area his family would be living in, and with Karin's words in his mind, Naruto
suddenly felt driven to do anything he can to develop the area for the better. However,
realizing his teammate has been quiet for some time, seemingly also deep in thought,
Naruto asks, "so what's up?"
The question shook her into the present, causing her to voice, "…huh? Oh, sorry. I just…"
When his question sunk in, she shakes her head before answering, "it didn't feel real—you
getting married—to multiple women… not until I saw them."
Certain he hadn't told her yet, a curious Naruto asks, "how'd you hear?"
"Ino told me last night," she revealed.
"Oh," the blond hummed in acceptance. Nodding, he shares, "yeah, it's pretty nuts, but you
know I've always wanted a big family."
"When people say that, it usually means they want a lot of kids," Sakura denotes in sheer
disbelief. "Not multiple wives."
Shrugging, Naruto notes, "I mean, there'll probably be kids too-"
"Kami, stop," Sakura called out loud enough to turn Haku and Kankurōs head up ahead.
"Hearing something so grownup coming out of your mouth is just too much! I'm not mentally
prepared!"
Chuckling, an amused Naruto simply asks, "what's up? Why'd you come over?" Pointing
behind him, he innocently inquires, "unless you're here to join?" Her silky-pink head snaps to
him in deep shock, and at the robust blush coursing up her neck and cheeks, he quickly
clarified, "the meeting! I mean, did ya wanna join the meeting?"
Able to inhale once again, Sakura's heavy blush recedes as she nods deeply and answers,
"n-no… no. I, uh, actually came because of Sasuke."
Piqued at the name, he asks, "what about him?"
The reason for her visit seems to sober her up of all levity or invitations and she claims with
serious intent, "I think he's in trouble." Naruto listens closely as she relays, "he came looking
for me this morning. He had a lot of injuries and wanted me to heal him. It took me over an
hour to treat most of them."
Concerned, Naruto's brows draw together as he asks, "what happened?"
Slightly dejected, she answers, "he wouldn't tell me. After I patched him up, he said to mind
my own business, made me promise not to tell anyone, and then he left."
"Friendly as ever," Naruto mumbled loud enough for Sakura to hear, though she just shakes
her head of it. He then tells her, "I'll go talk to him."
"I'm coming too," she interjects.
His face crinkles into an expression of regretful apology before speaking, "I don't know,
Sakura. He wouldn't tell you when you guys were alone. I don't think he'd tell me if you were
there."
Feeling offended, she hotly returns, "why would he talk to you more than me?"
"Cuz I have no problem kicking his ass to get him talking," Naruto easily answered.
"I can beat him up too," Sakura harshly vented. Naruto's expressive face squints, eying her
kindly as if waiting for her to see reason without pointing out the obvious to her. Though it
took a few seconds, Sakura eventually sighs and slumps her shoulders before sadly
asserting, "fine, maybe not! But I can't just do nothing! He's my teammate, too! We're team
7." Glumly, she confesses, "I just don't want to end up being the useless teammate."
"Wha- hey, you're not useless! Don't even say that," he quickly balks back, hating it when
she loses confidence in herself. "You're getting better! Everyday! It's just, well, in this case,
there are some things guys are better at handling themselves. I mean, I'd totally come to you
about medical stuff."
Rolling her eyes at the pity wafting from him, she flatly asks, "why bother when you heal
from practically anything overnight?"
"…Well," he mumbled without finishing.
"It's okay," a sullen Sakura assures him with a sigh. "I know I don't have a lot to offer-"
"That's not true," he vehemently disputes. And like a ton of bricks, an idea Naru-nii had
mentioned hits his mind, lending conviction to his voice when he asserts, "there is
something that can make you just as strong as us! Something only you can do!"
Sakura looks at him suspiciously for a moment before informing her blond teammate, "I train
nearly every waking hour of the day. What more could I possibly do to get to your level?"
Smirking, he happily answers, "easy. First, you need to get Tsunade-baachan to accept you
as her apprentice. She has some pretty wicked moves she could teach you, but, there's one
jutsu she has that you absolutely need to learn. It lets her heal from any physical damage
she takes almost instantly! I don't know the details, but I'm sure it has something to do with
that purple mark on her forehead."
Realizing he's serious, Sakura slowly asks the most important question. "But… why would
she accept me?"
"Why wouldn't she," the blond casually returned, stunning the pretty pinkette into thoughtful
silence. He then adds, "things are going to get a lot worse, Sakura; for all of us, not just
Konoha. I want us to be ready for what's coming, so we need to get back to work and train
our asses off."
Curious by the ominous assertion, Sakura bids to know, "what does that mean?"
Shaking his head, he answers, "it's hush-hush right now, but I'll explain later."
Doubtful of that, she attests, "oh? Will you? Like how you were going to explain getting
married? To multiple girls? My Ino included!" Frustration mixed with disbelief has her grip
her head with both hands and mush her skin like a rough massage. "Kami, help me! I can't
believe you're getting married…"
Eying her suspiciously, he remarks, "you're acting really weird about this."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein