At The Uchiha District; Two Hours Later)
Sasuke was sitting at the entrance of his late clan's empty estate. He was thinking long and hard about everything Hinata told him. Despite everything Sasuke told her about Naruto's perverted girl-crazy character, Hinata still found things good about Naruto, and in the end she still chose Naruto over him.
Why would Hinata choose to be with that pervert? She could do so much better with me, an Uchiha with more dignity and a better reputation in the village. She said she loves Naruto and claims that Naruto loves her. How could she believe that despite knowing what he does so openly? What kind of misleading lies did Naruto get Hinata to buy into? Sasuke wondered. He only got angrier and more frustrated the more he thought about it.
A moment later, though, Hinata's words about Naruto came back to mind, 'I'm the only one who truly knows Naruto-kun. Everyone else knows what he wants them to know…You don't know Naruto-kun as well as you think.'
"I don't know the dobe as well as I think she says," Sasuke wondered aloud. After Sasuke calmed himself down, he thought about what she said in correlation with recent events that transpired during their mission journeying to Nami no Kuni, and their experience while they were there. Sasuke was giving Hinata's words serious thought, especially when new unexplained information about Naruto surfaced that Naruto himself refused to explain, even to Kakashi. And speaking of Kakashi, he and no doubt others evidently know something about Naruto's red chakra, but are forced to keep it under wraps by orders of the Hokage.
"Naruto graduated as the dead last of our class. Yet Hinata says that the dobe helped her become stronger, smarter and faster than before. He beat Haku, stopped Kakashi from killing both Zabuza and Haku, and then Sakura and Kakashi both witnessed Naruto wipe out Gatō's entire army in seconds before feeding Gatō to the sharks. He basically completed the mission on his own while I was unconscious."
Hearing those words come out of his own mouth left a nasty aftertaste. As the Rookie of the Year, Sasuke felt insulted and undermined. He balled his fists tightly as anger began eating him up.
"How could this be? How could Naruto have grown this strong while I was left in the dust? Who the hell was secretly teaching and training him?" Sasuke growled out loud to no one in particular. After taking a moment to calm down, Sasuke sought to contemplate the situation and figure out where he could have gone wrong in his battle to prevent Naruto from surpassing him.
"I better start finding ways of keeping tabs on Naruto and whoever is teaching him," Sasuke decided as he got up and walked into the empty Uchiha District.
As he entered, Sasuke muttered to himself, "Hinata said that she improved in her skills and knowledge, and is better than she was before. I also recall that the dobe mentioned that all of the females in the Hyuuga Clan are expected to learn how to cook and take care of a household. Those factors, combined with her coming from a noble clan that has a powerful bloodline limit, and being very pretty and knowing she will only grow more beautiful as she grows older, simply put, make her the only woman capable of becoming a proper wife to me, and matriarch to the revived Uchiha Clan.
"My only problem is Naruto, who has a firm grip on Hinata. I don't know how long it'll take me to get Hinata to dump and leave Naruto after she sees him for what really he is, but I'm sure with some patience it can done."
(Much Later The Evening)
Naruto and Honoka were making their way from the Hyuuga Compound over to where Naruto lives. For Honoka, it was a pleasant experience being a guest there and being entertained by both the clan heiress and her younger sister. Hiashi later came by and introduced himself while making himself known as both the clan leader and the girls' father. Honoka politely introduced herself as Naruto's new older sister regardless of their relations as distant cousins.
In their discussion, Honoka inquired of their compound's architecture and how it was evident that the Uzumaki Clan had a hand in the compound's design and construction. Hiashi admitted to that truth and explained that the Uzumaki's craftsman skills were favored by their ancestors. However, when the hierarchy of the council decreed that the history of the Uzumaki would be removed from their village's history books, that also meant that Hiashi wasn't allowed to openly discuss such information with his daughters. He also mentioned that his late wife vehemently objected to this, wanting both Hinata and Hanabi to learn everything about their heritage and legacy and how the Uzumaki had a hand in it. He explained that with the Hokage being overruled there wasn't much that the Hokage or Hiashi alone could do.
Naruto saw how so much was denied and stolen from him over the years and how the hierarchy was allowed to get away with it. Naruto and Honoka were planning to change that.
After another twenty-seven minutes, the two Uzumaki reached their destination. Honoka looked at the building complex Naruto lived in and needless to say, she wasn't too thrilled about it, considering that it was located in the slums of the village.
"This is where you live, Naruto-kun?" Honoka asked.
"Yeah. I'm sorry it's not the ideal living area, but I make do with what I have. I know from the outside it doesn't look like much, but inside is another story," Naruto replied.
"This, I have to see," Honoka remarked as she followed Naruto into the building complex and upstairs to his apartment. Reaching his door, Naruto unlocked and opened the door. Turning on the lights, Naruto allowed Honoka access into his apartment. The female Uzumaki entered Naruto's place and was surprised at how clean and nicely decorated it was.
"I must say, I'm surprised at how your place looks, Naruto-kun! It even has a feminine appeal to it, and that's saying something!" Honoka marveled as she and Naruto walked inside before closing and locking the door behind them.
"Hinata-chan helped me clean and decorate the place. Sometimes she likes to go out of her way to redecorate the place with new ornaments, curtains, rugs, perfumed candles, and other such things. Sometimes I get the impression that she lives here," Naruto joked with a smile as he removed his jacket, forehead protector and sandals, placing his jacket and forehead protector on the coat rack by the entrance.
"She might as well, considering how lovely she made the place look. I was honestly expecting the place to look completely masculine and truthfully, messy. I must say your girlfriend is very good at keeping a home looking comfortable," Honoka remarked.
"It's something I've grown used to since she has access to the apartment. Now that makes three people who will be coming and going from here on a regular basis. I'll give you a spare key I keep around. And since jiisan wasn't able to get us a bigger place yet, I'll let you have my bed while I take the couch," Naruto suggested.
Honoka asked, "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to impose-"
"You slept in the woods under dew drops with your animal friends for how many weeks Honoka-nee? I know you like nature and stuff, but treat yourself to a warm comfortable bed for once," Naruto remarked. Honoka snorted and stuck her tongue out at Naruto.
"That's not very lady like Honoka-nee," Naruto joked.
"Oh be quiet. Before I turn in I could use a nice shower. Where's your bathroom?" Honoka inquired. Naruto pointed to where his bathroom was.
"There are two clean extra towels hanging on the rack. Feel free to take and use one of them," Naruto offered.
"Thanks," Honoka said as she turned and made her way to the bathroom. Going inside, she closed and locked the door behind her. Minutes later, Naruto heard the sounds of the showers being opened and used. As Naruto was about to go about his business, a realization struck him.
Oh Crap! I've got an actual woman living with me now, and taking a shower in my bathroom! And nothing I have will fit her in terms of sleeping attire! Naruto acknowledged. Understanding the weight of the situation made Naruto blush deeply while trying to keep his perverted nature in check. He summoned several kage bunshin and instructed them to find an open clothes store. The clones hurried out to carry out their instructions while Naruto himself went to look through his closet and drawers to see if he had anything that would prove useful.
After a good amount of time spent searching through his things, he really didn't come across much that would suit Honoka. He found a button-up T-shirt and a pair of clean shorts he hadn't worn in a while. Soon, his clones started to dispel, giving him the information and experience of their search. From what he saw, they all reached the same conclusion.
"A dead end. Looks like Honoka-nee is stuck with what I got," Naruto concluded before hearing the shower in his bathroom being turned off. After a few minutes, Honoka stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel around her nude body. Her once-braided long red hair now flowed freely down her back, and it showed signs that it was still wet. Though the towel was enough to cover her body, it still revealed her pleasantly shaped and toned figure.
"Aaaaahh! Now that hit the spot!" Honoka exclaimed happily as she walked out of the bathroom. Naruto blushed deeply as he fought down a perverted giggle that wanted to escape his mouth.
I can't believe I have a naked woman in my apartment! Sister figure or not, she's hot! What's even better is that I didn't need to go to the bathhouse to see one! One just came out of my bathroom! This'll take some getting used to! Naruto screamed in his head as he looked at Honoka approaching him. She saw the blush on his face and the look he was giving her.
"You're not having naughty thoughts of me, are you Naruto-kun?" Honoka asked knowingly.
"No, no! Why I would never!" Naruto lied before quickly changing the subject, "I found some clothes for you. They'll have to do until we can do some clothes shopping for you tomorrow. They're in the room on my bed."
"Thank you," Honoka said as she walked into Naruto's bedroom and closed the door behind her. Naruto sighed in relief, happy that he was able to keep his perverted nature in check.
This will definitely take some getting used to, if that's even possible, Naruto thought. He then decided to take the time to fix his couch with some blankets and pillows he kept in another closet so that the couch would be ready for him to sleep on. By the time Naruto was done, the door opened to reveal Honoka wearing Naruto's button-up T-shirt and shorts. The problem was as Naruto expected: the clothes didn't fit her right. In fact they were tight and the T-shirt couldn't fully close as one button was holding the shirt closed, thus revealing her navel and part of her breasts which were showing though the shirt. As for the shorts, they squeezed up against her showing more of her figure than it should.
The dark blush on Naruto's face appeared once again as he stifled a laugh that was begging to come out of his mouth after seeing Honoka's situation.
"You think this is funny!?" Honoka grumbled indignantly.
"Actually I think it's rather cute. My loving Honoka-nee looking so adorable wearing clothes I so lovingly provided for her. Despite the circumstances with the difference in size, she was willing to wear the clothes given to her for the sake of showing her little brother how much she cares about his feelings. You're right Honoka-nee, you're very much like Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan, that's why I love'em so much," Naruto teased before he burst out laughing. Honoka's right eye twitched after listening to the implications of Naruto's words.
"C'mere Naruto-kun," Honoka said with a deceptively sweet tone before she chased him about the apartment, "I'll show you my feelings!"
"You've shown me enough!" Naruto yelled before he was tackled to the ground via chakra chains that Honoka used to wrap around his legs, arms, and waist. She pulled him over to her and held him upside down.
"Anything you like to say," Honoka asked with a cold stare.
"Yeah…See'ya in the morning," a voice replied from behind her. Before she knew it, Naruto appeared behind her and hit a certain spot on her neck with his index finger, effectively knocking her unconscious. The chakra chains, as a result, dispelled, released the kage bunshin it bound upside down as Naruto caught and carried Honoka's now sleeping form bridal style.
"I bet she'll be upset in the morning," the clone said.
"After some good sleep I'm sure she'll come to forgive me," Naruto replied as a he carried and brought Honoka to his room. He gently laid her down and placed his blanket over her. He dismissed his clone and closed the bedroom door as he exited it. He then did a smokeless shunshin and teleported from his apartment and to another location.
(Meanwhile)
Hanabi, dressed in her sleeping kimono, was in her bedroom standing in front of her mirror brushing her hair. Like every young girl and woman, she took a lot of pride in her hair and always groomed and took care of it. She set her brush down on the dresser and…
"I believe I told you once that kunoichi worry more about their skills and crafts than their hair being neatly brushed, my Little Nighttime Firecracker," a voice spoke.
Hanabi turned to see Naruto in her room again. Only this time now he didn't have on his sandals, head protector and jacket but his orange pants and black T-shirt.
"Naruto-kun," Hanabi greeted, "What brings you here?"
"Honoka-nee got a little moody and was in need of some rest. So I felt like checking up on you," Naruto said.
"You already did that earlier today," Hanabi replied.
Naruto clarified, "No, I came to introduce Honoka-nee to you and everyone else earlier. Now I'm here to see what my Little Nighttime Firecracker has been up to recently."
"Not much, really. I recall you telling Neesan and me about your mission in Nami no Kuni where you found Honoka-san and how you and your team completed the mission," Hanabi said.
"We did," Naruto confirmed.
"Well Naruto-kun, since you were away in a foreign country…did you get me anything?" Hanabi asked with hope in her tone. Naruto raised his right eyebrow and looked at Hanabi quizzically.
"I returned from a foreign country I journeyed to on a dangerous mission, and all you're thinking about is if I brought you a souvenir? Are you serious?" Naruto snorted.
"Why not? You've been making these late night visits and I haven't said anything about it to anyone, considering the amount of trouble you'd be in," Hanabi replied as she pointed her right finger at him.
"Actually it would cause you more trouble than me. Especially if your father were to learn about how you've been allowing me in and entertaining me in your bedroom during these late hours, and sharing wine with me while the lights are out," Naruto pointed out. Hanabi frowned, seeing that Naruto had the advantage again.
"Damn it! I thought I had you that time," Hanabi muttered under her breath though Naruto heard her. She was trying to come up with ways to blackmail people and she was trying to start with Naruto. But as she saw firsthand, Naruto wasn't easy to blackmail. Grinning, Naruto went over to her and ruffled her head.
"Don't worry my Little Nighttime Firecracker. I'm sure you'll improve in time but you have a long way to go before you can have anything to use against me, if that's even possible," Naruto commented before reaching into his pocket and taking out a small scroll. He opened it and revealed the kanji for "drink" written in it. Naruto poured some chakra into the seal and…
"Kai!" Naruto said as he released the extra-large bottle of imported white wine from the scroll. Hanabi examined the big bottle in Naruto's hand and found that what he held in his hand was a very expensive bottle of wine, one that wasn't even sold in Konoha. The clear bottle itself had the design of a majestic serpentine dragon around it with what looked like a royal crest and shield in the background of the dragon. The kanji for "East" was also designed into the crest.
"The Imperial Dragon Of The East! You managed to get that?! Who did you blackmail!?" Hanabi asked while trying to control her excitement. Naruto wasn't at all surprised that Hanabi knew of that wine considering the last top class wine he brought for her more than two months ago.
"I didn't have to blackmail anyone. This is just one of several bottles of the highest class of wine I raided from Gatō's office after he was done away with. Even that restaurant owner I blackmailed for his bottle of Vineyard of the Olden couldn't afford this baby," Naruto enlightened.
"Is that bottle for me?" Hanabi asked with hope in her tone, wanting to have that wine all the more.
"Maybe," Naruto remarked before she reached and took the bottle. She went and retrieved two champagne flutes and poured the wine into the two flutes. She handed Naruto one of the two flutes and took the other. They both took sips of the rich tasting wine, savoring each drop of their drank. Hanabi relished in the delicious flavor of the wine.
"This stuff is incredible! I'll definite be sure to only have small portions of this on special occasions," Hanabi said.
"If that's what gets you excited, but aren't you running short on hiding spots?" Naruto asked.
"I'll think of something. We're ninja after all," Hanabi replied.
"Regardless, you still have to improve in your hiding skills, considering that I can still find you when you least expect it," Naruto commented.
"Speaking of hiding, that reminds me; earlier today Sasuke came by to talk to Neesan," Hanabi recalled.
"He did? About what exactly?" Naruto asked.
"He was talking and asking her why she likes you so much while making all of those derogative and insulting comments about you. Neesan of course stood up for you while explaining her reasons for her feelings for you. Sasuke then went on to tell Neesan how he likes her a lot and would make a better boyfriend for her than you, and how he wouldn't do all of those perverted and flirty things you do around other girls. He added that he'd have helped her to become stronger, faster and smarter than you helped her become. He was trying to persuade and seduce Neesan into betraying and dumping you in favor of becoming his girlfriend," Hanabi recalled.
"Really? He did all of those things?" Naruto inquired while devising a plot to get back at Sasuke for his latest attempt to seduce Hinata. Naruto wasn't going to allow Sasuke to go unpunished this time as he gave the Uchiha more than enough chances to stop.
"Personally, Naruto-kun, I never liked that bastard being around Neesan, and I like the idea of me being near him even less," Hanabi stated.
"Yet you're not bothered with me being around both you and Hinata-chan. I'm moved to wonder why. Care to share with me, my Little Nighttime Firecracker?" Naruto requested. Hanabi looked away slightly with a blush that appeared on her cheeks. She was thankful that it was very dim in her room so her blush wasn't fully visible.
"You strike me as a puzzle, an enigma I've been trying to solve for a long time now. In the past and even now, I hear a lot of bad things about you both within and outside my clan, even from your own teammates. Yet in spite of everything I hear about you, both good and bad, Neesan loves you and Father treats you as if you're a surrogate member of the Main House of our clan. Then there are things I've personally seen about you as I got to know you. But through it all, I learned that I don't know you as well I as thought, and Neesan said that she knows you better than anyone else, and that you only let others know what you want them to know.
"I don't want to be among the crowd who only knows the half-truths and illusions you cast for them to see about you. I want to know you for you. I want to know who you truly are, Uzumaki Naruto-kun," Hanabi explained. Naruto looked at the young Hyuuga inquisitively.
"I have to admit you talk rather mature for your age, unlike most of the older people I know," Naruto commented.
"That's all the more why I want to know the truth about you. Neesan declared that only she knows you and I don't want to be left behind. The very thought that I don't know your true character or Neesan's bothers me," Hanabi stated as she placed her champagne flute down on the dresser by her hair brush.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, realizing that Hanabi was on to him and Hinata.
"You helped Neesan improve tremendously, though I don't know to what extent," Hanabi explained in a low tone as her anger then started to manifest, "I've come to the realization that she's been holding back against me whenever we sparred."
Hanabi grew angrier as she lowered her head and balled her hands into fits and continued, "She's been losing to me on purpose, and I know that you had a hand in this. And don't try denying that because even I can't beat you in straight fight and you proved that in our first fight. That right there is an indication that you're also very knowledgeable about our clan's Juuken despite the fact that you're not a Hyuuga and you made that clear to me as well the night we fought. I know you've been training Neesan all this time because Neesan made that clear to Sasuke.
"Since the night we fought, I started reevaluating everything about myself and Neesan, and I discovered that I'm not as strong or as fast as Neesan made me believe I was. And it's all because of you!"
Hanabi futilely tried to prevent it but tears started welling up in her eyes before falling down her face. Naruto stood there quietly as Hanabi vented her anger and sorrows.
"I tried to figure out…why this deception…," Hanabi said between her sobs, "…why did you have Neesan deceive me into believing I was strong…when in truth I'm the weakest of everyone in our clan…Why Naruto-kun?"
Hanabi cried quietly with her head facing the floor. Naruto stood there quietly as he took in everything Hanabi was saying and getting off her chest. He acknowledged that his actions regarding Hinata really affected her though he didn't know at the time how much it would have. Naruto set his own champagne flute on the same dresser and closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and exhaled lowly before opening his eyes again to face and look at Hanabi.
"I'm sorry that my actions have resulted in this and in whatever way you believed yourself to have been crippled, Hanabi-chan. But please let me explain why I did what I did," Naruto said sincerely in a tone that Hanabi wasn't familiar with as it carried a strength and level of maturity she didn't know he had. Hanabi wiped her tears away and looked up at Naruto and saw in his eyes a look she had never seen before. It wasn't the soft ocean blue eyes of the Naruto she knew but the battle-hardened eyes of a seasoned ninja who possessed years of experience both in combat and in life.
Who are you? Hanabi found herself asking Naruto mentally, This is not Naruto-kun, this is not the same guy.
Naruto saw the look of mixed wonder, curiosity and fear in Hanabi's expression.
"The truth of the matter is that when I instructed Hinata-chan to hide her true skills and improvements from everyone all those years ago, she didn't like the idea at all. In fact, she was saddened by it and explained that it was hard enough that Hiashi thought more highly of you than of her. She asked me why she must hide whatever improvements she makes from her family, friends and everyone else," Naruto explained.
"What did you tell her," Hanabi asked.
"I explained to her that we're training to become ninja, and that deception is one of the major arts ninja use. I helped her to see why I hide my true abilities from everyone else but her. I play the part of the goofy, troublemaking prankster and dead last of our class who messes up at seemingly everything. Sasuke got the top grades in everything in our class, was viewed by everyone in the ninja academy as the one with the most potential to become the strongest of all of us. He drew all the attention away from me," Naruto expounded.
"But why didn't you want to be seen as the strongest then? Didn't you say you want to go past your limitations and become Hokage?" Hanabi asked.
"Funny; at that time, Hinata-chan asked me questions similar to yours," Naruto recalled before he continued, "But I explained to her that to reveal our true power and abilities too earlier on in our development and demonstrating in front of everyone what we can truly do like how Sasuke does is dangerous."
"How so?" Hanabi asked curiously.
"Like I told my Moon's Eye Spring Rabbit, not everyone in Konoha is our friend. We can never know who's an ally or spy until it's too late, and by then they might have already gained a lot of information on us and our abilities. And through this, they can develop ways to counter us and relay this to whatever enemies we have."
"So that's why I lost you in our match and why you know so much about our clan's Juuken," Hanabi said feeling enlightened. Naruto nodded his head.
"I instructed Hinata-chan that the only time we would allow ourselves to show our true power and abilities is when the situation calls for it. But we would have to be careful when discerning how much we want to reveal about our true selves. We have to keep in mind that the less that's known about us, the better we can catch our enemies off guard if they try to attack or ambush us," Naruto enlightened.
In just a short time, Hanabi felt that she learned so much, far more than she learned at the ninja academy. But what also got her going was that standing before her in her room wasn't the comical perverted Naruto she was so used to. No, this was the true Uzumaki Naruto, the one her older sister fell in love with, the one that only she knew.
"You offered to train and help me become stronger and faster if I recall, Naruto-kun," Hanabi remembered
Naruto nodded his head and replied, "I did."
Without ceremony, Hanabi got on her hands and knees and bowed her head until it touched the matted floor, "I, Hyuuga Hanabi, humbly accept your offer. Please teach and train me as my new shishou (teacher or master). I'll do whatever you ask of me."
"I'll do so, but under the same conditions as Hinata-chan as no one is to know about this. Understood?" Naruto said.
Hanabi raised her head and answered, "Yes Naruto-kun."
"Good," Naruto replied, "Now please stand back up. Even I never had Hinata-chan do that to me though I appreciate your submissive character."
Hanabi blushed on hearing that as she stood back up.
"I won't lie to you Hanabi-chan. Your new training won't be easy and it'll be brutal. And as in the case with Hinata-chan, not even your father, the clan elders nor anyone else can know about it."
"What about Neesan?" Hanabi asked.
"Only she'll know about it. I'll explain it to her later," Naruto said.
"Naruto-kun, if I may, I want to know more about who you really are. I have the time so why don't you tell me all about yourself, your true self," Hanabi said.
"You're really serious about finding out as much as you can about me," Naruto acknowledged.
"Neesan won't answer my questions about you and I've been trying to inquire things about you both on my own and from her. Neither tactic met with success, and Neesan used my own words against me and told me that if I want to know about you so much that I ought to ask you my questions myself. Earlier, I heard her tell Sasuke that she went beyond the Byakugan and found something deep and endearing about you that no one else saw. I don't know how she surpassed our bloodline limit to accomplish that but I'm sure that in time I can do the same thing she did," Hanabi said.
Naruto gave a giggle after hearing Hanabi's last two statements. It was clear to him that the young girl didn't understand Hinata's metaphorical words and misunderstood it as a technique.
"What's so funny? You doubt I can do it?" Hanabi retorted indignantly.
"That's very cute, my Little Nighttime Firecracker," Naruto chuckled.
"Stop making fun of me! Just because Neesan is stronger doesn't mean I can't improve like her," Hanabi replied.
Naruto wiped his tears away and calmed himself down.
"When Hinata-chan said those words to Sasuke, she wasn't being literal. She was using figurative speech and metaphors to express how she looked with her heart not with her eyes to find what she cherishes about me," Naruto clarified for the young girl.
"…Oh," Hanabi said, feeling embarrassed with reddened cheeks, "Clearly I misunderstood Neesan's words."
"Don't worry about it, no harm done. So tell me, what about me do you want to know?" Naruto asked.
"Everything, your whole life story; I want to know and understand why Neesan loves you so much and why the village holds you with such contempt except a handful of people. Most of all, I want to know who you really are," Hanabi said as she sat down on her sleeping futon. Shrugging, Naruto went and sat on the floor facing her.
"It's a very long story, much of it tragic, some of it S-class secrets by law of the Sandaime which you cannot share with anyone unless I allow it, which is why Hinata-chan never answered of your questions about me. Before I share them with you, you must promise to never to reveal my story to anyone as you'll be among the very few who'll know about this until an appointed time when everyone else would be ready to know the truth. Do you swear this?" Naruto asked seriously.
Hanabi saw the heaviness in Naruto words and accepted, "I swear it, Naruto-kun; on my honor as a Hyuuga."
Smiling, Naruto went on to relate his story to Hanabi, but it would be a few hours before he was done.
(The Following Morning)
Hiashi was up earlier and went about his routine in preparing himself for the day. After he was done cleaning and grooming himself, a cadet branch member appearing in front of his door and knocked on it. Hiashi went over and opened the door and found Kō standing there with a scroll in hand.
"Yes?" Hiashi asked.
"This came from the Hokage. I don't know what's in it, but I was informed by the messenger to deliver it to you personally," Kō explained. Hiashi took the scroll and opened it. He read the contents in it and found that it was a message calling a meeting with all of the clan leaders and the rest of the Shinobi and Civilian Council today concerning the appearance and arrival of Uzumaki Honoka.
"I'll see to this. Thank you," Hiashi said before he dismissed Kō and went to prepare himself for the meeting.
(Meanwhile)
Inoichi, Shikaku, Chouza and all of the other main members of the Shinobi and Civilian Council were being given letters of the meeting Hiruzen was calling. Danzo, Koharu, and Homura were summoned for this meeting as well.
In truth, it was the biggest talk of the village that another Uzumaki was found and by Naruto no less. When it reached the ears of Danzo, Koharu and Homura, they couldn't believe the revelation, as they knew this was going to be problematic for them since many of the citizens were already asking questions about the proclaimed Uzumaki Clan. A number among them were skeptical and scornful about the idea. Some were curious about such a clan and, wondered why they weren't told about it.
Tsume, Shibi, and the other clan leaders had to deal with their children questioning them about the Uzumaki Clan and why they weren't taught about it in the academy. It was difficult for the clan leaders to answer their questions, since it was clear to them that some of the trust their children had in them was lost.
(An Hour And Thirty-Five Minutes Later)
Hiruzen was in the meeting chamber with the members of the council. The Sandaime, Homura, Koharu, and Danzo were sitting in front of a long table facing the other members of the council, sitting at their respective seats in front of their tables. Naruto and Honoka were present as well, but they were sitting at a table that was facing both the hierarchy and the Shinobi and Civilian Council. Honoka looked around to see everyone entering the meeting room and the looks they were giving her and Naruto, none of which were hostile, but both Shibi and Tsume looked inquisitive.
Homura, Koharu, and Danzo looked calm and collected, but the truth of the matter was that none of them were happy about why they were summoned.
"Wow. This bunch looks happy to see us," Naruto remarked cynically.
"Hopefully this meeting won't bring up more headaches than it was originally going to," Honoka replied.
"We're about to find out now," Naruto said as he and the others saw Hiruzen commencing the meeting.
"The meeting will come to order. The Shinobi and Civilian Council is now in session. I summoned all of you today because we have some important matters we have to discuss. First off, I would like to welcome a new member of our village and ninja force," Hiruzen said as he gestured to Honoka, who stood up and bowed respectfully to the council.
"Greetings to you all. I am Uzumaki Honoka of Uzu No Kuni and Uzushiogakure. Many of your citizens already met me yesterday as Naruto-kun introduced me to some of his friends," Honoka said.
"It's true that you made quite an impression on some of the citizens. Nice way of keeping the troublemakers in check," Shikaku remarked, causing Chouza and Inoichi to snicker a little bit.
"Yes, be that as it may, our business here is discuss the presence of this woman proclaiming herself as an Uzumaki," Homura said.
"I already confirmed my heritage to your Hokage yesterday along with my ties with Naruto-kun. Neither you nor anyone else here have any grounds to question my birthright as a full fledge Uzumaki," Honoka said with a hardened tone. It was clear to everyone that regardless of her youthful features, she wasn't easily intimidated.
She reminds me of Kushina in some ways. I wonder if Honoka possesses the Uzumaki Clan's infamous violent temper, Hiruzen thought before he spoke, "This is true. I personally investigated the proof she presented to me to confirmed her heritage and beyond any shadow of a doubt I found no grounds to question her birthright as a full-blooded Uzumaki."
"What was this proof she presented," Danzo inquired.
"An invaluable treasure possessing the legacy of my and Naruto-kun's homeland and people, along with the fact that it was Naruto-kun who sensed me out and eventually found me in Nami no Kuni. When we came across each other, we linked mentally through hand-to-hand contact, a bond that's unique only to Uzumaki, which was how we were able to communicate and share with each other our deepest feelings, thoughts, and experiences in harmonious union," Honoka explained.
"How can you be certain of that?" Koharu asked.
Honoka explained. "I didn't remember it at the time, but one of our ancestors had possessed the same ability. His name was Uzumaki Takuya; he was one of the previous clan leaders and rulers of Uzu no Kuni. With his special chakra he was able to sense and track down any Uzumaki, even from far distances, who went missing or were kidnapped. After him, there was Uzumaki Yattaro, and with his special chakra, he was able to create a link called Soul Union with any of his brethren Uzumaki and do the exact thing I explained earlier."
"You're telling us that Naruto somehow inherited abilities that were once possessed by deceased Uzumaki clan leaders?" Tsume inquired finding the story itself interesting though partly hard to believe. Naruto himself was surprised by that revelation; knowing now that he inherited special abilities from his Uzumaki ancestors made him feel really good and unique.
"I have no reason to make up any of this, as hard as it is to believe. Though I myself don't know how Naruto-kun inherited these unique abilities, regardless, they only serve to testify to our heritage and relations as Uzumaki," Honoka replied.
"And where were you all this time? And if you are an Uzumaki, why didn't the rest of your kin come to Konoha or establish custody over Naruto as residence of Konoha?" Homura asked.
Honoka sneered at the aged man and replied, "We lost all contact with Konoha after an attack on our village by a joint shinobi army that threatened our clan with genocide. And it was hard to establish any form of contact with anyone who could have been an ally because we still had enemy shinobi who were in pursuit of us while we were trying to scatter and escape our said fate. And if I recall, your village was no safer than anywhere else considering the Shinobi World Wars this village was already in with Kumo, Ame, and later Iwa. Kumo and Ame sought our destruction, while Iwa sought to capture and enslave us."
Homura growled lowly under his breath from that verbal jab.
Honoka continued, "The survivors of our clan scattered around the world and I have no idea where they are or how many of them are still alive. But the fact that Naruto-kun sensed and found me gives me hope that he'll find our other brethren and unite us together in time. Through Naruto-kun, we will become a great clan once again."
The idea that there are other Uzumaki survivors scattered around the world never came to the councils mind before. They thought that, with the exception of Naruto, they all were wiped out after the destruction of Uzushiogakure and Uzu no Kuni. What also surprised the council was how Honoka had so much faith and confidence that Naruto would be the one to find and unite the rest of their lost clansmen.
"You truly believe Naruto to be the one who'll rebuild the Uzumaki Clan and re-establish its eminence," Shibi spoke for the first time after long period of silence, "I'm interested to learn why you have such unwavering confidence in the boy. Being older than Naruto and knowing more about the Uzumaki Clan than him and being born in Uzu no Kuni no less, one would have thought that you would have assumed the role of clan leader, if not another older Uzumaki, once found. Why do you believe Naruto to be the one who'll accomplish such feats?"
Shibi was known for being direct and true about his words. The others in the room knew that he wouldn't ask Honoka to explain her beliefs in Naruto if he wasn't sincere about it.
"Because he envisioned a newly rebuilt Uzumaki Clan long before he found me. But that's not all; it's his birthright as the direct descendant of Uzumaki Mamoru, the last Uzumaki Clan leader and the leader of Uzu no Kuni. Along with this, Mamoru was also Uzumaki Kushina's father, making him his grandfather. Yes, Naruto-kun is aware of who his mother and father are, which he investigated and learned on his own before relating it to me," Honoka expounded.
"This is true. Naruto personally confronted me the night he discovered who his parents were," Hiruzen spoke.
"I have a question," Naruto said. "How many of you in this room knew who my mother and father were before their deaths?"
There was a short moment of silence before Shikaku spoke up, "Chouza, Inoichi and I knew Minato and Kushina. We also worked alongside them from time to time before he became Yondaime. We even went on missions with them on a few occasions. But we weren't aware of Kushina being pregnant with you.
"A couple of years after their deaths, I started noticing the unmistakable fact that you resemble Minato and Kushina. I had often wondered why Minato sealed Kyuubi into you specifically. We knew the kind of person Minato was and he wouldn't have just chosen a random child, orphan or not to become the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. And his strong sense of justice wouldn't allow him to just ask any parent if he could use their newborn son or daughter to become a Jinchuuriki to Kyuubi. That was when I realized what Minato did…He used his own newborn son to become a Jinchuuriki.
"When I realized this revelation, I explained my findings to Inoichi and Chouza who found what I discovered to have made complete sense. We made our way to see the Hokage and requested that one of us be allowed to adopt you into our clan."
"You're kidding right? You three really requested that one of you guys be allowed to adopt me?" Naruto asked in disbelief.
"It's true Naruto," Chouza spoke up.
"We did request that one of us take you in," Inoichi said.
Naruto turned to the Hokage with narrowed eyes. Hiruzen sighed, knowing that Naruto's respect for him had once again dropped several notches. Hiruzen knew that it would now take longer for Naruto to fully forgive him.
"They did come and made this request of me, Naruto. If anything, I was willing to allow it," Hiruzen said.
"Then why wasn't it carried out," Naruto asked with an arctic tone.
"He was overruled by the council and hierarchy. It was too big a risk having a Jinchuuriki being tied and loyal to one clan," Danzo answered.
"Excuse me?" Naruto replied with a tone laced with acid and venom.
Unaffected by Naruto's bloodlust, Danzo continued, "A Jinchuuriki must not be loyal to a single clan because there's always a chance that a clan the Jinchuuriki is adopted into could use that loyalty to rebel. Therefore the motion of either Shikaku, Chouza, Inoichi or any other clan leader adopting you was rejected for fear of them possessing a power that could help them win a rebellion should such an act happen.
"Of course, Hiruzen was strongly against this and motioned that a vote be carried out in allowing you be adopted into one of the clans considering that even regular families refused to adopt you after it was discovered that the orphanage put you out. The motion of the vote was carried out and in the end, he was voted against by the majority for reasons mentioned earlier."
"You speak this crap with no proof to show for. Show me what proof you have of the previous two Uzumaki Jinchuuriki rebelling," Naruto demanded.
"Two previous Uzumaki Jinchuuriki? When was this?" a man of the civilian council asked.
"We never heard of such a thing," a woman of the civilian council stated.
"What nonsense are you making up?" a second civilian council member asked.
Naruto turned to the civilian council with a lethal glare and stated firmly, "Don't any of you dare insult my Uzumaki ancestresses who gave their lives for this village of disloyal ingrates!"
"What was that?!" another man barked.
"Enough!" Hiruzen ordered as he raised his hands towards all the members of the civilian council giving them a look that told them to say nothing further.
"It is true. Naruto is the third Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi and there were two others before him, both of whom were of the Uzumaki Clan," Hiruzen confirmed. This news was a revelation for everyone in both the shinobi and civilian council. Only the higher-ups of the council knew of this.
"You mean to tell us that there two others before Naruto and they too were of his clan!" Tsume asked in shock.
"That's right. Their identities and status as Jinchuuriki were never disclosed to anyone outside myself, Koharu, Danzou, the previous Hokages, and their advisors," Homura said.
"If that's true, then who were the two previous Jinchuuriki?" Hiashi asked.
"I'll tell you myself," Naruto said, "It's only fitting since I'm son of the second Jinchuuriki."
"What!? You're telling us that Kushina was the Jinchuuriki before you!" Tsume asked.
"That's right! And before her was Uzumaki Mito, who was the wife of the Shodai," Naruto added. This bombshell caused an uproar in the meeting chamber. They couldn't believe that the wives of both the Shodai and Yondaime were not only Jinchuuriki but also members of the Uzumaki Clan and the fact that Hiruzen himself confirmed it only made matters more complicated.
"How can that be true? How is it that every Jinchuuriki was an Uzumaki," another civilian council man asked.
"Because only an Uzumaki can hold Kyuubi; anyone else would die in the attempt to become a Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. Our special and massive chakra and longevity is what allows us to contain the creature. No other clan possesses these attributes but the Uzumaki. In other words, if it wasn't for the sacrifices of my brother and people, you all would be dead now. If my brother, along with myself and the rest of our scattered Uzumaki brethren are wiped out off the face of the world, Kyuubi will return with no one having the ability to seal him away again. Even if a person can contain some of Kyuubi's chakra, he or she, without having Uzumaki blood by natural descent, can never contain the creature in its entirety," Honoka explained.
Many in the room found it difficult to argue against Honoka's logic. Even Danzo knew she was telling the truth thus his silence.
"When Uzumaki Jinchuuriki reach of the end of their life, they must find another Uzumaki to contain the Kyuubi. This was the case with Uzumaki Mito, thus the reason why my mother Uzumaki Kushina was brought to Konoha to become the second Jinchuuriki. As with the case of Mito, my mother's status as Jinchuuriki was classified and no one knew of it but my father and a few others," Naruto explained.
Tsume turned to the Hokage and asked, "If that's true, Sandaime-sama, then why did you reveal Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki the night of Kyuubi's attack?"
"It was his father's last wish that Naruto be acknowledged as the hero who saves Konoha everyday by jailing the Kyuubi. But we all saw how that turned out as everyone used Naruto as a scapegoat for their loss and looked at him as if he was a weakened version of Kyuubi. It's both stupid and foolish honestly because even a weakened Kyuubi would have more than enough power to slaughter everyone and level all of Konoha to ground," Hiruzen said.
Naruto spoke up, "My mother, my clan and my ancestors were loyal comrades and helped to protect this village for many years and made selfless sacrifices to do so. In the end, their sacrifices were spat on and forgotten. No one here has any proof of an Uzumaki turning traitor and rebelling against this village after becoming a Jinchuuriki. There's an old saying that I was taught: "Those who abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." That's the way I view most in the room except Jiisan and Hiashi. All I see is that the council in general did everything they could to keep me under their leash like an unwanted stray dog and denied me a life with a regular family, clan status or not."
Tsume flinched at Naruto's choice of words concerning dogs. Naruto turned to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and said, "While I appreciate how you three moved to try to adopt me into your clan, I'm just as angry at the three of you for not doing anything further on my behalf considering that you three knew my father and learned that I was his son years ago. Hyuuga Hiashi, who didn't know I was Yondaime's son did a whole lot more for me than anyone else in this room besides Jiisan. Regardless of how everyone viewed me, he welcomed me as a surrogate member of the Main House of his clan and family. I grew to acknowledge and respect him and I grew very close and attached to his daughters. I love them both and see them as among those who are precious to me. I seek to protect them with my life and I'll do so with everyone else I consider my family and friends."
Naruto turned to look at Danzo and continued, "But did I turn traitor and rebel against Konoha? No, I did not! Did the Hyuuga Clan rise up in rebellion against Konoha using my loyalty as their key instrument to control me in their rebellion? No, such a thing never happened! Therefore the council's reasons for denying me from being adopted into a clan willing to take me in are unfounded and vicious.
"If anything mummy man, your logic and way of doing things would have guaranteed I turned traitor and eventually turn on you before sharing my wrath and hate with the rest of the village. It's because of the bonds I developed over the years with Hinata-chan, Hanabi-chan, Jiisan and a few others that I didn't become the very monster you all tried to make my out to be.
"Furthermore, the gross hypocrisy of the council higher-ups is disgusting!"
"Watch your mouth boy! We've allowed you to speak your mind but you will not openly disrespect us before the rest of the members in this room," Koharu warned.
Naruto turned to her, Homura, and Danzo and sneered, "Neither you and the other two at that table have earned my respect or trust so I'll say whatever I want! Furthermore, it was you three who betrayed the Uzumaki Clan in the first place by erasing all of my clan's history and ties they had with this village because your egos couldn't accept how Konoha failed to help save them from enemy nations that sought to destroy them! You three tried to cover it up by having no one of my generation learn that my clan exist! In actuality, a lot of the seals and techniques this village uses belong to my clan! Hell, the symbol sewn on the back of every Chuunin's vest is my clan's symbol! And the technique used to seal Kyuubi away? That belongs to us, too!
"With Honoka-nee here now, all of the villagers since yesterday have been demanding explanations for the existence of another Uzumaki. By burying the truth about the existence of the Uzumaki Clan and what we're capable of, you three have dug a massive hole for yourselves. When the truth comes out, many villagers will not trust you anymore. You guys caused this damage, and only you guys can fix it."
Homura, Koharu, and Danzo weren't happy at how Naruto learned the truth and was now exposing it. But they knew he was right in that the villagers have been seeking an explanation about Honoka's presence and they knew that since Honoka was found by Naruto, chances are that he'll in time possibly find other Uzumaki survivors as Honoka stated. They also knew that Honoka was right in that if all of the Uzumaki are wiped out, no other person will be able to contain Kyuubi, and the creature will have free reign to wreak havoc again. There was no way around it; their thirteen year cover up backfired.
For the civilian council, it was far more than what they were bargaining for, as so many revelations and truths behind Naruto's background was revealed to them. They found out that the very boy they scorned and mistreated for years happened to be the son of their late Yondaime. They wanted to refuse to believe it but there was no denying that they along with the majority of the villagers cruelly victimized the only son of Yondaime for something that was never his fault and how they ultimately disrespected Yondaime and the Uzumaki Clan who he became part of through marriage to Kushina. The shame and disgrace they felt was paramount.
Hiruzen now saw this as his opportunity to set Naruto and Honoka's plan into action, "I motion that we reinstate the history of Uzu no Kuni, Uzushiogakure and the Uzumaki Clan back into Konoha's history books. Everyone will have to be reeducated and learn the truth about the Uzumaki in its entirety. It won't be easy as so many have already been conditioned to believe what they have been taught over the years. Therefore the villagers' reeducation will be in stages. With Honoka having in depth knowledge about her people and country, I recommend that she becomes the teacher of that class, and after learning details of her ninja expertise and years of field and combat experience, I'll automatically give her the rank of Chuunin.
"Furthermore, I motion that Naruto and Honoka be granted clan status and be allowed to reside in the house Yondaime lived in. I also motion that Naruto be given everything that belonged to both Yondaime and Kushina as his birthright which also includes the treasury saved by Yondaime. All in favor of the motions being carried out?"
All of the clan leaders raised their hands. Some on the civilian council raised their hands as well, though a few didn't. After a short moment though, the rest that didn't raise their hands soon did so in union with the rest of the civilian and shinobi council.
"And all who oppose?" Hiruzen asked as everyone dropped their hands. Though Homura, Koharu, and Danzo didn't vote in favor, they didn't vote against it either.
"Then, the motions are official and will be carried out," Hiruzen stated.
Koharu suggested, "Since Uzumaki Honoka-san is to be given the rank of Chuunin, then perhaps as the older of the two, she should be given charge over Naruto and everything belonging to the Uzumaki Cl-"
"I refuse!" Honoka interjected.
"Excuse us?" Homura replied.
"Naruto-kun is the last direct descendant of the last leader of our clan and is the sole son of your late Yondaime. And by shinobi law, Naruto being a Genin makes him an official adult and ninja answering directly to the Hokage. Furthermore, Naruto-kun is far more knowledgeable about your village and its laws than me. Under these conditions, it's not my place to take charge over Naruto-kun or the soon to be re-established Uzumaki Clan. I would be more than happy if Naruto-kun was given the responsibly of managing the revival and reconstruction of our clan," Honoka requested.
The chamber was silent as they gave careful consideration to Honoka's words. From what they saw, she brought out some valid points, but there was still one other question in mind.
"And what part would you play in all this were we to grant this appeal?" Koharu asked.
"I would be Naruto-kun's advisor and guide," Honoka answered.
"So as a Chuunin, you're willing to submit yourself to this inexperienced Genin who would be beneath you in rank," A civilian council woman asked. Neither Naruto nor Honoka missed how the woman undermined Naruto's abilities and legacy. Honoka was about to give a retort when…
"First off, the civilian section of this council has no say in clan affairs. Two, based on the information provided for us during this meeting, Naruto is the firstborn male descendant, in a long line of Uzumaki Clan leaders thus it's his birthright, not Honoka's," Shikaku emphasized.
"I agree," Hiashi spoke up, "I see no reason to deny Naruto the role of re-establishing the Uzumaki Clan which rest entirely on him, who in time will become the new clan leader of the Uzumaki."
"Surprising; you sound so sure of the boy, Hiashi-san," Danzo remarked.
"I watched Naruto for the past number of years and I see the potential he possesses. And seeing how he dealt with all of our ninja of various ranks and including the Hokage, no disrespect, I have no doubt that he'll become one of our strongest ninja. Furthermore, I watched how he won over the respect of some of the members of my clan both Main House and Cadet Branch members alike. He even managed the mend the sharp rift that once existed between my two daughters, something I admit that I and the elders in my clan were responsible for. Naruto has helped my elder daughter in ways that I as her father have failed, and for that he has my utmost appreciation and respect," Hiashi enlightened.
Everyone in the chamber knew the kind of stern and traditional man Hiashi was, especially when it came to clan affairs. But what was also known about him was that he was very protective of his two daughters in spite of his firm character as a clan leader, and without hesitation he would kill anyone who'd pose a threat to either Hinata or Hanabi. For him to speak so highly of the village pariah spoke volumes.
"Do you truly see Naruto as such a person," an older civilian council man asked.
Hiashi gave the man a Byakugan enhanced death glare and retorted with a hardened tone, "I wouldn't have spoken such words about the boy if I didn't believe my own words and I wouldn't have trusted or allowed him to be near my daughters if I viewed him as a threat or in the same foolish way the villagers have over the years."
Many thought that he just tolerated Naruto being around Hinata and Hanabi, but they never knew how attached Hiashi became to Naruto over the years. If one thing was certain, Hiruzen was happy that Naruto managed to win over the noble clan leader. And having Hiashi speak on Naruto's behalf would definitely silence possible objections to Naruto's birthright as the heir of the Uzumaki Clan. Hiruzen nodded and approved, "Based on the supporting testimonies from both Shikaku and Hiashi along with your explanation Honoha-san, your request is granted."
"Thank you, Sandaime-sama," Honoka said.
Hiruzen continued, "Now, as for revealing Naruto's parentage, that will be done-"
"Jiisan?" Naruto requested. Hiruzen turned to Naruto.
"Yes Naruto?"
"Let everyone in this chamber go home today and explain this to their families and friends themselves. Let them go home and explain to everyone how they mistreated the son of the Yondaime, Konoha's Yellow Flash. Since the history of my clan is to be re-established into Konoha's history books, hiding who my parents are wouldn't make sense as it's part of the Uzumaki history. It wouldn't be enough if only you declared my heritage as everyone here should have a role in doing this," Naruto suggested.
"How could you ask this of us? Have you any idea what kind of reaction this could trigger!?" a councilwoman pleaded.
"It's only fitting everyone in both councils be made to explain it to their families and friends. Jiisan alone can't fix the mess that was made. Everyone here has a part to play in repairing the damage done," Naruto clarified. The shinobi council and Sarutobi's advisors saw that this Naruto wasn't the same infamous prankster and perverted troublemaker they were used to. This Naruto was an entirely different person, almost as though he was a total stranger.
"Your request Naruto…is granted," Hiruzen declared. The members of both councils felt a heavy load placed on them and there was no way for them to get out of it. Hiashi though wasn't bothered by it as he thought that it was poetic justice that the very people who made Naruto's life bitter and hard for him be the very ones to explain his heritage to their families and the rest of the villagers. But the meeting wasn't over as more business regarding the Uzumaki had to be discussed.
(Later That Afternoon; At The Hyuuga Compound)
Hanabi was standing by the pond alone. Last night Naruto revealed everything to her and what he told her was far more than what she was counting on. She was still processing everything he told her in such in-depth details. Hanabi even cried for Naruto while listening to some of the harsh experiences that he suffered through years earlier. Though Naruto told her lot a lot about himself, he refrained from telling her exactly how strong and fast Hinata truly was, though he admitted that Hinata was more skilled than she lets on. He also refrained from telling her about the gravity and chakra restraint seals both he and Hinata currently have on their bodies.
"Hanabi," Hinata called out as she approached the younger Hyuuga. Hanabi turned to see her older sister making her way over to her.
"Neesan?" Hanabi greeted as Hinata stood behind her.
"Are you okay? You seemed deep in thought about something," Hinata acknowledged.
"I'm fine Neesan. I just had matters on my mind I had to clear out. It's nothing for you to worry about."
"I'm happy to hear that," Hinata said as she turned to head out to meet up with her team and Kurenai up for the Chuunin Exams registration applications. While still in hearing range…
"Naruto-kun is truly an extraordinary person, Neesan. In spite of his brutal and harsh past experiences as a Jinchuuriki, he never allowed it to destroy him, and he managed to become the very person he is now. Honestly, I'm not sure how I would have fared if I was in his shoes," Hanabi said. Hinata stopped upon hearing her words and turned to Hanabi.
"So he told you?" Hinata replied. Though her back was still facing Hinata, Hanabi nodded and said, "Like you said Neesan, if I want answers to my questions, I have to seek them out myself from the horse's mouth. I found my answers, though they were far deeper than what I was expecting. In the end, I was left completely humbled and realized that I don't know the true reality that exists outside this compound and in some ways, within it. My ignorance was made very clear by his answers to my questions, Neesan."
"So what will you do now with what you know?" Hinata asked.
"I'm going to become a stronger, smarter, and faster kunoichi and a closer friend to Naruto-kun, like you Neesan," Hanabi said as she turned to face Hinata before walking over to her. Hanabi stood before her older sister and said, "You deceived me for a long time Neesan, but I'm not angry at you for doing so. Naruto-kun helped me to understand your reasons for hiding your true abilities from me and everyone else. That's why I going to use what Naruto-kun had you do to move me to improve and become the kunoichi that I was meant to be and the person I was meant to be. Naruto-kun offered to train me and seeing how he helped you so greatly, I realized that I could benefit from his training too. I won't lose to you, Neesan."
"You say that, but you're using my boyfriend to help you in your endeavors," Hinata teased.
"He made me a special offer I couldn't refuse, something even you weren't offered," Hanabi shot back.
"Really? And what was that," Hinata asked curiously.
"That's for me to know and for you to wish you knew," Hanabi replied with a grin as she walked past Hinata, leaving the bewildered heiress to wonder what it was Naruto offered Hanabi that she as his girlfriend wasn't offered. Hanabi giggled, feeling satisfied in her small victory over Hinata in having something with Naruto that Hinata didn't have.
(Meanwhile)
Sasuke was walking through the town looking gloomy, worn down and in the dumps while making his way to the hospital. His day started off as anything but ideal:
First off, after waking up and taking a shower, he dressed himself in his regular clothes, not knowing that the inside of his clothes, sandals and underwear were covered with itching powder. He was forced to run back home while scratching the hell out of himself in a frenzy while leaving many onlookers wondering what was wrong with him. When he arrived home, he threw his contaminated clothes off him and washed himself off thoroughly again while hoping what happened didn't result in him getting painful rashes. After washing himself hard enough to ensure that the contaminants were off him, he dressed himself in clean clothes and sandals.
He made his way out of his home again and made his way to a dango shop. Arriving there, he ordered a tall cup of apple juice and three sticks of dango. After several minutes, the waiter came with the order and handed it to Sasuke. Sasuke drank and ate the food before paying for it. Ten minutes after leaving the establishment, his stomach started hurting, bad, and he really needed to use the toilet. He desperately looked for a place that would let him use their bathroom while doing his best of hold himself together despite the awful pain he was getting from his guts and rear end. What Sasuke wasn't aware of was that his order of three sticks of dango was swopped with potent extra-strength laxatives resembling dango, guaranteed to clean out your digestive system in one use. The fact that he had three of them made matters much worse for him as the pain increased with each passing minute and by now Sasuke's facial expression was completely distorted due to his situation.
Finding a restaurant, an employee there said that he had no problem letting him use their facility. Sasuke thanked the worker and hurried to the toilet and relieved himself just mere seconds before nearly losing his dignity. Sasuke sighed in relief as the pain gradually subsided. Just as he thought he was in the clear, the restaurant owner knocked on the door and called out to Sasuke from behind the door. When Sasuke replied and asked what he wanted, the restaurant owner told him that he, Sasuke, was misinformed by someone who clearly doesn't work for the restaurant. When Sasuke asked the owner what he was talking about, the owner told him that the bathroom was out of order and that he didn't know who removed the warning sign. Sasuke was all but happy and wanted more than ever to scream out at whatever caused his misfortune and humiliation.
After cleaning himself, Sasuke had to get a bucket of water to pour into toilet to manually flush the toilet before cleaning the toilet itself. When that shameful event was over, Sasuke decided to try to forget about his bad morning by relaxing at one of the bathhouses. He went to the nearest one and got ready to go into one of the large hot springs. Taking his towel off, he got into the water and relaxed. But he wondered where everyone else was. Deciding not to worry about that any further, he went back to enjoying the water until he heard the sounds of the door sliding open with a mass of people entering the area. However, something caught Sasuke's ears about their voices.
"It's Sasuke-kun!" one of the teen girls screamed in excitement.
"Was he waiting for us!?" another teen girl asked ready to pounce on the Uchiha. Speedily, Sasuke turned and looked to see a crowd of young teenage girls in nothing but towels entering the hot springs.
"What the hell?!" Sasuke screamed as the girls hurried over to him while removing their towels, "What are you girls doing?! This is the men's section!"
"Today's a special event when the bathhouse becomes unisex, Sasuke-kun. We're surprised you didn't hear about it," another girl said.
"His unawareness though is our reward girls," said an older girl with her towel hanging loosely around her nude body.
"Indeed it is," one of the girls said erotically who resembled Ino except her hair was light brown, "I'm ready to join you Sasuke-kun! I'm sure you can't wait to be one with me!" she purred as she revealed her nicely shaped nude body. Regardless of his view of fangirls, Sasuke couldn't control the growth of his now stiff erection after seeing her and the other girls naked as she and the other girls made their way to him in the hot spring.
"Back off! I got first dibs on him!" a heavy set older girl declared as she rushed at him in the water. In fear of being raped or whatever else that heavy set girl would do to him, Sasuke got out of the hot springs as fast as he could before grabbing his towel and running out with the girls calling out to him to come back. Hurrying to the front desk with the towel around his waist, Sasuke barked, "Why didn't you warn me that today this bathhouse was going unisex where the males and female can bathe together!?"
The caretaker gave Sasuke a confused look and asked, "What are you talking about? Unisex bathing isn't practiced here!"
Sasuke replied, "A whole group of girls just came into the bath just now and started removing their towels wanting to bathe with me and…"
The caretaker saw that Sasuke was unable to finish his statement. The caretaker said, "Sasuke-san, not a single girl came into this bathhouse since your arrival. Are you feeling stressed and overworked?"
"Listen! There's a group of girls in the men's section right now!" Sasuke insisted. Sighing, the bathhouse caretaker got up and followed Sasuke to the bathing area. Upon arriving, they found the place completely empty with not a hint that anybody had been there.
"Where are these supposed girls you were talking about?" the caretaker asked skeptically. Sasuke was trying to make sense of what was going on as there was no other exit except where he and the caretaker were.
"You're really losing it kid. Too much of the heat from the hot springs can cause some hallucinations. You should probably leave soon," the caretaker figured before turning around and going back to the front desk, leaving the bewildered Sasuke to his thoughts.
"I wasn't hallucinating! I know what I saw!" Sasuke growled before going back to the locker room. Sasuke placed his clothes back and left the locker room.
"It couldn't have been a genjutsu. I would have sensed it," Sasuke said as he wondered what going on. Seeing that he already got out, he left the bathhouse before anything else happened to him. An hour later, Sasuke saw two seven-year-old children making their way over to him in a hurry. When they approached him, the boy asked, "You're the famed Uchiha Sasuke, right?"
"I am," Sasuke answered, liking that children saw him as a prominent figure.
"We need your help, mister! Please come with us!" the girl next to him pleaded as she grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him along with her friend following them.
"Hey! Where are you taking me!" Sasuke demanded.
"No one was willing to help us! We're hoping that you can do what no one else was brave enough to do!" The girl pleaded as she continued pulling Sasuke to where they were heading. Two minutes later, they came to a stop at a wooden light pole.
"Up there, mister," the boy said as he pointed to the top of the pole. Sasuke looked up and saw a black cat standing on top of the high pole.
"Our cat won't come down. We even offered it food and it refused to come down. Is it possible to get him for us?" The girl pleaded.
"You brought me all the way out here for a cat?" Sasuke asked skeptically. The kids looked back at him and the boy said, "We tried asking the other adults but they told us not to bother them. We tried to get him ourselves but we got scared when we saw how high we were going. Please, Sasuke-san, help us!"
Sasuke sighed at what he was being asked to do, but he couldn't refuse them.
At least it's not fangirls I'm dealing with, Sasuke thought before he started climbing up the pole while using the tree walking technique. As he got close to the feline, the cat's fur stood up and the cat itself growled and gave Sasuke a menacing hiss.
"Are you serious?" Sasuke asked no one in particular as the cat looked ready to attack him.
(Moments Later)
"Thank you so very much, Sasuke-san," the kids said while the girl was holding the cat.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted sorely.
"Bye bye!" the kids chorused before running off, leaving Sasuke behind. Speaking of the Uchiha, he received several painful scratches and bites on his arms and hands, and a few scratches on his face from the cat while retrieving it.
"What a bad day I'm having!" Sasuke wailed as he made his way to the hospital while hoping he didn't run into bad karma, again.
"Things couldn't possibly get any worse," Sasuke muttered, only to soon regret saying that.
"It's Sasuke-kun!" a girl said in horror.
"He's hurt!" another girl pointed out as they made their way over to Sasuke. The girls hurried over to Sasuke.
"Oh no," Sasuke groaned seeing a group of fangirls coming over to him, "I don't need them now, or ever for that matter."
"Sasuke-kun! What happened? Were you attacked?" the second girl asked worriedly.
"Were you ambushed?" the first inquired.
"Who did this to you?" the third girl asked. Sasuke didn't want to tell them that his open and bleeding wounds were the results of a hostile house cat that refused to climb down a light pole.
"I'm fine! I'll just hurry on my way to the hospital for some bandages," Sasuke stated.
"Let us at least help you a little!" the second girl offered, not waiting for Sasuke's reply as she opened her pouch to retrieve some first aid supplies.
Getting annoyed fast, Sasuke said seriously, "Listen, I don't need you girls doing this for me. I'm quite capable of reaching the hospital on my-"
"You have open wounds, Sasuke-kun. If I don't clean them now, they'll get infected," the second girl interjected as she wet and soaked her wash cloth with what Sasuke assumed was water, "Now hold still."
She grabbed his right arm before he could argue with an unusually firm grip and in one rub, pressed and passed the washcloth up his bleeding hand and arm entirely. The next thing that was heard was Sasuke's loud agonizing screams of pain as the scratches and bite marks were now burning from the fluids pressed on them. Cringing, Sasuke forcefully pulled away his right arm which was now in even more burning pain than it previously was.
"What did you do wrong?" the first girl asked. The third girl examined the product the supposed medic girl used and berated, "That wasn't herbal antiseptics you used! It was rubbing alcohol and you used too much of it at one time, stupid!"
The second girl apologized, "I'm sorry it was an accident! Here let me-"
"Get the hell away from me! I'll end up as a casualty under your care!" Sasuke growled as he ran and made his way to the hospital while holding his arm.
The first girl pleaded, "But Sasuke-kun we only meant wel-"
"Stay the hell away from me, all of you useless fangirls!" Sasuke yelled as he continued on his way. When he was out of sight, the three girls left the scene. Turning the corner, they completely disappeared from sight in a cloud of smoke.
(Elsewhere In Another Part of Konoha)
Naruto closed his eyes momentarily as he walked alongside Honoka while leaving the Hokage Tower. The look on his face was a clear indication that he up to something. The smile on his face only confirmed that fact.
"Did something happen, Naruto-kun?" Honoka asked.
Naruto opened his eyes and answered, "Oh nothing, just several harsh pranks I had set up during our meeting in the Hokage Tower for a certain Genin that don't know his place."
"How harsh was it?" Honoka asked, having an idea who this targeted Genin was.
Naruto smirked, "Let's just say that if he learns to behave and not cross certain lines again, he won't end up as a casualty under my care."
"Figuratively or literally?" Honoka asked.
"That depends," Naruto replied.
"I see," Honoka replied before her mood changed to a happy and excited one, "Still, we just won a great victory Naruto-kun! This calls for a celebration!"
"Naruto!" a feminine voice called out. Naruto and Honoka turned to see Kiba's older sister Hana making her way over to them with Kuromaru beside her.
"Who's she?" Honoka inquired.
"That's Inuzuka Hana, Kiba's older sister, daughter of Inuzuka Tsume of the Inuzuka Clan, and an outstanding loveliness among dogs that will always wag their tails her way," Naruto explained while smiling at his last remark.
Honoka didn't know how she was to interpret that last comment but decided not to delve too much into it. She then recalled from Naruto explanation, "That's the clan that specializes in the use of dogs of all types."
"That's right," Naruto said before he thought, I wonder if Hana, considering her clan, is the type that would enjoy doggy-style.
Honoka noticed the perverted smile and blush on Naruto's face.
Do I even want to know what my pervy little brother is thinking? Honoka mentally remarked before Hana appeared in front of them.
"Naruto, I heard lots of talk about a female Uzumaki who you found. Is this her?" Hana asked.
"She is, this is Uzumaki Honoka-nee," Naruto introduced. Honoka bowed to Hana as Kuromaru went over to Honoka and started panting rather friendly towards her. To Hana's surprised, Honoka petted Kuromaru as the large, dark colored dog licked her hand, suddenly becoming completely docile and submissive.
"This is surprising. Usually Kuromaru isn't this open and friendly to strangers, especially unknown foreigners," Hana said with an intrigued look.
"Honoka-nee has a unique gift when it comes to animals. Akamaru likes her a lot too," Naruto said.
"Really now? In any case, my mother sent me to invite you both over to our compound today," Hana said.
"You mean now?" Naruto asked.
"She said that it's very important, and asked if you'd be willing to come," Hana clarified.
"Honoka-nee and I weren't really heading anywhere, so sure, why not?" Naruto accepted.
"If Naruto-kun is in agreement, I'll come along too," Honoka agreed.
(Elsewhere)
Hinata was on her to meet up with her teammates and Kurenai. While on the way, she was still puzzled and bothered by what Hanabi told her and how her younger sister was teasing her about it. So caught up in her thoughts that Hinata didn't pay attention to where she was going and bumped into somebody in front of her.
"I-I'm terribly sorry. It w-was an accident. I should have looked w…where I was going," Hinata apologized, stuttering.
"I guess you should have," the older female kunoichi retorted before taking a better look at the younger girl in front of her. Hinata gave a nervous look as the taller girl looked at her as though she was examining her.
Who is this girl? I've never seen her before, Hinata thought before noticing the forehead protector tied around the girl's neck, "You're not from Konoha."
"No, I'm not, Hyuuga Hinata," the girl replied back with a touch of hostility in her tone. Hinata was surprised that the foreign kunoichi knew her name, but that now put her on alert, especially after the unfriendly tone she took with her. As the older girl looked at Hinata, she thought that the Hyuuga heiress was beneath her expectations as she anticipated more out of her considering her clan and what she heard about her, even though it was from only one source.
"Who are you?" Hinata asked cautiously.
The kunoichi replied, "Sabaku no Temari."
Hinata and Temari finally meet, but what will be the outcome of this encounter? Naruto and Honoka succeeded in their objective in the council meeting, but how will the entire populous react when they're told the truth behind the dark secrets about Naruto as the Jinchuuriki, his hidden familial legacy and the thirteen-year cover up behind the Uzumaki Clan and Uzu no Kuni? Is Naruto through dealing with Sasuke after learning how the Uchiha went behind his back to try to persuade Hinata to leave him? Find out next time!