Adrik sat down at the table with the rest of Team Ten. The four genin had gone on a shopping spree courtesy of Ino. Choji had suggested they get lunch at a barbecue restaurant, which everyone agreed to go to.
"Seriously, did you need to go and buy all of this?"
Shikamaru sat down with a huff after setting aside several shopping bags. Choji did the same, though he had to take a few deep breaths as he was left carrying the heavier things.
"Well, some of it is Adrik's stuff. I mean, you guys saw how empty his apartment was. No offense, by the way."
Adrik shook his head when Ino looked at him apologetically.
"None taken."
Ino nodded and the two looked back across the table.
"What did you guys even buy for these bags to be so heavy?"
Ino thought for a second before responding to Choji.
"Well, the bags Shikamaru carried were just clothes for me. Then, we went and stocked up on kunai and some ninja attire for Adrik. I took him to my parents' shop and I got some plants that would be easy to take care of. Speaking of which, I'll have to teach you how to do that later."
Adrik nodded and looked up as a waiter approached their table. He, Ino and Shikamaru barely got time to ask for something to drink before Choji went ahead and made an order that was enough to feed an entire family. The waiter nodded and went back to place the orders seeing as the other three teens were too stunned to speak.
"Sorry, guys, I've just been starving since this morning. I barely had time to open a bag before Ino pulled us along."
"Hey, I'm not that bad!"
Shikamaru leaned back in his chair slightly.
"It's fine. They'll come back with our drinks and we can just order then."
Adrik shrugged.
"I wasn't that hungry anyways."
Ino looked over at him questioningly.
"Y'know, I haven't seen you eat much of anything since we met you. I mean, even I eat more than that and I'm on a diet."
Adrik shook his head.
"First of all, it's a medical condition that means I don't have to eat as much to stay perfectly healthy. Second, you're not on a diet, Ino, you're starving yourself."
"I'm not starving myself! I need to watch my figure!"
Adrik shook his head again.
"And how many kunoichi do you know that are on a 'diet'?"
Ino raised a finger and opened her mouth to say something but came up short. Choji snickered in the background and Shikamaru let slip a small grin.
"Word of advice, just train more. Physical activity, or a lack of it, affects how you look just as much as the food you eat. And you'll get stronger in the process. I've been going through the same argument with Sakura for a while now, so I know what you want to say."
Ino stared at the teen for a few seconds before looking back down at the table in thought. Adrik glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and let out an almost unnoticeable grin as his words seemed to work.
"I... guess I'll try."
Adrik nodded and looked to see the other two genin had similar reactions to him. It seems they were thinking the same thing he was.
"Well, that's good. Now I just need to figure out how I can convince Sakura. Maybe I can get Naruto to cook for her..."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"Naruto? He knows how to cook?"
Adrik nodded.
"He hasn't tried until recently but he's very good. I went out and bought ingredients one time but I didn't really know what to do with them. I asked Naruto and it turns out he can make a damn good bowl of ramen, among other things."
"Huh... I never took him for the cooking type."
Adrik shrugged.
"He thought the same thing until he actually tried it. Now, he cooks his own food for everything but lunch."
Adrik sat back in his chair as the waiter came over, carrying three drinks and a few plates of food for Choji. The day went on with the four enjoying their meals and lugging around a few dozen shopping bags.
X
"Hey, Adrik! Guess what I learned!"
Adrik looked over at Naruto with an eyebrow raised as he was unlocking his apartment door.
"So, I sent off one of my Shadow Clones earlier since I didn't have any vegetables, right?"
Adrik nodded along.
"Well, he ran into Sakura on his way to the market and she ended up poppin' him, so I had to go and get the groceries myself."
Adrik tilted his head slightly.
"But how did you know your clone ran into Sakura?"
Naruto nodded and put his hands out to his sides.
"That's what I was wonderin', too, so I went and asked the old man about it. It turns out my Shadow Clones give me their memories when they get destroyed! He said somethin' about it being a trainin' technique, so I was gonna try to get my clones to train with that tree walkin' thing you told me about."
Adrik nodded with his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"What else did he say about it?"
Naruto put his hand on his chin as he thought.
"He said somethin' about a 'memory backlash', but I don't really know what that means."
Adrik nodded.
"Well, think about it. If your Shadow Clones give you their memories, what would happen if you popped dozens at the same time?"
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah, man, that sounds like one hell of a headache."
Adrik nodded as he stepped into his apartment.
"But I don't see a problem with popping them in small groups. It depends on what they learn, I guess."
Naruto nodded in agreement.
"Are you still sure you don't wanna tell Sasuke and Sakura about that tree walkin' thing?"
Adrik shrugged.
"Well, it's not really something I planned on telling anyone. I just slipped up and didn't see any point in arguing. I actually thought you all had learned it already."
Naruto sighed as he thought back to his teammates. Even if they didn't appreciate it, he still wanted to help them at least a little. He gave Adrik a wave which was returned in kind as the teen closed his apartment door.
X
Adrik walked around the village aimlessly for his lunch break as he wasn't hungry. He was still trying to get used to his new attire that Ino had helped him pick out. It consisted of a white tank top under a short sleeve, hooded, black jacket with orange-ish yellow lines bordering the edges of the sleeves, and black cargo shorts with a dark grey utility belt that held a kunai pouch on his left hip. His headband was tied around his right bicep. No matter how hard Ino tried to get him to remove them, his arm and leg wrappings remained in place. The teen had also cut his hair shorter to where it didn't quite reach the nape of his neck but could still be tied back in a short, spikey ponytail with his bangs still covering the right side of his forehead ever so slightly. The bangs on the left were tied back into said ponytail.
Adrik was about to turn another corner when he sensed a familiar signal nearby. Walking over, he saw it was Hinata, and she seemed to be staring intently at something as she didn't notice him.
"Hey, Hinata."
The girl let out an "eep!" before turning around. She sighed to herself and calmed down as she saw it was a familiar face.
"H-Hello, Adrik. Wh-What are you d-doing here?"
Adrik shrugged as he looked past her at the large street leading to the Hokage Tower. He raised an eyebrow as he sensed the signals of Team Seven heading away from the tower.
"Were you watching Naruto again?"
Hinata's eyes widened slightly.
"Wh-What do you mean?"
Adrik sighed to himself before speaking.
"It's honestly not that hard to see. Trust me, I've caught your signal near his more times than you know. What's going on?"
Hinata tilted her head down as she knew she had been caught.
"W-Well, you see... I-I've been worried f-for him recently. H-His team doesn't s-seem to like him, n-no matter how hard he t-tries to get along with them."
Adrik sighed.
"Yeah, Kakashi's been training them on nothing but teamwork skills and it doesn't seem to help much, if at all."
Hinata nodded and continued.
"I-It has been like this s-since we were all little. H-He can never get along w-with anyone, no m-matter how cheerful he portrays himself to be. A-And it feels awful."
Adrik tilted his head slightly.
"Why is that?"
Hinata's eyes became slightly watery as she spoke.
"Wh-When we were kids, N-Naruto saved me from a b-bunch of bullies. He n-never thought twice about it. B-But he had to leave right a-after, otherwise my guard m-might have yelled at him."
Adrik's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why would someone yell at a little kid, especially after they helped out another person? Do people really hate him that much?"
Hinata nodded slightly.
"I-I believe they do."
Adrik's eyes widened slightly.
"H-Have you ever heard of th-the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Upon seeing Adrik nod his head, Hinata continued.
"N-Naruto was born in the day of the a-attack. Th-There are some things I-I still do not know, but I b-believe I understand how it all c-correlates. Y-You have sensed his s-signal, correct?"
Adrik nodded.
"I-It is quite strange. I-It feels as if th-there is another chakra source c-connected to his."
Adrik nodded again, wondering how Hinata knew what he had sensed.
"I was wondering why the Hokage didn't even mention it."
Hinata nodded and continued.
"M-My, dojutsu, th-the Byakugan, allows me to s-see chakra, so I know as well. Wh-What you sensed was the Nine-Tailed Fox s-sealed into him."
Adrik's eyes widened again in surprise.
"I th-think the people of the L-Leaf know this and d-despise him for it. But e-even so, he smiles so brightly. H-He holds a confidence that I-I could never hope to match. Th-The reason I watch him i-is because it gives me confidence as well. I-I hope one day it will even be enough for me to talk to him. I have always been shy, so I never talk to him, no matter how badly I want to tell him how I feel. It feels terrible because I've let so many chances pass while he continues to be hated and ignored by so many people. I... I feel responsible for everything he's gone through since I was never there for him."
Adrik sat there silently for the entire time that Hinata talked with an amazed expression.
"Wow. I think that's the longest you've gone without stuttering."
Hinata's face turned a shade more red in surprise and embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have said a-all of that..."
Adrik shook his head.
"Don't be. Instead, be thankful."
Hinata tilted her head in confusion.
"We're gonna go see Naruto, and you're gonna talk to him."
Hinata's face turned red as she blushed.
"Wh-What?!"
"Either we go see him now or you just keep watching from the sidelines. Sitting around never gets anything done, so let's go."
Hinata had no time to react before being dragged by Adrik.
X
Naruto got to his apartment and opened the door. The only thing on his mind was the C-Rank mission that Team Seven had just received. The first impression he got from the client, an old bridge builder named Tazuna, wasn't great. Even so, he couldn't help his excitement at finally doing something besides painting fences or chasing a cat.
Naruto turned around when he heard footsteps approaching up the stairs.
"Oh hey, Adrik. And uh... Hinata, right?"
The two teens in question stopped in front of Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto. I saw you and your team heading home so I thought I'd say hi. I bumped into Hinata on the way so we kinda ran to catch up."
Naruto smiled as he opened the door to his apartment.
"Well, come on in! I can cook you guys something if you want."
Adrik nodded and Naruto lead them into his apartment.
X
"So, what mission did you guys have to do today?"
Adrik shrugged as he sat down at the small dining table right across from the kitchen. Hinata nervously sat across from the teen looking as if she didn't know what she was doing there.
"Just painting fences again. It was pretty early for you guys to be done for the day. How many missions did you do?"
Naruto shrugged as he brought out a knife from a cupboard and started chopping up vegetables.
"Only did one. We're startin' our first C-Rank tomorrow, though. Some bridge builder guy wants an escort to the Land of Waves. You're goin' with my team tomorrow, right?"
Adrik nodded and Naruto opened another cupboard to get out a pot.
"Well, looks like your first C-Rank is with us!"
Naruto turned to face the two other genin as he waited for the water to heat up.
"So, how're you and your team doin', Hinata? It feels like it's been forever since I've seen anyone else from our class."
Hinata's eyes widened as the attention was put on her.
"O-Oh, w-w-we are f-fine."
"That's good. I hope Kiba hasn't been barkin' your heads off."
Naruto laughed a bit, causing Adrik to smile and Hinata to let out a small giggle.
"N-No, h-he has a-actually been quite n-nice. Sh-Shino and I g-get along w-well with h-him."
"Good to hear! Well, I hope you like my cookin' as much as Adrik does. I haven't really had anyone give me an opinion besides him, now that I think about it..."
Hinata nodded along.
"I-I am s-sure you are a g-great cook, Naruto."
Naruto smiled as he turned around and got back to work.
X
"K-Kakashi really h-hasn't taught your t-team much of a-anything, has he?"
Naruto shook his head with a frown. The three genin had already finished their bowls of home cooked ramen, courtesy of the blonde haired genin.
"Nah, he hasn't. I had to learn tree walkin' from Adrik. Hell, I only just learned my Shadow Clones can transfer what they learn a few days ago."
Adrik nodded along.
"He hasn't really taught you guys much besides teamwork exercises, even when I'm there."
Naruto shrugged and sighed.
"He's just a lazy jonin who got stuck with a bunch of genin who hate each other."
Adrik nodded again and sighed to himself. He glanced at Hinata out of the corner of his eye, which she seemed to notice if her redenning face said anything.
"H-Hey, N-Naruto..."
Naruto raised his eyebrows curiously as he leaned back in his chair and looked at Hinata.
"U-Um, do y-you... m-mind if I t-talk about s-something a little p-personal?"
Naruto shook his head slightly.
"Not at all, go ahead."
Hinata nodded and adjusted herself in her chair slightly. She breathed in and out a few times to calm her nerves before she spoke.
"D-Do you kn-know about th-the thing sealed in you?"
Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he straightened himself in his chair. He tilted his head down towards the table, letting his bangs cover his face.
"H-How did you find out...?"
"The same way I did."
Naruto looked over at Adrik in surprise, almost forgetting that he was also sitting at the table.
"The only difference is she put the pieces together. With my ability to sense chakra signals, one of the first things I saw was another signal connected to yours. I just didn't really know what was happening until Hinata told me."
Hinata nodded slightly.
"W-With my c-clan's bloodline, th-the Byakugan, I-I can see ch-chakra. I-I have always s-seen a red colored ch-chakra connected to y-yours by s-some sort of seal. O-Over time, I-I realized the s-story about the a-attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox was j-just a cover-up. N-Nobody has ever k-killed a Tailed Beast, n-not even someone l-like the Fourth Hokage."
Naruto put his head in his hands with his elbows resting on the table.
"How long did you guys know about it?"
Adrik shrugged.
"I learned only a few hours ago."
"I-I've known ever s-since we started a-at the academy... I a-apologize for n-not telling you until n-now."
Naruto leaned back in his chair and removed his hands from his face to stare up at the ceiling. It was clear to the two other genin that his eyes were watery.
"So, what, you two come along just to rub it in my face that you know why people hate me? Are you gonna hate me, too?"
Hinata shook her head as she moved forward in her chair ever so slightly.
"N-No, I don't hate you. I could never hate you."
Naruto looked over at her with disbelief clear in his expression.
"Y-You probably don't r-remember, but when w-we were kids, you s-saved me from a group of b-bullies. I n-never got the chance to th-thank you for that. I w-was always too shy to a-approach you."
Naruto stopped leaning his chair back as he listened to Hinata speak.
"I w-wanted to apologize for n-not being there for you. I kn-know you didn't have a-any friends, but I was too sh-shy. I just s-sat back and watched as you w-went through everything alone. I g-guess I wanted to f-finally talk to you s-so I could tell you h-how sorry I am."
By that point, Hinata was teary eyed. She couldn't help but feel terrible for even saying it.
"B-But you don't hate me... right?"
Hinata shook her head again.
"I w-will say it as many times as I n-need to. I could never hate you, N-Naruto. You're always s-so kind. You try to help others e-even if you get nothing but h-hatred and anger in return. I've always admired you from the day you helped me. Not even something like the Nine-Tailed Fox could make me hate you."
Hinata looked up at Naruto with a small grin. Naruto stood up from his chair, Hinata doing the same, though she looked confused. Her pale eyes widened as Naruto walked over and gave her a hug. She returned the hug as she took note of the quiet sobbing coming from the blonde teen. She let fall a few tears of her own but still held her smile.
X
"Are you sure you don't need me to walk you home."
Hinata shook her head with a small smile.
"N-No, it's alright. You sh-should get some rest f-for your mission tomorrow."
Naruto nodded and gave Hinata a warm smile, making her blush.
"Right. Well, have a good night, Hinata."
"Y-You as well. A-And thank you for the meal. It was better than I c-could have hoped."
Naruto stepped out and gave Hinata one last hug, surprising her, before walking back into his apartment. He waved at her as he closed the door, which she returned.
Naruto looked around at his apartment and sighed as he had a lot of dishes to clean. Even so, the smile still hadn't left his face. He noticed something on the table out of the corner of his eye and walked over. He picked up the piece of paper and read what was written on it.
"Seemed like you two were having a moment, so I went back over to my apartment.
Looking forward to the mission tomorrow.
-Adrik"