Chapter 25
At Konoha Hospital, Asuma Sarutobi walked into a room carrying flowers as a beautiful woman sat on the bed, staring out the window, with a vase beside her, filled with fresh Sakura flowers.
"Asuma," she greeted warmly as the man smiled as well.
"Kurenai," he returned the greeting as he walked up to her and gently put the flowers by her side.
"You don't have to do this every day," she told him, her voice weak and raspy as she looked at him with those guilt-ridden red eyes.
"I do," he replied warmly as he sat beside her and held her hand in his own.
"How are Kiba and Choji?" she asked, and Asuma smiled.
"Good. They have gotten the hang of water walking, and I will be moving them to affinity training soon," he answered, and his face dulled at the mention of her students.
"They need you, Kurenai. Your students need you," he told her, as her gaze lowered.
"I don't know if I am ready. Perhaps the Sandaime-sama made a mistake…"
"No," he cut in.
"He made no mistake," and he spoke that without any prejudice.
"What happened to Sakura was a tragedy. You bear no fault for it. You are a capable kunoichi, and will be an excellent teacher…"
.
.
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HIKARI HYUGA
Hikari did not really know what it was like to rest.
He had not truly rested since his induction into the ANBU, and most of the time, even his time off would be spent training and reading. It was all because Hikari knew the power of the threats that awaited him and the village, and how he was years behind in preparing for them.
He hardly had any time to waste at all.
So, taking out an entire day off for rest was not normal for him. But he was not blind to the need for rest, so he accepted Ino's offer. So, he found himself sifting through his rather limited wardrobe as he took out a simple black flannel jacket and pants, as he walked out of his ANBU issue apartment to head to the market, and the streets were full of people bustling and shopping, most of them civilians entirely unaware of the blood thirsty world around them.
He slowly reached the Yamanaka flower shop and stood outside as he waited for Ino and Shikamaru to show up. And while the shop may seem like an innocent little store, the truth was that this very flower shop hid one of the most damning secrets of the Yamanaka clan.
Information.
During the Warring States Era, the Yamanaka Clan was one of the most prominent information brokers of the entire continent, given their unique kekkei genkai. The clan dabbled in secrets, and these flower shops were their front for gathering and distributing intelligence. Though the Warring States Era was over, he had an inkling that the flower shops still remained, and the Yamanaka still dabbled in the world of secrets through them.
And suddenly, he found his name getting called out as Ino slid out of the door.
"I am going now," she said as she walked out, dressed in a sundress and a hat, as she turned towards him.
"You are here," she smiled, and he shrugged.
"You said twelve," and she nodded.
"That I did," and he glanced to the sides, hoping to catch a glimpse of the third member of their trio.
"Is Shikamaru not coming?" he asked, and saw her smile widen as she glanced around, leaving behind a short whisper.
"At least his genius is useful for something, at least," and he frowned as he asked.
"What did you just say?" he questioned as she shook her head innocently, as if this was not her plan.
"Nothing. We shouldn't really wait for him. I don't think he is coming," and he looked at her innocent smiling face, and realized that this was her plan all along. That this was never going to be a team-building exercise.
"Let's go," and so she led him away, and despite his reluctance, he followed after her as they walked into the bustling streets, side by side, stopping at one shop after another. They ate food, bought clothes, played even a few games until they reached the famous lake, and plopped down on its edge, as they stared at the setting Sun.
"It's beautiful," Ino whispered, and he believed her words.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Yes, did you?" she asked, and he raised a brow, thinking of his day and how unique the experience had been.
"Yes," he answered somewhat cautiously.
"Yes, I did," and saw a smile blossom on her face.
"Good," she added, and he let her bask in the glow of that smile before he added.
"But I would appreciate it much more if you told me the truth," and that smile stilled on her face, as her eyes lowered to the lake's surface.
"What is this really about?" he asked.
"I should have known that you would see through it all," she added, still smiling as she turned towards him.
"It's nothing bad, really. I enjoyed myself. I did. But I would like to know what brought this on suddenly," he asked, for he had to know of her intentions, and she did not answer at first as silence hung in the air.
"I looked into your circumstances," she began, and that was not so strange.
"I thought you already knew of them," and she shook her head.
"I was aware of them, but after that mission, I began to truly look into your circumstances," and that meant that she now practically knew as much about him as he did himself.
"So…" he began.
"I want to help you," she offered, looking him in the eye, and he raised a brow.
"You don't have to. I can manage…"
"But I want to," she added.
"Ever since we first met, I have only treated you horribly…"
"And you have already apologized for that. I hold no grudge for anything, Ino," he assured her, but she continued.
"I know, but after Sakura's death, you were the only one who understood my pain. Who offered me a shoulder to lean on, and even now, you are training me and helping me. I just wish to do the same for you," and that was rather innocent of her.
"You don't want to get involved in my life, Ino," he told her the honest truth.
"It is far more complicated than you think," and Ino shook her head.
"I know everything. About your clan, your eyes," and her face shifted as she whispered the last words.
"…and your brother," and it had been some time since he had thought of Neji, for the two of them had left each other alone, except for a binding promise between them.
A promise to test their mettle on the stage of the chunin exams.
"You are a clan exile, and that puts your life in too much danger. If you were to be associated with another clan, the Hyuga clan wielders will have no choic…" yet before she could finish, he felt a rush of chakra from behind, as he shifted in the blink of an eye, and saw a kunai rushing towards Ino.
CLANG!
Chakra laced his hand through sheer instinct, as he grabbed the kunai and pushed Ino behind her, as he prepared himself for a fight, only to stop upon seeing a person walk out of the forest behind them while clapping his hands.
CLAP!
CLAP!
"It has been some time since I have seen young love like that," and he was a giant of a man, with wild white hair that ran down his back like a lion's mane. He wore a combination of red and grey, and had a helmet with the kanji of oil painted onto it.
"What the…" Ino was lost for words, and so was he, for he had not thought that their first interaction would be like this.
"Maa. Maaa. Will you stop glaring at me like that?" he asked, as he refused to back down.
"I know that you are angry at me for disturbing your perfect moment with that girlfriend of yours, but I thought you were the one who wanted to see me…"
"…Hikari Hizashi!"
"Yes, I did…"
"..Jiraiya-sama!"
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JIRAIYA-The Toad Sage
Jiraiya had been away from the village for some time.
His absence was a consequence of regret and duty, for he was amongst the strongest within the village. The only one who could look into the hidden threat that had robbed them all of their favoured student.
To the outside world, Minato had died at the hands of the Nine Tails, and while that was technically true. The truth was far more worrying, for the whole incident had been orchestrated by a masked shinobi.
A masked shinobi who was now gathering a crew of wanted S-ranked criminals, each of whom was powerful enough to wreak havoc on any village if they so desired, and to have the ability and the power to gather a crew of such people under oneself, indicated that the man was plotting something.
He was plotting something big.
Jiraiya owed it to Minato to put an end to the masked ninja's plans. It was the least that he could do for him, given that he had failed him in ways more than one. And it was that failure which he did not wish to face, as he scurried over the village streets, letting himself absorb how the village had changed in his absence.
And while strolling, he had found his eyes wandering to a young, happy couple going from stall to stall. Jiraiya had been summoned to the village for two shinobis, and while one of them was Minato's son, the other one was their village's newest rising star.
Hikari Hyuga, or Hizashi as the boy preferred to be called, though that was easier said than done.
"Will you stop glaring at me, kid?" he asked, as the two of them stood atop one of the training grounds after dropping off that girl at her home once again.
"I know that I interrupted your little date, but I wanted to know if Sensei was telling the truth about this new genius of his?" and even the backhanded compliment did not lessen the edge in that gaze, and he should have expected nothing less of an ANBU.
"And what do you think now?" he finally asked, and Jiraiya smirked.
"Oh, he was telling the truth all right," and it showed now more than ever, for even now he could see the boy's glance shifting as he contemplated a way of fighting him, as he tried to get a measure of his strengths and weaknesses.
"Still, I am surprised that a newcomer like you would know of someone like me," and finally, the boy raised a brow.
"I doubt that there is a person in this village who doesn't know of you, Jiraiya-sama," and he laughed.
"Haha. Is that so?" and of course it was.
"Still, I am intrigued about why someone like you would request a meeting with me?" and before the boy could answer, he continued.
"If the way you are looking at me is anything to go by, then I don't think you are looking to have me as your teacher?" and he smiled.
"Will you accept me as your student if I ask?" he asked, his gaze finally softened, as Jiraiya replied bluntly.
"No," for he was done taking on students, and while there was little doubt about the boys' talents, he was not the kind of student he wished to train.
"But you already knew that," he added, for his answer had garnered no reaction from him at all.
"I did," he did not lie, and that was smart of him. Not lying.
"How?" he asked, and he saw the boy hesitate.
"Because you already have a student, even though he doesn't quite know it yet," and Jiraiya's smile vanished in an instant, as he realized that the boy was more than a ruthless killer.
He was smart.
"You know about Naruto," and he nodded.
"I do," and it was not actually a secret, but still to figure it out on his own. The boy deserved credit.
"Now I am even more intrigued about why you would request this?" and the boy sighed.
"I did not request an actual meeting, you know. My purpose could have been achieved just as easily through a letter as well," and he shrugged.
"But now I am here. So, speak up," Jiraiya added, and the boy sighed as he began.
"I wish to seek your permission to use a jutsu," and that was a strange request.
"Is that all? I am not the kind to worry too much about things like that, you can use any jutsu of mine that you want witho…"
"But it's not actually your jutsu," and yet he was asking him.
"It is a jutsu of your former student, the Yondaime Hokage…."
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