Konohamaru had that massive wall of flames, ya know?" said Naruto flailing excitedly. "And Hanabi, she was totally exhausted. She didn't have anywhere near enough chakra to put it out. I mean, Konohamaru has been training as ninjutsu specialist since forever, and Hanabi had already used Kaiten twice, ya know? But she made just the perfect amount of water to dive through and was right there. Perfect striking range—
Ichigo held up a hand cutting him off. "I was there for that part."
Naruto flushed and ducked his head. "Oh, right, I forgot." He looked up slyly. "You were sitting with Hinata-chan. I bet she was excited when Hanabi won."
It was Ichigo's turn look away. He had gained a hint of a tan after spending a month in Suna's sun, but Naruto could still see the faintest blush on his cheeks.
Naruto grinned. Hinata-chan was pretty awesome. Her support meant a lot to Naruto, and he was totally ready for her to step up as head of her clan. She deserved a boy getting flustered over her for a change. Not to mention, he had heard all about the "date" from Sakura and Konohamaru—definitely an A+ prank on Hanabi's part.
Naruto scanned the crowd again. The Chunin Exams had officially ended this afternoon with a presentation of the successful candidates. This was the after party. All the high ranking shinobi and some of the more important civilians were celebrating the successful end of the Exams. They usually went well when there wasn't an invasion right in the middle.
"Ah, there he is!" said Naruto. He grabbed Ichigo's wrist and dragged him through the crowd. "Gaara! Hey, Gaara!"
The Kazekage pulled away from his conversation to watch Naruto's approach. He was talking with Kurotsuchi and Mei—they must have just left the secret meeting about the missing Uzumaki—which was fate as far as Naruto was concerned.
"Gaara!" Naruto repeated. He noticed the wince from the other Kages and checked his volume. He was close enough anyway. "Hey, Mei. Kurotsuchi. Gaara, I wanted you to meet Ichigo!"
Ichigo gave them a little wave. He was playing it cool, which even Naruto had a hard time doing around three Kages, or he had when he was younger anyway. Ichigo was still scowling too, but his expression kept shifting between fond and annoyed, and Naruto was already used to that from Sakura, so he figured everything was fine.
"And why am I meeting Ichigo?" prompted Gaara.
"Ichigo's my cousin!" said Naruto practically vibrating in his skin. "He and his sisters moved to Konohagakure a few months ago. They're awesome."
Gaara blinked at Naruto and looked at the genin again, giving him a more serious assessment this time. Mei and Kurotsuchi looked curious too. That was good. Naruto knew Ichigo was interesting person and strong. If everyone else knew it too, then maybe that would warn off those kidnappers. That was half the reason for Ichigo's enrollment in the Chunin Exams in the first place.
"I didn't realize you had a cousin from the Land of Iron," said Kurotsuchi.
"What?" asked Naruto frowning. He glanced Ichigo, who looked resigned. "I thought you were joking when you said everyone thought you were a samurai."
"Why would I joke about that?" asked Ichigo.
Naruto shrugged. "Because Konoha isn't very famous for having swordsmen, maybe?"
"So, from Kumo then," said Gaara. "They specialize in kenjutsu and lightning attacks."
Naruto shook his head. "Nope. Ichigo isn't from the Elemental Countries at all."
That got them good. Gaara looked sort of bland, but his face was like that. Mei and Kurotsuchi both looked super-impressed and maybe a little startled.
"How are you related exactly?" asked Mei curiously.
"Our moms have the same dad, Uzumaki Mamoru," explained Naruto. "He left the Elemental Countries after Uzu was destroyed, ya know."
Gaara frowned. "That name sounds familiar. I think Uncle Yashamaru said his father's older brother was an Uzumaki Mamoru."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Seriously? We're even closer related than I thought!"
"Congratulations," Kurotsuchi told Gaara. "You're never going to get rid of him now."
"What was that?" growled Naruto tightening his hand into a fist. Ichigo sighed, drawing Naruto's attention instead. "Is something wrong?"
"I recognize the Kazekage from the opening and closing ceremonies," said Ichigo. He tilted his head toward Kurotsuchi and Mei. "Who are these people?"
Naruto was mortified. Maybe Ichigo wasn't playing it cool after all!
"Didn't Konohamaru teach you anything?" he demanded. "That's Mei. She's Mizukage, and she's got some awesome bloodline abilities. She can use Lava Release like Yuzu. That's Kurotsuchi. She's Tsuchikage and way cooler than the last Tsuchikage. She's got a Lava Release too, but it works differently. They're both really strong."
"Aa," said Ichigo completely impassive. "Nice to meet you."
Naruto smirked. Ichigo was cool as a cucumber. For some reason, Kurotsuchi was rolling her eyes, and Mei was shaking her head. On the other hand, Gaara almost looked fond.
"Oh, if you're Mizkuage then Ansei is from your village, right? Is he doing okay?" asked Ichigo.
Kurotsuchi groaned quietly. "He really is related to Naruto."
Naruto huffed not quite sure how to take that. It certainly didn't sound like she meant it as a compliment. He wasn't too thrilled with Ichigo asking after the kid who almost him either.
"He should make a full recovery," said Mei. "Why do you ask?"
"I didn't mean to use kido in any of my matches. But he startled me, so I was worried I had made my attack too strong," said Ichigo.
Naruto scowled. When Ichigo said, "startled," he really meant, "chopped off my arm in a sneak attack." Even worse, Ichigo had let him do it deliberately, so he wouldn't have to fight in the next round against Hanabi.
"I remember that bout," said Kurotsuchi. "He cut off your arm, Kurosaki-kun. For most genin, that would be a fatal wound or, at the very least, the end of their careers." She looked at his arm. "You seem to have recovered though."
Ichigo shrugged. "He wasn't trying to kill me. He could have tried for my head or heart or something, but he really only wanted to bloody me up like he did with Hoseki."
Naruto scowled. "That wasn't cool." He spared a glance at met. "I thought you guys were over that Bloody Mist stuff."
Mei sighed. "So did I, but recently there's been a resurge of interest in the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. The ones who admire Zabuza are particularly ruthless, and they're very upset that Suigetsu is still in Konohagakure with Kubikiribocho."
Naruto grinned nervously. Team Taka was sticking point for a lot of people. Suigetsu was technically a kiri-nin. Karin was a former kusa-nin, but everyone knew she was loyal to Orochimaru. Jugo wasn't really a shinobi at all. Then there was the whole Sasuke issue. Naruto's generation was okay with return of the last Uchiha, but the older shinobi mostly agreed with Danzo's—Danzo's! seriously?—decision to label him a missing-nin. Naruto's standard policy in these situations was to mention something else.
"I suppose that kid's hair did look a little like Zabuza's, but didn't anyone tell him Zabuza only wore the bandages around his mouth?" asked Naruto. "And Zabuza wasn't really like that anyway. He killed all those other kids, but that's because he wanted that crazy Mizukage to stop that horrible graduation exam. And he was a really honest person, and honorable too! Zabuza did what he said he would without making idle threats… What?"
Everyone was staring at him now, even Ichigo. Mei, in particular, looked stunned.
"That's right. I had forgotten you were there when he died," she said softly. "It's just as well that Ansei did not pass this Exam. I will be sure to remind everyone why, when I return to Kiri."
"Alright!" said Naruto brightly.
Mei turned to Ichigo. "Are you truly recovered, Kurosaki-kun? Konohagakure is famous for its medic-nin, but that was serious blow you took."
Naruto winced. They were back to the arm. Only four people knew Ichigo had completely regenerated his arm, and at his request they were trying to keep it that way.
Ichigo just raised his hand and waggled his fingers. "I'm fine. I used a technique I learned before arriving in Konohagakure to fix it."
Naruto rolled his eyes and contained his uncharitable thoughts about idiots not knowing how to dodge. He would get an earful from everyone if the words passed his lips. Ichigo really needed to work on his lying though. That omission stuff might work back in Konoha where shinobi were under orders not to ask too many questions, but the Kages were sharp. They could pick up on all those little cues that Leaf-nin had to overlook.
"Oh, so Konoha brought in a ringer to get those two through the Exams?" asked the Raikage appearing like a looming mountain next to Kurotsuchi.
"You!" said Naruto waving an accusing finger. "Where have you been? You've got to meet my cousin, Kurosaki Ichigo." He turned his head. "Ichigo, this is A. He's Raikage, and he's pretty cranky. But his brother Killer B is a cool guy who taught me how to rap."
Ichigo looked appalled. "Rap? But you're horrible at poetry."
Naruto spluttered a denial, which the assembled Kages ignored.
A was studying Ichigo with interest. "I saw this kid and wanted to ask him about that lightning jutsu he used. None of my people had seen it before."
Naruto made a face. "Ah, don't be pushy, A. Ichigo's not from the Elemental Countries, so he doesn't know very many jutsu yet."
Ichigo made a quiet noise in his throat. Naruto considered what he just said and blanched. Whoops. They all looked interested now. Gaara, in particular, looked suspicious.
"Your people don't use ninjutsu?" asked Kurotsuchi. "Do they all use—what did you call it—kido? It didn't look that different."
Ichigo looked at Naruto, who sighed deeply. By now it was fairly common knowledge in Konoha that Ichigo had previous military experience. All of the Hyuuga and maybe the rest of the clan heads, the ANBU, the T&I department, the Academy teachers, and most of the hospital staff also knew the Kurosakis were completely unfamiliar with chakra before arriving in Konoha and used a different type of energy to achieve similar results. Really, the only secrets they still had at this point were the exact nature and scope of Ichigo's abilities and the exact location of his original home. If they lied to the Kages now, then they'd find out eventually. That could cause problems later.
"People in Ichigo's homeland don't use chakra to fight," said Naruto mildly. "They use something else."
"But you used kawarimi no jutsu in your fight with Chaku," protested Kurotsuchi.
"I started learning when arrived in Konoha," explained Ichigo. "My sisters enrolled in the Academy too. Except they're a little older than average."
"How long ago did you arrive in Konoha? Temari was there only four months ago," said Gaara.
"It's been a little more than three months I guess," said Ichigo. "And it was a couple of weeks before I started learning."
Naruto rarely got to see that stunned expression on all of the Kages at once. Usually they were too preoccupied with looking tough in front of each other to relax like that. Naruto almost wished for a camera to commemorate the event. But suddenly, all of the focus was on him and in a bad way.
"Do you expect us to believe that you, Naruto, of all people, let your cousin, who had only been studying ninjutsu for two months, enter the Chunin Exams?" asked Mei incredulously. "Genin die in the Exams every year! Three teams were lost in the sandstorm."
Naruto winced. "Well, it sounds really bad when you say it like that, ya know."
"I thought Konoha shinobi valued their comrades' lives more than that," said A, his voice heavy with disapproval.
"Argh!" said Naruto waving his hands helplessly. "It's not like that, ya know! Tsunade-baa-chan told you guys about the kidnappers already, right?" They all nodded at him. "Well, Ichigo was targeted twice already, and we figured it was because he was a civilian, so they thought he was an easy target. The twins had already started at the Academy by then, but all Ichigo was doing was practicing with Team Gai in the mornings."
He ignored the way all four Kages winced out of the goodness of his heart and continued, "So since, Ichigo had already been trained really well in Soul Society, Tsunade-baa-chan thought she could put him on a genin team and get him some exposure in the Exams and that would stop the attempted kidnappings." Naruto finished with a ta-da motion.
Then he looked at Ichigo. "You were supposed to be a lot flashier than that. It was part of the plan."
Ichigo, predictably, scowled. "I don't like to draw out fights like that. It's cruel, and it gives your opponent too many chances to gain the upper-hand."
Naruto quirked a brow. It sounded like Ichigo had some experience with that sort of thing. He was also relieved to see Gaara and the other Kages were losing their betrayed expressions.
"Is that why Tsunade declined to promote you this round?" asked Gaara. "Because you have so little overall experience as a shinobi?"
"I agreed to join the ranks on the condition that I'd never be promoted," said Ichigo with a shrug. "I don't really think I'm suited for this ninja-business."
Naruto rolled his eyes. Ichigo could be a little more enthusiastic about his new profession, especially in front of four of the five strongest shinobi on the continent. Gaara, naturally, didn't look bothered at all, and Mei was more amused than anything else. But Kurotsuchi and A both looked insulted.
"What, are you a pacifist or something?" asked Kurotsuchi. "One of those people who think weapons should be discarded and shinobi arts forgotten?"
"Of course not." Ichigo's eyes flashed, and he straightened his posture. He stood oddly, like Zangetsu was strapped to his back even though Naruto couldn't see it. He looked like a person who expected others to listen when he spoke, which Naruto knew was half-way to regal. It was a very different sort of impression than he had had from Ichigo until this point.
"Peace isn't something you can just expect to happen," said Ichigo hotly. "You have to work hard for it. And once you have it, you have to fight every minute to keep it. Sometimes that means fighting someone who thinks he deserves power more than anyone else, or fighting people who have power on the behalf of those who have none, and hardest of all, sometimes it means not fighting and listening to others even if you disagree with them. So keep your weapons sharp and fight for your peace if that is what's important to you."
Naruto gaped. He couldn't help it. Weeks and weeks of awkward, painful conversation drawn out word by word, and suddenly Ichigo bursts out with that in front the most influential shinobi in the world? And complete strangers to boot? It was cool and all, but it also wasn't fair.
Ichigo turned to Naruto. Whatever aura had been driving him was gone. He looked like an ordinary man again. "Kon is a pacifist though," he said confidentially. "But he's got a good reason for it, so try not to hold it against him."
Naruto blinked. "Kon? It's not like he could do much damage."
Ichigo scowled slightly confused, like he couldn't decide if Naruto was making fun of him or not, but eventually nodded. "Speaking of Kon, he yelled at me for the arm thing too, so now he's sulking at the hostel. But I promised to bring him some food, so if you'll excuse me."
He spared a glance for the Kages. "It was nice to meet you," he said and wandered off.
Rendered speechless once again, Naruto watched him go until he lost sight of the orange hair. He returned his attention to the four Kages and found half of them were staring off after Ichigo while the others scrutinized him.
"He is definitely your cousin," said Gaara.
"Rude though," said Mei pensively.
"I dunno," said Naruto. "He's been really polite until now."
Then again, Ichigo had been warming up to his team ever since their first C-Rank. Maybe the real Ichigo was rude, or at least not very conscious of social standing. Ichigo was a noble-turned-political refugee with a kekkei genkai and near-Kage level fighting ability whose goal in life was to defend those who couldn't defend themselves and make sure his little sisters were happy. Naruto crossed his arms and frowned at the floor. It was a puzzler.
"Naruto, who is Kon?" asked Gaara.
Naruto peered at him. "You checked up on all the teams while they were here, right?" Gaara nodded. "Then you've probably seen Kon. It's that little lion doll Ichigo carries around."
"The puppet is a pacifist?" asked Gaara in surprise.
"I guess so," said Naruto. "But I don't think Kon is a puppet. I don't know how he works though."
"That would explain why Ichigo is picking up food for it," said Gaara mildly.
Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I'm not sure what's up with that, actually. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to take off."
Instead of worrying about it, he turned an evil grin on all of the Kages. "So, now that I've got you guys here, what did you think of Konoha's showing? Konohamaru and Hanabi were pretty good, ya know. And did you hear about the second stage? Huh?"
The groans and grumbles from the leaders of the shinobi world were sweet music to Naruto's ears. He could track down Ichigo later. Now it was time to gloat.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath of dry, hot air. Fire Country was warm too, especially in the summer months, but it was generally a wet, sticky heat. The desert was a pleasant change of scenery, but she would be glad to go home tomorrow.
The desert wind picked up tugging at the edges of her kimono. Hinata grimaced faintly. The grit went everywhere, which was also a drawback to living in the desert. Between the sand and the sun, no Hyuuga would ever find it completely comfortable.
There was a clatter to Hinata's left, the sound of one of the wooden shutters protecting the gathering hall opening and closing. She opened her eyes and turned to look.
There was a dark figure bowed over the railing. It took Hinata less than a moment to identify Kurosaki Ichigo. The hair was a dead give-away for one. He also had a very distinctive way of carrying himself that she could recognize even hunched over as he was. Ichigo walked lightly but stood as if he carried a great weight on his shoulders. She had seen it that very first day he was lost in the market.
"Ah, Kurosaki-san," she called out. "What are you doing out here?"
Ichigo jerked and straightened his back. "Hello, Hyuuga-san. Someone told me there'd be a fireworks show, and I owed it to Kukaku to watch it."
"Kukaku?" asked Hinata.
"The Head of House Shiba," said Ichigo as if that was enough explanation.
For Hinata, who had been gathering as much information on Naruto's cousin as possible, it certainly was. "I remember now, Hanabi told me you used fireworks during the rescue and that they were a specialty of your clan." She cast a look at the moon-dark sky. "I don't believe the show will start for another hour."
Ichigo shrugged casually. "Yeah, but I don't think I should go back inside just yet."
"Oh?" asked Hinata.
Ichigo looked away. "I may have insulted some of the Kages just now."
Hinata blanched. But surely, if they were on the brink of war, she would have heard something from inside. "Which ones?"
Ichigo grimaced. "Um, all of them were there, except Tsunade-sama. Naruto was introducing me."
Naruto could talk them down if Ichigo had said something truly awful, Hinata had no doubt. However, she was surprised. Ichigo had been nothing but polite to her. She steeled herself for bad news.
"What did you say?"
Ichigo groaned and cupped his head in his hand. "I don't remember."
Hinata blinked in surprise. "When did you talk to them?"
"Just now," said Ichigo.
"And you don't remember?" asked Hinata in alarm.
"I'm just so hungry. It's hard to concentrate," admitted Ichigo. "The whole afternoon is kind of a blur."
"There is a buffet table for the guests," said Hinata amusement warred with concern in her chest.
"I've already been four times, and I think the servers are starting to get suspicious," said Ichigo.
Given the crowd, the buffet couldn't be left unattended though that was mostly for the benefit of the civilian clients rather than the shinobi. As such, the chunin guarding the food also doubled as servers to give them something to do. As the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata had never been assigned that task when Konoha hosted the Exam, but she was assured it was very boring. The servers would definitely take note of how many people visited and how often.
"Four times is a bit excessive," allowed Hinata. "Did you skip lunch, Kurosaki-san?"
"No, the technique I used to fix my arm used up a lot of energy. I don't think it's quite evened out yet," explained Ichigo.
"I see," said Hinata. She would have expected Sakura to have noticed that sort of thing before she let Ichigo leave the infirmary.
Hinata sniffed the air delicately. She wasn't an Inuzuka with their superior senses, but as a trained kunoichi she was far from nose-dead. "But don't you have food in your pocket?"
"Those are caramels for Kon," mumbled Ichigo. "He's kind of pissed at me for the whole arm thing."
Hinata smiled faintly. Other than Kon, Sakura, Naruto, Tsunade, Kurenai, Hanabi, Konohamaru, Hoseki, Hanashi, and Elder Mitokado Homura had all taken the opportunity to yell at Ichigo at some point about his health, his intelligence, and the image of Konoha over the course of the afternoon. Hinata had refrained as had her father, who was still grateful for Hanabi's rescue and pleased with her promotion. It was no surprise that Ichigo hadn't found time to get something to eat.
"I'll go get you a plate," said Hinata.
Gratitude shone from Ichigo's eyes. "Thank you very much."
Hinata smiled at him and hurried back inside. There didn't be to seem an unusual tension in the room. Ichigo must not have insulted the Kages as badly as he thought. The line at the buffet was moving a bit slowly for her tastes, but she asked for two plates to make up for the delay.
The chunin-cum-server at the head of the line peered at her. "You're from the same village as that redheaded genin, right? Is one of these for him?"
Hinata didn't roll her eyes, her dignity didn't allow it, but she was sorely tempted. What was the point of her coming over if the servers noticed anyway?
"I am," she agreed. "And they both are."
To Hinata's surprise, the chunin promptly frowned and doubled up the servings. "That kid is too thin. He needs to eat more."
His opinion was shared by the rest of the chunin down the line. Hinata ended up with two plates piled high with food. If she hadn't been a kunoichi, she doubted she would have been able to carry either of them much less open the shutters to the balcony.
Ichigo was mostly where Hinata had left him, except he was leaning on the balcony railing again. Now that it was brought to her attention, she notice Ichigo did look a little thinner than he had before leaving the village. That might have made sense following the second stage, which took place in the desert, but he had had a month to recover, and according to Hanabi their team had never been stringently pressed for food or water.
"Here you are, Kurosaki-san," she said setting both plates next to him.
"Oh, thank you, Hyuuga-san," said Ichigo. He tucked-in immediately.
It was a lot like watching Chouji eat. The Akimichi didn't have bad table manners, but he ate steadily without stopping. Hinata hadn't expect Ichigo to do the same. He didn't have the build for that sort thing.
"I thought Sakura-chan would have made you eat something before you left the infirmary, Kurosaki-san," said Hinata as delicately as possible. She didn't want anyone to think she was impugning Sakura's abilities as a medic-nin, especially since Sakura could hit so hard.
"She did," said Ichigo between bites. "I had eight protein bars and ten of those soldier pills, so I was fine for a while. It just caught up with me again later."
Hinata furrowed her brow in concern. Sakura had designed her soldier pills specifically for Naruto's use. They did less to replenish chakra, which Naruto rarely needed help with, and much more to restore the body than the average soldier pill. Stealthily, Hinata activated her byakugan.
She quickly bit down on a shriek. Ichigo didn't just look thinner. His fat reserves were depleted and his muscles atrophied. Even his bones had lost some density. Only his chakra coils, twice as bloated as the average shinobi's, something he shared with Naruto, looked completely normal. It was as if he had taken the Akimichi's Three-Colored Pills.
Hinata shifted her focus slightly to check on Ichigo's digestive system. To her surprise, his stomach was completely empty. She moved her eyes up. The food Ichigo ate was dissolving inside his esophagus. No one's body worked like that.
Hinata abruptly recalled the way Ichigo had "killed" Kon's tea the one time they ate together. A concentrated burst of energy had destroyed the physical nature of the tea. And hadn't Ichigo said whatever technique he used to heal his arm left his energy unbalanced? She wasn't sure how Ichigo produced the energy he used to destroy Kon's tea, but if it was anything like chakra, then it originated inside the body.
She reached out and touched his arm lightly. Ichigo froze before he could start on the second plate.
"Is something wrong, Hyuuga-san?" asked Ichigo.
"I think you're…eating wrong," said Hinata awkwardly.
Ichigo blushed. "I guess I have been eating pretty fast."
Hinata shook her head slightly. "No. That's not what I meant. You're not digesting properly."
"How could you—" Ichigo began and cut himself off. He met her gaze evenly. She still had her byakugan active. "I guess that a stupid a question. But I'm not sure how to control, uh, my digestion."
"It's not your actual digestion," said Hinata quickly. "It's like Kon with his tea except…inside?"
Ichigo was seriously frowning at her now. "That can't be. I'd have vaporized my internal organs by now…Unless, I was constantly healing them too. But I should have notice the drain on my reiryoku…unless I was taking a lot of energy from the food and was too hungry to notice the rest. Shit."
Ichigo closed his eyes then opened them just as quickly. "Normally, I don't need to concentrate to control my reiatsu anymore," he told her. "But I'm not at my best right now, and your hand is, uh, a little distracting."
Hinata abruptly realized she was still holding onto Ichigo's arm. She squeaked and let go. Ichigo closed his eyes again. Hinata wondered if she would notice anything happening. Unlike when Zangetsu manifested before the team dinner at the compound, she couldn't see any abnormal energy in Ichigo's body.
Abruptly and bizarrely, her sense of Ichigo lessened. He was still standing in front her, but he didn't feel as real as he had just a moment before. Hinata reached out her hand automatically but drew back before she could touch him. She had gone on missions where her team had run out of food. She knew how hard it could be to concentrate when the body was hungry, and Ichigo looked to be near starving. She hadn't missed him mentioning vaporized internal organs either. Hinata didn't want to be responsible for accidentally killing Ichigo.
He reached for the plate again. This time Hinata was able to watch the food reach his stomach. She gave a little sigh of relief and deactivated her byakugan. Then she went to get more food. The chunin on duty gave her an appraising look when she said just one plate would do if she could get the same size portions as before but did as requested. Hinata made it back just as Ichigo finished.
"Better?" she asked handing over the third plate.
"Yes," he said. "You saved me."
Hinata blushed. "You would have noticed eventually. Or Sakura-chan or Hokage-sama would have."
"It might have been too late by then," said Ichigo. "And I've never had to use my power like that before, so I didn't know how to monitor it properly."
Hinata froze and immediately regretted her decision not to yell at Ichigo earlier like everyone else. She looked away, so he couldn't see the fury on her face.
"I was under the impression that you had healed yourself from serious injury before, Kurosaki-san, and that was why you used such a risky plan in the arena," she said coolly.
"I—no—I have, I just didn't expect—it was because it was my arm you see—and that lightning damage meant I had to change techniques, er…"
Hinata listened to Ichigo try to explain himself and realized he was avoiding mentioning something. If he had healed serious damage before, and she knew he had because Neji had described Ichigo and Lee's encounter with the missing-nin outside the village, then what was different between healing a little internal bleeding and reattaching a limb?
It seemed to Hinata that reattaching a limb would be easier than healing internal organs, which were far more delicate. A cut made with a water-based weapon, especially one a genin could produce, would be much neater around the edges than a physical blade, so it shouldn't require much energy to reconnect the tissue. Except, Ichigo's entire body had been stripped of nutrients, fat, muscle mass, and calcium.
Still looking away, Hinata reactivated her byakugan. Ichigo's arm, just below the elbow, was a little light on fat but otherwise in perfect condition, unlike the rest of his body. However, his chakra coils in that area were much smaller as if they had never been used.
Hinata whirled and prodded Ichigo in the chest. "Did you grow a new arm and tell everyone you reattached it instead?"
Ichigo's startled expression was enough confirmation for her. She opened her mouth. This time he would be receiving a lecture on reckless endangerment and unnecessarily lying about his condition, the latter was especially significant if he was paired with other genin or chunin for missions. But before she could begin, he covered her mouth with his hand and leaned into her personal space.
"Please don't say anything, Hyuuga-san," he pleaded in a near whisper. "The Hokage, Naruto, and Sakura all know. I couldn't reattach my arm the way I had intended because of the lightning damage, so I had to regenerate a new one. But then, Sakura said it looked like a kekkei genkai, which it isn't, but I know shinobi are targeted because of that sort of thing, and I didn't want to give anyone another reason to go after Karin and Yuzu. Do you understand?"
Hinata thought back to her own kidnapping experience, the pain it had put her family through, and nodded solemnly. Ichigo released her mouth and pulled away.
"Thanks," he said. The corners his mouth twitched up into a smile.
"You are welcome, Kurosaki-san," said Hinata. She reflexively raised her hand to touch her own cheek. Ichigo had used his right hand to cover her face, and even though it was new, she had still felt callouses from sword-work and archery. A very small part of her wondered how that was possible, the rest was distracted by the sensation.
Ichigo went white. "I am so sorry, Hyuuga-san. That was inappropriate."
Hinata blushed faintly. "No. You're still not thinking clearly because you're hungry. Obviously. Now finish your food."
"Right," said Ichigo taking the out.
Hinata was relieved to see that now that Ichigo could eat properly, the rest of the damage to his body was healing quickly. By the time the fireworks started, he looked less like famine victim and more like someone who needed a good meal or two.
The fireworks, Hinata hated to admit it, startled her badly. She had been so focused on watching Ichigo's body repair itself—which was a fascinating process; the only other person she had seen heal so quickly was Naruto—that she missed the shutters opening to allow the guests easy access to the balcony. The first boom of exploding powder had Hinata reaching for a kunai.
"It's a celebration, Hyuuga-san. Not an assault," said Ichigo quietly staring intently at the display.
Hinata flushed and deactivated her byakugan to better enjoy the show. She couldn't help but sneak glances at Ichigo anyway. He was completely absorbed. Hinata had always thought of fireworks as pretty lights, which paled in comparison to ninjutsu, especially when viewed with her dojutsu. She wondered what Ichigo saw with a completely different view of the world. At the end of the show, he was wearing a contemplative frown.
"What did you think?" she asked honestly curious.
"The length wasn't bad. But I expected more variety. And the order wasn't that great either. Not to mention the smoke. With all the Wind Release users, I expected them to shape that better," said Ichigo.
That didn't sound very good to Hinata. "You didn't like it?"
Ichigo looked taken aback. "Of course I did. Someone felt happy enough about the successful end of the Chunin Exams to let the entire village know. What's not to like? It just could have been better.
"I see," said Hinata. "So you really do know a lot about fireworks then."
"Kukaku insisted," said Ichigo glumly.
Hinata wished she could meet this Kukaku person. Not even her father could make the Clan obey like that. It would certainly help Hinata when dealing with the Elders.
"Do you think you could do better?" asked Hinata curiously.
Ichigo blinked. "Well, yes. But I'd need materials and a workspace, and I'd guess both of those are at a premium in a busy village like Konoha."
"What if I gave you a commission?" asked Hinata. "There's plenty of room on the Hyuuga compound. I'll pay for the materials and provide space."
"That's still pretty expensive," said Ichigo reluctantly. "And you don't know whether I'm any good or not."
"Is there anything you're going to celebrate between now and October tenth?" asked Hinata.
Ichigo raised a brow. "Karin and Yuzu and I were going to celebrate their birthday when I got back. It was on the sixth, so I missed it."
Hinata stared. The Summer Chunin Exams started the last Monday of April and concluded in May while the Winter Exams started the last Monday of October and ended in November. Ichigo had missed the twins' birthday by several weeks on each side due to travel time.
"They didn't say anything!" said Hinata. She didn't have any direct contact with either Yuzu or Karin, though she was more likely to see the latter following Sakura around the hospital. Still, she would have expected to hear Naruto or Sakura making a fuss over it.
"I told them to tell Naruto," said Ichigo. "But they wanted to wait and celebrate together. Once we get back to Konoha, I could put a small show together, but I guess I'd need a permit."
Hinata smiled slightly. "I think Naruto will put a rush on one. And I'll provide the workspace for that too, since I requested the demonstration. I can cover the materials also."
"No, no. I have still have to cash those bounties from our C-Rank. That should be plenty for a small display," said Ichigo. "But what's on October tenth? I'm guessing it's not Health and Sports Day."
"It's Naruto-kun's birthday," explained Hinata while wondering what Health and Sports Day was. "There's a festival that day because it's the day Yondaime-sama defeated the Nine-Tails and saved the village, but no one celebrated Naruto's birthday for a long time. There's usually a fireworks display as part of the festival, but if I petitioned Tsunade-sama, she would probably let us hold another one for Naruto."
Ichigo smirked. Hinata supposed it was because he couldn't frown or scowl happily enough. More than one smile in a day was probably too much to ask.
"Alright," he said. "Sounds like a deal. Your patronage means a lot."
Hinata counted the evening as a success. Now all she had to do was convince her father to let Ichigo work on their land. She considered the situation and decided Hanabi could do the asking. Kukaku might be able to intimidate her Clan into obeying, but Hinata was a shinobi. She could manipulate with the best of them.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Kurenai's heart felt light as a feather as her team raced away from Sunagakure. Victory could produce that sort of feeling in a shinobi. The only problem was that her team, Hanashi, and Hoseki weren't part of Konoha's diplomatic party, which meant they couldn't travel with the larger group of shinobi while in the borders of the Land of Wind. They planned to meet up on the border of River Country.
The six man team, now consisting of two jounin, three chunin-elect—to be officially promoted upon their return to Konoha—and one genin, could make much better time than the larger party. The real question was whether or not they'd be spending more time in the desert or in the more pleasant Land of Rivers. If they arrived sufficiently in advance, Kurenai was willing to pay for a night in an inn rather than camping out, which was more than enough to spur on the group.
They could have made more progress if the three former genin weren't too busy gently teasing Ichigo for not receiving a promotion this Exam cycle. Kurenai had been surprised by the decision herself, and mildly disappointed that she wouldn't be one of the few jounin to advance all three genin in one test, and asked Tsunade-sama for her reasoning after the closing ceremonies. Ichigo had not shown a spectacular display of skill, but he had won all the bouts he participated in and remained calm under pressure, if one counted deliberately taking a wound as pressure. (Hanabi and Konohamaru at least should have remembered how Ichigo's kekkei genkai worked from watching his practice with Neji and Lee. There was no way losing his arm had been an accident.)
To her surprise, Kurenai learned that Ichigo had denied promotion as a condition of his service as a shinobi. She hadn't known, in order not to discourage her other students about their chances according to the Hokage, and Kurenai couldn't help but wonder about his reasoning. Ichigo was a very capable fighter and could easily rise through the ranks.
"Haven't you ever seen anyone come up out of the ground before?" asked Hoseki.
Kurenai grimaced. She had seen the after-action reports from both of the attempted kidnappings. She knew Ichigo had killed two missing-nin who had tried that tactic against him and Lee, but there was no way anyone else could. Ichigo disliked discussing the specifics of his battles.
"It's not that useful in my experience," said Ichigo.
"Well, I guess not if you have a sword," said Hanabi logically.
"Not if you can fight in the air," corrected Ichigo. "Speaking of, Kurenai-sensei, what's the shinobi technique for air-walking?"
"Air-walking?" asked Kurenai in surprise.
"Yeah," said Ichigo. "I mean, I know the techniques for water-walking and tree-walking, and I guess air-walking would be a little too chakra intensive for a genin. But I've got to learn some time."
"I'm afraid, Ichigo, that you're doomed to be disappointed," said Hanashi cheerfully. "A few shinobi have developed a technique for flying, your cousin being one of them, but the majority of us are grounded."
"You don't have an air-walking technique at all," said Ichigo sounding stunned.
Kurenai studied his expression carefully. It seemed that he had honestly expected them to have a wide-spread air-walking technique. "Do you have one from your homeland?"
"Four," blurted Ichigo.
"Four!" exclaimed Kurenai along with everyone else.
"Why didn't you use that?" asked Konohamaru. "I mean, you would have gotten a promotion for sure."
"I was trying to use techniques genin would know," said Ichigo. His mind was clearly focused elsewhere. "Karin and Yuzu will need to start practicing as soon as we get back."
"Can you air-walk with hirenkyaku?" asked Kurenai. "Is that part of your kekkei genkai?"
"He has a bloodline ability?" asked Hanashi. "Since when?"
"Apparently, birth," said Ichigo, which was an odd thing to say no matter how true. "And, yes, hirenkyaku can be used that way."
That blew all of Kurenai's expectations out of the water. She had never heard of such a versatile kekkei genkai. To be able to enhance one's fighting ability was one thing—some shinobi could turn their skin harder than rock, which was Kurenai had always likened Ichigo's ability to—but flight was completely different sort of power.
"Would you like a demonstration?" asked Ichigo. "One you're conscious for, I mean."
Kurenai recalled that hirenkyaku had been one of the techniques he used when evacuating the ambush site while on the return leg of their C-Rank. The other was sonido, which Kurenai vividly remembered hearing before their report to Tsunade-sama.
"I would love one," admitted Kurenai.
"How long until we reach River Country's border?" he asked.
"About five hours," said Kurenai after a few quick calculations in her head.
Ichigo hummed to himself obviously doing a few calculations of his own. "That sounds manageable."
Kurenai wondered if he could really fly over them for five hours when she was unexpectedly lifted off the ground and then up and up. Ichigo was holding her bridal-style roughly ten meters above the dunes. The rest of the team stopped and was staring up at them.
"We'll meet you guys at the border," called Ichigo. "If you don't mind, Kurenai-sensei."
Kurenai considered for just a moment. Hanashi could look after the younger shinobi, and no one potentially tracking the Uzumaki could imagine that this one could fly. That was the majority of her problems solved.
"Will you be able to carry me all the way like this?" she asked.
"It should be fine. You're not that heavy," Ichigo hastened to reassure her. "But on my back would probably be more comfortable."
"Alright," said Kurenai. "Arms out."
Ichigo obediently straightened his arms. Placing one hand on his shoulder, Kurenai twisted and leveraged herself up over his head and onto his back. Performing the maneuver so high in the air was dizzying but hardly difficult. Ichigo might as well have been standing on solid ground for all he moved. She waved down at the rest of the Leaf shinobi.
"Take care of my kids, Hanashi," she called. She readjusted the goggles she was wearing for desert travel. "Let's go!"
Ichigo's muscled tensed, and he launched forward. The others were out of sight after two strides. The desert below passed by in a blur. She could understand why Ichigo's ancestors had named their technique "God Step." Under their feet, the land shifted from arid sand, to empty steppes, to rolling hills.
After a little less than an hour, Kurenai put a hand to Ichigo's back. He stopped instantly; standing still in the air while he waited for direction.
"I think the border is about a kilometer back," she said. "Hanabi can find us once they cross if we stop here."
"Got it," said Ichigo.
He dropped to the ground, no differently from any shinobi jumping off a steep cliff, and landed as softly as a leaf falling from a tree. Kurenai had enjoyed the trip, even if the speed of it was unexpected, but was glad to stand on her own two legs again.
Ichigo was peering around them curiously. "Kurenai-sensei, I'm going to go over there. I'll be right back."
"What's over there?" asked Kurenai.
Ichigo blushed. "Um, business?"
Kurenai chuckled. "Just yell if you're kidnapped by shinobi."
"Right," said Ichigo.
He disappeared into the underbrush. Kurenai eyed the nearby trees. They weren't Fire Country standard, but the Land of Rivers was no desert. She ran through an abridged version of her morning stretches—a kunoichi her age had to put a little more effort into staying limber even if she had a child and a genin team to chase around—then leapt on to promising-looking branch to wait.
Ichigo took quite a while to complete his business. Kurenai was just starting to worry when he reappeared. He was cradling something in his arms. Kurenai jumped off her branch to get a closer look.
"Is that a cat?" she asked.
"I thought Yuzu would like her," said Ichigo. "She's always liked cats."
Kurenai's mouth twisted into a bemused smile. "Is this a habit of yours? Picking up strays?"
"Not until recently," mused Ichigo. "This should be it though. I don't think Kon could stand anymore competition."
"Where is Kon?" asked Kurenai. "You didn't leave him Suna did you?"
Ichigo scowled at her. "Kurenai-sensei, I'm twenty-four. Not four. He's sleeping in my bag."
Kurenai looked at Ichigo's small satchel. Most of their larger equipment was sealed away. But it was still more convenient for shinobi to carry little things, especially food, water, and other perishable supplies, in a physical bag. The average seal wore out over time and with multiple uses sometimes damaging the items sealed within. Still, that was a very small bag.
"He's fine. He doesn't have bones," said Ichigo. "Or pain receptors. He does have a bad relation with housecats though."
The cat's ears twitched in response. Kurenai wondered if this one was a nin-animal like the turtle. How did Ichigo keep finding these creatures anyway?
"None of that," said Ichigo sharply. "Kon's annoying, but he's family."
What little tension there was in the tiny body disappeared. She wriggled deeper into Ichigo's arms. Her black and red striped fur made it look like a miniature tiger.
"What's her name?" asked Kurenai.
"I'll let Yuzu figure that part out," said Ichigo. "She can really pick 'em."
An ominous feeling settled over Kurenai. Yuzu was a bright, gentle soul training to enter the Torture and Interrogation Department. She had a tendency to call Kon "Bostov," and sometimes the talking doll came to practice wearing the most elaborate and ridiculous costumes Kurenai had ever seen. The poor, little cat didn't know what was coming.
As if in response to Kurenai's anxiety, the cat gave a dismissive twitch of her tail. The kunoichi blinked her vision clear and looked again. It was a perfectly normal tail, but just for a moment, Kurenai could have sworn she saw two.