NHRK Chapter 55

A/N: The first out-of-schedule release to start adding to the chapter bank. I'm sorry for taking so long despite promising to expand the chapters this month. Truth is, I sort of needed a break for a week after the stress of exams being over, and my fingers could barely write chapters (and could only plan for the HP fic). Worry not, I'm now back in action again. Hopefully more active in the remaining two weeks of my break and even when my next term starts once more (I'm getting better at managing my time to be able to write).

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“I said that you can have everything–” Anko tried to repeat but was interrupted.

“I heard you the first time, dattebayo!” Naruto exclaimed, blushing.

Anko blinked at his tick before smirking at his reaction. “My, my, you should be honoured to be able to have someone as great as I, Naruto-kun.”

“How humble of you, Anko-san,” Naruto said as he composed himself, “but as I’ve said, I’ve got multiple girlfriends. I’m not starving for choice.”

Anko rolled her eyes. “Then I’ll be one of them, then.”

Naruto blushed again.

“I have to meet up with Kurenai now so I have to go,” Anko said, “It was nice hanging out with you, partner.”

Naruto nodded and bid her farewell.

Before she left however, she turned back to him. “And…I said I was sorry so…just call me Anko-chan again, will you?”

Naruto blinked and this time, swallowed, finding it harder to say it as he did before.

“alright…Anko-chan.”

Anko smiled before she left.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

‘That was weird, Anko must’ve cared more about taking care of Orochimaru than I thought.’

Naruto didn’t mind it, really, as it was simply what he was going to do anyway. Nothing’s really changed…only that part where she said that she’d give him everything if he killed Orochimaru.

That part sent shivers down his spine.

Anko Mitarashi, as eccentric as she is, was a catch. She had this overflowing sexiness about her yet also this dangerous air that prevents any man from approaching.

Whatever the case, Naruto would just have to go along with it and let it play out. He didn’t need another partner–He has Sakura here, Mei in Kiri, and Tsunami in Wave. Any of these locations he could get to in the blink of an eye.

Yet there was just something about Anko Mitarashi. Perhaps it was that idea of her in his old world. The wild flower that is filled with thorns, the dangerousness of even considering a relationship with Anko Mitarashi…or so people thought. Once you get to know her, you realise that those thorns were simply put in place for her own security and that they did not harm you.

Naruto shivered. Better to put those thoughts aside.

He made it back to the Uzumaki compound, a place he now lived with Kushina, Haku and Miyu. It was getting a bit crowded yet Naruto would lie if he said he didn’t like it this way.

“I’m home,” Naruto said.

“Welcome home!” Kushina greeted him.

“Welcome home, Naruto-sama,” Haku greeted from the kitchen as well.

“Welcome home, Naruto-kun,” another voice said.

…

…

Wait, Miyu was still at Ichiraku’s…so that third voice…

He peeked into the living room and, to his surprise, Hinata was there. She was as lovely as always, so prim and proper, a princess in every fibre of her being.

Oftentimes, He’d forget just how gorgeous a visage Hinata Hyuga was due to her quiet nature. Plus, the faint blush that she normally has on her made her even more pretty.

…The faint blush that she had on right now…oh, it’s getting redder for some reason.

“Heya, Hinata!” Naruto greeted her excitedly, “What brings you here?”

“G-good Morning, Naruto-kun,” Hinata said, “I…there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, something I needed your help with.”

Naruto nodded and sat next to her, though still keeping space so that she wasn’t comfortable. She let out a small ‘eep’ before she recollected herself from the closeness of their proximity.

“What is it that you needed help with?” Naruto asked.

Hinata looked down at herself. “I…I wanted to get stronger, more…useful.”

Naruto opened his mouth to retort but, surprisingly, Hinata cut him off.

“I know what you’re going to say, Naruto-kun,” Hinata said, “Humans aren’t meant to be defined as useless or useful but it’s just…I guess I worded it wrong. I want to…be of more use to you, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto blinked. Then he pointed at himself. “Me?”

Hinata nodded. “I…I wanted to be by your side when you go off into battle or missions or even…war. I need to be strong for that to happen. Athena and the owls are helping me so much and yet…I feel that if I’m not careful, I’ll be left in the dust”

“By who?” Naruto asked.

Hinata looked at him like it was obvious. “Sakura, of course. Whatever you did with her, I want you to do with me.”

Naruto stammered, blushing, trying to explain that the methods of Sakura’s training is not as straightforward as she’d thought.

In the end, Naruto calmed down and sat straight.

“You…you already know what that entails, don’t you?” Naruto asked.

Hinata blushed but nodded. “Procreation.”

“...” Naruto stared at her. “Your situation is more complicated, isn’t it? You’re the heiress of a large clan, one that’s still very much dominant. With Sakura, it’s easier. With you…”

Hinata bit her lip. “I…I don’t care.”

“Eh?” Naruto got out.

“I don’t care about what my clan thinks. I’ve let them rule over me for far too long. I want to do this for myself, Naruto-kun,” Hinata said, eyes becoming glassy.

Naruto could only give a shaky nod of understanding. “I…see…”

To his surprise, Hinata shifted closer to him and landed a kiss on his cheek, surprising him and making him turn towards her.

It was what she wanted as not a moment later, she kissed him on the lips.

She was so soft and gentle and did not show that desperation that Sakura liked to show when she kissed. Hinata’s kisses were one of devotion, of a loving wife waiting for her husband at home, of a princess with many burdens on her shoulders.

Naruto melted into it, getting lost in the sensation, the softness.

Then he felt her tongue split his lips apart and entered him. It was surprising, as she wasn’t normally the one on the offensive. Naruto let her do whatever she wanted.

She was so warm too, like the heat of a loving caress on a cool winter day.

Something about her was riling him up unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It was like his very soul yearned for her, to take her in his arms and never let her be alone again.

He wanted her.

He wanted her badly.

Yet she separated from him and placed a hand on his chest to prevent him from leaning into her to ask for more.

She smiled at him. “I…I don’t deserve this, at least not yet. I have things I need to resolve on my own strength. I want to prove worthy of you in the chuunin exams.”

“Hinata…” Naruto said, voice deep and throaty.

The way he said her name sent chills down Hinata’s spine and made her face heat up furiously.

Kami, if she wasn’t a woman of her word, she’d have dropped everything then and there and let him take her, just to hear the way he said her name like that again.

“Please, Naruto-kun,” Hinata said, “After the chuunin exams, or at least the first rounds. It won’t be long.”

Naruto bit his lip, restraining himself before nodding. “You’re already worthy of me, Hinata. You’ve been worthy since the moment I met you. If anything, it is I who needs to be worthy of you.”

He placed a hand on her own and squeezed it.

“Don’t make me wait too long,” he said before he got up to help with whatever chore Kushina was working on.

Hinata was breathing heavily as she watched him go. No matter how hard she tried, she could not be the one who was dominant in these scenarios. How could she, when a word from him would leave her breathless, when a single touch he gave her rooted her to the spot and made her mind whirl like this very moment?

Hinata controlled her breathing to collect herself. In the chuunin exams, she would prove herself, and she would finally get the only single thing she’d ever wanted.

She looked towards his back once more right as he left the room.

Him.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ino was growling to herself as she placed the bundle of lilies in a display pot. The last one before her shift was over.

She was on the back foot, and she knew it.

Sakura had gotten the jump on her, and using the circumstances of being taken away to a mission with him to her advantage, she’d pulled ahead.

She would not have this.

She wouldn’t.

So she made her way towards a particular destination, needing to strategize with a friend who was in a similar situation as her.

She knocked on the door.

“Oi, Sarada!” Ino said, before knocking again, “I need to talk to you about something.”

The door opened to reveal one amused looking Mikoto Uchiha.

“Good Morning, Ino-chan,” the Uchiha Matriarch greeted.

Ino took a moment to step back and bow. “Good Morning, Mikoto-sama. Is Sarada here?”

Mikoto hesitated for a second before answering. That was very much unlike her.

“She is, but…she’s going through something a bit big right now,” Mikoto admitted.

Ino tilted her head. “Whatever it is, I can help. A Yamanaka is always needed, anytime and anywhere.”

Blinking, Mikoto reevaluated her presence.

“Actually…you just may be able to help,” Mikoto said, “though, please keep what you see today a secret, would you?”

Ino motioned to zip her lips shut. “My lips are sealed.”

Ino was let in.

When she reached the living room, however, she froze.

Staring back at her was none other than Itachi Uchiha.

Instincts immediately took over and the jovial, if a bit forward Ino Yamanaka was no longer there and in her place, was a kunoichi ready to get to work.

Ino almost took flight as she dashed towards Itachi as quickly as she could and sent a flying kick.

He dodged with mere inches of movement. Her kick landed on the wall behind him and before she turned back to strike again, a hand placed itself on her shoulder.

“Be calm, I mean you no harm,” Itachi said. His voice was chilling.

Ino was a master of her own mind so she was extremely resistant to genjutsu. Still though, she sent a pulse of chakra into the air.

It changed nothing. He was still there.

She met his eyes and for a moment his own widened in surprise as he no longer felt control over his own body. Normally it was his foes who avoided his sharingan eyes, now it seemed that he was the one who should’ve avoided hers.

Ironic.

He channelled chakra through himself and Ino felt her hold slip.

She scowled before she leapt away, separating herself.

She was strong, strong enough to handle herself against even strong chuunin maybe even low jonin given preparation, but against Itachi Uchiha?

She knew she had no chance but she could just let this S-rank missing nin do whatever he wanted to her friend’s family.

“Ino, it’s alright,” Sarada's voice said from upstairs.

Ino’s eyes sharpened as she watched her friend descend.

Ino used her clan jutsu to check Sarada’s mind once she came into view and found no remnants of genjutsu.

Still though, it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Kai!” Ino said as she sent an even bigger pulse of chakra than she did before.

“What’s going on here?” Another familiar voice rang out and Ino felt herself sag in relief.

It was none other than Naruto Hagoromo, her mentor, her friend who could handle even Itachi…wait, what was he wearing?

He was wearing a kitchen apron and rubber gloves, which were wet as if he was washing the dishes before he got here.

He glanced around the room, roving over Itachi Uchiha as if his entire presence wasn’t a problem at all. Ino wanted to smack him to make him pay attention to the threat.

Then he realised what was happening when his eyes flickered over to Ino.

“Oh, you’ve been introduced to Itachi I see,” Naruto said, “I brought him over from my mission in Kiri so don’t you worry, Ino-chan. He’s perfectly safe.”

Sarada, who was still on the stairs, looked unimpressed as she glanced at her brother. She huffed before coming downstairs, grabbing Ino’s wrist, and dragging her with her back upstairs to her room.

“Wait–Naruto-kun, would you like to–” She was cut off as Sarada yanked her in and closed the door behind her.

Mikoto poked her head into the room. “I did not realise she would react that badly so I triggered the hiraishin wards. I’m sorry for troubling you, Naruto-kun.”

Naruto smiled. “It’s alright. Better be safe than sorry.”

Then he glanced down, watching as his soaked gloves were letting droplets of water drip on the floor.

“Sorry for making your floor wet. I was cleaning the dishes with Kushina,” Naruto said.

Mikoto smiled. “It’s quite alright, Naruto-kun, thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“Anytime, Aunt Mikoto,” Naruto smiled and she returned it, staring at each other for a bit.

Irachi eyed the interaction, looking back and forth between the two and for some reason feeling quite uncomfortable.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat.

That snapped the two out of their world.

“Ah Itachi-kun, are you alright?” Mikoto asked, coming over to him.

Itachi nodded. “I am. It’s good to see that Sarada has made such protective friends. A friend who would face me for her sake is a good one.”

Mikoto smiled. “It’s all thanks to this guy over here, really.”

She gestured to Naruto, who scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

“I’ve already told you the gist of it in our talk yesterday but Naruto-kun really has gone out of his way to help us. If not for him, you wouldn’t be able to even be here…and Sarada…”

Itachi closed his eyes in regret, even less expressive than Sarada was.

He turned to Naruto. He bowed. “Once again, thank you.”

Naruto waved it off. “It’s no problem.”

When Itachi rose back up however, a grimace of pain showed on his face for but half a second. It was enough for Naruto to catch it.

“Ah, that’s right, I almost forgot,” Naruto said, then remembering he still had his wet gloves on he gave a sheepish smile. “Well, hold on a minute, I’ll be back in a sec.”

He meant that literally as he flashed away and a second later, he flashed back.

“I forgot about your mangekyou eye condition,” he said nonchalantly, now free of the gloves. “You’re going blind, aren’t you?”

Mikoto gasped and looked towards her son in horror.

Itachi froze. “...how did you–”

“Let’s just say I sensed it,” Naruto said. “I have special eyes myself so I am quite knowledgeable now on doujutsus.”

Itachi grimaced. “I intended to…”

He couldn’t finish as he looked at his mother.

“You intended to implant your mangekyou eyes into either your mother or Sarada before you heroically die in a tragic death?” Naruto finished for him.

Itachi couldn’t help but wince as Mikoto’s look of horror turned into one of anger. “Itachi!”

“If implanted with a close blood relative, these eyes will not affect you,” Itachi explained, “the side effects will be all but gone and you will keep its powerful abilities.”

Naruto nodded. “Yet if you die, it will remind her of you every time she uses it.”

Itachi sighed. “A sacrifice for strength.”

Naruto shook his head in disbelief whilst Mikoto looked like she was about to discipline him as she did when he was but a boy.

“You know Itachi, you are overly selfless,” Naruto said slowly, “Normally that would be a great thing, but you know, dying as you are now would be cowardice.”

Itachi tensed.

“You would die not going through your repentance. Your punishment for your sins is to reforge the bonds you have broken. It’s simple, yet extremely difficult. You aren’t allowed to die until you have done so, do you hear me?” Naruto commanded.

It was a statement where if he refused, he knew it would break Naruto’s goodwill in him and moreover, his mother’s trust once more.

So he nodded, the answer obvious. “I understand.”

“Say it,” Mikoto admonished, “Repeat it back to me so you understand.”

Itachi almost huffed. She was treating him like a boy again.

“I will not sacrifice myself in the name of what I think is good for us,” Itachi said, “I will try to reforge the bonds I broke instead.”

Mikoto looked relieved as she drew him into a motherly hug.

Naruto smiled at the scene.

“Don’t worry about your condition by the way,” Naruto said, “After the chuunin exams, I’m going to look for Tsunade. She can be made available to heal your eyes or rather, implant them safely or whatever. If she doesn’t, there’s another very talented medic-nin here in the village as well. Rest easy, Itachi.”

With that, he was gone.

Itachi sighed, as if breathing properly for the first time.

Naruto’s simple presence, even without the usage of his chakra, made the very air seem heavy.

Perhaps it was because he remembered how powerless he felt before him.

Perhaps it was something else.

In the end though, all he could do was trust in the blond-haired man’s words and return the embrace that his mother was giving him.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Over the next few weeks, Naruto worked with Anko to plan for the chuunin exams, getting closer to her day by day but their previous…sexual tension was absent.

He didn’t mind it, however, as it allowed him to be more productive in planning for Orochimaru’s presence. He did not know that after the changes he already made to this world, that the old snake would show up from whichever hole he was hiding in but it was best to remain vigilant.

He would not touch Sarada.

He would not even get close.

Not if Naruto had anything to say about it.

Itachi’s situation, on the other hand, was a work in progress. He was to be slowly reintegrated back into Konoha eventually but he was taking things slow. He mainly stayed at home and sometimes offered tips to Sarada when she was training, much to her reluctance to accept them. Still he helped her improve in some small ways that ironed out her flaws overall.

Naruto knew that the burnt bridges would have to be rebuilt slowly, yet he was sure that one day, they would consider each other siblings once more.

The rest of the girls trained with far more intensity and focus than Naruto had ever seen them have before.

He was proud of their progress as they even trained with their summons, learning animal clan techniques unique to them.

Sakura, in particular, continued to outgrow everyone else due to the frequent…chakra boosting she received.

Every Saturday morning, the other girls would glare at her smiling face, knowing what she was doing the night before. They would keep their jealousy intact and abide their time.

They would each all have Naruto eventually, was the thought they all shared.

Unlike Sakura who just dropped towels and jumped into beds, however, they would earn it.

They would get first place in this exam…and by doing so get a leg up on the others.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-