Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Closer ❯ Chapter 3

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Naruto groaned in mild discomfort, shifting his weight on his crossed ankles and rolling his shoulders. He opened one eye and saw Kakashi-sensei lazily sprawled on his belly, totally engrossed with his new book. He wasn’t even paying attention to them! They had been meditating for three whole hours! Enough was enough.


“What is it Naruto?” Kakashi-sensei asked, glancing up from his book with a bored look on his face. He must have felt my intense killer intent, Naruto thought with a little smug smile.


“This training sucks! When are we going to get to the physical stuff?” He demanded, unfolding his legs and stretching them out in front of him. He heard Sakura sigh loudly. She was diligent throughout the whole thing, sitting between Naruto and Sasuke to keep them from harming each other after the two ignited an insult duel as soon as they laid eyes on one another.


“For once I agree with Naruto. I think I’ve reached my inner peace long ago.” She said. Naruto shot her a grateful grin and then gave an expectant look at Kakashi.


“If this is all we’re going to do then can I go home early?” He pleaded.


Sakura snorted softly. “Have some kind of hot date or something?” She teased and Naruto blushed shaking his head vehemently in protest.


“No! I want to stop by and check on Ino.” He stood and stretched his tense muscles, breathing in the nice air.


“Ino? Why do you need to check on her?” Sakura slowly climbed to her feet. Even though she asked the question lightly, Naruto could tell she wanted to hear more. It was a real shame that the two were at odds with one another. It was strange knowing that two of the most inseparable girls in the entire academy could break away from one another so easily. Over a small matter like Sasuke he thought, giving the brooding boy a secret glare of dislike. The ass.


“She’s sick and her dad isn’t around to take care of her. She says it’s just a little cold, but she’s been sleeping for two days. So can I?” He was annoyed that Kakashi kept his nose in his book the whole time he spoke.


“It’s fine with me. Run two laps around the field for me then you may go.” He fluttered a dismissing hand, not once raising his eye from the white pages. Naruto grinned and created a clone.


“You heard the man.” He waved the pouting clone off. “Gotta go!” And he began to leave with a laugh when Sakura stopped him.


“Wait Naruto. She likes beef stew. Just make sure that it had a lot of vegetables in it or she’ll complain that red meat is unhealthy and she won’t eat a lot of it.” She looked like she wanted to say more but she just gave a little smile and left, trying to catch up with Sasuke who was already half way around the field.


Even though they were mad at one another, Naruto was glad that Sakura told him that. Now he knew that they were still friends even if the two girls disagreed on that fact.


He knew just the place to get the stew and headed to Old Leaf. An old woman who told him that she used to cook for the last Feudal Lord had him wait for a few minutes while she prepared it, but once it was done, he immediately headed to Ino’s house. Once there he spotted someone rather surprisingly waiting by the front door of the flower shop. Naruto frowned at the cool figure, wondering what the heck he was doing here.


“Sasuke?” The Uchiha looked up in surprise. He had a small brown paper bag in his hands and he held it to Naruto, looking away as he did.


“It’s an herbal remedy that my mom used to give me when I was unwell. It doesn’t taste all that good so mix it in with whatever food she’s going to eat to mask the flavor.” Naruto took it from him, exactly unsure of what to think.  Sasuke began walking away, but he turned back for a second. “And tell her to give me back my shirt.” And then busy pedestrians swallowed him up, leaving Naruto staring blankly at the spot he was last in.


His shirt? Why would Ino have his shirt? Did she steal it? He ignored the flower worker who greeted him with the usual cold smile when he entered and proceeded up the stairs, through the white door. He had come to this place plenty of times before, but when he entered it was unnaturally quiet. Inoichi would usually be there, parked on the clean sage green sofa watching some soap-opera or game show, or if he was gone, Ino usually had music on. He came to her bedroom door and knocked twice before entering. His eyes riveted to the queen size bed, where the blonde slept.


“Hey wake up.” He said loudly, placing the covered bowl and brown bag on her night stand, cluttered with used tissues and various glasses of unfinished water.


“Mmmm.” She moaned in response. Naruto grinned and hovered above her, playfully pulling her cream colored pillow comforter off of her face.


“Come on Ino, you know the routine. Did you even take your medicine yet?” He managed to free her face of the blanket.


“Man you guys. Choji came and woke me up at five thirty this morning, and then Hinata made me eat when he left. Stupid Kiba came in this afternoon and Akamaru jumped on me, making my head throb even more and now you? Jeeze people I’m not going to die! I just want to sleep!” She whined, pulling the blankets back over her face. Naruto sighed.


“Then I guess I’ll eat the beef stew I brought you.” He said, opening the top of the canister and letting the smell waif though the room. He heard Ino’s stomach rumbled and she immediately sat up.


“Beef stew?” She looked at the tantalizing meal he held in his hand.


“Yup with lots of vegetables.” He grinned at her when she licked her dry, pale lips. “Healthy and nutritious. You sure you want me to leave?”


“Naruto, you would starve a sick beautiful young girl?” Ino whined.


He laughed. “I’ll make you a bowl. Wait here.” He took the paper bag and large bowl of soup with him into the kitchen. He prepared a bowl for her, sprinkling in the herbs Sasuke gave him and mixing it into the thick broth. He poured her a fresh glass of water as well and took them both to her. She looked a bit better, though still pale with dark circles under her eyes and chapped lips.


“Bring it here.” He sat the water down on what little space she had left on her night stand, then gave her the warm bowl.


“Shikamaru didn’t come?” He asked sitting at the edge of her bed.


Ino rolled her eyes and ate a hearty spoonful of soup before she answered. “Yeah he came and fell asleep next to me on my bed. Lazy bum.” She scowled, absently rubbing her leg. “He kicks in his sleep.”


Naruto grinned, imagining Shikamaru sprawled on Ino’s bed, snoring away. “Has your fever gone down? You look a little better.” He resisted the urge to touch her forehead.


“It has. Jeeze all this mothering from you guys might spoil me. Next time I’m dying from cramps and going psycho because of me insatiable sweet tooth I’ll call you so you can get me some aspirin and chocolate.” She murmured, grinning at his blush.


“That’s so gross Ino! I don’t want to hear about your girly problems! I won’t do it!”


She laughed and then yawned. “Calm down. Is there any more soup?” She held out her bowl with a raised eyebrow.


Naruto stuck around until she told him that she had to shower. When she was getting dressed, she noticed that her head was much clearer and that her body didn’t ache as much. Who ever made that soup did a good job. It was sweet of Naruto to get her some and she did appreciate the visits from her friends.


By next morning she was all better and she decided to buy little gifts for them. Hinata got some nice hair pieces, Choji received a coupon to his favorite barbecue place, Shikamaru was rewarded with homemade mkaral soup (not made by her of course) because it was his favorite, Kiba was given some organic doggie treats because he spoiled Akamaru and Naruto…Naruto was going to get a brand new set of ninja tools for bringing her the awesome soup.


“Hey old man! Did you get my stuff yet?” She entered the shop in Old Leaf, smiling at the new jingling bell that marked her entrance. There was some scrapping of a cane on the surprisingly clean floor.


“Miss Yamanaka. I was wondering when you would be coming.” Old man Himo came around the corner and it took some restraint on her part not to stare. The old man looked way better then when he first met him. His once long straggly beard was trimmed close to his face and his robes were new. His forehead was still pretty wrinkly, but the rest of his face was smooth. The shop looked like it had improved as well though she it didn’t show on the outside.


“I know I gave you a small fortune to do my bidding, but how the hell did you get so much stuff in such a short time?” She dropped her shopping bag beside her feet and turned around in a full circle to see it all. New shelves replaced the dingy ones and piles of new clothing and shoes were stocked. The stuff in the shelves was standard stuff, but the clothing on the new shiny racks was a sight to behold. Ino gasped and ran to them.


“Where did you get these? I have to pre-order this kind of silk!” She ran her hands over the wolf grey rain cape, savoring the delicate in stitch that looked like shuriken stars.


“I have a friend who does specialized textiles and she sent me her old bolts of fabric and threw in some new stuff just because she hadn’t heard from me in so long.” He grinned. “I think she still has a thing for me. I was quite handsome in my younger days and made all the girls flutter by just looking at them.”


Ino laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh I bet. I can fashion so many different outfits with every single one of these!” Ino pulled out a bolt of lilac chiffon with greedy eyes and hands.


“There is a woman just down the road who can tailor anything you like.” Old man Himo smiled and Ino found himself smiling back. “Come in the back. I have what you ordered.”


Ino was reluctant to leave such wonderful material, but she managed to pull herself away and follow him in the back. The boxed goods sat on a plastic break table and she pulled the top open and found that she got exactly what she wanted. A book of every kind of note ever invented, some special purple dyed smoke bombs and shiny, new kunai and shuriken lay in a velvet lined box.


“Do you know your chakra element yet?” Himo asked.


Ino nodded. “My dad tested me when I first entered the academy. It’s Earth.”


“Ahh I should have known.” He gently picked up one of the two kunai from the box and held it up for her to see. I looked like a regular weapon, but the laced leather handle was an unusual crisscross design. The bottom hilt was stamped with a special looking star symbol.


“This weapon can be manipulated by your chakra into you elemental strength.” He explained, turning it and letting the light flash on the blades.


“Really?” She asked, studying it with an untrained eye. It didn’t look any different that a regular kunai.


He nodded. “Watch.” He held up the kunai and pushed some chakra into it, making it glow with a blue halo. The hard metal shimmered and then she saw it turn to water except it still looked like a kunai. He threw it at the wall. It made a loud clanking splash, seeping through the wall as if it was nothing but a sheet of paper. Ino heard the weapon hit the floor on the other side.


“See the wet mark on the wall where it passed though?” He pointed to the wall and Ino nodded. “Imagine it as a gaping hole through an enemy body.”


“What? Water could do that?” Ino stared at the wall in disbelief.


“I made water take on the sharp attribute of the kunai but the weapon is like a medium. Whatever you want your element to do, it will carry that will in the kunai. It takes some concentration.”


“So you made sharp water?” Ino frowned.


“Yes. You have earth element so push some of it into this one and see what it can do.” Ino took the last kunai from the box and used both hands to push some chakra into it.


Earth is the soil our flowers grow in. It’s hard like stone and soft like mud. It can become light like dust and heavy like a mountain. It holds water, giving life to trees and flowers. How will you use it Ino? What can you do with it? Her dad’s soft coaching voice echoed in her head.


 The kunai glowed blue and then turned a slight tinge of green around the edges. Small thorns popped out on the blades and she threw it at a standing lamp where it landed on the floor, millimeters from the base. As soon as it hit, it exploded into various arms of thin, thorny vines, covering the lamp in four seconds flat. She still felt the thin chakra cord that connected the kunai to her chakra. She closed her hand, imagining that she was crushing an egg in her clutches and the vines contracted around the lamp, snapping it into three parts.


She gasped in excitement and the vines retracted back into the kunai. The lamp fell to the floor in a twist of broken metal.


“That was amazing! You actually made plant life! Did you know you could do that? Combining earth and water elements are extremely difficult. It takes years and years to master one element enough to combine it with another.” He looked like a little, wrinkled boy, with big owl eyes blinking in astonishment.


“Getting into people’s mind isn’t Yamanaka family’s only secret jutsus.” She unwound the bandages around her waist and let the old man take a peek at the earth summon character on her pelvis bone. He lifted his brow in surprise.


“Yes, yes, I remember your grandma having such a tattoo.” He eyed her. “But your dad never showed any kind of plant jutsus. Why do you?”


Ino sighed. “My dad thinks it’s too girly. He’s the first boy born in Yamanaka clan. Everyone else had been women.”


“Oh you’re right.” He wheezed, settling himself into a nearby box. “It’s amazing. Plant jutsus and mind reading?”


“Yeah. I get even more awesome.” Ino grinned and picked up the kunai. “Where did you get this? How come none of the other stores carry cool weapons like this?”


“It’s a prototype. Once all the research it done on them, they’ll hit the market in the next two years or so. You’re lucky.”


“You sure have great hook-ups old man.” Ino grinned and pulled some money from her small weapons pouch. “Besides picking up my awesome weapons, I came to get Naruto something.”


The old man’s eyes crinkled. “He’ll be a little insulted if he knew you were buying things for him. He used to getting things on his own.”


Ino nodded in agreement. “I know but this time it’s a thank you gift. I think the only kinds of gifts he would ever accept would be thank you gifts and birthday gifts.”


“Yeah. He’ll be turning thirteen soon enough.” He said wistfully.


“Really? I didn’t know. What does he usually do for his birthday?” She put one hand on her hip, twirling her new kunai on her finger. This pose would look cool, she thought.


The man sighed heavily. “We usually have a small get together here in Old Leaf the day before or after.”


She stopped and frowned in confusion. “Why not on the day?”


Ino noticed him hesitate and she wondered why. “It’s the same day as the Fox Festival and the villagers aren’t too nice to him.” He said quietly, with sadness and empathy clearly written in his withered face.


Ino felt the burn of anger once more. What was with them? Then she felt another piece of the Naruto puzzle fall into place. Naruto’s birthday was on the same day as the defeat of the nine tails. Her dad’s little clue made a lot more sense now. The new revelation was interesting. She had to tell Shikamaru this news.


“I’ll help out with his party this year and bring a few friends to help too.” Ino gathered her box and gathered her other shopping bags after she bought Naruto’s present. “I’ll be back for that fabric and the name of that tailor you mentioned next time I visit. See you old man!”


Naruto grinned at his gift, stroking the shiny new metal of his new kunai and shuriken stars. He never wanted to take them out of their box. He wanted to keep them new and pretty like this forever. He had gotten presents from others in the past, but this was the first time he ever got a present from a friend his own age. He didn’t know so much happiness existed from such a small show of appreciation.


“Gah, I’m didn’t act like your mommy Ino!” Kiba closed his thank you card. Naruto grinned and opened his card, loving it as much as his new weapons.


“They all say the same thing. I didn’t play favorites,” Ino rolled her eyes. She was putting little glittery berets in Hinata’s hair while everyone opened their gifts.


“You didn’t make this right? I won’t eat it if you did.” Shikamaru opened the top of his styrofoam container with a wary eye.


Ino looked slightly insulted. “Me cook? Do you really have to ask me Shika?” Shikamaru grunted, and closed it with a satisfied look on his face replacing the neatly tied red bow.

“Akamaru loves these biscuits.” Kiba held one out to the little puppy who snatched it and withdrew back into Kiba’s jacket.


“Don’t feed them all to him in one night. He might not eat dinner.” Ino warned.


“I know, I know.” Kiba waved her off.


Choji sat with a happy smile, clutching his note to his chest with his coupon peeking out.


“There. You look nice. Right guys?” Ino asked, finishing with Hinata’s hair.


There were disinterested mumbles of agreement from the other guys and Ino gave them a moody glare, turning to him for a different response. “Right Naruto?”


He gave a quick glance at Hinata’s hair and nodded. “Looks nice.” He agreed. Hinata became red and quickly looked down. Naruto frowned, but shrugged it off. Hinata was always red when he saw her.


“Okay kids, me Shika and Choji have to get going. I want to look for my headband again before we have to meet with Asuma-sensei. I’ll see you later?”


“If you would like.” Hinata said.


“Yeah, we’ll be at the smoothie shack. I’ll try to get Shino to come.” Kiba and Hinata left together and Naruto left to his place to put away his gift. He looked at his thank you card and frowned. He knew he should give something to Sakura and Sasuke for their help in curing Ino, but he didn’t know what. He opened his gift box and withdrew the shiniest, best kunai of all. He stuffed it in his pocket and went to look for Sakura first.


“Hey Sakura!” He greeted her at her front door. She lived on the better part of town, next to the hospital.


“If you’re here to ask me on a date again I’ll punch you.” She threatened, folding her arms in front of her as she leaned in the doorway.


“Nah, I just wanted to give you this.” He held up the kunai with a friendly grin. “Ino gave me a box set of small weapons as a thank you gift for bringing her soup but since it was your idea I though you should have this. See, she even had it inscribed. ‘Thank you! Lots of pretty hugs and beautiful kisses—Ino.’” He read out loud to her. Actually this was the only weapon with the inscription on it. The rest didn’t have one. Sakura looked shocked and sad at the same time.


“Oh.” Was all she said when he handed it to her.


“See you tomorrow Sakura. Bye!” He left her standing in the door way, staring at the kunai. He didn’t see the tears fall from her eyes as she stroked the blade with her fingers.


He found Sasuke sitting by the lake, next to their training grounds. He was alone, legs stretched out in front of him just looking into the calm waters. Naruto stealthily tried to approach him, wanting to scare him but like always, the loser knew it was him.


“What do you want idiot? I don’t feel like talking to anyone.”


Naruto scowled. “What’s new? I don’t feel like talking to you either.”


Sasuke looked up. “Then why are you here?” He asked in a dead monotone.


Naruto hesitated before withdrawing the note and giving it to him. “It’s not from me and it’s not a love letter some girl asked me to give you so you better not throw it away.” He warned, not too sure if he should give it to him now. But he held it out and Sasuke took it and stuffed it into his pocket.


“Whatever. I’ll look at it later. Is that all?”


“Yeah.” Naruto huffed and left the brooding Uchiha to his past demons.


Asuma-sensei was a laid back teacher that always managed to get laid back missions. Ino knew that genin were at the bottom of the ninja totem pole but there had to be more than stupid chores and delivery boy missions. She was a person who grew restless rather easily and vented her anger and frustration on anyone who annoyed her so Shikamaru and Choji learned fast how to gage her moods and when to stay away from her when that happened. It wasn’t as if she was asking for super duper hard mission, but her skills were going to waste here!


As soon as she entered the training field, she threw one of her new, special kunai at a far away target, hitting the bull’s eye instantly. She growled out loud in frustration and fisted her hand very hard, making the target suck in the earth element of her kunai. It crumbled like a dried mud house. She huffed lightly, a little dizzy from using so much chakra. The release made her feel a little better.


“How did you do that?” Ino gasped and spun around with three shuriken between her fingers. It was someone she was rather surprised to see.


“Oh it’s you.” She replaced her small weapons back in her pouch. “How did you ever shake Sakura?”


He slowly entered her training area. “It was hard to do.” He admitted. “But answer my question.”


Ino walked to the splintered target, kicking pieces away to retrieve her weapon. “If that’s all you wanted to know then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. It’s my little secret.”


He glowered for a moment but Ino just smiled and swung it around her thumb. It was awkward when it was just the two of the, Ino noticed. There was nothing really to talk about and she didn’t have to keep up her ruse with Sakura absent.


“Your element is earth.” He stated after a short quiet period.


“Yeah.” Ino eyed his clan symbol and then brightened. “Hey Sasuke, how long has it been since you did some elemental training?”


He cocked an eyebrow. “A while.”


Ino sighed. He was so difficult to talk to when all he said was little word phrases and gave vast expressions of annoyance. “Do you want to practice with me?” She asked in a hopeful voice.


“Why?”


She shrugged. “I don’t know. Just something to do. It’s mostly for my benefit. Feel like helping me out?” She knew that would most likely scare him away.


“I suppose so.” Ino’s breath whooshed from her lungs in surprise and she quickly hid her big disbelieving eyes. She must have been hearing things but when he waited for an answer she understood that he was for real.

She looked surprised even though she hid it quickly. Besides, if he stuck around then maybe he could get a glimpse of that kunai that decimated a target.


Practicing elemental jutsus was like riding a bike. One never forgot and after a few tries, it was easy again. From the way she practice her hand seals, he knew she wasn’t as experiences as he was. He didn’t know anything about Earth jutsus, but her slow hand seals were something he could fix.


He showed her step by step how to sign them in fast accuracy. Luckily she had pretty good chakra control like Sakura so when she managed to do a ninjutsu they were always a success.


He never practiced with anyone except when he was with his team. Sasuke would never tell them but he didn’t mind working with his team at all. Kakashi was a genius from a famous clan so he was an acceptable teacher. Sakura was really annoying but he could appreciate her absolute chakra control. Naruto was an all around screw up but he had determination. The idiot would never rival him but it was amusing that the blonde tried so hard.


As they moved to simple taijutsu, Sasuke was a little surprised that three hours into the training she was…well…normal.


When Kakashi made him and Sakura spar it was like hitting a blow up dummy. She didn’t even try; squealing like one hit from her could kill him or something. So he usually sparred with Naruto. The guy had amazing stamina and a lot of energy. It was the only thing Sasuke would secretly complement him on.


Ino held no reservations like Sakura. She moved pretty well but never took any offensive. “Why are you only defending?” He growled at her in mild annoyance.


“Asuma-sensei always tells us to get a good reading on our opponent to see what their fighting style is.”


“Really?” He raised a haughty brow thinking that he needed to retain some of that info. “Well are you done reading me?” Ino didn’t flinch at his mocking tone like Sakura did. She simply shifted her body into ready position.


He charged fast at her, mostly to make a point that his style couldn’t be analyzed, but she countered his hits easily like she had been expecting them. She caught his outstretched arm with both hands, using his momentum to throw him over her head as she squatted. He sailed though the air and recovered, flipping, landing then spinning to retaliate. She blocked, ducked and then rolled away as he brought his foot down where her body had been. She still defended a lot, but when he decided to let up and allow her to be offensive she managed to land some blows on his person. The spar went on like that until the sun dipped below the horizon. Ino was the one to give up first.


She dropped to her knees, panting hard. “I’m done.” She declared and lifted her blue eyes to his. He was a bit tired as well, though he knew it didn’t show. His muscles were warm and tingled with the workout and his shirt was damp with sweat.


“Already?” He asked.


Ino gave him a tired smile. “I’m not used to training like this. My team is used for gathering information and serving as back up. Yours is used to man the front lines and take enemies down by force so of course you have a lot more endurance than I do.”


“You seem to know everyone’s place.” He commented and offered his hand. Ino blinked in astonishment at the gesture and Sasuke was beginning to regret that he even offered a helping hand. He hoped she didn’t get any ideas about him. As soon as she was back on her feet he quickly let go. They walked back to the village streets in silence.


“I’m going this way.” Ino said and parted ways. “Have a nice night.” She gave a little wave. He didn’t know why he watched her, but for some reason his eyes blankly followed her figure as she joined Shikamaru and Kiba at a smoothie shop.


“Sasuke! Do you want—?”


“No.” He said before Sakura finished. She just materialized out of nowhere. If only she used that skill on their missions more often.


He avoided peoples’ looks as he walked home, shoving his pockets in his shorts. His fingers brushed a thick folded card and Sasuke withdrew it, turning it around to see THANK YOU printed on the front with flowy purple letters. Naruto had given it to him earlier. He had forgotten about it. He flipped it open with his thumb.


The corners of his mouth lifted and he re-read it a couple more times before putting it back in his pocket. It had been a long time since anyone ever thanked him and damn it…he was kinda glad that it had been from Ino. Weird, annoying Ino who was just using him to make Sakura jealous. How come he wasn’t bothered by it? How come he was almost smiling? Ino…she was becoming a pleasant pain in the ass…