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Bared Naked	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > General Views: 1401 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter Four: By
Dawn�s Early Light

Sasuke decided that Naruto had
fallen asleep, if the deep even breathes and fast heartbeat were any
indication. They were comforting sounds, soothing sounds, and lulled the kitten
almost back to sleep. Instead he yawned and stuck his head out of his new home,
a home-made pouch lined with something soft that hung from Naruto�s neck.
Considering that his caregiver was slumped to one side with his head on the
table next to one hand and the other hand lost to sight as it hung limply at
his side, the young Uchiha considered his new home a wonderful- and surprising-
bit of forethought on Naruto�s part. From the looks of it, the blonde had been
up for most of the night, nodding off when exhaustion finally succeeding in
sucking him under.
The sun would be up soon Sasuke
noted with a yawn, the grey light of dawn chasing back the night. Morning fog
hid most of the city from view, creating the illusion that Naruto�s mundane
apartment floated above the clouds like some fantasy castle in old stories. The
image was pretty, the kitten admitted, and part of him wondered if �assuming he
got up in time- he�d be able to see a similar view from his own home. On the
heels of that thought was an odd curiosity, and Sasuke sadly wondered if anyone
had noticed he was missing yet. Surely someone had noticed and told the Hokage.
Right?
It�s
only been a day. He reminded himself sternly, mentally shoving away his
moment of self pity. It�ll take a while
for your disappearance to register with everything going on. Wait, why the hell
do I care?
Still though, it was a bit
depressing to think he could be so inconsequential. The kitten sighed
unhappily, idly wondering if he would be able to make the leap from his perch to
the table. He needed to stretch in the worst way; his leg muscles were
beginning to twitch as they cramped and it would only get worse the longer he
stayed immobile.
�You�re looking better.� Hinata�s
voice, though a whisper, startled him, making him withdraw back into his pouch
like some furry turtle. His heart pounding in his throat, Sasuke poked his head
out again cautiously and wondered how the hell she was always able to approach
without someone noticing.
She smiled up at him as she knelt
on the floor, lowering the large metal box she carried to the wooden boards. It
settled with a quiet thud, which seemed loud in the predawn period but then
again, the act of breathing seemed loud too. Hinata set the box as she wanted,
lifted the lid soundlessly, and began sorting through its contents.
��
It was a medicine chest, Sasuke realized, surprised at how well stocked
and organized the paraphernalia was. Hinata seemed to be impressed as well,
making little appreciative sounds as she read the labels on some of the
bottles. She fished out gauze and antiseptic, silently setting the items down
on the floor for usage. Curious, Sasuke leaned further and further out of his
pouch as he watched her, letting out a startled hiss when his weight made the
pouch he sat in tip forward alarmingly. The strap of the pouch snapped, sending
it to the floor for parts unknown. Sasuke was dumped out and the kitten fell
several inches before pale hands stopped his decent.
�� The Hyuga heir shushed him as she caught him, setting Sasuke on
the floor gently and petting him, paying special attention to his head and ears
before pulling her hands away. Puzzled, the young Uchiha sat beside Hinata,
awkwardly stretching out his back legs as he watched the girl.
�� Biting her
bottom lip, her eyes narrowed in concentration, Hinata gave Naruto�s limp hand
an experimental stroke with a shaking finger. She glanced nervously up at his
face, relaxing when he continued to sleep peacefully, right cheek against the
table. Shooting Sasuke a conspiratory look, Hinata inhaled deeply and took
Naruto�s hand between hers, running her fingers gently over the blonde�s palm.
The corners of her mouth turned down, but Sasuke didn�t think she was unhappy
exactly, more like she was worried about something.
�� Sasuke
watched her prepare several pads of gauze, the antiseptic smeared on the
material sharp in the kitten�s nose. Hinata began dabbing at Naruto�s hand,
pausing guiltily every now and then when his fingers twitched in response.
Taking a firmer grip on his wrist, her thumb resting lightly on the pulse
point, the Hyuga heir continued to treat whatever ailment she had found on the
blonde�s hand. Eventually Hinata, satisfied with ministrations, finished by
liberally spreading salve over Naruto�s hand and wrapping it in bandages.
�� The kitten took a few experimental steps
around Hinata, actually managing to make it all the way to Naruto�s medicine
chest positioned several feet away from him. The short trip was surprisingly
tiring, and Sasuke let himself slide down to lay on the floor beside the box,
propping his head on a corner of the cool object. He was thirsty, he realized,
and wondered how he could get Hinata to get him some water, or even that milk
concoction Naruto had been feeding him thus far.
�� Thankfully,
he didn�t need to think very hard; Hinata seemed to have a sixth sense about
the needs of others. Sasuke was scooped up and set on the table near Naruto�s
hand, left to wait while she disappeared into the kitchen. For several minutes,
the kitten heard only the sounds of cabinets being opened and closed. Then the
wonderful sound of water running from a tap could be heard, cut off just before
Hinata reappeared carrying a shallow bowl between her hands. She set it on the
table near him, muffling a laugh as Sasuke very nearly shoved his head under
the liquid�s surface in his eagerness to slack his thirst.
�� While
drinking, the Uchiha heir was at an ideal vantage point to watch Hinata explore
Naruto�s fingers and knuckles, finally able to see what injury she was
dressing- he didn�t smell blood and if the blonde was indeed injured, Sasuke
figured that, of any of them, he with his new sharp senses would be the first
to know. He peered close then dismissed the cracked skin of Naruto�s hands as a
minor injury and walked away to shake the water off his fur; if his blonde
idiot teammate couldn�t remember to ice his swollen knuckles after training
then that was Naruto�s problem.
�� Though, the
swelling was odd since Naruto always seemed to heal so fast no matter how many
times Sasuke pounded him.
The kitten licked his lips clean of
water and sat, sniffing the air. He caught the scent of something and began
tracking it, crawling across the table slowly. Hinata had brought more supplies
with her, but he tried hard to ignored the antiseptic
smell pervading the air, instead concentrating on the scent he wanted.
�� His legs
aching slightly, Sasuke lay on his belly and crawled forward toward the source
of the odor. His lips were pulled back, his mouth half open with his tongue
curled back against his tiny front teeth, inhaling the air deeply and analyzing
it. He continued forward until he was nose to nose with his sleeping teammate.
Sasuke frowned; surely he had to have made a mistake because Naruto couldn�t
possibly be the source of the scent- the young Uchiha would have noticed it
long ago even with his normal sense of smell.
�� The kitten
sat on his haunches, frowning, with his head tilted to the side in confusion.
He shut his eyes, closed his mouth and stuck his nose in the air. For several minutes
he simply breathed and listened to the almost inaudible sounds Hinata made as
she finished wrapping the blonde�s other hand.��
�� He could
smell her, Sasuke realized for the first time, Hinata�s scent seeming to
breathe calm and gentleness into the room. He could also smell hints of baking
in the air as restaurants all over the city began preparing for the day, mixed
in with remnants of the meal Naruto had cooked the night before. Scents of
earth and grass from the blonde�s plants peppered the patina his new enhanced
senses painted of his surroundings, his ears flicking and tracking the noises
of his comrades.
�� Okay, Sasuke thought, focusing his ears
and nose on the blonde sleeping inches away. He concentrated and slowly the
other distractions fell away, receding into the background.
�� Now, let�s find out what�s going on.
Sasuke inhaled deeply, bringing his nose down close to Naruto�s skin and
analyzing his findings.
Underneath the slightly acrid scent
of sweat and irritating smell of antiseptic, Naruto�s scent was a difficult
combination to describe. It confused the young Uchiha, and annoyed him beyond
reason mainly because it kept conjuring conflicting images in the kitten�s
mind. Sasuke frowned, realizing that there was a new issue he had to address.
It seemed that felines associated
scents with concepts, not only physical objects or tastes. For example, take an
orange in the middle of a table. One side of the table is a human. Now, let�s say
someone comes along and cuts open the orange, sending the scent into the air.
For the human, the smell of that orange may be reminder of summer or perhaps
cleaning fluid, depending on the person. That human may also admire attributes
of the orange; its color, size, or texture. For the sake of relevance, let�s
replace the human with a cat in this scenario. In the cat�s mind, a new third
connection is made, one linking to a more amorphous concept. This wasn�t
exactly a problem for Sasuke; just an unexpected and strange hurdle he was
forced to jump over before being able to reach any conclusions.
�Naruto�s scent, in Sasuke�s mind, had become
connected with concepts like safety and comfort. The blonde was warm, the heat
sensed easily via Sasuke�s whiskers, and that too in its own way had a scent,
one that was mixed in with comfort and oddly danger. The last made him blink in
pause until he figured it out- too much warmth and one could pass out from heat
stroke and, in some cases, die.
Sasuke sniffed delicately, the cold
moist skin of his nose one sharp inhale above the blonde�s skin. But underneath
the smells of sweat, antiseptic, and concepts, there was something else,
something� other. Neither side of Sasuke could figure out what it was exactly
but his human side expressed distinct unease over it. The indefinable scent was
there under the others, a part of the collage yet standing out enough to catch
the attention of his sensitive nose. There was a bitter quality to it but that
was all Sasuke could pin down.
Frustrated, Sasuke sat back and put
a paw to his head as a headache formed in his temple.
From behind him, there was a soft
�Oh!� of surprise from Hinata followed by an odd drumming noise that made the
young Uchiha whip his head in that direction to find out what was going on.
Naruto�s hand was twitching. That
wouldn�t have been noteworthy in and of itself except
that it was twitching violently,
newly wrapped fingers convulsing painfully against the unforgiving wood of the
kitchen table until Hinata took his hand between her own to protect it from
further injury. Sasuke bounded over, nearly skidding over the table edge in his
haste to investigate as Hinata, face set in determined lines, hung on to
Naruto�s hand even after the episode had finished.
�The
hell? The young Uchiha wondered, putting a cautious paw on top of Hinata�s
hands. He sniffed Naruto�s wrist, surprised when he realized that the odd
bitter scent was gone but the warmth radiated by the blonde had increased. A
worried meow escaped from him, surprising the Uchiha and Hyuga both.
�He�s sick.� Hinata explained in a
whisper, putting a light hand on the blonde�s forehead. Sasuke watched as she
held her breath, her eyes wide, as Naruto stirred enough to shift his position,
folding both arms on the table and resting his head on his forearms. To the
kitten�s surprise and annoyance he found himself mimicking Hinata�s tense
actions, watching her hand as it hovered over the blonde�s head while the
latter changed position.
A clock that the kitten couldn�t
see ticked off several minutes in the silence of the room. Hinata, biting her
lower lip, her cheeks bright red, placed her hand hesitantly back atop Naruto�s
blonde head again. She remained tense, ready to move if he showed signs of
waking though Sasuke wondered how she intended to deny touching him, what with
Naruto�s hands wrapped so neatly in gauze and so obviously by someone else. Her
hand relaxed, inch by inch, and she experimentally
teased her fingers in his hair, blush flaring when Naruto unexpectedly made an
appreciative noise.
Sasuke watched the girl worry her
lower lip as she hesitantly petted Naruto, her pale fingers seeming even paler
as they threaded through the blonde locks. The kitten�s teammate continued to
sleep, letting out a soft sigh as Hinata�s hand moved. With the birds beginning
to chirp outside and dawn�s light filtering through the drawn shades, it was a
like some scene out of a heartwarming novel and, bizarrely, Sasuke felt a rare
moment of peace with the world, a feeling compounded when Hinata�s free hand
began petting his head as well.
But, like most good things, the
moment didn�t last as a scream tore through the apartment, shattering the homey
moment and making Sasuke�s fur stand on end in alarm. Hissing, he reared away
from Hinata, immediately looking for the source of the scream and for the
threat causing it. The Hyuga heiress was already moving, drawing a kunai knife
from Naruto�s barrowed pajamas. She made it several steps toward Naruto�s
bedroom before Moegi, the female of Konahamaru�s
gang, came barreling down the hall and ran full into her.
An instant later, with a sound like
a whip cracking, what appeared to be electricity ran over the walls of the
apartment. It ran over the kitchen�s windows and the front door, making all the
portals flash blindingly before disappearing into the walls again, presumably
to give the same treatment to Naruto�s bedroom. There was a brief moment of
stunned silence in which both the girls and the kitten stared at each other
before the ceiling rippled with the same energy previously displayed.
The two thumps that followed
sounded loud in the small room, making everyone jump as Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame
literally dropped into the apartment. Both were tied up- with an astonishing
amount of rope- and gagged, each guarded by an irritated looking Naruto clone.
�Never figured
you two for perverts.� The one beside Kiba remarked in disgust, ignoring
Kiba�s muffled protests and murderous glare.
�Peeping in on
little girls!� The other said in the same tone. �For
shame!�
Sasuke swore he felt his jaw drop
to the table, too shocked to even back away from the awful odor coming from the
captive pair. The smell of burnt hair and wet dog quickly pervaded the
apartment, making Hinata and Moegi gag and rush to cover their noses, the younger of the pair not bothering to be discrete like the
Hyuga heir, instead making a big show of holding her throat as if choking. The
kitten followed suit, turning and nearly tripping over his blonde teammate who
had not moved during the commotion.
The young Uchiha stared at Naruto
who continued to sleep peacefully. Sasuke had always suspected that the blonde
could sleep through anything and now here was the proof. It should have been
funny but the kitten felt no desire to laugh as worry crept through him,
weighing heavy on his heart as he stalked closer to the blonde�s nose and pawed
at it gently.
�Kiba! Shino!� Hinata was saying, clearly surprised to meet her
teammates in such a fashion. �What are you doing here?!�
�Why were you peeping?� Moegi
asked, yelling, her cheeks flushed in outrage.
Sasuke pawed with more force at
Naruto�s nose.
�What�s going on?� Konahamaru sat
up, rubbing his eyes to wake up. Beside him, Udon emerged from the pile of
blankets that had served as their bed and yawned.�
�Whoa! Thieves!�
Udon said, getting up and coming over to get a better look at Kiba and Shino.
Naruto�s clones kept the child from getting too close.
�They�re Peeping Toms!� Moegi
screeched. She stalked over, kunai knife in had and looking angry as hell.
�No!� Hinata said, rushing between
her friends and the girl. �They�re my teammates! I�m sure they meant no harm!�
She turned toward the two tied up teens and began pulling at a corner of the
tape sealing Shino�s mouth.
�I bet they have a valid reason for
being here...� She continued, now peeling the tape away from Kiba�s lips with
care. She was kneeling close to the table and so Sasuke raced over and snagged
her pajama collar with his teeth, pulling it sharply to get her attention.
Though her hand
was gentle in pushing him away, her words stung. �I don�t have time to
play right now.� Hinata said, reaching up and giving Sasuke a light shove
across the table before turning back to untie her teammates.
<That�s not fair!> Sasuke
tried again, swatting at her head with his paw. <Forget those idiots and
help me!>
The Naruto doubles, in unison,
looked toward the door of the now crowded apartment and stilled before
maneuvering themselves opposite the portal. They tried to be casual about it
but Sasuke noticed the tenseness throughout their forms. He gave up on Hinata
and raced back over to Naruto, rearing up on his hind legs then bringing his
front paws down on the blonde�s shoulder.
<Wake up!> The Uchiha growled, his ears tracking the movements of the
clones. <Of all the times to sleep, you pick NOW?! Moron!>
�Uzumaki, you
bastard!� Kiba shouted, kicking the table roughly and jostling both the
blonde and the kitten. Sasuke�s forgotten water dish sloshed, creating a puddle
as it moved. �What kind of jutsu was that? You nearly killed us!�
�You shouldn�t have been peeping!�
Moegi roared, jumping to her hero�s defense.
�Maybe you were here to peep on
Naruto?� Konahamaru offered, an evil smile on his
face. �Is that it? Did you want to catch him asleep and confess your feelings?�
Kiba sputtered, incoherent in his
rage, and beside him Hinata turned a never before seen shade of red. A grinning
Moegi helped matters by making kissing motions, hands clasped romantically
beside her cheek while Konahamaru and Udon added their two cents by taking each
other�s hands and gazing into one another�s eyes. They began passionately
confessing their undying love for each other, further enraging Kiba.
We�re not getting anywhere. Sasuke
thought in disgust, turning his attention back to his teammate. About to resume
pouncing, the kitten halted when he realized that the blonde was actually
awake, blue eyes at half mast. Relief coursed through the feline and, before he
could stop himself, Sasuke began rubbing his head against Naruto�s face, nearly
grinding his cheek into the other boy�s. Letting out a soft snort and smiling,
the blonde freed one wrapped hand and stroked it down Sasuke�s back before
yawning, and sitting back in his chair. He brought the kitten with him and
cuddled it between his hands, making Sasuke stretch and hook
his front paws in his teammate�s shirt, firmly pushing his head against
Naruto�s chin.�
�Hello.� The blonde whispered, lips
moving against the kitten�s fur. He laid a light kiss on the top of Sasuke�s head
and exhaled heavily, making the scandalized kitten�s fur ruffle.�
<I was worried!> Sasuke raged
at him, shaking his head irritably at his own behavior.<Idiot!> He
belatedly realized that he was making a noise, a chuffing sound, as he rubbed harder against his teammate,
ludicrously happy that Naruto was awake and seemed normal. He tried to tame the
feeling, tried to regain his usual calm demeanor, and failed miserably.
God
what the Hell am I doing!? Sasuke wondered, the thought making him freeze
uncertainly.
�I�m okay.� Naruto said quietly,
flashing a quick smile that didn�t reach his eyes. He set the kitten in his
lap, unhooking Sasuke�s tiny claws gently while silently raising an eyebrow at
his bandaged hands. He sighed and straightened, frowning as he surveyed his
suddenly crowded apartment full of bickering people. Wanting a better vantage
point, Sasuke propped his front paws on the edge of the table and watched the
blonde watch his uninvited guests.
Kiba was
arguing with the three members of Naruto�s fan club. They were getting so loud
and so agitated that none of them were listening to Hinata who was trying to
act as peacemaker. Shino was the only quiet one but the kitten couldn�t be sure
if it was because of his silent nature or if he was unconscious. Sasuke thought
that Naruto�s first priority would be to leap in and help Hinata but instead
the blonde turned to his two clones that still were focused on the door.
Naruto stood, drawing everyone�s
attention for a moment before the sound of something heavy hitting the door
startled them all silent. The blonde set the kitten on the table and wandered
over to the door, ignoring Kiba�s shouting and threats.

Neji could not make the batty old
lady leave him alone. It was true that without her help, the young Hyuga would
still be trying to find a way inside the building, preferably something aside
from breaking and entering but this was getting a bit bothersome. She had
allowed him entrance, much to Neji�s relief, but then she had followed him all
the way up to Naruto�s apartment. The entire time the woman had been raving
about the fox demon, and kidnapping, and confessing her relief that someone had
come to the rescue.
The Hyuuga
male had no idea what the woman was talking about and, frankly, didn�t want to
know, considering the heavy scent of alcohol surrounding the shorter lady.
�There it is!� She said, pointing
at a door not far from the top floor stairway landing. �That�s its lair!� She
ducked behind Neji, using him as a shield.
Eyebrows very much under his
forehead protector, Neji eyed the woman warily, putting space between his body
and hers. If Naruto had to put up with this woman on a constant basis, no
wonder the blonde could be such an oddball!
Neji began to seriously worry about
what may have befallen Hinata during the night in the building and approached
the door purposefully. He knocked, wincing at the
sound as he belatedly realized that he had used far too much force to be
polite. There was a shifting behind him just as the door opened, and sensing an
imminent threat from behind, the pale boy whirled in time to see the inebriated
woman raise a long carving knife, a mad look on her face.
He brought his arms up to defend
himself, knowing that it wasn�t going to be in time to dodge the blow
completely but, before the blade could touch him, a hand fisted itself in the
material of his shirt and Neji was unceremoniously hauled into Naruto�s
apartment. He fell backwards, off balance and disoriented, and crashed into
another body, watching in confusion as two Narutos
shut the wooden door and held it there while the insane woman screeched on the
other side.
�Been drinking
again.� One Naruto growled, putting his shoulder against the wood.
�Going over there and dumping the
bottles!� The other one exclaimed, putting his back against the door as the
heavy pounding continued.
�Hi Neji.�
Came a muffled greeting from the body sprawled under the Hyuuga.
Blinking, trying to reengage his brain, Neji pulled himself together and got to
his feet. He looked around, eyebrows climbing at the surprised crowd staring
back at him. He shook himself and extended a hand to the blonde on the floor.
�Big brother!�
Hinata said, her surprise and bewilderment evident.
�What are you doing here?�
�I came to find you.� Neji said
slowly, shaking himself and resettling his mental feathers. �I followed them.�
His gaze flicked to indicate Hinata�s teammates.� He frowned, taking in Hinata�s and Moegi�s state of dress. �Whose pajamas are those?�
�Mine.� Naruto said, running a hand
through his blonde hair and making it tumble into his eyes. At Neji�s frown he
added, �She and Moegi needed something to sleep in.�
The Hyuga male�s eyes narrowed
considerably. �Where did they sleep?�
�In my bed.�
Naruto�s irritated tone added an unspoken �duh�
to the statement.
Neji�s eye twitched but he wasn�t
the one who lost his composure.

�Kiba no!� But Hinata�s command was already too late
in warning. Face nearly purple, the dog lover leapt over the table and onto the
blonde�s back, fists flying. The blonde was caught off guard but he managed to
turn under the other boy so that Naruto took the brunt of the impact on his
back, ignoring the pain as the back of his head bounced off the hard floor
while Kiba�s fists pummeled his face.
�Hey!� Konahamaru
and Udon jumped on Kiba, trying to help the blonde
but inadvertently hindering Naruto�s efforts to fight back. The pair pulled at
the bigger brunette, pushing when that failed, all the while trying to avoid
stepping on their friend. With them in the way, Naruto couldn�t land a decent
punch.
Abruptly, a grey and black furball entered the fray. Fluffed up to twice his size, the
kitten raced across the floor and leapt square onto Kiba�s face, back claws
digging into the boy�s flesh and teeth biting. Naruto seized the opportunity
and took a firm hold on Konahamaru and Udon, flinging them out of the way. He
couldn�t punch Kiba in the nose but he could incapacitate him in another way-
while Kiba yelled and tried to pull the kitten off, Naruto clapped his hands
over the dog lover�s ears as hard as he could, then sat up and hit Kiba in the
chest with an open palm strike.
The brunette tumbled backwards into
the table, impact shoving the piece of furniture away into the far wall. The
kitten jumped off Kiba and ran back to Naruto, the blonde holding a hand to the
back of his head as he sat huffing, blood dripping from his nose, his jaw
already showing signs of swelling. He looked around, dazed, wondering where
everyone else had gone and why no one else had tried to help.
Neji and Shino were holding the
apartment door shut, straight-arming the wood closed and putting as much
distance between their torsos and it. The clones were no where in sight and
light from the stair landing was filtering into the room via large slits in the
wood that hadn�t been there before. Hinata, armed with Naruto�s First Aid kit,
was seeing to Kiba and comforting the trio of kids. Of the two of them, Naruto
was the worse for wear and it hurt to see that no one seemed to care.
There was a meow from his lap and a
cold nose sniffed at his face delicately, one paw resting on Naruto�s chest for
leverage.
Well,
the blonde thought, running a hand down the kitten�s back reassuringly. At least this little guy does. Picking
the tabby up, Naruto got to his feet, listing dizzily to one side. He swallowed
convulsively, trying to fight down the sudden urge to be sick, and worked his
jaw experimentally.
�Get away from the door.� He
commanded roughly, pushing the kitten into Neji�s hands. Shino complied and
moved away, setting himself instead as a physical barrier behind Naruto.
Frowning, looking like he wanted to toss the kitten to the floor, Neji put his
back to the wall beside the doorway.
�What was she saying earlier?�
Naruto asked the Hyuga in a whisper, blue eyes watching more slits pepper his
door as his mad landlady- because who else would it be?- drove her weapon into
the wood over and over again.
�She thought I was here to rescue
them.� Neji replied, pale eyes also on the door and the blade that appeared and
disappeared. �She�s been drinking.�
�If she�s up here willingly, then
she must be drunk.� The blonde muttered, making Neji�s eyebrows raise. Naruto
ignored the look and cleared his throat, banging a fist high on the door frame,
far above her short height.
�Landlady!
Does your family know you�ve been drinking again?� Naruto called loudly. �Your
daughter�s gonna be mad!� There was an inarticulate reply from the other side.
�You better replace the door after the festival, you know, since you�re the one
who damaged it. If you think this is coming out of my pocket, think again!�
Come
on. Naruto mentally willed the woman to explode. She should be ready to;
all he needed was the right trigger.
�The rescuer you sent failed!�
Naruto called tauntingly, ignoring the glare Neji sent him. �You
up to the task?�
�MURDERER!�
The howl came clearly through the wood, nearly as cleanly as the blade that
followed the remark did as the mad woman attacked again. A good six inches of
steel thrust through the tortured door, stopping just shy of Naruto�s nose,
and, quick as a flash, the blonde struck the blade, open palmed, with enough
force that it flattened the metal against the door at a right angle,
effectively nullifying the threat from the weapon.
She
must have jumped to get it that high. Swallowing to fight down nausea,
Naruto jerked open the door, surprising the now disarmed woman. The blonde
stepped forward, filling the doorway and forcing her to retreat several steps
if she wanted to stay out of reach. She panted, wheezing in fear like some
trapped animal.
�You�!� She spat hatefully,
watching as Naruto folded his arms and leaned against the doorjamb.
�Your daughter�s probably worried
about you.� Naruto said calmly and quietly.
�That poor boy!�
She said.
Neji, complete
with kitten, stepped into view, plainly unharmed.�
�Those children!�
From behind Naruto, the three young
gennin peeked their heads
out, looking at her as if she was some sort of monster.
Before the woman could ask, Hinata
appeared, Shino and Kiba right behind her.
�You better go back downstairs.�
Naruto said into the silence that followed. He inhaled,
the action noisy as a slight whistling from his broken nose joined in for
accompaniment. �I can smell baking. Fresh bread and cookies.
Your family�s going all out!�
Confused by the odd topic and by
Naruto�s lack of action, intimidated by everyone staring at her, the lady stood
there gaping. �Don�t you comment on my family! Don�t
you dare, demon!�
�I wouldn�t except that you need to
be reminded.� Naruto said evenly, clenching his jaw in his attempt to remain
impassive. He could feel the others staring at him, gazes flicking between him
and his land lord in confusion.
The woman frowned briefly before
her face contorted into an expression of horror. �ARE YOU THREATENING ME? MY FAMILY?� She screamed, raising her arms as if to attack.
�Actually,� said a voice from the
stairway. �Your daughter is looking
for you downstairs. She says your breakfast is getting cold.�
Senseis Iruka and Kakashi climbed the
last stair and stood surveying the odd scene. Both teachers quirked a brow,
neither missing the knife embedded in the door not far from Naruto�s head.
�My daughter?�
The woman said, head cocking to one side. �Breakfast?�
�You�re supposed to eat with her
this morning.� Iruka said gently, pointing downstairs with a somewhat strained
smile.
�Smells good.�
Naruto said with a sigh, sniffing loudly again. �Say, if you don�t want any,
I�ll eat it.�
�NO!� The woman jumped, startled,
as if she had forgotten Naruto was still there. Keeping her eyes on Naruto she
began to head for the stair way. �You�ll never get to eat her cooking!�
Iruka and Kakashi
parted to let her pass, listening to her grumble to herself as she left. When
her foot steps had faded away, the teachers walked over to the young shinobi gathered in the door way of Naruto�s apartment.

�So you two slept in Naruto�s
room.� Iruka asked, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. The kids had already
given a synopsis about the previous day�s events, informing their elders about
running across the wounded kitten and fetching Naruto for help. The
disagreement with the vet was glossed over, told only because that was when
Hinata had joined the group. The trio recounted the evening, from dinner to
fable reenactment, and had just explained the sleeping arrangements.
They were all inside the apartment,
sitting around on the floor wherever there was room. The scent of the
caffeinated liquid pervaded the enclosed space, mixing well with the smells of
the warm muffins Iruka had brought. The slightly open windows let in sunlight,
illuminating the little gathering and allowing the morning sounds of the city
to join in; birds twittering, people calling, a wind chime somewhere singing in
the breeze.
�Yes!� Moegi said, gesturing with
her fork in annoyance and threatening to send her food flying. �Hinata and I
slept in there while the boys slept out here! What, you think we slept with
Naruto?!� Her face turned bright red as she realized exactly what her words
implied. �I mean-�
�We know what you mean.� Kakashi assured her. �And this is the kitten that started
it all?�
Sasuke sat on his haunches at
attention. He looked at Kakashi steadily, trying to
will the Jounin to realize who he was. Instead, the elder shinobi
reached out a hand and stroked a finger over the kitten�s head to which the
young Uchiha didn�t react. Come on, you
idiot� The kitten thought furiously.
�Yup!� Konahamaru answered happily. �Hard to
believe that the vet was so ready to kill him.�
Iruka�s
eye brows rose at that but he decided to keep the conversation on track. �So
how did you three come to be here?� He asked, looking at Kiba, Shino and Neji.
�They came to our house to pick
Hinata up for some early morning training.� Neji supplied, sipping his tea
cautiously from the chipped blue cup it was contained in. �I informed them that
she hadn�t come home and we split up to find her.�
�One of Shino�s friends found her.�
Kiba added, frowning into his nearly empty cup. He finished his muffin and downed
the dregs before continuing, face slowly turning red. �We followed it here and
peeked in the first window we came across.��
�Which turned out
to be Naruto�s bed room.� Shino added, empty
cup stacked neatly on his clean plate. �We�re sorry we frightened her.� He
nodded marginally in Moegi�s direction, Kiba doing
the same beside him.
�But you two appeared in the
kitchen, tied up and gagged.� Hinata frowned, taking another bite of her
pancakes and chewing thoughtfully. Konahamaru and Udon nodded in agreement,
their mouths full from trying to finish their own plates of the fluffy
confection.
Since Naruto had officially invited
them over as guests, he had cooked them a breakfast of pancakes to go with the
muffins Iruka sensei had brought over. In the time it took for everyone to find
a comfortable seat (and for Moegi and Hinata to change into the clothes they
had been wearing yesterday), the blonde had already put the kettle on for tea,
made coffee and had almost finished his self imposed chore. Even Kiba had been
impressed with his speed, adding a comment about how he would take his share,
at which point Naruto had gruffly informed him that, since he had not been
invited in, the blonde felt no need to feed him.
Kiba slammed his cup down. �Damn
Naruto! What the hell jutsu does he have on this
place?!�
�You triggered the alarm.� Iruka
said blandly, sipping from his cup. The others stared at him, including Kakashi.
�He has an alarm?� The Jounin
asked, eye brow arching.
A corner of Iruka�s mouth quirked up before returning to a serious
expression. �This neighborhood can be dangerous at night. If you were
all here as late as you say, then it would have been treacherous to try and
walk all of you home. So, Naruto did the next best thing and kept everyone here
where he could protect you. I�m not sure how he came up with it, but the alarm jutsu on the apartment is something Naruto designed. When
he activates it, this place becomes one of the safest in the village.�
Kakashi
arched a brow at his fellow teacher at which Iruka just smiled and sipped his
coffee. They both ignored the surprised and amazed looks on the other�s faces.
Silence reigned since no one seemed able to really form a coherent question or
intelligent response.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hinata blinked, looking in the
direction from where the sound originated from. She was on the far side of the
room, closest to the door and in perfect position to see out the windows on the
other side of the room. A large sand colored hawk of some sort was using its
beak to knock on the window pane. It was large, one of the largest birds she
had ever seen, and certainly not from the area.
The bird cocked its head, looking
at the room�s occupants as they all looked back at it.
Please
don�t tell me that thing is Naruto�s pet! Sasuke thought, a spurt of panic
running through him. Unable to stop himself, the kitten felt his fur puff out
in an effort to look bigger as he backed slowly away and hid behind Hinata.
�Does Naruto own that bird?� Beside
his cousin, Neji frowned, eyes narrowed as he watched the feathered trespasser
who stared just as intensely back at him.
�Not that I know of�� Iruka stood
and walked over to the window, sliding the pane upward slowly until the opening
was big enough to accommodate the fowl.
The bird waited until he had backed
sufficiently away before sticking its head just inside the opening. It gave
them all the once over, turning its head this way and that to inspect them all.
�Isn�t very
bright.� Kiba remarked, frowning at the bird. �C�mon
stupid! Get in here all ready.�
Sasuke, peeking around Hinata, got
the distinct impression that the massive bird was unhappy. It looked over them
all again, pulled its head back outside and took off.
�That�s a�� Kakashi
trailed off.
�I know.� Iruka shut the window
again and retook his seat. �But what�s it doing here?�
Distantly, the squeak of a water
faucet could be heard. Sasuke looked down the hall, watching the bathroom door.
Above him, he felt more than saw the Hyuga heiress discretely lean back so she
could do the same.
If he could have, Sasuke would have
smiled. I bet that moron has no idea�
But then the Uchiha�s thoughts
derailed as the bathroom door opened and Naruto stepped out into the hall. The
blonde had a towel over his head and was vigorously rubbing it against his wet
hair as he stood clad only in the towel that was knotted at his waist. Flashing
a lot of thigh, he turned and headed down toward the door at the end of the
short hallway.
It wasn�t Naruto�s lack of decency
that caught the Uchiha�s attention or made both
Hinata and Neji sputter; it was the blonde�s figure. Sasuke had always thought
his teammate soft and still childlike in his physique but that illusion was
very much gone now. Puberty had not only made Naruto shoot up several inches
but had also made him muscular in all the right places too. As he continued to
towel his hair, muscles in the blonde�s shoulders, arms and back worked,
standing out even more as rivulets of water flowed around them.�
I
wonder if he�s that defined all over. Sasuke thought inanely, feeling himself blush. Gods,
what am I saying?!
Pushing the door open with his
foot, Naruto stepped inside his room and shut the door behind him.
Grateful that the blonde was hidden
from view and disturbed by his own behavior, Sasuke slumped against Hinata. He
looked up at her and watched her shoot glances in the direction the blonde had
gone, a dark blush gracing her cheeks.
<I�m- I acted like her!> The
Uchiha smacked himself with a paw, hating the confusion he felt. <What the
hell�? Why did I�?>
He shook his head until his neck
hurt. Steadying himself, the kitten ran through a quick breathing exercise
until he felt more like himself. He found himself rubbing the top of his head
against Hinata�s back, making that odd chuffing
noise. Surprisingly, it was Neji who reached out and picked him up, placing the
kitten in his lap for cuddles.
��YUMI!� Naruto�s
bellow startled them all. �OUT! No,
OUT!� The door to the bedroom opened and Naruto stomped down the hall
toward them all. He wore a pair of grey sweatpants and was fighting with a long
sleeved oversized shirt, trying to get his hands through the sleeves while at
the same time pulling it over his head.
For several seconds, Hinata got a
very nice view of Naruto�s lovely six-pack but then the blond won the struggle
with his shirt and pulled the fabric down firmly, hiding his body completely
from view again beneath the too large shirt and completing the illusion that he
was smaller and softer than he really was.
Oh
Naruto. She thought sympathetically as she realized that that was the
point, that Naruto was hiding himself away.
Again.
He strode past her looking annoyed,
and picked his way around his guests toward the window.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Sasuke froze, head shooting up in
alarm as he realized that the hawk had returned. He began backing out of Neji�s
lap, ignoring the Hyuga�s hands as they tried to calm
him down and keep him in place. He slinked away, hiding behind Neji and
mentally willing Naruto to not open the
window!
��
But, as usual, the blonde ignored his teammate�s silent pleading and
slid open the window. He still looked angry, his irritation reflected in the
way he impatiently rapped his knuckles against his kitchen table. To make room
for everyone to sit down it had been pushed completely against the wall,
fitting perfectly under the window sills. As such it was in an ideal position
for the bird to simply hop down onto as it ducked through the small gateway,
pushing a large box in prior to its entrance.
The package was good sized and had
been tied with thick rope. From the glimpses Sasuke got of the brown paper
surrounding the box proper, it was anything but plain; scrawled in multicolored
ink seemed to be more messages but the kitten couldn�t see enough to make them
out. The bird pushed the package inside with its beak then sat on top of it,
flaring its wings a bit and hissing at them all.
Though he wasn�t sure, Sasuke was
betting the package was a present, if the colorful kanji were any indication.
He assumed that, in typical Naruto fashion, the blonde would seize the parcel
headless of what ever animal guarded it and rip it apart until its contents
were bared to the light of day.
None of that happened. Naruto let
the bird in, closed the window and walked away. The blonde�s attention was
diverted to pawing through the refrigerator for food.
�Hey Boss!� Konahamaru said. �Don�t
you want to know who it�s from?�
�I know who it�s from.� Came Naruto�s muffled reply, his upper body hidden in the
depth of the appliance.
�So,� Kiba began petulantly. �Who
is it from and what�s with the bird?!� He shot a dark look at the sandy colored
fowl who was busy hissing at him. It could have been
that the hawk didn�t seem to like Kiba because he was the closest to the table,
but it was doubtful- Kiba just seemed to be giving off an unfriendly vibe that
morning.
Naruto withdrew from the fridge and
shut the door behind him with a foot, his hands preoccupied with working the lid
off the container he held. A spoon dangled from his mouth making speech
impossible as he circled the group until he could find a comfortable seat
between Hinata and Neji.
�Who I receive mail from is none of
your business.� Naruto ground out around his aching jaw. �Neither is how it is
delivered.�
Sasuke read the label on the
container of yogurt, finding it odd that he and Naruto both ate the same brand.
Personally he preferred strawberry flavored; how on earth could the blonde eat
anything plain? The Uchiha heir stuck
his tongue out in disgust and jumped into his teammate�s lap, watching as his
friend applied more force than necessary to mix his breakfast.
�That thing isn�t from around
here.� Kiba was saying, gesturing a finger at the bird. He nearly lost the
digit as the hawk snapped its beak at it.
�Naruto�s got connections.� Moegi
said proudly, her classmates nodding sagely in agreement.
Sasuke snorted and turned his
attention back to the blonde. The kitten inspected Naruto�s shirt with a paw
then sank his claws into the fabric carefully. He scaled up the blonde�s chest
like some determined- and lost- mountain climber, working hard to not sink his
needle sharp claws into the blonde�s skin. He ignored the snorts of laughter
his journey caused, stalwartly continuing upward even when his own weight began
to tip him backwards. Just when he was wondering if he was going to have to use
his claws after all to prevent his imminent fall, Naruto leaned backwards far
enough to allow Sasuke to walk up with relative ease.
Disgruntled, Sasuke, perched on the
blonde�s shoulder, noted that his teammate had never stopped eating his awful
yogurt.
Abruptly Naruto, spoon in his
mouth, jerked his head toward Sasuke, his whole body following the movement. He
made a pain sound as he moved away, nearly colliding
with Neji sitting beside him, and Sasuke dug his nails into the blonde�s
shoulder to avoid falling off.
�I-I�m so sorry!� Hinata� voice
quavered in panic, her hands making placating motions as Naruto, Sasuke and
Neji stared at her. She began turning red and looked on the verge of tears. �I
j-just� You�re j-jaw!��
Sasuke felt but did not hear Naruto
sigh, the action conveyed through the movement of the shoulder underneath his
paws.
�I-I w-was�� Hinata began wringing
her hands so hard it looked as if she had a grudge against them.
Naruto straightened up completely
and snatched her hands out of the air with his free hand. His hand almost
engulfed her two, and he squeezed them reassuringly before bringing her hands
up to his jaw, turning to face her and removing the spoon still held between
his teeth. He waited patiently until Hinata�s brain engaged enough for her to
continue her examination.
Part of Sasuke could only smirk at
the scene. The two were so obviously in their own world at the moments that the
rest of the room�s occupants may as well have ceased to exist. The Uchiha heir
looked over at Kiba and Shino to see if they were going to make trouble.
Shino, as always, was silent,
letting his gaze wander around the room. Kiba on the other hand looked
murderous, his face near apoplectic in color as he watched Hinata run her hands
over Naruto�s bruised jaw- over the damage Kiba had done.
Oh,
that must hurt! Sasuke wanted to laugh out loud at the irony that Kiba�s
actions were bringing the couple closer together. He looked over at Kakashi and Iruka and noted
similar expressions on their faces. Naruto�s little fan club were looking from
the couple to Kiba, back and forth blankly until the light bulb of recognition
went on in their heads. Then they just grinned at one another and nudged their
shoulders together knowingly.
��
�Will you quit pawing him?!� Kiba shouted suddenly when Hinata shifted
her focus to Naruto�s nose, tilting the blonde�s head forward to do so. They
were nearly touching foreheads and the girl seemed to be having some difficulty
keeping a straight face since the object of her affection kept crossing his
eyes and wiggling his eye brows at her.
At the sound of her teammate�s
angry voice, the Hyuga heiress jumped, startled, and Naruto let out a hiss of
pain because she had pressed too hard on his aching sinuses. The blonde pulled
away from her and leveled an unfriendly glare at the uninvited brunette.
�What the fuck is your problem?�
Naruto asked, trying his best to ignore the funny tones his voice had taken on
thanks to the damage from Kiba�s fists.� �You�ve done nothing but bitch since you got
here!�
�I am not bitching!� Kiba growled.
�I�m annoyed because Hinata ditched a training session to come play house with
you!�
Naruto frowned, glancing at Hinata
who was working herself into another distressed state. He put an arm around her
and pulled her against him, startling her and everyone else with his behavior.
He rested his head on top of hers.
�That wasn�t playing house.� Naruto
said, blue eyes like chips of ice. �This is playing house.� He tightened his
arm around her possessively, pulling her almost flush against him, and rubbed
his chin against her hair.
Sasuke snuck a look at Neji,
blinking at the Hyuga male�s apparent lack of interest in Naruto�s little
display.
<He�s extremely calm about this,
considering that Naruto is nearly pawing Hinata.> Sasuke frowned, looking the Hyuga male over again.
He knew of course that Neji�s and
Naruto�s relationship had undergone drastic changes over the past two years, a
shift caused by the chunnin Exams. Against all odds,
the blonde had surprised everyone and beaten Neji in their match, after having
pledged to do so after the Hyuga male had nearly killed his cousin. Shockingly,
the blonde had not only knocked Neji off his pedestal of arrogance but had also
managed to pound some humility into him. Since then, the Hyuga male had become
easier to be around, especially if Naruto happened to be in the vicinity.
A thought formed in Sasuke�s mind
about this but the kitten quickly stuffed it back into the hole it had crawled
out of because it was just so not
possible.
�Fuck you, Uzumaki!� Kiba roared,
bolting to his feet angrily, ignoring Iruka�s shouted
scolding. The dog lover turned his furious gaze on Hinata, and Sasuke felt
Naruto tense beneath him.
�You wanna fool around with him,
fine, but don�t do it on my time!� Kiba growled at her. �You missed training
and I expect you to make it up. I won�t let anyone be weak on my team!� He
headed for the door and yanked it open with enough force to make the blade
embedded in it sway from side to side.�
�Come on, Shino!� Kiba stepped
through the door, clearly expecting to be followed. He left the door open, his
heavy footsteps fading away as he went down the stairs.
Konahamaru got up and slammed the
door shut when Shino made no move to leave. �What a jerk!� The boy said as he
sat back down.
�He�s a good ninja,� Naruto said unexpectedly,
loosening his hold on Hinata. �His people skills just suck.�
Out of the corner of his eye,
Sasuke thought he saw Shino nod in agreement.
�Did you guys really have training
this morning?� The blonde asked, looking at a crimson-faced Hinata for
confirmation. He blinked at her dazed expression, noting the slightly vacant
look in her eyes. Alarmed, Naruto gave her a small shake.
�Hinata, you in
there?� He said in a light voice, nudging her again. �Does she normally
do this when hugged?� He asked, looking between Shino and Neji for help.
�Overload.�
Moegi murmured.
Naruto raised his eyes at that,
leaning around Hinata to look at the little girl. The blonde blinked and looked
back at the Hyuga heir before scooting away to put several inches between them,
encroaching on Neji�s personal space.
�May I have more tea?� Shino asked
suddenly, startling Naruto into his host duties.
�Um�Sure,� Puzzled, the blonde rose
to fetch the teapot. �Anyone else want anything?�
After he had disappeared into the
kitchen with the dirty dishes, Hinata seemed to snap back to reality. She
flushed redder than ever and seemed near tears as the kids told her about her
odd behavior.
�Don�t worry too much, Hinata.�
Iruka said, making calming motions and smiling. �You just gave him a bit of a
scare, is all. No harm done.�
But when Naruto returned and
finished refilling the cups of his guests, he took Kiba�s vacated seat, as far
as he physically could get from Hinata.�

More�s Moment:
�� Hello,
hello! Thank you for being patient and waiting for the next chapter ! Sorry about the delay but I did promise you a
longer one and editing sometimes takes a bit longer than usual. As always, let
me know what you think!
�� Moving on,
someone brought up a point I meant to explain at the end of that chapter�and
forgot about in my rush to post. The scene outside the vet�s office where
Naruto and Hinata are chatting and then she comes up with the idea that he�s
being abused�? About that. This is something of an
allusion to the prelims battle between Neji and Hinata (both in the manga and
in the anime). Neji makes a big deal about he eye movements and what they mean
(remembered pain and anticipation of more coming, emotional distress, etc.) and
since the tidbit fit in the scene, I put it in. �Knowing what the unconscious movements mean,
Hinata interprets it to mean that someone is hurting Naruto, that someone is
abusing him. Is this true? Somewhat, given the village�s attitude to the fox
holder. Could it have something to do with the mysterious sickness that keeps
being alluded to? Well� you�ll just have to stick around to find out.
�� The time
line� yeah, about that, sorry. Way back in, wow June,
I began writing this and all I had to go on for information was the Cartoon
Network episodes and the manga to that point. I don�t want to say too much
because if you haven�t found out what happens I don�t want to be the one to
spoil it but basically, I got a hold of some imports and found out about Tsunade and such. I�m still tinkering with the story but I
think that by the time everything comes to a head, Tsunade
will be the one in charge for this and, for convenience�s sake, we will be
skipping the Orochimaru arc for the most part though
parts of it may be alluded to if absolutely necessary. If all else fails,
assume that, yes, this exists within its own personal bubble of a time line
with everyone being around the fifteen years old mark.
�� Everyone clear? Good- me neither but I promise to keep
things cohesive as I construct this little world.
�� Ah! I
almost forgot- before anyone asks, assume that, since
it is two years later, Akamaru is no longer a small
puppy easily carriable inside Kiba�s
jacket. The dog has grown up to a as yet undisclosed
size, so assume he�s just been left to sit outside and has not been burnt to a
crisp or something.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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Bared Naked