NARUTO
Watching Nai-chan approach him, Naruto tucked his folded white present under his arm all the while repressing his bubbling urge to smile broadly. She stepped beside him and they watched the Kazekage, bodyguards, and security detail leave for the stadium. Despite watching in silence, Naruto couldn't help grinning like a loon, wide and very loud to anyone who saw him. He couldn't help it; knowing that this absolutely stunning woman next to him has feelings for him. He had the biggest grin on his face; the kind of grin that could only mean genuine feelings of love.
"Will you stop that," Kurenai demanded with a hushed voice.
Far too innocently, a pink-cheeked Naruto asked, "hmm? Stop what?"
"You're grinning," she huffed with annoyance.
"I can't help it," he cheerfully cried, pinching his cheeks and rocking cutely from side-to-side.
Turning to him, Kurenai demanded to know, "you understand I said I can't be with you, right? As in, can not."
"I heard you tell me about your tou-chan and that you love me," Naruto recites happily. "I didn't hear anything about not being together."
Sulking her head so her beautiful raven hair falls forward, she wearily muttered, "are you going to make me repeat this to you-"
"Sorry, Nai-chan," he happily interrupted. "But I can't stop loving you based on that."
"That," she whirled on him to emphasize. "Isn't something so simple either of us can just ignore. I'm always going to have this gnawing fear that you or any man I love with all my heart is going to die and I'm going to be left alone again. My father's death drove me to who I am today, but in doing so, a part of me also broke and until I fix it, I don't want that to happen again."
Naruto hummed, practically dancing in place and the corner of her red-eye quirked angrily, peeved by his constant grinning. She yelled, "you're still grin- Why the fuck are you still grinning?! I'm being serious here!"
"I know," Naruto hopped back a step, raising his palms in submissive peace and dropping his present from Jiraiya. "I know you are, I do, really, but so am I. I'm super serious when I say I'm in love with you, Nai-chan, and I'm not going anywhere, dying or otherwise, which pretty much solves that problem."
Frustrated and conflicted, Kurenai wanted to say more but felt a familiar shinobi's chakra approach. Instead, she exhaled to calm down while picking up the folded white clothing and returned it to Naruto as the blond called out, "hey Asuma-nii, thanks for watching out for Karin. I really appreciate it."
"No sweat," Asuma responded, adding, "she's a heck a sensor; helped us out back there." He eyes Naruto and Kurenai a moment before asking the blond, "you want to explain what that conversation with the Kazekage was?"
"Sure," Naruto responded, slapping away a bit of dust from his folded gift as he casually explained, "we were mainly talking about Gaara and how Konoha was going to win today. Tell Ji-chan I'll tell him everything later tonight or tomorrow if he wants."
Kurenai wondered out loud, "you actually told the Kazekage that Konoha was going to win today? Over his own children?"
Inspecting the white cloth to satisfaction, he casually answered, "of course."
"It seemed a little more heated than that," Asuma probed aloud. The gruff man watched the blond and Kurenai carefully as he asked, "you sure it didn't involve Temari and the Omiai?"
"Positive," Naruto answered, sliding the white linen in his orange and blue jacket before assuring Asuma, "she didn't come up."
With a single nod, he replied, "copy that." Before Naruto leaps away, the broad-shouldered Jōnin called, "oh, and Naruto." Though hesitant, he eventually asked, "…were you the one who gave Kurenai the Fire Slipper Orchid?"
Though initially taken by the question, he nods, "sure did." Turning to the beautiful genjutsu mistress, Naruto added, "which the Uzumaki clan is still going to honor you for. Stay ready guys. Later!" Naruto leaped away as Asuma turned to Kurenai's expressionless face.
After his talk with Hinata, being open and honest with Rasa, and talking with Nai-chan, Naruto felt full of energy. He sprints from roof-top to roof-top toward the arena until he finds a large water tank he can change under. Snickering in delight, he unseals his new gear from a scroll and quickly puts everything on. He still wore orange pants but the new one isn't as baggy on him as his old one. His orange and blue jacket with the high white collar was gleefully upgraded to an orange and black form-fitting jacket with a black collar that kept his neck warm and snug. The cloth for his forehead protector was also replaced with a black and wider one, pushing his spiky bangs higher. His new sandals were black and higher than his blue ones.
Looking himself over, Naruto was already squealing with overflowing joy. Despite the girlish squeal, he felt more mature and loved how comfortable easy to move in the fitted tactical gear was. He strapped his shuriken holster on his right thigh and his chakra blades in the holster Haku made for him at his lower back. Before slinging on the large scroll for his reverse summoning over his shoulder however, Naruto unfolds the white cloth. Jiraiya said he had it specially made and to not tell Ma since she's making him a red coat.
He raised the sturdy and soft material with both hands gripping the shoulders and it unfolded to reveal a medium-sleeved coat with a red flame pattern at the hem. It looked so unbelievably cool, Naruto had stars for eyes and drooled a little. However, he also felt the threat of tears spilling down his face when he read the words on the back.
Out loud, he reads, "Fourth-" when all too abruptly, Naruto receives a distressing cache of memories from a forcibly destroyed clone… the clone that was escorting Karin to the coliseum.
Amongst the throng of festive villagers, the chatting cousins were nearing the stadium when someone from behind them voiced, "excuse me?"
Stopping beside an alleyway, both Naruto and Karin turn to see a frail-looking old man with half his face bandaged, saggy black hair, an x-shaped scar on his chin, and walking with a cane. The old man in a white shirt under a black robe is flanked by two Anbu in white cloaks and monkey masks creating a wall of men the crowd has to walk around. Within the span of a heartbeat, an Anbu sprints from the space between the buildings and knocks Karin out before pulling her into the alleyway. Naruto hollers as he reaches for Karin but with the opening created by his reaching out, the clone is popped in a puff of smoke.
Bubbling anger Naruto hasn't felt in years consumed him from his gut and his mind quickly grasped the threat. Even though he never met the man, he looked exactly like Naru-nii described; the scar, the bandages, the cane are a dead give-away. 'That was Danzō,' his mind seethed. Naruto knew how dangerous Root was—how dangerous Danzō is—and now they have his only blood relative; 'Danzō has Karin…' Naruto also knew he'd lose her if he didn't get her back right away.
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