Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Just the Three of Us ❯ The Village ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: Like I said, here's the next. And here comes the pain. T_T Enjoy. -listens to Devil & Angel by…unknown at the moment, but from the anime DNAngel-

 

 

Disclaimer: I own no one. They all belong to the marvelous Masashi Kishimoto. Although I do own this story. ^_^ Oh, and a certain part in this chapter is inspired by Brother Bear. You'll know it when you see it. ^_~

 

 

Chapter 2: The Village

 

 

A year passed, the children now 7. They improved slightly in their shinobi skills, although Naruto had a lot of catching up to do. Sakura was no longer shy or afraid, freely displaying her emotions to the three males whom she lived with. Naruto didn't pay much attention to Kakashi's instructions, pulling more pranks and looking forward to lunch and dinner. Sasuke opened up a little, talking about his family and the few rare happy moments he had. Other than that, he insulted Naruto daily and trained frequently.

 

The two men visited every so often, teasing Kakashi of how fatherhood was going. The man in green always competed with him like Naruto and Sasuke, him in the lead so far. The other man would just sit back and watch everything. Today was another of those days.

 

“Ha ha! Once again the power of youth was victorious!” The man in green struck a pose, an image of waves crashing appearing behind him. Kakashi only sighed while the trio twitched their eyes.

 

“Gai, you're scaring the kids again.” He turned his head towards them, causing them to flinch. He laughed out loud, striking another pose.

 

“Check again Asuma, they're only amazed at how I easily beat their father figure. Maybe they'll want ME as their new dad!” Shivering, they all shook their heads, slowly inching towards the house. “Look! They're even getting ready to pack up!” Their faces pale, they ran inside screaming, locking the doors and bolting the windows, Gai suddenly sweating.

 

“Looks more like they're hiding from you.” Kakashi joined Asuma, taking out his book.

 

“Sure does. Oh, and one more thing. I'm their teacher, NOT their father.”

 

“Oh, and students live with their mentors? Is that normal?”

 

“He has you there Kakashi.”

 

“Well, it's better they live here instead of the village. If they did live there, imagine how'd they be right now.”

 

 

-----------------

 

 

Naruto peeked out the window, spying on the three older men. Sasuke and Sakura waited patiently behind him, Naruto sitting back down. He gave a thumbs up, the other two releasing the breath they've been holding in.

 

“Thank goodness! Who knows how we'd look if we lived with HIM.” Their imagination ran wild, themselves wearing green spandex with a bowl hair cut in a freaky pose. Their eyes twitched, their skin turning even paler. They rubbed their arms, feeling goose bumps.

 

“My eyes…they burn…”

 

“Now I'm gonna have nightmares…”

 

“I look like…a loser…” They were broken out of their reverie when they heard a knock, Kakashi's voice on the other side.

 

“Okay now. Open the door. Don't worry; I'll make sure Gai doesn't try to kidnap any of you.” Looking at each other, Naruto decided to unlock it himself. Twisting the doorknob, he opened the door, Kakashi looking down at him. “That's better. Hey, you feel like going on a trip?” Baffled, they leaned in, staring up at their teacher.

 

“What kind of trip Kakashi-sensei?”

 

“To my village. Do you want to see it?” The trio huddled together, their voices lowered so the adults wouldn't hear.

 

“Do you think there's more creepy people like…HIM?”

 

“I don't know, but I don't want to go. The girls will probably just pick on me for my hair and forehead.”

 

“Don't worry Sakura; I'll make sure those girls keep their mouths shut! If not, Sasuke and I will make sure of it!”

 

“Naruto…boys don't beat up girls. And why'd you add me along?”

 

“Come on Sasuke! Sakura's our friend! And we help our friends, no matter what!”

 

“Well…all right, I'll go.”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“Hn. Whatever.”

 

 

------------------

 

 

Gai spoke nonstop as they traveled down the dirt road, talking of youth and more youth. Asuma ignored him while lighting up another cigarette, Kakashi distracting himself with his book. The kids were playing a game, Sasuke and Sakure slowly growing irritated.

 

“I spy with my little eye…something tall.”

 

“Tree.”

 

“Hey, you cheated!” Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes, the only thing Naruto spies being a tree. That's all he ever thought of.

 

“I spy with my little eye…something loud.” Naruto checked the sky, spotting a crow.

 

“I know, I know! It's that crow!” Sasuke shook his head, Sakura giggling. Naruto snapped his fingers, looking around the forest they were in. Eventually a deer popped up. “Ooh! I bet it's that deer!”

 

“Naruto…deer are usually silent…” He fell on his face, Sakura shaking her head. Getting up, he looked around once more, suddenly getting the idea and glared at Sasuke with a scowl.

 

“Hey! I bet you were talkin' about me!”

 

“Actually, no.” He fell again, shouting a what. Sasuke pointed ahead, Naruto averting his gaze to see it pointed at one person, Might Gai, who was still rambling on about youth.

 

“And that's how the power of youth helped me beat Kakashi at swimming 3 years ago!”

 

“All right, we've arrived at the village now. Oh, and did you say something Gai? I didn't quite catch it.” His eyes burned with anger, the kids quietly snickering at his behavior.

 

“He acts just like a kid.” Quieting down, they stared at the huge gate before them. It slowly opened, revealing the village hidden in the leaves. They stared in awe at is size, ninjas and civilians alike filling the streets. Compared to their village, Konoha was a mountain to their pebble.

 

They gaped at the buildings towering over them, a few civilians knocking into them due to the crowded streets. Sakura took hold of the boys' hands, not wanting to get separated from them. After several pushes the group squeezed out, relieved of the free space. The trio looked around for the men, spotting them over by a humongous tower-like building, the tallest in the entire village. Naruto's jaw dropped, Sakura releasing her grip to clasp her hands together, Sasuke widening his eyes.

 

“Ah-hah! There they are Kakashi, looks like they had a little trouble.” Gai gave them a thumbs up, his teeth glinting. They only flinched, their eyes twitching again.

 

“Man, he'll always creep me out.” Sasuke and Sakura nodded their heads, scooting their way back to their teacher. Unfortunately, since their eyes were on Gai, none of them noticed the group of girls running towards them, the one in front bumping into Sakura. The other girls skidded to a stop, Sakura and the girl falling to the ground.

 

The girl had long dark violet hair, her dark eyes full of anger. Her violet dress had fresh dirt all over it, making her scowl.

 

“Watch where you're going you brat!” Sakura rubbed her knees, wincing once touching where she was now scraped. The girl didn't notice, only staring at two particular features. “Ugh, no wonder you knocked me over! Look at that huge forehead, and that disgusting pink hair! Did someone barf on you? Ha! You look like a sheepdog too, an UGLY sheepdog!”

 

“You're right Ami! Look, she's about to cry cuz she got a widdle scwape. Boo hoo!” Sakura bit her lower lip, closing her eyes to stop the tears from falling. It wasn't until she heard the two girls scream that she reopened them. Naruto and Sasuke were standing in front of her, their hands clenched into fists. In front of them, the girls were on the ground, their clothes even filthier with small rips.

 

“Hey, my mom just bought me this skirt!”

 

“Why you defending Miss Pinky the Sheepdog!?”

 

“Sakura is not a sheepdog! She's way prettier than you, you ogre! Right Sasuke!”

 

“Yeah, and pink looks nice on her. Besides, YOU should be apologizing to HER. You're nothing but a spoiled little brat with no sense of taste.”

 

“Yeah, yeah! And she's smart too! And her forehead…hey…it's the same as mine and yours Sasuke. And that ugly girl's. Ha ha hah! Hey Sasuke, Sakura! These girls are blind too! Ha ha ha hah!” Sakura brought her hand to her mouth, hiding the small smile, also trying to stifle her giggles. Sasuke merely hned and smirked, Naruto laughing his head off while pointing at Ami and the pig-tailed brunette.

 

“Oh yeah! Well I'm…I…I'm telling on you!” With that she ran in the opposite direction, the other girls eventually following.

 

“You know, it's not nice to bully little girls.” They pointed their heads up, Kakashi staring at them. He closed his eye, meaning he was smiling. “Good job on the way you handled things. Although, you could've done something a little less…harsh.” He stooped down, reaching into his backpack and pulling out some alcohol and a bandage. Cleaning the small scrape, he wrapped her knee, knowing a simple band-aid would peel off. “Now than, you want to meet a strong ninja? Stronger than me?” Their eyes widened, Sakura forgetting about her small scrape, her eyes lighting up like the boys.

 

“Stronger than you Kakashi-sensei?” He nodded his head.

 

“Ooh! Ooh! Yeah, come on, take us! What does he look like? What's his name? How old is he?” Kakashi was about to answer, Gai interrupting him.

 

“He's not as youthful as he used to be, but he's still filled with the power of the will of fire!”

 

“The will…of fire?”

 

 

-----------------

 

 

The trio was hidden behind Kakashi, peeking out at an old man in the desk before them. He wore a red and white robe with an umbrella like hat, shading his face from the sun.

 

They were curious as to who he was. Was he the strong ninja Kakashi and Gai spoke of? Gai did mention he wasn't as young as he used to be, but this man seemed so…frail. Too weak to be the supposed strongest ninja in the entire village.

 

“Kakashi-sensei, did you lie to us?”

 

“Hmm? Of course not Naruto. This is the Hokage, the strongest ninja in the Leaf Village.”

 

“Ho…kage? What's that?” The old man coughed lightly, gaining the young children's attention.

 

“The Hokage is a ninja carefully chosen out of many possible candidates who will lead the village and make sure the village itself and those who live within remain safe from harm. There are also other kages, such as the Kazekage of the Land of Sand and the Mizukage of the Land of Water. I am the kage, the Hokage, of the Land of Fire.” Sasuke and Sakura nodded their heads in understanding, while Naruto appeared to be dizzy.

 

“So, you're saying you're the leader of this village?” He chuckled at Sakura, giving a smile and nodding his head. He then turned his gaze to Kakashi, who stared back.

 

“Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura.”

 

“Yes Kakashi-sensei?”

 

“Accompany Asuma and Gai around the village. I'll meet up with you later.” They were pushed out of the room before they could reply, Kakashi and the Hokage having the room to themselves.

 

“So, these are the three disciples you decided to take in. Very peculiar. Have you discovered their surnames? Or what village they originated from?”

 

“Unfortunately, no. They're pretty hard to crack. But my guess is that their village might be shinobiless, since this is all new to them. Then again, they could be spies. But like I said, it's only a guess.”

 

“We'll have to wait and see, won't we Kakashi?”

 

 

-----------------

 

 

Asuma and Gai led the trio through the village, Asuma keeping it simple while Gai added in youthfulness.

 

“Over there is where you can have beans and sweets, along with some tea.”

 

“It revitalizes your body with energy and brings the youth out of you!”

 

“And over here is a shop for adults only, so avoid that area at all costs.”

 

“It'll drain away your youth!”

 

“Up ahead is-“ It continued on that way, the boys halfway paying attention while Sakura's mind drifted off. The words the village girls said rang through her head, tears welling up without her noticing. The two boys did though, having an idea why. Naruto lightly punched his left hand, a grin taking up his face. He dug through his pockets until he chuckled, taking out a small string with a ruby tied to it. Sasuke smiled as well, digging through his backpack until he pulled out a red ribbon.

 

“Hey Sakura! Close your eyes, we got a surprise for ya!” The two men stopped, turning to see the children. They smiled as they watched the boys take turns putting on their gifts. Sakura gasped when she opened her eyes.

 

“But…Naruto, you said this was your mother's.”

 

“Well, she told me before she died to give it to a pretty girl I liked.” She lightly blushed, her eyes catching her reflection in a window. Her hands wandered to the ribbon holding back her bangs, caressing the soft material. She heard Sasuke cough, his head turned away.

 

“My grandma gave it to me, but I never liked red that much. It looks a lot better on you anyway.” Gai was about to speak, Asuma covering his mouth, shaking his head. Sakura hugged both of the boys, neither of them protesting.

 

“Thanks guys, you're the best.”

 

“No problem Sakura!”

 

“Whatever…” The boys' faces were a dark shade of red; Naruto grinning ear to ear and Sasuke trying to hold his stoic face.

 

 

---------------

 

 

The group took a little break, deciding to eat at a stand called Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto was pigging out on the BBQ beef ramen, Sakura had manners and ate her chicken ramen with a steady pace, and Sasuke picked around at his miso ramen. Asuma and Gai didn't order any ramen, talking instead about adults subjects the children wouldn't understand until they were several years older.

 

“What do you supposed Kakashi and the Hokage are discussing?”

 

“Probably the kids. It is very unusual for a teacher to take on students at such a young age. Usually kids go to the academy to learn all the rules, jutsus, go through several tests, and other things to see if they're worthy enough to be a ninja. Once that is done-“

 

“Asuma-san, what is this academy? A school for ninjas?” Asuma looked at the young girl, her bowl half eaten. He averted his eyes while he scratched his head.

 

“Well, yes. Why do you ask?” She shrugged her shoulders, staring at her bowl.

 

“Just wondering how someone becomes a ninja I guess.” He chuckled at her response, ruffling her hair. There was a puff of smoke behind Asuma, the trio calling out Kakashi's name.

 

“Hmm, I see you've been eating the infamous Ichiraku ramen.”

 

“Yeah, it's delicious Kakashi-sensei!” He ushered them to finish their meal, saying he was going to show them something very special. When they arrived, they awed at the craftsmanship done to the mountains before them.

 

“Wow, who did all this Kakashi-sensei?”

 

“The proud civilians and ninja of Konoha.”

 

“Who are those people carved in the mountains?”

 

“The four Hokages. The Hokage you met is the third.”

 

“Where's the fourth than?”

 

“He sacrificed his life to save the village years ago.”

 

“Wow, I wanna be just like him, only alive!”

 

 

 

A/N: Oww…pain…ack…sorry Naruto fans, but I'm gonna be updating a Sonic fanfic next. ^^; But I'll be putting up a Naruto/Sakura one-shot called More Than Friends after that, so don't worry. Well, time for a break. Ow…