(Whoosh!)
(Whoosh!)
Naruto whizzed past the buildings as he headed towards Sasuke's house in high speed.
"Hmm?"
(Whoosh!)
Naruto landed on the ground in a somewhat deserted area.
("Why is Dad (father-in-law) following me?") Naruto thought as he turned back.
("I guess I can't call him dad for the time being.")
"Care to step out?"
("Impossible!")
("The boy detected me?") the man thought.
"I know you have been following me from the Hokage's office," Naruto said in a firm voice.
"Hmph!" Hyūga Hiashi stepped out from the shadowy area by the turning that Naruto was facing.
"How did you know?" He asked in a calm voice.
"I am able to sense your chakra," Naruto said.
"…" Hiashi stared at Naruto.
"Is there a problem?" Naruto asked.
"Since you have brought it up yourself…"
"I will say it without restraint."
"STAY"
"AWAY"
"FROM"
"Hinata," Hiashi said these words one by one in a deep voice that signified both threat and Warning.
"Hinata?"
"Why should I stay away?" Naruto asked.
"You dare ask questions?"
"You dare to counter my statement?" Hiashi asked in a voice that contained anger.
"What are you trying to say, old man?" Naruto asked.
"Don't feign ignorance."
"Hinata is not someone you can casually approach!" Hiashi said.
Naruto frowned.
("What is wrong with Dad?")
("From what I knew about him, he was always an amiable man, who would run towards Boruto and Himawari to shower them with love.")
("He never seemed to have a problem with me marrying Hinata…")
("What could have happened while I was away?") Naruto thought.
"I do not understand."
"What is the problem?"
"Did something happen to Hinata?" Naruto asked.
Hiashi became more angry, to the extent that nerves budged at the side of his eyes.
Hiashi calmed his anger, fearing that it would activate his Byakugan, as he did not want to hurt a junior like Naruto.
Hiashi held out a palm and ran towards Naruto.
Naruto instinctively countered the palm by deflecting it away with his own palm towards the bottom of Hiashi's wrist, ultimately sending the incoming palm in a different direction.
("This boy, he knows the proper way to counter the gentle fists.")
("Did Hinata teach him?") Hiashi thought.
("No, that would be impossible since she herself has not mastered it, much less teach someone else to counter it perfectly.")
("Could there be a traitor in the midst of our clan?") Hiashi thought as he sent palm after palm towards Naruto who deflected all of them perfectly.
"I will not hold back anymore," Hiashi said as he got into a stance.
("Does he want to hurt me so badly?")
("Enough to the point of resorting to the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms Offense?") Naruto thought.
"Old Man, please calm down. There must be something wrong." Naruto tried to calm Hiashi down.
"No!"
"I must do this for both your's and my daughter's sake so that you both will part ways…"
"Leaving my daughter to focus on her life," Hiashi said as he rushed forward.
"Damn it!" Naruto shouted, being totally unprepared to face this technique right off the bat.
Naruto could easily fight him toe to toe, but that would only make him angrier. Not to mention the fact that he was Naruto's future father-in-law in this world, so he could not really force himself to beat his dad.
"Eight palms!"
Hiashi declared as he sealed eight chakra points.
Naruto gritted his teeth in pain.
"Sixteen Palms!"
"Thirty-Two Palms!"
"Sixty-Four Palms!" Hiashi sent his finger sealing each chakra point in Naruto's body.
"Ah!" Naruto ground in pain as he fell on his knees, he half-kneeled as he faced Hiashi.
"Know your place!" Hiashi said as he turned around.
"Your chakra points have been sealed temporarily."
"You will not be able to move for the next one hour or so…" Hiashi explained to Naruto as he walked away.
Naruto did not want to unleash his nine tails mode.
< Sage Mode! >
Naruto's eyelids turned orange, changing his pupils in the eyes as well.
"I don't know what has happened to you or Hinata."
"However, No one can stop me from seeing Hinata!" Naruto declared as he stood up.
Hiashi was shocked.
"How are you able to stand up?" He asked.
"Don't change the subject old man, tell me what is going on," Naruto said in a firm voice.
("This boy, Is he the one Neji is supposed to fight for the next stage?")
("Neji will definitely lose.") Hiashi thought.
"You are very strong for your age." Hiashi complimented Naruto.
"I read the message you left for Hinata."
"I understood that you wish to pursue her."
"Am I wrong in making that assumption," Hiashi asked Naruto.
Naruto did not react to Hiashi's message, but his silence agreed with Hiashi's words.
"Hinata is of the main branch, and she is the heir to the Hyūga household."
"She would not have been in Academy if it wasn't for her failing to her sister."
Naruto knew the backstory between Hanabi and Hinata. After hearing this statement, he also understood Hiashi's way of thinking.
("It looks like he agreed to the wedding because I was strong enough back then.") Naruto thought back to the first time Hinata introduced Naruto to her father.
"Old man!"
"I am sorry!" Naruto said as he bowed towards Hiashi.
"However, I will not give up on Hinata!" Naruto said.
(Poof!) Naruto disappeared from the spot.
Hiashi stared at the spot where Naruto disappeared.
("Hmph!")
("He got away!") Hiashi thought as turned back towards the direction of his house.
(Whoosh!)
Naruto entered the Uchiha district as he headed towards Sasuke's house.
(tk!) A piece of information entered Naruto's brain.
"It was that message huh?" Naruto thought back to when He had left a clone as soon as he activated his sage mode.
Naruto slowed down his speed and deactivated his Sage mode.
"Kurama!"
"You've got it!" Kurama said as he circulated the Nine tails mode in a short burst around Naruto's chakra network, unsealing all his chakra points.
"Thanks!" Naruto said as he increased his speed.
(Whoosh!) Naruto landed in front of Sasuke's house.
("It has been a long time since I have been in this place…") Naruto thought as he stared at the building and its surroundings.
It was a large courtyard that solely belonged to Sasuke's family with its own lawn in the front and a small pond at the back of the house.
Naruto rang the doorbell.
Ding-Dong!
A few seconds later Sasuke appeared with his usual arrogant expression.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out to him happily.
"Mm." Sasuke accepted Naruto into the house without any further comments.
"You've changed!" Naruto said as he stared at Sasuke in his new attire.
Sasuke opened the door to the backyard as he sat down by the pond.
Naruto also followed and sat down beside him.
They both stared at the Horizon for a while before Naruto broke the silence.
"Sasuke!"
"I heard you went missing for the past few days," Naruto said.
"I went for training too," Sasuke said.
"Training?"
"But weren't you supposed to train under Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Doesn't matter!"
"I want to fight against you!" Sasuke said.
"Sasuke!"
"I would like to fight you, but that would have to wait until the Chuunin Exams," Naruto said in a low voice.
"So…"
"Where did you go?" Naruto asked.
"None of your business," Sasuke said in a grumpy voice.
"Anywhere is good as long as it was not Orochimaru…" Naruto said.
"Mm." Sasuke agreed.
"Sasuke!"
"We have a week before the start of the Chuunin Battle Stage."
"I plan to go to the Sand village in the following evening after tomorrow," Naruto said.
"Why at that time?" Sasuke asked.
"By my calculations, it will take us about two and a half days on foot if we are slow, probably half a day of battle and remaining days to be back just at the start of the exam," Naruto said.
"Wait!"
"Did you say it will take 'us' two and a half days?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah!"
"I plan to take you and Kakashi-sensei along…" Naruto said.
Sasuke thought back to Naruto's words...
... FB
"I will rescue the Kazekage." Naruto proudly declared with battle intent brimming across his face.
"Is your body powerful enough to fight against Kage-level right now?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"Yup!" Naruto said as he looked back at Sasuke.
... FB
("I will get to fight stronger people now!")
Sasuke grinned lightly...