70 Farewells and new horizons part two

Part two is here, nothing else to say.

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A small little crowd that consisted of everyone close to Rin and me were right next to me as we waited for her and Sasuke to get here, Itachi already waiting a few meters away.

Now that the time was rapidly coming close, it was starting to get to me. My thoughts were in a constant loop while I ignored everyone.

She was going to be gone. Away from me. Out of reach. I couldn't protect her from what was out there. The person I had been terrified of becoming was going to be her primary protector and in charge of her training.

What was I thinking? Jiraiya should be training her, not Itachi. I can handle this better. Mine. My burden. My responsibility, not hers.

"Naruto." Hinata whispered next to me, pulling me from my thoughts. "Are you alright?"

I didn't realize how quick I was breathing until I started to calm down some.

"Yeah," I replied quietly, noting Kakashi and Anko's less than discreet glances towards me, "I'm alright."

Hinata glanced towards Ino expectantly, the other girl being just a couple feet away.

She was staring straight at me.

"This isn't the forest, Naruto." Ino closed the distance between us, standing to my right. "Everything is going to be alright, doesn't matter what you fear."

Her words didn't assure me. The toads rejecting me was another nail in the coffin that held my hope of Rin not having to do everything Canon Naruto had to, and it deprived me of Senjutsu training.

"Do you trust Rin?" Hinata asked, grabbing ahold of my hand gently as she looked up at me slightly.

I didn't want to be coddled, but honestly, it made me feel less terrible. So I could tolerate it in spite of my dislike of it.

"Yes." I replied, feeling her and Sasuke's signature at the edge of my range.

I could sense from miles away, but a village with thousands of people made it more difficult to discern specific signatures at a distance.

Before I realized what was happening, Ino did a type of technique similar to when I was helping her sense chakra.

The difference was that she put her hand on me and let her chakra seep into my tenketsu gently.

The intrusion made me flinch, until I felt relief start to spread over me moments later as I seemed to relax involuntarily.

What even is this? I wondered, feeling myself wanting to lean towards her.

"We're right here, Naruto," She said gently, whatever she was doing keeping my thoughts steady, "You're not alone."

Everybody that was friends were here. Kakashi, Anko, Ino, Hinata, Karin, and even Shikamaru was here. Jiraiya was in a meeting with Tsunade, something to do with complications arising in Iwa.

Rin and Sasuke finally arrived in sight and I saw how nervous she was, her eyes flicking towards everyone present.

"Hi, guys," She said uncomfortably, fidgeting some as the two reached us, "I guess this is goodbye for now."

All the attention was on her and I knew she was sometimes apprehensive about it.

Rin went up to Kakashi, talked with him and said her goodbye, then moved on to Anko, the Kunoichi that embodied malicious glee at messing with people hugging Rin and ruffling her hair.

In that time, Sasuke approached both Hinata and me, and nodded at his teammate.

"I'm going to miss this," He said honestly, looking around, "I never thought I would have friends I could count on... But I guess I got several surprises." He looked like he had to psych himself up before he reached forward and gave Hinata a quick hug, letting go after a couple seconds.

Hinata practically glowed from Sasuke publicly acknowledging her as his friend, knowing that her teammate didn't take the word for granted.

"You're not a bad friend yourself, Sasuke." Hinata replied, letting out a faint giggle at the small joke she made.

Sasuke then turned to me, his chakra fluctuating in a familiar rhythm.

"Don't think that you're going to be stronger than me for long," He said seriously, setting his hand on my shoulder a bit roughly, "I won't be slowing down."

I quirked a grin in response.

"You better make the fox think you're Madara reborn when we spar next time." My tone of voice had a degree of seriousness just under the surface. "Your eyes are probably one of the most dangerous things in the world now. So use them."

Itachi was going to be terrifying with the EMS. He was still one of the most dangerous Akatsuki members while he was dying and had awful vision. With perfect sight and a functioning body not too damaged by the toxin he was exposed to, I could see him matching or surpassing what Hiruzen was in his heyday .

And Sasuke, well, I already knew what he could become when trained by an S-rank and having the Mangekyo. He took on Ay and almost killed him, at 16 no less. But Sasuke, along with all the other genin/new Chunin our age, was more skilled by having training and with me being a sort of peer to help him out.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment and I felt his chakra spasm like when he was enraged, terrified, or a combination of both. It was in a way vaguely similar to Itachi's when he...

Oh.

Sasuke opened his eyes and I saw the inverted colouring of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, the first time I've ever seen it.

The show gave it no justice at all in how terrible and beautiful it looked. A red starburst pattern with the black being the background. It radiated power, practically demanding that I submit. Kneel. Give in.

I instinctively flinched and felt the overwhelming urge to look away or punch Sasuke to get him to not ensnare me when I got over the nearly hypnotic need to look at it.

Stop it. He's not Itachi or Madara. Itachi's little attempt at interrogation still made me antsy thinking about it, even after several weeks since it happened.

"I promise." He said firmly, deactivating his Sharingan, much to my relief, "Goodbye, Naruto."

"See ya, Sasuke." I nodded, my friend turning to walk away towards Itachi.

With the goodbyes for Sasuke settled, I looked at Rin and silently watched as she said her own goodbye to everyone one at a time.

After Rin went through her farewell to Karin and Shikamaru, she walked to Hinata, lifted her up and hugged her roughly, causing our quiet friend to let out a squeak of surprise.

"Keep him out of trouble." I barely made out what was said from how low Rin's voice was when she whispered into Hinata's ear.

The two separated after Hinata was mercifully let free from her vice grip and Ino stepped away from me for a moment, giving me some space.

Rin finally looked at me directly and that was the moment I stopped hiding how I felt. I stepped straight up to her and pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her.

"Take care of yourself and train like there's no tomorrow," I whispered in her ear, planting a kiss on her forehead as I backed away a bit, "You have all the notes I copied?"

Every shred of information on Fuinjutsu Ashina left us, the Hiraishin notes I memorized from our father, and every other shred of information I possessed on it was copied by hand and was put in a scroll for Rin.

I also had my own notes on adding Wind Release to the Rasengan, having explained it as curiosity from me working on one with water.

Rin nodded and sniffed, her eyes watery.

"It's," I could barely get the words out from how choked up I was, "It's time now."

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. I repeated in my mind, smiling weakly to assure my sister.

"I want to see you everyday," She grabbed me again, holding me tight, "I'm going to miss Konoha... I'm going to miss you." She finished shakily, her chakra dim and cold as it seemed to thrum waves of chilliness in sync with her breath and heartbeat.

Almost like a sense of Deja Vu, I ran my fingers through her hair and looked directly into her violet eyes, eyes that she inherited from our mother.

"You will never be alone." I shushed her, still running my fingers through her blonde locks. "I'll be here when you get back. I love you... and I always will."

Rin's lip quivered, but what I said was enough for her to not openly cry.

With a strength I didn't know I had, I let go of her. She backed away slowly and turned away to walk to Sasuke and Itachi, her hands balled into fists.

The soft scuff of her sandals against the ground was maddening, and I needed the lack of sound to be broken.

"Make sure to not forget my birthday." I said, trying to find something to bring a measure of levity to this temporary goodbye.

To my everlasting relief, her chakra brightened and I heard her let out a laugh.

"Only if you promise to remember mine." She responded in kind, flashing me a smile that let me know it would be alright.

I watched as she and the only two remaining Uchiha that I wasn't going to kill prepared to race away from us, chakra being channeled in their legs.

With a swirl of leaves, they disappeared.

With a quick shaping of my chakra into a lightning nature, I made a discreet half seal to stabilize lightning coursing through my brain to slow everything down.

Ten seconds until I can't sense them at their speed and flat terrain.

My chakra sensing wasn't impeded by either the mind enhancement portion of the lightning armour or the armour itself, so I was sensing Rin's chakra in slow motion, slowly creeping away.

Call it unhealthy, but I wanted to live in the moment for as long as I could. I could still feel her for now.

It stretched on for quite some time, my eyes shut as I focused on her signature like my life depended on it. I wasn't letting go just yet.

6 seconds.

Right as they started to get difficult to sense, I made a hand seal to focus my chakra even more, my range increasing temporarily.

I clenched my teeth as I felt a headache start to build, but I didn't care. I kept on stretching my ability to beyond the safe threshold. Kurama and my own natural healing would fix it shortly anyway.

4 seconds.

'You promised. We promised.' An unwelcome memory hit me and I shook it away, ignoring the entire world except for one thing in existence. Something that I had known and cherished since the beginning of my second life.

'I will never forget you. I will always love you.'

I felt a tear slide down my face as even my focused attempt at feeling was now no longer enough.

2 seconds.

Not yet. I pleaded, not even knowing who I was pleading to. I'm not ready. Please.

Rin's chakra was barely distinguishable from Sasuke and Itachi's now, the three blending with Nature chakra as a backdrop. Blood started dropping from my nose, my pulse being felt in my temples and eyes.

One.

Rin disappeared into the unknown, gone from my sight.

I let the lightning dissipate from my nervous system and everything snapped back into focus, my eyes opening.

With a groan, I put my hand up to my head to stave off the pounding from pushing my sensing too far, staggering some from my equilibrium taking a hit.

"Naruto." Ino and Hinata both said in alarm, grabbing ahold of me to steady me.

A choked sob was all I was able to let out as I tried to feel for Rin and couldn't find her.

She's gone. She's gone.

It was just like when Kurama was sealed in me and I was separated from her. The only difference was that I didn't feel like molten lead was swimming throughout my body and I wasn't screaming.

At least externally at least.

"Naruto." Ino's voice was impossibly soft as she put her hand on my face and pulled me towards her to look at her, probably sensing my turmoil like a flare, "Focus on my voice, 'kay? We're right here. Focus on our chakra."

Hinata held me steady and leaned into me as I focused on them, being reminded of when the two both went out of their own concern for me into the woods after I fought Zabuza the first time.

And for the second time, I felt myself melt into their embrace as my emotions, bordering on me becoming a crying mess, didn't hurt as much now.

After a few minutes, I felt ready to walk away now.

"Thank you," I looked at two of my closest friends, wondering what I did to deserve their friendship to this degree, "I... I can't ask for better friends."

It still, even after so many years of being able to, astounded me that I could truly feel people. Not just physically, but spiritually as well.

Rin was no longer here, but I wasn't alone, like what Ino said. I slowly extracted myself from them to go home and leave, wanting to sleep.

Giving an appreciative nod at Shikamaru for showing up, then walking over to Karin and hugging her real quick, I turned around and walked home, not paying mind to Ino and Hinata both following me there.

Kakashi would have tried to talk with me, which I didn't want to do currently. So I just up and left.

I Henged into someone that nobody in this world would recognize, but I definitely would have, and walked undisturbed to what was now just my apartment, using the key to get in.

I left it unlocked because I couldn't bring myself to care and went directly to the kitchen, pulling random stuff out of the fridge.

The next half hour or so, not like I cared, was me doing two of the things I did to work through any issues on my own, and that was cooking food and singing.

Mainly those two because fighting and destroying things would worry everybody else.

I finished my little attempt at fixing food and started loading it on a plate. Nothing special, just chicken that I was going to eat all of. Rin couldn't complain when I ate a few pounds of her favorite food when she wasn't here to know.

Plopping down in the chair, looking at the steaming plate, I was tempted to partake in a tradition I didn't really do as often over food ever since Rin would eat with me. It would have been difficult to explain what I was doing.

Right as I decided on what to do, I narrowed my eyes when I heard the door creak. A quick peak with my sensing revealed that it was Ino and Hinata.

"Checking on me again?" I called out, seeing Ino poke her head around the corner first.

Ino looked nervous, probably from this being the first time she was at my home for a change.

"Um, yeah." She said awkwardly, Hinata walking in front of her.

"You left the door unlocked." Hinata said unnecessarily, "You never do that."

You'd think I, out of everyone, would lock my door religiously. Being reborn via getting brutally murdered in a home invasion normally does a good job at making someone paranoid about fortifying their home.

But I just happened to not care right now. I was much more dangerous now than what I was before I got killed.

Looking between the two of them, I sighed and made a half seal with my right hand, spawning a clone to get two more plates.

"Might as well eat something if you two are checking in on me," I muttered, hearing the clone get two more plates and the needed silverware to eat with. "I fixed enough, and I didn't eat any of it yet." I added.

The girls shuffled towards the table and sat down, looking apprehensive.

The clone set the plates down and I divided what originally was going to be my food only, pushing the plates towards them. The clone then popped, it's purpose fulfilled.

"I hope you like chicken." I said, stabbing it and taking a large bite.

The two each started eating, both of them having drastically different reactions.

Hinata had already sampled my cooking on multiple occasions, and that probably convinced her to improve her own. She still enjoyed my food, but her reaction was muted.

Ino on the other hand, hadn't. Her eyes widened as she took her first bite of chicken.

"This is amazing." She moaned appreciatively, glancing at Hinata and me with narrowed eyes, "Why didn't you tell me you could cook this good?"

She was just trying to tease me, so I just scoffed lightly.

"I deemed you worthy of such a gift only recently." I replied, taking another bite and letting it practically melt in my mouth as I savored it.

Anime Gordon Ramsey would kick my ass at cooking, but I could at least put up a fight.

Ino giggled softly, continuing to eat.

"Naruto," Hinata said quietly, looking at me worriedly while Ino ate, "How are you, really?"

Ino paused her chewing and looked between the two of us, her face paling some.

"To be honest," I sighed, fiddling with my sleeve as I looked down at the table, "I'm feeling awful right now. I don't want to curl up and cry because that isn't productive, but I don't want to go out to a training ground and destroy stuff because it's not really healthy. And those are basically the only two ways I know how to deal with this." I finished my explanation somberly, looking up and glancing between the two of them.

Hinata pursed her lips, tapping her fingers against the table.

"You could talk with us." She said, blinking slowly and fixing her pale gaze on me, "You can voice your worries to us like we both have to you, Naruto."

"But-" I started to say, but Hinata linger forward and jerked me by my hand closer to her, shaking her head.

"No buts," Her eyes narrowed, gripping my hand tightly, "You're our friend," She glanced at Ino momentarily, the Yamanaka heiress having set aside her food once Hinata started talking seriously. "Anything that worries you, you share. I know how worried you are. What do you think I was thinking when we left my home after your grandfather attacked it? I didn't know whether Hanabi would remain safe when we left to help you."

The cold realization that Hinata actively went with us made me look away from her eyes. That must have been hell for her to do.

"Naruto," Ino put her own hand on mine, Hinata's moving over slightly, "You're stuck with friends. Hell or Highwater, you're not walking this road alone. If you need to vent, we're right here."

"And I know Kakashi-sensei cares about you." Hinata added, smiling softly in assurance, "We all are going to miss Rin and Sasuke, so you just need to ask for company."

I set my other hand on top of theirs, blinking suspiciously quick at the honesty radiating from the both of them.

"I don't know what I would have done without you talking with me." I said, wondering whether I would have done the same stupid thing I already did twice; getting drunk.

"Something that would have had your godfather and every responsible adult scolding you?" Ino asked amusedly, causing me and Hinata to laugh.

"I bet the fox would call me an abusive landlord." I scoffed, squinting when Ino looked suddenly curious.

"How does... uh," She paused for a moment, looking like she was trying to find the right words, "Can it hear us right now?"

"Him," I corrected, "Or... I think the Kyuubi is a guy. I haven't asked to look at his genitals. Kinda weird to do." I smirked when I saw Ino scowl. "But he can't hear us. I have to actively tug a bit on his chakra to open the connection to communicate."

"Could you do it right now?" Ino asked, her chakra shifting like she was sensing my chakra, "I want to know what it feels like when you're talking."

It didn't bother me to sate her curiosity, and Hinata looked almost as curious.

"Okay." I nodded, opening up the connection at Ino's request.

Fox, can you talk some?

Kurama's chakra shifted a bit and I felt the usual echo of his chakra move along the path of my tenketsu connected to the seal.

"Oohhh," Ino's eyes widened, "That's familiar."

'Do you need to talk about your sister?' Kurama asked, actually sounding neutral for a change, instead of jabbing at a visible emotional wound.

Two of my friends are here. I replied internally, They've helped, so you don't need to be a figurative shoulder to cry on, rest easy .

"Hmm, I can see them. Which one is your mate?"

I curled my lip in irritation, not paying attention to Ino and Hinata's confusion. I pretty much gave him free rein to be sarcastic by saying I was doing fine.

Not responding to that. I said flatly, hearing a huff of laughter.

"You are no fun. Your sister's reactions are pleasing, almost as pleasant as the wet crunch of a meatbag like you under my paw."

Well, I'm you're meatbag. I replied, smirking happily. Now, say hi to Ino and Hinata so I can relay the message."

"Greetings, females." Kurama said, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Well?" Ino pressed, having been waiting patiently.

I focused back on them both and I flinched when I saw Hinata staring at me with her Byakugan active, a look of concentration on her face I hadn't seen when she used her Kekkai Genkai.

"I can barely see it," Hinata squinted more, her eyes not moving at all, which still was weird to think about, "But there's faint echoes and a thread between one of his tenketsu and... is that the seal?" She asked. "I can tell it's a little different now that I'm looking for it."

"The seal feels more uniform." I said, replying to Hinata's curiosity first, "My chakra swirls a little different around my gut."

Hinata nodded and deactivated her eyes, wincing as she rubbed them.

"And the fox said, 'Greetings, females'." I told Ino, who rolled her turquoise eyes almost comically.

"Liar." Ino said flatly, unimpressed by what she thought was me being me and applying my perfectly sophisticated humour to the situation.

"Well, they aren't vixens like your sister. No whiskers and flat teeth."

I repeated what Kurama said and Ino looked even more aggravated, while Hinata looked suddenly uncomfortable.

"Does the Kyuubi torment Rin?" She asked, fidgeting with her fingers as she glanced at Ino's barely suppressed grumbles. "She sometimes would get upset and talk to herself."

"Worse than you can possibly imagine." I groaned, hearing him snicker in the back of my head. Want to listen in more, or do you want to relax?

"I will leave." He replied, "Your sister will likely reach out to me to ask about you tonight. And before you ask... No, I cannot link your minds from hundreds of miles away. It already is difficult enough to prevent my own chakra from trying to clash with yours when you two are close."

Thanks for the heads-up. I expected that, otherwise he would have mentioned it. Take care.

Kurama slunk back into the seal and left my thoughts to myself.

"He's gone now." I told them, shifting in my chair a little to be more comfortable. "Any other questions about what it's like to be a Jinchuriki?"

The next hour or two was Hinata and Ino taking turns with questions they both wanted answered, with me asking them about their respective advances in their clan techniques in response.

Hinata was getting very close to being able to perform the Kaiten, which was definitely good, and she was working on keeping her reserves on a proper growth curve that kept up with her control exercises Tsunade was having her do.

Ino was getting personal help from her dad to possess and control people, but it was coming along slowly. But there was a specific portion that had me focusing on her intently.

"You already were the receiver of a technique I pulled off." Ino said, her fingers dancing across the back of my hand as some of her chakra brushed against me like she did before. "I helped calm your emotions."

"There's a technique like that?" I asked, surprised that there was a way to do that without entering someone's mind.

Big difference between invasive and noninvasive, especially for the Yamanaka.

"I can mute specific emotions to a certain degree while shielding my own mind and not requiring my target's chakra getting forced under my control."

Very sweet and nice of her to do, but mind stuff was still bone chilling.

"Ooga booga mind magic." I muttered, twitching when Ino poked me roughly on the hand.

"Don't call my clan techniques honed over generations that."

"You don't even know what the first words were." I protested, frowning at the scoff that escaped her.

"I can feel your amusement, Naru-chan." She said, grinning at my annoyance. "And I don't hear you demeaning the Hyuga clan."

The nickname travesty was ignored in favour of my candidness about my opinion on Hinata's clan.

"I'm much less polite about my opinions of some of the individuals Hinata has the terrible misfortune of sharing genetic material with." I said, causing Hinata to sigh audibly and Ino to start laughing.

"You said those precise words when you insulted Neji during a spar." Hinata told me, looking unimpressed at Ino's laughter. "Please don't laugh at that. You only encourage him."

"I have something that describes you as well, if that makes you feel better." I smirked, causing a normally soft and polite Hinata to give me a subdued glare.

"And what is that, Naruto-kun?" She asked, no affection in her voice at the suffix.

I was paying close attention to how her chakra slowly pulsed with her breathing. She wasn't actually angry or anything like that. A faint trace of subdued exasperation, but that was it.

"The Juken is the Stooge Poke of Death." I shrugged, sounding casual about it.

"What," She tapped my wrist with her index, sending a jolt up my arm from her pushing some chakra into it, "Is a Stooge Poke?"

Hook. Line. Sinker.

"A Stooge Poke," I explained, feeling like all the weight I had been carrying today had melted away at this freedom I had been given in the form of talking with two of my closest friends, "Is when," I pulled my hand away, planning this, "You poke somebody in the eyes with your index and middle fingers. Like this!" I exclaimed, reaching out with my hand as fast as I could manage and pointing out my two fingers.

I aimed right at her brow, specifically the inside arch of her eyebrows.

My fingers poked her and she practically fell out of her chair, letting out a yelp.

"Naruto!" She glared at me for real this time, her hand rubbing against her forehead.

"I wasn't aiming for your eyes." I defended myself, ignoring Ino's laughter that was now echoing of the wall as she clutched her stomach. "They're too beautiful to harm."

"Don't try to flatter me," Hinata pointed a finger at me in warning, but I could tell by the faint tinge of pink on her cheeks that my comment about her eyes got to her, "You didn't need to poke me."

"Alright alright." I held up my hands to placate her, "I shouldn't have poked you, but it was funny."

Hinata kept glaring at me, but she couldn't keep it up for long and shook her head and sighed.

"You know I can't stay angry for long."

"Unlike Hanabi, your dad, Neji," I rattled off, "Pretty much all Hyuga that aren't you."

"I will have you know," Hinata straightened up and did an excellent imitation of her father's tone a posture, "That I conduct myself with perfect decorum."

I snickered in spite of myself.

"The ripples in your chakra signature says otherwise." I laughed quietly, Ino smiling at Hinata knowingly. "And you butcher those poor cinnamon rolls I fix while laughing maniacally."

"I do not do that," Hinata countered, before looking away, "Do I?"

"You startled Anko when you stole that cinnamon roll and ate it." Ino said abruptly, causing Hinata to gasp.

My mind took a second to translate what I just heard. Hinata stole something?

"You weren't supposed to say anything!" She looked at me nervously, my mind getting over the shock of what I just heard.

"You stole a cinnamon roll?" I asked incredulously, still trying to comprehend it.

"They said they were out of cinnamon rolls at a bakery after Anko and Kurenai finished training us for the day before the finals." Ino explained, Hinata shrinking into the chair and covering her face in embarrassment. "Hinata used her Byakugan and saw they had some in the back."

"Please." Hinata pleaded, her face turning a startling shade of red. "I paid for it."

I seriously tried to keep it together, really, I did. But this was too much. My own face was red, but from exertion to not interrupt Ino's story with me wheezing.

"Only after you tore that thing apart like it stole your favorite shirt." Ino snickered, obviously amused by the memory, "You broke in at night to leave the money, if I remember correctly."

"It was at closing time, not night." Hinata corrected the blonde, looking irritable in an adorable way.

"Same difference." Ino shrugged, "But I don't really blame you. You looked like you deserved a treat after training that day, and that's coming from Anko's personal 'torture tyke'." She used air quotes.

"She come up with that?" I asked weakly, still trying to recover from the previous subject.

"Yeah." Ino replied, rubbing her arms almost subconsciously. "I hate senbon and poison."

"Were you visited in your dreams by the giant purple reptile when Anko poisoned you?" I asked, stopping her in her tracks.

"I'm not crazy like you, Naruto." Ino frowned, "And what's the reptiles name? If he's real, he'd have a name."

"Barney." I said truthfully, my lips twitching when she couldn't feel any hint of a lie in my chakra.

Ino threw her hands up and shook her head in mock exasperation.

"I can't see how my dad didn't go crazy after touching your head."

Before I could remind her that she did too, Hinata cut in.

"Ino, be nice." Hinata chided her, surprisingly stopping the back and forth, "Your chicken was just as lovely as ever, Naruto." She glanced at the small amount of remaining food on her plate.

"Would you be able to teach me the recipe?" Ino asked softly, the joking portion over now, "I..." She suddenly looked uncertain about continuing.

"It's okay," I assured her, grateful for this happy and relaxed air of just the three of us talking and laughing, "You can talk about it."

The blonde tucked her hair behind her ear nervously, but finally voiced her thoughts.

"I'm... not very good at," She looked at me sheepishly, "Cooking."

That's not a problem. Rin can't cook to save her life after I tried to teach her multiple times.

"You can ask your kaasan to help you," I smiled, noting her downcast expression, "But I might show you a thing or two I figured out while learning how to not burn my house down."

Ino squeezed my hand and her chakra practically glowed as she smiled wildly.

"Thanks." She said genuinely.

"Well," I glanced between the two of them, noticing their plates were empty now, "I'll put the plates up, and would you like to see the rest of the apartment?" I asked Ino, sticking the plates to my fingers with chakra and walking to the sink.

"Sure." Ino stood up from her chair, starting to walk around the apartment.

"Be sure to avoid the room down the hall," I called out over the rushing sound of water as I cleaned the plates, "That's Rin's room and she can probably tell when another blonde is trespassing in her territory."

Ino laughed sarcastically, but kept looking around.

"And be mindful of the explosives I put around my door!" I said, lying completely.

I could feel her chakra flare in worry and she backed away from the door into my room. My room was private, my own domain. Everything else was fair game.

Right as I was about to be finished with the dishes, I felt Hinata tap my shoulder to let me know she was behind me.

Her hands wrapped around me and she hugged me from behind.

"I know you miss her," She whispered, having to stand on her toes to be head level to me, "I would miss Hanabi if she left."

I shut off the sink and put the dishes on a towel to dry, then I turned around and returned the hug.

"How, after growing up with the elders pressuring you," I said slowly, still wondering how it was possible in a real world, not a fictional one, "Did you end up being so kind?"

Hinata blinked quickly, her eyes looking misty. It was difficult to discern that from her eyes almost being a uniform colour, but I knew her well enough to tell.

"You and Rin." She replied, holding my hand softly, "You were there for me in the snow, when nobody else was."

You would have been just as sweet if I was never born. I thought to myself, knowing she was a naturally good human being.

"My Kaasan would have loved you and Rin." She said gently, smiling up at me.

"I wish I could have met her. If she was anything at all like her daughters, then she was an angel."

Hyuga Hitomi should have lived to be a mother to her daughters, but tragedy took that away. I wish I could have been introduced to her.

Hinata wiped at her eyes, sniffing some.

It started being apparent to me that we had been here for some time, while Ino was looking around. So I cleared my throat.

"I should make sure Ino doesn't get lost." I squeezed Hinata's hand in reassurance to let her know everything was okay.

The two of us left my kitchen and I saw Ino standing in the hallway, looking at the small collection of photos I had of Rin and me during our training sessions with Kakashi and Anko.

"Your hair looked so adorable when part of it was missing." She pointed at the one image of me that Anko snapped a picture of after Kakashi elevated my taijutsu training another notch when I was... about ten, I think.

"Did Anko like aiming for your hair too?" I raised a brow, fighting the urge to grimace at the memories.

She noticed how much I liked the colour of my hair, so of course she started aiming for it. She even made a game out of trying to hit the small amount of blond hair at my temples just to annoy me.

"Worse," Ino muttered, glaring at the picture that included a grinning Anko, "After I started getting resistant to her poisons, she threatened to glue a pig nose to my face if I didn't avoid senbon."

That sounds like something Anko would do. I coughed into my sleeve to muffle my laugh.

"No pictures of when you were younger." She said faintly, looking at the dozen or so photos with a sad expression.

"Unfortunately no," I nodded at the statement, "Rin was an adorable little toddler."

Ino and Hinata both got a kick out of that, their chakra shifting where I didn't need to see their faces to know they were amused.

Suddenly curious, I checked the clock on the wall that I fixed up after fishing it out of a trashcan.

7:56.

"Wow," I exclaimed, blinking in surprise at how long they had been over here, "It's almost 8."

Ino hummed under breath and exhaled audibly, looking at the clock herself.

"My dad probably wants me back." She took a step to the side to get past me, walking towards the front room.

"Mine too." Hinata said apologetically, also walking down the hall and towards the front door.

Taking one last look at the pictures on the wall, I followed the two to the door to say goodbye.

Catching up to them, I noted how I was a couple inches taller than them now, silently thankful that I would only be forced to look up at most people for only a couple more years.

"So, I'll see you guys tomorrow?" I asked, the two nodding.

"Ichiraku's for breakfast?" Hinata offered, glancing at Ino for confirmation.

"Ramen's okay." The blonde nodded, the two looking at me now.

"Yeah," I smiled widely, touched by that, "That's sounds amazing."

The two then, in unison, pulled me into a hug, one on each side of me.

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around them, closing my eyes for a moment and slowing my perception down to keep me in the moment.

This was what I was fighting for. I was free from everything right now. I was at home, food in my belly, laughing and joking with friends.

After it stretched out for a breathtakingly long time, I let go of them and Ino opened the door.

"Bye, girls." I said, trying to conceal the shiver from having their chakra right in front of me.

Just as calming as they were when I was falling apart over losing control of my rage and killing some worthless trash.

"Later, Naruto." They gave their own goodbyes and shut the door, leaving me alone.

I heard the blood rushing in my ears and I started whistling to have some sound, walking back towards the hallway. Right at the end was Rin's room, and I pushed the door open.

Flicking the lights on, I turned in a circle and looked at nothing in particular.

"I'm in your room without your permission, Rin!" I called out, almost expecting her to push the door open to tackle me for being an 'idiot brother'.

When nothing like that occurred, I slumped my shoulders and sat down on her bed, looking around slowly.

She had different tastes than me. The room was a little livelier and the way she organized everything was different; a little less structured and rigid.

"I promise I'll keep it from getting dusty." I murmured, looking down at the orange blanket that she used.

Orange. In my first life, it was just another colour that existed. I didn't really hate or like it, just a colour really.

But this wasn't my first life, and my opinion on the colour was different now. It was a cursed and abhorrent covenant with a heartless and unforgiving god that I existed outside of. The forced machinations of whatever spawned this universe's constant into existence was derailed by the monster I could become from my pedigree and Kurama.

I was the definition of a note of discourse in the endless cycle spawned by Indra and Ashura refusing to die.

"A dead spot in the cycle" I muttered, my hand clenching around the fabric stained by the colour of my own nightmares and damnation." An emptiness in which its will might be denied."

Shaking my head and standing up, I walked to the doorway and flicked the lights off, slamming the door shut.

I then went to my own room and pulled open my drawer of notes, prepared for another hours long string of Fuinjutsu experimenting to get the Hiraishin done.

My efforts were proving fruitful. A breakthrough was on the horizon... I could feel it.

I wonder what I will be called. I thought to myself, thinking of all the different titles given to different Shinobi.

Sannin. The Professor. The Yellow Flash. Would I be called the Red Flash? Crimson Flash? I don't know what to feel about the idea of standing in my father's shadow if I learned the Hiraishin and mastered it.

The fear they had for my father would be overshadowed by me. I was a Jinchuriki and one of the last sons of Uzu, a shattered and broken line of seal masters that refused to be good little boys and girls and die like dogs.

Any that would stand in front of my dream of a better world would be crushed without mercy.

I will come like a thief in the night. My chakra tingled under my skin in a delicious cocktail of anticipation at the inevitable conflict ahead, the Akatsuki being the spear.

And none would survive my wrath.

//////////////

"How do you think he's been taking it?" Ino asked Hinata, the two girls walking next to each other as the last vestiges of sunlight dipped under the trees surrounding Konoha.

Hinata looked at her other blonde friend and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think he was lying about anything. He sounded honest."

The two were currently heading to Hinata's clan compound first, while Ino would make her way home on her own.

"If it was only Rin, Sasuke could probably manage to talk him through this stuff," Ino admitted, kicking a pebble in the street with her left foot, "But he's gone, so it's up to us."

Hinata couldn't say she was either surprised or regretted the situation. Naruto was her longest friendship, immediately followed by Rin, and he was hurting. Ino and she had become friends through their joint friendship with Naruto and had developed into a genuine one between each other.

The training with Tsunade also gave them more time to interact and help each other.

"But he definitely wasn't lying." Ino added, smiling discreetly, "I can read his chakra better than he realizes, even though he's making it a challenge. You cannot believe how calm he is when he gets hugged. He loves hugs."

Hinata smiled softly at her friend's proclamation. If there was another reason to hug Naruto, then she would go with it.

The two walked in a companionable silence for a short while, the soft chirp of the insects in the trees reaching them.

It was definitely relaxing for the young Hyuga. The last couple of months were a non-stop onslaught of chaos or recovery from frightening events.

Graduating from the academy and almost immediately being trained by multiple Jonin and being run ragged was first, then Nami and the recovery from the shock of her first kill and how horrific the mission was; the training for the exams, the exams themselves being somehow more horrifying than Nami. The invasion finally topped off what she thought was going to be her end, the last fight before dying. But they got through it, opening up a new breath of freedom for her.

At least until recently.

"If it isn't personal," Ino broke the silence, shifting how she walked to keep facing Hinata while still walking, "What did Tsunade-sama talk with you about yesterday?"

Hinata shivered at the question, looking at Ino suspiciously.

"Before you say anything, I could tell you were upset and your chakra started feeling the same as then," The Yamanaka girl staved off any questioning, "I take our friendship seriously, 'Nata. Your worries are just as important to me as Naruto's, so let me help."

Hinata felt her face flush in embarrassment, trying to maintain eye contact.

"Sorry," She said sheepishly, fiddling with her jacket sleeve, "It just... What Tsunade-sama said scared me."

Ino patiently listened as the other girl spoke, the midnight blue haired one activating her eyes to look around.

"She said a group is after Rin and Naruto because of the Kyuubi," She said quietly, "It's a group of S-rank missing nin that Sasuke's brother was a part of."

A strangled gasp came from Ino at the reveal of such a threat. Uchiha Itachi was a blur of black and red that knocked them to the ground with contemptuous ease and took Rin hostage while bleeding profusely from his eyes. A group of several peers pursuing Jinchuriki was a hellish thought to imagine, let alone know existed.

"Tsunade-sama asked me if I was willing," Hinata wiped at her eyes, her lip quivering at the fear radiating in her voice, "If I was willing to fight S-rank Shinobi to protect Konoha and my friends." She paused and took a shaky breath.

"I said yes."

Ino's face was almost completely expressionless, but her hands were clenched so hard that Hinata swore she could hear her knuckles creak, and her Byakugan could see her chakra thrashing under her skin.

With a growl, Ino stopped her walking and grabbed ahold of Hinata, gripping her shoulders tightly.

"I won't let you do it alone," Ino said firmly, a fire dancing in her eyes that reminded her eerily of Rin, "We fought in Nami and when Suna and Oto invaded our home. Friends matter." She finished sharply, letting go of Hinata's shoulders.

The Hyuga girl shuddered at the fiery determination exuded from the Yamanaka, feeling pleasantly warm that she'd react that openly and swiftly.

"Tsunade-sama said that I needed to focus on my strengths, and that I could ask her for help on becoming... S-rank."

Ino's turquoise eyes widened at the statement, looking at Hinata appraisingly.

"I haven't heard of an S-rank Hyuga for a long time. I think my dad said the last one was during the Second Shinobi War."

"My Tousan mentioned him," Hinata said demurely, "He was killed at the end of the war."

But she couldn't do what he did. He had extremely large reserves and excellent control that let him constantly fight at the front and deal immense damage. While she didn't have the same reserves.

So that's what she explained to Ino.

"You can do that training stuff Shikamaru did," Ino offered, "I thought about it, but that kind of fell to the wayside when we started getting medical training."

"She mentioned something about her strength technique and the Juken being a perfect pair in taijutsu." Hinata responded softly, still running through what exactly the blonde Sannin said, "She said if I could manage to get it to a certain level, she could train me to be S-rank in taijutsu."

Ino got suddenly quiet out of nowhere, looking down at her feet.

"Was she going to talk with me too, or was it only you?" She asked, a touch of concern underlining her question.

"I was just the first," Hinata kept out the part where Tsunade alluded to knowing about her feelings for Naruto, not wanting to get into that after the two had just consoled him this evening, "She said that you three would each have a private talk with her on your goals and what else you want to get out of her training."

Ino looked relieved at that, a thoughtful expression adorning her features.

"I need to think of how I can keep up with you guys," She eventually said, "You got your clan's Stooge Poke," She grinned at Hinata furrowing her brows at the reminder of the joke, "While Sasuke has his eyes and is scary smart."

Hinata couldn't offer advice, unfortunately, just the information Tsunade had given her was all she could give.

"Whatever," Ino shrugged, "I'll figure it out. Let's just get you home and tucked in."

Hinata shook her head at Ino cracking jokes almost like Naruto did when he was feeling particularly happy, a clear difference existing between different comments.

"We're the same age, Ino." Hinata pointed out.

"Nope," Ino shook her head, the Hyuga compound just a short distance away now, "I remember that your birthday is in December. Mine's September, so you're so little and small." She wrapped her arm around Hinata's shoulder and set her head against her's.

The two girls reached the entrance and Hinata turned to Ino, giving the girl that had become one of a select few of people that she considered friends a grateful smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ino." Hinata said, the Hyuga guards approaching them.

Before Hinata could properly identify herself, Ino hugged her from behind. "Later, Hinata."

The Yamanaka heiress then let go of her and left to go home, not noticing the smile that slread across Hinata's face.

"You were supposed to be here by 6, Hinata-sama." The one guard said stiffly, "Ko was not pleased with you ordering him to watch your sister."

She frowned at his tone, not taking it lightly.

"I was consoling my friend," Hinata said coldly, eliciting a flinch from the guard at her tone, "Specifically, the Jinchuriki one. His beloved twin sister has left the village and I'm sure you understand the precarious nature of an emotionally despondent Jinchuriki?"

"M-my apologies, Hinata-sama." The guard bowed, backing away hastily, "I will disturb you no longer." The two guards backed away from her further and returned to their posts.

Hinata ignored them and walked straight to her home, exhaling loudly at what she did.

She was tired of being asked about what she was doing constantly. She understood her father's fears, especially since he had given her the story of what the infiltrator threatened. But she needed her independence to truly have a life.

Activating her Byakugan as she crossed the grassy clearing between the compound boundary and the different houses, she spotted Hanabi in the kitchen, eating a cinnamon roll from the kitchens presumably.

Walking through the doorway, Hinata went to the kitchens without stopping.

Hanabi jumped in surprise at her sister suddenly getting back unannounced.

"Nee-san," Hanabi frantically tried to hide the half eaten cinnamon roll from sight, "You're back."

Hinata ignored her little sister and marched straight up to her, hugging her tight enough to make her yelp.

"I love you very much, Hanabi." Hinata whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek, "And I saw the roll." She added, giggling at her sister flushing in embarrassment.

If Naruto couldn't hug and dote on his little sister anymore, then Hyuga Hinata decided she would need to double her efforts on Hanabi to make up for the discrepancy.

The two sisters spent the remainder of the evening, eating cinnamon rolls and talking about nothing in particular, simply enjoying one another's company.

///////////////////

End Chapter.

New chapter is out and I am irked. It was supposed to be 12k words at most and have a Kakashi and Anko conversation, the last Ashina pov with the plant and two-face, and the reasoning for troubling things in Iwa to be occuring. But, alas, I kept adding and adding to this chapter.

So, Sasuke and Itachi switch eyes to get the EMS, and Sasuke doesn't really like it for obvious reasons. He still hates Itachi for what he did and it's going to take him awhile, if ever, to forgive his brother.

Naruto gets rejected as the summoner for the toads, with Rin potentially getting it. That was a really big thing for him to get hit with. Even with him acting as a vessel of change in many ways, certain events try to happen without him.

Itachi gets saddled with the horrific burden of thinking he made Sasuke into being a degenerate. I'm looking forward to writing the awkward conversation they have, especially Sasuke's mortification.

The emotional farewell was difficult to get right. I wanted to show how deeply it affected Naruto, but also show that he has made progress in his emotional reliance on Rin being within reach all the time.

The Naruto, Ino, and Hinata interaction brought the three closer to one another and has a noted effect on his emotional state.

But that's about it. Comments are very much appreciated, even if it's just a simple 'Nice chapter, I liked so and so', and I hope you continue to enjoy the fruits of this little hobby of mine.

Have a wonderful day.

Raging.