Chapter 14 – Ready

Washing the dishes and patting them dry. The leaves stuck on Raito's clothes as he continued his work. Sometime, the leaves would move from one place to another then back, acting on his whims.

Shikamaru looked at the leaves in motion and said. "Chakra control exercise?"

"Yup," Raito nodded before adding. "It's easy this way."

"So, can you tell me about that technique?" Shikamaru leaned back and began drying the dishes.

"This technique is called 'Inventory', and, well, all it can do is store things." Raito answered as the steamer disappeared into thin air then with another swipe, the steamer reappeared.

"Time stops as I place things in this," Raito shrugged. "I don't have to worry about food going to waste and all now."

"So, that's why the curry at that time was still hot." Chōji said as he grabbed the steamer.

"Exactly," Raito smiled 

"How much can you store?" Shikamaru asked.

"I don't know. Still haven't reached the limit." Raito shrugged.

"What about living things?" Shikamaru's curiosity raised another level as he looked at Raito with interest.

Raito removed the gloves then washed. "Do you want to be my experiment?"

Shikamaru's face twitched as he listened, looking around. "Can't you use cockroaches?"

"Naruto killed all the cockroaches." Raito shrugged and walked out.

Waving his hand, Raito signaled for Ino and Hinata to come.

"Ino, Hinata, listen. Naruto, Shikamaru, Chōji and I have been doing this once a month, at least. While we say, it is for training but it just for fun. But we can develop ourselves in various different ways. Naruto has been getting stronger these few days, but he's still weak in Taijutsu… or chakra control, and…"

"Still cannot do math," added Shikamaru.

"Recite the 'Code of Conduct'." Chōji added.

"He is still wearing orange," added Ino.

"Oi," Naruto protested by raising his voice but everyone ignored him.

Raito rolled his eyes when he heard Ino then said. "But it's good enough that he is getting better and will easily pass the finals." 

Hinata smiled in happiness, and so did the others. 

"Well, enough about Naruto. With me by his side, he will ace the academy in no time." Raito boasted, making a few to laugh dryly.

He then turned to face the two girls in the group, took a deep breath and said, "The real problem is you two. One doesn't have enough strength, good enough reflexes or any tech-" 

Raito was stopped by a punch to the face, which he quickly dodged.

"Hmph." Ino snorted, raising her fist.

"What was that for?" Raito shouted, glaring at Ino.

"Well, buddy, you were just too straightforward," Shikamaru mumbled, not daring to take his friend's side.

"Don't you take a class with my papa? He should have taught you something, right. Couldn't he have taught you to speak with ladies?" Ino pointed her finger towards Raito.

"Are you stupid or something? Why the heck would your dad wanna teach me how to speak with girls?" retorted Raito and added. "Inoichi-sensei is teaching me about life, okay?"

Hearing Raito, Ino pressed her hand on the forehead then said, "Stupid men."

Shikamaru stepped forward between Ino and Raito then spoke, "Ino, what Raito said is right."

Seeing Ino raise her hand, Shikamaru raised his hand in defense and said, "I am, too, lacking in the physical department. So, we are gonna go back and do some exercise." then Shikamaru dragged Ino.

Ino looked back at Hinata before nodding.

Shikamaru paused and looked at Raito, who was looking at him with his grim smile.

As everyone left the room, Raito and Hinata were left alone. For a couple of minutes, there was complete silence in the room.

Not being able to bear the tension, Hinata grabbed her kunai pouch. "Raito-san, I am sorry I came." 

Raito looked at her and sighed, "Wasn't it me who call you both?"

Raito shrugged and grabbed the nearest thing he could find. It was a Shogi board.

"Um, do you know how to play this?" Raito asked somewhat awkwardly.

"Un," Hinata nodded and started setting the board.

'Why do I have to do this?' Raito cursed and started playing. The game gave him some pressure but not as much as Shikamaru. It was only difficult was that Hinata was always playing defensive. Even when she had complete advantage, she held back. Just like how she would have done in sparring matches before. While her sparring matches had improved completely, her mentality was just the same.

"Use your knight and break through the defense." Raito gave a suggestion, but Hinata choose the decision that was leading to more defenses. 

Raito could feel his face twitching as he looked at the board.

Raito kept his eyes on the board and lowered his voice. "We are going to be on the same team with Naruto, right?"

"Yes," Hinata was also someone with a low voice as she added, "My father told me about it."

Raito let out the breath as he asked, "Was it him that arranged this?"

"… I don't know." Hinata shook her head and looked down at the board.

This was again followed by a long period of silence.

Seeing that Hinata was not moving her piece, Raito swiped all the pieces to the box and closed the board. Then, he looked at Hinata and said, "Let me be absolutely frank with you."

Hinata looked up.

"I don't like your clan. I do not like those old farts, who thinks that they can do anything they like because they are the elders of the leading clan of the village."

Raito let out a laugh and said, "I don't like you too."

Hinata flinched and clenched her fist. She looked at Raito, wanting to say something but did not know what to say.

With a grim smile, Raito stood up and walked a couple of steps back. "Shikamaru says that I look at you through colored glasses."

He sat on the sofa with his head resting on his hand as he added. "And why wouldn't I?"

"You have a brother who talks about fate, about strong being stronger and weak becoming weaker." Neji was training with Lee, when Raito heard Neji talking about his belief. He would always talk down on Lee after every fight, telling him that there was no need to work hard.

"Two faced bodyguard." He clearly remembered Kō pushing Naruto and blaming him for the bruises on Hinata while it was clearly Naruto, who saved Hinata from the bullies. 

"Peacock little sister." Hanabi would walk through the playground with her two bodyguards, head tilted to the sky and ignoring everyone around.

"Then there are your elders of the clan." Raito looked at her with ridicule as he added, "They want me to marry into your clan and get that 'Caged Bird Seal' so that they could control me." 

Hinata gasped as he looked at Raito. She could still remember her father using the seal to cause pain to her cousin brother, Neji. Just one flick of finger and he went down on his knees, clutching his head, screaming hysterically and vomiting.

Raito turned sideways as he added, "With elders, sister, bodyguard and actions like that against me, how can I not have some prejudice against you?"

There was a long silence as Hinata clutched her hands and looked down.

"Sorry," Raito let out a chuckle before covering his face. Clenching his fist, Raito covered his mouth and looked at Hinata once again. "Every single class with Inoichi-sensei and I still can't do it."

"It makes me question if he is bad or I am the worst." Raito chuckled then let out a breath.

"Raito-san," Hinata finally voiced out.

"Do you know when I first saw you?" Raito asked with a small smile on her face.

"I…"

"That bully incident. That was the first time I noticed you. Those older kids made you kneel and apologize, and you did… which is not a Hyūga thing. Then it was at the academy, you following Naruto, discreetly."

"At that time I really didn't care that much."

"Ah," 

"After 'that' event, after I came back to academy. Then I started to notice… things. I started to notice you. A stupid, timid, soft-spoken, thoughtful, polite and very shy girl who cannot put enough courage to face, speak and…"

"Everything you are, you aren't a typical Hyūga."

Raito smiled, "You are completely different from your clan, from those old men in your clan. Still, I was having difficulties in separating you from your clan. In my mind, you were same as your family and same as those old men."

Raito rubbed his eyes and looked at Hinata with slightly red eyes.

"Raito-san, are you fine?" Hinata asked worriedly even after her clan, bodyguard, sister and father were ill spoken.

Hinata stood up, examining her hands and looked at Raito with eyes, filled with sadness.

"I am the dumb one, aren't I?" Raito turned around.

"What are you two doing here?" Naruto walked in with a huge smile on his face and with him was a big bag full of disposable bento boxes.

"Why don't we finish our game here?" Raito got back to his seat and watched Naruto passing the bag to Chōji.

Hinata looked at the kitchen before starting with her pawn.

"Let's do this." Raito smiled and picked his pawn.

One game later

Raito sighed as he moved his knight and cornered Hinata.

Hinata looked at her pieces, thinking of next move but there was not any.

"If you are going to just defend, it's better to surrender." Raito retrieved his pieces and added, "It's like a siege in war. While the first step is always defense and preserving strength, it should be followed by an attack or escape."

Raito banged the floor and added, "It's like you want your pieces to slowly-"

"Eep," Hinata hurriedly pushed the Shogi board and stood up with a complicated expression on her face. 

"So that's what this game is about." Naruto sat on the side this whole time, looking at the game.

Shikamaru and Ino walked in, visibly exhausted.

[Nara Shikamaru]

[HP – 800/900]

[Yamanaka Ino]

[HP – 750/800]

Shikamaru walked in, rubbing his back, while Ino strolled as if nothing had happened, wearing a small smile of victory.

"I need a shower." Ino looked at Hinata and called, "Hinata."

Hinata grabbed a bag from the shoe rack, and together with Ino, they headed upstairs.

"Raito, everything is prepared." Chōji called out, peeking through the kitchen.

"Um, wait a minute." Raito hurried forward towards Shikamaru and extended his hand forward. '[Heal]'

Greenish chakra wrapped around Raito's hand before flowing towards Shikamaru. 

[+50]

Shikamaru looked shocked as he looked at Raito's hand then hurriedly took off his shirt and mesh to look at his back.

"How?" Shikamaru tried feeling and he felt nothing. The pain was gone, and so was the bruise.

Taking out a pen and a notepad, Raito started asking questions. "Tell me is there is any pain or discomfort. Since the swelling is gone, I think I did it right."

"It's a medical Ninjutsu?" Shikamaru narrowed his eyes and looked at Raito. 

"Of course, it's medical Ninjutsu." Raito rolled his eyes and tapped his pen. "Answers,"

Still confused, Shikamaru answered, "Yeah, no pain."

Raito blanked, as he wrote a big NO in his notebook, "Um…"

"Hey, that's it?" Shikamaru wore his mesh, then his t-shirt.

"I don't know what else to ask." Raito tossed the notepad and shrugged.

Shikamaru thought for a while and smirked, "Tell me, why didn't you make any hand signs?" 

"Everyone in my clan uses hand seals when they do…" 

Raito was quiet as he looked at the skill description and the extra knowledge. 'There aren't any hand seals' 

"I-I forgot." 

"Eh?" Shikamaru looked in shock whereas Chōji and Naruto didn't have any response.

'A No seal Ninjutsu.' Shikamaru looked in awe and shock.

"What? It's not like I have a handbook for it or something," Then, as if realizing his mistake, Raito grabbed the notebook, "That's why it took a lot of chakra."

"Should add hand signs," Raito jotted down.

Raito quickly turned to Shikamaru and pointed with pen then asked, "Do you know any Medical Ninjutsu?"

Shikamaru remained dumbfounded as he shook his head.

"Raito, it's ready." Chōji dragged Raito to the kitchen without letting him encounter another event.

The meat was nicely cut into bite size pieces and the box was filled with rice, and variety of vegetables, Raito grabbed all the boxes and placed them in the inventory.

While waiting for Ino and Hinata, Raito helped everyone sharpen their weapons.

With Ino and Hinata, the group was fully prepared as they stood in a circle, inside the house. Raito looked at everyone and announced, "If you are afraid of monsters then you should step back right now."

Raito waited but everyone gave him a confused look. He ignored those looks and continued, "I am gonna take you all to a place, where hideous-looking monsters resides. We are going there to kill them and free them of their eternal sufferings."