Naruto's Mission

4

Naruto had finished moving his stuff over. Of course he would have to stay at the Hyuga compound and protect the clan heir, of course. No doubt Hiashi would have petitioned the council to let Naruto do that too... Seeing as Hiashi was also a part of the council and the Hyuga are an important clan to Konoha... Naruto thought as he entered his new room within the Hyuga compound. It was right next to Hinata's room.
"That paranoid geezer..." Naruto sighed. "It's not like Hinata isn't surrounded by a clan of byakugan users..." Naruto placed his clothes in a neat pile in the wardrobe provided. Sitting down at the desk, he lit a candle, pulled out a brush and began to write in his notebook.

I must confess I had not expected such a hard time as I had, against Sensui Karashi. His mastery over the three chakra natures was truly impressive and I knew at once I was versing a master killer. He had killed before; that was very certain and defined by the way he moved and cast his jutsu. His timing was impeccable and his jutsu were all powerful. There was no hesitation, no bragging between jutsu; he was the epitome of a cold and calculating killer. Knowing when to strike and fade away; aware that even a single hesitation can allow his opponent to cast a counter jutsu. He excelled in his mind games and he would talk about peace a lot. He who would attain peace with one governing body, to rule over the entire shinobi world... That was his dream. To play God. But how can one truly attain peace by conquering all? Is it not in human nature to go against those who strive for a dictatorship? Those who strive to rule and crush all opposition? Is that not the reason why there are multiple villages? Each with their own ideals? I don't know. The answer continues to allude me. Maybe one day I will find someone who can really tell me what I desire to know.

Naruto set his writing brush down and began to wait for the ink to dry. He only wrote a sort of 'diary' whenever he was sent off on ANBU missions to assassinate ninja. It seemed every ninja he was set to kill had interesting ideas and he would remember and record them, knowing it may finally lead him to discover a way to attain peace within the five great nations. There was a sudden flash of thunder and lightning across sky. Then the rain fell; thick and heavy, the pattering drowned out by the constant drumming of rain against the walls and windows with lightning flashes and thunder roaring across the sky every few minutes. He blew the flame on the candle out and went to his bed. Taking off his shirt and pants, wearing just his boxers, he went to sleep, pondering what the ninja had said before Naruto killed him.

-----FLASHBACK

"And how would you find peace?" Karashi asked. "You who do not have an answer, yet seek answers from others and judge them by those answers..." Naruto looked at him.
"I'm not sure... That is why I seek people who have answers... To see if what they believe will lead to peace is what I believe in too..."

-----FLASHBACK ENDS

Naruto heard a muffled scream and some crying coming from Hinata's room. Then, a few moments later the door to his room slowly opened and Hinata's head popped in.
"Naruto-kun?" She asked, an audible tremor in her voice.
"What's up?" Naruto asked as he lay on his bed.
"May... M-may I have some company tonight?" Hinata asked. Another flash and lightning and the roar of thunder afterwards made Hinata flinch violently and she started to shake. Naruto was concerned.
"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat up. Hinata was shaking and crying as she moved to sit next to Naruto.
"It's just... My mother was killed in front of me during a night like this one... I was weak and I couldn't even do anything... I'm scared Naruto-kun!" Hinata admitted as she cried onto Naruto's shoulder. Naruto wrapped an arm around her and quietly patted her head.
"It's fine..." He tried to comfort the Hyuga clan heir but he didn't know what to do. He was a trained assassin for crying out loud! Gramps Hokage! What would you do in my place...? Naruto thought as Hinata cried and flinched every time she heard the thunder. Naruto laid her on his bed and stood up. Hinata looked up at him in fear.
"Please don't leave me alone... I can't be alone... I'm too scared..." She begged. Naruto smiled at her.
"I'm not leaving you alone. I'm going to watch over you all night long..." Naruto said as he went up and closed his bedroom door. He got back and sat on the floor next to the bed, placing his back against the wall.
"Aren't you going to sleep, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. Naruto nodded.
"I'll be fine here." He said.
"N-no! Just sleep on the bed." Hinata said as she blushed. She moved over the edge of the bed.
"It's your bed anyway, I'm just a nuisance and a burden... Here I'll make room for you..." Hinata said but Naruto stopped her.
"Thank you Hinata but you are not a nuisance or a burden. You could never be one to me." Naruto said with a small smile as he climbed onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around Hinata protectively.
"I won't let anything happen to you." He said as he turned Hinata around to face him and held her against his bare chest.
"Sleep... Hinata... I'll protect you no matter what." Hinata was blushing red but she finally managed to fall asleep, the close proximity to Naruto making her forget about her fear of the thunder and lightning. Naruto however could feel his heart beating fast. What is this I'm feeling? A warm glow in my chest? It feels completely different from anything I've felt before? What am I feeling? He though as he stared at the beautiful face of Hinata which was illuminated by the moonlight. She was sleeping on his chest, breathing softly and he brushed her lavender hair away from her face gently. She's so beautiful... Naruto thought as he continued to watch her. Uh focus! She's only here because she's scared of the thunder... Naruto reasoned to himself.

-----

Hinata woke up the next morning feeling something warm and a little hard touching her face. She opened her eyes and realised she had fallen asleep on Naruto's bare chest. Then she realised that Naruto was wearing nothing but his boxers, and she could see his very muscular body. She felt herself turn red. He's so muscular for a 13 year old! Hinata was thinking. She tried to move but she was locked into place by Naruto's arms. She could remember what Naruto had said last night. Don't worry Hinata I'll protect you no matter what. Hinata blushed. Naruto was still sleeping and she felt happy. He really did protect her. She traced his muscles on his chest for a moment before she stopped herself. No no mustn't do that! Or Naruto will think I'm weird! Hinata thought to herself. She felt someone brush her hair away from her eyes and she almost shrieked. It was Naruto.
"Hey, hey Hinata" he spoke softly. He continued to brush the hair away from her face.
"You are not weird... You are a really beautiful girl... Anyone who can't see that is clearly blind..." Naruto kind of blurted out by accident. Then Naruto sat up.
"I've got to get up early. Kakashi sensei wants to put my team through a survival test today." Naruto said he stretched and yawned. Hinata watched, entranced as his movement cause his muscles to flex involuntarily. He was one sexy and hot guy that everyone in the academy wanted to be with, or be. The other being Sasuke.
"What's that?" Hinata asked as she pointed to the cloth that Naruto had tied around his left bicep. She noticed the other cloth around his arm and thigh were gone. Naruto looked at it.
"That? It's nothing." Naruto said as he pulled on a black shirt and grabbed his pants.
"You should head back to your room." Naruto said and Hinata nodded. She didn't even know why she was still in Naruto's room. She dashed out, not wanting him to see her pajamas and being embarrassed already. Naruto chuckled. Hinata was pretty in every aspect he thought.

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Hiashi deactivated his byakugan, with a look of extreme happiness. He practically pranced around the room.
"HAHA!" He said. "My plan is working! I'm absolutely positively sure that Naruto is falling in love with my Hinata! Ha ha!"

-----

"So Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke." Kakashi took out two bells.
"I'm going to give you guys this test. Whoever grabs a bell from me before lunch time, will become a Gēnin. If not, then you fail and get sent back to the academy." Everyone stared at him in shock, well namely Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto already knew this.
"But sensei there is only two!" Sakura protested. Kakashi gave her a smile.
"Precisely! That means one of you is guaranteed to fail and be sent back. Come at me with the intent to kill, or none of you would have a chance of touching the bells. Start!" Kakashi shouted and they all jumped away, hiding. Kakashi looked around. So they have all hidden quite well. He thought.

Naruto concealed himself in a tree and watched. Sakura was hiding in a bush when she heard someone whisper to her.
"Hey Sakura!" She turned around and saw Kakashi sensei. Then she screamed and fainted. Naruto snorted. Genjutsu... What a pitiful genjutsu that she fell for... He turned his attention to Sasuke. Sasuke was trading blows quite well with Kakashi. Then he jumped back and performed the tiger hand sign. Oh...? Fire style?
"Fire style! Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke blew a ball of fire at Kakashi and Kakashi disappeared. Naruto was impressed. Sasuke shouldn't normally have the chakra to pull off such a technique. Especially not yet but he was an Uchiha.
"Earth style! Headhunter jutsu!" Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's foot from the ground and pulled him under, at the same time rising up out of the ground.
"Not good enough Sasuke." Kakashi said as he went off, reading his book and looking for Naruto. Naruto waited till Kakashi was out of hearing and vision range before coming out from hiding.

"Sasuke." Naruto said as he approached him. Sasuke just looked up at him before looking away.
"I don't need your help." Sasuke said but Naruto pulled him out of the ground.
"Whatever." Naruto said as he walked off in a different direction. Sasuke turned to look at him.
"Kakashi sensei is that way." Sasuke said, pointing in the other direction to which Naruto was heading.
"And do you think you can take on Kakashi sensei by yourself?" Naruto questioned and Sasuke grimaced.
"I'm going to free Sakura from her genjutsu then we should try and after him together..." Naruto said, although he normally wouldn't reveal the essence of this test. Except that he was supposed to look after the last Uchiha and that the Uchiha was supposed to become a ninja... By the council's decision.
"Ok let's go..." Sasuke grumbled as he followed Naruto.
"Good boy." Naruto smirked before heading towards Sakura. But the one thing that was in his mind the whole time was Hinata. What was he feeling last night? What and why? And how? Naruto wanted to know. He had never experienced such a sensation before in his life. The only thing close to this feeling was when he was nervous. Except how did that explain his fast beating heart whenever he looked at Hinata's beautiful face? Surely he wasn't nervous of her face? So what was it then, that made him this way?