"You're such a masegaki, wanting to get your way with me," Naruto smirked. Hanabi assumed a Juuken fighting stance, getting ready to fight him.
"I learn more from you and so does Neesan. My real class started the moment I arrived here," Hanabi stated.
Naruto chuckled. "It's clear that you won't leave, and I see that there's no way around changing your mind."
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and exhaled. A moment later, he opened his eyes again and looked back at Hanabi with a completely different personality aura and vocal tone as he spoke, "Very well then. I'll give you a taste of what my training for you will entail."
Before Hanabi knew what happened, Naruto suddenly appeared right behind her.
He's fast! When did he move!? the astonished Hanabi yelled in her mind, but she didn't have time to think about that, since he grabbed her and body flickered with her to an isolated location.
(Elsewhere)
The sounds of sharp steel meeting wood were heard in the forest, and anyone close-by could identify that the sounds were actually made by kunai and shuriken hitting the hardwood of either training posts or target bull's-eyes. It would come to no surprise to anyone in Konoha to come across hearing such noise; after all, if someone ventured out to one of the dozens of trainings grounds around the village, one would count on hearing the various sounds of ninja training to keep their skills honed or learning something new.
This was precisely what Tenten was doing as she flung dozens of kunai and shuriken at the many bull's-eye targets stationed on trees and posts in the forest her team commonly used for training. Her brown eyes were keen and focused, guiding her hands to throw the weapons with on the mark precision as she ended up hitting the very center of the bull's-eyes flawlessly. When it came to any hand-held steel weapon, this young tomboyish kunoichi knew how to use them all with cutting edge accuracy.
Presently, she was alone while training, and this suited her just fine. After everything that happened at the Hyuuga Compound yesterday and with the Chuunin Exams starting tomorrow, Tenten needed some alone time.
Grinning in knowing Lee was training elsewhere while Neji trained with his clan, Tenten felt satisfied that she was definitely all alone now and her day would go smoothly without problems.
After flinging more sharp weapons at her targets, her trained sixth sense felt a presence approaching her, and judging from it, it was not any of her male partners from her team. With quick reflexes, Tenten pulled out a kunai from one of her storage scrolls and twisted around to throw the weapon in the direction of the presence was coming from. It imbedded into the tree the newcomer was standing next to, startling the newcomer in the process. "Tenten-san! It's me, not an enemy!"
Tenten blinked upon recognizing her, "Hinata? What are you doing here?"
Fiddling with her fingers, Hinata said, "I came here to train for tomorrow's Chuunin Exams w-when I heard sounds of weapons be-being thrown. When I-I saw it was you, I decided to appro-approach you-u but I didn't expect a thrown kunai as your welcome."
"Sorry, nothing personal; I just didn't know what was quietly coming near me. You can never be too careful," Tenten replied and continued, "I'm training for the Chuunin Exams too and I saw some real possible competition. Is Naruto participating?"
"Oh yes. He and his team had signed up for it," Hinata confirmed.
"That's good. After hearing that story about Naruto's skills being on par with the Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure, I'm seeking to have a shot at challenging him to a sword fight to see his skills for myself. It's not enough for me to just hear it by word of mouth," Tenten stated with eagerness in her tone and character.
"Maybe you will get your chance. Who knows. And judging from all the bull's-eyes and targets you hit, you might actually give Naruto-kun a challenge," Hinata said as meekly as possibly.
"Might give Naruto a challenge," Tenten remarked, "There's no "might" if I'm given the chance. I'm going to give him all I got if I'm given the chance."
Hinata giggled, "He might actually like it and learn something from it if it so happens."
Tenten smiled but then remembered what happened yesterday.
"In all seriousness Hinata, ever since yesterday I've been left to wonder what kind of guy Naruto truly is and why you and your little sister love him so much though I heard both of your explanations. His life story was really unbelievable and I don't know how I would have turned out if I was in his shoes. I learned from Gai-sensei that my teammate Lee is friends with Naruto though Neji obviously don't like Naruto at all, or you and Hanabi for that matter; no offense," Tenten said.
"It's OK. Ne-Neji-niisan and I have a troubled history…and I've been meaning to fix that," Hinata explained, "But putting that aside, I-"
"Hinata!"
Hinata and Tenten turned to see Ino and Sakura running over to where they were. They two girls finally arrived and approached Hinata.
"You're hard to find, but we finally found you," Ino said catching her breath before turning to the older girl she didn't recognize, "Who are you?"
"I'm Tenten. And whom might you two be?" Tenten inquired.
"I'm Yamanaka Ino."
"Haruno Sakura."
"Nice to meet you," Tenten greeted, "So why were you two looking for Hinata?"
Ino, going straight to the point, answered, "We have some questions we'd like to ask her about Naruto. Sakura and I were discussing everything we learned and thought we knew about him only to find that there's more to Naruto than what's on the surface and what he allows everyone to believe about him. And learning the truth about his backgrounds and familial line and history only serves to add to the mysterious about Naruto. We know Hinata knows some juicy details about him and we were wondering if she'd be willing to share with us."
Hinata sighed to herself. In the past, Ino and Sakura didn't care about anything involving Naruto at all and now here they were seeking out more information about someone who's name was not Sasuke.
"There's really nothing to say besides what you and everyone else will hear and find out as news of his exploits and familial legacy is already circulating around Konoha," Hinata said.
"C'mon! Don't be so stingy!" Ino insisted as Tenten went to collect and gather all of her weapons and belongings to seal away in her storage scroll.
"If you must know Hinata, Ino-pig practically dragged me all over the place looking for you in order to learn the truth behind that blond knucklehead," Sakura remarked.
"Excuse me but you were the one who told me that you were thinking about him while you were alone at the park," Ino replied. Sakura glared at Ino and retorted, "I'm not and never will be interested in Naruto in that way! I have eyes only for Sasuke-kun and nothing will change that Ino-pig!"
"As if Sasuke will ever give you so much as a look! Whatever! I'm sure in time he'll look at me as a real woman after I show him what I can really do," Ino said confidently. Hinata inwardly smiled in relief that Ino and Sakura still manifested romantic interest in Sasuke and not Naruto especially since she now had to deal with Temari's new interest in her boyfriend. By the time Sakura and Ino were done arguing, Tenten was done packing and sealing her belongings.
"Instead of looking for news and gossip about Naruto, shouldn't you two be preparing for the Chuunin Exams starting tomorrow like how Hinata and I were doing before you two arrived here? You both are participating, aren't you?" Tenten suggested.
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