Naruto Hinata Kurenai
Naruto Deserted Island 006
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto and all media…so stop asking me if I do.
( ): Thoughts
((" ")): Conversation with the 9 Tailed Fox
There is the sixth installment of the Deserted island series, and for the first time in my making of this series…I am going to make a two women one man pairing and this one is a very interesting pairing.
And that is because this is the pairing of Naruto…with Kurenai and Hinata. This was requested from me by a fan that, for the longest time since I wrote this series, has been eager to see if I could make this pairing work…and in all honestly I have no idea if I can as they dynamics of making a relationship like this work is something I have yet to try…but nothing ventured, nothing gained as the old saying goes.
Now before anyone starts breathing down my neck and calling this unbelievable…let me remind you all yet again that this is a work of fiction…there is NO way at all is this going to happen at all between Naruto, Hinata and Kurenai…but there was the wet dream sequence in Naruto where Kurenai and Hinata were there in towels…along with Sakura, Temari, Ino, Tsunade, Shizune, Ayame, Anko, Matsuri (Though how in the heck is she in there is beyond me), and even (gasp) Moegi…so I figured it's high time this situation played out….and in this fic, Kurenai is not married to Asuma and is not pregnant and they are on friendly and cordial terms.
I hope this will be all right for all readers…
And for the fan in question who asked for this pairing…I hope that it meets your approval.
Writing time!
Naruto looked out on the sea as the boat kept moving onward to their destination which was back to Wave Country to return back to Konoha after an important trade mission that was handed to him by Tsunade as a chance for him to take a mission that would help him see what other countries and lands were there apart from the ones he had already been to at the moment. The blonde had no idea just how things were looking at the moment. But he knew that they had left Sea Country early as a massive storm front was moving into the country and they had to leave now in order to avoid being hemmed in by the storm.
The Hokage had received the mission for a small team to handle a small but vital trade convoy from Konoha to Sea Country that had a number of needed materials for the Daimyo who lived there…and at the moment the only ninjas available was Naruto, Hinata, and Hinata's Jonin Sensei Yuhi Kurenai. He had to admit that this was something he had not expected as he had excepted to be with his old squad at the moment…though there were some things that made the idea rather difficult at the moment…
Sakura was working on some supplies and medical cures…Sai was currently doing his level best in making himself a more likable person while in their team…Naruto had to admit that while Sai's naive actions grated on his nerves…at least unlike Sasuke…he was more than willing to pitch in when things were bad. Yamato was busy working on another assignment and that was helping Kakashi with his mission of tracking Akatsuki along with Jiraiya who was using his old contacts to see if there was any news that could help them locate Akatsuki…it had been a while since the disappearance of Deidara and the defeat of Sasori…so they knew they had dented the manpower of Akatsuki at least.
The other teams were busy and he was the only one available for the mission at the moment…however…Tsunade was happy to get some good news and found that two ninja in the village were able to be placed in the mission with Naruto and they were currently the ones he was with…He was somewhat surprised by the inclusion of both Kurenai and Hinata on this mission and wondered about that to Tsunade and he recalled how it had turned out…
Flashback…
"You can't be serious Tsunade-obasan!"
Tsunade looked at Naruto who looked very unhappy with the fact that he was being re-assigned to convoy escort duty…this was not what he trained for…he had trained to find Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha and make sure to finally keep his promise to his friend and treasured team-mate Sakura…but now he was being re-assigned.
"I am serious Naruto-kun, the situation was not looking good with our manpower here in the village being rather strained at the moment, I have no choice at the moment."
"But couldn't another team handle this assignment…even a squad of ANBU can be…"
"I know that…but who I will assign anyway…Team Gai is handling an assignment at the moment and Gai is leading his team on this mission. Team Asuma is also on a mission of recon on their own, and the ANBU are needed here to maintain base security….I have my hands full and the blasted Council Elders are making it worse…"
Naruto already had a fairly accurate idea about the two elders that grated Tsunade's patience and tolerance…
"Them again?"
"Yes…I have my hands tied trying to keep things working here and I am not in the mood to be tested any further…:"
Naruto knew that while he disliked some of the situations he found himself in due to Tsunade…he respected her enough to know that she was working her hardest to keep things in order…and he had her to thank for letting take missions like normal ninja….both to help him grow as a ninja and a soon to be Hokage….and to also make sure that if Akatsuki made a move….he would be ready and able to fight them and keep Konoha from harm.
"All right….I'll do it."
Tsunade nodded and replied.
"You're not going to do it alone though….I'm assigning some back up for you."
'Who? Sakura-chan is working in the hospital right now, Kakashi-sensei's on a mission, Yamato-sensei is helping the Pervy Sage, and Sai is busy learning how to be a normal person….who exactly will I be working with?"
Tsunade smiled a bit and looked at the door as it opened and she spoke to Naruto.
"Why don't you take a look?"
Naruto turned and saw that there was none other than…
End of Flashback…
Naruto groaned a bit as he got out of bed as his hunger was getting to him yet again at the moment and he needed to grab something to eat and wondered how Hinata and Kurenai were doing at the very moment. Not that he didn't mind the company since having a team was nice, but he had expected him to be working with Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino and his Destruction Bugs, the complete Team 8. But it seemed that Kiba had to be out for a while as he and his family had a mission the required their particular clan talents….while the same could be said for Shino as he and his father had to help ensure the growth of the new Bikouchuu beetles that had located another site and rumors of the clan's old enemies coming to take the beetles was something they were not keen on letting happen.
As he walked out of his room….he moved to the galley to grab some food and saw Kurenai and Hinata walking towards the galley as he was from their rooms and he greeted them with a smile as he moved faster.
"Hinata-san, Kurenai-sensei!"
The two women turned and Hinata smiled slyly and blushed bright red….she had not fainted…unlike the time she and him had met back in Konoha a few minutes back then…but she had decided to be a bit more forward with herself….and it certainly helped greatly to have Kurenai to provide her support when she needed it at the moment.
Naruto smiled and walked with them as they made their way to the galley to grab some food to eat and it had been a while since they completed the mission handed to them by Tsunade. Naruto then turned and looked at the ocean and felt like this reminded him of the trip to Snow/Spring Country….and meeting Princess Koyuki. He wondered on how his favorite actress and friend was doing at the moment….she was currently acting in movies and also acting as leader of her homeland….it must be very hard but it was all right….because not only was she a skilled and talented actress and leader of her people, but was loved by others in her lands and beyond the country….
I wonder what new movie she'll be working on….maybe I should buy a ticket…I am older now after all.
Kurenai then spoke to him.
"Is something wrong Naruto-kun?"
Naruto realized that they had actually arrived in the galley and he had been so silent that he must have worried both Hinata and Kurenai….after all….being utterly silent was not in his nature in the least. He scratched the back of his head and gave a silly smile.
"Nothing really Kurenai-sensei….just thinking about a mission I had with the others in the Land of Snow…."
"Oh…you never told us about that mission….care to tell us about how it went?"
"You sure?"
"Of course. I can bet Hinata would love to hear about the adventure as well."
Naruto smiled and looked at Hinata and spoke to her.
"Do you want to hear about it Hinata-san?"
Hinata blushed and twiddled her fingers gently as she normally did whenever Naruto would direct his attention on her….she was not always happy with the habit as Kiba had pointed out to her that she had not outgrown that habit even after so many years. But she didn't mind it too much as they sat down and managed to order some good food. Naruto missed the ramen back in Konoha but couldn't complain as the food was not too bad.
As they ate…he told them on how he had been in a mission to escort the actress Yukie Fujikaze and her crew to film their movie and only found out that she was actually the heir to the throne of the Land of Snow….Princess Koyuki Kazahana, and her uncle who was the current leader wanted her captured and to take the key she had to her father's treasure….he told them on how things were at first between the two of them and he admitted that now that he thought about it as he was older…things were hard on her and he was able to help her no matter how much she doubted him at first.
He proved her wrong and after she supported him….he defeated Doto with Sasuke's aid and with his own Rainbow Rasengan….and for the first time….the Princess smiled. He then told the two women of the rather interesting picture he had been given that showed him still resting and recovering…and being kissed on the cheek by the Princess. And he still had the picture to prove it back in his apartment.
Kurenai smiled at that and so did Hinata as it had been one of Naruto's hardest missions…but the young Hyuuga heiress couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous at the knowledge that Naruto had been kissed on the cheek by an older woman….she had longed to do that herself for a very long time and it kind of hurt to know that another woman had kissed Naruto already.
As they were busy chatting it did not take long for them to finish their food and then decided to see just how the trip was progressing….however, things were not that simple and safe as they saw a massive storm heading right for them and they quickly moved to the main hold where the crew and officers were….the Jonin got the clearance and the three of them got to see the Captain who gave them some bad news.
"The storm cell's hitting us faster than we expected….I've got a feeling this is going to be one heck of a rough ride."
And sure enough….it was one rough ride as the waves were climbing and hitting the ship and making movement on the boat harder for anyone to do. However…the ship continued further on it's travels despite the rough weather and things were getting to be rather rough all over the place and the howling winds were accompanied by large torrents of rain. The ship tried to ride out the storm….but things were about to get complicated as the waves were growing in power as well and many of the passengers and crew were getting worried at the moment by the massive storm cell they had hoped to avoid early. But nature apparently had other ideas at the time as the waves smashed into the ship and the continued attacks of water and wind finally hit home.
Naruto-Kurenai, and Hinata, along with the rest of the people onboard heard a sound one did NOT want to hear when on a boat in sea….shattering wood and the moment that happened, panic came to hold on the people on the ship and that meant that they would have only minutes before the ship sank. The three ninja wasted little time and headed for the life boats….but there were many already struggling to reach the boats as panic and fear gripped the people who were trying to escape.
Several people tried to force Naruto and the other ninja away from their boat but Naruto quickly turned and used Kage Bushin to fight them off for the time being…it was harsh….but they had no choice at the moment and as soon as the life boat was free from the ship the boat landed in the rough water and Naruto used several Kage Bushin to steer and grab the oars and the rudder to steer the ship.
The three looked and saw that the other people managed to reach boats as well and were now trying to escape from the sinking ship and the crew as well. However….the three had to find land soon and it was then that Kyuubi decided to come in and aid his container.
(("Kit….there's a very large island north in that direction….head for that quickly!"))
(You sure?)
(("Of course I am sure….now stop asking and get moving!"))
The only good thing that came out of the storm was the fact that the waves were pushing them along and thankfully the waves had not over turned them yet and for that, Naruto was very thankful as the ship moved through the howling storm and the winds as they moved though the sea. The three of them tried to look for any sign of land and it was slow going as the storm made things very difficult for them all through the day….as the storm had hit them in mid day and now things were getting to be really bad….Hinata then used her Byakugan to scan ahead and she was happy as her bloodline ability allowed her to see past the rain, waves, and wind to spot land dead ahead.
"There's land ahead!"
As they made it in….the boat suddenly hit an underground pillar of stone and the boat began to leak from the hole and the three had to work double time in order to reach the beach as the water was quickly filling the boat….the Kage Bushin were lucky to have found a pail and bilged out the water and thankfully, the accident happened only when they were half way to the beach.
As they reached the beach and were now able to head into the shore….Naruto leaped off the boat and quickly got of his Kage Bushin and the Kage Bushin went to work and quickly took hold of the boat and brought it into the beach….the damaged boat was thankfully not sinking as they had finally arrived at the beach when they had slammed into the large rock….Naruto and his Kage Bushin got the boat closer to shore and both Kurenai and Hinata got off and moved into the beach as the howling winds and heavy rain come in hard….Naruto knew that they needed shelter quickly and it had to be fast as there was not much light left as the storm headed for them. He then spotted a large wall of stones that formed something of a semi circle and he had an idea as he ordered the Kage Bushin to flip the boat and carry it to the rocks.
"Stay underneath the boat Kurenai-sensei, Hinata-san!"
The two women did so and Naruto was able to use the boat as a shield and when they reached the area….he quickly placed the boat there to act as a roof….it was not much but it was better than nothing at the moment. He then reached for some stones and used them to harden the shelter….sadly the stones had sharp edges and cut into his hands….but he pushed that out of his mind as he piled in the sides to further hold the boat into the shelter. The shelter was thankfully now in the tide as it was very close to the tree line and Naruto learned from his training to know that the shelter far away from the high tide borders and that would make sure that the place was not flooded with sea water….Naruto growled at the stinging sensations as salt water touched the cuts on his wounds but he placed that aside as he did his best to make the shelter work….there were areas where air would come in and out but not rip off the boat at the moment that was their only form of roofing….and the entrance was enough to make him crawl in…as he did so….he was happy that his idea worked as there was enough room for them to sit down on but not stand at the moment. Kurenai had managed to use some safe burning tags to serve as a temporary light source as they listened to the howling winds.
"Are you two all right?"
Kurenai nodded and so did Hinata as she shivered a bit and that was a warning to Naruto and Kurenai….it also didn't take long for Kurenai to feel the effects of the cold hitting them and the winds were no better….that meant that they would have to hope to last the night while they were wearing their clothes which were still wet….both women were shivering at the moment….but Naruto was not…
And for good reason….the Kyuubi had increased Naruto's body temperature to help him stay warm in the cold but keep the blonde Genin's temperature in safe levels. As Naruto dried his hands….it was then that Hinata saw the cuts on Naruto's hands and she gasped.
"Naruto-kun! What happened to your hands?!"
Naruto saw the scars and replied in answer.
"I got cut holding the stones to harden the shelter outside….don't worry about me Hinata-san, the cuts are not that deep."
Hinata saw that but she wanted to help Naruto in some fashion and rummaged in her jacket and pants and to her relief….she found one of her usual containers of healing ointment and before Naruto could say anything she took his hands and used the healing ointment on the cuts…the cool balm helped alleviate the sting of the salt on his wounds. Naruto smiled at that and as Hinata tended the cuts he looked at her as she worked hard in healing him…even if it was not needed.
As soon as they were able to relax, Naruto and the others knew that they would have to sleep and Naruto could see that both Kurenai and Hinata were shivering and the Kyuubi noted that too and spoke.
(("They need to warm up and get out of most of those wet clothes…and so do you."))
(WHAT?!)
(("Listen kit….those wet clothes you three have on are going to take some time to dry up, plus they do have undergarments, plus it's getting dark, so no need to be modest,"))
(You want me to be NAKED in front of Hinata-san and Kurenai-sensei?!)
(( "Use your head kit, the clothes you have on will dry but with the wind as it is….you will feel colder than before and in this situation….getting cold is bad news….so yes you have to strip off the clothes….but NOT all of them at the moment."))
The situation was evident and Kurenai and Hinata apparently got the message….though Hinata was already blushing bright red at the thought of being naked before Naruto….but thankfully with the darkness closing in and that prevented them from seeing things that would have been considered somewhat embarrassing at the moment. As soon as he was now only in his boxers….he spoke.
"We should get some sleep…first thing tomorrow I'll go out and see if I can find us anything to eat."
"I-I-I'll come with you Naruto-kun….I can use my Byakugan to help you…"
Naruto smiled and spoke gently to Hinata….after all the missions they had been in together and seeing her growth as a ninja….he held the young Hyuuga heiress in high regard and she needed to rest after all.
"It'll be all right Hinata-san, I can handle this one on my own for the time being….we all need to rest."
With that….the three decided to get some much needed sleep as the winds continued to howl about and the rain fell down….their shelter proved very helpful and since they were well beyond the range of the high tides and thus were not hit by the water. The rainwater moved over the rocks as the boat that served as a roof did well….allowing the trio to have a decent night's sleep despite the howling wind and rain that they had to deal with for the night.Before Naruto closed his eyes he wondered if there was any chance Tsunade would hear of this disaster and mount a rescue for him, Hinata, and Kurenai. He then placed aside that thought and knew that the Hokage would not let anything happen to them. He had faith in Tsunade despite the situations that usually crop up when he was under a mission slated by her.
He only hoped that some of the ship's survivors would be found soon by passing ships or they would have had it.
The next day…
Naruto woke up hours later in early morning and to his surprise….found himself being hugged by both Kurenai and Hinata at the moment….and he was in his boxers….shock and panic hit him but he quickly calmed down somewhat as he realized that nothing happened between him and the women and it was still somewhat too dark to see at the moment….however….he was able to gently pry the arms of the two women, as apparently the women had huddled to the closest source of warmth in the area and that was naturally him. As soon as he was up, he groped to find his clothes….while keeping clear of Hinata and Kurenai's clothes. He then got out of the the shelter and placed them on and was thankful to find his kunai pouch and back pouch were intact….his shuriken and spare kunai were safe….but his scroll for this large shuriken was a loss but he could get a replacement soon enough.
Naruto sighed as he scanned the beach and hoped that he and the others could find any food on the island beach…the ninja did take some basic training in survival…but not that much as he was not keen on learning at the time. But the Kyuubi was more than willing to help it's jailor on the arts of survival….it had no intention of letting the blonde teen die while it was still around.
The blonde looked at Hinata and Kurenai who were still resting in the small shelter that they had made using the damaged boat as a roof over some large rocks near the beach…thankfully they were using a large sail to act as bedding. The women were tired and they needed to get some sleep after the night they had been through. He was happy that the two of them were all right and were recovering….though he would have to hurry and find a much better place for them all to stay while they were on the island.
He moved through the beach and as he entered the tee line, he took some of the stones and found some flint in them and took the flint with him and managed to use his still remaining kunai and cut down some of the nearby coconuts….going for the green and healthy looking ones….it took a little trial and error, but he got the hits perfectly in a few tries and brought the coconuts back to the camp first so that they would be easier to find at the moment. He then moved back into the forest and looked for anything that could be of use….he then spotted a large pool of water that was bubbling up somewhere….something of a spring and he was relieved as he came closer….
((":Careful kit….if there's one thing that's true about springs like that one….there's bound to be residents….we're not the only ones in the natural world that need water."))
Naruto heeded the Kyuubi's warning when he spotted movement to his left and coming out from a large crevice was a large and long snake….the snake was about four feet long and the thing hissed in warning at Naruto….Naruto was not a big fan of snakes….after all….he recalled the time Orochimaru sent his summoned snake to try and eat him in the Forest of Death years before when he and Team 7 took part in the Chuunin Exams. And facing the snake summoning freak of a ninja traitor left a bad taste in his mouth…Naruto moved back and the snake reared back…mistaking Naruto's movement as a threat and attacked…
The blonde ninja moved away and reflexively threw his kunai at the snake and hit the target straight and true….the weapon hit the snake right on the back of the body….merely inches from the skull and the impact ensured that the head was sliced off with a single blow of the kunai.
Naruto gazed at the large snake he had killed with his kunai and to his surprise….the body….when it's head had been cut off was still very much alive and moving….and it was shocking to him to actually see that at the moment.
"God…that was one nasty snake."
The snake's head still hissed at Naruto even after he had killed it and the blonde ninja stayed a good distance from it until it died….it was then that the Kyuubi spoke to the blonde Genin.
(( "Nice kill kit….that's one nasty venomous snake and it's got a poison that attacks the blood cells and causes intense pain, numbness, internal bleeding and…"))
(I get the message already Kyuubi….damn I thought I could finally get some fruit but nearly wind up as a target board for snake fangs!)
(("Actually….we've just found another new meal to add."))
(What do you….no…tell me you're joking…)
(("I am not kit….that snake's body is going to be a great source of protein and we need protein."))
(You want me to eat a snake?!)
(("Yes Kit…I want you to eat a snake…and just so you know…snake meat when properly cooked actually tastes just like chicken."))
(How do you know?)
(("I've lived MANY centuries kit, and I'm not senile either, I know about survival because it's part of being alive. I may be a demon but I've done other things apart from fighting and killing. Trust me on this one….take the body, skin it, gut it and take the body, wrap it around a stick and cook it over a fire."))
(I don't know….)
(("The fundamental law of nature kit is you either eat or you're eaten. That simply means that you have to be ready to do what you can to live…no matter how distasteful it might seem at first, because that can keep you breathing. Now don't worry about the snake meat….but I suggest you go hunting for a few more snakes on the off chance we might need more."))
(I am NOT going to like this….)
(("Survival means doing certain things that while you might not like them…you still have to do them anyway kit…come on….time to hunt some legless chicken."))
Naruto sighed and after some time….found a number of nearly a dozen snakes….all like the one he had killed in different spots….he took off their heads and buried them carefully….as the heads were still alive at the moment and could have bitten him if he was too close to them to begin with. After he took the still moving bodies….much to his disgust at the moment…he headed out….tying the bodies on a length of cord and securely lashing the bodies on his shoulders. He then found a large number of bushes that had berries on them and he took as much as he could for the meal ahead, he moved in and found a large number of nut bearing bushes and after being assured by the Kyuubi that the nuts were good to eat and were non-toxic, he took those as well and as he made his way back to the camp and set up the fire.He used the flint he had found before and gathered a lot of dry palm leaves and grass….along with a lot of the drift wood in the area and after an hour or so he got the fire going….he then took half a dozen of the snakes….the skin was removed and then he gutted them as the instructions of the Kyuubi and the demon fox told him to burn the guts as well so they would not attract other predators…
Naruto then wrapped the meat on the tips of sharpened sticks and then he wrapped the snake meat on the sticks and hung them over the fire… afterwards…he made yet another fire with lots of wood….and when the fire died down after an hour or so….he moved aside the hot coals and dug a pit…
(Why did I make this new fire….let it die and make this pit?)
(("This my young jailer…is going to be an oven….put the snakes in there….wrap them up in their bodies and place back all the sand and the coals…the hot sand and coals will cook the snakes in their skins and then in half an hour…you've got snake ala-sand oven…..better get those roasting ones….you don't want to burn the meat too badly kit. The best way to know if the snake is properly cooked is when you can see the strands of meat when you cut or tear into it….if you do….they are ready."))
Naruto took the cooking snake meat and saw that the meat was indeed ready…he looked at the whitish meat with some disgust but tried it and as he chewed the food thoughtfully…he was shocked and amazed when the meat DID taste just like chicken….a rather strong taste but definitely worth the danger, time, and effort as the meat was undeniably good to the taste buds.
Naruto ate one of the cooked snakes ravenously as he had not eaten in quite a while now since last night…and the meat was certainly helping alleviating the hunger had since this morning.
(Wow….you weren't kidding Kyuubi…the meat DOES taste like chicken!)
(("Heh…now you know why snakes are sometimes called legless chicken….now eat up more of those fruits and nuts….all the sugar, vitamins, minerals, and protein will be good for you…but make sure to leave some food for your companions."))
Naruto nodded as Kurenai and Hinata woke up and crawled out of their shelter…the smell of cooked meat was enough to wake them up. The red eyed Jonin looked at the cooking food and spoke to Naruto.
"What's that meat your cooking Naruto-kun…it smells like chicken or something…"
"Actually Kurenai-sensei….it's snake meat."
Hinata and Kurenai looked at Naruto with some surprise and Naruto the looks and realized that this was probably the very first time they had not only seen him eat something apart from ramen…but eating a snake to say the least. That was understandable at the moment….as he was not keen on eating the meat in the first place. But after trying it out himself…he was agreeing to the taste…though he was NOT going to ask to have snake meat in his ramen when he and the others got back to Konoha. Kurenai and Hinata moved closer to the fire and looked at the cooked meat and he replied.
"I know…but that's all I can find at the moment….listen…the meat actually is pretty good…try it…I have to go get the snakes I was cooking in the sand oven."
Naruto went to the place where the embers were and began to uncover the snakes that he had cooked in the sand oven and Hinata and Kurenai looked at the food and Kurenai sighed and tried the snake meat and Hinata took one of the sticks that had the snake meat and looked at each other and the two women took a bit and they too found out that the meat was actually very tasty…strong at first but the meat was nice…
(Wow…the meat does taste nice…almost like chicken…)
(Hmmm….I 'm happy Naruto-kun didn't get hurt hunting these snakes…)
The two women ate the food and then the nuts and berries as Naruto brought the snakes that he had cooked in the sand oven. The snakes were still somewhat sizzling still as they were brought by Naruto who used a pair of large pronged sticks to take each snake on the nearby rock and used his kunai to cut aside the skin and the three ninja ate their break-fast of snake meat, berries, and nuts…and afterwards…Naruto used his kunai with his strength to cut open the coconuts that he had brought in previously, they took out the coconut meat and then drank the water…and while it had a strange taste…it was pure, fresh water and that was a great thing to finally have food and water in their stomachs and the three felt more relaxed ever since they had been stranded on the island.
Kurenai then looked about as she cleaned her hands and she spoke.
"We should go and see just what we can do here….considering how far we are from any other island and since we have no idea where we are at the moment in this location…we have to know this island and made due until we can come up with a way to get help."
Naruto and Hinata nodded and the three ninjas took off to explore the island and they were able to keep in track with one another. Thankfully their short wave radios were still intact and were working and since they had spare batteries with them, they could change the batteries when they needed to. Naruto handled part of the recon duties on his own….using the Kage Bushin Jutsu to cut down the recon efforts and back up the others…Hinata's Byakugan provided the ability to scan the island at safe distances and make sure that they were not going to stumble into any possible traps along the way.The island itself was rather large…and amazingly enough…to the three ninja…the place seemed to be totally uninhabited at the moment and there seemed to be no one in the area at all. The three moved about…keeping in close contact with one another. They saw that there were some open valleys on the island and there were also some trails of large numbers of various animals in the area and that meant that there were other creatures apart from snakes on the island they were on at the moment and that was good thing as there would be other sources of food on the island as they all agreed that hunting for snakes alone was too high a risk as they didn't have enough medical supplies to heal any bites….and none of them were trained in medical jutsus at the moment. Large numbers of trees of different origins were there and there appeared to a large network of underground springs that released fresh water from underground….allowing lots of greenery to flourish in the area.
They moved on through the island and found a mountain to be there in the middle of island and there would be ice there on top of the mountain that no doubt provided extra supplies of fresh water that made its way towards the ocean in rivers….they moved there and tested the water from the mountain fed rivers and the water was very much cold at the moment.
They then explored the beaches around the area…the beaches were nice to see and looked peaceful….that is until Hinata spotted what appeared to be a large number of wrecks on the far side of the island. She called it in and the three moved there…and sure enough…
The side of the island they were on was filled with jagged rocks and hard surf…and the rotting hulks of ships, both small and large as well…apparently the area was notorious for being a bane to ships in the area…Hinata then used her Byakugan to spot the age of the wood and she could see that the wood was bone hard from the bleached condition she could see on the wood at the moment. Hinata then deactivated her Byakugan and spoke to both Kurenai and Naruto.
"Those boats appear to be very old…some are much older than the others as well…I think the storms that come around here must have run them aground at one point or another."
Kurenai thought it over and then had an idea.
"Are there any ships that are closer to shore Hinata?"
The Hyuuga heiress looked again with her Byakugan and scanned the shore and saw that there were some ships that were in the area as well…some appeared to be older than others, while some were less old than the said wrecks at the moment.
"Yes….there are wrecks on the beach as well."
Kurenai thought it over and then decided to see just what they could find there…it was a long shot….but it was better than nothing at the moment.
The trio arrived near the beach where the ship wreckage was located and Naruto was guided by the Kyuubi and the demon fox guided the young man to search out for anything that could be useful and salvageable….they found a wrecked ship that appeared to be months younger than the other ships, meaning that it was fairly recent….apparently the ship had been caught by a storm and sent here and abandoned by the crew…
The three found a number of useable supplies….some plastic tarp, needles, metal wire in coils, some old tools, dry clothes and cloth bundles in stored containers as well as some dry and safe to open containers that had a limited number of cooking supplies and goods….several other types of tools were present as well, hammers, pliers, some still useable wood saws, wire cutters, nails of various sizes, wood binding glue, cooking pots and pans, and also some water proof tape.
The tools and supplies were going to come in handy and there seemed to be some left over ninja weapons there as well….spare shuriken and kunai as well….apparently the ship was destined to carry metal crafting supplies and some basic construction materials as well. This was a great find as they rummaged through the other ships, and found that one of the other ships carried farming and fishing equipment….such as hoes, rakes, hand shovels, fishing hooks, rolls of fishing line, and even some fishing rods and fishing spears as well…Kurenai smiled at the finds and decided to ask Naruto a favor….she had determined that setting up a camp and shelter on one of the valleys that was close to a beach and in the nearby tree line would be a great idea. And since she and Kurenai could not make the number of Kage Bushin that he could due to their lower chakra reserves….he could handle the load….however….she did have some reservations on the matter…
Like all Jonin….she had been aware of the drawbacks of the Kage Bushin….the chief one was the fact that diving one's chakra to fill a Kage Bushin's own chakra reserve was difficult even for Jonin and Kage themselves had to be careful. Another was the fact that while the original ninja gained the experience and knowledge of the Kage Bushin….he or she would also get the exhaustion of the said Kage Bushin….Naruto didn't have that problem as he had a far larger amount of chakra than most if not all ninja and could create a large number of clones evenly and well….this jutsu he had used to deadly effect both in his battle with Neji in the Chuunin exams and in his training with his Wind Element. Added to that was the Kyuubi's chakra…even if Naruto didn't directly summon the Kyuubi's chakra, minute but powerful portions were always mixed with his….allowing Naruto the ability to have far more chakra than even his body allowed. She learned that much when she chatted with Ebisu….
The elite Jonin sensei of Konohamaru told her that the reason Naruto was not very skilled with other jutsu like the other ninja…including the regular Bushin was the fact that his chakra was so powerful that his body rejects a portion of it reflexively, making it difficult for Naruto have the level of chakra control as his other ninja classmates and most ninja….however….when there were jutsus that relied on pure power alone….Naruto would be more than a match for normal ninja.
She sighed and spoke to Naruto.
"Naruto-kun….can you use your Kage Bushin to haul these supplies?"
Naruto nodded with a grin.
"Sure thing Kurenai-sensei!"
The blonde ninja then summoned his trademark number of Kage Bushin and they began to take whatever they could find at the moment and pack it all up….Kurenai had selected a large valley that faced the northern side of the island as their camp site for their stay…it was not just close to the sea, but afforded them a good view of the sea and locate any sign of passing ships.
They then managed to locate a good area in the valley and Naruto and his Kage Bushin began to make the Shelter they needed for the time being, as it was near a large river that was spring fed at the moment and they made sure to have easy entrances and exits….It was relatively large and thankfully….all the dead but dry wood they had found the outer areas of the tree line would do….both Hinata and Kurenai helped as well to support Naruto….they first dug pits in a circular pattern and then placed the wood in to form the walls….the other pieces of wood that they had salvaged were then used to support the bottom and that took time….they spent the whole morning doing this and well into midday….by this time…all three of them were sweating, as the Kage Bushin helped out as well. The roof was made from salvaged planks from the boats on the beach and had a hole in the middle as well to allow air into the shelter. The ninja made sure that the shelter was high enough for them to stand and move about relatively well and had two entrances and exits.
They then took large stones to further protect the lower walls and packed those in with dirt and mud from the river….and by the time they were done….all three of them were exhausted….more so for Naruto as he fell down on the ground as his Kage Bushin faded away. Hinata rushed up to Naruto and held him with a great sense of worry on her face.
"Naruto-kun! Are you all right?!"
Kurenai walked over and checked Naruto and could tell that he was physically fine…but the exhaustion he showed at the moment.
"He's all right Hinata-san…..he's just exhausted at the moment….give him a few minutes to recover properly. This is the side effect of the Kage Bushin Jutsu."
"What do you mean by that Kurenai-sensei?"
Kurenai then explained the drawback of using the Kage Bushin constantly to her student. As she knew….Hinata had not used the Kage Bushin herself nor the normal Bushin Technique as much as Naruto or the other ninja did so it was not surprising to the Jonin that she was not aware of the weakness of the Kage Bushin. As soon as she was done….she looked at how Hinata looked sadly at Naruto and cradled the blonde ninja's head and the young Hyuuga heiress spoke.Naruto-kun….he trains so hard to be the best and to save his friend Sasuke-kun…"
Kurenai couldn't help but smile gently at Hinata….this was by far the closest Hinata had ever been to Naruto…normally the very touch of Naruto's hand on any part of her would have sent Hinata blushing bright red and fainting quickly…but now it seemed that she was happier now…though she still had a blush on her face as she caressed Naruto's hair as the blonde Genin was sleeping in her lap at the moment.
"Yes he does….Hinata-san….we need to find some food to help Naruto-kun regain his strength….I hate to say it….but we have to leave him here for the time being."
Hinata was not happy but she could understand Kurenai's words and she nodded as she gently placed a soft pile of leaves in a soft cloth bag that she had found earlier to serve as a pillow for the sleeping Genin and with a gentle smile….the two went off to hunt for food.
Later…
(Man….that was some really needed sleep.)
(("No kidding…you're going to burn yourself out doing all that kit….I suggest you take it easy for the time being."))
(I didn't know you cared…)
(("Don't take it the wrong way kit….I like it better if you are alive and by default so am I…and there's nothing worse in my mind than knowing the fact you got us killed by exhausting yourself…"))
(Hmmm….point taken….wait a minute?! Where's Hinata-san and Kurenai-sensei?!)
The blonde ninja got up as the last rays of the setting sun came through the entrance and it was then that he smelled something cooking outside. He got up and went there and to his surprise, he found that the two women had actually gone hunting for food earlier while he had been sleeping….on the pot that he had salvaged was some cooking oil that they had found previously in their salvage runs was now holding some wild chicken and another pan had cooking vegetables with meat cubes which he learned was rabbit as well. Apparently the women had done a lot of hunting and gathering while he rested. Hinata smiled and then turned to face Naruto with a smile and blush.
"N-Naruto-kun….you're awake….how do you feel?"
"Better….you guys hunted the food?"
"Yes…there seems to be a lot of animals out here N-Naruto-kun….here….have some water…."
Hinata then handed Naruto a coconut shell that was cut in half and had some cool water….Naruto drank the water thirstily and then smiled as she sat next to Hinata and Kurenai as they cooked the food for the moment….as night began to fall….the women got the food ready, and Naruto learned that Kurenai had cooked the wild chicken and Hinata was the one cooking the rabbit meat and vegetables….as they sat down and ate from some wooden plates that Kurenai had made with her own kunai and some utensils that Hinata had made….they ate the food. Naruto was no fan vegetables but he ate it either way….and to his amazement….he found that Hinata had really improved not just as a ninja but also as a cook….and Kurenai was a skilled cook as well and he made the sentiment known to both women.
"Wow….you are great cooks! The chicken tastes delicious Kurenai-sensei! And this rabbit meat is pretty good Hinata-san!"
Both women smiled at the comments….Hinata smiled the most as she was blushing at how Naruto praised her cooking….she had taken the time to learn how to be a better cook when Naruto had praised her for her cooking skills and it seemed that her time in this matter had truly been worth it.
"T-T-Thank you Naruto-kun…."
"You're welcome Naruto-kun….in truth, this is the first time I cooked for another person, I normally cook for myself and I am happy you approve."
Naruto nodded as he ate the food ravenously as he was very much famished. And as the food began to fill his stomach, he felt more relaxed as the food was being digested….he placed the plate aside and gave a content sigh as he looked at both Hinata and Kurenai and spoke sincerely.
"Man….I'm lucky I got stuck with you both….I'd have a hard time cooking on my own since I don't much….and it's nice to have company instead of being by my lonesome!"
Both women smiled at that and Naruto looked at Hinata and Kurenai and was happy that he had company on this island and that none of them were hurt….it would be very bad news if any of them got harmed in some fashion. He then had a thought and looked at Hinata and spoke.
"Hinata….you recall that time you handed me those rice cakes on this mission looking for the Bikouchuu beetle?'
Hinata blushed at the memory as she recalled how she had handed him some of the rice cakes she made…with his likeness and she nodded.