Angel of The Hidden Leaf

Sakura glanced at the clipboard in her hands before looking at me with a deadpan look on her face. "Five broken ribs, ruptured left lung, and a cardiac arrest." She said flatly. "Keep this up and I doubt you'll have to worry about living forever."

I let out a weak chuckle after hearing that. "So... No Jutsu..." I muttered weakly. "How exactly are you going to heal me?"

"Well... The Doctor said that this will fix you right up." Sakura said while putting on a pair of glove. "But there's also a chance that this will turn you into a mindless zombie or just plain out murder you." She added.

I sighed and nodded at her. "Fine... I'm sure the plot armor will hold up." I replied simply.

Sakura took a deep breath and hold her gloved hands above my chest. "Here goes nothing..." She muttered before closing her eyes in concentration.

A tingling sensation appeared all over my body. I can feel the insides of my body slowly molding back to how it was before. Every piece of bone, every ruptured tissues, every organs in my body, everything rearranged and combined back to how it was before.

"Wow..." Sakura muttered in amazement. "It actually worked!" She grinned and took a few steps back. "It worked! Oh, this is amazing!!!"

I slowly stood up from my position and stretched my body. "So... What did you do? What is that glove?" I asked her.

Sakura shook her head. "Sorry, I can't tell you. If I tell anyone Sensei would be very disappointed." She told me.

"At least he didn't threaten to kill you right?" I joked.

Sakura smiled sadly in response. "Yeah... I guess so... He's too kind for his own good." She muttered to herself. Then she looked at me in confusion. "So, what happened? How did you get five broken ribs and a ruptured lung?"

I cringed a little after hearing that. "Well, long story short, I tricked Hinata into thinking that I just killed Naruto." I replied.

The girl looked at me with an incredulous look on her face. "Why, would you do something like that?"

"She got some confidence issue! I need her to open up and stood up for herself!" I exclaimed in return. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you can fix me up if anything bad happens." I added.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "There's not much I can do if you arrive here inside a body bag." She replied in annoyance.

A knocking sound suddenly appeared from the door behind me. I turned around and saw Naruto barging into the room with Hinata standing behind him. "Haios chan!" He exclaimed in slight panic. "Are you okay!? Hinata told me that she used a super deadly ninjutsu at you!"

I looked at Hinata and saw her looking down in regret and sorrow. I smiled at them and waved my hand. "Don't worry, you know that Sakura will always patch me up if anything happen to us!" I said simply.

"Unless you're dead! I can't stress you this enough, I cannot raise the dead back to life!" Sakura exclaimed.

Hinata stepped forward and looked at me with wide watery eyes. "I-I'm sorry..." She whispered. "I-I'm so, so, sorry... I was the monster for trying to kill you I..." She gasped a little when I suddenly hugged her comfotingly.

"Forget it, I'm just glad you both finally realize your true feelings with each other." I whispered to her. "Now, when I let go of you, I want you to turn around and ask Naruto out for a date. I suggest a nice stroll through the village ended with a nice picnic in the Hokage Monument."

I let go of Hinata and she slowly turned around towards a certain blonde. "Na-Naruto kun..." She whispered. "D-do you..." I can see her feet trembling a little and I gently use my power to help her stand right up. "W-want to go out with me?"

Naruto grinned at her. "Oh yeah! That sounds awesome Hinata chan!" He exclaimed in excitement. "Where do you want to go!?"

Hinata gone limp and I gently put her down to the floor. "I've seen that coming..." I muttered before gently waking her up with a pat in the back. "Wake up Hinata! A date with Naruto, dream comes true, whatever! I'll see you at the Hokage Monument okay?"

[LINE BREAK]

I was lying when I told them that I'll meet them at the Hokage Monument. I floated above the Konoha Rooftops and watched with keen eyes as the new couple walked through the village. The reason is because the next part of my master plan is to make sure that no unexpected BS happened during their date.

"So, Hinata chan, where do you want to go?" Naruto asked the girl walking beside him. "We can have lunch at Ichikaru or train at Teme's house." Then he smirked a little. "But who cares about that Teme? How about we hang out at your home? Hinata chan?"

Hinata shook her head nervously. "I-I'm sorry Naruto kun.... I don't think you should come to my home..." She whispered nervously.

Naruto looked down in deep thought. "Hmm... Where do you think we should go now?"

Suddenly, a piece of paper fell down from the sky. Naruto caught it before it hits the ground and saw the map of Konoha drawn on it. "Look! Something fell out from the sky!" Naruto exclaimed in awe. "Is this Kami sama's blessing!?"

Hinata looked at the paper in Naruto's hand. "Hmm, this looks like a poem..." She leaned towards Naruto to take a closer at it. "M-may I?" She asked nervously.

"Sure! Here you go Hinata chan!" Naruto gave Hinata the paper.

Hinata took a closer look at the paper and start reading it out loud. "I mark the beginning and the end. I represent happiness and suffering. I can be the savior and the bringer of death. You came looking for me to begin your quest to find love or forgiveness."

Naruto shuddered a little after hearing that poem. "That was creepy..." He muttered to himself. "Who was that? Death? Kami? Angel?"

The Hyuga shook her head. "N-no, Naruto kun... I-I think this is a riddle..." She said while looking at the paper in deep thought. "I mark the beginning and the end. Happiness and Suffering." She looked around her. "Something we find when we're happy and sad..."

The boy rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Ramen?" He asked her.

Hinata shook his head. "B-but Ramen doesn't mark the beginning or the end..." She looked around once more, observing anything that can become a clue. Then, her eyes widened in realization. "Flowers!"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Flowers? But they're just plants aren't they?" He asked in confusion.

"But think about it Naruto, flower represent the beginning because it is present in a wedding which is sometimes regarded as the beginning. It is also used in funeral that represents the end. We sometimes use flower to express our joy like for playing or for any special occasion between couples. But we also use them to signify our sorrow like when we visit someone in the hospital. The savior and death part must've talk about some flowers that has medical properties or can be used as deadly poison." Hinata explained.

Naruto looked at Hinata with wide eyes and stars flashing in his eyes. "That was AWESOME Hinata chan!" He exclaimed in amazement. "You're so smart! I can't even figure it out on my own!" He added.

Hinata blushed and looked down in embarrassment. "Th-thank you... It was nothing really..." She whispered.

"So... Kami sama ordered us to look for flowers?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure it was Kami sama, but I think we're supposed to look for them." Hinata replied.

With that, the two of them continued their way through the village. I followed their movement closely while silently hoping that they're heading right towards where I wanted them to be. Fortunately they headed straight towards a certain building in Konoha.

"Yamanaka Flowers?" Naruto asked while reading the sign above the entrance. "Isn't this Ino's father's shop?" He asked again.

Hinata nodded in response. "I-I'm sure this paper is trying to take us here..." She waited for Naruto to make a move but the blonde didn't move an inch. "Umm... Naruto kun? Shouldn't we go inside and see if they know anything about this letter?"

Naruto looked down for a moment before smirking. "Yosh! Let's go and get the flowers!!!" He grabbed Hinata's hand and start pulling her towards the Flower Shop. "Pretty flowers here I come!"

The two of them entered the building, revealing dozens of beautiful flower bouquets and decoration all over the place. They looked around for a moment, looking at all the different flowers and color combinations. Until finally, they made it to the receptionist table with a blonde haired man sitting behind it.

Hinata walked forward to take a closer look at him. "Inoichi sama..." She said before bowing down respectfully in front of the man.

Inoichi looked at the two newcomers and smiled at them. "Ah! Hinata and Naruto, no need for formalities we're in a flower shop not a battlefield." He took out a piece of envelope from his pocket. "I believe this is what you're looking for."

"Thanks Inoichi Oji san!" Naruto exclaimed. He was about to take the paper but Inoichi moved his hand away before he can touch it. "Hey! What gives?"

Inoichi looked at the piece of envelope. "I can't give this to you without her consent." He pointed at a certain blonde haired girl standing near a rack full of flower bouquets. "Go talk to Ino, she'll tell you what to do to get it." He said with an amused smile on his face.

Naruto and Hinata walked towards Ino in slight confusion. "Hi Ino chan!" Naruto exclaimed. "Can we get the envelope please?"

Ino looked at Naruto for a moment before crossing her arms in front of her chest. "That envelope you say? First, you have to answer my question correctly." She said while looking at both of them with the most judging look she can manage. "What are you doing exactly?"

Naruto and Hinata looked at each other for a moment; the former has a confused look on his face while the latter is blushing in embarrassment. Then Naruto jumped into explanation. "We were just walking around when this envelope suddenly fell from the sky! It has a very hard riddle in it but Hinata chan is super smart that she can figure out that we have to visit your shop!!!"

Ino blinked owlishly after hearing that. "Okay..." Then she shook her head. "But no, that was not the correct answer." She looked at Hinata and smirked at her. "But I believe that you know the answer! Come on girl, spit it out! What are you doing with Naruto?"

Hinata gasped and her face turned redder and redder as seconds pass by. "W-we're..." She paused for a second to take a deep breath. "Da-dating..." She muttered.

"What was that?" Ino put a hand over her ear. "I can't hear you!" She exclaimed. "Would you mind repeating that again?"

"We're dating..." Hinata said once again, this one a bit more clearly.

Ino smirked and clapped her hands once. "Finally! Goodness that took way too long!" Then she looked at Naruto with a shocked look on her face. "But what's this? You don't even bring a flower on your date!?" Ino exclaimed with a blatantly fake shocked look on her face.

"But I was... mph!" Hinata's words were cut short when Ino suddenly covered her mouth with her hand.

"No need to say anything... I get what you're saying and I am here to fix everything..." Ino said dramatically. She let go of Hinata's mouth and stepped aside. "Now look, right behind me is a bunch of beautiful flowers." She pointed at the rack full of flower bouquets behind her.

Naruto and Hinata nodded while looking at all the different flowers in front of them. "Now, since you're..." Ino jabbed her pointer finger at Naruto. "The careless gentleman, I want you to fix your mistake and get your date the most beautiful flower bouquet for her!"

The Uzumaki was about to ask Hinata which flower she likes when Ino suddenly covered Hinata's eyes with a blindfold. "Nope! You are not allowed to see which one he picks for you." Ino said sternly. Then she moved her attention to Naruto. "Go ahead, pick one."

Naruto squinted his eyes and looked at all the handheld bouquets of flowers arranged in front of him. "Uhh... They all look pretty..."

Ino smiled after hearing that. "Really? Aww thanks! I made them!" She exclaimed. "Now pick one you think Hinata would like."

"Hmm... This one!" He exclaimed before walking forward to take a bouquet of flowers from the rack. "I hope Hinata like this one."

Ino quickly took a closer look at the bouquet of flowers Naruto just picked before squealing a little. "Aww, that's so adorable!" She exclaimed. "I almost thought you would pick that orange one!" She added. "Now come on! Give it to your girl!"

Naruto walked towards Hinata who is slowly taking off her blindfolds. The Hyuga took one look at the flower and let out a gasp in a mixture of joy and surprise.

It is a white and purple flower bouquet. Beautiful light purple lilacs are arranged in an elegant and slightly playful way. Some sweet white jasmine peeked out of the lilacs every now and then, giving a sweet and innocent loving aura. Fern fronds hang down from the base of the bouquet like a beautiful green curtain.

At the top of the flower bouquet is an arrangement of beautiful white violet along with purple violet. There's also a line of mint separating the top part and the bottom part. The colors and the flowers itself symbolizes innocent love, youth, and sincerity.

Yeah, I know my flowers. Pretty cool eh?

"Do you like it Hinata chan?" Naruto asked nervously. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you'll pick better flowers than me since you're pretty smart and all." He looked at Hinata and saw her sobbing a little. "Eh!? Hinata chan! D-don't cry! I-I'm sorry if you don't like purple! Damn it, I should've picked the orange one..."

The girl shook her head and quickly held Naruto's hand. "I love it! I love it so much!" She carefully took the flower out of Naruto's hand and held it close to her. "This is a beautiful flower Naruto kun... I-I promise I will treasure it forever."

Naruto smiled in relief after hearing that. "Thank goodness! I thought I chose the wrong one!" He exclaimed. Then he looked back at Ino. "So, can we get that envelope now?" He asked her.

Ino nodded. "Go ahead!" She exclaimed.

Naruto and Hinata was about to walk back towards Inoichi when Ino suddenly called out on them again. "Wait! Hinata, you take the envelope yourself. I need to have a word with your boyfriend." Hinata nodded reluctantly and walked towards Inoichi, leaving Naruto alone with Ino.

"Look Naruto..." Ino started while plucking off a beautiful purple flower from a bouquet nearby. "Hinata is the sweetest most innocent girl in the academy." She looked at the flower in her hand. "She is a picture of purity. But her heart is fragile." Then she jabbed her finger at him. "If you dare to even think about betraying her or hurting her in any shape way or form."

Ino waved her flower a little. "I'll gag you with this aconite before slitting your throat with a dull kunai. You got that?" Naruto's face paled and he nodded vigorously.

The girl smiled at him. "Great! Now go and have a fun date Naruto!" She exclaimed.

[LINE BREAK]

Hinata and Naruto walked together while holding hands with each other through Konoha. The former held the beautiful flower bouquet in her hands and the latter is looking at a piece of paper in confusion.

In the piece of paper is an illustration of a Jounin bowing down in front of a mere Chunin. "Don't you dare forget..." Naruto read the words below it in confusion. "Forget about what?" He asked his date.

Hinata glanced at the paper and thought about it for a moment. "Hmm... In what kind of circumstance does a Jounin will bow down in front of a Ninja with a smaller rank?" She asked while also thinking hard about it.

Naruto looked down and tried to imagine himself in the Jounin's position. "Well... If I ever become a super awesome Ninja... I will only bow down to the Hokage..." He thought about it for a second. "Wait... I think I get it..."

The blonde quickened his pace and led Hinata towards a very familiar building. "Na-Naruto kun? Why are we going to the Academy?" Hinata asked in confusion.

"Because no matter how great of a ninja I will become..." Naruto grinned and start walking faster. "I will never forget about my teacher Iruka Sensei!!!" He exclaimed.

The two of them stopped in front of the academy entrance and saw Iruka standing near the doorframe. "Hello Naruto, Hinata, did you came here because you guessed the riddle or are you looking help to guess the riddle?" Iruka asked cheekily.

Naruto shook his head. "No, I get it..." He gave the piece of paper back to Iruka. "I will never forget you Iruka Sensei."

Iruka smiled and took out a rolled up piece of paper from his pocket. "Well Naruto, I'm glad to hear that, here's your next..." He was about to give him the paper when a white blur streaked pass them. The rolled up piece of paper disappeared and the two of them quickly look around in confusion. "And there goes your clue..."

"Good Job Akamaru!!!" A very familiar voice yelled out from the woods nearby. Naruto groaned and looked at the source of the voice. "Haha! Catch me if you can!!! Naruto!" Kiba shouted while waving around the paper tauntingly at them.

Naruto quickly run towards the woods in annoyance. "HEY! That's mine you jerk!!!" He yelled out in annoyance. "Come back here!!!"

Hinata quickly run as fast as she can to keep up with him. She followed him into the woods as they tried to catch the Inuzuka and his ninja dog.

However, neither one of them are fast enough to keep up with Kiba. Soon, they are left standing in the middle of a forest with no sign anyone anywhere. "Aww man! This sucks!" Naruto whined. "How are going to complete out mission now!?"

Hinata looked around for a moment. "Ma-maybe I can use the Byakugan?" She asked him.

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Byakugan?" He asked her. "What's that?"

"It's my kekkei genkai... I have special eyes that can help me see through obstacles and see chakra." She explained. "Maybe I can use it to find Kiba if he's not so far."

Naruto gasped and looked at Hinata with stars in his eyes. "WHOA!!! That's so awesome!!! So you can see through walls?!" He asked her in awe. "You're so amazing Hinata chan!!!"

Hinata blushed after hearing that. "N-no... It's nothing really..." Then she made a hand seal with her hand and focuses her attention to her eyes. "Byakugan!!!" Blood veins could be visibly seen all around her eyes. "I see him! Follow me!" She exclaimed.

The two of them ran through the woods in search for the paper clue thief and his dog. Kiba can easily smell them coming however and he quickly ran the opposite direction. Hinata paused in her tracks and looked down in deep thought. "He's too fast... We have to trap him somehow..."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "How??" He asked her.

Hinata looked at the flower bouquet in her hand. "Hold this and go to that direction. This flower's smell should be enough distraction." She said while giving Naruto her flowers and a direction deeper in the woods. "If you see Kiba, I need you to keep chasing him. Okay?"

Wow... This is working spectacularly! She didn't even stutter. Is this because she's in a mission or is this because Naruto's here to help her?

"YOSH!!!" Naruto yelled in excitement. Then he quickly sprinted off deeper into the forest. "GET BACK HERE AND GIVE IT BACK TO US KIBA!!!" He yelled out.

Hinata quickly jumped up to the trees above and starts jumping through the forest canopy. A determined expression could be seen in her face. The same determination I usually see in Naruto's face. The same will power to get through obstacles and defeat the odds.

Soon, Naruto managed to lead Kiba in a circle. Hinata watched with keen Byakugan eyes, trying to see the pattern in their cat and mouse game.

"Catch me if you can!!!" Kiba taunted as he led Naruto on a merry chase around the clearing.

Naruto kept on chasing him from behind. "Sooner or later I'm gonna get you Kiba!!!" He yelled in annoyance.

Kiba turned around and blow a raspberry at him. "Just give up! You'll never... what!" Hinata suddenly landed right next to him and grabbed the paper out of his hand. "Hey!"

Hinata quickly give Naruto the paper before standing in front of him in a Gentle Fist Stance. "Stand back!" She exclaimed threateningly.

The Inuzuka blinked owlishly after seeing her expression and her stance. "Okay, okay geez! Relax, you get the clue, mission accomplished! This is just a game, no need to get so serious..." He muttered.

The Hyuga deactivated her Byakugan and gasped a little. "Oh! Umm..." She suddenly realized how she just acted and started blushing in embarrassment. "S-sorry..." She quickly took the flower out of Naruto's hand and hid her face in it.

Naruto smirked at Kiba. "Heh, good game Kiba." He told him.

Kiba smirked back at him. "Good game Naruto. She's a good one, don't let go of her okay?" He told him.

"Don't worry, I won't!"

[LINE BREAK]

After the whole chasing game, Naruto and Hinata sat down in woods to recover their strength and figure out the next riddle. They put the paper on the ground in front of them and discussed the content of it together. 

Inside the paper is one word written in bold letter. "Cervidae" Naruto read the content of the paper out loud. "What does that even mean?"

You don't even have to know the meaning of that word to guess what kind of lazy ass person made a riddle like that. But it seems that both Naruto and Hinata don't want to jump into conclusion yet.

"Umm... This doesn't sound like a word from our language." Hinata said in deep thought. "How about we ask Iruka Sensei for help?" She asked him.

Naruto shrugged. "Well okay then..."

"Huh? This is Latin." Iruka said while thinking back to his school days. "We don't learn this in Ninja Academy. But I think Cervidae means deer." He explained.

"Where can we find some deer?" Naruto asked.

Iruka rubbed his chin in deep thought. "I don't think you should find a deer. I think you should find someone with a close connection with a deer." Then he smirked a little. "Here's a clue, go find the most quiet, most comfortable place to lie down and gaze at the clouds."

 Hinata's eyes widened in realization. "Y-you mean, Shikamaru?" She asked him.

Iruka nodded. "Yep, I believe he holds the last clue. Now go and find him."

With that, the two of them bid Iruka farewell before continuing their adventure through Konoha to find their lazy friend.

As they walked together, I finally noticed that some villagers are giving them looks. Can't really blame them though, the pariah of the village walking side by side with the literal princess of a Ninja Clan. I am quite impressed no one from the Hyuga Clan tried to stop them yet....

Soon, they made it to their destination. A training ground with a blanket draped in the middle of it. A certain Nara could be seen sleeping on top of it with the next envelope sitting on his stomach.

Naruto smirked and made a silent motion at Hinata. Then he gently tip-toed towards Shikamaru with Hinata following closely from behind. "This is gonna be easy..." He went closer and closer towards the sleeping figure. 'SNAP'

A couple of net suddenly burst out of the ground and trapped both Naruto and Hinata inside a separate fish net. They struggled inside the trap for a moment until they find out that it is a Ninja-Standard chakra resistant net.

"HEY! LET US GO!!!" Naruto yelled out from his trap.

Shikamaru yawned and blearily opened his eyes. He glanced at the two traps suspended with Ninja Wires tied on the trees around him. "How troublesome..." He muttered lazily. "You're here already? I thought Kiba would give you a proper fight..."

Suddenly, Shino walked out of the tree beside him. Hundreds of bugs came crawling out of his body and start swarming below both nets. "Don't be alarmed, they're not gonna hurt you..." He said as the whole swarm created an inky black carpet of creepy crawlies.

"Wh-what's gonna happen now?" Hinata asked from within her net. "Are we supposed to escape?"

Shikamaru stood up and stretched his body. "Well yeah... But no, because this is the part where you betray each other." Naruto and Hinata gasped after hearing that. "Or not, I don't know, it's going to be your choice really..."

Shino stepped forward to begin his explanation. "Right below you is a swarm of chakra-eating bugs. For the sake of this game, let's just say that they're man-eating bug." He told them.

"But they're not man-eating bugs right?" Naruto asked with a hint of fear in his voice. Nobody answered his question and I can see Naruto shivering in terror inside his trap.

"You have two choices." Shikamaru smirked and put both of his hands into his pocket. "You can yell Sacrifice which will 'kill' you instantly and save your friend. Or you can say Escape which will save you and kill your partner."

Then Shino jumped into explanation. "But if you both choose Sacrifice or Escape, then neither one of you will survive. Thus you failed this mission." He made the swarm of bugs below them wriggle and buzz around threateningly. "Also, you'll both become this hive's lunch..."

Shikamaru took out a stopwatch. "You have thirty seconds." He said before pressing his stopwatch.

You know, this is the only part of this game that I'm not really sure about the outcome. I wonder if they will be able to compromise which one of them should die or if they both will die trying to escape. Either way, this is very interesting...

Goodness... Now I'm starting to sound like my creator... Dammit!

"Okay Hinata chan! Here's the plan, you yell escape and I yell sacrifice. Then I want you to kick Shikamaru's ass for trapping us inside this net!" Naruto explained his 'plan'.

Hinata gasped and shook her head. "N-no! I can't let you die... Pl-please, let me sacrifice myself." She said in horror.

"Twenty seconds left." Shikamaru said.

Naruto looked Hinata and smiled at her. "It's okay Hinata, really! I'll die happy knowing that I saved my own friends!" He exclaimed with a soft smile on his face. "Besides, you're pretty much more important than me..."

"NO!!!" Hinata yelled in horror. "Please Naruto! What about your dream!? You wanted to become the Hokage aren't you?" She gritted her teeth and gripped her net. "I believe in you Naruto! I believe that you are the future of Konoha! From the beginning, from the day you saved me from those bullies, I always believed in you!!! Don't you dare give yourself up for me!" She yelled with all her might.

The blonde shook his head. "What kind of Hokage will I be if I cannot even save my own friend?" He said. "A Hokage is the strongest person in the village and he will protect his people with his life!" He struggled some more inside the net. "How can I protect Konoha if I cannot protect my own friend?!"

"Ten seconds left." Shikamaru said.

"You can't protect the village if you're dead! Instead of thinking about protecting only me, please think about letting me die for the sake of Konoha!!!" Hinata yelled.

Naruto looked down after hearing that. "Hinata chan please... How can I look at myself knowing that I failed to protect the people I love?" He said with a sad look on his face. "Please just let me save you!"

Hinata glared at him. "No! You are stronger than me Naruto kun! I believe that you can live without me." She looked down and starts sobbing a little. "B-but I can't! I can't live without your strength and determination! I don't think I can go this far without seeing you every day."

"Five seconds left."

"Hinata chan... Please..." Naruto said in defeat.

"I rather die than seeing you die Naruto kun!" Hinata yelled. "Just this once let me save you, let me show you how much I love you!" She took a deep breath. "SACRIFICE!!!" She yelled with all her might.

Naruto just sat mutely inside his net, unable to form any words.

"Well, time's up." Shikamaru said. "Hinata, you're dead." He added.

The swarm of bugs below them started to crawl up towards Hinata. It cuts off the net before gently putting her down back to the ground. She dropped down to the ground and took a deep breath of relief. The whole encounter exhausted her to no end.

"Hey! Aren't you going to let me go too?" Naruto yelled from the net.

Shikamaru took out a Kunai and cut the ninja wire above them. 'Thump' Naruto dropped down harshly on the ground beside Hinata. "There, you're free." Shikamaru said simply. Then he gave him the clue. "Here's your next clue." He added.

Naruto nodded before walking towards Hinata. "Sorry..." He said.

Hinata shook her head. "N-no, sorry Naruto kun... I shouldn't have yelled at you like that..." She whispered in regret. "I just can't bear seeing you die. Even if this is just a game..." She added.

They both quickly hugged each other comfortingly for a moment. "Let's just hope we won't have to make that choice..." Hinata whispered to him.

"Yeah, I really don't want to lose you..." He whispered back to her.

Shikamaru shook his head and sighed a little at their interaction. "Troublesome... Just open up the clue and finish the game already." He told them.

Naruto and Hinata let go of each other before reading the clue Shikamaru gave them. "I'm too lazy to write a riddle. Your next destination is the Hokage Monument." Naruto read the content of it out loud. "Is this another trap?" He asked Shikamaru in suspicion.

"Nope, just go to the Hokage Monument for the big surprise." Shikamaru replied. "I'll see you there later." He added.

[LINE BREAK]

It was almost sunset when I get to the Hokage Monument. There, I can see Sasuke, Ino, and Choji preparing a huge picnic blanket on the Hokage Monument. The latter brought a whole feast of food and snacks while Ino packed a bunch of decoration for the ambience.

"Is everything ready?" I landed beside them and looked at all the food Choji prepared for them. "Whoa! That is a lot! You sure this is okay?" I asked Choji when I realized that he prepared enough to feed a whole army.

Choji smiled at me. "Don't worry Haios." He munched on a snack for a moment. "My mom always prepared a meal like this for dinner."

Well, looks like there is someone out there with an appetite like Naruto. "Okay then... What about you Ino? You get what you want?" I asked my other friend.

Ino looked at Sasuke for a moment before blushing a little. "W-well... Sasuke's here so, I guess it's worth it." She said with a small smile on her face.

Then I looked at Sasuke. "What about you Sasuke?" I asked him.

The Uchiha glanced at me for a moment before putting some flower vase around the picnic blanket. "As long as you keep your end of your deal." He said flatly.

I give him a thumb up. "Don't worry Sasuke! You'll have me as your target practice tomorrow!"

Footsteps appeared from the stairs near us and Kiba came rushing in with Akamaru sitting on his head "Aww yeah! Now this is what I call a feast!" He was about to jump in towards the picnic blanket when Ino grabbed him by the scurf of his neck. "Hey! You promised me an all you can eat!"

"Be patient you dog!" Ino exclaimed in annoyance. "Even Akamaru is more civilized than you!" She pointed at the white puppy who is putting on a small handkerchief over his body and sat down patiently on the blanket. "Sometimes I even wonder which one of you is the real dog."

I chuckled a little at their interaction. "Well, there's Sasuke, Kiba, Ino, Choji, and..." I looked around for any signs of Shikamaru and Shino. "Right, that lazy ass... Should I get him or should we leave him?" I asked everyone else.

"Just leave him!" Ino exclaimed in annoyance. "Serves him right for being tardy."

I looked at Choji and found him eating a bag of chips calmly. "Should I go get him?" I asked him.

Choji shook his head and smiled confidently. "Nah, Shikamaru told me he's coming. He'll be here, don't worry." He said simply.

True to his words, Shikamaru and Shino came walking in from the stairs. The former has his hands on his pocket and a lazy look on his face. "Troublesome... So, you really did prepare everything huh?" He said with a hint of amazement. "Why are you doing this anyway?"

I grinned at him. "Well... The Graduation Test is a couple of days. Then we all become a genin and be on our separate ways." Then I pointed at all of us. "Who knows when we'll be able to have a get together like this? I mean, who can say we'll survive our first mission?"

Everyone looked at each other after hearing that. Each one of them realized just how separate they've gotten all these years. All those times in the academy competing with each other makes them forgot about how important their friendship.

"Haios... Is Sakura coming?" Ino asked suddenly. "I mean, I know she's not in the Academy anymore but..."

I sighed and shook my head. "I don't know. She told me she's going to go on a trip with the doctor." Then I smiled comfortingly. "But who knows? Maybe she went home early?" Ino looked down after hearing that.

"Wait guys!" Kiba exclaimed suddenly. "Do you hear that?" He quickly stood up from his position and looked up at the mountain. "Sounds like... I don't know, I've never heard anything like this before..." He muttered while listening hard in concentration.

Then he sniffed around. "Wait... This smells like... Cherry Blossom?" We all looked up and saw a figure hiking down the mountain with a thick rope. "Sakura?"

Sakura let go of the rope and landed gracefully beside Ino. "Hi everyone!" She exclaimed. "Did I miss anything?"

"Glad to see you make it forehead." Ino commented with a smirk on her face.

"What did you say you pig?" Sakura retorted.

They both glared at each other intensely, reminding me of a certain Uchiha and Uzumaki.

Speaking of Uzumaki... "Hey, shouldn't Naruto and Hinata be here by now?" I asked Shikamaru. "Did something happen?"

No sooner after I said that, Naruto and Hinata walked up to the platform with Iruka Sensei following closely from behind. "Are you sure about this?" Iruka asked nervously. "I mean, isn't it uncool to have a teacher attending a party?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't want to hear any of that Iruka Sensei!" He exclaimed. "You're a part of the Academy. Heck, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here at all!" He pushed the teacher towards us. "Come on, say something!"

Iruka looked at each of us with a slightly nervous look on his face. "Well..." He took a deep breath and smiled at us. "What you've done here is amazing. As a teacher I am proud of you all." Then he chuckled a little. "Now, I know how boring my lectures can be so, without further ado; let's start this Early Graduation Party!!!"

"YEAH!!" We all yelled out in excitement. "Let's get this party started!!!"

For a few hours we all spend our time having fun and talking with each other. It was at this moment that we all as a generation of Ninja spend a lot of time and get to know each other. We all share about each other's life, our dreams of the future, and how we all will someday become the greatest that has ever was.

This time, I no longer doubt if I bring a good impact on this world.

This time, it will be different...

[LINE BREAK]

A certain grey haired medic nin stood in front of a door that led to Sakura's room. He straightened his glasses before knocking on the door. "Hello? Sakura san? Are you in there?" He asked.

There was no response. After a few minutes of contemplating it, he decided to try his luck and opened the door. "I'm sorry for barging in. But I have something to..." His words was cut short when he realized that the room medical room is empty.

He walked around for a moment before he saw a broken desk in the corner of the room. He walked towards it before smirking a little. "She's powerful..." He whispered to himself. "Orochimaru sama will be very..."

"What was that?" A voice suddenly rang out behind him. The medic turned around and saw a familiar doctor standing behind him. "Orochimaru? Where have I heard that name before..." The Doctor muttered in deep thought. "Orochimaru, Orochimaru, Orochimaru... AH! She's the Slug Sannin isn't she!? Kabuto?"

Kabuto blinked owlishly after hearing that. He looked at the doctor in front of him, examining his relaxed yet confident posture. He couldn't detect any spikes of Chakra, but he has to be very careful since he's powerful enough to stand there unnoticed.

"Wait, wait, that's not right!" The Doctor talked to himself again. Then he smacked his head a couple of times trying to remember that name. "Gah! My memory is failing me, who is he again? I really forgot."

Kabuto took out a senbon out of his pocket that's been laced with memory potion. "Orochimaru is the Snake Sannin, traitor of Konoha." He said before throwing a round of senbon at the Doctor.

Only for the projectiles to whizz pass him. 'Genjutsu' Kabuto thought in alert before looking around for any sign of the real doctor.

"Hey! I was talking! You don't shoot people for talking!" The Doctor exclaimed in annoyance. Then his eyes widened. "Oh wait, I remember now! Orochimaru is the Snake Sannin! One of the missing nin." He said with a little grin on his face

Then the Doctor looked at Kabuto with a little smirk on his face. "But you... Oh Kabuto he's nothing against you..." He walked closer towards him who just activated his chakra scalpel in alert. "You are clever, smart, tricky... People are so slow compared to you, I'd call you a genius except I'm in the room."

Kabuto looked at the Doctor in alert. "Who are you?"

The Doctor folded his arms in front of his chest. "It doesn't matter really... But there is one thing you need to know." He leaned towards Kabuto with that calm yet confident look on his face. "I cannot meddle with your fate. I cannot stop any of your plans. I cannot stop you in any shape way or form."

Then he gazed at Kabuto deeply in the eyes. "But know this; Sakura Haruno is under my protection. No force in this fabric of creation, not Orochimaru, not Madara Uchiha, not Nagato Uzumaki, and not even the Tailed Beasts is powerful enough to stop me."

Kabuto looked back at The Doctor and found not a single trace of lies in his eyes. "I understand, Doctor san." Kabuto said before swiftly exiting the room.