Prey chapter 21

Chapter 21: Preparations and little D-mission


“Dad sure loves storing up stuff,” Hanabi sighed, while she shoved a box to the side. Hinata nodded. She placed the box she was holding in her hands on another one and sat down. Why did they have to do this so early in the morning? “Hinata, look what I found,” Hanabi said enthusiastic. Hinata walked to her younger sister. She was holding some old clothes of their father. “Can you imagine dad walked around in this?” she said, while trying not to laugh. Hinata stared at the old dark blue shirt and black pants. Both of them had the same picture of a little flame on it. Suddenly both girls burst into laughter.

They didn’t stop when Mitsuki entered the room. “Hanabi, your father is asking for you,” she said. Hanabi left, still grinning. Hinata immediately stopped laughing when she saw Mitsuki’s face. “What is it?” she asked her. “O, nothing, it’s just the time of the year,” Mitsuki sighed.

Hinata didn’t understand it. “What do you mean?” “Every year, at the tenth of October, Rakuna acts strangely. I still haven’t figured out why.” Hinata eyes widened. ‘Tenth of October!’ “Is that today?” she asked. “Yeah, what about it?” “It’s Naruto’s birthday,” Hinata whispered.

She became despaired. ‘O no! It’s the first birthday that I am his girlfriend! What should I give him?’

“Give him a bowl of ramen and he’s happy,” Mitsuki said as if she had read Hinata’s mind. Hinata stared at her for a moment. “I’m not gonna give him a bowl of ramen, that’s lame,” Hinata said annoyed. “Okay, you’re right. Anyway, does he even celebrate it? I haven’t heard him talking about it.” Both of them were quiet for a while.

“I think, because he never celebrated it, he kind of forgot it’s his birthday,” Hinata said, feeling sorry for him. “Then why don’t you throw him a party,” Mitsuki suggested. Hinata stared at her friend and a smile came on her face. “A surprise party,” she said smiling. Mitsuki nodded, “But how do we do that?”

“Do you do what?” Neji had appeared in the room. “A surprise party for Naruto,” Hinata explained, “Today is his birthday.” “Does he have a mission today?” Neji asked. “No,” Hinata answered. “Why don’t you ask Tsunade to send him on a mission,” Neji said. “O, I understand what you mean, just a small mission out of town that will take until the evening,” Mitsuki said and Neji nodded, “Meanwhile we decorate his room with balloons and stuff and invite a lot of his friends.”

“You’re forgetting one thing,” Neji said calmly. “What’s that?” “How do you get in his apartment? You need his key.” “I can take care of that,” Hinata had a little evil smile on her face. Neji and Mitsuki looked stunned at her. “O-okay,” Mitsuki mumbled, “Then we’re off to Tsunade.” “We?” Neji asked, but before he got an answer Mitsuki pulled him with her. “Don’t forget the key!” she shouted. “Don’t worry!” Hinata yelled back.

Hinata was alone. “First those boxes, then the key,” Hinata said to herself. She placed the last box on the right place and sighed relieved that her work was done. Then she saw an old photo album.

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“I still don’t understand why I have to come with you,” Neji said a bit annoyed to Mitsuki. “You know Naruto isn’t allowed to leave Konoha alone with Akatsuki tracking him down.” In the time she had been in Konoha she learned some more about Naruto and Konoha itself. She had also heard of the organisation ‘Akatsuki’ who wanted the Biju that was sealed inside Naruto.

“Yes, but…wait a second, you want me to go with him!” Mitsuki grinned a ‘yes’. “Why me?!” “You’re a jo-nin and you have Byakugan.” “You already thought this whole thing out, haven’t you?” Neji said pissed off. “Of course, I’m a fast thinker.”

They reached Tsunade’s office and Mitsuki knocked on the door. “Come in,” the two shinobi heard and they entered the room. Tsunade, Shizune and Sakura looked at them. “Can we…” “Humph.” “Okay, can I ask you a favour?” Mitsuki asked. Tsunade nodded not understanding. “Could you send Naruto on a mission that will take until the evening?” “….why?” Tsunade asked confused. “It’s his birthday and Hinata wants to throw him a surprise party,” Neji said still annoyed he got dragged into this.

Sakura stared at Mitsuki. ‘How could I forget that,’ she wondered. Tsunade looked surprised as well. She sighed. “I guess he forgot it himself or else he would have told us, right.” Mitsuki nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s see what I’ve got…”

Tsunade searched through the papers. “Ah, this would do.” She picked up the paper and read. “Just a delivery, but still very important… Neji you go with Naruto. I’m not sending him out alone.” Mitsuki looked at Neji with an evil grin, “Told you.”

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Hinata got the photo album and opened it. It had pictures of her father and his twin brother in it. They looked really cute when they were younger, but there was something odd about the book. Some of the pictures were missing. Hinata turned the pages and found more gabs, she wondered why.

She closed the book, but one picture fell out. Kneeling down she wanted to pick the picture up, but stared at the names that were written on the back.

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“Argh,” Naruto grunted as he sat up in his bed. His hand reached to his head. “Damn, that dizzy feeling of the last three days,” he growled and shove to the side of his bed.

“I agree, it’s really annoying.”

‘Kyubi? What do you mean?’

“You’re not the only one feeling light-headed, brat. I woke up with it today as well.”

‘Really? I wonder why. I mean I have been waking up with this feeling the last three days… could it be that it is because the poison is now away?’

“That stuff is gone for over a week now, why would we get this feeling now. Although it could be that my chakra is starting to flow through your body again, like the way it was before you got the poison in your body, but I doubt that. I am feeling dizzy as well. There must be something else, but what…”

‘Yeah, you’re right. It can’t be because of the poison…. By the way have you any idea of what I am forgetting?’

“Huh? Why are you asking?”

‘I have the feeling there is something today, but I can’t really remember if it was important or not and this annoying dizziness isn’t helping a lot.’

“Sorry, brat, I don’t know. I am dealing with the same problem.”

‘Ah, true. Well at least it disappears later on today, maybe I can remember then. And maybe it will go away after some fresh air.’

Naruto stood up, while the world was spinning somewhat, and found his way to the kitchen to get something to eat. Not in the mood of making something more difficult than bowling water for ramen he sat down with hot ramen five minutes later.

After changing clothes he left his apartment to take some fresh air. It helped a bit, at least the world wasn’t spinning any longer. As he walked he noticed his surroundings were shooting him more glares than usual. Pondering over what the reason could be he heard his name and looked around to find Sakura ran up to him. “Naruto, Tsunade is asking for you.” Naruto nodded and together with Sakura he walked to the Hokage tower. Four people were looking at him as he entered the office. “Thank you Sakura, for bringing him.” Sakura nodded and left. “I’m going too, thanks Hokage-sama,” Mitsuki said and also left. Naruto was left with Tsunade, Shizune and Neji.

“Naruto, you and Neji will go on a mission together.” “Only the two of us?” Naruto asked. “Yes, it’s a D-mission…” Naruto wanted to protest first, but remained quiet. The light-headedness would cause trouble on any other mission, a D-mission wouldn’t. ‘Why do I feel dizzy anyway?’

Tsunade expected Naruto to protest, but he didn’t even open his mouth. She was quite surprised because of it - especially because he became chu-nin about week ago - but continued. “You two have to deliver this little package. Neji knows the rest of the details, he is also in charge. You two may go now.”

Naruto and Neji left the office. “Go to the gate, I’ll be there in a minute. I first have to do something before we go. If we’re fast enough, we will be back before the evening,” Neji stated. Naruto sighed but nodded. Neji left, while he walked to the gate.

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“Hinata!” Hinata turned her head to the door of the room. Mitsuki looked at her. “Do you have the key?” she asked. Hinata jumped up. “That’s a no, right?” Hinata nodded ashamed. Quickly she put the photo album back to where it belongs and placed the picture in her pocket. Then she ran out of the room and almost bumped into Neji. “Naruto is at the gate, waiting for me. Do you have the key?” “No she doesn’t,” Mitsuki sighed. “I’m on my way!” Hinata said and sprinted to the gate. Once she was almost there she stopped and took some time to breathe normal again. After that she walked up to Naruto, he looked up when he saw her.

‘Hinata,’ Naruto thought dreamily and smiled. She walked over to him. “Do you have a mission?” she asked as if she didn’t know a thing. Naruto nodded, “With Neji, just a D-mission. I’ll be back in the evening.” Hinata smiled and kissed him. Naruto forgot his dizziness and felt like he always felt when he was kissing Hinata. In the seventh heaven.

While Hinata was kissing Naruto, she almost forgot why she was kissing him in the first place. Her hand quickly went to his right pocket and she grabbed the key in it. Slowly she got it out so he wouldn’t notice and let it fall in the pocket of her vest. “Ahum!” Hinata and Naruto let go and looked confused to the side. “N-Neji-nii-san!” Hinata stuttered and was getting a few shades of red on her cheeks, because he had appeared so suddenly. Naruto was blushing as well. “Shall we go,” Neji said to Naruto. “Ye-yeah,” he mumbled as answer and Neji walked through the gate.

Naruto turned his head to Hinata and whispered in her ear, “When I’m back I’ll continue that kiss.” Hinata blushed even more than she was doing a moment ago.

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While jumping to another branch, Neji noticed Naruto was acting weird, well for his doing. The blonde had barely said a word since they left the village three hours ago. It also seemed like he had some difficulty with the speed they were going. Neji wondered what was going on inside that stubborn head of his and if the guy would ever tell him what the problem was, a thing Neji highly doubted, so the Hyuga just kept his mouth shut.

Naruto shook his head a few times so the blur vision he had disappeared. ‘Damn it, what is it with this lightheadness? I felt this before, but at that time I had turned into the fourth tail state not long before that, which I haven’t now. I haven’t used Kyubi chakra at all lately and that’s all thanks to the poison.’

“Shall we speed up?” Neji asked. He asked this to see if Naruto would tell him what was going on, but gained a ‘yes’ as reply. ‘Idiot, you’re pushing yourself. Admit you can’t,’ the Hyuga genius thought, though he did speed up. Not too much, Hinata would do something to him if she found out something was wrong with her dear Naruto-kun and he had pushed him.

But soon the speed became too much for Naruto and as the world was starting to spin again for him, he missed the next branch. Luckily though, he managed to place his hand on another branch what slowed him down as he landed to the solid ground. Neji stopped next to him. ‘Darn it…’ Naruto thought as the world stopped spinning. Without him noticing he had placed a hand on his head. “Okay, spit it what is going on,” Neji said. Naruto looked up. “What are you talking about?” he said smiling. “Don’t play dump, something is going on with you and it’s probably the reason why you didn’t protest for having a D-mission while being a chu-nin. Besides, you have been reaching for your head several times.”

Naruto noticed his hand on his head and lowered it, while standing up. “I’m fine, Neji.” Neji sighed and started walking. Naruto looked surprised by this. “Huh? Why are you walking, can’t we…” “No, we walk. Apparently you can’t speed up without getting trouble, even though you say you’re alright,” Neji cut him off. This time it was Naruto’s turn to sigh. “Alright damn it, I’m just dizzy okay and I have no clue why that is.” “Dizzy?” “Yes… and you’re right…,” he then admitted. Neji remained silent. “Every time we speed up, the dizziness increases,” Naruto mumbled, “But I don’t want that to hold us back. If we hurry we will be back before he evening, that’s what you said. Next to that you’re just stuck with me because of Akatsuki.” “There’s a difference between hurrying and rushing, Naruto. But, why is Akatsuki after you?” “Don’t know, maybe they have a grudge against me,” Naruto said back.

Neji noticed Naruto definitely did know, but the fact that the blond admitted he was dizzy and in no shape of speeding up was enough for now. “We walk,” the Hyuga said. “Fine,” Naruto sighed, “But… there is one favour I would like you to ask.” “What would that be?” “Don’t tell anyone about the dizziness.” “Why not? Yo-” “Just don’t. Please, Neji.” “Alright.”

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Hinata knocked on Shino’s door. It was soon opened, by Shino himself. “Do we have a mission?” the bug boy asked. “No, Naruto-kun’s birthday is today and we are throwing him a surprise party tonight. I came to invite you.” “I will be there, but don’t you need help?” “Uhm, help is always wanted. Could you inform team ten?” Shino nodded, “What about Kiba?” “Mitsuki-chan already told him,” Hinata smiled. She then bowed. “Thanks for the help, Shino-kun. I need to go now.”

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“I can’t believe he didn’t even start about it this morning when I sent him on that mission,” Tsunade sighed as she waited for some people. “Yeah, I pity him. Also the villagers gave him even more glares then usual,” Shizune said while looking out the window. Once again the Hokage sighed, but this time it was more annoyed. She was looking at some records of ANBU. It was a register of Naruto and it seemed that every ten October he had stayed in his home. Sarutobi had made ANBU following the boy in order to give him some protection. Though, mostly they did not a thing until it was ‘really’ necessary. Naruto had spent in the hospital several times for a lot of different reasons. It pissed the slug princess even more off.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said still annoyed. It were Iruka and Kakashi that entered. Tsunade was actually surprised Kakashi had come immediately. “Hokage-sama, what’s so urgent that you call me out of class?” Iruka asked. Kakashi said nothing, just waited for the answer.

Tsunade only said one word, or actually, one name. “Naruto.”

Iruka looked at her. “Yes, I know… it’s his birthday. I will go search for him later on today, but…” Iruka didn’t continue as Kakashi looked at him with a bit of a shocked face. “Iruka, did you know he has been spending his birthday alone in his home, he never left it at that date.” Iruka looked a bit sad. “I know, I have visited him a few times on his birthday. Whatever I tried, he didn’t even want to go to the academy. I really wonder if he still stays inside…” Tsunade got a bit more concerned. This was because apparently Naruto had refused leaving his home on that particular date, but yet had done today. He could have grown over it or he had just forgotten what the date was. She thought it would be the latter and her reason was that he would at least celebrate his birthday with his girlfriend.

“He isn’t at his home. I think, no actually I am almost curtain he forgot his own birthday.” The two men looked a bit upset about that. “Mitsuki came to me this morning and told Hinata will throw him a surprise party. You are expected there as well. Now here’s your mission; try to find Jiraiya. I think Naruto will be more than happy when he’s around too, after all he’s been Naruto’s teacher for almost three years.” “Then what ab-” “Go!” Tsunade cut Iruka of. The two left, not wanting to be in the same room with a pissed off Tsunade.

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‘Damn why can’t I remember it... luckily the dizziness is mostly gone now.’

Naruto and Neji entered the town where they had to deliver the little package. Neji knew the address. The blonde looked around when they entered some little shop that sold gear of all sorts. He saw big Fuuma shuriken, odd sized kunai and a few swords.

Neji rang the bell that was standing on the counter. An unkempt man, who looked awfully depressed and worried, came through the open door behind it. “With what can I help you?” “We came to deliver a package,” Neji said as he looked at Naruto, who had the little box in his bag. Naruto got it out and handed it over to the man. He stared at it and then started to smile a little as he opened the box. “It’s the medicine… thank you so much, if you excuse me…” The man left in a rush.

Naruto was a little confused at this. It seemed like this mission was actually not useless after all… at least not in his opinion. He thought weeding other people’s garden, although he didn’t hate it that much, and walking other people’s dog were useless. They should do those jobs themselves according to him.

Ten minutes later the man came back. For some reason he looked a lot better, maybe because he was smiling like a miracle had just occurred. “Thank you, I was getting desperate, my son has been ill for a few weeks and it was only getting worse. Tsunade-sama was the only one that could cure him according to the local doctor, so I sent her a massage. Please give her my thanks from me.” The man bowed. “We will, can I look around in your shop I’m searching for something,” Neji said. “Please do as you wish, I will take a look at my son, ring the bell when you’re finished. “Hai.”

Because Neji wanted to look for something, Naruto decided to do the same. Though, he couldn’t effort some new weapons at the moment. He had only been on D-mission for a while and after he became chu-nin he only got one, though long, C-mission. The money from that he needed for food. And since he wasn’t sure when his next C-mission would come, because of his giddiness, it was better to save his money.

He walked back to the counter and waited until Neji was finished. His eyes fell on paper that was laying there. It had an order on it, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. It was the date that was written on it. ‘The tenth? Is that today…?’ He wasn’t sure, it could be an old paper or something that was written down today.

A bell jingled and Naruto looked up. He saw a well built man with a gentle face entering. The man walked straight to the counter where Naruto was standing. “Konnichi wa,” the man smiled to him. “Konnichi wa,” Naruto said back. “Are you waiting or…” “No, he is looking after his son, I came here with my team-mate to bring him the medicine for the kid.” “Ah, I see. I’m glad to hear that, the poor boy has been ill for quite some while.” The man rang the bell on the counter. Not long after that the owner of the shop came. “O… you came for your order right?” The man nodded, while the shop owner picked up the paper that was laying on the counter. “I was already wondering when you would come, let’s see a set of new arrows…I have it in the back. Wait a moment.” The owner left and the man waited, while Naruto was in a little shocked moment.

‘So that’s what I forgot…my own birthday. It explains the glares of this morning… at least I am out of the village until tonight.’

The man came back with the arrows but Naruto barely noticed.

‘Normally I lock myself up in my apartment… how come I forgot it today…? I wonder, does Hinata know…?’

“Naruto?” “Huh?” Naruto turned his head to Neji. “Everything alright?” “Ye-yeah, don’t worry.” Neji continued looking at him, while the blonde put on an awkward smile. The genius then decided to leave it be and paid for the set of kunai he had chosen. After the two left. “Come again, and thank you very much for bringing the medicine,” the counter man said. Naruto grinned at that, while the door closed.

“Let’s go home, shall we?” Neji asked. Naruto merely nodded and the two Konoha shinobi walked homewards.

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“Do we have everything now?” Sakura asked looking around. “I think so,” Hinata said as she went down the list she had made in her head. “Now we only have to wait for him to come home…” Tsunade was interrupted by knocking on the door. Hinata walked to it and opened it. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji were standing there. Shikamaru looked bored, Ino totally in the mood for a party and Choji seemed to drift his eyes to the kitchen were food was waiting for the evening. Smiling, Hinata let them in. It didn’t take long or the room was filled with people. Now they only had to wait for Naruto to come.

Hinata shifted form one foot to another, being a little nervous. “So Hinata, what did you buy for your boyfriend?” Ino wanted to know. Tenten and Sakura soon joined, while Hinata started to blush a little. “A-ano, I am not telling you.” ‘Next to that I didn’t buy something, but this is a lot better than anything I could think of.’ “O, come on you can tell us.” The weapon master and pink haired nodded agreeing. “No, sorry,” Hinata smiled. “Ow, please. We want to know,” Ino continued begging. “If you want to know you have to wait until Naruto gets it, Ino. You heard her, no,” Mitsuki butted in.

Ino turned her head to the wolf girl and with a little fear displayed in her eyes she avoided the grey eyes of the girl. “Ok,” the blonde said and walked away. Sakura and Tenten sighed, both not in the mood of continuing to ask, so they decided to sit down on some chairs. “Thanks, Mitsuki-chan,” Hinata said. “Sure, though I can’t believe they stopped so soon after I said something…” Kiba pulled his girlfriend into a hug. “That’s because Ino is afraid of you. She thinks you will pull that same trick on her as last time,” he said while snuggling into her neck. “O, I see,” Mitsuki giggled. Kiba kissed her on her cheek.

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Naruto sighed. They were walking. Neji had decided not to rush anymore and Naruto didn’t even complain about that. The later they will be back in Konoha, the less people there will be on the streets. This meant less people shooting glares at him. ‘As soon we’re back I’m going to bed.… Or maybe I should go eat at Ichiraku, there it’s okay to be at my birthday…. Okay ramen at Ichiraku and then to bed.’