Ino blinked in surprise and didn't immediately notice her jaw dropping.
Okay, it was just Naruto, but he looked so different!
As she remembered to close her mouth and continued to stare at him, she realized that she'd noticed a few changes recently but not paid any attention to him. He was filling out, looking wiry-muscular for someone their age, and he was a little taller than he had been.
What a difference a set of clothes made!
His orange-cream suit, which made her think about a certain type of ice cream she didn't care for, was gone. This was a dark red shirt and pants, with padding in the shoulders and around the collar. DARK red, almost black. Set further off by a deep blue utility vest.
Which should have clashed horribly with his coloration, but somehow fit him.
She glanced to the side on seeing him smile and nod at someone, and took in the look on Hyuga's face. Was something going on there?
November 12:
In another world, another time, Hinata Hyuga would have gone about without any encouragement. Her belief that she was weak and worthless, useless and a disappointment to everyone, would have become crippling problems lasting her for years.
In this world, this time, someone believed in her. When that had sufficiently penetrated and accepted in her heart, things had begun changing.
The short-haired bluenette took her usual seat, glancing around at the rest of the class. Of course, she was mainly interested in the blond boy sitting two rows in front of her. Still, she was a Hyuga and a Hyuga was an observation-specialist. The Jyuuken might make them formidable warriors, but the roots of their family had used the Byakugan for other ends and their family was still valued for that.
Everything was normal though, as hardly anyone would notice a little detail like this.
She tended to wear big and baggy clothes, almost hiding within them. Today was particularly hot, and she was wearing something not so big and baggy.
Now if Naruto would just notice.
"Hey, Hina... whoa."
Hinata smiled brightly, also blushed and fidgeted. That's more like it.
April 3:
"Say what?" asked ten year old Naruto. "How? Why? What?"
Iruka-sensei shrugged. "I take it that you didn't MEAN to pass?"
"B-but? I - the genin exam?" asked Naruto.
"Many people test for the genin exam yearly," pointed out Iruka. "I remember one girl who graduated when she was nine. Shizune, I think her name was. I graduated at eleven myself. Tsunade, one of the sannin, graduated when she was six!"
"But -" managed Naruto. "I'm only ten! This messes up everything!"
"You know, most graduates don't complain that much," said Iruka. "What's wrong with graduating?"
"I wanted to graduate with -" Naruto thought for a reasonable explanation. "I wanted to graduate with Hinata. I didn't even apply for the test!"
"Ah," said Iruka, nodding. "Not everyone takes the test. Apparently one of the other teachers signed you up. Probably Mizuki. Well, there IS a problem with you graduating this year."
Naruto frowned at the thought of Mizuki doing this. Obviously why Mizuki set him up to graduate was so he could die on a mission he wasn't ready for. Except there was some reason he was going back to the Academy. "So I just go back to the Academy because of that?"
"No," said Iruka. "The problem is that there aren't a lot of jonin ready to accept a new team. There is, in fact, only one tokubetsu jonin available right now. Eventually you'll be transferred to a team, but it might take a year or two."
"Oh?" asked the ten year old. "So I'm stuck with some... It's not that Ebisu guy is it?!"
"No, it's not," said Iruka.
Given the way Iruka-sensei was acting, Naruto had this sudden feeling of doom.
Naruto recognized the individual walking into the room, though he hadn't really interacted that much with his new jonin sensei:
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(Posted Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:10)
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