Six years had passed since that time
Training ground 4 - The familiar space where countless hours had been spent
"Have you finally finished creating the jutsu you've been working on all this time?" Hiruzen asked with anticipation in his voice.
Sora nodded in confirmation. Throughout the entirety of the six years that had gone by, he had barely taken any missions at all. Instead, he had spent virtually all of his time dedicated to training intensively and creating a jutsu that he had originally thought of.
—lightning Flash Armor—
This particular technique focuses specifically on using Lightning Release chakra to directly stimulate and empower the user's physical body in its entirety, effectively turning their own nervous system into a conduit for lightning energy.
"Let me see what you've accomplished," he said with interest.
Sora activated the jutsu and lightning chakra began to form into armor that covered his body. His form then became increasingly blurry and indistinct before it completely disappeared from view.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed considerably in surprise at what he was witnessing. Right now Sora was at the high chunin level in terms of his base abilities. However, with the lightning flash armor active and empowering him, he was performing at least at a jonin level.
What he had just accomplished was to channel lightning chakra directly into his muscular system and nervous system, thereby supercharging them beyond their normal capabilities.
His speed had increased dramatically by multiple times over his base speed, which caused an afterimage effect to occur. Hiruzen then pointed deliberately to a huge boulder that was situated nearby.
"Let me see your physical strength now," he said.
Sora nodded in acknowledgment and stood directly in front of the boulder. Then, with all of his accumulated strength, he struck forward with force. His fist made contact right in the center of the boulder and caused cracks to spread outward from the source of impact.
Though the boulder didn't completely break apart into pieces, the strength that was demonstrated was already satisfactory and impressive to Hiruzen.
"Great work. I'll promote you to the rank of chunin," he said with approval.
Sora shook his head in response and turned to face him directly.
"No, I would prefer if you place me on the same team with Naruto instead." He said clearly.
Hiruzen paused momentarily at his unexpected request, then nodded in agreement. He didn't see a particular point or reason not to honor this request. This arrangement would keep his true identity a secret for a little while longer.
"Alright, I'll do it for you without issue." He smiled warmly.
"Thank you very much, gramps," he said with a hint of gratitude.
Hiruzen patted his shoulder affectionately in joy. Over the course of the recent years he had gotten progressively closer to Sora and developed a bond with him. Though Sora remained cold, distant, highly intelligent, and possessed many other complex qualities, he was fundamentally simple in his motivations.
Hiruzen wasn't a bad person by nature and he genuinely loved Naruto deeply, and it was because of that sincere affection that he had gradually gained the trust of Sora.
Hiruzen had become noticeably less stressed because of this developing relationship and had come to genuinely enjoy his time spent at Sora's house, where he received free meals regularly.
"Oh yeah, I've been wanting to ask you something for a while now" Sora said thoughtfully.
"What is it that you want to know?" Hiruzen asked with curiosity.
"Who were my parents exactly?"
Hiruzen paused at his words as his brows raised upward in surprise. Sora had never previously been curious or shown interest in learning about his parents, and now suddenly and unexpectedly he was asking.
"What's with the sudden change of heart about this matter," Hiruzen asked inquisitively.
"I just want to know the truth about them," he said simply.
He didn't elaborate any further on his reasoning. The truth was that he didn't genuinely care about his parents on an emotional level. He just wanted to know and understand if they were part of any particular clan. In case they were members of a clan, he might have an advantage or inherited ability that he doesn't currently know about.
Hiruzen rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he considered how to respond.
"Your mother was an Uchiha clan member, though she was only at the rank of genin during her career. As for your father, he was a member of the Inuzuka clan and held the rank of chunin." He replied with careful consideration.
Sora started contemplating deeply on the new information he had just received. From what he could remember and recall about the Uchiha clan, the sharingan will only awaken during a time of great emotional turmoil or trauma. And as for the traits associated with the Inuzuka clan, he doesn't seem to have manifested any of their distinctive traits.
His sense of smell seems to be relatively normal and unremarkable. His hearing is slightly better than average but still not nearly as good or refined as theirs.
"The Inuzuka get their great tracking capabilities and heightened senses from a secret training regimen and techniques that aren't divulged to outsiders. But their natural affinity with canines still remains present even when they do not grow up together with a nin-dog companion," he added as additional context.
Hearing this additional information, Sora started to plan for something else entirely. Summoning beasts and contracts - perhaps there would be a canine beast clan that he could form a contract with.
He consciously left that thought for later consideration and decided to focus on planning for tomorrow instead. He would be placed on Naruto's team and he wanted to surprise her with his presence.
But from what he could see and deduce, Sasuke would also be assigned to the team. He just hoped sincerely that the remaining member of their squad wouldn't turn out to be incompetent or a liability. He had personally overseen both Naruto's training sessions and Sasuke's training over the years, so he knew with certainty that they are capable and skilled.
He and the Hokage parted ways as he made his way back home through the familiar streets of the village. Upon returning to his residence, he went directly to the closet and carefully grabbed a fresh new pair of boxers along with a clean towel.
He then proceeded to enter the bathroom and drew himself a bath, allowing the warm water to wash away the fatigue of the day's training. After he had finished bathing and felt refreshed, he took a long moment to look at himself carefully in the mirror, examining his reflection.
He had deep dark-black eyes that seemed to hold an intensity within them, black smooth medium length hair that framed his face, and a skin complexion that was quite pale and suggested he didn't spend much time outside even though he actually did spend considerable time training outdoors.
But that physical feature was not what had truly changed over the years. It was his body and overall physique that had undergone the most dramatic transformation. He had grown considerably to reach the height of 5'8 with what could be described as a perfect body shape and proportions. He had never once skipped training his body rigorously unless he was away on a mission assignment, and because of that unwavering dedication and consistent effort he had developed a remarkably fit and muscular body with well-defined muscle definition.
He walked out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist and headed directly for the closet to grab new clothes to wear. But as he was rummaging through the closet searching for something suitable, he paused suddenly and slowly turned around with a sense that something was amiss.
There standing in the doorway was Naruto, and she was staring at him intently with an unwavering gaze. She was eying him up and down in a way that made him feel observed, and Sora didn't quite understand why she was looking at him like that with such intensity, but he vaguely remembered this was the kind of expression that perverted people typically made when they were admiring something.
Looking at her more carefully and considering her character, he didn't genuinely believe she was a pervert by nature, so he attributed her unusual behavior to something else that he simply didn't know about or couldn't comprehend at this moment.
"Is something wrong with you?" He asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
Her face immediately reddened with embarrassment as she vigorously shook her head in denial and yet kept staring at him without looking away. Naruto understood deep down what she was doing and that it was inappropriate behavior. It was improper and she knew it, but she rationalized to herself that she had seen his body all the time over the years during their training sessions together and now this current situation was really no different from those times.
He turned back around to face the closet and grabbed a new pair of pants and a shirt before methodically putting them on his body, dressing himself properly.
After closing the closet door behind him, he entered the living room and sat down comfortably on the couch right next to Naruto, settling in beside her.
Sora reached into his equipment pouch and took out his hand braces that he wore during combat and started tweaking and adjusting them with practiced hands. Every now and then over the course of his training he would either add new components and modifications to enhance their functionality or would make a completely new version from scratch with improved features.
And today he had decided to just add something relatively simple to the existing design. He carefully disassembled the weapon with precision, laying out each component methodically, and then reassembled it skillfully with a new feature that he had conceptualized.
He tapped a small component on the brace with his finger and watched with satisfaction as it opened smoothly, revealing a small hidden space or compartment where something useful could be stored inside for easy access during combat situations.
He could put something like chakra pills for emergency chakra restoration or ninja pill rations for sustained energy during long missions. Either way and regardless of what he chose to store in it, it was an extremely useful addition that would prove valuable.
He then turned his attention to Naruto who was still staring at him with that same intense gaze as before. But this time she wasn't staring directly at his eyes or face. She was staring fixedly at his arms, watching the muscles move beneath his skin as he worked.
He felt quite uncomfortable from the prolonged stares since this behavior had just started happening relatively recently. Ever since she had come back from the academy one particular day a few weeks ago, she had started to stare much longer at him with greater intensity and focus, and he genuinely didn't understand why this change in her behavior had occurred or what had triggered it.
"Naruto," he said her name clearly to get her attention.
She immediately looked up to him with a bright smile on her face like she hadn't been ogling him intensely just a few seconds ago, as if nothing unusual had happened.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need?" She asked innocently.
"I will be placed out into a team starting tomorrow," he said to inform her of the news.
"What, really? Me too, I'm getting assigned to a team as well!" She smiled with genuine excitement and enthusiasm.
"Yes, I'm being put into a team with a really cute girl," he said jokingly with a slight smirk on his face. Though the girl he was actually talking about and referring to was her, and she didn't realize it yet.
Naruto's previously bright smile disappeared instantly and completely as she stared at him with a different expression now. She then tilted her head slightly to one side with curiosity mixed with something else.
"Who is it exactly?" She asked with a tone that suggested she wanted a specific answer.
Sora, still completely unaware of what he had just done or the implications of his teasing comment, smiled casually at her.
"You'll know and find out tomorrow when we meet," he said somewhat mysteriously.
Her smile slowly returned to her face, but this time it wasn't nearly as bright or innocent as it had been before. There was something else behind it now.
Looking outside through the window and observing that the sun was gradually setting and casting long shadows across the landscape, he stood up from his comfortable position on the couch and made his way purposefully toward the kitchen. Once there, he proceeded to cook a simple yet satisfying meal, carefully preparing each component before finally setting the completed dishes on the table for them to enjoy together.
Naruto seated herself comfortably on her chair as they both started eating the meal he had prepared. As she was eating and enjoying the food, she suddenly felt her chakra vibrating and pulsing in an unusual and unexpected manner. She quickly finished eating her food with haste, then politely excused herself from the table and headed directly to the bathroom with a sense of urgency.
Upon entering the bathroom, she sat herself down carefully on the toilet seat and slowly closed her eyes, focusing her mind inward. The scenery around her transformed and shifted dramatically as it changed to reveal a large, dark sewer system with massive iron bars that seemed to be imprisoning something enormous and powerful within.
Naruto directed her gaze into the cage with clear anger and frustration visible in her expression and demeanor.
"What do you think you're doing right now?" She asked in a cold and controlled tone that betrayed her irritation.
The huge fox creature smirked with apparent amusement at her reaction.
"Nothing at all, I was just playing around and having a bit of fun," the fox replied with a smile that seemed to mock her.
Naruto growled audibly in anger and frustration at the fox's cavalier attitude. The massive fox started laughing uncontrollably with great amusement at her distress.
"Are you scared and worried? Scared that he will hate you and reject you if he finds out the truth that you're a jinchuriki?" The fox laughed mockingly at her vulnerability.
Naruto's eyes grew increasingly bloodshot with rage and emotion at the fox's cruel taunting.
"Shut up you stupid, annoying fox! He would never hate me or turn away from me. He l-" she started to say defensively before being interrupted.
"Loves you," the fox finished the sentence for Naruto with a mocking tone. "Don't forget and don't try to ignore the fact that I killed his parents brutally, and now I'm sealed inside your body as your burden to bear," the fox added cruelly.
Naruto's entire body shook and trembled as she quietly growled with suppressed rage and emotional turmoil.
"Eventually and inevitably, my chakra will be sensed and detected by him when you're not careful. I wonder what you will do after he abandons you and leaves you alone?" The fox roared in laughter with malicious glee.
Naruto was then forcefully ejected from the mind space and returned to reality. She gritted her teeth tightly together in anger and frustration at what had just transpired.
"You stupid, horrible fox," she angrily muttered under her breath with resentment.
knock knock
Her head shifted and turned toward the bathroom door, her attention suddenly drawn to the sound of knocking coming from the other side.
"Are you okay in there? You've been in there for well over an hour now," Sora asked from outside the door, with a distinct hint of worry and concern clearly evident in his voice.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and forced herself to put on a smile despite her inner turmoil. She then opened the door carefully and without hesitation jumped directly onto Sora's arms, trusting he would catch her.
He instinctively and immediately grabbed her, catching her securely in his arms without thinking twice about it.
"Ugh, I'm so tired and exhausted. Can you please carry me to bed?" She asked in a pitiful and pleading voice that was hard to refuse.
He didn't hesitate for even a moment and lifted her up into a princess carry, holding her securely and carefully as he carried her gently into the bedroom with measured steps.
After placing her down gently and comfortably on the bed, he climbed in beside her and closed his eyes, intending to drift off to sleep. But just as he was planning to fall asleep and let the day's events fade away, Naruto suddenly spoke up and broke the silence.
"Sora, do you like me?" She asked with a vulnerable tone in her voice.
He didn't turn his head toward her nor did he open his eyes to look at her when he responded.
"I do," he answered simply and honestly without elaboration.
She smiled at his response and felt encouraged to press on further with her questions.
"Would you kill for me if it came down to it?" She asked, testing the depth of his feelings.
"Yes," he instantly answered without any hesitation whatsoever, as if the answer was obvious.
Hearing his instant and unhesitating reply without any pause or doubt, she decided to make one final push and ask the most difficult question.
"What if I were to take everything you love away from you?" She asked as she turned to face him, watching for his reaction.
This time he turned his head toward her and stared straight and directly into her eyes with an unwavering gaze.
"You are my everything," he said with absolute certainty and conviction in his voice.
She paused and froze at his words, processing what he had just said to her, then she blushed deeply with color rising to her cheeks and gave a big, genuine smile of pure happiness.
"You smooth talker," she muttered softly under her breath and closed her eyes contentedly.
Sora smiled warmly at her reaction and closed his eyes as well, and eventually and peacefully they both fell asleep together.