The Last Chinoike [A NARUTO LOVE STORY]

Calm Before the Storm

"Alright, Naruto." Hayami was getting rather exhausted from the emotional stress she'd been under throughout most of the day. "I should head home," she got up and stretched her body from side-to-side, "I have training at five tomorrow. You know, I bet I'll even be able to get that chakra reserve seal before you know it! My money's on exactly a week from now; it's so close I can practically taste it. 

"It would be super cool and badass if it came in the middle of a crucial battle against a tough opponent, but I don't think that's in the cards for me. But anyways," she shrugged her shoulders up and down before zipping up her jacket. "I gotta get going if I want to wake up on time. Will you be okay?"

Naruto looked up and over to meet her eyes. He smiled up at her, not one that resembled his previous energetic grins, but one that was on its way back to normalcy. Thanks to Hayami pushing her way in that day, Naruto was starting to feel better. Slowly but surely, he would return to his normal sunshine-filled self. "I'll be alright. Thank you for everything, Hayami."

The girl blushed furiously as she bent down to give Naruto a soft peck on the cheek. Her warm lips gently collided with his whiskered cheeks as her other hand rested on the apple of his unoccupied cheek. She gently let her thumb rub back and forth as her lips lingered on him. He slowly turned a shade that resembled Hayami's own blushing state. The girl turned around and started walking away, but not before calling over her shoulder, "oh really, it was no big deal. I'll see you soon, sleep tight!" With her reddened face, the kunoichi began to walk herself back home. 

As Naruto watched Hayami leave, his eyes glued to her back, his smile dropped down into a thin line. 'Maybe something sweet would help me feel better...' Naruto pulled himself up from the bench he had been previously sitting on with his girlfriend. The kid trudged down a set of concrete stairs toward the local convenience store, his black civilian-style sandals scraping the dirt underneath him. The blond was still wearing the capri-length sweatpants and slouchy t-shirt that he had been all day.

Having arrived at the fluorescently lighted store, Naruto maneuvered through the aisles to the freezer section at the back. He stared at the two-pronged popsicle in front of him, tucked away behind a freezer door. The shinobi sighed before opening the door, grabbing one, and paying for it at the register with some loose change he had in his pocket. Naruto exited the store and sat himself down at a different bench, one that was directly under a streetlamp, before tugging the popsicle out of its plastic sleeve.

Once Naruto stared down at the orange popsicle that was clearly meant for two, memories of his time with Jiraiya flooded his mind once again. There was a time when Jiraiya would buy popsicles, just like this one, and split it in half to share with Naruto. He remembered leaning against Jiraiya's back as he relaxed after a tiring training session. Before he knew it, more tears fell from his glossy eyes, producing small droplets on the ground below.

"Naruto?" A masculine, yet comforting voice called out to Naruto. Iruka Umino approached his former student, walking up toward the bench underneath the strong fluorescent light. He sat down next to the blond and began to comfort him to the best of his ability. 

In a sense, Hayami was able to take the pieces out of the box, laying out all the pieces and parts of healing from grief that Naruto needed to hear. And here was Iruka, using his words as the instructions and fuel for Naruto to want to get better. But now it was time for Naruto to use their help to try and overcome yet another hardship; but the blond was finally starting to see a light at the end of the never-ending tunnel, and all because of the two closest people in his life.

"Hey there, brat." A feminine, yet strong voice tugged Hayami out of her thoughts. Surprisingly enough, it was not the normal ANBU that met her for training that following morning, but her original sensei from the Hidden Leaf instead- Lady Tsunade. The pigtail wearing Hokage had decided to oversee her newest student's training for the day.