The Last Prayer

Part 30 :: The Right Exceptions

NARUTO

Sprinting through the trail leading away from Training Ground 3, Naruto leaps onto the first available rooftop to leap from building to building his home. Normally he would've walked her home to make certain she was safe, but after revealing something about himself that's practically taboo, he opted to flee and leave a clone to cover her back. Though he does like the vision of a large loving family, he knows he didn't confess to her his preference in hopes she would agree. He used it against her but it was for her own good, huffing, "dodged that kunai."

'You lied to me,' Kurama growls from deep within his seal.

"Wha," Naruto sounds before mentally asking his furry partner, 'how'd I lie? I said I didn't want to use her.'

'You agreed with Jiraiya's wisdom,' Kurama retorts with his husky voice. 'You said you would!'

'First, no, I didn't,' Naruto responds, letting his body naturally sprint as his mind converses with the Nine-Tails. Looking through the high golden gate, Naruto shows the prowling beast his counting fingers. 'Second, I don't want Gaara to hate me for hurting his sister. Third, I don't want to ruin whatever friendship Temari-chan and I could have. Since I know what they're planning, it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her like that.'

'I don't like you right now,' the destructive chakra beast flatly declares.

"Aww, come on, Kurama," Naruto replies.

Kurama stops prowling to testify to the blond, 'first, our primary mate refused us, then the crafty blond, then the teammate, and now you reject a willing mate! You enjoy claiming we're partners, yet you make all the decisions!'

'Partners don't ask friends to deliberately trick and hurt other people's feelings,' Naruto hollers back as if it's obvious. 'You wouldn't like it if someone asked me to take advantage of you- Oh, actually, I seem to remember Ji-chan asking me if I could control you, and what did I say? It's not right to do that to a friend!'

'...You said, a person,' Kurama begrudgingly corrects. 'Which I am not.'

Slumping his shoulders, Naruto returns, 'I was respecting the fact that you don't want them knowing too much about you or I would've said friend.' Walking closer to the golden gates, Naruto reminds the great beast, 'and Nai-chan only said she needed a break. If anything's wrong, I know she'll tell me.'

'That was too long ago,' Kurama complains, taking a seat and resting his head on his paws inches from the gate.

Groaning, Naruto begins to say, 'it hasn't even been a week-'

'Don't pretend you're not restless,' Kurama accuses the blond. Naruto avoids Kurama's eye as the chakra beast continues to say, 'I can't imagine you'd make so much progress in your Sage training if you didn't have a plethora of pent up energy.'

'Yeah, well, I didn't think I'd be so... wired,' Naruto sheepishly admits before insisting, 'even still! That's no reason to take advantage of Temari-chan.'

'I can't trust anything you say,' he angrily retorts. 'Rectify the situation. Seek the advice of a professional if you must.'

'Fine, I'll...' Naruto pauses for a moment, thinking about a professional sociologist who can help; an awesome person who didn't deserve his backlash. 'You know, I should probably see Mabui-chan again. It wasn't fair of me to just walk out on her like that. Plus, it really looked like she didn't know.'