Behind Innocent Eyes

Closing All Bets

Last Time:

One by one the clone started investigating each place on the list hoping to find Naruto's real home ...

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The members of team 8 and Naruto finally stopped to camp before it got too dark out. "We managed to travel a great distance. Only a few hours now. If we start early then maybe we can get there tomorrow right before the exam starts." Kurenai mumbled, getting a little nervous about the bet. "Hey, Naruto. Could you fill up the canteens while we finish setting up camp?"

Naruto nodded as he finished putting his tent up and casually left a crystal inside it, "Sure. I'll grab some fish while I'm at the stream." Naruto said, taking note of the slightly relieved look in the genjutsu mistress's eyes as he gathered everyone's canteens. As he walked away from the campsite he turned on his earpiece so he could listen through the crystal he left in his tent.

'By the time we get back there's a chance that the chunin exams will be just starting if we're lucky. We won't have any time to really train together as a team.' Kurenai said sound concerned about something.

Kiba could be heard chuckling, 'If you're worried about the training then don't, sensei. I really don't think Kakashi knows anything about Naruto's skills at all. I'm telling you, he didn't need my help and he's far better at strategy than any of us thought.'

'Agreed. Throw in the insane chakra storage that lets him pump out hundreds of clones in a few minutes without even breaking a sweat and he has to be chunin level already. We shouldn't worry about that part.' Shino said confidently.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he arrived at the stream, (Why is my skill level a concern? Part of what?) He thought in the safety of his mind just in case though he couldn't help but smile at the kindness in Shino's tone.

'Yes ... yes, you're both right.' Kurenai commented and sighed. 'That really only leaves the other part. We need to see what kind of information Hinata has found on the villagers and Naruto.'

As a canteen was opened and water from the stream flowed in, Naruto hummed thoughtfully, (Pretty sure Guren-sensei took care of Hinata so they don't have that information.)

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Hinata's clone looked through the glass of the back window of a house. She tried to find the best angle to see the photos hanging on the walls. Each picture showed an old woman with a young child or a young man who looked like the child. There was even a striped cat with the child and a white cat with the young man. As interesting as the photos were, none of them showed what the clone wanted and there was no evidence of the blonde target anywhere in the house.

"Another one I can mark off." The clone decided confidently as she crossed off the address from the list she took out of her pocket. "Only two left. I hope they're easier to find than this one." The clone mumbled right before jumping into the nearby trees that surrounded the home.

There was no doubt that it was an isolated home that Hinata was looking for. Despite fitting the bill by being deep in the woods this house definitely wasn't Naruto's. A hopeful clone rushed off through the trees towards the next address. While it was annoying to rack down, even for a ninja, Hinata's clone couldn't help but feel at peace at being so isolated.

No one could bother you so deep in these woods. No villagers or doctors or crazy hypochondriac relatives who freak out at a single sneeze. It was an option Hinata started considering for her future home as her clone searched for the next address on the list.

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'Considering what little I saw from that first shopping trip I'm positive there's going to be plenty to save our hides from that stupid bet you got us stuck in.' Kiba snickered clearly just trying to tease his sensei. The frightened, nervous chuckle that followed implied that Kurenai didn't take kindly to the teasing.