As the fourth day progressed, Team 10 which was composed of Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji arrived at the tower. The three were dead tired and went to sleep right away, not waking up until noon. But even by then, Naruto's team had not made it.
Since the time limit was nearly over, the Genin teams were called to the first floor where the end of the second part of the exam and the beginning of the third would be announced.
The teams had left one after the other, only Team 9 remained. [Name] kept glancing at the large doors from which any participants that passed would be brought through.
The twins could notice her nervousness but there was nothing much they could do. As the clock reached 2:30 in the afternoon, sweat began pooling in [Name]'s face.
"Since they haven't made it until now, should we ask Hokage-sama to send someone to check on them?" After all, Orochimaru had likely also attacked Naruto's team. Renji knew that the only reason [Name] hadn't sent people herself was because of the importance the exams held.
[Name] shook her head and continued pacing back and forth, biting the tip of her thumb, "Not yet. Let's wait a little longer."
If their roles were reversed, she was sure Naruto would wait until the very last second.
The clock on the wall ticked along with the beating of her chest. Just as time was about to come to an end... "[Name]! What are you guys doing here, dattebayo?!"
Naruto was pleasantly surprised as he looked at the slightly dirty trio. Not that his own team was any better. They were covered in scratches and mud. And the one who had changed the most was clearly Sakura.
"We were waiting for you guys. Seriously, you're such a bunch of slowpokes." Takashi stood with his hands on his hips, appearing to be complaining. But as people who knew him, how couldn't Team 7 hear the concern in his voice.
"What exactly happened to you guys? And Sakura-san, your hair..." Renji watched them in shock.
"Ah...? Well..." Sakura brushed the soft pink locks that now only reached her shoulders. Due to the lack of cleaning and care for the last couple of days, it had become tangled and oily.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, glancing at his two teammates as he become unsure of how to explain, "We met some annoying guys, but we are fine now. They ran away all scared, dattebayo." He laughed heartily, punching the air. Until he noticed the strange silence around. "Hmm? What's the matter? Why aren't you saying anything, [Name]?"
The girl's expression was unreadable. Her hair fell over her eyes, creating a shadow that made it even harder to tell her thoughts and feelings.
She didn't seem to have any intention of responding. Without raising her head, she just strode directly toward Naruto, the poor kid closing his eyes as he waited for the pain to come.
"I swear I didn't do anything crazy! No, wait, [Name], I-"
The boy's words got stuck on his throat as two arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly. [Name] pressed her face on his shoulder, her hold on him increasing as she involuntarily trembled.
She had been forcing herself to act strong this whole time and the knowledge that the Kyuubi was unharmed did alleviate her concerns somewhat. However, that only meant that Naruto was alive. Whether he was severely injured or beaten, there was no way for her to know. Now that she could finally see him and confirm he was safe, [Name] could put her heart at ease.
"It's good that you're okay. Congratulations on making it in time." [Name] didn't make him promise that he would never put himself in danger again or worry her. After all, she knew that as a ninja, and one whose goal was to become Hokage, it was impossible for Naruto to never face danger again. His identity as a Jinchuuriki making things worse.
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Naruto: Princess of the Moon
Fanfiction[Naruto x Reader] What if Otsutsuki Kaguya had a daughter? That girl feared the destruction that humans could cause with something like chakra in their hands, so when she fell in love and they were to marry, she sealed all her power away and became...
