Team 8

Chapter 16: Mortal Combat

On his way to the hospital, Naruto cursed sulphurously when a clone's memories suddenly surged into his mind. The clone had been cutting through the hot springs carrying a bag of carryout from the dango shop when it was dispersed. Hinata had hesitantly asked if they could try something besides ramen the previous day, causing Naruto to smack himself on the forehead. He tended to get into a routine with his improvised lunch arrangements and forgot that not everyone was as crazy as he was about his favorite food.

Of course, Hinata immediately thought he was upset at her instead of himself.

Naruto shook his head. It had taken the rest of his afternoon visit to convince her that he wasn't angry with her. This was complicated by a growing sense of rage he felt toward her so-called family. Now that he had a rough idea of what life was like in the Hyuuga Clan, it was easier for him to see how it had twisted his friend.

Now he was doubly angry. His clone had seen a white-haired old man crouched down in front of the fence that screened the women's bathing area. The creepy old pervert was emitting a high-pitched giggle that made Naruto's skin crawl, even in memory. Disgusted, the clone demanded to know what he was doing there.

No sooner had the words left the ersatz Naruto's mouth than there was a loud pop and the old pervert was now facing him, sitting on top of a massive orange toad. The toad's mouth cracked open and an enormously long tongue shot out and wrapped itself around the clone's waist.

"You keeping making so much noise, you're going to get me caught," the white-haired old man said in a dismissive tone. There was a glimpse of a horned forehead protector holding back the white mane. Ninja? Wearing wooden geta on his feet? "Why don't you cool off?" the strange shinobi asked and the disgustingly slimy tongue flexed and whipped the clone off its feet and into the aqueduct that fed into the bath house.

Unfortunately, the impact with the water was hard enough to disperse the clone. Its last memory was flinging the bag of dango away from the canal.

Naruto scowled and immediately summoned ten more clones. Without a word, they took off for the hot springs to reclaim the dango... and keep an eye out for a white-haired older man in olive robes and a red over-jacket.

When he was still two blocks from the hospital, his mood became even more disgusted. His clones didn't find anything near the hot springs, aside from a lot of angry looking women. Of course, one of them assumed the green-clad boys were there to peep as well, and they'd been attacked and dispersed before they could ask a single question.

Naruto saw a bakery right across the street from where he was standing, but he knew the owners hated him on sight. Even if they deigned to serve him, he didn't want Hinata eating anything they knew was being sold to 'the demon boy'. He sighed and ducked into an alley. One quick henge later, he looked like a blond version of Kiba, without the facial tattoos. He strode out of the alley and crossed the street toward the bakery. Ordinarily, he wouldn't want to support their stupid business in any way, but this was for Hinata.

OoOoO

Naruto was just leaving the hospital when one of the chuunin that assisted the Hokage caught up to him.

"Naruto-san, the Hokage would like to see you as soon as possible," the young man said in an oddly respectful tone.

Naruto frowned. It was almost time for his next session with Gai-sensei. Well, there wasn't anything he could do about it. He created another clone and instructed it to find Gai-sensei and tell him Naruto had been summoned to the Hokage's office.

Naruto turned back to the chuunin, who looked slightly disconcerted, and simply said "Let's go."

The chuunin set a brisk pace, but Naruto wished they could get there sooner. He had no idea what jii-san wanted, but the way this day had gone so far, it probably wasn't good.