Light Of A Crystal

23. Omens

Outside Hokage Office

Damn it! They don't understand me at all. Naruto thought with anger filled in his mind. Why don't they understand that Sasuke is evil and is beyond saving? He has also tried to kill me once. Goddamnit!

Naruto angrily punched a nearby pole forming a huge dent in it.

"Naruto!" He heard Jiraya's shout as he turned around and saw the Frog Sage. "Ah! There you are! I was just searching for you." THe Sage noticed the injury on Naruto's left hand but decided not to question about it.

"Ero Sennin!" Naruto brightened up as his injury got healed almost immediately. "What's the mission?"

AH! He is back to his usual self. Jiraya thought happily.

"Well, our mission is to retrieve a woman named Lady Tsunade."

"Lady Tsunade? You mean that Lady Tsunade who is another legendary sanin beside you and Orochimaru?" Naruto asked getting excited.

"Ah! So you know about her. Good!" Jiraya said.

"But why must I come with you? You can do it by yourself. Can't ya?" Naruto asked.

"Oh! I thought of teaching you an A Rank jutsu. Well, since you don't want to come, I might ask Shikamar-" Jiraya never got to complete his sentence.

"WHAT? WELL SAY NO MORE!" Naruto shouted, full of joy as he ran to pack his items.

"That boy!" Jiraya muttered as he shook his head. "He will be dead of me one day."

"Indeed O Great Sanin!" Obito said as he emerged out of the ground. "I have some news. Pain has sent Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki to recruit Naruto in Akatsuki."

Jiraya frowned as he knew that it would happen very soon.

"Say, you have never told us their true ambition yet." Jiraya said as Obito nodded.

"Well, their true ambition in my world was to capture the jinchurikis and infuse their soul in the Gedo Mazo. But I made a special request to Hagoromo to change the ambition from capturing the jinchurikis to capturing the ninjas with Kekkei Genkais instead. This has been done to ensure that we get much more time to plan and systematically destroy the Akastuki." Obito said.

Yes! He already told Jiraya about everything which took place in the previous world and also about Gedo Mazo.

Jiraya frowned and sighed. This was going to be a hell of a job and he knew very well about it.

"Well, let's just hope that everything goes well and let's also hope that another front or group does not open up." Jiraya said as the crows began cawing. A bad omen.

With Naruto

"Hmm hmm hmmm" Naruto hummed with a peaceful tune as he packed his goods when he heard a knock on the door.

Opening it, he saw that it was Hinata who stood in the front of the door with a shy look on her face.

"N-Naruto kun! I heard that you were g-going to retrieve Lady Tsunade!" She said with a shy face, while she tried to look away.

"Oh! You already heard about it? Well, why am I even surprised? Words flt faster with all these rumour and gossip cafes these days." Naruto said with a smile.

"I-I brought you some food which y-you can e-eat on your way." Hinata said as she lifted the box covered with cloth.

"Wow! It smells amazing! I am sure that you will be an amazing wife one day." Naruto said as the crows suddenly started cawing behind him.

A bad omen.

But Naruto didn't believe in these nonsense. So he didn't care about the caws of the crows outside.

"W-Waifu? M-Me and Naruto kun together?" Hinata thought as she pushed the box into Naruto's hands before running away.

"OI HINATA!" Naruto shouted before he sighed. "What's wrong with that girl? Anyways, I should do fast. Shouldn't keep the Ero Sennin waiting." Naruto thought as he quickly stuffed the tiffin box into his bag and ran out.

"Naruto senpai!" He suddenly heard the voice of the only girl in Konohamaru's gang screaming in joy.

Turning around, he smiled and patted on Konohamaru's head.

"What's with the word Senpai, you little brat?" Naruto asked as Konohamaru gave a sheepish grin.

"Nothing! Just that old man told me to call you Senpai after that battle against that Snake. That was awesome!" Konohamaru said as Naruto blushed.

"Anyways, we heard that you are leaving for retrieving Lady Tsunade. Is it true?" Konohamaru asked as Naruto nodded.

"Indeed it's true."

"That's so cool! My senpai getting much needed recognition. We just need to work harder to suppress you." Konohamaru yelled as Naruto nodded.

"Well, keep on training and you will definitely suppress me one day and maybe you may become a hokage. Believe it!" Naruto said as the dogs howled to the sun. Another bad omen, this time disturbing the blond a little but his smile didn't faze a bit as he bid adieu to Konohamaru.

"Anyways, I have to go. I don't want to keep Ero Sennin waiting after all." Naruto said as he walked away calmly.

"Naruto senpai will definitely be the greatest ninja of the leaf." Udon remarked.

"And he will definitely become the greatest hokage the leaf has ever seen in its entire history" Moegi added.

Somewhere a child completed making Senbazuru (1000 paper cranes). Finally, a good omen.

"Naruto! There you are!" The blond heard Tenten yelling for him.

"Oh Tenten! I thought that you already left for your mission." Naruto remarked as he saw Neji and Kakashi behind Tenten.

"Yo!" Kakashi said as he raised his hand in greeting while Neji just smirked. "We will leave for the mission in a few days."

"Anyways, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"Well, nothing much. Just met you coincidentally." Neji said.

"So what's your mission, Naruto?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Nothing big. Just to retrieve some old hag." Naruto said as Kakashi sweatdropped.

"You know Naruto... You should really regret what you just said." Kakashi said as the words entered from Naruto's ear and exited from his other ear.

"Well, I don't care much about what you just said." Naruto said, sticking out his tongue, before turning around.

"Anyways, I have to go. Cya soon! And best of luck for your mission!" Naruto said as he left.

"BYE NARUTO! BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR MISSION AS WELL!" The blond heard the kunoichi shouting behind him as he ran away.

"ERO SENNIN!" Naruto yelled as he saw the white-haired sage waiting for him in front of the gate.

"Did you bid your friends farewell before leaving?" Jiraya asked as Naruto nodded excitedly before both the ninjas walked out of the Leaf to meet the Greatest Medical Ninja and bring her back to the Leaf.

Kakashi: and that brings an end to chapter 23.

Obito: In Japanese culture, according to Google, the cawing of the black crows is a bad omen and making 1000 paper cranes (Senbazuru) is considered to be a good omen.

Kakashi: The howling of dogs in bright daylight is considered to be a bad omen in India.

Obito: Shay san just wanted to show some inteactions with Hinata and Konohamaru because he wanted to show how much they value Naruto.

Kakashi: Before you are mistaken, this book is not about NaruHina but it is about NaruTen. So, don't be mistaken and blast Shay in the comment section.

Obito: And that's for today. As usual, keep reading and...

Kakashi: PEACE OUT!!!