Naruto's Kit

Chapter 15

For the rest of the day Naruto would hang out with Hinata and Akane. The young girl kept looking stricken most of the time in the beginning, feeling ashamed of her involvement in Naruto's life. Even though both her chosen parents told her repeatedly there was no reason for her to be so upset, she still looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. To try and cheer her up, Naruto and Hinata decided they had to do something big. Naruto had an idea around eleven, and took Akane with him to the hokage's office, with Hinata tagging along.

They saw Shizune returning from an errand before they could enter the building. "Hey, Shizune-nee-chan, is baa-chan busy?" Naruto asked.

Shizune gave him a confused look. "Naruto, didn't you just get back from a mission not two hours ago? Don't you want to relax a bit or spend time with your daughter before getting another one?"

"Actually, that's what I want her for. Can I talk to her soon?"

"Now's not a good time. She's got another team to brief then her lunch break. Try back around 1:00, okay?" Shizune answered.

"Gotcha. See ya later nee-chan." Naruto told her with a wave and led his followers away. Shizune went inside, wondering what he wanted.

"You don't want to go away so soon, do you Otou-san?" Akane asked as they headed nowhere in particular.

Naruto picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. "Naw. Actually I was hoping to get a few days off and try something out. We'll just have to wait and see."

"What 'something' did you have in mind, Naruto-kun?" Hinata curiously asked.

"You're going to have to wait too, Hinata-chan."

The trio went back to Iruka's, who had left to attend personal business, and got all of Akane's things and took them back to the apartment. Still with time to spare before seeing Tsunade, they went back outside. Naruto got an idea. "Hey, Akane-chan. I met someone while I was gone. A boy about your age. Wanna see him?"

"What's he like?" Akane asked.

"Don't tell me you adopted another one." Hinata added.

"Actually, he sorta took to Tenten on the way back and is with her now. And it's more of an older sister-little brother thing if you ask me." Naruto told his girlfriend. "As for what he's like, you'll just have to see for yourself."

After a while they reached Tenten's smithshop. Tenten liked her family's business so she saw no reason to move away, but she did live in a separate part from her father now. Naruto and his followers entered and saw the bun-haired kunoichi showing Noburo around the shop. Tenten saw them enter. "Hi guys. What brings you here?"

"Just stopping for a visit. And thought that these two oughta say 'hi'." Naruto replied. "And I thought I'd see if you've got anything new on the shelves yet."

Tenten shrugged. "Look around then."

Apparently the two kids present decided to introduce themselves to each other without being told to. "Hi. Is that your natural hair color?" Akane curiously asked.

Noburo twirled a lock of sky-blue hair in his left hand. "Yes, it is. But I dye it when I need to hide myself. Is yours naturally red?"