Until We Meet Again (Part 3 to the TBT Trilogy)

Chapter 7

Another week went by, and Naruto was already back from his mission. Kakashi and I talked about the Akatsuki thing when I visited him in the hospital, and he gave me a rundown of what happened. I was worried to hear that Naruto almost lost himself in the Nine-Tails form. 

I was glad to hear they didn't run into the two I did. 

"So, Hana, what's new with you?" Anko asked with a carefree demeanor and a mouth full of dango. 

"Nothing really, just missions," I replied, sipping my matcha tea. 

She gave me a knowing look. "You know what I'm talking about. How's it going with that guy? One of the other jonin said they saw you two looking cozy at Yakiniku Q,"

My cheeks flushed a little, "We're just seeing how things go. His name is Ryuken, and he works at the hospital,"

Anko grinned slyly, "So you finally took my advice,"

"It's not serious. We're just seeing where it's going," I rolled my eyes playfully at her attempt to tease me. 

I changed the subject and caught up more with Anko. She told me about what's been going on in her life. We spent another hour at the dango shop until I realized I had to go since Jiraiya was in town for the time being, and I needed to talk to him.

I waved at Anko as I left the dango shop and headed to the park where Jiraiya and I agreed to meet. 

I sat down on the bench, waiting for him. He said he had to talk to Tsunade, Kakashi, and someone named Yamato, who was supposed to be Naruto's new sensei. Speaking of Naruto, he passed by, looking mildly irritated. 

"Hi, Naruto," I said as he passed by. "What brings you to the park?" I greeted.

"Hi, Hana," He stopped walking and plopped beside me. "I was just strolling around trying to clear my head. This guy named Sai is driving me nuts. All he talks about is balls!"

I chuckled at his complaint, "If you keep making that face, it'll become permanent,"

"I can't help it," Naruto grumbled. "The guy's a weirdo,"

I listened attentively as Naruto vented his frustrations about this guy. 

"Well, maybe you can find something that isn't balls to talk about with him and get to know him better," I joked. "You never know. He could end up being a close friend,"

"Yeah, well, I don't trust him," Naruto sighed. "I don't see myself being close with him at all,"

"It'll take time," I said. Looking up, I saw bushy white hair in the distance. I was going to wave at Jiraiya, but he saw Naruto, gave me a look, and shook his head. I was confused, but I knew what he was saying. He was saying not to tell Naruto he was there. I pretended not to notice. Naruto finished up what he was saying and realized he had to go.

"Thank you for listening, Hana. You've always been there, and I can't thank you enough." 

Naruto stood up and walked away. His words sent a pang of guilt through my chest, given what I would discuss with Jiraiya. 

Jiraiya joined me on the park bench once Naruto was out of sight. I figured Naruto was probably hounding him about learning a new jutsu or something, so he was trying to stay hidden. "So, what did you want to talk about, Hana?"

"It's about me trying to tell him the truth," I sighed, leaning back against the bench. "I know he needs to know soon. But I can't find the courage or the right time,"

"What are you so afraid of?" He asks.

"What if he hates me for not telling him sooner? What if he blames me for his parents' death?" I asked. "All these kinds of questions, and on top of that, I can never find the right time. We're both always on missions,"

Jiraiya nodded with understanding. "Hana, you know that he has always looked up to you and trusts you. He will be hurt and might be angry at first, but he'll come around. He's not that kind of person,"

I still felt unsure. "I know that, but what if he thinks I betrayed him? That I kept this secret from him on purpose?"

He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "But you didn't betray him. You were following the orders of Lord Third. He had his reasons for not wanting Naruto to find out, and you were following them. It's not your fault,"

"But what if he doesn't see it that way? What if he just thinks I was deceiving him all these years?" I asked, starting to get emotional. 

"And if he does, I'll talk to him. He may be a knucklehead, but he's understanding. You have to let it come naturally to you, too. If you keep trying to force it out, your overthinking will only get worse. 

I inhaled deeply and exhaled. "You're right. I have to let it come naturally, thank you Jiraiya,"

Jiraiya smiled, "Just remember I'll be here for you, no matter what happens, kiddo."

Jiraiya and I parted ways after that, and it started to get dark, so I decided to go home and cook dinner. I had to be up early for tomorrow anyway because Kurenai and Asuma wanted me to go with them to a farmer's market. 

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Sorry to cut this chapter short. I just didn't know what to do with it, but the next one will be longer. All my exams are out of the way, so I can focus on this book some more. I'm not doing summer quarter, so there will be more updates.