The Last Chinoike [A NARUTO LOVE STORY]

New Arrival

After the incredibly awkward night, the two woke up on horrible terms. Neither felt the need to speak to the other or acknowledge each other's presence. After a quick breakfast the three began to walk toward the village. By the end of the day, close to sunset, the small group was close to arriving at the Leaf Village. And everyone was feeling a whirlwind of emotions.

Naruto and Jiraiya both noticed the group's newfound silence. Jiraiya was quick to pick up on the new tension between Hayami and Naruto. It was too malicious and upsetting to be a playful sexual tension. 'What could it possibly be...' He pondered. Naruto felt weird about how they left things last night. They exchanged heated words with raised voices. And both shinobi were feeling the repercussions of a fight left unsettled: awkward silence.

Hayami was extremely nervous. The last conversation she had with Naruto was about how awfully the Leaf treated him. She was nervous she would get the same treatment and for what? For simply being different. She was from a different clan, a different village, and had a completely different kekkei genkai unlike anyone here in Konoha. If they were so mean to one of their own, then what would befall her? Obviously Naruto came out okay, he now has friends in his village, but he was always a member of his village. Through thick and thin, he was a citizen of Konohagakure. She, plain and simple, was not. All Hayami wanted, more than anything in the world, was to have a new home where she felt safe. But with every passing step, she felt more and more uneasy.

The young woman didn't want to bother Naruto or Jiraiya with these thoughts. They would either tell her she was crazy to think that or that she was right on the money. The possibility of receiving the latter as an answer terrified her out of asking. Instead, she simply chose to remain silent and stick to herself. This didn't go unnoticed by the two male shinobi, even though the younger one was trying to put on the front of not having a care in the world.

After spending the day in a quiet trance, Master Jiraiya decided to break the silence. "We'll be at the gate in just a few moments." Jiraiya said to the group.

"Great." Naruto muttered, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

Hayami only nodded as a reply, causing Naruto to groan and roll his eyes.

"Got a problem?" He asked looking over at the dark haired woman.

"No, I don't. Did I say I had a problem?" She asked, tapping her chin with her right index finger.

"Oh I can SO not wait for this to be over and you to be out of my hair for good." Naruto said, smirking and tossing his arms behind his head.

That simple sentence caused Hayami's coy smile to falter and make her look down at the ground. She sucked in a sharp breathe as she continued to hang her head. That was all the answer she needed to all the questions she was mulling over earlier.

"Hayami?" Jiraiya asked, resting a hand on her shoulder. Hayami shrugged off his hand and kept on staring at the ground. 

In the few short days the two had spent with the girl, he had not known her to necessarily be of the quiet type. This was so out of character, and right near the Leaf Village too, of all places.

Naruto noticed her change and after letting his smirk falter for a moment, he plastered it back on and kept walking. "GET BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT!" Jiraiya called out to his pupil. "You two. I don't know what the hell happened yesterday, but this has got to stop. I'll give you fifteen minutes to go talk it out. You contemptuous children BETTER be holding hands at the end of that time frame. Just fix whatever you broke and come get me when you're ready to act like adults. Does everyone understand?" Jiraiya yelled to the two teenagers. They both nodded and waited for the older man to walk away before talking.