Ascendance of the Flash by Kamikaze132

Chapter 8

That could have gone better.

Naruto was sullen as he walked home, hands in his pockets. Truthfully, he should have foreseen the reaction from his fellow blonde. Many people were sold on the information that Kyuubi was the physical form of hate and rage, and years of no one correcting them had taken its toll.

After Kurama's attack all those years ago, the fox's reputation had taken such a hit that it still hadn't recovered, and it seemingly won't until they see the fox doing something for them. Humanity was like that, greedy and arrogant. Wanting to take, but never give.

"Naruto?"

Naruto blinked in surprise as his red-haired cousin fell into place with him, a cheerful grin on his place. "Haruto?"

"Who else would I be?"

Naruto frowned at his cousin's unusual behavior. It wasn't that Haruto wasn't cheerful at times, but this time it almost felt like-

Oh. Naruto smirked. I see now.

"So how was your day?"

Naruto grinned as he put an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, it was fine. Spent some quality time with my wife, beat up my friends, gave them some tips on how to be better shinobi and overall improve their perspective on life!"

Haruto simply stared at him. "...you sound like Jiraiya on one of his sadistic trips."

Naruto shrugged. "The guy's an excellent teacher. Hard not to pick something up from him."

Haruto gained a sly look in his eyes. "Are you sure that's the only thing you picked up from Jiraiya?"

Naruto's eyes flickered to him. "You really aren't the one who should be talking about who picked up what from Jiraiya, you perv."

"How dare you?!"

Naruto allowed himself a smirk. "Did I hit a nerve?"

Haruto huffed and crossed his arms. "Of course not."

"Really? How was your date with Sakura?"

The answering glower made him snicker all the way till home.

XXXXXXX

"I'm home!"

Temari looked up from where she was sitting on the couch reading a book. "Hey! So, did she tell you?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep. As of today, Team 7 is officially on the Twenty Platoons. Also, I got us a five day holiday."

Temari blinked. "Uh, what?"

Naruto grinned and spread his arms. "You and I are going on a holiday!"

Temari was still just staring at him blankly. Then slowly, with careful movements, she put down her book on the table. "Why?"

"Because now is the only time we can," Naruto answered immediately. "Tsunade created the Nijuu Shoutai for the sole purpose of going to war with Akatsuki, which has already begun. We don't know how long this war will last, or even if one of us would be alive in the aftermath."

Temari snapped. "Don't say that!"

Naruto straightened up, a grim look on his face. "It's the harsh possibility, Temari. One that we have to consider."

She was now standing up. "You said it yourself that it was highly unlikely that anyone can take Kurama away from you!"

"My father was thought to be unbeatable by many, yet he died younger than the average mortality age for shinobi," Naruto promptly answered. "I said that the probability was slim, but it's still there."