Wilted

Training

Naruto was struggling to get off the ropes.

"Underneath the underneath? What a moron! I'm not going to fall for his stupid traps again! Dattebayo!" Naruto bounced up cutting the rope with his kunai just to land on the same trap again.

"Ahhh!!!" Naruto legs got caught on the rope and he flew up again.

"Darn it!!! The same exact trap again underneath me!!" the boy flailed around.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked up at the boy hanging upsidedown.

"Hinata? Can you help me down..." Naruto semi whispered feeling embarrassed by his situation.

"H-Hai (Yes)" the lavender eyed girl put chakra on her feet and climbed up the tree. She grabbed her kunai and put the boy down gently.

"Thanks Hinata-chan" Naruto flashed his pearly white teeth to the girl.

"Now time to find Kakashi-sensei for payback!" the boy raised his fist and start taking off.

"W-Wait Naruto-kun!" Hinata grabbed his sleeve catching him by surprise.

"What is it Hinata?" the sun kissed boy raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Me and U-Uchiha-san have a plan to get the bells... But w-we need your help" Hinata gave him a determined look.

"Hinata... There only two bells... We can't work together" Naruto sighed.

"I-I know... That's w-why I'm giving you and Uchiha-san the bells" the girl looked into his ocean eyes.

"What? Hinata that's crazy! You'll be sent back to the academy you know!" the boy scratched his golden haired wondering why Hinata would choose to fail.

"Y-You and Uchiha-san have d-dreams your working hard for... It's n-not fair for them to end" the girl whispered softly.

"But what about your dreams?! To be be clan leader? To prove to your father you are strong?!" Naruto felt almost angry she would give up her desires so easily.

"I made peace w-with my decision N-Naruto-kun" Hinata held his hand.

"Please r-respect it" the girl bowed.

Naruto eyes were wide. Her giving nature was touching. Especially when no one would spare him the time of day. Yet, she was so willing to sacrifice herself for him and Sasuke.

"Sasuke agreed to this?" Naruto could believe that she would want to work together but not Sasuke.

"Y-Yes... He didn't like my decision a-at first either but e-eventually agreed" Hinata smiled sweetly.

"Okay... What's the plan then?" his blue eyes shot up with a determined look.

"The plan is..."

(⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

Sasuke was face to face with Kakashi.

"I'm not the same as them" the boy stared down the Jonin.

"Say that after you get a bell, Sasuke-kun" Kakashi put away his book.

'The strength of the leaf village number #1 clan... The Uchiha clan. This should be interesting...' Kakashi thought back on Obito. He was strong in his own right but was careless like Naruto.

Sasuke threw a series of kunais towards the Jonin.

"Such obvious attacks are pointless!!" Kakashi dodged all the kunais but heard a snap.