The Strength of the Weak {A Naruto Fanfiction}

The Strength of the Weak - Chapter 49

"But there's a catch."

My eyebrow raises in slight surprise, urging him to go on. 

"This training period will be far longer than before. We will be gone for a little more than two years," he reveals. I'm taken aback by this, my brows furrowing at the thought. Two years is a long time indeed.

"When do we leave, sensei?" I ask timidly, my mind whirring with concerns as to how I would manage to say goodbye to all of my friends for so long.

"We leave in a week. Meet me at the main gates next Monday at noon, that's when we will depart," Ryouichi-sensei says curtly, disappearing from my sight as soon as he finished telling me what he needed.

I sigh wearily, dragging a hand down my face. All I had was a mere week left before I didn't see my home for years. There are so many people I need to inform... what a drag.

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Knocking on the door in front of me, I wait patiently for it to be opened, my onyx eyes trailing across the familiar doormat beneath my feet. 

"Hello? Oh, hey Satomi-chan! What's up?" Naruto greets brightly, a large grin spreading across his face at the sight of me. I give him a closed-eyed smile in return, tilting my head to the side joyously.

"Hey, Naruto-kun. I was wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch with me, I have some news that I want to share. We can invite Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei, too, if you'd like," I offer the blond. 

"Yeah, no problem! I was getting pretty bored anyway! Let me just grab my money and we can head out," he agrees, shuffling back into his apartment before emerging with a pouch full of ryo. 

The two of us make our way to Sakura's house, managing to snag her along the way. Surprisingly enough, Kakashi-sensei was also able to tag along, although I'm pretty sure he still felt guilty so wanted to make it up to us.

We decide to go to a nearby yakitori restaurant to sit down and have our meal, much to Naruto's dismay, since he was rooting for Ichiraku Ramen.

As we are seated, I feel my heart clench painfully as I gaze at my team, talking casually and having a good time. 

This is something I would miss.

"So, Satomi-chan, what did you want to talk to us about?" Naruto asks, taking a sip of his tea from beside me. I give a sad smile, which everyone picks up on, and I could tell they were fearing the worst.

"Well, I was told yesterday that Lady Tsunade gave me permission to have exclusive training from Ryouichi-sensei outside of the village," I start off, gauging everyone's reaction. 

Kakashi-sensei and Sakura seem visibly relieved, probably thinking I was going to say I would go off with Sasuke to Orochimaru or something like that. Naruto cheers vibrantly, his contagious smile bringing one to my own face.

"That's a relief, I thought it was going to be bad news," Sakura adds sheepishly with a giggle. Kakashi-sensei gives a small nod of agreement, sending a closed-eyed smile my way.

"There's more," I say quickly, bringing the attention back to me, "This particular training is going to be significantly longer than for the chunin exams. I'll be gone for a little more than two years."

With that statement, everyone's mood dampens. Kakashi-sensei hums in understanding, a wistful gleam in his visible eye. Sakura and Naruto both gape at me, disbelief veiling their expressions.

"That's such a long time, Satomi-chan! When are you leaving?" Naruto questions dismally, purposely giving us a fake smile to hide the fact that he was actually really sad by my news.

"Monday," I concede, watching their faces morph as they realize Monday is six days away. They realized that there wasn't much time to spend with me, which is why I asked to go out to lunch instead of just exchanging a quick hello and goodbye.

"We'll just have to make the most of your time," Kakashi-sensei sighs. Sakura agrees with a low hum, while a cheeky grin crosses Naruto's face. My eyes narrow at him, my curious gaze penetrating into his cerulean orbs.

"Are you going to do something special with Neji before you leave?" he hints, a triumphant gleam in his eyes as my face begins to heat up with a blush. I try my hardest to remain indifferent, however all of them could see my internal struggle as if it were written all over my face. 

"P-Perhaps. I haven't discussed anything with him, yet," I say, silently cursing myself for stuttering in front of them. Sakura snickers in realization, covering her mouth with her hand to prevent me seeing her sly grin, although I had already spotted it.

"So, our emotionless Satomi-chan has a little crush, eh?" Sakura teases, causing me to squeeze my teacup in frustration. I was embarrassed, and they all knew it.

My silence only proves my answer, Naruto and Sakura high fiving across the table when they caught me. It's strange, I had never had even the slightest interest in anyone before meeting Neji. There's just a certain air around him that peaks my interest, as well as the fact that he seems to treat me differently than everyone else.

Others would describe him as cold and arrogant, whereas I would describe him as courteous and considerate. Neji is just someone I resonate with, and as much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't help but be drawn to him.

"It's not like it's my fault..."

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