2.6

2.6

That night, head full of dreams of Konoha’s Black Flash, I sought Naruto out. I was sore, it probably would bruise fierce the next day, but I was happy. Excited. Talk about Yondaime gave me another idea. There was another cheat just waiting for me: Shadow Clones. The ultimate learning tool. I might not have Naruto’s fortitude and sheer amount of chakra to create hundreds of the buggers, but to practice? To read? To train? It was perfect. I wanted it. I wanted it real bad.

I knocked on the brat’s door. A disheveled Naruto opened it. It was already late at night. He had a cup of ramen in one hand, his orange uniform scattered in the room behind him. The room smelled ripe, like a lazy teenager boy’s apartment.

“Hinata-chan?”

I stopped breathing with my nose. Didn’t want to die poisoned. I took my board. Wrote my request. I didn’t beat around the bush. “Naruto-kun, teach me your shadow clone jutsu.”

Naruto scratched his head. Looked away. “It’s a secret technique. I’m not supposed to teach anyone.”

I nodded, made sense. Dug inside my bag, took my priority storage seal. Wrote another message on the board. “I’ll give you my special series cupcake: Sunshine and Orange!” I pop one of the seals, held the cupcake for the brat.

Naruto eyed the cupcake, the seal. Gulped down. I delivered the ultimate move. I wrote the irresistible words. “All twenty of them!”

I saw it. The moment my words corrupted such a sweet, innocent boy.

Cheat get!

Kage Bushin no Jutsu was a strange experience. It was night. I had left Naruto to his spoils after the brat taught me the jutsu. I was in my apartment. I was alone, save for four others. Four me stared back. Round face, bob cut, button nose, dark eyes, black hair. I moved closer to one of the clones, treaded my hand in her hair. Clone1 closed her eyes. Sighed. I blinked. So weird.

I did a mental guts pose. Good impression get!

Naruto took one of the other containers. Sasuke pretended he didn’t want, but ended up taking another. The big thermos had enough tea for us three. We sat. We ate. Naruto chattered. Today, Kakashi was late by only two hours.

It had been a few days. D-rank mission were boring. Babysit some brat. Deliver letters. Pull out weed from fields. Not everyday we have a D-rank mission, but we train everyday with Kakashi. It was a whole different beast to have a experienced jounin to personally tutor you. We focused on teamwork practice. Kakashi insisted I used my explosive babies, but prevented Naruto and Sasuke from training with them all the time, just in some particular training scenarios.

“They don’t know how to make it.” He stated flatly. “It will only give them bad habits to use weapons they can’t always have.”

Sasuke nodded. Naruto looked devastated. I shrugged. More explosives for me. In the afternoon, I had more focused training. Not always supervised. Kakashi-sensei and me would spar. He pointed the flaws on my own style. Left me to practice for myself. He taught me two jutsu, Shushin no Jutsu and Shikoku fuin.

That last one surprised me. When I managed to use the jutsu I looked at sensei, head tilted.

“Mah, you see, my cute genin is still stuck to ink to create her seals.” The man said, eyes crinkling with laughter. My ears burned. Why couldn't a cute girl call me cute? “Now you can write them using your chakra.”

I nodded. It was useful. I almost wanted to hug him, but better not. He was already messing with me with the cute. He did that on purpose. I nodded in thanks, and fled the training soon after.

Sometimes, I dropped by the Hokage tower to visit Secretary-chan. Let her try my new concoctions. Sneak a hug whenever I had motives, and even when I didn’t. Give her a peck on the cheek when I could. Don’t judge me. I was lonely. I felt isolated. I wanted to cuddle someone. Hugging my own clones wasn’t the same thing as a real person.

I was young. Health. Fit. Teenager hormones messed with my head. That the tip of Secretary-chan’s ears turned pink was just the icing on the cake. So to speak.