Chapter 31 : Jonin Test(3)

Sighing in annoyance, he stood from his position on the floor, unable – again – to accomplish anything. He really disliked not being able to do something he wanted. Was this how everyone else felt? That thought actually brought a smile to his face. He had found something that made him normal – irritation due to his inability to complete a task. He was finally like regular people…

Flawed.

He stretched his back, receiving a grateful pop in return, and headed for the kitchen. He had been meditating for a good hour and he still hadn't eaten anything. When he got to the living room he felt a presence at the door. He hadn't thanked Hayate for allowing him to live with the two of them for the time being yet. When the brown-haired, tokubetsu jonin entered his apartment, he was greeted by his newest houseguest.

"Hayate-san." Naruto greeted politely. He had always showed the man respect for being so good to his sister. When he had first met the man he had checked him thoroughly for any questionable intentions.

When he found nothing but genuine love for the kunoichi, he was more than willing to give him a chance. Yugao really loved him as well, so he owed it to her to try and forge a friendship with her lover, which he had. Naruto and Hayate were as close as a little brother could be with his older sister's boyfriend.

"Ah, Naruto-san, you're already back from your mission?" Hayate asked. He had thought it would be a few more days until he got to see the blond again. "I guess that means you know what Hokage-sama has ordered then." He said somewhat cautiously. He didn't want to accidentally tell the boy something that he didn't know yet, but him being in his apartment meant that he most likely knew already.

"Yeah. I got back a few hours ago." The blond replied. "Hokage-jiji told me right when I returned." Let it be known that Sarutobi Hiruzen was not a procrastinator.

Hayate gave Naruto a small smile, followed by a cough as he joined him in the kitchen. "I saw your entry in the Bingo Book." The things his girlfriend's surrogate little brother accomplished always amazed the ever-coughing shinobi. "That was an awful lot of information, don't you think?" He asked.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Yeah, too much." He replied. He knew that Hayate was an intelligent man, so for him to think something was up wasn't much of a surprise to him.

"Does the Hokage think it was a traitor?" He asked curiously, followed by another short cough. Naruto knew that he could speak with Hayate a little more openly than others. He was a good and loyal Konoha-nin, and had the trust of his most precious person.

"It must be." The Uzumaki informed. "Most of that information was classified as 'Hokage eyes only.' The other half required a high level of clearance to attain. If it wasn't a traitor, then someone out there is a better spy than Jiraiya-sensei."

Hayate chuckled at that statement. There was no one better at what Jiraiya did except maybe Naruto himself. That had left only one conclusion.

"So yes, we have a traitor amongst us." Naruto was angry for being betrayed by a fellow Konoha-nin, but most of all he was hurt. He had spent the bulk of his young life fighting for his people. For one of them to do something like this brought pain to his heart. His people were his everything. Without them, he would be lost.

Hayate sighed. He noticed his soon-to-be brother-in-law's hurt and angry expression. It was not often that someone was able to see the real Naruto. He was usually a wise and powerful shinobi, but if you were someone he considered close then you were privileged with getting to see underneath his monster persona. Hayate took a second to feel honored that the Kamikage was comfortable enough with him to show him his other side.

"Enough with this traitor talk." The brown-haired man declared. "Are you hungry?" Naruto appreciated the change in topic, and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of his stomach growling.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepish. "Yeah, I guess I am." The two shinobi were quiet for a moment before they burst into laughter. Even in difficult times, one could always find an escape in a friend.

When Yugao got home that night, she was welcomed with the sight of her two favorite men eating dinner together, talking with one another like they were great friends, just the way she liked it. She decided she could wait and interrogate Naruto about what happened after he left Shushuya's with Anko later. Now was the time to relax and forget about all of their worries.

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