Chapter 158: Girls, huh? I know girls.
Homura's Perspective:
Nine grueling days had passed since I embarked on the journey to master the Rasengan. It was a demanding technique, and the relentless pursuit of it had taken its toll on me.
"Sakura-chan," I muttered to myself, recalling her exasperation. "Damn you, Naruto! I just don't know what to do anymore."
The first part of the training, which involved the initial shaping of chakra, had consumed five whole days. It was far from a walk in the park.
"…That's tough, buddy," I mused, understanding Naruto's plight.
Given that the first step could be practiced anywhere, it became a part of my daily routine—morning and night.
"What do you think I should do?" Naruto's voice echoed in my memory.
"You'll get him next time," I reassured him.
"Him?! What are you talking about?" Naruto seemed perplexed.
"Yeah, you keep on and never give up!" I encouraged him, though his confusion lingered.
"…I heard you farted in class last week!" Naruto exclaimed, changing the subject abruptly.
"Yeah, I getcha! Being Hokage sounds like a pretty sweet gig," I responded, trying to lighten the mood.
"...Toshio is right about you never listening to oth-"
"!!! What! Why are you talking to him!? That guy is a liar! A psychopath and low-key hates me! He has been jealous of me since forever! Because I've always been better than him, he can't accept it!" I declared.
"Calm down! I don't even talk to the guy much!" replied Naruto.
"Good! I don't need his lies spreading any further... That guy really gets on my nerves sometimes." I said; but in reality it is most the times.
"...I am pretty sure all he has said about you; well, seems to be right though..." Naruto explained.
"Lies! Here I am, kind enough to listen to you talk about...Whatever story about how you lost to Sasuke and wishing to be Hokage! You know I have a lot of other things I'd rather be doing!"
"Wrong!!! That's not what I said Baka! Dumbass!" Naruto yelled at me with his mouth half full.
"Urgh! Is that so?" I could only reply as I watch that hideous sight in front of me, and cursed my stupid memory as I was unable to forget it.
To be sincere I have not been paying attention too much, I was preoccupied with that rasengan matter.
Just how is it that the 4th made that jutsu...it feels impossible.
To make non carefully weaved chakra outside your body is practically impossible. Well, not impossible but it looses its shape and form. It is nothing like applying chakra to one's hands...it is similar enough to the healing palm in concept but nothing of the sort in reality.
It is just insane that anyone would think about creating such a ridiculous jutsu...it is not really practical for most people. One has to be good enough to weave chakra dense enough to not simply break apart...if I don't figure out a way to do that part than I am just wasting my time.
Why didn't I ask for something that would give me perfect talent for ninjutsu instead...*sigh*
"Tch! It was stupid of me to even talk to you about girls, you're a training idiot after all. Everyday is I have training or I need to go to the library." Declared Naruto as he looked at me.
"Huh? Where did this all come from? Besides, I don't train every single day. " I declared to Naruto, but that was mostly a lie. I do train everyday for at least an hour before going to the academy.
To be truthful, I wish I could train all day long.
"Really, now? Then how many girls have you talked to, since you started going to the academy?" Naruto asked with a look full of suspicion, his head creepily closing next to mine.
"Heh...H-how is that relevant?...You know Naruto, soon enough you're going to become a shinobi. And a shinobi has no place in their heart for love or girls, that's a rule. You know that, right?" I said as I looked Naruto in the eyes trying to persuade him, to finally thinking about giving up about his foolish thoughts of trying to please a girl that doesn't even like him.
"I know that!" Yelled Naruto.
"You sure? Shinobi have to harden their minds to all obstruction so that conviction to our mission is all that remains and we mu-!"
"Stop! Stop! Stop!!! What happened to you lately? You seem to have become Iruka sensei's spokesman or something! Do you secretly admire him or something like that? Is that why he is always praising you these days?" Naruto said with a look of pity in his eyes.
"What!? No!...Naruto...*sigh* I-! " I couldn't even finish my sentence due to how strange that question was...but also somewhat true.
That guy Iruka, keeps using me as example lately...especially examples that made me look bad due to my past of being one of the troublemaker students.
Also, the fact that he basically blackmailed me to pay attention/attend classes is also something very few people know.
Naruto...this guy is oddly sharp... have I unknowingly been manipulated?...No that can't be. I am too smart for that.
"See, you can't even finish your sentence. What does he have on you?" Naruto asked with a look of mischief on his face.
"I-I-Tch! Even if he had something on me, I wouldn't tell a moron like you!" I responded while pushing naruto's face away from me.
"Eh?! Teme! Who are you calling a moron, huh!?" Naruto shouted.
"Of course I am talking to you! How many morons keep failing the same jutsu basic clone jutsu all the time, huh?" I declared.
"You wanna fight, huh!? You training freak?" Naruto shouted as he brought his face closer to mine.
"Bring it on whiskers brat!" I yelled back.
"Grrrrr!!!" Both me and Naruto growled at each other as we try to push each other's face away with our own. In some kind odd form or bid of us trying to assert our dominance.
I just hate this!
Why does this guy always gets on my nerves so easily?
"*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* " suddenly I heard someone coughing nearby and both Naruto and I stop immediately our little sp As Naruto were
Why?
Because that cough came from Teuchi-san.
I don't why but he sometimes gives me the chills.
Maybe it has something to do with his face, but that stern look makes me feel uncomfortable.
It doesn't make anything sense, I am pretty sure I could wipe the floor with him at any time but...somehow I feel oppressed by just looking at him.
The worst part is that he doesn't even say anything...It's just weird.
I am not the only one who thinks so, since Naruto isn't saying anything anymore and seems to be simply eating his ramen in silence, obviously avoiding making contact with Teuchi-san...like myself.
Worst... I no longer really care for ramen...if only I wasn't forced to keep an eye on Naruto at all times.
"You know..." Naruto said in a low tone.
Which prompted me to look at him once again.
"You never really answered my question, so... I win. Bwe!" Naruto said as he then proceeded to stick out his tongue.
"Kuh!"
This guy really knows to get on my nerves...and why does he want to know that? He is so creepy at times.
" Tch! Well, from the top of my head... there's Saya, there's(sadly ) Ino...Huh...there's, there's those grandmas at the clinic as well...." as I said that, I realized that Naruto is somewhat correct in his assumptions, but just knowing that fact bothers me to no end.
But I think I forgot someone else, someone that I always try to avoid, but it must not have been important.
It is rare for me to not remember someone whom I am not actively trying to forget or make sure that I forget them.
"Grandmas, huh?! Pfft!" Naruto was about to laugh but somewhat managed to contain his laughter.
"Shut up! T-there's also that Karin girl sometimes..." I said.
I mean she is just someone that works at her father store, like most brats our ages who aren't trying to train to become a shinobi.
"Eh...Karin, huh? I don't know who that is but what do you talk to her, Hm?" Naruto kept giving me suspicious looks as he prepares himself to eat his ramen once again.
"I mean, there's not much to talk about. Her father runs a store and she works there. She usually hands me medicine and other stuff that I sometimes come to pick up for the clinic I am studying at. I don't think-!" As I was about to finish my sentence Naruto, stopped me with his mouth full of noodles.
"See!!!! *Slurrrrrp* This is what I am talking about! You know nothing of girls at all! 'She hands me the medicine' Just means you have no relationship with her!" Naruto declared as he asserted himself once again by pointing at me with his pair of chopsticks.
If he continues to point towards me with those greasy chopsticks, I am going to shove both of them inside his nostrils.
Calm down, Homura...He is the future savior of the world and besides he is under the protection of the third...well, somewhat.
"Tch! *sigh* And what exactly do you mean exactly by relationship? You don't have a girlfriend either! So how would you know? Mr. I get reject by the same girl every time!" I asserted myself as I put down the chopsticks I was holding on my left hand.
After all the times I have seen the inside of Naruto's mouth, I have lost my appetite, besides I really like ramen. If I had to choose I'd go for a katsudon; but Naruto only eats ramen...I am somewhat afraid for his wellbeing.
"Shut up! I-I-I, I mean I have Sakura-chan! It is only a matter of time before she becomes my girlfriend, dattebayo! " Naruto happily declared as he raised his left fist towards the sky.
"Right...." I said, with as much sarcasm I could muster. If sarcasm and irony could kill I think we'd both be dead.
She'd surely kill you for saying that out loud with that much confidence.
"I know at least as much since I've held Sakura-chan's hand!" uttered Naruto.
"Yeah, but she punched you right after that!...(I think I once carried her on my back, but I am afraid to say that in front of this massive Sakura s*mp. He'd go ballistic. )" I thought as I remembered a scene that took place several years ago during our early days at the academy.
It was such a long time ago, and we've been through so much worse, that it now feels like a rather pleasant memory...even though it was far from it in actuality.
We almost fell down to our death.
Though we were probably being watched, but sometimes I still have my doubts due to how long they took to act.
"W-well! At least I held her hand, I win!" declared as he made victory signs with both hands.
"If...that's something your proud about I've touched a grown woman's before. That should be better than a girl, I think?" I said while remembering the type of work at the hospital.
"What?! When?! Where!?" Yelled Naruto as he began to shake me around as each of his hands grabbed my shoulders.
"I mean, at the clinic I have an apprenticeship at, many times the grandmas that go there ask for massages and sometimes I have to grab them by their hands and take them to the right room" I proudly declare, with this I am sure of my victory.
"...Homura...You're...You're an idiot aren't you?" Naruto said softly as he looked at me with eyes full of sadness or was it pity?
"What?! Why?!" I responded immediately.
"Why?! I am here talking about girls and you are here proud about touching old ladies! Do you even know anything about girls?!" Naruto yelled!
"I mean, I have done something else...but" I hesitated saying.
"Yeah, go on." Naruto said as he leaned in.
"I've seen... a woman's ankles before, and even touched them." As I said those words, I could feel my cheeks getting warmer for some odd reason.
Teuchi, who was preparing a next batches of noodles looked at me for the first time.
He has such a difficult to read, that I can never tell his actual emotions or state of mind.
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Teuchi POV
"(This kid...which century is he from? When these two show up they always seem to have spin around weird ideas, or have two completely different conversation.)" I thought to myself about hearing Homura's big secret.
Though, I've heard much weirder conversations.
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Homura POV
I knew it! I said too much!
I don't know what he is thinking about, but I probably did good to not mention that Nurse Kaoru, did kiss me on the forehead once.
It is too indecent.
I don't think she wants to marry me...the difference in age is too large.
But what is this weird feeling that I am feeling right now?
Is it the food?
"Homura...I...Sorry. It seems that you have it rough too. " said Naruto as he gave me a pat on the shoulder.
Before I had the time to process the weird sensation I felt, Naruto, patted me on the right shoulder.
I don't understand what that was for.
He doesn't seem to be praising me... by the obvious look on his face, seems more like he is trying to give me his condolences.
I am starting to get really annoyed by this guy.
"Tch! I don't need your apologies or anything. I can't believe I wasted my time hearing another of your fighting Sasuke stories and declaring that with you end up swearing to become hokage again. Argh! I could have trained more or discovered something else by accident like in a manga. " I said.
"Story? Well, Sasuke did factor into my story... but we didn't fight, and the Hokage part came out of nowhere… Besides, I don't think I've ever said anything like that. Does Sasuke want to be Hokage too?" Naruto's voice trailed off as I realized the awkwardness of the situation.
"You definitely said it." I declared.
"No, I don't think so." said Naruto.
"I'm paraphrasing." I said.
"Hm..." Naruto grunted.
Naruto's suspicious eyes bore into me.
He definitely is about to figure out that I don't really listen to his stories... This is going to be annoying.
Quick! I needed an escape route!
"Smoke bomb!" I declared, igniting a smoke bomb to obscure our vision.
*Boom*
As the smoke bomb hit the ground a white gas, like cloud, was released next to them outside the restaurant. And I got out of my seat and started to dash.
I sprinted away at full speed, coughing from the residual smoke. This had indeed become far more awkward than I had anticipated.
In times like these, I thought, the Body Flicker Technique would come in handy. When would they start teaching us that? Or had I forgotten something again? It seemed plausible. Regardless, I had to put this odd encounter behind me.
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Naruto's Perspective:
"cough cough Damn you, Homura!" I shouted.
Who would spoil food by throwing a smoke bomb nearby, this is insane.
"Who in their right minds throws a paper bomb inside a restaurant?" I wondered, though my attention soon shifted back to my half-eaten ramen.
I grabbed the bowl of noodles, thinking that maybe I could still salvage the meal. The soup tasted horrible, but I was determined to make it work.
"Cough**cough…this tastes horrible, but maybe…" I attempted to fix it by sprinkling a bit of salt over the ramen. Taking another sip, I realized the taste hadn't improved.
"Cough**cough…nope, it's ruined…man! That Homura bastard!!! He owes me a bowl of ramen..." I muttered angrily.
As the smoke from Homura's escape cleared, I spotted the familiar face of the old man from Ichiraku Ramen. His face hadn't changed, even after this chaotic incident, which was slightly unsettling.
Well, at least Homura left money on the table before he left and we were the only 2 customers.
No...I don't think that's enough for the old man to completely forgive him.
"...Sorry, pops. I think he has issues or something. I'm sorry for ruining the entrance with smoke powder… I'll go catch him so that he can clean it up." I offered an apology, feeling responsible for the mess.
"It's no problem, Naruto. I'll just put the costs of everything on his tab," the old man said with a grin, his response sending shivers down my spine. I hadn't realized how scary he could be.
I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for Homura, though a part of me believed he deserved it.
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3rd perspective:
A few steps away from Ichiraku ramen, Homura was seen walking leizurely with a rather annoying look on his face.
"That Naruto..." He grumbled.
Homura walked through the bustling streets of Konohagakure, his thoughts consumed by a mixture of frustration and determination. He couldn't let go of the slight from Naruto, who had mocked him about some weird story about girls.
He couldn't understand why Naruto was so obsessed with Sakura or why Naruto thought he could not understand his feelings towards her.
To some extent, Homura could somewhat understand where Naruto was coming from. Just a few months ago all he had in mind was revenge or to get stronger to protect the people he loved or and avenge those he lost.
However, now he felt far less obsessed with all of that.
As if a weight had been lifted, little did he know he was the one responsible for lifting that weight by omitting some of his memories.
Thus, even spending time with Naruto, was something he could somewhat endure as of now.
He couldn't believe that someone like Naruto made him reconsider so many things, especially someone like Naruto, whose lack of skill in performing a simple clone technique was laughable.
Strength and talent are everything in shinobi culture, some claim that loyalty, force of will and love for their comrades are everything a shinobi needs to not lose their way.
But those are the minority.
Homura did not believe in such things either.
He was fully immerse in the culture, worse he agreed with it. Though he resented how konohagakure handled many things, he did agree with their values and the willingness to do everything to achieve their goal.
It was simply shinobi culture to put the village and duty above everything else.
A shinobi had to be ready to make any kind of sacrifice.
Naruto, someone who acted as he pleased and didn't truly respect those notions, in fact, Homura was quite sure that Naruto didn't truly know most shinobi rules and even if he was aware of them; he would likely disagree.
That was the type of person Naruto was, he could never betray his heart or throw away his beliefs for a mission.
But Homura, though he could betray his beliefs in order to complete a mission; he could never truly let go of his heart.
He felt so much, that he would felt that he could do anything to help and protect those he cared about.
That's why Naruto's words bothered him.
Naruto's arrogance irked him, and Homura's pride wouldn't allow him to accept defeat easily. It was a driving force within him, pushing him to prove himself.
He felt that he could do anything, he was surely smarter than all his classmates and had been praised to no end at the academy.
Even something as pointless as him not understanding a girl's heart irked him, after all he was supposedly genius; what kind of a genius couldn't understand something so simple as a girl's heart?
He always worked hard to get where he need to be, no matter how difficult it was, he would never give up or at very least he would find another solution to achieve the similar results.
At this point, it had become an obsession, he could never truly let go of things. His brain was incapable to truly stop himself from obsessing over things, always trying to find a missing piece of a puzzle.
As he walked, Homura's inner monologue was a cascade of resentment and determination, "Naruto, of all people, thinks he's better than me? He can't even perform a basic clone technique. I won't let him look down on me. I need to prove myself before graduation, so that I can make him eat his words... but how do I do that? Think...Think...."
He was lost in his thoughts when suddenly, a collision with a young adult man jolted him from his reverie.
"HUH?" The impact knocked him to the ground, and he clutched his head, wincing at the pain.
A young man who appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties reached out to help Homura to his feet. He asked with genuine concern, "Are you okay?"
The stranger extended a hand to help him up, and Homura accepted it without giving it much thought.
The man held a book against his chest, and Homura's eyes unintentionally fell on the title. He read it aloud, his voice a mix of confusion and curiosity, "Icha Icha Paradise?"
The man's reaction was immediate.
"N-No, it's not what you think. It's just a misunderstanding. I apologize for bumping into you." He denied Homura's assumption, insisting it wasn't what it seemed, and then he offered another quick apology before making a hasty retreat.
Homura watched him go, bewildered by the encounter. His inner monologue conveyed his thoughts, "What's the big deal? Why is he so defensive about a book title?"
As he observed the bustling street, it dawned on him. Icha Icha Paradise. He had heard of that title before.
"Icha Icha Paradise? I think...that I've heard of that title before. It's the work of one of the legendary Sannin,"
As soon as Homura thought of that he saw caricatures of the sannin. First it was Orochimaru. Although, Orochimaru was quite weird and somewhat of a pervert it didn't fit his style.
Then he thought about Tsunade, but her violent but honest personality didn't quite fit the person Homura had in mind. In his mind, Tsunade would probably destroy a book like that rather than reading it.
So it moved to the last Sannin, Jiraiya the toad sage. And suddenly it all clicked together.
"Jiraiya. But I think that he's...well, a bit immoral, though that certainly fits from the expression of the men lining up..." This particular Sannin was also known for his eccentric and often immoral behavior, including writing adult content. Homura's inner monologue recalled the reputation.
A passerby caught his eye, reading the very book with an unmistakably blissful expression. The man seemed engrossed in its contents, and Homura couldn't help but wonder what had captured his attention. And then Homura caught another man, but this one was reading the last page and Homura saw a picture that certainly looked like the image he had of Jiraiya...though he looked slightly older than Homura's memories.
"Was the anime quite generous in his portrayal?... Or is it because Orochimaru and Tsunade looked so much younger than their real age?...he should be in his 50s or something like that?" His inner thoughts were filled with curiosity, "Is it really that good? Could I learn something valuable from it?"
Homura couldn't resist looking back to see a line of men waiting to purchase the book. It was quite a sight. He pondered their eagerness, his inner monologue contemplative, "If so many people are lining up to buy it, it must be something special. But I doubt I'll be able to buy it. I'm way too young, especially compared to the others."
Homura thought that shinobi like Jiraiya probably hid hidden meanings in his work, and certainly someone such as Jiraiya who thrived for peace for all nations above all else, had probably some kind of deeper meaning in parted within his literature.
After all, Hatake Kakashi was someone who liked his books and he was quite reputable among all Konohagakure's shinobi. Although, Homura was not really a fan of Hatake Kakashi or held any respect of him, from his memories Kakashi was rather skilled.
And for someone like Homura, who has been practically indoctrinated by shinobi culture without even realizing, strength was equal to reputation; and reputation was equal to power.
Thus, by some twisted turn in logic, that book series written by Jiraiya was indeed respectable, because a respectable shinobi read it.
A lesser man is unable to read between the lines, but Homura was no man or lesser. He was a boy and a genius to boot.
So there was no way he could be mistaken.
Homura was smart but at the end of the day he was truly just a somewhat naïve kid. A naïve kid with trust issues and a big ego that wouldn't even let him consider that he may truly be in the wrong in his assumptions.
Homura's curiosity got the better of him. His inner monologue was tinged with a desire to explore, "Could there be something valuable hidden within those pages? Maybe there's a chance to learn something useful from it."
However, reality soon struck him like a cold gust of wind. Homura knew that he was just a young Academy student, far from being old enough to purchase such a book. His thoughts were a mixture of determination and self-doubt, "I'm just a kid compared to those guys in line. They won't let me buy it. But that won't stop me from trying."
Homura set his sights on the bookstore, the determination in his eyes unwavering. He was determined to get his hands on a copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" no matter what it took. It was a small act of rebellion, a way to prove himself and assert his independence, even in the face of a world that often underestimated him. His inner monologue rang with conviction, "I'll find a way to get that book, and I'll show them that I'm not to be underestimated."