Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Beginning
The sun rose slowly over the eastern side of the mountain, its rays barely cresting the top signaling a new spring day. As the sun rose higher the mountain's shadow pulled back revealing The Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure no Sato. The village had a large tower which dominated the center and it in turn was surrounded by smaller buildings which radiated outward in a circle. As the circle spread further out the smaller buildings seemed to be surrounded by small homes and then larger homes. These homes, surrounded by land in gated areas, were the clan estates. If one were to look further pass the estates they would see the 30 foot tall wall that encircled the village and then merge with the mountain at each end. This wall had three openings appropriately called The North, The South and The West Gates. Looking even further one would see a giant forest spanning hundreds of square miles with very few roads passing through it and thus giving the village it name.
As the morning light reached the Hyuuga Clan estates it filled the room of one Hyuuga Hinata, kunoichi of Konoha and possible clan heiress. By the right of being the first born, Hinata was originally the only heiress but her early poor proficiency in the Hyuuga Clan's Gentle Fist taijutsu and her lack of confidence had led her father, Hyuuga Hiashi, to practically reject her as his successor and to considered her younger sister, Hyuuga Hanabi, as his heir. However over the last three years Hinata had shown vast improvement in her confidence and mastery of the Hyuuga's taijutsu to the point of becoming a Chuunin. But what really impressed Hyuuga Hiashi was Hinata's display of the Juho Soshiken (Gentle Step Twin Lion Fist) technique during the attack on Konoha by Pein while trying to protect her fellow ninja. By itself this was enough to secure Hinata's ascension to Clan Head however there was one area where Hanabi had the edge; political acumen. Hanabi had the ability to easily maneuver the political trapping necessary to deal with the Council of Elders and the Branch Family while Hinata would always reveal her feelings and thus give the impression of being a weak leader.
With the sunlight as her alarm clock Hinata awoke and within the safety of the clan's estate allowed her senses to come into focus at a leisurely pace. Rising from her prone position she sat up in her futon and yawned while raising her arms above her head in a prolonged stretch. She blushed as she recalled the dream she just had whereas she and Naruto were married and it was their wedding night. While Naruto lay on the bed clad only in a robe she stood before him in a silk nightgown, open at the neck and slowly coming together just below her navel and opening again around her right thigh as her leg was position just in front of her left leg. She sighed as she thought that she would never have the courage to do that in real life. Accepting that thought she rose and started putting her futon away. Though she had servants, Hinata always felt self conscious about someone else performing jobs for her that she felt she should do herself. After placing her bedding in the corner she grabbed her taijutsu outfit necessary for training and headed to the bathroom. As she removed her sleeping clothes she looked at herself in the mirror and then thought about her dream.
“Would Naruto-kun even like her body? Would he think that her chest was too big? Would he think that her hips were too wide?” she wondered.
Hinata knew that she was curvier than most Hyuuga women and as that was her only role model growing up, she felt self conscious when she started developing early. As she thought about it Naruto-kun had not shown any interest in her body.
After the Pein incident and her confession of love, Naruto and Hinata had met for lunch and had a talk. Naruto had told Hinata that he was surprised by her confession and that he honestly didn't know what to do about it. Hinata had smiled saying she understood and that she really didn't expect a confession of love in return. She told him that she was just glad to have finally told him how she felt and if he just wanted to stay friends it was alright with her. Then Naruto told her that even if he didn't know how he felt if she was willing to wait he would like to see her more often so he could understand what he felt. Hinata blushed and smiling said that she wouldn't mind doing that. And so for the past year Hinata and Naruto have been seen together. It started out slow with Naruto inviting Hinata to spar and later to lunch at Ichiraku about twice a week whenever he saw her. After about a month Naruto started inviting Hinata to lunch before ending the previous meal. It was at this point that Hinata started suggesting having a picnic instead so that Naruto would not always be paying for the meal. Naruto surprised Hinata when he invited her to dinner at a fancy restaurant two months later. During the meal he admitted that the idea had come from Iruka-sensei but that when he heard it he thought that it was a great idea; Hinata was flattered anyway. During the last four months whenever Hinata and Naruto weren't out on a mission they would search out each other and just hang out. If they were also hanging out with their friends or doing some sort of group activity you would find them standing close to each other.
All this time Hinata was in heaven and she would have loved for it to continue but still she was wondering had Naruto sorted out his feelings for her. Hinata liked romance novels just as well as any teenage girl did and in all those stories the boy would always try to flirt with the girl and whether the girl was honored or appalled at least she knew that the boy was interested. Hinata had even overheard some of the female Hyuuga servants talking about their boyfriends and some of the sexual innuendos the boyfriends had made. But what amazed Hinata was that the girls never mentioned dumping their boyfriends and the tone of the talk almost sounded like bragging. Naruto, however, had been the perfect gentleman as he hadn't tried to kiss her or even hold her hand and that, if Hinata was willing to admit it, was the whole problem. Hinata knew she would be totally embarrassed if Naruto ever said anything close to sexual to her but at least she would know where she stood. Well if Naruto just wanted to be friends she would accept that and enjoy it for as long as she could.
As Hinata`s mind returned to the present she resumed her morning routine and dressed for training. Hinata left her room and headed for the estate's main dojo passing along the way servants who were preparing the rest of the estate for the day. Upon entering the dojo she placed her towel and a scroll near the door and then moving to the center of the room, started doing the clan's basic taijutsu forms as warm-up for the first fifteen minutes. Next Hinata started practicing the Jyuken, a Hyuuga taijutsu, which does damage to the internal organs by disrupting the chakra flow, for thirty minutes. After that came another thirty minutes of Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou (Sixty-Four Points Hands) and finally thirty minutes practicing the Hakke Shou Kaiten (Heavenly Spin). While going through the final ten minutes of training Hinata detected a familiar chakra enter the dojo and upon completing her routine stood up straight with her back to her visitor and said, “Do you need anything, Neji nii-san?”
When Hinata turned around and looked at him Neji said, “You have improved greatly since you were a genin”.
Hinata walked toward Neji who was still standing by the entrance and said, “Thank you” and then picking up the scroll and handed it to Neji saying “This is my schedule for today”.
Neji opened the scroll, scanned it and said, “I see that you will be meeting Naruto-san today”.
Hinata felt a blush coming on but after the workout she knew that no one would be able to tell and answering Neji she said “Hai, this afternoon. Why?”
Neji just looked at Hinata with a hint of a smirk and said “Nothing, just tell him `hi' for me”.
It was Neji duty to protect Hinata when she was in the village and by telling Hinata to say `hi' from him meant that Neji trusted Naruto enough to protect her in his absence.
Hinata smiled and said “Thank you, nii-san” and then left to shower for her next duty which was training with one of the Elders in Hyuuga political protocol.
Two hours later Hinata left her lessons on political protocol for today and went into her bedroom to change for her visit with Kurenai-sensei and afterwards lunch with Naruto. She decided on a pastel sundress with short sleeves and a neckline that was two inches from her collarbone. The collar of the dress had a two inch slightly ruffled fringe all the way around and there was an elastic band just below her bosom while the rest of the dress flair slightly to her knees. Hinata felt this dress would keep her cool and still give her the flexibility to fight should she be attacked. To ensure her ability to fight and yet keep her modesty, she also wore pastel biking shorts beneath the dress and low heel shoes. Leaving her long hair loose to flow down to the middle of her back she left her room and headed to the front door of the manor.
Before reaching the door Hinata heard her father's slight cough and spun around to greet him saying “Hello, Father”.
Hyuuga Hiashi looked at his daughter's attire and asked “Are you going to meet your friends in town today?”
Hinata stood straight with her hands clasped in front of her and looking into his eyes answered, “Yes, Father”.
“Will Uzumaki Naruto be there?” Hiashi asked in a neutral tone.
Hinata didn't know what her father really thought of Naruto-kun as he was always careful not to show what he was thinking. He had to have known that she had been seen around the village in Naruto-kun's company and since he never commented on it before she figured he was giving it his tacit approval. Knowing that it is very hard to lie to a Hyuuga and not really wanting to be deceitful Hinata replied “Yes Father, Naruto-kun will be there”.
Hiashi stared at Hinata for a few seconds and then said “Don't be late for dinner tonight as there will be a clan meeting afterwards”.
Not waiting for a reply Hiashi turned and walked away while Hinata just watched him leave and quietly said, “Yes, Father”.
Hyuuga Hiashi didn't know what to think of his daughter's relationship with Uzumaki Naruto. When Naruto was little, Hiashi had no opinion whatsoever about him being the container of the Nine Tail Demon, Kyuubi. The boy had shown no evidence that that the Kyuubi was affecting him and Naruto's childish bouts of vandalism just labeled him as a common street urchin. When Naruto had become a part of Team Seven and rumors of their exploits surfaced Hiashi attributed that to their leader Hatake Kakashi. He will admit that he started to get worried when Naruto accessed the Kyuubi's chakra during the Chuunin exams and used it to defeat Neji. However that concerned was removed when Naruto was instrumental in the defense of Konoha during the following Sound/Sand invasion. The fact that Naruto was involved with bringing Tsunade back to Konoha to become the Hokage and then becoming the student of the other Sannin, Jaraiya also helped to improve Hiashi's opinion of the Uzumaki kid.
Naruto's subsequent rescue of the Kazakage of the Sand helped to cement the alliance with Wind Country and his defeat of Pein convinced Hiashi that one day he would probably become Hokage of the Leaf. It wasn't until after the Pein battle that Hiashi found out that Naruto was also the reason Hinata gain the confidence to become a Chuunin and develop her ninja skills to its present level. Hinata was now back in contention to become Head of the Hyuuga Clan and Uzumaki Naruto was on the fast track to become the next Hokage and that is where the dilemma existed. Hinata had to know that Uzumaki Naruto's love for this village would not let him give up his dream to be Hokage just to be with her and Hinata could not stay with Naruto without the Council of Elders approval which implied receiving the Cage Bird seal for the protection of the Byakugan. As Hiashi watched his oldest daughter leave the estate from his office window he figured he would let her have her fun until the reality of her position forced her to forget about a life with Uzumaki Naruto.
Hinata nodded to the guards in acknowledgement as she left the estate. As soon as she was a few feet away from the gate she felt the familiar presence of Neji's chakra following her. It was Neji's task to protect Hinata where ever she went and though he was reluctant at first he never let it affect his duty. When they were younger he would walk next to her under the watchful gaze of his father, Hyuuga Hizashi. After the death of his father Neji stopped walking next to her and fell two steps behind her but still under the watchful eyes of an adult bodyguard. This went on until Neji showed enough proficiency to be able to guard Hinata on his own. Neji always walked behind acting as her bodyguard until he was relieved by another Hyuuga guard because he was needed somewhere else or he had turned her over to her sensei Yuuhi Kurenai. At that point Hinata stayed under the watchful eyes of Kurenai until Neji was able to come get her. After Hiashi explained the facts behind Neji's father's death Neji started walking next to her but would always back off and give her some privacy if she was walking with her friends. In the beginning these opportunities were few and far between but as Hinata's confidence started to grow he was doing it a lot more often. At present he was following her by moving through the trees giving her, at least, a semblance of privacy. Normally if Hinata was in the company of her sensei Neji would be free until Hinata was ready to leave however with Yuuhi Kurenai currently on maternity leave Neji felt like it was more prudent to stay nearby just in case. And even though he readily accepted his position as Hinata's bodyguard, Neji knew that once Hinata was in the company of Naruto, he would have the rest of his afternoon free.
As Hinata approached the housing complex where Yuuhi Kurenai lived she thought about how she hadn't visited in a week. She loved playing with Asumakazu while visiting with her old sensei. While entering the lobby of the building Hinata spotted Yuuhi Kurenai holding little Asumakazu in his onbuhimo on her back while she was getting her mail.
Coming up next to her, Hinata said “Hello Kurenai-sensei, I hope that I'm not too early”.
Kurenai turned her head and said, “Hello Hinata, no, not at all. I was just getting my mail.”
Asumakuzu made a bubbling sound as he chewed on a plastic ring causing Kurenai to comment “He's teething right now and the only thing that keeps him quiet is chewing on one of those rings. I keep a spare one in the refrigerator as the coldness helps soothe his gums. Come on; let's go upstairs so we can talk”.
When they reached the apartment Kurenai removed Asumakuzu from her back and set him down on a blanket in front of the sofa while she and Hinata sat down to catch up. As they talked about everything and nothing Kurenai could tell that something was bothering Hinata. When it came to finding out what was troubling Hinata Kurenai knew that there were two ways to handle it, one way was as a mother figure and ask outright what was wrong. The other way was as a friend and just let Hinata talk when she was ready and today seemed like being a friend was the best approach. When Kurenai went into the kitchen to make some tea Hinata reached down and picked up Asumakuzu. As he sat in her lap drooling into his bib while chewing on the ring Hinata noted that even though he had Kurenai's red hair, she could definitely see that Asumakuzu had his father's eyes, nose and chin. Kurenai returned with a tray of cups and a pot of tea and as she was setting it down Hinata asked “How did you know that Asuma liked you?”
“Ahh”, Kurenai thought, “now she's ready”.
“Oh, the little things he did like finding any reason to come talk to me, getting nervous whenever I approached him suddenly and the way his eyes always found me in a room but then he would turn away when I noticed him looking” she replied with a fond look in her eyes.
“Did he ever try to do anything to you?” Hinata asked barely above a whisper.
Kurenai became livid saying “Hyuuga Hinata, if that boy has done anything to you, you better tell me now!”
Before Hinata could say a thing Kurenai started muttering, “I should have known! Being the student of Kakashi and Jaraiya is enough to corrupt anybody. Boy when I get my hands on Naruto and then Kakashi they are both going to know what pain is like!”
Hinata was scared, she had given her Sensei the wrong idea and now Naruto-kun was in danger. The last time she had seen her Sensei like this was on a mission went some bandit had made a lewd comment to Hinata in front of Kurenai and that had not ended well for the bandit.
Hinata grabbed Kurenai's arm and said “Wait Sensei, Naruto-kun didn't hurt me! He hasn’t touched me! He hasn't done anything at all!”
And as Kurenai looked into Hinata's eyes realization hit her and she said, “And that's the problem, isn't it?”
Hinata just looked down at the top of Asumakuzu's head and said nothing not wanting to look Kurenai in the eyes.
“Look Hinata, Naruto is just having a hard time understanding his feelings. Except for you he has probably never had anyone tell him that they loved him and he just doesn't truly understand what that means” Kurenai said. “Even when you were little and your father treated you harshly you still had the love of your mother to soothe your hurt. Naruto has had none of that so he has no idea how he should react. So don't rush him, just give him time to understand how he feels” she finished.
“And if he decides that he doesn't feel the same way that you feel then you will just have to accept that and go on with your life” she added.
Hinata nodded her head but kept looking down.
As Kurenai poured the tea and handed a cup to Hinata, she said ”You know, Asuma wasn't the first man I ever loved”.
Upon hearing that Hinata's head shot up and she said “He wasn't?”
Kurenai shook her head and said “Nope, not at all. The first boy I ever loved was Tenshi, Okuda Tenshi. I was seventeen and he was twenty and he worked in his father's carpentry shop. I used to watch him cutting wood and moving the heavy lumber around the work yard and, Kami-sama, he was so hot, err…umm… I mean he was so cute.”
Kurenai looked a bit embarrassed when she heard Hinata giggled.
“Anyway,” she continued “I would always walk by the shop hoping that he would notice me. All he ever did was nod his head in acknowledgment if I ever caught his eye but nothing more. I decided to be forward and talk to him so one day I went into the shop to check out the furniture and start up a conversation. We talked for a while and I thought that maybe something would come from it. So for the next two months whenever I had some free time I would stop by the shop and Tenshi and I would talk while he worked. A couple of times I even brought bento boxes and we ate in the back of the shop. One day when I dropped by he was talking to this girl at the counter and when I came close he introduced me to his fiancée.”
Kurenai heard Hinata gasp and said “Yep, his fiancée. Well I was devastated and though I was polite to the girl, I hated every bone in her body. After making some lame excuse I ran home and cried all night. After that I avoided the shop and whenever I saw that girl in the streets I made sure she didn't see me.” “At one time I actually contemplated casting a genjutsu on her to make her think that she was at a bath house so that she would strip in the middle of the street just to embarrass her” Kurenai added.
At this revelation Hinata cried “Sensei, no!”
Kurenai just chuckled and said “Don't worry; I didn't do a thing though I sorely wanted to do it. What helped me through it was a talk I had with my mother and she said the same thing I'm saying to you; no matter how much you want it you can't make someone fall in love with you if they are not interested”.
“And if I had gotten involved with Tenshi maybe I wouldn't have gotten together with Asuma and little Asumakuzu wouldn't be here today” Kurenai finished.
Hinata started to look depressed again when she heard that last line so Kurenai added, “Look Hinata, I am not saying that you should give up on Naruto, I am just saying that you should be prepared if things don't go as you wish”.
Hinata looked at Kurenai and said “Yes, I know and thank you, Kurenai-sensei”.
It was at this point that Hinata got a whiff of something that smelled like gas, methane gas. As she looked at Kurenai she noticed that her Sensei had smelled it also and then they both looked at Asumakuzu whose face was returning from strained concentration to relaxed bliss.
Kurenai took Asumakuzu from Hinata and said “I think somebody needs his diaper changed. I'll be right back”.
With that Hinata stood up and said “That's okay, it time for me to meet Naruto-kun for lunch anyway”.
Kurenai stood, holding Asumakuzu slightly away from her body, and said “Okay, be sure to come back to visit soon.”
As Hinata walked to the door Kurenai called “Hinata”.
When Hinata looked back at her Sensei, Kurenai said “Naruto would have to be the biggest baka in the world to not fall in love with you”.
Hinata smiled and said “Thank you, Sensei” and then left.
As Kurenai changed Asumakuzu's diaper she thought about her former student and how she had turned out better that Kurenai could have hoped. Even though Kurenai hated Hiashi's guts for how he had treated Hinata she gave him credit for the raw talent with which she was born. But the expectations that had been placed upon her at an early age had all but broken the little girl. The desire to change, to be better than what she was, was always there smoldering underneath but no one knew how to kindle that fire, not even Hinata herself. But one boy had the power to do it and even if he didn't realize it, he had ignited and fanned the flames that made Hinata the kunoichi Kurenai had always thought she could be. So Kurenai hoped that should everything go wrong Hinata would realize that she could keep the fire going even if that strong wind had moved on.
As Hinata left the apartment complex she thought about what Kurenai-sensei had said and if she was going to be truthful to herself her sensei was right. But this was Naruto-kun they were talking about and if there was one thing she had learned from him it was not to give up. So as long as he didn't tell her to leave she was going to enjoy his company for as long as she could.
With that resolve in mind she started heading for the Hokage Tower where Naruto was attending a meeting between The Hokage and The Kazekage of the Sand. Gaara had entered Konoha undercover traveling with a merchant's caravan from Suna with Temari as his only bodyguard. He had left Kankuro and Baki behind to cover for him and give the impression he was still in the Sand. Tsunade and Gaara wanted to discuss the rumors of a civil war brewing within the Hidden Village Among the Rocks and what that meant to the balance of power of the remaining Hidden Villages. The Hokage had decided to let Naruto attend this meeting for two reasons; one reason was so that he could get the feel for the type of discussions that went on between the Hidden Villages. The second reason was because he was best friends with Gaara, the Kazakage of the Sand. This meeting was only supposed to last until noon and so Naruto had invited Hinata to have lunch with him afterwards. As Hinata got closer to the tower she started repeating the phrase that had become a mantra to her; `look him in the eyes and don't stutter'.
Hinata couldn't understand it, every time she would look at Naruto-kun for the first time that day she would blush and the first few sentences out of her mouth would stutter. However after a few minutes she would feel extremely comfortable and the rest of the conversation went fine. She just couldn't explain this reaction as she had come so far in terms of her confidence with stressful situations. She had worked hard to fight down the panic she felt in her earlier missions. When the Chuunin exam that she passed came around she had worked side by side with Shino and Kiba battling the other teams to get to the finals. She had defeated her first opponent, the Grass nin, handily through the used of strategy and fighting skills. And even though she had lost in the second round to that Rock nin, Kurenai-sensei informed her that he had collapsed to the ground unconscious ten seconds after he was declared the winner. The Rock nin was so exhausted and injured he couldn't compete against Shino in the final round and had to forfeit. So why was it that every time she saw Naruto for the first time she resorted to the insecure girl who had just graduated from Ninja Academy. Thank the kamis; at least she had stopped poking her fingers together.
Hinata was still repeating her mantra just as she reached the front of the building when Sakura stepped outside. Sakura was wearing her normal outfit, a white half skirt over black biker's shorts with her red vest and calf high boots, heading towards the Konoha Hospital when she saw Hinata at the bottom of the steps.
“Hey, Hinata!” Sakura called as she waved at the girl.
Hinata looked up at Sakura and replied ”Hello Sakura, how are you feeling today?”
Hinata and Sakura had become good friends over the last year. It would be stretching the truth to say that they were best friends but their relationship was a lot closer than before. When Hinata and Naruto first started hanging out Hinata would always feel self conscious whenever she saw Sakura and Naruto together. It wasn't until Naruto asked Hinata for another “date' while the current one was still going that she realize that he might be interested in her. It was then that she also realized that Sakura was just as much a part of Naruto's life as Shino and Kiba were a part of her life. And should she ever have to choose between Naruto and her team then even though she knew that she would pick Naruto, she also knew that her heart would ache every times she thought about them. So if Hinata wanted Naruto in her life then she had to accept Sakura and Sasuke too. Actually hanging out with Sakura and Ino hadn't been as bad as Hinata thought it might be. It gave her a chance to get away from the staid Hyuuga estate and just do things like a normal teenage girl and not some heiress to a clan.
Sakura walked down the steps and stood in front of the girl and said “Tired, I just finished my shift and I just found out I have to cover the shift of a medic who suddenly fell sick”.
Hinata said “Oh, I am sorry to here that”.
Sakura just waved it off saying, “Don't worry about it; it happens a lot in the medical field and I am learning to cope. How about you, are you here to see Naruto?”
Hinata smiled and said “Yes, we are going to lunch after the meeting this morning”.
“Good” Sakura said. “You know ever since he has been hanging out with you he has been more relaxed. He has never been this quiet for as long as I have known him. You know, you really have been good for him”.
Hinata was about to comment when she heard a familiar voice say “Hey Hinata, are you all ready to go?”
When Hinata looked up the steps there was Naruto standing in the doorway holding the door open. When she saw those cobalt blue eyes looking at her she could feel the blush coming to her face and as she answered she heard that same old voice “Y-yes, N-Naruto-kun”.
Hinata looked at the ground cursing herself in her head as she did it again. Just then she heard the Hokage's voice saying “Move it, brat, other people would like to leave the building too”.
Next she heard Naruto's voice saying “Hold your horses, Baa-chan, I'm moving, I'm moving”.
When Hinata looked up she saw Naruto walking down the steps followed by the Hokage, Tsunade, who in turn was followed by Sabaku no Gaara, The Kazekage of the Sand, and Sabaku no Temari, his sister. Bringing up the rear of the group was Hagane Kotetsu and Gekko Hayate Tsunade's administrative go-fers.
When Naruto reached Hinata he said “Hinata, I don't know if you have met him but this is Gaara, the Kazekage and his sister Temari. Gaara, Temari, this is Hyuuga Hinata one of my closest friends”.
Although Hinata had certainly seen Gaara before she had never been formally introduced to him so she bowed and said “Welcome, Kazakage-sama”. Next she turned to Temari and bowed saying “Welcome, Temari-sama”.
Even though Gaara knew nothing about the girl except that she was a Hyuuga, he made a mental note that since she was a friend of Naruto she was worth protecting. Temari had done her homework so she knew all about the important clans of Konoha and therefore knew all about Hyuuga Hinata. However Temari could read body language as well and she could tell there was something between these two so she also made a mental note to protect the Hyuuga girl.
Gaara said “I am glad to meet one of Uzumaki Naruto's friends and anytime you are in Sunagakure, please, feel free to visit.”
Hinata bowed and said “Thank you”.
Naruto thought that was a great idea and as he started talking about how great visiting the Sand Village would be Hinata noticed two things. The first thing she noticed was that Neji's chakra was fading away signaling that he had left her in Naruto's care. The second thing Hinata noticed was the feeling of comfort was enveloping her again. It was almost like something was massaging her, causing her to relax her muscles and surrender to the feeling. Hinata was brought back to her senses when she heard Naruto say “Hey, me and Hinata were just going to have lunch, would you like to join us?”
Gaara was about to answer when Temari spoke first saying, “Thanks but no thanks. Gaara and I have some paperwork to go over before the next meeting this afternoon”.
Gaara didn't have any idea what Temari was talking about but as he was still learning about social interactions he often found it was better to follow Temari's lead in these situations. As Tsunade was about to also refuse the invitation she suddenly felt the ground tremble. Standing still to see if it was her imagination she suddenly felt it tremble again and this time it was stronger. Just as she was about to ask if anyone else had felt the tremor Konoha suddenly started shaking, making it hard to stand properly.
Sakura suddenly shouted “What's happening? Is it an earthquake?”
Tsunade replied “That's impossible! Konoha isn't near any fault lines”.
Suddenly six Anbu members appeared and surrounded Tsunade and the Kazekage in anticipation of any personal attacks upon either village leader. Gaara immediately fell to one knee and placing a hand on the ground starting probing the area with his chakra. After about fifteen seconds Gaara said, “Hokage-sama, about forty feet below, the ground is full of chakra and it is liquefying like a swamp”.
Then Gaara stood up and said “And the swamp is growing”.
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