Naruto: Winds and Changes

"Naruto…what was all that about?" she asked, trying to get a look at his eyes. "Those people, why were they so…?" she wasn't even sure what to call it. Hateful? Vengeful? The emotion was too intense to really come up with an appropriate word.

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered, "I can't tell you…"

"Why not?" Tenten asked with a frown, "I'm your friend aren't I? Don't I deserve to know these things about you?"

Naruto could not hold in the wince, "I…please don't make me tell you…"

"So you're not going to tell me? Do you not trust me?"

"No!" Naruto's eyes widened as he looked at her, "Of course I trust you!"

"Then why won't you tell me!" Tenten shouted, frustrated with how the blond was acting.

"Because I…" Naruto shook his head and began again, "There are things about me that you simply don't know… things that will change your opinion about me if you do know."

He saw her open her mouth but forestalled her with a hand, "Even if you accept what I say, it would still change your opinion. It may be a positive influence, but it may also be a negative influence. But no matter what happens it will change what you think and feel about me. I haven't told you this, but you were the very first friend my age that I made and I don't want to lose that friendship."

Tenten's eyes widened at the new knowledge. She had not realized that. Naruto seemed like such a likable person, sure he was kind of loud and tended to say more then he should, but he had toned it down since she had first met him when he wore that hideous orange jumpsuit into the store. To hear that he had no friends until her was both surprising and sad.

"I still think you should let me know," She said at last.

Naruto sighed, "I can't… not yet." She was about to protest but stilled her mouth when he said yet. "I promise I'll... I'll tell you after the Chunin Exams…I know it won't make that much difference but, but this isn't something I can just come out and tell someone."

"Why?"

"Because it's something I only just found out about six months ago," Naruto replied. "I'm still kind of trying to deal with this knowledge myself. It also happens to be an S-class village secret that will get anyone but me executed if they even talk about it."

Tenten had not thought she could be any more surprised than she had been before, but this new one threw her for a loop.

"So before I tell you, I want you to think about whether you feel it's really worth knowing. This will also give me the chance to…gather up my courage, so to speak." Naruto looked down at his feet, "I know it might not seem like it makes a difference, but I..."

"I doubt a month will change my desire to know, " Tenten said, interupting the blond with a shake of her head. When Naruto looked back up at her she smiled, "But if it will make you feel better, I'll wait,"

Naruto smiled, "Thank you, and… I'm sorry for ruining our date."

"Who said our date is ruined?" Tenten asked with a grin, grabbing his arm again and walking towards a specific part of town. "We may not be able to go to some restaurant, but I know this great ramen stand we can go to."

Naruto chuckled a bit as he felt relief that Tenten was willing to wait for him, and still wanted to go on this date despite the terrible start they had with it.

That decided they had gone out to Ichiraku's before Naruto had escorted Tenten back home. He was supremely grateful that Tenten's dad was somewhere in the back of the store when he and Tenten arrived, because he was sure the man would castrate him if he saw Tenten giving him a kiss, even if it was on the cheek.

If for no other reason than that, Naruto had decided that the date was a success. And so many people got to watch in shock and a small amount of fear as Naruto danced back to his house, laughing like a madman.

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