Tsuchigumo

Catching Feelings

Naruto put on his new mission gear. Though some parts looked like leather, it was actually spider silk with chemical structure similar to leather. All those times spent with Orochimaru learning about the properties of his silk was worth it. The reason they even spent time learning about what Naruto can concoct with his silk fluids was to learn how to create an artificial 'Tsuchigumo Silk', as Orochimaru named it, so that it can be used as a new material for Shinobi grade gears. There has been some successes.

He had weaved a shoulder-less and backless turtleneck that stretched tight over his body, belts holding them in place across his back with 'leather' silks, the lower part left loose over his pelvis like an apron or loincloth for propriety even though he has nothing to 'flash'. People just get uncomfortable watching him if he's not covered well to their standard and Naruto knew his presence alone was understandably uncomfortable so the least he could do was ease their discomfort by 'covering' himself. It was bad enough that the natural positioning of his pedipalps made it look like he was squatting all the time with his 'thighs' spread open. Of course he had learned to lower them so it looked like he's kneeling instead.

Like Minato suggested, he wear his hitai-ate around his neck, somehow managing to make it curve comfortably under his jaw. After fixing his braid and the seal tag attached to his long side hair braided with beads the color of his family; red for Kushina, yellow for Minato, pale blue for Yukito, and green for Haruka. Naruto once asked his sister why she didn't like pink since that was the color that most girls seemed to identify with. She just pouted and asked him 'what's wrong with green?' and that 'green makes her happy' so Naruto just stopped associating color with gender after that.

Smiling at his image in the mirror, Naruto left to start his day...

Kushina handed him so wrapped sandwiches and pushed him out the door so he can fill his Shinobi application form on time. Naruto could have left with Minato but he didn't want to seem like he's still clinging to Minato for every little thing so he decided to leave a little later. Rather than disappointed, Minato just looked happy for Naruto fledgling attempt to be independent. In the father's eyes, Naruto was just 'born' four years ago. His over protectiveness of the boy came from this perspective. But his perspective and reality were different and he had to accept that Naruto will bid for independence far earlier than his other children.

Unaware of his father's thought, Naruto walked through Konoha's street with better confidence with the hitai-ate around his neck. Well, it wasn't that he wasn't confident before, but rather he was aware that even though most of Konoha had gotten used to him, some still question his right to be...well...free. The last time someone voiced their thoughts out loud about him not being human enough to be treated like them, Kushina had sought the man out and showed him what 'Uzumaki Trauma' in the hospital's record meant. Then of course that was followed by Minato who had sat the man down and used what he learned in the Daimyo's court to make the man shit his pants while still smiling and being polite.

Naruto doesn't know what's worse; being chased by his furious demonic mother around Konoha like a prey or being treated to 'tea' by his smiling demon of a father...

Either way, last he heard the same man had taken his family and moved out of Konoha.

That aside, Naruto knew that the sight of the hitai-ate alone will prove to others that he has the 'official' right to be there, free and unchained. Being Shinobi give him the same right as other people and Naruto supposed a part of him recognized that from the beginning. Of course, his decision to become Shinobi still began from the need to defend his family. But he can only do that if he was acknowledged as the same level as the other humans.

Minato had given the tools...

It's time he made use of it...

The photographer waved his hand, "A little more to the left...okay, hold!" The camera flashed and the man gestured, "Alright, done, wait outside,"