I Alone Am The Exception!

Chapter 22: Planning and Actions

I sighed as I sat in Ichiraku's ramen stand with Ino on my left and Hinata to my right, both glaring at one another. What's so surreal about this is that I have the mind of an adult so this feels so wrong and weird at the same time, so I just write it off as them being clingy. Ain't no way I'm gonna do anything with them until we're of legal age.

I smiled up at old man Teuchi as he came up to the counter with three steaming bowls of deliciousness. It looked just like the ramen I had when me and my family had taken a family vacation to Japan. In all it's salty, sodium-enriched goodness.

Teuchi chuckled when he saw my predicament, "Someone's popular with the ladies, I see." He said as he laughed.

I sweat dropped as Ino and Hinata held onto each of my arms. "Much to my annoyance, I just wanna eat right now. Ow! Hey!" I yelped as Hinata pinched my arm while Ino did the same. Hinata's hurt a lot more for obvious reasons, though.

"Jerk."

"Idiot."

"What did I do?!" I exclaimed as they glared at me before cuddling into me. I sighed as I desperately tried to eat but they forced me to focus on cuddling with them. I groaned, "I'm hungry~!" I whined.

"Too bad. Don't care. Cry about it." Hinata said as she held onto me tightly, making sure to lay herself on me.

Nice. No wait, that's wrong. I sighed, giving Teuchi a begging look in desperation. Please, Teuchi-sama save me from their clutches! I haven't eaten all day!

Teuchi sighed, "Let the poor kid eat, girls. He's been busy all day, after all."

Tears appeared in my ears as I mentally bowed before the great Teuchi-sama as I picked up my chopsticks, tapped them on the counter, and broke them apart all in one swift movement. I quickly picked up some of the noodles and began slurping up the delicious food delivered by the greatest deity, Teuchi-sama.

I smiled brightly as I tasted the wonders of a genuine bowl of ramen made from an actually good chef. As I inhaled my food, Hinata sighed, "What will you be doing after this, Naruto?" Hinata asked as she rubbed my back.

I set the now empty bowl of ramen onto the counter and sighed. "I'm going to be putting myself into seclusion training for a few days until the Chunin Exams starts so I can get a better grasp on my abilities. Also... there's something big going on. Something I need you, Sasuke, and Haku to train your hearts out for since I won't be there to protect you all. Hinata, since I don't know the full extent of your abilities, I'm assigning a new girl I picked up to help you." I stated.

Ino's eyes widened, "Naruto, what are you-?" She began, only for me to cut her off.

"There'll be an invasion launched on Konoha during the Chunin Exams. Anything else and I'll have to tell you all privately." I declared in barely above a whisper.

They gulped before slowly nodding their heads.

...

The wind rustled and billowed out about the Hyuga Clan's Compound as the Moon shone brightly in the sky while the darkness of the night casted shadows upon the world.

I sat on the extension of the wooden porch from my house within the Hyuga Compound as I looked down on Sasuke Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga, Haku Yuki, Tayuya, and Ino Yamanaka.

"I brought you all here because, from the intel I have acquired and from interrogating Tayuya here who used to work for Orochimaru, near the end of the Chunin Exams Konoha will be under attack by the man himself." I declared, causing most of them to look between me and Tayuya in shock before their eyes widened. "From the information, I've found out that Orochimaru will entrap both myself and the Third Hokage in a barrier away from everyone else once he does begin the battle. However... he won't be alone. By his side he'll have the revived prime forms of all former Hokage, the strongest Raikage in history, and the master of the Third Tsuchikage, the Second Tsuchikage Mu, all by his side since they will be under his control." I declared.