A Growing Affection

Chapter 6: Training III: Power of the Five Points Rasengan

As always, Hinata was waiting for him at the training stones. This was their first solo meeting in three weeks, between their respective missions, and training with Tsunade. But this time Naruto did not bound into the clearing. Instead he approached slowly and nervously. His unusual demeanor set her on edge.

"Hello, Naruto," she greeted him first, also counter to their pattern.

"Hello, Hinata," his voice was oddly shy, and formal. She began tapping her fingers anxiously. He fidgeted for a second, and then extended a small, poorly wrapped box to her.

"What is this?" she asked, taking it gingerly.

"This is to say thank you," his voice trembled, "For giving me my mother."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she could not say anything. Unable to meet his gaze, she instead focused on the present. She gently plied at the tape, and carefully removed the crumpled paper. Rather than throwing it away, she carefully folded it and slipped it into one of her pockets. Then she drew the lid off the box.

Inside was a silver chain bracelet. The tablet had the Spiral Leaf etched into it, and the symbol was filled with what appeared to be emerald dust. The girl's eyes grew huge, and tears spilled out. She looked up at Naruto and shook her head 'no'.

"Naruto, I can't accept this. It is too much," she tried to give the box back to him. But he shook his head.

"How much is family worth?" he asked quietly, placing his hands behind his back. She pushed the bracelet towards him again, and his eyes hardened, "If you have to, think of it as 15 years of missed birthday and Yuletide gifts."

She did not budge, and he got angry.

"Look I can't take it back, and it won't fit me!" She jumped at his shout, and he sheepishly calmed down.

"So please, take it." Seeing how much it meant to him, she nodded. She took the ornament out of the box, and noticed the inscription on the back.

"Strength comes in many forms," she read aloud. Her eyes glistened again as she looked up at him. She extended the bracelet in her right hand and offered him her left wrist.

"Will you?" she asked. He took the bangle from her, and opened the clasp. He wrapped it around her forearm, and closed the catch. With a pleasant jingle, the gift fell into place.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. With her acceptance, the Genin's normal humor returned.

"Oh, there's something else," he said enthusiastically. She returned her eyes to him in surprise.

"I mastered your Jutsu," he proclaimed.

"My... my Jutsu?" she was confused by the assertion.

"Well, you came up with the idea," he told her. Then he raised his hand, separating his upturned fingers. This time he didn't count, but instead formed five tiny Rasengan in quick succession. One perfect sphere, the size of a grape, hovered over each digit.

"The way I suggested you practice chakra control? That's not a Jutsu..."

Naruto grinned broadly, and expanded each of the spheres to just over an inch in diameter. Then he turned to boulder next to him.

"You might want to stand back," he warned. After she had moved back a few paces, he drew his arm back, and jabbed the standing stone. The spiraling spheres drilled rapidly into the hard mineral. As the tips of his fingers passed the surface of the stone, the entire rock began to vibrate. Hinata blinked as the entire structure began to quake violently. Suddenly, the stone exploded. When the cloud of dust cleared, there was a hole straight through the granite as big as Naruto's palm, and trails radiating out from his fingers.

"I see," she jogged back over to examine the scarred rock. She probed the damaged boulder, "Because the Rasengan are all slightly different frequencies, the dissonance causes a vibration when they hit. The target tears itself apart. And when that happens, the spheres are pushed away, creating these tracks."

Naruto looked totally lost, but nevertheless said, "Yeah, I thought it was something like that."

Then he grinned at her again, "And you designed the technique, so you have the right to name it."

"Name it?"

"Yeah, it needs a name, right?"

"A name..." she traced the cuts in the boulder again, "Like a five pointed star." She mused.

"How about the Five Points Rasengan?" she asked, unsure of her choice.

"Five Points Rasengan... That's great. The Five Points Rasengan it is!"

Then he took out another bag. He opened it, and spilled a handful of balloons onto the ground.

Hinata all but floated back into the Hyuga Manor, glowing with happiness. She had had a perfect afternoon, capping it off by keeping a balloon from popping for almost 30 seconds. When she met her father at an intersection of the halls, he was forced to smile by her obvious joy.

"Good evening, Hinata," Hiashi greeted his daughter.

"Hello, father," she bowed slightly, sending off a slight clinking. The Hyuga leader's enhanced eyes immediately found the source of the noise, an unfamiliar decoration affixed to the girl's wrist.

"That is a very nice bracelet," he commented carefully, "where did you get it?"

"It was a gift from a friend," she smiled fondly at the bracelet.

"It looks expensive. You and this person must be very close." His tone betrayed mistrust, but his doubts did not touch her.

"I hope so," she sighed pleasantly, "Good night." She bowed again and skipped away.

As his daughter left, Hiashi Hyuga's face grew shadowed in anger. He turned back the way he came and stalked off.