Chapter 14 - Resolving Burden

"Oi Chōji, I am gonna beat your a.s.s this time." declared Naruto

Releasing a deep breath Chōji replied, "Naruto you dare to come between me and my food? You are getting more and more stupid."

"Nah-ah, sorry bud. But Raito promised me that I could eat as much ramen as I wished. So I am going to defeat you quickly." replied Naruto

Chōji narrowed his eyes and asked, "You think it is easy to defeat me? You must be dreaming then. With my family jutsu, I can easily defeat you Naruto."

Naruto and Chōji were bickering and hearing that Raito got ticked off. So he shouted, "You both, if you continue talking, then no one is going to get what they want."

Hearing that Naruto and Chōji retreated to the woods. After the two left the scene, Raito turned towards s.h.i.+kamaru, "Come, come let's play."

"Oi Raito give us an explanation, what was that just now and just how the h.e.l.l did you do it?" asked Ino as she roared and pulled Raito

Startled Raito quickly hold Ino and replied in the form of a question, "Well that was my family technique, just like Hyuga family's Byakugan, Nara family's shadow techniques or Yamanaka family's mind techniques. If they can have special techniques then why can't my family have any special techniques?"

Ino blanked and nodded, Hinata was in thought but also quickly nodded

s.h.i.+kamaru was an exception, he was always thinking about the s.p.a.ce jutsu, a technique allowing you to easily store anything you want and how much could it store? Were there any limitations? And more importantly, he had never heard about something like this. Ever. But knowing about this would matter? No, and really he couldn't care a bit.

s.h.i.+kamaru knew Raito, if he wanted you to know something then he would tell you of course but if he didn't want you to know something, then there is no way in h.e.l.l you will be able to find out.

"This technique is called 'inventory'. And well, all it can do is store things in a time freeze zone." added Raito as he showed them, bringing things in and out from thin air

"Ano, what is time freeze zone?" asked Hinata

"Time freeze zone is exactly the name suggests, this inventory, after I store things in it, it appears that not a single minute has pa.s.sed," Raito explained

"So that's why the curry at that time was still hot." voiced s.h.i.+kamaru

"Exactly." Raito smiled

"Well enough about me now. Ino, Hinata, listen, you both. Me, Naruto, s.h.i.+kamaru, and Chōji have been doing this once a month at least. While we say it's for training but it just for fun. But we can develop ourselves in various different ways. Naruto in these few days have been getting stronger but he is still weak in Taijutsu …...or chakra control and…...still." added Raito

"And still cannot do math," added s.h.i.+kamaru

"Or still wearing orange," added Ino

"Well yeah. But its good enough that he is getting better and will easily pa.s.s the finals," said Raito

Hinata smiled in happiness and so did the others.

"Well enough about Naruto, the real problem is you, girls. One doesn't have enough strength or good enough reflexes or any tech….." Raito announced but was stopped by a punch to the face which he quickly dodged

"Hmph." snorted Ino

"What was that for!?" roared Raito

"Well buddy you were just too straightforward," answered s.h.i.+kamaru

"Don't you take a cla.s.s with my papa, he should have taught you something, right? Couldn't he have taught you to speak with ladies?" Ino pointed her finger towards Raito

"Huh? Are you stupid or something? Why the h.e.l.l would you dad wanna teach me how to speak with girls?" retorted Raito

s.h.i.+kamaru stepped forward between Ino and Raito then spoke, "Ino, what Raito said is right and I am too lacking in the physical department so we are gonna go back and do some exercise." then s.h.i.+kamaru dragged Ino

"What about -?"

"It doesn't really matter, who wins or who loses? But we have found our team and today some bonding will be a good thing. Why don't you two play shoji?" said s.h.i.+kamaru after which both of them left the room

Hinata and Raito stood there awkwardly in the room.

Not being able to bear the tension Hinata started preparing the board, "Raito-san, I am sorry I came."

"Ugh." Raito sighed heavily and continued, "It's not your fault Hinata, but mine. I don't hate you but your family. I don't like them."

Raito sat down and moved the first piece and continued, "When my family died, the Hyuga family came and asked old man Hokage to let me marry into the branch family and get that seal on me. Of course, the old man was furious and refused."

"After that, I heard from some ninja that the day my parents died, their job was to bring the elder members of the Hyuga main branch from some place."

"I don't know if it was pity or something else at that time allowing me to marry into the family, I don't even know anything but from then to till now I have always felt hate against those people."

"The most disturbing thing was that seal which they were going to put on me after I studied Fuinjutsu and asked around, I found out that it was very, very similar to a slave seal. The people from your family are giving it a nicer name, "Caged Bird Seal". If you found out that someone was willing to make you a slave. Will you be happy? Of course, you would feel disturbed, right?"

Then looking at the teary-eyed Hyuga opposite to Raito. He added, "When I saw you in the academy I didn't know what to feel, you were different from those old men in your family. A kind, shy and innocent girl, who couldn't speak with her crush, whose face go red when talking with her crush and stutter a lot and can't even handle a compliment."

Then Raito smiled, "It came to me that you were completely different from your family from those old men in your family. I was having difficulties in separating you from your family. In my mind, you were same as your family and same as those old men and even though I had no opinion about you, I know in my heart that one part of me used to hate you. I was hating you for the things you have never done, I was hating you for the things you were never a part of."

Then suddenly Raito was stunned and next he started laughing loudly, "Ah I am such a dumb. Hahahaha...….."

*ding

For the realization and lifting the heavy burden in users mind WIS+3

Looking at the window Raito cursed silently

"Raito-san, are you fine?" asked Hinata worriedly

"Ah yeah, am fine."

Then looking at Hinata Raito bowed, "Hinatsan I am really sorry for my behavior till now"

Smiling softly, eyes filled with determination Hinata also bowed, "I am really sorry for any trouble my clan has caused. I will definitely help you with all my might and this is my promise."

Looking at the bowing Hyuga girl Raito sighed lightly, shaking his head Raito replied, "I don't want to involve you as much as possible but I can only ask you to not interfere when I have proof and things go legal and all."

"Mm." Hinata made a small affirmative noise in response

"Well why don't we finish our game here?" said Raito as he got back to his seat

"Naruto sure is a lucky guy," whispered Raito

A few hours later, s.h.i.+kamaru and Ino came back exhausted and all sweaty.

"I am going for a bath call me when it's time to eat," said Ino sternly

"Yes ma'am," answered Raito jokingly

"Tch troublesome." with that s.h.i.+kamaru laid down on the wooden walkway.

Chōji and Naruto came limping. Black and blue eyes, bruised areas clothes filled with leaves and branches.

Naruto Lvl 8

3000/3175

Chōji Lvl 8

1300/1450

Smiling lightly Raito ordered, "Well who wins and who loses will not matter but both of you clean yourself a bit and come at me."

Naruto and Chōji eyed each other and then dusted themselves and walked towards Raito.

Without telling anything Raito placed his hands on Naruto first then softly commanded, "Heal".

Green color glowed surrounding Raito's hand then covering Naruto's body then lightly glowing in gold the scratches and bruises started to heal up

+100 HP

Naruto Lvl 8

HP-3100/3175

Then on Chōji

"Heal."

+100 HP

Chōji Lvl 8

HP-1400/1450

"Woah, a healing jutsu," Ino shouted at the view

"So, how was it?" Asked Raito

"It feels like most pain is gone and the wounds are all closed up," replied Chōji

"Same, it doesn't hurt now," added Naruto

"Well that's a relief," replied Raito

Raito Lvl 10

HP-1375/1375

CP- 200/800

Looking at the stats Raito felt sad, 'It's still a long way to go. For 1 heal it takes 300 Chakra and I can only perform 2 heals.'

"That was awesome Raito. How did ya do it?" asked Naruto

"Well healing techniques are difficult I just did it on a fluke, I am currently trying to master it but still it uses a lot of chakra," replied Raito unconsciously

"Raito why didn't you use any hand signs?" asked s.h.i.+kamaru

Giving s.h.i.+kamaru a blank stare replied after quite a while, "I-I forgot."

"Ehhh!?" all the other members exclaimed in shock

"What!? I also forget sometimes you know," replied Raito embarra.s.singly. Then as if realizing the mistake, "ah that's why it took a lot of chakra." Bring a pen and notebook out of thin air Raito began scribbling on the notebook.

"Raito, I am hungry." roared the hungry Akimichi

"Ah sure, sure. Hinatsan can you call Ino," asked Raito

Hinata nodded and walked upstairs.

"It seems something good happened," said s.h.i.+kamaru

"Mn." Chōji nodded

"Guys, help me make the table." with that the three boys made the table, Raito took out the pot and other dishes he had made.

Girls and boys sat and heartily ate the meals. Most of the time it was Chōji eating the food like a hurricane but an annoyed Ino managed to make Chōji eat much slowly.

After eating the food everyone gathered in the back garden.

"Today's game ended faster than other days." murmured s.h.i.+kamaru

Raito was the last one to come. He announced, "So guys I am gonna take you all to someplace where monster resides and we are going there to kill them and free them of their eternal sufferings."