Hime Murasaki
Chapter 3: New Found Purpose
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't own Guilty Gear, and I do not own anything that Sammy Studios and Capcom (although Capcom did not make Guilty Gear) made from their immense creativity.
AN: Two months of no update can certainly do its damage. Although I would absolutely love to update, college loves to mess around with my schedule. Listed in priority, my life is school, UFS, and fanfiction. In that spirit, you can clearly see how vital fanfiction really is… Nonetheless, I am very happy to see people bearing with me despite my lack of updates, or lack of activity to show people that I am alive.
After receiving great motivation and comments about Hime Murasaki, I decided to continue it. I'll try not to give out too many 'surprises', so to speak, and I'll keep things more in control than the chaos in SiC. Suggestions are always welcome.
Let the games begin.
(And the story continues)
I am not Naruto… No… this was not the self that I had six years ago… I have changed ever since I wielded Seraphim for as long as I could remember…
The very first time I even heard of the sword Seraphim was the week after Jiraiya passed away. It was a difficult time for me to adjust, especially when I found no work when I needed the money. People have said that the last time I accepted a mission was three years ago back in Konoha, and employers doubted my skills since I was out of the workforce for so long. It did bring me some delight to know that their decision not to employ me wasn't because I had Kera as my demon, but that did not mean I wasn't disappointed. Jiraiya was a very rich man, and I thought that after his death, as his loyal student who did not question his training methods despite that it really ruined my reputation in terms of completing missions, I expected to inherit part of his fortune.
Or that was what my optimism believed.
It was until I read his will that all of his money would go to the last woman that would make him orgasm. To my extreme frustration, a beautiful local stripper with an awesome cleavage (that was threatening to break that tight, confining, almost exploding tanktop despite the size should be virtually loose on every other woman on earth) along with a cute baby face practically stripped all the wealth I needed in order to survive, and a several days later I found out she spent most of the money on a crack party.
And rumours had it that she died the very next day.
People saw it as tragic; but I found it to be a comical disaster.
I should have killed her when I had the chance.
As sad as that may sound, it was the truth. Kera was supportive though. In spite that we had limited amount of cash left, she said that there wasn't any job we couldn't find as long as we had a healthy body and a good pair of arms and legs. She would even come out in her humanoid form to help me out. Kera promised to live with me through thick and thin, and at that very second I failed to understand why so many Konohanians (meaning people living in Konoha just like how the word American was used) could possibly hate her so much. I adored her. She was everything to me although I did not know how to care for anyone romantically.
I was fortunate enough to find a job as a waiter at a small restaurant, and Kera, knowing that she needed to work so we could live our lives better, applied for the job as well in spite that she, being a fox demon, had no job experience whatsoever. In all honesty, we could settle for a very unorthodox living style, but we balanced out how that would truly affect our image and so we forgotten that we brought it up altogether. The employer, a male obviously, was about to refuse my application, but once he saw a beautiful young woman that no older than nineteen (yet I clearly knew how old she truly was) beside me, he demanded that Kera should be hired for the sake of business. Well, bad business of course, and he didn't dare say it out loud. His lecherous face was something that could make me declare Jiraiya as a king of subtlety –and Kera and I both knew that he was nowhere near subtle. My demon master acted very innocent, but enriched it with an admirable touch of intelligence. She accepted the job, yes, but not if I wasn't hired.
Sadly to say, it didn't take long for the employer to make his decision. A girl like Kera certainly didn't come by everyday. If there was anything to be admired in this scenario, it would be his method in assuring chances.
I didn't even know why he offered us a loft above the restaurant as our home when he hired us, but I realized it quickly. As long as Kera's beautiful figure, most preferably in a very short skirt that if moved or she bend over by the slightest it would reveal what sort of delicate panties she wore, attracted customers he would be fine with another set of hands as an asset. Besides, he would find any free time to grope her, and it was no shock to me that he had a tremendous amount of breaks –especially when the breaks were scheduled during our busiest times. It was made that our shifts would make it difficult against his curious hands, meaning he would be touching Kera occasionally while she was working, and I would be too busy to notice what his perverted mind was planning. With that said, it was no surprise that I got the dishwashing job, which was stationed inside, and while Kera was the sexy waitress that came in now and then to take the orders for the customers.
As predicted, business became absolutely hectic. People of all ages showed up during the meal times, and within the next day the manager suggested the shop to be opened during breakfast hours. Lecherous old men accompanied by some children even would be the morning rush, and young men to middle aged people would come by at lunch to dinner. After the first several days, I saw less and less female customers coming into the store. At the same time, however, Kera would come back into the kitchen with more and more 'tips' on her body, in which I had to retrieve out of her cleavage and helm of her panties. It was that time I started to worry about Kera's willpower and mentality, wondering if this work was beginning to drive her to the limit. She said if the money was good enough for us to continue living, then it was all worth it. I doubted almost everything she said, but she refused to press onto the issue and left the kitchen to finish up her shift. Every time she came back in, I would find that she collected a several thousand yen (if not more) from the crowd before I set up a large glass jar to gather up the money so I wouldn't need to touch her for a several minutes when I should be washing dishes. This went on for a several weeks.
By the end of the first week, the lost skin on my hands due to extreme exposure to corrosive detergent reflected meaninglessness. I felt useless and hopeless. Kera felt like a prostitute, and I could see it in her eyes that slitting her wrists no longer appeared to be a horrific idea when she needed to see some colour. Our manager, however, was just being himself. A jackass who gave me more work and isolated me away from Kera so I couldn't protect her he could have his hands all around the goddess who got him all the wealth he ever imagined. In his terms, he justified his actions as a reward.
Our first tragedy took place after three weeks of working under extreme stress. One night, and I would never forget it, Kera pleaded me to talk with her –in the bedroom. I would have never agreed if she wasn't using her timid voice, or her face wasn't red, or when she was wearing very limited clothing that did nothing to hide her figure. At the same time, I was under such great depression that having sexual intercourse with a woman did not seem like such a bad idea anymore as long as it kept my sanity in tact. But once we got into our bedroom, we didn't have sex… she brushed up against me and wept and wept and wept. My first reaction was to hug her, and noticing that I was willing to listen to her despite my usual impatience, she only cried harder to relieve herself before she found the strength to speak normally –sort of to the very least.
Still sobbing a little, Kera told me about what our supervisor, who was the employer, did that day. She didn't tell me the details, well… she did, but I wouldn't share it, but she said that he made her orgasm from his aggressive touching. She didn't want to arrive, she said, but her body's natural reactions gave in and she had never been so ashamed of herself in her life when his victorious smirk shattered all confidence she had within herself. I apologized and apologized over and over again for not protecting her, for not able to be with her when Kera devoted everything she had to help me. Although it was not my fault, I took on the blame, almost willing to beat myself up to death to have someone else go through sexual abuse when I couldn't do a thing to help it. Kera was a demon, yet she was still human, meaning that there was only so much she could take before she snapped.
What did that mean?
It was simple. Under all the emotional torment, waves after waves of constant disappointment, nearly seeing no hope in our future… we had to do something to satisfy ourselves. The only thing we came up with, that was after we shared the very first kiss with each other, was to make passionate, lusty, dirty, but wonderful, love.
Who said that fifteen year olds shouldn't have sex? It was their mistake.
Needless to say, we quit our jobs and abandoned our loft the very next day.
At the central part of town, which was also the trading and shopping district, on the very same day, we heard about the unofficial mission given out by a noble lord to retrieve a legendary weapon that was stored and protected in a museum that was located in a shinobi influenced town very much like Konoha. It was the Air Village, if I recalled. He had no use for it because he wasn't a warrior himself, and yet it was his desire to have it because it looked great in his treasure room. His reward was extremely high, much higher than those of a B-class mission, and yet no one had the guts or courage to see it through. It was plain to see why no one dared to perform such a ridiculous act. Firstly, what would happen if they got killed? Secondly, even if they survived, their lives would be totally ruined from then on because the Air shinobis would never allow such a criminal to be on the loose. The deal was, needless to say, to have a brave soul steal the blade, sell it to the rich noble and accept the payment, and not even the Air Kage have the power to take the weapon back when the noble technically bought it off someone else. What was left of the courageous hero that aided him would be none of his business at that point.
If I wasn't desperate for cash, I would have never accepted the quest. I knew it was a win-win situation for the hirer… but what about me? Kera thought I was insane and yet she agreed with it anyway despite how bitter she was. As much as I was confident in my abilities while I kissed her a several times while doing so, Kera just didn't think it was worth the risk. Truth be told, the chances of my succeeding was close to nil. However, didn't she remember who she was? She was the same Kyuubi demon that assaulted Konoha fifteen years ago. Therefore, her powers were immense. All she needed to do was create the same chaos (not necessarily in her beast form) as a major distraction, and I would play my cunning role to steal the designated weapon to complete the mission when everyone was sent up front. It was as simple as that. Besides, Kera could kill them if she wished, and I knew how hard it was to ignore primary instincts.
Our operation commenced at night time three days after we accepted the mission. I prayed to God that it would work well.
(Meanwhile)
It's the same dream again…
Nowadays, I didn't know if I should be crying or smiling with delight after that dream. I would cry sometimes because even in his death Jiraiya had ruined my life and Kera's, yet if I remembered the great times we had after I claimed Seraphim successfully I would forget all about the harsh times and celebrate on our happiness. Unfortunately, I rarely managed to dream that good part. Still, a memory was just a memory. As I let out a yawn, I checked my surroundings and at the same time I wanted to know what time it was. Seriously, yesterday's events were a complete blur. Or was it because I wanted to forget them? No matter how much I wanted that to happen, I doubted that could ever come true. I lost to Hyuuga Hinata, which was, to my disbelief, quite an admirable defeat. Kera didn't think so though; she thought getting wasted under two moves was a significant sign of weakness. To me, I believed that she was jealous that Hinata got to sleep next to me and hug my arm…
Wait… Hinata was sleeping next to me?
I turned my head to my right and saw horror in the gentlest sense. There she was, Hyuuga Hinata, sleeping like an angel right beside me, her head leaning against my right shoulder as a pillow while moaning my name occasionally with a gorgeous smile on her face that would make Kera absolutely furious if I was mesmerized by it. The problem was… well, I was mesmerized. Slightly though. But slightly was already too much.
"Naruto, what are you doing?" I heard a loud scold in my skull. Clearly, that was Kera's way of greeting me although her words held more anger than usual.
"Good morning to you, too…" I mumbled out loud when I should've been responding with my mind. Whatever… it wasn't like she didn't hear me. "What's with the ruckus?"
"It's good to see you up and awake."
"I'm hardly awake," I noted, yawning again in a more quiet way than to show off myself as a lazy bastard. "Damn it all… it's way too early to be focussed on anything…"
"You were very attentive to her though? I saw you stare."
"Please…" I grunted, not trying to make an act of the typical stereotypical teens that lack the ability to say a simple word properly. "Give me a break, Kera. Is it wrong for me to know who is sleeping next to me when I usually sleep alone? Better be cautious than reckless."
"What is there to be cautious about?" she challenged with a huff. "You were the one who invited her to rest next to you. Who else would you expect to be beside you in the morning? She wouldn't leave, she would never leave if you allow it. It doesn't take an expert to know her feelings…"
I chuckled despite her seriousness. "Didn't we discuss something like this yesterday? The more intimate they get, the harder they fall once they realize that all has been for nothing. It's quite a good trade, if you want my two cents."
"I don't like it."
"It's no longer a matter that neither of us have free choice over, Kera-chan…" I stated, waving her irritation away. "We have to see through it."
"That doesn't mean that I like it."
"There you go again with whatever you please… No one said that this mission was going to be easy. Hardship is unavoidable… even if some sex would be involved, don't you think it's a price that is worth paying for when we do succeed?"
"And what if you don't? Then everything, including the non-devoted sex, would be all a waste!"
Having sex was a waste? Well, her mistake.
I grunted, clearly noticing what the trouble that was causing her to be so edgy. "You are being way too uptight… I am just stating this as an example, not that I am actually going to go through it the whole thing in depth."
"I am very certain that this girl in your arms wouldn't mind if you did."
"Hinata?" I questioned. "You're being silly. As touchy as she may be, she wouldn't do such a thing."
"You don't know women enough."
"I know you, don't I?"
Kera grew impatient –especially when she was serious and I ended up twisting everything she said as a joke, and she was not stern often unless provoked. "I am not joking here, do you see my good intentions as senseless humour? I know girls, Naruto, I was young once. Listen to me, dearest, I am not sure why… but this Hyuuga girl… I feel something about her…"
I cocked a brow. "That she is a strong kunoichi? Don't state the obvious. I know that when she knocked me out."
"I am talking about how she feels about you! You know what, when I think about it now… wasn't this the girl who… well, you know… always timid around you and never speaks a sentence without stuttering? I remember her most because of that cute blush she has."
After mentioning it, things sort of did fit together. The ointments, the encouraging chats, how she would listen to me although words seemed to be exploding from my mouth like a thrashing wildfire, why there was a girl who appeared to have dark hair who would hide behind a tree when I looked in the forest's way while I rested, why she suddenly became so touchy once we met another last night, the reason why she found it so comfortable to embrace me, or the strangest was how she knew my scent by simply hugging my body. As big as this revelation was, it only motivated me to make more conniving schemes with significant ease. At the same time, however, it did feel good to be liked, not loved, by someone. Hinata wasn't one of those people that I would want to hurt, but she seemed to be the easiest one to crush should the perfect, undeniable circumstances arise.
Like I said, I would make use of this girl until she reached the point of uselessness.
"Why, don't you have a good memory," I commented, snickering. My words hinted more than it let out.
"You are the one who isn't cautious enough." Kera retorted, victoriously.
She got me there though. My twelve-year-old self was quite the idiot, but to compensate my current self was definitely a miracle that evolved from that moron. I just worried about the amount of damage that little boy had done before I could even repair it.
On my occasional pondering, I didn't have that much faith in my old self.
"Don't get mad, Naruto. I love you regardless."
"You certainly love saying it," I retorted. My eyes went back to the Hyuuga girl as I observed her body.
Nonetheless, I found this Hyuuga princess extremely adorable, it was almost at an extent where everyone would either want her as a baby sister or love her as a romantic individual. If Hinata was more forward, or even if I noticed how much more gentle and caring than she already was, I would've loved her and never abandoned Konoha to leave with Jiraiya. Love, it was such a pathetic word sometimes. I was not saying that loving someone was a bad thing, and yet the seriousness of the word had been totally diluted by many people in our generation. Even Hinata's appearance, although she was oblivious of it now, had an effect on me. It broke my dark determinations when I saw her divine visage, sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to crush her. And even if I did, I could imagine myself crying from the guilt and regret.
What the hell was that just now? Crying and regretting that I used her to achieve my ultimate goal… What the hell was I on? Whether she was adorable or not, my plans were much greater than that of a girl from a noble household. I needed to get away… her holy aura was starting to disrupt my thoughts. Then again, maybe it wasn't an emotional factor, but rather physical. Without me knowing, Hinata's head had gone a little closer to my neck, and therefore she, unknowingly, planted her soft, lovable lips on my skin, giving small kisses each time as she took a breath. Her breathing was attractive, almost teasing me by saying that she could kiss me but she wisely decided not to in order to drive me nuts. Perhaps I could give her that much credit if she woke up. I was better off leaving her side for now; my brain wasn't functioning properly under these affectionate crises.
But first, I'd like to see if she was actually awake. A several pokes on the cheek should do the job just fine. Once I touched it… I thought I was touching the richest… jelly. She was so soft. Unbelievable. It was astounding to see that an eighteen-year-old young woman would still have such a fine amount of baby fat that did not make her fat by the slightest. This combination of adorability and beauty was clearly not often. To the least, I knew Haruno Sakura only had beauty and not cuteness behind it. Rage was quite the element to shatter hopes sometimes. When Hinata only moaned more pleasantly with her smile growing wider, I only tried again. The second time earned me a silent mewl, and her small hands gripped onto my arm even more intimately than ten seconds ago. My goodness, Kami-sama definitely blessed her with an infinite source of cuteness… because I couldn't lay my eyes away from her.
I just made my situation even worse than before.
In that spirit, I attempted to leave her side and leave the scene for a while. Her influence, despite that she was only asleep, was already powerful. What if she was actually conscious enough to manipulate it in any fashion she wished. Kera and I had no intention to find out. Just as I tried to stand, I found myself stuck in my spot. Hinata's grip actually tightened. That didn't make sense. Usually, I could do that with Kera if she was sleeping… unless Hinata was awake. I turned my head, painfully slow mind you, to my right. My fears were a dreaded reality when I saw Hinata's eyes were opened, somewhat to the least. She was tired, I knew that, because they were only half opened, but that look on her face was the one that made me swallow. It was a desperate look (probably made unconsciously due to her fatigue) for me not to leave her side, and she had to do it in a very adorable way, too.
"…Naruto-kun…" Hinata murmured gently, her voice sounded like she was going to cry.
"Ano… ano…." I stuttered, totally at a loss of what to do and how to do it. "Good morning, Hinata…"
"Don't leave… don't leave me…" she pleaded, pulling me back down to a sitting position. I dumbly sat flat on my rear and forced myself to look at her. I have finally decided that I liked her a lot more as my opponent than anything else. Still, I had to keep my ground. Instead of acting like an indecisive moron, I took a breath to freshen up my acting skills.
"I don't think that taking a stretch is a crime, Hinata," I told her, smiling while ignoring what she said earlier. "My joints are pretty stiff after sleeping without lying down for the whole night. It's becoming a little unbearable."
"Oh…" she timidly replied. "Gomen…" she then released her hands off my arm. Then I pulled my right arm with my left before producing a several loud cracks. Hinata squeaked at the sound, yet when she examined my expression, it looked like I was expecting it. "Ano… Naruto-kun…"
"What is it?" I questioned, flexing my 'fixed' arm a several times. Then I moved onto my left one and made a sound similar but only half as loud. No doubt, Hinata eeped just like last time.
"…Does it hurt?"
"Eh?"
"I mean… doing that to your arm and… you know… okay?"
"By okay if you mean feeling immense pain and discomfort while being stationary, then yeah, I'll believe you." I stood up and rotated my neck. I received the same satisfaction as I did to my other parts, yet Hinata was watching me with worry written over every bit of her expression. Nothing seemed to escape her, literally and metaphorically. "Ah, by the way, how did you sleep? Did you rest well?"
Hinata nodded with an audible sound at the end, which sounded like an encouragement of some sort. "I had a wonderful rest, thanks to you, Naruto-kun. But… did I bother you though?"
That was a strange inquiry. "Bother?" I asked. What could she have meant by that. "My sleep was quite pleasant, too, Hinata," I told her, actually in an honest way. "I don't understand what you are saying…"
"…Well… I-I… I-I t-tend to hug things when I am asleep… I just hope you didn't find it too weird or uncomfortable… I wouldn't want Naruto-kun to not have rest well when he should be because of me…"
Tend to hug things when sleeping…? There was a habit like that? I didn't want to be rude, but I couldn't help but move my pupils from left, right, up, down, back… Hinata knew a great deal of bad impression impact was made. She grew quiet and timid, and her face grew bright red from embarrassment. Did she think that I thought of her as stupid? Well, silly yes, but not stupid.
"I would say that is definitely a first…" I admitted. "When you think about it, Hinata, it's a lot better than having a tendency to stretch your legs so you might kick the person you are sleeping next to, or that poor man would feel like he's having a stomach bowel or having a baby. I'd rather have you hug me in that case."
Hinata grew a bright red, flushing up so furiously that she was going to faint. After some sceptical examinations, I realized that she only paid the most attention to the last part of my statement where she thought that I really liked to hug her. Truth be told, hugging her was not a terrible experience (compared to putting your arm in a wolverine cage.) I only decided to switch the subject, and I knew that it would require me to stand up. Her eyes didn't leave me for a moment –like a hawk.
"My, isn't this annoying…"
"What is annoying you, Naruto-kun?"
"I am just a little hungry," I admitted. "If you haven't realized, I grow kind of impatient under starvation. I was just trying to see how long our conversation would last, you know, so I could draw the line."
"W-we can go back to town to have breakfast, Naruto-kun," Hinata generously offered, then she silenced herself as another one of her trademark blushes crept on her face once she noticed how bold she was at speaking something that she wanted to keep to herself. I eyed her for a second and smiled a fake smirk yet it was disguised so well that no one could tell that I was being a liar. Somehow, I had a very eerie feeling that Hinata knew, but she was just too warm-hearted to comment on it out loud.
"That results in attention," I reminded. "I want this to be an isolating, private vacation. I wasn't expecting company. Though I am not saying that seeing you again was a bad thing." She smiled gratefully once she heard that. Still, was it a certain fact that seeing her wasn't a bad thing? I could deceive others but I could never truly deceive myself. Meeting her was a terrible thing, but at least I found some delight that a cute, lovable girl like her was the one who found me. If this was Sakura, I might've killed her on the spot.
Probably because falling in love with Sakura was a horrific attack on my sexuality. I never knew that mothers of Konoha were that talented at giving birth to such beautiful, elegant, and attractive boys.
"But everyone would welcome you back, Naruto-kun," Hinata insisted with pure intentions. "Hokage-sama, Sakura-chan… everyone missed you so much. You don't have to say much, but at least you can show them that you are well and healthy so they don't have to worry about you when you do leave…"
"That's it?"
"What do you mean 'that's it'?"
"What do you think it means?"
"Is my reasoning not good enough?"
"Not for me, no. They can easily assume that I am doing well. Think about it, what is the worst that could happen to me?"
"That you would be jobless, poor, and living on the lines of poverty?"
That had me pause and look at her for a long while. I stared at her right in the eye, in fact, I was surprised that she wasn't looking away and blushing up like she usually would. She was serious, and yet her presumptions struck on the nail dead on.
"What?" It was all I could manage to say. "How did you come up with that?"
"Tsunade-sama strongly believed that you would be very poor if Jiraiya-sama died."
"Explanation?"
"W-wasn't his will to give his fortune to whoever made him… y-you know… made him feel like a man?" This time Hinata was stuttering and her cheeks turned crimson once more. She was very embarrassed to be saying things like this, and yet unfortunately for her some of it just had to be said.
"And you know this because…?"
"Tsunade-sama knew about it. It was just something that Jiraiya-sama wrote down when he was still just a boy… I guess that statement would've been valid if it was for his wife… as perverted and irregular that statement sounds." It would appear we have reached a minor consensus. God, I was thinking we would never make progress.
"Since Jiraiya never married, nor ever had a decent, long lasting relationship… any random woman would've qualified…"
"So… what happened to Jiraiya-sama's wealth?"
"A young woman with gigantic breasts, to my standards, just took the money and left that day," I replied, my mood gradually decreasing in spirit. "I was left with nothing. It's not that bad, Hinata, within a week I abandoned my training and started to look for a real job. I survived, that's all it matters. I didn't need that man's money to live, I had to live on my own eventually, right? Think of it as a thrilling experience as a part of growing up."
"Weren't you a bit angry though?"
"Eh?"
"I mean… ano… were you upset that you were left with nothing?"
"Can't say I was delighted, if you want sincerity that is."
"Ano… ano, Naruto-kun… do you want to have some breakfast?"
"I told you that I don't want to be seen by the public."
"You are quite defensive when it comes to social events… Jiraiya-sama really didn't do a good job at nurturing, did he?"
"Do you need a hug?"
"It'll be okay," Hinata hurriedly assured and ignored my sarcasm. "We can make it secretive if we must." All I did was chuckle in a slightly mean way.
"With your presence around, I doubt that we could make it a low profile. You are a respectable… chun… no, is it jou… what rank are you now, Hinata?"
"Jounin," she said back in a meek voice, silently hoping that I would have a big reaction to her success. In all honesty, jounins weren't pushovers. It had been a dream not too long ago for me to reach that rank one day. Of course, that all changed once I possessed Seraphim in my grasp. After wielding it, ranks no longer seemed important to me when this sword alone could give me anything I wished. Blood, murder, fame (it was possible,) excitement, power, talent, might… it was just something that not even money could by fully. My financial crisis was over ever since I had my blade. The most impossible of missions became possible once I took it under my hands, and no matter who my opponent was… how nasty or brutal they were, Seraphim declared supremacy every time. And my confidence only grew after every opponent we slay. Sooner or later, I loved being a warrior again. Not for the money, but for the sake of the thrill of challengers who dared to challenge Seraphim.
When I looked over at Hinata again, I wondered why I lost to her last night. Were her powers greater than Seraphim although she was noble and my weapon was legendary? It astounded me. And the fact that I wasn't fussing over this defeat and taking it like a gentleman was a shocker. I was not a bad loser or a bad winner by any means, but I knew that from this point on my duels and fights were no longer going to be casual where each side could learn from each other's mistakes to improve. There weren't going to be improvements for the loser. In all honesty, I should've been killed, and yet dying under Hinata's hands did not upset me one bit. Actually, I was glad.
"Jounin…" I repeated in a low whisper. "That's amazing, Hinata. You must've worked hard."
"I-I-I got a lot of help from everyone… I didn't do this alone… It's really a shame that you weren't with us."
"Can't be helped, I guess," I said, smiling weakly. "I don't think it would do us good sitting here all day," I offered my hand to her as I spoke, in which she took it gratefully with a visible blush. "Let's have breakfast."
Hinata energetically nodded and smiled.
(Streets of Konoha, ten minutes later)
In less than twenty-four hours ago, I was being so paranoid towards coming to this town, walking down its streets, watching memorable sights… And now, I was walking around with someone that I never expected to walk with. No matter how optimistically I put it, this felt undeniably weird. Hinata was walking two feet in front of me, where as I, despite that my name was the unpredictable loudmouth of the Leaf, was as silent as a rat, hiding from its predator. We weren't holding hands, and hell, we weren't even talking. But judging from Hinata's occasional turning her head back before she zipped right back in her original direction was a sort of communication. I felt that she wanted to talk to me about something, yet the lack of courage did its damage by creating the feeling of incompetence and gutless. Perhaps I could have initiated the conversation, but knowing how heated talking could be, I decided against it just in case I leaked out more unnecessary information about my objective or simply facts involving me in general.
But silence could only be there for so long when there were two people. Whether that talking to me was a great challenge, Hinata still had to force herself to do it. I wonder sometimes what made me that someone that was so hard to approach. Kera always said I was quite the easy person to chat with –as long as I never had any negative feelings towards that specific person. Hinata, to me, was quite neutral.
"Naruto-kun," I heard her call me when my eyes were scanning elsewhere.
"What?" I responded quite flatly.
"Where do you want to go?"
"I was just following your lead," I admitted in a flat voice once more. "This place has changed so much that I am afraid that I would get lost."
"This is one of the parts of town that cannot afford changing," Hinata said, bluntly. "You wouldn't get lost at all, believe me. That's unless, of course, you never bothered trying to visit the south-eastern part of Konoha before."
She was quite a direct speaker. There was no subtlety whatsoever in her insults when she truly wanted to wound my pride. "Yeah, that must be it…"
"Geez… you are impossible… I'm sorry for saying that…"
"It's fine," I said, laughing softly that it was barely audible for the human ear to pick up. "Poking fun at past mistakes can be enjoyable. It's shocking, Hinata, that mornings here is actually comforting for the soul. The quiet isolation is so great that no one would disturb you when you walk out… it can have a very home-like feeling to it…"
"Naruto-kun?"
"Sorry for saying something so out of the blue, Hinata," I apologized quite lightheartedly, where I was almost happy and carefree. The Hyuuga girl didn't see me as weird. In fact, she smiled too. "You can say that I've been trying real hard to look for a home after all these years."
"Konoha is always your home, Naruto."
This time, however, I didn't answer. My entire aura grew quiet, yet it was still welcoming. Of course, whether I accepted it or not, we both knew the emotional climate changed. I kept my grin though. "Is it always going to be my home?" I questioned with no other implications behind it. Hinata, however, felt otherwise.
"Y-You don't like it here? How come, Naruto-kun?"
"I feel good as a tourist, not as an inhabitant. I guess because a guest will always have that speck of ignorance around them as they walk in this town, and the townsfolk are only too willing to keep that ignorance from indoctrinating your senses. As the saying goes, 'Ignorance is bliss'… and then when you leave you feel like the happiest person in the world but the dark secrets still roam around as fiercely as the day you stepped in. Sometimes… I would like to have that feeling…"
"Naruto-kun…"
Just as she was about to say something, probably words of rare wisdom and courage that Hinata, in some miraculous reason, usually whips up and heals my soul, I beat her to it. Truth be told, I didn't want to owe her anything. "Enough of my crazy speeches," I laughed, scratching my head although my head didn't itch one bit. "I think hunger must be really getting to me. So, have we decided where to eat yet?"
To my surprise, Hinata answered quickly. "How about at that café?" She pointed to a small building to my right. The darkness of its interiors really made me wonder if it was even opened yet. Then again, we were standing outside and the sun was shining.
"Don't cafes usually open later? Like at lunch or something?"
"It's open, believe me," Hinata said in an assured tone along with her smile. "Sakura, Ino, Tenten and I ate here before. I think it's pretty good. I never tried breakfast though, but the other girls said that it was good."
"You shouldn't trust the judgment of others so soon…" I commented unwisely.
"I can do so because they are my friends, just like how I think Ichiraku-san's ramen is great since I heard it from you and I went trying it for myself."
I was about to say something but I chose against it. Perhaps it was not the greatest decision to doubt Hinata and her sense of judgment and perception knowing how she might be quite defensive if it did receive challenges. Better not start up a fire that I couldn't put out. "So… should we try it?"
"Sure," she said delightfully. For the first time today, she took my hand with her own two small, yet beautiful despite her shinobi career, and held onto it warmly. "Come on, I'm hungry."
"Are you sure it's not closed?" I teased in spite my objectives.
"I am sure. I have their business card in my wallet."
"You have a wallet? Where is it? How does it look like? Is it in your pocket?"
"Why do you care?" Hinata laughed when she heard my question. Then she did something quite bold –according to her usual behaviour, of course. "Are you sure you have no financial problems? Because I think you are up to something dirty."
"What, because it's in your pants?" I inquired, smirking slightly. "Just because I put my hand in there doesn't mean I am groping you or anything. I just want your wallet."
"Well, it's not in there," she said, sensing victory. "It's in… it's in…" Her stuttering made my eyes open up a little bit. She was speaking so well just now… what could have caused her timidity to resurface? "It's… i-in my breast pocket…"
My next words made her face red. "Doesn't matter, Hinata, I'll take it no matter where you put it." I moved in a little closer intentionally. "Oh, and in the process I get to have a good feel at a wonderful spot that most men would die to touch." At this point, I did not truly know that she had large breasts because she was wearing a jacket. My intuitions said that they weren't small, yes, but never would I have thought that amongst every girl Hinata would have such a great body. That was something I learned later. "It's a win-win."
Hinata backed away. Not from fear (my grin held no murderous or lecherous intent) but from embarrassment. She had her hands defensively across her chest and the crimson shade on her face was brighter than any other time I remembered. "Naruto-kun… stay away..."
"Oh, come on, Hinata," I urged on, now towering above her before I took one step to go behind her heavenly body. I noticed that I was at least six inches taller than Hinata, in which gave me a superb advantage to pressure her from giving in. Suddenly, I embraced her voluntarily around her narrow waist. She gasped.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Her speech was in airy gasps. Hinata's body heat increased so much that I could feel it warming up in her jacket.
"You were hugging me so well last night, Hinata," I cooed her with my charm. Hinata appeared to have melted. "The least you can do is to show me a little bit of affection when I do the same to you, right?"
"D-d-demo… I wasn't trying to… trying to touch y-you l-like this…"
I moved in closer to her ear and whispered in a dark, stunningly alluring, voice. She seemed turned on. "Were you not? I don't sense honesty in your hesitation. Really, what was it that you really wanted?"
"N-N-Naruto-kun… I… I… I… s-stop talking like that… it's embarrassing…"
"Then why don't you stop me for yourself?"
"D-D-Demo…"
"Don't worry, I was kidding," I said in her ear, almost nibbling it and I would have if I were her lover. "I won't do something that would make you uncomfortable." The Hyuuga girl in my arms relaxed noticeably before melding in with the embrace. Instead of being nervous, a smile was formed in its place and it looked ever so lovely. "Hinata… do you not want me to hug you right now?"
"No, I like it…" she admitted, flushing up from the affection. "I like it just fine."
"When do you want me to let go?"
"N-Not for a while… please?"
"But don't we need to go inside?"
"That can wait," she silenced me with her subtle demand. Her actions aroused a question.
I faked a cough before I began. To me, this was a good way of catching attention. "Hinata… may I ask you something?"
"Mmmmm? What is it?"
"You wouldn't do this kind of thing with just anyone, right? I mean this… hugging thing…"
"Of course not," she responded in a more direct fashion than I expected. "Why?"
"Then why do you like this so much if the person is me?"
I felt her heat coming back. In fact, I was almost convinced that she was having a fever –except she looked perfectly fine during the time she woke up.
"S-s-s-sore wa… that's different…"
"How am I different? What makes my actions so much more comfortable for you? I haven't seen you for six years or more, Hinata, and yet you are still so willing to welcome me back… Look at you, I was about to take your wallet from your breast pocket and you didn't even threaten to break my arm or smash my face. You kind of went with the flow… and it almost looked like that you wanted the flirt to continue… Hinata, is there something that you're not telling me?"
The girl in my arms was on the verge of passing out. Each and every question I threw at her (and threw is such a forceful word) she choked. When she choked, she tried hard to recover. Admirable as that may be, it just didn't work when I continued with my inquiries that broke further and further into her defences. Needless to say, it wouldn't take long for me to discover Hinata's deepest secrets. Hinata was not a coward who ran away from problems or even when danger stared her in the face. However, when it came to her inner desires, she had no choice but to resort to other alternatives despite how shameful they may be due to her title as a jounin. Her breathing became rigid, sweat was relentlessly building up as if she was suffering from a heat stroke, her vision (although I obviously did not share this trait with her) was cloudy, and lastly her mind was blurry –if that was even physically possible.
These were some of the factors and symptoms she had before she would faint.
Call it a coincidence, but that was when I removed myself to give the girl some space. Hinata immediately held her heart as I released, as though it was about to jump out of her body from beating too fast for her to handle with her stamina and willpower alone. In fact, from her expression she seemed to be in pain, and her constant hard eye shutting did not make me feel any easier. Did Hinata have health problems? Even if I wanted to kill this girl later on when my quest was completed, I didn't want to see her in pain despite how ridiculous and contradicting that sounded.
"Hinata…" I rushed to her side as she suddenly kneeled down out of sickness than anything else I knew. "Are you okay? Speak to me… Oi…"
"N-Naruto-kun…" she whispered, her hand still clutching her heart area. "I'm okay…"
To me she didn't look fine at all. But I refused to press onto the matter if she stated her purpose. Needless to say, I wasn't persuaded. "Are you sure? You really do not look fine to me…" Boldly, although I really shouldn't have, I removed her hand from her breast and replaced it with my own. She gasped, clearly aroused. My intention was not to have a feel of her, now I realized, large breasts, but to understand her heart rate. My eyes widened fully in alert (I usually half opened my eyes when the scenario was calm) when her heart appeared to be beating at a tremendous speed that she shouldn't even be alive. I pressed firmer into her left breast to have a clearer feeling of her heartbeat, but Hinata struggled for breath, in which caused her heart to race faster. Worriedly, I had to pull away.
"Naruto-kun…" I heard her murmur as she faced me. Once more, I jolted slightly when I saw her face. She was beautiful… that blush that gave her elegance another touch of excellence… her eyes were not fully of despair or concern… but with desire and infernal carnage that made every one of us human. Her expression was not "Am I okay?" but rather… "Why did you stop?". Why did you stop… I was completely thrown off by that one… This was the point where I began to feel awkward, and made it even worse when my throat went dry.
"Hinata… are you sure you don't want your heart examined?"
"Eh?" she squeaked, very confused by my statement.
"It's beating too fast… I'm afraid you might get heart attacks at a young age… Hinata, you have take care of yourself better… no one else can do that for you…" I offered her my hand. Once she took it, I guided her to stand back up. "Do you want me to take you to the doctor sometime?"
"T-there is no need for that…"
"Demo Hinata-"
"It only happens when I get overly nervous…"
"What?"
"I only do that if it's with you-" She eeped out loud and covered her mouth with her two hands. I had an inquisitive look when she did that. What did this have to do with me? So I was responsible for her heartbeat rates? All I did was touch her breast……………
Oh… that…
I guessed that only made sense now… Almost every women would get a little excited if a guy touched one of her forbidden areas. But to be so excited that it jeopardized her health? What were the chances? Clearly, something was amiss. So why did she say, "If it's with you"?
"Maybe I wouldn't touch your chest next time so suddenly," I admitted apologetically; temporarily abolish my questions towards her words. "But seriously, tell me… what made you so turned on? Was it my aura? My words? The hidden intentions of naughtiness? How I touched your breast? Come on, I am your friend, I need to know."
Hinata didn't respond… she only let out a small mewl that showed positive reaction than negative.
"Are you feeling better now though?"
She happily nodded. Unexpectedly, her arms, with the hint to embrace, captured my waist lovingly. A second later, she leaned against my chest and rested her head comfortably there. Wasn't this a familiar scene… "Naruto-kun…"
"Hinata… what's wrong?" I asked, allowing my hands to rest on her hips.
"Thank you…"
"What? Thank for what?"
"T-Thank you f-for caring about me… no one worried that much over my well being like you before…"
"Dying from a heart attack at the age of eighteen years young isn't something to be proud of, Hinata," I told her kindly. "You have to take better care of yourself though. Can you promise me that?"
Once more, she moved her head up and down as her reply.
"So… should we go in that café now?"
"I'm… getting hungry, Naruto-kun…"
Without a second thought, I broke out of our affectionate hug and led her towards our destination. At my first glance, I had my sceptical doubts about this place being closed due to the lack of light emitting from the inside. Then again, trusting Hinata's judgment wasn't a terrible choice. After all, she did have their business card. Despite how chivalry seemed to have died many eras ago, it was not dead with me. I opened the door for her to enter, but before she managed to step a foot inside I took a peak. My face turned white immediately.
I saw Neji and the others inside at the far end having breakfast while enjoying each other's company as they chatted away. They didn't notice me… but if Hinata saw them then I was doomed. Before Hinata even took note of the change of my physical appearance, I slammed the door shut and had my back against it to prevent her from entering. Hinata blinked confusedly, wondering why I was out of it all of a sudden.
"Naruto-kun?" she asked curiously when sweat dripped from my forehead down to my chin. "Doshi-ta?"
"We can't enter…" I told her in a gasp.
"W-What?" That inquisitive look was not to be blamed.
"I am not eating here…"
"But why not? Tenten said that the breakfast here is good… Or is it because you don't want to eat with me…"
'Yes, that's exactly it!' a voice exclaimed in my head with furious passion.
'Be quiet, Kera…'
"The others are inside," I said.
"Others?"
"Neji and Sakura and the others are inside… I can't let them notice me… Sorry, Hinata, I am going…" She held onto to my hand before I could retreat. "Hinata…"
"Don't go, Naruto-kun…" she begged. "Don't run away from them. Confront them. It'll be okay."
"Fine, I will meet them," I said, too quickly.
"No you won't."
"All the more reason why this discussion is pointless." I tried to walk away, but Hinata kept her grip on me. "Hinata… if I wanted a mother, I would've spoken with you six years ago before I went nuts."
The Hyuuga girl was very persistent, in which was at a point where Seraphim would be unsheathed. Fortunately, I kept my cool. Unfortunately, insanity just claimed one more sector of the sane territory of my brain. "They are your friends, they will love you. Even if you don't see them as that intimate people, they are your team that you can count on. Like you said sometime ago, there is no 'I' in 'Team'."
"Sadly to say, there is a 'me' in there somewhere if you jumble the words around. I happen to like me better." Hinata just gave me a blank, disbelieving stare. It was a priceless look. Never imagined that she would ever make the typical anime-like stare amongst all people. I lost my cool and laughed. Hinata seemed crossed though. "Bottom line is I am not going inside. I can survive on rations."
"B-but… that's unhealthy…"
"Yes, and gathering with a whole bunch of people you haven't seen for six goddamn years where our friendship level is holding onto by a thread is a wonderful idea. I can imagine it now. I say 'hi', and they say 'hi', and then I order… and then I eat. Yeah, that would make me look like an idiot. I would just adore that sort of reputation and cherish it because no one else would have that title. Isn't it grand, Hinata?"
Again with the stare… I was hoping for a big reaction, too… Guess beggars really couldn't be choosers…
Suddenly, my hand was pulled and gradually leading towards the front door. What the… What was happening?
"I won't take no for an answer," Hinata insisted with a touch of gentleness and affection. "Come on, believe me, they'll love you."
"Sending me into a cage of hungry wolverines wasn't exactly my definition of love, Hinata… Either you and I are from different planets or your classification is so unique that no one in the face of existence can match."
"Naruto-kun," she suddenly said in a warning tone. "Go in. You are beginning to bug me."
"Goddamn!" I exclaimed with evident sarcasm. "We have finally reached a consensus where we actually think alike for once!"
That angered her than created amusement. With that said, she gripped my right wrist. I tried to look at her expression, yet conveniently her longer hair blocked her eyes so I failed to notice her intent. Then again, my questions were quickly answered when she yanked me over her shoulder and performed a seoi-nage throw, tossing me towards the door with my back colliding first. Of course, the impact caused the door to break down instantly, thus alerting everyone inside that a dynamic entry was made, but not only that I continued to fly until I crash landed on the bar counter with the owner cleaning up a several glasses. Miraculously, I didn't break anything other than create a dent on the counter.
"Itai…" I cursed, still flat on my back. Then my hands made a fist before I flipped back onto my feet. Neji and the others got off their seats and approached me. However, I paid no attention to them when my eyes glared at the front door where Hinata was standing.
Realizing what she had done in her minor anger, guilt rushed to her senses. "Gomen…" At least she didn't say my name. "Gomen… I didn't mean it… really…"
"Itai-na…" I said again, snickering darkly as I sat back upright before cracking my neck. "What did you go doing that? If you like to use violence to solve things… you could've said so…"
"Gomennassai…" the Hyuuga girl apologized with her head bowed down and blushed hard.
"Hey, are you okay, blond guy?" I heard someone said. I turned my head slowly just to see Sakura coming forward as the other nine of them were still watching in total awe. Neji, in fact, was still eating his bread… like a zombie rather. Without my consent, Sakura held my hand to examine it. "Does it hurt if I hold it like this."
My response was an intelligent one. "It makes me feel like shaking hands with death is a privilege that I should cherish."
Dead silence.
I heard Neji chewing for a second, but even he stopped when Tenten jabbed him slightly.
Now we could hear a pin drop.
Hinata then hiccupped.
I smiled.
Sakura growled fiercely, as though she tore fresh meat off a corpse in her cannibalism. Everyone else panicked, including that guy who looked like Sasuke but way too calm and collected to be him. The fact that he had a very forced smile when the enraged Haruno was, in fact, enraged, I differentiated the differences.
"Kono-yaro…" the person who was momentarily treating my wounds hissed with evil as she suddenly crushed my hand. Or so she tried. Despite her strength, I still grinned when I heard a rather loud crack coming from my bones. Hinata flinched when she heard that. "What the hell did you compare me with?"
"I don't know, pink haired ojo-san," I lied. "Satan?"
That did it.
"Don't fuck around with me!" Sakura roared, which startled everyone and they took a step back. Taking my arm, she yanked me off the counter I was resting on and flung me out the restaurant by the front door Hinata broke down 'accidentally'. Under her rage, Sakura failed to notice that Hinata was still near the front. In spite her rank as a jounin, a human being just couldn't anticipate such high level of surprise. In short, tossing me in that direction would cause a collision with Hinata, and the innocent should not be involved in the vile play I initiated.
Pretending time was over.
As Hinata expected a full impact crash, she closed her eyes and braced for a full collision. However, that never happened. The poor girl only felt two hands on her shoulder and a small gust of wind hitting her gorgeous visage, and the next thing she knew her waist was held onto gracefully. It was clear that I used Hinata as a stopping post of some sort and made a flip to recover from dangerous throw. Hinata blushed hard when she found out how I was standing next to her suddenly.
"Hello, gorgeous," I teased.
"Na-"
I placed a finger to her soft lips. "Don't say my name."
She flushed up. "Gomen…"
"Let me talk to Sakura now," Then my attention shifted from one girl to another. "Oi, shouldn't you have been more considerate towards the beauty in my arms, ojo-san? Look at her," I faced Hinata with a very charming look that made her melt. "Which part of this gorgeous face should be facing your unreasonable wrath?" Hinata nearly fainted.
"Sakura…" scolded Ino. "You should've been more careful. You could've hurt Hinata just now, you know!"
Sakura flared up like a volcano. "Whose side are you on anyway? It's not like I tried to toss that bastard at Hinata on purpose, Ino! Instead of blaming me, why aren't you worried that this guy is incredibly strong?"
"Strong?" inquired Nara Shikamaru, watching me carefully as Sakura stated her thesis. "I'd say he's smart…"
Neji, on the other hand, caught my former comrade's meaning. "He survived Sakura's toss… and used Hinata-sama to stop himself from flying despite how close Hinata-sama was to Sakura. This is surely something… Sai-san, wouldn't you think so?"
Sai… so that was his name. He had those emotionless eyes like Sasuke, yet a tint of mischievous was present as well when he smiled a big grin that did not fit with the tension. "I apologize, Neji-san, I wasn't noticing how that swordsman was reacting after he was tossed. I was more of examining Sakura's temper."
"What about my temper?" A dark shadow cast over Sakura's eyes as she spoke horror.
"No, nothing much. It's just that now I know that excessive violence is your unique methods of greeting new people and not merely just introduce them with your big caboose."
Dead silence.
………..
I coughed.
………..
Hinata hiccupped.
Sai still grinned.
"I'm scared…" Hinata murmured as she curled into a ball in my arms, trying to be as small as possible.
"Yeah… I know…" I replied as Sakura took slow steps. If there was any good definition of bravery, then it was sitting right in front of me at this precise instant. This Sai fellow… he was still grinning with his eyes closed despite that the feminine beast was going to tear him apart if her hands ever reached him… I just wished we had more time to know another… he would've been my intellectual equal in sarcasm…
"What should we do, Naruto-kun?"
"There's only one thing. But it may be a little unusual… and it may get me killed."
"Eh?"
"I'll kiss you to piss everyone off so Sai-kun here wouldn't be hurt, okay? I'll draw attention away." Why was I acting like a nobleman all of a sudden? Did I really want Sai to be safe? No, that was far from it. I didn't like how Sai drew Sakura's attention like that, and no, not because I still had affection for her. I was trying so hard to work up that rage and intent for my fellow teammate to fight me seriously, and yet that dumbass who had to open his big mouth was going to take the abuse as if he lived off of it. I would feel guilty if I just sliced Sakura for no reason, thus I need her to have a reason to battle me or I couldn't get myself to be serious.
"But it's not your fault!" Hinata yelped out in a anxious tone that no one but me could hear. I was convinced that she was embarrassed with the kiss than anything else at the moment.
"I promise that I won't use tongues." I watched Hinata strictly and solemnly that she could trust me with this, which my end of the bargain would be kept. My eyes shifted to Sai's, and fear reached my senses when I saw Sakura stretching out her hands, ready to give Sai a nice long hug around the neck. And that guy was still sitting there with that stupid grin on his face in spite that at any moment he would be seeing hell! And what the blasted damn were the others doing? They didn't even bother to stand in Sakura's way, as though they had tried to stop her many times in the past already but failed to do so despite their courageous attempts. I just knew having her inheriting Tsunade's strength was an awful idea. Knowing this hot-tempered woman, she would turn up to be as a corruption than of help with any given power.
Konoha being levelled under her anger was not something too impossible these days it appeared…
At last, Hinata reluctantly agreed with a nod. Without warning her properly, I pressed my lips against hers and kept my mouth closed so I would only be touching her and not invading her caverns. She almost screamed, but what came out were moans of absolute delight. In five seconds, my lips felt an invader outside, licking my lips as a sign to beg for entry. Wait a minute, didn't I say that I wouldn't use any tongues? Once I didn't respond in the way she wanted, Hinata tried harder. Her arms now wrapped around my neck than keeping them to herself… this girl was really kissing me and made no effort to make this as fake as possible. She flicked over my upper lip twice, savouring my taste, yet when I didn't budge she moved to my lower section and licked away until I gave way.
I nearly lost it when she moaned lovingly.
"W-what are they doing?" Lee choked, obviously he saw what Hinata and I were doing?
"Eh?" Tenten questioned once before her eyes looked at what Lee was staring at. Her face burned as a result. "What the… t-they… t-they…"
"Wow…" Shikamaru said, completely uninterested. "That swordsman guy really doesn't like to waste his time after saving girls… He has it so lucky…"
Ino immediately snapped at him. "You could've done the same, you know, instead of being so slow!"
"It's too troublesome…"
Ino nearly slammed her forehead on the table. "No, damn it! That guy is frenching Hinata here! You know that no one is supposed to do that except for one sacred person! This is unforgivable! This is a direct attack to her oath!"
Shikamaru grunted and then sighed tiredly. "Are you sure you're not overdoing it? I mean, it's just a stupid oath…"
"What do you know about oaths of the feminine?" challenged Ino rather defensively. "Wasn't it too troublesome for you to learn?"
"It is, and it's stupid because you change yours every week."
"It's not about me!" yelled Ino, that nearly shook the whole room. "It's about Hinata! Her oath, unlike mine, never changes!"
"So… you admit that you change your oaths often?"
Smack!
"Teme!" Ino cursed. "It's not about me! What about Hinata's honour? Don't you at least care that this nobody just took it away from her? This is unacceptable!"
"It's troublesome to think about these things… What do you think, Chouji?"
His lifelong friend, who had been absorbing in the whole scenario before him, finally gave a several valuable sentimental words of his own. Please, pardon my mockery. "Does this mean I have to postpone my breakfast? I am still hungry…"
"No… you don't have to do anything…" sighed the jounin genius, closing his eyes and grunted. And Chouji just munched away. "If Hinata wanted to slap him, she would've done it a long time ago… Please, mind your own business…"
Ino had other plans, however, and she was more than willing to show her friends a piece of her mind. "The sisterhood does not abandon another sister's honour or be negligent of it! We will do our best to serve and protect!"
Neji cringed his eyes as he watched Ino queerly. "Is that your mission statement?"
"Apparently so…" said Shino, his voice kept its neutrality but only God knew his intent.
While we were still in the middle of our kiss, now obviously it was one-sided when Hinata's tongue was begging for dominance and entry while I was only acting, my eyes flashed bright red flares towards my right. The Hyuuga girl's kiss was interrupted once I pulled away, and then I turned towards the direction of my alert. It was Kera's way of protecting me. She could warn me of the dangers, but the rest was up to me to deal with. Coming at me were Ino and Sakura, taking one massive forward leap with their fists held tightly to prepare themselves to hit my skull. Hurriedly, I twirled the Hyuuga princess in my arms before I pushed her away to Neji for safekeeping, and soon I lowered my whole body to evade the two invader's attacks.
Well, no I didn't do just that. I lowered myself, flat on my back; but as soon as their bodies flew past mine, I levelled up my legs and rushed them into their gut. That ounce of pain was just a start, because I pushed them behind me so they were 'thrown' out of the restaurant. And surprisingly, I didn't break anything –not even the window. Everyone gasped at the sight. Two seconds later, Sakura and Ino fell flat on their faces, but Ino seemed to be a bit more flexible to roll to decrease the damage.
"I expected more," I said, a little cockily. "How disgraceful for two jounins to fall with their head first."
"Kono-re…" Sakura deadly hissed. "No one does this to me!"
"Itai…" Ino grunted as she clutched her head. "He's good…"
I decided to deepen the insults. "Shall we take this somewhere else? Judging from Big Caboose's recklessness, she might accidentally level this town to the ground."
Sakura's forehead throbbed.
"Before we do that," I continued charmingly as I turned around to look at the others but especially Hinata. "Gorgeous, are you okay back there?"
"Y-y-yes…" she murmured, poking her fingers together as she rubbed them. "I-I'm okay… Thank you…"
"Good," I turned back to my two opponents. "Catch me if you can." I jumped to the skies with one graceful backflip to the roof of the restaurant. Once I landed, I sprinted off to the south, heading towards the forests where silence was a privilege.
"You won't escape!" screamed the Haruno girl as she followed suit. Ino hurried herself to keep up. That only left the rest of them, what would they do at a situation like this?
"I'm going to help them out," said Tenten to everyone else who were still inside the restaurant. "I got a feeling that my assistance may be needed this time." With that said, the weapons girl left the shop and chased after her two friends. Lee wanted to stop her, but it was too late when the last thing he saw was a shadow of her before she ran off. Neji simply sighed.
"What should the rest of us do?" Kiba asked, giving a yawn.
"Who knows…" replied Shikamaru. "Why does everything have to be this troublesome…"
"We should go after them!" exclaimed Lee, vigorously. "They may need our help! Neji, don't you think so?"
"Tenten just wants some practice, and so does Ino," stated Neji, releasing Hinata out of his grip but watched her carefully –especially that blush. "Sakura, on the other hand, hasn't been receiving as many missions due to her medical training, so her mental state has been lacking a lot of excitement. That's why she overreacted most likely."
Sai just grinned, the same one that was inappropriate throughout most tensions, and his choice in words matched his expression perfectly. "Sakura surely has a very curious definition of greeting new people, doesn't she?"
"It's really your fault, you know that, right?" Kiba said in a blaming tone. "Do you love the intensive care that much? You know none of us can stop Sakura when she is mad… And why did that guy kiss you, Hinata?"
The Hyuuga girl suddenly felt herself grow very small, and even smaller when all the attention was given to her. Everyone wanted an answer, but more so when it came to Neji. "Ano… s-sore wa… that's because… h-he doesn't want to see Sai-kun hurt… s-so he volunteered to make a distraction by pretending to kiss me…"
People were somewhat convinced, that was good. But what was not good came from the next question. "Then tell me, Hinata-sama… why did you kiss him back when you said he was just pretending? The oath, which seems utterly sacred in Sakura and Ino's terms, should be quite important to you where you said that your first kiss would not be shared to anyone other than Uzuamki Naruto. What happened to your devoted pact?"
"This is so embarrassing…" Hinata squeaked with her face all red. Despite her timidity, she had to be strong to change the subject, and how grateful she was when God was on her side. "Forget me for a second, what about that swordsman? Shouldn't we see if Sakura-san and Ino-san may need us there?"
"Yeah, let's go!" cheered Lee, and he, like Tenten, ran out the door.
The rest of them only obliged.
Hinata silently prayed that I was safe and sound. If I saw her blush right now, I would've known that she wanted to kiss like that again…
AN: Another chapter gone by… not really a cliffy… and not really an ending. That's great… Really now… what will Naruto do? Follow his dark pact, or fall in love with the beautiful Hyuuga Hinata? Can he do both? I personally haven't decided the story in depth though, yet knowing how I am so twisted, happy endings may cease to exist in one way or another.
Yay, what joy…
For the sake of remembering all the different techniques this swordsman Naruto possesses, I made up a Move List. Most of them are not original though, because I am not that smart to figure out techniques although I thought of a whole set of moves for a World of Warcraft Death Knight provided if there will ever be such a class. Most of these techniques are inspired from Guilty Gear, or Street Fighter, or completely taken out of the games altogether. Maybe several of them are mine, but… meh…
(Move List: For OpForce's own convenience so he has a reference to look up from.)
To those who wonder why Naruto knows these moves… a detailed explanation will come in future chapters. But to debrief it… obtaining his sword is the real reason why he has it. The sword itself is an effective mentor despite being an inanimate object –or so it seems.
Sword Slashes, mostly originated of Ky Kiske and Robo Ky but some of them are my own:
Vapour Thrust: Naruto leaps into the air as he performs a near 270 degree slash from front to near his back, making it a very dangerous swipe whether his opponent (or enemy) is directly in front or above him. For Naruto, however, it serves as an excellent Anti-Air move.
Impala Hunt: Naruto dashes at his opponent (or enemy in most cases) at a great speed, charging his sword with lightning energies to make a swiping low strike that sweeps the opponent down effectively while keeping their limbs in tact. It's a very good method for Naruto to pressure his opponents while finishing them off while their guard is down.
Seraphim Rush: Naruto leaps backwards, trying to reach a firm foundation (such as a tree or a wall) before boosting forward at an incredible speed with his sword pointing up front for a vicious piercing stab that usually have his opponents stunned, immobile etc.
Raikiri Break: As offensive as the name sounds, it's actually a defensive move. Naruto powers up his weapon to have a minor magnetic field, thus when he blocks a physical attack (or nullify it should it be a projectile) he impulsively (due to the magnetic fields) strikes back with a powerful slash, which is usually, to his convenience, aimed at a critical point of the body.
Raigeki Break: Naruto makes a minor leap forward with Seraphim (his sword) powered with stunning energies that when his swipes make contact, it will serve as a guard-breaker before chaining other attacks.
Seraphim Fury: A stationary Anti-Air type of attack where Naruto wildly spins his sword in rapid rotations like he's spinning a polearm to generate a minor defensive shield against projectile attacks and some physical attacks. If used when the opponent is near, however, it will strike them multiple times at pretty critical parts of the body to deal severe damage.
Seraphim Raid: A powerful offensive technique that is almost as strong in terms of speed as an Overdrive Technique but the stamina needed to perform this is significantly lower. Naruto jumps forward with an overhead slash then a thrusting swipe, which is done three times making six hits, and at the last attack bounces his opponent away so he ends it with two Stun Edge projectiles launched simultaneously as a final shocker. Due to the incredible agility needed, Naruto frequently makes timing mistakes with his Stun Edge's, therefore, making this attack less effective.
Kicks, should Naruto lose his weapon in battle:
Reverse Crescent: Naruto performs a pressuring forward flip with his heel aimed down to slam a crushing blow on his opponent's upper body parts (preferably the head) when he connects.
Seraphim Riot: Naruto jumps into the air par to his opponent and rushes his knee into their body area (either gut, chest, neck, or skull) to inflict a serious blow before his forces his way downward to the ground to smash his opponent on it to create more damage.
Rising Gyrate Attack: An offensive evasive attack where Naruto's front flip or back flip would have a swiping reversal kick within it that can stun and injure his opponents on contact.
Raikiri Kyaku: Using any flexibility he has, Naruto, while somewhat stationary, forward kicks his opponent in the stomach, and then knocks them into the air with his other foot. In midair, Naruto leaps with his opponent and finishes it off with three forward kicks, all in the groin or stomach area or anywhere that is most painful.
Punches, should Naruto lose his weapon in battle:
Seraphim Dash: Naruto performs a low dash forward with high speed and then pops up with his shoulder countering his opponent to knock them down or propel them into the air. It's a very good evasive technique to go under mid-height attacks.
Aerial Assault: Naruto jumps into the air in any random direction to find a surface foundation where he can bounce off from to dive back at his opponent to perform a critical punch at whatever spot available. Usually knocks them down due to the force applied, and if not, it can be used to set up a combination of deadly attacks.
Assured Retribution: A simple, yet practical, defensive punch that is used to knock opponents away from him so he can gain more of an advantage. But it's best used as a reversal. If his opponent attacks him on ground as Naruto performs this move simultaneously, Naruto defends and then impulsively uses his ki to power his available hand before dashing forward for a crucial, charging blow of electric energy in the stomach. If the opponent is in the air, he then grabs his leg and yanks him down in a throwing fashion.
Throws, where Naruto can use with or without his sword, and yet these moves are his favourite because they can deal serious damage:
Hiza Geri: Naruto grabs his opponent securely and knees him multiple times in the stomach, or face depending on the opponent's height. He usually stops his attack once the opponent starts vomiting blood because he doesn't want their blood to ruin his clothes.
Elegant ni Kiru: Naruto grabs his opponent tightly and goes behind him with his sword across their neck. Charging it up first so he won't slit them, he slashes hard across their body with the lightning ki doing all the work.
Seraphim Fall: A midair performed throw where Naruto slams the sharp point of his sword into someone's chest, or neck, and twists his way downward to have a dangerous choke slamming strike. Has the potential to suffocate weak opponents if their resistance is low or no retaliation is offered.
Elegant Dive: After performing Aerial Assault, if Naruto does land close enough, where he can't punch properly, he would grab his opponent, does one forward or back flip (given the terrain), and slams him with the head hitting first where the face takes the most damage. This move can be used in the air while defying all physics.
Graceful Elegant Dive: Naruto grabs his opponent, and leaps high forward or backward (depending on the terrain) to the skies in magnificent flips. Naruto usually makes six full flips (anymore would result his move to backfire) to create a great amount of momentum and force and then dives downward at frighteningly ferocious speeds that he would create a small crater once the opponent's face makes contact with the ground. A very lethal move against amateur fighters in general, and an emotional blow to beautiful or handsome fighters when the moves seriously damages the part that gives them the confidence the show off –which is the face.
See you all next time, minna-san.
