Elementary, my dear Naruto
IV. Subtle Naruto
"Naruto, why don't you get us a couple of rooms. One for us guys and one for Hinata. I'll check in with whoever's in charge of this village," Shikamaru directed his team.
They'd spent approximately ten minutes walking from one end of the small village of Mountain Ridge to the other. They'd found a few shops, one bar, one restaurant and one inn along the two perpendicular streets that made up the village—which left them with only one choice regarding accommodations. Shikamaru had been given the operating funds for the mission with strict orders from the Hokage to be a frugal penny pinching miser. The village hadn't been able to pay A or even B rank wages for this mission. The only reason she'd sent so many chûnin with one jônin was her brilliant idea that this would be a good training mission for her select group of chûnin. Ordinarily, she'd probably have sent a simple jônin-genin team to check out the situation, but it had sounded like the sort of mission Shikamaru excelled at. She thought it ideal to give him a more appreciative audience—one she'd primed with the directive to observe and analyze a genius in action.
"Right," Naruto agreed readily. That was an assignment he could easily handle. It was the rest of the mission he wasn't so sure about. He led the way into the inn not noticing that only Hinata followed him.
There was a middle-aged, bald, chubby man at the front desk. As Naruto approached he looked up and smiled broadly. "Greetings newly weds! Allow me, Kazuhiko Endoh, proprietor of the Mountain Ridge Inn to welcome you to the best honeymoon inn in all of the Fire Country and beyond."
"Unh? What?" Naruto looked around him, but found only himself and Hinata in the lobby. When he realized that the man was addressing them, he flushed a deep red and glanced quickly away from Hinata blushing furiously at his side.
"I can always pick out the newly weds," the man continued grinning and clapping his hands. "We get quite a few of them here. This is a great place for honeymooners. We're off the beaten path, secluded and have a wonderful hot springs behind the inn. You'll love it here," he rhapsodized.
"No! No! We're not married!" Naruto told him hastily. He couldn't even look at Hinata again for fear he'd grow even more red in the face. Damn his fair skin!
"Not married? I could have sworn," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There's always such a sweet aura around newly wed couples—something truly special about couples in love—I'm hardly ever wrong," he looked from one to the other studying their faces for the signs he thought he'd witnessed.
"Well, you're wrong this time," Naruto told him forcefully.
"I see." He continued to rub his chin and look from one to the other. His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Just one minute, young man—we don't cater to that kind of thing in this inn. If you're not married, you'll have to stay in separate rooms." He folded his arms over his chest and frowned disapprovingly at them.
"No! Wait! You don't understand—" Naruto sputtered feeling his face heat up as he lost command of the situation again.
"Hey, Naruto, did you get the rooms yet?" Choji asked coming up behind them.
The man's face relaxed into a smile again. "Ah, why didn't you say so? Is this the fortunate bridegroom?"
"What?! No! You've got it all wrong. There is no bridegroom, no bride and no newly weds!" Naruto almost shouted, impatiently chopping the air with his hands to make his point
"Bridegroom? Newly weds?" Choji asked with a grin. "Hey, when did you two get married?"
"Don't be stupid! Of course, we're not married! There's been a misunderstanding," Naruto shook his head vehemently. This was so completely embarrassing him—and he wasn't easily embarrassed. He couldn't imagine how Hinata must be feeling when she embarrassed far more easily than he did. "If I can just be allowed to finish a sentence. We want two rooms—"
"Two rooms for three people? Two young men and a young lady traveling alone together? You don't look like brothers and sister," the innkeeper asked looking disapproving again.
"Two rooms for four people. Three guys in one room. We're here on business," Choji explained agreeably.
"He doesn't need to know that, Choji. It shouldn't matter why we're here. We're paying customers." He was thoroughly irritated that the man would never allow him to finish explaining—plus he asked a lot of nosey questions—and he smiled too much.
The man smiled again. "You're right. The customer is always right. It's none of my concern. You can visit our village for whatever reason you wish. We welcome all visitors. We love visitors. We have excellent accommodations that will meet your every need. Two rooms, you say?" He reached beneath the desk for two room keys. "So, you're here on business—are you merchants, then? Those are usually the only business travelers we get at the Mountain Ridge Inn. We specialize in honeymoons and getaway retreats."
"We're ninja," Choji answered.
"Choji! What are you doing? He doesn't need to know that either," Naruto exclaimed. He was usually the one who naively revealed too much on a mission. He wasn't used to being the voice of caution.
"It's okay, Naruto. Shikamaru said there was no way we could keep our mission a secret. This place is too small. If they don't already know why we're here, everyone will know as soon as he talks to the mayor."
"Ah! So you're the ninja, Mayor Kobayashi sent for? I heard he was bringing in investigators to solve our mystery."
"That's right. We're your investigators. Can we have two rooms now?" Naruto demanded a little disgruntled. It would have been nice if Shikamaru had explained the situation to him as well as Choji.
"Of course. I have a large room that should accommodate three gentlemen and a very nice smaller room for the lady. I've never met a lady ninja before."
"Female ninja are called kunoichi," Naruto grumbled.
"Is that so? How interesting? As it happens I don't know that I've ever met a male ninja before either. Is there a special name for you, too?"
"Just shinobi or ninja," Choji said.
"This is so interesting. We haven't had so much excitement in Mountain Ridge—not since the circus came through. Do you need help with your bags?" He rang a bell on the desk.
"No thanks, we just have our backpacks," Choji answered again when Naruto just stood looking angry. Maybe he didn't like being compared to a circus. Choji thought it was funny.
"Ninja travel light, I see. I hope you enjoy your stay and tell your all friends about our little retreat. You won't find a cozier getaway in all of the Fire Country."
"That remains to be seen," Naruto grumbled. He found the man's effusive sell tactics annoying—especially after embarrassing them so thoroughly earlier.
"My daughter will show you to your rooms." He told them as a girl about their age arrived. She was a plumb, pretty girl and gave both Naruto and Choji a quick interested scan. She ignored Hinata completely.
"Come with me, please," she said suggestively and with swaying hips led them down a corridor towards the back of the inn.
The corridor gave way to a long porch ranging the length of the back of the inn with seven doors on either side of the opening. Beyond the porch there was a small garden with a pond crossed by a small arched bridge that led to the high wooden fence guarding the privacy of the hot springs. It was a very pleasant vista.
The innkeeper's daughter looked back over her shoulder at Naruto trailing just behind her. "Our inn is small, but we have an excellent reputation. My father has given you the largest room in the inn—the best honeymoon suite. The other room is smaller and just next door. Are you two newly weds?" she asked Naruto. Hinata walked behind him with Choji beside her.
"No. We're not," he said more harshly than he intended. "The large room is for us," Naruto pointed between himself and Choji.
"Really?" she said in surprise. She looked back and forth between them as her mouth curved into a moue of disappointment.
Naruto flushed again. He was getting tired of this nosey interest in their relationships. If there were any other inn in this village he'd have rushed them out of here and on the way long ago. "We've got another roommate joining us. We're here on business."
"We're ninja," Choji grinned at her.
"Oh, so you're all just business associates?"
"And friends." Naruto allowed Choji to answer because he didn't know what to say. He wanted to claim something more with Hinata, but he didn't have the right to do so. He certainly felt more for her than just as a business associate or friend. Anyway, it was none of this girl's business. The proprietors of this inn were the nosiest group of people he'd ever met.
"Well, I hope you like it here. The hot springs has a male and female side, but it can be reserved at certain times for couples. We do see a lot of honeymoon couples here. They've always enjoyed the amenities." She fluttered her eyelashes and looked pointedly at Naruto.
"No honeymooners here now, right?" he asked. He wasn't in the mood to watch lovey dovey couples wandering around. It would give him too many ideas he wasn't suppose to have, and wouldn't have time to act on even if he did.
"Not right now. It's still a little cool. Late spring, summer and early fall are the most popular times for honeymooners." She unlocked the door of the room named Hasu no Hana. "This is the honeymoon suite."
The room consisted primarily of one large futon.
"Could we have two more futons in here? I don't want to share if I don't have to," Naruto asked. He figured Choji could sleep in the large futon. He and Shikamaru could manage with smaller ones.
"Of course. I'll tell my father after I open the second room." She took Naruto's hand and pressed the key into his palm. "If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask. I help with all the guests needs."
"Yeah, sure," he said and quickly recovered his hand. He'd been too surprised by her bold move to put up any resistance. Strange attractive women usually didn't pay this much attention to him. If he wasn't already interested in Hinata he might have been flattered. Then again, he might not have noticed at all since it never happened to him.
She paused at the door. "By the way, my name's Kimi." She fluttered her eyelashes again then swiveled and swayed out the door to show Hinata to her room.
Naruto closed the door firmly behind her. He'd found her more annoying than seductive. When he turned around he found Choji just behind him struggling unsuccessfully to hold in a laugh.
"I think you made a conquest, Naruto," he gasped.
"Shut up! I'm not interested."
"Of course not—you being a newly wed and all," he was shaking with laughter so hard he fell down on the futon.
Naruto flushed. "Shut up! That wasn't funny. It embarrassed Hinata."
"You, too. Your face couldn't get any redder."
"Wanna bet? Anger makes me even redder." Naruto's fists doubled, but he would have hit a wall before he would consider hitting Choji. He just didn't like being teased.
"Come on, Naruto. You have to admit that was funny. I bet you wished it was Sakura not Hinata standing there with you."
"No I don't. Sakura's engaged."
"Yeah, but you always liked her."
"Well, I don't anymore. Besides if Sakura had been there, she'd have punched me before she ever got embarrassed."
Choji laughed again. "You're right. That girl's got no sense of humor. Even Ino would probably have hit you. Hinata's the safest girl to have in that kind of mistaken identity situation. She didn't look like she even wanted to slap you. I could tell her face was redder than yours even though she kept her head bowed."
"Yeah, well, it was pretty embarrassing for her. Most girls are sensitive about that kinda stuff."
"Plus, that guy thought she was married to you. That had to be absolutely horrifying." He gave another sharp laugh.
"You think so? What's wrong with me?" Now Naruto really did want to hit Choji. That had been his first thought about the situation as well. He'd been more embarrassed for Hinata's sake than for himself. His fists doubled up again, and he stood stiffly above Choji.
Choji stopped laughing and sat up. "Nothin'. Nothin's wrong with you," he said simply. "Hey, she was probably just as horrified when he thought I was the lucky bridegroom. You and I just aren't the type of guys girls dream about for husbands."
Naruto's stance relaxed as he was disarmed by Choji's honesty. "Yeah? What's wrong with us?"
"Plenty from what Ino tells me. For one thing, she thinks I'm too fat," he sighed morosely.
Naruto was surprised. "You like Ino?"
"Not that way!" he said horrified. "She's just a friend. But she keeps giving me relationship advice—not that I ask."
Naruto wrinkled up his nose. "So what does she know? Your dad got married and you're just like him."
His expression brightened. "That's right, I am. My mom's terrific. I'd love to meet a girl like her."
"So what does Ino think's wrong with me?"
"Well—" he hesitated.
"Come on, tell me. I've probably heard worse."
Choji shrugged. "Okay. Here goes. You're a swaggering, flashy, screw-up."
Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, I've heard that before. Is that all?"
"Well, she can get pretty detailed, but that's the gist of it."
"Do you agree with her? Is that what you think?" Naruto was curious. He knew what most of the kunoichi of his age group thought of him, but he didn't really have a clue what the guys thought.
"I think—so what? I like you. Ino can find fault with any guy. What she really means is—you're nothing like Sasuke. Nobody measures up to Sasuke."
"You're kidding? Isn't she over him yet? He's been gone forever. Even Sakura's moved on and she had the worse case of Sasuke worship I'd ever seen."
"I don't get it, but that guy left a mark on all the girls. None of us have ever been able to measure up to what they think he was," Choji grumbled good-naturedly.
Naruto thought about his friend and teammate from long ago. Sasuke never gave a thought to all those girls swooning over him. They were more of a nuisance than anything else. He'd had deeper and darker concerns in his life than having a girlfriend.
"Aloof. That's what he was. He just didn't care. Why do girls find that so attractive?"
"I don't know. I don't understand girls at all myself."
"Neither do I. But I don't think I could be aloof even if I tried."
"Me either," Choji agreed shaking his head.
They looked at each other, grinned then laughed.
"When's Shikamaru coming back?" Naruto asked after he and Choji had hung around the room for a half hour waiting. The only thing that had occupied some of the time was watching two additional futons being installed. That had taken all of five minutes.
"I don't know. He didn't say. In a town this small, you'd think checking in would have taken about a second."
"Not if the mayor is anything like the inn keeper here. That guy wouldn't let me finish a sentence and he's nosey as hell."
"Maybe they don't see many people here. It makes them too eager to talk and ask questions."
"Maybe."
Naruto hated waiting. He wanted to get started on this mission. He needed to prove himself to Shikamaru and the Fifth. He had to get out of this room. He walked from one side of the room to the other before finally saying what he'd been wanting to say for awhile, "I think I'll go see how Hinata's doing."
Choji stood up. "That's right. You go check on your wife—" He held up his hand and grinned at Naruto's fierce look. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You go check on Hinata. I'll go out front and look for Shikamaru. It's got to be dinner time by now. We'll find you when I find him"
They left the room together. Naruto waited until Choji was out of sight before he knocked on Hinata's door.
She opened it a crack to peer out. When she saw him she smiled and opened the door more widely.
"Hi. Is your room alright?"
"Yes. It's very nice."
"Choji went looking for Shikamaru. He hasn't come back yet."
"Oh, I wondered what was happening."
Ordinarily, he would have just walked in, but after all the fuss the innkeeper made he didn't want to cause a commotion by entering a single lady's room. Instead he said, "Come outside. We can check out the garden while we wait for Shikamaru and Choji to come back."
"Okay." She went inside to retrieve her room key then came out and locked the door.
They walked down from the porch to the garden. The garden was small but had lots of trees, shrubs and probably flowers in the right season. Surrounding the pond was a gravel path. They walked around the pond completely once then on the second lap around stopped at a bench hidden behind a large willow tree near the fenced hot springs. Naruto gestured to the bench. When Hinata nodded and sat down, he sat down beside her. They sat silently together watching the goldfish swim about in the pond. The silence was comfortable, but Naruto felt he had to break it—to apologize for the embarrassment he'd unintentionally caused her earlier. It was just something he had to get off his chest.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Hinata?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry about all that stuff at the front desk."
"It wasn't your fault," she protested softly.
"Yeah, well it felt like my fault. Stuff like that usually is my fault."
"It's okay, Naruto."
"It's not okay. That was pretty embarrassing for you—having someone think we were newly weds. I'm really sorry about that," he said gruffly.
"It was just as embarrassing for you."
Maybe, but not embarrassing for the same reason she must have been embarrassed. Maybe, that innkeeper thought newly wed when he looked at the two of them because of Naruto. Maybe his interest in Hinata had been too obvious. But he couldn't tell her that. He didn't know how she really felt about him yet—and he just couldn't come out and ask—not until he was more certain of the answer. Subtly, Naruto, subtly.
He leaned back and grinned at her. "How could I be embarrassed if someone thinks I'm married? I've never been very lucky with girls."
Hinata frowned and looked down at her hands. She held them tightly in her lap afraid that she'd begin the nervous fiddling she always did in Naruto's presence. "That Kimi Endoh seemed very interested in you."
"Who?" He drew a complete blank. He didn't know anyone by that name.
She quickly glanced up at him. He did look completely baffled. "The innkeeper's daughter. Remember? She told you her name was Kimi."
"Unh?" Vaguely a picture formed in his mind of the innkeeper's daughter, but he hadn't remembered her name at all.
She ducked her head. "I saw the way she looked at you."
"Me?" He jabbed his finger at his chest. "Not me. She must have been looking at Choji." He grinned more broadly at the thought that Hinata might be jealous.
"She looked at you more particularly than Choji," Hinata insisted still keeping her face hidden from Naruto.
"Well, I didn't notice her at all."
"She was very pretty."
"She's not my type."
"She looked at little bit like Sakura," she persisted.
"She's still not my type," he assured her. He bent down to catch a glimpse of her face, but she kept it turned away from him.
She was silent for a full minute before she asked softly, "What is your type, Naruto?" She turned her head slightly so she could glance at him from the corners of her eyes. Her eyes widened in surprise to find his face bent down so close to hers.
He tried to catch her eye, but it was difficult at that angle. He thought she could see him, so he kept his face lowered to hers. He opened his mouth preparing to answer then closed it again as he was still putting together the right words in his head. Would he scare her off if he blurted out You? Probably. This was the time for subtly.
Subtly not being a natural talent, it took him too long to figure out what to say. He opened his mouth again, but was only able to say, "Hinata—" before he heard Choji yelling his name. He immediately sat up not wanting to embarrass Hinata further if he were discovered leaning so close to her and lost his train of thought in the process.
Damn that Choji! He'd ruined another important moment with Hinata.