Sunday - Team 10's barbeque hangout (I think it's called Yakinaku or something)
Kiba: Finally! I get to make an appearance, but things just don't look right...
Kiba glanced across the table from him. Hinata
was nowhere to be found. He had gone by her house, Kurenai sensei's
place, even the training area. Nothing. He had asked the chuunins at
the Hokage's office if she was out on a mission, but after some
checking, it appeared she wasn't.
In her place sat Ten-Ten and
Neji... but Neji was acting abnormal. He should have a slightly
detached look on his face, but he was grinning... sadistically... and
glancing from Shino to Ten-Ten.
Kiba: (deciding to talk about something else) "So... Ten-Ten, how do you get your hair to look like that?
Ten-Ten: "Like what?"
Kiba: "Mouse Ears."
Ten-Ten: "They are mouse ears." She took off what we would know as a Mickey Mouse hat.
Kiba: "Shino, what's with…"
Shino: "Men should speak of manly activities where the ears of young maidens do not dwell."
Kiba: God I wish Hinata were here, at least she's normal. Where the hell could she be?"
Shino: "She's at Naruto's house."
Kiba: "How did you..."
Shino: "I don't like repeating myself."
Kiba pulled out a can of bug spray.
Shino: "Who do you think you are talking to? I was tracking her for a client."
Ten-Ten: "Did she confess to him yet?"
Kiba: "Why does everyone know what's going on except me?"
Neji: "Because all you do is play with your dog all day."
Ten-Ten: (while snorting) "Ahem, well did she confess or not?"
Shino: "It appears she skipped straight past the confession. However it will take more than that to win him over. Strong rivals have appeared."
Neji: "What like Sakura? She's built like a little girl. Plus I'd be afraid."
Kiba: "Huh?"
Neji: "She's got that super strength. What if she goes overboard and it rips off?"
Ten-Ten burst into a fit of laughter as sweat tears formed on the men, who each instinctively reached for their manhood in a protective gesture.
Ten-Ten: "Is that even possible?"
Shino: "I have detailed files."
Kiba: "You know, you're starting to scare me man."
Ten-Ten: "So what is with you guys and hiding your cute faces? Kiba, you never take off that hood, Kakashi never takes his mask off, and Shino... I have to find out what you're hiding."
Shino: "I have a skin condition."
Kiba: "Actually he..."
Shino instantly shoved a few incriminating photos in front of Kiba's face. Kiba shrank back into his seat and then quickly changed the subject.
Kiba: "So Neji, dating anyone these days?"
Ten-Ten: (looking far more interested) "Yeah, anyone..."
Neji: "Yes I am." he said quickly scanning the room.
Ten-Ten: "What's her name?"
Neji: (resting his eyes on a glass of water) "Mizu... ho, Mizuho"
Shino: "Family name?"
Neji: "Aya... kanji."
Shino: "I've never heard of that name."
Neji: "She goes by a different name for... acting purposes."
Shino: "And what name is that."
Neji: "A gentleman never reveals a maiden's secrets."
Ten-Ten: "How dreamy! If only I could find a nice guy too."
Kiba: (with a grin) "I know of a charm for that."
Ten-Ten: "Seriously?"
Kiba: "Yep, and it's easy, you just have to touch your elbows together behind your back."
Last Night at Naruto's Sleep Over. -
Sasuke: "Damn it Naruto, your dice rolls suck."
Naruto: "I can't help it, her hand slipped and hit me with a Jyuken to the wrist."
Sasuke: "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses. Now I'll end up as a bait for Ino."
Naruto: "If you're gonna revive your clan you might as well spread things out a bit."
Sasuke: "Yeah, but she's so ewww."
Naruto: "Haha, Sasuke actually used the word 'ew'."
Sasuke: "What about you, who do you like?"
Naruto: (eyes down, at this point) "For years I've chased after Sakura-chan. From the time I first saw her, I thought that I could never witness a more beautiful sight. It's hard to describe, it was as if there was something about her that made me want to be more than I was, to push to my goal sooner, to be Hokage... no not Hokage... she made me want to be a better person. She's the embodiment of everything I've worked to become.
Sasuke: "Wow. I thought she was just annoying."
Naruto: "You've always thought of her as your support. She gave you the unconditional love your family used to give you, but you believed you didn't deserve it until you fulfilled your revenge."
Sasuke: "You really are the number one ninja at surprising people. Naruto, if you really love her then you'll fight me for her. Only someone strong would be worthy of her."
Naruto: "I don't know anymore, I just don't know."
Sasuke: "That doesn't sound like the Naruto I know. When you're set on something, you've never backed down."
Naruto: "It's about..."
--+--+--
"Hinata?" Ino began to ask.
Hinata: "What is it?"
Ino: "You love Naruto, don't you?"
Hinata: "... What makes you ask that Ino?"
Ino: "It's just us girls in the bath, you can tell me."
Hinata: "Yes."
Ino: "More than anything?"
Hinata: "More than anything."
Ino: "Even if he asked for anal penetration?"
Hinata: "Even if... um, please don't make fun of me."
Ino: "If you want him you're going to have to fight for him."
Hinata: "But..."
Ino: "From the time he beat Neji in his first Chuunin exam, Naruto's been gaining lots of popularity. He's even got a fan club of younger girls. You can't wait for him to make the first move. I can't wait for him to make the first move. Things are going to get resolved one way or another."
Hinata: (more serious) "Why did you ask him to be your boyfriend?"
--+--+--
Naruto: "I don't know why she asked me out. It's completely out of the blue."
Sasuke: "Probably the kage buushin. She likes to have more than one guy at a time and you can do that, plus you're not as bad with your transformations as you used to be."
Naruto: "No, it's more than that. She's hit on me before, but not like this. She was very serious. She said that if Sasuke won't have her, she'd get someone just as good."
Sasuke: "But the way you feel about Hinata is..."
--+--+--
Hinata: "...like a best friend. I may have made progress, taken a step toward him, but there's a barrier I just can't get past. Everything gets in the way, it's like the world is against our love."
Ino: (pulling a crying Hinata against her body to comfort her) "There-there, there-there. It's nothing so malicious. There's only one thing really in your way now, and that's Sakura. She's always held the poor boy's attention. But you have what she doesn't. You can do what she can't. Tonight, I want you to make your move. I've set everything up already. If you can't sway his heart with this attack, then you never will. I've evened the playing field out now. Do your best, okay?"
Hinata: sniff sniff "I will, I promise."
--+--+--
Sakura lay on the ground, as still and quiet as she could force herself to be. The floor now soaked with tears as she had overheard the entirety of the conversation her two teammates had spoken over the last five minutes had touched her more than anything had in the past four years. Few people would ever be loved as much as she had been, and she had never truly known how cherished and treasured she had been in the eyes of these two men.
Naruto: "What I do, I do because I love her, not in spite of it. I understand how she feels, because I have felt that very feeling myself, and I would never deny her the chance to feel that way, and be embraced fully by it."
Sasuke: "Can you live with yourself making that choice? Can you choose the other one without guilt and devote yourself fully to her?"
--+--+--
Ino: "This will be your last chance though. I won't let such a good catch slip though my fingers or lose in love to Sakura, or you. You think you're up to the challenge?"
Hinata: "You underestimate me. Even I have said this before, and thanks to him I can say it again..."
--+--+--
Naruto/Hinata: "I won't run, I won't take back my words. That's my way of the Ninja!"
Sasuke: "Those words... I won't underestimate them again."
--+--+--
Elsewhere
Chouji: "Toriya!!!!! The last bite is mine, Akamaru!"
Ayame: laughing "Oh Chouji, that's my big man. Eat! Eat! It makes me happy to see you eat the food I prepared with love."
Kiba: "Why? Why do I get left out of everything? Where's my wonderfully hot chick to support and love me?
Just then a cute girl a year or two younger than Kiba sat down at the stool next to Kiba.
Kiba: "Hey there gorgeous, can I buy you dinner?"
Gabzilla: "Only if I can buy you dessert."
Uzumaki Residence, Sunday 12am
Naruto's jaw extended to it limits, synchronizing with the movement of all his extremities. His arms and legs stretched, accompanied by the sounds of the pressure built up in his joints releasing with continuous cracking. It had been a long weary day. The conversation that had taken place was now taking its toll on the young man who fought to force the lids of his eyes into the open position. Naruto's posture had slowly dwindled with every passing second, soon forcing him to place his elbow on his knee and his fist under his chin.
"You don't look so well Naruto. I think you should get some rest. All of the other matters can be settled at a later date. I'll take care of the sleeping arrangements." Sasuke's speech had nearly fallen on deaf ears. Naruto nodded to his long-time friend and rival, and then began the slow trek from his chair to the comfort of his soft and conforming mattress. Before he could reach the entrance to his bedchamber, his passage was blocked by a vision of dream-like radiance. Two girls covered only in bath towels emerged, their hair still damp, a few beads of water clinging to their gleaming light skin. The scent of sweet flowers and strawberries traversed its way to the spectator's noses, assaulting them with a fragrance that could set the weariest sole at ease. Moments passed as if they were days when Hinata's gaze met the deep blue ocean contained in Naruto's eyes. A nearly imperceptible whisper floated from Naruto's, lips, but it was something that would etch itself into both girls' memories. "Kirei..." Naruto hadn't yet finished the last syllable before his knee buckled, his momentum thrust forward into the two steamy figures standing before. "I'm beautiful, in his eyes... I'm beautiful," Hinata thought to herself.
Misfortune seemed to be attached to Naruto's very
essence, for he was unconscious for the miracle that occurred. The
two girls were unprepared for his unexpected action, preventing them
from catching him in time. They also failed to keep him from grabbing
onto their towels during his decent, rendering two of his three
female guests fully nude.
Hinata instinctively dropped to the
floor to check Naruto's condition; the fact that she was disrobed
made little impact on her quick action. Ino's reaction was anything
but typical. "My oh my, seems like I've been exposed to you
Sasuke-kun, and Naruto-kun as well. This method was such a waste
though, absolutely no seductiveness at all. Can't be helped, I
suppose."
Sasuke, in a poor attempt to overt his view had
placed his fingers in front of his eyes, however since they weren't
compressed together, the obstruction he created was impractical at
best. "Why don't you two slip into something less comfortable
while I put Naruto to bed," Sasuke stated plainly. "To
quote Shikamaru, 'this is troublesome'."
Ino, after putting on underwear and an over sized men's dress shirt waved Sasuke off. Ino explained, "Let Hinata attend him. This will count for the bonus promised for our win from the game." After a moment Sasuke consented with a nod, then turned his attention to Sakura who would need to be hoisted onto Naruto's couch. He checked to see if he could move her without waking her. He slowly bent over and positioned himself as if to hug the girl. Steadily he scooped his hands under her upper back, below her arms and shoulders. He hoisted her up so that all of her weight rested upon his. Sasuke glanced at the two other girls propping Naruto up on their shoulders. When they appeared to be out of earshot, he shifted his face to position it a mere centimeter from her ear, strands of her hair brushing up against his face. "You've had a rough night too. I'll forgive your eavesdropping on our talk, but you'll have to promise me one thing. Do not make your decision based on what we've said today, nor upon who needs you most. Love with every ounce of your being the one most dear to you. Neither Naruto or myself will be happy if you ignore your heart." Sasuke carried the girl to Naruto's couch, laying her down gently, retrieving a blanket and placing it firmly over her. His hand found it's way to her cheek, wiping away the salty droplets that once again streamed down. She mouthed, "I promise," before drifting off, her lips crooked in smile, and her muscles relaxed.
Ino returned closing the door to Naruto's bedroom. "So Sasuke-kun, I forgot my sleeping bag, can we share yours?" she asked without a hint of shame exuding from her face. Something was odd though. He examined that face of hers. There were no lines from aging, no scars from battle or pimples, no make up to hide behind. The tension in the muscles of her face that occurred when she used to talk to him had disappeared, and her pupils, though centered on his face, veered away from his gaze. With his bloodline limit, he could easily detect what was behind the change, but it would be a waste of his talent. Instead, he brushed past her, and said, "I'll get some air before I sleep."
The night breeze was cool against his face. Darkness was deep and penetrating, perhaps for the lack of soft light the moon normally would provide. Sasuke's face found itself naturally drifting upward. Infinite gleaming sparkles filled his view, cascading across the reflection in his eyes. All those he had called family were dead. The majority of his life was a mess, his innocence robbed of him at an early age, and so many years spent with nothing but revenge on his mind. Could he possibly return to a simple life he once knew, or was it impossible to return to those days. "The only thing truly left for him in this world were the two he called nakama in the tiny apartment behind him. Even if he was to end everything here and now, he had a feeling the pain that he carried would not disappear, only change, and become the grief that his friends would suffer at his passing. No, he would remain with them until the very last; he would see things through with these people, who became his family.
The realization that she was alone with her beloved had finally struck her. Certainly the interlopers were nearby, but Ino promised that nothing would hinder her from breaking the barrier tonight. Her hand found it's way to his cheek. The warmth of his skin echoed the warmth of his heart, and she felt as though somehow, this was an expression of his love for her. She stroked his cheek, discovering that the whisker marks had no texture to them. His face was smooth, without a trace of a rough beard. The golden locks atop his head, she often wondered what the feeling would be of running her fingers through it. Softness buffeted her palm as she ran it over his scalp, the feeling of pins and needles raced through her arm, but not as pain. Her arm was covered in goose bumps, her skin extra sensitive to every feeling. Her senses were heightened in this moment, and the cold of the room began to creep into her. "Forgive my intrusion," she said to Naruto as she climbed under his bedspread. Warmth exuded throughout her entire body. If this was how it felt to merely be close to him, she thought she'd be able to die right now and be fulfilled for at least two years time. Unexpectedly Naruto rolled to his side, causing his arm to swing over Hinata. She could barely contain herself. Just when she thought things couldn't get any better, he pulled her closer until their bodies were pressing against each other. His face was buried in her chest; when she realized she hadn't put on any clothing, save for the bath towel. "Oh well," she thought, "... things turned out well enough." It didn't end there though. He held her tightly and started speaking things in his sleep.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said
over and over again. She regarded his face as tears began to form and
drip onto her. "I'm sorry, but I can't be with you. I thought I
could love you, but it's not possible for me. I've done everything I
could, I beat back this demon in me, I fought to bring back my
brother, but this isn't something I can fight... I love her not you."
She hugged him back tightly. "My dearest Naruto-kun, my love for
you is greater than anything else. It pains me more than I will ever
let you know, but I will let you go if only you will be happy. I'm
glad I could have you tonight like this, even if it will all end."
She cried and cried until she there were no more tears left in her
eyes to spill. When she calmed down, she bent her head down and
kissed his forehead, silently praying for him to be happy all his
days. "I'm sorry Sakura. That girl has always believed in me
like no one else. I love her, even more than I love you. I
love..."
Hinata's face changed to one of desperation.
Pleading with the sleeping form beside her, she asked "Who, you
love whom? Who is it? Who the hell do you love?" Almost as if he
was awake, he responded, "I love Hi... Hi... Hachoo!"
Across town Temari and Shikamaru were talking while gazing at the sky. Shikamaru, responding to an earlier question, answered, "Yeah, that Naruto is still an idiot. He may be a greater man than I could ever imagine, but he's an idiot." After some thought, Temari said, "We probably shouldn't talk about him. He's probably sneezing in his sleep as we speak." Smiling, Shikamaru countered with, "Idiots don't catch colds."
After wiping the mucus off of her with the towel, it was no longer
useful as a wrapping, so she dropped it off the side of the bed. Trying
to coax a sleeping man to confess his love must have earned her
retribution from the gods. No matter though, she reassured herself that
she would see things through, and her love for him couldn't lose to
anyone. She silently watched him as he slept, noticing sweat starting
to accumulate on him, and some twitching. "Oh, he didn't have a chance
to change his clothes, he must be uncomfortable." With care, she peeled
off his jacket and removed his shirt. She started to unbuckle his
pants, but then thought that she had done more that enough. She didn't
want to force anything on him. As she was thinking that, he
subconsciously kicked his pants off. He was laying on his back with
nothing but his boxers on. She wanted to make sure he was warm enough,
so she rolled on top of him. After a while, nature took it's course as
it usually does for a man in the early hours, and Hinata was able to
receive the gift she had been planning to get all evening.
The next morning Naruto awoke to a surprise.
