Chapter 4: A lover's Dance
It was night time by the time they started. Music from random instruments were being played from shell flutes, pipes, small drums, a smaller version on a koto (sorta like a guitar) sticks, shakers, bells, horns and their hands. They were in a large circle with a fire in the middle. People were singing and dancing around to the music having fun. They attracted some attention from the villagers and went to see what was happening and joined the celebration (basically TenTen, Neji, Lee, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, Kakashi, Iruka, Shizune and Shino.
Naruto returned when the female Outcasts: Ebi, Io, Ai, Shiori, Kashi, and Hebi, including Anko, got up and started to dance to a lively beat. Naruto watched as Hebi danced away smiling with the other women. Everyone from the village was shocked to see Anko dancing away just as well as the others earning many shouts and applauses.
Hebi was then requested by a few to get up and dance. Hebi got up with a smile and walked over to Kashi to tell what to play while taking the scarf holding her hair in place and holding it in front of her.
The beat started with synchronized clapping and drum beats, then accompanied by a shell flute. Kashi's voice flitters through the forest as she sang as Kisa followed. Hebi fell into a trance that moved with the music causing everyone to watch her.
You don't mean nothing at all, to me
Hebi lifted to the balls of her feet to fall at the first words of the song into moving her body, moving to swaying and stepping to the music.
In the day
In the night
Say it right
Say it all
You either got it
Or you don't
You either stand
Or you fall
When your will
Is broken
When it slips
From your hand
When there's no
Time for joking
There's a hole
In my plan
She started moving into hip movements and belly rolls as she continued to swaying and stepping to the music.
Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me
No you don't mean nothing at all to me
But you got what it takes to set me free
Oh you could mean everything to me
Hebi started to move from person to person dancing swaying her body into twists and turns using the scarf.
I can't say
That I'm not
Lost
And at fault
I can't say
That I don't
Love the light
And the dark
I can't say
That I don't
Know that I
Am alive
Hebi stopped in front of Naruto to place her scarf around his neck to raise him from his seat on the floor and dance with her.
And I love
What I feel (feel)
I could show (show you)
You tonite, you tonite
Naruto started to move swaying and stepping with Hebi as she moved with the next words. He focused on Hebi as they moved together perfectly matching every others steps.
Oh you don't mean nothing at all to me
No you don't mean nothing at all to me
But you got what it takes to set me free
Oh you could mean everything to me
Hebi wrapped the scarf around her hand while it was behind Naruto's neck brought her hands above their head still moving their hips swaying. Naruto raised both hands to grab at Hebi's.
From my hands
I could give you
Something
That I made
After, Hebi brought both there hands down in a semi circle motion keeping their bodies close while unwrapping the scarf.
From my mouth
I could sing you
Another bridge
That I made
Hebi then turned her body and bend down lowering her body down to the floor to travel back up close to Naruto's body still holding his hands and keeping eye contact.
From my body (my body)
I could show you (I could show you)
A place (a place)
God knows (that only God knows)
Naruto then bent Hebi's arm behind her and dipped her slowly raising her back up to face him to then have Hebi curl her right leg on Naruto's left and leaned.
You should know
Space is holy
Do you really
Want to go?
Here Naruto twirled her having her face the fire as they rocked slowly to the beat and changed position twirling her back to hold her closer still swaying until her let him go.
You don't mean nothing at all, to me
Here she began to back away while unraveling the scarf around her hands. As she moved away, she would twirl in or quickly twirl out as Naruto responded by pulling the scarf or rewrapping a piece of the scarf back in his hand so that it could slide from his hands once more.
You don't mean nothing at all, to me
At the end of the song, everyone clapped and some whistled causing Naruto to blush while looking at Hebi. Hebi just kept her gaze on Naruto the whole time.
"Damn Naruto, I didn't know you danced like that" stated Kiba
"I don't think he even knows it let alone the village knowing" stated Shino.
"True" agreed Hinata
Hebi walked over to where her mom and kashi were and sat down while looking at Naruto.
"Hebi, you never performed that dance before. You were excellent" stated Kashi
"Hebi, you do know the meaning to that dance?" asked Anko
"Yes"
"Hebi, you're 15. You can't mate yet" stated Kisa
"Mom was 14 when she performed that dance and 15 when she mated" stated Hebi as she kept her gaze on Naruto
"And look what it did. Orochimaru killed her mate and raped her" stated Maki in a low voice.
"Naruto-kun won't do that to me. He won't die either, not for something like that anyway" stated Hebi finally breaking her glance.
"Well, it is true. Naruto won't harm her" stated Anko
"See!?"
"Well at least it wasn't the Dance of Love, or else this would be a different discussion" stated Kashi with a smile.
Naruto looked at Hinata in confusion.
"Dobe, do you know what you two danced?" asked Sasuke with a suspicious look
"No. It was a dance, though Kyuubi told me that I was one lucky person" stated Naruto with a sideways smile.
"That was a dance for mates, Naruto" stated Sakura with a blush
Now it was Naruto's time to blush.
"I danced that!?"
"Yes, Dobe"
"Shut it Sasuke!"
"Make me, Dobe"
"Stop calling me Dobe"
"I will when you stop acting like one Dobe" stated Sasuke with a frown
"Boys settle down" stated Ino with a calm face.
"Now, you look like Shikamaru. You two have been together for tooooo long" stated Sakura.
"Shut up Forehead"
"Make me Ino-Pig"
"Now girls, settle down. How troublesome" stated Shikamaru from his place on the floor.
"See!?" stated Sakura.
Ino just rolled her eyes.
Naruto just ignored and looked at Hebi as she spoke to her family.
"Ok, folks, next comes the group dance, so everyone up"
"I don't dance" stated Negi, Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru.
"Oh really. How about this. Me and my partner go over there and loosen you up" stated Maki with a smirk that made Gaara's "I get to torture you and enjoy it" grin look harmless.
That caused both Shikamaru and Sasuke to step up.
"I'm a bug man. Try touching me"
"I can close your charka channel, so don't touch me"
"Well, we got two that aren't afraid of being touched."
"Ok, everyone, get in a circle, girl/boy/girl/boy and put your arms on each others shoulders and hop, step to the left, hop and step to the right, crossover kick. Repeat.
Everyone followed as a lively tune was produced and everyone danced to the music. Maki, Ebi, Mie, Sinomuki, Ai, Io, Kuro, Shiori, Shi, Iru and Maru played the instruments while singing as Kashi joined the group with Anko and Hebi. Everyone started dancing around following instructions that were being shouted by different dancers within the group. When the dance ended everyone jumped to a stop and started to clap while laughing.
"Let's do it again" shouts Naruto
"Don't worry, there is many to dance too. You want to dance with me?" asked Hebi in a shy voice catching everyone's attention.
"..Um, su..sure" stuttered Naruto blushing by the whole thing.
Hebi gently smiles as Kashi brings a new beat and on goes the night.
It was way pass evening when the celebrations ceased. Everyone from the village went home leaving Hebi, Anko, Naruto, and the outcasts.
"Well, goodnight everyone. See you at home" hopefully thought Anko as she walked into town.
"Night Anko, I'm going into my tent. Night" said Kashi as the rest followed.
That left Naruto and Hebi together at the front gate.
"Come on, I'll walk you home" stated Naruto offering his arm.
Hebi just smiled and grabbed it.
They walked in silence for a few minutes until Hebi broke the silence with a question.
"Naruto-kun, do you like me?" asked Hebi shyly
"Um..we..well..uh..you see.." Naruto stuttered to get an answer out blushing harder as he tired to make a sentence.
"I see" said Hebi lowering her head.
"No….I..I do like you" stated Naruto trying to control his blush.
Hebi raised her head up at the statement with small smile on her face.
"I do like you. My question is what exactly was it we danced? The guys told me what, but I want to know if it is true" stated Naruto as he faced her.
"I danced for you. It is a mating dance. It is a dance to choose your partner" stated Hebi with a soft voice.
"I see, well, um…what does that exactly mean then?" asked Naruto in a soft voice
"I wish for you to be my mate" asked Hebi
Naruto just looked on in shock.
"I…I … can I think…let me think about it" stated Naruto with uncertainty.
"Ok. Good night Naruto" stated Hebi with a sad smile
"Good night" stated Naruto as he headed home.