A/N: I know, I know... you can hate me if you want. I don't mind (really). I said OH, and hopefully last week... but with work as it is (even though I'm back down to just one job... newspaper cut back, so no more correspondent work for me /sad), I just don't have the time and/or energy to write as much. In addition, OH's next chapter is very battle-heavy, and I aim to make it better than any other battle scene I've ever written. More detailed, longer, more dying and killing and stuffs... and, well, better. And that takes some work and effort, since I'm trying hard to improve my writing of action/battles, not just make one scene good.

Also, this is the last buffer of TROLL. OH 'has' to come next, unless I start posting other stories... which I don't want to unless I have to. Hate leaving a big pile of 'unfinished' for you guys to read, you know? That's why I try not to post but one or two stories until they're complete. :)
On the other side of that, I do have a 'new' Evangenlion (working title: Eva in 3D-I) fic half-way through the first arc (which is 'strictly' gonna be a harem, but not in the usual fandom way), and am now half-way through an also-harem Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya fic... where, despite it being from Kyon's PoV (tradition!), is going to be a Haruhi-Harem.
So I 'have' been writing... but I've been working on those on my off hours at work, usually, during lunch and stuff.

Anyway... enough babble. Read and enjoy, and pray I get OH updated soon! lol


Chap. 7 The Truth Hurts

Senju Tsunade scowled at the reports on her desk. Three- no, four of them, each written by four of her most trusted kunoichi. Ino, Sakura, Tenten, and... Kurenai? Why had the older woman been there? Was she teaching them more advanced genjutsu or seduction techniques on the sly? Tsunade wouldn't put it past the Jonin... but she also wouldn't have turned down a request to train them. So what was going on?

The fact that three of the four reports mentioned a 'tall, broad-shouldered male with long, white hair past his waist' (in those exact words in two instances), and that the fourth had said 'a big hunk' without going into too much description, told Tsunade all she needed to know.

"Shizune!"

Ten seconds later, her assistant poked her head into the room, already prepared to run if she had to- the tone of her Master's call was not a pleasant one. "Get me Jiraiya... but take your time. You know where he'll most likely be."

"At once, Lady Tsunade!"

As the younger kunoichi fled from the office, she was left to wonder what emergency would actually get Tsunade to ask for her old team-mate's help.

The blonde Hokage had an entirely different idea, however. "ANBU."

Both of the ones who were in her office at that moment faded into view. She looked between them for a moment, then gestured at the one on the right, "Sparrow, you will find Councillors Homura and Mitokado, and bring them to me. At once, do you understand? I don't care if they're sleeping, or even in the bath. I need a new law drafted now."

"At once, Lady Hokage," the thin man nodded, vanishing with a swirl of brown, fall-dry leaves.
"You can relax, Cat... but keep your sword loose. We might need it if I'm right about Jiraiya... you're to restrain, not kill. I have a more... permanent punishment in mind for him."

The purple-haired woman nodded behind her mask, and stepped back into the shadows to meld with the very wall.

(O)(O)(O)

Naruto stepped out of the shower and yawned while wrapping his large, white towel around himself. "Gonna be today," he murmured, "Can't take any chances..."
Staring at himself in the mirror, Naruto noted his eyes. They were more dull than usual, and not just from lack of sleep. "Even if Baa-chan gave me an extra day and gave everyone no missions on purpose... you never know. I should do it now, just in case. So... Shadow- wait. No. Get dressed first... don't need twenty shadow clones in towels running around the Village. Heh, heh..."

Five minutes later, a line of twelve clones left through his front door to scatter around the village, while the other nine he'd created filed through his bedroom window.
"Okay, breakfast!" he said excitedly, trying to psych himself up.

It didn't work, of course, so he made it only a half-bowl. Ichiraku would do the trick, if he saved space in his stomach... it always did.

... or not. "Closed for maintenance- Sorry Naruto." The blonde boy read the sign again, and a fourth time, with tears growing in his eyes. "It's not fair..."
"What's not fair, Naruto-kun?"

The blonde turned to the tall, black-haired kunoichi, "Oh, Kurenai-sensei! Hi! Uh, Ichiraku is closed today, that's all... not a big deal. I just wanted it for breakfast."

"And lunch and dinner, and a couple of snacks in between, no doubt," the woman said with a faint smile, which quickly faded.

"Hah hah... yeah, you're probably right."

"Listen, Naruto... have you seen your sensei around? Either of them?"

"Ero-Sennin and Kakashi-sensei? I haven't... not today, anyway. Why?"

Kurenai's scowl deepened, "No reason... I just have a bone to pick with both of them. If you see them, let me know, okay? I'd appreciate it."
"No problem," he said with a shrug, "I've already got a bunch of shadow clones out looking for my friends, so..."

Another dozen clones appeared with orders to go tell the rest to add the two white-haired ninja to the list.

"Thanks, Naruto... I appreciate that. You weren't, um... nevermind. Well, since Ichiraku is closed, what say I treat you to some anko dumplings instead, as thanks for helping me out?"

They weren't the boy's favorite, but who could say no to things like that? Well... Sasuke could, but he didn't like anything sweet that Naruto could remember. "Thanks, Kurenai-sensei! You're awesome!"

(O)(O)(O)

"Oh, hi, Hinata... are you doing all right, after last night?"

The quiet girl blushed at the memory her sensei had brought up, but nodded, "I'm f-fine, Kurenai-sen- N-N-Naruto-kun! Wh-Wh-What are y-you d-d-doing h-here?!"

With eyes wide in shock and terror, Naruto could still feel his cheeks heating in a blush. "Um... I- I was just eating l-lunch with Kurenai-sensei?"

"O- Oh..."

The Jonin looked back and forth between the two blushing teens, and thought, Oh, how cute! It seems he's finally noticed Hinata! Look at him blush, it's almost as bad as she is!

Of course, if she had known the real reason both teens were blushing... she would have been equally red, and probably from sheer anger.

Naruto could not clear the image of Hinata 'floating' in the Onsen from his mind, and with her standing here, right in front of him...

She, on the other hand, couldn't erase the thought that her long-time crush, Naruto himself, had seen her n-n-n-naked! And now, he was right there, with wide eyes, and probably imagining her naked again! It was... it... it...was...
Thud.

"Is... is she gonna be alright?" Naruto asked a few seconds later. Kurenai nodded, "Yes... she doesn't faint nearly as much anymore, but something set her off. She'll be fine... and I'll pass on your message. One o'clock, right? At the Shushya barbeque place, right?"

"Y- Yeah. Thanks, Kurenai-sensei! And thanks again for breakfast!"

"It's no problem, Naruto-kun," she said, but by the time Kurenai looked up from making sure Hinata wouldn't fall off her chair, the blonde was gone.

"That was weird. He doesn't usually take off like that... I wonder what had him spooked? It couldn't be just Hinata..."

A few minutes later, the dark-haired girl woke again. "So, Hinata," her sensei prompted, "Now that your 'distraction' is gone," Hinata gave a little meep and colored again, but didn't faint, "Tell me again exactly what happened last night..."

For a long time, Hinata was silent while she mulled the situation over. She could tell Kurenai the truth... and Naruto would be punished most severely. Not just by Kurenai on her behalf (even though Hinata had most certainly not minded), but by her father, by Neji, but Sakura, by Tenten, and Ino, too... and probably Hokage-sama.

On the other hand, she could let what the others assumed was true to be the story...and Jiraiya would take the blame. The girls and her father would have to leave him alone, all together they wouldn't be able to threaten him. But then, it also hadn't actually been the Sannin's indiscretion... and then she would have to lie to Kurenai-sensei.
Could she do that, to protect Naruto-kun?

Should she?

"It- it's j-just as I s-said, Kurenai-sensei... there was a tall, w-white-haired m-man... I don't know if it was J-Jiriaya-s-sama, b-but... m-m-maybe s-s-omeone e-else?"

Kurenai's red eyes narrowed, "Maybe... and maybe not. That's alright, Hinata... he didn't do anything else, did he? Once the others spotted him, he ran? He didn't... try anything?"

"N- No!" Hinata cried out, "He... he ran right away. And we were all under the water... at least, we were until I passed out..."

Kurenai's lips stretched into a wide, kind smile, "Don't feel bad about that one, Hinata... lots of people would pass out with that- I mean, with a pervert staring at them in the hot springs. At least your friends were there to keep you from drowning, right?"

"Y- Yes..."

"Good, now... Naruto has asked me to relay a message. He, and the Hokage apparently, want you and all of your friends to meet Naruto at the Shushya shop at one o'clock for lunch, okay? There's something going on. I'm not sure what, but... it's pretty important, from the look of things. Naruto was really nervous even telling me to ask you to be there, and high-tailed it out of here as soon as he did."

"O- Oh... and e-e-everyone w-will be there? N-Not j-just Naruto-kun?"

Kurenai shook her head, "Sorry, I don't think this is a date... not yet, anyway."

"Oh... oh well... m-m-maybe n-next t-t-t-time..."

The Jonin didn't have the heart to tell her that Naruto wouldn't allow a next time if she couldn't actually ask him first.

(O)(O)(O)

"All right, Naruto," Ino grumbled, "We're all here, and we've all eaten, and I have to get back to the shop... so tell us why Lady Tsunade made us all eat here today."

Naruto gulped, but using two hands on the edge of the largest, round table at the barbeque restaurant, pushed himself to his feet.

At once, all eyes were on him.

Neji, on his left, and going in clockwise order, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Tenten, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Lee on his right, with Konohamaru and his little friends at another table next to them. I can't do this...
"Yosh, Naruto-kun! Let us hear your inspiring words! What does Hokage-sama want us to know?"

"Yeah, spill it, Boss! We haven't got all day! Ebisu-sensei says we have to do another D-rank today!"

I cando this... I just... I just have to start. Once I start, I can finish. Right? That's what you suggested, right, Iruka-sensei?

His eyes moving around each of his friends again, Naruto had to stop the second he reached Ino... and then the other girls he'd seen in the onsen last night. That was just too distracting.

"Do- do you guys know my birthday?"

"Of course!" Konohamaru nodded, "Everyone does!"

It turned out, however, that everyone did not. Only Sakura raised her hand besides the brown-haired boy and Hinata.

"O- Oh. It's... well, it's the tenth... of October. I'm... um, fifteen, so..."

"That does explain why none of us knew, and why you never seem to want to celebrate it, Naruto."

The blonde blinked and nodded, but didn't look down at Neji. "Y- Yeah. But... there's more. You all know what happened that night, fifteen years ago. Right?"

"Huh? What are you talkin' about, Boss? I'm only twelve! How could I remember that?!"
His orange-haired kunoichi teammate slapped the back of his head, "Idiot! He's talking about the Kyūbi attack! The night the Fourth Hokage died! Duh!"

Naruto grimaced, "Y- Yeah. That- that night."

"Oh, Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered, so quietly that only Neji and Kiba heard it. Several other young ninja around the two tables nodded, but Naruto was not done yet.

"And... and there's more. The Fox, that... that night? How do you kill something made of chakra? You- you can't. Even the Yondaime Hokage couldn't kill it. So... so he used the Shiki Fūin, the Reaper Death Seal, to... well, I don't know the whole story, but I guess the Yondaime took half the Fox's chakra and gave it to the Shinigami, and his own soul, and... and the other half, he sealed... into me."

There were nine gasps, but three people did not show any shock at all: Hinata, Neji, and Shikamaru. Even Sakura, while she had gasped, did not seem that surprised... it was almost like she was faking it.

"But I'm not the Fox!" he added hastily, hoping to assauge their fears, "I'm not, I promise! I- I'm the same guy I've always been! It's just... like a kunai sealed in a scroll, right? The scroll isn't the kunai, so I'm not the Fox! It's just... in my belly! I can show you-" He raised the hem of his white t-shirt and focused, causing the blood-red spiral and other symbols to appear on the muscled chest.

He didn't notice Tenten, Ino, Sakura, even Hinata exchanging pointed looks before examining the seal, not the six-pack it was written on.
"That's the Seal it's inside, see? And I can-"
"Naruto, you're rambling," Neji said, "Sit down."

"Oh- Okay..."

"So..." Ino asked, hesitant to even speak up, "You... you aren't the Fox, right? You're Naruto, the same idiot we've known since the Academy, right?"
"Hey, speak for yourself!" Moegi cried from the next table, but was ignored.

Naruto nodded, "Y- Yeah... Hey! I'm not an idiot!"

Ino smirked, "That's funny, you just agreed you were. So make up your mind!"

"Tch, so troublesome..." Shikamaru added, before leaning his head back against the tall, cushioned seat and letting his mouth fall open while his eyes drifted shut.

There was silence for several minutes while the others slowly resumed eating. Choji put a hand up for the waitress, and ordered several desserts for the group- but mostly himself.

"So... that's it?" Naruto asked after she'd left with a page full of further orders.

"What else should there be?" Shino asked quietly, "Expecting us to abandon you is illogical. Why? If you had wanted to destroy us all, you would have a long time ago. Also, you have proven your loyalty and strength of character to each of us time and again. As individuals and as a group, I believe you have saved each of our lives at least once. Why should we fear you because of this?"

"But I-"
"Look, Naruto," Sakura sighed, "this is just... something new. It doesn't erase who you are, or the five years we've known you. Right? It's like... when I started learning medical jutsu from Lady Tsunade. I just added something new, but it didn't erase everything that came before."

"But- this is the Nine-Tailed Fox," he tried to say, but was stopped by Neji's calm hand on his arm.

"Relax, Naruto. None of us are judging you... Hinata and myself already knew. How could we not, when we can see the source of flame-orange chakra in your stomach? I would reason that we aren't the only ones, as well."

"Right," Shikamaru added between snores, "It's troublesome, but I figured it out four years ago... back in the academy."

Sakura nodded, "And I knew about a month after we made Genin... when the dates of your birthday and that whole thing with Mizuki started coming together in my head. Well, I guessed. I didn't know until now."

"You guys..."

Tears were starting to well up in the blonde's eyes, and his throat was thick. It made talking... difficult.

"Yosh! Naruto-kun, truly, your flames of youth are inspiring! Such hardship! Such pain! Such training! I have thought that my own handicap was the worst any ninja had ever known! But you, my friend! You have shown me the truth! I will have to train five-thousand-times-harder! If I can not, I will train six-thousand-times harder! And if I cannot do that, I will-"

He was silenced by a wad of napkins from Tenten's side of the table, which conveniently filled his mouth. He sat down, grumbling and glaring at his team-mate, while he tried to extract the makeshift gag.

But the noise wasn't done yet.

"Wow! Boss, you're amazing! Now I know how hard I gotta work to beat you! If you can use the Fox in battle, and why can't you, 'cause you're amazing and super-strong, and, and, and I gotta beat you! 'Cause I'm gonna be Hokage, and you know it! So I have to be able to beat the Nine-Tailed Fox, that even the Yondaime Hokage couldn't beat all the way! And I have to beat you, too, Boss! It's gonna be awesome! The best fight ever-kore!"
"Heh, heh..."

No one wanted to call their blonde friend on the tears of joy and happiness streaming down his cheeks. No one had the heart... and it's not like they didn't sympathize.

(O)(O)(O)

The next day at eleven, inspired by Naruto's courage (forced as it had been), Hinata did something she never thought she'd be able to do... she asked her crush out on a date.

Hinata had shown up to his apartment, rousing him from sleeping in, and said when he opened the door, "G- Good m-morning, N-Naruto-kun..."
"Oh, hi, Hinata," he said with a yawn, and scratched his belly underneath his black t-shirt, "What's up?"

"A- Ano... w-would you l-l-like to go get s-some r-ramen?"

Blue eyes widened. "Ramen? Sure! Let me get my shoes!"

He was back, sandals on, before it even occurred to Hinata that he'd left her standing on his porch. "Let's go!"

They arrived at the ramen stand, somewhat out-of-breath, a mere two minutes later. Naruto didn't watch her chest heave... he was too distracted by the delicious smells. It had been an entire day, after all! "Ah, Ichiraku... this is the best idea ever, Hinata! Thanks for inviting me!"

"I-It was n-no pr-problem..."

"Oi, old man! Ayame-nee-chan! I need... six bowls of Miso to start! Gotta get my energy up for training today!"

"Ano... I th-think I'd like to start with two f-fish..."

"Coming right up," Ayame said with a faint smile, "So... How come you two are coming in together, now? Do you have a mission together, or... is this a date?"

"W- What?!" Naruto cried, suddenly red-faced.
Not as much as Hinata, of course, but still pretty dark. She did not faint, however. "Y- Yes?"

Naruto froze.

Ayame gaped.

Teuchi, in the back, dropped an entire pot of noodles on his foot... and didn't notice the shattered bones or second-degree burns for several minutes.

Throughout Konoha, birds and small animals froze in terror at the shift in the world.

Small babies cried, while others fell silent in shock.

Elsewhere, a crow cawed.

A white-haired old sage snickered and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth, "Well done, brat... the best-built one of the bunch!" as he peered into his old sensei's Seeing Orb... or he would have, if he hadn't been getting hit at that moment.

"N- No," Naruto shook his head, "It's not a d-d-date! We're just friends- friends eating together!"

This time, it was Hinata that froze.

Her heart, of course, continued to beat for a few moments, then stopped as well, quickly icing over. "I- I- It's-"

"Look, Hinata," Naruto said quietly, "I like you, I really do... you're one of my best friends, and the strongest person I know... but I can't go out with you. I just... I don't like you that way. And even if I did... there's your family. You're like a princess, and I'm a nobody."

Despite her heart icing over, one thought raced through Hinata's mind in that instant. No one was allowed to talk about her Naruto-kun like that. Nobody. "No you aren't! You are not a nobody!" she screamed, eyes clenched shut in pain, "You're Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto, the strongest Genin in the Leaf Village! You're the apprentice of the Toad Sage, and- and the b- b- the man I've always- that I've- that I l... l-l-... like... the- the most..."

She started off yelling, but as she continued, Hinata's voice trailed off, becoming even quieter than her normal speech at the end.

Naruto could only sigh, "I'm sorry, Hinata... I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I know I'm 'somebody'... but what does the Uzumaki family mean compared to the great Hyūga Clan? And that's besides the point... you're my friend, and I don't think about you any other way. I'm... I'm really sorry, I just don't."

Hinata was on the verge of hyperventilating. It felt a lot like fainting... but she was also a long way off, largely due to rage. She wasn't sure exactly at what she was raging, but she certainly was... inwardly, at least. "W- Why?"

"Why? Why what, Hinata?"

"Why? After... after all this time... I finally said... but you... you..."

It didn't escape his notice that her stutter was almost gone, but the horror he felt, a horror the normally-sweet girl's voice was creating inside his very soul, made Naruto skip over that small aspect of life. "I... what?"

It wasn't the smartest thing to say, but... well, this is Uzumaki Naruto.

"How could you?!" This did not sound like Hinata... but it was. "I've l-lo-liked you since we were in the Academy! I always watched you, always admired you, always thought you were so strong, so brave... and now... now I finally said how I felt, and... and you..."

She started to cry, face in her hands, while Teuchi began to hop and scream about his foot in the kitchen.

Ayame, though, ignored her father, brown eyes wide as she watched the drama unfolding in their little shop. Naruto looked lost, confused, as he sat on the stool next to the girl. But what could she do? This wasn't her place... even if she thought of Naruto as a brother (which she did), she couldn't just butt her big sister face into their private affairs... But damn, who knew Naruto would turn down the first girl who confessed to him? Who knew that girl would be Hinata?!

"Hey, Gaki," a stern, male voice called as Jiraiya stepped under the short curtain. Naruto looked up with dismal eyes, and didn't react to his sensei hobbling in with a crutch under one shoulder, two black eyes, a broken jaw, and another broken arm, "You have any idea why Tsunade's so pissed? She just made a law proscribing jail time for people caught peeping! I mean, I would never do such a thing, but-"

"Yeah, right," Naruto growled, "You peep all the time!"

Perhaps it was just bad timing... but Hinata didn't care. She would not normally do such a thing, she was far too quiet, too shy, too unassuming, and far too kind to do such a thing... 'normally'. But anyone who knew Hinata would attest that her confessing to Naruto was not a 'normal' thing, and any time in which she did so was not 'normal' either.
"So do you!" she cried out, jumping to her feet and pointing at her once-crush, "I didn't tell the others, but I saw you, Naruto-kun! You peeped on all of us!"

Blue eyes widened in terror. "How did you- Shit!"
He tried to run.

But Jiraiya was too fast, even crippled as he was. With his unbroken hand holding Naruto up by the scruff of his collar, he brought the blonde in close to his own face, "You... you were peeping? And you blamed it on me?!"

Hinata hissed vehemently, "Yes! He transformed into you right before the others saw- but I saw everything!"

A moment later, Naruto's feet hit the floor. Jiraiya said coldly, "For the beating I just got, and the law, I'm gonna kick your ass, gaki... but for the peeping, I'm gonna give you a three-second head-start. I'm pissed... but I'm also proud!"

So Naruto ran.
He made it two steps before Hinata's Jyuuken strike brought him to the ground, skidding face-first on the dirt street outside.
"Hey, Hinata! What the hell?!" Tenten's voice called from up the street, "I thought you already knew? Why are you beating Naruto up now?"

But the red-eyed, wet-faced girl only delivered a swift kick to Naruto's ribs, making him groan in pain, before grabbing him with both hands fisted in his jacked and hauling him off his feet to face in the direction of the other girl, "For being a peeping tom! It was him the other night! He admitted it, and I saw him!"

Tenten's eyes narrowed, "It was, was it? That's... that's good..."

The aura suddenly crashing into every person on the street sent several Civilians do the nearest bathroom to clean their shorts, and Naruto quailed. "Very... very good... 'cause I still owe him for feeling me up on his last prank... oh, Naruto... you have no idea the kind of hornet's nest you've just stirred up, do you?"

"Um..." he moaned, before Hinata dropped him, "I'll go get Ino and Sakura-san... I believe both are at the hospital today."
"That's good," Tenten smiled wickedly, "Meet me... on top of the Hokage Monument. I'll have our new toy ready to go by then."

"All right!" Hinata replied cheerfully. Or maybe with malice... it was hard to tell in her current mood.

(O)(O)(O)

When Naruto regained consciousness, he felt... a draft.
But no, not a draft, because a draft implied there was a hole in some amount of covering. What he felt was more a stiff, body-wide breeze. He opened his eyes, squinting through the swelling. "Ow..."

It was hard to tell, he could only see vague green, yellow, and red shapes, but it wasn't a place he recognized immediately. The breeze was mostly in front of him, coming from his right, though a trickle of wind tickled his back. He was... swaying?
"How do you like the view, 'Naruto-kun'?"

The voice was filled with pent-up anger, but it was still recognizably Hinata's. "Wha- what the hell?!"

A few seconds after he'd come to, his eyes swam into focus... he was hanging from a rope, very high over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. His hands were over his head, his feet tied together, and only the former supported his weight. At least they had left his head free!
Straining, Naruto could make out the Hokage faces to his right, with Tsunade's to his left...

"How do you like it, 'Hokage-sama'?" Sakura's voice called, "It's kind of fitting, for a pervert that thinks he'll be Hokage!"

"What did you do?!" he cried, "Let me go!"

Ino's voice was equally furious, "I don't think so... you're lucky I let go of my paralysis jutsu when I did! I was going to leave you up there all night... but the Hokage insisted we allow you the chance to free yourself, so here you go. The key... catch it if you can!"

There was a chance, of course... if he'd been untied. And she hadn't thrown the key as far as she could over the village!

Tenten's voice echoed from above him last, "Well, I still owe you for copping a feel on my chest the other day... but I guess this is enough for the bath peeking. I swear, you men are all alike! Perverts, every one of you!"

It took Naruto six hours to break free of the bindings, and ten more minutes to climb down. By the time he reached home, he saw a defaced monument on the mountain. Visualizing his own orange self hanging there... and the words! How dare they!

"Worthy of being the Yondaime Hokage's Snot". With an arrow, of course, pointing right to where he'd been hanging, below his hero's 'nostril'.

"Ooh... oooh, I'm so gonna get them for this one!"