Hinata could hear the sounds of hammers doing their work and was so eager about seeing Naruto, albeit he will be under disguise, that she activated her kekkei genkai. Sure enough, there were a couple hundred people in the village ahead. As she deactivated her Byakuugan, she said, "We should arrive in half an hour." A girl had to have a cover up in case certain people got nosy.
Sure enough, thirty minutes later, they walked through the villages gates. The place wasn't as big as Konoha, but it was big enough. They stood just inside the gate to wait for someone to notice them. After a few minutes of watching carpenters, men and women alike, a big brawny man with a grisled black beard and brown eyes saw them.
He put down the rather large piece of wood he was carrying and came over to them. "I am Koshiro, head carpenter. Are you the Leaf ninja we sent for?" he asks. His voice was gruff, but not unkind. In fact, the roughness of it was ironically soothing. Like the voice of a big burly uncle gladly and affectionatly watching over his siblings brats.
"We are. Here is your scroll. Do you mind if we stay here a few days to rest up?" Kurenai asks. Koshiro grins widely, a move that painfully reminded the group of Naruto, and replied, "Rest up and see just what this village is up to?" He laughed heartily at Kurenai's expression as she was caught. "Don't worry, you can stay and do your spying. Just stay out of the places that are being worked on and you'll be fine."
Kurenai nods and before the group could even make another step into the village, a loud rich voice called out, "Watcha got there Koshiro?" Right before a boy with bright red hair and contrasting emerald green eyes dropped down in front of them. He wore no shirt, ninja sandals, and regular pants, the pants and sandals being black.
Koshiro growls and says, "Get back to work Shiro you dog. What are you doing on this side of the village anyway? I thought I had you working on that mansion by the tower?"
Shiro simply walked up and bowed to Kurenai and then to Hinata. "And who are you? Such a pretty lady in our village, she should have a proper arrival." he said. Hinata blushes under his compliments but Koshiro grunts.
"Careful youngun. There's a reason I called him a dog. Every girl in this village is after him." he warned. Shiro looked up indignantly. "Tousan, you know I literally have to beat those fangirls off with a stick every day. And you just sit back grinning and watch. Every day."
Before anything else was said, Shiro turned back to Hinata and gave her a dazzeling smile. "I am Shiro, as tousan has said. May I know the pretty lady's name?" Hinata looked at her feet and put her hands behind her back then stuttered, "H-Hyuuga H-Hinata."
Shiro stepped up beside Hinata and held his arm out to her. "Well then Hina-chan, would you like a tour of our lovely village?" he asks, smiling at her again. Hinata now knew who Shiro really was. Naruto. She knew because Naruto had called her Hina-chan back in his cell.
"I missed you the most Hina-chan."
Hinata shyly put her arm through his and he galiantly led her away from her team, chatting about the best sites to see. Kurenai watched after them worriedly and Koshiro noticed.
"Don't fret. That girl couldn't have gotten a better tour guide. Shiro might look like just another cur, but I can guarantee you he'll not let another person touch her unless it's alright by her. Stupid kid, he's as overprotective as I am."
Kurenai didn't want to doubt the man's word but she still did. Who knew what the boy was capable of talking Hinata into if he could have talked her away from her team in just a few minutes. "It seems our Hinata has an admirerer." Shino stated, his small grin wasn't seen but you knew it was there from his tone. His tone also implyed something else, though the others couldn't figure out what it was.
Kiba watched as the pair turned the corner rather sullenly then asked, "If he's your son then how come he doesn't look anything like you?"
Koshiro chuckeled. "Me and his mom joke around and say he couldn't make up his mind who he wanted to be like more so he just came out like both of us. He got his looks, charm, and temper from his mother, and from what I've heard he got his kindness, overprotectiveness, and fight from me. I can tell you one thing, you don't want to get into a brawl with him. We got really into a fight and he almost broke my jaw with that left hook. Don't know where it came from as he's right handed."
Kiba scoffed at that but Kurenai was remembering something else. In the Chunin exams four years ago, Naruto had finished Neji off with a left hook, although he was right handed. "Well, we thank you Koshiro-san, but we must go find Hinata. She's rather shy and has probably passed out by now."
Koshiro nods and walks back to his building, leaving the Konoha ninja to start looking for Hinata. It didn't take long with Kiba and Akamaru's noses and Shino's bugs. After only a few minutes, they found Hinata with Shiro at a dango shop. Shiro was still talking to Hinata about different places he would show her.
Hinata was blushing madly but she didn't seem nervous. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself. She smiled and laughed at something Shiro said, and Kurenai could only sigh in relief. She walked up and sat down on Hinata's other side, Shino then Kiba sitting down beside her.
"Oh, Kurenai-sensei. Sorry about leaving you before." Hinata looked a little bashful at leaving her team like that. Shiro looked up and said, "The fault is mine Hina-chan. I'm sorry, Kurenai was it? I'm sorry I stole Hinata away from you. I probably should have waited for you to come with us." He gave a crooked grin and shrugged his shoulders slightly, looking like a kid that had just been caught in the cookie jar.
Kurenai couldn't scorn the boy, for he did nothing wrong, and he seemed to be mannerly. "Just let us know where you're going next time. Or let one of us come with you."
"Gladly." Shiro stated. He then returned his attention to Hinata and smiled brightly at her before telling her about his mother's painting skills. When their dango came, he stopped talking momentarily so they could eat in peace. After that he hopped out of his seat and helped Hinata out of her own.
"Kurenai-chan, do you mind if I take Hinata to see my mother's paint shop? It's down the road, take a right, and the second building on the left." Shiro says.
Kurenai looks at him a moment before saying, "I'll come too. Shino, Kiba, you know where we'll be." She got up and Shiro led them down the street, happily including Kurenai in his and Hinata's conversations. When they reached their destination, Shiro barged in and yelled, "Kaasan! We have company!"
From the back there came a very loud, "Nani?!" and a few crashes. Shiro snickered and whispered, "She must have been putting some paint on the shelves. Give her ten minutes and she won't have a drop of paint on her."
"I'll be right out!" the woman's voice said. Shiro snickered again. "Take your time."
Shiro led them to a side room behind the counter. Inside was a kitchen. Sink, stove, fridge, table for four, cabinets, and a small pantry; the simple stuff. Shiro pulled out a chair for Hinata and she sat down blushing, then he pulled out a chair for Kurenai before taking a seat of his own.
Kurenai was wondering why there was a kitchen in a paint shop when four boys, dressed much like Shiro, barged in and started rummaging through the cabinets, not even paying any mind to the other occupants in the room.
"Hey, guys, there are ladies here." Shiro calls out. Every boy swallowed anything in their mouths, turned around, and bowed. In unison they said, "We are sorry to have disturbed you." Then they looked up.
"Kurenai, Hinata, meet the rouges that are my cousins. Seeing as their quadruplets and you can't tell them apart, from left to right they are Kane, Jiro, Hishiro, and Gorohiro. Kane is different than the rest of us because Aunt Kanemei forced Uncle to let her name him. "
"Nice to meet you Kurenai-san and Hinata-san." the four say in unison. Shiro nods and the boys go back to raiding the cabinets, though a little more controlled.
"Yeah, when we're out working and we want a break, we head for the nearest house. Kaasan always says 'First time you're a guest but after that your family.' Many of our friends just barge in and head right for the food as you've just seen." Shiro said, frowning a little bit. Hinata giggled. Even Kurenai gave a small smile.
After a few minutes, and a few declined offers of lunch for the ladies, a short, plump woman with fire red hair and emerald eyes barged in. She wore a simple dress with a white apron over it and was barefoot. She quickly looked over the room, frowning at her son and nephews, and brightly smiling at the two women.
Then, she grabbed a rolled up newspaper and started swatting it at the boys. "Alright, out with all of you! You too Shiro, you've got work to do!" She quickly ushered the boys out, Shiro managing to properly say goodbye with a promise of a party later that night before the door was slammed on him.
The woman turned around and smiled again, looking for all the world like she hadn't just run five teenage boys that were a foot taller than herself out, before saying, "Nice to meet you I'm Mira."
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Later that night, and true to his word, Shiro and Team Kurenai were sitting at a picnic table in the middle of a party. There were people dancing, laughing, telling jokes, and playing music. Koshiro had surprised the four when he started playing a large golden harp. But he played it so well and the sound was so beautiful, that even Kiba didn't make a comment about it.
When he was finished, Koshiro bowed and a roar of cheers sounded throughout the entire place. Then a few younger people started playing. Shiro jumped up and held his hand out to Hinata, asking, "May I have this dance?"
Hinata giggled and blushed but took his hand and let him lead her to the dancefloor. She blushed again and whispered, "I don't know how to dance."
Shiro grinned and said, "That's alright, almost nobody here does either. But if it makes you feel better..." With that he lifts Hinata up and sets her down on his toes, that way it looked like both of them were dancing when it was really just him. Hinata giggled again.
The only time Shiro let her off of his toes was so he could spin her. But after a while, she got the hang of it and was dancing with him herself. The rest of her team joined in the dancing, finding partners but staying close to Hinata.
One of Shiro's cousins staggered up onto the stage. "If ooo...hic...undoor da...hic...age of eightheen...don't...hic...dwink fwom da...hic...punch bowl." and with that he toppled over backwards, making everybody laugh. Shiro explained, "Someone got lucky and spiked the punch bowl. I say they're lucky because kaasan would have them worked like a dog for a month if she found out." After that people went back to dancing.
"Hinata, dancing with another man. What would Naruto say?" Kiba teased. Hinata blushed even redder than before but Shiro looked up at the Inuzuka.
"Naruto? Man that blond haired bonehead has two left feet. He could never dance as good as I can." he said, grinned and winking at Hinata. She giggled at their inside joke.
"You know Naruto?" Kiba asks. Shiro rolls his eyes. "Who doesn't know Naruto? The guy's been everywhere. Have you visited Wave Country lately? Yeah, they named a bridge after him."
Kiba frowns at that but stops talking, giving his dancing partner his full attention. After a while, Koshiro came back out and played on his harp, the music slow.
Hinata yawns a little and puts her head on Shiro's chest. He started humming to her, and it wasn't long when she fell asleep. Shiro picked her up bridal style and Kurenai saw what happened. "I'll go with them." Shino said. Kurenai nodded.
After walking far enough away from the party, Shino said, " 'Blond haired bonehead'? How can you bear to call yourself names Naruto?"
Naruto grinned. "Leave it to you to figure it out. You're the only one besides Shikamaru who could have done that. By the way, how did you figure it out?"
Shino smiled slightly. "As if Hinata would let herself be drug away by a stranger, no matter how nice he is. That, and she seemed a little too eager when we got close to the village. Not to mention you know how worrysome Kurenai-sensei is about her, so you know how to placate her by being mannerly and telling her where you're going or letting one of us come with you."
Naruto pouted. "Have you considered Jonin? Jeez you're observative. I didn't know you'd know something was up even before you got to the village."
Shino just shrugged. "So how long are you going to be here?" he asks.
Naruto grins. "This is my village. I'll be here until the end of time. I'm even going to ask the Rookie 9 to be a part of it. I don't know if it'll be a problem, as if you guys do come I'll be taking most of the clan heirs."
"You've been gone a while. Almost all of us have a little brother or sister by now. But what I'm wondering is are you going to ask Sasuke to come?" Shino asks, looking at Naruto from behind his shades.
Naruto sighs and looks down at Hinata for a few minutes before answering, "I suppose I will. Back in the cell when he and Sakura came to visit me, he looked regretful. I couldn't sense any deceit in his voice, so I guess he was telling the truth."
Shino nods and they enter the hotel the team was staying at. Naruto walked into Kurenai's and Hinata's room and set Hinata down on one of the beds and covered her up.
"Tell me, how did Hinata know who you were?" Shino asks as Naruto closed the door behind him after he left the room. Naruto grins.
"She came to visit me one night and I called her Hina-chan. I didn't really think much of it then, but when I found out it was your team bringing us the blueprints, I used it to tell her it was me."
"Have you considered Jonin Naruto? You're as devious as a fox you know that?" Shino says. Naruto pursed his lips and tried not to grin.
"And yes, I know." Shino finished. This time Naruto burst out laughing. "And you're still cool with me? You know Shino, I'm going to enjoy you being around."
Shino gave a small grin, and Naruto left him to watch over Hinata. He was heading back to the party to make sure his kaasan hadn't knocked anybody out, when a kunai landed in front of him. He looks up and sees Kiba standing there. Well, trying to stand.
His face was red, he staggered, and he reeked of sake. "I don't like you punk." Kiba said, not drunk enough to slur. Naruto frowned. "Kiba-san, you're drunk. You should go back to your hotel room."
Kiba burped loudly and Naruto wrinkled his nose. The Inuzuka took out another kunai. Naruto sighed. "Have it your way then."
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Shino looked up from his insect when the door opened. He hadn't expected anyone to come in this early, let alone Kiba. He was surprised, though he didn't show it, when Naruto walked in. His questions were answered when Naruto came on in dragging Kiba in by his ankle. None too gently either.
"Make sure he stays unconsious until he sobers up." the blond in disguise said. Shino nods and Naruto leaves. "Akamaru must've stayed with Kurenai-sensei." Shino thought before returning to his examination of his insect.
A few days later, Koshiro, Naruto posing as Shiro, and Mira wave Team Kurenai off as they leave for Konoha.
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Well, there it is. Hope you liked it.
