Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Summary: Kurenai needs answers, Hiashi demands justice, and Hinata just wishes she were somewhere else. The same old Jiraiya.
Notes: This was a particularly fun chapter to write but difficult because so many characters are talking at once. I think it would make a way better scene on the screen than paper but what are you gonna do? Hopefully it reads well and isn't too hard to follow. Enjoy!
Chapter 9 – Kurenai's Question
Jiraiya opened Tsunade's door without bothering to knock and barged in, "You called?"
Tsunade jumped up with a panicked look on her face, she was trying to hide the sake bottle when she realized it was only Jiraiya. "Will you please knock next time! I am the 5th Hokage after all, a little respect would be nice."
"Good point, I wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm your boyfriend sneaking up here for a quicky or anything like that." He teased. Jiraiya dodged the incoming sake glass with practiced grace, snagging it with his left hand just before it hit the wall. "Hey now! You can abuse me all you want, in fact I encourage it. But that's not how you should abuse alcohol!"
"Shut up and get in here, close the door behind you." She said. Tsunade grabbed a file from a large stack and threw it to Jiraiya. "I've got a very special assignment for Naruto, I thought you might want to see it."
Jiraiya opened the folder and reviewed its contents, "Oh man is he ever going to be excited. And long overdue too."
"Sure is, I thought you might want to take a few days to give him some additional training before setting out. If he's still having any control issues like you talked about the other day then this would be a good time to work on it."
"Are you kidding? He'll be fine, you saw how he did against Kakashi. This assignment should be a walk in the park for Naruto."
"Maybe maybe not. You never know who he'll end up facing out there, and there's always some overly powerful freak of nature like Gaara that you never see coming. But that's not even the point. We both know Akatsuki is still out there and still a threat, and lets not forget about Orochimaru and Sasuke. Naruto has the potential to become as powerful as his father someday and Konoha needs that desperately. Without his power, the future could be a very bleak one for the village hidden in the leaves."
Jiraiya knew she was right, his training would have to continue. But that was no reason to pass up an extortion opportunity, "Ok, I'll make you a deal. You go out for some drinks with me and I'll get right back to work on Naruto. In fact I spoke to Kakashi this morning and he wanted to help with Naruto's training as well, said he had some crazy idea that only Naruto could pull off. Deal?"
"Jiraiyaaaaa, enough with the dates already! We've been down that road years ago, just let it go already would ya?"
"It's not a date, just drinks I swear."
"But it always turns into a date doesn't it? Look, you're a pervert and I'm not, it's just not going to work out Ok?"
"So I'm the bigger perv huh? Now there's a debatable point but I suppose it's neither here nor there." Jiraiya got up, turned towards the door and sighed. "Tsunade, we're not getting any younger you know that right?"
"Speak for yourself, I look great!" she replied sarcastically.
"It's not your henge I'm interested in Tsunade, it's you."
Tsunade's smile faded, he was actually serious.
"I've spent the last 15 years of my life on the road pretty much alone except for those last 3 with Naruto. I know you had Shizune when you left the village, but don't you ever get lonely? "
That hit a little close to home. Normally Tsunade would have kicked anyone who asked her personal questions like this out on their ass, it was none of their business. But Jiraiya was always different, she felt like she could talk to him in a candid way that she couldn't even talk to Shizune sometimes. And it wasn't often she got to see this side of him. "Sure I do Jiraiya. But when I get that kind of lonely it's easier to just find some cute stranger to connect with for a night or two, don't tell me you haven't done the same because I know you have."
"Of course, of course, my reputation still precedes me I see. Well to be perfectly honest its gotten boring, and I'm tired of it. Besides, do you really consider that a connection worth making? When I think about all the girls I've connected with over the years I realize that they're just a bunch of little girls. None of them could really ever understand me …"
Jiraiya looked over his shoulder and waited a moment for Tsunade to meet his gaze. "And none of yours could really ever understand you. That's all I'm saying." Tsunade was dumbfounded, she wanted to argue or least throw out a sarcastic remark, but nothing came to mind.
Fortunately for her the awkward silence was broken by a commotion outside the door of her office. She and Jiraiya turned to the door and listened to the muffled voices.
"Get out of my way this can't wait!"
"She's in a meeting with a very important guest right now and she has a lot of paperwork to do, she doesn't have time!"
"Move it or lose it girl comin through!"
"Wait no! She's busy you can't just…" The door burst open and Kurenai Yuhi barged through dragging her left leg. The source of the limp was a very worried looking Shizune who was refusing to let go. Tsunade's apprentice Sakura followed the two looking as though she had just spent the last hour crying.
"What's the meaning of this?" Tsunade asked coolly, she ought to be angry but this looked interesting and might just be enough to get her out of finishing her paperwork for the evening.
Shizune looked up at her master, "She's not going to do anymore paperwork is she?" She sighed, "I'm coming in early tomorrow for sure…"
"I need to talk to you about Naruto right away Hokage-sama." Kurenai said.
"Figures," Tsunade thought. "It was so quiet with him gone, this is going to get annoying pretty quick."
"What did he do this time? He's only been in the village for 2 days." Jiraiya turned his head and tried to suppress a smile, Naruto may have grown up a lot in the last three years but that only meant that the trouble he got into was more grown up as well.
Kurenai looked like she was ready to burst. "I ran into him on the street and he was wearing a white fire cloak! You know, like the 4th used to wear!" Kurenai said in a hushed voice. Sakura looked up for the first time, she was interested in finding out anything she could about her now enigmatic teammate.
"Oh was he now? Man that kid is anything but subtle, I wish he would have eased into this." Tsunade said. "Jiraiya? Is this your doing? I know we need to let Naruto be who he is but there are better ways of going about this."
Jiraiya threw his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey it wasn't me! Besides, unless I'm teaching him a new jutsu he never listens to me anyways."
"And that's not all! Then he said that his name was…" Kurenai stopped. Motioning with her eyes over at Shizune and Sakura she seemed to be trying to communicate something in code.
"Oh for the love God Kurenai I'm in no mood for charades, what is it?!"
"I'm not sure if they should hear this…" Kurenai whispered.
"I think I know what this about." Tsunade sighed inwardly. "I'm sure this is going to be a tough week, when word gets out it'll spread like wildfire. The town council is gonna want to question me for a month."
"They might as well stay, they're going to hear it sooner or later …"
Kurenai looked shocked, "But Tsunade-sama! He said his name was …"
CRASH! The door to Tsunade's office flew open again, this time assaulted by Hiashi Hyuuga. He was dragging his daughter Hinata in by the arm and the girl looked none too happy to there. "I'm very sorry for the interruption Hokage-sama, but I must speak with you at once!"
"Now wait just a minute!" Tsunade yelled. "I'm the 5th Hokage, and I will not tolerate everyone just bashing my door in un-announced!"
Seeing the two new visitors, both Kurenai and Sakura went rigid. Kurenai glanced over at Sakura unsure of what to do. After watching her go into a complete meltdown seeing Naruto and Hinata make out she actually had to pick up the traumatized girl and carry her away from the training grounds to avoid being caught like a couple of peeping toms. She had no idea that Sakura liked Naruto, in fact she had seen her turn Naruto down on several occasions years prior. Kurenai just figured that Sakura like most girls her age fancied Sasuke. Of course with Sasuke going rouge and Naruto growing up it explained a lot if Sakura's feelings were changing. "Uh-Oh. She's scowling…"
Jiraiya's eyes raced back and forth between the faces in the room, "Hello? What's this then?"
"Again I'm sorry Hokage-sama but this simply could not wait! I require justice! My honorable clan has been disgraced." Hiashi explained.
"Disgraced how?" Tsunade asked.
Hinata tugged at her father's arm, "Please father don't! I'm fine I told you! Naruto didn't do anything, we have to leave…"
Kurenai suddenly remembered what she had come to ask, "Tsunade-sama! About Naruto …"
"I'm here to report that Naruto Uzumaki assaulted my daughter!" Hiashi bellowed out trying to make sure he was heard over the growing noise in the room. Tsunade and Shizune gasped.
"I'll say…" Sakura quipped loudly.
"Lord Hiashi! I can assure you th… wait! Sakura, just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tsunade asked, glaring her student.
"Father we have to leave right now!" Hinata pleaded.
Kurenai tried again, "But Naruto said his name was …"
"Silence Hinata!" Hiashi yelled. "We're not going anywhere until that Uzumaki scum is punished for what he did to you!" Hinata looked at the floor started turning red.
"Hinata, what did Naruto do to you?" Tsunade asked.
"More like what didn't he do?"
Hinata's head snapped around towards Sakura, "What?!"
"Shut up Sakura." Tsunade growled. "This is kind of important here …"
"Then you saw this? You saw the assault on my daughter? There you see Hokage-sama? The demon child has gone too far! He isn't fit to roam the streets, he should be tied up!"
Sakura laughed, "That shouldn't be too hard, just ask Mistress Hyuuga over there …"
Hinata whirled around her face bright red, "Just what are you trying to say BITCH!"
Every eye in the room went wide as a dinner plate. Tsunade saw the approaching chaos and tried desperately to head it off, "Hinata watch your mouth! Sakura you…"
"But he said his name was…"
"That's it! Game on little girl!" Sakura screamed. She launched herself across the room and shouldered straight through Hiashi to get to Hinata. Grabbing a fistful of jacket and hair the two kunoichi screamed and collapsed on the floor in a full catfight wrestling match.
Shizune jumped into Jiraiya's arms, she had no intention of getting in between this group in a confined space.
"Get off of my daughter you little wench!" Hiashi yelled as regained his balance. He grabbed at the monstrously strong Kunoichi trying to break up the melee with little effect.
"Oh shit, she's way to strong for Hiashi to just pull her off like that, I never should have taught her this strength, she's too much like me!" Tsunade jumped across her desk desperately hoping to avoid a catastrophe in the making. She landed next to the trio and got one arm in between Hiashi and the girls, and the other arm in between the warring girls themselves.
"Break it up!" she screamed.
"Get off of me you crazy Bitch!" "Go to hell man thief!"
Jiraiya and Shizune scooted farther back into the corner but Kurenai seemed oblivious to the battle, "But Tsunade-sama, is Naruto really …"
"Kinda busy here Kurenai!" Tsunade called back.
"What is the meaning of this!" Hiashi yelled in frustration. "Hokage-sama I demand that you control your student!" Tsunade finally got leverage on Sakura and pushed her left elbow into her stomach but the manic girl still refused to let go.
"If I don't pull these two apart Hiashi's going to do something stupid like use the gentle fist technique to kill somebody. You brought this on yourself Sakura."
Without another option Tsunade called on her full strength and flung Sakura to the left trying to end the fight before things got really out of hand. The distinct sound of tearing fabric filled the room as Sakura flew across the room and into a large oak bookshelf.
All eye's in the room followed Sakura, she bounced off the bookshelf and landed in a heap on the floor with half the libraries contents piling on top of her. As the dust settled the pink haired Kunoichi was barely visible except for one of her arms sticking out of the pile, still clutching Hinata's torn jacket.
Almost out of reflex all eye's turned back towards the origin of the sound and the victim of Sakura's surprise assault. Tsunade and Hiashi's eyes bulged out of their sockets and Jiraiya dropped Shizune on her ass. There sprawled out in all her seductive glory lay an unchanged and very exposed Hinata. She looked up and saw everyone was staring at her, at first she couldn't understand what the problem was until she felt the breeze.
"OH!" she yelped and flung her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to cover her over exposed body from her father.
"You wore THAT to your training with Naruto Uzumaki?" Hiashi squeaked, his arms went limp at his sides.
"But that's what I've been trying to tell you! He said his name was Naruto NAMIKAZE!" Kurenai finally screamed. In a state of utter shock the dazed crowd looked up to Kurenai, what did she just say?
The room was dead silent. "Is he really related to the 4th Hokage?" Kurenai whispered.
Tsunade looked around the room and silently cursed herself for not keeping closer tabs on Naruto. "Yes." the flustered Hokage breathed, still trying to catch her breath. "I can't believe this, it's only been two days! Jiraiya, where in the Fuck is Naruto? I need to have a little word with him."
Jiraiya stepped over Shizune and walked towards door, "Well this has been fun but I know an exit when I see it. I couldn't tell you where he is at the moment but when I see him I'll tell him to get his affairs in order and come see you Tsunade. And I'll pick the three of you up tomorrow at eight for drinks!" he called over his shoulder.
"I told you my boobs do not count as separate entities!" she screamed back.
"Oh! That's good to know Hokage-sama." Kakashi said walking up to the door. He surveyed the room and took in the entire scene looking slightly bored.
"Man I can't wait to get the story from Jiraiya, this looks to be a real classic."
"I take it now's not a good time eh? Maybe I should come back tomorrow." He said.
