Curtains part over a stage as a drum roll plays.
I stick my head out from around the corner
"Hey guys, remember meAHH!" I scream as and ax embeds itself where me head was. "WHAT THE HELL?! Last time you guys through a pineapple!" I scream from beside the stage.
"THE PINAPPLES GOT ROTTEN THREE MONTHS AGO!" comes a yell from the crowd.
"Let me explain, please!" I plead.
A brave cricket dares to chirp
"Well, you see, at the beginning of July, I was in a pretty bad car crash. It messed my arms up pretty bad. After a while of healing and (explicit language warning) FUCKING physical therapy, my God I hate that shit, I was finally able to work again. Sadly, I was in the red when it came to money. So now, I'm working two jobs. I finished this chapter a while ago, but there were some problems with the whole 'Beta' thing. In no way am I blaming them, but after they edited this chapter, Yahoo apparently went down and I didn't get their copies after they sent them. So I waited... and waited... and waited...
So, here it is. The ninth chapter of Herin. While I waited, I worked on a bit of Reflections/Illusions, and because I'm Story-A.D.D, I'm working on a third story. (I know. I'm having trouble keeping up with two stories, but this one popped into my head, and I just had to do it.) It is MAJOR AU, but it does incorporate almost all characters. Its called 'A Tale of Dusk and Dawn'. Keep an eye out for it, or put me on author alert... Favorite Author works even better, though :)
Chapter 9
Dinner
"So Naruto," started Euruki "what are your plans after school?"
The table they all sat at was the basic rectangle, wood kind. The two parents had taken the seats on the far side of the table, leaving Hinata and Naruto to sit side-by-side, much to her embarrassment.
Throughout the meal, Euruki had been asking Naruto question after question about his life, while Ritoka seemed to be sulking. He had still stayed in the conversation, but only added his little comments when they were needed.
"Well," Naruto answered "I'm kind of a history buff, so I'm thinking of anything from an Archaeologist to a Museum Curator. But everything's still up in the air, so I've got some time to pick."
A spark flashed inside Euruki's eyes as her lips formed a wide grin. Euruki has always loved history, but she had yet to find someone who shared her passion for the past.
"Oh, Naruto," she exclaimed enthusiastically as she bounced in her seat. "I work at a museum, and we try to find young workers for apprenticeships! You could work at the museum with me!"
"S-sure," said Naruto with a nervous laugh. Slightly taken off guard by her felicity. "how much does it pay?"
The tension seemed to lessen dramatically while Euruki filled Naruto in on the details. Ritoka even seemed to lighten up a bit. His shoulder seemed less squared off and relaxed than they were at the beginning of the meal. Though he wasn't hostile in the least, he did seem rather distant towards the blond guest.
"That's weird," thought Hinata "I would have guessed that they would get along great, but it looks like mom's helping break the ice a little..." Then an idea formed in her head. "Um, Naruto?" Hinata asked quietly.
"Hmm?" asked Naruto, caught off guard with his mouth full of chicken.
"Well," she started nervously, since both of her parents suddenly quit eating and were clearly trying to covertly eavesdrop. "I was wondering... If your going to be w-working at the museum, um, maybe you should try to get some of the things you have at your house a-appraised." she finished, her voice still as quiet as a mouse.
"Hmm?" hummed Euruki curiously "What things?"
"You see," Hinata started again, trying to read Naruto's face. He didn't seem to be mad, but more surprised. Like he was completely caught off guard by her suggestion. "Naruto has all kinds of old antiques in his house."
"Oh," said Euruki, intrigued. "your a collector?"
"Yeah," he answered nervously "I have some stuff from a couple hundred years back."
"Like what?"
"Um," mumbled Hinata "didn't you say that the helmet belonged to one of the Hokage's?" Inwardly, Hinata was worried. What if Naruto had just been boasting; trying to impress her with lies? Had she just embarrassed him for lying and herself for believing it?
"The Hokage!?" shouted Euruki. She looked as if she was barely restraining herself from breaking down his front door. "Where? How? Which one?" she asked excitedly.
"Well," said Naruto, some pride seeping into his voice. He seemed as if he had regained more of his composure with every second. "it was my grandfathers. I don't know where he got if from, though." His voice showed no sign of deceit or dodging, but something started picking at the back of her mind. She was missing something, but she just couldn't place it.
"But which one was it?" her tone switching to skeptical. People, grandparents especially, tended to exaggerate the truth.
"The Third's," he said as Hinata watched her moms eyes widen. "would you like to see it?" he asked.
"Yes!" she said, leaning over the table. "If its real, then the museum might pay you thousands, if not hundreds of thousands for it!"
"I'm not selling it." said suddenly, but still respectfully.
Hinata didn't miss her father arch an eyebrow when Naruto said that. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Hyuga," continued Naruto "but its all a I have left of my grandfather, so I'm keeping it."
"Good for you, Naruto." approved Ritoka with a smile. "It'd be a shame to throw something so personal away for money. Family is what really matters."
"I didn't mean to make you mad, Naruto." apologized Euruki homely. "I truly am sorry."
"Oh," reposed Naruto "I didn't mean it that way. I'm not mad at all, its just that people try to convince me to sell everything I've gathered every time they learn that I have it. A lot of times, they won't stop pestering me about it. So, its just always been easier to come right out and tell them 'no' directly."
At that, Euruki laughed lightly. "Its fine, Naruto, if you don't want to give it up, but I still want to see it."
"Thats fine, just come over whenever your ready to be jealous." he said with a challenging grin, clearly not intimidated by the age difference. "Oh, Hinata, what are your plans for after you get out of school?"
"Well, I'm not really sure." she answered quietly. "I've never been able to find anything that i-interests me."
"Do you have a job right now?" he asked hopefully.
She was about to answer with a 'no', but Euruki spoke up first. "Don't even bother, Naruto." she said in a annoyed voice. "I've been trying to get her to take the apprenticeship for years. She's too stubborn."
Something about being called stubborn opened Hinata's mind towards the idea of accepting, even if it was only out of proving her mother wrong. Or maybe it was because Naruto was going to do it, she didn't know. But the job was looking a little better now than it did in the past several years.
"Come on, Hinata." Naruto begged childishly, from his seat beside her. "I don't want to be the only one there. Will you please go with me?" he had put his hands together in a praying pose as he asked her.
"O-okay, N-Naruto." she staggered, "I-I g-guess..."
"Really!?" he asked as his eyes lit up. "It'll be great, you'll see!" Confidence seemed to radiate from him.
Both Euruki and Ritoka looked at each, conflicting looks on their faces. "Fine then," snapped her mom, somewhat sulkily, "I'll talk to my boss tomorrow. Come by after school, if you can."
"Great!" cheered Naruto "Hey Hinata, will you show me the way?"
"S-sure," she stuttered "Its not far from school, so w-we can just walk there."
"Oh," said a surprised Naruto as he glanced towards the clock. It read nine o'clock. "It's late, I'll get out of your guy's hair. Mrs. Hyuga, did you want to see that helmet?"
She let out a small laugh. "I wasn't going to let you leave until you offered. Trust me, were pretty good at stalling people."
"Mr. Hyuga, did you want to come, too?" Naruto asked politely.
"No thanks, Naruto. I get enough history lessons here as it is." he said gently, earning a glare from his wife.
"Well," concluded Naruto, while offering his hand out "until next time. And thanks for having me over."
Her father took Naruto's hand in a very manly handshake. "Your welcome here anytime."
After a few more pleasantries, the three of them were off to Naruto's house. The moment they were inside, Euruki honed in on the helmet.
"Oh my..." she gasped as she took in the details, her nose an inch from the thin glass "I can't be positive, but it looks as if it's from around that period's style. And the helmet is the only piece of the Thirds armor the museum was unable to find..." She looked starstruck.
"Like I said," interrupted Naruto "I'm not sure where my grandfather got this from, but he did have a lot of the Third's stuff. This was the only piece I was able to get my hands on, though."
"Um," started Hinata "didn't you say that you also had that headband..." she trailed off. "You know, the famous person's..."
"A headband?" asked Euruki, finally taking in the rest of the miniature exhibits around her.
"Yeah," said Naruto as he lead the two over to the second case. "even though I can't prove that the helmet is real, THIS is the real thing. I got it from an auction, but the damn thing cost me more money than I knew I had."
"Jaraiya!" shrieked Euruki, her mouth falling into the perfect 'O' shape as she stared at the picture. "Where the Hell did you get this?" she screamed, grabbing Naruto by the collar of his jacket. Inwardly, Hinata was surprised. She had acted exactly as Hinata had expected, but Euruki almost never cursed.
As she questioned him, he tried to answer, but she was making it increasingly hard for Naruto to talk "A-at a au-auction in r-rain country."
After squeezing out every last detail from the boy, she let him go. "I've got to be at work in the morning," Euruki said as she started towards the door "but I will be back." she warned "And when I am, your going to tell me everything about all of this." gesturing around her.
"S-sure thing," agreed Naruto, a nervous laugh edging his voice.
"G-good night, Naruto." said Hinata as she followed her mother. She wasn't brave enough to stay much longer.
"'Night, Hinata." called Naruto "I'll see you in the morning!"
As soon as they were back outside and the door was shut, Euruki leaned towards Hinata and whispered "Even if it kills me," a evil glint shinning in her eyes "you WILL marry that boy."
(Authors Note: Well, there it is. Please, tell me what you thought of it, where you'd like it to go, what you don't like about it (Phsh, like there is any), and any other comments you may have. If you want a response though, please sign in before you review. I can't respond to you if your anonymous.)
