"Don't you know how to treewalk?" Naruto yelled as Judo got close.
"The village wasn't going anywhere." Judo replied, patting Naruto's head as he passed. Naruto shook his head at his sensei's logic.
"Well, do you want to get something to eat? It'll be my treat, for taking Hinata and I on as students." Naruto said, keeping pace with Judo.
"I thank you for the offer, but you can save your money and spend it on your sweetheart." Judo said, making his way to the Floating Leaf.
"What do you mean, my 'sweetheart'?" Naruto asked.
Judo stopped and gave Naruto an incredulous look. "Naruto, if you are trying to keep the interest that you and Hyuuga have with each other a secret, you aren't doing a very good job of it." He said, crossing his arms in front of him.
Naruto felt his face turn red, although it was barely noticeable in the fading light.
"No, that's…! You got it all…! We're just…!" Naruto stammered.
"Naruto, have you seen the way she looks at you? More importantly, have you seen the way you look at her?" Judo interrupted him. Naruto fell silent in the face of the questions.
"I thought as much. Enjoy your night, and I'll see you…and Hinata, tomorrow." Judo said, turning to enter the hotel.
"Oh and when you've had enough fun for the night, remember to practice your jutsu." Judo called behind him. Naruto ran his hand through his hair as he thought about Judo's words. Was his crush on Hinata so apparent that someone who had only seen them together for little more than a day could pick it up? Naruto felt uneasy inside, as his last 'crush' didn't take to well to him. Naruto was pretty sure that Sakura would have punched him out of the village if she knew the extent of his affection for her. But Hinata wasn't like Sakura, was she? Or was Ero-sennin right when he said all women were the same? Naruto shook his head in frustration. All these questions and more bounded through his head, and he decided there was only one person who could answer them. Naruto hurried towards the Floating Leaf.
Hyuuga Household
Hinata had drawn herself a bath as soon as she got home. Since she didn't have to meet Naruto until later that night, she was attempting to relax as much as get clean. The training she received today had really helped her, and she was glad for the opportunity to learn from someone as knowledgeable as Judo. She was even happier for the opportunity to spend as much time with Naruto as possible. While she bathed, instead of using a container to pour water over her, she practiced her elemental control by trying to create spheres of water and making them splash on her body. It was a slow process at first, but she soon was able to control a sphere with as much water as a bathing bucket in it, although she could only do so once or twice. She thought back to when she almost kissed Naruto earlier in the day, wondering if he would have let her or not. She decided that she wouldn't make the first move, but if Naruto wanted to kiss her tonight then she wouldn't stop him. A knock at the door pulled her from her daydream.
"Hinata, are you in there?" Neji's voice sounded from the other side.
"Y-yes, don't come in!" Hinata stammered, reaching quickly for a towel.
"I would like to speak with you when you have a moment." Neji asked.
"Uhm…okay, just give me a minute." Hinata said, reaching for her clothes. She had gotten into the habit of bringing her clothes into the bathing room with her, as her father often scolded her for 'walking around the house like a whore'. When she was dressed, she opened the door to find Neji waiting a few paces away.
"Wh-What is it?" Hianta asked, looking around nervously. She started to make her way to her room, and Neji followed.
"I'm gathering information on something, but I've seemed to come to quite a large wall. I was hoping you would help me out." Neji said. Hinata entered her room, leaving the door open so she and her 'cousin' could talk.
"What do you need me to do?" Hinata asked, feeling slightly excited that Neji needed her for something.
"Well, I need to speak with Judo." Neji said flatly, lowering his voice in case someone was hearing. He had scanned the house earlier, and found Kenjiro asleep and Hiashi elsewhere.
Hinata's heart leapt. She was silent for a minute, fidgeting with something on her desk.
"I know you went to train with him, Hinata." Neji said, noticing her hesitation. "You went to train with Naruto, who was seen leaving the village with Judo. I just simply put two and two together."
Hinata looked at Neji. "Please don't tell anyone…" she asked, fearing what might happen. Neji raised a hand to silence her.
"I don't intend to, but I still need to talk to Judo. Can you set that up for me?" Neji asked.
Hinata shook her head slightly. "He…He doesn't like Hyuuga. He really hates them, actually. I don't think he'll see you." She said.
Neji raised an eyebrow incredulously. "He tolerates you, doesn't he?"
"Y-yes." Hinata admitted.
"Then, he doesn't hate Hyuuga that much, does he?" Neji reasoned.
Hinata thought for a moment. "He says I'm not a Hyuuga." She said.
Neji scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, you're as much a Hyuuga as I am." Hinata wanted to argue the point, but decided to remain quiet instead.
"Fine then, I'll simply follow you when you next meet and find my own way in. And if you give me away, Hinata, I'll tell Hiashi and Kenjiro-sama that you've been training with Judo." Neji said, turning and leaving.
The Floating Leaf
"I'm not quite sure I follow you, Naruto." Judo said, sipping tea that was brought to him from the kitchen. He had offered to pay for the damages to his other room, but apparently the Hokage had sent a memo saying that she would cover the damages and to give Judo a new room and whatever else he needed. The room was nice, more spacious and with better furniture than the other room, yet Judo still sat in the middle of the floor.
"C'mon, you're my sensei, right? Then teach me!" Naruto pleaded.
"Naruto, I'm your sensei simply because you call me such. It's not a mantle that I've taken up on my own. Secondly, I've been around for quite some time, and even I still don't understand women. How can I teach you about something that I don't understand myself?" Judo retorted. Naruto looked flustered.
"But you had a girlfriend or something right? You've been on dates and things, right? You must know something!" Naruto shouted.
"I think this conversation is something reserved for a father to tell his son, Naruto." Judo said.
"I don't have a father. I don't have any family whatsoever." Naruto admitted.
"Welcome to the club, Naruto." Judo said, taking another sip. Naruto looked like he was about to give up.
"Sit down, Naruto. Have some tea." Judo said. Naruto sat, pouring tea into a cup.
"I'm going to start this by saying that every person is different, and what works for one may not work for another, understand?" Judo said. Naruto nodded, taking a sip of tea.
"Remember what I told you about forcing a jutsu to work?" Judo asked, to which Naruto nodded.
"Well, the same applies for more than just jutsu. Forcing something to work in life, like a relationship, will usually end up not going the way you want it to. On your date tonight, don't force yourself to be anything other than whom and what you are. Keep conversation casual and compliment her, just don't overdo it. Other than that, you have to find your own way." Judo explained, pouring another cup of tea. Naruto finished his, mulling over his sensei's words.
"All in all, have a good time. That's what dating is about." Judo finished. Naruto got up and bowed to Judo.
"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto said.
"I'm sure you will." Judo said, watching Naruto leave his room.
Hokage's Office
"You're sure about this?" Tsunade questioned, not looking up from her paperwork. Jiraya, posted at the window as he normally was, nodded his head.
"It couldn't hurt. And it may be beneficial to give him what he's looking for. I don't see a problem with it." He explained.
Tsunade filed her paperwork away, leaning back in her chair.
"What if that hidden knowledge is the only thing keeping him from turning on us?" Tsunade asked.
Jiraya shrugged. "It's possible, but unlikely. If he wanted it that badly, he would have made another attempt on it while he had the chance. Also, if he was going to turn on us, he wouldn't have taken on two students."
Tsuande looked at Jiraya curiously. "Who's his other student?"
"Hyuuga Hinata." Jiraya said, smirking slightly.
"That's surprising, considering what he told us about the Hyuuga family." Tsunade replied.
"I think Naruto has a lot to do with it. You know his habit of changing people." Jiraya said.
Tsuande laughed slightly. "Yes, you're right. That makes sense, although, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I don't think the world's ready for another generation of Uzimakis running amok."
Jiraya chuckled at the joke. "Who knows, maybe he'll finally get a taste of his own medicine." He turned towards Tsuande, checking the time.
"Don't worry about Judo; I'll be with him in case anything goes sour." Jiraya said.
"You're bringing backup, Jiraya. He's too strong for you to fight alone, and I'm not hearing any arguments on it." Tsunade reached for her roster of available shinobi in the village and looked it over.
"Since Sakura is still recovering, Ino will be your medical support. Even though Shikamaru has the night off, I'll send him as well. And to top it off, we'll throw in Naruto and Hinata also. At the very least, they'll have a general understanding of how he works." Tsunade explained, writing down some information on a piece of paper.
"I'll have them assemble near the house. They won't move in unless something goes wrong." Tsunade explained. She walked with Jiraya out into the lobby, where Shizune was waiting.
"Find these people and relay these directions to them." Tsunade ordered, handing Shizune the paper. Shizune scanned it, then quickly set about her task.
"I should go see if Judo is ready." Jiraya said, tuning to leave.
"Be careful." Tsunade cautioned.
"I'm always careful."
Yamanaka Flower Shop
"Thanks for doing this, Ino." Naruto said, glancing around at the flower arrangements.
"No problem. You're my last customer of the night, anyways. Looking for anything in particular?" Ino asked, folding her work apron and tucking it under her station. Her clothes were similar in fashion to Sakura's, although Sakura preferred red and pink to Ino's purple, and didn't expose her midriff as Ino did.
"I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, actually." Naruto admitted. He saw rows upon rows of various types and shades of flowers, but he couldn't determine one from the other.
"Well, who's it for?" Ino asked, coming up next to Naruto. Naruto started to turn a shade of red.
"It's…for a girl." Naruto mumbled. Ino tried to hold back a laugh.
"Aww, isn't that cute? Who is it, Sakura?" Ino prodded.
"It's not Sakura, but I'm not telling who." Naruto said, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Oh, a new flame, huh? I'm sure Sakura will be crushed once she finds out that she's not the object of your attention." Ino joked. Naruto sighed, selecting a random flower and picking it up.
"I'll take this one." Naruto said.
"You don't want that one." Ino said, taking it away from Naruto.
"Why not? It's pretty, it'll work." Naruto argued.
"Naruto, there's more to flowers than just looks. This is a sazanka flower, and it means 'reliance and modesty.' Not the impression you want to give a girl on the first date, trust me." Ino explained, putting the flower back.
"Alright, well, then what flower should I get?" Naruto asked.
Ino thought for a second, selecting two flowers from the back row. "This one is a wasurenagusa flower, which stands for 'true love', and this one is kikyo flower, which stands for 'respect'. These are your best bets." Ino said, holding up both of them for Naruto to inspect.
"Great, I'll take them both." Naruto said.
Ino sighed. "Your hopeless, Naruto. C'mon, I'll wrap them for you." Ino went behind the counter as Naruto fished in his frog-wallet for some money. Ino presented Naruto with the flowers, bundled nicely in a fancy wrap that accentuated the color of the flowers.
"How much?" Naruto asked.
"15 ryou. But if you tell me who they're for, I'll let you have 'em for free." Ino said, with a sly smile. Before Naruto could answer, frantic knocks came from the door to Ino's shop. They both looked to find Shizune causing the ruckus and looking like it was very important. Ino rushed to unlock the door for her and let her in.
"Ino, Naruto, the Hokage needs you for a mission." Shizune said, handing the paper to Ino. Naruto placed the money on the table and walked up next to Ino, reading the paper with her.
"Who's Judo?" Ino asked.
"A visitor to our village. He's training Naruto." Shizune explained.
Ino shrugged, checking the time. "We don't have much time. Did you get Shikamaru and Hinata?" Ino asked.
Shizune shook her head. "You two were the first I came across. Find the others and meet up at the location." She said.
Ino folded the paper and placed it in her kunai pouch. "I'll get Hinata, you go get Shikamaru, alright?" Ino said, heading out the door. Naruto moved to follow her, but quickly turned around and grabbed the wrapped flowers, placing them inside his jacket for safekeeping.
A few minutes later, Naruto was banging on the door on Shikamaru's house.
"Shikamaru, it's important. Open up!" Naruto called. After a few minutes, the latches began unlocking and the door opened. Shikamaru stood in the doorway, naked tot eh waist and looking like he got dressed in a hurry.
"This had better be very important, Naruto." Shikamaru warned.
"The Hokage needs us for a mission. Ino is getting Hinata, and we're supposed to meet them on the other end of the village." Naruto explained.
"This is so troublesome. The Hokage said I had the night off." Shikamaru complained. Naruto shrugged. "You can take it up with her, but we need you now." He said.
"I don't know…" Shikamaru started, reacting to something next to him, but behind the door. Another hand grabbed the door and opened it slightly, revealing Temari wrapped in a short-skirted evening kimono. Her hair was loose and messy, not the normal four pigtails she usually keeps it in.
"Hey, Naruto, give us a few minutes and he'll be ready, alright?" Temari asked, resting her head on Shikamaru's shoulder and smiling.
Naruto, realizing what had been going on prior to his arrival, swallowed hard.
"I…uh, yeah, just…we need to get there before midnight." Naruto stammered.
"I'll be out in a minute." Shikamaru said, shutting the door on Naruto. Naruto felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he took a seat on a nearby bench and waited. Shikamaru emerged a few minutes later, fully clothed and ready.
"Hey, sorry about…" Naruto started.
"Don't worry about it. Where do we need to go?" Shikamaru interrupted.
"Follow me." Naruto said, leaping up onto a rooftop and heading towards his destination. They arrived to find Ino and Hinata already there, with Hinata on lookout.
"What took you so long?" Ino asked, in a quiet tone. Naruto felt himself turn red, and pointed to Shikamaru.
"I was dead asleep. It took me a while to wake up, that's all." Shikamaru said, flashing Naruto a look.
"Yeah, what he said." Naruto agreed, making his was to the edge of the roof. He recognized the place as where they first had encountered Judo.
"So what's the plan?" Shikamaru asked. Ino handed Shikamaru the folded piece of paper, which he read over.
"Alright, we already have Hinata on watch. Ino, you stay back as much as possible if things get out of hand. Naruto, you and I will have to buy Jiraya some time to get out if things go wrong, so just make sure you're ready, alright?" Shikamaru said. Naruto and Ino nodded their understanding, and they discussed possible attack plans until Hinata signaled for them to be quiet.
"They're heading our way." She warned. The group made themselves as flat as possible against the roof of the house, with Hinata's byakugan looking through the concrete and watching their targets.
Meanwhile
"I'm not sure why you are so eager to do this." Judo said, noticing Jiraya's relative impatience.
"Just to get it out of the way. Also, I've been very curious as to what kind of 'knowledge' it is." Jiraya explained. They came to the door of Joriu's house, and Jiraya removed the seal that was keeping it locked.
"After you." Jiraya said, allowing Judo entry into the house. When Judo passed him, he glanced up to a nearby rooftop, barely catching Shikamaru's signal. He smiled and followed Judo into the house, flicking on the lights.
The house was sparsely furnished, with only a wooden chair near a table and a bedroll as any sort of luxury. Dust had begun to settle around the house, save the places that Jiraya had examined before. No food in or near the kitchen evidenced that Joriu had not lived here in quite some time.
"I've searched this place all over, and didn't find a thing." Jiraya admitted, watching Judo scan the room.
"In your defense, Jiraya-sama, you didn't know what you were looking for, nor where to look for it." Judo said, feeling a nearby wall with the palm of his hand. He dragged his hand across the wall until he reached the end, then continued on to the next wall. Halfway through that wall, he stopped, and began making small circles on the spot where he stopped.
"It's here." Judo said, reaching into his gi and removing a scroll.
"In the wall?" Jiraya asked.
"Not really. I need a lot of concentration for this, Jiraya-sama. I'm not sure how long this will take, but I need you to make sure that nothing happens to interrupt what I'm about to do." Judo explained, unrolling the scroll and placing it at the foot of the wall.
"No promises." Jiraya said, folding his arms and watching. Judo knelt by the wall, forming a few hand seals and murmuring in a language Jiraya didn't comprehend, but sounded malicious. After a few moments of the murmuring, Jiraya watched as the symbols on the scroll began removing themselves from the parchment and rearraging themselves in a linear pattern on the wall. Once the last symbol was in place, the symbols began turning colors, from black to blue and finally a fire red. Judo formed a few more hand seals, and the area where the symbols were began to split and open. Gradually, the opening became wider, until Jiraya could see swirling images and colors that he couldn't make sense of. A whisper began eminating from the opening, and Jiraya felt both sick and excited at the same time. Judo began his murmuring again, and the whisper seemed to turn it's attention to Judo, relieving Jiraya of his sudden sickness. The door grew wider, until a ghostly image of a man dressed in similar attire was visible in front of Judo. The figure moved slowly, reaching up to his gi top and removing it. His chest suddenly burst open, but instead of innards, symbols similar to the ones Judo placed on the wall began spilling out and onto the parchment. Judo strained, attempting to slow the raging flow of symbols that were cascading into the world. Jiraya nervously looked in the direction of his backup team.
Outside
"What's going on in there?" Shikamaru asked, making his way next to Hinata.
"I…I'm not sure. Jiraya-sama and Judo-sama are in there, but there's…something…I can't figure out what it is…" Shikamaru watched Hinata strain her byakugan. She suddenly shifted her eyes slightly upwards.
"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, noticing the change. Naruto and Ino made their way next to Hinata as well.
"Someone's on the roof." Hinata said.
"Do you recognize him?" Naruto said. Hinata shook her head slightly.
"He's wearing a mask. It looks like he trying to draw something on the roof." Hinata reported.
"We have to warn Jiraya!" Naruto said.
"We're not to move until something happens. It could be a caretaker for all we know. Just watch him." Shikamaru ordered. Hinata watched as the masked man continued to draw large symbols on the ground for a few more minutes. When the man was done, he stood, and Hinata watched as the symbols started glowing. She suddenly recognized what they were.
"He's drawing explosive seals! He's going to blow the house up!"
Inside
The tide of symbols started waning, and as the last of the symbols made their way onto the parchment, Jiraya thought he heard scratching noises coming from the roof. The audible popping of the portal-door closing brought his attention back to Judo, who was trying to stand. Jiraya helped him up, then examined the scroll. He didn't recognize any of the symbols.
"Code?" he asked. Judo shook his head.
"It is the language of the dead. I'll have to translate it before…" Judo trailed off.
"Before what?" Jiraya asked
"Do…Do you feel that?" Judo asked. Before Jiraya could answer, Judo grabbed him in an ironclad grip, taking Jiraya by surprise.
Outside
The explosion was massive, leveling the house in a tremendous display of light and sound. Debris flew in all directions, and the four Chuunin pressed themselves as close to the roof as they could to avoid any shrapnel. When the dust settled, Naruto was the first up, taking in the several tons of rubble that was formerly a home. He leapt down from the roof and rushed to the rubble.
"Ero-sennin! Judo-sensei! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" he yelled, with only silence to answer him.
"Ero-sennin! Judo-Sensei! Answer me, please!"