Chapt. 21
Naruto growled in frustration as he slipped into his formal kimono. Today was the day he'd be meeting Misa for the first time in several years. He thought back again to the first and only time his father had taken him to the Daimyo's Palace.
He'd just turned six and his father thought it was time he be introduced to court. It hadn't been that bad at first. The Daimyo seemed like a nice guy, seemed to enjoy a good laugh even. Naruto was introduced to the various lords and ladies that had been in favor at the time before he was escorted to the children's room.
It hadn't been too horrible, sure most of the older kids had ignored him, but the others accepted him without much of a fuss. Several of the girls had even followed him around as he checked things out. Misa had taken to following him around almost from the moment he'd almost from the moment he'd entered the room to the, incident two days later.
He had understandably been annoyed by having this girl follow him around constantly. It had made hanging out with the other boys difficult having her within two feet all the time. So he had set a prank on her hoping to drive her away. Unfortunately the stink bomb he'd used was entirely too powerful for the room. His parents had rushed him straight home after that and grounded him for a month.
Naruto groaned as he finished getting dressed. 'Hopefully her personality has gotten better.'
"Naruto-kun, we have to get going so we can pick up the others before we meet your parents at the hotel," Haku's voice came through the door just before she entered.
"Yeah, yeah," he sighed before going over and giving her a kiss. "Let's go and meet a princess."
Haku giggled. "It's entirely political Naruto-kun, there's nothing we can do about that. Besides, it's not like we have to say yes to this."
"You think so?" Naruto laughed dully as they left the house. "The Daimyo threatened the villages funding just to set this up. You don't make that kind of threat unless you want a specific answer Haku-chan."
Haku sagged slightly at the thought.
"We just have to hope that her personality isn't too repellant," Naruto groaned. "We're going to be stuck with her."
The two teens walked in silence until they reached Ino's house. Luckily Ino was already dressed and waiting in the living room.
"So did you two miss me?" Ino greeted as she threw herself into Naruto's arms and kissed him. "Oh, I'm so glad training is over. My body was so sore yesterday."
Haku received a hug from the blond after she was done with Naruto. "Poor Ino-chan." She giggled.
"So your parents filled you in on everything then?" Naruto asked after they left the house.
"Yep, daddy filled me in on the evil princess trying to bust in on our good times," Ino raged quietly.
Naruto grabbed Ino's hand and Haku put an arm around her.
"Don't worry Ino," Naruto smiled at her. "She's not her to break us up at least. The Daimyo says she's okay with there being other girls."
"Well, that's something at least," Ino pouted. "How's Hinata-chan taking it?"
"She's understandably annoyed," Haku snorted. "Luckily she's found a diversion."
"Huh?"
"Dad is keeping Kin Tsuchi at the Hyuga compound," Naruto smirked. "Apparently Hinata-chan has been 'breaking' Kin-chan in for us."
Ino's brow twitched. "That's not fair. We're supposed to do that together."
Naruto and Haku laughed at the blond girl.
"What?" Ino looked at the other two. "It's how we got Haku-chan after all. Isn't that right, Haku-chan?" Ino ran a finger along Haku's cheek.
Haku shivered slightly and almost tripped. "I, I suppose there is something to that claim."
Naruto laughed at the two girls. "Don't look at me, I'm just enjoying the ride. Though I think five girls is my limit. I should think it's any guys limit."
Haku and Ino giggled at him as they neared the Hyuga compound. A sharp scream of pain echoed through the area as they reached the main gate.
"Looks like they caught Neji peeking again," Ino sighed. "If only they had sealed him into the branch family, to bad Hinata-chan's dad put a stop to it."
"That's not nice Ino-chan," Haku frowned.
"Hey he hasn't peeked on you yet," Ino growled. "That boy is nothing but a pervert."
The two guards chuckled awkwardly as the three teens made it to the gate.
"So can we go in and collect Hinata-chan and Kin-chan?" Naruto asked one of the guards.
"Um, yeah. Just try and avoid the blood," the man replied nervously.
"Yep," Ino said cheerfully as they went inside and saw several broken doors on the main building. "Neji finally pissed Hinata-chan off."
"I don't see Hinata-chan being this violent," Haku giggled nervously. "She's so nice and tame normally."
"Who's tame?" a soft voice spoke from behind them, bringing a scream from each of the two girls.
"Hey, Kin-chan," Naruto greeted.
"Seriously, the only 'tame' Hinata-chan I'm aware of, is if she's collared and leashed," Kin said quietly. "Any other time she's quite active."
Naruto snorted in amusement as Ino and Haku tried to get their heart rate under control.
"So, where's Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked evenly.
"Getting dressed," Kin shrugged. "She'd just gotten done helping me, when she turned at a sound outside the door. She growled in rage and broke the door down in only her underwear," Kin shuddered. "She found her cousin using his eyes trying to peek on us. She then rather violently beat the stuffing out of Neji, going so far as to break several ribs and both his arms."
"Damn," Ino whistled.
"Well," Naruto mused, "guess Neji's out of the finals tomorrow. He deserves it of course." Naruto added as the three girls glared at him.
He was mildly saved as an obviously angry Hinata stormed from the house.
"Let's go," she growled.
"Uh, right," Naruto said in shock. 'Need to get her in a better mood.' He moaned to himself.
Naruto slipped his arms around Hinata's waist. "Calm down, Hinata-chan. We have most of the day to us. Forget about the asshole and let's just enjoy ourselves."
Hinata slowly smiled as the other girls joined in the hug. "I'll try."
In the hospital ward of the compound, Hizashi stormed in to check on his son. Neji was lying on the bed being wrapped in enough bandages to be mummified, with his torso all in gauze and his arms at odd angles. He waited until all the bones were set before addressing his son.
"Why?" Hizashi sighed.
"Father?" Neji moaned. "Am I dieing?"
"No, boy," Hizashi snorted. "Your cousin kept her head at the very least. You won't be doing much for a while, but you won't die. So, once again, why?"
"Jealousy, I suppose," Neji muttered. "Naruto gets to mess around with all those girls, as does Hinata-sama."
"Then you should try finding a girl of your own son," Hizashi said as he sat down on the bed. "As it is, you won't be participating in the finals tomorrow because of this incident."
"Be hard to participate with two broken arms wouldn't it," Neji snorted, before wincing in pain.
"Glad you can see the humor in this," Hizashi sighed. "Well, hope it was worth it. After you heal, your uncle and I decided it was safer to send you to the mountain temple the clan keeps to cool down. You aren't the first Hyuga to let their eyes wander."
"I... understand, father," Neji twitched slightly in pain.
"Good. Now get some rest."
Naruto walked happily into the hotel lobby with the four girls. They had managed to cheer Hinata up enough that she was no longer ready to blow things up, much to Kin's relief. They saw Minato dressed in his Hokage robes and hat standing next to Kushina who was dressed in a rather expensive looking kimono.
"What was that strangled scream we heard as we got here?" Minato was asking his wife as the teens walked up to them.
"Neji bowing out of the finals," Naruto replied cheerfully. "So did we make it in time?"
"Yes, you made it," Kushina smiled as she saw the five teens.
"What do you mean Neji's not participating in the final?" Minato asked in shock.
"Neji had a training accident and is rather injured," Ino replied sweetly. "He won't be healthy for awhile."
Minato could see the tense expressions on the teens faces and decided to drop the matter. "Well hopefully he'll remember not to do that next time."
"I think he learned his lesson," Kin muttered in a dead sort of voice.
"So it the room ready?" Naruto asked quickly hoping to end the discussion.
"Yes, we should head on in so we're ready when they arrive," Kushina tried to smile.
Kushina turned and led the group through a set of double doors and down a hall leading to the west wing of the hotel. They walked past half a dozen doors until reaching one with their name on it.
Naruto looked around the room and was singularly unimpressed by the peach colored walls and old ink paintings.
"Oh, dear log. We have to sit seiza for this?" Ino moaned. "I thought all the hotels were more modern than this?"
Hinata and Haku chuckled at the blond girls reaction.
"Seriously, Ino," Kushina sighed. "In a meeting room for arranged marriages they still go for full tradition."
"I'm with Ino-chan," Kin smiled. "Sitting seiza is a complete pain."
The two adults laughed at the teens while Naruto sat down on the side with more pillows.
"Hinata-chan, can you start the tea?" Naruto smiled at her.
"Yes, Naruto-kun," Hinata said cheerfully as she went over to the corner of the room. "What kind would you prefer?"
"Something refreshing, Hinata-chan," Naruto replied.
The rest of the group settled down as the water boiled and the tea cakes were delivered. Shortly after the tea was ready the door opened again and admitted three people. Two of them were kunoichi of the Daimyo, going by the sashes that depicted them as part of the twelve. One of them had dark green hair while the others was ink black. Between them walked a slender girl of about Haku's height. Her long purple hair flowed down her back.
"Hokage-sama," the two kunoichi knelt to him as Misa took her seat opposite Naruto.
"Welcome, Misa-hime," Minato greeted her formally.
"It is nice to be back, Minato-san," Misa smiled as Hinata passed tea to the three newcomers. "It's only been a couple of years since my father brought us here on his last visit, but it is nice to return."
"Huh, you were here?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"You were training with Jiraiya at the time," Minato chuckled.
Naruto thought back. "Haha, oh yeah, that trip," he laughed evilly. "Might've been better to have kept me home that time. The idiot taught me lots of troublesome things that time."
Misa looked on in interest as Minato and Kushina groaned and the other others girls, except Kin, started to giggle.
"That explains everything that's happened since," Minato moaned. "That was the year you started using all those truly bizarre seals."
"We're getting off track," Kushina sighed. "We can deal with the old lecher later."
"Right," Minato nodded sheepishly. "So, why are you so interested in marrying Naruto?"
"Huh?" Misa looked surprised. "Oh, about the arranged marriage?" The others nodded. "That would be my father's fault. He seemed to think it was for the best that my sisters and I be married away. I had two choices, one of my fathers vassals, who was several years older and rather mean the few times we were alone together."
Misa sighed sadly. "If it wasn't for Michuru and Hotaru, he probably would've forced the issue. So now it comes down to you or him, Naruto-kun."
"Your father still considers him a good match?" Ino asked horrified.
"Ino Yamanaka? Right?" Misa asked and got a nod in return. "Yes. He is still in high regard for his political power and the value of the land he watches over."
Naruto listened in as the girls continued to debate how wrong the Daimyo had been. He looked Misa over quietly. He looked over her face and down the curve of her throat and cursed the fact that all women's kimono did a good job of hiding their figure.
'Well, I suppose saving a princess wouldn't be so bad,' Naruto thought. 'She's last in line for the throne too if I remember correctly, so I don't have to worry about that mess. She seems to get along well enough with the others, that's a plus.'
'If I'm really going to consider this, I have to realize that this is it, no other girls will be coming along unless one of the girls leaves. So I'd end up with four wives and the father of Haku's children. Maybe helping Shion as well with one. Have to put a limit on the number of children I could have with each of them as well, or things could get horribly out of hand fast,' Naruto started tabulating numbers. 'I could bankrupt the family if I'm not careful,' Naruto grinned. 'Or not. Kin and Haku are the only orphans and since were all working, it could work. No more shopping sprees though.'
Minato watched his son thinking things through glad he had never been in such a position. 'Thank the log Miyu won't go through this. Either she'll marry into another clan or Kushina uses her to separate the Uzumaki into a fresh clan here.' He looked back at his son and saw he'd made a decision.
Kushina sighed at the predicament her son was getting into. As if four girls in his life wasn't bad enough, now the Daimyo was almost forcing another onto him. The story the girl was giving him was mostly believable. 'Politics, why did Minato have to take the hat and involve them in politics.'
"I suppose I could go along with this marriage," Naruto smiled at Misa. He looked at the other girls who more or less shrugged indifference. "How long would we wait for the marriage? Usually it's sixteen? Right?" Naruto looked at his father.
Misa smiled sadly at him. "Unfortunately Naruto, dad will require it a month after he finds out."
Naruto gagged slightly on the tea he'd just started sipping. "A month? Can it really be put together that fast? Seems rather rushed doesn't it?"
"You'll need a house for us as well," Misa sighed sadly.
"That's easy enough," Minato smiled at the young girls worry. "Our old house is waiting for you. We've kept it up since I took the hat."
"It's not very large," Kushina said evenly. "But it's a good place to start from, and there's plenty of room to add on. Most of the rest of the district has sat empty for some time."
Naruto snorted slightly. Most of the rest of the district was falling apart since most of his father's clan had died off. A couple of the buildings were fit enough for humans to enter. He and Sasuke had often talked of knocking the whole area down with ninjutsu. Kushina had slapped them each upside the head when she found out.
"Okay then," Naruto tried for a smile. "I'm assuming you're going to stick around for tomorrow's test?"
Misa nodded her head. "Yes, father wants to see how skilled you are."
The conversation ended as food was brought in.
7-15