The Hidden Leaf Village Part 3
Still a little busy with work and stuff, so updates have been slow. But holidays are just around the corner so I should be able to churn out a bunch of chapters in the near future, and I have some good stuff planned. Anyway, on with the current chapter.
Konohamaru escorted Naruto and Hinata around Konoha, showing them all the major spots. Since the village was relatively small, practically everyone knew one another. So the occasion also presented the couple with the opportunity to get to know the people of Konoha. During the tour the three stopped at the shopping district, in particular at a furniture store with a decent enough household selection.
"Well this is the place. This is where you'll find most of your household goods and appliances. I've spoken to the shopkeeper and he can assist if necessary. But feel free to explore and try out whatever you want. I need to run an errand for my mother, so I'll leave you two to get on with your shopping. If you need me you know where to look, or just ask anyone. Everyone here is pretty helpful. Anyway, I'll see you around." Konohamaru exchanged farewells with the two before taking off, leaving the couple to their own devices.
"I guess we can take our time." Naruto said to his wife as he looked around at the options. "So, where do we start? I suppose since we're buying, we might as well get furniture for the other two bedrooms even though we aren't going to be using them. What do you think?"
Hinata nodded while deep in thought. "You're right. We can't just leave them empty. That's two extra rooms to think about, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"I like that confidence of yours, which is getting stronger with every passing day." Naruto complimented. "Sometimes it almost feels like you're becoming mom 2.0. She was always very decisive when it came to family related matters."
"Is that a bad thing?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Of course not! I appreciate your input at all times because we're in this together." Naruto was sincere in his reply. "In any case, you're the princess, or perhaps I should say queen. You get to pick what we need. I'll be your escort."
"If you put it that way…" Hinata twiddled her index fingers for a moment before pumping herself up with energy. "I'll do my best!"
Thus the two set off on a long and harrowing journey across the store, picking and trying out each and every piece of furniture they'd need for every room in their new house. After that came the household appliances and once again there were almost too many to count. By the end of their shopping run which ended up lasting quite a few hours, they had procured nearly every household item a newlywed couple could possibly need to start up a new family.
"There are a lot of items here. I'm not sure we can deliver them all by today." The shopkeeper informed the two as he finished sorting out the payments and handed them the receipts. Even with all the expenses incurred, Naruto's wallet was barely dented.
"That won't be necessary." Naruto replied while using his tried and tested signature technique, creating over a hundred clones that swarmed the entire shopping district. "We'll be carrying the items back with us."
The shopkeeper was shocked to see the sheer number of clones for he had never seen anything quite like it. Hinata however appeared un-phased and happily nodded in approval of her husband's idea.
The real Naruto realised one issue however as he turned to address his wife. "I can carry all this stuff home but we'll need to set them up properly in the right place. I think it'd be good to have you around for that. My clones would probably end up making a mess trying to set the entire house up by themselves."
"That shouldn't be an issue. I've got an idea." Hinata herself proceeded to use the same technique as Naruto, creating three clones of herself. "They should be able to help your clones with organisation while we take care of other business."
"That's my wife! Someone who appreciates the great utility of the shadow clones." Naruto grinned at Hinata's clones before looking over to his own battalion of doppelgangers. "You heard her. Let's get our new house sorted out."
A collective "YES!" chant came from the flurry of clones before they split up into groups and started to carry the bevy of items back towards their home.
"So, where are we headed now?" The real Naruto questioned his significant other.
"I think next item on our list has to be grocery shopping. We need to take care of food."
"You're right! How could I forget? Actually this might be an issue. Do you know how to cook?" Naruto asked rather seriously.
"Of course I know how to cook Naruto-kun. Why would I not?"
"I don't know. I mean you are the Hyuga's princess after all. I just thought maybe you never bothered learning how to cook. I'm sure you were raised on some of the best food there is. Regardless, it's a relief to hear that food won't be an issue."
"Leave it to me!" Hinata pumped up her chest with pride in response. "I may not be very hopeful when it comes to my ninja skills, but cooking is one area I'm very confident in."
"Is that so?" Naruto asked rather curiously given that he had never really seen Hinata this bold before. "I don't know if your other self would agree with you on that matter though."
"Y-You're right. I don't even know how she'd respond after hearing that." Hinata flinched at the thought. "Regardless, just to prove to you my abilities as a cook, why don't I make something interesting? How about hot pot? I have my own special recipe that I developed."
Naruto's eyes widened after hearing the suggestion. "Are you for real? I LOVE hot pot. It's not like I get to have it every day."
"Okay then, it's decided. I'll make the best one I can, because that is my way of the chef!" Hinata made a determined declaration.
Naruto however gave her a questioning gaze. "Was that a parody of how I use the phrase - I never give up because that is my way of the ninja?"
Hinata nodded happily. "Yes, I learned it from you when we met as children. That statement and enthusiasm of yours were so infectious. I've been using it ever since."
"Don't know if I ever envisioned that saying to be used in a cooking scenario but if you like it, then that's great. I'm now stoked to try out your cooking!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.
"Well, before any cooking can be done we need to get a variety of ingredients. So let's do that."
"Yeah but what I saw earlier in our tour of the village is that there are no supermarkets." Naruto seemed a bit confused.
"That is true, but there is something even better. They have a farmer's market. So we can get fresh produce directly from there. These are small scale but the ingredients you get are some of the best, bar none. You'll never get the same quality food from supermarkets. I'm actually pretty excited to pick out my own."
"I don't know much about this stuff but if thats case, let's hit the deck. What's first?" Naruto asked.
"If we're making hot pot, we need to secure some good quality beef. The meat is going to be the star of the dish after all." Hinata suggested.
"You're right about that. Let's see if we can grab some meat then." Naruto agreed and the two of them headed to the butcher within the farmer's market.
It was a relatively small shop but a very friendly man welcomed them in.
"You're the new couple in the village everyone's talking about?" He asked rather curiously.
"You already know?" Naruto was surprised by the question.
"This is a pretty small village. We know everyone who lives here and words get around fast. In any case, I'm glad to have your patronage. What would you like today?"
"We were hoping to get some beef. They need to be thinly sliced if possible since we're going to make hot pot." Naruto explained to the shop owner.
"Of course, leave it to me. I can process it just the way you need." He replied. "It must be nice though, having your new wife cooking you hot pot. Cherish these moments. There may come a time in your lives when you'll be lucky if she cooks you anything at all."
"That's not true! I'll always be there for Naruto-kun in whatever way I can. I love hi-" Hinata was about a make a pretty bold declaration before she quickly shut her mouth and coiled up in embarrassment.
The shopkeeper couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I take back what I just said. I think you might have a winner in your hands. Take care of her."
"That goes without saying." Naruto replied while stroking Hinata's back to make her feel at ease. "In any case we might as well grab a variety of other meat products while we are here."
Hinata nodded. "You're right. We should do that. Chicken and lamb would be good to have around for cooking. Maybe some duck even if you'd like it?"
"They all sound good, but to be honest as long as you're making it I don't really mind." Naruto's answer was simple and his point rather straightforward.
"Well, you two choose and I'll get you the best I have. Also, since you're my brand new customers and new to this village as well, the beef for the hot pot is on the house." The shopkeeper said to the couple. "I hope I can have your patronage in the future."
"Oh wow, thanks old man! We'll definitely come over again for our protein related necessities." Naruto was quite surprised at the kind gesture but appreciated it nonetheless.
"Indeed, thank you." Hinata also added sincerely.
Thus the two looked around, chose a bunch of different meat to stock up on for cooking and headed back out into the farmer's market, this time to buy vegetables. They walked around and had a great time talking to the various vendors who sold a wide variety of freshly grown produce. It was quite different from the usual supermarket affair since it was as much a socialising experience as it was a shopping experience. It allowed them to get to know the average people of the village and even though the two were new, the community was very welcoming, giving them a lot of extra items on top of what they bought as newcomer's gift. By the time they were done with their shopping the two were weighed down by bags upon bags of food.
"Those people went crazy giving us all this extra stuff." Naruto even with his incredible strength was having trouble carrying this many bags at once. "Anything else we missed out on?"
"Let's see. We have the protein, a variety of vegetables, tofu, sugar, seasoning, spices, sweet chilli and soy sauces…" Hinata suddenly remembered one important ingredient they did forget. "Ah yes we still need to buy eggs. That's an essential."
"You're right. Let's go grab some then."
As such they made their way over to a shop specialising in poultry and dairy products.
A middle aged woman greeted them enthusiastically. "I heard the new couple was around the market shopping. I was hoping you'd stop by our store as well. Glad to make your acquaintance. What can I get you?"
"Nice to meet you too. We were looking to buy some eggs." Hinata requested. "A dozen if possible."
"Sure thing. Just give me a sec." The lady went to the back of the store and brought back a box of eggs. "Here we are. 12 freshly laid eggs from earlier this morning."
"Oh wow that's awesome. Must be pretty nice getting brand new eggs every day." Naruto commented after seeing how big the eggs looked.
Hinata on the other hand was busy eyeing the chickens at the back. They looked so healthy and cute.
"What's the matter Hinata? You like the chickens or something?"
"Eh?" Hinata was a bit caught off guard by the sudden query addressed to her. "Oh y-yeah. I've always had a fascination towards chickens ever since I was a child. I think they're lovely birds."
"The two of you live in the outer area of Konoha right? If that is the case you could easily raise a few of your own." The shopkeeper suggested. "You can just let them roam around open areas and they'll be happy eating rice grains. They're very low maintenance and you have the benefit of getting eggs on a near regular basis."
Hinata's eyes were practically glowing at this point as she stared directly at Naruto with hope.
"It seems as though the answer's already been decided. I don't mind either. Why not have a few chickens of our own?" Naruto now he looked over to the shopkeeper. "Can you get us a good one that she would like?
"Of course. If you want to breed, you can take a rooster along as well. Who knows, maybe a baby chick will hatch by the time you two are expecting your first child."
"O-O-OUR FIRST CHILD?!" Hinata nearly face planted over the comment.
"W-We just got married. I don't think that'll happen so soon." Naruto was taken aback as well but managed to keep his calm better than his significant other.
"I don't know about you big city folks but here in Konoha people generally have children when they are still relatively young. Allows you play with them when you still have that same energy and drive. It'll be interesting to see what happens with you two."
"A-Anyway, I think w-we'll pass on the r-rooster. Just two chickens will do." Hinata quickly cut the topic off before it got way out of comfort zone.
Before long with the shopkeeper's help Hinata picked two dark brown coloured hens that she would like to raise.
"So, where exactly do we keep them at night?" Naruto asked curiously.
Almost on cue the vendor lady placed a medium sized cage on the counter in front of them. "Ideally you want to make a nice little coop for them but this should be a decent start. Consider this a gift from me to my new customers."
"Oh wow. Not only did you help us pick but you're also giving us this as well? That's awfully kind of you!" Naruto expressed his genuine feelings, but at this point he had done so at almost every shop they had been to.
The lady simply waved with a smile. "Don't mention it at all. You're new here and we're a small community, so helping each other is part of our lifestyle. Plus you two remind me of my own self and my husband when we were younger. We're still going strong after all these years. I hope it's the same for the two of you."
Both Naruto and Hinata accepted those well wishes graciously and expressed their gratitude once more. As such they picked up everything they had acquired during their shopping run and headed back home.
As they walked through the outskirts of Konoha, Hinata was grinning ear to ear while looking at the two birds she was carrying.
"Those two turned out to be the best purchase of the day huh?" Naruto asked her gleefully.
"I never thought we'd end up raising our own chicken. They're just so cute and adorable. This village may not be a technologically advanced, but it's a lot closer to nature than we've ever been. It's actually quite nice breathing in the fresh air and looking at the beautiful scenery around where we live."
"The best part has to be the people though. They were all so friendly and welcoming. I was kind of surprised." Naruto added.
"You're definitely right about that. The people of Konoha are certainly very hospitable, more so than any other place I've been to before."
"It actually makes me want to work hard to improve this village even more now."
"I truly understand that sentiment."
As the couple were about to make their way into their front yard, they suddenly became witnesses to an ongoing anarchy outside their own home. The hundred or so Naruto clones were in a heated debate with one another, leading to a huge chorus of arguments overwhelming the area. Amongst them the three poor clones of Hinata were having troubles finding their voice.
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU DESERVE HER KISS?!" One of the nearest clones shouted to the one next to it. "I WORKED THE HARDEST, SO I SHOULD GET TO BE ONE TO KISS HER!"
"STOP JOKING AROUND! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THAT I CLEARLY DID MORE WORK THAN YOU?! SO JUST SHUT UP, DISAPPEAR AND LET ME HAVE MY PRIZE!" The other close retaliated.
At this point the first clone had enough and thought up a quick plan. He pointed at the sky behind its fellow clone and shouted, "LOOK IT'S FLYING RAMEN BOWL SHAPED UFO!"
"WHERE?" The other clone instantly turned around in search of this mythical object.
At that moment the unthinkable happened. He was backstabbed in cold blood and disappeared with a poof of smoke. The heinous action brought all the other clones to a screeching halt.
"I saw him. He took a cheap shot. HE DEFINITELY TOOK A CHEAP SHOT! GET HIM!" Another clone ordered it's fellows who all looked equally angry at the act, but the moment he turned around he too was attacked from the back and disappeared in an instant.
"Oh so this is how it's going to be huh? It's a free for all. Last man standing gets to have Hinata all to himself." One of the Narutos declared war to the rest.
"Sounds like how it should have been from the very start. LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!" Came a huge battle cry and with it the remaining clones engaged in an all-out battle royal to determine the victor.
The three Hinata clones barely managed to escape the mayhem and came over to the original two.
"What is happening?" The real Hinata was flabbergasted by what she saw.
"Once we were done with setting up the house, one of the Naruto-kuns asked for a kiss as a reward for his hard work. I agreed of course. I didn't see a reason not to, but I made a huge mistake since the rest of the clones also started to ask for a kiss and an argument broke out." One of Hinata's clones explained in detail.
"Couldn't the three of you just give them all a kiss?" Hinata asked.
"We did suggest that but it seemed to cause even bigger problems as they all started to get jealous of one another and did not want anyone else other than themselves to receive a kiss." Another Hinata elaborated.
The real Naruto facepalmed. "Oh my goodness! This is what happens when I leave them alone. They always find a way to end up starting a fight. I can't believe the reason behind the fight this time though. In any case…"
Within a moment Naruto dispelled the clones and they all disappeared at once. Hinata also did the same.
"Wow…" Hinata was lost for words.
Naruto couldn't help but sigh. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I guess my clones do inherit my personality and feelings as well. And I kind of do feel very strongly about you. Not that I expected them to break out into a fight because of jealousy."
"I-It's okay really. I a-appreciate it in a way. Any wife would be happy if her h-husband were very protective of her."
"Is that so?" Naruto asked Hinata with a hopeful look, to which she gave a resounding nod. "Somehow you are able to make my embarrassing moments into ones worth cherishing. You're truly someone special to me Hinata."
Hinata could only fidget in place after hearing such a compliment. Her movements however caused one of the chickens to call out in annoyance from its cage, making the couple laugh out in response.
"I suppose they're not so appreciative of our moment." Naruto said jokingly. "We need to set them up. Before that though let's go inside and check out our new house."
But just as Naruto was about to go inside, Hinata called out to him. "Actually, there is something..."
Before he could even turn to fully face her, Naruto suddenly felt the soft sensation of Hinata's lips as she kissed him on his cheek.
"Thanks for the hard work." She whispered to him before rushing off indoors.
He stood stunned for a while as it took a few moments for him to regain his composure after the delicate yet enchanting sensation wore off, but eventually Naruto also followed Hinata inside to their newly furnished house, one where they would start their own family.
Hope you liked the mostly fluffy and lighthearted chapter. There will be an important character joining Naruto and Hinata soon. So we'll get to the serious stuff in a bit.
My big props go to mds777 and GenocideKhaos for getting both of the references from last chapter. One of them is a game I'm playing at the moment.
Trainer1232: You're right. Eventually Konoha will become more modern, but for the time being it is something a little bit more traditional.
In any case, that is all for today. Let me know your thoughts and I hope to see you all next time. So until then, be well :)