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Chapter 3
This chapter is dedicated to immortalrin.
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Using his hands to cover his sensitive parts, Naruto dashed out of the royal chamber, cursing himself for his stupidity. If he didn't let himself get drunk by the weird tea, he could have been more alert and jumped away from the prince before they make skin contact.
Now look at what happened.
He was a…
… girl. A stark naked one at that.
And if that was not enough, the harem of Uchiha Sasuke was after his skin. If he didn't act fast, he had a sinking feeling that he would be hung on his toes publicly and skinned alive.
Praise the Ramen Gods! His eyes lit up when he saw a slightly ajar door. Without hesitation, he entered the room.
Inside, he frantically scanned the bedroom, searching for a place to hide. Is that another door? Judging from the wisps of steam escaping from within, he surmised that it was a bathroom. Quickly, he entered the bath and jumped into the tub, causing a huge splash.
"W-What—" A female voice cried.
He emerged from the water, his frog form back. I'll never hate my animal form again, ever!
"A-Anou..."
Wait, that sounded familiar. He slowly turned to his left, and then nearly fainted.
Looking at him in curiosity was Hinata, who was apparently in the middle of her bath.
Before he could say anything, the door burst open to reveal the enraged Ino and Sakura.
"Hinata-chan!" The two halted on their tracks when they realized her situation.
The raven-haired girl embarrassedly sank her body under the soapy water. "I-I'm sorry, Lady Sakura! I'm going to get dressed—"
"No need," the pink-haired girl immediately said dismissively, "Actually, I was just going to ask you if you have noticed a naked blonde head this way."
"N-Naked?!" Hinata looked scandalized, making the two ladies sweatdrop.
"Never mind," said Ino, glaring pointedly at Sakura. "If only someone here listened to me when I said that the girl went the other way…"
Sakura glared back with equal intensity at the yellow-haired lady. "Well, so sorrrrry! But you and I both saw that she passed by this hall!" Her inner alter-ego though had more eloquent profanities in mind for her ex-best friend. Deciding that it would just be a virtual waste of time to mind her rival, she turned her eyes back at her attendant. "You may resume your bath now, Hinata. We will not disturb you again-" Her gaze then went to the red and green frog floating in the soapy bath tub. "Ah, Hinata-chan, isn't that the frog we saw in the forest?"
The girl's gray eyes fell on the animal. Remembering at once the disgust Sakura had for this kind of animal, she quickly took it and clasped it against her chest. "U-Um… it's a stuffed toy."
Shocked, Naruto tried to open his mouth to protest, but merely succeeded in creating bubbles and ripples in the water.
"Wow, that's a pretty realistic-looking stuffed frog you have," Ino couldn't help but comment.
"Very realistic-looking," added Sakura, peering closer at the animal. "Oh well, maybe I can still catch that blonde exhibitionist."
"G-Good luck, Lady Sakura, Lady Ino," she mumbled softly.
"Good night!" The two opened the door to leave, just as Shikamaru came in, scratching his head. "Lady Ino, I didn't find—" His eyes widened when he saw the flustered Hinata. "Damn!"
"Idiot!" Ino pushed her attendant roughly out of the room. "Perverted oaf! How dare you!"
"I-It was an accident! I thought—"
"Well, you didn't think hard enough!"
Sakura, groaning, shut the door.
Hinata sighed, relieved. She looked down at the frog, which for some reason, had the scarlet color dominating his face at this moment. She smiled at the animal. "It's safe now, Froggy," she whispered.
Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't speak. He was immobilized by shock—this was really his first INTIMATE contact with a girl—but at the same time, he couldn't help but enjoy how soft her milky-white skin was. And she smelled heavenly; even the bubble fragrance of the bath couldn't compete with her natural delicate scent.
"Froggy-san?" she prompted.
"I-I'm fine," he managed to choke out. "L-Let me go."
"O-Oh, okay!" She released the animal, and it sped to the opposite side of the bathtub, forcing itself to not look her way.
"So you're the same frog I saw in the forest too, am I right?" she asked gently.
He looked at her, surprised. "You still remember me?"
"In the same way that you still remember me." She beamed. "How are you?"
He could feel his gaze wandering down at her body again, so he turned away, cheeks burning. "Not too fine."
"Hmm, maybe the chemicals of my bath are not suitable to your skin. Sorry for not realizing this earlier." She scooped him down and placed him on the dryer tiles of the bathroom. "If it won't inconvenience you, maybe you could wait for me outside until I finish."
"No problem." The frog hopped out of the bathroom hurriedly.
Hinata was left alone, trying to recall the events earlier. She swore she saw a flash of yellow hair jump in her bath—the proof was the water on the tiled floor that overflowed from her tub. But in that case, where did the owner of the golden hair go?
Could it be just a figment of her imagination?
But then the water on the floor…
Could have the frog caused that spilled water?
It was impossible, given the size of the animal.
But then, if Froggy didn't do it, who did?
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"Idiot! Idiot! IDIOT!" Ino punctuated her every sentence with a slam on her attendant's nape. "PERVERT!"
Akimichi Choji watched the whole exchange calmly as he munched on his doughnuts—leftover from the supposed welcome party for the Ice Prince. "Easy, Lady Ino. You might end up killing him, and you know that he hasn't started on your father's speech yet."
"My father won't save his sorry ass now!" she snapped at her other attendant, and then faced Shikamaru again. "You LOOKED at her, didn't you? Oh yes, you did. You GAPED at her!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Shikamaru helplessly. "I was in the bath for barely sixty seconds. Do you think my eyes could have adjusted that quickly —"
"EXCUSES!" She punched his head again. "IDIOT! PERVERT!"
"Why are you so mad anyway?" he demanded, rubbing the bumps he had secured from her for the past fifteen minutes.
She paused, her cheeks reddeneing. "Do not question your mistress!" She got up in a huff. "Anyway, I don't want ANYTHING of this nature to happen again, do you understand, Nara Shikamaru?"
He rolled his eyes.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
He let out an audible sigh this time.
Choji licked the remaining sugar from his fingers. "I think he does, Lady Ino."
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Naruto looked at the blue-eyed, red and green frog staring back at him. As he gazed at his reflection, he recalled that one fateful afternoon while on training. He had gone a bit farther than usual, and had reached a cave with a big nest lying within the cavern. Thinking he could find an egg that he would cook for his dinner, he ventured inside and found a long strip of shed skin of a snake. A particularly big one, in fact, for it extended further into the fissure. He then noticed an ancient jar beside it, containing sealed scrolls. The thought of treasure maps and buying Sir Iruka his own castle coaxed him to break open the jar and open the seals…
Thick smoke covered the whole place, and as he fought the irritation forming in his eyes, he searched the cave for any sign of abnormality.
He then picked up an aura from a jar. He stepped back, peculiarly frightened even if he still had to see the enemy.
From the smoke screen slowly rose a tall, long-haired man. In the darkness of the cave, it was impossible to see his face, but it was the eyes of the man that stunned him.
Steely. Dangerous.
A raspy voice echoed through the whole cave. "I have returned, Hidden Leaf…."
Naruto exhaled sharply. He tried his best to fight against the monster, but to no avail. In the end…
Naruto was cornered against the wall and the cave entrance that the monster blocked. Now, his features were more discernible, with the light from the outside outlining his contours.
The frighteningly pale skin that was anything but alive. The treacherous glint of his snake eyes.
And the long bony fingers that reached out and touched his stomach. The fingers that scorched his skin as the fiend planted a seal of curse in it.
The man smirked, satisfied. The boy didn't know anymore how the monster left, and when. All he knew was his vision blurred, and something inside him was changing.
The next morning, his mentors Sir Iruka and Sir Ebisu found a sleeping frog inside his orange uniform.
"Froggy?"
He stiffened. When he saw the worried Hinata on the reflection of the glass window too, his tension eased at once. He turned to her, smiling.
She was now dressed in her pajamas, drying her hair with her orange towel. "Have you had anything to eat yet?"
He shook his head.
"Oh good! I still have cookies and milk here. We can share and—" She paused, snapping her fingers. "Oh wait!" she said, as if remembering something. "Do you eat cookies, or would you prefer something else?"
"Something else?" He frowned, unsure of what she meant.
"Flies?"
"FLIES?!" His eyes bulged. "Gross! Why would I eat flies when there's pizza around?"
She looked puzzled. "P-Pizza? But you're a frog—"
"A frog with refined tastes," he countered.
She blinked, and then giggled softly.
"What?" he croaked. Literally. He had never heard a girl giggle before, and he could not explain why such act could tickle something within him.
"Froggy, you are a special kind of frog," she said, eyes softening.
He grinned back. "You learn fast, Hinata."
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Minutes later, the two were sharing the cookies and milk that Hinata mentioned. She would pinch and crush the chocolate chip cookies so her friend wouldn't have a hard time swallowing the bits. She had also placed the milk in a saucepan.
"Why don't you tell me how you arrived here in the palace, Froggy?" she asked, eager to hear what stories the extraordinary creature had to tell.
The frog paused, and then shrugged. "Nothing exciting to tell about. I hitchhiked with the Princey's convoy and I was able to enter the palace."
"You did?" Her eyes went big. "And he didn't sense your presence?" Everyone knew how extra sharp the Uchiha prince's senses were. His sharingan was a topic of interest to most ninjas.
"He didn't. I'm not sensible," shrugged the amphibian.
"Nani?" she blinked.
"I said, he didn't sense me because I wasn't sensible. I'm not capable of being sensed," explained Naruto.
Hinata giggled even more.
"What?" he sputtered, feeling embarrassment shoot right through him. He knew her laughter did not intend to mock him, but he was still affected.
"I'm sorry." She smiled tenderly. "It's just that wordsmiths define 'sensible' a little differently. But then again, what is important is that you say what you feel in all honesty, and you mean it with all your sincerity."
"Thanks," he grinned. "You know, I like you a lot!"
"As I like you," she said, nodding. "From now on, would you like to be friends with me, Froggy?"
"Absolutely!"
She paused. "But I must warn you. Lady Sakura…Lady Sakura might not want you hanging around here."
"What do you mean?" Naruto suddenly felt nervous. Did she know that he was the same naked girl who jumped into her tub awhile ago without permission?
"She doesn't like frogs, I'm afraid," explained the raven-haired girl quietly. "It's sad, because Kiba-kun told me that long ago, Lady Sakura likes to be outdoors all the time."
"Doesn't she know that a frog is one of those 'animals that live outdoors'?" he whined. "Why doesn't she like me?"
"She will, when she gets to know the real you," she told him comfortingly.
"I highly doubt it. You were the first stranger to actually hear my voice…" His words trailed off.
She fell quiet. "Because people just don't listen. I'm afraid that they had gotten too wrapped up with their own lives to stop and listen to the other creatures around them." She tucked her knees under her chin. "And maybe, it's because I adore animals. Their feelings and intentions are easier to read than other people's. Even without words, you immediately know when they're happy, sad, or angry."
"You look sad," he commented after a moment.
"Not at all! I just remembered something…" Her eyes went towards the distant east wing, where the Hyuuga Court was located.
Realizing this, Naruto immediately hopped towards the window. Using his mouth, he pulled the strings of the curtain down, falling over the window and blocking the view.
"If the view over there is not so pleasant, then don't look at it," he advised. "Save your eyes for people who look good, like me."
"Oh, Froggy!" Hinata giggled again.
He was inwardly pleased to see the smile on her face, but he remembered he should not linger here any longer or he would involve her in his troubles, too.
"Bye for now, Hinata."
"W-Wait! Where are you going?" she asked.
"Out."
"Y-Yes, but where exactly?"
"I don't know. Just…just out." He wasn't familiar with the environment at night, and he knew only too well the perils nightfall could bring to a diminutive amphibian like him.
"If you have nowhere to go tonight, you can stay here," she said earnestly. "You are most welcome here, Froggy."
"Gee, I don't know…" Stay in a room of a girl? A GIRL?! Sir Ebisu once said it was a dream come true, but since it came from Sir Ebisu, Naruto sensed that it was not the type of dreams young innocent boys like him should pursue.
" It's too dangerous to walk, er, hop home tonight. Get a good night's sleep first, then maybe tomorrow, I can help you go home. How does that sound?" she offered.
And he couldn't refuse. "Okay, you win! Tonight, you got yourself a roommate—" His eyes widened when he saw that she was fluffing the bed space beside her. "N-No! I can't sleep in there!" he yelled in panic.
She blinked. "W-What's wrong?"
His eyes roved around the room. "A-Ah…" His gaze then fell on the open bathroom door. Yes! He faced her again. "I'm more comfortable by the water."
She bought his excuse. "Well then, make yourself at home in my bathroom. Good night, Froggy!"
"'Night!" He hopped back into the bathroom, relieved.
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"I didn't find the naked blonde!" announced Sakura as she barged into the Royal Chambers.
Sasuke, who was dressing up, immediately tied his dressing robe. "People with breeding usually knock first."
"Well, I have no breeding, so sue me!" Her alter ego cried out belligerently, but the voice had no place in an elegant and refined court lady's manners. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, determined not to let him intimidate her. "This will be my room too, in the near future."
He smirked. "Such fighting spirit!"
Her cheeks reddened. "Sasuke-kun—"
He looked at her warningly. "Address me with my title, woman. I am now the ruler of the Hidden Leaf kingdom, may I remind you?"
She bit her lower lip. "Alright, Your Highness. Who was that girl?"
He turned his back at her. "I am not obliged to answer you."
"She kissed you!" she said accusingly, her voice tightening. If it was for what she said, or because he made it clear that she had no business with his affairs, she didn't bother to know.
"It was an accident." Sasuke cursed himself silently for unwittingly justifying his actions. After all, she was merely Haruno Sakura, the brat he had known since childhood who had been very vocal with her affections for him. She was a nobody.
Sakura pointed her finger at him. "Listen well, Sasuke-kun! I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that!"
He groaned, unable to believe she forgot what he told her just a couple minutes ago regarding using honorifics.
"The tide is high, but I'm holding on!" she declared proudly. "I'm gonna be your number one!"
"Was that a song you just recited to me?"
"No, it was poetry!" Her cheeks flushed. "I'm going back to bed!"
"Good riddance," he muttered, exasperated.
"Sleep tight, Sasuke-kun. And dream of me!" She shut the door at last.
"And Kakashi thinks I'm going to marry someone like her?" He rolled his eyes. "Heavens forbid that I will produce a heir from that crazy woman."
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"Hey Shika, you're asleep already or something?" asked Choji in the darkness of the sleeping quarters the two share.
"About to, but my head feels like it was trampled by a thousand wild horses," he complained. "Ouch!"
"I was just thinking…what will become of our jobs when Ino gets to marry the prince?"
"Promotion for me, a fully-stocked fridge the size of a walk-in closet for you. And nice retirement plans for both of us." He stretched. "I can't wait."
"You don't sound like it."
"Sorry. I'm bad at being sincere."
"Eh? And what do you call the way you look at Lady Ino when she is unaware?"
Shikamaru stiffened. "Go to sleep, Choji."
"I'm not yet sleepy!"
"Then go to the kitchen."
"Okay!" It seemed like the 'Go' signal was the only thing his assistant was waiting for. A minute later, the space beside him was vacated.
"Stupid Choji. Now it's me who was robbed of sleep!" he complained in the darkness.
…
to be continued
