"Good morning, me!" Naruto cheerfully greeted himself as he stretched energetically. His hand immediately went to his forehead protector, making him grin even wider.
"More training! Yay, more training!" he said excitedly as he fixed his clothes. "Aaah, I can't wait!" As the crown prince of the Leaf kingdom ordered, he would become the weapon of the kingdom as well against the feasible attacks to be launched on the Hidden Leaf. Thus, he would be trained by the Starlets themselves, Hatake Kakashi-specific.
"Ohoho! I'll surely become stronger! Then I can impress the Lady Sakura!" He chuckled some more. "Yay!!! I can't wait!!!"
Just then, he felt himself shiver. It was a bit too cold today.
He went outside the stable to check the weather. As soon as he did however, his eyes widened.
"Snow!!!"
………………………………………………
Chapter Fifteen
Curse those critically damaged diskettes. -.- I can't keep up with my everyday updates because my diskettes keep on messing up. [posts a vending window: Selling Defective Diskettes w/ Free Viruses]
Hey, time for my personal messages! - Yo h4t5uh4ru! How is Cousin Yuki doing? (he he) Corny pautot aside, my fever and cough had finally got tired of me and moved out. Just don't induce me to laugh too hard, or I'll end up coughing and gagging myself to death. I can't explain it, except that uh…it's a process [insert Ruffa Mae Quinto smile].
WormKaizer, after I read your message, I was like…0.0. OMG, you're going to Japan!!! Can you smuggle me there along? Waaa, I hope you get to secure all those Naruto cool stuff! Maybe even a NaruHina douji!!! [slobber] When you get back, email me (my profile holds my email addy). I would love to hear how your trip there went. Or you can just write it through the review page. Either way, fill me in with the details, ok?
Xoni Newcomer, long time no see! As for your question, I shall attempt to answer that in the coming chapters.
Tomoyo129, sa totoo lang, nahihirapan ako mag-update. Kulang me ng inspirasyon. Kung nabibili man un, bankrupt ako. Pero dahil request mo, pipilitin ko tumapos ng update.
White Witch, this sem, nag-stop ako. Mag-iipon muna ako dahil nde na carry ng trabaho ko ang sky-high tuition ko ngaun(self-supporting lng ako ;;). Just to satisfy your curiosity lng. And yes, ok din na nakatambay sa bahay - Un nga lng, sira ang TV namin ule kaya puro sa PC lng ako, nanonood ng Countdown at Angel of Darkness (he he)
[,], tawagin nyo na lng po ako na syao-chan. –sama is too honorific a suffix para sa nilalang na autistic na tulad ko. Believe me, dhil sarili kong nanay ang nagsabi nyan. Sana mag-enjoy ka sa update na itich
Mahina, thanks for adding this story to your favorites! ==
Orrie, you missed the Tagalized Naruto by…five days. ;; I wish I could have recorded it at least in VHS format so I can give you a comparison in the dubbings of the characters. So how's your stay? I don't know if this message will reach you in time, but if you want, we can meet! Ask your friends if they can take you to SM Pampanga (ehehehe, I'm not allowed to go anywhere beyond that due to health reasons).
Whew, that was a lot!
This chapter is dedicated to all who are addicted to Go! by Flow. Man, I can't get enough of this music! Get the fire, bam! [changes the BGM of GlastHeim into Naruto's latest opening theme; watches Dark Lord rock his skull out] Pure rocking bliss. Rok on!
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"Ugh! Go away!" Tenten sleepily placed a pillow above her head to attempt to block out the insistent knocks on her door. She and Neji spent the whole night together last night, and she was still dead tired.
Of course, it wasn't really spending together the whole night… she exhausted herself in trying to give difficult training grounds for her childhood rival courtesy of her magic, as well as trying to keep up with his combat skills physically.
But she had to face facts—his battle skills were already a light year away from hers. He should have known better than to ask someone like her to be his sparring partner.
"Tenten, it's me!!!" called Lee's voice excitedly.
"Yes, Lee, it's you," she said wearily. She loved her little Lee, no question about it, but right now, she just wished that he would simply disappear. She needed her bed now…she badly needed rest.
"Tenten, wake up!!!" the insistent voice of the taijutsu master nearly made her cringe. "Wake up, I wanna show you something!!!"
"I'm wake-upping, I'm WAKE-UPPING!" she snapped, mustering all her physical strength to roll out of bed. "What?!" she yelled, not caring if her morning breath fanned his face.
But Lee didn't even look affected. He hurriedly pulled her hand and dragged her excitedly towards the Hyuuga wing, where a balcony overlooks the rose garden, as well as the backyard.
"Look, Tenten! It's snowing!!!" Lee's eyes shook in admiration as soft, fluttering snowflakes fell down from the sky, kissing every inch of the matter it falls on, including their heads.
He blinked when he felt something heavy fall on his shoulder. He turned, and then sweatdropped.
Tenten had fallen asleep again, this time, leaning on his shoulder. He laughed quietly. The girl wasn't kidding when she said she needed to sleep some more.
Just then, Neji passed by the hallway, not looking too perky himself. One look at them and his face contorted into disgust.
"Good morning, Neji-kun," greeted Lee, pretending not to notice his glare.
"That witch is seducing you this early in the morning?" he asked, irritated. He noticed that she was still wearing the training clothes she donned last night. So where did she stay after they finished their sparring session? To Rock Lee's room?
"Seducing?" The Gai look-alike grinned. "Why would she do that?"
"She fancies you. Don't tell me that your common sense still cannot grasp that idea?" The Hyuuga earl eyed the girl once more, and then shrugged. "Anyway, you better bring her to her room already."
"Why?" asked the boy, his usually round eyes rounder than before, and they were twinkling knowingly. This annoyed Neji even more.
"Why? Because she's sleeping. And usually, people who sleep should be in the bedroom, not in the open-air place like this, displaying public affection."
"No. Why are you asking me about Tenten?" asked the taijutsu master. "Don't tell me you're…concerned?"
"Why do I have to answer that?" asked Neji back.
An idea suddenly formed in Lee's mind. "I like Tenten," he declared, eager to see the reaction of the usually calm earl.
He thought he heard the Hyuuga exhale sharply.
"Why are you telling me this?" the long-haired boy asked after a moment.
"I just think that in case you have objections—"
"And that Haruno girl?" asked Neji.
"I don't want to risk all my love to one girl only. I don't want to get hurt too badly."
Neji's eyes remained impassive. "I have no objections. I do
not care." His eyes went back to the sleeping girl. "But if you should know
something, you have to reconsider that."
"What do you mean?"
"She charmed you through a love potion." He continued to walk away from them. "Will you ego be able to accept that?"
Lee blinked. What the hell was he talking about?
Suddenly, he remembered the scene in the magic laboratory. More or less, he had a working idea on what happened.
"I don't mind," Lee decided to say.
Neji turned to him, grim. "With that, you eroded the last of the respect I have for you." He grumpily marched away, and this time, the taijutsu genius didn't bother to stop him. It was fun to pull his leg a little, but he could recognize limitations.
Neji was pissed off already. Really.
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.
Hinata opened her eyes, sorting her thoughts out. It was morning already.
She got up, wincing a little as she felt her slightly paralyzed arm move for the first time since the Mist soldier stuck his needle at her.
Wait…last night…The flaxen-haired fairy…was she just a dream? Her eyes fell on the closed curtains of her bedroom. She thought Sakura left the windows open yesterday, so who closed them for her?
She smiled sadly. Maybe it was all a dream, or even a hallucination brought by the near-death trauma she had with the Mist attack. After all, who would believe her when she tells everyone about the beautiful fairy…who, strangely, felt very familiar and close to her heart.
She tested her strength if it was enough to make herself stand up. Deciding that it was, she changed into her work clothes. She wanted to check on her mistress already.
"Hinata!!!"
Her heart jumped. Even in her dreams or waking hours, she would always immediately know who it was. She sauntered towards the window.
"Catch!" A second later, a snowball slammed on her windowpane. Naruto was throwing snowballs up and down his gloved hand, grinning.
"Season's greeting to you, Hinata!" He waved a peace sign at her, making her heart melt in affection.
Ah, now she could start her morning already.
"G-Good morning, Naruto-kun!"
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.
"Hmm! Warm yummy chocolate! Wee!!!" Naruto hugged the steaming mug close to his cheek. They were in the maid's room, enjoying the hot chocolate Hinata made for them. "This is one of the best things about winter! Yay!" He then felt her steady gaze on him. "Hinata?"
She blinked, and then blushed hotly. "A-Ah…g-gomen! I-I didn't mean to…stare…so…" She covered her burning cheeks embarrassedly. "N-Naruto-kun…" She eyed him shyly, and then found something to talk about. "Y-Your forehead…"
Naruto blinked, and then grinned. "He he. This? I woke up at dawn and I was about to start on the haystack gathering when Kakashi-sensei called me and told me that Sasuke wants to tell me something. He said," He gave his best Kakashi impersonation, making his eyelids heavier. "'Yo, Naruto. Sasuke says he wants to see you immediately. Come to the throne room now.' And then I said, 'If he really wants to see me immediately, he could have spared ordering you to do it and go see me himself.' Sir Kakashi laughed, and said, 'He is the prince, and we have to obey him'. I was shocked! I told him that, 'Hey, he's not my father, let alone my mother. And I remember the Ten Commandments ordering us to honor our father and mother, which he neither is.' But in the end, I went along with Sir Kakashi because he said I might get free ramen in the kitchen if I go to the castle, but it turned out that he was only bluffing! Can you believe how deceitful a person he is, using ramen against defenseless people as blackmails?" Naruto paused only long enough to sip his drink as Hinata looked on, fascinated by his vigor and high spirit.
"Anyway, Sasuke gave me this." He proudly touched the Hidden Leaf symbol on the forehead protector. "He told me that from now on, I am part of the kingdom already,"
Hinata clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, that's wonderful!"
"Really? You think so?" he asked excitedly.
She nodded enthusiastically. "Ah yes, Naruto-kun! Imagine what liveliness you will bring to the kingdom! Especially now…especially now that the kingdom is in the brink of a war…" Her eyes saddened.
"A-Ah, Hinata, you're losing your smile again!" He instinctively reached for her hand. "Everything will work itself out, trust me, it will!"
Hinata nearly felt her heart stop as she suddenly remembered her dream.
The blonde fairy clasped her hand like this too last night. She could never forget the feel of the hand—it was the most pleasant, most comforting touch she ever received from anyone.
Her eyes slowly met his, not knowing what to do.
She nearly fainted when she saw that he was intently gazing at her too.
.
.
.
Inspite of himself, he couldn't help but stare at her, remembering how he nearly lost his mind with the unexpected proximity he had with her last night.
And the feeling was coming back to him again, and he was helpless, especially when he stares at her blushy-warm face… she was very cute, in her proud fragile way, particularly when she smiles. He liked the way her small uncertain mouth would twitch, and then blossom into a full smile.
He loved the feel of her hand too—soft yet firm, one that could fit snugly in his grasp, like a jigsaw puzzle piece fitting in.
It was a foreign experience to him—being THIS aware of a girl. Until Hinata, he didn't know that girls were warm, and that they smelled good, and that they can soothe tensions with their mere presence. At least that was how he sees Hyuuga Hinata.
"A-Anou…Naruto-kun…"
He blinked.
She looked down. "A-Ah…" Her eyes were on her hands still held by his.
He quickly let go of her hand, laughing uncomfortably. "Come on, let's play outside! It's snowing! It's kinda cold though, so be sure to put on a jacket…" He propped his arms behind his head, trying to look relaxed, when in reality, he wasn't. He felt like a bastard thinking about his good friend beyond platonic terms. It was safe to think of Lady Sakura this way, but not her. Hinata was too kind and sweet and caring for him to fantasize about in the same way.
"R-Right." She eyed his outfit, and then searched her cabinet. She brought out a large black jacket with hood and showed it to him. "A-Ah, Naruto-kun, come here please."
"Eh?" He did so anyway. He stepped towards her, and she secured the jacket around him. "There," said Hinata, tying the strings on the hood.
"T-This is…?" Naruto looked at her, puzzled.
"I-It's cold…a-and I have a feeling…that you don't like chill…" Her cheeks flushed. "I-I mean…"
It was the same thing that she did for him when he was in his frog form, and like what happened before, it touched him so. For someone like him who lived all his life without being fussed upon like this, he was pleasantly surprised by her thoughtfulness.
"Thank you, Hinata." He grinned at her.
"A-Ah, please don't worry about it. I have other jackets here that I had sewn myself." She looked uncomfortable, but she was happy with his attention.
"I have an idea! Let's invite Kiba so we can build a snowman!" Naruto grinned some more. "We'll make a snowman that looks like Sasuke! What do you say?"
"T-The prince won't be too happy…"
"But I will be!"
"Oh Naruto-kun…" She giggled, inwardly relieved that the earlier tension between them dissipated.
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"I hope you are well aware of what you just did, Lord Sasuke," said Anko as she watched the prince sign the scroll formally declaring war against the Mist kingdom and other kingdoms that would side with the said empire.
Sasuke calmly sealed the scroll. "I don't want the Mist kingdom to think that we are too scared to reiterate. And what they did to Saku…Lady Haruno is beyond forgiveness."
"Are we sure about the other kingdoms?" asked the female ninja, frowning. "What if they side with Mist?"
"They won't," said Sasuke confidently. "Through the years of our history with them, they know the quality of our fighters. We have the best of the best."
"Yes, they know the quality of our soldiers. But the question is, do we know theirs?" asked Kakashi, coming into the room, the other Starlets behind him. "Anyway, I'm sorry for interrupting, but I came here to tell Anko-sama that she has an appointment with an important person now. He's waiting downstairs."
Anko slapped her forehead. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot." After excusing herself from the prince, she left the study quietly.
"Carry on, Kakashi," instructed Sasuke, looking up from his work. "You and the Starlets were going to report something?"
"I'll go first," volunteered Kurenai. "Your Highness, the surveillance on the suspected spies in our kingdom are being executed now. So far, we're on to one of them."
"Very good," nodded Sasuke. He turned to Gai. "How about you?"
"Neji extends his disagreement with your plan to fight with Mist kingdom—"
"So what else is new?" asked the prince, a bored look on his face. "Is that all?"
The Bruce Lee Starlet groaned. "Aren't you even going to verify the Grand Conspiracy among the neighboring kingdoms? What if Mist has some secret allies?"
"I have faith on our army. It's time you start growing yours too," said the ruler curtly. "How about you, Kakashi? What is your report for today?"
"Lady Haruno looks very nice in her pink winter jacket."
A vein popped in Sasuke's head. "Kakashi…"
The male grinned. "Aaw, you get irritated too quickly."
"Why you—"
"Actually, it's about Naruto." The white-haired man smiled warmly. "I'm glad you decided to accept him in our kingdom."
"Noblesse oblige," shrugged Sasuke. "Besides, I don't want the demon Kyuubi to work against our favor."
"I just noticed something…do you remember the legend of the Hokage?" Kakashi wanted to know.
The prince frowned. "The Hokage is the legendary warrior that comes once in a lifetime, at the same time that the country is in peril. The last time the Hokage appeared—"
"He helped the Hyuuga and Uchiha clan to exorcise the demon serpent." Kakashi rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "Such power…"
"Why did you bring that up?" Sasuke wanted to know.
"Well, do you still remember what the Fourth looks like?" asked Kakashi, who had the great hero as his mentor in his younger days.
"No. I don't listen to my History classes." He turned to Kurenai. "No offense, of course." The female teacher sweatdropped.
"He looks very much like Naruto!" said Asuma, eyes wide. "Yes, so that's why it seemed to me that he looks a little familiar even when it was the first time I met the boy!"
"Perhaps it was destiny pointing to us something. The boy was sent in the time that the kingdom is in peril, and he bears some similarity with the Fourth." Hatake.
"It's too early to tell." Sasuke. "Yes, he bears the Kyuubi devil, and his chakra is unbelievable, but those and some circumstantial evidences are not enough for us to expect so much from him."
Kakashi was unfazed. "But the hair—"
"Hey, hey, if I bleach Inuzuka Kiba's hair and have it cut short, then does that necessarily follow that he's the Hokage?" asked Sasuke critically.
"Naruto is a natural blond, and so is the Fourth."
"That's not the point!" said the ruler through gritted teeth. Trust Kakashi to turn even a debate into a bloody battleground.
The Starlet crossed his arms. "Why don't we make a bet?"
"A bet?" asked the prince.
"Yes. I am betting my entire Come, Come Paradise collection, as well as its special collector's edition, that Naruto is the Fifth."
The Leaf ruler smiled, interested. "It looks like you have a lot of faith on that boy. Alright then, I'm betting…ah…" He searched his mind for possible collaterals in the deal.
"Your pride," said the white-haired male.
"Hmm?"
"If you lose, you will cross-dress for one whole day in a major public ceremony."
Kurenai choked. "Kakashi, what the hell—"
"That is absurd!" protested Iruka. "It might affect the respect of the other kingdoms on our young ruler—"
"I want to see him in a mini-skirt," mused Ebisu aloud.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're out of your mind, Kakashi. But alright, I'll agree to that."
"Good," nodded the Starlet smilingly. "Now Naruto has to train even harder now."
At that moment, the door opened, revealing a dark-faced Anko.
"Your appointment didn't go well?" asked Kakashi sympathetically.
Anko groaned, exasperated. "Idiot."
"What…?" It wasn't his type to ask about private matters, but some of Sakura's curiosity and meddlesome personality must have rubbed on to him, because he asked.
The female ninja, fortunately, looked too mad to even notice how strangely the Ice Prince acted. "That wasn't the man I was waiting for."
Kakashi looked puzzled. "But you said you were waiting for someone to sell those wonder bra thingies—"
"IDIOT!" Both Anko and Kurenai slammed their fists on his nape.
"Who were you supposed to be meeting anyway?" asked Sasuke.
"An important informant," replied the senior Starlet, shrugging. "It has been reported that the Kazekage-sama had been assassinated. The situation in the Sand Kingdom now is more chaotic than ever."
"They will now be an easy target for the devil serpent then," said Iruka, shaking his head.
"Who is the de-facto leader of the kingdom now?" the prince wanted to know. The Kazekage was also the ruler of Sand Kingdom.
"This is the frightening part, Your Highness," said Anko, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Intelligence report says that the Mist kingdom is planning to make talks with them."
Sasuke exhaled audibly. "The Mist kingdom is weak all by itself, but the Sand people…"
"Even before, they were talks already of Sand wanting to invade us," Gai pointed out.
"What about the Sound?" asked the prince.
"One of our suspected spies came from that country," said Kurenai.
"If there is one less thing to worry about, the devil serpent is not acting…yet." Kakashi sat down the table. "I don't think we can handle all problems at the same time."
"You have to hurry up in training Naruto," said Sasuke, shaking his head. "We need every help we can get. I don't think we can rely in the smaller kingdoms. It's all up to us to defend them from the other kingdoms' invasion plans."
"Don't worry. Naruto will be doing fine, as long as he stays the way he is now." Kakashi's eyes turned to the window. "As long as he can control the demon within him, he will be fine."
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.
.
"Gah! I can't believe I was talked into doing this," complained Kiba as he and Naruto shoveled snow that they would use in their Abominable Sasuke Snowman. "I mean, I would lose my job because of this," he added as an afterthought.
"Lighten up!" advised the blond boy, grinning. "If people can make monuments for their heroes, why can't we?"
"Somehow, Lord Sasuke won't like his nose represented by a carrot," said Shikamaru, who came from behind.
"Is that carrot edible?" asked Choji, who was beside the shadow master.
Naruto blinked.
Hinata quickly took the initiative to introduce the two Yamanaka workers to Naruto.
"Oh…so, you are the Uzumaki Naruto that saw the devil serpent and lived," said Shika, nodding slowly. "I am amazed. You look nothing like the descriptions said."
"Hey, what do you mean about that?" demanded Naruto quickly.
But the raven-haired boy had dropped the topic already. His eyes went to the snow statue, and he smiled. "Looks good. I wonder how long you two will live when the prince discovers this."
"Hah!" Naruto grinned. "Sasuke won't mind, believe me.'
"Sasuke, eh?" Now Shika looked a bit more impressed. "You have quite the guts to call him that way."
"It's quite as comparable as how you address the Lady Ino," pointed out Lee, who came in the courtyard too, dragging a sleepy girl behind him.
Shikamaru laughed, and then greeted politely the earl and the mage.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun," greeted Lee, eyes smiling. "I heard you found Sir Kakashi already. Good for you!"
"Gah! Don't remind me." Naruto rolled his eyes.
The mage Tenten yawned. "Guys, why are we all gathered here?"
"My attention was caught by the snowman," explained Lee, eyes on the snowman wearing a black-dyed mop over its head styled the Uchiha Sasuke way, and with a forehead protector to boot. A carrot was stuck in the midsection of the snowman's face, and it was wearing a blue shirt that nearly covered the chin of the snowman.
"Looks familiar," said Tenten, snickering.
Naruto raised a thumbs-up, and then used his paintbrush to make a cross face on the snowman. It was the Sasuke look that everyone in the kingdom knew about.
The guys doubled over, laughing. Tenten snickered some more, while Hinata had the finesse to hide her delighted smile behind her palms.
"I wish I could put shorts on him, but Sasuke Snowman would just have to live the Winnie the Pooh fashion style," shrugged the blond, chuckling.
"Hey, let's make a statue of Neji!" said Lee, clapping his hands.
Tenten laughed. "Yeah, let's do it!"
The group began to mold snow as Shikamaru watched, contented to just sit around idly as everyone worked.
"A-Anou, I-I'll just bring you guys some hot chocolate and cakes!" Hinata bowed, and then ran back into the castle.
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.
.
As Hinata passed by the garden, she saw Shino standing by the stable door, as if looking for something.
"Aburame Shino-san?" she asked. He turned to her, startled.
"Y-You were looking for something?" she asked, forehead creased.
"Yes. I was looking for you." He pulled her into the stable. "Listen, Lady Hinata, I'm leaving the Leaf kingdom soon. My life is in danger."
"L-Lady Hinata?" The girl's eyes widened. "Y-You know about—"
"It's irrelevant." He exhaled audibly. "The Starlets will soon know about me because I acted too slowly and too uncertainly."
"A-Acted?"
He sat down, defeated. "I'm a spy, Lady Hinata. I was tasked to look after you and make sure that you're safe, because someone needs you for his plans. As a successor of the Byakugan, you will become helpful to him."
"H-Him who?"
But the gardener shook his head. "My services were terminated after I messed up with my duty. Your life was endangered in the Mist kingdom, and for that I cannot be trusted anymore. On the other hand, Leaf is starting to get suspicious of me. Either my allies now or your kingdom will kill me."
"S-So you have nowhere to go…" Hinata's eyes widened. "Shino-kun…"
"I cannot look out for you anymore, but I am not worried. Uzumaki Naruto, I believe, is a capable fighter. He can take care of you." Shino's face relaxed. "I'm sorry, Lady Hinata. You were very kind to me, and had we met sooner, I would never agree to this."
Hinata shook her head vehemently. "Shino-kun, never once did I doubt you, and I will not start now. I can feel that you are a good person…and a good friend too."
"Thank you," he smiled gently, for the first time since she met him. "You deserve something much better than this."
"H-Huh?"
He gazed at her intently. "You don't deserve to be involved in the war of the kingdoms. I wish I can bring you with me, but it will only endanger your life more. Everyone is after me."
"Then stay, Shino-kun," she said.
He shook his head firmly, and then showed her his clenched fists. "Look, and choose. Either one inside my hand, I will offer to you as my birthday gift for your birthday."
"E-Eh?" She looked hesitant, but the look on his face made her obey him. She chose the right hand.
He unclenched his fist, showing a small delicate white heather. He placed it on her hand. "White heather is said to make wishes come true, but it can also mean protection from harm. Thus, from now on, you will have me as your knight, for as long as you want me to."
"S-Shino…kun…"
He kept the other bloom in his pocket. "And I will keep this other flower, and maybe, I can give this someday."
"What's the other flower?" she asked, curious.
It was a lavender heather, and it meant admiration.
But she didn't need to know that anyway. It was a little secret he knew that he would take even to his grave.
He wasn't able to do his duty well as a spy, because his emotions he thought he had forgotten had resurfaced when he met Hyuuga Hinata.
"Goodbye, Lady Hinata," he bade quietly, stepping away.
"Shino-kun, where do you plan to go now?" she asked worriedly. "A-And please…please be alright…" Her eyes widened when he suddenly stepped towards her, closing their gap. His arms reached for her and hugged her tightly.
"Where you are, Lady Hinata. You won't see me, but I am there. I have decided that if I shall die, I shall do so protecting someone…" Someone dear to me.
He shook his head, and then loosened his hold. "The flowers in the garden…"
"I'll take care of them for you!" said the maid quickly.
"In spring, they shall bloom beautifully," he promised her softly. He gazed at her in longing for one last time, and then walked away. He knew it would take time before he would be able to see her again, and perhaps he may never do so anymore. But as long as he lived, he knew he would keep on trying to come back to Hidden Leaf kingdom.
If only to look after the Princess Hinata.
If only for her.
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.
Neji, who was leaning against the wall, exhaled audibly. So the spy that was slowly gathering information about the Leaf's clandestine affairs was the gardener. Who would have known?
And as his conversation with Hinata went, it seemed that they were close friends.
He smirked and walked back to the palace. Perhaps there was another way to punish his little cousin after all.
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.
All the Starlets had left the prince's study, save for Kakashi, who was browsing the dictionary.
Sasuke, who had already sent the all-too-important scroll through the Anbu, was resting on his seat, massaging his head. All the talks on the foreign relationships with the other kingdoms exhausted him so.
After a while, Sasuke spoke up. "What the hell are you looking for in the dictionary?"
"Can you give me something seen in the lower anatomy that starts with a 'V' and is seen where it is cool, dark, and damp?" asked Kakashi. "I'm solving a crossword puzzle."
"I can't believe you have time for that when you can be outside, training Naruto!" yelled the prince.
"Ah, relax. Let the boy enjoy the snow today," said the Starlet. "Now will you help me already?"
The prince could only think of one word that answers the clues of the puzzle. His face flamed. "Kakashi…"
"I know!" The Starlet excitedly answered the puzzle.
In spite of himself, the Ice prince couldn't stop himself from peeking through the sheet Sir Kakashi was answering.
"Vibrissa." This made the forehead of the prince crease. "What is that?"
Kakashi snickered. "I knew you were going to think of something perverted." Before the prince could protest, the Starlet continued. "It is a stiff, coarse hair found inside the cool, dark, and damp nostrils of man, but can also be found in the lower parts of the other mammals. They serve mostly as tactile organs."
"I see." But it didn't help the darkening of the face of the prince.
Just then, the door slammed open.
"Sasuke-kun, come out!" said Sakura, cheeks flushed. "You've gotta see this!"
The prince groaned. "Lady Haruno, address me with the respect—"
"Oh, don't be such a cow, Sasuke-kun! Come on!" She marched towards him and pulled him towards the window. "See that?"
Sasuke felt his face turn even darker. "Oh hell…"
Kakashi's eyes roved over the Abominable Sasuke Snowman figure. "I think it's kinda cute. Why, the snowman could pass of as your twin brother!"
Sasuke glared at the Starlet, and then back at the snow statues. "And is that Earl Hyuuga Neji beside me?" The Neji yeti was posed beside him, a long mop of dark cloth over his head and an identical carrot stuck in his face as a nose.
"They're cute, eh?" asked Sakura cheerfully. "Come on, let's go outside and play!"
"Lady Haruno," he said after a moment of pause. He stepped away from the window and went back to his seat. "I'm tired. I don't have time to play outside."
"Oh? But it's only morning? How can you be tired already?" the girl asked, puzzled.
His eyes went back at her. "Do you still not understand? Unlike you, I have duties that I cannot leave behind just to play in the snow. I am the ruler of this kingdom, and I cannot erase that identity even for a minute!"
Sakura looked down. "I-I see…" She then looked up, a weak smile on her face. "Ah, the Ice prince is always grouchy anyway! Why did I ever think that things changed when he saved me in the Mist kingdom?" Without waiting for his reply, she dashed out of the room.
Kakashi groaned. "Real smooth, Sasuke."
"Stay out of this, Kakashi," said the prince warningly.
The Starlet shrugged. "Sasuke, do you know that true love that's willing to endure comes only once in a lifetime?"
"Don't start your Cupid acts on me again…"
"You are confident that she will keep on following you and chasing you even to the end of the world, that's why you don't bother to look back. But what if the day comes that when you glance back, she's not there anymore?" Kakashi picked up his crossword puzzle and sauntered out of the study. "Just food for thoughts, Sasuke."
The prince was silenced.
…………………………….
(to be continued)
………………………………
Post-talk:
Do you know that one wrong letter in our language can utterly destroy the meaning of a sentence? I realized that in one of my tutorial sessions with the kids of my neighbors.
Example:
Si Sasuke ay matalik na kaibigan ni Naruto.
(Sasuke is the best friend of Naruto).
My student read it as:
Si Sasuke ay katalik na kaibigan ni Naruto.
(Sasuke is the bed friend of Naruto).
So in learning Tagalog language, please be extra careful!
This is a public service message brought you by syao-chan
