"Neji, that was rather impolite, you know! If you don't like to see Hinata--" Tenten entered the study where the earl was seated, quietly scanning the various scrolls in the kingdom's official records room. "Hey, what are you doing with those—"
He motioned her to be quiet, and then turned his attention back at the documents.
The mage quietly sat down beside him and peeked at the papers. "Yakushi Kabuto?" She frowned. "What the hell do you want with our physician?"
"Look at these," he ordered. "His birthplace is a town in the border of Sound and Leaf kingdom some nineteen years ago. However, this place had not been a territory of the Leaf yet until three years later, when our kingdom claimed that place under our tutelage after defeating the Sound kingdom led by the devil serpent. Thus, he must be a child from the ravages of the war, and we cannot be sure that he has real Leaf citizen parents."
"The devil serpent?" Tenten looked puzzled. "But the devil serpent attacked just some years ago, almost on the year we were born."
Neji shook his head. "The devil serpent was sealed twice. First, by the Third and my clan, along with the Uchiha clan. For their victory, the Uchiha clan was awarded the kingdom throne. This is one of the biggest reasons for my clan's bitterness with that of the prince's." He pointed to the map again. "The second time around, the serpent was sealed by the Fourth Hokage, who came out from nowhere. No one knew who he was—he merely appeared in the scene and easily defeated the demon. He suddenly disappeared without a trace while sealing a youma that unexpectedly arrived in Kingdom Leaf."
"The Kyuubi…" whispered the sorceress, eyes wide.
The earl nodded. "No one knew the outcome of the battle between the powerful demon nine tails and the Fourth, but the youma never returned again. The kingdom assumed that the spirit was successfully sealed by him." His eyes returned to her face. "The assumption was given body when Uzumaki Naruto arrived here."
"The boy that saw the devil serpent and lived…?"
Neji crossed his arms. "The prince refuses to talk about it, but the earls know about his fears: that the nine tails spirit was sealed in that boy's body."
Tenten shook her head in disbelief. "Wait…wait…Naruto? THE Naruto?" She chewed on her thumb unconsciously, sitting on the table where the scrolls lay. She looked down at the earl. "What about Kabuto-sensei?"
He looked at the grinning picture of the almost harmless-looking substitute kingdom physician on the paper. "I'm suspecting that he had not really let go yet of his bonds with the Sound kingdom, also known as the home of the devil serpent."
"Oh come on…you can't mean to say that he's…"
"A spy." The earl of the Hyuuga court turned grim. "He disappeared amidst the impending kingdom war."
"M-Maybe he just checked on some people outside the kingdom—"
"He should have let us know of his actions," said the earl. "He knows that in this delicate situation, he must be especially careful of his acts. He is our kingdom physician in the absence of the medical specialist." Neji closed the scroll. "Until he returns and we can interrogate him, he would remain innocent. However, if found guilty, I hope it's not too late for our kingdom. As a doctor and a general insider in the important affairs of the prince and the Leaf kingdom as a whole, he has the access to so much critical information about us. Hell, he even knows about our suspicions regarding the Kyuubi inside Naruto, who was under his care for some time too."
Tenten jumped down from the table. "We should tell the Starlets about this. Let's find Sir Gai."
"Tenten…"
She froze. "Whoa!" She turned to him, surprised. "Y-You called me by my name…and you're aware and sane when you did that?"
He paused. "A-Aware and sane…?"
"The first time you called me by my name was when you RELUCTANTLY gave me your first and last gift." She pointed to her hair ribbons. "And that was only because you got me for Kris Kringle!" She ticked another finger. "The next time was some time ago, when you ANGRILY dragged me out from my laboratory and kissed me." Another finger rose. "And the last time I remember was when you went home from your six days of wandering. That's forgivable, since you were emotionally drained."
"And your point is…?" he asked, forehead creasing with the impromptu speech she gave.
"My point is…are you aware that you just called me by my name and not plain 'Witch'?"
"Yes, I am."
"Well, DON'T. It's freaky hearing you say so." She placed her hands on her hips. "And while we're at it, you better cease doing THAT too."
"That?"
"Kissing me."
"Why?" He leaned on the doorway, his blank eyes hinting amusement she thought he wasn't capable of.
"It's not normal. In the first place, archenemies do NOT kiss…not your way, Hyuuga Neji." She could feel herself slowly losing the battle of blush, especially when she saw that she was getting fried by her own fire. He was not the least affected by her words.
"What exactly IS my way then?" he wanted to know.
"I-It's…it's something reserved for lovers only!" There! She said it! She turned her back on him, but his hand quickly grabbed her shoulders. She turned to him, annoyed. "Neji—" Her words trailed off when she realized that he had lowered his face down towards her, a mere inch separating them. "N-Neji…er…l-let me go…t-this is not normal…y-you're not normal…" God, I'm starting to feel abnormal too!
"Normal my ass," he whispered. "If you insist on normalcy though, then I hold no objections."
"W-What do you mean?"
"Be my girl."
……………………
Chapter Twenty-Six
This chapter is dedicated to Refin-chan. I heart ya too!
And because I heart ya, I translated a part of Chicharong Flower, since you weren't able to read it. It's not the whole fic, (I found it impossible to translate Chicharon without it losing its native brand of humor), but I hope this would make up for you not understanding it::
(the scene is Hinata and Naruto's wedding. In the plot, Tenten doesn't 'personally' know Neji yet, except as the person whom she's going to borrow ingredients from for her business: selling chicharong flower or pig cracklets made of pigs' internal organs. She would meet him here for the first time, but little does she know that it was, in fact, going to be their second meeting already!)
Me: At last, Tenten arrives in the wedding. She silently wondered how she would find Hyuuga Neji in the crowd, just as the people around her started to get excited. It was time for the 'throw the bouquet' ceremony. She decided to watch them.
Hinata: One…two…THREE! (throws the flowers)
Girls: THAT'S MINE!!!
(The bouquet gets thrown around as the females fought tooth and nail for the bouquet. Truly, life is tough nowadays, when the ratio of Eve to Adam is 3:1, and the statistics do not yet include the Eve-ish Adams [he he])
Me: But the bouquet has its own mind! It rolled down towards the feet of Neji, who was seating peacefully in the corner, sipping wine.
Neji: Hmm? Flowers? How did it get here? (picks up the bouquet)
Naruto: Hey, where's the bouquet?
Neji: (waves arm) Over here. Son of a…why are you throwing these blooms just like that? Don't you know how much flowers like these cost nowadays?
Everyone: 0.o
Hinata: O-Oh my…w-what should we do? I-It's Neji' nii-san who got the bouquet…
Naruto: Ahh…um…let's just do what the tradition says… (looks at the male crowd whose faces darkened all at the same time) Ahh…w-who would like to place the garter on Nii-san? (turns to the man in the corner) Sasuke?
Sasuke: Madafckin hell…
Tenten: (gets up) Wait, some explanations please. Is that Hyuuga Neji?
Naruto: (scratches head) Yah… the last time I checked, yes.
Tenten: OK, fine. Give me the garter.
Everyone: o.0
Me: Later, Neji is already seated amidst the celebration, with Tenten kneeling in front of him. She was holding the garter already, as well as a mocking smile on her face.
Tenten: O, we meet again, Arrogant Jellyfish!
Neji: Jellyfish?
Tenten: I'm referring to your kissing jutsu.
Neji: Damn you…
Tenten: OK, let's get started. (looks at his pants) So how should we do this? Would you pull your slacks up, or would you prefer to just slide them down? (receives a lethal glare) What? Just asking…
Neji: (quietly lifts the hem of his pants up)
Crowd: Higher, higher!
Tenten: Hear that? I think they just said 'higher'.
Neji: Don't tell me you're going to obey them?
Tenten: But of course! The voice of the people is the voice of God. (lifts hem)
Neji: (fists clench) You can stop already…
Tenten: I hadn't even reached your knees yet! This is a garter, not an anklet! (pulls garter higher)
Neji: (feels a ticklish sensation on his leg) Stop it…
Tenten: Why are you so afraid to have your legs exposed? Do you have varicose veins? Are you three-legged?
Neji: You talk too much.
Tenten: (lifts the hem some more) Oh dear…I'm starting to feel insecure here…your legs are more damn shapely than mine!
Neji: One more smartass remark from you and I'll do something that you wouldn't like…
Tenten: (mockingly) No please! I might let you get away with it. (secures the garter) OK, it's done!
(crowd erupts in applause and cheers. Tenten bows)
PINOY WORD FOR THE CHAPTER:
bulaklak = flower
Ex:
Neji: Hmm? Bulaklak? Bakit andito? (sabay pulot)
Neji: Hmm? Flowers? How did it get here?[lit. Why is it here?] (picks up [the bouquet])
Messages:
Wormkaizer: Top 3? TFTP? Hontou??? Waaaai, thanks!!! And I'm really glad that my fics delight you so much.
Timeshifter16: Oooh [enlightened]. He he, the last time I played Nintendo was when I finished the Super Mario Saga (Mario1, 3, 4, Yoshi Island and Wonderful Mario). That was back when in elementary xD
Kaguara: Talking to Ritsu would be sooo much FUN! "I'm SORRY for sitting beside you. There's no more adequate space anywhere…OH KAMI-SAMA! Was that you foot I stepped on? I'm SORRY!!! Gawd, I'm getting up, I'm getting—ARGH! I stepped on it again! I'm SO SORRY!!! Waaa, how could have God allowed someone as clumsy as me to exist in the same breathing space as you—GAH! Oh no, I didn't mean to break your eardrums, shatter them into pieces—SORRY!!! SORRYYY!!!"
Calophi: Thank you for reading up to this point!
Takari-san: Wahaha! Hi mo ko kay Classmate buta-chan! Tsaka one op dis days baka matapos ko na ung Chicharon. Inaayos ko lng ung mga downloads sa site ko.
Kamui: Thank u uli sa pics ni Gamabunta! Tsaka he he, eto, may karugtong ang date nina Naruto here. Enjoy!
Hinata-chan: Actually, ala na Naruto. Nde tinapos ng Dos (Abs-Cbn) ang episodes, pero sabi ng kaibigan ko, babalik daw ata. Nde ko lng sure. Pero sana bumalik para ma-record ko boses nila!! Yaaay! One op dis days, darating sa inbox mo ang update ko sa Chicharon, okies? :D
White Witch: Actually, the site would need LOTS of resident artists :D So please, PLEASE try to draw at least one fanart for me! Please? With matching Kakashi in neon pink G-Strings on top? Tsaka basta, abang ka lng sa NejiTen he he. Do not fret; magkakawrinkles ka :p Happy reading! n-n
XxxLiquidFantasyxxx: Antabay lng friend. Masasagot ang iyong tanong by and by!
Yami to Hikari: Wow, thanks for reading! (Ehehe, my standard greeting to new names in the reviews. Gawd, I should come up with less corny lines soon -.-;;)
Mariel4000: [throws a Sir Gai rubber duckie towards her] Hold this! [pulls the rope tied to the rubber duck away so mariel-chan would be saved from the gales] Man, how many times do I have to tell you that it's not healthy to leave your electric fans overnight on super cool?
Jiri: I know I already sound like a broken pirated CD, but THANK YOU!!! [huggles] Thanks for all your help!!! Yaaay, info page is done! All I have to do is add contents to it as I get more materials from generous people like Nutty Scribbler-san and Fireblazie-chan!
H4t5uh4ru: Await for the update in ur inbox within this week n-n. And yes, Naruto and Hinata belongs together, forever and ever and the ever afterwards!!! Yaaay!
Neverendingdreamer: I'll have the answer of the puzzle up next chapter! He he, you'd be surprised by how easy it is to solve in actuality!
Miko-chan: I owe you a part of this story. Thanks for giving me an idea! n-n
……………………………….
"Ramen house! Ramen house!"
Hinata's eyes softened as she watched Naruto dance happily as they both made their way towards the noodle house that served the best ultra-electro-magnetic ramen bowls in the whole kingdom. It was funny how she could see a child and a man all at the same time in the person of Uzumaki Naruto-kun. He looked so wise and understanding and kind awhile ago when he talked to her caringly about her strength. Yet right now, the Naruto-kun marching and whistling cheerfully was like a child who was heading for his favorite toyshop.
That heart melting boyish grin…she kept that image of him in her heart in insentience.
When was the last time that she delighted on a spirit so carefree and innocent?
Yes, Naru-chan. Her much-adored frog friend who became the first Naruto-kun in her life, cheering her up every time, making her see slices of life that she had not yet seen beyond the grills of her painful past as a clan disappointment.
There was something about Naru-chan that she wanted to remember, but she couldn't. She decided to forget it instead—she knows that the beautiful fairy was taking care of her Naru-chan for her most wonderfully.
She heard herself pant inaudibly, and it was then that she realized that fatigue had already invaded her body. Her hands secured the knot of the scarf around her neck once more, shaking her head. She silently mused that for someone like her born in the season of winter, she sure had a feeble resistance against the chill. Her mitten-clad hands cupped her mouth as she breathed on them shakily and then shook herself. This was no time to let her frail health ruin the day of Naruto-kun. She did her best to keep her shaky breaths muffled, not wanting to worry him again.
.
.
.
Naruto was positive that he could hear soft gasps behind him, thanks to his unusually keen senses. He resisted the urge to turn around and check on her—he knew that she would just insist she was fine anyway. Instead, he slowed his pace, pretending to enjoy the scenery around him. Soon, he felt her relax, and her footsteps catching up with his.
"Christmas is around the corner," he suddenly said, making her look up. He stopped walking and pivoted to face her, grinning. "I can't believe how time flies. It seems only like yesterday when it was autumn. Now it's almost time for Christmas dinners! Yummy!"
She laughed shyly. "Y-Yes." Her eyes went to the kids running to and fro on the sidewalks. People were starting to put up Christmas decorations in their homes and some stores. "Even with the impending war, the spirit of Konoha's people refuses to be dampened."
"Which is only right. Christmas gives us hope." Naruto's eyes softened. "Every year, I try my best to be good so Santa would give me the things I want. It's puzzling though that even if I act good only two days before Christmas Eve, I still get my gift." He chuckled. "Years later, I realized why. Sir Iruka's heart easily melts." He smiled at her. "Not only is Santa Claus generous, he's also a great Ramen Bowl cook! Almost as good as that of Sir Kakashi's favorite ramen house!"
This made her giggle. "Oh Naruto-kun…"
Her laughter, as it always had, filled him with something warm again, even with the snow falling softly over them.
The falling snowflakes made her look up, her mittens cupped together as she caught them gracefully.
He unconsciously sucked his breath in. She looked so soft and fragile, and the small raining of flakes that touched her flawless creamy skin had made her look ethereal.
Ethereal. She wasn't cute like Sakura-chan. She was…
He swallowed a gulp of air and scratched his cheek embarrassedly when she caught him staring at her. Laughing uncomfortably, he pretended to look at the red candy ball machine in the corner, yet his eyes silently watched her.
She was now looking at the display window of a store behind them. In it was a large red and green stuffed frog doll with a Santa hat perched carelessly on it. It was grinning happily at the glass case.
Her eyes twinkled in happiness as her gloved fingers smoothed the almost frosted glass of the display case.
Once more, the protective instinct returned to him again, the same thing that operated when he nearly killed the masked Mist fighter and when he knocked the Earl Hyuuga's teeth out.
"Hinata?" He drew towards her at last and peeked at the display case. "You like that?"
Her face turned a lovely shade of pink. "H-Huh? A-Ah no...no…" She vehemently shook her head, her hands shaking a desperate 'No' too. "I-It's cute but…" Her eyes fell on the price tag. He peeked at it too.
"GAH!!! Five thousand ryo?!! What is that stuffed frog made of, gold bars?!!" He rolled his eyes and took her hand, pulling him with her. "Come on, Hinata! These people are taking advantage of Christmas spirit by selling in sky-high prices!"
Hinata blinked, and then laughed softly once more.
.
.
.
Despite of herself, Ino found herself seated by the garden where she could see all the carriages pass. Earlier, her father had sent Akimichi Choji to fetch Shikamaru again and make him report for his duty. She would jump up excitedly whenever she heard the hooves of horses, and sink back on her seat when she wouldn't see the Coat-of-Arms seal of the kingdom on the coach.
"Relax, girl!" she instructed herself. "Because it's going to be Christmas soon, you have to apologize to Shika. Yes, you would apologize in the spirit of giving and forgiving. Then you would do your best to make up for your cruelty to him. No matter what, he is still your best guy friend in all of the world." She shut her eyes and exhaled calmly. "That's right. Calm down, Lady Yamanaka Ino."
She could now admit out loud that she was wrong for not stopping him from leaving when she had every chance to do so. Her foolish pride got the best of her again.
But not this time.
She sort-of missed having him around, him keeping her company in her walks in and out of the castle, or listening to her chronicles of moments with her Prince Sasuke…
"Lady Ino!"
Recognizing Choji's face, her heart raced excitedly. After composing herself, she got up with much poise and faced her butler. "Yes?"
Choji looked a bit uncertain. "Er…we found Shikamaru…"
Her smile widened some more. "And where is he?"
"He refuses to come with us."
Her smile vanished.
.
.
.
"Two ultra-electro-magnetic ramen bowls for me and Hinata!" announced Naruto cheerfully.
The old man looked at the blushy girl and then winked at him conspiratorially. "So who must this beautiful young lady be, huh, Naruto?"
"My date!" he said proudly, making the other customers of the shop laugh amusedly. Hinata covered her warm cheeks embarrassedly.
"Hey, why are you covering your face?" he asked, removing her mitten-covered palm from her cheeks. "You don't like the flavor of the ramen I ordered? Egg and chicken noodles with vegetable strips are really great, but if you want, we have other variants here…pure meat, fish noodles…aw, wait! Fish noodles are only good when eaten with bread. You mix the crumbs in and voila!"
She blinked, and then smilingly shook her head. "I like egg and chicken noodles…"
Their meal was then served. Naruto excitedly clapped his hands together. "Itadakimasu!" He turned to her. "Eat heartily!" Without thinking, he pinched her cheek. "You need some meat there, see?"
Her eyes widened, and colors flooded her face again. "A-Ah…" Her sudden panic made her turn the steaming noodle bowl fall over the table.
To everyone's shock, Naruto, quick as lightning, was able to reach for the bowl before it landed on her lap, and he was able to catch each and every drop cleanly.
A moment of shocked silence, and then the people in the shop burst into amazed applause.
The old man of the ramen house looked at the boy admiringly. "Wow, you've got some outstanding reflexes there, eh noodle lad?"
He scratched the back of his head. "Haha! That's me, outstanding! Hahaha!"
The man smirked. "It's not you, it's your reflexes. Oh well…" He took another serving of noodles and placed it on his bowl. "There, for being this young lady's hero."
Naruto's eyes crinkled in delight. "Wow, THANK YOU!!!" He excitedly took in the noodles.
The cook faced Hinata. "Eat well, young miss! If you don't hurry, he might finish your noodles too. I should know—he and Sir Kakashi always fight for the super duper ultra-electromagnetic ramen bowl here."
Hinata nodded and started to eat too. The ramen tasted delicious, and the presence of her favorite boy in the world made the meal even better.
……………..
(to be continued; power interruption again…sowee -.-;;)
