A/N:
For those who don't like the folk tales, don't bother reading
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
The flash of lightning illuminated the trees.
Watching through the incomplete wall of his new hut, Naruto saw the strong wind bend large trees like they were blades of grass.
Grimacing, he waited for the following thunder to rumble past, the great waves of pressure shaking the blanket he used as a roof, causing yet another stream of water to leak down somewhere, striking him or one of the few remaining dry spots on his bedding.
He was shivering.
Teeth chattering, he wondered what else could go wrong.
The young shinobi cursed.
His master had not been very sympathetic. The damn hermit wouldn't allow Naruto within his small dwelling. But, he had tossed him the frog purse and graciously said that he could march down to the town and rent a room until the storm was over.
That would have gotten him even wet that he was now.
"It's bullshit!" He was beyond caring about the reason now. "My old hut was perfect." The walls were sealed. There was a vented chimney and a small fire pit. And, there was a thick layer of spruce boughs place over the dirt.
Hinata would be enjoying all that now.
A huge swirling gust of wind came through the spot on the wall where Naruto had run out of slats. Wet leaves struck him in the face and clung like hungry leeches.
This was just so damn great!!!
All these hardships were coming about because Tsunade had come up with some great idea that Naruto wasn't privy to. Hinata probably didn't know. Jiraiya wouldn't tell him. Naruto had shouted his question into night, but the darkness was no more help than his master.
"F-ck!!!" The worse Naruto felt, the coarser his language got.
By the time the next crash of thunder set his wall boards to rattling, he was making up new curse words.
His mouth open, he started choking, as a large leaf had flown right into his mouth He spat it out, his eyes watering. It almost seemed like the very forces of Nature were against him..
Maybe he deserved it.
Bad kharma and all that mumbo jumbo.
He could have been more polite to Hinata. It wasn't as if any of this was her fault.
Was it?
Shocked by the news of his new training partner, Naruto had stomped off to do his errands. But, he had been too disgruntled to focus on the task at hand. Witness his soggy state. Hinata had followed, asking if she could help. Naruto had ignored her completely, and then Jiraiya had pulled her aside to discuss some issues.
To make matters worse, the damn hermit had told him that his attitude had to change, and fast. What a damn joke!
If anyone's behavior needed to change, it was that old reprobate's.
The nerve of that perverted old jerk!
Jiraiya had said that Naruto would need to dress better. He would have to shave and bathe regularly. There would be no more crude behavior on the young ninja's part. There would be no more temper tantrums; but, if by chance there was, it would not be laced with obscenities.
"SHIT!!!"
But wait, there was more! There would be structured lectures and discussions around the cook fire at night. Whoop dee fricking doo. Naruto could just feel the love.
Maybe they should all shave their heads and buy a bunch of meditation beads.
All of that crap would just get in the way. He had a routine. It worked well enough for him. For all Naruto knew, it might have been Akatsuki that sent Hinata! Hah. That was it! Why else would she show up, likely to screw up his training?
Yeh, it had been kind of nice to visit with her before. The food had been great, right? Hmmm. Maybe it had been nice to talk with her too.
But, this was altogether different.
"Why? Why her? Why Jiraiya?"
It just didn't make any damn sense. Jiraiya's reputation as a ninja was only surpassed by his recognition as a boozing womanizer! How could Hyuuga Hiashi even think about letting his daughter train with that perverted old skunk! Even if he didn't personally care for Hinata, there was the clan name to think about.
Naruto spat.
He thought of something else. Naruto wasn't exactly Mister Popularity himself. Why would any parent let their child train next to the boy with Kyuubi in his belly?
There was another flash of lightning.
In the after image, Naruto thought that he had detected a moving human shape.
He stood immediately, reading the first weapon within reach, a kunei used to secure one corner of the blanket. Pulling it out, he bit his lip. The corner free, a fair amount of water ran right down the back of his neck.
There was a knock on the makeshift door.
Naruto was still tense, even though he doubted that one of The Nine would walk up to his cabin in a rainstorm, then politely beg entry.
"N-N-Naruto-kun?"
Naruto stood stunned for a moment.
Why would Hinata be standing out in the dark, braving a furious storm, knocking on the door to his woefully unfinished shelter?
Did she have a leak that she needed fixed? Ha! She could just suffer like he was. Was she afraid of the horrendous lightning and thunder? A ninja? If she was, maybe she ought to look for another profession.
"Yeh?"
"Ummm… m-m-may I come in, Naruto-kun?"
"Sure. Why not. I won't try to stop you." Naruto shook his head, disgusted with himself.
That had sounded awfully petty.
Then again, did he really care at the moment?
Hinata opened the door and walked in sideways, holding a large bundle of cedar branches over her head like an umbrella, rapped in a large gray blanket decorated with a frog motif.
"I'm s-s-sorry, Naruto-kun…." Naruto couldn't see Hinata in the dark, unless the lightning did its thing. But, she certainly sounded remorseful.
"Huh?"
"I was…… I was hoping…… I was hoping that you would be glad to have me here…." Hinata put the cradled her bundle like a baby.
"Why would I care if you were standing here in the dark, Hinata?" Again, his voice sounded angrier than it should. Naruto tried to control his temper.
None of this was her fault.
"I mean…… what I wanted…… I was talking about my being here to train."
"Oh. Well…." Naruto shrugged in the dark, nearly invisible to Hinata. When a succession of lightning flashes followed in a row, he could see Hinata jump. "I…."
Startled, Hinata raised her armload of branches up, bumping them into the blanket, hanging ponderously with a heavy collection of water.
The water found its way to one edge of the blanket, then cascaded down onto Hinata's head, drenching her completely.
Naruto tried to keep a straight face. The light had been present long enough to see everything, including the expression on Hinata's face.
"It's…… ha…… OK…… ha ha…… Hinata…… I know it's not…… ha ha hah…… your fault…… hah hah hah hahahahahahahahahahaha….." Naruto couldn't help himself.
Hinata stood, her mouth open. She shivered. One hand twitched.
"Welcome to my h-humble abode, H-Hinata…." Naruto finally got his laughter under control.
When the hut's interior was partially illuminated by the next streak if lightning, Hinata could see just how lacking it was.
"You have no fire, Naruto-kun. Because everything is wet. It's very cold in here now. You'll get sick." Hinata shivered again as a strong gust of wind blew through a hole between slats.
Naruto spoke haughtily, even though he wasn't actually feeling apathetic at the moment.
"I'm shinobi. Every so often, that bastard Sennin sends me to live off the land, with various exercises to work on while I'm gone. No doubt the motherf-… no doubt the big jerk goes into town at those times, eating away all my money and getting drunk with the ladies."
"B-But…."
"And we've both been on plenty of missions. You know what it's like in the field. This isn't really all that different." Naruto sneezed.
"But…… this isn't a test, Naruto-kun…… and we're not on a mission." Hinata paused a moment, trying to speak the wotds at the tip of her tongue. "Ummm…… you could…… well…… my hut…… your old hut…… it's, ummmm… dry and warm."
Naruto jerked abruptly.
He unintentionally slid one arm out in a gap between boards, wedging it painfully tight. Pulling harder than he needed to, he cracked one board, then flew forward with his excess momentum. He slid, flailed his arms, then barreled into Hinata, knocking her flat on her back.
With a solid thud, he landed right on top of her.
Hinata made a brief squeaking noise. Naruto jumped back up like he had stepped on an explosive seal.
"Uh… sorry, Hinata…… well… you know… you should not have been standing right there." Naruto backed away from Hinata.
"S-S-Sorry, Naruto-kun." Hinata wished that she could see his face. He sounded embarrassed, not angry. "There is plenty of room over at…… ummm…."
Hinata swallowed hard, feeling as if she couldn't breathe. She only wanted to be considerate, but couldn't help but think what people might think if they knew that she spent a night together in a cabin with Naruto, no matter what her intentions were.
"Yes there is. I built it. I should know. And….I….. did a …… very good….. job…" Naruto ran down, just realizing what Hinata was offering.
"Ummm…… a very nice job, Naruto-kun…." Hinata managed to force those words out.
The two Leaf shinobi just stood like that for a minute or two, the very elements at conflict around them. Their faces pelted by raindrops blown on the wind, neither knew what to say. For Hinata, it was understandable; but, Naruto was not one to stay quiet, even when embarrassed or taken by surprise.
Finally, Naruto's inability to stay silent for long took control.
"Alright. Let's go, Hinata! No doubt you're frightened by this storm and need some company. Uzumaki Naruto always comes to the aid of those in need!" Striking a nice guy pose, he stood just in the right spot for the blanket to dump its new load of water.
"Th-Th-Th---" Hinata tried very hard not to laugh. She had seen it all when a flash of light had initially mmade Naruto seem heroic in his stance. "Thank you, Naruto-kun…."
Running, the two ninjas made their way through the storm, heading for the other building. The cabin had been the first one that Naruto had built, nestled between two great oak trees, a long massive cross-bar resting in the crotch of each massive oak.
An orange flickering glow in the front window was clear sign that a fire was lit. Naruto caught a whiff of the wood burning inside.
That scent had become one of his favorites, each night he returned home during a starlit night.
When the two of them were safely inside, each had trouble finding their tongue again. Fore some reason, it felt like a terribly awkward situation, even though the two of them had known each other for a long time.
Both looked like someone had tossed them fully clothed into the middle of a lake. Water ran off them, disappearing between the aromatic needles and branches lining the hut floor. Their hair was plastered to the side of their heads.
Naruto sneezed.
"Please, sit by the fire, Naruto-kun." Hinata moved her belongings off of the thickest cushion of tree branches.
Naruto sat, holding his hands over the small fire.
"I'll get you the blanket." Hinata walked over to the far side of the tiny cabin.
"Hey, forget about that, Hinata. You're wet and cold, too. I don't want to get your last blanket wet. Did you bring an extra one in your bag?" Naruto looked hopeful.
Hinata shook her head.
"It's OK if it gets wet, Naruto-kun. I don't want you to catch a cold. You were sneezing." Hinata handed the blanket to her fellow ninja.
"Nah!" Naruto refused the offering. "You're wet now, because your clothes are wet. When you go to bed, you could take all of your clothes off…… and then…… uh…..the blanket would stay…… dry…." Naruto gulped, realizing what he had just said.
Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. She closed her eyes, then opened them again.
"You are correct, Naruto-kun…." Hinata's hands fluttered. "It's not good to sleep in wet clothing. If you…… if you were to…… ummmm…… get the blanket from your cabin…… you could…… ummm…… hang it as a divider."
She could sleep under the blanket, while Naruto slept unseen…… and unseeing…… by the fire.
Naruto felt very uneasy. Part of him warmed to the idea immediately. Another part had trouble picturing Hinata naked under a blanket, just a few feet away from him.
When Naruto didn't answer, Hinata spoke again, her conscience finally catching up with her.
"B-B-But…… we could also just sit as close to the fire as we could, and…… ummm…… share the blanket. It would get wet, but we would still be warmer."
Naruto let out a long breath that he had been holding without knowing.
"Yeh. That makes sense. I won't tell anyone that you were trying to…… you know……" His mischievous character rushed into to fill the void. He smiled. The look on Hinata's face was priceless.
"NARUTO-KUN!!! "
"It's OK, Hinata. This is your first day here, so I'll cut you some slack. I won't tell that perverted old hermit that you were interested in people seeing you naked……" Naruto chuckled. "You probably knew that it was going to rain tonight, huh? You're mighty clever…."
Hinata couldn't retort. She just stood frozen, her mouth working, but no sound coming out. A red flush crept from her neck up to her face.
"Yeh. Who knows what might happen if word ever got back to Kiba. As I understand it, he's become quite the gossip. And I can only imagine what would happen when Kurenai got wind of things…." Naruto kept a straight face.
It wasn't easy.
"N-N-N…."
"I can even hear Shikamaru. 'Hinata and Naruto naked together, how troublesome.' Ha! Choji's eyes would bulge, and snot would come shooting out of his nose." Naruto laughed. "But Neji would probably assume that I was the exhibitionist, not you. That might end up causing trouble, especially when he told your father…… or your younger sister…."
"NA…… RU-U-U…… TO…… K-K-KUN…."
"Sorry, Hinata. No matter how loud you shout, I will not take my clothes off!" Naruto put both hands behind his head.
Hinata shook ever so slightly.
"OK. Don't bust a gut or something! Maybe just my shirt….." Naruto made as if he were going to take his shirt off. He stopped. Not because the joke was getting old, but because he was struck by a fact.
He was grinning.
Not too many moments ago, he had been wet, depressed, and bitter.
"I think I will stay in the other hut." Hinata walked towards the door. She looked over at Naruto, obviously expecting him to tell her otherwise, promising to tone down his behavior.
"Sure!" Naruto said, putting his hands over the fire again. "Ahhhh. Toasty." He rubbed his hands together, then looked up at Hinata. "See ya!"
Hinata stood, overwhelmed by disbelief.
"Hinata? Is there something I can do for you before you go?" There was a gleam in Naruto's eye. He almost felt guilty teasing. Hinata.
Almost.
Hinata ran her hand along her hair, squeezing out some water. She stared at Naruto, then grinned timidly.
"You are still a troublemaker, Naruto-kun."
"Uh huh. Why mess with a good thing?" Naruto smiled.
It certainly felt good to have someone to joke around with, even if the person wasn't much of a jokester herself.
Hinata smiled, then sat across the fire from Naruto. When her fellow ninja asked how all of his friends were doing, Hinata filled him in.
"Lee's chasing after Sakura???" Naruto shook his head, feeling a slight twinge of jealousy. "I never would have seen that one. Has she even given up pining away for Sasuke?" He sighed. "But that's nothing compared to Ino and Kankurou. I find it hard to believe that Old Lady Tsunade would have swapped Ino for Temari, even temporarily, for the sake of a cultural exchange. I mean, the Sand are supposed to be our allies, right?"
Hinata grinned.
"By the sound of it, Shikamaru and Temari have their own private alliance going, huh? And Ten Ten and Neji makes sense, I guess. I would have guessed that she would have ended up with Lee, if she were to go out with one of the gang. Of course, she was a Uchiha groupie, just like Ino and Sakura. So, there's no accounting for taste." Naruto sighed.
He still had a hard time thinking about Sasuke.
"You weren't ever one though, were you Hinata?" Naruto raised one eyebrow.
"No." Hinata shook her head.
"So. You didn't mention yourself. Do you have a boyfriend, Hinata?" Naruto reached behind him, took a few sticks off of a pile, then tossed them on the fire.
His back turned, he missed the frantic look on Hinata's face.
"N-N-No."
"Really? Well, that's a shame. You're a really nice girl. It will happen some day, I bet!" Naruto laced his fingers together, then stretched his arms out, cracking his knuckles.
Hinata swallowed hard, unable to look at Naruto's face.
She moved to change the subject.
"Are you…… were you upset, Naruto-kun…… when you realized that I would be the new student…… staying here with you and master Jiraiya?"
"Well-l-l-l……" Naruto screwed up his face. "Yeh. I suppose. A little." His previous feelings seemed somewhat foolish to him then. "But, I was probably more upset that your bag wasn't full of nice snacks again." He looked away.
It wouldn't hurt him to lie some, if it made Hinata feel better.
Hinata heard the truth behind Naruto's words just the same. She sighed and twiddled her fingers.
Why had she thought that this assignment would be a dream come true? Far out in the woods, on a mountain. Close to a village she knew very little about. Roughing it with only two men as company.
"I…… I will be glad to cook for you and our sensei…… when I have the time." Hinata seized on to that idea. There were possibilities there, for sure. "I'm…… I'm…… I'm pretty good." She looked down at her feet. "I will just need pots, pans, and things…… and ummm…… a place to cook them."
"Really?!" Naruto sat bolt upright, almost straining his back in the process. "You might have some use after all!" He bit his tongue. "Sorry…… I didn't mean it that way…."
Hinata hung her head.
"It's OK……. Naruto-kun……" Hinata sounded dejected. "It's nothing really new…."
"Hey!" Naruto pointed a finger at Hinata, then shook it. His spirit took over, helping him patch over his mistake. "We'll fix that!!!!" His throat tightened a moment.
What had he just signed himself up for?
"N-N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata's face brightened, ever so slightly.
"Uhhh…… well…… with two great ninjas around, you'll have no choice but to be great, too. Right?!" He nodded his head, then crossed his arms over his chest.
Hinata's eyes searched Naruto's face. "I…."
"Don't sweat it!" Naruto chuckled. "Our utter magnificence may seem humbling at first, but you'll get used to bowing in no time!"
The white-eyed girl grinned. She wasn't entirely certain if Naruto was joking or not.
It was funny either way.
"So, is that why Granny Tsunade sent you here, Hinata?" Naruto rubbed at the side of his nose, a serious look on his face. "Or, are you not at liberty to say, again." He thought back to her previous unannounced visit.
"I…." Hinata had her own suspicions, but had never been given any explanation. "I don't know for sure, Naruto-kun. My training with Father and Neji had been picking up more and more. I had been doing much better on missions each time out."
"Huh." Naruto scratched his head. "Maybe she thinks that you can be something special."
Naruto pursed his lips. His eyes narrowed, as another possible crossed his mind. He felt somewhat numb for a moment. "Or, maybe someone is after Hyuuga secrets again."
Could someone be interested in kidnapping Hinata?
The Cloud had tried that when she was a child. If she were captured, someone might try to learn the secret of the Byakugan. Or, maybe they would force Hinata to be breeding stock.
He shook his head.
Maybe that was all a bit too fanciful.
It was also a subject he didn't want to touch upon too heavily. It might make Hinata uneasy for no reason, and it might have her looking at him, wondering if he was worried about something similar himself.
"I…… I didn't get that impression, Naruto-kun…." Hinata twitched, then calmed herself. She thought back to the past, and about all of the strife that had arisen between the main and Branch families prior to her father's offer to bring Neji into his household.
"Well, whatever it is…… knowing Old lady Tsunade…… it will be something arrogant and stupid! Uh… not that I think you are arrogant, Hinata…… or stupid…."
Hinata looked Naruto in the eyes, then felt relieved. She didn't want to find out that Naruto thought poorly of her.
"The Hokage did tell me something. But…."
"Come on, Hinata. Spill it!" Naruto stuck out his chin.
"Ummm… it wasn't an answer in itself, Naruto-kun. It was just a story. And…… well…… I've told you so many stories already…." Hinata looked down at the fire.
"So?"
"I…… you…… another story might bore you…. I think. Some people don't like a lot of…… ummm…… culture or…." Hinata looked anxious.
"Not at all." At that moment, Naruro couldn't fight a yawn. It had Hinata doubting his words. He could see it on her face. "I mean it. Go ahead."
It would be nice to hear someone else's voice, other than his own or his teacher's.
"You have a very nice voice…." Naruto realized he had verbalized his last thought.
"Oh. Th-Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata blushed, then grinned timidly.
She sat a little closer to the fire, then began telling the tale she had heard.
"Once, there was a poor bamboo cutter who lived with his wife in a beautiful village in the shadow of mount Fuji, with his kind and loving wife. They lived a quiet life in each other's company and worked hard to make their meager living. The man would rise early in the morning and trek deep into the forest to cut bamboo while his wife would tend to their house and garden. The bamboo cutter would return at sunset with a sack full of bamboo and an empty stomach, which his wife would fill with the good food from their garden.
Though the couple was grateful to have their secure existence, they longed for something more, a child. But they dreamed in vain. The poor woman could not bear children. And so she began to pray. She traveled to the temple every day and prayed for a child. An entire year passed and still the woman continued her daily pilgrimage without fail. Her husband began to pray as well, not only for a child, but for his heart-broken wife.
One morning, whilst on his journey into the forest, the bamboo cutter noticed a beacon of silver light was shining through the trees with such brilliance that he was compelled to travel further into the forest than he ever had before. He walked in and in for what seemed like hours, when he laid eyes on the most beautiful bamboo plant he had ever come upon. It shone with all the sparkling brilliance of stardust and glowed silver, like the moon. The bamboo cutter fell to his knees and gazed upon the glittering spectacle with tears in his eyes. A voice spoke to him from the heavens gently urged him to cut the bamboo and take it's contents home for he and his wife.
The bamboo cutter retrieved his axe from his satchel and felled the luminous plant with one clean stroke. Inside the stump lay a tiny baby wrapped in silk."
"You know, Hinata. That's not where babies come from." Naruto chuckled.
Hinata paused, amazed that Naruto could be yawning so frequently, but still have enough energy to cause trouble.
"Yeh. First…." Naruto looked to see if Hinata would blush.
She didn't.
"Go ahead, Naruto-kun…." Hinata had decided on another tact.
"Well…." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, realizing he had been called out. "Go on with your story."
Hinata grinned.
That did not sit well with Naruto.
"The bamboo cutter was overcome with joy and he reached out to stroke the beautiful child's cheek. As he did, she smiled and laughed with all the glorious music of soft ringing bells. He took up the child in his arms and rushed home with the heavenly gift for he and his wife. Now they had a child and their lives were complete and happy.
Since discovering the baby the bamboo cutter began to find large sums of gold in stalks of bamboo and soon became very rich. He bought a beautiful house and was able to keep many servants to accommodate himself, his wife, and his new child. With all the money he could ever want, the bamboo cutter bought beautiful clothing and lovely gifts for his wife and daughter. But he remained a kind and generous person despite his great wealth.
The couple named their child Kaguya-Hime, or Shining Princess, and she was lovely beyond compare. She was gentle and kind and her presence elicited joy to all who were near her."
"Sounds a lot like me…… if she were a boy……" Naruto hooked a thumb under his arm.
Hinata snickered.
Naruto grumped. Then he scratched his chin.
He didn't even know that Hinata could snicker.
"The village praised the couple and fawned over Kaguya. But she did not become spoiled or jaded. She maintained her pleasant demeanor and mild temperament as she grew. Kaguya was also incomparably beautiful. Her face was as pure and soft as porcelain and her lips were tiny and tinted deep vermilion. She had long dark hair that poured down her back in glossy rivulets of ebony. Her eyes shone with sparks of intelligence and wisdom far beyond her years. Now that the bamboo cutter was rich, he ensured the very best of everything for his daughter, including an extensive education. She became quite an accomplished poet and was well known for her wit and intellect."
Hinata paused.
"Well…… ummm…… that sounds like…."
She had wanted to say that it sounded like her, but it wasn't in her to make such a claim, even if it were in jest.
She shook her head and sighed.
"It's OK, Hinata. You're cute enough….." Naruto nodded off, waking up when his chin hit his chest. "Hmmm….. What was I saying?"
Hinata blushed.
"You…… I…… nothing, Naruto-kun."
She continued with her story, seeing that Naruto might not hear it all if she didn't hurry.
The young woman was feeling rather drowsy herself. Fingering the blanket, she made up her mind. Her decision was the right one, even thought it seemed brazen to her.
"Here. We should share this, Naruto-kun." She walked over and sat next to Naruto, draping the blanket around the two of them.
That had Naruto's eyes opening wide for a moment, before his eyelids became irresistibly heavy again.
"There is no question that the princess had many suitors, but she would have none of them. She wished to remain with her parents. Her father refused to force Kaguya into marriage, because she was not truly his daughter.
The bamboo cutter and his wife were growing old and they became increasingly worried about their daughter. Should something happen to them they wanted her taken care of. After seeing how distraught her parents had become, the princess's heart ached and she yearned to please them. She decided that she would marry on the condition that her suitor complete the difficult task which she would set for him. Only if he completed this task just as she asked would she become his bride. Five suitors remained : Princes Ishidukuri, Kuramochi, Abey, Otomo, and Isonokami."
"Suitors," Naruto mumbled, trying to stay awake. "Suitors for the princess babe. Yes, a pretty girl should have suitors. Hah. If I was there…." His voice ran down.
Hinata hesitated a moment, then began again.
"Ishidukuri was asked to retrieve a Buddhist begging bowl from India. But he became frightened of such a long trip and traveled only into the mountains to buy a bowl from a local temple, instead. Kaguya was surprised to see the prince return so quickly but inspected the bowl in spite of her suspicions. She was no fool and recognized that the bowl was not authentic. She sent Ishidukuri away empty handed.
Kuramochi was sent to the island of P'englai to retrieve a silver branch with golden leaves. He set off on his journey and returned two years later with branch in hand. The princess was stunned. Kuramochi regaled her with stories of rough seas and his harsh journey. Kaguya was close to admitting defeat when two craftsmen approached Kuramochi and demanded that he pay them for the branch and labor. Smugly, Kaguya paid the craftsmen and Kuramochi slunk away embarrassed.
Abey's quest was to procure a coat made from the fur of the fire rat, who lived high atop a volcano. Their fur was nearly impenetrable by weapons and completely fireproof. As much of a coward as his predecessors, Abey purchased such a coat from a traveling salesman for an exorbitant amount of money. When he presented the coat to Kaguya, she immediately insisted that it be tested. It burnt to a crisp, leaving nothing but ashes and a powerful stench.
For Otomo's challenge, the princess bid him to sail away and fetch the seven-colored jewel from the head of a dragon. Otomo began to recruit his men for the journey but they fled in fear. Irritated, he rounded up a makeshift crew and set out to find the dragon and the jewel. But the ocean was rough and they threatened mutiny after only a few days. Heartbroken, he gave up.
The last and final suitor, Isonokami, had accepted the challenge that he should bring Kaguya a swallow's cowry shell. Swallows are extremely fast so he would have no hope of capturing one on his own. But Isonokami was a smart man and built a catapult to hurl himself towards the birds in the hopes of catching one. He and his servants hunted all day and all night with no luck . On the last attempt, Isonokami managed to capture one tiny bird but he lost his balance, slipped, and fell to the ground, breaking several bones. The princess, though touched by his attempts, sent him only her condolences.
And so Kaguya had won her freedom. Her father pressed the matter no further."
"Bunch of losers," Naruto said, his chin on his chest. His words were slightly slurred. "If I could have a girlfriend like that…… I would do whatever I had to do…… it's my…… Ninja……. Way." Again, the bobbing of his head woke him.
Hinata stared at Naruto a moment puling at one strand of wet hair, twisting it around her finger.
"Of course…." Naruto said, looking into the heart of the fire. "What girl is going to care about me? Not with the thing…." He jerked a moment, realizing what he almost let slip.
Why was he finding it so easy to talk to Hinata?
Hinata opened her mouth, part of her wanted to speak her heart, but couldn't. Now would not be an ideal time.
That much was certain.
She yawned deeply herself, and then began speaking again.
"Hearing many a tale of Kaguya Hime, the emperor himself was immediately compelled to meet this beautiful creature. He sent for her to visit him at the palace. Surely, she could not be as wonderful as the stories had portrayed her. But the princess refused to meet with him. Over and over, she turned down his invitations till the Emperor was so frustrated that he ventured out of the palace, himself, to track down the woman who rebuffed him.
When he arrived at the bamboo cutter's manor, he burst into the room where the princess had been sitting with her attendants and spied the most enchanting woman he had ever seen. The princess tried to escape the room but the emperor caught her and pleaded for her to become his wife. She refused, saying that if she were to leave her father's household that she would vanish, never to be seen again. Seeing how distraught he had made the object of his affection, the emperor released her and promised to leave her free. Kaguya thanked him for his understanding and bid him visit her whenever he wished.
The emperor was always happy to visit Kaguya, and He soon fell deeply in love with her. It may be that she felt the same for him, but Kaguya always refused the emperors many proposals and he eventually gave up. Nevertheless, their friendship never suffered and they were steadfast companions."
"Steadfast companion? That would be nice." Naruto picked up a pine cone he was sitting on, then tossed it into the small but steady blaze.
"I never had one until Iruka-sensei was kind to me. Even then, an instructor didn't have too much time for a genin. Then that damn…… then there was Sasuke." He spat into the fire. He still felt both angry and sad, years later. "And Sakura." Naruto shook his head and sighed. "I guess that crazy Ero-Sennin is the closest thing I've had to a companion…."
"I…… I know…… I know how that feels…." Hinata picked up her own pine cone, then began pulling it apart one small piece at a time.
"Huh?" Naruto perked up a little. "Kiba and Shino never went away, or pushed you aside, did they? And Kurenai-sensei is still close to you, I bet." He ran his hands through his hair, fluffing it up some, trying to make it dry faster. "And you have a father…… a sister…… and even a cousin……"
Hinata just shook her head, but didn't elucidate.
Instead, she continued the tale.
"Some years later on a moonlit night, the bamboo cutter passed by his daughter's chambers and overheard her weeping quietly on her terrace. He peered through a gap in the screen and saw her gazing at the moon with tears sliding down her lovely face. Not wanting to interfere, he continued on his way, though he was troubled by his daughter's depression. Every night thereafter the bamboo cutter passed his daughters chambers, and every night she wept quietly to herself while gazing at the moon. When he could take it no more, the bamboo cutter walked out onto the terrace and asked his daughter what was troubling her.
At first she was reluctant to tell him, but at last she divulged her secret. She told him that she was a child of the moon sent to earth as punishment for a misdeed she had committed. She told him that her attendants would come to take her back to the moon kingdom the very next day.
The old bamboo cutter could not bear the thought of loosing his beloved daughter. He spoke with the emperor and the two hatched a plan to guard his daughter so heavily that no man or otherwise could reach her. And so they waited. As night fell, the princess began to weep again. She went to her father giving him two vials filled with glowing white liquid and a letter. She explained that the vial contained an elixir used by her people on the moon to stay young forever but that if he and his wife should drink it they would become immortal. The second vial and the letter were gifts for the Emperor. The bamboo cutter became frightened that his plan may not work, but could do nothing but wait.
When the moon became full, the village grew silent. A thousand warriors guarded the bamboo cutter's mansion and archers waited on the roof to strike down any who should try to retrieve the shining princess. But they waited in vain, for as a luminous cloud descended from the heavens, they became unable to move or call out. Upon the cloud were several beings comparable in beauty to the stunning Kaguya Hime. They called out to the princess to come with them and though she longed to stay with her mother and father, she knew in her heart that she must go.
All the armies of the world could not stop her. As she climbed onto her shimmering cloud, she bid farewell to the bamboo cutter and his wife one last time and pledged her undying love and devotion to them for eternity.
When the cloud had disappeared into the night sky the bamboo cutter sobbed in agony. His heart had shattered into more pieces that any could count.
"Shit. That's the kind of girl I would probably fall for. Someone who would leave me, not allowed to stay by my side. Uzumaki Naruto, tragedy waiting to happen." Naruto sighed.
"But I…." Hinata bit her lip.
"Huh?" Naruto rubbed his eyes, glancing over at Hinata.
Hinata just shook her head.
She had come close to telling Naruto how she felt. But, she was no princess. She was not so beautiful that men would come from the four corners of the globe to vie for her hand. And, she knew that her father had something against Naruto, even though the two had never met face to face.
She couldn't remember what she had overheard in the past. There was some reason that the adults in her clan had a grudge against Naruto. For the life of her, she couldn't imagine why.
In any case, she couldn't promise that she would always be there.
Could she?
"The bamboo cutter and his wife could not handle the loss of their only child and thus sent both vials of immortality to the Emperor along with the letter from the princess. They retreated into their house and were never seen again.
When the Emperor received Kaguya's kind words and proclamation of undying love, he climbed to the very top of mount Fuji in an effort to be as close to the heavens, as close to her as possible, and burned both the letter and elixir saying, "My eyes are parched and my soul is empty. What is the joy in immortality, if I must spend it without you?"
With that last word, Hinata turned to look at Naruto. A moment later, his head landed on her shoulder.
He was fast asleep.
She moved a slight bit, trying to become more comfortable without waking him up. She had dreamed about something like this, but under entirely different circumstances.
"Did you understand the points to the story, Naruto-kun….." She whispered to herself.
Hinata thought that she understood some of what the Hokage had wanted to pass along. Fame…… power…… wealth…… they were only worth so much. And, there were things that were more important than simply living as long as possible.
It was important to care for someone, and to do it while the chance was still there.
Who knows what the future might bring?
Her eyelids succumbing to gravity, Hinata drifted off to sleep, wondering whether Tsunade was trying to make a point to her, Naruto, or the two of them.
Whatever the answer was, why would it be worth the Hokage's attention?
How could it benefit Shining Leaf Village?
The two exhausted ninjas slept through the night uninterrupted.
When the first rays of morning roused Jiraiya, he had went to examine Naruto's cabin, wanting to see how his apprentice had weathered the evening storm. Not finding him there, he checked in at Hinata's cabin.
Seeing the two of them wrapped in a blanket, slumbering peacefully, he left smiling.
He would make breakfast that morning