Well, we need a big lunch today, Hinata!"
Jiraiya stood with one foot on a stump, a big smile on his face. "I hope you've outdone yourself. This will be our first mission as a group."
Jiraiya's smiled faded somewhat when he caught sight of Naruto's expression.
Naruto scratched his head, looking a bit skeptical.
"I did just as you had instructed, sensei. We will be provisioned until suppertime," Hinata smiled.
She tried not to seem too enthusiastic.
What might they be doing? How much might she learn today? Would it be as special as she imagined it, going on missions with Naruto and one of the Legendary Sennin.
"Don't get your hopes up, Hinata." Naruto spat. "I used to feel the same way, but Ero-Sennin would disappoint me almost every time."
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Jiraiya shook his fist at Naruto. "Especially not around a young lady." The older ninja smiled a sly smile. "I would have thought that you would be in a better mood last night……. after your pleasant sleep."
Naruto's mouth fell open. He remembered waking up next to Hinata, with the small girl pressed up against him. He hadn't been able to move away without waking her.
His emotions were still confused.
Hinata dropped the heavy food basket on her toe. Her eyes watered.
"Yes. As senior student, I expect for you to set a fine example. It seems that there are things you can learn from Miss Hyuuga, not just the other way around. You can start with respect!" Jiraiya waved one arm while pontificating.
"Shit!" Naruto grumbled, imitating his master's arm movement.
Hinata began giggling, but stopped when Jiraiya looked at her.
The Sennin sighed, then threw both hands in the air.
"What have I gotten myself into," the Legendary shinobi asked the great cloudless expanse of sky above his head. "One is bad enough!"
Hinata, bitting her lip, looked over at Naruto. He just shrugged, a subtle smirk on his lips.
"In any case, there is one thing that you need to keep in mind at all times today, Hinata!" Jiraiya gave Hinata a very stern look.
"S-S-Sir?"
"Stealth!" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, then nodded his head. "Stealth is the life blood of a ninja. It should be his or her stock in trade. No doubt you are well versed in it." He scowled, looking over at Naruto. "Unlike someone I know…."
"Yes, Sir!" Hinata stood straighter. She was slightly puzzled though.
Why would they be dragging around a large food basket on a mission that required the utmost stealth?
"Crap. What is all that 'Sir' stuff? He's just a perverted old hermit!" Naruto was still smarting from Jiraiya's comment.
"I told you, idiot!" His master folded both arms over his chest. "You need to change your behavior. If not, I know where the majority of my instruction will go from now on." Jiraiya winked at Hinata.
"Ha! Who else needs to change? You could certainly----" Naruto never got a chance to list the things that his sensei could improve on.
"That is not the issue here." Jiraiya shook his head. "But, I've been talking way to much. There are things to get done. Let's go!" With that, the Sennin began marching down the path to the village, swinging both arms.
Hinata followed, the lunch basket nearly half her size. After watching her for a while, Naruto bit his lip. He walked up and took the basket from Hinata without a word.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled a shy smile.
"Huh?" Naruto looked away. "It's merely to speed up our journey. And…… to…… uh…… shit…."
Hinata grinned at Naruto's reaction.
"Naruto-kun, what do you think the mission will be?" Hinata's anticipation was thick enough to carve with a kunei.
Naruto shifted the basket to one shoulder. He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. He had his suspicion, but didn't answer honestly. If he was correct, he wanted to watch Hinata's expression.
It ought to be a moment to remember.
"You never can tell, new student Hyuuga." Narruto shrugged in an off hand manner. "With that damn Sennin, it could be anything. Let's just say that you will be… exposed…. to things you have never seen before."
"Oh!" Hinata did a little jump step. "That sounds exciting!" She struggled to keep up, watching as Jiraiya and Naruto covered huge amounts of ground, walking in styles that were very similar.
She hoped that she never walked like that.
But, no matter how ridiculous the two other ninjas may have appeared, their quick and steady pace brought them all to the edge of the village in good time.
As Hinata walked the quaint streets, she began taking note of the townspeople's reactions to her two companions.
One old woman pushed her way through the crowd, then began throwing things at Jiraiya. A dog ran out, barked at Naruto, then began growling as it tugged at his pants leg. A small number of men, chefs by their outfits, ran over and praised Naruto, taking the unhappy mutt away.
"Naruto-kun…." Hinata tapped her fellow leaf shinobi on the arm. "Serving under someone as special as Lord Jiraiya will be great… and…. ummm… being on the same team as you will also…." Hiantya took a deep breath, reveling in the smells of the village. Everything seemed to smell better that morning.
All the colors seemed brighter. The feel of the air on her skin was marvelous.
"I was…… I was very disappointed when… well…. the genin teams were assigned." Hinata gave a shy sideways glance at the blonde-haired boy at her side.
"What???" Naruto frowned, the scratched hishead. "It's not 'Lord' anything. Sure, the old hermit is powerful, and he's done a lot of amazing things, but he's too damn irresponsible to be a Hokage or clan chief." Naruto almost mentioned Jiraiya's penchant for writing, but held off.
No.
There were things that Hinata just had to learn on her own.
Jiraiya was…… unique.
To say the least.
Naruto almost told Hinata some stories about his sensei, and how the two of them had met. That could wait for later. He puzzled over Hinata's statement regarding the genin teams.
Walking past some stately old townhouses, Hinata saw Naruto start strutting, throwing his chest out. That action perplexed her, until she saw a group of young woman strolling along the sidewalk, grocery bags in hand, each of them dressed in attractive civilian dresses or skirts.
Naruto waved.
The women all hurried away, speaking together in tittering tones, laughing every so often
Cursing, Naruto kicked at a stone, then tugged at his Jiraiya-like hair.
Hinata felt somewhat strange. She stopped to watch the girls disappear around a street corner.
"N-Naruto-kun… do you spend a lot of time with…… ummm…… the villagers?"
"Huh?" Naruto looked back at Hinata, wondering what she was getting at.
"Well…… do you have…… were any of those girls…… your…… ummm…." Hinata was blinking rapidly. She almost ran into a courier running with an ivory scroll case in hand.
Naruto scowled, knowing what Hinata's question must be.
"Hell. Village girls. Bunch of stuck up jerks." He swore under his breath, still making the man ahead of him quickly move out of the way. "No. I don't like any of them. I've got more important things to worry about." Just the same, Naruto sighed, staring in the direction the girls had headed.
"B-B-But…… well…… if there was someone who liked you…… and she made you happy……to ummm…… spend time with her…." Hinata bowed to a man whose foot she stepped on.
"Yeh!" Naruto laughed. "Right!" He spat. "I might as well wander into a bamboo grove, looking for a moon princess!" He sounded very sarcastic. "Uh huh…… Uzumaki Naruto…… world's most fortunate man…… there's probably someone waiting for me, right under my nose. Maybe in one of those scullery pots over there. Or, in the cabbage patch that old woman is growing."
Hinata told herself to be calm, and to relax.
She needed to be patient, if she was to have any hope at all.
Still, as quiet as she was, she wanted to shout up at the heavens.
Why had the gods created anyone as clueless as Naruto?
She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Was he truly oblivious, or was he paying her little attention because he had already dismissed her?
Maybe that was it….
Or, did he suffer from a shortage of confidence and self esteem?
Well, that could be true, too….
Could it be obsession? Might he be cut from the same cloth as Sasuke?
She hoped not….
"Ummm…… sometimes good things…… happen when you don't expect them. It isn't ever good to give up, Naruto-kun." Hinata began nibbling at her fingernail.
"Uh huh. Do those good things happen for you, Hinata?" Naruto looked like he was not about to be convinced.
"I…… well….. I will keep my hopes up, Naruto-kun. I won't quit. That's my Ninja Way."
Naruto turned to look at Hinata, a curious look on his face. Then he smiled, seeing where they were headed.
His new training partner was about to learn more about her teacher.
Hinata kept looking from one side of the street to another. The number of hot springs was growing rapidly. There seemed to be bath houses and wading areas everywhere.
She wondered if they were going to learn water jutsus that morning.
Maybe!
This water would be warm, whereas the water at their pond would be quite chill.
"Just what I thought!" Naruto shook his head. "Research!"
"Quiet, moron!" Jiraiya scowled. "Don't talk so loudly. And don't let your bad attitude influence my new pupil!"
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata wanted to know just what was going on.
"You'll find out soon enough, Hinata." Naruto chuckled. "I don't want to spoil anything for you. It's not everybody who gets the same privileges that we do…."
Jiraiya walked over to one panel of a long ornate wooden fence, deep red in color, and over eight feet in height. Making certain that no one was watching, he began tapping on the fence lightly, concentrating at eye level.
"Here it is. Great! Now, this is where you play your role this morning, Hinata." Jiraiya began chuckling to himself.
"Sensei?" Hinata's eyes widened. She smiled.
"Yes. Genjutsu. I want you to work a long duration transformation, making yourself look like any woman you choose. Then, you will need to enter the woman's bath on the other side of this fence." Jiraiya began rummaging through his carry bag.
"Ummm…… Sir?" Hinata looked confused.
What exactly were they doing?
"You're still here? Is there an issue? Hmmm…… OK….. you can wear a towel." Jiraiya began prying a plug of painted wood out of the fence.
"But…… it's not that……wh-wh-what…." Hinata swallowed.
Why was her master looking through that hole?
"Really?" Naruto asked slyly, seeing a chance to have some fun. "You're not worried about not wearing a towel? Tsk tsk tsk." He looked shocked and disapproving. "I never thought of you as one to go gallivanting about naked. Then again, after last night…."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. He smiled at Naruto, showing more approval for that joke than he had with his student's progress on the last few jutsus.
"N-N-N…." Hinata blushed bright red. "I meant…… what purpose will my actions be serving? Is there an informant in there? A dangerous criminal?" Hinata cocked her head. "What jutsu will we be working on?"
"Jutsu?" Jiraiya made a strange face, looking like he had bitten into something unbelievably sour. "We will be working on techniques this afternoon. This is all about research for my new book!" He smiled, striking a pose. "I don't want all of the responsibilities that Tsunade has saddled me with to interfere with my career!" He took out a brass telescope and opened it to its full length.
"B-B-But……. career…… what….." Hinata was sounding flustered.
"All you need to do, young lady, is convince some of the prettier young women to discard their towels, then choose this part of the onken to soak in. Make sure it's on this side of the big rocks." Jiraiya chuckled.
He had the range zeroed in just right.
"I…I…I…." Hinata's eyes widened. Her lower lip trembled. She turned to look at Naruto.
"Huh?" Naruto wrinkled his nose.
"N-N-Naruto-kun……" Hinata looked at Jiraiya, then back at Naruto. "Do… do you… do you act the same way?"
"Uhhh…." Naruto swallowed hard.
He shook his head, bringing his hands up.
"Hah! Does he ever!" Jiraiya laughed quietly. "He always tries to tell me how wrong it is……. but when he thinks I'm not looking, he takes his turn peeping!"
"I…… DO…… NOT!!!" Naruto spoke very loudly, his hands clenched into fists.
"SHHHHHHH! Moron. Idiot. Nincompoop." Jiraiya shook the telescope at Naruto. "Keep it down!" he held out the frog purse, his usual hostage. That had Naruto wondering when the old hermit had stolen it this time.
Naruto grumbled. That same trick still worked.
But why?
That bastard Sennin would find some reason to swipe his savings later, any way.
Hinata checked her own purse, to make certain that her money was still there. Then, she stood stunned, wondering why she should have to do that.
"Well, let's get going, Hinata. Last week was a very busy one for me. I have a lot of research to catch up on." Jiraiya pouted, looking through the whole. "No beauties yet…."
"Hey…… Ero-Sennin…… that's not fair! You can't ask Hinata to do something like that!" Naruto set his jaw, them spread his legs apart, a cantankerous look on his face.
"Really?" Jiraiya asked, smiling. Naruto missed the twinkle in his eyes. "I take it that you are volunteering to take her place…."
"What?" Naruto's bravado began to slip.
"You can use your special jutsu, right? The Fourth developed Rasengan. His pupil Kakashi devised Chidori. Then you, the genius of the bunch, came up with the Sexy No Jutsu!" Jiraiya began chuckling. He pantomimed an hourglass figure, then gave Naruto a 'V' sign. "You can do your trick…… walk in…… then do Hinata's part. You'll be the lucky one, getting to see everything up close…."
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata put her hand to her mouth. Her joy at Naruto's defense of her gave way to shock and disapproval. She blushed, imaging what Naruto would see if he followed their master's instructions.
Now she knew why her father had spent an afternoon in the Hokage's office after he had received her orders.
"Hinata…… I……" Naruto shook his head. He didn't know why he suddenly felt guilty, even though he hadn't done anything. That was the first time he had ever seen Hinata look like that. He turned to glower at Jiraiya. "Hey, you can't make me do this, old man!!!"
"SHHHHHHH!!! Damn you. Keep it down. You'll ruin everything." The Sennin cringed. "That red head is here. I just saw her walk into the bath house. You know…… the one that had you drooling the other day…."
"I…… well….." Naruto began to sweat. He looked at Hinata, then spread his hands in supplication. "You see…… she is rather cute and well b-----…." He bit his tongue and closed his eyes. "I mean…."
Hinata just stood there staring.
"But, you probably think that Hinata would look better, don't you?" Jiraiya knew just what to say. He had slid that one in oh so subtly.
"Yes…." Naruto answered by reflex. "I mean, no….." He began to tremble. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn't. Damn touchy old pervert. "She…." There was nothing he could say.
Hinata stood as if she had frozen into place.
"So, you've finally noticed that she's a girl, have you?" Jiraiya smirked, his eyes filled with boundless mirth. He winked at Hinata. She was too stunned to respond.
It was Naruto's turn to blush.
Then, eyes narrowing, he tried to get back to the ethics and morals of the situation.
"This is just all wrong!"
"What?" Jiraiya scratched his head in exaggerated fashion. Shrugging when he turned to Hinata. "You don't think she looks like a girl?" He opened one of his Sake jugs and took a short pull. "Hmmm. You definitely need to get out more."
"No!" Naruto shook. "That's not what I mean…." he had to watch his words carefully. "I think Hinata is very cute, but that's not the…." He tensed up.
He had not been careful enough.
It might be best just to keep his mouth shut.
Hinata's eyes lit up.
Jiraiya's self-satisfied look had Naruto steaming. Thinking a moment, he knew just what to do. He walked over to the peep hole.
"My turn he said." He ignored Hinata's gasp. Grinning, he let loose with a long and loud wolf whistle. Then he cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted. "HEY LADIES! LOOKING MIGHTY NICE!"
His call was answered almost immediately by shrieks, screams, and calls for the guard
"Ooops. I guess I was too excited," Naruto said, putting both hands over his mouth. He winked at Hinata.
"DAMN-N-N-N-N!" Jitaiya let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't just stand there you idiots!" He took off running, his scroll case and carry bag flapping against his body.
Naruto chuckled. He grabbed Hinata's hand to spur her to motion, then let go and began running.
Hinata looked down at her hand. Then she watched the rapidly retreating figures of her fellow team members.
"YOU THERE! STAND STILL. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU!!!" A large woman in well worn armor came running towards Hinata.
The white-eyed girl swallowed hard. She could picture herself thrown in jail. Even worse, she could imagine her father getting word of her arrest….
Hinata took off running, not believing what she was doing.
"STOP!" The woman was joined by other guards.
Hinata ran like she had never run before. Jumping off of the sides of buildings like they were trees in a forest, she left the guards behind. When she caught up to the other two, Jiraiya was looking at a map.
"Well…… we still have nine more fences…." The old ninja smiled at Hinata, then tried to keep a straight face when her mouth hung open.
"Your turn to whistle next time, Hinata." Naruto hooked his leg over a bench, taking a drink of water.
That had Hinata blushing at first. Then, slowly, she put on a shy smile.
Tsunade hadn't mentioned anything like this!
Even hearing Naruto's words, Jiraiya didn't look upset.
He had accomplished this morning's mission.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
A number of hawks flew high above their heads in lazy circles.
Naruto, Hinata, and Jiraiya sat eating lunch on a promontory, overlooking a scenic waterfall and a large stream.
"This is a very beautiful place, Naruto-kun." Hinata passed Naruto a bowl of noodles she had covered with a cloth bearing his name. "Our master certainly has the soul of a poet…… despite how he might have…… ummm…… seemed…."
"Yeh yeh!" Naruto said, brushing off the whole idea. "Just wait. You'll see how damn poetic he is." He closed his mouth and swallowed, trying not to drool. "What's beautiful are these noodles. Wow!"
Hinata smiled, then pinked up some. She watched as Naruto demolished the noodles.
"Hey, Ero-Sennin!" Naruto grinned.
"I told you not to---" Jiraiya started.
"Call him that…" Hinata said, giving Naruto a pointed look.
"Ha! I guess I can see who my best student is going to be!" Jiraiya accepted a piece of bread from Hinata.
"Right! To be a teacher, you have to actually teach something, don't you?" Naruto sneered.
Jiraiya grinned, then chuckled. "I have. If you've been too stupid to notice, I don't doubt that Hinata has learned a thing or two already."
"Huh?" Naruto looked puzzled.
Hinata nodded her head.
"Whatever!" Naruto snorted. "I meant jutsus and stuff. Stories even. Hinata had taught me more than you have lately. She had a folk tale from Old Granny to tell. You know any stories, old man?" Naruto hoped that he could get Jiraiya to tell them about tales from his day as a genin. He figured he'd rather talk about that than some musty old story.
Jiraiya rubbed his chin. Then he nodded his head.
"Looking at you, squirt, I thought of the perfect tale. Short, and straight to the point." Jiraiya took a long drink from one of his jugs.
"What is it, sensei?" Hinata looked very eager.
She loved folk tales.
"It's about the origin of the word 'Baka.' Apropos, don't you think?"
Hinata covered her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile.
"Shit!" Naruto frowned. "Very funny, old fool!"
"As you know, the word Baka means idiot, fool or silly, depending on context. If you break it down into parts and look at it, the word essentially translates to 'horse-deer.'" Jiraiya offered the sake to Hinata, then smiled when he saw her shocked expression.
"Wow! Wonderful! Best damn story I ever heard." Naruto griped.
"Are you sure you want to train with that silly foolish idiot?" Jiraiya asked Hinata. "Aren't there better ways for Tsunade to toughen you up and test your patience?"
Hinata giggled, then tried to look proper and ladylike. "I think I must be here to help you with him, Sir." Her eyes sparkled.
Naruto stared at Hinata, then lifted his nose in the air.
"Where was I? Oh yes. The story behind Baka had to do with a Chinese emperor who spotted a horse. He called it a deer, and all but one of his advisors agree." Jiraiya worked a kink out of one shoulder, then continued speaking.
"The dissenting advisor went on to prove that it was really a horse, and the emperor executed his other sycophant advisors and raised the correct one to chief advisor. I should note that the story arose in this country, even though it tells of a Chinese emperor. It appears to be a misinterpretation of a well-known story behind a Chinese idiom……'Point at a deer and call it a horse,' which means to confound right and wrong intentionally."
"Oh. I didn't know that." Hinata bowed to Jiraiya.
"Oh, I didn't know that," Naruto said under his breath. "Sychophant!"
Hinata pulled the basket away from Naruto. His arms reached out, then he clenched his teeth and looked away.
Only a moment later, his eyes were drawn back to the basket.
As Jiraiya sat biting chicken off of a skewer, enjoying the simple spectacle, his eyes suddenly went intense. His body stiffened.
It looked like he was straining to hear something.
"S-S-Sir…… is it the guards…… have they tracked us here?" Hinata put down her plate of leafy greens to reach for her weapons bag.
"No. It's probably the bandits again. They must have seen we had a girl with us. We'll have a fight on out hands for sure. They'll want you for the slave trade!" Naruto didn't make any move to get up. "Before they get here, could I have some of that shrimp?"
Hinata stopped and stared.
She couldn't tell if Naruto was joking or not.
"I always fight better on a full stomach. Helps me control my chakra." Naruto kept from smiling.
"SHHHHH! They'll hear us." Jiraiya looked fierce.
For a moment, Hinata began to wonder if they were indeed in for a battle.
The Sennin moved in the blink of an eye. Hinata took out two hands full of shuriken. She saw a bush move some, assuming that was where her sensei had set up his surveillance. Quietly, she moved to follow.
Naruto followed right behind her, already suspecting what he might see.
The sound of giggles and splashing water came up from the large pool of water at the foot of the waterfall.
"Isn't the weather a little too cold for them now?" Naruto asked his teacher. Pushing away a final branch obstructing his view, he saw a group of women in bathing suits playing down below.
Hinata just stayed their on her hands and knees, a kunei in her mouth. Her jaw going slack, the weapon fell, bounced off some rocks, then made a sudden splashing sound.
The girls didn't notice.
"OOOOOOOOH!" Jiraiya grinned as he took out his telescope. "They must be very vigorous. And, that's lucky for us. Cold water will have some interesting effects on their anatomy.
"Effects?" Naruto asked.
"Never mind, Naruto-kun!" Hinata had spoken with some heat, blushing. Her tone of voice had Jiraiya chuckling.
"But…." Naruto leaned further out of cover, wondering what his master was talking about.
"You see, Naruto…." Jiraiya spoke in a scholarly tone. "There are smooth muscle fibers that can contract in response to cold, to certain stimulation, or to the suckling of an infant, causing the----"
"Naruto!" Hinata stood up, glowering at her fellow ninja.
"Huh?" Naruto wondered why she was looking at him that way.
He hadn't done anything.
"Get down, Hinata. Remember what I told you about stealth. I'm merely doing my research." Jiraiya began chuckling. "As I was explaining, the female----"
"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata stomped her foot, surprising herself as much as her two companions. "Are you just going to sit there listening to that…… that…… stuff…."
"Well, he is the teacher…." Naruto looked over at Jiraiya, who nodded his head.
Hinata twiddled her fingers, her ears tingling. Her eyebrows shot upward. She grinned.
"I packed a second bowl of noodles, Naruto-kun." She headed back to the basket. "If you don't want them, I think I might…."
Before she could even blink, Hinata saw a blur pass her by, causing her hair to move on a brief air current. Looking down, she saw Naruto pulling containers out of the basket.
"Hey… (slurp) …… Hinata … (gulp) …… this stuff you made is (slurp glurp) …… really really good…" Various types of vegetables, meats, and starchy products disappeared off of plates, bowls, and platters, as Naruro's arms were barely visible.
Hinata grinned, then fluffed her hair.
"I guess I should save some for our company." Naruto began chuckling.
"Company?" Hinata walked over and pulled a noodle out from under Naruto's collar. She squeaked when he grabbed her hand. Taking the nooddle, her fellow student made quick work of it.
"Watch!" Naruto got up, rubbed his belly, then stretched. Then, looking rather mischievous, he walked over to where Jiraiya was still concealed. "HEY GIRLS! YOO HOO! GIRLS! NICE SUITS! "
"What are you doing, imbecile!" Jiraiya stood up, trying to silence Naruto.
"IF YOU'RE HUNGRY, WE HAVE PLENTY OF FOOD! " Naruto's voice easily carried below.
The girls stopped with their splashing, then looked up. They saw Naruto. Looking at one another, the young ladies ran for their towels and clothing.
"Idiot!" Jiraiya smacked his forehead.
"Hey, I was only being polite." Naruto's grin nearly split his face. "And, had they joined us, you wouldn't have needed the telescope." He put one finger on his nose and itched. "But, I guess that's half the fun, isn't it?"
Jiraiya fumed.
"Are you going to keep this kind of behavior up?" The Sennin saw that Hinata was listening intently.
"Well…… you know how obedient I am…." Naruto's eyes closed. He stretched and yawned. "I always try to absorb the wisdom you share with me. I remember you saying we had to act much more properly around Hinata."
Hinata looked at Jiraiya, face showing her surprise.
"Damn that Tsunade," Jiraiya grumbled. While he was happy to see how Naruto was reacting, his altruism went only so far. "Why me. Why me-e-e-e…."
Naruto laughed, then stood up. He walked back over to the edge of the cliff.
"Well, the spot's empty now. Hinata, do you want to take a dip?"
Hinata's eyes widened.
"I told you the training wouldn't be easy," Jiraiya said.
The young woman sighed.
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 x x
The clearing at their campsite would be the scene for a lot of training.
That afternoon, Jiraiya began by running through the projected list of skills he had in mind for his two pupils, before setting up a brief sparring match between Naruto and Hinata.
He wanted to get an idea of their comparative speed, reaction time, and ability to think on the fly.
As expected, Naruto came out on top, but Hinata showed a lot of grit and determination.
She was not about to embarrass herself in front of her important person, or in front of one of the Legendary Sennin.
"Not bad…… for a girl……" Naruto had said, after winning the third and final match.
Hinata's first reaction had been one of sorrow and shame. But, soon enough, she began to feel the nascent rise of anger within her. It didn't matter if he was only joking. She had been dismissed throughout her entire life.
Maybe it was time for that to change.
She saw Naruto's sly smile, and figured that he must be trying to see how far he could push her.
Why?
Was his pride stung, having her here, and seeing her do well?
Maybe.
He always had a problem with Sasuke, or so she had heard time and time again. But, it had only been Sasuke. Not anyone else.
Naruto had always taunted his opponents in matches. He was always prone to brag. But, he never truly put people down or acted cruelly dismissive. That was not his Ninja way, unless something had scarred him badly since she knew him so well.
Hinata hoped that he only wanted totest her spirit, to see if she was still the shy retiring flower who would always run and hide.Maybe he wanted to see if she would go running to Jiraiya for help.
Was he looking to see if she were worthy of his personal attention? Did he want to see how strong her will was?What did he need to see, to judge whether or not he could trust her with his life during any mission they shared?
Or, was he just being an ass?
She couldn't be certain why he was doing what he was doing.
Time would tell.
"She probably did better than you would have, when I first started training you." Jiraiya said, scribbling some notes down on a small scroll. "When we start work on summoning, I bet she gets a frog more quickly than you did. I also think that she will find my recount of those days quite humorous."
Naruto frowned. Then he scratched his head, and walked around stiff-legged, his hand behind his head.
"Well, she should be better. She's three years older than I was. And, she isn't worried about facing Neji in the chuunin exams or something. Yeh. She faced him and lost. I faced him and won." Naruto glanced briefly at Hinata, then said "Harumph." He sterd over at Hinata, watching her face.
Jiraiya just smiled.
Catching Hinata's glance, he shrugged. He wasn't about to tell the girl how Naruto actually won, but he did want to reign in Naruto's threatened pride. He scratched his crotch, scowling a moment.
"I don't need to mention how you won, do I... idiot?" The Sennin brushed some pine needles off of his robe. "Nor should anyone rely too heavily on past victories. I doubt your future opponents will care about your press releases."
"Yeh. Whatever!" Naruto began kicking at one of the roots he had forgotten to remove from the clearing.
"And, since you are the senior student, I expect to see you encouraging Hinata, not discouraging her. A little competition is good, but I will deal with you unfavorably if you take things too far. I hope I made that clear. We don't need you turning into another Sasuke, right?" Jiraiya chuckled. That ploy still worked after nearly three years.
"Bastard!" Naruto spat.
"Who, me or the Uchiha boy?" Jiraiya already knew the answer.
"You mean I have to choose one?" Naruto shook his head.
Hinata just stood quietly, learning things about Naruto, Jiraiya, and their student-pupil relationship. She was coming to the conclusion that they fought quite frequently, but that most of it was habit, a way of dealing with lives that weren't entirely what they might have hoped for. And, she could tell that their was a strong bond between them.
She was the outsider. Again.
She would just have to find her own way to fit in.
Hinata shivered slightly, watching Naruto. He certainly didn't act the way he used to, three years ago.
His pride was still there, in spades. And, his love of pranks and mischief hadn't gone anywhere.
But, he seemed harsher, harder….like he had been hurt one time too many, or was carrying a burden heavier than any one person should bear. Not all of that was an act, if any of it was.
Might that be the reason that Tsunade had sent her to the village to check up on him before? Could it be why she was here now?
Maybe.
The Hokage might think that Naruto was too isolated. He certainly didn't have a great life in his early years. Sakura had told the other girls some of the things that she had learned from Naruto, Kakashi, and Tsunade.
Just why was Naruto out here with Jiraiya?
She kept returning to that question, never having received an answer. Did she have a right to ask her sensei, now that they were working together as a group?
Hinata sighed.
It didn't matter to her, if she was there merely for Naruto's sake. She would benefit nonetheless. But, she doubted that the Hokage would be so cold and manipulative with people.
The more cutting question was, how should she deal with Naruto's behavior?
She wanted to help in any way she could, but she had her own selfish side. The last thing she wanted was for Naruto to hate or resent her.
She wanted….
"Well, I hope you don't favor Hinata the way that Kakashi favored Sasuke," Naruto said, his voice cracking before he spat. "And I hope she's not as useless as Sakura once was. Sheesh!"
"Hmmm-m-m-m…." Jiraiya chuckled, then rubbed one eyebrow. "Hearing Kakashi talk, it seemed that another member of Team Seven didn't start off all that promising either. Let me see, who ended up tied to the post?"
"Hey! You know that damn Copy Ninja. He tends to exaggerate." Naruto looked a bit sheepish, knowing that such a claim held little water. "And you were tied to the post by Sarutobi!" Naruto narrowed his eyes, remembering his sensei telling that tale about his first team.
The Legendary Sennin before they were anything resembling that.
Tsunade was training Sakura. Sasuke was with Orochimaru. And he was with Jiraiya.
The way things turned out still never ceased to amaze him.
"Hah! Water long under the bridge, sprout. At least in my case. And, I trust Kakashi's judgment implicitly. After all, he's a loyal reader!" Jiraiya twisted his neck one way, then the other, loosening a cramp.
"Yeh! That's another thing!" Naruto spoke sternly. "You shouldn't be doing all your perverted stuff around Hinata." The young ninja looked particularly cantankerous. "She doesn't deserve that!"
Hinata looked up. She smiled, a slow flush painting her cheeks.
There might be some reason to hope after all.
Jiraiya busied himself removing a stone from his boot, ignoring Naruto.
"Girls!" Naruto said, staring at his teacher. "They need to be treated better than that. You hear me, you old pervert?"
Jiraiya just grinned. One minute Naruto seemed to be putting girls down, but the next he was coming to Hinata's defense.
Did he know that he was doing that?
"But... if Hinata starts with Jiraiya-kun this and Jiraiya-kun that… just like Sakura and her 'Sasuke-ku-u-u-u-u-un'…… I'm leaving! I'll go train by myself, living in some shack at the top of the freaking mountain."
"Build it like you did your first hut, not the last one." Jiraiya poked at the fire with a stick.
Naruto frowned, then narrowed his eyes.
"Especially if you expect to have any girls spend the night," the Sennin looked away, whistling a short tune.
Naruto clenched his fists, then glanced briefly at Hinata.
Hinata froze.
"Yeh. Well. I've done more than my fair share of cabin building."Naruto shook one finger at Jiraiya. "I'm certain that a Legendary Sennin could build a great cabin."
Jiraiya pulled up a plant, then began a detailed perusal of its root system.
Seeing that his sensei was ignoring him, Naruto settled on another target, needing to vent his spleen.
"Fair's fair! I did the Guy stuff. Hinata can do all the Girl stuff. Huh! Cooking. Cleaning the cabins. Maybe gathering some flowers." Naruto nodded his head, smirking when he saw Hinata begin twiddling her fingers. "Oh yeh! The laundry too…." The young trouble maker rubbed his hands together.
It was Jiraiya's turn to frown, looking over at Hinata.
"Hinata, I'm going to teach you a new technique now."
"M-M-Master?" Hinata looked up, her lips parted. She had been feeling somewhat down, after Naruto's quip.
"Naruto, while we're busy, you should go finish up your cabin. Guy stuff. It looks like there might be more rain tonight." The Sennin didn't care what Naruto's reasons were. He had a plan in mind.
It was good for Hinata.
Jiraiya's suggestion did not sit well with Naruto. But, he needed to be pragmatic about things. Cursing, he headed off down the path to the village, needing to collect more building materials.
At least the writ from the Hokage of Konoha would pay for his purchases.
Later that evening, when he finally met up with the others around the cook fire, he sat down rubbing his belly, a smile gradually forming on his face.
"Well, I finished. Hah! No big deal for Uzumaki Naruto!" He made a fist, then flexed his biceps. "I can't wait to see what Hinata's fixed for supper! Mmmmm-m-m-m, I've worked up quite an appetite…."
Hinata just sat quietly, eating her own meal. Jiraiya looked over at Naruto, broke of a piece of bread, then began chewing.
"Well-l-l-l-l???" Naruto folded his arms over his chest, then looked at Hinata.
"Hinata was busy training, idiot. She didn't have time to do the cooking for everyone. Just herself and me." He took another bite of bread. "You'll need to take care of your own dinner tonight. That shouldn't be any trouble for a real man, right?"
Naruto grumped, then kicked one of the logs out of the fire, watching as the flaming piece of wood rolled down the hill towards the pond. Then, putting on a smile, he turned to Hinata.
"Looks like you cooked yourself a fair amount, Hinata. Do you mind sharing?" He watched Hinata intently, wanting to see how she would respond.
"Ummm…… I…." Hinata looked torn. She picked up one of the plates in front of her.
"AHEM!!!" Jiraiya tried to make it seem as if he had coughed.
"Well…… sorry, Naruto-kun. I need to keep my strength up. Master Jiraiya says that I will be working very hard." Hinata did not look over at Naruto.
Naruto grumped.
Then, his stomach growled.
Smelling the food that Hinata was eating, he began to salivate.
So, she wouldn't share any with him, would she?
Well….
"Yeh. I guess you'll need your strength alright." Naruto put his hands on his hips. "Now that the Ero-Sennin has me wearing fresh clothes every day, there'll be a fair bit of laundry."
"You can wash your own diapers, though…." Jiraiya said under his breath.
That comment had Naruto angry, but merely spurred him on.
"I prefer light starch in my robes, and no starch in anything else."
Hinata hung her head. Then, she raised it again, staring at Naruto.
Naruto was taken aback momentarily. Hinata was still meek most of the time, but she had begun acting somewhat differently. He took careful note of that. He thought back to her battle with Neji.
Just how much more had she changed over the years?
That face was certainly something new.
What else was?
"Now would be an ideal time to practice your new jutsu, Hinata." Jiraiya stood up and stretched. He pointed over to the training circle. "Don't worry. I'll carry him to his cabin when you're through."
"Huh?" Naruto looked at his sensei, then at Hinata. He frowned when Jiraiya motioned for him to get up and join Hinata.
Whatever the two of them had planned, wouldn't work.
He'd make sure of that!
"Don't make any effort to defend yourself, lack wit!" Jiraiya said to Naruto. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve.
"HUH?!" Naruto looked rather dyspeptic all of the sudden. "Why the hell not?"
"This is practice," Jiraiya said, sounding as if he was repeating something obvious. "I did my part, teaching her the move. You'll do your part, now." He chuckled. "Besides, I think that you earned this. Don't you, Hinata?" He smiled when he saw the girl nod her head.
"Whatever!" Naruto said, facing Hinata. "Hinata's too nice. She won't do it." He laughed. "She doesn't have the balls for it. Literally!!!"
The Sennin chuckled.
Naruto would get just what he deserved.
Hinata, somewhat hesitantly, walked up to Naruto. When her fellow shinobi chuckled again, she set her jaw and brought her hands up, working through a progression of seals.
She struck him in the back of the neck.
Noting happened.
"OOOOOOH…." Naruto chuckled some more. "That tickled. Maybe you can a masseuse, too!"
Hinata bit her lip.
"You missed the third seal. Settle down. You can do this. I have faith in you." Jiraiya gave her a thumbs up sign.
"S-S-Sorry…." Hinata worked through the hand seals again, properly this time. When she was finished, she used the Chuusuusei Biribiri.
Her chakra was converted into a pulse of electricity, coursing through Naruto's brainstem and traveling up to his brain, and down along his spinal cord. All of his neurological communication between the brain and the rest of his body was disrupted.
All that he found himself able to move were his eyelids.
"Way too much chakra, there. It's still an effective attack that way, but in a prolonged confrontation against multiple enemies, you won't want to use up your energy." Jiraiya smiled, watching Naruto topple over like a felled tree.
Hinata moved to catch him, but was too late.
"Sir!" Hinata said, contritely. Still, she managed a brief grin, looking down at Naruto.
Naruto blinked ever so rapidly, trying to get someone's attention.
He could breath, but he couldn't speak.
"Any pranks you want to pull on that young scamp, while he's still like that?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin, peering over at Naruto. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity…."
Hinata shook her head.
"Want to give him a kiss? In the stories it restores a fallen warrior's strength…." Jiraiya had a wicked gleam in his eye.
"Master Jiraiya!" Hinata blushed, almost feeling affronted.
Then again.
"Ummm…."
Naruto's eyes opened as wide as they could. His autonomic system might be a bit discombobulated too, but his sweat glands were working just fine.
"Well, I have something in mind. Something practical." Jiraiya took out a wicked looking knife and tested its edge.
Naruto closed his eyes. Hinata gasped.
Just what did Jiraiya have in mind?
"It might be good to neuter him. Might settle him down some." He chuckled, seeing Naruto's eyes snap open again. He winked over at Hinata.
"Y-You…… m-might…… b-be…… r-right…." Hinata tried to keep from smiling.
The Sennin sat quietly a moment, letting Naruto stew some. Naruto's eyes narrowed, a clear sign that he knew they were joking.
"It's almost flattering, I suppose, the fact that Naruto has taken to keeping his hair looking a lot like mine." Jiraiya ran a hand through his enormous mane. "Almost. I hate to think I look anything like that." He pointed at Naruto with the knife.
"Sensei?" Hinata looked over at the knife again.
"Well, while it may preclude his ability to use the Underworld Spines, that's a limited jutsu most of the time. He certainly looks like he could use a haircut. That way, we won't get so many strange looks down in the village."
Naruto's eyes looked incredulous.
"Would you like to do it, Hinata. If not, I will…." Jiraiya lashed out with the knife, chopping down a tangled mass of weeds, only slightly less disheveled looking than Naruto's hair.
Naruto pleaded with his eyes.
"Ummm…… I will do it…… sensei…." Hinata got up, ran to her cabin, then returned with a small pair of scissors.
"Are you sure?" Jiraiya asked, smiling. "He might like a…… man…… to do the job. Right?"
Hinata smiled, then nodded.
"Well…… ummm…… since I have to look at him from day to day, now……" Hinata went to kneel by Naruto, working the scissors in her hand, trying to get a feel for them again.
"Have fun you two!" Jiraiya waved, then turned away. Walking, he headed off to tasks unknown.
Hinata looked down at the paralyzed ninja. She grinned.
It was her turn now.
"I don't know if I can do this well enough, Naruto-kun. I'm just a girl. All those things you've said have... up... up...upset me, and I… I… I…c-c-can't think straight." She fumbled the scissors, then dropped them. "Oh my!"
Naruto closed his eyes.
Part of his mischievous nature must have rubbed off on her already.
"So, Naruto-kun…… would you like a Mohawk?"