Naruto sat down, toweling himself off.
He realized that Taijustu practice wouldn't get him anywhere with Akatsuki. But, it still did him a world of good. It helped keep his body sharp, and it never failed to put him in the right frame of mind for more necessary ventures.
Now that Hinata was here, it also fed his need for competition, not to mention his nearly biological need to confront things, and show the world that he was worthy.
He winced, pressing in on one of his ribs. Some of those damn Hyuuga techniques were difficult to counter in a friendly session, when he couldn't use any of the drastic techniques at his command.
Hinata was pretty good.
He had no doubt that she was better than Neji had been at the chuunin exams. That had him wondering just how far his taciturn friend had advanced over the past years, now that he no longer was a Bird In A Cage.
Tossing the towel down, Naruto looked over at Hinata.
She was still going, running through the motions of a number of moves that her father had taught her and her cousin. It almost looked like she was dancing.
No. Not dancing. It didn't look anything like that.
Still, it was a graceful display. It had Naruto's mind walking down paths it usually avoided. That too was a form of training.
The white-eyed girl was not long and lithe like Ten Ten, or Ino to a lesser degree. She was not larger boned, with exaggerated curves like Sakura or Tsuande. There was no comparison to the classical beauty of Kurenai, or the dark and dangerous allure of Anko.
The village girls, including those at the hot springs and their counterparts at the waterfall, all had characteristics that Hinata seemed to lack.
But, he realized that he had fallen into a trap that other people must have stumbled into.
It was easy to overlook Hinata, because she had once been so easy to overlook. And, when one got into a habit, they tended to see what they believed they should still see.
She was still somewhat short, but she had indeed grown, just not as much as he had. Her figure would never grace one of Jiraiya's book covers, but she had gotten rather… well… yes. She had. And, her face was no longer plain or unremarkable.
Hinata had grown cute. No. Not cute. That was not a word for a man to use…. especially not a man with a male demon in his belly.
Naruto stood up, bending over to stretch some.
Why was he thinking about such things? Back when his life was finally looking up, he had begun to notice girls, and had developed a crush on someone who had seemed so perfect to him. But, even in those less weighty days, the feelings were merely a distraction.
Weren't they?
He remembered what it had been like as a child, staring in the window of the toy shop or candy store. He had no money in those days. Looking at the shiniest toys, or licking his lips when he spied the brightest candies, he knew they were all beyond his reach.
Some times he would see the village children eating sweets, or playing with new things in the park. It didn't matter how many times he had wished to be like them…. the wishes never came true.
How had things changed?
Even if the forces Konoha had at her disposal could somehow remove every trace of Akatsuki from this world, what guarantee was there that some other nation, group of men, or single twisted individual might not view him in a similar light.
And, even if that blessed day did come, and there were no more people viewing him the way they must have once viewed Hinata and her clan secrets, there would still be the issue of family. What clan or civilian family would view him as a welcome guest?
If they couldn't see him that way, how would they ever allow their daughter to pay any attention to him.
"Shit."
Such nonsense!
Even if he did have any kind of feelings for Hinata…. and he didn't…. well not much…. no…none at all…. and even if she could feel that way about him….
Naruto swallowed hard. There was no way he could deny Hinata's feelings. He resisted thinking about just how much she might care, but there was no denying that she cared.
Who was he fooling?
"Damn."
Acceptance was such a strong allure. There was no doubt that Hinata accepted him. How could there be, after what he told her, and how she reacted?
There had only been one other time, when he worried that the truth he told would drive someone away. That was when he had returned from his battle with Sasuke, not having kept the Promise of a Lifetime that he had made to Sakura.
He had wondered just how she would react. Visiting him in his hospital room, she had accepted things as they were, and had realized how hard he had tried. That had felt special, but there had been no way to follow up on that feeling, because there was no doubt that her heart still belonged to that Uchiha turncoat, despite all that had transpired.
Naruto looked over at Hinata again.
The truth he had told her was many times more brutal than the one he had shared with his former team mate. The small girl had been shaken at first, but had stood by him.
Not only that, she had tried to make him feel better
Even an idiot like him could appreciate her strength in character. But it was more than that. She was such a good person, despite everything that had happened in her life.
Miraculously, she seemed to see him the same way.
So, the way he had started looking at her wasn't merely because she was the only girl around. Not by a long shot. The closer he looked, the more he saw. And, the more barriers he let down, the more he found he wanted to knock down altogether.
He was pretty certain that she would like that. She might even long for much more.
Who could understand girls?
But, was that fair to her? Was it even fair to him? He didn't want to be standing outside the toy shop again, putting all of his hopes in something he could never have. And, he did not want to bring the toy back to the orphanage, only to have some group of bigger boys break it.
"Right!"
Despite his uncharacteristic meditative mood, and the truths he faced every day, Naruto could help but smile, imaging a letter he might write:
Dear Akatsuki
I have recently realized that I might be able to have feelings for a girl. I know, this is hard to believe, and it's difficult to think of anyone…other than member-Kisame…who might have more trouble getting a date.
So, since I find that I might actually be human after all… and not all those other things that people have called me… I ask that you give up your plans to capture me and ruin my otherwise dreadful life.
And, even though I think that member-Itachi is probably an ever worse rat bastard than his selfish younger brother, I will think of you all in the fondest regards, should you grant me my wish.
To those seven I have not had the displeasure to meet, we should do lunch some day.
Yours truly,
Uzumaki Naruto
Hokage-to-be
P.S.
Kyuubi sends along love and kisses.
Naruto shook his head. Pulling at one ear, he thought that it might be fun to write such a letter. No. better yet! Wouldn't it be great to start a petition?
"Hah!"
No. What was really necessary was a way to keep his feelings under lock and key. Well, if not his feelings, then at least his stupid tongue!
The last thing he wanted to do was say anything that embarrassed Hinata, or gave her some kind of mistaken hope.
Besides, maybe some of what he was feeling was merely gratitude. It was nice to think that someone had been paying attention to him over the years. It was wonderful to see someone else learn his secret without rejecting him.
Looking around the clearing, he rubbed his chin. It had already been one week, but there had been no sign of that damn pervert.
He doubted that Jiraiya would be off in the woods, observing their behavior.
While he felt a knot in the depths of his stomach, Naruto saw no reason to contact Tsunade yet. Still, he shivered for a moment, once again wondering just how powerful Akatsuki was as a whole. If enough S-class criminals confronted the Legendary Sennin at one time… even if he hadn't been slipped some drug that handicapped him… they might be able to bring him down, or at least injure him severely.
And who knew how many men the shadow organization might have working for them.
There might be only nine, or there might be ninety…… or nine hundred!
"Stupid bastard!"
Naruto walked over to his hut, where he had placed an item put in his trust. Being a very responsible leader, Naruto removed the wax seal from the scroll a secret courier had delivered the other day. Sure, it was from the Hokage, and had been directed towards Jiraiya, but since it had not been booby-trapped, that could only mean that it was OK for him to look at it, right?
Sure!
That was his story and he was sticking to it.
He pulled at his lip, not really feeling that flippant. Truth be told, he was very worried, and wanted to know if there were any details he should know about, that Jiraiya would have told him any way.
He read the scroll, then cursed.
More words that did nothing but conjure up frightful images.
Tsunade obviously had people working on the mystery of Akatsuki's objectives as well. The scroll had included more fragments of information, though they were just as cryptic as the things that his sensei had told him just before he left:
'Release of he second seal calls a beast colored red, and its power will take peace from the earth its teeth and claws shall be like great swords.'
'And power will be bestowed upon them to make war with the leaders of men, and to overcome them. Power will be bestoweth over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.'
'And as the people stand witness, the wild beasts will ascend out of the abyss and make war with them, to conquer them and kill them.'
That first quotation in particular had Naruto sweating. It could represent Kyuubi. No doubt that was why Tsunade had sent it along. The second quote sent shivers down his spine. If Akatsuki had found some way to defeat all of the Villages, countless number of people would be at their mercy. The third quote left him breathless. Kyuubi was bad enough. Were there other great youma that could be awakened or controlled?
"Naruto-kun?"
The young ninja nearly bumped his head on the ceiling of his cabin. He hadn't heard Hinata approach, being too engrossed in his thoughts. Instinctively, he hid the scroll behind his back.
"Uhhhh…. hi, Hinata…. are you done with your practicing now? Yehhh…. good work out…. huh?"
Hinata looked at Naruto, wondering what he was so anxious about.
"Naruto-kun, is there something wrong?" Hinata looked up at his face. Why were his eyes so wild? And, why is he sweating? "Is that a message from our sensei?"
"Message, Hinata?" Naruto swallowed hard. He didn't want to frighten Hinata by showing her the scroll.
He also felt guilty, having been caught reading it.
"Yes, the scroll you were reading when I walked in." Hinata began to worry that their teacher had gotten into some kind of trouble.
"Oh…. that message…. well, we do need to work on your manners, don't we…. imagine, just walking in without knocking…." Naruto tried to laugh, but found he couldn't.
Hinata just stood there, looking at him.
Sighing, Naruto handed the seal to Hinata.
"It was bad of you to open that, Hinata. It was sent to that old hermit. For your sake…… so you don't get into trouble…… I will see if I can redo the seal…"
Hinata looked up at Naruto and shook her head. Then, with some trepidation, she read the notes from Tsunade.
"What does this all mean, Naruto-kun?" She asked, in a very quiet voice. "Is there something else you know that makes these words more meaningful?"
Naruto shook his head, telling her the other phrases that Jiraiya had mentioned.
"That's why the old man is gallivanting about." Naruto's hands twitched.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Hinata asked.
Naruto nodded.
"Me too. I'm also worried about you, Naruto-kun." Hinata's hand trembled slightly. She handed Naruto the scroll.
"I all means I have to work harder, right?" Naruto struck up one of his trademark poses. "Remember when you brought that picnic lunch, trying to tell me to stop working so much?" He grinned. "Boy were you dumb…."
Hinata bit her lip, but narrowed her eyes.
"Yeh. I need to get stronger, and I have to be certain I don't get kidnapped or something." He scratched his head. "Normally, I'd say that we should head further up into the mountains, until our sensei gets back. But, if someone is keeping track of us, that might not make any difference."
Hinata thought a moment, then nodded her head.
"It might also be smart to stay out of town; but, we're in as much danger here as we are there. There might be more opportunities to ambush us in crowded streets or back alleys…… not that I would take you down any of those…… but crowds can just as much work to our advantage as to our detriment. We just need to be careful, that's all."
Hinata nodded again.
"There is something I could do, however." An idea had just dawned on Naruto. "I can leave a message for that old pervert, then walk you back to Konoha. I'm certain Granny Tsunade would give me an escort back. It might be nice to see some of my friends again while I'm there…."
"No." Hinata said flatly.
"Huh? It wouldn't be nice for me to see my friends? Or, you think the Hokage can't spare any shinobi?" Naruto rubbed his nose, a quizzical look on his face.
"No, I don't want to go back to our village." Hinata's face looked sterner than Naruto had ever seen it before. "There's danger enough in our lives as it is. As ninja, we have to live with that. But, if something momentous is on the cusp…… and Kyuubi is a target…… then my safety is not nearly as important as yours, Naruto-kun…"
Naruto swallowed hard. That was true in an intellectual sense, but…
"Yeh. Well. Hey, Hinata, that kind of things sounds right and all, but…." He put one hand behind his back and began pacing. "You know…. I might be in more danger if you are here…. because…. well…."
He stopped and looked at Hinata.
He had to be careful not to sound too emotional.
"I would have a harder time protecting the two of us, you know. It might be hard enough just taking care of myself against those bastards. And, well, if they captured you and offered…. or threatened…. you know what I mean!" Naruto rubbed his hand over one rough hewn plank on his wall.
Hinata bit her lip, wondering how much she should read into Naruto's concern. No, there was no place for that now.
She was a shinobi of the Leaf, and her responsibility had been drilled into her for many years.
"That's not the kind of talk I would expect from a Hokage," Hinata said. "Or someone who wants to be Hokage some day." She blinked, seeing Naruto's posture stiffen. "We have all been trained emotionally, some of us more successfully than others. When the time comes, we each need to sacrifice ourselves for the good of our mission, or the safety of our village."
"Hinata, you…."
She continued.
"You may see me as small Naruto. You may see me as one weaker than you. You may even question the strength of my resolve." Hinata looked up into Naruto's eyes, glad to see no sign of any such dismissal. "But, I will do what I can to protect you." She looked down at her feet, when her statement crossed from the professional to the personal. "Forever…."
Naruto looked out the window, not trusting himself to look at Hinata's face at that moment.
She would protect him?
Yes. It was her Ninja Way.
And, there was probably more….
That made him nervous and hopeful at the same time. But, it did not make any such thing less advisable.
"With Jiraiya gone, I could order you to go back, Hinata." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Indeed… I… could…."
"If I refuse to obey, what are you going to do, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice sounded soft and vulnerable, but her eyes were intense and her stance strong.
"I could put you over my knee and spank you, to start with." Naruto smiled, seeing the expression on Hinata's face. "You deserve that, if only for trying to say that Kyuubi might be female." He chuckled. "No, I'd better not do anything like that without a chaperon."
Hinata's eyes went wide. Then she blushed.
"I also could run off to a new site, if need be." Naruto nodded his head, a serious look on his face. "I doubt that you could keep up with me, or keep my trail for long. Especially if I created a few dozen clones."
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata's eyes hardened. She clenched her small hands into fists.
"I won't do that though, Hinata. Because you are correct." Naruto sighed. "And, because part of our training is supposed to be in good judgment." Naruto perked up some. "Of course, you know how I feel about that old hermit's judgment. And that can only call into question Old Lady Tsuande's judgment."
Hinata sighed.
Naruto grinned. Hinata had no choice but to grin as well.
"Thanks though, Hinata." Naruto brushed a cobweb off of his ceiling. "You never cease to impress me." He started to walk then. "Excuse me, but you make a better window than a door…."
Hinata stepped out of his way, her emotions churning.
Just how did Naruto see her?
Needing to clear his head, Naruto ran off to do some endurance work alone. Left behind at the camp site, Hinata did some light calisthenics, then sat down with her balloons. She hadn't made much if any progress so far, despite her impressive control of chakra.
It must be something you get, or don't get, with little middle ground. She ran her fingers through her hair, then sighed. While it might be nice to share a jutsu like this with Naruto and their sensei, she wouldn't lose any sleep over things.
Somehow, she couldn't see herself taking that necklace from Naruto. He had already given her such a great gift by making the offer. Taking out her mother's locket again, she sighed.
Keepsakes were important.
Deciding to work on some water based jutsus, despite the temperature and a strong swirling wind, she tossed her balloon high in the air, then turned away from it. Using Byakugan, she easily located it and struck it with a thrown shuriken.
In contrast to Rasengan, her other techniques were all coming along well. Master Jiraiya might be rather unorthodox, but his methods showed results.
Looking off in the direction Naruto had gone, she thought that she had made progress in a number of areas. Her confidence continued to rise. She was becoming more vocal, relatively speaking. And, surprisingly enough, she had begun to give back to Naruto what she got herself.
Of course, it was all because of how she felt about him.
What she wanted to know most of all… or didn't want to know, depending on her mood… was how his feelings might have changed towards her, if they had changed at.
It would be nice if he learned to respect her more. But, she already had peers. She even had a number of friends.
Was it wrong for her to want more than that?
Hearing what she had heard about Kyuubi and Akatsuki, was it crazy for her to want those things with him?
"What would you have done, mother?" She asked, her voice swept away by the wind. "What might you suggest that I do?"
She had watched Naruto for so long. Not just because of his determination, and the example he provided her with. Her crush hadn't caught her by surprise, the way it did the other girls she confided with.
Everyone had tried to pair her with Kiba, but that was foolish. She admired her team mate and thought of him as a trusted friend, but their tastes were far apart. Some had even tried to pair her with Shino. She admired him too, but… but… Shino?
No, there was no shortage of matchmakers.
Some numbskulls had thought she should consider Neji. That still had her shaking her head. He was her cousin after all. One girl had said that she should hold out for Sasuke, just in case he returned to the Leaf. How ridiculous was that?
There was just something about Naruto that seemed right to her.
If he proved to be beyond her reach, she might just end up like the maidens in some stories she had read, forever loving from afar.
When Naruto finally returned, drenched with sweat and panting heavily, he told her that training time for the day was finished.
"It's time to clean up. We'll be heading down to town again, so we have to look our best. I'm going down to the river now, so don't say I didn't tell you. I don't want to catch you trying to peek again!" He shook his head, throwing off sweat like a wet dog.
Hinata frowned. Naruto was bad as Akamaru sometimes, even though his hair was still relatively short. And that comment!
He had been the one who came plummeting into the bathjing area without checking first.
"Don't pretend you didn't look, Hinata." Naruto laughed at the look on her face. I, at least, was a gentleman…."
Hinata let out her breath.
She had wondered just how much of her Naruto had seen.
"By the way, was that a training bruise, or a birthmark?" He began heading towards the laundry line in search of a clean towel.
"N-N-N---"
Naruto was half way to the river before Hinata found her voice.
Later that evening, as the two shinobi strolled down the path towards town, Hinata kept looking over at Naruto. Having seen the way people reacted to their master's ratty old outfit, he had insisted that they dressed up in their best clothes that evening.
That had Hinata dreaming about a life she wished she could have. Maybe she would have been able to, had she remained as the Hyuuga heir, instead of training to be a ninja. She might not have given her heart to a warrior, had that been the path her life followed. Or if she had, it probably wouldn't have been Naruto.
Yes, the way the two of them looked, it was all too easy to imagine they were out on a date together, even through they weren't.
That thought was pleasant in its own way, but it simply had her feeling jealous of normal girls.
Every so often, her eyes went to Naruto's hand.
She'd give anything to be able to hold it.
"Naruto-kun…." She snapped her mouth shut immediately after that word. Just what was she thinking?
"Hmmm?" Naruto looked over at Hinata, who seemed uncomfortable himself after he looked closer and longer than he felt he should.
"Oh…… it's nothing…… sorry…." Hinata bit her lip, feeling like the tiniest speck of dust in existence.
"OK." Naruto snuck another look at Hinata. She certainly looked nice in her outfit. Sakura had never looked that nice.
But, as he had told himself before, he had no business thinking that way.
So, what was his usual means of covering up his true feelings?
Yup!
"If you were going to ask me to carry on Jiraiya's research while he's gone, you can just forget it!" Naruto tried to sound very serious. "We're here tonight to show the villagers a different face. Besides, you had your chance to peek at the river this afternoon…."
Hinata nearly stumbled on a dip in the trail.
She should be used to that by now!
Then again, did she ever want to get used to that kind of remark?
"You said we were going to have a nice meal tonight, Naruto-kun." Hinata also sounded serious. "If I had come down to the river…… I…… ummm…." Her bravado fizzled out. She wasn't a natural at this, after all. "I would have lost my appetite…."
Naruto went quiet. Then, he began to smile.
"Once again, the Uzumaki magic strikes. Another promising student begins to show her true potential…." he winked at Hinata.
Hinata stopped walking.
He wasn't being serious, was he? There was no way she was going to become like him… right?
Naruto began laughing, then settled down, strolling at a stately pace, whistling.
Hinata looked at him and hurried to catch up.
It wasn't the only trial she would be faced with that night.
Next, she had to face the sad truth of what Naruto considered a nice meal.
"Being a wonderful cook Hinata, you no doubt know a great deal about noodles. Another reason that you are someone I could like." Naruto marched through the streets of the village, taking note of the size of the crowd, and the length of various lines.
Hinata's hands twitched. She blinked ever so quickly and repeatedly. That comment was certainly a double-edged swords.
Liking was good. But, noodles….
"Yes, Soba. I like soba. Buckwheat noodles… taro root… egg whites… yum!" Naruto's face lit up like the lanterns lining the main avenue. "Udon. I like udon too. Wheat dough… served with soy-flavored sauce… ahhhh!" He tirned to smile at Hinata. "But, you know my favorite by now…."
"Ramen," Hinata said, without much enthusiasm. Sure, it wasn't a date, but she would rather talk about something else than noodles.
Did Naruto suspect how she felt about him?
Was this his way of trying to bring and end to that?
"You know where the name Ramen comes from, don't you Hinata?" Naruto asked.
"Yes," Hinata answered, feeling guilty immediately.
She had lied.
"Really? Where?" Naruto was all too eager to prove her wrong.
Hinata frowned. It hadn't worked.
"Didn't think so. Well, your evening won't be a total loss, no matter what happens after this!" Naruto beamed. "First of all, please let me inform you of the meaning of 'men' in Ramen. Though we use the same Chinese character to express 'men' as the Chinese do, the meanings are a bit different. For people in our land, 'men' mean all kind of NOODLES including rice sticks, soba, etc., whatever the ingredients are as long as they are cereal flour. On the other hand, in Chinese, it means DOUGH, made of wheat flour only. So in their language, udon and ramen are counted as 'men' but rice sticks and laksa are not. But, they do not limit its usage only to string-like stuff only, so dumplings are also considered to be a part of 'men.' With me so far?"
Hinata disn't say anything. She wasn't really being rude.
She just didn't want him chattering on and on , thinking it's what she wanted.
She couldn't help but smile, realizing how much she had changed. In the past, she would have rushed to say 'yes' and offer praise, in hope that Naruto might notice her more.
Of course, Naruto misinterpreted that smile.
"Glad you're interested," Naruto said warmly. "Now, getting back to the origin of the word 'Ramen.' Frankly speaking, there are several hypotheses, but no one can tell which is it." Naruto rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He almost stepped on a small dog yapping at the side of the street.
"But the following two are the most widely-accepted. First, In Chinese, 'La' in Lamen means pulling and stretching. So Lamen means noodles made of wheat flour by pulling and stretching. It is believed that when the ramen type noodles arrived in in this part of the world, noodles were made by Lamen way. Then 'Lamen,' the name of noodle making process, somehow became 'Ramen' and became the general name of this noodle dish. "
Hinata found herself smiling again. She couldn't help herself.
Just having Naruto talk to her could overcome a lot of ills.
"Yes, in some languages, there is no distinction between "L" sound and "R" sounds, so things like that can happen. That also provides the basis for a lesser known theory, one which says that Ramen derives from
from La-, La- meaning 'Yes, Yes' in Chinese. It was supposed uttered by an Chinese chef employed by some Ramen shop in in Konoha, who would say 'La- men' when he meant 'yes, noodles.' Fascinating stuff, huh?"
Naruto didn't wait for an answer. He launched into the next part of his spiel, telling his companion which shops had the best noodles in this village.
Hinata's eyes became a bit glazed over. She hadn't actually needed to know who made the best shouyu, tonkotsu, miso and shio type Ramen.
"Yes, at that shop over there, I like to get Ramen topped with crab." He pointed, then waved to the shop owner. "Across the way, in that small stone building, I buy Ramen with pork-filled dumplings." He shouted a greeting to one of the cooks taking a break outside. "On special days, when I am in the mood for Ramen topped with egg omelet with onion filling, or Ramen with salty Chinese pickled turnip, I visit the shop with the Tanuki out front." He pointed again.
And so it went.
At one point, the usually reserved girl was about to shout. If she had to deal with noodles any more that night, she would give Naruto a piece of her mind!
The best laid plans of mice and shinobi….
Greetings, Master Naruto!" A pudgy old man in a greasy apron ran up to pump Naruto's hand. "It is wonderful to see you here tonight!"
"Ahhh, nice to see you Mr. Nissin. I hope your noodles have been treating you better than your daughter-in law!" Naruto shared a laugh with the portly noodle chef. "Then again, any girl who works in a Ramen shop must have a heart of gold."
Hinata bit her lip.
"So, is this your young lady?" The chef bowed to Hinata, who automatically brought her hand to her mouth. "Did she come with you tonight, to watch you do the judging?"
"No," Naruto answered quickly to cover his discomfort. "Look at her. She's too cute for the likes of me." Naruto sighed. "What judging are you talking about?"
Hinata blushed, happy to hear Naruto call her cute, even if he was making polite conversation.
"You mean they City Council did not ask you? How can that be? You would have been an ideal person to add to the panel! Maybe they think that you have grown too friendly with the lot of us, so it would be hard for you to give an honest opinion with hurting feelings…."
"Does the judging have something to do with Ramen?" Naruto's eyes lit up, and his posture straightened. "Tasting Ramen?"
Hinata froze.
That didn't sound good.
"Yes. Yes. We have a number of distinguished chefs coming in from other villages. Some of us will be competing against them, for the title of High Ramen Chef. I was just hurrying home, needing to clean up and get in my best cooking outfit. My sons are gathering the ingredients for me." Mr. Nissin went on to describe the particulars.
"Wow! We sure picked the right night and time to visit the village tonight Hinata, didn't we?" Naruto nodded his head. "It's a shame I didn't know about this sooner…. I would have entered you in the competition. Those noodles you brought me when you visited…… they are still some of the best I've had…."
Hinata's mouth opened and closed like that of a fish. She was very grateful that Naruto had never heard of this before now. But, she was also pleased by the compliment.
"Oh! There's no problem. We had a cancellation, even after our distinguished visitor had set up his cook station on the square, and had purchased all of his ingredients. Illness in the family, I understand. It might ruffle some feathers to have a woman vying for the title of chef, but I'm all for it!" The noodle shop owner told Naruto what steps to take, and what officials to check in with. "See you both there!"
"Great!" Naruto walked with a slight strut. "Isn't it, Hinata!"
"No!" Hinata answered without thinking.
"Huh?" Naruto stopped, frowning, bringing both hands up to his hips.
"I…… well…… you see……" Hinata didn't know where to start. She had wanted to spend time with Naruto, but not in some cook-off. She liked cooking, but not in front of a rabid crowd. And, she had heard enough about ramen for the evening.
"You still need to come out of yours shell some, Hinata." Naruto looked her in the face. "You have a wonderful talent. You shouldn't be afraid to use it."
"B-B-But…." Great, she just had to stutter then.
"And, while you might be afraid to work in front of strangers, I'll protect you, and it would be fun to watch you in action at something besides shinobi stuff." Naruto rubbed his chin.
"But…." That last part had her wavering.
"This might be the last fun thing we get to do together. If that old man gets back sometime soon, who knows what I might have to go and do." Naruto looked in the direction of the central square, seeing groups of people headed in that direction.
"But…." She almost gave in there.
Naruto looked back at Hinata. His eyes had a strange look.
"Hey, if you don't want to, I'm certainly not going to goad you into things. After all, we did get dressed up in our nice clothes. It wouldn't do much good for you to hide them under some apron."
There was some inflection in Naruto's voice that had Hinata's knees go weak. He was truly worried what the future might bring. That wasn't like the Naruto she used to know.
The weight on his shoulders was heavier than she could imagine.
She looked up at Naruto. Her eyes told him how she felt about him, while her face showed her opinion about joining the contest.
Her mouth broke the tie.
"Ok, Naruto-kun."
Naruto didn't smile the way Hinata had expected. He was still looking at her face, his expression a mystery.
"It's alright, Hinata. You know me, I get really stupid sometimes. Let's go do something fun…." He began walking away from the square.
Hinata walked over to him, grabbed hold of the sleeve of his robe, then halted him.
He had put her interests ahead of her own, even though this night must be his way of trying to enjoy something good before bad news followed their sensei home. He had wanted to see her do something that was important to him. It sounded so silly at first, and maybe it was.
But, not to her. Not now.
"I will do this, Naruto-kun." She smiled, taking a page out of his book. "I think I will cook kitsune noodles."
Naruto's eyes bulged.
There really was such a thing, but it was an udon dish, not ramen.
Because kitsune pelts are a golden brown color I some stories….what some old-timers called call kitsune iro, or 'fox colored'…. and because the Tricksters were said to like the taste of abura age, fried bean curd…. reference to kitsune on a menu typically signaled the inclusion of fried bean curd in the dish.
Kitsune udon, or fox noodles, were served in a golden brown broth, topped with slightly sweet, soy-simmered, fried bean curd.
"Hmmm. My mistake, that's an udon dish, isn't it?" She looked up into Naruto's eyes. She wished that she felt ready to tell him how she felt.
Maybe doing this would give him some idea.
And, she had to admit, as frightened as she might be, there would be some satisfaction using the skills she had perfected at home, after her father had evaluated his life, and made his peace with her and Neji.
Ramen may be considered a simple food, but cooking it is not easy at all. Making the broth can take anywhere from several hours to an entire day, and constant attention is required to control the temperature…… strain the broth…… and make sure the ingredients are added at the proper time. While not as difficult as learning to make sushi, becoming a ramen chef isn't exactly an easy thing.
People study for years, and famous cooks will have apprentices who work night and day to learn their craft. Naruto could probably tell her that's why he usually avoided shops where no one behind the counter is over the age of twenty-five.
Her father said she was very talented, but she had learned to cook to his and Neji's taste.
How could she hope to fare against experienced chefs?
Naruto just stood still, trying to figure out Hinata's reason for making her decision. He had his suspicions, and that had him feeling confused again. But, once she had made her decision, he was not going to spoil her gesture by saying anything else.
It was just another thing that made her seem more special in his eyes.
When the two of them had seen to Hinata's official enrollment, Naruto walked with her over to an enormous table filled with foodstuffs. Next to it, large cook fires were bridged over by iron grills, each supporting great pots and skillets. Utensils of all sorts were present, as were spices and condiments of every imaginable kind.
Hinata looked around her, startled by the number of onlookers. Buildings of every shape and size surrounded the square, and there were people leaning out of windows, sitting on balconies, or perched on the eaves or roofs.
All this turnout, for a cooking contest?
For noodles?
"Well, Hinata, since all of the other chefs have apprentices or family to help them with the rough preparation, do you want me to pull a few slaggarts off of the street to aid you?" Naruto chuckled.
"No, the one I have will do well enough…. I mean…. ummm…." She stuck out her lower lip, looking at Naruto.
He gave her a thumbs up, making her blush and grin.
Then he had her jumping, when he whistled loudly. He waved to a number of cooks he new very well. "Hey there! Mr. Konosuke. Mr. Tampopo. Mr. Munchun. Mr. Takewaka. Over here!"
The men walked over, and Naruto said his regards. Then, he introduced the to Hinata, and her to them.
"Smart man. See how good a cook the little princess is, before you marry her, huh?" Mr. Tampopo's comment had Naruto choking. Mr. Konosuke leaned over and began slapping him hard on the back.
"Yes, that's one of the things to try out. The other is best saved for a more private setting!" Mr. Muchun's words had Hinata choking. Mr. Nissin's daughter-in-law, just then walking up with him, patted Hinata on the back while giving the men a scathing glance.
"Here Miss, come along with me. I'll find you a place to sit with my friends, while these over-stuffed baboons scratch and shout." The woman, whose name was Yuki, smiled at Hinata, then turned up her nose to Naruto.
"Ummm…. well…. actually, I'm the one who will be cooking here, Miss Yuki." Hinata's words had a number of wags in the crowd hooting and shouting.
"Why, she'll need a step ladder to reach the pots," one man said.
"She can't cook in that robe," another man shouted. "I'm afraid that she will have to take it off. But why stop there…."
That spurred similar rude and coarse comments.
"A woman can't be a chef," one of the visiting contestants said, whirling his waxed mustaches. "This is an insult to those of us who are skilled."
A number of people in the crowd followed that theme as well.
Hinata stood tall and proud, but the responses were beginning to wear her down.
Naruto had heard and seen more than enough. Calmly, he stepped up on one table. Rubbing the back of his neck, he smiled, kicking a large pot filled with vinegar in the face of one of the rude men. Working hand seals, he created a small dragon-shaped stream of water from one of the boiling pots, sending it to crash against some of the nastier hecklers.
"I had thought that this village was a proud one, peopled by mean and women of class and dignity." His words carried across the entire square. "I suppose that could still be the case. Do these…… intellectuals…… speak for the rest of you?"
"NOOOOOOO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O."
"Glad to hear it!" Naruto gave the townspeople a thumbs up. "A story a wise woman told me once is worth taking a lesson from. Good things come in small packages." He saluted Hinata, who waited a second, then managed to salute him back.
A number of people in the crowd applauded.
"Big small…… good bad…… she's still a girl…." One of the other foreign chefs, a towering hat upon his mop-like hair, threw his arms up in the air, as if he were lecturing an imbecile. "That's unnatural!"
"Oh! I see. You prefer boys…." Naruto's comments had the man's hat falling askew. The chef began sputtering like a brewing steam kettle. "If you ask me, that's unnatural!"
That time, the crowd's response was much more widespread and enthusiastic.
"Joke as you may, the honored chef is right. A woman has no place being a Ramen chef!" The third guest polished his row of large brass buttons. "It's against tradition. There are plenty of things that their temperaments are better suited for!"
Naruto scratched his head, then walked from one table to another, looking down at the speaker. "You and your buddies probably don't get many dates, do you?" He shrugged. "My guess is, you're probably just scared."
There was a lot of noise from the crowd on that one, people talking about Naruto, Hinata, the chefs, and everything that had been said.
"Preposterous!" A very large man with unbelievably hairy arms shook his fist at Naruto, his beard covering most of his apron. "She couldn't possibly win! What do we possibly have to be afraid of?"
The buzz from the crowd grew in volume.
This was sheer entertainment.
Naruto chuckled, then bowed to the man. Turning to face Hinata, he asked her "You think you have a chance, Hinata? Be honest now! I won't let that large man swallow you whole!"
The chef in question bellowed I response to that, causing everyone else to laugh and cry out.
"I don't know if I could win, Naruto-kun." Hinata hesitated a moment, then stood up on one of the benches near the tables. "But, I would do my best. And, I would do you proud!" She forced herself to look out upon the sea of people, but did so without backing away or bringing a finger to her mouth.
That had a number of people calling out encouragement for the her.
Nodding to Hinata, Naruto reached into his pouch, took out his frog purse, and tossed it at the feet of the hirsute man.
"I wager that Miss Hyuuga finishes in the top three… and I will taste all of the recipes myself, to make sure there is no favoritism." He looked over at the village chefs. "I think my reputation of a Ramenist precedes me…"
They all called out confirmation of that fact.
Naruto stared at the group of foreign cooks. "I'm willing to put my money where the judges' mouths are. How about you gentlemen?"
The crowd went entirely still, waiting for the answer.
Hinata looked up at Naruto, her eyes sparkling. He really was amazing, in his own way. Smiling, she swore again to do her very best.
"Let's see if the crowd is willing to give you brave…… men…… a little help making your decision." Naruto waved his arms like a performer. "Who here would like to see Hinata compete?"
It started slowly, but the chant grew in volume. Soon, the people in the crowd found it hard to hear themselves think.
"HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA HINATA…."
Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. If someone would have told her this morning, that she would have a huge number of people chanting her name, she would have sent for a healer.
Naruto raised his arm, quieting the crowd. "Well-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l…."
Grumbling and cursing, the foreign visitors gathered up some money between them, then tossed it on the nearest table in a contemptuous manner.
After that, the cooking started in earnest.
Naruto rolled back his sleeves, and had Hinata tie them down tight. He repeated the same favor for her. He then put on a long flowing apron, while Hinata borrowed an overly large chef's jacket.
The young ninja stood a moment, looking at Hinata, smiling. The jacket was meant to fit a sturdy man, and extend down to just below his waste. It swallowed Hinata, and went down half way between her waist and knees.
"What?" Hinata asked.
"Nothing," Naruto answered.
Hinata began arranging ingredients into piles, and was set to check her selection of noodles. Before doing so, she bit one finger tip for a while, then said nonchalantly "You look cute in an apron, Naruto-kun."
That had him dropping a large bowl of pig bones, destined for the soup. The sound rang out across the square, as a few bones flipped out of the bowl. Having heard the comment, some of the nearest watchers laughed.
"Shit!" Naruto said, seeing that.
"It's OK, Naruto-kun. It's probably…… you-know-who's influence…." Hinata grinned. It was fun to tease Naruto.
The perturbed young ninja picked up a pig bone and shook it at Hinata, speechless. He mouthed 'Kyuubi is NOT a female.'
Hinata finished adding the bulk items she had at hand, wondering just what ingredients her competitors had chosen. Speaking to Naruto, she looked a little concerned.
"I like to add squid tentacles to my broth, Naruto-kun. But, the other cook did not arrange for those."
"That's not a problem, Missy." Mr. Munchun was at the station next to hers. "My boy works at the fish market. They probably still have some left on ice. I'll have him go see."
Hinata bowed, surprised to see how differently the local chefs treated her. Other men had spoken up as well.
She saw Naruto bow to Mr. Munchun as well, and guessed that Ramen lovers stuck together. While her fellow shinobi didn't have a lot of opportunities to visit the village because of his training schedule, he probably made up for it when he did come.
At one point, Hinata took a large ladle and scooped up a huge dollop of lard. Turning it over her pot, she had to sake it harder and harder, trying to get the sticky ingredient to drop off. At one point, she flicked the ladle so strongly, the lard flew off, and caused a huge splash of broth.
Golden brown liquid dripped off of her face.
"Here you go, Hinata." Naruto walked over with a cloth, then began gently wiping off her face. "I just can't take you anywhere, can I?" He walked back over to his tasks after that.
Hinta stood still for a few moments, her hand on the cheek that Naruto had cleaned.
When it came time for noodle selection, Hinata called in Naruto as her consultant. Various varieties lay in plastic wrap, lining the back of the preparation table. There were those that were straight, some that were slightly curly, and others that were tightly wound. Ad to that, there were noodles that were very thin, noodles that were very thick, and many grades in between.
"What kind of noodles do they like in this village, Naruto-kun? The judges are from around here, are they not. Their clothing suggests that."
"Well, it varies from shop to shop, One cook actually favors rice Ramen. But, I would say the most common noodle is extremely thick, but that is usually served in a tonkotsu-soy broth, favored by workers and students. The more specialized shops around here tend to use soft, straight, medium-sized noodles." He nodded in the direction of Mr. Munchun's set-up. Sure enough, he was checking the quality of noodles fitting that description.
Hinata scratched her head, then stopped.
That was Naruto's habit, not hers.
"Don't try to think your way Hinata," Naruto said with a grin. "Go by what your gut says. Use what you know."
Hinata nodded, then chose medium curly noodles with low moisture content. It wasn't time to cook those quite yet, as the broth was nowhere near finished, and Ramen is best eaten extremely hot. As her father had once told her, two or three minutes after the noodles come off the cooker, the flavor deteriorates because the fatty acids in the broth start to oxidize, giving off chemicals that block the flavor of the other spices and ingredients in the bowl.
Everything had to be just right.
For Naruto.
When there were moments where she didn't have to check the broth and add small increments of flavoring, she looked around the crowd. This was not a religious event for obsessed noodles lovers…… it was a social event, a chance for the villagers to get out and enjoy something together.
Watching, she saw food vendors selling their wares. Children ran here and their, laughing and playing. Old men leaned against each other and spoke of battles past, old flames, and their last game of Go.
Hinata smiled.
She didn't know why, but some how she felt less alone.
A number of the girls in the crowd had begun flirting with Naruto. That had her feeling on edge. Knowing his pride…… and the way that he had been disappointed by the way that the ladies had treated him in the past…… Hinata expected him to flirt back.
He didn't.
"I guess I should have worn an apron before, huh Hinata?" Was all he said, obviously gratified to get any form of attention.
Hinata began to sing a happy quiet song as she perfected her soup. She also worked on the stuff to place on top of the noodles, the 'gu.' Moving efficiently, she set aside bean sprouts, pork slices, dried bamboo shoots, eggs, spinach, seaweed, and spring onion. She would use whatever combination complimented the final taste of her broth.
Mr. Nissin walked over to see how Hinata and Naruto were making out, not to evaluate the competition or steal any secrets. He was a stage where he could entrust things to Yuki for a while.
His smile growing ever larger, the chef watched Hinata work.
"She's really something, that one." Mr. Nissin said fondly, looking over at Naruto.
"Yes, she is…." Naruto answered, uncharacteristically quiet for him. Hinata didn't hear him, but Mr. Nissin did.
Seeing the look on Naruto's face, the chef smiled and headed back to his cook area.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived for all of the contestants. There were six foreign chefs, seven local ones, and Hinata. The judges, all dressed in ancient traditional clothing with elaborate head gear, included three elderly men, two young gentlemen, and a middle-aged woman.
Rising at the sound of a small gong, the judges made their way from table to table, tasting the various Ramen dishes. After Naruto had given Hinata encouragement, he went off to do the same.
"I'll taste yours last, Hinata. That way I'll have an idea of where you fairly stand." Walking off, he stopped. "When the judges have all finished, make up thirteen small bowls, one for each of your competitors. I think they should be given a first hand taste of your talent."
Hinata said that she would do just that.
Now that things were finished on her part, she felt the pressure weighing down on her. Naruto's money was at stake. Professional chefs would be critiquing her work. Judges would be voicing their opinion. And the whole crowd would be listening.
When the judges were finished, they returned to their small platform, standing behind their chairs. They gave out their final decree, one by one, and then as a group.
Mr. Tampopo's Ramen was judged to be the best overall. Two foreign chefs were judged to have done the next best. Hinata, who had actually been the third favorite of one judge and the second favorite of another, ended up in fourth place.
Hearing that, she hung her head. She turned away when Naruto returned, followed by a number of the chefs. "I'm s-s-sorry----" She began.
"You did great, Hinata!" Naruto said loudly. "The competition was on the up and up. All of the Ramen was tremendous. I did like Mr. Tampopo's the best, but after that, it was very hard to choose. Yours was even better than before."
"B-B-But, your money…." Hinata looked up at Naruto.
"Was well spent!It got those tight asses to let you in the competition! I would spend it all again in a second!" Naruto's face was exhuberant.
"N-N-Naruto-kun…." Hinata's eyes watered slightly.
"Well, I might be a tight ass…." One of the foreign chefs spoke up, then smiled as Naruto apologized. "But, I was very impressed. It seems that a woman can be a skilled Ramen chef after all." He placed his share of the winnings on the table.
"I was fourth…." Hinata started to say in protest.
"Yes, but I was fifth," another foreign chef said, placing more money on the table. "The bet was a point of honor, but we all acted dishonorably. Your noodles were remarkable, even memorable." He bowed.
The remaining foreign and local chefs all had words of praise for Hinata. That had her feeling as if she were walking on air.
But, things got even better.
When the chefs were all brought forth for their farewell bows, Hinata received the loudest ovation of all. And when the crowd began to disperse, and the well-wishers finally gave her a moment to catch her breath, she heard one man say something to another.
"Maybe my daughter can be a Ramen chef some day…."
Hinata felt proud hearing that. Her. Proud.
"It's pretty late," Naruto said. "We should be heading back soon."
"Yes," Hinata agreed, suddenly feeling as if she had practiced Taijutsu all night and all day.
"I hope you had some fun tonight, Hinata. I probably should have---" He was interrupted by Hinata.
Acting on impulse, with no chance to stop herself, Hinata stepped over to Naruto and gave him a quick hug. Letting go, she felt her face growing warm.
Naruto looked stunned.
Hinata didn't feel so tired any more.
"Oh…. Well…. Yes." Naruto had been caught entirely off guard. "We…. uhhh… have a few moments left, if you want to try some of the games. You didn't win tonight, but you certainly deserve a prize."
Hinata opened her mouth, something having come to mind. She remembered her wish from earlier in the evening.
But, she didn't have the courage to ask
Naruto felt a bit uncomfortable, certain he would be better off keeping his mouth shut. But, Hinata had done herself so proud that night that he felt obliged to ask his question.
"What were you going to say, Hinata? Is there a prize you might like?"
Hinata blushed, then started to shake her head. Looking up at Naruto's face, she pushed ahead. If she could cook in front of all those people, she could ask for this simple thing.
Risks sometimes paid off.
Standing on her toes, she whispered into Naruto's ear. She looked down at his hand, then back up again.
Hinata watched as Naruto's face went through a series of changes. He had to clear his throat to answer. He looked at his own hand.
"Well…. that's what you want, is it…. hmmm…. it won't do any harm, I guess…."
He held his hand out to her.