Author's Note: The chase scene in this chapter was inspired by the song 'Go Go Naruto' from the first Naruto OST.
"C'mon, Hinata! We gotta move!"
"Naruto-kun," Hinata said in a worried voice, "I think you should stop and pay the jeweler. She looks very upset."
"Are you kidding me? Not while Sakura's eyes look that scary! I'll pay the old hag when it's safe!"
"But Naruto-kun--" Hinata was cut off as several kunai whizzed over their heads, bouncing off a nearby telephone pole. At least they were blunted… The look on Sakura's face however, did not speak of mercy. Hinata gulped loudly and hurried to catch up with Naruto.
"I know a few short-cuts!" he said with a grin, "Make sure you keep up with me now!" Hinata replied with a grin of her own. Trouble certainly did seem to have a way of following Naruto wherever he went. They both put chakra in their feet and ran up the side of a telephone pole, running along the telephone lines with ease. Not content to throw kunai at him, Sakura gathered her strength into her arms and knocked down the pole with vicious force. The ground cracked and split apart as the large pole was uprooted and fell on its side, smashing into Yano's Open Bath and collapsing a wall. Hot water spilled out, dumping many women in various states of undress on to the main road. The water also knocked over a shrubbery that hid a certain Frog Hermit in the process of peeking at said women. Naruto and Hinata were flung from the collapsing telephone lines and landed smack dab on top of Jiraiya, who broke their fall for them.
"Naruto, you damned idiot!" Jiraiya bellowed, "What the hell do you think you're doing? I told you not to interrupt my intelligence gathering!"
"Save it for later, ya old pervert!" Naruto replied as he and Hinata picked themselves up, "Right now you have bigger problems to deal with." Gesturing at the angry mob of women who were making their way towards Jiraiya, Naruto pulled Hinata away and they took off at a dead run, followed closely by Sakura, the old jeweler, and the owner of Yano Open Bath. Jiraiya howled with frustration, and took off after his pupil, several dozen enraged women in tow.
"Wow," Naruto commented excitedly, "It looks like half of Konoha is after us! Man, this takes me back to the days before I was a Genin!"
" 'Us,' Naruto-kun?" Hinata commented wryly.
"Okay, just me!" Naruto replied with smirk, "Makes you wonder who else we could possibly piss off…"
"Iruka-sensei!" Hinata cried out.
"Iruka-sensei? Yeah, it's been a while since I played a good prank on him," Naruto commented as they ducked under another barrage of kunai from Sakura.
"No! I mean it's Iruka-sensei!" Hinata cried out, pointing ahead of them.
Iruka was a 'nice guy' as many of the women in the village were apt to call him, but he just wasn't 'dating material.' Despite his relative good looks, his measly salary as a teacher at the academy, combined with his shyness around members of the opposite sex meant he often spent his days off by himself. Today was different though! He smiled at his date as they walked out of the Konoha Bistro, a well-known, upscale restaurant famous for its ambience as well as its high price.
Iruka still couldn't believe his good fortune. He had asked Shizune for a date on a whim when he ran into her at the hospital, checking on one of his students who was recently inured during the Chuunin exams. To his utter surprise, she started to blush and nodded enthusiastically. Two paychecks later, and he was finally able to take her out for a wonderful 'day on the town.' 'Day on the town' because Shizune had rounds at the hospital that evening, and Iruka had to teach class the next day.
"I still don't see why you wouldn't let me pay for my meal, Iruka-kun," Shizune commented with a mirthful smile. Iruka shook his head emphatically.
"I could never let you pay for your share on our first date, Shizune-san! It's not proper!"
"Even when I make four times your salary?" Shizune commented with a twinkle in her eye. Iruka laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Four times, huh? You know if they're still hiring at the hospital? We could trade places if you like."
"Not on your life," Shizune replied, "I already met your star pupil, and if there are actually more than one like him in a single class, it's a wonder they don't have ANBU doing your job."
"Naruto!" Iruka yelled out. Shizune nodded.
"Yeah, he's quite a handful. I'm surprised you don't have more gray hair in that top-knot of yours."
"No, I mean it's Naruto!" Iruka yelled, pointing at the swiftly approaching ninja in the orange and blackjumpsuit, "And isn't that Hinata-chan running alongside him? What in the world are they--"
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted, "Heads-up!" The blonde shinobi ran past them at break-neck speed, dodging a random assortment of kunai, rocks, bottles, and shoes as he went. Not noticing the large puddle of mud, he run directly into it, splashing mud all over Iruka and Shizune.
"Uh-oh… Sorry about that Shizune-neesan," he said with an apologetic wave. Hinata tried to bow, but ended up stumbling as she ran backwards, flying into the air. Naruto swore, and slowed down long enough to catch her in his arms. Despite her blushing protests, he put her up on his shoulders and continued to run.
"Naruto!" Iruka and Shizune both bellowed as they took off in hot pursuit.
"Hang on Hinata," Naruto shouted, "Things are about to get a little more troublesome!"
"Naruto-kun! Move to your left!" Hinata shouted in a voice that didn't invite disagreement. Naruto altered his course accordingly just in the nick of time, as a bench flew through the path he was just running. Sakura's strength was becoming frighteningly similar to Tsunade's.
"Right! Right!" A small potted tree whizzed by. Hinata continued shouting directions as more random objects became projectile weapons of lethal potency.
"Hinata! How are you doing that?"
"I'm a Hyuuga, remember?" she said with a grin.
"I think this could be the start of a beautiful relationship!" Naruto crowed with delight.
"Think again, Naruto-kun – this is the last time I'll help you with your mischief!"
"Mischief? I'm a victim of circumstance! You saw it--"
"Left! Left!"
"Neji! That was a beautiful match!" Lee cried out with a fist pump! "Your genjutsu was simply amazing! I must now do three thousand high kicks as penance for losing the match." Neji sighed to himself. It had been a long two hour match…An hour and fifty-five minutes of which had been spent waiting for Lee to come to grips with the fact that he was unable to use genjutsu. Neji was extremely hungry, but the money he had was given to Hinata for her date with Naruto. In the spirit of brotherly camaraderie, Lee offered to buy his eternal rival lunch at Ichiraku Ramen.
"Lee, next time we have a match, I think you should let Ten Ten decide what form of competition we'll have."
"Oooh! Neji, that's very clever of you, but Ten Ten is hardly a neutral party! She clearly favors you in ways that are indecent for teammates."
"Nonsense," Neji scoffed, feeling himself start to sweat, "She's a good training partner, that's all. We don't have that kind of relationship." Lee laughed heartily and slapped Neji on the back.
"I thought you were a genius, Neji! How can you be so oblivious? Aren't Jounin supposed to be experts at spotting the subtle and hidden?"
"Lee! Neji's youthful zest for life has clearly blinded him to the feelings of the opposite sex!" A deep and powerful voice bellowed from atop a roof. Neji would have cringed if he was made of less stern stuff… but he was a Hyuuga. Hyuuga's didn't cringe.
"Gai-sensei!" Lee cried out happily. The tall, green spandex wearing Jounin gave a hearty laugh and leapt from the rooftop, landing in front of his two former students with a big, earth shaking crash. Dusting himself off, he gave them a sparkling smile and a thumbs-up.
"Lee! Despite your admirable goal of besting Neji in combat, you must also never forget that he is your precious teammate, and must be guided in the ways of life beyond that of a mere shinobi!"
"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted, "I will help Neji find his true feelings for our Ten Ten!"
"Excellent, Lee!" Gai shouted, "You are truly blossoming into a splendid young man!" Neji's brow furrowed with irritation.
"Alright, listen you two--" He was all set to tear into them both, but was interrupted as a bench flew into view and sailed right at them.
"Kaiten!" he shouted, letting chakra out of his body in every direction. The bench slammed into his bloodline limit shield and splintered into a hundred different pieces.
"What on earth?" Neji exclaimed.
"Neji!"
"Neji-niisan!"
Neji did a double take as he saw Naruto dashing towards them, being pursued by an angry mob that must have numbered in the hundreds. He also noticed his cousin sitting astride the blonde ninja's shoulders. This did not bode well.
"Naruto! What are you doing with Hinata-sama!"
"No time to talk, Neji!" Naruto yelled as he zipped by, "I heard what Gai and Lee were yelling! When you get the chance, you can take Ten Ten to one of these!" The young ninja threw a pamphlet in Neji's face. Taking it off with a growl, Neji glanced at it. It was a brochure advertising one of Konoha's more prominent 'love hotels.'
"Oh! Naruto is such a considerate comrade!" Lee said with a grin, "But remember Neji, don't take things too fast, or you could ruin a beautiful friendship!" Neji glared at his teammate, unsure whether he was being sarcastic or sincere. With that maddening smile of his, it was hard to tell.
"Tell her to be gentle!" Naruto crowed as a parting shot.
"Dammit, Naruto! That's it!" Neji shoved Lee aside and took off after them, joining the throng of enraged villagers, shinobi, and for some reason, household pets.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata shouted, "I think this may be getting out of hand!"
"You're telling me," Naruto replied as another kunai just barely missed his head. Hinata had begun to use her Gentle Fist technique to deflect some of the incoming missiles, but the sheer volume of projectiles was quickly overwhelming her. Naruto formed some hand seals, and an army of clones burst into existence. They converged on the angry mob, in an attempt to slow them down, but were quickly destroyed by the power of Sakura, Jiraiya, Neji, Shizune, and Iruka. Wincing, Naruto looked up at Hinata.
"Any ideas, dear?" Hinata blushed something awful despite the gravity of their situation, and began to twiddle or index fingers when she heard him call her 'dear.'
"Um… I think our problems are going to be solved one way or another, Naruto-kun."
"Whaddya mean?" She pointed ahead. Standing directly in front of them, Tsunade was flanked by Asuma, Kurenai, and an entourage of ANBU. The fifth Hokage slammed her index finger down on the dirt causing a miniature earthquake to split the ground. Naruto, Hinata, and everyone behind them fell to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs.
"What," she drawled very slowly, "Is going on!"
The storm of angry accusations and counter-accusations culminated with an overwhelming number of fingers pointed at Naruto. Tsunade sighed as she rubbed her head. Jiraiya was about to sneak off when Tsunade appeared with lightning quick speed behind him, and punched him into the ground.
"Jiraiya! You'll pay for the damage done to the bathhouse." When the white haired hermit started to growl a complaint, she gave him merciless glare.
"The alternative is we shut it down for good." Jiraiya's mouth opened and shut like a fish out of water, gasping for breath. Abruptly he clamped it shut and begrudgingly walked over to the owner, handing over a substantial number of his gold coins. As a highly successful author of the 'Come Come Paradise' series, he required a constant source of inspiration. Without Konoha's main bathhouse, and its abundant selection of young women to spy on, Jiraiya knew he would have to kiss his lucrative writing career goodbye.
"We'll speak later, brat," he barked at Naruto, before stalking off. The cacophony of angry voices continued to pick up and there was a palpable atmosphere of anger and fear emanating from the gathered villagers. Unlike Iruka and the other shinobi, there was actual murderous intent coming from the villagers. Sakura, who only moments ago had been tearing up most of the shopping district to land a solid blow on Naruto, immediately leapt in between him and the angry crowd.
"Back off," she growled, "Naruto is my teammate. He's an idiot beyond compare, but you won't harm him." Iruka, Shizune, and Neji walked up and added their support as well.
"Sakura is right," Neji said calmly, "Naruto's punishment shall be decided by the Hokage, so you may return to your homes." The crowd continued to advance upon Naruto, heedless of their warnings. Suddenly, a gargantuan red frog armed with a short sword and clad in a yakuza hapi coat sprang into existence with an explosion of white smoke. Gamabunta the Frog Boss glared at the gathered villagers with a disdainful snort. His snort alone was enough to drive most of the villagers back to where they had come from.
"Come then, you impudent fools!" Jiraiya taunted atop Gamabunta's back, "Try and take my number one apprentice from me if you dare!"
"Dammit, you old pervert!" Naruto hollered, "I'm your only apprentice!"
"Shut-up, brat! You're ruining the mood!" Jiraiya replied with a grin. Tsunade covered her face with both hands, exasperation evident in her stance.
"Alright, that's enough." She said with a menacing glare at everyone, "You will all go back to your homes, now. I will speak with Naruto myself. The ANBU will escort those of you that require assistance." She emphasized the word 'assistance' with a cold stare that had the remaining villagers departing swiftly. Gamabunta disappeared in another explosion of smoke, and Jiraiya took off again, his wooden getta clacking as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop.
"Sakura-chan, Neji, thanks for your help back there. I really--" Naruto was cut off as Sakura delivered a monumental blow to his face that sent him sliding through the dirt. She picked him up and began to throttle him before Neji and Iruka managed to pull her off.
"You stupid jerk!" she shouted, "Why do you always cause so much trouble!"
"Me!" he yelled with indignation, "You're the one that was pulling up telephone poles and park benches back there!" Tsunade's eyes narrowed, and Sakura suddenly looked very sheepish.
"Naruto-kun," Hinata said, breaking the tense silence, "I think you owe everyone an apology for your behavior." Naruto's eyes widened and he gave her a 'puppy dog' look.
"Not you too, Hinata!"
"Naruto-kun…"
"Fine! Alright! I'm sorry everyone," he said with a jutting lower lip. Hinata put her hand on his back, and his expression softened. "I mean it…" he said softly, "I really appreciate what you did for me back there."
"Naruto," Neji said slowly, "You are truly an outstanding person, and I value our friendship… however, if you ever suggest I take Ten Ten to a 'love hotel' again, I cannot be held responsible for the consequences."
"Alright, alright," Tsunade said, attempting to keep her smile from showing, "Everyone needs to leave except for Naruto. He and I need to have a discussion." Kurenai gave Hinata a wink, and walked off with Asuma and the ANBU. Iruka and Shizune both gave Naruto a slap on the back of the head before they took off, in search of some new clothes. Sakura gave Naruto an expression that was part apology, part righteous indignation. Naruto gave her a smile and an arm squeeze in return, and suddenly, they were both all grins again as she walked off towards the hospital.
"Hinata-sama," Neji said softly to the dark haired girl, leaning against Naruto, "I'm sorry, but we have to head back. Your father was expecting us at least twenty minutes ago." She nodded sadly, and turned to look at Naruto.
"I'm sorry our date had to end this way," Naruto said softly, the regret in his voice obvious, "I always manage to mess up a good thing."
"You're learning, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a giggle, "Besides, I've never had so much fun in all my life. Just be sure to take me somewhere quiet for our next date." Before she ran out of courage, she gave him a quick hug and took off with Neji, cradling the golden pendant in her hand. Naruto watched her go with a look in his eyes that reminded Tsunade of her relationship with Dan, the Jounin that was to be the one and only love of her life.
"Alright, brat," she said softly as she cracked her knuckles, "Let's you and I have a chat."
Naruto gulped loudly and prepared himself for the worst. This has troublesome written all over it…