The brief gust of wind stripped a wilting tree blossom.
A small pink petal gyrated, making its way down to Hinata's tea. She looked up at the tree and sighed.
"What's wrong, Hinata?" Kurenai took a sip of her drink, before placing her cup on the ornate park bench. "You were very distracted during practice today."
"It's… well… you see…." Hinata blushed, watching as more petals fell on her chuunin vest. "It's…"
"Boys?" Kurenai tried not to smile. Having spent years training Hinata, she knew how far and how fast she could push things. "Or should I say, a particular boy?"
"Ummm…" Hinata rubbed her fingers together. Was she thatobvious? There was only one thing worse than being hopeless. It was being hopeless and obvious. "Well… you see… it's…"
"K-i-b-a?" Kurenai hid a smile behind her hand. That was the last boy that she expected Hinata to like. The two were good teammates, but would never be a good love match. Kiba was bold and straightforward, with an uncompromising set of standards. He was rough around the edges, and tended to like girls whose spirit matched his own.
"No!" Hinata shook her head. She had seen the types of girls that her teammate favored. He had also heard gossip through her friends.
"S-h-i-n-o?" Kurenai's eyes narrowed in amusement. She corrected herself. Shino was the last boy that Hinata would take an interest in. Hinata, or any other girl! She shivered a moment.
"NO!" Hinata flinched. She looked embarrassed, after being so loud. She couldn't help herself. Although she trusted her teammate with her life, he still gave her the creeps at times.
"Really? That's surprising. I would have thought that the two of you would make a perfectpair. You're a girl. He's a boy. You're very quiet. He's even quieter." She picked up her tea cup and took a sip.
"Kurenai-sensai!" Hinata looked around, making certain that no one was listening.
"Hmmmm? Who, then?" Kurenai closed her eyes, relishing the feel of the breeze on her face. "Neji's your cousin, so he's out." She opened her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Lee. That's who it must be. Rock Lee. Those soulful eyes. The manly eye brows. And he looks just as good as Gai in those green suits of his." She couldn't help but laugh. If there was one thing that was universal amongst the young women of Konoha, it was their opinion of those green stretchy suits. They consistently made the 'Ten Greatest Turn-offs' lists that circulated in magazines and chat rooms.
Hinata hung her head. She knew that her sensei was joking, trying to bring her out of her shell. No doubt Kurenai already knew who it was.
"I suppose that new orange and black outfit isn't so bad." Kurenai's comment made it clear that she did indeed know who Hinata had a crush on. "He does seem to have become a little more handsome, I guess. If Kakashi is to be believed, he appears to be acting more maturely." She wrinkled her nose. "But, he spent an awful lot of time alone with Jiraiya…."
"Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata looked up. She hadn't heard much about the Frog Hermit. Most of it was whispers and conjecture. Very little of it was complimentary.
"I'm certain that you must have heard any number of things about that man." Kurenai shook her head. She could vividly remember some of the things that the Legendary Sennin had said to her when she was younger. "I just hope that Naruto didn't pick up too many bad habits from him."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata breathed that name out with a sigh. "I speak his name… but I can't…" She looked up at the blossoms again. "I'm such a …" She clasped her hands together. "I haven't changed much."
"You're fine just the way you are, Hinata. Whether or not you realize it, you've grown a lot too." Kurenai looked fondly at her friend and pupil. "I wondered when you might want to talk about this. After he left the village, I thought that you might lose your fascination with him. But, ever since he returned, you've been acting more and more distracted…"
"It's that obvious?" Hinata twitched ever so slightly. "Then, everyone knows how I feel?" She swallowed hard, wondering if she was just another thing for people to gossip about. It was bad enough that the other girls all talked about boys while she remained silent. Some had even begun dating, while she thought about a boy who once called her a 'shy, dark weirdo'. Did people feel sorry for 'Poor Hinata,' just as they used to poke fun at 'That Naruto'?
"No, I don't think so." Kurenai shrugged. "The girls all know. I doubt Naruto does. You know how clueless he can be about such things."
"Yes…" Hinata said.
"At least he doesn't seem to be chasing hopelessly after Sakura any more." Kurenai laughed. "Poor Kakashi. He had Naruto chasing after Sakura, who didn't want to have a thing to do with him. He had Sakura pining over Sasuke, who didn't want anything to do with anyone." She frowned, thinking about the fate of the Uchiha clan, and the youngest surviving member in particular. "Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if all of the guys were oblivious to your feelings about Naruto, including Kiba and Shino."
"Neji knows…" Hinata was glad that her cousin would keep things in confidence. For someone who had once despised her for her weakness and her position in the Main family, Neji had become a good friend.
"Do you talk to him about Naruto?" Kurenai wondered how many people Hinata felt comfortable talking to. It had been very difficult for the girl, being small and shy, without a true warrior's spirit or resolve. When her father had given up on her, things became even worse. After the chuunin exams, her family life had improved, and she was showing a little more animation amongst her peers.
"Not very often," Hinata admitted. "I have to be very careful how much I tell him. Neji won't lie. If my father asked him about me, he would tell whatever facts he knew, but leave out any conjecture. So, I ask what he hears about Naruto, making it a point to ask about everyone else too."
"That's a shame. It would be nice if you had someone in your family to confide in. I guess Hanabi is out…" Kurenai ran her hand through her hair.
"Yes!" Hinata answered quickly, causing her teacher to raise an eyebrow. "I she found out something, everyone would know." She shivered for a moment. "Starting with Father…"
Kurenai looked down at her tea, staring at her small reflection within it. As far as she knew, none of Hinata's peers knew about Kyuubi. There was no doubt that Hyuuga Hiashi knew, since his clan had been hit hard when the demon struck the village. Hinata's tie to her sire was tenuous at best as it was. She had no idea how that man might behave if any boy showed an interest in his daughter, whether or not he ever named her the Heir again. But, if the boy was the one who carried the dreaded beast within him…
"It probably doesn't matter," Hinata said, feeling an increased pressure to speak. "I would probably be the last girl he ever thought about. He admired how I stood up to Neji. Before that, he never spoke to me." She took a sip of her tea. "He was gone a long time, and probably never had any reason to think about me then, either." She had no illusion about what it meant when a young boy said 'you're someone I can like'. It was one of her treasured memories just the same.
"Well, Kakashi hasn't mentioned that Naruto had any regrets coming back to the village. He probably didn't even have time to notice girls while he was training, much less socialize with them." Kurenai wasn't being literal, because she didn't want to lie. She wouldn't be surprised if Jiraiya had brought his student along when he went peeping at women in the hot springs. That was not something she was going to mention to Hinata. "I doubt he thought about anyone in particular, while he was away. Did you find out something that makes you believe otherwise?"
"No." Hinata shook her head.
"What's got you looking worried today?" Kurenai could read Hinata better than her own father and cousin could.
"Ummm…" Hinata sat on her hands, to keep from twiddling her fingers again. "I… well… it's kind of silly…"
"I promise not to laugh," Kurenai opened up a small basket she had brought with her. She offered Hinata a biscuit and a choice of fruit preserves.
"It's… well…." She took one of the offered biscuits, split it, and added some blueberry jam. "Fortunes."
"Fortunes?" Kureni wiped her mouth with a small paper napkin. "That's not uncommon in this village. From ancient times, there have been many types of fortune telling in Konoha. Many of the elderly still believe in divination. But, there are also younger people who are convinced that they can get good advice on the future… difficult problems… relationships… things like that. If you go down by the craft shops at night, you can see where the fortunetellers have set up their small desks, with lanterns as a billboard. The lines of customers can be pretty long."
"I never go into town late at night…" Hinata shook her head.
"Really?" Kurenai smiled. Hinata would be the last girl in her group to be out late at night. But, the fact of the matter was that few of the girls went out late, in contrast to their civilian counterparts. She wondered just what percentage of villagers appreciated just how difficult and different a shinobi's life was from their own. "As you probably know, there are small shops that are open during the day, too. So, what have you been consulting? Omikuji? Seimeihandan? Teso?"
"Ummm… I don't know what those are…" Hinata said. "Actually, I…"
"Omikuji are slips of paper forecasting people's luck. That's probably the most popular way to look at their future." Kurenai looked across the training fields. Shino hadn't gone home yet. He was carefully examining a number of flowering shrubs, looking for female insects for his family's collection. Listening, she could hear Akamaru's bark in the distance, as he and Kiba were headed towards the center of town. "People shake a container and pick up a stick. The stick has on a number painted on it, and it's exchanged the stick for a slip of paper with the same number. This paper shows the forecast of person's luck."
'I wonder if I should try that too,' Hinata thought. She quickly vetoed that idea. She already had enough trouble because of a slip of paper.
"Seimeihandan is one of the popular fortune telling methods. The fortunetellers find out a client's fortune based on the number of stroke counts in a person's name in kanji. Many people believe a person's name decides his or her future." Kurenai added.
'I hope Hanabi doesn't hear about this. She would be spending all of her money on fortunetellers. It's enough that she's gotten obsessed with those cookies.' Hinata wondered just what lengths her sister would go to in her search for secrets. Would it be like other things, where her interest would wane after a day or two?
"Teso is a form of palmistry. The fortunetellers read lines of a person's palm to look at clients' personality, or the possibility of their future. Everyone has unique lines, and each line has meanings such as life, brain, marriage, and so on." Kurenai put her hands next to her friend's in comparison.
Hinata looked down at her palms. She squinted, almost expecting to see the words 'No marriage,' 'Lonely life', or 'Forget Naruto'.
"So, if it's none of those, which of the established methods is it? Astrology? Cafeomancy? If not them, how about Kumalak? Runes? Tarot Cards? You're not into Yi Jing, or Tibetan Counting Beads, are you?" Kurenai looked truly curious.
"Well…" Hinata was too full of questions to answer right away. She didn't know what any of those methods truly entailed, and had heard only general things about Astrology and Tarot Cards. "Counting beads?"
"Mala beads are traditional Tibetan prayer beads which are used to count mantras, prayers and prostrations. Traditionally, they consist of one hundred and eight or one hundred and eleven beads, and are made from a variety of seeds, wood, and semiprecious stones." Kurenai refilled Hinata's cup. "There are a few variations of divination using mala beads. People visualize their question and seize the string of beads in both hands. They count off the beads by threes moving towards each hand. You will be left with either one, two or three beads. The procedure is repeated a second time. If one bead is left it is called a 'falcon', a positive sign showing good luck, success and support, success in legal affairs. If two beads are left it is called a 'raven', a negative sign showing bad luck, misfortune and lack of support and illness. If three beads are left it is called a 'snow lion', a sign that indicates that that although you supported by the deities, you can expect slow but stable accomplishments, but neutral results in business, weakness on the part of your enemies, things on that order."
Hinata was amazed that so much thought had gone into fortune telling in so many different countries. She began wondering if there could actually be methods that worked. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath and held it, letting it out slowly. She was not going to look for easy answers. That was not the kind of thing that Naruto would do. He would seek out his own truth. She should do the same thing.
"There are meanings for the two different numbers and the order they were arrived at. For example, getting one bead the first time and one bead the next means that everything is favorable. Getting two both times means that the cloudless sky will be darkened, and there will be loss of wealth, or some similar calamity. Ending up with one bead, after first getting two, is a very bad omen…." After finishing up on bead counting, Kureani answered Hinata's questions about the other methods.
"You know a great deal on the subject, Kurenai-sensei. Do you have your fortune told?" Hinata looked over at her mentor.
"Who, me?" Kurenai blinked rapidly. "No, of course not, whatever gave you that idea!" Not wanting to lie to Hinata, the jounin sighed and said "Well, when I was your age, I had a lot of questions about my personal life. Because I wasn't doing so well on my own, I tried a few things here and there."
"Did it work?" Hinata brightened up some. Not because she had hope that fortune telling was the answer, but because someone as beautiful as Kurenai had issues when she was young, too.
"Not really. It's easy to convince yourself that any trick works, if you are desperate enough. The only thing that helped was time. That, and finding the courage to risk being hurt." Kurenai looked up through the branches of the tree, watching a bird glide in large lazy circles. "For me, that was harder than learning to face the death of my friends." She looked over at Hinata. "Enough about me. What has a fortune teller told you that has you so troubled?"
"It was a fortune cookie." Hinata replied.
"A fortune cookie?" Kurenai looked incredulous for a moment, but forced herself to appear sedate and nonjudgmental. She couldn't help but smile.
"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Hinata looked away, pressing her lips together.
Kurenai smiled and reached out, messing up Hinata's hair. "Don't worry about it. I'm not making fun of you. I was just surprised, that's all. You take things so seriously. We all need to laugh at ourselves sometimes. That was another thing I couldn't do when I was younger. I took everything so seriously, in my training and in my personal life."
"I guess… I guess you're right," Hinata said. She had indeed been one to take things too seriously, especially her failures. That kind of thing had made it easy to run away from things, or to try less than her best so that she had some kind of excuse. It was another thing that she could learn from Naruto. There were some things that he was very serious about, but he used his failures to make him try harder. He also found great joy in a lot of things, and while he hated to have people discredit him or make fun of the way he was, he never let any of that break his spirit. "I don't really think that the message in my coolie meant anything. But, it did make me think…and worry…"
"You and your worrying," Kurenai said, smiling fondly. "It stunts your growth. Hey! No long faces, that was just a joke."
"I know," Hinata said. "But, Naruto grew so much. Look at me." She wasn't looking at her whole body, but rather focused on one area. "I'm still short. And…"
Kurenai guessed correctly what had Hinata discouraged. "There are other things that take time," she said. "Trust me, it was true in my case. We can't all be like Tsunade."
"But Sakura…" Hinata bit her lip. She had become somewhat jealous of the pink-haired girl back before Naruto left the village. She wished that Nartuto had made it a point of yelling 'Hinata-chan'. He wouldn't have threatened him if he made all sorts of efforts to get her attention. Even now, Sakura was a hard person to compare herself to, whether or not Naruto still hoped to win her favor.
"Sakura is a tough act to follow in many ways, isn't she?" Kurenai said. "She's pretty… she's exceptionally bright… and she is showing remarkable strides for a girl her age. With all that, you probably think that it's not fair, the fact that she fills out a robe better than you do, right?"
"Yes," Hinata said in a quiet voice. If Naruto was attracted to genius, Sakura had that while she did not. If he was attracted to bright colors, that was Sakura, not Hyuuga Hinata. If he wanted someone with notoriety, because he wanted to be noticed, there was no doubt who stood out more. There was even more than that. Medical ninjas are a very important member of any team. So much so, that they are trained more in avoiding blows, than they are in delivering them. If the medical ninja goes down, the entire team is at greater jeopardy. Sakura would be a very valuable commodity. She couldn't say the same thing about herself.
"Well, if Naruto or any other boy fell for Haruna Sakura, who could blame them? But, don't forget one thing. Some people love a winner. Others love a fighter. It's easy to succeed when you start off with more than everyone else." Kurenai reached over, grabbed her student's shoulders, and gave her a little shake. "But, a person who starts with little, and goes far, they make the most of everything they have. I think you already know which description fits Naruto. You might also be surprised what kind of girl he ends up wanting some day."
"He has to look at the girl first," Hinata said. "There's not as much reason to look at me."
"I'm not so certain that's true," Kurenai said, watching Hinata hang her head. "Now, it looks like Sakura will be just like Tsunade. Big chest…" She held her hands in front of her. "But, big bottom." She put her hands on either side of her rear end, spreading them far apart. It's truly tragic…"
That had Hinata grinning for a moment. If she was honest with herself, she was developing a nice figure. It just wasn't dramatic.
"Don't you dare tell anyone I said that!" It was Kurenai's turn to look around. "Anyway, why don't you tell me your story." She didn't want Hinata to fixate on any one thing for too long.
The jounin had no doubt that some of Hinata's worries would seem less important, if any boy truly noticed her the way that she noticed Naruto. If that someone turned out to be Naruto, then that might do even more for her, whether or not the two ended up meant for one another. Sometimes, what someone wants really is what's best for them. Other times, it's not. Hinata needed her obsession to disappear altogether, or to become something more healthy like love.
"Father wanted to honor the accomplishments that Neji and I made. He held an elaborate clan party. It was a very nice gathering, for the most part." Hinata went on to describe the soiree. Her sister Hanabi featured greatly in the more vexing details.
"Now I get it," Kurenai said when Hinata was done. "'Opportunity is slipping away. Act now or relinquish your dream'. I can guess what that started you thinking about. But if you don't believe that means anything, what's really changed?"
"Hanabi," Hinata replied. She kicked at a rock lodged in the soil near the bench. It was a very un-Hinata-like action. "Her fortune said 'You are faced with a mystery. Perseverance brings an important discovery'."
"Oh-h-h-h-h."Kurenai's eyes went wide. "She thinks that your opportunity is a boy. Not only that, she thinks that the boy's identity is the mystery she needs to solve." Eyes closed, she still managed to catch a falling petal, and then let it fall to the ground.
"Yes," Hinata said, clenching her fists. She loved her sister, and was happy to be a bigger part of her life. But, every rose has its thorns. "I don't know what she might do."
"You're worried that your father will catch wind of who you like, and won't approve." Kurenai massaged her temples. "It would also embarrass you if certain people found out how you felt, before you were ready to tell them."
"Yes." Hinata watched as a group of younger shinobi ran through the park area, headed home from their training session. She hadn't been given any genin to work with yet, and wondered when that would happen. "If Naruto discovers how I feel before I can work up the courage to tell him…." She looked over at her mentor. "If Hanabi were to find out, and then go running to Naruto…."
"Yikes." Kurenai brought her hand to her mouth. She shook out her hair some, and then picked up her tea again. "No doubt the only person who could reign in Hanabi is your father; but, you can't go to him and explain things."
Hinata shook her head.
"Oh boy." Kurenai thought things through a bit further. "You can't tell Hanabi to knock it off, because that would make her even more convinced that you had a secret. But, if you don't do or say something, she might see it all as a challenge."
"She's become very competitive, ever since I began living at home again." Hinata sighed. She envied her sister in some ways.
"Sibling stuff," Kurenai said. "I know how that is…"
"But, it's not fair, Kurenai-sensai…" The worst burst out of Hinata on their own accord. "I'm just not ready…" It had taken all of her miniscule courage to tell Naruto that he was a proud failure; but, only his doubting himself had caused her to stand up for him and speak the contrary truth. When he had left the village, she couldn't even say good bye or wish him luck. she chose to stand behind a pole, watching. How much braver was she now?
"Maybe," Kurenai said, looking contemplative. She grinned and nodded her head. "But, this might just be what a certain young bird needs to leave the nest and try out her wings."
"But…." Hinata tensed up, bringing her legs together and clamping her arms to her side. She looked down at her feet. Neji had been a bird in a cage. Maybe her teacher was right. Was she a bird that was too afraid to leave the safety of the nest? Would she always be two afraid to take chances? She didn't like being shy and alone. But, it was safe.
"Like I said before, I had a lot of trouble until I could take the risk of being hurt." Kurenai thought back to her own days as a chuunin. There were some terrible times; but, there had been some wonderful moments too. "Things don't always go the way we want. It hurts to be rejected. But, if someone accepts you, the feeling is indescribable."
"Oh…" Hinata forced herself to take a deep breath and square her shoulders. "I don't know what to do."
"Well…." Kurenai looked down at her nails. They were a luxury on a shinobi. Fortunately none were cracked. "You could simply tell Naruto how you feel."
"Ummm…" Hinata's eyes went wide. She pictured a scene: 'Hello, Naruto-kun. I wanted to say that I like you very much'. He would look up and say 'Oh, hi Hinata. I didn't know you were there. Did you say something?" The imaginary image shattered into countless pieces.
"But, if you just came out and said something like that, he would be surprised, and he would react defensively. If he denied any feelings for you because of that, he would probably stick to his words forever more." Kurenai frowned. "He's very stubborn like that."
"It's his Ninja Way," Hinata said. "Our Ninja Way. Well… I mean…"
"There you go," Kurenai smiled. "That's something the two of you have in common, right? It might be better to find things you both like, or make a decision to do the things that he likes. If you can find some way to do those things with him, he might come to realize that he likes being around a certain girl. Especially if all of the other girls still treat him like he's an obnoxious little brother."
"But, how can I know what he likes?" Hinata shivered for a moment, conjuring up another scene: 'Naruto-kun, would you like to do some sewing with me?' 'Huh? Sewing? Geeez, you may not be as shy or as dark, Hinata, but you're even more weird!' The image exploded this time. Sure, sewing had just popped into her mind. She would never mention that. But, what if any wrong choice had him dismiss her and think poorly of her?
"I can't believe you don't know some things that he likes!" Kurenai laughed. "I can recall a certain young girl who always followed a certain boy, never letting him know that she was there watching. Anko even commented on it once, saying that it was good training. She said 'The girl's a stalker. That's good practice for a shinobi."
"Oh!" Hinata suddenly sat straighter. "A st-… st-… stalker…" That was hardly a complimentary comparison. How many people thought something similar? She had only been a shy lonely girl, one who had found someone else with problems, but had shown her a different way, by never giving up.
"Relax. You know how Anko thinks. I doubt that anyone really thinks of you that way." Kurenai sighed. Anko was a rather interesting person, to put things mildly. "Now, as I was saying, you must know some things that Naruto likes."
"Being strong. Learning new jutsus. Ramen…." Hinata twiddled her fingers, smiling. "Competing with Sasuke… ummm… when he was still here. Ramen. Rushing into things. Showing his strength and new jutsus. Ramen. Sakura…" She sighed, her smile vanishing.
"Sakura again?" Kurenai scowled. "If Naruto didn't pay any special attention to her, would you still worry about Sakura? Ino and Ten Ten are pretty, too. So are a lot of the genin, and town girls. Don't give up before you even get started."
"Yes," Hinata felt a sense of relief, ready to speak one of her specific fears. "Sakura was very glad to see Naruto return. When she talks about him, she doesn't put him down as much. She uses words like 'amazing'. If she starts to see how wonderful Naruto is…"
"She's his teammate. They spent a lot of time together before he left. He got a lot more powerful and skilled while he was away." Kurenai smiled, thinking back to what Kakashi had said. Naruto and Sakura had beaten him at the game of bells that he had learned from Jiraiya, who in turn had learned it from Sarutobi. "And if possible, he might have gotten even more devious. It's only normal that she should be impressed, and happy to see her friend return."
"But…" Hinata was about to argue against her teacher again. It was an instinctual thing, whenever she started to feel hopeful.
Kurenai held up her hand, silencing her friend. "It's an unknown. That's the way it is with a lot of people. You competed in the chuunin exams, and you passed, even though your competition was fierce. You had walked into that not knowing who or what you would be up against that second time." She stared at Hinata, making certain that she saw a look of understanding on her face. "By the way, that gives me another idea. Naruto never had a chance to take the exam again. So, he's the only one who remains genin from your gang. That can't sit too well with him." She grinned. "Maybe you can offer to help him prepare for the upcoming exam."
"I… ummm… that might…" Hinata looked excited for a moment, but soon sighed again. "He would probably prefer to train with…"
"Enough about Sakura!" Kurenai sounded exasperated. She needed some way to break that train of thought in Hinata, or else her pupil would never find the courage to go ahead with things. "Let me tell you something that should ease your mind. Do you know the game janken?"
Hinata nodded. Hanabi had picked that up from a cousin, and had pestered her sister into playing it non-stop for a while.
"Well, the game originated in China, and came from the guu, choki, paa or rock, scissors, paper sansukumi way of thinking. Sansukumi is expounded in a book called the Kan'inshi, which describes how the snake fears the slug, the slug the frog, and the frog the snake. Each of the three parties holds the others in check, so that the three cannot move… in short, the same relationship as between rock, paper, and scissors."
Kurenai did not mention that there was more than one form of janken, including shouyaken and mushiken. The latter was played with the snake, frog, and slug symbols. The former used three different symbols: village headman, musket, and fox. She felt uncomfortable mentioning foxes at the moment.
"I don't…" Hinata was puzzled.
"The three Legendary Sannin fit a similar pattern, though none really fears the others. Jiraiya is the Frog Hermit, and has the power to summon frogs. Orochimaru summons snakes. Tsunade summons slugs." Kurenai paused a moment, amazed at how the three Sannin each ended up with a student from Team Seven. "Jiraiya once had a terrible crush on Tsunade, but she never returned the feelings."
"But… how…" Hinata tried to think things through herself. Naruto could summon frogs…
"Naruto trained with Jiraiya. Sakura is training with Tsunade. Sasuke ran off to Orochimaru." Kurenai tried to sound wise and knowing. "The pattern is repeating itself. Naruto once had a crush on Sakura; but, she probably won't ever return those feelings."
Hinata couldn't help herself. She smiled.
"Hyuuga Hinata!" Kurenai put on a mock look of shock. "Is that a smile?"
Hinata tried to put on a straight face, but couldn't help grinning.
"In any case, you're not up against something unique to you. Many women wonder what the man on their mind might like. Some go to remarkable extremes to find out." Kurenai remembered some of her own endeavors. She sighed. Her relationships were often intense, but brief. Being a jounin made it difficult for her to find Mr. Right.
Civilians often preferred women who were around more often, and could make them the priority. Other shinobi could die, or have just as little time to spend with her as she did with them. Being a ninja wasn't as wonderful as the general populace might think. But, while that might be the reason some children joined the Academy, few thrill-seekers or hero-worshippers felt the same way by the time they were done. Male shinobi had it much easier, as civilian women found them exciting and different, and were willing to wait at home for their men to return.
Kurenai knew that there were worse things in life than being a female ninja. At least she was able to make her own choices. In some ways, she was glad that Hinata was no longer the Hyuuga heir. Hanabi would likely find herself in a difficult position some day. She would be expected to marry within the clan. But, she would be mostly around boys from that clan as she grew up, so it may end up being a natural thing for her. Hinata might never have set her sights on the one boy who could inspire her the way that Naruto did, if she had remained sequestered within the clannish world.
What might happen if Hinata showed enough improvement, as to seem a better choice than Hanabi as clan chief? Kurenai didn't want to think about that, and was not about to broach that subject with her friend.
"Boys love to eat…" Hinata said. "Especially Naruto…"
"Right! That's a good start." Kurenai nodded. "He loves to eat. You're a wonderful cook. Even simpler, you could simply ask him if he wanted to join you for lunch at one of his favorite spots."
"Ummm… that would be…" Hinata tried to strengthen her resolve. "That would be difficult, unless we were already doing something together before a meal time."
"Well then, what does he spend a lot of time doing. Training!" Kurenai thought a moment. "He spends a lot of time doing that Kakshi and Sakura. I might be able to work it for you to change teams; but that won't matter much when the Hokage assigns you teaching duties." he drummed her fingers against her leg. "If there was something you could teach him…"
"Hinata sighed. "The Hyuuga techniques all require the Blood Limit. I can't give him that, so I can't teach him Byakuga or Kaiten." She shook her head. "You know everything else that I have been taught. As it is, it's uncommon for any Hyuuga to learn as much as Neji and I have trained in beyond the usual clan techniques."
"Hmmm…" Kurenai pursed her lips. "You're right. Your other skills would seem less attractive, when compared to Rasengan and the other things that Naruto has learned from one of the Sannin. It's a very hard act to follow." She smiled. "You could always praise his strength, and ask if there was something that he might want to teach you."
Hinata nodded. That idea appealed to her in a number of ways. She really would like to get stronger. For herself, and to make her someone more attractive to Naruto. She would also like to spend as much time with Naruto as possible. An idea suddenly struck her. Could she somehow learn to summon a giant animal, the way that Naruto had. Way back in time, the Hyuuga clan might have had a certain animal token. She could find that out easy enough. A little research into helpful demons might also teach her something. Naruto did frogs. Kurenai had mentioned that. Kakshi could summon a number of smaller animals, but the dogs had proven invaluable at times. So, it wouldn't necessarily have to be large creatures.
"You have an idea?" Kurenai caught the faraway look in Hinata's eyes.
"Kyuichose No Jutsu,' Hinata said, blushing. She almost felt giddy, hitting upon that idea. It was perfect. Few people in the village actually used that talent. But, those with the greatest strength were the ones with the most significant summonings.
"That might work. But, it could backfire." Kurenai set her jaw. "If you tried and failed, he might lose interest, no matter how much he admired your spirit."
"I… ummm… he would not shy away from a challenge…" Hinata bit her lip, then forced herself to stop. She clenched her fists. The only chance she had at Naruto was moving ahead, not hesitating or cowering in the shadows.
"That's true," Kurenai admitted. "But, there's a lot more to it than that. You need to make a contract with the animal. You have no skills at creating the proper scroll. If he were to teach you, it would be frogs." The jounin wrinkled her nose. "You're father probably wouldn't see that as a great reflection on your family honor."
"Then… if there was a Hyuuga symbol… and someone could teach me how to create a contract…" Hinata said.
"It was the Phoenix," Kurenai said, having once read about the Great Beasts that once were said to watch over the foremost clans. "Like Dragons, the Phoenix is merely a legend."
"Oh." Hinata would still follow through on her idea to do some research. That wouldn't hurt anyone. "Should I ask other people then, what things Naruto likes these days?"
"That would be a good idea. It might also be wise to warn people, in case Hanabi actually tries to question them about your likes and dislikes." Kurenai watched Hinata twitch, when that possibioity sank in. No doubt she would be driven to speak to her fellow shinobi because of that. In the process, she might find the courage to ask about the boy.
"Should I start with Jiraiya?" Hinata asked. "He spent the most time with Naruto…"
"NO!" Kurenai twitched herself, spilling her tea. "Absolutely not. Unless you want to dress up in a bikini or something, and serve him Sake." She shuddered, once again thinking about some offers that the Legendary Sannin had made to her years ago.
Hinata blushed. She wondered what kind of things Naruto might have learned besides fighting techniques. She quickly forced those thoughts out of her mind. "Ummm… how about Kakashi? He also knows Naruto very well."
Kurenai shook her head. "No. In some ways, he's not a whole lot better. But, I have a way with him." She smiled. "I will ask him for you. You might try Sakura. Seriously." She spoke more sternly. "If she really does like Naruto, it might be a good thing to know, right? If she doesn't, you have one less thing to worry about. Aside from Kakashi, she is the one who spends the most time around him nowadays."
"OK." Hinata couldn't afford to back down from any challenge in this. A single step back would give her an excuse to take more steps back. "I will ask Ten Ten and Ino as well."
"You might ask Tsuande or Shizune, too." Kurenai added.
Hinata shook her head. She was in too much awe of the Hokage. She also worried that Tsunade might act as an older sister to Naruto in this subject, seeing that he was instrumental in bringing her back and changing her mind about accepting the position. She might not think that a shy and meticulous girl would be a good match for the village's loudest and most unpredictable ninja. Shizune was also fond of Naruto, and shared most things with Tsunade.
"Hmmm?" Kurenai raised one eyebrow and then shrugged. "Well, you might still keep them in mind. The big question has to do with the guys." She fluffed her hair some. "If you ask them any questions about Naruto, they might wonder why. A subject they might never have had reason to think about might suddenly become worthy of attention. But, if you didn't take the opportunity to clue them in about Hanabi…"
"If someone knew how I really felt about Naruto…" Hinata's eyes went wide. Damned if she did, and damned if she didn't. The worst thing was that she would have no idea if Hanabi would go through with things until she had already done so. How bad would it be to get people gossiping, if her sister never intended to talk to people? Then, rumors might actually reach Hanabi's ear. And her father's!
"It's a dilemma, isn't it. All this because of some stupid cookies!" Kurenai couldn't help by smile. The while situation was really amusing, in a way. The simplest things can often go on to cause the largest problems, just like one wrong word can start wars or ruin relationships. "Hmmm. Cookies…" She ran one finger around the rim of her cup.
"Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata wondered what cookies had to do with anything.
"The boys might no be inclined to stay quiet out of the goodness of their heart. But, there might be some other way to ensure their silence." Kurenai smiled. "Cookies might work with Choji. You could use Lee's sense of honor and fair play to finagle a promise. Ahhh. You might try bargaining or blackmail with Shikamaru. He would probably be a good one to talk to, regardless. He's quite clever, and might be able to suggest some scheme to catch Naruto's attention."
"Blackmail?" Hinata didn't like the idea of using dirty tricks, even though a ninja had to use any means at his or her disposal to carry out assignments. That was OK against enemies and competing villages. Not against friends…
"Nothing bad," Kurenai said, seeing the look in her student's eyes. "It would be quite apropos, after all." She grinned. "Young Mr. Nara would not be someone you might think would ever chase after girls. It would be too bothersome, and take way too much effort. But, he has two girls chasing after him, and he seems to find their attention somewhat less than troublesome."
"Ino," Hinata said. Her friend had never made it a secret how she felt about Shikamaru. Before becoming enamored of him, she had been one of the gaggle of girls that pined away over Sasuke.
"Yes, and someone else you might not suspect. A girl he faced in the chuunin exams, back when he was the only one to pass." She thought back to that fight: Shikamaru against Temari. He had given up, even though he held the advantage. Despite losing his match, he had shown the capacity needed in a leader. Neji, on the other hand, had not made jounin. But, he had already made jounin, while Shikamaru might not be motivated to reach that rank for some time. Naruto, who had defeated Neji, and had gone on to fight a Sand Spirit that boggled the imagination, was still a genin, thanks to the vagaries of fate.
"Her?" Hinata looked surprised. "Temari?"
"Exactly!" Kurenai smiled. "But, Ino doesn't know that…"
"I see." Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. She wondered how she might feel, if she was able to get Naruto's attention, but found out he was also seeing a girl from some other village.
"It's just an idea," Kurenai said. "As for your own teammates: Shino probably wouldn't say anything; but, I doubt he would have much to add, either. I also don't see Hanabi getting more than one or two words out of him. If neither of the words was 'Naruto', you'd have nothing to fear there." She sighed, shaking her head and making a sour face. "Kiba should be willing to look out for your interests, since he's your teammate. While he would give his life to save yours, he might not be able to resist the power of having a secret. You don't have the right coin to pay him off. If I told him to do something that wasn't mission related, he would likely do the opposite."
"But if Hanabi talked to Kiba…" Hinata rubbed her fingers together.
"It's a tough one. To say the least!" Kurenai didn't see a solution at the minute. "I'll give that problem some thought myself." She snapped her fingers. "You might try Iruka, too. If you explained things to him, he might be happy to help, as long as he didn't feel he was betraying Naruto. If he thought you would be good for his friend, you might not find a better advocate."
"Thank you, Kurenai-sensai." Hinata never would have thought of Iruka herself.
"Oh, and I have one more suggestion." Kurenai smiled. "It might be hard for you, though. It might also draw more questions than anything else."
"Sensei?" Hinata cocked her head.
"Naruto is at the age where boys stare noticing girls more and more." Kurenai grinned, and then moved her hands through the air, making the shape of an hour glass. "There are things you can do, when you're wearing your vest. But, the biggest opportunity would be when you're in your street clothes."
Hinata pictured some things in her head, remembering how envious she felt the other day, when a number of town girls had walked past in attractive, somewhat revealing outfits. She felt her face go very warm.
"To make things easier, you might think of this whole thing as a mission. There is a lot at stake. You don't want to compromise the principles you hold dear to you; but, you better take whatever measures are necessary to win." Kurenai stood up and brushed herself off. "Plan things carefully, but don't wait too long before you strike."
Hinata nodded. Now, more than ever, she needed some good fortune.