The practice fields were pretty crowded.
Groups of genin were wandering about, some shepherded by chuunins and others by jounins. Most were heading off to points unknown after doing their work-outs, but some were getting ready for training sessions.
"Geeez, looks like everyone wants to practice today!" Naruto scowled, sticking out his lower lip. "Do you want to use one of the older sites, or call off practice for the day?" He wasn't certain which choice he favored. It might be nice to get some Ramen, or to have Hinata cook him lunch like she had on a number of other days. She was really good. Her boyfriend was one lucky guy.
But, even though he and Hinata had practiced a lot lately, Naruto felt a need to keep pushing. She was doing well with a number of jutsus, and he was gaining confidence in himself as an instructor. While he might not say it directly to Kakashi's face, he had learned a lot from the Copy Ninja. His methods may have been unorthodox at times, but he seemed to use things that worked for each group he worked with. Jiraiya also gotten good results, but he would become a monk before using that guy's methods!
"I would like to train today, Naruto-kun." Hinata placed her large bag on the ground in front of her. "There's also something I want to show you later."
"Is it food?" Naruto's eyes got huge. "More of those great cookies you made?" He rubbed his belly. Hinata was just as good with desserts as she was with lunches. She had a sense of humor, too. The last batch of sugar cakes had been shaped like squid.
"No," Hinata said, shaking her head. She smiled, realizing once again how much Naruto liked her cooking. "It's a scroll."
"Huh?" Naruto made a face. "No food? You're not trying to trick me?"
Hinata shook her head again. She was about to say 'I would never trick you, Naruto-kun'. But, that wouldn't be true, especially since her Fortuneteller scheme was in full swing. Maybe this would be a good time to see how that was going.
"Not at all. Why would I do that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata sighed, and spread her arms out much the way Shikamaru had a few days earlier. "It's not like I'm one of the fortunetellers that my sister keeps trying to make me visit."
"You don't believe in that kind of stuff?" Naruto asked. "Ha-…" he bit his cheek. He came damn close to saying Hanabi's name. "Half the people I know keep swearing those places are great. Some have be dragging me to them, too." He scratched one flank, frowning. "I have to admit, the results have been kind of freaky."
"Freaky?" Hinata fought not to smile. "How's that, Naruto-kun?"
"Well… sheeesh… I don't know…" Naruto felt embarrassed even considering the idea of divination in front of Hinata. Maybe it would have better if she never suspected that he ever went to places like that. "It's just that…"
"They were right?" Hinata raised one eyebrow, trying to sound skeptical, but with some possibility of being swayed. "That same kind of thing happened to me; but, I kind of shrugged it off as coincidence." Careful girl! You're walking the razor's edge here. You want to strengthen his willingness to believe, not support his skepticism. "But, each of the fortunes from Madame Setsu's cookies was right in some way."
"Miss Setsu? You visited her, too?" Naruto spoke quickly, but soon found himself covering his tracks. "Not that anyone really needs to, you know."
"I haven't been to see her in person," Hinata said truthfully. "But, Neji's fortune said 'You are especially qualified for the task at hand. Perseverance brings success,' and he read that not long after learning he was promoted to Special Jounin. My father's read 'Rejoice. Life brings good things to celebrate.' He read that at the celebration thrown to honor Neji's recent accomplishment, and my passing the chuunin exam before."
"Huh?" Naruto put one hand behind his neck and narrowed his eyes. "You're right, it could be coincidence." He wrinkled up his nose. "What about the others?"
"Well, Hanabi's said 'You are faced with a mystery. Perseverance brings an important discovery.' Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Hinata wondered why Naruto had suddenly started coughing.
"Y-Yes… I'm fine…" Naruto coughed some more. He knew Hanabi's fortune. Hinata didn't know that he knew. "H-How about your cookie?"
"Ummm…" It was Hinata's turn to suddenly feel a bit odd. She stared at Naruto for a moment, and then snapped out of her brief trance. "You'll probably just think it's silly…" That was a good finish.
"No. I promise. My Ninja Way!" Naruto was curious about Hinata's reaction. She blushed a bit. Was it something about her boyfriend? Whoa! What if the fortune had somehow led her to her boyfriend. That couldn't happen, could it?
"Well… my fortune said 'Opportunity is slipping away. Act now or relinquish your dream.' It's why I sought you out that first day." Hinata kept from wringing her hands. That answer was the truth, but she had it covered.
"What?" Naruto made a face. Just what did Hinata mean? "How…"
"I don't want to talk about what's in the bag just yet, Naruto-kun." Hinata shook her head, looking down at the bag. That was a true statement, even though it was not an answer to Naruto's implied question. "Let's do that later."
"Oh… OK…" Naruto shrugged. So the bag was the result of her fortune? A scroll? It must be some jutsu that she wanted to learn. Probably the one she mentioned that day, but never identified. He walked over to the bag. "Hey… look… is that Neji and Ten Ten over there?"
"I'm not going to look, Naruto-kun." Hinata stuck out her lower lip much in the same manner that Naruto often did. "Leave the bag alone."
"Girls!" Naruto couldn't help but grin. Hinata was certainly changing for the better. It may only be a little bit, but it was all for the good. He frowned, knowing that it was time to ask his routine question. "So… Hinata-chan… are you ready to tell me who your boyfriend is?" He hoped that she wouldn't. For some reason, finding that out would make him unhappy. He would no longer have any reason to keep meeting Hinata this way. Sure, her sweetheart didn't seem to mind; but, without some reason, he wouldn't want to step on any other guy's toes in even the slightest way.
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata had answered the question. She almost became frantic. That had just slipped out, a direct truth from her heart. But, she could fix things. "Naruto-kun… I just can't tell you that…"
"Good,"Naruto said. It was his turn to start sweating. "I mean it's good that you have grown so strong. Before, you were willing to let me cheat off of your exam and all. Hah hah hah hah…"
Hinata stood puzzled. Why had Naruto said 'Good'? Why was he acting the way he was? Could he be growing tired of her? She didn't want to go there. Instead, she should follow through more on the fortuneteller angle. "Have you gotten any fortunes, Naruto-kun?"
"Well… yeh… though I'm not sure they mean anything…" He kicked at a couple of small stones laying on the ground. "You know how that is…" He looked back up at Hinata. "Sakura was the one who dragged me to see Miss Setsu. The old lady had me doing Tasa-… Tasse-… damn."He couldn't remember the name.
"Tasseography? Tasseomancy?" Hinata smiled. Naruto looked so cute there, struggling with that word.
"What's so funny!"Naruto put his hands on his hips and stared at Hinata. "Guys don't need words like that. Only girls do. She only had to say 'Drink the tea and I'll read the leaves at the bottom of the cup'! Geeez." He forgot to say that it was strange, Sakura approaching him and dragging him to join her. At the time he thought that she was ashamed of being the only one doing that kind of thing. It turned out that there were others.
Hinata couldn't help herself. She started giggling. Naruto was about to take offense again, but found himself smiling instead. Somehow, it felt good when Hinata was happy.
"I'm sorry. Please go on with your story." Hinata bowed, hiding a smile behind her hand.
"You bet!"Naruto frowned and tapped one hand on his weapon's pouch. It wasn't dignified for a guy to sound that eager, right? Besides, what was there for him to be eager for? "Anyway, she spoke in this high nasally voice, you know…" Naruto tried his nest to imitate the seer. "Finish your tea leaving a small amount of liquid in the bottom of cup. Holding the cup in your left hand, swirl the tea leaves round three times in a clockwise direction. Make sure that the remaining tea swirls around the whole of the cup.
Then, up-end the cup on the saucer and let the liquid drain away."
Hiata's eyes were closed. She held her sides. That imitation was just too much. It was times like these with Naruto that she had long dreamed about.
"AHEM!" Naruto shook his head. "EARTH TO HINATA!"
"Ummm… I apologize …" Hinata giggled again.
"You know what? Humor just doesn't fit with the Hyuugas." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. For a moment, he wondered if that was indeed Hinata. Could it be some remnant of Akatsuki, masquerading as Hinata, waiting to spring some great scheme? No. That was just plain ridiculous! Fortunes might be believable, but paranoid concerns were not. "Anyway, Miss Setsu said that a lot of leaves being left indicates a rich, full, busy life. I am richer, now that the damn Er-Sennin doesn't swipe Froggie any more." He slapped his hand against a bulge in his pants pocket. "I'm certainly busy, a lot of it because of you. My life is full too, I guess."
"Yes. Ino said you were 'full of it' the other day." Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. Where had that come from? Her own evolving sense of humor continually shocker her more than it did Naruto.
"Hah hah," Naruto said. "Funny as a damn Uchiha." He turned his nose up. "I had to hold my cup so that the handle pointed towards the old lady. The handle represented the questioner and her home, and the tea leaves are read in relation to the position of the handle. The rim of the Cup represented recent events. Leaves lying closer to the bottom of the Cup indicated events that are more distant in time. The very bottom of the Cup represented misfortunes."
"That's very interesting, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled. "Maybe I'll have to go have my tea read. But, I would have thought you would have asked to do it with a bowl of noodles instead of tea."
"I did!" Naruto smirked. "She's researching that for me. Anyway, leaves that were to the right of the handle indicated the future, and leaves to the left of the handle indicated the past. The further away the leaves were from the handle, the further away the events are in either time, or even physical distance." He scratched his chin. He was speaking as if he actually believed fortunes. Well, he didn't necessarily disbelieve fortunes. "There were no distinct drops of tea remaining in the cup, despite the swirling and emptying of the cup… so nothing represented tears. There was no large clump of tea leaves indicating trouble. There was a tea stalk, and it was pretty short. That indicated a woman." He looked at Hinata.
"I'm not that short, Naruto-kun." Hinata looked cross for a moment. That had Naruto laughing.
"It was very pale, indicating the color white somehow." As Naruto was talking, Hinata felt the urge to turn away so that he couldn't see her eyes. "At first, she thought the stalk was slanted. That would mean an untrustworthy person."
Hinata began choking a little. She held her breath. For a moment, she began wondering if things like tea leaf reading might be real in the hands of an expert. "I'm… I'm OK, Naruto-kun… please continue…"
"She saw a number of symbols in my cup; but, they all looked like a mess of leaves to me." Naruto shrugged. "I did see one I thought was a cat. The chart she Miss Setsu showed me said that meant 'A quarrel, treachery, a false friend'. I also saw one I thought looked like a fox. That meant 'A deceitful friend'. But, Miss Setsu said I was wrong. It takes years of study to be right, she said." He wondered why Hinata looked somewhat pale. "She said there were definitely cherries…" It was Naruto's turn to change color.
"Cherries?" Hinata wondered why Naruto was blushing.
"Uhh… yeh… no big deal…" Naruto coughed. He practically whispered the next words. "That means 'A happy love affair'. There was also a dog, which meant 'Good friends.' Since the dog looked to be was running, it also meant 'happy meetings'. I ran into Kiba not long after leaving her shop." Naruto kept trying to tell himself it was all coincidence; but, his visit to the old lady was just the beginning. "Back to the tea. There was a parasol… but that isn't important…"
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata cocked her head. "What does a parasol shape mean?"
"A new lover," Naruto said. It sounded more like a cough than an answer. He saw Hinata blush. "There was also a tower. That meant that I would have an opportunity to learn or teach new things." He looked at Hinata's bag again.
"I see," Hinata said. "You ran into Kiba? I bet he would have laughed if you told him about the tea."
"Just like Old Lady Tsunade, you would have lost that bet!" Naruto struck a pose. "Girls are so simple-minded. I laughed at him, because he said that he believed in fortunes too. He threatened to kick my ass if I told anyone about him, but that's just like Kiba. He's not secure enough to let people know things like that!" Naruto began walking in a circle, strutting.
Hinata put her hand over her mouth. It looked like things were working great. She had been worried, since Shikamaru's suggestion was so complex, and she couldn't think of ways to make it simpler without reducing her chance of success. "So… what kind of things did Kiba talk about?"
"He took me to see Mr. Hirigana, an expert in runes. Strange shrimpy guy," Naruto said. "He was about your height." He smiled. "He told me that Runes originated with the ancient Etruscans and spread up throughout the Alpine regions to Northern Europe via the trade routes. The word rune, which occurs in various forms in Germanic and Celtic languages, means a mystery' or 'holy secret that is whispered'."
"But that kind of thing can't be real, can it?" Hinata brought her hands up under her neck. She leaned forward as if she were hoping to be converted.
"Shit. Who can know for sure?" Naruto said that brusquely, but added in a quiet voice "But let me tell you what happened." He coughed. "Runes were traditionally carved into bone, wood or stone, which accounts for their angular shape. The lack of curves made it easier to create the shapes in either hard wood or stone. There were twenty four Elder Futhark, divided into three groups or aettir."
Hinata began giggling again. She had to stop that. She couldn't have giggled more than ten times in the past five years! But, Naruto had been so cute saying those words. She bowed again as a silent apology.
"I didn't make up the damn words," Naruto said. "If you don't want to take this stuff seriously, I'll tell it to someone else." He bit his lip. Why was he taking things so seriously? He couldn't really blame anyone who didn't believe this stuff like he did. No, he wouldn't be surprised if few people even considered the possibility that fortunes were real, like he did. "Each group of eight Runes can be linked to the eight directions on the horizon, to the seasonal festivals, and to various cycles of time and stars. Mr. Hirigana added a twenty-fifth rune which is completely blank. He said it was called the Wyrd. The thing had no traditional basis, but could Have turned out to be useful in our readings. It symbolizes fate, karma and the inevitable. Kiba said that he and Akamatu always insisted on having that rune used."
"Really," Hinata said, nodding. She had to thank Kiba. He had been hesitant to take part in this charade at first. No doubt he would be crowing about how good he got Naruto. She swallowed hard. Naruto better not get word of anything like that. It would be in her teammate's best interest to be quiet for a whileKurenai had backed her up, telling Kiba and Shino what would happen if either of them ruined Hinata's plan.
"When Kiba went first, I watched to see what was going on." Naruto clenched his fists. Kiba wouldn't tell him what his or Akamaru's readings meant. He had been wildly happy, and the dog had barked up a storm. "Nine of the runes can read the same whichever way up they fall. The remainder can fall in a reversed position if the reader prefers to use reversals. Kiba said that real men did that. If you chose to use reversed runes, the meaning is subtly changed by the way the rune falls. Mr. Hirigana did a Three Rune Cast for Akamaru and a Nine Rune Cast for Kiba. He did a Horseshoe Cast for me, since it was my first reading."
"Were there any cherries or parasols?" Hinata kept from grinning when Naruto waved his arms in front of him.
"That was tea. We're talking Runes, now. Get with the program, Hinata!"Naruto clenched his teeth.
"Sorry, Naruto-kun." Hinata nodded her head. "Actually this is all very exciting. I think I'll have to go get my fortune read."
"Really? Maybe we can…" Naruto almost said 'maybe we can go together'. He frowned. Hinata had a boyfriend. "Well, he used twenty-one Runes, putting down seven groups of three Runes in the shape of a horseshoe or arch. Each group covers a category, including past and present situations; developments in the near future; things I didn't expect; people around me; obstacles and opposition; and an overall outcome."
"What did your reading say?" Hinata asked.
"I can't remember all of it. The things about the past were all true. Some stuff about people were… well… a little iffy, I guess. This Rune Gebō symbolizes unexpected good fortune, relationships, and partnership. Silly stuff like that!" Naruto scowled, daring Hinata to contradict him. "The Rube Ingwaz symbolizes work and training; success in relationships; and a connection to someone I am working with." Naruto looked away from Hinata. That one couldn't be true, right? Sure, he actually was working hard to train someone; but, he shouldn't be thinking about Hinata in any way other than that. "The Rune Ehwaz symbolizes motion, a call for divine aid, or summoning of spirits; power, and great will; and some hint of recklessness."
Hinata froze. That wasn't one of the meanings they had worked out as a group. Had Kiba been embellishing things? She didn't tell him about her scroll or the jutsu she wanted to learn! She clenched her hands tightly, and told herself to relax. This was all about getting Naruto to believe, right? This was to set him up for something they might do together at Miss Setsu's shop or one of the others.
Naruto went on to discuss other findings while Hinata was lost in thought. She couldn't ask him to repeat them, or he might think that she didn't take things seriously and wasn't paying attention. After describing his Casts, Naruto told Hinata that Kiba had dragged him over to Choji, who had been the one to introduce him to Divination. Choji in turn had been ordered to try it by Ino.
"Damn that Kiba," Naruto clenched both fists, remembering something.
"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Hinata wondered why Naruto looked so angry, but was also blushing.
"Nothing!" Naruto shook his head.
"Oh. I see. You're going to keep secrets from me. I didn't think that was our Ninja Way." She felt like the world's biggest hypocrite saying that. But, she wanted to make certain that Kiba didn't say anything that might sour Naruto to everything.
Naruto stared at Hinata and frowned. "OK. You asked for it." Then, he actually grinned, thinking how Hinata might react. "He told me to ask the next seer I visited about Phallomancy. He said that was just the greatest. Miss Yasujiro… Choji's fortuneteller… said it was no problem. All I had to do was… well… drop my pants and pull down my…" Naruto coughed. "She said that she was going to judge certain things based on the shape of my… you know…"
Hinata looked cross-eyed for a moment.
"He also told me to bring a girl with me one time and ask for Mammomancy." Naruto kept from grinning. This would probably have Hinata fainting or threatening to leave. That would teach her to question his Ninja Way.
"M-M-Mammomancy?" Hinata straightened up, not wanting to show any weakness before Naruto.
"I'm glad you asked, Hinata-chan." Naruto buffed his fingernails against his shirt. "Never thought that someone like you would be into that stuff." His bravado faded some when he couldn't help but staring at her chest. Damn, the chuunin vest covered everything. No, it was good that the vest covered certain things! "The shape of a woman's… certain parts… can tell a lot about her. For example, 'small and pert' means that a girl might come across as shy, but really have a wild imagination and be hard to satisfy. 'Full and firm' means that a girl might be playful and energetic, but likes to take her time. 'Round like oranges' might mean that…."
"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata could believe that she shouted. No, she couldn't believe that Naruto had been talking to her about br-… and s-… She couldn't even thinks those words right now!
"Huh? One of the first two descriptions cover you, Hinata-chan?" Naruto smiled, sounding a lot braver and worldly than he felt. "Never question Uzumaki Naruto's Ninja Way."
"N-… N-… N-…" Hinata sputtered. It was either that, or sit down hard on the ground.
"Naruto-kun," Naruto said helpfully. "The name you are looking for is 'Naruto-kun'."
"Thank… you… Naruto-kun…" Hinata put her hands on her hips.
"That might be very fetching, Hinata-chan. But not with your vest on." Naruto struck a pose. Try and get all puffed-up and angry with him, would she? That might work in most Hyuuga's but not with her.
"Y-… Y-… Y-…" Hinata blushed.
"You," Naruto said.
Hinata picked up her bag and began walking away, taking big steps the way that Naruto often did. She stopped. What was she walking like that pervert for? Well, maybe he wasn't a pervert. And Kurenai had said that she should try to catch his attention. What should she do? If she took off her vest after that, it might show Naruto that she was not going to be embarrassed to the point of inactivity. But, what if he thought she was flirting or something? Well, if he cared about her having a boyfriend, he might not say anything too forward. And if he did take notice… wouldn't that be good later on?
"I'm sorry, Hinata!"Naruto didn't want to hurt Hinata's feelings. Saving face by keeping silent wasn't worth that.
Hinata stopped. She put her hands on her vest. She shook her head. Not now. Maybe later. Turning around, she walked back to Naruto, not saying another word on the subject.
Naruto told Hinata about doing Chinese Astrology… Ming shu… with Choji and Miss Yasujiro. He talked about trying Marseilles-type Tarot card reading with Ino and her medium, Mr. Wayang. The Tarot decks they used consisted of seventy-eight cards, which were broken down into twenty-two Major Arcana and fifty-six Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana were the trump cards, while the Minor Arcana were the pip cards, similar to European playing cards, with the following difference: the Court Cards included a Page, Knight, Queen and King. The suits were Cups, Wands, Swords and Coins. .
"What did your reading show, Naruto-kun?" Hinata had unbuttoned one of the fasteners on her vest. Since the world had not ended, she might consider undoing another one later.
"Who would have thought that a reading can begin from the cards, even before that first card is laid out." Naruto shrugged. "The woman watched how I shuffled and cut the cards, and said that complex people tend to cut into multiple piles. People like me cannot decide if they want to take the cards seriously or not."
"Complex. I guess that's good," Hinata said, grinning.
"Everyone's a critic," Naruto groused. He stared at Hinata, expecting her to apologize or say something to make him feel better. When she didn't, he continued. "From the way that I fanned the cards, she could tell that I had a traumatic childhood, with some major losses. She did a Gypsy Spread for me after I activated the deck, putting down three rows of seven cards. The top row of seven cards represented the past. The middle row was the present and the bottom row of seven cards told the future." He thought a moment, trying to remember what some of his cards meant. It was hard to keep the different visits straight in his mind. "There was the Lovers, a card that deals with emotional choices and relationships" He rubbed the back of his neck. Why did he keep bringing that up? Maybe it was because Hinata had a boyfriend. That's it. He must have been thinking about that when he prepared the deck. But, the cards were supposed to be about him. That's why he was given a chance to handle them.
"Are you OK, Naruto-kun?" Hinata felt very anxious. She was excited that Naruto mentioned that one first. But, she didn't know what to make of his reaction.
"Hey. Future Hokage, right? I'm better than OK!" Naruto swallowed hard. Had Hinata unbuttoned her vest some? No. Why would she? "Let's see. There was a Nine of Cups. He called it the Wish card, saying my dream would come true…"
"Yes…" Hinata leaned forward. Seeing that Naruto looked away, she played with another fastener.
"That must have meant becoming Hokage!"Naruto said. He didn't see Hinata bite her lip and hang her head. "There was also a Queen of Cups. It meant a kindly woman with dark hairs and light eyes… you know… someone sort of like you. There was a Queen of Wands, relating to the past. It meant an active and business-like red-haired woman. That was probably Sakura." Part of him made an association between Sakura and a past crush and a different girl for a future relationship. He automatically ignored that association. Again. " Oh yeh. There was also something called the the Hierophant. That had to do with good advice. And the Fool. That had to do with new developments, fresh starts, taking a risk."
"Really?" Hinata asked. "In relationships?" She bit her lip. That was too forward.
"Hey, the guy told me a joke too!" Naruto quickly moved on. He wondered why Hinata made a face. Didn't she like jokes? "He said 'I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met'. I thought that was pretty funny."
"Very," Hinata said, her voice a little flat.
"OK. Let's see what's in that bag." Naruto felt very uncomfortable after talking about his various readings. He wasn't in any mood to figure out why. He was ready for some fun stuff. Just what did Hinata want to learn about?
"Ummm…" Hinata suddenly felt uncomfortable herself. Now that the moment was here, she wasn't certain that she wanted to take the risk. But, Sakura had said that Naruto had matured a lot during missions. Maybe he was less impulsive, and would counsel her against it. She wouldn't push the issue then, since he would be the sensei. "Well…" She opened the bag. Taking out the scroll, she flicked her arm, causing the cylinder to roll across the ground, opening.
"No… f-cking… way…" Naruto stood staring. He was too shocked to apologize for his bad language. "You have to be kidding me!"
"I… you see…" Hinata sighed. Well, that was her answer. Naruto was shocked that she would even consider something so dangerous.
"I said it before, but have to say it again." Naruto cocked a finger and pointed it at Hinata. Purposefully speaking more sedately, he said "You rock."
"Oh." Hinata smiled, bringing her hand up to her cheek. For some reason, she felt all warm inside and weak in the knees. "So you want to…"
"You bet! Summoning is cool stuff. You probably won't be able to do it, but it's a great choice." He looked at her vest again and averted his eyes. "You've really grown… as a person, I mean."
Hinata would have had to be blind to miss his glance. She felt her face growing hot, but she didn't feel embarrassed this time. Could every bit of advice she had been given by people suddenly be coming together at the right time?
"So, what does it summon?" Naruto asked. "The old blood looks to have faded away. This thing probably hasn't been used in a very long time. Are these names?" he pointed to the area where the type of animal usually appeared, allowing a contract to cover an entire species.
"Yes," Hinata admitted. "The Researcher said that there no longer was any records telling about those."
Naruto frowned. He truly had matured over the years. There was no doubt what any of his teachers would tell him to do. In the past, that would be reason enough to go ahead and do something rash. Not any more. Not with so many lives at stake. They were contemplating performing a summoning in the middle of Konoha, not off somewhere in the wilderness. Hooking one thumb through a belt loop, he pursed his lips and thought a bit, scratching his head. He could summon Gamakichi again, and ask him to return to his father, mentioning the names. Gama Bunta knew a great many demons of various types. Yes, that made a lot of sense. It might delay things by a day, but that would be OK. Better safe than sorry.
"I think…" Naruto stopped. He thought back over his fortunes. Some had spoken of risk followed by reward. Others had said that big changes were coming, involving a woman. There had been no warnings, and very few cautions. He thought back to what Hinata told him. 'Opportunity is slipping away. Act now or relinquish your dream.' The one word was 'now', not 'sometime next week'. The choice was clear. "I think this is the perfect day to try some summoning!"
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata suddenly felt an urge to run over and hug Naruto. She fought that feeling, telling herself to calm down and focus her thoughts on the task at hand. It would be serious business. She trusted Naruto's judgment in this. If it was too dangerous, he wouldn't go through with it.
Naruto taught Hinata the exact way that Jiraiya had taught him. Time and time again Hinata tried. She kept on going, because she would not disappoint Naruto.
"I think that's enough for one day, Hinata-chan." Naruto wanted to see Hinata succeed as much as she did. But, as the sensei, he would not let her hurt herself. It also wouldn't do her any good, if she became discouraged. For the first time, he began appreciating the trouble that he must have caused Kakashi and the others.
"One more time, Naruto-kun!"Hinata surprised them both with the ferocity of that request.
"OK. I'm proud of you either way, Hinata-chan." Naruto gave her a big thumbs up. He looked a lot like Gai there, but no light shone off his teeth.
Feeling a surge of strong gratitude, Hinata used her already bleeding thumb as the source of blood, worked her hand seals, and slammed her palm hard against the ground. She was shocked when there was a large puff of smoke and a small sound of rolling thunder. She couldn't see anything. "I did it, Naruto-kun."
"Great!" Naruto replied. "But just what did you do?"
"Meow."
"Was that you, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, feeling silly afterwards.
"Sure, Hinata. I do that all the time." Naruto snorted. The smoke was clearing. He could just about make out a moving form. It looked to be…
"Kittie!" Hinata quickly gathered up the tiny cat, not too much larger than her hand.
"Well, at least it has all four legs," Naruto said, shrugging. He thought back to his first few tadpoles. "Cats," he said. It could have been worse.
Hinata just gave Naruto a dirty look and hugged the kitten. The small cat scratched her, jumped to the ground, and took off running. As it ran across the clearing on its small little legs, the motion caught the eye of a hungry predator. Soaring high above the practice fields was a magnificent raptor, more than three feet in length, with large, black wings and distinct golden wash over the back of the head. A golden eagle.
"Come back, kittie!" Hinata ran after the small cat, not knowing just what responsibility she had for any creature that she summoned. In any case, she wouldn't let a young cat get hurt.
The eagle plummeted downward at great speed. At the proper moment, it slowed, changed its angle of approach, and glided just above the running kitten. With one great taloned food reaching down, it snagged the defenseless creature.
"NO!" Hinata moved swiftly without time for any thought. Using Byakugan, she plotted the eagle's course and sent her complete set of shuriken to meet it. She hoped that none would hit the kitten.
A number of feathers fell towards the ground. The eagle forgot about its intended prey. The young cat tumbled towards the ground.
"Go!" Naruto formed a line of clones. They linked hands and pivoted strongly, throwing the last one in line like a bullet shot from a sling or throwing stick. The clone caught the kitten, and then plowed up a small roll of grass and dirt before disappearing with a loud pop. The other clones gave their departed copy a 'V' sign before they too disappeared.
The kitten scampered much faster now, disappearing under a bush before Hinata could catch it.
"It will probably be OK, Hinata." Naruto walked over to join her. "It probably won't stay around too long before it goes back to where ever it came from. That was a very inexperienced creature. Most would have disappeared back to where they came from, soon after the bird grabbed them."
"I hope so," Hinata said, feeling concerned. The emergency over, she looked down and shuffled her feet some. She had done it. She had summoned something. The scroll called cats. "I wonder if this will work like Kakashi-sensei's scroll. He can call a lot of dogs, or just one. Pakkun is intelligent. Maybe some of the cats will be too."
"Want to try again?" Naruto asked. Failure had driven him in his attempts to summon a frog. He didn't think Hinata would be like that. More likely than not, a fresh success would help her more than anything.
Hinata looked over to where the kitten disappeared. She didn't even bother debating. She wanted to try again. She was certain of it. Nodding to Naruto, she began the hand seals again.
"Just like in the fight with Neji. Give it everything you got."Naruto called out, just as he had during his first chuunin exam. He had hit upon this course of action, as soon as he decided that Hinata needed success and encouragement. "Don't give up! Remember, you're someone I can like!"
Hinata felt her emotions surging. Like. Love. The difference didn't matter at that moment. Her important one was calling out to her. He was watching. No matter what, she wouldn't hold back. She wouldn't quit. She was weak back then. She was much stronger now. Everything seemed to be flowing so smoothly…
When Hinata slammed her hand down, the whole stretch of lawn seemed to explode. She was thrown upward, dazed, and would have been seriously injured if Naruto hadn't saved her in the same fashion that he saved the kitten. It was much harder that time, because he did it while he was flying backwards through a grove of thick trees that he used to climb as a genin. He grunted in pain when he bounced off one and slid to the ground.
A cloud of stinking sulfurous gas mixed with dust and dirt as it quickly reached skyward, tearing countless leaves off of the trees in the process. Hurricane force winds tore at the weaker vegetation, and causing even the oldest trees to sway and creak.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto was very worried. He hadn't seen if his trick with the clones was successful. Worse, he could sense something. No, maybe it was that bastard fox that was picking something up. Either way, that explosion and the huge swirling mass of smoke could only mean one thing. A big summoning. Something larger than some kitten or talking panther-sized cat. "Hinata, where are you?"
There was no answer from Hinata. Naruto prepared to send out a search party of clones. He began running down a series of plans that he could use against a large creature, should the thing prove hostile. He didn't really have time to think back over the time he had first called Gama Bunta; but, he did remember that the great toad had acted as if he was hot shit, and some human child was just some annoyance.
"R-R-R-R-R-R… THAT'S A VER-R-RY GOOD QUESTION..."
A loud growling voice called out, half purr and have challenge.
"ESPECIALLY IF THE HINATA IS THE ONE WHO SUMMONED ME…"
"Oh shit!" Naruto rubbed his eyes, but the view he saw wouldn't go away. A huge shadow was barely visible within the smoke. It wasn't as tall as Boss Frog or Shukaku, but at half that size, it was still plenty big.
"R-R-R-R-R-R…IS THAT HOW YOU GREET ME, SMALL THING?"
The huge head moved forward some. Naruto couldn't make out the face, but he saw glowing outlines of two huge green eyes, and the tips of enormous whiskers were sticking out of the cloud. When a strong gust of wind came through the area and cleared much of the obscuring gas away, Naruto didn't know whether to curse, or to cheer for Hinata. She had certainly succeeded. However, that might not be a good thing. The huge black cat held one paw up, looking for all the world like one of the cat statues that vied for space with ceramic Tanuki's down at the village's restaurant row.
"That's no damn Beckoning Cat," Naruto said, biting his thumb. He wouldn't rush into things, but knew what he might have to do. "And I doubt the thing is waving 'Hello'."
Naruto was thinking of the manekineko or Beckoning cat. That cat, told about in a tale from long ago, had stood in the door of the Gotoku-ji temple and raised her paw in the traditional beckoning gesture to a feudal lord who was passing by. The feudal lord followed the cat into the temple and instantly, a lightning bolt struck the place where the lord had been standing. Thus the cat had saved his life. From then on, the manekineko was considered as an incarnation of the Goddess of Mercy. Certain temples to this day house dozens of statues of that Cat, and owners of lost or sick cats stick up prayer boards with the image of the Beckoning Cat in those shrines. In business, the manekineko is said to bring success, because her raised paw beckons in customers. It also welcomes in personal happiness and harmony. A black Beckoning Cat brings health, while a gold one, which is quite rare, brings in riches.
"Success, happiness, and harmony, my ass," Naruto added. "And who the hell thought that a black cat would be good for my health?"
"R-R-R-R-R… THAT"S NO MORE THAN AN IMPER-R-RTNENT SQUEAKING MOUSE."
The giant cat voice had Naruto wanting to close his eyes and duck his head out of reflex. But, he couldn't take his eyes off it for a second. Claws shot out from the raised paw.
"R-R-R-R-R… IT IS NOT FOR EATING, BUT FOR EXTER-R-RMINATING."
"Bite me!" Naruto shouted. He closed his eyes tightly, wishing he had the self control that most of his compatriots had. "Sorry, wrong choice of words…" He concentrated and created an enormous number of clones. There could well have been more than one thousand. "If you're going to act all nasty like, maybe we out to get you fixed or something." That was not exactly the best way to make friends or relieve tensions, but Naruto wasn't in the mood for that.
"R-R-R-R-R-R -OW-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W"
The cat spun around incredibly fast, bringing its long sinuous tail around. The tail, which split into two tails near the end, tore tree out of the ground and sent them flying about as if they were jackstraws. Countless detonations marked the end of many of the clones.
"R-R-R-R-R… YOU MISTAKE ME AS MALE. THE ULTIMTE INSULT. YOU MUST DIE."
Naruto was more concerned about Hinata than he was for himself. If he needed to get medieval on this furry bitch's butt, then he would. Well, it wasn't a dog, but he knew what he meant.
"Hey. Are you Nibi, the two-tailed Bijuu?" If it was necessary, Naruto would let it be known that he was Kyuubi's carrier.
The ninjas who had gone out and fought the Nine with him were aware of the Nine Tails, but Hinata and the others who had remained in Konoha did not. Naruto remembered hearing about one of the 'Tailed Beasts' that Akatsuki had been after. Nibi had been a giant cat, one whose Jinchūriki was presumed dead. It was thought to have possibly arisen from a nekomata that had developed strong magic.
Nekomatas were mythological creatures, believed to have evolved from domesticated cats. It was believed that after a special cat reached ten years of age, its tail would slowly split into two tails, and it would develop magic powers, primarily that of necromancy and shamanism. By gesturing with its tails or with its forepaws as it walked upright, nekomata were said to animate and control the dead. Though they were normally assumed to behave with the same aloof manner as normal cats, the feline creatures were known to hold grudges. To gain revenge someone that wronged them, a nekomata might control the tormentor's dead relatives, haunting him until it was appeased with food, apologies and attention. Some folk tales said that nekomata could change shapes and become human in appearance; however, unlike the nekomusume, nekomata women tended to look older, display bad habits in public, and always had an air of dread around them.
"R-R-R-R-R… NIBI. THAT WOR-R-RTHLESS FIRST MATE OF MINE. YOU MUST DIE TWICE, FOR MENTIONING HIM. NO. I WILL REANIMATE YOU ONE THOUSAND INSTANCES, SO I CAN KILL YOU THAT MANY TIMES."
"I think your math is off…" Naruto said, standing with his hands on his hips. "By more than one thousand." He blew his nose, sneering. "Excuse my mistake, but around here, women don't go around growling and threatening people." Naruto reconsidered that. "Except for the Hokage." He decided to try a more forgiving tack, seeing that he was more mature now. "If you let me apologize, I will get you a big bowl of cream or something." The cat hissed, sounding like a tornado tearing through a forest of pines. "How about Ramen?"
"Naruto-kun… be quiet!"
That was Hinata's voice. Naruto almost peed his pants right there and then. Hinata? Talking like that? She had called up a big nasty cat. So?
"R-R-R-R-R… SO, AR-R-RE YOU THE HINATA?"
The cat turned slowly to look down at a small human that had emerged from under a large pile of detached and matted tree boughs.
"Yes," Hinata called up. "I am Hyuuga Hinata, the one who summoned you. I greet you. I did not wish to cause you any harm or insult."
"R-R-R-O-W… THIS ONE SPEAKS MUCH BETTERBUT THAT IS NO SUR-R-R-PRISE, IF THE OTHERIS MALE."
The cat sat back on its haunches. It had time to assess the situation. The small things were no threat to it, and could not possibly get away.
"The other is male," Hinata said, trying to keep from trembling. "Please do not let its foolish words dishonor you, or the rest of my race." She was walking a fine line. She needed to diffuse the situation if possible, but didn't want to anger Naruto in the process.
"H-… H-… H-…" Naruto was speechless. It was just as well, he realized. If this approach worked, he would be the first to applaud for Hinata. She really was something else. Why had he been so long in seeing that?
"R-R-R-R-R… IS IT YOUR MATE?"
The cat acted nonchalant, beginning to lick its paw. But, subtle the twitch of its leg muscles was not a subtlety by any stretch of the imagination when the creatures was seen by adversaries that were many times smaller. Hinata and Naruto knew that the demon was ready to spring at any moment, and in any direction.
"N-No…" Hinata sighed after shouting. She wished it was true, without the actual mating part, Well, at least at first. For the proper amount of time. She had thought about saying 'Yes', in case that might protect Naruto. But, she would not lie… not to a creature that was bound to by contract. But, the truth was slowly dawning on her. The great cat had been bound to answer the summons. The contract did not mean that it would necessarily serve her or take her on as its subordinate.
"R-R-R-O-W… THAT IS GOOD. HAD IT BEEN, I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU."
Hinata sighed in relief this time. She wondered what else she should say. Naruto never actually told her how he had formed his bond with Gama Bunta. Naruto narrowly won a battle with himself. He did not create another thousand clones and have them all give the cat the finger. He came close, however.
"R-R-R-R-R… SINCE IT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU, I SHALL EAT IT AFTER-R-RALL. THEN, WE MAY TALK FURTHER, SO I CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO EAT YOU."
"No!" Hinata watched in horror as the cat pounced. A giant paw slapped down on top of Naruto. She fell to her knees. This was all her fault.When the demon cat picked the paw up, there was no dead human on the ground. Turning its paws over, it found no dead body on the bottom. Naruto had used the substitution technique.
"Hey! Stupid cat!"
Naruto's shout came from the top of the tallest tree. Those rude words actually had Hinata crying tears of happiness. The giant creature was not moved in a similar manner. But, it had something else to worry about now. Another rolling cloud of smoke enveloped the forest area, causing the numerous shinobi rushing into points of concealment to cough and wheeze. The Hokage was amongst those arriving, and had been ready to do what Naruto had done. Neji was there as well, and stared in disbelief at his cousin, and at the great cat.
"HAH. WHAT IS IT THIS TIME, YOUNG ONE? I HOPE YOU DO NOT MAKE ME REGRET SHOWING YOU THE WAYS OF JINGI."
Trees fell over as the massive form of Gama Bunta came into view. His pipe was in place as usual, and he blew a huge smoke ring in Naruto's direction.
"Hey, Boss!" Naruto shook his fist at the great toad demon. He then nodded over at the cat. "It followed Hinata home. Can she keep it?"
"R-R-R-R-O-W-R-R-R-O-W-W-W… I AM NO ONE'S PET!"
Hinata put her fingers in her ears, a little too late. When that cat screeched, it hurt! She felt an urge to give Naruto a piece of her mind. Sooner or later, that smarty-pants attitude was going to get him into something he couldn't get out of.
"I wish we could trade him for the cat," a voice said. Hinata jumped, turning to see Tsunade. "So, I wonder what you think of your choice, Hinata."
"Wh-Wh-Which one, Ma'am…" Hinata went stiff. "Th-Th-The scroll… or N-NNaruto-kun…"
"Does it matter?" The Hokage asked, shaking her head. "Now is not the time. You and I will have a very long talk later. I trust that there will be a later."
Neji nodded to Hinata, saying nothing. Ten Ten arrived on the scene, and hurried to his side to make certain that he was alright. Her eyes went wide when Neji whispered something about Hinata.
"Naruto must be involved somehow," Kakashi said, walking up. He had his book out, and did not look particularly worried. He followed Hinata's finger, spotting his student up at the top of a tree. "Usually, people chase cats up trees. I see that Naruto is changing the rules again.
"What's going on… oh crap!" Kiba slid to a halt. Akamaru fell to his belly, whining. He was not about to bark at that cat!
Sirens went off throughout the village. That meant that evacuation plans were on Yellow alert, ready to be carried out if the sirens sounded a second time. Children and woman civilians would be gathering their things, ready to move to the shelters at a moment's notice.
"HO HO HO. IT SEEMS YOU STILL KNOW HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE BEINGS."
Gama Bunta's rumbling laughter merged with the sounds of thunder coming from just over the mountainside. A storm was rolling in somewhat swiftly. The giant toad placed one giant paw on the hilt of his short sword. He was fast, but not nearly as quick as a cat. He might not be able to swing or toss his blade in time to save the lad. But, this was a situation of his own making, no doubt. It would be interesting to see if he came out on top yet again.
"Ahhhhh… Boss!" Naruto shook his fist at Gama Bunta, and then nodded his head towards the great cat. "All I did was act surprised when a giant cat appeared. She got all hissy and threatening." Naruto felt that he was being unfairly blamed again. "And, she was bad mouthing guys!"
"OH-H-H-H-H?" Gama Bunta's pipe hung lower as he frowned. "NEKO JANIS?"
"Sir!" Hinata called up to the King Toad. "Naruto was acting a bit mouthy." She couldn't believe that she was standing there doing that. "I think they both got off on the wrong foot, because of misunderstandings." She looked up at the cat, hearing its name for the first time.
The demon cat looked down at the small human female and narrowed her luminous eyes. She was an interesting one, that child. She was standing up for the truth, despite whatever fears she might have. Admirable. But, she spoke with too much familiarity about a cat of her rank, and had apportioned some of the blame to her as well. She would have to die for that.
"R-R-R-R-R-A-A-A-R… I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DEFEAT ME IN BATTLE, OLD TOAD. BUT, YOU WILL NOT STOP ME BEFOR-R-RE I TAKE THE ONES I CHOOSE."
The cat demon stood up on her hind legs, now reaching a height on par with that of Gama Bunta, despite her far lesser bulk. Her eyes were level with Naruto.
"ANY FINAL WOR-R-RDS, IMPUDENT ONE?"
Neko Janis flicked her ears a bit, and looked at Gama Bunta's sword arm out of the corner of her eye.
Tsunade no longer had hope that Gama Bunta could keep the cat in check. If it wasn't for the pride of Demon cats… who would never rush into a fight, lest they seem too eager or gauche… Neko Janis would have moved already. But, the Hokage knew that if called forth Katsuyu, a great deal of damage could be to be done to the village and its land, especially if the great slug were driven to spit acid. She hated to think in such terms; but, if the cat took Naruto and Hinata and then left, that might be better than having a rampaging feline take out much of the crowded population center. Still, how could she sit there and do nothing to protect Naruto, or Hinata for that matter?
"Yes," Naruto answered. "I'm the one who started this, even if I'm not the one who summoned you. I will go with you outside the village, and you can do with me what you want." He folded his arms over his chest. "If I don't kick your ass first!"
Kakashi closed his one visible eyes. Kiba actually laughed. That was just like Naruto. Naruto waved his arms around. "These people didn't do anything. Our Hokage is a woman. If you go killing people that didn't hurt you, you'll show us that having a woman leader is stupid. Go ahead. You might be doing us a favor in the long run!"
Tsunade cursed. Hinata began twiddling her fingers. Gama Bunta puffed on his pipe, enjoying the spectacle. He thought about attacking, but knew that might prompt the cat to cause damage to the village.
"R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R…"
Neko Janis narrowed her eyes to mere slits. Her tail twitched violently and her claws sheathed and unsheathed. There was some truth in what the human male said, but there was no comparing humans with her kind. So, the logic had no bearing on her. He would not care if the ants beneath his feet had a King instead of a Queen. Why should she care about the humans? His courage was noteworthy, standing up to the likes of her. But, stupidity was not a good survival trait. He was not fit to breed. She would indeed be doing his race a favor.
"Meow."
Neko Janis looked down.
"R-R-R-R-R… NEKOZAHR-R-RA?" The demon cat's posture changed immediately. "DAUGHTER… WHY ARE YOU HER-R-RE?"
The tables had turned for a brief moment. Now, her offspring was at risk. But, that could be remedied. And, if even a single hair on the kitten's head was harmed, there would not be a single building left standing when she was through.
"R-R-R-R-R… LEAVE, IMMEDIATELY."
The small kitten that Hinata had summoned earlier sat back on its haunches and began washing its paws. Then, after sneezing, it got up, and skittered over to Hinata, and rubbed itself against her leg purring. After that, it spoke in a series of meows.
"R-R-R-R-R -O-W… I WAS RIGHT IN SEEING VALUE IN THAT ONE. SHE MAY LIVE THEN…"
The great ears swiveled towards the kitten below. Neko Janis listened as her daughter meowed a good bit more. The demon cat trembled for an instant.
"THAT ONE SAVED YOU TOO? HE STR-R-ROVE TO KEEP YOU SAFE FROM HARM? ARE YOU SUR-R-RE YOU ARE NOT MISTAKEN?"
"Yes, Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage. I helped save the little cat." Naruto once again became a bit too loose in the tongue. "Does that mean you don't want to take me up on my offer and fight?"
"Naruto-kun, hush!"
"P-H-T-T-T! NARUTO, BE SILENT!"
"That's it!"
Hinata, Neko Janis, and Tsunade had all reacted simultaneously, their shouts coming out in that order. The great cat wished she wasn't bound by a debt of honor. The Hokage was thinking up ways to get back at Naruto for aging her so much in such a short time. Hinata felt numb from a rush of too many strong emotions.
The village's noisiest ninja was not going to be talked down by a bunch of women, no matter who they were. "You going to sit there and be quiet, Boss? She's stealing your Jingi routine. It's just like when I saved Gamakichi from Gaara." He shook his head. "Copy Cat!"
Hinata, the Demon Cat, and the Hokage all shook their heads and sighed. 'Males,' they thought, or something to that effect.
"YO, NARUTO. YOU'RE GIVING OUR GENDER A BAD NAME." The huge toad's voice rumbled across the village. I'M OUT OF HERE."
Gama Bunta disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The noise of his vanishing act broke Hinata out of her emotional overload. She looked down at the kitten and bowed. "Thank you." She then turned and did the same to Neko Janis. "Thank you, Ma'am."
"Meow." After saying that, the kitten vanished as well. "It's offspring gone, the great cat stood still for a moment, its tail curling around it. It's great eyes blinked, and it ran a tongue over its mouth. After a few moments more, it spoke.
"R-R-R-R-R… YOU HAVE MANNERS ENOUGH TO SPEAK TO A CAT. IF YOU SUMMON ME AGAIN, WE MAY TALK. IT IS LIKELY I WILL NOT CONSUME YOU. BUT, DO NOT CALL ME DUR-R-RING A THUNDER-R-RSTORM…"
The Cat Queen turned to look at Naruto. She just shook her head before she too popped out of existence. Tsunade tapped the side of her face, wondering if there was indeed some truth behind the story of Raijun, the cat god of lightning. It had always been described as a calm and quiet creature that became frenzied, leaping frantically from tree to tree in thunderstorms, scratching the trees with its razor-sharp claws and creating the sound of thunder.
Naturally, Naruto had to at least try to have the last word. Looking down at the assembled group of ninjas he shouted. "Hey! Can't a guy get a little privacy around here? I need to take a leak!"
"Neji, why don't you take Hinata home now? I think she has had enough excitement for one day." The Hokage looked up at the tree. "I can think of someone who is overdue for a good spanking. I don't care how old he is…" She rolled up her sleeves.
"You don't want to see this," Neji told Hinata. "The cat was nothing by comparison."
Kakashi nodded, leaned against a tree, and opened his book.