The forest was full of the sounds of life.
As the jounin prowled the tranquil stretch of woods, a number of important personages spoke together underneath a huge weeping tree.
"Are you certain?" Tsunade asked, breathing a sigh of relief. This was the first time all day that she truly felt a modicum of hope.
"Yes indeed," Mitokado Homura said, holding up a yellow cracked scroll. "My runner just brought this to me, a few minutes before you showed up."
"We've only managed to read a small bit of it; but, by good fortune, that was more than enough." Utatane Koharu smiled. "It's quite ironic, actually."
"Truly," Mizuno Naosuke laughed, feeling younger than he had in years. "The ancient unwritten laws can cut both ways, it seems."
"Oh?" Tasunade raised one eyebrow. She was beginning to feel a bit cantankerous. Why wouldn't someone just come out and say it!
A group of doves took to the wing, their characteristic sound causing a number of the older dignitaries to think back to the days of their youth. There days had come and gone, marked by unique bits of happiness and sadness. Now it was their duty to pass the torch to the younger villagers, hoping they could have memorable lives as well.
"It seems that the Clan Leader of the Hyuugas can rightfully arrange the marriage of any woman with his clan, not only his daughters," Hotta Yoshinaka said. "But, should he ever appoint a successor, and then strip that individual of the title…"
"Then, he loses all rights to make any other decisions about that person's life." Mitokado Homura rubbed his hands together, showing much more animation than he usually did. "I feel spry enough to dance a lusty rondel. Hyuuga Hiashi has been insufferable lately. I can't imagine how he might act if his daughter was ever wed to that Uchiha boy. This ought to knock him off his high horse!"
"Off his horse and onto his ass," Mizuno Naosuke said. "He'll rant and he'll rave. We'll all be called snakes with double tongues, and other colorful things. Wasn't that what he called the council last time, when we denied his request for more land outside the village wall?" He rubbed his weary eyes.
"Yes," Utatane Koharu answered, brushing some bark fragments off of her blouse. "The man can be thornier than one of those little fellows." She pointed at a hedgehog that waddled out from cover, looked around with its beady eyes, and then scurried back into the thicket.
They all laughed at that. There was a lot of work ahead of them, if they ever wanted to pass legislation that could prevents unwanted surprises in the future. Those kind of motions would be difficult to get accepted by the majority of old families; but, anything worth having is worth fighting for. Today, all they had been looking for was one small victory. The Fates had smiled on them in the form of that dusty old scroll. Maybe they should send the librarians and researchers a large basket of wine and fine food.
"I guess you'll be heading back to Konoha now," Tsunade said. "This is a pretty nice spot. Maybe we should hold all of our meetings out here."
"Yes," Mitokado Homura spoke for the others. "As for this place… arrange for some chairs, a bathroom, and some insect netting, and it's a deal. He swatted at a swarm of lacewings that drifted in their direction.
"How about you?" Hotta Yoshinaka coughed and spat. A lacewing had flown into his mouth. The damn things looked like pixies from the old stories, with their delicate transparent wings. "Will you be heading back with us?"
"Not yet," Tsunade said. "I need to call in the jounin and send them on their next task." She sighed, thinking about how Naruto and Hinata must be feeling at that moment. "I want to find those two kids. In their state of mind, who knows what they might do?"
After the council members went home under guard, Tsunade went to round up the few jounin that still remained. While doing that, she was unaware of Jiraiya, who stood far above her in the crown of a majestic tree, light bathing his forehead protector, but failing to reflect off of its dulled surface.
"What to do… what to do… what to do…" The famous author and noted pervert debated his next course of action. He could back up Anko, just in case she failed. Fine. All that meant was hanging around a bit longer after his own mission was completed. He was going to do that anyway, regardless of his choice. The elixir could be used to make Tsunade fall in love with him, if only for a relatively short while. She might kill him; but, he'd die happy. No. He couldn't do that to her, after all. Not to an old teammate. They had already been betrayed by one teammate too many. "But, there's absolutely no reason that I can't have a little fun."
After Tsunade had gotten used to her new job as Hokage, she had grown more and more insufferable. This would do her good! Yes. She needed to be taken down a peg or two. If she were able to catch him in a trick of this magnitude in return, he would deserve whatever happened to him.
"It will make a great chapter in my memoirs, someday." The Frog Hermit chuckled. "That will certainly be a best seller!" He held up the phial, seeing the light refract, as if through a prism. "This might be the start of a series of Unfotunate Events of some sort."
Tsunade would be his first big success with the potion he had labored to produce. But, there was no reason that she had to be the last! Numerous people had criticized or lambasted him throughout the years. Any one of them could do with a lesson in humility. Even though Orochimaru somehow absconded while the Sound was destroyed, he would show up again, in one form or another. The other Sannin was a prime candidate for the love elixir. If he timed things just right, he might be able to get his old teammate to fall in love with a rat or other rodent, just before he makes his choice to change bodies.
A number of birds tittered nervously above. Jiraiya smiled and nodded his head. "You're right. No more dawdling! Let's do this thing…" He knew exactly what to do. It need only work for the briefest or moments. After working a summoning, he followed with the hand seals for his new jutsu.
"What the…" Tsunade calmly turned, seeing the large cloud obscuring the nearby trees. She knew the after-effects of Kuchiyose No Jutsu on a large scale well enough. Before she could move, an impossibly long tongue wrapped around her body a number of times, pinning her arms to her sides. Before she could use her remarkable strength to break free, she paused, seeing a smug looking Jiraiya land in a crouch, and then straighten up. "You! Just what's the meaning of this? If you try to steal a kiss or something…"
"Oh, I could. Believe me, I could steal a great deal more than that." He splashed the elixir in her eyes. "Pleasant dreams. Maybe we can laugh about this some day." As the Hokage's eyelids grew heavy, he felt an urge to be poetic. "What thou see when thou dost wake, do it for thy true-love take. Love and languish for his sake: be it skunk, or cat, or bear, leopard, or boar with bristled hair; in thy eye that shall appear when thou wake, it is thy dear: wake when some vile thing is near." He sniffed, grinning. "Love is in the air!"
Not all that far away, unbeknownst to the Frog Hermit, Naruto and Hinata were continuing their meandering walk through the forest. They had both been there since early morning, having headed off to meet instead of showing up at practice.
"You look tired after all our wandering, Hinata-chan. I know this has all been hard on you. Maybe we should a rest and take some comfort in a nice day." Naruto put his hand up over his eyes, scanning the wooded area, trying to find some landmark that he recognized. Listening, he heard the faint sound of a large trickling brook. He led his companion in that direction.
"I am tired, Naruto-kun. It doesn't matter if we rest or keep walking, as long as we're together." She stumbled over a barely visible tree root that ran along the top of the fertile soil. "We may not have much more time to spend together, regardless of what I choose." She yawned. "I wouldn't mind finding a nice soft grassy bank to lay down and rest my head on."
"Well, I guess I could think while I rest a bit. Sure! The turf could serve as a pillow for both of us. One heart, one bed." Naruto stretched and scratched under one arm.
"Ummm…" Hinata knew what Naruto meant. Just the same, her modesty would not be denied. "It will be two beds, Naruto-kun. You shouldn't lay down right next to me." She looked away, feeling a strong sense of foreboding. She was not ready for anything approaching intimacy yet. But, in a few day's time, she might never have the chance at that again. "I almost wish that we could fall asleep and never wake up."
"Hey! What were we talking about earlier?" Naruto said. "Where's the girl that stood up to Neji? Huh? Where's the shy little thing that still managed to lift my spirits before I went to battle her cousin? Well?" He reached out and tweaked her nose. "Where's the girl who stripped naked, wrapped a big red bow around herself, and came strutting out to where I was practicing?
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata narrowed her eyes. She did not approve of some of his jokes. But, he knew that. That's why he teased her more and more. in that fashion.
"Oh. Yeh. Sorry!" Naruto put his hand behind his neck. "That was my other girlfriend."
"Maybe they should put you in a monastery, Naruto-kun." Hinata said. She was grateful that Naruto was joking with her, instead of being all glum and solemn like she was. But, there just wasn't any laughter in her heart at the moment. That might be the most tragic loss of all. He had helped her discover that special and unexpected treasure, and now it might be locked up forever, with the key missing.
"That's alright. I could teach those monks how to have a real good time. Sign me up!" Naruto felt very anxious. He had been trying to raise Hinata's spirits without success. It wasn't unusual for her to be quiet; but, it was uncharacteristic for her to be this depressed.
Hinata just sighed and kept walking, looking up at the trees… searching the ground for flowers… noticing the various types of animals that called the forest home. She was looking at them all, as if seeing them for the first time. That was because she wondered if it might be the last time.
"We could always run off to another village," Naruto said. "If Granny Tsunade gives us a secret OK, we won't have to worry about becoming Missing Nins. Then, we could wait as long as it takes for her to get the rules changed. Right?"
"No," Hinata said. "My father has many trained shinobi working as his guards. Some of them were once very skilled assassins. They would hunt us down and try to kill me. They would be blameless before the law." She shook her head. "I won't run, Naruto-kun. I don't want to hide ever again."
"Hinata-chan." Naruto was saddened by his girlfriend's answer; but, he was very proud of her. "What if we eloped? I know that we're both very young. You might find someone better than me some day…" He swallowed hard when Hinata shook her head in an emphatic 'No.' "Well then, I might find someone better than you." He smiled. It was a joke. Hinata didn't view it that way.
"Yes. You might, Naruto-kun." Hinata reached out and took Naruto's hand. "I've always watched you. When I was old enough to think about boys, I only thought about you." She wiped a tear away. "But, that doesn't mean that I'm the best girl for you."
"That's true," Naruto said, feeling as adamant as a seventeen year old could. "It's everything else about you that makes you perfect for me. Right?" He squeezed her hand.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata began crying again. "I don't want to leave you. I don't want to die. I don't want to marry someone else." She looked up at the sun, blinking. She tried to compose herself. "It wouldn't matter if we got married. My father would still send his men. The outcome would be the same."
Naruto wanted to throw out his chest and say that he would protect her. But, there was only so much that he could do. They had to eat. They had to sleep. They would find themselves in vulnerable situations. Well-trained assassins would probably get through to them, sooner or later.
"Well then, I'll just have to do what I do best!" Naruto began strutting playfully, almost ending up on his face when he snagged a foot on a large leafy vine. "How did I beat Kiba? Good luck! How did I defeat Neji? Perseverance! How did I defeat Kabuto? Surprise!" He began walking backwards, talking in animated fashion. This time he did trip and fall.
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata managed a smile. She held her hand out to Naruto and helped him back up.
"I did that on purpose to make you smile," Naruto said, not very convincing in his claim. "But, in most of the fights I won, there was one thing in common." He pressed his thumb against his chest. "Trickery!"
"Who can you trick?" Hinata asked. "You probably can't trick the Hokage into acting against the law. I doubt you can trick Sasuke into changing his mind. How could you trick my father in any way that will change his heart?"
"Sasuke," Naruto said, sneering. "Sasuke is the key." He tugged at one ear. "If I can do something that would make your father think differently about him, we win!" Spreading his arms wide as if he were accepting applause, he said "Sometimes I'm so clever I surprise even me."
Hinata sighed and shook her head. Here he goes again. Honestly!
Naruto felt his spirits climbing. Spying a large intricately woven spider web, he pointed to it and said "You're lucky to be in the same forest as Uzumaki Naruto." When a boar crashed through the underbrush and stood staring warily at the two humans, Naruto created a score of clones, all of whom shouted "You are fortunate to be in the presence of one so wise." He jumped up, plucked a large hanging cluster of blossoms from a low growing tree and handed them to Hinata. "You're pretty lucky too."
"O-o-o-o…k-a-a-a-y…" Hinata said. She watched as the boar pawed the dirt, snorted, and then ran off. She took a deep breath of the blossom's fragrance. "So, in what clever way are you going to make my father think differently?"
Naruto stopped in mid strut. He blinked rapidly for a few moments. "Uhhh…" Suddenly, he looked embarrassed. "Well…" He coughed, and then looked over at the clones. The shrugged and mouthed 'Don't ask us.' "Ahem… I haven't figured out that part yet."
"What am I going to do with you, Naruto-kun?" Hinata had meant it as an affectionate little remark. But, it had her hanging her head, wondering what she would ever do without him.
"Hmmmmmm." Naruto rubbed his chin. He scratched his cheek. He walked around a bit, one hand behind his back. Breaking a stick off of a dead tree, he began stripping the bark off of it. "Maybe…" He began tapping the stick against another tree. "Let's see…"
"Do you have an idea, Naruto-kun?" Hinata brought her hands together. She felt breathless for a few moments. Her heart started beating faster.
"Almost," Naruto said. "We have some practicing to do." He smiled and nodded his head. "I'll work out the particulars as we go along."
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata wondered just what he had in mind. Naruto came by the title 'The village's number one unpredictable ninja' honestly.
"Somehow, we need to have Sasuke do something in front of your father that will piss him off big time!" Naruto rubbed his hands together. "I can probably hold this for a long time, since I have a lot of chakra. Henge No Jutsu!" Working hands seals, he performed the perfunctory transformation technique. "I need to move around a bit, seeing if I can keep things perfect." He looked just like Uchiha Sasuke.
"What about me?" Hinata asked. "And what about our voices?"
"We'll have to settle for some kind of act that doesn't need words," Naruto said, frowning. That was one of the sticking points. "For now, try looking like Sakura. Something between Sasuke and Sakura might be believable." He chuckled, seeing another chance to tease Hinata. "It might mean we have to get naked on your father's front porch, though."
"Please behave, Naruto-kun…" Hinata blushed, looking down at her feet. Concentrating, fixing an image of Sakura in her mind, she took on that girl's image. It had been a while since she used the Henge jutsu. Now was a good time to see how long she could hold it effectively.
"That's really good, Hinata-chan!" Naruto smiled, impressed by Hinata's Henge. "Let's go search out that grassy bank for you." Having said that, he began marching through the underbrush ahead of her, clearing a path. His usual hyperactivity in action, he strode onward putting more and more distance between him and a trailing Hinata.
Before Hinata knew what happened, something exploded at her feet. She began coughing, her eyes watering uncontrollably. A pepper bomb! Someone had thrown a pepper bomb. Was this some kind of enemy attack? Using Byakugan, she failed to sense anyone in the immediate vicinity.
Anko had struck quickly and moved on. Next, she sought her primary target, getting the bottle of elixir ready. There. Uchiha Sasuke. That lack-love. The kill-courtesy. "He deserves this." This time she threw a handful of eggshells filled with a substance that would create obscuring smoke when the shells broke.
Naruto prepared for the worst. Was this some kind of attack from the Hyuuga shinobi? What about Hinata? He had gotten too far ahead. Wanting to call out to Hinata, he couldn't. The smoke had his throat swelling up.
Anko didn't need to fight with Sasuke. She was glad about that, having no idea just how strong the boy had become. No, her task was much simpler. "Sweet dreams, Uchiha." Flashing through the billowing smoke, she splashed the potion in the boy's eyes, certain that she had carried out her mission. "Time to find Jiraiya."
"I… this… how could it…" Naruto managed a few words as he regained his own form. Eyes closing, he slowly slumped to the forest floor. Before he could say another word, he was fast asleep. He was snoring when the real Sasuke went running past, only a few yards away.
"I thought I was done with her," Sasuke said, sensing that Sakura was following him again. "Why does she haunt me like this!" Was she going to try more of that useless pleading? Or, was she concerned that he might try to injure Naruto when he found him? If he couldn't lose her, then he would have to stop her.
"Sasuke-kun! Wait, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura shouted as she sped along the heavy boughs of the terribly old trees. "I have to convince him somehow," she said to herself. "No matter how much it keeps hurting me to try." She slowed down, catching the faint scent of something out of place in the forest. "The more I pray for, the less grace I receive,' she said sadly. "Hinata is lucky in a way. She won the love of the one she wanted." A bit of orange stood out against the greens, greys, and browns. "Naruto!"
Sakura hurried to check on her teammate. She was very worried. Could Sasuke have done something to hurt Naruto? He wasn't moving, as if be were sound asleep. Was he dead?
As the medical ninja sighed in relief, checking her friend's pulse, he slowly began to awaken. "Sakura…" He spoke that name and smiled, his eyes coming to focus. "I would run through fire to see you, Sakura-chan!" He brought his hands up to his chest. "My heart had never thought so clear. Has Sasuke come with you? If he said anything to hurt you again, I sweat that I will kill him!"
"Naruto, what are you saying." Sakura checked Naruto's scalp, to see if he had taken any kind of serious head wound. "You can't really want to kill Sasuke. We will find a way to convince him or Hinata's father to call things off. You have Hinata's love, and that should be content with that."
"Content with Hinata?" Naruto said, shaking his head. "No, I repent any mistaken feelings I had for her. It's always been Sakura-chan for me. Why should I trade a small white flower, when I can have a whole cherry tree in blossom?" He looked at his friend with a dreamy look on his face. "You are the worthier woman. It's easier to see, that you are the riper fruit." He licked his lips, looking her over slowly. "I love you Sakura-chan, not Hinata."
"What?" Sakura brought her hand to her mouth. She frowned, and balled that hand into a fist. "Are you mocking me? If you are, this is a very bad time for jokes. You know how I'm not good enough for Sasuke. Do you have to make fun of that, even after I tried to bring him out for you and Hinata to reason with him? I thought better of you than that!" Her eyes stricken, she turned away from Naruto and began walking off.
"I can't believe that I ever cared that way about Hinata," Naruto said, watching Sakura as she disappeared into the verge. "She was like a bowl of Ramen that seemed so right at first, but soon left me feeling ill after I spent too much time with it." He sighed. "I don't wish to see Hinata dead; but, more than anything else, I have to convince Sakura of my love for her!" With that, he walked off as well.
"Naruto-kun!" He did not hear Hinata's call as he headed on his way. Frantic, the white-eyed girl searched for him, worried that someone had targeted him instead of her. "Naruto-kun… where are you…"
She kept listening for any sign, and looking for any clue. If something had happened to Naruto, her choice would be that much easier.