Author's Notes: I may be one of the few people who likes Naru more than Mutsumi. Mutsumi was
never a very interesting character to me; she was always too manufactured, too perfectly crafted
as a love rival to really appeal to me. However, try as I might, I just didn't have the heart to
make any major changes to her personality. Besides, I mucked up Su badly enough that the other
characters should be able to enjoy a little insurance.

By the way, I profusely apologize for how late this chapter is. I've been dealing with a lot of
stuff, between jobs and schoolwork and moving out of my parent's house... it was hard to find
time to sit down and write! Forgive me? Please?

Cultural Notes:
Title: The phrase "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" refers to a saying that means "the best
fighters are usually hidden". I thought it was an apt turn-of-phrase, considering the events of
the chapter. You'll see what I mean.

The proverb Mutsumi uses incorrectly means, "Stakes that stick out get pounded back into the
ground". It means that people who are exceptionally talented need to get a taste of humility
every so often.

In Japan, college is very undemanding of its students. The workload is lighter and the classes
are much easier than during high school. Once a student gets into a prestigious college they are
pretty much set for life. For this reason college is sometimes called "the childhood
of the Japanese".

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are property of Ken Akamatsu, and are used without
permission. Please do not sue me, I have no money.

HINATA GIRLS
Road to Stardom!
by TheArchimage
The girl stood at the bottom of the steps, looking out over the empty courtyard. The setting sun
caused long shadows to stretch from the trees and covered everything in an orange tint.

It was a ritual of sorts. For the past three years she would wait here on this day. She would
look out at the crowd wide-eyed, bobbing her head this way and that to see through the throng.
But she would not leave that spot. This year, as with the past two, she watched and waited long
after the crowd had dispersed.

A bell, hanging high from the building which the girl stood in front of, rang seven times to
indicate the hour. She sighed sadly before summoning up her courage. "... For sure, next year,"
she told herself as she turned and entered the large building.

-Sixth Show-
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Turtle?
The girls had gathered at the back table of a restaurant to discuss strategy. Being poor, Motoko
and Su both ordered just water. The others, not being rich themselves, ordered modest meals that
they offered to share with the two other girls, but their pride wouldn't let them accept.

Naru swallowed a bite as she asked, "So, now what? Do you think we have enough people, or...?"

Mitsune shrugged. "It's hard to tell. We'll just have to go with what feels right. Right now
we've got five people... that might be enough, or it might not."

"Five people is usually large enough for most bands," Motoko said. "But we're our band, not most
bands."

The lights dimmed suddenly, catching their attention. "Looks like someone's playing tonight,"
Shinobu said. "I wonder who it's going to be?"

As if on cue a girl with long, braided hair stepped out onto the stage, hauling a guitar with
her. She walked slowly but fully upright with a vaguely pleased smile on her face. She bowed to
the audience before sitting on a small stool that had been placed at the center of the stage.

Mitsune scratched her chin in thought. "Looks like Mutsumi Otohime. She's a college-age amateur
of no real note. She plays pretty infrequently, but word is that you don't miss much."

Kaolla gave her a sideways look. "You really do know everyone in the Hinata Hot Springs Town
music scene. Don't you have anything better to do with your life than catalogue has-beens and
never-gonna-bes?"

Mitsune simply smirked. "You're going to have to do better than that. I don't lose my temper
easily like that hot-blooded idol over there."

Mutsumi began to play, singing a slow ballad as she strummed along with her guiter. Su scrunched
up her face, her opinion already formed after only a moment. "Ugh, she's terrible..."

"Hey!" Naru admonished. "That's not nice! It's true that she's not at our level, but that
doesn't make her terrible!"

Mitsune said, "Not being terrible isn't enough. Her voice isn't bad at all, but her guitar
skills are- Hmm?" She was about to take a sip from her drink when something about the girl on
stage caught her eye. That girl... her fingers seemed to be right on the mark, but every so
often there would be a tiny delay in the music as her fingers drifted and hit the note slightly
off. Almost as if she was deliberately...

"Is something the matter?" Motoko asked her. "What were you going to say?"

Mitsune stared at the guitar player for a moment longer before shaking her head. "No, it's
nothing. As I was saying, her guitar skills are nothing to write home about."

"Anyway!" Shinobu said. "Maybe if we all play together once, we'll see if we're missing
something?"

Su thought about that for a minute. "Hmmm... that's not a shabby idea, pipsqueak. You can take
the world's best ingredients, but if they don't mix well then whatever you make with them will be
trash."

"So let's see what kind of dish we can make!" Naru said with her trademark guts.

The next afternoon, Hinata Inn was filled with the din of five musicians playing together for the
first time in the main lobby. In the kitchen Grandma Hina calmly sipped tea despite the
ambience. She looked up at the roof as she sighed. "Not going to get any business like this..."

As the girl's finished up, Naru sighed deeply. "This is no good, huh...?"

Su spoke up, "Hey Motoko, this isn't a rock concert. If you keep hitting with that much force
you're going to drown everyone else out."

"I have to use this much force to hit it properly," Motoko retorted. "A half-hearted beat is
worse than none at all. And what are you doing with those synthesizers? Shinobu-chan's playing
hardly even sounds like music! Erm, no offense."

Shinobu crossed her arms and pouted. "It's hard to not take a comment like that personally..."

Naru turned around and shouted, "Please, stop arguing! I told you, this song wasn't anywhere
near finished yet!"

Mitsune said, "We're not going to be perfect our first time, and what we've got is a pretty good
start. It's true that we lack coordination, but that will come with time and practice. Even
considering that, though... there's something missing."

Naru exhaled deeply, looking downcast. "Yeah, you're right. It's like... we're all doing well,
but we're all doing our own thing. We need something that can tie our individual sounds together
into one song."

"That's a fatal flaw," Mitsune agreed. "Looks like we need at least one more person to round us
out. The problem is, we've already got a pretty diverse group... if we get much bigger, there's
bound to be a serious clash sooner or later. Too many cooks, and all that."

Su spoke up, "Speaking of food... Naru, did you pick up tonight's dinner this morning like the
old woman asked you to?" Naru's guilty shriek gave her all the response she needed, and Su
sighed. "I don't believe it... so there's STILL no food in this joint?"

Naru bowed her head low, pleading, "I'm really sorry! I was so psyched up for this practice
session, and it slipped my mind!"

Shinobu perked up, "Well, why don't we just eat out like we did last night? It would be a good
chance to talk about what we need to do next, right?"

Motoko held her forehead in her hands. "Shinobu-chan, that's no good. We can't be eating out
every night, especially since me and Su can't afford it."

Mitsune raised a finger, trying to draw attention to herself. "Actually, there is this tiny
sandwich shop I know of that's nearby. It's really cheap, so even the less reputable members of
the band can eat there."

Naru grimaced. "Just sandwiches for dinner...?"

"You don't have the right to complain," Mitsune said as she elbowed her lightly in the side.
"It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place, right?" That caused Naru to fall silent,
although she was still less than enthused. "Don't worry, the bread's baked fresh and it all
tastes great. I'm sure your overly-cultured taste buds will be satisfied."

As Mitsune claimed, the sandwich shop was quite small... there was currently only one employee
working, a brown-haired girl that looked about college-age. She looked up from her work
in the kitchen as the group entered, greeting them with a genuine but faint "Welcome!"

"Yo!" Mitsune greeted back, looking around. "I didn't know this place was making enough money to
hire help. Where's the boss?"

The girl explained, "He's at the bank, depositing this month's payment for the rent... he asked
me to watch the shop while he was gone. I'm just temporary... I don't actually work here. Oh,
but don't let that scare you away, I'm a pretty good chef if I say so myself! I'll be with you
just as I put this loaf in the oven..."

Shinobu continued to stare intently at Mutsumi as the young woman kneaded the bread. The taller
girl hummed a little tune as she worked, seemingly oblivious to everything around her. After a
moment she stuffed the dough into a pan and slipped it into the oven, nodding to herself in
satisfaction.

Naru cocked her head to the side as the girl approached them. "Hey... haven't we met someplace
before?"

The girl on the other side of the counter stopped and looked over at her. "Hmmm... now that you
mention it..."

Mitsune snapped her fingers as she realized, "Hey, you're the girl from last night... Mutsumi
Otohime, right?"

"Oh?" the girl blinked. "You mean you were there at the restaurant last night? Ah, I
apologize! I know I'm not very good... I only play as a hobby, and I don't have much talent. I
only played there because I owed the owner a favor..."

Su managed to scoff, "That much was obvious..." before Motoko clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Please, pay it no mind," Motoko covered as she shot a withering glance at Su. "It was an...
adequate performance."

Mutsumi gave them a weak smile as she looked away. "Yes, well... it looks like I can't make a
career out of it. It's just as well, I guess... but let's not talk about that, and instead get
you all served! If you're willing to wait I can make anything you want, super-fresh! Um, how
about you first, little girl?"

Shinobu did not immediately respond. Only after Mitsune elbowed her did she realize Mutsumi was
speaking to her. She looked up, crying out in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just thinking,
and, well..." After a moment she looked at Mutsumi seriously, taking several deep breaths to
form the proper words. Finally, she squeezed out, "What I really want to ask is... why did you
intentionally play so badly the other night?"

Mutsumi gasped slightly. "What... do you mean?"

Shinobu explained, "My parents used to run a restaurant, so I know a lot about cooking and
things. Kneading bread properly requires a lot of dexterity in the fingers. Someone who can do
that like you, Mutsumi-san, should have no trouble playing a guitar. But last night..."

"I thought something seemed off," Mitsune chimed in. "You had a lot of genuine confidence up on
stage for someone who was so mediocre. I caught your fingers wavering a bit up there... I
thought that was kind of strange. Your fingers instinctually went to all the right places, so
you had to stop in order to hit the wrong notes. You really were mucking up your own performance
on purpose, weren't you?"

Mutsumi smiled weakly as she put a hand to her head. "Arara... I've been found out..."

Since they were the only customers, it wasn't hard to convince Mutsumi to take a break for a
quick interview. Mitsune thought that if Mutsumi was hiding her talent, then what they saw at
the club the previous night was not indicative of her ability. She may be a worthy addition to
the band after all! Mitsune sat with Mutsumi at a small table, with everyone else gathered
around. Naru was quiet for once, staying some distance from the group with crossed arms.

Mitsune opened, "So, tell us a little about yourself."

Mutsumi nodded. "Alright. Um... my name is Mutsumi Otohime. I'm 21 years old, and a native of
Okinawa. I go to college not far from here, pursuing an education degree."

"A degree, huh? What college do you go to?"

Mutsumi said casually, "Tokyo University."

Jaws all across the room dropped. "Seriously?"

Mutsumi blinked in response. "Is that good?"

"Good?" Motoko repeated. "It's only the most prestigious school in the country. Someone like me
could study for years and still never make it in."

The other girls around the table nodded. "I could probably get in," Su bragged. "But without a
valid visa, I can't even sign up to take the test."

"Moving on," Mitsune signaled with a cough. "How long have you been playing the guitar?"

Mutsumi thought for a moment. "Probably... ten years now. I used to be really sick, and my
mother thought a hobby would help me cheer up a little. She meant well, but the guitar was a
little too much. I almost died a few times, but lugging that heavy thing around really did
wonders for my health!"

Shinobu looked pale. "D... Died?"

Su rolled her eyes. "Who dies just from hauling a guitar? She's pulling your leg."

Mitsune nodded. "Now then, here's what we're all wondering... if you're so good, why did you
intentionally play badly the other night?"

Mutsumi shrugged, "Well, you know... Stakes get beaten if they stick out, after all!"

Su gave her an exasperated look. "That's not how the proverb is used..."

Mitsune stared in horror. "And you didn't quote it properly, either... are you SURE you go to
Tokyo U?"

Mutsumi blinked. "Oh? So... no good?"

Mitsune shook her head and tossed the pad of paper to the side. "Well, that concludes the
interview, I guess. Personally, I think you'd be a great choice to round out the band. If no
one has any objections-"

"I have an objection."

Everyone's head turned slowly turned Naru. This was the first time she had said something in
some time, so it came as a bit of a shock. Shinobu blinked, sure she hadn't just heard right.
"Naru-san...?"

"I'm completely against this," Naru repeated, shaking her head. "I don't want her in the band."

"What are you talking about?" Mitsune piped up. "She's at least as talented as anyone else
here."

"That is true," Naru admitted. "But she's still no good. No matter how much talent she has, a
musician with no heart is useless."

Shinobu blinked. "Heart?"

Su groaned internally. "Oh man, here she goes again..."

Naru ignored her, explaining, "She has no passion or love for music... it's just a hobby for her.
She doesn't need or want to be a great musician. The worst part, though, is that attitude of
hers. Instead of giving the audience a good performance and making them happy, she hides her
talent and is half-hearted in her music. She just wastes their time. She doesn't have any
respect for her audience... I don't want to be in a band with someone like that, regardless of
how talented they are."

Shinobu gasped. "Naru-sempai..."

"You heard me," Naru repeated. "I don't have any use for someone who plans to just coast
through the rest of their life with no dreams and no ambition. I-"

Mutsumi stood up from the table forcefully at that, slamming her hands on the table to interrupt
Naru. "Please don't talk like you know all about me," she said crossly. "I have dreams. Just
because they aren't your dreams doesn't make them any less important."

Naru was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of Mutsumi's retort. She regained her composure as
she responded, "That doesn't change the fact that your attitude towards music sucks. You'll drag
the rest of us down if we let you in the band. My answer is still no."

Mutsumi took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "Then, Naru-san... how about you let me join
on a probationary basis? If you think I'm dragging you down or not taking the band seriously,
you can throw me out and I won't complain. All I ask is a chance."

Naru raised an eyebrow. "Is this the kind of problem-solving they teach you at college?"

"So what will be good enough for you?"

Mitsune put an arm between them. "Now, now, Naru, let's not be tough... if you think she's
slacking off, we can give her the boot. It couldn't hurt, right?"

Naru stared at her for a moment before sighing. "... Do whatever you want." She then stormed
out of the bakery, tossing her jacket over her shoulder. The bell rang as the door slammed shut
behind her, and for a while there were no other sounds in the bakery.

Su coughed to break the silence. "Otohime, I can't help but think Naru might have a point.
Why were you trying to hide your talent? And I want the real reason, not some mucked-up proverb.
More importantly, what makes this band different then playing at a club? What proof do we have
that you'll actually try?"

Mutsumi took a deep breath, a sad look crossing her face. "... I've heard stories of people who
dropped out of college to pursue a music career. Someone once mentioned that I was good enough
to do that sort of thing... and it scared me. I have to be at college. At least until..."

Shinobu leaned forward. "Until... what?"

Mutsumi blinked, her smile returning. "Ara? Oh, nothing! But make no mistake, I'll do my best!
You guys... just feel different. You have a nice mood around you... it's something I think I'd
like to be a part of. Plus, you're based right around the area I live, so I won't have to up and
leave college. I'm in my third year now, and... um, it would be a waste to drop out now, right?"

Mitsune scratched her head, looking at the other band members for some sign of support. No help
there... they were all waiting to see what Mitsune would say. She and Naru did share control of
the band, being the first members and all. She finally sighed, and motioned Mutsumi to come
closer. The brown-haired girl complied, stepping up to the rest of the group. "... You'll get
one shot," Mitsune said. "I want you to come by the Hinata Inn tomorrow afternoon, and bring
your guitar. If you can impress our lead singer... that's the girl that stormed out... then
you're in. Understand?"

Mutsumi nodded slightly. "Perfectly, Mitsune-san. Don't worry, I won't mess up on purpose this
time."

Su piped up, "You better not mess up on accident, either. That girl may be a bit naive, but she's
deadly serious about her music. That much I've already figured out."

Shinobu nodded. "I don't think you're a bad person, Mutsumi-san... I wouldn't mind being in a
band with you. But if you can't play well on command then Naru-san is never going to accept you."

Mitsune tapped a finger against her chin. "I think you'd better seriously consider why you're
joining this band. If you're not completely serious, that girl will pick up on it in a second...
and if that happens, you're sunk. Don't misunderstand, it's not like you'd be a bad addition...
but if it's just going to cause problems, I think it's best if we went our separate ways. Only
show up tomorrow if you're willing to try that hard. ... We'd better be on our way. It will be
dark soon, and we have to get Shinobu-chan home. It was good meeting you, Mutsumi-san." With
that the silver-haired girl stood and left, and the others followed at their own pace. Shinobu
looked back at Mutsumi as she left, and stared after her even through the windows as they went on
their way.

Mutsumi exhaled sharply as she was left alone. Why was she acting like this? She had always
wanted to be in a band, but she had always pushed that desire down. She didn't have time to
think about being in a band... she always had to study, so she could make it into Tokyo U. But
why? Now that she was there, there did not seem to be much of a point anymore. She only had
about a year and a half until she graduated. She should have been happy about that... instead it
terrified her.

"Maybe if I do well and they become famous... everyone will hear about it and..." She stopped,
not quite sure how to finish her selfish thought. Mutsumi looked out the window, toward the
moon. It was not fair of her to use them like this, she knew. But there was only a little bit
of time left, and she was starting to have doubts. Maybe... maybe her story would not have a
happy ending after all. If that was how it was going to be, she would not vanish meekly into the
background. She had to know what went wrong along the way. She had to know why she was now
alone...

She smiled as she removed all doubts from her mind. "One way or another... I'll see him again.
Of this I'm certain..."

The next afternoon Mutsumi Otohime appeared at the front door of Hinata Inn with a guitar case
slung over her back. "Good afternoon!" she greeted everyone. "I'm so glad you all waited for
me!"

"We weren't waiting for you," Su corrected. "We were fine-tuning our equipment. We're going to
play alongside you, or so says Madame Blues."

Mitsune gave the young girl a sour look. "Think of a better nickname for me, alright? Anyway, I
had a thought like this... I think if we all play together, we have a better chance of impressing
Naru."

"So it's all of you ganging up on just me?" came a voice from upstairs. Naru was standing on the
upper balcony, looking at the gathered group with distaste. "Fine... let's hear what you can do,
Mutsumi-san. You guys had better not be planning on covering her weak points with your own
instruments, because I'm telling you right now it won't work."

Mitsune smiled knowingly as she responded, "Nothing like that, Naru... if my hunch is right, I
think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Can you play the notes on that sheet, Mutsumi?"

Mutsumi glanced over the sheet music briefly, nodding. "Yes... it does not look too complicated.
I can start whenever you want me to."

"Alright," Naru said as she walked slowly down the stairs. "Mitsune's filled me in on the
condition, so we all know what's at stake here. Show me what you're really capable of, Mutsumi
Otohime-san."

Motoko took that as her cue and tapped her drumsticks together to set the beat. After three taps
Mutsumi began, plucking the strings of the guitar to begin a soothing tune. Naru could feel her
heart becoming lighter just with the first few notes, but continued to frown. She still could
not understand... If she was able to play like this, then why...?

That's when everyone else slowly joined in. First Motoko's drums accentuated the beat, then
Shinobu provided a simple base melody as Mitsune's saxophone harmonized with Mutsumi's guitar.
The song was the same one they had tried to play the other day, but...

Naru was instantly stunned. 'This... is completely different from how they were yesterday. This
isn't the racket of five people playing together for the first time, it sounds like a group
that's been practicing for months! What's going on?'

'As I thought,' Mitsune congratulated herself. 'As a band, we lacked a strong central
instrument
to base ourselves on. But with Mutsumi's guitar here, we can focus on playing
our own style... she provides the rhythm that ties us together into one song. Mutsumi is what
this band has been missing... even Naru can't deny that.'

Naru caught herself staring wide-eyed at the group, becoming totally immersed in the sound. She
of course knew that each and every person here was talented beyond their years, but at that
moment they all flowed together into one sinuous whole. They had ceased to become players...
and became a band. Was it all because of her? Was there something about the guitar
that allowed it to bind everything else together?

Naru's head sank and she closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her. There was no denying
it... she did not want to admit she was wrong, but she also couldn't hurt the band by letting
this one get away.

As the song came to a close, only one though occupied Naru's mind: '... I lose.'

"So what do you think now, Naru-san?"

Naru continued to keep her eyes closed, pausing before letting out a sigh. She walked straight
up to Mutsumi, looking serious. "Listen up, you... You'd better prepare yourself, because we're
going to work you into the ground. If you think you can get away with weak-willed music then
you're going to get hurt. But... if you play like that all the time, I don't think we'll have
any problems. Welcome to the band, Mutsumi-san."

Mutsumi smiled back vacantly as she replied, "Of course, Naru-san. Whatever you want."

Naru's eyebrow twitched. She wasn't really listening, was she? "I still have a bad feeling
about this..."

Mitsune patted Naru on the back, grinning widely. "Aw, don't be such a sore loser Naru. I think
we've finally finished making this band... and in only a week, too!"

Naru blinked. Something about that... "A week...?"

"Is something the matter, Naru-san?" asked Shinobu. "You look concerned."

Naru blinked herself back to reality, shaking her head. "No, it's nothing. I just... thought I
forgot something for a moment. It's probably not important..."

Guitar - Mutsumi Otohime

It was a gigantic stage, polished to a sparkle and illuminated by over seventy lights of varying
shapes and sizes. The domed ceiling stretched far overhead, with speakers strategically arranged
so that even those in the far back could hear perfectly. The seating here was capable of serving
over a thousand spectators, far more if one included the mezzanines. Kentaro did not appreciate
the grandosity of his surroundings. Instead, he found the emptiness depressing, even
infuriating.

Each and every one of these seats were empty, and they would remain so.

"Sakata-san," one of his assistants said cautiously. "The crowds have alreay been alerted that
there will be no show tonight. Naru-san's concert has been... cancelled."

Kentaro frowned, nodding slowly. "... Understood. Now get back on the trail. See if that
'Tohru Honda' rumor has any truth to it." The assistant saluted him before quickly scurrying
away. He knew how rotten Kentaro's mood could become.

He stamped on the stage in a moment of rage, taking care to slick his hair back afterwards. "And
now, Naru, you have cost our company several million yen in one fell swoop. Enough... is
enough."

Next time: Music Culture Clash