The moon shown down, cold and uncaring.
Naruto stood stiff and wooden, like one of the training posts. The darkness enveloped him. It wasn't just a darkness he could see, but one he could taste, hear, smell, and feel.
When Hinata had begun reacting badly to his confession, he had felt an acrid sour taste in his mouth. Now, his tongue feeling somewhat numb, he couldn't taste anything at all. He couldn't hear the blood rushing in his ears, or the whisper of the wind in the tops of the tallest trees. He couldn't feel the thump of the heart beneath his breast, or the cold bite of the breeze on his face.
The cologne that he wore… the smoke from the burnt out lantern… the fresh scent of pines… they might as well have been miles away. The darkness pushed further and further inward, relentless and unforgiving. Naruto squeezed the sides of his head between his hands, trying to forget the look he had briefly seen on Hinata's face.
"I'm not a monster!" He called that up at the moon.
Old memories sensed his weakness, and moved in for the kill. Various images teased him, taunted him, and tortured him. He remembered what it had been like when menacing adults towering above him, judging him in ways he had never understood. Looking around the clearing, the sight of the tall trees brought that memory into full flower.
"They never tried to see who I was!" This time he shouted at the trees.
Naruto fell hollow, as if Katsuyu 's acid was eating him away from the inside out. He remembered so many different days, so many different antics, and so many attempts to get attention from his classmates. He had never gotten that attention. No, that wasn't true. He had never won their respect or friendship until he became a genin.
But, there had been someone watching him. Someone had paid attention. That person had been through a lot of difficult times herself. She kept her sights on him, drawing inspiration from his struggles, and his attempts to get stronger.
"I didn't know!" He shouted off into the darkness, in the direction that Hinata had run.
Tears came to his eyes. Angrily, he shook his head. There was no place for tears in his life. If he cried every time things went bad for him, Konoha would be the center of some vast lake. He would not cry. He had gotten strong. He had faced his problems. He had done what he could do to make the most of his life. That was reason to be proud, not sad.
He didn't feel proud. All of his accomplishments felt like stories written on a river. The flowing water carried everything away. The past was the past.
"Why?" He looked up at the clouds, drifting serenely across the face of the moon. "Why again?" He felt so alone and isolated, standing off in that darkened clearing. "Why like this?" He had a lifetime of 'Whys' to ask.
The minutes that felt more like hours. He watched the clouds float past on their stately journey, envying envied peaceful existence. No one hated clouds. No one wished that they never existed.
"Not everybody hates me," he said, trying to shake away his sorrow. "I have a lot of precious friends, now." He tried to will himself to feel better. "That wasn't always true." Part of his mind whispered 'But your friends don't know about Kyuubi,' and 'Look what just happened with Hinata.'
That brought him up short. Hinata might just be an exception, right? She wasn't the first one who heard about Kyuubi. She wasn't the first one he knew who had lost family because of the demon's attack. This time, the memories came to his defense. He had been off in the woods, not too far from here, near a small storage shack. It was the day that he had learned Kage Bunshin:
"I found the nose bleeder," Naruto said, smiling, remembering how his sensei had reacted to the Sexy No Jutsu.
"Idiot, I found you!" Iruka retorted.
"I'm going to try an incredible skill. If I do it, let me graduate!" Naruto's failure at the genin examination had left him feeling down and alone.
"Naruto, where did you get that scroll on your back?" Iruka looked worried.
"
Misuki-sensei told me about it. He said that if I showed you the skill, I would definitely graduate." Naruto had been fooled. But, he didn't start to realize that until he saw what happened next.
Iruka leaned back against the nearby shed, kunei surrounding him, and weapons protruding from his body.
"Nice job finding him," Mizuki said to Iruka, taunting him.
Naruto was shocked and confused. Why were the two shinobi fighting one another? Mizuki wanted the scroll.
"Naruto, there is no point in you having it. I'll tell you the truth. Twelve years ago… you know about the demon fox being sealed, right?" Mizuki smiled, ignoring Iruka's attempts to make him stop. "Since then, there's a new rule created for the village. This rule was never told to you."
Mizuki said that the rule was that no one could tell Naruto that he was the demon fox. He also said that Kyuubi was the monster that had killed Iruka's parents. The new rule was the reason that everybody lied to him……. the reason that everyone hated him…… including Iruka.
He told Naruto that it had been the scroll in his hands that had been used to seal him up.
A large throwing star whirled his way, bringing with it his certain death. But, Iruka covered him, taking one of the weapon's points deep in his back.
"Why?" Naruto asked.
Iruka said that he had been just like Naruto. After his parents had died, he was alone, friendless, unwanted. No one complimented him or acknowledged what he said. He acted like an idiot to get people's attention, because he couldn't get recognition through his performance at school. He had been in so much pain.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. If I had done a better job, you wouldn't have to feel like this."
Naruto ran, taking the scroll with him. Mizuki and Iruka followed, with the rogue ninja trying to fool Naruto by taking on Iruka's form. But, his sensei had taken on Naruto's form, negating the trick. Mizuki laughed at Iruka, saying that Naruto would use the demon fox's power. Iruka said that Naruto was different.
"He isn't the demon fox any more… he's a member of the Hidden Leaf Village… he's Uzumaki Naruto!"
Mizuki would have killed the other shinobi then, using another giant star he had spinning in his hand. But, Naruto ran out and knocked aside the assailant.
"If you touch Iruka-sensei... I'LL KILL YOU..."
Misuki didn't take him seriously. No one ever had, except Iruka. Naruto's anger and determination lead him to use Kage Bunshin, and he was successful beyond what anyone might have expected. One thousand angry clones lessoned Mizuki in the dangers of threatening Naruto's friend.
"Naruto. Come over here. There is something I want to give you." Iruka gave Naruto his own forehead protector, tying it on for him. "Congratulations on your graduation. "
Iruka had taken him for Ramen after that. It had been one of the best days of his life. His teacher could easily have hated him, knowing what he did. But, he became his friend instead. Despite the pain he now felt inside, Naruto couldn't help but smile remembering that whole incident.
He had shown great promise that day. He had learned a jounin level technique. The officials at the Academy added him to the genin class. That had been the start of better things.
"I wish that Hinata could have reacted the same way." He listened to the sound of his words, as his breath formed small clouds of vapor in the dropping temperature. He suddenly realized something: he had no idea how Iruka felt when he was first told about Kyuubi's location. If his friend had seen him at the same moment he heard that truth, he might well have reacted quite different.
Maybe she would come around, too. Perhaps things weren't as bleak as they seemed. Still, he had reason to feel bad. Once again, he had come close to something special, only to see it snatched away from him. It had been that way with Team Seven. At first, all he could do was trip over his own feet, pester Sakura, and fight with Sasuke. But, they had all grown closer. They had been through a lot together. They had become a team. It was almost like having a family. But, Sasuke had lost his family. His need for revenge was greater than his desire for friends. Tempted by Orochimaru and the Sound Four, he had left their team in shambles.
"Everything I touch seems to turn to shit…" He looked down at the Lantern and gift boxes. He frowned, feeling a surge of anger. Reaching into his weapons pouch, he took out a shuriken, reached back with his arm, and then snapped forward, hurling the metal star at one of the twinkling spots of light far overhead.
He hung his head. His claim had him remembering a story about a man who had similar problems, so to speak. What was his name? King Midas! The guy hadn't been too wise. Maybe they had a lot in common, after all.
Midas rescued the favorite companion of the god Dionysos when the god had been too drunk to do so himself. In thanks, Dionysos granted him one wish. King Midas chose the ability to anything into gold by a simple touch, even though the god had counseled him against such a wish. He went around his palace and changed everything into gold, including his palace gates. After a while, he started to get hungry and thirsty but alas, everything changed into gold, including food and water. His servants tried to feed him, but that didn't work. Finally understanding that his wish wasn't wise, he begged Dionysos to relieve him from it. The god told him the cure, sending him to bathe in a certain spring.
"I wish there was such a place," Naruto said with a sigh. "It certainly wasn't the Women's Bath!" He clenched his teeth. That night had started bad and gotten worse. He almost wished that he was cursed to turn everything into shit. He's run through Granny Tsunade's office touching everything he could!
In another tale, Midas had been asked to serve as judge between Apollo, the god of music, and a satyr, Marsyas. Once again, he proved that he was not the sharpest sword on the rack! Unwisely, he proclaimed the satyr to be the winner. Apollo, offended, transformed Midas's ears into the ears of an ass. The poor king strove hard to keep his terrible secret from his subjects. His barber, knowing the secret, was threatened with a horrible death if he ever revealed it. The secret being too heavy, he dug a hole in the meadow and whispered into it. This is why, since then, the wind sounds like it says 'Midas has ass's ears' when it rustles the rushes.
Naruto put a hand to his own ears and then blushed. Why was he worried just about the ears? He had opened his big mouth. He had told a secret he had been ordered to keep to himself. Hinata probably hated him now.
He could imagine how she must feel, running through the dark woods alone, her long time dream shattered.
"Why am I just standing here?" Naruto shook his head in disgust. Hinata was off in the darkened forest alone, away from the path, without any light. The clouds were growing thicker by the minute. If she couldn't use the moon to guide her, she might end up getting hurt. If she got lost, and it took a while for her to make her way back, her family might become worried. ""She still might end up hating me. But, I have to try…" He relit the Lantern.
He started off moving cautiously, knowing that he couldn't do Hinata any good if he ran into a tree and knocked himself senseless, or stepped on something the wrong way, breaking his ankle. But, he had stood there lamenting his existence for far too long. He needed to make up for lost time.
Even with the Lantern, and occasional open spaces illuminated by moonlight, he couldn't see well enough to pick up visual cues like broken branches, footprints, or fragments of clothing. Stopping to listen, he heard nothing more than his own heavy breath and the occasional echoing call of an owl.
Again and again he ran in a series of dashes, coming close to injuring himself a number of times. One time when he stopped, he thought that he caught sound of faint footsteps. At first, that had him feeling excited. It would be Hinata. But, he couldn't be sure at that distance. Who could say it might not be some other lost and lonely soul? The possibility that the Hokage might have sent a spy to tail him throughout the night had him frowning. He couldn't rule out pickpockets or thieves. But, it was another thought that had him cursing.
It was highly unlikely; but, he should try to consider every possibility: what if Akatsuki had people roaming through the dark and secluded areas of the village, waiting any opportunity to grab him and spirit him away?
"Crap!" He narrowed his eyes, thinking. There just might be some way to put things in his favor, no matter what situation he faced. It certainly wouldn't hurt, being able to move swifter. He would benefit from enhanced senses. "It could backfire…"
Hinata might already think of him as a monster. If he could find a way to do what he planned, it might cement that image in her mind forever. But, he had to put her welfare ahead of his own. That's what a Hokage would do.
Could he make it happen? He wasn't cornered or fighting for his life. How would he convince his unwilling benefactor to help him?
"All I can do is try." Naruto sat down on a large fallen tree. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and turned his senses and thoughts inward. He had to focus. This wasn't going to be easy.
Eventually, he found himself in a well illuminated hallway, its walls damp and its floor showing occasional patches of water. He had been here before. He knew the way. A musky odor grew stronger and stronger as he strode forcefully along. There was no time for temerity. He couldn't afford to show any weakness or indecision.
He ended up at a set of enormous metal bars. The inside of the vast cage was dark, but he didn't need any light to know what was held within. Vast expirations of breath sounded much like the wind had before.
"Hey, bastard fox! Wake the hell up. We have a problem." Naruto put his hands on his hips. No, it wasn't exactly a polite entreaty. But, Kyuubi admired spirit, not good manners.
"WHAT REASON COULD POSSIBLY BRING TO SEEK ME OUT AGAIN? COME THROUGH THE BARS. WHISPER IT INTO MY EAR."
A horrible sepulchral chuckling rumbled throughout the hallways. Naruto girdled his loins, mentally. He knew that this approach was not without its risks. But realistically, what could Kyuubi do to him other than frighten him or refuse his demands? "I don't want to find out," he whispered to himself.
Huge claws slid out through the available spaces between the bars. Any one of them could have skewered him the way the cooks speared squid at his favorite seafood stall. A great set of teeth emerged from the darkness, as the Nine-Tailed demon stuck his jaws against the cage.
Naruto looked into the huge eye, seeing his own tiny reflection. Making a face, he folded his arms across his chest, letting the fox Lantern dangle against him. He took a few steps forward, pressing his luck.
"Go ahead. Take a swipe. Maybe I'll just climb into your mouth for you." Naruto spoke with a great deal more bravado than he felt. "Wonder what that will do. Kill me? You go down too! Make me insane? They'll kill me then, to make sure no one can get you."
His words carried the undeniable sound of logic. That had the Demon Fox snarling, seeing that it couldn't torture the one whose body he was trapped in.
"Speak louder," Naruto said, suddenly feeling cocky. "My ears aren't as big as yours."
"SOMEDAY, WE'LL HAVE AN ACCOUNTING, INSECT. ON THAT DAY, YOU WILL SUFFER UNIMAGINABLE TORMENT FOR YOUR INSOLENCE. BUT TODAY, I SHALL ONCE AGAIN REWARD YOUR BOLDNESS."
"It's probably my taste in Lanterns," Naruto said. That had Kyuubi snorting, the wind of his putrid breath knocking the young ninja head over heals.
His mind turned outward again. Imperceptibly slow, he felt some kind of change beginning. It spread outward from his abdomen to reach the furthest reaches of his body. Before he knew it, the process took off like lightning. Crouching down close to the ground, he watched as his fingers grew longer and then formed into claws. He had to toss away his sandals when his feet began doing the same thing. Looking out at the woodlands surrounding him, he marveled at how his vision improved. Better yet, his sense of smell magnified many times, and his hearing became unbelievably sharp.
Smiling, he felt fangs caress his lips. The Kyuubi chakra coursing through him, he felt drunk, the heady feeling causing him to laugh and shout a challenge at the night itself.
Looking upward, he saw large slants of moonlight that had passed through openings in the cloud cover and forest canopy. It was a surreal sight.
It was time to move. Quickly and with great purpose. Hearing the sound again, he began running, kicking up leaves and soil from his clawed feet. At times he ran on two legs, and at other times on all four limbs, the Lantern trailing from a string he had tied around his neck.
Leaping… bounding… wheeling… sliding… he hurled rock outcrops, slid down slopes and fallen trees, an crashed through heavy thickets. He called out a nonverbal challenge involuntarily, when he sensed that the other had picked up speed too. If this was a race, he was determined to win.
Faster and faster he ran. He felt his blood singing in his veins. He blew out huge puffs of breath as he pushed himself to the limit, unconcerned about the risks that he took. There was a heavy sound. The prey had fallen to the ground! After a few more bounds he made a prodigious leap, one that should carry him to within feet of his quarry.
Landing, he snarled, ready to fight. If it was an enemy, he would learn too late just what kind of foe he had followed. Arms raised for attack, he slid to an abrupt halt. His enhanced sense of smell had picked something up: perfume.
It was not just any perfume. He had smelled many that night, but one had stuck out in his memory. It was simple, but very pleasant. Hinata's. He poised on the balls of his feet, ready to move again if necessary. "Hinata? Is that you, Hinata-chan?" Could it really be her? Might it be someone who had her captive? The sound had been headed back to the clearing early in his hunting.
"N-N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice carried a slight touch of fear. She had heard a number of terrible howls as she had run. When she had decided to turn back and find Naruto, she had worried for him more than she worried for herself.
"Yes…" Naruto tried to tone down his animal instincts. He was finding it hard to speak and regain his full reasoning capacity. "It's me…" His breath was still coming fast, and the hair at the base of his neck was still standing on end. "I found you…" he kept repeating to himself that Hinata was his friend, not his prey.
There was an awkward period of silence. Hinata was listening to the beating of her heart. Naruto, with his keen hearing, heard that heartbeat, too. She had been running alright. He could smell her sweat. He could smell something else. It was something that had him licking his lips. Blood.
"Naruto-kun… are you…do you wish to hurt me?" Hinata wasn't certain why she asked that. Naruto had never shown any signs of hurting his friends before. Just because she knew about the youma now, did not mean that Naruto had suddenly become some kind of beast. But, the sound of a body crashing through the forest had set her nerves on edge.
"No!" The word burst out of Naruto. His entire body twitched, as if he had been hit by a strong electrical attack. "Never."
There was the sound of leaves rustling. Hinata was trying to get back to her feet. She moaned, in pain. "Do you still have the Lantern, Naruto-kun?" She gasped. "I need to look at my leg."
"I have it," Naruto answered. "But I won't light it myself." He ran his tongue over his teeth. He accidentally drew blood. His canine teeth were still fangs. "I'll leave it here for you." He moved a few steps forward, discerned her exact location, and then placed the fox shape near her hand.
He retreated. There was no way that he could let Hinata see him the way he was. How long would it take for the effect to wear off? Turning inward, he intended to find out. In no time, he was back in front of Kyuubi's cage.
"FIRST YOU CAME SEEKING GIFTS. NOW WISH TO RETURN THEM. IT IS NOT AS EASY AS THAT. MY GENEROSITY SHOULD NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED."
Returning to his normal state of mind, Naruto fought the desire to howl in frustration. That damned fox! That mangy, cantankerous, blood-thirsty, evil son of a bitch!
What should he have expected? Kyuubi was no happier with his situation that Naruto was with his own. As much as it pained him to admit it, the demon was right. He should never look a gift fox in the mouth.
"Why don't you wish to light the Lantern, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice carried pain with it this time. "Is it because I ran from you? Did I hurt you? You don't wish to ever see me again?"
"That's not it, Hinata-chan." Naruto said. "It did hurt. But, I can understand how you must have felt." He paused. "Were you coming back to see me before I spooked you into fleeing?"
"Yes," Hinata said. "I… ummm… I'm sorry I left, Naruto-kun!" her voice cracked. "I thought my whole world had vanished. I couldn't stand there with you, even though you always meant so much to me, even after you had given me so many nice gifts."
Naruto sat down on his haunches, feeling somewhat relieved. Hinata didn't hate him. That was important to him. It was one thing to have people that never got a chance to know him treat him with fear and hatred. It would be an altogether different thing to have someone he thought of a friend turn away from him.
"It was still you, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said. "I… ummm… I knew that when I took time to think…" She spoke somewhat quieter. "I would understand if you were ashamed of me… and if… ummm… you…"
"It's alright," Naruto said. "You've already done more than anyone else who ran away." That was truly amazing in its own right. Hinata had been shocked down to her very core, seeing a childhood nightmare come to life. Her whole clan hated the Kyuubi, but she had been able to overcome her fear. "You were coming back."
Things became quiet again. Naruto berated himself when he realized that Hinata was hurt, and he had done nothing to help her. "Here. You'll need some matches, too." He touched his teeth again. Still fangs.
"You won't light the Lantern for me?" Hinata asked. "My hands… I will try…" She gasped again.
"I'm sorry, Hinata." Sitting there in the dark, wondering just how badly Hinata had injured herself, Naruto felt like a coward. She had already shown him that she was willing to care about him despite what she had found out. "I just don't think you should see my face right now." Did he think that she would run again if she saw his face? Was his pride the problem.
"If… ummm… if you've been crying, it's OK. I was." Hinata said. "I won't think poorly of you, Naruto-kun.
"It's not that…" Naruto sighed. "OK. But, I have to warn you. You won't like what you see." he tried to open the box of matches with his claws. He fumbled the entire box. "Shit!"
"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
"I dropped the matches," Naruto said. "It's hard for me to handle them right now. My hands…"
"Here. I'll help you find them." Hinata's voice was followed by the sound of a hand moving through the dry leaves on the forest floor. "Ohhh…" Hinata's hand had moved from leaves to a soft patch of moss. After that, it had touched Naruto's clawed hand. The nails were long, cold, and very sharp.
"Yes," Naruto said in a low voice. A rattling sound showed that he had come upon the match box. "It gets worse." He struck the first match he didn't break or drop. When the small stick of wood blazed to life, he held it up to his face. "Not a pretty sight…"
Hinata brought a hand to her mouth. Her eyes grew impossibly large. She swallowed hard, repeatedly, until her mouth felt as dry as the leaves she sat on. The urge to run and hide was strong, but she fought it.
"I hope you don't hate me, seeing me like this." Naruto felt a lump in his throat. "I'm not a monster. Kyuubi's chakra doesn't always change me like this." He spoke in a rush, feeling a great need to get his point across. "I was in a hurry to find you before you got hurt. I was worried there might be someone else out here with you."
"I could never hate you, Naruto-kun." Hinata shyly reached a hand towards Naruto's face and brought it Back again. When he told her it was OK, she reached out again and placed a finger on Naruto's fang, and then his lips. "Does it hurt?" She cried out in pain herself, when she moved her leg.
"No. I'm fine, Hinata-chan." He bit his lip, not a wise move when one has teeth that sharp. Gasping himself, he was very glad that Kyuubi chakra allowed him to heal so quickly. "I'm an idiot, letting you sit there in pain. That's what's important right now." he lit another match, and then used that to bring the fox Lantern back to life. "Let's get a look now…"
The light shone down on Hinata's calf. There was a nasty gash there, oozing a fair amount of blood. It wasn't very deep, but it was long.
"I'll need that cream of yours again," Naruto said after carefully probing the wound. "I'm afraid I'll have to take the bandages off your hands. There the only ones I have." He found himself staring at her legs. She realized that and moved to cover them with her kimono, exposing her long formal undergarment in the process. " I could tear up your hadajuban and use that."
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata felt her face grow warm. "You… ummm…you don't have to act like such a beast."
"Huh?" Naruto stopped unwinding bandages for a moment. "Was that a joke?" he raised one eyebrow. "From you?"
"Well… you do look like a beast, Naruto-kun…" Hinata lowered her eyes a moment. It felt wrong to stare at him for so long. She smiled, thinking of a different story that she had been told as a child.
"What?" Naruto made a face. He had seen the faraway look in Hinata's eyes.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
"You were thinking of something. There was this look on your face." He frowned. If she said something like 'you really don't look that much worse than usual,' he might use one of the bandages on her mouth. What was the world coming to when Hyuuga Hinata began making fun of how people looked? Actually, as he had noticed before, that wasn't a fair question. He looked at her face again, trying to act as if he wasn't.
"Is… is there something on my face, Naruto-kun?" Hinata put her hand to her cheek. "Did I scrape myself there, too?"
"Don't change the subject, Hinata." Naruto smiled. That effectively changed the subject.
"Beauty and the Beast," Hinata said.
"Huh? What?" Naruto used one hand to scratch his head. That was another thing that should wait until his form had returned to normal! "I know I'm kind of good looking; but, you're not so bad."
"Very funny, Naruto-kun." Hinata made a face. That almost set Naruto off again. "Is that what you've learned, training with a Legendary Sannin?" She grinned. "Beauty and the Beast is a story. The hero was transformed into a beast. But, on the inside, he was still human."
"I'm a beast on the inside too, Hinata-chan." It was Naruto's turn to make a face. "You know what I mean." He scratched his belly.
"You have Kyuubi inside you, Naruto-kun." Hinata felt her eyes well with tears. "You are not Kyuubi. But people may have treated you like you were." A tear ran down her face, followed by two more. For a while, she had done just that.
Hinata remembered seeing the master sword-makers of the Hyuuga clan at work before, when she was younger and her father took her with him to survey the family's various holdings. She remembered how heat was used to temper the steel. Did the struggles that Naruto was forced to live through do the same thing for his character?
"What happened to the Beast in your story, Hinata-chan?" Naruto had the bandages off of Hinata's hands. Very carefully, he began to place them on her injured leg.
"There are more than one versions of the tale," Hinata said. She had never read the original foreign work by Gabrielle Susan Barbot de Gallan de Villeneuves, or the far shorter reworking by Madame Le Prince de Beaumont. She had never skimmed through any of the countless tales of animal bridegrooms that had been inspired by that first triumph of imagination. But, her mother had told her any number of tales based on the same theme. "In one story…" She stopped, blushing. Naruto's hands were very high on her leg.
"Hinata?" Naruto wondered why she had stopped. "Am I hurting you?" He looked closer at her leg. He swallowed, when his thoughts changed from that of a makeshift medic to that of a young man. There really hadn't been any desire or opportunity to do something like this three years ago. So, he couldn't tell how those legs had changed. They were long and shapely now. He could see that much!
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata took the bag that Naruto brought with him and sat it on her lap, covering the topmost portion of her legs. That had Naruto looking sheepish at first. Soon thereafter he smiled an impish smile.
"I didn't know that they made hadajubans in pink." Naruto tried to sound nonchalant. "Naturally I don't know much about things like that." He grinned again. "I believe that kind of clothing is made to add padding around the waist or breast area." He patted himself on the chest and hips.
"N-N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata turned so read, that the change was obvious even in the orange light of the fox Lantern.
"Going to finish telling me about that story now, Hinata-chan?" Naruto found that he enjoyed teasing Hinata. "Unless you'd rather discuss kimonos and under-thingies…"
"That's enough, Naruto-kun." Hinata made a very cross face. "In one story, the woman leaves the Beast all alone." She paused, letting that sink in. "But, she comes back to him and he turns into a prince again, instead of dying."
"OK. Sounds just like a woman." Naruto struck a seated pose. He worked the silence that time. "What happened in some of the other versions?"
"Well… ummm…" Hinata twiddled her fingers, grimacing when that caused her pain. "In one story, it was a kiss that made the Beast change back into a man…" Both she and Naruto looked at one another… froze… and then quickly looked away.
"It's just a story, though." Naruto coughed to clear his throat.
"Yes," Hinata said, fixing her hairnet.
"I just thought of a different story," Naruto said. "It has a good message for both of us." he smirked. "It has nothing to do with pink hadajubans." He watched Hinata's face. She was getting better at this. She ignored him this time.
"What story is that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata took out her box of fruit and cookies and offered it to Naruto. She apologized, remembering that his hands were not best suited to the task of fishing out any treats at that moment. Blushing, she placed a candied plum on his palm.
"In a nearby land, there was a couple that wished for a child. They wished for a child for a very long time. They wished so hard, that they finally wished for a child of any kind, even if he was only an inch tall. Their wish was granted. The woman became pregnant and gave birth, and sure enough, the boy she had grew no taller than one inch." Naruto plopped the fruit in his mouth and swallowed. He didn't risk chewing, having savaged his lips enough times already. "They named him Issun-Boshi, meaning One Inch Boy. One day, Issun-Boshi decided he wanted to see the world. His parents wanted Issun-Boshi to have a good life so they gave him a bowl, chopsticks and a needle he could use as a sword. They waved goodbye."
Naruto continued working with the bandages.
Hinata smiled, even though she was sitting on the forest floor in her late mother's best kimono, her injured leg being tended to by a boy who carried the clan's worst enemy behind his navel.
"When Issun-Boshi came to the city, he was taken into care of a nobleman and was made the servant for the princess. Issun-Boshi and the princes became good friends." Naruto continued his tale, not realizing yet that he had begun to transform back to normal. "One day, on their way back from a nearby temple, they were stopped by a large green Oni. The princess thought she was doomed for sure. She was certain that there was nothing One Inch Boy could possibly do to save her. But that boy acted quickly. He climbed the Oni quickly, and poked it hard in the tongue with his sword. It screamed with pain, but laughed when it saw the cause of its discomfort. It also didn't think that there was much a one inch boy could do. He swallowed Issun-Boshi."
Naruto stopped, and held his thumb up, looking at Hinata.
"What?" Hinata asked.
"Just measuring. You are bigger than an inch." Naruto brushed off his robe, and then resumed his work on Hinata's leg.
"Very funny, Naruto-kun." Hinata brushed a pine cone off of her kimono. It had barely missed hitting her on the head. "Before you left the village, you were shorter than me."
"Some people get better with age," Naruto said, scowling. That sounded just like something the perverted Frog Hermit would say. "Anyway, the One Inch Boy cut his way out of the demon's stomach, causing it to howl in pain and run away. The princess was saved! Feeling grateful to her rescuer, she made a wish. 'I wish for Issun-Boshi to grow tall.' The princess squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again. The boy was still one inch tall. But slowly, inch by inch, Issun-Bosh grew taller until he was the size of a full grown man. He and the princess were married and they lived together happily for the rest of their lives."
Naruto looked at Hinata's leg. He clipped the bandages in place. "So, were you smart enough to guess the moral of the story?"
"Ummm…" Hinata thought. She surprised herself by deciding to tease Naruto. "The boy was shorter than the girl at first. But, because she wanted him to get taller, he did."
"No." Naruto frowned. He knew that Hinata wasn't being serious.
"Hmmm…" Hinata thought again. "The boy married the girl who cared about him even when he was short." The moment the words left her lips, Hinata swallowed hard. Where had that come from?
"No. Not that either." Naruto felt a chill run up and down his spine. Rubbing the back of his neck, he realized that his hands were back to normal. He smiled in relief. "The princess thought she was doomed because Issun-Boshi wasn't very tall. But, he fought off the demon and saved her. It's like the saying, 'don't judge a book by its cover.'"
"Why that moral, Naruto-kun?" Hinata tried to stand with Naruto's help. Her leg still hurt, but she could walk slowly.
"You used to be pretty short, Hinata-chan. Even though I came to think that you were the kind of person I could like, I still didn't think you'd turn out to be much, seeing how shy you were." Naruto shrugged. "You never met anyone's eyes, and were always hiding behind something." He looked her in the eyes. "But, tonight, you found out something that could have made you give up." He pulled a leaf off of her kimono and handed it to her. "But, you didn't." There was a clear sound of respect in his voice.
"Oh…" Hinata blushed. She wasn't used to anyone other than Kurenai complimenting her. "I thought bad of you when I heard your secret, Naruto-kun. But, you're still a good book."
"Do I get a happy ending?" Naruto asked. He was smiling, but deep inside he felt somewhat queasy again. With Akatsuki after him, he really wished that he knew the answer.
"I hope so, Naruto-kun." Hinata suddenly felt very shy again. "I guess we should get going. You don't have to wait form me. You can still make it to the dancing if you leave on your own."
"No way," Naruto said. "I'm the one who caused you to get hurt, in a way. So, that makes it my duty to take care of you." He picked up the Lantern and handed it to Hinata. "Besides, You took my Lantern, didn't you?"
"Yes," Hinata said, feeling very grateful.
"So, once you get up on my shoulders, I can give you a piggy-back ride." Naruto chuckled. He was joking, but would really do that if Hinata wanted him to. "We'll be make it to the Medical Center in no time. Unless you wanting to go to the dances sitting on my shoulders…"
"OK," Hinata said, blushing. She couldn't believe that she had said that. There was no doubt what her father would say if he ever caught wind of it.
"Really?" Naruto stared at Hinata as if seeing her for the first time. "Good for you! You really are someone I could like." That had both of them looking at the nearest tee, even though each of them knew what he meant. "Can you walk up that rock there? If you can, you can climb on real easy, without hurting your leg."
"I'll try," Hinata said. She managed to do just that, while Naruto held the Lantern, the bag, and her purse. When they headed down the path, she asked "Can the Kyuubi ever get out, Naruto-kun?" Now that she was no longer afraid. She found herself growing very curious.
"Not as long as the seal holds," Naruto replied. "There have been times when people have been worried about that. But so far, it's only been the demon fox's chakra that can come out." he didn't mention that Akatsuki might have found away to remove the youma, or otherwise make use of its great power.
"Ummm… can the Kyuubi influence what you do…" Hinata asked.
"Yes," Naruto said in a serious voice. "He's very partial to pink underwear." When Hinata remained silent, he continued. "No, he can't. He can lend me chakra when I need it… if I'm in danger… or if he likes my nerve. He let have me some tonight so I could find you."
"Ohhh…" Hinata ducked when Naruto walked under low hanging cedar branches.
"Sorry, Hinata-chan." Naruto apologized.
"Do you ever feel like… ummm…" Hinata tried to find the right words. She didn't want to insult Naruto or make him feel defensive or embarrassed. "Do you ever do things that an animal might do?"
"Huh?" Naruto made a face. Who did she think he was, Akamaru? "Well, I often pee all over the toilet seat; but, that's not because of Kyuubi." That ought to teach her! "No, I don't find myself doing anything a normal person wouldn't do. The only time I ever have animal instincts is when I was in that form you saw before. I haven't done that many times."
"Do you have to return to your training sight soon, Naruto-kun." Hinata bit her lip. That had come out as little more than a squeak.
"Yes," Naruto said. "My sensei gave me a list of things I had to do after the festival. When I'm finished, I will need to head back."
"I see," Hinata couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Maybe I can ask the Hokage to have another festival." She was only half joking.
"Don't… you… dare…" Naruto said, stopping for a moment. "Don't even joke about such things."
"You didn't enjoy this festival, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, feeling a slight twinge of nervousness. She hoped that he had enjoyed his time with her, even if he never wanted to do something similar in the future.
"It got better, later." Naruto said, not bothering to elucidate. Hinata should know what he meant. "But it sure started off bad. The walk was a bitch. So were Old lady Tsunade, Anko, and Kurenai." He cringed. That hadn't been the wisest thing to say.
"Kurenai-sensei?" Hinata asked. "What did you have to do with her?"
"It was the Hokage's idea." Naruto said. He thought about his time in the Women's bath. It hadn't tuned out to be the opportunity he had hoped for. "I don't think you really want to know."
"I can always ask her, Naruto-kun." Hinata began to see some of the village lights through the trees. "It's not another secret, is it?"
"No," Naruto said. He smiled. It might be fun to tell her after all. "Granny Tsunade had Anko and your sensei take me to the barber, and shopping for my robes and sandals." He grimaced. He has stubbed his toe on a rock. He had forgotten to take his footwear back out of his pouch after changing back. "I between, they took me to the baths."
"The Hokage wouldn't trust you to go by yourself, Naruto-kun?" Hinata smiled. Tsunade was very wise. "How did they know you didn't sneak out of the Men's bath?"
"Because they didn't take me to the Men's bath," Naruto said. It sounded funny now in retrospect, but it had not been a laughing matter at the time. "They brought me inside the Women's baths."
"That's not very funny, Naruto-kun." Hinata said.
"Tell me about it," Naruto said. "But I'm not joking. They chased all of the women out and made me use the bathing pools." He smiled. "They didn't want to join me in the men's baths." He frowned. "It would have been embarrassing either way. My towel kept falling off."
"…" Hinata made a strange inarticulate noise.
"It was nerve-racking," Naruto admitted. "Getting naked in such a big open place." He hurdled a tree that had fallen over the path. "It was especially stressful, since I think the two of them were peeking!"
"…" Hinata made a sound like a fish out of water. "…"
"Hinata-chan," Naruto said, an impish sound in his voice. "Would you have peeked?"
"Eep!" Hinata loosened her hold, leaning backwards. She almost fell off and caused Naruto to stumble. "P-P-Put me down…"
"Hey… wait a minute… it was just a joke, Hinata." Naruto didn't slow down. "I think it was pretty funny!"
"I don't," Hinata said. Just the same, for the briefest of instants, she imagined what just such a scene might have looked like. That had her closing her eyes tight, blushing, and making her fish noise again.
"Any way, I got pretty pissed, as you might imagine." Naruto chuckled. "When I was getting out of the bathing pool, I walked in front of them. I must have had a cramp, because I ended up accidentally mooning them." The emphasis on 'accidentally' made it clear that he had done things on purpose. "They weren't very happy."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata sighed.
"Well, they might have left it at that. But, the two of them began chasing me. When I stepped on the loose end of my towel, it all came off again." Naruto trotted along the moonlit path, reminiscing. "Then the two of them started chasing after me." Now the lights of the village were very easy to see. "Maybe because I told them I was going to run off."
"!" Hinata shook her head. Naruto was supposed to be more mature. He was still doing the same kind of pranks.
"What a sight that must have been, two jounin kunoichi chasing after a naked genin." Naruto laughed. "They were even more pissed when I led them into the Men's bath, and then blocked the door out with a few dozen naked clones." He smiled. "There were a lot of applause coming from inside, though. I think the guys enjoyed their visit."
"Kurenai-sensei…" Hinata bit her lip. She could imagine what might happen if Kiba ever caught wind of this.
"They broke the door down," Naruto said. "They didn't look too happy." They hadn't been. He had some bruises to show for it. "When Anko decided to smack on me a bit, an elderly couple walked by. You should have seen the look on their faces." He came to a halt. "One of them looked familiar. I hope she wasn't a council woman."
"All this…" Hinata said. "Because of a bath…"
"Yup!" Naruto said. It was funny now. Then, it had been mortifying. But, things always sounded better in the retelling. "Amazing, right?" He felt the urge to tease Hinata again. "If you ask Granny Tsuande for another festival and she agrees, maybe you can take your sensei's place next time."
"Please put me down, Naruto-kun?" Hinata said.
"Huh?" Naruto said.
"I would like to get down," Hinata replied. "I'll walk. By myself." She slid off of his back, wincing when her injured leg hit the path. Without saying another word, she began hobbling along, carrying the Lantern and her other things.
"Hey! You shouldn't do that!" Naruto practically shouted. "You're hurt."
Hinata didn't say anything. She kept limping along. The heart of the village was in plain view. She could make it. She was shinobi.
"Wait! I guess I went a little too far." Naruto walked at Hinata's side, grimacing every time her heard a gasp of pain. "I apologize, Hinata-chan."
Hinata kept walking. She didn't even look at Naruto. That, naturally, didn't sit too well with him.
"Fine. I'm a generous guy. When we bathe, I'll let you have the towel." He knew that he had poured kerosene on the fire. But, he couldn't help himself. Watching as Hinata tried to move even faster, he tried another tack. "You know, 'Naruto-kun' is a nice name for a star."
Hinata slowed, but didn't speak or look at Naruto.
"And that pendant looks very nice on you," Naruto offered. He smiled when Hinata slowed even more. "It was nice sharing cookies with you. And talking."
Hinata stopped. But, she turned her back on Naruto. She wasn't convinced yet.
"You know…" Naruto was going to say something else nice, but stopped. He knew he was to blame. Still, he was not in the mood to be taught any kind of lesson from another woman. Especially not Hyuuga Hinata. "I promise not to tell any of the other guys the color of your hadajuban."
"Mmmpphh!" After making that noise, Hinata began walking again, faster than ever. She came close to falling a number of times.
"Does that mean you want me to tell them?" Naruto kept pace. He felt bad when Hinata stopped, put down the Lantern, and continue on her way. The glowing fox shape looked lonely, sitting in the middle of the trail. "Hinata, wait up!" Grabbing the Lantern he ran.
Naruto promised himself to behave. It wasn't funny any more. Watching how Hinata moved, he could tell that she was in a great deal of pain. The wound on her leg must be more than a serous scrape. She might have a lot of bruising too.
"Hinata…stop…" He ran in front of her, walking backwards. "You're hurt…" He slowed down, but she just tried to walk around him. "Let me help you…" He began to sound very anxious. "Please…"
"Does that mean that you care about me, Naruto-kun?" Hinata stopped. "Just a little?" There was a strange look in her eyes.
"Well… you know… I mean…" Naruto felt even more anxious, but in a different way. Just what was she asking?
Hinata began walking again.
"Hey… stop… wait…" Naruto said. "I guess I do…"
Hinata stopped. She turned to look at Naruto. "You're not… ummm… saying that just to make me feel better…"
"Well… you see… I…" Naruto sighed. "No. I'm not."
"OK," Hinata said. "I'll let you help me walk, then." Hinata tried to look and sound dignified. It was hard to keep a smile off of her face.
"…" Naruto scratched his head. He stood still a moment, and then made a face. "Wait a minute!" He clenched his fists. "Was that some kind of trick to make me admit… well… you know…"
"It's a secret, Naruto-kun." Hinata took the Lantern from him.
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THE END