The streets in that part of the village were no longer crowded.
Most of the revelers had made there way to the central square, to take part in the dancing, or act as a spectator to the grand event
"You can't keep walking like that, Hinata-chan," Naruto said sternly.
"If this were a mission, I might have to." Hinata continued to limp along, content to lean up against Naruto. "I… ummm… I won't ride on your shoulders out in the open."
"This is not a mission, Hinata. It's a festival." The irony escaped Naruto. When he had his meeting with Tsunade, he couldn't help but see the whole thing as a pointless and bothersome assignment. "If it was a mission, I would be carrying you, and wouldn't listen to another word about it."
"Naruto-kun, if this were a mission, with only… ummm… you and I…" Hinata paused. She certainly like the fact that he was being kind and considerate. But, she also found herself needing to chide him in return, after all that she had put up with. "The chuunin would be the one giving the instructions…" She watched him out of the corner of her eye. "The genin would be the one obeying…"
"What?" Naruto stopped. He made a very sour face. "What did you say?" He threw out his chest, instinctively trying to intimidate Hinata.
"I heard Kurenai-sensei talking to Kakashi the other day," Hinata said. "She brought up the fact that… well… you're the only one of us who hasn't made Chuunin yet."
"Great!" Naruto struck an indignant pose. "Thanks for bringing it up." He folded his arms across his chest. "Just the kind of thing to put me in a festive mood." He grumbled under his breath when he saw Hinata work to push some of her neck-length hair under her crystal-hung hair net.
"I can walk, Naruto-kun." Hinata was adamant. She didn't want to appear weak in front of him. She had done that one time too many, that evening.
"Girls! Can't live with them… can't live without them…" Naruto grimaced. That was another one of Jiraiya's sayings. That perverted hermit was rubbing off on him.
Walking a bit further, the two shinobi took in the sights of the village. The colorful lanterns made the night look like something out of a dream or the perfect postcard. The scent of food long since cooked still floated on the gentle evening breeze. A few small dogs ran here and there, tugging fallen decorations behind them.
"Hey! That's perfect!" Naruto took off running, calling himself all sorts of names when he realized that he still hadn't put his sandals back on. "There's a number of these things spread around." He went to the rear of a large two-wheeled cart. "No one will need it until the festival is over." It was one of the push wagons used by crews to collect garbage.
"Naruto-kun? What's that for?" Hinata eyed the cart suspiciously. She had a sinking feeling that she knew why he had brought the ramshackle thing back with him. The words 'Sanitation Department' were stenciled on the darkly stained wood in large yellow letters.
"Strong and healthy genin push the cart," Naruto said with a smug voice. "Wounded chuunin ride in the cart." He smiled one of his trademark smiles, his eyes squeezed shut. "Hop on up."
"Th-That's…" Hinata shook her head. "That's a garbage cart, Naruto-kun."
"Really?" Naruto scratched his head, and then stared at the side of the contrivance. "What do you know? You're absolutely right! Getting to name a star must make a girl pretty smart."
"I'm… ummm… I'm not riding in that." Hinata was not usually a forceful person. But, as quiet as she usually was, she was not going to sit by and have him push her around the town in a refuse wagon. It wasn't dignified. Worse, it would shatter her private little feeling of romance.
"OK," Naruto said. Unceremoniously, he took the Lantern and gift bag from Hinata and sat them in the cart. "I'll use the cart to carry these." He then walked around behind Hinata, picking her up in his arms. "If you're really the type of person I can like, you'll sit next to them to make certain they don't fall over."
"Naruto-kun… put me down…" Hinata couldn't struggle, not with her injured leg. If she tried some kind of jutsu, she might hurt Naruto or herself. "You're acting like a Beast again."
"You got hurt because of me," Naruto said with a haughty lift of his chin. "So, you'll get better because of me." He grunted, trying to find the most comfortable way of carrying Hinata. "That's my Ninja way!"
"Naruto-kun… I asked you to put me down…" Hinata blushed, seeing a number of people walking back from one of the ceremonies. They were all looking over in their direction. One elderly man gave Naruto a 'V' sign.
"Well, if you had asked Hinata-chan, I might have listened." Naruto said. "But, you ordered me to put you down. You really ought to know better than that by now." He swallowed hard. Her perfume was distracting him again. That, and she felt pleasantly soft in his arms, kimono and all. He grinned a wicked grin. "I'll give you two choices. You can ride in the cart, or I'll carry you like this all of the way to the Hospital." He whispered in her ear. "If I carry you, everyone will know about the pink hadajuban."
"…" Hinata opened her mouth to reply, but knew that wouldn't make things any better. She folded her hands in her lap when Naruto deposited her in the front of the cart. Secretly, she admitted to herself that things were much more comfortable this way, when he began pushing her along. The cobblestones used for the older sections of the street and sidewalk had been making her wound ache something fierce.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto kept the cart moving, picking up speed whenever the slope went downhill. "There are still some of the ladies with the snacks." He pointed to a group of elderly women bringing trays of festival food out of one of the well-lit houses. "I'll get you some." He whistled, waved his arms, and then called out.
"Naruto-kun… I'm not really hungry…" Hinata wasn't willing to shout to make herself heard.
"Just hold on!" Naruto began running towards the matrons. "Injured shinobi here!" His calling mobilized all of the women, who looked on with a mixture of interest and concren. Some, seeing a speeding cart with a glowing fox Lantern took a step back in fear. "Girl in a cart. We deliver!"
"!" Hinata hid her face in her hands. Honestly! One moment, Naruto can be the sweetest or bravest person in the village. The next, he could be the loudest or most impulsive. He could be a clever as a fox, or as clueless as they came.
Naruto slid to a rather ostentatious stop. The wagon rocked and almost tipped over. When he explained that he was helping Hinata to the Medical Center, the women all hovered around her like a mother cat around her kittens.
One woman pointed at the writing on the side of the cart, but the others hurried to shush her, saying that gallantry was rare in this day and age.
"Hinata?" One woman put down her tray and stared. "Hyuuga Hinata?" She walked closer. "Bless my stars, it is you!" The kindly townswoman lived in a house bordering the Hyuuga compound.
Hinata tried to slide out of view. Well and truly caught, she politely greeted her neighbor.
"So… is this your young man?" The woman looked over at Naruto and smiled. "He looks so strong… and you did a good job of dressing him up…" She chuckled, seeing Hinata turn red and Naruto find a good reason to duck down and check the axles of the cart.
"He… ummm… you see…" Hinata would have run and hid that time, if her leg wasn't stiff and sore. "I… he's a friend… ummm… a shinobi like me…" No one looked willing to accept her denial. They asked so many questions that her head was left spinning.
"I recognize him," one woman said, giving Naruto a rather critical eye. "I'm sure of it." She went to speak with some of her friends, who soon went off to talk with others.
"Miss Hinata, I think I should have a word with you." The woman who had sized up Naruto bend over to speak in Hinata's ear. "He's not a good boy for you to be around… trust me, there are things I would tell you if could."
"She's right," another woman added, speaking in a hushed voice. "I wouldn't let any daughter of mine anywhere near him."
Hinata opened her mouth to brush off those comments, wanting to saying how wonderful Naruto was. She had thought that she had it tough, when her father cast her aside. He had to face the judgment of so many people.
"It's alright," Naruto said sadly, shaking his head. "Let's just go…" he had heard everything.
Hinata bit her lip, feeling a sense of anger growing in her. "I know about the Kyuubi." She heard a combined inrush of breath and startled whispering. "The Nine-Tailed Fox was the demon, not Naruto." She shocked them all by shaking her finger at them. "He's not a monster. He's a hero. He didn't ask to have this responsibility." She looked over at Naruto, who stood stone-faced. "I'm very proud of him. If people don't want to thank him, at least they should try to understand him." She felt herself trembling. "I'm ashamed of all of you." That was quite a speech for her.
"Hinata-chan." Naruto stared at Hinata, his mouth open. "Thank you. That was pretty heroic, too."
"Could we go now," Hinata said. She felt better a little better, hearing some of the women offer apologies to the two of them as they left.
"Right away, Ma'am." Naruto began pushing again, grunting when they headed uphill.
Hinata leaned back. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine that she was in some kind of fancy coach or carriage, just like those in the stories she had been read as a young girl. Before she knew it, she began taking in the scenery, waving back and anyone who called out or waved at her. Looking up at the clouds hanging over the village, she smiled. In some ways, this was indeed a magical night. Once again, she was moved to verse. This time, her heart had a different inspiration.
-
Clouds appear
and bring to men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon
-
"Here we go again," Naruto said, hearing Hinata. He smiled. She sounded happy. That was a good thing, seeing everything she had been through tonight, and all of the hardships that she had faced in her life. It made him feel proud, some way, knowing that he had somehow contributed to that happiness.
The bells at one of the temples began sounding. That was the signal that the largest of the dances were about to begin. Hinata sighed, wishing that she could attend. It wasn't so much that she wanted to dance herself. It would have been exciting to see the professional dancers who would put on a show before the general session took place. Looking over at Naruto, she smiled. If she had to chose one place or the other, she'd rather be here, riding in a garbage cart pushed by him.
-
Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!
-
"How you doing up there, Hinata-chan?" Naruto sounded a bit winded. "We're almost there!" He smacked himself in the head, wondering why he had been so stupid. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu." He hopped up next to Hinata after giving the task of pushing the wagon over to the gaggle of clones. It was a rather remarkable looking procession, drawing the rapt attention of anyone left on that particular avenue.
"I'm doing fine, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled a shy smile. "Thanks to you." She blushed when his hand accidentally brushed up against hers. She looked up at the sky again, watching as the moon emerged for a short while. "Maybe the moon goddess helped, too." She grinned at her little joke.
"Huh? What moon goddess?" Naruto scratched one ear. With everything else he had heard, he wouldn't be surprised if the festival had another goddess, hero, or monster.
"I guess… ummm… one has to be a chuunin to know about her…" Hinata blinked rapidly, amused at her own temerity. "It's a story from another nation, one that traditionally celebrates a Moon Festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, in observance of bountiful Autumn harvests." She smiled, seeing the look that Naruto gave her. He was 'festivalled-out.' She wasn't, though. "Although the old rituals are no longer followed, families there continue to gather for a day to relax and eat moon cakes. They often tell this story:
"Once upon a time there was a famous archer, Hou Yi, who with his arrows was able to slay mankind's worst enemies, ferocious beasts that inhabited the earth. Yi was married to Chang-O, a beautiful but inquisitive woman who had been an attendant of the queen mother of the west before her marriage.
Now at this time, there were 10 suns that took turns circling the earth-one every 10 days. One day, all 10 of the orbs circled, together, causing the earth's surface to burn and threatening mankind. The wise emperor of China summoned Yi and commanded him to kill but one of the suns. This Yi proceeded to do.
Upon the completion of his task, Yi was rewarded with a pill, the elixir of life, and advised: "make no haste to swallow this pill, but first prepare yourself with prayer and fasting for a year." Being a wise man, Yi took the pill home and hid it under a rafter while he began healing his spirit, In the midst of this, Yi was summoned again by the emperor.
While her husband was gone, Chang-O noticed a beam of white light beckoning from the rafter. She followed it and a fragrant perfume, discovered the pill and swallowed it. Immediately, Chang-O found she could fly. Just at that moment her husband returned home, realize what had happened and began to reprimand his wife. Chang-O flew out the window into the sky.
Yi sped after her, bow in hand, and the pursuit continued halfway across the heavens. Finally, Yi had to return to the earth because of the force of the wind.
His wife reached the moon and there, breathless, she coughed and part of the pill fell from her mouth. Now, the hare was already on the moon and Chang-O commanded the animal to take pestle and mortar and pound another pill so that she return to earth and her husband. The hare is still pounding.
As for Yi, he built himself a palace in the sun as Yang, while Chang-O is Yin.
Once a year, on the 15th day of the full moon, Yi visits his wife. That is why the moon is full and beautiful on that night."
"Well, I guess that story is better than the one where that Maud guy had to rescue his mother." Naruto thought back to Shikamaru's tale about the origin of the Bon. He wasn't in the mood to think about starving women who looked like leeches. "But, it's not as good as the story about Hidesato." He folded his arms over his chest. "I might have told you that one, except you made another chuunin crack." He made a face. "Your loss."
Hinata smiled and looked down at her injured hands. They still hurt. So did her leg. But, sitting there with Naruto, the pain didn't seem as bad as it otherwise might.
"Besides, I already heard a story similar to yours," Naruto said. "From Ero-sennin." He yawned and told the clones to step up the pace. He could see the front of the Hospital now. "It was Chang-E, not Chang-O. She was a beautiful young girl working in the Jade Emperor's palace in heaven, where immortals, good people and fairies lived. One day, she accidentally broke a precious porcelain jar. Angered, the Jade Emperor banished her to live on earth, where ordinary people lived. She could return to the Heaven, if she contributed a valuable service on earth. Chang-E…" He paused. "Not Chang-O…"
"I know, Naruto-kun." Hinata sounded a touch exasperated. That caught her by surprise. It had Naruto laughing and saluting her.
"Chang-E was transformed into a member of a poor farming family. When she was eighteen, she met a young hunter named Hou Yi… you got that part right, and all of the stuff about the ten moons…" Naruto pulled a twig off of Hinata's kimono. "But, the two of them got married after he became a hero, not before. And, when she tried to flee, King Hou Yi tried to shoot her down with arrows, and the Queen Mother punished her by turning her into a three-legged toad. That's why it looks like there's a toad on the moon."
Hinata sat quietly. She wasn't surprised that a story told by the Frog Hermit told had a toad in it.
"You were right about the rabbit too," Naruto said, looking up at the moon. "Almost." He brushed off the sleeves of his robe in dramatic fashion. "He was supposed to be grinding rice, not trying to help Chang-E return to some guy that was trying his best to turn her into a pin cushion." Naruto sat uncomfortably for a moment, remembering the fight with Haku. "I don't know why there are so many rabbits in stories about the moon."
"That's why," Hinata said, pointing up at the moon. While doing so, the wagon his a bump, and she fell into Naruto's arms. Swallowing hard, she made no attempt to get up. "See… ummm… that shape there, on the left… ummm… it looks like a rabbit. People in many nations believe that."
"OK." Naruto had to cough to clear his throat. Hinata's weight wasn't really bothering him, but he was very much aware of her. "You're right." He wasn't certain whether he should squirm out from under her or stay just like that. "I can see that." He decided that there was no need to embarrass her by making some kind of scene.
"There are also two similar stories that associate a rabbit with the moon." Hinata looked over at the Medical Center. As soon as they reached it, the moment would have to end. "In one, Buddha places him there as payment for a favor after the Rabbit voluntarily gave himself as food for one of Buddha's hungry friends. In another, a rabbit, with nothing else to offer a weary Indra, jumped into a fire, cooking himself for the deity . Out of gratitude, Indra placed the rabbit in the moon."
"Doesn't exactly sound like the greatest reward in the world to me." Naruto shook his head. "Unless they filled one of the craters with Ramen." He stood up in the cart, almost causing it to topple over. "Some of you guys run ahead and open the doors. The rest of you, up the steps and into the building!" He was not going to have Hinata walk up all those steps.
"But… Naruto-kun…" Hinata soon found herself bouncing up and down as the wagon wheels went over the steps. Her voice was vibrating. "We-we-we prob-prob-prob ably-ly-ly should-should-should not-not-not bring a dirty cart into the Medical Building."
"Too late now," Naruto said, jumping off to run over to the front desk. A number of the clones tried to slow down unsuccessfully, running into each other and falling down like dominoes. The entire arrival made quite a racket.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"
Tsunade stormed into the reception area, having headed over from one of the ceremonies to round with Shizune and some of the other medical ninjas. She was still dressed in her fanciful robes and the enormous towering traditional headgear.
"Good! You can tell them to find someone to help Hinata." Naruto sounded as if he was the one in charge of the medical staff. "She's hurt. I bet she would like to see some of the dancing. If they hurry up and do their job, she might be able to."
"You can't bring a filthy garbage cart into a hospital!" The vein on Tsunade's head looked like it was ready to burst.
"I didn't have time to find a clean one!" Naruto was not about to back down from the angry Sannin. She dragged his ass all the way to Konoha. She told him he had to attend the festival, wear the paper kimono, fold origami cranes, and all that stuff. She had him very close to suffering the most humiliating night of his life, carrying that Lantern through the streets.
The two of them stood glowering at one another. As they did so, Shizune led Hinata into one of the small treatment rooms in the back of the Medical Center.
"That sounded like Naruto." It was Sakura's voice. "What's a garbage wagon doing in the hospital?" She had gotten into her work clothes, the fun and merriment of the night over for her.
"I tried to stop them," Naruto said with a smirk. He nodded over at the clones. "It's so hard to find good help these days." He folded his arms over his chest. The clones began disappearing in puffs of smoke.
"What happened to Hinata?" Tsunade asked, motioning for the hospital guards to roll the cart back outside. "There isn't any kind of enemy infiltration underway, is there?"
"Hinata?" Sakura looked around the room, but Hinata had already passed from view. "Did she accept your Lantern?" She cringed when she saw her sensei's look. She ought to know better than to interupt her by now.
"No, Old Lady. Not that I saw." Naruto scratched his head. "I was worried about that before, myself..." He stuck out his lower lip. "...When somebody forced me to come back to the village, possibly walking into somebody else's trap."
"Listen brat!" Tsunade raised a single finger. That was threat enough. "Tell me about Hinata." She forced herself to keep her temper. Walking around in her ceremonial garb had given her one heck of a headache.
"Well, she's about this tall…" Naruto held his arm out, hand parallel to the ground. "Cute girl… indigo hair… white eyes…" He had built up a lot of frustration and resentment earlier in the evening. This was just the tip of the iceberg. "Still a bit shy…"
Sakura and Tsunade looked at one another, shook their heads, and let out long sighs. The mannerisms were so similar, that Naruto started chuckling. He stopped when the two of them began rolling up their sleeves.
He was in the mood to be flippant, not suicidal. He remembered hearing a story from Jiraiya, about the worst injuries he had suffered in his life. They hadn't come from an enemy… they came from a teammate. He had tried to peek at Tsunade at an onsen. She broke broth of his arms and ruptured a number of internal organs.
"I gave Hinata my gifts and my Lantern. We were alone together out at the training grounds." Naruto looked over at Sakura. He had to be careful what he said with her there. "She ran off into the woods by herself and got hurt. I found her, bandaged her up as best I could, and then brought her to the hospital."
"You didn't try anything funny with her, did you?" Sakura began turning red in the face. Her 'Inner Sakura' looked like it was ready to chew steel and spit kunai. "Is that why she ran? Because you got fresh?" She looked over at the Hokage.
"I worried about sending you to train with Jiraiya." Tsunade scrutinized Naruto's face. "But I don't think that you'd do something like that."She narrowed her eyes. The sound of her next words caused everyone with earshot to shiver. "Did you?"
"I had my fill with Anko and Kurenai at the baths," Naruto said, making a face. Granny Tsunade ought to know him better than that! By the look on Sakura's face, she must have heard that story. "I told her about… you know…" He looked the Hokage straight in the eyes, and then pointed to his abdomen.
"YOU PIG!" Sakura balled up a fist, ready to knock Naruto across the room.
"He was pointing at his belly," Tsunade said, bringing a hand to her forehead. She needed an aspirin. No, a couple of bottles of pain killer.
"Oh…" Sakura blushed. The 'Inner Sakura' rubbed her fingers together, looking embarrassed.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto put his hands on his hips. "Where did you think I was pointing?" He looked back at Tsunade. "And they say that the Frog Hermit is a pervert." He smiled, hearing Sakura growl.
"Why don't you find where Shizune took Hinata, and see if she needs any help." Tsunade's words to her apprentice were an obvious dismissal. When Sakura had left, she turned her attention on Naruto. "What in Akatsuki's name made you tell the girl that?"
"You know… pretty girl… moonlit night… quiet talking… good way to break the ice." Naruto put a hand behind his head, looking more serious. "She told me her greatest secret." He swallowed hard, seeing a knowing look in the Hokage's eyes. "I wanted to tell someone about mine." He lowered his eyes. Clenching his fists, he fought of feelings of anger, loneliness, fatigue, and general orneriness. "I was tired of having to keep it hidden from everyone I care about."
"So, did it make you feel better telling someone?" Tsunade arched one eyebrow, feeling a smile tugging at her lips. "Did it make you feel better, telling it to her?" She had hoped that he would take something away from the festival. It looks like her hopes were not in vain.
"Hey! Why should anything like that make a difference?" Naruto scowled and ran a hand through his hair. "It's not like I'm hurting or anything." The echo of those words in his mind had him thinking back to the meeting in the Hokage's office earlier that day. He let out a long breath. "Yes."
"Maybe you'll listen to me next time." Tsunade said, holding out little hope for that. "Maybe I know something after all."
"Maybe," Naruto admitted grudgingly. "Don't let it go to your head." He smiled a shy smile. "It's big enough already." He pointed to the towering ceremonial hat.
"Don't remind me." Tsunade made a pitiful face. "Now what…" She looked over at the main entrance.
Naruto turned to see what had caught Tsunade's eye. It was Shino, dressed in fanciful robes with a large deep cowl. He was helping someone into the medical facilities. It was Kiba. He was holding a bag of ice over one side of his face.
"What happened?" Tsunade asked, Naruto momentarily forgotten. "He didn't get into a fight, did he?"
"No," Shino replied. "He gave a Lantern to one girl, and a kiss to another."
"AROOOOO-OOOO-OOO-OO-O…"
Akamaru's plaintive howl sounded outside from the street. That sound drowned out a series of moans. They had not come form Kiba. Another couple of ninjas had just walked in.
"You'll be alright, Shikamaru." Choji helped his best friend over to where everyone else was standing. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. Those beef skewers were so good."
Shikamaru looked the worse for wear. He was walking with a limp, had a swollen jaw, and favored one arm.
"What happened?" Naruto asked. "Get caught between Choji and the food vendor?" It looked like he was not the only one to have his own little adventure that night.
"No," Choji said. "He got between Temari and Ino." He hung his head. "I was supposed to keep Ino away from Temari tonight. But, when Shikamaru took her to the food booths..."
"He's a genius?" Naruto stared at Shikamaru. "Even I know better than to do something like that."
"AROOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO-OOO…"
"Is that Akamaru?" Sakura came over to perform triage, having heard that more patients had arrived. She was surprised to see so many of her friends standing there.
"No," Naruto said. "I think that was Lee this time." He grinned.
"Naruto…" Sakura stiffened. She had done her best to be kind to Lee that night. But, she had long since had her fill of his nonsense. A festival is no place for training kicks, shadow boxing, or running in place!
"Good one… ow-w-w-w-w…" Kiba moaned again. It hurt to smile. "Speak of the devil…"
"More?" Tsunade looked flabbergasted. There were two more shinobi, both of them wearing green robes.
"Ma'am… Gai-sensei needs assistance…" Lee supported his team leader, who was clutching at his belly, a look of excruciating pain on his face. "Hang in there, Gai-sensei. The Hokage will be able to help you."
"Did he have too much to drink?" Tsunade furrowed her brow. If that was the case, he needed to find some place to sleep things off and sober up. But, while the jounin was no stranger to excess, he did not have a habit of heavy drinking.
"No," Lee said, looking somewhat embarrassed for his teacher. "Too much to eat." He helped Gai over to a seat, watching as a nurse stopped by to see if he needed anything. "It was a contest with Kakashi. Oshinko. Pickled Chinese cabbage."
"Who won?" Naruto asked. Then he narrowed his eyes. "And who watched." He could easily picture Kakashi standing calmly by, chopsticks in one hand and his Icha Icha book in the other. But, how could he eat without taking his mask down?
"Kakashi." Lee hung his head. "The two of them went into a tent alone, under their own power. The Copy Ninja walked out on his own. I found Master Gai writhing on the floor."
"Oooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o… Kakashi… my age old rival… this latest indignity is too much to stomach." Gai had not meant it as a joke. Lee gave Naruto a cross look when his friend started snickering.
Not long after that, Hinata came back out, shocked to find a growing crowd of people that she knew. She wondered why Gai moaned like he did when Naruto asked her if she wanted to go for some pickled cabbage.
"I'd rather go watch some of the dancing, if I may." Hinata walked over and retrieved her Lantern and her bag. "I feel a lot better now, but Shizune says I will not be able to take part."
"We could do the piggy back thing again, if you like." Naruto grinned. "I'm strong enough."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata blushed. Everyone was staring at them. "Shhhh-hhh-hh-h."
"Maybe the festival wasn't such a good idea after all." Tsunade sighed.
Everyone spoke up at once.
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