Chapter Five – Cheeky Indulgence! Yuhi Kurenai!
(Fake by: Toshiro Masuda)

Yuhi-sensei?

I looked up at her with steely eyes. There was no doubt about it being her- it looked as if she hadn't changed a bit in the five years I hadn't seen her. Even age hadn't been able to alter her. Only a few unspecific things about her had changed, but it was definitely her.

"Yuhi-sensei."

"Relax, Naruto. I didn't come here to fight you…" She tried to assure me.

She spoke with a melodic quality, her voice ringing in the crisp night air like a spirit from beyond. She wore her usual bandage-looking dress. It had the same provocative skirt that ended just somewhere at the middle of her two thighs, at which she wore real bandages in the place of leg stockings. Between her long red sleeves, her large, womanly breasts were as easy to see as ever, held to her chest by only the fishnet top that supported them.

"Team Eight's Leader? What would you want with me, if not to avenge Kiba?"

I gave up trying to plea my innocence with her. Two of my friends had already attacked me with stubborn resolve, I wasn't about to try and talk a Jounin out of it if she had already decided to arrest me. If the worse came, I figured I just try and run.

She dipped her head in respect at the mention of Kiba's name. I noticed at once how her already long, brunette hair had grown, reaching to round, shapely curves behind her at the top of her legs. She stood with grace and discipline, gazing at me before she spoke again:

"After having watched you and Shikamaru, I have to admit I'm a little intimidated of your powers now, Naruto-kun. I wonder what happened to you during your absence."

She was humoring me and we both knew it. She continued to talk, but in a different tone.

"Do you realize that because of your crimes, you and that pervert-sensei of yours are the two most wanted criminals in Konoha? As a Jounin, I ought to report you…"

"But?" I asked her, noticing the reluctance in her body language.

"But, like I said, you interest me."

"Interest you? How?"

She remained silent, staring at me with expectant (hungry?) eyes.

"Look, Yuhi-sensei. Would you give me the chance to explain my case to you?"

"Good idea. Let's do that, Naruto-kun," She spoke as if she wasn't listening to what I was saying. It seemed like all she was interested in doing was studying me.

Her eyes seemed to drift right through me, caught between daydreaming and reality.

"Fine. But we can't talk here," I warned her, eager to leave the openness of the streets incase other Jounin, or worse, ANBU, would find me and try to take me with them.

"Do you know where I live?"

"Yes…" I muttered unconfidently, faintly remembering the apartment block I used to see Hinata, Kiba and Shino gathering at whenever they said they were waiting for their sensei to come out on a mission with them. Like Kakashi, she was apparently always late.

"Good," She replied, "If you want me to listen to you try to prove yourself, I'll be waiting there. Meet me there in five minutes. That should be plenty of time for you to take Shikamaru back to his parent's house just down the street from here."

Shikamaru hadn't moved. That was good for me.

I nodded to her and she did the same, remaining for a second more to gaze at me with a strange expression in her eyes, before leaving for her home.

I picked up Shikamaru's body and promptly took him to his house, knocking at the door and leaving him there to be found. I wasted no time finding the apartment I suspected belonged to Kurenai. Because she lived on one of the higher levels of the block, I jumped onto her balcony from a nearby rooftop and tapped on the glass door.

At first there was no response.

Then she came to the door and slid it open, not surprised at all that I had chosen the stealthier entry as opposed to her front door.

"You took your time."

"Well you live a bit away from the ramen shop, you've got to admit."

I stepped into her home for the first time. It was a strange experience stepping into this older woman's apartment, not knowing what to expect. I cursed myself for not properly thinking through if whether or not this was a trap she had staged or not.

We were both in her living room, which was richly furnished and well decorated. To the right was what seemed to be a small kitchenette and to the left, the corridors leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms, I presumed. It was a cozy place, and very classy.

"Would you like a drink, Naruto? Sake?" She asked, heading to the kitchen.

"Sure…" I said dubiously. If she tried to poison me, I'd just have to rely on the fox to save me. At this point I was relying on my raw instincts to survive.

I took a seat on an expensive looking, tiger-skin couch in the center of her living room, waiting for her to come back. The seat was warm and soft, begging me to sleep on it. The small fireplace in front of me seemed to insist the same thing.

"Now- where to begin?" She wondered.

"I'll start. How did you know where I was?"

She thought about the question for a second and then replied, "It started out when I saw Hinata this afternoon at the team meeting. Don't worry, she didn't betray you or anything- but I'm her team leader, right? I should be able to read them like books."

Good, I thought to myself, Hinata's still on my side.

"It was obvious to me that she always had feelings for you and it appears to me that five years of separation hasn't changed that at all. At the meeting she seemed more agitated than usual, asking me more about what the other Jounin were planning to do to intensify their search for you and stuff like that. She was always quiet, but at that meeting she seemed so unusually interested in what the Hokage was storing for you. Now, it was obvious to me that she was worried to you- but why? I asked myself. Unless…"

She paused for dramatic effect, gently pointing her finger to the ceiling as if she had figured something out, while bringing the sake pourer and two cups with her to the living room couch and taking a seat opposite me on the other side.

"Unless what?" I asked after she set my cup in front of me and filled it with wine.

"Unless you were closer to us than anyone else thought- unless you were already in the village. At that meeting I intended to discuss what you had done to Kiba- yes, we all knew it was you, not that you made an effort to hide it, anyway. But before I saw Hinata acting the way she did, I had assumed that you were camped out in the forest somewhere outside the walls. But, it seemed, you had the balls to just walk back in like you never left. Makes me wonder how you snuck past the gate guards."

I drank some of the wine, hesitant at first, but found nothing wrong with it. I looked at her over the edge of the warm cup, not letting my eyes wander far from her own.

"Anyway, I immediately told Asuma-sensei what my suspicions were and he alerted his team to the possibility of your presence. Shikamaru, it seemed, was the first to figure out were you were. He told no one that he predicted you would be eating at the ramen shop during your first night back in Konoha, but I kind of caught his idea after you two started fighting. I came just in time to see a large red ball of chakra grind him into the ground and then suddenly disappear. I don't know how you did it, but you defeated him."

She had answered my question, but she still puzzled me. She didn't seem to be fazed at all by the reality of it: me, the missing-nin, beating up one of her colleague's ninja.

She took a small sip from her own cup.

"Okay, next question: How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Relax, Naruto, if I wanted to detain you, I would have done it back then and with more people, back when you were still fighting Shikamaru. You don't have to be so apprehensive with me… look, is it this weapon's holder? I'll take it off then."

She unclasped her kunai holders and placed them on the table in front. It was a seductive action and it was hard to resist watching her do it, but I tried to focus on business.

"You've never had any interest in me before, Yuhi-sensei. Why now?"

"Firstly, my names Kurenai, like the color, not Yuhi-sensei, and secondly…"

She smiled at me enigmatically before finishing her sentence.

"Because you've grown, Naruto-kun."

"Grown?"

I was still trying to figure exactly what she meant when she clawed closer towards me on the couch until there was only about a foot between our legs. She brought her face closer to mine and mumbled dreamily, like a pet owner admiring her puppy.

"Look at you: you've grown taller, larger. Your hair is different. Even your eyes are different. You've actually grown, if I may say so, into a near-splitting image of the Fourth. Your peers probably haven't noticed it yet, but that's because they weren't alive when he was around. But I can see it and so would the other Jounin if they saw you."

"Really…?" I asked, genuinely interested in her comparison. I sipped some sake.

"I have to say: You have grown into a handsome man, Naruto. An attractive man."

I blew the sake right out of my mouth like a fire hose. "What?"

"You heard me."

And she placed her hand on my thigh and stared deeper into my eyes.

"I want you, Naruto. Give me what I want and I could help you out a little…"

"You don't honestly mean…?"

I could feel my face burning. I wasn't sure if it was the effect of the alcohol or not. The situation truly had turned into something very weird, but ultimately not repulsive. I considered my options, eager to hear just what this woman's proposition was.

"Come to bed with me tonight… and I'll tell everyone that I've already disposed of you. You can hide here in my place with me until your name is taken off the book. It's simple," She purred seductively, gently tightening the squeeze on my leg.

This situation has gone from crazy to mind-blowingly insane.

Do it! Do it! Do it!

Shut up, damn fox. Why do you always stick your nose in my business?

She brought her red, glossy lips to mine and pushed me backwards into the couch, not letting my lips go. She held me down gently, but I couldn't bring myself to resist.

Her perfume drove me crazy.

"I- I think I'll need some time to think about this," I gasped as I finally found the strength to push away from her deep, sensual kiss.

"I was still a Genin when the Fourth was still in charge around here. I wasn't the only young girl that had a major crush on that guy… it's like he's come back…"

"Yu-yu-yuhi-sensei!" I saw her lips coming to swoop back down on my face.

"…Through you!" And she kissed me again, eating hungrily at my mouth like a lioness.

I brought my hand around her back and tried to pull her off by the dress. That turned out to be a mistake when I accidentally unclasped the one part that seemed to keep her dress tight over her shoulders. With a sickening click noise, I saw her clothes loosen around her body and then ultimately fall off her like a discarded skin.

She was left with her fishnet top and a pair of crimson panties that covered her lower section. She stopped kissing for a second to look at me with a smile and say:

"Wow… you seem a bit experienced, Naruto-kun. Why don't you take off your shirt?"

"Yuhi-sensei," I huffed, "This is all a bit new to me and I think we should take some-"

"Yes! Let's do it! Let's make love!" She cried out ecstatically.

"Th-that's not what I said!"

I looked up at the clock: it was fifteen minutes until midnight. I had no idea that the time had flown by so fast. I had to do something important at midnight… but I couldn't remember what it was exactly.

It was something I really needed to do...

I was still underneath her, so I tried my best to push her off of my body. I had no idea her fishnet, ninja uniform was so weak, as I heard a rip noise ring out and, next thing I knew, there was a massive gash across the front side of her top.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that… I just…"

"Yes! Rip them off me, you beast!"

Oh my god.

I had no chance trying to defend myself against a kunoichi so determined. I had to escape. I rolled to my side, falling through her arms and off the couch, onto an exquisite carpet on the floor. It was soft and made my landing comfortable and welcome.

"Naruto-kun! Where are you going?"

"I've got to go to the bathroom! Give me a second!"

I got up straight away and bolted for the corridors that led to the personal rooms. As soon as I turned the corner I saw the tigress Jounin standing right in front of me, her two hands held against the walls like she was blocking me from going further.

"Good choice," She said to me, "This is where the bedrooms are. Rrrr!"

I turned my head and looked at the couch in surprise. She was no longer there.

How did she do that? God, she's fast!

I saw her put her hands on the bottom of her fishnet shirt and prepare to roll it off her body. I turned away immediately and ran towards the door.

"Don't do that, Naruto-kun," She chided from her sitting position, as this time she had made it to the couch again without me detecting her.

She had already pulled off enough to expose her tight, sculpted midsection.

"How did you get back there so fast without me seeing you?"

I pulled the knob on the door and immediately, it disappeared.

"What the hell?" I cried out, as the door I saw rapidly vanished and turned into a part of the wall.

"It's Genjutsu: The Two Lovers That Are Bound Together By Destiny Forever Technique. It won't allow you to leave me here alone until you've given me what I want. I've been developing it ever since the Fourth disappeared during that battle…"

I knew it. She had actually managed to convince herself that the Fourth hadn't died at the battle of Konoha, but had only disappeared. Now she saw me as this guy come back to answer her puppy-love fantasies. This is crazy.

And how the hell was I going to get out of here?

She slipped her top off, exposing her two breasts that were now only just covered by her long, dark hair. The only things that were left on her body now were the crimson, lacy panties and the bandages around her thighs.

"Yuhi-sensei…"

"It's Kurenai!" She corrected, staring at me with starry eyes.

God, for an adult, she sure knows how to revert back to a teenage kid.

"Kurenai. I'm flattered, but I don't honestly see how anything good can come out of me sleeping with you. For now, I think it'd be cool if you keep pretending you never saw me and maybe after I find that stupid pervert-sensei so that he can tell everyone what really happened, then I'll think about meeting you again and…"

Her eyes went wide and when she spoke, I could tell she hadn't been listening to a word I had been saying.

"You do know that Jiraiya has been missing for five years now? He's a missing-nin."

"Yeah, but he's the only one that can prove to everyone that I'm innocent!"

"Hmm, years ago, before you left the village, I remember how that guy and Tsunade had gotten into some sort of argument before he disappeared."

"Really?"

"Anyway! That doesn't matter! Back to the loving!" She giggled.

I turned around in horror, afraid of what she was going to do next.

She was busy performing hand-seals…

I started to sweat- her next technique looked powerful and unpredictable.

"Kurenai…?"

"Mystic Genjutsu: Tree-Bind Death (Magen: Jubaku satsu)!"

And suddenly, as soon as she had ended the seals, something that looked like tree roots broke through the floor and snaked around my ankles. I wasn't even able to budge an inch as a miniature tree grew out of the floor in a similar way, right behind me.

When I looked up at the ceiling, up at the branches of this tree, I suddenly saw Kurenai's half naked body sitting on the branch, staring down at me with murderous intent.

I jumped in surprise and tried even harder to struggle free.

"It's no use, Naruto-kun, you're mine now…"

"Help!" I screamed out in surprise.

Suddenly a voice came from behind the wall, where I suspected the real door was hidden from my mind. It belonged to a young girl…

"Hello, Yuhi-sensei? Are you alright?"

It was Hinata.

Kurenai and I looked at each other, equal surprise on both of our faces. We hadn't expected her to arrive so close to midnight.

"Yes! I'm okay, Hinata. What's wrong at this time of night?"

"I, well, wanted to talk to you about Kiba. The doctors at the hospital called me just now and said that something serious has happened. They want you to go see him now. They said they tried to call you an hour ago, but you weren't home. When I tried, you didn't answer either, so I decided to come visit and see what was wrong after the hospital called me to get you again. So I was wondering, if you're not busy… could you please…"

"Ki-Kiba? Err… right! I'll be there straight away!" Kurenai yelled back.

"Great, I'll wait outside here for you so that we can go together, sensei," Came the reply.

"I'll just get dressed, give me five minutes!" She called back.

Phew. I sighed as Hinata unwittingly saved me from something regrettable.

"You're lucky tonight, Naruto-kun! But I'll get you! You and I have unfinished business!"

Suddenly the illusion disappeared. In a puff of smoke, there was no longer any roots over my ankles, no tree sprouted behind me, and a door where I thought it should be.

"Goodbye, Kurenai. I'm sure we'll meet again."

I looked at the clock. It was now ten minutes till midnight. Unbelievable, I thought to myself, how she had managed to stretch five minutes into what felt like an eternity.

I stepped up to the balcony door through which I had entered. It also seemed to change position as the conventional door had during the illusion. As I prepared to jump out of her home, she said something to me that didn't leave a doubt in my mind that it was true.

"We will meet again, Naruto. I promise you."

I didn't turn around. I just jumped right through and left.

I finally remembered what it was I had to do in the last few minutes that had passed.

I had a date with destiny. I had to go see Hinata.

I jumped over the roofs and ran through whatever streets I could without getting spotted, and ended up at the Hyuuga manor in the other side of Konoha.

I scaled the walls and popped into her window and waited where I had last seen her and promised to meet her again. I was hoping that her trip to the hospital with Kurenai wouldn't take her too long.

I checked the clock on her wall.

It said: twelve-fifty-nine. One minute until midnight.

Then, suddenly, I heard a noise.

"Ow! Ow-wow-wow!"

I turned around to see a girl at the entrance to the room tripping over a handful of spiked caltrops on the floor. What the caltrops were doing there, I gave up trying to figure out.

I stepped out of the shadows just as Hinata had picked herself up off the floor.

"Hinata."

"Na-Naruto? You came back…"

"Yes. Well, we did have unfinished business…" I replied to her.

Hinata giggled to herself.

"Can I get you something to eat?"

"No, but a bed would be just fine…"

"Okay."

"But there's so many rooms in this big house, Naruto-kun, you don't mind if we sleep in the same room?"

"No, I don't mind, Hinata-san."

Our conversation became scarce and sleepy, as we both had had a huge day.

We came up to her bedroom. I didn't bother to look around, I skydived right for the couch near the entrance to her room.

I lied down on it hard, trying to fight off my heavy eyelids.

"Goodnight, Hinata."

"Goodnight, Naruto…"

We were quiet for ten whole seconds, and then:

"Err, Naruto…?"

"Hm?"

"You don't mind if you come into this bed with me… It's kind of cold and…"

I didn't let her finish. I picked myself up and went underneath the covers until I was on the opposite side of her huge bed. I wrapped my arm around her belly.

"Better?"

"A lot better."

"By the way… how's Kiba doing?" I murmured sleepily.

"I actually just came back from the hospital with sensei! They told us that his condition dropped, but suddenly improved again. He'll be fine in a few days, so it was a false alarm, I guess. Rock Lee was there with us. Poor guy- he must feel pretty frustrated to see Kiba lying there like that, reminding him of what he was like when he was back in hospital five years ago. He wasn't just frustrated… he seemed mad, even."

Argh… why is Hinata so talkative at this time of night? I'm exhausted.

I turned over and kissed her on her lips before she could say anything else. She responded by holding me closer over her body, our hands playing over each other's smooth bodies.

Suffice to say, she didn't have much to say after that.

I won't tell any of you what happened after that. But let's just say we had a good night's rest after all that had happened. I felt like I slept for an eternity, because by the time I woke up my body felt all rested and ready to go. I was in fighting shape, once more.

And damn, I would need it, judging by the next encounter I was going to have…