It's late, I'm tired, and despite the shortage of reviews (though the few that I did receive were awesome) I wrote this chapter anyways. Keep in mind that I have no beta reader (I think that's what they're called) and the last part of this chapter was written in the middle of the night. If you think you as readers are desperate for me to push the story along, imagine how I feel. It's frustrating when you have an idea you know people will love but also know that the idea is several chapters away. The First summer session will be coming to an end soon, which means that I finished this chapter before my finals start.
Please Read, Review, and Enjoy.
And if you don't mind, pass this story along to people you think might enjoy it. I suck at PR and all that shit.
Damn it's Dark in Here
Naruto was, to put it mildly, a bit frustrated with Maiku's instructions. While everyone else had been sent off to some unknown and attractively mysterious destination, he had been told to stand against the wall of the bar and wait for a sign. The only thing he was allowed to do was play his instrument. It seemed simple and it would definitely improve his skill, but then the renowned guitarist had thrown an explosive tag on him. The ONLY thing he was allowed to do was play. No eating, no sleeping, no talking, no nothing until he received a sign.
When everyone was gone, except for Shino who had passed out from dizziness after walking in a circle for so long, Maiku specifically added that he was not allowed to use the Kyubi's talents during this training. After all, the goal was for Naruto to improve his own skills, not give his prisoner yard time. He had been told that his task would end after three days, whether his sign appeared to him or not. When Naruto asked how he was supposed to go three days without food or sleep, two of the most precious things Naruto had in his life, Fallen Shinobi merely laughed and told him that he should rely on his training as a ninja. Rin even added how the Fourth Hokage once went a month without eating while on a mission, something Naruto seriously doubted no matter how great a shinobi he was.
What Naruto had found truly unbearable, even more so than the ridiculous requirements that Maiku and his cohorts had set for him, were the two skeeby stoners leaning against the wall next to him. The chubby guy with the beard Naruto could tolerate. The guy was almost as quite as Shino, content with smoking a cigarette and checking out the sweet honeys that passed by. The other Naruto described as, and I quote, "a stupid son of a bitch that needed to learn how to shut the hell up." This was saying a lot coming from Naruto, the world's number one blah blah blah loudest ninja.
"Man, Silent Bob," he started. "Do you remember that mother fuckin' bitch from that band Fallen what-the-fuck? I can't stop thinking about that fine ass. Can't help but wanna spank it. Oh the fuckin' things I would do with that."
The stoner with the mouth started making out with an invisible body, hands groping where an ass would have been and his tongue flailing out in the air. Naruto tried not to pay attention, doing his best to adjust his amplifier so that it wasn't loud enough to disrupt the business on the inside of the bar, but audible enough to attract a potential audience. His attention was caught by the fat man, aptly named Silent Bob, who was writing something on a piece of cardboard.
When he held it up, it read, 'You mean the rhythm guitarist Rin from Fallen Shinobi?'
"Nah you fat bitch! I'm talking about the mother fuckin' babe with the long ass hair on vocals." One of Naruto's guitar strings snapped as the images of the lead singer of Fallen Shinobi and this hormonal douche together in a horizontal tango flooded his brain. He might have been the most feminine guy of the group but he was still definitely a guy. Even Silent Bob could figure that out, his next sign coming up in a flash.
'Serius!'
"Yeah I'm fuckin' serious! What the fuck are you, gay? You big fuckin' homo."
There was no sign this time as the round man in the heavy coat fell to the ground laughing. He only stopped when his hetero-life mate began kicking him rigorously, demanding to know what the fuck was so funny. A second string on Naruto's guitar snapped when the man on the ground spoke for the first time.
"Jay, buddy," he started, trying to keep his laughter contained. "That was a dude."
Jay merely blinked for a few seconds, completely taken by surprise.
"What the fuck are you babbling about! Don't you think I know a fucking guy when I see one? Hey you!" Naruto stopped replacing the strings on his guitar when he realized Jay was talking to him. "Is what this fat fuck saying true?" Naruto could only manage a disturbed yet vigorous nod. "Ah fuck! The hell with it, I still want to spank that ass."
The duo finally left, Naruto finished replacing his strings, and all was right with the world once more. The only comfort Naruto had was the knowledge that Shino was probably wandering around the woods aimlessly. It was not as if Shino would get lucky finding a place to stay for the night just following a damn arrow.
Very Late That Night, in a Very Secluded House…
The hour was late and all that could be heard were the sounds of crickets chirping and metal springs going bounce bounce in the night. The air was filled with the scent of burning incense escaping the confines of the cozy residence. The moon shone brightly in all its glory, giving the home a heavenly glow.
"Oh God Shino! Yes! Yes! Faster! Faster! Right There! Just a little bit more!" The woman's words were ended with a scream of pure ecstasy. Angels gave their blessings with a glorious 'Hallelujah.' From outside the room of the couple's love making, one could hear deep pantings of exhaustion. "Are you good to go again?"
"…" (Do you even have to ask? Ring the bell because here comes round five.)
A Dark Unknown Location…
Hinata slowly opened her eyes, dazed and confused by her situation. The white eyed girl remembered walking in the direction Serius had sent her but somewhere between the two-hundred-and-fifty-third and two-hundred-and-fifty-fourth tree she passed she was knocked unconscious from behind. Neji and her father must really be a new breed of asshole if they thought revealing the blind spot to Hinata would have been a waste of time.
Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound. She briefly wondered why her captors had not gagged her when it occurred to her that she could have been passed out for days and might be deep within enemy territory. She tried to activate her byakugan and erupted in panic. Her blood line limit, the technique which pretty much every Hyuga becomes dependent on from birth, was not working. She tried to release some of her charka in order to cut her restraints but discovered it was just as futile. Her captors had done their homework.
Questions raced through her mind as she looked around the pitch black room. Who were these people? What did they want? Were they after her or was she supposed to lure someone else? Were they after Naruto or was it her byakugan? Would anyone even notice her missing? Would anyone care?
Feeling a wall behind her, she quickly turned and slammed her forehead against it. Her train of thought was not helping in the slightest bit and she needed to think of ways out of this mess. Scooting on the ground, she traced her way around the room and discovered that she was locked in a small room that seemed to be missing a door. There was no handle and no cracks in the wall that would have given away its location and no amount of tapping on the wall could help her discern a difference in structure (i.e. she was shit out of luck as far as finding a door was concerned). The silence was deafening and the poor girl was on the verge of tears when she thought that she might very well be in a standing coffin.
An hour passed and nothing…
An hour passed and nothing…
An hour passed and nothing…
Back at the Bar With Naruto…
Several hours had passed (after the Jay and Silent Bob incident but before Shino gets any) and as Naruto played, he found that he was able to completely tune out the world around him. In his state of tranquility, the prospect of going without food, sleep, or anything else seemed trivial. All that mattered at the moment were him and the six strings at his fingers. He was so enraptured by the sounds he was making that he failed to see the small group of people gathering around. He did not even react to the small pile of money amassing on the ground at his feet. What was money when he had music?
At the moment, Naruto was playing a variation of one of the ballads that he had heard at the concert. He had found the riff and solo the most interesting guitar play he'd ever heard but something told him it was missing something, though he could not quite put his finger on it then. Now that he had his instrument in hand, what he could not put in words came flowing out. He altered the tempo, picking it up in some areas and slowing it down in others. Where the original piece had shied away from the bass lines, Naruto included them with joy. Those who listened wore a sad smile on their face as they wept tears of joy.
It was not until Naruto had finished his song and the crowd began clapping that he took notice of the people. He was a little embarrassed that he was unaware of the group surrounding him but hid it with one of his wide grins. Praise was one of the things Naruto treasured with all his heart as he had received very little growing up. He wanted to thank them in his own way and after seeing the money on the floor, he came up with an idea. He knocked on the wall he was propped up against to get the barman's attention. When he arrived, Naruto pointed at the money, then drew a circle in the air with a finger, and then pointed at the crowd. The barman, being fluent in idiot sign language, knew exactly what he wanted. He took the money and had one of his assistants bring a round of drinks to the crowd.
Naruto then began another song, but when one of the crowd members recognized it to be yet another cover, things took a turn for the worse. The asshole started booing. "Play your own goddamn songs," he shouted. As pissed as it made him, Naruto was more concerned about a possible riot. Fortunately, the Barman came to his rescue.
"Shut the hell up you punk kids!" he shouted as he and some of the more benevolent listeners pinned the instigators to the ground. "He's not playing for your benefit and he sure as hell isn't forcing you to stay here. But since you're so restless, let's make a little wager. That kid has never played an original piece in his life. Making one up on the spot would be hard as hell. If he fails, you and your idiot friends will get free beer for the rest of the year. However, if he can pull it off, you and your buddies will have to drink all of the worst beer I have in storage," he leaned in close to the young man's ear, "and I'll be using your asshole as the bottle opener."
Naruto was feeling the pressure. Free drinks for that many people would mean going out of business for the bar. He had never been able to come up with something completely knew. Hell, his best technique, as elite as it was, was nothing more than a duplicate of the Fourth's jutsu. He looked down at the guitar that had been a gift from the demon within him and wondered if he should break the rules set for him, feigning extenuating circumstances. That was when he felt large hands press firmly on his shoulders.
"Relax boy," the barman said in a cheery tone. "All the faith I have in your skill won't mean a damn thing if you don't have any in it yourself. Just have fun and you'll do fine. Besides, the pretty girl with the freaky eyes left you this. Said something about an emergency, inspiration, or something along like that. Can't remember as I was stoned out of my mind at the time."
Naruto took a familiar notebook from the barman, realizing it was the same one that Hinata had been constantly scribbling in. He opened it to find it nearly full, page after page of song ideas and drafts. He noticed that a few of the pages were torn out and there was a faint curiosity as to why she would do such a thing, but his current situation did not give him the luxury of time he would have needed to dwell on the subject. Naruto read over several of the titles and stopped at the first one that caught his attention.
'Never Give Up'
It was one of the more recent entries and needed a lot of work, but something about it, and knowing that it was coming from Hinata, inspired him. If he were to let the demon fox win this battle for him now, who was to say that Naruto wouldn't do it again and again? This was his fight and nothing was going to keep him from victory, especially not something as pathetic as uncertainty or lack of confidence.
Needless to say, that was all the motivation the blond teen needed. Confidently taking the neck of his guitar in hand he began jamming. He was no singer and he sure as hell was not about to soil the white eyed girl's art with his feeble attempt. Instead, he swore to grace the song with as much skill on his guitar as he could muster. Hinata, in Naruto's mind, had probably written the song as an anthem for herself as a reminder to always be strong, but the blond boy could easily see it as his own.
Little by little the random notes being played began to evolve into a moving riff. From there, Naruto improved the draft riff as he played in much the same way as he improved on the songs of other bands. When he was pleased with the final product, he varied his guitar play before finally breaking out into what would become his solo segment of the song.
The crowd burst into an orgasmic cheer.
The assholes of the antagonists clenched in dread.
Hinata's Dark Place…
Hinata's eyes were now dry, having cried every last tear she could produce. She felt bitter about everything she had experienced up to that point where she was knocked unconscious and dragged into a closet. Resentment is easy to build when there is nothing better to do. She loathed her father for his neglect of her in favor of her younger sister Hanabi. Was it her fault if she was not a naturally talented genius? Of course not! Genetically speaking, she could easily blame her father for everything wrong with her, especially their common inferiority to a younger sibling.
And what the hell was Neji's problem anyways? At least he had the sympathy card to play from time to time. She was a prisoner but to anyone outside the Hyuga bubble, she was nothing more than a spoiled heiress of a wealthy and prominent clan. Hinata was as spoiled as milk straight out of a cow's utter and she would gladly accept the Hyuga seal upon her forehead for the freedom her older cousin took for granted.
Her thoughts trailed off to her teammates, the oh-so-caring Shino and Kiba. Teammates so overly concerned with seeing her as a liability that they hardly gave her the chance to grow. 'Don't worry Hina-chan! We'll handle this,' had become their mantra on missions and although Hinata would bear it with a smile it killed her a little inside to know how little they thought of her. What was the point of all her training if she never had the opportunity to use what she learned?
A flash of pink from her delusions and her thoughts were redirected at Sakura. Oh how she hated and envied that ditz with the violence fetish. She was everything Hinata wished she could be. Smart, confident, strong, intimidating, attractive. She was all the things Naruto admired in a girl but she never gave the blond boy a second glance and acted as if he was beneath her. Who the hell does she think she is! He throws himself at her feet yet she fawns over a lunatic who would stab his friends in the back if it meant a chance at revenge.
And what the hell is wrong with Naruto! Is he really so dense that he can't see how much she admires him? Hinata thought of all the times she had watched him train and how he had caught her spying on him several times. Did he really not see anything behind her actions or did he just not think her important enough to be given a second thought? There she was each and every time, making it painfully obvious with all her blushing and stuttering how much she cared for him, but all he did was brush her off. She throws herself at his feet yet he fawns over a psychopath who would sooner stab him in the heart if it could get her closer to the one she truly loved.
Then there was Hinata, in all her disgusting weakness. A girl so weak she could not keep herself from getting captured for the umpteenth time in her life, waiting for someone to rescue her. A girl so pathetic she spent the last hours contemplating how much she hated the people around her when the one she was truly upset with was none other than herself. How could she expect to help the boy she cared so much about if she couldn't even help herself.
Her thoughts were silenced when she heard rustling coming from behind the door, the first sounds she had heard for hours. There were voices of several giddy women and the sounds of clothing and furniture being moved around. While they may have been only faint whispers for Hinata, she knew that on the outside it was a madhouse of noise.
She opened her mouth to speak but found that words would not leave her mouth. She tried to make a sound, any sound, but was unable.
Why!
Why couldn't she get herself to do something so simple!
Why couldn't she do what she knew she had an obligation to do!
Why was she so pathetic?
At that moment, something snapped in the poor girl. She came to the realization that she was tired. Tired of not being seen and tired of not being heard. She rose to her feet carefully and hopped towards the noise. She rested her head against the wall in front of her, her strength gone from hunger and exhaustion.
"Help me," she said in a whisper. That would not do. No one would hear her over the noise outside and her choice of words lacked the authority anyone would respect.
"Open the door," she said in a more stern voice, frustration seeping through. That was better but still needed some work. She tried to think of her time with Naruto and his makeshift band of musicians and all the times she had turned into someone she wasn't. Someone she thought Naruto might respect. Someone she wanted desperately to become.
"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR! DO YOU HEAR ME! I'VE BEEN STUCK DOWN HERE FOR HOURS AND THE LEAST YOU COULD FUCKING DO IS GET ME SOMETHING TO EAT! GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME GOD I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER PISSING ME OFF!"
Something about her outburst felt strangely liberating and intoxicating. Out of nowhere she started throwing her shoulder into the wall, not so much as blinking when it popped out of place. She felt powerful and she liked it. The thoughts of what she would do to whoever was responsible for locking her up caused a sadistic and bloodthirsty smile to creep onto her face. To say she had lost it would have been the understatement of the millennium.
"Hold your horses," was the muffled response to Hinata's tirade. The wall Hinata had been throwing herself against had apparently been the door and all her banging and thrusting had been pretty pointless since it was very sturdy and opened inward. Whoever designed that door must have been a very sick genius to have it blend seamlessly with the empty closet she was standing in. The light that flooded her prison was blinding but it did not change the fact that she was ready to rip the first person she saw to shreds. The innocent appearance of the freckled woman who walked in did.
"My gosh sugar! What in tarnation are you doin' in here?"
"That's what I would like to know," Hinata said in an annoyed tone. "Where exactly is here anyways?"
"You're in our dressing room, squirt," said a voice from the bigger room outside the closet. The other woman was hardly as kindhearted as the freckled lady. "Molly, get the kid out of here. Little boy's aren't supposed to be back here."
"I'm a girl you bitch!" Hinata snapped. "Excuse me for having a couple more years before I start tripping over my breasts!"
"What did you say you little tomboy!"
"You heard me!"
The two girls were now face to face, Hinata having hopped out of the closet still bound and the other woman completely naked with half her face in full make-up. The growls and snarls coming from them would have frightened wolves away, but it was not enough to deter Molly from bring the peace.
"Now, now ladies. This is my place of business and I will not have two pretty girls such as yourselves make such an ugly scene. Tilly, finish getting ready and go. You come with me, little missy," she said as she curled a finger to Hinata signaling for her to follow. The woman named Molly led Hinata into the main section of the building, which resembled pretty much a bar or restaurant with a DJ, sectioned stages, and lots of smoke. Something told Hinata she should run for the sake of her soul but that part of her had lost all say in her decision making process.
"You wouldn't happen to be a Miss Hyuga Hinata, would you?" Molly said with a questioning look. When Hinata nodded, the busty freckled redhead was taken aback. "My word! You weren't supposed to be here for another hour! Whatever were you doing in that closet?"
"Someone attacked me from behind on my way here and the next thing I know I'm tied up locked in a closet. Wait, you were expecting me?"
"Sure was. A Mister Serius came by a few hours ago and dropped off a letter for you. Said something about making you our new temp waitress and boy am I glad. We've been shorthanded ever since the Fitzpatrick sisters quite. Here you got sweetie."
Hinata took the letter from Molly's hand and looked it over carefully. As a diehard fan of Fallen Shinobi, she recognized it immediately as Serius's handwriting. Her blood began to boil as she proceeded to read the contents.
'Dear Hinata,
By now you have probably figured out that I was the one who ambushed you in the forest and locked you in the closet. I sincerely apologize, but it was necessary for you to hit rock bottom before you could climb out of your hole. You may resent me now, and may even want to hurt me later, but I am sure you are feeling a great deal more confident than when we last spoke. If you are out of the closet, then that means that you were able to use the voice you have been hesitant to use up to this point. Never forget how you felt at that moment because that will be the key to improving the status of your fledgling band.
As for you 'temp job' here, Molly can explain more than I can. You may feel hesitant or disgusted, but know that there is a lesson for you to learn within these walls. You were beautiful as a caterpillar. Let's see what Kind of butterfly you will make.
Serius
PS: If you are wondering how I could know so much about your bloodline ability, I used to date a pretty white eyed girl when I was in the village. Whenever you have time, I suggest you go back to the closet and collect the barrier tags I placed on the walls. Place them on the walls of your room whenever you feel like having some alone-time. Consider it my little peace offering.'
Hinata's temper was pretty deflated by the end of the letter. He had a good reason for doing what he did and he had given her something extremely valuable for a teenage girl living inside the Hyuga estate. How could you not forgive someone who gave you back your privacy? She turned her attention to her new temporary boss.
"I'm ready to work whenever you need me, but would it be alright if I had something to eat first?"
"Of course cutey!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. She signaled for a scantly clad waitress to make a table ready. "Anything for my newest employee. Consider yourself a member of our happy family here at Molly's Nudey Bar."
Hinata's jaw hit the floor as all her former feeling of hostility towards Serius revived itself.
Back to the Wallflower…
It was now midnight down at the pub and Naruto was beginning to understand the hallucinations spawned from hunger. As he played different chords to the rhythm of his growling stomach, he thought he saw an army of midgets walking in unison right before he eyes.
'The munchkins go marching, one by one
Hoorah, Hoorah'
Naruto was so hungry the thought of eating his guitar was starting to sound appealing. When the hell was he supposed to get his sign and what the hell was it supposed to be! Was his sign supposed to be the fat man writing about Serius and his friend's gay fetish for him? Was that his sign? Or maybe it was watching those bottles being opened in such a disgusting yet strangely satisfying manner in accordance with the barman's wager. What the hell was he waiting on?
"Hey kid," shouted a man in a black trench coat and shades, even though it was well into the night. Naruto looked around but saw no one else. Everyone was either at home sleeping or inside the bar. Still, he could not stop from pointing at himself in a confused manner.
"No, I want to ask the wall behind you if she wants to make out," he said in a very sarcastic tone. "Here's your sign."
Whether or not this was the sign Naruto was waiting for, he jumped away from the wall and would have kissed him full on the lips if the man had not dodged masterfully. "I'm sorry. I swear I'm not gay, but I've been waiting for hours without food or water hoping to hear those words. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank—"
"Alright kid, I get the point. I just stopped by to tell you how impressed I was with your performance earlier. I've met my share of guitarists but not many could pull something out of their ass as quickly as you did."
"Well," Naruto started, not exactly sure how he should respond. "Thank you."
"I also wanted to offer you a spot in a little competition I'm holding for ten of the best guitarists I've come across. Winner gets one hell of a prize."
"I'd love to but I'm not sure if that's what I should be doing. I need to get better so my band can improve."
"That sounds like the best reason on earth to enter. You can't get better if you don't know what your competition is. And any guitarist will tell you that a jam session with another guitarist is always better than playing solo. Besides, if you were looking for a sign before, then this is probably what it was for."
Naruto had to think for a while. He definitely wanted to get a feel for a competition, but he had one little condition before he consented.
"Alright, you feed me and we have a deal."
"That isn't a problem and you can call me Bill. What say we head over to Molly's for a bite to eat?"
"Do they serve ramen?"
"Kid, I'm not too sure what the hell ramen is, but I can assure you that food is the last thing you'll be thinking of."
Molly's Lack of Clothing Place of Business…
The first thing the white eyed girl was glad to hear was that she would not be removing any of her clothing. However, she would have to wear a very revealing outfit and serve drinks to drunken sexual deviants. How fortunate for her that she was trained to kill each and every one of them should they get out of hand…or piss her off.
The worst part of the job for her was having to endure the cheesy music many of the girls chose to dance to. Of course, very few of the men sitting down had any use for their ears. Their eyes were completely glued to the women on the stage. With so much as a bat of the eyes, the girls could cause their audience to hyperventilate and succumb to their most primal of desires. The best of the dancers, Tilly included, could have any man of the audience do exactly what she wanted before he even realized she was making him do it. Hinata was amazed to see one man bus his own table on a stripper's whim.
Hinata wanted that so bad, wanted to make the man of her choice react that way for her. To send shivers down a certain yellow haired boy's spine with something as simple as a smile or take his breath away with a look. A slap to her behind snapped her out of her personal fantasy as she popped her assailant smack in the throat and then kicked him in the balls (ah, haven't done that in a while). This new attitude of hers was coming naturally now and the once shy girl did very little to hide it.
At that moment the lights died down and the music made a transition from a country rhythm to a jazzy baseline. Hinata knew what was coming. This was Tilly's third set of the night and the white eyed girl found that of all the women who worked that stage, Tilly was the most beautiful. When people caught sight of her, regardless of gender or sexual preference, she was the only thing they saw. Hinata found herself holding her breath until her body forced her to exhale against her will.
Tilly was a master when it came to working both a pole and a crowd. She orchestrated the lights before each and every set and it created the illusion that she was floating above the stage when she clung to the pole. As a Shinobi, Hinata had to admire her flexibility and imagined how useful her talents could be if applied to a routine reconnaissance. Then again, with her seductive nature Tilly could probably get the men to let her in through the front door.
For Tilly, stripping was not a job or a hobby. It was art, the stage as her canvas and her body as the paint. She was beautiful, the make-up she applied simply to make herself more visible in the dark room. Her body was a work of art of divine origin and Hinata was ashamed for having ever insulted it. She had long auburn hair with dazzling blue eyes, silky smooth skin, a thin figure with sexy hips and a flattering pair of breasts. She knew that if she wanted a clean conscience she would have to apologize soon. Her chance came as Tilly's set ended. She called out for a five minute break and headed to the dressing room.
"Ano, Tilly?" she began nervously. "I wanted to apologize for the things I said earlier. I was so upset about being stuck in a closet for so many hours that I took it out on you. I'm sorry," she added with a bow.
Tilly looked the girl over before smiling and putting her hand to her forehead. "Don't worry about it. I was late for my shift and was a little cranky myself. I shouldn't have called you a boy. The closet was dark and I didn't have my contacts in. You're actually very pretty."
"Thank you." Hinata blushed at the compliment. It truly meant a lot coming from her. "I'm not as pretty as you are. You were beautiful on stage."
"Um," Tilly was becoming incredibly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was developing. "Just so we're clear, I'm not into girls. I happen to be very straight despite my teasing nature."
When Hinata realized how she had been misunderstood, she quickly began shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her for emphasis. "N-n-neither am I! I just wish that I could have that effect on people. I don't really get much attention in my village and the one I really like seems to think I'm invisible half the time."
"Hmmm," the attractive woman hmmmed to herself, stroking her chin as se thought. Tilly had to admit that the girl before her had a lot of potential as far as crowd moving went. Hinata had an amazing figure herself for a girl her age, and the short hair and white eyes only added to her appeal. If a girl like her had trouble getting noticed then it was entirely a personality issue. "You're usually a very shy and quiet individual, aren't you?"
The girl nodded as she took a seat next to Tilly. "I still can't believe that I actually agreed to sing for my crush's band."
"Eh? So that's why Serius sent you here."
"You know Serius?"
"Of course I do," she said as she held up a hand with a ring on her ring finger. "That lazy bastard is my husband."
"WHAT!"
"Before you ask, we kept it a secret to keep the tabloids and reporters off of our family. Serius has to deal with enough of it on the road and he really didn't want me and his daughter to deal with it. Now back to what I was saying before. Singers need charisma and appeal to move an audience. A voice isn't enough if the singer is dull and uninteresting. That's how a lot of bands fail."
"That's not something I need to hear. I'm already afraid that I'll screw up in the middle of a performance." Hinata thought carefully for a moment. She knew that you couldn't learn sex appeal but something within her was desperate. It wasn't the fear of failure that was driving her the way she thought it would be. Instead, it was a part of her she was unfamiliar with that wanted out, like a beast she had been caging her entire life but had been too afraid to let out. "I don't know if it's even possible, but could you maybe teach me how to work a crowd the way you do?"
A sly grin spread across the lovely woman's face but before she could utter a single word, their conversation was interrupted by Molly from the main room.
"Hinata! Your five minutes are up and we have incoming. Take the handsome gentleman and the young blond man at table twelve!"
Hinata jumped to her feet and headed out, making sure her outfit wasn't revealing anything that shouldn't be as she ran out, intentionally doing her best not to look back.
Table Twelve…
Naruto was as stiff as a plank of wood and that can be taken in any number of ways. As much as he tried to keep his attention on the table in front of him, he couldn't help but glance at the naked and scantly dressed women that walked passed him. One in particular made him blurt out involuntarily.
"Oh my god! Did you see the size of those things!"
To which Bill replied, "I sure did!"
As the two waited patiently for their waitress to arrive, Naruto became curious about the competition he had just entered. He learned that the ten guitarists would be competing over a two night period. The five who one their matches the first night would then go on to compete in the same concert hall where the semifinals of the battle of the bands would be held. Transportation, food, and lodging would be provided for those who needed and there was no entry fee.
Naruto was about to ask about the prize when their waitress arrived. Naruto had been on his best behavior keeping his eyes from wandering too much. However, now that they had been assigned a cute girl to serve them, Naruto could not help but see an opportunity to sneak a few innocent peeks.
"Ano," the waitress began, completely oblivious to the people she was serving. Naruto continued to turn his head in her direction, casting his stare on just the perfect spot to glimpse cleavage…beautiful cleavage…lovely cleavage. "How can I help you?"
At the same moment the waitress looked away from her notepad to the blond boy, Naruto's gaze roamed to the eyes of his waitress. Very familiar white eyes.
"Hinata!"
"Naruto!"
"You two know each other?" Bill chided in.
Naruto briefly explained their connection with each other to Bill after which Hinata informed Naruto on her situation. It was an awkward moment, but everything seemed to work itself out. Hinata took their orders and headed off, but when she returned all hell broke loose. Before their arrival, Hinata had been the ideal waitress. Every meal was brought exactly the way the customer ordered promptly and not a single dish made so much as a sound as she set them in front of the customers.
Naruto's presence had an unbelievable influence. She took the wrong order for Bill, accidentally dropped Naruto's drink in his lap, and broke several plates at nearby tables. Needless to say it caught Molly's attention.
"Hinata, what is going on?" she asked sounding very concerned. "You were perfect until just a minute ago. What's wrong sweetie? Is someone giving you a hard time?"
Of course, hearing something might be wrong with his fellow Konoha shinobi as well as his new vocalist worried Naruto. "Is everything alright Hinata? If some bastard is doing anything perverted to you don't hesitate to tell me. I'll kick their asses back to next week!"
Hinata began blushing once more, back away as she assured the two of them that nothing was wrong. However, she walked right into another waitress who was carry a stack of plates, all of which shattered on the floor. Molly looked at Hinata, then at the blond boy, and put two and two together.
"So you're the young man that's causing all this pandemonium." Molly had a stern look on her face stressed by the crossed arms in front of her busty chest. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you and your friend to leave. I won't have anyone harassing my girls while I can help it."
"What!" Naruto shouted in surprise. "I would never do anything like that to Hinata-chan!"
"Are you saying she isn't good enough for you?"
"Of course not! It's just that…well…she's Hinata. I wouldn't want to be a problem for her."
"Well you're having a serious affect on our little Hinata and it's keeping her from doing her job here. I guess I could let you stay, but I certainly can't have her attending tables while you're here. Why don't I let her take her last break with you fine gentleman so she has a chance to work out her jitteriness?"
"And exactly what affect am I having on her?"
Before Molly could answer his question, Hinata was off the floor and quickly guiding Naruto back to his table, emphatically declaring that it was nothing. She took a seat next to Naruto and did her best to hide her nervousness. Naruto was also trying his best not to stare at the uniform he had been ogling only moments before. He was amazed how pretty she could look from something as simple as a change in outfit.
"So Naruto," Bill said, mostly to break the silence. "Aren't you at all curious about the prize for the winner?"
"What prize?" Hinata asked out of curiosity.
"I entered a contest for guitarists in exchange for a meal. Actually, I was about to ask about the prize before we boobed—bumped! I mean bumped into Hinata!" Naruto was sweating now and Hinata looked away in embarrassment, still a little pleased that the blonde baka was finally taking notice. Naruto cleared his throat before continuing. "So what exactly is the prize?"
"Well, before I tell you that, I need to explain a little bit more about myself. You see, many years back I used to be a well known scout for a record company. I took a trip down to Konoha and caught a band by the name of Burning Leaf and was so impressed that I threw down the contract papers on the spot. The young man who seemed to be the glue that held them all together was extremely pleased with it but said he had other responsibilities. However, he said that he would have no problem with me signing his younger members individually.
"I told him he was out of his mind and said it was an all or nothing deal. How the hell was I suppose to know that the man I was talking to, the man whose guitar playing could make angels cry, was the leader of an entire ninja village and that he would later sacrifice himself to protect the very place I had been in only days before. A week after I received news of his death, the kids from his band showed up in my office, asking if I would reconsider signing them. After looking into their eyes and seeing that they no longer had any place to go, I recanted and Fallen Shinobi was born.
"When they came to my office, they presented me with a gift from the man you call the Fourth. It was a pristine white guitar with a leaf emblem on it. I recognized it immediately as the guitar your hokage had used on the last performance before he died. It was the very same guitar he had learned to play with and had had all his life. Those kids might as well have given me the keys to the country. However, knowing that young man, he would have wanted it passed down to someone who would treasure it the way a guitar is meant to be treasured.
"That is why I have set up this makeshift competition: to decide who will be their heir to that man's legacy." Bill paused for a moment as he looked Naruto over. Naruto and Hinata could have sworn they saw the hints of tears in his eyes, but they disappeared as quickly as they presented themselves. "When I look at you I can't help but see a little bit of him in you. Not only your appearance but in the way you play. The notes come from your heart, not your hands. I think you stand a good chance at winning this competition."
Naruto looked at Hinata to make sure that what he was hearing was true. The excitement in her eyes after hearing about the hokage's long lost guitar made it clear that this was not a joke. Even the demon that dwelled within him seemed excited by the news.
At last! The divine instrument will finally be mine! Boy, do not hesitate to use my power should you need it. That guitar is more valuable than you could possibly imagine. I will not allow some other fool to hold it.
'What's so special about it?'
That is none of your concern! Just know that I will consume you from within if you fail to retrieve that instrument.
If the Kyubi thought it was valuable, then it probably was. Why else would a demon of so many years value it? Besides, this was about returning a village symbol back to the place where it was born. That was when Naruto noticed the look in Hinata's eyes. Despite the almost empty appearance of her byakugan, Naruto could swear that he saw hope and excitement in them. It made him feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and frankly, Naruto wasn't used to it. It wasn't a bad feeling by a long shot, but it was definitely unusual for him.
Bill stood up and put the money for the meal on the table, the two teenagers rising as well. Naruto and Hinata were a little uncomfortable with saying their goodbyes. They would be seeing each other again in a couple of days and then they wouldn't be out of each other's sight for a month. It was then that Naruto remembered something important. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out Hinata's journal. He handed it to her with a blush on his face, turning away as he spoke.
"Thank you for lending me this. It saved my ass." The girl took the book back, very unsure of how she should act in a situation like this. "They were all great and I figured you'd want to add more to it before we all see each other again."
Hinata felt as if she could cry happily with those clumsy words. She muttered a thank you as she leant in to plant a kiss on Naruto's cheek. However, Naruto has turned his head at the wrong moment, or right moment depending on how you see it, when he heard her say something. Both their eyes shot open when they realized that they were kissing each other on the lips. However, both refused to back away and they stayed like that until they finally closed their eyes and gave into the kiss. Both found the taste of the other intoxicating and relished the warmth of the other's body. Hinata's small hands reached up Naruto back as the boys hands rested gently at her hips, not wanting to do anything that might be considered offensive.
They both gasped for air as they pulled away from each other, all eyes on the young duo. Neither Hinata nor Naruto had expected for things to turn out like that and they were both ill-equipped to handle what they thought to be a large step. Bill and Molly sighed at how good they must have it being so naïve. A pair of hands gripped gently on Hinata's shoulder and pulled her away from the boy in front of her. Bill then hooked an arm around Naruto's shoulder and led him out of the bar laughing.
"Good luck!" she shouted before the boy was completely out of her sight. She doubted that he had heard her but she would not have felt right without saying it. It was then she realized that the hands that had pulled her away were still resting on her shoulders. She looked over them to see Tilly with a broad grin on her face.
"Two days and he'll be eating out of the palm of your hand. I'll be waiting for you when your shift is over."
And this is the last we hear of Hinata until she meets up with everyone else.