A/N: I apologize for the time it took to get this chapter out. I'm in the midst of setting up my new computer and had other things to accomplish before I continued writing.
Now, where were we...?
Chapter Sixteen: Manipulation Isn't All Bad
Naruto was satisfied with his new mission.
This fact seemed odd to him. Normally, Konoha's loudest and most surprising ninja enjoyed fast-paced, action-packed, and dangerous assignments that sated his hunger for adventure and got him home in time to sate his hunger for ramen. Now his duty encompassed neither adventure nor ramen; he was to follow his untalkative charge wherever she went outside of her home, avoiding combat where necessary (not even to practice with her teammates, for Tsunade insisted that he must be in condition to fight when his charge was not), and camp near her front gate, going nowhere—including Ichiraku Ramen—until she emerged again. By all accounts, he should have been bored out of his mind.
Yet he wasn't. In Hinata's presence, he found himself with a bountiful pool of activities to occupy himself with. Naruto began to think that he would never tire of watching the girl fight, his eyes drinking in every graceful step, every subtle and deadly strike. During breaks in her training he invested a considerable amount of time endeavoring to make her laugh and smile, which proved both easy and gratifying to do. When he roused himself to go and patrol the area around the practice field, he expended pent up energy in flashy acrobatics and going out of his way to look extra-alert, using every opportunity to show off.
And when he could not do these things, Naruto found that he could keep himself busy with just himself and his thoughts, something that he'd always had trouble doing in the past. Staggering amounts of thoughts ran through his mind all at once, all of them related, all on a different place of the emotional spectrum.
For example, there was awe: Damn, she's really developed while I was gone. I haven't seen anyone move like that, not even Haruka nee-chan on her best day! And then there's the more physical developments...
Panic: Huh! How can I be thinking that about her now! I never used to before. Besides, I never really knew her that well even three years ago, we barely spoke at all!
Contentedness: S'all right. Ill get to know her plenty well on this mission. Just chill for now and watch the show.
Unease: Is it all right to watch that closely? No matter how hard I try to stop them, my eyes eventually wander where they aren't supposed to.
Rebellion: Since when do I give a shit about what I'm supposed to be doing and what I'm not supposed to? My very existence breaks rules in the minds of half the village!
Hopefulness: Besides that, she sure seems to smile at me a lot... maybe she knows I'm looking, and doesn't care? Maybe it's what she wants?
Pessimism: As if. Nobody gives a damn about me or who I look at, unless I'm looking at them, which is when they're afraid. It's been that way since way before I left. Sakura is living proof; I can make friends, but I'm too block-headed and loud to go beyond that, and the old folks would discourage their daughters getting close to the Kyuubi kid anyway.
Rationalization: But I can't draw a conclusion from just one example. Sakura was only the first try... there are tons more opportunities in the world. Like Hinata.
Uncertainty: Am I sure that I want to try, though? It could be that I just like how she looks now, after all this time away. That's what made me try for Sakura.
All these things and more ran rampant in his head until he found something else to do, and then returned when the distraction was over. Fortunately, he found plenty of distractions, so the headache-inducing train of thought was allowed little time to move forward, being constantly derailed. Therefore, Naruto was largely undaunted and fulfilled his mission duty efficiently.
Late afternoon came, bringing with it a light rain and an end to team 8's practice session. After waving a quick goodbye to Kiba and Shino, Naruto and Hinata made their way into the village, Hinata laughing lightheartedly as Naruto attempted to dodge raindrops. She didn't blame him for wanting to move around a little—he certainly wasn't getting much exercise just watching from the sidelines—and she was fond of his humorous antics.
Inside, Hinata had found her center again. She had lost it since the return of the loud, confident, heroic blond, having been first seized with powerful desire to impress him, then rendered momentarily overconfident (for her) and complacent in the rush of happiness, and most recently ground to pieces by her father's ultimatum. With Keisuke's counsel and Naruto's new assignment, she had recovered her hope, but she knew what the price would be to keep that hope alive. Therefore she enjoyed his company while she could, and held faith that circumstances would improve, but she did not plan to push her luck, knowing the consequences of going past a "professional" relationship.
Only one thing concerned her. She had sworn that she would help Naruto and Sakura to find their lost teammate, and the fact that Tsunade had decreed that she needed constant protection and chosen Naruto set back the search effort, having tied Naruto up in other matters. She might have requested another guard, but her happiness at having an excuse to spend time with him had been precedent in her mind until it was too late to protest.
This nagged at her mind, but she did not see how it would help to tell anyone, and Naruto didn't seem to mind. She kept quiet.
Thusly, the two teenagers began moving towards the Hyuuga compound, both keeping their secrets, both keeping their greater desires in check, but in good spirits regardless. The day had been pleasant and free of chaos.
An outside force had other ideas. Lack of chaos, to her, was directly related to lack of progress. This was especially true because of the nature of her opponents, who fought for dominance in this whole game by laying down order—the opposite of chaos. Naruto, while normally a harbinger of chaos, was ineffectual, his chaos turned for the moment into himself. It was up to her to inject third-party chaos into the situation and turn things back in her favor.
It is unsurprising, considering the determination of this force, that the two teenagers' orderly march to Hinata's home suffered a change in destination.
Naruto suddenly stopped trying to evade the rainwater and stared upwards in astonishment. Beside him, Hinata halted and followed his gaze to see what had caught his attention. Her eyes fell upon a gigantic billboard that had most certainly not been present when they had left that morning. It was gaily colored and sported an incredibly tasty-looking bowl of ramen. Below this glorious image was the caption: NEW AND POWERFUL FLAVOR! ICHIRAKU RAMEN
"Whoa!" exclaimed Naruto, having never seen ramen of that kind in his life. "That... looks awesome! I have to remember to try that kind once this mission is over."
Hinata found the sign curious. She recognized the flavor of ramen on display, but she knew for a fact that it had been first served over three months ago; she herself had eaten that first serving. Why is he advertising that flavor now? She wondered. Did he come up with another new flavor and have the wrong kind put on display?
Naruto's stomach broke her out of her wondering by calling attention to itself rather loudly. Hinata noticed a grimace on the blond's face. It suddenly came to her that he must be having little time to get food, being forced to remain with her when she was out of the house and in the house's general vicinity when she wasn't. Her assessment was correct; the poor boy was starved.
"Ano, Naruto-kun?" she started gently, "You haven't eaten anything in a while, have you?"
"Nah, I had breakfast," he said. If you can call it that, he thought bitterly. Living on insects and other things that live in trees was life-sustaining, as Keisuke and Jiraiya both taught, but it was nowhere near enjoyable.
"Ah, I see," said Hinata, "Then, you should go and eat. You won't be able to function properly if you aren't well-fed."
"Huh?" Naruto said, gawking at her. He could have sworn that he had just told her that he'd had food today, not that he hadn't. Maybe he had thought that last bit aloud? He pondered over it a while, then shrugged it off.
"But, Hinata, I can't leave you to walk back alone. My orders are to guard you, and there's no way I'm going to abandon the mission. I gave my word by accepting the mission, and I'll keep it." Naruto's stomach protested, but he fought it down. Not many things could dissuade him from his ramen, but his integrity—and Hinata—were worth it.
Hinata thought this over. She knew that he was doing the right thing for the mission by getting her home, where she would be safest. Also, going right home would not arouse any suspicion among her Clan that she was not holding to the terms of Hiashi's decree. Yet, she worried for Naruto, who obviously felt like he was going to waste away—he'd even said that he'd skipped breakfast—without his precious ramen.
She came to the conclusion that allowing Naruto to eat was the best course. If her family did suspect, she could make the excuse that she was going to meals with him in order to keep her bodyguard in fighting shape.
"Naruto-kun," she said, her face growing slightly warm at the prospect of dining with him, "We... if you like, I-I can accompany you..."
He was in her face immediately. "Really?" he asked. His eyes were wide with hope.
"Ah... yes."
"All right!" the boy leaped two feet in the air, ecstatic at his good fortune. "If you're there with me, then I'm not hurting the mission. You're really nice, Hinata! Thanks!"
Flushing at the compliment and smiling, Hinata followed him as he strode happily down the street that led to his favorite restaurant.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Welcome, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan!" said Haruka.
"Yo, Ayame nee-chan!" said Naruto, grinning cheerfully. "Old man, let me have some of that new flavor I've been hearing about! It sounds great!"
"Certainly, Naruto! Just a few minutes... what about you, Hinata-chan?"
"I... I'll have the same. Thank you, Teuchi-san."
Haruka was pleased with her handiwork. The genjutsu to create the enormous sign had been no trouble, but timing the illusion to alter what Hinata was hearing out of the boy had proven troublesome. She'd nailed it perfectly, however, and they had come to Ichiraku forthwith.
She stood before them now in the guise of Ichiraku Teuchi's daughter, Ayame. The true Ayame slept peacefully underneath her own bed, having been skillfully drugged and hidden while her father was busy with serving his customers. The old man had been convinced entirely that his daughter had merely been on bathroom break when Haruka returned.
The disguised Hyuuga took some time to assess the situation. She had dispatched two of Hinata's tails, both of them Hyuuga Branch that Neji had been kind enough to identify as Hiashi loyalists. Agents of the Advisory Council could still be nearby, but Haruka did not detect them, and would be able to if they decided to move. Both teenagers had been successfully lured into the ramen restaurant, where they were vulnerable to her machinations while relatively safe from outside interference, since Neji had volunteered to be on the lookout for her while carrying out his mission in that area.
Haruka felt a momentary pang of jealousy. She would rather have been the one combing the village, earning her keep in her new home, and chiding Keisuke for his bumbling idiocy. Yet she cast it aside; Neji and Shikamaru were perfectly capable of filling that role, but only she—Haruka—had what Keisuke called the "dark gifts" which would make the manipulation of these children not only possible, but fruitful.
Her mind back on the present, Haruka remembered that the two were about to share their first unsupervised meal together. She knew that she couldn't tamper with the food, as Teuchi was seeing to the preparation of his favorite guests' meals fully by himself, but there were other ways to take advantage of mealtimes. She watched, she cleaned dishes, and waited.
Finally, Ichiraku's newest creation made its way to the table where Naruto and Hinata sat. The blond stared hungrily and breathed in the delicious smell.
"Oh, it's even better-looking in reality!" he exclaimed.
"Ano, might it not seem better because you are able to smell it as well as see it?" Hinata suggested.
"Nah. For a ramen fanatic like me, the real deal always looks better than an illustration, no matter what it smells like. Although, I gotta admit it does smell really good, too."
Haruka saw an opportunity, performed a few silent hand seals beneath the counter. To Naruto's statement, she added two words through genjutsu: "Like you, Hinata."
Direct hit, Haruka thought, watching Hinata's face go crimson. Naruto was too intent on his food to notice his companion's reaction, which was just as well, for he might have been confused. Hinata did not say anything, but stared into her bowl until she overcame herself and was able to eat.
Naruto had eaten only a single mouthful before he burst out with appreciation. "Incredible!" he said. "Better than the last new flavor I tried, and I thought that one would never be beaten."
Hinata, still tinted pink, brought her head back up. "I'm glad that you enjoy it, Naruto-kun. I'll pay for more, if... if you like..." she trailed off.
Haruka again edited in her own touch: "Such a muscular, handsome body shouldn't be starved."
Another success. Naruto was dumbstruck for a moment, his mouth agape, his eyes boring into his companion, his next mouthful dangling from his chopsticks before him. Finally, he recovered himself and gulped it down, then raised his free hand to scratch his head. A sheepish grin spread over his face.
"Hehe... thanks..." he said, at a loss for any other response to the compliment.
Hinata, thinking he was thanking her for the food, said, "You're very welcome, Naruto-kun," and gave a small smile of her own. She was having an excellent time, Haruka could tell; moving up to being complimented on her good grooming habits and sharing a meal with him on the same day.
And now that their minds are both going in the right direction... Haruka arranged for Ichiraku Teuchi to become suddenly and incapacitatingly tired by tapping a few specific pressure points as she accidentally stumbled into him.
"Ah, Ayame," he said, laying his big hand on her shoulder, "Your father is exhausted. Would you close up the shop for me? Naruto-kun may finish his ramen and there is more prepared for him under the counter when he calls for it, but I cannot serve anyone else today."
"Of course, Otou-san," Haruka said, eager smile on her lips. She helped him wobble up the stairs to his room, and watched him collapse onto his bed. Then, satisfied, she went to close the door to the shop.
Sure enough, Naruto had already finished his first bowl and was ready for the second. Haruka grabbed one of the three that were waiting below the counter and brought it over, then headed into the back of the kitchen. She spent a few moments looking about, and then located her prize. The maniacal grin that characterized the "Sadist's Glow" crossed the face of Ayame, and Haruka poured a glass.
She was just in time, for soon after, the call came from the lobby: "Ayame nee-chan! Water, please!"
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Eighteen hours into the search, the team had found nothing.
Keisuke knew that this was not because there was nothing to find, but still he could not stop himself from being frustrated; there were many places he would rather be, and he was anxious to hear of the developments with Naruto. However much he wanted it to end quickly, it didn't seem that it was going to.
At last, Keisuke finished sweeping his section of the zone around the Hokage tower, and moved off to find Shikamaru and take his rest. He was glad to do so; he'd had a long day with no successes, and sleep was high on his priority list.
Alas, Murphy's Law forbade his rest today. As he moved, Keisuke became aware of a presence at his back. It was stealthy and clever, vanishing from his perception when he ceased moving, and doubtless would have fooled anyone below Jounin level in ninjutsu. It had even fooled Keisuke for eighteen hours. But now that Keisuke was not distracted by his mission, his fifth sense picked up the follower easily.
Displeased, the blind man picked up his pace. It could be one of the Hyuuga behind him, but it could also be an agent of the hidden enemy, come to find out who was looking for them. Either way, he would have to let one of his teammates know. Staying in the open to avoid ambush, Keisuke hoped to find Shikamaru quickly and have the nuisance dealt with.
As he passed through the next search zone, however, it was not Shikamaru he found, but Neji. Deciding that this was better than nothing, Keisuke hailed the young Hyuuga genius.
"Keisuke-san, are you finished with your area?" asked Neji.
"With my section of it, yes," came the reply. "I think my radio's faulty... I can't get a hold of anyone at all. I was going to call Shikamaru to report off for my break, but... you know, bad luck found me." He jerked his hand up to the earpiece of his radio, his thumb pointing behind him. Neji recognized the code phrase for "Trouble" and the hand gesture for "I'm being tailed."
"I'll radio him for you. Can I offer you some insect repellent? That bite on your arm looks painful," he replied, using the code phrase for "Want me to help?"
Keisuke nodded. "I'd appreciate it. Do you have the variety that works against Eye-Gouging Gnats?" This variety of bug, aside from being fictional, represented a foe that defeated the senses and was the code for "Enemy Type: Unknown."
"I might," said Neji. "I'll finish up my sweep, and then leave you a can on your doorstep as I return home. I hope that bite does not trouble you greatly."
They exchanged silent nods and moved off in opposite directions.
Keisuke moved first in the direction of his house, then deviated, moving off down a dark back alley. He felt the presence mark his every move. At last, Keisuke thought it was safe enough, and began to run. He did not run extremely fast, but allowed the presence to keep up. He twisted down several more shadowed alleyways, giving the illusion that he was trying to lose the tail when in reality he was trying to draw it out.
When it seemed that the tail was not going to reveal itself, Keisuke decided that he would have to smoke the enemy out. He waited until he had a good approximation of the presence's location, trajectory, and speed, then whipped around and flung four shuriken into its roughly estimated path. The resulting yowl of pain told Keisuke that one of them had hit home, an unexpected success.
His enemy stopped and located by sound, Keisuke took the opportunity to seize him. "Neji, do it now!" he called.
Neji emerged from his own stealth and struck like a bullet. Tenketsus in the man's shoulders and legs were struck in a split second, sealing chakra to them. There would be no fleeing or resisting for this spy. He was captured.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
At the moment when Keisuke was grappling with his captive, his partner was spending her time idly behind the counter at Ichiraku Ramen, hoping for satisfactory results and growing more frustrated by the minute. Haruka had hoped that getting Naruto plastered would loosen him up, bring forth the natural chaos that so often altered circumstances around him.
At least, that was what had happened the last time he had been drunk; the resulting calamity had transformed Keisuke and Haruka and the entire roomful of diners from weary travelers into a roaring and guffawing, merry party that lasted through the night until both Naruto and his illustrious sensei, Jiraiya, had at last fallen asleep at seven in the morning, exhausted from their night of wild and impulsive buffoonery. During that night, words had flown from the young ninja's mouth that would have been perfectly happy to stay hidden comfortably away in the recesses of his brain. Recalling that instance, the Hyuuga outcast planned to recreate the experience while the younger Hyuuga was listening.
Things were not going as planned, however. Haruka's wish to have Naruto sing out secrets like a happy canary was answered, but she had forgotten to stipulate to the god of wish-granting that the secrets should have something to do with Hinata. Infuriatingly, the words that slushed out from between mouthfuls of ramen concerned the entire range of conversational topics excluding Hinata. Though Hinata seemed to find it interesting that Naruto had once kicked Ero-Sennin so hard that he'd been perfectly capable of walking in any direction except forward and doubtless was surprised to be told that Naruto was in possession of the only recording of Uchiha Sasuke running face-first into a brick wall and couldn't quite believe that Aburame Shino had once pranced around at a funeral spouting nonsense about a "Gold-Sniffing Fox," Haruka was not so entertained.
While every moment the kids were having fun together was a plus, the outcast had something to prove and was in a hurry to triumph. At one point she had been sorely, sorely tempted to make use of a mild aphrodisiac, but (perhaps thankfully) Keisuke's warning managed to find its way through to her consciousness: "Keep your greater capacity for mischief in check, partner."
Oh, the fun that I could have had, were it not for you nagging at the reins of my conscience, she thought. Cursed be the day I found you.
She looked to the pair again. Naruto was still clowning, Hinata still laughing, the ramen still being eaten in between. One objective, at least, had been accomplished; Naruto was in very high spirits, and the chains of inner struggle that had shackled his chaos were rusted to the point of breaking. One good tug would snap them off, but Haruka could not be the one to do it, since she had interjected too much already with her illusionary technique. If most of the exchange came from an outside source rather than the two of them, then any happy situation that developed would be meaningless, a false good time produced by foreign means. Haruka had to find a way to make one of them get the ball rolling back in the right direction.
Watching for a moment, she found one. Hinata, being sober (Haruka didn't want to risk the intelligent girl suspecting outside involvement or send the girl home tipsy to a suspicious family), had not fully been divested of her cares. Haruka could see in the young Hyuuga's eyes that she had something on her mind.
An idea formed in the outcast's head. The Hyuuga taught that a strong flow of chakra was directly related to the overall productiveness of a human being. This concept applied to every aspect of human functionality, including the physical, the mental, the spiritual, and the social. While most Hyuuga chose to emphasize the fact that this meant one could cripple an enemy by shutting off chakra flow, and trained themselves accordingly, Haruka had given her personal development a double focus—learning to cripple through stopping flow, and learning to enhance by increasing it. This made her a rarity in the clan.
Keisuke liked to say, every now and then, that chance favored the prepared mind. Haruka, not wanting to completely agree with him but not placing herself in direct opposition, either, adapted it to her own version: Chance favors the open-minded. However one chose to say it, Haruka was one of the few among her brethren to see this wisdom at an early age, and now was going to benefit from it.
She brought up the fourth and final bowl for Naruto to polish off, and skillfully tripped herself over a leg of Hinata's chair. As she grabbed for the wooden back of the chair to catch herself, her flailing hand made a detour to the back of Hinata's neck, poking a less-used tenketsu there. Hinata jerked in her seat, and for a moment the older Hyuuga feared that her maneuver had been too bluntly precise, that she had been discovered. Fortunately, however, the ramen was saved to Naruto's great happiness and Hinata relaxed, to Haruka's great relief.
"Watch yourself there, Ayame nee-chan," said Naruto, rising to help her up and nearly falling over the seat himself.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Haruka/Ayame said, smiling appreciatively.
She hurried back behind the counter and into the kitchen among the dirty dishes, letting the water run to give the impression that she was cleaning. Haruka listened just out of the doorway to the lobby, hoping that her little tap had done its work. If it had, then Hinata would be finding herself energized, light, and more easily motivated. Granted, the aftermath might not have been as entertaining as that produced by administration of the aphrodisiac, but Haruka would have to settle for it or Keisuke would be lecturing her in her head for days, boring her to tears.
Eventually, the desired results were achieved. Naruto finished his ramen, gave one last drunken rant about how great it was—mangling many words in the process and leaving dents in the table with his overexpressive hand gestures—and thanked Hinata profusely for allowing him to have it.
Hinata replied as Haruka had hoped, not settling for a mere "you're welcome," but speaking of what troubled her mind.
"Naruto-kun," she began, "I'm sorry. I know you would rather be somewhere else right now, looking for your teammate, Uchiha-san. I could have insisted on a different bodyguard, freed you to keep searching..."
"Aw, dun worry 'bout it!" said Naruto, lounging back in the chair and patting his sated gut. "There's lots worse missions I could've got 'sides this one! 'Sides, I can still look fer the bastard 's long as you decide that's where we're going!"
Hinata was pleased that Naruto was happy with his mission, but continued unimpeded. "I'm afraid that I... won't be able to help you. My father, he... um..." This was the difficult part. How was she to explain her father's ultimatum without giving anything away?
"He... does not want me to do anything out of the ordinary again, after I went with you to the laboratory. Part of it is because of the danger, and part of it is because... well, my father really does not like you, Naruto-kun." Her face was dark as she finished. She had not lied, but she hadn't exactly given any great detail as to why Hiashi hated him.
Naruto filled in the blank. "It's the damn fox's fault!" he bellowed. "Tha's all the old timers think o' me!" His face was red with alcohol-enhanced anger as he dropped his eyes towards his navel, where was written the seal that kept the fox chained.
This wasn't what Haruka had been expecting. However, in her present position, she could do nothing without risking her cover, and she most certainly didn't want to let on to either teenager that she had been playing them.
"Demon brat, Kyuubi kid, damned fox... ev'ry one o' those senile bastards can't see anything but the damn fox!" Naruto rose from the table banging his glass down upon it in fury. His other hand clutched at his abdomen, knotting the shirt there as though the fingers yearned to seize the Kyuubi within and rip it out.
Hinata could see that a storm was brewing in the object of her affections. She knew the look in his eyes, the one of feral rage that he'd had when he rose from the dead to take vengeance against Hiroto. She had no desire to meet the creature within him again. More than that, she was concerned for the blond, and she could not sit on the side and let him be consumed by fury at her father, a fury that would do him more harm than good. She also got to her feet.
"Naruto-kun..."
"Aw, crap," he said. He appeared to have forgotten for the moment that he was in Hinata's company. His eyes lost their feral gleam and grew wide with fear. One of his friends, who had trusted in him, had just found out that he was Kyuubi's container. "You... you weren't s'posed to know that... damn my mouth..."
Thankful that his anger was gone, Hinata now felt relieved that all she had left to dispel was the fear of rejection... a fear that she was very intimately acquainted with and was glad to remove from another person.
"It's all right, Naruto-kun," she said. For some reason, she was feeling less and less inhibited by her natural shyness today. It was still there, a presence in her mind, but she had power over it. She moved to embrace him, adding physical affirmation to her verbal reassurance. "I already knew."
Naruto was completely dumbfounded. He had been shocked by her actions on the first evening he walked back to the village with her after practice, but this was something else entirely. Was this really the same girl who, three years ago, had been unable to so much as touch him without being in danger of losing consciousness? Her face was very pink at the moment, true, but his sluggish mind was having trouble registering that as a valid identifying trait.
Then her words came through to his understanding. "Oh..." he said, "You... you did?"
"Yes. Sakura-chan told me."
"She did, huh?" It slipped his mind that he hadn't even known that Sakura knew. His mind was preoccupied with how nice it felt being pressed this close to the Hyuuga girl. The voices in his mind that had been bothering him about this earlier—namely Panic, Unease, Pessimism, and Uncertainty—were drowned out by the booze he'd been slipped. They said nothing, and neither did he.
Hinata, for her part, had many things to say—that she didn't care what anyone else said, that she knew he was a good human being, that she had seen that he was stronger than the demon within—but her words were choked off as she was also enjoying the hug. The rippling musculature that she'd glimpsed in the first practice he had attended and the images handed to her by Haruka did much justice to how they felt pressed against her. She was bewildered by the fact that she'd been able to actually do it and not lose her mind. The repressed shyness in the recesses of her mind screamed danger, but something had enabled her to overpower it without real difficulty.
Lost in their respective thoughts, neither said anything for several seconds. Haruka, looking through the walls, was astonished that her ploy had worked so well. This was exactly what she had been looking for. It was a shame that Keisuke was not there to witness her great handiwork...
Ah, but there's always technology to substitute for him, she thought. Walking out to the lobby, she called, "I'm going to close up!"
Naruto attempted to turn and look at the sudden noise, forgetting that he had an attachment. The result was a drunken Naruto on the floor with a dazed-looking Hinata laying on top of him.
Even better! Haruka chortled inwardly, reveling in her success. While the two of them were still having difficulty with realizing where they were, a camera clicked away unnoticed for two or three seconds.
Finally, Hinata's shyness reasserted its dominance, and she leaped off of Naruto as though he were on fire. This was just as well, for Sakura walked into the ramen restaurant at that precise moment.
"Sheesh," said the pink-haired girl, "I thought I'd never get away from her. Hinata-chan, your younger sister sure knows how to be a nuisance to her bodyguards. Why couldn't Tsunade-sama have let the Hyuuga protect their own people, like she wants? That way we wouldn't have to listen to her compla... Naruto? What are you doing on the floor?"
Sakura received no answer. Naruto was unconscious.
"Aw, what the hell!" Sakura exclaimed. "Don't tell me that after all that, I have to lug his ramen-loaded carcass back to his tent..."
Hinata had recovered herself, and was able to speak in Naruto's defense. "Please, Sakura-chan. He was very bored today, and exercised extensively to entertain himself. And he's just had his first meal in almost a day, so you can imagine how he overcompensated..."
"That sounds just like him, all right," sighed Sakura. "Well, there's no helping it, I guess. Want to help me carry him again?"
"Go ahead, Sakura-chan," Hinata said. "I'll join you after I pay the bill."
Sakura huffed, not anticipating a fun journey home. "All right." Grabbing Naruto roughly by his legs, she hauled him out of the door. Outside, Hinata heard her exclaim, "Geez, Naruto! How much can one guy eat?"
"Considering that it's Naruto-kun," commented Haruka/Ayame as she turned to leave, "There's probably no limit."
"Haruka."
The disguised Hyuuga stopped in mid-stride. This wasn't good, she had to think up some excuse...
"I know that you want to help me," said Hinata, "And your advice to me was valuable. I appreciate the care you try to give me. But I want to do things my own way, and you are putting yourself at risk by defying the council and my father. Please do not interfere any more."
Haruka was at a loss for words for a moment. The way that Hinata had spoken to her was not decidedly unlike her, but there was something about it that felt alien to her. After a moment, she realized that this was what it felt like to be reprimanded by her leader; it was gentle and genuinely caring, as characterized the Hinata that Haruka knew, but the words had the force of law.
In all her life, Haruka had never truly sworn allegiance to any leader. She had thought that all leaders found themselves inevitably corrupted in some way, or else could not keep control of all their subjects and fell to unhappy mobs. Yet, she found that she had never heard a command spoken by such a pure voice. She could not defy Hinata, did not even want to defy her, and could see no reason why anyone would want to. She inclined her head.
"As you wish, Hinata."
So this is what it's like to serve under Hyuuga Hinata. The next head of the Hyuuga Clan...
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
"I know this man," said Neji. "He is Captain Hiroto's personal aide."
Keisuke had removed his sunglasses and was presently standing with one leg on the captive's chest with his body lit up by his flaming seal. When he spoke, his voice had the malice of the demons of lore. He took special care to look and sound menacing partially because he was annoyed at having his sleep time cut into, and partially to help scare as much information as possible out of the captive Hyuuga.
"Hiroto," said Keisuke, shooting an acidic look at the prisoner. "Isn't that the name of the one who Naruto thrashed not long ago?"
"It is," replied Neji.
"Does he serve the council, or is he in Hiashi's pocket?"
Neji pondered a moment. "I would like to think that he is loyal to Hiashi-sama. He has always faithfully obeyed his commands. But Captain Hiroto is well-known for his tendency to bypass regulations and do things by his own rules; I cannot say for sure that he is completely in anyone's camp."
"Hmph," Keisuke grunted. He looked down at his feet. "What about you, little boy? Anything to say on your master's behalf?"
The young Hyuuga on the ground was not comfortable in the presence of the eyeless shinobi. The empty sockets stared at him, seeming to draw him into their emptiness. The flames that crackled from the shining red seal written into his skin lit the alleyway with flickering, baleful light, and their heat burned his soul. The voice was full of contempt, giving him the impression that Keisuke had half a mind to murder him where he lay and would do it if he didn't get anything useful from him.
To his credit, the young man's voice was admirably steady in the face of all this, and he did not tremble. However, his unease was blatantly apparent. "Captain Hiroto does serve Hiashi-sama humbly and without question. It is true that he believes some things ought to be done differently than Hiashi-sama likes to do them, but he knows that it is not his place to dispute such matters."
"I like this guy," Keisuke said to Neji. "Not the sniveling worm I expected."
"Is that how you have come to view the Hyuuga, sir?" questioned the prisoner.
Keisuke thought for a second. He often wondered himself what he thought of the Hyuuga these days. More and more of them were earning his respect, beginning with Hinata and Haruka, then Neji, and now this young man.
"Not all," he admitted. "But I certainly have trouble making the distinction between good Hyuuga and bad at first meeting. I'm not terribly good at reading people until I hear them speak, you see."
A moment of quiet, then the questions continued. "What purpose were you following me for, spy? Answer truthfully, or I may decide that my liking of you was misplaced." Keisuke turned up the fire for added effect.
Oppressed by the heat, the young Hyuuga complied. "Captain Hiroto wished me to observe you, specifically the manner in which you use your Rokujuuyon Reiude in a variety of situations."
"So Hiashi wants to know how to get around the Ghostly Arms, eh? I thought he would want to do his homework sooner or later..."
"Actually, sir," said the captive, "Captain Hiroto is not acting on Hiash-sama's orders in this project."
"Are you certain?" asked Neji, kneeling down to peer into the man's eyes.
The captive's eyes betrayed no lies. "I am, Neji-sempai. Before I was dismissed, Captain Hiroto requested that I bring the information gathered only to him, and to allow it to fall into no one else's hands. Not Hiashi-sama, not the Advisory Council, not anyone else. He does not say why."
Neji looked to Keisuke, affirmed that the young man was being truthful.
"Hiroto acting on his own..." Keisuke thought aloud. He turned to Neji again. "Is that unusual?"
Neji shook his head. "It is not unlike the Captain. He obeys orders when he is given them, but he has proven to be the type who will do what he pleases as long as he has not been ordered not to. For example, he was not ordered to avoid combat with Naruto when he was sent to recover Hinata-sama..."
"And so he felt entitled to a little fun and games," finished Keisuke with a shake of his head. "I've never met the man, and already I don't like him. All kinds of characters in the Hyuuga Clan, aren't there?" He favored the captive underfoot with a sadistic smile.
Indeed, thought the young man grimly, and not a single one that has not been scarred in some way.
"How many Hyuuga have been assigned to run surveillance on Hinata-sama?" asked Neji.
"Surveillance on Hinata-san?" questioned Keisuke. "The last I know, she was going to keep her nose clean until Hiashi came around..."
Realizing that the blind man, who had been working at his mission for eighteen hours and had no contact with the other members of the Hyuuga Redemption Alliance (as Keisuke affectionately called it in his mind), Neji told him about Naruto's new mission.
Keisuke laughed harder than he had in quite some time. "What great irony!" he finally managed to choke out between guffaws. "They attempt to keep Naruto out of her life except for the purpose of shinobi business... and they wake up to discover that her life is shinobi business!"
"It was a very welcome surprise, to be sure," said Neji. Then he turned back to the captive. "How many?"
"There were two Branch sent by Hiashi-sama this morning," said the prisoner, "But I have not been back to hear their report. The council gave no official assignments, but that is unsurprising; they prefer to keep their dealings secret. I suspect that their agents may or may not be Hyuuga."
Neji nodded. He was satisfied. "Are you finished with him, Keisuke-san?"
"I believe so," said the blind man. "What do you want to do with him? Do you think he'll tell anyone you're in with me, Neji? I hope not; it would be a shame to have to kill such a courageous, cooperative young man."
Neji considered. The prisoner's throat tightened.
"No, Keisuke-san. If Hiroto were to suddenly decide that I am unfit for duty, then you would know who to come looking for. I do not think that he would like to have you suddenly appear on his doorstep one cold night," said Neji, throwing Keisuke a momentary grin.
"I suppose you're right," said Keisuke. "Off you go then, young man. Give Hiroto a message from me: He can study the Reiude until his eyes burn out, as long as you're the one doing the spying. If I catch any more following me around like a swarm of gnats, I'll swat them." He lifted the foot from the young man's chest, doused his flames, and put his sunglasses on.
The freed captive, though slightly confused at this strange message, decided not to question it. He bowed to Neji, then Keisuke, and disappeared.
Neji turned to Keisuke. "Is that wise, Keisuke-san? Letting Captain Hiroto gather information about your technique could have dire consequences."
"As long as Hiashi and his council don't know, I couldn't care less," Keisuke replied. "If this Hiroto thinks he can be some kind of hero by defeating me, let him come. I'll make a martyr out of him."
Neji made a guess. "You want to test yourself against a Hyuuga master. You want to see for yourself what kind of ground you can gain through might and skill."
Keisuke nodded in response. "Not only that," he said, "But I have a personal grudge against this one for nearly killing my little brother. That and," his face became suddenly very grave, "I have a bad feeling about him. Not working totally for Hiashi or the council, doing research on his own... it reeks of trouble."
Neji did not answer. He had not suspected anything foul of his Captain before, but not sharing his findings on the Reiude with the Clan Head was very curious, and Neji wondered what his motives might be.
Keisuke yawned. It was far past his bedtime. "I've had enough excitement for one day. Did you call off for me?"
"Hai," said Neji. "Shikamaru has given you leave to sleep until 0400 tomorrow. Then you will begin your search of the environs around the Aburame compound."
"All right. Come get me at my house if you find anything."
"We will. Rest well, Keisuke-san."
I'll be lucky if I do, with this news, Keisuke thought.
Contrary to this pessimistic line of thought, his fatigue and the pattering of the rain on his roof lulled him to sleep quickly, and he had no trouble sleeping through the night.