Chapter 15: Feelings
[Ninja Academy - Outside of the Infirmary]
The male ANBU stared at the door as he questioned his very existence. Like almost every ANBU in the village, he had been subjected to the Uzumaki's special brand of mayhem and thus didn't like her much. However, at the same time, he respected her even more because of how time and again the girl had humbled him through a well-placed net or glue bomb. On an unrelated note, he was very thankful that their masked could handle them falling flat on their faces.
Anyway, getting back on topic, Gorilla was looking at the door to the infirmary with worry. He, along with his partner, had been told by their commander that the Hyuga princess would somehow be of help with the junchuriki's recovery. The duo shrugged and the princess went in which meant Gorilla went back to guarding like normal. Though internally he questioned himself, "Why was Hyuga-ojousama a better choice for healing Uzumaki-san than a doctor?" Then the sounds started. At first, it was just grunting and whimpers that could be justified as small whines of pain. However, the seasoned ANBU's doubts increased as the sounds became more prominent and distinguished. The worst part was that Gorilla was sure that he recognized the grunts as been more akin to moans of pleasure than pain.
Yet a more hopeful part of his brain, the part that still refused to believe he was getting too old for this kind of job, refused to believe that the Hyuga Princess and the Demon brat could be doing such things somewhere where they could be easily found out. 'They're too young,' he tried to reason because the idea of the two girls of two different lifestyles joining as one wasn't new to him. Heck, playing matchmaker to such a couple was how he brought down a corrupt politician back in his younger days.
Then came that final scream and suddenly the old ANBU felt all his years finally crash on him. Gorilla knew exactly what that sound was.
"Shouldn't… Shouldn't we do something?" He asked his younger partner. The kunoichi in question just snorted and could practically see the smirk behind her rabbit mask.
"Sorry senpai. There is no amount of gold you can give that will make me interrupt an Alpha right after she has been pleased by her mate. One of my cousins did that to Tsume-sama by accident once. Poor bastard was sent through a wall after she threw her nightstand at him in surprise. Should have known better, really. We Inuzuka women like bask in the aftershock of a good mating session," Rabbit commented with a chuckle.
"But… Uzumaki-san isn't an Inuzuka?"
"True, but she does possess its power in her which gives Naruko-chan the chance of becoming the biggest and strongest Alpha in this village. Besides I know for a fact at most I'm ranked as a Delta so there is no way I could resist submitting to a recently awakened Alpha. Heck, even standing this close is making weak in the knees!"
"So, we leave them alone?"
"Yep! Unless you want to risk not getting that retirement, old man."
"Heh, you're right. I'm getting too old for shit."
X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
[Ninja Academy - Infirmary]
Hinata's eyes looked up to Naruko and she found a beast. It was an animal whose golden hair cascades around both their head like honey. All the while those blue eyes spoke of hunger for flesh and much more as the small blue pixels that normally danced inside the Uzumaki's iris started turning into pink hearts. The pink itself was also making a noticeable pink heart that framed the blonde's irises. Surprisingly, the trapped Hyuga didn't feel in any danger as the panting blonde stared down at her. Truth be told even as Hinata felt her throat dry up, she felt safe. Maybe it was the knowledge that she could knock out the girl with a single touch or that Naruko's right hand was interlocked with her left like a lifeline but Hinata knew she didn't want to be anywhere else but here. Plus feeling the heated and wet core of the whiskered girl on her stomach and knowing she was the one that causes this made her feel all sort of confusing but very welcomed sensations.
Then Naruko started to lower herself and Hinata stopped breathing.
Naruko was being painfully slow in her movement and Hinata suspects it was deliberate. This, the Hyuga thought, was fair given the torture she put her through but damn did she not want more. Regretfully the hungry blonde stopped when their bodies were pressed together enough that the act of one breathing would push the other's chest. How Hinata had passed out yet she didn't know but she imagined it had to do with Naruko's unflinching stare. Then the young Hyuga was forced to close her eyes and take an uneven breath while clamping the Uzumaki's hand as the blonde pressed their foreheads and noses together.
'Wow, so this is how I die. Being rubbed down by a girl. Not bad,' Hinata told herself as she felt her entire body catching fire while Naruko rubbed their noses together. Then she felt the fingernails from Naruko's free hand lightly scratch her scalp. This was followed by the blue-eyed girl placing her teeth on the Hyuga's chin. "~Oh~" Hinata whispered and softly gasped at the feeling. It wasn't strong enough to be called a bite. It certainly lacked the pressure to be considered a nibble. However, the princess' toes still curled as those strong teeth traveled her jawline as if trying to savor each millimeter it could get. Then came the neck and Hinata threw her head back as if to present her jugular. All it would take was a strong bite for Naruko to end her and yet Hinata fully trusted this would not happen. The Byakugan user still gasped as her captor gave her neck a quick lick from collarbone to the jaw.
"N-N-Naru-kun," Hinata managed to pant out through shaken breath.
"Hinata-hime," Naruko answered for the first time. Hearing this voice finally made the Hyuga open her eyes. The first thing the pair of lavender eyes found was the grin those devilish lisps were given her. Then looking up they met twin cerulean orbs that looked at her with satisfaction and unshed tears of happiness.
That was it.
That was the final straw.
For years Hinata had seen many emotions pass through those blue eyes from joy to anger and on rare occasions sadness. However, never before had she seen such genuine unbridled joy and that did Hinata in. After seeing that look not a single part of her could even muster the will to fight her feelings towards Naruko Uzumaki anymore. That look of pure happiness killed any hope she could have of sealing away her feelings.
Plus, now that she thought about: why did she need to hide her feelings for the small kunoichi? For the honor of the Hyuga Clan? Hell no, the clan already gave up on her long before she knew what these feelings were. Maybe it was for the possibility that her father would still accept her? Yeah, that was by far the stupidest reason of the two. The man practically ignored her existence and had already written her off as the clan's greatest disgrace. Therefore, Hinata realized there wasn't anything but her insecurities stopping her from being with the Uzumaki. Not to mention that while this was probably too early for a relationship in a little over two months, they would be fully active shinobi and their lives could end at any moment once they stepped out of the village's walls. Life in their line of work was too short to wait for later.
'All it takes is a single step,' Hinata reminded herself with a small smile.
She took that step.
For a single moment, Naruko looked like she was about to say something but having felt a hand on the back of her head had stopped her. The next moment Hinata pulled their heads together. What followed could not be considered a kiss but more a smashing of lips where teeth could be felt and heard clacking against each other. It was messy, clumsy and it definitely showed that neither party knew what they were doing other than pressing their lips together and holding their breath until they couldn't hold it anymore. Neither of the two kunoichis even dared to move for fear of making an even bigger fool of herself at the moment. Yet that simple bump meant so much more for them.
That stupid, silly and frankly comical action was more of a declaration between the two. Not a declaration of love but more of acceptance and a promise. A promise that they would try and make something more of the attraction they have developed for one another. Maybe this was love or maybe it was just hormones going wild due to a massage that got way out of hand but right now it didn't matter to them.
They were going to try.
"Wow," both kunoichis whispered to each other after separating their lips. But they kept their foreheads press as they stared at one another. "Wow," they repeated again with equal grins before they burst into giggles.
"That *giggle* that was the single *chuckle* greatest thing to *giggle* ever happen to me," Naruko declared through her laughter. Hinata wasn't much better so she chose to wait a bit more before speaking.
"You're *giggle* welcome, Naru-kun," the Byakugan princess said with a brilliant smile. "I… I just took a step." The semi-naked blonde's face took on a confused look for a moment. Then the memory of the Hyuga's ascension clicked and chuckled into her girlfriend's(?) neck.
"Wow, now that's how you use someone's words against them! I must concede my defeat, Ojou-sama," Naruko said with a happy grin that refused to leave. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get a girlfriend like this. Girlfriend… Feels so strange saying it," she commented while squeezing Hinata's hand. "We're girlfriends, right?"
"Yes," Hinata's mouth said before she could think or register the worry in Naruko's voice. Immediately she blushed crimson but still turned her head so they could lock eyes. She then took a calming breath and said "Yes," with even more conviction.
Naruko looked for any sign of deceit, regret or anything negative on those lavender orbs but found none. Instead what she found was acceptance, hope, admiration, caring and (dare she think?) love. These emotions weren't unknown to the Uzumaki given that Iruka-sensei, Jiji, Teuchi-san, his daughter Ayame, Tenten and even Ming-Ming alongside the girls at the Mint Lily had shown her those easily. However, none compared to the way the princess was showing them so unabashedly real. It made Naruko give Hinata's lips a quick peck before pulling back with a lazy smirk.
"Your clan is going to kill me. I just corrupted their princess," the smaller girl said without a care for her blushing face. She was just too happy to care.
"Screw them." Again, the princess' mouth acted before her brain. The responding chuckle and raised eyebrow made Hinata blush harder. Still, she fought against the possible faint and spoke "That c-c-clan elders and Hiashi-sama disowned me as the true clan heiress years ago which means I no longer represent the Hyuga main branch. S-S-Since they decided to abandon me, I see no reason why they should dictate how I live. A-A-And that means I g-g-get to spend time with my girlfriend!" Hinata looked ready to faint after that declaration but a small squeeze of their interlinked hands kept her awake. Thus, she was able to keep staring into and her girlfriend's eyes. The pink heart ring around Naruko's irises had vanished but Hinata could still see a few small heart dancing in the sea of light blue pixels.
'I wonder if Naru-kun knows about how her eyes are affected by her bloodline limit? Probably not given you have to be this close to her to actually notice the pixels. And I alone get to enjoy this beautiful sight,' Hinata thought as the hand she had used to pull Naruko's head in moved to the girl's cheek. There she lightly scratched the whisker-like scars…
Prrrr…
Prrrr…
Prrrr…
"D-D-Did you just purred?"
…
…
…
"No?"
*Scratch, Scratch, Scratch*
Prrrr…
Prrrr…
Prrrr…
"That's so cute!"
"Shut up! We'll never talk about this again."
…
…
…
"I… I didn't say stop."
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(Lunch Time)
[Ninja Academy - Cafeteria]
Ino had somehow found herself eating lunch with Shikamaru, Choji, Shino and both Kiba and his adorable ninken Akamaru. On one hand, it was kind of annoying that she was surrounded by boys yet she wasn't the main topic of their attention. On the other hand, she had a cute white puppy that liked getting scratchies and cuddles. Plus, it also annoyed the Inuzuka that his partner was getting more female attention than him. As for what was on everyone's mind…
"Still man, how the hell did we ever think Naruko was weak? That fight was freaking badass!" Kiba said for like the hundredth time. Shikamaru, who was laying on the grass, sighed in slight annoyance.
"You, the bullies and Sasuke are the only ones that thought that. You and Sasuke because she couldn't beat you in fight and Goto's groups because they always went five to one against her. However, if you stop to think you see that when it comes to one on one fights won that troublesome blonde is actually ranks third only behind you and Sasuke. And if I remember correctly, she has even come much closer to beating Sasuke than you've ever had," the Naru explained from the ground.
"Damn dude. Didn't mean to insult your ~girlfriend~," Kiba teased with a fanged grin.
"She's not my girlfriend," Shikamaru grumbled in response which made the boy laugh.
"Hahaha, Of course not! You're a boy and we all know that tomboy doesn't swing that way in the least," the Inuzuka joked while taking a bite of his meal. However, he didn't need his enhanced hearing to notice the silence that fell over their table. "What?" He asked while looking around. "Did I say something wrong?" Kiba asked again when he found Ino glaring at him.
"Be careful of what you say next mutt," the Yamanaka growled. The supposed intimidation act only made the boy raise an eyebrow.
"About what?" Kiba inquired genuinely. Then he received a couple of barks and growls in response from Akamaru. "Why is it that me saying Naruko is gay wrong? I thought everyone on this table knew she liked girls? Petty, she stares as Sakura's butt as much as Ino does."
"I do not stare at Foreheads butt," a blush Ino half whispered-half yelled. Kiba just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure. And it almost doesn't look at all like you want to suck face with either Naruko or Sakura when you get all up on each other's faces during your fights." The Yamanaka princess blushed crimson at this while making a sound similar to a strangled cat before throwing a piece of her food at him. With practice ease, Kiba caught the grape in his mouth and ate it much to the girl's frustration. "Seriously though. You can't possibly tell me none of you guys didn't notice the "Dead Last" was more competition for us than a possible mate, right? I mean, Naruko is like the first of two girls in our class to not show a lick of interest in that Duckbutt let alone boys in general."
"Your logic seems flawed Inuzuka-san," Shino spoke evenly for the first time since they sat to eat as a group. He was eating with a spoon the pot of honey Naruko had given him. "By your very logic people like I who have not shown any interest in the females of our class would also be classified as a homosexual."
Kiba in response glared though it didn't hold any animosity in it. "Oh, don't even think I haven't seen the way you look at my sister when you and your father come to the clinic to help with flea outbreaks. That is so against the Bro Code." While on the surface Shino remained calm and collected at this if they looked hard enough, they could see the tip of the Aburame's ears turning pink. The others in the group chuckled a bit at this. "Anyway, no, I don't think not liking our opposite sex classmate makes you gay. As far as I'm concerned so long as you don't force it on people you can like anyone. However, I refuse to ignore such strong competition as Naruko when it comes to my quest for a mate," the Inuzuka proclaimed.
"Why is that?" Choji asked with confusion. "Almost everyone thinks Naruko-san is weak and most of the girls hate her because she's the only one that gets to spend time with Sasuke-san uninterrupted even if it's because they're training matches," the Akamichi finished and Kiba smirked in response.
"It's not gay if its Naruko Uzumaki." The quote alone made Ino give a spectacular spit-take and almost choke on the rest of her juice. The mind-walker still managed to give the dog theme ninja a withering glare.
"How do you know that saying? I swear Dog-Breath, if you out any of the girls-"
"Relax Princess. I live with both my mother and big sister. Respecting women has been practically beaten into me since I could talk. Sure, I can throw a cat-call or wolf-whistle here or there but I would never actually hurt a girl. Plus, unlike you Gossip Queen, I don't go around spreading rumors that could potentially ruin someone's lives," Kiba explained and added "As for how I've heard of it? *points at his ears* Enhanced hearing, remember?"
Ino sighed gratefully that the boy sounded sincere about not exposing about a third of the female in their class. "Thank you, Kiba-san. A lot of those girls still don't know if they really like girls or just stunned in admiration by how Naruko is able to fight against boys and win. As for ruining people's lives through rumors? I've only done that once and that was to a guy that was trying to blackmail my aunty. It's too bad for him that he forgot to pay taxes for more than a few years."
"Hey," Choji started again while munching on some chips. "Since we're on the topic of girls liking other girls or not being interested in boys. Who's the second girl that you know about, Kiba-san?"
"Hinata Hyuga," the boy with the red fang tattoos on his face said as if it was the most natural thing ever. "I mean, can any of you think of a single moment when she showed any interest in any boy? I for one, have never seen it. But what I have seen is her watching the Dead Last when she thinks no one is looking multiple times. Plus, I've seen a distinct lack of our Hyuga princess and knuckleheaded Uzumaki. Secret meeting perhaps or maybe something more like a says a princess playing a sexy nurse for our injured heroine?"
"And there goes any respect I may have had for your observation skills, perverted mutt," Ino deadpan upon seeing the boys lecherous grin. It also blocked her mind from forming the, understandably, hot image. "Besides even if, that is a big if, those two had any type of feelings for one another they wouldn't get together for multiple reasons," she said before starting to count with her fingers "One: Hinata is way too damn shy to make the first move. Two: Naruko's skull is too dense for her to realize some else's feelings for her. Three: those two had just started talking to each other about a week ago. A relationship is way too early for them. Four: I really doubt either of those two even know how to act sexy. And finally, five: Hinata faints at the slightest show of affection, approval or hint of nudity while Naruko flat out fainted seconds after she poked Hinata's boobs by accident."
"Wait a moment! You're telling me not only is that idiot packing a rocking set of melons on her but she also got to touch another girl's tits?! Dammit! Life ain't fair man," Kiba moaned out in despair.
"That's what got out of that?!" Ino accused with indignation.
"What more is there to take? The baka is clearly more of a man than any of us. I just hope she doesn't decide to make a harem. I might lose my chance of finding a mate!" Oh, Ino wanted to kill the perverted mutt for that comment but she stopped herself. If Kiba died Akamaru would be sad and she couldn't do that to the cute little pupper. Not his fault his owner was a massive idiot like most boys. So, she just huffed, finished her food and waited for lunch to end so they could get to class.
'Still, Kiba is right about something. Hinata hasn't returned since she got called to help Pumpkin. I'm starting to worry about that girl. I understand her new powers let her do a lot more than even an average shinobi but what that orange idiot went through was just too much punishment for a single person. I really hope that they're okay,' Ino thought before she saw another chat message pop in front of her thought this time it came from Benihime. Seeing as she was the only one who could see the floating letter she ignored it for now as she excused herself. Once she found a secluded area Ino opened the message and nearly had a heart attack.
It was a picture of Naruko back to full health.
Dress in just a pair of orange panties and bra.
Covered in sweat, blushing and panting on the bed while a blushing Hinata stood to the side with her head down but clearly blushing too. Below the picture, it said "Results of a Hyuga's magic hands!"
'Holy shit… WHY IS THIS SO HOT?!' Ino asked herself as her face burned thanks to the image and remembering Kiba's suggestion. 'What the hell were those two idiots doing?! And at school no less!' her eyes then wandered over the recently healed Uzumaki's body. "Oh, Kami-sama… those muscles," she said almost breathless.
Weird how these two blondes awakened each other's kink, huh?
X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
[Ninja Academy - Hallways]
As the graduating class arrived back at the training area after lunch, they noticed another change. Instead of a single set of double doors, there were two. One was identified as leading to the dojo while the other to the gym. The next thing the group noticed was that a healthy-looking Naruko Uzumaki dressed in an orange gi with a long sleeve black undershirt and blue boots. She was currently leaning on the wall and talking with Hinata.
"You certainly healed fast Uzumaki-san," Dragon commented when he noticed the girl. Hearing this the girl grinned and shrugged.
"I heal fast. Though I don't think I'll be using my scythe until tomorrow. My shoulder is still a bit tender after today's accident."
"Accident?! Dude, you had your arm ripped off and punched through the gut!" Kiba's voice could be heard yelling over the murmurs of the group. Again, Naruko shrugged.
"Sure, it was a little more extreme than what I'm used to but I can handle a little pain," she answered with a grin before eyes turned cold and glared at a particular group. The students could also feel pressure coming for the small girl. "You can thank Goto's bootlickers for that," Naruko said before grinning savagely as her eyes briefly flash red. "All of the times I had to set back dislocated bones or walk myself to the hospital with broken ones helped a lot with that." The group of bullies soon felt everyone's eyes on them and tried to look tough. However, it wasn't as effective when they saw Hinata glaring at them and looked even more terrifying than the evil version of her that the Uzumaki had fought.
"It's good to know you're okay, Naruko-chan," Iruka said after giving the boys one final glare. "We were going to use the gym now to start giving you students a work-out regimen. Given what happened with the training puppets it's safe to say you're excused from today." At the suggestion, the orange student gave a snort before smirking.
"Please sensei. I said my shoulder was a little soft, not that I couldn't move it." To prove her point Naruko completely lifted her arm, rotated it and gave a few jabs and swings with no visible sign of discomfort to the group's awe. "Besides, I have to build up more back, shoulder and arm muscles if I want to keep swinging my scythe around."
"Just don't overexert yourself, okay?" asked the chunin instructor. The small blonde nodded and the group filtered into the gym. Once in, the class was given instructions on how to use the machines and which would be preferable for them. After this was teachers assigned workout drafts to the students based on their performances during morning practice. For safety reasons, the class was made to do some warm-up before they started exercising however there was one notable exception.
"Hey," one of the girls from the Sasuke Fan Club, who was having trouble keeping pace on the bicycle, pointed out. "Why is the Dead Last not working out? She said she could!"
Everyone turned to where the girl was pointing and sure enough, they found Naruko standing beside a weight rack with her back turned to them. To the ones that had been watching the girl more closing since entering the gym, they would have argued with the accusation. Reason being that, as the introductions were being given, Naruko had separated from the group to a corner and started doing some advanced stretching and warm-up regiment that had only just ended. However, these people didn't speak out since they knew the whiskered girl would already have a comeback prepared.
To the surprise of the group, the Uzumaki seemed to ignore or at least didn't pay attention to the accusation. Instead, the short girl that shouldn't weigh more than 60lbs soaking wet grabbed a set of 80lbs dumbbells like it was nothing and proceeded towards one of the benches. The height challenge 12-year-old did stop when she felt people watching them so she turned to the class who were staring at her slacked jawed. The only exceptions were for Hinata who had a small grin and Ino who Naruko could have sworn bit her lower lip for a split second. Either way, the Uzumaki stared back in confusion.
"What? Did I knock something over?" She asked genuinely while looking around and even fully lifted weights over her head to get a better look at the ground. When the whiskered girl saw nothing, she lowered the equipment and looked back at her classmates with even more confusion. "What happened?"
"Dude…" Kiba was the first to respond though he still looked shocked. "Aren't you like… lifting more than you weigh?"
Naruko gave a small glare like she was insulted and said "Of course I am Kibble. Sure, I haven't ever weighed myself but I sure all heck ain't 160lbs. Besides, the weight is evenly distributed between both arms. And why are you surprised? Boys are supposed to be stronger than girls so it should be easy for you guys to lift your weight and more." With that, the girl just walked off to one of the far-off benches, sat down and started doing her reaps. Both Benihime and the adults had to turn around or cough to hide the laughs over who many of the boys looked like their pride as males had just been shattered by the smallest person in the class.
"Hey," Naruko heard a gentle voice call out beside her. She turned to see her girlfriend get up on one of the treadmills close by. Hinata shot her a small smile that she returned with a small grin.
"Hey, yourself," she said to Hinata. The two had agreed to not hide their new relationship but there was no need to broadcast it to everyone. Plus, since people already assumed friendship between girls was more affectionate than boy friendships it would be a great prank to see with how much they could get away with before people figured it out."Carefully with those treadmills. They can have a bit of a kick to it if you go high enough."
"Roger that," Hinata thanked as she followed the instructions and set it for a walking pace first. Then she whispered "How did you make all of these changes? It was you, right? That's the reason you sent one of your clones to meet us and hide behind the guise of being punished, correct?"
"Figured that out, huh?" Naruko inquired in the same low tone while taking a peek at the Hyuga. There she saw the girl briefly activated her Byakugan. "Of course, I couldn't hide from those eyes. Yeah, I did make those changes. I can show you later how but safe to say I'm now my own construction team, company, and industrial machine."
"You're amazing."
"Baby you know it."
And Hinata did because she was using her Byakugan to see pass the girl's black undershirt. Hence, she was the only privy to seeing the Uzumaki's arm muscles tighten and flex with each curl. The best part was that her blush could be hidden under the assumption of heat from running which she was doing with her armor on as one-half weight training and one-half getting used to moving in it. Regretfully as time passed the two couldn't really talk about things like dungeons, monsters, magic or experiments as the other treadmills besides Hinata were being filled by other students. What they could talk about, however, was braining storming about outings (dates) they could partake in or training sessions to improve their various techniques.
During all of this, students watched as Naruko kept doing curls one after the other to the point some of them gave up on counting after the girl passes 100 on each arm without sweating. Some of the boys, not having ever lifted a weight in their lives, felt even weaker as they couldn't get past the 30-50 range with less weight. Then there was Hinata who surprised many as she kept talking with Naruko while the speed of the treadmill gradually increased until the Hyuga was not jogging but full-on running in her armor. Even Ino, who knew the real extent of those two's power, felt a little jealous at this display.
'Damn, those two aren't even showing off! They're just working out at their relaxed place but are still leaving us in the dust. No, Ino. Don't feel discouraged now. Look at what they're doing now and picture that was your goal. In this race, their starting line just looks impossibly ahead because you slept through the initial lap. Just start now and you'll get there! Not now and not tomorrow but if you keep at it you will,' Ino told herself while pedaling her bike at an acceptable rate for a beginner.
Sakura was also on a bike next to the Yamanaka but for once the two weren't fighting as they treated each other with neutrality and used their machines. About the only hostility shown between them was the use of their insulting nicknames for each other. Even then that ended up sounding more like a greeting between employees than anything malicious. Maybe the acknowledgment of the rivalry and acceptance of the challenge meant they now viewed each other as equal? Only time could tell.
However, while all of this was going on one particular student remained quiet and observed. This student was none other than the village's very own Last Uchiha, Sasuke, and he was currently having an interesting discussion with himself.
'How? How is she this strong? I should have that power not- No, Sasuke. Breathe, take time, calm down and remember what the therapist said. "Do not let your anger and jealousy for someone being stronger get the better of you. You don't have to be the strongest in the village. Itachi is out there alone and you're in here surrounded by people willing to help." I have to remember that people are willing to help me. I just have to ask. Just show respect and ask. Don't demand because no one is obligated to tell you their secrets. Now relax, Sasuke. Breathe, relax and give her the letter. If she says no walk away. Do. NOT. Make. A. Scene. Just walk away,' the Sasuke told himself as he looked at the letter addressed to Naruko in his hands.
Like everyone else, he had considered Naruko a useless weakling and even more so since she was a girl. It was extremely sexist, but after his mother died all the women that surrounded him just wanted him for the status. And since none of the harpies ever put worked into their future as kunoichi he just thought it was normal for them to be weak annoyances. Even when the small Uzumaki seemed to like breaking the model by acting more like a boy and constantly fought with bullies Sasuke didn't acknowledge her. Heck, even when she got to face him in sparring matching the way Sasuke could easily defeat her just convinced him that women as a whole were beneath him. That time she tripped and accidentally ended headbutting Sasuke hard enough for him to lose a tooth didn't count. It was one of his baby teeth after all and everyone knew you lost those eventually. Thankfully, his therapist had been working with him about fixing this erroneous line of thinking when it came up after a particularly tiresome day dealing with the fan club. Now he had gotten back to the point of being able to respect women like human beings though he still considered his classmates useless on the battlefield for the most part. Then, of course, the small Uzumaki had to make him rearrange the line of thinking again today.
Sasuke was arrogant, he knew that and he also knew that came from constantly excelling above his peers. However even as big as his ego could get the Uchiha was under no impression that he was immortal. Watching the butchered remains of his family by the hands of his brother made sure that Sasuke knew he could just as easily die. Hence why he couldn't comprehend who the small and weak Dead Last of their school could do what she did today. She was almost a foot shorter than him yet ever since that day Naruko came back with a new look, she walked with real confidence. Confidence that even Sasuke couldn't ignore, though he did hide it well. Then came that stunt with the wall and the targets which bruised his ego to no end but the Uchiha refused to let it show. Even when she summoned that weapon out of nowhere to catch herself and the Hyuga after Goto's unprovoked attack Sasuke felt intrigued he did not see why he should care for now.
'Yet today that idiot managed to fight harder than I ever could against an opponent that by all logic should have killed her and not only did she survive but won. I need to know: how did she do it? How could she make the impossible possible? How is she able to survive something like that?' Sasuke thought while walking towards Naruko. Unbeknownst to him (not that he cared) the people around noticed who the Uchiha was walking with purpose. Some even move out of the way out of curiosity to see where he was head with that letter in hand. Some of the girls had even become starry-eyed thinking the boy was about to confess to them only for their dreams to be shattered as he walked past them without so much as a glance. Then Sasuke finally reached Naruko and you could hear a pin drop.
The whiskered girl had noticed someone had stood before her and was in the process of ignoring them when she noticed the silence. Then before she could even look up a letter was presented to her. She raised an eyebrow and looked up to the permanent scowl that was Sasuke Uchiha's face.
"DuckButt, I swear to all the Kamis if that is a love letter, I will learn how to draw just for the exclusive purpose of spreading manga of you getting hot and heavy with the boys in our class," Naruko commented with a straight face and even tone. However, given the silence in the room, everyone heard the threat which caused various reactions among the student body. Some laughed, some cringed and a few girls and boys swooned or fanned themselves.
[Naruko-chan,] Benihime said through the ear-piece [I know you're trying to get a rise out of him but look closer. I think he is using anger management techniques.] Hearing this the Uzumaki views the boy more critically. Sure enough, she could see Sasuke was breathing in and out slowly while counting with the fingers on his free hand. Naruko also noticed that her words must have had an even stronger effect than she thought as it took the black-haired boy until the count of 20 before he started talking again. Yay, for small victories!
"That is not a love letter," Sasuke stressed through gritted teeth. "That is a formal challenge letter. Inside this letter, you will read how I, Sasuke Uchiha, ask you, Naruko Uzumaki, for a proper match to test our skills and the winner to gain new knowledge from the defeated. I have written this in response to the display of power you have shown today against overwhelming odds. I have found some of your skills interesting and useful for my endeavors," Sasuke explained as calmly and clearly as he could. Naruko raised an eyebrow in surprise.
'I think that's the most I've ever heard him talk. Guess small miracles do happen,' she thought while putting down her weights. Then she took the letter, unfolded it and read it with Benihime's help. The two girls ended up blinking at one specific part "It said here I get to set the date, time, place, and rules of engagement. Even set up the challenge if I don't want to fight you? Doesn't that give me an extremely unfair advantage? With these, you could just very well say I cheated if you lose."
"No," Sasuke said with a firmness that surprised even the adults watching. "I've made these arrangements because up until today you have not shown a level of skill I could perceive as a threat." How the boy managed to make his tone not sound insulting or condescending was impossible to tell. That didn't stop Naruko from wanting to punch him in the throat out of principal. Then the Uchiha continued "I want this to be a fair challenge from both of us and if that means giving you an advantage so we can be on the same level. Now, will you accept it? After today I understand if you aren't at full strength which is why I'll let you set the date. However, given that impressive healing ability of yours, I do hope this match will be within this week if possible."
"Wow," Naruko said while folding the letter, "I think that is by far the most we've ever heard you speak. Still think you're a bastard but at least you've somehow turned into someone that can hold a civil conversation. Anyway, I will accept your challenge." Then those nearby could see an incredibly evil smirk formed on the girl's lips while everyone else could feel it. "And you are right," she started with a tone befitting of a movie villain "I am very tired from the mess of a fight. Therefore, our match will be more of a challenge for you with me as the judge, of course. But I wouldn't let you know what this challenge will be until tomorrow as I need to get the materials ready. Don't worry though it seems like it will be a very simple task I can assure you it will be a test of your endurance and self-control. Who knows, maybe is you do finish it I'll just accept defeat outright."
With that, the girl stored her letter, picked up her weights and with Hinata proceeded to continue their exercises. All the while the students and Sasuke himself wondered just what the boy had gotten himself into.
X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
(After School)
[Ninja Academy - Entrance]
"So," Naruko said while she walked out with Hinata and Ino "what do you girls have planned for today?"
"Nothing really," Hinata announced with a small smile. "I had a fight with Hiashi-sama over my wish to train on something more than our family's arts. Safe to say the clan is not such a welcoming place right now. Not that it was, to begin with."
"I'm actually the opposite," Ino commented while scratching her cheek with worry about the Hyuga's comment. 'From the talk in the dungeon I knew her home life wasn't the best but I didn't think it was that bad. I hope we can help her with that,' she thought while saying "I have plans to practice my Psi abilities back home plus mom wants to help me advance with by herbology. Though I could spare an hour or two of free time to train with you two. It going to be helpful anyway."
"Actually, why don't you guys come home with me? Both of you know about plants and you could help me with my greenhouse," Naruko suggested.
"You have a greenhouse?" both of her friends asked in surprise and with excited smiles.
"Yeah. It's small right now but maybe you can help me improve it. Plus, Ino-chan's family owns a flower shop so I expect she knows a lot more," the Uzumaki answered as they stopped by the wooden fence around the academy and away from the crowd.
"Not on the level of mom yet but depending on your goals, resources, and budget I could give you points and estimates," the Yamanaka responded with a small smirk and her eyes with the glint of a seller.
"Guess that settles it then," Hinata said and took hold of both of the girls' hands. Then she blushed as she looked at her girlfriend. "W-W-When you're ready."
"R-R-Right!" blushing and grinning Naruko exclaimed while opening the Fast Travel window.
"Wait! I'm not-" Ino trying to say before they were launched into the air and landed at their destination. "ready," she finished while marveling that her lunch wasn't trying to say hello. It seemed that not looking down actually did work. 'Who knew?' the mind-walked joked before feeling a strong gust on her skin. On instinct, she turned towards it and finally noted she couldn't see the ground. "Are we on a roof?"
"Yep. I did a bit of remodeling this weekend and decided on installing an elevator. Now I don't have to climb stairs all of the time. Plus, since I extended the elevator to the roof the option to be transported to here instead of the ground level entrance became available."
"How did you install an elveva- Wow, I thought you said it was a small greenhouse," Ino said as she turned around and saw the structure which took up almost the entire rooftop. Then there was a flash of green light coming from Naruko and next thing they knew the ground beneath them became a softly glowing grid. The Yamanaka blinked and looked up to her friend who was smiling innocently. "I'm cursed to accept your freak powers from now on, aren't I?"
The whiskered girl chuckled "If you think about that is your fault for bribing yourself into my life. Anyway, what you two are seeing right now is just the housing. I still haven't put anything in there other than chalk outline of where I plan to place things. Hence, no seeds growing and since I used up all of my healing items against the defective puppet, I don't even have any herbs to start anything. Now that I think about it, I'll have to go into a dungeon with my clones and collect the plants so I can start cultivating."
"W-W-We could do that later then," Hinata suggested with a small smile and blush. 'W-W-We could treat it as our first d-d-date!' she thought somewhat giddy.
"It's a date then," Naruko announced reading the girl's mind. Thankfully, they and Benihime noticed, Ino didn't put much thought into their words as she was preoccupied with examining the greenhouse.
"Sounds like a plan. Now, are you going to explain this grid thing?"
"Oh yeah! Well, for starters, this is a new ability I bought that lets me enter Building Mode…"
X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
[Yamanaka Flower Shop]
(One hour later)
"Thanks for all the help Ino-chan," Naruko said as the group reached the Yamanaka family's flower shop. They had just returned from a short resource-gathering mission in the Tranquil Meadows dungeon. While inside there they avoided fighting by placing Hinata as the party leader which, due to the girl's higher level, made any enemy they would encounter flee on sight. Thus, the group of three girls plus a fairy spent a couple of "in-game hours" collecting various herbs, flowers, plants and seeds they could find. It was a rather peaceful and fun outing.
"I think I should be thanking you. Mama will love experimenting with some of those plants you let me collect," Ino responded with an excited grin. While many wouldn't think it given her high-maintenance appearance and her dedication to looking her best Ino didn't actually mind some dirt on herself. Truth be told, she loved working with her mother in the garden to cultivate all of their flowers and plants. Heck, this was part of the reason she didn't wear fake nails like some of the less intelligent fangirls as those extensions would only get in the way of working on the soil and the other less clean parts of gardening.
"Given the data I've scanned through, the offspring of plants you've collected will still have their properties but at a much-reduced potency. Reason being that they will not grow in a world filled with mana. I should warn that it may also take multiple tries before your family manages to successfully cultivate viable subjects," Benihime explained to the Yamanaka heiress.
"Thanks for the heads up, Beni-chan," Ino said as they arrived at the storefront. "Well, this is goodbye for today. See you, girls, tomorrow. Oh, and before I forget. Hinata-chan. Naruko. Any of you have any allergies to food or have something you don't like? Mom wants to cook you two a feast for the sleepover this weekend and she wants to avoid causing you problems."
"Oh, well… I've never actually liked crabs or shrimp. Hope that isn't a problem," Hinata answered with a calm smile. 'Heh, I think I've smiled more in these past three days than the last few years. And it's all thanks to my girlfriend… Oh wow… I have a girlfriend...'
"Vegetables," Naruko answered with a disgusted look "Never really cared for them," she finished completely unaware of the happy squeal resonating inside Hinata's mind do to the impact of their new relationship finally registering. Ino wasn't much better at this but at least she had the excuse of wearing an enchanted jewel specifically made to stop her from reading minds.
"Vegetables, really? Wow, that's childish," Ino commented with a smirk. Not missing a beat Naruko stuck her tongue out like a child. "Fine, no shrimp, crabs or vegetables this time. Though I do warn you Pumpkin if mom ends up liking you she will get you to eat them. Nothing short of being allergic to them will stop her."
"Like to see her try," Naruko dared, which caused the girls to giggle before the Yamanaka finally left. This, in turn, left the recent girlfriends and fairy alone and without a plan. The Uzumaki and Hyuga looked at each other and blush but at least Naruko could manage to say "Well, what do we do now?" It wasn't much and even she knew that sucked but give her a chance! Not even in her wildest dreams did the whiskered girl think it was possible to get a girl to like her let alone a friend like Hinata. Plus, the jinchuriki was running into this whole dating thing blind as she hadn't even bothered to see any romance movies because she didn't like the guys!
At least Hinata wasn't fairing any better as all she could manage was to blush, poke her finger and whisper "I don't know," in response.
Benihime saw this, and while she was enjoying these two innocent girls, she decided to throw them a bone. "Why not go for a small lunch where you can talk to each other in private?"
"But the Ichiraku Ramen stall isn't very private?" Naruko commented in confusion which caused Beni to look at her mistress dumbfounded. Moment of silence layer proved that the blonde wasn't making a joke which prompted the pixel-winged redhead to pull on the girl's ear as hard as she could. "Ow ow ow ow ow! Ouch! Why did you try to rip my ear off?!"
"For thinking of a ramen stand is a good place for a first date! I don't care if the food there is delicious. A ramen place is at the very least a third or fourth date location."
"Then where do you suggest I go? There aren't any restaurants in this village that will let me enter let alone order food. At least not without a jonin to threaten them."
"What about the Mint Lily? All of the girls there like you and the owner told you she would provide sanctuary should you ever need it."
"Oh, wow. Yeah, I forgot about that," Naruko said before smiling and offering Hinata a hand. "What do you say, Hinata? Want to go to a nice bar with me? No alcohol though. We're too young for that and I don't want to get Ming-Ming and her girls to get in trouble." Hinata felt a little lost in this conversation as she was not aware of where this Mint Lily bar was located or how Naruko was connected to it. She trusted the smaller blond and if the girl trusted these people she could at least try to as well. However, given this was a bar Hinata was going to be on her guard since, even though at this point it was just an empty title, she was still the official heiress of the Hyuga and someone could use her to blackmail the clan. She didn't much care for the main branch but she would be damn if she let anything happen to Hanabi-chan.
"Okay," Hinata finally responded and grabbed the offered hand. Then with a single nod, Hinata felt gravity reverse itself as the ground moved farther and farther away from her feet until the village, she called home could fit on her hands. 'I'm still amazed that a jutsu that lets you travel with such ease is considered a simple shortcut,' she thought while trying to look at the world around them. Yet all the bluenette could enjoy was but a glance as they landed back in the village in a single blink. Looking around Hinata now noticed they were standing in front of the new establishment.
"This is the Mint Lily. As Beni-chan said before, the girls here are good friends and so long as I don't cause trouble we wouldn't be kicked out. And given this is one of the few places that don't kick me out on sight I'm going to follow all of their rules," Naruko told Hinata.
[That also means no alcohol for either of you two. I haven't searched for all of the laws of this village but from where I come from places like this need a liquor license to work legally and selling to minors was a sure-fire way to lose it,] Benihime explain/warned to the girls. Thankfully neither was planning on drinking those types of beverages give that: (1) yes, they were too young and (2) this date was for them to get to know each other better which meant they had to know how to talk and listen. Now with that out of the way, Naruko escorted her date into the bar while politely opening the door for the lady.
Hinata giggles softly while saying "Such a gentleman," before entering. The first thing she noticed was how welcoming the place looked as if it could have past for a restaurant more than a bar. The second thing she noticed was the waitstaff appeared to be comprised of only women and pretty ones at that. And it wasn't the geisha or swimsuit model beauty but the normal walks pass by you in the street and make you say "wow, she was pretty" kind of beauty. It easily made Hinata feel a pang of jealousy before it was crushed as Naruko grabbed her hand gently and gave her a small but content smile. The Hyuga princess almost became a happy jelly at the happiness that little smile was projecting towards her. Hence, Hinata just blushed, gave a shy grin and dipped her head to try and see if you could take back control of her emotions.
"Welcome to the Mint Lily, ladies you will soon- Oh, Uzumaki-san! It's good to see you again. Ming-sama was starting to wonder if you forgot about us," a teenage receptionist with chestnut hair, brown eyes, and freckles greeted them.
"Hehehe, sorry about that. It was a busy week and Ichiraku Ramen is still my favorite place to eat. However, this place may also be a good hang-out spot from when I become a kunoichi," Naruko commented with a grin. "As for today, is it possible to get a more private area for me and my date," she added while emphasizing their interlocked hands.
"Oooooh! Did our gallant prince find a girl-" the chestnut girl receptionist started teasingly until her eyes landed on the Uzumaki's companion. Even for a civilian that dark blue hair pair with those lavender pupilless eyes were easily recognizable as belonging to the Hyuga Princess. Wide brown eyes quickly shifted between the village urchin and the closest thing the village had to genuine royalty again and again. "Wow… You really go big or go home, huh?" the receptionist proclaimed stunned and mouth agape. In response, the jinchuriki chuckled.
"Did you expect any less? I saved your boss by cutting off a guy's dick before I smashed a bicycle on his head. Do you think I look like the kind of girl who would be satisfied with going for the cute and gentle civilian girl? Nah, I rather go for the girl trained in a fighting style that kills by gently poking their target."
"Not to mention flighty rich," the chestnut hair teen muttered at what she thought was low enough to not be heard. For shinobi trained ears it wasn't but neither of the girls called out the teen on it. "Anyway, here are your menus. Given it's still early we aren't pact so you can take one of the more private stalls at the back. A waitress will be with you shortly."
Both girls grabbed the booklets, said their thanks and moved towards the private booths. During the small walk, Hinata finally noticed the most important part of this establishment. This was that all of the patrons talking, eating or playing were women and more than a few were not shy about the fact they were together. The young Hyuga, whose only exposure to another real live lesbian had been the girl who had captured her heart, this was an eye-opening experience.
"It's weird, right?" Naruko asked as they reached their table and sat. "All of this time I thought there was something wrong with me for liking girls. Yet here I can see so many others openly expression those feelings to likeminded individuals. It makes me feel normal for once. And having you here helps a lot too," the whiskered girl finished with another small smile. Hinata blushed again while looked down and wondered if she would ever be immune to the Uzumaki's happiness.
'Hopefully never,' Hinata thought with a smile as they sat on the U-shape booth. "I'm… I'm not sure i-i-if I can call myself a lesbian. You're the first person I've ever felt attracted to."
[That's okays too. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't or maybe I just got lucky. The important thing is that you two have something right now and you can build on that. From my research, I've found that the keys to a good relationship are communication and setting boundaries for both of you. First: ask "stupid" questions and to learn more about one another. An example could be how someone likes their coffee, juice or drink if you want to make it but don't know or remember how to do it. Second: say what you don't like even if you don't know why. An example could be you don't like a particular style of clothing or simply do not like people touching an item that only has meaning to you. Practice this and it should help you move through the different stages of your relationship. Also, fair warning: couple do fight, it normal, but it's how you deal with the fight and after that can make or break your relationship,] Benihime explained to the two surprised girls.
"That… I think that's good advice. Thanks, Beni-chan. But how did you know about that?"
[I was programmed with the knowledge of many shipping fanfictions, of course,] Benihime announced proudly. Naruko now looked somewhat doubtful at her friend while Hinata just looked confused.
"What are fanfictions?" Hinata asked innocently.
[Oh, in essence, those are stories created by fans of works where they enjoy and want to expand or change something to see what happens.]
"So, you telling me all of your "romance knowledge" just comes from a bunch of lonely nerds writing stories? Do you have any idea how much credibility you just lost?"
[Hey, be careful with what you say. By the theory of The Library of Babel or The Infinity Library, everything that ever is or will be in reality has already been written or is being written as we speak. That means your current life could just be that. A fanfiction of the original Naruto Uzumaki being written by one of those lonely nerds.]
"Great. As if I haven't already had an existential crisis after learning of the existence of many other Naruko's in the multiverse. Thanks, Benihime," Naruko grumbled while opening the bars menu.
[It is my pleasure to always provide the most useful and accurate information, my mistress,] Benihime announced with a flourished bow. Hinata didn't fully grasp that last part of the little argument but she couldn't help but giggle at the two girls' antics given they really looked like old friends. This was something she knew the Uzumaki need more than anyone in their lives.
"What will you have?"
"Huh?" Hinata questioned in surprised at having been caught off-guard. Naruko just smiles and repeated her question.
"What will you have? My clock says it's just 4:45pm and thinks it too early for dinner. Should we just order a plate of appetizers while we talk or do you just want to eat. Don't worry about the cost, exploring dungeons has certainly expanded the size of Gama-chan quite a bit. The little guy is now so full he doesn't go hungry!"
"Gama-chan?" Hinata inquired and Naruko grinned before pulling out a very full and green frog-shaped wallet.
"Someone left him as a birthday gift many years back at my door. I've been taking care of him ever since but it wasn't until now I finally feed properly. Isn't that right my sweety. You'll no longer have to go on an empty stomach!" After saying the Uzumaki proceeded to hug and caress the wallet like it was a pet and once more Hinata could only giggle at her girlfriend's antics.
'Really? Who treats their wallet as a pet?' she thought with amusement. 'Still, that wallet is cute. Not as cute as the googles I got her in secret but still cute. Come to think about, I still haven't finished knitting back the scarf Naru-kun lost when she defended me all of those years back. Maybe now that we're together it would be a good present.'
"I was wondering when you would come back here. Started to worry our food scared you off," a new voice said and the girls turned towards the source. Hinata could only gasp at the beautiful albino female standing before in a dark blue long sleeve cheongasm.
"Hey, Ming-Ming! How are things going since I was last here?" Naruko greeted the older woman as an old friend would. Hinata blinked in surprise at this before remembering the small chat with the receptionist back at the entrance about the Uzumaki rescuing the owner.
"Same old, same old. Though our patrons now feel even safer coming here," Ming-Ming said before lowering her voice as if to tell them a secret. "Turns out being on good terms with the Hokage's honorary granddaughter has the perks of getting a shinobi grade protection on the regular."
"Heh, that so weird, right? The same thing happened to Ichiraku Ramen after someone tried and utterly failed to burn it down," Naruko commented with false inquiry and a knowing smirk. The purple-eyed blond just chuckled for turning to look at Hinata and giving a small bow of acknowledgment before turning back to the Uzumaki.
"Have to say, I was expecting to see you here a couple of more time to experiment, fail, try again and repeat until you either find the right girl or she found you. Heck, given your age I wasn't expecting you to find a date until you were at least chunin level. Yet, here you are with Hiashi Hyuga's oldest daughter no less. You either had a death wish or managed to find some crazy blackmail to still be alive."
"Hyuga-sama does not know," Hinata spoke for the first time. Somehow the thought she, the clan's biggest disgrace, needs permission for the Clan Head rubbed the wrong way. Thus, she spoke while grabbing unconsciously grabbing her girlfriend's hand as if establishing their connection. "I no longer care what my clan thinks of me. This is my life to live and I'll decide what makes me happy. Be that being a Hyuga that uses weapons and jutsu other than the Gentle Fist or being with a woman instead of a man that was arranged for me to marry for the betterment of the clan."
"Hinata-chan," Naruko whispered as she was touched by the Hyuga's declaration. Ming-Ming as well felt the girl's words however her expression was more bittersweet.
"Heh, you remind me of my beloved. I didn't know her during her Genin years but she did tell how she said something similar to that witch of a mother of her. That thing felt that Ya-chan wasn't useful for anything other than being sold for an arranged marriage since her older brother existed. Thankfully Ichi-kun and his own wife help Ya-chan escape that monster's wrath before she would have been killed," the older woman commented while caressing her engagement ring lovingly. Both girls saw this and had two different reactions. Hinata for a moment got lost in the fantasy of what it would be like to marry her crush just turned significant other.
'Who would propose? Where both girls so would it be her or me? Oh, Naru-kun on her knees looks so great,' Hinata thought while blushing and grinning. 'Wait, why is that idea of Naru-kun on her knees before me so appetizing?' As the Hyuga princess was trying to sort out these new feelings Naruko reacted to Ming-Ming's story by squeezing Hinata's hand protectively.
"I wouldn't let them hurt you, Hime. Even if it means storming a castle to save you for an unwanted marriage, I'll do it! No friend of mine will be forced to live their life in misery if I have anything to say about it," Naruko declared and they could see the fire in her eyes. In response, Hinata smiled fully before chuckling at the image of the Uzumaki doing just that decked out in full armor while slinging spells, jutsu and all types of weapons.
"Thank you Naru-kun. Though I doubt it will come to that. I'm such a failure in my clan's eyes that they're just waiting for me to become a Genin to completely disown me. It's much easier to disown a legal adult than it is a child. You don't need to worry about providing living expenses that way," Hinata commented as it was but an afterthought. Unbeknownst to her the ease and assuredness with which she said this was like throwing a bucket of cold water on the campfire.
[Well, this outing such became depressing,] Benihime mutter to Naruko who briefly nodded but said nothing.
"Ahem, sorry for bring these thoughts up," Ming-Ming coughed to quickly change the subject. Then she took out her notepad and pen. "Anyway, what will be you be having today? I hope you understand that given your age we will not provide any alcohol. However, given this is your first time here as a couple you'll get the couple's discount." After this, the girls ordered two plates of mixed appetizers with Hinata ordering a soda and Naruko water as sugar tended to make her extra hyperactive. Then, with orders taken, Ming-Ming excused herself to leave and left the new couple to talk.
"So, where do we start?" Naruko asked after Ming-Ming was out of earshot.
"How about what caused this?" Hinata suggested which made Naruko blush hard and start acting nervously.
"Well, that massage you gave me-"
"No! Before that," the Hyuga called out while quickly slapping her hands over the Uzumaki's mouth. Right now, she didn't want to think of what she did to the girl! That type of deep analysis was better felt for when she was alone in her bed with total privacy. "Why were you fighting that Training Puppet and why did it look like me?"
"Oh, that," Naruko realized and thanked because while the massage she got in the infirmary was by far the greatest thing the Uzumaki had ever felt even she knew that was a topic that should be discussed in a far more private setting. Therefore, Naruko gave a small cough before starting "Well, remember the construction ability I showed you today? I told Kakashi-sensei about it since I needed his help to make a gym in one of the empty apartments. After that, he reported back to Jiji, like a popper soldier should, given my status. Then, like the master shinobi he is, Jiji saw an opportunity to use this ability to fix and improve the academy's training ground. He even wrote up a contract and paid me half of the going rate upfront while also counting this as an official B-rank mission. Come to think of it I still have to collect the other half of the payment. Better pass by Jiji's office tomorrow after Sasuke fails his challenge."
"Oh," Hinata thought in amazement at how versatile the Uzumaki's abilities had turned out to be. However, the Hyuga soon had to push those thoughts down as she wanted answers. "But that still doesn't explain why you were fighting that thing alone? Weren't you being watched over by guards in case trouble like that happened?"
"Actually, ANBU were stationed around the training area to protect me and give advice for things I didn't know. Kakashi-sensei even stayed there too to assess my progress as he had worked on a few construction projects before. Then, as you saw on the rooftop, in Building Mode things just materialized or make themselves in a matter of seconds so the remodeling didn't take more than a couple of hours. Plus, it turns out that my shadow clones can also use it in conjunction with me which reduced labor time even more," Naruko explained. "As for why I was fighting for my life?" At this, the whiskered girl scratched the back of her head with embarrassment with an equally nervously laugh.
"Hehe, funny story that. It wasn't supposed to be a battle for survival. I had come back early in the morning to check in to see if I had left anything and is if I could fix it quickly. It was here that I found out I had access to some hidden storage room in the academy which, out of curiosity, I checked out. That's where I found those puppets and took them out. After quick scanning, I learned that they were used in years past to simulate combat against real opponents and that you could even set it to different difficulties. Seeing this my plan had been to fight one of them as our class came in. Then it would both showoff my current skills and what we students could expect when facing the puppets. However, thinking back on it now I may have broken it when I was testing the difficulty nub by moving it to the different settings and everything. After having moved it all the way up it got stuck and I had to use more force than need to move it back down. I guess that snapping sound had been caused for concern instead of ignoring as I did. But hindsight is twenty-twenty as they say," Naruko finished with a shrug.
"I see. Wait, that still doesn't explain why did it look like me?"
"Yeah… That," the blonde commented before looking at bit ashamed before she lifted her hands as if to calm the situation. "Don't be mad at me, okay? It seems that when I use those things a new option appears where it uses a thing called Hard Light Holograms over the dolls to create a body resembling any opponent, I've faced in the past whether I've defeated them or not. At the same time, the system implants it with the fighting data I have about the opponent and fills in some of the gaps with logic. Well, since I still wanted to challenge myself, I chose you was the shell since you're the strongest opponent I've face to date. I wanted to see how I stacked up to you now that I went up a few levels. However, given how it malfunctioned all I can say is that I just learn how to take a punch and outlast someone by being more stubborn than a mule."
"You truly think I'm the strongest?" Hinata asked in surprise as she felt a sense of price burn inside her chest. In response to the question, Naruko grinned with both confidence and enjoyment.
"Heck yeah, I do! Even Duckbutt hasn't managed to beat me in a fight as easily as you did. And don't say the awakening helped you because that was just you finally going all out instead of holding back," the whiskered girl proclaimed with an excited grin. Then it turned into a shy smile as a blush dusted her face. "But seriously, right now you're like my goal. Not because I lost our fight but because you right now represent someone that has finally decided to make the world hers and not afraid to show them who they truly are."
"But I'm only like this because of you," Hinata answered back in a gentle tone. Hearing those words the Uzumaki blink in surprise. Having the girl's attention, Hinata took a deep breath before exhaling and bared her soul out. "Naru-kun, ever since you saved me all of those years ago on that winter day from those bullies, I've been watching you. You can call it stalking if you want but ever since that day your presence has captured me. My eyes have seen you take on a world that hates you and even when it looked like nothing would change you persevered. In the beginning, everyone in this village hated you yet through your own actions you managed to carve both a home and a support group. I've heard adults say that your mere presence will bring ruin to those near you yet that devil may care attitude and refusal to backdown of yours has made people notice.
Sandaime-sama, Iruka-sensei, the Ichiraku family, Shikamaru-san, Choji-san, Ino-chan, Kurenai-sensei, Hatake-sensei, the employs here at Mint Lily, Benihime-chan and myself included are all people that have come to care for you, Naru-kun. I've heard time and again how weak and pathetic I am. That I'm nothing but a failure and for years I believe it but seeing you keep on standing back up, training, improving either by small or large margins and fighting against such negativity inspired me. Those that do not know you tend to compare you to people like Uchiha-san and call you a failure like its all you'll ever amount to. But, in my eyes you're so much more than that to the point I would call you a proud failure! When I look at you, I get an intense feeling in my heart. Because you are not perfect. Because you fail. Because you still have the strength to get back up. Because I believe that's what true strength is. The power to admit one's weakness and resolve to overcome it!"
Naruko didn't know what to say about this. What could she say? Hinata had not only confessed her feeling but admitted that the Uzumaki had been a source of inspiration. No one had ever said something even remotely similar to Naruko and it made her heart skip a beat. Time and again the whiskered girl had wondered during those lonely nights if she was doing the right thing. Was she actually achieving something or was it all just a kid throwing a temper tantrum? Thankfully Hinata had just answered that yes, she was making a difference. She had made friends, help people and at least to the Hyuga become a source of strength and inspiration. The feelings this brought her were hard to put into words but as tears started to flow down her face, Naruko could at least grin and say they were of joy. Even as Hinata moved to her side and help to dry her eyes Naruko couldn't help but chuckle at the warmth she felt inside her. And to think this was thanks to saving the princess from some bullies a couple of winters back?
'Wait a moment,' Naruko's mind suddenly stops at that last thought. 'I saved her for bullies during winter?' she repeated in confusion which was mirrored by Hinata, who was now sitting at her right with a napkin. 'But… But the only time I did that… was with…' Naruko told herself while turning to look at Hinata's face. For an instant she could have sworn she saw something but she wasn't sure. Hence the Uzumaki forced her mind to dig up that long-past memory. Then once found it played back like an old afternoon anime as she saw her failure to beat up Goto and his group. Yet that wasn't important now as Naruko reacted the point she talked to the girl they had made cry. Blue hair cut short with two strands framing the face, fair-skinned like noble, and… lavender pupilless eyes. "Oh. My. God… It was you…"
"Huh?" Hinata reacted confused. One moment her crush was crying out of happiness that next to the Uzumaki was looking at her like trying to solve a puzzle and now the whiskered was staring at her with wide blue eyes while pointing in shock.
"You… you're that cute girl I saved during that winter. You… You're the reason I'm gay," Naruko declared dumfounded and mouth a gap as it finally clicked. Or more like they finally cracked her ultra-dense skull open with a sledgehammer, but that's just semantics at this point.
"W-W-What?" Hinata shuttered and blushed at being called cute out of the blue like that. Having caught herself saying that Naruko's blushed scarlet and hide her face in her hands as steam escaped her skull. It took a couple of moments for the two to managed to recollect themselves. It was during this time that their drinks had been silently delivered which they thanked because their throats were very dry at the moment.
"I didn't know it was you until now," Naruko finally said after placing her glass of water down. However, her eyes didn't leave the glass as the memory played back to her. Her blush was still there but she could now see the humor in their current situation. 'To think, I've been searching for that girl for years and she was always there looking. That's the second time I realized Hinata was always there for me,' she thought happily before continuing to talk "When I helped that cutie, I did it because I just saw people being mean to someone else for no reason and it pisses me off. But then, like two days later, I had a dream about me completely beating up those bullies and that super cute giving me a hug that felt warm and nice!" the Uzumaki confessed with a grin and then chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that was the moment I started to notice how pretty the girls around me were."
"Y-Y-You t-t-thought I w-w-was c-c-cute b-b-back t-t-then?" Hinata asked as her shutter came back with a vengeance.
"Yep! And still are too," Naruko answered with a laugh and a peck on the cheek. Then she stared into those wonderful lavender eyes with as much love as she could. "I don't know if it's possible to fall in love with someone in a dream but I do know that having that dream was a turning point or me. After that dream, I found myself more than once admiring girls and women while thinking they looked pretty or cute. Pretty sure I even had crushes on a few of them like Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, and definitely Kiba's mom. Even when girls started talking about boys like Sasuke I never felt that. Sure, I can tell Sasuke is good looking but I could easily point out at 10 girls in the whole academy that looked prettier than him," she ended in a burst of giggles that quickly infected Hinata. "Damn. Sorry. I'm rambling," Naruko said while trying to stop the laugh. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you captured me that day too. But I was just too stupid and dense to realize it until you had to point it out to me after all of these years."
"Naruko," the Hyuga princess whispered lovingly.
"Hinata," the Uzumaki whispered back gently.
"I like you!" both girls declared at the same time like a couple of dorks. This, of course, resulted in both having another bout of laughter as they basked in the happiness of their own world.
'Well,' the forgotten Benihime thought to herself while taking another picture of the two for the collection. 'I would have preferred for them to interact more before they would become a couple but I guess they move at their own pace. Thankfully in life, unlike mangas and videogames, the kiss isn't the endgame but the start.'
X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
A/N:
I hope you all like this chapter.
I know that the NaruHina train just went full speed past the Dear Friends station but what can you do after one gave that big O to the other? Thankfully I tried to get the girls to have a heart to heart and hopefully, this comes out as something resembling romance. I hope you readers like it.