nightwalker4eva & Nyaruto: Thanks!
Chewie Cookies: Yup, she will! I'm actually getting rather impatient to reach the point I want to with Gadget Girl. I need to write faster for my own sake. Hahaha. And no worries—I was just teasing you about your slow-updating habits. I'd like to see more of your stuff, of course, but I'm not going to annoy you about it. :) And there's plenty of slow updaters here, so you're not alone. There might even come a day when it happens to me... I hope not, though. D:
StormSurfer: I love your reviews, friend. ^^ The image of that poor guy I apparently hit in the parking lot just made me laugh. :P Glad you liked the fight scene. Makes me very happy to hear that you think I did the fight well. I was concerned some people would be unhappy about Hinata finding out so soon, but I didn't really want to go the Sailor Moon/Superman route (ya know, where apparently no one can tell who they are because of the tiara or the absence of Clark Kent's glasses when he's Superman). I may like Sailor Moon, but that tiara-hiding-their-identity thing kills me every time I read the manga. Hahaha. Anyway, glad you liked the chapter, and I will continue to do my best with this story. I will "keep it up, my main man" as you said, even though I am in fact a woman. Hahaha. XD
Fadelucky: Thank you! And I can't wait either. I want to get to the more NaruHina moments as well as all the superpower/gadget ideas I have. And as for the writing stuff, I don't know that I'd say I have determination for this necessarily—I just have a lot of fun writing. Although I will admit one needs some determination to get through the less exciting moments of a story. But if you want some help with writing, feel free to PM me about your ideas and such, and I'm willing to be a beta for you too. I enjoy helping others with their writing as much as I enjoy writing, so let me know and I will help you. :) And if you don't want to write these ideas yourself, you could tell me your ideas and basic outline, and I'll write the story out. We can co-author something. Let me know if either idea interests you. ^_^
Zamrok: Glad you changed your mind and gave my story here a chance anyway. :) Just goes to show that you can never judge a book by its cover. ^_^ Perhaps I should add into the summary, though, that this story is only like Spiderman in the beginning. I'm not sure why that bothers people, though. Would a crossover of Spiderman and Naruto be that bad? *shrugs* Maybe it's just me, but I don't see what's so bad about that. However, the only thing intentionally like Spiderman in this story is the beginning stuff at the lab and the small reference to Spiderman in that one game Naruto was playing. Any other similarities (if any exist—I don't know) are unintentional. Anyway, hope you continue to enjoy this story! ^^
Thank you everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or faved this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any references to anything else with a copyright that may be mentioned within this story.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
The irritating noise just barely broke through the darkness of unconsciousness. Hinata mumbled something and turned her head in the opposite direction of the sound.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
The noise came again, but this time with a voice. "Nee-san! Open the door!"
Hearing her little sister's voice finally brought Hinata fully awake, and with a grumble, she got up from her worktable and made her way to the door, which was still being pounded on by the small girl on the other side. Opening the door, Hinata stared down at Hanabi wordlessly, and the small girl had her fist paused in midair from knocking.
Hanabi lowered her hand as she looked at her sister. She saw Hinata was in her pajamas still and there were dark circles under her eyes as if she had been up late. Red marks were on her face as well, indicating she'd fallen asleep resting on her arms.
"Nee-san, did you sleep in your workshop last night?" Hanabi questioned with a raised eyebrow and slight tilt of her head.
Yawning, Hinata nodded and told her, "Yes, I did. I have a new project."
"Really? Can I see it?" her little sister asked excitedly.
"No," Hinata replied with a shake of her head. "This one's a secret, I'm afraid." Seeing the small girl slump her shoulders in disappointment, the bluenette leaned down to hug her. "Don't worry, Hanabi-imouto. It's not that exciting anyway."
"Hmph," the girl snorted with a pout as she crossed her arms.
Hinata giggled at her expression. "So what did you want, imouto?"
"Oh! I just wanted to see what you're doing since it's past 11, and you're usually up by now," Hanabi replied, her pouting forgotten.
"I see. Well, thank you, Hanabi," Hinata smiled at her. "I should go get ready now." She was about to step out of her workshop when she remembered something. Walking back to the corner of the table that was nearest to the door, she picked up a small device that she had left there the night before and then turned around and came out of the workshop, locking the door behind her.
Hanabi cocked an eyebrow at this. "Nee-san? What's that?" she asked, pointing to the object in her older sister's hand. "And why'd you lock the door? You hardly ever lock the door."
Hinata just smiled at her sister and ruffled her hair affectionately, causing the small girl to pout again and swat at Hinata's hands. "This is a gift for a friend, and I locked the door to keep my project a secret."
She began walking to her room, and Hanabi followed her. "This friend wouldn't be Naruto, would it?" the small girl asked with a sly smile.
"W-What if it is?" Hinata retorted as a small blush appeared on her face.
Hanabi giggled at her sister's embarrassment. "You're so easy to read, nee-san. Why don't you and Naruto just start dating already?"
"W-W-We want to b-be f-friends for awhile f-first," Hinata attempted to explain.
"Oh, please," Hanabi said with a roll of her eyes. "You guys obviously like each other. Why waste the time?"
"B-Because we want to t-take things s-slow s-so we d-don't m-mess things up b-between us," the bluenette replied as the two finally came to Hinata's bedroom door. "A-Anyway," she began to change the subject to escape, "I-I'm going to g-go get dressed now. S-See you l-later, imouto!" And she was gone in a flash into her room.
Hanabi just blinked in surprise before bursting out laughing. "Okay, nee-san! I'll see you and Naruto at dinner tonight!" she called through the door. Hearing an "EEP!" on the other side, she walked away laughing again while thinking, "Whatever she's working on, it must have to do with why she was in Father's office last night. But I need to find out for sure."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"Na~ru~to~" an angelic voice singsonged his name.
Turning around, he came face-to-face with what he could only describe as beauty personified. Her long, blue hair flowed out behind her with the breeze, her low-cut, white dress hugged her curves just right, and her eyes—oh, those eyes. Like two of the most gorgeous pearls that seemed to come straight from the moon.
She looked at him with half-lidded eyes and a sweet smile as she sauntered toward him, swaying her hips seductively. "Na~ru~to~" she singsonged again. He loved hearing her say his name. Standing in front of him, she put her delicate hands on his firm, muscular chest, and stared deep into his blue eyes. An unseen force seemed to pull the two closer and closer, and he found himself unable to fight it—not that he wanted to, though.
Their lips were just less than an inch from touching, and his heart was pounding with excitement to kiss this beauty before him when suddenly she uttered one simple phrase.
"Don't. You. Dare."
Shocked by the dangerous tone of voice, he pulled back a bit and looked at her face, which still maintained its sweet smile and light blush. Deciding it was all in his head, he started to move toward her again, and she responded by biting him hard on the nose.
"Gah!" he shouted as he catapulted himself backwards, falling off his bed, and banging his head on his nightstand. "Oww..."
Rubbing his aching head and injured nose, Naruto looked around and realized he was in his room, and the beautiful girl was nowhere in sight. "It was just a dream?" he asked aloud.
"I should hope so unless you were really trying to kiss me," said a stern voice from on top of the bed.
Naruto peeked over the edge from where he was still sitting on the floor and sweat-dropped when he saw Kurama sitting next to his pillow looking rather unhappy. "Oh hey, Kurama. You ruined a great dream, ya know."
"Ha!" the fox half-scoffed, half-laughed. "If you want to dream about your mate, that's your business. But next time you try to kiss me, I'll tear your nose off."
"Okay, okay. Sheesh. You're even grouchier in the morning, ya know?" Naruto replied as he got up from the floor. "Why were you so close to my head anyway? Sounds to me like you were asking for it."
Kurama flicked his tail in irritation. "I wanted a pillow, which are all—unfortunately—right next to your head. Sue me."
Naruto sighed. "Whatever." He stretched and realized immediately that there was no pain in his back. Removing his coat and shirt—which he had fallen asleep in—he looked at his back in the mirror. "Hey! The bruising's all gone!" he exclaimed happily.
"I told you it would be," Kurama said, coming over to the end of the bed.
"Yeah, I know. But it's still pretty cool to actually see it," the whisker-faced boy replied.
Letting out a chuckle, Kurama told him, "You might want to pretend to be injured still, though. Such an abnormal rate of healing would definitely raise some questions."
"Yeah, no kidding," Naruto said dryly. "Shouldn't be too hard to pull that off, though, and worst case scenario, I can always say that Hinata's medical cream helped me a lot."
"Speaking of which, she gave you a jar for future use. She gave it to your grandmother, who put it on your dresser there last night," the fox replied while pointing to the object in question with his tail.
"Awesome. I'll have to thank her for it later." Naruto smiled as he picked up the little jar and held it a moment.
"You should. But if you plan on thanking her by reenacting your dream, let me know so I can be out of the room," Kurama said with a smirk.
Naruto's face turned red. "Shut up, Kurama." He put the jar back down and looked at his clock. Seeing it was almost noon, he decided he should get ready for the day. "I'm gonna go take a shower," he told his fox friend. "Is there anything you need? A trip outside to use the bathroom or anything?"
Kurama sweat-dropped. "Kit, I'm a sentient fox capable of human speech. In light of these facts, I can safely say that I have mastered the toilet as well. But I am hungry."
Naruto laughed a little at how Kurama basically said he was potty-trained, and replied, "Well, alrighty then. I'll take my shower and then we'll both get food. Sound good?"
"Sure. I'll get a few more minutes of sleep in the meantime," the fox answered and curled up in a ball.
Naruto just smiled, grabbed his towel, and headed to the bathroom.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Fully dressed in a lavender T-shirt and loose, black shorts, Hinata finished brushing her indigo hair and looked at the headband lying on her dresser. It was black with an orange swirl on it—Naruto's headband that he forgot in her room yesterday after she took it off to treat his head wound.
"I could return this later tonight when he comes with his family to dinner... But it's the perfect excuse to go over to his house now!" Hinata thought while suppressing the urge to squeal with happiness. "I'm starting to sound like a fangirl or something..." She sweat-dropped and hung her head. "Get a grip, Hinata! You may have a crush on the guy, but that's no reason to turn into a fangirl," she mentally scolded herself. "I am going to visit him today, though."
Smiling, the bluenette put Naruto's headband in her pocket and grabbed her phone to text her blonde crush. Hey, Naruto. How are you feeling today? Do you mind if I come over in a little bit? You left your headband here and I thought I'd bring it to you.
Meanwhile, Naruto had just finished his shower and was in the middle of putting on a clean set of his usual outfit when his cell phone buzzed. Seeing the message from Hinata, he smiled and sent a reply. Hi, Nata! I'm a lot better today. That stuff of yours worked really well, and I think I'm all better. No, I don't mind you coming here at all! I actually didn't notice I forgot it until just now. ^_^' Do you want me to come get you?
Hinata: No, that's okay. I'll have George drive me over. And if you haven't eaten yet, I'll bring us lunch. Well, breakfast for me. I just got up an hour ago. :P
Naruto: Hehe. Yeah, I just got up a few minutes ago, so breakfast sounds good. :)
Hinata: Anything in particular you want?
Naruto: Nope. Whatever you bring is fine with me.
Hinata: Okay! See you soon!
The blonde boy tossed his phone on his bed and woke Kurama, who asked, "I take it your mate is coming over?"
Naruto sighed as he continued dressing and replied, "Yes, Nata's coming over, but she isn't my mate, ya know."
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Oh please. I could choke on the pheromones surrounding you two when you're near each other. And that dream you had was obviously about her too."
Blushing, Naruto told the fox, "I am so glad you can't talk to her." Kurama just laughed at him.
Without another word, the young hero finished putting on his white shirt, rolling up the sleeves like he always did, and already wearing his black pants. He refrained from putting on his coat, though, deciding instead to throw it in the wash along with his ninja clothes. As he threw them and his bag into the washing machine, he couldn't help but think, "I'm actually glad for once that I have to take care of my own laundry. There'd be no explaining the ninja stuff otherwise." He chuckled quietly to himself.
Making his way to the living room, Naruto decided to watch some TV until Hinata showed up. He sat down on the couch, and Kurama hopped up next to him.
"I thought we were going to eat something once you were done with your shower," the fox reminded him.
"Oh yeah. Sorry, Kurama. Hinata's bringing us food, so we just gotta wait until she gets here," Naruto explained.
"Fine," he huffed as he curled up on the couch.
Naruto turned on the television and wasn't too surprised to find it was on the news again. "Seriously, is this all Baa-chan and Ero-jii-san watch?" he sighed.
The news story soon came to yesterday's events at the mall, and the reporter was saying that fortunately there were no casualties from the lizard monster's attack. However, there were several injured, and so far no one, not even the police, knew yet where the lizard monster had come from. In addition, the monster's body, which had been hauled away for study at OrochiCorp Laboratories, had mysteriously disappeared, and oddly enough, no one was holding the Lab responsible.
"Not surprising," Kurama commented. "That creature came from the Lab, so of course they'd make it disappear as well."
"But why aren't they getting in trouble for losing the monster's body?" Naruto asked.
Kurama glanced sidelong at the blonde. "Because the owner of the Lab has enough money to pay anyone off. Anyone."
"So...he's the main enemy here?"
"Basically."
"Okay, so if we know that, why don't we just charge in there and take him out?"
Kurama sighed. "Because we'd both be dead within minutes of trying. In fact, I'm certain the only reason you weren't caught or killed when you were sneaking around is because you didn't do anything risky to their operations or try to get near the Lab's owner. The owner, whose name is Orochimaru, is always surrounded by his security guards. And not just that—all the experiments in the Lab are made to be loyal to him and will fight to defend him. Can you imagine fighting several creatures like that lizard monster all at once?"
Naruto shivered at the thought. "Yeah, I think I'll pass. But wait. If all his experiments are loyal to him, what about you? And how are we supposed to beat this guy?"
The fox hesitated and flicked his tail thoughtfully. "There were a few of us who were resistant to his tactics and procedures that were to insure our loyalty, and unfortunately...I'm only one of nine who survived. Some of the others who died were my friends too..." Kurama sighed, and his human companion looked at him sympathetically. Taking a deep breath, the fox continued, "Anyway, we're going to beat him by getting stronger, gathering allies, and spying on Orochimaru to find any weaknesses he may have."
Nodding, Naruto said, "Sounds good. But what allies? Who could we get to help us and how?"
"Well..." Kurama began slowly, "there's your mate for one."
"She's not my—wait, what?! No! Nata's not getting involved in this!" the boy protested. "She can't—I don't want her to get hurt! I—"
"Naruto," the fox interrupted him with a stern voice, "I never said she had to join us in the fighting. I just meant that if she is as skilled with technology as she seems, she could be quite useful in helping us."
"Oh..." Naruto mumbled while scratching the back of his head, a little embarrassed at his outburst. Clearing his throat, he muttered, "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."
Kurama chuckled at the boy. "You seem to care a lot about this girl considering you've only known her for less than a week."
Naruto shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Yeah, I do. I can't explain it, Kurama. She just feels right to me, ya know? Like I somehow know without fully knowing her that things will just work out between us. ...Does that make any sense?"
"Well, I'm no expert on human relationships, but what you're experiencing could be part of the instinct you gained from my gift," Kurama explained. "Some foxes, such as myself, mate for life, and when we find our mate, we usually know right away. Of course, things will be more complicated for you, since humans are more complex than my species—myself excluded."
"'More complex'? How?" Naruto asked confused.
"Humans—and me—are self-aware, so your likes, dislikes, and such will require you to be more careful about who you choose for your mate. In other words, even though I call her your mate, I suggest you get to know her better before you make anything permanent," Kurama clarified.
Naruto nodded. "Okay, I get it. But I was already planning on that anyway, ya know."
"Your dreams suggest otherwise," Kurama pointed out with a chuckle.
Naruto blushed and turned his attention back to the news mumbling, "Go chase your tail, Kurama." The fox laughed again.
The news was finishing its story on the mall incident, and the reporter was stating how two people besides the mysterious Kitsune Ninja were inside the mall during the incident—the Hyuuga heiress, who was being isolated from reporters by her family, and the grandson of Tsunade Namikaze and Jiraiya Namikaze, the famous doctor and author respectively.
"Wonder why no one's trying to interview me," Naruto thought out loud.
"Ha! They did earlier today. I heard them come to the door," Kurama told him.
"Yeah? What happened?"
"Your grandmother happened. She told them all to, and I quote, 'leave now or I will be seeing you all in my hospital, and you can do a story on how the doctor who's putting your bones back together is the same one who broke them all in the first place.'" Kurama laughed. "They didn't believe her until she took one man's camera and smashed it over his head."
"Wow," Naruto said impressed. "I always knew Granny had a temper, but dang!"
"Indeed. Your grandfather even asked her—once the reporters left—what she was so mad about. She told him that she didn't like the idea of you being shown all over the news for several reasons. One of which was your parents might see it and worry," Kurama told him.
Naruto just grunted in reply. He knew his parents would worry about him, but he was still feeling a little bitter about them being too busy to be with him. But it wasn't like he wanted to talk to the reporters anyway—he liked them about as much as he liked cops.
Kurama and Naruto continued to watch TV for a few more minutes as the news ended, and then the doorbell rang. Switching off the television, the young hero bolted to the door, excited to see his pretty blue-haired friend. He threw open the door, and standing there was Hinata, blushing and holding a flat, white box in her hands.
"Hey, Nata! Come in, come in!" Naruto ushered her inside the house.
"Thank you, Naruto," Hinata managed to say without stuttering as she walked through the door. Gesturing with the box she was holding, she asked, "Are you hungry?"
"Starved! Kurama is too," Naruto replied with a foxy grin.
Hinata looked down at the little fox, who was sitting on the floor watching the two humans. She bent over to scratch behind his ears and said, "Well, I hope he likes what I brought."
"I'm sure we both will!" Naruto told her cheerfully. "C'mon! We'll eat in the kitchen." He started walking toward the aforementioned room, and Hinata giggled while following him with Kurama right behind her.
Once in the kitchen, Hinata set the box down on the counter and opened it. "Cinnamon rolls?" Naruto asked while sitting on a barstool in front of the counter.
The bluenette nodded shyly as she sat on the stool next to his. "Y-Yes. They're my favorite food. Do...Do you not like them?"
"No, no. I like them a lot actually. Not as good as ramen, but still very good," the blonde grinned at her.
Hinata smiled happily—the smile that always seemed to make Naruto's heart skip a beat—and handed him a cinnamon roll. She was about to get one for Kurama as well, but the hungry, little fox jumped up on the counter and scarfed one down. Giggling at his antics, Hinata just grabbed a pastry for herself and took a bite.
"Geez, Kurama. I know you're hungry, but calm down," Naruto said after swallowing his last bite while watching the fox consume his third roll.
Hinata giggled. "It's okay, Naruto. I brought a dozen."
–Believe it or not, I'm actually showing restraint,– Kurama told his human partner with a few yips.
Hinata raised an eyebrow and commented, "You know, it's almost like he's talking back to you." The fact that both Kurama and Naruto paused in their eating with wide eyes was not lost on the bluenette, but she acted as if she didn't notice.
"Huh. Well, ya know, maybe in some way he can understand us," Naruto responded in an attempt to be casual.
Hinata feigned an innocent look, but inwardly she was smirking as she thought of a way to mess with the hero and his fox partner. "I'm sure he can," she said innocently. "I mean, look at his eyes. You can see the intelligence in them."
Naruto had to refrain from rolling his eyes as Kurama shot him a smug glance and started purring when Hinata began petting him. "See?" Hinata asked rhetorically. "It's almost like he knows I just complimented him."
The blonde cleared his throat, not knowing where this conversation was going but somehow feeling uncomfortable by it. "Yeah well, anyway," he began, "what do you want to do today, Nata?"
Said bluenette let out a sad sigh. "Well unfortunately, I can't stay long. I have to help get things ready for when you and your family come to dinner tonight." Which was only partially true—she did have to help, but not very much; she mostly just wanted more time to find the right outfit to wear to impress a certain blonde boy.
"Moh..." Naruto whined with his face scrunched up in a pout that Hinata couldn't help but find adorable. "I wanted to spend more time with you."
Hearing that, Hinata was touched. Sure, Naruto had admitted to being attracted to her already, but the blue-haired girl never thought too highly of herself, considering herself a burden and always thinking she was wearing out her welcome with her friends. Hearing Naruto say he wanted to spend time with her made her very happy, and her heart skipped a beat while a bit of red crossed her cheeks. Looking down at her hands in her lap, she twiddled her fingers and asked, "Really?"
"Of course, Nata! Why wouldn't you think so? You're really fun, smart, and pretty, and I'd like to get to know you better!" Naruto told her.
Hinata just gave him a small but genuine smile and whispered, "Thank you, Naruto."
Something about the look in her eyes made him suddenly feel compelled to hold her in his arms. Standing up from the barstool, the boy pulled Hinata into a hug, and when he saw Kurama's smirk, he gave the fox a pointed look that said, "Off you go."
Still smirking, Kurama jumped off the counter while the two teens continued to hold each other. The fox took one more backward glance at them, seeing Naruto with his face nuzzled into Hinata's hair and Hinata burying her face in Naruto's chest, and he smiled as he left the room.
Shortly after Kurama left, Hinata let out a quiet sigh that Naruto felt more than he really heard. Giving her a small squeeze, he asked, "A ryo for your thoughts, Nata?"
The bluenette merely shook her head a little and shrugged without letting go of Naruto. "I'm just happy I met you, Naruto. ...Sorry if that sounds weird." She blushed and sweat-dropped at what she said.
Naruto, however, felt his heart race upon hearing her say that, and he pulled back from the hug a bit to look at Hinata's face. "It's not weird at all, Nata," he grinned at her. "I'm happy I met you too."
Hinata gave him that heart-melting smile again, and the two found themselves staring into each other's eyes again—Naruto mesmerized by two lavender pearls, Hinata drowning in two sapphire pools. It wasn't long before that inexplicable pull started drawing their faces closer together. Their lips getting nearer and nearer...
Almost touching when...
They heard a cough at the kitchen doorway, and both teens broke apart in a flash as they looked at the source of the noise—Naruto's grandfather Jiraiya, who had a smirk on his face.
Naruto and Hinata's faces were both crimson—the bluenette more so than the blonde—and the Hyuuga heiress bowed her head and stared at the floor while the young hero glared at his grandfather. Jiraiya, however, just maintained his obnoxious smirk as he held Naruto's gaze unblinkingly.
"Good afternoon, Hinata," Jiraiya said to the heiress while continuing to smirk at Naruto.
"G-Good af-ftern-noon, J-J-Jiraiya," Hinata struggled to reply. Naruto's anger at his grandfather increased when he heard Hinata stutter that bad, knowing it was Jiraiya's presence after what almost happened that was causing her to feel so uncomfortable.
"What do you want, Jii-san?" Naruto asked in a strained voice, trying to keep his temper in check.
Ignoring the rudeness of his grandson's question, Jiraiya answered with a shrug, "I just came in here to fix myself some lunch and to see who you had over. I gotta say, I'm not surprised it's my future granddaughter-in-law."
Naruto and Hinata's eyes both widened as their blushes deepened when they heard the old man's joke, but Hinata's face darkened until the color red completely took over her face. She was mortified by Naruto's grandfather catching her and Naruto about to kiss, and his joke just made it worse. "'Future granddaughter-in-law'?!" was the last thing that went through her head when everything went dark.
Luckily, Naruto with his heightened senses detected the increase in heart rate and breathing in his blue-haired friend, and remembering that was what happened before she fainted the last time, he was ready to catch her just as she started falling to the floor. "Ero-jii-san!" Naruto shouted angrily as he held Hinata up in his arms. Jiraiya just burst out laughing at the scene. "It's not funny!"
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Naruto moved Hinata's upper half to his right arm while he lifted up her legs in his left. Carrying her bridal-style, he took her to the living room to lay her down on the couch. Meanwhile, Jiraiya, who regained control over his laughter, followed his grandson and observed him from the living room doorway. He watched the boy's face as he made sure the bluenette was okay and comfortable. The tenderness in those blue eyes as they looked at the girl's sleeping face surprised the old man, and part of him felt a bit guilty now for ruining their moment in the kitchen.
Clearing his throat to gain Naruto's attention, Jiraiya asked, "So if I hadn't interrupted, what would've happened in the kitchen?"
The blonde's face took on a tinge of pink again, but he responded with, "What do you mean, Jii-san?"
"What I mean is, it was obvious you two were about to kiss," he began and ignored the strangled noise Naruto made as he was about to protest, "but what I want to know is, was that all that was going to happen?"
"What're you talking about?" Naruto was confused, not knowing what his grandfather was referring to, and it was starting to frustrate him.
Sighing, Jiraiya said, "You cannot be that clueless, gaki! Was that kiss going to lead up to something more than kissing? Did you know I was home, or did you think you two were alone in the house? Have you kissed her before?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Naruto yelled with his hands up, gesturing for the old man to stop asking such embarrassing questions. "For crying out loud, Ero-jii-san! I've known her for less than a week! And besides that, I'm not a pervert like you, ya know! I actually want to wait 'til I'm married or at least in love before doing that."
"Okay, okay. Calm down, gaki. I'm sorry, alright? But seriously, by your own logic, my concern is warranted. As you said, you've only known her for less than a week, and yet I find you two about to kiss. Care to explain?" Jiraiya folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.
Naruto looked down and off to the side as he thought about how to answer his grandfather's question and decided to just repeat what he said to Kurama earlier, hoping the old man would have more of an answer than the fox had. Clenching his fists, he slowly managed to say, "I...I don't know what it is, Jii-san. I know we haven't known each other long, but...I just somehow feel close to her, ya know? Like she just feels right to me. Does that make sense?" He glanced back up at Jiraiya.
A grin crossed the old man's face. "Oh, yeah. It makes sense alright." Naruto looked hopeful as Jiraiya walked closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sounds to me like you found The One, gaki."
"'The One'?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
"Yeah, you know, The One. Your soulmate. Miss Right. The one you're destined to spend your life with," Jiraiya elaborated.
Naruto scoffed. "I don't believe in that fate crap, Jii-san."
"Yeah, I don't really either. But I do believe that for some people, there is another out there that suits them better than anyone else. In your case, that may just be Hinata," Jiraiya told him, and Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "But she may not be too. Get to know her a bit better first, and in the meantime, control your hormones."
"Huh. Never thought I'd hear that from you," Naruto replied with a smirk.
Jiraiya let out a dry laugh. "Gaki, I may write adult novels, but that doesn't mean I'm about to encourage my 15-year-old grandson to do any of the things I write about. When you turn 18, however..."
"Granny will still kill you for trying to corrupt me," Naruto finished for him and laughed.
"Yeah..." Jiraiya sighed while sweat-dropping. "Unfortunately, you're right about that."
"Ya know, you can trust me, Jii-san," Naruto said seriously, looking his grandfather in the eyes.
The white-haired man considered the boy for a moment then smiled. Patting the blonde's shoulder, Jiraiya replied, "I know I can, gaki. You're a good kid. But more than that, you understand what your grandma will do to you if you do anything you know you're not supposed to."
Naruto agreed with a shiver.
Hearing the bluenette on the couch start to wake up, Jiraiya left the room to give the teens time alone, but not before telling Naruto to behave himself once more first. The boy responded by rolling his eyes, and as the old man left the room, Naruto turned around to see Hinata sitting up on the couch, rubbing her eyes.
"What happened?" she asked.
Naruto sat down next to her. "You don't remember?"
Seeing where she was and who was next to her, the memory of what happened in the kitchen came back to her. "O-Oh y-yeah. I-I r-r-remember n-now..."
"I'm sorry, Hinata. About what I almost did, and for my grandpa embarrassing you about it," Naruto apologized, thinking she must be angry with him.
"N-No, N-Naruto. It's ok-kay," she told him while poking her index fingers together. The boy looked up to see the bashful mannerism and smiled, but a blush quickly took over his face when he heard her whisper, "I r-really didn't m-mind the first thing."
"Oh, really?" Naruto asked with a mischievous grin as he leaned closer to Hinata, his face just inches away from hers.
Her face took on that same dark shade of red from before and she stuttered, "Y-Y-You h-h-heard th-tha-that?!"
Seeing her start to sway, the whisker-faced boy backed off and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently to try and keep her conscious. "Whoa, Nata! Calm down! I was just playing with you!"
Taking a deep breath, Hinata managed to push back the darkness. "S-Sorry," she gave a shy yet sheepish smile.
"Hey, it's my fault. I shouldn't have teased you. Don't worry about it," Naruto told her.
Hinata was about to respond when the doorbell rang. Naruto stood to answer it and opened the door to find the Hyuuga butler standing there.
"Oh hey, George. You here to pick up Hinata?" the blonde asked.
George bowed his head slightly and replied, "Indeed, Master Naruto. Is she ready to go?"
"I will be in a minute, George," the bluenette, having regained control over her stutter, answered as she appeared from behind her whisker-faced friend. "Just let me say goodbye to Naruto, and I'll be out to the car."
"As you wish, milady," George bowed again and turned to go back to his vehicle.
Naruto closed the door as Hinata took two things out of her pocket. She handed the blonde the first item. "Here's your headband."
"Thanks, Nata!" Naruto said cheerfully as he tied the headband around his head. Then he looked at the second item that she was fidgeting nervously with in her hands and asked, "What's that?"
"I-It's something I wanted to give you...j-just because..." the timid girl mumbled. She held up the object so he could see it better—it was small, flat, and rectangular, and one side of it was clearly a digital screen. "It's a Virtual Storage Device—one of my family's more famous inventions."
"Isn't that the thing that stores solid objects in digital form?" Naruto asked, and Hinata nodded with a smile. "I always thought those things sounded cool, but they're crazy expensive. How do they work?"
Hinata sweat-dropped. "Well, I don't know the exact details. I can understand what parts go where to build the hardware, and I can understand the codes and such to put together the software. But all the scientific physics and such that go into making it work are a bit beyond me. The most I can say is it condenses whatever objects you aim it at and somehow electronically stores them on the device. When you want the objects back, you select them on the screen here, and they will reappear."
Naruto shrugged and let out a laugh while rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I guess even if you did know all the scientific crap behind it, I wouldn't understand it anyway, ya know." Then his smile faded and he looked at Hinata seriously. "But did you say you were giving it to me?" The bluenette nodded in response and held it out to him, but he made no move to take it. "Why, Nata? These things are freakin' expensive! I can't just take one from you even if they do come from your family's company."
"But I want you to have it," she told him with a pout. "I made this one myself, and I think you could get more use out of it than me. Please take it."
The young hero was having a hard time resisting that pout, but he still didn't feel quite right about taking such an expensive gift from his friend, especially when her only reason was "just because she wanted him to have it." He was about to refuse again when another voice—or rather a series of yips—stopped him.
–You should take it, Kit. It could come in handy with your ninja gear.–
Hinata watched Naruto turn to the small fox, who was sitting in the middle of the hall watching them, and raise his eyebrow. "It's almost like—" her thought was interrupted when she saw the blonde smile slightly and give Kurama an almost imperceptible nod. "Definitely. He understands what Kurama says, and Kurama understands us."
Her hypothesis was further confirmed when Naruto turned back to her and said, "Okay, Nata. I'll take it." As he took the device from her hand, he added, "But I'm gonna pay you back for it."
The bluenette just smiled sweetly at him. "There's no need, but I won't stop you." She giggled and elicited a chuckle from Naruto as well. Then they both heard a honk from outside. "Oops. George is getting impatient. I better get going." Naruto nodded while opening the door for her, and as Hinata started to walk out, she paused and turned back to him. In one quick, bold move, Hinata kissed Naruto on his whiskered cheek, whispered, "See you tonight," and was out the door, closing it behind her.
Touching his cheek, Naruto stood there stunned with a blush on his face for several moments until a certain fox burst out laughing behind him. The boy turned around and picked up Kurama by the scruff of his neck, and the fox just returned Naruto's glare with a smug smirk. Kurama opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off with a "Shut up!"
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Several hours later, Naruto was dressed in a white, button-down shirt with a black suit jacket over it and black pants and dress shoes as well. He also wore a dark orange tie, but Tsunade had forbidden him from wearing his headband, saying, "It's not appropriate for a formal dinner," much to his chagrin. He'd considered wearing it anyway just to bother his grandmother, but decided against it when he considered he might embarrass Hinata by wearing it.
Naruto looked himself over in the mirror, and happy with how he looked, he checked to make sure his necklace was on underneath his shirt and that his new gadget from his beautiful, nerdy friend was strapped to his arm and hidden under his sleeve with all his ninja gear—now clean and dry—stored on it. He had to admit it was pretty cool when he used the Virtual Storage Device for the first time. Watching his stuff vanish with a zap and then show up on the device's screen as a tiny icon was something straight out of science fiction to him, and he liked it and was determined to return the favor to Hinata. He'd decided—well, actually Kurama suggested it—strapping it to his arm was safer than just putting the device in his pocket where it could fall out and get lost.
Satisfied that he had everything he needed, Naruto turned to Kurama, who was lying on his bed watching him. "You gonna be okay while we're gone?"
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" the fox asked in reply.
"I don't know," Naruto shrugged. "I'm not exactly an expert on what a fox needs, even if he is a genetically altered fox capable of human speech and mild shape-shifting, ya know."
Kurama chuckled at that. "Hmm. No, I guess not. But I think I'll be fine. I'm sure I won't get hungry until you get back, and if I do, I'm sure I can make it out your window here to go hunting."
"What about if something happens? How will we know and get back to each other?"
"We'll be fine," answered Kurama with a dismissive wave of his tail. "Our Instinct will tell us if either one of us is in trouble, and if we can't reach each other, we are perfectly capable of holding our own individually."
"True. Alright then. Well, I guess I'll—"
"Naruto! Are you ready yet?!" Tsunade called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yeah! I'll be down in a second!" he yelled back. "See you, Kurama," he told his fox friend and walked out of his room toward the stairs.
–Let me know if you get another kiss from your mate!– Kurama called after him, making the poor boy blush as he walked downstairs to meet his grandparents at the front door.
Tsunade was wearing a dark green dress that had a high collar which fit closely around her neck—it was the only way she could avoid showing cleavage with her endowment as large as it was, and she felt showing any wouldn't be appropriate at a dinner with the family of her grandson's friend. The dress was also sleeveless, and Tsunade wore a pair of low-heeled, dark green shoes with it. Jiraiya was dressed almost exactly the same as Naruto with the only exception being Jiraiya's tie was dark green to match his wife's dress instead of dark orange.
"You clean up pretty well, gaki. Your little girlfriend won't be able to take her eyes off you," Jiraiya said with a grin.
Naruto, whose face was still red, scowled at him, but before he could utter a retort, Tsunade cut in, "Alright, you two, just shut up and get in the car."
Fearing her wrath, both men just shouted, "Yes, ma'am!" before scrambling out the door to the vehicle.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
The Namikaze family stood in the foyer of the Hyuuga mansion having just been let in by George. The butler was just about to escort them to the dining room when Hinata appeared at the top of the stairs. Noticing the heiress, George stopped so she could greet her guests, and Naruto could've sworn his heart stopped beating when he saw his blue-haired friend.
Hinata was wearing a lavender kimono that hugged her figure nicely with a dark blue sash around her waist. Naruto couldn't help but notice how the kimono complimented her eyes and the sash equally complemented her hair, which she was wearing in a loose bun held in place by two lavender hair-sticks to match her kimono.
The young hero's gaze was absolutely fixated on Hinata as she made her way gracefully down the steps toward him and his family. He never noticed Jiraiya nudging Tsunade and the two of them sharing a knowing look as they watched their grandson stare unwaveringly at the bluenette with a light blush on his face.
Hinata was equally enthralled with Naruto's appearance, finding him rather handsome in his suit, looking like a prince, and for a fleeting moment that caused her face to turn red, she wondered if that's how he would look on his wedding day. "Where did that come from?!" she mentally yelled at herself. Shrugging off her thoughts, Hinata reached the last step and approached the Namikazes and bowed. "Th-Thank you for c-coming, Lord J-Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, N-Naruto. I'm very glad you could m-make it." She smiled at them while inwardly raging at herself for stuttering again.
"Of course, Hinata! Thank you for having us over," Tsunade returned the smile.
"Shall we continue on to the dining room, milady?" George asked.
"Oh, y-yes. L-Lead the way, George," Hinata replied with a small incline of her head.
George bowed and began walking toward the dining room with Tsunade and Jiraiya walking side-by-side behind him and Naruto and Hinata next to each other behind his grandparents. Leaning close to his blue-haired friend, Naruto whispered, "You look beautiful, Nata."
The girl's blush darkened. "Th-Thank you, N-Naruto. You l-look very h-handsome as well," she whispered back. Said boy blushed and gave her a foxy grin in thanks.
The Namikazes plus Hinata entered the dining room behind George, who announced the three guests to Hiashi. The Hyuuga lord greeted each guest, and the usual pleasantries were exchanged before everyone was seated at the table. Hiashi sat at the end and insisted his guests sit to either side of him, so Jiraiya was on his right, Tsunade on his left, then Naruto had Hinata sit next to his grandmother, and Naruto sat on Hinata's other side. Next to Jiraiya was Hanabi and then Neji, who glared at his cousin and the blonde boy next to her from across the table.
As the food was being served, the three adults made small talk while Hanabi—who was always trying to seem like an adult—listened curiously, and Hinata and Naruto were engaged in their own conversation that started with the whisker-faced boy asking why all the servants were Hyuugas. He thought the Hyuugas altogether were a wealthy family, so he didn't understand why some of them were servants. Not wanting to discuss the subject right there, Hinata just promised to tell him later, and they moved on to other subjects, such as their shared interests. Meanwhile, Neji continued to glare.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
As soon as Naruto and his grandparents left the house, Kurama leapt off his human friend's bed and went to snoop around the house. He didn't really have a goal in mind—he was just curious and wanted to learn more about Naruto's family. So the first place he went was the part of the house he hadn't been to yet: Tsunade's and Jiraiya's studies.
Tsunade's study was first since it was closer, but there wasn't much of interest to the sapient fox in there. It was mostly large books lining the shelves surrounding the blonde doctor's desk, and on the desk was her laptop computer and piles of paperwork. Really, the only amusing thing Kurama could find was that Naruto's grandmother kept a couple bottles of sake stored away in a bottom drawer of her desk.
"I should tell Naruto about that later. He'd probably think it was funny," Kurama chuckled quietly to himself. Then he looked around at all the books and sighed. "It's too bad I can't read. Maybe Naruto can teach...me..." He cringed at the thought of his idiot friend teaching him anything. "I hope he can tell his mate about us soon. I'd rather learn from her."
Leaving the room, Kurama went a bit further down the hall to Jiraiya's office door, which unlike Tsunade's door, was closed. The mutant fox used his special size-alteration ability to grow large enough that he could easily grab the doorknob with his front paws and turn it, and luckily, the door wasn't locked. Once open, Kurama returned to his normal-fox size and entered the room.
At first glance, Jiraiya's office wasn't any different than Tsunade's, but upon closer inspection, one could see the books that filled the shelves were different than the ones in the blonde doctor's office. Their sizes were more varied, and some of them had rather colorful covers, whereas the ones Naruto's grandmother owned were more uniform in size and color. Jiraiya's desk was messier than his wife's as well.
Kurama jumped up onto the office chair to get a better look at the stuff on the desk, and he almost immediately regretted it. There were numerous drawings and doodles of naked women scattered across the desk among messy piles of typed and handwritten papers, which were somewhat burying Jiraiya's laptop.
"I can see why Naruto calls his grandfather a pervert," Kurama mused aloud with a sweat-drop. "This must be that 'research' of his that Naruto told me about." Hopping down from the chair, the fox was about to leave the office when he noticed something odd about one of the bookshelves. There were slight, almost imperceptible scuff marks on the front edge of the shelves and the outer frame. "How did that happen?" asked Kurama with a curious tilt of his head, and he decided to investigate.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Neji was pissed. Since the beginning of dinner, he's had to watch the blonde imbecile across the table from him touch—no, grope—his cousin repeatedly, and no one was stopping him. The very idea that the whisker-faced idiot thought he had a chance with a member of the noble Hyuuga family—even if it was the failure of the family—made his blood boil, but to see him behaving so inappropriately with her made him want to leap across the table and tear the boy's blonde head off.
In reality, Naruto was being the perfect gentleman. He had held Hinata's chair out for her when they first sat down, and he had barely touched her other than the occasional nudge with his elbow when he was trying to get her attention or was making a joke. In fact, it wasn't until he noticed Neji's unwavering glare directed at him and Hinata that he and his blue-haired friend decided to have some more fun at the brown-haired Hyuuga's expense. What Neji thought was "groping" was really just Naruto touching Hinata's hand, occasionally trailing his fingers over her arm, and at one point, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. The blonde hero could actually see a vein in Neji's forehead distended and throbbing, and it was all he and Hinata could do to keep from laughing.
The adults were still engaged in their own conversation. The only thing that had been said to the kids by the adults was when Hiashi asked Naruto about his whisker-marks. So they didn't really notice what was going on between Naruto, Hinata, and Neji aside from Hiashi, who made a mental note to talk to his daughter and nephew—and possibly the young Namikaze as well—later. But at the moment, even the stern, no-nonsense Hiashi was curious to see what would be the breaking point for his nephew's temper, and he was even more curious to see what Neji would do once his temper did snap.
Hanabi, whose attention was divided between what the adults were talking about and what was going on with her sister, was waiting to see what her cousin would do as well.
The answer to that question came a few minutes later when Naruto did something which was the last straw for Neji: he put his arm around Hinata.
Slamming his hands down on the table, Neji jumped to his feet and shouted, "NAMIKAZE! UNHAND LADY HINATA IMMEDIATELY!"
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Neji, who stood there seething with rage at the blonde boy across from him. A stifling moment of silence passed, and then...Naruto erupted in laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Oh man! Haha! I was wondering when you'd lose it, Neji! Hahahaha!" The whisker-faced hero nearly fell out of his chair in the throes of hilarity.
Neji's face was red with anger, and everyone at the table could only look on in shocked silence as the brown-haired boy leapt over the table, slamming his feet into Naruto's face in the process. The force of the kick sent the blue-eyed hero flying back a few feet where he landed on the floor with a thud.
"Naruto!" Hinata shouted worriedly as she started to rush over to the aforementioned boy, but she was stopped by her cousin's stern warning to stay out of it.
The Hyuuga boy took his Gentle Fist stance as Naruto sat up and rubbed his cheek, and Hiashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were on their feet, ready to intercept a fight. The three adults also noted with some surprise that the boy's face didn't look injured at all despite the apparent power of Neji's kick.
Getting to his feet, Naruto chuckled. "Geez, Neji. You really need to learn to lighten up, ya know."
Said boy gritted his teeth and hissed, "And you need to learn appropriate behavior! How dare you grope Lady Hinata! And in public no less!"
"Grope her?" Naruto asked confused, and he looked to Hinata and the others to see if any of them knew what Neji was talking about. The shy girl was blushing at the idea, Tsunade was glaring at Naruto because she thought her grandson did something while she wasn't looking, Jiraiya had a perverted yet confused look on his face, and Hiashi was face-palming. Basically, no one had anything helpful for the young hero. Looking back at the Hyuuga boy, he said, "What are you talking about, Neji? I barely touched her! And definitely not anywhere I shouldn't!"
"You shouldn't be touching her at all!" he shouted and charged at Naruto. "Now pay for your insolence!"
"NEJI, STOP!"
The Hyuuga boy froze at the sound of his uncle's booming voice, his open palm stopped just inches from slamming into Naruto's unflinching face.
"You will not attack a guest in our house. Stand down. Now," Hiashi commanded.
Neji withdrew his hand and stood up straight, biting his tongue hard when he saw Naruto's triumphant smirk. Hanging his head in shame, the Hyuuga boy said in a low voice, "Yes, Lord Hiashi. Please forgive me."
The older Hyuuga sighed. "You're excused from the table, Neji. We will discuss your behavior later." Said boy nodded solemnly and left the room. Once he was gone, Hiashi turned to the Namikazes and said with a low bow, "Please excuse my nephew's behavior. He tends to be overzealous in his family duties. Are you all right, Naruto?"
The boy in question walked back to his chair and grinned at Hiashi. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've been hit with a lot worse than that before." He chuckled.
"I see," Hiashi replied with a small smile. "Neji has been trained in the Hyuuga family's Gentle Fist style since he was four years old and is a prodigy in it, and yet you are unfazed. Your own training must be quite intense."
Scratching the back of his head, Naruto answered, "Um, yeah. I guess you could say that."
Before anyone could say anymore, the servants brought in desert. Wordlessly, everyone sat back down in their seats and continued to eat.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
Kurama had spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out the mystery of the scuffed-front bookshelf, but alas, he didn't know what he could do that didn't require moving something. He was afraid to move any of the books or anything because he wasn't sure if he could remember where they went or if Jiraiya would notice if anything had been shifted in the slightest. It would be kind of hard to explain how something was moved when no one was home except a seemingly normal fox and the door to the study was closed.
Sighing, Kurama muttered, "I'll just have to get Naruto to check it out later. His snooping might get him in trouble, but at least it's explainable."
And with that thought in mind, the fox turned and left the room, using his tail to pull the door closed.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
When dinner was over, the adults retired to the living room for tea while Hinata and Naruto excused themselves to go for a walk around the Hyuuga manor's garden. Hanabi tried to tag along, but her plan was foiled when her father reminded her that her bedtime was in a few minutes.
Stepping out into the cool, night air, Naruto offered his arm to Hinata, who took hold of it with a blush, which intensified when she felt his bicep through his sleeve. The two walked in silence for several moments before the whisker-faced boy said, "So, Nata... What's up with your family?"
"I knew he wouldn't forget about asking me that," the bluenette thought with a sigh. "Well...i-it's complicated, Naruto."
Now it was the blonde boy's turn to sigh. "Hinata, I'm not trying to pressure you into telling me anything. But I would like to know what Neji's problem is, and I think I should know considering he kicked me in the face tonight."
"Can't really argue with that." Hinata mumbled and led Naruto over to a bench by the garden pond and sat down with him. Taking a deep breath, Hinata began to explain. "My family is divided into two parts—the Main Family and the Branch Family. The Main Family is basically just the head of the family, his or her spouse, and their firstborn child. For example, my father, my mother when she was alive, and me. There are the elders of the family too, who advise my father on family and business matters. The elders are really just my grandparents from my mom and dad's sides—the former family head, his wife, and then the parents of the new family head's spouse. Everyone else belongs to the Branch Family, who serves the Main Family."
"Okay, wait," Naruto interrupted. "So your sister is in the Branch Family?"
The bluenette shook her head, increasing the boy's confusion. "No, she's not. Not yet anyway. My father wants to change how our family works, but the elders do everything they can to maintain tradition."
"But I don't understand. If your dad's in charge and these elders are just advisors, how can they stop him from doing whatever he wants?" Naruto asked.
"I'm not really sure," Hinata replied honestly. "I know when someone becomes a Branch member, they have to sign what's become known as the Caged Bird Contract, so my best guess is there's a bunch of legal stuff that my father has to sort through before he can unite both sides of the family."
The blonde nodded at the sense of her explanation, but he had to ask, "What exactly is this Caged Bird Contract?"
Hinata looked up from the ground and stared out across the pond. "The Caged Bird Contract is a legally binding document that forces all who sign it into servitude to the Main Family. Those who are to become Branch members are usually forced to sign it when they are very young. Neji had to when he was only four years old just like his father, who was my father's twin brother—younger than my father by only two minutes. If anyone refuses to sign the contract, they are cast out of the family, ryoless and completely on their own, and if their immediate family is part of the Branch Family, they are thrown out as well."
"Whoa, what?!" Naruto was shocked. "You mean if Neji had refused to sign it, he and his dad would've been thrown out with absolutely no money and no home?!"
"Yes," the quiet girl answered with a small nod. "And if Neji's father was a Main Family member or was dead at the time, then Neji—four-year-old Neji—would've been cast out and left to fight for his survival alone on the streets."
"Wha-But, But that can't be legal!" Naruto sputtered in disbelief.
The bluenette next to him let out a sad sigh. "Unfortunately, Naruto, anything's legal when you have enough money to buy off anyone who could get you in trouble."
"But...Argh! That's just so...wrong!" the hero gritted his teeth in anger and clenched his fist, and he briefly remembered Kurama telling him the same thing earlier that day.
"It gets worse," Hinata said quietly, and the boy looked at her with apprehensive blue eyes. "If a Branch member is ever caught in breach of their contract, such as by refusing to perform their duties to the Main Family, then one of three punishments is given to them: exile, being sold, or hard labor. If exiled, they are cast out of the family with no money just as if they'd refused to sign the Caged Bird Contract in the first place, but I've heard stories of the elders in the past making sure that those who are cast out can never find work anywhere. In other words, they end up being unable to survive outside the family." She paused, hearing Naruto's sharp intake of breath as he tried to hold back his anger. "The second punishment is fairly self-explanatory: the Branch member in breach of their contract can be sold to any willing buyers as essentially a slave. The third punishment is still slavery, but it's kept within the family. And before you ask, it is technically legal. The Branch Family members signed the contract, so they technically know the terms and agreed to them. Slavery may be illegal, but not if someone signs away his or her own rights. The only thing really illegal here is forcing them to sign the contract in the first place."
"Hinata, that's...that's just so messed up," was all Naruto could say.
"Yes...it is," the bluenette whispered in sadness.
A long silence passed, and then Naruto turned to Hinata, who was astonished by the intense determination burning in those azure eyes of his. "Hinata, I promise to help your family change. If your dad can't do it, then I'll make sure you do. No matter how much legal crap we have to sift through or how many people I have to beat up, I won't let you, your sister, or anyone else end up in the Branch Family. And I never go back on my word!"
Hinata just stared at Naruto for a moment, and the look in his eyes made her feel like if anyone could help her screwed-up family change, it would be him. She felt so relieved to have someone willing to help her with her desire to change her family, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you, Naruto. Thank you so much!" she cried into his chest.
Returning the embrace, Naruto replied, "Of course, Nata. It's what friends are for."
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
End of chapter! Sweet monkeys, it was a rather long one, huh? Hopefully worth the wait, though. :P And the next chapter is our hero's first day of school. I tried to fit it in this one, but since I said last chapter that it may or may not be in this chapter, no one can accuse me of lying. The next chapter will be done in a few short days, though. :D
And I want no flames about the Virtual Storage Device (or anything else either). I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am NOT a scientist, nor am I about to do any sort of serious research for a fanfiction. So if my explanation wasn't good enough, well, I can tell you what you should do with that opinion—and it involves a rusty rake and a sensitive area of your body. That being said, I would appreciate helpful suggestions for a better explanation (or a better name for it), but nothing that could be defined as a flame, which is any insult toward me or my story. Constructive criticism doesn't involve demeaning someone at all.
If it helps, just think of the thing as the technological version of a sealing scroll.
And also, be glad I didn't make it a transformation locket. Hehehe... Sailor Moon/Naruto crossover anyone? Oh geez no. Hahaha! "In the name of the Leaf Village, Sailor Kitsune will punish you!" I can almost feel the killing intent from Naruto for that one...
*shudder* That would be funny and HORRIBLY disturbing all at the same time.
I really wonder how many people read my author's notes anyway... And yet, if you skipped this time, you probably just saved yourself from a disturbing image. Hahaha. :P
But anyway, I was originally going to hold off on posting this until I was finished with the next chapter, but I'm too impatient to do that. And it's making me rush on the next chapter, which is never a good thing. So expect the next chapter within a few days. I'd say, barring any unforeseen problems, it should be up by Wednesday the 13th. Hopefully sooner, but I can't promise that.
Hope this chapter holds you over until then. :)
