Simplicity is Complexity
Chapter 8: Hot Spring Panic
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, happy?
AN: Well, a few complaints, a lot of compliments to keep me going… hey, I am happy nonetheless. It's funny, the only complaints I received was about the FMP Fumoffu episode 10 when Sagara Sousuke used militaristic measures to train the hopeless bastards to become football specialists.
To those who took that chapter too seriously… Good God, it's a joke. It was meant to be ridiculous and funny. And you know what, I am just interpreting stuff and facts in another perspective. Ibiki may be someone who is psychological and intimidating, but that is why I could use it to my advantage. If you guys LOVE the actual anime or manga so much, well, you can do that right now than to read fan fictions. After all, the original series does have ALL that you want, right? If you don't appreciate originality at all, isn't that destroying the principle of reading fan fictions in the first place?
With that said, I still welcome everyone to read my work. Well, if I don't want that to happen, why bother posting it? Anyway, love triangles or love cubes will arise sooner or later. I am sure faithful readers already know that by now. With the persuasion from DragonMan 180, there is going to be a high chance that there will be lemons between your favorite couple. I will try to make it yummy when the time comes; as long as school does not keep haunting me with its presence.
Thank you for your support, everyone. You have my thanks –especially those who actually ANSWER the questions that I ask. This hot spring episode was inspired by FMP Fumoffu episode 11, the perverted, yet heavily parody-filled hot spring episode. Happy readings.
(Next morning, 1 or 2 hours after dawn)
In the early morning of a beautiful next day, the morning sunlight shined itself onto my open curtained window before it achieved access to shine upon my face. I groggily opened my eyes, half blinded during the process, as if feeling nearly completely wasted from last night wasn't enough already. I wasn't insane enough to do drugs; because I couldn't imagine that becoming reality unless someone forced their selfishness onto my lifestyle. Then again, whatever I accomplished last night was like a drug, and anyone normal would naturally crave for it from time to time. To some other exceptions, like Jiraiya, for example, he needed it daily.
To be more blunt, I accused him to need it hourly.
I was dead tired, and had good reasons, too.
Examining my small, but tidy, bedroom, I frowned slightly to see I was the only one here. Last night, however, there were two of us. Was I sad from loneliness? That couldn't be though… but my demon master disappearing on me after my eternal slumber just didn't make my heart cheer. Did I dream the whole thing entirely? No, that was not possible… The immense amount of stains everywhere on my bedsheets should be the evidence to prove my words.
Some of it dropped onto the floor when I 'helped' Kyuubi last night, and now it was nothing more than a sticky residue that required some hard work to remove –if I was in the mood to do it. My pillowcase was covered with the same material; and more so my pillow if any nectar managed to soak through that thin cloth. Sure, I could still sleep on it if I wanted to, but I didn't want my body to be too familiar with this unique scent, in which could arouse me fairly badly, and also weaken my sense of solemnity and correct thinking.
As I inhaled it unknowingly from a good distance, my mind irritatingly reminded me of last night. Kyuubi was naked… I wasn't though, but I was still topless nonetheless… and as her loyal apprentice… I actually gave in to help her masturbate… for the entire night!
She told me that she needed it for carrying two shares of lusts, which were hers and mine. And due to my constant encounter to Hinata's affection, it was too much for my demon master to endure. Like a emotional tsunami flooding through her mind, she needed to break free, she needed sexual pleasure in order to calm herself down, and the only person who she thought could aid her was none other than me.
It was true that all my sexual desire and lusts shift to Kyuubi whenever I was faced with any, and due to that factor alone I could withstand any type of seduction because all those dirty feelings would be absorbed away before I knew how to react on it. And without a doubt, Hinata's love pushed my limit over the edge, and basically Kyuubi could not gather any more willpower to control herself other than to feel the pleasures she was dying to experience. Without my demon master keeping my lusts in tact, I realized how frail I actually was.
And that was what happened last night. She plead me to make her feel like a woman, and of course, she kindly commanded me to strip her naked before I used my hands to force her to reach her climax over and over again. Her once crimson red panties transformed into something else that was pitch dark, drenched, and heavy, and I was kind enough to repeat the process, since she seemed so anxious, until daybreak.
It was definitely a mandatory for me to eliminate the evidence.
Come to think of it, how could anyone picture masturbation as a healing kindness? Did it feel that good? What made it so important that a man and a woman dared themselves to say that they desired this pleasure, and while not giving this 'love' to them was identical to killing them? To me, having to banish all means of dignity was something extremely shameful, and to I escalated the seriousness due to my shinobi rank. Usually, these issues were never kept to myself, but I could justify my thoughts to my master due to my position as her apprentice, and at the same time the way she applied the word egoist had quite an affect -in the negative aspect- on me.
Whenever she called me by the word egoist, I would naturally put my pride on the side and do whatever she ordered –as long as it was within reasonable reach. I was quite shocked to see that helping her love herself was considered reasonable, and more so as her honey drenched every part of my bed.
I needed to replace these sheets; that was for certain.
Perhaps I should do that after my daily rituals and a decent breakfast. After all, today was the day that Jiraiya planned to visit the hot springs, and taking a number of friends with him. And, whether I believed it or not, he did it for my sake, because I had been working hard.
Sure, I gave in a lot to achieve my developments, but I knew that pervert too well.
Nevertheless, I would take advantage of this trip. Why, you might ask. Because… it was free.
(Later)
So my morning shower was crappy, so what? I still came out of the bathroom in one piece. And then after I went back to my room to change into a pair of blue jeans with deep side pockets, a belt to equip my usual ninja weapon attire, a gray T-shirt with a smiley face badge sewn at the heart spot, and lastly covered with a black ninja-style vest. I was never a vain guy, but today, I wanted to make sure that I looked at least presentable.
I safely assumed the mirror didn't lie about my looks today, since without me noticing, I had already spent six minutes looking at myself. For a guy like me who could have cared shit for a fashion sense, six minutes was way too long for my own good. In other words, I better get out before I started doubting if I was gay or straight –not like I had anything against gays though.
There were a several instances where I met some gays in my missions before. Coincidentally, all these gays were my targets that I must eliminate, or put them to sleep permanently, as an assailant would say. I had to befriend them to gain their trust, and when they least expected it I took their life to complete the command of those who hired me. I never had much intention to serve anyone, but I did it for the money.
Some of those people's quotes still fascinated me today. For instance, one guy said "Naruto, sometimes you can be so gay". Okay now… was it supposed to be a joke? If that was Jiraiya saying that, hey, I wouldn't care because he was referring the word gay in the form of being stupid. But for this gay person, I didn't know what he meant. I failed to differentiate whether he referred to it as literal, or metaphorical. Regardless of which, I found it unquestionably sickening. From my own knowledge, their ways of speech contained plenty of hidden meanings, in which may shock the daylights out of those with simple minds.
Perhaps I could have expressed myself more honestly, because the occasional "That's gay", or "That was sure a gay parent", or "He is such a lazy gay ass", and so on and so forth did not make me too comfortable to speak out loud. I wanted to discover why the word gay used by gays seemed to have so much of an alternate affect –where I could not distinguish what they were trying to say.
Well, it didn't matter now. They were dead, bitches! I murdered them! And I never felt better! Like I said, I had nothing against them, because they were the targets of those who gave me my payment, and I was someone who kept my word, and therefore, the task was completed in a rich, fashionable way. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my brutal murder because the last thing they said to me was "Naruto, sometimes you can be so gay" before they met their maker. Even on the last moments of living, they still had to disgust me! Haven't they heard of die peacefully, and making it easier for them when they knew it was idiotic trying to fight against all odds?
Speaking of parents, I did agree that some parents were very gay. Not homosexual, yaoi gay, but stupid, idiotic gay. For once, I actually liked to apply this word in everyday life. It wasn't too long ago that I saw a child making some sort of mistake in front of their parent. It was something significant, and if my memory isn't failing, I think it was stealing a lollipop… no, actually it was breaking a piece of fairly expensive merchandise in a small shop. For a child, that was pretty bad news. I felt sorry for the kid, for that accident could cause him to get into a lot of scorning or even receiving whacks from a 3-foot long bamboo. For me, I hated being scolded at, because it reminded me of my old self as a stupid fucktard from any direction I tried to look upon.
A few seconds later, my worries vanished. The parent was going to punish her child… it was just that it wasn't in the most correct fashion. If truth be told, it was not suitable. Because, you see, the parent, in the end, gave her five-year-old what sort of punishment he wanted. I was like 'Goddamn it, what are you… gay?', and no matter what the circumstances, the parent –especially if they were guardians of wimpy, naïve children- should not give the kids options. Humans were bastards when it came to free choice, because we preferred to twist it before we take advantage of it. Kids were dumb, naïve, and plain, yet they were quite smart to some miraculous reason, in which I had no intention to find out.
Jiraiya was my parent in a way despite he didn't act like or looked like one. But he was a strict guy whenever it came to discipline… because he was Asian. And as an Asian, he had his own methods of chastisement that matched those of an Asian perfectly. He had a sense of character, in which I more or less respect, but at the same time I wished he could be more understanding. Although being a certain autonomic individual was a good thing, sometimes theories could only go so far. For starters, he definitely would not give me a choice. Fortunately, he still gave me some liberty to decide on a several things.
"Naruto," he would say, looking at me intently, "Here is a belt, a wrench, and a 2 by 4. Which one do you want to get hit with… first?"
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the doorbell, and I didn't fully realize that I already removed the bedsheets and pillowcase and placing them into a large black garbage bag. I took a peek over to my watch, in which was on my left wrist, and my eyes became wide once I saw it was already 9:15 AM. I totally forgot what time I was supposed to meet Jiraiya, but I had a general idea that it was around 10 or whatever. Even so, I had less than an hour to prepare for my belongings, and I was a careful planner. Seriously now, I didn't know whether I should curse or thank that doorbell for ringing.
Still having that garbage bag in my hand, I walked up to my front door to see who this new intruder may be. My first guess was Sakura, since she did visit sometimes before our mission started. It was more or less due to the fact she didn't want me to be late. No… that wasn't it. Actually, she knew that Kakashi would be late again, and she didn't want to be the only one early. In short, I had to suffer with her where she could have just searched for Sasuke. Her argument for not looking for him was "Sasuke-kun might get mad at me".
No, shit, baka! I was pissed, too, but I happened to be too-nice of a guy to start bitching on Sakura like the sharp-tongued, quick-witted bitch I was.
"Good morning," I greeted, opening the door and not really paying much attention to the visitor as I placed the bag to the wooden floor. However, the moment I moved my eyes towards the outside, a sweat annoyingly began to form on my forehead before it slowly dropped onto my cheek, and lastly falling off my skin and striking the ground. I didn't expect her at all. "Hi- Hi… Hinata…"
"Ohayo, Naruto-kun," she welcomed me sweetly, yet it wasn't good enough to conceal her despair and sorrow. My only assumption was the event we had yesterday… where I fled due to the secrets of Kyuubi. Hinata was not a good liar, and she had no idea how fortunate she was to have someone like me who was considerate enough not to penetrate her obsolete defenses, in which she desperately forced herself to set up. "How are you?"
"Fine," I said, guilt playing its games before I had the chance to think things straight, "Why are you here?"
"Nothing much… I just wanted you to… I want the two of us to go together to meet Jiraiya-sama…"
I scanned her quickly, mainly on her hands and shoulders to be accurate. I clearly spotted two straps from each respective shoulders, in which it belonged to a backpack, and in her left hand looked like something that represented a sleeping bag, but due to the strange shape of the objects inside, I knew she wasn't carrying a sleeping bag. This girl was already packed, and I, on the other hand, haven't done a thing close to be the slightest prepared.
Hinata was wearing almost the same thing as before, a white tanktop underneath her classy yet attractive lavender jacket to cover up her undeniably capturing cleavage. This time, however, she replaced her ninja-style pants with a violet mini-skirt, in which was tied tightly using a silky smooth pink scarf to resemble a belt. At the same time, it revealed her gorgeous legs, ending with delicate feet in open white sandals instead of her universal shinobi ones, all of which involuntarily displayed Hinata's sexiness in a way that was impossible to ignore. I, for one, never would have expected her to be a kunoichi until dealing with her in combat, provided if I was a stranger that is. It made me wonder who was stronger between the two of us, but now wasn't the exact ideal moment to ponder about such things. Hinata was still standing there after all, and the moral thing to do was to invite her in.
"Do you want to come in?" I offered, trying to keep my voice in tact after draining in all her exotic sexiness. She briefly nodded, as she took the liberty to step in my domain. Of course, she didn't fail to spy on the garbage bag that was next to my foot. Her eyes turned somewhat questioningly as they looked into mine, and without saying a word I got her message. "It's my bedsheets," I said truthfully at first, for the next part would be brimming with lies, "I had a small accident with them last night."
Hinata, being the kind soul she would always be, became worried. In fact, she was so concerned that she latched herself at me –obviously that was after dropping her belongings. I honestly didn't think she had the strength to be so bold. Then again, I kept forgetting that she loved me, not liked me, nor was she someone who was predictable whenever it came to her passion. "Are you okay, Naruto-kun? What happened?"
I smirked inwardly, knowing that this was the perfect opportunity to train on my BSing with skill. Of course, I had to have that fact hidden from her. I was curious to know where my acting could lead me this time around. "I am sorry for yesterday, Hinata," I began, smiling warmly to make her cheeks burn with a passionate blush, "You have no idea why I needed to leave."
"You can tell me anything."
Seeing her so eager and willing to know, I suppose I could bend the truth slightly. If I made up something that had to do with sickness, then it was a half-truth, because I was feeling considerably uncomfortable yesterday. Unbelievably, I found a great inspiration with this false sickness… and that was exactly how I was going to advance from here. "Sure… You remember Sakura's kick from two days ago?" She nodded, proving that she had that memory. "And do you know how strong she is?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you think she is physically strong?"
She beamed at me thoughtfully, "Of course, she is! She has Tsunade-sama's strength if you recall." This was just perfect. I was guiding this thing in the right direction at last. "Did her power have something to do with it?"
"Why, yes," I told her, as a matter of factly, "And let me test your memory now. Do you remember where she hit me?"
"In the stomach?" she inquired, cutely and also exquisitely innocent. I nodded quietly, wrapping my arms around her soft body to appreciate her compassion for being present, when clearly she had no need whatsoever to care for a wretch such as myself. Her mini-skirt kept brushing against my knees and upper thigh, as though it was a deliberate way to tease my senses, but I knew it was making contact on me by accident, although some of the most religious priest referred to it as 'providence', where God did things based on each individual's repentance of sins than allowing things to occur by coincidence and accident. Despite that, I valued it greatly, because this was really the first time I saw Hinata in a skirt, and not to mention it did indeed portrait a feeling of sexuality that was hidden until today.
"Precisely. You can say it disrupted my internal organs."
"I thought the Gentle Fist (Jyuuken) was the only way to disrupt chakra…"
"I didn't say chakra. Just my organs, Hinata. If pure brute force is plowed into someone's body, the vibration of the power can also wound your internal organs. Although it does not disrupt the flow of chakra whatsoever, it can be just as deadly when it comes to killing somebody –or affecting their movements in general. You tried standing in front of a large speaker blasting at full volume before? If you stand at that spot, I am sure your stomach or tummy would feel funny, too. That, my friend, is the same type of vibration, but in Sakura's case, she packed a lot more power and speed to make it deadly."
Judging from those eyes, she understood my logic completely. I was glad, obviously, but I couldn't help myself but to detect another small dilemma. Not only did she understand, I knew she was listening attentively, as if I was someone who she would give all her admiration and love to. That face was suffice… so suffice that it made me blush, in which I couldn't afford to display currently.
"Why didn't you dodge it?" she further inquired, somewhat pushing this blame onto me.
"I messed up," I said, grinning slightly to lighten up the atmosphere, "Things happen."
"And how did it affect you yesterday?"
"I didn't sleep or eat too well after Sakura kicked me," I carried on my trickery having a face that could fool most fools, "And I was in pain when I woke up. I tried to sleep again, but I received news that I was required to be summoned to Tsunade-sama's office for a brief discussion towards my procedure in training the kids. A shinobi is a professional when it comes to hiding their weak points, and I was merely playing my role effectively. You guys didn't suspect a thing, right?"
Hinata was not delighted at all, and of course she had her own legitimate justifications to back her up, in spite that I didn't really need to know why. In fact, she held me tighter to feel her womanly body, and it wasn't long before she started crying in my chest. It was a few sobs or so, but that didn't mean I wasn't hurt emotionally. Seconds later, she began to pound me repeatedly using her small hands, and whether it was strong or not, it really wasn't much of an issue –not when I realized she was sincerely grieving.
What disgusted even me was how this was all a lie. I was covering it up now, but what could possibly happen to me the day she discovered the truth? How, in all likelihood, dire could the consequences be? No, I could not tell her anything about Kyuubi! Whether I liked her or loved her, the outcome of my darkest secrets outmatched all the dreaded possibilities I could think of. Utilitarian or not, this was not a subject that I could gamble on.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were hurt?" she questioned, tears running out of her beautiful, pupil-less lavender eyes that uncovered nothing excluding distress, and perhaps disbelief that I was willing to do something that only an idiot could come up with. "Why did you conceal it? I can't believe you!"
"These things are better kept to myself," I said, kindly rejecting her friendliness using the most indirect method I could think of. I was a cunning man after all. "I shouldn't worry you."
"And are you telling me that I should not care about you when you are vomiting? I am sorry, Naruto-kun, but I can't just stand there and watch you like that and then say 'Oh, vomiting, bound to happen' or 'It's all natural. You're just vomiting now, but the real death is out the door waiting for you'?"
She really made me laugh. No, not because she was stupid, but just by imagining Hinata standing with a distinct attitude, along with her putting her hand on her hip, as she said that was a funny sight to picture, although it was a part of my vivid imagination.
To Hinata's perspective, watching me laugh during an "important" discussion was not appropriate. It was almost like I was disrespecting her, but she was too reasonable to accept that, and of course, I could not have the heart not to give her the admiration she earned. I understood her pain, since she believed she was wasting her efforts on the carefree, and sadly to say, she was correct to a certain extent. "Gomen, Hinata…"
"Tell me what was so funny?" she demanded, making a pout to tease me. Behind that adorable visage carried a solemn command, in which I did not plan to disobey anytime today.
Decisions, decisions. How annoying, and all I wanted was to listen for a change. I found talking cheap, unless the person was sincere and worth listening to, and Hinata, amongst all the sluts and whores I met in this face of the planet, deserved to have an exceptional title that was rightfully hers to claim. To my disbelief, I chose to drop it than to make a sarcastic comeback, which I usually preferred to do. "Nothing much, Hinata. Just doing some witty thinking."
She eyed me doubtfully for a second, and then she broke her solemnity with a chuckle. "Witty thinking, Naruto-kun? If you were so smart, you wouldn't have vomited on the bed."
Although it was false, I pretended it was the truth, and damn I was making it look all too convincing, as if that was exactly what happened. "How did you know?"
"A hunch," she said, smiling lovingly, moving her hands away from my body and holding my hands instead. "And Naruto-kun,"
Her smiling was ever so contagious that I could not start elaborating with a reason. "What?"
"I still love you."
I could have came up with something better, but somehow my intellect was failing on me, as if it desired failure wherever I went. "I know…"
Still having my hands captured delicately into hers, she took this freedom and chance to rest her head on my chest, like it was hers to take without any needing permission. Then again, I didn't mind, as long as it was her. "Do you love me, Naruto-kun?"
She needed an answer, in which at this point I could no longer avoid regardless of how much I wanted to. "Hinata… now it's not the time to talk about that… We need to get going."
The Hyuuga girl, to my surprise, refused to drop this subject without a decent fight. I never saw her like this… but I could relate, since I was the love of her life. This persistence of hers displayed an image to me, although it was not physical, yet it radiated her desperation of not ever wanting me to disappear again. To see her in misery wasn't all out different compared to the times I needed to face my fears.
"Then when is it the time to talk about it?" she challenged, unintentionally pushing my body to the door, with her being the predator. The look, the desire in her eyes wasn't hard to recognize, not when I saw it so often. Hinata had a unique way of caring and wanting; and that was when she became demonstrative.
"Just…" I avoided eye contact purposely, and also my voice started faltering due to pressure, "Not now…"
"When, Naruto-kun, when?"
"When I am ready, Hinata… okay?" I hated to say this, but if I was going to make things right, I required some more time to reconsider. I, on behalf of the two of us, wanted this to be right without failure. I made a number of major decisions before today, and I wished that I chose them thoroughly instead of acting so impulsive and irrational. Following Jiraiya for 3 goddamn years was one of them. With Hinata here, it was only logical to find myself wanting to make it the best.
"When will you be ready?" she asked, moaning in a sniff, holding my body so closely to hers that I discovered the perfection of her feminine frame. She really had grown up, just like Sakura.
"In time, Hinata, time will reveal what I should do." Regardless of how I say it (poetic, direct, mean, indirect, sophisticated) Hinata was not pleased with my answer. Her eyes watched her feet, lips frowning to a whimpering grimace, as though there was no hope whatsoever, and sooner or later her body began to tremble slightly but noticeably, like immense shock struck from the divine skies. I knew she was going to cry, in which, to me, was something I did not appreciate from her. Even so, I felt obligated to please her. In a quick, yet subtle, hurry, I pulled her in by her hips, while offering her a small gift of tenderness.
"Naruto-kun…" she whispered, a tear leaving her eye as she tried to control her emotions in the best way she could.
"Hinata," I told her, for once I was looking at her straightly, "In time… I think I will love you, too."
She brightened instantly, like I had revived some of the hope, in which with some dedication and work, it could become a reality with ease. "You think so? Do you really mean it?" She resembled a school girl, who fortunately had acknowledgement with the hottest, yet respectful, guy in school.
"When did I lie to you?" I returned my answer in a question form, yet revolted knowing that I already made up too many deceits and deception.
"You never lie to me," she said, taking this happy moment for her to kiss my cheek, "I know you won't."
"Yeah," I said, trying to keep myself in order. "Ano… Hinata…"
"Yes?"
"I really need to deal with this garbage. Do you mind looking after the house for me for six minutes or less?"
"Sure!" she piped, gladly to be of assistance, "Do you need me to do anything else?"
"I can't really think of it at the moment…" I said, considering her words carefully while I opened the door.
"Did you pack yet?"
"No… not yet, actually."
"I'll help you pack, Naruto-kun," she quickly offered, giving me an eye expression that forbade me to refuse her kindness. "I'll make it really quick."
I forced a smile, and seriously, it was excessively difficult, to my bewilderment. "Ano… Hinata… I can do that myself…"
"No, buts, Naruto-kun," she said sharply, yet her affectionate nature still managed to flow around her statements nicely, "We are already late as it is." With that said, Hinata took on the liberty to tread further inside my sacred domain, or in short, my home. Whether I tried to stop her or not, I was more than certain that she would get her way no matter what I said. Knowing that staying here was utterly pointless, I was, as plain as day, better off getting rid of the evidence of Kyuubi's existence before Hinata found out.
As I locked my front door, I released a breath, a deep one to be exact. I actually pulled it off… I fooled her good… and I was on safe grounds at last without any sort of worries having a need to haunt me. Even so, I was in nowhere near rejoicing. In normal circumstances, I congratulated my own improvements, and then visited a local store to celebrate with something that had better quality than my usual meals.
This time, however, I couldn't believe that I became agitated; agitated because I lied to Hinata –when I said I never spoke anything related to trickery.
Who cared about that now anyway? Kyuubi's secret was much more dangerous compared to any dishonesty. The only thing that kept me from lying ever so relentlessly was because I thought it was for the right intentions. But at the same time, deceiving Hinata began to suspect my previous philosophies.
(At Konoha West Gate, 45 minutes later)
When Hinata and I arrived at designated waiting area, I was somewhat disbelieving the fact we were the first ones here. I became frustrated, although I hid it well from Hinata, with two impressively legitimate explanations.
Firstly, my theory, which was assuming everyone inherited Kakashi's poor punctuality, was now considered valid. Second… now I had to spend more alone time with Hinata, and which was something I was desperately avoiding. Personally, I didn't know how much longer I could last, since Hinata would play the affections game ever so occasionally to get her way with me. She never had the mind to stop, because I never told her to stop doing it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt important, and when I believed I was something as such, I enjoyed it.
Despite that I took pleasure in it; I tried my greatest to avoid it.
"Where is everybody?" I inquired, more or less in a rhetorical way, as I scanned the vicinity vaguely.
"I don't know," she said back, also looking around like what I was doing at the moment, "They did say 10:15, right?"
"Are you sure we are in the right place?"
"I… I…" she murmured, guilt gradually took its place in her voice, "Gomen, Naruto-kun… I suddenly don't remember where we are supposed to meet…"
I stared at her exasperatedly. I wanted to be mad, but looking at her genuinely regrettable, yet adorable visage transformed my rage into sympathy. Deep inside my rational thinking, I knew Hinata was dangerous, but it was fortunate that she didn't realize such power existed within her.
"It's okay, Hinata," I said, holding her by her hips and whispering in her ear, as if she was an infant who desired some sweet attention, perhaps due to the lack of it. This was a deliberation to destroy my character! And what disgusted even me was how I was willing to do it. "I am sure Jiraiya wouldn't leave without us. And besides, we have to exit at the West Gate, because that's the closest way to the hot springs. I am sure we will see them if we just wait here."
She looked at me, eyes gleaming with admiration and love. What saddened my expression was her lips were not making her usual smile. "But…"
"But what?"
"What if they left already?"
"I doubt that."
"Why?"
"I sense him… coming."
"Who?"
"Jiraiya… who else?"
As if on cue, Hinata gasped in my chest once she picked up sounds from her far adjacent coming at us. Her hands grabbed on to my vest before we shifted a little to swap our standing locations. To be blunter, it was me who took on the initiative to move.
"Very impressive, Naruto," I heard a voice, coming from in front of me, somewhere behind a small building, which was used to store equipments and useful things, "From that stance and twist you did just now, you sure look like you want to protect Hinata-chan there."
My eyes cringed to a degree where it was safe to identify it as angry, "What were you planning, Jiraiya…" I hissed as he revealed himself, scratching his head like the prior action was a joke.
"You take everything too seriously," he said, slowly approaching the two of us, knowing I wouldn't attack. From the strength of his voice today, I could tell that he wasn't drunk from last night. "Don't you know when someone is complimenting you?"
"Compliment?" I questioned, thick layers of mistrust trailed smoothly, as though I was the master of such negativity.
"Why yes, compliment, Naruto," my perverted, but most importantly, wise, sensei continued, "Will you care enough to look at how you are standing right now."
Seeing absolutely no point in his order, I supposed his intentions weren't meant to break any means of concentration. And therefore, I observed carefully. Suddenly, I understood exactly what Jiraiya meant.
I didn't even notice this when I reacted on impulse. But here I was, standing in a protective stance, knees bent slightly for the sake of taking action as quick as possible; left arm tense with fingers itching to hold a weapon of any sort; my right arm raised to my adjacent like setting up a barrier or defense for whoever was behind me; and lastly the person who I seemed to want to protect was Hinata. I was standing like a protector, and I didn't even know it until my mentor kindly, or not so compassionately, reminded me.
"How…"
"You have a good heart, Naruto," Jiraiya stated, as he laughed a Merlin's Laugh, "Or you wouldn't be so caring as to willing to offer your safety in order for the other person to be safe. This time it might be Hinata, but I am sure you will do the same thing even if it's for someone else. Don't try to deny it, my little apprentice, your nature forbids you to do any evil."
Hinata blushed gratefully at Jiraiya's bold sentiments, but unfortunately the sannin wasn't able to witness it due to my height. I stole a glimpse of her visage purposely to see how she felt about the entire ordeal, and when she raised her head to meet mine, the look in her eyes shined more love and enjoyment than I ever imagined. If I didn't turn around, I was almost convinced that she would kiss me. Somehow, I felt scared; afraid that Hinata's love grew more. Without knowing, I gritted my teeth, cursing my sensei relentlessly in the conscience of my mind.
I had no idea why Jiraiya said something like that, and had even less of an idea as to why he wanted my life to be more complex than it already was.
I stared at him with my most threatening glare. That was, of course, after I dropped my ridiculous protective stance; I couldn't imagine how stupid I could have looked. "Just what do you mean by that, Great Sannin Jiraiya-sama…"
He turned his head to glance at me briefly, and soon he chuckled out loud. "What's with the hostility? And, not to mention, your sarcasm about my honourable title. All I said was that you had a good heart. I can't seem to grasp the reason you could make such a fuss about."
His answer didn't make me feel any more comfortable. Moreover, it made my blood boil, metaphorically speaking. "Kono-yaro… you know that's not what I mean."
Jiraiya, in his rare wise-old-man persona, advised me to look at what was in front of me despite words were not emitted. "Instead of jeopardizing your own blood pressure while you're still young, perhaps you would want to know that your friends, and my lovely Tsunade, are here." He was right, for Tsunade, Neji, Tenten, and the rest of the people who Sakura preferred to invite were within that gang. The only other person I really wasn't expecting was Shizune, but that was understandable, I guess. She was the Hokage's attendant, and although it was not made official, Shizune was like an older sister than I never had.
"Sorry, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, walking up casually to my mentor with her belongings over her shoulders. The other teenagers were a several feet behind her until they somewhat broke out of their unified line and began to chat amongst themselves. Hinata, boldly, of course, took my hand to lead me to them despite my protests. "I had something to deal with this morning that couldn't wait."
"You drank a lot last night and forgot to pack?" Jiraiya presumed at the mark. Tsunade immediately glared at him, silently cursing at the fact he was able to read her like a book.
"No," she denied, pushing her pride on her front line, "Of course not. It's Hokage business, in which you won't understand." Jiraiya obviously knew otherwise, but he was nice enough not to make the delicately large bubble of lies explode to destroy all remnants of her image. "Anywho… should you introduce yourself to some of the kids? I mean, they could sure use this time getting to know you."
"Your wish is my command, my fair lady," the Hokage immediately gasped audibly, but luckily she made it sound painful, as she felt Jiraiya tickle her massive mounds from underneath. She growled like an angry beast before literally seething a disapproving whisper, practically commanding him to get lost. As long as Jiraiya got a small sense of pleasure, or perhaps a large one if he were lucky, he would do anything that wouldn't get him killed.
Once all of us noticed a shadow seemed to overwhelm ours from a short distance, we turned our heads towards that direction just to see my mentor grinning happily. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten waved delightfully back due to their lack of knowledge over this perverted man; Lee, also finding no problems, returned the kindness with his own energetic one to show off unnecessary zeal; Neji, being the passive guy, showed minimal expressions, yet they were respectful; Shikamaru yawned; and Hinata and I didn't react altogether –for a good cause needless to say.
"You must be the man who organized all of this," chirped Tenten to Jiraiya, genuinely happy. I was shocked to see how anyone could summon up so much enthusiasm during this hour of the day.
"Yeah," added Sakura, answering on behalf of her friend, "He is a really nice guy, much better compared to Kakashi or Gai. They never gave us vacations!"
Jiraiya easily laughed at their youthful exuberance. This was the same laugh he used when he was with sluts in those strip clubs. Correct that, what I meant to say was 'whores'. "You girls flatter me too much. I would love to hear more compliments, but I think it's more important to make my self-introduction. My name, during this trip, is extremely important, because whatever activities or games, or anything you want to do at the inn will need to be used under my name, because I will be responsible to pay for it. And my name, ladies and gentlemen, is Jiraiya."
Neji's eyes widened a little, but vanished as if it never happened to begin with. "Jiraiya… the Great Sannin Jiraiya?"
"I can't believe such an noble man is offering a resort trip for us," Lee stated, completely honoured and nearly dropped to his knees, "I am eternally grateful, Jiraiya-sama!"
"Calling me Jiraiya-sama on a relaxing trip really ruins the mood," my mentor continued, he was, in fact, astonished by his humility, "For the time being, you guys can call me by Jiraiya-kun."
Jiraiya-kun? Was he kidding? He was joking, right? After knowing this man for over 3 years, he made sure no one dared to refer to him so casually. Even the whores in bars needed the sama in the suffix, or Jiraiya could change his attitude 180 degrees for the worst. It was understandable, since everyone loved recognition, acknowledgement, and constant praising for their sense of greatness. In Jiraiya's case, however, he loved his compliments a little too much to a degree where it began to annoy me.
Needless to say, I wanted to test if Jiraiya could live up to his demureness and modesty. He did allow us to call him Jiraiya-kun, right? This should prove intriguing indeed.
I rose up my hand unexpectedly. "Ano, Jiraiya-kun-"
His expression instantly changed when he heard my voice despite that he might not have known it was I. Amazingly, I grew fascinated to witness his sudden shift in attitude. From what I could gather, there was a humourous fusion of displeasing, shock, stun, and male hating. "Men are not allowed to call me as such!"
Just as he was about to continue, someone, who deserved my endless exaltation, nailed Jiraiya by the face, therefore taking over the spotlight. This special lady was none other than Tsunade, the marvelous Godaime of Konoha.
"I think that should be enough introductions," announced Tsunade, looking very disappointed at Jiraiya in her last word for one second or less, "Although Jiraiya here is the organizer of this entire trip, I, as Hokage, will be in charge for safety reasons."
My sensei limped on the ground for moments before he gathered the power to stand back up. He had a very pathetic look, which was almost like a puppy dog one, but much more desperate and pitiful. That snot coming out of his nose surely made his appealing level downgrade by a tremendously significant amount beyond measure. Sucked to be him. "But… But… I thought I was the leader…"
"Shut up!" the old lady affirmed, smacking him in the face using her elbow. I couldn't really see what happened after that, but I guaranteed that Jiraiya swallowed a mouthful of soil, which lightened up my mood by a drastic amount. If not, he tasted it thoroughly. "As you all know, Jiraiya and I are responsible for each of your safeties even if you guys are chunnins and jounins. When you are outside the village, I strongly encourage you not to wear your forehead protector in order to conceal your shinobi titles. Of course, that is for safety, too."
With that being said, I silently slipped my own forehead protector into my backpack in an attempt to appear intelligent. Hinata turned to look at me, wondering why I moved so swiftly after Tsunade's announcement. This Hyuuga princess had been vigilant, too careful for my taste rather. I merely rolled my eyes, trying to pretend that I knew nothing, and everything was a coincidental coincidence. She didn't believe me for a second.
"Sensei," chirped a high spirited Sakura, "Should we leave now?"
"After hiding your forehead protectors, we will hit the road."
After these years, the Hokage's logic never seemed to have a dull crack. In other words, it appeared flawless. There was almost no way that her theories and mature actions could cease to surprise me, and especially not when she could whip up wise choices that could benefit everyone in the best way possible. Like a compromise. My respect for Tsunade no doubt rose than fall. I wished that I could have said the same for Jiraiya.
Minutes later, our entire group left the West Gate.
(30 minutes later)
From observing the way people were walking, I had a brief, but useful, knowledge in terms how everyone had been for the past 3 years. It was quite a shock, honestly, yet a relieving one as well.
Tsunade and Shizune's friendship between another undeniably developed. The friendliness they showed no longer resembled one from a master and attendant, unlike 3 years ago, which Shizune barely had much saying in anything but to follow Tsunade wherever she desired to go. In fact, they looked like sisters, but of course Tsunade was at least 20 years older. The Godiame was like my mother, and in Shizune's view, I guaranteed that she saw her master as a wise, intellectual sibling who she could always look up to, or an aunt. Regardless of how I saw it, this was good.
Ino and Shikamaru were an odd pair. I had no aim, nor did anything ailed me, to figure out what their relationship with another was currently or in the past, but I knew from kindergarten that they had been friends before that, but of course Shikamaru never bothered showing it to Kiba, Chouji, and I. Now, on the other hand, the duo was talking peacefully, as if others around them didn't exist when their spirits gather in their own world or paradise. Shikamaru would still yawn or comment using 'troublesome' from time to time, but the image and energy he gave proved he was engaged in the topic no matter what it was. One might not ever believe Shikamaru could offer that much enthusiasm, but I could though –especially when Ino was high spirited as she discussed about flowers, and the lazy chunnin was actually giving her tips and suggestions with the best intentions.
I was wondering if they were a couple, but I knew I couldn't ask that so out of the blue. Then again, it wasn't a surprise if they were though.
Neji and Tenten made my eyes open up, and I wasn't trying to be sarcastic. Neji, the cold, passive, emotions kept immobile Neji, actually had a soft heart for a girl. I lied. It wasn't for a girl, since his humanity had been revived ever since the Sasuke-Retrieval-Mission, in which I still blame myself today for failing it beautifully. Neji was a likeable person to anybody these days, and of course his new and improved development and considerate attitude charmed the person who he had known the longest during his most valued times as an official shinobi of Konoha. That person, of course, was not only female, but she had the name that Neji could never get sick of hearing. Tenten, he said to Hinata, and in which she told me recently, was one word in the Japanese word list that could make any of his frowns and grimaces turn to joy.
Something seemed impervious, and I was referring to the reason of the Hyuuga genius' sudden change of heart. Whatever the case, Neji and Tenten continuously bewitched another with their individual sentiment arcane beauty, and I had no intention whatsoever to transform myself into an ass and break their tender moments. That was, yes indeed, unless I barely valued my life –in which I would consider it in a mission where I would have no chance of surviving. Unfortunately, I survived each time.
The weapons mistress, I heard from Hinata again, was a happy adolescent long before she met Neji, and now, her auras and attitude contained a reflection of extreme gratefulness, like she had a reason to praise every moment that she was alive. She found her purpose, and that was with the branch house leader, and it would be a tough challenge for her to shift her belief otherwise.
Sakura and Lee… what could be said... there was anything that could make my delightfulness falter. With a ten second glance, it was easy to detect these two were not a couple. But no like that truly mattered in the long run. Rather it should not be an issue, or establish a problem. Three years ago, Lee, pretty much like me back then, adored Sakura because of her beauty. I knew that, Sasuke knew it, and Sakura obviously found out before the two of us. We were immature, and I suppose that wasn't something that could have been helped. I respected Lee as a shinobi, but certainly not when I placed him anywhere outside the shinobi bounds. In my opinion, Lee was an oddball, in which he created such a deep trap for himself knowingly. It wasn't right to isolate others when I received the identical treatments, but at the same time it was immensely difficult for me to praise someone who had such a poor fashion sense –yet sadly enough he believed wholeheartedly that it was 'cool'.
I didn't think it was necessary for me to elaborate on my feelings towards Konoha's Green Beast, since I dropped the superficial side of myself and looked at things from other perspectives and angles. Even so, Sakura must have discarded that a long time before I did. If she didn't, she wouldn't be having such a great, marvelous, charming discussion with him at the moment. It somewhat pained me to admit that Sakura, perhaps, had more admiration for Lee compared to me. Also, there was a high possibility that she knew Lee's character and self more than she knew mine, and I could not deny that it had a stinging pain every time I thought about it considerately.
In all honesty, I felt useless.
Three years of absence did do its damage overtime, and although I should not feel this way, I couldn't help but to feel unwanted. Perhaps it was all nonsense; however, the gap between our relationships was wide and impossible to neglect. Repairing it was the best solution, but even so, I didn't know how to fix it despite my eagerness to learn.
Amongst everyone, excluding the adults, only Hinata's relationship with me seemed to be stable and promising. In addition, Hinata, knowing what she was capable of, could not simply take any situation lightly as long as it was associated with me, as though she wanted our times together to be the best. And yet what was execrating about it was how she could project her desires but using such subtlety to maintain an unspeakable charm. She sure used a shinobi's adroitness to be cunning at the pure maximum.
I could go on commenting on Jiraiya, but I didn't want to waste my previous energy. Taking a small peek from my rear with Hinata next to me as my loyal companion, my mentor had his head low almost kissing the ground, the moments of his feet were sluggish and wimpy, and actually, he was falling behind. What caused him to lose such a great deal of self-confidence anyway? He was acting upon it as if someone murdered his rationale of living. I could have cared less, seriously. Like many times in the past, Jiraiya got over it as soon as something perverted was brought up.
Conveniently, we found ourselves at a crosswalk.
"Which way is faster?" asked Tenten to anyone who had knowledge of the geographical layout of this vicinity. No point in looking at me –I was as blind as a bat.
"I haven't been here before," said Tsunade, regrettably, "Even I don't know which way is actually the shorter route." She turned to her last, and only, resort. "Jiraiya, do you know which way to go?"
My sensei, hearing his name, snapped to attention, "I must be getting old," he said, scratching the back of his head, laughing, "I don't really remember which way is actually shorter. I have come here many times, and I took routes at random, since I was never in a rush."
"So… what you are saying is…"
"Yes, I don't know the difference in length between the two roads."
"Should we just pick a random one and stick with it?" offered Shizune, trying to be helpful, "I mean, both of them lead to the same place right?" She did make a good point, and personally, I could have cared less about this whole ordeal in choosing paths. The most important factor of it all was to arrive there safely.
"One of the paths will take us directly to the hot spring inn," said Jiraiya to the crowd, "and the other one will take us to a town, but there is another road to lead us to the inn from there. We could always go to the one in the town to buy something to eat or restock on some supplies."
"We don't even know which one leads to the town," said Ino, nudging Shikamaru to agree with her. The lazy chunnin, to my stun and disbelief, gave an effort to make a groan and a nod.
"I have a good idea," said Jiraiya suddenly, eyes luminous with a hidden intent and meaning. Hinata and I eyed him closely, wondering what ailed him to gain his spirit back. Knowing Jiraiya, this couldn't be good. "Let's make a bet out of this."
Tsunade grew curious. No matter what methods of gambling, gaming always perked up her interest. "A bet? What do you got?"
"Let's break ourselves into two groups; guys and girls. Each group choose one path and stick with it, and the purpose of it would be racing, race to the inn before the other group does. Of course, neither group is allowed to run, since that would spoil the fun of this little race. Or better yet, whichever group find themselves in the town is immediately determined the loser."
Lee, surprisingly, became excited towards this whole ordeal. At first, I thought Lee wasn't a gambling man, but appearances sure could fool people. "What is the reward for the winners?" He asked, as if he was prepared for anything offered to him.
"How about… the loser group treats the winners to dinner at the inn tonight?"
I found that idea intriguing, personally. Instead of showing that I was quite impressed and looking forward to this little game, I thought keeping silent was more prudent and beneficial. Hinata, unlike me, bit her lip, trying to consider if this was a good idea. Although it was just a simple game with friends with no major risks or uncertainties involved, it had came to my attention that the Hyuuga girl concerned a lot on motives, and perhaps her sweet, innocent thinking was influenced by the way she was raised. Hinata, in the end, was such a benevolent person to love.
"I like these odds," Tsunade declared, eyes fired up a passion for victory that she could not see herself not obtaining. The respectable aura she radiated, which was none, before flared up dangerously, in which she would kill anybody who not only stood in her way, but causing her determined conquest to slip away helplessly when she had it so close in her grasp. I, being someone who knew when to cherish my life, scooted a few steps opposite from her just for the sake of having my body parts still attached to me when this thing was over. "We are going to win for sure!"
S"It's only a fifty-fifty chance, sensei," reminded Sakura, sweatdropping slightly at her teacher's semi-childish fervor, and probably didn't want Tsunade to get too wholehearted into this bet. After all, gambling was an addiction that was hard to break, very much like drugs, if I must say so myself. Good luck, Sakura, for trying to drill that philosophy into that oba-chan's head. She had my emotional support, since I would be standing from far, far away.
"And this is a fifty percent chance that I am willing to take?"
"Ano, Tsunade-sama…" said Shizune, forcing a grin, along with Sakura, of course, "What if you lose?"
The feeling of the Hokage's mood mutated dangerously for the worst. "Losing is prohibited!" she barked out loud to the women, her comrades and friends in this situation. Then again, we, men, took this precaution and jolted as well. "Today is our turn to shine! Victory will be mine!"
Tenten awkwardly intervened in spite that it wasn't the most discreet decision, "Don't you mean ours?"
Jiraiya grinned confidently, carrying a small sense of slyness as a bonus, "Well, now, Tsunade," he declared, crossing his arms to increase his intimidation, "Which way do you choose?"
The Hokage, to my surprise, developed an indecisive nature from her anxiety to win. Despite that I haven't met her in a long while, the sudden changes she was displaying was not something unnoticeable. "I… I…"
"The men and I will take the path on the left," said Jiraiya, pointing his thumb towards the designated road, a snicker never vanquished yet, "And you women could try the right one. Sounds fair?"
Tsunade thought about it for a good minute, literally. When it came to gambling, or casino related, her brain cells miraculously could summon up a level of intelligence that outmatched Einstein ten times over, and moreover, she interpreted every situation as if her life was on the line. I was roughly certain that Sakura and Shizune saw this side of their master's often enough, but definitely not adequate to say they were used to it. "What makes me so sure that you really don't know your way?" she questioned, her tone soaked with mistrust and cautiousness. Oh, good God! It was only dinner! No need to take it so seriously now was there?
"I am 53," Jiraiya returned his answer coolly, "I don't got the greatest memory, unlike before. Come on now, we should get moving."
The last sentence suppressed much impatience, and this was something Jiraiya rarely showed in order to keep his optimistic and carefree image. Needless to say, Jiraiya's façade was threatening to break after dealing with Tsunade's incredible stubbornness to strive for victory –although there was no harm behind it.
Both groups divided themselves from guys and girls before they started to head towards their respective paths. The only person who showed hesitance to leave was Hinata, who actually didn't want me to be apart from her despite that it would only be a half hour separation at most. Although my conscience relentlessly pestered me to simply leave, somehow my sense of ethics and morality had a sudden urge to kick in. The least I could do was wish Hinata good luck on this game.
"Naruto-kun," the Hyuuga princess called onto me, reaching out her hand to held mine, and therefore, I couldn't pick up the pace. "Wait."
"What?" I didn't mean to sound rude.
"Good luck…"
"Good luck?"
"I hope your team wins, Naruto-kun."
"Thanks," I replied, devoid of much passion to continue this conversation, since I found it utterly pointless. "Hey, I don't mind if I treat you to dinner, and so I hope your group actually beats us."
"You mean it?"
"I mean it."
All of a sudden, I heard Jiraiya shouting at me from thirty feet behind me. "Hey, Naruto! Come on, we got no time to waste! Stop flirting with Hinata-chan there and come!"
That old man was really beginning to be irritating and even more so when he approached us carrying an aura of distinct casualness, in which I could help myself but to feel angry every time this happened. "What do you want?" I inquired, obviously showing him that he wasn't welcomed in this gathering of ours.
"Hinata-chan looks really lonely without you, you know," he said with a more serious voice, shifting gazes between Hinata and myself accordingly, "Why don't you walk with the girls instead, like you know, to keep Hinata-chan company." The Hyuuga girl immediately blushed gratefully at Jiraiya's suggestion; perhaps this was the first thing my mentor had done to please my friend than to annoy her.
"What…" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Here I was trying to isolate myself from anything that involved this cute, endearing, innocent Hyuuga princess, and with much gratitude to someone, now I had to expose more of me to her, in which I was desperately trying to obscure without holes or flaws.
"Come on, look at her now," said Jiraiya, hinting me to spend a few seconds to scan over Hinata's form, "You see her eyes, Naruto? They are sparkling with tears. Her cheeks are pink, and with teary eyes, you know she isn't only blushing because of her… you know-"
"I get it, I get it," I hurriedly hissed back, looking quite exhausted from listening to his 'wisdom', "I'll go with Hinata, okay?"
She radiated wonderfully when I made a choice for her sake. "You're coming with me, Naruto-kun?" Her hands were held together with joy, as though her silent prayers were answered with outstanding results beyond what she requested initially. Having no means to destroy her happy mood although I wasn't sharing her optimism, I kept my emotions neutral with a nod. I smiled though, and eventually I gave a sincere one after seconds of watching her. Like I said before and I would say it again. Hinata's smiles and cheerfulness was contagious.
And so I separated from my guy friends and mentor, and my outcome was to have the Hyuuga princess latched onto me like a leech –in a good way, of course.
This was a win-win situation for me, but even so, I could not shake this inevitable feeling that I fell into some sort of trap in spite of that it did not appear that way from an outsider's point of view. In truth, not even I thought I plunged into ensnares of any sort, yet the smallest portions of my vigilance refused to be deceived. Something was wrong, and I knew it.
(Meanwhile with Jiraiya)
"Well, young men," my sensei declared a few minutes later to the rest of the males, "We better prepare some cash to pay for their dinner."
Lee failed to grasp what he meant by that, "For what? We don't see a town yet, you know."
Neji, unlike Lee, clearly caught on as he smirked. "We already lost the bet," he told his chunnin level friend, searching his wallet to see how much money he had on him. Luckily, as a Hyuuga family member, branch or main, he was loaded.
"You picked the wrong path deliberately, didn't you, Jiraiya-sama?" asked Shikamaru, snickering with a snort, "Why did you do that? I know you made us lose on purpose."
"You guys still haven't grasped the real intent of this entire trip?" questioned Jiraiya, stopping to tell the group to halt along with him.
"What, we should be a total gentleman to the ladies? That's troublesome."
"No, you are warm though."
Lee thought about it for a while, and once he got a reason, he immediately replied with zeal. "Oh, I know! We pay for their dinner so the girls don't need to spend money!"
"You are cold, real cold…"
Neji, after much consideration, believed that he got it. "It's trust, isn't it? We are doing this for them to trust us… But what I don't seem to comprehend is why you need them to trust us when they already do…"
Jiraiya was amazed at Neji's sharpness. Perhaps it was all luck. Whether he was a quick thinker or a good beginner as a pervert, it didn't matter in the long run. After his next message, Jiraiya was almost confident that these three individuals before him had potentials to be students of his absolute corruption by the end of it all.
"Why do you think I chose this precise location to have a vacation? Why did you think that I brought the women along? I will tell you, when men and women come to the hot springs, there is one thing that we men cannot ignore and abandon. In fact, a hot spring vacation cannot be complete without it!"
Something hit them in realization. "Could it be…" choked Lee, a shade of red coming upon his cheeks. He was about to faint if he imagined anymore.
"Impossible… you can't be serious…" added Shikamaru, swallowing hard with a sweat coming down.
Neji decided to finish it off. "Are you talking about 'IT'?"
"Yes," announced Jiraiya, grinning a majestically sinister grin when his subordinates finally realized his master plan. He was happy, truly excited towards the golden moment. "I am talking about 'IT'. The whole dinner thing is also part of my ingenious work of art. Firstly, we will treat them to a meal that they would never forget. Secondly, we will even treat them to dessert or have a bit of champagne or something as a little extra. By then, they would be so happy with our performance that they would actually feel safe around us, and most importantly, they wouldn't suspect anything. When they have their guard down… we will strike the jackpot… we will be the winners, and trust me, spending a several dollars to watch the most gorgeous women of Konoha naked for hours is worth it!"
Evil laughter screeched its way throughout the forest.
Something seemed elusive… very elusive indeed…
AN: It's official. I hereby declare that whatever I tend to read affects what I write! Look, I wrote over ten thousand words on a chapter that was supposedly describe them at the hot spring. And as you can see, they are NOT even there yet. Yep, too much novels for OpForce, and of course that leads to needless BSing, and in which I am doing right now.
I will try my best not to get off topic, I really need to stop,becausethis seems to have no limits!
Now, for something that has no relevance to the previous paragraph. If you must know, please expect perverted stuff next chapter. No lemons though, but it will definitely help me decide better if you strongly suggest it. The real fun will begin… real soon. This author's gotta fly.