Simplicity is Complexity
Chapter 11: Sudden Bonding
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! Who wants to own such a shitty anime anyway?
AN: I know my writing has been very dark and un-lively for a several chapters now. Since this is supposed to be a fluffy fic, I decided to make that spark of fluff light up again amongst the darkness. A lot of things happened to me this week, such as report card and World of Warcraft, but other than that, I think I am fine!
Some readers complained about my writing style on my previous fics, well, not that I really care. Those were experimental fics, and this one currently is no different. As long as I am not writing shit, I seem to be fine with it. Of course I am still looking for any gaps for improvement, but I have to admit that it's a lot harder said than done. I'll try my best to seek development.
About servers on WoW… I don't play on a public server. I am a VERY poor man who lives on the bottom line of the middle-class, and therefore, I could not afford $14.99 to $16.99 Canadian dollar a month on WoW. Yes, I am Canadian, thank you very much. I play on a private server called Dungeons of Despair (DoD for short) and I play my brother's character. I happen to be just a miner and blacksmith artist because I only play to help him gather resources when he's away… and when he is playing (over 6 hours daily) I would be on the computer adjacent to his as type stories up. What a boring life I have… I know, I know…
You guys have been great! Please read over this chappie for me and give me any comments if you wish. This writer's got to write more now… I am sad… I don't want to write a philosophy theory story… SO HARD!
And yes, the little story Naruto tells Hinata near the end is totally inspired from the drama "I'm Rick James, bitch," by Dave Chapelle. This is my way of showing how much I really detest Jiraiya in the story and in the anime.
In short, please don't sue. Thank you.
(3rd floor hallway of the Hot Spring Inn)
I heard her well. I wasn't deaf, nor did I ever want to be like that. Even so… I didn't want to talk to her right now. Not like I disliked her or have any negativity towards her, it was just, well, it was not something easy to explain. Maybe it was actually… in a way. I had no interest to have her infatuation for me to grow unnecessarily. I certainly did not picture her feelings as love; I found it to be a confusion that most teenagers faced during these times about romance. For instance, Hinata might have wanted only attention, or maybe she craved for some love, andit was possible thatshe was just insecure about herself. Who knew what the real problem was? All I could assume was that she wasn't sure about herself mentally and emotionally, and with those out of whack I did not know how to react.
As far as I knew, Hinata's confession may very likely be out of insecurity than sincerity.
Now she said that she loved me… she might have said it because she found her temporary refuge, in which she could rely on until someone stronger came by and sweep her off her feet.
I wanted to trust her, but these circumstances did not permit me to go soft.
The real perplexity currently was whether to stop and turn around, or pretend that I heard nothing and keep walking. What was more beneficial to me?
Oh, fuck this… I am walking.
I wished that worked though, really. After three years worth of absence, I didn't realize how persistent Hinata became to reach for her obsession –which was me at the time. The instant I picked up my pace, Hinata started to run after me. If I didn't speed up, then Hinata would catch me for sure. However, that was where the second problem was. I didn't want her to reach me, but if I moved at running speed, that would tell her that I was deliberately escaping her. Not only could that mean rejection in Hinata's perspective, it showed that I was an open bastard.
I still liked being a bitch, just not so obvious but subtle.
I had to escape her. I was left with no options other than to warp away. Swiftly, my right hand began making various seals that would end in the rabbit seal to complete my teleport jutsu without flaws. Perhaps I did it too obviously this time, because Hinata saw through it immediately before I gathered the right amount of chakra for it. I smiled victoriously at my temporary success, yet I frowned until the end when I found out my efforts transformed into shreds of failure as soon as I felt Hinata tackling me from behind.
I fell chest first onto the green carpet floor where as the girl from my rear landed, like a kitten who found her first lover, right onto my back. Although she crashed landed gracefully, her weight was a little too much for my back to handle due to such sudden intrusion. She was really similar to a cat right now that was brimming with a sweet touch of innocence.
"Hello," Hinata greeted, her face plastered using a very charming cuteness.
"Itai… Itai…" I winced and whined, my left hand reaching out as it twitched, "What was that all about… Hinata…"
"You're not running away, Naruto-kun," she said, a hidden command soaked within it -no doubt, of course.
"Who said anything about running away," I replied, faking my virtually blameless intentions, "You didn't have to take me down like this."
"I called you but you kept walking faster."
"And so you tackled me because of that?"
"Don't lie to me. You were going to use Flash Warp, aren't you? Why did you try to do that?"
"Flash Warp? You know about that move, too?"
"I don't just know about it, Naruto-kun, I know how to use it."
"You are a Hyuuga though. What is the point in you people needing to learn it?" I almost sounded discriminative against her clan. Luckily, she found no offensive on it.
"I learned itforthe fun of it," she told me, taking her time in playing with right handregardless ofthe position we were in. I really liked her touches; even when I was in pain it managed put a smile onto my face. Was she really a loving saint? "It was good for my speed as soon as I mastered it."
That was how her speed was so quick.
"Is that so…" I pretended to be interested. Well, I was to a limited degree.
"That still doesn't justify why you needed to use Flash Warp just now." Hinata increased her grip and pushed her nails into my skin just then. Needless to say, I detected a bit of disappointment and anger from her, and right now she wanted my utmost sincerity than excuses.
I had no choice but to comply, however, I was going to make up more trickery. "I didn't notice you. Also, I wanted to get to my destination faster than walking up and down and taking needless elevators that are not only dull, but very time consuming, too."
I tilted my head a little upward to look at her, and judging from that adorable softened expression, she seemed to believe the things I told her. I should really take up a profession in drama sometime. At that moment, I wasproud to be a skillful liar."I'm sorry…" she said out of the blue, in which took me off by surprise.
"What?"
"I said that I am sorry,"
"For what?"
"For pouncing on you like that… gomen… Naruto-kun…" She appeared to be guiltier than I first anticipated. Damn it, I hated to see Hinata frown out of all the girls I known in my life. Sad and despair seriously did not suit this girl for the betterment of humanity. I had to snap her out of this. No, not force, and no matter how it was an intentional destruction of my character, I should help her out nonetheless.
"Hey, it's okay, Hinata," I cooed although I was still flat on the hallway floor. Some help obviously required. "It's really okay." I could have been more persuasive if I wasn't flat on the ground. I signaled her to budge, yet unfortunately for me she did not seem to get it when she was in her innocent persona. Somewhere in the back of my head I guessed she wasn't getting off on purpose; her giggles at my efforts certainly proved my logic correct. Even so, I wasn't rude enough to simply push her off of me despite how much I wanted to do so.
Her guilt obviously vanished when she received her repentance.If that was the case, why was she still on me like a cat? She was a heavy cat, not like I could tell her that. Women were too sensitive about themselves from their weight, their face, eyes, thighs, breasts, hips, rear end, etc. I only assumed that Hinata's natural nature changed her to someone who had barely any faith regarding her physical state. The last thing I should be doing was to tease her.
"You want to say something, Naruto-kun?" Hinata inquired cutely, pretending that nothing was wrong as she made gentle squeezes on the hand she stole from earlier.
"No…"
"You are lying,"
"Okay, what if I am?"
"Well… t-tell me the truth,"
"Fine. Can you please get off me?" Her answer was to shake her head in the most endearing way I could think of; like a five-year-old girl who did not want anything but ice-cream for dinner. How I wished for a retribution. "And why not, Hinata?"
"I want to give you a massage," she told me, leaning her entire body downward before she released my hand and placed her own –now free hands- upon my shoulders and began its generous, yet relaxing, treatment. I fought back a moan, luckily, and that was when my conscience and awareness level kicked in whilecontinuously screaming at me to get myself back together. I realized that we were in the hallway in a very not pure posture with another. What the hell was I thinking permitting her to do this?
"No, thanks," I choked, and my mouth suddenly became dry and croaky as I used all my might not to get enticed by her magical hands. Endearing witch… Why did she have to be caring at every place she went? "Hinata… I don't need it…"
She abolished my reasons, as if they never left my mouth, "Your muscles are so stiff," she cooed in my ear as she leaned closer. I felt her breasts making contact onto my back at the same time. So soft… so luscious… so lovable… touchable… How I wanted to flip around and tear off whatever she was wearing and claim those breasts as my rare treasure.
No… what was happening to me? Why did I think something so vulgar towards Hinata? This was Hinata… the one and only person who I could truly call a friend in Konoha. I was despicable… why did I picture my only friend as someone to have pleasures with? This was not like me one bit. I was falling for my lusts! I despised myself for ever doing such a thing. At the same time, I needed to know what caused me to feel this way. Why Hinata and not Tenten when I saw everything from her? I wished that I could have received an answer, but Hinata's sensual actions did not cease to stop until I gave in.
"Hinata… stop…"
My pleading had no affect. "You haven't been resting, haven't you?" she asked despite I begged of her to stop, "You are working too much… although your body likes it when you work out or use them to good use, they are saying that they have enough and they could use rest. But I know that you are not giving them what they want. Don't you hear them crying, Naruto-kun? They have no life whatsoever anymore… they want to give you their strength and power but they have no ability to do it because you keep pushing yourself. Why do you do that, Naruto-kun?"
"Do what?"
"Push yourself beyond your limits," she answered, her treatment becoming even better than it was a second ago. I didn't fail to notice she pressed her breasts even more onto my back. Her face was next to mine; her shiny and rosy lips breathing sweet air onto my cheeks as if she was teasing me before she actually kissed me. We were still in the hallway here! My arousal started to surface despite Anthris was my libido carrier. No… could it be that she abandoned her post? She couldn't do this to me! Now… without my faithful protector of my lust… I was weak and vulnerableagainst Hinata's sensual assaults.
This was the last time I was going to help Anthris masturbate… Damn it, ditching me like this was unforgivable. Then again, Anthris might not have been able to resist Hinata's sweetness. Who knew what was wrong initially; all I had to worry about was my state of consciousness and not get seduced.
"I do no such thing…" I answered as quick as I could. Never would I have imagined speaking five words could be so hard when my world was going to bliss.
"Are you unhappy, Naruto-kun?"
"Why would I be?"
She then kissed me on the cheek, as though it was one of the most appropriate things to do with a guy. I had to admit, her kisses were endlessly charming. Although she was behind me, she got her head close enough to be right next to mine. As she turned her head with those pearly attractive eyes leered upon mine, my facevirtually burned up when I noticed all the genuine feelings she produced.
Hinata… was beautiful. I was tempted to kiss her so badly. There was nothing on her that wasn't gorgeous. Everything about her was just perfect for a wretch like me. I found her exquisite.
"Naruto-kun… I am here for you," Our eyes locked, but neither of us pulled away. In fact, I was surprised that Hinata had this kind of courage to look at someone directly with confidence. At the same time, why was I staring in her pools of fresh lavender when I kept telling myself to gaze away as much as possible. Those eyes lured me in as they were singing a silent siren to trap my soul for eternity. "Would you let me be that someone who can love you?"
Not in your life, young woman...
"Don't talk about these things, Hinata," I said, this time rolling away from her before I leaped back up on my feet. Hinata gasped at my unexpected recovery, but she still had a weak smile on her face when she felt a little rejected. "If we stay here, who's going to get you guys dinner? I still need to make preparations."
"But…"
"Also… that divider out there…" Hinata's facedroppedwith a little guilt when I reminded her of that, "I need to talk to the innkeeper about it, too, and take full responsibility. If you want to enjoy this vacation, let me deal with all the things that are required to deal with first, or the result would be for us to get kicked out prematurely."
"N-Naruto-kun…" she obviously wanted to talk more, but had no power whatsoever to keep this conversation in tact. Nevertheless, I didn't want to leave her unhappy.
"No one said that I don't like you, Hinata," I said back, smiling a little for the first time, "But I just think there are better men out there than me. You don't need to spend your time on me. There are plenty of people who could experience your kindness, like in a hospital, or in charity services, where I, on the other hand, have good health, good financial support, and I have both my arms and legs. You should use your talents in areas where it's more useful."
"I won't give up on you."
"You shouldn't give up if you think that there is something I need."
"There is!"
"And that is what?"
"Love, Naruto-kun, love,"
"Love?"
"Love."
"You speak with much honesty, Hinata," I told her, finding her logic completely whacked, but of course I showed my feelings in a subtle manner, "But I need no such thing at this stage of my life."
"But, Naruto-kun-"
"That reminds me…" I said, changing the subject swiftly, "Have you seen the other guys around?"
Hinata, being the supportive and helpful girl, shook her head after thinking about my question for a good several seconds. "I haven't seen them after we came in the inn, Naruto-kun. Do you need to look for them?"
I scratched my head for the sheer sake of it. In short, I had no meaning to do so. "Yeah… I need to tell them where we are eating for dinner, andpossibly ask them what they want to eat, too. Now they are nowhere in sight… as if they are the haunted wraiths of this hotel that only showed their faces to scare away visitors. Or they are simply good players of hide-and-seek."
"I'll help you look for them," she kindly offered without my consent. I was about to refuse, but I saw no point when I noticed her eagerness to please me. I sighed inwardly before nodding to give her permission. "Be back in a flash." With that said, she vanished with the rabbit seal formed in her left hand. If anything shocked me today, aside from Tenten's body and incredible development in taijutsu fighting, this was it. If Hinata had my style of speed as well, then I better watch out for her for the safety of the future. If my eyes did not lie to me, Hinata was actually stronger than I was in brute strength, in which all taijutsu users valued whether they were Jyuuken users or Iron Fist users.
I was glad that she took her leave. Even so, she didn't leave without infesting some uncertainty in my mind. She loved me without question… what a troublesome seed of doubt at time like this. I didn't like it one bit.
(45 minutes later)
The innkeeper was deadly outraged when he and his wife saw what happened in the hot springs. He was going to come up personally to find whoever was responsible, but he was somewhat impressed when I came down in person to confess our faults. He was a man who admired sincerity and courage, and therefore that reason alone rewarded us to stay as long as no more trouble was made. Despite that, that didn't mean I could leave without paying for the damages. When the innkeeper gave me two options whether to pay up in cash or credit, or fix the barrier, I could not believe that I was willing to fix it.
Involuntarily, I already accepted that the destruction of the barrier was my own doing although I had nothing to do with it. My behaviour in admitting it to the innkeeper was disgusting. I was way too humble for my own good, bowing apologetically when the women should have been the ones here begging for repentance. Why did I do that? Was I here to save them face? Who knew… maybeI was nice? What was the point in thinking about it now-it was already too late anyway.
After creating 2 dozens of Kage Bunshins, I ordered them to find the proper equipment to repair the fallen barrier, and where I was continuing to discuss with the innkeeper about reserving a proper dining room for 11 people. Luck was on my side today whenthere was such a room available, but the hard part was to order what kind of food for them.
My immoral outraged that was brewing for hours now revealed itself to the light. Since I was kind enough to repair the divider, which was free of charge, I decided to make this meal the most costly meal that Jiraiya ever needed to pay. I didn't give a damn if it was worth more than the Great Wall of China. Taking the liberty to make free choices, because I was the only one here, I went with buffet, which was obviously the most expensive deal ever. I made sure that I heard no objections, because the guests were always right after repentingtheir faults. The innkeeper had no choice but to obey what I asked of them. Besides, what was there to argue about? They were getting free money practically.
He then told me dinner would be ready in twenty fiveminutes. I grinned back weakly to show my delight, which was not a lot but I had to do it anyway. Something told me he saw right through my skilled persona.
On my way back, I bumped into Tenten. What was her reason for being down in the lobby? Wait… why did I care? Her life was her business. At least I knew I wasn't a bitchy line stepper who relentlessly invaded other's private space without a justifiable consent. I planned on walking past Tenten without speaking a word or acknowledge her presence, but she halted me when she decided to approach me.
"Naruto," she welcomed out of neutrality than friendliness.
"Tenten," I said back, my voice passive and dispassionate, as though we were bitter rivals.
"How are you?"
"Fine, you?"
"I am fine, too."
"Had fun earlier?"
"No."
"What a shame that is."
"What are you doing here?"
"Ordering dinner for you all,"
"I am going for a walk,"
"I wouldn't go now. Dinner will be here in twenty minutes or less."
"Oh, really?"
"I ordered buffet,"
"Fantastic, Naruto. Isn't that kind of expensive?"
I chuckled. "I am not the one paying, remember?" She smiled warmly in return.
"Oh, now I do. Remember to make Hinata-imouto-chan happy, Naruto,"
"That issue again? I didn't take you seriously the last time you said it, what makes you so sure that I will follow your instructions this time around?"
"I am dressed right now," she hissed dangerously, threatening to kill me if I told anyone that I saw her naked form more than just once in one day when she was not even my girlfriend. There was no need to worry; Uzumaki Naruto kept secrets well unless provoked too much in the negative aspect. "You have to take me seriously."
"You are a persistent witch, aren't you?"
"Better than to see Hinata-imouto-chan cry because of some stupid love procrastinator,"
"Do you hate me that much?"
"If you make Hinata unhappy, then I will haunt you forever."
"That's a hard promise to keep, Tenten-chan," I whispered, deliberately poked her flat stomach with my index finger as I moved closer to her. Thepokecaused a good moan but she turned it into a hiss when she found out she enjoyed my touches.
"Neji will not forgive you when he sees Hinata-chan cry because you," she stated, fairly seriously.
"You people are too demanding," I said, breaking away from her after having my share of fun in feeling her body. Tenten, unlike Hinata, had a body that men would die for. Maybe I didn't give Hinata enough credit, since I liked her body even more. "Don't you have some more consideration than that?"
"Don't you like Hinata-chan?"
"I like her, but I don't love her. I don't know how to love her."
"It doesn't take thinking," she told me, banishing my beliefs as utmost demented, "You grow into it. Don't worry, everyone learns, and it would not help if you are always so… stiff… no… unfeeling, rather. You just need to relax and look at the girl's good attributes… or guy's if you are gay-"
I silenced her momentarily with my stern stare. "Don't you ever dare consider me as a homosexual," Tenten swallowed hard, knowing that she triggered something she should not have.
"Sorry… really am…" I merely forgot about it than to pester on this subject. It wasn't like she did it on purpose. She really didn't know after all. If I ever wanted to mess up my blood pressure and health, then I should pick up on drinking and become an alcoholic. "As I was saying… give Hinata and yourself achance to have an opportunity to love. I know that it's really hard to find someone like that. Naruto. I might not know you well… but you are hiding too much, and that makes Hinata worry a lot. She will go through thick and thin with you, because she truly loves you."
There was no sense trying to talk to this girl! Didn't she notice that I did not want to get deep with Hinata so soon? Not trying to sound rude, I nodded, hoping that she would just stop. "Yeah… I know…" Tenten was an intelligent woman, but she was terrible with subtle signs.
"You think that she doesn't know about your demon? Every one of us knows," That perked up my interest, but out of fear than anything else.In an incredible speed, I grabbed her shoulders tightly, and as a result she began to wince with pain. I didn't know what came through me. I was not ashamed to be a demon, or half-demon, but the fact all of them knew did not make me feel any safer.
"What the blasted hell did you just say? Every one of you knows about my demon? Why… why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought you knew…" she whimpered, very afraid to see me in my genuine rage. Her fears increased when my crystal clear blue eyes glared into hers. "Don't hurt me…" The once powerful Tenten was now like apuppy in my grasp. What irony this was… It disappointed me greatly to knowthatthis was the same person thatkicked my ass less than two hours ago. Where did her strength go? Or did my interrogation already drain all of it before it evaporated into nothingness.
"You don't keep these really important things, which are especially about me, away from me!" I refrained from roaring, yes, but my hisses were enough to scare her to an extent where she could crap in her pants literally and she wouldn't care as long as it loosened any pressure. With her confidence completely evaporated, her life was in my hands.
"Sorry…" she apologized when she did not know the reason to her prior actions by the slightest bit. I sensed her judgments were not made in her own will, and fear smeared over somassively that I could almost smell it. "I am really sorry…"
"You afraid?"
"Very…" she admitted, despite that shinobis should never reveal their true feelings. Her voice trembled significantly to a point where no one would believe her excuses if she stated any. "Naruto… let go of me…"
"Tell me this… how much do you know?"
"We know that… the Fourth sealed a demon inside you… and the reasons why you were always neglected…"
"Is that all?"
"Tsunade-sama said more than that, of course… she only told the ten of us, except Sasuke, about your secret. She made it clear to us that openly discriminating you is not only a sin that deserves retribution from Kami-sama, but it's also against the laws of Konoha. Whoever promotes conspiring hatred would suffer tremendously under the Hokage's justification, and that was something that she promised until the day she resigns as Hokage."
"Like a precedent of the Third…" I mumbled involuntarily, and I grew upset about that wise old man leaving us so soon when it was never meant to be. Why did the good people have to abandon us when it was not their time, and the other wicked, evil mother-fuckers –like Jiraiya and Orochimaru- remained her a lot more than they should? The greater the time, the more damage their ambitions could spread and sprawl for the worst. Jiraiya's perverted nature was a wildfire, and Orochimaru's influence transformed pure souls into lieutenants of eternal darkness where only greed, power, wealth, skill, and talents satisfied the heart.
I slowly loosened my grip on her, knowing that there was some safety and relief left for me to cherish. "Naruto…"
"Oh yeah… so Hinata knows, too?"
"Yes."
"And she didn't tell me…"
"She thought you knew,"
"No one tells me anything anymore," Isaid as I sighed a second after,"Can't expect me to guess everything that is in your minds, you know. But… Tenten… how did she take it?"
"She expected something like that," the weapon mistress replied, fright no longer covering her features, "She took it well, but she didn't expect that it was due toa demon or some supernatural reason. Neji, however, knew ahead of everyone else."
My thinking was quick. "First chunnin exam, I presume?" She nodded her head in a calm fashion, afraid that she might say something to agitate me. Perhaps that was what the problem with talking to acquaintances; there was always a mandatory feeling to be subtle and fake about all that is being brought up during the conversation. I suppose it was understandable to present the best side of oneself, but going around with masks everywhere wasn't all that impressive either. You were a great actor at that point, yet the moment someone intelligent enough breaks through the pitiful charade, I highly doubt anything could be done to repair any means of respect. "Figures…"
"Everything will be okay, Naruto. If you are worried solely on your heritage, every one of us has gotten over that ages ago. Sure, all of us were bewildered that to knowyou are a demon carrier, but you are still you, right? Have you ever unleashed him on us just because you felt like it? You have unspeakable power, as Neji said, and you never used it for your own selfish reasons. Not even once -even when you have all the right in the world as your backup. He must be a powerful demon, isn't he?"
He? Oh, right, Tenten must not realize that Anthris was a woman like her. Not too many people knew my demon master was a woman after all; not even Jiraiya. Then again, he was beginning to suspect if I was hanging out with woman lately, since I seemed to know how their mind worked before approaching them in friendly chats or open dilemmas. Jiraiya, unlike me, continuously messed up because he thought he was such the intelligent person, where in realityhe was as ignorant as a baby who was trying to learn how to breath. Every time it was a marvelous amusement to me to see him nearly losing his genitals.
What a foolish young woman Tenten was. She did nothing but scratch the surface.I was afraid of confronting Anthris to Hinata, yes, but not anymore since she already had all the knowledge of it before I returned. Now, actually, I was worried to tell Hinata aboutwhat Anthris and I did during our spare time that was outside the fine realms of chatting, hugging, discussing, arguing, negotiating, cooperating, and beating the crap out of another just to reach a consensus.
I was certain that Hinata would be absolutely furious once she heard any of this.
I never dared to challenge Antrhis' superiority in strength, but I would get into more trouble if I said my master was a man. She loved being a woman, and she said to me one day, since being girl meant she could fall in love with me. I didn't want her to love me like the way she did, but her emotions and lusts went far beyond my control. I could relate to her within a limit,because I still failed to see how sexual pleasure could be pleasurable. Touching was a form of delectation, she said, which was almost like a healing kindness that was desperately needed in order to come back on your feet after disasters erupted. I couldn't see what was so good about it. I rubbed my arm in the same fashion she told me to, and yet I didn't get the results she continuously wanted me to experience.
Was it such a shame that I feel nothing though? Who actually needed any of these sensual feelings anyway? The most vital fact was that we always wanted to experience it whether it was out of love or lust. In a nastier way of saying it, some people made love for the sheer fun of it.
"Yes, why, of course," I said back, kind of out of it all of a sudden. "I really shouldn't worry that much, should I?"
"As long as you make Hinata-imouto-chan happy,"
"Right, I remember. Mind doing a favour for me?"
"Like what?"
"Tell the other girls that we are having dinner at party room 2 on the lobby floor," I said, "I asked Hinata to look for the guys… but she hasn't returned…"
"Don't start reminding me of them," she muttered, clearly did not wish for me to recall any of those perverts. I was surprised that she was not having any grudges towards me, which was a great thing -no doubt. "I better get going."
"Yeah, sure thing…"
I waved as she left, and in an act to be polite, she waved back with a smile before she retreated fully back into the hallway she came from. Thank goodness she was gone… I didn't know what to do if there were another person here watching me suffer from emotional torment. I needed some time alone to soak in everything that Tenten told me about Anthris. What could be done at a time like this, I wondered? Take a bath, grab a small snack although it might spoil dinner, or take a walk? Isolation could do me some good for sure, but at the same time I found myself trapped in another crisis before I could react.
A pair of arms took the liberty to wrap themselves around my waist, and thus, securing me close. Not only did I feel a pair of arms, I also felt a pair of breasts and a cheek pressing on my back.
"I found you," this voice belonged to a woman, and it was one that I could recognize from anywhere. "What took you so long?"
"Hello, Hinata," I said, breaking out of her hold to turn around so I could face her. I surely didn't want to touch her breasts in any further depth. "Did you find the guys yet?"
"I found them… yes, but…"
"But what?" I asked while looking in her beautiful lavender eyes as though they were rare and gorgeous. She blushed a little when she noticed how much attention I was giving her, which was uncommon. What was more unusual was how she planted her hands around my waist, and in normal cases I would have rejected. However, when it came to her, every single one of my philosophies and rules broke to make way for Hinata. In other words, she was an exception and I spoiled her without knowing it.
"Ano… they weren't really there…"
"Wait… what?"
"They told me to come in, and I found no one in the living room."
"That's strange… Where were they then?"
"They were hiding in their rooms… Weird, isn't it?"
"Very, actually. Wait,why did they do that?"
"They were scared, Naruto-kun, as if I was going to kill them by just looking at them."
"Seriously? You weren't glaring with a hideous intent, were you?"
She gasped, unable to believe how I could accuse her as such. Her actingabilities were developing a tad too quickly for my liking. "Why would I try to kill them, Naruto-kun? I was just trying to help."
"I know, I know, Hinata," I said, smiling along with a chuckle, "I was just teasing you."
"I know you were," she teased back, sticking her tongue out, "You are never mean to me." In a bold move, she actually leaned her head onto my chest as it rested there as if it belonged to her. She gave out a pleasant growl, which was pretty much like a cat. It made me ponder if Hinata liked cats, since I never detested it personally, but not necessarily that fond of them either. Cute as they were, these felines were too intelligent for their own good.
"Hinata…" I fought back a face flush, which was tremendously difficult to do when her hands' movements were gentle and affectionate.
"Talk to me some more," she said in my chest, and of course it made her words sound like muffles, but luckily I managed to catch what it was. "I like hearing you talk, Naruto-kun…"
"What is there for me to talk about, Hinata?"
"Anything," she told me, smiling briefly, but very lovely, when she removed her head for one second before she attached her cheek back on my shirt. "Tell me some more things about your adventure."
"More things? I don't know if I got anything more to tell you… let alone exciting…"
She was very encouraging though, and didn't let up so soon. "No, you must have something fun to share. No matter how good or bad life is, Naruto-kun always finds it to be fun and unforgettable. That's something special about you." This girl had too much faith in me alright… there was so much of it that I couldn't describe.
"What do you like to hear about?"
"Anything, as long as it's from your mouth and lips,"
I gave in some thought in my topic when I knew Hinata truly wanted to listen. Easier said than done, silly Hinata. I saw no amusement in telling her about how I killed people knowing that she disliked violence unless necessary. If she wanted something funny… there was always this instance where Jiraiya was really fucked up by alcohol that one evening… but I highly doubt she would like that. It was Jiraiya we were talking about, and I knew better than anyone that Hinata disliked my mentor with every fiber in her body. Then again, what I was planning to tell her was somewhat entertaining, perhaps I could give it a shot.
"Hey, Hinata,"
"What?"
"Let me tell you a story outside the lobby, okay?"
She exuberantly nodded with delight in return.
(Outside of the Hot Spring Inn, three minutes later, on a bench)
I sat on the right, and Hinata sat on my left. In fact, it didn't matter where we sat, and really not when Hinata would've paid utmost attention even if she was thirty feet away. As long as she was able to hear me, Hinata was satisfied. And of course, since she was within kissing range, that made it ten times as good. I stole a glance to look at her pretty face, and that admiring smile she had told me just about enough.
"Well, you got something funny to tell me?" she asked. She went as far as giggling a little as she saw my uneasiness.
"I wouldn't say it's funny," I told her, snickering when I recalled something. Unknown to me, my left hand went for her narrow waist and slowly guided her closer to be more intimate. Hinata, needless to say, welcomed it gratefully without words, and of course she had no reason to break the moment. "Just disturbing… yet amusing."
"Oh, if it's funny then you can share it. I don't mind."
"It's about Jiraiya though," I continued, trying to be considerate than to please my own interest, "Would you like that?"
"But you said it's funny,"
"The correct term I used was amusing, Hinata,"
"Makes no difference to me," she said out of good nature, "Please tell me what happened."
"If you insist. I think it was last year or two years ago when this incident occurred. You know Jiraiya is always like a drunk and a pervert, you've seen it just a several hours ago and you beat him up to an extent where you are threatening him to be infertile. Okay, that's not really the point, but you get the idea. Jiraiya was just as bad as he is now, but two years ago his health was better than it is today. And thus, he fooled around a lot more.
"We traveled from town to town trying not to be too popular or well known, and we did it not without a reason. It was not our style going around to make attention, but everyone had their favorite spots, and I found mine at a local town called Uritake. It's not much of a special town or anything, I suppose it was because of a friend I met at a restaurant. She is a waitress, but soon to become master chef, by the name of Rika, and I really like her due to her sincerity. We talked the first time we met, and we quickly became good friends after one night's worth of talking. We usually stayed in towns for a several days before we leave, and it is rare for Jiraiya and I to visit a town more than once. However, I begged Jiraiya to make that place an exception. I wanted to see Rika more than just once… and losing a friend like her because 'we didn't feel like coming back' was a lousy excuse. And so, Jiraiya agreed that we would visit her several times each year, and we even stay there longer compared to other places. You can say that was one of the only things that Jiraiya agreed to.
"Rika is a very dear friend like you, Hinata. No one can simply forget her even if you wanted to. I think it was the third time that I went back to Uritake, and the first thing I did was to visit Rika where as Jiraiya searched for the strip bar or some shit like that. I, for one, didn't care where he went, and Rika already assumed where he went when Jiraiya wasn't there when I met up with her. It was amazing how quick she caught Jiraiya's lifestyle, but then again… it wasn't like I haven't ranted to her about my mentor.
"That night, Rika offered me dinner like every time I came back. However, I wanted it to be special. Instead of her cooking, in which her food tastes absolutely great, I decided to make something for her. She reacted like how you did, Hinata, when I agreed to tell you a story. And so, with Rika enthusiastic to the core, we happily walked back to our camping site as we anticipated a fabulous, private dinner. Although we returned to that town, Jiraiya and I thought it was wise not to stay in their motels unless it was mandatory. Rika understood our intentions, and she saw it as intelligence of some sort. Sometimes I really don't understand her…
"I prepared Chinese styled "hot-pot" with the best ingredients available, and that night we were anxious to have a good time. If we were truly alone that time… who knows… we might have lost ourselves in our wild, burning emotions and made love… but it didn't happen because Jiraiya actually came back for dinner. Rika and I were surprised, yet more shocked to see him completely fucked up from the day's activities in bars and strip clubs. He reeked of alcohol, but fortunately it was still not ridiculous or anything close to unbearable.
"'Jiraiya…' I said, 'What are you doing here at this hour?'
"'Can't a master come back to have dinner with his apprentice?' he questioned back, obviously still slightly drunk. Perhaps he was near intoxication when I think about it now. 'Ah, Rika, it has been a long while!'
"'Hello, Jiraiya-sama,' greeted my assistant chef friend, 'It's good to see you…' I knew she was doing it out of friendliness, for she knew what sort of terrible person he was.
"'Is that food? You got any for me? I am hungry, too…' I obviously did not desire his presence and was about to shoo him off. Rika, however, did not see my actions as morally right and invited him to stay although deep down she wanted to him to leave too. Long story short, Rika permitted him to stay. We didn't ask much of Jiraiya, we just wanted him to sit tight and wait until we were done preparing. Things are never as easy as we wished it to be though… not when he sat next to the tent in his drunk state. Remember, I said he was completely fucked up.
"I had been tired of sleeping in sleeping bags, and I still did at that time, but at least I wanted to have some shelter than to expose any of my skin to nature. And so, I bought myself a flashy green tent, and it was marvelous. I had been sleeping a lot better with it, and I am not kidding. Anyway, Jiraiya stationed himself near it, and he said that he needed more legroom.
"'Why don't I stretch up,' Jiraiya said, making himself comfortable as we continued to work hard to prepare. He then turned his body sideways and started grinding his dirty feet on my tent. I didn't even notice what happened until I heard my tent collapse due to irregular force.
"'What in the hell are you doing?' I yelled but to no avail when he was still at it by defiling my precious tent.
"'Fuck your tent, jackass!' he laughed and half-shouted with an intoxicated glee while he kept stomping on it in his sitting position. In another perspective, he seemed to be humping it. 'Buy another one, you rich mother-fucker! Fuck your tent, jackass! Fuck your tent!' My home was virtually a useless piece of neon green cloth by then, and yet he was still grinding it. All Rika and I knew was that this mother-fucker completely lost his mind. I had no idea what in the hell he was doing, but I wasn't going to let him start destroying the place I lived in. Rika and I had completely had it, we went up to him and dealt with it forcefully.
"Rika immediately pinned his arms while he was in his awkward position, and where as I was about to bust up his legs good. 'Naruto, Rika, what are you doing? Hey, hey!' And then I started smashing his legs with my stomping. Jiraiya struggled hard when I struck him, but he really loved to talk despite he was getting beat up, and then I switched from stomping to smashing with my fists. 'Aaaaugh! You jackass, son of a bitch, messenger of hell, you demonic evil mother-fucker, dumb jackass! Aaaugh… jackass… deadlast… (pant)… Delirious… mother-fucker…' And when I was finally done, 'You as cold as ice…'
"But Jiraiya… man, after taking a beating like that, even when he was weak and exhausted, 'Fuck your tent, jackass…'
"Rika and I looked at him for a moment, and she frowned a little when she found out I broke quite a bit of his leg bones, but nothing that serious. He legs… well it looked like helpless little wings. 'I got kicked out of better places than this!' Jiraiya exclaimed, filled with outrage although he had no idea what in the hell he was doing. He leaned down on his stomach, and made a tremendous effort to crawl out of the campsite back to town as he dragged his body and wimpy legs. That didn't mean that he didn't scorn us as he left as slow as a snail. 'I'll be back, you goddamn mother-fucker. Kami-sama knows you are all mother-fuckers… You say I didn't raise you properly! Don't you know any appreciation! You can never afford another tent! Look at what you did to my legs, Naruto!'
"Rika… Rika is a lot more compassionate than I am. As she watched Jiraiya crawling back onto the road to get to town, she sighed and came to me and said, 'Naruto… Jiraiya really needs help…' But I was like, 'Hey, we just gave him some help!' You really think that was the last time that Jiraiya does something fucked up? I wish, Hinata, I wish. But I really learned something though… just don't stay in places that Jiraiya knows about. Even so, that didn't stop him from being a dumbass."
"Wow…" Hinata moaned in my lap like a kitten, "That was some story… It was funny."
"You call that funny? I was accused to be a mother-fucker during the entire thing."
"It was just a drunk Jiraiya," she said, purring peacefully, "He doesn't really mean that. And besides, I don't think Naruto is a mother-fucker. You are not like that."
"Ah… thanks? How did you find it amusing though? To me, I found it funny because I actually beat him up after tolerating for so long… and the things that he said when I pounded his legs… Especially the delirious mother fucker… When I think about it now, it's a memorable memory."
"How so? Like you said, you were sworn at the entire time."
"It was one of the best times I had with Rika. I have to visit her sometime soon just to catch up on the old days."
"You never told me one thing," Hinata said suddenly out of the blue, but despite that I detected a slight change in her tone that resembled envy. "How did Rika look like? How old is she?"
"How does she look like?" I questioned, playing along with her curiosity, "Let's see now… Very long violet hair and with matching lovely eyes… a little bit taller than you… always smiled like you… She didn't blush as much… she had features that matched a peaceful dove coming down from the divine skies… she radiated a natural calmness type of aura around her… and when you look at her, you know that she is someone very easy to approach and love. Girls and guys liked her a lot from her friendliness, which was like yours. Rika is really talented too… her food is definitely best of the best."
"Is her cooking better than mine?" Hinata inquired, poking her fingers together timidly when she asked me this time.
"Rika is aiming to be a professional, Hinata. It's only reasonable that her skill in cooking surpasses yours in every way." I really regretted what I said, since Hinata seemed offended because I didn't take as much pleasure in her cooking compared to Rika's. Her cheeks began to pout, and her eyes watched me intently as if she wanted me to say something nice to comfort her. "Although your cooking might not be as good as hers, you are excellent as a shinobi. I don't know if you are an expert first-aid medic or not, but I am sure you would be great at it. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You are good at combat, and Rika's good at cooking and not fighting. Now that I've mentioned it… she seemed to excel at using a butcher knife…"
"See, she is better than me with weapons!"
"Don't tell me you are jealous over Rika now, Hinata…"
She immediately hugged me without my consent, which almost caused another shade of red to come across my face, "I'm sorry for being a jealous girl. I really love you, Naruto-kun… I don't want to lose you to anyone…"
"I know, Hinata, I know," I replied softly. My eyes widened a bit when I found her presenting something to me in the most endearing way possible. Nothing about her wasn't cute. I stared at the transparent plastic wrapped gift for a second before I gave up guessing what it could be. Where did she get that? It came out of nowhere. Forget how she got it, what was important was why she was giving it to me. "What's this?"
"Eat it," she said, smiling happily as she unwrapped it to reveal the attractive olive green colour with a swirl of cream in the center, "I made it this morning before we came here."
"Is this… a cake?"
"It's a slice of a swiss-roll… I didn't… know what flavour you liked… so I tried to make a green-tea one…I-I hope you don't mind…" Hinata was stumbling on words, and she did that whenever she was very nervous. She talked like that at first when we reunited, but she gradually got out of it when she hung around me for a month or so. At the same time, her shyness took control whenever she was exposed to new people. I found that out when she talked to Jiraiya.
"Green tea? That's complex for a first swiss-roll though. Why not try making a chocolate one first? It's more common."
"You don't look like a chocolate type person, Naruto-kun," she whispered, urging to push her gift into my mouth since I wasn't eating it, "Come, and try it." She was right; I wasn't a big fan of chocolate.
I kindly rejected it though. "I don't think I should indulge in a sweet tooth now, Hinata. Dinner is going to start soon and I would ruin my appetite." I watched her again… I couldn't deny the fact I felt an evil aura coming from in front of me.
"Eat it, now," she commanded with authority. To my surprise, her facial expression changed 180 degrees without warning. She became kind and lovely once more. Even her voice transformed! "Or do you want me to feed you?" I recoiled significantly as a result.
"No, no, no, no, there's no need for that!" I instantly snatched the sliced swiss-roll from her hand and brought it to my mouth. I hastily took a bite on it, not ever wanting to imagine that previous scenario where Hinata almost fed me as if I was her baby. In fact, I ate it so fast that I almost failed to know how her cake tasted like. Luckily, I slowed myself just in time to savour the last bit of flavour. Thank goodness I didn't choke.
Hinata observed me worriedly as I ate. Judging from that speed, I was identical to a crazed beast who hadn't feast for weeks or months. Or perhaps I ate her creation so quickly because it was so much more awful if I took my time. No matter what she was thinking of earlier, I was still safe and alive, and of course she anticipated my reply with utmost anxiousness. "Naruto-kun… how was it?"
Good question… how did it taste like? This was bad… I just swallowed down something that Hinata made just for me so hastily that I didn't manage to catch the taste. All I received was a sweet, unique aftertaste, but that was definitely not enough when it came to her question. Should I lie again? I really didn't want that.
"Ano… Ano… It… tasted… good…"
"Just good? It was just good?" Hinata didn't believe that my answer could be so plain. Disappointment reached her face fast. "It didn't taste… special?"
"Of course it was special, Hinata," I said, holding her by the shoulders as I hugged her lightly. "It was really good. You can be a shinobi, medic, and a baker if you wanted to. You have amazing talent."
"Honto-desuka (Really)?" Excitement returned in her voice, and that actually got my lips to curve into a grin. "Do you mean that, Naruto-kun?"
"Of course I do, Hinata. You are pretty amazing."
"I love you!" She took immediate control of the embrace and made it tremendously affectionate. I nearly lost my breath from the force, yet I was strong enough to get used to it. Seeing that no one was here, I decided to hug her back.
"Yeah, I know, Hinata, I know… Someday… I hope I will know how to love you…"
I wasn't sure of a lot of things, but I was dead certain with this discovery. My life truly seemed to have lightened after sharing that story with Hinata, like I lifted a heavy burden out of my soul at last. Maybe Tenten was right about love… Perhaps I could learn to love if I allowed it to flow through me. Sharing my grief with somebody was indeed better than keeping it all to myself… and today I knew I wanted this person to be Hinata and no one else.
Maybe I was falling in love with Hinata after all… Sure, it was slow, but the feeling was definitely there.
AN: Here is your action packed fluffy chapter. It was a lot tougher to come back to fluff after all that outrageous ranting of mine in the previous chapters… sometimes I really hate my ability to BS with style. Well, no matter, I just hoped you guys liked it. Hinata and Naruto, at least in my story, are destined to be in love, and I will make any attempt to make it yummy and touching. Thank you all for baring with me for so long, you have my thanks.
And yes, I am still a sarcastic bitch. Don't provoke that side if you don't have to.
Ja!