Simplicity is Complexity
Chapter 15: The Truth is Near
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, got it? Do you own it? If you do, you wouldn't be reading fictions. Go, make your money from those pathetic little kids who think this is a masterpiece, but in reality this piece of shit is light years from perfection!
AN: And so we have another long chapter. I never seem to know the limitations to bullshit, and I don't think I ever will. Before you guys start sueing me, I am going to start preparing myself to never to have a need to visit a courtroom ever again.
The song that Naruto sings to Hanabi in this chapter does not belong to me. "Kill the Dog Next Door" was written and created by the Canadian comedy band 'Arrogant Worms'. They are the geniuses, not me. For those who want a copy of that song, feel free to either email me or go download it yourself off goggle or other search engines. Anyway, with this stated, I hope that we don't need to meet another before a judge.
I would tell you guys my horrifically long delay, but I think most of you are smart enough to realize what kind of busy schedules I have. Instead of cursing and complaining about my slow updates, it would be very wise to just enjoy what you can. Come on, I am not even paid to write!
Happy readings, everyone.
(Naruto's Apartment; Time did not change from the ending of Chapter 14)
I was a man with the worst luck ever. Timing was never my friend, and sometimes I wondered why these minor, yet significant things always seemed to mess up my life in one way or another. The manner amongst the chaos bewildered me more with each encounter, and therefore, it tempted me to believe myself as a miracle worker –of misfortune. Needless to say, some of them had larger effects than others, and the one right now seemed to have a drastic impact. Why was it that I never got to see others suffer? Just when Rika was having a shower Hinata had to come over. She just had to didn't she! Out of every single hour in the day, this… unbelievably wretched woman selected this one! And worse of all, Rika had to call out to me and the new visitor just so happened to hear it due to the lack of space.
To a girl that was completely in love with me, hearing another girl's voice in his bathroom definitely was not the best thing to encounter –absolutely not when her motives were probably setting up the mood to do something intimate. It was a matter that should not be happening to begin with. I was supposed to be downright dedicated to Hinata only and other women were not permitted to be in such an intimacy when I was occupied. In truth, I was still a single man and technically I was allowed to do anything I want. However, in spite that fact, Hinata wanted me to believe otherwise. Whether Hinata took it well or not, I caught distinct anger
Just a bit, not a lot of rage or anything…
Okay, I lied. She was furious.
Being the clueless and idiotic was a rare role I played in. I certainly did not know how I could ever blend in to this disgraceful, insolent character, but I unearthed a new skill -and what a good job I was actually doing, too! Burn me in the deepest pits of hell! I hated this! If I picked one wrong thing to say, this conversation shifted to chaos. In my shinobi life, everything that had (whether limited, or some, or perhaps full) association with Hinata was a challenge that required every fiber in my body to work in order to overcome. This person surpassed all difficulties from the missions and tasks I had to face.
Was it necessary for me to endure this alone? I did not recall receiving a contract from Satan or God that said, "Your relations with Hinata must equivalent to the difficulties broken souls who are rotting in burning hell" I wanted friendship, not emotional turmoil. My life was my choice, it was democratic (I know I used this word terribly loosely) and it had its freedoms. Currently, I found it hard to differentiate it from slavery and manipulation.
Grey… a taint that matched my vision and emotions… some of my mornings I got so tired of everything that I should just slit my wrists so I could see some colour!
"So… yeah…" I said, shifting my eyes from Hinata and behind me repeatedly, which was the closet door.
Why must everything happen to me?
"Who was that, Naruto-kun?" questioned Hinata sternly as she took a step, having me retreat one step correspondingly. Actually, I had no room to fall back on. I was already at the wall.
"Hinata… She…"
"Naruto, can you bring in the liquid soap now? I really need it." Rika's needs still needed attention, but I could not break out of this cobweb of Hinata's regardless of the importance I had in hand. "Are you there, Naruto?"
"Yeah… I'll be there in a second!"
"I'll wash my hair first then,"
And the conversation ended in a hang with her singing lovingly to herself.
What a beautiful voice she had, too…
That statement alone sent unclean images to my head. As if remembering the time I helped Rika constantly masturbating was not enough, having to picture her generous body showering was one of the best gifts I could ask for. She would push her long hair back, slip out of her lingerie and toss it aside carelessly, turn on the shower and let the warm waters excite and comfort at the same time as she tenderly lather herself. What made it even better was that I could demand it out of her and not get slapped.
Heaven for the typical adolescent male, but not too many deserved to be blessed with that sweet load of kindness. Only I was allowed to feast my eyes on that body; it was a private privilege.
"Since she is taking her time," Hinata whispered in a declarative voice, just loud enough for me to hear, yet showed authority and power. "Care to tell me who she is? Why is she in your bathroom showering? You never gave me a chance to shower when I came by!"
"You didn't need one, if you recall," I retorted in a snap. "The last time you came over was to meet up with Jiraiya, and there's no reason for you to take a shower back there. If you ever needed one, well, it's not like I would not let you use it, right?"
In truth, I doubt I had a choice if that were to become a real issue.
"You never voluntarily invited me,"
Forget my wrists today. Slitting them resulted in a slow death, in which I did not desire. Speed was the key, and therefore, jamming a blade into my heart theoretically was the best choice available. Rush and Dash (one of Mizuki Nana's songs in the album SUPER GENERATION) was most suitable indeed. It served my purpose. This lady was driving me to a corner, and yet she still wanted to plow me into the wall. "Do I look insane to you? Why the damn hell would I do that out of the blue?"
"Well, you let her use it," she countered with haste. "Why not me?"
"Unlike you, she happened to need one after her trip, Hinata, and not without legitimate reasons. You can't expect me to go, 'Your problem, your loss, loser' right? I care about… her… hygiene… to an extent…"
The Hyuuga hime became impatient, and made obvious signs of it. "Who is she, Naruto-kun? Just tell me. I promise that I won't get mad."
"What sort of position do you have to even declare whether you should be mad or not?" I provoked, pushing myself away from the wall. Just when I thought I had the situation back in control, Hinata pinned me back to the door aggressively. She wasn't rough, but she made sure who was in power –and she told me silently that it was definitely not I.
It was always about her, wasn't it? She sure seemed pleased with her achievements.
"Why are you hesitating? What is so special about this girl that you want to hide from me? You do know the moment she comes out it would be inevitable for you not to introduce her to me. I intend to stay here and find out who she is and there isn't anything you can do to stop me."
"Oh, really? Is that so? I am sorry, but I am deeply afraid that there is. Get out. You're not welcomed in this place at this very second."
I wished that I never stepped over that line. The once lovable cute Hinata suddenly transformed into a vicious creature with jeopardy written all over her expression. If I was going to be mean to her, then I received a great opportunity to taste hell to the most excruciating scale.
"What did you say?" Hinata's tone viciously changed. For a minute there, I believed that her eyes turned red again. Nevertheless I had seen them shift before, it was something I could not get used to regardless of the number of times I see it. "How could you say that to me? After cleaning your place for so long, I practically have living rights to live here. The property contract has my name on it now, and I have every right to stay, and so I am staying. End of story."
As scared as I was, I could not afford to show inferiority. "End of story my ass! How dare you add your name in my apartment contract?" I yelled loudly, breaking out of her hold forcefully. "That stuff is private! You need my consent in order to have your signature on it. How dare you invade my private life like that? Who gave you permission? I certainly have no memory of such absurdity."
"How dare I? How dare I? Hokage-sama allowed me to sign it. That's the only way I can have the keys to clean this place. Believe me, Naruto-kun, this is officially my second home under political laws. There is nothing that you can do to kick me out."
I immediately grabbed her collar –hard. I did not care if my strength ripped her blouse; I was furious. Sure, if it did break that would be really nice on my part. From the back of my head, I somehow had an intuition that Hinata would not mind at all if I raped her. As long as she had all the orgasms she yearned for, she could not ever consider my brutality as rape or harassment. A blessing, I predicted her to refer it as. I had such good faith in her. Although I had no intention to break her clothes, my initial force accidentally popped her first button apart before that flimsy thread that held it together snapped off.
Great, now her clothing was breaking… and she showed no resistance. That was my only concern.
"You… you… You!"
"Naruto-kun…"
"Get out. Now!"
"It's illegal to kick me out." The Hyuuga girl stated, sensing victory.
"I don't need you to be in my life like this, Hinata,"
"I took the initiative to help you when you weren't even back yet," she argued, holding me again by the hands to prevent me from Flash Warping. She was so subtle at it, too. "I was thinking for your sake, not mine. All I wanted to do was to have this place in tact so you wouldn't live in a slum. Don't you at least understand that?"
If she thought that weak reasoning could move me, think again. This girl was going too far. "I can live on my own, Miss Hyuuga. If you think I appreciate your motherly care, well, no, I can't possibly accept that. I don't need a disease to be around me 24/7."
"You don't understand me!"
"I think I understand you too well, Hinata," I interjected, harshly. "I know you love me and all, and I know your intentions perfectly well. Instead of making me look like a useless freak, who cannot seem to find a way to live without a woman, I think it's best for the two of us if you leave me alone!"
Her feelings seemed to be hurt. A frown reached across her lips as my words sunk in. She then turned away from me, as if she was ashamed. I took this opportunity to take a look at my hand, and my eyes widened noticeably when I saw where it rested. Even if I wasn't holding her breasts or anywhere forbidden (but I was just slightly above it) I was equally guilty if my strength ripped her clothes despite if all I did was break a button. Because of it, her heavenly cleavage was generously offered within my sight range.
I almost had a heart attack the moment I had a one-second-scan chance. Hinata's mounds… they were perfectly shaped, ideally sized… and in addition, they were large on her petite frame. This was actually the first time I have seen the flesh on her breasts, and it drew me in deeper than any other girl's pair of twins! The only exception was Rika though. Now that I actually have a moment to think about it, every crisis seemed to have Rika and Hinata clashing against another. Sure, Rika never seemed to be in the picture a week before, but ever since I shared that 'Tent' story with Hinata I had been thinking a lot about my lovable friend.
"You're not grateful… you only take things for granted…" she sobbed, wiping away genuine tears of disappointment and sadness. Whether she loved me or not, Hinata was still a delicate girl. She was strong and… stubborn…and yet there was an evidently frail side she tried to conceal using the best way her nature yielded her. When situations like these fell upon me, I always found myself dealing with the real Hinata.
"Damn it all…" I cursed, "I am grateful! Don't ever accuse me to be a bloodsucker! But what the hell do I need to do to get rid of you? Tell me!"
Hinata grinned back with mock-cruelty, and her sadness banished and replaced with a touch of playfulness. Was she acting just now? Did I fall into her binding -again? No, she was manipulating my anger. The more furious I grew, the better the situation became for her, since she knew her skills played a critical role to win my heart over. Her love was the medicine I needed to heal my pain, and she was doing everything to show me that I could take as much as I want. It was just there for the grabbing, but I must take the initiative to take the first step. However, in spite of that, I knew better. Just accepting Hinata's love meant eternal dedication, and the Hyuuga girl would never let me go once I was in her embrace –knowing her, I meant. "It's impossible to get rid of me."
"Why?" I hopelessly asked.
"It's your fault."
I recoiled as if something had bit me. "My fault? What do you mean?"
"It's your fault that I am in love," she stated softly as she started to take my hand to play with it. Her hands were so warm compared to my frozen cold ones. A good balance it was… shockingly enough. Was it me, or did she figure out more effective ways to seduce guys using touches? This was not good. Still, Hinata might not have realized her developments, but as long as I had knowledge of it I was in deep trouble. The negligence would only go so far, and Hinata would obviously advance with sufficient grace that ended with beneficial outcomes to her favour before I had a chance to retaliate.
Being her victim was not excusable.
"No, it's not," I objected, but silenced once she placed a finger on my lips. That would have been okay, but she snuck that finger into my mouth to have a taste, like she was trying to tease me. I didn't need that… yet I sensed some disappointment in myself when Hinata pulled her hand away. As if she did not know her manipulation levels! I knew deliberation when I see it. From what I saw, not a single thing contained purity of any kind.
"Oh, yes it is, Naruto-kun, you made me love you."
"I did nothing…" I groaned back, full of exasperation. How I begged her to just give up and move on…
"You did a lot for me,"
"Okay, I don't care anymore. Tell me, what do I have to do to get rid of you? How about I give you an additional fifty-five thousand yen in your monthly salary?"
She laughed out an amused laugh, as though my words were excellent pieces of entertainment. "Make that fifty-billion and I'll consider it –not a penny less. That's how much it'll take to get rid of me."
Fifty billion yen, was it? I smiled at that thought. That could be easily arranged…
I slipped my hand into one of my back pouch before taking out a small notebook. That was no normal book though. My financial abilities all came from this precious book. Lacking this possession left me vulnerable and insecure. Luckily Hinata didn't share this info. "You want that in cheque?" I asked, writing down the number of yen that required in order to claim my freedom back. The Hyuuga girl responded with expanded eyes; never would she have expected me to be able to summon up such a large sum from an average, middle-class man.
She refused to give in just yet. It suited her incredibly stubborn attributes. "N-N-N-N-No…"
"No?" I had such a conniving grin when I said that.
"I want fifty trillion!" Obviously, anyone would have found out that she had no desire for the money all along. She just wanted me to fold.
Her efforts were proven futile when I continued writing. My actions drew the line where her hopes were slain. Hinata nearly screamed in horror once I was done. Still, I believed that I had done enough teasing. From the very start I figured out her intentions, and money was never a concern. Of course, I could have continued my little scheme, but her tears stopped me again. I could not stand to see her cry. "I'm kidding, as if I have that kind of money…"
"You scared me, Naruto-kun,"
"For what? It's not like I had the money, right?"
"Your face was so convincing though…" she said, relieved.
"It was fun teasing you. Are you hurt, Hinata?" I noticed her damaged blouse, and I prayed that my curiosity would not lure me to look at her cleavage again. Somehow, there was a chance that Hinata might use her physical beauty against me later… Why did I act so rashly?
"Nope!" the Hyuuga hime chimed back, sadness no doubt forgotten and renewed with delight. "When you are in love you can't be insulted by the person you love so very much. You can't do anything to them, because they are so light –you can toss them off the Hokage's monument and they would simply float back to the ground safe and sound."
Wasn't she in high spirits… I wished that I shared a fraction of her endless optimism so I saw things her way. What was I saying? I wanted none of it.
"I don't think I understand your views of love,"
"I know a lot about it."
"You just think that. I don't want to talk about it,"
"Oh, really?" she defied, smiling as optimistically as ever. Now with an opened cleavage, it gave people more of a reason to look at her. "For someone who doesn't know how to love, like you said yourself to be, shouldn't you try not to run away from it?"
"Hinata…" I grunted without any energy to be angry. My rage melted, actually, under her touch. Her fingers were getting exceptionally good at soothing people's nerves… And I didn't like the quick progress.
"Fine, I won't force you to do anything that you won't want. But still, are you going to tell me who's in your bathroom?"
Her anger did cease away calmly, and I didn't fear for my life like before either. Instead of seeing a torture chamber with my imaginative eyes, it returned to a familiar hallway in my dinky home. I chose to take my chances despite it might be a mistake. Well, no one said decision making was a safe thing to comprehend. "It's my friend, Hinata," I said, at last, carefully pondering if I was making a very dumb choice by lowering my defenses, in which Hinata always tried to do at every opportunity.
"Who?" she questioned me with curiosity, obviously trying to have her way with me.
"I think you may know her…"
"I do?"
"I've mentioned her before, yes,"
A spark of realization struck her quickly. Almost immediately, she brightened. "I know, I know!" Hinata exclaimed like a child, who happened to have been asked a question with candy as a reward if she got it correct. "It's Rika, isn't it?"
I looked at her, but didn't say anything at first. I had a tiring look when her face remained unchanged –cute as ever. Under these circumstances, Hinata preferred to talk than to deal with dead silence. If I was in no mood to talk, then she would make me do it with non-forceful methods. Undoubtedly, she used her timid nature as primary artillery. Or in the worst case scenario, some force wouldn't hurt. Suffice to say, that was usually the point where my panicky side kicked into gear at full capacity.
As the situation seemed to calm down, Hinata no longer did she keep her hands to herself, and she found no means to do that when they could be around my body fashionably to increase my arousal.
I was not easily aroused, yes, but my defenses always deteriorated miserably in front of her. There was only so much I could withstand. Hinata was good; too good.
"…" Bad time for my mouth to suffer from a speech impair. I wondered if my living body had the same problems as this undead one, or was it a psychological issue… Pondering about it now couldn't possibly be any good for my sake. If I searched for solutions ahead of time, maybe, just maybe I would not be having a minor crisis.
"Oh, come on, you can tell me,"
I finally gave in, seeing that there was no sense in keeping it a secret anymore. "Yes, it's Rika."
"Why is she here then?" Hinata seemed to become more understanding than filling up with raw jealousy. Despite that, that didn't mean she was totally thrilled with a woman beside herself in this household. If I was correct in my witty judgement and accusations, Hinata wanted me to see her as first priority. All women desired that, as far as I knew, and Hinata just happened to be no exception from the rest.
"She found out about my injury, and she got worried –like you,"
"She appears to be a good friend," she sounded half-impressed, or rather half disgusted that she was complimenting Rika.
"No one wants to be a bad friend, right?" I questioned her back, although I was trying to answer her instead, "Just like how you… you… well, you…"
"I what, Naruto-kun?" she watched me admiringly, as if she expected a lovable response.
I dug my own grave on that one. I had to admit… even with this new persona of mine, I was sometimes quite a moron. Well, no one ever thought themselves to be 'good' enough. Hinata didn't, Neji didn't, and Sasuke didn't also. In fact, I didn't think I could dare myself to call myself good enough at all. I was weak, frail, and delicate under women like Hinata. I wish I was better at dealing with things like those, but nobody was perfect and that was just a natural way of life.
In that spirit, I detested the trials of being alive.
From the realms of metaphysics, those who believed that they were the greatest were most useless ones in existence. In addition, what people see in me might not necessarily represent the real me. I hated to be weak, but sometimes I did not even know myself well enough to become better. That enhanced my failure further.
Just in case Hinata had other plans up her sleeve, I wisely changed the subject… somewhat. "Um… nothing… Just be friendly to Rika, okay? I don't want her to feel not welcomed whatsoever. I am sure that you know what I mean." Hinata was not buying it. "Come on, you will like her."
She looked away for a moment, a pout not ever leaving her face. I wonder what was wrong. Was it something I said? "I don't know…"
I chuckled. No, actually, I fought back a laugh. However, I leaned forward closely, in fact, so near that I kissed her. But I was in control, and I couldn't do something as undignifying as to steal a kiss or two for a cheap satisfaction. She blushed, as expected, when I was so close. She was so darn cute at it, too. So I poked her cheek, for the sake of it; and her crimson shade only spread wider and more noticeable. I grinned at my handiwork, but Hinata wasn't as thrilled when she found herself as the victim. Sure, she wanted to fight back to regain more ground, but unfortunately for her I wasn't going to let her do that anytime today.
I had been the prey for too long now, and a cunning assassin like me had to take a chance for a strike back. The moment was upon me; and I expected to destroy anyone that stood in my way. As soon as she tried to regain some ground on this fight, I kissed her on the forehead. As I pulled back after that one second peck, I realized that she almost fainted from excitement and incredible delight.
Seems to me that I won the battle today, but I reminded myself that the war was far from over. I was a happy camper nonetheless. At least I found out that I still had some spirit left within me. Defeat was an outcome that the two of us had an equal chance of getting, and I would do anything to prevent that result from passing onto me.
Just before Hinata fell, I caught her by the waist to prevent her unconscious body from taking serious damage. Mission… accomplished. Right after I caught the Hyuuga hime, the bathroom door opened gracefully. Steam rushed out like a fog, hiding a beautiful figure from within. As she finally walked out from her hiding, I was in absolute paradise when the fog revealed a fully refreshed Sawada Rika. The steam seemed to formidably form a pleasant (and physical) aura around her, as if it was praising her sexiness in every possible way. I didn't catch that I was staring until Rika giggled with a blush.
Even if she was fully dressed, having her coming out of the washroom extended her arcane beauty. Thank goodness Hinata fainted. If she saw me watching lustfully, the coffin I ordered just last week would finally be of some good use. Not like I wasn't going to use it –that was my bed- but it was a shame that my first try with my coffin was going to be my last. This image brought tears to my eyes.
"I see that you're done," I called out to Rika, smirking a little to embarrass her a little more. "You found the extra soap? Where was it?"
"Under the sink cupboard," Rika replied happily. There were a few moments of her being discontent before, but I wish not to have my eyes ever having a need to see that face. Drastic measures were in order when that happened. "Someone has been quite organized." Then she saw a body in my arms, which I did not have before she came into this apartment. No doubt she grew interested quickly. She came to me in jogging speed before leering closely to see who it could be that fainted. Oh, come on now… it was only an unconscious girl. I have seen dead corpses, so what was the big deal? "Oooo… what a cute girl!"
Surely, that was not the most natural reaction. But this was Rika, and she was beyond ordinary.
"It's not polite to stare, right?" I questioned her knowingly. Her answer was to laugh, but still paid close attention to Hinata's cute visage regardless of my pleas.
"But she is so cute," praised my goodhearted friend, admiring Hinata's features. "And why is she unconscious?"
"Because," I said, blankly, "She's shy."
"Her blouse is ripped. Did you do that?"
Rika had to say that so proudly, too… Today wasn't my day.
"It was an accident…" She pushed her long hair back before giving me a knowing smile when I said that. No doubt she had her own sense of mistrust. Not even I would have believed myself.
"Timid, gorgeous, and adorable… that's a good combination."
I carried Hinata in a bridal style so I wouldn't be dragging her around with her feet touching the floor. She was the Hyuuga heiress, and therefore my moral conscience told me not to treat her like a mere commoner and carry her like an nobility. Regret flooded through my eyes as a realization washed over me. I was holding her a little… too closely, intimately even.
What a blessing from Kami-sama it was to have her not conscious… And I was blushing… Out of what reason? No one made me blush… Blushing was something I did under my free will. I would only blush if I command myself to do it.
"What are you trying to say, Rika?" I grumbled, giving her a bored look as she watched Hinata some more –more or less her breasts and other curves. Rika had talents of becoming a doctor, since her curiosity on the human body was incredibly high. Unfortunately for her potential career, it was an impossibly when she only had interest in… down there… and what made it feel good… Wait, was Rika trying to become an apprentice under my wing?
"You two make a lovely couple!"
My eye twitched ever so relentlessly. Wasn't she supposed to be on my side? I could use the support, but it looked like I lost it before I even realized it. Rika seemed to find much amusement out of this. Well, too much for my liking…
Who was I kidding? Anyone would!
"Don't say such things, Rika," I said, lifting the unconscious Hyuuga princess to have a better hold. "Looks like I can't fix you anything now. I have to take Hinata home."
Her face fell instantly knowing she would remain in starvation longer than anticipated. "But I am hungry!" she whined as she made a puppy look. In addition, she held her stomach like a child. It was all due to her extravagant beauty that made it look acceptable while doing that. If I acted this childish, who knew what could have happened to me? Get stoned? Have dirt kicked at me? People's respect may vanish? Sometimes it must be great to be a woman… not during their periods, I meant.
"I'll get you something to eat later, my treat. I don't want to just leave an unconscious girl unattended as we stuff ourselves with food."
She smiled out of good nature in return. I hated that cheerfulness sometimes, since it did not suit with my mood. I was a cunning man with a rare negative attitude –and I liked things that way. I gave bore looks or even glares when I was in a poor mood, which was often. "You love her, don't you?"
This love thing was starting to get on my nerves. "No."
"You lie. You are such a bad liar."
"In any case, I am taking her home," I stated, in spite her words. I gave the impression that her statements had no affect, but that was far from true. At this moment, my conscience and lust were engaging a full-scale war once again with no end in sight. "You might as well come along. I don't want to leave you all alone either. Hinata wouldn't mind, I think… Well, I don't need to put her opinion in this case. Just come, it'll be okay."
Without any further complaints, Rika followed my lead despite that we had an entire evening planned. Did she appear the slightest bit disappointed? I didn't think so; at least I didn't believe she was. Rika was always smiling, and she wouldn't be if her feelings weren't genuine. It was so hard to meet sincere people these days, as many brokenhearted men told me in their intoxication from depression, and yet here I was finding kind women like intent was behind it; as though this was all a major conspiracy. In all due respect, it was all a coincidence, and I suppose it was also a coincidence that all the girls had feelings for me.
A blessing or a curse… I no longer knew… But somewhere at the back of my head told me this was a hassle and a pain in the ass. And I couldn't agree more.
(Later, on the streets of the town)
Rika had an old nature of mine -endless determination. I hated myself more and more each time I think of those times where I used that type of stupidity to get my way. Persistence got me nowhere. Just because I did the same thing (pranks) over and over again did not mean I was going to be recognized or acknowledged. Even if I continued trying to sell myself off to the people of Konoha, it did not mean I could sway their thinking. Sure, it did bare its fruits –I became a social outcast and a moron!
"She loves you, Naruto. I can tell."
I thought this topic would simply end after I left the apartment. Were my feelings that interesting to examine? A better subject would be for her to tell me what was the best way to make Rika reach her orgasm. What could I do to make her real soaked and drenched? I felt better talking about that, since I was going for a record.
"What brought this on?" I gave a queer stare after my inquiry. Rika was usually an orderly person. During conversations, she often (subtly, of course) gave hints on her discussion topics so the opposition would have some time to think of some subject matter. She definitely caught me off guard this time.
"No reason," she answered, "It's just that I can't help but to notice that you love that girl."
There wasn't a speck of humour or trickery in her voice. Rika, knowing her, always wanted to spend every second she could with me. Once she almost clawed a third member party to death because he was not only drunk but also fucked up beyond all recognition. So, what was with this lenience? Wasn't she at least upset that there is another girl in the picture?
What the hell was she saying anyway? I didn't get it. She made an effort to come here as a good friend, and therefore, I hereby declare that all the time should be given to her and not Hinata. Who knew when I was going to see Rika again? Logically speaking, I should not be occupying my time on others when Rika's staying time was short and valuable. Our next meeting may take place in a year, or three years. Who knew? I dreaded as each hour came by, since Rika's leave would only be nearer and nearer. I wanted to tell Hinata that fact directly, but knowing her temper and jealousy rates I was better off playing the indirect route. Hinata liked to take things softly, tenderly, and slowly. Major side effects would appear if things went too quick.
"I don't love her…" I argued with hesitance.
"I always felt that you are missing something in your life, Naruto, and I think you should find it than ignore it. You need love, and I really do think that this girl is the one for you. She can bring out the love in you like no woman could. She is clearly more important than someone who is just a friend."
"No, not you, too…" I muttered in defeat, in which started up a motivation to kill myself again, "Why is the world against me?"
"You are just not accepting the fact that you love that woman as well," Rika kindly elaborated, "You are running away from your problems. I don't understand, Naruto, why don't you just admit that you love her? She is completely in love with you, and she isn't someone unlovable, right? If I was a guy, I would take her at first sight."
"Don't you sound like an animal…"
"I apologize for being a woman who has womanly feelings,"
"I didn't say that you shouldn't have those emotions harboured, it's not a sin or anything. You are a human after all."
In a swift turn of events, I found myself in front of the grinning violet haired girl, who, as a matter of fact, had a very wolfish grin on her face before she moved her lips to my ear and licked it. Was her casualness she had earlier all feigned? We had another good actor. I grew nervous, since I was about to loosen my grip on Hinata who was on my back. How I begged her to stop, but nothing came out except a small laugh showing I enjoyed Rika's affection. Still, I was disgusted at the fact how I loved this side of hers. "And as a woman," she said seductively and kissing my nose at the same time, "I want your touch. I have waited for so long, so please don't keep me waiting."
I grinned back despite myself. "You are such a naughty girl. No wonder why I love you."
"You love me?"
"Maybe that word creates too much of an impact," I reconsidered, "Let's just say I really care about you."
"I know you do. And do you care about Hinata-san?"
"Of course,"
"What is the difference between her and I then?"
What was Rika getting at? The conversation suddenly became so serious without me actually catching on until it was too late. Was she trying to persuade me? "What difference?"
"You love that girl, Naruto," she reminded me again, in which I could have appreciated other comments than this. "I have never seen you so nervous around anyone else. When it comes to girls, you act sarcastic, direct, mean (and I mean very rude) crabby, satirical, dark, morbid, offensive, or to very special individuals you would be kind and loving. Really now, when were you ever nervous like a schoolgirl who just saw her first crush? This woman is clearly special to you, and so why can't you just admit it and be kind and loving like you were to me?"
Rika was like Hinata in many ways –too similar, rather. But Rika knew a great deal more than Hinata. Both women saw right past my fortress of lies and deceit. My shield and armour crumbled as they attacked, it was revolting and pathetic to witness my own display of fragility. No matter what magnificent art I brought forth to hide my genuine feelings, and although they never fully grasped what it were they surely broke it down to a dangerous extent. My real self was not a luxury to spread around. Hell, I didn't want anyone trying to understand. I had too many lies. I was a half-demon; this was public knowledge. My master was my libido carrier and could make love to me whenever she wished; Hinata didn't know that. What else did Hinata not know? For starters, I was the world-class level artisan in performing masturbation for other women; I died once already and revived as an undead with not too many years to live unless I keep killing to sustain my current body; I touched many women besides Hinata (Rika, Anthris); a druggie… and the list could go on for ages.
"I can't…"
"And why not?"
"She won't accept me for who I am! I am a monster… A curse that should not even be alive!"
"Just because that fox demon is inside you? You are who you are, Naruto. Anthris-sama's presence in your body should not be an issue. Even you yourself said so! You profoundly declared that Anthris-sama is Antrhis-sama, and you are you. You said that the world would be such a better place if people would understand you, that they would know how to differentiate you between Anthris-sama."
"I did say that… but the problem does not lie with Anthris, Rika, the problem is me! I don't care about my demon heritage. People could go fuck themselves if they still find that to be a problem. But my lies… what can I do about my lies? No, how can I tell Hinata about my true self? Like you said, Rika, she is in love with me. She wants to marry me. She is willing to give up her virginity to me and permits me to do anything with her. I am fully aware of it, and in exchange… she wants to know everything about me. Love becomes an extravagance that I cannot afford."
Rika exhaled and inhaled again. She detached herself off of me, but left her arms around my waist. "Why don't you just tell her the truth?"
"She can't handle the truth,"
My friend was supportive right to the bitter end. Rika was clearly a person like none other. If a guy was before me instead of Rika, he probably might say, "Just do it" and then leave me to deal with the rest. Talking to guys had no meaning to it, seriously. We just talked shit all the time such as how many girls each of us had fucked; who could drink the most amount of beers; or perhaps who had pissed off Tsunade the most without getting punched. Like I said, we only talked about shit –we never really did any of those things, we never kept track. The main objective of it all was to see which one of us was the best liar. When it came to relationship related dilemmas, I couldn't relate to those guy-to-guy subjects because they didn't help the slightest bit. Inflation was when my girlfriend asked for a pair of shoes and ended up with a totally new outfit. And if I dared to use knowledge I gained from men… well at first I was only going to get slapped from the girl, but in the end I received a beating.
"Yes, she can," Rika persisted positively, "Hinata-san seems like a very kindhearted person. I am sure she will see it through."
"Don't overestimate Hinata, Rika. You have never seen her jealous."
"I'm a jealous girl, too, so what are you saying? Nevertheless, you have to tell her anyway,"
"How can I tell her? It's a lot easier said than done."
"What happened to the never giving up Uzumaki Naruto-chan?"
"I told him to drop dead,"
"Don't you love her? If you do, then you must tell her!"
I knew it came to this eventually. Regardless of the subject, I always told Rika everything in the end. Of course I could have easily kept it to myself and carried the burden alone, but Rika taught me otherwise. Why made her a good friend was not due to her looks and talents, but her dedication and willingness to share my troubles. That was the reason why I 'loved' her, and I could never ask for a better person. She was right on one thing; I did feel better after telling someone. I have tried to endure everything on my own when I was young, and that resulted in many attempts to commit suicide. I was not insane enough to be sent to the asylum, and yet I was not sane enough to live in society. I first discovered my endless persistence to reach death problem in Uritake, and Jiraiya begged Rika, who was the only person who seemed to be worried about me in spite the fact that I was only a mere customer at her restaurant, to befriend with me. I was surprised that anyone would be interested in a suicidal maniac.
And we have been friends, almost lovers, up to this day.
"Don't escape my question, Naruto," said Rika, "Why can't you tell her?"
"Talk about it later," I replied back, giving Hinata a push upward so I could futilely reduce the stress from carrying her for a millisecond before she drop back down, and thus giving more strain than before. I really needed to stop doing that –especially when it did absolutely no good.
"Why?"
"We are at the Hyuuga estate," I told her, pointing forward at the luxurious mansion less than a block away. There was no use trying to hide it, Rika was bewildered at the size and glory of a noble household. I, on the other hand, could have cared less. I could predict some time in the near future the currently still conscious girl would ramble on about this great experience in examining such excellency with her own two eyes. I dreaded those hours of torment. "When we are in Konoha, it's wise not to talk about my hated heritage. I might as well give you a small background of our most reinforced laws. I may not be the best politician around, but I do believe that one of our regulations involves us to never speak of Anthris. Or was it never show open hatred for Anthris or myself? Ack, I don't remember exactly. But just on the safe side, don't talk about Anthris unless you and I are alone."
She nodded in understanding. At least there was someone who bothered to listen to me. "But I am allowed to talk about your love problems, right?"
"One more stunt like that and I will definitely sleep alone tonight," I gave a mock-threat, but Rika took it seriously. Wow, she showed quite the desperation to be touched.
"I'll shut up," she hurriedly said apologetically.
"No, I am not annoyed by your questions," I said, knowing that she misunderstood me, "I don't want any Hyuuga members to start thinking that a demon has interest in their heiress. I mean, what they may first hear is 'The demon is friends with Hinata-sama' but when rumours spread like a foul plague the result may be 'The demon wants to fuck the heiress'. You see what I mean?"
I almost glared with disbelief when she laughed out loud. "I don't think Hinata-san would mind if you… well, you know… deal with her. I wouldn't either."
"Okay, that's it… You want me to bring on the big threats? Fine, I will gladly raise the stakes. You say one more thing about me and Hinata doing it, you can be sure that you will be wearing dry lingerie. It will be as dry as a desert. I'll tie you up so you won't be able to wet yourself. You got me?"
She shook her head with a sigh, as if she was showing disappointment in my threat. "If you do that, I would get more wet. That won't work. Remember, Naruto, tying me up arouses me –a lot. If you won't touch me, then I just have to touch myself. It won't be as good as your fingers, but I guess it just has to do."
If my hands were free… how nice was it to hug someone… around the neck… with my hands… "You revolting, sex-craving-"
"No," she countered victoriously, "I am just a woman with very womanly feelings."
"You…"
"Let's not talk about it. We are at noble grounds."
"Shit…"
Now and then, when I thought about the conversations people these days had it always contained materials focussed on sex. Sex talk was everywhere from the shinobi academy to Ichikaru Ramen. There wasn't a corner in Konoha that I knew of that proved to have no relevance to sex. From history, I was told that people never dared to discuss about sexuality in public, but now, however, it was the biggest news around that encouraged discussion. Similarly, people back then had great restrictions and rules about giving away their virginity, and yet now those beliefs were reduced to blasphemy and ancient history that required artisan archeologists to dig out in order to be reminded that such traditions once existed!
Hypocrisy became my primary method to survive. As long as this undead body drew air, I was living a life of trickery and insincerity; just the way I like it, too.
"Is she too heavy for you?" Rika teased, noticing my panting.
Great speed in exchange for strength… no doubt I had a weak body. Hinata was not heavy, but after a short distance with her on my back, I was gradually making my fatigue obvious. "No…" I lied, my hand involuntarily roamed around her thigh and rear to look for a good spot to rest on. There were plenty of places that I should not have touched but I did anyway. Hopefully, Hinata did not mind. "She has a very good rear, Rika. So soft… and good sized…"
Rika grinned naughtily, recognizing my artisan façade had been revived. "Does she? I thought she did. Have you seen it without the pants?"
"Not yet," I said back, "Never found the opportunity to do that."
"What a shame," Rika said, looking a little saddened. "But you do know what kind of panties she wears, right? Do you know her collection?"
"Hinata is not as bold as you are, Rika. She never invited me to her place and gave me permission to look freely in her drawers… but I may sooner or later."
"So you don't know… But care to guess?"
"To my knowledge, don't let this girl's looks fool you. Cute and conservative may be her exterior, but her interior has emotions that can put Icha Icha Paradise to shame. She may be wearing the most slutty underwear right now. Who knows, right?"
Rika grinned wickedly as she rested her fingers at the back of Hinata's casual looking pants than her shinobi ones. I gasped at her actions, but not out of surprise though. I was growing excited. "Want to have a sneak peek?"
"Where's the fun if I do it when she's unconscious? This girl wants to see me interested in her body, and she can't do it when she's asleep. If she wants me to pay attention to her so bad… well… there is a lot I can do to show my curiosity."
"You're going to have so much fun when you 'work' on her," and she wisely left that hanging.
"Maybe I will, Rika, maybe I will."
Boy with a fully corrupted mind, and a girl having no modesty over her lustful feelings… it was no surprise that we made a stupendous pair.
(Unnecessary Interchange. Go take a break or something before you continue)
At first I was arguing whether I should bring the heiress back to her compound or nurse her back to health and she could come back herself. If this was Sakura, I would not have minded. Not like I favoured Sakura over Hinata, or the other way around, but approaching Sakura's home was definitely easier compared to the prestigious, well respected, honourable, and high-status Hyuuga estate. Merely having that image in my mind caused me to groan. Just imagine the procedures I required to go through! My first assumption contained nothing but difficulty and other activities that were a pain in the ass.
Or so I thought.
Before I knew it, Rika and I were already within areas that belonged to the Hyuugas. I, at least, did not expect to be setting foot here so soon after one small conversation with the guards.
Surely the guards recognized Hinata immediately in spite that she was sleeping, but they seemed to be very lenient after I told them the reason of Hinata's unconsciousness. At first, they accused me of being responsible, in which I was, but as soon as I told them that I kissed little Hinata on the forehead, they nodded in complete understanding. Their suspicions were as good as… well, as if it never existed to begin with.
Hell, I swore that they were laughing amongst themselves after hearing my justification.
Without having second thoughts or resistance, they allowed us to enter the noble stronghold with great faith in us. I stole a peek over at Rika, and somehow I wasn't surprised to see her face plastering with some confusion. Rika was sharp, and she figured that Hinata came from an nobility compared to us, and it was shocking to see such a great lack of security.
One thing was for certain; I showed evident happiness when I did not need to deal with troublesome matters such as 'entrance treaties' or 'Proof of Entry' or something like that. I had no memory of visiting this place, but as I scanned over each corner of the estate's gardens it granted me a sense of tranquility that I rarely found despite how many places I have visited. Love at first sight never seemed to be a valid philosophy, but in terms of a location, that statement sounded ever so correct and legitimate.
For once, a philosophical statement I heard actually applied somewhere in my life. I haven't encountered agreements for quite some time now, and I thought my luck had run out.
I felt the girl on my back tighten her grip on my shoulders as she mumbled something pleasant in her sleep. That made my heart melt, and Rika smiled understandingly when she recognized an uncommon grin forming around my lips.
"You do love her, Naruto," she commented.
"You speak of absurdity," I replied, vanquishing the previous memory I had and focused on walking instead. "How could I do something like that?"
"Because you are you,"
"I wouldn't waste any more of my words on a baka, I feel like I am using them for nothing,"
"And yet you are going to help this baka feel like a woman again."
"One more foolish comment and I may reconsider,"
"You're mean!"
I snickered, but it didn't last long as the front slide door suddenly opened hurriedly. From my personal experience, yanking slide doors at a considerable speed was never a good sign. I acknowledged the person was Hanabi, but clearly she failed to capture who her visitors were when her eyes were cast down at an angle. She appeared to be upset for some reason.
"The Hyuugas are not expecting any visitors today," came her rude, mature, stoic, filled with anger tone. "State your presence or leave."
Her negativity was very evident.
Instead of behaving rashly, I chose a different approach. "Hanabi, how are you?" I greeted, as positive as ever.
She caught my voice immediately before raising her head. She was delighted to see me along with Rika, and her prior sadness was completely forgotten when she saw my smile. At the same time, that maturity of hers disappeared altogether and replaced with the child like attitude she always had when she was with me. Shouldn't I feel special? Perhaps I did take some pleasure in it.
Since this was Rika's first time meeting this adorable little Hyuuga girl, she was definitely taken aback at the swiftness of her attitude shift. Only understandable, I supposed. In fact, surprise took over me, too, when Hanabi's eyes filled up with tears. And not long after that, she ran to me before crying on my shirt loudly.
Normally, I would have consoled her with a hug or a small embrace, but having Hinata on my back forbade me to do such a thing. If I removed one hand prematurely, I would have seriously dropped Hinata. Then again, Hanabi didn't seem to mind whether I did anything or not. As long as I was here, she was at peace… well, so it seemed at least. Rika became sympathetic, yet she did not dare to approach Hanabi until some familiarization was reached.
For a patient woman like Rika, waiting was clearly not an issue.
"Ni-chan…" the little Hyuuga girl wept as she called me by a preferable name, "Ni-chan…"
"What's wrong, Hanabi?" I kneeled slowly so I would not release Hinata, and I wondered if Hanabi even noticed that I had her sister on my back.
Probably not, I thought.
"Otou-san is such a meanie! He is so unreasonable!"
I blinked. Rika blinked twice. And then in unison we stared over at the Hyuuga girl.
"I don't want to sound stupid… but… How do I say it… ano… what happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it…" Hanabi replied sourly, like a baby.
Rika decided to step in –to my honest shock. "Imouto-chan, if you don't tell ni-chan what is bothering you he can't help you no matter how much he wants to help. Naruto-ni-chan would be sad if he sees you cry, right?"
Although my friend was nothing more but a mere stranger, Hanabi found peace with her. I believed Hanabi liked Rika a lot. "Really? Is that true?"
That was a good sign for me too continue with my comfort. At least Rika's timing was perfect unlike another woman I knew. "Come on, Hanabi-chan. You can tell me anything. I promise you to make it better."
"Ni-chan…" those lavender eyes were full of tears again. This time, however, with gratefulness. She embraced me even more passionate than last time as she looked upon me as her saviour. "Ni-chan! I love you!"
I assumed she said it out of negligence… No, her emotions were too high for her to realize what she just said. Having that kept in mind, I smiled before taking on hand off Hinata's thigh (to support her body, not to grope her) before rubbing Hanabi's cheek. As expected, she blushed; just like a special girl who I knew deep in my heart. This girl reminded me of the younger Hinata I used to know (or not really know) many years ago. It was a refreshing feeling, yet it got me into the gutter every single time when I recall my actions hurt her because of the stupid things I have said.
"Yes, I like you, too," I replied, giving Rika a wink at the same time. "So, what seems to be the problem? Did your otou-san do something to you?"
"He likes onee-chan more than me! It's not fair!"
I didn't know what sort of man Hyuuga-sama was like as a father, but like any typical father (I was praying that I would be right with this one) I was sure he loved his daughters equally. Then again… something told me that my assumptions were not as accurate as I preferred them to be. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions too fast?"
"No, I know that I am right," she stood by her opinions strongly.
"And how so? What makes you say that?"
"He allows onee-chan to have a pet and I am not!"
"Perhaps you are too young to take care of one?" I inquired, trying to grasp the full situation.
"I am totally responsible,"
That was what I call high level of self-esteem, or self-confidence. Rika appeared to be very impressed despite that she was absorbing information than making comments. "Okay… then maybe it has something to do with the pet you want?"
"What's the big deal with wanting a dog? Onee-chan has a cute bunny rabbit, and all I want is a dog. And otou-san was like, 'No dogs,' and it makes me mad when he doesn't even know how great it is to own a pet. I could hug it, talk to it when I am sad, learn to build up my responsibility skills, you know, it has a good cause."
I thought about what she told me for a good several seconds. It so happened that I could not find any counter statements if I ever wanted to take on the role of devil's advocate. However, if Hanabi and Hinata were my daughters, even I would allow a bunny and not a dog. How could I come up with an acceptable answer? Why couldn't I appreciate the dog? Clearly, I could not afford to say, "I'm a dog hater, too bad, so sad!" because that cannot solve the current, blasted, wretched dilemma. Besides, I needed to stand on a line of neutrality. For a biased man like me, that was no easy goal to reach.
If anyone is offended by my passionate hatred for dogs… well, then fuck yourself for all I care…
"A dog… you really want a dog?"
"Yeah! Taking care of pets is fun."
"Rika," I called, signaling her to come closer. My good friend obeyed before she kneeled next to me. "Do you happen to have any… um… pets?"
Rika smiled at me. "I actually don't, since I have no time for them. Besides, my house is filled with stuff that aren't safe for animals. You know what I mean, right, Naruto?"
I hesitated for a moment there, wondering what she meant by that. Of course I had no idea what she was referring to, not when I never went to her house before. My first guess were the different types of ingredients she owned in the kitchen, but there might be a chance that it could be the different decorations she possessed, or perhaps she lacked the space a pet would need. Rika was never… rich, I should say, and to be honest I had been giving her a small sum every month to support her living.
If I was friends with someone that special like Rika, I was more than willing to go all out.
"I still want a puppy…" Hanabi begged, "Can you buy me a puppy? Can ni-chan try to convince otou-san to buy me a puppy? I will really love you if you would help me."
I thought about it, but I had to decline. Of course, I could not elaborate it with such direct force, and therefore, I decided with the indirect approach. "How about I share some experiences with you?"
"Experiences?"
"Like what?" asked Rika, nosiness surfacing.
"I did promise you a story, right?"
"I love stories!" cheered the little Hyuuga girl, jumping once to show her happiness.
"Well, I will after I put your onee-san to a place to rest."
At last, I was presented with a question that I was expecting to hear. "Why is onee-chan unconscious?"
Rika and I chuckled, well… I just snickered out of mischief. My friend, yes, she laughed still. "It's a long story."
"Nee-chan rarely faints now… but she used to do that a lot."
That statement snapped out of my thoughts momentarily; it caught my interest. "What?" What did Hanabi mean by that?
However, Hanabi changed the subject. "Oh, where is my story? Come on, ni-chan, let's put nee-chan in her room and tell me that story."
I laughed out loud this time. Rika smiled when she heard my genuine laughter, but unfortunately I couldn't see it because I was too focussed on Hanabi. "You are so impatient," I teased before she blushed hard. Savouring any pride that she had left, she pouted before turning away from me so she could open the slide door for us to enter. I noticed that Rika had been quiet for a while now; I wondered if the awkwardness was troubling her. I understood her position as a total stranger, but the least I could have done was pay some attention to her.
Then again, Rika was a reasonable woman. Perhaps I was putting too much pointless tension upon myself.
Without wasting any more time, the two of us were pulled in by the eager Hyuuga Hanabi, in which nearly got me to drop the older Hyuuga girl. I had kami to thank for having Rika behind me, or Hinata would be having a good, passionate date with solid wooden floorboards.
That reminded me of something queer. When I was a kid I always wanted to know how wood tasted like. It looked like chocolate after all. How utterly amusing it was to picture a young me trying to chomp on anything I could touch, but it had its consequences when the old friendly dentist became my best friend for a week.
Maybe I was going crazy…
(Moments later)
I quickly observed my surroundings when I was introduced to this foreign room. My first assumption was to presume that this was the guest's bedroom. There were no pictures of anyone in the family. Also, a simple, yet luscious enough bed was placed at the far corner; a bookshelf with a few books on ideology, psychology, ethics, and metaphysics; a commoner's black coated desk; a transformable soft bed linear to the actual bed; and decorated with a blue carpet but the colour white was used on the walls. I was at peace… somewhat.
After placing Hinata on the bed with unexpected difficulty, I sat on the carpet with Rika and Hanabi.
The Hyuuga heiress had an amazing grip on me, as if she did not want to let go even if it had her life on the line. She moaned pleasantly when I touched her, but as soon as I gave motive to set her down, Hinata began to hesitate despite her state of consciousness. My shoulders were the first to suffer under her intense squeeze the moment I tried to let her go. My death was upon me, and I blessed this wretched fate on myself the instant I teased Hinata until she fainted.
Oh, how foolish of me! And I was cursing others for my misfortune, but in reality, it was all my goddamn fault. What could I do, kill myself? I didn't have much to live for, but still I refuse to die such a pointless death. Where was the honour? Where was the glory? There was nothing but endless humiliation as far as I was concerned.
Some help was obviously appreciated at that point. Perhaps it would have been a lot better if aid came to me before I looked like I was going to die. 'Medic, medic!' I was going to shout out in panic. My life was saved momentarily when Hanabi whispered a tip to my ear saying that her sister relaxes if someone was affectionate with her –and planting kisses on her forehead worked exceptionally well. At a time like this, who was I to complain about the path to survival? It was that or deal with death.
Once I had my body sitting down on a good position, Hanabi immediately seized my lap and claimed it as her own before she sat on it happily. I was about to object, but that triumphant grin of hers cracked me up. Although I did not laugh whatsoever, Hanabi and Rika knew my prior demands were quickly forgotten. In response, Rika shifted herself until she was beside me, and she leaned on me, too.
"What kind of story do you have in mind, ni-chan?" the little girl on my lap chirped delightfully. Anxiousness and anticipation smeared over every corner of her face, and it was tough for me to keep my face straight under these circumstances.
"Well… I don't know if I should tell you…" I said back, reconsidering my previous decision.
"Oh, don't back down now, Naruto," commented Rika, nudging me in the arm with a little disappointment soaked in her voice. "I want to hear this story, too, so you better share your enlightenment."
"Is this a command?" I taunted.
"See, nee-san here wants you to share," Hanabi told me, obviously taking Rika's comment earlier to her advantage. Under democratic terms, I already lost. Needless to say, a victorious smile reached her features once I grunted in defeat. Ever since I came back to this rotten hellhole I called Konoha, there had not been too many victories in my name. "Come on, don't stall and make Hanabi happy."
I knew I stood on a dead spot. Having no means to retaliate, I finally gave in. "Fine," I said with a small sigh, "Oh, Hanabi, do you like songs?"
"Songs? Yes!"
"How about it if I sing at the same time? Like… a story within a song?" That bright, contagious smile told me enough. Hanabi, and even Rika, loved the idea immediately without objections. I almost predicted this. Just once I wished that someone sung for me, but that shall be a reality in my fantasies perhaps. "Okay, here goes. Do you know why I don't want you to get a dog, Hanabi? This song should explain my intentions."
And so I began to sing –after I made a several coughs to readjust my voice.
There was no turning back now.
The song started out slow and peaceful… I closed my eyes, and finally engaged my passionate façade genuinely…
I was once a happy man of sound and stable mind,
Then my neighbour bought a dog.
He put a ribbon on its head to make it cute,
But it still looked like a Chihuahua.
He had me over to watch it sit and beg,
It bit my knee, and made love to my leg.
Now it barks all the night and all of the day,
Whenever it's not peeing on my lawn.
I didn't get to sleep last night till very late.
The stupid dog barked and grrr'ed.
I got up late for work and ran to catch the bus,
But I slipped on a turd.
I was certain it wasn't one of mine.
Oh, that dog had crossed over the line.
I wanted to exterminate it and all its kind,
From my lovely little suburb…
And the pitch grew fast at this point. My once sound and stable mind state suddenly turned aggressive –but kept in character.
Chorus:
I'm gonna kill the dog next door,
Ain't gonna bark anymore,
'Cause this is Judgment Day,
And that little runt has got to pay.
No more turds on my lawn,
That stupid mutt will soon be gone,
Gonna kill kill kill kill kill kill kill that dog.
Verse 1:
I see the little monster in my garden,
So I grabbed an axe and off I go.
And I try my best to get it,
All I do is sever my big toe.
My neighbour comes outside to call me,
He says his dog and me should just be friends.
He puts his little pet in my forgiving hands…
THEN, it starts to bite,
So I strangled it with all my might.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Chorus
Verse 2:
Now that stupid mutt's in doggie heaven,
I strangled it to death and now I'm free.
But my trouble ain't quite over,
My neighbour called the cops on me.
I end up at the police station,
Where I am told that I must pay
A three hundred dollar fine…
WOW, what a good value,
I think I'll kill my neighbour, too!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Chorus:
I'm gonna kill the guy next door,
Won't call the cops anymore.
I never liked him anyway,
Three Hundred isn't much to pay!
There are turds on my lawn,
It must be his; his dog is gone.
I'm gonna kill kill kill kill kill kill kill,
Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill,
Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill that guy!
And at last, I was done. After catching a breath, I realized that I was singing with quite a passion. Too enthusiastic, if I must admit. However, that resulted in Rika having the most gracious smile over me, and Hanabi's positive aura clearly transformed into deep sincere fondness. At first she was on my lap, but now she was hugging me tightly at the same time. To a minimum, my audience was pleased. My only problem now was that I could not pry the little girl off of me. It was hard to be popular these days without having my private space invaded.
Being praised felt wonderful; but having too much of it served as a nuisance than a secure comfort.
"So…" I said after a minute of silence, "How did you like it? Rika? Hanabi?"
"It was wonderful," praised my chef friend intelligently. The sincere smile she had still remained unchanged. "You are a great singer and story-teller. Perhaps this should become your profession than being a shinobi."
"I'll keep that in mind," I lied, grinning. I switched my attention to Hanabi. "Hey, Hanabi, hey,"
"Mmmm?" the girl whimpered in my chest. How did her face get there?
I asked whether she was paying attention or not. I was confident that Rika would be kind enough to repeat it when the time came. "How did you like the song… or story?"
"Do you remember that I wanted a puppy earlier, ni-chan?" the Hyuuga girl asked.
"Sure, that's why I sang that song to begin with,"
She removed her head off my body, and watched upon me as an oracle of wisdom. I jolted at that beloved expression. "I don't want one anymore. I hate dogs now."
Wow, I just converted a dog-lover into a dog-hater with only one song. That was unquestionably easy! If only the disagreements of religions could be solved this easily, then there would be world peace. As some philosophers have said it, religion was the reason for all the unnecessary chaos around the globe. Pathetic as it may be, it was undoubtedly the truth nobody wanted to face.
"Are you sure about that? You really wanted one before I sang that song."
She nodded exuberantly in return. "I was just silly. I didn't realize how foolish I was. Oh, thank you so much for opening my eyes!"
My pupils searched for Rika for help. Did my hopes fall down to the pits fast today or was I imagining things? I was already drowning with confusion, and an anchor was given as a gift. "My song was a little biased…" I admitted with a slight bit of guilt.
"I loved it," insisted Hanabi, "And I am not changing my mind."
I certainly did not know what to say at this point. I suppose this was a great turnout to have my audience enjoying such a badly prepared performance. Even so, I had a feeling that they didn't mind at all despite that knowledge. Sometimes, I inquired out of myself what caused my incompetence when I had nothing to worry about. I was such a panicky fool.
Strangely, Hanabi suddenly gave a wet sneeze. Luckily she didn't spray her… saliva… on my shirt. However, I couldn't say the same for my hand, in which I used to cover her mouth. Did she happen to catch a cold? It was very unusual in this warm weather. Then again, I forgot that the nights were cold without the sun. In Gaara's country, the nights were freezing cold. Konoha had it easy compared to them.
"Imouto-chan," Rika called as she shifted in front of me, which meant behind Hanabi. "Are you okay?"
"I think she got a cold," I said, rubbing Hanabi's back as she sniffed with flushed cheeks.
"But she was okay just now though,"
"It could be just allergies. I have it sometimes, too," Then I reached into my right weapon pouch, "Maybe this medicine could help…" I slipped it in her hand, and my fingers lingered in her palm for a second, just to be 'affectionate'. "I thought this was good for me when I needed it, so… it might be the same for you, too."
In reality, the medicine I offered weren't something I used too frequently. Due to the difference in our blood, medication of more intense effects must be used in order to cure some of my common sicknesses. In spite of my deep hatred for Jiraiya doing drugs, I was, in fact, no better. I was the real druggie here, and yet I was complaining. Not like I enjoyed indulging this stuff, which was virtually poisonous and fatal to any human body, but marijuana was my cold medicine, tobacco from cigarettes become my normal day vitamin pills, and spray paint inhalants cured my nose allergies. With demonic influence in my blood, my immune system drastically changed for better and for worse.
The good side to this was that I was rarely sick. However, if I was ever ill, a normal man would not be able to find me the right medicine –which was heroine, cocaine, cigarettes, or anything that was 'illegal' so to speak. Demonic blood, like any other blood, was not much different from human blood aside from the slightly brighter shade of colour, and not to forget that only demons could use it in their bodies safely. However, humans have interpreted it as a venom; a vile, defiled substance that must not be touched at any costs. Touching demon blood did not kill, but putting it in their bodies certainly had different effects, in which was beyond my knowledge to share. Humanity's belief of demon blood amused me. It was just blood, no big deal, right? If that pure, clean blood was sickening, perhaps I haven't had enough people witness the real corruption of my plasma.
I liked the colour black, it suited my style. And it was even better if my blood was pitch dark, too, from all the drugs I have taken in over the course of my life. In addition, the smell was enriching with rotten death along with a sweet coat of burning smoke. Why was the stench this unique, some nurses asked before, and the answer was easy; I was a living monstrosity from the dead. Rumours had it that anyone who consumed my flesh were as good as goners.
This information was not distributed to anyone –not even Tsunade. Then again, it wasn't like she would not find out eventually. Hinata, on the other hand, shall never know.
Speaking of Hinata, I could have sworn that I heard her moan. Although it was soft, I caught it perfectly, and Hanabi and Rika both turned towards the direction where that voice came from. The girls both had a happy expression to see Hinata waking up, but I, on the other hand, who was expected to be the one most delighted, kept my emotions to quite a minimum.
As the younger sister, Hanabi went over to Hinata's side just before she woke up fully. "Onee-chan, are you feeling okay?"
"Where am I?" Hinata asked weakly, holding her forehead with her left hand to check if she had a fever or anything of that sort. She almost sounded ill.
"You are at home. Ni-chan and a nee-san took you back here after you were unconscious."
Hinata flushed up, but not out of timidity. She had humiliation written all over her. "I… I…I-I-I fainted? Naruto-kun… and Rika-san brought me back." She forced herself to look away from me the instant she realized that I was in here. Never had she been so ashamed of this mistake; that was what her widened lavender eyes told me. I knew she was agitated for messing up, but did she need to take it this extreme? Instincts told me she wasn't angry about screwing up or making mistakes; rather, she could not believe she allowed Rika to realize her fragility so easily.
Having master and apprentice talks with Anthris was starting to pay off at last. Conveniently, the topics were all women related. It surely appeared that both my masters were perverts. Whenever I have hit bottom, there were always those who threw me that shovel. My life promised plenty of uncertainties and dreads.
"Hinata… are you okay?" I asked out of kindness when the three of us realized that Hinata had been dead silent for at least a minute.
Hearing my voice, Hinata reacted, but not lacking confidence. In all honesty, I froze at the first words she spoke to me when she ignored everyone else.
"Naruto-kun… were you the one singing when I was… asleep? Did you s-sing… w-without me?"
Fear shot through my body, before I almost fell over from the lack of strength in my legs. I held on, luckily, but not without Rika's aid. The violet haired girl was worried, yet she could not find out what caused my deep anxiety to surface. Of course she didn't; I would be surprised if she did. Naruto's jealousy detecting meter, in which I invented using all the intellect I've gathered over the years at this precise moment, read that a volcano was about to blow within a five feet radius.
I could, obviously and intelligently, observe the possible outcome out of this magnificent new discovery, or save it for another time and fix it. Decisions, decisions. The moment Hinata went dead quiet was when I noticed something was wrong. Perhaps there was no need to state the obvious, or trying to tell myself I was the smart one because I was sure that everyone (whether blind, deaf, dumb, born idiotic, or slow) was able to catch on a disturbing presence emitting from Hinata's soul. From not talking to putting Hanabi off her lap and then telling her to leave, it was all part of her plan.
Oh… Crap… Life was very unpleasantly eventful with girls around… Was this heaven? No, this was worse than that time I saw hell.
I finally reached a compromise –resort to drugs.
Which pouch did I keep that crack in now? Where the blasted devil was my lighter? No, what happened to my lovely drugs? I found my lighter though…
Why didn't I buy a pack of cigarettes? Yes, a smoke would be very pleasant now…
AN: Isn't it nice? My Naruto takes drugs to escape from his problems! I think I'll just leave him to grieve. I have to say that this story is almost over, and perhaps I could make a second arc out of this as a dualogy, but what, am I supposed to make a smut fic? I mean, at that point they would be in love… and smut is all I could work up on. Tell me what you think about that idea so I could have some time to consider.
It took me a while to get this chapter done, yes, and I do apologize if it is kind of late. I don't which story I should be updating, but it's most likely my SEED fic, since I do have some crazy ideas in my head… somewhere. Whether I am abandoning SIC for a while or not, I pray that you can bare with me. I haven't been getting the most wackiest ideas (actually, I have) but it's been a drag trying to write them down. In fact, I was about to have Naruto indirectly confess his feelings for Hinata this chapter. The reason why I chose not to write it out was due to the length. My dedicated readers would realize the amount of words needed just to describe a small scene, and therefore to save myself from the trouble, I decided to postpone it until further notice.
I think this is a time for me have a good analysis of Naruto and Rika. If you don't want to read this, then Ta-ta, I'll see you all next chapter.
If you are interested, then feel free to keep reading:
As far as I am concerned, my Naruto is not the perfect gentleman. From chapter 1, perhaps you may find him to be a lovable, modest, humble guy. My friends, that is far from the truth. He lives in a world of lies that he creates. Everything he says and does is different from what he truly feels. Naruto is no different from the most cynical, most evil villains. He hates drugs, but he takes them as if it is his daily vitamins. He hates perverts, he says, but he is a master at touching women. He detests women would lead him on, but he doesn't stop Anthris (Kyuubi from doing it) and he actually finds amusement in it. He is a man of contradictions.
Underneath that calm exterior, he is a deadly corrupted man with a mind that can put the brilliance and magnificence of the novels 'Angels and Demons' and 'Nineteen- Eighty-Four' to shame. In fact, Naruto's skills in dealing women surpassed Jiraiya's ages ago. He liked to please them, not peek at them. The name ultimate bastard cannot be given to anyone but him. Then you may ask me, why doesn't he just fuck Hinata if he is such a perverted, evil, tainted person? Unfortunately, Naruto still has a conscience with morals and values that he could not simply discard just because he wants them to disappear.
Why is Naruto interested in befriending with Hinata to begin with then? Bottom line is, well, she is nice as a person, and naturally her nature got him interested. When she declared her love for him, he was happy, he felt like the happiest man on Earth. Then the guilt starts to sink in when he realized what he had done in the past. Even if he never did anything to her specifically, he can't summon up the courage to tell her what kind of person he really is in comparison to what she thinks about him. He takes drugs, he loves murder and death, he already died once, he knows how to touch women, he helped two girls masturbate thoroughly and passionately, he is constantly facing the issue of sex… How can he tell Hinata any of this? Come on, if I did this and a girl suddenly comes up to me and says she loves me (with very good reasons), well, I might as well come to a compromise that involves me killing myself.
And why is Naruto suffering through this? Sure, he doesn't need to care at all, right? He could just treat Hinata like any other girl, but he can't. My dear readers, Naruto already loves Hinata. He loves her very deeply, and like any good lover, he doesn't want to hurt her and tries to protect her from his true self.
So don't think of my Naruto as a procrastinating, mean, inconsiderate guy who takes Hinata for granted, but picture him as a guy who has been lying too much and the consequences are coming back to haunt him. If he goes telling Hinata that he has seen Rika's… womanhood more than once and Rika allowed him to do it every single time, what do you think Hinata's reaction would be? Keep that in mind.
I really messed up his character, didn't I? I must be losing my mind… Well, I better take my leave. Believe, Realize, Reason awaits my attention.
And, uh, don't sue.