I did research some of the stuff in this fic, but I can't guarantee the accuracy of it all.
Anyway, I now declare "cactus stings" the phrase of the week.
I'm going to start saying that around my friends to see if they'll try to beat me up...
Please Read and Review! ^_^
I dreamed of making baked beans. All of the ingredients sizzled in the pot, and the delicious aroma engulfed the entire ranch. I added a secret sauce—a mixture of honey, sugar, and rum—and stirred the pot a couple of more times. After the beans simmered for a few more minutes, I put out the fire and decided to have a little taste test. To my dismay, my secret sauce contained salt instead of sugar.
"No!" I cried.
Naruto came up to me, wrapped his arm around my waist, and asked, "What's wrong, Hinata?"
"I m-messed up our dinner," I said miserably.
He dipped his finger into the pot of baked beans. I warned him that he might upset his stomach, but he didn't listen. After taking several bites of the ruined meal, I half expected him to barf; I even felt a bit queasy myself. Instead, he gave me a grin and tipped his cowboy hat.
"It's delicious!" he declared. "Believe it!"
"Thanks, Naruto," I smiled.
Naruto began shaking my shoulder. I tried to get him to stop, but he continued. That's when I realized it was just a dream.
Of course.
I groaned as I woke up to somebody shaking my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw a concerned Neji. Confused, I propped myself up to sit, and I realized I was on my bed.
"You're finally awake," my cousin frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Neji… w-what happened?" I asked.
"You fainted at the rodeo," he stated.
Like a barrel of rattlesnake venom, it hit me; I had fainted when I saw Sasuke Uchiha, who was actually the Lone Lasso. I had no idea why he even participated in Konoha Town's rodeo. It was risky since Konoha Town belongs to one of the biggest and well-known counties in the area. Somebody could have figured out his true identity, somebody like me.
Though, what could I do? Being an entertainer/maid at a saloon wasn't the most respected job in town. In fact, people tried to avoid me, as if my bleak future full of wiping up vomit and being groped by random guys was contagious. Nobody in town ever listened to me, except for Neji. My cousin was the only person I could talk to, but I couldn't drag him into my dilemma. Plus, Neji could die if he went in a conflict with the most wanted bandit in the county. My cousin, who had a girlfriend, would lose his entire future.
Me, my future didn't mean anything; I had nothing to lose if I died. If I stayed alive, I would just work my bones to the core every day and night at the saloon. When my father died, I would finally inherit the one place I hated most. I planned on selling the dump for a reasonable price. After that, I had no other plans, no aspirations. Well, I did know I wanted to marry Naruto…
"When I was notified that you had passed out, I dropped out of the competition to bring you home," Neji said, interrupting my thoughts.
"W-what?" I cried. "Neji, you shouldn't have!"
Now I felt truly guilty. I had taken away Neji's chance at being the runner up since Naruto always won first. My father would not be pleased either. I hoped our punishment for losing second place wouldn't be too harsh. Hiashi's favorite idea of discipline happened to be forcing us to work overtime at the saloon.
"I was going to win third place anyway," Neji stated. "It seems that Sasuke Uchiha beat Naruto Uzumaki. In fact, your father was so impressed by the newcomer that he's opening the saloon tonight for a celebration."
Even though my father wasn't angry with us, we still had to work at the saloon. Cactus stings!
"I guess I'll go change," I nodded.
"Are you okay now?" my cousin asked, concern written all over his face.
"I'm fine, Neji. I'll see you at the saloon," I managed to smile.
After my cousin left my room, I let out a huge sigh. It was just too ironic that my father was throwing a party for a man that would rob him later that night. Plus, his own daughter would be helping the bandit. I felt guilty for actually agreeing to assist a thief, but what else I could do? Sheriff Shikamaru and the other officers wouldn't believe me if I accused the rodeo champion of being the Lone Lasso. If I told my own father, he would probably beat me and force me to work extra hours at the saloon.
The thought of the saloon caused me to heave out another sigh. I hated the wretched dump with all of my heart. I frowned and looked through my closet. My uniform, an ugly red dress, screamed out at me. I reluctantly put it on and exchanged my black cowboy boots for some comfortable moccasins. Neji and a couple of other cowboys had raided a Native American camp last year. He came back with two pairs of moccasins, one for TenTen and one for me.
"Ow," I winced as I hobbled out of my room.
Apparently, I was still limping from falling up the stairs earlier that day. Cactus stings!
On my way to the bathroom, I took off Neji's black cowboy hat. After all, I didn't want to get it ruined from all of the beer and barf stains at the saloon. I brushed my hair with 100 strokes, something my mother had taught me to do before her body was found at the bottom of the river. My reflection frowned at me, so I frowned back. After washing my face, I dragged my feet down the stairs and out of the house.
I walked as slow as I could to the saloon, trying to make the trip as long as possible. On the way, some of the pedestrians bumped into me, not even bothering to apologize.
"Excuse me, ma'am," a guy tapped my shoulder.
I turned to look at him and immediately smelled alcohol. The saloon hadn't opened yet, and he was already drunk. He gave me a toothy grin and ruffled my hair.
"Your hair is purdy; can I touch it?" he slurred as he continued to pat me.
"P-please s-stop," I stuttered and tried to limp away.
He followed me and kept touching my hair. I started running, but that didn't help either. He grabbed the end of my locks and yanked hard. The force caused me to fall backward. I landed with a thud on the dry soil. My scalp hurt from the abuse, and the guy started combing my hair with his fingers.
"Purdy," he began to sing.
I hated it when guys called me—or my hair—pretty. It always meant that they wanted to touch me, and it always made me uncomfortable. I got up and tried to kick him where it hurt, but he just grabbed my waist and started pulling my hair.
"S-s-stop!" I shouted.
Suddenly, he tore himself away from me. I saw the guy's limp form on the road, dumbfounded as to why he actually listened to me. However, it turned out that someone else had been listening to me as well.
"Do you have the key?" the Lone Lasso glared at me as he kicked the guy who had assaulted me.
His piercing, ebony eyes instantly paralyzed me, as if I'd been bitten by a rattlesnake. This man, who I had unfortunately met the previous night, was more menacing to me than my father. Knowing how the whole town seemed to worship Sasuke scared me even more. To them, he was practically the new town hero since he beat Naruto Uzumaki in the rodeo. To me, he was the most dangerous bandit in the county.
Since my voice failed me, I merely nodded at him.
"I'll leave the saloon at 10 o' clock so nobody suspects me. Then I'll reenter 15 minutes after closing time, and I expect you to be there with the key," he ordered. "Alone."
I nodded a second time.
"If you tell anybody about this or about my identity, I will kill you and your cousin," he stated.
I merely nodded my head again. Even though I didn't defy him in any way, the Lone Lasso became even angrier at me. I didn't know what to do. Why was he so cruel? How did he become this way? I knew that most guys acted like jerks when they were under the influence of alcohol, but the Lone Lasso looked completely sober.
Without another word, he disappeared on Chidori, his midnight horse.
"Hinata, I have to go to the outhouse for a while. Can you take over the counter?" Neji asked.
"Of course," I tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace.
Though I felt glad to get away from the rickety piano, I dreaded the bartender counter even more. Sometimes I wished I could take refuge in the outhouse like Neji, but the pungent fumes caused my eyes to water. I'd also end up getting home smelling worse than the usual barf stench.
When I arrived at the counter, men started bombarding orders for me. I didn't know who to serve first, so I chose the guy closest to me.
"I'd like the usual," he winked.
The usual? I didn't even know him! However, I just nodded, smiled, and handed him a random bottle. He gave me a bill, winked again, and left. This process repeated with numerous different men until Neji finally came back from his trip to the outhouse.
"I forgot to tell you that I need the cash register key; I need to fill out some financial reports and take inventory," he stated.
Cactus stings! I really needed the key, and Neji would know if somebody robbed the saloon since he would be counting the money tonight.
"Um… can I have it back after you're finished?" I asked as I handed him the object of interest.
He gave me a look, as if to ask what I was planning, but he merely grunted, "Fine."
I thanked him and reluctantly walked back to the piano, nearly getting hit by a dart along the way. My father Hiashi insisted on providing entertainment other than piano playing. Unfortunately, darts was one of the games he thought drunk men could handle. Other games included poker, billiards, and—if they were drunk enough—wrestling.
On more than one occasion when business boomed, Hiashi had even hired some dancing girls. Their dresses were prettier than mine, but they also revealed a sinful amount of skin. I felt sorry for them; they were harassed even more than me. Sadly, I also noticed that these girls were also part-time prostitutes. My father hired the dancing girls from the nearby brothel.
Due to Sasuke Uchiha's success at the rodeo, tonight had also been one of the nights my father hired dancing girls. They had sparkling boas and shiny smiles. I began accompanying them with a cheerful tune, but my heart wasn't in it. While I was sweating through a particularly difficult passage, I heard the saloon doors burst open.
"I can't believe I lost the rodeo to you!" Naruto Uzumaki growled.
Wow, I didn't expect Naruto to be such a sore loser. However, I didn't care; he always won my heart. I watched as my crush stomped over to Sasuke and started poking him in the chest in anger. Sasuke looked annoyed and turned away. He began drinking something, but I doubted it was booze.
Sasuke's indifference caused Naruto's temper to flare. He chucked his cowboy hat to the ground, revealing his awesome, blonde hair.
"I challenge you to a duel!" Naruto declared.
In an instant, the whole saloon became dead silent. I abruptly ended the piece, and the dancing girls gasped. Naruto was the town's best cowboy. He had worked hard and captured almost every bandit on his list. Sasuke, the mysterious newcomer, managed to snatch Naruto's title as rodeo champion. Both of them were powerful and probably equal in skill. In a duel, either of them could live or die.
"I thought you'd never ask," Sasuke replied as he reached for the pistol sitting in his belt holster. "Let's make it three rounds and fifteen paces away."
The two walked outside, followed by everybody in the saloon. I was about to join them, but Neji stopped me.
"Hinata, stay in here," my cousin ordered as he handed me the cash register key. "A lady shouldn't see this."
"Okay," I said softly.
Even though I didn't see the action, I still felt my heart pound a thousand times per second. All I could do was pray for Naruto to live. He only had to avoid three bullets coming from thirty total paces away…
…from the Lone Lasso.
"N-naruto," I whimpered, desperately wanting to see him for the last time.
I clutched myself, listening to a total of six bangs, three from Sasuke and three from Naruto.
On the last one, I heard Naruto cry, "Oh, shit!"
For once, I disobeyed Neji and ran outside. The Lone Lasso's face held an emotionless expression, but he stared at Naruto, who clutched his shoulder. Blood seeped through Naruto's bright orange shirt. I screamed his name and ran over to him.
"A-a-are y-you o-okay?" I asked, nearly hysterical.
"Just a scratch," he winced. "Who are you?"
My heard drooped when I realized he didn't know my name. However, he asked for it! That had to count for something.
"H-hinata," I mumbled, blushing profusely under his gaze.
"Well, Hinata, don't worry about me!" he grimaced. "I'll be fine. I'll just ask my fiancé to patch me up."
Wait… fiancé? Since when did he have a fiancé? It was just like my dream about him earlier; I would never get to be with Naruto Uzumaki. I mumbled a goodbye to him and walked back into the saloon with everyone else. From the corner of my eye, I saw the Lone Lasso leave.
Neji had just dragged the last wasted body outside of the saloon as I started to pick up the billions of feathers from the dancer girls' boas. I sympathized with them, but they didn't have to leave all of this crap on my floor!
"You can go home without me; I'll lock up after you," I told my cousin.
Neji frowned, "I'm not leaving you alone. You seem to be getting in trouble lately."
"I-it's nothing," I insisted. "I'll be fine. Anyway… what are the chances that I won't come home again?"
He didn't move from his spot, his frown growing deeper. I panicked; Sasuke wanted me to be in the saloon alone. If I didn't get Neji out of here, we'd both be burnt flapjacks.
"I promise I won't take long," I said desperately. "Could you please go home and tell Hanabi a bedtime story? She won't be able to fall asleep without one."
"Hinata," Neji began, but stopped.
He rubbed his temples and sighed. I continued to pick up the feathers, waiting for an answer.
"Come home immediately when you're finished," he instructed.
"I will," I smiled.
I received no reply since Neji had already left. I sighed; now all I had to do was pick up feathers and wait. After I was halfway done, I wanted to hit myself in the head. I could have used a broom! With a small groan, I walked behind the counter, grabbed a broom and a pan, and started sweeping.
I was taken by surprise again when I felt a lariat surrounding my arms. I lost my balance and fell on the floor, finding myself with a mouthful of feathers. The Lone Lasso jerked me up, forcing me to stand. His piercing, ebony eyes once again filled my vision as I tried my hardest to look away. However, I couldn't peel my eyes off of him; he was too scary to not look at.
"Naruto, eh? I almost didn't believe it when I saw you care for him. He's a bastard," Sasuke smirked.
I spit out the feathers and blushed, "N-no… he's n-not!"
"He cheats," he stated then changed the subject, "Do you have it?"
Naruto had a fiancé and he cheated at the rodeo? I didn't know which one upset me more. To me, Naruto had been the reason I kept living. My goal in life was not to run the saloon, but to be with the foxy town hero.
"Y-yes," I said softly, "I-I hid it… in m-my right m-moccasin."
It took us both a second to realize I couldn't take my shoe off since my arms had been pinned down. Neither of us said anything as Sasuke bent down and took my foot. I blushed from the contact, hoping he wouldn't be tempted to look up my dress. Fortunately, his interest had been the key, which he fished out immediately. I watched as the most wanted bandit in the county unlocked the saloon's cash register.
Empty.
No, that couldn't be right. How could the cash register be empty? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to find a logical explanation. That's when I remembered Neji had been taking care of some financial issues; he must have withdrawn all of the money and stored it at the bank.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the piercing, ebony eyes glaring at me.
"I… um… I…," I stammered. "I c-can explain…"
"You're coming with me," he sneered as he tied a bandanna around my mouth.
He picked me up and flung me over his shoulder. As we exited the saloon, I couldn't help but think of the moccasin I had left behind. He flung me onto the back of Chidori, his horse. After he climbed on, the horse instantly started galloping.
"Mprwkxlt!" I tried to scream, muffled by the bandanna.
I had always thought that Naruto Uzumaki would be the one to save me from the clutches of the saloon…
I never expected my hero to be Sasuke Uchiha, the Lone Lasso.
Fun Cowboy Fact: Wranglers, a subtype of cowboys, tend the horses that work with cattle.
*Cactus Stings!*