44 Accomplishment though Improvisation
The Meeting of Two No-Talent Ninjas Sets Off an Unlikely Chain of Events.
"I know Dad's encouraging you to come up with your own techniques, but whatever you're doing – " a wheezing gag " – it stinks like something's dead and rotting." Ignoring her sister's comments, Naeko dipped her brush once more into her vat of freshly-prepared ink and tapped it against the edge to remove the excess before continuing her next line of script. You think this smells bad now, Natsuko? Naeko thought as she worked her way through the intricate patterns of her latest exploding tag. Just pray you aren't around when I actually use this. "You'd better not be using some forbidden technique," the younger girl continued, and Naeko heard a click as Natsuko turned on the small radio that their mother kept by the store counter for a bit of background noise on slow days like this one. "I mean, I'd hate to have to turn my own sister in…"
When even this jab failed to get a response from Naeko, Natsuko turned the radio up and began to sing along with the song currently playing. This was distraction enough for Naeko, though, who put her brush down with a sigh and went to close the door between work room and storefront. "I hope your grades are better than your singing voice," she muttered as she swung the door closed and locked it, then returned to her work with renewed focus.
"At least my teachers say I have talent," was the crisp reply. "And I won't fail my team on the chuunin exam because I'm too scared to finish." Naeko shook her head but did not reply and all was peaceful for a time. She finished the last character on the paper and set it aside to dry, putting her brush down once more and stretching out the cramps in her muscles from the hours she'd spent hunched over the workbench. So far, so good. I just have to find someplace far enough from civilization to test this latest batch out because combustion will only make the ink's natural fumes worse.
Even through the closed door she could hear the chime as another visitor came into the store and then fragments of conversation too muffled for her to register fully. Passing this off as another everyday business inquiry that could be handled by another member of the family Naeko continued her musings and pulled out another blank piece of paper to practice on. Her thoughts were soon interrupted, though, by a gratingly sweet summons from Natsuko: "Naeko-chan, there's someone here to see you!"
"Now what?" Naeko grumbled under her breath. "It couldn't be one of the girls, seeing as they don't want to talk to a failure… even if that failure gives them useful fashion tips." Sighing, she got up from her seat just long enough to unlock the door and open it a crack and then sat back down to contemplate what her next work would be. Even if the smelly stuff doesn't work, it'll at least be good for bettering my brushwork. "Tell 'em to come back here – I'm kinda busy."
"Suit yourself." Natsuko relayed the message to the visitor and then was silent.
Naeko did not bother to look up as the door swung open, but the shock of orange on her peripheral vision startled her almost enough to make her fumble the first few strokes of her brush. Forcing a note of casualness into her voice, she muttered, "Sorry about the mess, Naruto-kun. I usually don't get company."
"That's okay with me…" A choking cough and aggrieved hand wave in front of the face. "What stinks?"
"It's a new recipe for ink that I came up with to use on my tags. Give me a minute to finish this one, will you?" Naeko then devoted her complete focus to her writing, devoting extra attention to make sure that each line was in its place. Once it was complete, she set it aside with the dozen others she'd finished and capped the inkwell, sealing it tightly to prevent any of the liquid's noxious stench from escaping. "Maybe I should just bury that one for a while before I use it again," she mused with an awkward laugh, next turning her attention to the proper cleaning of her brush.
"It smells like you did bury it for a while before using it," was the mumbled comment from the blonde boy. "What does it do? I mean, other than make you want to puke?"
"That's about it, really," chimed in Natsuko from her place at the shop counter. "I mean, coming up with new ways to make people sick is her number one talent! Not like she has any others to speak of."
"Either shut up or disappear, Natsu-chan," the older girl snapped at her sister, mentally palming herself in the forehead at the younger one's timing. "Five seconds or I make the choice for you."
"Who died and made you Hokage? Dad told me to keep an eye on the store while Mom's out on errands and he's busy with the bookkeeping, so you can't make me leave."
"Be glad you don't have to deal with this," Naeko grumbled under her breath to Naruto, who shook his head in quiet sympathy. "Four seconds, Natsu."
"Fine, fine! I'll be quiet."
Silence once again reigned in the front room of the shop, and Naeko locked the door closed once more with a rueful smile. "Siblings aren't what they crack up to be. Man, I swear I live in a zoo…"
A laugh to this. "How many are there?"
"Six." Naeko crossed to the utility sink and turned the water on, dampening her hands and then dusting them with an abrasive mineral soap powder to scrub the ink stains away. "Natsuko's one of triplets, the others being my brothers Tatsuo and Tsuyoshi. They're ten years old. After that are two more boys, Mitsuo and Shiro – six years old – and my favorite, two-year-old Naomi. Us singletons have got to stick together!" The rough soap stung Naeko's hands, the skin made tender by recent training efforts. "There we go, all clean." After rinsing her hands and drying them, she returned to the workbench to tidy up the fruits of her efforts. "Come on, Naruto, quiet isn't like you. If you don't say something, I'm going to think you're sick…"
Shaking his head, Naruto was quick to come up with his trademark grin. "Nope, just thinking how noisy it's got to get around here. I'd bet you have to work really hard just to stand out!"
"Tell me about it," muttered Naeko, sorting the tags by type and placing them in a drawer that her father had cleared out for her use. The new ink went in next to the tags, and she shut the drawer with a sigh. "But hard work doesn't count if you don't have talent. What did you come here for anyway?"
"Oh. Um, just to say hi and…" An awkward head-scratch belied the difficulty the boy had stringing together his next words. "I was just wondering – "
"What the hell!" Both Naeko and Naruto froze as these three words sounded from just beyond the doorway, distinctly masculine and definitely agitated. The next sound they heard was the squeal of protesting metal as hinges, lock, and doorframe parted ways under the command of a forceful fist. Startled, Naruto jumped out of the way and would have been in the clear had his foot not caught on the edge of the workbench. Instead of leaping to safety, though, he found himself falling towards a petrified Naeko who reflexively put her arms out to catch him and shield him from a painful impact.
It was like this, bodily ensnared and faces breaths apart, that Satoshi found his daughter and her guest. Assuming the worst he snatched a reserve spool of thread from the workbench and stretched a length out between his hands, imbuing it with chakra and forming it to razor-sharpness at his will, and it was only a panicked hand-wave from Naeko that stopped him from disastrous action. "Dad! It's not what you think, honestly!" Face burning in chagrin, Naeko untangled herself and moved two steps away from a speechless Naruto. It's a good thing nothing else happened. We were a quarter-inch away from catastrophe… "What's the deal, anyways? We were just talking until you busted in and scared the crap out of us."
Likewise looking a mite embarrassed, Satoshi relaxed the thread but still gave the pair a suspicious glare. "Natsuko told me you were in here with a boy, Naeko, fooling around instead of studying. How much of that was true?"
"Not a bit of it. You spooked him and he tripped, and I tried to catch him so he wouldn't get hurt." Naeko risked a sideglance at Naruto, who seemed to be genuinely at a loss for words for once. "Right, Naruto-kun?"
"R-right." Gulping audibly, Naruto looked from Satoshi's stern visage to the potentially lethal fiber stretched in the older man's hands and then back again. "I only wanted to take her out for ramen, and maybe a movie…"
Satoshi's eyes narrowed, echoing the razor-thread in sharpness and deadly intent as he pondered the meaning of this. "Dinner and a movie, you say? Is that all?"
"Yes sir." Another nervous glance at the thread, then, "I wouldn't want to risk trying anything else, believe it!"
Apparently satisfied by this answer, Satoshi shrugged and put the thread back in its place on the bench. "That's fine, so long as you're back by ten tonight." His nose twitched as he became aware of the residue of his daughter's earlier efforts. "Is that the new ink I'm smelling?" Naeko nodded confirmation, and Satoshi grimaced. "God, I hope it works, because I'd hate for you have to make anything stronger. Go on upstairs and take a shower – I don't want you going out in public reeking like a landfill."
I would ask him if he's serious, but I don't want him to change his mind, Naeko marveled as she squeezed past her father and skipped past the incredulously staring Natsuko. Pausing just long enough to make a face at her, Naeko whispered, "Better luck next time, Natsu," before dashing up the stairs to her family's apartment.
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"I'm not normally one for sweets, but this just about hits the spot," mused Kotori as she contemplated the last dumpling on its skewer, purchased on a whim from one of the local restaurants. This day had been spent like many of its preceding fellows, the windfall from her last mission providing Kotori with more financial freedom than she knew what to do with. Minor improvements to her home had lasted the better part of a week but after that there was little else for the young woman to do but idle and think over recent events. She freed the dumpling in one bite and tossed the skewer away in the nearest garbage bin, then found a quiet place to relax in the late afternoon sun. The only thing that would make today perfect is a good fight and then maybe some hot soba. Life is good…
The sound of a familiar voice nearby caused Kotori to snap out of her easy doze, the person it identified not surprising her so much as their company. "Are you sure?" Naeko was asking as she trotted behind a boy whom Kotori recognized with a start as Naruto, who waved two coupons to the Ichiraku in the air like prize trophies and wore a grin that Kotori could only identify as his attempt at roguish appeal. "I'm sure you don't get those passes every day."
"You're right, I don't, but I know I'm not wasting them. You paid last time and it's my turn to treat you, now come on!" Reaching back, Naruto snagged a disbelievingly giggling Naeko by the arm and tugged her forward so that she could run at his pace.
Kotori could only shake her head and stare as the duo passed, muttering, "Would you look at that… Next thing we know, Tsunade's little pig Ton-Ton will grow wings and fly over the Hokage Monument." Breathing out a gusty sigh, she closed her eyes and settled back to relax once more.
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"Let's see – shampoo, conditioner, styling gel, bath oil…" Peering around the gargantuan sack held in front of him, Taiki strained to see the rest of his shopping list. "Yep, that's about it. Thank goodness, too, I can barely see to walk." He stashed the list in a hip pocket and began to make his careful way down the street, the enticing aroma of hot noodles and broth almost convincing him to stop at the Ichiraku until he recognized the two patrons already present at the counter. He grinned and stopped to watch for a moment, catching the tail end of a conversation as the two genin burst into laughter over something Naeko had said. Way to go. Get 'im, Naeko!
A teasing comment from the girl earned a mock-offended hair-mussing from Naruto and a knowing smile from the omnipresent waitress Ayame. "Hopefully she'll have better luck in that field than I've been having," Taiki grumbled as he resumed walking. It was not long until he passed the spot where Kotori lazed, and he briefly debated the pros and cons of striking up a conversation with the redhead. "Speak of the devil. I wonder if the restraining order's still valid, or will she talk to me like an actual person?"
The decision was made for him as a petite form slammed into his back, an agonized wail belying the distracted mental state of the dark-haired girl as she ran away from something immensely distressing. Taiki stumbled forward a few steps but due to his naturally graceful bearing did not fall. It cannot be said that the same grace extended to the contents of his shopping bag, resulting in a loud clatter as various bottles and vials scattered over the pavement. "Great…"
Realizing the mess she'd made, the girl forced herself to be calm and knelt to pick up the jumbled supplies. Her voice was almost inaudible through her shame but Taiki was surprised at the pleasantness of its tones as she muttered, "I'm so sorry. Are you all right?"
"Just a little bit startled, but I'll be fine. What about you? You seemed pretty freaked about something." It was only a matter of minutes before all of his purchases were replaced in the bag and Taiki got a closer look at the girl. Bluish-black short hair left long in the front framed a delicate oval face, and the sight of her pale pupil-less eyes caused Taiki to blink in astonishment when he realized who'd bumped into him. "You're one of the Hyuugas, aren't you?"
"Yes… yes I am." Blushing, the girl stepped back and shot an anxious glance over her shoulder. "I'm dreaming, aren't I? I just saw Naruto-kun… with another girl."
Taiki smiled in what he hoped was a sympathetic fashion and slowly shook his head. "No, Miss Hyuuga, you aren't dreaming. I'll bet the rest of the village will be just as shocked as you are if this one works out."
"But…" For a moment Taiki thought she was going to cry, but she forced her emotions down with a quick clenching and relaxing of delicate hands. "Once again, I'm hopeless."
"I know what it's like when someone you thought you were meant for kicks you to the curb." Shifting his grip on his shopping bag, Taiki risked a friendly pat on the girl's shoulder. "And trust me, Miss Hyuuga, there are other fish in the sea. Don't give up so easily, okay?"
This unexpected contact made the girl jump in startlement, but she also risked a smile before speaking again. "You can call me Hinata, you know. And thank you – what's your name?"
"Taiki." Wow, she's kinda cute when she smiles like that. To hell with recent history – I think I'll give this one a shot! "If you don't mind, I'll walk you home after I drop this stuff off. How does that sound?"
"That sounds fine, I guess. Maybe you can stay for dinner."
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The thud of colliding bodies had roused Kotori to awareness, curiosity mixing with vague irritation as she opened her eyes to see what had happened. Her irritation faded into disgust when she saw that it was Taiki, one eyebrow lifting in bemusement when she identified the girl he was speaking with. Hyuuga Hinata, wallpaper personified, Kotori thought sourly, half-listening to the conversation as the two picked up Taiki's spilled shopping and Taiki determined the cause of Hinata's distraction. Something in her stomach twisted when she saw Taiki's expression change from tension to puzzlement to ... What on earth? He only looks at me that way. Did he slosh his brain when he ran into her or what? Taiki then began to move away, continuing his conversation with Hinata as she walked beside him.
Jumping up from her seat, Kotori stalked through the village marketplace with wrath radiating from her like heat waves. "I must have been born under a bad sign because nothing is going my way! I tell that jerk to get lost and in turn he decides to hook up with the shyest girl in the village just because she runs into him and makes him drop his groceries. He's only supposed to be infatuated with me… isn't he? What am I supposed to do now?"
Most passersby heard Kotori's incensed muttering and wisely gave her a wide berth in which to walk, and thus was she allowed to fume in peace until her train of thought was jarred by the thump of a black-clad shoulder into Kotori's own. "Watch where you're going, dipstick," she hissed at the offending pedestrian, "or next time I'll splatter you all over the sidewalk. I am not in a good mood."
A quiet smirk and "You're more than welcome to try" was all Kotori got in response before her antagonist passed on his way, leaving her to seethe in his wake.
Glaring off the stares and whispers of the handful that had seen the confrontation, Kotori continued on her way towards the practice fields where she intended to vent her rage on an unprotesting target dummy. "Just tell me when and where, Uchiha. Your ass is mine."