The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki
XV. Another rude awakening
Naruto was dreaming a really nice dream. Hinata was in it—at least that was his impression. Once he was awake he couldn't remember a single other moment, but while he was in that in between sleep and wake state he felt a really sweet, loving feeling. It was the kind of feeling that stayed with you once you were awake centering around the person you dreamed about. It was a nice feeling to have involving Hinata. It only intensified the feelings he was already experiencing.
However, that in between state didn't last long before he became aware of a loud, insistent banging on his door, and a voice yelling, "Naruto! Hey, Naruto! Get up! Get up! The Fifth wants you ASAP!"
ASAP?, he thought. What the hell's ASAP?
As his befuddled brain began to wake up, he groaned, and rolled out of bed stumbling to the door. He would have called this a déjà vu moment, but it wasn't Lee at the door this time—it was Konohamaru.
He jerked the door open, almost getting hit in the head as Konohamaru readied his fist to pound on the door again. "What time is it? What's going on? Didn't you have guard duty last night? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" he asked yawning and running a hand through his already incredibly tousled hair.
"Wake up, Naruto. Get dressed. I haven't been to bed yet. I know it's early, but this is serious." Konohamaru stormed into the room all intense energy. He must have been running on adrenalin after all night on patrol.
Why were all his visitors in such an all fire hurry? Why did they always have to talk to him when he was still asleep? What was so damn important that couldn't wait until he was up, dressed and mentally ready to face the day as well as their confessions? Why didn't they have some consideration for his schedule? Maybe he was just too easy going. Maybe he needed to let these guys know that he had a life, too. He wasn't here just to listen to their problems. Yeah, maybe he should start this new policy with Konohamaru.
He must have mumbled all that aloud, because Konohamaru answered in an impatient rush, "Naruto, this is important. It's not about me. Last night on patrol. There were two of them. Tenten found them on her patrol. One was lying near the riverwalk, and one was on a boat nearby."
"Unh? Two what?" He went into his tiny bathroom as he asked his questions. There were certain morning functions that needed to be attended to no matter how quickly he had to get dressed. Brushing his teeth was the least important of them.
"Two more guys were attacked. The same as the last one—two neck wounds and missing blood not a drop around them. They were still alive when we found 'em. The Fifth wants to brief everyone. She wants to start an official investigation—question everyone in the village. Nobody gets any free time until the attacker is found."
"Damn," he said in resignation as he finished up in the bathroom, and began to pull on his clothes. There went all his plans with Hinata in the near future. "Who was attacked?"
"A teacher from the village school, and a shopkeeper. The Fifth recognized one of them, and Lee knew the other one. Neither one of them was conscious when the Fifth told us to get all the ninja to the complex ASAP."
"What the hell is this ASAP stuff?"
"Duh! As soon as possible."
"As-A, soon-S, as-A, possible-P. I get it. I don't think I've ever heard that one before. Who else are you rudely waking up in the middle of the night?"
"Hardly the middle of the night. It's almost six. I've already been to the rest of your team. That was my assignment. Tenten's getting Sakura's team. Lee and Moegi's getting the rest of the genin and chûnin. Neji's staying at the front gate with Udon. I saved you for last to give you a little more sleep time. I thought you'd appreciate that and not bite my head off," he said disgruntled.
"Hey, I do. Really, I do. Thanks, Konohamaru."
"See, I'm not a bad guy. I've got a lot of good qualities. Ask anyone. I'm not someone you can't let anyone in your family be friends with—say, a cousin," he said pointedly.
Naruto was putting on his headband, and almost dropped it. Damn not again! Why now? Didn't the Fifth tell Konohamaru anything? Why was he always left with the dirty jobs? "Look, Konohamaru, it's not like that. I know you're a good guy. Gran—the Fifth is still checking Naomi out. We want to make sure she really is my cousin before I go introducing her to everyone, and letting her make friends."
"What? You mean she might not be your cousin? But she looks just like you."
"Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. She came out of nowhere. Even the Fifth had no idea she existed. We're just being careful. Why don't you just chill until I find out that everything's okay?"
"So you're just protecting me?"
"Yeah, that's right," he lied. He felt more protective of Naomi than Konohamaru, but the kid didn't need to know that—yet.
Before he had to go into any more awkward half-true explanations, there was another knock on the door, a much quieter knock. Konohamaru beat him to the door. He flung it open to reveal Hinata.
"Oh, hi, Konohamaru, Naruto. I was checking to see if you'd left for the ninja complex yet," she said flustered at discovering someone else in Naruto's room. She thought he'd still be getting ready to leave. She'd thought to see Naruto's room when he had no excuse to keep her out. She knew he only lived in a small room, but she still wanted to see it. It might give her some idea about what to get him for his birthday coming up in a few weeks.
"Hi, Hinata. Konohamaru just woke me up. I hope he was nicer about it when he woke you up then he was with me. He about gave me a heart attack, he was so loud."
"I was already awake, so I was only surprised a little," she smiled shyly at Konohamaru. "He really wasn't very loud at my door—just persistent."
"I knew Naruto would be sleeping like a log, so I had to be loud," he explained.
He scowled at the much too chipper kid. He still didn't feel awake. He hated being startled awake. "How did you know that? You don't know anything about my sleep habits. You're just guessing."
He grinned disarmingly. "It was a good guess, wasn't it? It took you at least five minutes to get to the door."
"Yeah, well, I was just waking up on my own when you barged in. You interrupted a really good dream, Konohamaru. I should punch you out not thank you," he growled.
"The Fifth wouldn't like that."
"That's why I won't do it." Naruto looked around the room. His stomach growled, and he rubbed it. "I guess I'm ready. I wish I had time for breakfast, but I suppose I'll have to wait 'till after the meeting."
"I brought you some breakfast," Hinata said, and drew a wrapped pastry from the pack at her side.
He grinned at her in pleasure. She was so incredibly thoughtful. "Wow, Hinata, you're a life safer! How did you know?"
"I'm a good guesser like Konohamaru," she smiled at him.
Naruto quickly ushered his guests out of his place, locked the door, then took a large bite out of the pastry, Hinata had brought him. "This is really good. Did you bake it?"
"No. I didn't have time to bake this morning. Konohamaru interrupted me as I was getting started. I bought it on the way over here."
Konohamaru was watching them curiously. "Hey, are you two—ah—you know—ah—lovers or something?"
Naruto almost choked on his breakfast. "What? Why do you say it like that? Don't be so rude. We're friends—really good friends."
"Yeah? Really good friends, unh? What kind of really good friends?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Naruto was turning red, and getting mad. This was getting interesting.
"As if it's any of your business, Konohamaru." He looked at Hinata. She looked at him in disappointment not embarrassment. What did that mean? He scratched his head, and gave it a moment's thought. Did she want Konohamaru to know about them? Was that it? Was she disappointed that he wanted to keep it just between them for awhile? Well, he couldn't allow her to be disappointed in him. "Hinata's my girlfriend, okay? Now shut up about it," he said gruffly.
Hinata gave him a wide, pleased smile which made the confession worth all the ragging he knew would come from it.
Konohamaru's mouth dropped open. "Wow! You've got a girlfriend? I never would have believed it. Wow!" He gave Hinata a more careful appraisal. He'd never really noticed her before. She was always so quiet and shy. But seeing Naruto and Hinata together, he could see the attraction of opposites.
Naruto scowled. "What are you so surprised about? Why can't I have a girlfriend? I'm a nice guy, too."
"I don't know. I guess I just never thought any girl would like you," he said with faked innocence. He couldn't help teasing him since he seemed so uncomfortable about it.
"Well, one does so quit laughing about it."
"I'm not laughing. Honestly. Hinata, what do you see in this guy anyway? How can anyone like a mug like that?"
"Shut up, Konohamaru. You're embarrassing Hinata," Naruto growled.
"I'm not embarrassed really," Hinata denied although her face was a bright red. "I—I like Naruto very much. You mustn't tease him."
Konohamaru had the decency to look embarrassed himself. He'd only wanted to needle Naruto not distress Hinata. "I'm sorry. I won't do it anymore. I like Naruto, too."
"Quit it both of you. Now you're embarrassing me." But he was more pleased than embarrassed. It was nice to hear he was liked.
He finished off his pastry. It had only taken the edge off his hunger. Just as he was thinking about when he could get another bite to eat, Hinata pulled another pastry out of her pack, and placed it in his hands. He silently mouthed thank you, so he wouldn't draw Konohamaru's attention, but the kid had already been covertly watching them.
"So—how long have you two been going together?"
Naruto choked on his food again. "Damn it, Konohamaru! Why do you always have to ask that kind of stuff while I'm eating?"
Konohamaru shrugged his shoulders, and slapped him on the back until he stopped coughing. "I'm just curious. I never suspected a thing. You've never had a girlfriend before that I knew about."
"Why should you know? We don't hang out that much outside of ninja stuff."
"I don't know. You just don't seem the type to have a girlfriend. You couldn't even get that babe Sakura to go out with you."
"How do you know that? Damn it, Konohamaru, shut up!" He glanced quickly at Hinata, but she didn't seem annoyed by the questions like he was. She still had that pleased little smile on her face. What was that about?
He nodded wisely. "I can make an educated guess based on many years of observation. You're more of a kid than I am when it comes to girls."
"Apparently not since I've got a girlfriend and you don't."
"Hey, I'm still young. I could have a girlfriend if I wanted to. I could have a really nice one if you didn't interfere."
"We already talked about that. Drop it, Konohamaru."
"I don't see how she couldn't be your cousin. She looks just like you," he continued to argue. "The Fifth's just being overly cautious."
"Konohamaru—" he warned. He looked at Hinata again. He hadn't explained any of this to her. If too many people found out about this, Naomi would hear about it. He didn't want her to realize they were suspicious of her. It would hurt her feelings if she were the real thing. And if she wasn't the real thing, she might run off before they could figure out what she was up to.
Hinata looked at him in askance, but said nothing. She'd contained her curiosity about Naruto's cousin because he seemed reluctant to discuss her. But if Konohamaru knew all about it—why couldn't she?
He could see it in her eyes so in resignation he began to explain. "Look, Hinata. I just told Konohamaru this morning. I'll tell you, too, but you've both got to keep this quiet. The Fifth wants to check out Naomi to make sure she's really my cousin, okay? She just wants to be careful since we're operating on a skeleton staff here. I don't want Naomi to know we have doubts in case she really is my cousin. I haven't introduced you to her yet for the same reason. The only reason Konohamaru knows her is that she's staying with the Fifth, and he lives next door. He butted in where he wasn't wanted, and I couldn't get rid of him. That's it," he confessed.
"It's okay, Naruto. I can wait. Does she really look like you?"
"Naw—"
"She's the spitting image," Konohamaru interrupted. "Except she's pretty—really pretty." He was feeling disgruntled at the butted in where he wasn't wanted remark.
"You like her," Hinata said with a smile.
"Sure. She's really nice. She's pretty. She's different from the other girls I know. She's sweet and shy. Sure, I like her."
Naruto sighed. That sounded just like his feelings for Hinata. This wasn't good. He didn't want Naomi to have a boyfriend yet. She was too young. He wished the Fifth would hurry up, and find out if she were his cousin. He hated this ambivalence he was suppose to feel about her, because it wasn't working. He didn't feel anything like ambivalent. He was feeling extremely protective and fraternal. She'd better be real. He didn't know if he could turn off these feelings.
"Don't we have more important things to worry about than my cousin? Shouldn't we be thinking about the new attacks?"
Konohamaru sobered immediately. "Yeah. This is bad. Really bad. I don't know what we're going to do without the other jônin here."
"We've got Shikamaru. If anyone can figure this out he can," Naruto stated confidently.
"What this about? Konohamaru, you didn't explain anything about it this morning," Hinata asked in concern.
He shrugged. "You didn't ask.
"Two more people were attacked, Hinata, just like the guy we found," Naruto explained. "That's why the Fifth wants us all at the ninja complex. We've got a serious problem on our hands."
"Oh my," was all she could think to say.
They were quiet for a few minutes as they walked towards the ninja complex until Konohamaru spoke again. "Say, Naruto, how come you tried to take all the credit for finding that first guy? You never said anything about Hinata being there with you."
"Maybe I didn't want everyone to know my business. Just shut up about it all, Konohamaru," he said in exasperation, and stalked ahead grabbing Hinata's arm to bring her with him, and leaving Konohamaru to hurry in their wake.
The main meeting room was full with what mostly looked like children and teens. Tsunade would be the only totally adult ninja in the room when she showed up. They made their way towards the front right of the dais where the Hokage would speak. Naruto liked being in the front where the action was. Konohamaru stood with Naruto and Hinata. If anyone was looking for him, they'd find him easily enough—which happened almost immediately.
"Konohamaru, where have you been?" Moegi confronted him with her hands on her hips. She was an attractive, athletic looking girl. Her most noticeable feature was the abundance of her bushy, reddish brown hair.
He looked bored, and pointed a thumb at Naruto and Hinata standing closely together. "With my friends."
She dismissed Naruto and Hinata with a glance before turning back to Konohamaru. "I've been waiting for you. I told you I'd be waiting here."
"Well, here I am."
She crossed her arms over her chest, and rapped her foot repeatedly on the floor clearly displaying her displeasure. "Konhamaru, what's up with you? You've been acting so strange. I don't get you at all."
He shrugged. "Nothin's wrong. I'm the same as I always am. What's up with you? Why do you have to be so bossy and controlling all the time?"
"What are you talking about? I am not!" she cried in outrage. "You're just being mean. I wish Udon was here, and you were on guard duty," she declared angrily.
"I bet you do. So do I. I'd rather be hanging out with Neji. He's cool."
"Thanks a lot, Konohamaru," Naruto said dryly. He felt a need to do something to defuse this situation before the usually smooth Konohamaru got himself slapped or worse. Even he knew better than to talk to a female that way.
He reddened. "You know what I mean."
"Do you know what you mean? Geez, Konohamaru, jealous much? Maybe you're trying to juggle too many girlfriends when you should be concentrating on just one."
"What? What does he mean too many girlfriends?" Moegi demanded.
Konohamaru's face remained red. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't have a girlfriend—any girlfriend."
"What about me?"
"What about you? Didn't we agree we wouldn't date for the sake of the team? Or maybe you and Udon didn't get the memo? I've seen the two of you together all the time lately."
"He's my friend, and he's been a better friend than you've been. He's been around which is more than I can say for you lately."
A few people near them laughed.
Konohamaru looked around suddenly aware that until the Fifth called order to the meeting, they were the main attraction in this corner of the room. He turned even redder. "We'll talk about this later," he hissed.
"No we won't. I never want to talk to you again!" she declared then huffed off to another section of the room.
"Why'd you have to butt in Naruto? You started this," he turned angrily on Naruto.
He fold his arms, and shook his head. "I don't think so. You're on your own there, Konohamaru. Remember, I know nothing about women."
"You should know something now that you've got a girlfriend," he said a little too loudly in his embarrassed anger.
It was Naruto's turn to redden, and become aware that everyone around them was listening in. "Konohamaru, why don't you go over there and apologize to Moegi? You were pretty mean to her."
"Why don't you take your own advice, and mind your own business?" He glared.
"Please don't fight. Remember you're friends," Hinata pleaded, but was gently shuffled aside as several people converged on Naruto.
"What's this about a girlfriend, Naruto?" Shikamaru said coming up along his right side, and slapping him on the back. "Hello, Hinata."
"Yeah, why are we the last to know?" Choji came up on the other side of him giving him another slap. "Hello, Hinata."
"You have a girlfriend, Naruto?" Sakura asked coming up to the group right after the other two. "When did this happen? Hello, Hinata." Sakura's greeting didn't have the know-it-all sound of Shikamaru's and Choji's.
"Is this true, Naruto?" Lee asked up right behind Sakura. "You have a girlfriend? That is wonderful. Hello, Hinata." Lee, also, had no clue in his greeting.
Naruto couldn't even see Hinata, he was totally surrounded by his inquisitive friends. Before he could think of anything to say, the situation was fortunately interrupted.
"Silence! Attention! This meeting is now called to order," Tsunade announced loudly over the various conversations in the room. She strode onto the dais flanked by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. They were actually the oldest living ninja in the village before Tsunade. They'd been advisors to the Hokages since the first time the Third was Hokage.
"I want quiet while I explain this dire situation to you, and give you your new orders."