The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki
XVIII. The thrill of the chase
This was so boring!!!
Botan and Akira exchanged brief impressions of the day's events once they met up again for lunch, and this was very much their mutual opinion of their activities so far.
All they did was talk to people. No fighting. No dead bodies. No excitement. Just talk, and ask questions. What were they supposed to learn from that anyway? How was that ninja work? They wanted to see Hinata and Naruto (especially Naruto) in action. Where was the enemy so they could witness some fancy ninja fighting? This boring stuff wasn't the sort of thing they wanted to learn.
Neither one of them had realized there were so many businesses in Konoha. They hadn't been to even half of the places they were forced to visit in the course of their duties. Restaurant, nightclub, bar, grocery, bank, bakery flower shop, movie theater, clothes shop, furniture store, bookstore, shoe store, weapons store, just to name a few. Some were cool, but most were not. Each one had to be told about the attacks (as if they didn't already know), to be careful (as if they needed to be told that), and to report anything suspicious to the Hokage (they all had suspicions and opinions about someone or something). Then the places open at night had to be warned to close early until the attacker was apprehended.
Those were the interesting stops on their route. Most of the owners of the after regular hours businesses had to add complaints, arguments, or downright refusals to close early on top of curious questions, and personal observations. According to Akira, when this happened Hinata became even more soft-spoken and polite always referring the owners after every complaint to the Hokage. She would leave as quickly as possible not engaging in any further discussion or argument. She explained to Akira that it was better to leave argument to the Hokage. She had the authority and experience to handle their dissention.
According to Botan, under the slightest provocation, Naruto became terse, blunt, and ready to explode. If the person failed to back down, he'd immediately show his anger, offering the choice of a fight or talking to the Hokage. Unfortunately, no one took him up on the offer, so Botan had nothing really exciting to report. Naruto told him that the Hokage shouldn't have to bother with stupid complaints. If those people didn't appreciate the warning then they deserved whatever they got.
After sharing their experiences, Botan and Akira were more impressed by Naruto's diplomacy than Hinata's. Subtlety, tact, and withholding overt displays of power were lost on them. Might seemed more right than politeness to them. It would take a few years before they appreciated the nuances of diplomacy.
Overall, they concluded that practicing chakra control was more exciting than any old investigation. Since they were both new genin, and had very little experience with D class missions, they couldn't wait until they could show off their skills on dangerous missions. However, they were in for a rude awakening when their team leader finally returned to Konoha, and took up their teaching. Since neither one of them was brave enough to voice their complaints aloud, neither Hinata nor Naruto thought to disabuse them of the lack of excitement in their future missions. Instead, they both conscientiously instructed their genin partners as they'd been told to do, explaining their procedures, and the importance of this part of the investigation. This was a difficult concept to instill since their investigation thus far yielded no results. Even Hinata found it difficult to convey enthusiasm for their current work. It was hoped that the afternoon's visits would prove more fruitful.
They hadn't finished their tour of Konoha's businesses until well past noon, so Naruto was feeling especially hungry. His stomach was growling loudly and to any one else embarrassingly, but he was used to it. He laughed just as loudly at himself as well as at Botan and Akira when their stomachs answered back.
His growing hunger might have contributed to the belligerence he'd been able to draw upon so readily for the more uncooperative businesses. Every objection to the Hokage's requests for early closure only lengthened the time until he could finish up, and eat lunch which exacerbated his impatience. Luckily there had only been few open at night businesses in his part of town. Unluckily, the ones he had to deal with were businesses that made most of their income in the nighttime hours. He'd had to visit two bars, and a nightclub. None of them had been happy—to put it mildly—with the news of closing early—not to mention answering the door at such an early hour of the morning. Belligerence was a ready weapon on both sides. However, Naruto had ninjustu on his side, so he'd won the argument every time.
The Ichiraku Ramen Bar was a welcome sight for all parties concerned at the end of this part of the investigation. And it was practically deserted as they entered, so they could immediately find seats.
"I'm treating, so order what you want," Naruto announced magnanimously when they sat down. He enjoyed the expressions of delight on the faces of the two young genin at his largess. He remembered how excited he'd been whenever Iruka had treated him to ramen. It gave him great pleasure to reciprocate that kindness. He even ignored the alarming thought 'What if they had appetites as large as his? This could cost a fortune,' in the spirit of camaraderie he was feeling with his little team. Besides, his lucky frog wallet was full. He could handle a dozen genin lunches.
Teuchi came over to take their orders, greeting Naruto and Hinata warmly. He'd become quite fond of his most faithful customer over the years. He'd watched him grow up from a defiant, loud-mouthed kid to a confident, talented young man. He always had an irrepressible enthusiasm and determined attitude that was thoroughly contagious. It certainly put him in a better mood whenever he saw Naruto.
He was especially enjoying Naruto's new romance. He'd never seen any chemistry between Naruto and Sakura in the years they'd eaten there. But he saw plenty of it with this sweet, shy, girl Naruto first brought along with him not so long ago. He enjoyed watching them together. They made a very cute couple. He made sure to slip some extra pork in their ramen to help the romance along. Hey, it couldn't hurt.
"Teuchi, you've heard about the attacks, haven't you?" Naruto asked him once they'd all placed their orders. They'd saved the Ichiraku Ramen Bar as their last business visit of the morning since they'd planned to eat there for lunch. "We're talking to all the businesses, and asking them to close early so their customers can get home safely before dark."
"Yeah, I've heard. Everyone has. I've got no problem closing before dark. I don't get a lot of late night business. Too much competition from the fancy restaurants. Lunch to dinner is my busiest time."
"I don't see why they'd be much competition for you. I've eaten at those places a time or two, and they just don't compare to your place, Teuchi. Your ramen is the best I've ever eaten," Naruto told him sincerely. He would have said it was the best food he'd ever eaten, but that was before Hinata started to cook for him. Hinata's yaki soba had replaced ramen's lofty status in his heart. He still loved ramen, but he'd give it up completely if he had to choose ramen over Hinata's cooking. However, he wouldn't tell Teuchi that. He wouldn't want to hurt the guy's feelings.
"Thanks, Naruto. You're my best customer. I'm glad to see you bringing me more business. Catch 'em while they're young, I always say" he said with a wink at the two genin, then he turned to serve the bowls of ramen. "I think you boys will enjoy this," he said placing two heaping bowls in front of them.
After he watched them take a few bites, he leaned on the counter and casually asked in a low voice, "So, Naruto, these attacks—what's the Hokage really think of them? Could they be the work of vampires?"
"Unh? Vampires?" Naruto asked confused by the term, but hardly pausing in his eating. "What are they?"
"Vampires!" Botan and Akira said in hushed voices, and looked at each other in excitement. They knew the stories about vampires. Scary stories had been popular in their group since they were little kids.
"Don't you know what vampires are?" Teuchi's brows raised in surprise. "I thought everyone had heard about vampires. My dad used to tell me stories about 'em. It used to scare the pants off me, let me tell you. You know, another name for 'em is the undead," he said it in a spooky voice which caused Botan and Akira to giggle.
Naruto frowned. "Undead? So what? I'm undead. What are you talking about?"
Teuchi laughed along with the young genin. "Naw. You're alive. That's totally different from undead."
Naruto looked perplexed. "I don't get it. Isn't that the same thing?"
"It's from an old tale, Naruto," Hinata explained. She didn't find this amusing. "A very unpleasant, old, horror tale used to frighten children. Vampires are just a myth. They don't really exist," she said firmly. She hadn't believed that as a child, but she was full grown now. She wouldn't be afraid of fairy tales now that she was an adult. Of course, she'd always believed ghosts were unreal, too—until she'd actually met one.
"Is that so? Well, how do you explain the two holes in their neck—teeth marks—and the drained blood—without a drop anywhere except around the wound?" Teuchi demanded. "If that doesn't sound like the work of vampires, I don't know what does."
"Does it? Tell me more about these vampires," Naruto insisted. If those things were evidence of vampires then that sounded exactly like what they were facing. Why hadn't he heard about vampires before?
"Okay, I happen to know a little something about vampires," Teuchi said rubbing his chin. "Of course, I don't know where or how the first vampire came about, but new ones appear when someone's killed by a vampire. They die and then at night they wake up as a vampire, but they're not really alive."
"That's the part I don't get." Naruto shook his head still confused. "How can you be dead and alive at the same time?"
"That's why they're called undead. See, they just act alive with a few differences. They only go out at night—the sun's not good for 'em. They don't breathe. They're inhumanly strong. And they drink blood—human blood is their nourishment."
"Is that all?" He still didn't understand undead, but he'd met some really scary ninja in his day. Vampires didn't sound any worse than some of the kekkei genkai abilities he'd faced over the years.
"Well, that's all the stuff I've read about in more than one story. Some stories claim other things—like they sleep in a coffin, they can hypnotize you with their eyes, you can only kill them with a wooden stake in the heart—stuff like that. But, you know, in all the stories, I never heard anything about them leaving people alive. I've only ever read that they usually drain the bodies dry." Teuchi spoke quite knowledgably, but then he'd always loved a good horror story. As soon as he'd heard the rumors in the market that morning, he'd hurried home and gotten out a few old books to reread the parts about vampires.
"Why haven't I heard about vampires before?" He still couldn't understand why he'd missed hearing about this. Maybe it was covered in school on a day he'd cut classes. From what Teuchi said it seemed so obvious that they had to be dealing with vampires.
"It's just a story, Naruto," Hinata explained patiently. "These attacks can't really be caused by vampires. Vampires don't exist." She seemed to be the only voice of reason in this conversation—and of course, nobody was listening.
"Maybe they're just rare," Teuchi suggested. "If there were too many of 'em we'd all be dropping like flies."
"No, it's simply because they're not real. You're not spreading these rumors, are you?" she asked Teuchi in a troubled voice. It was not good that these sorts of rumors were starting, but it wasn't unexpected. Rumors always filled in the blanks where facts were lacking—even totally preposterous, incredibly unfounded rumors.
"Hey, I heard it at the market. A lot of people were talking about it. I didn't think of it myself, but once the idea was mentioned everyone thought it fit."
Hinata had another troubling thought. "I wonder how everyone heard about the nature of these attacks—and so quickly. The Fifth isn't making that public knowledge until she has more information."
"I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm just telling you what I heard. So is it really true? Is that how they were attacked?"
"Teuchi, I really can't discuss this with you," Hinata warned. "Please don't encourage these rumors. When we have something to report, all the villagers will be informed. In the meantime, please, be careful."
"Hey, that's why I've got no problem closing up before dark. I don't want to become vampire food—if it's vampires causing this."
"Vampires, eh?" Naruto said thoughtfully. "Why didn't the Fifth tell us about this?"
Hinata stifled a sigh. "It's just a story, Naruto—a fairy tale, a fable, a myth, a legend. It's not real," she explained again. Once she gave it some thought, she wasn't really surprised that Naruto hadn't heard the stories. He hadn't been raised with in a family that would read to him, and he didn't like books very much. There were probably a lot of tales he'd never heard—much more pleasant then vampire stories. She wondered if he'd be interested in reading them with her some time.
"Why couldn't they be real? That would certainly explain why these attacks are so strange and unrelated?" Naruto argued. It was the neatest explanation he'd heard yet for these attacks.
"I don't know why these attacks are so strange, but I've never heard of any actual vampires being reported. I'm sure the Hokage has thought of this. It must be someone imitating vampire attacks," she reasoned.
"Why would they do that?"
"I don't know. Maybe just to scare us. Nobody's actually been killed."
"Yet."
"Don't say that." She almost shuddered. She remembered her nursemaid telling her the story of vampires when she was a child. For some reason, her nursemaid was very fond of telling gruesome, supernatural, and horrifying stories to little Hinata. She'd tried to tell her father about it, but he was impatient with her fears about unreal things. He just told her that her worries were childish and foolish. She was so grateful when she grew too old for a nursemaid.
"I guess we'd better report this rumor to the Fifth after we pay our last two visits," he suggested.
"Yes, she'll want to hear about this," Hinata agreed. "If only to put a stop to such foolish rumors."
Botan and Akira looked at each other with excitement again, and mouthed "Vampires," to each other. Now this investigation was starting to get really good.
"Let's talk to those monks first," Naruto suggested as they left Ichiraku's.
"Okay," Hinata agreed then hesitated. Was she being too agreeable? Would Naruto become bored with her because she agreed with him about everything? She still couldn't get over the reactions of all their friends that morning. She had to be the element in the equation that had them all astonished after Naruto's announcement. It was really crazy to think of her with Naruto. They were total opposites. She'd begin to bore him in no time. She had to assert herself more. She didn't want to be exactly like Sakura, but she needed to make her presence known more often. No one had thought of her at all when they'd been considering girlfriend's for Naruto. If it wasn't so expected, it would have been humiliating.
"There are fewer people in the order than in the theater group. I think saving the biggest group for last is the best choice," she reasoned aloud. She couldn't see any reason to disagree, and she wouldn't do so just for the sake of argument. She'd just have to wait for a better opportunity to assert herself.
He grinned at her. He'd watched her debating his decision, and wondered if she were just agreeing with him because she was so nice. He liked the fact that she agreed with him. He liked the feeling of support and companionship, but not if she didn't mean it. "I'm glad you agree with me, and I like your reasoning, but if you have a real preference I wouldn't mind."
She shook her head. "I really don't."
He wanted to take her hand, but since they were at work, he didn't think it would be proper so he checked the impulse. "It's okay if you don't agree with me all the time, Hinata. I don't mind."
"What if I do?" she asked anxiously.
"Agree with me all the time? That's okay, too. I get in enough arguments with everyone else. I don't want to argue with you just to argue. If I have a strong feeling about something I'll voice it, but if your feeling is stronger, I'm willing to trust you."
"Really?" She searched his face to read his sincerity.
"Sure. It's been a hard lesson, but I've learned to do that on my team. I think being part of a couple is pretty much the same sort of thing—only with better fringe benefits," he teased.
She blushed. "I promise to tell you if I disagree with your choice."
"Good. I want you to be comfortable enough with me to be honest."
"I am. I just haven't found anything to disagree with."
"Then you're the only one in the world," he said ruefully.
"I think they just like to tease you."
"Why? Because I'm so easy to rile?"
She smiled. "That could be the reason. You are very responsive to every comment."
"Is that a bad thing? Should I practice being more aloof?" Aloof. Could he really do that? Who did he know that did aloof? There was Neji. He scrunched up his face at the thought. Neji was a good ninja, but he sure didn't want to be like him. There was Sai. He didn't like Sai, so he sure as hell didn't want to be like him. Then there was Sasuke. His brand of aloof certainly attracted the girls, but now knowing what was behind it, he didn't want to be like Sasuke either. He liked being connected to people, and as many as possible. Maybe aloof wasn't for him.
"Please, don't change. I like you just the way you are," Hinata said softly.
He couldn't help himself, he grabbed her hand this time. "You do? Good, because I like you just the way you are, too."
She smiled shyly back at him, and held his hand right back instead of allowing it to rest passively within his grasp.
They completely forgot about the genin trailing behind them as they continued to walk slowly towards the house the monks were supposedly staying, clasped hands swinging between them, and with the same fatuous smile reflected on their faces.