Dear Hinata,
That damn Ero-sensei! He's been reading our letters! Not that I'm embarrassed or anything, it's just the idea behind it! He doesn't need to be doing that! So don't write anything that might embarrass you, he'll never let you forget about it.
Anyway, it's been busy the past few weeks. To make a bit of money we were helping patrol this forest, when we found a bandit camp. Well, stumbled into it really. But it wasn't my fault, Ero-sensei was going on and on and on about this next book he was writing, and kept asking all sorts of questions. Like I'd know anything about it, I'm no writer.
But anyway, we were walking, and I was distracted so I didn't notice the tripwire. It sounded an alarm and suddenly we were surrounded by bandits, at least fifty of them! Jiraiya told them we were just passing through, no harm no foul, right guys? They didn't bother talking, just attacked.
You know, because he's such a pervert and he holds back when we spar, I keep forgetting how dangerous he really is. I fought and defeated several of them, but he beat the rest of the bandits in seconds. Every punch or kick shattered bones, crippling or killing in a single strike, and then he started mixing in ninjutsu. He turned his hair into flying needles that went through armor like nothing, sprayed oil from his mouth and then breathing fire, creating spikes from the ground, clones using rasengans, all of it within moments! And the scariest part was after we were done, he wasn't sweating or even breathing hard, it was like he didn't even have to try!
Later when we reported the attack, the guys who went with to see where it happened didn't believe us! They looked at the area where we fought, and insisted it had to have been a fight between two bandit groups. I started getting mad about it trying to tell them we did it, and Jiraiya just laughed and said not to worry about it.
I really wonder how much he holds back when we fight. Actually, I might not want to know. I'll just keep training and catch him someday.
Time for sleep,
Naruto
Dear Naruto,
That sounds like it was scary! I couldn't even imagine facing that many bandits, let alone walking away fine. You are okay, right? You would tell me if something happened? I worry about you, even though I know you're being careful, things can happen, and that's really what scares me. To suddenly not receive any letters, not knowing if you're just away from any towns or if something terrible happened to you.
I know it sounds silly, but when you think of something like that, it just keeps bothering you. I said something about it to Sakura, she just laughed and said you're too stubborn to die. Tsunade-sama heard us talking and said Jiraiya's probably stronger than her and would keep you safe.
Anyway, on to less disturbing things! You said Jiraiya-san used his hair to attack? How does that even work? Isn't it too thin to be dangerous, unless you're very accurate like with a senbon needle? Hehe, would he go bald if he did that too often?
Also, what do you think of girls with long hair? I've been letting mine grow and want another opinion. The funny thing is, when I see Neji's hair I cringe whenever I think of how hard he works at keeping it looking nice. Yet at the same time because it looks so nice, I want to grow mine long but worry that it won't look good on me.
Speaking of Neji, he's been helping with my training, and he talks a lot more now. He won't admit it, but he's a lot friendlier now, I think he's taken to heart some of your never give up attitude ever since you two fought at the chunin exams. He rarely mentions destiny or fate now, and often talks about how things can change and how to ensure that changes made are for the best of everyone. At this rate you're going to have another challenger for the title of Hokage!
Please stay safe,
Hinata
Dear Hinata,
Relax, I won't die until I become Hokage! You don't need to worry about me though, I'm being careful. And I promised I'd return, so I will no matter what!
I asked Jiraiya about his hair attack thing and if he'd go bald. He said that was a stupid idea. I kept asking him about it because, well, he'd look really funny if he was bald. He finally got annoyed and explained how it works. His hair doesn't really fly out, it's just what the chakra shape is created from. Which made me think of throwing a rasengan, and Jiraiya thinks that could be possible but he doesn't know how. Maybe he'll help me figure that out sometime.
Uh. I've never really thought about if a girl looks better with long or short hair? I guess it depends on the girl? I think it depends on how they are as a person too. I mean, a girl who acts like a boy all the time would seem kind of odd with long hair. Or a really old lady with a buzz cut offering cookies and milk would seem strange too. I think what's most important is how a girl is on the inside. I don't know, I guess you got an advantage over everyone, since you're beautiful on the inside and on the outside. So you'd look great with long or short hair, but it's not what I think or anyone else thinks, you should decide if you want long hair. Your opinion matters the most.
Stupid pervert teacher. I asked him and he said something about carpets and drapes. Not sure what he meant, but he had that perverted grin on his face again. But I have to go now, he just said we're leaving early. He was caught peeping. Again.
You better stay safe also,
Naruto
P.S. I'm going to be the sixth hokage, so Neji's got no chance. But if he really wants to be hokage, that's cool, but he can do it after I retire. I'll just make him do all the paperwork for me as 'training'.
Hinata kept reading and rereading the part where Naruto said she was beautiful, let out a small squeak of happiness, and fainted.
"Hanabi, what are you doing?" Neji looked at the young girl who was doing... something... to her older sister's hand.
"Sis just fainted on the couch and I'm trying to see why. But she has a death grip on this letter and I can't get it without tearing it!"
"I see..." Neji activated his byakugan and almost smiled when he read the letter. Hanabi will figure it out sooner or later. Maybe.
Dear Naruto,
Things have been busy here. Father has started teaching me more about the business side of the clan. It's a lot to take in, I never realized how much he did without anyone seeing or even noticing. There's tons of things we have investments in. Like several of the clothing shops, father helps decide on what product lines would sell best, where and when to buy inventory, or even the shipment routes themselves! I guess I always took it for granted and never knew what he did, I just knew he was friends with a lot of important people. I never wondered how or why he was.
Running a clan like the Hyuga is expensive, the monthly costs for food alone is unbelievable. There's lists and budgets for everything and everything. There's even budgets for standard medical expenses, detailed all the way down to bandages and their cost per size. But somehow he keeps track of everything, on paper and in his head. When he was explaining everything he barely even glanced at any of the papers we were reading but knew exactly what they said. I would need at least two people helping. I don't know how he does it, between the management here and maintaining good relations with companies in other villages, there's just too much to keep track of!
Hmm, I think Father has that perfect memory or something, whatever it's called. It would explain how he always knows everything that's happening in the clan. I really hope not though. I'll have to test it by asking him about something really obscure and minor, like how Hanabi and I used to secretly blow raspberries in greeting. I was so embarrassed that day! I thought it was Hanabi coming into the room, but it was father! I mean, we were little kids, but it's rude to do that to your parents!
Talk more later,
Hinata
P.S. I've decided to keep letting my hair grow out. When you return home you'll have to let me know if you like it.
Dear Hinata,
So you're taking over for your dad already? That's awesome! It sounds really busy. I've never been part of a clan so I don't know what all it involves. But it sounds like a lot, I asked Ero-Sensei, and he said it's a lot of work and kind of like being hokage, but for your family. So it sounds like we both have a lot of work ahead of us. You'll be 'Hinata, Hokage of the Hyuga', and I'll be 'Naruto, Hokage of the Leaf'. Eh. Needs work I guess.
And I'm sorry for not writing sooner, but I kinda got into some trouble. We stopped in this one town where they were fixing a dam, and we agreed to help work on it. No big deal right? It wasn't like it couldn't be fixed or anything, I didn't BREAK it break it! Oh, oops. Sorry about that. Let me explain.
During one of the breaks while we were working, me and Ero-Sensei were sparring. The other people working usually watch, they'd never really talked with ninja before we stopped by. Guess I'm just used to there being lots of ninja, being from a ninja village and all.
But when we spar, it's really intense. I'm always expected to go at Sensei trying to kill him and he, well, he beats the snot out of me. I lose every time. Badly. It's not even funny how bad it is.
But anyway, while we were sparring, I got the idea to use two rasengan, one in each hand. But Jiraiya seen it coming and dodged, then threw me across the area. I hit the dam with both rasengans and kind of, well... blew most of it apart. So there were lots of angry people, we had to rebuild the whole dam for free and I also had to help fix all the rice fields that were flooded and messed up because of the water.
So I'm sorry I couldn't write sooner, we were really busy. Next time I'll use a clone to surprise attack Jiraiya, I'll win for sure, and you'll have to come help Tsunade put him back together.
PPPPTTTTTHHHHBBBBTTTTT! (Guess that should have been used for hello!)
Naruto
PPPTTTTHHHBBBTTTT!
The other day was really awkward and embarrassing. But it was nice in it's own way also. I'll have to explain a bit so it makes sense.
I've started traveling with Father sometimes when he goes to visit important people or clients. It means I haven't been working with my team as much, but Kiba and Shino understand since they're starting to learn more about their clans too. It's kind of sad, I hope we don't become all distant and never see each other. And Father won't even talk about his old team. I asked one time who his old teammates were and all he would say was they fell in battle. I wonder who they were and why he won't talk about them? Sorry, I got distracted a bit.
So I've been working more with Father, and we went to the Land of Hot Water. I'd been there a couple times on missions. If you haven't been there you really should go, the hot springs there are wonderful. But we met with Takiga, a nobleman there who always supplies several stores with all kinds of silk. Since Takiga was an important client and nobility, it was a formal occasion with lots of guests, speeches, a big dinner, dancing, and all sorts of things. I can't dance though. Probably a good thing, I'd hate to offend someone by stepping on their foot or tripping.
But it'd been a while since I had worn any of my dresses, and the one I picked out was too small. I'd... umm... almost grown out it since the last time I wore that one. I can't say it, but that explains it, mostly. At least it was slightly stretchy so I could still wear it. I really should have packed other dresses also instead of just my usual shinobi clothes. I spent most of the night trying to not draw attention and avoiding talking to people, I didn't want to look bad in front of my father or as a Hyuga representative.
After we met with people and had dinner, Takiga and Father started talking business in his office. It was about stuff I didn't know much about, so I just watched and listened. Takiga's really tall, and really old. And as they talked, Father started glaring at the man with the byakugan. He wasn't even trying to hide it. At first I thought daddy was being really rude, especially since he was someone important, but I realized where Takiga was busy staring down at. So much that he didn't even notice father was angry. My dress uh, (this is embarrassing even to write) it was a little too tight and caused the neckline to be stretched out more than it should be. And the man wasn't even trying to be subtle! He just kept staring at me while they talked, and I didn't know what to do! My father suddenly took some papers off Takiga's desk and tore them up, right in front of the guy! Daddy told him off, and finally said that if he so much as thought about leering at his daughter like that again, he'd bring the entire Hyuga clan to have a talk! Takiga was really surprised and started talking about how he couldn't just do that, but we ignored him and left. I thought father was angry at me for what happened and apologized, but he patted me on the head said I did nothing wrong, and I shouldn't ever have to put up with men like that. He also said that while the dress looked nice, I should save it for less formal occasions.
We talked about random things most of the way home. Daddy might not show it very often, but he really does care about us.
Hope you're still safe!
Hinata
P.S. I'm sorry this letter is so long, and kind of embarrassing, but I wanted to tell you how awesome my dad sometimes is.
Dear Hinata,
Hey, I kinda got in trouble here and need a huge favor. Ero-Sensei is mad at me and refuses to help, says I need to learn my lesson. I got to keep this short since they don't know I'm writing this.
We visited the Land of Hot Water probably about a month after you were here. Sucks, we could have met up. But I got into an argument about behaving like a gentleman with a certain mutual pervert friend of Jiraiya's. While we were discussing manners, I... kinda accidentally destroyed half his house and uh, might have slightly put him in the hospital at the same time?
And it turns out, the chakra absorption seals they use here are REALLY strong, it took several tries to even get a summon to work. Breaking out and making a run for it isn't an option.
So would you please, PLEASE! ask old lady Tsunade to send bail money?
In Hot Water in the Land of Hot Water,
Naruto
P.S. Gamatatsu agreed to deliver this since I can't mail anything at the moment. Please give him something to eat and drink too, I'll owe you one.
Hinata blinked, and read the letter again. She couldn't help it and started laughing, then smiled at the little yellow toad.
"Thank you Gamatatsu-kun. It is an honor to finally meet you. I wish we had time to talk, but I need to speak with my father about this right away. Please, go down that hall to the kitchen, and someone will get you dinner and something to drink before you leave."
The toad looked up at her. "So you'll help him out? Thank you Hyuga-san! Naruto wasn't kidding when he said you were really nice and pretty."
Hinata blushed and went to talk to her father, who actually grinned when he read the letter. "Remind me to thank that boy when he returns to the village. And Hinata, just this once you can help him, but please sign the check as 'The Hyuga Daughter'.
Author's note: This was originally two chapters I wrote on lunch break. After reading what I've posted so far I decided to combine them into one. The previous two chapters seemed too short. I'm going to leave them as they are, yet I can't help but feel they should have been made into a single chapter. Sorry about that guys.
And I'm still not quite happy with the way some parts flow (or don't), and may have to edit them later. Or not, I don't know. Writer's block is hitting me hard, and I suspect it's trying to pick up the desk and hit me with that too. I don't like the idea of going back and editing after uploading, that's something I feel should be done before it's uploaded.
After this update, I intend to release chapters weekly, since I'm about to start uploading chapters to another story, the one this idea came from. That should give enough time to write, proofread, and for good measure, repeat a few times for both stories.