AN: Back to Naruto! By the by, how'd you like that interlude? We went back and forth on what to do for interludes and ended up with the letters. And yes, there will be more. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Japanese words are as follows:
Tokkuri - is the container for sake (flask), the cups are ochoko/choko (more of a culture note, but I don't have time to added the details)
Matte ne - wait…
Na.. nani - wha… what!
PS. We are still making no money from this…
Arc – Transition of Power
Chapter Seven – Legendary Loser
Tonton squirmed in Shizune's arms, her tiny pink body attempting to avoid the rancid puff of tobacco-laced smoke as it blew in their faces. "I know, Tonton, I know. But with any luck your mommy will be done soon," she whispered down to the small pig absentmindedly tightening her grip, her gaze never fully leaving the dirty little gambling bar in which her Mistress had deemed more than appropriate to satisfy both of her favorite vices.
Despite it being only a little past noon, the room was dark and fairly packed, windows shuttered leaving only the lamp light to illuminate the smoke filled room as patrons shuffled between various games. Of course, given where they'd found themselves this time, the small backwater town off the beaten path for just about everyone except for various smuggling rings, it really shouldn't have been all that surprising. Certainly not when this particular grimy little hole in the wall was about as likely to have an actual gambling license as Master Jiraiya was to stop being a peeping tom.
Not that she'd seen her Mistress' teammate in some years, but like her mentor and friend, some people just didn't change, especially not when it came to their favorite vices. But that was fine. Good even, at least from a mental health standpoint. At the end of the day, the stresses that weighed heavily on her fellow ninja required some kind of outlet to remain sane.
Something that would take them away from the near constant death and destruction that could seep into a once healthy mind and rot it until nothing recognizable was left. As it was, a shinobi could go completely mad if they failed to find at least one alternate form of release that wasn't the constant drag of training and fighting and missions. Vice or virtue, it didn't really matter as long as it got them off the battlefield or training grounds for longer than a few hours.
Tonton whined in her arms, her little nose digging into Shizune's shoulder as she protested their move further into the smoky bar. She held the little pig closer, a gentle hand soothing her discomfort as she whispered into the little pig's ears, "Don't worry Tonton, knowing your mother's luck she'll be running out of money and credit very soon." Turning away from the pig, she continued under her breath, "Which is just another problem for another time."
Surveying the scene with practiced ease, Shizune allowed her years as a Jounin, years following one of the three legendary sannin, and years of near constant vigilance against her Mistress' many debt collectors take control. Every detail was categorized. Every sight and scent, no matter how unfortunate, was analyzed. Every action was burned into her memory, no matter how much she would rather not have the image of grown men scratching at their exposed butt cracks and shoving clearly unwashed fingers up their noses permanently etched into her memory. Nothing escaped her highly trained gaze no matter how much she wished some of it would.
Of course, she wasn't just looking for the signs of a skilled shinobi. A first thorough glance had told her there weren't any in the room. No, what had her rapid attention was an entirely different kind of predator. One in which she was unfortunately intimately familiar. He or she would look plain and unassuming, frail even as they hunched over an untouched drink. Eyes weakened by years of reading in low light and hunting in dank bars meant that there would likely be thick wire frames hiding surprisingly sharp eyes, eyes that were beyond keen. Eyes that would spot her Mistress in seconds if given the opportunity. No, what held Shizune's unwavering attention was her search for the ever persistent debt collector. Or even the occasional creditor brought out to collect her Mistress' debt if it was large enough to warrant at least some form of mistrust for the middleman as it, unfortunately, normally was.
'But at least the last few weeks have been relatively quiet,' Shizune thought as her gaze landed on an excessively overweight patron as he reached for one of the pretty servers as she passed. Thankfully, he was already well past inebriated and the young girl slipped easily around his meaty hand without any trouble.
Gaze shifting away from the scene, Shizune remembered the surprisingly good fortune that had allowed her to pay off a majority of her Mistress' creditors. While she certainly hadn't condoned such a risky wager (she had in fact been vehemently opposed to the bet), Lady Tsunade's winnings from the Chuunin Exam Finals had been rather substantial.
'Substantial but certainly not nearly enough to fund her habit,' she thought with a sigh, mentally calculating how much debt her Mistress had already managed to incur within the last week alone. 'If only Lady Tsunade knew when to cash in her chips and give it a rest for awhile, then I wouldn't currently be on the lookout for more debt collectors.'
She almost wished she'd been able to convince her Mistress not to place that absolutely ridiculous bet on Uzumaki-san. Maybe then Konoha, their home, wouldn't have been attacked. And better yet, maybe Lady Tsunade would not currently be on such a reckless bender (she refused to call it a roll when her Mistress hadn't won a single bet, wager or game in the entire month following the attack on Konoha).
But despite her very strong arguments against that impossible wager, her Mistress had placed it. And her Mistress had been one of the very few winners of the longest shot bet in the history of the Chuunin Exams.
Rationally, with the disaster that had followed Tsunade-sama's lucky win, they should have gone back to Konoha. Should have rushed back to assist with the wounded because Kami-sama only knew what state the Konoha Medical Corps had degraded to in her Mistress' absence. Their expertise would have been more than needed. And with the body count alone…
Shizune shivered at the number that had made its way to them. Rumored or not, it was just too high. She could only imagine how much that number had continued to climb without their assistance. Even more than a month later, she knew there was still something they could do to at least ease the suffering, to prevent even more loss.
But her Mistress was just too cynical to care. She'd even nearly snapped at her when Shizune had attempted to gently remind her mentor of one of the first lessons Tsunade-sama had ever taught her. After all, the needs of the many did outweigh the needs of the few or the one especially in this case. But, apparently, Shizune had sounded far too much like Hokuto-sama for her Mistress' comfort.
So instead they'd trekked even farther away from the village so that her Mistress could burn through money they no longer had. "But at least Hokage-sama is safe, Tonton. And Hokuto-sama as well. Your mommy wouldn't have been able to handle a loss like that. Not again." She spoke softly, her gaze finally settling on her Mistress, cheeks flushed red and blue eyes half glazed, fully expecting to see her playing with credits by now. It was slowly approaching that time in the day when they'd have to relocate, her Mistress' line of credit so large that no one at the table would take her bet.
Which was probably why she was so surprised at the actual sight before her, a large stack of ryo which was apparently steadily growing if the collective groans from the table were anything to go by. Tsunade-sama, the legendary loser, was winning… again.
'Oh no. This can't be happening. Not this soon,' Shizune thought worriedly as she quickly surveyed the room once more. Clearly she'd missed something. Something far more nefarious than a few debt collectors because something horrible was on the horizon. Unfortunately, there was nothing new to spot on a second critical look for enemies. There was only the curious pop of brown hair bobbing up and down between tables, cleaning the sticky mess of morning drunkards when he should have been in some kind of school. And the busboy was certainly nothing that would cause a legendary sannin any trouble.
With a small sigh, Shizune turned her gaze back to her friend, who was unfortunately one of those messy morning drunkards. With a pile of ryo by her side, large bills from the looks of it, removing said friend from the building was going to be a near impossible chore. But she could at least return some sobriety to the situation, that certainly might speed up the process.
Striding forward, Tonton still held gently in her arms, Shizune approached the table. Shifting her Mistress' small pig in her grasp, she freed up a hand just enough to pull the warm bottle of sake away. Her mentor batted distractedly at Shizune's arm, but didn't protest, too focused on her gambling buddy as he stepped away from the table, hat in hand.
"Alright, that's it for me. I know when I'm out," the man said, pushing his seat in as Shizune liberated the half full tokkuri from her Mistress.
"Come on Taro-san, don't step out now, the games just getting good," Tsunade-sama stated, her hand missing the man's arm in her overly intoxicated state and brushing lightly against Shizune's hip instead.
"No, not for me," the newly identified Taro-san said as he slipped on his hat, nodding once in Lady Tsunade's direction.
"I'm going to step out too," the other man at the table stated, cheeks just as rosy as her Mistress. "Wife's going to kill me as it is, I shouldn't make it worse," he said as he stood from his spot at the table. "But who would have thought, the Legendary Loser winning hand after hand," he continued wistfully, a shake of his head as he stepped away. "Wife's never going to believe that one," he finished under his breath, Shizune just close enough to catch it.
"Just not my lucky day," Taro-san added as he finally turned to leave.
Shizune frowned at the comment, 'It's not our lucky day either. No, this can't be a good omen.'
"No, no. Stay. I can't keep winning forever," Tsunade-sama urged, attempting to convince her gambling partners one last time. Thankfully, both men declined with another shake of their heads, and Shizune saw the chance for what it was. The perfect opportunity to finally pry her Mistress away from the gambling table, at least for the day.
"Actually, I think we'd better head out too. Don't want to test this lucky streak now do we?" Slipping the tokkuri on the table behind her, Shizune shifted Tonton around in her arms again, ready to bodily pull her Mistress from the seedy bar if she had to, which in all likelihood would be the case. 'We could pay off both Yutaka-san and Toshi-san with this. Be debt free again. For as long as that will last,' Shizune thought as she eyed her Mistress' earnings once more.
"No, Shizune-chan," Tsunade-sama protested, drunkenly brushing off the hand that gripped her shoulder. "Just a couple more hands, then we can go," she continued slumping lower into her seat.
"There's no one left to play with you, Tsunade-sama," Shizune countered as she slipped an arm around her Mistress' waist, gently pulling the inebriated woman from the empty table. "Come on, let's go."
"Matte ne," a new group of patrons called out, drawing the attention of her Mistress as they moved to sit down. "I don't believe the greatest loser of all times can keep it up. Deal me in."
At that, Tsunade-sama sobered a little, just enough to pull out of Shizune's hold and settle her red rimmed gaze on her new challengers. "Now, that's what I'm talking about." Her Mistress grinned recklessly before turning to the nearest bartender, "Round of sake on me."
The roar of deafening laughter that followed sank Shizune's once risen spirits. She knew when she'd lost, it was just so disappointing when she'd come so close to getting her Mistress to do something responsible for once.
Turning towards her, Lady Tsunade took Tonton from her arms, holding her pet pig closely as she spoke, "You'll be my good luck charm won't you, Tonton-chan." The pig nuzzled her mother in response as Shizune sighed at the sight. If she was lucky, Tonton would prove to be just as much as a losing pig as she always was. That was, if they had any luck.
Reluctantly, Shizune slipped away from the table, mind already occupied with worry. What could possibly be out there lurking on the horizon that was so horribly unfortunate that her Mistress would be doing so well in all her bets? What was the new threat? Was it war? The obvious choice given the circumstances.
And sure, she thought that the prospects of another bloody, angry ninja world war was high. The tensions between Kumo and Konoha had only intensified over the last decade. Destitution made even the most rational of men desperate and angry and willing to do terrible things. But impending war couldn't be what lurked in their future. Not when it was one, maybe two years away, sooner if the Hokage didn't try to find some kind of diplomatic solution. It was worrisome, but not immediate. It was…
"Oh," Shizune gasped as a small body collided with her own. Dishes clattered to the floor, and a heavy earthen serving tray clanked hard before sliding just out of reach.
"Ouch," a small voice grumbled as he stared helplessly at his scattered tray. It was the little busboy. Strange, she hadn't seen him coming.
"I'm so sorry," Shizune apologized as she bent over, ready to help the boy pick up his things. She handed a dirty wooden bowl to him as he shook his head already waving off her apology.
"No, it's okay. Really. I should have been paying more attention," he stated, taking the bowl and setting it back on the tray along with the rest of his fallen dishes. "Really, I should know better."
"Still, I am sorry…" she continued with a small smile at the awkwardly charming boy. Trailing off, she waited for him to give her a name.
"Oh no, don't worry about it…" Instead he jumped right into an explanation of why it wasn't a problem, prattling on about some of the rowdier customers in a telling that used his entire body.
Allowing the brown haired boy to continue on his tangent, Shizune eyed him critically. He was young, completely out of place among the slimy day drinkers, her Mistress included. And there were certainly plenty of other places he should have been, in class being the key one.
'He certainly doesn't belong among this crowd,' Shizune thought with a light frown. Personally, Shizune preferred when her Mistress indulged in her vices this early in the morning. Of course that didn't change the fact that well before noon drinkers were not the type of people that a young impressionable child should be surrounded by.
That said, day drinking was really the lesser of two evils. While she abhorred the habit, the general lack of other patrons normally meant that her Mistress lost less money. Even better, the usual clientele this early in the day were generally the stingy pathetic variety with little in the way to bet away. So, when Tsunade-sama lost, and she always lost, she didn't normally lose big. And the sooner she lost, the sooner Shizune could pry her Mistress away from the gambling tables and with any luck, she could do it before happy hour. After happy hour, well, Lady Tsunade was in it for the long haul.
Even so, that didn't explain why this boy was here instead of in class. He was young, sure that much was obvious. And his clothes, second-hand, threadbare and poorly fitted onto his wire thin frame, pointed at a rather unfortunate reason for him to be here instead of learning some valuable skill that could lift him out of poverty. Clearly, he was working because his family couldn't afford otherwise.
'Unless this is all a ruse,' Shizune thought. Knowing as she did that it wasn't all that difficult to fake the appearance of poverty, at least not for a trained ninja or grifter. Her eyes scanned his form closely for any sign of deception, but the boy was just a little too thin and a little too small both signs of mild malnutrition which were much harder to fake. And then there was the barely there crack in his voice, the beginnings of puberty as it just started to break. There was no way he was older than thirteen, but she'd met gifted ninja younger than that. He could easily be one of them.
Still she wasn't getting any particularly malicious vibes from him. He just seemed to be a boy with a habit of running off into extremely long tangents. And yes, it was odd for him to be here, for her to have bumped into him without some kind of warning, but he really didn't seem to have any ill will towards her so she'd let her suspicions go.
After all, everything else seemed to fit. She couldn't detect even the smallest hint of a genjutsu, so his brown hair and dark brown eyes were his own. And based on the length of his femur, he seemed to be the appropriate height. His voice originating from the correct place on his body, she really couldn't find anything wrong with him not even in the loose, easy and unconcerned way he held himself. If he was a trained assassin, then he was clearly unafraid of death or completely overconfident given his lax posture. She'd be able to overpower him in seconds if he even tried to make a move now. No. In all likelihood, he was probably just an underfed boy, untrained in the art of the ninja.
"…So, when a pretty Nee-san like yourself knocks me over, it's definitely an improvement on my day," he finally finished, his fallen items all collected and balanced atop his tray.
"Is that so?"
He nodded eagerly, a wide smile on his face that easily coaxed an equally wide smile to her own. "You know, I'm not sure I got your name in all of that."
He blinked before slapping himself on the head. Laughing nervously, his smile widened a little in embarrassment. "It's Haru, and it's a pleasure to meet you. Jiji's always telling me not to forget that," he replied with a slightly nervous bow of his head.
She tilted her own head in greeting, "Shizune. It's a pleasure." She'd have to rephrase her first thought, his lack of manners, while endearing, could only mean he was an orphan, which better explained why he was working here of all places instead of studying in class.
His smile widen once again, before looking back the way she'd come. Shizune followed his gaze to her Mistress who was visibly in a good mood while the men around her seemed to be frowning in concentration. Shizune worried about his interest, tensing minutely.
"Hey, Nee-san?"
"Hai, Haru-san?"
He scratched his head in confusion, "Why's everyone calling Baa-san a loser? She hasn't lost once, and I would know." There he paused, pointing to his chest as he continued, "I helped open today." He nodded seriously, making sure she understood how responsible he was. "So I'd definitely know, you know 'cause she's practically been here all day. And Baa-san doesn't seem like a Legendary Loser to me."
Shizune relaxed at the question, he didn't know who her Mistress was then. "Well, normally my companion's luck doesn't run so well."
"Oh yeah? Well it's nice of you to still support your partner. You're way nicer than Mr. Bacha's wife. She gets real mad when he loses all the time."
She nodded absentmindedly acknowledging his statement before realizing what Haru-san had assumed about her relationship with her Mistress. Blushing brightly at the assumption, she rushed to correct the boy, "Na…nani? We're not like that!"
"Huh?"
Calming down, the heat slowly leaking from her still red face, she tried again to clarify the situation, "I mean that Tsunade-sama is my mentor, my teacher, not my life partner. Not that there's anything wrong with that, except for I'm sure Lady Tsunade would make a horrible life partner what with all the drinking and gambling and occasional cursing when she's on a particularly nasty losing streak. And…" She forced herself to shut up, realizing that she was just rambling in her embarrassment.
"Oh? So, you're not seeing anyone then?" he questioned, batting his large brown eyes up at her causing her to smile in return.
"Unfortunately for you, I do have a height requirement."
At that statement his wide grin transformed into a pout forcing a soft laugh from Shizune's lips at the sight. "Shouldn't you be in class? I'm sure you'd find some pretty girls your age there."
He shrugged. "Gotta eat," he admitted nonchalantly. "I don't have time for classes and stuff like that." He looked away, gaze landing back on her Mistress almost longingly. Shizune followed his gaze, but his face didn't move with Tsunade-sama. No, on closer inspection he seemed to be looking at Tonton. "Besides, you don't need school to sweep floors or wash dishes. Don't need any help with those either," he grumbled. Clearly, what school work he did end up doing was giving him some difficulties.
"No, I suppose you don't." She paused then, looking him over for a moment before extending an offer. He seemed, after all, perfectly harmless. A little lonely, but definitely harmless. "Why don't you bring your homework to our motel room? I can help you with the tough problems." He looked like he was going to refuse, his gaze shifting back to Tonton. "And, you can play with Tonton."
"Tonton, the pig?" he asked hopefully.
"Hai, she's very cuddly."
He smiled wide in response. Opening his mouth to reply, but was interrupted before he could say anything.
"Oi! Haru, stop yapping to the customers and get back to work. I don't pay you to slack off."
"Hai!" he replied, jumping a little in his spot, before running off. "Oh yeah," he said before stopping halfway to the back room. "Dinner's on you, Nee-san," he replied, throwing the statement over his shoulder before hurrying the rest of the way across the room.
"Super Awesome chronicles of the amazing Ninjas of Konoha part one…"
One hand ghosted lightly across the small buttons of the recorder, easily finding the right one Naruto clicked once, the tape whining as it sped through his own words. He wasn't listening for that.
"That's kind of a mouthful boss man," he mumbled, eyes rolling as he mimetic his clone's words. While he liked starting from the beginning, some parts still annoyed him.
Fingers fiddling with the small machine, he shifted his thumb to hit play.
"Uzumaki-kun, I was pleased to receive your letter. I only regret that I could not respond sooner… " Hinata-hime's voice floated from the machine and he nodded to himself once, congratulating himself on getting so close to the start of her letter. He hadn't missed anything important.
A sigh slipped past his lips as he listened to her apology like it did every time he heard it. Of course he knew she was busy. She didn't need to be sorry for that. Absentmindedly, he allowed her words to wash over him as he remembered his original response. How he'd taken the time to assure her that she didn't need to apologize for anything. He was just happy to hear her voice.
"…From you letter, it appears as if you are partaking in quite the adventure. One of which I find I am quite envious as Nara-san and myself seem unable to quit the city. Please, do not be alarmed by this fact. I am in good health. As of yet, I have not been accosted by dragons. At least not dragons of any physical nature, however, the Daimyo has expressed an ardent interest in keeping us in the city. It was, of course, a request that I could not refuse…"
Naruto grumbled quietly to himself. Upset on his best friend's behalf as he listened to her description of what could only be forced captivity. He sighed at the thought wondering again why Jiji couldn't seem to do anything about it. He was upset, not really at Jiji or the Daimyo, but at himself. He couldn't do anything to help his best friend. He was here, and she was there. At least they had these messages. He knew he enjoyed them. Enjoyed listening to the soft rise and fall of her voice. Loved it even. Listening to the soothing quality of her voice, even if it wasn't filled with all that emotional stuff that normally helped him follow a conversation.
And it was almost like she was here. If he closed his eyes and just listened. It was almost like she was right beside him telling him about her day. It was nice. She was nice. Probably way too nice if her letter was anything to go by. After all, who sat through boring meetings all day without one complaint?
Her words continued to slip past him, most not really registering. Which was fine. He didn't really need to hear every word. Not when he could just listen to the recording again, like he was now.
"…As for your mastery of disguise, I do hope you are not referring to the infiltration of the Hyuuga Military Police Force security buildings during the Fire Festival of the founder's year one hundred and one. If you were admitting to some wrong doing then I would be forced to report such involvement; however, I am confident you had nothing to do with that particular risk to Konoha security…"
Naruto blushed lightly at the statement, unable to stop the color from rising to his cheeks despite this not being the first time he'd heard the teasing comment. He wasn't ashamed of his pranking days. He had, by the end, been near impossible to catch and certainly not in the act. But this was his best friend, so he would eventually have to tell her about those crazy days. Just maybe after the statues were up on the majority of his offenses. He certainly didn't want to be punished for it. Especially not when Jiji had said if he didn't get caught then it wouldn't be his fault, or something to that effect. Even then, he could still see Hinata-hime making him give a formal apology to her uncle.
'And Hyuuga Bossman would probably deserve one, just for all the gray hairs,' Naruto thought as her words soon came to an end, the cadence of her voice quickly replaced by familiarity of his own.
"Okay so Awesome Ninja Letters Part 2…"
His finger already on the button, Naruto fast forwarded through his section again. He didn't need to hear it again. Not this soon. Not when it hadn't even been two hours since he'd last played the recordings in its entirety. He knew what he'd said. That and he got off on tangents like a lot. No really, it was embarrassingly often. Clearly it had been a while since his last prank because he'd all but forgotten how annoying it was to listen to his own tangents. Although Hinata-hime had yet to complain, so maybe it wasn't so bad…
"…founder's year one hundred and three at 2220 hours. Uzumaki-kun, it would appear that Nara-san and I will be remaining in the capital for the foreseeable future. In that regard, Tatsuki-san arranged for our relocation to one of the formerly empty Hyuuga Clan apartments. The move was quick and efficient, however, as we had anticipated a significantly abbreviated stay within the city, there were a number of items that required procurement from Konoha. The last of those articles arrived this morning while I was otherwise engaged with the Daimyo…"
Naruto's frown returned at the mention of the old man holding his best friend hostage. He sure hoped she had a way to combat all that boredom that he just knew she was experiencing. What he wouldn't do to find some way to help.
"Well, at least she has Mr. Purple to brighten up her new place," Naruto mumbled to himself, remembering the good fortune he'd lucked into when his clone, he couldn't remember his chosen name but his clone didn't know that, had come across the begonias rex, or painted-leaf begonia, while he'd been chasing butterflies. Sure, Naruto had been a little peeved considered that clone was supposed to be working on the latest wind chakra exercise, but the plant had been pretty and it seemed like the perfect gift to give his best friend to brighten up her day. "Plus, nothing quite says home away from home like a nice begonia." And he definitely knew how good it felt to be a little less out of place in one's own home.
"…the information you sent in your last correspondence concerning Inari-san is more than adequate for suggested literature. As Inari-san is of similar age to Hanabi-chan, I have a list of a number of appropriate works that he may enjoy already prepared. If it is appropriate, I will have Yuusuke-san send copies to him directly…"
With a click, the tape wound back, spinning to hear the familiar lift of her voice, "…offer any guidance on the villagers of Wave's desires to construct a statue in your likeness. Of the Ten Noble Families only one holds the practice of immortalizing one's likeness in stone socially acceptable. With the exception of the Valley of New Beginnings, there exist no statue of a member of the First Family in Fire Nation. If, however, the idea makes you uncomfortable, then I suggest you continue with your current course of action and delay the project. I am confident that the people of Wave will understand. On a slightly different note, the information you sent in your last correspondence concerning Inari-san is…"
Closing his eyes, he focused on the steady cadence of her voice just listening to every slight uptick and low hum as they washed over him. Like this, his surroundings forgotten practically nonexistent beyond the closed lids of his eyes, he could see his best friend. Her body held stiffly, back ramrod straight and hands tucked neatly in the sleeves of her haori as she focused her unwavering attention squarely on him. That intense focus evident even behind the thick folds of her black blindfold.
And sure, it was a little harder to pick out the little things when he couldn't see her. When he couldn't see the slight tilt of her head or shifting of her shoulders. Couldn't see all the small signals that magnified what she normally left unsaid. But he was quickly finding that he didn't really need all that. Not when he was beginning to catch the little inflections coloring her voice. Each lift in her tone just as illuminating to the underlying emotion of each statement as any slight change in her body language had ever been.
Of course he really shouldn't have been so surprised. Not when he'd basically had her voice playing on repeat for the last week or so, listening to her letters as often and as frequent as humanly possible and wishing he could listen more. So yeah, it totally made sense that the slight almost nonexistent changes of her voice were getting easier and easier to identify. So much so in fact that he was beginning to chastise himself for ever thinking that her tone had ever been devoid of emotion.
No, he definitely didn't need to just rely on what his eyes told him when it came to his best friend. He didn't need to because Hinata-hime may say a world of words without actually uttering any, but when she did speak there seemed to be just as much depth if not more. She was…
"…Well I would have if I hadn't been interrupted!"
Naruto startled at the sound of his own voice, eyes snapping open as he quickly sped through his argument with his clones. Sometimes he wondered how Hinata-hime could stand the near constant back and forth because sometime even he wanted to tear his hair out.
"…unfortunately my time rarely affords an opportunity to partake in freshly made foods; however, one of my new retainers has expressed cooking as an ardent pastime. As a result, Nara-san and I now rely less on takeout then in the previous weeks. Of course if you believe that a pasta maker is imperative, Uzumaki-kun, then I shall have one ordered immediately to give Minoru-san the option of using it if he so chooses…"
'That's better,' Naruto thought as he settled back into his spot, the grass cushioning his head as he stared up at the sky peeking out behind the trees. Like this he could focus solely on the sound of Hinata-hime's voice. Could spot the slight tinge of humor as she teased him over his prankster days. Could smile at her pleasant surprise at finding a good challenge in a game of go against Shikamaru.
Hinata-hime was full of emotions just simmering beneath the surface. And every lift and dip of her voice reflected that. In some ways, deciphering the emotions hidden beneath her words was just as rewarding as reading the small shifts of her body. Each movement of her voice carrying a different feeling, deep with hidden meaning. They were the words left unsaid because of silly Hyuuga decorum.
Well, he heard them. He heard the joy and the hidden laughter and the sly amusement and the deep disappointment filtered around the endless frustration. They weren't just apart of her body language. They were here too, in her voice. And he'd just needed to listen in order to catch what his best friend truly meant when she spoke to him.
Speaking of listening. He'd have to remember to dig a little deeper into the Jiji issue and figure out what he was doing because none of this sounded like the old man. No, it just didn't make sense. Not helping his people avoid what could only be the most boring conversation at hand when it really didn't seem necessary. Jiji just didn't seem worried enough about how long the Daimyo was keeping one of his ninja.
'Okay, two of his ninja,' Naruto corrected as he once again remembered that Shikamaru was the lucky bastard that got to be his best friend's Chuunin partner. He wasn't jealous. Honestly. He was just a little annoyed that Jiji had listened to Ero-sannin instead of himself when he'd been explaining why he'd get more out of partnering with Hinata-hime and not hanging around a perverted old man.
Okay, so maybe Jiji's decision to make him leave with the pervert made sense. After all, when you needed to find someone, then it was always best to use the best ninja you had for the job. And really, Jiji couldn't find anyone better. But still, that didn't change the fact that he'd missed out on partnering with his best friend.
Looking away from the bright blue sky above him, Naruto frowned as he eyed the surrounding area. He didn't have a clone in sight, sealing practice having fallen to them today. Sighing deeply he shrugged his disappointment away. 'Oh well, I'll just have to remember to make a note with a clone when they get back.'
Right now, he was more concerned with listening to Hinata-hime's letters. Smiling to himself, he followed Hinata-hime's voice again. This was the part where she talked about Hanabi-chan. His smile widen. He loved listening to Hinata-hime speak, but he probably loved hearing her say his name with so much affection even more. Especially because she usually reserved that affection for when she spoke about her little sister.
'Hinata-hime's such a great big sister, and Hanabi-chan sounds super awesome. But we can't let the stuffy Hyuuga decorum limit little Hanabi-chan's fun. We'll have to get her something really good. Maybe something loud. Or something that explodes just to liven up the Hyuuga Compound.'
"…When I was younger I tended to a bonsai tree with my mother, however, as of late I have had limited opportunity to do more than indulge in a short walk through the Hyuuga zen gardens on occasion. However, do not despair the Hyuuga zen gardens are perhaps some of the best zen gardens in all of Fire Nation. As such, the experience is more than enjoyable."
"On that note, I look forward to giving you a proper tour of the Hyuuga Compound. While you have managed to infiltrate the Compound already, I doubt your concern with avoiding detection would have afforded you an opportunity to adequately appreciate your surroundings. Unless you are vehemently opposed to the idea, I shall have Tatsuki-san schedule the tour at her earliest convenience."
Naruto waited patiently through the familiar pause, excited at the prospect of exploring the Hyuuga Compound with his best friend. That would certainly be a day to remember.
"It may have been forward of me to send a gift, however, I hope you find the charm agreeable. Upon hearing about your difficulties and hesitation with delving into the art of meditation, I felt I might encourage the habit by addressing some of your concerns.
"As a novice in the art of meditation you may find it more beneficial to have a focal point in order to further ground your thoughts into one specific location. I have been informed that the charm I have sent you is a rather endearing effigy of an orange fox. It was my desire that such a charm would bring you some form of pleasant sensation. Additionally, it may please you to learn that Hanabi-chan also has a small focal item in similar effigy, although her charm is in a more appropriate white."
Naruto clutched the small charm in his hand, a small smile on his face as he thought of Hinata-hime's thoughtfulness. He had no doubt that little Hanabi-chan's meditation charm had also been a gift from her big sister. It was just like his best friend to be this nice.
"While I understand your hesitation to agree with your sensei, meditation does hold many favorable attributes, many from which I believe you would greatly benefit. The activity allows for a calmness of mind and clarity of focus that could only enhance the quality of your training. Additionally, proper meditation can alleviate stress while also increasing your deductive capabilities. And while I am sure that Ji-sama would not approve, meditation also increases your creativity and energy levels. As your friend, I would be remiss if I did not encourage you to continue your foray into the art of meditation. Although, as the leader of my clan perhaps I should discourage the practice."
Naruto could feel the restrained laughter at Hinata-hime's words. A short pause filling the space where he knew she had said everything there was to say, everything she would say out loud anyway. Her reluctance mirrored his own, and for a moment he wondered how she saw his voice in these messages.
"I fear I must attend to other business before the day can truly end. I greatly appreciate the unique perspective that you bring to any situation as I find it invaluable as I move forward with my own decisions. As for the Hokage, I shall keep your words in mind as I proceed with further interactions. As always, I patiently await your next correspondence. Sincerely… Hinata."
As the recorder cut off, Naruto contemplated rewinding to listen for just a little while longer. After all, these were the moments that made him warm and happy, the light teasing quality of her voice never failing to bring a smile to his face. And yeah, his heart did ache a little at the sound of her farewell, reluctant in the heavy pause before she bid him goodnight, but even then, all that did was motivate him more to send a quick reply.
Sighing heavily, Naruto placed the recorder in his pocket. For now he needed to get back to work and stop procrastinating. While he hated meditation training, Hinata-hime had a great point. This wasn't just busy work. This was how he'd become stronger. And he had to become stronger. Hinata-hime wouldn't wait for him. She couldn't afford to. Nodding to himself, Naruto let one more thought of his correspondence with Hinata-hime cross his mind. Tonight, he'd send his reply, hopefully he'd have something interesting to tell her. After all, the Legendary Loser was still out there waiting to be found by all his awesomeness. Until then, he needed to get back to training.