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====Chapter Seven====
Hinata stripped down to her undergarments and stood and looked at herself in the mirror for a while. She examined her body for a moment, sighed and continued to undress. She took one last look at her naked body before stepping into Kurenai's bath.
-Hanabi...-
-Were you telling the truth?..-
-I don't... Want to believe it. But why would she lie?..-
She brushed her side-hair backwards and placed it behind her ear and leaned back her head, resting it on the mosaic wall behind her. She pulled up her legs and wrapped her arms around her knees.
-Naruto...-
Hinata sat there thinking about all sorts of things until she heard Kurenai knock on the door.
"Hinata? You've been in the bath for a while now. Are you alright?"
Hinata looked down at her knees. She had barely washed up at all since she went in.
She started washing herself.
"Mmm.. I'll be out in a minute.."
Kurenai was leaning over her balcony railing. She turned around when she heard Hinata walking out of the bathroom. She sat down on her sofa and gestured for Hinata to sit next to her.
Hinata sat down.
"Thank you for letting me stay over Sensei.. I really appreciate it.."
"Of course sweetheart."
Kurenai smiled.
"You and your father both need this to think things over."
"A-about father..."
Hinata fidgeted a bit.
"When I walked past him, I was sure he would try to stop me..."
She looked at Kurenai.
"D-did you use genjutsu to stop him?"
Kurenai looked at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Oh dear child no. Ha ha ha ha ha"
Hinata looked at her with widened eyes.
"N-no?.."
She looked at Kurenai while she laughed.
"T-then why didn't he do anything?"
"I told you i knew how to handle him"
She smiled and leaned back her head on the top of the couch back.
"..."
Hinata felt embarrassed for asking her.
Kurenai glanced over at Hinata.
"I like your new look"
"It fits you"
Hinata looked at her confused.
She then saw her reflection in the glass window of a cabinet.
She quickly brushed her hair to cover her ears and placed her hands on her knees and looked down at the floor while blushing.
Kurenai leaned forwards and lifted Hinata's hair for a moment, exposing her ears again.
"Seriously, you have cute ears."
She smiled.
"Trust me. He would like it.."
She then let go of her hair again and smiled.
Hinata's face turned red.
"..."
Kurenai smiled and looked out her window. They sat there a while before Kurenai bursted into laughter again.
"You seriously thought I used genjutsu on your father? Ha ha ha ha"
Hinata felt even more embarrassed again. But managed a small giggle.
Naruto wandered the town aimlessly for a while, hands in his pocket. Pouting.
He stopped at a park and laid down on the thick grass, hands behind his head. Staring up at the twinkling stars above.
"..."
He furrowed his eyebrows.
A moment passed.
"Argh!"
With a quick motion Naruto furiously sat up.
Pulling at the grass with his hands.
"What is happening?!"
He exclaimed.
"I cannot actually believe a parent can just decide something like this for another person..
Even if it's his child or not.. It's just not right.."
He sighed.
"Something troubling you boy?"
Naruto flew to his feet as the voice came from the shadows.
He quickly looked around.
"Who's there?"
A slender frame slowly stepped from the shadows towards him.
"No need to alarm yourself dear boy~"
Before him stood a beautiful woman in a long dark indigo yukata, her chocolate colored hair tied up in a bun with ornamental hair-sticks poking trough.
She gave him a soft grin.
"Everything alright?~"
"I-I'm fine.."
He flustered at this gorgeous beauty.
She took a gentle step towards him.
"ooh?.. Is that so? I'd say you look a little down in the dumps tonight"
She looked him over, from top to toe, clearly focusing on his quite obvious muscles.
"Anything little me could do to make it all better?~"
Slightly poking her chest out and pouting her lips as she says so.
Naruto looked flustered
"I-"
"Oh-ho ho!"
A voice interrupted Naruto as he was about to speak.
Towards them, with sloppy walking and a big grin stumbled a slightly drunk Jiraiya.
"There you are young pad..Padaw... Bah!"
He hiccuped.
"I lost track of you for a while there"
Naruto looked confused.
"Young pada-what?"
"Nevermind that"
He patted him on the head.
"Is this her then?"
He smiled at the woman.
"What?"
Naruto exclaimed.
"What do you mean?"
Jiraiya leaned towards him and whispered.
"She sure is a stunner this one, I can see what had you all flustered before"
"What are you even talking about?"
Naruto looked confused.
Jiraiya leaned towards the woman.
"Hello there, my name is Ji-"
His eyes narrowed as he noticed a peculiar symbol on her yukata. The symbol depicted a woman standing infront of a large moon.
He looked at the woman for a while.
"I know you.."
The woman grinned.
"As you should.. Master-Jiraiya"
She winked.
Jiraiya laughed stoutly.
"Naruto!"
He slapped him on his shoulder.
"Never would I thought you to be accompanied by a woman of the moon!"
He flashed a large grin.
"A-a what?
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"No need to play coy my boy"
He slapped him on the shoulder a few more times.
Naruto just stood there and looked confused.
"..."
Jiraiya looked at him.
He peered at the woman, who shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
Jiraiya looked at Naruto again, who at this point looked like a giant question mark.
"Ha-ha-ha!"
Jiraiya let out a huge gut-felt laugh.
He took a moment to think. And then leaned in towards Naruto again.
"Do you know who this woman is? Hmm?"
Naruto looked at him.
"No, no I don't. Who is she?"
Jiraiya grinned.
"She is a powerful kunoichi, working for a incredibly strong clan called The Women of The Moon, they're sort of mercenaries. If you'd like"
Naruto widened his eyes and looked at her, and back to Jiraiya.
"Really? Amazing, is she really that strong?!"
Jiraiya grinned.
"Yes!, but, you can't talk about it with her. It's one of their codes."
He glanced over at the woman, whom at this point seemed a bit bored.
"And as a matter of fact, this comes at the perfect moment"
Naruto looked at him.
"For what?"
"Well.."
Jiraiya whispered.
"I am in the need of help.. I've been assigned to protect some wares in a cottage just outside the village tonight.. Unfortunately some other urgent business has surfaced, and I wont be able to retain that contract.."
He glanced at the woman again.
"But maybe if you could help with that?"
Naruto widened his eyes at the proposal.
"Really?"
He paused for a moment.
-This could be a good chance for me to cool off.. And think about things..-
"Yeah, I'd gladly help"
Naruto put his hands behind his head and grinned.
"Tell me more about the mission!"
"Urhm, ah.. Well, you see the employer was delayed.. and um.. had heard rumors about people planning to rob his.. cotta- Wares that he stores in his cottage. And, apparently according to the rumors.. that is going to happen sometime between tonight.. until tomorrow night.."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as he looked at Naruto, not sure if his lie struck true.
Naruto perked up.
"Well we'd better hurry!"
Jiraiya let out a sigh.
"Y-yes, you'd better!"
"Just hang on a moment and let me see if she's interested in the job"
The woman who looked as if she was just about to leave gave Jiraiya a humorous look as he walked up to her.
"sooo?~.."
Jiraiya leaned close to her and whispered.
"He thinks you're going on a mission to secure some wares..."
The woman raised an eyebrow.
"Just.. Just go along with it, but slowly entice him.. Make it seem natural, but make it good"
"He doesn't know.. Keep it that way.."
The woman raised her eyebrow again and looked towards Naruto.
She rolled her eyes at Jiraiya and held out her hand.
Naruto watched as the two mumbled a bit more, and as Jiraiya handed her a quite hefty bag of coin.
Jiraiya walked towards Naruto.
"Alright, she's secured. I've told her the location. She'll lead you there."
Naruto looked excited.
"Alright! Let's get going!"
Jiraiya watched as the two of them walked out of the park.
He grinned. Looking quite proud of himself.
Hinata sat on Kurenai's couch, combing her hair as Kurenai stepped out into the living room in a nightgown.
"Hinata honey, are you sure you don't want the bed? After what you've been trough i'm perfectly comfortable taking the couch."
Hinata shook her head.
"No, no. It's fine. Y-you've done so much already, I couldn't possibly do that.."
She let out a soft smile.
Kurenai sighed.
"Well, alright. But do not hesitate to ask if you change your mind, alright?. I mean it."
"And don't hesitate if there is anything else, okay? Anything."
Hinata smiled.
"I-i wont. I promise..."
"Thank you so much.."
Kurenai patted her on the head and smiled.
"Always honey."
"Now, i'm not stopping you from staying up too late, but.. Yeah, be sure to get some rest."
Hinata nodded.
"I will."
They shared a smile as Kurenai headed towards her bedroom.
Hinata continued to comb her hear for a moment, but after a while she stood up and walked towards the table in the living room, poured a glass of water and took a sip. She then stepped out on the balcony, carefully opening and closing the balcony door behind her as quietly as she could. She let out a sigh as she leaned her arms on the railing and resting her head on her arms.
A cold gust of wind made her close her eyes and flinch for a moment as the wind made her hair dance around her. It slowly settled down again.
Her eyes wandered on the pitch black sky revealing a twinkling star here and there.
She let out a sigh.
"Naruto.."
Her eyes wandered down the street in front of Kurenai's apartment.
There, outside a open-all-night we-got-everything store, she spotted him.
A spikey blond-haired boy.
She perked up.
"Naruto?"
He was facing away from her, his hands behind his head, kicking some rocks. Seemingly waiting for something, or someone.
She struggled internally to call out for him. Suddenly she lifted one of her arms into a wave.
"Na-"
She quickly went silent.
Out from the shop walked a stunningly beautiful woman in a dark yukata. Clearly older then them, maybe... Eight years older? Hinata focused her eyes. The woman was carrying a bag obviously containing food and.. alcohol?, yeah, that was definitely alcohol. And lots of it. Hinata watched as the woman walked towards Naruto, with a rather obvious sultry walk. They stood and chatted for a moment, and then headed off. The woman obviously checking him out now and again. She watched them in silence as they turned a corned, out of her sight.
A moment passed. Quiet. She lowered her arm to her side as once again a gust of wind made her hair dance around her in the moonlit night. She slumped down in a chair on the balcony.