Naruto was confused when a tall glass with a foamy yellow liquid was placed directly in front of him. He looked up at the older woman tending bar. The same one as yesterday, with the crimson eyes and the long flowing brown hair She smiled warmly and even gestured for him to go ahead, assuring him silently it wasn't a simple mistake. Still, he wanted to lose this job even less now than when he started.

"Is it alright for me to drink this, you know while I'm working?" he double-checked, even throwing in a couple more questions. "You're not gonna get in trouble for giving it to me? You know I can't pay it for it right?" he added with a short laugh.

"It's fine," she assured. "I have the discretion to give out a few for free now and then, Tsunade's been clear on that; and I amgiving it to you for free," her own eyes became just a smidge playful at that. Naruto smiled brightly. He held that smile even as he drank of the bitter urine-esc liquid, putrid as it tasted; the young man hadn't drunk quite enough of the miracle liquid to acquire the taste for it just yet.

Still, sipping it gave him something to do other than stare at the bells.

It seemed the bartender, Kurenai, was going to give him some conversation to pass the time with as well.

"It's good of you to help them out, Hinata and her little boy. Lord knows there's not a lot of good male role models for him here," she added dryly, eyes glazing over the crowded tavern that was the brothel's ground floor. It was actually a lot less crowded than usual, barely a fifth of the entire male population of Brisburn. Maybe three dozen people that Naruto looked over before answering.

"I don't know if I'm any better," he only half joked. "Were you watching us or something?"

"No, nothing like that, Hinata and I just had a chat. She was a little nervous about letting you babysit and wanted my thoughts on it,"

"Oh, are you two close?"

"You could say that. I'm the only one on staff who had a child, I suppose I fell into the mentor role after she showed up here pregnant and utterly terrified," she explained. Unsure what to say, he took another large gulp, struggling not to squirm as the alcohol settled in his stomach. Asking about her child, and the location thereof, seemed like it might lead to some uncomfortable questions. "She says you called her adorable,"

Naruto coughed hard, losing some of the beer in his mouth.

Kurenai was still smiling warmly as he regained composure.

"I mean… yeah she's cute. It was an accident though!" he insisted.

A gentle laugh echoed in her throat.

"I'm sure. Well, I can't be standing around talking about how cute Hinata is all day, I should get back to work," she teased, eyes lingering on him as she turned and slinked off to the end of the bar. A man there said something inaudible over the chatter of the crowd and slid a coin to her.

The continued teasing in the barmaid's eyes told him this was going to be a long shift.

Indeed, it was.

That fact, and the ghost of a hangover hovering in his head, might just be the reason he fucked up so very hard the next day. Not at work, thankfully. Just as before he got the laundry folded, sorted, and stacked ready inside. He cleaned everything in time to catch breakfast and even bumbled through a ten-word conversation with the kitchen girls when collecting Hirog. Hinata still seemed red as a ripe apple from last night, and Ayame had little to say to him.

It was approximately twenty minutes into the babysitting shift when the aforementioned fuckup happened.

"So uh… what'd your mother teach you yesterday Hirog?" he asked as the boy sculpted the mud made for him with the water pump. It focused him instantly when the boy let out a long groan.

"Mommy's so mean! She make me write chat a HUNDRED times! Just cause I speld it wrong a few," he huffed.

"Hirog! Do not call your mother mean, she's being selfless teaching you your letters," he tried to mimic the voice he'd heard growing up, upset, angry but not out of control. It was a surprise when the boy only stuck his tongue out defiantly in response. Naruto quickly wracked his brain. He would have gotten his ass beaten raw with that response, obviously thatwasn't an option, but what else could he do?

Reason with the kid?

"Hirog I mean it, you know what most mommy's would do in her place? If they had a little boy and nobody to help them raise it? They'd give you away. Drop you off at an orphanage and let you be someone else's problem," that got the boy's attention. Got him to speak in any case.

"What's an orphnige?"

"It's a bad place. Someplace they give you thin blankets and yucky gruel, where bigger kids pick on you and grownups don't do anything about it, where they make you work hours every day braiding rope or…" he trailed off as the boys breathing sped up. Panicking.

Both boys were panicking actually but it was the younger that took to his feet first. Sobs rang out as he fled inside as fast as the little legs could carry him. Thank fuck they weren't open yet. Naruto clamored right after him of course, ended up stepping into the kitchen the same second as the boy impacted with his mother's apron.

"Hirog? Oh what's wrong what happ-" her eyes flicked up to him in fear and confusion. Hirog answered faster then him.

"-sorry! I'm sorry mommy I'm so sorry don't give me away! I don't wanna orphnige please I'll be good!" his hands clawed into the aprons, desperately anchoring himself to the woman who gave him life. Said woman looked less afraid but still more than a little concerned.

"Naruto?"

"I'm so sorry I….gave him the wrong idea?" he tried. She only stared aghast for another moment before giving her full focus to the child. The sobs finally quieting as she stroked his pack and shushed him. Hell even Naruto found himself relaxed by it.

"It's okay honey, it's okay I would never give you up. I would never let anything take you away from me," she gently pressed, further quieting his sobs. "I love you so much Hirog don't ever worry about that,"

"I'm so sorry!" Naruto repeated quietly.

"What in the world did you tell him?"

"Just… that you know, most woman who had a baby without a dad around would… you know. H-he called you mean for the lesson and I was just trying to…" he waved his hands frantically as if that finished the thought. Hinata stared aghast another five seconds before completely shifting her attention away.

"Hirog it's okay,"

"I stay with you today?"

"Yes dear, of course, why don't you help in the kitchen today?" she assured, sparing one last look that told Naruto in no uncertain terms that it was time for him to leave. He almost paused to slam his head into the wall a few times after walking out. Instead, not wanting to draw attention or bother the family further, he took a seat at the bar.

A few of the whores were still out finishing up their breakfast, or just sitting around the table.

With a sudden slam, there was suddenly one sitting beside him at the bar.

He recognized the face if not the piercing stare and the scowl on it. It was the same lovely face he'd just saw in the kitchen as a matter of fact, making his heart fall yet further into his stomach in sour anticipation. She stared silently, waiting for him to speak.

"Um-"

"-SO. What happened to my nephew?" she asked with wide, condescending eyes. Those eyes that were already so enormous, made even more captivating by the lack of pupils and the demanding aura. Naruto swallowed.

"I…scared him. Made him worry that Hinata would give him away to-"

"-give him AWAY? What the fuck is wrong with you?" she didn't wait for an answer. "My sister left everything for that kid, her fucking sperm donor wanted to kill it inside of her!"

"Sperm donor? Wait do you mean the kid's father or yours?" being answered with only a long, blank stare proved answer enough. "Oh Gods," he mumbled, shaking his head in disgust.

Rin actually smiled as she huffed, but not a friendly one.

"Yeah, and she still ran away from our fuckin' mansion, got a job, and hid from our entire family for the kid. She still loves the kid like it's a little deity made flesh,"

"I-I really didn't think she would give him up or anything! I just wanted Hirog to understand how great and selfless she is, he was complaining about the lessons," he justified meekly, still huddled slightly under her powerful glare.

"Hm. Well, are you going to leave them the fuck alone now?" she asked it like a rhetorical question.

"If they want," he answered simply, miserably. "I mean, Hinata's amazing and Hirogs adorable, I'd like to keep seeing them, if I didn't fuck everything up," he stared down at the bar with the words, stewing in silence for half a minute or more.

A tender hand on his shoulder was truly shocking.

He was even more shocked to see the smile on her face when he brought his eyes up.

"She'll forgive you, a couple of days at most," she assured.

"You're sure?"

"Well I've known her a little longer than you," Naruto blushed at the sarcastic jab. "Besides you seem like a good guy, babysitting for her instead of hounding after that blonde slut trying to score another free round,"

"Ino? She only fucked me for a prank I thought?"

The smile went flat.

"Do you really think a woman's going to fuck someone, for any reason that flimsy, if she isn't at least a little attracted to the guy?"

"I don't know a whole lot about women,"

"Shocking,"

Naruto bit his tongue as he fell back into his thoughts. That was a hell of a tip she gave him, a bit of an ego boost too you might imagine. Not that he intended to go after Ino again, his face was still sore. No, the revelation lead him somewhere else.

So it was that soon after Rin disappeared and the saloon became mostly empty, Naruto found himself knocking eagerly at a certain door.

"It's open," a tired voice called casually.

Tsunade looked surprised at his presence but waited for him to speak.

"Hey boss, I just wanted to make sure there was nothing I could be doing right now, while I'm just twiddling my thumbs," he offered nervously.

"No. You're fine," she said with a dismissive wave,

"Okay," he answered, not moving and wracking his brain desperately. Fuck he should have thought up exactly what to say! "Well uh, any feedback is greatly appreciated anything I'm doing that might cost me this job, just let me know, please,"

"You're fine. You're doing good work, now leave me to mine," she grumbled the last few words, looking back at the various pages over her desk.

"Alright just… obviously goes without saying but, uh…" nowthe woman looked distinctly annoyed as she looked up at him, but hey, she still waited. "If there's absolutely anything I can do to earn more um, bonuses, just let me know," he added, turning to leave and almost panicking when her honey-colored widened in surprise. Though her face was still guarded.

All this to say Naruto had to bite his tongue to keep quiet at her next word.

"Anything?"

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***REMEMBER EVERYONE TOO YOUNG OR DUMB TO BE READING THIS, EROTICA TAKES PLACE IN A MAGICAL WORLD WITHOUT STDS, WEAR A RUBBER FOR GOD'S SAKES***

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