[Naruto FIC] Where Eagles Dare (part 2)
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2004 4:12 am
The clouds had parted, allowing numerous slanted sheaths of light to slide their way down upon the bustling streets of the busy little enclave.
The air was still fresh with the odors of the morning's brief rain. Small puddles dotted the rutted roadway. Bargain shoppers began rushing from their doorways, like small animals scuttling towards the freshest fallen fruit.
The smells of tantalizing and tempting meals began to find their place on the gently shifting breeze. The sound of small bells formed an interesting counter melody to the rumbling noise arising from one young ninja's belly area. The shorter genin next to him smiled.
"Hungry?" Naruto looked over at Hinata. For some reason, her sideways glances kept sending chills up and own his back. If he was in fox form, his hairs might be standing on end. With so many sights to see, why did his companion always seem to be staring at him?
"Uh... what?" Hinata blushed. She seemed lost in thought. Absentmindedly, she tugged at one of her bangs.
"Girls!" Naruto sneered. It was lunch time. He had asked if she was hungry. The normal response would have been 'Yes,' or 'Sure.' "Would you like something to eat?" This polite considerate stuff was hard. "My treat, of course." Suddenly, he moved like lightning, knocking the young girl to the side. "Look out!!!"
"Ooooph-h-h-h." Hinata caught her balance, then deftly sidestepped a large man carrying a huge platter of freshly baked bread. Her eyes narrow, she reached into her equipment bag and pulled out a brace of throwing knives. "Are we under attack?" Her eyes darted this way and that. The veins at the corners of her eyes stood out, as she instinctively accessed her blood line ability.
"No. Dog crap." Naruto pointed at a large misshapen pile of fly-covered fecal matter in the road. He thought back to his journey to find Tsunade.
Dog crap was nothing to take lightly.
"Oh!" Hinata blushed. Then, the corner of her lip curled upward. "My hero." She wanted to grab hold of his arm, but was too shy.
"Uh...." Naruto was taken aback. Somewhat akilter, he lost track of his surroundings. Before he knew it, he too was pushed aside. Hinata had spied a second pile.
"N-N-Naruto-kun, please be careful." Hinata blushed prettily, nibbling on a fingernail. "We don't want anything to ruin our date." She sighed happily, trying to slow her beating heart.
Cough cough. "W-What?" Cough cough swallow. "Huh?!!" Sweat, wipe brow, scowl. "This is NOT a date. N. O. T. Isn't. Ain't. Won't be. Today, or ever. Hmmppff!" Naruto folded his arms across his chest.
In the past, Hinata would have shrunken in on her self, then hid behind the nearest building corner or shop-side dumpster. Today, she just smiled, silently. "Weren't we going to get some food? Together?" There was an unmistakable emphasis on that last word.
"Ummm. Yeh. Food. Together. Not a date." Naruto started marching at a quick rate, his arms swinging emphatically. When he heard Hinata giggling behind him, he picked up the pace.
"And after that, we were going to walk in the botanical preserve. Together." Hinata twiddled her fingers as she strode quickly along. "With each other."
"OK. Yes. I know. Flower stuff. Trees. Plants. Together." Naruto nearly spat. "But... it's... not... a..."
"Date. I know." Hinata grinned. She was having fun. She didn't mind Naruto's reaction. The only thing that would have truly bothered her would be his totally ignoring her. This was their first time together after she won their bet. She had bought three extra calendars to make certain she wouldn't forget this day. Her total purchase had been for four---she had sent one to Naruto by special courier. "You also promised to take me to watch the traditional dancers."
"I know. I know that. Women in long skirts. Men in longer skirts. Drums. Flutes. Noise and hopping around. Yippeee. Whoooooooo. Can't wait." Naruto slyly stole a small sweet roll off of a passing tray. Popping it in his mouth, he immediately felt guilty. Forming a clone of himself, he sent it to grab another one. He gave it to an appreciative Hinata.
"Together." Hinata put her word in, between bites of the small confectionary treat.
Naruto just clenched his fists. He blushed when Hinata started to laugh. Her reaction surprised him; but being the source of her amusement did not sit to well with him. But, he had lost the bet. He would do what need be done.
It was his Ninja way.
However, he made certain to keep one thing in mind. It might seem like he was having fun. It might even feel like he was enjoying himself. But, it was just an illusion. Most definitely.
"It's----" The boy with the demon inside never had a chance to get his words out.
"It's not a date. We know already!" A pair of women carrying large baskets of laundry stepped out from behind the two genin and hurried towards the communal Laundromat.
Both Hinata and Naruto blushed, looking sheepishly at one another. Naruto caught himself... snarled... then ran ahead, intent on saving the two of them some seats at his favorite joint. "Follow me!" He left a growing trail of clones, each of which encouraged Hinata to get her butt in gear.
Hinata stopped. She suddenly had no urge to keep up with the churlish young man. Shocking herself, she stood still in the middle of the bustling avenue, her foot tapping furiously and her brows deeply furrowed. She started counting.
At the moment she mouthed 'thirty-five,' an irritated Naruto appeared at her side in an ostentatious swirl of dust. She coughed a bit, then brushed off her sleeves. She remained silent, staring at the yellow-haired youth.
"Is something wrong, Hinata?" Naruto looked truly confused. He rubbed his nose when he heard Hinata sigh.
"I won the bet, Naruto-kun." Hinata sounded a touch dejected. But, there was a slight glimmer of steel in her voice.
"You don't have to remind me!" Naruto turned his head away, sticking out his lower lip. "It's My---"
"My...... Ninja...... Way..... yes." Hinata trembled a bit, surprised by her own audacity. "My Ninja way. My Ninja way."
"Uh...." Naruto looked back at Hinata. Just what had her panties in a knot? Girls were sure strange!!! "Hinata?"
'You're supposed to become my boyfriend.' Those words were on the young girl's lips, but they stayed there. 'Boyfriends and girlfriends go on dates.' That too died on the vine. Hinata would be patient. It was a miracle that she had even gotten him to agree to walking out with her. If she pushed too fast and too hard....
Hinata actually chuckled. Her? Push too fast and too hard? Naruto might be the only person on earth that she could do that with. And, she admitted, she had essentially tricked Naruto into becoming her beau.
"Ummm...." Hinata suddenly remembered something. She began to sweat. She had been so excited when she got back to the main part of Konoha, that her tongue had done a bit of wagging. That couldn't have any unexpected results, could it?
Naruto huffed, then squared his shoulders. It was time to move, if they wanted any of the good seats. He shook his head. As a future Hokage, he should learn more about people, however. What had he done to get Hinata all prickly?
I THINK THE SMALL FEMALE IS INTERESTED IN SIRING YOUR PUPS.
Narauto jumped near ten feet straight up, his eyes wide and his mouth open. Kyubi's nonchalant statement had touched a rather sensitive nerve.
YOU SHOULD HOLD HER RUFF TIGHTLY IN YOUR TEETH... ENTER HER FORCEFULLY... AND STAKE YOUR CLAIM IN FRONT OF ALL YOUR RIVALS
Naruto landed on his head. He didn't notice.
'Stupid fox!' He broadcasted his thoughts at high power. The last thing he wanted was unsolicited advice. Especially THAT kind of advice.
DO YOU WISH FOR ME TO SHOW YOU HOW???
Images flashed into Naruto's mind, causing him to gibber and shake. True, it was a demon fox's memory of other demon foxes, but it had Naruto's eyes bulging just the same. He didn't say a word when a woman---her face blocked by the large bag she carried--- tripped over his prone form and dumped a sack of vegetables on him.
WELL, GET IT OVER WITH. I'LL BE WANTING TO GET BACK TO SLEEP!
Naruto stuttered mentally.
BAH! YOU ARE WEAK. PATHETIC!!!
Blissfully, Nine Tails voice faded away.
"Naruto, are you OK?" Hinata sounded worried. She put a gentle hand on Naruto's arm. "Naruto-kun?"
"Pups..." Naruto bit his tongue, then rubbed his eyes. He held his breath a moment, then regained his equilibrium. Bounding to his feet, he resumed his usual boisterous persona.
"You said something?" Hinata still looked concerned.
"N-N-Nooooo. Hah hah hah. Just babbling, that's all." Just the same, part of Naruto finally caught a clue. The young lady at his side was interested in him. But, why shouldn't she be, as magnificent as he was?!! That meant he had some kind of responsibility. He should be more attentive to Hinata, shouldn't he? Even though he wasn't really certain how he was supposed to do that. "Let's eat!" There. That ought to do it. He would even let her sit next to him.
Before, he was only intent on finding two empty seats, wherever they were.
"Sure." Hinata remained still, even as Naruto took a few steps. There was something she wanted very much, but was afraid to ask. He would say no, and that would hurt. If she bided her time, maybe some day he would say yes.
"Hey, Hinata... come on. Eating ramen is also my Ninja Way. Might be yours too. But we gotta get a seat!" Naruto was running through a series of possible solutions in his head, wondering which was more considerate.
He could transform into a large bird, grab Hinata in his claws, and fly across the square. Nah, people might see. He could send a hoard of clones ahead to hog the seats. Oh no! The bastards would eat all the noodles before they got there. He could use his possession technique to make Hinata run with him. Hmmmmmm. No. He was scared of what might be inside a girl's mind.
Think think think....
'My Ninja Way.' Hinata heard those words over and over again. 'Might be yours, too.' Another echo competed with the first. She found herself thinking back to the time at the training field, telling Naruto how much she admired and inspired her. She remembered her fight with Neji. She licked her lips, recounting all of the hard work she had done in the time after Naruto and his teacher went off on their own.
Courage.
Dedication to a goal.
Taking the bull by the horns.
"Naruto, I would like you to hold my hand." There. She said it. Of course, it felt as if the whole world was pushing in against her now, making it hard to breathe. And, she felt as if everyone in creation...alive or dead... corporeal or in spirit form... was listening for the answer.
Hinata was watching Naruto's face. First, his eyes opened far wider than she thought possible. Next, his mouth disappeared into a wide flat crease. His arms froze in place, as did his legs. When his face gave the illusion of cracking, she thought for a moment that she was watching Gaara instead of her crush.
She started to shake. Stop it! The battle is not over yet. Seize the advantage. How?
"P-P-Please...." Hinata tried to look doe-eyes, but it was difficult with the Hyuuga inheritance.
TOLD YOU. WHY DON'T YOU MOUNT HER AND GET IT OVER WITH.
The demon fox's interjection broke Naruto out of his stunned state.
"Hand?" Naruto swallowed hard. He had faced Haku. He had stood up to Neji, knowing that he was outclassed. He had battled Gaara and Shukaku to a standstill. He had faced horrors since then. When the time came, he would strike against Orochimaru, Akatsuki, or both.
How could a hand seem like the most frightful adversary he ever had?
And, why did part of him seem eager?
First a hand. Then what?
"It would mean a lot to me...." Hinata put her fingers up to her mouth. Her eyes looked as soulful as they could.
An internal debate raged inside Naruto. If he held hands... with a girl... with Hinata... he would be giving in! But, it might be nice, and it would make Hinata feel good. But, if he started making her feel good now, he might have to do it again. And again and again and again! Hmmm... was there anything wrong with that? YES!!! Grrrrrrrrr....
A figurative light bulb went off.
If it worked while learning rasengan.....
"OK. Sure. No problem!" Naruto struck his nice guy pose. He actually felt good when he saw Hinata's face open up like a blossom.
"N-N-Naruto-kun...." Hinata blushed and held out her hand.
There was the sound of a small explosion. When the dust settled, a clone of Naruto walked over to Hinata and held out his hand. Seeing that she was looking at the true Naruto and not him, it stuck its tongue out at its creator. Big jerk!
Hinata's mouth fell open. She didn't make a sound. She couldn't make a sound. Her hand stayed limp when the Naruto clone took hold of it reluctantly.
"OK. Now that everybody's happy, let's go!" Naruto felt proud. He could do this after all. Maybe a relationship didn't have to be such a bad thing after all.
Part of him whispered an intriguing idea. Maybe he could transform Hinata into looking just like Sakura. Ahhhhhhhh. Sakura. Hmmmmm.... A feeling of eagerness bubbled up inside him. Soon enough, however, he remembered what it felt like to have a crush on someone. But, it had been an unrequited crush. That had sucked!
Oh.
Unrequited crush.
Hinata.
Hmmmm....
No. He would ditch that idea. At least for today. It was his duty as a ninja... and a man who gave his word... to make certain that Hinata had a good time.
He was certain he was off to a good start
The air was still fresh with the odors of the morning's brief rain. Small puddles dotted the rutted roadway. Bargain shoppers began rushing from their doorways, like small animals scuttling towards the freshest fallen fruit.
The smells of tantalizing and tempting meals began to find their place on the gently shifting breeze. The sound of small bells formed an interesting counter melody to the rumbling noise arising from one young ninja's belly area. The shorter genin next to him smiled.
"Hungry?" Naruto looked over at Hinata. For some reason, her sideways glances kept sending chills up and own his back. If he was in fox form, his hairs might be standing on end. With so many sights to see, why did his companion always seem to be staring at him?
"Uh... what?" Hinata blushed. She seemed lost in thought. Absentmindedly, she tugged at one of her bangs.
"Girls!" Naruto sneered. It was lunch time. He had asked if she was hungry. The normal response would have been 'Yes,' or 'Sure.' "Would you like something to eat?" This polite considerate stuff was hard. "My treat, of course." Suddenly, he moved like lightning, knocking the young girl to the side. "Look out!!!"
"Ooooph-h-h-h." Hinata caught her balance, then deftly sidestepped a large man carrying a huge platter of freshly baked bread. Her eyes narrow, she reached into her equipment bag and pulled out a brace of throwing knives. "Are we under attack?" Her eyes darted this way and that. The veins at the corners of her eyes stood out, as she instinctively accessed her blood line ability.
"No. Dog crap." Naruto pointed at a large misshapen pile of fly-covered fecal matter in the road. He thought back to his journey to find Tsunade.
Dog crap was nothing to take lightly.
"Oh!" Hinata blushed. Then, the corner of her lip curled upward. "My hero." She wanted to grab hold of his arm, but was too shy.
"Uh...." Naruto was taken aback. Somewhat akilter, he lost track of his surroundings. Before he knew it, he too was pushed aside. Hinata had spied a second pile.
"N-N-Naruto-kun, please be careful." Hinata blushed prettily, nibbling on a fingernail. "We don't want anything to ruin our date." She sighed happily, trying to slow her beating heart.
Cough cough. "W-What?" Cough cough swallow. "Huh?!!" Sweat, wipe brow, scowl. "This is NOT a date. N. O. T. Isn't. Ain't. Won't be. Today, or ever. Hmmppff!" Naruto folded his arms across his chest.
In the past, Hinata would have shrunken in on her self, then hid behind the nearest building corner or shop-side dumpster. Today, she just smiled, silently. "Weren't we going to get some food? Together?" There was an unmistakable emphasis on that last word.
"Ummm. Yeh. Food. Together. Not a date." Naruto started marching at a quick rate, his arms swinging emphatically. When he heard Hinata giggling behind him, he picked up the pace.
"And after that, we were going to walk in the botanical preserve. Together." Hinata twiddled her fingers as she strode quickly along. "With each other."
"OK. Yes. I know. Flower stuff. Trees. Plants. Together." Naruto nearly spat. "But... it's... not... a..."
"Date. I know." Hinata grinned. She was having fun. She didn't mind Naruto's reaction. The only thing that would have truly bothered her would be his totally ignoring her. This was their first time together after she won their bet. She had bought three extra calendars to make certain she wouldn't forget this day. Her total purchase had been for four---she had sent one to Naruto by special courier. "You also promised to take me to watch the traditional dancers."
"I know. I know that. Women in long skirts. Men in longer skirts. Drums. Flutes. Noise and hopping around. Yippeee. Whoooooooo. Can't wait." Naruto slyly stole a small sweet roll off of a passing tray. Popping it in his mouth, he immediately felt guilty. Forming a clone of himself, he sent it to grab another one. He gave it to an appreciative Hinata.
"Together." Hinata put her word in, between bites of the small confectionary treat.
Naruto just clenched his fists. He blushed when Hinata started to laugh. Her reaction surprised him; but being the source of her amusement did not sit to well with him. But, he had lost the bet. He would do what need be done.
It was his Ninja way.
However, he made certain to keep one thing in mind. It might seem like he was having fun. It might even feel like he was enjoying himself. But, it was just an illusion. Most definitely.
"It's----" The boy with the demon inside never had a chance to get his words out.
"It's not a date. We know already!" A pair of women carrying large baskets of laundry stepped out from behind the two genin and hurried towards the communal Laundromat.
Both Hinata and Naruto blushed, looking sheepishly at one another. Naruto caught himself... snarled... then ran ahead, intent on saving the two of them some seats at his favorite joint. "Follow me!" He left a growing trail of clones, each of which encouraged Hinata to get her butt in gear.
Hinata stopped. She suddenly had no urge to keep up with the churlish young man. Shocking herself, she stood still in the middle of the bustling avenue, her foot tapping furiously and her brows deeply furrowed. She started counting.
At the moment she mouthed 'thirty-five,' an irritated Naruto appeared at her side in an ostentatious swirl of dust. She coughed a bit, then brushed off her sleeves. She remained silent, staring at the yellow-haired youth.
"Is something wrong, Hinata?" Naruto looked truly confused. He rubbed his nose when he heard Hinata sigh.
"I won the bet, Naruto-kun." Hinata sounded a touch dejected. But, there was a slight glimmer of steel in her voice.
"You don't have to remind me!" Naruto turned his head away, sticking out his lower lip. "It's My---"
"My...... Ninja...... Way..... yes." Hinata trembled a bit, surprised by her own audacity. "My Ninja way. My Ninja way."
"Uh...." Naruto looked back at Hinata. Just what had her panties in a knot? Girls were sure strange!!! "Hinata?"
'You're supposed to become my boyfriend.' Those words were on the young girl's lips, but they stayed there. 'Boyfriends and girlfriends go on dates.' That too died on the vine. Hinata would be patient. It was a miracle that she had even gotten him to agree to walking out with her. If she pushed too fast and too hard....
Hinata actually chuckled. Her? Push too fast and too hard? Naruto might be the only person on earth that she could do that with. And, she admitted, she had essentially tricked Naruto into becoming her beau.
"Ummm...." Hinata suddenly remembered something. She began to sweat. She had been so excited when she got back to the main part of Konoha, that her tongue had done a bit of wagging. That couldn't have any unexpected results, could it?
Naruto huffed, then squared his shoulders. It was time to move, if they wanted any of the good seats. He shook his head. As a future Hokage, he should learn more about people, however. What had he done to get Hinata all prickly?
I THINK THE SMALL FEMALE IS INTERESTED IN SIRING YOUR PUPS.
Narauto jumped near ten feet straight up, his eyes wide and his mouth open. Kyubi's nonchalant statement had touched a rather sensitive nerve.
YOU SHOULD HOLD HER RUFF TIGHTLY IN YOUR TEETH... ENTER HER FORCEFULLY... AND STAKE YOUR CLAIM IN FRONT OF ALL YOUR RIVALS
Naruto landed on his head. He didn't notice.
'Stupid fox!' He broadcasted his thoughts at high power. The last thing he wanted was unsolicited advice. Especially THAT kind of advice.
DO YOU WISH FOR ME TO SHOW YOU HOW???
Images flashed into Naruto's mind, causing him to gibber and shake. True, it was a demon fox's memory of other demon foxes, but it had Naruto's eyes bulging just the same. He didn't say a word when a woman---her face blocked by the large bag she carried--- tripped over his prone form and dumped a sack of vegetables on him.
WELL, GET IT OVER WITH. I'LL BE WANTING TO GET BACK TO SLEEP!
Naruto stuttered mentally.
BAH! YOU ARE WEAK. PATHETIC!!!
Blissfully, Nine Tails voice faded away.
"Naruto, are you OK?" Hinata sounded worried. She put a gentle hand on Naruto's arm. "Naruto-kun?"
"Pups..." Naruto bit his tongue, then rubbed his eyes. He held his breath a moment, then regained his equilibrium. Bounding to his feet, he resumed his usual boisterous persona.
"You said something?" Hinata still looked concerned.
"N-N-Nooooo. Hah hah hah. Just babbling, that's all." Just the same, part of Naruto finally caught a clue. The young lady at his side was interested in him. But, why shouldn't she be, as magnificent as he was?!! That meant he had some kind of responsibility. He should be more attentive to Hinata, shouldn't he? Even though he wasn't really certain how he was supposed to do that. "Let's eat!" There. That ought to do it. He would even let her sit next to him.
Before, he was only intent on finding two empty seats, wherever they were.
"Sure." Hinata remained still, even as Naruto took a few steps. There was something she wanted very much, but was afraid to ask. He would say no, and that would hurt. If she bided her time, maybe some day he would say yes.
"Hey, Hinata... come on. Eating ramen is also my Ninja Way. Might be yours too. But we gotta get a seat!" Naruto was running through a series of possible solutions in his head, wondering which was more considerate.
He could transform into a large bird, grab Hinata in his claws, and fly across the square. Nah, people might see. He could send a hoard of clones ahead to hog the seats. Oh no! The bastards would eat all the noodles before they got there. He could use his possession technique to make Hinata run with him. Hmmmmmm. No. He was scared of what might be inside a girl's mind.
Think think think....
'My Ninja Way.' Hinata heard those words over and over again. 'Might be yours, too.' Another echo competed with the first. She found herself thinking back to the time at the training field, telling Naruto how much she admired and inspired her. She remembered her fight with Neji. She licked her lips, recounting all of the hard work she had done in the time after Naruto and his teacher went off on their own.
Courage.
Dedication to a goal.
Taking the bull by the horns.
"Naruto, I would like you to hold my hand." There. She said it. Of course, it felt as if the whole world was pushing in against her now, making it hard to breathe. And, she felt as if everyone in creation...alive or dead... corporeal or in spirit form... was listening for the answer.
Hinata was watching Naruto's face. First, his eyes opened far wider than she thought possible. Next, his mouth disappeared into a wide flat crease. His arms froze in place, as did his legs. When his face gave the illusion of cracking, she thought for a moment that she was watching Gaara instead of her crush.
She started to shake. Stop it! The battle is not over yet. Seize the advantage. How?
"P-P-Please...." Hinata tried to look doe-eyes, but it was difficult with the Hyuuga inheritance.
TOLD YOU. WHY DON'T YOU MOUNT HER AND GET IT OVER WITH.
The demon fox's interjection broke Naruto out of his stunned state.
"Hand?" Naruto swallowed hard. He had faced Haku. He had stood up to Neji, knowing that he was outclassed. He had battled Gaara and Shukaku to a standstill. He had faced horrors since then. When the time came, he would strike against Orochimaru, Akatsuki, or both.
How could a hand seem like the most frightful adversary he ever had?
And, why did part of him seem eager?
First a hand. Then what?
"It would mean a lot to me...." Hinata put her fingers up to her mouth. Her eyes looked as soulful as they could.
An internal debate raged inside Naruto. If he held hands... with a girl... with Hinata... he would be giving in! But, it might be nice, and it would make Hinata feel good. But, if he started making her feel good now, he might have to do it again. And again and again and again! Hmmm... was there anything wrong with that? YES!!! Grrrrrrrrr....
A figurative light bulb went off.
If it worked while learning rasengan.....
"OK. Sure. No problem!" Naruto struck his nice guy pose. He actually felt good when he saw Hinata's face open up like a blossom.
"N-N-Naruto-kun...." Hinata blushed and held out her hand.
There was the sound of a small explosion. When the dust settled, a clone of Naruto walked over to Hinata and held out his hand. Seeing that she was looking at the true Naruto and not him, it stuck its tongue out at its creator. Big jerk!
Hinata's mouth fell open. She didn't make a sound. She couldn't make a sound. Her hand stayed limp when the Naruto clone took hold of it reluctantly.
"OK. Now that everybody's happy, let's go!" Naruto felt proud. He could do this after all. Maybe a relationship didn't have to be such a bad thing after all.
Part of him whispered an intriguing idea. Maybe he could transform Hinata into looking just like Sakura. Ahhhhhhhh. Sakura. Hmmmmm.... A feeling of eagerness bubbled up inside him. Soon enough, however, he remembered what it felt like to have a crush on someone. But, it had been an unrequited crush. That had sucked!
Oh.
Unrequited crush.
Hinata.
Hmmmm....
No. He would ditch that idea. At least for today. It was his duty as a ninja... and a man who gave his word... to make certain that Hinata had a good time.
He was certain he was off to a good start