[Naruto FIC] Where Eagles Dare (part 3)

[dd]

Naruto was confused.

That was not a good thing.

Confused meant that time was needed to figure something out. Time put towards anything but walking...better yet, running...meant that somebody else was going to get the choicest noodles.

That was a bad thing.

A very very bad thing.

It wasn’t the sudden sprinkling of rain that had him baffled. That kind of thing happened this time of year, even when the skies looked to be clear.

It wasn’t the number of tents that had sprung up like mushrooms, blocking the middle areas of the square. That simply meant that the nomad traders were back this year.

It wasn’t the man chasing them down the street, a cleaver in one hand and a meat hook in the other. The butcher had a reason to be angry, even thought it had been his dog that had bitten Naruto. Couldn’t the guy just forgive and forget? Sure, he had transformed the dog into a rack of lamb. Was it his fault he had forgotten to change it back before it was too late?

No, it was Hinata.

He had thought that she had changed for the better; but, at the moment, she just seemed to be a dark and gloomy girl again.

When the first clone holding her hand had expired in a puff of smoke, he had created another one immediately, trying to be attentive. But, she didn’t take its offered hand. Why? First she wants to hold his hand, then she didn’t. Sheesh!!!

For her part, Hinata was struggling to keep her chin up. For years she had followed Naruto around without his knowing it, watching as he struggled against all odds, taken with his never ending determination and seeming endless supply of courage. Those were the things that she had lacked. She had told herself that it was only admiration. That, and inspiration. But, she knew better now. Kurenai had sensed it before she did. Akamaru too. Kiba had laughed at first; but, as a good team mate, he had told her to decide what she wanted, then go after it.

She had done that.

It hadn’t been easy, especially since Naruto had been assigned to one of the legendary Three Sennin. Few were the times that she had actually been able to lay eyes upon him across the years. Only recently, when training and missions had brought her in this direction, had she been gifted with such an opportunity.

Who knows how long the chance would last for now?

Was it wrong to expect more out of Naruto? Wasn’t he just being who he was? It couldn’t have been easy growing up the way he did. She could sympathize with that. And, who knows what effect living isolated with that man might have had?!

She sighed.

Hinata had seen the way that Kiba treated his new girlfriend. Then there was Shino. Naruto was better than Shino, but that didn’t count. Everybody was better than Shino. She shivered. Ino had taken to talking with her over the past year, when the two of them had been assigned to the same teams. So had Ten Ten. The stories they had told her about their important people had left her feeling hopeful and hopeless at the same time.

What should she do?

More importantly, was there anything she could do?

Was it her? Hadn’t she grown more attractive? Everyone told her that she had become more sociable. Sakura told her that she was a bud that was finally opening. The Fifth had said something similar as well.

“My, aren’t they the cutest couple.” An elderly woman was pointing in their direction. Her equally aged companion looked at Naruto and blinked her eyes, incredulous. “It’s nice to see that young people can think about something more than training and fighting.”

Naruto scowled.

Hinata looked over at him, wriggling her fingers.

Both of then set their shoulders at the same time... opened their mouths... and began to speak.

“Hinata....”

“Naruto-kun....”

Each stopped, waiting for the other.

POUNCE NOW, WHILE SHE’S VULNERABLE.

Kyubi’s comment was the last straw for Naruto. “SHUT THE HELL UP!!!” He banged his hands against the side of his head. Only too late, did he realize that Hinata might think he was shouting at her.

Hinata’s first reaction was one of shock. Soon, however, her face seemed to break into a thousand pieces, a jigsaw puzzle that all the king's horses and all the king's men would have no luck in putting back together. Grief stricken, and pushed along by a wave of hardships a long time in the making, she turned and ran down the nearest alleyway. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t care.

“Hinata... wait... I didn’t mean you....” Tears had been streaming down Hinata’s face. Naruto’s heart felt as if a kunai was lodged dead center. He had run away from angry and unfeeling crowds too many times in his youth not to know how his companion might be feeling. The fact that he could possibly make someone else feel that same way was too terrible to come to terms with. “Hinata... stop....”

Hinata had clearly improved in her physical skills. She was quick! Nimble, too. She cleared one wall with a single bound, while Naruto had to jump off a number of successive ledges and window sills. Lucky, she had landed in the garden of the small estate. After disentangling herself from a couple of rose bushes and any overly amorous Clematis, she darted down the private drive.

Naruto, on the other hand, ended up in the koi pond. A fish flapping wildly in his shirt... a thick matt of lotus leaves covering his head... and water poring out of his pants legs... he sloshed off in hot pursuit. An irate gardener threw trowels and pots after him without success.

“Hinata, stop!” Naruto’s yells sent countless pigeons to wing and caused a street side painter to make a terrible mistake. Turning to see the source of the commotion, a bicyclist ran over a dog’s tail, causing the poor beast to pull its owner out in front of the bakery cart. A large loaf of bread in its mouth, the dog soon forgot its pain. The woman holding the leash did not enjoy being buried under a pile of sticky pastries.

Naruto silently cursed the waste of good food. As Shikamaru might say, clumsy people are such a bother.

Hearing Naruto, Hinata concentrated chakra on the bottom of her feet, then made a near impossible and abrupt turn into a small alcove.

Following, Naruto passed through a pair of wildly swinging doors.

He hadn’t bothered to read the sign on the front of the ornate building: Woman’s Spa.

Slipping on a bar of soap, the unfortunate genin slid right into the main soaking pool. Surfacing, he gave the koi a new home. He was deaf to the shouts, shrieks, and screams around him. Looking around him, he saw a multitude of young and middle-aged women. They did not seem to be in the habit of bathing with towels. He was torn between running for his life and staring for all he was worth.

The sudden appearance of a bodyguard carrying a long chain mace made up his mind for him.

“Pardon-n-n-n-n-n me-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e.... I’m Sorry-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y....” Naruto ran for his life, literally. Pottery fragments and flakes of plaster from the walls followed after him as the spiked ball of the flail-like weapon reeked havoc on the fancy surroundings. A woman’s slipper hit him hard on the back of his head as he ran. Risking health and happiness, he stopped to pick it up. It would make a great souvenier to show that Ero-Sennin later.

“Damn-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n.....” That voice sounded familiar. But, the scampering ninja didn’t have time to try and place it. Not only did he not want to be turned into a large red splotch on the pavement, he also did not want to entirely loose Hinata’s trail. Using keen senses he could borrow from Nine tails, he would be able to track her if she didn’t get too large a lead.

Behind him, the bodyguard gave up the pursuit. She had another target. A large false wall fell away from the rear of the bathing establishment. A rather disgruntled-looking Jiraiya looked surprised to see the hired warrior.

“Shit-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t....”

As Naruto ran, he realized just how isolated he had become. Everything had become training, training, and more training. Stronger. He had to be stronger. Tricks. He had to learn more tricks. Jutsu, he had to become adept at anything and everything Jiraiya could teach him.

Sure, he had the best intentions, but he knew all too well what that might get someone.

Hinata had always been someone rooting for him. Even when he hadn’t known it. She was the last person he should hurt in any way. Funny how it took something like this to make him see that.

He might not know what she wanted, but he owed it to her to find out. He couldn’t do that if she ended up hating him for this. He couldn’t let that happen.

This was taking too long. Ducking behind a large cluster of bushes, he called upon Kyubi’s transformation skill and took on the form of one of the long-legged dogs he had seen at the race track, on the days that his master had dragged him off to do some betting and some ‘research.’

Things became a blur.

That kind of dog could really run!

Hinata’s trail disappeared. Damn! Damn damn damn damn damn!!!

Ahhh. But there was a new scent. Not human. Animal. Rabbit! She must have had the same thought he had and transformed herself into a rabbit. Clever girl!

Hmmmm. This would be over soon. He could hold his shape endlessly... or until a spiteful or annoyed fox demon called back its power. Hinata could go hare only as long as her chakra held out.

Good.

Racing around one corner, Naruto dog ran between the legs of one man and jumped off of the head of another. The one pedestrian, a scholar, watched in abject horrors as his stack of manuscripts spread out in a great cloud, slowly drifting towards the muddy street. The other man, choking frantically, had swallowed a lit and rather costly cigar.

Seeing a small bushing tail disappear under a hole in a fence, Naruto followed, even though there was no chance of fitting. He didn’t have time to change into something smaller. Instead, he burst through the exotic timber, leaving a pile of aromatic wood fragments in his wake.

Damn, but that girl was fast.

He was gaining a lot of respect for Hinata’s abilities.

The scurrying beast ran underneath a low set of scaffolds. Naruto followed. With each powerful push of his hind quarters, his body lurched upward and struck painfully against the wooden slats that formed the floor of the structure. Cans of paint were bumped and jostled, falling over. Men fell, the paint brushes in their hands streaking across window panes, well-manicured shrubbery, and each other.

“You stupid mutt!!! Aji-Suki, Haya-Ji, follow. Kill!!!” The angry voice of an unseen home owner rang out. Two huge black dogs took off after the running greyhound. One craftsman, completely covered with paint, brought up the rear. Onlookers stepped out of the way, amazed at the motley procession.

“Ramen ramen ramen.” Naruto spurred himself on. Things were getting out of hand. It was hard enough trying to get that rabbit. The neighborhoods had too many trees and covered areas to make it practical to become a raptor. And, if he took on the form of anything able to go tooth and nail with his pursuers, he would never catch up to Hinata.

And if either of those dogs decided to go after that rabbit instead!

“I’m coming, Hinata!”

A woman dropped the potted flower she was carrying when she heard those words come out of the speeding dog's mouth. A shabby looking man gazed at the half-empty bottle of spirits in his hand, then threw it over his shoulder.

Trying to squeeze through the railings in a large wooden porch, Naruto was almost caught from behind by a snarling mass of sinew and teeth. Enough was enough. It was time for more Kyubi power.

Taking possession of the mind of one dog, Naruto set it upon the other. That ought to buy him plenty of time. Now, where the hell had that rabbit gone. Ahhh, footprints in the moist soil of that garden there. Right!

The chase went from garden to yard to street to garden and street again. Running down a path in front of the Hot Springs, both the rabbit and the greyhound passed under a battered and bruised peeping figure. The noise alerted the bathing women.

It just wasn’t Jiraiya’s day.

Finally, Naruto was able to corner the exhausted rabbit in the corner of a dark alley way. Not wanting it to get away, the triumphant young ninja resumed human form and gently picked the bunny up by its ears.

“You can turn back now, Hinata. Please. I want to apologize to you.”

Nothing happened. The rabbit closed its eyes. Its chest was rising and falling rapidly. Occasionally one hind leg or the other twitched.

“Please Hinata. I know I was a jerk. I’m really really sorry.”

Again, nothing. The rabbit opened one eye, then closed it again.

“If you transform, I’ll get you a nice carrot. Heh heh heh.”

Nothing. Naruto felt stupid when his foolish joke fell flat.

“Please, Hinata. Ple-e-e-e-e-e-a-s-e....” Naruto sat down hard on the ground. He didn’t realize until then just how tired he was. Even borrowing Nine tails chakra, he was rather winded.

His voice had a strange plaintive tone to it. For some reason, getting Hinata to understand how he felt was the most important thing in the world.

“Hinata... I truly wasn’t yelling at you. I would never do that. At least I hope I wouldn’t. There’s... well, let’s just say that there is something I am forbidden to tell you about. Please, can you trust me in this?”

Naruto placed the rabbit in his lap and carefully ran his finger across its trembling head.

“I know I’m not too easy to get along with. You can imagine what it was like, growing up, shunned by everyone around you. I wish I could tell you why everyone hated me, but I can’t. It was hard though. Very hard. Because I know how that feels, I don’t want you to feel the same way.”

Still nothing. Naruto closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. What could he do? What could he say? He wasn’t any good at this. Maybe if he was a genius like Shikamaru, or was well-meaning as Lee. He hadn’t read any books like those Jiraiya wrote and Kakashi read; then again, maybe it was just as well.

What would the Third have done? What might old lady Tsunade suggest?

“I know what you went through, too. It really makes me mad. I wish I could take your father by the throat and shake him until he came to his senses. He can’t know what it was like. Your sister can’t know either. Maybe Neji. I don’t want you to think I’m like your father. Please.”

The rabbit was completely still. Naruto, his heart in his throat, held his fingers in front of its nose. There was a faint tickling sensation. It was still breathing. Whew!

“I... I.... Uh.... Hmmmm. I ummm... I admit I was a little miffed at losing that bet. Maybe more than a little. I know you beat me fair and square. Maybe I’m not as smart or as strong as I thought I was. I don’t hate you for that. I started off thinking that you tricked me. Well, actually you did... but I should be the first one to appreciate that! Maybe I was...uh... a little too proud or something. I feel better, now. OK?”

Naruto looked down at the rabbit.

LOOKS GOOD. OUGHT TO MAKE A GOOD SNACK

An angry young ninja almost repeated his error. He bit his lip before he could say ‘Shut the f-ck up!’ He wished more than anything that he could conjure up a mental shower head and drench that damn fox with torrents of ice cold water.

I SUGGEST YOU WAIT UNTIL IT RESUMES ITS NORMAL FORM BEFORE YOU MATE WITH IT, THOUGH

Kyubi’s chuckles had Naruto clenching his fists. The Rabbit let out an agonized squealing squeak.

“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you. That was just a reflex. I was thinking of something else.” Naruto started counting down from one hundred, his eyes closed and his breath metered. At fifty, he opened his eyes again. “Hinata. You know, I’m really not everything you might have thought I was. I would have done anything for my team mates... I... uhhh... tried my best to bring Sasuke back.... but I guess maybe I’m kind of self-centered, you know. Hokage this. Hokage that. Know what I’m saying?”

The rabbit was quivering, but remained silent. Naruto was totally oblivious to the crowd of people forming at the mouth of the alley.

“Ummmm.” Naruto ran his hand through the large brush of hair on his head. He thought hard about the next words, admitting things to himself before he shared them with Hinata. He scowled a moment, realizing that the creature had left a cluster of small brown pea-like shapes near his hand.

“I guess I deserve that. But, what I...ummm... damn. What I wanted to say was.... I have a hard time admitting that I don’t know a lot about certain things. Maybe I’m too proud. It could be that I’m afraid that people will go back to thinking of me as ‘that Naruto’ again. I’ve always been on my own, fighting for whatever I could make my own. I... well...what I’m trying to say is...ummmm... I never thought that I could ever show anybody any sign of weakness, you know?”

Just as before, there was no reply.

“It’s... errrr... kind of embarrassing to say, OK? That uh.... well.... Hmmmmm. A guy is supposed to know how to act around a girl. I don’t know if it’s just supposed to be inside them. Or, maybe they are supposed to learn it from fathers, uncles, or friends. I... I never knew my father. I... didn’t have friends before I became part of Team Seven.” he sighed then rubbed his brow. “I don’t even know why you would want to bother with me.”

Naruto had never really spoken to anyone quite like this. He had shared his feelings now and then, but not to this degree. Still, it all seemed to be for naught. He stood up, looking sadly down at the rabbit.

“I guess I should leave you alone, then. I really am sorry, Hinata. I never told you this before, not really. Not in so many words. Before, when you really weren’t somebody that most people would take notice of, I really admired you when you fought against Neji. Maybe I took a lot of things for granted, thinking that everyone should act that way. They don’t. You were really brave. You gave everything you had, even though you might have died. You weren’t worried about being Hokage. You just wanted to be something better. I... I... just wanted you to know that I wasn‘t just talking to hear myself speak when I said I could really like someone like that.”

The rabbit remained silent.

Naruto hung his head. He didn’t remember the last time he felt this bad. “Do you think you could ever forgive me?”

“Yes. Naruto-kun.”

The voice did not come from the rabbit. It came from behind a large stack of refuse and rubbish squirreled away in the unlit corner of the alley way. Naruto’s mouth dropped open as Hinata stepped out into the light.

Naruto looked down at the rabbit. He looked over at Hinata. He looked down at the rabbit again, a sneer on his face, as if he expected that the rabbit should have informed him of his mistake much earlier.

“H-H-Hinata?” Naruto suddenly felt awash with shame, anger, embarrassment, and disgust. He was glad that no one else but Hinata had been here to see him make a total fool of himself. Talking to a rabbit. Great! “D-Did you hear everything?”

“Mmmm Hmmmm.” Hinata’s eyes met Naruto’s, though she spared a glance behind him every so often. There was a look of acceptance on her face, but one of worry as well. “Maybe we should talk about that later.”

“Hmmmm? What???” Naruto narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. What was Hinata up to?

“Behind you.” Hinata pointed.

Naruto turned. He swallowed hard. Just who were all these people. Uh oh, that’s who they were. The identity of the people soon dawned on the startled young man. His mind began bringing up images that he had been too busy to take notice of earlier.

There were two snarling dogs. A number of men covered in paint. A wizened old man clutching a brace of dirty papers. A man who could stop coughing. A large number of attractive but angry women with wet hair. That guard with the mace. A woman covered with icing, busy slapping away a swarm of determined bees and flies. A man with a mangled bicycle. Another man with a discolored canvas and a paint brush behind his ear. The gardener. The baker. The butcher. A candlestick maker. A drunken bum. The koi in the large plastic bag did not look too happy either. And that was just the people in the front ranks.

“Uh... Hi!” Naruto tried to grin.

The crowd began to move forward slowly. The words they were mumbling sent shivers down naruto’s spine. His throat felt dry.

It would be easy to stop them. A huge bonfire of foxfire ought to do the trick. That, or a large summoning. But, the people might get hurt. It was his fault, after all.

Still, he couldn’t let Hinata get hurt. She was innocent. Even if she weren’t, they would get to her over his dead body.

“Naruto-kun, please step behind me.” Hinata placed her hand on his shoulder briefly, then took another step forward. Concentrating, she engaged her byuugan, judging just how man people she was up against.

“Hinata... but....” Naruto stood as if struck in the head by a pole axe. Just what did Hinata think she was doing.

“Go take care of the rabbit. The poor thing must be frightened by all the people. I will take care of this.” Hinata’s voice had a character Naruto had never heard before. There was a powerful ring, like hot metal struck by a heavy mallet.

“But....” Naruto wasn’t about to let Hinata do anything while he stood in the background babysitting a bunny!!!

“There is no time for arguing. I need to concentrate, or people will get hurt more than they need to.” Hinata began walking forward, counting her steps, and calculating the number of steps before her and the massed group of angry citizens. She directed her next words to them. “I do not wish to injure anyone. But, I will not let you harm him. Anyone who remains will be responsible for what happens next.”

‘Wow.’ Naruto was impressed. He had said something like that many times over the past years, but the way that Hinata spat out those words was really something. That was Hinata, wasn’t it? It wasn’t Jiraiya or someone in her form, he hoped. Curious to see what she had in mind, he stepped back by the rabbit.

Having had enough, the rabbit high tailed it for the rubbish pile. Naruto watched it go with a snicker and a brief feeling of regret.

A number of people had threatened Hinata. Others were laughing and making disparaging remarks. A few decided to leave, but most remained.

Naruto saw red. Literally. He fought to contain a growing swell of Kyubi energy.

“So be it.” Gathering up her chakra, Hinata said a silent prayer of thanks to her cousin. Of all the things that had happened in the past couple of years, her friendship with Neji might have been the biggest surprise of all. “KAITEN!!!”

When the dust settled, Naruto gaped. Men and women lay on the alley floor... were pressed up against the brick walls.... had legs sticking out of upper story windows... or hung onto bending gutters. The koi splashed angrily in the bag, hanging from a lamp post.

Hinata brushed her hands together. Her fierce look suddenly gave way to one of sheepish regret. “S-S-Sorry e-e-everyone....”

Naruto’s response was automatic. “Hinata. You ROCK!!!” He stared at the girl in front of him, as if seeing her for the first time.

Hinata blushed. “T-T-Thank you, Naruto-kun.” She fought hard to catch her breath, lookings at the tossed and tumbled multitude around her. For a moment, she felt dizzy, and reached her hand out. There was nothing to prop herself up against.

Naruto gave her his arm. “That was great, Hinata. Are you OK?” He was clearly concerned. That meant more to Hinata than anything in recent memory.

“Y-Y-Yes. Or, I soon will be. Maybe we should get going again. Uhhh... on our date.”

“It’s not a....” Naruto squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Baka! “Ummmm... OK... it’s a date.”

Hinata’s face lit up. Drunk on excitement, she held out her hand.

For a moment, Naruto earnestly considered turning himself into a rabbit. No. Hinata had certainly earned this. And, who knows? He might even like it.

Might.

“Let’s go, Hinata! There’s ramen out there with our name on it!” He took hold of Hinata’s hand.

“Naruto-kun....” Hinata felt as if she were walking on air.

[SOULS_LEADER]

Whoa DD where have you been all this time. So all this time you were cooking up Naruto fics... Shame... Shame... Shame on me for thinking you quit. Good Job on the fic and write faster damn it i want to read more!