Chapter 2: Where chara-introspection roams, alcohol flows, shrubbery talks, and Naruto is too sexy for his yukata.
12 315 words? I swear, these mofos are getting heavier and heavier.

A/N : Many thanks to all who reviewed.

Disclaimer: Jiraiya alive and kicking? Come on guys, this is obviously fanon.

Writing is easy, writing in correct English is not. Many thanks to Ken.

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.o0O0o.

Drastic Holiday

Chapter Two : Drastic Changes

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.o0O0o.

Takibana Inn, Room 24.

.o0O0o.

Hinata was drunk, and she was well aware of it. Not utterly wasted or stinking drunk, no, nothing like that. Nooo.

She was just a little tipsy, fuzzy around the edges. Well, maybe really fuzzy. Still, she knew that if she put all her mind to it, she could still make up sentences that would make her sound sober. Okay, almost sober.

Not that she needed to talk much, anyway.

Naruto was doing a very good job of monopolizing the conversation, and she was grateful for it. The young man did not seem to be affected at all by the alcohol, even though he had six bottles of plum liquor, all by himself. Make it seven with the one that had rolled under the table. Hinata wondered briefly if he had a secret jutsu, something that transformed alcohol into water.

She was perfectly content to just sit there, listening to the exuberant boy, catching every so often words like "old pervert" and "Hokage". Being there, having fun, spending some quality time with an interesting person, away from her dull everyday-life… it was paradise.

No.

It wasn't.

It was almost paradise, but something was off, definitely… If only she could put her finger on what. It was not the food, nor the drinks, she was not too cold or too hot. Nonetheless, something was bothering her. Deeply. She was growing restless by the minute. Why couldn't she simply enjoy being here? What was amiss?

Hinata, could you please stop squirming like a kid? Focus. Focus on something. Naruto-kun, for example. He invited you to share his drinks, he is talking to you, nicely taking interest, and you're acting like a spoiled child! What's wrong with you? Can't you just enjoy the moment? Focus on something. Look at his hands for example, it'll keep you busy.

Hinata had always loved hands. Her father had the longest fingers she had ever seen, and seeing him manipulate an object was always mesmerizing. Hinata didn't have many memories of her mother, but she remembered liking her hands very much. They had been soft and cooling, always soothing the pain away. Looking at someone's hands always had a calming effect on Hinata.

Naruto-kun has really nice hands. They are large! The sake cup looks so small and frail in comparison! I'm sure he could break the bottle without applying much pressure. Such agility! His fingers are fluttering around as he speaks. His fingers are long too, just like Father's. I just love his skin's colour. It's not plain white like us Hyuuga, it's tanned. This is the skin of someone who spends a lot of time outside. I wonder what they feel like. Are they as warm as they look? Are the palms soft or callous? I'd like to touch him…

Hinata almost choked on the drink when she realized her train of thoughts. Oh my, what am I thinking? She ducked her head down, faking interest in the plum liquor bottle, trying to conceal her reddening cheeks.

But indeed, she wished she could reach out for Naruto's hands and, somehow, connect with him.

It hit her like a ton of bricks. The thing amiss, the origin of her squirming and her uneasiness, she had found it. She felt lonely.

What a childish thing indeed, she thought. Since her mother's death, no one had held her hand. And now, she was desperate for couldn't handle it anymore; she had to reach out and touch someone. All that loneliness, she couldn't … she just couldn't stand it anymore, she was going to…

Snap out of it, Hinata! What's with that behaviour? It must be the alcohol! You're not going to make a fool of yourself in front of Naruto-kun! Get out of here, now! Go for a walk outside! You need to cool down.

" Naruto-kun," she started tentatively, but Naruto threw his hands in the air suddenly, interrupting her.

"Aww, Hinata, can't we stop with all that formal stuff? I mean, you can call me Naruto!"

"Naruto…" said Hinata tentatively.

"Way better Hinata-chan!"

Hinata blushed at the sudden familiarity. So, '-chan'? Where did that come from? Maybe the alcohol was having an effect, after all. Naruto went on, "Here, look, your cup is already empty! Not good at all!"

Hinata opened her mouth to protest, but Naruto had already filled her cup with plum liquor. Up to the brim.

He cheerfully waved the bottle up in the air and winked at her, "Alright, Hinata-chan, bottoms up!"

"What?" asked Hinata in a strangled voice. Naruto's grin widened. "No, not that way! It means, drink your cup in one gulp. "

"Oh." Hinata was about to tell him that she would rather drink it slowly, when she suddenly felt a presence behind her.

"Naruto, stupid kid, how many times did I tell you that it's bad manners to try to drink a lady under the table?"

Hinata almost spilled her drink in surprise. The toad hermit was standing on the balcony. When did he get here? I didn't even hear him approach!

Hinata had not recoiled at the Hermit's sight, and that was strange. Three hours ago, the mere mention of his name would have sent her in a blushing frenzy, and she would definitely have felt ill-at-ease with him in the same room. But now she felt strangely detached about it, as if the pervert in the bathing area and Naruto's teacher were two different persons. She wondered if this was the alcohol speaking.

"Drink her under the table…?" spluttered Naruto indigantly. "Old toad! You know I'm not like that!" yelled Naruto, with such a chagrined look that Hinata couldn't help but smile. "I mean," he went on, "if she wants to stop, she just has to say so!"

"The thing is, my dear disciple, you must actually listen to your guest, not just drown her with idle chit-chat. Am I wrong, miss Hyuuga?" asked the hermit, giving her a knowing look and smirking all the way. Hinata had a sneaking suspicion that the hermit attitude was just a game, and that the game's goal was to annoy the heck out of his pupil.

Naruto disgruntled look seemed to confirm that theory.

" I actually like to listen to people, Jiraiya-sama," said Hinata softly.

The old man smiled down at her and gave her a look that seemed to say 'You really do, don't you?'.

"See, old toad? I'm not bothering her at all!"

"Brat, don't get me started on the subject of you bothering people."

"Well, at least I'm not afraid of an old innkeeper, me."

That seemingly struck a chord, since the hermit paused in mid movement, his mouth hanging open. Then he began to speak in a slow voice, as if trying to explain something complicated to a five years old kid "Listen boy, sometimes a man, be he extraordinary dashing and skilled, cannot-"

"If you're here to talk about yourself at the third person, go away," Naruto paused before adding in a peeved tone, "you and your over-inflated ego."

"My, I think me and my overinflated ego are going to have a drink before leaving."

Jiraiya plopped down beside Naruto while the blond boy poured him a cup of liquor.

"Seesh, what do you think I'm going to do with such a small cup? Why are you the only one to have such an oversized cup? Give it to me, will you? There, you're a nice boy." Seeing the old man pat Naruto on the head was slightly disturbing, Hinata decided. Especially with Naruto baring his teeth like that. But the hermit didn't seem to notice, and he smacked his lips appreciatively after tasting the umeshuu.

"Aah... I see you're drinking good stuff, my pupil. At least I was able to teach you a few things!"

"Yes, old lecher! First class umeshuu! The reaaally expensive one…" Naruto's smile was a bit too bright, and his eyes were a little too malicious. But the old man did not seem to notice. He seemed oblivious to the world, sipping the liquor with a content look.

"Ah, umeshuu... that's a good drink! Do you like umeshuu, Miss Hyuuga? It's sugary and fruity, it generally pleases the ladies' delicate palate. Or sweet tooth, should I say."

"Now, who is drowning who with 'idle chit-chat'? Feeling the urge to rant, much?" Naruto feigned coldness, but Hinata was aware of the small smile tugging at the young man's lips. He was enjoying this, too.

Hinata put a hand in front of her mouth, to hide a smile. Did these two ever stop bickering?

"Shut up brat, and give some umeshuu. Don't you see that my cup is empty? Your table manners are awful, my boy. What are we celebrating by the way?"

"That Hinata is now part of our team!"

"Oh, nice, nice." Jiraiya drank a mouthful of umeshuu before blinking and turning around to face Naruto, "Wait."

"Yeah?"

"What did you just say?"

"Are you deaf, now?" asked Naruto, arching one eyebrow. "I said, we're celebrating that Hinata is now part of our team."

"Ah, good, I was afraid I misheard you. Just to be sure, who decided so?" said Jiraiya, his voice sweet and coaxing.

"I did, of course!"

Uh oh, thought Hinata.

"Don't you think you're forgetting someone, in the process?" asked the white haired man, in an even sweeter voice.

"Oh, no, don't worry!" Naruto went on, with his usual carefree smile, "Tsunade-baa-chan agreed already."

Jiraiya finally dropped the act and grabbed his pupil by the collar to shake him thoroughly. "No, Naruto, you stupid oaf. I was talking about me."

Naruto poured himself a cup of umeshuu, before turning back toward the old man, his good natured face radiating innocence. "Oh, as if. Do you mind? You don't, do you? Aw, Come on, old leech. It won't be that bad. Hinata-chan is way better than me: she'll actually listen to you. Right, Hinata-chan?"

"Of course, Naruto-kun!"

"See? She's the perfect student."

"That's not the point! I have no doubt that Miss Hyuuga must truly be a treasure, but don't you think you should have asked me before deciding, hmm?"

"Listen, if you keep on being difficult, I will..."

A that moment, the door rolled open, and a very dishevelled old woman stepped in Naruto's room.

Hinata noted appreciatively that the hermit only needed a quarter of second to spring to his feet, dash across the room and hide behind a wooden panel.

"Naru-chan, have you seen your Master? I could swear I just heard his voice!" asked the woman, eyes ablaze.

"Oh yes Okami-san." Behind the wooden panel, Jiraiya started making strangling motions with his hands. He glared at the blond shinobi, with eyes full of disbelief. But Naruto went on, cheerful as ever: "Jiraiya said he was going for a walk in the forest. He wanted to admire Takibashi by night. You'll find him there without a doubt."

" Oh. Really now? Thank you SO much, my dearest sweetheart," trilled the old woman.

"My pleasure, Okami-san."

The door rolled back, and they heard hurried footsteps rush down the hallway.

Jiraiya cautiously stepped from behind the wooden panel. "You know, brat, you almost had me afraid for a second."

At this, Naruto smiled the most wicked smile Hinata had ever seen, and ran off to the door before slamming it open and bellowing : "Okami-san! Jiraiya confessed earlier that he likes you very much! Maybe you should wear something a little more revealing for him! You know how he likes daring women!"

The old man silently shook his fist at his student, grunting through gritted teeth "You will die a painful death, brat," before grabbing a couple of umeshuu bottles and stepping from the balcony into the garden, where the darkness swiftly swallowed him.

Naruto closed the door swiftly, snickering. "That'll teach him."

"Naruto-kun, that was not a really nice thing to do."

Naruto looked at her with genuine disbelief. "Hinata-chan, are you alright in the head? I mean, he groped you! He deserves it! And well, do you really think that a high-rank shinobi like him is going to have problems hiding from her? He just likes being hunted by that old bat!"

Hinata couldn't help but envy the relationship between the two shinobi. This was really different from the relation she had with her former teacher. Of course Kurenai-sensei had been a perfect teacher, but she was not very exuberant, to say the least. Naruto and Jiraiya's relation was more akin to very close friends than to a pupil/teacher's one. Like family, almost. Being Naruto's friend must be quite something. For a second, she felt jealous of the hermit. Sure, she knew Naruto from the Academy, but that was not enough to be deemed someone's friend. Friends were people who deeply understood each-other. People like Naruto and his teacher, or her and her teammates.

"Naruto-kun, I-"

"Hinata-chan! For the last time, please, call me Naruto! We're friends, aren't we?"

Friends, huh... Hinata mulled over her previous decision to go for a walk. That 'friend' thing was terribly tempting, all of a sudden.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"May I have another cup of umeshuu?"

"That's the spirit, girl! Bottoms' up!"

Hinata paused for a second before tilting her head to the side and smiling at Naruto. "Bottoms up, then!"

As she swallowed the sweet drink, Hinata could not repress a smile, as warmth spread inside of her.

Friends!

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.o0O0o.

Takitsubo Forest

.o0O0o.

Crossing the garden at high speed, Jiraiya took off in the dark forest surrounding the inn. After a while, he reached a clearing bathed in moonlight. He checked his surroundings and sat swiftly on a large rock. He needed to talk with his old team-mate. The impromptu meeting, the validation of the brat's request… That whole mess reeked of Tsunade. He hadn't had time to contact her yet about the girl's arm, so he would kill two birds with one stone and confront her now.

He reached into his shirt's inner pocket and brought out a small ebony scroll. He opened it, and wrote down a couple of sentences. Then he executed a long stream of hands seals, before slamming both his hands down on the scroll, whispering "Hourousanbun no jutsu!" (Technique of the wandering prose). He silently watched the words fade away.

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Far away from there, in Konoha, the Godaime Hokage felt a low pulsation of chakra near her left hip. Growling, she reached down her belt pocket and grabbed a scroll identical to the one Jiraiya had, before opening it and reaching out for a brush.

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Back in the Waterfall Country, Jiraiya was waiting in front of his now blank scroll. Damn, that jutsu had sure been a pain in the neck to master, but it was quite useful. He could not thank his late teacher enough for pounding it into his thick skull. He smirked when words began to appear on the scroll, slowly at first. Eventually he was able to decipher sentences, recognizing Tsunade's familiar handwriting.

~ My, my, my, why am I not even surprised? First the student, and then the teacher. And I thought that I could actually have some free time to have some fun with the paperwork. But nooo… So, what's bugging you? Spill it Toady, I'm waiting. ~

Jiraiya chuckled at the old nickname. He waited a few seconds for Tsunade's words to fade, before writing his answer and sending it.

~ Tsunade-hime, dearest, your harsh words are crushing my heart. ~

Soon enough, the answer came.

~ Jiraiya, spill it. I'm a busy woman, you know. ~

~ Why did you accept Naruto's request? Without consulting me first? ~

~ Maybe I was just feeling like being nice with him. ~

~ Tsunade, I know you. You'd rather deactivate your youth seal than give in to Naruto. And that whole mess reeks of you. Tell me the true reason. ~

~ I guess that you noticed her arm, right? ~

~ You want me to work on it? ~

~ Yes. If you get something out of it, it could be useful. It could help her too ~

~ And what makes you think, my dear Tsunade-hime, that I'm going to accept? ~

~ Because you're a very curious old man. ~

~ Why don't you study it yourself? ~

~ You're the one who likes toying with fucked-up seals, Jiraiya. I'm a busy woman. And I trust you with her, Naruto is going to kill you if you do something wrong. She's one of the Konoha 12, as they call themselves. Naruto is very protective of all of them. ~

~ I see that despite all your pestering, you still have some faith left in him. ~

~ That brat is really annoying. You know what he did? Through that toad messenger of his (why on earth did you teach him that? Now I can't even hide from him, he's always pestering me, damn it), he told me to get milked. ~

~ Well, nothing new. ~

~ I was in a meeting with the Mizukage. ~

~ Oh. ~

~ Yeah, 'Oh'. We were debating over the new double defence pact, when suddenly that stupid toad plopped down on my desk and croaked out "Boss says you should go get milked." ~

~ Hm. ~

~ You know her. She almost killed the toad. ~

~ I guess I'd better not bring the brat near Konoha or Kirigakure anytime soon? ~

~ Your guess is quite accurate. ~

~ Oh, Tsunade, come on, he is not that bad.~

~ 'Not that bad'? He's making my life a nightmare. Now I've got a hysterical Hyuuga Hiashi to cope with, too. This is just dandy. ~

~ How is he taking the news? ~

~ What do you think? You should hear him, he tried everything. From "the Hyuuga heiress, in that team for two years? Preposterous! ", to "She is supposed to get married! Bring her back!", without forgetting threats like: "If you don't counter that order now, I'll do something, something… something drastic!" ~

~ Father-Attitude is finally coming out to bite him in the bum? ~

~ You could say that. ~

~ You know what? I'm sure you're secretly thrilled, because I now have two bratty pupils instead of one. ~

~ Maybe. You know I love to see you squirm. ~

~ Tsunade, I'm too old for that crap. ~

~ Don't tell me… ~

~ You know how Naruto is. He's already getting his new 'teammate' stinking drunk to 'celebrate'; and he's putting the tab on me, thinking I won't notice. ~

~ Keep an eye on them, will you? ~

~ What, are you afraid he'll puke on her? ~

~ No, but seeing how hysterical is Hyuuga now, I wouldn't want to have to announce him that his precious daughter's got her precious virginity taken away by what he still sees as Kyuubi's spawn. ~

~ Tsunade! Your crude language and your lack of trust wound me. Deeply. ~

~ Don't make me laugh, Jiraiya. ~

~ Still, Naruto is my student. You should trust him. ~

~ More the reason to not trust him, if you get my point". No, now that I think about it, it's not that I don't trust him. It's that I don't trust them together. ~

~ They're young. Not stupid. ~

~ A girl who lived tied down by rules until now, and a boy whose motto is to disrespect every rule he can? Trust me, I don't want to be here the day those two really notice each other's. Sparks are going to fly. ~

~ Tsunade, since when are you so well versed in young passion? Want to help me for the next Icha-Icha volume? I could use a woman's point of view, you know. ~

~ Ok, you win. I give up. I'm going back to that dratted paperwork. But keep an eye on those two. ~

~ Yes, yes, I'll contact you later. Don't drool too much when falling asleep on your paperwork. ~

He did not write more, but he knew that Tsunade would get the true meaning of his words. 'Take care, and don't strain yourself too much.'

~ May you be squished under a toad's butt again. And stop pestering me so much. ~

'Thanks. Take care too, and try to stop by someday, I kind of miss you…'

After releasing the jutsu and putting the scroll back in his pocket, the white haired hermit began to walk back to the inn, gazing up at the stars. Keep an eye on them? Maybe. At least, not tonight. Tonight the lovely Takiko would be waiting for him in her nice green kimono, and Aiko might join them too, so…tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow.

And an old man grinning like a boy kept on walking through the forest.

.o0O0o.

Takibana inn, Room 24

.o0O0o.

Hinata was now happily in the Oblivious Stage, there was not much doubt left. On a second thought, Naruto too. She had been trying to teach him a very basic game, but he had problems remembering the rules.

"No, no nooo, Naruto-kun, you don't get this at all. There are four moves, not three. First, you clap your hands down on your lap, and then you clap your hands together, that's the second move. The third and the fourth moves are the thumbs ones; right, then left. Then it starts all over again. And you have to say the words, at the right rhythm, before going on with the name and number parts. You see?"

Naruto squinted his eyes shut, before shaking his head. "Nope… Don't see nuffin'! Gimme another bottle Hina-chan, it'll help me think clearly. Yup, surely will. "

Hinata obliged, and grinned. She had not known that drinking could be so fun!

The heat in the room was stifling. Somewhere along the way, Naruto had dropped the upper part of his yukata, baring his torso. Hinata wished she could do the same thing. The night air must feel delicious on bare skin. But since she didn't have the time to change, she had nothing under her yukata. Tsch, men. They're always the ones having fun, what with being able to go around half-naked. Hinata stole a glance at Naruto's bared chest. Well, she had nothing against fun with benefits, she reflected as she gazed at Naruto's face.

Naruto caught her eyes and sipped some umeshuu before speaking up. "Hina-chan, I know a better game, actually." Something flickered briefly in his eyes and he added, "way better."

"Better than that? I don't believe you!"

Suddenly Naruto eyes were burning with a new emotion. "Oh, yes, trust me. It's the best game ever.. Wanna play with me, Hina-chan?" asked Naruto, his eyes full of promises.

"But I don't know how to play," said Hinata, twisting nervously the hem of her yukata.

Naruto licked his lips and grinned at her. "Don't worry, I'm a good teacher."

Hinata felt a shiver of excitation run down her spine. She was stepping into unknown territory here. But the gleam in Naruto's eyes was strangely attractive, and she decided she liked his grin very much.

"Okay! Just let me drink another cup before!"

"No problem at all. Drink all you want, Hina-chan." A large smile was stretching his lips, making him look almost predatory. But she was not afraid at all. Maybe it was because of the alcohol, maybe because it was Naruto, but tonight she wanted to let go of everything and have fun. She wanted to go all the way. No more barriers, no more rules, just her, and Naruto.

And the umeshuu. Never forget the umeshuu.

Naruto extended his hand toward her shoulder, before giving her a small squeeze and an encouraging nod. He cocked his head to the side, and smiled at the young woman. "Trust me, I'm sure you're going to like it."

Neither of them heard the steps in the corridor. They never noticed someone stopping by the door, listening intently before walking softly away.

.0O0o.

Takibana inn, Room 8

.o0O0o.

Jiraiya was just beginning to enjoy the evening with a good bottle of umeshuu, and Takiko's nice décolleté, when his door rolled open again. He was slightly surprised to see only Aiko-chan's small face. He'd sent her to fetch Naruto.

"Back alone, Aiko-chan? What, is my disciple so drunk that he already fell asleep?"

Aiko's delicate face brightened with a smile. She sat beside him and put her hand on his. "Really, Jiraiya-sama, you played a very nasty trick on me… Is it that enjoyable to embarrass me?"

"What do you mean?" asked Jiraiya, surprised.

"You could have told me that Naruto-sama was with Beniko-sama. You know her, right?"

Jiraiya blinked. Beniko? Surely that was the Hyuuga brat's false name. Better play along. "Ah, yes, Beniko-chan, of course."

Wait. He had left them two hours ago. Were they still drinking? He had sent Aiko because he had been pretty sure that the Hyuuga kid would have been back in her room. Something was wrong. The hermit slowly put his cup down and stared at the young girl. He slowly asked, "Tell me, sweetheart, were they still drinking?"

"Jiraiya-sama, it looks like the drinking part was long forgotten, trust me. But don't worry, I told Minawa to not interrupt them."

Jiraiya could feel cold beads of sweat trickling down his back. Okay. Now this officially sounded wrong. "Takiko, Aiko, I need to go to the lavatory, very quickly. I'll be right back my dears, wait for me."

Jiraiya walked to the door slowly, trying to placate his rising anxiety. Behind him, he heard the two girls laugh, which only added to his panic.

He fled down the corridor leading to Naruto's room. How could he have been so STUPID! A man and a woman, together, alcohol flowing. It was bound to happen! But then again, he had never thought that Naruto would be that stupid. Darn, Tsunade was going to KILL him! If Naruto had decided to have some fun with the Hyuuga girl, he'd better take the brat on a looong trip, and never ever come back to Konoha. Ever.

Reaching Naruto's room, he rolled the sliding door open violently, and stood still, for he was facing one of the most unsettling sights ever.

They were not rolling around naked, swallowing each other's face, or worse, no. They were just sitting cross-legged, facing each other, their hands battling in rhythm as they sung a rhyme. True, Naruto's yukata was not covering his torso anymore, and Hinata's clothes seemed a bit rumpled, but it seemed to be the result of the alcohol intoxication rather than of sex-related activities. It was strangely disturbing to see Naruto play children games like that. He looked genuinely happy, and a good ten years younger. His eyes were bright with sheer happiness.

Jiraiya had never seen the brat having so much... fun?

Naruto's head turned toward Jiraiya, and the hermit was faced with one of the hugest smile he had ever seen.

"Ah! Ero sennin! You're coming to play with us too? Come on! I taught Hina-chan Yu's drinking game! Because she tried to teach me a game waaay to complex."

"And so you taught her the game you learned in the Snow Country? The one you like so much you annoyed the heck out of everyone with it?"

"She's doing really well! Well, she had a bit of trouble in the beginning, but she quickly mastered it! Right, Hina-chan?"

"Hm?" the Hyuuga's hands were slowly battling the air, apparently trying to go on with the game, even though Naruto had stopped a while ago, needing to focus on the talk with the hermit.

The white haired man shook himself out his lethargy. "Hm. I see. Naruto?

"Yeah?" the young man was beaming again.

"She's wasted," said Jiraiya, pointing at the young kunoichi.

"Noooh. Never. Right, Hina-chan?"

The young girl finally stopped her hands motions, and looked at Naruto for a couple of seconds, visibly trying to decipher the meaning of the sentence, before smiling proudly and nodding her assent. "Aa! "

"See? She's doing good!" the young man was still beaming.

Naruto smiling was one thing. But the constant beaming was beginning to set the hermit off. "Hmm. Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"You are wasted."

"Nuuuh. Not my style." This said, the blond man tried to get up but lost his balance and landed flat on his back. He began to shake with laughter. "Ero-sennin, I'm not wasted, but the room's sure shaking a bit too much for me to stand!"

"I can't believe it, you're pissed as a newt! Naruto, stupid boy, how much did you drink tonight?"

Naruto jerked his thumb toward the balcony, pointing at the dozens of empty bottles, and proudly claimed "That much!", before trying to sit up again.

Jiraiya slowly passed his hand on his eyes, trying to not lose his temper.

"Naruto. You are utterly sloshed."

The young man frowned. "Nope, I can't. Remember?" he asked, patting his stomach, "he's helping me!" this said he beamed at his teacher again.

"Well, Naruto. I guess that we just discovered that even an immortal demon fox with nine tails can get plastered."

"Ya sure?"

"Hmm, looking at your current state, I'd say 'yes'."

"Okay, then."

Jiraiya wondered why he was bothering with sarcasm when obviously no one in the room beside him cared about what he was saying. Naruto yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes in a childish manner. Here lies Uzumaki Naruto, bearer of the Kyuubi, feared by many, who still manages to look like a four-year-old boy sometimes. That brat is a mystery to me.

Jiraiya pinched the base of his nose wearily. "Time to go to bed, kids."

"Am not tired, ya old perv'."

"Shut up Naruto, you're way too wasted for me to listen to you."

"Noh... I want to drink again with Hina-chan! She's a great drinking buddy! Right Hina-chan?"

Hinata uttered a last "Aa?", before eventually keeling over and falling in a heap on the floor. Thank goodness for small blessings, Hyuuga Hiashi was not here to see his daughter in that horrid state.

The hermit clapped his hands together a couple of time to gain some attention, and failed completely. Naruto was still trying to sit up, and the Hyuuga had stopped moving altogether. "That does it, bed time for both of you. NOW!"

"Okay, sensei." Jiraiya felt the urge to smile. Naruto had stopped calling him sensei years ago. And now, out of all times, the old title was resurfacing. What a cute brat indeed.

Naruto crawled toward his bed and once he reached it, he almost instantly fell asleep, snoring softly.

Now, what to do with Miss Wasted here? Well, I just hope that they won't puke on each other's during the night. If they do, it'll teach them to not drink themselves silly again. The hermit snickered at the thought and reached down to his belt, to take two small purple pills out of a black pouch. He squatted down beside the girl's slumped form. He reached out for her shoulder, and softly shook her, holding one pill in front of her face.

"Open your mouth, sweetie."

The dark haired girl slowly opened an eye and slurred, "Whazzit…? Sleepy…"

Jiraiya nose twitched at the sudden alcohol charged breath. "It'll keep you from being sick. Swallow it, and then I'll let you sleep, I promise."

"Mmh…'kay." She dizzily sat up and tentatively reached for the pill. She gave it a stern look as doubt crossed her features for a few seconds. But she shrugged and put it in her mouth with a tired look.

The hermit waited to be sure she swallowed it, and then walked over to the bed where the blond shinobi was lying. No need for delicacy here. He grabbed his disciple's jaw, forcing his mouth open, and stuffed the pill down his throat. Naruto didn't even have the decency to wake up, and a gurgling sound was the only reaction Jiraiya got out of him.

He then walked back to the centre of the room and took the already asleep girl in his arms, to carry her to the bed. She was limp and light, her head lolling on his shoulder as he carried her. Jiraiya put her down next to Naruto on the large futon, not bothering with the blanket, the nights were warm enough. He gave them a last glance before exiting the room, closing the sliding doors carefully behind him.

Kids. They're just kids.

He silently went down the deserted hall, and passed by the lobby where Minawa was sleeping, head resting on her crossed arms. Such a peaceful night...

Jiraiya walked out and sat in the courtyard, listening to the night's soft noises. The sound of the water from the river nearby, the wind rushing through the leaves, the soft smell of mud, earth and wood, everything seemed designed to bring peace to the mind. He liked Waterfall Country, it reminded him of his hermitage.

A new student huh…

Jiraiya didn't particularly like students. They always ended up dying stupidly.

Barring Naruto, all his students had died. Two of them had died before even reaching the chuunin status. Nagato, Yahiko and Konan had not really been his students, but still. He'd taken care of them for a while before abandoning them, and it had ended badly, of course.

And the one left…

Well, the one left had been Minato. The biggest mistake of all. Because of Minato, Jiraiya had broken the shinobi code tacit golden rule: never care.

Jiraiya could still remember when he'd seen the snotty brat for the first time. Jiraiya was fond of these memories, when Minato had just been a bright kid with messy hair, with none of that 'Yellow Flash', or 'Yondaime Hokage' crap. He had been so fucking young. 'Too young', that was how Jiraiya had always defined Minato: too young to have his two teammates die on him, too young to go to war, too young to bury two of his students, too young to become Hokage.

After the death of his two teammates, Minato had refused to be incorporated in another team. So the elders had decided, logically, that Jiraiya should go on tutoring him. One of Konoha's legendary Sannin, teaching a genius boy, there stood the dream team! The elders had all been patting themselves on the back, a calculating gleam in their eyes.

But soon, Minato had become more than a simple student. What else could have come out of it, really? You don't spend weeks, months, years even, stuck with a brat without ending up caring about him. To Jiraiya, the young boy had been like the son he never had.

He had seen him cry when his team-mates died, dream about peace, turn blanch and vomit, after his first kill. He had seen him bet his life, for a village.

He had seen his grave. 'Too young to die', indeed.

Jiraiya was not in Konoha when the Kyuubi had attacked. He had actually been sent away by Minato himself. A spying mission in the Sand Country, to keep an eye on the Yondaime Kazekage and his disgusting little experiments.

When rumors of the Kyuubi attack had reached him, Jiraiya had asked Minato if it was necessary for him, the Toad Hermit, to come back and fight along with his only student. Minato's answer had been short and carefree, as usual. "Don't worry too much, sensei. I know what I am doing!"

Minato knew so well what he was doing that he had left his last will on his desk before the final attack.

Something broke in Jiraiya's chest the day he learned that Minato had died. Something that not even Orochimaru's treachery or Tsunade's rejection had managed to scratch before. But the day Minato died, that thing deep inside him broke. Neatly, in half.

That day, Jiraiya had felt like an old man. It was as if the years were catching up, suddenly. It was horrible, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking… He had tried out all the words, searching for the ones that could describe his pain and allow him to move on. But no words could match the feelings that tore through him.

"No more", he had sworn, on that fateful day. No more, such a pain. He had left the village, with the firm intention of never being tricked into accepting another student again. He'd fled without asking about Minato's son. He had been afraid he would start caring again.

But life had been a bitch, as usual. Twelve years later, he'd run into the person he'd been avoiding all along.

Naruto was special, to say the least. At first, Jiraiya had only wanted to help the bratty blond boy with his chakra control, and somehow be redeemed of his debts toward Minato but it had soon grown out of hands.

Naruto was just like a maelstrom of feelings, grabbing you, dragging you kicking and screaming into the whirlpool of his little life. Once you approached the boy near enough to get a glimpse, it was already too late. You were stuck with him: you suddenly wanted to tag along, just to see when he was going to stop. But that was the thing: Naruto never stopped. Naruto was larger than life.

Naruto was just too much to leave behind. One day, you would wake up to understand that it was too late, you were already fond of him, you couldn't refrain from ruffling his hair or teasing him. You cared.

So the hermit had taken him along in the search for Tsunade. Not just because Akatsuki had been looking for the boy. But because Naruto had already managed to create his own place in Jiraiya's heart. Just beside Minato.

It was strange, how the two of them, Minato and Naruto, were so different, and yet so alike. The same hair, the same eyes, the same smile. And the same stubbornness, behind the smile. That face that seemed to say 'Do as you want, I don't mind. But don't try to change me, or else!' Jiraiya had been surprised the first time Naruto had openly opposed him, not just to be a pain as usual, but because he was really opposing him. This time, Jiraiya could have sworn that Minato's shadow had been standing beside the boy.

Funny how the mind could play nasty tricks to old men's eyes…

Minato had been like the hermit's son, no one could replace him. But Naruto was not a replacement. He was Minato's legacy. Jiraiya had decided to take care of him because he was so much like himself too; looking at Naruto was like glancing at the mirror.

And because Naruto was Naruto. That was enough of a reason.

Jiraiya had almost lost him too, in the Madara mess. After everything settled down, Naruto seemed to be okay. But Jiraiya knew better. He knew how the young man was feeling inside; he noticed the hollow look in the boy's eyes when Naruto thought that no one was watching him. He knew that something deep in Naruto had broken too, at that time. It was easy to understand. Looking at the boy was like looking at himself, forty years back.

The hermit never claimed to be omniscient, but he knew how the human mind worked. He knew what was going to happen to the boy if he stayed by himself. So he took him away. He had decided not to flee, that time. He had decided to be here, for his student.

For his family.

So here he was, like an old fool repeating mistakes, caring about another blond haired student.

To be totally honest, he was having quite some fun. Naruto was giving him a good excuse to behave childishly. And if there was one thing that Jiraiya loved better than a good cup of umeshuu, it was certainly to behave childishly from times to time. There was a strange symbiosis between the two men. They could understand each other without talking; during missions a flick of the hand was enough to communicate. Sometimes they would exchange roles too, the teacher would become a prankster, and the pupil would start complaining bitterly.

Jiraiya glanced at the starry sky, and slowly raised his hand above his head, before tightening it into a fist. I swear I won't let this one die on me. This time, I'm going to be the first to go.

But now, the present problem was not exactly Naruto.

Another 'student'? Yeah, right, he was too old for that crap. Students always had these crazy expectations, and kept badgering him about learning. Naruto had finally taken the hint, and had stopped asking a couple of years ago.

So, a new element. A Hyuuga brat, on top of that? Jiraiya knew jack-shit about their bloodline, and was not about to start studying it anytime soon. He had never liked geniuses, old houses, bloodlines and all that boring stuff. They were all so damn predictable. This was why he had taken the lifestyle of a hermit, and had refused to be Hokage. He couldn't stand the formalities.

At least the girl seemed nice. In a clumsy, awkward and gauche kind of way. But…

Crud, what was he going to do with a dratted Hyuuga? Hyuuga! The family with the biggest stick up their butt in the WHOLE Leaf! And not just any Hyuuga! The bleeding Heiress! Jiraiya had heard many bad things about that family. Not to mention the well-known fact that, when it came to downright nastiness, the Konoha elders could not even hold a candle to the Hyuuga elders. Maybe Jiraiya could trick the girl into refusing Naruto's proposition?

Sheesh, stop being a brat about it, old man. If she wants to join, then you're not going to kick her out.

And he had to be honest, that arm of hers looked damn interesting.

Behind him, the bushes rustled softly, and inquired in a slightly strangled voice: "Jiraiya-sama?"

The mighty hermit nearly jumped out of his own skin. Okami-san! He hadn't heard her approach!

.o0O0o.

Takibana inn, Room 24, 2:43am

.o0O0o.

Naruto rolled over in his sleep. Someone was hogging half of the bed and he could not lay sprawled the way he liked. He blinked blearily and looked out for whoever was hogging his bed. Oh, yeah, Hinata. Without thinking further, he grabbed her under the shoulders and hauled her bodily over him, draping her over his chest. With Hinata lying face down on his chest, and her legs between his, he could stretch his legs and his arms all over the bed's surface. Perfect.

With a contented smile, Naruto went back to sleep.

.o0O0o.

Takibana inn, Room 24, 9:51am

.o0O0o.

Hinata woke up to the worst headache of her life. Her whole body was aching, her hips in particular. They were bent in an odd angle, as if her upper body was higher than her lower. She tried wiggling her hips a bit, to alleviate the strain.

Someone grunted. Someone awfully close. Hinata had not so much heard the grunt than felt it, reverberating through her ribcage. She was lying on top of someone. She cracked an eye open and tried to asses her surroundings.

Well. She was not seeing much, besides copious amounts of bare skin. Bare torso, bare shoulder, bare collar bone, and spiky blond hair. Her brain seemed to kick in at this. Naruto. Everything came back to her, the meeting with Naruto, talking, drinking, and somehow the hermit telling her to sleep. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut.

She could not move. Literally. She felt like… What was the sentence Kiba used all the time? Oh yes, she felt like crap. Each time she tried to move the smallest muscle, she felt drained. She decided to stay put for a while, to try to figure out exactly what had happened.

After a few seconds, she gave up. Her brain was not responding. So she just lay there, basking in Naruto's warmth, waiting for her body to wake up. It was the first time she woke up beside someone. Well. On someone. How had she ended up on top of Naruto? She should be crushing him, she reflected. But his breathing was even, not strained in the least. He slept like a baby. It was strangely peaceful, to wake up lying on someone. If it was not for her hips, she would feel perfectly at ease. Feeling another living being, so close to her, just the warmth slightly hanging between them, the lulling sound of the other's even breathing. She had the feeling to be part of something, for once. She could get used to it, she mused.

Alright, these were definitely BAD thoughts, Hinata decided.

So she switched to the recent events instead.

Right. She had decided to join Naruto and Jiraiya's team. Wonderful. How on earth am I going to get myself out of this one? She had accepted without taking into consideration the consequences. Deep down in her heart, she had been yearning for that long awaited change, for something, anything, to happen. Her father would not be happy with her, but he might understand. But the Elders were another story.

She was disgusted by the Elders' behaviour, who were only interested in power. To them, dreams meant nothing. They had been spoiled of their dreams when they were young, and their only reaction was to spoil the young generations in return.

Hinata just wanted to be left alone, to be able to do things her way. She realised that she was merely running away from the problem, rather than trying to face it. Once married, her life would be sealed, like all the other women of the clan. Have kids, stay hidden, and weep pathetically when the ones you love are killed. Since when had she started fleeing like that? That was not like her!

Being with Naruto was so different. Last night she had more fun than in the whole last five years put together. Maybe she should accept. But again, was it a good move? What would she learn with him and Jiraiya? To have fun, to feel free? To start hoping, only to have it shattered again in less than two years? She did not think she could be strong enough to stand that. Yes, better refuse Naruto's offer. No hope at all was better than a lost one. When Naruto awakes, maybe I should tell him I changed my mind. He will understand.

As she was still considering what she should do, she heard the room's wooden door slowly roll open. Immediately, old reflexes kicked in, and she slowed her breathing to mimic sleep. Who had just entered, friend or enemy? She heard very light footsteps nearing the bed.

Naruto suddenly jerked awake, aggressive chakra surrounding him. In one fluid movement he sat up, one arm circling around Hinata protectively, clutching her to his chest to keep her from being thrown off the bed in the momentum. Hinata guessed the other hand was extended protectively in front of them, in a classic defensive stance.

"Who the Hell is- ... Ero-sennin, what the fuck are you doing, creeping in my room like that?"

The Hermit answered in a deep and calm voice "Only three seconds to notice the intrusion. Not that bad, considering that you're surely sporting a hell of a hangover."

Naruto laid Hinata down the bed beside him, before falling back on the futon, rolling away from her. "Old toad, don't you have more interesting things to do? Don't tell me that annoying me is your one and only hobby, I know it's not."

"Quiet, brat, I'm here to talk."

At this Naruto grunted inimically and sat up. Hinata stayed still, she was confident enough about her ability. She had learned how to control her heartbeat and her breathing; she had even worked on ways to soothe her aura. That was one of her trump cards. More than once she had gathered information that way. Jiraiya sounded like he meant business: better listen closely.

The hermit footsteps came closer. "So Naruto, you laid her?"

Hinata's horrified hiccup ruined her cover, but since Naruto's fist connected to the hermit's jaw in a mighty punch at the same time, no one really paid attention.

The young man yawned, before sitting back down on the bed and asking "Another question, old toad?"

"No, I guess not. Damn Naruto, that was quite a punch. Why so much hatred? Am I not your beloved old teacher?"

"I already told you, Hinata is a friend. Disrespect her again, and you'll lose teeth."

"Don't be so full of yourself, brat."

"Tune it down, some people are trying to sleep here," snapped Naruto.

The conversation resumed in an ushered tone. "So, how is a hangover feeling like, brat?"

"I'm thirsty. And the room is swaying a bit. But that's all."

"No headache? That's good news."

Naruto sighed, "Yeah, I guess it's like everything, I need only one night to recover."

"Don't get too cocky. It once took you four months to recover from a certain injury."

The young man's voice seemed to darken slightly, as if irritated. "That was a different matter."

Hinata silently wondered what kind of injury could take so long to recover from. The hermit's voice brought her back to the present conversation.

"Anyway, that's not the point. Tsunade accepted your request, huh."

"Yeah. I was really surprised, though. I mean, I've never seen her accept anything so quickly."

"Don't worry over that. I'm pretty sure she has her own reasons."

"You know that old cow better than I do. Hey, old perv'? "

"Yeah, brat?"

"No more groping!"

"Groping the girl, you mean?"

"Yeah. I'm no fool, old lecher. I know I can't stop you from groping women. I'm just asking you to leave her alone. Deal?"

A pregnant pose ensued, where reluctance was almost palpable. Finally the white haired man gave in. "Deal. Though she's really nice to grope you know… You should try-"

"Hey, what did I say about loosing teeth?"

"I'm not disrespecting her! I'm complimenting her!"

"Old toad!"

"Ok, ok. But Naruto, do you understand what a woman in our teams means?" his tone had changed abruptly, and Hinata could tell he was serious again. Was he afraid that she was going to slow them down? Or that she would be a burden to them? Was he underestimating her, just because she was a woman? She was not the best kunoichi in Konoha, that was a fact, but she had always disliked people thinking that kunoichi could not be as good their male counterparts.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto in a puzzled tone.

"Well," Jiraiya drawled, "no more peeping, no more gathering data, no more-"

"Hey, talk for yourself!"

Jiraiya sighed in agony. "Naruto, you utter moron. Why can't you see that what affects me, affects you too? If I'm kept from gathering data, my creativity will wither and die, I won't be able to write decent stuff anymore, bankruptcy will loom and we'll starve to death."

"You know what I like most about you, old perv? Your unwavering optimism." The young man got up, and Hinata heard him walk across the room "Hey, old man, I'm going to bathe, you come?"

Jiraiya snickered before answering, "Why do you ask me? Afraid of getting lost? Or do you feel a sudden urge to share quality time with your teacher?"

"No. You stink like a goat, you didn't bathe yesterday. And spending time with you is not what I'd call quality time, trust me."

Hinata could almost hear the hermit pout. "That was low, Naruto. I do like to share my hobbies with my skilled student."

Naruto snorted as Hinata heard the rustle of clothes, "Ah, so now I'm skilled. What happened to the whole 'Die! Just Die! You have no talent at all!' talk?"

"You still suck as a shinobi. But you're turning into a fine pervert, drinking a girl under the table so you can grope her when she sleeps and-"

Naruto slammed the door open, "Okay, that definitely takes the cake. See you later."With that he stomped angrily out of the room.

Hinata felt the futon move when the toad hermit sat down on it. Her body tensed slightly; what was he up to? She still had yesterday unpleasant events in mind, and this time the alcohol was not here to cloud her judgement.

The hermit inhaled softly before starting talking slowly, carefully picking his words. "Miss Hyuuga? You've got a very good control of your body and chakra, I must say. I am really impressed. Unfortunately for you, I'm not exactly fooled by that kind of thing."

For a second, Hinata shut her eyes tightly in shame.

Honestly, who had she been trying to fool? Jiraiya was one of the Sannin! He was as strong as the Hokage, to cry out loud!

As if reading her thoughts, the old man went on, "Don't blame yourself, it was performed flawlessly. It's just that I'm not that easy to fool."

She remained silent, her gaze fixed on the wall.

She slowly sat up and craned her neck to steal a glance to the old hermit. His back was turned to her, as he was gazing at the garden through the open doors. What was he waiting for? Was he intending to stay here all morning?

The peace and the silence of the early morning were abruptly disrupted when a sudden explosion was heard, coming from the bathing place. Even though Naruto's room was quite far away from it, a loud string of curses could distinctly be heard.

Hinata was about to ask Jiraiya if this was indeed Naruto's voice, when the hermit started mumbling to himself, "Looks like I was right to wait a bit. Tsunade resorting exploding soap again huh? Quicker than usual too. Tsk tsk tsk, Naruto must have pissed her quite a bit this time. Well, that's his problem."

'Exploding soap?', the kunoichi shook her head slowly. 'I don't even want to know…'

"Hyuuga-san, there is something else I would like to talk about," the hermit said rummaging in his overcoat inner-pocket. He handed her a sheet of pale blue paper and asked her: "you recognize this, I suppose?"

Hinata immediately recognized it for what it was, a perfect chart of her left arm's chakra pathways, down to the Hokage's little artificial chakra ducts. She immediately went on the defensive.

"Where did you get this?"

"Yesterday, while you were busy yelling your head off."

Hinata blushed furiously. So. This explained that. She had fallen for the oldest trick of the book.

"You could have asked. I would have liked it better," she snapped.

"I am truly sorry. This is a terrible habit of mine, collect information first, save the chit-chat for later. Professional quirk, I guess," the hermit explained evasively, waving his hands in the air.

Hinata pored over the sheet for a few seconds.

"How long do you need to apply it, to get such an accurate picture?"

"You can get a good sketch with just a four seconds application. Sure, the longer the better, but four seconds are enough."

"I didn't notice a thing."

"Miss, I have been spying and collecting information for as long as I can remember. I know my job."

"That's why you… touched me?"

Jiraiya sighed heavily. "Yes. Once again, I'm sorry about it. It won't ever happen again."

Hinata paused a few seconds before mustering enough courage to whisper, "You swear?"

She could feel her cheeks burning.

"Yes my dear, I swear. I will never, ever lay my hands on you again."

Hinata looked up at the old man doubtfully. She was not entirely sure she could trust him.

"Naruto won't let me, anyway. He's very protective of you. It's a bit scary actually. He usually he pulls back his punches, but this morning, he went all out on me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," muttered Hinata, who was not at all that sorry.

"Well, I earned it, I guess. Don't worry, as long as Naruto's throwing a fit, everything is peachy. He whines and complains a lot, but only over small things. It's when he turns mute that you need to begin worrying."

That sounds so much like Naruto… thought Hinata, hiding a smile behind her hand. The old man had his faults, but he knew Naruto very well.

Jiraiya startled her by asking suddenly, "By the way, I suppose he didn't let you the time to think over it?"

Hinata shot the hermit a confused glance. "What do you mean?"

"Naruto, I mean. When he asked you to join the team? You were somehow presented with the facts and had to comply, hadn't you?"

Hinata's temper flared. She might not be the strongest willed girl in the Fire Country, but she was not going to blame it on Naruto. "Naruto-kun didn't force me."

"No, well, that's not what I meant. I meant." Jiraiya scratched his head before going on, "Miss, you must understand that Naruto is always affecting people, because he apprehends life using only his instincts. He wanted to be sure that you wouldn't feel rejected, that's why he kicked such a fuss about obtaining Tsunade's green light right away. Not because he wanted to force you into whatever decision."

"I see."

"Anyway, about the possibility of you joining our team. Let's make things clear. I don't want you as a pupil."

Hinata slowly tilted her head down, and had to refrain to start fiddling with her fingers. Well, she had been thinking of refusing anyway. So that settled it, did it not? The old man did not want her in, so she just had to pack her things like a good girl, and to get the heck away from that inn. But once again, things were imposed to her. What if she had decided she really wanted to join? That thought made her raise her head and hold the hermit's gaze. If he was going to tell her to get lost, at least she would be looking at him when he'd say so. No more fleeing.

Jiraiya looked straight back at her, trying to prod her determination, but she did not flinch. A lopsided smile appeared on the hermit's face.

"That's better! I like when I can see the eyes of the person I'm talking to! But don't misunderstand me. I don't want you as a pupil, so if you want to stay here, you're going to stay as a team-mate." This made Hinata break the eye contact. As the old man went on talking, she felt her cheeks redden again. "Despite what he says, Naruto is not my pupil any more. I'm too old to play teacher, and I'm sick and tired of brats who think I only need to snap my fingers to power them up. You're a jounin; you are supposed to be able to handle yourself. And this, joining or not, is a decision you need to take by yourself, with no one pushing you. Think over it calmly, before giving me your final answer."

Hinata looked at her hands for a second before whispering a few words.

The hermit leaned forward a bit. "Sorry, miss, but what was that? I'm afraid I couldn't catch everything."

"Naruto-kun said that-"

"To Hell with him. He won't die if you don't stay, trust me. Well, if he feels like antagonizing me he may throw a fit, but that'd be all. I don't want you to join just because you think that that's what Naruto wants."

"I will not!"

The hermit paused to reach for his pipe inside his shirt. He slowly lit it and began to puff smoke after a while, gazing lazily at the ceiling. "If you want to come along with us, I can't promise you a lot of things. I can't promise you a quiet or peaceful life. Most of the time, we're on the road, and our missions are frankly a pain in the neck. We always end up dealing with the mucky ones, because we're the only team available in the area, or because they have been refused by everyone else.

"I see."

"Miss, don't misunderstand me. You're 19, right?"

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama"

"At 19, ninja are adults, so I won't go all nice and fatherly on you. Naruto says you're a strong girl, and I believe his judgement. Most of the time, he doesn't even reflects over things and… he's a bit rash, but often right. He has a knack for understanding people. Anyway, this is not about this stupid boy, but about you. You, as many children coming from old houses, spent way too much time being sheltered, in my humble opinion. Respect tradition, go by the book and all that nonsense. It's time to bring some of your instincts out, little woman. You need to throw the book away and grab your own pen."

Strange, how his words strike right at the problem, reflected Hinata.

"And Hyuuga-san?"

"Yes Jiraiya-sama?"

"Don't stress yourself over the '-sama' stuff. I never was a formal kind of a man. Okay?" He smiled down at her, and she noticed for the first time that he had kind eyes. She was still very much peeved at him, but she realized that there was more to the hermit than what met the eye. Maybe she could enjoy spending time with someone like him. Maybe not anytime soon, though, thought Hinata, wincing as she remembered his hands on her breasts the day before. Jiraiya started getting up, "That said, I'm off. See you later Miss."

Hinata climbed down from the bed, and sat down on the tatami mat. As she smoothed out her yukata with the palm of her hand, she turned the hermit's words in her mind. Throw away the book and grab my own pen, huh?

She called out after the old man. "Wait, Jiraiya-sensei!"

As he turned around and gave her a questioning look, she smiled at him and said softy, "I haven't given you my answer yet."

Hinata slowly sat up and extended her delicate white hands in front of her, lowering them to the ground. Then, breathing deeply, she bowed low before the hermit Jiraiya, her brow almost touching the tatami mat. "Jiraiya-sensei, I would be honoured if you would consider me as a member of your team."

"Don't bow in front of your team-mates, young miss," said the old man, smiling down at her. "Very well then, Miss Hyuuga. Naruto and I are going to bathe, and you should bathe too, this may help you with the bit of a hangover you seem to have. Let's say we all meet up here, in one hour? There are a few things I want to try on these seals of yours. You'll see, we'll set you right in no time, Hyuuga-san!"

"Yes Jiraiya-sensei," Hinata nodded before adding "please, do call me Hinata".

"Wonderful then. Hinata, welcome in the Konoha Elite Toad Team!"

"Thank you"

"You'll see, we're going to turn you into a super pervert in no time!" he said, giving her the thumbs up before leaving.

As Jiraiya exited the room, Hinata shook her head disbelievingly. Jiraiya-sensei…Can't you stay serious for more than five minutes?

.

End of

Drastic Holiday, Chapter Two: Drastic Changes.

TBC in

Drastic Holiday, Chapter Three: Drastic Sealing. (a.k.a. Aesop's 'The Crow and the Fox', with a twist.)

Where :

Pace picks up,

Plot thickens slightly,

Themes darken considerably,

BFFL Naruto & Sasuke show up,

Old myths are brought to life, kicking and screaming,

Why, hello there UST! It's so nice of you to show up randomly like that!

Naruto finally pauses to think about what he did. Mind-boggling experience, if you want my point.

A/N: [weaboo] the whole -kun /-chan business is quite hard to grasp. It's highly personal.

Adding '-kun' can indicate closeness, but then again, it can add some distance. Sakura does not use it for Naruto, but uses it for Sasuke because he's much more… difficult to reach (pedestal of Lurve and all that stuff) than Naruto, who is a bit like a childhood friend. A very annoying friend, but still. She'll most likely drop the '-kun' when things gets serious (in a romantic way) with Sasuke. Hinata comes from a very old, stuck-up family that tends to put ranks and titles everywhere. That's why she still calls her teammates 'Kiba-kun' and 'Shino-kun'

On the contrary, adding -chan after a girl's name reduces the distance.

No title/suffix at all between two people who are the same age can be really tricky. Because it can either be neutral, or mean that the two people are extremely close.

So, in distance terms, 'Hina(ta)-chan' is closer than just 'Hinata' (and then again not, in a warped way. Because of the 'no suffix = tricky bastard' rule), and 'Naruto' indicate more closeness than 'Naruto-kun'.

But YMMV. A lot. [/weaboo]

Don't fav' and run! Review, please!

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