Hinata was certain she was going to die.
That certainty lasted less than a second. It was just a reflex, really. For a shinobi to be caught off-guard in a flash you both didn't expect and couldn't understand, usually meant the end.
But the glow faded, and Hinata's breathing forcibly evened out, all without a single flicker of pain. That was when the second wave of fear gripped her.
It settled in that she had just fiddled with the private property of the village's foremost seal expert, who also happened to be the Hokage's son, inside of their home of all places. Just because the man had been incredibly relaxed so far didn't mean he would just overlook something like that. What had she been thinking?
When she suddenly heard a voice in the room with her, she forgot all about everything else.
The voice was both familiar and not. She whirled, searching for the source of the high-pitched groans she was hearing.
While Naruto's room hadn't visibly changed much, there were a few slight differences since the seal's activation. A slight red tinge coated all of the walls, floor, and ceiling, visible only to Hinata's Byakugan. Some kind of chakra. The copious piles of seals had also disappeared, revealing the furniture and wood boards underneath. And there, on the bed, were two people. Hinata's mouth fell open.
One was Naruto himself, looking for all the world like he was really in the room with her as he lay on his side in nothing but an orange t-shirt. Hinata knew at least a dozen girls in the village that would have sparred her to the death for a chance at the view she was seeing… and more than a dozen that had already seen it. His partially erect manhood lay against the bed, and he wore a wide smirk as his hands worked against the body of the other person.
Hinata couldn't help but gawk at the nude body of her adoptive mother, Kurenai Yuhi.
"Ohhhhhhh," Kurenai moaned. "Don't stop. Please baby don't stop."
Her shapely legs were spread, with Naruto's fingers shoved firmly between them, darting and running thickly through the folds of her pussy. Her large breasts swelled above her chest, totally at the mercy of Naruto's other hand. He groped them, squeezing her nipples and driving a flush onto the woman's face.
"You make me feel so good!" Kurenai shouted. "Please…"
Whatever she was going to say was cut off by a low, droning moan. Naruto leaned in above her.
"What was that?" he asked. "I couldn't hear you."
"Please let me cum for you," Kurenai begged. "My body is yours. Make it feel good."
Naruto's smirk widened.
"If that was all you were going to ask…"
His hand released her breasts, instead shoving two fingers into her mouth.
Kurenai gagged, moisture forming at the corners of her eyes. She quickly suctioned her lips around his fingers. Her eyes turned lidded. At the same time her hips rose, grinding on Naruto's hand as he claimed her womanhood with his fingers.
Hinata felt like she was watching a kunai fly at her head, but couldn't muster the energy to move. Kurenai was moaning like a schoolgirl. Her back arched off the bed as Naruto plunged his fingers into her from both ends. Abruptly, Naruto dragged his hand away from her pussy. Moments later, a stream of clear fluid fired out in an arc, splattering to the floor.
Naruto amused himself a few seconds longer digging through Kurenai's eager mouth before pulling those fingers back, too. He straightened onto his knees, pulling his shirt off over his head, revealing chiseled muscles as defined as any active-duty ninja.
More eye-catchingly, his cock had swelled to its full size. Hinata felt like she was staring at an elephant trunk. It was absolutely massive— although, she decided, at least a centimeter smaller than Fox's.
She wasn't the only one with her eyes on the appendage, either.
Kurenai stared up at it through half-lidded eyes. She traced the distance from the base of the shaft to its swollen head. Hinata saw her throat bulge as she gulped… and the way she leaked slightly more between her legs.
"Head down, ass up!" Naruto announced happily.
And Kurenai listened, rolling over and obediently raising her ass for his use. She supported her upper body on her elbows, flexibly keeping her legs straight but spreading them perpendicular to her body. Naruto gave her ass an appreciative smack, watching it jiggle.
Then he lined that mammoth cock up with her entrance, ready to slam it all the way to her womb.
"Hinata?"
Hinata squeaked— which, by the contained standards set by the Hyuuga, was practically a scream of terror. Panic gripped her, certain she was busted. But, somehow, the seal array reacted. It dispelled itself the moment she wished it would, the room returning to normal in the blink of an eye. The piled papers returned. Naruto and the very submissive, very sultry Kurenai Yuhi disappeared, the bed going back to being covered only by messy sheets.
Kushina poked her head through the door. "Have you found the wallet yet Sweetie?"
"Yes!" Hinata said. "I just found it. It took a bit of time."
Kushina's eyes swept the room, roaming up and down the piles of papers. "I told that fool to clean up some time. I can't believe you found the thing at all."
"I have good eyes."
"Hah!" Kushina grinned. "And they say Hyuugas can't joke!"
"...They do?" Hinata asked.
Kushina turned as red as her hair. "Oops. We're, uh, almost all done cleaning! Meet us by the door!"
As she disappeared back down the hall Hinata couldn't withhold a deep sigh. She glanced down at her hand where the book of seals and names was nestled. Only it wasn't a full-sized book anymore. After the video played, it shrunk down into a portable version small enough to fit in her palm.
Before she understood it herself, she was sliding the thing into one of her pockets.
She'd never stolen before, and she swore to herself she wasn't stealing now. She was only borrowing. She would sneak it back when she was done.
She just… had to see more. Somewhere deep inside she knew. A fire had been lit in her. She had to see that scene to its finish. No more, no less, just… that scene.
Her heart still pounded as she scurried down the stairs to the others.
O-O-O
Walking through Konoha next to the Hokage was an experience unlike anything Hinata had been through.
There were a certain amount of eyes that followed her father, but they were always cold and calculating, like the man himself. Civilians got out of his way quickly. Shinobi only cared as far as they thought a relationship with the Hyuuga might be valuable for them. If anyone approached, it was always with business on the tip of their tongue.
When the Hokage walked past, everyone cared. Civilians, shinobi, clan ninja and orphans, children and the elderly, everyone wanted to see him. People shouted greetings, bowed, or waved. Most surprisingly to Hinata, the Hokage waved back.
"It takes me no effort," Minata said as he returned yet another stranger's wave, "but it might make their entire week. I can't exactly do nothing at that point."
Hinata blushed. She hadn't said anything, so he must've caught her watching.
Despite all the warmth in their reception, everyone knew well enough to keep their distance. Just because Minato was friendly did not change the fact that he was the Hokage. That, at least, was to Hinata's expectations.
So of course it only lasted until they stopped in front of an open-air ramen stall.
As the Namikaze family slid onto the booth seats, Hinata found herself stopping and staring. The chef, a large man with mostly-closed eyes and a towering white hat, grinned at them over a frying pan.
"Look who it is!" he said.
Minato smiled at him. "How have you been, Teuchi?"
The chef leaned forward over the bar, placing a rough pat onto the Hokage's shoulder.
"Same old, same old," he said. "Business has been slow lately. My best customer hasn't been coming as often."
"Naruto's on a once-a-week limit," Minato said. "He'd bankrupt the village treasury if he wasn't."
"I don't even have access to the treasury," Naruto grumbled.
"Exactly why I'm worried," Minato said. "Even a Hokage can't get you off the hook for a heist like that."
"You can sit, Sweetie," Kushina said.
It took Hinata a moment to realize she was being talked to.
The scene had just been a bit too fantastical. This was the kind of restaurant her father would never have spared a second glance. It was for the common rabble— in other words, beneath someone like a Hyuuga. And yet the Hokage's entire family were regulars on a first-name-basis with the chef. She'd just stalled out, standing right there in the street.
"Of course." She dipped her head and slid into one of the seats.
The only open one was next to Naruto himself. Hinata felt distaste well up in her, before realizing how silly that was. She'd have to do far more than sit next to him in the future.
The future… with how unorthodoxly this evening had gone, she'd forgotten for a moment. This was her husband-to-be. She should at least do her best to be civil.
"So why do you want to marry me?" Naruto asked. "Is it for my looks?"
If Hinata had drunk any of the glass of water in front of her, she would have spat it all over the bar.
Naruto stroked his cheeks, running his fingers over the whisker-like birthmarks on them. Hinata nearly blushed as she watched those fingers move, remembering what she'd seen them doing earlier…
"No," she said simply, looking away.
"Then is it my boyish charm?"
"No."
"My playful attitude?"
"No."
"My awesome seals?"
"Not at all."
"Then what is it?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you want to marry me?"
I don't.
"Sometimes, things work out in certain ways," Hinata said.
"What does that mean?"
Hinata was saved from answering by a ladle, of all things.
The cooking implement flew out of the kitchen, nailing Naruto straight on the forehead with accuracy even Tenten would've been proud of.
"Quit bothering her!" said a female voice. "And who said anything about marriage?"
A pretty brown-haired woman a few years older than Naruto and Hinata appeared from the back, snatching her hurled ladle off the counter where it landed. Naruto had both hands pressed to the spot it hit, staring piteously at her.
"Ayameeeeeee," he complained. "What was that for?"
"Quit bothering customers," Ayame said, her hands settling on her hips.
"But she's with us!" Naruto complained.
Ayame's eyes traveled to Hinata, who nodded slightly.
"It is true," Hinata said. "However, I thank you for the assistance."
"Wow. She's polite." Ayame smiled. "You could learn some things from her, Naruto."
"Is that any way to talk to your best customer?" Naruto complained.
"You'll come back anyway. Why do I have to be polite?"
Ayame took Hinata's order. The other three were there so often she didn't even ask what they wanted. That should've surprised Hinata, but by now so many things had gone strangely that she couldn't find it in herself to get worked up.
She sat on the seat closest to the wall, letting Ayame and Teuchi chat with the family while she simply listened. That, at least, she was good at. When the food finally came, she stared at the massive tray Ayame was lugging, laden with enough food to feed ten.
One bowl went in front of her. One in front of Kushina and Minato each. All the rest ended up with Naruto.
"This should get you started," Ayame told him.
Hinata was so sure it was a joke that she almost laughed. Then she saw that the first bowl had disappeared in the time it took Ayame to say one thing.
She watched with a twisted kind of fascination as Naruto downed noodles like they were shots of sake. He managed to finish all seven bowls there before she'd overcome her surprise.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Hinata jolted. She realized he'd turned to look at her, and she wasn't sure she liked the way his eyes kept dipping to her own bowl.
Before he could get any ideas, she grabbed her chopsticks and lifted the noodles to her mouth.
She started with a single noodle, biting it cleanly, careful not to let broth drip off and dirty anything around her. The heat hit her tongue first, followed by the tang of salt. She swallowed and brought up another bite, slightly larger this time, deciding that she did enjoy the sensation.
Naruto was looking at her weirdly. "Why do you eat like that?"
"Like what?" Hinata asked.
"So slowly. And all careful."
"I simply don't want to make a mess!" she said. "It's difficult to eat foods for the first time."
Naruto's chopsticks dropped to the floor.
"You've never had ramen before?" he asked.
"No," Hinata said. "That is not weird."
"It's the weirdest thing ever!" Naruto argued.
"The Hyuuga live in a very particular way." Whether they like it or not. "Ramen simply isn't a part of that."
"That's horrible."
"Not everything is about noodles."
"It totally should be! How do you survive like that? Are you just totally miserable all the time?"
"Naruto!" Kushina scolded, but Minato laid his hand on hers and shot her a look, telling her to stay out of it.
They were obviously watching, most likely to judge if the two were a good match for each other. From what she'd seen of the Hokage, Hinata didn't doubt he would call off a politically advantageous marriage for his son's happiness. She should've put her head down and nodded along with Naruto, laughed at his jokes, and showed off how well the two of them worked with each other. That was what was best for the Hyuuga.
Instead she was seeing scenes in her head. She remembered her cousin, Neji, and how he changed after his father was forced to give up his life. She pictured tea gardens and silent empty halls. She recalled every single sad stoic face she'd seen on branch members… including the one in the mirror each morning
"What gives you the right to judge how we live?" she snarled.
A moment of silence descended over the bar. Hinata's chopsticks squeaked as her fingers constricted around them, drawing tighter until the wood strained. Even Teuchi's frying from the kitchen seemed to become quieter, the smell of oil turning muted.
"Try it then."
Naruto's words drew Hinata up short. A rush of confusion chased away every single one of the pictures plaguing her. "What?"
"Try it then," Naruto repeated. "Try living the way I do for one month, with good things like ramen, fun, and saying all the stuff that I want to. Give it a chance. Unless you think you can't handle it."
"You—" Hinata took a deep breath. Did he think she didn't want to live without a worry like the village's spoiled—
"Deal!"
Hinata almost looked around to see who had spoken, before realizing it was her. She'd opened her mouth to shoot down his silly offer, hadn't she? So why…
From the way Naruto was beaming, there was no backing out now.
"Every day for an hour!" he said. "You're going to meet me, and we're going to do something fun."
"Not possible." Hinata crossed her arms. "Every other day. No more."
"Every other day for two hours, then," he countered.
"An hour-and-a-half."
"Fine," Naruto said.
He held his hand out to shake. As Hinata took it in hers, she marveled at how soft and un-calloused his palms were for a ninja. They were as delicate as a Hyuuga's. Of course, considering she couldn't remember the last time he left the village on a mission, maybe that shouldn't have surprised her.
"You better be ready," Naruto told her with a grin.
"A Hyuuga is always ready for anything," Hinata said, unconsciously parroting one of her father's sayings.
Naruto snorted. "Except ramen, apparently. Speaking of…"
His eyes dipped onto Hinata's bowl. That was an issue, because by now she was very, very hungry. Worried her meal would disappear, Hinata quickly scooped up her chopsticks and dragged noodles to her mouth, slurping without her previous restraint.
Her eyes widened. Eating this way couldn't be compared to the small nibbles she'd taken before. The saltiness, the oil, the fishy taste of the broth, all hit a hundred times stronger. Then it was all gone, almost before she realized it.
Hinata looked down to see why, only to discover an empty bowl. She'd drained everything.
"Not bad!" Naruto said.
Hinata suddenly became aware that he wasn't the only one looking at her. Minato and Kushina were looking over, while Teuchi and Ayame had actually stopped cooking to watch.
"Way to go!" said the waitress. "A little more practice and you might even be as fast as Naruto."
"Thank you," Hinata said, placing her hands in her lap and studying the counter.
Attention slowly drifted off of her and the silly deal she'd gotten herself into. Kushina started telling a story from back when she was a Gennin, and Ayame wandered over to listen. Naruto would interject occasionally, giving Kushina opportunities to yell at him for doubting her. Minata simply watched with an expression of pure bliss as he sat with his family. It occurred to Hinata that simply having them next to him, be it around a dinner table or at the counter of a ramen stall, was all that he needed for his face to look like that.
She stood up sharply. "I'm afraid I have to be off."
Everyone looked at her. "So soon?" Kushina asked.
"I turn in quite early," Hinata said, bowing. "Thank you for your hospitality."
As she quickly finished excusing herself, Ayame called out, "It was nice to meet you! Come back any time!"
"Oh, she will be," Naruto said. He waved exaggeratedly over his head. "See you tomorrow!"
"The day after tomorrow," Hinata corrected him without turning.
She slipped among the crowd, losing what she couldn't help but feel were gazes of pity aimed at her back.
Why they pitied her… she couldn't be sure. Maybe they were aware of why she wore her village headband even now with her nicest dress. Maybe they thought they had made her feel awkward.
That was better than understanding why she really excused herself. As the night wore on, her restraint had simply frayed. She'd been interrupted earlier, and there was something she was only half-finished with.
She had to see the rest of what lay in that book of seals…
And she needed it now.