Naruto: Three's a Crowd

As Tsunade sat hunched over her desk, her thoughts ranged from random wonderings to how to lessen her work load. Irritation took her face as she looked over the piles of paper work that lay before her. The corner of her eye twitched as Naruto burst into her office for the umpteenth time this week. “Narutoooo!” she screamed, “I am not in the mood for your…you right now.”  
“Ah, shesh, Grandma Tsunade, its not like I bother you ever second of the day,” Naruto replied sarcastically.
“It feels more like every nanosecond,” Tsunade thought as a smirk crossed her face. “I need to get him out of my hair,” She continued internally, “Ah, got it.” “Hey Naruto,” she remarked, “I got a proposition for you.”
“Huh, what?” Naruto asked, “What kind of proposition?”  
A grin appeared on her face like a cat that had just cornered its prey.  “If you can go to a small village outside of the leaf, pick me up some sake, and return within a half an hour, I will take you on a date with Sakura.”  
Naruto’s eyes lit up like a seven-year-olds at Christmas.  “Really…” he managed to stutter out.
“Really,” she replied. “All you have to do is go to that village and there will be someone there who will give you the sake to bring to me, and I will pay for the whole date.” “But if you do not get back in time, then you will have to leave me alone for an entire week.”  
Naruto put his hand on his chin and thought for a second. “Deal!” he said. “Grandma Tsunade, you can count on me.”  “I will be back with your sake in no time, believe it!” With that, Naruto raced to his destination, only to stop before leaving the door.  He whipped around and blurted, “Hey, Grandma Tsunade, where is this place anyway?”  She stared at him in disbelief.  After getting the directions from Tsunade, Naruto once again set off.  
“Shizune, get in here,” Tsunade called.
“Yes, Lady Tsunade?” she responded respectfully.
“Follow Naruto,” Tsunade said, “and make sure he doesn’t make it here on time, but still let him make it back to the village so he won’t think I cheated him.”  “And tell all the guards not to let him in for a half an hour.”  
“Yes, my lady,” Shizune answered.  As she walked off to do what was told of her, she thought to herself, “Maybe now she will finally get some work done around here.”

                                                               ***


“Thanks man!” Naruto said as he left the man who gave him the sake for Tsunade, “you don’t know how much this means to me.”  As Naruto ran back to the village, Shizune was following him just far enough back not to be spotted.  As they arrived back at the village, Shizune was about to make her move, when suddenly she saw Tsunade disappearing in the distance.  
“What is Lady Tsunade doing outside of her office,” Shizune pondered internally.  “Oh no, she didn’t possibly…” Shizune said out loud in disbelief that Tsunade had used this whole ruse to sneak out.  Shizune made her way to the office were she told the guards what happen.  “I’ve got Ton-Ton and some men looking for her already,” she continued.  “She’s really slipped through our fingers this time.” “I am going to go up to her office to see if I can find a clue of where she may be.”  “Keep a look out for any thing suspicious.”  
“Yes, ma’am!” the guards retorted.  
When Shizune entered Tsunade’s office, Tsunade looked surprised.  “What are you doing back?” she asked, “Did you stop Naruto?”  Shizune smiled and said,
“Nope!”  Just then, Naruto changed back from Shizune.  
The door burst open and Shizune rushed through.  “I am sorry my lady, but Naruto tricked me with a shadow clone of you and we can’t find…” Shizune shouted until she spotted Naruto.  
“Okay Old Lady,” Naruto exclaimed, “I got what you wanted, now pay up!”  Tsunade and Shizune stared in awe at Naruto.  
“Damn, that was pretty cleaver for Naruto,” Tsunade thought.  “Okay,” Tsunade said after a while, “You win.”  “Meet me here tomorrow night.”  “YES!!!” Naruto exclaimed at the top of his lungs.”  “Believe it!”  
“Oh, gezz,” Shizune said as she raised her hand to her forehead.  Naruto flew out of Tsunade’s office jumping for joy.  “What are you going to do, Lady Tsunade,” Shizune ask after watching Naruto leave.  Tsunade pondered for a moment.  “I need to make this miserable for him too,” she thought.

                                                           ***


“Thanks for coming a long, Sakura,” Tsunade said apologetically.  “I am sorry to do this to you, and on such short notice,”  
“Oh, its okay, I don’t blame you,” Sakura said. “Cha, right,” Inner Sakura sarcastically exclaimed.  As they stood outside, in front of Tsunade’s office, Naruto came running up, waving.  
“Hi, Sakura,” he chuckled. “Hi, Grandma Tsunade.”
“Hi, Naruto,” Sakura replied uneasily.  
“Hey, Naruto,” Tsunade said, “You ready to go.”  
“Yep,” Naruto answered back.  Suddenly, Naruto notice there was some one else standing with them.  “Oh, hey Hinata, what are you doing here?” Naruto asked. “Did you need something from Grandma Tsunade?”  
“No, I invited her,” Tsunade retorted.  Naruto stared at Tsunade in disbelief. He could almost see her sinister smile hidden just under the surface.  
“Oh crap,” he thought.  
“Is there anything wrong with that Naruto?” Tsunade asked teasingly.  
He looked at Hinata.  The usual color came to her face, but she also looked down at the ground, as if worried.  “No, Its fine if she comes along,” Naruto replied.  Hinata’s face lit up and she smiled.  
“Oh,” Tsunade said as if not expecting Naruto’s answer, “okay then, let’s go.” As they walked to the restaurant, Hinata looked out at the ground with a smile on her face.
“What are you trying to pull, old lady?” Naruto yelled. “This is a bar!”  
“They have food here too, Naruto,” She defended.  
“Man, some times I think you as bad as Purvey Sage,” Naruto mumbled.  As they sat in their booth, Sakura and Hinata sat on one side and Tsunade and Naruto sat on the other.  Sakura, Tsunade, Naruto talked, while Hinata mostly stayed quite, except for the occasional question by Sakura.  Tsunade already had a few drinks before the food had arrived.  After it did, Sakura and Hinata shared some food and Naruto caught Hinata glancing at him.  “Do you want to try some of mine?” Naruto asked holding out some skewered meat.  Sakura was watching as Hinata’s face became red.  Hinata looked down at it.  “Here, try it.” Naruto said as he grabbed her hand to give it to her.  
“Naruto is holding my hand,” Hinata thought.  As Naruto placed the shish kabob in her hand, her face turned bright crimson.  She managed to squeeze out, “Th-th-thank you… Naruto.”  Sakura realized Hinata was about to faint, and when Naruto became distracted by a noise from in the local, Sakura was able to get her water, so she would not pass out.  Tsunade watch with amusement as she drank her sake.