Chapter 37: The Taco Bed Incident and the Departure of the Emo King part-1
"It is... the Sticky Trap Jutsu!" I improvised.
I turned to look at Naruto.
He was standing in front of Tsunade, protecting her from Orochimaru. He had taken a sword through the hand. But he was forming a Rasengan.
"Go, Naruto-kun!" I screamed.
Naruto charged. "RASENGAN!"
He slammed the spiraling sphere into Kabuto (who was conveniently stuck to the ground and couldn't dodge).
BOOM.
Kabuto took the full force of the Rasengan to the gut. The ground cracked. The glue shattered. Kabuto was launched into a rock, unconscious.
Naruto collapsed, exhausted.
Tsunade stared. She looked at Naruto. She looked at me. She looked at the unconscious Kabuto who was covered in grease and foam.
"You brats..." Tsunade whispered. Tears filled her eyes. "You really are idiots."
She stepped forward. Her fear of blood vanished. She healed Naruto.
Then, she stood up. The diamond on her forehead glowed. The Yin Seal released.
"I am the Fifth Hokage!" Tsunade roared.
She punched Orochimaru in the face.
............................
The battle ended. Orochimaru and Kabuto fled (Kabuto had to be dragged away by Manda because his pants were still stiff with glue).
We sat on the grass, exhausted.
Tsunade looked at me. She walked over and examined my arm.
"Muscle severance," she diagnosed. "Clean cut. I can fix this."
Green chakra glowed around her hands. The pain vanished.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," I bowed.
"Don't bow," Tsunade sighed. "You saved me back there. If Kabuto hadn't been stuck to the ground like a fly on flypaper, Naruto might have missed."
She smirked. "Grease and foam. You have a terrifying mind, Hinata Hyuga."
"It was just... items," I mumbled.
Naruto woke up. "Did we win?"
"We won, brat," Tsunade grinned. She took off the necklace. "And you won the bet."
She placed the First Hokage's necklace around Naruto's neck.
"Awesome!" Naruto cheered. He looked at me. "We did it, Hinata! We are bringing the granny home!"
"Who are you calling granny?!" Tsunade cracked her knuckles.
Naruto hid behind me.
I laughed. For the first time in a long time, I laughed freely.
[Ding!]
[Arc Complete: Search for Tsunade.]
[Achievement: "The Sticky Assistant." You helped secure the Fifth Hokage.]
[Reward: 5,000 Shy Points.]
[Total Shy Points: 8,300.]
[System Update: New Inventory Slot Unlocked. You can now carry larger objects. Like folding chairs. Or bodies.]
I ignored the creepy system comment. We were going home.
.......................................…
We returned to Konoha a few days later. The village cheered for the new Hokage.
As we walked through the gates, I saw a familiar figure waiting.
Neji.
He looked healthy. But he was wearing a nose plug.
"Hinata-sama," Neji nodded stiffly. "Welcome back."
"Neji-niisan," I smiled.
"Father wishes to see you," Neji said. "He heard about the 'Grease Bomb' incident. He wants to know if this is a new branch of the Gentle Fist called 'The Slippery Fist'."
I groaned. "Not again."
"Also," Neji lowered his voice. "Sasuke Uchiha has awakened. He is... not happy."
My smile faded. Sasuke.
The Sasuke Retrieval Arc was coming. And I knew, deep down, that my clumsiness was about to be tested against the Valley of the End.
.........................
Name: Hinata HyugaShy Points: 8,300.New Status: The Glue Master.Reputation: Tsunade's favorite weirdo.
................................
The atmosphere in the Hidden Leaf Village was heavy. Although we had won the battle against the Sand and Sound, the damage was severe. The hospital was overflowing with patients, and the air smelled of antiseptic and medicinal herbs.
I stood outside Room 304, holding a basket of apples. This was Sasuke Uchiha's room.
(Why am I here? I should be home. I should be hiding. But Naruto-kun is worried about him, and Sakura is busy, and...)
[System Notification: You are here because the Plot demands it. Also, Sasuke is currently brooding at a level of 9 out of 10. He needs cheering up. Or a pie to the face. The System is indifferent.]
I took a deep breath. "I just need to deliver the apples and leave. Simple."
I knocked on the door.
"Go away," a cold voice replied.
I opened the door anyway. "E-Excuse me, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke was sitting up in his hospital bed. He looked terrible. His arm was in a sling, and he was staring out the window with an intensity that could peel paint. He didn't look at me.
"I... I brought apples," I whispered, placing the basket on the bedside table.
"I don't want apples," Sasuke muttered. "I want power."
"Apples have... vitamins?" I offered helpfully.
Sasuke finally turned his head. His dark eyes bored into me. "You. The Hyuga girl. You were there when Itachi came."
"Y-Yes."
"You saw how weak I was," Sasuke spat, clenching his good fist. "I couldn't even scratch him. And yet... you made him look like a baker."
He glared at me as if my accidental success was a personal insult to his clan's honor. "How? How did you hit him when I couldn't?"
"It was... a boomerang kunai," I explained softly. "It... comes back."
"Hmph." Sasuke slumped back against his pillows. "Pointless tricks."
He looked uncomfortable. He shifted his weight, wincing. "This bed is hard. The nurse refused to adjust it."
(This is my chance to be helpful!)
"I... I can adjust it for you," I said, stepping forward.
I looked at the mechanism on the side of the bed. It was a manual crank handle.
"Just... turn this?" I asked.
"Yes," Sasuke sighed, closing his eyes. "Raise the back."
I grabbed the handle. It was stiff.
"It is stuck," I grunted, applying more force.
[System Alert: Host is applying force to a mechanical device. Physics Engine: Unstable. Opportunity for Comedy: High.]
[Activating Effect: "Over-Torque."]
"Hnnng!" I pulled with all my strength.
SNAP.
Something inside the bed frame broke with a loud metallic bang.
The handle spun wildly in my hand.
"What did you do?" Sasuke opened his eyes.
Suddenly, the bed reacted violently. The head section shot up. The foot section shot up. The middle section sank.
.....
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