Chapter 11: The Beef of Shame and the Sauce Catastrophe part-2
I scrambled out of the booth. But, because the Lucky Pervert System never lets a getaway be clean, there was a patch of grease on the floor near the exit of the booth.
I stepped on it.
"Eep!"
My feet flew out from under me. I slid across the floor on my back like a hockey puck.
I slid past Team Ten. I slid past the waiter. I slid all the way to the feet of a customer entering the restaurant.
I looked up.
Standing there, looking down at me with a mixture of confusion and pity, was Neji Hyuga. My cousin. The genius of the Hyuga clan. And the person who hated me the most.
He stared at me. I was lying on the floor, covered in BBQ sauce, smelling like grilled meat, with tears in my eyes.
"Hinata-sama," Neji said coldly. "Is this a new training technique of the Main Branch? Cleaning the floors with your back?"
(Kill me. Just kill me now. Use the Gentle Fist and stop my heart.)
[System Comment: Ouch. Emotional Damage detected. Would you like to buy a "Comeback Manual"? No? Okay.]
"I... I fell..." I whispered.
Neji stepped over me as if I were a piece of trash. "Pathetic."
He walked away to his table.
I lay there for a second longer, contemplating simply rolling under a table and living there as a dust bunny.
Suddenly, a hand appeared in my vision.
"Need a lift?"
I looked up. It was Shikamaru. He looked bored, scratching the back of his head, but his hand was extended.
"This is such a drag," he muttered. "But if you stay there, Choji might trip on you and cause an earthquake."
I hesitated, then took his hand. He pulled me up effortlessly.
"Thank you, Shikamaru-kun," I said, bowing deeply to hide my sauce-stained front.
"Don't worry about it," he said. He glanced at Kiba, who was still apologizing to the air. "You have your hands full with that team. Good luck."
He walked back to the booth.
I retreated to the bathroom to wash the sauce off my face. I stared at myself in the mirror. My mesh shirt was stained brown. My face was red. My hair was messy.
"System," I whispered. "I hate you."
[System Reply: You have earned 800 Shy Points in ten minutes. At this rate, you will be the strongest ninja in the village by next week. You should thank me. Kiba certainly enjoyed the texture of your jacket.]
I splashed cold water on my face.
(I am not going to cry. I am a ninja. I am a Hyuga. I am... going to buy so much soap on the way home.)
I walked back to the table. Kiba looked like a kicked puppy.
"Hinata, I am so sorry!" he wailed as soon as he saw me. "I will pay for your dry cleaning! I will pay for your therapy!"
"It is okay, Kiba-kun," I said softly, sliding back into my seat (and making sure to sit as far away as physically possible). "It was... an accident."
"An accident caused by sauce viscosity and poor spatial awareness," Shino added helpfully. He placed a piece of meat on my plate. "Here. Eat. You require protein to recover from the trauma."
I looked at the meat. I looked at my chaotic teammates. Kurenai was laughing with Asuma, though she kept a watchful eye on us.
Despite the humiliation, despite the sauce, and despite Neji's insults... I was eating dinner with friends.
I picked up the meat with my chopsticks (gripping them very, very tightly this time) and ate it.
It was good.
[System Note: That's the spirit. Enjoy the meal. Tomorrow, we start D-Rank missions. I hear catching cats involves a lot of climbing, bending over, and crawling in tight spaces. I can't wait.]
I choked on my beef.
........................…
Name: Hinata HyugaShy Points: 3,600 (A wealthy woman of shame).Active Skills: Iron Skirt Jutsu.Status Effect: Smells like BBQ Sauce (Attraction +5%).Relationships:Kiba: Guilt-ridden / Accidentally got to second base.Shino: Stoic observer of the chaos.Neji: Disappointed (as usual).Shikamaru: Finds her troublesome but helped her up.
...........................…..
The mission assignment room in the Hokage Tower was filled with the scent of old paper and pipe tobacco. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, looking like a kindly grandfather. To anyone else, he was a figure of respect. To me, he was a potential audience member for my next humiliation.
Team Eight stood in a line. Kurenai Sensei was presenting our report.
"Team Eight is ready for duty, Lord Hokage," she said crisply.
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, his eyes twinkling. "Excellent. I have several D-Rank missions available. Babysitting the councilor's grandson, digging potatoes at the farm, or..."
He paused, picking up a scroll with a red ribbon.
"...capturing the target known as 'Tora'."
Kiba groaned loudly. "Not the cat! Come on, old man! I mean... Lord Hokage! We are ninjas, not animal control! Give us a C-Rank! Let us fight bandits!"
"Bark!" Akamaru agreed, though he sounded apprehensive. He knew cats were sharp.
"Silence, Kiba," Shino said, adjusting his glasses. "Capturing a small, agile target requires precision and teamwork. It is excellent training."
I stood between them, trying to make myself as small as possible.
(Please not the cat. I remember this cat from the anime. It is not a cat; it is a furry ball of violence and claws. If I touch it, the System will make something weird happen. I just know it.)
[System Notification: Mission Alert: "The Pussycat Doll." Objective: Capture Tora. Reward: 500 Shy Points. Warning: Target is known for seeking warm, dark places. Wear layers.]
(What does that mean? What do you mean warm, dark places?!)
"We will take the mission," Kurenai said, ignoring Kiba's protests. "Team Eight, move out!"
....................
Finding Tora was easy. Kiba's nose and Shino's bugs located the target within twenty minutes.
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