How Troublesome

Chapter 20: The Troublesome Truth

"Are you sure you want to do this, Naruto? I don't have to inform anyone about your real gender. It hasn't been an issue on missions or anything relating to your duty as a shinobi before," Tsunade said gently, looking at her goddaughter with something like worry in her eyes.

Naruto, who was sitting, clasped hands betraying her nervousness, shook her head, pigtails flying. "No. I'm going to do this. I'm tired of lying. Anyway, I think a lot of the... issues that I was afraid of happening if I was known as a girl are gone. I can take care of myself and protect myself now. Besides..." She grinned. "Kyuu-chan said that I could probably get treated to a lot of ramen from guys looking like this."

Tsunade spat out a mouthful of sake, the spray narrowly missing Shikamaru.

He scowled faintly. Other guys taking Naruto out for ramen? He didn't like that idea at all, and he was man enough to admit it... to himself. Still, he could see how the idea would appeal to her.

She fidgeted again, and he shifted his eyes to her. She was wearing an orange tank top with a flak vest over it and a pair of baggy black pants with orange stripes up the sides. She wasn't covering her whisker marks up with make-up anymore, either. She looked... beautiful. He shook his head. The hormones were making his brain mushy and completely unfocused.

She glanced up at him and gave him a softer version of her patented Naruto-grin.

He could help but feel the smile was just for him. Oh, Kami... What was he thinking? He needed to spend some time alone watching clouds and chain-smoking cigarettes. That might cure him. How pesky. With his luck and current frame of mind, he'd see Naruto in the clouds.

Someone knocked on the door, and Tsunade called, "Come in," in a much more somber voice than she usually did.

People piled into the room. Sasuke and Sakura at the forefront, and then Hinata, Lee, Kiba, Kakashi, and Shino, who Naruto was apparently a lot closer to than he had known. These were the people who Naruto had chosen to come out to as a girl in person. After that, the village gossip would probably take care of the rest. It seemed like sort of an odd group of people, but it was her choice.

Kiba was the first one to speak. "Naruto? Why are you still in the henge?" And he'd, unwittingly, hit the proverbial nail right on the head.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "That's actually what we're here to discuss today. Please, everyone take a seat."

There was a rustle of fabric and the sighs of furniture, and then everyone looked expectantly at the hokage.

"Naruto has something to say to you all."

Everyone's gaze transferred to Naruto, and she swallowed nervously before bursting out, "I'm a girl."

This time, Sasuke was the first to speak with an intelligent, "What was that, Dobe?"

"I'm not a dobe, you Teme!" she shouted, and then collected herself. "I said... I'm a girl." Saying it again didn't seem to make anyone understand it any better. Complete confusion showed on their faces. Shikamaru almost laughed as Naruto practically growled in annoyance. "Okay, I'm only going to say this once more. Listen closely. I. Am. A. Girl. I have been wearing a henge for years and years. Do you all understand now?"

"How?" was the only word uttered by the crowd; Shikamaru wasn't sure, but he thought the low voice came from Shino.

With a sigh, Naruto told them everything, or almost everything, that she'd told Shikamaru, although he noticed that she glossed over the finer details quite a bit. When she finished, she took a deep breath and waited.

Surprisingly, Hinata was the first to speak. "No... freaking... way."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. His ninja senses were telling him that something completely unexpected, and maybe mind-boggling, was about to happen.