Lessons in Love

Summary: After failing an important mission, Hinata resolves to better herself - the only problem is, who will teach her?

A/N: This is a Hinata x Jiraiya story so please people, if you don't like this pairing then don't come complaining to me about it. You have been warned!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any of it's marvellous forms. I don't understand it any more than you do. I mean, where's the justice?

Also: So sorry for the incredibly late update, I'll never forget this story but I hope that, though I won't promise it :s, I'll be better then I have been at updating it. Once again, real sorry about the lateness of this, those that are still reading this - I have a deep and abiding love for you XD

Chapter 5: A Future Glimpsed

While Hinata was training with Kiba and Shino, Jiraiya was busy calming a teammate of his own.

"Jiraiya you cannot go ahead with this!"

He was in the middle of trying to placate the angry, blonde haired woman who had barged into his apartment, unannounced, but she would have none of it. She paced up and down the length of his apartment; shoulders tense, hands fisted and her face a storm. Jiraiya would have fled but they were already in his home.

Why she was here now, when she'd given permission to Hinata to come to him in the first place, he'd never know, all he knew was that Tsunade was suddenly very against him being a teacher to a young woman. He didn't know where she got the idea that he would cross the line between a student and teacher relationship - that was a bit too far even for him. That, of course, didn't mean that he couldn't think about such things and use the material for his books though.

He came back to the present with the Hokage still yelling at him.

"I can't believe that you would actually go ahead with these, with these..."

"Lessons?" Jiraiya put in helpfully, his hands clasped together in front of him and a small smile on his face, hoping to bring his friend back down from her temper.

"Is that what you call it?" The toad sage winced at the extra octave that she had found, "Lessons? Well I got news for you Ero-Sennin," She threatened, her rage back at full throttle as she slowly stepped towards him, her voice dipped dangerously low, "I'll be watching you very, very closely and don't be too surprised when you start getting threats from the friends of the Hyuuga you have taken under your wing. Talk is already out about the two of you and I know that you were somehow responsible for it."

The white haired man winced at the truth of that statement and suddenly wished that he wasn't as prone to mischief but knew that he wasn't going to be growing up anytime soon.

Jiraiya raised his hands to his face slowly as soon as Tsunade had stopped her pacing and was standing an inch away from him, her finger, straight and rigid, was pointing at his face, her whole stance ready for a fight. He hopelessly tried to protect himself from, not only her raised appendage, but from her scowl that could, he was quite sure, evaporate water. "Hey, hey, look uh, she came to me."

Stupid, stupid move.

"So now you're blaming your impressionable student?"

Jiraiya sighed, letting all the threats, all the anger, all the flailing of limbs wash over him as he leant against the wall.

This was going to take a while.

"Neji, I think you're overacting."

"Really?" Asked a severely agitated Hyuuga, "I just got back from a three month mission - fraught with danger, leeches and canines - to come back to hear that my cousin, to whom I've recently become attached again, is getting lessons in self-confidence from the pervert of Konoha. Please, tell me, in what way should I be acting?"

His younger cousin winced from her place on his bed, her hair out and her hands between her knees. She had bounced in with the news earlier when she'd heard that Neji was back from his trip, he hadn't even had the time to have a shower, but her attitude became remarkably more subdued when he had exploded upon hearing the newest piece of information and had not shown the smile that she thought he would see at hearing his cousin trying to better herself.

"I can't believe that Hiashi-sama would allow this," he started off again, "What must he be thinking?"

Hanabi watched all the different expressions, on the usually stoic faced Hyuuga, rush through him. She could only speculate on all the different scenarios he must be imagining right now as he kept pacing in his bedroom.

Suddenly, he stopped and stood rigid in one place as an exceptional blush framed his face.

Oh boy, thought Hanabi.

"Neji, you must think about this rationally," the young girl pleaded with her older cousin, trying to get him to listen to reason before he went and did something he regretted, "Father has given his permission and his blessing to these lessons and Hinata is happier than I've seen in a while. Maybe if you just gave it some time before you rush in and saved the day."

The shinobi ran his hand through his hair as he sighed, his pale eyes staring at the floor in front of him, his blush dying down.

"Maybe you're right."

The dark haired girl sighed in relief at the change in his demeanour. She hopped off of his bed and went to the door.

"Just wait Neji," she said as she turned back from the door to look at the older Hyuuga, "This just might be the best thing for our Hinata."

When she had left, Neji had a shower to clean away the stress and dirt of his mission. It was a good time to think as well. Leaning against the wood panelling that surrounded the shower he tried to empty his thoughts as the water beat against his back but found that the particularly disturbing image of his naive, fragile cousin being tutored by the man that wrote those pornographic novels was too much. Jiraiya's rough, tanned hands gripping her soft, pale skin made a rage burn in the Hyuuga's chest.

He needed to do something about this but first he'd wait, like Hanabi had told him.

Things could always resolve themselves without his help but in the occasion where they didn't he'd be more than willing to step in and save his cousin.

Hinata found herself walking up the stairs to her new teacher's front door for the second time with less trepidation than before and found herself excited thinking about the future and the formidable kunoichi she was sure to be with the Sennin's help. She had to stop herself from jumping up to his flight and instead tried to still her enthusiasm by moving up the stairs at a more sedate pace, getting a lock on her emotions. Finally reaching Jiraiya's apartment she shifted the bags, full of ingredients, in her hands, knocked on his door and waited for the Sennin inside to open it for her.

"Come in," his deep bass voice came through the wood. The young woman sighed, her excitement ebbing away slightly as she gathered up some courage from deep inside to speak up so he could hear her.

"Uh, I-I can't."

"Why not?"

Her blush started to make its way across her face as she had to raise her voice, a little bit of impatience tinging her tone, "I've got my hands full."

Hinata heard a door open down the hall and knew that someone was watching them, their voices obviously arousing curiosity.

"Why have you got your hands full?"

Was he serious? Wasn't secrecy part of their deal?

Her face completely red, she edged closer to the door so to be heard better, her excitement now completely gone, "My hands are full of things for your dinner," she paused and edged back looking down to the ground, realising that this was no way to treat her teacher, "please Jiraiya-sen-"

The door was opened and Jiraiya appeared in the doorway, an expression on his face that she'd never seen before as he looked down at his student. "Sorry," he said, a small smile making its way across his face as he let her into his apartment. The door closed behind her and Hinata decided not to ask why her sensei was acting peculiar, it wasn't her place to call into question the actions of the man before her, she had already gone over the top by speaking so forward to him through the door.

Wanting to apologise for her tone she took a breath and stepped forward but stopped when the state of the apartment was revealed to her as the white haired man stepped out of her view. Unable to outwardly object, careful not to offend the man in front of her and mindful of the paper bags in her hands, she settled for a small frown as she looked at the mess, her apology forgotten. Jiraiya, dressed in a black singlet with his usual pants, was looking troubled, his smile gone again as he closed the door. She was about to ask if everything was ok when he turned to her and smiled again, as fake as the first one she had seen, before grabbing the bags from her. Clearing a space on the cluttered bench, he put the bags down and turned back around to face the young Hyuuga who was staring at all the mess with exasperation clearly written on her features.

"I didn't even think that this was possible," she murmured, her fingers itching to point together at the conflicting emotions of wanting to be mad at this man but also realising that he was her sensei and a Sennin and that her father would be incredibly mad with her if it got out that she was not being one hundred percent respectful to this man. She straightened her back, "I guess that this really is going to be a full time job."

He watched her as she looked around in obvious dismay at the state of his apartment and saw confusion cross her face at the conflicting emotions she was feeling towards him. Her face held all of the shifting emotions, from annoyance to respect; she wasn't sure how to approach him because he appeared to the world as a messy, ill-mannered, and gruff man - and he was - but he was also one of the legendary Sennin and as such must be respected.

He could watch her trying to figure it out all day; it was very amusing and did much to improve his mood.

Jiraiya tried to shake away the lecture Tsunade had given him before his student had come. Some of the things she had said stuck with him, and she'd probably apologise at a later date for the whole variety of insults she had thrown at him, but still some of them had cut deep. Shaking himself out of his reverie he looked at his student. She had come straight from practice it seemed, her clothes were a touch rumpled and her face was flushed somewhat. Her hair was held up by the red ribbon that she had come to wear daily and he couldn't help but admire her newly displayed face. It was a start, a good one at that and Jiraiya found himself hoping that this new start would follow with a new attitude. If the way she had spoken through the door a while ago was any indication, things seemed to be progressing with her, it had really only happened because she had taken the initiative to come to him. She was already impressing him and their first lesson hadn't even begun.

Jiraiya quickly moved away to the lounge, firmly placing in mind the distinction between 'fair game' and 'no go' as soon as he realised that his novel's heroine was having a significant change of appearance and character to suit that of the Hyuuga, before calling Hinata over.

"We should have our lesson before you clean up in here."

He sat down on the couch, and turned to the dark haired woman who was still standing by the door, her pale eyes on him as he sat down.

"Sit next to me, Hinata-chan."

She softly walked over and placed herself next to her sensei, turning her body to face him thereby placing herself further from him. Jiraiya sighed but faced her as he started off to explain how their lessons would go.

"I've been thinking about your lessons and I've come to the conclusion that seduction is not going to be the lesson but the goal, Hinata-chan. To possess all those qualities that you mentioned the other day is to perfectly seduce someone." Jiraiya sighed as he put his hand behind his head, ruffling his hair as his student blushed in embarrassment, "I've gone over the details you told me from your last mission and I think that this would be the best plan."

The pale eyed young woman blanched noticeably as he mentioned the last mission and put her head down as she barely replied back affirmatively.

"Now, I want you to put your back against the back of the couch, and relax Hinata-chan," he chuckled softly at her hesitation, "I'm not going to hurt you, everything from now on is a lesson."

When she had done what he wanted he casually placed his arm around her and put his hand on her shoulder. He felt her muscles tense immediately and he all but groaned at her fighting him in every situation. He put more weight in his hand on her small shoulder, grasping it with his fingers and watched as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Please S-sensei, why is this needed?"

The Sennin sighed and turned his body so that he was facing the young Hyuuga, his hand and any other part of his body no longer touching her.

"Talk to me Hyuuga," he had to try not to let his exasperation tinge his tone as she looked back at him bewildered, "Why do you hate touch so much? Or is just me that you have a problem with?"

"No, no Jiraiya-sensei, it's not like that," Hinata started to expressively move her hands around, trying to get across the fact that it had nothing to do with him.

"Well, why is it that you get so tense?"

Pausing for a moment, trying to get her bearings on this new topic, the young Hyuuga moved to face her teacher. "You won't fully understand," she starts helpfully, hoping that he would understand what she was about to say.

Pausing again, her mind moves a mile a minute trying to figure out the best way to explain her hesitation to the Sennin before her, "You are not Hyuuga. We do not show outward affection very often at all and it is often looked down upon and seen as dangerous. We kill with touch Jiraiya-sensei, surely you know this. Touch is not something that we connect to affection unless you are married or are very close since touch is associated directly with trust. You have to trust that they won't hurt you."

Jiraiya watched as Hinata fidgeted and saw the expressions cross her features.

You've been hurt by someone you trusted.

Or maybe you've hurt someone who trusted you.

The older shinobi left that topic for another time when they were a bit closer and steeled himself before the young woman to do what he had to do to make this all work. His expression turned thoughtful and his eyes remained clear to the only other occupant in the room. Whatever he was about to do, he meant it.

Reaching for her, Jiraiya engulfed her small hands within his own much larger ones. After a moment, when he could tell that she wasn't as nervous as she had been, he slowly spread her fingers out and moved his grip from her digits to her wrists. He pulled the wide eyed woman slightly forward till the deadliest part of the Hyuuga touched his chest, directly over his heart.

Hinata, held still by his grip and by his eyes suddenly realised where her hands were and tried to pull away violently but Jiraiya held her still and spoke in soft tones to her, trying to get her to relax.

"Hyuuga Hinata, I trust you to never hurt me with your touch unless I intend you harm with mine. I understand that we are not close and it will be a while before we can say that we are friends, but I trust you with this much."

Jiraiya let go of the pale eyed heiress' wrists but she didn't notice as she kept very still, keeping contact with the man before her. "You do not know what you say," the tremors in her voice belying her apparent calm at the actions of this man in front of her, shaking her head slightly, "To you it's not much to say. I-I could kill you, right this second."

"Trust me to know what I say."

"My father always told me to not trust anyone, especially one who tells you to trust them."

The Sennin laughed out loud at this, the reverberations in his chest tingling the tips of the Hyuuga's fingers. She snatched them away blushing as her eyes lowered to the ground. Coming down from his mirth the toad sage relaxed against the couch while Hinata inched ever so slowly away from her, obviously deranged, teacher.

"Fair enough Hinata-chan," Jiraiya, still chuckling slightly, replied to the young woman, "but please remember that I never lie."

He waited for a moment. Hinata, obviously unsure as to what he wanted stayed very still in her spot, her emotions tumbling and roaming all over the place as she tried to get her bearings. She heard the Sennin clear his throat and felt him fidget on the couch.

"Well? Am I not worthy of your trust Hinata-chan?"

The Hyuuga remained silent, not knowing what to say, do or feel at a time such as this and her silence communicated the wrong thing to the man next to her.

Sighing, her teacher stood up and went to the door, "Well I guess that's it then, Hinata," he spoke as he leant on the wall by the entrance, "I can't really teach you without touch." He wasn't using guilt against her, nor was he being obstinate on purpose he was genuinely sorry about it. Touch would be the foundation for most of the lessons that he was going to teach the young woman and without it there was no point to continue on.

Hinata stood up from the couch, glancing at the ground but then bringing her face up and her eyes forward as she clenched her fists for strength. "No," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry? What was that?" Jiraiya looked over at the dark haired woman in his apartment.

"I said, no."

"No to what?" he asked, sincerely perplexed.

Frustrated with her lack of vocabulary at the most important times, Hinata walked over to Jiraiya and looked straight at him as she stood in front of him. He was slouching but was still taller than her, his hair framing his body against the wall he leant on. She stood up straight and didn't hesitate as she grabbed his large, calloused hand, spread his fingers apart and pressed each digit into the flesh around her heart in one swift move, as if to give it more time would leech away her determination.

"I do not trust you as a person because I do not know you, I do not trust you for your reputation because people either warn me against you or are glad to see me with you, and I do not trust you for your title because many have titles but few deserve them," she paused here and he watched in fascination as he saw the woman behind the stammer and the blush and saw the kunoichi, unafraid and deadly, "What I do trust is that you trust me and this faith, if unreciprocated, is truly wasted." She stopped again and pressed his digits further into her flesh, the contact as good as a blood oath. "Jiraiya-sensei, I trust you to never hurt me with your touch unless I intend you harm with mine."

She breathed out and as the air from her lungs was expelled so was the warrior that Jiraiya had glimpsed for a moment, though he knew she was still there, lurking under the surface. He removed his fingers from her flesh and thought on what Tsunade had said to him earlier, striking it from his memory. Konoha had no idea what they had in this woman before him; she was no impressionable, naive, fragile girl. Maybe her teammates had some inkling but he doubted it, it was up to him to open this woman up and show everyone who she truly was.

"I will not let you down Hinata-chan," he smiled widely, proudly at his charge, aware of the task ahead of him, "I will not let you down."

A/N: Thank you for reading my latest chapter! I hope you liked it and are looking forward to more, no matter how late the updates are. I'll be better I swear!

Yours,

Jaggarte x