Chapter One: Preparations
It was an ugly day in the village of Konoha. The clouds loomed dark over the horizon, the air was sticky and moist, and plants were wilting because there hadn't been rain in over three weeks. The town was sleeping the sticky day away, and the shinobi twiddled their thumbs and tried not to yawn.
The uncomfortable weather made everyone a bit odd.
Tsunade wandered around her offices, the sake bottle unconcealed in her hands.
Kakashi sat with his book and couldn't be budged.
Gai ran himself ragged trying to entice his archrival to play a game of go with him. Shikamaru moaned about the troublesome weather.
Choji annoyed everyone with his noisy chewing.
Kiba and Akamaru lay on the sand, their tongues lolling from their mouths, trying to think of something, ANYTHING, to do.
Shino busied himself with his bugs, Neji muttered about the ultimate destined doom of the village to perish in a river of sweat, Ino spent all the time trying to keep her hair from falling flat, Sakura's temper flared at the least provocation, and Jiraiya couldn't summon the energy to go down to the river and watch the girls.
Even Iruka, normally happy and hard to pique, was stalking the streets, muttering darkly about ramen and Naruto and money and revenge.
In fact, the only happy people in the entire village on this particular day were one whiskered blonde and the Hyuuga heiress.
Naruto walked through the town, whistling merrily, and grinning and waving at the lethargic citizens, who were too sticky to bother expending the energy needed to yell at him. He looked around with the air of a man on top of the world, and every once in a while he would stop and settle into a kind of gaze, a dopey look on his face.
Hinata skipped quietly through the Hyuuga estate, humming to herself and shocking her parents by steaming up the kitchen with her cooking. Bowls and bowls of ramen of all kinds ornamented the countertops, and her mother nearly fainted from the heat when she walked in. The house quickly closed the doors on the kitchen and sat in their rooms to ponder Hinata's strange destiny – to finally go mad and cook ramen for the rest of her days.
Konohomaru dragged himself from his lolling position in the branches of an oak tree and dropped heavily to the ground beside his idol.
"Naruto," he began, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and tried again.
"Ahem…Naru- DAMN!"
The blonde looked down with concern on his 13-year-old companion and ceased his happy whistling long enough to ask, "Hey Konohomaru! What's the matter with you?"
Konohomaru put on his adult face, drew himself up to his full height, and replied, "You, Naruto. You're everyone's problem. Geez, why're you so bouncy? It's too hot to move, much less prance around the streets like a drunken monkey!"
Naruto cocked his head to the side.
"I can't tell you now," he replied with a mischievous grin, "it's a secret. I have something to ask the old lady, and I'll let you know what happens when I get back, okay?"
"Back from Tsunade's or back from wherever you want to ask her to let you go?"
Naruto pondered this for a minute.
"I dunno. I guess I'll think about that when the great and powerful Granny Tsunade answers my question the way I want her to. I hope she's sober."
With that, the black sandals skipped off, leaving Konohomaru to wonder what the hell had happened to his poor friend.
Still whistling, Naruto practically skipped into Tsunade's office and, ignoring the frantic hand signs from her secretary, opened the door to the inner sanctuary.
He planted himself firmly in front of her desk, and she looked at him a bit blearily and hiccupped.
"Naruto…what the hell are you doing here, you little brat?" she queried; taking another swig of the pungent liquor she was so fond of. "Did you get into trouble? Are the Akatsuki come to destroy us all? Has Sasuke returned? Or are you just here to make my already crappy day even worse, hm?"
The blonde leaned forward, earning a raised eyebrow from the Hokage, and with a mischievous grin, swiped the sake bottle from the intoxicated Sannin. "I need a mission, old lady. This place is boring enough without all of you lounging around acting depressed – I gotta get out of here. Give me a mission, any mission, and let me pick my own partner. I'll be out of your hair for a few weeks, and you can go back to drinking your sake just as soon as you give me permission. What'd you say?"
She glared balefully at him; glanced at the sake jug he waved tantalizingly at her, and heaved a great sigh.
"Fine, fine. Just go already. Standard recon, I guess…uh…umm…somewhere in the Land of Water. Village Hidden in the Mist or thereabouts. Go visit that old bridge builder of yours who was your first mission…gods, Kakashi never shuts up about that one…go, get out, leave me in peace!"
Naruto tossed her the sake, which she caught and cradled to herself before downing a swig. "Thanks, baa-san!" he called, "I won't forget this! I owe you ramen!"
"Crazy kid," she muttered as she entrenched herself further and further into her big chair and watched the door swing shut behind him.
Naruto raced outside the building and jumped in the air. His cry of triumph echoed over Konoha, causing a variety of effects.
Tsunade nearly spilled her sake on herself, and then cursed Naruto using a variety of unrepeatable words.
Kakashi looked up from his book. Gai stopped pestering Kakashi.
Shikamaru moaned about troublesome idiots.
Choji let his bag of chips fall to the ground – almost.
Kiba and Akamaru jumped up, the former yelling, "Something to do?" and the latter barking something that sounded suspiciously like, "Play?"
Shino sent a bug to find out what was happening, Neji muttered about Naruto's destiny to be a fool, Ino sprayed her mirror with hairspray in shock, Sakura yelled at Naruto in absentia, and Jiraiya mustered up the strength to trudge to the river and watch the girls splash about.
Inside the Hyuuga estate, Hinata looked up from her stove and, a blush coloring her cheeks, whispered, "My love," before ripping off her apron and dashing from the kitchen. She raced up the stairs to her room two at a time and darted through the doorway to grab her pack. She double-checked the contents and fingered the note to her parents.
Dear Mother and Father, it read, I have been asked to go on a mission of utmost importance and secrecy. Please do not worry – I am in no danger as I am with one of the most promising of those who graduated in my Academy class. I shall return soon.
Hinata.
She gulped back her apprehension and placed the note lovingly on her dresser, where her mother was sure to find it. She glanced at the clock on her wall, and opened the window.
The hot, sultry air lazed in, stifling and heavy, and it seemed as though the whole room might begin to sweat as heavily as she suddenly began to do, but it made no difference to her.
She stepped out on to the ledge, and, taking one last look at her room, whispered a prayer before leaping gracefully to the trees. I hope we aren't making a mistake, she thought as she raced through the forest to the little hill where she and Naruto had sat nearly two weeks before.
From his apartment at the other end of the village, Naruto was also making his speedy way to their meeting place, thinking of nothing but the quiet beauty who had filled his every moment from the day so recently when he had looked into her white eyes and pledged his soul to her.
He sighed at the memory, and thanked the gods for their favor in allowing Hinata to be his.
They got to the hill at the same time, and raced to one another, falling into an embrace that felt as natural as breathing. She nestled her head into his chest and he buried his face in her soft blue hair.
They stood in silence for a few long, sweet moments, and then broke the pose to look into each other's eyes. Naruto smiled devilishly and Hinata blushed as he bent his head to capture her rosebud lips in a soft kiss that grew until they collapsed onto the grass and got completely winded by their fall.
Hinata began to giggle, and Naruto to chuckle, and soon the forest was filled with the sounds of their happiness.
Naruto put his calloused palm on her velvet cheek and gently kissed her again.
"Are we ready to go?" he whispered. "You know, we don't have to do this unless you're absolutely sure."
She put a slender hand on his chest and kissed him back.
"I am," she whispered, "Oh, I am…"