Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything assciated with Naruto.

Plan on trying some fan friendly fluff... never really tried to make a fluff story but here it goes. And don't expact this story to be all up hill. There will be bumps in the road for our main couple. I will respond to reviews, and depending on the review count, I will post newer updates sooner the more reviews I recive, the fewer I will take longer.

Naruto sat calmly at his table, eating his usually cereal; when he realized that he forgot the milk

Naruto sat calmly at his table, eating his usually cereal; when he realized that he forgot the milk. He yawned as he stood up and walked slowly to his refrigerator, and opened it to reveal a lone apple, a banana, left over ramen from the night before, and a carton of milk, he picked it up with ease, as the carton seemed to have more weight then it normally had. He picked it up and smelled the foul odour that came from it as he looked at the expiry date, which expired three weeks ago! He grunted and sighed as he threw the rotten carton of milk into the garbage as he ignored his breakfast. It kind of defeated the purpose of eating cereal. He then rushed to the bathroom to take off his sleeping cap, which was resembled a walrus's head. He brushed his teeth and applied his favourite deodorant, Old Spice, as he sighed once more.

He looked himself in the mirror as he noticed how buggy eyed his eyes were. Fatigue had finally caught up with Naruto, and sadly enough, today was the day he was to begin his private training for three years. He didn't want to leave especially since he knew Sasuke was still out there. He vowed to bring him back… but his stomach argued otherwise. He looked down as the violent grumbles shook his entire body. "Maybe I'll pickup some food later before we leave…"

Naruto then walked into his bedroom and quickly dressed himself. He finished by tying his headband around his forehead, and then walked out as he grabbed his apartment keys and locked his apartment possibly for the last time, for a long time. He then casually walked the streets as he took in everything that was going on. He knew he was going to miss the hidden leaf village, as he came across the rest of his genin friends who all grew close to Naruto, almost being like a family.

At the Hokage Tower

Jiriya, Tsunade and Hatake Kakashi entered the Hokage's office as Tsunade took her seat behind the desk and both men sat down on the other side, with a running Shizune to follow behind them. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me, Jiriya?" Asked Tsunade as she picked up a scattered folder that was previously on the table.

Jiriya nodded as Kakashi stared at him intently. "Me and Kakashi were given practically the same mission, to scout out the Akatsuki. We both managed to catch up to each other, and spy on them from different areas of their hideout among the mountains. We had both heard that the Akatsuki plan on invading the Hidden Leaf Village very soon. The only problem with what they discussed is they never gave a specific timeline of when it would happen." Began Jiriya, as Kakashi nodded in agreement.

Tsunade looked over at Kakashi as he now began speaking, as the words seem to pierce her ear like a barrage of million senbons. " To be all fair and honest me and Jiriya were conversing on the way back. We felt that Naruto should leave the village."

Tsunade's face turned instantly white at the though as she stood and slammed her fist onto the desk causing some cracks in it. She was about to fight back but Jiriya beat her. "But not to more, Lady Hokage. Kakashi and me discussed this among us and felt best that I train Naruto like I did the fourth. This way The Akatsuki literally has to guess where we will be, and on top of that have to guess if the villages we reside in will welcome them with open arms. Not only that, but I have spies hidden through out most villages, that can warn us of them. We shall be fine."

Tsunade then slowly lowered herself back into the comfort of the chair, as she stared intently at the desk with a frown Jiriya was all too familiar with. "I don't like this Jiriya, but I do see your point and avoiding the destruction of the Leaf Village Village. But what is more comforting is that you will be going with Naruto. If anyone knows how to disappear, it is you."

Jiriya nodded, as he looked over at Kakashi. "In the meantime, we need to think of a plan to attempt and rescue Sasuke when Naruto returns from his three year absence. Remember, if we waste time, Sasuke will become the next vessel of Orochimaru, thus eliminating the very last of the Uchiha clan. We need to use this time to help restore the missing clan, and use and train our genin before then. I will talk among the other sensei's and ask them what they think, I doubt any of them will disagree, since Shikamaru was the only one that passed the chuunin exam."

Tsunade nodded as she sighed. She knew things would be getting quieter around her office. "Very well, Jiriya, I leave the knucklehead with, but try not to corrupt him, will ya?" Added Tsunade as she slightly grinned, making Kakashi laugh.

"Before I forget there is one other thing me and Jiriya have been discussing. It concerns Naruto. There is a certain someone who we think may benefit him in his training…"

Kakshi's speech was halted as they heard a feint cry and a pitter patter of multiple footsteps, as Shizune watched the lavender haired girl run away.

'Hinata…'

Back on the street

Naruto smiled at the other genin. "So what's up, guys?" Asked Naruto as he looked at everyone.

Kiba Inuzaka, another genin that Naruto fought in beat in the chuunin approached him with a smirk. "We were all thinking, since this week we all have it off, we were wondering how we should spend our time, I mean us eleven. And Me, Nelji and Shikamaru decided we should have a tournament." Grinned Kiba, as Akamaru popped out from inside his jacket and barked twice.

Naruto then stuck his arm out, and gave him the thumbs up, as he clenched his eyes shut and smiled. "I'm all for it! I would love to wipe the floor with you again!"

Everyone laughed as Kiba grunted. "Trust me, Naruto, you won't ever beat me again! I've picked up a few more jutsu's that will stop you in your tracks!"

Shino approached Kiba, as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Don't get to over confidant, Kiba. I'm sure Naruto can wipe you out of it quick enough before you have a chance."

Kiba turned around to face Shino, as he growled at him. Jiriya then appeared from around the corner, as Naruto saw him. "Pervy sage, what are you doing around the corner? Are you anti-social?"

Jiriya turned around as he saw Naruto smile and noticed his friends were all there. He sighed as Naruto watched him approach slowly. "Naruto I need to speak to you…alone…"

Naruto blinked twice as he recognized the seriousness in his trainers face. Naruto knew it was not good. 'What did I do now?' He thought as he slowly walked away with Jiriya.

"After you're done, Naruto, meet us in the training grounds so we can begin our tornement!" Added Shikamaru as Naruto turned around to see them all depart towards the training grounds.

Jiriya looked down at Naruto. 'I don't want to have to do this but I do. It's for your own good, and the Village's safety…' Added Jiriya as he looked down at Naruto. He saw the disappointment in his eyes. He wanted to spend time with them since they were all on the go doing mission. It was probably the only time he was ever going to see them all together at once. "So what's wrong pervy sage? Why did you want to talk to me?" Added a sullen Naruto as he paused for a minute.

Jiriya sighed as he looked back up at the sky, wanting to yell at Naruto for calling him a pervy sage, but he ignored it. He knew that Naruto suspects something and obviously it wasn't good. Jiriya was never good at giving bad news in a reasonable fashion. "Naruto, me and Kakashi and Lady Tsunade were talking. Your…training isn't where it should be… you're far behind then the rest. I need to take you and train you if you want to bring back Sasuke, or if you want to beat any of the others in a tournament for that matter. We need to leave the village…so you don't…become weak…" Explained Jiriya as he knew this lie was definitely detectable and Naruto could see through it.

Naruto looked at Jiriya. "They're after me, aren't they?"

Jiriya stopped and blinked once, but not opening his eyes, and nodded. Naruto took one good look behind him as he watched his friends disappear into the far distance. "I'll go pack my clothes…"

Jiriya looked down to find Naruto when he noticed Naruto began running towards his house. Jiriya caught up to him, before Naruto could do any harm. "Listen, Naruto, under any circumstance, can you not tell anyone that the Akatsuki are coming. No one is to even know of your leave. This is to protect the safety of the village and to not cause panic among them, understood?"

Naruto just simply nodded, as he dashed ahead, hoping to avoid the sight of Jiriya seeing the tears drip off of his face. One person stood out in his mind, though, her delicate face, lavender hair and glossy eyes…Hinata. For some odd reason, he liked being around her. She was someone that believed in him, and treated him like a human when everyone else disregarded him, are mistreated him because of the burden he carries.

He arrived with some time to spare, as he unlocked the door. He walked in and noticed a rock and broken glass on the floor. The rock had a message on it and Naruto decided to read it this time; 'demon kid'. He threw the rock out the window, as he noticed the hole it made when the kids threw it. He quickly gathered a few clothes, and important items, like the picture of Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura and himself. He stared at it intently as he missed being in their presence, almost as much as he admired being with Sasuke and Sakura. He quickly placed it in his bag, as he then paused, and took out a pen, and found some paper. He wrote a message on it, before folding it and placing it in his pocket. With that done, he took one good look of his apartment, and locked the door, as he slammed the door behind him, as he quickly made his way to the entrance of the village.

Naruto walked towards the guardsmen of the village were he met both Kakashi and Jiriya. Naruto smiled at the sight of seeing Kakashi. He looked up to him, almost as much as he looked up to Iruka sensei. Naruto approached the two as Kakashi met him half way, and placed his arm out for a handshake. "Naruto, from day one since you've joined team 7, to now, you've drastically changed and become stronger. You've become someone totally different, and you've learned all you have. This absence is to help make you even stronger then anyone in the village…" Kakashi stopped, as Naruto seemed disinterested into what Kakashi was talking about.

Kakashi stopped, as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "Remember this, it's only three years. It's not an eternity…" Kakashi was stopped as Jiriya approached Naruto, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Kakashi nodded as he moved aside, as both Naruto and Jiriya walked past the town limit. But before Naruto could leap off, someone grabbed him from behind, and judging from the grip that he was being held like, they didn't want to see him leave. He thought at first it was Sakura, when he heard the innocent voice of someone he'd least suspect. "Nar…Naruto…pl…please don't leave…I don…don't want to be …without you…" stuttered Hinata in between sobs.

Jiriya stopped himself from leaping as he noticed the bear hug Naruto was in. Naruto only smiled and looked down on the ground, as she loosened her grip. He turned around to face her, as he saw her innocent face soiled with tears, which in a weird way, made her seem even cuter then usual. For some unknown reason he felt his heart race extremely fast. He found himself staring deeply into Hinata's eyes. He began blushing, as he never felt these feelings he was feeling right now. 'What is wrong with me?' thought Naruto as he slowly watches his arm lift and placing his hand on her cheek.

She immediately stops sobbing, as she had never been caressed like this before, and coming from the one man of her dreams, she felt like she was in heaven. "I will be back I promise you this…"

Naruto then did the unexpected, he inched closer to Hinata, as he placed his lips on hers, and lightly kissed her, Hinata's eyes widened in shock, as she began blushing a deep red. Her dream was coming true, only he was leaving her behind, and there was nothing that she could do to help him. As the kiss settled for a minute, she closed her eyes, as Naruto finally broke the lip lock. He reached in his left pocket, the one where he placed the note and handed it to her. He then hugged her, before leaving, as Jiriya smiled and followed Naruto into the distance.

Hinata watched as the one she loved dearly disappeared among the safety of the leaves. Kakashi placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder as she looked up at him. "I know it must be hard Hinata. I know, because I lost the one I loved so much in the Battle with the Nine Tailed fox. But this is only temporary. He will be back and maybe with a better understand about everything."

Hinata slightly grinned, as she looked into the horizon. She then held out the paper, as she unfolded it, and looked at it intently as it read;

Dear Hinata,

I want to thank you for believing in me. I really mean it. When I was abandoned or abused back at the academy, you seemed to be always being by my side and help me pick myself up. I never had the chance to thank you for it. You were someone I would consider to be a true friend. He were there watching me, because Kiba and Shino always told me.

I know that you liked me for the longest time. I know I didn't understand at the time, but that was because I either never paid any attention in class,'

Hinata slightly giggled at this sentence as she had a flashback of one of their classes, as Naruto had his head laid down on the desk, snoring loudly as Iruka was explaining a lesson. When Iruka finally noticed, he flung a chalkboard eraser at him to wake him up. After this she continued reading,

'I'm sorry I was oblivious towards your feelings. I understand now that you liked me all this time. I just didn't know how to express myself, nor understand what 'love' felt like. Trust me, when I get back in three years time, things will be different, Hinata-chan. I promise you that…I like you.

Naruto Uzumaki.'

Hinata instantly felt the tears swell again, only this time they were happy tears. "Naruto…I promise that I will be right here waiting for you to comeback! I promise you that, because… I love you…"

With that Kakashi silently walked off in the distance as he smiled, leaving Hinata alone to stare into the forest that surrounded the hidden leaf village.

-xX00Xx-

Naruto began to leap from branch to branch, as he couldn't stop replaying Hinata's plead for him to stay. His tears still stained his cheeks. He wished he could've stayed and gotten to know Hinata better, but he realized he had has to make sacrifices. Jiriya noticed a few sniffles from Naruto as he grinned. "She really means a lot to you doesn't she?" Added Jiriya, as he looked straight ahead, keeping an eye out for wandering missing nin.

Naruto only nodded. Every time a replay would flash in his mind, he would start to get this funny feeling in his stomach as he turned around to see her face, saddened, as he had to leave her behind. He clutched his stomach; unsure what was the cause of it. Because part of it felt funny and good, but at the sometime, it felt like his heart hurt as well. "Pervy sage," Began Naruto as he stopped on a branch, "What is this feeling in my stomach? I guess it feels like butterflies are in it, and at the same time I feel this pain, but it doesn't feel like a physical pain…"

Jiriya smiled as he stood up and looked at Naruto, placing a hand on his hair and ruffling it up. "Well, Naruto. It seems you might be in love, If I'm not mistaking!"

Naruto blinked. Love. That was something he hardly anything about. A feeling that only a few had showed him, including pervy sage. "Sensei…could you stell me about 'love'. I never really understood it much…"

Jiriya slightly grinned, but at the same time felt sorry for Naruto. 'He probably grew up with out ever experiencing what it's like to be loved in return, only to give his love…hmmmm' Thought Jiriya as he patted Naruto's head.

"Naruto there is something I've been wanting to tell you for some time. For the months I've been training you, you were the exact image of my son. You would even act the way I had always thought my son would act like."

Naruto looked up at Jiriya unsure what to do or say, so he continued to listen. "I know what it's like to grew up not knowing you had a father. Unlike you, I did have a father, but he was never home. He felt being at a bar or doing extended mission was perfect for him, and obviously his family wasn't. He died on week after I became one of Sarutobi's chosen genin, I cried my eyes, but only for a few minutes, because honestly, I never knew him. I just knew he was my father, and that father figure is almost impossible to replace in a youths life. Which is my, Naruto, I don't want you to look up to me as a trainer or a sensei, but as a father. I want to be the one you come to when you need advice or help with anything, whether it deals with a mission, girls or if you need someone to be there."

Naruto smiled, as he hugged Jiriya. Jiriya blushed instantly, as he tried to brush off Naruto, and successfully did so. "But this doesn't mean our training is going to be easy or simple! I'm still going to be tough on you! Possibly even tougher then before!"

Naruto only smiled back. "Good! I can't wait because When I return back to the leaf village, I will be stronger then any of the other genin in the village! Believe it!"

Naruto gave his usual thumbs up, as they both took off into the bright sunlight of the mid afternoon.

-xX00Xx-

Hinata remained standing, as three figures approached her. She was standing in the same spot for two hours, not realizing that anyone was behind her. The letter seemed to put her in a trance and the kiss intoxicated her limbs. "Hinata, may we have a word with you?" Asked a familiar voice that matched that of Kakashi.

She spun around as her eyes widened. It was Kakashi, but with him was Neji and Hiashi, her Father. "I see, Hinata, you've grown close to Naruto as of recent. Why haven't you told me about this?" Explained Hiashi, as he didn't seem angered but troubled to Hinata's lack of communication.

She began thinking as she tapped both index fingers together trying to figure out a reasonable answer, but still came up short. "I…I figured…yo..you…" Hinata stopped as she slightly blushed and gulped back her voice as she became instantly mute.

Neji grinned. "I understand why you chose to keep it a secret, because of the tradition of the Hyuuga's marriage agreement. But that has changed and you know that. I don't like to see you in your room crying. I see now, from what Kakashi and Neji both told me, why you hold him so close to your heart."

Hinata nodded slowly, but still feeling ashamed that her father might lose her temper. "I understand where you have gotten your determination from, and it is from the boy, which is why Me, Kakashi and your cousin are going to help train you."

Hinata blinked twice unsure as too what her father was getting at. "Starting today, we will train so one year from now, you can train with Naruto." Finished her father as he smiled.

She gasped as she felt her face slightly blush. Her knees began to feel weak as they shook a little before them. She tried to speak, but the frog still struggled to break free from her throat. She felt the ecstasy surge her whole body. 'I get to train with Naruto? This is my dream come true!' Thought Hinata, as she felt a tear escape and roll gently down her slightly blushed cheek.

"Naruto had told Jiriya about his feelings for people, and a frequent name that popped up was you Hinata. Even though Naruto doesn't know how to show it, he loves you because you were the only one who stood by his side when no one else did. He wants to show he loves in an appropriate way, but doesn't know how to because he has never had to. Although it seems like he's ignoring you, he was hiding his feelings because he didn't know what they were at the time." Explained Kakashi as he looked at her intently.

Hiashi walked forward as Kakashi and Neji departed as Kakashi remembered he was supposed to be an official for the gennin's mini tournament. "Hinata, I know I was cold, but I was following the orders given from the elders of the Hyuuga clan. But now, things have changed, and I want nothing more then to see my daughter succeed in life, as does Neji. He sees your potential, because when he fought Naruto, he swore he was fighting you. He saw how much Naruto meant to you, and if being with Naruto will make you happy, then I will make sure my daughter stays happy." Added Hiashi as he hugged her gently.

Her tears began to absorb into his robe as she clenched them tightly, as she muffled a thank you to her father, as she wanted to begin her training as soon as possible.

-xX00Xx-

Kakashi and Neji then knocked on the Hokage's door, as Shizune opened the door, and lead them to Tsunades cracked desk. "I see Hiashi agreed to allow Hinata train with Naruto." Added Tsunade as she finished writing on a scroll.

Kakashi nodded. "We will begin the training her as soon as possible, as Hinata seems very eager to train with him. Maybe this will prove to be more valuable then we will assume it to be. Both of them are good for each other. They will teach each other valuable lessons that they will need." Began Kakashi, as he placed a hand on his Ich Ichi book, written and made by none other then Jiriya.

Tsunade frowned, but nodded none the less. "I see. Well, Neji and me have to head down to the training grounds. They're having a Tournament for all the genin since it was rudely interrupted. I will be one of the officiating judges. I'll talk to you a bit later and hand you in the reports." Added Kakashi, as both he and Neji flickered and began jumping roofs to the training grounds.

Tsunade smiled. "Good luck, Hinata, and I hope you have a bright future!"