First the typical boring disclaimers. I do not own any of the characters herein except my own (you'll know what I mean when you read it). Please read and review if you like. The time period for this story is, in relation to the time sequence of the anime series, some time before Naruto leaves for his training with Jiraiya. I'm going to spark some NaruHina here, so be ready for some light romance. Very touching story though. Enjoy!
Tanoro Tomoshibi

Dragon Fly

It was a typical day in Konoha Village. The village was a little crowded with visitors from other villages as a recent celebration haled the coming of the newest generation of jounin. The streets were still crowded with venders from all over the country who had blankets on the street side covered with wares. Naruto and the rest of his team casually walked down the crowded street. Sasuke and Sakura walked beside each other while Naruto walked ahead. Kakashi followed behind, his attention directed to a book in-hand They had recently returned from a successful mission and Naruto was feeling particularly upset for missing the big celebration. His frustration was, however, somehow lessened by returning in time to catch the tail end of the festivities.

"I have a report to file, so I'll see you all later." Kakashi waved before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"I'm going home now." Sakura declared as she took a sharp turn away from the group, "I'm anxious to catch up on some beauty sleep."

Sasuke, in his superior disposition, turns toward his house without a word of regard or acknowledgement to Naruto. Naruto was amused by Sasuke's sense of superiority as he regarded himself as Sasuke's equal in combat. Naruto glanced over his own shoulder and realized his team had left him alone. In response, he merely props his hands up behind his head and keeps walking. He was feeling rather starved at the moment and thought he'd wander to his favorite ramen stand, Ichiraku. As Naruto walked along, he felt the strong gaze of eyes upon him. His ninja senses urged him to look to his right where his eyes met the gaze of a young man sitting on a vender's blanket.
The man Naruto saw looked roughly Kakashi's age. He had long, black hair that was not unlike Neji's. His eyes were a hypnotically clear green. The man was dressed in loose traveling clothes similar in fashion to a hooded robe. He wore a forehead protector, meaning he was a ninja. The ninja clan symbol on the plate of the man's forehead protector was visible, but it was a symbol Naruto was not familiar with. On the blanket in front of the man were several various items such as cards, crystal, coins, and other seemingly random items. Despite his piercing gaze at Naruto, his expression seemed welcoming.

"You, young man!" The man greeted Naruto. "Would you like to have your future read?"

"I'm not really into that kind of thing." Naruto replied without even turning to acknowledge the man's offer.

"I was about to pack up for the day. Business has been unexciting today." The man informed. "If you want, I will read your future for free."

Naruto was never one to turn down anything free. "In that case, I'm game." Naruto sat down in front of the stranger. "Nothing to lose, I guess."

"What's your name?" The young man requested.

"It's Naruto!" Naruto always introduced himself with pride. "Naruto Uzumaki"

"Nice to meet you." The young man introduced himself as well. "I am Tanoro Tomoshibi, seer of the Oni Clan."

"I've never heard of the Oni clan." Naruto replied. "What village are you from?"

"I am from no village." Tanoro replied. "The Oni clan is very old and are almost entirely rogue ninjas and family heritages these days. Let us begin. What would you like to know about your future?"

Naruto crossed his arms and pretended to think for a moment, but there was only one ambition that haunted his mind. "Am I going to become the Hokage someday?"

"Goodness! Aiming high, aren't we?" Tanoro replied. "That's good. You have a lot of confidence." Tanoro glanced down at the items on the blanket as if trying to decide which one to use. He decided on a large crystal ball which sat on a pedestal directly in front of him. He gazed deeply into the crystal and awaited the images to come to him. "I sense that you certainly have the gift and the path you walk can lead to this future. Unfortunately, this fate depends on you making the right choices until the day it happens. This future is not guaranteed yet. If you work hard and follow you heart, you should have no trouble getting there."

"Is that all?" Naruto seemed disappointed by his answer. "I was hoping you could give me a yes or no."

"If only fate were so black and white, but life itself is rarely cut and dry. Fate is a web tangled up in free will and choices." Tanoro explained. "However, I don't like seeing a customer leave unhappy with his answer. Ask another question if you like."

"Oh, alright." Naruto crossed his arms again, seriously pondering his next question, but only one came to mind. Naruto couldn't help but smirk to himself as he pondered asking this question. "Well, there's this girl in my squad that I sort of like. She doesn't seem to care much for me though. What can you tell me about her?"

"I'll need your right palm for this one." Tanoro requested, holding a hand out to Naruto. Tanoro gazed into Naruto's palm for a moment and spoke. "I can see cherry blossoms."

"That's right!" Naruto replied excitedly. "Her name is Sakura."

"Named after a cherry blossom, how lovely." Tanoro commented before taking a long, hard gaze into Naruto's palm. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I do not see your fate and hers coming together in the future. She has great admiration, trust, and respect for you, but I do not sense anything more. Her heart appears to belong to another."

Naruto sighed a little with a slight smile. "Yeah, I kind of knew that was coming."

Tanoro continued to gaze into Naruto palm. "I do see someone else though, someone far more compatible with you; a real romantic spark if I've ever seen one."

"Really? Who?" Naruto asked.

"It's hard to tell. There appears to be a wall of tension and fear around her heart, so it's difficult to see who she is." Tanoro explained. "However, I can tell she is crazy about you and seems to watch you all the time."

"Oh! How exciting!" Naruto grinned. "I've got an admirer."

Tanoro smiled as he continued. "All I can get are some personal traits. Maybe this will help you to narrow down the list of possibilities. She seems unusually kind and very compassionate. I'm having trouble seeing her face, but I see she has very soft eyes."

Naruto thinks hard. "I...don't know." Naruto was never a good judge of character and his attention to details has always been lacking.

"I've given you a push though. To be honest, you should give up on Sakura." Tanoro suggested. "You have a great friendship with her and you should never underestimate the value of a loyal friend who would give her life for you. They are just as hard to find as true love."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Naruto stood up and walked away as he turned and waved. "Thanks a lot!"

"Good luck!" Tanoro began packing his things.

Naruto went to Ichiraku for some ramen and went home for the night to prepared for bed. Tanoro, having not had his dinner yet either, went to a nearby tea house for a quiet meal and some warm tea. Tanoro sat down at a table and propped his rolled-up traveling pack against the table. He ordered some tea and some nikuman. As he enjoyed his peaceful meat, a young kunoichi happened by as she made her way to the counter to place an order of her own. She was quite young with short hair, a tan jacket, and wore a leaf village forehead protector tied around her neck. She seemed quite ruffled from dodging through the crowded village streets and was walking rather clumsily. As she passed by Tanoro's table, another patron bumped into her, knocking her down next to Tanoro's table. She squinted, rubbing her lower back from the impact.

Tanoro, the kind gentlemen, offered her a hand up. "Allow me, young lady."

The young kunoichi gazed back at Tanoro for more than a moment with a slight blush in her face. "Oh...thank you very much." She said with the softest of voices.

As she took Tanoro's hand, Tanoro's senses were alarmed by a sharp sense of familiarity. Having almost forgot to pull her up, Tanoro gazed into her very unusually soft Byakugan eyes, her soft voice and blushing face also catching his attention.

"Excuse me, young lady." Tanoro asked as he pulled her to her feet. "Something about you seems familiar. Do you, by chance, know a ninja from this village named Naruto?"

The young female ninja blushed almost furiously. "Why, yes. I do know him. Do I somehow remind you of him?" She shuffled her fingers together.

Tanoro recognized this posture as that of a furiously shy and emotionally closed-off person. "Not exactly, but you look like you're around his age, so I'm guessing you two have at least worked together." Tanoro bent the truth, knowing exactly why she felt familiar to him.

"We haven't worked together much, but we did graduate from the academy together." The young ninja explained. "But, how do you know him?"

"Oh, excuse my rudeness." Tanoro offered a polite bow. "I am Tanoro Tomoshibi, a traveling vender of sorts. I met Naruto earlier today and we spoke for a while. He seems very infatuated with becoming the hokage."

Hinata giggled. "Yes, he's always like that." The young ninja returned the bow. "I am Hinata Hyuuga of the Hyuuga clan."

"Ah! The Hyuuga clan." Tanoro exclaimed. "They are quite prestigious around here."

Hinata smiled a little. "Yes, they are. Well, it was nice meeting you, but I have to pick something up to take home."

"Of course, give Naruto my regards next time you see him." Tanoro bowed again.

"I will." Hinata returned the bow and walked on.

Tanoro sat down and finished his tea and nikuman. "Hmm. The Hyuuga clan, you're a lucky young man, Naruto, but the push I gave you might not be enough."

Tanoro left the tea house to plotted a short scheme to amuse himself for the night. He tracked down the Hyuuga family mansion, which was very easy to find due to its sheer size. Tanoro had to use some simple ninja spying to track down Naruto's home, which was unusually difficult to find due its sheer lack of size. It was very late in the night and both Naruto and Hinata were surely fast asleep by now. Tanoro positioned himself on a rooftop near Hinata's home.

Tanoro used a kunai to slit one of his own fingers before driving his palm into the floor with great force. "Summoning Jutsu! Kagerou!"

A pair of fairly large dragonflies appeared before Tanoro and hovered in place, awaiting his instructions.

"Your targets are Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga." Tanoro explained as he pointed. "Naruto is that way. You can't miss his unusually high chakra level." Tanoro pointed toward the nearby manor. "Hinata is that way. I don't know which room is hers so look around."

The two dragonflies flew away in their respective directions. Tanoro sat down in a meditative posture and waited for the dragonflies to respond upon reaching their targets. The dragonfly searching for Naruto was the first to find him. Sure enough, he was fast asleep at home. The dragonfly landed in Naruto pillow and sent a signal back to Tanoro. Seconds later, Tanoro received a signal from the other dragonfly who had just found Hinata's room and landed next to her in bed.

"Now the fun part." Tanoro smiled, his hands performing a long string of hand signs. "Secrets Arts! Musou Manipyureito!"

The two dragonflies responded to the call of their master. They inched forward, walking toward their targets with ghostly silent mobility. Amidst the sleepy haze of Naruto's slumber, a clear vision suddenly came to him. First he was surrounded in darkness, aware only of himself. Naruto then found himself on the village streets. The day seemed sunny and unusually quiet. There was not a single soul anywhere to be found. The Leaf Village seemed completely deserted. Naruto walked around in total confusion by the peace and eerie silence of the seemingly abandoned village. He soon found himself on one of the training fields. There, he found Hinata walking around in the same confusion Naruto was feeling.

"Hinata!" Naruto called out as he ran to her.

"Naruto!" Hinata responded. "What is going on? The village is deserted."

"I don't know." Naruto replied. "It doesn't feel real, does it?"

"Could this be a dream?" Hinata asked.

"I guess it could be, but then why are you here?" Naruto asked. "Are we dreaming the same thing or are you part of my dream too?"

"I don't know. If I'm part of your dream, then why am I aware of my own thoughts?" Hinata asked.

Suddenly two unknown dark figures in ninja gear approached Naruto and Hinata. One of them pointed. "You! We're here for the Byakugan! Surrender right now and we might let you live!"

Naruto jumped in front of Hinata and drew his kunai. "You'll have to get through me first, creep!"

"This doesn't concern you, brat!" The other attacker threatened.

The ninjas lunge toward Naruto and Hinata, kunai and shuriken dicing the air. Naruto deflected them skillfully and placed his fingers into a hand seal posture. In a puff of smoke, several shadow clones of Naruto appeared and jumped into the fray. Naruto was never one to let his clones do all the fighting, so he too fought the attackers off bravely. Hinata, concerned deeply for Naruto, was too afraid to move. Naruto leaped into the air and pulled one of his own clones with him. In a quickly thought out maneuver, his clone formed began to draw chakra into Naruto's palm as they flew through the air. Naruto's clones held off the attackers as Naruto flew in from above with his Rasengan attack, using its incredible force to drive one of the attackers almost completely into the ground like a tent stake. The force of his attack came with much recoil and Naruto was unable to recover quick enough. The other attacker chucked a kunai that ripped a bad wound in Naruto's right arm. Naruto crouched down, holding his arm. Hinata called out to Naruto in a panic as she instinctively drew a kunai of her own with an explosive tag attached to its handle. It flew through the air and exploded with perfect timing as it approached the second attacker's face who barely dodged the blade. He was unable to dodge the explosion, however, and was knocked unconscious by the blast. Hinata ran over to Naruto.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Hinata kneeled down to aid him.

"Yeah, I'm ok. It's just a flesh wound." Naruto held his bleeding arm. "What happened to not feeling pain in dreams?"

"Here, Naruto." Hinata pulled out a handkerchief and tied it around Naruto's arm. "You were really great, Naruto." A blush followed her compliment.

"Thanks, Hinata." Naruto replied with a smile. "You were great too. I really should learn how to make those exploding tags."

"It's easy. I can show you." Hinata offered with a sweet smile as she finished tying the makeshift bandage, but didn't want to remove her hands from Naruto's arm.

A moment of silence went by and Naruto glanced at Hinata who only smiled back, her face still a little red. "Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto?" She replied.

"I kind of like this dream we're having." Naruto smiled, his cerulean blue eyes clearer than the sky itself.

Hinata couldn't stop from blushing now and turned away quickly to hide her face.

Suddenly, Tanoro approached the two ninjas. "Ah. That's nice."

"Tanoro?!" Naruto and Hinata said in unison.

"Naruto, remember what we talked about?" Tanoro asked.

Naruto thought for a moment. "You mean?!"

Tanoro only nodded.

Naruto looked back at Hinata, suddenly confusion like a heavy burden lifted from him. He looked at his wound that Hinata dressed for him. "Hinata? I never realized you cared so much for me. You were the one always watching me?"

This sudden realization made her blush furiously. "Well...I...uh...that is..."

Naruto smiled as he took her by the shoulders and pulled her close. "It's ok, Hinata. You don't have to say anything. I know how shy you are." Naruto pulled her into a warm embrace, his eyes closed slowly.

Hinata's eyes were quite frantic for several moments until she saw the soft smile on Tanoro's face, who only nodded. This simple gesture urging her to forget her fears and tear down the wall around her fearful heart. Hinata closed her eyes and put her arms around Naruto. She had wanted to feel his embrace for a very long time. Their hug lasted several minutes without a word.

Tanoro interrupted. "When you two awaken, a new day will begin for you both. You will remember everything that happened in this dream world. I've given you both a great enlightenment today, so don't waste it. Let your source of happiness become each other, heir of the Hyuuga clan and future Hokage." Tanoro smiled as everything faded around them.

Blackness surrounded Naruto and Hinata, their embrace torn apart by the world fading around them. They began to fall into a darkness as the abandoned village was no longer visible. Naruto and Hinata scrambled through the air to each other and their hands met.

"Hinata, I'll be at Ichiraku's in the morning." Naruto told her.

Hinata nodded with a soft smile as she too faded into nothing.

The next morning, Naruto awoke, feeling particularly energetic after such a strange dream last night. Despite everything, he wasn't sure if it was real or not. He would certainly have trouble looking at sweet Hinata the same way again after their warm embrace last night. In either case, it was time for breakfast. Naruto, as always, rarely ate anything except ramen and Ichiraku's ramen stand was his favorite place to eat. He showered, got dressed, and walked down to Ichiraku ramen stand for breakfast. He no sooner sat down and ordered his ramen when Hinata approached him from behind.

"Uh...good morning, Naruto." Hinata greeted him in her usual soft voice.

"Oh...uh...good morning, Hinata." Naruto replied. It was obvious Naruto was afraid to discuss the dream he had last night.

"If you don't mind...may I join you?" Hinata asked, her face a little red.

"Uh...Sure!" Naruto tried to use his usual excited tone of voice.

The two sat at the counter of the ramen shop for several moments in silent. It was beginning to look obvious that the two were afraid to talk to each other as they each doubted the validity of the dream they shared. Tanoro watched from a distance, anticipating this scene ahead of time. Before long, he began to grow rather exasperated and approached the two from behind. Tanoro knew one last spur was all it would take for the two to realize the dream was real.

"Good morning, you two." Tanoro greeted them.

"Tanoro?" They replied in unison, sounding surprised.

"I was just about to leave town and thought I'd say good bye." Tanoro announced.

"Oh, where are you off to?" Naruto asked.

"Just wandering as usual." Tanoro replied. "I've got fortunes to read and profit to make. This village is great though. I'll probably return sometime when times are boring elsewhere."

"Don't be a stranger then." Naruto replied with a smile.

"By the way, Naruto, about the Oni clan." Tanoro said as he turned away. "We used the dragonfly summoning jutsu to influence and manipulate dreams. It was originally used for intelligence gathering and can make our targets bring their most precious secrets to light." Tanoro walked away and disappeared in a crowd.

"Dream manipulation?!" Naruto exclaimed as he turned to look at Hinata who was as surprised as Naruto was. "That dream was his jutsu!"

"So...it really did happen?" Hinata asked.

"You a...and I...?" Naruto stuttered. "It was real? And you...really are the one?"

Hinata blushed furiously as usual and partially turned away in her embarrassment. "Yes, Naruto, I'm the one who has always watched over you."

After a long pause and much silence, Naruto reached out and took Hinata's hand. "There's no need to be embarrassed, Hinata. I'm flattered that you care so much for me." Naruto offered a big smile. "I care for you too. Everything that happened last night was real."

"Oh...Naruto." Hinata's eyes growing wet with tears. Hinata moved slowly at first and then lunged into Naruto's arms into a tight embrace, her face buried into his chest. "Thank you for being so kind to me, Naruto."

Naruto closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Hinata. "You don't have to thank me, Hinata."

The ramen shop owner, whom Naruto always called "old man", and young lady who worked with him only watched and smiled at each other as they witnessed Naruto and Hinata finally tear down the emotional walls that lay between them. Naruto was their best customer and they always treated him like family. Seeing him finally become interested in a girl was a breath of fresh air to them.

"Here, Hinata, I'll buy breakfast for you." Naruto offered.

Hinata slowly broke their embrace and was about to respond when the shop owner interrupted.

"It's on the house, Naruto, for both of you." The shop owner said.

"Thanks a lot, old man!" Naruto replied.

Naruto and Hinata ate breakfast, though Hinata wasn't quite as fond of ramen as Naruto was. Afterwards, they decided to spend the day together. It was a weekend and there were no emergency missions right now, so the day was rather uneventful for ninjas that weren't training. The two walked to a nearby park, Hinata holding onto Naruto's arm with her head resting on his shoulder. They arrived at the park after a short time where they sat under a tree together and read one of Naruto ninja scrolls he had tucked away for later. As they sat together beneath the tree, Neji Hyuuga approached them.

"So it's true." Neji said. "The gossip in the village wasn't just rumors."

Naruto looked up at Neji. "Oh, hi Neji. What's up?"

"Hinata, does your father know about this?" Neji asked.

Hinata looked up at Neji. "He doesn't yet. This all happened just this morning. I'll tell him later today."

"Fine, just be sure Naruto goes with you." Neji warned.

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked in confusion. "What's this about?"

"I'm the guardian of the family heir, Naruto." Neji reminded him. "If you want a courtship with Hinata, you must have her father's blessing. This is the way of it in the Hyuuga clan."

Hinata looked nervous as she knew how scary her father can be and didn't want to scare Naruto off so soon.

"Yeah sure. No problem, Neji." Naruto assured him. "We'll both go see him later."

Hinata sighed in relief, hearing Naruto's easy-going response.

"Interesting. You're awfully cooperative today, Naruto." Neji crossed his arms. "That's not like you."

Naruto looks down at Hinata and smiles. "I'm just not in the mood to argue today."

Hinata smiles back and rests her head on Naruto's shoulder.

Neji raises an eyebrow. "Very well, I'll see you at the Hyuuga mansion." Neji walks away.

"Is he always so nosey?" Naruto asked Hinata. "He wasn't singing that tune during the chuunin exam."

"A lot has happened since then, Naruto." Hinata explained. "The main and branch families have patched things up and Neji takes his family duties seriously. I'm afraid that's the way it is in noble families."

"I don't care about any of that." Naruto stroked her cheek. "But if I need your father's blessing, then we'll get it."

"I know you will, Naruto." Hinata replied. "I have faith in you."

The couple left the park and Hinata urged Naruto to go home and put on some formal attire before seeing her father as he respects a young man who knows how to dress respectably when discussing such matters. Hinata heads home to change into her kimono and arrange to meet with her father and Naruto later for tea to discuss their courtship. Naruto takes a shower and puts on his most tasteful kimono and heads off to the Hyuuga mansion. As he makes his way toward the mansion, he bumps into Sakura and Kakashi-sensei who are socializing in the street while they discuss jutsu.

Sakura spots Naruto and hails him as he walks by. "Hey Naruto! Why are you all dressed up?" Sakura asks.

"I'm on my way to have tea with Hiashi Hyuuga." Naruto replied with a smirk.

Kakashi's one visible eye doubled in size. "What? Well, your choice of attire is certainly a wise one, but how did you get invited to have tea with the lord of the Hyuuga clan? What business do you have with him?"

"Well..." Naruto blushed a little as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm going to ask him if I can court Hinata."

Sakura clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. "Oh! I'm so happy for you, Naruto! You two would be great together! Let us know how it turns out."

"Thanks, Sakura." Naruto grinned. "I should go now. I can't keep Lord Hyuuga waiting."

"Be on your best behavior, Naruto." Kakashi warned. "No arguing, no yelling, and remember to show him the proper respect. Those nobles don't stand for goofing off in their presence."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto was feeling a bit nervous. "Hinata told me all about him."

"Good luck!" Sakura waves as he departs.

Naruto was so nervous, he found himself practicing his dialogue as he walked to the mansion. His manners have never been his strongest personality trait, but he was willing to give it his all for Hinata. He approached the huge mansion gate where Neji met him. Neji was not dressed formally, but informed Naruto that Lord Hiashi would see him now. Neji led Naruto through the gate and down many halls. The mansion was huge! Naruto was feeling quite shaky by now. His body felt heavy under his own tension and sweat began to pour from his head. He had never met the lord of a ninja clan before, except the Hokage. But unlike the Hokage, Hiashi Hyuuga has a very aristocratic, no-nonsense reputation and Naruto was not accustomed to this kind of environment. He hoped he wouldn't forget his manners while having tea with Lord Hiashi.

Neji led Naruto to a large door and turned to face him. "You're obviously nervous, so I won't make things worse by lecturing you about Lord Hiashi's expectations. Just be respectful, Naruto."

Naruto was breathing kind of heavy. "Yeah, thanks, Neji."

"Naruto, take a deep breath and stand up straight." Neji tried to help Naruto compose himself.

Naruto breathed in deeply and straightened up. "I'm ready."

Neji opened the large doors and led Naruto into an enormous tea room. Lord Hiashi was already there, sitting at the table. He was dressed in his usual formal kimono. Hinata was standing to one side, preparing to serve the tea. She was dressed in a lovely white kimono, decorated in red maple leaves and a red obi.

"Lord Hiashi, may I present Naruto Uzumaki." Neji bowed to Lord Hiashi.

Naruto bowed to Lord Hiashi as well. "It's nice to meet you, Lord Hiashi. I hope I haven't kept you waiting."

Naruto's introduction was surprisingly polite, making Hinata smile brightly.

Lord Hiashi stood up to greet Naruto and return his bow. "Welcome, Naruto. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Hinata has told me much about you. I was there during your match with Neji during the chuunin exam. I was very impressed."

Neji coughed in a slight embarrassment, remembering his defeat at Naruto's hand.

Naruto approaches the table and almost forgets to wait until Lord Hiashi invites him to sit. Fortunately, he stops himself and Lord Hiashi didn't seem to notice.

"Sit, have some tea." Hiashi sits back down and Hinata promptly pours him a cup of tea.

"I'd be honored." Naruto takes his seat where Hinata pours his cup. Naruto wanted to gaze at Hinata's lovely appearance, but she had warned him earlier not to do this in Lord Hiashi's presence.

"So, I hear you wish to have my blessings to court Hinata." Lord Hiashi said.

Naruto politely nods. "Yes, sir."

"You know, Naruto, it's not easy making such decisions as the lord of the clan." Lord Hiashi explained. "Hinata is the heir to the Hyuuga clan and will replace me someday. I will not offer my blessings to anyone I feel will not support her, love her, and be there for her for the rest of her life. I don't mind her courting another ninja so long as he is a strong one who will not easily fall in battle and leave Hinata alone so young to mourn."

Naruto nods again as he politely sips his tea. "I understand."

"Do you think you are the one who meets these requirements?" Hiashi asks him.

"Well, sir, I'm sure I don't have to tell you how much trouble I went through preparing myself to come here today and meet you." Naruto explained. "If I didn't intend to honor and support Hinata's heritage, I probably wouldn't have went through all of this trouble. She is that important to me, but to be honest, we're really too young to use the word 'love' right now. As for my my strength, I will never fall in battle to anyone. I'm going to be the hokage someday and having Hinata there for me will only give me more strength."

"Is that so?" Lord Hiashi gazed back in one of his intimidating expressions.

Naruto's face was full of determination as he nodded in response.

Lord Hiashi smiled. "Very well then, you have my blessings."

Hinata and Naruto smiled brightly. Neji smiles and nods to Naruto.

"I know how strong you are, Naruto. During the chuunin exam, Neji almost killed Hinata. For her, you arose and defeated him." Lord Hiashi explained. "Seeing how much effort you're willing to put forth to get my blessings, I believe you will go far for Hinata's sake." Lord Hiashi stood up and bowed to Naruto. "You have my blessings so long as you continue to be good to her. I will leave you both to each other now. We should have tea again sometime. Come, Neji."

Naruto stood up and returned the bow. "Thank you again, Lord Hiashi. It was nice meeting you."

Hiashi and Neji left the room, closing the door behind them. The sound of the door latching was a signal to Hinata who clung to Naruto with both arms. "Oh Naruto! You were terrific! I was so nervous I thought I wouldn't be able to pour the tea without dropping it."

Naruto put his arms around Hinata. "Yeah, I'm still shaking too. That guy is scary!"

"You were wonderful, Naruto." Hinata buried her face in his chest.

Naruto rested his head on hers. The two laughed as their arms tightened around each other. Naruto gently stroked Hinata's cheek. She was really beginning to enjoy Naruto's arms around her and she no longer had to dream about it. Naruto no longer wanted Sakura, but found a young lady who cares as much for him in return. As their embrace lasts many moments, a lowly dragonfly watches from a nearby window sill.