NEW VERSION! Added in some more details! Hope you guys like it!

This story is for all those readers out there who are tired of a story that has to end.

As long as I get comments and feedback to put into the next chapter I will always write.

Good or bad I will be accepting all criticism and ideas and using the collective vote for the next novel so please do not hesitate to leave input no matter how small. It could turn into the next big chapter in this ongoing legacy. In addition, as always, NO I do not own naruto or any of the related characters in this story. "Wish!" anyways enjoy please!

* * thoughts

" " talking

"* *" kyubi talking

Naruto's triumphant return; a Challenge made and a secret revealed?

Chapter 1

As the sun shone high in the sky a certain blonde ninja raced through the tree's towards home once again.

"COME ON SENSEI! LET'S GO!" naruto called behind him.

"Slow down kid! What's the rush?!" jiraya asked as he sped up trying to catch naruto before they reached the city gates of kohanu.

"Don't you remember? Today's my 16th birthday! I cant wait to get home and see all my friends!" naruto shouted as he sped even faster towards his home.

jiraya chuckled 'I have to find a way to stop him otherwise tsunade will kill me if he spoils the surprise' just as he caught up to naruto taking a small breath he heard and all too familiar sound emminating from the young ninja's stomach.

"come on let's get back and I'll buy you some ichikaru ok?" if it was possible naruto's smile got even bigger

"Alright! Ramen! Race you there!" and again naruto was gone again in a blink.

Meanwhile back at the village tsunade and the others were just putting the finishing touches on the surprise party for naruto.

"Sakura, is everything ready?" tsunade asked standing in the window watching for naruto and jiraya

"almost," she called "we just need to get everyone here" kakashi stepped out from behind the speaker he was hooking up

"leave that to me" he said. Quickly forming the proper hand signs he shout "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" instantly fifty kakashi's appeared in a cloud of smoke.

"now" they all asked "who needs to be here?" sakura listed the names of all the ninja in their chunin class as she said each name a single kakashi would leave in search of that ninja.

As she finished the list all of the kakashi's had returned with the ninja he had set off in search off when they were all here tsunade smiled "Good you all know why you're here?"

a choir of yes's and uh-huh's came from around the room. "WAIT!" sakura said "Where are hinata and neji?"

Kakashi closed his eyes for a second "On their way, they were slightly detained for a second" he finished as they arrived.

Neji Turned to face tsunade "we are here my lady, what is the mission?" tsunade glared at kakashi "no mission neji, today were throwing a surprise party for naruto and you and hinata were asked to attend"

Neji sighed "good, then I was correct, saying we had a mission was the only way i could get hiashi to let hinata come."

Tsunade sighed and apologized to kakashi saying "that sounds like him." she and turned seeing naruto and jiraya entering the city. She signaled to jiraya and even from that distance he still saw and nodded.

Meanwhile down with naruto catching his breath next to the city gate jiraya nodded at tsunade in her office.

Taking notice naruto asked "What's wrong sensei?" jiraya smiled "nothing tsunade just needs to see us before we can eat. Just a quick update on your training."

Naruto smiled "wait till she hears about my merging with the kyubi spirit!"

it was true, while training for the past year naruto had merged his spirit with the one of the nine-tailed fox. In doing so the fox couldn't take over anymore but naruto still had access to the spirits chakra and could still communicate with it for advice when needed.

"yeah I think everyone will be pleased to hear that the fox is gone for good!" they sprinted down the street and up the stairs headed for tsunade's office.

As naruto burst through the doors everyone shouted "SURPRISE!" He fell back and scrambled to his feet seeing all his old friends.

"GUYS! Wow thanks everyone! I'm so happy to see you all!' he said a small tear forming in his eye. He quickly wiped it away as sakura, ino,and tenten all ran and hugged him barraging him with questions about his travels.

They finally stopped when tsunade approached and wrapped her arms around him for just a brief second and then ruffling his hair "welcome home knucklehead and now LET'S PARTY!"

As soon as she said that lee turned up the volume on the sound board and started mixing some fast beats for everyone. As he made his way around the room he couldn't help but notice there was a girl standing off in the corner.

She looked like hinata but she was taller and it her eyes were a lighter shade of lavender than hers. He stared and noticed that the girl really was beautiful, he just couldn't tear his gaze away from her.'

As everyone began dancing, naruto made his way over to where she was standing "hinata?" he said as he got close enough to be heard over the music.

She turned and looked to see him standing very close to her. She blushed as he stared saying "H-Hi N-Naruto-kun. How was Y-Your Training?"

he smiled "Great! I learned a lot from sensei jiraya. And met some cool people along the way too."

A slow song came over the speakers and naruto looked back to see tsunade messing with the soundboard now. He turned back to hinata "hey you want to dance?"

she turned a deeper shade of crimson and swore her heart skipped a beat*Did he really ask me to dance?* she nodded.

Naruto grabbed her hand and lead her out onto the dance floor pulling her close. She sighed and felt her head swim as naruto danced with her across the room

*Please don't let me pass out!* she kept thinking to herself. As the song ended naruto kept holding her hand as they walked to the snack bar together.

He didn't know what was happening but he couldn't help thinking about how beautiful hinata was and how much she had grown since he left. They danced and partied into the night most everyone left except naruto, hinata and sakura.

Along with the three elder ninja who were sitting in a corner discussing business over a few drinks tsunade kept in her desk.

Finally the three of them stopped and turned off the music a little before two in the morning naruto looked at tsunade and smiled

"Thanks so much for the awesome party!" he smiled giving her his classic thumbs up.

She smiled 'well its late and you guys should probably get home. Except you hinata, you should probably stay with sakura for a few day's so your father really believes your on a mission."

Hinata sighed "no, I will just tell him I turned the mission down. That you agreed that neji was sufficient for the mission and that I have just been hanging out with friends."

Tsunade shrugged "however you want to handle it". As the three ninja left sakura yawned "no offense guys but I'm gonna head home ok? Night hinata, night naruto and happy birthday!" she said giving him a quick peck on the cheek and running out the door.

Naruto blushed a deep red and turned to hinata who had just stared at sakura with a jealous mind

*why can't I just do that? Just once? Im such a coward and now he's staring at me!?*

Indeed naruto was staring at her as she blushed a deep shade of crimson red. Naruto could have sworn hinata was standing next to him but the girl here was so beautiful he swore she was an angel.

He blinked and cleared his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The light from tsunade's office was casting in just such a way that hinata literally looked like she was glowing.

Hinata finally looked up and said "Naruto is something wrong?"

naruto shook his head 'NO! nothing why?'

hinata sighed 'well you were just staring and I was wondering why?'

naruto audibly gulped at what he was about to say 'you' he said barley above a whisper.

It was so faint she had to ask "what?" she could have sworn naruto had just said her but she couldn't be right. *did he really just say me?* she felt her pulse race and her head was swimming as he said it again.

"You hinata, you just look so amazing to me. Your so beautiful, I keep catching myself looking at you and the more time I spend with you the more I realize that I really do like you."

She fainted, On the spot she fainted.

naruto caught her before she fell and brushed the hair from her face.

'hinata?' he sighed she seemed to do this a lot when he was around.

As he left he carried her over to sakura's apartment and knocked as hard as he could.

When she answered to door she yelled "WHAT? CAN'T A GIRL GET ANY SLEEP?'

naruto sighed 'sorry to wake you but she passed out again and I needed your help."

Sakura sighed bring her in, I can wake her."

Naruto carried her into the small living space and set her down on the sofa, sakura came back with a small damp cloth and a couple of ice cubes

'now before I do this I want to know why did she pass out this time?"

naruto sighed "I don't know you left and I looked over and I don't know, the light in tsunade's office just made her look so amazing she caught me staring. When I told her that I liked her she fainted!"

sakura laughed so hard she nearly fell over. 'Naruto you have to be the dumbest ninja I have ever met! You can master the resenagen in just under a week but your totally blind to the one girl who is in love with you!"

she did fall over this time as naruto's jaw hit the floor

"Hinata!?" he said in a small voice 'but why? How?"

sakura picked herself up and sighed "why did you think she always fainted a lot when you were around? Or that she always made a point to say something to you before you left? She's been in love with you ever since the acadamey! Man why is it you couldn't see it?"

naruto sighed 'I'm a fool, that's why. But no more! Wake her up please?, we need to talk. Maybe you can keep her from fainting"

sakura nodded and applied the icy cloth to hinata's forehead and she immediately sat straight up

"AHH! Cold!" she said rubbing her head she looked around

"how did I get here?" she asked sakura, she blushed seeing naruto there next to her staring again.

"because you fainted when naruto told you that you that he liked you."

Hinata stared at naruto she could have sworn that was just a dream she was having but could it have been real?

"is this true?" she asked

naruto nodded "hinata why didn't you ever tell me?''

she just stared at him ' tell you what?'

he really hoped that he was asking what she thought he was asking.

'that you loved me?'

she started to feint on the spot again but sakura put the towel to her head again and hinata quickly recovered 'thank you sakura'.

Sakura smiled and just sat waiting in case she tried it again.

Hinata sighed 'I guess I was just so afraid that you wouldn't like me. That you would think of me as some petty school girl with a crush…'

he stopped her "why would I think that? You're a strong ninja and an amazing woman. I've always seen that.'

If it was possible hinata turned a darker shade of red and continued 'well still I need to be getting home. Goodnight naruto."

Naruto grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug whispering in her ear 'I'll walk you home hinata."

She nearly feinted again but willed herself not to and remained standing, albeit on shaky legs but standing.

He turned to sakura 'good night sakura "im sorry we disturbed you while sleeping"

She gave him a bleary smile at him "no problem, just make sure she's ok before you bring her home."

Sakura said closing the door behind them. Naruto turned and grabbed hinata's hand again

"so then you ready to head home or would you rather grab something to eat first?"

she looked down afraid to look him in the eyes *is this a dream? Did I pass out again? If so I really hope I don't wake up yet*.

"im fine just tired so I think I will head home." She said leading naruto down the empty street.

He smiled *she's so beautiful! Why didn't I see it before? I have to make it up to her.*

as they neared closer to the hyuga complex he stopped and she turned to face him still looking down afraid to look up.

He placed his fingers under her chin and slowly lifted her head looking deep into her lavender eyes.

She stared into his cerulean eyes and saw all the wonder and hope she had ever wanted.

He drew closer and closer to her face

*is he? Is he going to kiss me?* she thought just before their lips touched for the first time.

When they did hinata swore that she felt the whole world melt away all she knew was there was her and him.

As he continued naruto felt as though he could have all the chakra in the world and never come close to what he was feeling now.

It felt like everything else didn't matter all that mattered was hinata and making her happy.

As they stopped hinata almost feinted again but naruto caught her sweeping her hair away from her eyes again so he could just look at her. Without thinking he said the only thing that came to his mind

"Hinata? I Love You." She gasped and wrapped her arms around him crying softly into his jacket

"OH! Naruto do you really mean it?" she sniffled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve so she could see him clearly.

He smiled and hugged her close under the street lamp whispering in her ear "believe it."

She smiled and kissed him again slower and with all the love she could send him. He felt it too, he didn't quite know what she was doing different but this kiss was better than the last one.

With that they turned the corner and came face to face with her father hiashi. "Hinata is what I just heard true? You love this trash?"

he said spitting out the last words as though they were a disease.

Hinata froze and just stared before saying anything "yes father it's true. I've told you that I love him for the longest time but you never listen to me. So I will say it again, I love him more than anything!"

with every word she spoke he became more and more angry until she finished and glared at naruto

"what of you boy what do you say? Do you return her love?" hiashi asked naruto was shaking trying to control his fear and anger

yes, Yes hiashi I do! Hinata has always been a great friend and even thought I haven't always seen it deep down I have always known she loves me. For who I am and nothing else! I would do anything to keep her safe even if that meant giving my own life!"

hiashi smiled as a thought came to him "really? Would you care to prove that?"

naruto didn't like the way he was smiling but he didn't have any other choice but to ask "what do you mean?"

hiashi sighed " will escort you and hinata back to the forest of death there I will lock hinata inside a cage for twelve hours. The box will then be carried into the forest. However I will be giving the map to find her and the key to the lock to neji. If you can get the key and map from him in time to save her then I will know that you are true in what you say."

Naruto smiled he'd beat neji once and he could do it again.

"however," hiashi smiled as he said this.

if you should fail I will be waiting with the box with another key to unlock the box and you will never see her again."

Naruto galred at hiashi. As much as he didn't want to agree he had no choice "Fine, When do you want to settle this?"

hiashi thought "I will approach tsunade and she will make the official determination on the day. Be in her office in the morning to settle on a date."

With that he turned hinata in tow headed for his house.

As they left naruto saw hinata in tears and weeping as she walked towards her house, he swore then and there to make hiashi pay for doing this to her.

He turned and ran back to tsunade's office and burst through the doors to find the three jonien still deep in conversation.

When he threw the doors open they all stopped and stared at him seeing he was enraged tsunade spoke first

"naruto whats wrong?"

as he took a deep breath and explained everything that had just happened to her tsunade grew more and more vsisbly mad.

When naruto finally finished tsunade exploded

"HOW DARE THAT NO-GOOD TWO TIMING SON OF A SNAKE DO THIS! HE HAS NO RIGHT!"

as she realized she was screaming she took several deep breaths to calm herself before speaking again

"Naruto can you be ready in the morning for the challenge?"

naruto just grunted "I'm ready now! He'll pay for doing this to her!"

she saw in his eyes that naruto truly meant what he said and smiled

"good because she's not going in that forest. Hiashi is and you will have the pleasure of taking the key from him. Those are my conditions, that you have to take they key from hiashi and release her before four hours has passed and he only gets a ten minute head start on the four hours."

Naruto smiled "Good! I wont hurt him, I just need to get the key and get back right?"

she nodded "those are the rules, but don't think that hiashi will make it easy on you. He will do everything in his power to stop you. So you need to be ready for anything."

Naruto nodded "I'm going home to rest. i'll be back in the morinng for the meeting with hiashi."

With that naruto left and headed home, tsunade turned to face kakashi and jiraya "I need you two to be there in the morning just in case someone has to go after one of them in the forest. Understand?"

they both nodded "guess that means it's time to head home eh?" kakashi said heading for the door

jiraya just smiled "I feel sorry for hiashi,"

tsunade cocked her head and gave a puzzled look "WHY?" she said a little too sternly.

Jiraya chuckled and explained to tsunade about naruto's merging with the hykubi spirit and the advantage it could give him.

Tsunade smiled "well that makes me feel a little better. Hiashi may not be a ninja, but that dosen't mean he cant fight, he was the one after all to teach hinata and neji the jyuken jutsu. Naruto will need every advantage he can get if it come's to a fight."

As the two left and headed home naruto was already back at his apartment preparing his kunai and shurikens in his packs for tomorrow.

He wanted to be sure he was ready for hiashi in the morning.

"* hey kid, listen I know a way around hiashi's jyuken jutsu if you wanna know.*"

naruto stoped and thought for a second, if he could get around hiashi's jyuken then it would mean total domination in this battle. As much as naruto would like that he couldn't. it wasn't right and fighting dirty like that just didn't set right with him.

"*no, I will give him that one. I have you to help if he uses it. And besides it doesn't matter. All I need is the key. Then I just need to get back to hinata-chan*"

naruto heard the fox audibly groan "*alright kid, have it your way. Just don't say I didn't offer*" with that naruto crawled into bed and slept peacefully until morning.

Meanwhile back at the hyuga mansion hinata was in her room, still crying about her love.

She knew what her father planned to do tomorrow and she had to warn naruto. But with guards at all her doors and windows there was no way she could leave before the meeting in the morning.

Meanwhile downstairs hiashi and neji were in the middle of a heated debate

"NO!" neji yelled "I won't kill him! He's my friend! And besides the fourth hokage intended for him to be a hero not a villain! I won't participate tomorrow"

hiashi scowled. it seemed he would have to deal with this brat on his own "Fine! If you wont do it I will! Tomorrow the kyubi dies with that boy!"