Alright, this is my first time writing any sort of fan fic. My spelling and gramer isn't the best but I ran this through a spell and gramer checker so I hope everything came out alright. I hope I am not to OOC, I enjoy Naruto and roleplay allot but it has been a while. please no hate in your reviews but I can take constructive criticism. Please PM me any suggestions you might have and review if you can.
"Conversation"
Thought
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. If i did I wouldn't be writing it here.
Hinata's mission/ Naruto's Courtship
Naruto was finally on his way back to Kohana after several long missions away from home. Usually he would be in high spirits after a successful mission but the ones he was on lately were diplomatic types. The Hokage was just sending him from one nation to another trying to establish the peace he thought he had won already. It has been a little over a year and a half since the end of the 4th Great shin-obi war. Naruto had played a major role during the War and was given the highest metal of honor by the Daimyos of the 5 great nations for his services to the world. With that major threat taken care of and with how well all the nations had worked together, Naruto had thought that all the nations petty differences would be over looked, but was he ever wrong.
All the nations wanted peace, that much he could tell. However every nation wanted something out of it while not wanting to give to much. Konoha and Suna were already in a long term peace pact and had a very good relationship already so for them it was easy. All Suna wanted was to have Naruto their for a week to honor him properly, Gara saying that a little peace of metal not being enough for the Hero of their Generation. Other Nations however wanted different things, like increased trade over longer distances, having there boarders stretched a bit taking in some of the smaller surrounding nations, or even having an embassy in other nations to "Strengthen ties". One thing all the nations wanted however was to have Naruto there to do the negations. Now the Hokage didn't like that because Naruto wasn't the best with politics but when her own Daimyo told her to do something she had no choice but to do it.
So there Naruto was, after a year and a half of traveling from one nation to another trying to get everything straight between the nations of the world. Naruto did his best, losing his temper a few times, as he had to deal with silly requests and had to meet several people. It seemed to him the more important the person thought they were the more snooty they would act. He was also interducsed to allot of girls and/or women. It seemed like everywhere Naruto went he was interducsed to almost ever important persons daughter. If they were anywhere close to his age he met them. He met girls as young as 15 years old and women who claimed to be only 22 years old - though the wrinkles betrayed them as older.
None of that mattered now, Naruto was meeting up with his guard at the edge of the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Naruto was use to this by now. He would get his missions from a hawk that the Hokage would send him and then travel with a guard from the nation he was currently in to the edge of that nation and then travel the rest of the way with a guard from the nation he was then meeting with. Even though he had mastered Sage mode and could last in it for quite a while now, and had became pretty good friends with Kurama. Every nation still wanted to make sure nothing could happen to him while he was there, this even extended to Konoha it seemed. Naruto knew that some ninja would want to prove themselves by trying to defeat them but he didn't think any could be deadlier than Pain or Obito Uchiha but no one besides himself wanted to take that chance.
Naruto slowed as he got close to the edge of the woods and saw a clearing where he would leave one guard group and join another. Naruto wasn't sure who he would be meeting from Konoha but he hoped that one of his guard would be one of his friends. Naruto landed in the clearing with a soft plop. Soon after 3 jonin from Iwagakure landed beside him. They all looked around for a min before Shikamaru appeared about 50 feet from them 15 to 20 feet behind him Naruto could make out the forms of Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino.
"We will take him from here." Shikamaru told Naruto's guard. With that the Iwagakure jonin knelled to Naruto and then took their leave as if they had never been there. Smiling his biggest smile Naruto has had in a while, he gave Shikamaru a big hug. Naruto was just happy to finally be heading home, to see his friends and to get to his favorite ramin shop, all in about 2 days travel. "Shikamaru! How have you been?"Naruto said as he released him.
Laughing slightly "The Hokage has been keeping me busy lately." Which was true, Shikamaru had been asked to be the imbasitor for Konoha to Suna for the past year. He didn't mind the work, it was rather easy but the travel was 'Troublesome' to him. "To be honest, when i got this mission I thought that it was going to be rather troublesome considering that none of my missions with you ever go smoothly." He paused as he put his hands behind his head and started walking back towards Kiba and Shino "But as long as you don't do anything to stupid this mission should be ok." Shikamaru finished with a smile, teasing Naruto a bit. Naruto sweat dropped and then caught up to Shikamaru "When have I ever done anything stupid?"Naruto protested but before Shikamaru could answer they were interrupted by Kiba.
"Hey Naruto, what took you so long? We have been waiting here for you for over half a day." Kiba said flashing Naruto a fanged grin "What happened? Did you get out of shape with all those easy missions the Hokage has been sending you on?" Naruto's attention was now shifted from Shikamaru to Kiba. "I could kick your ass so fast that your fleas wouldn't even know what happened. I was late because the nobles back in Iwagakure didn't seem to want to let me leave."Naruto said only half teasing Kiba. Kiba probably said something back but Naruto wasn't really paying attention thinking back to his time away from Konoha. Naruto didn't know what was wrong with all the nobles in the other nations but they didn't seem to want to let Naruto leave, which was funny to him for they only ever wanted him to spend time with there kids. Now that he thought about it, almost all the nobles he met seemed to hope that he and there daughter(s) got along. Naruto was starting to think back over all the strange things that happened over his missions when Shino interrupted his thought proses.
"We should get moving, we are already running behind." Shino said in his usually emotionless voice. With that they took off twords Konoha. Shikamaru had to keep telling Naruto to slow down as they traveled. Naruto, missing his home very much wanted to get back as soon as possible. "If I were you I would slow down a bit Naruto, your going to need your energy when you get back." Kiba said as he caught up to Naruto. "What?" Naruto said as he hoped he would get some time at home before he was sent out on another mission. "You don't know?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow. Naruto now was really confused. Did something happen when he was away? Was there another threat to Konoha? "I've been gone for a year." Naruto stated "Whats going on?"
Shikamaru sighed and them mumbled something about Naruto and being troublesome. "Look Naruto, there is something you need to be prepared for before you get back to the village." Shikamaru then explained everything that has been happening in Konoha in the last week, and everything Naruto would be facing.
Mean while in Konoha:
Tsunade was sitting behind her desk as usual, but this time with about 3 time her normal paperwork and talking to 3 rather well to do young ladies... a little to young which was the problem. "I'm sorry girls but I can't allow you three to participate. I don't even know what your father's were thinking. Sending you here for this at your ages." Tsunade's statement was met with argument from the 3 young ladies, who looked to be between the ages of 12 and 15. "Yeah I know you all aren't use to being told no, but too bad!"Tsunade said before signaling the jonin to her right to take them away.
Sighing, Tsunade shook her head. She couldn't beleave her luck. She was barely able to keep up with her own work load but now she had to shift though these snot nosed brates because the her Daimyo. It is true she could of made someone else shift through all the young ladies that kept showing up in Konoha for the past week but this had to do with Naruto, and even though he was a grown man now she was protective of him, just like she would be over a little brother. She signed again as she rubbed her temples. She couldn't beleave that her Daimyo would allow this.
You see the last week or so young ladies from different nations have been showing up wanting to court Naruto. More than likely under there father's order. Ever sense Naruto was named a Hero and given the highest honor for his survace to the world, clans and nobles from all over the world wants Naruto to join them. Lady Tsunade wanted nothing to do with any of this, wanting Naruto to find love the natural way, tried to send them all home right away. Her efforts though were in vain. Her Daimyo thought it would be amusing and could strengthen The Land of Fires ties to have Naruto mary outside of Konoha. Lady Tsunade had agreed to allow women of the age of 17 and up to try and court, but there would be some rules for the young ladies to follow. She didn't like the idea of any of this, the least she could do was try and keep these young ladies from taking advantage of Naruto.
Tsunade hung her head. She had less than 2 days to finish weeding though all those girls, tell them all the rules they would have to follow and set up an Anbu watch over the girls and Naruto just for good measure. The only good thing about all of this is that Konoha was getting paid quite a bit from each girl's father to make sure there daughter was safe while they were here. With a determined look, Tsunade went back to looking over the papers on her desk wanting to get through all her paper work before then end of the night. She deserved a drink after all she was being put through.
At the training grounds:
Hinata was panting and slightly shaking from her excessive training. She was doing everything she could do to get stronger. She needed to get stronger, for her Naruto-kun. She straightened up and stopped her shaking. Reactivating her Byakugan she shouted "Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!"as chakra formed around her hands in the shape of lion heads. She then struck a training post hard, several times, releasing chakra into the post with each hit. She was just getting into her training when she saw someone coming. She stopped as Neji approached her.
"Hinata, Lord Hiashi and the elders wish to talk to you right away." Neji said with a small smirk on his lips. Hinata could tell that he knew something about why they wanted her there. "What for Neji-niisan?" Hinata asked, wanting to know what his smile was about. He hardly smiled so it must be something he thought was good. "You will see when we get there."Neji stated as he turned to lead Hinata.
They traveled in silence, all the while Hinata worrying about what they wanted her for. Am I finally getting the Caged Bird Seal? Hinata wondered as they got near. She knew that her father saw her as to weak to lead the clan, and even though Hinata thought no one had heard her it seemed that almost everyone knew of her love for Naruto now... and she could only assume that her father and the clan elders wouldn't approve. If this was about that, her only surprise would be that they had done nothing about it sooner.
Neji slowly opened the door to the clan's meeting hall for her. She gulped and then took a deep breath as she slowly walked to what she thought was going to be very upsetting meeting for her. "Everything will be alright."Neji whispered to her as she passed him. She gave him a quick nod before he was out of sight.
Hinata took a few slow deep breaths as she slowly walked towards her father and the elders. The look on her father's face was that of unapproved, which she was use to seeing on him when it came to her by now. She looked over the elders and they seemed neither happy nor concerned about what was going to be said. "Hyuga Hinata" one of the elders stated, almost like they were unsure if it was really Hinata standing in front of them. "Y-yes?"She asked waiting for the bad news to hit her.
"You are now 18, are you not?" the only female elder stated. "Y-yes" Hinata said yet again surpassing the earge to stare at the floor by her feet, knowing her father would yell at her latter about it if she did. "We, the Hyuga elders and your father," the same women said "have heard about your little confession to Naruto Uzumaki during Pain's attack." She paused to let it sink it, while Hinata's worst fears seemed to play in her head. Hinata was almost sure they would forbid her to see him again and put the seal on her to make sure there command would be followed, after all no Hyuga ever married outside of the clan. "Normally this would be a big problem." the women continued. At that sentence Hinata's heart skipped a beat... the women said normally, that was good right? Hinata thought. "However Naruto Uzumaki being a hero can bring good reputation to our clan, that and with his chakra reserves he can be useful to us." The old lady smile slightly now "We, the elders have decided that having Naruto in our clan would only bring good thing." Hinata's face blushed a little and her heart quickened... she was almost convinced that this was a dream. "So Hyuga Hinata, we will allow you to purse him," Hinata almost fainted at those words "However several clans are currently after him now, meaning several young ladies want to court him. If you can catch his attention, you will have till the new moon after next to get him to propose." Hinata snapped back to reality at that statement. "If you fail, then you must mary a young man of our choice." Hinata's heart now froze... she had so short of a time, and is she couldn't do it she had to give up on Naruto... she wasn't sure about this anymore. "This is a clan mission," the women gave Hinata a gentile smile "Your a luck women, any other girl in your position wouldn't have a chance like this."
She's right... Hinata thought. Normally I would be married off to whoever they wanted me to mary... I have got to try.
"Hyuga Hinata." The oldest man on the council now said "Do you except our terms?" Hinata took a deep breath and nodded. She then said "Yes, I do." Which surprised everyone in the room, not only did Hinata not stutter like she would normally when she is put on the spot like that but she had determination in her voice, like she would rather die than fail this mission. The lady elder gave Hinata a small smile. Her father and the other male elders left leaving just Hinata and the old lady in the room. "Hinata," the elder said to her "If you truly love this Naruto Uzumaki, then you need to show him that you do."then she walked out not letting Hinata say any more to her.
Hinata took one final breath as reality hit her and she absorbed everything that was going on... she fainted.
