Beloved: Gaiden

by trutenor

Sidestories of the main story that focuse on everyone other then Naruto and Hinata.

1. Carnival of Love!

Here is a new chapter! Well…somewhat…

While writing chapter three of Beloved, I ran into some problems. The first problem was that after writing chapter two, I was literally drained both mentally and physically. The best writing comes from the soul, and my well of inspiration ran dry after I finished. So I waited a couple of weeks for some more inspiration to pour down in the well.

And…what ends up happening is that I really wanted to write that Ino/Kiba lemon that I had been hinting at in the first couple of chapters. I felt like I wouldn't be able to write Chapter three of Beloved unless I did this first.

So why have I started up a new story you ask?

Well for those of you that know your Japanese, you might be aware that "Gaiden" is Japanese for "Side-story". Which is basically what this is, a side story. As I plan out and write future chapters for Beloved, I sometimes find myself running into problems where I want to write about a character other then Naruto and Hinata. But the thing is, I want to keep the main focus on the main couple. They are the main characters in this story, so they should get the most attention. I didn't want other characters outshining them.

Another reason I'm doing this is because I understand that there might be some people who don't care (or don't like) other characters and just want to get on with the main plot. And that's cool. I didn't want to force people to sit through this piece anyway.

So without further ado, enjoy! This story won't be updated as often as the main story, due to the main focus being on Naruto and Hinata. However, when you do see a new story here, that means that I am working on a new chapter on the main story as well, so seeing a new chapter here is a good thing!

In case you haven't been warned, this is an Ino/Kiba lemon. Reading this isn't necessary to understanding the main plot of Beloved, but it does provide a couple of interesting details. Required reading for first timers who haven't read the main story yet would be the first two chapters of Beloved.

-Yamanaka Ino-

Love is complicated…

I say this because why else would people do the stupid, craziest, most illogical things?

Take Hinata for example. It was obvious that she was head over heels for Naruto. I mean, why else would she be eating miso ramen? Hinata liked Naruto so much that she was eating his favorite dish! If that wasn't love, I don't know what is!

Of course, I had no right to judge Hinata considering that I had a piece of meat on my plate. Hypocrisy, thy name is Yamanaka Ino…

Special Chapter 1: An Indecisive Heart! Love Carnival!

Sigh…I'm not even sure when it started, but I am completely in love with Inuzuka Kiba. Out of all the guys in the K12, why did it have to be him that I would fall for? This was a question that I had asked myself time and time again, and every time I came up without an answer. Just what was it about Kiba that had me so crazy about him?

I suppose part of it had to do with what guys were available in my age group. My first choice had of course been Sasuke. Unfortunately for me, billboard brow managed to get him first! Sigh…

My next option was Neji. He was very similar to Sasuke in physique, abilities, and temperament. But yet again I would fail. Neji had a lot of family issues to deal with at the time I found him cute. Attempting to pursue a relationship with the Hyuuga prodigy when we were children was foolish. Eventually Neji warmed up a bit, and he became more sociable, thereby cementing his place as hot hunk. However, Neji's teammate Tenten would use this opportunity to get into his heart. Both of them deny liking each other, but I could see through their façade. When it comes to romance and relationships, Yamanaka Ino is number one!

As for the others? While I did have a little crush on Shikamaru at one point, I also found him to be lazy and uninspired. Besides, he has a thing for that Suna chick from the Chuunin exams from three years ago. I know Shikamaru well. Next to Chouji, nobody knows Shikamaru as well as I do. Shikamaru tries to deny it, but whenever talk of that Suna girl comes into any conversation, Shikamaru actually starts to pay attention! It is so obvious that he wants her!

As for Chouji, while he was a sweetheart, I felt that we were just too incompatible with each other. I have an obsession with staying thin, and Chouji is the exact opposite. I diet religiously, while he gobbles everything up in sight like it will disappear forever if he doesn't eat it fast enough! Chouji was reliable and honest I'll give him that much, I just felt that I wasn't the right woman for him.

Lee…oh god…where do I begin? I found it ironic that Lee couldn't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu considering that his eyebrows alone could be ranked B class! And I'll have to double check my magazines, but I'm fairly certain that Lee's green spandex broke a couple of fashion codes! And then there was the issue with Lee's "self imposed" rules, such as running 2,000 laps around the village if he cannot make it to team meetings on time. Lee is a good and dependable shinobi with a kind soul, but he is a little bit too eccentric for me. Besides, he wants Sakura, so even if I was adventurous enough to try dating Lee, it would be a waste of time.

Shino was too quiet and reserved for my tastes. Plus there was the bug thing. When I wasn't on duty as a kunoichi, I worked part time in my family's flower shop. If Shino and I tried to date, his bugs would mess up the flowers in the shop. Shino and I together was a disaster just waiting to happen.

And then there was Naruto, who I found to be the most mysterious of all the guys. In our youth he would pull pranks and eat Ichiraku Ramen like it was the only food that existed. He was also an annoying pervert that liked to transform into naked women. I'll admit that I had been a bit biased against Naruto when we were younger, but once maturity hit you, you were forced to reevaluate your opinion. Deep down inside Naruto was a shinobi that was just too damn stubborn to stay down! I admired that. Naruto had that passion… that drive…that enthusiasm that made you want to cheer him on. It was something that all of the other guys except for Lee lacked. And unlike Lee, Naruto wasn't crazy about rules and training and also wasn't too bad in the looks department. He wasn't drop dead gorgeous like Sasuke or Neji, but he wasn't half bad. Perhaps if I had realized this about Naruto sooner, I would have made a run at him. But I didn't realize this about Naruto until right before he left. There was also the fact that Hinata had dibs on him.

I look over at the table by the kitchen. Naruto had not arrived yet, but Chouji and Lee had, and were enjoying themselves. Also alongside those two was Kiba. Kiba had all of the good qualities about Naruto that I liked, only without the negative stuff such as the pranks. And while Kiba's brown suit and white dress shirt were kinda bland, he was still sexy with those fangs and clan facial markings of his, yum…

Kiba had offered to take me out to dinner after we had both made chuunin six months ago. Seeing that we were the last two of the K12 to make chuunin until Sasuke and Naruto took their test, I figured why not? It was just one simple dinner! After our meal, I wouldn't have to deal with him again unless we were on a mission together.

But after dining together, I had felt a sort of…chemistry. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but I had grown to adore Kiba's smell. I wasn't an Inuzuka, but I did have a strong sense of smell considering that I worked around flowers so much. Kiba was charming, playful, muscular, brash, and arrogant, and all of those things about him turned me on even more! Kiba wasn't afraid to state his opinion, and he had no problem fighting for what he believed in. Kiba was also extremely loyal, protecting even those he didn't like. He was a manly man…

Sigh…when did it get like this? When did I allow Kiba to get this close to my heart?

It's official. I've gone crazy, and the proof is this slab of sirloin on my plate. Now I had no objections to beef. I mean, I was a member of Team 10, and one of the traditions that Asuma-sensei had was that our team would go to Yakiniku barbeque after a successful mission. Outside of this though, I very rarely touched the cow. That probably explained why everyone was looking at me like I was a spy…

"Why is everyone freaking out?" I protest, not liking the extra attention, "It's not every day that we get to all hang out like this! I can afford to indulge once in a while, right?"

I grit my teeth as the ladies all laugh at me. I'll spare Hinata since she was in the same boat as me, but Tenten and Forehead Girl could go to hell! Who were they to judge me? Sakura had successfully gotten Sasuke to notice her! And Tenten was definitely an item with Neji! What proof do I have of this? Well just last week, Neji bought flowers from my shop. Let me repeat that. Neji, Mr. Asexual himself, bought flowers. Neji does not buy flowers for anyone… especially not while trying to suppress a grin. I didn't need to use Shintenshin no Jutsu to know how Neji really felt about his teammate.

But Hinata…though her situation was a lot worse than mine, there was just enough similarity to bond us together. The men in our lives were driving us insane, and we had no real way on how to deal with it. Unlike Hinata who had been away from her crush for nearly three years, I already had my man. Well…sort of…

I love Kiba…there was no question about that. The problem was…that I wasn't quite ready to let everyone else know about it yet. Was I embarrassed of Kiba? Hell no! If Kiba embarrassed me, I wouldn't have allowed him to kiss me after our second date a month after making Chuunin, nor would I have kissed him back. Nor would I allow my fingers to trace small trails along his chiseled chest whenever I saw him. *Blush*

So then what was the problem? I didn't know, I honestly didn't know. And that was why I felt that love was complicated.

Well my love issues would have to wait for the moment, as there is suddenly a knock on Sasuke's front door. The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt lighter, as all the attention at my table turned towards Hinata.

"Oooh…" I tease, placing my fingers upon my cheeks, "I wonder who that could be…?"

"Has the man of the hour finally arrived?" Tenten grins, "Do you know who it is, Hinata?"

"He'll be happy to see you again, Hinata!" Sakura winked, "Now's your chance to tell him how you feel!"

I am taken aback though as Sasuke opens his front door. Naruto…was gorgeous!

To start with, he had experienced a growth spurt while he was away. Second, who knew that Naruto of all people could dress to impress? It was no secret that Naruto loved his orange, but to see him make it look this good was amazing! I really didn't give Naruto enough credit, but then again, he wasn't known as the most unpredictable shinobi in Konoha for nothing!

But even though in another lifetime I could probably see myself with this new and improved Naruto, this wasn't it. This delicious piece of man candy was reserved for Hinata.

I look over at the Hyuuga heiress. I could see the uncertainty in her face, the desire to claim her prize, yet lacking the courage to do so. It was a saddening sight. How long had Hinata waited for Naruto to return?

I sigh as I get up from the table. The poor girl still needed a little bit more time to sort her thoughts together. I wasn't sure how much time I would be able to buy for her, but one minute was better than nothing. Besides, I wanted to get a closer look on how much Naruto had changed.

As I give Naruto my hug, I take pleasure in the feel of his strong arms. Naruto's arms were firm yet gentle. No other guy since Kiba has had that right combination. Shikamaru and Shino were neither, Sasuke, Neji, and Lee were too firm, and while Chouji was gentle enough, he didn't have the firmness that I needed. Only Kiba had been able to hold me just right. And now Naruto…

Hinata…consider yourself lucky that I have too much respect for you not to try and take your man…and the fact that I kinda already have someone…

As I sit back down, everyone else at the other tables get up to pay their respects. First the guys from the middle table get up, then the third table by the kitchen. Chouji, Lee, and Kiba…

Sigh…I had almost forgotten my own love issues. How was I supposed to help another when I couldn't even solve my own problems?

I see Kiba give a quick glance to Hinata as he passes by our table. I understood the subtle message that he was giving his teammate. The time for procrastination was over, and it was time to make a move. I agreed wholeheartedly, until Kiba then turned his eyes towards me…

Dammit…looks like I wasn't off the hook either…

About a couple of months ago, Kiba and I had started to get a bit more serious with each other, so he had asked where we stood. I didn't have an answer at the time, so I told Kiba to give me some time to think about it. Unfortunately, every time I tried to ascertain the situation, I could never come up with a solution. Kiba had remained patient and supportive, but he would still ask me about every other week. I kept telling Kiba that I would have an answer for him soon, but soon never came. Just like Hinata, I had procrastinated…

Well it seems like I would finally have to face the music, for the look that Kiba was giving me said that he wanted an answer. But he didn't want an answer tomorrow or next week, no… Kiba wanted an answer, tonight…

My thoughts were so jumbled that I almost didn't see Hinata disappear from the table. Dammit Hinata! He was right there!

"Hey? Where's Hinata? She is the only one that I haven't seen yet!"

Sorry to inform you lover boy, but you just missed her…

"I think she's in the bathroom. I'll go tell her that you are here."

Nice save, Sakura! Keep this up, and I won't call you billboard brow anymore! Maybe…

I can see the slight look of disappointment on Naruto's face as he goes over to the buffet table. Did he really miss Hinata that much? Something tells me that this was going to be an interesting night…

And wouldn't you know it? My guess is dead on! Naruto diving into the ramen doesn't fool anyone, but him getting some of the red bean soup? The favorite dish of the girl that is crazy about him? This is irony at its finest!

I stand back up as I head over towards the buffet table. I could worry about my problems later. Right now, it was Naruto and Hinata who needed help the most.

"Naruto!" I greet, "I never knew that you liked red bean soup!"

"I don't like it as much as I do ramen," Naruto replied, pouring another spoonful into his bowl, "But red bean soup is one of my favorite dishes! It's hard for me to get it!"

If Naruto liked red bean soup almost as much as he did ramen, then why would he say it was difficult to get? We have several restaurants in the village that served it. I'll have to ask Naruto about that later. Now it's time to play cupid…

"You know, Naruto…" Kiba grins as he approaches us, "Hinata also likes red bean soup!"

"Really?"

Kiba, I could kiss you right now! You already know where I'm trying to go with this!

"Yeah," Kiba continues, showing off those lovely fangs of his, "In fact, red bean soup is Hinata's favorite dish…"

"She has good taste then," Naruto says, gathering his dishes together, "But what's so important about Hinata liking it?"

"You don't find it…interesting, that both you and Hinata like red bean soup a lot?" I nudge, hoping that Naruto would pick up on my subtle message, "Don't you think that's something to talk about with Hinata when she gets back?"

"Not really," Naruto shrugs, "I mean, sure it's cool that we both like it, but Hinata probably isn't the only one who does."

I hold my head down in disappointment while Kiba throws his palm on his forehead. Naruto, you baka! Couldn't you see the red string of fate at work here? Why do you try to fight it?

"Now if you'll excuse me," Naruto says, leaving the buffet table, "I've got to sit down! I haven't eaten since earlier today, and I've really worked up an appetite!"

I decide to return back to my table as well. Maybe things would be easier once Hinata returned. What was taking Billboard brow so long?

I couldn't help it…I was a romantic at heart. I liked to see people happy and loved to see relationships forming. One of my personal favorites was Asuma-sensei and Kurenai sensei from three years ago. Despite how much they denied being an item, I already knew the truth. If there was a hint of romance or passion in the air, Yamanaka Ino would know about it!

And there was definitely love in the air tonight! Sakura and Sasuke, Neji and Tenten, Hinata and Naruto…

…and Kiba and me…

Dammit…every time I try to think of something else, my mind immediately goes back to Kiba…

Sigh…I was hopeless. But I think I've come to a decision…

I'm going to tell him…yes, I'm going to tell Kiba just how much I love him…and then I'll announce it to everyone else…

If you truly loved someone, if they truly were special to you, then you shouldn't hide it, and you shouldn't care who knows. Love was one of the most beautiful things in the world, and to be ashamed of the feeling that it can give you was dishonorable. Watching Hinata made me realize just how much of a hypocrite I had been. So I don't care who knows that I, Yamanaka Ino, am madly in love with Inuzuka Kiba. I am aware that Kiba has a reputation for being a womanizer and a playboy, but so far, Kiba hasn't shown me anything like that. Kiba has been nothing but honest, faithful, and caring. I needed to get my act together, before Kiba moved on to someone else. The lesson of tonight is to not take love for granted. I just hope that Sakura can hammer that point home into Hinata, otherwise all of the work that we have done tonight will have gone to waste.

"Hey guys, I've got to go to the bathroom! I'll be right back."

I glance over at the table by the kitchen to see Kiba standing up. All of us in the K12 had been hoping that either Hinata would have enough courage to tell Naruto of her feelings or that Naruto would finally realize how much Hinata wanted him. Of course, we all had a strong feeling that our expectations would not be met tonight. So we had devised a backup plan. That plan was for Kiba to say he had to go to the bathroom, with Chouji and Lee going into the kitchen to make a special "dish".

It had to be these three who started up the plan. If any of the other guys tried it, then Naruto would have suspected something was up. Naruto was clueless at times, but he wasn't that stupid. Even he would realize that something wasn't right if Sasuke, Neji, or Shino, the three of our group that barely spoke, attempted something. Shikamaru might have worked, but it was still too risky.

"Oh! I just remembered! Sasuke-kun wanted some help with a special dish. Chouji-kun, would you assist me?"

"Of course, Lee! I would be more than happy to help out!"

I watch as Naruto is left at his table by himself. So far so good. Now all we needed to do was wait for Kiba to bring Hinata back so that she could talk to Naruto. And then, I would meet up with Kiba so that we could take care of our own issues.

Hey, Billboard brow is coming back! But why isn't Kiba or Hinata with her? And what's up with her face?

"Ino," Sakura says, returning to our table, "Go to the bathroom and help Hinata clean up."

"Sakura," I use her name seriously instead of the joke names like Billboard Brow or Forehead Girl. Judging from how she looked right now, joking around wouldn't be appropriate, "What in the hell happened to you? You look like a mess!"

"I'll explain later," Sakura murmurs, trying not to bring attention to herself, "But please…go and help Hinata out! All of our work tonight will go to waste if she doesn't have any confidence in herself!"

"Fine…" I nod slowly, "But we are going to talk about this later…"

Sakura and I often argued and fought a lot, but we had the same bond that Naruto and Sasuke had. Despite how much we bickered, there was no doubt that we would put our lives on the line for each other.

Grabbing my purse, I get up from our table and head towards the hallway. Sakura didn't specify which bathroom Hinata would be in, so I would just have to search them all until I found her.

Kiba, wait for me. After I help Hinata out, I'll be coming for you next…

-Inuzuka Kiba-

Feh…I really hope Hinata and Naruto can get their act together tonight, because I am so damn tired of playing matchmaker!

I didn't have time to be cupid, watching over the love of others. I had my own problems to worry about, and my own love issues! The only reason why I even resorted as far as I did is because Hinata is like a sister to me.

But that's beside the point, I have needs too!

Love, is such a pain in the ass to deal with. This is part of the reason why my right hand has become the closest thing to me next to Akamaru. Masturbation didn't require flowers or dates, or remembering important anniversaries. All that you needed to do was get a good image in your head, find a nice spot where you could be undisturbed, and go at it! Unfortunately for me, I ended up needed to get off a lot more often than usual…

See, when you were an Inuzuka, you had to deal with a heightened sense of smell. My nose is so powerful that my smelling and tracking capabilities are stronger than that of a dog. And considering that dogs are seen as having one of the greatest noses ever… that was saying something. During a mission, my nose never lets me down in tracking my target. Unfortunately, my nose is a double edged sword. Sure, I could track down missing nins and such, but if I smelled the wrong thing at the wrong time, then it came back to bite me in the ass.

I remember my fight with Naruto in the Chuunin exams about three years ago. Right when I was about to move in for the kill, Naruto let out a fart from focusing too hard. Now a normal fart was bad, but it was even worse when your sense of smell was 1000 times stronger than a normal humans. Needless to say, Naruto got the time that he needed to pull off a new move and beat me. Most embarrassing loss ever…

A fart is bad, as is smelling all of those strong aromas like perfume. But there was one thing that was worse, one thing that made smelling gas a godsend in comparison…

When a person was horny…

That was the one thing that would drive me insane like no other. Because of how strong my nose is, I can smell when people are horny, when they are wet, hell… I can even smell when someone has just had sex…

There were a couple of times that Hinata came to team meetings with that strong fragrance on her, and it would take everything in my power not to explode! I didn't need to add chakra to my nose to know what Hinata had been up to, my nose without chakra was just that strong.

My nose was a literal sex detector. Not only could I smell whether or not someone has had sex within a certain period of time, but I could also get the gist of what kind of sex it was. If my senses were coming from around the back door, then I could tell that the person has just had some anal. If I smelled multiple scents, then that said orgy, which meant that the woman in question was probably a whore, and I should stay away from her.

I'm aware that I have a reputation for being a playboy or a womanizer, but that's not completely true. My mother, Inuzuka Tsume, tries to act tough and fierce, but deep down inside, I know that she is still hurting for having to raise my sister Hana and I on her own after dad took off. To be fair, she is the reason why dad split in the first place, but that doesn't change the fact that his absence hurts her, and my mother often cries when she thinks nobody is around. Running away is one of the cruelest things a man can do to a woman, and I refused to do that! My family and clan are all about loyalty and respect, so chasing after several women like they were nothing more than a piece of meat was demeaning! I had my pride! I didn't want a slut for a girlfriend! I wanted a woman that I could bring home to mom! A woman that was passionate, strong, and loved her family! While a great ass and rack were nice, those were merely add-ons, bonuses you could say. I had an appetite for sexy women, but the real reward was one that actually had a personality and some goals. T & A wasn't enough to cut it with me.

Which is why I was delighted to hook up with Ino…

Back in the Academy, I had always referred to Ino as "Sasuke fan girl" number two. She was loud, she was annoying, and she was bossy. Yet I liked that about her. Perhaps due to being born an Inuzuka, my ideal woman was one that had a warrior's spirit, one that was not afraid to back down from anything. Ino wasn't bad on the eyes either, especially once we all hit puberty.

So I waited…I waited until the time was right, then I made my move. I asked Ino out after we both made Chuunin. The first date went well, so we kept in touch and hung out some more. A month later, we go on our second date. Near the end of it I kiss Ino. It was no secret that Ino really had a thing for Sasuke, so I was pleased when Ino had returned the kiss. Even though he probably didn't mean it, I was annoyed with Sasuke holding Ino's attention, especially if he wasn't interested in her!

But even though I had hooked up with Ino, she still wanted to keep our relationship a secret! Feh…what the hell? Was she ashamed of me? And every time I asked her just where we stood, she never had an answer for me! The reason why I've put up with her shit for these past couple of months is because I loved her! I would do anything for Ino…even die, if it meant that she could live to see another day!

But even I have my limits. I enjoy being with Ino, but she has been distant lately. If she doesn't give me an answer tonight, then I'm walking. And I really don't want to do that, because I feel that I will never find a woman as beautiful, fiery, or loving, as Ino. But it wasn't fair to keep me waiting for so long. I found it ironic that our relationship was hidden in the shadows, considering what our occupation was. But I felt that romance was the one area where you should be upfront and open.

Feh…love was a bitch…and yet, here I was a victim of it just like nearly everyone else. It also wasn't helping that Sakura and Tenten had been releasing a strong amount of pheromones tonight. Or the fact that this bed that I was laying on was very comfortable. Shit…I'm getting horny, but I've got to fight off these urges until I can talk to Ino. Then I'll be able to decide if I have to resort to another sandwich or if I can upgrade to a full course meal.

"Kiba…?"

My eyes shift from the ceiling towards the bedroom door. Feh…my heightened senses are driving me mad…I thought I heard Ino's voice on the other side of that door. Maybe I might have to settle for that sandwich to keep from going crazy…

Fortunately for me, I was not going insane, for as the door opens up, I see Ino meekly enter this spare bedroom. As I study her body, I can see no signs of discomfort or stress. And as Ino sits down on the edge of this bed, I quickly come to one important conclusion…

She has made her decision…

Whether she wants to end things or stop making our relationship a secret I don't know yet. All that is certain is that whatever it is that she has decided upon seems to have given her a temporary peace of mind.

I sit up so that I can give Ino my undivided attention. Whatever she has decided will no doubt change things completely. Either we become closer or we drift further apart. There was no in between. And as our eyes meet, I feel that Ino understands that as well. We were at a crossroads, and there was no turning back. This matter couldn't be postponed any longer. By the time I left this place tonight, I would have my answer…

"Kiba…" Ino whispers, placing her right palm over my left knuckles, "I've come to a decision about us…"

I tried not to show it, but I was slightly worried. This was a battle that no amount of training could have prepared me for. In this sort of situation, you were forced to let down your guard. Otherwise, what was the point of love?

"Well?" I ask bluntly, wishing to get this over with, "What have you decided?"

Besides Hinata, the only other person that knew of our secret relationship was Ino's teammate Chouji. It wasn't a well known fact, but Chouji had briefly dated Ino before I had. Chouji had warned me that Ino could be fickle and headstrong, and that one reason why their relationship had fallen apart was that Ino still had feelings for Sasuke.

I was aware of that. I knew going in that if I were to win Ino over, that in her eyes, I would have to be superior to Sasuke. Part of that problem was solved when Sasuke himself started dating Sakura. But that wasn't enough. I didn't want to be a stand in for Sasuke; I wanted Ino to see me for myself…

Ino's hand leaves mine, and along with her other arm, she brings both of her palms upon my cheeks. The tender touch of her fingers on my sides seems to relax me a bit, which I suppose is good. I really wasn't doing myself any favors by being on edge.

"Kiba…" Ino asks, gazing into my eyes, "How do you feel about me?"

"You know how I feel about you," I answer, "Ino, I love you…"

That answer does not seem to appease Ino, as her face seems to scrunch up. I guess that she was still uncertain…

"But you have that reputation…" Ino continues, biting her lip slightly, "How can I be certain if I gave my heart to you that you wouldn't take it for granted? How can I be sure that I would be the only woman in your life?"

Dammit, Ino! How many more fucking hoops are you going to make me jump through to prove myself to you?

"Look…" I growl, doing my best to keep my temper in check. An agitated Inuzuka was an uncooperative one, "I don't know why you don't trust me, but I've done nothing to give you any reason to doubt my word! For these last couple of months, I've been loyal to you! I admit that a lot of those babes in the village are hot, but they don't mean a damn thing to me! And you know why? Because none of those women have your smile! Or you eyes! Or your voice! Hell, they don't even have your smell! Do you get what I'm saying, Ino? I don't care about any of those women, because they aren't you! And if that isn't enough to convince you, then I-"

My little rant is cut short as Ino silences me with her mouth. I recognize a hint of pudding and tomato, considering that they always were her favorite foods. Wait, is that paprika and green pepper? Heh…! Ino has been eating steak! I'm rubbing off on her!

"That was the right answer, dogboy…" Ino smirks, breaking our kiss, "I'm yours, and I want everyone in Konoha to know that, starting with my folks."

"Feh…" I grin, showing off my fangs, "About damn fucking time that you made up your mind. These past couple of months have been hell for me!"

"Like it would kill you to have some patience," Ino snorts, crossing her arms, "A woman's heart is precious and fragile! I had to be certain that I could entrust it to you!"

"I don't know why you had any doubt!" I bark, "I stayed by your side, didn't I?"

"I needed time to be sure that I didn't regret my decision!"

"Over two months? You needed over two months to figure out if you loved me or not, Ino?"

"Love is something that cannot be rushed!"

"Bullshit!" I retort, "You wanted us to keep things a secret from everyone, including our families! The only reason why Hinata and Chouji know is because they know us the best!"

"I didn't want any dirty laundry spreading around Konoha! There was no way that I was going to allow myself to become another floozy in your long line of failures! You may not be a playboy or a womanizer, but that reputation is still stuck on you!"

"And why should you give a damn what anybody in the village says or thinks about me! Why in the hell are you listening to the street committee when you can see with your very own two eyes that I am nothing like that! Feh…this is what happens when you put a bunch of gossiping hens together! The wrong shit gets out because they can never keep their damn mouths shut!"

"Perhaps I was wrong about you Kiba! Maybe I shouldn't have given my heart to such a selfish and uncaring jerk!"

"Oh? You're one to talk, Ino! Don't act like you're all innocent! How do you think most of those rumors get spread in the first place?"

"Take that back, dog breath!"

"Make me, blonde bimbo!"

"Neutered mutt!"

"Anorexic witch!"

"…mmph…"

And yet again, just like every one of our fights, we start making out. With the exception of our very first kiss, every make out session that Ino and I get involved in requires us to bicker like an old married couple first. However, there was a difference. This time it was for keeps. There was no other man for Ino to get involved with, and there was no other woman for me to mess around with. It would be nice if we didn't always have to argue first before showing our love, but I guess it's the Inuzuka blood in me manifesting itself. Mom would be so proud…

"Kiba…"

"Ino…"

I lean in to kiss her again, only this time much softer, and much slower. Ino was mine, but I still wanted to savor this moment. I wanted to take my time to enjoy her soft, juicy lips, and her fragrance that smelled of violets.

A grin comes to my face as my right hand draws circles around Ino's body. The blue dress that she had decided to wear tonight was cute, but it was distracting. Now that Ino has confirmed that she is ready for us to move on to the next step in our relationship, this little sexy garment of hers would have to go.

Reaching behind Ino's back, I allow my fingers to search for the zipper to her dress. Upon finding what I am looking for, I start to pull down on the lever.

"Kiba, we can't do this!" Ino protests, pushing my arms away, "Not here!"

"Why the hell not?"

"I want our first time to be special," Ino answers, as she zips her dress back up, "I don't want to run the risk of our moment being ruined by any of the K12!"

"Well where else are we supposed to go?" I question, "If we go to your place, your father will kill me, and if I take you to the Inuzuka compound, everyone would know what we are up too!"

"There is one other place we can go…" Ino suggests, a mischievous smirk forming upon her lips.

"Oh?" I inquire, somewhat interested in what Ino is thinking, "Just what did you have in mind?"

Ino holds me tightly as her face starts to blush several different shades of pink. I already had somewhat of an idea what Ino was planning, but it was the mere thought that this girl had such a naughty idea on her mind that was turning me on. Ino nibbles on my left ear as I felt her hot breath on the side of my face. Then, in the huskiest, most seductive whisper that she can muster, Ino chants the two words that nearly make me explode.

"Love hotel…"

-Yamanaka Ino-

I can't believe I said that…I can't believe I just said that…

Usually it's the guy that suggests such a perverted idea, but I suppose that there are times when exceptions must be made, this being one of them.

The truth was that I wanted Kiba inside me so bad that my innermost regions were becoming damp. But I was still a woman, and I wanted a bit of atmosphere for our first time. It would ruin the mood and the moment for us to do this in the spare room of some guy's house. I was not some two bit whore looking for a quick fuck. I had standards.

While I wasn't ashamed of who knew that Kiba and I were together now, that still didn't mean that I wanted everyone to know just what we were about to do. I don't really know how it is for guys, but for us ladies, our first time is a very sacred experience. I mean, it's not every day that you cross over that line to the other side. Sakura had been first, giving herself over to Sasuke about a month ago, but I had no desire to rush just to catch up to my rival. This wasn't something that you could just take back.

The dilemma at hand was how Kiba and I were supposed to escape this place without arousing suspicion? It wasn't like I could just say "Bye guys! I'm going to go get that beef jerky that I've wanted for two months now! Catch you later! Ja!" And considering that we had all been drinking tonight, our minds were more likely to be on things of a more sexual nature.

Fortunately, it seemed that the love gods had been working in my favor tonight, for upon reentering the main area of Sasuke's home, I find that everyone except Sasuke and Billboard Brow are passed out. And Sasuke and Sakura were too preoccupied with each other to even notice us.

Good…very good…now we just had to go out the front door and…

"Hold on," Kiba cautions, laying a palm against my chest to stop my movement, "We shouldn't go out this way…"

I questioned why Kiba had said such a thing until I looked outside the window…

Hinata and Naruto were together on Sasuke's front porch…and it looked like Hinata was putting the moves on him!

You go girl! That's what I'm talking about!

But that still left a problem. How were Kiba and I supposed to escape now?

"The back door," Kiba says, "Sasuke has a back door in his kitchen."

Letting a tiny smile come to my lips, I rest my body on Kiba's right arm as he leads us to the only other exit in this place. Unfortunately, we would not get off as easy as I had thought, as I had forgotten that Lee was forbidden from drinking tonight, which meant that he wasn't amongst my nakama passed out in the main area.

"Leaving already?" Lee asks.

"Well, I have to open up the flower shop in the morning," I reply.

"And I have to give Akamaru his nightly walk," Kiba answers.

"I see…" Lee analyzes us for a moment before a smile forms on his face, "Yosh! Goodnight then, my comrades! Let us gather again, where our flames of youth can burn brightly!"

For a second there, I had worried if Lee really knew what Kiba and I were planning. Unlike Naruto, Lee was definitely a lot more intelligent and knew how to read between the lines. But then again, even if Lee had connected the dots, it wouldn't be an issue, as Lee tended to keep his mouth shut about things that didn't have to do with training or the "power of youth". In short, it doesn't matter whether or not Lee knows the truth, since he won't say anything regardless.

I bow as Kiba and I step out into the air. The evening breeze that washed over my body did little to cool down the inferno growing inside me. There was only one cure for the sickness that I was suffering from, and that was the building in the distance that was becoming closer with each footstep.

Upon entering the location that would serve as our oasis for tonight, I look around while Kiba signs us in. There were several different themes that this love hotel had. You had your basic room where people who just wanted a quiet spot could rent. It was just a simple room. Nothing more, nothing less…just a spot for those that wanted privacy to fuck. I definitely didn't want this room as it would have defeated the entire purpose of us being here. We might as well have stayed at Sasuke's house and gotten all this for free.

Then there was another room that looked like it was filled with whips and chains, and other assortments of goodies meant for roughhousing and torture. I am familiar with the phrase "tough love", but this was taking it a little bit too literally. This looked like the kind of room that Morino Ibiki from the Chuunin exams would enjoy.

"Let's go," Kiba asserts, grabbing my arm, key in the other hand, "I got us a room,"

"What kind of room did you get us?" I ask, following his lead, "I hope I made it clear back at Sasuke's that I wanted our first time to be special. I don't want just any room,"

"Just trust me," Kiba smirks, as he unlocks the door that would be our temporary love nest, "I was thinking completely of you when I got us this place."

I am taken aback as I gaze into the room. The place looked like a garden with all of the carnations littered around the place, and I also noticed that there was a hot tub in the center of the room. It was almost like…

"It's like we are in nature, right?" Kiba says, like he had been reading my mind, "I'm not good with words, but whenever I see or smell flowers, I always think of you, for you are the best representation of them."

"Shut up and kiss me," I order, throwing myself on his body. It was clear that I had found my perfect match in Kiba. As a child, I always thought that Sasuke would be the one I would eventually end up with. Oh what a fool I was! Even while I was trying to play matchmaker, I never saw that the red string of fate was playing matchmaker with me as well!

Our clothes had quickly found their way to the side of the bed. I had an aching desire to feel Kiba's warm, naked body up against mine.

"Kiba!" I shudder, as he bites my left nipple. It was currently difficult to tell who was more dominant tonight. Everything was happening so fast that I was starting to become woozy, "Not so hard! You'll leave a mark!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing…" Kiba grins, as he plants sweet kisses upon my jaw, "I'm just marking my property..."

Sigh…figures…he is an Inuzuka after all…

"But this is our first time…" I protest, as his tongue now starts a trail towards my inner region, "Shouldn't we slow down a bit and…IYAHH!"

Oh god…Kiba…that feels so good…that feels so fucking good…!

"More…" I moan, throwing my hands into his hair, "Give me more…"

My body felt like it was going on cloud nine as Kiba continued to eat me out. Now I could see why Sakura was perkier these past few days…

"Kiba…!"

My body shakes as I release my first orgasm of the night into his face.

"That was a nice appetizer…" Kiba glints, licking his lips, "But now I'm ready for the main course…"

"You better be happy that I'm on the pill right now," I say, as Kiba positions his body over mine, "Otherwise I would make you put on a condom first."

"Even if I did get you pregnant," Kiba replies as I spread my legs, "You wouldn't have to worry about a thing, for I would take care of you and our kid,"

"And you would have to marry me," I add, "Otherwise my father would castrate you. No grandchild of his is going to be born out of wedlock."

"Then I guess I had better stay on his good side," Kiba chuckles, before his face gets serious, "Ok, are you ready? Once I do this, there is no going back,"

"Yes," I answer, "Make me a woman,"

"Here goes…"

ITAII!

Sakura had explained to me what the first time was like, but no description does the actual deed justice. God, it hurts so much!

"You ok?"

"Yeah," I breathe, words just couldn't describe what losing your innocence was like, "Give me a sec…"

It was done. I had crossed over that line. But I wasn't finished yet. Now it was time to enjoy my reward.

"Ok," I say, after about a minute, "I'm ready,"

Kiba nods as he slowly pulls himself out of my wetness, then just as slowly, pushes himself back in.

I inhale as Kiba repeats the process. In, out, in, out…god, it was driving me crazy!

"Kiba…" I whimper, "Please…don't tease me…"

"Even in your most intimate of moments, you're all about business, huh Ino?" Kiba chuckles as his hand cups my left breast, "Don't say I didn't warn you…"

I wrap my legs around Kiba's back as he speeds up the tempo, thrusting as if his life depended on it.

Words are meaningless…the only thing that matters to me right now…is this feeling…that threatens to envelope me whole!

"Kiba…!" I pant, pulling his face in for a deep kiss. I felt like I was going to suffocate, and the only thing that would revive me was Kiba's mouth. Sure enough, the feel of Kiba's tongue down my throat seems to do the trick, and I feel myself get stronger.

I had been selfish. I suppose part of it had to do with the fact that I didn't want to be hurt anymore. I was tired of being the only girl of the K12 with no love interest, tired of always selling flowers but never receiving any in return, tired of being thought of as "high maintenance"…

Love took two people to tangle, and in order for the relationship to work out, both parties had to meet each other halfway, or else the relationship wouldn't work. And as I match Kiba's rhythm with movements of my own, I am delighted to know that Naruto and Hinata are well on their way as well. Tonight seemed to be like a ferris wheel, for the love and romance of my comrades was spreading all around! Maybe tomorrow I would help Chouji get someone nice. He is a sweet guy, and he really deserved to have somebody, but he needed more confidence! But I'll worry about that tomorrow…tonight is reserved for me and my "beast"!

"Babe…" I hear Kiba groan as his breath becomes ragged, "I'm at my limit. I'm about to let loose…"

"Go ahead," I consent, feeling myself reach the limit as well, "Release all that you have into your woman!"

"Ino…!" Kiba grunts, spilling all of his essence into my womanhood.

"Kiba…!" I cry, exploding onto his mighty rod. As I feel that blissful eruption pour over my body for a second time tonight, I regret that I didn't see who my true match was sooner. Don't get me wrong, I still think Sasuke is hot, but I'm not interested in him anymore. I don't think he would even have the endurance to keep up like Kiba or Naruto would…

I sigh as I feel Kiba pull himself out of me. I wasn't a slut, and Kiba knew that I wasn't a slut, but there was no denying that I was starting to enjoy his manliness inside me.

"How long do we have this room for?" I ask as Kiba pours himself a drink.

"All night…" Kiba smirks, letting loose one of those sexy fangs of his, "Why?"

"No reason," I shake my head, standing up to wrap my arms around his neck, "I just wanted a chance to try the hot tub as well."

"And I thought that you were a good girl…" Kiba teases, offering me the glass of water, "Or are you just that into me?"

*gulp* "Don't overrate yourself," I snort, finishing off the cold liquid in one motion, "Ok…I admit…I'm crazy about you. But not a word of this to any of the K12, ok?"

"Deal."

"And if I catch you even looking at another girl improperly," I order, setting the empty glass onto the countertop, "Then I won't give you any more sex for a month!"

"Same goes for you," Kiba replies, "Why should I be the only one that has to follow by some rules? I've seen how you like to flirt with other men!"

"Fair enough," I comply, taking my hands into Kiba's, "Now come on, let's try get in the tub! I want you to take me from behind!"

As Kiba and I step into the hot tub, my mind temporarily goes back to Hinata. She had been in a similar situation as mine for months, but now I had found a way out. And while I could offer advice and give her pointers, only Hinata could open the door to her success. And from the looks of things earlier, it looked like she was on the right track.

Best of luck, Hinata…I sincerely hope that Naruto comes around to realize just how much love you have to give him. You two were made for each other…

-x-

And we're done, right?

Wrong! I've decided to add in a little extra bonus as well!

What none of you know is that I originally started writing Beloved in mid-late 2010. The reason why it didn't set off until January of 2011 is because I couldn't find the fire that I needed. But that has changed now.

Another reason why this took so long is because as I writer, I strive to write the best that I can. What I originally wrote for Beloved was "B" good, but I didn't want a B, I wanted an "A". So I took a couple of months to study and analyze what was wrong with my original draft. The main thing that stood out for me was that the story didn't jump out at me. It was too straightforward, and the characterizations felt a bit off for me.

So as a treat to you all that have supported me, you get to see what Beloved would have been like, had I not reached an epiphany. You get to see what my last piece of fanfiction written around 2009/2010 was like, before I improved.

There are really only a couple of things that stand out from this early draft and the first two chapters. The first is that Beloved was originally written in the default overview mode. The second thing was that this story was extremely Naruto-centric, and barely had any Hinata at all. There were also a couple of scenes that I cut either because I found them unnecessary, or because I couldn't figure out how to write them in first person perspective.

Anyway, enjoy!"

"How I've missed this place!" An enthusiastic fifteen year old shouts from a rooftop, "It's great to be back!"

Uzumaki Naruto had finally returned home.

For the past two and a half years, the ramen loving prankster had served as apprentice to toad sage Jiraiya of the Sannin. And while it had been a wondrous experience to be on the road and learn many amazing new jutsu from "Ero-sennin", deep down, Naruto had missed Konoha. Konoha was his home, and to be away for such a long duration had been disheartening.

There is an adage that is stated to be "Home is where the heart is…" And for Naruto, Konoha was definitely where his heart lay, for every little thing in the village helped to put him at ease. From the smell of fresh ramen coming from old man Teuchi at Ichiraku, to the gentle breeze that flowed at the training grounds, there was no question about where Naruto's soul was.

"Heh," Naruto smirks as he looks at the latest addition to the Hokage monument, "I see that they added Tsunade-obaachan's face while I was gone. I wonder what else has changed?"

"Yo," a new voice chimes in from an adjacent rooftop, "It's been a while, Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaims as he jumps to the new rooftop to meet his teacher, "You haven't changed a bit!"

"But you have, Naruto," Kakashi notes as he points at Naruto's new attire. Instead of an orange jumpsuit with blue across the shoulders, Naruto's new outfit now consisted of an orange jumpsuit with black across the shoulders and sleeves and a black stripe down the middle of the chest. Kakashi also noticed that in addition to a growth spurt, Naruto's headband was longer and that both it and his sandals were now black instead of blue. In fact, all of the blue that Naruto had worn on his previous outfit was replaced with black.

"Ero-sennin's training was so harsh that he actually shredded my old outfit," Naruto explains as he pulls out an orange book from his travel bag, "Here, I got you a present!"

"This…this is…!" Kakashi mumbles as he holds the new book like it is a cosmic keystone.

"Its Icha Icha tactics," Naruto says as he and Kakashi jump back to the ground, "It's the latest in the Icha Icha series after three years. It's really boring, but you'll probably like it!"

"Baka…" Jiraiya sighs as he looks away in contempt, "You're still too young to appreciate the beauty of my work…"

"Yosh!" Naruto shouts as he throws a fist into his palm, "Now that I'm back, it's time for Ichiraku Ramen!"

"So the dobe finally decides to return after two and a half years, huh?"

Standing in front of Naruto is another fifteen year old teenager. In contrast to the blond hair that Naruto wore, the hair of the newcomer was a raven black. The attire of the new individual consisted of a long sleeved white shirt with an oversized collar and black pants with a pair of black ninja sandals that resembled long boots. On the back of this shirt is a red and white fan, which served as the official emblem of the Uchiha clan.

"Teme…" Naruto smirks at the newcomer.

"Welcome home, Naruto," the newcomer, otherwise known as Uchiha Sasuke greets as he and Naruto bump fists, "So where are you off too?"

"I was going to go get myself a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku," Naruto answers, "Do you want to come?"

"Humph," Sasuke grunts, "So you're still addicted to ramen. And here I had thought that your taste buds would mature."

"Two and a half years is too long to be away from Ichiraku's ramen," Naruto explains, "I thought I would go crazy!"

"Well we wouldn't want that to happen," Sasuke says as he and Naruto start to walk off, "Come on, I'll buy you a bowl, but just one! Your appetite whenever it concerns ramen is enough to rival that of an Akimichi!"

"You're no fun…" Naruto pouts as he and Sasuke share a laugh.

"When you are done eating," Kakashi says to the duo, "Meet me at training ground seven. And if you happen to run into Sakura, pass the message along to her as well."

"Interesting…" Jiraiya comments as Naruto and Sasuke disappear from view, "It seems that Sasuke's attitude is different."

"These past two and a half years have changed Sasuke for the better," Kakashi says, "While it is still a goal of his, Sasuke is no longer obsessed with being an avenger to the point of insanity. In addition, Sasuke has learned to appreciate life more and not take the little things for granted. I guess you could say that Naruto saved Sasuke from the dark path of evil."

"That's quite admirable," Jiraiya nods, "Now we won't have another Orochimaru on our hands. Anyway, I'm returning Naruto to you. I fear that Akatsuki are getting impatient, they may make a move soon. I've helped Naruto refine several of his old jutsu as well as teach him some new ones."

"I suppose I can see for myself when I test him," Kakashi says.

A grin is present on Naruto's face as he and Sasuke walk through the streets. It was good to be back in Konoha, but more importantly, it was good to be walking with Sasuke.

Two and a half years ago, Sasuke had attempted to defect from the village and go to Orochimaru. Unfortunately, due to the lack of resources and manpower at the time, the new Godaime Tsunade had no choice but to send newly appointed chuunin Nara Shikamaru along with a team of the best genin he felt were appropriate in a rescue mission to find and bring back Sasuke. The results of the mission had been successful, but it had not been without its price. Akimichi Chouji and Hyuuga Neji had nearly died in their battles. Naruto himself along with Sasuke had also been put in critical condition from their battle with each other. Naruto would later learn that Kakashi-sensei had returned the both of them to Konoha. But while Sasuke had been returned to Konoha to await trial, Naruto himself would now be forced to leave the village to go on a training trip for two and a half years.

Half of the council members wanted Sasuke to face the death penalty. Treason was a serious offense, and they felt that no exceptions should be made, regardless of nobility. The other half of the council argued that Sasuke had been under the influence of the curse seal placed on him by Orochimaru. It was then that Tsunade called in Mitarashi Anko, the second examiner for the chuunin exams for questioning. After Anko confirmed that the curse seal did indeed have a bit of influence on the individual, the ruling was in favor of Sasuke being spared. Tsunade immediately set to work on finding a way to remove the curse seal permanently while Sasuke was sent to Ibiki for a special form of…rehabilitation.

In addition, Sasuke was suspended from active duty for six months, then banned from participating in the chuunin exams for three years (or until Naruto returned to the village) and finally relegated to D rank missions for another six months. If Sasuke truly wanted to prove his loyalty to the village, then he would have to do it in the same way that his teammate Naruto did…shunned by the same village that he swore to protect.

Hatake Kakashi had been very supportive of this decision, as he vowed not to make the same mistake with Sasuke (and to an extent Sakura) that he did before. There was more emphasis on teamwork and the fundamentals. Kakashi also made sure that Sakura was not being overlooked this time around and helped her with genjutsu training.

As the duo walk by the Yamanaka flower shop, Naruto sees a woman stepping out who seemed familiar. The young lady wore a short sleeved red shirt along with a short white skirt and shin guards around the lower legs. But what made this woman stand out was the short pink hair that reminded him of the cherry blossom trees. It was then Naruto knew who this lady was.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asks as the woman turns around.

"Naruto?" Haruno Sakura questions as she points at him, "You're back?"

Before Naruto can say anything else, he suddenly finds himself embraced by his former crush. This was interesting…. Ever since the "promise of a lifetime" two and a half years ago, Naruto had truly realized how deep Sakura's feelings for Sasuke ran, and how he himself didn't stand a chance with her. It had been saddening to come to this realization, but Naruto felt that if bringing back his greatest rival would make Sakura happy, then he too, could be happy.

"Thank you, Naruto!" Naruto remembered Sakura crying when she had visited him in the hospital.

"I told you, didn't I?" Naruto smirked as he held a thumbs up, "That I would bring back Sasuke! I never go back on my word, for it's my ninja way!"

"Naruto…" Sakura cried as she hugged him. It was in fact the first time that he had ever received a hug.

Which had brought Naruto back to the fact that Sakura was now hugging him…again…It was ironic actually, when Naruto had pined for Sakura's affections, she wouldn't give him the time of day. But once Naruto had relinquished his love for the cherry blossom goddess did she give him more affection.

"I've missed you…" Sakura says with a warm smile as she breaks the hug, "Konoha just hasn't been the same these past few years without you around."

"I've missed you as well," Naruto replies back with a smile of his own, "Want to come with me and Sasuke to Ichiraku?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Sakura agrees as she falls in line next to Sasuke's right, "I was starting to get hungry anyway."

"Well now that you're back," Sasuke butts in as the trio continue to walk, "We need to figure out who to get for a third member for the upcoming chuunin exams."

"The chuunin exams?" Naruto asks, "You're still a genin?"

"Due to my…past actions…" Sasuke grits as the three stop in front of Ichiraku, "I was banned from participating in the chuunin exams until you returned to the village or three years had passed, whichever had come first. Since you have come back, now the ban that was once placed upon me has been lifted."

"What's wrong with Sakura-chan being the third member?" Naruto wonders as the three sit down on stools, "We're a team, right?"

"I've already become a chuunin, Naruto," Sakura answers.

"If it isn't my favorite customer!" Teuchi exclaims as he looks at Naruto, "Naruto! When did you get back?"

"Just now," Naruto says as he sits down on a stool, "Give me the usual! One big bowl of miso ramen!"

"For returning to us after so long," Teuchi says after taking the orders for Sakura and Sasuke, "Your bowl is on the house!"

"Thank you!"

"Yes, Sakura is a chuunin," Sasuke states, bringing the conversation back to point, "…along with the rest of the rookie nine and team Gai, with the exception of Neji, who has become a jounin."

"I…see…" Naruto says slowly as he tries to absorb this new information. While he had been glad that everyone else had passed and made chuunin, the news had also had the unfortunate side effect of making Naruto realize that he had been left behind. How was he supposed to become Hokage if he were still a genin?

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted however as Teuchi's daughter Ayame returned with the orders.

"You've matured into a handsome young man, Naruto!" Ayame says as she sets the food down, "I'm sure that a lot of girls will be after you! Maybe I'll snatch you up for myself!"

"Uh…thanks…" Naruto blushes as he places an arm behind his head.

Ayame gives Naruto a flirtatious wink before disappearing back into the kitchen.

"You know…" Sakura says, "She also missed you while you were gone,"

"I missed Ayame too," Naruto says as he separates his chopsticks, "Itadakimasu!"

"I wasn't talking about Ayame-san," Sakura mentions quietly, "But her…"

"Nani?" Naruto questions as he slurps a strand of ramen, "Who are you talking about?"

"Sakura," Sasuke interrupts, "Leave the matter alone. I'm sure that Naruto will find out now that he is back."

"Maybe you're right," Sakura concedes as she starts to dig into her ramen.

"Just who are they talking about?" Naruto wonders as the three eat in silence, "Who could have missed me?"

After finishing their food, the reunited teammates pay their bill and exit Ichiraku, on their way to the training grounds. As they leave, a navy blue haired young lady with clear white eyes steps out from behind the ramen stand.

"Naruto-kun…" the young lady sighs as a faint blush appears on her cheeks, "You're even more handsome after all of these years. I still haven't prepared my feelings for you yet, but I need to hurry before someone else attempts to steal your heart! And that is something that I cannot allow to happen!"

Chapter 1: Uzumaki Naruto Returns! The Revival of Team Seven!

"It's good to see all three of you together again!" Kakashi smiles as he looks at the reunited team seven at the exact same training area that they took their first test in.

Naruto and Sakura smile as well. Sasuke grunts in response, but deep down inside, he shared the same sentiment.

"Now, let's get an updated picture!" Kakashi says as he now stands behind Sakura, while Naruto is to her right and Sasuke to her left.

As the team comes together, Kakashi's clone quickly takes the picture of the group with a camera. After the picture is taken, the original Kakashi takes the camera back.

"Now that we've taken care of that," Kakashi says as his clone disappears, "It's time to get down to business. You three will assist me on team related missions. It's no longer student and pupil. Starting today, we are all equal shinobis. But before we get to that…"

Team seven looks on in astonishment as Kakashi reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out two bells.

"I want to do a little…evaluation…" Kakashi finishes, "You three already understand that the true purpose of this test is your teamwork, but I'm just curious how good it is now after two and a half years."

"Heh," Sasuke smirks as the three teenagers lock eyes with each other, "We're not kids anymore, Kakashi-sensei."

"That's right!" Sakura agrees, "You don't stand a chance against our teamwork!"

"I've trained hard during these past two and a half years," Naruto adds as he flexes a muscle, "And I've gotten a lot stronger and learned tons of new jutsu! And I know that Sasuke and Sakura-chan have as well!"

"That's the spirit!" Kakashi says as he lifts his ninja headband up from his left eye, revealing the infamous Sharingan.

"You're not going to read while you face us?" Naruto asks.

"I'd rather save that enjoyment for later…" Kakashi smirks as he gets into a fighting pose, "Besides…something tells me that this will not be as easy as before. The rules are the same as last time…if you don't come at me with intent to kill, none of you will be able to get a bell. You have until sunrise tomorrow."

The three teenagers look at each other and nod, already knowing what each is thinking. Then, they all grin at Kakashi, just before Naruto starts things off with a flurry of shuriken.

Already on the defensive, Kakashi is unfazed by Naruto's attack and dodges out of the way while countering with shuriken of his own.

Sasuke dodges to the left while Sakura dodges to the right to avoid Kakashi's attack. As for Naruto, he does a quick roll forward in order to evade. Upon regaining their footing, the three teens charge at Kakashi. Kakashi meanwhile, throws a smoke bomb on the grass.

"Fuuton!" Naruto shouts as he completes a set of hand signs that ends with his fingers forming a triangle, "Hitofuki no Kaze! (Wind Element: Gust of Wind!)"

Immediately a gust of wind comes out of the space left in Naruto's formation. As the wind blows the smoke away, the trio notices that Kakashi is gone.

"That was amazing, Naruto!" Sakura congratulates, "Where did you learn how to do something like that?"

"I must admit," Sasuke agrees, "That was quite impressive."

"Ero-sennin taught it to me after discovering that my element type was wind," Naruto answers as he crosses his fingers together, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Technique of Shadow clones!)"

"Naruto, I don't think that will work on Kakashi-sensei since he knows it is your signature move," Sakura brings up.

"Oh, I'm not using it for offense, Sakura-chan…" Naruto grins mischievously, "I'm using it as a tactical advantage!"

"Huh?" Sasuke and Sakura look on in confusion.

"While I was on the road," Naruto explains as the three hide behind a tree, "Ero-sennin told me an interesting side effect of Kage Bunshin. Whenever my clones are dispelled, whatever experience they have earned or knowledge that they have gained, is passed on to me, like I was there in the first place."

"So that means…" Sakura begins.

"Yep!" Naruto beams, "If Kakashi-sensei destroys one of them, I'll learn things like his current location, or what weapons he used!"

"Naruto…" Sasuke thinks, "You're matured…"

Sasuke wasn't the only one thinking something similar. Sakura herself almost couldn't believe that her blond haired teammate had become so…analytical. It almost saddened her to see how much Naruto had changed.

"Guys," Naruto says, breaking his teammate's train of thought, "My Kage Bunshin won't be enough to stop Kakashi-sensei. We need a plan."

"Agreed," Sasuke says, "We need to update each other on our new techniques."

"I have an elemental affinity for earth," Sakura adds in, "With a secondary affinity in fire."

"I've got a secondary affinity in water," Naruto says.

"Since you know your element," Sasuke says as he grips his right wrist, "You are already familiar with nature manipulation. But how are you with shape manipulation?"

"You mean can I make things out of my element?" Naruto asks.

"Precisely," Sasuke says as his right hand now has an aura of blue electricity around it, "Like this."

The electricity around Sasuke's hand now starts to lengthen and form what looks like a sword.

"Heh, you've really kept up your training!" Naruto laughs, "Yeah, I can do shape manipulation, but I'm probably not as good as you are."

"So what's the plan?" Sasuke asks, "We can't just charge in on Kakashi-sensei."

The three teammates ponder for a moment on their next plan of action.

"Wait…!" Naruto snaps his fingers as a sudden burst of inspiration comes to his head, "What is Kakashi-sensei's weakness?"

"He doesn't really have one," Sakura says, "Except those perverted orange books that he is always reading,"

"Exactly!" Naruto smirks as his grin becomes more devilish, "Here's the plan…"

-x-

"Hmm…" Kakashi wonders as he destroys the last of Naruto's clones, "They are up to something. It's quiet, almost too quiet..."

Kakashi sits down under a tree as he tries to rest his body a bit. Utilizing the sharingan eye gave Kakashi several advantages in ninjutsu and genjutsu, but since he wasn't an Uchiha, the power of the sharingan couldn't be turned off, which meant that it drained his chakra reserves every time he used it.

"I wonder what they could be up-"

Kakashi's sentence is cut short as he makes a quick dive to his right to avoid the thrust of Sasuke's chidori blade piercing through the bark of the tree.

But Kakashi is given no chance to rest for he is quickly forced to do a back flip to avoid the impact of Sakura's punch. Instead, Sakura's fist strikes the ground, creating several cracks similar to that of an earthquake.

Fortunately for Kakashi, he quickly leaps up into the trees at the last second to avoid the momentum that Sakura and Sasuke were building.

"Those two are getting dangerous…" Kakashi wonders as he reappears on top of a tree branch, "Wait…where's Naruto?"

Kakashi's question is quickly answered as he looks up and sees several Naruto's standing on adjacent tree branches, all with evil grins.

"Shihou Hapou! Shuriken no Maki!" (All Direction High Volume Shuriken!)

Kakashi's eyes widen as Naruto and all of his clones each throw a shuriken. One shuriken by itself wasn't so bad, but when you combined it with Kage Bunshin, and the ninja most associated with it, then, yeah…it was going to be a world of pain…

One quick kawarimi with a log finds Kakashi just barely avoiding becoming a pin cushion.

"I know I told those three to come at me with intent to kill," Kakashi says to himself as he flees through the training grounds, "But I never thought they would all be so zealous about it!"

Kakashi finds another tree to take a quick breather under on the other side of the training grounds.

"I need to calm down," Kakashi says as he sits down, "I can't let them get to me."

Kakashi had to give his former pupils credit though. They were starting to act like real ninja. While being strong and having a good number of jutsu helped, in the end… that was not what made a ninja. A true ninja stayed in the shadows, only coming out when the time was right, and luring their opponent into a false sense of security and fear. There was a saying that a person's worst opponent was themselves. That common saying held some truth. A person who wasn't in control of their emotions had already lost the battle before it had even begun.

"So that was their plan all along…" Kakashi grins, "To get me so riled up that I might do something like accidently drop the bells. Nice effort, but not good enough,"

Kakashi looks up into the sky and sees that it is light purple. He then looks at the time on his watch and sees that it is a quarter to eight.

"They have about ten hours left before the deadline," Kakashi says, "I need to stay focused until then."

Kakashi starts to relax a bit when he sees that the bells are still on his person. But his calm demeanor nearly does a 180 as he checks his right vest pocket.

"No…" Kakashi worries as panic starts to form in his voice, "It…it can't be! I know I put it in this pocket! Where can it be?"

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto's voice echoes out over the grounds, "By any chance, you wouldn't happen to be missing anything, would you?"

"He wouldn't!" Kakashi thinks as he steps out into the opening.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, his thoughts are confirmed as he sees his pupils, more specifically Sasuke, holding a certain orange book.

"You know, Kakashi-sensei…" Sasuke smirks as he holds up the book, "I've been so focused on developing new raiton techniques over the years that I've been neglecting my katon ones. I think it's time that I make up for lost time and practice a couple of them, for old times sake. What do you think?"

"And if we are going to be here all night…" Sakura chimes in, "Then we might need some good burning material to make a fire…"

"If you think your bluffs will scare me, then they won't work," Kakashi responds, "If you burn the book, I'll just buy another copy."

"Oh, I forgot to mention, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto grins with a foxy face, "…that the copy I gave you earlier is a special edition. The official release for Icha Icha Tactics won't be for another 3 months."

"No!" Kakashi panics, "Three months is too long to go without knowing what happens to Himeko!"

"But not to worry, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto continues, "Did you forget that I already read the book? I can tell you what happens to Himeko right now! You see, in the end, she…"

"No!" Kakashi thinks as he closes his eyes and covers his ears with his hands, "The only thing worse than waiting three months for the official release is having someone else who has already read the book spoiling the ending!"

"But I wouldn't do that to you, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto says, "Being a bully is not part of my nindo."

Kakashi opens his eyes and is astonished to see Naruto and Sakura each holding up a bell. Even Sasuke can't suppress a grin as Sakura holds a victory sign.

"Since we've already won," Sasuke says as he tosses the orange book to Kakashi, "You can have this back,"

Kakashi already knew that he would never hear the end of this from Jiraiya or Tsunade.

"That was a blast!" Naruto laughs as he and his teammates leave the training grounds, "I've missed being able to have fun like that!"

"I've never seen Kakashi-sensei hold any of his books so tightly after we were finished," Sakura adds.

Even Sasuke was laughing at the misfortune of their teacher who abruptly dismissed them.

"And to think…" Sasuke thinks, "That I almost gave up this kind of happiness to chase after my brother. What a fool I would have been. Naruto…I'm glad that you stopped me back then…"

"Hey, Naruto," Sasuke says in a semi-serious tone, "Meet us at the Uchiha mansion at 9 pm."

"What's going on?"

"Just trust him on this, Naruto." Sakura says as Sasuke wraps an arm around her back, "Go home first though. And don't be late!"

Before Naruto can protest or reject, Sakura and Sasuke walk off in the other direction, cuddling up.

"Heh…" Naruto smiles warmly as he watches his teammates disappear from view.

-x-

Surprisingly to Naruto, it didn't really bother him that Sakura and Sasuke were becoming more intimate around each other. Sasuke was his blood brother, and Naruto had always wished for Sakura's true happiness, even if he couldn't be the one to grant it to her. If Sakura couldn't be his girlfriend, then sister was the next best thing he supposed.

As Naruto leaves his ninja sandals outside and steps inside his apartment, he is shocked to find that not only was it cleaner then when he had left, but that it was suddenly larger and had an assortment of new things that he couldn't remember having before.

For starters, Naruto saw that he now had a coffee table in the middle of the room. On the table was a note, which Naruto picked up.

"Naruto…if you are reading this, then you must be wondering just what happened to your apartment while you were gone. Well you see, I couldn't have one of my most dedicated and trustworthy shinobi living in states of such disarray, now could I? And seeing that the apartment adjacent to yours was abandoned, I took it upon myself to tear it down and add it to yours to give you a slightly better quality of living. In addition, I've also fixed all of the leaks that were present in your bathroom and bought you some new furniture. You can't become Hokage if you live in a dump, right? And not to worry, you will not suffer a rent increase due to these…modifications. It's the least I can do after all that you've done for me."

Tsunade, Godaime.

"Obaachan…" Naruto whispers, "Thank you."

Placing the note back on the coffee table, Naruto goes into his new and improved bathroom to take a well deserved shower. It had been several hours since Naruto had returned to Konoha, so it went without question that he was starting to reek.

True to her word, Naruto's bathroom no longer had any leaks. In addition, Naruto noticed that the tiles and walls also had a paint job of orange.

After stripping off his jumpsuit, Naruto steps into the shower and is amazed to find a new nozzle for his showerhead and that it didn't take a couple of minutes for the hot water to heat up.

"I could get used to this," Naruto admits as he scrubs his body with a new scrubbing brush.

Ten minutes later, Naruto wraps an orange towel around his waist and steps out of the bathroom. Going into his bedroom, Naruto is surprised to find that even his bedroom, had been modified.

Tsunade hadn't been kidding when she said that there were some modifications. Before the changes, Naruto's apartment had been a studio. But now…Naruto had a two bedroom apartment.

The room on the left seemed to be the apartment that had been broken down, for it was still empty.

"I'll figure out something for this room later," Naruto says as he turns to the room on the right.

The room on the right, which was his original bedroom, seemed to look a bit bigger then when he had left. In addition, Naruto also noticed that it now held several dressers, a new nightstand, and a modified closet.

Naruto opens the doors of his closet and finds something that he didn't think he would ever see. The closet is filled with several articles of clothing. From different styles of shirts and pants, Naruto actually had something called "variety" now. Naruto also noticed a pair of dress shoes in the left corner.

Upon closer inspection, Naruto saw that there was a note on one of his new dress jackets.

"Naruto," Naruto reads, "Wear something nice tonight. Preferably something that looks good in a tie."

Naruto chuckled as he removes the note from the jacket. Sakura (and he knew it was Sakura due to the note smelling like cherry blossoms) had been worried about him.

Naruto was aware that due to his…upbringing…that he had missed out on a lot of things most people take for granted, most notably, etiquette. Fortunately for him, Jiraiya had foreseen such a problematic matter and taken steps to rectify it as much as possible.

"Oy! Ero-sennin!" Naruto remembered his thirteen year old self protesting, "Why do I have to wear this?"

Naruto had been wearing a traditional black suit with a white dress shirt and black tie.

"Listen to me Naruto," Naruto remembered Jiraiya in a matching black suit say, "There are some battles that cannot be won with jutsu, but with how chivalrous you are."

"Chivalrous?"

"It means being polite and respectful," Jiraiya answered.

"How does this help me become Hokage?" Naruto asked as he loosened the top button of his shirt. Wearing a tie was cutting off his circulation.

"The Hokage must be respectful and polite," Jiraiya answers as he puts some hair gel into Naruto's hair, "Now remember…eat your food slowly, and try to keep your temper in check. This is training. If you can't do this, then you'll never become Hokage!"

"Yosh!" Naruto salutes, "I won't let you down, Ero-sennin!"

Naruto laughs at the memory as he pulls out a pair of black slacks from his closet. The two of them had been going to a dinner for the princess of Windmill Country. The irony of it all was that Naruto himself had been praised for being a gentleman while Jiraiya had been attacked with several objects such as vases, silverware, and boulders. Served the pervert right for trying to peek at the princess while she was undressing…

But due to that incident, Naruto now knew what not to do in more formal situations. Naruto may not have had the formal upbringing like the Hyuuga or Uchiha, but the dinner at the princess's estate had given him a good taste of what to expect in the future.

Naruto looks back into his closet and finds a long sleeved orange dress shirt with blue buttons in the shape of spirals. Naruto grabs this shirt and the black jacket that the second note had been on and sets them on his bed with the slacks.

Letting his towel drop, a now completely nude Naruto goes over to the dresser by his bed and opens the top drawer. Finding a pair of black dress socks, Naruto sets them on the bed. The second and third drawer would contain his t-shirts and boxers respectively.

After getting dressed, Naruto does a final check in the bedroom mirror. Naruto had refused to put on a tie because of how tight it was around his neck. Naruto also left the top button unbuttoned. Finally satisfied with how he looked, Naruto grabs his dress shoes from the closet and steps outside.

As he walked through the streets of Konoha that night, Naruto found several of the villagers staring at him. Only this time, it wasn't the usual glares and death stares that he normally got, but looks of astonishment and wonder.

"Never thought that the demon could look so good, huh?" Naruto smirks as he walks with a bit more pride. It was then that Naruto realized something.

That knowledge that Ero-sennin had given him years ago in Windmill Country, the bit about winning battles without jutsu but with your chivalry, it was actually starting to make sense.

While Naruto was not stupid, he had never been the type to learn or remember things from lecture. He was more of a "hands on" kind of guy, or he had to experience something to fully understand it.

Naruto finally arrived at the Uchiha mansion with ten minutes to spare. After ringing the doorbell, Sasuke answered it.

"Not bad," Sasuke says as he looks at Naruto's attire for the evening.

Sasuke's attire had consisted of a white suit with a blue dress shirt and matching white dress shoes. Like Naruto, Sasuke also passed on the option of wearing a tie.

"Well come on in," Sasuke smirks as he opens the door some more, "There are some very special people that are just dying to see you again…"

"…And then I unleashed a Rasengan into the bandit so hard, that he crashed through three different buildings!"

"Wow, Naruto…" Chouji says as he listens to Naruto tell stories of his two and a half year trip, "You've really gotten strong!"

Akimichi Chouji was currently wearing a red suit with a black dress shirt and matching red tie. Not much had changed with Chouji over the years except for the fact that his hair was now a lot longer.

"Even I'm impressed," Kiba agrees as he nods his head.

"Hey, Kiba," Naruto asked as he looked at the canine shinobi in his brown suit and white dress shirt, "Where's Akamaru?"

"That's right, you haven't been here," Kiba says as he reaches inside a pocket in his jacket, "This is what Akamaru looks like now."

"You're kidding me!" Naruto exclaims as he looks at the picture, "This is Akamaru? He looks more like a lion now!"

"That's him," Kiba says as he takes the picture back, "Although I didn't really notice it at first."

"Naruto-kun! I can feel that your passion has grown since the last time we saw each other! I request an exhibition match to see how brightly your flames burn!"

Rock Lee hadn't changed much over the years. He still referred to himself as the "Green Beast of Konoha" (as if his green suit was any indication), and he was still a mini Gai clone (the bushy eyebrows and bowl cut included). However, from what his teammates had been saying, Lee had been starting to become less impulsive. It looked like tonight was an exception however…

"Gejimayu…" Naruto sweat drops, "If we do that while still dressed up, Sakura-chan will kick both of our asses!"

Earlier that day…

"…That jutsu is now second rate!" Naruto shouted, "Behold, let me show you the new and improved Oiroke no Jutsu!"

"New perverted jutsu…?" Sakura sweat drops.

"Here we go!" Naruto shouts as a poof of smoke surrounds his body, "Atarashi Oiroke no Jutsu!" (New Sexy Technique)

As the smoke disappears, Naruto is in his girl form. Instead of being naked or in a bikini, "Naruko" now has on a pair of "devil ears" long black boots, black tail, black panties, and an extremely small bra that just barely covers the breasts.

Immediately, every male that was in the vicinity passed out in nosebleeds.

"Naruto-nichan!" A now 11 year old Konohamaru awed, as he covered his nose with his hands, "That was awesome!"

"It was, wasn't it?" Naruto grins as he dispels the henge, "This is the new standard for-"

"Baka!"

Konohamaru suddenly starts to tremble as Sakura sends Naruto's body flying into a convenience store with one of her fists.

Sasuke holds a palm to his head in embarrassment as Sakura now drags Naruto out of the store by the collar. He wasn't sure who was more embarrassing, Naruto, or Sakura.

"I guess it's good to see that some things haven't changed…" Sasuke thinks to himself.

Remembering that memory from earlier in the day, Naruto looks over at Sakura in the corner, who is engaged in a conversation with the ladies of the Konoha Twelve. In her bright pink dress, Sakura doesn't look anything like the tsundere that she is.

Sakura notices Naruto staring at him and returns a very pleasant smile, which to everyone else looked friendly, but to Naruto had hidden implications.

"Do anything stupid tonight, and I'll beat you to an inch of your life!"

Sakura then returns back to her conversation with the ladies while Naruto swallows the gulp that he didn't even realize he was holding.

"Maybe tomorrow," Naruto answers to Lee as he drinks from his glass of iced tea.

"For someone that is not your girlfriend," Chouji says as he drinks some of his sake, making sure that Lee doesn't get any, "Sakura sure seems to be protective of you."

"Sakura-chan thinks of herself as my sister," Naruto explains, "Since I'm like a brother to her."

The four then get into a light argument over which of their favorite foods is superior.

"…and that's when Naruto and I took Kakashi-sensei's bells," Sakura concludes, finishing up the story of the team 7 exercise.

"Man, who would have thought that Naruto would become so strong and gorgeous?" Yamanaka Ino says in her purple dress as she looks over at Naruto on the other side of the room.

"No offense to you Sakura," Tenten adds in her red dress as she sips her green tea, "But I always thought of Naruto as an impulsive, hyperactive idiot. But your description of him during your team exercise portrays him in a different light."

"None taken," Sakura says, "Even I was astounded by how calm and calculating Naruto was. He is still a bit of a prankster and a pervert, but that is balanced by his maturity. If I wasn't already with Sasuke-kun, I might have to take Naruto for myself."

"But you can't!" Ino teases as she points at Hinata, "For Hinata has first dibs on him!"

At the mention of her name, Hinata blushes a light pink.

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Sakura nudges, "Now is the best chance for you,"

"Ano…" Hinata mumbles, "I'm…not completely ready yet…"

"You can't wait forever, Hinata!" Ino says, "Look at Naruto! He is gorgeous! My respect for you is the only reason why I'm not going after him right now!"

"We may not go after Naruto out of respect for you," Tenten adds.

"…but that doesn't mean that the rest of Konoha will," Sakura finishes, "Ayame from Ichiraku was giving Naruto suggestive looks earlier today. If you don't hurry, someone else will take Naruto!"

Hinata sighs. Her friends were right. She couldn't keep putting off telling Naruto her feelings. Tonight was the best opportunity she had. There may never be another chance like this.

"Wish me luck…" Hinata's eyes sharpen as a wave of confidence washes over her, "I'm…going to tell him…"

"Eeeee!" the other three kunoichi's squeal as Hinata stands up.

"Ramen is the best!" Naruto shouts, "You can add so many different flavors and toppings to it!"

"No, barbeque is best!" Chouji counters, "You can grill it to your own personal preference and each piece just melts in your mouth!"

"Curry is the best!" Lee adds in, "It burns with the passion of life! You can eat it by itself, or pour it over something!"

"Hey guys," Kiba says as he sees Hinata approaching, "I've got to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

"Oh…I just remembered," Lee adds, understanding Kiba's subtle message, "That Sasuke wanted some help with a special dish. Chouji-kun, would you assist me?"

"Of course!" Chouji says, "I would be more then glad to help out!'

"Do you want me to help as well?" Naruto asks.

"There is no need," Lee says as he and Chouji stand up, "Chouji-kun will be more than enough assistance. Besides, you just returned to Konoha today. You deserve to rest. This dish will not take long…"

Naruto shrugs as Lee and Chouji disappear into the kitchen. Picking up his glass, Naruto finishes the rest of the refreshing liquid before relaxing in his chair. He was glad to have come tonight. It was good reuniting with old friends.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," A feminine voice from behind whispers.

Naruto turns around in his chair, and temporarily becomes speechless as he looks at Hinata. Her navy blue hair had gotten longer, and the white dress that she wore gave Hinata the image of an angel. And perhaps due to Ero-sennin's influence, Naruto also noticed Hinata's "assets". Moreover, Hinata looked gentle and caring, but Naruto already knew that behind this demeanor lied the skills of someone that you should not underestimate.

When he was younger, Naruto had never paid much attention to Hinata (due to being infatuated with Sakura), but now that his tastes had matured a bit (and Sakura was officially "off the market"), Naruto found himself looking at Hinata a bit differently.

"Hinata…" Naruto begins, after a brief moment of silence, "It's good to see you again. I missed you while I was gone,"

"You did…?" Hinata quickly asks.

"Yeah…" Naruto says with a grin, "I missed you, I missed our jounin sensei's, I missed everyone!"

Upon hearing Naruto's comment, Hinata's smile disappears and her facial features sadden.

"Oh…I see…" Hinata says, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Dammit…" Sasuke curses as he watches from a different table, "The teme is screwing things up!"

Being quick on the fly, Sasuke stands up and walks over to his entertainment center. Grabbing a CD, Sasuke inserts it into his CD player.

"Nice save, Sasuke!" Ino thinks as a slow melody begins to play from Sasuke's entertainment system.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura says as she gets close to the young Uchiha, "Let's dance!"

Sasuke obliges and wraps his hands around the back of Sakura's waist as they slowly step to the music.

Naruto sighs as nearly everyone present pairs up with someone. Tenten paired up with Neji. Ino paired up with Kiba (who had returned). Temari (who had been in another room) comes out in a yellow dress and grabs Shikamaru who is wearing a black suit with a green shirt. And of course Sakura had taken Sasuke.

While Naruto was supportive of Sakura and Sasuke being together, it still hurt a bit to see the woman that he liked to be in the arms of another man. It was something that Naruto had not completely gotten over, even during his two and a half year absence.

Hinata was quick to notice how uneasy Naruto looked. Taking the initiative, Hinata takes Naruto's hands in hers.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata speaks sweetly, "Would you care to dance with me?"

-x-

And that is it! Next chapter will be about Sasuke. Hope you all enjoyed!