I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who was so very kind enough to review the first chapter of my story and give me feedback. It really makes me feel good to know you guys like this.

Special thanks to Rose Tiger and GreatGoogilyMoogily for pointing out the bits I'd misspelled. Thanks to you, I was able to correct those embarrassing mistakes! And of course, many thanks to everyone else who reviewed the first chapter- this is for you guys!


CALL IT A DATE

Part II:
"The Springtime of Youth"

Thing had gone great! Naruto had finally built up the courage to ask Hinata out on a date... and she'd agreed! At any other time before today, he never would have believed that he'd be going on a date with someone as amazing as her. She was a Hyuuga- a member of one of the most elite clans in the entire village... yet she liked him!

Hinata found herself blushing as she stood before the blond teenager. She desperately wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything meaningful to say after accepting his offer. Still, as she thought about, she recalled the old adage about how actions spoke louder than words... Mustering all the courage she could find, she leaned in and nervously planted a quick kiss on the young man's cheek. She instantly pulled back, covering her blushing face with her slender hands.

Naruto had gone wide-eyed, but he was also blushing as well (though in his case, it was a lighter tone). He was uncharacteristically silent for a moment- perhaps realizing that one of usual declarations wasn't appropriate for this moment. Eventually, he just smiled at her- still blushing- as he spoke. "So... I guess I can take that as I good sign then?" He asked, giving a cheeky smile.

He watched as she struggled to come up with some sort of response. Though, in all honesty, he was mainly focused on how nice she looked at the moment. She was such a pretty girl- her long raven hair and those pale eyes of hers that looked like water. Eventually, while averting her eyes from him, she muttered something. "Oh Naruto..."

.o.o.o.

Kakashi Hatake still found it hard to believe that he was now the new Hokage of Konoha. He still wasn't sure if he was cut out for it... but he also knew that right now, the people of Leaf needed to be able to feel confidence in their leader. So, he had manned up and accepted the post.

As much as he respected and admired the late Third Lord, he couldn't bring himself to dress in such formal attire as he had done. Lord Hiruzen had been nicknamed "The Professor" because he knew all known jutsus. He'd been taught by the First and Second Hokages. He oversaw the growth and prosperity of the four generations of Shinobi and was almost seventy when he heroically gave his life to stop Orochimaru. Yes, the Third Lord could pull that look off...

...But Kakashi was no Third Lord... Maybe, if he was lucky enough to reach 'old age', then he might were something more formal. Though if things played out the way he hoped they would, he'd be able to pass the title on to his successor in less than a decade!

Getting back to dress sense...

There were no rules that forbid wearing masks, so the mask had stayed! He's also kept his Konoha headband as well- stylishly tilted down over his left eye. He had opted to wear a white formal long-sleeved overcoat. The best part was that the coat was that is was full of pockets... where he could store things... like whichever installment of the Icha-Icha series he happened to be reading at the time. Underneath the coat, he wore his black bodysuit and metal hand guards over black gloves (from his ANBU days). He also kept all his gear and scrolls hidden within the coat.

At the moment, however, he had something that he needed to do... something that was long overdue. It was time he settled things. He gestured for the Attendant Nin and the young mid-rank ninja quickly appeared before his desk. "Kakashi-sama?"

The silver-haired ninja cleared his throat (mostly for dramatic emphasis). "Please, relax... I need you to locate a few people and inform them to meet me back here in an hour." He instructed in a calm amiable tone.

The attendant nodded and listened at Kakashi further explained his instructions.

.o.o.o.

"Honestly, you kids have no idea how to treat a weapon!" The swordsman said while striking away at the red-hot metal over his anvil. "I mean, this is one the best swords I've seen years- and you managed to snap it in half!" He continued as he worked the blade.

Naruto stood in front of the stall, listening to the old master complain as he repaired Naruto's broken sword. Sakura had asked why he'd been so insistent on having it repaired instead of just replacing it. The reason was- as he'd explained- that this sword was in fact the same sword that he'd acquired in Mount Myobuko while training to become a Toad Sage.

...You just didn't throw away something like that- it mean far too much!

Over time, as he had come into his own and become a proper Shinobi, Naruto now ultimately found himself tasked with his greatest challenge ever- to see that the desire of his late master would become a reality... To bring lasting peace to this world! He owed it to both himself and others to achieve this. Naruto had inherited the will of his late master Jiraiya, and he was determined to live up to his expectations. As the main character of his master's first book had said:

"If such a thing as peace truly does exist, then I'm going to find it!"

But it wasn't just that dream of Jiraiya that were at stake... The Third Hokage had also longed for peace, and had sacrificed himself to ensure the future of Konoha... entrusting the next generation with the duty of making the future a peaceful one. 'Granny Tsunade' had pushed herself so hard in the defense of the village, that she'd put herself into a coma! After draining his own lifeforce to revive those he'd killed, in his final moments- Nagato had tasked him with seeing that their Master's desire for peace became reality.

The grumpy sword-master wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked back up at Naruto. "...Come back by here this afternoon- I ought to have the thing ready by then." With that, Naruto nodded and headed off- down the through the market, back towards his apartment.

.o.o.o.

Sakura had learned a lot lessons over the years... One of the most important lessons was to not judge a person solely by their outward appearance. Also, there was a difference between looking cool and being a good person. In fact, terms like 'angst' and 'emotionally distant' were down-right uncool.

The pink-haired medical ninja had long since gotten over 'him'. Sakura had moved on with her life and found someone else. True, he might not have seemed like the most suave or coolest guy to some, but had other qualities... Like his unyielding will and his sense of determination! As far as Sakura was concerned, it was those sort of traits that were truly cool.

Sakura was abruptly pulled back to reality when an all too familiar figure came to perfect stop right in front of her. She smiled warmly at him, her aquamarine eyes picking up the sunlight perfectly as she spoke. "Lee... how did your training session with Master Guy go?"

"It was amazing Sakura!" He replied enthusiastically. "Still... no matter how strong I may be, there will always be obstacles to overcome! Truly, the energy flowing within me must be the Springtime of Youth that Master Guys speaks of!" He exclaimed, thrusting his arm up towards the sky.

Lee suddenly winced as a surge of pain shot through him and his arm fell limp at his side. He clutched his shoulder with his right hand...

At Sakura's insistence, they went elsewhere. About fifteen minutes later, the two found themselves just outside some nearby woods...

Sakura sighed and shook her head. The two of them were seated on a large rock. Lee had shed his flack vest and his jumpsuit was partly pulled down- exposing his left upper arm and shoulder. Sakura was seated behind him with her gloves off...

She moved her right hand across his shoulder, noting how he winced. "I thought so... you strained you shoulder." She spoke in a calm voice. "It's nothing too serious... just relax and wait a moment." She instructed as she focused her chackra and let it seep into his shoulder- gradually mending the frayed tissue.

Lee gasped slightly as he felt the pain in his shoulder start to fade. "You really shouldn't push yourself so hard. You're only human- your body can only take so much abuse." She remarked as he slipped his jumpsuit back on.

The taijutsu master turned around towards her and sighed. "I know Sakura... It's just that can't help but push myself." He continued. "Striving to attain a goal- no matter how difficult it may be- is the greatest experience that a Shinobi can feel."

He shook his head and continued in a more somber tone. "Still...I'm very sorry to have inconvenienced you like this..." He replied. "Truly, you're an angel for putting up with me."

Sakura found herself blushing as she mulled over his words. She slipped her bare hands over his wrapped ones and leaned forward- planting a kiss on his cheek- causing him to blush darkly in the process. He pulled back in surprise as she smiled at him.

"Lee... just promise me that you'll never stop pursuing your dream." She told him softly, noting that he was also blushing. "I'll always be here for you... to support you- and to patch you up when your hurt."

.o.o.o.

Hinata paused before stepping inside the Yamanaka Clan's Flower Shop. She needed some advice on how to go about getting ready for her date. After some deliberation, she had concluded the feisty and outgoing Ino would be an appropriate adviser for the situation.

She ventured inside the shop and quickly and spotted Ino manning the counter. The blond kunoichi was idly reading a magazine, her trademark lock of blond hair hanging down the right side of her face. She quickly perked up when she spotted the raven-haired girl. "Oh hi! What brings you here, Hinata?" She asked in her usual upbeat tone.

Hinata paused briefly, steadying herself. "Well, you see... There's something important that I wanted to ask your advice about..." She began in a low voice, trying not to blush too much.

This certainly peeked the other girl's curiosity. The Hyuuga were highly respected among the elite clans of Konoha, so to have the heiress of the Main Branch seeking her advice was a bit surprising to say the least. "Sure... what can I help you with?"

Ino waited eagerly as Hinata steeled herself. "Well, the truth is that I came to ask you advice on something really important..." She paused, which only further engrossed the other girl. "...I'm going out on a date... and I'm not sure what I need to do to get ready for it!" She blushed, realizing that she'd blurted out the last part.

Things were quiet for a moment, and silence fell between the two of them. Then, Ino slowly began to smile as she looked on at the red-faced girl standing before her. "Well now, why didn't you say so in the first place?" She asked in a friendly tone.

.o.o.o.

Naruto crossed the open gate as he approached the front of the Nara household. He made his way towards the door and knocked.

After a moment, the door slid open and a woman appeared. Her long dark hair hung down her back and she wore a white apron over her black garb. Naruto quickly recognized her... She was Yoshino Nara, Shikamaru's mother- and well known for ruling the house with iron hand. "Can I help you?"

Wisely deciding that he didn't want to provoke the wrath that both the Elder and Younger Nara men were so afraid of, Naruto promptly spoke up. "Sorry to bother you, but is Shikamaru in?"

Her expression suddenly softened. "Oh, you must Naruto Uzumaki... My son is in the back, out on the patio." She explained with a smile. "Please, come in."

When he looked at the woman, he could see that she was Shikamaru's mother. The similarities were much more subtle than with his dad. Still, there were little things, like how Shikamaru's jaw an cheeks were slightly more rounded like his mother's.

Following the Nara Matriarch, he met up with Shikamaru out back of the house... Shikamaru had been casually sitting on the hardwood deck discussing something with a sandy-haired girl in a long blue dress. The two of them looked up at him as he approached. As Naruto looked more closely at the girl, he began to realize something...

"Man, she looks familiar... I know I've seen her somewhere before... but where? Wait! If her hair was more frizzy, and she had on glasses and was wearing a white coat..."

In a sudden burst of clarity, Naruto spoke up. "Aren't you that girl from the Decryption Department?" He asked abruptly. "Yeah... I remember now! You had Kakashi-sensei read those pages from his pervy book out loud." He added in a confident tone.

Silence fell between the three of them. Shiho blushed while Shikamaru's shoulders slumped...

(- End of Part II -)


I ended up covering a lot of info in this chapter... And I did promise other couples in the chapters, so here they are. The next few chapters might take a little longer to write, since I want to be sure they're as good as possible.

I has happy to be able to bring the other characters into the story as we. I liked the idea of Hinata going to Ino for advise. However, when it came to Naruto looking for a advise... I was kind of at a loss. The only (confirmed) man in Konoha to be in a serious relationship was killed. I'm really pleased with Sakura and Lee's scene. I think it worked pretty well and (hopefully) seemed sincere.

And for those of you wondering about what was going on in the last scene. I've got a separate story planned about Shikamaru and Shiho that will explain how they got together.

See you guys later,

-Bojack727