I don't own Naruto or its Characters

Chapter 2: First Date Prep

Naruto tossed and turned that night, just not quite able to get comfortable. Something was on his mind and he couldn't shake it, he was going on a date with the woman he just confessed his love to. Granted, Naruto has had experience asking girls on dates before, hell he asked Sakura on a date at least 3 times a week when they were younger. It was different this time though, those attempts were for show, a plea of loneliness more than anything if he was being honest with himself. This was real, he couldn't keep his mind off of it, asking millions of questions in his head from the simple what he is going to wear, to the complex of what kind of day are they going to have.

What time was it anyway? He rolled over to look at his alarm clock.

"It's already six in the morning?!" He hollered to himself, smothering himself with his pillow in exasperation.

He was absolutely exhausted, the moon mission, the fight with Toneri, and above all the ramen food coma he attempted to put himself into when he got home. Put all those things together and it should have been a long night's sleep for one Naruto Uzumaki. Alas he was wide awake, all signs of fatigue gone and what remained was a feeling he has only felt a few times in his young life. True, genuine, and maybe a little too much excitement. Not sure why he was so excited anyways, he hardly knew how a proper date was supposed to operate. What if he blew the whole thing? That was the other question keeping him awake. Half excitement for the potential fun, half gripping fear for the potential disaster. Naruto needed help he thought, but who could help him?

"I wonder what Baa-Chan is doing at this hour." Naruto said out loud to no one but himself.

His mind fell on Tsunade, the once upon a time Hokage and one of the most respected and powerful women he has ever known. She would know what to do. He couldn't go to Sakura or Ino because they will try to influence it to be their perfect date. As much as he admired the girls as great friends he understood that asking them about Hinata would be a headache waiting to happen. Maybe TenTen as she would be more level headed. However, if he was being true to himself he didn't think she had much more dating experience than he did. He picked through all the potential "date helper" candidates in his head and could only come up with good ole Granny Tsunade.

He hopped out of bed, giving up on the prospect of sleep and got dressed. She may not be happy about it but Naruto needed to pay her a visit.

"BAA-CHAN I KNOW YOURE IN THERE!" Naruto practically blew the house down with the projection with is voice. Luckily she didn't have many neighbors to complain about the noisy young man.

"I've been out here for forever! Where could she be?! Probably in there hung over." He muttered like an angry old man to himself.

The realization finally dawned on him that she really wasn't home. Of course he finally tried to sense her chakra and found it somewhere that was definitely not in her house. He knew where she was.

He sighed to himself, going there always made him emotional, but he needed her advice so it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

He came to the clearing where they put Jiraiya's memorial. That man was one of Naruto's biggest father figures, losing him was one of the hardest things he has been through in his life. And while it was a huge blow to Naruto personally, he knew of someone who was just as impacted by the old man's passing.

Tsunade was sitting down in front of the memorial sipping on some sake and talking to the grave stone as if the Pervy Sage was sitting there with her. Talking about the village, how the people were doing, how villagers were still buying his smut novels, and how she missed him.

"Does he have anything good to talk about this morning?" Naruto asked as he came into the clearing.

Tsunade already knew he was coming. Despite Naruto calling her grandma often the woman was still a high class ninja and hadn't lost a touch yet.

She took another sip of her sake and replied, "Same old, same old, even in the afterlife he's talking about trying to take me out." She laughed to herself. "I told him how you saved the world, again, he'd have plenty material for another book with how much you do it now days."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, "just living up to the name he gave me." He replied.

She finally looked at Naruto. The boys grown so much since she first met him. He used to brash and loud mouthed, which he still was of course, but now he had wisdom behind his eyes. He's experienced more in twenty years than most in a life time. She was proud of him.

"So, Baa-Chan I have a question." Naruto said innocently enough.

The vein in Tsunade's forehead poked out, as much as she adored the kid she never could get over his way of being innocently disrespectful.

He caught on to her anger and decided it best to continue. "Hinata and I are going on our first date later today and I was wondering if you could help me. Like do I get flowers? What would be something fun to do? I figured you could help m-"

She cut him off right there, practically choking on her sake after hearing his words. "W-Wait Hinata?" she inquired in a shocked tone.

"Yeah! You know long hair, byakugan, kind of quiet." He continued not understanding the shock.

"I understand who she is Naruto! It's the how I am struggling with right now!" she said still flabbergasted.

"Eh? What do you mean how?" Naruto said confused. Oh Naruto, for as much wisdom and experience he gains it's the easiest things that seem to go over his head.

"How are you going on a date with her? When did you even start dating?!" She chirped.

"Oh! Duh!" Naruto said face palming. "You didn't hear about what happened on the moon. Well, basically long story short I sort of uh, how do I say this, realized I have been in love with her for a long time." He said rubbing the back of his head, leave it to Naruto to drop a bomb shell and act like it's an everyday thing.

"Well it's about damn time if you ask me." She said, not harsh but with a tone of exasperation, "That poor girl has been pining for you since the day I came to the village, and probably before that!"

Naruto sweat dropped, again, he had a lot of making up to do. "You knew?" he asked kind of wounded.

"Oh Naruto, the stray cats in the village knew that Hinata Hyuga was in love with you. She wore it on her sleeve pretty good." She said half laughing half shaking her head. "But, it all worked out I see, so what do you need help with?"

Naruto decided it best to ignore her jab and just continue on with the mission at hand, "How do I give her a great first date? I really don't want to mess this up and you were the only person I could think to come to for help."

Tsunade got up from her sitting positon and looked down at Jiraiya's grave. The boys grown more than they both thought apparently. She thought hard about his question, she did not know Hinata that well to where she could give him a do's and do not's, however, she knew how long the girl loved him. He was right about one thing, she did deserve a beautiful first date. But not one Tsunade came up with, rather one from Naruto's heart to her.

"Get some flowers, roses would be great, meet her outside her place, on time! And then, just be yourself Naruto. The girls loved you for years for being who you are, wing it, don't try to fabricate anything and you will be fine." She said finally, it was honest and exactly what he needed to hear.

He jumped at her and bear hugged her, "Thanks Baa-Chan, I knew I could count on you!" with that he bowed to Jiraiya's memorial and ran off back to the village and new vigor to his step.

She laughed and looked a back at the grave, "would you look at that Jiraiya, the boy is giving you more book material."