Hinata awoke with a smile.
Sunlight poured into the small apartment.
Half beneath her, Naruto shifted slightly in his sleep.
Hinata lifted her head and smiled at the sight of the sleeping blonde.
He slept with a soft smile on his lips.
Hinata's face warmed at the memories of the night before and she snuggled against him, her head resting comfortably in the crook of his neck and shoulder.

She saw the necklace again – the stone was catching the light of the sun.
She'd seen it for the first time the night before.
It had been the only thing Naruto hadn't taken off.
It was a simple stone, flanked on either side by two round beads.

Hinata touched the stone. It was smooth and warm from the sun and from contact with Naruto's warm skin. It was pretty. Hinata wondered where Naruto had gotten it from. It obviously meant something.
He didn't try to remove it the night before but he'd been wearing it beneath his clothes. It wasn't something he cared to display.
Hinata frowned. She wondered if it had been a gift from someone… Sakura?
Hinata's stomach twisted at the thought of Naruto wearing something that Sakura had given him while he'd been with her. A gift that meant something.
Had Neji been right? Was Naruto head-over-heels in love with Sakura?
Then why was he spending so much time with Hinata? And the night before… the emotions revealed… the expressions and the words said… those couldn't have been fake!

After escaping from practically all of their friends, Naruto and Hinata had gone to his apartment to eat after having watched a movie together.
A real date without Neji as a chaperone. A real date and not just a meal or training or a walk around the village. It was a date where the only purpose they had was to enjoy each others company.
After they finished eating, Naruto had been cleaning up and pushing his table closer to the wall, "It's small." He said, "Probably smaller than your bedroom, Hinata-chan, but I like it. It's mine."
"I like it, too." Hinata said, "It's cozy. At the house… it's too big. Especially when I'm alone."
"Do they leave you alone often?"
Hinata shrugged, "My father spends so much time looking after the clan, training my sister and Neji. Neji spends all his time training or going on missions. It can be a little lonely."
"Well, you're always welcome here, Hinata-chan. Even if I'm not here. You can just hang out."
Hinata smiled, "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I'd like that. It's so nice here. I really do like it."

They sat on his bed and started exchanging war stories. They laughed together when they heard a commotion outside and saw Chouji being dragged from a hiding space by Shikamaru and his Shadow Mimic Jutsu.

Sometime around 1 AM, they were talking about the Chunnin Exam that Hinata had taken before she became a Chunnin.
"I wasn't sure how they would work the exam." Naruto told her, "I thought they might need whole teams again, like last time. Like, Sakura. She took the exam without either of her teammates…"
Hinata tried to stifle a large yawn.
"Am I boring you?" Naruto asked with a laugh.
Hinata smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, "I… I think I could listen to you talk, N-naruto… forever."

Naruto lifted her chin and kissed her, very softly.
Hinata closed her eyes and returned the kiss.
She felt strong. Bold. She felt aggressive.
Hinata's hands moved to the pull of the zipper of his black and orange jacket. She unzipped it and pushed the jacket off his shoulders.
"Oh," Naruto murmured, breaking the kiss, "Is that where this is going?"
Hinata blushed in the moonlight and nodded. She unzipped her own jacket and pulled it off, "If… if you're okay with that."
Naruto smiled gently, "You won't hear me complaining, Hinata."

Hinata smiled in the morning light, remembering when she actually saw the necklace. It swung from his neck when she pulled his shirt up and over his head.
Naruto ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and tossed the shirt to the floor.
Hinata noticed it and made a note to ask him about it later.
She forgot all about it when Naruto pulled her closer, onto the small bed.

Hinata touched the smooth stone of the necklace again.
It was a pretty thing but was it something from Sakura? From a friend? Or something else?

"Ooo-haaa-yo…" Naruto murmured, yawning.
Hinata jerked her hand away, "O-ohayo… N-naruto-k…"
"I think we're past suffixes, Hinata." Naruto said with a smile.
He yawned again and nuzzled his cheek against her head, "Your hair smells good."
Hinata smiled and thought that his skin smelled good – something like warmth, soap and Naruto.

She rested her hand on his bare chest, her fingers barely touching the stone.
"Do you like it?"
"What?"
"The necklace." Naruto said, "You keep looking at it."
"It's nice…" Hinata said nonchalantly, "W-where did you get it?"
Naruto yawned and stretched, "Granny Tsunade."

"Ah…! What?" Hinata lifted her head and looked at him to see if he was joking.
"Really." Naruto said, "When we first met. We had a bet. She said I wouldn't be able to master Rasengan within a week. I said three days but it's a good thing she gave me those extra four days." He laughed, "I won."
"Oh…"
"It's a chakra stone."
"A chakra stone!" Hinata exclaimed, "F-from the Hokage-sama?"
Naruto nodded.
"Oh!"
"What?"
"Ano… I… I've read a lot of the history of… uh, Konoha. I remember… uh, a legend or a myth about the First Hokage… he wore a necklace… a chakra stone…"
"Yea?"
"Uh… I just… I remember hearing that it was a chakra stone… and… and Tsunada-sama is the granddaughter of… of… the First. Maybe it's the same necklace."
"You think so? Cool."
"I hear its worth a lot." Hinata stretched like a cat against him.

"Do you want it?"
Hinata laughed and sat up, "No."
"What?" Naruto asked, his eyes on her long dark hair and the way it hung against the pale skin of her back.
"I-it's your necklace, Naruto. I'm not going to… to take it." Hinata didn't mention that she'd heard legends of the necklace. She couldn't remember exactly what had been written about the necklace but she recalled the words 'necklace of death'.

'But,' Hinata thought, 'If Naruto has had that necklace since he met Tsunade-sama then he's had it for a while and so whatever curse I'd heard about doesn't seem to affect him.'
"What if I want to give it to you? You shouldn't refuse a gift, Hinata. It's rude."
"Ah!" Hinata turned to him, her face pink, "You're calling me rude?" She smiled, "I refuse the necklace, Naruto. I-It's yours! Something of value that you… you shouldn't give to anyone!"
Naruto pouted but didn't say any more on the subject.

"I-I'd better get home." Hinata murmured, "I doubt anyone knows that I'm… not there but…"
"Hinata, if you really think no one's gonna notice that you're not there then you should just stay here. We can… have breakfast. Hang out, all day. Train or just do something, you know, without Neji."
Hinata smiled, "That sounds like fun…"

A knock sounded at Naruto's door.
The two exchanged a look.
"Naruto?"
Neji!

Hinata paled and hugged the bedsheet to her chest.
Naruto scrambled off the bed, "Neji!?"
"Hai! Can I come in?"
"NO! NO! Wait! I… I'm… not… I'M NAKED!" Naruto clutched his hand to his mouth to stop himself from laughing at the situation.
Neji coughed but didn't say anything.
"What is Neji doing here?" He whispered to Hinata as he pulled on his pants from the night before.
Hinata shook her head, "I… I thought he was on a mission!" She whispered back. She grabbed her clothes and tip-toed to the bathroom, "D-distract him! I'll go out by the window!"

Naruto nodded and pulled on his shirt, "What… what do you want, Neji?"
He pulled open the door.
Neji stood on the other side, "Are… you alone?"
"OF COURSE I AM! Its… early. I'm… alone. What do you want!?" Naruto stuck his head out the door and looked up and down the hallway, "Is… Hiashi-sama with you? What do you want!?"
Neji walked past Naruto into his small apartment, "Why would Hiashi-sama be with me?" He looked around the apartment.
"You have a… nice home."
Naruto glared at him, "Whaddya want, Neji? I thought you were on a mission."
"I was. It's finished."
"In one night?"
"I'm that good." Neji replied, "I want to talk to you, Naruto."
"So, talk." Naruto wished he had Byakugan. Then he could see if Hinata had escaped from the bathroom.

"I want to talk about Hinata."
Naruto cleared his throat, "Nani? H-hinata? What… what about her?"
"I know, Naruto. I know everything."
Naruto coughed, choking on nothing, "WHAT!? YOU DO!?"
"Of course! I'm not blind, Naruto."
'He saw Hinata when he was outside! He used his Byakugan! He's gonna kill me for spending the night with his cousin! Shit!' Naruto's mind raced.

"Hinata fancies herself in love with you, Naruto. She has very strong feelings." Neji continued, ignoring the frantic look on Naruto's face, "I want to ask you if you're leading her on or if you have feelings for her too."
"What?" Naruto whispered, "That… that's all?"
"That's all!?" Neji growled, "These are the feelings of my cousin, Naruto. They are important!"
"I… I didn't say they weren't important!" Naruto protested, "I… what does it matter to you how I feel about Hinata? That's between me and Hinata."
"I won't let you hurt her, Naruto. If you're just leading her on, I'm here with a warning. Quit it. Stop hanging around so much. Don't talk to her, even!" Neji said, leaning closer to Naruto, "I won't hesitate to hurt you physically if you hurt Hinata."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, "For your information, Big Brother, I'm not leading her on. I'd do anything for her. If she asked me to stop eating ramen forever or walk on hot coals barefoot, I'd do it. So your warning is unnecessary. Got it?"

Neji crossed his arms, "Just remember what I said, Naruto."
Naruto rolled his eyes. They came to land on a forehead protector sitting on his nightstand. Naruto stared at it. It wasn't his.
His face paled.
"O-okay, Neji. I'll remember. Is that all?" Naruto walked quickly to the door, "I'll see you later, Neji."
Neji's eyebrows rose, "Hmm…"
"I've gotta clean up around here so… you… should go. Right? Unless you want to help me out." Naruto laughed lamely.
Neji regarded him as if he'd just grown an extra head, "Later… then."
He walked out the door, "Then… I'll tell Hinata you said, 'Hi'."
"Right. Ok. Bye!"
"Actually, she said she needed to rest. I'm going to check on her to see if she's okay."
"Right now?" Naruto asked.

Neji nodded and walked away.
Naruto sighed and closed his door.
Behind him, Hinata stood, holding her forehead protector.
"ARGH!" Naruto cried, "What're you still doing here?" He asked, clutching his heart.
"I forgot my forehead protector! I…"
"Neji is going to go see you right now!" Naruto exclaimed, "You've got to be there! Over there!"
Hinata yelped, "He's going to find out I'm not there!"
"I know!" Naruto cried, "Ok! It's ok! I… I will distract him. You! Get home!"
"Hai!" Hinata said, disappearing into a cloud of smoke.
Naruto pulled on his sandals and ran out of his apartment after Neji.

"Neji! NEJI!" Naruto called, "Wait up!"
Neji was already walking down the street towards the Hyuuga house.
"SLOW DOWN!" Naruto roared, "NEJI!"
Neji stopped and turned around. He saw Naruto jogging to catch up, "What?"
"I…" Naruto flushed, "I… uh… wanted… to talk to you."
"About?"
Naruto's eyes darted, "Uh…" his eyes landed on the Yamanaka Flower Shop, "Plants."
"Plants?"
"Yea…" Naruto motioned to the flower shop, "I like plants. I… have something of a green thumb. I, uh, I… do you like plants?"
"…the hell?" Neji furrowed his brow, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing… is wrong." Naruto said slowly, "I'd… like your opinion on a plant that… I would like to give… to Hinata."

"Like, flowers?"
"…yes."
"You want me to help you pick out flowers for Hinata-sama." Neji said, "Are… you serious?"
Naruto looked around. It had to have been enough time for Hinata to be close to her house. She was probably already in bed.
"Nevermind!" Naruto said, "Be on your way! I… I need to pick out flowers." He turned on his heel and walked into the flower shop.

Inside, he peeked out the window and saw Neji standing in the street, staring at the shop.
He shook his head and walked down the street, his eyes still on the shop.
"What're you doing?"
Naruto jumped, "What…? What is it with you girls? Why do you keep sneaking up on me?" He turned to Ino, "I'm not… I was just coming in to look."
"You want another plant? Like the one you gave Kakashi-sensei?" Ino smiled darkly, as if she knew a secret.
"No… not right now…" Naruto frowned, "What?"

"I saw someone, today, Naruto. I was outside, watering some of the plants when I saw someone jumping across the buildings. She was coming from your apartment building."
Naruto paled, "You… saw… her?"
Ino squealed, "I knew it! I KNEW IT! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! NO ONE WILL BELIEVE IT WHEN I TELL THEM!!"
"NO! You… you can't, Ino! Please!"
"I was wondering why Sakura was running in such a hurry! She didn't want to get CAUGHT! But I saw her with my own eyes."
"OH GOD, YOU CAN'T TELL ANY… Sakura?" Naruto stared at Ino, "You saw Sakura-chan running from my apartment building?"
"Don't act like you're surprised, Naruto! I knew Sakura was developing a little crush on you but I had no idea she'd go so far so as to spend the night with you!" Ino squealed again.

"Sakura… was at my apartment…?" Naruto murmured, "But… I didn't see her."
"What? How can you have not seen her? You already admitted she was there." Ino frowned, narrowing her eyes at Naruto, "Unless… she wasn't the one that you were talking about."
Naruto ran for the door.
Ino jumped over the counter and tackled him, "OH NO! YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME EVERYTHING!"
"There's… nothing to tell!" Naruto grunted, struggling to get away, "No one was at my apartment. I never saw Sakura."
"Sakura looked strange when I saw her running." Ino said to herself, "She could have been crying but I thought she was laughing. She saw you with someone else, Naruto! Didn't she? TELL ME!"
"I…"
"Who was it!? TELL ME!"

"Knock-knock, I'm coming in." A voice called from the entrance, "Hello?"
Kakashi stood at the door, "I need some plant food…" He stopped when he saw Ino sitting on a struggling Naruto, "What's… going on?"
"Help me, Sensei!" Naruto called.
"What have you done this time, Naruto?"
"WHY ARE YOU BLAMING ME!?"
"NARUTO WAS WITH A GIRL LAST NIGHT!" Ino yelled, "HE WON'T TELL ME WHO!"
Kakashi's eye grew wide and he stepped back, "More information than I need to know!"
"HELP ME!!" Naruto begged, "PLEASE, SENSEI!!!"
Ino shoved Naruto's face into the floor, "Spill it, Blondie."
"I can't breathe!"

"You should know, Sensei," Ino said, "I saw Sakura running from his apartment, crying."
"You were with Sakura-chan?" Kakashi asked, astonished.
"No!" Naruto cried, muffled, "Get offa me!"
"Naruto says he wasn't with her but he let out that he was with someone! I think Sakura saw them!"
"Who were you with?" Kakashi asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Naruto shook his head.

"So you think Sakura is jealous or sad about Naruto being with someone else?" Kakashi asked Ino.
Ino nodded and pressed her elbow into Naruto's back, "TALK!"
"You're gonna break something!" Naruto moaned, "Sensei… help me…"
"Hmm… this is better than my book." Kakashi said, "I'm intrigued."
Naruto groaned, "I'm gonna puke, Ino… all over you."
Ino ignored him and pulled his hair, "I'll let you go if you tell me whooo."
"Sensei!" Naruto grunted, "I'll tell you everything… if you help me!"
Kakashi looked from Naruto to Ino.

Ino gasped and suddenly found herself sitting on the floor, the door to the shop open and Naruto and Kakashi gone.
"DAMMIT!"


Hi-hi!

I gotta say! Writing this is fun.
It's more fluff than anything else, really. I allude to events happening but I wouldn't call it lemon-y.
(I know what it means now! Thanks TylerSpikes:P) I guess I'm just not a lemon-y person.
Its all very lighthearted fare because while I love Naruto and all its emo-ness (that makes me weep) I also love the dopey funny episodes like 101 when they want to see Kakashi take off his mask. (Which I still want to see!!!!)
Plus, I'm a lighthearted person.

Also thanks to DragonMan180 for ideas!
And to lonewolf bloodstorm: You're right! As you can see from the story, Sakura saw something! She was crying, apparently, from what Ino sees. So you can probably guess where I'm going with this! (at least, concerning Sakura.)
Thanks to all the wunnerful people who have commented and so nicely! I was expecting angry flames, "Yar! You suck!"

Thanks for reading! As always, comments are appreciated and enjoyed! Send ideas! Fun ones! More chapters coming!
...

What is with me and all the exclamation marks!? I'm not this peppy irl. Srsly. oO
-4ng3legg