Chapter 3: Meeting the father

Naruto sat at his favourite ramen shop with only one bowl of ramen in front of him and that too was only half eaten. It has already been two days since Hinata came to visit him and told him that her father wanted to meet him. Much to his delight the subject that day had been changed to a much much more pleasant one when they shared their blissful first kiss. After their little adventure, which ended way too fast in Naruto's opinion, they had bought ramen and gone back to his place to eat after which they continued their escapade until she had to go home.

Although Naruto, being a healthy nineteen year old male, had wanted nothing more than to slide his calloused hands under Hinata's shirt, he had held himself back in fear that Hinata would never want to see hm if he were to do such a thing. Plus, they had just started dating and he felt it was too soon for such things. He would not let his hormones control him. Although he had half a mind to give into his hormones, the other half wanted to wait until he saw her in a white wedding dress to be only his and his alone.

But at this moment he sat in his favourite restaurant because along with her sweet tasting lips, Hinata had brought with her a piece of information he would rather not have heard. And that was that he must at one point or another meet her father and officially introduce himself and ask for permission to continue dating Hinata.

To be completely honest, he rather feared the meeting. First of all, he had never met a girlfriend's father before, second of all, he had never met a clan leader before and last but not least, he feared the outcome of the meeting. He could come out of the Hyuga mansion with overflowing happiness or unbearable sadness. He had absolutely no idea how he should talk to Hiashi Hyuga. He doubted he could talk like he would any other day. He also had no idea what he should say to Hiashi to make sure that he would know that Naruto would do everything in his power to keep Hinata safe and happy.

It was during his inner battle that Sasuke decided to enter the ramen shop. Sakura had been on a mission for the last couple of days and the bastard had been so lonely that he had resulted to hanging out at the ramen shop.

"Every time I pass by here, you are here. Don't you ever go home dobe?" Sasuke said sitting down on the stool beside Naruto.

"Do you realize how much you don't have a life without Sakura that you have come here as many times as I have to have noticed that?" Naruto countered, without fully understanding that his own words have said that he himself does not have a life.

Sasuke raised a raven brow at his words and waited until Naruto himself understood what he had said. But upon staring at Naruto for minute Sasuke knew that Naruto would not understand.

"whats wrong with you?" Sasuke asked when he noticed that Naruto was not being his usual annoying self and for some reason it annoyed him.

"I have to meet Hinata's father." Naruto said turning to look at Sasuke fully wanting to take advantage of the one time his so called best friend cared enough to ask him about how he was doing. Sasuke put down his chopsticks on the bowl to turn to look at Naruto. But for the first time in forever, Naruto saw that Sasuke was attempting very hard to hold in...laughter? Maybe...he had never seen Sasuke laugh so he couldn't be sure. Naruto gave him a curious look. Sasuke finally managed to control himself and ended up giving Naruto an amused smirk instead.

"Just a heads up...you are going to screw this up." Sasuke said going back to eating his ramen. Naruto stared at Sasuke. This bastard was voicing out his worst nightmare.

"Can you for once be a friend?" Naruto asked, half in irritation at his friend's attitude. Sasuke didn't say anything, only continued to eat his ramen as if Naruto hadn't even spoken. Naruto took that as a 'no'. He sighed, closing his eyes, knowing that trusting Sasuke to give him advice to make his life easier was probably not going to happen.

Sasuke pushed his finished bowl of ramen away from him and made up his mind to leave the sulking Naruto. He was the sulker of the team, he couldn't be near someone who's going to steal his contribution to the team. But the voice he's been hearing inside his head since his return had different plans for him. He could vaguely recognize the voice as Sakura's. He could often times hear her voice ordering him to do things to help other when she wasn't around. He hated it, but it wouldn't leave him alone until he listened to the voice. Sasuke let out a tired sigh. Sakura is really rubbing off on him and he disliked the warm feeling he gets after he's helped someone. But the voice demanded it and the voice got what the voice wanted. It was Sakura's voice after all.

"Alright. I take the challenge of teaching you manners so you can impress Hinata's father." Sasuke said in a quiet voice, reluctantly almost wanting to take them back as he said them. Naruto's head snapped at him in surprise. It was so fast Sasuke was surprised Naruto didn't snap his neck in the process.

"Really!?" Naruto sounded more surprised than he had been the time he said he wanted to be hokage.

To say Naruto was surprised to hear that Sasuke was actually going to help someone without gaining anything from it would have been the understatement of the century. Sasuke doesn't help people like that. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha, knowing his personality full well.

"What's the catch?" Naruto asked, because he knew there was going to be one.

Sasuke stood up from his chair and stuffed his hands in his black pants.

"Do you want my help or not?" he asked Naruto. To Naruto he sounded offended, but that couldn't be. Sasuke is never offended. He offends people but people do not offend Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto stood up from his chair as well. Whatever the catch may be, he desperately needed his help. Sasuke may be a bastard. But he's from a respectable clan. He's bound to know all the manner and politeness that comes with being in a big clan. Naruto is desperate enough to ask for help from Sasuke.

Sasuke smirked, to which Naruto scowled, leaving the ramen bar and heading towards the Uchiha complex. Naruto put some money on the counter and sighed, closing his eyes telling himself to be brave because he was doing this for Hinata. He then followed Sasuke to the Uchiha complex.

Every time Naruto comes here, the sheer size of the place amazes him. Sure most of it is run down and its like a ghost town at night, but Sasuke's house remained clean and standing out midst the wreckage that was the Uchiha compound.

The two friends entered the house and stood in front of a shoji door. Sasuke hesitated for at most two seconds before pushing the door open and entering into it. Naruto followed behind cautiously, guessing that this room must have held some memories for the Uchiha. But both men refused to acknowledge it. Instead Sasuke went in and sat down on a red cushion in the middle of the room after opening another shoji door that lead to what Naruto assumed was the backyard thought it could also be another village in on itself for the size of it. Sasuke threw a cushion at Naruto as well, which he almost didn't catch because he was still staring at the never ending back yard behind Sasuke.

Naruto put the cushion down in front of him and plopped down with his legs crossed and hands resting in his knees. He looked at Sasuke then only to find him looking totally annoyed.

"You don't plop down on the seat, you sit like this." he said gesturing to himself. Naruto's eyes wondered down to where Sasuke was gesturing. Sasuke sat with his legs tucked under him and his hands resting on his lap. Naruto raised an eyebrow at his friends posture and snickered at the sight.

"Isn't that how girls sit teme?" he asked the Uchiha in a mocking tone. Sasuke scowled at Naruto knowing that this was going to take longer than he had anticipated.

"No. This is how respectable people sit. You will first put your knees on the cushion and slowly sit down on the back of your legs." he further explained in a way that Naruto would understand.

"Alright, alight! I know how to sit teme." Naruto said, standing up and sitting the way that Sasuke told him to with not so much grace but still enough to surprise Sasuke.

"Good." he said as they faced each other.

"Then what?" Naruto asked loudly, his voice echoing in the empty compound.

"You speak like a normal person. When you speak to someone whose sitting so close, you don't need to raise your voice so much. Now say something in a quieter tone" Sasuke ordered.

"You are a bastard." Naruto said in what he thought was a quiet tone. Sasuke didn't even seem to be fazed by the insult.

"Quieter."

"You are a bastard." Naruto said his voice going down in several decibels.

"Better. You should speak like that in front of him. Make sure your voice doesn't get too loud and annoying." Sasuke said. "And don't fidget." Sasuke ordered harshly as Naruto moved around in his cushion.

"My legs have fallen a sleep." Naruto said irritated that Sasuke as sitting in his seat so unmoving while his legs already feels like its on a plate of thorns.

A week later

Naruto walked up to the Hyuga gates slowly, as the black haori he borrowed from Sasuke kept on getting in between his legs as he attempted to walk. He pulled the fabric from between his legs before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door.

His heart pounded in his chest as the wost case scenarios played in his mind. No matter how many times he tired to imagine a scenario where Hiashi gave them his blessings he could not put aside the picture of being thrown out of the mansion out of his head.

After a couple of minutes of nerve wrecking waiting, the wide wooden doors opened to reveal a man with short hair and creme eyes. He stared at Naruto for a moment before opening the door fully to let him in.

"Hiashi-sama is expecting you Uzumaki-san." the man said, closing the door as Naruto entered. Naruto raised a blond eyebrow at the man. No ones called him Uzumaki-san before. It felt weird to Naruto to have people talk to him so formally when just over ten years ago people called him just about every bad noun they could come up with. "Follow me." the man said walking past Naruto and motioning for him to follow him. Naruto did as he was told and quietly followed the man as he recalled the lessons he had been receiving for the past week from Sasuke.

The man stopped in front of a shoji door with Naruto behind him.

"Naruto Uzumaki is here to see you Hiashi-sama." the young man said to the closed door.

"Send him in." he heard the barely audible voice of the Hyuga clan leader. Naruto took a deep breath and swallowed hard to make his throat a little less dry. The man opened the shoji door to reveal a room bigger than any room Naruto had ever seen. He walked into the room and landed his eyes on the man sitting in the middle of it with all the grace that Naruto knew him to have. He looked back at the door as it closed behind him and suddenly he felt more nervous than before. The two remained still as Naruto tried to remember what Sasuke told him to do first. Naruto bowed down to the man as he bent his form a full ninety degrees with his hands stiffly on either side of him.

"We should be bowing to you Naruto-san. You are the one who saved the shinobi world after all." he heard the man in front of him say in a rather light tone. Naruto eased, hearing the lightness of his voice, maybe this wont be as bad as he had expected. Naruto raised his head to look at the man and give him a huge grin.

"Nah, I had lots of help." he said scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Only to remember a moment later that Sasuke had ordered him not to do that. He again stood still with his hands in his sides as his grin disappeared.

"Have a seat Naruto ." Hiashi said gesturing to the cushion located in front of him. Naruto did as he was told and sat down going over in his head exactly how Sasuke had told him to do it. Naruto ran his eyes over the room looking for a certain heiress who had promised to be beside him when he faced this situation.

"What can I do for you Naruto-san?" Hiashi asked as he faced Naruto with his hands resting on his lap. Naruto's attention went from looking Hinata to the prideful man before him. He wasn't sure if Hiashi would allow his daughter, who is the next heiress of the clan to be with the host of the demon who attempted to destroy the village. But Naruto was ready to beg if it came to it, if it meant that he could continue to be with Hinata and feel the way he feels when he's around her.

Naruto knew that Hiashi knew why he was here. But he guessed Hiashi was playing it cool. Trying to get Naruto to get to the subject. Naruto straightened his back and looked at the creme eyes of the father of the girl he loved more than life itself. His blue eyes dancing with determination.

"Hiashi-sama sir... I would like to ask for permission to court your eldest daughter Hinata please." Naruto said, his voice not betraying the fear he felt at the moment. Sasuke had told him to not stutter, that to look at him when he spoke. To make sure that the man knew Naruto was the best man to take care of his daughter.

Naruto's suspicions about Hiashi knowing about his reason for being here was confirmed as Hiashi remained as still as ever when Naruto spoke. His face giving out nothing of his inner thoughts. Naruto too remained still staring at the man silently telling him that he will not back down.

"If I am not mistaken, you have already taken her out on a date...before you asked me." Hiashi said finally, boring his eyes into Naruto's. As soon as he spoke, Naruto heard a yelp from the other side of the door but didn't turn his head towards it knowing full well that Hinata is on the other side of the door. He heard Hiashi sigh with is eyes closed. "Hinata." he called and Naruto heard the door open slowly and behind it was a very red Hinata looking as sheepish as ever with her head bowed down. "I thought I told you to stay in your room." Hiashi said sternly.

"I am sorry father." came Hinata's quiet apology before she looked at Naruto from under her eyelashes sending him a soft smile. Naruto returned one of his own grins letting her know he will be fine. She then turned to leave but was stopped by Hiashi's voice.

"Sit down, now that you are already here." Naruto inwardly let out a sigh of relief as Hiashi said this. He did not want to be in a room by himself with the a practically emanating pride. Hinata quickly grabbed a cushion and slowly put it down a few feet away from Naruto sitting down on it. Hiashi then turned his eyes to Naruto though Naruto didn't seem to notice as he stared at Hinata with a huge grin on his face gladly welcmng the ease that came to him as she sat down beside him. He only turned his attention to Hiashi when he cleared his throat loudly.

"Oh the date!" Naruto blurted out loudly as his eyes looked at Hiashi. He scowled at himself before continuing, for forgetting to speak in human volumes. " No sir we did not go on a date." Naruto lied, because technically it wasn't a complete lie.

"You dare lie to me?" Hiashi's voice became hard and stern and Naruto panicked. He seems to know about the date. Naruto wanted to hit himself over the head with something very hard. He didn't know why he didn't just say he did take her out.

"No I mean, we did. But everyone was there with us, so it's wasn't really a date." Naruto said flustered attempting to recover. Hiashi narrowed his eyes at Naruto . Naruto just gave him a grin hoping it will help at least a little. It didn't, Hiashi seems to only narrow his creme coloured eyes even more.

Hiashi didn't say anything for a long time after that. He only stared at Naruto as Naruto stared back hoping to all the gods that he would impress him enough to let him be with Hinata. After a couples minutes of Hiashi's scrutinizing, Naruto became restless. Old habits die hard they say. Naruto turned to Hinata and gave her a smile as she stared back at him with her beautiful eyes.

"Can I have a minute alone with your father Hinata?" he asked her and she seems to want to pretest for a moment before she stood up excusing herself and closing the door behind her. He waited for her chakra signature to walk away from ear shot before speaking. He turned to Hiashi again and looked at him.

"Hiashi-sama sir, your daughter has managed to give me everything I have always wanted just by being beside me. I grew up with no one. Having Hinata with me makes me feel like I have everything. She makes me so much happier than I ever thought I could be and I would really like to get your permission to maker her feel at least an ounce of that happiness. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, although I know that she is strong and does not need my protection, but I will protect her with my life. She is my life and my happiness and that will not change whether you give us your blessing or not. I assure you though, if you do not give us your blessing...I will not continue this relationship, only because I do not wish to put Hinata in a position where she would have to chose either me or her family. I will never rob her of her family when I know how much family mean. If you do not give me permission to court Hinata, I will walk away from here and stay away from her. But know that I will fight my best to get permission from you and if you do decide to allow us to date, I swear to you that I will spend every moment of my life to give her the happiness that she has already given me." Naruto finished swallowing hard again because his mouth is completely dry from talking for so long.

He waited as Hiashi studied him for longer. Even if he felt rather uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Neji spoke very highly of you." Hiashi began and Naruto faltered for a second before composing himself. Naruto didn't expect him to start talking about Neji all of a sudden. " He said you were an admirable person. He also mentioned about Hinata's...feelings towards you. I was surprised to say the least, but he said the reason Hinata has improved so much in her ninja training is because she wants to be strong to protect you. Your words have inspired her to reach a level I did not believe she would ever reach. You obviously love her very much and she you." Hiashi said and Naruto felt the bubble of hope that welled up in him as he listened. He waited with bated breath as Hiashi spoke in his authoritative voice. "I will allow for your relationship to continue because you seem to maker her very happy, for reasons that are beyond me." Hiashi finished though the last part was mumbled out so that Naruto would not hear. But Naruto was too busy being happy about receiving permission he wouldn't have heard it anyway.

Naruto's whole body relaxed and he wanted to put run his hands over his hair and close his eyes. He was relived, so relived that he wanted to pump his fist in the air like he usually does when he is victorious. But Sasuke had almost beat it in to him to control it when whatever answer Hiashi wanted to give was given. So he remained still, only letting out a sigh of relief at the answer he received, he sent a silent thanks to Neji as well.

"But..." Naruto fell from cloud nine as he heard Hiashi's voice say. "...you will not get...overly familiar with her." he warned and Naruto shivered as he felt a cold rush run down his spine to the death glare he was receiving from the other occupant of the room.

"A-absolutely not sir." he assured Hiashi before standing up to leave because he was starting to sweat profusely in places he did not was possible for one to sweat in. He did another ninety degree bend to the man, "Thank you Hiashi-sama." he said sincerely because he truly was thankful that he will not be losing the one thing he had ever wanted more than he wanted to be hokage. He left the room closing the behind him.

Hiashi watched as the shoji door closed leaving him alone with his thoughts. Even before Naruto had come in to ask for permission to date his eldest daughter, Hiashi had already given them his blessing. But it was still nice to know that the boy cared enough to ask as well. He had seen Naruto fights in the war and he has heard how the villagers praise the boy. He had also known the deep feelings his eldest daughter held for the boy thanks to Neji. Hiashi is ashamed to admit that he was one of the many that despised the boy when he was younger. But now, Hiashi is not ashamed to admit that Naruto Uzumaki is someone anyone would be proud to be associated with.

As Naruto walked down the long hallway of the Hyuga mansion leading towards the front gates,he could not prevent the skip he had in his steps. He could now openly date Hinata, hold her hand and actually tell people without being afraid that Hinata's father would find out. He stopped walking as he saw Hinata waiting at the gates playing with her hands in front of her chest. Naruto smirked and walked towards her, carefully adjusting his facial expression to look crestfallen. Upon seeing him, Hinata dropped her hands to her sides and smiled only for that smile to disappear at the sight of the depressed looking Naruto .

"Naruto-kun...what happened?" she asked quietly as he stopped in front of her, avoiding her eyes.

"I'm sorry Hinata. But your father didn't agree." he said with an exaggerated sigh. He raised his head to look at her and found her almost in tears as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Na-naruto-kun, I don't care. If my father doesn't see what makes me happy then I don't care. I want to be with you..." she finished surprising Naruto with her declaration. He stared at her face with wide cerulean eyes. Hinata was ready to be with him no matter what. Because he made her happy. Just as being with her gives him happiness, being with him makes her happy. He felt awful for pulling such a terrible joke on her now. He broke into a soft smile before grinning at her as he scratched the back of his head.

"I was just kidding Hinata...your father gave us his permission." he said sheepishly and watched as her eyes widened. She then let out a sigh closing her eyes then opening them a moment later.

"Naruto-kun, you scared me." she said as one of her hands went up to land over her heart. "Why would you do such as thing?" she asked as she frowned at him.

"For fun." he said in between laughs but then suddenly stopped looking at her. She looked startled and stared back at him. "But thank you...for wanting to be with me so much even though I'm such a doofus sometimes." he said in all seriousness. Because it was truly a wonder that someone wanted to be with him knowing his personality full well.

She stared at him for a moment longer before her thin lips lifted up into her beautiful smile. As gentle and soft as ever.

"You are a doofus." she agreed her smile never faltering. Then she took a step towards him surprising him because Hinata never initiated actions that brought them too close together. She raised her hand and rested it on his whiskered cheek and he could feel her warmth seeping into him. Her hand on his cheek brought back memories from back when the war was still going on and he could feel the gentleness and the love she felt towards him just from this touch. She then leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth in a bold move he did not expect from her. Which is why he was frozen solid for a while even as she backed away from him with a beautiful blush adorning her cheeks and her hands behind her back.

When Naruto regained his composure again, he also has a tint if pink of his cheeks but he gave her his signature grin none the less.

"Hinata, do you want to go visit Neji tomorrow?" he asked her as he felt the need to go and thank the man for looking after the two of then even in death. Hinata's smile faded and she looked at him with sad eyes. "I think we owe him a visit since he's the one who convinced your father to give me a chance." Naruto told her because he really wanted the two of them to visit Neji.

Hinata looked down at her feet but nodded her head after a few minutes.

"We can ask him how he's doing in heaven." she said quietly and Naruto smiled at her telling her that he will be there with her and that she is not alone.

"Yeah." he agreed sadly and they both remained in the silence for a while remembering the man who had saved their lives giving out his own life. "I have to go Hinata. I'll pick you up here tomorrow at ten then." he told her after a while and she again nodded as her smile returned to her face.

"Bye Naruto-kun...and thanks for coming." she said shyly.

"No problem. Besides now we can be a real couple." he told her with a grin and she blushed even harder hearing him say they were a couple. He then waved to her as he exited the compound. How Hinata managed to get his heart beating so much with just one look was beyond him. But he liked the feelings and he would have the rest of his life to figure out how and why she made him feel like he owned the world.

Here is another Naruhina. They are just so darn cute.

Anyway rate and review all you beautiful people. I look forward to hearing from you.

THANKS FOR READING :D