Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Previously

"Good. Itachi and Kisame, head after the Gobi & Nanabi since Kakuzu will be busy with bounty hunting. We will be avoiding Nibi and Hachibi for now since Raikage will be on uproar for this incident so continue with other target. If someone encounters Kyuubi, Capture immediately. We can't leave it free for long. Be sure to spread counter-intelligence on our movement. I think Jiraiya will be wary of our scheme. "Pain vanished, along with the rest.

Chapter 3: Confessions

As the party was progressing, everybody took their part of drink. They all sat around coach and started discussing how three years progressed for each of them.

"Man, you're still troublesome, you know that." Mused Shikamaru.

"So, you all guys got promoted. I guess. I mean it's been three years already. You guys really don't look like some Ge-nin." "Asked Naruto.

"Yeah, Neji and Shino were just promoted to Jo-nin. I think Neji's going to try for ANBU. Lee and Tenten were promoted to Special Jo-nin in field of Taijutsu and Weapon Mastery. Others are chu-nin... "Said Ino with excitement till she came to end of sentence."except Hinata and you. "

Everyone but Naruto was able to catch pang of regret and failure on Hyuuga heiress's beautiful face.

"Don't worry Hinata. This time we will kick everyone's asses, and then Tsunade-baa-chan will be forced to give us promotion. "

Cheerful voice was all needed to bring her out of her self-doubts.

She gives him a small smile and nods her head in agreement. 'I will try my best if I was paired with you for exam. I won't disappoint you... Or at least try.'

"Hai."

Others were thankful that Hinata was showing some confidence for once. After her blond crush left Konoha, she was still training rigorously for his approval but her confidence in herself was fading. She had power to breakthrough Jo-nin but she couldn't build courage to hurt someone she cared about. These were qualities that were still holding her back.

In previous years exam at Suna she was facing Ino in first match in finals.

She managed to give her a tough time but still couldn't deliver knockout blow and Ino managed to turn tables by her signature skill 'Mind transfer jutsu' and made her forfeit match.

Six months after exams were held in Kumo so she needed to sit that one out. As relations with Cloud Nation were still non-friendly but non aggressive treaty but they say' Precaution is better than cure'.

So Tsunade made her drop for the exams.

"So, Naruto I heard you were in Pricess Koyuki's film and that last kiss part was so romantic. I never thought you would look so hot even while you were looking shocked for that part. I never thought you would score that big." said Ino trying to change the topic that everyone wishing to avoid.

"Well we're hired by her manager Sandayu Asuma for her protection as they were in hurry to go for snow country and couldn't contact any major hidden village for escort mission.

Jiraiya-sensei got wind of it by his contact. So we agreed to take this mission as you know how he becomes when there is a chance to write on some smut on some beauty. So he agreed it as a training mission for me.

At first she was bitching about not returning to snow country and often she ran to avoid going to that place. But we I mean me and Jiraiya-sensei were able breakthrogh her shell and made her see truth. Then we defeated her uncle Doto who had assassinated Daiymo to rule said country, that Daiymo was Koyuki's father and then she was crowned Daiymo of former snow country and renamed it spring country. "Explained Naruto. " I didn't even know that old man director filmed it. And last kiss was just a thank you from her. "

'And not to mention she confessed me her love but that is beside the point.'

thought Naruto with a smile coming on his face.

=== Flashback ===

After the battle, Naruto was strolling in balcony outside his room in Daiymo castle. After all if you were Daiymo's friend then it has it perks. He sat in balcony and looked at the stars in this cool night.

'It's really is a heaven. It looks so peaceful and exciting at same time. Earth has taken a snow-white blanket on herself and winds are playing a lullaby for earth and animals, Night is itself is bathing in coolness of moon and stars. Never really thought for change that it will be so good... Well at least now people of Spring country can live in peace with Doto gone. This reminds me how we have freed Wave country from Gato. I should give a visit to Tsunami, old man Tazuna and Inari…'

Just then he heard a knock on door. He opened the door to see Koyuki standing in front of him in her pristine night gown.

Naruto might have been an idiot but was still respectful of female figures. He stepped aside and led Koyuki inside and shut the doors behind.

Koyuki arrived inside and sits next to where Naruto sat before.

Koyuki said "What's up Naruto? Why are you still up?"

"It's nothing really Koyuki, I am just staring at the stars. But if I may be so rude I can ask you same question."

Koyuki blushes slightly in embarrassment about whole situation.

"What did you need me for, Koyuki-hime?"Asked Naruto with a small mocking bow to Koyuki.

She let her blush fade and frowned slightly. Naruto was about to apologize when she spoke up.

"Please do not be so formal Naruto-kun."

He gave her a smile before nodding his assent.

Her smile returned as she motioned for him to sit next to her. He slowly walked to the bed before sitting on the edge like she was and noticed how soft the bed felt.

'She's looking very beautiful in that gown. How will it feel like to touch this angel? Really am I even worthy to touch this goddess of beauty and grace on earth.'

He quickly crushed that line of thought.

It would not due for him to lose control of his mask and start angsting to the level only normally accomplishable by an Uchiha.

Once he was seated, she took a deep breath to steady her nerves before beginning.

"There are a few reasons why I came in the first place. The first of which is I want to thank you. Please don't stop me" She quickly moved over to Naruto before grabbing his cheeks softly and leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Naruto sat there stunned as a princess gave him his first kissed well second but he had firmly pushed back Sasuke and his accidental kiss to the deepest part of his mind and put it under lock and key a long time ago.

After a few seconds, he started to respond which made Koyuki unexpectedly groan in appreciation as those feeling she had gotten earlier seemed to come back even stronger.

A minute later they stopped and Naruto's mind tried to catch up with the situation.

An heiress to a royal clan in Spring country had just kissed him.

Did I mentioned she's really hot exotic beauty like white camellia in snow and her body's like a most desirable thing made on this earth?

When he finally did, he had a few questions but he choose the one he felt needed to be answered the most.

"Why?"

She gave him a smile before speaking.

"First, I wanted to thank you for all you did for me properly. You were the reason I was able to break the cowardliness in myself and come through it to take the job that was given to me by none other than my father. I didn't know how he must have felt to see me in that state but he would see difference now. I will make him proud."

"You know I think he would be proud of you now as you are not only taking this as burden but responsibility for the welfare of this country. I know a person which has lost her will to live. She was drinking herself and gambling herself to oblivion. Now she knows what it is to love again not due to some miracle. No, she was forgetting that in her condition she was hurting her only precious person by being in this sorrow. I don't know how its feel to have parents and their love but I know how it feels to lose someone precious to you. When Sandaime-sama passed away, for the first time in my life I felt a void in my heart. I felt how it hurts when we lose some one but now that you're not dwelling on your past. So … "Naruto gave her a look that basically said that he know something's missing.

"What was the other reason?"

She blushed slightly before responding.

"I feel safe around you. You're the first person that I feel safe around since father was killed."

Naruto slowly nodded his head as he took what she said in but what she said next threw him for a loop.

"And since you helped me, I wanted to do something to help you and I kind of hoped you would let me help you with your problems."

When she finished she looked away and Naruto was still trying to register what she had said when she spoke again.

She took a small inhale to calm her nerves and to control her raging emotions.

"Before I met you I felt as if I was alone and no one knew what I was going through but, you showed up and slowly started to chip away at the icy exterior I put up and eventually you broke through and let me know what it was like to care for something again."

Naruto was off in his own world as he listened to her talk.

He had always felt that he was alone and that no one else could understand what was going on.

'She's just like me. She was just running away from her problems same as baa-chan.'

He commented in his own mind as he sat stone stiff with tears leaking down his eyes.

"And I want to say I really love you. I thought it would be best to confront you about this. I don't want others to involve in this situation, because if I would have send marriage proposal to your Hokage. Politics would have forced your hands. But I want your response on this. "

He was stunned to say anything.' This eternal sacred beauty was confessing her love for him and possibly asking to marry her.'

He thought about whole situation and said."Koyuki-hime I don't know if I really deserve you. You're princess of this country and I am a village pariah. I really like you but I can't really accept your offer."

"It's ok Naruto-kun. If you don't love me it's your choice. Maybe you deserve someone better..."

"You're taking it wrong way. Koyuki-hime, I am something people chose to avoid. When I was born, Kyuubi attacked our home village. It was wreaking havoc until Yondaime-sama sealed it away in a new born child. I was that child. I am a demon container. I don't deserve you. I may like you but I don't want to get you hurt as an organization is on move to kill me and take the demon for their purpose. I don't know what I'd do if anything happens to you. I …"

"Thank you for telling me truth of situation but my feeling are toward you and they don't differ from original even if you are a demon container. I don't know what others see you but I see you as someone I want to be love of my life. So if you accept my offer. I'll be waiting. But I need to shut up council for their political suitors so please I'll be waiting till next month before council takes over the decision."

With that said that she left and Naruto was left with some conflicting feelings and decisions.

=== Flashback ends ===

"Earth to Naruto. Helloooooo…."

He snapped his attention toward laughing Kiba and blushed in embarrassment.

"What.. having naughty thoughts about some princess?! Ha ha ha ha...".

Kiba tried to continue before he got a firm & solid punch on his face by none other Sakura.

"Will you stop being idiot? … at least for once."

At least that has given enough time and distraction for Naruto that his blush was unnoticed except a pale eyed princess. 'You don't know Kiba, you don't know.'

Naruto's apartment room was plain but large than his last one. But it was designed with some effective but moderately expensive artifact. It was three bedroom a small one and two other large one with their separate bathroom with a large living room and kitchen. 'Well at least it's more than my previous one. And clean too…'

So as time was passed on guys decided to crash in living room and small bedroom. Girls got bigger one for night. Almost everyone was loaded in Sake. Like Kiba, Ino and Choji were rolling on their feet. Almost everyone except the blond owner and a pale eyed princess.

-sometime in night-

Hinata was enjoying night sky outside the apartment on its roof.

She really was enjoying this scene.

A long, sad sigh escaped her as she looked up at the bright moon, not noticing the sound of foot steps behind her. Hinata almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a familiar voice behind her say, "Hey Hinata-chan, I didn't think anyone would be here this late?"

Hinata glanced over her shoulder, her pale eyes meeting crystal blue ones, and a dark crimson eclipsed her cheeks. She nervously replied, "N-Naruto-kun, what are y-you doing here?"

"I come out here every so often to just clear my head and think." Naruto said as he sat down beside Hinata and looked out over the lake. Hinata stared at the blond, her eyes tracing each whisker mark on his cheek and looked deeply into those beautiful eyes of his. The girl's heart began to beat against her chest hard. All she wanted to do was reach over, place her hands on top of his, and kiss him with all the passion and feeling she could muster up. Unfortunately, she was too much of a coward to act so drastically like that.

"What about you? Why are you here Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow as he saw the utter sadness painted onto her otherwise beautiful face.

"I-I was just thinking about something," Hinata answered somberly.

"Oh, would you mind telling me what that something is?"

"Umm...it's more of someone than something."

"Ah, okay, so continue."

Hinata nodded slightly, "I think I l-love him."

"Well, have you told him that yet?" Naruto inquired.

She shook her head and looked down. 'Why couldn't I just tell him her feelings? It would be ten times better than keeping everything inside, but she just couldn't do that. What if he rejected her and broke her heart?

What if he has already seeing someone?

Hinata would much rather keep everything inside that risk the chance of being hurt by his rejection.

"Hinata, you have to tell him. If you keep it bottled up, nothing will happen and you could lose your chance. First thing I was trained to ease my mind and talk things withi someone I could trust. These bottled feeling can be really harmful for someones mind. If you're feeling for someone you should come out and say it. It might be hard and he could reject you, but it is better to just tell him and get it over with. At least you won't feel like why you never said something till it was too late." Naruto said with the big, warm smile that he was famous for and placed his hand on top of hers. He gave her a slight squeeze and continued to look at starry sky

The Hyuuga girl's heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. He was right and she knew it, but she was still scared as hell. With a deep calming breath, Hinata placed her free hand on Naruto's tan cheek and with all the courage she could gather, she looked into Naruto's now wide eyes and said, "N-Naruto-kun, I...I love you. I always have."

Naruto, who was now flabbergasted and his own shade of red on his cheeks. After a moment to collect himself, Naruto said, "I-I don't know what to say."

"I-It's okay, I know you don't love me, but like you said, I had to confess sooner or later."

"It's not that I don't love you; it's just that I don't know you very well" Naruto replied with a smile. "Neither you or I know about each other. I want you to know something about me. You know about how Yondaime-sama defeated Kyuubi. Well It wasn't whole truth. He couldn't kill it as it was not possible so he did next best thing possible. He sealed it in a newborn whose chakra coils weren't developed to make sure child and Konoha were both safe. That child was me. I am container of Kyuubi. You know that's reason I am a village pariah and you're a princess. Well it not something people will approve of."

She closed her eyes and listened to his heart beat as a warm smile spread across her face." I always knew you were special. I have always followed you after academy. I have seen how villagers have treated you but you never gave up for their acknowledgement. You never became the very thing sealed in you. It was all you a kind-spirited, forgiving figure which drove through the obstacles to reach his goal. That's thing I like about you and love you for it. It doesn't matter how people think for this matter. But I want your reply for this."

"I will give you a chance to rethink about this and know this that I may be already seeing someone. So you might have to rethink. I don't want your reply now but know this that dark times are approaching on the horizon and it really won't be pretty. You might want to prepare for that. "

"I won't have to rethink about this. I would share you if it means to be with you."

"Good night, Hinata-chan."

"Good night, Naruto-kun."

With that they parted their ways to break in for night.

=== At dawn in Sunagakure ===

In Wind Country, at Sunagakure, Desert winds were blowing it tune. Then whole desert was shocked by the tremor occurring nearby. The Kazekage was having the battle of his life in the sky with the Akatsuki member known as Deidara. Diedara, The mad bomber of Iwagakure, S-ranked missing-nin for assassinating Nidaime Tsuchikage. Well Diedara was at least enjoying this fight to extent. Deidara kept creating his mini bird bombs and was raining them down on Gaara.

While Gaara's sand was quickly blocking each one of them.

Gaara was getting annoyed so he outstretched his arms and called forth a monumental cloud of sand that was nearly as big as the village itself. The sand then raced forward trying to ensnare Deidara. He was wide eyed in shock at the giant mound coming at him. He quickly took off in the opposite direction while riding on his clay bird. The sand chasing after the clay user seemed to have a mind of its own and seemed to take the form of several arms all reaching for Deidara as he continued to duck and weave.

Deidara was getting pissed off 'Damn this stupid sand. I have to figure something out fast or I'm finished.' After thinking for a moment, he had an idea. 'Let's see if you are a true village ruler or not, see if you will stop coming after me to save the ones you are sworn to protect.' With that he quickly rummaged through his clay bag and pulled out an odd looking piece of explosive clay. Then after doing a few hand signs the figure grew to be twice the size of Deidara himself falling to the ground in the process, headed straight for the village. 'Now let's see one of my most prized artistic pieces in action hmmm.' Gaara quickly stopped his assault on Deidara and turned his attention to the giant explosive that fell toward his village. Just then an explosion occurred that could be seen from miles away.

Once the intense light died down and the smoke cleared, Deidara looked down on the scene. The village…had been spared. 'What on earth. I never thought he'd actually manage to stop it. Where in the hell he got that much sand from. I never thought it would be possible for him to stop a C6 level bomb to detonate… never mind at least now he would be out of fight. '

Gaara had managed to get his sand under the clay bomb just in time to absorb the impact making it harmless for all the onlookers below. Whatever it might have been look like but it really had taken its toll on him. With some control Gaara pushed the sand platform to move away from village.

"Yay Kazekage-sama saved us all!" The crowd erupted. However their victory was short lived, as the group saw Gaara's sand that was holding him up disperse and his unconscious form began to fall to the earth. His brother Kankuro looked on in horror. "He must have used up the rest of his chakra saving the village from that giant bomb thing. Now what will we do?" Gaara's fall was quickly halted as the clay bird Deidara was riding extended its tail and wrapped around the limp Kazekage caring him away.

This was just the thing needed to make all shinobi to break from their musing to the situation. As after Kazekage, Kankuro was second in command. He took situation in his hand and started assembling troops for retaliation.

"Baki-sensei you are in charge till Kazekage arrives. Report to Konoha, we might need their help in this. I'm going to follow these goons. Send reinforcement as soon as possible." Ordered Kankuro as he jumped from the roof to follow his brother. 'Hang on Gaara I'm coming.'

=== Next morning ===

After a great sake party it always feels great but that same can't be said for morning. There are lots of problems such as….

"Damn my head hurts. What the hell happened last night?" asked Kiba.

"Your troublesome Kiba. Can't you be less intoxicated for once? You drank three bottles straight. I think you should compete with Godaime every now and then. "Said Shikamaru.

"So where's everyone?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean You don't know? I thought everyone was in here last night. "

"Yeah, after that Lee, Neji and Tenten left for the mission early in morning, and rest are in the hall."

"So why are you here? I thought you would be there."

"I was sleeping until you decided to shout, troublesome blonds."

"Oi I think we should join them."

"…"

"Let's go you lazy ass."

-In the hall-

"Hey Sakura, can you help me? I got this damn headache." Asked Kiba as he strolled in hall … dragging a half sleepy pineapple head.

"Get in line. I am already tending to Ino. I should charge you guys for this. You won't ever listen to logic and start drinking like some pig. " said Sakura while tending to Ino who was half sleep and half awake.

"Wow, something nice cooking in kitchen. I think I should check out as I am really hungry." said Choji while drooling at prospect of free food.

"I fixed some breakfast for you guys." Called Naruto as he exited from kitchen with a large plate of breakfast. You know some stew with beacon-egg.

"I never thought you cooked anything other than ramen." Said Ino slowly getting on her feet.

"What you didn't think all I ate was ramen, did you?" Joked Naruto trying to give his best look for this.

Everyone just stared at him with a glare that just said. 'Yes we really think all you eat is always Ramen.'

Naruto just huffed and grumbled something about ungrateful bastards.

"Well I think it's really good. Hey someone saw Hinata. Where's she?"

"She's doing some cinnamon rolls for you guys and she really helped to make these breakfast." explained Naruto.

After everyone including Hinata ate their breakfast they started to leave for their destination.

"What are you guys are doing this afternoon? If you guys have time come for evaluation test of mine. Baachan said she wants to test me for accessing my level."

Said Naruto.

"My team's taking break today so why not. We'll be there. " Kiba replied with his usual over enthusiastic nature. Shino and Hinata gave a nod in confirmation.

"I think I would watch clouds as its break for us…" after receiving a glare from Ino."On second thought We might be there. Troublesome blonds. "

Said Nara heir still receiving a punch for his comment.

Ino and choji followed with a nod.

"See you guys at ground 7 at noon."

"yeah."

AN:

That's it for today. Well don't know if its good or bad so review and make some encouragement for me.

I just finished with homecoming.

No longs AN will be from now on. Pairings are still on poll. A small harem is on the go.

And girls are ….

Secret. So guess yourself.

Shock your life

Ja ne.