A/N - Well that's an interesting way to do a story... Two chapters immediately and then a 9 month gab before the third and then the fourth right after. I'll see if I can update more regularly :P

Chapter 4

Naruto had left the Chuunin exam building for one reason: To learn to do his Rasengan in one hand, rather than using shadow clones and/or Sage Mode, though he was going to use Shadow Clones anyway, but for a different reason. He was going to use the method Kakashi taught him when he was learning how to harness is Wind Chakra, and when he was learning Senjutsu.

He headed off to the park and decided to get started. He took his black and orange shirt off because it was a warm day and he knew he was going to spend a lot of energy.

"Right, here goes... Tajuu Kagebunshin no Jutsu!*" he said as four hundred of his clones surrounded him, "and you stay in there, Demon Fox... Ok, rotation, power and maintaining it."

The characteristic blue glow formed in his hand, but at the present time it refused to turn in to a sphere and he tried harder and harder at it. Hinata had followed and was now watching him train from behind the trees. Wow... one, two... four hundred... Four hundred clones? He's so amazing... she thought. She continued to watch. At one point, one of Naruto's clones turned around and saw her, but she didn't notice, but the clone dispersed. So Hinata is watching eh? Naruto thought with a smile, Ah well, now's not the time. He continued with his training.

Meanwhile, back at the Chuunin Exam registration office, the first test was about to start. Shikamaru walked up the five steps on to the raised wooden platform at the front of the room. He yelled out trying to get the mass of Genin to quieten down. When this didn't work he tried something else.

"Geez, this is going to be a long day..." he sighed, "Kage Mane no Jutsu!**"

The standard black shadow tentacles reached out and grabbed every single Genin and the room fell quiet. There was a worried murmur among them, as they tried to move, but the sound level had dropped to where Shikamaru could speak.

"Right, it's time for the first test to start. If you would please follow Morino Ibiki to room 13," he said as he released the technique.

"Genin, follow me. Your first test will be a written one," Ibiki yelled out at the whirling mass of relieved Genin, "And don't look so happy! When this test is over every one of you will be a wreck."

Ibiki walked towards the wooden door labelled "13" at the far left side of the room and the Genin followed, as did Shikamaru and a dozen or so other Chuunin.

Why did I have to be picked for this, I was going to go to sleep for a while... Shikamaru thought as he walked through the door to get ready to monitor for cheating.

As Temari watched her team walk through the door, Kankuro came up behind her.

"How do you think they'll do?" he asked.

"Well I supposed they'll be alright, though Ibiki was right, they WILL end up nervous wrecks." Temari replied with a shudder, remembering back when she took the exam, "Oh and I have something to ask you. You're a Jounin, how the hell couldn't you handle those kids?"

"Well... I," Kankuro stuttered, "You're a lot scarier than I am."

Temari started to grow red, and Kankuro started to back towards the door. As he left he said:

"Oh, Temari, I think that Nara kid has a thing for you..." then he bolted, leaving Karasu behind in case she chased after him.

"Why won't people stop saying that...?" Temari growled.

She sat down on one of the many benches around the room while waiting for her team to finish their test and she decided to chat to Kakashi to pass the time.

In the meantime, Naruto was continuing his training vigorously, Hinata still watching with a dreamy look in her eyes. She was leaning forwards, sitting on a branch in the trees, leaning her chin on her hands, her long, dark hair falling behind her, reaching just below the branch. She had been watching him for a long time, and he had been improving rapidly, though with different clones, and she wasn't quite sure why he was using so many, as she didn't understand the technique.

Suddenly, several hours later, the sun was starting to go down, all the clones dispersed, and there was only one Naruto standing there.

"RASENGAN!!!!" he yelled out, as he tested his newly formed, one-handed Rasengan on a nearby tree. The tree was thin and had very small branches, though with some leaves. When hit by the Rasengan it shattered to pieces, with each piece flying in different directions, one of which nearly hit Hinata.

"Ha. Got it..." he said, as he lay down for some rest, the exhaustion lined on his face, "Next, Rasenshuriken. Hey, Hinata! Are you gonna come down from there or what? You've been up in that tree for hours!"

What? He knew I was here? How? She thought as she blushed from head to toe. She jumped down and slowly walked towards Naruto.

"H-how did you kn-know I w-was up there, watching?" she stammered as she reached him.

"One of my clones saw you ages ago; you must have noticed it disperse," he replied casually as he absent-mindedly reached for his jacket, which lay a few metres away.

"W-well, no, but e-even then, how did you know?" she asked.

"Ah, right, you haven't been fully versed in this jutsu. Unlike any other bunshinjutsu**, when one of my clones disperses, everything it learned passes on to me, so whatever they see, I see when they disperse." Naruto explained as he got up, however he felt a wave of exhaustion overwhelm him and he fell to the ground, frightening Hinata.

"N-Naruto! Are you o-okay?" she asked, clearly concerned for his health.

"Y-yes..." Naruto uttered as he came to, "I just overdid it a bit, when the clones disperse, all their exhaustion passes to me as well, another side-effect of the jutsu."

"Gah, I need something to eat, maybe I'll head to Ichiraku's" he said, as if to himself, as he got up again. "Hey, you wanna join me, Hinata?"

Now it was Hinata's turn to faint, and as she fell backwards on to the grass, her hair embracing her body, she thought one last thing before passing out: Naruto, asking me for a date? This can't be happening...

"Oh, god, here we go again," Naruto mumbled, "Hinata, wake up. Come on..."

She came to again soon after, and as she did, Naruto helped her up.

"So did you want to come? My treat. I have something I want to talk to you about," Naruto said, with an unusual seriousness in his voice.

"Um..." Hinata stammered, unsure what to say, she wanted to go, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to stop herself from fainting again. "O-ok, I'll come," She had finally decided to go.

They soon arrived at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"Naruto! You're back! How've you been?" Teuchi called out, the moment Naruto entered his stall.

"Hey old man! I'm very good, starving though... Can I get an extra large pork Miso please?" He replied, with a goofy smile, "Hinata, what do you want?"

At that moment Hinata entered the stall, her cheeks redder than usual,

"Um... C-can I have a look at the menu... please?" She asked, nervously.

"Sure thing!" Ayame said as she handed the menu to Hinata, "Nice one," she added so only Naruto could hear. Naruto rolled his eyes.

Hinata decided on pork Gyoza, and they ate in silence. When they were both finished, after a long silence, Hinata was the first to speak.

"Um... N-Naruto-kun? Y-you said you had s-something you wanted to t-talk about?" she asked.

Naruto put the cup down from which he had just been drinking.

"Thank you, Hinata," He said.

"Wh-What for?" she asked, very confused and she tilted her head slightly.

"Remember back when Nagato, or rather Pain, as everyone else knows him, invaded Konoha?" he started to explain, "If it wasn't for you, we would all be dead. If it wasn't for you, Akatsuki would have won, and the village would no longer exist. I-if it wasn't for you," at this point, Naruto was on the brink of tears and looked, not at Hinata, but at the empty space behind her, "I would never have known who my father was. I would never have known... I would never have known that I am the Fourth Hokage's heir."

"Th-The Fourth Hokage was your father?" Hinata asked, her eyes wide, well wider than usual, and her mouth slightly open, "B-but how is all this because of m-me?"

"When you came to help me," Naruto continued, looking at Hinata once again "when I was pinned down by his chakra receivers, Pain blasted you away, and I thought you were dead. I... I had never felt so... angry... After that, I burst into my Kyuubi forms, as far as I've been told I went straight in to six tails and broke away from the rods. He encased me in a giant ball of earth and I went in to my eight tailed form. Within my consciousness, what I remember, was that I was yelling for someone to give me the answer, and the Kyuubi told me to set it free and have it destroy everything that had ever hurt me. I almost did. I almost pulled off the seal. I would have, if it wasn't for my father. He stopped me. According to him, when he designed the jutsu that sealed the Kyuubi within me, he left an imprint of himself that would appear if ever I went into eight tailed fox form. After we talked a bit, he restored the seal to its full strength and disappeared. Then I went back to normal. So you see, if it wasn't for what you called a selfish act, I would never have escaped Pain's clutches, and I would never have been able to beat him," he concluded.

Hinata was completely speechless, she didn't know what to say, but she didn't need to.

"So again, thank you Hinata. I owe you my life," Naruto said as he pulled her in to a tight hug. "Thank you,"

Hinata was too stunned to hug back, and once again she still couldn't say anything.

Naruto finished his drink, paid the bill and got out of his seat.

"Want me to follow you home, Hinata?"

"O-okay, sure," Hinata replied,

This must be a dream... she thought as they left the ramen shop.

As they walked towards the Hyuuga Compound through the darkened streets, Hinata broke the silence.

"N-Naruto... you really d-didn't need to thank me... a-after all, y-you've saved my life more times than I can count..." she said, softly. At this Naruto just smiled.

When they reached the Compound, they stopped and Naruto couldn't help but marvel at how big it was.

"Well here you are, Hinata. Thanks for everything again, sleep well."

As Hinata went to bed, preparing to sleep, she could only think of one thing. Before they had parted, outside the gates of the Compound, Naruto had pulled her into an embrace, kissed her and said something. Words that would not leave her mind as she fell asleep.

Ai shiteru**... Hinata-chan...

*Mass Shadow Clone Technique

** Shadow Possession Jutsu

***Ai shiteru - I love you.

A/N - Well, well, Naruto finally managed to do a Rasengan in one hand, and Hinata finally got what she really wanted. Naruto xD Heh, a nice and long chapter for once too!

R&R You know you want too...

(Don't worry, the results of the first test will be revealed in the next chapter, got kinda stuck on the whole NaruHina thing, and I wasn't quite sure whether I should have started that bit here, I decided to in the end, will make the rest of the chapters easier to do, as I felt this was an obvious opportunity.)