The morning had started so well. Naruto had woken up really early and gotten ready for the Academy. He had gently woken Hinata up as well. His day was made within twenty minutes of waking up when Hinata had said she was willing to go to the Academy. Now, Naruto was faced with a situation he had no experience in.

Hinata had asked if she could use Naruto's shower. Of course, Naruto had happily declared that she could use anything in his home. It was only when he heard the water turn on that Naruto realized the enormity of his declaration. The only solution Naruto could think of was to sit still and stare at the wall opposite from the bathroom.

"N-Naruto-kun...is something wrong?" Hinata asked and Naruto breathed a partial sigh of relief. Naruto had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her come out.

"N-nothing!" Naruto blurted out. He could feel the trickle of sweat running down the back of his neck. He was very nervous. The last thing Naruto wanted was for Hinata to think he was some kind of pervert. Naruto had a strong dislike for perverts after a situation he experienced when he was younger. He had come across a man harassing a young woman named Moriko. Naruto had even less social experience at the time, but even his six-year-old self knew what was happening was wrong. He yelled at the man to let Moriko go. Naruto had gotten hit when he tried to physically step in. The man had run away before a pair of Uchiha Military Police arrived.

The important thing was that Moriko hadn't been too badly hurt and that the man...hadn't accomplished what he intended to accomplish. Moriko had thanked Naruto profusely and explained that the man was a 'pervert' and a 'peeping tom'. At that moment, Naruto decided that perverts and peeping toms were the enemy. After he told Moriko his decision, she had promised that she would do everything she could to help out Naruto. Moriko had claimed she couldn't do as much for Naruto as he deserved, but Naruto had never been one to turn down a display of kindness.

Moriko was a seamstress and repaired, let out, and generally took care of Naruto's clothes for free. She had also helped Naruto pass the basic reading proficiency test during his first year at the Academy. Naruto really missed her. Moriko had moved to Tanzaku Quaters after she married a really nice guy. Naruto had given his approval in his own special way. He had graffiti'd 'Congratulations Moriko and Yukio' on the abandoned building across from Moriko's shop. Naruto grinned at the memory. That was the only time his graffiti had been met with widespread acclaim instead of widespread derision.

"Oh...you just seemed a bit nervous that's all," Hinata said.

'I was afraid I'd turn into a pervert while you were in the shower,' Naruto thought, but didn't dare say out loud. "Nah! I'm...perfectly fine," Naruto assured Hinata.

"I-I'm ready to go...if you need to use the bathroom, it's free," Hinata told Naruto as she sat on the couch. He could only nod as he walked to the bathroom. He adamantly refused to look at his own shower. 'There was a naked girl in there. I don't know if I should be doing a victory dance or ashamed that I want to do the victory dance.'

Naruto pushed the thoughts from his head as he washed his hands. At least Hinata-chan would be back at the Academy.

'Who knows, I might even pay attention today,' Naruto thought with a smirk.

Naruto and Hinata went straight to the Academy after leaving the apartment. Hinata had declined Naruto's suggestion that they stop by Ichiraku's for breakfast. She nearly had a panic attack at the thought of stepping outside her now very narrow comfort zone. Naruto could understand why Hinata was so afraid of opening up to people. He had gone through a similar phase after being kicked out of the orphanage. That had been a terrible experience, but Naruto couldn't imagine the pain he would have experienced if the caretakers at the orphanage had actually been Naruto's family. Naruto was deep in contemplation when he felt a most unexpected, but far from unwelcome, sensation. Hinata had felt the gaze of the few villagers up at this time of day upon her. In her desperation for a familiar, and comforting presence, she had latched onto Naruto's arm. Hinata hadn't even realized her action for several moments.

"That isn't bothering me, Hinata-chan," Naruto confessed when he felt Hinata try to pull away. "Heck, I'd pick you up and carry you if I knew it'd make you feel better."

Hinata felt her cheeks heat up and she instinctively tightened her grip on Naruto's arm. The rest of the walk to the Academy passed in a pleasant and peaceful silence. Nothing needed to be said.

They had each other and that was enough.


Iruka had surprised the two wards of Konoha the second they had entered the classroom. He had told them to sit down, before he went to the back of the room and shut the door. The teacher returned a few moments later and sat on the edge of his desk.

"I've already...altered the roll. It has even been approved by Hokage-sama. I'll be calling roll today, so you don't have to worry about anyone making a big deal about the situation," Iruka explained. Hinata barely nodded.

"T-thank you, Iruka-sensei," Hinata whispered after a moment.

"I will always do what I can to help my students. I could never forgive myself if I failed one of you so completely," Iruka said with complete and total honesty. Hinata's mood brightened at the realization that someone other than Naruto could accept her, flaws and all.

"You're awesome, Iruka-sensei! Thanks," Naruto added.

"You're welcome. I bet neither of you have had any breakfast," Iruka observed. Naruto and Hinata both shyly nodded. "Mizuki and the other teachers haven't arrived yet. Go and grab one pastry from the teacher's lounge. Just one Naruto, the other teachers deserve to eat too."

"But none of them are as good as you! Maybe if they knew that they didn't get to eat because they were super boring, they'd shape up!" Naruto explained.

"I'll recommend that punishment for sub-standard student interest to the Hokage at the next teacher review," Iruka deadpanned.

"See, Hinata-chan! That's why Iruka is the best! He actually listens to us!" Naruto started babbling to Hinata as he guided her out of the room. Iruka chuckled as he realized he would actually have to speak with the Hokage about fostering greater student interest at the next Academy review.

"What am I going to do with you, Uzumaki Naruto?" Iruka asked rhetorically.

The day went by quietly, much to Naruto and Hinata's relief. The pair paid attention in class and worked diligently. Hinata's work ethic was born of her own long standing habits. Naruto paid attention just in case Hinata missed something. The pair was surprised at how quickly lunch seemed to arrive.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, I brought bentos from home, but I forgot drinks. What do you want?" Naruto asked as they walked outside.

"Water, please," Hinata said gracefully. She felt confident around Naruto. Hinata knew that Naruto would never crush her under the weight of unreachable expectations.

"Sure! I'll be right back," Naruto said with a smile. Hinata nodded as she sat down on 'Naruto's' swing. She hummed in rhythm with her light swings. It was relaxing and she was beginning to understand why Naruto had retreated to this place so often.

"Hinata-chan!" Ino and Sakura's shout drew Hinata out of her quiet contemplation. Immediately, the dread of being judged and rejected roared forward.

"Y-yes?" Hinata managed to ask.

"We're glad to see you back. Everyone was really worried about you," Sakura explained in a comforting tone of voice.

"Really?" Hinata asked in surprise.

"Well, we were all worried, but Naruto was freaking out. I can't tell you how many times he would skip class only to be brought back by some angry member of your clan," Ino recounted. "I think it happened four times..."

"I-I...am...no longer Hyūga," Hinata barely whispered. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears.

Sakura was about to ask what Hinata meant. Ino cut her off with a shake of the head. "I...Well, we are glad you are back. Anyway, Forehead and I just wanted to let you know, we're planning a get-together with some of the other girls. If...if you want to come, you are totally invited."

"I...I don't know..." Hinata gulped.

"Oh, there isn't a date set yet," Sakura piped in. "Ino-pig and I just started throwing the idea together a little while ago."

"I'll...I'll think about it...I'm still not sure about many things right now..." Hinata took a pair of deep breaths to calm herself.

"That's okay! Forehead and I haven't nailed down the details yet. We do know there will be ice cream!" Ino added.

"It helps when we lament about how Sasuke-kun hasn't noticed our obvious affections for him. And how mine are True Love," Sakura said excitedly.

"While I dispute that last bit, because I am obviously Sasuke's True Love, Forehead has a point. Ice cream helps ease the hurt that Sasuke is almost too cool and mysterious to acknowledge us," Ino nodded as if she had just proven a scientific fact. "Don't you have the same issue with Sasuke-kun?"

Hinata stared blankly at Ino and Sakura for a moment. 'They are acting like everyone likes Sasuke-kun like they do...' "My...issue with Sasuke-kun?"

Ino and Sakura both nodded. The two girls were eager to add more drama around the 'oh so mysterious and handsome' Uchiha Sasuke.

"M-my issue with Sasuke-kun..." Hinata started. In truth, she had several issues with Sasuke. The largest were that his eyes were as cold as those of the Hyūga Elders'. Hinata actually was afraid of his eyes. They were nothing like Naruto's eyes. "is that he isn't Naruto-kun."

"They are so cute," Ino cooed.

"Absolutely adorable," Sakura agreed completely. Hinata quickly realized what Sakura and Ino were insinuating and blushed furiously.

"Hey Sakura. Hey Ino." Naruto said as he handed Hinata her water. Hinata quietly thanked Naruto. The young man noticed that Hinata was observing something very interesting on the ground. He tried to find whatever had captured Hinata's attention, but couldn't find it. Naruto shrugged and chalked his inability to discover what had captured Hinata's attention to her much better eyes. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh, nothing," Sakura giggled a bit.

"Just a bit of girl-talk," Ino explained.

"Please tell me you weren't bothering Hinata with that 'Sasuke-kuuuun' crap. You know she isn't a fangirl like the rest of you." Naruto groaned. Ino and Sakura rolled their eyes at Naruto's mocking emphasis on their typical reaction to Sasuke's name.

"We weren't bothering Hinata and she made it clear on her own, thank-you-very-much," Sakura giggled a bit more.

"Well, now that you're back, Naruto, we'll leave you two alone," Ino teased and playfully stuck her tongue out at Hinata.

"What was that all about? I'm not going to have to prank them back to the First Hokage for making fun of you am I? Did they..." Naruto started rambling on about stamping any teasing of Hinata once Ino and Sakura were out of earshot.

"N-no, it...it was actually a very n-nice conversation," Hinata admitted to halt Naruto's budding rant. She wasn't going to mention that she had nearly cried. It wasn't Sakura or Ino's fault. They didn't know about her...banishment. "They were planning a get-together with some of the girls in the class. I, I was invited."

"That's cool. You should go...if you're feeling up to it," Naruto finished quickly. He instinctively knew that he shouldn't pressure Hinata.

"I...I'll think about it," Hinata nodded at Naruto.

"Gotta question, what do you girls do at those things anyway? Do you sit around eating ice cream and stuff?" Naruto questioned. Hinata was his window into the mysterious world of women and he was curious.

"I...I don't actually know. When...well, I never had a chance to go to one before. But, Ino-chan and Sakura-chan did mention ice cream."

"HA! I knew it! I told Kiba ice cream would be involved in any girly get-together! I won the bet!" Naruto fist pumped after swallowing a triumphant bite of rice. "Hey, Hinata-chan, what should we do with the twenty ryō we just won?"

"Zenzai?" Hinata asked playfully.

"You really are a genius," Naruto said earnestly. Hinata smiled a bit at Naruto's comment. "You smiled!"

Hinata started a bit at Naruto's unexpected exclamation. Her smile became a giggle when Naruto jumped up in the air and shouted "Progress!" Her giggle became a laugh when Naruto broke out in a victory dance.

'You truly are my sunny place, Naruto-kun,' Hinata thought behind her first real smile since her banishment.


Naruto and Hinata shifted uncomfortably as they waited for Mizuki and Iruka to finish their conversation and for the rest of the class to leave. Hinata caught sight of Ino and Sakura leaving. The girls exchanged a friendly wave. Mizuki said his goodbyes to Iruka, Naruto and Hinata. Hinata couldn't help but frown after Mizuki walked by. She had heard enough forced good cheer in her short life to realize Mizuki's insincerity.

"I hope your day went well. You two were awfully quiet," Iruka said comfortingly.

"We were paying attention! You're always telling us to be quiet during class. Why would we want to get into trouble? Well, unless I was trying to distract people from a prank! But we weren't!" Naruto rambled.

Iruka sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Hinata, please help me keep Naruto in line. I sometimes think you are the only one he really listens to."

Hinata nodded with a small smile gracing her lips. Naruto laughed at Iruka's exasperation. "Moving on, how are you doing grocery wise, Naruto?" Iruka asked

"W-we are doing fine. The only thing N-Naruto-kun is short on is fresh milk," Hinata informed Iruka. Iruka had begun the process of uncovering his face when he heard 'we' leave Hinata's mouth. The teacher decided he didn't need light reaching his eyes for a few more seconds.

'I'm going to have to talk with Hokage-sama about this,' Iruka wanted to laugh, but contained his desire. Instead, he reached in his drawer and pulled out a ryō note.

"Pick up some fresh milk on the way back home. If there's anything else you need, let me, Teuchi-san or Ayame-chan know," Iruka said calmly.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said excitedly.

"You're welcome Naruto," Iruka said warmly. The teacher genuinely liked the boy. He just wished Naruto wasn't so unintentionally determined to turn all of Iruka's hairs gray.

"See you tomorrow, Iruka-sensei," Naruto laughed.

"Have a pleasant evening, Iruka-sensei," Hinata bowed as she wished her teacher good night.

"I'll stop by after preparations for the Chuunin Exams are over. Please, Naruto, do not antagonize the visiting shinobi," Iruka warned.

"But...but we have to let them know their villages suck compared to ours!" Naruto sputtered. Hinata gaped.

"T-that could cause a war!" Hinata squeaked in shock.

"Really?" Naruto asked.

"Really," Iruka and Hinata said at the exact same time.

"Oh...that would suck. I'm glad you two told me that," Naruto laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hinata, please teach our favorite Hokage aspirant the art of diplomacy," Iruka pleaded. Hinata nodded and giggled a bit. She felt so...at ease around Naruto-kun and found that she was opening up to Iruka-sensei. She felt like she had just taken a step forward.


The air was beginning to cool as summer gave way to autumn. Naruto had always liked autumn. The changing of the leaves was always amazing to him. He loved the colors, especially the orange.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, I've been thinking of something," Naruto blurted out.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Hinata questioned softly.

"I want to take the graduation exam soon," Naruto turned to face Hinata. He saw a flash of panic in Hinata's eyes and quickly prepared an explanation. "Not this one! The next one and..." Naruto trailed off.

"I...I hope you'll consider taking it with me. There's no way I'd want to become a ninja without you. We make a great team! If we graduate together and get put on the same squad, we'll be Hokage in no time." Naruto shouted enthusiastically.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said after a moment. She was truly touched that Naruto had accepted her so completely and so soon. "there can only be one Hokage."

Hinata had never felt so comfortable around another person before. Before meeting Naruto, Kō had been her closest friend. However, the formality of the tutor-student relationship always kept them at arms-length. So, her willingness to be so playful with Naruto took her a bit off guard.

"Well...we'll be...Co-kage! Yeah, we'll be Co-kage and get both our faces on the Mountain! Then, everyone will have to realize how awesome we are!" Naruto shouted excitedly as he revealed his new plan.

"I'll get The Hat though," Hinata responded cheekily.

"What! I want The Hat! I've always wanted The Hat!" Naruto whined.

"If you want it, you'll..." Hinata smiled warmly and looked down. "have to catch me!" Hinata looked up and tagged Naruto. The boy simply stared in shock. Hinata was feeling better faster than he had even dared hoped.

"That's cheating!" He shouted after the retreating form of his best friend.

"We're going to be ninja!" Hinata said over her shoulder. Naruto had gotten over his initial shock and was chasing after her. Hinata couldn't believe she having so much fun. She was smiling without fear for the first time in years. Naruto's acceptance had thrown open the doors of her cage. She knew that the only expectations Naruto had for her were her own.

In that moment, Hinata decided to live instead of simply stumbling through life. She had just taken her first steps into a new world. She couldn't look back anymore.


The Academy was closed because of the approaching Chuunin Exams. Konoha canceled classes so that students who were members of prestigious clans could be squirreled away until ANBU could put the visiting ninja under sufficient surveillance. Naruto, and students from civilian families, viewed the day very differently. The Clans viewed the days leading up to the Chuunin Exams as a dangerous time rife with intrigue. The civilians and village wards viewed the break as a holiday.

Hinata's only memory of the lead-up to a Chuunin Exam was her father instructing Kō to make sure Hinata did not leave the Compound. So, when Naruto suggested they take advantage of the day off to train, Hinata was gripped with apprehension.

"We'll be fine, Hinata-chan. The training grounds are off-limits for foreigners," Naruto assured his best friend.

"O-oh, right," She responded. Hinata knew that if any foreign ninja entered the training grounds that they were likely spies and not actual participants. ANBU would likely stop them before they reached any Konoha citizens. Her hand had also instinctively found its way to her Cursed Seal. Once news of her banishment and sealing reached the other Hidden Villages, she would likely never be a target again.

'Well, not until I become 'Co-kage' with Naruto-kun,' Hinata thought and the happy daydream chased away her apprehension.

"So, what do you want to work on today?" Naruto asked her as they finally found a training ground not in use. Hinata closed her eyes.

"I-I want to see how my Byakugan was affected by...by t-the s-sealing," Hinata's new found confidence took a serious hit when she mentioned her Cursed Seal and banishment.

"Alright, we can work on that. I don't know how I can help, but I'll be rooting for you!" Naruto tried his best to cheer up Hinata. The former Hyūga heiress nodded and tentatively began her hand seals. As she finished the final seal, she whispered "Byakugan."

There was no flash of pain or even failure. Instead, her field of vision expanded to practically three hundred degrees and she could see the rough outline of Naruto's chakra circulatory system. Hinata was thrilled that she could still use her Byakugan. She would feel...incomplete without it. Hinata may no longer be Hyūga, but the Byakugan was still a source of pride. Still, she was disappointed that not only was her Byakugan's range not what it once was; the clarity of her vision had also deteriorated.

'I should have expected some side effects,' Hinata thought glumly. "Naruto-kun...I'm going to see how long I can keep my Byakugan active. I...I need to see if there were any other...side effects."

Naruto noticed how Hinata's voice trailed off when she danced around the subject of her seal. "Hey, I remember Mizuki-sensei talking about how the Byakugan can see chakra."

"It can," Hinata confirmed.

"That's so cool. Could you watch me create a bunshin? Maybe we can find out where I'm screwing up!" Naruto suggested. Hinata smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Alright, Naruto-kun! Try your best!" Hinata encouraged Naruto. Naruto always tried his hardest to encourage her. Hinata believed it was her time to encourage Naruto.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan!" Naruto replied as he flashed through the ram, snake and tiger seals. "Bunshin no jutsu!"

Naruto gazed hopefully at the cloud of chakra-infused smoke. Hinata, however, gazed at it with a strange mix of disappointment and awe. Naruto had failed to produce a Bunshin, and Hinata finally realized why Naruto had failed.

He was overloading the Clones. Naruto-kun actually had more chakra than her father did!

"N-Naruto-kun...it's incredible..." Hinata said in awe. Naruto looked up and pouted.

"How can screwing up that bad be incredible?" He asked with a bit of hurt in his voice.

Hinata let out a small 'eek' when she realized just how badly Naruto had misunderstood her. Though, she could understand how it had happened. Naruto couldn't see the world the same way Hinata could with her Byakugan. Her best friend couldn't see his chakra shimmering like a gem in the darkness.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! It...you just have so much chakra. You are overloading the clone," Hinata explained. She quickly thought of a way to explain what she was seeing. "It...it is like putting too much air in a balloon. If you put too much air in it, it'll pop."

Naruto's pout gradually disappeared. "How much chakra do I have exactly?"

"A lot...I've never seen anyone with this much chakra. You...you have more than m-my f-father," Hinata once again nearly lost control of her emotions. She could even feel tears well up in her eyes.

"Oh..." Naruto's excitement died down as he saw the hurt in Hinata's eyes. It was strange seeing tears coming from an active Byakugan. The Byakugan looked so powerful normally, but the tears made it look equally as vulnerable. Naruto was infinitely relieved when Hinata wiped away the tears. "What should I do?"

Hinata was grateful to turn her thoughts away from the Hyūga Clan. She thought about a solution to the problem. Her thoughts wandered towards the graduation requirements. She knew Naruto could perform a henge with almost trivial ease.

'Naruto-kun won't have any trouble with that. He can pass the academic test easily when he applies himself. The only reason his grades are so low is because he skips class. Naruto-kun's taijutsu is also good. The only people he has trouble fighting against are Sasuke-kun and Kiba-kun. He'll pass that part of the exam without a doubt. I've seen him do the Kawarimi no jutsu. I can't believe the Bunshin will keep him from succeeding! All he has to do is create a minimum of three! Wait!' Hinata ran through the various graduation requirements in her head.

"Naruto-kun, why are you only trying to create a single clone?" Hinata asked. Naruto cocked his head to the side as he thought of an answer.

"I dunno. Iruka-sensei once said it would help with my chakra control," Naruto revealed.

"Can you create more than one bunshin?" Hinata asked.

"Maybe, I've never tried. I've always been focused on creating one. I always thought if I could do one, I could work my way up to three," Naruto chewed Hinata's idea over in his mind. Hinata acknowledged that Naruto had a good point. That was the way the Academy recommended learning the bunshin and reaching the minimum requirements. However, no Academy student ever had as much chakra as Naruto.

"You have so much chakra, it might be easier to create as many clones as you possibly can," Hinata suggested. It was impossible to miss the excitement in her voice. She was curious to see just how many bunshins Naruto could create.

It would also give her another chance to watch Naruto mold his chakra. It was, in a word, beautiful.

"Okay, Hinata-chan! Prepare to be amazed!" Naruto said triumphantly. "Bunshin no jutsu!"

Naruto's shout was followed by several puffs of smoke. Hinata smiled broadly as she watched chakra spiral out of a strange chakra pathway on Naruto's stomach. Her smile transitioned into an open mouthed expression of joy.

Naruto had created twelve Bunshins and several managed to remain standing for at least a moment. Two were perfect examples of the art. The others were far less perfect. Naruto had overloaded six of the bunshins. They were identical to all of Naruto's previous attempts. The final four flickered for a moment before failing. It was strange, but Naruto had failed to put enough chakra into those particular attempts.

"I made a good bunshin! I did it! I'll be able to graduate! We'll be on the same team!" Naruto shouted and jumped around in pure joy.

Hinata deactivated her Byakugan. The strain had been growing steadily and she was feeling the effects. "Naruto-kun, should we take a break?"

Naruto looked up at the sky and noticed it was approaching noon. "A break sounds good, I'm a bit hungry. I got an idea."

"What is it?" Hinata asked, though she knew the food Naruto was going to suggest.

"Let's go to Ichiraku. I know you're probably sick of ramen, but Ayame-onee-chan and Old Man Teuchi are really good people," Naruto said with a soft smile. Hinata returned the smile and nodded. She was aware that Naruto was not close to many people. In fact, she could likely count the number on one hand, even if she included herself. Iruka-sensei's kind words had shown Hinata that Naruto's precious people could accept her as well. It would be nice to start building new friendships.

"I'd love to Naruto-kun," Hinata agreed.

"Awesome! Hey, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked as he walked beside Hinata.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as she rubbed away some of the pressure in her temples. She could barely remember the last time she had used her Dojutsu so extensively.

"Do you think we'll see any foreigners?"

Hinata chewed the inside of her cheek a bit. "Maybe, Naruto-kun."

"I bet we could take them," Naruto declared in a voice full of bravado. Hinata giggled at her best friend's antics.

Ichiraku was busy when Naruto and Hinata arrived. All of the stools were occupied by harried civilians or Konoha ninja. Hinata shrank behind Naruto a bit. Crowds and strangers still caused a sense of panic to well up inside of her. A pair of civilians got up from their stools and exited the ramen stand. The pair stopped and stared at Naruto and Hinata for a heartbeat.

"How did that get a pretty girl?" One of the men asked. Hinata frowned at the cruelty in the voice.

'Why are they talking about Naruto-kun like he isn't a person? I've heard civilians talk about Naruto-kun before and I've never understood their hate,' Hinata thought sadly. She even recalled a time where a civilian woman had compared Naruto to the Kyūbi.

Strangely, Naruto didn't seem to notice or, as Hinata preferred to believe, was strong enough to ignore the unbecoming comments.

"Naruto-kun! How are you enjoying your day off?" Ayame greeted one of her favorite customers.

"It's great! Hinata-chan helped me figure out how to make an actual bunshin!" Naruto revealed excitedly.

"You finally made a full bunshin?" Ayame asked in surprise. Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Well, I think I'll throw in a little extra pork to celebrate."

Ayame laughed at Naruto's excited 'whoop!' She flipped a strand of hair out of the way, and finally noticed someone was with Naruto. "Who's your friend, Naruto-kun?" Ayame's smile and emphasis on friend caused Naruto to feel a bit of heat in his cheeks.

"Hey, Ayame-onee-chan, this is Hinata-chan," Naruto quickly introduced the girls to each other. "And Hinata, this is Ayame-onee-chan."

"Pleased to meet you, Hinata-san," Ayame began politely. "I know what Naruto-kun wants for lunch. How about you?"

"I...I'll have what Naruto-kun is having," Hinata replied as Naruto helped Hinata to her seat.

"Alright! I'll get right on it," Ayame said as she started to head to the back. "Oh, and Naruto-kun, for being such a gentlemen, I won't use my ladle."

"YES!" Naruto reached for the sky in triumph. Today was getting better by the second!

"Ladle?" Hinata asked in confusion. The confusion doubled when Naruto flinched.

Ayame turned around and grinned. "My secret weapon! If Naruto-kun ever starts giving you trouble, say...like forgetting your birthday, I'll teach you how to use it. Nothing gets Naruto-kun to behave like that ladle."

"You wouldn't give Hinata-chan The Ladle...would you?" Naruto gulped.

"Best not forget any birthdays then..." Ayame said in a sing-song voice. Naruto only nodded at a hundred miles-per-hour. He didn't trust his voice. 'Some friend I am, I don't think I know Hinata-chan's birthday! If I admit that now, I'll definitely get The Ladle!'

Ayame brought out Naruto and Hinata's ramen. "Soooo, today seems like its full of big steps for you, Naruto-kun. First, you create a working Bunshin...then you bring a girl to meet the family."

"W-what?" Naruto and Hinata dropped their chopsticks. "We..."

"I see, you two are keeping things secret," Ayame teased. The ramen cook watched the pair eat their meal and failed to contain her amusement as the couple stole the occasional glance at each other.

Hinata and Naruto finished their meal quickly. The meal had passed in a somewhat awkward silence. Ayame's teasing had caught them a bit off guard, but they both knew it was good-natured and not mean-spirited.

"Thanks for lunch, onee-chan!" Naruto said while paying the bill.

"It was delicious, thank you very much," Hinata agreed.

"You're welcome, you two. Oh, and Hinata-chan," Ayame replied warmly. Hinata looked up when she heard the change in honorific. "Don't hesitate to keep Naruto-kun in line."

Hinata felt her cheeks heat up again when Ayame winked at her. Naruto missed the playful teasing and waited for Hinata to finish thanking Ayame.

"So, Hinata-chan, what do you want to work on next?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"I think we should take a minute before getting back to training. But...I'd like to work on improving my throwing accuracy," Hinata suggested.

"Huh," Naruto chewed his lip. "Great minds think alike!"

"Hinataaaaa-chan! Naruto!" Sakura called out from across the street. Naruto and Hinata turned towards their classmate. The pinkette came to a halt with a grin on her face.

"Oh, hey Sakura," Naruto greeted nonchalantly.

"How are you, Sakura-chan?" Hinata was decidedly more enthusiastic.

"I'm fine. How has your day off been?" Sakura asked warmly.

"It's been great. Hinata-chan and I have done a bunch of training," Naruto revealed.

"Naruto-kun is right. We've accomplished a great deal," Hinata smiled. "We were just taking a break before going to practice with our shuriken and kunai."

Sakura blinked a few times. "B-but today is our day off!"

"Well...Naruto-kun and I are going to graduate early. If we are going to fulfill this dream, we are going to have to work very hard," Hinata stated resolutely. Naruto's eyes became a bit misty and he was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to hug Hinata and just start crying.

He fought that off, if just barely. It wasn't manly to cry in public. The last thing Naruto would ever want is for Hinata to think he was flaky.

''Besides, what are the odds pretty girls like Hinata-chan and Sakura would ever go for a flaky guy?' Naruto thought with a chuckle.

"Oh...that's amazing. I don't think I'm ready to graduate just yet. I hope you two make it!" Sakura brightened noticeably as she moved away from her self-doubt. "If you are going to try to graduate early, it's even more important that I give this to you Hinata-chan."

Sakura handed over an invitation. Hinata graciously accepted. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"Well, it was great seeing you two. I've got to go to the market for my family," Sakura said.

"Yeah, it was nice seeing you too!" Naruto said with genuine warmth this time. Anyone who treated Hinata kindly was okay in his book.

Sakura waved before heading towards Konoha's market district. Naruto and Hinata waved back. As the pair headed back to the training grounds, Naruto took the opportunity to speak.

"I really think you should go."

"R-really?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah! They took the time to make an actual invitation. It'd be fun," Naruto encouraged.

"I-if you say so," Hinata agreed. Naruto was probably right. Hinata had actually always wanted to go to one of these get-togethers. However, the unbearable pressures of her old life prohibited such 'frivolities'.

"So, want to make our shuriken training a contest?" Naruto decided to change the subject.

"Contest?" Hinata questioned.

"Yeah, whoever gets a higher score gets to chose where we eat tonight!" Naruto jumped in front of Hinata. The young woman laughed at Naruto's excitement. She treasured Naruto's enthusiasm and friendship.

"I..." Hinata decided to have fun with Naruto. His expectations were completely different than the Hyūga's expectations. "I will try to chose a restaurant that isn't too expensive."

"Ha! I knew my warrior princess was still there somewhere!" Naruto said without thinking. A moment later, both aspiring ninja blushed furiously.

'I can't believe I said that out loud!' Naruto thought in a near-panic.

'His warrior princess?' Hinata thought through a blissful haze. "S-so, w-what training ground are we going to use?"

"I, uh, think the range behind the Academy is open," Naruto shuffled his feet as he spoke. He wasn't sure what was causing his nervousness, but Naruto was convinced that he would never be bored with Hinata.


The next few days passed in relative peace. Naruto was pleased that Hinata wasn't tossing and turning in her sleep as much. The Academy was also going well. Iruka had kept Hinata's exile from becoming gossip. Ami had tried to force an answer out of Hinata, but her attempts had been stopped quickly. Naruto had stepped in and scared off Ami with a vicious glare. Other than that rough patch, all was well. Hinata continued to do well academically. Naruto had even shocked a few of the teachers with his academic improvement. The week closed on a high note as Naruto had gotten high marks on a quiz. In fact, only Sasuke, Sakura, Ino and Hinata had gotten higher grades than Naruto.

"I totally aced that quiz! I couldn't have done it without you, Hinata-chan," Naruto fist pumped as they exited the Academy.

"You studied very hard, Naruto-kun. I'm proud of you," Hinata said after a dainty giggle. Naruto's zest for life always lifted her spirits.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. So, what ice cream are you hoping for?"

"It'd be great if there was a cinnamon roll flavored ice cream," Hinata said with a smile, but it faded a hair. "The Hyūga weren't...fans of non-traditional foods."

Naruto hated hearing Hinata so down, but he was glad that Hinata no longer broke into tears at the mention of the Hyūga. "I bet we could figure out a way to make it! That would be awesome!"

"It would," Hinata agreed. Naruto nodded and noticed that Ino and Sakura were rushing up to meet them.

"Hey ladies," the lone male in the small group said with a wave.

"Hello Naruto. Hello Hinata-chan," Ino greeted the 'couple'.

"I'm soooo glad that quiz is over," Sakura piped up.

"It was a hard one, but you all did awesome. You girls are a lot smarter than most of the guys," Naruto admitted.

"Forehead, I think Hinata's landed the second best guy in the class," Ino said approvingly.

"L-landed?" Hinata sputtered. Naruto, for his part, was simply confused. Ino, Hinata-chan and Sakura were speaking Girl. Naruto considered Girl to be a foreign language.

"A distant second, but it's hard to compete with Sasuke-kun. I'd say that Hinata-chan has done pretty well for herself, Ino-pig," Sakura agreed. Ino and Sakura knew it was a bit unfair to tag-team Hinata like this, but it was all in good fun.

And if they could kick start an adorable romance, so much the better!

"I'd say so!" Ino agreed enthusiastically. "Come on, let's go to the market! We have ice cream to buy!"

Ino led the way and waved her fist in the air. Sakura laughed and pushed Hinata after Ino. Naruto smiled softly as he saw Hinata look over her shoulder.

"Bye Hinata-chan! Have fun! Oh, don't forget to see if the store has that ice cream we were talking about!" Naruto shouted before Hinata got too far away. His smile brightened as Hinata waved back.

Naruto watched the girls disappear around a corner before deciding to go see if Iruka-sensei would let him watch the Chuunin Exam Finals. He made it a few feet before he saw Tobio glaring at him. Naruto didn't even bother hiding his annoyance.

'He may look a bit like Iruka-sensei, but he's nothing like Iruka-sensei,' Naruto felt a grimace find its way to his face as he completed the thought.

"Man, I can't wait until you and Sasuke-sama just quit or graduate early," Tobio snapped. Naruto raised an eyebrow. There was no way in hell Naruto would ever quit. Naruto had also seen Sasuke training nearly everyday. There was no way Sasuke would ever quit, either. Tobio's statement further convinced Naruto that the other boy was an idiot. "As long as you two are here, no one even stands a chance at getting the girls' attention."

Naruto smirked. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how jealous you are," Naruto finished with a dismissive wave as he walked toward Iruka. The boy wouldn't deny that a part of him wanted to deck Tobio. However, Naruto knew that Iruka-sensei, Hinata-chan, Old Man Teuchi and Ayame-onee-chan would be disappointed if Naruto gave in to Tobio's taunting. So, as Old Man Teuchi was fond of saying, Naruto decided 'to be the bigger man'.

He simply walked away.

Naruto found Iruka-sensei filing away the day's quizzes. Naruto sat on the edge of the front desks and waited for Iruka to finish. The teacher smiled as he closed the drawer.

"You did great today, Naruto," Iruka congratulated his student.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto responded warmly.

"I bet you want ramen to celebrate?" Iruka chuckled. Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed along with his teacher.

"Actually...I was wondering if you could take me to the Chuunin Exam Finals. I'd love to see real Ninja go at it!" Naruto said excitedly. Iruka ran his thumb along the scar that dominated his face.

"I think that can be arranged. The first round is tonight. I'll come by to take you at seven," Iruka said with a nod.

"Awesome! You're definitely one of the best, boss!"

"One of the best, eh Naruto?" Iruka's smile broadened at Naruto's declaration.

"Oh yeah! You're up there with Old Man Hokage, Ayame-onee-chan, Old Man Teuchi and Hinata-chan on the list of coolest people ever!" Naruto smiled. The teacher and the student parted ways. Naruto walked at a leisurely pace back to his apartment. He reached his home and hummed as he unlocked the door.

"Man, I'm looking forward to getting the bed back for a night!" Naruto shouted to himself. He tossed his bag onto the kitchen table and made a beeline to the bedroom. Naruto forced a smile as he flopped backwards on the bed. It was as comfortable as he remembered, but something was wrong. He sat up and looked over to the sleeping bag. Naruto had gotten used to sleeping there while Hinata took the bed. Suddenly, Naruto realized a profound truth.

His home felt very empty without Hinata.


Author's Note: Here's Chapter 4. Once again, this chapter seemed to grow on its own. This chapter could have easily cracked 10k words. I'm really loving writing this fic. The incredible response you have given this story has also helped. I can't thank you guys enough for being so awesome.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to make a plug and ask a question.

First the plug, I'm co-authoring a Skies of Arcadia, Naruto and Avatar: The Last Airbender cross with Hinatasgreatestfan. I'd appreciate it if you guys checked it out.

Now, the question. I'm a huge Nejiten fan. It's my second OTP next to Naruhina. I'm thinking of starting a Nejiten-focused story. If you guys would like to see that, let me know.