Author's Notes: Okay, here we go. Got a laptop for my birthday a little while ago so now I can type quietly without nasty distractions. (One of the reasons I cant find time to write…hard to be creative with people CONSTANTLY walking behind your back) anyways…as I type this: am in my bed and should be sleeping, am up in a few hours for college 

Be Strong Konoha

Chapter Six – Fulfilled Promises

"Sorry honey…you startled me a bit" Hinata said as she tended to Naruto's unfortunate nose. Her first instinct was to crash tackle him in a hug, but decided it would be better to mend the damage she had caused first. Naruto was still sitting on the floor, but was enjoying the attention from Hinata. She was on her knees; pinching the bridge of his nose and wiping away the blood with a sterile cloth. One of Naruto's hands were resting on Hinata's knee. He had taken off his headband that covered his eyes, it lay forgotten on the bedside table. Hinata was losing herself in Naruto's eyes, although they could not see, they were so full of life.

"What you staring at Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, shocking her out of her reverie. With a look of confusion she asked

"How'd you know I was staring?" it didn't make sense how Naruto could know. With a smirk, Naruto explained

"In the time I've been away, I've perfected the chakra sense. I can 'see' reasonably well now. I can see you, your hair…at the same time I can see the wall behind me, the little cracks running up it." Naruto explained his gift. Hinata nodded

"So you can see as well as anyone now?" Hinata asked with hope. Naruto shook his head

"Not quite…I still miss out on a lot."

"Like what? How does it look to you?" Hinata asked

"Well…" Naruto thought "…I can only see in one spectrum. In my mind's eye: I can only see blue, every shape and object that I sense is a shade of blue. So I miss out on colours, like flowers and people's hair."

"Oh…" Hinata looked down and put a hand on Naruto's: having wiped clean the blood and discarded the cloth.

"Also…I can't read, or look at pictures…I can only sense shapes…not surface detail. Can't admire a painting or read a letter…watch a TV. And my chakra sense is a bubble; I can't "see" anything outside it." Naruto explained.

Hinata tested to see if Naruto's nose bleed had clotted, it had. Job done: she continued her first intention: she dove at Naruto and knocked him back onto the floor in a massive hug. Naruto was not expecting it at all. His world was filled with a heavenly scent and powerful warmth that he'd been missing since the day he left.

His arms wound their way up and around Hinata's firm build, taking in every sense of her: from the feel of her rib cage, the warmth of her body, the sweet smell of her hair, the soft weight on his chest.

…

Naruto did a double take on this, soft weight on his chest. Naruto blushed furiously.

Hinata had indeed "grown" since last he saw her.

Technically speaking they had been boyfriend and girlfriend for over two years now…but physically speaking they had barely been with each other for a week.

Naruto had tried to contact Hinata several times during his trip, each time was foiled by Jiraiya, expressing how dangerous correspondence could be for the two of them.

They were both now lying on the floor, Hinata on top and Naruto back-down on the cold hard floor. Hinata seemed to be squeezing Naruto for all his worth, her head resting on his shoulder. Naruto had his left hand on her hip and his right hand was softly caressing her hair.

"I missed you." Hinata said.

"I missed you too" Naruto leaned his head over and gave Hinata a little kiss on her neck. "…I kept my promise you know? I came back"

"Yeah…but you're late. I'm considering having Ichiraku shut down for this." Hinata mumbled from Naruto's neck. "…and you cant say I never warned you."

Naruto said nothing more…he merely held Hinata for as long as he could.

"Ahem" A loud cough came from the open door. Hinata looked up.

"randy little bugger, back for five minutes and your already at poor Hinata" Tsunade said mockingly. Instead of a big reaction from Naruto like she was baiting for, Naruto just smiled.

"Heyo Obachan"

Hinata smiled impishly at their currant state.

"Come on you two…need to have a chat" Tsunade said, her seriousness showing. Both Hinata and Naruto sighed before lifting themselves off the ground. Hinata took Naruto's arm by instinct and was about to lead him to a seat. Naruto stopped her before she could

"Hinata…I'm fine, thanks" Naruto smiled his appreciation. Hinata felt foolish however, her time with Naruto had been all about guiding him around. She felt an uncomfortable twinge that he didn't need her for that anymore.

Naruto took a seat next to the bed, and Hinata sat down on the bed itself, drawing one knee up to her chest casually.

Tsunade approached them and took the remaining seat for herself.

"I'm guessing Jiraiya has told you what's going on then Naruto?" She asked. Naruto nodded

"He said that you'd be along to tell me what to do."

"Yeah…that's why I'm here." Tsunade began "…Essentially we're starting the evacuation in a few hours when it's completely dark. We're going to start moving people out in small groups, since you were away: we've organized the civilian population into groups and parties for just this kind of situation." Tsunade took a second to clear her throat before continuing. Hinata listened intently as did Naruto.

"…Our currant strength of ninja in the village is at a minimum, handful of Jounnin, Chuunin groups, and we have several Gennin groups on hand but aside from you lot, they're all still as green as the day they got out the academy. Our Anbu force is depleted right now aswell, the only ones we have in the village are the elite platoon, all the rest are on special missions." Tsunade paused, her thoughts were starting to slip from her mind as the impending threat was weighing on her mind, she opened her mouth to try and speak some more, but she was having great difficulty.

Both Naruto and Hinata noticed this.

"But we have the Fifth Hokage…surely that counts for something." Naruto smiled reassuringly. Tsunade looked up at him; her head had been dropping ever so slightly as she had been talking.

Tsunade muttered something inaudible under her breath.

'wish it did count for something'

Naruto's keen hearing picked up on this while Hinata was oblivious

"It does." Naruto nodded at Tsunade. She did not look convinced.

"Anyway…" She continued, the weight was still on her mind but it had been lessened…for the time being at least. "…The village has been organized into twenty separate groups, starting now they are all going to be moved into the village hideaways until it comes time for them to move out. When the time comes, they will have a designated group to escort them through the escape tunnel out to the west to the Sand village, they will provide our citizens with shelter." The concept of having allies made Tsunade smile a bit.

"…after the civilians are in safety, we will rally our forces about ten miles south-west of Konoha. Messengers are going to be sent out to all our forces outside the village to meet there. There's a cave system there that will suit our needs, we've got a couple of teams securing it for our arrival." Tsunade looked on at the two of them before concluding

"obviously, we're going to evacuate our most critical people first, so hospital patients…" Hinata looked nervous. "…village council etc. The closer we get to dawn the more risk our civilians will be in. so as time moves on in the plan, we will have to assign stronger teams as escorts just to be safe. Naruto, Hinata…you and you're Gennin companions will be arranged to a designated escort group. Our Jounnin, Chuunin and myself will hold off the attackers for as long as possible when they do arrive, when the last group is away we will all leave and rally at the cave." Tsunade nods her final confirmation.

"Wow…that's a lot to take in. Will it work?" Naruto asked. Tsunade cocked her head.

"hmmmm….yeah, sure" Tsunade said willfully. Naruto smiled

"That's all you had to say" he laughed. "…So when we getting to work then?"

Tsunade shrugged.

"Just show up at the main building in a few hours or so...we'll get you sorted out for what you'll need and who you'll be with" Tsunade explained.

"so a few hours to kill eh? Obachan…I'd really like to catch up with a few folk. How many are around right now?" Naruto asked.

"Well…most are busy right now. Kakashi's hovering around somewhere but he'll be helping to organize the civilian groups for now. Sakura and Sasuke are around here somewhere, they haven't left yet. Not sure about anyone else…Ino left about twenty minutes ago to help out."

"right…thanks." Naruto nodded. "…Hinata…mind if we pay Sasuke a visit?" he asked, getting up from his seat. He picked up Hinata's old headband and put it across his eyes, where it belonged.

"Sure." Hinata smiled.

"See you later Obachan" Naruto waved. Tsunade shook her head in resignation.

"It's good to have you back." Tsunade stood and engulfed Naruto in a mighty hug, but quickly released him. Naruto laughed.

"Thanks." He felt Hinata take his hand, and lead him outside…this time he didn't fight.

"How's Sasuke been since I've been away?" Naruto asked as Hinata led him out to the ward room across the hall way, the name on the door was Sasuke's.

"Hmmmm…him and Sakura haven't been on the best of terms. Aside from that he's alright…kinda mellowed out over the years.

They slid the door open and entered. Naruto could sense Sasuke on the bed in front of them.

Hinata saw Sasuke open his eyes…they focused solely on Naruto. The emotion in them was difficult to identify.

After about a half minute of staring at him, Sasuke broke the silence…

"Well….about fucking time, jeez!" Sasuke shouted. Naruto laughed

"Good to see you too Sasuke. Everything been good then?" Naruto asked. Sasuke choked a laugh. He looked at his legs and arms and could feel the breaks, bruises, scrapes and scratches from falling down the cliff in the Valley of Death.

"If you see Sakura…let me know…I need to beat the living piss out of her."

Author's Note: Oh yes, oh yes.

I seem to be back. Lol.

My first ideas for this fic began around about the 3rd chapter of Out of Sight Centre of Mind…it's a strange feeling that these ideas are blooming after their conception more than a year ago….peculiar lol.

Anyways……..onwards and upwards it seems. See you guys soon.