A/N: Would have updated sooner, BUT THE ENTIRE CHAPTER GOT ERASED CLOSE TO THE END AND I HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN! TWICE! Needless to say I was more than a bit upset. All my hard work, gone! And after so much going back and adding stuff, changing and editing. Hopefully that will never happen again. Thanks for reading and please review. I like hearing your thoughts and maybe ideas I haven't thought of. Also, when is Naruto birthday? I not asking for the date, I know it's October 10th. I mean in between which arcs, or is it during the one month before the final exams?

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I still don't own Naruto.

Chapter 6 Mist Demons

"Alright, lets set up camp here," Kurenai told her team and the bridgemaker. They were at a clear a small distance from the road. Kurenai set up a genjustu that hid their presense from bandits and other minor threats. Their first day out of the Hidden Leaf was uneventful, much to Hinata and Kiba's dismay.

"Man, I was so looking forward to showing off what me and Akamaru learned." Kiba complained as they put their stuff down.

"Yeah, today was waaay too boring." Hinata agreed.

Kurenai assigned Kiba and Akamaru to hunt some wild game. While they did bring food, Kurenai thought it would a good chance to build their survival skill, especially if she decided to let them participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams. Besides, fresh game tasted much better than the ration bars they brought. Meanwhile, Hinata was fetching some firewood and Naruto was setting two tents, one for the boys and one for the girls. Meanwhile Kurenai herself was keeping an eye on Tazuna, resisting the urge to pummel him for his drunken advances. 'Lucky for him, shinobi train to deal with difficult clients, whether its drunks or stuck-up royalty.' Kurenai then made a mental note to start Kiba and Hinata's training when they got back.

Hinata returned with the firewood and set up a campfire. Soon after, Kiba returned with two wild turkeys. Naruto volunteered to make some stew using ingredients he brought with him. Kurenai, Kiba, and Tazuna were hesitent to accept his offer since none of them had ever had his cooking. Hinata, however, vouched for him, so they decided to give him a chance. They weren't disappointed.

After one spoonful, Kiba dove right in, licking his bowl clean afterwards and asking for more. Akamaru did the same. Naruto complied and both partners started their second bowl.

"Wow Naruto. I'm impressed. This is really good." Kurenai complemented. Naruto blushed at her praise. She then turned toward Hinata, leaned into her ear and whispered, "You picked a good one."

Hinata nearly chocked on her food once the words left Kurenai's mouth. Her face turned a little pink thinking about what Kurenai ment. Luckely (or in my opinion, unfortunately) Naruto was too busy giving Kiba his third helpings to notice. She sighed in relief, but chastised herself for it. 'Why am I so nervous about this? Naruto would be lucky to date someone like me. And even if he doesn't feel the same way, there's no way he'd let it affect our friendship, right? I mean, I'm his best friend.' Then she remembered how Ino was Sakura's best friend after she defended Sakura from bullies and yet Sakura herself ended the friendship to purse Sasuke. 'Maybe I should wait and see if he feels the same way.'

"So Naruto, when did you learn to cook?" Kiba asked.

"Um, sh-shortly after m-meeting Hinata."

"Why?"

"W-well she changed my l-life for the b-better," Naruto stuttered. "I mean, i-if it weren't for her..." Naruto stopped and looked down sadly. Kiba and Kurenai both knew Naruto had a troubled childhood, but Hinata was the only one who knew exactly what he was refering to. "A-anyway, I was l-looking for a w-way to thank her, so I uh a-asked Teuchi to g-give me some cooking lessions."

Hinata was a little surprised. She never asked when he learned to cook and was flattered that he did it for her. She turned a way to hide a blush that breifly appearing on her face. 'Why does he have this effect on me. I never blush, and yet I do it so easily around him.' "You didn't have to do that for me, but thank you Naruto. You're a good friend." Again, Naruto blushed, only a little bit deeper since the complement came from Hinata this time.

"Hey, if being a ninja doesn't work out, I'm sure Teuchi would hire in a sec." Kiba said. "Then again, he might be worried you'll eat all the ramen." Everyone laughed, except for Tazuna, who kept looking around, worried about something.
-

Sasuke laid awake in bed. Sleep never came easily to him, as memories of his clan would often plague him. He would remember his mother's laughter and one of the few times he saw his father look at him with pride. But the worst memories were of Itachi, the brother he looked up to. The brother he thought loved him. And the brother who betrayed him and the entire clan. He still remember Itachi's Tsukuyomi, which force him to watch Itachi kill every single member of his clan over and over. These memories served as a reminder of his goal. They hardened his heart, and they push him to become strong so he can finally avenge the Uchiha and bring about its rebirth, stronger than ever.

However, on this particular night, he was not thinking about his older brother. No, he was thinking about Hinata, the girl he need to make the Uchiha stronger than ever. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to win her heart. 'Damn, I have an army of fangirls and the one girl who isn't crazy about me is the one I want.' And he knew exactly who to blame for that: Naruto Uzumaki.

Even if the two were completely oblivious to each other's feelings, Sasuke could see it, and it was only a matter of time before one of them acted on it. 'If only I knew Naruto's secret.' He was fully aware of the looks people gave the blond, yet he had no idea why. Everyone he asked said the same thing, that they weren't suppose to talk about it by order of the Hokage. And if the Hokage was involved, it must be major. Unfortunately, all efforts to learn said secret ended in failure.

'Of course, even if I did reveal his dirty little secret to Hinata, that still wouldn't guarantee she'd coming running to me, so how do I ensure her future as an Uchiha?' Suddenly, an idea formed inside Sasuke's mind. 'Of course, that's the answer! Why didn't I think of this sooner.' Sasuke closed his eyes an went to sleep. Tomorrow, he would start planning.
-

Naruto woke up with a start. He had another 9-Tails rampage nightmare. This time though, it started with the image of a red eye with three tomoes. Looking to his left he saw Kiba in his sleeping bag with Akamaru curled up next to him. Turning his right, Tazuna was fast asleep. Unable to go back to sleep, Naruto decided to get some fresh air, so he quietly tiptoed out of the tent.

Once outside, he noticed someone else. Hinata was sitting down, leaning back against a tree. Her eyes were locked on the night sky. The light of the full moon shined on her, giving her hair a dark blue tint. 'She's so... beautiful.' He just looked at her, enthralled by her beauty.

Hinata soon felt his presense. She looked at him, not noticing his daze, and said "Can't sleep either, huh?"

Naruto snapped out of his daze as soon as she spoke and looked down blushing. "Y-yeah."

"Sooo... Since we're both up, why don't you join me?" Hinata patted the ground to her left, gesturing him to sit there. Naruto nodded and slowly made his way next to her. As he sat down, both resisted the urge to blush, and both failed, turning their heads away for each other. 'What's wrong with me? It's not like I haven't been this close to him before. So why does this feel... different?'

"Hey, um, H-Hinata?" Hinata out of her train of thought and looked at him. "W-why are y-you, uh, up anyway?"

"I sort of picked up one of Shikamaru's habits, only instead of cloud watching, I watch the night sky," Hinata answered. "So, what about you?"

"Hm?"

"Come on. I told you my reason, it's only fair you give me yours. Why are you up?"

"Um, w-well," Naruto tried to come up with a good lie. "I j-just uh w-wasn't tried."

Hinata raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "Naruto, I know when you're lying. We have been friends for the past two years."

Naruto sighed. 'Should've known it wouldn't work.' "O-ok, the truth is, I h-had a n-nightmare and just c-couldn't f-fall back a-asleep. I-it's n-nothing, d-don't worry a-about it."

Hinata could tell he was lying about that last part, but only shook her head and turned her attention to the moon. "Its beautiful, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah," Naruto agreed. Then, without thinking, he added, without a stutter, "Just like your eyes." As soon as the words left his mouth, he brought his right hand over his mouth and turned away, his face as red as a tomatoe. Removing his hand but still looking away, he quickly added, "I uh, I m-m-meant t-that y-your e-eyes uh r-resemble the m-moon. I um I d-didn't m-mean that their b-beautiful. Not that they aren't, um I m-mean they are but uh..."

Hinata couldn't help but giggle as Naruto continued to fumble his words. 'He's kinda cute when he gets this way.' "Don't worry, I think I know what you mean." She smiled at him then set her eyes onto the night sky. However, her thoughts wondered to her childhood, specifically one person. "You know, my mother use to say my eyes were like two lavender moons."

Naruto just nodded. Hinata's mother Hitomi was a sore subject for her and Naruto knew it. She died giving birth to Hanabi, and Hinata missed her dearly. "I-if you d-don't want to t-talk about her..."

"No. I admit it makes me feel sad, but it's better than forgetting about her. Anyway, did you know she was a lot like me when she was young?"

"R-really?"

"If you thought I was bad, the stories she told me make me look like an amateur. Of course, she had a partner to help. But she was kind, helping others who have been bullied or treated badly. In fact, bullies were usually her victums. When she was alive, my dad wasn't as cold. In fact, he acted more like a loving father and husband than a clan head." Hinata remember how Hiashi grew cold when Hitomi died. It got worse when Hizashi died not long afterwards. Losing two of the people he cared most for, Hiashi was never the same. Hinata turned to look at Naruto, who had a sad look on his face. Curious as to why he was sad, she asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-it's nothing." Naruto assured.

But Hinata wasn't having any of it. "I told you, I know when your lying. So tell me, is something the matter?"

"W-well, I guess, I was j-just wondering w-what my mom and dad were l-like."

'Shit!' Hinata thought. 'I can't believe I forgot. Here I am, missing my mother, who I was lucky enough to spend time with and have memories of, while Naruto never knew his parents, or even who they were.' "I'm sorry."

"Y-you have n-nothing to be sorry a-about. I'm g-glad you have fond m-memories of your mother."

"I'm sure someone knows who they were. Why don't we ask someone?" Hinata offered.

Naruto shook his head. "I-I've already asked a-anyone who would t-talk to me. T-they either didn't k-know or w-won't tell me."

"What about the Hokage? Surely the old man knows something." Again, Naruto shook his head.

"H-he was the f-first one I a-asked. He, he told me I w-wasn't ready to k-know." This angered Hinata. She thought I was wrong for the old man to keep something so important as the identity of Naruto's parents a secret. Naruto had every right to know. But before she could voice her opinion, Naruto continued. "The w-worse thing is, I a-almost d-don't want to k-know."

"WHAT?! How could you not want to know who your parents were?" Hinata was confused.

"The w-way the H-Hokage said I w-was ready to k-know scares me. I-it makes me think, w-what if they w-weren't good people? O-or what if I w-was an accident they n-never wanted? What if..."

Naruto was on the verge of tears when Hinata shouted, "Stop!" She wasn't too loud as to wake the other or give away their position, but it was loud enough to get the young blond's attention. She looked him right in the eyes. "Naruto, I don't know why the old man won't tell you anything, but you shouldn't think like that. If you want my guess, I bet your parents loved you very much. In fact, I bet they died to keep you safe. I bet they were still alive, you would have had so many fond memories with them. And I bet they're cheering you on from the other side, just like my mom is cheering me on."

Naruto let a small smiled appear on his face. "Y-your right Hinata."

"Aren't I always?" She said with a smug grin. Then, two of them just sat there, eyes locked, lavender eyes meeting blue. And slowly, their faces inched forward slowly, the distance between their lips becoming shorter and shorter.

Then they realised what they were doing and stopped. (Sorry. I know you hate me for this.) They both turned red and immediatly separated. An awkward silence drifted between the two before Hinata decided to take their minds off it. "Y-you know what would be funny?" She asked, stuttering a little.

"W-what?"

"If your mom was my mom's best friend."

"I d-doubt it, but t-that would be c-cool. W-what was h-her name?"

"I don't know, but I remember what her nickname was."

"Oh. W-what was it?"

"The Red Hot Habanero."

Naruto chuckled and the two friends continued to watch the night sky. Shortly afterwards, they fell asleep right there, against that tree, right next to each other. And they both had pleasant dreams.
-

Kurenai woke up and stretched her arms. She looked to her right and found Hinata's sleeping bag empty. 'Did she wake up before me?' Kurenai made her way out of the tent and found Hinata. And she wasn't alone.

Naruto and Hinata were asleep, leaning against each other. 'Awww. They look so cute!' Quickly and quietly, Kurenai returned to her tent, thanking God she remembered her camera. After taking a few snapshots, she make her way toward the sleeping genin. 'I've got to show this to Kakashi and Iruka. Maybe Anko and Asuma too. And I wouldn't be surprised if Lord Third wanted a copy.' She put away her camera and shook their sholders. The two genin openned their eyes.

"Have a good night?" Kurenai teased. Hinata and Naruto realised their position and blushed as they stood and separated, Hinata more pink and Naruto full red. Kurenai could barely contain her laughter. "I guess I have to keep an eye on you two if your going to sneak away to sleep with each other."

"N-no, sensei. That's not... I mean we didn't..." Hinata tried to explain while Naruto turned redder and fainted. Luckely, Kurenai caught him before he hit the ground.

"Relax, Hinata. I'm only teasing." Kurenai said, laughing. Hinata glared at her sensei for a moment. "But seriously, why were you two sleeping out here?"

"Neither of us could sleep, so we talked a bit and then we watched the stars." Hinata answered, her blush disappearing.

"How romantic."

"Sensei!" Hinata's blush returned.

"Hey, what's going on our here?" Kurenai and Hinata turned to see Kiba exit the other tent, with Akamaru on his head. "Why is Naruto out here still asleep." Kurenai remembered the unconscious blond in her arms and woke him up.

Tazuna soon exited the tent. "Hey, can we get going soon? I'd like to be home as soon as possible. That bridge won't build itself."

"He's right. The soon we leave, the less chance of something happening on our way."

Kiba and Hinata both didn't mind the idea of fighting some bandits, but did as they were told and Team 8 quickly pack up their supplies. Once back on the road, they used the same formation as yesterday. Hinata and Naruto, however, were both distracted by what almost happened last night. 'Did we almost...kiss? And did he want to? Or did he not know what was going on? Why does it have to feel so complex?'

Naruto was thinking something similar. 'I almost kissed Hinata. I can't believe I almost kissed Hinata. And... she didn't look completly against it. Or did she not know? What should I do?'

As they walked along the road, they passed a puddle. Once Kurenai passed by it, two men popped out of the puddle. Both had forehead protectors with the symbol of the Hidden Mist village, dark brown hair, dark eyes, and a rebreather covering the lower part of their faces. One of them had a black cloak, a single large horn in the middle of his protector, and a gauntlet on his right arm. The other one wore a brown camouflage suit, two small horns, each on the edges of his protector, and a gauntlet on his left arm. The two gauntlets were connected by a chain with razors, which was wrapped around Kurenai. The two assailents pulled on the chain, ripping Kurenai to shreds.

"Ha. She wasn't so tough. Alright Meizu, let kill our target," said the man in the cloak.

"With pleasure, Gōzu," Meizu replied. And the two rushed rushed after Tazuna.

Tazuna grabbed Naruto and placed him in front of him. "Don't just stand there. Do something! Save me!"

But Naruto didn't move. He stood, frozen as images of his past flooded his mind. Memories of the villagers chasing and beating him made Naruto feel as helpless as he did back then. Gōzu and Meizu closed in for the kill, inches away from Naruto and Tazuna, gauntlets dripping with poison and sharp claws ready to slice.

Suddenly, Hinata threw a shuriken at them. The shuriken hit the middle of the chain and pinned it to a nearby tree, stopping the duo's attack. Kiba threw a kunai to help keep it in place.

"Damn brats!" Meizu shouted. The two looked at each other, then disconnected the chains and separated. Gōzu went after Tazuna and Naruto while Meiza attacked Kiba and Hinata. Their speed caught both groups off guard. Gōzu quickly slashed Naruto's throat, then stab Tazuna's heart with his gauntlet. Meanwhile, Meiza cut Kiba's chest and slashed Hinata's back.

"Mission accomplished! Now that the old man is dead we can... What the?!" Gōzu stopped and looked at the bodies, which turned into pink flower petals.

"A genjutsu? When did..."

"Tunneling Fang!" Kiba rammed into Meiza in a drill-like attack, throwing him back into a tree.

"Brother! Alright, now you've asked for it." Gōzu prepared to strike Kiba when he heard a voice behind him.

"Your in my range." He turned to see Hinata, Byakugan activated and in the Gentle Fist stance. "8 Trigrams 2 Palms... 4 Palms... 8 Palms... 16 Palms... 8 Trigrams 32 Palms!" Hinata struck 32 times, each attack closing one of his chakra points. When she finished, Gōzu laid on the ground, unable to move.

Meiza started to recover from Kiba's attack and saw his brother on the ground. "You brats are gonna die right here, right now!" He rush at Hinata, only to recieve a strong punch to his stomache by Kurenai. "W-what? But, but we... killed... you." Meiza fell unconscious and dropped to the ground. At the site of Kurenai's 'remains' was a bunch of splintered wood.

Kurenai grabbed the two and tied them to a tree, placing them in a genjutsu to keep them docile. 'So these are the infamous Demon Brothers? I'm not impressed. I mean, a puddle in the path when it hasn't rained in days? It was much too obivious.'

"Well, I guess most of you are of use." Tazuna said, emphasizing the word 'most' and glaring at Naruto. The boy could only look down, ashamed at his weakness. Kurenai marched over to the drunk, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pinned him against a tree. "Hey, what are you..."

"Now you listen to me!" Kurenai roared. "Your going to tell me why two rogue ninja would be after you!"

"I, I don't..."

"Bullshit! You didn't seem surprised that they were targeting you. And this whole trip, when you thought no one was looking, you'd look around like you were expecting something like this to happen. Now tell me the truth!"

Tazuna gulped and told them the whole story. He told the team about Gato and how he used his wealth and influence to take over the Land of Wave's transport and shipping. Since it was an island country, this gave Gato complete control over the government, finances, and the lives of its people, using an army of mercenaries to enforce his rule.

His sad story, however, did nothing to supress Kurenai anger. "So let me get this straight, you hired CHILDREN to deal with an infamous crime lord with the money and connections to hired dangerous missing nin? This is not what would be classified as a C-rank mission, but an A-rank or at the very least a B-rank. So you not only knowingly put my students in a situation they aren't ready for, but also cheated the Hidden Leaf Village!"

"I, I'm sorry. The Land of Waves has been poor ever since Gato took over. We didn't have enough money to afford to pay for an A-rank mission."

"And it never occured to you to negotiate a payment plan with the Hokage? The fact that you think our village would turn down your request for help because you didn't have the money at the moment is an insult! Come on kids. We're heading back."

"But, but you can't!" Tazuna argued.

"You lied to us and paid for a C-rank mission knowing full well this would be A-rank. We are under no obligation to complete this mission," Kurenai countered.

"Wait sensei. I think we should finish the mission!" Hinata shouted. This was her first real mission as well as her first time outside of the Hidden Leaf Village. There was no way she was going to let something let this ruin it.

"Hinata..." Kurenai started.

"Hinata's right! We can take whatever this Gato guy throws at us. I mean, we easily took these guys down." Kurenai was about to argue that Gato may have more powerful shinobi on his payroll when Naruto decided voice his opinion.

"B-besides, we c-can't let t-those people suffer. We should h-help them."

Tazuna decided to take advantage of the situation. "Oh please, think of my people, my family! My daughter and grandson would be devastated if Gato were to kill me!" he said overdramatically.

Kurenai sighed. She could tell by the looks on her pupils' faces that they weren't going to budge. "Alright fine. But I want all of you to stay close to me and do as you're told, no questions. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sensei!" all three genin said.

Tazuna looked over his sholder when no one was looking, smiled, and held up a peace sign, thinking 'I win.'

"Oh, and Tazuna," Kurenai called out before turning to face the bridge builder, "Once this is over, I'm not only expecting payment for a C-rank mission, but also for you to discuss a payment plan for an A-rank mission with the Hokage at some point. This is nonnegotiable! Consider it your punishment." With that, she began writting a message to the Hokage.

Tazuna sighed heavily. 'Spoke too soon. Still, I suppose I'm getting off easy, considering I've brought children into this. I just hope they're as strong as they think.'
-

"Enter."

Team 7 entered the Hokage's office. They just finished another dull D-rank mission. This time they were washing dishes at Ichiraku. Strangely enough, Shino had an easier time than his teammates.

"Ah, Kakashi. I was just about have someone get you. This saves time." 'Especially since you'd most likely arrive 2 hours late.' "I have a mission for you alone."

"Pardon me, Lord Third, but I'm busy with my team. Surely there are other jonin capable of completing this mission."

"We will discuss that. Here is your payment, the rest of you are dismissed." The genin of Team 7 bowed a little before exiting. Once the door closed, Hiruzen explained, "Team 8 has run into some unexpected complications. It seems the client withheld some information in order to reduce the mission rank."

"I see, now I know why you want me to go."

"Yes, you are the only available jonin I can trust on a mission with Naruto. Most of our jonin still resent Naruto because of the fox spirit he carries and I fear if I send one of the other available jonin, he might have an 'accident'. Here is the message Kurenai sent. I've already sent shinobi to retrieve the ninjas they managed to capture and tie up. You should be able to catch up with them quickly at your top speed in the Land of Waves. Dismissed."

Kakashi exited and found his team waiting outside. "Well, it looks like I'll be gone for awhile. Now just because I'm away doesn't mean you can slack off on your training. I want you all to go to the library and grab a scroll for the tree climbing excerise. I expect to return to a team that can walk up trees using only chakra."

"Yes, sensei," Sakura and Shino said. Sasuke just nodded in agreement.

"Good," was all he said before he disappeared.

"Sasuke, you want to head to the library with me?" Sakura asked.

"I believe Kakashi-sensei intended for all of use to go together," Shino said. Sakura shot him a glare telling him to shut up.

"I'm busy," was all Sasuke said before leaving them, making his way to the Hyūga Complex.
-

Kurenai and her team walk through a forest in the Land of Waves along a path in a diamond formation with Tazuna in the middle. Kurenai covered the rear with Hinata up front. Kiba covered the right flank and Naruto the left. 'We need to be careful. The next ninja Gato sent won't be chunin, but at least jonin level, and though unlikely, Gato might send two. He does have the money to afford it.'

"There!" Kiba shouted as he threw a kunai into the bushes, causing nearly giving the old drunk a heart attack. After hearing a thud, the group decided to check it out, only to find the kunai lodged into a tree with a frightened white rabbit just below it.

"Nice work Kiba, you saved us from a rabbit." Hinata sarcastically remarked.

"That's odd. Could have sworn I sensed a person." Kiba said.

"All this fuss over a rodent?" Tazuna questioned.

Naruto walked up the small rabbit and picked him up. "It's okay Mr. Bunny, we won't hurt you." His voice was soothing as he hugged the rabbit gently, exactly the opposite of how the Feudal Lord's wife hugged her cat Tora. As the rabbit relaxed in his grip, Hinata looked with growing affection for her crush, and a little jealousy at the rabbit in his embrace. Tazuna, meanwhile, made a gagging noise.

"You should see him at my place. The pups love him." Kiba remarked, Akamaru barking in agreement before sniffing the air.

Kurenai watched as Naruto fed the white rabbit a carrot, but her thoughts were not on the cute scene in front of her. 'That's a snow rabbit, but why is its fur white? That's only in the winter when there's little sunlight. He must have been rasied in captivity to be used as a substitition, which means our enemies are already here.' "EVERYONE DUCK NOW!"

All of them did as told as a large blade passed above them. The blade imbeded itself in to a tree and a shirt-less man with bandages covering his lower face appeared on the hilt. He had the same emblem on his forehead protector as the Demon Brother, only his didn't have any horns on it. "Well, well, well. So these are the ninja who beat the Demon Brothers. Of course, since you have the Genjutsu mistress Kurenai Yūhi, I'm not all that surprised."

"W-who... who are you?" Naruto asked in a shaky voice.

The man smiled menacingly, amused by the fear in Naruto's voice. He seemed to disappear. Before the genin could react, he appeared behind the blond, leaned into his ear and said, "I am Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist."
-

Hiashi was quite surprised to hear that Sasuke Uchiha had requested an audience with him. He considered turning the boy down, since the Uchiha and Hyūga had a rivalry before the massacre. However, he decided that now that the Uchiha was down to two members, one of which was a rouge ninja, there was no point in continuing the feud. And Hiashi was curious as to what the last Uchiha wanted with the head of the Hyūga. A Branch family member knock on hid office door. "Enter."

"Lord Hiashi, Sasuke Uchiha is here." Hiashi dismissed the servent and motioned Sasuke to take a seat. Sasuke bowed before doing so, knowing better then to act disrespectfully to the head of the Hyūga Clan.

"I do not wish to take up to much of your time, Lord Hiashi, so allow me to get straight to the point," Sasuke said.

"Please do. I'm curious as to what it is you seek to gain," Hiashi responded in his emotionless voice.

"I wish to ask for you daughter's hand in marriage."
-

Hinata: NOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I REFUSE TO MARRY ANYONE OTHER THAN NARUTO! ESPECIALLY SASUKE!

Alpha: You know, for someone who's usually quiet, you can be pretty loud. (Sakura enters)

Sakura: NOOOOOOOO! I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE OTHER THAN ME MARRY SASUKE!

Alpha: Calm down, you two. You don't even know if Hiashi actually agrees.

Hiashi: Yes, please Hinata. I'm sure I'll reject Sasuke's proposal. Right? I don't want to be a bad guy anymore than I already am.

Alpha: Hiashi, I've read stories where you are a lot worse. A LOT worse. Ones where you would kill Naruto or even your own daughter without a second thought. I remember one where you practically gave Naruto over to some...

Hiashi: You haven't answered my question.

Alpha: I'll answer in the form of chapter 7. So wait until then.

Hinata: You better fix this!

Alpha: Y-yes ma'am. 'For once, Hinata scares me, even more than Sakura.' (Naruto enters)

Naruto: Hey, why'd you stop the kiss? I mean, if we both wanted it, why didn't we follow through.

Alpha: The two of you only noticed the act, not the fact that both of you wanted to.

Naruto: Well why haven't we noticed each others' feelings

Alpha: I'm pretty sure I've heard of a law or something about how the object of one's affection is oblivious to said desires, even when the feeling is mutual. Basically, unless the person does something like confessing his/her feelings or kissing, not almost kissing, the other person is ignorant of the affection.

Naruto: That's stupid.

Alpha: You didn't notice Hinata's feelings until long into your series.

Sakura: Even though it was obvious the rest of us.

Naruto: Err, touche.

Alpha: In fact, I'm pissed that you two haven't gotten together yet. (Remember, I'm watching the anime dubbed, so I'm only on episode 322.) But I rant about that in my head later.

Sakura: Certainly would have saved me a lot of time.

Naruto: And me headaches.

Sakura: What was that?

Naruto: Nothing!

Hinata: I guess I should have confessed sooner.

Alpha: I don't blame you, Hinata. Even I get nervious when I think about asking out the women I crush on, even though I'm smart, good-looking, strong, nice...

Naruto: And has a bit of an ego-manic.

Alpha: No I'm not! Anyway, I'm surprised you didn't comment on the proposal.

Naruto: What proposal?

Alpha: You didn't read the end of the chapter? Or hear Sakura and Hinata yelling?

Naruto: Hinata yelled? And no, but I was about to.

Alpha: Weeellll I better get going. (Leaves quickly as Naruto reads the end)

Naruto: WHAT?! GET BACK HERE YOU AND FIX THIS! (Runs after Alpha)