Hey folks! I'm back again, finally. I didn't manage to get two updates in the same month, but this one came within a month's time from the last one, which is just as good, right? ...Heh. Well anyway, several of you mentioned how evil the cliffhanger was that I left you on last chapter. Looking back at it now, I suppose it really kinda was, but I can honestly say it didn't occur to me that it was that bad at the time. Sooooo... sorry about the evil cliffy, I promise I won't do it again... (coughcoughoftencough)...

Okay, next point! Wingless-Crying-Angel brought something to my attention about the last chapter that I realized I never really fully explained: the color blue being everywhere had absolutely no more significance than just being something every important scene had in common. The idea was to develop pattern recognition; if Naruto could find one common factor at each step of the crime --and it wouldn't always have to be something as obvious as a color-- he could then look for that same factor elsewhere to lead him in the right direction. In other words, he noticed there was blue at every step, so he instinctively followed conspicuous blue things to important clues and eventually the culprit. If you'd already realized this, kudos to you, and if you hadn't, well now you know. Either way, I meant to explain all that mid-chapter and forgot, so thanks for pointing it out, WCA!

Since I can't write back to anonymous reviews, I'll just thank you here:
-Lenquo-- If you thought that was cute, wait'll you see this one... ;P
-WOO!-- Thanks, I appreciate the compliments. :) I didn't wind up using the Null-Details style again this time around, but hopefully it helped me a bit in that regard.
-Anonymous-- Yes! That's two that read the disclaimers! :P In all seriousness, though, I cannot express how awesome it is to know I'm a bookmark somewhere. And that's a good point you raise; it hadn't occurred to me that details are even easier to imagine when I'm writing characters that are already established. I'll try to keep that in mind from now on.

Now then, without further ado... --No, wait, there's still one more thing:

Disclaimer: "Hey, everybody! Disclaimer Me here to say I'm back! Guess what?" (deep breath) "I own Naruto and the villain of the next story is--" (ducks)
The Copyright Ninjas come swooping in flying tackles, but they collide headlong into the Anti-Spoiler Ninjas, who are also trying to flying-tackle, and both groups knock each other out.
"Heh heh heh..."


Naruto heaved a tired sigh as he plopped down on the stool, his forehead slumping to the counter. It wasn't entirely fatigue that made him droop; he then raised his head high enough to slam it down against the wood again. Thud!

Shikamaru paused slurping his noodles long enough to arch an eyebrow. Curious, he said nothing and waited. Sure enough… Thud! …Thud! …Thud!

"Hey, cut that out Naruto! You're going to wreck my counter with that hard head of yours!" warned Teuchi. The light amusement in his voice kept it from being an insult.

The blond sighed again and settled his chin on the spot his forehead had battered. "Right, sure, sorry…" he said gloomily. "Triple order of the regular, please."

The ramen cook's eyebrows rose at his favorite customer's tone. He moved to comply with the request, but he exchanged a glance with Shikamaru and gestured for him to say something. The lazy ninja shrugged and finally slurped up his mouthful. "Stressful morning?" he asked casually.

Naruto considered firing back a sharp retort, but he couldn't muster the willpower. "You don't know the half of it…" he grumbled instead. He was aware he'd worried Hinata at dinner the evening before, but he hadn't had the clarity of mind to set her doubts straight. Not while he had his own to deal with; he'd promptly gone home and spent most of the night in a restless struggle with the ghosts of fear in his head. Naruto knew it was stupid to let Second-Guessing and Self-Doubt stand in his way, and he was convinced he ought to do as Neji suggested and shoulder his way past them --giving them a shot to the teeth as he went. If they felt like following, they could eat his dust.

Great in theory. Problem was, he was having trouble convincing himself there really wasn't a bottomless cliff on the far side of them.

After an hours-long slugging match that felt like shadow boxing yet still somehow left him feeling battered and beaten, Naruto had decided his side of the battle needed more of an edge --Neji's words were a great start, but they weren't enough. So, he'd gotten up early and gone looking for credible sources of counsel. Unfortunately, he was coming up short in that regard; his first thought had been to look for Sakura, but he couldn't find her anywhere; every fiber of his being violently rejected the idea of asking Sai; a little past dawn he'd stumbled upon Kakashi-sensei running for his life from an enraged Anko brandishing an all-too-familiar little book and decided he might not be the best person to ask for romantic advice either; as the sun climbed in the sky he considered bouncing everything off Konohamaru and the rest of his squad, but then he remembered the last time they'd gotten involved in one of his personal problems and shuddered.

And topping it all off of course was the unwelcome news he had received from Ino in the midst of his wandering: he was to show up at the address she gave him in his finest outfit to take part in a formal dinner for Ino's Test of Etiquette. She was picking now, the moment of greatest distraction with a ­life-altering decision, to drill him on manners, which all of his tutors had agreed was his absolute worst subject. Figures.

Naruto was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard Shikamaru saying something about Hinata. "Huh? What was that?" he asked quickly.

The lazy ninja looked smug. "I asked if you were thinking about a certain shy Hyuuga, but I think I have my answer. Bet I know why you've lost sleep, too."

Naruto sighed. Well, he had been looking for advice. "Mm… I dunno, what do you think?" Shikamaru gave him a frank look that broadcast the words 'you have to ask?' The blond issued an irritated snort. "Yeah, you're right, I must be getting desperate. When are you going to follow Temari's advice, huh?"

The other ninja barked a laugh as his smirk grew and his eyes narrowed. "Touché. All right wise guy, Choji asked me to meet him somewhere so let's hear today's brilliant guess and be done with it."

Naruto took a note of satisfaction that the lazy bum had dodged the question. He sat up straighter and cleared his throat. "Friends. Comrades, at least in the Leaf Village, will never let you down. Maybe they can't help with every little problem--" He paused, then accelerated past it. "--but when it really counts I know they'll always come through."

Regret passed over Shikamaru's face at the next words he'd have to say. "I'd have thought that whole thing with Sasuke would have convinced you otherwise…"

A blanket of uncomfortable silence descended, chilling the atmosphere. Naruto visibly crumpled under a shroud of dark memories. His friend respectfully didn't intrude for several heartbeats. Just when he was about to say something, Ayame plopped three steaming bowls of ramen down in front of the knucklehead. "Order's up!" she called cheerfully. Naruto stirred and thanked her, sitting up again.

Shikamaru smiled and stood. "Better get going…" He paused when the blond didn't reach for the bowls. "You going to eat those, or just stare at them all day?"

"Just waiting for company." He glanced over his shoulder. "Speaking of, there he is."


"…and that's about it, Iruka-sensei." Naruto's first teacher sat on his customary stool and stared at his favorite student with a mixture of wonder and pride. When he did not speak, Naruto pensively continued. "I mean, love is there, I know it is, I just… I don't know if it's the right time to act on it, I guess." Talking with Iruka always invoked a certain peace of mind in the young man; feelings that were tough to sort out and tougher to share always seemed to find their way into words much easier around his old sensei.

A smile crept onto Iruka's face. "…You know, every time we meet like this you always amaze me with how much you've grown and matured, Naruto. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the time is coming when you have no need of my advice any more."

The younger man frowned. "Don't say stuff like that, Iruka-sensei! I'll always want your advice."

The smile grew into a grin. "Ha! Don't worry, I don't intend to stop giving it. I'm sure I'll have plenty of earfuls for your kids, too!"

Naruto's cheeks flushed. "Iruka-sensei!" he scolded reproachfully.

Iruka raised a hand in surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry," he chuckled. Then his face settled into serious lines, though his smile remained. "I may not have experienced the feelings you describe --at least not yet, anyway!-- but from the sound of things they seem to be the real deal. Given that, I can only say the tragedy will be if you don't choose to act on them."

"But--!"

Iruka cut him off. "But you're worried about the responsibility. Maybe you're not sure what all it takes to care for a family. Either way, you're not sure you measure up." Naruto nodded glumly. The older man's expression hardened. "You're right to be concerned. Getting married does add a lot of responsibility to your life, just like becoming Hokage will, or even like becoming a ninja in the first place did all those years ago." Iruka's smile returned. "But if you look at it from that perspective, you'll see you've really got nothing to worry about."

Naruto frowned; that had all made sense right up until that last bit. "Huh? You lost me."

"Naruto, months ago you were told you weren't equal to the task of becoming Hokage, that you had a lot yet to learn before you were ready." The teacher looked at him expectantly. "What did you do when you heard that?"

The younger ninja blinked. "I buckled down and learned."

Iruka nodded agreeably. "You did. As your history tutor, I think you learned more in these last few months than you ever did at the Academy. You really put your all into it. Why?"

"Because I said I would. I promised a lot of people I'd be Hokage, and I never go back on my word. Believe it."

"And why do you want to become Hokage?"

Naruto's frown deepened. You should know that already, sensei. "To protect the Village. To show everyone how much I care."

A spark entered Iruka's eyes. "Exactly. And why do you work so hard to become a better shinobi? Is it just so you can become Hokage sooner?"

Where are you going with this? "No, I also want to protect my friends. I want to be stronger so I can help the people precious to me."

The teacher leaned back with a look of satisfaction. "So you push yourself to learn about the Hokage's responsibilities because you care about the Village, and you work tirelessly to overcome your flaws and weaknesses because you care about your friends." He winked at the younger man. "And you yourself told me you've come to care about Hinata more than any other person in the world."

Realization detonated in Naruto like a paper bomb between his ears. "You're right…" he breathed. He perked up as if inflating, growing a smile to match. "…You're right!! Thanks, Iruka-sensei!" He shot to his feet, giddy excitement pulsing from his eyes. "I'm gonna ask her! I'm gonna ask her tonight, after--" He remembered where he was going that night, and his face went slack and his tone died. "After I make a fool of myself."


"He's late!" fumed Ino. "That is such a bad start!"

"I know it's not his strong suit," sighed Sakura, "but even he should know it's rude to keep ladies waiting." TenTen voiced an agreement, as did several others. Hinata just sat quietly and worried.

The door chime grabbed their attention. The bored irritation that had dominated the atmosphere was instantly replaced by eager excitement as Ino quickly directed everyone to their places. Fighting an impish grin herself, the blond waved down a few twittering giggles and led the group in assuming very proper postures and dignified expressions.


Being so thoroughly schooled in formality, Hinata's stance perfected itself without thought, but she was unable share in her friends' devious energy, instead nervously following their ringleader to the front hall with her eyes. How would Naruto react to all of this? She'd been unwilling --unable, really-- to force herself to comply with Ino's request for her attire, but now she wondered if she shouldn't have tried harder to force herself. The last thing she wanted at this point of their fragile relationship was to be lost in the crowd, but how could she possibly warrant his attention here?


Ino carefully donned an imperious look as she opened the door. Naruto stood facing off to the right on the far side, again resplendent in his regal shogun robes. The corner of her mouth tugged into a smirk when he turned and saw her outfit; the look on his face even as it turned red was priceless. "Good evening, Mister Uzumaki," she clipped. "I am Ino Yamanaka, and I will be your hostess tonight."

He jolted. "Uh, r-right, I am Naruto Uzumaki, and it is my pleasure to, u-um, dine with you." He gave a hasty, abbreviated bow.

Ino was impressed; he remembered the proper greeting-response, even if the words painfully sounded rehearsed and the bow had been awkward. "If you would follow, please, I will introduce you to the other prominent guests."

She turned and barely caught a muttered comment that sounded like, "…may need that rescue after all…"

As they walked back down the hall, Ino watched him out of the corner of her eye and saw that he conspicuously forced himself to avoid looking at her, instead studying the floor, the walls, and his own feet. She allowed herself a sly smile well hidden from his view. That was the better of the two expected male reactions, but that little defense mechanism wouldn't help him long.

They came out into the dining room. Naruto's blood apparently couldn't decide whether to drain from his face or rush to it.


Ino had to be enjoying this. He knew Pervy Sage would practically die of excitement, but Naruto fought his racing pulse and uncomfortable-ness to the extreme. In the middle of the room was a long narrow table covered by an embroidered silk tablecloth and festooned with ornate candlesticks, more than one scented candle, and beautiful bouquets of flowers and other decorative-looking plants. All of this, however, was expected and not what drew immediate attention. There were approximately twenty people in the room, presumably all other guests and most of whom he recognized, pretending to be engrossed in conversation, but he knew they had to be watching him.

All of them were women. But that wasn't even the worst of it.

His hostess first 'introduced' him to Sakura Haruno, whose scooping neckline made him wince. Naruto had never known Sakura to believe in showing cleavage before, but he couldn't tell it now. TenTen was seated on a couch in such a way as to proudly show off long, bare, very shapely legs. He could have mentioned it was discourteous to remain seated during introductions, but he didn't want to know what would happen if she got an excuse to stand. Outfits did not get much worse as they went --none could top Ino's, which Naruto refused to believe could be considered formal wear-- but the sheer quantity was beginning to overwhelm; as his control stretched thin his voice grew strained and his speech began to border on incoherent.

So… much… skin… Grah! He screamed in his mind. Stop it! These are your friends! You are not like Pervy Sage, you are not like Pervy Sage! Think of… think of Hinata! Yeah, that's it, think of--

"And this is Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of her clan, one of…" The rest of the words faded out of reception as he spun around. He looked before he could stop himself --and breathed a sigh of relief; like a breath of fresh air, ever-timid Hinata was dressed as conservatively as always --ironically in the same matching outfit to his from the other night.

Looking extremely self-conscious, she took a step forward and gave a formal bow. "A p-pleasure to m-m-meet you, M-mister Uzumaki."

Naruto almost laughed. Well, as long as they were making fresh first-impressions, he wanted to make it a good one. With a twinkle in his eye, he said, "Pleasure's all mine, Lady Hinata." He returned the bow, but before straightening he seized her hand and kissed it, setting off a cascade of whispers around the room. He smiled at the wave of goosebumps he felt under his lips, and knew even before looking up that she'd turned that adorable shade of pink.

When he pulled himself upright they shared eye contact and emotions for a long moment, but before either could say anything further, Ino cleared her throat and signaled for everyone's attention. "Now that we are all here and acquainted--" She turned to a still-speechless Hinata and raised an eyebrow. "--some better than others-- we can now be seated and prepare for the meal." Matching action to words, she strode over to the table and sat in the second chair from the end on one of the long sides of the table. She then gestured expectantly at Naruto to be seated next.

He hesitated, realizing both that his choice was part of the test and that Ino's selection was odd. The host or hostess usually sat in the center of one side or on the end, didn't they? Or did they? What was he supposed to do if they didn't? He tried to remember his lessons…

And failed. He blanched. Etiquette had always been the topic he had the most tenuous grasp on. The tricks and tips he had learned floated at the edge of memory, where the chaos of his thoughts and the massive surge of testosterone put them hopelessly out of reach.

In other words, he was in deep donkey dung.

Aware that all eyes were on him, Naruto's face grew hot again as his eyes darted around frantically for something --anything-- to spark a memory.

Suddenly an idea did come to him. He turned to Hinata and instantly felt himself calm a bit again. He still couldn't remember the proper thing to do, but he knew what would get him through the night alive and sane. Still holding her hand, he tugged her with him toward the table. Almost stumbling in her surprise, she hurried to follow him.

Ignoring the fresh wave of giddy twitters and whispers, Naruto gestured for her to choose first. When she hesitantly moved to the seat next to Ino on the inside, he got her chair for her and then hurried around to sit directly opposite her, in the third chair from the end.

He glanced at Ino to see an unreadable expression on her face. The hostess stared at him for a moment longer, but then said nothing and signaled to the other ladies behind him. Sakura came and sat on his right, TenTen on the left, and the remaining guests filled in the rest.

And the real torture began.


Servers who wore what could best be described as 'minimal' outfits brought beverages out --an exotic fruit juice, they were told. Naruto, feeling terribly parched, eagerly took a drink.

"Now, before we start the meal, we must have a toast for the evening."

Cup still to his lips, Naruto froze. His eyes traced from Hinata to Ino, from blush to cool, expectant gaze. Deciding he would get in more trouble by spitting his mouthful back out, he swallowed carefully and sheepishly raised his cup.

"To, uh, world peace and, um, Village p-prosperity and… stuff…" he sputtered.

The ladies raised their glasses to a general murmur of agreement. He swore they all leaned toward him as they took their drinks; his eyes shot back to Hinata and he breathed another grateful sigh.

Thank goodness the woman it was safe to look at was also the one he wanted to see most anyway.


The salad he'd been given looked appetizing enough. Now, if he could only figure out which of the five forks in front of him was the right one to use…

Naruto looked up. Hinata was watching him, though she tried not to show it. He glanced back down and reached for one of the utensils, but paused when he glimpsed her cheeks turning red. As he pulled his hand back, her color returned to normal. Then she flushed again when he reached for the next fork.

When he finally brushed the one that failed to make her blush, he grinned and grabbed it decisively.


As they waited for the next course, Naruto knew he shouldn't just keep staring at Hinata. While they were eating he got away with mostly focusing on his plate and only shooting glances at the people he was speaking with, but between times his eyes had to go somewhere.

He was perpetually in a conversation with Ino about random things like politics and economics, but he avoided looking her way as much as possible. He exchanged comments with other guests as well, but they didn't play fair when he tried to look at them. Sakura and TenTen, for example, had scooted much too close for comfort. Whenever he turned to Sakura she'd do something like lean forward over her plate and turn toward him, exploiting her neckline. TenTen would usually shift around, especially crossing and uncrossing her legs, and more than once she 'accidentally' nudged him with a foot.

Naruto kept returning to Hinata, but he tried not to stare for too long --he didn't want to be rude to her either. He also felt a bit guilty that he hadn't spoken much to Hinata herself, but he figured the conversation they'd have afterward would make up for it.

So, he spent as much time as he could being polite and fighting to maintain eye contact elsewhere, but like a ship out in a stormy sea his eyes kept returning to safe haven.


Part of Hinata was ecstatic about the special treatment she was getting from Naruto. There was the Gentleman's Kiss at their meeting, and then he'd seated her before himself --the guest of honor!-- and he'd even gotten her chair for her. When he'd chosen to sit opposite herself, it was a great honor for her, but he'd slighted the hostess and come off extremely rude. She knew she shouldn't be glad that he made such a mistake that would cost him, but she just couldn't help but be happy that he'd done it for her.

Even so, another side of her --the logical side that had already determined she was not good enough for him-- tried to explain away the things he did. Yes, he was looking at her more than any other girl, but she couldn't help but notice his gaze never stayed long --not that she could blame him. He hadn't spoken to her since greeting her. Given that she already knew their relationship had to end in tragedy, it was all too easy for her brain to say he was only being nice out of pity or mercy. From there it was a simple task to see what had to be coming soon.

Even though her heart didn't want to believe it.


It didn't take Naruto long to figure out it hadn't been a good idea to take the steak that had been cooked longest. He realized this when his knife made an audible clink! when it touched the meat. Well, nothing he could do but try to make it work --it had been his own choice and he figured he probably couldn't complain.

As he struggled to make any sort of mark on the very well-done beef, he heard someone call his name and say something, but focused as he was he didn't hear what they were saying.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I agree…" he said distractedly. At the fringes of vision, Hinata turned a deep crimson, prompting him to look up and around. Utter silence had fallen, and most of the other ladies were looking at him with a mix of horror and disgust.

Oh, crud… he thought tiredly. What did I say now?


When desserts were being brought out, Naruto scooted his chair backward without thinking and accidentally bumped one of the servers. As she stumbled the saucers in her hands became unbalanced. Thinking quickly, he created Shadow Clones to catch her and her tumbling treats. Fortunately, they succeeded. Unfortunately, they also managed to bump into another server who fell into another, toppling most of them in a chain reaction. More Shadow Clones appeared to grab more falling ladies and flying food.

Amazingly, they managed to catch everyone and everything. But then one of the Narutos lost his footing, bumped into the table and pitched forward. The pastries he had been holding plopped top-first onto Hinata's and Ino's plates.

Naruto looked up from the table at them. Hinata was fighting both a blush and a fit of giggles, but Ino did not look amused. He donned a weak smile. "A-heh. Anyone for upside-down cake?"


Ino remembered one time when she'd been feeling irritable --the mission she was on had been long and frustrating-- she'd started picking at Choji about his weight and relative intelligence. She hadn't meant any of it --she just had to vent some steam. Choji had known that, so he'd stood silently and taken it, but then Naruto had come hotly to his defense. Angry at his interference, Ino tore into him instead. They'd gotten into quite the yelling match before she crossed a line; she'd found out about the Fox a few days before and still hadn't decided what to think about it, but in her anger she shot out several vicious comments about it.

That had shut him up. It had also made him collapse into himself and wander away, a look of pain haunting his features. She instantly regretted her words when she saw the effect they'd had on him, but the hard-eyed cold shoulder Shikamaru and Choji gave her flared up her stubborn pride and she refused to apologize.

The next day they'd gotten into a fight with enemy ninja. They weren't a tough group, but her teammates still weren't speaking to her and Ino was distracted. She'd let her guard down and made what should have been a terrible mistake.

Naruto took the three shuriken meant for her to his own back.

She remembered asking him in shock why he'd done it, when she had been so cruel to him. She never forgot his response: "Because even when you get on my nerves, you're still a friend. I swore to protect you and everyone else in the Village, so that's what I'm going to do. Believe it!"

Looking back, Ino realized that Naruto was always doing things like that; he was constantly throwing himself in the way of danger, covering people with his own body, in short always putting everyone's safety above his own. Sure, he had a temper and he could bandy insults like the rest of them, but he never swung a fist without a very good reason.

Ino had decided that day both that the Fox was in the right place and that she would follow a leader like that.

She brought herself back to the present as the last of the dishes were being cleared away. Even so, it didn't change the fact that Naruto had a penchant for being a rude, offensive, insensitive oaf. If he was going to be that leader, he would have to learn better manners; if he acted the way he had tonight with anyone who didn't directly know him, he would be more than likely to get himself and anyone affiliated with him into a lot of trouble --something she also knew from past experience.


Naruto watched in growing unease as Ino tapped her glass to get everyone's attention. She stood and began, "Since the meal is complete, the evening is now over and it is time for the decision. Let me first thank you all for your willingness to participate in--"

Unable to fight his sense of apprehension any longer, he cleared his throat and motioned toward the hostess. "Um, actually," he stammered, "I know this is kind of strange, but, uh… I'd like to say something, if… if I could…"

Ino quirked an eyebrow at him, but gave him a curt nod and sat down again. As he pulled himself slowly to his feet, he glanced around the room and made eye contact with everyone present. Fighting the fire in his cheeks, he said, "Look, I'm not the best at making speeches, so I'll just keep it simple: I'm sorry. Courtesy and proper formality doesn't come easy to me. It's not an excuse, but I've also been kinda distracted lately with a certain…" He hesitated and glanced at Hinata. "…issue." He saw her cringe for some reason and he frowned but pressed on. "Anyway, I know I probably messed up you ladies' dinner. I thought I probably would beforehand, so I prepared something as kind of an apology."

He created a Shadow Clone and sent it to the door, and a couple moments later it came back with carrying a large open box between itself and Moegi, who was practically beaming. A shower of gasps and other sounds of wonder went up when the ladies at the table saw that the box was full of flowers. Naruto crossed to it and pulled out one of the bouquets. "I don't know much about the language of flower arrangement, so I had Moegi help me say exactly what I meant to." The girl in question grinned proudly as the murmurs at the table grew louder in excitement.

The teen, her sensei and his duplicate quickly distributed the bouquets. Most of them conveyed simple, generic messages of contrition; these were given to the ladies he hadn't been told by name were going to be there. Sakura's, however, featured an orange bud curled around a pure pink cherry blossom, their stems bound together by a loose red band: Caring, unbroken affection from one who is like a sibling. In TenTen's arrangement, a beautiful white lotus towered over several small, plain flowers bent in reverence toward it: Awed admiration for one of noble character. Ino tenderly accepted a bouquet in which a simple orange poppy sat opposite a brilliant yellow tulip surrounded by lilies in full bloom: Modest humility in the presence of rare beauty.

All the ladies seemed genuinely pleased and touched by his efforts for them, but Hinata's, which Naruto had carefully hidden and saved for last, stole all attention when he presented it to her. Hers was the largest bouquet of all, crowded with countless gorgeous lilacs, but what made her pale eyes widen, her hands fly to her mouth and her breath draw in and catch was what she saw in the center: a single vivid red rose just about to bloom, sunk in a cloud of Baby's Breath and wreathed in shining gold ribbon.

Amidst a crowd of all that could be fair, one shy but radiant love stands out.


Hinata lost her voice and all sense of her surroundings as she pondered Naruto's message to her. Her mind worked furiously to find some hidden meaning or misunderstanding, but her heart already cheered in victory.


Ino waved down the riot of gossip and gush and gave Naruto an amused glance. "Thank you for that touching display," she began, "but it does not change the fact that your behavior tonight has been atrocious. You began the evening on a bad impression when you arrived late --with no apology, I might add. You showed favoritism for one guest over the others --and myself-- and continued to show it throughout the dinner. In fact, it's clear you leaned on Hinata as a crutch to cover lapses in knowledge you should have had." Naruto winced at each point as the list went on. "You insulted your hostess when you were seated; regardless of my unorthodox choice you should have followed suit and sat directly opposite. You were not observant of your fellow diners; when Kaya displayed discomfort during the third course you failed to show any concern. You also failed to show any interest in your conversations; several times you lost track of them entirely. You were clumsy in both speech and action."

Ino's tone grew stern. "Worst of all, except for Hinata you could not look at any of us directly for long without letting your eyes roam in a most inappropriate way." Her expression softened. "I realize we made it difficult. Our outfits and mannerisms were exaggerated, but not by a great deal. These sorts of distractions could and do happen in polite society, especially at informal events like this one. Ladies will wear revealing clothes, and some women will outright flirt with you --even married ones. You need to know how to deal with that, or you could easily cause a misunderstanding that could topple into something horrible."

When Naruto gave a slow, glum nod of understanding, the blond woman smiled. "All that said, you did much better than you could have. You're right, etiquette doesn't come naturally to you, but you do an admirable job compensating for the lack. Lady Tsunade has Lady Shizune to assist her after all, so maybe it's fine that you have Hinata. Especially if…" She winked at him, and he blushed. Most of the other ladies donned knowing smiles. "And as for the flowers… well, it's a common saying that 'flattery smoothes ruffled feathers', and a sincere apology can overcome any grievance. If not for that, you would have failed. But, because of your careful consideration and thoughtfulness, I find I've changed my mind: you pass the Test of Etiquette."

As his famous grin grew on his face, Ino inclined her head toward one certain individual. "Now get going. I'm sure you two have a very important conversation to get to."

Still grinning --and blushing from various catcalls-- Naruto walked around the table to Hinata. The raven-haired woman, still completely absorbed in her all-important rose, absently let herself be tugged out of her chair. As they headed out, she remembered both to grab her bouquet in her free hand and the crucial practice of respiration.


Moments after the couple left, Konohamaru came crashing through the door. "Okay, Boss! I'm here for that rescue you… ordered…" His voice trailed off as the room's remaining occupants all turned toward him. The image before him proved to be too much for his teenage mind; his face flushed a red so bright steam seemed to ripple off it; he stumbled back awkwardly on wobbling feet; nonsense babbled forth out of his mouth like the drool on his lip.

Moegi, mortified to the extreme, let out an indignant "Hmph!" She stomped over to him, seized his ear, and fiercely dragged his brainless body back out of the room, leaving a crowd bursting into laughter in their wake.


"Hinata… I've been thinking. About us." She froze to a chill colder than the ice cream in her bowl; the nightmare she'd had that morning of the breakup that would break her had started with those precise words. Her fears were revived in an instant even as her heart clung to the signs it had been given.


Naruto threw a worried look over at her. She hadn't said a word since dinner, and she hadn't touched her ice cream. He'd taken her constant staring at the rose as a good thing, but now she'd tensed up like that…

He bit his lip and continued. "This last month --this last week or two especially-- have meant the world to me. I've literally been having the time of my life being with you like this. But now…"

Good grief, now she looked like she was about to cry! What was he doing wrong? "Look, I'm just saying I think I'm ready for the next step…"


And I think it's time I moved on. Those were the words that would come next. Her lip quivered as she fought back the tears. The rose wasn't meant to be her; he'd already found his true love elsewhere and he was just breaking it to her gently. Why had she possibly hoped--

"…but only if it's with you."

She blinked. Wait, what? That wasn't right. Now was supposed to be where she made a final desperate plea to convince him to stay with her. Had they skipped that part? She looked at him and tried to match the words he was saying to the words that were playing from her nightmare.

They weren't the same. Her heart let out the breath it had held and did a little flip. They weren't the same. No, he was saying something about how he'd been stupid to let his fears stop him –Naruto had fears?—and how he'd make mistakes but he'd learn how to be better --how could he possibly get better yet?-- and how if there really was a cliff they'd just learn how to fly --she already knew how, they just had to touch-- and how he really thought they were meant to be together, like they were made for each other.

The world screeched to a halt as that last sentence replayed in her mind again. And then again, and again. That had been her thought, the truth she knew. He had always been her Mister Perfect. When had she become his Missus Per--

--His Missus. Oh dear sweet miracle.

When time began moving forward again, she saw that he'd placed a small box on the counter. Ever so slowly, she reached a trembling hand forward and opened it.

Inside was a ring. She'd known what the box was, but still it was surreal. Even without her Byakugan she'd memorized every detail of the little metal band the moment she saw it. It was a gold ring that was thicker on one side where a long oval of silver had been engraved with calligraphy for the words love, fidelity, devotion, and eternal. In the midst of the symbols, right in the center of the oval, an off-white pearl and a shining sapphire had been inlaid together.

Could this truly be meant for her? She turned trembling eyes back to him, her whole body quivering in anticipation of four little words.


He kept his eyes rooted on the counter in front of him to help his nerves. He wasn't sure what part of his speech had undone whatever damage he'd caused, but he'd heard her open the ring, and she hadn't pushed it away or gotten up to leave. That was good, right?

"S-so," he stammered, "I… I guess it all comes down to this: I love you, Hinata. More than anyone or anything else. And I would be the happiest guy in the world if you would… I mean, if I could… I mean, if we…" He worked his jaw for a second, then forced a shaky wind out of his lungs.

Taking a deep breath, he looked up toward her face and said, "Hinata Hyuuga, will you marry m--AH!--mmph!"

Before he knew it, Naruto had flown three feet backwards off his stool and smacked his head against the ground. As he blinked against the possible mild concussion and tried to figure out what had happened, he realized that he couldn't move.

He couldn't move, because another body was piled on top of his. An arm was wrapped around his neck as firmly as a steel beam, yet it still somehow felt as soft as a pillow. A foreign set of lips were smashed against his own. He felt something pressing against his chest that resembled, as near as he could tell, another arm clutching a small box. Raven-colored hair hung like a veil around his head. He felt something radiating heat across his face; he shifted a hand free and reached it up to press against a very warm forehead.

"Hinata?" he whispered. No response; she'd fainted. He chuckled. Talk about a knockout kiss… He shifted their bodies slightly so that her cheek rested on his chest.

Kissing the top of her head, he thought to himself, Y'know, I think I can take that as a 'yes.'


(End)


Okay, first of all let me say that everything I did with the language of flower arrangement was entirely made up. I tried to find how that works, but I couldn't find anything --especially relating to the Naruto world-- so I figured I could create my own. If you know the language and you know I botched something up, please tell me.

Second point: I am 99.999 percent certain this is as far as my writing will ever go in the area of sensual/sexual detail, and if I ever do top myself it will not be by much. Yes, I could probably go farther, I am old enough and mature enough for it, but I choose not to. Just getting that out there.

Finally, The Big One. I realize Naruto's and Hinata's relationship might be moving a little too fast for some, but I decided to push for the engagement this quickly anyway primarily because it just has to get done. See, the thing is --and I've told a few of you this already-- believe it or not Trial by Leaves was never originally meant to be a story on its own. My goal was to set up several important plotpoints and background details for my first real story, Full Circle. At first I planned to do so by writing a series of oneshot scenes --which would have made My One and Only Star and Years of Blindness the first two of the group. I decided against that approach both because I wanted a definite starting and ending point for my setup and because I was eager to put something up that would be more than one chapter so I could start acquiring regular readers. Once I'd lumped all of my plans together, the idea came to me about doing things one-on-one between Naruto and the other characters so I could show how his relationships had developed, and Trial by Leaves as you know it was born, killing two or three birds with one stone, so to speak.
So. The point is, while the Trials themselves are important, (especially ones like Choji's) remember that the little sidetracks that don't seem to have anything to do with them might also be just as crucial to the future. Naruto's and Hinata's engagement, Sasuke's absence and his fate, and Jiraiya's conversation with Tsunade, for example, all would have been their own oneshots.

Speaking of Sasuke, we've finally hit his first mention mid-chapter by name! :P
For everyone who has been wondering, don't worry, your patience is about to pay off: Sasuke's fate will be revealed next chapter.

Oh, and just because Naruto and Hinata are engaged, don't assume it'll just be left at that --I've got my complications planned. Will they endure? I guess you'll see...

Later! ;P

ArcTheJedi