Naruto-Sensei

Chapter Ten

"Oh my God" yelled Sakura as she threw her arms around Naruto "I can't believe it."

"Will you keep it down, Sakura" hissed Naruto "I don't want to be found out, ok?" he looked around anxiously making sure no one was around.

"This is just so unbelievable," she said letting go and looking at him with a mischievous grin on her face. "I can't wait to tell Ino."

"Oh god no, Sakura you cannot tell Ino, ever!" Naruto gasped "I only told you because I trust you enough to help me out ok?" He sighed "telling Ino is a sure-fire way for this to be known to the entire village, and the last thing I want is to have this get back to Hinata before I can tell her myself. Please you gotta promise me, you will not tell anyone about this, please."

"Ok, fine you twisted my arm, Naruto-baka." She lowered he voice to a whisper "I still can't believe that you are going to propose to Hinata, not that she won't be ecstatic about it but you have been dating for little over a month."

"Thank you Sakura, I really owe you one for this."

"So, what do you have in mind?" She asked.

"I'm still not sure" he admitted "I have a ring and all but I'm not sure how to do it."

"You have a ring? Already, you work fast don't you, Naruto?" she smirked "can I see it?"

Naruto pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to Sakura, she opened it and gasped. Seeing the ring an elegant wrapped gold band meeting in the middle, the gold curving around the gem stones set in the center. A bright, shining diamond surrounded by smaller, duller light lavender gems. "It is so beautiful" she sighed "who did you afford this?"

"I didn't, not yet anyway. This is a family heirloom; Haishi gave it to me for her. It was his mothers and who received it from his father. Passed down to the eldest son to give to his wife and, so on. As Haishi has two daughters he gave it to me so that Hinata can receive it."

"I see, who would have thought you to be a romantic, given who your teacher was." She said causing Naruto to flinch slightly at the slight against his deceased Sensei.

"And who'd have thought you'd be a non-alcoholic given who your sensei is, princess." She became annoyed, and he said "hey don't mock my teacher, I wont mock yours deal?"

"Fine, but I don't get why you call him a pervert and get upset when others do."

"I don't really know, maybe because I only knew him as the pervert that he was. Maybe because I spent 2 ½ years alone with him. Maybe I get annoyed with others who barely knew the real Jiraiya because they did not know him. That man died a death of the most noble shinobi, I think that I want people to remember he for what he truly was and not his habits, perverted though the where." He sighed "but as to why I still refer to him as that, because he was and though he may have denied it where he still alive, being called a pervert by me was ok to him."

Sakura looked somber "you really miss him don't you?"

"I do, absolutely." Naruto looked to the memorial in the training ground that the two currently sat in, trying to see if he could make out his name, next to Asumas name, carved into that plaque. "I wish he could see me now, I hope that I could live up to his title" he chuckled "well except the whole 'research' thing."

"Anyway" said Sakura interrupting "I will help you in this proposal, around when where you thinking of doing it?"

"Not sure, I told you that." Naruto looked up at her. "I've always been more of a, think on my feet, type of person. I'm not the one who can really think things out you know? That's more Shikamarus thing anyway."

"True, you need to think about this though," she said. "But I guess that's why you came to me, right?"

"Exactly, so what I had in mind is taking her out to a nice restaurant and then maybe night time walk on a clear night."

"Ok that's good so far," Sakura said "I think that you should do it in the park. Find a nice place for star gazing, that type of thing, have a blanket maybe some champagne."

Naruto interrupted "champagne?"

"Yeah it is this western drink, think of it as a bubbly white wine."

"Ok," Naruto replied slowly.

"Good" she continued "lay out a blanket and pour her a glass of champagne, you know? Find something to toast, you'll have to come up with that one yourself." Naruto nodded, "I would say something like putting the ring in the glass for her but knowing your luck that would be your glass and you'd end up swallowing it." She said with a smirk.

"You know you are supposed to be helping me not mocking me." Naruto sulked "but thanks for the ideas I think I can handle it from there."

"Glad to help, Naruto. After all you should not mess something like this up got it? If you need any other help don't hesitate to ask."

The next two weeks passed quickly, to fast for some tastes. Naruto was training his team and they where also prepping to leave for the wind country village in the sand, where the next Chunin selection exams where to take place.

Narutos students could be found sparring with each other at the training grounds. Ankuko Mayte and Inuzuka Kemonoi still maintained their outward dislike of one another but managed to keep it professional when on missions. Kemonois chakra control had improved so he could no rely more heavily on his nose when performing his techniques which rotation forces him to shut his eyes. Maytes speed and strength has progressed and as such was a much more formidable in battle. As for Hana she still being outspoken and load at times but her family's training coupled with the dexterity training she has been receiving from Naruto has lengthen the range of her vision and Juken strikes.

"Fang over fang" shouted Kemonoi as he and his dog took off aimed at both Mayte and Hana.

Mayte sighed as he dodged the technique "same thing over and over" he muttered to him self as Hana hit a couple tengetsu points on one of the feral Kemonois as they stopped the attack.

The one that she hit turned into the dog Kuromeru as the transformation was dispelled leaving Kemonoi standing looking worried as Hana fell into a familiar stance. She smirked "you're in my range Kemonoi-kun."

Kemonoi raised his hand "alright, I give. You two win." He then went to his dog and checking him over said "damn Hana-chan what did Kuromeru ever do to you, do you have top be this rough?"

Mayte smirked and sat down though he didn't want any one to know that sparring with the dead last, Kemonoi, really wore him out. Hana went over to the dog and checking with her Byakugan reopened the closed points for the poor animal. "Sorry about that" she smiled, "I Guess I get carried away sometimes."

"Not a problem Hana, don't worry about it" replied Kemonoi "I love the workout that I get from sparring." Panting he fell to the ground as Naruto stood up.

"Ok guys that was a good session, remember keep on your toes during the exams and you 3 will do just fine." He grinned "that being said I won't be there to help out."

"You're not coming?" asked the dog trainer.

"Who said I wasn't going? And stop interrupting me" Naruto said. "I was saying that I can't help you I will be there to watch but I will not step in. On this exam you are on your own, you three need to stick together." He paused wondering how much he should say and continued, 

"teamwork will help you through this, also remember that you need to look into everything, see the hidden meanings in everything these exams are full of them. I guess a good way to put it is 'look underneath the underneath' do you understand?"

The three Genin nodded and Naruto said "good then you are already better suited for it then my first time. We leave in two days for the hidden sand village, you three have tomorrow off meet at the north gate 8 am the day after, see you then bye." With that he vanished.

Mayte stood up, "see you guys later" he said as he walked away leaving the other two.

Hana turned to Kemonoi after she waved off Mayte, "so Chunin exams coming up think we are ready?"

Kemonoi grinned as he to stood up picking up his dog "absolutely, I think we has a real shot at this, Hana."

"Yeah" she agreed. Thinking for a minute she said "let me ask you something."

"Ok."

"Do you want to do something tomorrow?"

"Like what, Hana?" he asked "like a date or something?"

Acting more like her cousin than she ever did she blushed and turned her face to the ground, as he looked at her curiously. "Well if you want to think of it that way," she said looking up at him.

He grinned "sure that sounds fun. See you tomorrow Hana; let's meet up at noon or something. Maybe at that ramen shop sensei keeps talking about." With that he walked off leaving her smiling.

The next morning Naruto met up with Hinata and they walked around for a bit. "So Hinata the Chunin exams are coming up in the sand village and my team is participating." He started to say as he was going to miss her for the while that he was gone.

"I know," she said "I'm going too."

He nodded not really taking in what she said thinking about how he wouldn't see her for over a month when it hit him. "Wait, what was that?" turning to face her.

"I promised that I would watch over Hana for her parents," she said smiling. "And if you think that I would let you get away for a month now that we are finally together you are mistaken, Naruto-kun."

His face broke into a grin "that so awesome Hinata-chan" he said pulling her closer and kissing her cheek making her turn a soft shade of pink. "I wasn't looking forward to not seeing you for that long you know?"

"Exactly," she replied.

"Say Hinata you wanna get some ramen, I'm kind of hungry?" he asked.

"Sure."

They found themselves at his favorite establishment and he was working on his third bowl it was around noon when Hana and Kemonoi walked in together.

"Hinata-chan, sensei," Hana said spotting them "what are you two doing here?"

Ayame spoke up while serving Naruto his fourth bowl "are you kidding? Naruto-kun practically lives here."

"It's not my fault that your food is so addictive" Naruto said grinning before diving into the bowl.

"So Hana-chan" said Hinata "I see you are here with a friend, is this one of you teammates?"

They both nodded and the boy said "Yes my name is Inuzuka Kemonoi and this is Kuromeru" he said motioning to the dog.

"An Inuzuka, huh? You know one of my old teammates was of your clan, Kiba" Hinata said.

"Oh so you are Hinata?" he asked "my cousin Kiba told me about you," turning to Naruto "hey sensei you Girlfriends a total hottie."

Hana cracked him over the head while Hinata blushed "Kemonoi" Naruto warned "you should learn when it is ok to say something and when not to, trust me you can get a lot of headaches if you don't learn."

"Yes sensei" muttered the boy from the ground.

'Wow he is a lot like Naruto' thought Hinata "by the way Hana, you two look cute together" she said teasing her young cousin, leaving Hana blushing as well.

"Well I'm all set" said Naruto paying for his and Hinatas meals "enjoy your selves kids I'll see you in the morning."

The following day the various teams where all at the gate waiting for everyone else, the teams already there where Narutos, Shinos and Nejis. Accompanying them was Hinata who was talking 

to Naruto and Kiba who was also there to watch his cousin like Hinata was leaving Naruto thinking 'god these clans must not trust me or something.'

He then spoke up as Kakashi found his way there 'finally' "well it seems every one is ready," they all agreed. "Ok then let hit the road."