Here it is, chapter ten. Wow…I'm really kind of having no idea now what to write…but anyways, here goes nothing…or something…or…you get the picture. AND R&R PLEASE!! I'll really appreciate it if you do.

"words"-being said
'words'-thoughts
(words)-things added…but if there is A/N-then you know what that means
Words-flashbacks
"words"-being said through the phone
Words-IMing

Chapter 10: Permissions and Lessons

Uzumaki Residence

"Hey…what took you so long in coming home? The school's just so near…" Someone greeted them as soon as they opened the door.

"Sorry, outo-san! We had some errands to do. He just came along with me since he still doesn't know the way home." Naruto replied with a wide grin.

"Okkeeeyyy…common. Dinner's already ready. We better eat before it gets cold." Arashi said and the three scurried to the kitchen to eat. "Say, Naruto…what errand did you have to do?" Arashi just opened up while they were eating their meal. It's always the best time to talk while eating, was always what Arashi thought.

Naruto chewed his food, swallowed it before answering. But he didn't get to answer the question, someone else did. "Such an errand to pick up his girlfriend, uncle." Konohamaru said, chuckling after the last bit.

Arashi raised an eyebrow to Konohamaru, but at the same time smiling, before eyeing his son, whose head was facing down with a worried look on his face. "Errand, huh?" He started to speak, with a hint of amazement in his voice. "Since when were you together, Naruto?"

Naruto looked up before answering, "We're not together, outo-san. We're just friends. She's just a girl SPACE friend; not a girlfriend. Konohamaru never listens."

"Yeah…he never does…" Arashi replied sarcastically.

"DAD!!! I just wanted to see her, that's all. There's nothing bad about it." Naruto defended himself. "It is also an errand at the same time; to bring her back to her house safely."

"Alright…alright. I believe you, son." Arashi said. "Is this in one way or another the same reason that 'something came up' the last week?"

Naruto had his eyes open at the surprise that his father still remember that of the last week. "Well…uh…" Naruto started, "sort of…well…not totally. Well, it's a long story, but I just went to see her, I didn't actually know she was HER."

"I get it and I don't get it at the same time." Arashi said. "Make that long story short…"

"Well…hmm…I met a girl when I was young in the party of your former business partner. You still remember her?" Naruto paused for a while for his father to answer with a nod before continuing, "And yah…after that, we didn't get to meet again, it's just last week we got to meet again."

"I see…now I understand." Arashi said, then faced Konohamaru, "How long have you known about this?" Suspecting, that he might have known for a very long time now if Naruto told him in his last visit.

"Just yesterday, uncle." Konohamaru replied with a smile then went back to eating.

Then everything was just quiet with just the sound of food being chewed and forks hitting the plate. But the silence really didn't live long, as usual on a family dining table, when Naruto uneasily asked, "Outo-san, at my age…would you already allow me to have a girlfriend?"

Hyuga Residence

"At your age?!?!! Absolutely not!!!" Came the reply of the head of the household when his child asked him a question.

She fought her urge of just keeping quiet, then just asked her father, "Why not, otou-san? You allowed nii-san even when he was still fifteen when he asked you."

"It's a different story between the two of you. He's a boy, and you're a girl." Her father replied. "Now I don't want to hear you talk anymore about that; only until I open the topic to you." He said, then faced his youngest daughter, "and the same goes for you too, Hanabi."

"B-b-but…" Hinata started but was silenced when she felt her brother's hand already resting on her arm. She looked to face him and read an expression on his face that says, 'Don't force it, you'll just get in trouble.'

"I didn't open that topic up! Why include me?!!" The youngest just spoke up.

"Because I don't want a lecture like this again in the future."

"It's not like I would want to even open this topic…after seeing how you reacted when nee-chan quietly asked you." She grumbled to herself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. But you didn't have to get mad at nee-chan. You could have just told her in a…calmer way."

Hiashi sighed, "Sorry…but do I have myself clear with the both of you?"

"Yes, father." His two daughters said.

Right after dinner, the three siblings started to clean the table and wash the dishes. "Neji, I'd like to speak with you…now." Their father called to him. So he left his two sisters in the kitchen.

Uzumaki Residence

His father's eyes grew wide in surprise. "What came in your mind to let you ask me that?!!" Arashi questioned his son, still with his voice bringing a hint of amazement.

"Well…if you don't approve…" Naruto started, "…otou-san…it---"

"Who said I'm not approving?!!" Arashi interrupted.

"So…you allow?"

"Who said I'm allowing?!!" Arashi now made his son confused, even his own nephew.

"So…what will it really be???" Naruto asked, having no clue on what his father is about to say.

"I don't see any reason as to say NO." Arashi replied. "Who is she, Naruto? She pretty? When will you introduce her to me???"

"Slow down, otou-san…I'll tell you when I'll tell you; I'll introduce when I'll introduce."

"Alright…alright. Have it your way." And they all ate their dinner quietly. After dinner, Konohamaru and Naruto left the kitchen to Naruto's room and left Arashi to finish cleaning the table. 'He's growing up so fast…' was the last thought that passed through the father's mind.

Hyuga Residence

"What is it, otou-san?" He asked, wondering why he was called.

"Why hadn't you fetched your sisters today? I did notice that you arrived earlier than they did; but it doesn't mean since you didn't hear anything in this house doesn't mean I'm not here yet. What came into your mind to let---" His father started but was cut off.

"Well, otou-san…I'm sorry, but I have a lot of things to be done. I am not even through yet with my homeworks."

"So they came here alone???" Hiashi asked, while talking a seat on his very own couch; no sooner later followed by Neji talking a seat on another sofa.

"Actually father…uhm…I have this friend who volunteered to fetch her and bring her here." Neji started. "And it's a good thing they arrived on time, right?"

Hiashi, for one, was happy in a way that his son was telling him the truth, but he was still disappointed on what he did, "And who particularly is this?" He questioned, even though he knew already who the people were.

"You already know them, otou-san." Neji said, but his father just gave him a raised eyebrow. "Uzumaki Naruto, the son of your business partner, Arashi. The younger boy with him was his cousin."

"And is he the main reason as to why Hinata asked me that question?" Hiashi wanted this clear.

"I don't exactly know, otou-san…" Neji started. He really didn't know. What he does know is that they are intimate friends and both likes each other, but he wasn't sure what they were talking about on their way home, and he also wasn't sure if he had already asked her. He trusts Naruto, and he knows that Naruto would still ask him before asking his sister.

"Expound…"

"I'm not exactly sure if he did ask Hinata, otou-san. Maybe she's just making sure so she can answer him right away if ever he asks her. And otou-san, Naruto's a great guy. He's really nice. And I know he'd ask me first before taking another step forward."

"So?"

"You see, otou-san. If you get to know, Naruto, then you'll really get to like him. His father is already a great guy, why not his son as well, right?"

"I see."

"And when I asked you if I could have a girlfriend when I was fifteen; I just asked you because I was curious on what you'd reply. I didn't have any girl in particular to ask."

"So until now, you still don't have a girlfriend?"

"I'm already planning to ask someone." Neji replied, seeing a smile creep up to his father's face.

"So…when will you introduce her to me?" (again…fathers to their sons…)

"Otou-san!!" Neji said, with a bit of complain in his voice saying his not yet through making his point. Hiashi closed his eyes and exhaled. "She's even allowed otou-san, why not Hinata as well?"

"Are you trying to go against my decision for Hinata?!!" Hiashi asked, almost outraged.

"Did I say that?" Neji said. "The point is, otou-san, if boys are already allowed, why not the girls as well? It's always so late that parents allow the girls, but to be logic, who would the guys ask to be their girlfriend if girls aren't allowed. I'm not actually going against your decision for Hinata, otou-san, so don't get me wrong. But I know who she was thinking of when she asked you that and I tell you, Naruto is by far the best person I can think of for my sister."

'Your son does have a point, Hiashi.' The father told himself.

"And if you don't allow her, it's heart breaking and unfair, don't you think? And it's also as if you don't trust her enough to have some control over herself." Neji paused. "And you do remember Kurenai, right?" Neji paused once again to wait for his father's nod, "She already has a boyfriend, otou-san, and they have been together for four months…"

"Kurenai already has a boyfriend?!! OH!! I knew it!! That girl has been a bad influence to my daughter!!!"

"No, otou-san!!!"

"Then prove it…" Neji sighed, he knew the answer to his father's demand but he just didn't know how to put it in words. "And you are really backing up on what your sister wishes…you may not say it, but I am your father, Neji, I know. And that is my final decision…my decision i---"

Neji interrupted, "But otou-san…" sighed before continuing, "Did you see Hinata's reaction after you said no before she could even explain. And I thought you wanted all of us to be the opposite of what was just conveyed on her face. Common, otou-san, Hinata's knows what she doing and I also know what I'm doing. I tested my trust on Naruto just a while ago and he passed."

His father sighed. "Alright, I believe you." Neji then had a smile on his face. "So I'll leave it up to you. And if there's going to be anything wrong, inform me as soon as you possibly can. And be overprotective as possible." Neji nodded with a smirk; which is not evident only on his face but also on his father's as he left for his room.

Neji went back to the kitchen to help finish what was left undone, only finding his tow sisters finishing already. "What you talk about, nii-san?" his two sisters asked.

Neji just smiled at his two sisters, not long later just said, "You're only lucky girl, Hinata." And left for the study room. It took some time to process what exactly her brother was talking about, and until she understood what that meant, she smiled; but their youngest sister hadn't had a clue on what that meant. "Common, you two!! Father gave us a curfew time of 9:30!!" Neji called to his sisters. So the two hurried off to the study room and got started; though their father hadn't said anything of that sort.

Uzumaki Residence…Naruto's Room

"Hey Konohamaru, would you mind if you passed me that book? The purple one." Naruto asked his cousin a favor, so he can continue what he was doing for school. Konohamaru didn't complain, got up and got the book Naruto needed and gave it to him before going back to what he was doing. "Konohamaru, say…what did you think of her?"

Konohamaru looked up to his cousin before answering, "Hinata? She's really a nice girl. You should really ask her. She doesn't look like someone that couldn't get a boyfriend that easily. She's too perty and sweet." He rolled his eyes and mumbled a bit his next few words while looking back at what he was doing, "But damn her brother's creepy. He sent up a chill down my spine."

"Hey, I heard that!" Naruto chuckled, and it then turned into a laugh, joined by his cousin. It really didn't take long that Naruto remembered what was his real intention and their laughs started to fade. "Her sister's sweet too, isn't she?"

Konohamaru tried to feel nonchalant about it, "Yeah…she was alright…" though a hint of embarrassment can be heard in his voice.

"But why would you be afraid of Neji-san? He's an alright guy."

"Well…uh…I still don't know him that much…" Konohamaru started uneasily. "And I was kind of scared for you, what he might do to you for Hinata."

"Neji-san already knows that; you knew that already. He would've sent a chill on MY spine, not yours, when I'm the one going after his sister…" Naruto said, then smirked at his cousin, "…not unless you also---"

"Shut up!!" Konohamaru almost shouted, throwing a pillow to his cousin. "I do not!!"

"Hey, I was just gonna say if you also had experienced before nii-sans of girls!" Naruto started laughing again. "Hahaha!! You thought I was gonna say if you also like Hanabi!"

Konohamaru showed fury on his face, mixed with embarrassment when his face turned red tomato. "You're so mean, nii-san!! I do not like her!!"

Naruto started to calm down from his laugh. "Alright, alright. But why did you even think of her right away when I wasn't even through with my question?" Naruto chuckled a bit.

"Well…uh…it kinda sounded you were leading there."

"But we can't just read each other's mind on what people would do or say next, right?" Konohamaru nodded. "And it's obvious, common, you like her."

"I don't! How many times do I have to tell you that?!!"

"Prove it!!"

"Just leave me alone, nii-san!! You're busy, I'm busy; we'll talk later."

"See, it's obvious you like her…you just don't want to admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you like her…"

"Nii-san!! Can I get back to work?"

"You DO like her!!"

"No, I don't!!"

"Yes, you do!!"

"No, I don't!!"

"You do!!"

"Do not!!" The two were now arguing like two little kids over a petty conversation.

"Do to!!"

"Do not!!"

"Admit it!!"

"…" Konohamaru looked down. "How did you know?" Now, indirectly telling his cousin he does, asking him how he knew.

"Well…you just told me…with a 'How did you know?' Pretty smart, huh?"

"NII-SAAAN!!!" Konohamaru shouted. "Damn! I fell for that!!" But Naruto just gave him a cheeky grin, and the both went back to work.

After he finished, he hurriedly sign on his messenger. 'lavanderpearl5sun isn't online, oh well.' Naruto thought, so he just IMed someone else.

lightningfox16: sasuke! Do we have any other things to do for tomorrow?

blackraven723: besides history notes, algebra problems and english formal composition, nothing…

lightningfox16: thanks!

blackraven723: would that be all?

lightningfox16: and do you happen to have sakura's e-mail add? I might need her help for some stuff for hinata…

blackraven723: oh, I see…girly stuff…right? I almost forgot about that…I also might need her help… (though he already had the other four girls' e-mail add on his list, he still wanted to have more help as possible)

lightningfox16: yah…:)

blackraven723: I do…it's blossombliss

lightningfox16: thanks man! Hinata's is lavanderpearl5sun

blackraven723: thanks and no prob…have to go…I've been here since I arrived home. Gnyt! Don't forget we have practice tomorrow…

lightningfox16: yah! Thanks again! 'nyt!

And before he signed off, he added sakura to his messenger list. He already found Konohamaru asleep on his bed. 'It is already late.' He thought as he saw the clock say 10:58. He quietly turned off the lights, went to bed and also had gone to sleep.

Well, chapter ten is through!! Yeay!! But I think this chapter is kinda shorter than the chapter before. But anyways, I think I did kinda great, not that great, but I think it was okay.

School already started again!!! Just last Jan 3!! Aaah!! I have to continue studying!! So it might take a few more weeks than usual for me to update. :D Anyways, just as I said, R&R!! Please and thank you!!