Naruto sighed as he sat and watched Juuri once again spar with her father. Six months. Six months have passed and she has gotten stronger each and every day. To look at her she was already a world apart from the day that they met her. She has filled out and could clearly see that she was beautiful. And was healthy with a nice tan. She wore her hair in a high ponytail now.

But the biggest change of the three was with him, but it wasn't in his training. As much as he tried to convince himself that he was thinking about her like he was as of late, was because he has spent six months straight with her. But when some guy tried to talk to her yesterday and he got jealous he knew it wasn't what he thought.

He said that it was because he missed Sakura. But that he couldn't be falling for her. He was already in love with someone else. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew that once he did get his goal and brought Sasuke back to the village, he would have to watch Sakura fall in love with him all over again and be with him.

And he also thought that he saw the same feelings he had growing for her shinning back at him in her beautiful iced blue eyes. 'But I don't think that I am going to wait and see how it plans out with her this time. I am going to tell her as soon as her father leaves so I don't have him blubbering.'

With a smile as he called a break Jiraiya rubbed Juuri's head. "You really are a chip off the old block kid. You keep learning at this pace and you are gonna pass up Naruto over there."

"Funny Pervy Sage."

Laughing as he got to them he crossed his arms. "She does catch onto it more."

Sitting next to Naruto Juuri laughed at her father and Naruto. "I don't know about that Papa. I don't know if I will be as strong as he is."

"You will be." Jiraiya then picked up his pack and turned to them as he slipped it on. "I am going to head off to the next town and see what I can find out about the Akatsuki. I will be gone a few days. Naruto I can count on you to keep her training up?"

"I always do."

"Right then." He then rubbed his daughter's head and smiled at her. "I will see you both in a couple of days."

Naruto crossed his arms as he walked off. He knew that Jiraiya was trying to be the 'dad' to Juuri but at the same time he seemed to act like she was still two years old! "I swear he gets on my nerves."

Smiling as she looked up at him Juuri closed his eyes. "I know it is annoying. But he missed fourteen years worth of daddy stuff as he puts it. I figure if we let him get it out of his system before we get to the Leaf, he won't be as likely to do it in front of everyone."

"Maybe but I dunno know about all that." Naruto then fell back and put his hands behind his head. "We only have six more months then we are going to be home. I wonder how everyone is doing?"

Looking back at him as she turned sideways Juuri blinked at him. "Would you please tell me about your friends again Naruto?"

Sitting up he smiled as he nodded. "I can do that again. Girls or guys first?"

"Girls."

"Alright then. But let's take a walk while I tell you about them again. Cool?"

"Okay." Juuri dropped her head to hide her blush as Naruto grabbed her hand and lead her toward the woods. She did that a lot around him anymore, but the way he would talk about his friends, Sakura specifically she just felt like she couldn't say anything. 'Oh man.'

Seeing her reaction he sighed. "Well first before we go over all of them again. I want to tell you about someone that I haven't yet." When she dropped her head more he smiled as he walked slowly making her walk right next to him. This was his chance to bring it up. "You see there is this girl. I really like her a lot. I would even go as far to say that I love her. And I haven't known her for very long at all. I am not exactly sure how to tell her though for two very big reasons."

"Naruto…"

"The first reason is my friend Sakura. For as long as I can remember, I have had a crush on her. But she used to hate me. And now she only sees me as a friend. Her heart has always belonged to Sasuke." When she didn't say anything he stopped next to a stream and turned to face her, still holding her hand as he looked down at her. "Sakura is a problem, because I am close to her and I will stay close to her but I don't want her to be jealous. The other problem is that I don't know what she will do."

"I am not the one you should be asking for advice Naruto. You should try talking to Papa."

With a sigh as he reached up and made her look at him he smiled a soft smile as his eyes went soft. "I will talk to him about it later. After I hear your answer."

"My answer to what?" Juuri tried but she couldn't hold back the tears as she looked up into his eyes. She thought she saw more now than before but she knew it was wishful thinking.

"Your answer to giving me a chance."

"What?"

Letting go of her hand he slid that arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him as he smiled at how much redder her face got. "I was talking about you Juuri."

Gasping as his hand moved to cup her cheek she looked at him like he had ten heads! The girl he was talking about, saying that he loved was really her! Her head was spinning and she didn't know what to think. She could barely breath! "Naruto I don't….."

"Just a chance. If you are unsure about….."

Cutting him off as she gripped his clothes with hers Juuri closed her eyes tightly. "It isn't that! Are you sure? You really….love me?"

"I wouldn't tell you if I didn't love you Juuri. Like I said, for so long I only wanted to see Sakura. And yet whenever I would sit and start to think about her, it was always you. When I think about her, it doesn't hurt that she loves someone else. I hurt for her because I can only imagine if I were in her situation with you." Pulling her eyes up to his own again he smiled. "What do you say?"

Her eyes locked with his she couldn't turn them away if she had too. "You are serious? You really mean it?"

"I do. I wouldn't want someone to play with me like that so I won't play with anyone else like that. I will talk to Pervy Sage when he gets back. But I want to know if you will want to or not."

With a bright smile she pulled a gasp from him as she threw her arms around his neck. "You don't know happy this makes me Naruto! I have loved you for so long now."

Hugging her back he smiled. "Good." Then he eased her down on her feet and pulled her face up to his. Without another word he dipped his head and seared her mouth with his own.

X

Three sets of black eyes stare from the shadows, each one with a hate for the leaf, and each one has a promise from Kabuto that if they do this they will be able to set someone they love free from Orochimaru's grasp for good. This was a mission they could not fail in.

"Are you sure that is him? That is the brat that has the nine tails in him that Kabuto told us about?"

"I am sure. And this is perfect. That girl we can use for bait. We take her and he agrees to go with us to Kabuto or she dies."

"I don't know you guys. I know what Kabuto told us but I also heard talk that in Tanzaku Town a long time ago he fought with him Kabuto to protect the Fifth Hokage Tsunade and nearly beat him as a kid. And he trains with Jiraiya."

"Whatever. That is why we are using the girl. I know a head on fight won't work with him."

"So when?"

"Jiraiya just left so not tonight but tomorrow night we will nab her. He is a Jinchuuriki after all. Who knows when that fox will take him over? I don't trust him not to let it lose if we try to fight him. Tomorrow night. We make our move then."

"Right."

"I guess."