Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

by Justareader80

AU A letter discloses truths that had been hidden and Naruto is actually given the tools necessary to achieve his goals. Armed with a new sense of purpose, Naruto sets out to forge his path and revive his once great clan.

13. Chapter 13

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 13: Manners and Etiquette

Ino awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in her bed, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. "What the..." she said to herself as she looked around at the familiar shadows of her room.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she fought to regain control of her breathing as she tried to remember what had woken her up. Ino remembered that she had been dreaming, she knew that much. 'It was a really hot dream too, with a great looking guy that had blonde...' The young kunoichi flushed a brilliant crimson in her darken room as her memory of the dream returned.

"Oh, Kami..." Ino groaned as she flopped back onto her bed. "I so do not need this!!!"

Shifting slightly as she stared at the ceiling, Ino was left to wonder why the hell she was having erotic dreams about Naruto. She shivered once again as she began to recall the dream itself with a surprising amount of clarity. His warm breathe washing over her skin… Calloused hand caressing her… That insolent smirk he wore as he watched her pant in excitement…

Flipping over as she attempted to force the thoughts from her mind, she groaned as she caught sight of her alarm clock, doubting that she would be able to sleep anytime soon.

XXXXX

The Sandaime reviewed the mission scroll before him, considering the possibilities that it represented. The village received hundreds of missions a year, but few rose to this level of importance. The difficulty of the mission itself was not the issue, as the mission would be C ranked. After all, there was little risk in providing a team to serve as a supplement to a military escort within the borders of Fire Country.

The importance of the mission was derived from the client's identity. Any missions related to the Fire Daimyo, let alone the protection of Fire Daimyo's immediate family, were given special attention.

The political interactions between Konoha and the Fire Daimyo's court were always a bit tricky. With Konoha representing one of Fire Country's most valuable strategic assets, the court always handled their part of the interaction with particular care. To ensure Konoha's continued strength, the court usually allowed the ninja village free reign with regard to trade, internal affairs, and taxation.

Konoha's quasi-fief status has evolved from an agreement between the founding clans of Konoha and the Fire Daimyo. The five clans had served as the political base upon which Konoha had organized many of Fire Country's ninja clans into a coherent military force. That the Shodaime and other clan leaders had gone on to lead that force to great effect in what became known as the First Shinobi War solidified Konoha's place in Fire Country's political landscape. The clan agreement granted Konoha certain freedoms so long as they maintained order and fulfilled its obligations. The position of Hokage and the city council had also evolved from this agreement.

But, much as the court strived for Konoha's continued strength, steps were also taken to ensure Konoha's continued loyalty and obedience. While the presence of Konoha represented one of Fire Country's strongest deterrents to war and invasion, it also represented a potential danger as a ninja village operated in a mercenary fashion by its very nature. To protect itself from this perceived risk, the court exercised influence through economic and political means, remaining vigilant for signs of betrayal.

Despite what many of the council members wanted to think, Konoha was not powerful enough to simply ignore the Fire Daimyo. In addition to the economic power wielded by the Fire Daimyo through missions and financial levies, the ruler of Fire Country controlled enough military power to wipe out the village if he decided that Konoha had outlived its usefulness. While the reduction of the village by the samurai army and its levies would by no means be bloodless, the village would eventually be reduced to ash.

In order to promote smooth diplomatic relations, it was not uncommon for the Fire Daimyo to institute goodwill missions. Having court officials develop a personal relationship with their ninja counterparts served to forestall disagreements and misunderstandings. Further, friendships allowed for frank and open communications even in the most stressful of times.

To this end, it had long been a tradition for the heirs of the ninja clans, especially the senior clans, to be assigned these goodwill missions. The heirs served as diplomatic liaisons while executing prestigious assignments that ranged from serving as personal bodyguards during state visits to escorting incognito dignitaries on their vacations. These assignments allowed the future leaders of the village to interact with court officials and smooth relations by making a personal investment into the political situation.

A small smile settled over the Hokage's visage as a plan began to form. 'News of this mission will have undoubtedly reached the ears of Danzo and my old teammates by now… I can simply wait and the council members will jump all over the chance to 'advise' me to send the Uchiha's team. After a good show of reluctance and extracting some minor concessions on other issues, I can simply 'cave in' to the pressure. Satisfied with their victory, not one of them will express any concern that Naruto just happens to be on the escort team as well… They really are quite oblivious sometimes.'

XXXXX

"Etiquette?" The word seemed to roll off Naruto's tongue somewhat unnaturally. Having been signaled by the Hokage to remain after Team Seven's mission briefing, the blonde shinobi was caught off guard by the topic of conversation.

Sarutobi nodded as he continued his explanation. "Proper manners are essential to being a successful leader. While blunt honesty also has a place, being diplomatic is often invaluable when dealing with both enemies and allies. Even the most difficult of negotiations can progress far more smoothly when both sides agree to adopt a veneer of civility. As such, both a clan head and Hokage need to be well versed in political interactions and etiquette. The use of proper titles, the depth of a bow offered in greeting, etc."

Anticipating the gaping boy's question, Sarutobi continued, "And yes, Naruto, I am serious. You should know by now that a Hokage is more of a politician than he is a warrior. I have not had to fight seriously in over a decade, but I show up here nearly every day to administer the village."

Smiling slightly at the disgruntled expression that had settled on the young shinobi's continence, Sarutobi continued, "Etiquette will help you in a variety of situations. You need skills in diplomacy and negotiation not only as a Kage, but as a successful ninja and clan head. The business agreements, contracts, and investments that make up your family's financial legacy are built on these skills. And there is more to ninja missions then simply killing your opponents. Missions that involve attending diplomatic functions and negotiating disputes can be many times more important than assassination or protection missions."

The young shinobi's mind flashed through scenes, both real and imagined, of people in uncomfortable clothing continuously bowing to each other while drinking tea in very elaborate fashions. "How am I supposed to learn that stuff in a week? Books are not going to work for this type of thing."

The Sandaime smiled as Naruto's comment served as a perfect opening for the Hokage's next statement. "While I could teach you myself, may I suggest that you ask your friends for help? Where you have been able to escape these lessons up until this point, most clans have a tendency to begin teaching etiquette and the basics of politics to their children from a young age."

Seeing the boy frown in thought, Sarutobi decided to go in for the kill. While he would normally restrain himself from such direct meddling, he thought that this would benefit both Naruto and Konoha as a whole. "I know for a fact that the Hyuuga Clan begins to formally train their children as young as three years of age."

XXXXX

Hinata couldn't help but smile as she listened to Naruto ask her for assistance. It was odd to her that he would feel nervous about asking for help when they had spent so much time together. Perhaps it was because he always felt that their physical training would benefit both of them as opposed to these lessons, which would only help him. 'If he only knew…'

She had always known that Naruto was a bit… rough around the edges. While she occasionally was startled by the blonde shinobi's actions or words, his lack of etiquette was something that she envied a bit as it allowed him to be far more direct and forceful than many would deem polite. 'If I could assist him in developing the skills necessary to be more circumspect without loosing the edge that I admire in him… It will be a challenge.'

Shaking herself from her introspection, she found Naruto looking towards her with such hopefulness that the young heiress found the expression both heart wrenching and undeniable. "So… will you be able to help me?"

Hinata blushed prettily at the attention the blonde was giving her and the thought of spending even more time with the blonde shinobi. "I… I would be h… happy to teach you, Naruto-kun. It's not going to be easy given the amount of time w… we have, but I am sure you will achieve your goals. These skills w… will be a necessity for when you become Hokage."

Somewhat humbled by the confidence inherent in the last statement, Naruto solemnly responded, "Thank you. I promise to be a diligent student." Smiling impishly, Naruto continued, "When can we start, Hinata-sensei?" The gratitude behind the response and the new suffix cause the shy heiress' breathe to catch.

Hinata's blush intensified further as the young girl recalled a number of situations she had read about in some of her manga… Specifically about some rather improper liaisons between senseis and their students.

Not liking that she had been excluded from this discussion, the blonde kunoichi who had been listening in on the conversation drew attention to herself when she inquired, "Hey, what about me?"

Seeing the confusion apparent in the dense shinobi's eyes, Ino continued, "You are going to need all the help you can get. Even I can see how this is going to be a problem. I mean, honestly, you have the table manners of an animal and you wouldn't know tact if it beat you about the head with a mallet."

Naruto simply gaped open mouthed at the blonde kunoichi. Here he was talking about his childhood, admitting a shortcoming, and even asking for help and all Ino could do was agree and insult him? 'Well, two can play at this game…'

"Well, in all honesty, Ino-chan I didn't think you could be of much assistance. Etiquette, huh? I can see how Hinata-chan is well versed in these areas, but you have always struck me as being fairly 'boarish'."

Instead of responding directly to the pun/barb, Ino assumed a haughty air as she stated, "I will have you know that I have been trained since birth to be the very picture poise and femininity."

Naruto chortled derisively a moment before he continued, "If that is true, then I think that the Yamanakas are giving blondes a bad name. Even I would have realized by now that such a lofty goal was a lost cause, especially given the material."

A small smile appeared on the blonde shinobi's face as he observed the disappearance of Ino's haughty expression. "I seem to recall more than a few screeching arguments during our time at the academy. Even more recently, I seem to recall that just about every time I win a sparring match, you use language that would make Kakashi-sensei blush through his mask. That is not exactly the type of 'lady-like' behavior I would expect from someone well trained in etiquette."

During this declaration, Hinata unobtrusively moved away from her Naruto-kun. The reason for this subtle abandonment was that, as much as she admired the confident shinobi, she was not willing to stand in the way of his punishment, especially when it was so richly deserved.

True to form, the young Yamanaka quickly descended on Naruto in a fit of feminine fury. After nearly a minute of dishing out retribution, the blonde kunoichi abandoned her assault on the moaning shinobi and stormed off across the clearing while muttering, "Stupid blonde baka… Absolutely no tact… Got what was coming to him…"

As she reached her destination, Ino began assaulting one of the training posts located there. Her anger was easily broadcast across the clearing by the sound of the rapid-fire, staccatoof punches and kicks being rained down upon the surface of the log.

As Naruto began to recover, Hinata spoke up. "Ano… I… I think that you should feel honored by Ino's behavior, Naruto-kun. Etiquette is a weapon that can be used in many circumstances. The p… practices allow you to hide your feelings and intentions through formalized titles and elaborate rituals. For Ino to feel comfortable enough around you to be unconcerned about appearances speaks highly of the level of trust she places in you."

Glancing up a the blonde shinobi before focusing her attention on her fingers, the Hyuuga heiress continued softly, "I am sure you have noticed that she acts very differently during our training sessions than when she is on duty or simply hanging out in the village. Y… you above anyone else should understand the importance of masks and the meaning behind her feeling brave enough to actually remove hers."

After a moment of thought, Naruto offered, "Thanks, Hinata-chan. Sometimes I need someone to tell me when I am being an idiot."

Seeing an opportunity, Hinata stopped the boy from walking away and gave him his first lesson in proper behavior. Shortly afterward, Naruto made his way across the clearing, slowly approaching the enraged kunoichi.

Noting Naruto's approach, Ino ceased her exercise and turned to face him. Cracking her knuckles, Ino inquired, "Come back for another helping? I have a lot more where that came from."

Bowing deeply, Naruto intoned seriously, "Ino-chan, I apologize for my comment and ask your forgiveness. I would deeply appreciate any assistance you are willing to provide."

Ino looked upon the scene with no small amount of shock. Even knowing that his actions were likely the results of Hinata's gentle guidance, Ino was well aware of how difficult such a formal admission would be for him. The blonde's casual personality and his legendary stubborn nature made the formal gesture all the more meaningful.

Collecting herself, Ino responded, "I accept your apology…, but do not believe for a second that you have been totally forgiven. I was going to help you anyways..." A cold smiled settled on the young kunoichi's features as she continued, "Preparation for this mission gives me the perfect excuse to beat some manners into you. After all, you have even asked for it." Naruto shivered despite the warmth of the evening.

XXXXX

Having tested and been pleasantly surprised by Haku's medical knowledge, the administrators in charge of the med nin program decided train the girl in the operations of the different departments. To this end, Haku had been assigned to work the swing shift as she learned about the operations of the emergency ward.

This assignment meant that, outside of their morning training sessions, Naruto was seeing far less of the young med nin than he had become accustomed to over the past couple of weeks. So when both Hinata and Ino were unable to train one evening due to some family obligations, Naruto decided to pay her a visit at work.

Having listened to her complaints about the hospital cafeteria's food, he thought that it would be a nice gesture to bring her dinner. After dropping by Ichiraku's Ramen and a small okaynomiaki stand that Haku seemed to like, Naruto made his way to the hospital. On the way, Naruto decided that his visit would be far less troublesome for both Haku and himself if he maintained the henge he had used while purchasing the okaynomiaki. While using the henge had become almost second nature, it still rankled the young shinobi slightly that villagers would treat a complete stranger much better than they would him.

Entering the hospital a short while later, Naruto was hit by the anti-septic smell that always made him feel a bit uncomfortable. The reason for this reaction was not hard to imagine as many of his more unpleasant memories had ended with a trip to this building. The blonde shinobi remembered all too well the looks of distain and cold fury sent his way by the hospital staff as they were forced to work under the ANBU's watchful eye during some of these visits.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Naruto approached the nursing station in the emergency ward and inquired, "Excuse me ma'am. I am looking for a med-nin in training named Haku. Could you please tell me where I could find her?"

The middle-aged woman observed the boy before her with a perceptive eye. While she was never one to indulge, the gossip mills had been in flurry about the new girl. After all, it wasn't every day that a beautiful, well-trained medical student with the Hokage's favor appeared out of nowhere. It was amusing to watch the many of the female students adjust to this invasion of their academic and social sphere. In addition, it was a bit disgusting to watch a number of the hospital's male employees swarm around the poor girl.

Finding nothing suspicious about the boy in front on her, the nurse responded, "She is assisting with general patient care at the moment, but she should be finishing up her rounds in a few minutes… You can sit in a waiting area until she returns."

"Thank you." Naruto walked away from the counter, curious as to how much more difficult that simply piece of information would have been to obtain without his henge.

It was only a couple of minutes before a soft "Naruto?" shook the blonde shinobi from a staring contest that he had unwittingly entered with a young boy in the waiting room.

Naruto glanced over and found Haku looking a bit different than was her custom. Instead of her usual apparel, the young kunoichi wore some of those disposable scrubs and had her hair in a high ponytail. Smiling broadly at the girl and gesturing at the packages he carried, Naruto offered, "Hey, Haku-chan. I hope you haven't eaten yet."

Upon discovering that her friend had dropped by just to have dinner with her, the young kunoichi returned his smile. The couple of weeks since arriving in Konoha had been among the best times of her life. Despite the emotional turmoil and uncertainty surrounding her arrival, she could describe the life she now led as nearly idyllic.

She had a comfortable place to live and enough to eat… These simple facts, facts that most of Konoha's residents took for granted, had been a fairly rare occurrence while she was living as a missing nin. In addition to the basic necessities, the Hokage himself had gone out of his way to welcome her by providing her with an opportunity to prove herself to him and the village. The med nin program allowed her to improve her medical skills in a far more structured environment than she had ever enjoyed.

It had only been a couple of weeks and yet she really couldn't imagine what her life would be like if she had made different decisions. Even when it had been just Zabuza and herself in the early days of her training, she didn't think that she had ever felt the sense of peace she now enjoyed. She felt… safe… secure… content. The young kunoichi was well aware that Naruto had played an integral role in everything that had come to pass. Accepting that simple truth, Haku had begun to express her appreciation in an odd fashion, one that current circumstances called for.

Hugs had been a part of her life that she thought she had lost, as they did not exactly fit in with being trained and cared for by a gruff missing nin. Any sign of affection had been hard to come by and the existence of the kind of comfort a hug represented had almost been forgotten. It had never really occurred to her as a conscious thought before her arrival in Konoha, but Haku realized that she had been missing the sort of physical comfort that she had always associated with her mother.

The first one she had shared with Naruto had been enjoyable, if a bit awkward. It was an odd feeling to be embraced by someone you care for. You just feel… protected… appreciated… loved?

It had taken a few repetitions for Naruto to accept the contact without tensing up, but he eventually got used to it. It had occurred to Haku that Naruto was even more of a loner than she had been and was probably fairly unfamiliar with this sort of intimacy. He was getting better, but still blushed a bit each time. Haku found this reaction both amusing and adorable.

Hugs were not an everyday occurrence, as that would be pushing the bounds of their friendship. But if Naruto had mastered a jutsu she taught him or she was meeting him for ramen at Ichiraku's, she really couldn't resist. The first time she had hugged him in front of the two ramen chefs had been hilarious.

Teuchi had had a field day with Naruto, providing him with bits of dating advice in exaggerated stage whispers. Some of the more pointed comments had caused Naruto to blush severely. Ayame, on the other hand, had just stared at her for a long moment, as if evaluating her with the critical eye only a mother or big sister would possess. To see such a reaction from them had only endeared the two ramen chefs to her further. He wasn't just a customer to them… he was family.

After Haku had released him, a now sheepish Naruto, taking the opportunity to continue his etiquette training, offered the young med-nin his arm as they made their way towards the cafeteria. As they were sitting down at an isolated table, Naruto noticed that they were being watched from across the room by what Naruto took to be an orderly. The young man was rather non-descript and looked to be in his early to mid twenties. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium height, medium build… nothing about the man stood out in any way. Later Naruto found that he couldn't describe the man in anything more than the vaguest of terms.

The only reason that Naruto did not miss him entirely was that he was glaring at him from over Haku's shoulder. Puzzled by the reaction, as he was still henged to look like his alter ego, Naruto asked Haku about the guy. As she turned around, Naruto witnessed the man's expression shift from hostile to besotted in the blink of an eye.

Haku, sighing in apparent exasperation before she turned back towards her meal, responded, "Oh, don't worry about him. He is just a bothersome nuisance…"

Naruto blinked slowly as he put the pieces together before smiling broadly at the grumbling girl. "You never told me that you had an admirer. You have been in town a couple of weeks and you are already breaking hearts left and right."

Haku's frown deepened as Naruto's playful tone and unwelcome commentary only served to further exasperate the young kunoichi. "Don't get me started on him. I haven't done anything to encourage the guy, but he always seems to be hovering around during my breaks. It is actually kind of creepy… It does not help that he is like eight years older than me."

While the most of hospital staff treated her with courtesy and respect, Haku was ever vigilant to ensure that the small group of admirers, fanboys, and perverts she seemed to have acquired maintained a tolerable distance from her person.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he refocused his attention on his ramen. "Weird, but I can't really blame the guy for thinking that you are pretty. It was the first thing that I noticed when we met."

Haku's eyes snapped towards the blonde shinobi only to find him inhaling his ramen at what had to be an unhealthy pace. It was amazing to her that he could give her such a complement without even flinching, but would be embarrassed by the simplest things.

Deciding to dig a little deeper, Haku responded in a casual manner. "Oh, and what about now? And don't eat so quickly."

Remarkably, Naruto's pace slowed a great deal as he even paused to wipe his mouth with a napkin. "Well, you do look quite cute in your scrubs. I would hate to think of what the guy would do if he saw you in your everyday clothes or that yukata you were wearing back in Wave. He might just end up here as a patient due to blood loss."

The shinobi's chuckling was cut off as his mind flashed back to the memory of how the wet yukata had adhered to Haku's body on the day she had visited Zabuza's grave. Scolding himself for the mental slip, Naruto pushed the memory from his mind as he returned his attention to his ramen.

As such, he missed the searching look in Haku's eyes. She couldn't help but study him for a moment. In the short time she had lived in Konoha, she had been approached by a number of individuals. Shinobi and civilian, slightly younger and embarrassingly older… a number of men had complimented her on her looks, her intelligence, her medical skills… and yet their motives were as transparent as glass.

Her years of traveling with a missing nin had gifted her with a finely tuned sense of intuition. When you lived in constant fear of betrayal and entrapment, you learned to pay attention to even the smallest details. As such, she was largely able to sense a person's sincerity simply by analyzing facial expressions and body movements. Even ninja as experienced as Zabuza-sama and Kakashi-san had their tells if you looked closely enough.

The young kunoichi couldn't help but apply these abilities to Naruto, attempting to discern any deceit in his commentary, any ulterior motives behind his comments. She was not surprised when she found none, as Naruto had always been amazing forthright with her.

Haku considered this as she gazed across the table at her friend. The young shinobi had played a great many roles in her life over the past couple of weeks. Guard, consoler, sponsor, student, confessor, and companion… But most importantly he had become her friend. And the fact that she was allowing such a friend to hide behind a disguise to avoid some difficulties with her coworkers bothered her.

In a quiet voice, she requested, "Naruto-kun, please disperse the henge." Responding to the curious, slightly startled look she received, Haku continued, "I know what you are going to say, but if people are going to dislike me for simply being your friend, then they are not worth my time to begin with."

Naruto shifted slightly as he glanced around the room before looking at her for a long moment. Eventually he responded, "I just don't want to cause you any problems, Haku-chan."

Haku reached across the small table and touched the blonde shinobi's hand to emphasize her point. As if to highlight her earlier thoughts, the blonde shinobi blushed at this sign of affection. Looking intently into his currently brown eyes, she simply stated, "Naruto-kun… I would rather suffer their animosity than to have you believe that I am, in anyway, ashamed of knowing you or of being your friend."

XXXXX

Naruto made to open the door to the Hokage's office, grateful that the chuunin assistant for the day had absently waved him through before returning his attention to his duties.

Entering the office the young shinobi found the Hokage behind his desk, reading a rather familiar book. Choosing to ignore this blatant bit of perversion, Naruto called out, "Hey, old man. How's the paperwork?"

The book disappeared so quickly that many would think that they had imagined it. Truth be told, the exclamation had caught the old man a bit off guard as there were few people that could simply walk into his office, even unannounced, without triggering an unconscious reaction on his part.

Finding a familiar blonde closing the door behind him, the Hokage was somewhat surprised by the boy's presence. There was little cause for him to come by the office as their respective Kage Bunshins spent several hours with one another every day in the library. Certain that he would have an explanation shortly, the Hokage smiled at his guest. "It has been subdued for the day, but I believe it plans to renew its offensive tomorrow morning. How has your day been going?"

"Pretty good… the girls have been helping out quite a bit with my training, but I had a break today…" Nervously scratching the back of his head, Naruto continued, "Sorry to just drop in like this, but I have a favor to ask…"

At the Hokage's curious expression, Naruto continued, "Hmmm… I was visiting Haku-chan at work today and some of the doctors and other staff were giving her some ugly looks after I dropped my henge. Could you keep an eye out and make sure they don't hold it against her?"

Sarutobi exhaled heavily as he considered the headaches the hospital staff had caused him over the years with regards to Naruto. Several doctors and other staff members had been either disciplined or dismissed due to various infractions. One had even been executed for an attempt on the boy's life. Pushing these unpleasant memories from his mind, Sarutobi responded, "I will keep an eye out for any difficulties."

XXXXX

The etiquette training itself became a bit nerve racking as the week progressed. The reading he was required to do on the subject was dry and boring. Worse, a number of the books seemed to contradict each other on a number of points. The vague notions of social standing and the formality required in different settings based on personal relationships made his head spin whenever he thought about it.

Counter to this unpleasant aspect of the training, Hinata turned out to be a very patient and thorough teacher. In addition to calmly explaining various greetings and honorifics and the appropriate use for each, she went out of her way to stage mock meals and tea ceremonies so that he wouldn't be caught off guard during those situations.

The circumstances allowed Naruto the opportunity to demonstrate his nascent sealing abilities to both Hinata and Ino. While his first functioning sealing scroll was used to simply transport a table, a tea set, and some other supplies, the girls were dually impressed and inquired about when he would be teaching them to make seals.

True to her word, Ino became very enthusiastic about correcting his mistakes. The first thing out of Ino's mouth was a demand that he call her 'Yamanaka-sama' while they were training. Naruto's response was rather blunt. "Why the hell would I do that?"

WHACK!!! After having smacked the blonde shinobi upside his head, Ino continued, "To teach you some respect. Many nobles are sticklers for such formality as the use of the proper suffix is an important denotation of social standing. An overly familiar or presumptuous greeting could be taken as a grievous insult."

Continuing this general trend, the young Yamanaka had taken to pacing behind him during the mock meals and snapping him lightly with a thin switch she had acquired. A light snap to his lower back would remind him to correct his posture. A snap across the wrist would prevent him for reaching for a snack in the middle of a ceremony. While slightly irritated with the snap happy blonde, Naruto allowed this little game of hers to continue without comment as a sign of his contrition for his comments.

Naruto waited for the volatile Yamanaka to become distracted before he asked Hinata a question that had been bothering for a couple of days. "Hinata… Given everything that you have said about titles and such… Are you offended that I often refer to you as -chan?"

Hinata goggled for a second before responding, "No!!! No, not at all. It is s…something that I deeply treasure."

Realizing how such a claim may come across, the Hyuuga heiress mentally scrambled for a safe explanation. "I have never really had any close friends and t…that you think of me as such is something that I treasure."

Seeing the warm smile Naruto was giving her, a blushing Hinata began to play with her fingers as she continued, "The only time when it would be a…advisable to change would be in the presence of my family… especially my father. He can be strict about such things…"

XXXXX

Nearing the end of the week, Naruto and Ino remained behind after Hinata's departure to reseal the items they had used during their practice. While recounting his plans for the next day, Naruto absently mentioned his need to acquire some formal clothes for situations that may arise as part of his escort responsibilities.

Unfortunately for him, he missed the interest that flared in the blonde kunoichi's eyes at the mention of shopping. Had he been paying attention, he would have observed the appearance of a slightly malicious grin as, in the interests of helping her friend, the young Yamanaka decided to offer her assistance… This, of course, meant that Naruto was about to be browbeaten into another shopping trip with his blonde training partner.

The situation grew more troublesome for the Kazama heir when, while outlining what he would need to buy to improve his current wardrobe, the blonde shinobi made an off hand comment about how he also needed to buy some new ninja clothing. Frowning at nothing in particular, he began to complain about having spent money on a new wardrobe only to have just about everything he had purchased shrink. He began pulling at the shirt he was wearing, which Ino noticed did look to be a bit small on his frame.

Raising an amused eyebrow at him as she listened to his complaints, Ino lightly offered, "Somehow I don't think it's the shirt's fault, so you can stop picking on it."

"Well of course not," Naruto replied obtusely. "Shirts can't exactly shrink themselves, can they? They must have shrunk in the wash or something. Still I had hoped that they would last a bit longer. My last set of jumpsuits lasted for almost three years."

"First, that jumpsuit was a crime against fashion so you can't compare it to normal clothing. Second, that is not what I meant," Ino said with an impish grin. "You have been training pretty heavily over the past few months…"

Naruto nodded dumbly, not understanding where she was going with that statement or what it had to do with his clothes shrinking. "Yeah, so?"

Ino's grin transformed into a broad smile at his dense response before she continued, "Because it's not that the shirts are shrinking… It is that you are just getting bigger."

At Naruto's bewildered expression, Ino exhaled in exasperation before she continued, "Honestly, after months of heavy training and working out on a daily basis, what did you expect? I can tell just by looking at you that you have grown a couple of inches and filled out quite a bit since we graduated. You are not, by any means, an Adonis, but it does look good on you."

Naruto ducked his head to hide his blush and scuffed his sandal on the ground, caught completely off guard by her comment. The blonde kunoichi smiled mischievously as she circled behind him. The boy's response to her observation pleased her for reasons that she would rather not think about. Leaning towards the boy from behind him, Ino whispered, "It is nice to see that you are modest about some things."

A shiver passed through Naruto's body as her warm breath brushed against his ear. Given their relative positions, he failed to observe how the blonde kunoichi's eyes danced in amusement as she observed this reaction.

Finding her prey sufficiently off balance, the young kunoichi unleashed her assault. "So, we have a lot to do tomorrow. You are pretty much helpless when it comes to clothes and we need to replace your normal mission clothes and pick out some formal clothes in case you need them on your escort mission… In addition, we definitely need to get you some casual clothes…"

The blonde kunoichi tapped her chin thoughtfully as she continued, "Besides the swimsuit, I don't think I have seen you in anything other the mission clothes I helped you with a couple of months ago. It is just not healthy to wear the same thing every day."

'We? Since when? And why do I need casual clothes if I am a ninja?' Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the stream of logic that Ino had just unleashed, the blonde shinobi felt the need to be contradictory. Naruto ended up muttering, "I am not helpless… I can shop for myself…" It only took a moment for him to think of the perfect counter to her arguments. Speaking a bit more assertively, Naruto asked, "And haven't you ever noticed that Sasuke-teme wears the exact same thing everyday?"

Knowing that he was just being difficult, Ino responded to the question with one of her own. "Are you saying that you want to be more like Sasuke-kun?" Her rejoinder shut him up pretty effectively.

Sensing her inevitable victory, Ino continued, "I am volunteering to give up even more of my free time to help you out… You should simply accept my gracious offer and stop being such a baby. It is for your own good after all."

Naruto looked towards his friend and noticed that she was watching him with what he took to be a menacing grin. The blonde shinobi couldn't help the unease he felt under that disconcerting gaze. It was clear that she had already decided that she was going to help him and was just toying with him… 'Like a cat toying with a mouse.'

The odd scene of a giant cat shaped Ino batting him around while displaying a frightening number of sharp, white teeth flashed through his mind. Fighting off the urge to snort at his odd imagination, Naruto chose to concentrate on the topic at hand. "Fine, we will go shopping." The tone of his statement was the same he'd use to confirm that Ichiraku's had burned to the ground.

XXXXX

The young kunoichi was pleased to note that Naruto had shown up at the appointed time despite his professed reluctance to the shopping expedition. They were only a block or so from her house when, after a small pop, Ino turned to find herself walking beside a complete stranger.

The boy, while retaining Naruto's general shape, could not have been any more different for her friend's normal appearance. Naruto's blonde and rather wild hair had been replaced by rather lifeless brown tresses. Where Naruto's face was tan and retained a bare hint of youth, this boy's pale, sharp features appeared a bit gaunt. Even the boy's eyes had shifted from cerulean blue to a cinnamon brown. "Why are you transformed?"

"Umm… Most stores won't let me in to shop. Too many pranks and what not… That is why I was shopping in disguise the last time…"

Accepting his answer at face value, Ino quicken their pace towards the commercial district. After entering the first store, they quickly fell into the pattern of Ino picking out various outfits and Naruto wordlessly entering the dressing rooms. When he exited, the young kunoichi would spend an inordinate amount of time inspecting the clothes and passing sentence. This process repeated itself endlessly, at least from Naruto's perspective. Before he knew it, they had spent over three and a half hours collecting a variety of new clothes from a variety of stores.

Exiting the most recent store, Naruto, still henged, created yet another Kage Bunshin to hold some of the numerous bags they had acquired during their expedition. Ino, while spending a great deal of time watching, directing, and critiquing him, had managed to find something for herself in just about every store they entered.

Naruto felt a bit uneasy when he noticed that, while the whole shopping experience was wearing on him, his companion seemed to be gaining strength from each and every purchase they made. 'Maybe she is some sort of clothing vampire, sucking sustenance from uncomfortable shoes and brightly colored fabrics.'

Shaking the strange thought from his head, Naruto, looking over at his bubbly companion, begged, "Ino-chan, can we please call it a day? I don't think I can take any more!"

Ino, having a great deal of experience with lazy and difficult boys, answered, "Hurry up. There are a few more stores that I want to go through."

"But we have everything I need."

WHACK!!! "Stop whining!!! This is for your own good!!! You need to look presentable for your mission and it won't hurt you to have a couple of nice things to wear on your days off."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto mumbles, "I think you just like ordering me around."

The young kunoichi was about to respond to Naruto's mumbled statement, when she spotted two individuals approaching them from down the street. The two individuals just happened to be her lazy teammates, who usually required far more prodding than her current companion. The blonde kunoichi raised her hand in greeting and inquired, "Hey, what are you two up to?"

"Hey Ino. Hey Naruto." The three other ninja looked at Shikamaru: one questioningly and the other two in surprise.

The henged Naruto was the first to respond to the Nara's casual greeting. "How did you know it was me?"

Shikamaru yawned before lazily stating, "Educated guess."

After a couple of seconds of looking between Shikamaru and the person standing beside Ino, Chouji seemed to accept that the person was Naruto and moved onto more pressing concerns. "You guys want to come to lunch with us? We were heading over to Ichiraku's Ramen."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock at this fortuitous turn of events. He had been dreading being dragged into another store, but it seemed that Kami was smiling down upon him. Surely Shikamaru's and Chouji's arrival spoke of divine intervention as not only was he was going to eat ramen, but he would also be able to plan how to avoid being dragged into 'a few more stores.' "Sure!!!"

At the mention of lunch, Ino looked down at her watch and swore, "Damn it! I was supposed to be back at the shop fifteen minutes ago." WHACK!!! "Why didn't you tell be that it was so late?"

Once again rubbing the back of his head, Naruto responded, "Would you stop doing that?!?! I didn't say anything about the time because YOU didn't say anything about when you had to go home!" Naruto easily predicted Ino's response to this comment, but decided to take action to avoid the potentially painful results.

WHUFF!!! Ino looked at Naruto in shock for a second, and then attempted to rectify having missed the blonde shinobi. WHUFF!!! WHUFF!!!

The young Nara sighed heavily as he watched the two blondes engage in a strange dance of cat and mouse. 'If I didn't know better, I would say they are flirting with each other… How troublesome…' Clearing his throat, Shikamaru attempted to unobtrusively remind the troublesome blonde and her pseudo-brunette companion of their current location.

Blushing a bit in embarrassment as she glanced around, Ino decided that the best thing to do would be to ignore the last part of her exchange with Naruto. "Anyways, I have to go. I will see you two tomorrow for practice and…" Ino's tone shifted slightly as she addressed Naruto, "…you tonight for your test."

The blonde shinobi suppressed a flinch at the reminder. Naruto had been unaware of his 'test' before this morning. The three girls that apparently ran his life had decided, without any input from him, that they wanted to see the results of all their hard work. While the idea had Ino's fingerprints all over it, Hinata and Haku would also be attending the formal dinner. Unable to voice his concerns about actually being able to eat in a restaurant without sounding too suspicious, Naruto was left with a feeling of anticipated dread.

The young kunoichi began to run off in the direction of her family's store, but yelled back as an afterthought, "If you have any trouble getting ready tonight, just ask Haku for help." And with that Ino disappeared into the crowd.

Pushing the test from his mind for the time being, Naruto sighed in relief and released the henge. "Thanks guys. You saved me from another store or two." He created another shadow clone to take the bags he was carrying home and returned his attention to the two remaining members of Team Ten. Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Naruto exclaimed, "Now let's go get some ramen!!!"

Chouji smiled affably at the blonde's enthusiasm for food while Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome. Naruto, you are entirely too energetic."

XXXXX

The trio had placed their orders with Ayame and settled into their seats. The burst of activity from the stand's interior indicated that Ayame and her father were gearing up for the marathon entailed in feeding both Naruto and Chouji at once.

Inhaling deeply to capture the heavenly smells already emanating from the stall, Naruto inquired, "So, how did you know that it was me?"

The young Nara shrugged slightly as he responded, "Simple logic. I also know that you have been training with Ino for a couple of months."

Caught off guard by this assertion, Naruto abruptly asked, "How do you know that?"

The blonde shinobi's inquiry was nearly overridden by one from their other dining companion, "Ino has been training with Naruto?"

A glance confirmed that Chouji also wanted an explanation of his observations. "How troublesome… When we were first assigned to Team Ten, Ino harassed Chouji and I continuously to stop being lazy and to train with her. This harassment escalated into an endless series of threats, insults, attempted bribes, etc., but she was no closer to obtaining our participation. She was slowly being driven insane." A small smile appeared on Shikamaru's face as he remembered how exasperated Ino had become at their intransigence.

"After a couple of weeks, Ino stopped harassing us… at least about training… and began showing up to our morning meetings tired and sore. She was by no means exhausted, but she didn't have the excess energy to bother us anymore. It was obvious that she had found someone else to tort… train with."

At this point, the young Nara paused to thank Ayame and to take a bite of the ramen she had just delivered before he continued his explanation. "So I was sitting under the clouds one day and began to wonder who Ino had coerced into training with her. It was a random enough question as to not be too involved…"

Shrugging, the Nara continued, "So I started with what I knew about her. Ino is a bit of a self conscious about some things; so she would only feel comfortable training with someone near her own age and skill level. In addition, Ino is usually a bit standoffish with complete strangers, so her training partner would have to be someone she knew."

"Given that this happened so soon after our graduation from the academy, my initial suspects were the members of the graduating class. This group included six individuals, as Chouji and myself were eliminated. Sasuke was quickly eliminated as Ino had not been gushing about finally defeating her arch-nemesis, 'Forehead Girl'. Sakura was also eliminated for being said arch-nemesis."

Glancing over at Naruto and finding him attentive, Shikamaru continued, "Hinata and Shino are introverted and concentrate primarily on their family techniques, so they were distant possibilities, at best. In addition, a passing comment by Ino during our mission indicated that, while she had been spending more time with Hinata, the timing was not right to account for her shift in behavior. So that left you and Kiba."

Pausing to ingest some of his ramen, the Nara heir continued, "While you and Ino may not have been particularly friendly at the academy, any obstacles that may have prevented you from training together were nothing compared to what it would take for Ino to willingly spend any length of time with Kiba. The joint mission only served to emphasize this point."

Naruto was a bit confused, as he had not spent too much time observing the interactions among the rest of the class. "What does she have against Kiba?"

Chouji, having finished his first bowl of ramen, decided to contribute his observations to the conversation, "Well… you may not have been paying too much attention at the academy, but Kiba was among those that…"

Trying to be diplomatic, Chouji thought about what he wanted to say for a moment before continuing, "…regularly commented on the various attributes of the kunoichis in our class. Ino was often the subject those conversations. While she was not exactly shy about letting her displeasure about this be known, that only seemed to encourage them. They do not get along well to say the least."

Naruto nodded slowly as finished chewing his latest mouthful of noodles. "Yeah, but I don't see Ino as the type of person to let it go at that."

Chouji nodded his head as he reached for another bowl of ramen. "Well, you are right… Ino is not someone who turns the other cheek. One of the first times she used her family's techniques outside of practice was to pull a prank on Kiba. It was simple and slightly cruel, but a masterpiece ranking right up there with some of your own."

At this point, Chouji paused, both to take another bite of his ramen and to build the suspense like any storyteller worth his salt. Glancing over and seeing that he had fully captured the blonde shinobi's attention, Chouji finally revealed what happened. "She used her jutsu to march Kiba into the Konoha's commercial district wearing a sign proclaiming his willingness to have sex with big hairy men for money."

The young Akimichi chuckled heartily at the blonde's shocked expression and at the memory of Ino's rather enthusiastic recounting of her revenge. "She had intended on simply spreading some rumors about his exploits after the fact, but her revenge didn't quite go as planned… She ended up releasing the technique in shock when she was actually propositioned by someone." Chouji's chuckle shifted into outright laughter as he concluded, "Kiba returned to awareness standing in the middle of the street having a very awkward conversation."

Naruto sat there dumbfounded by the twisted and devious nature of such a prank. 'For Ino to come up with something like that…' A moment later, Naruto shuttered involuntarily when he recalled that she had tried to use the same technique on him.

Shaking off the chill that had run down his spine, Naruto returned his attention to Shikamaru. "Okay. So back to my original question… I am one of your initial suspects and Ino did not wish for my death while we were at the academy. How did you figure out we were training together?"

Shrugging in a lazy manner before pushing his empty bowl away, the shinobi in question responded, "Well… I have a couple of odd observations that assisted my analysis. First, the number of pranks being played on the villagers had nearly dropped to zero since you graduated from the academy. Second, I have been heading towards the training grounds a couple of mornings, only to see you dragging yourself in that general direction, having obviously been training already despite the early hour. In addition, there were the some odd rumors about an army of Narutos hiding in the library and your mission to the Wave Country."

Crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair, Shikamaru concluded, "You have decided to apply yourself and are obviously devoting a great deal of time and energy towards training. However, my last observation earlier today is what proved the hypothesis about you spending time with and probably training with Ino. It made the connection between the henge and you rather obvious…"

After a long pause, the blonde shinobi verbally prodded the young Nara, "And that would be…?"

"Even in the henge, you were wearing the same clothing as the times I have seen you since graduation."

"So, basically, the green jacket and a couple of random observations reminded you of the 'hypothesis' you constructed because Ino was tired a couple of months ago?"

Shrugging at Naruto's simplification, the Nara responded, "Pretty much."

Naruto suddenly felt the need to rub his temples. He was now convinced that he would never understand how Shikamaru's mind worked or why he would bother to think about such random topics. During the few conversations they had shared at the academy, Naruto had always been hard pressed to follow Shikamaru's trains of thought. Naruto simply sighed heavily before he returned his attention to his ramen.

Feeling a bit curious, Chouji inquired, "So how did you end up shopping with Ino?"

Naruto took a bite of his ramen and frowned in thought as he tried to remember exactly how he had ended up shopping with the assertive blonde kunoichi. "I am not really sure. I had to buy some new clothes for an escort mission… I mentioned this to Ino and before I knew it she was telling me to pick her up at her house in the morning and not to be late. I tried to tell her that I could do it myself, but she told me to stop being a baby and that it was for my own good."

The young Akimichi frowned in thought as he absently muttered, "That sounds rather familiar…" After a moment, Chouji looked over at Shikamaru and prodded him. "That sounds a lot like what we were talking about a couple of months ago. I think you should tell him what your dad said… It could be helpful, especially if he going to be hanging out with Ino."

Shikamaru looked questioningly at his best friend for a second before a flash of understanding passed over his face. The young Nara sighed and mumbled something about it being troublesome before he began to speak. "Naruto, a couple of months ago my father gave me a bit of helpful advice. He said that if nothing else was to be gained from his suffering, that at least his son should benefit from his experiences and have some foreknowledge of what is to come. After hearing these pearls of wisdom, I decided that I should pass this information along to my best friend and, now, I am going to share them with you."

Naruto, caught off guard by Shikamaru's serious tone, gave the young Nara his full attention, even pausing in his consumption of ramen.

Seeing that his audience was ready to absorb this hard fought wisdom, Shikamaru began, "The first piece of advice is that if a woman ever asks you if a piece of clothing makes them look fat or if she has gained weight, tell them 'No!!!'. There are far easier ways of committing suicide."

Chouji, pausing in his consumption of ramen once again, added, "My father got lucky once and only ended up sleeping on the couch for a week when he answered one of those questions wrong."

Nodding sagely at this piece of empirical data, Shikamaru continued, "The second is that if a woman ever starts to question your maturity, bravery, or manhood, do not respond impetuously as they have run out of logical arguments and need to evoke an emotional reaction."

"The third is to avoid groups of three or more women as they are usually up to no good and develop a weird hive mentality where everything wrong with the world becomes a guy's fault. The safest course of action is to be as far from such groups as possible to avoid becoming their scapegoat, sacrificial lamb, or pet project."

"The forth and final piece of advice is that if you ever hear a woman use the words 'it'll be fun' or 'it's for your own good', run in the other direction."

Naruto looked thoughtful as he absorbed what Shikamaru had said. Despite the advice, Naruto questioned the wisdom of following it. For instance, Ino would simply have hunted him down and dragged him shopping if he had tried to escape after she said 'it's for you own good.'

XXXXX

Naruto was, to say the least, nervous. He tried to sit on the couch as he waited for the appointed time when he would leave his apartment and begin his 'test', but found that he could not find a comfortable position.

Fidgeting from his place by the window, the blonde shinobi found himself glancing between the front door of his apartment and the clock. Thoughts of escaping the upcoming test crossed his mind, but the blonde shinobi knew that such an action would only disappoint and/or anger the girls. Plus there was very little chance the he could escape them.

One had successfully masqueraded as a hunter nin for a number of years and lived across the hall. Another possessed the ability to see through most solid objects. And the final girl possessed one of the most sinister minds he had ever heard about. Just the thought of the prank she had played on Kiba caused him to shiver again. They would find him. It was inevitable. And when they did, Naruto was certain that Ino would ensure that he would never do it again.

Instead of contemplating the various evasion tactics he could employ, Naruto wiped the sweat forming on his brow and continued to wait impatiently.

Looking out the window and playing with his thumbs did little to settle his nerves. It wasn't long before Naruto had to stop himself from was fidgeting with the collar of his kimono once again. After what seemed like an eternity, the blonde shinobi exited his apartment and walked across the hall to Haku's door. He absently knocked on the door, adjusting the collar one last time before finally giving it up as a lost cause. Naruto's mental ramblings ground to a halt when Haku's front door opened silently.

Naruto, needlessly straightening his clothes, inquired, "Are you re…?" The words died in his throat as he took in her appearance.

Haku was no stranger to 'feminine' arts, despite having been raised by a bloodthirsty missing nin. She might have been a kunoichi accustomed to spending weeks living in the roughest conditions, but she was still a woman and could appreciate the finer things is life. She remembered many of the lessons she had been taught by her mother and had learned quite a bit as she grew up infiltrating various villages and towns.

Haku had selected a dark blue kimono adorned with pale pink sakura petals for the evening. The dark coloring of the kimono gave her pale skin a luminescent quality that was complimented by a light application of makeup. Her deep brown eyes and her ebony hair seemed to shine in the light. The overall effect was simple breath taking.

Haku repressed a small smile at seeing the blonde's reaction to her. She was tempted to tease him a bit… a slight shift in her pose and husky 'Like what you see?' came to mind, but she repressed this urge. "Shall we?" she asked.

Naruto, failing to register what she had asked, responded, "You look beautiful."

That type of response warmed her more than she could express. Such reactions were so abrupt that she had little doubt that they were heartfelt and honest.

She graced him with a dazzling smile in response to his comment, but it took another moment for him to realize that he had verbalized his thoughts. It was most amusing to watch the shifts in his body language as his thoughts caught up with what he had said.

Naruto cleared his throat in order to cover his embarrassment, but that did not stop his face from flushing at his verbal slip. "Err, right, I'm ready to go."

She canted her head slightly in acknowledgment before adding in a teasing yet somehow seductive tone, "Thank you for the compliment, Naruto-kun. You look rather dashing yourself." Naruto's blush intensified at the kunoichi's comment.

XXXXX

The young Yamanaka had taken a great deal of time getting ready for dinner. She really couldn't help it as whenever she walked in front of a mirror, she became preoccupied with the visible changes to her body. While they had been subtle at first, the changes seemed to have accelerated in recent weeks. While she had never been unhealthy, per se, her body had been rather frail just after graduation.

Overall, her new training regimen and improved diet had conspired to transform her body into what could be called athletically slim as opposed to unhealthy. Instead of bulky muscles, the exercises and weights had given her body a tone and definition that she simply couldn't stop looking at.

The young woman was even more pleased to note that, since she had abandoned her diet, the increased caloric intake was allowing her body to finally develop some of the curves she had always envied in others. Glancing at how her kimono accentuated these new curves, Ino thought, 'I wonder why I ever complained about gaining weight to my friends.'

Ino's thoughts were broken by a knock at the bathroom door. Her mother's voice soon followed. "Come on, Ino. Your friends are waiting downstairs."

"Coming, Mom…" After double checking her low ponytail, taking particular care to insure that all the blonde strands were contained, and straightening her kimono one last time, the young Yamanaka thought with a smile, 'This is going to be fun.' With one last glance in the mirror, she opened her door and headed downstairs.

Ino descended the stairs and found Haku sitting quietly on the couch, while Naruto and her dad were talking quietly across the room. Ino was about to berate the pair for excluding Haku, but her observations of their conversation caught her off guard.

Her mother had obviously made the same observations as she inquired, "Inoichi, just what do you think you are doing?"

The blonde jounin turned towards his wife, crossing his arms across his chest. "My job." The statement had been delivered with a level of certainty; as if those two words unequivocally explained his actions.

Hoping that her overly protective father hadn't embarrassed her too much, Ino asked, "And what is your job, exactly?"

Naruto, wisely keeping his mouth shut, slipped away from the jounin and wondered over towards Haku, acting the whole time as if he was temporarily deaf. The young shinobi could tell by Ino's tone that this conversation would not end well.

"My job as your father," Inoichi elaborated unhelpfully.

"Dad, what are you talking about?" Ino asked in exasperation.

Inoichi seemed to straighten as he continued with his explanation. "It's the job of all fathers to give the guys who are interested in their daughters a hard time. The simple truth of the matter is that they are all sex-crazed fiends. I'm simply protecting my daughter's virtue from this collection of raging hormones." This last sentence was completed with a hand gesture in Naruto's general direction.

Naruto himself was now simply staring at the jounin with a completely dumbfounded expression. Inoichi recrossed his arms for emphasis as he concluded, "It's the duty of every father to protect their daughters from them."

Ino's face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. She couldn't believe that her father would take his over protective nature this far, and in front of her friends no less. "Dad!!! Naruto is not 'interested' in me! We are simply going out to dinner as FRIENDS. Hinata, Haku, and I have invested a lot of time over the past week into Naruto's training and we are going to see how much has stuck. And even…" Thankfully, Kami showed a surprising amount of benevolence towards a certain blonde shinobi by disrupting the discussion with a tentative knock at the door.

Naruto sighed audibly as Hinata's arrival served to end the rather awkward argument. The young shinobi guessed from Ino's muttering as they prepared to leave that the conversation had simply been tabled for the time being. 'Hopefully I will be out of the village before they resume.'

The door had barely closed when Honshu rounded on her husband and hissed, "There is no reason for you to be torturing poor Naruto. He didn't do anything wrong."

Slightly indignant that his wife apparently didn't see the necessity of his actions, Inoichi responded, "He is a teenage boy and he is taking my little girl out to dinner."

Honshu snorted disdainfully as her husband's indignation. "They also happen to be going out with two other girls. It is perfectly innocent… And even if it wasn't, would you rather that her every waking thought was about the Uchiha boy?"

"No…" Since his wife had brought it up a couple of weeks ago, the jounin had been pleased to note that Ino hadn't even mentioned the sullen boy in his presence. Inoichi smiled a bit as he thought, 'Maybe she really is over her obsession with the emo-teme…' The fact that he had unconsciously adopted Naruto's nomenclature for the Konoha genin from when the Yamanakas had roped him into dinner escaped his notice.

His happiness decreased when he realized that, over the past couple of months, Ino had only talked about three boys: Shikamaru, Chouji, and Naruto. The jounin had long ago accepted that the Ino saw the children of his two best friends as siblings. 'That leaves Naruto…'

As if reading his thoughts, Honshu continued, "So, if Naruto is preferable to the Uchiha boy, what is your problem?"

Feeling slight defensive, Inoichi responded, "They are just too young to even be thinking about anything like that."

Honshu simply smiled, knowing that the next exchange would conclusively finish this pseudo-argument. 'How soon they forget…' Without her saying another word, Inoichi knew that he had just lost the argument. He wasn't exactly sure how, but he was all too familiar with the smirk his wife was wearing to believe otherwise.

Modulating her tone in a casual fashion, Honshu inquired, "Do you realize Ino is only a couple months younger than you were when we started dating? And as I recall you had dated a couple of girls before we got together." Having him on the ropes, Honshu decided to curtail any future comments he may have about age when Ino decided to date. "Of course, we only dated for a little over four months before you proposed."

It was a widely known fact that shinobi fell into two categories. Either they would pursue serious relationships or avoid them like the plague. For those that did pursue relationships, they tended to marry young. While civilians could spend years dating and getting to know each other, shinobi seemed to view such uncertainty and hesitation with distain. It was an interesting trend that Inoichi had observed over the years, both in close friends and distant acquaintances. He had even fallen victim to the trend himself.

Perhaps it came from a profession that required making life and death decisions everyday. Perhaps it was that ninja were confronted with their own mortality far earlier in life than most civilians. The distinct possibility of death on virtually any mission creates an interesting perspective on time and delayed gratification. If something makes sense, why wait? If something is obviously not going to work out, why drag it out?

Still feeling the need to argue, Inoichi responded, "I was not in control of my actions… I was seduced by an older woman."

"Seduced?!?! Older!!! I am only ten months older than you and, as I recall, you were stalking me in the first part of our relationship. You are lucky that Dad didn't file a compliant with the Hokage for the amount of time you were hanging around the shop."

Honshu couldn't help but notice the slight flush her husband acquired at the remark. Despite the intervening years of marriage, Inoichi still felt some embarrassment about how he had acted in the first days of their relationship. In all honesty, Honshu knew it was a bit of a low blow, but he had it coming after the age comment. She also didn't want her over protective husband to intervene too much in Ino's love life.

Having made her point, Honshu decided to return to their original topic. "Despite Ino's protests, it is obvious that she has some feelings for him… and I think it would be fair to say that the opposite is also possible. While it could turn out to be nothing, do you have an issue with Naruto?"

Feeling somewhat petulant since his wife had brought THAT up, the jounin responded, "I am the father of a teenage girl. It's my job to intimidate, torture, and perhaps even kill any boy that comes calling on her."

Slightly exasperated, Honshu huffed, "He didn't come 'calling' on her. The girls are practically forcing him to go out at kunai point." Modulating her voice slight, the blonde woman continued, "I know that before this most recent incident that you liked him." She closed the intervening distance and gave his arm a squeeze. "I think you are going to have to make this up to him."

In truth, Inoichi really didn't mind Naruto. He was a good kid. But, given the evolving circumstances, it would go against his paternal nature to ever admit it. Sighing in defeat, Inoichi inquired, "How?"

Smiling softly at the unspoken capitulation, Honshu responded, "It is starting to get warmer. After he gets back from his mission, you can have one of your cookouts with your friends. Just be sure that Naruto is invited and all will be forgiven." Shifting to wrap her arms around his waste, Honshu concluded, "I think that the gesture would mean quite a bit to him."

XXXXX

Walking through the crowd, Naruto noticed a number of people staring at them. Many whispered or pointed, thinking they wouldn't be noticed or simply not caring if they were. While the attention didn't seem overly hostile, it was beginning to get under his skin. Naruto was becoming a bit agitated when there was a slight increase in the pressure on his arm.

He looked towards Hinata as she glided along beside him, her hand resting gently in the crook of his arm. She was the very picture of poise as she ignored the gawking villagers. She couldn't have missed all the attention, but she didn't appear to care. The set of her chin and the serene look on her face gave every indication of confidence. A small smile appeared on his face as the blonde shinobi attempted to follow her example and push the minor irritations out of his mind.

Hinata felt as if she was floating on air, unable to think of the last time she had felt like this. She felt happy, ecstatic even, and yet she was able to project a relaxed air. Despite knowing that she was simply walking with Naruto towards a practice dinner, she couldn't help but imagine how a real date would play out.

The fact that this was a friendly dinner and that Haku and Ino were only a few steps behind them gave her a certain amount of confidence. A small, panicky giggle nearly escaped the young Hyuuga as she imagined the nervous anticipation she would feeling if this was a real date… a real date with the distinct possibility of a kiss to be shared at the end of the evening.

Pushing these thoughts aside, the young heiress felt Naruto tense a little as they walked down the street. It was clear that the gawking stares and audible whispers of the villagers were unsettling him.

Although she kept looking forward with a passive expression, she was very cognizant of her surroundings. Throughout their walk towards the restaurant, she had been discreetly watching the villagers' reactions to them. The young heiress was somewhat heartened to observe the looks of confusion and curiosity rather than contempt.

On the whole, they were of a very different nature form the looks Naruto usually received in this part of the village. She gave a reassuring squeeze to Naruto's arm all the same, trying to be supportive. It pleased her to offer him this small comfort after all he had done for her.

It had always bothered her that others could judge him when they did not even know anything about him. It was part of the most distressing puzzle she had ever come across, one that seemed destined to remain unresolved. How he managed to remain as cheerful as he was while being burdened by the obvious contempt demonstrated by the villagers' actions was beyond her. The watchful eyes and hushed voices didn't stop until they reached the small restaurant.

Naruto, remembering the girls' instructions, moved to hold the door open for them as they reached their destination. Walking in behind them, the atmosphere appeared much more comfortable than the streets outside.

Though not very big, the restaurant had what Hinata called 'ambience'… If 'ambience' meant dark and private then the place fit the bill. As they passed through the doorway, Naruto's eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. The entrance itself was very ornate, with expensive looking silk screens and other decorations accenting the waiting area. The young shinobi found the restaurant to be very intimidating, especially since his only experience with restaurants related to roadside stands.

Naruto glanced past the host to observe the restaurant beyond. Candles burned in small paper lanterns on the tables, soft music played in the background, and the various meals emitted a variety of pleasant smells. The final observation was that, while the people appeared to be enjoying themselves, the place wasn't very crowded.

Naruto gave a sigh of relief as this fact suited the blonde shinobi just fine. He did not want a lot of people glaring at him or the three girls while they enjoyed their dinner. He still wasn't quite sure that they would be able to eat here, as he had never had a great deal of luck with the restaurants of Konoha.

Naruto watched with a bit of dread as Ino had approached the host, who stood behind a small reception. Something in the man's manner told Naruto that this would not end well. "Welcome." His nasally voice seemed drew out the greeting into an insult.

Ino nodded in response to the greeting before she began, "We have a reservation."

"Under what name?" He began to scan the list carelessly.

"Yamanaka Ino, party of four." He didn't bother looking to confirm the name before he responded, "I am sorry but we are unable to honor the reservation."

As soon as the words had been spoken, Naruto felt an embarrassed blush surface of his skin. He should have known that things would end like this. But Ino had insisted that he needed some experience and had ignored his protestations about how this would end.

He pushed away this vulnerable feeling and prepared himself for the events unfolding before him. While he would normally not fight being evicted from stores and restaurants that refused him service, he would be damned if anyone even attempted to touch one of the girls.

Ino's voice clearly transmitted her confusion. "What? But I confirmed the reservation earlier today."

"I am sorry, but you did not identify who would be joining you. This restaurant has standards and your guest is simply… unsuitable." The sneer that the man directed at Naruto left little doubt as to whom he was referring to.

Ino was caught flat-footed, looking around as she tried to deal with this unaccustomed level of hostility. She had eaten at this restaurant several times with her family and had never had any difficulties. "But…"

The man straightened to his full, but unimpressive, height as the uppity manner he was already radiating seemed to intensify. "I am sorry, but you are going to have to leave or I will be forced to call the authorities."

Hinata, who had been watching the scene unfold before her in a shocked silence, had had enough. The normally timid girl stepped forward, drawing the host's attention. "That is a shame. I will inform my father at once that Hyuuga Clan and our guests are no longer welcome at your establishment." Bowing ever so slightly, Hinata continued, "We are sorry to have troubled you. Please have a pleasant evening."

Naruto was shocked to hear the normally soft-spoken Hinata speak in such a clipped and assertive manner. While the words themselves were polite, the manner with which they had been delivered had been anything but. The best word that Naruto could come up with to describe it was disdainful.

In addition to the tone, Naruto was quite pleased with himself for noticing the veiled declaration embedded in Hinata's speech… She had obtusely declared that the insult that had been leveled today would not pass without reprisal.

Not having a clue about what Hinata or any Hyuuga could do to the restaurant, the young shinobi realized that he still had a lot to learn about the more subtle uses of a clan's power. Shaking his head in wonder, the young Kazama heir made to follow Hinata's departing form. Before Naruto had taken more than two steps, he felt a middle age man, who had been approaching from within the restaurant, attempt to move past him and towards Hinata.

Less than a second passed before Naruto had the man pinned to the wall of the entryway, his feet scrabbling a bit as they lost contact with the floor. The blonde shinobi felt a small burst of satisfaction as already panicking man appeared to pale even further at this turn of events.

"I hope that you were not attempting to bother Hinata-chan. Because if you were…" Naruto was not in a good mood and his ominous tone of voice betrayed this fact. These bastards had embarrassed him tonight and that was not something the young shinobi would forget anytime soon.

Hinata's voice broke him from his revelry. "Naruto-kun, that is not necessary. Despite our treatment here, I am sure that he is not quite that unintelligent." Naruto noted that Hinata's tone still possessed the same honeyed venom of her earlier statements.

"No! I did not mean Hyuuga-sama any harm! I simply intended to apologize for the reprehensible manner in which you have been treated this evening. I am the owner of this restaurant and I am simply appalled by what I overheard. The host will be terminated at once."

During the man's explanation, Naruto had released him from the wall and had taken a step back. The middle aged man bowed deeply towards the assembled group as he begged, "Please stay and allow me to properly express my regret that such a scene took place within my restaurant." An awkward moment stretched on as the middle aged man remained bowed, awaiting Hinata's decision.

Haku, who had been eerily silent up to this point, offered, "It would be a shame to allow this evening to end on such a sour note."

Hinata nodded in ascent and manager rose from his bow, his relief almost palpable in his body language. Naruto waved for the three girls to precede him as he watched the shell shocked host open and close his mouth in astonishment. Instead smirking at the man vindictively, Naruto dismissed the man from his thoughts as he scanned the interior of the restaurant suspiciously. While there had been a pause in the murmured conversations, Naruto was surprised to note that none of the guests made to leave upon seeing him.

After they were seated, the blonde shinobi found himself almost scared to look at the girls. Would they be irritated with him for nearly causing them to be thrown out of the restaurant? Would they be angry at him for pinning the owner to the wall? 'Some student I turned out to be…' Naruto opened his menu to avoid the condemnation he assumed would be reflected in their eyes.

He sighed a moment later as he only recognized a few of the dishes on the menu. He glanced around in slightly subversive manner and found the girls gazing down at their own menus. They all seemed comfortable with the choices and so Naruto shifted nervously as he resumed his attempt to decipher the menu's contents. 'Why can't this place just serve ramen? It is the perfect meal…'

Hinata's voice broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled over their table. "Do you know what you want, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto opened his mouth to lie then sighed once again. "Not a clue."

"Then let us take a look over the menu." The young Yamanaka watched in silent astonishment as Hinata took Naruto in hand. She couldn't help but marvel a bit as the normally shy girl began to engage in a very subtle form of flirtation. The body language was unmistakable and appeared to have been taken directly from some of the kunoichi classes they had attended at the academy. Hinata shifted next to Naruto so that they knelt shoulder to shoulder. Her left hand rested on Naruto's shoulder as she softly described some of dishes served by the restaurant.

The truly inspired nature of the distraction came into play when the swell of the young Hyuuga's bust would gently brush against the blonde's bicep as she occasionally pointed to something on the menu with her other hand.

The blonde kunoichi could only watch in stunned fascination as this subtle and obviously intentional contact caused the blonde shinobi to flush quite a bit. The byplay was relatively blatant, but it served its purpose. Naruto was so aware of the girl sitting beside him, that the scene at the entrance seemed to fade from his thoughts.

The kunoichi's own thoughts flashed back to the scene. The reaction was so striking that it was taking some time to process. 'It wasn't anger… It was scorn or a virulent form of disgust. Why? I have come here several times with my parents and the staff has always been pleasant and helpful. Why would the host react to Naruto in such a manner? And why would the owner understand such a reaction immediately?'

Ino's mind began searching for comparable instances and instantly seized upon Naruto's habit of shopping in disguise. 'Would the stores treat him the same if he didn't hide behind the henge? This goes far beyond a couple of pranks… And if he is disguising himself, then he probably knows… But why does he keep it a secret?'

Normally, Ino would obstinately insist on knowing Naruto's secret and his reasons for all the subterfuge. But, having observed Naruto's nervous and uncomfortable glances as he sat across from her, she could not bring herself to confront him. 'Just when I think that I have him figured out, he goes and reveals another layer… I really am going soft.' Smiling softly as she shook her head, she decided to interject her own opinions and preferences into Hinata's explanation of the menu.

During the meal, Ino continued to watch in awed fascination as Hinata kept a close eye on Naruto, subtly helping him out with some minor details. Based on previous discussions and the reaction he received from the host, she was fairly certain that Naruto had never been to a restaurant in his life, with the obvious exception of Ichiraku's. As the meal progressed, she couldn't miss the palpable gratitude in his eyes for Hinata's assistance.

XXXXX

The Hyuuga heiress padded silently along the smooth, varnished halls that led to her rooms, lost in thought. The evening had taken a very different course than she had expected. In all honesty, Hinata could barely believe the events that had come to pass over the past couple of hours.

Instead of a pleasant evening of quiet conversation and fanciful dreams of what it would be like if she was able to pursue Naruto-kun romantically, she had been forced by circumstances to act in a wholly unnatural manner. There had been no other choice… Naruto had been momentarily stricken before his emotions had simply vanished behind an indifferent mask. Ino had been undeniably shocked into inaction. Haku had silently watched throughout the incident, lost in her own thoughts. This had left her to support her Naruto-kun.

Seeing the emotions drain from his face had called to her on a primal level. She simply had to protect him. There had been no backing down… There had been no escape into unconsciousness. It seemed as if she had been channeling her father. Rarely direct in his comments, Hinata had long ago realized that her father had a way of obtusely communicating his distain with practiced ease.

Her deft fingers absently loosened the sash securing her kimono before she began the shed the layers of fabric that encased her body. Despite the unease she had felt at her brash behavior, she was proud of herself. She had been strong. She had supported her friend. She had kept her promise to do what she could to ensure Naruto's happiness.

Setting the clothes aside with care, she crossed the room to grab a pair of pajamas. Shivering slightly as the fine silk slid over her skin, Hinata wondered once again how Naruto could be so cheerful when his burdens were so great. Resolving to find a way to make life more difficult for those businesses that abused the blonde shinobi, the young heiress settled into her futon and closed her eyes.

A/N

While I enjoy writing the Inoichi/Honshu scenes that I have scattered throughout the story, I think that Shikamaru and Chouji made this chapter. As for the main characters… Naruto reacts to the mission and the girls, Ino is in a strange middle ground between denial and acceptance, Haku is moving forward, and Hinata ends up rationalizing her actions. Overall, I think it flowed pretty well.

Next Chapter: Wanderings in Fire Country

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