Hello everyone, sorry this chapter took me so long to get out, I had an Idea for another story and wanted to put it on paper before I forgot it, so any of you who are final Fantasy 7 fans i think I am going to put it up pretty soon, just got to work out all the kinks. Thank you for your patience.

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The following days would pass quickly for the people of Konoha village, and much to the surprise of a blond hokage, completely without incident. Until that is today. And she should have known better, she was never lucky, and when she was the only thing she was sure of was that it would be short lived, as was the case at the moment.

"What?!?!?!?!?" Tsunade said as she jumped up from her desk, her, Kurenai, and Shinzune were having a normal conversation till the anbu came in. "You mean to tell me we have an A-ranked criminal on our doorstep and I am just now hearing about this, and your telling me we don't have any jounin in the area!!!!" Tsunade was angry, no… that's not the right word, furious… there we go. Tsunade was furious, she had just been informed that Shiruke Hazutora, an A-ranked criminal was on the border to the fire country at a time when every jounin in the place was being run ragged as it was. Seeing them nod she dismissed the Anbu, before she beheaded one of them by 'accident'

Watching them leave she turned to Shinzune. The old conversation forgotten. "Shinzune, we can't put this off, we've got someone who is to be killed on sight sitting on our border, any ideas?" She asked desperately searching for an answer.

Shinzune immediately started searching through the book in her hand like there was no tomorrow. And she sighed. "Were backed into a wall already with how short handed we are, there isn't a jounin in the village that's free and we can't afford to pull anyone away." She sad still searching through a stack of papers.

"What about Gui?" Tsunade asked.

"Gone on a mission." Shinzune replied.

"Kakashi?"

"Went on the mission with Gui."

"Ebisu?" Tsunade said in desperation, Ebisu probably couldn't handle it, but no one would miss him anyway.

"Be real Tsunade." Was Shinzune's response

"Hold on a minute." Suddenly Kurenai spoke up "what border is this guy on?" She asked Tsunade.

"North why?"

"Send Naruto."

"Ha Ha very funny." Tsunade replied dismissing the comment.

"No," Kurenai said. "I'm serious, send Naruto, he's leaving today to go that way anyway, and we know he's strong enough, it may be close, but being a ninja is a dangerous job. I know he's good enough, and though he's a chuunin he's done worse before."

"What about Hinata and Tenten. They aren't ready for an assassination mission." Said Shinzune.

"So have them follow the set course and Naruto will catch up." Kurenai replied.

"Can't, the only reason they can go is because of Naruto's power. It's a B-ranked mission because you very rarely run into enemies. It's also however a mission that has a very high possibly of becoming a A and even S ranked mission should combat happen. As strong as Hinata and Tenten are, they aren't ready to go it alone." Tsunade reasoned.

"There not." Kurenai was trying desperately to nail her point home. "Haishi is following them. Let him watch over the girls while Naruto takes out the bad guy."

Despite what Tsunade liked, Kurenai had a point. The plan was sketchy and full of holes. But she knew it was the best they were going to get. "I don't like it." Tsunade admitted. "It's dangerous and it could even be described as crazy. But unfortunately it does make sense. And I'm not seeing another way out of this. Shinzune, make the preparations… However," Tsunade said as she looked Kurenai in the eyes. "Are you sure he can handle it? This is my son we're talking about."

Kurenai never missed a beat. "Oh yeah, he can handle it."

"Very well, Kurenai, go update Naruto on the new mission, go quickly before they leave as you have your own mission to attend to and I don't want to waist time tracking them down. Shinzune you already know the drill." She said as she walked around her desk and looked out the window. "Let's make it happen."

"Hai Hokage-sama" Shinzune and Kurenai said in unison before heading there separate ways.

(At the gate.)

Naruto stood waiting on his fellow comrades, they weren't late, he was early, like 2 hours early. Or at least he was when he first arrived; Hinata and Tenten would be there any minute now. He didn't know why he came so early, he couldn't fall asleep last night and it seemed like a good idea… at least it did at the time. Never the less he watched as a figure moved towards the gate; it didn't take but a second to realize it was Kurenai and not his teammates.

"Hello Kurenai-sensei is there something I can help you with." Naruto said.

"Morning Naruto, where are Tenten and Hinata?" She replied.

"At the moment," He said activating his eyes and looking around. "Hinata is leaving the Hyuuga estate and Tenten is still in bed, though by the looks of it her father is about to wake her up and go off about her being late."

Kurenai sighed at how matter of factly Naruto spoke. "That was a little bit more than I needed, just a there not here yet will suffice ok?" She said.

"He he, sorry."

"it's a good thing there not here yet, you and I need to talk." Naruto instantly caught on to the serious undertone in his sensei's voice. "There have been some… alterations to your mission. So listen up." She said as she proceeded to tell Naruto all of what went down in the hokage's office.

(at the Hyuuga estate.)

Hinata had just left the gates, she knew she would be a little early, but she couldn't sleep, would you be able to sleep if you knew the next day you would leave with your love and your best friend for two weeks? I think not. And so neither could she. That and she loved the morning, people weren't awake yet but nature seemed so alive. The only thing she would have asked was that they come a little later in the day. But hey, you can't win them all.

She almost floated as she made her way to the gate, it was a long trip and her dreams from the last week seemed to find her way into her mind. One dream in particular kept finding its way in.

(enter dream world)

Hinata sat beside the hospital bed, and there lay her love, his blond hair sprawled out over his eyes, the remnants of a once gaping hole still visible on his shoulder. She didn't even know why he was in the hospital, but Tsunade had just been in and the reports were not good. She just couldn't bring herself to face the fact that she may lose him. The reports all said he would live, but first he had to find something to live for. He had to want to live. All they would tell her is that his injuries had caused him to go into shock, which sent him into a coma.

"Ms. Hyuuga." She whipped around on the verge of tears to see a nurse standing in the doorway "You need to go home, he will be there in the morning. And you're aggravating your own injuries."

Her own injuries, she looked herself up and down and for the first time realized that she was beat up herself, nothing serious, just scraps and bruises but her left shoulder must have been dislocated as it was wrapped. Funny, she couldn't feel any pain. "No" she heard herself reply. "I'm staying with him." She said forcefully.

"Suit yourself; just be careful with your shoulder." The nurse said as she left for the night.

She turned back to her love in haste. "Naruto, please wake up." She begged his unconscious form as she leaned over him. "Naruto please" she was fighting back tears now. "I know you can hear me Naruto, and I would never be able to forgive myself if I never told you, so I'm telling you now. I love you Naruto." And wrapped up in the moment she threw herself into her love and kissed him full on. "Don't leave me Naruto, Not here, I suppose eventually we all pass on but I plan on living a lot longer and I plan on living with you, so you're just going to have to wait another 70 or so years to die you hear me." The tears were flowing freely as she bent down and kissed him again, it was to her surprise when she realized that Naruto was kissing back!!!!

Slowly but surely radiant blue eye's forced there way open and looked through a sea of unruly blond to see the girl standing above him. "Hinata…" He said his voice still weak. "What did you say?"

Hinata felt herself fall into a massive blush; she felt the words she wanted to say get caught in her throat. Then like the tumblers of a lock falling into place she realized something… now was NOT the time to be bashful. "I love you Naruto-kun, and I always will, so don't you dare die on me or I'm going to kill you in heaven." She forced out everything she felt in that one sentence.

"That's good." She heard him say, his tone of voice sounded… relived.

"Huh?" She asked in confusion.

"Well…" He said his voice slowly gaining its strength again. "It would really suck… If the first girl I ever fell in love with didn't love me back." And with those words he used what little energy he had to pull her down and kiss her the right way. The way it works when both people are contributing, just before slipping back into unconsciousness, a smile on his face.

(End dream)

Hinata could never make anything out of that dream, it ended the way all her dreams did, with Naruto telling her he loved her, but that one was so much more depressing than they usually were, so much more serious. Normally her fantasies were thing like her walking up the aisle and saying I do. This one was so real, they were never injured in any of her other dreams, and she defiantly never had any other dreams where one of them could die. Never the less she dismissed it as a glitch in her normal fantasy life and continued on her way to the gate.

What she wasn't expecting is she was so lost in her daydreams that she was almost already there. She was about to round the corner when she heard Kurenai's voice, and stopped before she made her way, something just felt off. What could possibly be wrong, it's just Kurenai-sensei coming to say goodbye. Her mind reasoned. Something in her heart however told her otherwise. So she stayed hidden and listened to what she could, though she was only able to catch a few words.

"So this… border…" was all she heard Naruto say, Kurenai however spoke much clearer.

"You've got it, be careful Naruto, and remember Hinata and Tenten can't know about this." Kurenai said.

"Very well, good bye Kurenai sensei." Naruto replied, and with that Kurenai jumped off into the woods.

Hinata froze, why did she had to be right, and what it was they couldn't know about. Her worries were soon forgotten as she saw a blur go by and realized it was Tenten.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I'm late," she said with haste. "I overslept."

"Relax Tenten," Naruto said trying to calm the now franticly apologizing girl. "Your right on time, in fact Hinata isn't even here yet."

Tenten did actually manage to calm down as Hinata rounded the corner. "Ano, good morning Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a blush.

"Thank you Hinata-Chan, you as well." Naruto replied. "Now that we're all here, we can get started. I have Shikamaru to thank for this one. We move in a straight line, Tenten is in the lead, me following her, and Hinata you are going to bring up the rear. Your job Hinata is to focus on looking of things behind us, don't worry with trying to watch the front, that's my job. Also I am in the middle so I can give instructions and should we be attacked I can give support quickly. Tenten, you are my weaponry. Your in front so you can get out quickly, While Hinata and I are fighting it's your job to give them hell from above." He watched as Tenten smiled at her part, and Naruto could see her fingering a kunai in her pocket.

It was then that Hinata noticed that Naruto was wearing his armor, though there were some changes. His previous shoulder guard had been blown to bits on the day he returned. So Taketsu had been kind enough to make him a new one. And Naruto had to admit, the man was just as skilled with armor as he was weaponry. The shoulder guard itself was made of far better mettle, and had a couple of seals etched into it. The long black sleeve that covered his left arm had been replaced and while it was still black, the orange flames that had licked the bottom of the last one were now gone. Instead the inside of the sleeve was orange. She had to admit, He looked good… Damn it Hinata. She scolded herself, now's not the time, get your head out of the gutter. It was then she saw something that worried her, the bandage that wound it's way up Naruto's right arm to his elbow. It came to her attention that she had never seen his right hand, even when he had come to dinner at there house, his hand had still been wrapped.

"So does everyone understand?" She heard Naruto say, she instinctively nodded her head yes. "Good, lets head out."

The three moved out of the gate and into the woods silently as they come, thought all for different reasons. Hinata found herself staring at Naruto's hand as they ran, her mind just could not get off of what might possibly be under the wraps, she decided she would have to ask him about it later.

Naruto of course was intently focused on the mission to come, before they reached the border he was to send the girls on there own course and go take care of this criminal. He knew it would not be easy, especially if he wasn't alone. Putting the thought aside for the moment he forced chakra into his eye's and scanned ahead. It would not do to be caught by surprise.

Tenten… well she was just thinking about throwing pointy things, she tended to have a very one track mind.

Hinata pushed her way up to run with Naruto, they had just left Konoha so they did not need to travel in formation yet. "Ano Naruto-kun." She said.

"Yeah Hinata." He replied cheerfully

"I was just wondering did something happen to your arm?" she blushed as she spoke, but was happy to find Naruto took no note of it. "Its just, you always keep it wrapped up."

"Yeah, I was wondering when we were going to get around to that, I guess I can't hide something so obvious forever can I?" His reply, Hinata noted, gave her absolutely nothing. Naruto however knew that, it had been a planned answer, as most of the thing he said were, he was very careful with his words. Still he looked her up and down, in front of him stood Hyuuga Hinata, the girl who single handedly found her way into his heart after he swore it would never happen, after he had even admitted that love was pointless to him. Thanks to her, here he was, stuck in the realty… and very much in love. He had to admit however, genjutsu made more sense to him than Kunoichi did, and even when he could do it, genjutsu never made sense to him. But what the hell, he figured; if you don't shoot you won't ever score.

"Hinata…" he said as he came to a realization. "I think you and I need to talk. Meet me tonight after Tenten goes to sleep." He smiled as he finished. Today was the day he opened up, Hinata deserved to know the truth. Thought he did not want anyone else in this.

"Talk about what Naruto? And why can't Tenten know?" Hinata asked in confusion.

Naruto sighed. "You remember some weeks ago, after my fight with Kakashi. You wanted to know why I remembered your birthday."

"Yes, what does that have to do with your arm?"

"Until tonight, let's just say it's time I told you a little more about me." He smiled as he saw Hinata's face light up, and Hinata herself was ecstatic, she might finally get her answer. It was hard to be patient after all.

To Hyuuga Hinata, the best way to describe the hours to come was a term known as agonizingly slow. There wasn't even anything to look at, just trees, trees and more trees. Every now and then one of them would try and start up a conversation, usually Tenten, and it would fall away without ever really getting started. The most eventful thing that happened was a heard of deer passed right in front of them. Just because she wanted to get to the end of the day the day itself seemed like a year, like the sun froze in the sky just to torment her. And yet it would come to pass, she knew that, and all she could do now was wait and keep with her team.

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Once again I am SOOOOO sorry for the long wait; I hope you can all find it to forgive me. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, until we should meet again.

Ghost…