AN: I was at first going to wait to reintroduce Gaara to Naruto, but I have some entertaining ideas, so I wanted to get their reunion out of the way ASAP. This'll be one of my longer chapters, so kick back and grab something to munch on… Other than that, I don't really know what to say about this one. Have fun reading.

As Ino sauntered away from the ramen stand, she felt some slight remorse at her emotional outburst, but even so, she was quite taken with Naruto's reaction to her confession. In an unofficial sense, she'd just successfully pulled off date number 2, however, she'd have preferred to keep the cards in her hand, because now, the fate of their relationship would be left up to Naruto.

Ino was rather unsure of herself, competing with Sakura for Naruto's heart would be a difficult endeavor to say the least. The guy was head over heels for her best friend, and from what Naruto had said; his love for Sakura was nearly as deep-seated as his "nindo" of sticking to his word.

"Guess it's off to the drawing board..."

"Sure you're not overthinking it?"

Ino twitched and swung around at the sudden remark.

"Huh? Oh... Hey Asuma-sensei."

Naruto found himself lost in thought concerning what had just happened to him. His body moved on its own, allowing Ino to kiss him.

'Impulse control... First Miss Anko, and then Ino...'

'You should consider yourself lucky. This isn't commonplace for most humans, having such a selection of mates. As much as it pains me to say it, you're quite the Alpha-Male… In a strange, moronic sort of way.'

'I'm not sure if I should be proud or not...'

'A King does not concern himself with the opinions of peasants... yet here I am, having taken interest in your social life.'

'... Thanks?'

He made his way through the quiet streets of Konoha in the morning, efficiently taking turns here and there to more efficiently reach his home. The instant Naruto got through the door, he made his way toward his room. Walking past the doors to the kitchen, he spotted his bodyguard, who was absentmindedly directing the kitchen staff through their routine.

"Mitsuki."

She turned her head and gave Naruto a quick smile, she walked out of the kitchen and shut the doors. "What's up?"

"You seem... tired. Go ahead and take the day off, you know, as thanks for saving my hide last night."

Mitsuki exhaled in relief and bowed. "Thanks... If you need anything, just knock on my door."

Naruto scratched his nose in curiosity. "Wait... you have a room here? I thought you lived somewhere else."

"Oh, you didn't know? It's one floor above yours, next to the observatory… I'd actually recommend going up there when you have time tonight, I hear the stars are supposed to be especially bright."

Naruto turned pink in the cheeks. "... Y-your room or the observatory?"

Mitsuki squeezed the bridge of her nose. "My fault... The observatory. It's across the hall from my room."

Naruto looked down at the floor and sighed. "Right... of course."

The former-ANBU chuckled, looking down at the ground. "Let's try and keep it professional... The nature of my contract would get... screwy if we... screwed... Hah!"

The two shinobi began to laugh, a little too much given the relatively low quality of the word-play.

Though Naruto continued to chuckle, Mitsuki abruptly dropped out of her chortling, her tone of voice indicating exasperation.

"Gods, I need some sleep... That wasn't even funny."

"I thought it was punny."

"Fuuuck y-... Oh..." Mitsuki bowed to apologize. "Please pardon my foul language, Namikaze-sama... I'll be in my room."

Naruto stared at Mistuki as she walked up the stairs, she had an unusual bounce in her step for someone so tired.

"Hey Mitsuki-chan."

"Yes?"

"Sorry to spring this on you so suddenly, but I have a date with Hinata Hyuga tomorrow and-"

Mitsuki smiled, quietly exhaling. "The Hyuga Heiress? … Come see me later this evening and I'll get you sorted out."

The young woman turned and continued walking up the stairs, as she disappeared from view, Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets. The jolt of electricity he felt when he kissed his bodyguard echoed through his thoughts. Even just now, the little bit of levity that they shared gave him pause, it felt odd to be on the same wavelength as someone else... and it was truly intoxicating.

It was here that Naruto began to feel the effects of late night with Anko, along with his early morning. The Uzumaki heir made his way toward his room and plopped down on the bed, falling asleep within a few minutes.

His dream was of course focused around ramen, however, it was ruined when the Kyuubi appeared and started stomping on everything. Among the hundreds of people on the street, the fox singled out Naruto and began talking directly to him.

'Wake up. You have a visitor.'

'Huh? … Oh… I'm asleep, aren't I?'

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he turned to his clock radio, he'd been asleep several hours, and it was now about 2 in the afternoon. Turning to his other side, he was startled by a big pair of lavender eyes. It was Hanabi, she was staring at him, visibly annoyed.

"UWAAAAH! … Hanabi-chan?"

She silently handed Naruto the box of condoms that Anko had kept for herself. Her puppy-dog eyes were full of disappointment and jealousy; it was here that Naruto, against his better judgment, took the bait. He slid to the edge of the bed and sat up, patting a spot next to him. Hanabi, without a word sat next to him.

"Uzumaki-san… I wanted-"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry for using these on Anko-chan, especially since you were the one who bought them, that was disrespectful of me… But I can't do that stuff with you without feeling … ugh."

'Why not? It's no different from-'

'Shut up! I'm trying not to say anything stupid!'

'Too late.'

Hanabi turned to Naruto, trying (and failing) to keep it together. "I-Is there something about me you find... insufficient?"

NHoping to leave less to interpretation, Naruto tried again in hopes of making the little girl feel better.

"It's just that… you don't have br-… too short… you're too short right now! Understand? Maybe when you're… taller."

Hanabi wiped her eyes and stared holes in Naruto's face. "I see… Ms. Anko is quite a bit taller than I am." Hanabi raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "… She also possesses significantly more developed mammary tissue than I do."

Naruto winced and prepared for her to hit him, but it didn't come. When he opened his eyes, he saw Hanabi staring downward. She seemed calm and collected, but the way in which she grasped the open space in front of her chest said it all.

Hanabi turned to Naruto and made a suggestion. "Perhaps if I-"

Naruto put his finger over Hanabi's mouth mid sentence and chuckled a bit. "Most girls your age are more interested in clothes and dolls... I'm flattered that you've taken a liking to me, but I'm just not... into to girls your age, maybe when you get older?"

Hanabi shook her head in disagreement. "By the time you consider me sufficiently developed enough for sexual intercourse, you will have chosen someone else as your significant other. I must stake my bid on you as soon as possible."

Naruto sighed in exasperation and lied back down. "Sorry Hanabi-chan, I ca-"

Naruto was cut off when she jumped on top of him. Hanabi straddled his stomach and pinned his arms to the bed.

Naruto started to become nervous. "Hanabi-chan? What're you doing?"

She gave him the biggest puppy dog eyes he'd ever seen, obviously some sort of Hail Mary attempt to make him feel guilty for rebuffing her advances. Naruto struggled in her grip slightly; he'd forgotten how strong she was for her size.

Hanabi was practically begging, at least as much as a Hyuga could beg. "Uzumaki-san. If I cannot have you now, I will wait. However, I'd like to make you a proposition."

Naruto turned his head slightly and looked up at the girl in suspicion. "That... depends on what it is..."

Hanabi stared. "I am fully aware of your date with my sister tomorrow. I can ensure that it will be free of any sabotage, and in return... I expect that you will grant me a favor of my choosing."

'Should I say yes?'

'What do you think genius?'

Naruto took the Kyuubi's advice at face value. "Alright, that sounds good! Whaddaya want in return?"

'… I was being sarcastic you fool.'

'Wait, what?'

Hanabi deadpanned, as if unaware of the magnitude of her request. "Just that you allow me to fill this vial with your sperm."

Naruto whimpered in regret as Hanabi started to release her grip on him.

Hanabi snatched the mortified Naruto's belt off and continued to speak. "Please, remove your pants so I may take my sample."

Naruto turned porcelain white as the reprecussions flashed before his eyes, Neji staring in disbelief, Hiashi trying to kill him, Hinata, crying her eyes out, and a pregnant Hanabi attached to his arm. Naruto narrowed his eyes and performed a substitution with a nearby pillow, he was now on the opposite end of the bed.

"Hanabi... there's like... 6 things wrong with that, none of which I feel comfortable talking about right now. Is there something else I can give you?"

"You object? My apologies. From what I have gathered, the male ejaculation reflex is heralded as a pleasurable experience. Have I been misinformed?"

Naruto was completely baffled as he stared at the 10-year-old girl before him. "Well, no, but just... not that. How about I take you out for ice cream instead?"

Hanabi blankly stared. "I don't consider that quid pro quo. I require something of equal value."

Naruto squinted and sighed. "You and your big words..."

Naruto thought for a second before his face lit up. "Okay how 'bout this? I'll take you out for ice cream whenever you want in exchange for ensuring that my date goes smoothly. That good?"

'That's a terrible idea.'

'No one asked you!'

Hanabi gave Naruto a serious look and stretched her pinky up to him. "Promise me."

Naruto locked his pinky with Hanabi's and grinned. "It's a promise! No turning back 'ttebayo!"

The Kyuubi flicked his tails back and forth and watched on in amusement, he gave Naruto one last warning before resigning to observation.

'You're going to regret this.'

'Maybe... But it's better than giving her a sperm sample...'

Just as Naruto made his promise and concluded his conversation with the 9-Tails, a chill ran up his spine once more. He looked around the room, finding nothing, he looked down at Hanabi, she had a chilling smirk adorning her face. Naruto hadn't so much as seen her lips curve upward since he'd been back, so he slapped his forehead in regret.

'I have no idea what I'm doing...'

'Truly a short-sighted move.'

Hanabi gave Naruto one last stare of child-like infatuation and slipped out of his room, just then, some butlers barged in. "Namikaze-sama! There's an intruder on the property!"

Naruto sighed. "Doesn't matter now... She's already gone."

Without a word, they left Naruto's room in search of Hanabi, who would be well on her way home by the time the butlers had combed the Estate's grounds.

The sand siblings nostalgically shuffled through Konoha's front gate. Staring at the statue of the first Hokage, Temari was the first to speak.

"Gaara-chan. You didn't have to pull me from my mission for this, right? This is just politics."

Gaara fidgeted, her face hiding the emotions that her posture broadcasted. "I want the both of you with me. I'm nervous, seeing as the implications of this request are huge, I'd be surprised if the Hokage didn't have us thrown out of the village."

Kankuro punched Temari in the shoulder. "Come on! This is important!"

Temari glared at the passersby who ogled her low cut kimono. "You know politics aren't exactly my thing..."

Kankuro adjusted the carrying case on his back and started playing with a Kunai. "It can actually pretty entertaining when you pay attention."

Temari put a hand on her hip while they stopped. "Meh, whatever floats your boat... Let's get going."

Gaara remained silent and started walking toward the Hokage's tower, obviously deep in thought. She was trying to picture Naruto's reaction, but having been unable to see him for 2 and a half years made her unsure of her prediction. So much could have changed in that amount of time, and she didn't want to chance ruining their friendship for the sake of political posturing. Gaara was so absorbed in her own thoughts, that she didn't even hear the chatter concerning her.

"Holy shit. Is that the sand girl from the Chuunin Exams?"

"I hear she's the Kazekage now, youngest ever."

"The one with the fan, she's the one that fought the Nara guy."

Temari was thrown off by her apparent reputation. Idle chatter concerning the exams three years prior were all over the place, someone even recognized Kankuro, who had only fought in the hidden arena within the Forest of Death. They were used to attention however, being directly related to the Kazekage tended to come with added visibility.

As the trio stepped into the Hokage's tower, Shizune immediately ushered them up to the top floor. They took the stairs because the elevator had an 'out of order' sign on it, the question was answered shortly after they reached the top floor. There was a huge dent in the door, like someone had slammed a bowling ball into it. Paying it no mind, Shizune knocked on the door gently.

"Tsunade-sama, the Kazekage is here to see you."

There was a pause, and then an answer. "Good. Send her in."

Shizune opened the door and bowed to Gaara and her siblings, Gaara stepped in and Shizune closed the door, going on about her business. She groaned slightly, as she'd taken a peek at the letter Gaara had sent hours earlier and knew exactly why she was in Konoha.

Shizune huffed in jealousy. "Seems like you have to be the Kazekage to find a decent man around here."

Tsunade spun her chair to face Gaara and began tapping her desk. She smirked at the Kazekage and went right down to business.

"It's nice to see you kept that regent of yours out of this. If I catch him ogling me one more time… i swear… So, Gaara-chan, I think I already know what your proposal is going to be, you wouldn't go jumping blindly into a political marriage would you?"

Gaara fiddled with her belt tassel and replied, a blank stare directed at the Hokage. "No, he saved me from myself during the Chuunin exams, and for that, I'm thankful. He's the reason I've come so far as a person, the reason I've become Kazekage."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes with intrigue, her smirk never subsiding. "So, why Naruto? Why not Neji Hyuuga, or one of the council members? That's usually how these things work, right?"

Gaara blinked. "The Sunagakure Shinobi Council has been keeping an eye on the development of events concerning Naruto ever since the Chuunin Exams. We were unaware of the identity of your jinchuuriki until then, and they're convinced that he's next in line to become Hokage, catastrophic events notwithstanding."

Tsunade leaned back and thought for a bit. "How observant of them. However, I get the feeling there's more to it than that, the ninja world doesn't run on hunches and guesses."

"It… It was me who put them up to it just recently."

Tsunade clapped and laughed. "Oh that's precious! IGo see him first and tell him what you have in mind. Then, bring him in, I want to hear it from him."

Gaara perked up and locked her fingers. "It's possible to reach him now?"

Tsunade thought for a moment, she had vague memories of the night before, piecing the scenery together, she deduced that Naruto would probably want to stay under the radar for at least another day. From what she could remember, he was the cause of that fight in the streets.

"He's having some girl problems at the moment, so he probably wants to stay incognito for a little bit longer. I'll tell you what, this is his address." Tsunade scribbled on a sheet of paper and Gaara walked over to retrieve it.

Tsunade smiled. "Try and keep that under wraps. He probably doesn't want too many people visiting him right now, but I think he'll make an exception."

Gaara took the note card and bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I'll destroy this when I reach the destination."

Tsunade cheerfully waved. "No problem Gaara, but you can call me Mom."

Gaara balked at the idea, but even so... she was a sight to behold the instant she stepped out of the office, Temari could spy a tiny smidgen of pink on her cheeks, and she was radiating anxiety despite her cool demeanor. Gaara passed them without a word, so Temari stood up from the waiting couch and peered over her baby sisters' shoulder.

"So, where're you going?"

Gaara hastily stuffed the card into her cleavage so that her sister would'nt see the address. "Tsunade-sama said not to tell anyone. Get us a room in a hotel, I think we'll be in Konoha for a few days at least."

Temari sighed. "I only brought two sets of clothes..." She whipped out her wallet and started counting off the bills she had.

Gaara didn't even look back. "I'll reimburse you."

Kankuro, who was listening the whole time, shrugged and jumped out the nearest window, this was an opportunity to blow all his money without any ill consequences.

Tsunade chuckled and turned to her window. "So, what do you think?"

Jiraiya walked in through the window, scribbling in a notepad, he was so absorbed in thought that he continued sticking to the ceiling as he scratched down his thoughts. The Toad Sannin laughed and stuffed the note pad into his pocket.

"I'm thinking we have a new frontrunner in the betting pool."

Tsunade scratched her head and inquired. "Not Sakura anymore?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "The Kazekage and Naruto are birds of a feather. Besides, Sakura's falling behind by my estimate. After all, she isn't the one taking him on a date tomorrow night."

Tsunade grunted in reply and rang a hand bell sitting on her desk, Jiraiya stared at her in confusion, and for a few seconds, they sat there in silence. The instant he was about to ask, every person working in the tower was inside Tsunade's office. Tsunade got up and shuffled over to her "Godaime Hokage" portrait. She grabbed it and spun it around revealing a complex diagram on the backside. She dramatically added a sixth name to a blank-space and turned to address her staff.

"Alright, the young Kazekage wants to marry Naruto. As per the rules, you're allowed to change your selection should a new girl join the pool. Any takers for Godaime Kazekage?"

Jiraiya stared incredulously as the room scrambled to rearrange their bets; it had become obvious that Tsunade had been keeping her own tabs on Naruto since he'd returned, she even had Ino listed. Despite his awe, Jiraiya's authorial thought processes kicked in and he once again started scribbling in his notebook.

"Naruto, you're a walking gold mine… Oi Tsunade-hime! Put me down for the Kazekage!"

Meanwhile, Sakura was busy fighting the urge not to bash her own skull in with a nearby flowerpot. Her most recent encounter with Naruto had once again ended with her in an awkward position. For one, she'd just essentially given him the go ahead to visit whenever he wanted, secondly, she had no idea how to cook steaks at all. She stared at the packaged meat on the table for several seconds before slamming it into the fridge.

"What the hell was I thinking?!"

Ever since Naruto came back, the days stopped blending together, with a crazy new revelation happening nearly every time she saw him. Between her thoughts concerning Sasuke, and Naruto's newfound ability to unbalance her, she was a nervous wreck. There was so much uncertainty growing within her, she didn't know what to believe anymore. Her mind was a tornado of conflicting desires and emotions.

It was at this moment that she conceded one point, a small one, but a point nonetheless. She was physically attracted to Naruto. There was no getting around it, the blushing, the minced sentences, the same way she was around Sasuke during the early days of Team 7. On top of that, she was acutely aware of Naruto's feelings for her.

She felt guilty, guilty for having these feelings. Sakura was aware of, but incapable of comprehending Naruto's love for her. If she were to just begin pursuing him, what kind of message would that send? He made her the promise of a lifetime, and spent more than a year fighting for control of his own body.

Now she wants to negate all that and make goo-goo eyes at him? No. That's not right, she put him on this track, and she would see to it that she would be there with him until the very end. This was her promise just as much as it was his; she had to do this not only for herself, but for Naruto and Sasuke as well.

"Namikaze-sama, you have a guest."

Naruto looked up from his desk, it was Mitsuki. He was currently experimenting with the Hiraishin seals on his hands, his progress was slow, but still visible.

"Thanks, who is it?"

"The Godaime Kazekage… You have some interesting connections."

Naruto scratched his head and tried to think back to his trip with Ero-Sannin, but he was dead sure that he hadn't made the acquaintance of any Kage recently.

"Oh, okay… Send the Kazekage in."

Mitsuki nodded and stepped back, she ushered an unseen person to enter the room, and the very instant she walked in, Naruto knew exactly who she was. Her deep red locks and calculating eyes were a dead giveaway, not to mention the large gourd on her back...

When she saw him, she froze, like a deer in headlights; Naruto stood up from his desk and slowly approached her, his smile growing larger with every passing moment. Without a word, he snapped her up into a bear hug.

"Gaara!"

"It's been a long time, Naruto, too long."

"I wanted to visit you, but... I was having trouble with the Kyuubi..."

The red-head shrugged. "It's fine, I've been quite busy myself."

Naruto put Gaara back down and beamed. "Godaime Kazekage? So you found someone to protect? You're entire village?"

Gaara's lips upturned slightly, not enough to be considered a smile though. "Yes.. but only because of what you taught me. Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head. "So, what brings you to Konoha?"

Gaara stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked off to the side. "Konoha and Suna are... making an arrangement, w-we want your opinion on it."

Naruto nodded and pulled on some black gloves, Gaara grabbed his hand, and they disappeared in a swirl of dust. Reappearing in Tsunade's office, the swirling dust reassembled into the shape of a gourd on Gaara's back.

Apparently, they'd interrupted something because a large number of people scrambled out of the room, leaving Tsunade was standing awkwardly in front of a painting of herself.

"Ero-Sannin? Why're you here?"

Jiraiya gave him a stupid grin. "I think I should be here for something as important as this!"

Naruto got that familiar chill up his spine once more, Gaara was holding his hand rather tightly. Her own hand was freezing and shaking slightly in spite of her apparent stoicism.

Naruto's expression turned to one of suspicion. "Since when's my opinion on politics matter?"

Tsunade whipped out a bottle of sake and grinned. "Gaara-chan is being offered to Konohagakure for a political marriage in order to further solidify our ties."

Naruto frowned at Kazekage. "Are you okay with this Gaara-chan?"

Gaara silently avoided Naruto's gaze.

When Naruto looked back to Tsunade, she was pouring a cup of sake.

"Drinking on the job again Baa-chan?"

Tsunade smirked. "No... this is for you. See... the Kazekage is only okay with such an arrangement... if it's with you."

"uh... What?"

Gaara looked up at Naruto, and in a pure deadpan, she uttered the most powerful words he'd ever heard from her.

"Naruto, I want to marry you."

Naruto blankly stared at her, his heart skipped a beat, and time stood still for a moment. It had been a few seconds before the Hokage started snapping her fingers in Naruto's face. When he came back to his senses, he stumbled over to Tsunade's desk and downed the cup of sake in one gulp; he pivoted and sat on the couch, deep in thought.

'No.'

'Huh?'

'It's not the container; it's the one inside. I can't stand Shukaku one bit.'

'She's important to me.'

'Is this really worth the trouble?'

'I think so.'

Naruto finished thinking and smiled at Gaara, giving her the straightest answer he could muster.

"Gaara-chan, I'm not saying no, but can't quite say yes either. See, I'm in a bit of a bind in my love life at the moment. You're the latest in a long line of interested women and I have to take their feelings into consideration."

Gaara started to nervously fiddle with her belt again, so Tsunade piped up, offering a consolation. "We can officially list you two as engaged until you decide otherwise, not only will it please the councils, but it'll also allow you two to get a proper feel for each other as well."

Gaara smiled slightly and bowed to Tsunade. "Thank you for being so considerate of my situation, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade took a drag from her bottle of sake and jumped over her desk. She gave Gaara her second bear hug of the day.

"You are so adorable! Like I said, call me Mom!"

Gaara turned a slight shade of pink when Tsunade included Naruto in her bear hug. Jiraiya had a victorious smirk on his face while he scribbled even more notes down.

"Oi Ero-Sannin! You're just gonna sit this one out?"

Jiraiya grinned. "Of Course not!" Jiraiya took the opportunity to pick Tsunade up and stuff his face into her cleavage, she was going to let it slide… well… at least until Jiraiya opened his mouth.

"My favorite twins! How I've missed your sweet fragrance, and otherworldly softness!"

The Hokage would be needing another window that day.

After dropping Gaara off at her hotel, Naruto returned home to meet with Mitsuki. Walking up the stairs of his home in anticipation, he came upon a hallway, at the end, was a glass door, leading to the observatory, the other door was likely Mitsuki's room. It was wide open, and as he approached it, she popped her head out into the hallway.

Naruto jumped at the vivid glow of her eyes in the dimly lit hallway. She smiled at him and motioned for him to come into her room. When he got in, there was that familiar pedestal, the one he'd stood on when Ino first came over.

It was at this moment that Naruto noticed Mitsuki's clothing. She was wearing a form-fitting silk robe, Naruto could tell that she wasn't wearing much underneath it either, a fact made obvious by the amount of cleavage he could see.

"Uh, hey Mitsuki-chan."

"What's up? I've picked out some outfits for your date tomorrow." With a cheeky smile, she gestured to some hangers on the bed.

"Namikaze-sama, please, remove your clothes."

'YEAAAAAAAH!'

The Kyuubi had let off a roar of jubilation mixed with lust. It was loud enough to startle Naruto, who was being ushered into Mitsuki's room. He would have taken the time to observe the room, but his mind was in the gutter at the moment, no thanks to the images the Kyuubi was feeding him. Naruto's more sophisticated mental faculties were certifiably out of order for the time being.

'Gah! Don't do that you horny bastard! You almost made me scream!'

Naruto took a deep breath and removed his t-shirt and shorts, leaving him with nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. He then stepped onto the pedestal. Mitsuki grabbed a stepping stool from the corner and picked a Haori from the set of clothes, placing it on Naruto's shoulders, she began to converse with him.

"So, the Kazekage… I'll have to admit, you shoot high. First the Hyuga Heiress and now the Godaime Kazekage."

Naruto adjusted the Haori slightly and Mitsuki paced around him in a circle. "I honestly didn't know she'd come so far in just three years. I was pleasantly surprised!"

Mitsuki fiddled with the belt to Naruto's Haori, switching it out for a higher quality one. "As was she. I know you couldn't see it, but she must have been infatuated with you for years."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I figured that part out when she asked me to marry her."

"And how did you answer her proposition?"

Naruto placed a curled finger on his chin. "Well we're engaged by default 'cause of politics, but there won't actually be a wedding for quite some time."

"Good news for the other girls I suppose..."

Mitsuki stepped onto the pedestal with Naruto in order to comb his hair. Naruto was focusing on anything but her in order to keep himself from getting a boner, due in part to the contact her chest was making with his own. On top of that, there was a full length mirror that Naruto could see over Mitsuki's shoulder. All Naruto could see was the outline of Mitsuki's butt through the robe. Needless to say, it wasn't doing much for his composure; he could now confirm 100% that she was completely naked beneath the silk robe.

Mitsuki eventually caught on to his arousal, and to spare him the embarrassment, she stepped off of the pedestal, mocking him with a slight squint. Naruto quietly exhaled while Mitsuki spoke to him again.

Mitsuki pulled Naruto's Haori off, once again exposing him.

"You know, I think you should forgo an undershirt this time. Just wear the Haori and some pants."

Naruto shuddered. "That may not be such a good idea. Last time-"

Mitsuki put a hand up and silenced Naruto. "I know who she is, she's a rather quiet girl. Awkward silences will happen frequently, so I think you can at least give her something to stare at. Besides, traditional Fire Country clothing has always been rather revealing, it's hot here. That's how it got it's name."

Naruto pouted. "But what about all the staring that gets me? She might start getting possessive or something!"

Mitsuki ran a finger down Naruto's abs and gave him a thumbs-up. "You should risk it. This looks good on you."

Mitsuki continued to touch him all over. "You are rather well built, however... Perhaps something to accentuate your shoulders…"

Naruto's face heated up when Mitsuki pulled him down by the hand, she grabbed another haori from her bed and deftly put Naruto in it.

"Namikaze-sama I like this one, what do you think?"

Mitsuki went behind Naruto and maneuvered him in front of the mirror, she tied his belt from behind... Again causing Naruto to go pink in the face. It wasn't long before Naruto's appendage now was making a tent in his boxer shorts; he was now bright red. Mitsuki stared in the mirror with an unreadable expression.

"Wow that's... impressive. Um... should we pick this up later?"

Naruto pouted, visibly embarrassed. "Sorry... I'm just... really attracted to you. We're just... on the same page... know what I mean?"

Mitsuki gently spun Naruto around so that they were eye to eye. "I feel it too... I won't lie. But... this is... problematic. Thing is... this isn't just about professionalism for me... If it was, we'd be having this conversation with you on top of me..."

Naruto turned pink in the face... Mitsuki did as well when a certain appendage twitched, brushing against her abdomen.

"Sorry... I shouldn't have phrased it like that, given the situation..."

Naruto chuckled with a defeated tone.

The former ANBU continued. "It's more than just professionalism. My Mother... I don't know if she'd let it fly if we... did things."

There was a short pause, Naruto's expression signaled worry. "Your Mother?"

"Yeah. She's one of those "Duty Until Death!" types. The only reason she even let my brother and I come to Konoha to become shinobi is because we thought your family line ended with the 4th Hokage. No Namikaze, no blood oath. No need to stay in Tachibana Grove."

The blonde nodded and sighed, obviously downtrodden. "Then I suppose... this is it for now..."

Mitsuki, also visibly crushed, took Naruto's hand and whispered. "Just... For now..."

AN: While I wanted to write a little more concerning Naruto's date, I think that's enough for this specific chapter. So much has happened that I don't want to overload you guys with information. It would cheapen the date I have planned. Let me tell you, I've got some great stuff in mind for it. Almost all of chapter 21 will be devoted to Naruto's night out, come prepared to laugh next time, because I've been watching the hangover movies recently. Your faves and reviews are greatly appreciated. Until next time!

~Breath of the Wiz

Signin' off