A/N: A really short chappie here. Just a quick romantic moment between Naruto and Hinata, then the setup for the following chapters.

Reviews:

Rasengan-Dragon: I know she uses that transformation technique, but that's the only genjutsu I've ever seen her use. Sakura is plenty skilled at the "make me pretty" type genjutsu, she's looking to invest more in the "make an illusionary tree and let me hover above you so I can pound your skull in while you sit there helplessly" style genjutsu.

Useful: Yeah 36 and 37 have been a little awkward for me to write, I'll be back into my element by the next chapter though.

Avatar: I actually like that theory, but I have my own, and it will be based on another theory making it a two level theory. That's pretty damn theoretical.

Chapter 37: Prelude

Naruto wasn't with Hinata today. This was actually somewhat remarkable as the two had been almost inseparable since they had begun cohabitating. Naruto had made a big point of doing something by himself for once and telling her that he would be back home around seven. Once he was certain she wasn't following him, he escaped to a random roof top and sat down to think.

It had been bothering him after what she had said to him in the hospital. It was really only the one word that bothered him. It rattled around in his head and made him have a strong and strange feeling in his chest and gut. "Marriage?"

"What about Marriage?" Naruto fell over and nearly rolled off the slanted roof, but caught himself.

Standing up at the top of the roof and looking professionally un-amused was Sasuke. Naruto ran back up the roof and got in his face. "Sasuke are you trying to kill me!"

That actually got a smirk from Sasuke. "Not anymore. But if you're in such deep thought you can't tell when someone lands next to you, you shouldn't speak out loud."

Naruto was knocked back by his response, so he sat back down on the roof. "Its just something Hinata mentioned to me. I got a little freaked out so I came here to think about it."

"Odd, normally the men propose."

Naruto shook his head wildly. "It's nothing like that the word just came up in our conversation and just thinking about it was a little weird."

Sasuke was gazing out over Konoha. "If she mentioned it, she probably wants to."

The prospect terrified Naruto. "Aren't we a little young? I'm only seventeen!"

Sasuke actually faced Naruto. "First off, you're sixteen and eight months, not quite there." Naruto got a little angry. "Second, we aren't young at all." Naruto looked up curiously at the standing Sasuke who had gone back to staring at the horizon. "We have seen things most people never see through in their whole lives. We have been at the center of a war, fought for our lives on several occasions, and been trained into the most powerful warriors in the world by the most powerful warriors in the world. What of us could still be considered children?"

Naruto thought about it. "Yeah." They stayed silent for a minute. "Has Sakura mentioned anything like that to you?"

"No, but it's not something she'd be likely to bring up."

"Why not?"

"We chose interesting women to spend our time with Naruto. These women are completely devoted to us. If we chose to right now we could go and be horrible people and they would still be infatuated beyond rational thought. It seems that as long as they can be near us, it doesn't matter what we do or even if we pay attention to them. All they require is the proximity. Sakura doesn't do anything that she is afraid might push me away, and so she doesn't really do much at all. I would think Hinata is very worried right now that her comment might have scared you away."

"Since when did you learn so much about women?"

"Sakura told me."

"Oh." Naruto stood up. "Thanks Sasuke." He jumped away.

Hinata was still sitting at home, at Naruto's apartment. She was just twiddling her fingers, wondering what Naruto was doing. 'Did I do something wrong? Is he mad at me? What's going on?' She really couldn't understand why she was so worried. They woke up as normal. Got dressed as normal. Ate breakfast as normal. Then Naruto just stood up and said he was going out for the day for some stuff and that he would be back later. Hinata had said she would go with him, and he had responded hastily that it was ok and he'd rather do it by himself.

She heard the door open and her eyes shot upward. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Hoy, Hina-chan" He walked over to her and sat next to her on the couch. Once seated he turned to face her. "Hinata, I want to-well Its just-kinda-I-" He broke his own train of thought and hugged her.

Hinata was used to being affectionate with Naruto after so long, but his sudden embrace surprised her. She slowly reached her arms up and wrapped them tightly around Naruto. "Naruto-kun…"

"Hina-chan…" He pushed her away and held onto her shoulders. "I…I…Don't want to get married yet." Hinata blinked. "But…Maybe…When we're a little older ok?"

Hinata started tearing up. She lunged forward grabbing hold of Naruto's body and throwing him onto his back on the couch. "Naruto. I don't care about that. I just want to be with you always. I don't care how." She pushed herself into his chest as hard as she could.

His arms slowly wrapped around her. "Yeah. Me too." She tilted her head up, and he looked down. They kissed.

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting their intimate moment. Hinata got up and Naruto followed. He walked over and opened the door. Sakura was standing outside with Sasuke. "Naruto, Tsunade-sensei wants to see us."

He nodded and walked out the door followed by Hinata. "She called for the three of us. Not her."

Hinata stopped. Naruto didn't like hearing that. "I'm just going to tell her any way so Tsunade-obasan will just have to deal with her being there."

Sakura nodded in agreement and turned to Sasuke. "Whatever."

Tsunade saw Hinata enter with them and sighed. 'Oh well, I figured as much.' The room was a little packed, as there were a total of nine people in it now. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata had just entered, and Kakshi, Yamato, Jiraiya, Sai, Shizune, and of course Tsunade were all waiting for them.

Naruto was exited to see everyone. "Kakashi-sensei! Yamato-san! Ero-sennin! Sai! Sai when did you wake up?!"

Jiraiya was about to tell off Naruto for calling him Ero-sennin when Sai stopped him. "Not long ago."

Kakashi could feel Sasuke's eyes on him. "Hokage-sama, perhaps we'd best not waste time."

Tsunade nodded. "Right. What we discuss in this room doesn't leave this room, and while any of these four men are talking there are to be no interruptions. Naruto if you so much as think of opening your mouth a I will have Jiraiya take off his sock again." Naruto had been about to say something, but he backed off. "Now then. As you have probably already figured out, these four were sent on a top secret mission, appointed by me personally. Each of them was asked individually to accept it, and each did. The Mission was this." She paused. "Track down, and defeat, the Akatsuki."

There were reactions across the room, except from Sasuke who remained calm. Tsunade continued. "They left sometime shortly before Sasuke's arrival in Konoha, and went to work looking for any clues for where to find them. Eventually they came into contact with them, and short fight ensued. During the time when the team searched for the escaping opponents, they regrouped and fought back with reinforcements. During this battle, Sai was badly injured, forcing the team to retreat. They came back to Konoha for medical aid. This is all that we know at this time. Now then, the four of you. Tell us in detail what took place, and what you learned of Akatsuki."

Once Naruto was gone and down the mountain, Jiraiya turned to face his guests. "Tsunade has briefed me, and while I understand the wisdom in this, I also see the problems in it. You know he hates being kept out of the loop."

Of the three of them it was the one on the far left, Kakashi that answered, "It's for his own good, and it can't wait any longer. Not with all the recent developments. Besides, he'll hardly notice we're gone, he's got so much else occupying his mind."

Jiraiya nodded at this. "Alright then, let's go." They stood there, and then all four of them jumped away and began their journey away from the village.

A/N: Did I say short? I meant really short. But aren't you all excited to know what those four have been doing all this time?