Chapter 55: March 11th
He had her. It had taken almost two hours, and all the patience he could muster, but he finally had her. Just a few more feet, and he had her.
SNAP!
The dry twig breaking under Naruto's foot might just as well have been an explosive tag. Hinata spun around, and when she saw him she smiled gently. Then she was gone, again, disappearing into the forest. Naruto almost ran after her, but stopped himself. There was no point to giving chase. His girlfriend was just a bit faster than him normally, but Uzumaki also carried almost two hundred pounds worth of chakra weights.
"One, two, three…" the blond Chunin began to count. They were working on his stealth skills with a modified game of 'Hide and Seek'. After noticing him, and letting him know she had seen him, she had twenty seconds to find a new hiding spot. Naruto could have pursued her, but knew it was a waste of time. That was the purpose of the weights. He could never hope to run her down in this situation; he had to sneak up on her. Fortunately, they were both prohibited from using any sort of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, including Hinata's Byakugan. Otherwise, he would have had no chance to surprise the nimble Dojutsu user.
Hinata had been 'It' first, but even with the extra weight, it had only taken her seventeen minutes to catch him. Naruto was not upset by the result; Hinata usually caught him in less than ten. This time, he had managed to catch a whiff of her scent, and spotted her seconds before she tagged him. But the second time, he hadn't been so lucky.
"Twenty," the fox-faced young man proclaimed, but he did not start moving. Instead, he looked up at the sun. It was getting close to noon, and just once he wanted to capture his girlfriend before lunch. He took a deep breath, and set out. The sixteen-year-old ninja moved to the last place he had seen Hinata, and began to look for signs of her. Though not as sharp as the ANBU shinobi, or some of the Jonin, Hinata's infiltration skills were top notch. He could not see a leaf or spider web out of place. So he went for his primary scouting weapon, sniffing at the air. Unlike the Hyuga Kekkei Genkai, Naruto could not turn off his nose. Unfortunately, he and Hinata had been back and forth across the forest all morning, so her trail was concealed.
Naruto crept carefully in the direction of Hinata's initial heading. He watched the trees carefully, looking for anything out of place. At the same time, he continued to sniff gently, hoping to catch a trace of her pleasant scent. As he skulked through the trees, he noticed a slightly bent branch. Wracking his brain, he decided it was not one of his mistakes, and he turned in that direction. A few seconds later, Hinata's pheromones became more noticeable, and the young adult slowed further, letting his nose lead the way.
Then he saw her, crouching on a branch, maybe thirty yards away. He stopped, praying that she hadn't noticed him. But she was looking in the opposite direction, and he hadn't made any loud noises, so for the moment he was safe. Still, the Chunin did not move, considering his past failures and his girlfriend's abilities.
'Even without her Byakugan,' he thought to himself, 'Hinata still has really good eyes. And I kinda stand out. So I need to stay totally behind her.'
But this understanding was of little help to the ninja. The Hyuga heiress had chosen her position such that her back was partially blocked by the oak's trunk, and the area behind her was littered with potential noise makers, and had no close branches from which to make a leap.
Looking at the thick underbrush, Uzumaki started to form a plan. It was a trick that would only work once, but if he did it right, he could finish being 'It' in record time. Or at least, record time for him.
Hinata was getting worried. Naruto didn't usually take this long to find her; but every so often he would end up searching an entirely different part of the forest. She considered moving, but decided to give him another few minutes first.
Just as she was getting ready to shift to a different position, she heard a rustling. Looking down, she saw a flash of orange moving low through the brush. She felt sorry for him, and considered ignoring what she saw. But the Kunoichi knew that Naruto would not appreciate that, nor would it help him improve his skills.
"I see you, Naruto," she shouted towards him, and hopped backwards off the tree limb. She spun in mid air, and her eyes went wide when she saw Naruto standing below her. His jacket was gone, leaving him in only a black tank top. He caught her as she landed.
"I see you, too," he whispered happily in her ear before kissing her quickly.
"Naruto," she gasped, "How did you…"
She trailed off, not wanting to accuse him of cheating.
"I set up a branch to fire one of my stealth kunai, with my jacket tied to it," he explained, "I hoped the jacket would slow the kunai enough that it wouldn't go by to fast, and I aimed it low so the grasses would help hide the fact that it was only my jacket."
She smiled proudly at him, and he released her.
"I better find where it went," he said regretfully. She nodded.
"Then we can eat lunch," she told him. Uzumaki hurried over to where his outer layer had disappeared, and she activated her Byakugan to help him search.
Hinata had made their lunch, as they had not known how long the training session would last. They made their way slowly back to the riverbank, holding hands; and then proceeded upstream to where they had stowed their backpacks. Naruto put away the chakra weights, while Hinata spread out the blanket, and set out ham sandwiches and bags of chips. Naruto rejoined Hinata, and began to eat with gusto.
"This is really good, Hinata," he complimented her.
"It's just some leftover ham from last night," she blushed slightly.
"Yes, but the ratio of meat to bread is perfect," he puffed out his cheeks and mimicked Choji, "And you added just the right amount of butter."
She giggled, and bit into her second half of a sandwich, while Naruto reached for a third. After a few minutes of silence, the couple finished eating. As Hinata started packing, Naruto noticed a spot of butter on her cheek.
"Hinata," he said, and when she paused to look at him, he leaned in and licked her cheek clean. Hinata turned bright red, but a second later she fixed him with a different kind of ravenous gaze. He shifted to the right, and pressed his lips to hers. Hinata fell back, drawing him down on top of her. She grabbed his neck and waist, pulling him closer as she worked her lips against his. After a time too long, yet too short, he broke away, panting.
"Gods, I love you, Hinata," he said. She did not say anything, but let out a throaty purr of contentment and desire. And then she kissed him again, fiercely, gripping him tightly. Naruto ran his hands between her back and the blanket, finally catching her shoulders. He shifted his head to suck on her earlobe, and then suddenly rolled over, putting her on top of him. He tried to lock her lips to his again, but she drew back playfully. She touched the zipper on his jacket. With a simple flick of her wrist, she undid the fastener, baring his chest and undershirt. She pushed her hands back up, lifting the hem of his tank so she could see and trace his abs.
Naruto smirked at her, and with one hand, undid the knot on her obi. As the belt dropped, his other hand gripped her shozoku's top along the lower edge, and with a smooth motion, slipped it over her head and free of her arms. Uzumaki's eyes locked on her undergarment, a black spandex sports bra, armored with steel scales. It compressed her magnificent chest and totally concealed her cleavage, but he followed the shape of her breasts with his hungry blue orbs. Redness crept into Hinata's face again, but then his gaze shifted to a spot below her left breast. Though there was nothing to mark the section of flawless, pale skin he looked at, Naruto knew it well. Almost eight months ago, that portion of her torso had been burned clear through. It was fully restored, and he reached out gently to touch it, kneading the firm flesh, thanking the gods, and Sakura, that she was still alive. She took his hand away from her stomach, and sucked on his fingers. Then she let him go, and slipped her hands under his shirt again, bending over to kiss him, once, twice, three times. As she shifted to nuzzle his neck, Naruto put his hands around her, running his fingers up and down her spine. He played her vertebrae like a sensual piano; in the way he had learned would excite her most. Then he put his hands back to her hips, sliding her further down, until she was almost horizontal over him, her chest pressed to his. The metal of her protective garment was cold, but the wonderful dichotomy of softness and firmness contained therein more than made up for it. He ran his fingers lightly up her sides, until they met the edge of her brassiere. He slipped his fingers just under the lower band, but then he stopped.
Their eyes met, and Naruto took a deep breath. He sighed as he exhaled, and Hinata rolled off him, catching his hand in hers. They breathed heavily, their hearts beating in unison. The brisk March air quickly cooled their passion-heated skin. Not long after Naruto moved into his new home, they had had a long talk about their relationship. They had agreed to take it slow, recognizing that had worked well for them so far. Naruto had even mentioned he expected Hinata would want to wait for marriage, a fact that Hinata had confirmed but suggested she might reconsider. They want to go a little further, but they knew if they did, they would almost certainly go all the way.
As their breathing steadied, Hinata retrieved her uniform's top, and slid it slowly back into place, before retying her obi.
"We should get back," she suggested regretfully, "I need to get ready for tonight."
Naruto nodded, closing his jacket. He helped her fold the blanket, and they set off towards the village, hand in hind once again.
Hinata split with Naruto near the center of the Hidden Leaf Village, as each Chunin went home to change for their date. The young woman smiled at the irony, going on a date after the make out session they had just had. But Ino had given her a pair of theater tickets, to make up for the slumber party, and there was no way the Hyuga scion could let them go to waste.
The tickets were for the acclaimed traveling production of Seven Days, Seven Knights, the classic romantic comedy of errors. And the seats were quite good as well. It seemed Minako Yamanaka still had some ties to the theater company that had given the actress turned model turned florist her start. Hinata had been afraid it would be hard to convince Naruto to accompany her, but her boyfriend turned out to be willing to go, and even a little excited. He had even made a reservation at a café near the playhouse, so they could get a bite to eat before the show.
The young woman snuck through the manor, partly because she was in a hurry, but more to avoid her sister. For the last few weeks, Hanabi's unpleasant comments towards Naruto had grown more frequent and pointed, and Hinata did not want her younger sister spoiling her mood.
Hinata secured the door to her room, and quickly shed her outer garments. Clad only in her armored sports bra and boy shorts, she went to her closet and extracted the scarlet dress she intended to wear. She smoothed the strapless, knee-length sheath over the comforter on her bed, already anticipating Naruto's reaction. The Kunoichi opened her dresser, and placed a pair of thigh high white stockings next to the dress. Finally she removed a black bustier and panty set, and situated them closet to the door to her bathroom. She decided to wear her hair loose, and retrieved her bracelet, and the matching earrings.
Satisfied with her choices, Hinata removed the last of her clothing, and entered her bathroom to shower.
Naruto knocked at the door to the Hyuga manor. He wondered who would greet him this time. If it was normal training visits, it was generally one of the branch family members who greeted him. But one time it had been Hinata's grandfather, which had been an uncomfortable experience for the then Genin. But if it was a special visit, it was usually Neji, Hanabi, or Hiashi. They seemed to take great pleasure in opening the door before Hinata could reach him.
He reflected on how that had changed in the last few months. It used to be he would have rather seen Hanabi than her father. Though proud, she had smiled at him, happy for her sister's joy. And Hiashi had been imperious and dismissive. But now the younger sister was snide and sometimes even rude, while her father had grown warmer, even happy to see the young man. Fortunately, the clan leader was the one who opened the door.
"Good afternoon, Naruto," Hiashi Hyuga said cordially, gesturing to indicate the young man should step inside. As the Chunin complied, the elder shinobi gave him a frank appraisal.
Uzumaki was wearing a pair of stylish, yet loose, black slacks, a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and a knee-length black coat with a high collar. The young man also wore simple black dress shoes, and the silver watch Jiraiya had given him for his birthday. Hiashi suspected these were the nicest clothes Naruto owned, but did not say anything. Instead he was simply impressed that Naruto had appropriate attire for the situation, and that the young man had chosen to wear it.
"I understand you are taking my daughter to the theater," the Hyuga clan said politely.
"It's actually more like Hinata is taking me to the theater, sir," Naruto countered with a touch of embarrassment, "After all, the tickets are hers. She could have asked someone else."
"I don't think that would have happened," Hiashi chuckled once.
"But I am taking her to dinner first," Naruto offered in consolation.
"Well, you two have fun," Hinata's father suggested, as he heard his daughter coming down the stairs. Both men goggled as the lady in question came into view. The dress was fitted smooth around her toned body, leaving bare her shoulders and the upper curves of her breasts. It was a daring and attractive choice, and something the young woman would not have even owned a year before, much less worn in public. Her slingbacks were of a matching color, and boosted her almost up the Naruto's height.
"You look gorgeous, Hinata," Naruto gaped. She blushed prettily, and murmured thanks.
"You do look nice," Hiashi marveled at his daughter's transformation.
"We better get going, right Naruto?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, our reservation is at four fifteen," Naruto finally closed his mouth, "See you later, old man."
"Not too much later," he admonished as he closed the door behind them. Still impressed by his daughter's makeover, Hiashi realized that he had changed too. He had not been this open, or smiled that much since his wife had died. He wondered if he had Naruto to thank for that, too.
Hinata shivered as they stepped into the chill night. The sun was long vanished by the time the performance had let out. Though March days were already growing warm in the Hidden Leaf Village, the nights rapidly lost the heat. Naruto removed his coat, and placed it over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said gratefully, pulling the cover tight around her.
"That was fun," Uzumaki told her, "A lot better than I thought it would be."
"You didn't want to go?" she asked.
"It wasn't something I would have picked," he admitted.
"Then why were you so eager?" she pressed.
"Because you asked me," he said, as if it was obvious, "Part of being in a relationship is doing things with your partner you would do alone, right? Like when you go to action movies with me. And you never know how things might be different when you do them with a another person."
"Besides," he said more softly, "You were there for me last week, when I found out about Sasuke. You wouldn't tell me why you've been down the last few days, so when you asked me, I thought this might help cheer you up."
"Naruto," she said softly, thinking that she sometimes underestimated his perceptiveness.
"If you can't tell me, or don't want to, that's OK," he told her, "But I want to be there for you in any way you'll let me."
She slipped her arm around his waist, feeling guilty. Not just for worrying him, but also because part of her wanted to rat out Sakura, to try to turn Naruto against the other woman. However, she knew she couldn't do that. She didn't want to hurt Sakura, or more importantly, risk hurting Naruto. And she did not want to be petty, either.
"I guess it's just that I'm worried about you, and Kakashi-sensei, and Sakura," her statement wasn't a lie, just an exaggeration and slight misdirection.
"Alright," he said, slightly dubious. But he draped his arm around her shoulder, and she snuggled in close as he escorted her home.
"To be honest," she whispered, turning red as was her habit, "The… dessert we had after lunch helped as much as this date."
He chuckled, and contorted himself to brush his lips across hers.
"I'll share dessert with you any time you want, Hinata-chan," he growled suggestively. She latched onto his chest, and put her head against his shoulder.
'Sakura can say whatever she wants,' Hinata thought to herself, happily. And this time, she meant it.
