A/N: Sorry for the long wait people. Just had my Wisdom Teeth removed. Painful is an understatement lol. Let's get writing

Time for chapter 27

Enjoy!

Naruto winced as he limped his way through his front door. It was nearly nine o'clock, and training had been brutal. Despite the regeneration afforded to him by the fox's chakra, opening the first gate was still incredibly strenuous. Each time he attempted to force the node open, his entire body seemed to light itself on fire.

'Man, Lee has got to be made of steel. Even with the regeneration, I can barely walk after trying to open it. That guy is something else, that's for sure' he thought as he hobbled onto his couch and flopped down. He then felt a fiery pulse rip through his body, causing him to yelp a bit as he twitched from the burning sensation.

'...and I think the fox disagrees with me using the gates. Thanks, furball' he grumbled within his mind, earning another surge of searing pain from the demon. Naruto then shifted onto his back and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He sighed heavily and clenched his jaw as his head pounded.

'Did you just give me a fever, asshole?' he demanded. A low snort could be heard from the darkest corners of his mind in response to the question.

'Maybe, maybe not. You certainly deserve one. Opening the gates in any capacity is torture for me. It feels like an electric shock. Consider this an equalizer' the fox replied. Naruto groaned and rubbed his temples as he tried and failed to quell the pain in his skull. Eventually, he gave up. After attempting to negotiate with the fox for several pointless minutes, the blonde came to the realization that he was irreversibly stuck in his current rut.

'I'm tired, I'm sick, and I'm sore. Great, just great' he sulked mentally as he turned over on the couch. After several more minutes of irritating discomfort, a knock came at his door. Not wanting to aggravate his throbbing head with the act of sitting up and walking to the door, the blonde opted to call out to the person on the other side.

"Who is it?" he half-yelled, half-groaned. There was a moment of silence as the person who stood beyond the door seemed to gather their words.

"It's me, Naruto-kun. Is now a bad time?" came Hinata's voice. The blonde sighed and glanced over to the door.

"Come on in. Just gonna warn you in advance, though. I'm not going to be any fun today" he called. The door then creaked open as Hinata entered his dwelling. The heiress glanced around the room for a moment before spotting the jinchuuriki and making her way over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her tone wrife with concern. Naruto shook his head and slowly sat up, clutching his head as he did so.

"I pissed off the fox and he decided to give me a fever. Not sure how he did it, but it worked. I feel like garbage right now" he said honestly. Hinata remained silent as she studied him carefully. After a moment, she sat down next to him on the couch.

"You look like a dead man walking. How unfortunate" she said as she slowly scooted herself closer to him. Naruto raised an eyebrow as Hinata gently reached out for his hands, which were still occupied with the sides of his pounding head. The heiress softly took hold of his hands and pulled them away from his skull, delicately replacing them with her own.

"May I?" she asked as she slowly pulled his head down toward her lap. Naruto sighed and allowed her to rest his head on her lap.

"What's all this about?" he asked. Hinata responded by emitting a low green glow from the palms of her hands.

"I know a limited degree of medical ninjutsu. I found a book on it a few months ago, and figured it may come in handy at some point" she explained as she dulled the pain in the Jinchuuriki's cranium. Naruto sighed in relief as his discomfort was quelled.

"That's kind of incredible, actually. They say medical jutsu is super hard to learn. You're really something if you're this good at it after only a few months" he complimented. The Hyuga girl silently celebrated at the confirmation of his lessening pain.

"I have a knack for chakra control, so it's only natural that I would be fairly good at this kind of thing. My skill is still limited, though. I cannot do anything more than soothe your pain for a little while" she said. Naruto chuckled.

"You're actually smiling. That's new. You're usually wearing that 'I would strangle a kitten' look on your face" he joked. Hinata frowned at the remark.

"I would never harm an animal, much less a kitten. I love kittens…" she said. The blonde smiled at her reaction.

"That's interesting. I never thought of you as the motherly type, but I guess everybody has the capacity" he said. Hinata shook her head and softened her grip on the sides of his head.

"I'm not motherly or one to fuss. Only for you and kittens. Only" she clarified, causing Naruto to turn red. Hinata herself gained a pink tint to her face and ears, but the light smile never left her face. She then leaned down brushed her lips against his forehead.

"Wha-" Naruto began. He was silenced by a finger to his lips from the heiress before he could finish his befuddled question.

"Consider this my apology. Now relax and let me fuss a little. Contrary to popular belief, I am a girl, and girls like to fawn over their favorite boys" she said in uncharacteristically soft fashion. The blonde glanced away from her face.

"What is this an apology for?" he asked. Hinata tensed momentarily as she recalled her dark and uncomfortable conversation with Gaara several nights previously, after which she had actively avoided the blonde.

"Let's...not stress the details. I simply feel the need to show you a great deal of gratitude and affection today. I know that you don't entirely return my feelings just yet, but I implore you, please accept my care. At least for now" she said quietly. Naruto sighed and allowed his body to fall limp.

"I know I've said this before, but I don't understand you, Hinata. You can be so cold for long stretches, but sometimes you're the most comforting person I know. You tell me how much you care, you fawn over me, and you make me feel like I'm actually something close to loved. Just...why can't you be consistent? I would be all for a relationship with you if you were" he asked carefully. Hinata sighed and hid her eyes behind her bangs as she ran a hand through Naruto's hair.

"I don't know how to treat people I care about. I can be fairly consistent with my sister, but even that took time. My view of you has also changed so dramatically that it almost feels wrong to adore you the way I do. When I say impolite things to you, it hurts me. I can't seem to stop despite that. I know it doesn't mean much, but I really am sorry for the times I've hurt your feelings" she said. The Jinchuuriki reached up and brushed her hair away from her eyes.

"I know that you don't mean most of what you say to me. Besides, it's not like I don't push your buttons. You have every right to snap back at me. I just wish you wouldn't jump to personal insults right away" he said with a chuckle. The Hyuga heiress sighed and laid one of her hands over the hand Naruto had used to move her hair aside.

"I have nothing to insult but things you cannot control. You aren't faultless, not even close, but you do more right than wrong. I'm too competitive for my own good" she said as she grasped his hand.

"You're being a lot more touchy-feely than you normally are" Naruto commented as Hinata contentedly returned his hand to his body. The Hyuga girl chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I quite enjoyed cuddling with you in the hospital. This is giving me a similar feeling. What can I say? I enjoy touching you" she said. The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"That sounded really dirty" he said jokingly. Hinata immediately huffed and injected a jolt of chakra into his neck.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. I simply enjoy your warmth and huggable body shape" she said as Naruto jittered from the chakra.

"Zero to sixty, just like that. You're real scary sometimes" he said as he rubbed the side of his neck. Hinata smiled and manually closed his eyes, a silent order Naruto begrudgingly followed.

"Yes, I am. Now go to sleep. You need it" she commanded gently. The Jinchuuriki then relaxed completely and evened his breathing. After a moment, the heiress sighed happily and traced the whisker-esque markings on his face.

"Goodnight, Naruto-kun"

Hiashi rubbed his eyes as he approached the front door of Naruto's apartment. It was nearly three in the morning, and Hinata had not returned home yet. Of all the places she possibly could have been, the blonde's dwelling was unquestionably the most likely. After knocking on the door for several moments, the Hyuga clan head opted to simply enter the apartment without an invitation. Once inside, he closed the door behind him and looked around, quickly spotting his daughter.

'How wholesome' he thought to himself as he made his way over to Hinata, who was asleep in an upright position on the couch with Naruto's head gently laid in her lap. Hiashi gently squeezed the girl's shoulder, waking her instantly. Her face immediately contorted with fear at the sight of her father. Before she could react, the clan head put a finger to his lips and sat down across from her on a nearby chair.

"Would you mind explaining your current position to me? Be honest" he asked in a hushed tone. Hinata shifted in place, being careful not to wake the Jinchuuriki she was cradling.

"He came down with a fever and was already exhausted from his daily training. I used what little medical ninjutsu that I know to suppress his headache and make him comfortable. From there, we talked until he fell asleep. I suppose I fell asleep as well" she explained honestly. Hiashi nodded and considered the information being presented him.

"As fine a reason as any to be late, I suppose. I still would have preferred at least a warning that you may be gone for the night, especially with your current punishment" he said. Hinata sighed.

"I did not know that I would end up nursing him back to something resembling health. I would have told you if I had" she said. Her father stroked his chin.

"What did the two of you discuss?" he asked. The Hyuga girl immediately reddened at the question, earning a low chuckle from Hiashi.

"I would assume it went quite well from your perspective, if your face is any indication" he said humorously. Hinata gazed down at Naruto's sleeping face and smiled.

"He still doesn't return my affections, but I feel as though the day on which he does is drawing closer. He didn't seem to mind me running my hand through his hair and such. He is quite cute when subdued" she said dreamily. Her father sighed.

'And this is precisely why I dreaded raising girls without you, Hirumi' he thought to himself as an image of his late wife flashed through his mind.

"Control your hormones, Hinata. Although he may be kind enough to allow you to indulge yourself a bit, don't take things any farther than innocent shows of affection. You have enough on your plate already" he warned gently. Hinata rapidly shook her head.

"I have...already had such a discussion with myself. Naruto-kun is much more than a toy to be played with. He deserves to have his boundaries respected and his dignity to be left intact" she assured Hiashi, who gave a nod of approval.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. Although, I would suggest avoiding the use of that honorific when speaking to any member of the clan when speaking to anybody but myself, Hanabi, and I would assume Neji. The elder members and most of both branches strongly dislike your team placement due to Uzumaki-san's presence, as you probably could have guessed" he said. Hinata furrowed her eyebrows and asked a question that had been circulating in her mind for several months.

"Tell me, why is it that you don't have a problem with Naruto-kun? Even now, when I have made it clear that I wish to be his significant other, you show no ill will or disapproval for him" she asked. Hiashi thought for a moment.

"Because I have great respect for those who have the strength to survive. That boy has been put through the wringer, and yet he refuses to conform. He has become legitimately powerful through hard work and attentive planning. Also, he has managed to break through much of your outer shell. Forgive me if you take offense to this, but prior to the formation of your team, you were quite difficult to be around much of the time" he explained.

Hinata sighed and nodded as she threaded her fingers through Naruto's hair. She then yawned a bit.

"I never got the chance to thank you for this, so now is as good a time as any. I appreciate you tasking him with my protection during our mission in the Land of Waves. As much as it pains me to admit it, I likely would have died had Naruto-kun not stepped into the line of fire for my sake. His supposed death acted as a slap in the face for me. It made me realize that I wasn't invincible. Thank you for letting me learn that lesson, Father" she said gratefully.

Hiashi shook his head and stood up to leave the dwelling, much to his daughter's surprise and subtle relief.

"I played a part, but Uzumaki-san choosing to quite literally die for your sake was something that even I couldn't have predicted. I am indebted to him. In fact, I have an idea as to how I plan on repaying him" he said. Hinata raised an eyebrow.

"And what is this idea, exactly?" she asked skeptically. The Hyuga clan head gestured to the apartment around them.

"Keep this quiet, but I plan on paying his rent. He likely makes just enough money to pay it himself, but I question how much he has left over to buy food each month. My funds are vast enough to do this without consequence, so I see no reason to not aid him financially" he said as he opened the door and took a step out into the hallway.

"Thank you, Father. I'll see to it that he doesn't find out. Given that you seem to be leaving, does this mean that you are allowing me to stay here for the night?" she asked carefully. Hiashi glanced back over his shoulder and shrugged.

"As long as you don't do anything unbecoming, I'm willing to let this slide. Even if the elder members learn of this, I doubt they will be difficult to convince of a cover story" he said as he fully entered the hall and closed the door. After he had been gone for several moments, Hinata sighed and gazed at Naruto.

'Why must you always sleep with your mouth open, Naruto-kun? The perfect entrance for a tongue, if you ask me' she thought to herself. The moment the thought crossed her mind, the heiress shook her head and scowled at her own perversion.

'And I told him to keep his mind out of the gutter. How hypocritical of me' she berated herself. She then leaned back against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

'The morning is going to be more than a bit awkward. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it'

A/N: Sorry for the super long wait on this one! As I said in the beginning, I just got my wisdom teeth removed, so I wasn't able to update yesterday like I wanted to. Hope you all enjoyed anyways! I also decided to give Hinata's mother a name (Hirumi)

See you next chapter! Read and Review!