A/N: Due to the shorter length of the last chapter, I'll be trying to make this one a tad longer. Thought you'd all appreciate that.

Time for chapter 39

Enjoy!


Kakashi forced himself to calm down as he considered the brutal set of circumstances that had befallen Konohagakure. Night had begun, panic was rampant, and the situation did not appear to be on track to improve.

'Lord Third is fighting off two unidentified beings, Suna's forces retreated before we could really inflict heavy loss, and Naruto is stuck fighting a goddamned Sanin' he thought to himself rigidly as he wrestled with the decision he was being forced to make as he looked out in the general direction of the combat. He then turned his attention north specifically.

'From what I can feel, Naruto is surviving. That probably means that Orochimaru doesn't really feel like killing him, not now at least. I have no way to know how long that'll stay the case, but I have a feeling that it won't be long' he lamented nervously. Kakashi remained silent for a moment before coming to a difficult, but educated decision.

"You'll have to keep yourself alive just a little longer, Naruto. I trust you a little more than our own Hokage right now, for what it's worth" he muttered as he set out towards the site of Hiruzen's still-raging encounter. Throughout the roughly five minute journey across the village, the presence of the two beings the Hokage was battling against became more and more potent, causing the jonin's concern to grow ever more intense.

'Who the hell are these guys? If their chakra keeps increasing as I get closer, they'll be past me in no time' he thought frustratedly as he leapt across numerous moonlit rooftops. Unfortunately, his fears were soon realized when the pressure being exerted by the two unknown enemies surpassed his own clearly and concisely. Upon finally arriving at a point that allowed Kakashi to view the battle legitimately, the sheer power of Hiruzen's opponents became completely understandable, if still a bit jarring. Clashing against the elderly Kage were none other than the previous two leaders of Konohagakure, Tobirama and Hashirama Senju.

Kakashi's eyes widened to saucers as he watched his superior valiantly fend off the two long-dead shinobi. Back and forth they went, with Hiruzen repelling on or both of the previous Kage, only to be struck from the opposite side a moment later. While his effort was brave, and he had clearly been combating them for some time already, it was clear that his stamina was beginning to fail him. Between every clash, a deep breath was taken by the ancient leader, an action that was beginning to cost him precious seconds in which he was being struck repeatedly.

'He can't keep this up for much longer. His age is showing' the silver haired ninja thought solemnly as he prepared to enter the fray against his better judgement. He then uncovered his left eye and opened it, allowing his sharingan to scan the battlefield. As he observed the movement and chakra pathways of the former Kage assaulting Hiruzen, his confusion grew.

'They don't have natural chakra systems. Something is off about this' he thought as he leapt into action. As he crashed towards the battle, he drew a pair of kunai and grit his teeth in preparation for his calculated collision with Tobirama, who was flying towards Hiruzen. The jonin reached his leader in the knick of time, managing to intercept the Second Hokage's charge with his kunai and repel him backwards.

The elderly Kage had also managed to deflect the attack of Hashirama and send him reeling, leaving he and Kakashi back to back.

"Perfect timing. I was wondering when you would arrive" Hiruzen said with a weary smile. The jonin raised an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder.

"You sensed me, did you? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You notice everything. Now would you mind explaining to me why we're fighting a pair of dead men?" he asked. Hiruzen pursed his lips and shifted his position to be standing next to Kakashi rather than beside him as their foes grouped together.

"Orochimaru tapped into a forbidden Jutsu known as Edo-Tensei, which allows the user to revive one or multiple deceased beings from the dead by using a living sacrifice. Coincidentally, Tobirama Senju invented the technique. In short, they're reanimations. Luckily for us, they seem to be significantly weaker than they were in their primes" he explained. The silver haired jonin frowned.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, it sounds to me like this should be a perfectly manageable situation for you if they really are a good bit weaker than they were" he pointed out cautiously. Hiruzen sighed and shook his head.

"You overestimate me, Kakashi. I was already beginning to feel my age when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked, and that was thirteen years ago. I'm not what I used to be either. Beyond that, these reanimated Shinobi regenerate when destroyed. I've blasted them to smithereens at least twice each, and they've simply reformed and continued their assault" he said tiredly, his frustration at both his waning strength and the unfair odds audible in his rough tone.

"So, what you're saying is that they can't be destroyed, don't seem to fade, and have retained at least a tad of their previous strength. That's a tough one, but I think I may have a way around them" Kakashi said confidently, earning a quizzical look from his leader.

"Oh? Have you a plan, Copy Ninja? If so, out with it" Hiruzen ordered. The silver haired ninja then pointed to his left eye and closed it.

"Keep them off of me for five minutes and I can make them both disappear" he said vaguely. Despite the lack of clarity, the Hokage instantly understood and gave his subordinate a look of caution.

"The last time you used the Mangekyou, you were unconscious for nearly a week. Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked skeptically. Kakashi shrugged and assumed a defensive posture.

"I don't see any other options if destroying them is out of the question. I've already started loading the eye with chakra, so there's really no point in turning back" he replied. Hiruzen sighed and produced a pair of large shuriken.

"So be it then. Make sure you don't miss when the time comes" he said as he launched the projectiles in the reamination's direction. The metaphorical timer was then set for three-hundred seconds. Perhaps the longest of Hiruzen's storied career.

For the first sixty seconds, all was well. The elderly Kage moved, he countered, and he repelled his undead adversaries with relative ease. The next minute was more of the same, with Hiruzen bisecting Hashirama and putting a hole in Tobirama's chest. Come minute three, however, the tide began to shift dramatically. Within the first ten seconds of the time-frame, the old man was launched into the wall of a nearby building, putting a hole in the structure and forcing Hiruzen to fight his way back into open space head-to-head.

'This is getting dicey' Kakashi thought to himself nervously as his leader was knocked aside by Tobirama. Three minutes and thirty seconds had passed, and the final ninety seconds were shaping up to be more than a bit rough for Hiruzen. Another thirty seconds passed, with the trend of the battle continuing as it had seemed set to. The Third Hokage was powerful, but he was old, and his predecessors were not of human flesh. They were both more and less than mortal.

While the early exchanges had been fairly even, arguably advantageous ones, for Hiruzen, he was now being bludgeoned each and every time he collided with the reanimations. As the clock ticked down, Kakashi found it increasingly difficult to restrain himself from entering the fray and assisting his fading Hokage.

'Twenty seconds. Just twenty more seconds. Come on, Hokage-sama. Just hang on a little longer' he thought stressfully as he willed Hiruzen on towards survival. The elderly leader was then knocked flat on his back by Hashirama, who promptly pinned him there using wooden tree roots. Just before Tobirama could build on his brother's success by impaling Hiruzen with a kunai, which he had raised over his head and was preparing to drive downward, Kakashi's left eye shot open, revealing a pinwheel-esque design spinning in its iris.

"Kamui!" he yelled as he forced nearly all of his chakra into an ocular Jutsu. A dimensional vortex then ripped open between Hashirama and Tobirama and began to suck them into its singularity. Despite having aimed the technique perfectly, the effort required to allow it to consume two of the founding fathers of Konohagakure was absolutely monumental. Despite the seeming impossibility of the task, the Jonin pushed on, letting out a yell of painful-sounding effort as he drained his chakra supply down to the last drop.

Moments later, his efforts bore fruit, with the vortex completely consuming the pair of reanimations. The moment they were gone, Kakashi released the Jutsu, dissipating the swirling singularity. The jonin then dropped to his knees and coughed raggedly, splattering blood across the ground in the process. After regaining his bearings as best he could, Kakashi rose to his feet and turned to Hiruzen, who had managed to free himself from the tree roots and assume an upright stance once more.

"So, it worked after all. Not the solution I would have preferred, but we're both alive" he said as he dusted himself off. Before the silver haired ninja could respond, a surge of demonic chakra burned itself into their senses. Kakashi turned north and clenched his jaw.

"Naruto is making a final stand" he said solemnly. The Jonin then took a deep breath and gathered his bearings.

"Are you able to fight, Hokage-sama?" he asked. Hiruzen nodded and put a hand on his subordinate's shoulder as the men prepared to set out for the blonde's chakra signature.

"Even if worse comes to worse, know that you are not to blame. He chose to face Orochimaru alone. He very much reminds of his father in that regard. Stubborn and utterly dauntless. He's fought a brilliant fight given the circumstances" he said. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"You say that as though you've been observing him the whole time" he said skeptically. The Third Hokage chuckled.

"Part of the reason I struggled so immensely with those reanimations was the fact that I was paying close attention to his struggle against Orochimaru. I honestly expected him to die quite a while ago" he said bluntly. Hiruzen then leapt forward across several rooftops.

"Come, Kakashi. Time is of the essence"


Naruto let out what was bound to be his final roar as he slammed a Rasengan containing the last of his already-empty reserves into Orochimaru. Realizing a moment too late that the Jutsu heading his way was a genuine threat, the Sanin was struck cleanly in the chest by the swirling ball of energy. Naruto then gave one final push as he emptied his will into his most trusted technique.

Orochimaru was launched backwards hard, sending him crashing into the side of a building and putting a hole into it. As the sounds of shaking infrastructure rung throughout the village, Naruto dropped to his knees and allowed the demonic chakra to drain from his body. His eyes returned to their natural color and his nails, fangs, and more pronounced whisker markings disappeared. After a moment of tense silence, a figure leapt out from the hole, landing on the edge of Naruto's rooftop.

"You know, I'd never given much credence to the saying that an animal is most dangerous while cornered and wounded, but you've changed my mind"

The blonde sighed and looked up from the ground, catching sight of Orochimaru once his gaze was directed at a forty-five degree angle.

"Just end me already. I don't feel like hearing you run your mouth" he requested tiredly. The Sanin shrugged and drew a kunai as he slowly walked towards Naruto.

"Have it your way then" he said. His kunai then began to glow with chakra as Orochimaru prepared to cut the Jinchuuriki's life short. As his end approached, Naruto chuckled a bit.

"As much as I hate you, at least I can say that it took a Sanin to finally put me down for good" he said. The pale man smirked as he raised the kunai over his head to put an end to the prolonged beating.

"That's a fine way to rationalize your death. Treat it as an accomplishment" he said coldly as his blade crashed down towards Naruto's face.

'Goodbye, Shikamaru, Kakashi-sensei….Hinata…'

To the Jinchuuriki's surprise, the seemingly inevitable never came. Instead, sounds of a skirmish became audible. Naruto slowly opened his eyes to the sight of Hiruzen gripping Orochimaru's wrists and pushing him back. After a moment of grappling, the Hokage kicked the Sanin in the chest and sent him backwards a few steps. As he struggled to process the situation at hand, Naruto was helped to his feet by a set of arms from behind.

"Easy, Naruto. Just sit back and relax. Your job is done" Kakashi, who was gripping his student by the shoulders, said reassuringly. Before the blonde could form words to respond with, Hiruzen was staggered and sent reeling back towards them, having been struck cleanly across his jaw by Orochimaru.

"You do realize how rude this is, don't you? The brat and I were in the middle of something" the Sanin sneered as he grinned at the new pair of ninja. Hiruzen growled and drew a kunai.

"Count yourself lucky that I arrived when I did. Had I found you standing over a body, I'd have removed your vocal cords already" he said menacingly. The threat drew a mirthless laugh from his former pupil.

"Where was this passion when you and I were fighting? I'm hurt, Sensei. But, that's neither here nor there. From the looks of you and your underling, killing you would be a waste. You're already spent. I've already accomplished what I came here to do, so I see no reason to humor you all any more than I already have" he said. The Hokage stepped forward and bared his teeth.

"If you think I'm going to let you slide away this time you are sorely mistaken" he assured the pale man.

"If I was able to sit you on your ass, Old man'll murder you" Naruto chimed in from behind Hiruzen. Orochimaru sighed and shifted his stance a bit. The air seemed to deaden as the subtlest of glows emanated from the Sanin's body. Hiruzen pursed his lips and stepped back a few feet. Orochimaru chuckled at the elderly man's discomfort.

"See that, Naruto? As you said, he's an old man. He's a far cry from who he used to be. I still believe him to be the most powerful person in this village, but he pales in comparison to the Hiruzen Sarutobi of thirty years ago. That man would have killed me regardless of how hard I tried" he mocked, earning a glare from the Hokage. The pale man then allowed his chakra to calm, returning the atmosphere to a simmer once more.

"My point is, I could have killed you at any point, and I'm willing to bet I could kill Hiruzen as well. But, I'm in a good mood, so I'm not going to do either of those things" he said. Before any of the Konoha shinobi could say a word in response, Orochimaru tossed out a smoke bomb, which burst into a haze of blinding gas. By the time the smoke cleared, he was long gone, leaving Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Naruto alone on the roof. Seconds after the Sanin's unceremonious departure, the Hokage looked as though he was nearing a boiling point, but he quickly calmed himself and turned the Jinchuuriki and Jonin.

"First and foremost, I'd like to thank you both for your assistance during this crisis. Kakashi, you saved my life, and you solved a seemingly unsolvable problem. That said, I still plan on putting you on paid leave for the rest of the month" he thanked the silver haired ninja, who nodded.

"Yeah, I figured. Probably a good idea, though. I'll drop dead the moment the adrenaline wears off" he said honestly. The Hokage laughed a bit and turned his attention to Naruto.

"Even moreso, thank you, Naruto. You stood your ground and held the line in the absence of your superiors, and you were willing to die for the sake of peace. You will be compensated for this, I promise" he said sincerely. The Jinchuuriki shook his head tiredly.

"I don't need anything as a reward. I'm...alive. That's payment enough" he said, an odd pause in his response catching the Hokage's attention.

"Kakashi, would you mind returning to the Stadium? If I'm not mistaken, Hinata still resides there with her family. I would like confirmation of their safety" he asked, his intentions clear to the Jonin. The silver haired ninja immediately did as he was told, disappearing into a puff of smoke and leaving the old man alone with the blonde. After a tense stretch of silence, Hiruzen spoke.

"I know how you feel, Naruto" he said, causing the young genin to flinch. Naruto lowered his eyes to the ground and heaved a deep breath as he returned to the thoughts that had been circulating his mind just minutes beforehand.

"It just felt so right, you know? Maybe I'm just a naive kid that wants a heroic ending, but dying to a Sanin while defending my home was something I was more than willing to get on board with once I realized that I had no way to win" he admitted quietly. The Hokage smiled and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Death or no death, what you did here tonight absolutely was heroic. I've been where you are more than once. Death is shockingly appealing once you've lived a little. This world is cruel, and the climate grows ever colder, but know this. Life is worth living. There is still much for you to do, much for you to accomplish" he assured Naruto. The blonde smiled for a moment, but the positivity soon faded from his face as he prepared to reveal the secondary reason that he was still so troubled.

"When I tap into the fox's chakra, I can sense the emotions of the people around me and where those feelings are being directed. While I was fighting, I could feel the fear of the village growing. But...only about half of it was directed at Orochimaru. A huge chunk of it was focused on me. I wasn't even the hometown hero. The village was split on who they seemed to be rooting for" he said sadly. Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his temples.

"And that is partially my fault. I've done a poor job of maintaining your reputation among the villagers, as was to be my task at your birth. But that's a story for another day. All that matters is that you continue on your path. You're growing into a fine young man, and they will see some day" he said confidently. Naruto nodded and turned his back to the old man.

"Thanks, I appreciate your belief in me. Now, I think I'm going to go take a walk. Probably a long one. I'll be back in two days or so" he said as he approached the edge of the rooftop. Hiruzen watched him dangle his feet over the edge for a moment before calling out to him to gain his attention. Once he had tuned to face him again, Hiruzen tossed him a flask of water.

"Check in with me once you return. Try not to get yourself hurt" the old man said. The blonde gave him a thumbs up and hopped down from the building, breaking out into a run for the forest. Hiruzen then stared up into the night sky and allowed himself to relax for the first time in several weeks.

'Not an ideal day by any means, but not an entirely unsuccessful one'


Frigid rain poured from the sky as Hinata trudged through the forest that surrounded Konoha. The weather had been porous the entire day, and there were no signs of change in sight. Interestingly, despite the icy downpour, it was fairly warm outside. This stark contrast in temperatures between rain and air created a greatly uncomfortable unbalance for all those travelling outdoors. This included the already-tense heiress, who had been exposed to the less than ideal conditions for several minutes by this point.

'This is just dreadful. Couldn't he have picked a better time to go running off into the woods?' Hinata grumbled within her mind as she pushed her way through the vegetation and into a clearing. Upon being awakened by Kakashi, the Hyuga girl had demanded an explanation of the invasion's events. After a bit of prying, Hinata had learned of her teammate's brave stand against Orochimaru, as well as his departure into the forest once she and Kakashi had reunited with the elderly leader. Despite the protests of both her father and her sensei, the heiress had opted to follow after the blonde the next morning, and now she stood at the edge of an open space in the vast woods.

After stepping fully out of the foliage, she caught sight of what she had been searching for. Naruto stood in the center of the miniature plain with his back turned to the Hyuga girl. He was wearing the same clothing he had been during his consecutive encounters with Gaara and Orochimaru, those garments being a badly tattered shirt and singed shorts.

'Then again, his reason for leaving was perfectly logical. Much has happened' Hinata thought to herself as she stepped forward quietly. Unfortunately for her, the silence of her advance was shattered by the snapping of a twig underfoot, instantly alerting Naruto to her presence. The blonde audibly sighed and slowly steered himself around to face her. Once his gaze was locked on her independently, Hinata felt her fragile composure begin to waver. Naruto's face was badly marked and raw, with a large gash running down his left cheekbone and a litany of smaller cuts and bruises peppering his features. The rain had washed away much of the blood, but there were still small areas of crusted iron speckled on his face.

"I guess this is the first time you've seen my face up close since my fight with Gaara began. I'm a little beat up, as you can see" the blonde said while wiping rain droplets out of his eyes. The heiress nodded and pursed her lips while tentatively stepping forward.

"Well, you fled immediately after Orochimaru retreated. I never got the chance to get a good look at you or tend to any of your wounds. Not that I don't understand why you left" she said carefully. Naruto chewed his lip absently and stared off into the rainy sky for a moment.

"I've gotten pretty good at anticipating things. Seeing things coming. Even I had no idea just how chaotic and painful these exams would end up being. Another Jinchuuriki, a Sanin, and an invasion. Just insane. And to think most of that happened in less than a day. Life's mad sometimes" he said wearily. Hinata briefly considered reaching forward to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but opted to avoid physical contact for the moment.

"I suppose that's a good segway into why I came out here. I...wanted to thank you for saving both myself and this village as a whole. I know that the rest of the populous likely won't see it that way, but I know it to be true, and so does my father. You've saved my life twice now. Both times at no benefit to yourself. Thank you, Naruto-kun. From the bottom of my heart" she said with a respectful bow. The blonde shook his head.

"Don't bow to me. You don't owe me a damn thing. Not even gratitude. I did what any good person would have done. Nothing special about it" he said. Hinata re-straightened her posture and smiled.

"Good people are few and far between in this world, Naruto-kun. Selflessness in particular is a rarity. You held the line against both Gaara and Orochimaru when nobody else would or could. You took no breaks, and you never faltered in the face of overwhelming disadvantage and deficit. You're a hero. To me, at least" she said sincerely. The Jinchuuriki sighed.

"I didn't fight them because I wanted to defend the village. I fought them because I was pissed. I fought to keep you and Shikamaru safe. That's all. I'm not some heroic figure. I'm just an angry kid with anger problems. It's not like my mind was entirely focused on fighting either. I was more than a little bothered by...what Gaara said. I still am" he admitted. The heiress felt her blood freeze in her veins momentarily, but quickly reigned herself in.

'No ease of entry for me, I suppose. Not that I deserve it' she thought as she steeled herself as best she could for the incoming conversation.

"There's no avoiding the topic, is there?" she asked shakily, earning an almost imperceptible shake of the head from Naruto, who's eyes had lowered to the ground at his feet.

"Just...why? Why would you even think about doing that to me? I just don't get it" he asked, his voice full of confusion and pain. Hinata bit her lip and clasped her hands together to lessen their shaking.

"Do you want an explanation? Because...there is one. I don't think you'll like it, in fact, I know you won't, but if you want my honesty, that's what you have to look forward to" she replied shamefully. The Jinchuuriki weakly motioned for her to continue. The Hyuga girl forced herself to look upon her damaged teammate as she gathered her thoughts.

"I wanted to reassert myself as your superior. I wanted to mark you as such that you couldn't simply wash it all away with words. I was so consumed by my own selfish egoism that night that I was willing to rob you of your pride and dignity. Beyond that, I desired you strongly. I saw you as nothing more than a plaything. Just a toy to be worn out and tossed aside. Pure, ugly lust. Nothing more, nothing less, and I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer" she said, her eyes clamping shut while burning tears streamed down her face.

"I was brought to my senses by fear when Gaara confronted me. As much as I despise him, he did prevent me from doing something I would have lived to hate myself for. To be frank, I still hate myself for what I was planning. I know it likely means absolutely nothing to you after hearing all of this, but I am so, so sorry for even considering such a thing. Even after all you've done for me, I spat in your face. Something I seem to have made a habit of doing" Hinata, who was now openly sobbing, concluded stiffly. Through her tears, she glanced at Naruto. The blonde had finally brought himself to look at her, and his expression was raw and telling.

His face was contorted into sadness and, even more depressingly, a look somewhat resembling familiarity. He then asked a heartbreaking question.

"Were you lying to me all those times you told me that I mattered to you? Was it all just...to lull me? To make me dull enough to be easy pickings?" he asked brittly. Hinata immediately burst forward and took hold of his shoulders, a look of desperate despair radiating from her strained lavender eyes.

"No! I meant every single word. Not one sentence was fabricated, I swear to you, I was being truthful. I adore you more than I could ever put into words" she assured tearfully, her voice breaking multiple times throughout the declaration. Naruto flinched a bit at her suddenly-close proximity to him, but found the composure to speak.

"I'm starting to have a tough time believing you, Hinata. I want to, but...there's just so much you've done that says otherwise" he said sadly. The heiress' lip quivered a bit as she slid her hands to the sides of his face.

"You're right. I've done an awful job of being a consistent pillar of support for you. I've dragged you down, hurt you, and betrayed your trust time and time again. But please, let me impart some truth to you for once. Give me just one chance to convince you" she emotionally. The Jinchuuriki remained silent for a moment before nodding. Hinata then wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him forward into a sorrowful kiss. Despite the taste of blood on his lips, Hinata quietly sobbed into his mouth for nearly sixty seconds before gently removing her mouth from his and resting her forehead on his.

"That's all I have. Nothing I can say will ever be good enough. Maybe that wasn't enough either, but I need you to know that I meant that wholeheartedly. I love you, and that's a fact" she whispered sincerely. Naruto stared at her blankly for a moment, his emotions unreadable. After a tense stretch of around ten seconds, hugged the heiress into himself and pulled her head down into his shoulder.

"There's a good chance I'm just too willing to let things go, but you've done it. You have me convinced. You're screwed up, Hinata. There's no two ways about it, but I don't even care anymore" he said quietly. Hinata felt her chest tighten at the harshness of his words. Sensing her distress, the Jinchuuriki created a bit of space between them to better view her face, still holding her tightly as he did so.

"Don't take it as an insult. It isn't one. I'm even worse off mentally than you are. We both have a huge number of issues, and that list is only going to keep growing as we get older. I've been coping with my demons for years at this point, both literally and figuratively. You've helped me come to terms with myself a few times already, so I think it's time for me to do the same for you. I really shouldn't, but I love you too, and I'm going to be here for you" he said strongly. Hinata instantly melted at his words, sinking to her knees and dragging him down with her.

The heiress buried her face in his chest and wept openly as she crushed him in a strong embrace. After several long minutes of crying, Hinata went silent, prompting Naruto to nudge her. To his surprise, she didn't move. Upon further inspection, the Jinchuuriki discovered that Hinata had fallen asleep.

'You aren't really the type to apologize for things. Especially not while crying and sobbing. That must have been so hard for you, Hinata' Naruto thought to himself while scooping her up and beginning to carry her back towards the village.

'Now let's get you home'


Hiashi groaned and rubbed his eyes as he trudged towards his front door. It was early, the crack of dawn, and visitors at such an hour were more than a bit uncommon. As such, his irritation at the loud knocking was palpable. When he opened the door, however, his annoyance melted away completely. Standing at his doorstep with an unconscious Hinata in his arms was Naruto, who's eyes were weary and tired. After a moment of thought-gathering, the clan head spoke.

"It seems you've a valuable of mine to return" he joked as the blonde handed the girl over to her father gently. Naruto chuckled a bit at the humor, but his joviality was short-lived. Hiashi excused himself momentarily to lay Hinata down on a mat in a nearby room before returning to the door. He then promptly invited the genin inside, an invitation that was politely declined. After Naruto's polite refusal, Hiashi looked him up and down.

"You're battered. Quite severely, it seems. But then, if what Hokage-sama told me was not hyperbolic, it should be of now surprise that you still bear the shadows of combat on your face and limbs" he said. Naruto nodded and shrugged.

"I've felt worse, honestly. I'm just sore. I'll be fine in a few days. I'll probably end up with a scar on my cheek, but those can be badass" he said, a ghost of a smile creeping onto his face. Hiashi returned the smile.

"While you're here, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for saving my daughter's life for the second time. I know that you won't accept materialistic compensation, so I'd just like to say that you're welcome here any time" he said kindly. The Jinchuuriki nodded and sighed heavily.

"I might have to take you up on that tonight, actually. I don't really trust my own apartment right now. Not after so many people saw me let the fox out the way I did" he said, his voice a mix of embarrassment and exhaustion. The clan head waved his hand dismissively.

"No problem at all. Just come by when you're ready to retire for the day" he said. Naruto gave him a grateful look before turning around and waving goodbye, a gesture that Hiashi returned. Just before the blonde could leave earshot, however, the elder Hyuga was struck with a question.

"What did she seek you out to discuss?" he called out to the boy. Naruto glanced back over his shoulder at the clan head.

"We had something to sort out. Things are fine now, so you have no need to worry" he replied. Hiashi then recalled a reference to the word 'sin' his daughter had made in reference to Naruto during his match with Gaara.

"Would you mind telling me what her...transgression was?" he asked carefully. The Jinchuuriki remained silent for a moment.

"All you need to know is that she's been forgiven, and nothing similar will ever happen again" he said shortly before making his way out of the estate gates and out into the street. Hiashi watched him leave with a look of curious interest on his face. The village bell then rang, snapping him out of his quizzical trance. The clan head stepped back into his home and closed the door, making his way to Hinata's side in the side room once the task was complete.

'Perhaps I'll never know, and maybe I don't want to know, but I get the feeling that you are very lucky that Uzumaki-san is such tragically forgiving person'


A/N: You guys asked for a longer chapter, SO I GAVE YOU ONE. I hope you all appreciated this little gift from me haha.

See you next chapter! Read and Review!