Chapter 27: The Tea Ceremony

Naruto sighed as he took off his forehead protector and set it beside him. He rubbed his forehead and scratched the back of his head. He was tired and dusty so he plunked down onto the grass under the tree he'd chosen to rest. Beyond him, the grounds of the Ninja Academy echoed with the sound of screaming kids, their shurikens whizzing through the air and hitting the boards.

He could hear Shino's voice instructing the students. "Nice job, all of you. You actually hit the boards. Next time, though, let's try to get the shurikens in the circle. Why? Because that's the target."

"Shino-sensei! We know that!"

Naruto laughed.

He was waiting for Hinata to finish working. She was helping out today again at the academy and was going to meet him at this spot when she was done. He could hear her voice gently encouraging and also gently threatening those who were slacking off.

"Come here, Naomichi!" her words drifted to him. "That's the second time you're sitting down in the ten minutes we've started. If you don't want to move and work hard, I've got my byakugan already activated anyway so why don't I just disable your chakra points for you?"

Ooh, kid, you better run! Naruto thought with a grin. Or give up and do what she says.

He looked up to the blue sky and crossed his fingers behind his head. It was warm today, so he'd unzipped his jacket and used it as a blanket on the ground.

He sighed in contentment. The clouds above floated slowly and Naruto followed their movements with his eyes while his thoughts slowly reflected on his life.

It was during these restful, quiet moments that he realized how lucky he was that Hinata had come into his life at the right time. Though his past had been filled with darkness, she'd also filled him with light during the moments she'd reached out to him, all those years when they'd just been friends. Now, when his soul felt peaceful, he could appreciate her more for what she was: a beautiful, loving woman who fit him, who knew him and understood who he was.

Life was being good to him. He wasn't going to complain. The restlessness he'd felt during his missions abroad and before coming back to Konoha had disappeared. Hinata had been that one piece missing in his life. The future stretched out before him, and his vision always included her by his side.

Naruto suddenly yawned and felt his eyelids drooping. He didn't realize he was this exhausted.

A few hours later, Hinata came to lay next to him, equally as dusty as he was. She laughed softly when she saw his lashes fanning his cheeks. There was a smudge of dirt on his right cheek and she reached out to wipe it off, which woke him.

He grinned at her when he opened his eyes and shifted to make more room for her on his jacket.

"Hey, Hinata," he murmured in greeting. "You guys done?"

Hinata nodded as she adjusted her body against him. She laid on her back against his right side and let his body warm her. She sighed when she saw the small leaves caught in her hair.

"I'm a mess!" she said with a laugh as she started picking at them.

Naruto shifted to his side, raised his head up to support it with his right hand so he could look down at her. He grasped her left arm, raised it to the sky, and ran his fingers up to her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed her fingers. He shook his head at her with a smile. "You're beautiful."

She laughed. "You are delusional. I don't feel beautiful at all! What I am is tired. Sometimes, I think working with kids is more exhausting than missions," she said with a yawn. "These kids are giving me a run for my money."

He shook his head again. "No, you're forever beautiful."

Naruto let her hand fall back onto her stomach, but a moment later, he reached for her hand again, slowly caressed his way up her arm as he raised it to the sky and Hinata saw and felt him slide a ring onto her finger.

She froze.

"Now you're even more perfect," he said as he slipped it more firmly past her knuckle, where it lay heavy and glinted cheerfully under the light of the evening sun.

Hinata gasped, looked at the ring on her finger, their entwined fingers splayed against the sky, then up at him.

"Naruto?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said, a small smile on his face, hope in his eyes.

"That's what you say," he urged.

Hinata blinked at him, still feeling shock running through her body. He was still smiling at her, still holding her hand.

"Yes," he said again. This time, he took their joined hands and placed them on his chest, on his heart. "Because it feels right in here."

Hinata's eyes misted as she listened to the love and reverence in his voice.

"Yes," he whispered one more time, leaning over, and brushing a kiss on her forehead, sighing. "Because it's only you for me."

She swallowed, overcome with emotion as his eyes pierced her.

"Yes," he repeated, more firmly this time, his grin in place. "Because you're mine."

"Always," she finally said. She grabbed him by his shirt, pulled him down to her, and kissed him on the mouth, happy tears streaming down her face.

"Naruto!" Hinata was laughing and crying at the same time as she realized something. "You know, you didn't even ask me the question!"

He grinned at her, mischief lurking in his blue eyes. "I don't need to! Your eyes, your body, your heart have already said yes. Hinata, I love you and I believe that you love me enough to accept me for what I am. It's just your lips now that needs to say it."

He was right.

"Yes!" she yelled as she launched herself at him. He fell back onto his jacket and grunted with laughter as she sprawled across his chest then proceeded to shower his face and his golden hair with kisses.

She then grabbed his cheeks with her gentle hands and looked into his eyes. Hers were shining with joy. "Naruto, you've made me so happy. I love you. I can't wait to be your wife!"

Then she was kissing him earnestly, her lips moving gently as he opened his to accommodate her teasing mouth. She was smiling, he could feel her lips stretch even as he licked at her. His busy hands were on her back, slowly drifting down to her butt, but she slapped them away playfully before he could get to the good part.

"Just because you proposed doesn't mean you're getting your way with that," she laughed with exasperation. "We're not going to do it outside! No matter how much you ask me to."

His answering smile was wicked. "Never say never, Hinata."

She laughed but kissed him again. She stopped and stretched her arm out to inspect her new ring, which was glittering fiercely in the pink rays of sunlight. She breathed a sigh of relief then grinned down at him.

"I have to say, I'm satisfied with this ring. It's perfect and not too gaudy! Your taste in jewelry is surprisingly pretty good. Did you pick this out by yourself?"

He started to frown. "Wait. What?!"

She laughed as she hugged him, trying to tease out the pucker on his face.

"This is a beautiful ring, Naruto. I love it!"

"Hinata! You just said I had no taste when it comes to jewelry! You're horrible!"

His teasing smile was back, though, when he saw how happy she really was. "But I'm really glad you like it!"

"Well, did you? Pick it out by yourself?"

Naruto laughed, proud of himself. He was also relieved that she'd accepted him and hadn't thrown his proposal back at his face.

"As a matter of fact, I did."

He'd found the perfect ring with a diamond a shade of pink that when hit with a certain light, resembled her lavender eyes. Weeks ago, he'd been on his way home but had decided on a whim to stop by a jewelry store to buy her a present. He'd wanted to apologize properly for his knuckleheaded treatment of her feelings, intending to buy her a necklace. Instead, his eye had been drawn to that diamond, sitting behind other flashier rings, in the back of the jewelry case.

"Oh, this one?" the clerk had sighed. "It's hard to sell because it's supposed to be a pink diamond but the imperfections make it look more purple than anything. So the purists, those who want it to be completely pink, didn't think it was good enough to be labeled as such. Nobody wants it because it looks more like a sapphire than a diamond."

"Imperfections," Naruto murmured with a grin as he held the ring up in the light, glinting lavender. It was beautiful, but it didn't match the clarity of Hinata's gaze.

The clerk heard him and reached for the ring, intending to put it away but Naruto stopped him with a shake of his head.

He smiled at the man and said, "I want it."

It was perfect for Hinata. He liked the duality of it. It was an expensive ring masquerading as a more muted one. Just like Hinata, who was a tough shinobi underneath her exterior as a delicate butterfly. Plus, it was exquisite: a simple round cut diamond set in a band of white gold. It was unaffected, elegant, but with hidden facets.

As he waited for the clerk to wrap up his purchase, Naruto realized that though their relationship was clearly not perfect because they both had their flaws, he wanted to be with her forever. As soon as he'd seen the ring, he'd made up his mind to ask her to marry him. It was the easiest decision he'd ever made in his life. He'd bought it right then and there but had held on to it until he could find the perfect time to make his proposal.

And since he'd been going on instinct, he'd decided on that same day he'd bought the ring that he would stop by the Hyuuga house to visit with her father. Luckily, Hiashi had been home to see him. He'd taken one look at Naruto's solemn face and humphed with a laugh.

"Take your jacket and your head protector off, Naruto," he suddenly said.

"Sir?!" Naruto squeaked, completely flabbergasted. He really hoped he wasn't going to face off against the old man, recalling the day he'd had to fight Hanabi on his first visit to their home. He didn't want to fight Hiashi Hyuuga and injure his future father-in-law. Or worse, get himself whipped by Hinata's dad. In his mind, he started going through the advice that Hanabi had given him, how to fight off the byakugan when under its effect.

Hiashi chuckled out loud. "I thought you were going to call me Old Man?"

His trepidation must have been obvious on his face because Hiashi looked at him and gentled his voice. "I'm inviting you into a tea ceremony, Naruto, and you can't have anything on you that will remotely disturb the peace and serenity of the space."

Relieved, but still nervous, Naruto did as Hiashi said and handed his coat and head protector to Koh, who'd come again to help him out. He followed the older man to a small teahouse and slid through the tiny rectangular entrance to sit on the tatami mat. He waited in silence as Hiashi boiled water then whisked the bitter tea in the bowl. Hiashi finally finished and handed it to him. Naruto took it from the older man and sipped the delicate brew.

"You can relax, Naruto. Stretch out your legs so you don't have to sit seiza," Hiashi said.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm okay, but thank you."

Hiashi smiled. "So you've come to ask me a question?"

Naruto took a deep breath. "Old Man Hiashi, I want to marry Hinata. I love her with all my heart. I haven't talked to her yet, but I wanted to ask your permission first."

He brought out the ring and showed it to the older man.

"It fits her. I think she'll like it," Hiashi said with an approving smile. Then he nodded and sighed. "You know, I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I've known since your first date, since the first time you brought her back home that you would sweep her off her feet."

Naruto was startled.

Hiashi smiled again. "But this is all pointless, you know. I told you before that I have no authority to dictate Hinata's life anymore, so your happiness will depend on her answer to your question. She's free to do what she wants to do. I'm not sure I even have the right to be called her father since I've forfeited that duty long ago when I made her childhood a living hell."

"But even still, she loves you and she would still want to have your blessing," Naruto said.

"Naruto," Hiashi said with a shake of his head, and there was a sad look on his face. "You're both so easily forgiving!"

Naruto found himself struggling for something to say so he took a drink of his tea again and thought of Hinata, how he'd bungled so much of his relationship with her, but she'd still loved him despite all his faults. He smiled. "Yes, she is. Hinata's the best part of me, and I think yours, too?"

And Hiashi laughed. "Yes, she is that. I have no doubt that she will make you happy, and I already know that you're going to treat her better than I ever did. I wish you luck, my boy, and hope that you cherish each other."

Hiashi then suddenly scooted back a foot from where he sat. Naruto watched in disbelief as this leader of the Hyuuga clan forgot his pride, humbled himself and bowed low, his arms and hands flat against the tatami mat as his forehead touched the weaving of rough straw.

"Naruto, I leave you my daughter and place her care in your hands."

And in his heart, Naruto heard the whisper of an old memory from another Hyuuga, "It's not just one life you hold in your hands."

I got you, Neji, he thought.

Then he turned to Hinata's father.

"Sir, really! Please don't do that!" Naruto said with panic, though he was deeply touched that Hiashi would do something like this. "This is just not my thing! I don't know what to do when people do super serious stuff like this."

Hiashi chuckled then sat up.

Naruto sighed with relief. "I usually have to rely on Hinata to guide me when it comes to this."

The older man nodded with understanding, but there was still a glimmer of a smile on his face. "We all do. She's such a natural."

And the both of them laughed.

They looked at each other, coming to an understanding.

Naruto's next words were spoken from the heart. "But I will spend the rest of my life loving her, making her happy, and protecting her as much as I can. I will never go back on my word. Never."

"I'll hold you to that promise and wish you both happiness, Naruto," Hiashi said.

Naruto glanced at Hiashi again. "Since we're being honest, there's one thing I have to say. I don't think I can keep calling you Old Man from here on out, and you said you don't like the word sir."

The older man looked interested. "Yes."

Naruto took a deep breath. "Would you permit me to call you Father? The way Hanabi and Hinata do?"

Hiashi blinked. Then he bowed low again, his hands flat on the mat, his forehead against the tatami. "Naruto, I will be honored."

"Father," Naruto said slowly, testing out the word. "Thank you."

Hiashi looked up, emotion strong in his face.

"God, this is so awkward!" Naruto groaned, then he laughed. "But you really have to stop bowing like that in front of me because it makes me feel super weird!"

Hiashi aimed a shallower bow at him then smiled. "Understood."

Back at the academy grounds, minutes after his proposal, Naruto told Hinata about finding the ring, about its imperfections making it the perfect ring for her. She laughed, enjoying the story behind it.

"It's so unique. Thank you. I really do love it, Naruto," she said as she looked back at him. He smiled and pressed a kiss on her nose. Then she sighed and leaned back against the warmth of his chest. It was darkening now, but they sat together at the same spot. He was sitting cross-legged with Hinata between his legs, her back to him, his arms loose around her, his hands were playing with her fingers and her hair.

They should probably head home, but he wanted to wait for just a few more minutes.

Hinata chuckled quietly as she looked at her ring again.

"Naruto. This ring, the proposal. Wow, you actually, really put some thought into it!" she teased him.

Naruto humphed into her hair even as his lips pressed against the top of her head. "Hinata, are you making fun of me again?! Are you saying I don't normally think?"

She let out a sudden unladylike squeal of laughter as he tickled her, his fingers flicking over her midriff, her happy cries echoing through the air.

"I take it she said yes," came Kiba's dry voice, suddenly startling Hinata.

Naruto stopped tickling her then grinned at Shino and Kiba as they came into view. He took Hinata's hand and showed them the ring. "She's officially mine now," he said with pride.

Kiba beamed at both of them, truly pleased for her. "Congratulations, Hinata!"

Shino's smile was brief, but it lightened the normally serious expression on his face. "I'm glad, Hinata."

"Kiba, Shino," she said with surprise as she saw them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I told them I was going to propose to you," Naruto murmured against her ear.

"Well, we wanted to make sure he would really do it and not mess it up," Kiba said with a snort. He laughed when Naruto glared at him.

"Don't mind Kiba, Hinata," Shino said as he nodded at Naruto.

"Nah. Just joking," Kiba said. "We just came to wish you happy, Hinata."

Hinata quickly stood up and sprinted to the two of them, who met her in their waiting arms. They wrapped her in a fierce hug as tears ran down her cheeks. Beside them, Akamaru woofed and gave a doggy whine. Hinata rubbed him affectionately on the head with the one hand she could free. The dog licked her fingers.

"I love you guys," she whispered.

Kiba laughed softly then patted her on the head. "Right back at you, Hinata. Always."

"We know, Hinata. Why? Because we're always going to be Team Eight," Shino said.

Naruto watched them all with a smile on his face.

Yes, life was good.