Naruto, Kakashi, and Anko walked out of the Hokage Tower after meeting with the Hokage to discuss Anko's Curse Seal.
"Hey, brat. Why are you being so nice to me? We just met a few hours ago and here you are doing my tattoo removal pro bono," Anko asked with narrowed eyes.
"Why not? Do I need a reason to do a good deed for my fellow man?" Naruto asked with a blithe shrug.
"If something seems too good to be true in our world, you're supposed to stab it just in case," Anko retorted.
"I see. Well, Anko-san, we could have a very long philosophical debate whereby I attempted to make you understand why I'm so willing to do you a favor, or you could just accept that I want to help you and the reward of doing the right thing is all the payment I need. Take your pick," Naruto said with a bright smile with just a touch of mischief.
Anko stared incomprehensibly at the prepubescent blond for a second before she burst into gales of laughter. "Never change, kid. The world needs optimistic idiots like you."
"I take that as a compliment." Naruto glanced at the sky. "What a day, and it's barely the afternoon. And last I checked, we're all free for the rest of the day. Do we part ways here or does the adventure continue?"
"I guess I could keep playing tour guide and show you the highlights of Konoha," Kakashi mused. "Let me think. There's the movie theater, the bookstore, the weapons shop, the bathhouse…"
"Let's go have a soak. I need some scalding hot water to feel clean again after finding out that monster is renting space in my body," Anko shuddered.
"The bathhouse it is," Naruto grinned. He made a Shadow Clone who leapt for the rooftops. "I'll start the research team while we're at it."
"How much freaking chakra do you have, kid? You make Shadow Clones the way I could make ordinary Clones," Anko asked as they began to walk.
"How to put it in perspective…" Naruto mused. "Okay. I have more chakra than you, Kakashi, and Hokage-jiji combined. I didn't get a good look at everyone, but possibly more than everyone else in the Hokage Tower combined. But if it makes you feel better, the higher the capacity the harder it is to control it all."
Anko fought hard to keep her jaw from dropping. "If you have Kage-level reserves, why the fuck are you going to the Academy tomorrow? You should go straight to Chunin or Tokubetsu Jonin and then make Jonin within a year!"
"I'm flattered you think I'm so powerful. To answer your question, two reasons. First, for all my training in the Order, I have little to no idea what a ninja is supposed to know and learn. Second, I want to interact socially with peers my age. Hence my desire to start at the bottom and work my way up," Naruto paused before getting a dreamy smile. "Make that three reasons. I want to be close to Hinata-chan."
"You're putting an awful lot of stock in a Yin-Yang energy compatibility," Kakashi observed.
"There were three Yin-Yang compatible couples at the temple," Naruto replied. "They're the very models of healthy, long-lasting relationships. And you know what drinking Thousand Year Tea does. All three of their marriages are older than the village we're standing in."
Kakashi rose a brow as he mentally crunched on that. "Hmm… I see your point."
"What the hell is Thousand Year Tea?" Anko asked, never happy to be out of the loop.
"There's three beverages of choice in an Order temple: clean water, home-brewed moonshine, and Thousand Year Tea. Among other health benefits, the tea acts as an aging retardant. Some of the oldest Masters who started drinking it as children are hundreds of years old by now," Naruto revealed. "And before you ask, I don't know the recipe. And frankly, I wouldn't give it even if I did. You shinobi have your Forbidden Jutsu. The Order has its own secrets."
"Fair enough," Kakashi shrugged. "You seem the age you're supposed to be. I'm guessing you didn't drink much of it."
"Who wants to be a kid any longer than necessary? Before I decided to leave the Order to become a ninja, I figured I'd wait until I was at least 15 before I started drinking it daily," Naruto said honestly.
"Out of curiosity, how old is Master Feng? I know he's old enough to have met the First Hokage," Kakashi asked.
"He's 134 as of last May," Naruto said casually.
Anko's eyes were twitching. "You're telling me that horns are all unaging vampires?"
"Not unaging. Just aging much more slowly than the ordinary man does. And none of them have to consume blood either," Naruto corrected her.
The conversation moved to more casual topics until they reached Konoha's 'World Famous' Hot Springs. They all paid the fee, the receptionist politely asking Naruto to make sure his hair didn't get in the water. Anko went one way while Naruto and Kakashi went another, the baths being divided based on sex. Naruto quickly tied his long hair into a messy bun atop his head before disrobing and putting his clothes in his assigned locker, Kakashi doing the same. The blond and cyclops bathed quickly, helpfully washing each other's backs, before walking into the actual open-air hot spring. It being 1:30 on a weekday, the pool was mostly empty. A couple retirees, apparently old friends based on how they were chatting, and a handful of Konoha men enjoying a day off with a long soak.
"You're seriously going to wear that mask the whole time?" Naruto asked his bathing companion.
"It's traditional. As the last Hatake, I must abide by all my clan's traditions," Kakashi shrugged.
"Well, you look ridiculous," the younger told his elder frankly.
"I've been called worse," Kakashi waved off without concern.
"Yo, Kakashi!" one of the other men called, wading through the water towards them.
"Oh, hey Asuma. Didn't see you there," Kakashi greeted with a lazy wave.
"Who's the kid?" Asuma asked once he reached them.
"He's capable of answering for himself. Uzumaki Naruto. Going by the family resemblance, I'm guessing you're part of Hokage-jiji's clan?" Naruto said in a deadpan.
Asuma eyed Naruto incredulously before bursting into laughter. "I like you kid! And yeah, I'm a Sarutobi. I'm actually the old man's son."
"Nice to meet you. Given how familiar you were with Kakashi, I'd wager you're either a Jonin or ANBU who has worked with him before," Naruto noted.
"Jonin. And he was one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja for a while there too," Kakashi supplied before Asuma could respond.
Asuma nodded. "That's right. Glad I quit though. You wouldn't believe how petty the squabbles can get in the Daimyo's court. So, Uzumaki Naruto, huh? If memory serves right, aren't you the, er, container that went missing?"
"You could say that. But thanks to Kakashi here, today's my homecoming," Naruto yawned, the hot water having a soporific, soothing effect on him as it had on countless men before him.
"Well, welcome back to Konoha then. If it's not classified to all hell and back, where were you the last six years?" Asuma asked, taking position on the other side of Naruto, his right side occupied by Kakashi.
"Order of the Horned One. Now I'm back to be the best ninja I can be. Maybe even take the hat from Hokage-jiji one day. Or, let's be honest, his successor. He can't have that many years left in him," Naruto mused.
"Yeah, you're right. But is there any better death for a shinobi than old age? That merits a monument. Whole world should gaze up at it in awe," Asuma sighed. "Anyway, good luck in getting the hat kid. Many have tried. Many have failed."
"You try, you fail, you try, you fail. But the only true failure is to stop trying," Naruto quoted before lowering a few more inches into the water.
"True enough. But sometimes it's unbearably hard to get up and try that one last time," Kakashi reflected.
"That's how you know it's imperative to push through to victory. But this is getting a bit deep for a daytime bath. Kakashi's coping mechanisms are reading adult literature in public, being constantly tardy, and staring for hours at the Memorial Stone. What's your way of staying sane in this crazy world we live in, Asuma-san?" Naruto asked politely.
The two Jonin looked askance at Naruto for a moment. Kakashi chuckled and returned to enjoying the hot spring. Asuma shrugged. "Nicotine and sex. I'm faithful when I'm with a girl, but most civilians can't keep up with me."
"So go for a kunoichi," Naruto said like it was obvious.
"You mean a woman who can castrate me with most common household objects? But you have a point there, kid. Got my eyes on this fine red-eyed Tokubetsu. Just working out the best way to ask her out for a first date."
Naruto tilted his head as if listening to someone far away. "Showing up at her front door uninvited is too forward. And slipping it into casual conversation will make her think you aren't taking her seriously. If I were you, I'd bump into her at her favorite store, strike up a talk about your common interests, then invite her for a cup of coffee or bite to eat. Getting a second date is up to you, lady killer."
Asuma blinked. "That… actually sounds like it might work. How's a guy without pubic hair yet know how to woo a woman?"
"I don't. The female voice inside my brain does," Naruto said honestly. Luckily, Asuma took it as a joke.
The three males chewed the fat for about twenty minutes, before Asuma said the heat was getting to him and made his exit. Kakashi side-eyed Naruto. "I suppose it's up to you who you tell, but you came awfully close to telling Asuma about Kushina-san."
"As a member of the Order, I am bound to always speak honestly," Naruto said solemnly. "But don't tell me you never deceived someone by only telling parts of the truth. If I'm asked a direct question, I'll reply forthright. Otherwise, I'll keep my secrets as best I can." Naruto squinted. "Anko-san's getting out. We shouldn't keep her waiting."
Kakashi nodded before what Naruto said actually processed in his mind. "Wait… you can see through the divider?"
"We talked earlier about Chakra Sight, why are you so surprised?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"So you've been peeping on the women's side this whole time?" Kakashi asked incredulously.
"Might I remind you I met the future mother of my children earlier today? I'm only interested in seeing her naked, I could care less about other women," Naruto stated plainly. After a beat though, Naruto blushed and admitted "That being said, there's nothing wrong with appreciating the aesthetic value of the female form."
Kakashi's smug smirk was visible even through his mask. "No arguments here, Naruto. Come on, let's get out of here."
"Or the male form for that matter," Naruto continued as he walked with Kakashi back to the locker room.
Kakashi raised his brow. "You swing both ways?"
"I swing all ways. I identify as pansexual," Naruto answered as he let his hair down.
"So, what, you're turned on by everyone?" Kakashi asked dubiously.
"That's omnisexual. Pansexual… one way to describe it is 'hearts, not parts'. I couldn't care less whether my partner has a penis, a vagina, both, or neither. What matters is if our personalities match. Having met Hinata-chan, I'll probably end up in your standard heterosexual relationship. But on the off chance I meet someone else I'm Yin-Yang compatible with, it could be anyone or anything. All I'll care about is whether Hinata-chan is open to making our couple a trio," Naruto explained as he dried off and put his clothes back on.
Kakashi mulled that over. "So you believe in non-monogamous relationships? Polyamory?"
"I believe that love is love, so long as it stays healthy. And there's no rule that says two people are only allowed to love each other. It requires a great deal of communication and trust, but I've heard of romantic relationships throughout the Order's history that were less than traditional. The Master of the Earth temple has four wives. The Lightning temple had an all-male trio that cracked how to make same-sex pregnancy possible about a century ago. You get the idea. But this is all on the unlikely chance I meet another person my inner energies click with. It's rare to meet just one, let alone two or more." Naruto winced and rubbed his temple.
"Who said something?" Kakashi asked with concern.
"Mom AND Dad. Both want me to build a harem of busty kunoichi and give them dozens of grandchildren. They use the excuse I'm one of the last Uzumaki and I need to 'repopulate' the clan. Dad's already got over a hundred baby names ready and Mom just gushes about how her 'little prince charming' deserves every decent girl to bow at his feet. I am DEFINITELY finding a way to blind them or extract them before I become sexually active. They'd probably try to give me advice mid-coitus." Naruto shuddered.
Kakashi nodded in complete sympathy. "Yeah, that's the kind of parental teachings you don't want or need. On any level."
They walked out of the building to see Anko waiting as patiently as she could just outside. "So, how was it soaking in water that was at least 10% ball sweat?"
"Quite enjoyable," Naruto said back, without an ounce of sarcasm.
"Feel better?" Kakashi asked the Tokubetsu.
"Much. So what if the fucker left a chunk of that black soul of his inside me? Once the brat extracts it while removing the seal, I'll finally get the chance to work out my frustrations on the cocksucker!" Anko chirped with a grin that would terrify young children… and most adults.
"Well, alright then," Kakashi grinned, happy his lover (and if Naruto was to be believed, soulmate) was out of her funk. "Now then, I heard a new copy of Icha Icha came out this week. Next stop on our wandering tour of Konoha: the bookstore!"
The trio walked to the biggest bookstore in the village. Kakashi and Anko shamelessly went to the 18+ section while Naruto browsed the bestseller aisle. He'd read plenty of poetry and historic epics in the Order, but he hadn't had the chance to read modern fiction. He picked a couple books that seemed promising and joined his two companions at the checkout counter.
They wandered aimlessly throughout the village the rest of the day, Kakashi and Anko pointing out local landmarks for Naruto's benefit. They didn't talk anymore about the seal, just focusing on enjoying a nice walk through the town.
Naruto's stomach gave an audible gurgle. "I guess it's dinnertime," he observed.
"You like ramen right, brat? Follow me. I know a good spot," Anko said, the sky turning orange over their heads.
Naruto and Kakashi followed the kunoichi to a food stand not too far from their apartment building. The flaps over the entrance declared it 'Ramen Ichiraku'. A middle-aged man and a 20-something girl wore white uniforms and welcoming smiles. "Thanks for choosing Ramen Ichiraku! What can we get you?" the chef asked politely.
"Large Miso for me," Anko ordered.
Kakashi sat down after glancing at the menu. "Extra Large Shrimp with a fried egg, please."
"And for you?" the girl asked Naruto, who seemed like he was debating a life-or-death decision.
"Oh, so many flavors to try, how can I decide? You know what, just give me a Small bowl of everything on the menu!" Naruto finally said enthusiastically.
The chef smirked. "A connoisseur with a big appetite. My favorite kind of customer."
As the two cooks got to work, the trio made small talk. Naruto literally had to wipe drool from his mouth at the aroma of cooking ramen. In due time, the orders were ready. The Mitarashi, Hatake, and Uzumaki broke their chopsticks, said the customary prayer, and dug in.
"Hot damn. I forget how good this place is! I love dango, but this really hits the spot!" Anko said in appreciation.
Just because Kakashi was eating too fast to be seen didn't mean he wasn't savoring. "This is gourmet. This is worthy of the Daimyo's table."
Naruto looked like he'd achieved gustatory nirvana. "It's as if the broth were made from angel's tears. This is the single most delicious meal I've ever had the privilege to consume."
The father-daughter pair, Ichiraku Teuchi and Ayame, smiled and bowed. "Please enjoy!"
They all finished eating eventually, Naruto practically inhaling each bowl. They each paid their share and left, with Naruto promising to return at least once a week. They arrived at Naruto and Kakashi's apartment building.
"Well, this was an action-packed first day in Konoha. I think I'll meditate an hour or two then call it a night. What about you two?"
Kakashi was about to reply when he distinctly felt Anko grope his ass. "Your sorta big brother and I are going to practice making you an uncle, brat," Anko said in a decidedly good mood.
"We are?" Kakashi asked, a certain part of his anatomy making its approval of this plan perfectly clear.
"Naruto is going to get rid of this fucking seal. You're the one who brought him here. I'm going to take you until you beg for mercy twice."
"I never beg," Kakashi said in token protest.
"Twice," Anko hissed with sinful promise.
Naruto didn't blink at the seduction happening before his virgin eyes. One of the things the Order stressed was to accept any and all forms of love. If it brought happiness to the world without hurting anyone, it couldn't be bad, right? "Well, have fun you two. Good night!" and then Naruto went to his apartment. It had been taken over by the research team, the 24 Shadow Clones talking up almost all the floor space as they puzzled out how to neutralize the Cursed Seal of Heaven without destroying its contents. Naruto took a piss, went to his bedroom, laid out his outfit for tomorrow, put his dirty clothes in the hamper, and sat in the lotus position on his bed in the simple cotton shorts he slept in. After six years in the Order of the Horned One, meditation was as essential to his well-being as the air he breathed. When he had sat in inner peace for a good amount of time, Naruto got under the covers and waited for sleep to claim him.
He woke with the dawn, not needing an alarm clock as his subconscious mind sensed the shift in energies as sunlight banished the dark of night. In the Order, the debate raged as to why there was a distinct difference between an area lit by moonlight and starlight versus one lit by sunlight. Naruto didn't particularly care about that mystery. He got dressed and went to the kitchen table. One of his Shadow Clones had been thoughtful enough to make him breakfast and pack his lunch. He ate sedately, and then went to the front door. He looked back at the research team. They'd last a good 2-3 days before dispelling from running out of chakra. "See you, boys."
"See you, Boss," chorused those who'd heard him through their concentration on their job, the sole purpose for which they'd been created.
Naruto walked out of the apartment building, pausing when he reached the street. "You're not a horn anymore, Naruto, you're a ninja. Information is a weapon. So you better get more than the other guy or girl will have when it comes down to it." With a thought, Naruto made 3 Shadow Clones. One turned into a pigeon and took flight, multiplying into a large flock as it did so. The second turned into a rat and scurried for the nearest alley before making more Shadow Clone rats. The third turned into a random civilian in his late teens and went for the Konoha Library to begin the process of reading every book and scroll in the building.
For whatever reason, it took surprisingly little chakra to use the Transformation Jutsu and alter one's body into a temporary new shape. The catch was giving yourself wings didn't mean you knew how to fly. Plus turning into something inanimate carried the risk of death if you did it wrong. Most shinobi stuck to simple human disguises rather than morph into a non-humanoid. And of course there was the cost of maintaining the transformation, but that had never been a problem for Naruto and his absurd chakra levels.
Naruto walked calmly to the Academy, nodding politely at the few passerby up this early. On entering the Academy courtyard, Naruto eyed the swing on the tree where he'd met Hinata. Figuring it'd be more fun than just standing there waiting for the school to open, Naruto went over and sat on the swing. He started to rock forward and back, enjoying the simple delights of the suspended seat.
Around 7:30 by Naruto's estimation, a young man with a scar across his nose in standard Konoha shinobi uniform for Chunin and Jonin appeared in a blur of Body Flicker. He was headed for the doors when he noticed Naruto. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Naruto jumped off the swing and approached the ninja roughly the same age as Kakashi. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. The Hokage said I'd be joining the graduating class today."
In an instant, the man's face became closed off and guarded. "Oh right. The… special case."
Naruto repressed the urge to sigh. "Let's get this out of the way. I'm not the Kyuubi in human form. I'm just the guy the Fourth wrote the Prison Seal on and then he shoved the Kyuubi inside it. To blame me for his actions is akin to blaming a scroll for the blood on the kunai it stores. If you think about it, I protect Konoha with every breath I take, acting as his container and keeping him from escaping. Instead of being reviled, I should be revered. But then, people are rarely so logical when dealing with the pain of loss, fear of the unknown, or the blinding power of hate. The point I'm trying to make is I'm Naruto, not the fox. Please treat me as you would any other student."
The ninja frowned in thought. "That actually makes a lot of sense… okay. You're nothing but my new student. Umino Iruka, Iruka-sensei to you. I'll be your primary teacher until graduation."
"Pleased to meet you, Iruka-sensei. Would you please show me to our classroom?" Naruto said with his best manners.
"Sure." Iruka unlocked the front doors and then walked through the building to the proper classroom. Naruto thanked his new teacher and then went for the seat in the back row next to the window. From there, he'd be able to see the chalkboard, his fellow students, and the village outside to some degree. Iruka sat at the desk in the front of the room and graded some homework by the looks of it. Naruto simply enjoyed the view.
Another Chunin walked in the room about 15 minutes later. Naruto looked at him and felt his caution rise as he observed how much negative energy was in the man's aura. Judging a person purely on how much positivity and negativity they held was an inexact science. Just because this man was almost as dark as the soul shard of Orochimaru Naruto had seen in Anko's seal yesterday didn't necessarily mean he was a bad guy. But there was no harm in keeping his guard up around him, was there?
"Hey, Iruka," the man said. He glanced at Naruto. "Who's the kid? Don't think I've seen him around before."
"Hey, Mizuki. That's the student Hokage-sama ordered to join the class as of today. Uzumaki Naruto, remember?"
Naruto didn't need to be trained in Chakra Sight to see the flash of pure hatred that crossed Mizuki's face before it was expertly masked. Full of negative energy AND a Kyuubi hater. Not a good combination for Naruto if the man ever decided to act on his feelings. He'd definitely be keeping an eye on this guy. But at the moment, they'd not even met yet properly. Best to act nice. "Good morning, Mizuki-sensei. I hope to learn much from you and Iruka-sensei."
Mizuki gave a very convincing smile. "Always good to get a new student. I hope you're fast on your feet because we aren't going to take it easy on you just because it's your first day."
"I'll do my best," Naruto grinned.
Naruto spent the next half hour patiently waiting as Iruka and Mizuki discussed the lesson plan for the day. Students began to trickle in around 8:00. Naruto carefully observed and made a mental file for each of his peers as they arrived. At around 8:20, Hinata came in. Naruto immediately waved. "Yo, Hinata-chan! Come sit with me!"
Hinata seemed to 'eep' and do some odd nervous gesture with her hands, not to mention turning almost tomato red. But she walked up the steps to take the seat next to Naruto nonetheless. "H-hello, Naruto-san," she said, glancing at his face for a second before looking down at the desk. Naruto found her shyness adorable.
"You can use 'kun' with me if you want, Hinata-chan. Or just call me by name. I really don't mind," Naruto said to start with.
Hinata gulped but got a tiny little smile. "O-o-okay, Naruto-kun."
"We're still on to sit together at lunch, right?" Naruto checked, since there was every chance she'd changed her mind.
"Y-yes. I'd l-like that v-very much," Hinata said, blushing so much her face looked like a ripe apple.
"Great, dattebayo! Oh, sorry, I have this verbal tic. I know it's a nonsense word but I can't help but say it when I'm excited," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head while grinning self-deprecatingly.
"I-I don't mind," Hinata said, feeling herself relax a little. The fact Naruto had a speech oddity like herself made him seem more approachable.
"Today's my first day. I know it's halfway through the school year. So I hope you don't mind helping me if I get a question I can't answer. On the off chance you get asked a question you don't know but I do, I'll tell you. Sound fair?" Naruto asked.
"Yes," Hinata agreed readily. A dark part of her whispered that he was only being nice so she'd help him get good grades, but she tried to ignore it. Naruto practically radiated 'goodness'. The idea of him doing something so underhanded just didn't fit in Hinata's mind.
"So, all I know about you is that you're exquisitely beautiful but have no friends. And all you know about me is that I'm the new guy. How about we take turns asking each other a question, and we're not allowed to lie? You up for it?" Naruto grinned.
Hinata felt herself come close to fainting when she heard Naruto call her 'beautiful', but she managed to push through. "O-okay," she nodded. "You c-can go first."
"Okay. What's your favorite thing to eat?" Naruto asked.
"Cinnamon rolls," Hinata replied right away, not even having to think about it.
"Got it. Now I know what to make you for dessert! You go now," Naruto said.
"W-why did you want to be f-f-friends with me?" Hinata asked.
Naruto chuckled. "Lots of reasons. On a purely aesthetic level, you're radiant. I want to see you as much and as often as I can to appreciate your gorgeous face. Platonically, I like to make friends with everyone I meet who's open to it. The fact you had no friends also made me want to fix that as soon as possible. And romantically, I'm incredibly attracted to you. I know we're a bit young, but I'd very much want to be not just your friend, but your boyfriend. That's about it."
Hinata felt like someone had replaced her blood with gasoline and she'd just swallowed a lit match. She could barely process what she just heard. It was like a happy ending out of a fairy tale, the noble prince riding in on his steed to sweep the princess off her feet. And Hinata was (technically) the Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. That was kind of like a princess. "O-oh."
Naruto sensed he was laying it on a bit thick and Hinata was having trouble taking it all. He decided to go for a light topic. "My turn. Favorite leisure activity?"
"K-knitting," Hinata said once her blood drained a little from her face. Before Naruto could prompt her, she asked "W-why are you in this class? Did you transfer f-f-from another Hidden Village or something?"
Naruto shrugged. "The short answer is I asked Hokage-jiji to be in this class and he made it happen. The long answer is I left the village 6 years ago to join the Order of the Horned One. I left the temple to return here to become a ninja just yesterday. Hokage-jiji wanted to make me do an assessment and then join the ranks, but I wanted to experience a shinobi education with kids my own age instead of working with a bunch of strangers older than me. He likes me for some reason, so Hokage-jiji assigned me to the Academy."
"You c-call Hokage-sama 'jiji'?" Hinata gaped.
"Yeah. He doesn't mind. Anyway, back to me. Hmm… what's one thing you want to happen before you die?"
Hinata considered it, slowly cooling down. "H-hear my f-f-father say 'I am proud of you.' B-but that's n-n-never going to happen."
Naruto frowned, reaching out to take Hinata's hand to give a comforting squeeze. "Never say never. If one thing is certain it's that nothing is certain. It might not be today or tomorrow, but there's no reason he won't say that some day in the future."
Hinata gulped, feeling her heart lift at his sincere encouragement… and be set afire at feeling his hand in hers again. Like yesterday, it felt like Naruto's warm, rough, gentle hand was injecting pure energy into her system. "W-what is this sensation when we t-touch?" she asked a tad breathlessly.
"I feel it too. It's my Yang energy syncing with your Yin energy. I learned in the Order that synced couples almost always end up falling in love with each other. It's why I'm so certain that you're the right girl for me even though we just met," Naruto explained.
Hinata felt almost rapturous at the thought of a guarantee that this boy was meant to be hers as surely as she was meant to be his. But a dark cloud of doubt came over her mind. "S-so that's the o-only reason you l-like me? Our chakras f-fit together?"
Naruto frowned. "You're thinking about it wrong. It's not that we're soulmates because we're in sync. We're in sync because we're soulmates. If you and I had never felt our energies come together, we still would have been a guy and a girl. Given enough time together, there would have been a very high chance we ended up together without any special reason besides general romance. The syncing is more our bodies telling us what they think about each other. It's not like we're slaves to our instincts. Everything is a choice. You could decide never to say another word to me and go on to marry anyone you want. But your Yin likes my Yang, so there's a good chance that I'm the best match you're ever likely to find and vice versa." Naruto let go, cutting the sync off. "If you want to change seats, I'd understand. I've dropped a lot of information on you in just a few minutes."
Hinata was silent for a minute in indecision. Luckily, the voice in her heart proved louder than her self-doubt. She reached out and took Naruto's hand in hers again. "If my chakra trusts you, then I trust you. Let's give this a shot." She didn't stutter once.
Naruto's answering smile was blinding in its intensity. "Like I said, we're a bit young. But if you don't mind, how about we start dating?"
"I'd love to, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a grin that made her positively heartbreaking.
At that point the bell rang, popping their intensely intimate bubble and reminding them they were students in a classroom. Naruto and Hinata turned to face the front of the classroom, though they kept holding hands beneath the table.