Alright I'm starting my fourteenth chapter. Thanks for the reviews~ This chapter will be slightly longer than others.I was actually thinking about splitting this into 2 chapters but I just decided to give you 1 chapter that's unusually long. Might be a while before the next update so I hope you enjoy this one. Getting nice reviews has inspired me to write more. I like having conversations with people here about cute Naruto things~

"Kyuubi Speech"

"Midnight Speech"

"Everyone else's speech"

Chapter 14
On with the story

Large lavender eyes of an adolescent girl stared into a mirror, her small hand raised up to apply a thin layer of mascara against her lashes. After a moment that hand disappeared from the mirror's field of view before reappearing holding a stick of light purple lipstick. It was carefully applied to her thin lips. The girl rubbed her lips together and smacked them softly before staring at her reflection for a few long moments. Was she ready?

The girl's fingers fidgeted endlessly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before those lids snapped back open, a resolute express gracing her tweenage face. She gave a determined nod before turning around and exiting the bathroom she was in. The girl was about to leave her room, placing her small hands along the handle of her door before freezing and turning her head around, scanning her room. How could she forget?

Laying on her bed was a small paper bag, she quickly made her way over to grab the handle of the bag, checking the contents one last time with a satisfied smile before turning about and finally leaving the room. This would be the day. Today Hinata would make Naruto hers.

It didn't take long for Hinata to get to the place where she'd meet up with Naruto. The village was a lot less busy since most people were at the festival. She ran through the empty streets for a while before jumping up and traveling from roof to roof. Even though it was just noon she could already hear the festival events beginning. For now she ignored it to focus on getting to her destination quicker.

When approaching the spot near that familiar bench where she'd often meet Naruto. Hinata began to slow down, now walking along the trail which was usually frequented by joggers and those living on the outskirts of the village going into town for work and business. The closer she got to the bench the more nervous she became. Her grip tightened on the paper bag, her breath hitching in her throat when finally spotting the silhouette of a petite figure off in the distance. Despite being several yards away from the figure Hinata showed immediate recognition.

"There he is." Hinata thought to herself anxiously before reaching into the paper back to take out a small, decorative object. A mask.

The mask Hinata took out was similar to a mask worn at masquerade balls. Except the purpose of the mask was related to the festival. It was to memorialize the shinobi that died protecting the village from Kyuubi. So people wore a decorative version of those people's faces or their bloodlines. Hinata wore a mask of a Hyuuga. Many Hyuuga died during the attack 12 years ago. It was a generic mask of the eyes of a Hyuuga's Byakugan flaring. The veins of the eyes were multicolored, The mask covered the top half of the face but left the mouth exposed.

Hinata put it on, a strap wrapped around her head to hold the mask in place. This one was one of the more expensive masks, something easily obtained for a girl of Hinata's means. Other lower quality masks were sold during the festival.

As she got closer to Naruto Hinata slowed down even further, taking her time to take in his figure since it didn't seem like he noticed her.

Naruto's back was facing Hinata. He wore a kimono as usual, an attire of his mother's design. It was white with a golden obi wrapped around the waist. While most Kimono were rather baggy to allow the wearer to breath, this one wasn't. The fabric of Naruto's outfit hugged his skin, Kyuubi wanted to make sure that all of Naruto's unnatural curves were highlighted. Hinata couldn't help letting her eyes trail down his body. Since he wasn't facing towards her this was a rare opportunity to indulge her perverted thoughts. The girl found her eyes lingering on his butt which was really accentuated by the tightness of the silky garment Naruto wore.

Hinata was only snapped out of her staring when Naruto began to turn around. Immediately she shot her eyes up to look at his face, a bright red blush already staining her cheeks. Seeing his face did little to quell the fluttering in her chest.

"Oh Gods, he is so beautiful." Hinata thought to herself as Naruto's face was revealed.

He was as pretty as ever, a warm smile gracing those kissable lips of his. The boy's long, knee length blonde hair hung freely, a few strands were braided into a crown and fell out in front of his face just enough to the side to not obscure his vision. His hair was like a golden veil that make his face glow. Being in his human form Naruto's bright blue eyes gazed happily upon Hinata, his smile widening sweetly as she neared. His hands were rested gracefully against his belly, perfectly manicured nails and slender fingers entwined. Naruto squinted his eyes joyfully as he called out to his date.

"Hello Hinata-chan. You look very pretty today, that mask really suits you." Naruto spoke in that angelic voice of his which, upon hearing it, made Hinata's knees weak.

She was wearing a Kimono as well, hers much more traditional. Her attire was light purple, matching her make up, embroidered with white flowery designs and a darker purple obi wrapped around her waist. Today there were two silky flowers adorning her hair, hanging off the top of her head like panda ears.

"Thank you Naru-kun." Hinata stated in a gentle tone before stepping in front of him and raising up on her tippy toes to deliver a swift kiss to his lips. Naruto responded as he usually did, pursing his lips for the kiss but otherwise not returning her passion.

This behavior of his never went unnoticed by the Hinata. Despite going on dates, despite kissing him and hugging him she knew he hadn't accepted her as his girlfriend yet. She intended to change that.

As she pulled back Naruto found himself staring inquisitively at the mask. He then looked into her eyes expectantly. He knew she would answer his unspoken question. They'd really gotten to know each other in the months that they had been friends.

"It's for the festival." Hinata explained while bringing a hand up to swipe a bit of her lavender hair from her face so Naruto could get a perfect view of it.

"It's pretty." Naruto commented sweetly. This made Hinata smile as she reached into the paper back to fetch the other object.

"I know you are nervous about today. I still don't know why but it's obvious that...there is something between you and the people of the village. I've never seen that side of them, I didn't know they treated people that way. Especially not children. Is it because you are an orphan? I thought that might be it but i realized that you didn't actually answer me the first time I asked." Hinata questioned, speaking a mile a minutes as she clutched the hidden object in the bag.

Looking into Naruto's eyes she could see the subject was upsetting him. His warm smile became strained, though he still maintained it. Those big blue eyes of his began to trail off as he thought about how he should answer. His fingers began to fidget, the boy biting into his own bottom lip, but before he could speak Hinata shook her head and dropped the bag. She reached both her delicate hands forward to cup Naruto's cheeks. Naruto was still a bit taller than she was.

"It's ok. You don't have to answer. It's ok." Hinata whispered tenderly before leaning in to engage him in another soft kiss. Hinata's voice served to sooth Naruto's nerves making him much more responsive to this particular exchange.

Subtly Naruto placed all the fingers on one of his hands against Hinata's belly, his nails lightly scratching and caressing the fabric of her obi. While Hinata suckled against his bottom lip Naruto watched her with a half lidded gaze, a foreign feeling finally welling up inside of him. She was so tender and supportive.

"But what if she found out?" Naruto thought to himself as he stared at her reassuring face. This was something that Naruto dwelled on constantly. Getting close to someone only for them to leave if he ever opened himself up. Why wouldn't they leave? How could any human stay after learning who...what he truly was?

Naruto was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice how long that kiss went on for. When he snapped back to his senses he had both his arms wrapped completely around Hinata's waist, hugging her close as small dribbles of saliva began to leak out the side of their mouths. Hinata was in heaven, staying silent as Naruto progressively deepened that kiss on his own. She knew him well enough to tell that he was lost in his thoughts but she wasn't going to stop him.

By the time they pulled back Hinata was panting slightly to catch her breath, her face painted redder than it probably had ever been. Her tongue dangled a bit past her lips, mouth parted slightly as she looked on adoringly at her crush.

Naruto was rather surprised at his own behavior. It seems that despite his doubts and insecurities his body seemed to be a bit more...decisive. When seeing the look Hinata was giving him a subtle blush spread across his cheeks, though he didn't look away or release her from his hold.

"Did you bring me something?" Naruto asked seemingly out of the blue, using the subject to gather himself. Hinata smiled wide, rubbing her fingers through the hair on the back of her head. She nodded her head and gave a simple response.

"Mhm." The girl hummed, trying to enjoy the feeling of Naruto's secure and tender hold for as long as possible. Naruto could see what she was doing, the realization causing him to release a knowing chuckle.

"Are you going to show me?" He questioned with a devilish smirk crossing his face. Hinata could tell by his response that he knew what she was doing.

"Mhm." Hinata responded back shortly once more as her arms tightened around Naruto's neck. She wanted him to kiss her again. Naruto let out another small chuckle before dipping his head forward and engaging her in a little eskimo kiss.

"Silly." Naruto commented before pulling his arms away from her waist and planting a smooch against her forehead. Hinata had a look of mild disappointed but despite her defeated expression she reached down to grab the bag.

"I was thinking that maybe if people didn't recognize you then you'd feel more comfortable." Hinata continued while pulling out an intricately designed mask from the bag. This one was a bit bigger than the one she wore. It was a mask of the Aburame clan, the same clan that Shino was a part of.

It had colorful insect decorations that spread out into a repeating pattern like the tail of a peacock. The wings of the mask folded outward and locked in place. It was one of the flashier masks. Naruto looked at it with wide eyes, excitement clearly evident in his expression. It was so pretty. He'd never wore something like it. He'd never gotten to be a part of the festival. Naruto had to stop himself from reaching out and tearing it from Hinata's hands. He caught himself mid grab, pulling his hands back in a show of restraint.

Hinata was a bit taken aback by Naruto's response, this was a new side to him.

"Do you like it?" Hinata asked while unfolding the insectoid wings of the mask and holding it up so Naruto would get a good look. Naruto couldn't help the goofy smile plastering his lips.

"Yes." He replied simply. Hinata was grinning so brightly now that it made Naruto finally gaze away, as if she'd learned some big secret about him. She took a step forward and turned the mask around, carefully placing it against Naruto's face and wrapping her arms around his head to secure the strap. The mask fit perfectly. It was even large enough to cover his cheeks to obscure his notable whisker marks. Hinata pulled back to get a good view of Naruto in that mask.

"How do I look?" Naruto asked sheepishly, a bit nervous since this was completely new to him. Hinata wouldn't tell him but the mask he wore was meant for girls. Most masks were gendered. This one was brightly colored to be purple and pink with different shades of green decorating the background. With that mask combined with Naruto's kimono, the boy looked like a true diva. It even matched the black scarf he wore around his neck. Hinata took a while to answer, a bit stunned by just how good Naruto looked with that mask.

She didn't ignore the fact that Naruto was a bit more feminine, well...a lot more feminine than his "dobe" act in class. At first she didn't know how to feel about it but she had begun to really adore this version as much...if not more so than the boy she originally fell for. Despite his choice of attire, his calm and graceful demeanor, he was still Naruto in her eyes. Hopefully...soon to be HER Naruto.

It took her awhile to speak up but when she did, it was in a dreamy infatuated manner.

"You're perfect Naru-kun." The girl whispered softly. Hearing those words made him freeze up as a shock hit his system. Naruto raised a single hand to place gently over his own chest. His heart was throbbing. He looked down for a moment, the boy's voice caught in his throat. When he looked back up a small stream of tears were trailing down his cheeks.

"Thank you Hinata-chan." He replied back sweetly. Why was she so good to him?

Hinata stepped forward to close the distance between them, reaching a hand up to wipe Naruto's tears away. It was harder with the mask so she simply lifted the mask up enough to help. She stared into his bright blue eyes with her giant lavender orbs before laying her head across his shoulder.

"You're welcome." Hinata stated tenderly before reaching down to entwine her fingers with his. Holding hands now Hinata began to lead the way towards the village with Naruto standing by her side. Naruto moved closer to her, giving her hand an affection squeeze. Hinata looked rather pleased with herself, returning the squeeze as they made their way down the path and finally, towards the festival.

It didn't take them long to move towards the festival area of the city. The progressively loudening noise of the events were a good sign. They just had to follow the music.

Hinata could tell that Naruto was getting more nervous as they got closer. She was having an internal battle with herself as she contemplated turning around. It was clear to see, even behind that mask, how distress he was. Still she thought this would be good for him. He'd always been a loner. Before she and Sasuke entered his life the only friend that Naruto seemed to have with Iruka. Thinking about the life he led and how closely it mirrored her own as far as she knew, well, if she could help him maybe...she had to try.

The couple rounded a corner heading through an alley, the sun was still bright in the sky so the alley was illuminated. This seemed to be the quickest route. In fact they could see a large crowd gathering in the distance.

Naruto squeezed Hinata's hand tightly, catching her attention. She shifted her gaze over to him before finally coming to a stop. Moving in front of him Hinata raised a hand to snake under his mask and caress his cheek.

"We don't have to go. We've already come far enough. I shouldn't have pressure you so hard." Hinata whispered tenderly in a shaky voice, seeing Naruto like this was heartbreaking. He was trembling.

Naruto didn't respond immediately, the boy looking past her towards the crowd visible down the alley. He clenched into the fabric of his kimono along his thigh before closing his eyes. After a moment Naruto fluttered his lids open, holding his head high.

"Thank you Hinata-chan, for everything." Naruto said before walking past her, still holding her hand. Though he didn't walk away from the crowd but towards it. Suddenly Naruto burst into a sprint, the speed in which he moved caused a sudden high pitched squeak of surprise to emit from Hinata. She stumbled a bit but quickly caught her balance, following slightly behind Naruto at full sprint. Naruto turned his head slightly to the side before giving her a sweet smile. Seeing that smile made her heart warm.

"He's so strong." She thought to herself in admiration before the two finally exited the alley to join a huge crowd of people. Almost as soon as they left the alley an eruption of fire shot high up into the air, the source coming from the center of the street.

There was a huge parade going on. The streets were filled with dancers, actors, children and adults alike. Most were in costume while those who weren't were simply watching from the side. The flames were still roaring from a large figure. Naruto and Hinata both turned their heads to assess the situation. Upon seeing it Naruto's eyes widened.

In the middle of the parade was a giant Float made in the image of Kyuubi. It was at least 30 feet tall. It was in the shape of Kyuubi's giant fox form, 9 tails thrashing behind it, controlled by a few puppeteers dressed in red. The head of the fox was the most intricate. It's mouth was wide open and periodically a huge plume of smoke spewed from the fox's mouth. There was clearly someone inside the float using a fire jutsu.

"Since when did I breathe fire?" Came the annoyed voice of Kyuubi from inside Naruto's mind. The tone of her voice forced a tiny little giggle out of Naruto. He raised a sleeved hand in front of his face to hide his laughter.

"Don't you dare support this!" Kyuubi continued on in a heated manner. This caused Naruto to begin laughing even harder, drawing a shocked expression from Hinata. She stared at him blankly for a while but couldn't help laughing with him. She didn't know why she was laughing, but seeing Naruto be so jovial was very refreshing.

Wanting to enjoy more of Naruto's lively spirit Hinata tugged at Naruto's hand and led him to the front of the cheering crowd so they could get a closer look. Periodly fireworks would erupt above the Float's head, as if it were attacking the crowd. The crowd went wild with every blaze.

The parade was going towards a specific direction. Naruto and Hinata moved with the crowd, following the events. Eventually the float settled in a large square that had been cleared out for this occasion. As the Fox float entered the square a series of men and women in shinobi outfits revealed themselves in a dramatic fashion. They then had a mock battle with the fox, hurling fireworks in all directions.

Naruto was mesmerized by the display, it was so dramatic despite the subject matter. It was beyond anything he'd ever seen. Hinata mostly paid attention to Naruto rather than the show. She'd seen this many times before so she knew the routine almost by heart. Everyone did. Despite that people loved it all the same. The tale of the Evil Nine-tailed fox's attack and the brave men and women who stood up to it.

This was one of many events which memorializing the bravery and victims of that day. Of which there were hundreds.

Naruto new of that day. He'd seen it through Kyuubi's own eyes, experienced it through her own memory. He knew WHY she attacked. Seeing the big mock battle was something otherworldly for the boy. He held his hands to his chest delicately and eventually began cheering with the crowd to Hinata's surprise.

Inside the cage Kyuubi brooded. Mostly about the quality of the representation of her. She of course had a clear memory of that day but it had been something that she dealt with in a different way. Her priority today as Naruto's mother was to make sure he had a good time. She didn't want to upset him by showing him how much that day mattered to her. So she joked and spoke to him in a light hearted manner, making him laugh. She always knew the best ways to make her son happy.

Eventually the battle began to die down with the fox Float having taken out most of the shinobi actors, many of them dying rather dramatically. As the fake Kyuubi began to win there began a series of boos from the crowd. Soon however the crowd began to chant.

"Minato...Minato...Minato…" The crowd continued.

Upon hearing those words Naruto froze completely. Hinata was joining in on the chanting until she witnessed Naruto's reaction. Seeing him caused her immediately alarm. She reached over to grab his hand and give it a squeeze.

"Are you ok Naru-kun?" She asked in a worried tone, trying to speak above the roar of the crowd. Naruto didn't respond back immediately, the boy seemingly lost in his thoughts as he stared off into space.

"Naruto? Naruto!?" Hinata shouted in alarm while walking in front of him and placing both of her hands along his shoulders and shaking him lightly. As she did that there was a huge explosion of fireworks, this time the area near the fox statue filled with smoke. Naruto stared past Hinata, completely in a daze.

"My father…" Naruto repeated in his head, staring forward unmovingly. At this point Hinata was panicking. He wasn't responding to her. What was wrong?

Hinata activated her Byakugan to inspect his body. She didn't notice anything immediately. She stared on at him until a booming voice resounded around the area.

"You will go no further Demon. I won't let you harm another soul!" The booming voice shouted as out from the smoke a giant frog Float appeared. It was just as big as the Kyuubi float. Except on it's head a man stood in full costume. He had his arms crossed, a determined expression on his face. As soon as he appeared the crowd went wild.

"MINATO!" The screamed hysterically. Naruto gazed upon the man with a wide eyed expression. He searched his memory, or more accurately, his mother's memory to recall the face of his father. This man looked a bit like the real Minato but he was clearly an actor. Still Naruto was mesmerized all the same, watching as the man took a fighting stance and started performing Jutsu. As he did that the frog float was guided forward by wheels at the bottom, a few puppeteers guiding it's movements.

Hinata felt helpless at this point. Naruto was completely ignoring her, but he seemed to be ok. Tracking his eyes she could tell he was playing close attention to the mock battle. Calming herself down Hinata grabbed Naruto's arm and leaned against him, turning towards the fight. Unlike every year she was rather uninterested in it. Instead she kept a close eye on Naruto.

Naruto barely blinked the entire time during the event, watching the intricate way in which the two floats and the man battled. There were more fireworks, puppeteers controlling the fake Kyuubi's tail to lash out at the frog. There was even yellow confetti being thrown to signify the Yellow Flash. Minato's signature move. The actor held a silver ball in his hand as well, signifying another move he was famous for. The Rasengan. When the actor used those fake moves people in the crowd would call it out excitedly.

The battle ended with Minato being impaled by one of the fox's tails. It seemed hopeless, however the man had a smile on his face.

"You may be strong but you can't defeat the power of hope!" Minato called out before making seals with one hand. As he did that a few puppeteers guided fake hands from Minato and grabbed the fake Kyuubi's tail.

"Demon, I banish you back to the vile pit of hell you came from. Begone!" The man shouted as a pain filled roar was heard from the fox.

A cloud of smoke consumed the area. When the smoke dissipated the fox was gone.

Minato grinned in satisfaction before turning to the crowd.

"Remember those who fell this day, and live well." The actor said before falling over. A few tears were visible in the crowd as the ceremony ended. Though before everyone left the actor got back up and joined the many of the members of the parade. They bowed to explosive applause.

Naruto had watched the entire thing in absolute silence.

As the crowd began to disburse Naruto finally snapped out of his daze, feeling a pressure along his hand. He looked to the side to be met by a pair of worried, lavender eyes. Hinata stood by his side the entire time, waiting for him to snap out of whatever trance he was in.

Hinata stared at him silently, not sure whether he was ready to talk. Naruto felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He was so fixated on the fight, the memories, it was as if the entire world disappeared. Naruto bowed his head, wrapping his free arm around his own belly. Hinata was still holding his other hand.

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered solemnly. Hinata shook her head before releasing his hand only to engulf him in a warm hug, rubbing her cheek against his.

"It's ok. How are you doing?" She questioned carefully, hoping to not do anything to set him off. Naruto slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck.

"I'm ok. I'm sorry I worried you." Naruto apologized again, causing Hinata to pull her head back and stare sternly at him.

"Stop that. You have nothing to apologize for. There are still more events if you want to continue, or we can leave now. Whatever you want Naru-kun."

She whispered softly while raising a hand to gently caress his cheek. Naruto leaned the side of his face into her palm, closing his eyes and releasing a pleased sigh.

"Maybe one more." Naruto whispered before fluttering his lids open and gazing towards her adoringly. This meant more to him than she could possibly know. Hinata nodded her head before raising up on her tippy toes to deliver a gentle kiss. This time Naruto was eager to respond, pressing forward and squeezing her body even tighter. Hinata then took his hand and guided him through the crowd. The next event wouldn't be for a while so she decided she'd show him around. There was a lot to see, to do, games to play, things to buy. A true festival.

As the two disappeared into the crowd there was a group gathering a little ways away. They didn't move with the crowd, the group's gaze following Naruto and Hinata as the couple disappeared. They appeared to be ordinary citizens, nothing disquishing about them, men and women alike. They did have one thing in common however. They heard Hinata calling out Naruto's name. One man walked in front of the group with his teeth gritted, a scowl across his face. He turned to the others to see similar expressions. Wordlessly they nodded their heads before moving to join the crowd, their random faces blending in with the other citizens.

Thanks for reading. Please review~