Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I am so sorry for the delay. I was finishing up with finals, and I got swamped with homework, but it is officially summer vacation which means I almost have all the time in the world to write, so hopefully, I can get back on track with regular posting!

Last Time:

Naruto chuckled, "Is that right? Say, now that I'm the Head of Whirlwind, does this mean you call me 'Lord Naruto' now?"

"It means I call you 'son' or 'Naruto' just as I always have, Naruto," Minato said with an antagonizing smile, and Naruto laughed. Minato looked down at his watch and sucked his teeth, "I guess I should head back into the office and pull some overtime. If you see Sasuke or Hinata, tell them I said hello."

"I will," Naruto said as he stood up and grabbed his jacket. "Kiss mom for me?"

"I will," Minato climbed out of the booth. "Come here." Minato pulled Naruto into a strong embrace, "I'm proud of you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Naruto said. He and his father separated from one another. He chuckled as Minato patted his cheek before he reached down and picked up his own jacket. "I won't disappoint you, Otou-san."

"You never have," Minato said as he smiled at Naruto.

Opposites Attract: Chapter 54 – October 10

Naruto let out a low groan as he heard his doorbell ring for the fifth time in a row. He had hoped that whoever was at the door would've left by now, but they seemed persistent as they were beginning to ring the doorbell and knock in rhythmic intervals that were beginning to throw Naruto off.

"Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked beneath him, and the sight of a completely flustered Hinata was almost enough to let whoever was at the door continue to wait while he finished devouring her. He could feel the way her insides pulsed around him and tightened as though she didn't want to let him go, and the steady rise and fall of her breasts were hypnotizing.

He'd woken up to Hinata's mouth wrapped around his morning erection, and he couldn't help but let her do what she wanted with it. The sight of her bobbing her head the way that she did first thing in the morning made Naruto dizzy, and he loved every second of it. When he came, she swallowed what she could before it spilled out of her mouth, and the innocent expression she put on as an apology for not swallowing it all just made him hard all over again.

She praised Naruto's vitality when she saw he was hard again and didn't waste time getting on top of him and swallowing him whole again. Things were slow and sensual in the beginning before the squelching sound that poured from between Naruto and Hinata became louder, and Hinata's breathing became shallower. Naruto could tell from the expression on the face at that time that she needed more, and he happily complied without her having to request it.

So, for the last hour, Naruto had been showering Hinata with immense amounts of pleasure before the ringing of his doorbell followed by knocking began to interrupt them. He checked the time and knew then that it wasn't either Sasuke or Sakura before they weren't due for another forty minutes.

Hinata whined again.

"I know baby, I know," Naruto cooed as he slowly began to pull in and out of her while his thumb circled around her clit.

For the eighth time, the doorbell rang again. Naruto let out a frustrated groan and reluctantly pulled out of Hinata. He pulled on the boxers and sweatpants Hinata had discarded for him earlier and quickly made his way down his spiral staircase and towards his door.

"Coming!" Naruto shouted, clearly annoyed before removing the locks on his door and opening it to see Nozomi on the other side. "Nozomi?"

"Ah, Naruto-kun, so you were in." Nozomi seemed cheerful and didn't seem to realize what she'd been doing was something of a nuisance for Naruto just now. Naruto saw that she was already dressed in a dark navy kimono for the day, and her hair was pinned up, "Happy Birthday! I wanted to drop this off before heading out for morning prayer."

Naruto saw the present in her hand, and for a moment, he felt bad for not answering sooner, "Thank you, Nozomi." He took the present and scratched his cheek, "I'm sorry for not answering sooner. I wasn't expecting anyone this early in the morning."

"It's fine," Nozomi said. "I hadn't said anything, and I guess I was nervous about leaving this outside your door. Plus, I wanted to be the first person to give you your birthday present."

"I really appreciate it, Nozomi," Naruto admitted and made it a point to leave out the fact that he'd received a present just an hour and a half ago from Hinata. "Say, if you're not doing anything after the fireworks, why don't you come by my family's estate? My mother throws a party every year for the Kurama Festival, and it also doubles as my birthday party. I had already invited our department, but you weren't there that day, and I wasn't sure if you knew."

Nozomi lit up, "Is it really okay if I come?"

"Of course," Naruto assured her. "My grandmother is a firm believer in 'the more, the merrier' so we'd love to have you join us. You'll probably want to change out of your kimono before then though just so you're more comfortable?"

"Okay." Nozomi wore a bright smile, "Well, I'm going to go. I'm sorry if I bothered you, and I hope you enjoy the present. It's supposed to be a little chilly today, so wear it if you can."

"Wear it?" Naruto repeated, but before Nozomi answered him, she was walking away. He looked down at the present before shutting the door and walking into his kitchen. He untied the black ribbon and ripped away the orange gift wrap. He opened the box and saw a handknitted black and orange scarf inside, "A scarf, huh?"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata called.

"Coming," Naruto dropped the scarf back into the box and took the stairs two at a time until he made it back up to his bedroom. He dropped his sweatpants and boxers and was back on the bed and sliding inside of Hinata in no time at all. He let out a sigh of relief and pressed his forehead against Hinata's, "I just want to stay like this all day."

Hinata giggled, "We can't. You have a lot to do today."

"Which is why I want to stay like this," Naruto confessed as he began to slowly move his hips and hold himself up over Hinata. He felt the way she gripped his arms and saw the way she bit her lip.

"Who was at the door?" Hinata questioned before moaning as Naruto's mouth found its way to her neck and began to graze his tongue against it.

"Nozomi," Naruto answered. "She wanted to drop off my birthday present before heading out to morning prayer."

"What did she get you?" Hinata wrapped her legs around Naruto's waist and moaned as he slid deeper into her.

"She made me a scarf," Naruto answered.

"Huh?"

Naruto stopped kissing her neck and lifted his face so he could see hers, "What is it?"

"I made you a scarf," Hinata pouted.

"You did?" Naruto felt his heart swell at the thought of Hinata making something for him. "Where is it?"

"Under the bed," Hinata admitted as she covered her face. "I thought I was unique by handknitting you a scarf."

"I love it," Naruto told her.

Hinata peaked through her fingers at him, "You haven't even seen it yet."

"I love it anyway," Naruto told her as he gently kissed her cheek. "Thank you."

Hinata blushed, "What about Nozomi's scarf?"

"I'll figure out what to do with it later," Naruto breathed as he held Hinata's hand. "I want to focus on you right now."

After Naruto and Hinata finished for the morning, they showered together, and while Hinata dried Naruto's hair, he unwrapped his present from Hinata and found the handknitted red scarf she'd made for him. He blinked a few times before looking up at her, "You remembered?"

"Of course I remembered," Hinata answered. "When we were little, you had a red scarf, just like it. You told me that your mom had made it for you when you were little, and every time it was cold, you'd wear it. It was the scarf that made you get into that big fight in middle school, wasn't it?"

Naruto looked down at the scarf and brushed his fingers against the soft wool, "Yeah. Those jerks had stolen it during gym, and I spent the rest of the afternoon looking for it. I'd gotten a note telling me to meet them out by the furnace, and when I got there, those assholes threw my scarf into it. Okaa-chan always said she was going to make me a new one, but she got so busy that she didn't have time to."

"I remembered how much you loved it, so I wanted to make you a new one," Hinata answered with a sweet smile. "I don't want you to consider it as a replacement for the one Kushina-san made though. I know there's no replacing it, but I hope you can love this one as much as you loved that one."

Naruto smiled, "I will."

After that, Naruto helped Hinata blowdry her hair while she put on her makeup for the day. Together, they got dressed in their kimonos, and Naruto helped Hinata tie the sash around her waist while Hinata straightened out his robes. While Hinata was in the middle of putting up her hair and sticking pins in, she saw Naruto come up behind her and hold his hand out in front of her. She watched as he opened his hand enough to allow the necklace he'd been holding to drop in front of her.

Hanging off the black leather strap was a blue crystal with silver beads on either side of it. It resembled the necklace that Naruto wore often and smiled as Naruto placed it around her neck before hugging her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"It's a tradition in my family that my grandfather started that when we want to promise ourselves to another, we give them a necklace with this crystal hanging on the end of it," Naruto spoke softly as he looked at Hinata through the mirror. "My grandfather gave his necklace to my grandmother, and she then passed it down to my father. My father passed it on to my mother, who then passed it down to me, and now, I'm passing it on to you."

"Really?" Hinata looked at Naruto. "But something like this…"

"I can't give you a ring yet," Naruto began, "so this will have to do for now. So, will you hold onto it for me for the time being? And when it's time to pass it down, will you?"

Hinata blushed at the sound of Naruto's words, but she nodded.

Naruto smiled before gently kissing Hinata's forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too," Hinata answered.

After that, Sasuke and Sakura arrived, and the four of them went to the Kurama Shrine where they partook in morning prayer. After Naruto and Hinata went, they stood by and waited for Sasuke and Sakura, and as they waited, they were approached by Minato and Kushina.

Minato and Kushina wished Naruto a Happy Birthday before wishing both of them a Happy Anniversary. Minato complimented Naruto's new scarf, and Naruto happily boasted about the fact that Hinata had handknitted it for him. Hinata was slightly embarrassed by the praise, but the attention quickly diverted from the scarf to Naruto's necklace hanging around her neck.

Kushina nearly broke out into tears, but luckily Minato managed to calm Kushina down before that happened. When Sasuke and Sakura approached, Kushina demanded pictures, and though Sasuke was entirely against them from the beginning, he was forced to participate because the only other woman Sasuke feared aside from his mother was his Aunt Kushina.

After that, they made their way to the street and watched as the parade went by. After the parade, they made their way to the Festival Grounds where the air was filled with the smell of freshly grilled and cooked foods. Naruto and Hinata made their way to the Ichiraku stand while Sasuke and Sakura went from stall to stall picking up different foods before settling down somewhere to eat.

While they were in the middle of eating, Naruto felt someone tap his shoulder, and when he turned, he saw Nozomi just behind him. Through a mouthful of noodles, Naruto attempted to greet Nozomi, but when nothing came out aside from a muffled garble of noise, he chewed and swallowed. He let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle before wiping his mouth, "Sorry about that. How are you, Nozomi?"

"I'm doing well," Nozomi answered with a sweet smile. "All of this seasonal and festival food around and you decide to eat at Ichiraku. You eat there nearly every day after class, don't you think you think you should try something different every once in a while?"

"I guess," Naruto shrugged while Nozomi giggled. He opened his mouth to speak, but a quizzical expression came onto his face instead, "Wait, how did you know I go to Ichiraku after class?"

"Huh?" Nozomi blinked a few times before letting out an embarrassed laugh of her own. "I pass by Ichiraku sometimes when I stop by the dessert shop nearby. I sometimes see you there talking with the owner's daughter."

"Oh." Naruto watched Nozomi for a second, but when he saw her eyes go towards his lap, he saw the sunken expression on her face, "Nozomi?"

"That scarf." Nozomi's voice was low as her eyes seemed fixated on the red scarf.

"Oh, this?" Naruto gently patted the red scarf in his lap, "Hinata gave it to me as an anniversary and birthday present. I used to have one just like it when I was a kid that my mother made me, but it got destroyed when I was in middle school."

"I see." Nozomi smiled, but Naruto couldn't help but notice the slight twinge at the corner of her mouth, "It's a beautiful scarf."

"Thank you," Naruto looked to where Hinata sat beside him and saw she was in the middle of chatting with Ayame, "she worked hard on it."

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you," Nozomi said quietly. "I'll see you tonight at your party, okay? See you later."

Before Naruto could say anything, Nozomi ran off. He let out a heavy sigh and scratched his cheek, "She always runs off before I can say anything." Naruto turned back around to the counter and scooted his stool closer to Hinata's. He chimed in on Hinata and Ayame's conversation, and the three of them chatted for as long as Ayame was allowed before Teuchi began to throw a fit. Ayame teased Teuchi a bit before getting back to work and serving customers.

When Naruto got ready to pay for their meal, Teuchi smacked Naruto's hand with a freshly washed spatula, "Aht! Put your wallet away."

"What? Why?" Naruto asked as he tried to open his wallet again, which resulted in Teuchi smacking his hand once more. "Old Man Teuchi, would you quit? That actually hurts."

"It's your birthday," Teuchi said as he began to wash the spatula again. "You're not paying for a meal in my restaurant on your birthday. Now go on, go enjoy the rest of the festival before stalls start shutting down. It's not too much longer before they launch the fireworks."

"Are you sure I can't pay?" Naruto asked as he put on his scarf and adjusted it. "I really don't mind."

"My word is final," Teuchi argued.

Naruto chuckled, "Fine." Naruto took a step back and pulled a few bills out of his wallet before handing them to Hinata, "Do you mind putting this in the tip jar? I'd do it, but I'm afraid of what Old Man Teuchi's going to do to me if I try to tip on my birthday."

Hinata giggled, "Honestly, Naruto-kun." She made her way to the edge of the counter and dropped the sizeable tip into the jar, "Thank you for the meal, Teuchi-san."

"You're welcome." Teuchi smiled, "Happy Birthday Naruto, and Happy Anniversary to the two of you. I wish you many more years together."

"Thank you," Naruto said as Hinata took hold of Naruto's arm. "We'll see you tonight at the party."

"See you tonight," Teuchi called before turning his attention back to his customers.

Naruto waved to Ayame who was in the middle of taking an order from a customer before walking off with Hinata. They wandered around the festival for a while, going from stall to stall and chatting with vendors. Many of the vendors were quick to give Naruto birthday presents, and though Naruto tried to decline, the vendors were insistent, and Naruto always ended up leaving a stall with their gift.

By the time the sun began to set, Naruto had to make at least two trips to Sasuke's car to drop off presents. As festival-goers began to make their way to the hillside that served as the best viewing spot for the fireworks, Hinata and Naruto strolled hand in hand towards Uchiha Bridge that crossed over Senju Creek.

Naruto leaned against the railing of the bridge while Hinata stood beside him and looked out at the city lights beginning to glow in the distance while taking in the sound of festival-goers passing by and chatting with one another.

"I was so nervous that night," Naruto began as he looked over to Hinata. "Even though there was a part of me that knew you felt the same way I did, there was another part of me that was worried that I'd made it up and that I'd get rejected here on this bridge."

"Really?" Hinata asked and saw Naruto nod.

"It's been a long year." Naruto sighed as he stood upright.

"It has been," Hinata concurred. "Say, Naruto-kun?"

"Hm?" Naruto looked at her.

"Is there anything in particular that you hope happens in the next year?" Hinata asked.

Naruto took a moment to think about his answer, "Hm. I guess at this point, all I really hope for in the next year is that things continue the way they are. Things have been calm the last few months, and it's been nice to actually breathe and not look over my shoulder every two seconds. If anything, all I really ask for is calm."

"Calm," Hinata repeated and saw Naruto nod. She smiled a bit, "That's not a bad thing to hope for."

"I think so." Naruto smiled at Hinata before looking out towards where many of the festival-goers had gone. He looked up and down the bridge before grabbing ahold of Hinata's hand and leading her a little further across the bridge before stopping and positioning her.

"What're you doing?" Hinata asked and watched as Naruto took a few steps away from her. "Naruto-kun?"

"Hinata!" Naruto suddenly said Hinata's name in a voice louder than normal, and it caught her off guard?

"Y-yes?" Hinata asked, and then it suddenly clicked. She wasn't sure why, but she felt herself get teary-eyed as the first firework launched into the air just behind Naruto. She watched as Naruto waited for the explosion of the firework to ring out before Naruto said the same thing he'd said a year ago that was too quiet to be heard over the explosion of the firework.

"And then if I remember correctly," Naruto muttered as he took several very rigid steps towards Hinata before stopping just in front of her. He grinned as Hinata giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you."

"I love you too," Hinata said before Naruto leaned down and placed a sweet and gentle kiss against her lips. They stayed like that until the next firework went off, and as Naruto pulled away, he couldn't help but smile. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Naruto answered.

Together, Naruto and Hinata stayed on Uchiha Bridge and watched the firework display. After that, the festival-goers began to make their way off festival grounds while some made one last trek up to Kurama Temple to say one final prayer. In the midst of all of this, Naruto noticed as several members of Whirlwind seemed in a hurry as they pushed their way through the crowd.

Hinata noticed as well, and by the time they reached Sasuke's car, Naruto had noticed a large group of Whirlwind members leave in a hurry.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure," Sasuke admitted. "Do you think they're trying to rush to the house before you get there to help with some last minute adjustments?"

"Possibly?" Naruto shrugged.

Sasuke shrugged as well, and the four of them climbed into the car. As Sasuke drove, they heard the distant wailing of sirens, and they couldn't help but notice as the sirens became louder and louder the closer they got to the Whirlwind Complex Not only that, they noticed an unfamiliar glow in the distance that was in the same direction as the estate.

"Sasuke." There was a sense of urgency in Naruto's voice, and Sasuke immediately complied. He began to drive faster and weave in and out of traffic, and as they neared the complex, it became apparent what was happening.

Sasuke parked, and the four of them climbed out and watched in disbelief as the main house of the Whirlwind Complex was fully engulfed in flames while several firefighter teams tried to put the fire out. Nearby, Kushina stood teary-eyed as she watched as the home she built with Minato be destroyed.

By dawn, there was nothing left of the house except for ash and rubble. Naruto found himself standing in the ashes of his old childhood home near where the front staircase used to be, and where he would've been standing the night before as his mother and father gave their yearly speech for his birthday.

"I was thinking about remodeling for the longest, so I guess this was the kick I needed."

Naruto looked beside him and saw Kushina standing there with a solemn expression on his face, "Was there anyone inside?"

"A few," Kushina answered. "We already did a headcount, everyone's accounted for. A few people were here finishing up with decorating and whatnot when the fire broke out. Anko says the fire started on the side of the house and before the complex was mainly empty, no one caught it in time."

"Hm." Naruto kicked around a few ashes.

Kushina let out a heavy sigh as she linked her arm with Naruto's, "I'm sorry that this happened on your birthday, Naruto-kun."

Naruto shook his head, "Don't be. I'm just glad that everyone's okay. We can replace a house, we can't replace each other. Plus, this gives us an excuse to finally use the lakehouse."

Kushina looked at Naruto for a moment before laughing. Naruto smiled at the sound of his mother's laughter, and it came as a relief. She laughed for a bit before wiping away a tear and nudging Naruto, "Look at you, always looking at the bright side."

"I learned from you," Naruto told her. "Come on, you need to get some rest, and so do I. It's been a long night."

To Be Continued…