Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back with the most anticipated chapter to date. It's finally time for Naruto and Hinata's date and I think I hit it out of the park on this one. Everything that I wanted to put into this chapter came to fruition and I couldn't be more satisfied. The true depths of Naruto and Hinata's personality and feelings are laid out in this chapter as everything is put out in the open for them both to see. The culmination of the last three arcs since Naruto finally came to the epiphany that he was in love with Hinata has now finally reached its apex and resolution. The two of them are now fully together permanently and this chapter sets the stage for the rest of their relationship throughout the entirety of the story.

Be prepared for a truck load of fluff, sweet cavity inducing moments and flirtatious jokes and teasing to last a lifetime. A lot is explored in this chapter that will fully articulate the dynamic between the two friends while tying up any loose ends for a certain other individual in this polyamorous relationship. The chapter also dabbles a bit more on the mature side when it comes to both Naruto and Hinata's inner thoughts concerning each other as they are very much in puberty so they are going to be thinking of each other in a more elevated and mature light than they've ever done so before.

So without further adieu: Sit back, relax, and enjoy!


Chapter 83

The First Date

"So, you're really going through with this huh?" Eva said with a small smile as she looked up at Naruto who had a look of uncertainty on his face. "Yeah, but what about you Eva? You're coming, right?" Naruto asked as he looked into Eva's eyes. "No, I'll stay here with the kids. Aria, Henrietta, Shoko, Anko, and I can look after them. Besides we'll just have a girls day out while you're gone." Eva reassured but the tiniest sliver of uncertainty was in her eyes as well and Naruto picked up on it instantly. "But Eva, you and I have wanted to go see the Princess Gale movie for months now ever since they started promoting it. Why would you insist that I go with Hinata instead of you? Or why not come along?" Naruto asked with confusion etched into every word he spoke. Eva supported Naruto in asking Hinata out on a date to the movies instead of wanting to go to the movies with him. He didn't quite understand.

"Naru how long are you going to deny your feelings for Hinata? You have the biggest crush in the history of crushes on her. Ever since the day we first met her all those years ago, I've seen the way you act around her… especially this year. You've already kissed her a bunch of times as it is already and you're both aware of each other's feelings. We're a couple with her now so nothing's stopping you but your willingness to take your time which is fine but who's to say someone else won't try to come at her?" Eva said as she tried to talk sense into her other half. "But Eva…" Naruto started to say as his face was bright red due to Eva's words. All of it was completely true and he couldn't deny any of it.

"But nothing Naru… Kiba already tried to come at her and even after all this time he is still silently sniffing around. You see the way some of the civilian and shinobi boys our age looks at her. It's not that hard to understand why. She's without a doubt one of the prettiest and attractive girls our age in the entire village. We also have to contend with the fact that Hinata also has suitors out there interested in her. If you don't make a move and do something about it, then someone else will." Eva stated as she tried to hammer the point home to her other half. Everything was silent in the room between the two closest friends for at least a minute before Naruto spoke.

"Is that how you really feel about this Eva?" Naruto asked as he looked to the tiny Winter Fairy floating in front of his face for an answer. "Yes, it is. I want you two to start dating properly. I know how much she means to you… and to us. She's family, she's a part of our lives Naru. She's a part of the girls lives as well. She helped raise them like a mother. You know you and I share the same feelings sometimes. I couldn't bear to see Hinata with anyone else that wasn't us… that wasn't you." Eva admitted as she looked directly into Naruto's blue eyes with her own matching ones. For many years now, Eva would refer to the both of them with the pronoun of "us" in a way to signify that they were again two halves of the same whole. Despite it being a term of endearment both Naruto and Eva took the whole calling each other their other half sentiment very seriously. They truly cared for one another in that regard.

"What about us Eva? What about the way… the way we really feel about each other? We had this conversation back during our patrol mission and we did say we would table the conversation for another time. We dance around the subject since we're around each other 24/7, but eventually we'll have to confront the elephant in the room. You know that I truly lo…" Naruto started to say as a flood of emotions were starting to come into his voice. What he wanted to really say was on the tip of his tongue and he was about to say it, but Eva cut him off. "STOP! Please Naru don't say those words with that look in your eyes. If you do it's only going to hurt us. It's not our time yet." Eva tried to say as gently as she possibly could. If she allowed those words to come out of Naruto's mouth, she didn't think she could stop herself from acting on them.

"Eva…" Naruto said with a hurt tone of voice. He wanted to say those words. Did that mean Eva didn't feel the same about him anymore? When did his happen? These thoughts were starting to enter Naruto's mind and seeing this and knowing where this was going Eva decided to put a stop to it before it could take root in her partner's mind. "Naru before you start to think anything stupid, I want you to know that my feelings for you have not changed, nor will they ever change. There's no one in this world or any other I would rather be with then you. It's always been you Naru. But if I had let you say those words then I know I would have done something selfish that would only hurt us in the long run." Eva reassured as she hugged Naruto around the bridge of his nose. She was still small enough to hug the entirety of his nose if she wanted.

If Naruto said she loved him in the genuine way that he wanted to; she would probably kiss him in a passionate way that would completely undermine all of the hard work that they just went through with Hinata and the Hyūga Clan. Their feelings for Hinata was as strong as ever now after everything they experienced at the dinner gathering. If they went and started exploring their feelings at a time like this, it would only serve to needlessly complicate things between the group dynamic that the couple shared. Now was just not the time for the two blonds to be getting closer.

"So, you still feel that way about me?" Naruto asked just to make sure. He knew without a doubt that if Eva had said otherwise that he wouldn't be able to function. She has been with him for years and the bond they've built is unbreakable. He couldn't live knowing she didn't love him in that way when over the years, they both saw the way their feelings were leading them. From as early back as when they first met. There was a spark, a bond that formed and it wasn't the blood contract they unintentionally made between each other. To know she still felt the same lifted a weight off his heart that he knew he couldn't live with. Eva smiled a beautiful smile and shook her head yes. "I'm glad then…" Naruto said as he didn't quite know where to go with his thoughts.

Eva cracked a smile as she saw the gears turning in her partner's head. This was one of those rare times where she couldn't guess what he was thinking. They were usually so in sync that they could predict what the other was thinking at all times but in times like these they couldn't read each other's mind.

"Naruto… that kiss you two shared the other night. It was too much for me. As time goes on, we've been merging more and more do to the Blood Contract we formed when we were four. Our Yōki at this point has merged to the point where I can't distinguish, we're mine starts and where yours end. I felt the sensation of that kiss you had, and it got my hormones going. My feelings are connected to you and if you come at me with all of your feelings then I'm going to be tempted to do something we shouldn't." Evangeline explained to her friend who could understand her point of view. It must be hard on the little fairy who could feel the things that he feels. "Just think of what would happen if my Yōki somehow goes out of control. We've talked a lot about our size difference and what it means for us. I don't know how to grow bigger on my own but what if I did? I can't control myself in that form and I would be so tempted to get together with you that it would just mess everything up between us and Hinata. We have to control ourselves." Eva explained as Naruto thought long and hard about Eva's explanation.

It made a lot of sense and he's often thought about Eva's humanoid demonic transformation. That one time he saw her as a full-sized human was an experience that was burned into his memory. She was beautiful… it didn't help that she was completely naked at the time, but nevertheless… Evangeline was an incredibly beautiful girl that Naruto's always had on his mind. But it also made him think of more to their situation.

"I hate to ask this but what if we never get together Eva? Would you be able to handle it? We're partners… we're each other's better half. Would you regret not letting me say what I wanted to say?" Naruto asked as he peeled Eva off his face like a bug on a windshield and held her in the palm of his hand. They were close to each other and could see into each other's crystal-clear blue eyes. "I would regret it and I'd live with it for the rest of my life. But if I can't have you then I won't have anybody. That's just how it's going to be." Eva said with finality in her voice. "Eva no! That's not right!" Naruto instantly protested with disbelieve in his voice. "YES! Naru don't you get it? It's either you or no one at all. We're partners, we're two halves of the same whole. We're more than that I see that now. We're soulmates, I feel it. I really do and if I can't have you then I can't have anybody because if anyone ever tried to fill that hole in my heart, I would just be constantly thinking of you." Eva said with the most heartfelt tone Naruto's ever heard her speak in.

Naruto felt tears start to well up in his eyes as he felt himself get choked up. He could barely form his words at this point as his tears started to fall. "Eva…" Naruto whispered as it took him a full minute to compose himself. Eva had the gentlest smile on her face as she was crying as well. Outside the window the two could hear rain falling and they both instantly knew it was due to Eva's power. There were no signs of rain for another week or so. "You know Eva for a demon you're the most selfless being I know. You're incredible." Naruto said with admiration in his voice as he felt what he knew instinctively to be his love for Eva skyrocket to a new height. A place he didn't know was possible.

"Naru please stop. You know your compliments and attention are my weakness." Eva said while laughing and crying at the same time. Her tears weren't out of sadness but happiness instead. "If I had let you say those words to me then I would have done something selfish. It would have hurt us, and I know it would ruin that selfless image you have of me." Eva giggled. "I may be a demon, but I don't want to live my life driven by every selfish desire that crosses my mind while not caring who I hurt in the process. You raised me better than that, everyone did. I'm more human than demon now." Eva said with a laugh which Naruto joined in on as he couldn't refute her claim to that.

"Our time will come when we can say those words the way we want to say them. When that time comes, you can pour your heart out to me and I'll do the same. But it's not today and it's not tomorrow. But soon I promise." Eva said with a sweet smile adoring her face. "And we never break our promises. Because that is our nindo. Our ninja way." Naruto said in the same tone of voice. "Believe it!" Eva shouted with a laugh which Naruto again joined in on as he felt all his insecurities and fears melt away. He was ready. He was comfortable with knowing he had feelings for both Eva and Hinata. He didn't feel guilty or conflicted anymore. It was a great burden lifted off his shoulders and now he was ready for his very first date with Hinata tomorrow.

"Hinata's our girl and no one can have her you understand." Eva said after they had both stopped laughing. "Is that your selfish demonic side coming in? We both know how jealous and possessive you can be." Naruto teased with a chuckle. "You bet it is. That's why I made her my girlfriend so that I can mark her as ours. No one can have the girl that brought us out of our shell. We were so paranoid and reclusive back then. It wasn't good. I don't know how we would have turned out if we didn't meet Hinata that day. She opened our eyes and taught us that we have a chance to be accepted by others. Her simple act of accepting us for who we are changed our life more than what we could have ever thought possible." Eva admitted with a small smile. "I agree Eva. Hinata is special." Naruto agreed. "Yeah she is." Eva concluded.

With that the partners wrapped up what they were doing for the night and with the children tucked away in bed Naruto and Eva did the same. "Eva, I just want to let you know that no matter what… we will always be together. You're amazing… so thank you for coming into my life." Naruto said in the warmest tone possible. The smile on his face said it all. "Always… thank you for letting me into your life and loving me the way you have. I don't think I'll ever be able to go back and find the rest of my kind. I know there are more Winter Fairies out there and even more seasonal Fairies, but I may never find them. But it's ok. I'm ok with it because I have my family right here in front of me." Eva responded as she laid her head down in Naruto's scalp. His spiky hair always gave her comfort.

"You're welcome Eva…" Naruto said but he trailed off a bit. There was more he wanted to say. Naruto heard Eva's soft giggles coming from his head and soon after she spoke. "Go ahead Naru. You can say it but keep that big heart of yours out of it or else we'll screw everything up." Eva said with a short little amused laugh, one that Naruto agreed with.

"Ok... goodnight Eva. I love you." Naruto said with a small smile and even without being able to see her he knew Eva had one on her face as well. With a bell like giggle Eva responded. "Goodnight Naru. I love you too." With that both partners closed their eyes and drifted to sleep. After 10 minutes Eva opened her eyes a bit since she heard Naruto light snores. 'I love you Naru. My blond idiot. I love you more than you could ever possibly imagine.' Eva thought as she smiled and drifted off to sleep. She was content now knowing that Naruto's heart was at ease and hers could be too. Their time would come when they could get together but as for now it was Naruto and Hinata's turn.


Hidden Leaf Village / Hyūga Clan Compound (10:00 AM)

It was time… Naruto once more found himself standing outside the gates to the illustrious Hyūga Clan and this time he wouldn't be staying long. He came here to pick up his girlfriend for their very first date. Naruto felt like he was struck by a lightning bolt as his nerves were completely fired right now. A bouquet of flowers was tucked securely in its wrappings held tightly in his hand as if his life depended on it. Naruto spent nearly an entire day along with his children gathering very specific flowers to add to the bouquet as flowers have an entire language of their own.

Each individual flower has a certain and specific meaning to it that symbolizes an ideal. When you arrange a bouquet filling it with a specific combination of flowers it will help convey your feelings to the recipient. Already having this knowledge in his mind since he was young Naruto took an entire day scouring the village for specific flowers along with his children who he decided could use the fresh air. As a child he discovered his love for flowers as they gave him peace in his turbulent life. Many days out of the week he would find himself passing by the floral nurseries owned by the Yamanaka Clan when he was out on his early morning foraging runs. Back then he had to steal his food and supplies to support himself and later on Iris and Chaos.

Passing by the Yamanaka compound all the time since it was in the local area of his neighborhood always filled Naruto with a sense of peace and tranquility. Over time he learned the language of flower arrangement from stealing books from the Yamanaka Flower Shop and listening in on the classes taught to the Kunoichi in the academy. Later on, after befriending Hinata, Naruto would no longer need to do this as his lavender eyed best friend would teach him everything that she knew about flower arrangements which was a lot considering her background and the fact Hinata often tended to her late mother's personal garden in her home.

Naruto's and Hinata's combined knowledge on flowers would pale in comparison to Ino's vast knowledge on the subject since it is the job of her family ever since joining the village decades ago. For the sake of his sanity and not wanting his business spread around to the entire village Naruto made the decision not to involve Ino on his current endeavor. If she knew he was going on his very first date with Hinata and that he was looking for flowers the entire village would know in the time it would take him to get from her shop to Hinata's home. Ino's gossiping grapevine was not to be underestimated.

The bouquet was carefully arranged by Naruto who sought out a very specific combination of flowers that was sure to get Hinata's attention since most of his more advanced knowledge came from her teachings. A single red rose was in the center of the arrangement which symbolized love in all of its various forms. A small ring of tulips surrounded this rose which signified a declaration of love which was something Naruto knew Hinata would melt at as this was a major step in their rapidly growing relationship. Moving outwards from that the vast majority of the flowers remaining were Carnations that were either red or white. The red Carnations symbolizes love, pride, and admiration which were concepts Naruto's always held for Hinata while the white Carnations symbolize innocence and pure love which was a concept that could describe Hinata's character very easily while also representing the base of what they felt for each other. Finally, at the very edge of the arrangement were Calla Lilies. They signified purity and innocence which was a finishing touch that Naruto wanted to add on as Lilies were Hinata's favorite flowers.

The finished product was something Naruto hopped Hinata appreciated as it wasn't easy to find these very specific flowers on demand. His only option would have been to go to Ino's shop and that was an absolute last resort on Naruto's part, so his only option was to search for them by hand.

Looking himself over Naruto took in his appearance. He had on his signature orange sleeveless hoody that felt just right to him. Underneath that he had on a black shirt with tiny red flames at the very edges of the sleeves. As a shinobi he also had on a fishnet under armor shirt for light duty protection; but it was such a common practice with every shinobi, so it was nothing worthy of note. For bottoms he had on black cargo pants with several pockets lining the article of clothing that contained a few shinobi related tools and accessories. Once a shinobi, always a shinobi. You were always expected to be prepared just in case of an emergency and Naruto would make no exceptions. His shinobi sandals were the same as with most people but since he was off duty today, he wasn't wearing his head band which was polished beforehand and left at home alongside his Chūnin Flak Vest by Naruto. Around his neck was the necklace he won from Tsunade along with the assortment of lockets that housed small cut out pictures of him with his twin daughters. He would have to see about picking up some memento's for his new children to always carry around with him. He didn't want them to feel left out.

'I hope I look good… It feels weird knowing that Eva won't be with me the entire day. My hair feels weird without her in it.' Naruto noted to himself in discomfort as he was already missing the presence of his other half and he just left his apartment not to long ago. Taking a calming breath to steady himself Naruto looked through the gates into the compound and saw several figures walking his way. Once they came into view Naruto's heart stopped as he took in the only one that truly mattered in that moment.

Hinata, Hiashi, Hanabi, and Neji were all approaching the gate and once within walking distance Naruto's entire being became transfixed on Hinata who was wearing casual yet fashionable clothes that accentuated everything about her in all of the right ways.

From head to toe Naruto examined Hinata's form in painstaking detail to the point you would mistakenly think Naruto had a Sharingan in his eyes. Nothing was missed by Naruto's appreciative and love-struck eyes as he took in Hinata's appearance. Starting with her hair it looked as if she washed it three times as it had a glossy sheen to it that reflected well off of the sunlight illuminating the world around them. In her hair Hinata had on a light purple hairband with a lily clipped to it as a floral accessory.

The faintest hint of light makeup could be detected on her face mostly centered around her eyes that enhanced the natural lavender tint of her Byakugan. Her choice of clothing is what caught Naruto's attention the most however. For a top the heiress had on a pink short sleeve crop top that exposed part of her stomach with black trims covering the edges of the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt. Underneath this fashionable shirt was what Naruto could guess was an underdress that doubled as a bra as it was a very light pink almost lavender color with frills and was held up by black spaghetti straps. To finish this area off Hinata had on a very small black choker around her neck with a longer necklace hanging down her neck to her chest with a small miniature lily flower tied to it.

Moving down Hinata wore a short baby blue colored skirt with two pink bands at the very bottom with one layer being darker than the other while a small string with an assortment of pearls acted as an accessory that wrapped around Hinata's waist. Like with Might Guy and Rock Lee the indigo haired girl had leg warmers on, but these were beige in color and made of silky cotton as opposed to the heavy-duty material of the training maniacs. Small black high heel shoes finished off Hinata's look which completely took Naruto's breath away.

'Hinata rarely ever takes off her jacket… and now I see why.' Naruto gulped as his pubescent mind was immediately drawn to Hinata's chest. He felt guilty about looking, but he couldn't help himself. In just a few short months Hinata will turn 13 years old. Yet despite that fact puberty already began for the girl a long while ago. She was already at a B-Cup for her age and since she had a thin and slender body type it made her breast look even bigger. The final nail in the coffin was the choice of clothing she was wearing. The shirt was very form fitting accentuating the young girls generous curves which was drawing Naruto's attention to her cleavage which had a hint showing at the top of her shirt.

Hinata's skirt while loose also hugged her hips quite nicely which was causing sweat to build up on Naruto's body. The skirt was short but not to short which only further served to tease Naruto's hormones even more. The beige colored jacket that she's worn for so long has blinded Naruto to what Hinata's actual physique looks like. The incident in the hotel room weeks prior that was orchestrated by his children and Jiraiya was the only time in recent memory in which Naruto's seen his friend in a state of undress.

Hinata was down right attractive now that Naruto's been given the chance to see her in such casual clothes since in shinobi culture it was very common for ninja to wear their standard outfit. It wasn't well known but the clothing ninja choose to wear are made from heavy duty fibers made for durability. The orange hoody Naruto currently had on was made from this material as it was a part of his standard shinobi outfit. Standard civilian clothes and higher end fashionable clothing was made from lighter cotton materials that weren't made with durability in mind.

The silky cotton materials used in the clothing she had on right now was doing wonders for Hinata's budding figure. From this day on Naruto couldn't possibly look at Hinata the same way anymore as the attraction he felt for her went through the roof.

"Hi Naruto…" Hinata greeted but she quickly trailed off into uncertainty as she examined the blank star-struck look on her boyfriends face. 'He's staring…' Hinata blushed as she twiddled with her thumbs in her signature nervous twitch. Naruto easily makes her blush almost every single day, but this level of embarrassment wasn't very common. Hinata's embarrassment derived from a strong sense of flattery at the fact Naruto was blatantly checking her out. She managed to render him speechless with just her looks. To say her feminine pride took a major boost would be a massive understatement.

"Uhm… Naruto… earth to Naruto." Hinata squeaked in a timid nature as she stood and watched the growing blush creeping across the blond-haired boy's face. It was both adorable and flattering to know that she could cause such a reaction out of him. To be fair he looked good in his casual clothing as the black cargo pants were a welcomed addition that she's never seen him in before. It made quite the impression to his fashion sense.

"Ahem…" Now it was Hiashi's turn to interject into the conversation as his deep commanding voice broke Naruto from the trance he was in. He may have developed somewhat of a soft spot for Naruto, but that didn't mean he would just allow the young boy to blatantly check out his daughter right before his eyes.

"Oh… I… uh…" Naruto's mouth felt dry as his eyes finally came into focus and zeroed in on Hinata. "You were staring Naruto… is this too much?" Hinata explained as she tugged on her shirt to emphasize the question she was asking. A very nervous and insecure twinge was in her voice right now as Hinata was quite worried that her choice of clothing was to much for her boyfriend to handle. It wasn't overly revealing or inappropriate in any kind of way, but it was a stark contrast to the very concealing and conservative clothing that she tends to wear alongside her shinobi clothes. Her large puffy jacket that Naruto got for her years prior has been her signature clothing for so long. It concealed her physique from anyone's prying eyes and as such she could understand if this was a bit jarring for the young boy.

"No…no…no! You look amazing Hinata! Here… I got these for you." Naruto stuttered as he passed Hinata the carefully crafted bouquet of flowers that got a gasp of shock and gratitude out of his date. Hinata's experienced eyes immediately caught the significance of these exotic flowers as tears welled up in Hinata's lavender colored Byakugan. "Naruto… you shouldn't have. These are so thoughtful." Hinata gasped as Hiashi rose an impressed eyebrow at the thoughtful gesture Naruto performed. Being a very well educated and high society man himself Hiashi was also knowledgeable on the language of flowers. He understood the hidden message these flowers were conveying and knowing this fact Hiashi mentally applauded Naruto for a good first impression. He was off to a good start.

A warm beautiful smile worked its way onto Hinata's face as she let the meaning of these flowers wash over her. 'You're incredible Naruto… you never cease to amaze me.' Hinata swooned in her mind as she gently handed the flowers off to Hanabi who smiled when she received them. She too understood the significance of these flowers and even her heart started to beat just a little faster just witnessing such an act. She couldn't be more happier for her sister even if she tried. Her big brother was something else.

"Are you ready to go?" Naruto asked after he spent a few minutes of speaking to Hiashi, Hanabi, and Neji. The father was much more responsive and receptive to Naruto's presence now which was a load off of Naruto's back in his opinion. He wouldn't test the man's patience by ogling Hinata in front of him again, so he was going to be on his best behavior. In return for this Naruto received words of encouragement from the stern father and his younger child while Neji patted the young blond on the back.

"Yes, I can't wait." Hinata squeaked in anticipation as she waved goodbye to her family along with Naruto before the young couple took off for the rest of their day. It was early in the day with much to do before the movie later on so the excitement was at an all time high for the two children.


Hidden Leaf Village Commercial District (2:45 PM)

It was now the middle of the afternoon and the couple were getting hungry. The very first thing the friends did was go to the local park to sight see. The village had no shortage of forests and beautiful scenery to look at and it was the perfect romantic place for a date.

It wasn't often that shinobi Naruto's age got to act like their age and so taking advantage of this fact the young couple first began with a simple walk through the park with a peaceful aura surrounding them. Their hands were intertwined and locked together in an unbreakable bond that the two friends were serenading themselves in. To be out in public showing off their relationship felt great for the couple who took the time to really appreciate their village and all that it had to offer.

Eventually the two friends devolved into a game of hide and seek. For shinobi some would consider this to be childish, but it was a rare occasion for ninja their age to actually act their proper age. To act like the children that they are felt refreshing for a change as the couple enjoyed playing games that they otherwise would never get the chance to play. Of course, Naruto had to put in the stipulation that Hinata couldn't use her Byakugan as it would be an instant game over in that instance while Naruto wasn't allowed to use his sensory abilities.

With the playing field leveled between the two friends it actually made the game quite fun and challenging as they used their hard-earned shinobi skills to stay hidden from each other. "You ready to go grab lunch Hinata?" Naruto asked once the couple finally finished their fourth round of hide and seek. They played other games as well such as eye spy to past the time with Hinata of course having a more noticeable advantage over her blond-haired boyfriend.

"I'm starting to feel hungry so is it time for Ichiraku?" Hinata teased to a blushing Naruto who groaned in embarrassment. "Yes… come on." Naruto pouted as he led Hinata by the hand towards his favorite restaurant in the whole world. It was a safe haven for him growing up with such a rough background and the welcoming natures of the shop owners made his life that much more bearable. Mr. Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame were like family to him as far as Naruto was concerned and they made the best ramen in the world.

Even if it was very predictable, this was the number one place Naruto could take Hinata and he considered himself lucky that the indigo haired girl was so understanding and amicable to his thought processes. The fact that Hinata understood the significance of this place for him and was willing to share in this memorable moment with him meant more to Naruto that what the heiress would ever realize.

"So… Hinata…?" Naruto mumbled in uncertainty as he was still having a hard time looking at the beautiful girl walking with him. This was something he was going to need to get use to. "You're wondering about my clothes, aren't you? You haven't been able to concentrate since we left. Is it that much of a shock to you?" Hinata inquired as the two came to a stop about a block away from the ramen stand.

"Uh… no… I…" Once more Naruto was a stuttering mess and the questioning look that was in his eyes was enough to make Hinata shy away in embarrassment. "I wasn't the one who picked out these clothes if you were wondering." Hinata admitted which was enough of a statement that caught Naruto by surprise. "You didn't… then who did?" This was a question that was far too embarrassing for Hinata to really want to answer but after a bit of coaxing on Naruto's end the heiress eventually opened up.

"The other day Aria, Henrietta, and Eva came over to help me pick out an outfit along with Hanabi who added in her own input." Hinata revealed to a shocked Naruto who instantly thought back to the day in question where Aria left the house under the pretense of running errands and she took Eva with her which Naruto thought was pretty unusual, but he didn't pay the notion much thought at the time. Now he knew what was really going on. They snuck away to go help Hinata. The dedication those girls have to each other was admirable in Naruto's opinion.

"I see… I thought it was quite strange that those two left without me. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I guess they can be quite sneaky when they're ready." Naruto chuckled in amusement as it wasn't often that Aria went behind his back, even if it was something as simple as helping out a friend. "They wanted me to wear something more feminine and casual than the more conservative clothes I normally were. I usually wear baggy and thick clothes. They wanted you to notice my body." Hinata admitted while a full body blush worked its way upon her for admitting this fact. Naruto's jaw dropped at this confession as he could just smell Eva's involvement with this entire scheme. She was far less reserved than Naruto was when it came to the body. She blatantly admired Hinata's figure for a long time now and it would make sense that she would do something like this. His other half was sneaky and vindictive.

Naruto could barely think straight now that this admission was out in the open as he watched Hinata fidget and squirm next to him. "Is it working?" Hinata shyly stuttered out as this was the one question that she's never asked her closest friend. They've never had a problem being honest with each other before in the past but never before has Hinata boldly asked her partner what he truly thought of her body. The feminine side of her mind was very much insecure at her own body and since she was in a romantic relationship with her best friend, she was hoping to get his opinion on her.

A million different thoughts flashed through Naruto's mind like a lightning bolt in that moment and with his heart racing he felt like his actions could take him in any number of directions but when it came time to respond he felt an unexpected clarity and tranquil calm overcome him. It felt warm and familiar. 'This is Lady Sōkyoku's aura… thank you.' Naruto realized as he sent a wave of gratitude to the deity inside of his soul. He was panicking and unsure of himself but with his head now clear of all distractions Naruto reached forward to grab a hold of Hinata's hand.

Holding it above their heads Naruto prompted Hinata to twirl around for him to which she did so without complaint but the blush that was spreading across her body only continued unabated with the notion that Naruto was checking her out on display from every angle. 'Wow.' That was the only thought that passed through Naruto's mind as Hinata wasn't just developed in the breast department. Her butt was extremely round and toned to a fine point due to the rigorous training she's put herself through since she could walk. Not only that but it was actually a lot larger and rounder than what anyone would expect her to have considering her slender and petite body physique and the fact she wears such concealing clothes. The bodies of kunoichi were always toned to perfection due to the extremely high standards of training that they put themselves through. They typically had curves and sculpted muscles in all the right places that the average civilian woman could only ever hope and dream of possessing and it would appear that Hinata was no different. Her hips and butt were a thing of beauty.

'Ok perverted thoughts… begone before I can't function anymore.' Naruto inhaled as he cleared his mind albeit with a lot of difficulty of all of his current thoughts. It wasn't easy all things considered but he pulled it off as he in turn pulled Hinata flush against his chest. "I can't take my eyes off of you." Naruto smoothly stated while infusing the most intent that he could into his voice that held a sincere warmth in it that caused Hinata's legs to turn to jelly. In her opinion that was a smooth delivery from the rough around the edges boy who was known for being very direct and brash with his innermost thoughts. Naruto was turning into quite the lady killer in Hinata's opinion as she buried her face into the crook of his neck both as a sign of appreciation and affection but also as a way to hide the smitten look in her eyes. She wasn't sure how many more of those compliments she would be able to take for the rest of the day.


Ichiraku Ramen Shop (3:00 PM)

This visit to his favorite dining establishment felt special now considering he was on his very first date of his life and it was with none other than his best friend and girlfriend Hinata Hyūga. Naruto felt like jumping for joy at this fact but instead he simply shook on his stool in barely restrained excitement which was a source of amusement for Hinata who giggled at the childish and adorable antics of her partner. She needed something to distract her from the conversation they just finished having about her choice of clothing and her body as a whole.

"Naruto is that you?" Ayame's voice rung out as she appeared from the back of the kitchen to see the orange clad young Chūnin with an airheaded expression on his face. He was on cloud nine right now and the permanent light blush that was on his face as he held Hinata's hand on the counter top was an adorable sight that was too much for Ayame to handle.

The chef's daughter took one glance down at the young couple's joined hands and the happy and content atmosphere around them and let out a high-pitched feminine squeal of delight. "It's time! It's finally time isn't it? Are you guys going out on your date?" The brown-haired girl asked to the now sufficiently embarrassed couple who nod in confirmation to this fact. Ayame had placed bets many years ago that the two would end up together after many years of seeing Naruto bring Hinata to the quaint little stand and always talking about her at every chance he got. The older girl thought it was extremely cute and adorable how Naruto would talk fondly of his best friend whenever she wasn't around. Ayame knew Naruto had it bad for Hinata and now she was happy they were finally together.

"Dad! Get the special menu out. Naruto and Hinata are here on their first date!" Ayame yelled back causing the children to cringe at the volume the girl took. They didn't want their business to be heard by the entire village. In seconds Teuchi the owner of the Ramen Ichiraku stand was standing before the couple with stars in his eyes. "I knew it! Alright kids we prepared a special order just for this day. Congratulations my boy!" The chef praised as he rushed into the back with a pep in his step that only served to embarrass the children further. This was all too much for them to handle.

"So… Hinata how has this little rascal been treating you so far? When did he ask you out?" Ayame gossiped in a giddy tone as they waited for their meal to be ready. Naruto came here so often that the father and daughter pair knew exactly what the young Shī-ō wanted to eat without him even having to say anything. He's already memorized the menu and all of its new iterations from top to bottom over the years the same day new changes are made so Naruto's never had to read from a menu before.

"Our date has been great so far. We've already done so many fun things. We both agreed to have our date on this day while we finalized everything on Monday when he was over at my home for dinner with my family." Hinata explained to the excitable young woman who engaged in a heavy conversation with the young couple who became lost with time enjoying themselves. This banter was broken up by none other than Iruka who walked into the shop for an afternoon lunch.

"Naruto, Hinata, is that you?" Iruka blinked as he saw two of his most accomplished students sitting at the bar stools next to him. He wasn't expecting to see the two friends here today. In fact, he hasn't seen them in a very long time. Ever since the beginning of the Chūnin Exams to be exact. "Iruka Sensei!" Naruto cheered as he gave the older man an affectionate hug that the teacher was all too happy to reciprocate. "What are you guys doing here?" Iruka inquired as his eyes panned down to the conjoined hands of his former students and the answer clicked in his head.

"Wait… don't tell me you two are on a date?!" Iruka gawked as the two friends blushed at each other before confirming it for their school teacher who bore a huge grin on his face. "Congratulations guys! I'm so happy for you. I always knew it was only going to be a matter of time before you got together." Iruka complimented while patting Naruto on the back. It wasn't a carefully guarded secret that his former students both had mutual crushes on each other. The whole class knew back in the day as they were never seen more than a few feet apart from each other during school unless Hinata had to attend one of her kunoichi specific classes. The two did everything together and shared desks next to each other. They were attached at the hip back then and the comfortable yet love filled atmosphere that they generated around each other was something that everyone felt. It was simply only a matter of time.

Speaking with the two for a few minutes Iruka who finished his single bowl of ramen paid for his meal. "Guys I wanted to express how happy I am for you two. Congratulations on being promoted to Chūnin. That makes you my fellow colleagues. You've made me very proud as your former sensei. You've gone farther than any expectation I had for you at such a young age. I thought you two would take at least two or three years before getting a promotion or gaining the crazy amounts of power that's been going around in rumors for the both of you." Iruka explained to the appreciative couple who thanked the young man for his kind words.

"There are rumors about us?" Hinata blinked in surprise as this was news to her. "Yes, you're the talk of the town in the ninja community. You two are responsible for bringing back Lady Tsunade to become our new Hokage. You fought against Orochimaru and his assistant and handled all kinds of threats ever since the end of the Chūnin Exams and the invasion. As far as you are concerned Naruto everyone now knows about your valiant efforts in combating those fake stone ninja in that invasion the other week. Everyone is still talking about it." Iruka revealed to the shocked couple as they themselves weren't aware of their celebrity status.

It honestly flew over Naruto's head in particular since he's still received certain antagonistic glares and vibes from some of the villagers. But looking back on his memories he realized that it was more from the civilian population instead of the shinobi unlike how it used to be were it was equally spread out amongst the entire village.

He was slowly but surely gaining the respect of the shinobi population in the village. News of his exploits were reaching the ears of people in every corner of the village and it was slowly but surely shifting the opinion people had of him. This revelation filled the young Shī-ō with a wave of elation that he didn't even know he could feel. His hard work and dedication was paying off. The validation that he was on the right path was much more than what Naruto thought he could handle as he involuntarily broke down in front of those present who comforted him with waves of sympathy and understanding. They understood what he was going through as Hinata hugged him and placed his head on her shoulder. Comforting words were whispered into his ear by the compassionate heiress who did everything she could to help Naruto process these emotions.

It would take a little while but eventually Iruka departs from the ramen shop after Naruto manages to regain control of himself with Hinata quietly supporting him with her very presence. The large buffet sized meal that Teuchi served the couple was a mountain too large for ordinary people to climb but after turning it into a competition between the two of them as a way to cheer Naruto up it quickly became apparent that Naruto and Hinata were truly meant for each other as they finished a record of a total of 18 bowls of ramen. Naruto had ten bowls under his belt while Hinata had eight. To say that Naruto was shell shocked would be an understatement, what he didn't know however, was the fact that Hinata could actually go on and eat more. She stopped herself at eight to let Naruto have the win to cheer him up, of course she wasn't going to mention this fact to him.

"Hinata you're amazing! Where do you put it all!?" Naruto gawked as he thought he was dreaming that Hinata was actually keeping pace with him in their food war for a vast majority of the time. She must have a bottomless pit inside her stomach as he was the only person that he knew that could eat more than five bowls of ramen without being an Akimichi. While this was an innocent enough question asked on the surface Naruto's mind couldn't help but focus down on Hinata once more. Her stomach was slightly swollen with the amount of food she just ate and panning his eyes up ever so slightly Naruto became transfixed on the only "logical" place Hinata could have stored all of that food.

Catching the blatant look in his eye and understanding the unintentional innuendo being thrown her way Hinata gasped in surprise before throwing Naruto a cute and embarrassed pout. "Hey! No perverted thoughts Naruto!" Hinata squealed as she poked Naruto in his ribcage with a finger laced with chakra. Falling out of his seat in panic Naruto spent the next ten minutes trying to appease his offended girlfriend who was milking this situation for all it was worth with both friends being aware of the typical teasing charade they are used to pulling on each other.


Hidden Leaf Village / The Cherrywood Amphitheatre (5:00 PM)

The couple had time to spare before the movie was to begin so they spent over an hour window shopping around the village going to all the most popular social spots in the area. Gossip was starting to spread through the populous as people could see Naruto and Hinata out on their date. Naruto was dating the heiress to the Hyūga Clan? This news was starting to spread around the village and even some of the ninja were starting to come up to congratulate them. To have random strangers walk up to them and start conversations out of the blue was a daunting experience for the young couple. This wasn't what they were expecting at all.

Time elapsed after this point as Naruto and Hinata made it to the venue with time to spare. As a favor from Naho the princess paid for their tickets and gave them premiere seats in the theatre where they wouldn't be disturbed. It was a kind gesture the two Chūnin weren't going to forget.

"I can't wait to watch this movie. I hear that the actress who plays Princess Gale, Yukie Fujikaze is supposed to be in town for the screening of the movie." Naruto stated as he handed the teller their tickets for the event. The Amphitheatre just like the Chūnin Exams stadium and the Hokage tower was a massive complex that was an open aired building that could house over 5000 individuals. A large screen was situated at the front of the arena that a projector could displayed its contents onto. A stage was also present which allowed performers to perform in front of the large crowds this venue could hold.

It was a beautiful building all things considered with the décor inside being made primarily of cherry wood which is how the theatre got its name. "Really? Do you think we could get her autograph?" Hinata asked with eagerness in her voice at the thought of getting a world-famous actress's autograph. It was a novelty that not everyone in the world could claim to possess. Especially since there were rumors that Yukie wasn't known for signing autographs or attending public events. She was a very reclusive actress. "Ooh… maybe we can. That would be an awesome memento for our first date." Naruto agreed as the thought of getting the signature from such a world-famous actress would be a nice keepsake for their special date.

Looking up above the entrance to the massive building the young children took a moment to appreciate the advertisement signs for the movies scheduled to play today as well as upcoming entertainment events and other movies. The motion picture to get the most recognition and attention was the highly anticipated movie of the year that everyone all over the country and even other places on the continent were clamoring to see and that was the new Princess Gale movie. Looking at the sign that was in the largest font that was situated at the top of the billboard it had neon lights on it.

(The Adventures of Princess Gale – Rainbow Freedom Fighters)

It was the second in what was supposed to be a three-part trilogy and after the success the first movie garnered it was only obvious that its scheduled two sequels would get a green light. Naruto had to watch the first movie with Hiruzen at his home when it first came out when he was a few years younger as he didn't want to risk the persecution and attention that he would draw by trying to watch it here in the proper movie theatre. The first movie in the series was called (The Adventures of Princess Gale – The Fallen Princess). The current movie coming out will be a direct sequel to the first one with the last movie in the trilogy which has yet to be given an official name being the conclusion of the story. Naruto was incredibly excited to watch this movie and find out what happens next in the story. It's been nearly two years since he first saw the first movie with the Third Hokage, now he was itching for more. Critics predicted that this movie would turn out to be a strong sequel to the first movie… and Naruto's passion and expectations were telling him that those individuals were right.

Walking inside the couple starts to navigate their way through the maze of seats until they reach their own after a few minutes of searching. "I heard that Yukie won seven of the Land of Fire's Golden Globe Ember Awards during her career and 12 First place best actress awards even though she only debuted ten years ago." Naruto grinned in a giddy manner as he appeared to be shimmering in his seat with excitement bubbling over out of every pore of his body. This was his very first-time stepping foot inside the massive theatre. It went without saying that he wasn't allowed inside such an opened public place as a child due to the scorn and prejudice that he faced. He's always wanted to see the beautiful entertainment that spawns from this old building as parents would often take their children to events being hosted in the village while Naruto wasn't allowed to attend. It pained his heart as a child to be excluded from such places, especially when he didn't even know why he was being ostracized.

This knowledge also made Hinata upset as Naruto explained this revelation to her on their way to the massive building. The sympathy and love filled support that she gave him was more than enough to get him back in good spirits. Hearing Naruto listing off many of Yukie's accomplishments with absurd amounts of detail caused a bemused teasing smile to work its way onto Hinata's face. Naruto never became this animated and passionate about something unless…

"Naruto…? Do you have a crush on Yukie Fujikaze?" Hinata teased as she watched a crimson red blush plaster itself onto Naruto's face who suddenly clammed up much to the Hyūga heiress's enjoyment. "You do! Don't you? You're a fanboy?" Hinata squealed as she tugged on Naruto's sleeve who groaned and tried to pull away from his playful girlfriend who wasn't having any of it. "Do you have magazines and memorabilia of hers under your bed? I remember you haven't cleaned your room in a while and you distinctively keep me away from there whenever I'm around." Hinata noted with her soft voice filled with cat like mischief that caused Naruto to pull out his terrible poker face in response.

"I have no comment." Naruto stubbornly commented as he wasn't going to confirm to Hinata that she was right on the money. He did have memorabilia of the famous actress hidden underneath his bed that he's stolen over the years. She was the very first actress Naruto's ever learned about and the fame and renown that she held alongside her incredible talent gained her an instant and loyal fan in Naruto who developed one of his instant crushes on her. Of course, he was far too embarrassed about his interest to ever tell Hinata or anyone else about this besides Eva who he couldn't hide anything from. It was one of the very few secrets that he's harbored from Hinata.

This notion didn't go over Hinata's head who squealed and cooed in delight. "It's ok. You don't have to tell me. I have other ways of finding out the truth you know." Hinata grinned one of her rare yet competitive and teasing grins that caused a tingle of pleasure and in this particular case dread to crawl up Naruto's spine. It was a pretty vague statement to make on such short notice as Naruto turned to Hinata with confusion swimming in his eyes, but this clueless look soon turned to abject horror once he saw the tale tell signs of his girlfriend's Byakugan active. 'With her visual range she could see all the way back to my apartment… especially with the enhancements Lady Sōkyoku did to her eyes!' Naruto panicked as he reacted in the only way he possibly could in this situation.

"NO! NO! NO! Don't you cheat Hinata! That's not fair!" Naruto wailed as he reached forward and placed his hands over Hinata's eyes in a pitiful attempt to conceal her vision which was a futile effort to begin with since Hinata had x-ray vision. Even if she closed her eyes she could still see straight through her own eyelids if necessary so the act of covering the girl's eyes with his hands was an effort all in vein on Naruto's end who dreadfully reached the same conclusion in his mind seconds later with the grinning and knowing look on Hinata's face spelling out his doom.

"You know that won't help right?" Now Hinata was just pouring salt into the wound and they both knew it. However, Naruto did have tricks up his sleeve to even the playing field. He knew what he was about to do was a dirty move but in Naruto's competitive mind the old saying goes: All is fair in love and war.

"Maybe… but as long as you have your Byakugan on you won't get this treat that I have." Naruto said while lacing his voice with suspense to lure his playful girlfriend into his trap. The curious expression to transition onto her face seconds later caused a feeling of vindication to swell in his heart. She took the bait. "What treat?" The temptation was in Hinata's voice now as she looked at Naruto with her bloodline still active. She didn't see any hidden candies inside of his pockets or anywhere else on his body, so was he lying?

"This treat…" Naruto teased as he flared his chakra to activate one of his many storage seal tattoos on his arm. In moments a cinnamon bun wrapped in a colorful wrapper appeared in Naruto's hand which had the immediate effect of drawing Hinata's attention away from his apartment. A giddy childish expression came to life on Hinata's face as she immediately tried to grab the sweet pastry out of Naruto's hand, but the blond-haired boy was one step ahead of the Hyūga heiress as he pulled his arm back.

"Nope… be a good girl and deactivate your Byakugan. Then you can have the treat." It was a dirty move, but the smug look on Naruto's face wasn't going away anytime soon. Cinnamon Buns were Hinata's all time favorite treat. He gave her one on the first day they met that started off their beautiful friendship. Hinata went nuts whenever pastries were involved, and they were as sacred to her as ramen was to him. Everyone had a vice and obsession and Hinata's was the fact she had a terrible and uncontrollable sweet tooth.

An adorable and hungry expression greeted Naruto in the form of Hinata who was noticeably salivating over the thought of getting her hands on the sweet pastry. She hasn't had one in quite some time, especially in recent months with everything that has been going on. The very last time she had one was when she was in the hospital following her loss to Neji. Henrietta was taking care of her at the time and the chestnut-haired girl was more than happy to supply the ravenous girl with her favorite vice.

'This meanie… he had cinnamon rolls this entire time and didn't tell me. Well then two can play at this game.' Hinata's inner most thoughts were turning to a more vindictive shade as her inner fire was set ablaze. The many years she's spent by Naruto's side has truly brought her out of her shell in terms of her personality. At her core she was still a very shy, soft spoken, proper, and reserved girl at heart; but that was only at her core. Over time Hinata has changed quite a bit as the more brash and street molded mentality and abrasiveness from Naruto rubbed off on her a lot. It only compounded this notion when Anko came along and became a steady older sister figure in both of their lives. Anko was the very definition of a bad influence and despite her best efforts Hinata could attest to the fact that Anko corrupted her.

This vindictive and competitive mentality was born from a combination of Anko and Naruto respectively who each imparted onto her an ever-evolving piece of her overall personality. Hinata had ways to get what she wanted, and these techniques only worked on Naruto due to their mutual feelings for each other and the many years that they've spent together.

Puppy dog eyes greeted Naruto in the next instant as Hinata's whole demeanor changed on the flip of a dime. It was probably one of the most potent blasts he was ever hit with as the golden illuminating hue from Hinata's Byakugan somehow enhanced this charming and adorable sight. "Please Naruto… I'll stop teasing you about Ms. Yukie and her magazines if you give me the cinnamon roll." Hinata pleaded in the most persuasive and manipulative tone of voice she could muster, but from Naruto's end it came off as charming and adorable. 'She's got me right where she wants me. Who knew she had a trump card like this up her sleeve?' Naruto reeled as his heart started to violently thump out of his chest in embarrassment and coercion as he felt his hand slowly leaning towards the indigo haired girl with the pastry in tow.

"No! I'm stronger than this… you won't beat me that easily Hinata." Naruto recoiled at the last second as he pulled back from the now pouting heiress. "Meanie… I didn't even see anything in your apartment. You can't dangle that bait in front of me. That's torture." Hinata whined in displeasure as her Byakugan deactivated while she crossed her arms under her chest which had the unintentional effect of pushing her breast up. This new scenery didn't escape Naruto's wandering eyes who has been noticing Hinata and becoming more physically attracted to her as of late. He's been noticing many things about her and this day in particular has been an eye opener to say the least. Of course, Hinata was lying through her teeth as she saw a lot of hidden treasure buried beneath Naruto's bed and in secret compartments around the room and apartment that only she was capable of seeing through thanks to her exceptionally powerful Byakugan. Those little compartments were in places only she would have an intimate knowledge and forethought to look into since she knew her boyfriend's thought process and personality so well and also seeing the dozens of storage seals plastered around the room indicated to the affectionate girl that Naruto probably hid the bulk of his ninja supplies and other personal effects in these little pocket dimensions. But with that being said Hinata's physical reaction was the only thing Naruto was concerned about at a time like this.

It served as an accidental distraction as Naruto dropped his guard which didn't go unnoticed by Hinata who snatched the pastry out of Naruto's hand with a lightning quick lunge that blindsided Naruto in an instant. "HEY!" By the time Naruto could even fully register what just happened Hinata already had the plastic wrapper torn off of her favorite treat that now had a quarter of its mass devoured by Hinata who was chewing into it at a ravenous pace that stopped Naruto in his tracks.

'It's just like with the day we first met each other. Our friendship started over a silly little cinnamon bun after I gave her one when she was hungry. That was six and a half years ago… and now our very first date is coming full circle once more… time sure does fly by huh?' Naruto reminisced to himself fondly as he watched Hinata tear into the sugary sweet delight with a passion that could only match his love of ramen. The prim and proper young girl looked just like a squirrel while deleting the poor snack out of existence.

Finishing off the treat in the time it took Naruto to have his own private thoughts Hinata let out a tiny lady like burp accompanied by an apology as she seemingly returned to normal. What greeted her was a nostalgic expression on Naruto's face filled with love and amusement. "What's that look for?" Hinata couldn't help but ask as she temporarily set aside her more competitive and assertive personality for the curiosity settling in. Out of the corner of her eye she could see more people filling in the seats of the establishment. Hundreds were already in attendance, yet this didn't bother the young couple in the slightest as they were given special VIP seats due to Naho's help which limited the amount of people in their immediate vicinity. Up on the stage a young woman and worker at the theatre walked up to a podium with a microphone on it. She had several announcements to make such as advertisements for upcoming movies and other entertainment news and up to date current information about the premiere of the movie everyone's come to see.

"Nothing… I'm just remembering the very first day we met. I gave you this very same treat back then too and you haven't changed a bit in how much you love them. You look adorable." Naruto answered in a softer tone that managed to draw Hinata in with a pleasant smile and blush on her face as she entangled her closer hand with his. "That was so long ago. Back then you saved me from those three bullies and introduced me to Eva. You were so damaged and broken back then, scared and mistrustful of the world and just looking for a friend. You cried when I told you I would like to be your friend." Hinata recounted with a tender look in her eyes as Naruto leaned in to rest his head next to hers. "Yeah, those weren't my best years, but I did meet you, so it wasn't all bad. Besides you accepted Eva and I for who we were which made it the best day of my life." Naruto admitted with raw emotions lacing every word he spoke causing Hinata's eyes to shimmer.

Of course, she knew just how important that day was for the blond-haired partners. That was the day they were finally accepted by a peer their age. They finally felt alive… they finally made a friend. That day was special to Hinata as well as it was the first time that she was able to speak freely to a person and forget about the grief and sadness that plagued her heart following the death of her mother who died in childbirth less than a year prior to them meeting each other. That was the day Hinata made her first friend as well.

Planting a quick but heartfelt kiss onto Naruto's lips, Hinata's eyes shined with the love she felt for the young Shī-ō who was coming into his own with his feelings for her and his development as a person. The Naruto that sat next to her was not the same little boy who was starved for positive human interaction and affection. Now he was a proud shinobi and friend who was slowly but surely changing the opinions of those around him including the villagers who used to scorn him and his very existence; and more importantly, now he was her best friend and boyfriend who she was falling madly in love with. Time has changed the two of them, and she could happily say that it was for the better.

"It was mine as well. It was the start of our life long bond and today marks the true beginning of the rest of our lives together. One day we will be married." Hinata cooed as she nuzzled the side of her face into Naruto's who warming returned the gesture with a fountain of love bubbling beneath the surface of his heart. "I'm going to ask you one day to marry me and I promise you I'll make it a day you'll never forget. Believe it!" Naruto grinned but if only he knew the irony and future such a day would bring for the both of them. By now he should know that nothing could ever be simple or carefree in his life… but that was a notion for well of into the future. In the present Naruto was very busy as he peppered Hinata's cheek and lips with mini kisses that spurred on an eruption of giggles and hushed squeals from his partner who gently pushed his face away with her hands. Her heart was racing out of her chest and other than the embarrassment that she felt from doing such an affectionate and bold act out in the middle of public where there were people currently looking at them, the thing that moved Hinata to push on the breaks was the fact that she didn't know how she would get Naruto to stop if she had let him continue.

It was set in stone by this point that she was drawn to him both physically and especially emotionally over the years. But ever since last year began where she's entered puberty since it started a lot earlier for her Hinata has been finding it increasingly difficult to keep herself away from her blond-haired boyfriend. They were only 12, almost 13 which in Naruto's case was going to happen in only a few short weeks' time considering the fact that it was a few days away from the month turning to October; but at this point it was undeniable that Hinata was becoming increasingly attracted to him as well as just being all around drawn to him like a magnet.

This thought both excited and scared her at the same time. Shoko's advice and concern that she showed Hinata back in Otaru Town was coming back to her now. It was like her hormones were amplified somehow by her hybrid chakra system. Everytime she touched Naruto she felt her energies stir and churn inside of her. The theory that she and Naruto thought up when they were on the mission to escort Shion came to mind. From a logical standpoint Hinata was drawing the conclusion that since Eva helped jumpstart Hinata's Yōki reserves and Iris helped jumpstart the dormant holy powers residing in her from her mother it stood to reason that she was resonating with Naruto in these instances. They both shared the same mutual and exclusive identical source that their powers are based on.

Everytime she felt that sensation Hinata would find that her instincts and emotions would go haywire. This was something that she would have to discuss at length with Naruto at a different time. In the meantime, she allowed Naruto's sweet words to resonate within her mind. He planned on marrying her in the future. That was the official agreement made between him and her father since Naruto was now her official suitor. He was courting her and had all exclusive rights as the number one contender for her heart. Personally, she wouldn't have it any other way as she didn't intend to marry anyone else if it wasn't Naruto and that was a decision that she made a long while before they even confessed to each other.

"Do you have more of those cinnamon buns?" It was time for a change in conversation as Hinata feared if they delved to much more into their feelings it would only drag them to a place that they weren't ready to go yet. She didn't want anything to scare the other off or ruin the fun atmosphere between them, so a change of pace was needed. Besides, getting a taste of her favorite treat for the first time after so long was setting off Hinata's sweet tooth.

Naruto hesitated for a brief moment as he wasn't sure what kind of monster he would unleash if he revealed the truth; but in the end, he decided to bite the kunai on this one. "Yes… I have nine more left in my storage seal." This admission was all it took for a predatory like gleam to come into Hinata's hungry eyes and a sweat drop from Naruto was his only emotional response. 'Now I know how I look to other people with my love of ramen.'

"Have I ever told you just how much I love you Naruto?" Hinata asked in her soft yet melodic tone of voice, a sarcastic and ironic cadence was in her voice right now as amusement twinkled in Naruto's eyes. "Yes… but I would love it a whole lot more if you told me that a lot more often." Naruto grinned as he flirted back with his girlfriend who nuzzled his cheek with her own, it was quickly becoming her favorite affectionate act to perform with Naruto.

As this was going on between the young love birds, certain other couples could be seen entering the building. Most of them were adult couples with one of them being quite the shock, though Naruto would find that out after the movie while one of them just so happened to be Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke was wearing a dark blue sweater shirt with white pants as his outfit. It was very similar to his standard shinobi outfit which informed a lot about his thought process and fashion sense, but despite that fact the more casual clothes that he had on suited him and his tastes… at least Sakura thought so. As for Sakura she had on a red sundress that went down to her knees with white embroidered flowers sewed onto the dress pulling the design together to be visually appealing. A small necklace with green studs was fastened securely around her neck as an accessory.

All in all, the two presented themselves as quite the couple as they navigated the busy and crowded arena to find themselves their seats. "I'm glad we're getting the chance to see this movie Sasuke. Do you think it will be as good as everyone said it will be?" Sakura asked in excitement as the couple found their seats just as the announcer on stage began her speech. "I think so, I thought that this would be something that you'd like to see so I paid for our tickets." To be honest Sasuke wasn't all that interested in movies or the entire genre as a whole but since his entire date with Sakura was impromptu and at the last minute, he was left scrambling for fun and sociable ideas to implement into their day.

He came across one of the hundreds of posters plastered all around the village promoting the movie and became sold on the idea once it stated it had elements of romance and action in it, he was convinced that it would be right up Sakura's alley. When he proposed the idea to her, he was surprised to see the girl nearly explode. She's wanted to see the second installment of the hit movie trilogy for a long time now as the first one made her a fan of the actress Yukie Fujikaze. It wasn't often that Sakura could come out to expensive venues such as this one when she was younger, considering her past and brush with poverty at the hands of her father's health and gambling issues. Now that she was a ninja and was making her own steady income, she was broadening her horizons with experiencing all of the things she couldn't while younger.

Looking around in general excitement Sakura panned her eyes through the many rows of seats around her while subconsciously channeling her observational skills that only trained shinobi are capable of doing. It was a sea of people all around them but through the thick jungle of people Sakura was able to catch a glimpse of Naruto and Hinata in the VIP section. "Hey! Isn't that Naruto and Hinata?" Sakura called out in surprise as she pointed over to the young couple who were situated in a raised railed platform around the perimeter of the pit with the hundreds of rows of seats. Dragging his own eyes over to where Sakura was pointing Sasuke with his better natural vision could easily make out his teammate and his girlfriend. They were currently nuzzling each other with an aura of affection around them that caused the last Uchiha to raise an eyebrow at the public display of affection.

"Yes, it is… I guess they must have already had this place in mind since they are sitting in the VIP section." Sasuke intoned as he took in the appearance of his teammate nuzzling and peppering Hinata with kisses and it caused something to stir in his chest and much to his displeasure it wasn't a pleasant feeling. That visual of their happiness and utter bliss did nothing to make the loner feel any better about himself as he turned away from them when Sakura intertwined their arms together.

"Do you think we can go get their attention? It would be nice if we could all sit together. It could be like a double date." Sakura cooed at the thought of having a double date. It screamed romantic to her but since this was her very first date it would probably not be the best time if your intention was to get close to your partner with no distractions. Sasuke thought the same thing but for different reasons as he declined Sakura's proposition. "No, let them be. They're in the VIP section so they must have paid a lot of money for it. If you want, we can catch up with them after the movie is over." Sasuke mumbled as he sat back in his chair just as the announcer finished her speech.

"Now ladies and gentlemen. The moment you all have waited for is here. Please enjoy the movie."


2 Hours, 30 Minutes Later (7:30 PM)

"That was the best movie I've ever seen." Naruto breathed out as he and Hinata watched the ending credits begin their slow crawl up the screen. The movie was now over and to say they got their money's worth would be an understatement. Everything the critics of the movie predicted it would be came to pass as the movie managed to live up to the hype and deliver on the expectations weighed against it.

"I almost want to sit here and watch it again." Hinata giggled as she too enjoyed the movie immensely. She was enthralled by Yukie's portrayal of Princess Gale and now she could see why Naruto was such a fanboy of her. The young woman had prestigious acting skills that was worthy of praise and the actual plot and story writing implemented into the movie allowed Yukie to make the most out of the Princess Gale character. The movie turned out to be everything Naruto hoped it would be as he hugged Hinata into his side in satisfaction who didn't mind the close contact with the energetic boy.

The shy girl patted her stomach in contentment as she cleaned out Naruto's stash of cinnamon buns over the course of the movie with a ravenous appetite and passion for her favorite treat that was oddly enough making him more drawn to her. He knew how crazy he could get with ramen and it's many different iterations and if Hinata could put up with his obsession towards the food of the gods as he so eloquently puts it then he could support her with hers. He just hoped the poor girl didn't get cavities or anything serious with the amount of sugar she consumed. He was still suspicious of the fact that Hinata could put away all of those treats like it was nothing, especially when you factor in the 8 bowls of ramen that she consumed hours earlier. He wanted to make a comment about her budding breast being her secret storage area, but he wasn't about to risk taking a gentle fist poke of death from his girlfriend again.

"Do you?" Naruto asked in bemusement as he would sit through another viewing of the movie if his partner was willing. "Uh… no. My back can't take much more of this chair." Hinata snickered in a sassy tone that got a good-natured laugh out of Naruto who stood to his feet before extending his hand for Hinata to take. With a gracious smile formed on her face Hinata took the gentlemen like gesture and rose to her feet which were now wobbly from sitting for so long. The chairs were comfortable up until a point. Staying seated for that long wasn't something neither she or most shinobi were comfortable with. They were an antsy breed of people, always on the move and physically active.

"I would ask if you want some dinner but considering how much you ate, I'm not so sure now." Naruto teased to a now blushing Hinata who wanted to hide in her jacket if she had it with her. She was so forward with her more hidden personality today than almost any other day she could recall. Naruto brought out not only the best in her, but all of her in the end.

"I would like some dinner… preferably at a restaurant instead of Ichiraku… no offense." Hinata answered with a delicate tone to her voice that was mixed in with irony and a playful wavelength. She could put away bowls of ramen with the god of ramen next to her, but she would prefer not to do so twice in a day. Even she didn't think that was something she could manage.

"Oh… well maybe I do take offense to that. Maybe I should investigate your secret to eating all of this food then Ms. Traitor to Ichiraku?" Naruto pouted in a snooty tone of voice as he turned his nose up at Hinata in a playfully offended manner while eyeing her chest which she was quick to pick up on. "Is that right… are you sure you just don't want to stare at my chest Naruto? What if I decide not to wear this outfit anymore?" Hinata shot back with her own retort of flirtatious ammo that got the immediate response she just knew was coming. She could spend the time being embarrassed over the fact Naruto was paying actual attention to her body which she was secretly flattered and happy about, or she could fire back with her own retorts that she just instinctively knew would win her the argument. The choice was clear as Hinata knew Naruto better than he knew himself sometimes. Their bond was a scary notion for kids their age.

"Hey! Whoa now! No need to be hasty! Forget I even said anything! We can go to any place you want!" Naruto pleaded as he did a complete one eighty much to the amusement of Hinata who was secretly thanking her sister and friends for their forcible input into her outfit choices. Originally, she didn't want to wear something so form fitting and outgoing that showed so much skin since she was a very shy and reserved girl at heart but now, she was starting to change her opinion on how she should approach dressing herself for the future. If she could have this much control over Naruto with her natural feminine charm and sex appeal, then this avenue might have to be something Hinata looked into.

"Pervert…" Hinata giggled as she intertwined her arm with Naruto's who briefly blushed before gaining a more confident and flirtatious expression on his face. "In this instance I can accept that title. You know you love it." He pushed as he watched the guilty blush break out across her entire face. He caught her in her own game and she knew it. "Maybe I do… but that secret stays between us." Hinata confirmed as she poked Naruto in his ribs in warning as she didn't want such scandalous information getting out to the wrong hands. Imagine if her father found out about this. She couldn't even imagine such a fate, if Anko found out it would be just as bad as the perverted older woman would corrupt Hinata's pure soul to the depths of hell and back; and the worst part of it was on some deep level Hinata didn't feel like she would entirely mind. Her traitorous hormones had a mind of their own.

"Speaking of perverts… isn't that Lord Jiraiya over there with Lady Tsunade?" Hinata tilted her head to the side in confusion as she saw the two Legendary Sannin walking together towards one of the many exits of the building and the proximity between them were pretty close. They were by themselves now so Hinata could allow her more inner personality out. She admired and respected Jiraiya as a shinobi and superior but she didn't have a very high opinion on his ways of perversion, and that was only because she still held a grudge against him for the scandalous photo shoot prank he played on her and Naruto back in Firebend Town. She may have punished the girls for their part to play in the prank, but she couldn't do anything to the Legendary Sannin who still remains unchecked to this day. "No way… it really is them. Do you think they were on a date?" Naruto asked in a scandalous tone as the thought of those two individuals on a date was juicy information to hold onto. "I don't know… let's go ask them." Hinata prodded as she pulled Naruto along with her to chase after the two living legends.


Hidden Leaf Village / The Cherrywood Amphitheatre [Mainstreet Entrance]

"Hey Pervy Sage! Wait up!" Naruto called out in a loud voice drawing the attention of the two Sannin who turned to the young couple. They weren't the only ones though, many families who were leaving the building all looked towards the mountain of a man with curious if not suspicious glances that caused the Toad Sage to panic.

"Shhhh! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that in public you little brat! At the very least if you're going to ruin my name refer to me as a Super Pervert!" Jiraiya shouted back as Naruto gained a deadpan expression on his face along with Hinata who sighed. Tsunade who was next to her old friend groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose. This was her annoying childhood best friend… and nearly 50 years later he still acted the same way. How embarrassing.

"Is the sky blue?" Naruto deadpanned as he threw the older man for a loop. "Yes." It was the obvious response to give but Naruto wasn't quite done yet. "Are you still a pervert?" Again, the older man answered with a quick yes. "Well then there you go. I'll keep ruining your name for as long as this is your nature." Naruto jabbed to a furious Jiraiya while Hinata giggled into her hand at the way her boyfriend led the older man on.

"Damn you brat!" It didn't take long for the godson and godfather to be at each other's throats again as Hinata ignored them in favor of bowing towards the Hokage of their village. "Good evening Lady Hokage. It's nice to see you again." Hinata greeted warming to the older woman who smiled in return for the polite and inviting nature of the young preteen who helped risk her life to bring her back to the village. Tsunade had a very high opinion of the young girl before her as it took real grit and guts to perform at the level Hinata has shown despite her age.

Looking her over with her critical eye and assessing the situation with her feminine intuition Tsunade instantly came to the correct conclusion of what her two favorite charges were up to. "It's good to see you as well Hinata. I can safely assume you and Naruto are out here on a date, yes?" A beautiful and bashful blush was Hinata's response to this as Tsunade chuckled in amusement. "I knew you two had something special. Jiraiya told me you two were together back when we were on our trip. Is this your first date or have you been going out for a while?"

This was definitely their very first official romantic date, but you could argue that Naruto and Hinata have been going out for years as Naruto would take her to places all around the village; some of which could be considered prominent date spots. "This is our first official date, but we've been together and known each other for years." Hinata replied simply as the Hokage shook her head in understanding to this. The squabbling men accompanying them tonight both stopped their arguing when Jiraiya overheard this tidbit of information.

"You two are on a date brat?! Why didn't you tell me? Tell me, have you kissed her yet? Where have you gotten to with her so far?" Jiraiya giggled perversely as he pulled out a notebook from seemingly out of nowhere and was eagerly salivating at the thought of getting interesting tidbits of information out of his apprentice. A vein twitched in Naruto's forehead as he froze the sage's notebook with a concentrated look from his eyes. He has been working on Eva's natural technique to remote freeze targets from a distance with her eyes. It was slow progress for him since as a shinobi Naruto didn't have any kind of Dōjutsu and as such he was very unused to channeling minute and precise amounts of chakra to his eye sockets to use offensively instead of just for the general use of enhancing one's eyesight.

His Yōjutsu was coming along at a slower pace because of this since the demonic arts typically produce their abilities from all over their body including the norm of spawning in their powers from outside of their body. But that challenge has never deterred Naruto who has been making leaps and bounds in his training. However, despite that fact Naruto can only freeze small objects that he is entirely concentrated and focused on with his eyesight and as such it isn't a viable technique to use in the heat of battle where you can't keep your eyes focused on any one spot or target for too long.

"I'm not saying anything you old perv. I don't want Hinata and I to end up in your next installment of Icha-Icha!" Naruto growled as an offended look came to Jiraiya's face in response. "Ungrateful little brat! Do you know how much of an honor it would be to be in one of my books? It's literature at its finest." Jiraiya preached to the choir even though Naruto wasn't a true believer. "It's porn Pervy Sage." Naruto jabbed as Jiraiya responded by smacking Naruto upside his head. "It's called perfection you brat! When you get older, you'll finally understand." A miffed Jiraiya animatedly insisted as Naruto glared up at the older man for his uncalled-for assault while Tsunade snorted and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't dare call that trash you write perfection Jiraiya."

The white haired Sannin looked like he was struck by lightning on this clear skied evening as he turned to Tsunade in betrayal. "Oh, come on! Not you too princess! I have millions of fans all over the world who reads my work. Do you know how filthy stinking rich I am? I am a walking talking legend to culturally inclined perverts everywhere!" The sea of crickets that followed Jiraiya brave declaration did nothing to make the author feel any better about himself as Naruto finally spoke up.

"Just because you spray air freshener over a pile of garbage does not mean it still isn't garbage pervy sage." This scathing and callous deadpan caused Hinata to place her hands over her mouth in a vain attempt to stop the hysterical laughter that wanted to bellow out as Tsunade snorted in amusement. She even had to turn her head away from the others to keep her composure. "You little shit! Get over here!" Jiraiya roared as he attempted to grab Naruto who was doing everything in his power to escape his master's grasp with mobile and agile uses of the Body Flicker technique to stay one step ahead of the Sannin who was flailing about trying to catch Naruto who was jumping off of his broad shoulders as a way to taunt him.

They were creating a scene now and it was what provided Sasuke and Sakura with a beacon to follow the commotion going on out in front of the theatre. "You got jokes huh kid? Well I already have all the inspiration I need for my next novel right here." Jiraiya punctuated this fact by pulling out a very special photo. It wasn't an ordinary photo by any means. It just so happened to be a very incriminating photo that was taken during the trip to find Tsunade. It was the scandalous photo that Jiraiya with the help of Chaos, Iris, and Eva took of Naruto and Hinata that should not see the light of day.

Said couple both paled considerably at the damning evidence in the Sannin's hand as they haven't seen him pull it out since the very day that he took it. He was now both figuratively and literally holding it over their heads now as Naruto wasted no time in lunging for it but since Jiraiya was well over six feet tall and Naruto still wasn't even a full five feet yet, it was a futile effort on his part.

"You perverted old bastard! Give me that thing!" Naruto roared as he would not allow anyone to even so much as catch a glimpse of that image. If this news somehow made it back to Hiashi Hyūga then Naruto was a dead man walking on borrowed time. This was the scene that Sasuke and Sakura stumbled across as they approached Tsunade and Hinata while bowing in the customary greeting to their Hokage. "Uh… what is going on here?" Sakura awkwardly asked to Hinata who was silently cheering on Naruto to get the photo. She didn't want anyone seeing it either.

"I… uh…?" Hinata had no words to describe what it was her boyfriend was doing as anything she could possibly say would be incriminating evidence towards her plight. Sasuke himself activated his Sharingan to get a look at what the photo in Jiraiya's hand was and seeing this Hinata squeaked in panic before quickly placing her hands over the boys eyes. The Sharingan had the ability to slow down the perception of time from the users visual perspective. Sasuke would easily be able to see the contents of the photo despite how erratically the Toad Sage was moving around the photo to keep it out of Naruto's reach.

"Sasuke, I would very much appreciate it if you don't look at what's on that photo." Hinata requested in a not so smooth and polite tone. This caused the boy to raise an eyebrow in curiosity as he turned to Hinata while deactivating his Dōjutsu. He was only able to catch a glimpse of the picture and unfortunately for him the dwindling sunlight was at such an angle that it reflected off of the plastic surface of the picture causing it to appear white. All Sasuke was able to make out from the picture before Hinata blocked his vision was what appeared to be a bed and disheveled bed sheets. Obviously, someone was in the bed, but he couldn't tell who or how many.

"Hnn. I don't really care either way. So, how has your date with Naruto been?" It wasn't often that Sasuke interacted with Hinata despite the fact that she is with Naruto all of the time whenever he visits the blonde's apartment. He would talk to her when they had their typical family dinners at Naruto's house in which he would invite over all of his friends but even then Sasuke preferred to talk to Naruto only on a more exclusive basis. He was a loner by nature and no one has gotten close to his heart and gained his respect, trust, and friendship like Naruto has… but even then, that feeling in his chest has been changing ever since Naruto returned from his mission to retrieve Lady Tsunade and unexpectedly received a promotion. He would never forget the risks Naruto took for him in taking on Itachi back in Firebend Town, but something was changing in Sasuke and he couldn't figure out what.

"It's been wonderful… we've done all sorts of things. But I'm more interested to hear about how you and Sakura are doing. It was a big surprise to me when Naruto told me about the talk you two had a few nights ago. What made you change your mind?" This was a question that Hinata would love nothing more than to get an answer to and looking over to Sakura who was talking to Lady Tsunade the black-haired boy sighed.

"Like I told Naruto, I don't know exactly why I said yes. I was going to decline her invitation after a while which is why I went over to him for advice. I only fully agreed to it after he said his piece. She was happy today, so I guess it was the right thing to do." Sasuke admitted to Hinata who hummed in thought. That was quite the answer to receive and it made her want to ask a more important question. One that not many people ever ask him.

"That's nice to hear… but did today's date with her make you happy?" Hinata asked as she placed extra emphasis on the word "you" for Sasuke who widened his eyes a bit at the hard question. No one besides Naruto ever asked him how he felt. Of course, Sakura asks him this question 10 times a day, but it wasn't in the same context and it didn't hold the same value that he was looking for.

"I… guess today was fun. I've never done this before, yet Sakura seemed very happy and it was a nice change of pace as Naruto said it might be… so I guess I'm… happy." Sasuke was highly unsure of himself as he said this, and this admittance caused a small frown to overcome Hinata. Reaching forward she embraced the taller boy in a friendly hug that caught him by utter surprise. "It's ok if you're unsure of your feelings right now. But if I can offer you some advice. I would have to say that the fact that you accepted Sakura's invitation over any of the hundreds of girls our age who have asked you out before must count for something. It means you have a deeper bond of friendship with her than you may think. So, think about that ok." Hinata gently stated to a baffled Sasuke who didn't know how to properly respond to such an affectionate and genuine act of kindness. Today was full of surprises for him.

Sasuke could only mutely nod his head in agreement as Hinata turned back to the commotion at hand to see Naruto with the picture in his hand. He tore it up in seconds with an air of triumph around him that was popped by the Sannin's next statement. "Celebrating a little early I see. Did you think that was the only photo I had?" This singular statement caused the temperature in the area to plummet as Naruto leveled the Sannin with a deadly glare. "You're lying. I only heard the camera go off once." It was a valid point that Naruto brought up but Jiraiya knew something that he didn't. "You may be right about that kid… but then that doesn't explain the uneasy feeling in your heart, right? You know that I'm not lying." Jiraiya finally had the upper hand and he was going to milk it for all its worth. He sure as hell wasn't going to mention the fact that Chaos using Kayros manipulated reality on the camera to create a second copy of the one singular photo that printed out of the camera… or the fact that she then made multiple copies to be stored away for future use. When Jiraiya found that out he felt like a proud grandfather for the first time in his life. The little Angeloid of the Apocalypse was by far his favorite and he knew it was bad to pick favorites among children.

Before Naruto could blow up at the Toad Sage and cause an incident Hinata thought it best to take his focus away from the instigative and immature older man. "Lady Tsunade, were you here on a date with Lord Jiraiya?" It was an innocent question that drew everyone's attention in as said man seemingly teleported himself over to Tsunade while draping one of his large bear like arms over her much smaller shoulder. "You bet we were little lady. The princess here couldn't resists the vestiges of my passionate advances for too long." The delusional statement on Jiraiya's end was met with annoyance from the recent Hokage who glared up at her old teammate.

"If you don't want to lose that arm of yours Jiraiya the I suggest you move it before you lose it." Tsunade threatened in a menacing tone to the now sheepish sage who squeamishly released the Slug Queen from his embrace. "Humph… that's what you get for not coming to check up on me when you returned to the village. What type of master are you?" Naruto grumble out in distaste and this flippant remark was seconds away from earning Naruto another immature tirade from Jiraiya, but the sound of a stampede brought everyone's attention to the main street where a lone woman riding on a horse could be seen.

She was an extremely beautiful young woman in her very early twenties who had long flowing dark midnight blue hair that trailed down her back. She had dark cerulean colored eyes that somehow appeared to be cold. She was wearing an elaborate kimono comprised of the colors of green, pink, and blue. This woman was none other than the world-famous actress Yukie Fujikaze. She wasn't alone though… at least 10 men dressed in black samurai armor could be seen chasing the young woman on their own horses.

"Is that…? It is! That's Yukie Fujikaze!" Naruto shouted as the stampede of horses tore through the center of main street forcing civilians to dive out of the way for their safety. "She's being chased!" Next it was Hinata's turn as Jiraiya and Tsunade shared a look with each other as they picked up on what was happening.

"Come on Hinata! We have to help her!" These were Naruto's famous last words before he took off after the long trail of destruction left behind by the fleeing actress. "Wait Naruto! I can't run in this skirt!" Hinata cried out in panic yet despite this fact she took off anyways. Her skirt wasn't indecent or ridiculously short to any degree. But it also wasn't made for shinobi use. She just hoped she didn't accidently flash anyone below her as she bounced from one roof top to another to catch up to her reckless boyfriend who was blinded by his desire to help out his favorite celebrity crush. Once this was all over Hinata was going to be loaded with so much ammo to tease Naruto with. She never planned to let him live this down.

"Come on Sasuke, we can't let them do all of this by themselves!" Sakura herself was riding an emotional cloud of bliss today after finally getting a date out of Sasuke so she was all for getting into some actual action as opposed to her more non-violent personality. Also, if this gave her the chance to meet such an icon in the movie industry then she would die before passing up this opportunity. This was a story she could brag to Ino about. That reason alone was enough of a motivator to get the pink haired girl moving. As for Sasuke he had no choice in the matter as he took off after Sakura who wasn't giving him much of an option in this bizarre case.

"Those kids…" Tsunade sighed in exasperation while pinching the bridge of her nose. They seriously jumped the gun on this one. "Hahahahaha! That little brat is something else princess. When do you think they'll figure out how much they done goofed?" Jiraiya laughed as they had no idea that they were about to attack the wrong people. "They'll find out soon enough and I'm sure it will be quite the pill to swallow." Tsunade shook her head in amusement which was quickly wiped away once Jiraiya placed his arm around her shoulder once again. "Now then… you wounded me earlier by saying this wasn't a date Tsunade. What do you call it when a man and a woman go to the movies together while alone?" Jiraiya teased to a now heavily annoyed kunoichi who balled her fist up.

"You want a date? I'll give you a date and appointment at the hospital you old perv!" Tsunade growled as she punctuated this statement quite literally and figuratively by landing a devastating uppercut to Jiraiya's chin that sent him flying more than a hundred feet into the air as he sailed through the sky with swirls in his eyes. "As if I'd call that a date… you made me pay for the popcorn and the tickets you cheapskate; rich best-selling world author my ass." Tsunade grumbled before leaving back to the Hokage Tower.

Five minutes… five minutes was all it took for the four young shinobi to subdue the pursuing squad of armored samurai while Naruto himself managed to catch up with Yukie who would give him a rude awakening after he asked for an autograph. It's said that sometimes meeting your idol in real life can be a big disappointment. Now was one of those times as Naruto discovered that Yukie wasn't as nice as he imagined her to be. She was cold and cynical as she refused to sign the autographs of a group of kids who were all fans of her work. The way she crushed their hopes and dreams was a wake-up call Naruto wasn't expecting. The fact that after tracking her down afterwards she shrugged him off too started to paint the picture in Naruto's mind that not everything was as it seemed.

"Oh dear… what are you guys doing?" This voice belong to none other than Kakashi who was in the area and witnessed the entire fiasco between his students and their new clients. Minus Naruto who was missing, the scene he stumbled upon was utter chaos and that was saying something considering the fact the little tiny terror had nothing to do with this… of course, Kakashi would hold off on that last thought. You couldn't put anything pass the psychotic little girl.


Hyūga Clan Compound / Clan Compound District (10:00 PM)

"That was quite the day huh?" Naruto spoke as he and Hinata sat at a park bench a block away from the Hyūga Clan's main gate. Their date was now officially over and the stars in the night sky could clearly be seen with all of their beauty. The day was hectic and very much eventful to say the least and it was something that the young couple would never forget.

"It was probably one of the best days of my entire life… minus a few embarrassing elements." Hinata answered while leaning her head against Naruto's shoulder who was leaning back against the wooden back rest of the bench. "I'm glad I could give you a day like this… I wish everyday could be like this, but unfortunately if that was the case then it wouldn't feel special anymore." Naruto chuckled as Hinata joined in briefly as she completely agreed with his accurate statement.

"Are you still upset about what happened with Ms. Yukie? She didn't turn out to be the kind of person you were expecting huh?" Hinata softly prodded to Naruto who gained a disappointed and hurt frown on his face. "I was really looking forward to meeting her in real life ya know. Who would have guessed she was that mean? But I'm ok… I'll get over it." Naruto sighed while squeezing Hinata closer to his side who assisted in this manner by closing what little space was left between the two.

"It was nice to see Sasuke and Sakura out and about. I hope this date will help him moving forward. He's still not himself and even the act itself of accepting Sakura's invite is proof enough that his mind is in a different state right now." Hinata commented in contemplation as Naruto shook his head in agreement. It was true that he was worried for his best friend. Only two of his male friends could hold that title and that was Shikamaru and Sasuke. He and Shikamaru shared a bond that was almost on the same level that he in turned shared with Chōji. Naruto's also known Shikamaru for far longer than Sasuke with the lazy boy being idolized by Chaos. They both also shared quite the intelligence together that served as a source for the two rookie Chūnin to bond over. But that admittance in no way diminished Naruto's thoughts for his other male best friend.

As for Sasuke, the last Uchiha served as a mirror for Naruto to look into. The boy was lonely and scared emotionally by the death of his family. He was an orphan just like Naruto and as such he could empathize with the loner. While they didn't get off to the best start when they were both assigned to Team 7, with time and a lot of patience on Naruto's end he was finally able to bridge the gap between them as he had to grow up and mature enough to finally let Sasuke into his heart before he could in turn let Sasuke do the same. Shino, Chōji, and now as of more recently Gaara were Naruto's close friends who he could also depend on and in the case of Gaara it was made a mental note by Naruto that he should check in with his fellow Jinchūriki. He wanted to know how the reformed boy was doing.

"I hope that it helped too. He really needs a pick me up right now. I don't know how much longer he can go on without talking to anyone. He's been holding in his true feelings regarding a lot of stuff ever since our encounter with Itachi. It's affected him much more than he cares to admit and not even the therapy sessions with Lady Tsunade and Mr. Inoichi were enough to get through to him, let alone my attempts to talk to him since then." Naruto breathed out a deep sigh of concern as this issue has been prevailing ever since the incident in Firebend Town. Naruto only wished that there was something more that he could do.

"Something has to give eventually. I know that you will keep trying to help him and deep down I think your genuine feelings will reach him in time. Just don't give up." Hinata encouraged with a gentle smile on her face that got one to copy itself onto Naruto's as well. "You know I will."

A brief silence surrounded the young couple for a few minutes as they enjoyed each other's company for while it lasted. "I really enjoyed my time today Naruto… only you could make this day as special as it was." Hinata cooed as she nuzzled her face into Naruto's who blushed in gratitude. "I feel the same Hinata… you make everyday special to me." Naruto said softly which got an even bigger blush to plaster itself onto Hinata's cheeks. Flattered was far to weak a word to describe what she felt in that moment as she leaned in with Naruto doing the same.

"You're so beautiful…" Naruto mumbled in a dazed tone which got a grin to come to Hinata's lips. The power she had over him with just her very presence was a power she would have to be very careful with in the future less it went to her head. Her heart was beating out of its chest at this moment as their foreheads were now touching with a street lamp perfectly situated above them shining down a golden hue of light that fell onto the young couple like a curtain to a stage play.

"Have I ever told you just how much I love you Hinata?" Naruto asked in a whisper like voice filled with the utmost passion that his large heart could convey. Every emotion that he has ever felt for his best friend was coming out in this one singular moment as Hinata felt her heart ready to explode in her chest. She could feel what was happening as her chakra circulatory system began to churn and go haywire. She could imagine the same was happening to Naruto as she could feel his ocean's worth of energy humming beneath the surface of his skin. Amusement, love, lust, and every other emotion on the spectrum displayed themselves across Hinata's lavender colored eyes that was starting to turn to their golden hue without the tell-tale veins that indicate her Byakugan was active being there. This was something completely different. The golden ambient light given off from her eyes matched completely with the street light above them that it left Naruto breathless.

"Yes… but I would love it a whole lot more if you told me that a lot more often." Hinata replied as the young couple repeated the same lines that they spoke to each other back in the movie theatre earlier in the evening. With the words spoken the two closed the gap between their lips and cemented a kiss that was far more powerful and meaningful than the one they tentatively shared in the forest not so long ago. The kiss was long… the longest they've ever shared as the light from the street lamp above them blocked out the rest of the world around them as they both opened their eyes in the end to see they were surrounded by a curtain of gold that outlined their bodies from each other's perspective.

"Let's get you home Hinata…" Naruto whispered out breathlessly as he couldn't even possibly come up with any words to say after sharing such a moment with his significant other. He didn't even think there was a level he could possibly think of that would describe what their relationship was on now. Did it level up? If it did then it was on a level that Naruto could no longer sense and somehow that notion didn't scare him in the slightest.

After walking Hinata the rest of the way home the young couple were greeted by Hiashi, Hanabi, and Neji once more who stood at the main gate in anticipation. After a few minutes worth of conversation between the family members in which Hanabi jumped into Naruto's arms who in turned peppered her with a barrage of kisses and a promise to bring over Iris and Chaos along with the kids it was finally time for Naruto to part ways with the Hyūga family and close the sweet chapter on this very special day.

"Goodnight Hinata…" Naruto said in a voice that conveyed his earlier emotions with the kiss that they shared. He didn't want this day to end after the conclusion they just shared minutes earlier and Hinata felt the same way if the look in her beautiful lavender colored eyes were any indication. "Goodnight Naruto." Those words appeared to be the final ones needed to be said as Hiashi began to usher his children inside with Naruto content to start his walk back home but at the last minute Hinata broke away from her father and tackled Naruto in an embrace that nearly took the boy off his feet.

Not even a breath could escape Naruto's lips before they were passionately sealed by Hinata's who poured every ounce of her soul into Naruto who was just as stunned as her family with Hiashi's jaw coming unhinged ever so slightly while Neji looked as if fate was after him once more. As for Hanabi she had the proudest most satisfied look on her young face. She was proud of her big sister.

"I love you Naruto." Those words were spoken in a tone Naruto could never describe as tears pooled into his eyes that intentionally started to fall without his consent. Love… the one thing he was searching for since he could consciously think and now, he's found it in the form of his first human friend… his best friend. The one girl who accepted him and Evangeline for who they were when all others would have crucified him on the spot. What he felt in that singular moment had to be stronger that the concept of "love", but Naruto didn't think there was a word that existed that could properly articulate Naruto's feelings into words so instead he let his heart speak the words he wanted to say.

"I love you too Hinata."


To be continued...


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys this has been my most anticipated chapter to publish to date. To start things off the very first segment between Naruto and Evangeline was written by me well over three years ago in preparation for this very chapter. This entire scene came to me one day while I was still writing chapters for Part 1: From Demon to Father. Of course, as things stand now their have been some sentences added or deleted to better fit into context with more recent events that have transpired in Part 2: From Father to Ninja, but the core essence of that entire scene has remained completely unchanged.

That's just a nice little tidbit of background trivia that I thought would be cool to share just like how this chapter came out to a rounded up number of 19,900 words when I finally finished it. This chapter came out just the way I envisioned it which has left me on cloud nine just as much as Naruto and Hinata were at the end of this chapter.

There's not much to say about the scene between Naruto and Eva other than the fact it wraps up their own romantic story plot with the promise that it will continue. Eva has not lost Naruto or lost to Hinata. She is very much also the main pairing of the story and that is never going to change. That's a reassurance and soft spoiler that I can give out to placate any fans who may think otherwise. The conversation that they have completely sums up and eliminates any fears that the fans may have.

Naruto showing up with flowers was something that I did some research on as my knowledge of flowers have dwindled over the years. As a child I knew a heck of a lot more than I do now as an adult so I brushed up on the meaning of these different kinds of flowers which Naruto presented to Hinata as a present. In turn for this Naruto is treated to the sight of Hinata out of her large puffy jacket for once and is immediately rendered speechless by how physically attractive the young girl is. After a round of teasing on each others end the couple leave for their date.

They begin by playing childish games that as shinobi they never got the chance to play while also taking a peaceful walk through the park. Naruto also gets confirmation from Hinata on her choice of clothes which renders the boy pleased as Eva is definitely in his corner. They have lunch at Ichiraku Ramen where Teuchi and his daughter Ayame serve them a special buffet to celebrate their new relationship status. Iruka also shows up in a surprise twist as he hasn't been in the story for quite some time. It is here that we get our first glance at the Queen of Gluttony in her youth who packs away almost as many bowls as Naruto who couldn't help himself with the unintentional innuendo he drops on Hinata.

The couple arrives at the Cherrywood Amphitheatre which will be playing the new Princess Gale movie set to premiere. Finding their seats we are treated to a long segment that highlights the true dynamic of their relationship. Naruto has a celebrity crush on actress Yukie Fujikaze while Hinata thinks this is cute. She then teases him by using her Byakugan to see under his bed which it is confirmed that he does have magazines and memorabilia. This leads to a back and forth round of teasing on both ends as they continuously one up each other with Naruto bringing out cinnamon buns to bribe Hinata. They reminisce about the day they first met as Hinata herself has to put on the breaks to Naruto's affectionate advances. Her hormones and chakra react every time they get close which is a phenomena that has her slightly worried.

While this is happening it is revealed that Sasuke ended up taking Sakura to see the movie to in a surprise twist. From his inner thoughts and expository dialogue it is revealed that Sasuke is having conflicting emotions about Naruto now ever since he received his promotion. Sasuke is caught in a storm of emotions as they watch the movie.

When it is over Naruto and Hinata engage in another round of flirtatious banter as they catch a glimpse of Jiraiya and Tsunade of all people also watching the movie. They catch up with the two Sannin outside of the movie theatre who greet them in a way true to their characters. Naruto and Jiraiya begin antagonizing one another while Hinata carries out a civil conversation with Tsunade. It only gets worse as Jiraiya pulls out the elusive photo he took many chapters ago of Naruto and Hinata. This prompts their arguing to escalate just as Sasuke and Sakura catches up with the group. Hinata has to stop Sasuke from discovering the contents of the picture which she is successful in. After that she gives him a genuine pep talk that leaves him stunned while Jiraiya reveals the fact their is more than one photo which is true as unknown to the couple Chaos created copies with her abilities.

To change the subject Hinata asks Tsunade if she was here on a date with Jiraiya to which the Toad Sage immediately tries to confirm but Tsunade shuts him down before launching him away at the end for his persistence. While this is happening the real Yukie Fujikaze rushes by being chased by what turns out to be movie stuntmen dressed as samurai. Naruto immediately rushes out to save the actress with his friends hot on his heels. Naruto catches up with the actress but gets a rude awakening as Yukie turns out to not be the kind of person he thought she'd be as it is revealed she is Team 7's new client and mission.

The chapter dwindles down to an end with Naruto and Hinata seated on a park bench a block away from the Hyūga compound. They recount the day they just had while Hinata gives Naruto encouragement to not give up on Sasuke who is still very much going through a turbulent time. Naruto and Hinata draw close and share a passionate kiss underneath the golden glow of a street lamp that highlights Hinata's eyes which turn gold without her Byakugan being active in a one of a kind phenomenon. He escorts her home where Hiashi and the others are waiting. With a promise to Hanabi to bring over the kids and a final goodbye to the entire family and Hinata in particular, Naruto was content to walk home but he is left stunned into silence along with everyone else when Hinata breaks away to plant one last kiss onto Naruto while declaring her love for him. Naruto is rendered speechless with tears in his eyes as he finally finds the love he has always wanted. The chapter ends with Naruto declaring his love for his best friend.

Ladies and Gentlemen this is a milestone for the story and the main pairing. Things only go up from here as we take a step back from Naruto's and Hinata's relationship to focus more on an important arc that introduces to us three new characters with two of them being hinted at for more than 20 chapters at this point. The set up for their arrival into the story has been set in stone a while back and now it is time to delve into the second to last arc of the story.

We are now official in the Land of Snow Arc!


Next Chapter: Chapter 84 (Journey to the Land of Snow)


That's the end of Chapter 83 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.

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Published: 2/14/2019