Naruto made his way to the top of the Hokage monument stealthily. It was nearly sunrise, and aside from a few ANBU manning the gates, everyone in Konoha was still fast asleep. The chill of the early morning caused his breath to come in steady puffs of vapor. Smiling to himself, he unzipped his flak jacket, and pulled out his silver pendant.

"You're late," a playful voice commented to his left. Turning with a grin, Naruto regarded his girlfriend with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Sheesh, honey… I've been on time for the last five years… you think you could cut me some slack?"

"If I did that, you would be in all kinds of trouble. I happen to take my job as your chaperone very seriously." Hinata reached into her dark blue robes and pulled out her golden pendant. Laughing softly, she stood up and walked over to meet him. He pulled her into a tight embrace and relished the warmth of her breath against his neck. They had both grown in the last five years, but Naruto's growth spurt was far more dramatic. The top of Hinata's head only reached his chin now.

"What took you so long anyway?" she asked softly.

"Well excuse me," he replied wryly, "Taking out the last three surviving members of Akatsuki shouldn't have taken more than four days? Even for Special Jounin Uzumaki Naruto, it was a troublesome task."

"I thought Uzumaki Naruto wasn't afraid of a little trouble," Hinata replied as she kissed his cheek. Naruto grinned ferociously and picked her up, muffling her squeak of protest by covering her mouth with his. Nearly a minute later, they both came back up, gasping for air.

"I finished the mission, didn't I?" Naruto said to a panting Hinata, "Honestly, Hinata, you have to put a little more faith in me."

"I'm still your girlfriend, aren't I?" Hinata replied pertly. Naruto nodded slowly, and put his arm around her as they walked back down to the village. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, and a warm glow began to permeate both of their bodies.

"I was thinking Hinata…" Naruto started softly.

"Thinking Naruto-kun? Is that healthy for you?"

"Seriously, Hinata," Naruto replied firmly, "This whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing… you and me… is it really what you want?"

"Of course!" she nearly shouted, "What do you think this relationship has meant to me?"

"Well, I'll be honest with you," Naruto said gravely, "I'm getting tired of it." Hinata pulled away from him, her eyes wide with shock and the beginnings of heart break.

"Tired of it, Naruto-kun?" she whispered as all the color drained from her face.

"Very tired," Naruto said firmly, "That's why I want you to have… this." He finished by pulling out a small, black velvet box. He dropped to his knees and opened it. Inside was a gold ring banded with diamonds.

"Will you marry me, Hinata?" Hinata's eyes filled with tears and she began to shake. She shuffled forward and slapped Naruto as hard as she could.

"Ouch! I'm hoping that's a traditional Hyuuga gesture for agreement."

"Naruto-kun, you idiot!" she cried out, flinging herself on top of him and snatching the ring from him, "Even your proposal had to be a prank!" She kissed him again and again, alternately laughing and sobbing with joy.

"So does that mean 'yes?'" he asked smugly.

"If I said 'no' what would you have done?" she replied as she nuzzled up against his neck.

"Probably kept trying until you said 'yes,'" he said thoughtfully, "I remember telling you once, that you were someone I could 'like, love, and marry.' I've fulfilled the first two… I'm not about to leave the last one incomplete."

"Of course not," Hinata replied with a content sigh, "You don't go back on your word."

"That's exactly what your father said when I asked for his blessing!" Naruto said with another grin.

"Then, Father is… okay with our engagement?"

"Your dad is a stubborn, snotty prick sometimes," Naruto said with a laugh, "But he knows when something is inevitable. Besides, Konoha's oldest and most powerful clan –the Hyuuga clan – is about to enter an alliance with Konoha's newest and most unpredictable clan…"

"The Uzumaki clan," Hinata finished with a bright smile at her fiancée.

"Welcome to the family," Naruto said as he held her close.

THE END