A/N - Okay, so I wasn't quite sure how to go about this chapter at first. I was trying to make things original while keeping to the basic timeline of the series (To Love-Ru). And this is pretty much what I came up with.

This chapter's a bit shorter than usual, but there's a good reason that I'm making my chapters shorter. I've developed tendonitis in my right hand and my thumb and wrist aren't doing so well because of it. My thumb goes stiff sometimes to the point I can't move it, and the rest of the time, it just plain hurts like hell. x.x Not fun.

Anyways, a number of things happen in this chapter and some more characters are introduced. I'd like to think I made things interesting, but we'll see what you think.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5 – Sainan Festival

Naruto stared blankly at Lala's self-proclaimed 'husband'. Slowly rising out of his seat, he stepped closer to Ren and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I think there's a misunderstanding here. You see, Lala-chan is my fiancé. I promised that nothing would come between us. But, I'm willing to go out on a limb here and say you're another of her fiancé candidates, aren't you? Tough luck pal, but she's marrying me and that's final."

Before Ren could reply, Lala grumbled irritably before saying, "Naruto-kun, this is Ren. I told you about him before, right?"

Ren smirked and thumbed his chest. "See? My darling Lala-chan knows I'm the perfect man for her. Besides, Gid-sama has approved of our marriage. But…" Looking into Naruto's eyes at this point, he frowned and said, "You must be Naruto Uzumaki. Gid-sama warned me about you. You're just some hooligan that tricked Lala-chan into being your bride. Gid-sama wanted me to come and take her away from you, and that's exactly what I plan to do."

"Of course he did. Gid is just BEGGING me to kick his ass now. And you know what? I'm not going to hold back on him. If he wants to piss me off by pulling crap like this, I think I'll break him so bad he won't ever recover. Now let go of my fiancé and back the hell off. Besides, you're interrupting class and Honekawa-sensei doesn't like that very much. So go introduce yourself to the class and then sit down. Preferably away from Lala-chan and myself. Shoo little boy." Naruto said, making a shooing motion with his hand.

Ren growled at him and looked about ready to try and punch him. Before he could, Honekawa called out to him. "Ren! Watch yourself in my class. Now come back up here and introduce yourself to the class. I'll allow you to answer a few questions about yourself before you take your seat. Hurry up."

The Memorzian frowned at this, but decided to do as the teacher said. Upon reaching the front of the classroom, he turned and smiled at everyone. "Hello everyone. My name is Ren Elsie Jewelria. I'm the prince of Planet Memorze. And as I said, Lala-chan's father has approved of our marriage. Therefore, any right that thug has to supposedly marry her is null and void. Nice to meet all of you."

One of the girls raised her hand and asked, "Has Lala-chan's father really agreed to a marriage between you and her? I thought she was Naruto's fiancé."

Ren smirked and puffed out his chest a little. "Of course he has! Naruto is just not a good fit for her. Too brutish, too ugly, too stupid. Besides, Lala-chan and I made a promise when we were children that we'd get married in the future. I'm sure she hasn't forgotten."

Naruto looked as if he had been physically struck by a heavy blunt instrument. Glancing at Lala uncertainly, he asked, "Is that true, Lala-chan?"

The pink-haired alien grumbled irritably before she stood up and glared at Ren. "We were only kids at the time! Besides, I don't remember making a promise like that. It doesn't matter though. I'm in love with Naruto-kun and I've chosen to marry him. Nothing you or anyone else says can make me change my mind."

Ren was the one that looked as if he had been struck this time. Looking at Naruto for a moment, he soon returned his gaze to Lala and asked, "What the heck do you see in this guy?! Just look at him! He's nothing more than a delinquent with the mental capacity of a snail! I bet he's forced you into this against your will, hasn't he?"

"That's not fair! You don't even know him and you're making all these assumptions about him! How rude can you be?" Risa shouted at him, clearly pissed at everything she was hearing.

Lala smiled at her friend before directing her gaze on Ren again. "Ren?" when he looked her way, she said, "Keep badmouthing my real fiancé like that and I'll hurt you. Okay?"

Ren froze in fear, not quite able to believe what he had just heard. "A-Are you okay L-Lala-chan? You've never threatened me like that before. You never would have either if you hadn't met this guy!"

The pinkette glared at him and said, "I've never felt this way about anyone before, Ren. Not you, not my other suitors, nobody. But Naruto-kun? He's special to me. I want to be with him for the rest of our lives together. Please, if you care about me at all, don't try to take away this happiness. I don't want to lose him."

Ren frowned and seemed to think it over for a time. When the teacher told him to take his seat, the Memorzian male went and sat down in his assigned seat. Glancing towards Lala for a moment, he soon turned his eyes on Naruto. What the hell makes you so special Uzumaki?! We…we made a promise together. This isn't right!

As Honekawa got started on the day's lesson, Naruto idly went about taking notes. His mind wasn't focused on the lesson at all, however. Lala-chan…you made a promise to him. I don't want you to leave for this…this boy! Right when we're starting to grow closer too. What the hell am I supposed to do?

As both boys looked dejected, Lala frowned sadly. Looking at her chosen fiancé, she placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry Naruto-kun. I'll never leave you."

Hearing this, Naruto turned and smiled at her. "Thank you, Lala-chan. Let's focus on the lesson for now. We can worry about this later."

The pinkette nodded and returned to taking notes. Still, she couldn't help but worry about Naruto. Please understand, Naruto-kun. You're the only one for me.

Lunchtime

As Naruto and his girlfriends left the classroom, they were suddenly stopped by Ren. Looking hard into each other's eyes, Naruto and Ren had matching scowls. "Naruto Uzumaki, we need to talk. Man to man."

The blonde's scowl didn't go away, but he did nod in response. "Very well. But it's time to eat. So if you want to talk, you'll have to join us for lunch."

The white-haired youth nodded and followed them up to the rooftop where they sat down together and whipped out their bentos. Seeing that Ren didn't have one, Naruto sighed and handed him one of his own. "Here. Wouldn't do to starve yourself, no would it?" Naruto asked, a small smile on his face.

Shocked by the gesture, Ren slowly nodded his head in thanks before picking up the bento tentatively. Opening it, he was surprised to see what was inside. In a word, it was beautiful. Saying thanks for the meal, he quickly dug in and nearly cried it was so good.

When they had finished eating, Naruto looked seriously into Ren's eyes and asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to understand what Lala-chan sees in you. I'm in love with her. I always have been. And whether she remembers it or not, we made a promise. She said that if I became manlier, she'd marry me. I value that promise and I've worked hard to attain the title of a manly man. On top of that, when I got in contact with Gid-sama, he informed me that a brute had stolen Lala-chan away and was forcing her to marry him. He promised me Lala's hand in marriage if I could steal her away from you. I just want to know the truth. What exactly does Lala-chan see in you?" Ren explained.

Naruto frowned at the reminder of said promise. Still, he decided not to dwell on it for long. "While I value promises and how determined a person can be to keep them, sometimes a promise can be broken under certain circumstances. I try to keep all my promises that I've made, regardless of how stupid it was of me to make them in the first place. But, as I said, I value promises. If Lala did make that promise to you, it's up to her whether she wants to keep that promise or not. But you should know something Ren: I made a promise to myself that I would always make Lala-chan smile and be happy. If she's happiest with me, then I want you to respect that and move on. You're a handsome guy, and I'm sure you're a nice person, despite all the crap you said about me before. So Ren, I'd rather we be friends than enemies."

Ren frowned for a time as he thought over what Naruto had said. After a time, he looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "I can't accept that right now, Naruto Uzumaki. Like you, I value promises. I worked so incredibly hard to become a man worthy of Lala-chan. In the past, I was so girly and I was a crybaby, hence why Lala-chan actually nicknamed me Cry-Baby Ren-chan. I didn't care, so long as I was with her. Then one day, I asked her if she'd marry me if I became a manly man. I…I don't know if she remembers the promise or not, but she told me she would. I've strived so hard for that one goal that I've forsaken pretty much everything else. Lala-chan means that much to me and I can't just let her go so easily. But…" Sighing sadly, Ren continued to stare in Naruto's eyes. "You don't seem anything like what Gid-sama said you were. You're a nice person, Naruto Uzumaki. But…"

Lala frowned and was about to say something, but Naruto put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head at her. When she looked at him, she pouted when he held a finger against his lips, signaling that she should stay quiet for now. What are you thinking, Naruto-kun?

"Naruto Uzumaki, I challenge you here and now. Whoever can prove themselves to be the manliest wins Lala-chan's hand in marriage!" Ren exclaimed.

"As I told Motemitsu before, Lala-chan is not an object to be won. She's a beautiful person with her own mind and feelings. She's smart, she's funny, and she makes me smile again. I won't participate in any kind of challenge as if Lala-chan's some kind of prize." Naruto said sternly.

Ren closed his eyes and let a tiny smile stretch his lips. "Very well. Right now, I'll admit that you're a manlier man than I am, Uzumaki. However, I promise you both here and now that one day, I'll prove to be the manlier man. I will win Lala-chan's heart. However, despite our differences, I wouldn't mind being friends, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto shook Ren's hand and said, "I'd like that."

As Naruto and Ren lost themselves in conversation with one another, Riko leaned closer to Lala and asked, "Are you okay with this? It's almost like you're in a match of tug-o-war. This guy seems bound and determined to win your heart."

Lala simply smiled at her fellow Naruto lover and said, "It'll be fine. Ren's not a bad guy, and I think a little rivalry will be good for them both. But I'll never leave Naruto-kun, no matter what anyone says or does to try and come between us."

"I'm glad to hear that." Riko said before she and Lala dug into their meals.

Later that day

When Naruto and Lala entered his house, the first thing they noticed was a heavenly smell coming from the kitchen. The next thing they noticed was five kunoichi seated in the living room watching TV. While Lala set her bags down and hurried over to watch whatever was on, Naruto figured he'd investigate the smell.

Upon entering the kitchen, Naruto blinked a couple of times before a deep blush stained his cheeks. Standing in the kitchen wearing nothing but an apron was Koyuki Kazahana, humming a tune to herself as she worked.

"K-Koyuki-chan? W-W-What are you doing?!" Naruto exclaimed in a panic.

Koyuki turned slightly and gave him a saucy grin. "What? Don't you like it? This is the kind of thing wives do for their husbands, isn't it? And we will be married someday soon. Besides, I know you like it. You're free to look alllll you want, Naruto-kun."

Before Naruto could reply in any way, Lala stepped up to him and asked, "What's wrong, Naru-kun?" Looking in the direction he was gazing in, she blushed a bit before shouting, "Awww! No fair! Why didn't I ever think of that?!"

Blushing worse at the images being ingrained in his head of Lala and Koyuki pulling the naked apron scenario on him, he soon turned around and walked away to go and relax in his room for the time being. He'd deal with all of that in his own way later. So. Hot. Damn that was nice!

Two Days Later

After that incident, Naruto and the others enjoyed the meal Koyuki had taken the time to cook. Naruto had also begun talking with the five kunoichi who had chosen to stay with Koyuki. He was initially surprised that they chose nothing but women to remain with Koyuki, but he quickly got used to it. Their names were Mikki, Yura, Tyrie, Rachel, and Brandy. He couldn't remember their last names half the damn time, but at least he knew their first names by heart!

For now though, he put that out of his mind. At the moment, he couldn't help but stare blandly at Kenichi Saruyama. "Why did you feel the need to make the outfits so revealing?" he questioned in an annoyed tone of voice.

What was the problem, you might ask? Saruyama had chosen an animal café for their class festival event. At first, Naruto figured it would be just fine. Boy, how wrong he was. When the girls reentered the classroom dressed in rather skimpy cat outfits, he couldn't help but stare at Kenichi with a disappointed gaze.

Kenichi simply turned to Naruto and grinned at him. "You can't tell me you don't like it, Uzumaki! I mean, just look at them! Aren't they gorgeous?"

Naruto looked at the girls again and found himself blushing slightly. "I'll admit, they look absolutely stunning. Even Haruna-chan and Riko-chan are wearing them. They all look really good. But still, don't you think this is a little embarrassing for them?"

"Come on man! We'll attract all kinds of people to our event with girls that look this fine! Just trust me on this. It'll be a lot of fun. Hell, you can help us by cooking more of that delicious food of yours." Kenichi suggested.

Rubbing his chin in thought, Naruto soon shrugged and said, "You know, I actually like that idea. Cooking for other people is always fun. It also helps that the pleased reactions to my food make me smile."

Kenichi grinned at him and said, "There ya go! Just think about how much fun we'll all have. No worries man."

Haruna was blushing up a storm at the front of the classroom. She kept casting shy glances at Naruto. He had looked at her and even commented on how cute she was! But still, she didn't feel comfortable wearing such a revealing outfit. But if the other girls were okay with it…

Lala, noticing how Haruna was behaving, frowned at her and asked, "What's wrong, Haruna-chan? You don't look too happy."

The blue-haired girl looked at Lala and asked, "Don't you feel embarrassed to be wearing these outfits? It makes me nervous. I…I don't have the kind of figure you and Riko-chan do. And this just feels so…so weird! Then there's Uzumaki-kun…"

The pink-haired alien simply smiled at Haruna and said, "Sounds to me like you're starting to fall for him too. Is that it, Haruna-chan?"

Haruna blushed a deep shade of red before quickly shaking her head in denial of the accusation. "N-N-No! T-That's not it! I just…"

Giggling, Lala poked her friend on the nose. "Boop. Hush now, Haruna-chan. It's okay if you're starting to like him. Just be honest with yourself, okay? Besides, you are really cute, dressed like that. Sexy even."

Haruna blushed deeper and asked, "R-Really? I…I guess I d-don't mind wearing it…"

"There ya go!" Risa exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Haruna from behind, playing with her breasts with glee.

Squeaking in surprise, Haruna said, "Please s-stop Risa-chan! Not in front of s-so many p-people!"

Risa and Mio grinned at this and said, "Oh? So if we wanted to do it in private, you wouldn't mind?"

Blinking in shock at this, Haruna exclaimed, "That's not it! I…I meant…"

Risa giggled and let her go. "Relax Haruna-chan. We're only teasing."

Haruna sighed, but nodded her head in understanding. "I-It's okay. It's just…not in front of so many guys. Especially not in front of perverts like almost all of these guys are."

"So you don't even want Naruto-kun to look at you?" Lala asked. "'Cause I think he likes what he sees."

Looking at Naruto, Haruna could barely look him in the eyes. "U-Uzumaki-kun is different. He's so kind and doesn't look at us like we're pieces of meat. I…I d-don't think I mind him, erm, looking. But only him! I d-don't want to dress like this. I really don't feel c-comfortable wearing such a thing in front of so many people. C-Couldn't we just, I dunno, do something else?"

Risa pouted at this and said, "But think of how much fun we'll have. Besides, you look amazing in that, Haruna-chan. And Naruto-kun seems to like it. Just imagine…" leaning in close, Risa whispered something in her ear. In the next moment, steam was practically pouring out of Haruna's ears before she fainted.

As he saw Haruna collapse, Lala and Riko barely catching her before she could hit the floor, Naruto found himself frowning. Poor Haruna-chan. Maybe we really should do something else. She seems so nervous in that outfit. Have to admit though, she looks AMAZING in that getup. Rawr.

Riko frowned as she looked over her best friend. Seeing that she was all right, she turned her gaze onto Lala and said, "Maybe this animal café isn't the best idea. I can barely handle it myself, but poor Haruna-chan is shyer than I am. This might be too much for her."

The pinkette shook her head and said, "Actually, this might help her. If she goes through with this, it'll help boost her confidence and I think she'll really start having fun with it. But if it looks like she really can't do it, we'll put a stop to the whole idea. Okay?"

"Thanks Lala-chan." Riko said before she turned her gaze to Naruto. Seeing his blush and his attempt to fight off a nosebleed, she giggled a bit. "At least Naruto-kun seems happy."

Lala grinned and said, "He really does. I think this will be good for him too. He deserves to have some fun after all he's been through."

"No kidding." Risa said. "I'm still amazed he's even sane."

"However he survived all of that, I'm just glad he's getting better." Lala said with a smile. "Naruto-kun will be just fine. We'll all work hard to make him happy."

"Indeed we will." Risa said, a small grin on her face.

Sensing something was off, Naruto glanced out the window and looked around for whatever was bothering him. Someone's watching us. But I can't see who it is. I don't sense any negative emotions, and they don't have any chakra, so I can't exactly sense that. So long as they don't try anything, I suppose we'll be okay. He thought to himself, frowning as he did.

Later that day

Naruto hummed a little tune to himself as he went about decorating the classroom with his friends. Despite the awkwardness earlier, he was actually having a lot of fun. Working beside him was Haruna Sairenji, and she was blushing badly.

"U-Uzumaki-kun?" she said. "D-Do you think…maybe…um…"

Realizing what was wrong after a few moments, he smiled kindly at her and said, "If you don't want to wear the costume again, that's fine. Nobody can force you. But honestly? I thought you looked beautiful. Stunning even."

At this point, as was often the case with her, you could practically see steam pouring out of her ears. "B-B-Beautiful? Stunning? Wha- huh? M-M-Me?"

"Yes, Haruna-chan. I'll admit it here and now; I couldn't take my eyes off of you." Naruto explained.

"Meep!" she exclaimed before promptly fainting once again.

Chuckling softly, Naruto caught her and set her gently in her desk chair. Smiling at her, he began to gently run his fingers through her hair. Whispering to her, he said, "Whether you know it or not, you're beautiful, Haruna-chan." And with that being said, he returned to work on decorating the classroom.

Risa and Mio had seen the whole exchange and couldn't help but giggle conspiratorially to themselves. "Oh, this is going to be fun." Risa said before cackling maniacally, Mio joining her.

Before anything more could be said, one of the classroom doors opened. Naruto pointedly ignored this and continued to hum to himself as he worked on decorating the classroom. However, when he heard a commotion, he glanced that way to see three girls he didn't recognize. Probably second years. I wonder what they want. Shrugging it off, he resumed his work, not paying the three of them any attention for the time being.

Upon seeing her target, a girl with curly, blond hair and golden eyes smirked to herself and approached him. When she reached him, she asked, "Are you Naruto Uzumaki? I'm Saki Tenjoin. I hear that you're engaged to Miss Lala Deviluke, is that correct?"

Stepping down off of the stepladder he was on, he turned to Saki and eyed her curiously for a moment. Looking at her friends, he offered the three of them a polite smile. Looking back into Saki's eyes, he said, "I'm Naruto, yeah. And Lala kinda decided that I was going to be her husband someday, and I can't say I dislike the idea. She's really grown on me. Um, is there something in particular you needed from me? I assume you're all second year students?"

Saki nodded affirmatively. "Indeed we are. I have heard all about your darling fiancé and I must say, I do not approve. I'm the queen of this school and I refuse to accept a rival in that fashion. I have decided, Naruto Uzumaki, that I will allow you to date me. Be grateful."

Naruto stared at her with a deadpan expression on his face. Massaging the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache that was threatening to rise up, he said, "I don't think you have anything to worry about there, Saki-san. Lala isn't the kind to compete over something like that. I gather you're rather popular and have a lot of admirers?" Seeing her nod, Naruto said, "Saki-san, you're pretty enough that you don't really need to worry about competing with her in some contest. From what the others here are saying, it sounds as if you've got a LOT of admirers even in the first year students. But I have to say something here."

Frowning, Naruto poked her lightly on the forehead. "If you're only interested in me because Lala is my fiancé, I'll have to turn you down. I wouldn't mind getting to know you as a person, but…" Sighing softly, he scratched the back of his head and asked, "Besides, haven't you heard all the rumors going around about me? How I'm some delinquent and how terrible a person I am and whatnot?"

Saki frowned in confusion before turning to her followers. "Rin-chan, Aya-chan, have either of you heard of such rumors? I can't say I'm at all familiar with them."

Rin frowned as well and said, "I've heard rumors about such a person, but I wasn't aware they were about Uzumaki. Now that we've had a good look at him, I can positively say that the rumors don't hold any merit. Uzumaki seems like a good enough person."

Aya nodded and said, "I agree. He doesn't seem like a bad person at all."

Saki nodded in understanding before she turned to face Naruto once again. "I don't listen much to rumors, aside from the ones I've heard recently about Miss Lala. So what's the matter? Am I not attractive enough to consider dating me?"

Naruto shook his head. "It's not that. I just don't like the idea of being used. The only reason you're interested in me right now is because I'm Lala's fiancé. You want to use me to get to her. You don't really have any interest in me as a person, nor as a potential romantic interest. I've…been hurt before by other girls. It's a bit hard to explain, but I hope you can understand. I don't want to be used like that. So I apologize, but I can't go out with you."

Saki's initial reaction was anger at being turned down like that. However, something he said caught her attention. Frowning slightly, she asked, "What happened to you, Uzumaki-kun? If you need to talk to someone about it, I'm willing to lend an ear."

The blonde shinobi looked her in the eyes and asked, "What exactly have you three heard about me? I assume most of the first years know what I am by now after the revelation during the summer school vacation or whatever. Can't help but wonder if that information was spread throughout the school."

When Saki looked stumped, Aya patted her on the shoulder and decided to explain. "Saki-sama, they say that Uzumaki-kun is a shinobi from a faraway land. They say he's got strange powers and can do many different things. They also say he's building a harem and already has three women interested in him. Lala-san is included in that, of course."

Naruto nodded and said, "That's mostly correct. If you need proof, here…" Raising his hand, he called forth a staff like the one the Sage of Six Paths once wielded. Afterwards, he made it disappear before revealing to them his Rasengan. "See? I'm rather different from your average Human. I've lived through a war, I've fought so many people and creatures, I've survived things a normal person would never have lived through…" Sighing sadly, he shook his head and averted his gaze. "Trust me, I'm not the kind of person that someone of your status should be interested in."

Saki frowned at this before asking, "So? You're some kind of super ninja, but so what? You seem like a nice enough person. And you've made friends, despite your troubled past. Does it really matter what you had to do in the past? I think what matters is the here and now. Despite everything, you've got a fiancé, you have a few girlfriends, and you're building a happy life here in Sainan. Isn't that what really matters?"

The blonde ninja blinked a couple of times as he turned and looked Saki in the eyes. Astonishment was clear on his face as he said, "Well, can't say I was expecting that. You really are a nice person. Still, the point stands that I won't date you if you're only doing it to hurt Lala-chan. Please understand that."

The beautiful blonde frowned at this before saying, "Very well, Uzumaki-kun. I'll retreat for now. But if you ever need somebody to talk to about anything, feel free to seek me out. I'd like to be friends, at the very least. Though one way or another, I will make you fall for me." Smirking at him, she turned and sauntered off with Rin and Aya following her out of the room.

"Wh-What was that all about?" Naruto heard Haruna ask him.

Glancing towards her, Naruto smiled kindly at her for a time before asking, "How are you feeling Haruna-chan? You fainted on me again."

"I-I'm fine. I'm sorry to be so much trouble, Uzumaki-kun." Haruna apologized, sounding nervous. "But you didn't answer my q-question."

As he returned to decorating the classroom, Naruto decided to explain the situation to her. "That was a girl named Saki Tenjoin and her friends, Rin and Aya. Second year students. It seems she wanted to one-up Lala-chan by stealing me away from her. Nice enough girl, but I won't be used in such a way."

As Naruto shrugged his shoulders, Haruna frowned and thought quietly to herself, She sounds so self-centered, the way Uzumaki-kun described her. But they seemed to be getting along. Does he like her?!

Blinking a couple of times, Naruto glanced over his shoulder at Haruna with a curious gaze. Negative emotions alert. I wonder what's got her in a tiff? Shrugging it off, he stepped down and proceeded to another spot in the classroom so he could continue decorating the classroom.

"I seeee. You're starting to liiiike him, aren't you Haruna-chan?" Risa questioned as she started to grope her friend's breasts from behind her. "Otherwise you wouldn't be getting sooo…jealous."

Blushing and going 'Meep!', Haruna soon smacked Risa's hands and said, "N-No! T-T-That's not i-it! I mean, he's certainly nice, but…"

When Haruna couldn't finish her sentence, Mio stepped around in front of her and said, "Just follow your heart, Haruna-chan. Uzumaki-kun thinks you're beautiful and it's obvious he cares for you. Buuut, if you don't feel like making a move on him, that's fine too, I suppose."

Blushing just a bit more, Haruna began to poke her fingers together and mumbled, "H-He's really nice. B-B-But…he has Lala-chan and the others…"

Risa smirked at her and kissed her cheek. "You don't know if you can share the man you love with other women, am I right?"

"I-I-I don't…I don't…I barely know him." She stuttered out. "B-But you're right…I can't imagine myself sharing someone like that."

Mio and Risa frowned sadly at her at her admission. "Haruna-chan, it's okay. There's no rush on things like this. It's best to take your time and sort out your feelings on this whole situation. Buuut, will you at least wear the cat suit? Uzumaki-kun already admitted that he thinks you're beautiful, and I'm sure he'd like it."

"Y-You really think so? B-B-But…it's so embarrassing! I don't know if I can!" Haruna exclaimed in something of a panic.

Risa flicked her in the forehead, eliciting an 'Eep!' from her dear friend. "Stop with that. If it helps any, we'll all be dressed like that too. You won't be alone. And do you really want to let girls like Lala-chan and Riko-chan outshine you? Sure, they're beautiful, but you've got a certain charm to you that they don't have. You just need more confidence!"

Haruna looked searchingly into Risa's eyes. After a time, she asked, "You really think so? I…I suppose I can wear it. If only for a little while. But…"

Mio nodded and patted Haruna on the shoulder. "I know. I don't want guys leering at me like that either. But, if only for the success of our event and for Uzumaki-kun and the others, I'm willing to put up with it for a while. Think of it this way though: they might be able to look, but they'd never be allowed to touch us. Only our special guy will ever get to hold us that way. Right Risa-chan?"

"Damn right! So don't worry too much, Haruna-chan. If anything, think of it this way: doing this is bound to increase your self-confidence. Once you see how everyone looks at you in your costume, you're bound to feel great. Now come on, you don't want to leave all the work to Uzumaki-kun, do you?" Risa said, smiling supportively at her dear friend.

'Eep!' Haruna squeaked before she shot out of her seat. "I forgot about that! U-Uzumaki-kun, I'm coming! I'm so, so sorry!" she exclaimed as she rushed to Naruto's side to help him with the decorations.

Risa smirked at Mio and said, "She's got it baaaad."

Mio simply giggled as she watched Haruna assist Naruto. "Oh, most definitely. We just need to coax the sleeping tigress out and she'll definitely be able to win him over." Together, they began to giggle conspiratorially again. Haruna-chan, you'll never be boring to us.

Day of the Festival

Naruto facepalmed as he watched Motemitsu interacting with Lala. "I swear, he never learns. No matter how many times she turns him down, he still tries to win her over. I'm amazed she hasn't hurt him yet for his crap."

Saruyama looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. "Meh, you get used to it. Motemitsu strikes out far more often than he wins anyone over. Sure, he's a good-looking guy, but his attitude turns women off. Still though, you sure you're okay back here? I figured you might want to be out there dealing with the perverts."

The spiky-haired teen shrugged and said, "I enjoy cooking for everyone. So long as they enjoy what they eat, I'm happy. Besides, I trust the girls to handle themselves. And, despite your perverted tendencies, I trust you to be out there and keeping those girls safe from people like the principal. So don't let me down Saruyama."

"Right, right. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself so much, Uzumaki. I'll go keep an eye on things, so don't worry." Kenichi said before he left Naruto to his duties.

After some time, Naruto blinked when he felt something cool against his cheek. Turning to look, he smiled at Haruna and took the cold beverage she was giving to him. "Thanks Haruna-chan. I see you've decided to wear your costume. I'm glad."

The blue-haired girl nodded and blushed prettily. "It's kind of grown on me. Besides, you like it." She admitted. "It's been kind of fun."

"Glad to hear it. You really do look great. I hope you know that." Naruto said. "Looks like we've got some company though." Pointing towards the door, he looked at Saki and her friends, each of them dressed up like a dominatrix from some BDSM club. "Somehow I don't think they're doing too well."

Haruna giggled and said, "I can imagine. A bug café just doesn't hold the same appeal."

Naruto smirked at her and said, "I see you're really getting into this. Dressing like this has really helped build your confidence, hasn't it Haruna-chan?"

The purple-eyed girl giggled a bit and nodded, smiling at him cutely. "It really has. I feel like I could do anything right now."

"Glad to hear it." Naruto said before watching as Saki approached Lala, her steps clearly that of an angry woman. "This'll be interesting." Haruna simply nodded in agreement as they watched and listened to the confrontation between Lala and Saki.

"How? How is it this idea is so much more popular than ours?! Why are you suddenly so much more popular than I am?! I was queen here before you showed up. It's not fair!" Saki exclaimed, clearly frustrated right now.

Lala frowned and said, "I don't really know what you're talking about. I was never trying to be popular with people. I only want to be close to Naruto-kun. Being with him is a lot of fun and it really means everything to me. Besides that, school is a lot of fun and I've made so many new friends here. Sure, some of the guys can be pretty perverted, and a lot of people still don't like Naruto-kun, but Sainan really is a wonderful place to be. Don't you like it here too?"

Saki frowned deeply as she looked searchingly into Lala's eyes. "You really weren't trying? At all? Then what the heck did you do that drew so many people to you so quickly?"

The pink-haired alien shrugged and said, "I'm not sure. So long as I'm with Naruto-kun, I don't really care about much else. I didn't realize I had gotten so popular somehow. If it means anything, I'm sorry."

Saki slumped over in defeat and couldn't help but grumble irritably to herself. Standing straight again, she motioned to her current outfit, what was essentially something you'd see a dominatrix wear for the practice of BDSM or a master & slave sexual fetishes. "So…I dressed like this for nothing? Even now, all the guys are looking at you and not me! It's not fair!"

Before anyone could say anything more, Naruto walked up and presented both a meal and beverages to Saki and her friends. "That's not necessarily true, Saki-chan. Whether you realize it or not, a lot of guys really admire you for your beauty and grace. At least from what I've learned about you. Besides that, you've got the sex appeal to attract pretty much anybody, especially when you're dressed like that. Instead of battling for the top spot in terms of popularity, maybe it would be best to try and be friends and learn from one another. You could definitely teach Lala-chan a lot of things, and I'm sure she'd be happy to have a friend like you that understands her so well. For now though, why don't you and your friends have a seat? This meal's on the house. I made it all myself, so please, dig in and tell me what you think."

Saki blushed and said, "Th-Thank you, Uzumaki-kun. I'll, um…I'll think about it, okay? Anyways, are you really sure we can just have this? It looks and smells amazing. I can pay…"

Naruto put a finger to her lips, making her blush deeper, and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you're hungry, so eat up. You can tell me what you think about it later. And by the way, you might want to be careful dressing like that with the principal wandering the area. You know how he gets."

"Ugh. You have a point." Saki said, grumbling for a moment afterwards. Then, shrugging her shoulders, she sat down with Rin and Aya and said thanks for the meal. Upon taking the first bite, her eyes lit up and she practically swooned on the spot. "This is AMAZING!" she exclaimed before she and her friends dug into their meals, both politely and feverishly in one interesting package.

Before anyone could say anything further, the doors opened again and, when Naruto turned to look, his eyes widened in horror. "W-What are you doing here? You're not welcome here!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists tight at his side.

Standing in the doorway were none other than Kakashi Hatake and Sakura Haruno. The pink-haired kunoichi stared at him calmly for a time before saying, "Hello again Naruto. It's time to come back with us. And just so you know, we won't take no for an answer."

Kakashi simply eye-smiled at his one-time student. "Do be good and come with us, Naruto. You're wanted for the crimes of murdering a village treasure, abandoning the village, and more such crimes. You are to be executed upon your return to the village. If you resist, well, we have permission to end you however we see fit. So please, don't resist, Naruto."

Lala and the others scowled at this and glared at the duo. Cracking her knuckles, Lala said, "You will NOT take my fiancé from me. You can either leave, or we'll make you leave."

Kakashi stared at her blankly for a time before looking into Naruto's eyes. "I see. It seems you've made quite the life here. A fiancé, hm? I wonder, how would they all feel if they learned the real truth about you? After all, you're quite the criminal."

Naruto glared hatefully at them and said, "Leave. I won't tell you again."

"Very well. It seems we're going to have to do this the hard way. I wonder, do you really feel comfortable trying to fight the both of us with so many innocent bystanders? They could get hurt. You wouldn't want that, would you Naruto?" Kakashi questioned, a sinister gleam in his eyes.

"You'd really involve innocents in your effort to capture me? Tch, of course you would." Naruto said, scowling at this. "Try anything and I'll end you both where you stand. I swear to Kami that if you dare to try and hurt any one of my friends here, your deaths will be excruciating. You'll beg me for the sweet release of death, but I won't give it to you. One thing you should know about me well enough by now, Kakashi, is that I will NEVER let my precious people come to harm. Haku and Zabuza taught me that."

Sakura scowled at him and exclaimed, "You're a monster, Naruto! You murdered Sasuke! He was only trying to help you seal away that psycho-bitch again and you killed him!"

Facepalming himself, Naruto grumbled out, "You're still as stupid as ever, despite being one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. What part of Sasuke was trying to kill me don't you asshats understand? I did what I had to do to survive and put an end to that horrible war."

"Don't lie, Naruto. You may make yourself out to be the tragic hero, but you're one of our nation's most wanted criminals. Like I said, I'd rather not involve innocents in this, but we will if you force our hands. Now, please come quietly." Kakashi said as his hand inched ever closer to his kunai pouch.

Naruto scowled hatefully at the two of them and said, "Looks like we're doing this the hard way then. I'll make you regret ever coming after me. That's a promise."

A/N - Wasn't really sure how to end the chapter, but I figured that was a good place to cut it off. Like I explained before, writing's a bit harder on me right now because of the tendonitis. So I have to make things a bit shorter to make things easier on myself.

Anywho, as you can see, a bunch of things happened and at the end there, Kakashi and Sakura showed up at Sainan High. They don't want anything good, that's for sure.

Okay, since I don't really have much else to say, I'll just say this: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully you're looking forward to whatever I choose to do next.