A/N: Recently, during a chat with a reviewer, Greyfire34, you should check out his story if you get the chance, I realized that last week this story celebrated its 6 months milestone. It is hard for me to believe that it has been just over 6 months since I took a chance and posted the first chapter of this story.

Disclaimer: Naruto: I love watching the anime, reading the manga and reading people's fanfiction, but I don't own any rights to the characters.

Now that his shower is done and his body is mostly dry, Naruto is standing in front of the mirror making sure that the robes he found on the bed are adjusted appropriately. As he stands there laughing at the strange sight of himself in Hyuga clan robes a soft knocking at the door catches his attention. "Come in." He turns and smiles as Hinata steps into the room with a blush coloring her cheeks. 'I don't think that I could ever get tired of seeing her blush.'

Hinata had been afraid to walk into the room, fearing that he might be angry that his clothes were missing, but as she opened the door and saw him standing there in front of the mirror, wearing her clan's colors, she could not help but blush about what she had nearly done just a little while ago. 'I think what is worse is that I am more ashamed that I actually feel regret for not looking, instead of the fact that I was tempted to spy on him in such a shameful manner.' Her heart flutters when Naruto looks at her with a smile that she knows is meant for her alone and no one else. "A-A-Are you ready for dinner Naruto-kun? The cooks have everything ready to be served."

"You bet, the cooks here are great. The food they served at the big party and the few times I have eaten here during training breaks have all been amazing. Now if you could only convince them to make ramen like Ichiraku's I might start coming by for dinner every night." Naruto puts his hands behind his head and laughs are they make their wall down the hall.

Hinata looks over at him with eyebrows raised. "Really, I might have to keep that in mind the next time you seem reluctant to stay for dinner."

Naruto could tell by the tone of her voice that she was a little hurt that he had acted like he had not wanted to stay and spend some time with her tonight. "I am sorry Hinata, I guess it seemed like I did not want to stay for dinner with you tonight, but the truth is that I just wanted to make a good impression with your father the next time I saw him. My clothes were dirty and I knew that I should take a shower before having an audience with the head of your clan."

"That's okay Naruto-kun, I am glad that you did stay. I was just afraid that if you went home the Hokage might send the ANBU to come and take you back to do more work before we had a chance to spend some time together." She gives him a hopeful smile. "That is if you wanted to spend some time together… tonight."

Naruto looks at her wide-eyed, surprised that she could even think otherwise, and all he can do for a moment is nod. "I do, I really do Hinata."

"Good." She gives him a guilty smile. "I told the guards that if the Hokage sent someone looking for you to tell them that you were busy and would be notified of their presence once your audience with Lord Hyuga was completed."

All Naruto could do was laugh. "Wow Hinata, I am really impressed." His laughter slows and he looks at Hinata with a serious, but still happy gaze. "Thanks, I really need a little down time before I have to deal with all the boring paperwork that is probably waiting for me in that tiny room they are calling an office." Naruto's smile broadens when he sees how just hearing his praise seems to make her happy. 'Boy, I really missed just how much her smile seems to light up the room.' Naruto mentally shakes himself and he takes a shaky breath. 'Alright, you got to talk with her before you go eat dinner or you will probably lose your chance, and maybe your nerve.'

They both stop in the hallway just outside the dining room as Naruto looks down and starts to nervously adjust the sash of his robes. "Uh Hinata, the New Year's Festival is coming up and… if you still want to go… I was thinking of… well asking your father if… it would be okay for us to go together… as a, you know…" As he finishes talking he looks up at Hinata nervously.

Hinata places both hands on her stomach to try and calm the sudden quivering she feels. "N-N-Naruto-kun, are you… are you asking me out on another date?" She returns his nervous smile with one full of hope.

Seeing her smile happily restores Naruto's normal exuberance and confidence. "Yeah, I guess it will be our second date technically. So if he says yes would you like to go, and call it an official date?"

'SO KIT, YOU HAVE MADE YOUR CHOICE?'

'Not now Kurama, we have already talked about this and you lost your vote after what you said earlier. If you want to fight some more we can do it later.' As he waits for her answer he puts all of the doubts he has had aside and just focuses on how good seeing her makes him feel.

All she can do at the moment is nod, because as she tries to open her mouth and say yes her mind went blank for the correct word to agree to go on a second date. 'Yes, that's the word I need to say, yes.' Overwhelmed with happiness Hinata steps over and gives a surprised Naruto a hug. "Yes." To her absolute delight Naruto returns the hug and presses his head against her own. She feels his head move and turns to look into his eyes. She sees his face begin to move closer and she knows immediately his intent and as she raises her lips to meet his halfway two words pop in her mind. 'Number Four, at last.'

Unfortunately, fate had decided to send a young girl, curious why her sister was taking so long, to go find her and the young man that had captured both their hearts. Hanabi opens the door leading out of the dining room and comes to a complete stop as right there before her was the couple in question, their faces mere centimeters from each other and their eyes half closed. Her first inclination was to scream and slam the door on them in heartbroken rage, her second was to gasp in shock and say something that would draw their father's attention. Instead she reaches out and grabs Naruto by the arm and pulls him into the dining hall, coincidentally away from Hinata just before their lips meet, and towards her patiently waiting father. "Here he is father, thank you for letting me invite him to dinner as a thank you for saving my life."

Naruto is in a complete state of disarray as he is brought before Hiashi. His chance at getting a kiss from Hinata had been interrupted and his aggravation was tempered by the fact that they had been caught in the tender moment together. The terror of being caught was in itself soothed by the knowledge that Hanabi could have turned them into her father, but instead had acted as if she had seen nothing. 'I don't know whether I want to hug her or choke her at this moment.'

Those thoughts were immediately wiped from Naruto's mind as Hiashi, who had been patiently waiting on his daughter and their guest to arrive by reading, looks up at Naruto and they lock eyes. For a moment Naruto stands there frozen in place by those eyes before he bows to avoid further eye contact. 'Crap, am I blushing? If I am blushing then he will know that something is up. Crap, stop thinking about blushing or you are going to make yourself blush.' He takes a breath to calm his nerves before speaking. "Hyuga-sama, thank you for having me as a guest for dinner this evening."

Hiashi looks from the obviously red-faced boy to the mischievously proud look on Hanabi's face and finally to Hinata who is standing at the doorway her index fingers nervously touching and her face a beautiful shade of red. 'So dinner is not the only hospitality that Uzumaki Naruto seems to be enjoying in my home this evening.' To the amazement of everyone in the room Hiashi gives Naruto the most minimal of a smirk and a nod of his head. "From what Hanabi tells me it is the Hyuga clan that owes you some gratitude, Uzumaki-san." He gestures to the seat directly to his right. "Please have a seat and tell me of your recent mission with my daughter and how she came to such a dire situation that required your assistance."

Hinata and Hanabi look at each other in delight by the honor given to Naruto by their father. The seat to his right is normally reserved at mealtime for Hinata as the heiress to the clan and only deferred to very high ranking guests. Which by the fact that Naruto is not only the savior of the village but the entire world, he has more than earned the right. They were both just happy to see their father acknowledge Naruto as an important guest.

As the two girls approach Naruto pulls out the chair to his right and smiles at Hinata. "May I, Hinata?" He gives her one of his biggest grins as he holds out the chair. 'I really hope I am doing this right. I have heard that guys are supposed to do this for girls, but it just seems odd, I mean they can seat themselves and everything, so why are we supposed to do it for them?'

Hinata glances at her father because by protocol she should be to her father's left for dinner as the next most important guest. She gives her father a happy smile as he nods his consent to the seating change. 'I guess we need to start discussing dining protocols soon in his training.' Her heart gives a happy skip at the thoughts of them returning to their training routine. She gives Naruto a happy smile as she takes the offered seat. "Thank you Naruto-kun that is very kind of you to hold out my chair."

Looking over and seeing Hanabi, he decides that if once is good then twice has to be better, so he walks over and pulls out her chair as well. "I can't forget the person who saved my life, now can I?"

As she takes her seat she looks up at him with a blushing smile. "Thank you Naruto-kun." As the last word leaves her lips she glances nervously over at her sister who is looking back at her with eyes slightly narrowed and a 'what the hell did you say to him' look on her face. In return Hanabi gives her sister and apologetic smile. 'Am I going to get an earful from her after dinner tonight, or what?'

By now Naruto had taken his seat and dinner was being served. As the first course arrives he and Hanabi tell the story of their mission and how Naruto had saved her life during the fight with the bandits. It was when the main course arrived that Naruto was in for a surprise. The servant puts in front of him a large bowl that makes him nearly drool when the savory scent of the steaming broth hits him in the face. He looks over at the servant, surprised that he would be getting ramen in such a prestigious home.

The servant bows as he looks over at her. "With the chef's compliments, she was told that your favorite food is ramen so she wanted to prepare it for you as her way of saying thank you for protecting Hanabi-sama."

"Okay, please tell her thank you for making me ramen for dinner, it smells delicious." He stares down thoughtfully at the bowl.

Hinata watches as he becomes quiet and does not dive into the bowl as she expects. "Is everything okay Naruto-kun? Is there something wrong with the ramen?"

He looks over and gives her a gentle smile. "No, it smells wonderful. It's just that everyone is making such a fuss over me doing my duty as a leaf shinobi. I mean she saved my life too, so I just…"

Hiashi lays down his chopsticks and tries to explain why everyone is making such a deal over his actions. "The Hyuga clan takes the safety of the main branch members very seriously. They are the future leadership of the clan and in the event of their death or capture the clan will spare nothing to ensure their retrieval. There are those out there that covet the secret of the byakugan and have in the past gone to great lengths to acquire that secret. Hinata herself was kidnapped as a child in an attempt to acquire our secret and to my regret my brother sacrificed his life for mine to also preserve this secret." He takes a sip of tea before continuing his explanation. "My daughters are the clan's future Uzumaki-san and the clan will go to great lengths to preserve our traditions."

Hinata looks over at her father knowing by the tone of his voice that he was leaving something unsaid, but as to what she cannot tell because as with most times his face was as unreadable as a stone wall. So she returns her focus to Naruto who has started eating his ramen slowly with an impressive amount of self-control. "So, is the ramen as good as what they serve at Ichiraku's?"

"It really is Hinata, I…" He suddenly looks up at her wide-eyed as an earlier conversation with her comes to mind.

A few noodles dangling from his lips like whiskers cause her to giggle. "You don't know just how happy I am to hear you say that Naruto-kun." She spares a glance over at her sister as she says his name.

He sucks up the dangling noodles and looks at her with a sheepish grin knowing exactly what she means. "Yeah, I wish I could have ramen like this for dinner more often."

Enjoying this secret joke they have Hinata gives Naruto a smile that to him lights up the room. "I will have to talk with the chef and see if she would be so kind as to make ramen anytime that you come over as a guest."

Hiashi could tell that there was a private joke being shared between the two youths, but decided not to say anything at the moment. 'If I find out that the innuendo of their conversation is of a sexual nature I will have the guards break his legs, hero or not.'

As dinner goes on Hinata tells them of the mission she, Kiba, and Shino had recently gone on and that they had only returned to the village two days ago. "It turned out to be a lot easier than we were expecting. A group of bandits had been raiding a nearby village and we were hired to track them down and eliminate the bandits, if possible. There were only seven of them and only the leader could use chakra." Hinata looks over giving Naruto and Hanabi a proud smile. "The leader was fire type and was completely surprised when I was able to use my water release: water gun attack to suppress his jutsu until Kiba got close enough to take him out. Once he went down it did not take the rest of the group long to surrender. I am not skilled enough yet to have defeated him with my water affinity alone, but I am sure that will change with more practice."

Naruto, excited by her news, reaches over and grabs Hinata's hand and gives it a happy squeeze. "You did it? You finished learning how to do the jutsu?" Naruto lets out a happy laugh after Hinata gives him a blushing nod. "I knew it, I knew that you would have that one figured out before I got back, and you got to use it on a mission too. I bet that Kiba was really surprised when you did that attack."

Hinata cannot suppress giggling and covers her mouth with her free hand. "Yes, I think Kiba was even more surprised than the rogue shinobi when I suppressed that fire attack with a jet of water. Shino told me that he was very impressed by how quickly I had learned to use the jutsu." They both share a laugh completely oblivious that anyone else is in the room. "It's all due to your help Naruto-kun, and Gamariki that you summoned to help teach me the technique, of course."

"Well, who better to teach water affinity abilities than a toad, or a Toad Sage?" Naruto gives a proud smirk that causes another round of giggles from Hinata. "Luckily you happen to know the current Toad Sage."

Hanabi, hearing how much stronger her sister had become under Naruto's tutelage, could not contain her excitement. "Wow, I want to start my affinity training as soon as possible. You are going to keep your promise and help me after I become a chunin, right Naruto." Hanabi could feel her sister's eyes on her as soon as she began to talk so she did not add 'kun', this time.

"Absolutely, I made a promise that I would help you after you became a chunin, if your father still says that it is okay." Naruto looks over and after seeing Hiashi nod he decides that this moment would be as good as any to ask for permission for something far more important. He swallows nervously and bows his head. "Hyuga-sama, the New Year's Festival is coming up and I would like to have your permission to take Hinata..." He pauses for a moment to let his words sink in before taking his request one step further. "…on a date to the festival. I also wanted to apologize for not asking your permission when we went out for Hinata's birthday and I surprised her by calling it a date at the last moment. It was… my first real date with anyone, and I didn't know there was more to it than just asking the girl out."

He looks over towards Hanabi with a smirk. "I was instructed during my recent mission that I had failed to follow proper…" Naruto focuses for a moment searching for the correct phrase. "…etiquette for someone of Hinata's status and I hope you will not hold that against me this time."

Hiashi takes a sip of his tea as he contemplates Naruto's request. 'It might be best for all if I just say no and tell him that Hinata was assigned to help him be better prepared as a candidate for the next Hokage, not to form a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, I know the truth that Hinata has had a one-sided infatuation for the boy for a number of years, and that instead of growing out of her school girl crush her attraction to the Uzumaki boy has only increased.'

Sensing her father's hesitancy Hanabi decides to act before he says no and the chance for any of them to spend time with Naruto at the festival is destroyed. "Otou-san if you would like I could act as a chaperone for their date." She tries her best not to look too eager at going along on their date.

"Chaperone, what is a chaperone?" Naruto looks over at Hanabi and then over to Hinata who is looking at her sister with an unhappy glare.

As Hiashi looks from one daughter to the next and he can see that Hanabi's interest in being a chaperone has more to do with spending time with the Uzumaki boy than it has to do with protecting her sister's honor. 'This boy is like a plague. If I had more daughters would they all have become infected and follow him around like ducklings?'

Hanabi smiles at Hinata and then looks over to Naruto. "It basically means that I will go along with you two on your date and make sure that nothing happens that would make my sister's virtue come into question."

Naruto, not understanding what is being implied looks over to Hinata for some help. As they look at each other her face turns crimson and she stares down at her fidgeting fingers, and it was then he realizes what was being implied. With his own face now a red to match Hinata's he looks over at her father trying to think of something to say that would ease the man's concerns. "Ahhh…"

Seeing the somewhat innocent blush on his daughter's face Hiashi decides to show mercy and interrupts Naruto's floundering attempt to rescue himself. "A chaperone is a standard requirement when the unmarried daughter of a high ranking family is going to be socializing with a young male, in other words going on a date. Traditionally, this position is filled by an older married or widowed woman, such as Tinico." Seeing Naruto flinch at the mention of Tinico's name actually brings a smirk to Hiashi's face. "The two of you have already been spending unsupervised time together on the practice field, even though it is on the family grounds. You have been alone together even after the two of you progressed from just training together to something less platonic." Hiashi just could not bring himself to say the word 'romantic' out loud where his daughter is concerned and he gives Naruto a look that only a father can give to his daughter's boyfriend and is rewarded with a nervous smile. "I do feel that the two of you have conducted yourselves as proper leaf village shinobi during these sessions. So I am going to break with tradition and not require that veteran shinobi like the two of you have a chaperone, but since I cannot have my youngest daughter going to the festival unescorted I am going to ask that you take you sister along with you Hinata."

"Yes." Hanabi shouts and then quickly apologizes for her outburst.

Hiashi gives his youngest a disapproving look for her unnecessary outburst. "That is if I have both you swear that you will behave in a manner that will not bring shame upon my daughter's honor."

Hinata and Naruto share a happy smile and a nod before turning to Hiashi and agree to his condition. Afterwards, Naruto sighs heavily at what he has been postponing for so long, but requires his attention. "I guess I should be getting ready to leave. Baa-chan might have the ANBU waiting outside for me by now to escort me to my desk and keep me there under guard till either I am done, I pass out or I die of boredom." He leans over to Hinata and whispers. "Do you know what happened to my clothes?"

Hinata lets out a little 'eep' and blushes before she whispers back in his ear hesitantly. "Ahhh, I was going to have them washed for you so that you didn't have to work tonight in dirty clothes, but I am not sure if they are done yet." In reality his clothes were currently in her room, Hinata had taken them to be cleaned as she said, but had gotten lost in a daydream and found herself outside her room instead of the laundry room. Impulsively she had went into her room and spent some time looking in the mirror admiring how she looked wearing his jacket, hoping one day she could call these her new clan colors. She had gotten distracted admiring herself in the mirror and had ran out of time to have them laundered. "If you want I could bring them to you tomorrow, or you could just pick them up when you come by for practice. We are going to continue training together soon, right?" She gives him a hopeful smile.

Naruto nods happily. "I was hoping that you were not going to be busy tomorrow, because I really want to see your progress with your training. So do you want to meet for lunch at Ichiraku's and then get started afterwards?"

"That sounds perfect and you can pick up your clothes when we come back here to the training grounds." Turning to her father Hinata bows. "Otou-sama, Naruto-kun needs to return to his duties now, so with your permission I will walk him to the main gate." She looks over to her sister with a look that leaves no question that she means alone.

A few minutes later after he has bid the rest of her family good night, Naruto and Hinata walk slowly together towards the main gate of the Hyuga compound. Naruto sighs in contentment at the wonderful meal he had just enjoyed and puts his hands behind his head. "I want to say thank you for the lunch you sent with me when I left for my mission. It made me smile and think about the last time you made them, when we went on that mission with Kiba. I shared them with the team and everyone agreed that they were delicious."

Hinata, excited to hear that her surprise for Naruto was happily received, remembers the gift that he had given to her as well. "The mini cinnamon rolls you left for me were so cute I almost couldn't eat them, almost. I put them in the fridge and ate one or two a day so I could make them last till you came home." She blushes a little when she remembers how bad she felt when she finally ate the eyes. "They almost lasted till you returned."

"Okay, I was afraid that I might have put too much cinnamon in them and they might have tasted bad." Seeing her shake her head no makes him grin broadly. "I guess the next time I make them that I will have to make more so you won't have to ration them the whole time I am gone."

As they reach the main gate Naruto looks over at Hinata and then nods towards the gate. I wonder if Baa-chan has anybody waiting for me outside the gate?"

Hinata looks towards the gate for a moment and wonders the same thing. "Only one way to know for sure, byakugan." Once her kekkei genkai is activated she looks outside the gate and sees the guard there standing his vigil and across the street, waiting patiently, is two members of the ANBU black ops. She takes another moment before deactivating her byakugan to see if there were any other eyes watching them at the moment, fortunately, none of the clan members moving about the compound seem to be focused in their direction. She looks over at Naruto sadly and tells him about the two ANBU waiting across the street.

Naruto shrugs and takes one of Hinata's hands in his own. "They can wait a little longer. I was wondering… if it would it be okay if I... I mean if we...before I…"

Hinata nervously steps closer to him, her eyes half closed as she struggles to maintain control over her body's normal reaction to being so close to the one she loves. Hinata shivers slightly as she feels his hands touch her waist and then slowly wrap around her as she is drawn into his embrace. She closes her eyes and purses her lips anticipating the warmth of his kiss, but she is surprised as she feels his cheek brush against hers as he pulls her into a strong embrace. "Naruto-kun?"

"Is… is it okay if we just hold each other for a little while?" His arms tighten around her even more in an almost desperate attempt to hold onto her. After having those nightmares it had taken all of the self-control he had when he had seen her earlier to not just grab her and weep for joy at seeing her alive and smiling back at him. Now that they were finally alone he could wrap his arms around her, take comfort in the feeling of her warmth and silently rejoice that she is alive.

Hinata returns his embrace and just absorbs the sensation of his presence gently holding her, happy that they can be this close now without her feeling like she is going to faint. "You can hold onto me as long as you want." Hinata rubs her head against his as she thinks to herself. 'The rest of our lives would be a good start.'

As if reading her mind Naruto says, "I'm not sure if that would be possible. I mean, you might find it tough to do your clan duties if people had to talk with you looking over my shoulder, and I am sure that Baa-chan would threaten me with some horrible Hokage training as punishment to make me let go."

Hinata giggles at Naruto's joke and looks over to see him smiling at her as the sound of her laughter touches his heart. "I am sure that father would have Tinico-san separate us in a most violent fashion."

As their eyes lock something, almost like a genjutsu, takes over their bodies and their faces feel drawn towards each as their heads turn to the side on their own accord. Instinctively, Hinata closes her eyes in anticipation of his lips meeting her own, and just as their lips meet her inner voice says, 'Number four'. She then feels his lips gently, but quickly peck at her own. Disappointed that the kiss was so quick she opens her eyes to see him staring at her with a curious smirk on his face.

"Is… is something wrong?" She covers her mouth worried that maybe something from dinner has left a bad odor on her breath.

Still smirking he reaches up and pulls her hand away. "Did you just say 'number four'?"

'Did I say that out loud?' Hinata's face felt like it was on fire as she puts her forehead on his chest and with a barely audible voice she lies. "No, why do you ask?" She felt so bad for lying, but the embarrassment of acknowledging that she had been counting their kisses was just too much for her right now.

Naruto just shrugs at her question. "Sorry, I guess that I was hearing things." He gives Hinata a kiss on the forehead as he gives her small hand a squeeze. "I am sorry for interrupting, if it would be okay with you I would like to try again."

Hinata hesitates a moment to make sure that she does not seem too eager. "I guess, but only if you promise to do better this time." For some reason she just couldn't help and let that inner voice speak for her this time. She has to wait for a moment to look up until she could get her smile under control after she feels his head nod vigorously in a promise.

"Yes Hyuga-sama." Naruto wastes no time as she raises her head and purses her full lips in anticipation. He lets the kiss linger as a wave of excitement washes through his body and makes his heart feel like it was trying to leap from his chest. He pulls back from the kiss and just as she opens her eyes he dives in again for another longer, deeper kiss.

She had been expecting that kiss to be like their few previous kisses, where they would kiss and then smile at each other and then talk for a little while longer before he left. Seeing him descending on her for another kiss, the sixth kiss, was a pleasant surprise that she eagerly accepted. Hinata moves her hands up so that she could once again run her fingers through his unruly hair. While he had been away she had laid in bed thinking about that kiss they shared just as he was leaving for his mission and how she loved the feeling of his hair sliding through her fingers. And she could not wait for that feeling again. She could also feel the butterflies in her stomach beginning to stir and smiles. 'I have missed that sensation while he was gone and I hope that I never stop feeling this way when we kiss.'

Naruto places his left hand between her shoulder blades as he opens and closes his finger slightly, enjoying the sensation of her dark silken hair. He glides his right hand down her back to the base of her spine and stops just shy of where the cleft between her buttocks begins. He adds gentle pressure to her back and that brings their bodies even closer together as she complies with his request.

Hinata, excited by the increased contact of their bodies pulls his head down and intensifies their kiss. She moves her left hand down his neck and presses her hand against the firmness of his chest. She feels a surge of excitement run through her body at the sensation of the tone muscles hidden just underneath the fabric of his robes and has to tightly grab the material to try and control her sudden flush of desire.

Naruto slides his left hand forward until he can feel the swell of her breast. With more tenderness and control than he thought he could manage at a moment like this, he cups her breast in his hand and slowly brushes across it with his thumb. He is rewarded for this action with Hinata letting out a small moan into his mouth as her kiss now takes on an almost desperate intensity. He pauses to gather his courage before inching his right hand down slowly even further along the swell of her buttocks. Naruto is surprised when Hinata abruptly breaks their kiss and steps back with a gasp.

Hinata was not really sure what had just happened, one moment she was kissing Naruto, and the next she felt a jolt run through her lower spine towards somewhere else. While the sensation was not unpleasant it had taken her completely by surprise and left her breathless for a moment, her head swimming with needs and emotions.

Naruto's voice comes out in a strained gasp. "I'm sorry, are you okay, Hinata?"

"Y-Y-Yes, Naruto-kun. I-I-I am just trying to catch my b-b-breath, that is all." Hinata can still feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins causing her hands to tremble. So she wrings her hands together to give them something to do besides reaching out to him for support. 'I need time to calm down. I don't think I would be able to right now if he comes closer.'

Naruto was not sure if the sudden shaking of his body was due to excitement or fear. He has never experienced such overwhelming emotions like these before and was having a hard time dealing with them all. Just this morning he had been contemplating about telling Hinata that they could no longer see each other for anything other than training purposes, to protect her, and now near the end of that same day she is trembling in his arms. Not only was he kissing her, but she was kissing him back. Hinata that shy delicate girl who always was there with a gentle smile and a willingness to help anyone in need was kissing him, Uzumaki Naruto. If just a few months ago, or really any time before that, someone would have told him that he would be standing inside the Hyuga compound with Hinata in his arms kissing him, he would have told that person they were insane.

"I guess I should go." Naruto couldn't say it aloud, but he was afraid. Afraid of what he might say, or what he might do, or what he might not be able to stop himself from doing if he didn't step away and clear his head for a little while. He wanted to run, run away in fear for her safety, or to run up to every person he meets and tell them that he had just kissed Hinata and they were going on another date. Maybe he will just run to the top of the Hokage Monument and give a celebratory scream that will wake up half the village.

All Hinata wanted to say was 'please stay', or even better 'take me with you', but she was frightened of herself at this moment. She had never felt like this before, or even imagined that she could feel so out of control, it was all a little overwhelming and terrifying to her. She knows that she wants their relationship to eventually reach that… level, but this was not the place, nor the right time for either one of them to give into their body's desires. She had tried to imagine being with him before and it had always been someplace romantic or proper like their marital bed. She feels her face heat up again at that thought, but in her dreams the location of their first time had never been in the bushes outside the main gate of her clan's compound, like a couple if animals. Her dreams had always been more… proper and to think that she could so easily succumb to her body's needs like this was almost frightening.

She smiles at him confidently and steps closer, taking hold of his hands. "I guess so. The Hokage will probably be very upset with me for selfishly taking up so much of your time tonight. I have no regrets and will gladly accept any punishment she orders for me to undertake for disrupting your training or any vital village business she needed you to work on tonight."

"Like I would let anyone harm you Hinata. If anyone ever tries to harm you, I'll bring a whole world of hurt right down on their ears." He straightens up and sets his jaw firmly to show that there is no joke, or false bravado, in his statement. Seeing him so protective all of a sudden was exciting and just a little frightening to witness his normally jovial face look so seriously. He leans down and kisses her gently on the forehead and whispers in her ear. "I'll see you tomorrow for lunch, I promise." He straightens up and they walk the final distance to the main gate, which is opened by a guard on the other side after he knocks.

She watches him go and as the gate is about to close she remembers that she forgot to tell him something important. "Naruto-kun, I hope you like the surprise."

"What?" He gives her a confused smile. "What surprise?"

"Let me know when you figure it out." He then witnesses something that nobody will ever believe that he has seen, as she turns away with a happy twirl. Hinata, his Hinata, gave him a mischievous smile just as she was turning away.

"What have I done?" As the gate closes and blocks his view of her he looks over at the guard, who seems confused to see Naruto standing there in shock and then points behind him.

Naruto turns to see a pair of figures standing in the shadows, their white ANBU masks shining in the moonlight. "Let me guess, Baa-chan requires an audience with me immediately." He just bows his head in defeat after they nod. "I guess there is no chance that you would let me swing by my apartment on the way." Both men just stare at him with their impassive masks.

"I didn't think so. Well anyways let me show you two how to get to the Hokage tower. We don't want to keep her waiting do we?" As he walks past them he looks closer at both men's eyes and is happy to see that both of them have normal looking eyes. Assured that neither of them were members of the Hyuga clan, Naruto puts his arms behind his head and smiles. 'I totally knocked number six out of the park.'