Naruto looks about the private dining room to see if there is any detail that he might have overlooked. The whole time he is nervously adjusting the collar of his brand new jacket. He knows that he needs to stop worrying about who he has invited to dinner and calm down, but that is all he can think about. When he feels a soft hand gently touch his own Naruto looks over at the beautiful young woman beside him and smiles. "What did you say tenshi?"
Hinata gives his hand another gentle squeeze before speaking. "I said that you are going to wear a hole in that new jacket if you don't stop. You can relax Naruto-kun, otou-sama likes to be punctual so they will be here any moment now." She looks at him and silently congratulates herself at how well he looks in the new outfit she gave him today. The cut of the jacket makes him look more mature and handsome, not as boyish as his old clothes made him look. Not that she really minded how he looked in his old outfit since she has been in love with him long before he was important to anyone else but herself.
Naruto gives Hinata a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, you know that patience is not one of my strong points. There is so much we need to do before we leave for the mission, otherwise we will have to run the whole way to make up for lost time." He leans closer to Hinata and is rewarded with a slight coloring of her cheeks. "To be honest I am looking forward to taking my time getting there… and back." He raises his eyebrows up and down a few times to add to his insinuation.
Hinata nervously licks her lips and notices that this simple action does seem to visibly arouse Naruto. "Really?" Kurenai-sensei's advice earlier today had been correct, that small visual cues can easily get a reaction out of Naruto. He may have grown up differently than most people, but when it comes down to sexuality he is still a man like any other.
Naruto's lips spread into a mischievous smirk as he leans even closer. "Yes, Hinata-tenshi." His eyes roam slowly over her features, noticing for the first time tonight that she has added a touch of makeup around her eyes. The light shade of lavender draws his focus towards her eyes even deeper, almost hypnotically.
"Are you going to tell me why, or are you going to make me guess?" Hinata slightly parts her lips as an invitation to come even closer.
'Damn, I wasted so much time sitting here fidgeting when we could have been doing something… fun.' Naruto places a hand on the side of Hinata's neck and tilts her head slightly. "That's easy, I want the two of us to spend as much time as we can just walking alone together talking… and stuff, Hinata."
"Stuff?" Hinata resists the urge to just lean in and devour his lips, and instead she presses her head lovingly against his hand. "But we won't be alone."
Naruto raises an eye brow in mock confusion. "What do you mean?"
Hinata's eye's narrow and her lips become pouty. "Choji and Shikamaru will be going with us, so 'stuff' might have to be avoided." She pushes out her lower lip a little further to exaggerate her disappointment. When Naruto's eyes narrow hungrily Kurenai's warning of taking things too far at the wrong time echo through her mind.
'Damn, I hope she never realizes what that pouty look does to me, or I am going to be in big trouble.' He leans down and presses his lips against the side of her neck for a moment, and once her body rewards him with a shiver Naruto whispers in here ear. "I have never heard of those guys."
Hinata giggles as she leans back her head to give him access to his favorite spot to kiss near her collarbone. She lets out a little gasp when he wastes no time and presses his lips firmly against her flesh.
Knock, knock, knock
The two of them quickly sit up straight and share a sigh of disappointment as the restaurant owner begins to speak. "Hyuga-sama, Uzumaki-sama, your guests have arrived."
"Thank you." Naruto stands up and goes to the door while Hinata rises and checks her outfit. He gives her one quick wink before opening the door. Once the door opens Naruto quickly bows to Hyuga Hiashi and his daughter Hyuga Hanabi. "Thank you both for accepting my dinner invitation on such short notice."
Hiashi bows, as does Hanabi, before he speaks. "We thank you for the invitation, Uzumaki-san." They come into the room and take their seats once they have exchanged formal greetings with Hinata. "It is not often one gets a dinner invitation from a shinobi of your distinction." He cocks his head expectantly ever so slightly.
Naruto tugs at his collar hoping that Hiashi's comment is his way of making a joke and not a reprimand of how much hospitality he has been enjoying lately at the Hyuga house. "Yeah, you have been very kind to let me dine with your family so much lately that I thought it was past time that I show my appreciation. Hinata mentioned that you like to come here from time to time, especially when you are meeting with people from out of town."
Hiashi nods in agreement to Naruto's statement. "Yes, some find doing their negotiations inside the Hyuga estate to be a little intimidating. So they prefer to meet with me in a more neutral location to discuss any diplomatic negotiations they wish to make with the Leaf Village." He looks about the room with a slight smile. "Also, I find the décor to be pleasing and the food preparation to be satisfying."
"I bet the owner would love to hear you say that, Hyuga-sama." Naruto grins at how formal Hinata's father can be all of the time. 'Man, can't he just say the place is not a dump and the food is tasty just like a normal person would?'
Hiashi turns his head to the side and lifts one eyebrow. "I am pretty sure that he knows." They all here the unmistakable sound of someone gasping in shock coming from just outside the door. The corner of Hiashi's mouth turns up in the barest hint of smile, just for a moment, as his two daughters both cover their mouths to stifle a giggle.
Naruto just throws his head back in a big silent laugh. 'Damn, he does have a sense of humor hidden behind that stone mask he wears.'
A few moments later the soothing sound of a tonkori being played can be heard from somewhere outside the room to give the dinner guests a more pleasant atmosphere. The music also dulls the sounds coming from their room so that their conversations can be a little more private from a casual listener.
Hanabi waves slightly to get Hinata's attention before whispering, "I love your new outfit." She then gestures her head towards Naruto and makes an 'I'm impressed' facial expression.
Hinata brushes her hands over the wide, dark purple obi around her waist. "Thank you Hanabi-chan, I bought it today and I just couldn't wait to show it off. Fortunately, Kurenai-sensei let me change at her place so that I could keep it a surprise till now." She looks towards her father nervously and smiles as he nods in approval. "When we were shopping together earlier Naruto-kun said the lavender color of the kimono matches my eyes, so I knew that I had found what I was looking for." When she glances over to see Naruto quietly smiling at her, and memories of the changing room come flooding to her mind, Hinata blushes and deflects the conversation away from herself and towards Naruto and his new look. "Hanabi-chan, what do you think of Naruto-kun's new look?" Hinata crinkles her nose a little at him when Naruto chuckles at being made the new center of attention.
"I was just about to ask if that jacket was new or just something I hadn't seen before." Hanabi gestures towards Naruto's black jacket with its orange zipper. "That's really nice."
Naruto pulls on the jacket to smooth out any wrinkles and then proudly holds out his left arm to show off the red armband with the Uzumaki clan symbol. "Thank you Hanabi." His face becomes serious as he looks towards Hiashi. "Hyuga-sama, I made you a promise not too long ago that I am no longer that kid who left the village and acted like an idiot for a couple of years. That I had realized it is time to grow up and take full responsibility for my actions."
Naruto gives Hiashi a bow of thanks after the Hyuga leader nods in agreement. "I thought I should do something to signify this change and hopefully help repair some of the damage I did to my reputation during my time away from the village. Hinata gave me this jacket for my image revitalization, saying that it will force people to take a fresh look at me, even if it is subconsciously. That this evaluation of my appearance will help people see me for who I am now, and let them see that I am no longer that loud-mouth kid." Naruto elbows Hinata and gives her a smile. "She is getting pretty good at this diplomatic stuff, huh? She even talked me into changing my hairstyle." He runs his fingers through his now much shorter hair.
Hinata blushes a little and looks away shyly. She is happy that Naruto actually liked her idea when she had led him down the street to her hairstylist. She had been a little worried that he might feel a little insulted when she suggested a haircut. Imagine her surprise when Naruto just laughed saying that he had been meaning to get a trim for weeks, and then asked her for suggestions when the stylist asked Naruto how he would like her to cut his hair. His trust in her judgment means more than she can really put into words.
Hiashi takes a sip of his tea as he stares intently at Naruto and Hinata. "So, am I to assume that tonight's dinner is just an informal meeting to show off your new clothing, and your image revitalization?" He raises both eyebrows expectantly, as if he already knows that they have more to tell.
Naruto chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "Uhhh, no. Not exactly… you see… uhhh"
Hinata clutches both hands over her heart and interjects into the conversation to try and help Naruto. "No… we… uhhh… went to the Hokage's office… this morning and uhhh..." Hinata's is so nervous right now that she is finding it very hard to breathe all of a sudden.
Naruto looks over gratefully at Hinata and nods. "Yeah, that's right. We went to the Hokage's office." He locks eyes with Hiashi's patient blank gaze and feels his mind go blank. "We…uhh…"
Hinata reaches down and grabs ahold of Naruto's hand in as much an attempt to comfort him as it is to receive some of his strength. "We met with the Hokage, and…"
Hanabi, is watching the whole thing in utter confusion. 'What the heck is going on with the two of them, it is like they are afraid to tell otou-sama what happened in the Hokage's office. It's like…' Her eyes roam over to where her sister is desperately holding onto Naruto's hand with her right hand, while Hinata's left is tucked under the table. Hanabi's own hands slap down onto the table as only possible reason for their nervous behavior crosses her mind. "Oh… my… kami, you two eloped!" The sound of the tonkori being miss-plucked is unmistakable.
Naruto feels a knuckle pop as Hinata's grip becomes like a vise and he does his best to not let out a yelp of pain. He looks over at Hiashi in confusion to try figure out if he is going to be in trouble or not.
"No, we did not elope." Hinata nearly shouts at Hanabi before looking nervously over towards her father.
Naruto nods in agreement. "That's right, we did not elope." He leans down and whispers into Hinata's ear, startling her just a little. "Hinata, what does elope mean?" When he sees her shoulders sag just a fraction Naruto wonders if his question just made the situation worse.
Hinata can feel her face go bright crimson as her father sits there patiently waiting for her to explain the word to Naruto. She leans over and places one hand on Naruto's cheek so that she can whisper more privately in his ear. "Well… elope… is when two people… uhh… sneak off and…" Hinata is leaning so close to Naruto's ear now that her lips can almost touch his earlobe. "…get m-m-married… without their… parent's approval." Her heart is racing so fast by now that her hands are visibly trembling.
Naruto is struggling not to twitch as Hinata's breath makes fine hairs on his neck tingle, so much so that her words take a few moments to sink in fully. "Oh." Naruto pauses for a moment in shock before looking up at a patiently waiting Hiashi. "Uh, no!"
Realizing that he might have said that a little too forcefully, Naruto turns to Hinata to try and explain himself, but he is caught by the look in her eyes before he can utter a single word. She is looking up at him shyly her head bowed slightly to the side. In her eyes he can see hope and desire, but also fear. 'Hinata suddenly looks so small and more vulnerable than I have ever seen her in my life.' Without realizing it, he reaches up and cups her chin to bring her eyes directly in line with his own. Her lips part and silently form the word of affirmation, as if preparing to instantly answer a question.
Hinata, the word 'marriage' now spoken by her own lips, looks carefully up at Naruto with hope and fear in her heart. If she sees any sign of rejection in his eyes she knows that her heart will shatter into a million pieces, but on the other hand if she were to see acceptance in his eyes her heart might just explode with joy. Either way she might just die tonight in this restaurant. The sensation of his warm hand on her chin sends a jolt all the way down to her now curled up toes. She can tell by the look in his eyes that Kurenai-sensei had been partially right when she said that Naruto had most likely not fully comprehended what he was saying when he mentioned 'marriage' before. Now that the word has been said by her own lips the wheels were now turning inside his head, and hopefully they may be finally turning fully in her direction.
Hanabi is watching the whole thing play out from across the table and is in awe at what she is witnessing. The emotions being passed between her sister and Naruto are so pure and intense that her heart begins to ache. Her hands reach up to try and sooth the intense throbbing in her chest when she feels something warm and wet land on her fingers. She can't help herself. Just seeing how much those two really love each other is almost too much to bear. She actually feels a little guilty being here witnessing this transpire. 'This is it; I can't believe what I am witnessing. He is going to ask, I just know he is going to ask right in front of me and otou-sama.'
Thinking about her father breaks Hanabi's focus as she realizes that Naruto has probably not asked for permission to marry Hinata yet. What will her father say if Naruto asks her sister the question before asking for permission? Heck, what will her father say to Naruto if he does ask for permission right here in front of us all? 'One thing I am sure of is that he hasn't bought a ring yet, because Naruto ring shopping would have already hit the rumor mill by now.' She turns and looks at her father who is sitting there watching the whole thing play out. His lips become a thin firm line as he lets out a long sigh, but what emotion is connected to that sigh she is unable to discern.
Naruto reaches down with his free hand and intertwines his fingers with Hinata's as they stare into each other's eyes. He opens his mouth to say something, what he is not sure, because for a while there he had completely given up on thinking about a happy future for himself, any future really. Could he really be selfish enough to give in to what he is feeling, and put her life at risk if his nightmares are more than just bad dreams? What if these dreams are some sort of toad sage-like prophetic vision of a possible future, the old toad has them so it is possible he has that ability too. Fear and uncertainty course through his body like adrenalin, speeding up his heart rate so much that he can hear his own pulse pounding inside his brain. 'What should I do?' What should I say?'
Hinata can see the uncertainty in his eyes. 'He's still afraid of completely opening his heart to anyone again after what happened with Sakura, even after all of this time, after everything that we have shared lately.' She lightly tightens her fingers and rubs the back of his thumb with her own to try and reassure him that she can make him happy if he would only give her the chance. Her heart nearly stops beating when he suddenly takes in a deep breath.
Hanabi hears the deep intake of air from Naruto as well, and turns with her fist balled up in front of her mouth. She barely even feels the pain as she bites down hard on a knuckle to keep herself quiet so that she will not miss a single syllable of what is about to occur.
The sound of Hiashi clearing his throat breaks the tension in the room like a paper bomb.
Naruto and Hinata both jolt at the sound, but still look deeply into each other's eyes for a moment before turning their heads away to look at the two people that they had completely forgotten was even in the room. Neither of them really knows what to say, and both of their minds are struggling to find right words. Hinata's first inclination is to apologize for rudely ignoring the two people that she and Naruto had invited to dinner, but even that thought is swept away in the mental whirlwind going through her brain at the moment. Naruto on the other hand just stares at Hiashi with a goofy half-smile of shock as his face slowly goes from pink to a deathly white.
Now that their attention is once again focused on their guests Hiashi gives them a moment to recover, but once it becomes apparent that they have been rendered speechless he decides to restart the conversation. "I believe the two of you were trying to try us about your visit to the Hokage's office before you were rudely interrupted." He glances over at Hanabi with just a hint of annoyance in his eyes.
Hanabi shrinks under her father's gaze and wonders if anybody would mind if she just slid under the table and stayed there quietly till after dinner was over. 'Maybe Tenten-sensei will let me hide out at her place for a few days, or maybe we'll get lucky and the Hokage will have an emergency mission for our team. Hopefully we can leave tonight and I won't have otou-sama reprimanding me for my outburst during breakfast tomorrow.' Maybe she should go ask the Hokage after dinner tonight for anything that would get her out of the village immediately.
"Hokage… yeah." Naruto shakes his head to try and remember what it is that happened this morning. "I woke up this morning, no somebody woke me up to tell me that Granny… I mean the Hokage, wanted to talk to me about…" He looks over at Hinata just as she begins to speak.
"We were given an assignment." Hinata says proudly as she grips onto Naruto's hand a little tighter for support.
"Yeah… together... the two of us… a mission…" Naruto looks back to Hiashi and Hanabi with a smile that slightly fades as Hanabi's eyes get a little wider and Hiashi's eyebrow raises just a fraction. "Well… sort of the two of us."
"There are two more going with us as part of the team." Hinata quickly interjects.
Naruto nods as he points over at Hinata with his free hand. "Yeah, what she said. Our squad will be leaving within two days. We are going to be the delegation that represents the Leaf Village for the Hidden Sand Village's Foundation Celebration."
Hinata looks over at Hanabi with an apologetic smile. "That means we will not be home for your birthday Hanabi-chan."
Naruto nods sadly. "Yeah, and we are really sorry about that, Hanabi."
Hanabi lets out a sad sigh and gives the two of them a reassuring smile. "It's okay, that is one of the things a shinobi has to deal with, being away from family and friends on special occasions goes with the job. I missed otou-sama's birthday earlier this year." Hanabi just shrugs sadly. "I can go with my teammates to the… festival as part of my birthday since it is going to be held that weekend." After what Naruto had divulged not too long ago, Hanabi has subconsciously begun to eliminate the word Sakura from her own vocabulary just like her sister has been doing for the last two years. She remembers last year that Hinata had refused to even leave the family compound during the festival, and instead had spent the time in the small temple on the family's estate praying. 'Haruno Sakura will get what she has coming for hurting Naruto.'
Naruto is struck with a sudden thought. He wonders if Lady Tsunade might have arranged for the gathering to happen on this specific weekend so that he would not be in the Leaf Village and have to deal with that stupid festival. Maybe he should thank her tomorrow, or better yet bring her back a gift from the Hidden Sand Village.
Hinata gives Naruto a slight nudge to signal for him to pull out the gifts they brought. "That is part of the reason for tonight's meal, an early birthday celebration. While we were out today Naruto-kun and I picked up some gifts."
Naruto hands a large flat box to Hinata and places a smaller square box on the table in front of himself. "I really hope you like what we picked out for you Hanabi." As Hinata leans over slightly into him, Naruto slides an arm around her waist and gives her a little hug as they both watch Hanabi with barely contained excitement.
Hanabi takes the offered gift and makes a quick, but polite bow of acceptance. "Thank you so very much." As she opens the gift her face lights up in amazement. "It's beautiful, I can't wait to get home and try this on, onee-chan." She holds up a tan-colored long sleeve kimono shirt that has a red and orange flame design along the sleeves. Underneath the shirt are a matching skirt and a white obi that she places on her lap to get a general idea of how they will look together on her body. "What do you think otou-sama?" She gives her father a smile as he nods in affirmation.
Naruto slides his gift across the table. "Here you are Hanabi, I asked Tenten for some advice on this one while we were on our last mission together and she said this was the best she could recommend." He chuckles a little at Hanabi's surprised look when she lifts the slightly heavy box.
"Wow." Hanabi pulls out a pair of brand new shinobi equipment pouches. She carefully opens one of them and pulls out a kunai and examines its balance.
"With your chunin exam coming up I thought that you might like to have a new set of equipment." He points to the rear belt pouch. "There is a small summoning scroll tucked away inside for you to place extra medical supplies and extra food. Trust me, with Shikamaru and Temari planning the exam you are going to need to keep your energy level up, believe it. Don't let Ookami talk you into putting in just food pills. The Inukuza Clan love their food pills, but the body and soul needs more, so put something in the scroll that will raise your spirits when you really need a moral boost." Naruto gives her one of his signature big grins. "Of course I put instant ramen in my emergency scroll, but not everyone thinks of instant ramen as a comfort food."
Hinata and Naruto both laugh when Hanabi rolls her eyes at Naruto's mention of ramen in his emergency kit.
Naruto suddenly turns and waves a finger, almost accusingly, at Hiashi. "You know what, I just realized that you didn't seem surprised, or even concerned at all by the news that Hinata is coming with me on this mission." He doesn't notice when Hinata and Hanabi both looked surprised at each other that Naruto seems to have notice this fact when they hadn't.
Hiashi calmly takes a drink of his tea and then gives a little shrug. "Are you saying that there is a reason that I should be concerned that you two are going on a mission together? You have been on missions together before, or is there something special about this mission that I should be informed about?" He raises one eyebrow inquisitively when Naruto and Hinata both visibly flinch at his question. When neither of them seems to be able to respond to his question he mercifully addresses the first part of Naruto's question. "The Hokage had contacted me several days ago asking to have Hinata reserved to join in as part of the delegation. She felt that this would be a good chance for her to get her feet wet, so to speak. I just assumed that she was going along with the Hokage, who was the recipient of the invitation sent by the Hidden Sand Village."
Hiashi sits his cup down and opens his hands in a gesture of acquiescence. "She had mentioned in yesterday's council meeting that she was a little busier than normal lately with all of the new contracts that the village has been receiving. It is her duty to make sure that the Leaf Village has enough shinobi to deal with everything and not stretch ourselves out too thinly. So she may have decided that having too many teams out, as well as the Hokage, might be too tempting of a target. It seems that she has decided to send someone that the Hidden Sand Village would accept as an acceptable alternative to a Hokage." He gestures towards Naruto to emphasize his point. "Though now that I see your reactions, I am beginning to suspect that has been planning this switch out for some time now."
Naruto glances over at Hinata for a moment, feeling a new level of respect for the Hokage and just how she seems to easily turn wheels upon wheels in the background without most people knowing just how many she has going. 'Damn, I am really going to have to step up my game if I am ever going to be able to be an effective Hokage. I guess some things can't be dealt with by getting directly into people's faces. How long has she been planning this switch out with Gaara? I mean he had to know since this is the cover for the conference.'
Naruto looks down and rubs his forehead in thought. 'Wait, then that means that all of the Kages must have known that this was the plan from nearly the beginning. Wow, a lot of stuff really does go on behind the scenes that most of us shinobi don't realize is happening.' Naruto looks up at Hiashi and can see the trace of a smirk on the man's face as he is lifting up his teacup. 'Or is it just me that has not figured that out till now, and everybody else just knows this is what goes on?'
Hiashi hides his nearly full smirk behind is teacup as he watches Naruto's face change with realization. 'I do believe that Uzumaki-san is starting see all of the wheels in motion behind the clocks face. That even though you cannot see them in motion, their actions are highly important to keep everything in perfect synchronization.' He tips his cup ever so slightly to Naruto in a salute to the young man's entrance into a much larger world.
Naruto places his elbows on the table and steeples his fingers before resting his chin on top. "So, is it like that for the head of clans as well? Sometimes saying one thing, and then doing something a little different, all in an effort to get the outcome that nobody but you is expecting?" He has heard a few girls whispering when he and Hinata have been out together mentioning that it looked like the Hyuga clan has lured him into their clutches with unprecedented kindness and generosity. He had dismissed those thoughts as jealous talk from the same girls who were trying to catch him not so long ago. Though that might only be true for Hinata and Hanabi, who knows really what ulterior motives old man Hiashi might really have for being so nice.
'It seems once he figures something out he becomes quiet skilled rather quickly.' Hiashi lowers his cup and gives Naruto a slight smile. "It can be like that for the head of a clan sometimes. Opportunities rarely just appear out of the blue; most times they come from hard work. Not unlike reaching the position of the Hokage."
Naruto smiles, almost to the point of showing his teeth, hoping that his next comment will catch the old man off guard. "That's good to know, it will help to know this sort of stuff when I become the Hokage. Plus, I hope that the Uzumaki clan will be a large and influential clan again one day, kind of like the Hyuga clan. So I guess I should start figuring this stuff out from a clan's level as well."
Knowing that the boy is trying to bait him, Hiashi decides to play along for the moment. "Sounds to me that you are planning to be a very busy man, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto gives the Hyuga leader his biggest smile as a reply, and notices that the old man's eyes flicker ever so slightly to the side. As his head turns to see what is the matter is, Naruto notices that Hanabi is red faced with both hands over her mouth. She is looking in Hinata's direction with a look of mischievous glee in her eyes. Beside him Hinata is blushing so deeply red that she looks like she might pass out at any moment. Her hands are over her stomach while her index fingers are pressing hard against each other. 'Oh no, did I say something stupid that has upset Hinata?'
'YOU IDIOT, YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU WANT TO RESTORE THE UZUMAKI CLAN. WELL, THE ONLY WAY TO INCREASE A CLAN'S POPULATION IS TO HAVE LOTS OF KITS, AND TO DO THAT YOU ARE GOING TO NEED A VIXEN TO BEAR YOU THOSE KITS. SURELY, EVEN YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE REST.' Kurama lets out a grunt of exasperation so loudly that it gives Naruto the mental image of the kyubi covering is face with an enormous paw in disbelief.
'Oh man, that means… that they are thinking… that I was meaning…' Naruto notices Hinata glancing over at him with an almost guilty look in her eyes before she bites her lip and looks back down at her now clasped hands. Naruto then lets out a mental groan as he turns to look back at Hiashi. 'Damn, what a thing to say to your girlfriend's father. I don't think I can look him in the eyes now. Hell, I am pretty sure that I don't want to see him give me that, how dare you talk of despoiling my perfectly innocent daughterlook.'
Hinata, her heart pounding so intensely that her chest is starting to ache, tries not to focus on the mental image of the shirtless Naruto she had seen not too long ago, or how that might feel pressed up against her in a warm passionate embrace. She just keeps her gaze firmly fixed on the table for fear that her guilty thoughts will be plain to discern by the trained diplomatic eyes of her father.
Hiashi watches with an emotionless mask as Naruto realizes what he was just saying also implies, and struggles to find the nerve to look up and face his girlfriend's father after mentioning that he wants to have lots of children. 'You are one of the most powerful shinobi to have ever lived Uzumaki Naruto, but when it comes to a battle of words you are not quite ready to run with the big dogs yet little fox.'
"I…" Naruto freezes as his eyes lock with the statue-like gaze of Hyuga Hiashi, who is patiently watching him with his arms crossed and tucked up his sleeves. Naruto's discomfort is not helped by the poorly stifled giggling coming from Hanabi. Naruto just drops his head in defeat. 'I got nothing… really just what can I say that won't probably make things worse.'
Hanabi does her best to not curl up and fall over laughing. 'I am going to have so much fun teasing onee-san till she leaves on this mission. I think I will start by asking her if they have discussed baby names yet. She had better come up with a lot of names if they are going to restore an entire clan in just one generation.' Hanabi is only partially successful in keeping herself from snorting. 'I should warn her to take along some loose fitting clothing just in case Naruto can't keep his hands off of her when they are alone. Better yet, maybe I should slip a maternity shirt into the bottom of her backpack.' Hanabi removes one hand from her mouth and places it over her ribs. 'Oh kami, I need to stop. My tummy is starting to hurt so badly.'
Hiashi lets out a slight sigh of exasperation and places both palms flat on the surface of the table. "It seems that there is something that I must discuss with the two of you before you leave for your mission… together." He gestures at the gifts on the table and waits while Hanabi puts them away. "You should listen closely as well Hanabi, since you have recently begun to show an interest in boys, and I would rather not have to repeat myself."
Hanabi first looks toward Naruto for a moment before her gaze locks with her sisters and can see that Hinata is sharing the same thought. 'Oh crap, otou-sama is not going to talk about that tonight.' Both girls' eyes drift towards Naruto before looking back at each other again. 'Please not in front of Naruto. I might just die from embarrassment if he goes into any sort of… gross details in front of Naruto.'
Naruto, even without looking into her eyes, can feel the discomfort suddenly radiating from Hinata. He looks across the table at Hanabi and can see the same level of discomfort. He can tell that something big is about to happen, and by the look in Hanabi's eyes he is sure that he is not going to like it either. Even Hiashi looks like he would rather be someplace else right at this moment.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you are about to leave on a mission with my eldest daughter. I know that you will protect her from harm to the best of your ability, so do not think that I am about to question your resolve in protecting Hinata." Hiashi pauses and takes another sip from his tea to give himself a moment to collect his thoughts. "Hinata is not just my eldest daughter, that in itself would force me to discuss this issue, but she will also inherit my title as leader of the Hyuga Clan one day. Being my heir puts an extra level of requirements on her behavior in public, and how her behavior is perceived by that public."
Naruto furrows his brows as Hiashi stares at him intently. 'I know he is trying to make a point, but I will be danged if I understand what he is trying to say.' He wishes that Hiashi would come out and just say what he means about Hinata's behavior. She is the nicest person he knows, and would never do anything that anybody would consider bad behavior, but the Hyuga's are a little weird so who knows what he really means.
Hinata takes hold of Naruto's hand and smiles for a moment as they squeeze each other's hands gently. "Otou-sama, I understand what you are saying, and…"
Hiashi holds up a hand to forestall what Hinata is trying to say. "Good, but as your father I need to be sure that your boyfriend completely understands as well."
Hinata feels her heart skip a beat. 'Otou-sama just said boyfriend, this is the first time that he has verbally acknowledged Naruto as my boyfriend, not just someone that I am dating.' She looks over at Hanabi and can see the same look of surprise on her sister's face that she is feeling. Hinata looks back at Hiashi, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and bows her head in thanks, knowing that this may have repercussions down the road.
Hiashi gives his daughter a brief nod, but keeps his focus on the discussion at hand. "I will be blunt Uzumaki-san." He nearly laughs as he sees Naruto give a sigh of relief. "You will very likely be spending a lot of time alone and in close proximity with my daughter while you are on this mission. This can be a great temptation for two young people that are romantically involved." He gives Naruto a hard look to remind the young man that he has not forgotten how he found them embracing passionately on the practice field not too long ago. "You also have a certain reputation that…"
The initial embarrassment of the memory of being caught by Hiashi is quickly dispelled by the Hyuga leader bringing up his past. "Now wait just a damn minute." The only thing keeping him from standing up, and getting right in Hiashi's face, is the gentle pressure of Hinata's insistent grip on his hand. "I already told you that nothing really happened between me and those girls, and I swore to all of you that nothing like that will ever happen again." Naruto sneers at Hiashi, as if challenging him to throw it back in his face again.
Hiahsi sits and waits patiently, undeterred by the dangerous look in the powerful shinobi's eyes. "I know that, and more importantly I honestly believe every word that you said Uzumaki-san. Those rumors still persist though, and will probably persist for some time unfortunately." He gestures towards Hinata, who knows exactly where her father is taking the conversation. "What you need to be aware of is how being seen with, and more importantly dating, a person with a rumored history of indiscretions with women could reflect on Hinata's reputation. If the two of you were to display your affections for each other publically, then people will begin to make assumptions on what the two of you are doing when alone. What if you were to be confronted by one of those young women while on this diplomatic mission in the Sand Village?" Hiashi raises an eyebrow when Naruto visibly blanches at the mention of running into some of these girls in front of Hinata. "Rumors can spread very quickly at a party where people just love to trade the latest gossip. Rumors can be very hard to eliminate once they have been given wings."
Naruto turns to look at Hinata, who is looking at him with a shy smile that says, 'It's okay, I know the truth and that is all that will ever matter to me, I don't care what others think.' He looks down at her warm, soft hand feeling not for the first time truly ashamed of what he had done, and once more being thankful that had not completely given into those dark impulses.
"My whole point, for the both of you, is that I expect the two of you to not to get side-tracked and forget that you are on a mission. Discretion, even when you are sure that nobody else is around, should be used at all times." The hard stare Hiashi aims in Naruto's direction leaves no doubt that he would prefer that instead if discretion, that nothing at all will happen between the two of them while they are away. He holds Naruto with his gaze until he is absolutely sure that the young man understands that point.
Hiashi turns his gaze over to Hinata. "The rules of conduct that were placed upon you when you became a kunoichi have not changed, even if some other things have lately." He breaks his gaze her before she can reply and turns his attention to a morsel of food upon his plate.
Naruto and Hinata look at each other, both of them thinking about what nearly happened in the changing room earlier today. Naruto, realizing how very little is at stake for him anymore for any actions that might occur, now understands that Hinata really is the one who would have to pay the price. Her reputation, and therefore her clan's reputation is at stake. He has no experience and very minimal knowledge of bedroom stuff, so what if they were to… and he was to… mess up, and she ended up… Naruto swallows nervously at the sudden dryness in his mouth.
Hinata, as long as she ends up with Naruto in the end, is okay with a little gossip. The problem is if she is going to make the changes that she promised to Neji, then her reputation would matter for her ascension to the leadership role of the Hyuga clan. She will need to be the stereotypical, flawless Main Branch Hyuga if she is ever to succeed with her plan. It's funny really, to be selfish and have the life she dreams of, she needs to continue being altruistic where her clan is concerned. Well, at least until the reforms she feels necessary are firmly in place, after that… Hinata looks at Naruto with but determined smirk and nods.
Hiashi, seeing that things have reached an awkward silence decides to take merciful control of the situation. "Since I was not told this was going to be a surprise birthday party for Hanabi, in an attempt to also surprise me with something as well, let me pay for tonight's meal as my birthday gift."
Naruto and Hinata both look down in embarrassment. They had been so focused on what they were going to say to the Hyuga leader that they had neglected to inform him of the birthday surprise for Hanabi. "Uh, sorry about that Hyuga-sama, I didn't think the whole plan through. I really did want to treat you to dinner as thanks for the kindness that you have shown me ever since Hinata invited me to your clan's Winter Solstice Party." After Hiashi nods his acceptance, Naruto's makes a proposal. "Will you let me treat all of you to dinner once Hinata and I get back from our mission? That way we both come out sort of even."
Hiashi agrees to the deal and once everyone has finished eating he pays for the meal, leaving a generous tip for the servers and the tonkori player. They slowly walk together back to the Hyuga compound, Hinata on Naruto's right with Hanabi walking between both men. The conversation on the way back is light and mostly about the mild weather this year and how this will be a boon for their mission and the upcoming festivals in both villages. Hanabi cannot hold back her excitement at how the height of the upcoming festival will coincide with her birthday this year and that she is going to wear the kimono that Hinata gave her as a surprise to her teammates.
When they reach the Hyuga compound Hiashi stops just inside the main gate and looks over at Hinata expectantly.
Knowing exactly what that expectant gaze means, Hinata looks over at Naruto with a slight blush of embarrassment. "I guess since I am going to be spending a lot of time with you soon, that otou-sama wants me to spend some time with the family tonight." She also suspects that her father will want to have a private meeting tonight. Hopefully this meeting will only be about her job as diplomat, and that he does not plan on talking about her conduct while she and Naruto are alone anymore. The rules of conduct for a kunoichi of the Hyuga Clan has been drilled into her from the moment she enrolled into the academy. So much so that in hindsight it might have been part of the reason for her timid behavior around boys, especially Naruto.
Naruto nods in understanding, but his face quickly cracks into a playful smile. "Does that mean I can't see you at all tomorrow?"
Hinata bites her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud and the looks over her shoulder to her father. "Otou-sama, we need to meet with Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji tomorrow to discuss the mission. Would it be okay if Naruto-kun came over beforehand so that I can go over our specific parts of the mission and answer any of his questions?"
Naruto scratches the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, the Hokage gave me this mission scroll a couple of days ago and I sort of forgot I had it in my pocket." A large drop of sweat rolls down the side of his face as Hyuga Hiashi just stares at him blankly. "I tried reading it earlier while Hinata was shopping but I sort of fell asleep."
Turning her head so that Naruto cannot see, Hinata makes a face that lets her father know that Naruto really does need some help.
Deciding that he would rather not hear anything else that might increase his concerns about sending someone as diplomatically naïve as Naruto on such a mission, Hiashi holds up his hand to stop their explanations. At least Hinata knows what she is doing and she has become more assertive lately where Uzumaki Naruto is concerned. "Yes, you may join us for breakfast tomorrow Uzumaki-san, afterwards the two of you can go over the mission details. That will give you both tomorrow evening to finish your preparations and packing for the trip." He bows slightly to signify that was going to be the extent of his generosity.
As her father and sister turns away towards the main house, Hinata leans over and rewards Naruto with a kiss on the cheek. "I will see you tomorrow, and I expect that you will have read the entire assignment scroll with your eyes open by then, Uzumaki Naruto." She stiffens her posture and walks away with an aura of authority, not giving him a chance to negotiate.
After the gate closes Naruto looks over at Kodi, who happens to be one of the guards on duty. "Well, I've been given my orders so I guess I had better go home and read." After Kodi nods in agreement Naruto sighs dramatically and slumps his shoulders. "With my eyes open too, man she has gotten strict all of a sudden." He then looks up with a big grin and vanishes in a cloud of smoke.