In his past life, Namikaze had not appreciated Ero-sennin's lessons on espionage and field craft. In his current life, he had trouble believing how short-sighted and impatient he had been. Jiraiya had handed Namikaze the tools to find Sasuke on a silver platter. 'I was just as misguided as Sasuke it seems,' the time traveler thought. He had focused so much on jutsus and getting stronger to fight Sasuke. Jiraiya had given him all the tools to complete Namikaze's past ambitions.
'I won't ignore Ero-sennin's lessons this time,' Namikaze silently assured himself. He was calling upon every memory and shred of knowledge he possessed to track his current quarry. The time traveler was greeted by the bar's hostess. Namikaze sighed as he pushed past the under-dressed and over-excited window dressing. The girl was just doing her job and was pretty enough. Unfortunately, Namikaze had already experienced one moment of perfect beauty. The one moment he shared with Hinata after Danzō's betrayal had rendered all other women woefully inadequate. Namikaze could never look at another woman. It would be a betrayal of Hinata-chan.
Namikaze shook that painfully wonderful memory away. His time with Hinata had passed. Naruto had the opportunity now. Namikaze was living on borrowed time. The overriding goal was to lay the groundwork for true peace. In order to achieve that goal, Namikaze had to recruit Baa-chan. He would need her strength to defeat Madara and the members of Akatsuki who would not accept Nagato and Namikaze's vision of peace.
Namikaze paused. He was struck by how much he viewed himself as Namikaze instead of Naruto. There was only one Naruto, and he was in Konoha. The Naruto who had experienced so much had cast himself aside. Was he abandoning his responsibilities? Namikaze shrugged as he acknowledged that he possibly was shirking his duties. He hastily reminded himself that he was laying the foundations of a new world for Naruto and Hinata.
The memories and internal conflict were chased away by Namikaze's renewed sense of determination. His sense of purpose drove him onward. He took his place at the seedy bar. Another memory of his training with Ero-sennin floated to the forefront.
"Kid, booze loosens tongues as easily as torture and you don't have to get your hands dirty," Jiraiya said as he downed another drink.
Namikaze remembered how he had scoffed at his teacher. Now sitting at the bar, the refugee from the future took Jiraiya's lessons to heart. He flagged down the bartender and ordered a strong drink. Namikaze knew that with his Kyūbi-enhanced metabolism that he wouldn't get too buzzed off the drink. The other patrons at the bar would only see a young man throwing back rotgut. Namikaze's seemingly careless behavior would put them at ease and further loosen their tongues. After two more drinks, Namikaze waved the bartender over. It was a simple way to get information.
'It worked when I was tracking down Haku and Zabuza,' Naruto reminded himself.
"What do you need, brat?" The bartender scoffed as Naruto downed another drink.
"I need to find the Legendary Sucker. That woman owes my boss a lot of money," Namikaze grumbled.
"Ah, so you're drinking away your frustrations. Well, you're in luck that I'm such a nice guy," the young man snickered.
"My luck'll be as bad as hers if I can't get the money she owes my boss," Namikaze said while rubbing at his eyes. He had used a simple transformation to disguise his precious Byakugan. It was difficult to maintain such a transformation for very long. Luckily, Namikaze had thrown back enough hard liquor that his bleary-eyed appearance would be chalked up to drunkenness.
"There's a gambling tournament in Anamizu. The odds are good she'll be there," The bartender revealed with a toothy smile.
"Thanks," The ninja smiled in honest relief. "How about one more for the road?"
The bartender refilled Namikaze's cup with some local rotgut. The time traveler downed the foul liquid in a single shot. It was all part of continuing his deception. Observers would think Namikaze was a drunk. The truth wa,s Namikaze was doing everything possible not to taste the alcohol. He quickly put down a few ryo notes and left. The unofficial Akatsuki member was three steps out of the door before he started coughing.
"How the hell did Ero-Sennin drink that crap?"
Naruto rolled out of the way of one of Hinata's Gentle Fist strikes. He had barely dodged a few of her more aggressive strikes. Naruto couldn't believe how awesome Hinata's taijutsu style was.
'Even a glancing hit causes the area to go numb. Imagine if she wasn't holding back,' the boy thought with a proud smile. Hinata had grown more confident in the short time they had trained together.
Hinata easily tracked Naruto with her Byakugan. The heiress used an ax kick to keep Naruto off balance. She had learned that allowing Naruto to use any ninjutsu was a recipe for a quick defeat. Hinata's focus in the most recent spars had been disrupting Naruto's hand seals. In the first few spars, Hinata had taken Naruto by complete surprise. Naruto had been…enthusiastic in his praise when he had realized Hinata's strategy.
"Here goes!" Naruto shouted fiercely as he attempted to press the attack. He had just finished his combat roll and charged. The sudden shift did not surprise Hinata. She used her superior agility to dodge Naruto's elbow strike with almost trivial ease. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Hinata pouted a little as six of Naruto's Kage Bunshins surrounded her. 'How did I miss his hand seal?'
"You were kicking my ass, Hinata-chan! You did awesome," the original Naruto was beaming as he praised Hinata.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I wish I knew the Kaiten," Hinata said while returning Naruto's smile.
"Yeah, I'd have been hosed in a second if you knew that technique," Naruto happily admitted. He dispelled all his clones, including the two lookout clones. He ran through the memories of the clones.
"I have some good news, Hinata-chan. If this had been a real fight, I probably would have died at least three times," Naruto reported his clones' observation in a chipper tone. Hinata took on a look of utter terror and she took a step back.
"Naruto-kun, I…" Hinata started to apologize. 'How can he say that is good news?' The thought of harming Naruto felt like a hand of pure ice gripping her heart.
"There's no need to apologize for winning, Hinata-chan. I know you'd never intentionally hurt me. This was just a spar. Besides…I could never really fight you. Spar with you? I love sparring with you. Actually fight you? Never…I couldn't do it," Naruto said firmly. The thought of fighting Hinata was abhorrent.
"I could never fight you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. She was touched by how much Naruto cared. His kindness and affection melted the icy grip of her melancholy thoughts.
'I feel so alive with you, ' Naruto thought longingly. He wanted to tell Hinata everything, but Naruto wasn't sure if moving so fast would push her away. Naruto would never risk losing Hinata.
"Well, I think that's the last thing we have to worry about," Naruto reassured Hinata. "The only thing that stood out from my clones' memories was that you got too aggressive at one point. You almost lost your footing. Granted, you're the most agile person I've ever seen, so you recovered awesome."
Hinata nodded at Naruto's critique. Her sparring partner grinned cheekily and continued. "And really, that's all that stood out other than the fact you made me wear my ass for a hat."
"You could have beaten me several times!" Hinata exclaimed. "You aren't giving yourself enough credit."
Naruto smiled softly as he sat down. "I hope we end up on the same team."
"I…I hope so too, Naruto-kun," Hinata said dreamily. "I think we would make an excellent team."
"Hell yeah, we would!" Naruto shouted and pumped his fist.
Unbeknownst to the two students, they were being observed by Hyūga Hoheto. The observer deactivated his Byakugan and returned to the Hyūga compound. Hoheto made his way to Hiashi's office.
"Enter," Hiashi ordered. Hoheto slid the door aside and entered the office.
"Reporting as ordered, Hiashi-sama," The Chunin responded while bowing. The Hyūga clan head motioned for his agent to take a seat. Hoheto graciously accepted.
"Where, with whom, and how has my daughter been training?" Hiashi questioned.
"She has been training with Uzumaki Naruto after her Academy Classes. Hinata-sama's recent training seems to be focused on disrupting her opponent's hand seals," Hoheto responded. Hiashi finished a bit of paperwork and sat silently for several moments.
"I require your honest assessment of both her training with Uzumaki Naruto and Hinata's performance," Hiashi stated crisply.
"Hiashi-sama, I was…surprised by Hinata-sama's performance. She successfully disrupted Uzumaki Naruto's use of the Kage Bunshin technique…" The Hyūga Chunin was recounting all he had seen.
"Wait one moment, Hoheto-san," Hiashi held up a hand to halt Hoheto's explanation. "How does Uzumaki Naruto know the Kage Bunshin? That jutsu is restricted to Jonin."
"I am not sure, Hiashi-sama. I will endeavor to find where the young man learned such a technique," Hoheto answered.
"Continue," Hiashi commanded.
"Hinata-sama clearly had the upper hand during the spar. There were several times during the match, that, had Hinata-sama not been restricting the amount of chakra in her strikes, Hinata-sama would have killed or otherwise incapacitated the…child," Hoheto recounted the match. He fidgeted in his chair. Hiashi noticed the discomfort in his agent and narrowed his eyes.
"Is there something else that needs to be brought to my attention, Hoheto-san?"
"The Uzumaki boy is clearly smitten with Hinata-sama," Hoheto spoke quickly. The Chunin felt his mouth go dry. Hoheto had no idea how Hiashi would react to that news.
"An academy crush," Hiashi dismissed Hoheto's concerns. "We have all had them. I will permit this interaction as long as the relationship remains platonic. Hinata's training with the Uzumaki child has, in fact, been beneficial. I believe that my eldest daughter may indeed be salvaged."
"Are there…scenarios where I may have to intervene, Hiashi-sama?" Hoheto asked.
"So long as Uzumaki Naruto remains respectful of my daughter and is not…forward, you are to simply observe them," Hiashi stated simply.
Hoheto nodded. "I do not believe respect will be a concern. The boy, due to his…situation, is a bit rough around the edges; however, it is clear that he practically worships Hinata-sama."
"As he should. Hinata may have once been a complete disappointment as a potential leader for our illustrious and indomitable clan, but she is a beautiful and refined young woman. That boy has no idea how fortunate he is that Hinata graces him with a second glance," Hiashi stated in a regal tone.
Hoheto was dismissed and left the office. As he strolled along the halls of the compound, he realized just how extraordinary the conversation with Hiashi had been.
Hiashi had spoken with pride about his eldest daughter.
"I don't know if we can trust them," Zabuza said conspiratorially. The two Kiri missing-nin were being housed in an abandoned Uchiha fortress. Zabuza had excitedly searched for Uchiha jutsu scrolls, but the dead clan had been very thorough in moving their extensive library of techniques to their massive district in Konoha. The Demon of the Hidden Mist's disappointment added to his foul mood.
"Our objectives match with those of Akatsuki," Haku stated in an attempt to placate his master.
"So Namikaze and Pain claim. I don't dispute that Uchiha Madara is a threat that must be eliminated if we are to create a new Mist," Zabuza grumbled. The Swordsman of the Mist marveled at Haku's ability to drive away his rages. Sometimes, Zabuza thought of Haku as his own son. Zabuza would never admit that sentiment to anyone but himself.
"We do not need to permanently ally ourselves with Akatsuki. If our goals diverge after the defeat of Madara, we can simply walk away. I do not recall us joining Akatsuki," Haku explained. Zabuza was shocked. Haku had seemingly bought into Namikaze and Pain's vision.
"I'm a bit surprised Haku. You sounded like you believed in Pain and Namikaze's ideals," The Demon of the Mist pointed out. Haku looked away for a moment.
"Their vision…intrigues me. I feel as though I have some connection to Pain and Namikaze," Haku admitted.
Zabuza snorted dismissively and wandered deeper into the Uchiha stronghold. He was pleased that Haku had not become enthralled by the ideals of Akatsuki. The pair had always sworn to reform the Hidden Mist. The rest of the world wasn't part of the plan, but Madara's faction of Akatsuki was a threat that couldn't be ignored.
'My ideals can't become twisted again. I won't let Namikaze or Pain play me like Yagura did,' Zabuza's thoughts were defiant. However, a small voice in the back of his head was questioning if Zabuza had the strength, as a ninja and a man, to stand apart from the raw power of conviction possessed by the mysterious leaders of Akatsuki.
Naruto was glad he was a bit winded. His heavier-than-usual breathing could easily disguise the occasional sigh. Naruto had several weighty issues on his mind. First, there was the ever present specter of the merger with Namikaze. Naruto had no idea what Namikaze was up to. That worried Naruto.
'I'll talk to Yamato later ,' Naruto mentally assured himself.
Naruto had sent Shadow Clones out nearly every night to simply observe the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Naruto had been disgusted by what he had uncovered. The Uchiha Massacre had done more than destroy Konoha's largest and most prestigious clan. It had also destroyed the Konoha Military Police. The vacuum created by the massacre allowed Konoha's criminal element to flourish. Naruto had never given much thought to Konoha lacking a police force. He had always been focused on becoming strong enough to be Hokage. Naruto couldn't remember a time, before Namikaze's arrival of course, where he had paid attention to anything that didn't immediately concern him. His new awareness was both a gift and a curse. It was a gift because it led him to Hinata-chan.
'How long would it have taken me to notice her if Namikaze hadn't arrived?' Naruto thought with a shudder. If it wasn't for Namikaze, Naruto would probably still be chasing Sakura. Naruto still thought Sakura was pretty, but Naruto realized he only pursued Sakura for the attention. Worse, Hinata would have simply faded into the background. What would have happened to her if Naruto hadn't helped her?
Naruto froze in place as an image of Hinata coughing up blood invaded his mind.
"No…no… no," Naruto whimpered as he gripped the sides of his head. It was clearly another of Namikaze's memories. Why did Naruto only see the traumatic memories? Why were their never any happy memories? Where was Iruka-sensei? Where was the Old Man? Where was a memory where Hinata-chan was not being harmed?
Naruto shook off the curse of his greater awareness. He wasn't sure if being caught unprepared for Namikaze's memories or the borderline lawlessness in Konoha was worse.
'I need some answers,' Naruto thought after a deep breath. The Hokage Tower grew taller as Naruto approached it. Naruto hadn't planned on visiting the Old Man. In fact, he hadn't even thought about visiting the Hokage since the incident with ROOT.
'Wait…does Danzō have something to do with not rebuilding the police force? All this crime can't make the Hokage look good,' Naruto mulled over his new theory. Danzō encouraging lawlessness as a way to make the Third look bad wasn't too much of a stretch to Naruto. Naruto had accepted two of Namikaze's statements completely. First, he believed Danzō was a threat. Naruto had never encountered the man personally, but the boy already hated Danzō completely.
Second, Naruto believed that Hinata cared about him. Naruto didn't know how badly Namikaze's revelations would have broken Naruto without the knowledge of Hinata. She completed Naruto.
Naruto smiled as he entered the tower. It was amazing how simply thinking of Hinata could lift his spirits.
"Excuse me," Naruto asked as he reached the Third's secretary.
"Can I help you, Naruto?" The young Chunin asked.
"Um, is the Old Man busy? I need to talk with him," Naruto answered the young woman sheepishly. The woman chuckled and brushed her bangs back into place.
"I'll check for you," she said with a smile. Naruto took a seat outside of the Old Man's enormous office. A moment later, the Chunin returned. "Hokage-sama would love to speak with you."
"Thanks Aoi!" Naruto shouted as he jumped out of the chair. He rushed through the open door and shouted a greeting to the Third Hokage.
"Naruto, I must thank you for rescuing me from the horrors of paperwork," The aging Kage smiled and thanked the boy for his visit.
"Don't mention it, Old Man," Naruto said with a laugh.
"You have been a subject of many a conversation recently," The Hokage mentioned as he lit his pipe. Naruto looked up in shock.
"I haven't pulled a prank in a long time! I've been training with Hinata-chan everyday!" Naruto defended himself. Hiruzen's eyes lit up. 'Hinata-chan, is it? '
"So I have heard. Your instructors are both impressed by the progress the two of you have made. Iruka, however, has expressed concern. Naruto, your abilities have greatly improved, yet you remain at the bottom of your class's rankings," The Hokage verbally prodded Naruto. He watched the young man squirm a bit in his seat, before pressing on. "Iruka has also noticed that Hinata has surpassed Yamanaka Ino for second place in the class and will likely become the top ranked kunoichi after the next round of exams."
Naruto didn't respond to the Hokage's statement. 'I should have known the Old Man would have figured it out.'
"I do not know how you and Hinata discovered how the Genin teams are selected, but I will not interfere. Subtly manipulating a situation to your advantage is a valuable skill for a shinobi," Sarutobi was actually praising Naruto and Hinata. The academy student removed his goggles and rubbed his forehead.
"Thanks, Old Man," Naruto spoke quietly. He had experienced a moment of absolute terror when the Old Man revealed his awareness of Naruto and Hinata's grades. Naruto nearly broke out into a cold sweat at the thought of being separated from Hinata.
"You are welcome, Naruto. I am pleased with the progress you are making," The Hokage said proudly.
"Hinata-chan and I have been working very hard," Naruto admitted quietly. Hiruzen took a deep drag on his pipe. Naruto watched the Hokage breathe out in contentment.
"Tenzō has told me as much. I do believe he has taken a liking to you," Hiruzen revealed casually.
"Yeah, Yamato is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed.
"I will have to commend him for taking the initiative for coming up with a name for use in public. That initiative is slightly…problematic, however," Sarutobi spoke calmly.
"I…don't follow," Naruto chose his words carefully.
"Do not worry, Naruto. I am not angry at either you are Tenzō. I just wish Tenzō had received permission before teaching you Kage Bunshin," the Hokage said with a sigh.
'Yamato, I owe you several dozen!' "Heh, sorry about that Old Man! I was so excited about learning such a kick-ass jutsu that I forgot to mention it to you," Naruto spoke with forced over-enthusiasm. The Hokage laughed at Naruto's abundant energy. Hiruzen enjoyed spending time with the Fourth's Legacy. Naruto made him feel younger.
"I remember how excited I was when I learned my first 'real' jutsu. Naruto, would you mind sharing a few stories about your new training with an old man? I find I have a sudden craving for some miso ramen," the Third Hokage spoke warmly.
"I'm always up for ramen!"
Hiruzen laughed heartily as he watched Naruto bound towards the door. The Hokage informed Aoi of his plans and gave the young woman permission to go home early. Naruto grabbed Sarutobi's hand and practically dragged him down the stairs.
"Hey, Old Man..." Naruto looked up expectantly. "Can I wear The Hat?"
"I'm afraid you can't wear my hat, Naruto."
"Ahhh…" Naruto whined. Hiruzen laughed again. 'I believe you will change the world, Uzumaki Naruto.'
"You can tell me about your training with young Lady Hinata," The Hokage said to distract Naruto from The Hat.
"Hinata-chan is awesome! Her Gentle Fist is freaking awesome, but the name is horrible. There is nothing gentle about it! I know Hinata-chan wouldn't go all out in our spars, but it takes a while to get feeling back in my body after she wins," Naruto spoke with undeniable pride for his friend.
"I dare say, Naruto, that you have quite the friendship with Hinata," The Hokage decided to have a bit of sport with the young man. Naruto suddenly blushed. Sarutobi laughed the hardest he had in a long time.
"She's…" 'Probably the love of my life.' "my best friend," Naruto spoke quickly and fought to get his blush under control. He was a bit embarrassed that his affection for Hinata was so obvious. Naruto wasn't embarrassed of his feelings. Naruto could never be embarrassed by his feelings for Hinata. He just knew that his social status would make any public relationship…troublesome.
'And now I'm sounding like Shikamaru…' Naruto thought in amusement.
"Your secrets are safe with me, Naruto," Hiruzen assured his young friend.
"Thanks," Naruto said behind a sigh of relief. "Are you sure I can't wear The Hat?"
"It's only a few weeks until the exams," Namikaze said to himself as he leapt through the trees. He was a few hours from reaching the small port city of Anamizu. Namikaze had gathered a bit of information about the gambling tournament being held in the town. It was a quiet tournament and several of the big creditors were ignoring the games. Baa-chan would flock to such laid-back games. The relative isolation would be perfect for Namikaze's purposes, as well. It would take a great deal of effort to convince baa-chan to help against Madara.
'I wish that bastard Fox hadn't smashed the First Hokage's necklace,' Namikaze grumbled in his mind.
The unique sensation of a sea breeze was Namikaze's first evidence that he had arrived. He had only been to the sea a few times in his life. Namikaze had always enjoyed simply visiting the ocean.
"I just hope I don't get attacked by Orochimaru's pawns this time," Namikaze muttered to himself. He approached Anamizu on foot. If he approached the village like a shinobi, Tsunade would probably go to ground somewhere else. Time was Namikaze's enemy. He couldn't spend weeks chasing baa-chan across the Land of Fire. Namikaze still had to contact Ero-sennin and help Nagato-niisan purge Madara's influence from Akatsuki. As Namikaze approached the city's main gate, one of the guards perked up.
"Excuse me!" Namikaze fought the urge to slip into a combat mindset at the guard's outburst.
"May I help you?" Namikaze asked cautiously. The guard shifted uncomfortably in his armor. He fidgeted with his pole arm for a moment.
"You are an unaffiliated shinobi aren't you?" A second guard asked quickly. He shrank into his helmet when Namikaze turned his attention to the younger guard. Namikaze could understand his trepidation. The bandages hiding Hinata's Byakugan probably caused a bit of unease. People took comfort from being able to look another in the eyes.
"I have no connections to any of the Hidden Villages," Namikaze lied easily.
"Seems like some gods were listening! The magister will want to meet with you," The first guard blathered excitedly. Namikaze arched an eyebrow at the exclamation.
"It sounds like you're expecting trouble at your little tournament," Namikaze observed off-handedly.
"You don't know the half of it," The second guard grumbled under his breath. The time traveler shrugged at the young man's foul mood. Namikaze wasn't surprised. Baa-chan's creditors were probably tracking her and hoping to corner Tsunade in Anamizu. Hell, this whole tournament could be a trap. There was a chance the magister was hoping to recruit Namikaze to capture baa-chan.
"Well, lead the way," Namikaze said with a smile. He masked his worry with the excitement of seeing baa-chan and Shizune again.
'Well, it's never boring when baa-chan gambles,' Namikaze thought with a forced chuckle.
"Does anyone have any questions about the graduation exam?" Mizuki asked while looking over the classroom.
"Um, Mizuki-sensei," Kasumi spoke softly while raising her hand. Mizuki acknowledged her with a nod. "How many Clones will we have to create?"
"In order to graduate, you must create a minimum of one clone," Mizuki announced while trying to fight down a smirk. The requirements were low and many who would not otherwise graduate would pass. However, Mizuki was confident that Naruto would fail. It would then be trivial to ensnare the demon brat in Mizuki's plot.
"Any other questions?" Iruka took the initiative and asked. Naruto strained to raise his hand as high as possible. Iruka chuckled while Mizuki rolled his eyes. "Yes, Naruto?"
"Will the taijutsu portion affect class standing?" Naruto asked and ignored the snicker of laughter that filtered through the class. Every student, save one, assumed Naruto was asking about his standing. They further assumed that Naruto was harboring some fantasy of beating Sasuke and being named Rookie of the Year.
"The scores will affect final standing, Naruto," Iruka replied. The teacher shook his head when Naruto whispered 'sweet' under his breath.
"Anyone else?" Iruka asked again. There were no further questions and Mizuki dismissed the class. The older teacher swallowed back the urge to retch when he saw Naruto lean in and whisper something to the Hyūga heiress.
'At least the demon will be dead soon,' Mizuki growled in his mind.
In the back of the classroom, Hinata was giggling at Naruto's declaration that Iruka-sensei 'would probably fall out of his chair' when Naruto showed off his Shadow Clones.
"Naruto-kun, did Hokage-sama really say something about us knowing about team selections?"
Naruto leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, the Old Man knows about it. The good thing is that he's actually impressed we figured it out. I don't think there'll be any hiccups."
"That's good. I couldn't bear to be on a different team than you. We…c…work well with each other," Hinata said quietly. She blushed slightly as she caught her near slip. She had just come a hair's breadth from confessing her feelings for Naruto. 'I'm not ready for that yet! And I surely can't confess when surrounded by my classmates!' The heiress thought in a near-panic. Hinata was eternally grateful that she had earned Naruto's friendship. Hinata was hoping that the friendship would become something more, but her lingering insecurities still held her back. She was afraid of risking her treasured friendship with the boy of her dreams.
'One day…' Hinata thought hopefully.
"Heck yeah! The only people who probably work together half as well as us are probably Shikamaru and Chouji!" Naruto exclaimed proudly. He adjusted his goggles and imagined it was a hitai-ate. "The Old Man has to put us on the same team!"
'And I couldn't take being away from you that long, Hinata-chan,' Naruto desperately wanted to give voice to his thoughts. He cursed the obsessions of Hyūga with the 'purity' of the Byakugan. Naruto knew the Hyūga would likely never accept, much less approve of, Naruto's love for Hinata.
'Just one more thing I'll have to change,' Naruto thought with determination. He smiled at Hinata as the pair exited the classroom.
"Neh, Hinata-chan, do we have time for our usual training today?" Naruto asked hopefully. Hinata covered her mouth and giggled daintily. Naruto reluctantly fought the urge to melt at Hinata's laugh.
"I'll always have time for you, Naruto-kun," Hinata answered with just a hint of mischief. If Iruka hadn't erupted into laughter, Naruto probably would have passed out from blood loss.
'Not even time itself could keep us apart, Hinata-chan,' Naruto grinned as he regained control of his own mind.
Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Some major events are on the horizon! Please continue the incredible review response!