A/N: Well, this story is shaping up to be longer than I imagined, but I'm not complaining about that. I'm glad to hear that all of you readers are enjoying it, and I hope to continue to write a story you all like. If there's anything you'd like to see or change, please let me know via a review as I'd be happy to listen. I'll try to get the next chapter done as soon as I can. Can't wait to read your reviews!
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Basking in the bright warmth of the March sun, I felt the gentle winds of spring brush against my face as I laid on the grassy clearing in the middle of the village. Little did all of Konoha know, but the sudden appearance of wind for the last few months has been entirely my doing. Kakashi-sensai came up with the idea due to my extreme amount of chakra I possessed, so he told me to keep a constant wind blowing whenever I was awake. What surprised him, however, was that even when I lost consciousness, whether it be from sleep or passing out from his intense training, I still held control over the wind. Since I had returned, there had been no break from that training, but no one was complaining. Everyone enjoyed the abnormal wind, and it made me happy I did something the village appreciated, even if they didn't know it was my doing. They'd know soon enough though.
"Hey! Naruto!" The shout brought me back to reality, and I shifted my weight to my side and turned my head to see who was coming. Smiling, I sat up and watched as one of my first few friends took a spot next tome.
"What's up, Shikamaru? Come to stare at the clouds?" Hearing him sigh as he fell onto his back reminded me of an old man. He was one of the few guys who didn't start trying to kill me when I made fun of him. I think he actually enjoyed hanging out with me, when Chouji wasn't around, that is.
"Well, this is my favorite spot to think, Naruto. It's nice to have some company though, especially one of my best friends." Noticing him looking me up and down, I smiled my normal toothy grin and laid back down. "Hard to believe the dobe from our class ended up surpassing all of us." Laughing, I playfully punched his shoulder and I could notice the corners of his lips curve upward.
"Well, I did have three years of training from a Sannin." Looking up at the clouds, I noticed one that looked like Hina-chan. She had become so beautiful after I had left, and I kept kicking myself for not noticing her earlier. But I saw her now, and I was marrying her by the end of the week. Whenever I thought of that, I felt nauseous about how fast things were going, but thinking of how happy she made me quelled all those fears and I was more eager than I ever had been in my life.
"Ah, has it really been three years?" Shikamaru's lazy voice was ever present, and it was something I had missed while I was gone. Every one of my friends had a certain trait about them that I missed. It was nice to be home. "Say, Naruto, can I ask you something?" Nodding at my friend, I could sense something was on his mind. "Well, why exactly are you getting married? I mean you and Hinata weren't really that close, were you? So what's going on?" Blinking at him for being so forward, I smiled widely at him and sat up. So many thoughts were fluttering through my mind on what to tell him that I didn't know where to start.
"Well, it's true that Hinata-chan and I weren't that close before I left. I mean we barely knew each other in the academy, we were on different teams and rarely saw each other, but that's also kind of why I started to like her. I began noticing how much she looked up to me, which was extremely foreign to me at the time. As she and I started going on missions, I felt myself getting to know her better and better. That's when I knew I could trust her with my life with how strong she had gotten and how much she cared for her teammates, including me. It was a revelation, if I had to come up with a word for it." Shikamaru seemed to be concentrating on what I had said, but he simply sighed and looked back at me.
"You still didn't answer my question on why you're going to marry her. I can understand why you like her now, but don't you think we're a little young to marry? I'd be scared shitless if I were in your shoes." Grinning back at him, I laughed. He was still the same old Shikamaru that I remembered, maybe just a little lazier.
"Bah, all this talk about marriage being so grand seems pointless to me. I know all about the fact that marrying a girl means the two of you are bonded together for life and you choose someone who would make you happy and willing to start a family with you. To me, Hinata-chan is more than all that. She makes me happy by being there and she cares for me more than I thought anyone ever could. When I think of any other girl I've ever known, none of them come anywhere close to her." Feeling an unbearable urge to poke fun at my friend, I smirked at him and lowered my voice. "Besides, I'm the same as you. I know what angry women are like from Tsunade-baa-chan and Sakura-chan. I'd rather have her happy and stuck with me for the rest of our lives than having her stalk me and beat me to a pulp for ignoring her. Girls are troublesome, aren't they?" Putting an emphasis on his favorite word, I looked over at him as he started laughing. It was good to have a friend like him whom I could talk to about anything.
"I doubt those two have anything on Ino when she gets pissed. Chouji wouldn't eat for an hour after she caught him stealing some of her food on a mission. And that's like one of us going without food for a week." Laughing with him, he looked back up at the sky. "You are a truly lucky guy, Naruto. You got the only girl we know who doesn't give you a killing intent for simply looking at her the wrong way." I couldn't help but fall back with him. Others saw Shikamaru as the laziest guy in the world, and while I had to agree with them, he was better than that. He was the only guy I knew who could stay calm despite any situation. I liked to think some of that rubbed off on me over the years I knew him. I was still obnoxious and loud, but I had gotten a lot calmer and more behaved thanks to him.
"You know, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but when Hina-chan gets angry I doubt that anyone would be able to stop her. I've seen it first hand, and she hits harder than both Sakura-chan and Ino together could." Watching his jaw drop, I knew he couldn't believe my Hina-chan was that strong. Ticking off Sakura-chan had become somewhat of a game for me and I had fun doing that, but when Hina-chan got mat at me, I knew better than to say anything to annoy her further. Lucky me that didn't happen often, but I did try my hardest to avoid it. "Besides, what about Temari? You and her seem to be hanging out a lot lately." Watching him blush was the single most satisfying feeling I had around the guy. It wasn't often I saw him flustered, and it was a small victory for me if I could make him uneasy.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you about that." The grin faded from my face, and I couldn't help but stare at him. What did he mean? "Well, it's kind of embarrassing, but I don't know how to go about asking her to go on a date with me. She's in the village for the rest of the month, and I have to constantly be with her due to the chunin exams, but whenever I try to ask her out to dinner I chicken out."
"I take it you want me to help you ask her out?" He simply nodded and I chuckled. "What makes you think I can help? I mean I am the most clueless guy in the world when it comes to women, after all. I didn't notice Hinata-chan loved me for years. Unless you already have a plan?" When he didn't respond, I simply sighed and fell on my back.
"I know you're hopeless when it comes to women, Naruto, but somehow you're the first one to develop any kind of serious relationship. When it came to thinking of a plan, relying on you was the best idea I could come up with. You are the most unpredictable ninja I've ever seen." Seeing my friend in a new light, I couldn't help but feel the need to help him. Thinking to myself, I suddenly got an excellent idea. I pulled a small letter out of my jacket and handed it to him. I hadn't planned giving these out yet, but if it was to help a friend I was happy to do it.
"I have the perfect thing. I was going to hand these out later anyway, so you'll be the first to get yours." Watching him open it and pull out the contents, I couldn't help but laugh at his confused look.
"Naruto, this is just an invitation to your wedding. How will this help me?"
"Geeze, are you really as smart as everyone says? You are the first person who got an invitation to a wedding. You want Temari to go on a date with you. Even I could put those two together." I noticed a realization in his eyes as he tucked the invitation in his pocket and he jumped up, very much unlike Shikamaru. "So you get it now?"
"Yeah, I got it. Thanks Naruto! I'm off to find Temari." Laughing as I watched my lovesick friend leave, I laid back down and closed my eyes. It was still a few hours until Hinata-chan told me to meet her for our date. She told me it was a surprise but that I would enjoy it. Wondering what it was, it didn't take long for me to doze off and dream of what was to come. It wasn't often I felt this peaceful. Well, except for when I had woken up the previous day in Hina-chan's arms. Even though I was asleep, a small trickle of blood escaped from my nose…
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Quickly walking down the road toward my new house, I had to suppress the unbearable urge to skip, but I couldn't help the smile that was plastered on my face. While I wanted to go screaming at the top of my lungs telling the world why I was so happy, I couldn't let anyone know what was happening. Being an heiress was a real bother sometimes, but soon I wouldn't have to worry about that. It wasn't until a flash of pink dashed in front of me did I stop.
"Hinata-chan! Wait up!" Watching Sakura-chan run up to me first made me feel uneasy, but then I noticed the smile on her face and I waved to her. I didn't often have any girls my age give me a friendly greeting, and I didn't quite know how to react. When she had caught up to me she wrapped her arm around me and we both started walking together. "So, how does it feel to be stuck with that dobe?" I noticed the joking intent in her voice, so I decided against smacking her for the comment. Besides, I desperately wanted someone to talk to like girl friends would. Hanabi-chan was all right sometimes, but she was often too busy with training. Putting a smile back on my face I playfully poked her ribs.
"Well, my dobe has been a handful lately." Noticing her giggle at my possession of him, I giggled as well as I continued. "All his shouting for ramen has plagued my brain. I went grocery shopping for the two of us yesterday dreaming of all the wonderful dishes I was going to cook for him to show him that there was other food besides ramen. As soon as I got home, guess what? The five bags I had were full of ramen. I knew those shop keepers had been looking at me funny and I had just realized why, so I ended up punching my idiot boyfriend because of it." Apparently the nonchalant way of telling the story was too much for her as she doubled over laughing while clutching her gut. I soon joined her, and lucky us we were in the least populated area in the village so not many people were up and about. It felt nice, being able to be so friendly with someone my age.
"Oh my God, Hinata! I never realized how much you and I are alike!" Managing to get that out between gasps of breath, she was leaning on me for support. After a few seconds she got her strength in her legs back and let out a deep sigh. "You have to tell me more stories about you two! I so wish Ino and Tenten were here, they'd love to get a good laugh at this too!" Suddenly an idea hit me. I wanted to talk to the three of them about the wedding as well as other things, so I decided to propose an idea with Sakura-chan.
"Actually, that would be a great idea, Sakura-chan! I have to get these things put away when I get home, so how about you go find Tenten and Ino and meet me at my house, and I'll have some tea ready when you guys get there. Then we'll share all sorts of stories. I never really got a chance to spend time with girls my own age, so this would be wonderful to get together." Noticing the sparkle in her eyes, she took my hands and let out a squeal. It was just so contagious that I couldn't help but laugh with her. After saying our goodbyes and watching her run off, I felt lighter on my feet. Naruto-kun could wait a while for our date. He was probably busy talking to all our other friends anyway. Looking back into my bags, I was relieved that there wasn't a single pack of ramen in them. Turning on my heels and coming dangerously close to skipping, I couldn't wait to hear the juicy stories Sakura-chan had about Naruto-kun.
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Easing over onto my side, I felt my hand rest on something furry. Wondering what it was, I cautiously started reaching around me since I didn't want to open my eyes. I was having the most wonderful dream and whatever this intruder was, it had woken me up. It wasn't until I felt something rough and sticky traverse across my cheek did my eyes shoot open to a sheet of white fur. Blinking in my daze, it wasn't long until I noticed what was laying next to me.
"Akamaru?" The dog let out a deep growl, and if I didn't know better I would have been freaked out. I knew he was happy to see me, so I sat up and started scratching him behind his ears. The beast had gotten so big since I remembered. "If Kiba were here we could go have a little fun playing with you." The dog let out a bark and jumped up in a pouncing position. Getting up myself, I decided it would be fun to have a match with him. "Well, since dog breath is never too far away from you, how bout we have a little race to see who can find him first?" No sooner than I had said that did I hear someone laughing behind me.
"Ah, same old Naruto. Can you ever go five minutes with anyone without challenging them to something?" Whipping around to the voice, I saw the same guy I had been ridiculing. Putting on my usual grin, I waved over to him. Akamaru let out a bark and Kiba just laughed again.
"How are you doing Kiba? I see you haven't changed much either." He was still wearing the same outfit I remembered him wearing before I left for my training, albeit a little bigger due to him growing and all. It was easy to get him riled up though, and I loved doing it, so I decided to have some fun with him. Waving my hand in front of my nose I put a noticeable smirk on my face. "You still smell like a dog even. Have you bathed at all since I left?" I noticed a killing intent coming from him, but it was only brief as he soon chuckled to himself as he sat down next to Akamaru using him as a pillow.
"Well, at least I didn't have a Bikouchuu follow my ass around. That proves that no matter how bad I stink, you'll be worse." Grimacing at him, I suddenly had to laugh as I punched his shoulder and sat next to him. Kiba and I were alike in a lot of ways, and he wasn't quite the jerk I thought he was before we became friends. "I have to admit though, it got pretty embarrassing when Hinata said she was going to have to buy a mask like Kakashi-sensai unless I bathed twice a day when we were on missions. I couldn't look her in the eyes for a week because I felt so bad." Laughing at his expense, I couldn't help but realize why he liked leaning against Akamaru. It was easy to feel comfortable there and the perfect place to take a nap. I just made a mental note to hurry home to take a shower before Hina-chan got there.
"Well, can you really blame her? She did come from the Hyuugas, after all. She probably never smelt anything as bad as you in her entire life!" Seeing a smile appear on the edges of his lips, I closed my eyes and sighed. "I hope I don't offend her with my habits. I've never lived with anyone before, so how a girl is around the house is a complete mystery to me." I noticed him shift his weight forward as he looked into the ground in front of him.
"Naruto, you better take care of her. I don't know what she sees in you, but I'm sure a lot of guys would love to be in your shoes right now. She is the most sought after girl in Konoha, you know." I felt a pang of guilt in my gut, since I knew Kiba had a crush on her a long time ago. It was hard seeing my friend like this, as he was usually as upbeat as I am. "She's like a little sister to me. Sure, I would have loved to be in your shoes a long time ago, but that was just a crush like you had on Sakura. Same goes with Shino. We're like family, so her happiness is important." Smiling at my friend, I patted him on the back and stood up.
"Don't worry, Kiba. While I am a dobe, if there's one thing I know how to do it's how to keep Hina-chan happy. Besides, you should be more worried about me than her." His confused look said it all and I put my hands behind my head and turned toward him. "When she gets pissed she punches harder than Tsunade-baa-chan does after she notices what prank I pulled on her in her sleep." Grinning ear to ear, I heard Kiba bark out a laugh as he stood up too.
"You're right, Naruto. I've got nothing to worry about between you two. I can't wait for the wedding! You better have lots of food there." Pushing him as we walked back to the village, I remembered what I was supposed to give him when I saw him.
"Well the Hyuugas are paying for it, so if the dinner I had last night is any indication, even you and Chouji combined couldn't eat even half the food there!" Taking that as a challenge, Kiba grinned widely and I heard his stomach growl. Chuckling to myself, I pulled out his and Shino's invitations and handed them to him. "Here's your invitation, and this one is for Shino when you see him. Hina-chan and I hope you guys can make it, and try not to smell, dog breath." Smirking at him, he simply laughed back at me and jumped on top of Akamaru. It still surprised me how much the two changed, but it seemed fitting.
"We'll be there, Naruto! Well, I gotta go find Shino and train with him. Tell Hinata I said hi!" And with that he was off into the forest. Smelling my jacket, I couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that I would have to wear the same thing I wore last night on my date. Hopefully it was something a little formal so I wouldn't look out of place. Looking down at the invitations, the next one on the list was Fuzzy Eyebrows. Sighing the deepest sigh in my entire life, I trudged on toward his dojo. This was going to be so troublesome…
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Hearing a loud knock on the door nearly made me jump out of my skin. Clutching the book to my chest, I felt my heart pumping with adrenaline. Sliding my feet into a pair of slippers Naruto-kun had just bought me that day, I hurried to the door. The floor was still bare, but we had found a wonderfully soft blue carpet that we had ordered. The man at the store said it would take about a week and a half for our order to come from the Wave Country, so Naruto-kun had bought me these to tide me over till then. Smiling widely, I opened the door only to be greeted by three rather loud girls. Ushering them inside, I noticed they all took their sandals off even after I told them they didn't have to. I just hoped they didn't get any splinters from some of the rough boards that plagued the floor.
"Hinata-chan! We have a surprise for you!" Turning toward Tenten, I was soon tackled onto the couch with a blindfold being placed around my eyes and my wrists and ankles being tied together. I was too shocked to say anything and all I could hear was their giggling. "Now, you stay put and we'll untie you when we're ready!" Hearing their shuffling feet, I couldn't even imagine what was going on, but I decided against using the Byakugan since I knew I could trust them. Even thought I was tied up, I couldn't help but giggle as I heard their squeals of excitement echo throughout the house. What on earth were they doing? When I felt something poke me in the ribs, I couldn't help but laugh as I jerked away.
"Gomen, Hinata-chan! It was an accident!" I recognized the voice as Sakura-chan's. Still trying to figure out what they were doing I just smiled and shifted around on the couch trying to get a little more comfortable.
"It's ok, Sakura-chan. It didn't hurt, it just tickled a little." Suddenly all the banging around ceased as if time had stopped. If it weren't for the fact that I felt the gaze from all three of my friends, I would have sworn they had left.
"So, you're ticklish, Hinata-chan?" Hearing Tenten say that, I realized the mistake I had made. Trying desperately to get up, I knew it was pointless. All of the sudden I felt six hands poking me around my stomach and I felt the laughter explode from my mouth. I had never been seriously tickled in my life; in fact, the only time I remembered being tickled was when Naruto-kun had kissed my foot after I had cut it.
"This is fun, Hinata-chan! We never knew you had such a pretty laugh!" Trying my hardest to yell at them to stop between breaths, it was impossible. Suddenly I felt someone sitting on top of me as someone else pulled my arms up above my head. All I could do was let out a little squeal before laughter overtook me again as I felt someone's nails digging into my under arms. Trying as hard as I could to get away, three to one simply wasn't fair. In a sudden thought, I realized that only two of them were still there, but that sudden relief was soon replaced with horror. As I felt someone pulling off my slippers, I thrashed about even harder, but in the back of my mind I knew it was useless since they wouldn't stop until they got bored. Beads of sweat began soaking my hair as my laughter increased a thousand fold when a couple of fingers began tracing up and down my bare soles. I had never experienced a torture like this, yet in some way, I was beginning to enjoy it, although I wasn't going to let them know that.
"You're skin's so soft Hinata-chan! I'm so jealous!" Not caring who said it, it was all I could do to not pass out from how lightheaded I felt. All of the sudden I noticed that it stopped abruptly. Trying to regain my ability to think, I looked around desperately, but the blindfold wasn't moving at all.
"What were you three doing to Hina-chan?" Was that…Naruto-kun? I quietly thanked him in my mind while I tried to get my breath back.
"We just found out how ticklish she was, Naruto. So we decided to have a little fun. You know, like girlfriends usually do with each other." Hearing that, I began to feel a shiver run down my spine. Knowing Naruto-kun, he'd simply smile and let them continue. "You want to join us? She has a really pretty laugh!"
"I'd love to, Sakura-chan…" My heart froze and my breath stopped in my throat. Naruto-kun wouldn't do that, would he? "…but she looks exhausted. I think she's had enough, so I'm going to go untie her." Breathing a huge sigh of relief, I thanked Naruto-kun over and over in my mind. I felt him untie my ankles before he stopped.
"Wait, Naruto! We're not ready for her to open her eyes yet! Let us finish and then you can untie her!" Looking around, I tried to figure out what was going on, but I was still dazed.
"Okay, but hurry up. Hina-chan looks like she's going to pass out." I felt someone kiss my cheek, but I knew it was Naruto-kun when he held me in his arms. Cuddling him as best I could, I wasn't going to let him leave any time soon.
"We're sorry, Hinata-chan. We got carried away." I could tell that was Sakura-chan's voice, but the others soon said the same. Smiling to myself, I was going to forgive them until a better idea came across my mind.
"Don't worry about it, but I am going to get you three back for this." I could smell the fear emitting from them, and I couldn't help but giggle as I snuggled against Naruto-kun. Hearing the clamoring resume, I felt exhausted. Just when I was about to fall asleep, I felt my wrists being untied and the blindfold came off.
"Surprise, Hinata-chan!" Looking around, I saw that the room had been decorated for a party. There were streamers and balloons everywhere, and on the table sat a little cake. Glancing around the room, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
"What's all this for? It's not my birthday." Hearing all of them laugh, I felt Naruto-kun kiss my neck. What was going on?
"This is your bridal shower, silly! What kind of girlfriends would we be if we didn't throw you a party before you got married?" Not caring about the tears cascading from my cheeks, I buried my head in the crook of Naruto-kun's neck as my shoulders shook. "Hinata-chan…What's wrong? Did we do something?"
"Shhh…don't worry Sakura-chan. She's just extremely happy. I know because she cried exactly like this after I asked her to marry me." Hearing a huge sigh of relief, I had to thank Naruto-kun later. Until then, I felt him pick me up in his arms and carry me off to the washroom. Soon the other girls joined us and they helped clean me up as my crying died down.
"Everyone…thank you so much…" Feeling more tears enter my eyes, I brushed them away as I hugged all of them. "I don't deserve friends as great as you guys."
"That's not true, Hinata-chan! We're happy to be your friends!" Looking at Ino-chan, I could see they really meant it. Crying again, I felt her hug me as she stroked my hair. "Besides, you have to be an amazing person if you can keep that dobe in line." Laughing as I felt the salty tears enter my mouth, I held on to her for a minute to sooth myself. Finally feeling better, I walked back out to the party, only to notice Naruto-kun had left.
"NARUTO!" Everyone turned to look at Sakura-chan, who ran out the door like a banshee. "You get back here with that half of the cake you stole!" Glancing down to the cake that was sitting there just a moment ago, I noticed half of it was gone. Smiling to myself, I simply walked up to Sakura-chan and hugged her from behind. "H-Hinata-chan?"
"It's okay, Sakura-chan. He's just going to go share it with all the guys." She seemed to calm down at that and turned around and smiled.
"I suppose you're right. He is a lot nicer than I give him credit for." Sitting down with them on the couch, we all laughed. "Now let's get back to the reason why we're here! We're going to make sure Hinata-chan has one of the best days of her life!" Feeling tears form yet again, I smiled and thanked all of them. For the first time in my life other than when I was with Naruto-kun, I felt like I belonged.
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Making several Kage Bunshins, I gave them each a piece of cake and told them who to go give it to. I, myself, went to Fuzzy Eyebrow's dojo. I was seriously considering using a clone to visit him, but I realized that it would be proper for me to go myself. Stepping up to the door, I took a deep breath before I slid it open. Adjusting my eyes to the darkness, I saw Fuzzy Eyebrows sitting on the far wall. As soon as I had entered, he had leapt to his feet.
"Naruto-kun! I see you have come to challenge me to claim the banner for this dojo! You must be burning with passion from the Springtime of Youth!" Luckily I had prepared for this, as I pulled out a white flag and waved it in front of me. This seemed to surprise him, as he sat right back down. "If you are not here to challenge me, then what brings you here, Naruto-kun?"
"I'm here because I wanted to give you something." Sitting down across from him, I handed him the piece of cake I had brought him. Watching his eyes light in fire as he snatched the cake from my hand before I even knew he had moved, I couldn't help but laugh at him. Instead of eating the cake though, he held it like a valuable treasure he wanted to display for everyone.
"T-This is Sakura-chan's legendary chocolate cake! The sweetness alone is enough to make me weak in the knees!" Staring blankly at him, I watched as he took a single bite before he exploded and leapt to his feat. "I feel the flames of youth flowing through my veins!" Watching him shovel the cake down the rest of the cake, I pulled out his invitation before he finished.
"Fuzzy Eyebrows, before you run off for God knows what reason, I have to give you this too." He snatched it as I tossed it to him, and he opened it in a singly stroke. Before he decided to ask me to go train with him, I was already running out the door. "Hina-chan and I hope to see you there! And good luck with your training!" Sprinting away from the unnaturally loud 'YOSH!' I didn't slow down until I had come to the Academy. Smiling as I remembered my younger days, I walked through the front doors. I couldn't wait to see what Iruka-sensai would say when he heard I was being married.
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Watching the three of them leave, the house felt empty. The sun was setting and it was nearing the time I was supposed to go out with Naruto-kun, so I decided to go take a quick bath. Thankfully they had helped clean the mess from the party before they left so I didn't have to worry about it. Naruto-kun could eat the rest of the cake, which I'm sure he would. I had gotten the recipe from Sakura-chan after I heard how everyone went crazy over it. We loved hanging out so much we scheduled another get together after my honeymoon with Naruto-kun.
Walking up the stairs, I gently started talking off my clothes. Throwing them in a hamper by the door to the washroom, I sat down on the stool in the room and began washing myself off. Finishing by pouring a warm bucket over my head, I stood up and wrapped a towel around my body. I enjoyed the hot tub in the Hyuuga complex, and I was overjoyed when I saw that my father had suggested that Gai-sensai put one connected to the washroom. I noticed that it was a late addition because the room covered two floors and the only way to enter it was through the washroom on the second floor. Easing myself down the stairs, the herbal scents filled my nostrils as I breathed them in. Dipping my toes in the water, I gasped when I felt how hot the water was.
"H-H-Hina-chan?" Snapping my head up, I almost let out a scream. That is until I saw who called my name. Wading through the water, I sat down next to him and wrapped my arms around one of his and nuzzled my head on his shoulder.
"What's the matter, Naruto-kun? You can't sit in a hot tub with your future wife?" Kissing his cheek gently, I purposefully let my towel slide down a little revealing the whole of my breasts to him. While he was still grasping for something to say, I began cuddling him making sure he felt every little bit of the exposed parts of my body. Watching the small trickle of blood escape his nose, I decided to take it a bit further as I started nibbling on his ear. I think that was too much for him, as he soon passed out from loss of blood.
Holding his head above water, I pushed my towel back up as I blushed all sorts of shades of red. I still couldn't believe I was able to seduce him this way, and as soon as I finished I was redder than a tomato. I seriously began wondering if we were going to survive our wedding night. Blushing even deeper thinking about it, I decided it was time that we should get ready, so I started shaking him until he woke up. After laughing at his sudden blush, I finally got him to get up and change for our date. We ended up wearing the same clothes that we had to dinner the previous night, and I couldn't wait to surprise him with what I had planned.
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"You got all the invitations handed out, right Naruto-kun?" Feeling him wrap his arms around my mid section, he nodded before he kissed my cheek. I placed my hands on top of his and smiled up at him. "Good boy. I knew I could count on you." He started kissing my neck and I giggled when it started tickling.
"You're so beautiful, Hina-chan." Blushing at his comment, I felt him kiss my cheek again. "Something's missing though. Close your eyes, I don't want you to see." Curious at what he was planning, I complied and kept them shut. I heard him rummaging through a couple of drawers before he stopped and I felt his presence behind me again. "Okay, you can open them now." Slowly peeking out of one eye and then the other, I stared at the mirror trying to find out what was different. It wasn't until I felt around my neck did I notice anything, and I gasped at what I saw. Around my neck he had placed a shimmering violet gemstone, no bitter than the fingernail on my pinky, supported by a silver chain. "I saw a pawn shop while I was handing out those invitations, and I couldn't believe something so beautiful was in that shop and not around my fiancée's neck. So I decided to change that. It was surprisingly cheap when she heard it was a gift for a member of the Hyuuga clan." Fingering the tiny jewel on the necklace, I couldn't help the tears that fell down my cheeks. "So, do you like it?" Turning around to face him, I buried my face in his chest as I wept.
"Naruto-kun, I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you." Hugging him tighter as he stroked my hair, I couldn't believe anyone could love me as much as he did. "My whole life, no one has ever gotten anything for me just to see me smile, and here in this last week you've given me more than I could ever dream for." He kissed the crown of my head as I started crying more. "How can anyone love me as much as you do? I'm not pretty, I'm not sexy, I'm weak compared to everyone else, there's nothing good about me. If it weren't for my heritage no one would give a damn about me." It surprised me when he picked me up and placed me onto the bed, but when kneeled in front of me, I felt his hands brushing away my tears as he caressed my cheeks helped calm my shaking body down.
"Hinata, you know I love you. If you could only see the looks you get when you walk down the street. I've seen more guys gaping at you than at all the other girls we know combined." I felt him kiss my lips gently as he held my hands. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank God that out of the thousands of boys who you could have chosen, I'm the lucky one to have you." I knew he had to be lying. I wasn't that great, I couldn't be. "You know, these last few days have been the happiest time of my life. I doubt I'd ever have felt this way with anyone else."
"You're lying. You're just trying to make yourself feel better about being stuck with me." Foregoing the embarrassment of the tears dripping from my chin, I held on to his neck while he sat next to me on the bed and held me in his lap and rocked me back and forth. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I hadn't been held like this since my mother had died when I was six years old. I never wanted him to stop.
"Hinata, why do you think I would choose to be with you if I didn't want to?" Trying to think of a reason, all I could do was lay there in his embrace. I never wanted this to end. Suddenly I heard him chuckling, and as I looked up at him he had a far away look in his eyes. "I remember back when I had the biggest crush on Sakura-chan. Just seeing her made my stomach tie in knots. But at the same time, liking her scared me to death. What if she didn't like me? What if she did but it was only because she couldn't have Sasuke? What if I didn't really like her? Those thoughts plagued my mind constantly, and I was too scared to pursue a relationship with her.
With you, it's different though Hina-chan. When I'm with you, I don't have to worry if you love me or not. I don't have to worry about not making you happy." Feeling the tears stream down my cheeks, I stared up at him in awe. Did he really love me like that? "I've never been one who was good with words or feelings, but you're always the first thing on my mind when I wake up, and you're the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep. No matter how much time I spend with you, it never seems like it's enough." When he kissed my forehead, I buried it in the crook of his neck. Was it okay for us to be like this? It wasn't selfish, was it?
"Naruto-kun…" Before I could finish he placed his finger on my lips. Blushing slightly, I sat still listening to his every word.
"When I was little, and even when I came back from training, the thing I looked forward to the most was having a bowl of ramen. Now, however, you've replaced that as my thing in the world." I couldn't hold it in as I started laughing at him. He looked at me curiously, and that only made me laugh louder. "What'd I say?" He seemed to enjoy seeing me laugh as he started poking my belly, which only made me laugh more. "Sakura-chan was right, you do have a cute laugh." I felt him kissing me all over and I finally started calming down. Catching my breath, he gently held me in his arms again. "Now, do you care to tell me what was so funny?"
"Gomen, it was just, that comment from anyone else would be the lamest pick-up line I've heard, but from you it was actually true." Watching him blush slightly, I pecked him on the lips and snuggled against his chest. "Thank you, for making me laugh. I feel a lot better."
"That's good. I'm glad my lameness can be put to good use." Pushing him back on the bed I giggled as I slipped on my formal slippers and ran out the door. Looking back he was struggling with his sandals and robe, so I turned around and helped him get ready.
"If you don't hurry we'll miss everything." Laughing as he poked my belly after we had gotten his robe on, he chased me out the house and we ran hand in hand toward our destination. I really did hope he liked it.
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"It's so beautiful out tonight!" Watching her twirl around in her kimono, I couldn't help but smile as I watched the nightlights illuminate the smile on her face. She really was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her surprise had been a complete shock to me, but I enjoyed it completely. I had forgotten that the Spring Festival was in the village, but it wasn't surprising considering I was never welcomed here as a child. Apparently she hadn't been here since she was a little girl either, as she was running around with such enthusiasm that it was hard to believe she came from the Hyuuga clan.
"Naruto-kun! They're so pretty! What are they?" Strolling over to her, I looked down at what she was so excited over and I couldn't help but chuckle a little at her.
"Hina-chan, these are baby chickens. You mean to tell me you've never seen one before?" She shook her head but the smile never left her face. "Would you like one?" Her head shot up at me, but her eyes were full of glee as she nodded her head vigorously.
"Father never let us have pets when we were little. He said it would interfere with training." Paying the man for two baby chicks, I couldn't help but smile at the giddy expression in her eyes. As she gently pet the little fuzz balls in the box she was holding, I stole a kiss from her. "That's the same reason we never went to festivals like this. The last time I went was with my mother when I was only six."
"That's not right you know. Even our friends come here every year." Dashing ahead of her, I planted my feet in the ground and looked her in the eyes. "Tell you what: since you brought me here, let me give you the best time of your life!" Sweeping her up in my arms, I ran off toward the other booths. Hearing her giggle in my arms, I never believed that I could be this happy. Dancing through the crowds, there wasn't an area we didn't go to. While it completely emptied my pocket money, the happiness on her face was well worth it. I never wanted this night to end.
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"Naruto-kun?" Cuddling with him on that grassy field, we both stared up at the night sky. Feeling him wrap his arms around me I felt his lips gently caress mine. Staring into his eyes dreamily, I felt the warmth of his body against mine and I couldn't help but blush under his calm gaze.
"Look up, Hina-chan. It's about to start." Turning to look at where he was pointing, all I could see was the starry sky. I was about to ask him what he meant until I saw a flash of green and red, which was soon followed by an even bigger explosion of blue and yellow. Staring at them wide eyed, I felt my jaw drop at how beautiful it was. "I can see you've never seen fireworks either." Shaking my head, my eyes never left the sky. I had never known something like this existed. Leaning back into his warm embrace, I felt him hold me tighter as we both gazed on at the display before us.
"Thank you so much for tonight, Naruto-kun. I never knew I had missed out on so much." Tears were streaming down my face, but for once it was because I was so happy that I couldn't stop. Burying my face in his robe to dry my tears, I kissed him as I rested my head on his shoulder.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Hina-chan." He kissed my forehead and I could feel my eyes getting heavier. "Hey, how about we agree to come here every year? Sound like fun?" I nodded to him as I closed my eyes. While the fireworks were indeed beautiful, the eyes that were gazing into mine were far more captivating. As I dozed off into sleep, the smile never left my lips. It was then that I knew that never had I felt more peaceful in my life, and I knew it wasn't ever going to change.