AN: Welcome back everyone! And to all the newcomers, welcome! I want to apologize now since it will be a little while since i have updated some of my stories, but I am pretty busy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 2

Hinata walked into Naruto's hospital room to find him in the exact same position she left him in, though he seemed oddly at peace, more so than he had been in the past few days. She had been there for the past four days, only ever leaving his side to use the restroom or to get herself something to eat. She even slept in the chair with her head on his bed with his hand in hers. It might not have been a very comfortable position for her, but those were the best night's sleep she had ever gotten.

The third day after Naruto was admitted to the hospital, she called a nurse when she began to suspect that Naruto needed a bath since there was a strong smell of body odor in the room. To her embarrassment she found out that Naruto was given a bath earlier that morning, so it wasn't him who was giving off that rank smell. She left in a rush to clean herself back at the Hyuga compound, and when she prepared to step into the shower she smelled her undershirt and found that it was very… ripe.

All in all Hinata showed a fierce amount of perseverance in being in Naruto's presence as much as humanly possible. She had even almost come to blows with a certain nurse who foolishly tried to get her to leave once visiting hours were over. Needless to say, that nurse soon found that even the most docile kittens still have claws.

She was determined to be there for Naruto, her light, her inspiration, her other half. Seeing him on that table folded open like the pages of a book haunted her dreams. Not the fact that he had been injured, she was a ninja and she was used to seeing injuries, though they might not have been as extensive as his were. No, the reason she barely got any sleep was because she was so utterly terrified of losing her blonde-haired love. She hardened her resolve and gathered up all the courage she could collect. This was it, when he woke up she would finally tell him how she felt, she would finally hold his hand walk by his side, through thick and thin.

She ran her hand through his hair and ran her hand down his cheek. She looked down at the base of his neck and saw a raised red vertical line that she knew ran down to just above his hips.

A tear fell down her face but she stopped herself from crying anymore. The tears had all run dry over the past few days.

"No more. I won't be weak anymore. I will finally be strong, if not for myself than for him. I'll-"

She noticed a strange black haze start seeping out of Naruto's abdomen. She was about to call for help when she noticed that it started to travel up Naruto's body. She watched in morbid fascination as it coagulated on Naruto's eyes and was absorbed fully into his eye sockets. She was staring wide-eyed as Naruto pushed himself upright with his forearms, eyes still closed.

He turned his head towards her. "That scent… So, you were the one who has stayed by my side for so long. Why is that Hyuga Hinata? Are you here on orders from the Hokage?"

She turned bright red from his question, but she had finally found the courage to say what she always wanted to say, and she wasn't about to go back on her word now. "A-ano… N-No one t-told me to b-be here. I-I wanted to s-stay with you b-because… b-because…"

She stopped when she saw Naruto's eyes flutter open, one of her most favorite sights. A small smile made its way across her face when she finally saw those large blue orbs. She could get lost in them, they were oceans that seemed to just go on and on. Then she saw something that left her speechless. His blue eyes began growing darker, turning a deep violet color as the iris began to spread out, and concentric circles made their way all across his eye. It was the most majestic shade of purple she had ever seen before, it looked like the color the sky turned for only a split second just before the sun rose in the morning. His change didn't end there, three small tomoes appeared on the circle closest to the center of his eye.

'It… It looks just like Sasuke-san's Sharingan!'

Naruto brought his hand palms up and he looked down at them. "Only the first three huh? I guess it would be asking too much to have them fully matured in such a short time. Pity, I looked forward to the reactions when people finally them…" He lifted his head to look up at a still frozen Hinata. "I must thank you for staying with me for so long Hyuga-san and making sure I was healing properly. I truly did not expect anyone to care enough to stay as long as you have without explicit orders to do so, but once again I ask, why?"

Hinata felt crushed. "N-Naruto-kun? W-What happened to your eyes? And you s-sound d-different?"

Naruto chuckled as his eyes reverted back to their normal deep blue. "Simple, I have finally accepted my destiny, and as such certain… changes, have occurred."

Hinata frowned. "A-Ano… I'm g-glad that y-you have a-accepted you d-destiny" 'Whatever that means…' "B-But please c-call me H-Hinata…"

Naruto nodded. "My apologies Hinata-san. Better?"

Hinata smiled. "W-Would you c-call me H-H-Hinata-c-chan?"

She was sweating when she saw Naruto's brow furrow, but suddenly a huge grin spread across his face and he gave her one of those smiles that always brightened up her day.

"So my assumption was correct. You do have a certain degree of urge towards me."

Hinata blushed and nodded meekly. "P-Please don't p-put it like t-that… I-It's much m-more than j-just an u-urge… You make me s-sound like Kiba-kun…"

Naruto nodded and put his legs out over the bed while patting down next to him, motioning her to sit next to him. She hesitated for a moment but she took a step forward and sat next to him, painfully aware that he had only noted her feelings earlier. She had her head focused on the ground, but she looked up when she saw Naruto take her hand in his.

He gave her a bright smile. "Forgive me Hinata-chan. I do not mean to make you sad, but I don't believe I can reciprocate your feelings at this time." She turned to look back down at the ground as tears fell from her eyes, but a finger under her chin brought her head back up to look at Naruto.

"But that doesn't mean I'm not prepared to learn though. If you are willing to be patient with me, I will do everything in my power to discover if I can learn to return those feelings." Hinata closed her eyes half way in disbelief, and a split second later she threw her arms around his neck in a soul crushing hug and buried her face into his chest. Naruto was surprised by her sudden display of affection so he sat there stunned, and, to her dismay, didn't return the hug until several awkward seconds had passed.

Naruto sensed her distress, and for reasons unknown to him he felt… sad, so he brought his head closer to her ear. "Forgive me Hinata-chan I did not mean to cause you distress, but you must understand, my upbringing was far from conventional, and as such I did not learn basic human emotions for quite some time. My childhood was ruled by fear, the fear or loneliness and the fear of pain, both of which were unfortunately prevalent in my life. It will take me some time to feel comfortable around you, but I promise I will soon, just please be persistent and don't give up on me."

Naruto felt Hinata nod into his neck and he let a small smile run across his face as he lightly stroked her hair.

They stayed this way for a few minutes until Naruto pulled away. "I would like to stay this way all afternoon, but unfortunately I have to meet with the Hokage and explain my current situation. Should I stop by the Hyuga complex later?"

She nodded. "I-Ide like that."

To say that the Hokage was having a bad day would be the understatement of the century. First off, he was catching flak from Ame, more specifically Hanzo, for the blatant murder of his Shinobi during the Chunin exams. Both Hanzo and Hiruzen knew that this issue was out their control, they signed a waiver specifically for that purpose after all! No, Hanzo just delighted in giving Hiruzen headaches whenever he could.

On top of that, both Suna and Oto were upset for the delay of the exams, and the Shinobi themselves were getting restless. Hiruzen knew that he could only stall them all for two more days at the most before he would be forced to proceed with the exams. Hiruzen just hoped Naruto would awaken by then, he knew how crushed Naruto would be if he was disqualified because he was in a hospital bed.

Then there was Hiruzen's biggest problem: his traitor student Orochimaru. It had been four days since the rescue of Naruto and the discovery of Orochimaru's heinous experiment, and yet they were no closer to discovering what he had done to the boy or why. Hiruzen was disgusted when he heard how Orochimaru had made a clean incision down his thoracic region and carefully peeled Naruto's epidermis back, probably with a smirk on his face.

Hiruzen was angry. Angry at Orochimaru for everything he had done over the years, his last act was just the icing on the cake. Angry at the council for calling for the execution of Naruto to prevent the Kyubi from being unleashed, he knew it was a mistake to even let them know that Orochimaru had experimented on Naruto's seal. And last but not least angry with himself for allowing it all to happen. He could have stopped Orochimaru years ago, he could have put the council down for good when he resumed the position of Hokage, and he could have done so much more to help Naruto than he already had.

Hiruzen only hoped that he would be able to beg Naruto's forgiveness when he was awake. He was determined to change, it was better late than never right? Maybe he could give Naruto private tutoring lessons, he was sure Naruto would jump at the chance to learn a new jutsu, and then afterward he would treat Naruto to some of his favorite food.

Hiruzen hung his head in shame. "I'm doing nothing more than bribing a young boy for failing to do something that I should have been doing for years; I truly am not fit for the position of Hokage."

He got up to go visit Naruto when he heard a commotion outside his office. From what he could tell it sounded like his secretary was trying to stop someone from entering his room claiming he was out for lunch, which they both knew was a lie.

Then it hit him. "She only says that lie to one person… ENTER!"

He could hear a loud 'humpf' when his office doors swung open and Naruto walked in, still in his hospital gowns.

Naruto had a scowl on his face. "Hokage-sama, I suggest that you teach your assistants that they hold no authority over Shinobi."

Hiruzen frowned at his honorific name. "Hello Naruto, how are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

Naruto smiled. "I'm doing well Hokage-sama, thank you for asking. As for what you can give me, how about some new clothes? I just don't think these skimpy gowns do me justice."

Hiruzen nodded. "Of course Naruto, I will have clothes brought for you. RAT!"

An ANBU dropped from the ceiling and a kneeling position. "Hai Hokage-sama?"

"Grab young Naruto here something to wear other than the rags that the hospital deemed fit to give him."

"Hai Hokage-sama."

The ANBU disappeared in a swirl of leaves and Hiruzen walked around his desk and embraced Naruto in a grandfatherly hug. "I'm sorry Naruto… I'm so sorry. I should have been there by your side for you all those years against the council, and I should have stopped Orochimaru so none of this should have happened to you! I'm so sorry, I've failed you Naruto…"

To Hiruzen's surprise Naruto chuckled and returned the hug. "Nonsense Ji Ji. None of this is your fault. We are only human and we all make mistakes, and I've forgiven yours many years ago, you did what you could and I could ask no more than that. Sure there have been bad times, and I've had a hard life, but I never blamed you or anyone else. In fact, I think I'm a stronger person because of it, so in a way I'm grateful."

Hiruzen couldn't believe how mature Naruto was, but he was happy none the less that Naruto had once again acknowledged him as his surrogate grandfather.

After a few minutes Hiruzen stood back up and wiped a few stray tears from his eyes. "Thank you Naruto, you have no idea how much that means to me."

He went back behind his desk and sat down with a smile on his face while Naruto situated himself in one of the many chairs in the room.

There was a silence until Naruto let out a sigh. "So Ji Ji, I take it you want me to explain exactly what happened, am I correct?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "That would be nice, yes."

Naruto nodded. "Tell me Ji Ji, what do you know of the Rikudo Sennin?"

Over the next hour Naruto explained the truth behind one of the biggest myths in Shinobi history, and needless to say it was one hell of a story. Hiruzen was torn between anger at what was forced upon Naruto's shoulders, and happiness that Naruto finally had the strength to make his dream come true. Not once in the explanation did Naruto give any inclination as to wanting to abuse his new powers which spoke volumes on his character.

When Naruto was finished Hiruzen leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. "Wow, just… wow. Hey Naruto…"

"Hai?"

Hiruzen leaned forward on his desk. "Well, it's not that I don't believe you… but, well…"

Naruto smirked. "You want to see my eyes right?"

Hiruzen nodded. "It's just that I've always heard these stories as a boy, and to think that I can actually see the legendary dojutsu of the Rikudo Sennin is like a dream come true."

Naruto chuckled. "No problem Ji Ji, I would be concerned if you didn't ask to see them. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't sent me to Ibiki or Inoichi for a sanity check."

Hiruzen laughed. "I can if you still want me to… but I think you have had enough excitement for a little while."

Naruto held his hand up dismissively. "I think I'll have to pass thank you. Anyway, here we go."

Hiruzen watched as Naruto's blue eyes darkened to a deep purple hue and his pupil spread out so concentric rings spread across his eye. Then three small tomoe appeared on the ring closest to his pupil. His eyes exuded a divine power that was as gentle as it was vast. It was exceedingly different from either the Sharingan or Byakugan in its intimidation factor, yet it was so similar.

Sarutobi just stared in awe for a few seconds before Naruto reverted his eyes back to normal. "Well Naruto, I have seen few things in my life that have left me astounded, and that is most certainly one of them. What now? What do you want to do with this power? From what you told me you are tasked with bringing peace to the world… Good luck with that by the way…"

Naruto snorted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence Ji Ji. Anyway, what I would LIKE to do is resign from Konoha's Shinobi forces and travel the world uninhibited, though I doubt that will actually work."

Hiruzen let out a strained sigh and began rubbing his temples. "Yes, the council would never let you resign from our Shinobi force. It's ironic really, since the majority of them were against you becoming a Shinobi at all, but I'm sure as soon as you say you don't want to be a Shinobi anymore they will fight against it with everything they have."

Naruto sighed. "Yes, I have come to grips with that outcome and have come to only one conclusion. You must promote me to a rank similar to that of the Sannin and allow me to leave the village with special privileges like Senju Tsunade and Jiraiya."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Ho? I'm surprised you know about those two, from what I heard history was your worst subject at the academy."

Naruto grinned. "What can I say? When your mind is merged with the creator of this world you tend to learn a thing or two…"

Hiruzen grew deathly pale. "Wait… does that mean you…"

Naruto looked down at the floor. "Yes Ji Ji, I know who my parents were."

Hiruzen opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by Naruto. "Don't worry, I understand why you didn't say anything. If word of my lineage got out across the elemental nations then I would have been in danger, especially from anyone who would want retribution for my father's actions. You had to choose between some piece of trivial information given to a child and the safety of thousands of people. As a Hokage you made the correct choice, no matter if I agree with it or not. Your duty to this village is stronger than your responsibility to me, and like I said, I forgave your mistakes long ago."

Hiruzen wiped stay tears from his eyes. "Naruto, your sense of compassion and forgiveness is exactly what is needed to bring peace to these war-torn nations. From this day forward myself and all those loyal to me will do everything we can to help you with your mission."

Naruto felt truly happy, a rare moment in his life. "Thanks Ji Ji, you really have no idea how happy that made me."

The aged Hokage nodded and sighed. "Ok, so now the problem is getting you to a position so you will be free to move around the elemental nations. I don't think I need to tell you that the council won't exactly let this slide do I?"

Naruto shook his head. "No you don't. I do have a plan though, but for that to work I need to be a Chunin, so you need to put me in the Chunin exams again."

Hiruzen chuckled. "The Rikudo Sennin reborn is taking the Chunin exams? Well I can't exactly say that is fair now can I?"

Naruto stifled a chuckle. "No I guess it isn't, but then again, the life of a Shinobi is never a fair one. Anyway, as long as I at least make it to the finals you have the authority to promote me, regardless of what anyone else says. After that, it is up explicitly to the Hokage on whom he or she promotes to a Jounin, unless the Jounin-hopeful completes the Jounin test. That would be the easier path and would silence anyone who could oppose my promotion, but unfortunately we simply don't have the time. Once I am a Jounin I am able to be put on a temporary leave of absence from the Shinobi forces, much like Tsunade and Jiraiya has, and after that I would only have to check back into the village every now and then."

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. "Well Naruto, I'm impressed. I didn't think you would be able to concoct such an elaborate plan such as this as quickly as you did."

Naruto pointed to his head. "Merged with a deity remember?"

Hiruzen formed an 'oh' face. "I see… well, I suppose I could come up with an excuse that Orochimaru caused the delay by trying to infiltrate during the exams… It isn't a complete lie… very well. We will hold the preliminary matches in a few days and a month after that we will hold the finals."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Ji Ji, I'll give everyone a show they won't believe… I'll make it so the council won't have ANY reason to doubt my promotion." Naruto stood up from his seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the Hyuga compound."

Hiruzen cocked his head to the side. "Hyuga compound? May I ask what for?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well… It would seem that I was not as observant as I should have been."

Naruto watched as the old man jumped out of his chair and began jumping up and down in joy.

"What on earth are you doing Ji Ji?"

Hiruzen turned to Naruto with the largest grin on his face. "I take it that you finally noticed the young heiress of the Hyuga clan right?"

The blonde nodded his head. "Well yes, but I don't know if I feel the same way about her yet. Where is this going?"

Hiruzen waved his hand dismissively. "Where you like her or not is not important."

Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Bed your pardon?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "You see, there has been a little bet going on over the past few years. Once word got out that the young Hinata had a crush on you, several Jounin got together and created a wager on when you would finally notice. This eventually spread throughout the village, and eventually everyone over the rank of Chunin got in on it, renewing the pot every year. Everyone who wanted to be part of the pot had to put in 1000 Ryo each year, and they were able to choose time frames on when they thought you would find out. Luckily for me there were only three others besides myself who chose the timeframe of the Chunin exams. Tell me Naruto, what would you do with 10 million Ryo?"

Naruto sighed. "I'm glad that the village has taken pleasure in placing wagers on my personal life. Now excuse me, I must go shower and get a decent meal in my system."

Just as Naruto was about to leave, the ANBU from earlier reappeared in Hiruzen's office with Naruto's new outfit.

"I hope this works Hokage-sama. These were the only clothes that were left in the spare outfits' box."

Naruto grinned at what his new look would be. "They're perfect."

Hinata was rummaging through her closet trying to find something to wear for Naruto that night. Granted, he hadn't exactly said that it was a date, but for Hinata it was close enough, after five long years she simply didn't care either way. She wanted something that was form fitting but not too revealing for someone of her position. The last thing she wanted was to receive flak from her father for not upholding the Hyuga image in public.

Unfortunately for her, Hiashi just so happened to be passing her room on his way to his study, and was curious as to why his daughter was pulling all her clothes out of her closet.

His eyes widened when he realized exactly what was going on. 'Dammit! This can't be happening right now!? Of all times to take an interest in dating she chooses now…'

He sighed and stepped into her room. "So who is it?"

Hinata froze and bolted to an upright position to face her father. "Tou-san? I don't u-understand the q-question."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me. The only time girls your age rummage through their clothes is when they are trying to find something to impress a boy. You are more than aware that whomever you associate with reflects upon the Hyuga clan as a whole, so I'll as again, who is it?"

Hinata hung her head in defeat. "It's… it's U-Uzumaki Naruto…"

Hinata didn't see her father's eyes widen. "No."

Hiashi thought that would be sufficient and began to walk out of his eldest daughter's room.

"N-No Tou-san."

Hiashi froze and turned around. "Excuse me?"

Hinata balled her fists and summoned every ounce of courage she had. "I w-will meet with N-Naruto tonight. W-Whether you l-like it or n-not!"

Hiashi had an amused smile on his face. "Oh really?"

Hinata steeled her resolve. "Yes."

Hiashi's grin widened. "Well, it would seem that this boy is all it takes for you to show some backbone. Interesting… I will meet with this boy, and if I deem him fit you may proceed with your plans."

Of all the responses Hinata was expecting, this was not one of them. "A… Arigato?"

Hiashi walked out of her room whispering to himself. "So much like her mother… I can only pray she has as much spirit as Hitomi did."

Hinata only blinked as she watched her father leave her room, and was staring at the door for several more minutes waiting for her father to come back in and tell her it was all a cruel joke. Thankfully for her he did not, but she was just as confused.

After she regained her composure, she went back to finding something suitable to wear, which took the better part of another half hour. She was just finishing up when there was a knock on her door.

"E-Enter!"

The branch family member Ko opened the door and bowed. "Hinata-sama, there is an… Uzumaki Naruto here for you…"

A smile formed on Hinata's face. "T-Thank you Ko. P-please tell him I-I'll be there shortly."

Ko bowed. "I shall inform them of your arrival."

Hinata got nervous. "Them?"

Ko nodded. "Indeed, your father is currently meeting with him."

Hinata ran out of the room past Ko with wide eyes.

At that same time Naruto was sitting in the reception area with Hiashi, who was glaring at the blonde. "So… Naruto is it?"

Naruto nodded his head. "Indeed, Uzumaki Naruto, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi arched his eyebrow. "Is that so… Well that is a very… curious choice of clothing. May I ask what inspired it?"

Naruto smirked. "I am very proud of my Uzumaki heritage, and as such I wear the Uzumaki swirl of Uzushogakure proudly."

Hiashi blinked. "So, you are aware of your ancestral home?"

Naruto chuckled. "Yes, I guess you could say that I have been informed of my heritage very recently, and I look forward to exploring my roots in the future."

Hiashi was fixated on the word 'heritage' and so decided to do some information gathering. "Naruto-san, has anyone told you that you bear an uncanny resemblance to the Yondaime Hokage?"

Naruto's eyes widened. 'So, he knows does he? Well two can play mind games.' Naruto regained his serenity. "It may have been mentioned once or twice, but surely I cannot be related in any way. If I was then there would be no way I would have had to face the hardships I have had to deal with in my short life."

Hiashi smirked. "You know, it is unwise to linger on the past, instead you should forge a better future."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, you misunderstand Hiashi-sama. I am proud of what I have overcome. Every beating, every glare, every biased remark, they all shaped me into the man I am today."

Hiashi stared at the boy. "And exactly what kind of man are you?"

Naruto smirked. "A far greater man than this village has ever produced before."

Before Hiashi could respond Hinata burst into the room with wide eyes. For a few seconds she looked back and forth between Naruto and Hiashi in fear that they would be at each other's throats, but her fears were unfounded. Her face grew red when she saw what Naruto was wearing. Instead of his bright orange kill-me-now jumpsuit he now wore regular black Shinobi pants with matching black sandals. He wore a plain white shirt with a white overcoat overtop with the sleeves ripped off accentuating his oddly toned arms. Had he turned around she would have seen nine black tomoe with the Uzumaki swirl below.

When she noticed they were both staring at her, she reverted to her shy old self and bowed low.

"G-Gomen Tou-san, N-Naruto-kun. I h-hope I wasn't i-interrupting anything i-important?"

Naruto shook his head. "Of course not Hinata-chan, in fact, we were just finishing up." Naruto got up and bowed to Hiashi. "Forgive me Hiashi-sama, but all will be revealed during the Chunin exams."

He turned to Hinata with an arm outstretched. "Shall we?"

Hinata looked between Hiashi and Naruto once before smiling and taking the offer.

Naruto squeezed her hand reassuringly and turned to Hiashi. "I shall return her before it grows too late and shall assure that we uphold the standards someone of her position requires."

Hiashi, for the first time in several years, was stunned. "I expect nothing less Uzumaki-san."

Both Naruto and Hinata bowed before walking out the front door with Hiashi watching them the whole way.

Hiashi let out a sigh. "You are full of surprises Naruto… Your father would be proud."

As soon as Naruto and Hinata walked out the front door he let out a sigh. "Wow… that was much more stressful than I thought it would be…"

Hinata giggled and molded herself into his side, something she had wanted to do for years. "H-he's just very s-stern… I can t-tell that d-deep down he r-really does care a-about myself and Hanabi. He j-just doesn't show it very o-often, but n-no matter what I don't think h-he wants to see his d-daughters grow u-up."

Naruto looked down at the girl snuggling into his side. 'Well, I can't really say that I don't enjoy the contact…' He slowly pulled his arm free from Hinata's grasp, and she immediately looked down at the ground thinking she did something wrong.

'No… I already blew my chance… I can't believe I actually thought I could get him to like me…'

She was stopped mid-rant when she felt Naruto's arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her close. Naruto looked down at the girls face and chuckled. "There is no need to be so nervous Hinata-chan. I told you that I would try to discover any feelings towards you, and I believe being physically close like this is a way to do that."

Hinata nodded her head slowly and enjoyed the warmth radiating off him. 'Please don't let this be a dream…'

The pair were about to walk out the gates of the compound when a boy their age crossed their path and almost knocked the two of them over. Naruto quickly grabbed Hinata around the waist and twirled her around his back like a dance move to avoid a collision with the boy. When Hinata was safely on the ground, albeit madly blushing, Naruto turned to face the Hyuga boy he recognized as Neji from his earlier confrontation during the first portion of the Chunin exam.

"Is there an issue you have with us, or do you just delight in interrupting good moments?"

The boy narrowed his gaze at Naruto. "I have no issue with the two of you being together. In fact, it's almost like you were made for each other." Naruto smiled and almost apologized for his rude behavior, until the boy started talking again. "Yes, failures such as yourselves should stick together. That way no one else has to deal with losers such as you two."

Naruto glared at the boy, and was about to act when he felt a delicate hand on his shoulder. Naruto turned around and saw Hinata staring at the ground, silently begging him to not press this confrontation. Naruto took Hinata's hand in his and brushed past the boy, nearly knocking him over.

The boy glared at them. "Run along failure, and Hinata-sama, try not to embarrass the clan too much."

Naruto was fuming, and wanted nothing more than to put the Hyuga in his place, but he reigned in his emotions for his companion's sake.

They were about to pass the guards at the front gate when a look over terror came over their faces and they dropped to their knees. "Hinata-sama, Naruto-sama! P-please e-enjoy your e-evening!"

Naruto chuckled and kept walking out of the compound with a confused Hinata in tow.

"N-Naruto-kun, why were those guards s-so afraid of y-you?"

Naruto smirked. "Well, when I tried to get access to the Hyuga complex they were most adamant about not admitting me. They were unfortunately introduced to Inton (Yin Release), the origin of all Genjutsu."

Hinata didn't have time to say anything before she was pulled into Naruto's embrace and she saw Naruto's eyes develop three tomoe.

"Kamui"

Hinata felt a pull on her person, and she closed her eyes and pushed her head into Naruto's shoulder.

"You can open your eyes Hinata-chan."

She slowly opened her eyes and saw that they were on top of the Yondaime Hokage's head, clear on the other side of Konoha.

She stared at Naruto wide-eyed, not even knowing which question to ask. "N-Naruto-kun?"

He chuckled. "I will explain everything after dinner."

Naruto brought his thumb up to his mouth and bit it. He performed several hand seals and slammed his hands on the ground. "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning)!"

In a puff of smoke a large blanket and a picnic basket appeared. Naruto stepped onto the blanket, kicking off his sandals at the end, and made his way over to the basket. As he started taking out the items of food he looked up at Hinata who still hadn't moved.

"Would you like to join me? I know I have quite the reputation of having a 'bottomless pit' of a stomach but I don't believe I can eat all this food all alone."

Hinata blinked and snapped back to reality. "G-Gomen!"

She took of her Shinobi sandals and seated herself next to Naruto. She thought that this was all a surreal dream, and any second she would wake up. There was no way she was on a date with the boy she had been stalk… observing for the past four years! Apparently, she was, and she had never been happier.

The dinner itself was immaculate, the food was fresh and it was all of Hinata's favorite foods. She still had no idea how he knew she liked fried cucumber and peanut butter sandwiches, but he did. For dessert, she was sure that there would be something like Sakuramochi (Sweet pink mochi (rice cake) filled with red bean paste and covered with a cherry blossom leaf (sakura)) or some Dango (Japanese dumplings similar to mochi served on sticks of three or four). But to her delight he pulled out something that was considered a delicacy this time of year in Konoha, piping hot Cinnamon rolls with a sugar glaze on top.

The two talked about anything and everything, comparing stories from the academy, or lack thereof in Hinata's case, to telling stories about the different missions they had done with their team. Hinata couldn't believe it when Naruto told her about fighting one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū (Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist) and freeing an entire country from an oppressive business tycoon, but somehow to her it seemed exactly like something Naruto would do. She didn't have any exciting stories like his, but none the less Naruto listened intently, laughing at her jokes and congratulating her achievements.

Eventually they finished their meal and they began to watch the sun set over the horizon from one of the best vantage points in all of Konoha, with Hinata leaning her head on Naruto's shoulder and Naruto's arm wrapped draped over her shoulder pulling her closer.

Once the sun was down Naruto brought out a small lamp and set it down in front of them.

"So Hinata-chan…"

She snuggled closer into the crook of his neck. "What is it N-Naruto-kun?"

He took a deep breath. "Well, I want to explain what happened to me…"

Hinata's eyes snapped open and she leaned up. "Y-you don't h-have to if you d-don't want to."

Naruto shook his head. "It'll come out during the Chunin exams anyway, so there really isn't any point to be secretive with it."

He began explaining all about the tailed beasts, and explaining the history of the Rikudo Sennin in general. Then he explained about the Jubi, and its sealing inside of the Rikudo Sennin, granting him powers never before seen in the world. He told about the splitting of the Jubi by the Rikudo Sennin into the nine Biju known today.

He paused for a second to let the information sink in. "The reason Orochimaru capture me is related to the Biju, in fact it's the entire reason he targeted me."

Hinata shuddered when she remembered the sight of Naruto on that table. "W-Why would he d-do that to y-you?"

Naruto sighed. "Because you were lied to Hinata-chan. In fact the entire population under the age of 15 has been lied to."

Hinata blinked. "W-What do you mean N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked down at the ground. "You see, we were all told that the Yondaime Hokage did battle with the Kyubi on October 10th all those years ago, and he sacrificed his life to kill it. Most of that is true, he did sacrifice his life in battle against the Kyubi, but he didn't kill it. It was instead sealed into his son, born less than an hour before, sealed into me."

Hinata got a double shocker, not only was her crush the holder of one of the most powerful entities in history, but he was also the son of the most beloved Hokage in history.

Naruto closed his eyes and waited to hear her reaction, but instead her felt her pull him in for a strong embrace. "I'm so s-sorry Naruto-kun… I'm s-so sorry. I was n-never there for you… Y-You must have b-been so lonely… I'm s-sorr-"

Naruto laughed. "Nonsense Hinata. None of this is even remotely your fault. I have long since come to terms with my condition, and used the pain of loneliness to push myself and motivate me whenever I was down. Unfortunately my tale is not finished. You see, Orochimaru somehow learned of the increased meiotic regeneration granted to me by housing the Kyubi, and so he performed an experiment. He sought to re-unite all the Biju in a single vessel, and he was successful."

Hinata leaned back and stared at Naruto. "Yes Hinata, I now house the Jubi, the creator of this world and have been granted all of his powers. For all intents and purposes, I am the second coming of the Rikudo Sennin, tasked with bringing peace to this war torn world."

Hinata reacted about as well as anyone would if they found out their love was pretty much the reincarnation of god, she fainted. Naruto chuckled and began packing up the basket, leaving Hinata to rest. For several minutes he watched her sleep until he decided to wrap her up to shield her from the cool night air.

"Kamui"

Naruto materialized in the middle of the Hyuga compound with Hinata wrapped in a blanket, who was doing her best to get as far into Naruto's chest as she could. Naruto walked up to the main building and opened the door to enter the reception area where Hiashi was waiting for him.

Hiashi arched an eyebrow. "Pleasant night?"

Naruto nodded. "Very pleasant, thank you Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi nodded and motioned Naruto to set his daughter down on a couch before he left the room. Naruto gingerly set her down on the couch, and as soon as the familiar warmth was gone Hinata began whining in her sleep. She fluttered her eyes open and saw Naruto's face.

"I knew it… it was all a dream…"

Naruto chuckled. "No Hinata-chan, you simply fainted when I finished my explanation."

Hinata's eyes widened. "N-N-Naruto-kun… Gomen! I didn't m-mean to, it's just that… I… well…"

Naruto brushed one of her bangs out of her face. "Don't worry about it, I actually thought you took it rather well considering everything that happened. Now, I must take my leave unfortunately. I would love to spend more time with you before the Chunin finals, but unfortunately I must train myself to gain access to the full range of my power. I will see you at the conclusion of the exams Hinata-chan."

He bent down to kiss her forehead, but she tilted her head up to catch his lips with hers. He would have pulled back but Hinata had managed to snake her hands out from the blanket and wrap around his neck, so he stayed that way for several seconds just enjoying the moment.

The broke apart when they head someone clearing their throat behind them. Naruto jumped back to see a very irate Hiashi staring daggers into Naruto. "I believe you have said goodnight quite well enough. It is late and Hinata must get a full night's sleep for her training tomorrow."

Naruto bowed. "Of course Hiashi-sama." He turned to Hinata who was trying to pull herself out of the blanket cocoon. "Goodnight Hinata-chan."

Naruto walked out from the Hyuga compound with a grin on his face and a strange warm feeling in the pit of his stomach

Hiruzen rubbed his temples in frustration. He sat at the head of a large oval table with himself at the head. To his right were all of the Shinobi clan heads, to his left were the elected officials that made portion of the council that voiced the interests of the non-Shinobi members of Konoha, and at the other end of the table sat Hiruzen's cycloptic ex-team mate Danzo.

They had been sitting there in silence for the better part of ten minutes before a particularly round council member in charge of the food market quarter. "Hokage-sama? I believe everyone is present, why do we not start?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Very well. I call this council meeting to order. We are tasked this evening with brining the Chunin exams back on track. Due to some unforeseen circumstances involving Orochimaru we were forced to postpone the next stage of the exams."

Nara Shikaku spoke next. "About that Hokage-sama, I would like to report that our teams still have yet to determine Orochimaru's course of action, and we still don't know why he targeted him."

It was common knowledge throughout the village that Naruto was captured by Orochimaru thanks to his pink-haired team mate. This was not taken well by the civilian side of the village as they saw their resident demon running off with a known traitor.

At the mention of the Jinchuriki a pink-haired council woman by the name of Mebuki stood up in protest. "Hokage-sama, surely you have the child in a well-protected area just in case he decides to turn against us. Surely it isn't coincidence that he is kidnapped by one of the biggest threats to this village and turns up not a day later. He is a menace to us all and must be dealt with!"

The civilian side of the council began nodding their heads in agreement. Hiruzen was taking deep breaths to calm himself, but before he could respond Shikaku slammed his hand on the table, a rare occurrence for a Nara.

"Shut the fuck up!" Everyone was wide-eyed at his outburst. The number of times Shikaku has been this angry could be counted on one hand. "All of you presume that Naruto went with that psychopath willingly!? You all have no idea what Orochimaru did to him! My son was on the team who found him, and what he saw shook him up so much that he stayed in his room for two days and refused to come out. I had to have Inoichi help him so he didn't fall into a deep depression!"

Said blonde cleared his throat. "True. While the young Nara was the best of friends with Naruto, what he saw was enough to shake his entire belief in being a Shinobi. He had be use my technique to see what he saw, and let me tell you that night I didn't sleep for more than an hour. Truthfully, it's a miracle that Naruto hasn't been emotionally broken, and the fact that he is still able to function as a person speaks volumes about his perseverance."

Several of the council members looked down in shame, while the same pink haired woman held her head up in indignation. "Whatever happened to that boy has been deserved several times over from what my daughter has told me."

Inoichi arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? And exactly what has she told you?"

Mebuki scoffed. "What hasn't he done!? He tried to sabotage their team from day one! He almost got the young Uchiha killed on their first mission outside the village walls! And now he has purposely impeded his team's progress during the Chunin exams!"

Inoichi chuckled. "Well I guess that's just too bad."

Mebuki glared at the blonde. "What!?"

Shikaku caught his friend's implications. "What he is saying is that due to all of those issues being Shinobi affairs, they will be dealt with by the Shinobi council, not the civilian side, and I believe I speak for everyone on the Shinobi council when I say that there will be no actions brought against Uzumaki-san at this time."

The rest of the Shinobi council nodded in agreement while the civilian side steamed.

Hiruzen sighed. "Listen, I didn't bring this meeting together for us to argue over Naruto. I am here to simply state that I have made the decision to have the last phase of the Chunin exams in a week from tomorrow. They will consist of tournament style back to back fights where the matches are chosen at random. We will determine the winner of the Chunin exams that way and everyone who managed to finish the second phase, with team seven included, will participate in the final phase. Any questions?"

Mebuki was about to speak when Hiruzen shut her down. "And YES, Uzumaki Naruto will be participating along with his team, unless of course you want to exclude your daughter and Sasuke too?"

Mebuki shook her head no. "Good, then this meeting is hereby adjourned."

Everyone got up and left except for Shikaku, who stayed behind. "Hokage-sama, are you sure it's wise to let Naruto participate in the last round?"

Hiruzen nodded his head. "Yes, he must participate. There is no other way. You will see what I mean when the time comes, the entire village will bear witness to a new era."

Shikaku arched an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. When one never came he sighed and stood up. "Troublesome. Well, for Naruto's sake I hope you're right with this Hokage-sama, I really do."

Hiruzen stared down at the desk he was still seated at. "Me too Shikaku, me too."

END

AN: Thanks for reading and i hope everyone enjoyed the little fluff from this chapter. I am not too good at writing intimate moments like that, so please review and tell me if i did a good job.

This week is finals week, so it will be a little while until i can update, but after this coming week i will have lots of time, so make sure to check back often over winter break.

Also, check out my other stories if you havent already!

Pease