Yeeeeip. New chapter… I hope you liked the last one, and I hope I'm getting better at interesting, yet not overpowering cliffhangers…

Now, I'll admit, I've got a few points I'm wanting to get to, and I might get a little overzealous and wind up skipping something… Anyway, the biggest problem I think I'm going to have is the Chuunin exams, because I really don't have much of anything planned for that, so just bear with it and tough it out, it'll get done eventually…

Oh, and one more thing… I've always been slightly annoyed by the fact that no one seems to know what masks ANBU wear… they just say some random animal, and leave it at that. This is not the case however, as ANBU masks are based on the Chinese Zodiac (Boar, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, and Dog) the twelve standard hand seals are also named for these twelve animals. (I say 'standard' because there are dozens of other seals, but those are usually used in clan Jutsu, like the Yamanaka signature seal. The Nara seal however, is 'Rat', a standard seal. So you can see all sorts of use for them, ne?) The 'Bear' mask I keep reading about in other fics is probably 'Rat' if they saw it in the manga or anime. (similar ears, after all…)

My excuse for how Haku's injuries could've healed enough for her to walk in such a short time? Hinata is one seriously fucking awesome medic (Almost at Shizune's level) ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

"ARRESTED!?" Kiba roared.

"Yes, arrested." The ANBU answered. "This is effective immediately… Any Konoha nin who defies this order will be charged as an accomplice and imprisoned as well."

"I don't care…" Kiba muttered, eliciting a curious glance from the ANBU captain, although none could see it through the oddly reptilian mask he wore. "Akamaru!"

When Kiba called his Name, the faithful dog jumped out of his partner's jacket, taking a fighting stance alongside him. Oddly enough, neither attacked, as a firm hand was placed on Kiba's shoulder… "Eight ANBU are a little much for a single Genin and his dog to take, ne?" Zabuza asked, blatant sarcasm riddling his voice. When Kiba was about to pull away from him, the missing-nin pulled him closer and whispered into his ear. "I know you like Haku, but don't do anything stupid, okay brat?"

Kiba pulled his shoulder from Zabuza's grip, before putting on an obviously forced smile and asking; "Can I at least keep her company in there?"

"No." The lead ANBU answered. "Our holding cells aren't hotels; you can't just request to be put there…"

Kiba sighed and let a depressed look flow over his features. He took a few moping steps before he heard barking and looked towards the source… Akamaru was sitting next to Haku's feet, wagging his tail vigorously while giving off the dog equivalent of a 'foxy grin'.

"What about him?" Kiba asked, turning back to the ANBU. "Can she take my dog with her?"

The ANBU captain glanced over towards his subordinates, most of which either shrugged or nodded. "I suppose that would be acceptable… I assume this would keep you out of trouble, wouldn't it, Inuzuka?" Kiba nodded at this, smirking slightly.

"Ne, ANBU-san… would you mind if we were to accompany you in your escort of the prisoners?" Kakashi said lackadaisically as ever.

"Hai, Kakashi-senpai, this is acceptable…" The ANBU leader said, giving the cyclopean shinobi a curt nod before he began leading them through the streets at a civilian pace.

"Senpai?" Kiba asked.

"Kakashi-sensei is ex-ANBU… Used to be a rather high rank, if memory serves…" Naruto muttered.

"If I might ask, Kakashi-senpai…" One of the ANBU in the back started. "Where did you get that sword?"

He'd honestly been carrying it so long he forgot it was there… Reaching back with his right hand to confirm he still had it, Kakashi replied; "This is Momochi Zabuza's weapon. He was in no condition to carry it himself, thus I did so."

"You would trust the man with his own weapons?" The ANBU captain asked as he and the other seven ANBU stopped.

"Simply because he is currently unable to use said weapon properly…" Kakashi answered.

"And her?" Another ANBU asked.

Kurenai stepped forward and placed a hand on Haku's shoulder. "I don't think we have to worry about Kiba's little girlfriend, do we?" She said, winking towards the boy in question.

"What are you talking about!?" Kiba yelled. Of course, he knew exactly what she was talking about, blushing as he thought back to it…

"Hey, Haku…" Kiba muttered, seeing they were alone in the room, save for an unconscious Zabuza, as the others had already gone to the bridge for the day.

"Yes, Kiba?"

"I was… kinda' wondering…" Kiba muttered, blushing slightly. "If, after we get all this sorted out, would you go out with me sometime?"

Haku flushed red, looking toward the wall in embarrassment. "Uhhm… sure…" She answered.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Kurenai was watching from the hallway as Kiba jumped in his own brand of overzealous excitement. She'd come back to check on them, but they seemed to be doing fine… She smirked and disappeared a moment later.

Kiba's blush didn't go unnoticed by Haku, who blushed in turn. Damn…Kiba thought. She overheard that, didn't she?

The group continued forward at a slightly increased pace. "There will be an intensive search of each of their persons upon their arrival at their respective holding areas." The leader stated.

"Wait…" Kiba muttered, jogging up behind the ANBU captain. "You're just going to have some guy strip Haku down and feel her up!?" He barked angrily.

The ANBU sighed. "You have my assurances that Haku-san's examiner will be female…"

"Tch… right…" Kiba muttered, slowing his pace and returning to his previous stride beside Haku.

"Don't worry Kiba…" Haku started, putting on the best smile she could force without looking fake as she took his hand. "I'll be fine."

---

It took longer than planned to reach their destination. Of course, the ANBU had planned on using Shunshin to travel… Either way, preparations were already made for their arrival, and with a small wave and smile from Haku, rather thick-looking doors slammed shut between the ANBU, Zabuza and Haku and the eight who'd accompanied them here.

"We need a plan…" Kiba said.

"Idiot… I already HAVE a plan!" Naruto snapped, "We'll use politics to get Haku out of this."

Each of the other seven looked at Naruto in a dumbfounded gaze. It was a good half a minute before Kiba asked "How?"

Naruto sighed. "Most of us here have some relation or connection to someone on the council, right? Kiba, you talk to your mom, Hinata and Shino, you talk to your fathers, Sasuke could make an appeal in front of the whole damn council…" Sasuke scoffed at this, earning him a slap to the back of his head from Kurenai. "And I can talk to the Hokage." Naruto turned towards his cyclopean teacher, "Kakashi-sensei, the Hatake clan used to have a spot on the council, right?"

Kakashi sighed and nodded. "There hadn't been anyone to fill the seat since my grandfather passed away, so when my father died, the Hatake clan was simply dropped from the council with me being the only member left…" Kakashi said, sensing the questions that would follow, he continued. "Only a 'reserve' duty ninja can sit at his or her clan's seat on the council. If active-duty nin were allowed seats on the council, nearly a third of the council would be gone on missions at any given day, causing every other kind of chaos imaginable… True, able-bodied reserve ninja are occasionally called away on an A or S-Rank mission, however this is infrequently enough to be allowed."

"That's why my mom, Shino's dad, and Hinata's dad are able to be on the council without being retired, right?" Kiba asked, and Kakashi nodded.

"In order to gain a seat on the council, I would have to have either fifteen blood relations, ten blood relatives and a clan Hijutsu, or five blood relatives and a Kekkei Genkai in order to apply for a spot, and even then, it'd have to pass the council's vote." Kakashi continued. "Sasuke should have to go through this same process, however I highly doubt the council would force the Uchiha to do so…"

"Alright, then… everyone know what to do?" Naruto asked, and Hinata, Kiba, and Shino all nodded. "Then get to it!" Naruto said, and the three dashed away. "Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei… If you're up to it, I want you to try and get as many supporters to Haku's cause as you can."

"We were going to do that anyway, Naruto-kun…" Kurenai said, smiling and winking at the blonde before disappearing in a flurry of leaves.

"Yeah, okay Naruto…" Kakashi said, pulling out a small orange book and walking away.

"What about us?" Sakura asked, obviously meaning her and Sasuke.

"…What about you?" Naruto asked. "If you can help, do… That's all I can really think of to say…"

"Hey, what do you mean by that!?" Sakura yelled, only to see that Naruto and Sasuke were already walking away. "Sasuke-kun!?" She yelled, chasing after him.

Good… finally alone again… Naruto thought. I'd better go see the old man… Jumping over the rooftops of his home village, Naruto soon found himself at his destination; the Hokage tower. Rushing up the stairs, and right past the receptionist just as he always did, shouting a short apology before barging straight through the doors to the Hokage's office. "OLD MAN, WE NEED TO TALK!" Naruto yelled.

Sarutobi cocked an eyebrow as a very confused team ten gawked at him. "Naruto… I'm glad to see you're back, but can't it wait a few minutes?"

"Erm… my apologies, Hokage-sama…" Naruto said, giving a curt bow. "I'll wait for you to finish with… whatever's going on." He added, turning around.

Sarutobi sighed. "Wait, Naruto…" The blonde smirked before turning around with a confused look on his face. "You calling me 'Hokage-sama' must mean something's seriously wrong…"

"We'll leave you two be, and we'll come back in a while to give our mission report." Asuma said, turning to leave.

"'Mission report'? We pulled WEEDS! What the hell is there to report about that!?" Ino yelled as she followed her sensei toward the door.

"Actually…" Naruto said, turning to Team Ten. "I could use your help with this too…" Akimichi, Yamanaka and Nara… all three have seats on the council too! SCORE! Naruto thought to himself.

"Hmm? What for?" Ino asked.

"Well, erm…" Naruto started, "Could you shut the door?"

Still quite confused, Asuma complied, shutting the door as he and his team walked back up to the Hokage's desk. "Now, Naruto, what is this about?" The elder Sarutobi asked.

"Well… I've got this… friend, you see…" Naruto started.

"Awww!" Ino cooed, "You've got a crush on a girl, and need advice, right?"

Naruto glanced back at her like she was ridden with some sort of plague. "What are you talking about!? Me and Hinata are doing just FINE, dammit!" Naruto only realized what he'd said after he said it, and got the distinct urge to smash his head through Sarutobi's desk.

Ino gave Naruto a look the blonde boy would never forget… it scared him that much… She was WAY too happy about this. "Oh. My. God. You and Hinata!?" Ino squeaked, barely able to keep herself contained at the news. "You and her make such a cute couple! Ohhhh… I wish I could be part of a cute couple like you two… Hey I know! Let's go out on a double-date sometime!"

Naruto looked dumbfounded at this girl's ability to talk… did she even NEED air!? "Erm… don't you have to have a boyfriend to go out on a double-date with someone?" Naruto asked.

Ino thought for a moment… he was right. She WAS lacking in the boyfriend department… "Eh, Shikamaru will go." She said, shrugging.

"You and Shikamaru!?" Naruto asked, choking on his own words.

"Tch, no way… he's just too lazy to say no, and I want to see what you two are like on a date." She said playfully. Shikamaru sighed, muttering something Naruto couldn't hear, but he was sure it had to do with 'troublesome girls'.

"Yeah, sure… first we kinda' need to have a date… we haven't gone out yet…" Naruto muttered, shaking away his thoughts. "But that's not the point! I'm not here about Hinata!"

"Oh? Then what is it? Some sort of looooove scandal?" Ino asked, leaning toward Naruto suggestively. Ino was the biggest gossip in their class… Naruto already screwed himself over saying he and Hinata were getting together…

"Is it about that girl from Kiri, perhaps?" Sandaime asked.

"Erm… yes." Naruto answered, looks of confusion flowing over Team Ten. "Me and Team Eight, along with our Jounin, are trying to get the council to let her stay here in Konoha."

The old man frowned. "You know that is practically impossible, correct?" He asked, causing Naruto to smirk.

"Nope, it isn't…" Naruto said, his smirk widening into a grin. "We're not trying to get people to help her stay in Konoha, exactly, just the condition in which she does stay…" This had even the Hokage confounded. "She has a Kekkei Genkai."

Both Sarutobi men scowled. They knew what the council would try to do to her if they caught wind of this… "Naruto… you know that-"

"The council would either make a breeder out of her, or just take what they need and use other women as surrogates in order to obtain a clan with said abilities." Naruto finished the Hokage's sentence, much to the old man's surprise.

"That's horrible!" Ino yelled.

"Yeah… which is exactly why we're trying to get every council member we can on her side." Naruto said. "Kiba, Hinata and Shino are already trying to get their parents to back this, and Kakashi-sensei and Kurenai-sensei are out trying to find help we Genin can't get." When Naruto said Kurenai's name, Asuma perked up slightly, easily noticed by the elder Sarutobi. "So, I was kinda' wondering if you'd try to help too…"

The aged Hokage stood up from his chair, smiling down at the boy. "I'll do what I can…"

"I'll help too!" Ino yelled. "Dad's sure to help!" After a moment of silence, she smashed an elbow into each of her teammates kidneys as she stood between them.

"Yeah, okay! I'll help too!" Chouji yelled, trying to fend off a second attack.

Shikamaru groaned; "How troublesome… fine, I'll do it." Ino smiled broadly, practically glowing with pride.

"Okay, now I've got to go…" Naruto said, before muttering as he left. "And make sure Hiashi won't kill me for dating his daughter…"

Shikamaru scoffed when he heard this, Chouji and Asuma chuckled slightly, Ino giggled, but Sarutobi was different… he merely smiled knowingly as he watched the young blonde boy walk out of his office. If only you knew… The old man thought.

---

Kiba was trying to steady his breathing as he stood in front of his door. Okay, okay… no need to tell mom I've got a date with Haku if she gets out of this, eh? No pressure… no pressure at all… he thought.

"What's up with you?" Kiba heard from behind him, swiftly turning on his heel to see his sister standing in front of him. "You look just like that kid who's cat I had to put down…" Looking him over, she saw his jacket was suspiciously empty… "Wait… where's Akamaru?" She asked, grabbing her brother by the shoulders. "Did something happen to him!?"

"No, dammit! Akamaru's fine!" Kiba yelled, wrenching himself from Hana's grasp. "He's with Haku!"

"Who's Haku? Is he a friend of yours?" Hana asked, backing away from him slightly.

"SHE happens to be a friend of mine who's in a lot of trouble, and I was trying to figure out how to ask mom for help before you showed up!" Kiba yelled, turning back towards the door in a huff.

Unseen to him, his sister lit up cheerfully before wrapping her arms around her little brother, putting him into the 'Inuzuka death grip' she was known for. "Awww! My little brother finally found a girl to make him a man!"

"WHAT!?" Kiba roared, trying desperately to break free of her grasp.

She tightened her grip. "You didn't try anything freaky with her, did you? Doggy-style maybe!?" If she could've seen Kiba's face, she'd realize how utterly horrified the boy was that she'd even suggest such a thing.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" Kiba barked, his vigorous attempts at freedom redoubling tenfold.

"I'll tell you, MY first time was awkward enough… You do NOT try freaky shit like that until the third fuck, GOT IT!?"

Finally breaking free from his sister's clutches, Kiba jumped back several feet, unfortunately, straight into the door. "What the FUCK is wrong with you!? I am NOT sleeping with HAKU!"

"Waaait…" Hana grinned evilly. "Your little Haku wouldn't happen to be a boy…?"

"…Tch… no." Kiba muttered, trying to keep himself from either dropping dead from embarrassment or lashing out at his sister. Like it or not, Kiba knew he couldn't win in a brawl with his older sister.

"Haku is a boy's name…" Hana continued, now pacing around Kiba accusingly.

"Would you please just stop and let me talk to mom?" Kiba sounded defeated and even slightly depressed as he asked this, causing his sister to sigh and open the door.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you about your girlfriend…" She said with an apologetic grin.

"Not my girlfriend…" Kiba muttered as he passed Hana on his way into their home. "MOM! You here? I have to talk to you about something!"

"What's wrong?" Tsume asked, having just walked into the room to find her son in a fury.

"He's got a girlfriend." Hana chimed happily.

"She's NOT my girlfriend!!!" Kiba roared in response.

"I think it's time we gave him the talk." Hana added, her mother jumping up cheerfully before running down the hall to fetch something.

"WHAT!?" Kiba spat. "I don't need any sort of talk… wait, mom! NOOOO!"

---

Inoichi jumped up so fast when Ino burst through the door into their living quarters within the Yamanaka flower shop, that his knees hit the table he was sitting at, spilling what appeared to be a late brunch. "Daddy!" She shrieked.

"Y-yes, princess?" He asked, rubbing his sore knees before scooting his chair back from the table and beginning a search for cleaning utensils. "What's wrong?"

"EVERYTHING is wrong!" Ino yelled. "They're going to do all sorts of horrible things to that girl if we don't help!"

The blonde man stopped for a moment and looked on in a confound stupor at his young daughter. "Who's doing… what girl?" He asked.

"The girl that Sasuke-kun's team brought back! She wants to stay in Konoha, but they're not going to let her! Hokage-sama says they'll do… awful things to her for her Kekkei Genkai if the council doesn't vote for her rights!" Ino yelled, gasping for breath after her short rant.

"A Kekkei Genkai, huh? Then… that means they'll want to make her a breeder then?" Inoichi asked rhetorically, fingering his chin in a 'thinking' pose. "Then you want me to do what I can with my position on the council?"

"Exactly!" Ino yelled again. "We've already got Hokage-sama and a few others on her side, and my team and a lot of our classmates are trying to get their folks to help too!"

At her father's nod, Ino leapt at him, entrapping him in a warm embrace. "Thank you, daddy…"

---

"Daaaad…" Called the young Akimichi boy as he walked through the door into his home, "Ino's gonna kill me if you don't help with something council-related." He added casually.

"Well, what is it?" Chouza asked from his seat in their living room. Most people wouldn't understand the sight of a bored Akimichi sharpening a kunai while perusing a cookbook, but most people never got the chance to see it.

"Something about some… foreign girl." Chouji muttered as he plopped down unceremoniously next to his father. "Naruto and them brought her back, and I think she wants to stay, but there's some legal thing that she'd need to get sent back to... wherever it was… Kiri for." It took him a moment to remember all the little details he could, since he wasn't really an active participant in the conversation, but eventually he managed to piece together the general story.

Chouza paused for a moment, thinking over his son's words. "And you want me to side with her whenever this comes up in the meetings, right?"

"Yeeeup." Chouji muttered.

After a moment of silence, the elder Akimichi asked; "So, you hungry?"

Chouji gave the man at his side a confused look before tilting his head and nodding.

"Okay then, to Ichiraku's!" Chouza yelled, leaping up from his seat and speeding out the door, his son trailing right behind him.

---

Shikamaru casually strolled through his home, on his way to the kitchen. "Hey dad, just nod and go along with whatever Chouza and Inoichi say at the next meeting." He muttered, grabbing a water bottle and walking back out of the house, receiving a grunt of acknowledgement from the elder Nara (who was laying on the couch, reading a book) on his way out.

---

Hinata was frozen in front of her father's office, her hand a mere inch from the door. She had no idea how her father would react to her asking to help a missing-nin of all people. Well, the apprentice of one, but that still counted, right?

"Hinata?" She heard, spinning around to face the speaker, she found none other than her own mother standing right in front of her. "What's wrong, you look a little pale… more so than usual, I might add."

Oh yeah… I also have to ask father not to kill Naruto for dating me… She thought. No pressure. "I… it's n-nothing, mother."

"Okay, now I know something's wrong." The elder Hyuuga muttered with a wide smile. "You haven't stuttered with me in months."

Hinata blushed brightly. The last time she'd stuttered when talking to her mother was after being caught with Naruto, and had what they were doing explained in excruciating detail. She couldn't finish a single sentence to the woman without stuttering for a week after that. "Really! It's nothing, I just need to ask father to help a friend of mine at the next council meeting." Hinata said after calming her nerves to the point where she was fairly confident she could finish each word. "We met her in Wave, and she's probably going to be tried as a criminal unless we get enough people on the council on her side…"

Hikari sighed. "Okay, Hinata. I'll talk to your father while you go and rest up from your mission. You look tired." When her daughter let out a long sigh of relief, Hikari smirked sadistically. "And after you get done with your nap, we can talk about Naruto."

Hinata tensed her entire form, eyes shooting wide in shock. "I-I-I-I-I have n-no idea what you're t-t-talking about!" She said.

"Oh come now…" Her mother chuckled, folding her arms over her chest. "Kurenai came straight here after she left."

Hinata gave the wall a glare that could melt steel. I'm going to GET her for this… she thought, before sighing in resignation and muttering; "Yes, mother…" and trudging off to her room.

Hikari scratched the side of her cheek in embarrassment. I think I'm having a little too much fun at Hinata's expense… maybe I should go see a psychologist about that. She thought before walking into her husband's office.

---

Sasuke stood leaning against the archway that marked the entrance to the Uchiha compound. That bastard better not be late… He thought, going over what'd transpired that day over and over again in his mind.

Sasuke was sitting on the edge of the bridge while Kakashi pulled the various darts from his body. "You know…" Kakashi started. "Now that you've activated your Sharingan, you and I are going to be seeing a lot more of each other."

"What do you mean, old man?" Sasuke muttered angrily before letting out a yelp as Kakashi twisted a particular needle during its removal.

"I am not old…" Kakashi stated lazily as he went to work on another needle; this time flawlessly extracting it from his arm. "And I mean that since I'm the last person with a Sharingan that's willing to train you…"

Sasuke scoffed. "Like I need training from the likes of y-OW!…"

Kakashi held up the needle he rent from Sasuke's shin, examining the blood coating it. "Oh, I think you do." He muttered, tossing it into a pile with the others. "And apparently, so does the council."

"The council?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, Sasuke; the council that governs all non-military matters in Konoha…" Kakashi sighed. "For some reason, Sandaime Hokage-sama felt the need to place you on Kurenai's team at the last minute, and was only allowed to do so by the council under the condition that once you'd activated your Sharingan, your training would then fall under my jurisdiction."

"Why would those pompous old fools decide…" Sasuke started, pausing as Kakashi glanced up at him while fingering a particularly painful looking needle.

"The council pushes its way into military matters, which are solely under the Hokage's authority, about eight or nine times a decade… They obviously felt you were of some major importance, and thus they pulled a few strings to make sure you train under me, no matter who your sensei is." Kakashi said as he went about removing the last of the needles. "So you'd better get used to the extra training. Every day, after your training with Team Eight, you will meet me at the entrance to the Uchiha grounds to begin your Doujutsu training."

Sasuke still hated the cyclopean bastard… but he had a point. He could learn a few things from Kakashi. If he ever showed up, that is…

"Ohayo…" Kakashi muttered as he strolled up to the gate, orange book in hand.

"About damn time…" Sasuke growled.

"I had a few things to do regarding Haku and Zabuza… After all, Naruto did have a point about helping them." Kakashi explained lazily. "Now, before we begin, I'd like to request that you try to do what you can in the matter as well…"

"Why should I?" Sasuke grumbled.

"If you help, then I'll show you to the secret Uchiha vault my friend Obito and I used to play in as kids." Sasuke's eyes nearly jumped from their sockets as the man spoke. "Of course, I'm sure you'd find it on your own… eventually."

"Tch… Fine! I'll do it!" Sasuke yelled. "Now what about the training!?"

"That starts… now." Kakashi said before snapping his book shut, and sending the boy flying four meters back with a simple kick.

---

Kiba was frozen. Simply frozen in fear and horror… His mother had brought out CHARTS. Not just that, but charts and graphs. If there were any way he could've been more embarrassed, his sister was always there to oblige. The only thing that saved him from a complete mental breakdown was the fact that his mother had objected to Hana stripping down to explain the female body in greater detail. Needless to say, his eye now had an incurable twitch to it.

"And that's how Inuzuka men are… different from most men." Tsume concluded finally.

"Hey, be glad she didn't give you the run-down on Inuzuka women instead of women in general." Hana interjected, leaning over his shoulder from behind him. "MY 'talk' was at least twice as long as yours."

Kiba's twitch redoubled once more. "I think…" He started, standing as he made his way towards their bathroom. "…I'm gonna throw up now."

"Okay, then! More room for dinner, eh!?" Tsume called cheerfully, earning her a very disgruntled groan from her son.

"Well… that kinda' defeated the point of his visit, eh?" Hana muttered, catching her mother's attention.

"What was that, dear?" The elder Inuzuka woman asked.

"His girlfriend is in trouble with the law or something… gonna be executed, I think. He came home to ask you for help on the council with it…"

Tsume instantly switched from 'caring mother' to 'overprotective clan matriarch', growling up a storm. Hana honestly believed her mother was bipolar… or worse. "NO ONE messes with an Inuzuka! Even if they're not an Inuzuka yet!!!" Tsume roared, thrusting her fist into the air for emphasis before dashing off on her warpath. If there was one thing Hana knew, it was how to rev her mother into a fury…

---

Naruto stood in front of Hiashi's office, just as Hinata had done only hours earlier… little did he know he was being stalked by one of the few people he didn't want to talk to right now… "Naruto-kun!" Hikari yelled, practically pouncing on the boy.

"H-Hikari!?" Naruto choked out from within her death-grip.

"Oh, enough of that… I know all about you and Hinata, so why not just call me mom?"

"Erm… okay, Hikari…kaa-chan…" Naruto muttered.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" She asked, looking down at the blonde boy in her arms.

"I guess not." Naruto agreed, smiling halfheartedly.

"Now, let's go find Hinata! I think she's in her room about now…" The older woman said, dragging Naruto down the halls. As soon as they made it to the aforementioned girl's room, the Hyuuga woman practically kicked the girl's door in, dragging Naruto inside, much to her daughter's shock and ire.

To say Hinata was embarrassed would also be an understatement. Seeing one's mother drag your would-be boyfriend into your bedroom is one thing, but doing so while you're barely clothed? Instantly remembering she was in nothing more than a simple nightgown when she shot out of bed, Hinata pulled her blankets up around her, covering everything she could as she screeched not unlike a shrill banshee in her embarrassment. "Hinata!?" Naruto yelled, bringing her out of her shocked (and rather loud) stupor.

"N-Naruto? Mother, why did you bring Naruto here now? You were the one who told me I should get some sleep!" Hinata yelled.

"What better way to make sure I could get you two in the same room at a moment's notice?" Her mother asked, setting the boy down in the chair at Hinata's small desk. "Now, I think we've got a date to plan, don't we?" She asked gleefully.

Naruto and Hinata both had the same thing running through their minds then; Kami, why did you have to make this woman so damnably HAPPY!?

I HAD another uber-cliffhanger-ey bit for the end of this chapter that I came up with yesterday, but I kinda'… forgot what it was… XP

If you think Haku and Kiba are going a little fast, I'm just explaining it as 'Kiba's fast, and Haku just doesn't know any better'. It IS her first romantic relationship after all…

I have no idea why, but I always want to put Chouza's name as 'Choza'. It just looks better to me or something.

Oh, and… I don't give a flying fuck what you think, I'm not going to bother going back to change anything now that Naruto's parents have been revealed. That's just too much work for a lazy bastard like me.

Please note, that the only reason I'm posting this now is because I felt guilty about not warning you that it could be months between updates. I guarantee I'll keep updating, but it might be a day, or it might be a year. All you need to know is that it WILL happen.

If you're all so desperate to read my stuff, it's all in my user profile. I usually update at least once a month in one fic or another. (My latest update aside from this one was on August 15th)