Disclaimer: Do you really think I would be writing this if I owned Naruto, no, so I don't own it, ok?
"Damn Naruto, you really need to lay off of the ramen" Neji groaned as he neared the Hokage's tower.
"Tsunade is not going to be happy when she sees you and I will probably have to explain everything pretty quickly or she will beat me to a pulp, thanks Naruto" he continued not knowing how true his words were.
As Neji entered the Hokage's tower he turned and saw Shizune, Tsunade assistant. She took one look at Neji and then saw Naruto on his back, looking quite upset and concerned she said, "I guess you would like to see Lady Tsunade immediately."
"Yes please" replied Neji quickly.
Shizune walked to the hokage's door and politely waited for her to reply. Her reply was NOT very polite.
"Sorry to interrupt you but we have an issue here" Shizune said nervously.
"What is it? We are quite busy here" replied Tsunade referring to her teaching Sakura a new training skill.
"Neji you can go in now" Shizune said quietly.
"Yes, thank you" replied Neji as he stiffed Naruto.
As Neji walked in he prepared himself for whatever Tsunade reaction was going to be. The moment Neji walked in Tsunade dropped the book she was handing to Sakura and looked at Neji in pure shock. Sakura had yet to realized that Neji was standing there but when she saw her sensei's face she turned around and she met with the sight of a beaten and bloody Neji and her teammate on his back, out cold.
"Neji, what the hell happened? yelled Tsunade after the shock wore off. She had one of her fist raised dangerously in the air.
"Look it wasn't my fault, I had to knock him out, he was furious and the red charka was coming out of him again" Neji explained rushed. Tsunade immediately dropped her arm and looking at Neji as to explain more. Sakura looked shocked, Neji saw this and shook his head in her direction, Tsunade turned and looked at Sakura quickly and then barked, "Sakura, get out now." Sakura looked like she was about to argue but decided against it and walked quietly out, she was clearly confused as to why she was leaving but she knew better than to argue with the Hokage. Neji wanted her out because he didn't want all of this to be all over the village.
"Ok Neji now that Sakura is gone would you kindly explain why you are bloody and beaten and why Naruto is out cold?" questioned Tsunade in a dangerous voice (for Neji) about a minute after Sakura left. Neji explained what happened, about Hinata and the sealing, about Naruto's reaction, the fight and having to carry Naruto half way across the village.
"Ok well… I think we should awaken Naruto" said Tsunade when Neji finished explaining.
"Ok" is all Neji said as he hit a series of chakra points visible only by using the Byakugan and then stood back as Naruto began to stir.
"Oh, man… why do I have a splitting headache" groaned Naruto as he slowly awoke.
"Sorry Naruto, it's one of the side-effects of being knocked out like you were" said Neji as he relaxed seeing that Naruto was acting like himself again.
"Haha, now you know how I feel Naruto" laughed Tsunade.
"Ha ha, Grandma very funny" Naruto said sarcastically as he sat up.
"Ok, getting down to business" said Tsunade suddenly very serious. When Naruto heard this he remembered what had happened before he was knocked unconscious, but he couldn't really care about the rest of it the only thing that worried him.
"Hinata" he shouted suddenly.
"Yes Naruto, she is the reason we are here, Neji told me of Hinata's sealing that is set just after you leave in three days time" explained Tsunade.
Naruto just sat there looking at the floor, deep in thought.
'I can't believe her own father has issued this. I always thought families stuck together and protected each other but now I see not all families work like that. Poor Hinata, I mean I knew her family wasn't close but I never thought they were that distant.'
"Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about her sealing" continued Tsunade. Neji was not surprised by this but Naruto was stunned by this news.
"You…can't do…anything" Naruto muttered confused and unsure.
"I'm afraid so" replied Tsunade.
"H-how… can that… b-be?" Stuttered Naruto which was very unusual for him.
"It is a clan's business and I can't change their decisions no matter what I do" responded Tsunade
"But sealing her at her age could kill her! Couldn't it?" asked Naruto unusually quiet.
"Yes it could very well do that, that's why my clan usually seals us at a young age" answered Neji. Naruto felt tears start to fall down his face, he tried to stop them and failed horribly.
"W-what are her ch-chances of… s-surviving?" Naruto choked out.
"Unfortunately they are very slim if any at all" replied Tsunade gravely. Tsunade knew that Naruto never shows his real emotions around others but here he was in front of her barely controlling himself from full on crying. She did the only thing she knew would help him. She got up out of her seat and walked slowly to Naruto who now had his eyes closed as he tried to calm himself. Tsunade kneed on the floor and wrapped her arms tightly around Naruto. He was shocked by this but soon he relaxed and cried into her shoulders. After a while Naruto grabbed a hold of his emotions and pulled away muttering a quiet thank-you. Tsunade stood back up and walked back to her desk. Naruto stayed sitting on the ground now trying to find some way around the sealing.
'There must be something we can do to stop this, anything. Nothing, there is nothing I can do cause I am leaving before it happens…wait… that might actually work.'
Neji was starting to worry for Naruto sanity because Naruto was starting to smile.
"Naruto?" questioned Neji. Naruto looked up at Neji and the small smile on his face grew larger then he turned to Tsunade
"I think I might have found a way around this mess" Naruto voiced. Tsunade and Neji were shocked to say the least, they couldn't see any way around this but it seemed Naruto had found a way.
"Tell us what you are thinking Naruto" uttered Neji.
"You know that I am leaving with Pervy Sage in three day."
Neji and Tsunade nodded
"Well… what if Hinata came with us" Naruto queried.
"Naruto that is a brilliant idea! But her father will never agree to her going" Tsunade said flatly.
"I know, that is why you are going to order her to come, like, on some sort of mission or something, even her father can't stop her going on a mission given by the Hokage" continued Naruto.
"I love it, and I will make sure the pervert will take the both of you" exclaimed Tsunade excitedly.
"I request that Hinata not be told of the reason she is being sent with Naruto, she has worked so hard to try to impress her father, I don't want her to know that it was all for nought" requested Neji.
"Agreed, I will start on that cursed paperwork right now and talk to the Pervert" said Tsunade quickly.
"Naruto, go home it is getting late. Neji, can you go get Hinata for me?" continued Tsunade.
"Yes Hokage-sama/Grandma" replied both boys, than they turned and left.
It was already dark as Neji jumped from roof-top to roof-top hurrying himself to get home faster. He had amazing news for Hinata and he needed to deliver it to her fast or Hiashi might find out and completely ruin the plan before it even started.
Neji could see the Hyuga mansion and instead of going to the front gate he immediately went to the dojo where he knew Hinata would still be there. He jumped in through the window and sat there watching his cousin progress. He watched and she practiced in such and graceful manner, to him it looked like an amazing dance. He smiled proudly as he remembered what she was like just twelve years thoughts were interrupted by Hinata stopping dead in the middle out the dojo.
"Neji, I know you are there… you might as well come out" said Hinata calmly. Neji knew that Hinata only had problems talking to people face-to-face.
"Looks like you are getting better" he replied.
"T-thanks N-neji" she stuttered as her famous blush appeared. Neji chuckled inwardly when he saw this.
"Hinata I am here on request of the Hokage, she would like to see you immediately" he stated.
"R-r-really? D-do you know what about?" she inquired. Neji decided to play dumb and tell her only the small details.
"I believe it was something to do with a long-term mission… and something else… oh yes that is it… Naruto shall be joining you" he declared. At this news Hinata turned and deeper shade of red (if that was even possible possible) and fainted, Neji caught her easily. This time Neji chuckled out loud and inwardly cursed himself, but he couldn't help himself, she was just to easy to tease. Neji leaned her against a wall and waited for her to come around. After a while Hinata awoke, Neji said a few words and then she was on her way to the Hokage's tower and Neji was on his way to dinner.
Hinata walked through the streets of the village, she was in no hurry because she would arrive in her own time.
When she did arrive she went straight to the Hokage's office and knocked softly on the door.
"Come in" said Tsunade not even looking up from the mountain of paperwork she was trying. Hinata slipped through the door and stood in front of Tsunade.
"Hinata, your here, wonderful" voiced Tsunade as she stopped worked and looked up.
"Y-yes, Neji said that you had a long-term m-mission for me" said Hinata quietly.
"Yes I do, just give me a second to find it" muttered Tsunade. She shuffled through the paper on her desk and pulled out a folder.
"Ok, this mission is a A to B ranked mission…" started Tsunade.
"Y-you're giving me that high of a mission?" Hinata irrupted.
"Yes, you're the only one suited for this mission" stated Tsunade.
"Now, your mission is to go with Naruto and that Pervert so you can train to become stronger. And to keep an eye on those idiots" added Tsunade cheerfully. After hearing this Hinata did as she usually did when Naruto was mentioned or in front of her, she fainted.
"Well… that went better then I expected" Tsunade muttered to herself.
When Hinata awoke Tsunade told her that she had two days before they were leaving so she should spend as much time with her friends as she could, then she was dismissed.
Tsunade worked long into the night, it was past midnight by the time she finished, and now there was only one more thing to do, get Jiraiya to agree to take both Naruto and Hinata. She got up out of her seat behind her desk and walked out of her office, closing the door behind her. Tsunade walked to a nearby bar where she knew Jiraiya would be waiting for her, like he was every night since she became Hokage. She strolled into the bar, spying him immediately through the sea of adults still up at this ungodly time of morning.
"Tsunade-hime" shouted a for-once-sober Jiraiya.
"Your still sober" said Tsunade shocked.
"Ha ha, you are so funny princess" he said.
"Will you EVER stop calling me that" she exclaimed.
"No. Probably not" he said, grinning. Tsunade just shook her head at this.
"So… what is the big problem with the training trip with Naruto?" questioned Jiraiya suddenly.
"I need you to take another student with you" she said after ordering two bottles of sake.
"WHAT? No way!, I won't!" he said loudly.
"Jiraiya, I really need you to do this, it is really important that I get her out of the village" she sounded like she was about to beg him to.
"Give me one reason why I should take her with me" said the ever-stubborn Jiraiya.
"Because if you don't a thirteen year old girl will be sealed and could die" she stated.
"This is a Hyuga we are talking about isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes, but it's not just any Hyuga it is Hinata" She said.
"Hinata? You mean the Hyuga heiress?" he asked surprised.
"The very same" said Tsunade in a grave tone.
"Really? They want her sealed?" he questioned, shocked.
"Yes they think she is too weak to be of any use to their clan, the stupid old coots" replied Tsunade angrily.
"Fine I will take her and train her, but only because she will probably be killed during the sealing if I don't" he said. With his agreement Tsunade picked up one of the bottles of sake and started drinking, Jiraiya followed suit, the two continued to drink the night away.
Read and Review please