I've always thought Naruto should have two soundtracks: one with music from the anime and one with songs that represent some of the characters on the show. I've told myself that part of the success of any artistic work on TV and television can be all about the music. While some nice epic orchestra is always nice, you just need something else sometimes. Sine Japanese pop music has always been hit or miss for me at least I made a short list of songs from artists out of that area. Here's a short list of what I've thought so far Ozzy Osborune's I Don't Wanna Stop, Jimmy Eat World's The Middle, The Pretenders' Don't Get Me Wrong, Steppenwolf's Born to be Wild, Survivor's Burning Heart, Ted Nugent's Cat Scratch Fever, ABBA's Money, Money, Money, Foo Fighter's The Pretender, Whitesnake's Here I Go Again, Queen's Don't Stop Me Now… That's all I got so far.

I'll let you guess which one fits whom.

CHAPTER 10: IN BLOOM

"Master, are you awake?" Kabuto knocked on the door to Orochimaru's dormitory.

"What is it?" The raspy, slithering voice answered from the other side. Kabuto opened the door and walked in. His master was in bed, wrapped in bandages from head to toe under his ragged clothes, except for the right side of his face. Still, his condition had advanced substantially in a short time. He was connected to different monitors in the room, showing his recovering progress. There was a chair next to his bed, which had a cane hanging on its side.

"The first subjects are complete." Kabuto informed. "These are the first to have no negative side effects when exposed to the serum."

"Good to hear that." Orochimaru said as he tried to get up and reach for the cane.

"Don't strain yourself, master." His servant approached him and helped him up. He handed him his cane. Orochimaru grunted with effort as he struggled to move. Kabuto tried to help but he was cast away with a shake from his master's arm. He had no option but to patiently follow his pace.

They arrived to a balcony where they could look down into an arena. A thick layer of glass stretched from one end to the other.

"I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised." Kabuto said to Orochimaru. He only responded by increasing the seriousness in his stare at the battleground below. Barred gates at the ends loudly cranked open with the sound of rattling chains. For a moment, there was stillness in the air. Not long after that, heavy footsteps from below made the building tremble. The closer they came, the louder they sounded. Deep grunts like the growl of a fearsome beast were heard to be coming. Orochimaru and Kabuto witnessed how two large fowl-looking creatures made their way in. They were dressed in dark armor that covered them from neck to calf, leading to a pair of heavy boots. Their skin was gray and scaly. Their eyes were deep red with a small black circle in each of them. This caught Orochimaru's attention fully. Looking compelled, he turned towards Kabuto, who was smiling while his glasses shined.

The two monstrous beings eyed each other with menace. They snarled at each other with blood lust, as if all their humanity was nonexistent. They bared their long fangs as they circled the ground while keeping their eye on their opponent. They both roared and charged forward. There was a glisten and a slight flinch in both their eyes that made them react as they drew closer. They both followed each other's movements in detail, so much so, that they clashed with locked fists. They both jumped back and attacked again. They wildly continued throwing punches, most of which connected, but bounced back. They soon turned to using their teeth at their throats. The little enthusiasm in Orochimaru started fading away as he watched the cannibalistic display.

"What do you think?" Kabuto asked.

"They're nothing but mindless brutes." Orochimaru stated with discomfort.

"Be aware that these are just prototypes for average foot soldiers. They still have some fine tuning to go through."

"What else you have for me?" Orochimaru snapped back while maintaining a relative calm. Kabuto could understand that this was all due to his physical loss.

"They will all be well-armed and prepared for intense combat. The ones to come after these will be your captains, your lieutenants, and your deadliest weapons."

"In this condition, they are no match for an average chunin."

"I'm sure that the results to come will be more of your pleasing, master."

"I trust that they will, Kabuto." Orochimaru said as the battle below concluded. One of the monsters had knocked the other down and stomped his head in with his boot.

"Nice touch." Orochimaru thought out loud. "Definetely not my style, but effective anyway."

"That brutality was one of my own personal additions."

"When will my serum be ready?" Orochimaru asked while looking at Kabuto through the corner of his eye. Kabuto was almost afraid to answer.

"I'm…sorry, Master. If I have to meet the conditions you have set for me, it will still take some time." A drop of sweat crawled down his forehead as he spoke.

Orochimaru sighed. "Oh, well. I guess it can't be helped." He said with a smile. Kabuto noticed it was the first in a very long time. He knew he was feeling better now.

"There are many things you should consider when you handle such delicate situations. You wouldn't want to miscalculate on anything so you could put your master's life at risk, right?"

When Kabuto looked at his master again, the grin on his face had widened. He could feel he was toying with him.

"Y-Yes, master." He answered with a shaky voice.

"Very well." Orochimaru said as he turned around and gently made his way back to his room. "As long as you test it on yourself first, everything should be fine."

Kabuto took one last look at him before he disappeared into the shadow of the corridor. He couldn't see his face, but he was sure he was smiling withwickedness. He felt like he did trust him to fulfill the orders he had declared to him.

"I understand, master." Kabuto kneeled as a goodbye to Orochimaru and jumped from the balcony to the arena to deal with the winning tyrant.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hinata felt the warmth of sunlight in her eyes waking her up. She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers. She blinked several times and looked around. She had almost forgotten what had happened last night. She didn't remember coming back home. The last thing she could recall was being alone with Naruto in a small closet. In a way, it was almost bizarre to find herself in her room. She thought that it might have been Naruto who brought her there, but she was still worried over the possibility that he might have been caught by someone. She got out of bed and opened her window. She felt the soft breeze blowing on her hair, which was a bit messy. She looked down at the grass by the wall and saw trails of footprints, all of them the same. The first trail ended by the wall of the house while the other was directed away from it. This calmed her fears as she exhaled in relaxation. She then found herself staring at the sky, watching the sun rising over the faraway horizon, covering the land with its radiant beams. The golden light shooting out from it looked like a mane of blonde hair.

"Naruto…" She whispered. She slowly raised her hand to the height of her cheek and gently rubbed it with her index. She could perceive a lukewarm, soft feeling in it.

She remembered the dream she had last night. She was being embraced in Naruto's arms while he rested his head on her shoulder. He was holding her at the waist with one hand while stroking her hair with the other. She was hugging him back as if she would fall if she let go. She could remember gripping the back of his jacket tightly, shortening the distance between them. In his ear, she whispered how much she had desired to have a moment as perfect as that. She remembered how he turned his head and laid a kiss on her cheek. It was the most wonderful sensation she had experienced up to that point. She pulled back from Naruto just enough to see him eye to eye. With her hand, she delicately stroked his cheek and then moved up to his hair. Naruto was looking at her with a smile and eyes of desire. No words were needed to be said. She was charmed by this look. She could feel that her body was now acting on its own. She started leaning forward, closing her eyes opening her mouth up to a small crack. Naruto did the same. Hinata once again wrapped her arms around the boy she adored. Naruto's hold on her increased as well. Her mind was racing and she felt her heart beating against the inside of her chest. And then, the-

Someone knocked on the door, interrupting her daydream.

"Hinata, are you awake?" It was Hanabi's voice.

"Uh- Yes, I am." She was a little startled.

"Are you dressed?"

"Uh-huh." She answered. "What is it?"

"A friend of yours is looking for you downstairs. She says it's urgent."

"OK, I'm coming." Hinata closed the window and opened her bedroom door. Her sister had already started down the stairs. She followed closely and descended as well down to the lobby. As she made her way to the main doorway, she saw Neji with his back to her. It sounded as if he was talking with somebody. When he heard her cousin's footsteps getting closer, he turned around to face her, exposing Sakura. Her serious expression made her stop dead in her tracks. She could already deduce her motives for visiting her house. Neji's equal expression of seriousness, only with much less grief, wasn't helping her for comfort.

"Lady Tsunade wants to talk to you." Sakura said.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

'Kyuubi? Kyuubi, are you there?' Naruto asked inside his head. He was standing with his back to the wall of a building. Through a corner, he peaked at another building several blocks away, the one where his apartment is. He could see that the guards had been changed since he left. This time, it was Choji and Asuma.

'Come on, Kyuubi! Answer me!' He thought with anger. 'We need to talk!'

'What?' the thundering, annoyed voice of the demon finally answered his call.

'Listen, how-'

'You want me to help you get back in there without being noticed? Sorry, but for that, you'd have to be invisible.'

'I know, but that's not why I called you.'

'Then why?'

'C' mon, as if you don't know. I've been trying to talk with you about it for a long time but you haven't answered. What the hell gives?'

'You're talking about the fight with the Hyuga's lord, aren't you?'

'Yeah. According to what Grandma Tsunade said, you approached Hinata and you didn't even try to hurt her. And then, you defended her from the other ninja. Why?'

'Hmm…' The fox grumbled. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say you are disappointed.'

'The hell I am! Pervy Sage once told me that when you take over, you can't tell the difference between friend and foe. Why did you protect her?'

'I don't know.' The demon took no time in answering.

'What do you mean you don't know?' Naruto asked with confusion and frustration.

'I just' don't!' He was now really ticked off. 'I don't know why I did that! It just happened.'

'How could something like that "just happen"? What were you thinking when it happened?'

'I can't remember.' Again, he answered almost immediately after Naruto finished the question.

'Tell me the truth, damn it!'

'I keep telling you I don't know! I was just not being myself at the time. I don't know what it was that made me do what I did, but it happened. You shouldn't be asking me this.'

'Well, nobody has any idea of why didn't you attack her. If there was someone I was hoping would tell me it was you.'

'Well… there's this one thing.' Kyuubi said, now more relaxed.

'What is it?'

'When I looked at that girl, I didn't feel I should attack her.'

'Why?'

'It's something I can't describe, exactly. There was something about her that…' Naruto heard him sigh. 'It was as if this thought was continually coming to me. This thought was telling me that I should protect her. It was all new to me… I was being-'

"Well, if it isn't nice to find you here." Jiraiya's voice made Naruto go frozen.

"I knew they wouldn't keep you in there for long. How'd you get out?" He said it in an inviting tone, as if he wasn't angry at all. Naruto rigidly turned around to see his old teacher's head towering over his and his white mane descending down to his hip. Jiraiya realized his shocked stare.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's not important anymore."

Naruto's focus was back.

"What do you mean 'not important anymore'?'"

"It's better if I show you. Come on, I'll take you to Tsunade's office." He said as he started walking back from where he came. Naruto continued standing where he was, looking more petrified than before.

"What's with you?" Jiraiya turned to see Naruto turning to his side, looking as if he was staring at a dead body.

"Oh, it's- it's- nothing. Let's go." He said with a quiver in his voice. Jiraiya looked at Naruto with skepticism. He turned around again and shrugged.

Naruto and Jiraiya had made it to Tsunade's office. There was no audible noise coming from the other side.

"She'll explain everything to you once you get in. It's safe to warn you that she's not in a good mood right now." He said as he opened the door and they walked in. The first thing that raised Naruto's interest was not Tsunade herself, but the other people in the room. Besides Shizune, who was standing next to her boss, there were Sand Shinobi in the room. Temari was standing with her back to the wall, pushing against it with her foot. Her fan was rested next to her against the wall as well. Then, there was Kankurou, who was standing by Tsunade's side.

"Hey, there." Temari greeted Naruto with her usual little smile. "Long time no see, huh?"

Naruto couldn't answer since he was too distracted by Tsunade, who was looking at him with tired eyes while holding a bag of ice next to her head. He couldn't help but remember what happened last night. He struggled under his breath to hold back a laugh.

"What's up with you?" Temari asked Naruto with a raised eyebrow. The boy was now turning away from everyone while covering his mouth.

"N-Nothing, I, uh- thought I was gonna sneeze." He shook his head and straightened up.

"Come closer, Naruto" Said Tsunade. Her voice was tired as well. The boy obliged. The feeling of being helpless came back, but he still doubted if his prediction was accurate due to the presence of sand ninja in the room.

"Look, I'm gonna do this as quickly as I can. We've been trying to keep the news about your outbreak as tight as we could, but that hasn't been possible. The word about the breaking of the seal holding the Nine-Tails inside you is spreading across the continent like wildfire. Many countries are concerned about the possible full unleashing of the demon, so they are taking all necessary precautions. They are starting to put together their armies and are ready to go to war with you if it calls for it. The Sand Village however, is concerned in a much different way. The Kazeage is worried about your condition."

For a brief moment, Naruto remembered the last time he saw Gaara. It was always pleasing to hear from him.

"You have helped him and his village many times before and they have returned the favor. Now, they want to help you. The Kazekage is willing to take you in as his student to teach you how to suppress the demon. Jiraiya will be there too to help you out, too."

Naruto at first felt enthusiasm by this, but then he remembered that it was the Nine-Tailed Fox they were talking about.

"But, wasn't the seal holding Kyuubi inside me made by the Fourth Hokage?"

"Yes, we know." Tsunade answered. "To be honest, we are at our limit of ideas to help your condition. Not even Jiraiya can figure out the way to keep the seal from breaking. After talking with Temari and Kankurou, we have come to the conclusion that the best way to help you now is by receiving help from someone who knows about your condition better than anyone. You need the help of another Jinchuuriki."

"I see." Naruto said. There was a certain spark in his eye. He was glad that he was going to see his old friend again.

"Now, the reason why Temari and Kankurou came here was not just for delivering the Kazekage's message, but they were asked to be your escort to the Sand Village. I don't need to tell you why it is necessary. Here's where I disagreed. I want to take all necessary precautions as well. I have assembled an escort made up by some of your friends. They, as well as Jiraiya, will go with you and the sand ninja to watch your back. They will be waiting for you at the village's gates before sunset. We don't know how much time you'll be spending over there, so we'll give you some time to pack anything you need before you leave."

"Who'll be escorting me?" Naruto asked.

"You better see it for yourself. Now, you are dismissed."

"Come on, Naruto." Jiraiya signaled as he left through the door. "You better get ready."

"Right." Naruto followed with Temari and Kankurou behind him. They shut the door as they left.

"He looked a bit tense, don't you think?" Shizune asked Tsunade. Her boss only sighed.

"I'm getting too old for this." She said.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Gaara. How's he doing?" Naruto asked the sand ninja as they walked the halls of the Hokage's building.

"Well, not much." Kankurou answered. "Just his usual self."

"So why did he decided to help me?"

"Well, he still kinda owes you guys after what happened with the Akatsuki."

"Does he know how to control demons?"

"We don't know."

"What?" Naruto asked, almost with letdown.

"He just gave us the order to come here and take you to our village. We know as much as you do."

"But, how do you even know if he can help me?"

"We're all just going to have to trust him." Temari answered this time. "I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. But, although…"

"What?"

"Dealing demons has always been dangerous and complicated. Even if he does know what he's doing, we don't know how long it's going to take. Your condition may worsen as he tries to help you. This could take weeks, even months."

"You mean…I might not see the village again for a while?"

"Could be."

Naruto was not happy at all with the sudden news. His stare went blank and he dropped his head. He was starting to think he may not be back for a very long time. Maybe even longer than when he was training with Jiraiya.

"Don't worry, Naruto." Jiraiya patted his back. "I'll be with you two, so don't worry. We'll see this through before you know it."

Naruto looked at his teacher with respect. Besides his obvious obnoxious problems, he still looked up to him as a great ninja.

"Now, how about some breakfast? My treat." He told the trio walking with him.

"You got it." Naruto was filled with undeniable glee.

"A treat's a treat." said Temari. Kankurou nodded in agreement.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Naruto cleaned his apartment when he was done packing. He swiped the floors and picked all the dirty clothes and garbage off the floor, placing each in their respective place. The last thing he did before leaving was making his bed. In his backpack, he had enough clothes for a week, the little money he had left, some boxed lunches and his ninja gear. He threw it over his shoulder and gave his apartment one last look as he left through the door. He made his way down and headed for the road towards the main gates of the village. He stopped to look at the route behind him. That was the one that crossed with the Hyuga district.

'I may not see her again for a while.' He thought. He turned around and trotted down that road.

'Where are you going?' Kyuubi asked.

'What's the matter? A little too eager to go to the Sand Village?' Naruto replied. 'You know, you've been sounding like a much nicer guy since the first time we talked like this.'

'That's not important. You're going to say goodbye to that girl, aren't you?'

'I just wanna check on her after what happened last night. Got a problem with that?'

Kyuubi's answer took a while to come.

'No. Why?'

'Just asking. But seriously, what happened to the angry Kyuubi?'

This time no answer came at all. The only thing he could hear was the silent echo of his breathing.

'Come on, man! Don't be a jerk.' He scoffed.

When he arrived at the Hyuga Lord's house, he knocked on the door. He waited for someone to come, but there was no answer. He knocked again, but the same result occurred. He put his ear to the wall to check if someone was there, but the inside was dead silent. He circled the building and looked for Hinata's bedroom window. He climbed the door and patted the glass.

"Hinata, are you there?" He asked out loud. Her room was rid of any people. "Hinata, it's me." He spoke and knocked on the glass again, but it was no use,

"No one's home?" He asked himself depressed. He jumped off the wall and started walking back towards the village's gates. He hung his head as if he was defeated in battle with his hands in his pockets.

At the entrance, the small crowd that made Naruto's escort was gathered. He could see Jiraiya and Kakashi at the very front. Among them were the Sand Jounin, Neji, Rock Lee, Yamato, Sai, and Sakura. Naruto noticed how she quickly turned her eyes away from him and into another direction before his own eyes made contact with hers.

"Hey Naruto, you're late." Jiraiya said while waving his hand. "Come on, we're gonna fall behind schedule." Naruto hurried up at his signal.

"Sorry. I had to take care of some…personal stuff." He thought of his excuse. "So, are we ready?"

"Not quite. We're still missing some people."

"Who?"

"Sorry we're late." An unmistakable voice coming from behind made his back shiver and his heart beat faster. He turned to see Hinata slowly running towards him with a backpack over one arm. Behind her, Neji, Tsunade and Shizune approached as well at a much slower pace. Tsunade looked like she was now feeling better.

Hinata stopped in front of the young blonde.

"Are you ready, Naruto?" She asked with the same tone she would use when they would leave for a mission together.

"Wha-? I mean, you- you are-" He was stammering. He wasn't expecting to see her there. She gave a confused look to his reaction.

"Oh, uh I mean-," He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Sorry we're late, Master Jiraiya." Neji bowed his head to the Sannin. "We had to go see my uncle before we left." This comment gave Naruto an uncomfortable chill. He gulped.

"Don't worry. Naruto just got here too."

"Alright, listen up everyone." Tsunade announced in a resounding voice. Everyone turned their attention to her. "Here's the situation. When you arrive at the Sand Village, you will all be the Kazekage's guests of honor. The escort's mission while there will be to patrol the village and look out for any enemy threat. Now that Naruto is leaving the village, Itachi Uchiha could use this to his advantage."

"Tsunade, I think you're forgetting he's traveling with me again." Jiraiya interrupted.

"But still, you are supposed to help Naruto and the Kazekage look into the sealing of the Nine-Tails. Besides, now that Itachi has the combined abilities of his former associates, we don't know how much stronger he has become. While you're busy at work, the others will be on the lookout for any threats. We don't know what we'll be dealing with, so like I said before, I'm not taking any risks."

"Yeah, OK." Jiraiya answered with a bit of disillusionment.

"Anyway, I've already informed all off you that you may not come back here for a long time, so I hope you cleared up any unfinished business here. Good luck to all of you. You're dismissed."

"Yes, ma'am." Everyone answered in unison. They all gave her their backs and started off.

"And Naruto…" She spoke to the genin before he left. They looked at each other in the eyes.

"Be careful…and do your best." Tsunade said in a tone of voice Naruto hadn't heard her use in a very long time. A tone that was passive and caring, in the way a mother speaks to her child. Naruto responded with a thumbs up and a wink of his eye.

"You got it, Grandma." With that, he turned around and regrouped with his friends. Hinata and Lee had fallen behind a little so he could catch up with them.

"Let's all do our best, Naruto." Hinata said to him encouragingly. Lee gave him a thumbs up and a smile. His teeth glistened.

"Right." He said grinning. "Let's go." The three of them hurried to catch up with the others. Neji looked at them over his shoulder as he walked right in front of them. Sakura, who was up ahead, could only see what was happening through the corner of her eye.

At the gates, Tsunade and Shizune stood there, looking at the team up ahead slowly disappearing towards the horizon. The sky was dyed with yellow and orange as the sun was setting. Tsunade still had her eyes on Naruto.

"Some things never change, don't they?" She thought out loud.

It would take the group two days to get to the Sand Village. They were all familiar with the road so directions were not a problem for anybody. At the very front was Naruto, excited as always when on the road. Behind were Jiraiya, Kakashi, Lee, Yamato and Sai. Behind them was the rest of the group. They traveled in between the trees canopies, as they usually did. Neji increased his pace so he could catch up to Naruto.

"Listen, Naruto." His voice was as serious as always. "The only reason I'm here is to take care of Hinata. Those are direct orders from my uncle. I don't need to tell you why."

"He doesn't trust me around his daughter, I know." Naruto said. Neji detected a sense of humor in the way he answered. He knew it was a joke, but he still knew that he was understanding what he was saying.

"To be honest, I'm completely against having to go through with this when it's not by my own free will, but I have to obey if orders are coming from him. Don't worry, you can talk to Hinata as if nothing's happened, but if you go over the top again, I will protect her at all costs from you. Understood?"

"Protect her?" Naruto looked at Neji as if he thought he wasn't aware of what he was saying.

"Yes, protect her from you and the demon. You very well know we will all have to fight you if necessary, even her." He turned towards Hinata, who was looking at them from behind. She quickly looked away when she saw her cousin's glare.

'I wouldn't count on it, Neji.' He thought to himself.

The group was able to cover a good part of the way before the sun was completely gone. They found a clear space to set camp in the forest. Yamato used his wood element jutsu to create a cottage big enough for everyone right in the middle of the clearing. They made a fire outside and ate their dinner there. When they were done, they stepped in to get some rest. There was enough room for everyone to choose a space of their preference to lay down their sleeping bags. Naruto got inside his as soon as he was on the floor. He took off his sandals and his headband and fell asleep just seconds later. Everyone got comfortable and tried to get some sleep as well.

It was dead silence when night fell. The only sound from outside was the chirping of crickets. The almost complete silence was broken by silent footsteps on the hard wood floor. The sound was then followed by a door opening and then by more footsteps, only now in the dirt. Hinata, who had been having trouble to get to sleep, was awoken by this sound. She looked around in the blackness, looking at the many bulges his companions formed on the ground. She could see one of the sleeping bags was empty, which was Naruto's. She got up, adjusted her jacket's zipper and collar, and silently stepped over the others. She shut the door quietly and followed the trail Naruto left.

There was an unseasonable cold outside in the woods. Hinata could see her own breath as she walked. The thickness of the trees made it difficult to see the sky inside the forest. Up ahead, she could hear Naruto mumbling to himself. He was sitting under a tree that stuck out among the ones around it. She snuck behind one close to Naruto and tried to listen to what he was saying. He was scratching his head, looking up and down. It looked like he was having trouble thinking of something. Hinata tried to step closer, but after her first step forward, she heard a snap. She looked down and saw she had stepped on a twig. She gasped quietly and nervously tried to hide behind the tree. She hadn't realized she was blushing already.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked out to her. She knew know he had seen her before she hid. She stepped from behind the tree, trying to wipe the embarrassed look off her face.

"A-Are you OK, Naruto?" She timidly asked. "I heard you leave the cottage and I thought there was something wrong, so-"

"Don't worry." Naruto said. The voice he usually used to talk to her had always had a friendly, soothing way of talking, much like she did to everyone else. "I just have a lot on my mind. I couldn't sleep."

"What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it." He said. "Go back to the cabin."

"Well, I've been having trouble sleeping, too."

"Really? Why?" Naruto stood up and walked towards her.

"It's about…" She hesitated before continuing. She was certain that her explanation would make him feel bad. She turned away to think.

"What is it, Hinata?" Naruto searched around her to look at her face. "What's happening?"

Strangely for her, Hinata didn't feel so uncomfortable when Naruto got near her. She thought it might have something to do with his concern for her.

"You see…" She started off slowly. "…I had a talk with my father and Lady Tsunade before we left. My father was really angry when he heard I was going to the Sand Village as your escort. Lady Tsunade explained that it would be a good thing if the members of your escort were people you got along with. She really defended us on her behalf. I don't think I've ever seen my father backed into a corner like that. She was very assertive."

"But, if he was so angry, why did you decide to come?"

"I didn't. Sakura recommended me to Lady Tsunade."

"What? She did?" Naruto was more awake than before.

"Yes. In fact, that's how I learnt about this whole thing. Just when I woke up, she was at my house and she told me Lady Tsunade wanted to talk to me. For a moment, I thought she had discovered what happened last night, but thankfully, it had nothing to do with that. She explained that Sakura suggested that you and I work well together. She was as skeptical as my father in the beginning, but she said that Sakura was dead serious about it. There was no way Lady Tsunade could say no to her."

"Wow. I thought she was mad at me."

"Why?"
"Well…" Naruto remembered what happened the last time she saw her. Remembering her arms around him and that kiss that led to a sad discussion made him feel on edge. "It's…kind of a long story." There was a look in his eye suggesting he was in turmoil.

"I understand." Hinata comprehended his position. She was thinking about what might have happened with Sakura.

"By the way, Naruto," Hinata changed the subject. "I don't think I've thanked you for taking me back home last night. Did you have any trouble?"

"What? Oh, no everything was-" He remembered how enchanting she looked as she was laying on her bed with the moon shining on her as he tried to kiss her, which was very distracting.

"Everything was…fine." He said when after shaking that thought away. He realized that he suddenly didn't see Hinata as before. Instead, he saw her as he did last night. This made it hard for him to keep looking at her.

"You see, everyone was asleep so I just looked for your room from the outside, opened your window and left you on your bed. It was no problem."

"I'm sorry." Hinata said. "If I hadn't passed out, you wouldn't have had to-"

"It was OK. It's…" He cleared his throat again. "…perfectly understandable why you did." He bashfully looked around with deep red cheeks when he remembered feeling Hinata so close to him. She, meanwhile, twiddled her fingers while shifting her eyes around, with her face as red as Naruto's.

"How about we…forget what happened?" Naruto broke the unsettling atmosphere between the two.

"OK." Hinata answered. They agreed, but inside both of them, they felt like screaming.

"But, what happened after I passed out? How did we get out of the closet?"

"Grandma Tsunade let us out."

"What?!" Hinata shrieked. Naruto was a bit startled at how unusually loud it was, since it was coming from her.

"Don't worry. She was drunk as hell. She thought she was walking into her room, but it was the closet we were in. I don't think she remembers what happened actually."

"Oh, I guess that's why she was in such a bad mood this morning."

"Yeah. She was a little annoying, but she's still a pretty fun drunk, though. Makes me wish she went out drinking more often." He said with a little chuckle. Hinata smiled with his joke.

"Well, I guess that now that you've told me why you can't sleep now I should tell you what's up with me, huh?"

"You don't have to if you don't want."

"Don't worry. It's OK." He sat down and rested his back against the tree nearby. Hinata followed by example.

"You see, after finding no leads about my family last night, I've been trying to think of a way to get answers from Kakashi-Sensei and Pervy Sage. Right now, the only option we have is to get answers from them directly. I know they won't tell us just like that, but thankfully, I know their biggest weaknesses."

"Weaknesses?"

"Yeah. You see, Kakashi-Sensei is a big fan of the books Pervy Sage writes, but I don't think he's writing one right now, so I don't think I'll get him to tell me anything. Thankfully, Pervy Sage is much easier to make him talk. There are so many ways to do it."

"Like what?"

"He once told me about the three biggest vices a ninja has to overcome: alcohol, girls, or guys depending on who you are, and money. He can break all three at the same time."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's not like I call him Pervy Sage for nothing."

Hinata giggled.

"So, do you have a plan in mind?"

"Well, so far the only thing I've got is getting him drunk enough to tell me anything. But for that, I'll have to transform into a pretty lady and buy him drinks."

"Transform into a lady? Do you think you can pull it off?"

"Come on, I invented the Sexy Jutsu. If I can do that, transforming into an "easy" girl should be no problem?"

"But…what if he…?" Hinata was getting unsettled as she pictured the scene. "What if he wants to kiss you?"

"Don't worry. That's where I play hard-to-get."

"But, Naruto…" She was almost afraid of making things harder for him. "…aren't you and Master Jiraiya going to be busy working with Gaara?"

"That's a fat chance. I'm sure that at the first opportunity of a break, he'll sneak away and look for girls to get drunk with."

"But what about you?"

"Well, I could- uh, I- could use a shadow clone and transform it so it can talk with Pervy Sage for me." He thought quickly.

"I guess that could work." Hinata said, but another thought came to her after answering. "But what if something should happen to the shadow clone?"

"Come on, Hinata. Don't be so paranoid." Naruto said as if he thought Hinata was just messing around.

"But, what if something happens to the clone and it vanishes? I mean, if you're not going to be around to watch it…"

"Relax. It's not enemy territory. What could happen?" Naruto answered with a relaxed smile, but quickly wiped it away when Hinata's look of concern penetrated him.

"Oh, OK." He said while slightly moaning. "What can I do to make you feel more secure about this?"

"Well, maybe I could…" She started, "…I could…help you somehow?"

"How?"

"I could…" She went into her timid self again. "I could…get the answers for you, too."

"You want to get answers from Pervy Sage?!" He was beyond surprised she would volunteer for such a plan.

"I don't know, Hinata. I mean, don't you think this is a bit too much for you? I mean, no offense, but I don't think you're his type."

"But… I could still try." She didn't want to feel unhelpful.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I mean… I know I'm not that kind of person, but…" She was playing with her fingers again. "…if it's to help someone, then I could try."

"Hinata…"

"I'm glad that you're worried, but if this risk is necessary, then I will do it. Besides, you said we would get them to tell you the truth together, right?"

Naruto looked at her with a blank face.

"Well, you got me there. If you're gonna do this, you need to practice how you're gonna do it."

Hinata didn't seem so optimistic all of a sudden.

"Don't worry, since my clone will be with you all the while, all you'll have to do is follow it's lead. But still, we should go over a few things."

"Like what?" Hinata was as timid as ever.

"I have an idea. Here's what were gonna do. At the closest signal that Pervy Sage will ditch me and Gaara, I will go to the bathroom and ready a clone. It will watch Pervy Sage from a distance and see if he really is going to find some girls. If he does, my clone will come get you. Make sure that you're in your room near, I don't know, around nighttime. That's when he'll probably try to get lucky. The two of you will go to where he's at transformed as beaut- I mean, older looking women." He blushed a little when he corrected himself. Hinata looked at him curiously.

"Anyway, my clone will take the lead. It will get thinGs started with Pervy Sage and start talking to him and getting him drunk. When he's drunk enough, he's all yours."

"Just that?" Hinata asked a little disappointed.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well…" Hinata looked down. "I was thinking that I could…"

"Hinata, you don't have to go too deep on this."

"But, I do want to help you." Hinata was taking the same assertive position she had taken before.

"Are you trying to prove something to yourself?" Naruto asked. Hinata looked at him as if she had lost an argument.

"Hinata, you don't have to do this just to prove you can. You know what? I don't care if you really can't." Naruto's voice had a security that impressed the Kunoichi.

"I've told you before that I know who you are and it's just fine. You don't have to go that far." Naruto stopped when another thought interrupted him.

"But…" Naruto started. Hinata looked at him with interest again.

"…I could help you practice some lines and poses just to be safe. How's that?"

Hinata looked at him questionably and a little uncomfortable. It was definitely strange for a boy to teach a girl how to act like another.

"Oh, uh…" Hinata looked around nervously.

"Come on, there's no one watching. It's OK." He back up. The girl figured she should do as well. Naruto took several steps back and turned at her.

"Let's see what you got." He said. The girl just stood there frozen. Her red cheeks could be seen glowing in the dark.

"Alright, let me get you started. Try putting your hand on your hip." He said. Hinata meekly obeyed.

"Try tilting yourself a little to the side. Just a little." Naruto used his hands to better explain what he was saying. Hinata did as he said with a little bit of hesitance.

"OK, you're great just like that. Now, all you have to do is smile." He said. Hinata realized that she was now in the easy part of the process. She had no trouble now.

"Perfect. You got it." Naruto congratulated her.

"T-thanks." Hinata said. She was surprised that she wasn't feeling as awkward as she expected.

"You can use that when you get to say hello to Pervy Sage. OK, now you need to practice a line you can say to break the ice with him."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something like 'How's it going, good-looking?' How about that?"

"Uh… I guess."

"OK, let's see." Naruto said, but Hinata wouldn't budge.

"Come on. What's wrong?" Naruto asked a little impatient.

"OK, here I go." Hinata took a deep breath. She almost had to focus to do this.

"H-how's it going, knew why.

"It's good, but you have to make it sound more inviting good-looking?" She said. Her voice was shaky.

"Hmmm…" Naruto looked at her as if he was a critic. Hinata, more you know, easy-going."

Hinata nodded. She prepared herself again and spoke,

"How it going, good-looking?"

"Wow, that's much better." Naruto said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think you got it."

"Thank you." She answered. "By the way, sorry if I was sounding a little negative about the plan."

"What do you mean negative?" Naruto asked as he returned to her side and sat back against the tree.

"Well, I just want to make sure the plan goes as best as possible." Hinata said as she sat next to him again.

"Don't worry about it." He said as he moved around a little to get more comfortable. "I think it's just fine that you want to help."

"I'm glad you think so."

The stillness of the night was still in full effect. The insect noises were gone and there was no breeze. Hinata felt that she and Naruto were really all alone.

"Say, Naruto…" Hinata was fidgeting again. "I was…wondering if…maybe…" Her face was scarlet again. "If you'd like maybe we could…you know…do something…together? I mean, if you want, but,-" She felt something heavy land on her shoulder. She turned to see Naruto's head right next to her, fast asleep. At first, she shrieked quietly and thought of moving, but she couldn't. Her body wouldn't allow it. Still, she felt perfectly fine. Feeling Naruto so close to him like they were right now made her feel bonded to him. It made her happy. She rested her head against the tree and watched him sleep. His face was entirely emotionless. It reflected a calmness that seemed that it would never come. She looked at him with a smile as she slowly closed her eyes.

"He looks so peaceful." A voice came from behind a tree in front of Hinata. She opened her eyes and looked in front of her, where among the darkness of the incoming forest was Sakura, poking her head from behind the tree. She stepped from behind and looked right at Hinata. If I wasn't for a small hint of sadness in her eyes, she would look completely neutral. Hinata was startled.

"Uh, we were just-" She got up after gently moving Naruto's head to the side. "We were t-"

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." Sakura said. She sounded somewhat solemn. She got closer to the two and looked right at Naruto. He was deep in his own dreams now.

"We should all feel sorry for him. The last couple of days have been hell for him. He mustn't have slept in days. It's funny how even after all this he looks like nothing's happened."

She then turned to Hinata.

"Do you mind if we have a word in private?"

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.

"Come on, we shouldn't wake him up." She signaled with her head and headed for the forest. Hinata followed her, unsure of her motives. She felt an ominous atmosphere surrounding the both of them.

Hinata was led into the thicket of trees. With little visibility, it was sometimes hard to follow Sakura. They didn't say a word during the entire walk. They soon got to an area where trees where less condensed and there was more lighting. Sakura rested against a tree and looked at Hinata.

"You look different." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You look more…happy."

"Happy?"

"Yeah. You don't look so much like you used to be. You don't look as shy as always."

"You think so?"

Sakura nodded. Hinata couldn't decide what she should feel about the situation.

"Naruto's always been like that." Sakura said. Hinata was getting an idea of what this was all about, which intimidated her a little.

"He has this mysterious inexplicable power. He makes people want to believe in him and what he says. He has the power to change the way people think. I never realized it until Lady Tsunade explained it to me." She stopped for a moment.

"I've heard that you're spending more time with Naruto." Sakura said, giving her back to Hinata.

"It's…not like th-" Hinata tried to explain.

"It's OK, I know. You want to help him become stronger and you're not afraid of the Fox. I'm happy for you, Hinata."

"Why?"

Sakura took a step forward. "You've been getting along with him better than, well, me. We've been a team for a long time, but I don't think I ever appreciated him the way you do."

Hinata could read between the lines of that last phrase. Her face turned fiery and looked down embarrassed.

"You really love him, don't you?" Sakura asked. Hinata only answered by standing there, looking unsure of what to answer.

"I'm sorry, but you have to admit it's kind of obvious."

"I guess you're right." Hinata admitted. "Does anybody else know?"

"Not that I know of." She lied.

"I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but I envy you and Naruto. I don't think anyone else saw him the way you always did. You could see what was behind that little goofy kid we knew back at the Academy. You never doubted him, even when everyone else did, including me. But what I envy the most is how brave he is. He's not afraid to face danger or a bad situation even if he knows it's difficult. You could say he just tries to defend his pride, but that's what has made him strong." She spoke as if she had thought over what she should say. She looked down for a moment. "I on the other hand…I don't ever think I'll be as strong as him. After the first outbreak, I tried to avoid him. What he said that day was harsh but true. I was being selfish all this time. I was hoping that he would bring back Sasuke. Even if I wouldn't even admit it to myself, I was disappointed in him when he didn't bring him back. I've tried to apologize, but after all that's happened, I don't think he'll ever truly accept it."

"Well…I could tell him for you." Hinata said. "I mean, if you want."

Sakura turned to Hinata and approached her until they were face to face. She looked into her profoundly. Hinata didn't know what to say or do. Sakura's behavior was difficult to read.

"You're too kind for your own good, Hinata." She said with gloom.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked. Things took a more odd twist for her when she saw how Sakura's emerald eyes became watery. Tears started pouring down her face. She cried loudly as she embraced Hinata with a hug, laying her head on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry!" She said through her sobs. "I'm so sorry!"

"What's going on, Sakura?" Hinata asked.

"I've hurt Naruto so much and it's all because I'm jealous! I'm the one who told your father that he was with you!"

Hinata gasped perplexed.

"I was just angry because I wanted to apologize to Naruto so things between us would change, but now there was you! I only made things worse for everyone!" She resumed her crying.

"I'm the worst! I'm disgusting!"

"Sakura…" Hinata whispered. She didn't give much thought to what she was saying. She called out her name several times to get her to calm down.

"Sakura." She said while separating her from herself. She was holding her by the shoulders in front of her. The biggest surprise for Sakura is that Hinata didn't look mad. Her face was only serious, but then switched to a smile.

"You know what I think?" She started. "You did the right thing in telling me this. I understand that you wanted to set things right between the two of you. It's only normal that you'd be jealous. You've been a close friend of Naruto much longer than I have. Even if you did the wrong thing at first, something that hurt a lot of people, it takes a lot of guts to admit something as serious as jealousy to yourself. In the end, you wanted to fight it instead of running away from it and attacking someone else. This can help you become a better person, Sakura."

Sakura was moved by her short speech. She hadn't expected to be treated with that type of kindness, even if she was talking to a girl who's known for being introverted. Another small tear rolled down her face.

"Please…" Sakura's voice was still breaking. "Please Hinata…Naruto must never know about this."

"I understand." Hinata answered.

"So you're not mad at me?" Sakura asked a little afraid.

"Well…you did have your reasons." Hinata said. "But it doesn't matter since I guess I already accepted your apology."

"Hinata…" Sakura was stopping her crying. "…I need you to promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"I want you to take a chance with Naruto. I want you to be there for him always when he needs you. Be a better friend to him than I ever was. Let him have what he couldn't have with me. I want you to make him happy. He deserves someone like you in his life. I want you to promise me you will do all this." Sakura sounded like she was begging her to do it. Hinata only looked up, looking like she was thinking of something.

"What's wrong?"

"You know, Back when we just became Genin and were assigned into our teams, I was jealous at you because you were going to spend more time with Naruto than me. So now, you asking me this feels a little…awkward." That's all she said. Both girls looked at each other for a few seconds, only to end with another hug and a smile, only much friendlier than before.

"Thank you, Hinata." Sakura whispered. "You're a good friend."

"No problem." She answered back. "I think Naruto said that to me once."

Both the girls made their way back to the campsite. Hinata waved goodbye to Sakura near where Naruto was sleeping. He was now lying on the ground, curled up like a little animal.

"Naruto." Hinata gently patted his shoulder. "Wake up, Naruto. Let's go back inside." She kept at it, but Naruto didn't even move. Hinata looked down the path to the campsite and back to Naruto several times. She felt a little guilty to just leave him there all alone at night, so she decided to stay. She sat next to Naruto and rested against the trunk. She looked at the boy with loving eyes as she went over what she promised to Sakura. Somehow, knowing that someone was fully aware of her feelings gave her some security. She softly started stroking Naruto's spiky hair. He still didn't move.

"Good night, Naruto." She bent over and kissed him on his forehead, where his headband would usually go. She lay back against the trunk again and soon fell asleep too.

Not too far away from where they were resting, a tall figure lurked in the darkness, carefully watching them. He was standing on a branch, looking out on them. He wore a black robe with red clouds over it. The collar was large enough to cover half of his face, which showed deep scars that looked like an attack from a wild beast. His eyes were red like blood with small black spirals inside of them. He observed the charming scene with interest, taking a look at both of them. After a careful analysis, he disappeared into the night.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"WHAT?!" Ino loudly interrogated Ten-Ten, who was sitting in front of her. They were surrounded by the remaining members of the Konoha 11 in the village. They were all having dinner at the Barbecue place Team 10 would often visit. "HE KISSED HER?!"

"It's not like that. It was just on her cheek, that's all." Ten-Ten replied.

"OK, then what happened?" Kiba asked intrigued.

"Well, Naruto when back home singing to high heaven. I don't think he's not the type to play it cool. I mean, he must've felt like he just scored big time. But still, that was a pretty smooth move he pulled off."

"I can't believe it." Ino said while resting her elbows on the table and holding her head with her palms. "Who would've thought things would move so quickly? Do you know what this means?"

"You bet I do." Ten-Ten said. "If we're lucky, we're going to get a nice surprise when they get back to the village."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hinata?" Hinata heard a familiar voice calling out to her. It sounded very close by.

"Hinata, it's time to get up." She felt someone was shaking her shoulder to encourage her to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes to be greeted with a grin from Naruto. He was wearing his headband again.

"Morning." Naruto said. Hinata blinked. She was obviously wowed to have him so close, but she wasn't as nervous as other times.

"You overslept, Hinata. Here, I saved you this." She handed her a cup off hot ramen noodles and a pair of chopsticks.

"Oh, thanks." She took the cup with gratitude. "Where's everyone else?" She asked.

"We're just getting ready to leave."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Well, you looked like you could use the sleep." He smiled once more. Hinata answered by smiling herself. She slowly started eating away at the ramen. When she was done, she stretched her arms upward and got up. She and Naruto regrouped with the others and were on their way to the Sand Village once again.