Naruto knelt next to a pile of pictures, papers, knick knacks, and his journal. Beneath the various items was an unraveled sealing scroll. His face was a mixture of indecisiveness and worry. With a sigh he performed the hand seals, and pumped chakra into the scroll, watching as all the various items disappeared into it.

After a moment he rolled up the scroll, picking up a few pictures that had fallen out. "I'll have to get rid of these... the duplicates are already gone, so I'll burn these or something..." Naruto reasoned, forming another set of seals, and summoned Gamakichi. "Hey buddy, I got some chips for you in the kitchen, go and get them, then I have a mission for ya. Be sure to share them with your brother."

Gamakichi bolted down the hall and snagged the chips ripping into a bag with great zeal, before returning to Naruto. "So, what's the mission?"

"I need you to hide this scroll in the summoning dimension for me, can ya do that?" Naruto asked, before stepping to the side to avoid Gamakichi's tongue. "What was that for?"

Gamakichi swallowed his mouthful after crunching the bug he'd caught. "Sorry, saw these bugs, and thought they'd be great with these chips. I was right."

Naruto was about to comment when suddenly he found himself slammed against the wall, staring into Shino's sunglasses. "Uh... hey Shino... what's up?"

Shino held up a trio of pictures to Naruto's eyes, causing the blue orbs to widen in fear. "Where'd you get those? I swear I didn't give them to anyone! I didn't tell anyone about that mission, except Tsunade-baa-chan. You were there with me when that happened."

Shino snarled as he slipped the pictures away, after a moment he brought his hand up to Naruto's neck. "Kiba found them... What was that scroll, and why did your summons eat my bug?"

Naruto gulped, eyes swiveling around the room, trying to find a way out of this, his answer came in the form of Gamakichi holding the scroll in question. "GAMAKICHI! GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled past Shino, causing the bug user to turn around and loosen his grip on the slippery blond. As the toad disappeared in a puff of smoke, Naruto dropped out of Shino's hold and sprang away, out the window into the back yard. Getting more room to move around he smirked back at Shino. "You want me, come and get me Shino."

Shino and his kekai bugs swarmed into the back yard, blacking out an area around the bug user. "Look man, I'm sorry about your bug, but seriously... why was he even there to begin with? I mean how would Hinata feel if she knew you were spying on us Bug-man?"

Shino paused in the middle of sending his wave of bugs to drain Naruto dry of chakra. Holding out his arms he drew the bugs back in with a sigh. "The reason Naruto, is that I had to find you, and my bugs are the easiest way. Now what was that scroll?"

"Just some things I wanted to hide for a while Bug-man..." Naruto replied evasively, looking at Shino seriously he sighed and shook his head. "What's going on Shino? I mean, I didn't tell Kiba about that, he took those pictures from me... and for that... I'm going to talk to him..." he finished with a mutter as his eyes turned red.

"I think that it might be a good idea to calm down before I answer that question Naruto," Shino stated calmly, his attention fully on Naruto as he took deep breaths to relax. "Kiba found them, and thought I might be interested to know about them. I knew they were yours as you were the only other one on that mission."

Naruto sighed and nodded. "I see... I still have to talk to Kiba, but yes, they're mine, and I'd like it if you'd return them to me, please," he finished, holding out his hand casually, "Come on, I'll just stick them with the others, and no one else will ever see them."

Shino fished out the trio and slapped them into Naruto's waiting hands, as his bugs reported a successful retrieval of the other pictures Naruto had dropped when Shino bull rushed him. "That day never happened, and you will continue never to speak about it, correct," Shino stated coldly, rather than asked, causing Naruto to gulp and nod.

"Sure thing Bug-man," Naruto answered with a large smile, "Hey, I've gotta go cook some dinner for Hinata and myself, so... if you don't mind, I'll be going..."

Shino nodded silently before turning away, walking slowly with his head bowed. "Oh, and Naruto? I'm sorry about my intrusion, you didn't deserve the attack. Please go lenient on Kiba, it would be bad for Konoha to remove one of our better shinobi from active duty over this matter." With a swirl of bugs, Shino was gone, leaving Naruto to only stare at where he had been.

Shino reappeared on a rooftop, taking out the pictures from his pocket and looking them over. A snicker escaped his lips before he regained his composure and tucked them away. "I should call a meeting of the others soon..." he mused for a moment, before taking a look at the setting sun. "But first get home for dinner. Mother would be very upset if I miss dinner..."

Naruto sighed and went back inside to start dinner. Growing up alone, he had learned long ago how to make food on his own, and had gotten to be pretty decent at it. Tonight he felt like making Hinata's favorite meal, fresh from scratch lasagna. He even had some of that wine Hiashi had given them in the cellar that would go perfect with it. Summoning up a couple of clones to help, he began the long process of making the lasagna, shortcutting the simmering of the sauce by using some he had put into a jar for just such occasions. One of the clones began making the garlic bread, while another chopped up the salad, tossing the assorted vegetables into a mix with a light oil-vinegar mix.

Several hours later, he smiled as the lasagna came out of the oven, just in time for Hinata to come home. Setting the pasta dish in the center of the table carefully he sent his clones outside, where they dispelled to avoid getting the smell of smoke in the house. Years of training with the clones taught him that the smell of them dispersing was very hard to get out of a room.

Walking out of the kitchen he scooped Hinata into a hug. "Hey Hina-chan... I made your favorite..." Naruto whispered tenderly into Hinata's ear, "After supper your father wanted to talk to me, but on the way home, I'll pick up that movie you like... You know, Kage of the Rings, the one with Suna Blossom in it, and I'll get some of those chocolates from the shop next to the movie store. Then it's you and me, just cuddling and watching movies, how's that sound?"

Hinata smiled, purring happily in contentment as she nuzzled into Naruto's neck. "Sounds wonderful, thank you..." After a moment something struck her as odd, he was trying too hard again. The first months of their relationship had been wonderful, but it was marred by Naruto's insecurity in the relationship, he would go out of his way to make sure that Hinata was happy, but when she tried to return the favor, he'd get edgy and worry if something was wrong. Looking at him closely she saw that his smile was honest, but there was some stress there.

She knew that part of his mind was reacting to the wedding, but there was more, she just knew. It didn't take her long to realize what it probably was, and there was only one course of action to take. She knew at that moment she had to get the others to call off the search.

Kissing Naruto's cheek she pulled him by the hand to the table, a demure smile playing on her face. Naruto has never been one to hide his feelings, except when protecting someone so close that they could sometimes feel them. That's when the smiles came out with the brilliant teeth, and dying eyes. They were meant to mimic his true smile, but in the end it was just a hollow imitation, leaving one empty and pained. She had gotten him over it once, and she was going to make sure he wasn't going to do it again.

Sitting him down in his chair, her smile turned wicked as she took her spot, not on her chair like he had expected, but on his lap, hugging him close. It wasn't that she'd gotten over her shyness over the years, her cheeks were turning red right now in fact, it was more that she knew he needed to know that she was there for him, as he was for her. "Did you have a nice day Naru-kun?"

Naruto gulped and nodded, his throat suddenly dry, another nice reaction that only Hinata ever got to see. She knew that he wasn't naive or innocent, no mind that came up with his Oiroke-no-justu could pass off as innocent. But he was unsure of being intimate, especially when alone with a woman that had 'assets' like Hinata had grown into.

"That's good..." Hinata purred softly as she served up some salad for the two of them to eat, and poured out a glass of the wine. "I see you've been busy..."

Spearing a piece of lettuce on the fork she smiled as she held it up to Naruto's lips, opening her mouth. "Say ahhh..." she whispered tenderly, the blush spreading to cover her entire body as Naruto's mouth dropped open wide with a nearly audible thunk. Taking the opportunity she slipped the lettuce into Naruto's mouth and closed it after removing the fork. "Now chew..." She instructed taking her own bite of salad.

Hinata was reminded of the differences between boys and girls by a steady pressure poking her in the thigh. While this caused her blush to darken, she decided to tease him a bit and squirmed about as she brought over the cup of wine, taking a sip of it slowly before his eyes, letting the sweet red fluid enter her mouth. A heart beat later the cup was resting against Naruto's lips, letting him take a drink. "Isn't this a nice wine? We really should thank father for giving it to us..."

Hinata smiled as Naruto recovered enough upper brain function to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her in place, and grabbing the other fork, to help feed her as well. The salad quickly disappeared between the two, with playful kisses snuck in while the other had their mouths full of various edibles. The playful twinkle in Naruto's eyes grew into a burning desire, while Hinata's blush kept getting redder as the night went on. Finally, somewhere in the house an alarm went off, just as they wiped up the last of the sauce with garlic bread. Naruto looked torn between going to his appointment with Hiashi, or calling in love sick.

The decision was taken out of his hands by a tender kiss on the lips from Hinata, and light nudge to the door. "Go on Naruto-kun, I'll do the dishes and then go get that movie and some popcorn for us... maybe even some of those ramen flavored jelly beans, as a special treat for being good."

Naruto nodded mutely to the closing door, before he turned and wafted his way towards the main house. His mind wasn't on the tea, or the meeting, but rather the beautiful, and loving woman he had waiting for him when he returned. Even as he knocked politely on the door, his mind was still stuck on Hinata. It wasn't until Hiashi cleared his throat to calmly ask, "Would you care to take a cold shower first, or are you ready for tea?" did he return to the here and now.

"Err... Hiashi-san... I... uhh..." Naruto stumbled, blushing deeply, "It's just uhh... Hinata and I were having dinner and... uhh..."

Hiashi chuckled and held up his hand to forestall Naruto's explanation. "I do remember what it was like to be young and in love Naruto-san... and would prefer not to learn about my daughter... acting in that nature. Come, let's enjoy some tea, while we plan out that garden of yours, and maybe some of my own..."

Naruto nodded with a slight blush and a laugh. Waving to Hanabi and Neji, who were walking in behind him, he joined Hiashi and knelt before the tea table. It wasn't a traditional tea ceremony, but rather just a casual cup of tea, shared by two men. Something that Naruto remembers doing with Sarutobi once in a while. It was a nice, welcoming gesture that Naruto appreciated deeply.

Meanwhile, Hinata was calling up Shikamaru. The dishes were done, and now she had to try and protect Naruto. Hearing the other line pick up she smiled hearing Shikamaru's tired drawl. "Shika, what's up?"

"Shikamaru-san... we have to forget about the journal... it's hurting Naruto..." Hinata stated quietly, her resolve slightly diminished now that the time had come. "Please Shikamaru-san, let's stop this..."

"I was about to call you on that Hinata..." Shikamaru said, looking at some pictures that Shino had given him. "Chouji and I were thinking of taking Naruto out to lunch, as an apology. We'll even not talk about the pictures."

Hinata paused in thought for a minute before responding. "You're not going to ask about the pictures, or anything at all, right? Naruto-kun is on edge as is..."

"It's troublesome, but yes, I think that Naruto will tell us when he's ready," Shikamaru drawled tiredly as he shook his head. "Naruto is a friend, and we should have trusted him more. I'm sorry for my part in causing this."

"I understand Shikamaru-san... and I hope you guys enjoy your lunch out," Hinata answered quietly. "Can you ask the others to stop too? I know you were taking turns, but I'd feel better knowing they knew to stop."

Shikamaru sighed and scratched his chin. "I'll take care of it as soon as Asuma junior takes his nap... I'll talk to you later," Shikamaru finished before hanging up and picking up the young son of his sensei. "Come on kid, let's go get you laid down."

As he settled in to read the nap time story, he never once suspected that he'd fall asleep and completely forget about asking the others to back off. Much to his chagrin when talking to Hinata in the future.