Hinata looked at the wallet in her hands worriedly. Initially she had been mortified that someone got a picture of her peeking on Naruto, but then Shikamaru had explained to her the situation in how he had came to get the wallet and picture. Tucking the wallet into her pockets she sighed in thought about how to approach Naruto about this. Something to ease into the situation might be best.

Walking out of her bedroom, she found Naruto sitting in the living room staring at the far wall, holding a book with several pictures sticking out of the edges. Sitting down next to him, she wrapped her arms around him gently. "Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"

"It's..." Naruto started before sighing heavily. "I screwed up a long time ago Hinata, and now everyone's coming after me for it. All because of some stupid pictures I took."

"I'm sure that you can handle it Naru-kun... there is very little you can't do," Hinata answered rubbing his back, "Maybe you just need to get the entire story out on the table and let the cards fall as they may... look how it turned out for me concerning my crush for you..."

Naruto's eyed Hinata nervously for a moment before pushing Hinata's hand off his shoulder. "You're in on it with them, aren't you? You're trying to see all the pictures."

"No Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered soothingly as she pushed the book away from her with one finger, "These are yours, and it's your choice when you want to show it. But you know I'll always be here for you, I'll be by your side always Naruto."

Naruto looked down at the book, and then at Hinata again nervously, relaxing slightly before asking, "So you're not in it with them?"

Hinata froze and looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun... I found the first picture... and showed Sakura... it just snowballed from there. If I had the chance, I'd have brought the picture straight back to you... it's just... everyone has been concerned about that day Naruto-kun... no one can remember it."

Naruto turned to look Hinata full on, a cross of hurt betrayal and anger playing across his face. "You... you started this... but..." he started to ask, before taking a deep breath and hugging Hinata tightly, "I... I know you probably meant well Hinata, but... Why'd you do it?"

"I... I don't know Naruto..." Hinata whispered, "I just found the picture, and saw flashbacks from that day... and thought someone else might remember more... and Sakura was the first one I saw..."

"I see..." Naruto answered quietly, his usual smile faded from his face. "Then everyone wanted to see the pictures, you resisted at first, didn't you? But then you were overwhelmed by your own curiosity, and outside pressure." Leaning slightly he kissed her forehead gently. "It's okay Hina-chan, I understand..."

"I don't Naruto-kun... why do you want to hide them?" Hinata inquired, pulling out Naruto's wallet, "Like the picture that fell out of this when you dropped it in Ichiraku's... I mean, it's embarrassing to see that... but it's pretty funny if you think about it... I was panicking over having a crush on a girl for a few minutes."

Naruto chuckled for a moment at the last part. "Do I have to worry about you cheating on me with myself?" he teased gently before leaning back against the love seat. "It's just... there are a lot of good memories for me in there... but most of them are at the expense of others... some that they don't even know it was me yet... I'm... I'm worried that they will hate me if they see it Hina-chan."

"No one will hate you Naruto," Hinata answered soothingly, while rubbing his arm. "They might be angry with you for a while, but they won't hate you. They are your your friends, and I love you, you don't have to fear us."

Naruto relaxed more, looking up at the ceiling. "I... it's not easy for me to express this Hinata, but I'm not ready to lose another friend right now."

"You don't have to show us if you don't want to," Hinata whispered gently as she kissed his cheek gently, "How about we get some lunch? Maybe we can go out and get some ramen..."

"I don't know Hinata... how about you take a shower and we'll see..." Naruto reasoned and kissed her forehead again. "I know that you hate going out with frizzy hair."

"Alright Naruto-kun," Hinata answered with a laugh, "I'll be back soon."

As he watched Hinata leave, Naruto sighed scratching the back of his head when he noticed the solid weight of the journal on his leg. Looking down at it he sighed and shook his head, before putting it on the coffee table. That little book was more trouble than it was really worth.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a key for the journal's lock, infusing it with his chakra before setting it down on the book itself. Pulling out a sheet of paper he wrote Hinata a quick note explaining that he needed to get out of town for a while, and that he was going to the place that he had shown her on their first date. Finally, he added that the key would open the lock for her to see the inside of the journal.

Standing up he picked up his travel pack, and walked out the front door, closing it behind him quietly. Five minutes later, Hiashi walked into the living room looking at a seed packet in his hands while talking. "Naruto-san, I was wondering if you had some time to work on the gard..." Hiashi cut himself off when he noticed he was alone. Finding the note, he gave it a quick read before settling in on the love seat. "It seems you need some help now too Naruto. It is my turn to help you."

A few more minutes later, Hinata came in from the bathroom still toweling her long hair, but otherwise dressed. Looking at the love seat, she blinked in surprise at finding her father there. "Ano... father... is there something wrong?"

"Apparently," Hiashi began holding out the note for her to read, "I came to see if Naruto-san wanted to garden with me... It would seem that his relationship with you needs some weeding as well..."

Hinata read over the note curiously before looking at the journal on the table. "But... I thought... I didn't want to see it..."

"You're still curious though Hinata," Hiashi supplied, guiding his daughter onto the couch beside him. "He knew that you'd still want to see it, but he couldn't bear watching you or the others seeing it. You above all others should realize that what is inside here..." Hiashi paused to tap the book in question, "could be a dark and painful history for him..."

Hinata's eyes lowered to the floor, as she fiddled with her hands. "I... I know that father... that's why I wasn't going to have him show us..."

"But Naruto knew that you'd still want to see," Hiashi countered gently as he stood up, "I will let you reflect on what you will do... I ask that you do think about this deeply, you may not like what you see."

"I will father..." Hinata answered as Hiashi left. Once she heard the door close, she shut her eyes and takes several deep breaths before picking up the key and looking at it curiously. Setting it back down on the book she curled up on the love seat and began thinking.

Meanwhile, Naruto stopped off by Tsunade to let her know about his camping in order to avoid being labeled a missing nin. "Hey Baa-chan, I'm going to be camping for a few days, up on top of the Hokage monument."

"Hold on brat, I was just about to call you and Kakashi," Tsunade answered as she sent out the messenger hawk. "Wait here, got a C-rank mission to Suna, thought you'd like to see Gaara again. It's a messenger mission, but its money in your pocket. Since it'd just be you and Kakashi, I can give you a bit extra."

"What about Sakura?" Naruto asked curiously.

"She has a prior engagement at the hospital for open heart surgery, and it's vitally important that she's there tonight," Tsunade explained while weaving her fingers together. "I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah, no problem..." Naruto answered with a shrug, "But umm... I told Hinata I'd be out camping... would you mind telling her that I'm on a mission?"

"Why don't you do that on the way out?" Tsunade asked noticing Naruto's nervous attitude and flighty stance.

"Uh... well, I... I'd rather not talk to her right now..." Naruto explained as he looked out the window, "It's... complicated, but I pulled some pranks back in the academy, and now they're coming back to haunt me."

"Alright brat, tell you what, I'll tell Hinata about your mission, if you let me borrow your camping spot for a couple days."

"Deal," Naruto answered with a small smile, "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it brat," Tsunade countered, grinning like the cat that ate the canary, "You're helping me out too."

"Audit time again baa-chan? I thought you learned last year not to avoid them..." Naruto teased with a healthy smirk back in place.

"Don't make me leave a Naruto shaped hole in my wall, they just got down with repairing the last one brat," Tsunade answered cracking her knuckles.

"Maaa, did I come at a bad time?" Kakashi drawled while leaning against the window frame, "I can come back..."

"No Kakashi, you're fine, we were done anyhow. I'm sending you two on a messenger mission, It's a C-ranked mission, but I need to make certain that this will get there," Tsunade stated calmly while pulling out a scroll and handing it to Kakashi. "I trust you not to look at it."

"Of course Hokage-sama," Kakashi answered tucking the scroll away somewhere on his body, "We'll just be on our way then, shall we?"

"Sure, enjoy the trip," Tsunade offered with a smile before watching the two leave. After a few minutes, she pulled out a bottle of sake and gulped down a few mouthfuls. Leaning back she smirked as she looked out her window. "Naruto, are you in for a surprise when you get home..."

Tsunade was just about to sneak off to play hookie when the door opened again and Shizune entered carrying an armload of scrolls. Tsunade smirked as she slipped in behind the younger kunoichi and scooped her up, scattering the scrolls all over the place. The last anyone saw of them, was the guards hearing Shizune shouting at Tsunade to put her down.