Wow! I got a little discouraged after the fic only got two reviews after a few days, but after I reposted it, it immediately got twenty-one as of now! Thank you all so much, you've encouraged me greatly! I'm so glad you all seemed to like Jiraiya's ultimate ero-jutsu.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Naruto awoke to the warm sensation that was Hinata's back pressed against his chest. Briefly suffering the sensation of temporary morning-amnesia, the memories of last night flooded to him, lulling him into a sweet reverie. He tightened his embrace around his still slumbering love, thrusting his nose into the nape of her neck, inhaling the sweet fragrance she exuded. She was still lightly damp with the sweat generated from last night's affairs and that, combined with her natural scent of wildflowers produced an aroma of spice and flavor so incredible Naruto couldn't resist but give her a small peck, stroking her long raven tresses.

Like electricity to wire, this seemed to jumpstart Hinata's mind, waking her from her rest. She blinked slowly for a few seconds and then noticed Naruto's arms around her. "Naruto-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"Did we… was last night… real?" she asked timidly.

He leaned in closely, whispering to her ear, "Completely."

She turned around so she could face him. Excitedly, she breathed, "Then that means you…?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling softly, "I love you, Hinata. You're the love of my life."

Before the sentence had even been completed, tears of joy had sprung forth from Hinata's eyes. "Oh, Naruto-kun!" she cried, kissing him and forcing her tongue through his lips, swishing it around his mouth as fast as she could. Naruto had not been expecting such a shock this early in the morning and was left dazed when her mouth left his. "I love you. I love you so much that I used to faint at the sight of you."

Naruto grinned. "When did you start?" he asked gently.

"Hm?"

"Since when have you loved me?"

Hinata placed a finger to her chin. "Let's see… do you remember the second week we were in the academy together, and we had our first shuriken practice?"

"Yeah."

"About six minutes into that," she answered sweetly.

Naruto gaped at her. Mind-boggled, he said "But… that was… that was years and years ago!"

"Yes," she replied, still charmingly. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you were special, because… you were like me. Everyone called you a failure, everyone rejected you, and yet you persisted. You inspired me to move forward, to change myself, and for that… I loved you. You were more precious to me than the entire world. You still are."

"Hinata…" He pulled her even closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Brow raised, she asked, "Why's that?"

"I was stupid. Really, really stupid… I called you plain and timid… but really, you were this wonderful girl all along, and I didn't notice. I'm sorry," he repeated, giving her a squeeze.

"It's okay," she murmured, returning the embrace. "So… how about you? When did you… realize your own feelings?"

"Whoo," he said, "I guess, I only realized them like a few months ago, but when I think about it… I've had them for a while. Maybe even a short while after Ero-sennin's death."

"I said it's okay," she reassured him, "We have each other now." He nodded, pleased. "So," she said, leaning back so she could face him, "What do you want to do now?"

He smiled; leaning back and yawning, he began flapping his arms wildly as he fell off the bed with a loud thunk. Concerned, Hinata looked over the edge to see him chortling as he rubbed the bump that had appeared on his head. "Looks like I'll need a bigger bed," he said, lifting himself up. "What do you say we go shopping for one today?"

Fear etched itself in Hinata's features. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple. In a hushed voice, she said, "N-Naruto-kun… you know I can't do that."

"You can," he protested, taking her hand. "I believe in you. You'll be okay, I promise."

Her breathing grew unsteady as she replied, "B-but w-w-what if-"

"No buts," he interrupted, "Whatever happens, I'll protect you with my life, no matter what."

She drew a deep, long breath. "Naruto-kun's words," she thought, "His face, his eyes, his stance… everything is telling me to trust him. Maybe, just maybe…" "O-okay," she gulped, lifting herself from the bed. "I-I-I'll do it."

He smiled and then reached for his pants. "Alright… let's get dressed and we'll go," he said, pulling the clothing over himself. She nodded and followed suit, grabbing her clothes.

A few minutes later, they were dressed and groomed, standing right in front of Naruto's apartment door. "Okay," he said, grasping the knob. "Are you ready?"

She shook her head. "No," she said, "But let's do it anyway." Nodding, he opened the door and walked through and she, breathing deep once more, stepped through quickly.

"You see?" he said, gesturing to the outside, "Nothing bad out here."

She gazed at the scene before her: The streets were bustling with the various inhabitants of Konoha, children playing, people talking, but most of all, Hinata noticed the weather. The sun was shining radiantly and Hinata, facing the sun, took a lungful of fresh air. Despite her worrying and fidgeting, she smiled and turned to Naruto, offering her hand. "Let's go," she said, and Naruto, returning the expression, accepted her palm, clutching her palm and leading her through the streets. "So where are we going first?" Hinata asked as they walked.

"First… we gotta visit Ino's shop," he said, and a minute later, they enetered the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Welcome, custom-" Ino began, but pressed her hand against her mouth when she caught sight of her patrons. "Oh my God," she whispered. She jumped over the counter and embraced Hinata in a hug as tightly as possible. "Hinata!" she cried, releasing her grip and inspecting her up and down. "I haven't seen you in so long! Look at you, you look amazing!"

Hinata smiled sweetly as she could while surprised at this outburst, "Th-thank you, Ino-chan," she said, bowing.

"And look at me, gawking at you! Come, come, tell me what you need." she asked, returning to her position behind the counter.

"We'll need a dozen roses, please," said Naruto.

"Sure thing! I have some in the back, if you'll follow me please, Naruto," she replied, waving him over.

"I'll be right back," he nodded to Hinata, and then walked towards Ino, closing the door behind him.

"Okay," she said in a quiet tone, cutting the roses, "The real reason I called you back here… Well, I heard what happened to her, the rape and disownment – Hiashi's a bastard, by the way - and considering Hinata's character… I'm sorry to say this, but I never would have thought she could recover. But you…" she pointed at Naruto, "You somehow brought her back from the brink. No one in this village could have done that: not Kurenai-sensei, not Kiba, not Shino, no one. I used to think it was crazy and stupid when you babbled on about being Hokage and whatnot, but really… after seeing what you've done today, I wholeheartedly believe you could lead this village."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, but really, I was just helping a friend."

"I know," she replied, bundling the roses, "And that's what makes it amazing. Thank you so much, Naruto."

"Don't mention it," he said, taking the flowers, "Thanks for these." He walked out of the backroom and said to Hinata, "Okay, we're ready. Let's go." As they stepped out the door, he added, "See ya, Ino!" and Hinata waved, leaving a contented Ino waiting for her next customer.

Hinata had been a bit nervous entering the shop but relaxed a bit as she left. She had been afraid that everyone would view her as a pathetic wreck, but Ino seemed positively delighted to see her. "She was probably just being nice," Hinata rationalized in doubt. "So where are we going with these roses, Naruto-kun?"

"We're… going to see an old friend," Naruto said solemnly, Hinata on his left arm and the roses on his right. Hinata instantly knew what he meant and her thoughts were confirmed as they reached the Konoha memorial graveyard. They stopped at a statue and Hinata took in its sight: There it was, a young Jiraiya, portrayed in shining black stone, perched on a gold frog, grinning confidently. The plaque, Hinata saw, read:

JIRAIYA OF THE LEGENDARY SANNIN

THE GALLANT SAGE OF MOUNT MYOBOKU, THE DEMON AMONG THE TOADS, THE MAGNIFICENT TEACHER OF THE GREATEST ALIVE AND DEAD

FOR HIS HONORABLE WORKS, IN LIFE AND AT DEATH, WE REMEMBER HIM FOR ETERNITY

The inscription was so fitting Naruto had initially wondered whether or not Jiraiya had composed it himself before dying. It constantly made him nostalgic regarding their training and with his newly recalled "lessons" on how to please the fairer sex, Naruto nearly felt physically compelled to visit the memorial. Now, as he laid the flowers upon the base of the grave, he noticed a second bouquet, not a day old. "Baachan," Naruto thought with a sad smile. Bent down, he read the simple tag inside Tsunade's flowers, "I'm so sorry. Love forever, Tsunade-hime."

It seemed she still felt a twinge of guilt every now and then, even well over a year later. Naruto was unsurprised. If the death of Dan on top of her little brother's had been enough to send her, a medic, into a state of hemophobia, certainly Jiraiya's death would linger longer than twelve months.

With a deep breath, Naruto began to speak. "Hey, Ero-sennin. It's nice to see you again. Sorry I didn't come visit more recently, I've just been a little… busy. That reminds me," he said, with a glance at Hinata, "You were right. You were absolutely right." He closed his eyes in remembrance.

"How's it going, Naruto?" asked a still inebriated Jiraiya as Naruto practiced his new task.

"Screw off!" Naruto bit back, molding chakra.

"Oh, hey now, there's no need to be so angry," Jiraiya said pleasantly. "You never know when you'll need these techniques. You might be at your little flat one night, holding close to you a glorious, ebon-haired, bright-eyed lady who loves you very much… and then, if you're lucky, you'll get to use the eighth gate. Few in several lifetimes ever get to witness such thing."

Naruto, eyebrows up, gawked at Jiraiya in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Ero-sennin?"

Jiraiya sighed, rolling over in his sleeping bag. "Never mind. Keep it going, and when you've mastered it, I'll help you power up that Rasengan. I'm gonna take a nap in the meantime."

"Yes, sir," Naruto grumbled resentfully.

Jiraiya yawned. "You're a good kid, Minato…" he mumbled quietly.

"What was that?" Naruto asked, pausing his practice, but Jiraiya had already drifted off and was snoring heavily. "Dammit," he said, resuming, "His stupid wheezing's gonna distract me…"

"Well," said Naruto, bowing to the statue, "Thanks again. I'll see you later, Ero-sennin. Take care."

Hinata stepped towards the stone colossus. "I'd… like to say something to him, Naruto-kun," she said, "if that's okay." He nodded, and she faced Jiraiya's effigy. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama," she murmured. "You gave Naruto-kun his power, his dreams… and with that, you allowed him to give hopes and dreams to others. I didn't really know you, but I know you were a good man. I'm in your debt forever." She retreated from the statue. "Okay," she said, clutching Naruto once more, "Let's go buy that bed." He smiled and pulled her away, giving one last satisfied look towards the monument before leaving.

They arrived at the furniture store a few minutes later and began inspecting various mattresses. Naruto, placing his hand on one possible bed, asked, "Whaddya think of this one, Hinata?"

"Uhm, I-I'm not sure, whatever you like is fiiiii!" she squealed as Naruto hoisted her up and tossed her on the bed, leaving her to bounce for a few seconds, first shrieking and then giggling, before settling down, panting. When she recovered, she said, "Th-this one is… great."

Naruto smiled. "Great. Now we just need a frame… yeesh, that, plus the double bed and the sheets…" With a grimace, he revealed his new froggy wallet, taking out the checkbook from within. "That's gonna run me up," he muttered.

Hinata frowned, ashamed. "I'm sorry… I'm making you spend this much…"

His expression immediately reverted. "Hey, no, it's okay! I was going to throw that old thing out anyway! I've had it since I could remember, so it's really short on me anyway, and I dunno if you noticed, but there's this spring that's popped in it, and I keep getting poked. Really annoying," he emphasized. "Besides," he said, taking his arm around her, "Any expense is worth it for you." Poking her cheek, he added with a grin, "Now show me that smile, eh?" Despite herself, she obliged, beaming lightly. "Alright then. Let's get this bed, shall we?"

They finished selecting the frame and sheets and Naruto spoke to the clerk, "Okay, I think that's it…"

"Very good, Naruto-san," the clerk replied, "Would you like us to deliver it now?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I've got my own shipping service," he said, placing his hands into his familiar cross. "Tajuu kagebunshin no jutsu (Mass Shadow Doppelganger Technique)!" Instantly, several duplicates of Naruto materialized in the room. "Alright, boys!" he directed, "Take the stuff and go home!" Saluting briefly, the clones organized themselves and exited with Naruto's purchases. The original Naruto and Hinata left soon after, leaving the clerk more than a little disturbed.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto said as they walked, "What's the date?"

"Uhm, the nineteenth, I think," she replied.

"Great!" said Naruto, clenching an excited fist, "Today's payday! Let's go see Tsunade-baachan, eh?"

"Uh, um…" she said nervously, pushing her fingers together, "M-maybe we could just go home… We've been out for a while."

Naruto sighed. "I promise you it'll be our last stop. Then we can return, okay?" He wanted to push her, just the smallest bit, every day.

She clamped her eyes tight for a few seconds while Naruto waited with baited breath. "O… Okay," she said finally. "Let's go see Hokage-sama." His smile returned and quickly, he grasped her palm and hurried off to the building with the kanji of fire on its balcony.

"And so, the documents recovered without any witnesses, Team Kakashi was able to retreat from the Land of Water," Sakura finished informing Tsunade alongside Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Excellent," Tsunade said, satisfied at the report, "You, Sasuke, and Kakashi will receive payment with a bonus for a perfectly executed S-class mission and, of course, a portion will be distributed to Naruto as part of his paid leave." Suddenly, a knock came at the office door. "Yes? Come in?"

"Hey guys," Naruto said, entering. "How're you all doing?"

"Well speak of the devil," Tsunade muttered. "I assume you're here for your check? Good timing."

"Yeah, it's great. I just bought a new double bed," he added with a smirk.

Tsunade did a double take, but smiled immediately after. "That's good to hear, very good to hear," she said, searching the drawer for Naruto's payment.

Naruto glanced at the door and gestured to come in. "It's okay," he said gently.

Slowly, Hinata entered and though kept her head down, she did utter, "H-hello, ev-veryone."

The room fell completely silent. Sakura stared at the couple; eyes wide and mouth agape, while Kakashi and Sasuke merely peered from the side, brows elevated. Tsunade, on the other hand, merely watched, gladdened by the sight. "Oh my God," Sakura started softly, hyperventilating, "Hinata… you're – you're out here, out of the house, and-"

"I think what Sakura means to say," Kakashi cut through, "is welcome home, Hinata-san." Sasuke gave an agreeing nod.

"Th-thank you," she whispered with a little bow.

Tsunade closed her eyes in contemplation and, reaching a decision, opened them. "Alright, Naruto, this was supposed to be given to you when you turned eighteen, but since your birthday is in a few months, and, considering the circumstances, I suppose I can let you have it a little bit early. That is," she said, eyeing the shinobi before her suspiciously, "If you five can keep your mouths shut about it."

"Uh," said Naruto, giving her a quizzical gaze, "Don't wanna be rude there, baa-chan, but… what the hell are you talking about?"

"Naruto," she said, very seriously. "Did you honestly think that, with Jiraiya as your godfather, the only things you'd receive would be a book and a few pieces of paper?"

"It is a good book," Kakashi piped up.

"Uhm," said Naruto, puzzled, "I hadn't really thought about it…"

"Oh, come on!" Tsunade blurted, "You must have seen his checkbook at some point during your time together!"

Naruto indeed did recall, during the search for Tsunade, incidentally, goggling at the sheer number of zeroes in his sensei's account. "Wh… what are you saying?" he asked softly.

"It's your inheritance, Naruto," she answered, pulling out a very ornately designed envelope from a safe under her desk. It was sealed with a gold and red spiral-leaf insignia, the symbol of the entire village. "It's finally time for you to open it. You're the only one who can."

Naruto, hands quaking, took the envelope between his fingers and placed his thumb on the seal. In a flash of blue light, it dissolved, the paper lifting, revealing the check within. There it was, as unbelievable as it appeared: His name as the recipient and Jiraiya's as the sender. The amount was easily ten times Naruto's current savings balance. Naruto began to feel dizzy, slightly relieved as Hinata's hand landed on his shoulder. "Oh… my… fucking… God…" he breathed, the world spinning around him.

Tsunade grinned, a bit demonically. "Don't faint on me now, ya wimp. There's more to come!"

Naruto blanched. "You're fucking with me. You're totally fucking with me."

"Watch your mouth," Tsunade growled, a vein throbbing in her forehead. She instantly calmed down, and her smile returned. "Anyway, when Minato and Kushina passed away, they gave control of their assets to Jiraiya, eventually to be passed on to you when the time was right. I believe that time is now." From the safe, this time, she removed a small chest, turquoise with amethyst edges and lock. At the same time, she grasped a tiny, silver key. "Go ahead," she said, holding out to Naruto. "It's all yours."

Naruto's hands were so unstable he couldn't grasp the key properly, the sweat covering his palms. Suddenly, Hinata's hands wrapped around his own. The warmth of her hands seemed to flood him, calming him as he looked to his left, matching her pleasant gaze. "Go," she said softly, "As Tsunade-sama said… it's all yours."

He respired slowly as Hinata guided his hands to the key, nudging his fingers to wrap around its silver handle. Then, slowly, she urged him to push the metal into the lock and twist… the lid flapped open, revealing a series of documents, which Naruto noticed as bank statements. Steeling his resolve, he read them and, as he figured with his father's position as Hokage, Naruto learned that his parents' sum was over twice that of Jiraiya's. He froze, unable to process any emotion or thought.

"Naruto," said Sasuke, "You okay?"

A minute passed until Naruto said, completely rejuvenated, "Okay? Are you kidding me? I'm better than okay! I'm about as rich as you!"

"Yeah, but the difference is that I won't waste it all on ramen," Sasuke returned with a cocky grin.

"Shut up!" Naruto said indignantly, but couldn't remain frustrated as his best friend with this news. "It doesn't matter, anyway." He turned to Hinata. "What's important, is… is that I can finally make everything good in our lives… I can finally set things right."

She beamed at him, then leaned in closely and whispered into his ear, "If I'm with you, as far as I'm concerned, things have already been set right."

He beamed right back at her and then turned to the rest of the room. "Sorry to take my leave so suddenly, but Hinata and I have gotta go!"

"Before you leave," Tsunade said with a caring grin, "Don't spend it all in one place."

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Sakura called as Hinata and Naruto hopped away. Naruto, excited as he was, did not reply to either of the women. Instead, they ran through the halls, and as they entered into the fresh air, Kakashi materialized in front of them.

"Yo!" he said with a slight wave. "Just wanted to give my congratulations. It's really great."

"Thanks, sensei," Naruto said graciously.

"You know," Kakashi muttered as he leafed through The Tale of the Gallant Naruto." "Jiraiya-sama was extremely proud of you, Naruto."

"Yeah, I know."

"And like I said you would… you've already surpassed my sensei." Naruto could only grin with a slight uncharacteristic blush. With what Naruto uncertainly presumed was a wink, Kakashi added, "Now, since you've cleaned up your shinobi life, go get your personal life in shape, okay?"

Naruto's teeth shined at Kakashi as he brilliantly replied, "Yes, sir!" With that, he swooped his hand under Hinata, scooping her into his arms as she squealed with delight. "See you later, sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Have a good day, Kakashi-sensei!" Hinata called as Naruto leapt away with her across the rooftop, while Kakashi waved back and resumed flipping through his book.

They reached the apartment, hurrying to the bedroom where the kagebunshin had already set up their new bed. Dispersing them, Naruto clambered onto it, Hinata sitting lightly on the edge. "So, today was a good day, eh?" he asked hopefully.

She remained silent for a moment, apparently deliberating Naruto's question. Soon, however, she donned a tremendous smile and said "… Yes, it was."

Naruto's heart swelled. Not only was it incredible that she showed another sign of recovery, but Naruto absolutely loved her smile. As he'd said to her last night, she was so pure, so innocent… a symbol, to him, of everything good and worth living for in his life. When she was happy, it seemed the whole world couldn't resist following along and Naruto loved her even more for that. Seeing her yawn (another adorable sight), he said, "You're pretty tired, huh?"

"Mhm," she replied, hand on her mouth.

"Well… you can rest on this nice, cushy bed while I go out and do something," he said, pressing down on the mattress. "Wow, this thing really is cushy," he added with a surprised stare.

"Okay…" she said sleepily, laying her head upon the pillow.

Naruto took the blanket and tucked her in, pausing for a moment to run his hand through her silken locks and pass a finger over her soft cheek. "I love you," he whispered as her lids slowly fell.

"I… love you too," she muttered as her breathing steadied to the light sound of sleep.

Silently creating a few bunshin to watch over her, Naruto, with one last fond look at his lover, opened his window and leapt out. "I wish I could rest with you, Hinata," he thought, "but this is something I've got to do."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Hyuga Hiashi sat alone in his quarters at the Hyuga estate, sipping sake at a rather frequent rate, his heart muddled with trifle. He knew that over the last few months, the word had spread that he had disowned his wonderful daughter. He was a new monster in the village: every person he to whom he talked spoke with a terrible tone, and even some of his subordinates within the clan acted the same way. He had begun to rethink his actions, something he'd rarely done over the years. And so, he contemplated his future with alcohol, hoping that it's intoxicating effect would relieve some of his stress.

Suddenly, footsteps reached his ear and behind him a voice said, "Knock-knock, asshole."

Slowly, he turned around, placing the sake gently on the floor and replied, "How did you get in here, Kyuubi-brat?"

Naruto, face in a scowl, said, "Let's just say your guards are… sleeping."

"Intriguing," Hiashi said, activating his Byakugan and pacing around Naruto. "So you've managed to surpass even our elite clan members, or at least… the weaker ones. I assume you're here for… her?"

Naruto's scowl deepened, his teeth clenched in rage. "She has a name, you know. It's Hyuga Hinata. She's your daughter."

Hiashi did not respond for a moment, pausing his pacing. Afterwards, however, he responded as he continued his circling, "I can tell by your heart rate and bodily functions that you are not nervous or frightened by my presence, and that you are resolute in coming here. Impressive."

"I'm not afraid of you," Naruto growled, "I'm certain I can kick your ass to hell."

Hiashi smirked, once again stopping, this time facing Naruto. "Is that so… let's see you try, shall we?" With that, he lunged at Naruto, palm open and planted it against his chest. Naruto, much to Hiashi's surprise, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I can cast Kagebunshin no Jutsu without seals or announcement, faster than your stupid eyes can see," Naruto told Hiashi coldly.

"Impossible. You merely got lucky. But luck runs out, brat," he said, lunging at Naruto again, hitting another fake.

"You call me 'Kyuubi-brat,' because I have the demon fox sealed within me," Naruto said as he continued to dodge Hiashi's strikes. "I was strong, strong enough to fight on par with the heirs to the Uchiha clan. But I was not strong enough to face my fate, to fight the evils that would chase after me solely for what I am. I always denied the demon fox, keeping it in its cage until I needed just some power from it."

"Your story lacks interest," Hiashi said, throwing another futile fist at Naruto.

"I'm getting to the point, hold up," he said, this time catching Hiashi's wrist and staring him straight in the eyes. "An asshole once told me that my identity crisis was this: Am I Naruto, or am I the fox? In order to face those who hunted me, I decided to defy that. I decided to become both. It's too long to explain now… but I became powerful from it. I gained the power I needed to protect those I care about, those too dear to me to let go. I gained that strength because I love. That's it. You, however," he raged, tightening his grip on Hiashi's wrist, "You have power, always have. You've got the strength of your bloodline and an entire clan at your disposal. But you use that to push away those who deserve your care, those who had to have it in their time of need. You can't give it to them, to her. That is why you will never be able to beat me, Hiashi."

Hiashi, listening to Naruto's words, found himself oddly understanding them and slowly, he retracted his fists, deactivating his Byakugan and realizing, at last, exactly what he had done to his first child. "Dear God…" he muttered, falling to his knees, "What… what have I- I'm terrible, I really am a monster, I-"

"Save your pity party," Naruto said harshly, "We're not doing this thing for you. It's for Hinata."

"Very well," Hiashi said as he rose, "She… that is, Hinata, my little girl, my daughter, is once again heiress to this clan. She will be allowed back on the premises."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, that's great and all, but she'll still be staying with me."

Hiashi gaped at first, and then nodded. "Yes… I understand."

"And I expect you to give her a full apology."

"Of course."

"Now," said Naruto, walking away, "I'm going to go care for your daughter," and exploded in a puff of smoke.

"That one was a bunshin too, eh?" Hiashi thought sorrowfully in the darkness of his room. Slowly, he walked to his desk, gathered paper and brush, and began to compose, "To my dear, wonderful child…"

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, learning that Hinata was still napping from the information gained from his bunshin, Naruto decided to enjoy a nice meal with his best friend. As he walked to Ichiraku, suddenly, the immense realization hit him like a sack of bricks. "Hooooly shit. I'm rich. I'm loaded! I can finally pay back Iruka-sensei for ramen!" Blissful at the knowledge that Hiashi was dealt with and his financial problems had dissolved, Naruto landed next to Sasuke at the ramen stand's bench.

"Hey," said Sasuke, grinning, "You're late. Picking up some of Kakashi's traits?"

"Nah," said Naruto, toothily smiling, "Just had to take care of something, a onetime deal."

"Well, alright," said Sasuke, separating his chopsticks and digging in, "Itadakimasu."

The two ate happily chitchatting about their lives, and Sasuke asked, "So you and Hinata are a couple, huh?"

Naruto chuckled. "So you noticed. Insightful, that Sharingan is."

"No, it was just ridiculously obvious."

"Is that so," Naruto said happily into the sky.

"So how is it?" Sasuke asked.

"What?"

"The relationship."

In a dazed sort of smile, Naruto said, "Perfect."

"Really?"

"Yeah… she's great, she's beautiful, smart, kind… she has a heart purer than any I've seen."

Sasuke smiled, happy for his friend. "That's good, real good."

"So how about you and Sakura-chan?"

"Oh, boy," said Sasuke, "It's a wild ride, I'll tell you that. She's some incredible woman, full of energy like nobody's business."

"Excellent," said Naruto. Bursting another bunshin, he said, "Well, I've gotta go." He flipped out some money. "This one's on me."

Briefly slapping hands with Sasuke, Naruto returned to his place, where Hinata was just waking up, rubbing the sleep out of her lilac eyes. Rupturing the last of his clones, he placed his arms around her, whispering, "Hey there, sleepy head."

She turned into his embrace, planting a kiss on him. "Hi…" she muttered.

Naruto kissed back, and soon, she inserted her tongue in his mouth, swishing it around its inside, exciting Naruto heavily. He responded in the same manner and after some quick sword fighting, he reached his hand to her jacket, hesitating until she gave the signal. Before undoing the signal, however, he parted from her and asked in a hushed tone, "Hinata… how much do you love me?"

She seemed a bit surprised at the question, but answered, "I love you more than I love life, more than I thought I could love another. You are my inner, outer existence. You are the sunshine that lightens my day and the moonlight that keeps me while I sleep. I look into your eyes and I see all the glorious things of existence." She pulled him closer. "I love you, Uzumaki Naruto-kun, infinitely, transcending the boundaries of reality."

Naruto almost felt himself tearing up. "Okay… that's all I needed, because really, I just… I feel the same. I'm not that good with words, but that's what I can assure you of. I want us to be united forever." Pulling down the zipper in a clean sweep, he added in a whisper, "And I plan to do that right now."

He laid her on the bed; sensually undressing her, almost tearing the fishnet shirt off and running his hands over her toned, lean thighs when he removed her pants. He got to her panties and delicately took them from her, excited by her scent. Focused once more, he began his work, remembering another lesson from Jiraiya.

"Though all gates function as extreme pleasure givers, they also have side effects," Jiraiya said.

"Like what?" asked Naruto, barely listening as he practiced.

"The first gate reaches into the woman's higher brain functions, allowing her heightened sense when it comes to touch and feeling."

Naruto thrust his tongue into Hinata's mouth once more and activated the first gate. She gasped, her nipples becoming erect. "He did it again!" she thought as her mind went wild. "Wha… Naruto-kun, what are you doing to me?"

"I'm giving you a gift," he said softly, "The greatest gift I can." He continued working on her body, pushing the next nodes from her breasts.

"The second gate rewires the central nervous paths, allowing a certain extent of pain to be converted to pleasure."

Testing out this power, he bit lightly into her shoulder, the more primal part of his body wanting to mark her forever as his own, no one else's, as his prey and his mate. She didn't wince in pain; instead, she moaned in pleasure. Satisfied with the second gate's effects, Naruto moved on to the third.

"If you push the third gate, it activates the pleasure center of the brain more thoroughly, causing several more points on her body to become erogenous zones…"

Naruto activated it, eight inches from her solar plexus, and she shrieked a quiet shriek.

"If you're planning on going past the third gate, that would be the time to start in all your foreplay."

Naruto, grinning deviously, ran his hands across her body, across her abdomen, sending waves of pleasure through Hinata. He worked her breasts, so wonderfully soft and perky that despite their immense size (larger than any kunoichi besides Tsunade), she needn't wear a bra. He gripped one as roughly as he could and wrapped his lips, teeth, and tongue around the other's erect nipple. He recalled a comment from her regarding her great body, heard accidentally while she confided Kurenai-sensei.

"So you've gone through yet another bra size?" Kurenai asked, impressed.

"Yes… they keep growing, and I don't see an end in sight. They're really sensitive, too! I often have to-" she cut off, embarrassed, "… that is, well-" she said, pushing her fingers together, face the color of an immaculate rose.

"And you have no stretch marks or blemishes or anything?" Kurenai asked in disbelief.

"No…"

"Don't worry," Kurenai said, placing a comforting hand on Hinata's shoulder, "It just means you're a very lucky girl."

Naruto (agreeing with Kurenai) had thought when he noticed her developing body that it was just wishful thinking, but now he knew that soon enough, she would be in Tsunade's league. Naruto's erection pulsated with this thought as he kneaded her breasts, driving his fingers into them as hard as he could, basking in the ecstasy gained from Hinata's yelps of pleasure. "So… soft…" he groaned as he worked.

Reluctantly, he moved on, running his hands across her body the whole way so that she would feel the third gate's effect. He arrived at the base of her spine, the location of the fourth gate.

"Should you activate the fourth gate, it releases her body's reaction to strain, allowing her to temporarily move like she wouldn't normally think to."

He blasted the chakra into her and as soon as he did, she flipped onto her stomach, latching her legs completely around him as though she were a contortionist, positioning herself perfectly prepared for him to penetrate.

Naruto wanted desperately to move on, to finish the job as soon as possible, so he moved his fingers to her navel, the fifth gate.

"The fifth gate blasts enough erotic energy through her that her desperation for sex becomes too much to bear."

Hinata, moaning yet again at the gate's activation, reached back towards Naruto, grabbing at his member, and moaning, "Need… so… big… neeeeed huge cock to fuuuuck me!"

Turned on by her removed inhibition, he snatched her wrist and said, "Not yet. Not quite yet." He decided that she wanted this to finish as much as he did and he proceeded to the sixth gate, positioned as dual points in her inner thighs, barely able to concentrate on the chakra flow.

"Gate number six increases nerve impulse and blood pressure, so that the pleasure reaches more thoroughly, quickly, and completely."

Naruto, regretfully unlatching her legs from around him, moved to grope her tremendous breasts yet again, and even before he touched the nipple, its sheer proximity made her cry out in insane euphoria. Finally, he reached the seventh gate, right on her clitoris.

"The penultimate gate reduces her mind state to a primal, raw level, removing all sapient thought – linguistics, calculations, everything - so that the whole of the pleasure created by the past six gates becomes her entire mind's focus."

Naruto pushed with as much as he could muster and Hinata went silent. No longer did she shriek, no longer did she moan. Instead, she merely gasped in a silent scream of elation, her blank pupils dilated to the maximum, her tongue hanging out, lapping excitedly at some invisible, unknown object, and tears of joy trickling down her cheeks.

He smiled at this sight, completely prepared to deliver the final strike, but hesitated. "Can I really risk it? Will I chance shattering her mind?" he thought, nervous.

But suddenly, he heard Hinata, though her language skills were shot, though her rational mind was sleeping, say, "I… love… Naruto…kun…"

Resolve restored, Naruto thought, "Yes. I will."

"The final gate," Jiraiya said, excited, "If you ever unlock it, is – perfectly placed, I believe - located right in the vagina. You can't use your fingers for it."

"Then… what do I do?" asked Naruto.

"You use… you know…" he made a series of hand gestures.

"I'm not following."

"Your wang."

"Huh."

"Anyway, I can't tell you what the final gate is like… it's too incredible to be described in words. Good luck with it."

Naruto positioned himself at her entrance, casting the protection jutsu as quickly as he could. He took hold of her perfect rear for a few seconds before, with a deep breath, he thrust himself into her and her shrieks and cries and screams returned with a vengeance. Naruto summoned up all the chakra he could, tapping into the demon fox's reserves, and with one thrust, she began climaxing, he began climaxing, and the world…

Disappeared. He was in a white void, completely empty except for his thoughts. The pleasure, the erotic pleasure he felt around him was incredible, unlike anything he'd ever imagined possible. He was disembodied, merely a mass of thought, but the one thing he knew was that she was with him, she was one with him, united in this incredible pleasure, as one entity. It seemed an eternity passed in this void of paradise until finally…

The world flashed back into reality. Hinata was already passed out, asleep on her back with Naruto's seed - a great deal from his larger-than-usual member – covering her abdomen, and yet a good amount remained at her entrance. Naruto figured that the only reason he was still awake was due to his inhuman stamina, but the eighth gate… Jiraiya had been completely right, it was indescribable by words, and even he was completely wiped from it. But still, mustering up as much strength as he could to stand, he cleaned himself and her up, then laid down next to her, clutching her body, now marked by him, very tightly. She beamed as she lay there, unconscious, and Naruto too could not suppress a smile. Finally, the exhaustion got to him, and he drifted off.

He awoke to the feeling of slender, delicate fingers running through his hair and the scent of flowers in his olfactory senses. Lazily opening his eyes, he found Hinata straddling him, an extremely pleased smile adorning her lips. "Good morning, lover," she whispered, kissing him.

"Mph… morning," he echoed. "How are you feeling?"

"Mm!" she said, stretching, "I feel incredible, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's ego did a victory lap until he remembered Jiraiya's warning:

"And God help you if you go to the eighth and final point… It will shatter her mind completely, taking away her freedom and making her your slave so that she will live only to pleasure and be pleasured by you… The mind shattering can be overcome. If, before the intercourse, the woman loves the man completely and freely, with all her heart and soul, her mind will override the shattering."

"How do I know if it's happened?" Naruto asked.

"Simple. She will have no free will of her own whatsoever. Everything will be for you and you alone."

Naruto gulped. "Uh, H-Hinata," he said nervously, "What do you want to do today?"

She laid herself down on his chest, her large breasts mashing up against pectoral muscles. "Oh, I don't know…" she said lazily, "What do you want to do?

Breaking into a sweat, he quickly returned, "I-I-I can't decide. Just pick something. Anything."

Naruto's heart stopped a he waited for her answer. Finally, she said, "Hmm… how about we go get brunch at that new place?"

His heartbeat resumed, at double pace as he sighed in relief. "That… that really sounds great," he said.

She rolled off of him and then the bed, beaming, and said, "Good… then let's get ready, okay?"

A few minutes later, they exited the house and Naruto noticed how much eager she was to go out… was it seeing her friends not revile her, the incredible sex, or both, that had loosened her state? Either way, Naruto didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he merely asked, "So where's this new place you mentioned?"

Placing her index fingers parallel in a chakra-gathering seal, she muttered, "Byakugan!" Naruto noted this was the first time she'd done so since her rape. "Over… there," she said, pointing, and latched onto Naruto very tightly, which he took to mean she still very much needed him as a lifeline.

"That's fine," he told himself, "It doesn't need to be all at once, just as long as it's happening." "Then let's go," he said, pulling her with him, and soon, they arrived at the small restaurant.

"Welcome," said the maitre d', "Seating for two, sir?"

"Yeah," replied Naruto, allowing the man to escort them to their table.

"Helloooo!" said bubbly young waitress soon after they'd sat down, "Are you two on a date?"

"Ah, yeah," said Naruto, a bit puzzled by his own answer.

"And what an attractive couple you make, if I may say so!" she exclaimed, whipping out her order pad, "Are you ready to order?"

"Thank you, and, I'll have the fruit salad, please," Hinata said, eyeing the menu.

"Of course, madam. And for you, sir?" she turned to Naruto.

"Do you have ramen?" he asked.

The waitress gained a confused expression and swiveled her head around, perhaps to see if she were being pranked. Quickly, she resumed her prior demeanor and replied, "Uhm, no, sir, we do not."

"Oh," said Naruto, disappointed, and quickly scanned the menu. "Then I guess I'll have the fried eggs."

"Very good, sir," she said, and hurried up to input their order.

When she'd left earshot, Naruto said, "You know, Hinata, this is technically our first date."

She smiled. "Yes, it is, but it doesn't feel like it, does it?"

"I know what you mean," he said, leaning back. "I mean… even though we've only been together for what, two days, it feels like we've lasted a good long time."

"It's because we're perfect for each other," she reassured him, squeezing his hand.

He grinned. "Yeah, you're right."

A few seconds later, she said with a blush, "Naruto-kun… last night, uhm," her voice became very hushed, "What did you do to me, exactly?"

"Oh, that?" he said, nervously scratching the side of his head, "It's just something-"

"-You picked up, right," she finished, "But… you were so good, I couldn't help but wonder… how many times have you done that?"

Naruto goggled at her. "What? No! No," he said, hands risen in defense. "Our first time was my first time, Hinata… but if you want to know about those things I did… Well, it all started one night when Ero-sennin was smashed off his ass, and he decided to make me his protégé not just in ninjutsu, but as a world-class pervert…" And so he told her, sparing her the specific details, of the eight sexual gates and their powers.

Once he'd finished, Hinata, red-faced as she'd heard the tale, replied, "Wow… so Jiraiya-sama taught you to do those things…?"

"Yeah, I thought they were useless at the time, but clearly, I learned better."

"Indeed, indeed," she muttered. "Oh wow," she tilted her head in fond remembrance, "The… the ending, it was… amazing, Naruto-kun!"

"And you know what the best part is?" he said coolly, "He told me that the effect gets better every time." Hinata blushed even more, so much that Naruto feared blood would come gushing from her ears

Her blush receded with a realization. "But… I'm not a mindless sex slave, so that means-"

"Yeah," said Naruto, glad she'd come to the conclusion he'd reached earlier.

"I… I really love you more than I can describe," she said quietly.

"I know," he replied, and leaned in, giving her a small kiss, "and I love you just as much."

Their food arrived and they ate happily, with Naruto giving a toast to Jiraiya, for his gifts of knowledge and wealth, and to themselves, for the life that would surely follow. Then, as they left, Naruto paid a healthy tip to their waitress, who looked utterly shocked from its sum.

As they exited the building, suddenly, an ANBU unit member landed in front of them, kneeling. "Uzumaki Naruto-san! Hyuga Hinata-san!" he said rapidly, "Urgent message from the Fifth Hokage-sama!"

"Yeah, yeah, spill it out already," Naruto urged.

"Very well." He stood and cleared his throat. "The message reads as follows: 'We've caught him.'"

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt Hinata's palm grow sweaty around his own.

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Exciting ending, no?

Do ya think I did this sex scene okay? With Jiraiya's flashbacks, it made it long… I tried to do as well as I could for each gate's effect. And if you gathered anything from it about me, yes, it's true. I like big breasts. Sue me.

Anyway, I was so glad to get so many reviews, constructive or just congratulatory, so thank you all, and I hope you continue that pattern with this chapter!