Naruto moaned, lying in one of the training fields. He figured that he would be able to fight off his hangover by beating it away with hard practice. His plan had completely and totally backfired. Now his stomach was churning, his mouth was aching and his head - it was best not to think about that. "I'm never touching alcohol again." He grunted, struggling to sit up. Then there was the matter of Hinata, which weighed on him like a second hangover. He - or rather, Naruko, had kissed her. He couldn't just cut her off from Naruko. It wasn't fair - get her drunk and steal her first kiss. And when he kissed her as Naruko, he felt something - something different from when he spent time with her as himself. Naruto buried his fingers in her hair. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan." He mumbled, resting his face in his hands.

Naruto stayed in that field for several hours, thinking of what to do. He had one solution but it wasn't - well, it just didn't seem right. But after sitting in the field for hours on end, Naruto's stomach was rumbling with hunger, his mouth was raw and his head was throbbing dully. I have to... He realized. I have to do it. Naruto swallowed and stood. There was blast of smoke and Naruko stood in his place, a somber expression on his face. I have too...

She searched for Hinata everywhere, finally finding her nodding off on a bench in a park. "Hinata-san?" Naruko cried. Hinata sat up straight suddenly, jolted awake. She smiled weakly when her eyes came back into focus.

"Oh, Naru-san... Hello, how are you?" Naruko groaned.

"Ugh! Terrible. I'm never touching alcohol again." She laughed. "At least not sake - it'll be the death of me!" Naruko peered at Hinata and put a hand on her forehead. "Hey, do you have a fever?" She asked. Hinata's eyes opened widely.

"You know, someone else used to asked me that all the time - " Hinata began. She cut herself off quickly. Naruko withdrew her hand.

"Who?" She asked, placing her hand on her neck.

"N-no one!" Hinata jumped up. "I-I'm sorry b-but I - I - " Hinata bowed frantically. "I have to go!" She began to run off but Naruko's hand shot out. She grabbed Hinata's wrist and pulled her back.

"Hey, hey!" She cooed. "What's wrong?" Their noses almost touched. Hinata's face turned a pale pink. Naruko's eyes were dizzying. Hinata blinked, her body heavy. She sat back down on the bench and leaned on Naruko's shoulder. "So?" Naruko said, shrugging her shoulder a couple times to make sure Hinata was awake. "Do you want to go out?" Hinata sat up and looked her in the eye.

"Y-yes." She said. Naruko smiled. She leaned in and kissed Hinata gently.

"That's the Hinata I know." She sighed. "You should go home Hinata-san. You don't look well." Hinata nodded, putting her on hand on her forehead.

"I do feel kind of feverish. It was nice seeing you Naru-san!" She cried, bowing again. Naruko hugged her.

"That's a good girl."

Hinata drew away and bowed again. "See you later, Naru-san."

"Bye Hinata-san!" She called. When Hinata was out of sight, Naruko leaned against a tree and slumped down. "Damn you sake..." She growled. A plume of smoke engulfed her and there sat Naruto, moaning and holding his head. He stumbled away from the park and dropped to his knees.

"I think I'm dying." Naruto grunted.

:::

"You're not dying, Naruto-idiot." Sakura growled. "You just have a hangover. I guess I could prescribe you something but did you really have to waste my time like this?" Naruto let out a moan as his answer. Sakura rolled her eyes and scrawled a note. "Here. You're hopeless Naruto-idot!" She snapped. Naruto nodded his head and took the note.

"Thanks Sakura-chan!" She shot him a dirty look and he hurried out of the examination room.

The medicine did help, but the matter of Hinata was still unresolved. It wasn't like he could keep this up forever. Unless he wanted to permanently exhaust himself, he'd have to break it off at some point. And Hinata was no idiot. She'd figure out eventually that Naruko just happened to dissapear whenever Naruto was around or away somewhere. "Naruto-kun!" He whirled around. It was Hinata. She had changed out of her outfit from the night before and put on her usuall bulky sweater. Her face reddened. "H-hello, N-Naruto-kun. H-how are you?" She fiddled with her hands, tapping her index fingers together incessantly.

"Is something wrong Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked. Hinata shook her head frantically.

"N-no, no! I'm fine! E-everything fine! R-r-really!" She nodded. "Fine! It's nice meeting you here!"

"So, you wanna go somewhere?" Naruto asked, reaching out for her hand. Hinata didn't react to his guesture.

"N-not - n-no. B-but m-maybe later?"

"Sure! There's this nice dango shop I know. I'll meet you in front of the Hyuuga estate, okay?" Naruto asked. Hinata looked up at him with shocked, frightened eyes.

"N-no! N-no you can't!" She shouted, clutching his shoulders. Her voice was heavy with desperation. Naruto swallowed.

"Okay! Okay! Where then?"

"Y-your apartment? Tomorrow this, time time?" Hinata stammered. "Okay then I - I - " She ran off without a word.

"That was... different." Naruto mumbled.

:::

"So know I'm dating her as both Naruko and Naruto!" Naruto exclaimed. "Do you understand?"

The Kakashi plushie said nothing.

Naruto grabbed the toy and squeezed it tightly. "AUGH!" He closed his eyes. "Sleep... Just some regular old sleep..." He yawned and turned over. Hours later he was awoken by the phone. "Uzumaki Naruto." He mumbled as a greeting.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata's timid phone whispered to him from the receiver. "Oh, well, um, I'm outside your apartment. Why won't you open the door?" Naruto rubbed his eyes.

"Hinata-chan, I thought you said tomorrow." Naruto frowned and stretched. I got no sleep? Ah, this sucks.

"It is 'tomorrow' Naruto-kun." Naruto glanced out the window.

"I slept for a whole day?" Naruto bellowed.

"Ah! Naruto-kun don't shout into the phone! Could you please let me in now?"

"Sorry." Naurto hung up and opened the door. "Ah, I really haven't cleaned up yet... Do you mind waiting a bit?" Hinata shook her head that's fine.

After a quick shower, dressing and a few bowls of instant ramen, Naruto ducked out. "Okay I'm ready." They started walking together. "Hinata-chan how did you find out my number?"

"Well, Naru-san said that that was her number. I guess I just messed up the digits or something..." Naruto laughed.

"I guess..." Dammit! No more sake - ever!

Author's Note: Yes, Naruto does have a Kakashi plushie in the actual series. Whether he talks to it or not is another matter. Apologies for the delay. Are these author's notes annoying?