Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Piece of the Puzzle

Chapter 8: Symbols of Love

It was the final day of training for Naruto and Momo. The entire day after she accomplished the leaf drying exercise was spent making sure the pink-haired girl could use the earth clone technique properly.

Momo would still need quite a lot of practice to master it, and still needed to improve her elemental manipulation. For now, she and Naruto were working on her tactics for using it in combat.

Naruto had already shown her how through the use of the basic three, Momo could dramatically increase her earth clone's usefulness.

The basic clone could be used to trick her enemies into thinking the earth clone was a normal one.

Momo could use the replacement technique to switch herself with an earth clone to save her from an attack.

Finally, while she could not use the transformation technique to disguise her earth clones, as they could not use techniques, she could use her illusions to conceal them.

Once Naruto was satisfied that Momo could use the earth clone technique well enough, he moved back into her skill with ninja tools and weapons. Specifically, ninja wire and her tonfa.

Naruto had Momo work on using her ninja wire to disable his blood clones. Since they could bleed and be wounded to some degree, they were ideal for showing Momo how her ninja wire could be effectively used.

Momo was amazed by Naruto's blood clones, as she was not aware they existed. Naruto explained how they were clones of him using a pint of his own blood, several gallons of water for additional substance, a large amount of chakra for them to use and a sealing array to create them.

Unlike shadow clones, Naruto did not receive their memories. Therefore, their uses were limited. Between that and their difficulty in forming, Naruto rarely needed them.

After Momo demonstrated sufficient skill with ninja wire, Naruto gave her a chakra conductive version and showed her how to use it. Now, instead of Momo disabling a blood clone with regular ninja wire, she completely immobilized it. The special ninja wire burned into its flesh, and was as strong as steel, so the clone could not break free.

Of course even though it only had a portion of Naruto's strength, it was more then enough to avoid being caught by Momo. The clone was going easy on her. It was only needed to demonstrate the uses of ninja wire anyway.

The last thing Naruto taught Momo was how to channel earth chakra into her tonfa. This would make them very hard, so they would endure better. It also made blows delivered by them much more powerful. Needless to say, Momo enjoyed that.

Now, on the final day Momo had learned all that Naruto set out for her. In celebration of Momo's progress and the completion of her training, Naruto took her to Ichiraku.

It did not matter to them that they ate ramen and tsukemen everyday that they were together. For Momo, being with Naruto was enough. For him, eating at Ichiraku, a safe haven for him since he was a child made it special.

They finished their meal, and Naruto walked Momo back to her house. Naruto felt he was just watching out for his friend's daughter. Momo, although she knew it was not a date was treating it like one, and was happy Naruto was walking her home. It gave her a good opportunity to give him her special gift.

The two of them were now standing outside her house, and Naruto was about to say good-bye.

"Okay, this is it. It's been fun training you Momo. I never got a chance to be a sensei, and I'll be Hokage someday, so I'll be too busy to become a jonin sensei. I'm glad I got this chance."

"I had a good time too. You were a great teacher. I'm thankful for all you've done for me." Momo replied, bowing in thanks.

"I keep telling you, don't worry about it. I'm always happy to help out one of my friends."

Naruto's words had more of an effect on Momo then he thought they would.

'He thinks of me as one his own friends now instead of just the daughter or them! I'm making progress!'

While Momo was in her happy place, Naruto was getting ready to leave.

"Alright Momo, take care of yourself. See ya." Naruto then turned away, which got Momo's attention.

"Wait, don't go! I have something for you!" Momo called out to Naruto, who stopped in his tracks.

Looking back, Naruto only saw Momo run into her house.

'She must have got me another gift as thanks for her training. She didn't have to get me anything. I wonder if she made me more ramen.'

Naruto did not have long to ponder what Momo had gotten him, as she returned moments later with a large, gift wrapped box. It was a foot wide and long, and a foot and a half tall. It was covered in green wrapping paper, with a pink ribbon and bow.

Naruto had no clue what it could be, but Momo seemed to be excited about it.

'She must be hoping I like it. Well, if it's from her of course I will!'

Momo had other intentions for it.

'When he finds out what I made for him then he'll start liking me more for sure! I wonder if he'll get the hidden meaning.'

Momo handed the large box to Naruto.

"This is for you. I wanted to give you something special for the tonfa, and for all you've done for me. I would've given it to you sooner, but it took some time to make."

'Make?' Naruto thought. 'She made something for me? What could it be?'

Naruto started unwrapping the present. He pulled off the pink bow and ribbon and set them aside. He then carefully took off the paper and folded it up, rather then tear it apart.

'That's weird, why is he being so careful with the wrapping? It's just cheap paper.' Momo wondered to herself.

What she did not know was Naruto had a good, but sad reason for doing so.

'I've never got a gift from a girl before, or at least one that was wrapped like this. It may be silly, but I want to keep as much of it as I can.'

Naruto had received gifts from his friends before, but something told him Momo's gift was special, and different from the others. He did not know it, but it was his first gift from an admirer.

When the paper had been removed, it revealed a brown cardboard box with two openings in the top, like a handle. Naruto took hold of it and pulled up, exposing Momo's handmade gift.

"Momo, this is…" Naruto was rendered speechless.

As he pulled up on the box it slowly revealed a plant pot, but it was not a house plant in it. Inside were two artificial trees, an orange and a peach tree.

The orange tree was clearly older as it was taller. It had multiple trunks, while the peach tree only had one. The trunk in the center was the largest, while the two trunks branching off from it were roughly the same size.

The center trunk was straight, while the other two seemed to curve around the peach tree. It's as if the orange tree knew the peach tree would someday need the space and was waiting for it.

It looked like the orange tree was looking over the younger peach tree and protecting it from harm; with the way its branches seemed to guard it.

"It's a bonsai zokei, an artificial bonsai tree. I made it myself. I've never done one this complex before." Momo explained.

Naruto was very appreciative of her gift. He set it aside, bent down and pulled Momo into a hug.

"Thank you very much Momo. It's a great gift."

It was now Momo's turn to be speechless. She had merely expected a thank you, not a hug from Naruto.

'He's hugging me! What do I do?'

Naruto had wrapped his arms around Momo's body, so she could not even move her arms to hug him back.

"You're welcome." Was all Momo managed to reply.

Naruto then let go of Momo, to her disappointment.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I got you something too." Naruto then started digging through his coat's pockets for something.

Momo was curious about this.

'He got me another gift? What could it be?'

Naruto eventually found it. He took out a small box and handed it to Momo. It was only a plain box, and was not wrapped. Momo opened it and was surprised by what it was.

Inside the box was a pair of goggles. They were black with an orange tint, and appeared similar to snow goggles. Neither Naruto nor Momo knew it, but they were similar to the pair once worn by Uchiha Obito.

"I thought you could these to protect your eyes in battle. I've never understood why almost none of the Uchiha or Hyuuga have ever worn eye protection, considering how important their bloodlines are to them."

Momo was trying to figure out why Naruto got her a pair of goggles, but his explanation made sense.

'If something happened to one of my eyes that would be it for me. I wouldn't be able to be a ninja anymore. With these, my sharingan will be safe.'

Momo was now looking very happy with her gift. Naruto was watching her reaction to it when he put his right hand to his chin and made a thinking pose.

"Come to think of it, why don't more ninja wear eye protection? It's not just those with bloodlines who could use them. If anyone was blinded in a mission their careers would be over."

Momo was not listening to Naruto's astute observation. She was too excited about her new gift.

'First he gives me the tonfa and shows me how to use them. That was better then all that chocolate and cheap jewellery those fanboys gave me combined! Now he gives me something to keep my sharingan safe!'

All of a sudden Momo leapt at Naruto and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was her turn to hug him now, while repeating "thank you" over and over. Naruto figured he knew why.

'I guess she's really appreciative of them. Having something happen to her eyes must be a fear of hers, so my gift must have taken care of it.'

Naruto was indeed correct; having something bad happen to one of or both of her eyes was one of Momo's deepest fears. Now she did not have anything to worry about.

'How long is she going to keep this up?' Naruto thought, not that he minded.

Momo was still glomping Naruto. Before she was sure she wanted to marry him and have his children. Now she was going to make sure they had as much fun doing so as possible, but not until she was older. They did have careers to focus on now, and Momo was still only twelve.

Finally an embarrassed Momo let go of Naruto.

'That was really childish of me. I hope Naruto-sensei doesn't think bad of me now.'

Naruto did not care, he was just happy Momo liked the gift.

"Why don't you try them on now so I can see how they look on you?" Naruto asked Momo.

Momo took the goggles out of the box and tried pulling them over her head. Finding her forehead protector in the way, she took it off and retied it around her neck. Momo then put the goggles on over her eyes.

Naruto looked over Momo. Unlike her mother, Momo had a normal sized forehead since her looks came from her father's side of the family, with the exception of her hair.

'She's a pretty cute kid. I can see why she has so many fanboys. It must run in the family.'

"They look great on you Momo!"

Momo was blushing a bit from that. She was holding her hands behind her back to keep from fidgeting. Normally she ignored it when boys said anything about her looks, because it happened a lot.

Naruto though was someone she was trying to get the attention of, and appreciated his compliments.

"Thanks." Momo managed to reply.

"Well, if there's nothing else I really have to be going now. Thanks again for the gift. See ya Momo!"

Naruto then put the cover back on his new bonsai zokei, picked it up and walked away. Momo called out a "bye" to him, and that was it.

Momo was a bit sad now. She had just spent an entire month alone with the man of her dreams, and loved every moment of it. Now, she did not know when she would see him again.

'Maybe Naruto-sensei will watch me tomorrow in the finals. I'm sure he'll be there to support me.'

Momo took a deep breath to relax herself, and entered her home. She had to prepare herself for the next day, where she would prove her skill and become a chunin. She would make her parents proud of her, or more then they were already. Most importantly, she would make Naruto proud of her as well.

Author's Notes: This chapter as a whole was pretty short. In retrospect, it should have been added to the end of the previous chapter or made part of chapter five, "Momo's Gifts".

If I ever post this story elsewhere or translate it into Japanese, as it could have more appeal to an eastern audience, I'll make sure to do that. Not to mention reorganizing the events of the training month by relevance to each other and adding some scenes between Naruto and his children in the present as he explains the significance of each event.