I do not own Naruto. Also thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter; including Ayrmed, Futago-za07, YourDoom, mikoto lee, kavya, TL, veraozao, narujordanna, kenni no. 1, Yung Hime, and Sapphire Blizzard.

On with the chapter.

Inebriated

NiKoShi Bar was housed in a fairly new establishment, but its roots went all the way back to the days of the First Hokage. It was a comfy place, filled with plush booths and cherry wood tables and bar. The staff was friendly, sympathetic and patient, traits needed to deal with impatient children and drunk-off-their-asses adults alike.

The odd name came from an abbreviation of its strange motto; "23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds, every day." And its owner, Kenji Hatsumoto held tight to that promise, keeping his bar/restaurant open all day. It had become a popular family restaurant during daylight hours and a warm, lively bar from dusk up until the wee hours of the morning.

Kenji was an old man, having worked in this business for nearly thirty five years. And though he was hardly ever fazed by his clientele, this particular night had his bushy white eyebrows shooting up.

It was five in the afternoon, and the first influx of bar customers had already begun. What startled Kenji was the shock of yellow hair and bright grin of Konoha's future Hokage, accompanied by the dark haired former Hokage contestant. Both dressed in torn dark pants and smudged shirts, they both looked worse for the wear. 'Probably training.'

They made their way towards the barstools, silently taking in the environment. Sasuke announced his choice of drink to the waiting Kenji. It was very surprising. These two generally avoided places like this like the plague, mainly because of-

"Oh my, look who's here?" purred a sultry voice. The two young men turned their gazes towards the auburn haired female, her slightly slurred flirtation losing its effect.

She was pretty with half-lidded dark eyes and a slim physique. But Sasuke could care less and ignored her, turning his attention back to the glass of claret colored beverage placed in front of him. Naruto on the other hand, ever the pleasant person, grinned widely and waved. He then turned his back to the startled girl, turning to greet a smiling Kenji.

"Hey, Kenji. Glad to see you're doing okay."

"Naruto! Fancy seeing you here! I thought you didn't drink." Kenji stated bluntly.

He missed Naruto's slight wince and cheerily waved off any explanations the young man had tried to sputter out. "What can I getcha? What about Jiraiya-sama's old favorite?"

Naruto quieted for a bit, a nostalgic smile coming to his face. "Yeah, sure. That would be great."

Kenji nodded the affirmative keeping to his 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. He had learned that sometimes the best thing to do was not speak and he kept to that, still keeping an open ear and patient mind in case anyone was ever ready to vent.

While Kenji went towards the back to retrieve the ever classic Land of Fire sake, Naruto turned his attention towards his taciturn friend and clapped him on the back. Sasuke nearly spit out his drink from the deliberately impactful gesture; almost.

"Thanks for coming Sasuke!"

The Uchiha could only glare at his overly loud 'best friend', and silently vowed to find a jutsu that would quiet him, at least temporarily.

"Whatever."

"What's that you're drinking anyway?"

"…"

Kenji walked back and answered in Sasuke's stead. "Hibiscus infused red wine."

He quickly placed a small saucer in front of Naruto and poured a small amount of the clear sake. Naruto however had maintained a wide-eyed stare at his friend, eyes shifting between Sasuke and the red wine, trying to reconcile the coincidence. Deciding it probably was nothing; he grabbed his own cup and gulped down the drink, unaffected by the burning of alcohol.

Sasuke spoke up, cautioning. "Don't drink so fast, idiot."

Naruto turned towards his friend, a mock puppy face forming and lips pouting. "Aww, Sasuke, you do care."

Sasuke slapped him upside the head, wondering at the fact that this was the guy he had entrusted his brother's precious dream to. 'This is the guy that's supposed to lead all of us.' A miniscule smile began, looking at the grinning idiot rub his aching head.

"If you attack Konoha, I will have to fight you… So save up your hatred. I will shoulder your hatred and die with you! Because I'm your friend!"

Thank whoever it had not come to that, but still the feeling was there, and it was this person who would carry on all their dreams.

"You'll do."

"Huh? Did you say something Sasuke-teme?"

Another resounding smack was heard.

"OWW! WHAT THE HELL?!"

Sasuke ignored Naruto's cries and looked him dead on.

"Now talk."


Hinata gave a shallow bow to the guards, her short hair swinging with the movement. Here she was exiting the gates of the Land of Vegetables. The gray patchy clouds drifted lazily, mirrored in the numerous puddles of the hilly terrain. The drizzling rain seemed to echo her bittersweet goodbye to the familiar region. It had been nice seeing Haruna-sama again, but the queries as to how Naruto was doing made the experience slightly painful.

Shouldering her pack, she swiftly leapt out into the open path between the numerous fields, filled with a sense of accomplishment. This had been her second diplomatic assignment, successfully completed all on her own. That was not the only thing that had her celebrating. She quickly searched in her flak jacket's numerous pockets, finally locating a crumpled piece of paper. It was blank, except for marks of water damage splayed across its surface. She smiled fondly at the thing.

It looked like junk.

This chakra paper was a dime a dozen (okay, so maybe it was slightly more expensive than that), but to her it was more. She gently returned the paper to her pocket, and contentedly patted her pack, smiling at the heavy scroll felt within. 'What a nice gift from Haruna-sama.'

Seeing that she was a good ways away from the village and into the forest, she decided to test one of the new jutsu from the scroll. Her eyes narrowed in concentration. She fought the instinctual activation of the Byakugan, it wouldn't do to cause herself pain if not necessary. Glancing to her left through the light drizzle, she brightened at the sight of a small stream bordered by water willows. (1)

She quickly divested herself of her sandals, relishing in the coolness of the damp earth. Lightly leaping off the path, she landed gracefully in the middle of the water, balancing effortlessly with all the Hyuuga poise. It brought back memories of Gentle Fist Training on water, using pure chakra control to shape the water. This technique would be different, actually allowing her water affinity chakra to become part of the liquid, moving with it instead of controlling it.

And she began the hand signs, petite fingers fumbling through them.

"T-tiger-dog-monkey…" She muttered out loud, keeping her concentration on running her chakra through the moving water under her bare feet. Just when she felt the right amount build up, she called it to her, activating the technique.

"Water-Heavens Convergence!"

And it was a sight to behold. Spheres of all sizes rose from the stream, surrounding Hinata in an intricate dance, their shapes wobbling in her inexperience. Despite this, she marveled at the successful execution, admiring as the filtered sunlight played on the changing surfaces of the orbs. Her concentration broke, and the water plopped down, drenching her.

She stood for a moment on the water, surprised. She relished the sensation of her newfound abilities, almost as if the water were cleansing her very core. And then with the sun shining and her entire being humming with energy and fluidity, she laughed. A full hearted, tinkling laugh that scared the neighboring ducks and the sleepy turtles.

And still laughing, she ran on the water's surface, following its downstream course to her next destination. Her arms were spread out behind her, like a bird's wings. She channeled chakra into the soles of her feet, unknowingly leaving a glittering trail of water spheres in her wake. She continued, not stopping even when she started feeling tired. She was too punch-drunk on freedom to notice. Witnesses later told stories of a beautiful water sprite haunting the forest.

As for Hinata, it wasn't until she reached the next city that she realized she had forgotten her shoes.


"…and then see says that, and all could I shay was THIS…then she laft." Slurred a red faced Naruto Uzumaki. His eyes were unfocused and cheeks reddened. But that was to be expected seeing as this was his 45th round of sake. When later asked about his alcoholic tolerance, Naruto would be heard muttering something about Kurama getting drunk too. But right now, he was too busy telling (or at least attempting to) Sasuke (more like everyone at the bar) his encounter with the newly returned Hyuuga heiress.

Sometime in the middle of their merry drinking, a curious Rock Lee and Choji had joined in. Both were very eager to hear about this new Hinata-chan and learn what really went on before she left. Alas, Naruto was surprisingly taciturn on that particular point in time.

At hearing various speculations as to her adventures and surmising on what new strengths she may have gained, Lee excitedly jumped off the stool and raised his glass, spilling his water everywhere.

"SHE SHINES WITH YOUTH!"

The semi-crowded bar grew silent, before noticing that it was simply Lee and his usual self. They all turned back to their previous business, this time slightly louder in order to drown out any more exuberant displays from Lee or their future Hokage.

Choji quietly ate the complementary nuts, aware that would not be enough. "It kinda sounds like you feel guilty, Naruto."

Sasuke had been simply nursing his drink; this was his second glass. Naruto slumped over in defeat, muttering so that only Sasuke heard, "She needed to stand on her own."

A drunken Naruto was not a smart Naruto, but he could surprisingly be the most honest and observant. And Sasuke knew that his friend was truly troubled by the intriguing girl.

He was then startled when Lee thoughtfully slurred. "I wonder if th-hic-training I gave hurr helped on her mishuun.."

Sasuke looked up surprised at Lee's comment only to find him sniffing at Naruto's discarded cup, lightly smacking his lips at the bitter aftertaste.

'Shit.'

It took a full twenty minutes to restrain Lee. His Loopy Fist had caused irreparable damage to the beautiful mahogany bar and he had broken several expensive bottles of imported drinks. By the time Choji had used his expansion jutsu and Naruto's drunken shadow clones had nearly joined Lee in a youthful spar, Sasuke had to use his Sharingan to daze the drunken martial artist and gave his unconscious body to Choji. Kenji was petrified but left with a pitiful IOU note, stating that Guy-sensei would pay for any damage.

Then Sasuke let the semi coherent Naruto lean on his shoulder, and began the journey to drop off his future Hokage, all hope of avoiding a scandal thrown out the window. He passed by a small clutch of milk vetch herbs, their thick stalks outlined by the light of lanterns. (2)


A figure in a green vest and indigo hair stood in the middle of the green field, the small multilayered buds of moschatel (3) shrubs swayed in the light breeze. She faced the slightly imposing figure across the field, his bright coloring a contrast to her dark ensemble.

Hinata was in a daze. This could not be real. She quickly pinched herself to make sure, and glanced up at the tall blond in front of her. She blushed when she caught his glance, and looked away again. She had to be strong right now!

"Ready Hinata-chan?"

Her stomach flipped at the added suffix. She could almost fly.

"Y-yes!"

Naruto smiled at her adorable eagerness, still somewhat hesitant to spar this delicate creature. She had asked several times, and each time he had made an excuse, not wanting to hurt her. She was just too…nice to hurt.

"Alright!" He quickly performed a necessary hand sign and shouted "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

She shifted into the standard Hyuuga stance, her waist length hair swaying in the light breeze created by the sudden existence of dozens of Narutos. She frowned. 'I've seen him use way more than that when he fights the others.'

She shrugged it off as maybe a tactical decision, and began spreading her chakra, allowing it to coat her arms and she felt the automatic activation of her Byakugan. She waited for his attack.

And here he came. Was it just her, or was he going considerably slower?

She easily dodged his weak aim, and then the subsequent attacks by the multiple clones. She hadn't missed a single one, and with precision attacks and no significant drainage of chakra, she had him down to only two in fifteen minutes.

A flash in the back of her alerted her to an emerging shadow clone from underneath. A graceful leap, and she avoided that one, finally grazing the original's tenkutsu on his arm.

He threw a punch. It made contact, but the impact was nothing, nothing like what she had seen him use when fighting Sasuke, Lee, or even Sakura.

'What's going on?' She thought, and quickly ended the spar, one quick dispatching the last clone and two fingers pointed at Naruto's throat. Her eyes were fierce, somewhat peeved at the levity of this practice.

"Wow! Hinata-chan that was awesome! You've gotten so strong!" He grinned, genuinely impressed with her skill. He knew she had many more jutsu up her sleeve, but he just couldn't continue.

She lowered her hand, and glanced at the grinning blonde, his bright hair matching his orange jacket.

"C-can we spar again, Naruto-kun?" She asked, hoping to prove herself further. She grabbed the hem of her flak jacket nervously.

He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan! I have to uhh go do something for the Hokage candidacy paperwork, and Sakura was gonna help me because…"

He trailed off, aware of the sinking expression on the petite girl. He patted her head. "You're strong, Hinata, believe in that."

She looked up at him, earnestly believing in the confidence in his gaze and the sincere tone of his compliment. She felt the butterflies rise and the happiness that only Naruto could give her buoyed her spirit.

"Thank you Naruto-kun." She beamed at him, and he looked away, blushing.

"UH-Err, I'll see t-tomorrow you at Ichari-I mean Ichiraku's?" He asked nervously, surprised at his overblown reaction to seeing her smile.

"O-of course."

He quickly waved goodbye, grinning and leapt away towards the main street, leaving Hinata alone.

And despite that happy exchange, she could not stave off the creeping feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and an undercurrent of jealousy. Her eyes widened. 'Jealousy?' Why was it she could only be her best self when it involved Naruto? Why couldn't she stand on her own?

And with that Hinata returned to the increasing turmoil hidden behind the tall Hyuuga walls.


Naruto was slightly more alert, awakened by the chill mid-evening air and the uncomfortable jabbing of Sasuke's shoulder bone into his arm. As he leaned on his friend, he had the clarity to ask what had been bothering him.

"What did she mean?"

Sasuke stopped and let go of his friend, as they had finally arrived in front of Naruto's apartment complex. He watched as the drunken man slumped against the gate at the entrance, truly confused and lost.

He then answered. "She meant to get stronger, idiot."

Naruto's brows furrowed as he registered the statement. "But why leave m-us?

And Sasuke's subsequent reply suddenly put everything into perspective. "Didn't we do the same thing?"

Naruto did not speak another word after, too caught up in his thoughts to notice Sasuke leaving or to even realize he had made it back to his apartment. He decided to put on his nightcap and have a nightcap. (He inwardly chuckled at his lame pun.)

He stared at the open book on his table, displaying the Hibiscus. And somewhere in between undressing himself down to orange boxers, putting on the penguin hat, and downing half a shot glass of…something, he jolted. Struck by a realization, he raced out the door, not bothering with anything unimportant, like say clothes or common decency.


Hinata had been comfortably settled into her bed, thinking of how to apologize to someone you were angry at when the knock came at around 8:00 pm. She swiftly opened the door and let out a small gasp.

"Naruto-san?"

There stood the Hokage's successor in all his glory. (Or at least as glorious as he could be dressed in a penguin nightcap and orange boxers.) Hinata stood, torn between screaming in consternation or enjoying the fine view of his finely sculpt- 'Bad Hinata!'

Despite his state of undress, he was not in the least embarrassed and Hinata could not help but marvel at his audacity. First he insulted her, and then he showed up uninvited in such a manner. Before she could tell him off, his voice interrupted.

"Show me." His eyes seemed clear and focused, but she caught a whiff of alcohol. '

"Are you drunk Naruto-san?" She asked concerned. Angry or not, he was still a comrade and her future leader, so she would show the due care. Her lavender eyes widened as he braced his arms against the door frame, his large frame taking up all the space. (She vaguely noted that she barely even reached his shoulder.) He leaned forward, unaware of the increasingly flustered girl now staring at his chest.

"Show me that you can stand on your own." He restated, firmly, encroaching further upon her personal space. He was drawn unknowingly closer by the flowery scent permeating her very self.

Hinata leaned away, eyes widening at this ridiculous predicament. 'What does he mean?'

Then his eyes hardened and he stood straight, almost as if he had realized where he was. 'Was I wrong?'

As he turned his back, he was stopped by a quiet reply.

"Tomorrow, 8 am, Training ground four."

Then the door neatly clicked shut, leaving a slightly more awake Naruto in the hall, regretful at the disappearance of the flowery scent.


a/n: And now we get into the crux of their relationship. Hopefully this chapter delved a little into their thought processes a bit more.

1-water willow- freedom

2- milk vetch- your presence softens my pains

3- moschatel- weak but winning

Running theme of this chapter, drunkenness of different sorts

Also, fun fact about NiKoShi Bar, it's actually a derivative of the Japanese pronunciation of 23564, which is a Goroawase pun meaning "killing one's brother." A fun little jab at Sasuke's past obsession on my part…

I debated with what affinity to make Hinata, but water seemed to be the most obvious choice due to her natural fluidity and chakra control. I thought it suited her very well. Also I feel as if I have been placing too much emphasis on Hinata, which I understand is important, but if anyone feels like I need to explore more of the characters please let me know.