Opening her eyes, Hinata saw a scene she had seen what must have been thousands of times in her dreams. Naruto looking down at her in concern in his deep, blue eyes. "Are you okay, Hinata-chan? You had us really worried."

Hinata smiled and hugged him, making an unseen Haku bristle. "I'm fine, Naruto-kun." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of his scent. "I wonder which dream this is. Where Naruto-kun takes me out on the perfect date and ends the night with a kiss. Or the one where he has stole into my room to take me away to a shrine to get us married. And, before the dream ends, he carries me into our bedroom and..." She opened his eyes and noticed his blush. "Innocent Naruto-kun tonight." She giggled as he pulled his mack over his face to keep people from seeing he had turned as red as she sometimes did. "That is alright, I like that one better."

Sarutobi couldn't hold it in. His sides nearly bursting, he began to laugh so hard he collapsed into his chair. He always knew Hinata had it for Naruto but this took the cake. Hinata grew confused. "What is the Hokage-sama doing in my dream?"

"Ahem," came from Haku. "Get off my future husband."

Hinata looked at Haku and stood up. "Oh, it is one of those dreams. So I have to fight you to keep Naruto-kun." She suddenly felt that she needed to pray that was in fact what it was or else... Or else she had just told Naruto-kun she had those kind of dreams about him!

Before anyone could do anything, Naruto pinched her cheek. "This isn't a dream, Hinata-chan." Now it was Hinata that wished she had a mask to hide her face. Guessing what she was thinking about, Naruto said, "We're not mad at you, Hinata-chan. We should have realized though." Hinata covered her face with hands and ran from the room. She had finally told Naruto-kun how she felt and he was already taken. When she stopped, she was standing on a bridge in the park. She leaned against the railing and let her tears fall down to the water.

—oo000oo—

"Who was she," Haku demanded.

"She is our friend, Hyuuga Hinata," Naruto told her. "Old man, I am going to take Haku-chan... to my home I guess." He walked to the window and looked at her. "Think you can jump around like we can?"

Haku went to the other window and opened it. "Lead the way."

"Ahem," Sarutobi cleared his throat to get their attention. "Might I remind you that Haku is wearing a dress."

They looked down at her clothes and they both put a hand behind their heads, laughing nervously. "We forgot," both Naruto and Haku said. Naruto grabbed her hand and led her out the office. When they got to a room that was empty, Haku changed the symbiont to a ninja uniform. The blue spider was on her chest and she had on a half mask like before that had the blue patches. "Now we are ready," she told him.

They went to a window and climbed up the wall. Once on the roof, Naruto pointed to a building on the far side of Konoha. "That is where we live at. The first two there, wins." He smiled, eager to test himself that was empowered like himself. They backed away from the edge.

"When we drop the kunai and it hits the roof," Haku said to him, creating a blue dagger. She tossed it in the air, tensed, and jumped when it sunk into the tile.

Naruto dived down and used his webs to catch the railing. He swung around the building and was whipped into the air. He smiled as he saw Haku get left behind. She obviously didn't get much practice at this. He landed on the flag pole and jumped off it again. He loved that pole.

With a flip, he landed on the roof and started running. He glanced behind him and didn't see Haku. He smiled until he looked forward and saw her standing on the ledge ahead of him. She bowed at him before doing a back flip off the building. He saw her shoot a web from her hand like spider-man did and catch herself from hitting the ground. "Fast and a fast learner... Time to stop playing!" He shot Haku with a web and pulled.

"WHOA!" She was pulled off her web, which surprised her. She not only was strong, having lifted up a boulder to test it out just a few days after getting Serum as she named him, she had no clue that was going to happen. Naruto always seemed to know what was happening around him even when he couldn't see it.

Naruto spun her around and threw her back a few blocks. But her own web caught the roof while another strand went for him. He dodged it and several others. "You trying to do something, Haku-chan?"

"Nope, did it," she told him as she landed on the roof. In her hand were all the webs she shot at him. She gave a pull and Naruto dived forward to try to avoid the net that had been made. It caught him and she threw him back. Naruto ripped it apart in air and twisted to land on a water tower.

He pushed off with his legs and flew over the building. While in the air, he saw Hinata-chan on the bridge his team met on. "Haku-chan, wait up!"

"We aren't going to, Naruto-kun!"

"No, Hinata-chan is crying! We have to make sure she is alright." He stopped on the the roof closest to the road.

"No! You are ours, Naruto," she about yelled when she landed next to him.

"Haku, think about how you are acting."

"You said you didn't want to be without us," she reminded.

"We don't but Hinata-chan is a very good friend to us. We are going to get her to stop crying right now."

Haku felt hurt and love for him at the same time. This was one of the reasons she cared for him. "Okay, we will join you."

—oo000oo—

"Of course... I mean, why would anyone want to be with me," Hinata asked the air.

"Because you are kind, beautiful, stronger than you know, did we mention beautiful," Naruto said as he landed on the railing next to her. "Please stop crying, Hinata-chan. And please tell me why you are."

She seemed to cry all the harder. "...Naruto-kun, d-do you re-remember when w-we first met?"

"The third year of the academy," Naruto stated. "We bumped into you at lunch."

Hinata shook her head. "It was be-before your K-Kekkei Genkai activated. It was my first day at the academy... My f...father h-had told me that m-morning th-that I wasn't w-worthy of b-being clan heir. I j-just wanted to c-crawl into a c-corner and disappear. And I saw you." She wiped away her tears and looked at him as new ones replaced it.

"Y-You were j-just being p-picked on by a b-bully and were bleeding. You c-came into class a-and sat d-down near me. And you said, 'Hey, don't cry. No matter how bad things are today, they will be better tomorrow'. I saw y-you a-always try y-your hardest b-but it n-never paid off. B-But you s-still tried... I fell in love with you right then and...and now, you are engaged... And I can n-never be with y-you." She broke out into new tears and Naruto was instantly down by her, holding her.

"...How could we forget that," Naruto asked himself.

Haku felt guilty now at being mad at her. "...Hinata," she said to her. "The marriage isn't final yet. Right now, it is more along the lines that Naruto is dating us. If you care for him so much...we won't mind if he dates you as well."

Hinata looked up at her. "Y-You really mean that?"

"Haku-chan, are you sure?"

"We do and we are. Naruto-kun can't stand to see people hurt and we love him for it. It hurts that we aren't the only person he cares for but he wouldn't be Naruto-kun otherwise."

Hinata cried a little more as she held on to Naruto. "N...Naruto-kun, c-can I be your g-girlfriend as well?"

He looked one last time at Haku and received a nod. He pulled off his mask, "Yes, Hinata-chan, we would love for you to be our girlfriend." He bent down a little and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Just tell us when you are ready for something or you are not ready, Hinata-chan."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest.

Naruto walked Hinata-chan home and saw her to the door. As he walked away, he thanked Haku. "We know that wasn't easy for you, Haku-chan."

"But it made you happy," she told him. "It is worth it." She held his arm to her chest. "I love you, Naruto-kun." He wanted to say the same but didn't know if that is what he felt for her. Because he was beginning to feel it for Hinata too. "And we know it is too soon to expect you to feel the same. But we wanted you to know just the same."

Naruto nodded. They didn't run to his home this time, he wanted to walk. "So, what is the name of your symbiont?"

"Serum," she told him. "We can make weapons like you can but we can't just disappear like you do. But our speed is almost as fast as our most powerful jutsu."

"Very fast?"

"We were impossible to see when we used it before bonding with Serum. Now we can move at speeds that are almost near it. Faster than anyone else on the planet."

"We bet that is handy. We thought you were a nuke nin. Why did the Mizukage send you here?"

"Because that Zabuza told me once he became Mizukage, I could."

"Huh?"

"The old Mizukage, a man with dark hair and a single black eye, retired and left. When he did, the previous took power. He was... We can't think of a name vile enough for him. But because of him, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist broke up and left, one by one. Soon, it was Zabuza-sama that was left. He made the decision to replace the new Mizukage but he failed. We left, vowing to return and finish it."

"And you did."

"Yes, we did. Serum can't hide like you can, Naruto-kun, but he gave us something else." Creating a blade, she slashed her wrist. The blood oozed out for only a moment before returning and healing. "That is why we survived back in wave. Venom gave us his offspring, one capable of healing almost all the wounds we have received. Plus we are immune to ice and cold attacks."

"Now that is something we wish we had. Are you going to be a ninja here in Konoha?"

Haku nodded. "It was a transfer of ninja through an arranged marriage. The Hokage said he would instate us as a chunin later."

Naruto nodded. "We think we heard that the chunin exams was coming up soon." He smiled as he looked at her. "Are you going to be there, cheering us on?"

She gave him a chaste kiss. "Of course we will. What did you do with that second account?"

Naruto chuckled. "We gave half of it to Tazuna to help restore the Wave country. Used the rest to pay for the real ranking of A. And kept the last of it. By the way, on our first date, would you like to rent out the most expensive restaurant in Konoha or maybe buy the Hokage monument?"

—oo000oo—

"..." Naruto looked over at Kakashi as he turned a page. The only sound there. They were on another C rank mission. One marked correctly this time. It was boring as hell. Protect a caravan as it came back to Konoha from bandits. Nothing valuable in it, just food stuff and merchandise. "...Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"Is something going to happen?"

"Are you putting your feet in front of each other?"

"Yes."

"Something just happened." Naruto almost growled before the bandits showed up. He was so grateful to be attacked, he decided he would even let Sasuke outshine him this time.

—oo000oo—

"There, was that so bad," Kakashi asked his team when they got back into Konoha. Before they answered, he heard a bird cry up above him and smiled. "That right there means the Chunin Exams are about to start. I think you three have proven you can handle it."

"Of course we can, right Sakura," Naruto asked.

"Yeah, you are the brains among us," Sasuke stated. "If anyone would know if we can't, it would be you."

She considered it, "Yeah, we can handle it. What is the Chunin Exams compared to fighting Zabuza?" None mentioned that it was really Naruto that handled it. All that mattered was that they had seen combat and had even saved Kakashi at the first encounter with the nuke nin.

"Hmm, what this? I seem to already have the paperwork. Please fill them out so I can go meet with the Hokage." He took back the papers once they were signed and said, "Sayanara."

—oo000oo—

"Hello, Haku-chan," Naruto said as he saw her heading over to him. "Want to get some lunch," he asked her as they walked away.

"...What kind of day is it when Naruto ignores you," Sakura asked the air. "Didn't he use to have the biggest crush on me?"

"Key word is use," Sasuke said. "Some people grow up." He looked up when he heard Naruto call out someone else. Hyuuga Hinata walked timidly, but happily he noticed, over to Naruto before all three went to get something to eat.

"...Hey, Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke interrupted her. "No, I don't want to go out on a date. Sakura, are you even interested in being a ninja?"

"Of course I am!"

"Why?"

"...My father was a ninja before the Kyuubi attack. I wanted to know what he was like."

"Remember that from now on." He turned and walked away. And Sakura knew he was right. Naruto had said it, he never returned her feelings, why would he now? She had been thinking this ever since the bell test and at times it was almost more than she had to not fall into sadness. She had ruined her friendship with Ino for her stupid little crush.

She was about to go walk off and sulk before she noticed small box was on the ground. She picked it up and looked inside. There were two sets of throwing knives inside, both the best quality she had ever seen. The first set were white with a blue spider on it.

She smiled and said, "Naruto dropped this." Everyone knew that Haku wore clothes that imitated Naruto's. And those knives screamed that they were for her. The other set were indigo with a red oak leaf on it. She didn't know what those meant.

"Now where did we leave them," Naruto muttered as he looked around. "We will hurry," he called to the two behind him. "Ah, Sakura, maybe you can help us. We bought a gift for our friends but seemed to have misplaced it. Maybe you have..."

"You mean these," Sakura asked, holding up the box.

"Those would be it," Naruto said as he took the offered box. "Hinata-chan's favorite tree is the oak," he told her. "So we got her that set of throwing knives with a leaf on it."

"You bought both of them a gift?"

"Yes. We are fond of both of them and are trying to see which of them we love. Both know this and agreed to share for now. ...Uh-oh, we know that look. What is wrong?"

"Love is," Sakura replied.

"...You are coming with us then." He didn't even wait for an answer. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along. "Ladies, we are sorry but Sakura is feeling really down so she is coming with us."

"Let me go, Naruto!"

Haku looked her up and down. Naruto guessed what she was thinking. "No, Haku-chan, we don't like her that way. We are concerned as her friend."

"Ano... I don't mind," Hinata whispered. "What is wrong, Sakura?"

"Love life," Naruto replied. "Come on, we are just about to go get something to eat at Hinata Senzai."

Sakura gaped at him. "That is the most expensive fancy restaurant in the village!"

"Yes," Naruto replied. "Oh yes, of course, we are not dress for it." He looked Hinata up and down. She wore a very lovely dress. While he was still in his combat gear. Even Haku had Serum in the form of a dress. "You have something to wear, Sakura-chan?"

"...Not for there."

"We will buy you a dress," Naruto stated as he turned to his two girlfriends. "Hinata-chan, Haku-chan, these are for you." He gave them their gifts.

"...I don't know what to say, Naruto-kun."

"We love them," Haku said for both of them. They grabbed Sakura and dragged her off. "Hurry up and change and we will meet you there."

—oo000oo—

A simple matter of changing Venom into a black suit with the spider over his left shoulder and Naruto walked there. He had trouble making the reservation at first. But once the manager found out the amount of money he would be throwing in, he quickly arranged for a private table to be ready today. He didn't even mind when Naruto told him to add one more person for the reservation.

"Ah, Mr. Uzumaki. Are you ready?"

"Our party has yet to arrive," Naruto told the hostess.

"Would you like to see our menu of wines and sake while you wait for them?"

"We would." He looked at it and smiled when he saw one. "A bottle of Strawberry Wine." Hinata loved strawberries and Haku was more than fond of them herself.

"It will be waiting at your table," she said with a smile. She honestly saw no reason why people would hate this boy. He was very kind whenever she saw him. He returned her smile and placed something over her ear. It was a ryu folded up in the shape of a flower.

"Trying out a new trick," He told her. "Keep it as a tip." As he walked back outside, she unfolded it and nearly fainted. It was two hundred ryu bills.

—oo000oo—

"Sakura, are you afraid that meal is going to attack you," Haku asked.

Sakura blushed and stopped picking at her food. "I am sorry. But there is just no way Naruto can afford this."

"He can," Haku assured her. "Now what is really wrong?"

She sighed and told them. "Then make up with her," Naruto told her.

"But we have hated each other for years. How can I?"

Hinata spoke up now. "It is better than just sitting on your feelings. I did... And I almost lost Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, about that, when did you get the nerve to tell Naruto?" She had known for years the girl liked Naruto. She would always smile at him in class and encourage him when he failed. But other wise, she never made it clear she liked him. Naruto wasn't that dense so if she had just made it a little more apparent, he would have seen it as well instead of a small number.

"I heard he was to be married," Hinata said in a blush.

"Anyway," Naruto said to her, "what Hinata-chan said is right. You will never know what will happen unless you try. Maybe, probably, Ino will forgive you."

"You might be right."

"And don't worry about love," Haku told her. "You will find it." She finished her food, the last one still eating besides Sakura. "Ready to go?"

"We'll let Sakura finish eating," Naruto said. "And don't worry about paying us back." He stood up and walked Hinata and Haku to the door.

After a few minutes, the waiter came up to table. "Your bill, ma'am."

Sakura nearly choked on a sip of wine when she heard that. She took the offered booklet and opened it. 'I'll kill Naruto for this!' Taking a deep breath, she read what it said. Before laughing. Paid for it already, Naruto.

—oo000oo—

Team seven came up to a floor with several genin trying to get through a door marked 303. Naruto looked back and leaned over the railing of the stairs. They were only on the second floor. "Sasuke, don't say a word. We'll calmly slip by and leave those too weak to see through it behind," Naruto told them. They nodded and walked on by.

The boy that had been trying to get in noticed them. "You are Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

"We are," Naruto replied.

"The two that almost tied for rookie of the year," he continued to say.

"Your point is," Sasuke asked.

"I, Rock Lee, want to fight you," the boy with the bowl cut haircut told them.

Naruto looked at him with an appraising eye. He was more than he appeared. It would be interesting match. And they were still early. "No, better not to show off just yet."

"I will," Sasuke said. Naruto shrugged, but this is what he knew would happen.

They went into the auditorium and Naruto got between the two. "We will not tolerate a fight that breaks the rules. So we will keep it simple. No going in for the kill. No hurting each other so bad you keep the other's team from taking the test. Now let's get it on."

Sasuke ran forward and tried to punch Lee. His fist only met air though. Naruto winced as he knew what was coming. Sasuke went down in a heap as Lee gave him a single punch. Sasuke jumped back up and activate his Sharigan. "That will not happen again."

"So that is the Sharigan... It is a mighty ability but can your body keep up with what your eyes show you?" Lee ran at Sasuke, dived to the side, and kicked him up into the air. Sasuke felt a finger touch his back. Followed by webbing on his arm and on Lee.

"We said no hurting the other enough that they cannot take the exam!" Naruto pulled Sasuke back down while he threw the captured Lee against the wall followed by the ceiling. He was about to continue when a hand grabbed his.

"That is enough," a larger version of Lee said to Naruto. "You are breaking your own rule."

"We are not. We said no hurting the other to the point they can't continue. He isn't hurt yet." Lee walked over to Naruto without a scratch.

He was silent a moment before he smiled this insanely bright grin. "That is very true! Lee, as you have already received your punishment, no more will be said on this! Head to the class room now."

"Hai, Gai-sensei." Before he left, he looked at Sakura for a moment. He smiled and bowed to her before leaving.

Maito Gai turned to Team Seven. "You should go as well."

"Okay," Naruto said as he helped Sasuke up. "You just got your ass handed to you in a paper sack."

"Shut up," Sasuke said, going to punch Naruto even though he knew it wouldn't connect. He only lets Sakura hit him some of the times, to keep her thinking she can and will be strong. Just like he thought, Naruto leaned back and caught the fist. "I will figure that out and do it myself, one day."

"Not today, Uchiha, not today."

—oo000oo—

They entered the room and found it filled with Genin. Naruto smiled before he donned his mask and vanished. 'Hmm. Worthless. Worthless. Killer, very dangerous. Worthless.' His analysis continued until he walked back to the door. The Rookie nine were being talked to by a silver haired genin.

"Now Sabaku no Gaara is the unknown figure in this exam. He has never revealed his full strength and has never been hurt."

"That sounds..." Hinata said before she started to stutter. "S-S-Sounds l-like N-Naruto-kun." She couldn't form complete words because she just felt Naruto lift her chin and give her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Speaking of which. Uzumaki Naruto. Unknown, unknown, unknown. Has reflexes that are greater than any other known person as he is always able to duck a punch. Has been seen jumping distances ANBU were known to cover. As well as using these webs to swing from place to place. He also makes blades through his Kekkei Genkai. They never last long when he isn't holding them."

"You some kind of spy or something," Naruto asked, cutting his card in half as he appeared.

"...It wasn't easy to get all that," Kabuto said to him, looking at the remains of the card.

"We like our privacy."

"Well, to answer you question, no, I am a medic."

Naruto arched an eyebrow. He could tell he was being truthful. He turned to Sasuke. "So, who is Sabaku no Gaara?"

"A ninja from Sand, I met him after Kakashi turned in our forms. He got close to me without me knowing. You two might be related."

"We doubt it. We think we will go say hi." He vanished again.

"HOW DOES HE DO THAT!?" Kiba yelled as even his scent vanished.

Naruto walked up to Gaara and tapped him on the shoulder as he appeared. "Hello, we are Uzumaki Naruto." Gaara's two teammates stared at him with gaping jaws. "What?"

"How did you just touch me?"

"By reaching a hand out and touching you," Naruto told him and demonstrated again. But this time, he found sand blocking his hand. "So that is how you avoided being hurt."

"It is... Uzumaki Naruto, I think I will enjoy fighting you."

"We would say we aim to please but the truth is we aim center mass." He looked at the other two. "And you are?"

"Sabaku no Kankuro," the one with the hood with cat ears said. Naruto nodded then looked at the bundle behind his back.

"Must be uncomfortable in there. And you miss?"

"Sabaku no Temari," she replied.

Naruto pulled down his mask. "Uzumaki Naruto, aka Venom. We will see you later." He walked away, casting a glance at female grass nin. "...Now you are dangerous," Naruto stated to her. When he got back to his team, he yawned. He looked to the front just before the proctors showed up.

—oo000oo—

Naruto sat down and looked at the people next to him. One was a Hidden Star nin, the other was Shino. "Long time." Shino nodded. "Still as stoic as ever?"

"I am."

"...Are you allergic to pesticides?"

Shino looked at him, "Where did that come from?"

"Just trying to get a reaction out of you. How are things going with your team?"

"They are good. Hinata has been trying harder recently, saying she wants to show you that she can be strong."

"Never thought she wasn't."

"I know. You were her only friend at the academy. A mistake on my part."

Naruto looked up as Ibiki was about to stand in from of them. "Are you two done?"

"No but we forgive you for interrupting our conversation."

"I am going to enjoy making you quit," Ibiki growled to Naruto.

"If you can, proctor-san, if you can."

Ibiki stomped back to the front. "Alright, listen up and shut up. I am only going to explain this once."

—oo000oo—

Naruto zoned him out and listened to the gist of it. Ten questions, start with ten points. Caught cheating, lose a point. Naruto yawned again under his mask. Meaning if you cheat, and as they were ninja they were expected to, don't get caught. Easy enough.

Naruto prided himself on at least being able to use most of the abilities that the Venom before him had. And that was all he needed. But there was one trick right then he could really use. One that belong to Carnage, the ability to see all around him through the symbiont. That would have been useful. But, even if he could become Carnage, he would never do that again.

With a sigh, he realized he would have to do this the only fashion way. Well, not really. He put his hands under the desk and the Venom formed a small piece of itself from his finger. It dropped to the floor and was still for a moment. Just a moment. Then what looked like two white eyes on it looked around and it moved off. It was an adaptation of the Kage Bunshin for the symbiont. It still required adrenaline to survive and it wouldn't last long as it was. But once it returned, it would tell Naruto what all it learned.

Naruto couldn't help but smile under his mask. This was too easy. After fifteen minutes, the symbiont clone came back and Naruto wrote down the answers.

—oo000oo—

Author's notes. Felt like it was a good place to stop. I had been checking up on Venom ever since I started writing this and I have found that is a Carnage only ability. But I haven't read a comic in so long, I could be wrong. If I am, well go with it. As you can see, Naruto can change his cloths. He just likes them as they are.