Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does. *sob* I also don't own any songs used.

Chapter Eleven

Hanabi made her way with Neji to her father, who was clearly schmoozing with Konoha's ancient mayor, Hiruzen. She frowned, wondering what her father needed her for. Was he bragging again?

When she reached him, her father brought her in with one arm and gestured to the old man. "Sarutobi-sama, this is my youngest daughter, Hanabi. Hanabi, this is Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Hanabi restrained the urge to roll her eyes. She already knew who the old fart was. Everyone in Konoha did. He was the most popular guy around. "Nice to meet you," she said respectfully, curtsying.

Hiruzen looked only slightly amused by her manners. "Likewise."

Hiashi continued on with his bragging spell. "Did you know Hanabi got accepted into Konoha Boarding School this year? Full academic scholarship. Even if she didn't need it, I'm very proud of her." He shook her playfully like a loving father might, but Hanabi knew better. Hiashi didn't do anything 'playfully'. It was just an act to convince Hiruzen that he saw her as more than a tool.

Hiashi nodded. "I heard. A very fine accomplishment, young Hanabi," he mumbled in that odd way that only old people could achieve.

Hanabi nodded and began zoning out, aware of where this conversation was going. She was already bored with it. So instead of listening, she let her eyes wander around the room as she tried to guess who the big important people were and then identify some of the others. She enjoyed people-watching. It was so much more unpredictable than the conversations her father made her participate in.

Suddenly, something Hiruzen said made Hanabi alert. "Now, now, Hiashi. It isn't wise to act with so much favor on one child and then neglect the other. I should know. Besides, you never know which child will be the one to excel in the end."

Hiashi's face became solemn at Hiruzen's hint towards his own two sons. "I apologize for reminding you of your troubles, Sarutobi-sama. Please tell me, how is your grandson?"

Hiruzen waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it. And Konohamaru is doing fine. He just got accepted into Konoha Boarding School as well. Though with all the troubles going on, he had to start late. Next Tuesday is his first day."

"Sounds wonderful. Hanabi-chan, did you hear that? Maybe you could volunteer to show young Konohamaru around?" Which translated as, 'I want you to get in close with the honorable grandson as soon as you spot him'.

Hanabi sighed, understanding the double meaning. "I would love to, Father."

XXX

"This is me and Sakura-chan's first date since I've been back, Dad! Go away, you're ruining it!"

"I just want to get to know her!"

"Get lost!" Naruto shouted.

Sakura sweatdropped at the arguing blondes and rested her head on the table. She checked the clock across the room and realized with a start that they'd been there for an hour. Soon she and Naruto would have to leave if they wanted to be on time to dinner with her parents. But she doubted Minato would let that happen unless he got his dinner first. She sighed, knowing she was about to regret this but... "So, Minato-sensei, what was Naruto-kun like as a baby?" she asked in a very dinner-coversation-like tone.

Minato paused in the pleading argument he was in the middle of with his son. He turned to Sakura, grinning wide. "I'm glad you ask! He was the most adorable child you'd ever seen. Want to see baby pictures?"

And so it began.

XXX

[Back at School]

Ino sat curled up on her bed with Shikamaru as one of their favorite movies played on the TV. Well, one of her favorite movies. It was a total chickflick but it was the only chickflick that Shikamaru tolerated so she had declared it as 'their movie'.

Shikamaru suddenly paused the movie and got up, stretching his lazy limbs. "This is a drag," he complained, heading towards the door.

Ino sat upright, glaring at his retreating back. "Where do you think you're going? It's our movie night, Shika!"

"I'm going in my room to do something more worth my time. I never liked watching movies anyway. It's like being asleep while you're conscious." The door shut behind him.

Ino groaned and got up, swinging open the door and following him across the hall. If he thought he was going to get away from her that easily, he had another thing coming. "Well then, I figure with as much time as you spend asleep, you'd actually like movies," she grumbled, shutting his room door behind her.

Shikamaru walked over to his computer, shrugging his skinny shoulders. "I don't like that kind of sleeping. You don't dream."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Why does everything have to be so deep with you?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her. "Would you prefer it if I was stupid and shallow like some of those other guys you've dated?"

The platinum blonde narrowed her eyes. "I don't date stupid and shallow guys."

"Sure you don't."

"I date you. You're not stupid or shallow."

"I'm the exception, not the rule."

"Dammit, Shika, knock it off with all the damn sayings!"

XXX

Sakura watched the clock and felt like the seconds were turning into hours. Yes, she found Minato-sensei to be amusing sometimes (and kinda hot) and she liked him because he was Naruto's dad, but she was growing more and more annoyed with his antics as time went by. And looking over at Naruto, he was getting pretty annoyed, too. He was scowling with his head resting in the palm of his hand, staring off into space while his dad rambled on about Naruto's childhood.

Suddenly, the young lead singer sat up straight. "Hey, Sakura-chan, want to come get something to drink with me?" he asked, smiling so widely that she thought it might crack his face.

Confused, she nodded. "Sure." They both stood up and Naruto grabbed her hand, leading her away despite the protests of Minato behind them.

Once they were out of Minato's sight, Naruto ducked around a corner and pulled Sakura against him. "Sorry. I just wanted some alone time with you. It was beginning to feel like the last time you and I were at a function together. And that was hardly fun," he said with a chuckle.

Sakura smiled and leaned up to kiss his nose. "Yeah well, it couldn't have been all bad. You got signed then, didn't you?"

"Yeah. But the idea of being away from you for so long kind of scared the hell out of me," Naruto admitted, looking sheepish. "Imagine finally getting the girl you've been crushing on since you've met her and then having to leave her after your very first date. Heartbreaking kinda."

Sakura smiled softly at him, this time leaning up to kiss his lips. Naruto's own mouth twitched in a smile and he pulled her against him, deepening it. Sakura sighed, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing his back against the wall.

When they separated, they were both smiling dopily. "What was that for?" Naruto asked breathily.

Sakura shrugged. "Because you're a sweetheart." She turned her head and searched for the clock she'd been watching. "It's just about... time to go. Ready to meet my mom and dad?" she asked, smiling.

Naruto instantly looked nervous. "Well I uh, I um, I guess so?" he stammered, holding his hand out for hers. It was sweaty. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Who's hands got sweaty that fast?

She kissed his shoulder, which was as far as she could reach without standing on tiptoe again. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. They'll love you."

XXX

Minato was sitting alone, rubbing his forehead and waiting for Sakura and Naruto to get back to the table. He hadn't even gotten to tell Sakura about Naruto's constant temper tantrums that only he, his father, could calm down before Naruto pulled her away for drinks. They'd been gone for five minutes and if they didn't return soon, he'd lose his train of thought!

He sighed, resting his head in his hand and pouting. Suddenly, he heard someone pull out a chair and sit down at the table beside him. He grinned, sitting his head up and expecting to see Naruto sitting there, but instead meeting a pair of eyes that were such a shade of blue that they began to look purple.

Minato frowned. "Nagato. What do I owe the pleasure?" he asked in an overly polite tone. Despite the fact that Nagato was probably one of the last surviving members of his endangered family, he still didn't exactly like the kid. He was a bad influence for Naruto, and was always spreading mischief and discord in the minds of others just because his own life was in shambles. Which is why he didn't let Naruto around the kid after Kushina passed away. Not to mention those damned piercings he wore. He wasn't even dressed up for this event, opting to wear a black T shirt with a red cloud in the middle and jeans.

"Let's spare each other the pleasantries, Minato. I know you don't like me. But unfortunately for you, I don't give a damn. I want to talk about Naruto."

Minato's face instantly darkened. "Let's not." He stood up to relocate to another table.

"Sit down, Minato," Nagato commanded. "Or I'll start telling some things that could ruin you forever."

Minato narrowed his eyes at him. "What could you possibly have on me?" he asked, tone dangerous.

Nagato smirked. "You're not as squeaky clean as you'd like everyone to believe, Minato, and you know I'm the only one who knows it. I wonder what 'Naru-chan' will think when he finds out what you did. That you're the one who~"

"That's enough, Nagato." Minato continued to glare, but plopped back down in his seat. "I see you haven't changed. You're still the little coward who hides his face behind his hair."

Nagato smirked. "If you haven't noticed, Minato, you can see every inch of my face." He stood up, tucking his hands into his pocket.

"It isn't your face I'm looking into, Nagato. It's Yahiko's," Minato snapped back. "You're still afraid to show who you are."

The smile on Nagato's face disappeared, replaced with a scowl. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper, tossing it at Minato's face. "Have my little cousin call me by tomorrow afternoon. If you aren't going to be cooperative, I think I'll go directly to who I really want to talk to. See if I can change his mindset."

Minato stood up as well, fists clenched on the table. "Stay away from my son, Nagato," he bit out threateningly.

The redhead didn't even bat an eyelash. "Uh uh uh, Minato," Nagato warned him mockingly, "There are people watching, and I know you don't want to start a scene in public." He winked, knowing he was right, and turned on his heel to go. "And to you, my name is Pain."

XXX

Naruto's hands fiddled nervously with his tie as he and Sakura got closer and closer to the table her parents were already sitting at. As they walked, he could just make out one head of pink hair and the other blonde. Naruto swallowed hard, knowing the chances that the couple was anyone else's parents.

Sakura put her hand gently on his shoulder. "Relax, Naruto-kun. My parents will love you," she whispered reassurringly.

Naruto took a deep breath and tried to calm down as they finally reached the table. Sitting down were Sakura's parents, the man the one with pink hair and the woman having blonde. Naruto waited patiently as Sakura introduced him first to her father, Kizashi, who had a serious case of facial hair, and her mother, Mebuki. "Mom, Dad, this is Naruto, the boy I was telling you about."

Kizashi's gentle face instantly turned stern and intimidating. "Ah, you're the 'Naruto-kun' we've been hearing so much about for the last two years."

Naruto swallowed nervously. "I-I guess I am," he stammered. He felt Sakura's hand on the small of his back and forced himself to sit down in one of the chairs across from Sakura's parents.

Mebuki studied him intensely. "You look strangely familiar, Naruto. Where have I seen you before?" she asked.

"Uh, I wouldn't know, Haruno-san," Naruto answered.

Mebuki studied him for a moment longer before a grin burst out on her face. She squealed. "The papers! That's it, the papers! Don't you recognize him, Kizashi-kun," she cooed, tugging gently on the sleeve of her husband's shirt. "He was in all the papers!"

Sakura watched as Naruto's face suddenly reddened at the attention and she gently grasped his hand under the table for reassurance. "Naruto-kun was in a lot of papers with his band, mom. Bowling for Ramen, remember? I told you about them," she reminded her mother.

Kizashi studied Naruto more closely and intensely once Sakura told them that Naruto was basically a rockstar. Never trust a rockstar dating your daughter. But Mebuki waved her daughter's reminder away. "Yes, yes, I remember that. But I didn't mean those papers. I meant the newspapers he was in when he was a child. There was a point when you couldn't read the news without seeing his adorable little face over every front page," she exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, yes, mom. His dad is~"

"Namikaze Minato," Kizashi suddenly interrupted, warm eyes now staring intensely at Naruto. He lifted his hand, pointing is finger at Naruto's face. "I remember now. Mebuki, don't you remember what the papers were saying about Namikaze Naruto?"

His wife turned to him and curiously watched as he stared intensely at the boy her daughter's date. "Ah, not exactly. It was so long ago..." she murmured.

Kizashi sat back, continuing to hold Naruto's eyes. "His face was all over the papers because of the accident that befell Namikaze Naruto and his mother."

Sakura wore an expression that was similar to her mother's as she watched the strange reaction he had to Naruto. "His mother...?" Sakura asked questioningly, looking over at Naruto who had suddenly stiffened beside her.

Kizashi nodded. "Yes, his mother. She was killed in their home one day while Minato was on a business trip, remember honey? There was a big investigation but they never caught the man. And young Namikaze Naruto was kidnapped. A week or so later and the papers said that he was dead." He watched his daughter's expression turn to shock before his eyes darted back to the fearfully-staring Naruto. "Namikaze Naruto died many years ago. So who are you?" he asked, again pointing at Naruto.

Naruto swallowed a hard lump in his throat and met the frightening eyes of his girlfriend's father. "I-It's all a misunderstanding," Naruto stammered, voice cracking. How could Sakura's dad remember all of that from so long ago? No one else recognized him from the papers. "I can explain."

"Explain what? If you thought that you could lie to my daughter about who you really were in order to win brownie points, you obviously didn't count on her father actually knowing the details of that day. Did you think that just because you have blonde hair and blue eyes, you could masquerade as a dead boy? Namikaze Minato has been through enough without some street-thug-rockstar-asshole pretending to be his dead son!" Kizashi shouted at Naruto.

"I-I'm really Naruto, I swear!" Naruto exclaimed, holding up his hands to show Kizashi that he meant no harm. "I can explain everything if you'd just give me the opportunity!"

But Kizashi didn't want to hear it. His head turned to Sakura. "Where did you meet this kid, Sakura? Did you even meet him at your school like you said?"

"Daddy, just listen to him! He's telling the truth," Sakura urged her father, clasping a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You're being brash again without even listening to what Naruto has to say." Naruto looked at Sakura, surprised that she was still standing up for him even though it was clear that even she didn't have all the details.

Kizashi waved his hand at his pink haired daughter in dismissal. He glared at Naruto again. "Punks like you make me absolutely sick. How could you take advantage of a poor man's misfortune just for your own gain? Namikaze-san is too good of a man for that!" Kizashi snapped his arm out to point to the exit. "Get out of my sight, you little rat. And I swear if I hear wind of you trying to manipulate my daughter or Namikaze-san's troubles again, I will find you and break every limb in your body. Get out!"

That was all the warning that Naruto needed. He jumped out of his seat and dejectedly ran out of the restaurant with his arms covering his eyes. He was better off as Uzumaki Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto would never have had to deal with his girlfriend's parents thinking he was a sneaky rat. They might have thought that he was an idiot or not good enough for her, but they might not have hated him as much and so soon into dinner.

He ran out of the restaurant and into the ran, not realizing that he forgot his coat on the back of his chair until he was standing in the rain and trying to figure out how to get back to the school. He wouldn't go back to the function and make his dad wonder what went wrong with meeting Sakura's parents. If his dad heard how Sakura's dad treated him, Minato wouldn't stop until Kizashi was groveling for forgiveness at Naruto's feet. And he didn't want that to be the reason why Sakura's dad liked him, he didn't want Minato to have anything to do with it.

The door to the building behind him opened and light flooded the dark and wet sidewalk around him. In seconds, long, feminine arms were wrapped around his middle and a warm face was pressed against his neck. "I'm so sorry for all of that, Naruto-kun! Come back inside, my dad will be nice this time. He's just overemotional sometimes. Come on, it's raining."

Naruto gently brushed her off and turned to her, forcing a smile. "Don't worry about it, Sakura-chan. I'm just gonna go back to school. Go enjoy dinner with your parents," he urged her.

Sakura frowned. "How are you going to get home?"

He shrugged. "I can walk. School's only a few blocks from here."

"I'm not letting you walk alone in the rain, Naruto," she said like a mother might. "At least come sit in the lobby until you can call for your dad to give you a ride back."

Naruto looked longingly at the warmth that he knew was inside the restaurant, then down at his wet clothes beginning to cling stickily to his body. And he'd put so much effort into getting ready... He looked away from the doors and down at his girlfriend. "You'll get in trouble for following me out here. Your dad doesn't like me very much," he reminded her.

"He doesn't know you. Not like I do," she said with a smile, leaning up and kissing his nose. "Come on, let's at least sit down on the curb, okay?"

Naruto shrugged and grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her to sit down on the curb. He pulled her against him and opened his jacket to wrap it around her shoulders. It was wet, but at least it was better than just her dress.

"You know I don't mind if my dad hates you, right? I don't care. I like you," Sakura told him sincerely, snuggling up against his side.

Naruto smiled. "Well, I love you," he told her, leaning his head down and pecking her lips.

Sakura smiled. "Still?"

"Still."

She kissed him back, pulling him down by his tie in order to deepen it. "I love you, too."

A/N I know this is uber late, but I didn't have any motivation to write. No reviews=No motivation, so it's a little harder for me to push through and update.

Anywho, Comments, Questions, Concerns? REVIEW!