Chapter Twenty – The Central Tower

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The cloud of smoke formed above the three open scrolls and dissipated to show Mitarashi Anko. She looked at her student with a proud smile and tossed him a stick of dango.

"You made it, Gaki, and so fast, too. Anything interesting happen?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not really. Used my clones to get one of the scrolls, collaberated with Hinata-chan's team to get the second, teamed up with Sasuke to hold off Orochimaru until we could escape…"

Anko froze. "Orochimaru? He's here?"

"He's after Sasuke." Naruto confirmed. "I think it's for his Sharingan. You may want to check with Kakashi, I'm sure he's got the story from his team by now. On the plus side, I think Sasuke really gets the idea of teamwork now."

Anko stared at him, her plate of dango forgotten.

"How did you escape?"

"I summoned myself and Sasuke to where I had thrown my dagger." Naruto said, holding up the Kitsune's Fang. "It's a trick that only I can do due to my… unique chakra."

"I bet sensei-teme was not happy." Anko smirked briefly, then she sobered. "I need to tell the Hokage about this, Orochimaru being back is not good news, he swore to destroy Konoha. This is bad, but you should be safe here. Head in and claim a room, there's plenty of food avalable, including stuff for Kaze."

Naruto nodded and Anko clapped him on his shoulder.

"When word gets round that you survived combat with Orochimaru, well, I think your promotion is in the bag. Nice work, gaki, nice work."

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"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto turned just in time to intercept Hinata's flying glomp. The impact knocked him back a few paces as he managed to not fall over, then he lightly hugged her back. At the table where Hinata had been sitting, Kiba waved while Shino righted the chair that Hinata had vacated as soon as Naruto had appeared.

"Hey, Hinata. I see you got yourselves a Heaven scroll."

Hinata nodded and tightened her hug, burying her face into the side of his neck, then she released him, grabbed his hand and pulled him to her team's table.

Once again, Naruto wondered how someone without his enhanced strength could pull him around so easily.

Perhaps it was a secret jutsu that only girls knew.

Reaching the table, Hinata sat down and Naruto took the seat beside her, smiling as Hinata promptly leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He placed his arm around her and she sighed in contentment.

"It is good that you succeeded in finding the required scrolls, Naruto-san. Hinata-san was becoming worried that something bad had happened to you."

"Nah, I'm good." Naruto said with a smile. "Had a bit of a sword-fight with Sasuke, but we both got out of it without getting injured."

"You fought Sasuke?" Kiba asked and Naruto shook his head.

"Nope. Me and Sasuke fought Orochimaru. He wasn't really trying and he wanted Sasuke unharmed, so we were able to hold him off long enough to get the rest of his team to safety, then he and I escaped."

Hinata had lifted her head from his shoulder and was staring at him with mingled amazement, pride and horror.

"We saw the boy you had warned us about fighting." Shino said. "He was absolutely merciless, he killed three genin with a single technique that crushed them in his sand. You were right about his sand being defensive as well, it created a shield around him that protected him from a rain of Senbon. I do not think that it was under his conscious control, it even blocked the senbon from angles that he could not have seen."

"He's a Jinchuuriki, like me." Naruto said. "I hold the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside me, keeping Konoha safe. Gaara holds the Ichibi, Shukaku, inside him, granting him control over sand. Shukaku probably provides him with the sand-controlling ability and the automatic defence."

Kiba stared at Naruto.

"You're a Jinchuuriki? Your father sealed the Kyuubi into you? Shino, why aren't you surprised by this?"

"I realised it on the day that Naruto's heritage as the son of the Yondaime Hokage was revealed." Shino said. "His realisation as to his parentage may have distracted most of the other students from what was revealed, but I paid attention to the lead-up to the revelation, and realised that the secret that was almost revealed that day was Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki. As to why I am not bothered by it, may I remind you that we of the Abarume clan know full well that having something inside us does not mean that the we become that which we contain. I hold Kikkai, I am not one. Naruto holds the Kyuubi, but he is not the Kyuubi. Only a true idiot would think otherwise."

Kiba frowned at him, then nodded slowly. "I think I get it. It's like… Naruto's the cup and the Kyuubi's the water. The cup holds the water, but doesn't turn into it."

Naruto nodded. "Exactly right. I can call upon the Kyuubi's chakra on occasion, even talk to him. I'm not the first Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, the first was Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the first Hokage, the second was Uzumaki Kushina. I became the third after Kyuubi was freed during my birth and someone used a fully-evolved Sharingan to force him to attack Konoha."

"Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the Shodaime and Uzumaki Kushina, the wife of the Yondaime." Shino stated. "Interesting how both of the other Jinchuuriki were Uzumaki… how did you know this? I have not come across any reference to it."

"I talk to the Kyuubi on occasion, that's how I know why he attacked Konoha. He was being controlled by a renegade Uchiha." Naruto shrugged. "He's the one who gave me my Kekkai Genkai, although we both kind of screwed up a bit. I accidently removed one of the limitation seals on me while he was upgrading my strength and… well… end result was supercharged strength, more than he planned."

"Seals?" Hinata asked, her face filled with concern. "What seals?"

"A dozen or so." Naruto replied, staring at nothing as he thought back. "Several designed to limit my strength and co-ordination, two designed to kill me should I leave Konoha without permission or at the whim of the person who placed the seal, some memory-degradation seals, one placed by the Yamanaka clan, I'll have to talk to Inoichi about that sometime… that kind of thing. Even a tracking seal. They're all gone, now."

Naruto looked round to see the other three staring at him.

"People… placed seals on you?" Shino asked and Naruto nodded.

"Yep, apparently had any more been added, it would have affected the main seal quite badly, probably killing me and releasing a very angry Kyuubi." Naruto said. "At the moment, Kyuubi has access to all my senses, he can hear what I hear, see what I see, we can talk silently, he's very sarcastic at times. And if I let him, he can use his chakra. It's how I got my dagger and why I can summon my sword. Kyuubi modified it for me."

"That… is… so… awesome!" Kiba half-shouted. "And the tigers? Is that why you're their master?"

"Their friend." Naruto corrected. "Actually, it's a combination of my strength and willingness to wrestle them that first attracted their attention, then they learned a few tricks from observing me and decided that I'd make a great honorary tiger. From that point…" Naruto shrugged. "Anyway, now I'm here, I need some food, then I need to get some rest."

"The room next to ours is free." Hinata said with a smile as Shino rose and headed over to where the food was. "You can claim that one."

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Naruto opened his eyes as the door to his room opened and a figure slipped through. Kaze lifted his head, then settled down again and Naruto caught a whiff of lilacs and violets.

"Hinata… is something wrong?"

"Nope." Hinata whispered as she moved across to his bed. Lifting the sheet, she slid in and snuggled up to Naruto, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just wanted my snuggly."

Kaze coughed with laughter and Naruto glared at him.

"Laugh it up, furball. I don't laugh at you when you're chasing a lady-tiger, do I?"

Hinata giggled and shifted slightly, giving Naruto a tight hug that would have caused anyone else to temporarily lose the ability to breathe.

"You've got stronger." Naruto noted, wrapping his arm lightly around her and stroking her face with his free hand. Hinata nodded.

"We all have. Kiba was shocked when I revealed how strong I was, he's been training hard to build up his strength and chakra reserves so that he can claim to be the brawn of the team again. Shino's also been training, he's been working on his taijitsu and weapons-work. He uses a pair of scythes that he hides up his sleeves. Kiba's sticking to his clan's taijitsu, but he's using weights and has learned several new jutsu. He can hold his own against me in a spar again."

The two of them lay in comfortable silence for several minutes, then Hinata spoke again. "Naruto, how strong are you now?"

"Hard to say." Naruto mused. "I managed to hold off Orochimaru in the forest, but he wasn't trying all that hard. Zabuza-sensei says that I'm about equal to him in swordwork, I just need more experience, Anko insists that I could make Special Jonin now… overall, I think I'm fairly strong."

"As a clan-head and my future husband should be." Hinata murmured, shifting again. Naruto tilted his head, resting his cheek against the top of her head and she sighed in pleasure.

"Do Shino and Kiba know you're here?"

"Yep, and if they know what's good for them, they won't say anything." Hinata smirked. "Besides, we've had a long, hard day, and I thought I'd remind you that you're mine and I'm yours."

Naruto smiled and relaxed.

"I'd say more the former than the latter." He joked and Hinata gently slapped his forehead before resuming hugging him. "You know, it wasn't too long ago that you'd be fainting before even considering climbing into bed with me."

Hinata shook her head slightly. "No," she laughed, "It wasn't too long ago that I'd faint because I thought about climbing into bed with you. Then Anko got her hands on me and taught me not to suppress my inner hentai so much."

"Your inner what?" Naruto asked. Hinata giggled.

"Something that makes me have naughty thoughts. Anko taught me how to cope with them without passing out. Now I can enjoy as many naughty thoughts about you as I want."

"How did Anko help you? Or should I not ask?"

"Orange books." Hinata smiled. "She had me read orange books."

"Oh!" Naruto realised. "Like Kakashi-sensei reads! I've never read them, Gai-sensei says they're unyouthful."

"They're only unyouthful if you have no-one to share them with." Hinata yawned, "And Anko said that after the exams, we should take a week off to share them in my apartment. Preferably with the silencing seals up."

"Okay," Naruto admitted. "I'm confused. I have no idea what you're talking about now."

"Good." Hinata sighed. "That means you'll pay attention when it's time for you to learn."

Naruto opened his mouth to ask her what she was talking about, then paused as he felt Hinata relax in a way that showed that she had fallen asleep.

"Goodnight, Hinata-hime." He whispered. "Have nice dreams."

'Or naughty ones.' Kaze snorted. Naruto glared at him again.

"Shut up, furball."

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"Get up, lazybones." Kiba said, slamming the door open. "It's breakfast time, and they have cinnamon rolls."

"Cinnamon rolls!?" Hinata exclaimed, lunging out of bed. "Where?"

Kiba started to laugh as Shino entered and handed a pile of neatly-folded clothing to Hinata. "We will be waiting downstairs for you while you and Naruto get dressed. Another two teams have shown up, one from Sound, the other your cousin's team. I would advise hurrying to ensure that there are some rolls left by the time you get down. Kiba, come."

The door closed behind them and Hinata quickly stripped out of her nightwear and started to pull on her clothing before pausing and blushing, looking at Naruto. After a moment, Naruto closed his eyes and turned away as rustles of fabric told him that Hinata was finishing getting dressed.

"Okay, I'm done. See you at breakfast!"

Hinata almost flew out of the door, still blushing furiously as Naruto climbed out of bed. Pulling out a storage scroll, he unsealed a new outfit and got changed.

'It's funny how Precious Flower With Eyes Of The Moon still acts embarrassed on occasion, especially given she's going to be your mate.' Kaze noted as he stretched, reaching from one end of the room to the other. Naruto shrugged.

"She'll get better." Naruto said with a smile as he finished buckling his special sandals. "Besides, she's walked in on me getting changed a few times, so it's not like it was unfair."

'I thought it was a two-leg tradition to knock on the door before entering.' Kaze said, sounding confused and Naruto nodded.

"It is, but since Hinata and I are to get married, I told her that she's always welcome in my room without the need to knock. She's got several eyefuls and I swear that she was using the Byakugan at least once. Not that I mind, it's Hinata, after all."

'You two-legs are so contradictory.' Kaze laughed. 'Go, fill your stomach with food and your heart with your mate-to-be. I want to get back to sleep.'

Naruto grinned as he headed down to the dining hall, where the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha was waiting for him.

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"Morning, dobe."

"Teme."

Hinata looked confused as Naruto and Sasuke cheerfully insulted each other.

"I thought you two hated each other?" She said. "You know, the whole thousand years of pain incident and all that?"

Sasuke smirked. "Nope, I needed reminding how much more I need to improve, and he did so. If not for him, my team would be dead and I'd be in Orochimaru's grasp."

"He figured it was worth five jutsu from the Uchiha vaults." Naruto commented. "I need to get a few unpredictable jutsu into my repetoire anyway."

"My eternal rival, you are here also!"

Everyone turned to see Lee, Neji and Tenten entering the hall. Naruto leapt out of his seat and bounded across to Lee, apparently ignoring Neji's Byakugan-enhanced glower.

"Lee-nii-san, it is good to see you so hale and hearty!"

"Thank you, Naruto-nii-kun, it is wonderful to see you too!"

"Why were you in bed with my cousin last night?"

"Lee-nii-san!"

"Naruto-nii-kun!"

"I saw you with my Byakugan."

"Lee-nii-san!"

"Naruto-nii-kun!"

"I'm asking you a question!"

"LEE-NII-SAN!"

"NARUTO-NII-KUN!"

"Look away NOW!" Sakura shouted and everyone spun round.

"That is one heck of a technique." Kiba said, looking at the shadow of him cast by the Sunset Genjitsu. "But why did he get Lee to do that?"

The light faded and they turned back, seeing Neji curled into a fetal position, rocking back and forth.

"I think Neji-nii-san was trying to intimidate Naruto, and that was his response." Hinata sighed. "Excuse me a moment."

Rising from her seat, Hinata walked over and crouched down beside Neji, giving him a hug. "It's alright, Neji-nii-san, the genjitsu has faded, the youthfulness isn't going to hurt you, it's all right…"

"You'd have thought he'd be used to that by now." Naruto shrugged, leading Lee and Tenten back to the table. Sakura tilted her head.

"Was Neji right? You slept in Hinata's bed last night?"

"Of course not!" Naruto exclaimed, looking shocked. "No true shinobi would ever impose on a lady like that. I never even set so much as a single foot in her room last night, as Kiba and Shino can verify."

Shino nodded in confirmation while Kiba grinned widely. Sakura nodded. "So Neji was wrong."

"No, he was right." Hinata said, leading a shell-shocked Neji over and guiding him into a seat. "I wanted my snuggly, so I went to him."

"Your snuggly." Sasuke repeated in disbelief. "You call the one who fought Zabuza to a standstill, who held his own against Orochimaru, the one who can create an army of Kage Bunshin, your snuggly?"

Hinata blushed slightly as she nodded and Sasuke dropped his head into his hands.

"I can't deal with this right now. That's like calling one of your tigers Furball."

"I do call them that, whenever they annoy me." Naruto grinned. Sasuke shook his head in disbelief.

"If anyone else said that, I wouldn't believe it."

Naruto laughed.