Teehee, it's me, HalfLidded. : ) Here to post another chapter. Thank you for everyone who reviewed the last chapter that I wasn't so pleased with. It made me feel better. And thank you for the good wishes on the CD, it really was sweet of you. The band actually did really well; they only thought that they would be able to record 3 or 4 songs just to make an EP. Well, they pushed out 7, not including one solo song. So again, thank you all, much appreciation. : )

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Naruto had never heard the names of so many flowers before in his life. Whenever Ino had tried to tell him things, he either just ignored her or he whined until she stopped. She'd always give up with a dejected sigh and tell him that someday, he'd be sorry he didn't listen to her.

Right now, he was.

After asking Hinata what she would need help with, she set out a list of things, grabbing buckets of cornflower or Drummond phlox or even more strange names. Naruto had stared at Hinata, blinking a few times before uttering a very intelligent 'huh?'

Hinata had learned then and there that Naruto, like most people, didn't actually know the names of flowers. He just knew them by what they looked like. She'd have to work with him like he was a customer. A slightly clumsy, slightly hyperactive, and very outspoken customer.

"Hinata-chan, I don't even know what a Fire Wheel is!" Naruto explained for the fifth time. Hinata, who had always described herself as being fairly patient, was starting to wonder if hers would wear thin.

"N-naruto-san, please listen. T-the flower looks l-like a pinwheel, m-maybe an i-inch and a half a-across. It h-has a d-dark red c-center, and red f-f-fanning out f-from there. T-the tips o-of the petals are y-yellow and appear s-s-serrated. The l-leaves look serrated t-too." Hinata worked as she spoke; using the sharp knife she had with her earlier to cut the stems at a 45 degree angle. She placed them once she had finished into the buckets of the same flowers, and much to his chagrin, Naruto couldn't for his life figure out how she memorized them. But he would help, he said he would.

And this gave him more time to study her, something he thought he needed to do. He had given up the life he had been living until just this morning.

As he wandered around the back room, looking for the flowers she had described, he thought over what had happened. He woke up to her humming. He saw he was a Hyuga. Well, no first he saw that she had a fine ass, then he found she was a Hyuga. Feh, semantics. Then, then he had followed her. Against his better judgment and common sense, he stayed longer than was necessary in Lightning. And he'd be staying for a while by the looks of it.

Unless I can convince her father to move them away from here. Preferably back to the Leaf. Avoid wars and reunite the Hyuga. Well, reunite if the Main Hyuga Branch knows that there are two stray family members out here.

On that thought, Naruto froze. Main Family. Branch Family. Just what the hell would happen to Hinata and her father if they were to return to Konoha? It seemed highly unlikely to Naruto that the Main family would accept them into their ranks, regardless of the pull Naruto may still have with Tsunade. They were a founding family; they ran by their own rules. Neji and Naruto got along pretty well, but just because he was the next heir didn't mean he could persuade the council.

His eyes ran along a row of buckets, filled with flowers of ranging colors. Oranges, yellows, reds, blues, some purple. Slightly clouded blue eyes, filled with worry and uncertainty only half glanced at them. Man, had he worked himself into a corner. His long, calloused fingers reached out to gently trace the petals of one flower. It was soft, silky against his finger tips. He wondered, for a brief second, if Hinata's skin was this soft after spending her whole life around these petals as soft as clouds.

Wait a second…

Inch and a half across. Dark red center. Red petals. Yellow tips. Serrated edges. A check below the flowers confirmed for him, serrated leaves. A large, goofy grin broke out across Naruto's face.

"Hey Hinata-chan! I found them, -ttebayo!" Naruto grabbed the bucket and rushed over to her. "You were right, they look like pinwheels! Ooh, and they are pretty…" He held the bucket up to her face as she turned, gaining a surprised 'eep' from her. A slight blush burnished her cheeks and she smiled sincerely at him.

"T-thank you Naruto-san! Now, I n-need you to f-find me some c-crimson clover and the b-b-blazing star I cut t-today." He blinked a couple times. And all over town, people stopped their work and looked around to the upset voice that filled the air.

"Aw, Hinata-chan! I gotta find more?"

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Naruto watched Hinata close the shop door with quiet intensity. Honestly, it hadn't been too long of a day. After he found that he'd had for search for more than one flower at a time, he decided that some Shadow Clones would be in his best interest. Hinata, for the most part, had been stunned out of her pretty little sandals when he had done that. To go from one Naruto to 6 in half a second was a little more than the shy young woman could handle. Knife in hand, and face painted a nice red, Hinata's pale eyes rolled to the back of her lids and she fainted, dead on the spot. Needless to say, Naruto felt a sense of panic take over him when she fell back. Two clones rushed forward to grab her, while Naruto himself ran up to grab her wrist, taking the small knife from her hands as the clones held her up. His blue eyes wide, he placed the knife on a table, and then looked around.

"Hey Boss, whadda we do if someone walks in?" one of the clones said as he squinted and scratched the back of his head. Naruto raised his eyes too look at the clone, the lowered his head back down to look at Hinata.

"Anyone know how to wake a sleeping girl?" He asked. All the clones shook their heads at the same moment. Naruto look up again. "Well, damn…"

Naruto was lucky, she hadn't stayed out for more than a few moments, and no one had walked in looking for her. She had slowly come too, and after getting her surroundings and blushing madly, the stuttered an apology. Since then, she had been relatively quiet, only giving him instruction and direction when he needed it, and keeping the conversations quiet. When customers came in, he dispelled the clones, and when they left he summoned some again. He searched for the flowers she would describe and help her carry buckets; he would cut flowers or take down things she asked from the higher places she couldn't quite reach.

Naruto, maybe a little bored, took contentment in doing these small things. It was how he found himself outside this small shop, in the middle of Lightning country, looking down the road that had darkened considerably as the sun set over the small village. It was also how he found himself again try to start up a conversation with the shy Hinata, a blush ever painting her cheeks.

"Hey Hinata-chan, why are you so quiet?" He asked as she placed her key back round her neck. She jumped a small bit, and turned to look up and smile at him.

"I-I'm not t-that quiet, I'm j-just a little m-more soft spoken t-than most people." She smiled kindly and looked forward, picking the large basket from the morning off of the ground and placing it on her left arm. She slowly began walking forward, and not knowing what else to do, Naruto followed. He quickly caught up to her and fell into step beside her. He slowly placed his hands in his pockets and looked up at the star dotted sky above him. After a few moments of silence, Hinata quietly spoke up from her place next to him.

"Um, N-naruto-san?" She began shyly.

Naruto's head dropped down, and he looked over at her. Her head was set straight, and her eyes pointed forward. The light moonlight that was beginning to drift over the tree tops graced her hair and the side of her face. Where it touched her hair, darker blues and some very slight indigo stood out from the inkiness that was her hair. Where it touched her face, the flesh beneath it looked creamy. When she didn't continue though, Naruto pushed her right shoulder a little bit with his arm.

"Yeah Hinata-chan?" His hands still rested in his pockets and he set his gaze forward.

She chewed her lip, something he had seen her do when she got a little nervous. "Um, why a-are you following m-me?" When he didn't answer after a few seconds, Hinata panicked "I m-mean I don't m-mean to offend y-you, Naruto-s-san, i-it's just – it's just there is a-an inn in town a-and there might b-be some p-people there who could, y-you know, talk with you? O-or maybe y-you want to s-sleep? I m-mean thank you f-for all your held t-today, it was v-very much appreciated and e-everything. But y-you must be tired, mustn't you? I-I'm very s-sorry for wearing you out Naru-"

"Hey, Hinata-chan?" Naruto suddenly cut her off. His eyes were facing the sky again, drifting over the stars. Hinata 'eep'd once more and looked at him. His hair seemed pale in the darkness, as if muted by the shadows. His eyes, still as blue as ever, shined a different way than when she had seen them in the sun. They too, looked slightly muted, but somehow as bright as the stars he was staring at. He didn't really wait to hear her confirmation that she heard him. He seemed to understand when the small noise she made filled his ears. "Do you, you know, not like me? 'Cause if you don't I'm sorry." He stopped for a second and considered his next words. "And, I was really hoping that I could speak to your father. Just to ask him a few things. Then I'll probably go, and get out of your hair." He looked back down at her and gave her a kind smile. The all too familiar heat started rising to her cheeks again.

"N-no, Naruto-san! Its n-not that I d-don't like you, I j-just thought you'd w-want a little more c-conversation tonight!" She froze and nibbled her lip a little bit once more and looked forward. "I'm n-not sure what F-father will say about someone v-visiting so late, a-and unannounced, but I b-believe he'll u-understand this t-time." She spoke slowly.

Naruto nodded and made a noise of understanding in his throat as his eyes drifted back up to the stars. Hinata couldn't help but feel that he looked sad, as if something was bothering him.

Naruto couldn't honestly think of a way to make Hinata's father move back to the Leaf, and keep word of a Hyuga in Lightning away from as many ears as possible. The rest of the walk was quiet and dark, and the moon slowly began its arc over the trees.

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The first thing Naruto noticed about the small house that Hinata lived in was that for a one story home, it looked decent. It didn't stand more than 10 feet tall, yet the side seemed to extend a good 20 feet across, and maybe 15 back. It was a good size for someone like Hinata, not too big but not too small. Hinata walked up to the front step, just elevating the home a few inches off the ground, and Naruto quietly followed her. She moved up to the door and gently pushed it open, slipping in and holding it for Naruto. He ghosted in behind her and watched as she closed the door and took of f her sandals. He followed suit, slipping his worn shoes off and slowly padding down the hallway behind Hinata. She turned left, and Naruto followed her into a well lit room.

A fire sat crackling in an open hearth fire place with a large pot hanging over it. There were chairs seated in front of it, just two, one slightly further back than the other. In the chair that had its back to the doorway, Naruto could see a figure sitting. The top half of the head was visible. Long dark hair, slightly colored with grays. The light danced before his chair, and Naruto was stuck between making the first move and letting Hinata speak.

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Hiashi had been sitting for the better part of the last hour, waiting for Hinata to get home and ask what she wanted for dinner. He had a fairly eventful day out in the gardens, picking what he could. He wished though, that he could get out and hunt for more than just fish, or occasionally a small rabbit. He couldn't help his old age though, and he would never teach Hinata to take a life. He hoped he could take care of her until a man came along and stole her heart, and then she could be a loving wife for that man, and he could get her more than just fish.

When he had heard the first small steps outside the front of the home, he mad smiled to himself. Very soon, his lovely daughter would be safe home, and all would be well for one more day. The lines around his eyes giving away his age crinkled as he smiled to himself. When the door opened, and then closed, he had the briefest thought to stand, but decided against it. It had been a fruitful day out in the small garden, but that didn't mean in came without cost. His knees and hips were hurting as they almost always did. But he'd rarely tell his daughter, and worry her with such trivial things. So he continued to stay seated, as Hinata worked her way from the front to the small living room.

In his old age, Hiashi couldn't always judge things as soundly as he could when he was younger. But there were two things he was certain of at this moment. His lovely daughter Hinata was not alone as she neared the room he was in. And she was moving with a shinobi following her. Hiashi tensed, almost ready to react to whatever came at him. He knew he wouldn't hold off a full attack for long, but just long enough to tell Hinata to run and hide somewhere, that was all the time he needed. But she wasn't a trained shinobi, he reminded himself. Her running would only be so much against a real ninja. Hiashi prayed that whatever happened, his dear daughter would be safe.

He listened to her small feet pad down the hallway, and make the turn to enter the living area. Silently, he activated his Byakugan, hoping whoever was here wouldn't notice the spike in chakra in the room. He enhanced vision drifted over his daughter, checking for any injury. In his colorless vision, she appeared fine. No wounds, nothing. He looked over the man who stood behind her, and just to her right. He was tall, at least a half a foot taller than his Hinata, and he was built well. Muscular, but not so big that he was a hindrance to himself. He had worked hard to make his body a lethal weapon. His skin was tanned from the sun, and his clothes looked dirty and worn. His hair was disheveled around his head and face, and he seemed to be studying the back of Hiashi's head very intently.

We shall see soon what your intentions are, young ninja. And then we shall see if my daughter ever see's your face again.

He noticed Hinata's eyes land on him as well, and she slowly made her way over to place the basket she used to gather flowers by the hearth. Hiashi blinked away his Byakugan and watched her as she stood and faced him.

"Father, t-there is someone here I w-would like y-you to meet. His n-name is –"

"Naruto Uzumaki, sir." Naruto rounded the chair along with Hinata to look at Hiashi as he spoke. He noticed the man's eyes first, definitely a Hyuga, and then the lines around his eyes. Across his face, his age was spelled out in wrinkles, some less visible than others. Naruto let his right hand rise to be level with Hiashi's chest, only to have Hiashi regard it rather coldly.

"Uzumaki-san, am I correct in my assumption that you are a ninja?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at Hiashi, and then relaxed. Why did he think he'd be able to hide anything form a Hyuga? They were living lie detectors. Hiashi continued to stare at Naruto impassively, as if his presence was neither concerning nor important.

Naruto decided that an answer was much in order. "Yeah, you could say I am. Am I correct in assuming you are a lost Hyuga in Lightning?" At this, Hiashi's eyes widened and he slowly made a move to stand.

He wasn't taller than Naruto, but since he had turned 17 no one really was. He stood only a few inches below Naruto, but he seemed to radiate the confidence his daughter so severely lacked. He eyes were cold and calculating, running up and down Naruto's body before assessing him safe for now. Hiashi strode out from the chair and to Hinata. He took her delicate hand in his own and led her out of the living room.

"Hinata, dear, would you be so kind as to get your dear father some tea? And possibly bring some for our guest as well? Thank you, love, now carry on." With a kind smile, Hiashi led her to the hall and let her hand go. A kind smile graced his face as he watched her walked away before returning to Naruto.

"You would do well to hold your tongue in my home, Uzumaki." Hiashi's eyes again were cold on his face. Naruto was no longer keen to being spoken to so unkindly.

"Listen, old man, I don't know how you found yourself in Lightning, but as a Hyuga, that is not only dangerous to you and your daughter, but it could start a war between Leaf and Lightning. You don't want that, do you?" Naruto cocked his head to the side as he looked over Hiashi's standing form. His clothes were clean and neatly mended; he was resting this evening in a light kimono. His hands, though scrubbed, had dirt beneath the finger nails. He had worked in the soil, tilling and weeding and planting.

His body was old and worn, but he was strong. He moved with a slight limp on his left side, as if in pain. Naruto was no master of the Byakugan, but he knew that though this man had once been a ninja, he no longer could do the physical things needed of him in the line of duty.

I wonder how his Jutsu are though…

Hiashi was no accustomed to being spoken too so, so, so infuriatingly! His daughter was respectful, the people he spoke to were respectful, how was it that this kid was able to just speak to him to informally and how no issues with it. Hiashi heaved a sigh of discontent.

"Uzumaki, why are you here and what do you want with my daughter? Where do you hail from, unknown ninja? And why should I not be worried of you?" Naruto again regarded him rather warily. He didn't know a Leaf ninja when he saw one? True he wasn't wearing his hitai-ate, and sure he had no distinguishing marks of being a leaf shinobi, but come on! Once and ninja, always a ninja!

"Well, I've got to say, I'm a little sad you don't recognize brethren. But then again, it's been a while since you were in Konoha, am I right? I'm here because I stumbled out of a bar drunkenly at some point very early in the morning and decided that falling asleep on a bunch of flowers was the best thing in the world for me to do. So I did. And then, at what I can only assume is the ass crack of dawn, I woke up with a hangover and someone humming. Turns out, your daughter has a beautiful voice. She led me back to town and I helped her out at the flower shop. And then we came back here, because I told her I needed to speak to you. I am a ninja of Konoha, a place you once hailed from yourself, though I don't associate with them anymore, I guess I… defected, and a while ago. I don't want anything but a word with you, and I'm not a threat. If I was going to hurt Hinata, I would have done it before I brought her home. Don't you think?" Naruto had moved from his place in front of the chair Hiashi had been sitting in to the wall next to the hearth. Small trinkets hung from nails and such, small pictures were placed wherever they were seen fit. Naruto saw one of a beautiful woman holding a small baby. Her eyes were kind, and bright with laughter. She looked so much like Hinata.

Though, it could be more that Hinata looks more like her, if it's her mother…

Hiashi continued to regard Naruto rather coolly. He honestly could do nothing more than trust the boy, since it seemed he had been truthful in his entire speech. He didn't need to have his Byakugan activated to see the pain written clearly in the boys' blue eyes. He had suffered a great loss, and those were the kind that took the longest to heal. Hiashi knew of this pain, he had felt it when he had lost his dear wife, the mother of his child.

"F-father, I hope e-everything is going all right, I w-w-wouldn't want to see anyone upset here, w-we can all be kind, r-right?" Hinata entered the room with a tray, some cups and a tea pot balanced deftly on it as she walked. Naruto looked up and over and her, before moving forward to take the tray form her. She watched his movements and stood still after he took the tray from her. She followed him quietly as he moved to the small table that separated the two chairs in front of the fire. He sat the tray down, and motioned for Hinata to take the seat her father had not been occupying when they had entered. She did so, and he poured some tea, handing her the cup before moving back to the pictures and items on the wall and above the fire.

Hiashi watched the small interaction between his daughter and this ninja. It was strange; did he not just say they met that morning? Hinata left early, before Hiashi normally awoke, to gather flowers. Would that not mean that she had met this ninja before he had woken up? And why was she so comfortable around him?

Hinata, for the most part, could not help the mad blush that had erupted on her face from Naruto's slight actions. She normally handed the tea out, made sure her father was comfortable before she sat herself. In Naruto's case, she would have brought a chair for him to sit as well. But he made no move to sit, as if the action itself bothered him. Beneath her lowered bangs she snuck a peak at him. He was facing away from her, looking at the pictures above the mantle. His jacket looked even more worn in the dim light of the fire that it had earlier in the day.

The realization made Hinata 'eep', and both Naruto and Hiashi spun to look at her

She stared at them both with wide eyes and a slightly darker blush painting her cheeks.

"F-forgive me, I j-just noticed that N-naruto-san's clothing is v-very dirty. A-and worn! I s-should have asked if you w-wanted a set so change i-into, so that I c-could clean and f-fix the set you are wearing!" Naruto bunched his eyebrows together in confusion, and Hinata could not help but this it was once again one of his more adorable faces. Quickly, she recovered. "I m-mean, as repayment, f-f-for helping me o-out at the shop t-today!"

Naruto would have laughed at how she tried to save the comments she made, if he didn't think that it was the kindest thing someone had ever offered him. Sure he had done missions and received payment for them, but that was because they were required to pay him. They never did it just because they wanted too. And Old Man Teuchi did give him a couple free bowls of ramen, but it never did much, considering how much he ate. Especially how much ramen he ate.

And all he had done was wake up after a night of drinking as she gathered flowers.

"Uzumaki-san, I believe my daughter is correct. You have helped her today, and for that we are both grateful. Allow me to offer the house we live in to you for a few days, and allow my daughter to mend your clothing. She may seem shy and quiet, but she will not let this go. She'll want to repay you. In the meantime, if it doesn't sit well with you to do nothing, you can either go again with her to the shop and continue to help, or you could stay here and help me with the gardening." Naruto's eyes drifted over to Hiashi. This man was doubting him, and suddenly all right with him staying in his house, and Naruto could not have been more confused. What did he do, say yes and stay? Say no and run the hell away?

He knew he couldn't do that. One day, and he'd already promised himself that he would get them out of Lightning and place them somewhere with less danger to their eyes. And lives. And general well being. Naruto was getting a headache thinking so much.

"Uh-"

"It is settled then! Uzumaki-san, you will stay here and help out where you can, and Hinata will mend your items. Please, relax and enjoy the rest. Someone as road weary as you must need it." Hiashi turned away to face his sitting daughter. "Hinata, my child, what would you have planned for dinner this evening? I have what was gathered from the garden, but I am most sorry, I could not go out fishing today. These old bones are just –"

"I'll do it." Naruto cut in. "I need to go out for a bit anyways, just to get some air. You can get things started here, Hinata-chan, if you want. I'll get enough fish to last you a week, trust me!" He flashed a grin that again made Hinata blush before he headed towards the door again. Hiashi kissed his daughters head lightly before he moved behind Naruto.

"Uzumaki-san." Naruto turned and looked at Hiashi. Why wouldn't this guy just pick what he wanted to do, talk or not? "I sense you have many questions-"

"Well, yeah."

"- and I will be more than willing to answer them. But not in front of my daughter. I spent a good amount of time hiding things from her, and I would like some of the naivety she has to stay that way. We can talk later, after she has gone to bed." Hiashi regarded Naruto for another few moments before returning to the living room. He watches as Hinata exited after her father had entered, flashing him a small smile before heading towards what he believed to be the kitchen.

Naruto turned and walked out the door, closing it slowly and quietly behind him. Fishing was not his only plan tonight. There were people to be contacted, and a small amount of time to do it in.

Bleh. Chapter 6. Took forever to pump out. Don't ask me why, it just did. Every time I got around to writing just got this foreboding sense of writers block and my mind went 'I do not love you!' and would not allow me to write. But now I've been writing some poetry and lyrics and that's gotten the ball on a roll. For now at least. I need some ibuprofen. And milk. Remember, I know my updates have sucked, but please read and review, it makes me smile to see what you say. : )