Hello everyone. I'm happy to announce that I'm back with the next chapter! My wedding went beautifully and married life is wonderful. We are aiming to start our new family (aka children) possibly next year. I hope to get this story in a good place before then so look forward to more new chapters! Also, I will have a very important note at the end of this chapter so please remember to watch for it.

Hinata quickly took off the bra and panties and got dressed in her clothes. She folded the lingerie neatly and clutched them to her chest. She took a deep breath before pulling the curtain aside to face Naruto.

The smile drained from her face as her eyes fell upon Naruto. He was slouched against a shelf with his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed on the floor. She couldn't make out his facial expression, but his body language was extremely closed off. Was he having a bad time here?

Naruto lit up with a smile as he noticed Hinata coming towards him. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief but still made a mental note of that moment. He eyed the folded fabric in her hand and raised an eyebrow. Hinata nodded with a slight blush and Naruto beamed. She felt a small twinge of anxiety pull at her stomach. If Naruto picked this out, then that meant he wanted to see her in it later.

Hinata's earlier confidence drained away as she pictured Naruto pulling her clothes off piece by piece until only her underwear remained. Heat flooded her face. She had been in intimate situations with Naruto before, but merely thinking about his touch sent her heartrate through the roof. It was even worse now because she had several experiences which lined her daydreams with actual recollections of particular sensations. Sometimes she could close her eyes and feel the heat of his hands slide down her body or the soft whisper of his breath on her neck.

Hinata shook her head and walked with Naruto to the check-out counter. She blushed scarlet as she set the lingerie on the counter. The clerk smiled at her as she began to ring Hinata up. She glanced over at Naruto, who was also avoiding eye contact.

"There's no need to feel shy, darlings." The clerk said in a drawl. "This is supposed to be exciting!"

Hinata's blush deepened and her brain struggled to come up with a reply. Nothing came to her and they both just waited quietly as the clerk bagged their goods.

"You two lovebirds enjoy the rest of your day!" The clerk said as she handed Naruto the bag. He slung the bag over his shoulder in an attempt to conceal the risqué logo on the side of the bag. Naruto and Hinata stepped out of the store in awkward silence, their faces redder than the nightgowns on display.

Hinata took a deep breath and mustered up all her courage. She reached out quickly grabbing Naruto's hand and slid her fingers between his. She heard him gulp, but the genuine smile he gave her afterwards made it all worth it.

"You want to get something to eat, Hinata?" Naruto asked as they started meandering down the pathway.

Hinata thought to herself for a moment. She kind of wanted to take Naruto back to their tent and show him her new underwear. She shook the thought from her head and returned Naruto's smile. "Sure. What sounds good to you?"

Naruto eyed the shops around him as they walked. Hinata laughed quietly as she watched Naruto sniff the air as if trying to pick out the most delicious scent. It seemed to work, however, as his eyes lit up and he half dragged her to a small stall at the back of an alleyway.

Hinata's laugh continued as she noticed what he had picked. It was a ramen stand. Leave it to Naruto to sniff out the nearest ramen shop within a square mile. Hinata gazed at him affectionately as his boyishly cute face light up with glee. She really loved him, she thought. She loved him with every fiber in her body.

Naruto pulled her into the stall where they were immediately greeted by two boisterous women. They were slinging ingredients back and forth in front of a small crowd. It seemed like they were running a small dinner-and-show stall. Naruto and Hinata grabbed a seat away from the action, however Naruto's gaze stayed fixed on the ramen.

Hinata frowned slightly. This was technically a date, so shouldn't Naruto be paying attention to HER? She felt a pang of jealously and decided it was time for one of Naruto's most loved pranks. She grabbed one of the straws from the table and tore off the ends of one of the wrappers. She twisted the other end and put the open bit into her mouth. She made a low moaning sound with her mouth and as Naruto turned to look at her, Hinata blew into the straw, sending the wrapper shooting into Naruto's face.

Naruto blinked in surprise. It took him several seconds to pick up on what had just happened. He grinned widely. "Did you just…"

Hinata smirked and hid the straw under the table. "No."

Naruto stared at her for a moment before they both burst out laughing. Naruto eyed Hinata's face for a moment as they laughed. The way her smile lifted her cheeks and squinted her eyes made his heart skip a beat. Her hair was getting longer and was slightly curled at the ends. Time seemed to come to slow and he couldn't stop noticing things about her. Even surrounded by food, he could still pick out her scent. Naruto had grown accustomed to it by sleeping next to her night after night. She would sweat a bit in her sleep and Naruto could always smell it on him the next morning. He would never admit it, but he actually liked the way her sweat smelled.

Naruto shook his head as he realized Hinata was talking to him.

"Huh?" he asked looking back into Hinata's eyes. They seemed happy. There was a fire in them that Naruto had never really noticed. It surprised him how much they seemed to convey even without pupils. He never paid them much attention, but now he was having a hard time looking away.

"I said, do you ever think about having kids?"

Naruto's mind went blank. Kids? He had never really thought about it. "Not really."

He watched Hinata's expression fall slightly and realized that had been the wrong thing to say.

"I mean, I like kids and I would want to have some one day. I've just never thought of myself as the father type." Naruto thought for a moment. He was engaged to a Hyuuga heiress. Was he expected to have kids too? It only made sense that they would want another heir. He was left feeling unsure about the whole situation.

"You would make a great father!" Hinata said a little too loudly earning her a few stares. She blushed and lowered her voice. "You are so dedicated and hard working. You push yourself every day to show everyone that you are strong. You would be a really amazing dad."

Naruto stared at Hinata in shock. Why was Hinata so nice to him? Did that mean she wanted to have kids with him? He opened his mouth to speak, but a peppy blonde girl came bouncing over to their table.

"Hi y'all! Can I get you two something to drink?" She asked pulling out a small pad of paper.

Naruto looked down. He hadn't even thought about food, let alone drinks.

Hinata looked up and smiled. "Could we get a bowl of pork ramen to share? Extra naruto?" Hinata gave Naruto a coy smile and he grinned in return. He loved eating the naruto out of his ramen.

The blonde smiled and wrote down the order and promptly left. The previous conversation between Naruto and Hinata left off at an awkward place and neither of them could think of the words to pick it back up again. They sat there in silence for a few moments watching the two chefs put on their show. They were juggling and cracking eggs onto their iron grill.

Hinata cleared her throat after a bit and looked Naruto in the eye. "I think your kids will be very proud to call you 'Dad'."

The air was still for a moment as Naruto absorbed that thought. He couldn't visualize it completely, but the idea of him holding a little daughter on his shoulders or tucking a young son into bed made his chest tighten. Naruto swallowed the unfamiliar emotion and looked Hinata in the eye. "Thank you."

Hinata nodded and they remained silent for a few more moments. Their food arrived and Hinata and Naruto began picking at in silence. It was several minutes before Naruto glanced up at Hinata. She took a piece of naruto from the bowl and slowly brought it towards her mouth while staring into Naruto's eyes. She kept her gaze fixed as she plopped the piece into her mouth and bite it in half. Naruto winced as she chewed slowly and licked her lips.

Naruto gulped at the implied metaphor. Hinata swallowed loudly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She let out a small laugh meant to clear the awkward air and Naruto gave her a genuine smile. He couldn't help smiling whenever Hinata looked at him like that.

The couple returned to eating their meal together and sharing details on some of the particularly great meals they had eaten in their respective travels. Hinata usually was the one who sat quietly and listened to Naruto go on about his exploits, but it was Naruto, this time, who was sitting silently listening to Hinata go on about her attempts at cooking ramen. She would stop speaking occasionally to slurp up some noodles and Naruto became increasingly aware of her lips.

They were a darker shade of pink and they shined with a luminous texture. Naruto quickly realized that it was from the ramen. Her lips were wet…

Naruto's mind trailed off from that thought and drifted to their first kiss, to each subsequent kiss, to their shower together…

Naruto felt his blood rush to his face and to his neither regions. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat trying to give his bottom parts space to adjust. Hinata eyed him suspiciously.

"Why aren't you eating?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

Naruto stammered frantically. "I… uh… I'm not hungry?" He winced as soon as he said it. There was no way that was going to work.

Hinata pursed her lips with obvious disapproval. He should have known that would never have fooled anyone let alone Hinata. He submitted and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I was thinking about…. us."

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat. "Us?" She replied back automatically.

He sighed and lowered his gaze slightly. "Yeah… that time we showered together…." He answered truthfully.

Hinata was frozen for a moment before her face burst into a deep shade of crimson. Naruto could tell just from the look on her face that she was now reliving the same memory. She looked away briefly with a clear look of discomfort on her face. Naruto felt his stomach drop. He didn't know what to expect, but this also seemed like the memory had brought Hinata physical distress. Naruto felt his own disappointment plunge deep in his gut.

Then Hinata smiled. Not her usual smile. But the smallest, tiniest twitch at the corners of her mouth. If Naruto hadn't been staring at her lips, he wouldn't have caught it. He watched in shock as she crossed her arms and pinched herself on the forearms. She forced herself to look back at him and hold his gaze. Her face was beet red and there was sweat beading at the sides of her neck. "That makes me happy." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto's world turned upside down. Wasn't she just uncomfortable? He had always heard Jiraiya say women were difficult. Is this what he meant?

"Happy?" Naruto echoed carefully enunciating each syllable.

Hinata nodded her head almost too vigorously. Naruto frowned in confusion and Hinata opened her mouth to explain. It took her a few moments to gather herself before her actual words came out.

"That day meant a lot to me. The words that you said and the things you made me feel." Hinata's voice cracked slightly but she continued on. "I think about it a lot. I guess I sometimes worried that those feelings would fade into the past and become a distant memory. And knowing that you think about that day too makes me really happy."

Naruto watched Hinata closely. Her face was strange. It was contorted in such a way that it looked like she was about to cry and break into a smile at the same time. "I think about that day. I think about our first kiss." Naruto swallowed the slight bit of anxiety that had balled in his throat. "Actually, I think about each time we've kissed."

Hinata choked back a sudden flush of tears. She really didn't want to break down in the middle of this restaurant. She couldn't hold it all back though and her eyes filled with hot tears and her voice trembled with each word. "Do you ever regret walking by that waterfall?"

Naruto was silent for several seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Hinata. "I don't know." He said finally and Hinata covered his mouth with her hands. Her tears broke free and spilled down her cheeks. She let out a soft sob that was smothered by her hands.

Naruto stirred his ramen with a single chopstick. Looking at Hinata made his chest hurt and he didn't know what to do. He didn't know the words to make her smile again.

"I've never had a girlfriend before." Naruto admitted sheepishly. "I've only ever liked one girl before and it was the only girl who talked to me in school." He rubbed the back of his head. "Looking back, she was actually only yelling at me, but it was still the most attention I've ever had from someone."

Hinata felt her stomach drop as if someone had just punched her. Of course. He likes Sakura. She had always know this but it had never hurt this much before. Hinata felt sick to her stomach. She had never hated someone before, but she imagined it felt a lot like this.

"But to be honest, that feeling doesn't even compare to what I feel now." Naruto said quietly and Hinata froze mid sob. He put his hand over his chest and clutched it tightly. "Someone talking to me, yelling at me even, made me happy. But now just sitting next to you and listening to you talk makes me happy. When we are together, I don't think about anything else but you. I can close my eyes and see your face perfectly."

Naruto closed his eyes as if to demonstrate this. "I've never had a friend who listened to me the way you do. I've never gone to bed with someone kissing me good night. I've never woken up to someone making breakfast. And then I saw you at the waterfall."

Hinata's eyes filled with tears again and her sobs grew even deeper.

"I never knew what it was like to listen to someone else breathe. Or to wake up to their smiling face. But now I do. And the only reason I do is because your family put us together."

Naruto looked up at Hinata and smiled softly. "The only thing I can regret is living each day in that loneliness when I could have been your friend."

Hinata let out a breath of air she hadn't realized she had been holding. She was still shaking and tears continued to pour down her face. She looked up at Naruto blinked back her tears as much as she could.

"But there's more. I may not be super smart but I know friends don't kiss the way we have. I've never had a girlfriend, but I imagine it's a lot like what we did today. I don't know what I feel when I think about you, but I know what I want. I want to look at you. I want to see you smile. I want to kiss you again."

Naruto placed his hand on the table palm up. "I guess this is the only thing I can say. I don't regret seeing you at the waterfall. But I do regret not asking you to be my girlfriend. Not the kind your parents want, but the kind you want. You deserve to choose."

Hinata tried to speak, but her voice got caught in her throat. She swallowed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I choose you, Naruto… I've chosen you every day since the day you cheered me on at the chunin exams." She reached out and placed her hand in Naruto's palm and he griped it tightly. "You surprising me at the waterfall was the scariest and the luckiest thing to ever happen to me."

Naruto smiled and laughed a small chuckle that was more out of intense relief than actual humor. "I have a girlfriend now." Naruto said as he smiled his usual boyish grin.

Hinata laughed as well. Her heart soared and she felt like crying all over again. For different reasons this time. "I have a boyfriend now."

"Your first one, right?" Naruto asked quickly with actual concern in his voice.

Hinata burst out into actual laughter. She wiped her eyes again and smiled brightly. "My first one."

Naruto sighed with relief and returned Hinata's smile. They both started giggling for almost no reason. The simple removal of their previous anxiety was enough to make them both overload with a strange combination of happiness and excitement.

Naruto laid out money for their food and took Hinata's hand. They practically ran out of the restaurant completely oblivious to the stares they had been receiving for the last ten minutes.

Naruto and Hinata were essentially skipping as they walked back to the camp. They were holding hands and they both felt completely weightless. The emotional weight lifted from their shoulders was almost tangible. Hinata looped her arm around Naruto's and laid her head on his shoulder. Her heart felt warm and was beating quite loudly. She thought back to all the moments they had shared and how everything had led to this moment. The shower part weighed particularly heavy on her mind. It wasn't long before she felt the warmth travel down to between her legs. Her breathing got heavier and she unconsciously quickened her walking pace.

Naruto must have been thinking something likewise as his pace increased to match hers. Without uttering a word, the couple rushed back to their tent as the sun began to set upon the town. Sometimes, only the body can portray the emotions of the heart.

Naruto ripped open the entrance to the tent and Hinata dove in. She rolled onto her back and opened her arms wide. Naruto didn't need to be asked twice. He fell down to his knees and fell forward into Hinata's open arms. Their lips met in a fraction of a second and their skin exploded with sensation. Hinata's hands traveled along Naruto's sides and down his back. She grabbed the nape of his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss as he legs wrapped around his waist.

Naruto felt Hinata's mouth open slightly and he happily reciprocated. Their breathing was ragged and deep, but neither seemed to mind. Their kiss intensified and went on for what seemed like hours. Naruto finally pulled back to catch his breath and Hinata let out a soft, but tender moan.

Naruto grinned mischievously and kissed down her chin to her neck. Hinata moaned again as Naruto suddenly opened his mouth and suckled softly on the side of her neck. She felt a shock of pleasure travel down her spine to her nether regions and her hips bucked in response. She felt the edges of Naruto's teeth along her neck as he softly bit the skin. Hinata reached up and pulled at Naruto's shift from behind. He got the idea and learned up to pull it off completely. He leaned back down to kiss her and she felt the heat radiating off his bare skin. Hinata traced the muscles on his back with her fingers as Naruto slide his tongue along her lips.

Hinata tentatively let out her own tongue and the two tips touched briefly before they both pulled them back. Naruto sat up and rolled over allowing Hinata to climb atop his waist. She pulled off her shirt and bra in one desperate, but agile move. Naruto and Hinata both felt his manhood throb in excitement as his eyes fell upon her bare breasts.

Naruto had seen them several times before, but never with this level of desire. He wanted them. He reached out and cupped them with his hands. To his surprise, Hinata didn't protest. Rather, she seemed to moan in approval. Naruto squeezed and fondled them with a great deal of curiosity. His fingers traced along the sides and finally to her nipples. Hinata closed her eyes and her back arched slightly. Naruto froze for a moment before continuing. He held them between his fingers and applied the smallest amount of pleasure. Hinata arched again and let out a moan unlike the previous ones. Naruto was egged on and leaned up to take one of them in his mouth.

Hinata covered her mouth with her hand. The sudden sensation was almost enough for her to cry out. She shuddered with a strange sense of pleasure. It was almost as if there was a string attached between her womanhood and her nipples. Every time Naruto suckled, it was like he was pulling a pleasure string straight to her crotch. She squeezed her thighs together and could just barely feel Naruto's hardness between her legs. She wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and vault herself onto him. He was awakening a heat inside of her that she had never felt before.

"Naruto!" A voice called out from far outside the tent.

Naruto and Hinata both froze in panic. They looked at each other and Hinata quickly slide off Naruto. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she heard leaves being crunched underfoot outside the tent. She frantically looked around the tent for her clothes. She spotted them and quickly pulled only her shirt over her head. Naruto did the same and quickly exited the tent closing it behind him to give Hinata time to adjust her rather large chest and hardened nipples.

"Jiraiya?"

Hinata sighed at hearing Naruto call out his name. At least it wasn't a stranger. Still, she wasn't sure if the 'Pervy Sage' showing up right in the middle of things was merely a coincidence. She placed her palms onto her chest and tried to clear her mind so that her body would return to normal. She gave her chest one last adjustment and look-over before finally stepping out of the tent.

"Hinata. I'm glad you're here, too." Jiraiya's face did not portray what Hinata had expected to see. His face was stern and almost apprehensive. He had a white envelope clutched tightly in his hand. "A message came for you today. From your father."

Hinata's racing heart stopped for a brief moment. She reached out to take the letter and her hand shook as she opened it.

To the infamous Sannin:

This letter is to inform you that we, the Hyuuga, will be withdrawing our heiress from your party. Matters have arisen that require her presence. Please notify her that a Hyuuga escort will arrive for her at dawn. Please signal for the escort at first light. Her return is not a request. It is a demand and the escort has been told to use force if necessary. Her betrothed is not needed for these matters. Please be aware their wedding will be at a future date so try not to damage his reputation in any way that would bring our family shame on their wedding day.

With regards, Hiashi.

P.S. If my daughter has been exposed to any of your degenerate women, I will have your head.

Hinata looked up at Naruto with a look of desperation. "He wants me to come back home." She said her voice cracking slightly.

Naruto shook his head. "No, you can't! We… barely left." He said not wanting to give away his previous activity to Jiraiya.

Hinata shook her head, tears already forming in her eyes. There was no point in struggling. Her father would get what he wanted. But there was another thought that tugged at the back of her mind. What was so important that Hiashi would go all this way to locate her and bring her back? She had only been gone a few months…

"It's okay, Naruto." Hinata whispered. Naruto turned to her in shock. His mouth was open like he was going to protest, but no words came out. He shook his head instead and Hinata reached out to hold his hand. "I have to find out what my father needs. It could be important."

Jiraiya nodded and turned towards Naruto. "Hinata is right, Naruto. She needs to go home." He turned back to Hinata. "I was eventually going to send you home myself. Naruto's training is about to get more intense and you being here will only put you at risk. Naruto needs to gain control of his demon."

Hinata nodded recalling the fierce transformation she had witnessed at the Kenji compound. She thought for a moment that she should be there to help calm Naruto down, but she told herself that Jiraiya would be able to handle it.

Jiraiya was no fool. He knew he had interrupted their fun and had ruined the night. He faked a yawn and turned towards the town. "It sure is a cold night. I'm going to go try to find something to keep me warm. I'll be back here at first light tomorrow morning." Jiraiya turned and waved at the couple as he headed back into town.

Naruto and Hinata were silent for a few moments before Naruto spoke.

"You don't have to go, Hinata. Just say the word and we can pretend we never got this letter." He took the letter from his hand and crumpled it in his fist. Hinata smiled at Naruto and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, Naruto, but I have to do this. Maybe it will just be something quick and I can come back to you."

Hinata offered Naruto a warm smile, but they both knew how unlikely that was. Hinata's father did not rush to decisions. Whatever the issue may be, Hinata would not be coming back any time soon.

Naruto pouted slightly and crawled back into the tent. Hinata watched him with a concerned look. She thought about continuing where they had left off earlier but quickly decided against it. The mood was completely off and there was no way to recover it. She shook her head and followed Naruto into the tent.

Once inside, Hinata stripped down to her underwear. Searching for her nightgown she looked down to see Naruto's discarded shirt and suddenly came up with an idea. She slipped her bra off and pulled Naruto's shirt over her.

Naruto, who had been silently watching her, looked puzzled. She smiled softly at him. "This way you have something that smells like me. I will still be able to be at your side when you sleep."

Naruto softened and pulled Hinata into the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. Hinata nuzzled against him and kissed his cheek. She slid one leg between his and draped her arm over his chest. She tried to think of something else to say to save the mood, but nothing came to her. She was overcome with both joy and sorrow. It had been an eventful day and sleep found her quite quickly.

Naruto, however, was not so lucky. His mind was filled with possible ways he could prevent Hinata from leaving and when he gave up on that he thought of all the ways he could sneak off to go see her. The moon was full tonight and its light streamed through the tent. Naruto watched Hinata's face as she slumbered once again. She had such a pretty face, Naruto thought to himself. He could hardly believe she was his girlfriend now. He kept saying the word over and over in his head. Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend. It was such a foreign word to him, but it made him feel so much closer to Hinata. She wasn't here because her parents forced to get married. She was here because she wanted to be with him. This thought filled Naruto with happiness. He had never how he was perceived by the people around him. He just always assumed the general consensus was that people didn't like him. But Hinata did. Naruto smiled again and pulled Hinata tighter against his chest.

She adjusted slightly and a small sound escaped her mouth. Naruto turned his ear slightly to listen. He automatically thought it was just a sigh, but she kept doing it. Naruto almost laughed out loud once he realized what the sound was. Hinata was snoring.

She must be exhausted, Naruto thought as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. Normally the sound would be a bother, but for some reason, the sound of it coming from her made his heart swell. He felt his eyes tear up for some damn reason. He clenched his fists as his chest grew tight.

He had heard the word 'love' used before. He had even wondered what it was like as a kid, to be loved by a parent or friend. He didn't know much about it but he couldn't think of another word to describe how he felt for Hinata at this very moment.

He continued to listen to the sound of Hinata snoring until his eyes felt heavy and sleep consumed him.

The smell of fire woke Naruto up while it was still dark. Hinata had drooled slightly on his chest, but Naruto just wiped it off with the back of his hand. Hinata stirred slightly as her pillow got up and started getting dressed. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked up at Naruto. He was staring back at her. Or rather her long shapely legs sticking out his shirt.

Hinata smiled at Naruto as he watched her stretch her arms behind her and flex her legs. She liked the way he looked at her. The smile quickly fell off Naruto's face and she instantly remembered the letter from the previous night. Naruto nodded as if to agree with her feelings of despair. He turned and stepped out of the tent giving her some space to change.

Hinata put on her clothes and packed up everything she had brought with her. She folded the shirt she had slept in and left it on Naruto's pillow. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gathered her strength before stepping out of the tent.

Naruto and Jiraiya were gathered around a recently extinguished fire that was leaking black smoke into the sky. The group was completely silent. The only sounds were the slight breeze flowing through the trees and the occasion bird call. It wasn't long before a tall figure appeared before them. The figure quickly knelt before Hinata.

"Princess Hinata." Hinata immediately recognized the voice of one of the Branch Family members.

"Hello, Shen." Hinata said, her voice displaying a level of calm that was not representative of her true feelings. She was scared. She didn't want to lose Naruto. Not now. Not after the night they had just shared. She stepped towards Naruto. Her mind was shouting at her to escape, but she knew what she had to do.

Naruto embraced her and opened his mouth to say something. Hinata silenced him with a finger and shook her head. "Don't say goodbye. This isn't a goodbye. We are going to see each other again. As soon as possible."

Naruto nodded. "I'll write to you every day, I promise!"

Hinata laughed and shook her head again. "Don't be silly. You will be busy training. You won't be able to send letters every day."

"Once a week." Naruto replied firmly.

Hinata eyes filled with tears and she nodded with a weak smile. I love you she said in her mind. She wished she could say the words aloud, but her voice was failing her. She stepped towards Shen and he gently put a hand on her shoulder.

Naruto waved and mustered a grin as wide as he could. Hinata returned the smile and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Naruto turned away from the place Hinata had just been. He could feel himself choking on tears and he wanted nothing more than to hold her again in his arms or to at least kiss her one more time.

Jiraiya rustled Naruto's hair. "You stayed strong, kid. I'm proud of you."

Naruto nodded as the tears fell.

"She will be safer this way. We have to make sure you have full control of the Nine-Tails. We have a long road ahead of us." Jiraiya said as he started walking towards the woods.

Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and followed after Jiraiya. He turned back for a brief moment to look back at where Hinata had disappeared.

Good-bye, Hinata

I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. It's probably one of my longest. This is where I will leave off and the time skip will occur. However, the canon of this story will continue in my wife's story, The Tale of the Three Maidens. It features Hinata and an OC during the time that Naruto is away. It will intertwine with my story and I plan on adding her OC to my story in time. I strongly ask every one of you to please read her story and to please leave her some warm feedback. She is brand new to this and could really use some positive reviews. She is the main reason I still continue to write so I encourage you all to support her as well. Her name on this site is PonchoNinjax3. I can't ask you enough to please show her the same warm regard you all give to me. I will continue this story with Naruto's homecoming after the 2 year time skip. I can guarantee you all that if you guys take the time to support her, she will force me to write more. She is practically my boss after all. Once again, I'm extremely thankful to each and every one of you who still support me up through today. Please take the time to visit my wife's story to see what Hinata is up to while Naruto is training. And I will be back with the next chapter ASAP! (Her story link is available on my home page and under my favorites as well)