Author's note – Kishimoto Masashi owns Naruto while Guyver is written by Yoshiki Takaya.
I make no claim to either, I am merely playing in their sandboxes.

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Chapter Twenty-Five

Conversations

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"Hey, old man!" Naruto laughed as he almost exploded through the door. "I'm back, and I can fly again!"

Hiruzen blinked. "What? Ummm, good to see you again, Naruto and… fly again?"

"Yeeeeah…" Naruto said, his normal hyper personality somewhat in abeyance. "I kinda lost the ability to fly for a bit. On the other hand, now we have another Armour in Konoha… or soon to be in Konoha."

"What are you talking about?" Hiruzen demanded and Naruto blinked.

"Ummm…"

"He saved Ino's life by creating a copy of his armour for her, but it cost him his flying and chakra-pull-sphere attack until just before we got back." Kakashi supplied and Anko nodded. "However, he's opened up quite a political can of worms and we need Hinata here. Where is she?"

"Team seven is currently performing the Tora retrieval mission… again." Hiruzen supplied and Anko winced.

"Ouch. I've heard about that mission."

"Yeah, it's nasty." Naruto agreed.

"Your team still holds the record for finding and capturing Tora." Hiruzen added, then he paused as Naruto looked down. "Sorry."

"I still miss them, jiji." Naruto whispered. "Yagura, Idate, even Aoi-sensei despite the fact he was a traitor…"

"I know." Hiruzen sighed. "Your first team is almost family, no matter what. Why do you think I kept Homura and Kohara as my advisors for so long? They were my team-mates when I was a genin, we were all taught by Tobirama-sensei before he became the Nidaime Hokage."

"You were taught by the Nidaime Hokage?" Naruto asked and Hiruzen nodded.

"It seems that all the Hokages have been linked." He smiled. "The Nidaime was the brother of the Shodaime, I was his student and the Yondaime was the student of my student, before he died."

"Well, when I become the Godaime Hokage, the tradition will continue." Naruto grinned, earning a confused look from Anko.

"Wait, what?"

"Long story and the details are classified, Anko." Hiruzen smiled, causing the kunoichi to slump with a groan of exasperation. "So, Kakashi, your report?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi responded, straightening to attention and slipping his book back into his pocket. "After setting out in Naruto's wake, Tenzo, Anko and myself made contact with a fisherman who was willing to sell us a small rowboat which we used to let us rest between using the water-walking technique to cross the portion of sea between us and Wave…"

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"…and so we returned here with the liberated scrolls." Kakashi finished. "On our way back, we discovered that having Naruto channel his chakra into his belt orb allows it to regenerate very rapidly. It was back to its full size and fully functional by the time we were ten minutes out from Konoha."

"Which is good, because once my chakra has recovered, I'm giving Hinata-chan the Armour too." Naruto interjected.

"The down side is that giving someone Armour tends to knock him out for a day or so." Kakashi said. "Plus it's listed as an Uzumaki kinjutsu, so…"

"I'll have someone call Inoichi." Hiruzen sighed.

"Can it wait until after I've had dinner?" Naruto asked nervously. "If I'm going to die, I'd rather do it on a stomach full of Ichiraku's ramen."

"A wise choice." Hiruzen smirked. "It has been a while since I had some ramen, perhaps you would be so good as to treat this old man to a bowl or two?"

"Sure thing, jiji!" Naruto laughed. "Although I think I should get paid first."

"I knew I was forgetting something." Hiruzen chuckled. "Alright, let's see about paying you all."

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"Hinata-Hime!" Naruto called as he sprinted up to Team Seven and caught his fiancee up in a hug. She returned it, then frowned.

"Something's wrong. What is it?"

Naruto gulped and glanced at Itachi. "Ummm, are you finished for the day?"

"As this is probably a clan issue, then yes." Itachi said. "Kiba, I believe that your mother was thinking of teaching you another clan jutsu, so you have my permission to leave early. Sasuke, I am sure that your father wishes to see how you are progressing."

Both genin nodded and ran off in separate directions while Itachi looked at Hinata.

"I will see you tomorrow at the usual training ground." He said before he vanished in a shunshin.

"So, what is the matter?" Hinata asked and Naruto looked round.

"Not here." He said quietly. "Let's go home, then we can discuss it safely.

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Hinata's expression when Naruto opened the secret door into his hidden base was priceless. Part of it was sheer shock that there had been a door in the house that she hadn't realized even existed. There was also realization that she should have guessed that Naruto's base would have had at least one other exit than the one she had been carried through while finally there was irritation that she had failed to spot it using her byakugan despite living in the house.

"Come on." Naruto said and Hinata followed him into the tunnel, letting the door close behind her. Together, they walked down to the main hall, then Naruto guided her into one of the smaller rooms, pausing just long enough to create several clones and send them for refreshments.

"So, what is it?" Hinata asked once she was seated and Naruto sighed.

"You remember Yamanaka Ino?"

Hinata nodded and Naruto continued. "I kinda saved her life a few days ago, but in doing so… I sorta gave her a copy of my armour."

Hinata stared at him and Naruto grinned nervously.

"On the plus side, it means I can now give you armour too." Naruto hurriedly added.

"Naruto…" Hinata mused, "You do realize that the armour is listed as a kinjutsu, an Uzumaki kinjutsu? Correct?"

"I know." Naruto sighed, hunching down. "I still need to talk to Inoichi about this but both Ino and Kakashi said something about clan laws…"

"Ahhh." Hinata said in sudden enlightenment. "I've been looking through them since we became engaged. Did you know that as the Uzumaki were a relatively small clan with a tendency to produce daughters, they actually approved of multiple marriages as long as everyone involved agreed with it? If a woman wanted to join, she had to get the approval of all the other wives first."

"That… kinda leads into what Ino wanted…" Naruto mumbled and Hinata froze.

"She… wants to marry you?!"

Naruto nodded. "She insisted on talking to you about it! I told her that I wasn't interested in marrying her because I have you-mmmph!"

Naruto slammed to the ground as Hinata glomped him, attaching her lips to his. When she released him he stared up dazedly at her for a few minutes before managing to collect himself enough to speak.

"I'm not complaining, but… what did I do to deserve that?" He finally asked as a blushing Hinata helped him to his feet before picking up the chair he had been sat on and setting it upright again.

"Back at the Academy, several of the boys loved to talk about becoming famous ninja and having harems of girls eager to see to their every wish." Hinata explained with a wide smile despite her blush. "You, on the other hand, don't want a harem, you just want me. Thank you."

Naruto smiled back at her, then sighed. "But what do we do about Ino? I mean, I don't know how to take the armour away from her which means that either she becomes an Uzumaki, or the armour no longer belongs to the Uzumaki clan, making Ino vulnerable to political interference. I don't see any other choice!"

"That's because there isn't." Hinata agreed. "I know we're still young, but once I become a chunin as well, we'll get married and then see about maybe bringing Ino in. In the meantime…"

Hinata sighed in memory. "Well, Ino was one of the few kunoichi of my class that I was friends with. She was quite good in spars. However, the thought of having her as a sister-wife… hmmm…"

"At least you'll have someone who understands things." Naruto offered. "I know that I'm hopeless when it comes to things women find important."

"I don't think you're that bad." Hinata giggled, then she sobered. "I'll help you speak to Inoichi-san if you want."

"Please!" Naruto begged. "You can jyuuken him to keep him from killing me while I try to explain… why are you laughing at me?"

"He won't be that bad." Hinata giggled. "Just start with the fact that you saved Ino's life. He'll be happy to listen after that, but I suggest that we go and see him rather than having him come here."

"I have no idea what I did to deserve you in my life, Hinata-hime, but if I knew, I'd do it every day." Naruto whispered to himself before he was sent flying as Hinata glomped him again. "Urk! Umm, you heard that, right?"

The tightening of the hug was proof that she had.

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"So, let me get this straight." Inoichi stated, staring at the nervous chunin and remarkably composed genin who were sat on the opposite side of the kitchen table. "My little princess almost died on her first C-rank mission and you saved her, but by doing so you accidentally set up a situation that made her a de-facto member of the Uzumaki clan?"

Naruto twitched in what might have been a nod.

"And you saved her by giving her armour which can destroy an entire acre of forest in a single move." Inoichi added, causing Naruto to nod again. "Does Hinata have the armour as well?"

"I'm receiving it tonight." Hinata said with a smile. "Naruto-kun will be teaching me how to use it."

"Sir…" Naruto offered. "I'm talking to Ino now, through our armours, and she says that while it came as a shock, she's happy with it, especially since I'm Hiro and Hinata's one of her two best friends… does that mean anything to you?"

Inoichi nodded slowly. "It does… but you can talk to her from here? While she's in Wave?"

"Ino says that the bridge should be finished in another couple of days, so they'll be back within a week." Naruto relayed and Inoichi's eyebrows rose.

"You realise that your children will be assigned all over the Land of Fire if they get the armour as well, right?" He queried and both Naruto and Hinata blushed. "What?"

"I… well, we're still too young for children…" Naruto managed while Hinata's blush deepened.

"As a father, I am very pleased to hear that." Inoichi grumbled, then he looked up as his wife squeezed his shoulder.

"Can you tell Ino that we are very proud of her?" She asked and Naruto nodded.

"She… I can't really tell what she's saying, but she's happy."

"And that I've got her some new underwear."

Naruto blinked. "I think you just embarrassed her…"

"It's a mother's duty to embarrass her daughter in front of her boyfriend." Yamanaka Touka laughed, earning an eye-roll from her husband. "So, should she move in with you? Do you have a spare room?"

Naruto blinked. "Ummm, no, not yet… Hinata, if we swap bedrooms, then I can put the wall back in across the main bedroom to split it… remove the glass blocks to open the other doorway…"

"Actually, I have a better idea." Hinata smiled. "You stay where you are and Ino can have my old room…"

"But where will you sleep?" Naruto protested, causing both Yamanakas to burst out laughing. "What?"

"Two fiancee's and still that innocent?" Inoichi chortled. "Well, at least my daughter is safe with you."

"What?"

Hinata sighed. "I'll explain it when we get back home, Naruto-kun."

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"Are you ready?" Naruto asked and Hinata nodded from where she was lying on a futon, clad only in her underwear.

"I am."

Naruto nodded, then closed his eyes and concentrated. The process seemed faster this time and within a few breaths, his regenerated belt-sphere was once again a blank copy of his head-metal. Pulling at it, Naruto blinked as it fell easily into his armoured hand, the tendrils twitching slightly.

"This will hurt." Naruto said quietly. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am." Hinata replied instantly and Naruto nodded.

"Then close your eyes."

Hinata closed her eyes and Naruto lowered the sphere towards her head, feeling the surge of chakra rising within him. The tendrils of the sphere started to expand, wrapping around Hinata's head and pulling the sphere to rest against her forehead. More tentacles emerged from the base of the sphere, extending over and wrapping round Hinata's body and then the tentacles began to bulge and split, extruding a greyish liquid that flowed and set within seconds to form a collection of armour plates that looked almost sculpted.

"AaaaarrRRRrgh!" Hinata screamed as she spasmed and the beam of light winked out. Naruto collapsed to the floor, his armour vanishing and on the futon, Hinata sat up, looking at her armoured gauntlets.

"…incredible…" she whispered, then she saw Naruto lying on the ground, unmoving. Rolling off her futon, she carefully picked Naruto up in her arms and started walking through the tunnel towards the house, cradling him to her as she gently stepped through the secret door. Making her way to Naruto's bedroom, she carefully laid him on his bed, removing his shoes, then she dismissed her armour before climbing into bed with him, cuddling him close to her.

"Thank you…" She whispered into his ear before she pulled the sheet over them and settled down, her head resting on his chest. "Thank you…"

His strong heartbeat soon lulled Hinata to sleep, a sleep filled with dreams of flying through the air with Naruto by her side. She barely noticed the change when Ino, in a suit of armour very similar to her own pale armour, joined their dance through the clouds.

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Author's afternote – Although Naruto/Hinata was intended to be the primary pairing, I changed it to Naruto/Hinata/Ino as a result of a throwaway line early on in the story that I only really realized I had written after I published the chapter in question.