Gal's Ai

by LukeAnderwield

A Naruto x Gal Gohan Crossover. Mostly fluff and possibly mature themes on later chapters.

11. Hidden Self

Ossu, everyone! I'm back with another installment, one that took a bit longer than I hoped to get out. The finale is almost within reach, but until then, I hope you enjoy what I still have in store for Naruto, Miku and friends.

---

~ Chapter 11 : Hidden Self ~

Miku awoke to the sound of chirping birds just outside the window, singing their joy to the world as they celebrated that the Sun had risen in the sky like countless other times before. The very first thing she noticed was that her arms were hugging something to her body, something that felt tantalizingly soft and comfy.

A sleepy smile reached her lips as she cuddled into whom she believed was her beloved boyfriend, content just to stay in his inviting embrace and let sleep claim her mind once again. "Hmmm… Naruto…", she whispered, taking a deep breath. She blindly inched her lips close to where she believed his face was, but when they pressed against 'Naruto', the feeling it gave her was not the one she'd been expecting.

Her emerald eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted with the sight of Naruto's pillow, which was trapped tightly in her hold. Sitting up on the bed, Miku looked around the barely illuminated room, but found no trace of the blond.

"…He's gone", she said in a soft, almost disappointed voice, using one hand to rub the tiredness off her eyes, the other still holding the pillow close. "Mou~ I wanted to wake 'im up with a good mornin' kiss…"

A pout was drawn on her lips as her shoulders slumped in a dejected manner at not being able to do what she'd been hoping to do.

Still…

"…Me and Naruto… We… did it", her voice was barely above a whisper, and her sight became unfocused as all the memories from last night began flooding her mind. A heavy blush darkened her tanned cheeks at the detailed images she was getting, embarrassment settling in for a moment. "Ah~ We really did it!"

Resting her chin on the pillow as she inadvertently squeezed it, Miku could not believe the fact they'd finally done the deed. That she was sitting on Naruto's bed of all places fully naked should have been proof enough, but it was still difficult to fully accept it.

Though just recalling how good and loved she'd felt as Naruto took her, sent her pulse racing.

"Uwaaaah~!"

An adorable squeal escaped her mouth as she buried her face in her pillow, unable to hold herself back at the memories. The image of Naruto staring at her lovingly and telling her how beautiful she was sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

And then, her mind hit her with another, perhaps more heartfelt memory, one that had her touching her lips absently.

"I told him I loved him", she ignored her heart pounding madly in her own chest, and focused on the thought. "And he said he loved me too…"

She felt so happy she felt like laughing out loud. Naruto, her Naruto, loved her! To hear those magical words being uttered by the same boy she was head over heels for had her smiling dreamily.

"Ah… I wanna hug Naruki so badly."

That was not the only thing she wanted to do, but at the moment, it was definitely her biggest desire. Still, she knew it wouldn't do to run down the stairs to go looking for him in her birthday suit, so first, she'd have to get dressed and…

Furrowing her eyebrows, Miku looked around the room once more and saw her underwear folded neatly by the table, as well as the attire she'd worn the night before. It was a sight that made her smile in appreciation, knowing Naruto had bothered to pick up her clothes before leaving the room.

Then again, she didn't really feel like wearing that outfit of hers. Instead, she had another, more appealing idea she was sure Naruto would love…

---

Naruto whistled a joyful tune to himself as he put the kettle on the stove to heat. He'd initially planned to make some coffee, but had ended up going for tea after realizing he'd ran out of the former. He hoped Miku wouldn't mind, though.

On an adjacent stove, he was making some Japanese pancakes on a frying pan, one of his grandfatherly-figure's favorite recipes. He hadn't prepared it in a while, as he usually had a light breakfast after his training sessions, but with a guest now staying over, he guessed it'd make for a nice gesture to have a tasty meal waiting for her when she woke up.

Naruto had just flipped a pancake on the pan when his eardrums picked the sound of light steps heading down the stairs, and a smile was immediately drawn upon his lips. "Ohayo, Miku-chan", he greeted, not needing to turn around to see who was now standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Slept well?"

With his eyes fixated on the pancakes, Naruto merely relied on his hearing senses to keep track of Miku's movements, and promptly realized she was walking his way. Before long, he felt a pair of slender arms encircling his torso, an act that had his smile widening.

"…You left me alone, meanie."

There was a real tone of disappointment in her voice, and the blond could practically imagine her pouting as she pressed her cheek against his back. "Haha, sorry about that. I saw you sleeping so soundly I didn't want to wake you up", he said sheepishly, taking the pancakes off the stove and putting them on a plate. His nose caught a waft of their delicious smell, and couldn't help but wonder whether it'd be better to serve them with a bit of butter, or just some syrup.

"Hmph! Ya dummy, we were supposed to wake up together", she retorted, tightening her hold on his abdomen. So much so that Naruto could feel two other bountiful things pressed against his back. "It's what couples livin' together do, ya know?"

Naruto's first thought was to say they weren't actually living together, but something in his gut told him that would not be a good idea.

Instead, he settled for a different course of action. "I'm sorry, Miku-chan. It's just I always get up at sunrise to go out for some training, so I figured you would rather sleep some more. Dawn is a pretty early time to start day, I'm telling ya!"

"…Well, I guess you're right. I do need my beauty sleep or else I'd turn into an old hag or somethin' hehe~"

Naruto let out an airy laugh at that, having a serious time thinking of Miku as anything other than beautiful and full of energy like she always was.

"By the way, ya hungry, Miku-chan?", the blond casually changed topics as he reached for the bottle of syrup to his right. The kettle, he noted, was already making its characteristic whistling noise. "I made some pancakes for you."

"Yup! I'm starvin' actually, thank you, Naruto-kun", Miku reluctantly released the male blond from her embrace, and took a step back, placing her hands behind her back while she waited for him to finally turn her way. "But before that… aren't ya forgettin' somethin'?"

"Huh?", Naruto blinked, "uhmm, let me see… I did my training, took a shower, cooked breakfast…"

"Not that, silly", Miku retorted, holding back an amused smile. "Think harder. What's the first thing you're supposed to do in the morning?"

"Take a piss?"

"Naruto!"

"What? It's true", despite his comment, the aforementioned definitely heard a giggle escaping her lips. He noticed the whistling noise had grown significantly louder by then, and finally took the kettle out of the fire. "I give up, Miku-chan. What is it that I'm supposed to do?"

As he poured hot liquid into the two mugs he'd prepped already with tea bags, he felt Miku tugging on his arm – the gal having grown strangely quiet. He turned around, focused his eyes on her figure, and finally noticed the rather unexpected set of clothes she was wearing that morning.

He wasn't allowed more than a moment to fully take in her choice of attire as the beautiful gal leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips, pulling away two seconds later. On her cheeks there was now a small, almost imperceptible blush that was quickly overshadowed by a bashful smile she sent his way. "A morning kiss, that's what", she explained simply, her voice soft and laced with affection. "And…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow as she trailed off, looking to the side and proceeding to rub her elbow embarrassedly.

"And…?", he pressed on, finding her sudden embarrassment uncharacteristic yet adorable. It was an emotion he very rarely saw on her, the previous time being…

The blond had to shake his head to get rid of any of the memories from the previous night that threatened to surface. He'd dwelled on those thoughts way too much already before Miku'd woken up.

"I… lo…"

"Hmmm? What's that? I couldn't quite hear ya."

"I said, I lo…"

Naruto saw her struggling to say the words she wanted to utter and finally decided he'd enough of feigning ignorance. Catching her off guard, he reached for her delicate hands and pulled her close, whispering the very same sentence she'd been meaning to say all this time in her ear. "I love you, Miku-chan."

He felt her flinching in his embrace, no doubt surprised. "…! N-Naruto-kun…", her voice got caught in her mouth for a moment, but the moment her eyes took notice of Naruto grinning her mind finished processing the implication behind his words and she finally relaxed in his arms, returning the gesture. "I love ya too~! So, so much!"

A long, contented sigh escaped her lips as she allowed Naruto to pull her close. All the while, she failed to notice the wide smile on his whiskered face, which was a sign of just how happy he felt at pretty much everything that was going on in his life as of late. Miku had definitely turned things around and brought so much meaning to his existence he felt grateful she had chosen him, of all people, as her first love.

It meant more than the world to him, especially since that love was requited by him.

As he held her close, Naruto only then decided to focus on something he'd been purposely overlooking all that time, which was the gal wearing one of his t-shirts for some unknown reason. She was currently in her panties, too, which exposed her long, tanned legs to the eye, a dangerous sight to behold.

"Uhm… Miku, why are you wearing one of my t-shirts?", he couldn't help but ask, doing his best to ignore the feeling of her almost naked body against him.

"Eh? Ah, you mean this one?", pulling back, Miku grabbed the helm of the shirt she was wearing and twirled around, an act that had Naruto's eyes growing as wide as two balloons – reason being, he'd just been treated to the sight of Miku's underwear and her plump yet firm rear. "Doesn't it look cute on me? I saw it and I thought, that's totes gonna impress my Naruto-kun, I be-!"

Before she could even attempt to finish her sentence, Miku found herself pulled back into her boyfriend's arms, his hands now roaming her body with lustful abandon.

"A-Ah~ I knew ya'd like my little surprise, hehehe~"

"Miku-chan…", Naruto all but breathed out, his loins stirring in response. "You know that's not fair…"

"Ufufu~", Miku giggled mischievously, allowing her fingers to trail the length of his whiskers, which made him close his eyes in delight. "Now why don't ya let Miku-chan take good care of ya? Just leave it aa~ll to me…"

Naruto didn't need to think twice about her suggestion, as he was all too happy to accept it. Then again, it seemed breakfast would have to wait.

---

"W-Whoa there…"

"You feeling okay, Miku-chan?"

The beautiful gal let out a giggle as she leaned onto Naruto for support, never releasing her hold on his arm. "It's nothing, my legs are a little wobbly, that's all", she flashed him a girly smile. "And it hurts a bit, ya know…"

"A-Ah, you mean…?"

"Uh-huh", Miku paid no mind to all the stares people around them were giving them as she leaned her head against his upper arm, her expression now growing coy. "I can see why tho, after how rough you were today and last night…"

Naruto immediately understood what she meant by that, and he couldn't help but grow worried for his lovely girlfriend. "Gomen, Miku. I guess I got myself a little carried away back home. I should have been more careful."

"Hehe~ Don't be silly, I was just jokin' with ya!", the sound of a train rapidly approaching the station was then heard as Miku rubbed his arm soothingly, tip-toeing on her feet to place a sweet kiss to his whiskered cheek. "The first few times always hurt; every girl knows that!"

As he heard those words, the Uzumaki visibly relaxed, relieved that he hadn't inadvertently added to her pain by being careless. Miku, however, had not failed to notice the look of concern that had crossed his features for a few moments, an act that made her cling even tighter to his arm.

Naruto allowed himself to smile once more at the adorable sight of Miku holding onto him. Having someone you loved and that loved you back as much as you did was great, he mused. It made him feel so happy he doubted anything else could come remotely close to what he was experiencing with Miku.

"Ah, it's here. Come on, Naruki~"

The blond was broken out his stupor as the train pulled to a stop right in front of them, its metal doors sliding open with a loud beep.

"After you, Miku-chan."

They both stepped into the nearest car, taking a seat directly by the door. No sooner did they do that a recorded voice announced they'd now be departing towards the next station, with the doors closing a moment later.

As the train began to slowly propel forward, Naruto leaned back on his seat and let out a relaxing sigh, humming in contentedness as Miku placed her arms around his frame. The car was practically devoid of passengers except for themselves and an old man dozing off on the other end, which gave them plenty of privacy.

Since most people were currently on holiday or at work, not many took the train at that time of day, which was a nice change of pace compared to how packed the subway usually was. And the only reason they'd boarded it in the first place was because Naruto'd insisted to accompany Miku home himself so as not to bother her parents to come pick her up.

The latter had happily agreed to it, knowing this would allow them to spend some more time together.

"So… What're your plans for today, Miku-chan?"

"Hm? My plans?", Miku tilted her head curiously to the side, but didn't make any attempts at letting him go. "Welp, first, I'll be takin' a good, long shower. Why, wanna join me…?"

"Miku…"

"Juuust kiddin', hehe~", she pulled her tongue out at him in a childish manner, briefly entertaining the thought for a bit longer before growing serious. "Then, I'm having lunch and meeting Mako-chan and Hana-chan for work."

"Huh?", Naruto blinked, visibly surprised. "You have a job, Miku-chan? Since when?"

His inquiry was met with a cheerful grin from his busty girlfriend. "Yup~! It's a part-time thingy I got down at Enoshima Island", she casually commented, looking genuinely excited about the whole deal. "I'm gonna be a waitress at a bar, startin' today~ Ah! You should totes come see me work, Naruki! Then, we could spend the rest of the day together at the beach. Oooh, and in that case, you defo need a swimsuit. I bet we c-"

"W-Wait a sec, Miku-chan", Naruto interjected, having difficulty following her as she rambled on and on. "Let me get this straight. You got a job as a waitress at the local beach, right?"

"Uh-hum."

"And you're starting out today."

"Right, right~"

"I see, I see", the blond nodded to himself. He'd have crossed his arms over his chest, but with Miku currently hugging him that was out of the question. "Huh, I didn't know you needed money, Miku-chan. You got your eyes on something?"

There was a mysterious smile drawing itself on Miku's lips at his question, which had the blond raising an eyebrow. "Huuum~ Who knows~", she giggled at the dumbfound look on Naruto's face, but refused to elaborate any further. "Sorry Naruto-kun, can't really tell you 'bout it."

"Why not?"

"Let's say I'm planning to buy somethin'. Somethin' that's for me, but not only for me, if that makes any sense."

"I don't get it."

"Hehe, don't worry 'bout it, daaarling~", Miku said in a melodious voice, wagging her finger. "You'll find out soon enough~"

Naruto wasn't sure he liked being in the dark, but if Miku didn't want to tell him about it, then he wouldn't press the matter. Besides, there was nothing in her tone that suggested anything he should worry about, so in the end he merely shrugged his shoulders and accepted Miku's mysterious reply.

"All right."

"Ne ne, ya didn't tell me what ya thought of my great idea", Miku pressed even closer to him, so much so Naruto surreptitiously sent a quick look at the other passenger in the car to check whether he was still asleep. "Are ya comin' to see me later today? I promise, I'll make it worth your while~"

The blond chuckled nervously, noticing the barely concealed smirk she sent her way. His mind was already filling with indecent thoughts he quickly suppressed with a shake of the head, knowing this was not the place and time to be thinking about that in particular. Instead, he focused on the beautiful gal by his side, pondering over his plans for the day before coming up with a proper response.

"Ah, well, actually, I was planning to pay Koharu-chan a visit today", Naruto commented, mustering up a small smile. "It's been a while since we last spoke, so I wanna check up on her."

"Hm. Koharu, eh…"

Naruto was a bit surprised at seeing Miku pulling away from him and straightening in her seat, her emerald eyes turning so as to glance straight ahead, in the direction of one of the windows in the car. She looked to be musing about something in particular, which filled the blond with curiosity.

"Yeah. I think she's upset with me or somethin'. Dunno why, but I was hoping she'd tell me if I asked her."

Miku turned her eyes back in Naruto's way, now seeing him rubbing the back of his head in an awkward manner. She eyed him for a couple of seconds, before a small, albeit sincere smile found its way to her lips. "After all this time, you're still the same ol' dense Naruki."

"Hah?"

"But I guess that's also why I love ya so much", Miku's smile grew at the sight of Naruto blushing. "Koharu is not mad at you, silly. She's just confused."

"Confused?", Naruto repeated aloud, unable to understand what she meant by that.

"It's not up to me to tell ya about it", the gal told him, placing her hand atop his'. She intertwined their fingers and brought their joined hands to her lap, before adding. "But… I think you should totes talk to her. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Naruto nodded at that. He didn't know what exactly Miku was talking about, but still appreciated her support. It meant more to him than anything else.

"And after that… I'll be waiting for ya at the beach. Wait 'till ya see me in a bikini, I bet you're gonna fall for me all over again~"

The mere thought of Miku in a swimsuit made his heart skip a beat.

He definitely wasn't going to miss a chance like that now, was he?

---

Koharu Fujiwara let out a sigh of resignation as she opened yet another folder and found even more documents that needed to be checked before summer vacation was over.

A rather tall stack of papers neatly organized lied to the left, one that only seemed to grow taller as she worked throughout the day, and on her right, was all the remaining paperwork she had initially planned to get over with before the evening.

How naïve of her.

Between her duties as the student council's president, which were too many to count, and all the other tasks her vice-president would not be able to care of due to being away for holidays, Koharu knew she'd have to sacrifice her well-deserved holidays if she was to finish in time.

Her pale eyes glanced idly at the window directly to her left, where she saw a group of younglings chattering excitedly as they made their way down the street, probably to go spend the day at Shibuya or somewhere equally nice. The sight caused a longing in her heart, one that was not so strange to her.

Having fun with friends and making tons of memories in summer was something that had crossed her mind before. Yet, and whenever she thought about it, the harsh, cold truth hit her mind almost as soon as soon as she considered putting aside all the work that seemed to keep piling up every time she wasn't looking.

Koharu had lots of people, fellow council members and peers alike who looked up to her and continuously tried to hang out with her, which she appreciated, but none of them could really be considered a friend. Someone with whom she truly enjoyed spending time or she felt like going out her way to meet outside school unless it was on council business.

Someone like… Naruto Uzumaki, for instance.

Her features immediately dropped at the thought of the blond-haired young man. Just picturing him in her mind was enough to dampen her already low mood even further, and imagining his foxy grin sent a pang of pain to her chest.

Naruto was a touchy subject for her at the time being. She didn't want to admit it, heck, she hadn't told anyone about it, but she missed him dearly. Ever since that 'party' she'd been invited to, Koharu had not spoken to Naruto again. He had come looking for her in the following days, many times in fact, but she'd managed to either slip away undetected or excuse herself before he could do so much as try and say something other than greet her.

Recalling all those things made her feel very silly. Childish, even. It was evident Naruto cared for her like a true friend would and that he worried about her, yet she'd merely brushed aside all that concern as if it meant nothing. The reasons behind her actions were not entirely clear to her, but if something was clear was that she could not bring herself to face Naruto.

At least not while her chest tightened at the idea of Miku Okazaki having him all for herself.

'…Thinking about Naruto-san still hurts', she mused, tearing her eyes away from the window so as to focus them back on the papers before her. 'I wonder what he's doing right now… Probably spending all day with Okazaki-san.'

Koharu took a deep breath, trying to force down the lump in her throat and get back to work, but the pain in her chest was making it quite difficult for her to do as she intended.

"Excuse me, Koharu."

Startled by the voice of her mother, the aforementioned girl jolted in her seat, her previous state momentarily forgotten as she glanced over her shoulder. "Ah, it's you, okaasan."

"Is something the matter, Koharu? You look a bit… troubled."

"I'm okay", the girl lied, averting her eyes. She didn't like how easily her mother could read her like a book, and hoped that by changing the topic she'd be able to avoid further suspicion. "Did you need me for anything?"

Whether her mother saw through Koharu's attempt or not, the former didn't show it in her expression. "Oh, yes, I'm sorry for bothering you when you're working but a… boy came to see you. He said he was a friend of yours."

"A… friend?", the raven-haired wondered aloud, tilting her head to the side. "Who?"

"I didn't quite catch his name, but he definitely seemed to know quite a bit about you. Said he'd been meaning to pay you a visit for a while now."

Her words only seemed to pique Koharu's curiosity even further, particularly at the fact someone claiming to be her friend had come looking for her. She scrunched up her face in thought, going over the possibilities her mind was beginning to churn out. There were only a handful of boys she knew personally, and less even that she felt comfortable around.

"…He's waiting for you in the living room", Koharu forced herself back to reality just in time to hear her mother's final words before she turned around and left. "I'll let him know you'll be down in a bit."

Fujiwara was then left alone once again in the confines of her room, a place where she'd spent most of her waking hours working on endless paperwork. She put aside all the remaining documents and jumped out of her chair, both intrigued and keen on finding out who that alleged friend of hers really was.

The girl practically ran down the stairs and reached the living room in a couple of seconds, but when she got there, she was a bit surprised at only seeing her mother, legs crossed as she read a book.

"Okaasan, where…?"

"You just missed him", the older woman said simply without raising her eyes from the pages of her book. "Fuyuto took him outside, to the backyard, to play with him. He was really excited about it for some reason."

Not even bothering to grace her mum with a proper answer, Koharu traversed the living and dining rooms in a matter of seconds, reaching the door that led to the backyard and pushing it open in a single motion.

The moment she did that, her eardrums were hit by the unmistakable sound of laughter and shouting.

"Wahaha! Take that, you evil shinobi!"

"Hah! You may be a powerful samurai, but you'll never be a match for me! Now… surrender!"

"Never! Hehehe! I'll take you out with my super technique: Upper Spiralling Slash!"

Koharu watched in both shock and incredulity as her little brother swung his toy katana at none other than Naruto, who easily parried the attack with a wooden stick he was holding in his left hand. He didn't strike back, however, and merely allowed the kid to keep attacking him, the latter smiling excitedly even though he could not land a direct hit on the Uzumaki.

Fujiwara forced herself to break out of her own stupor after realizing she'd been standing still for a while – the other two boys had yet to notice her presence, too caught up as they were in their game.

"Naruto-san!"

The aforementioned swiveled his eyes in her direction at the mention of his name, his features promptly brightening in recognition. "Ah, Koharu-chan!", his trademark grin reached his lips then, and he waved a hand in a friendly manner at her. "Nice to see y-!"

But because he'd turned his attention away from the 'fight', Naruto never realized Fuyuto's katana was coming his way until he felt a hit directly on his stomach.

"Ufff!"

"Haha! I got you, I really got you!"

"Argh! No, I cannot die, I'm too strong for that!", Naruto held onto his belly with both arms and pretended as if he was going through intense agony, his features now contorted into an utterly pained look. "J-Just you wait, samurai! One day, my shinobi friends will come looking for you, and then, nobody will be able to save you… Bwahahahaha!"

Releasing his weapon onto the grass below his feet, the young shinobi fell to his knees almost theatrically, and then dropped dead, shutting his azure eyes. Both Fuyuto and Koharu stared at the blond with slightly different expressions on their faces, with the former being the most excited after his incredible feat.

"Ah, did you see that oneechan!? I defeated a shinobi!"

Despite her confusion at seeing Naruto there, playing along with her brother's pretend game, Koharu could not help but smile at her gleeful ototo. "Yes, you did, Fuyuto-kun. Well done", she told him, kneeling down to match his height. "I bet the city is much safer now with you protecting it from evil shinobi."

Fuyuto puffed out his chest in pride and nodded his head, making his sister giggle. The latter then finally allowed her pale eyes to turn back in the way of the newcomer, who was now sitting cross-legged on the grass and watching them with an ample smile.

"Hehe, it sure seems fun having a little brother to play with all day, huh?"

"Ah, yeah! Koharu-neechan and I, we play together all the time", the kid chirped. "Ne ne, neechan, is Naruto here your boyfriend? Are you two like, in love?"

"W-What!?", the raven-haired girl all but exclaimed, her eyes going wide as balloons and her cheeks flushing. "N-No, nothing like that. Naruto-san is just a friend, Fuyuto-kun."

Not too far away from the pair, the blond sported a slight blush of his own, but since Koharu had already pointed it out, he felt no need to add anything else. Fuyuto seemed satisfied enough with the answer as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay", he said, his young mind already moving onto more important topics at the moment. "Naruto is really cool! I'm happy you have a friend like him. I bet he's the best friend ever!"

"Well…"

The teens' eyes met a second later, and Koharu had to fight back the sudden feeling of nervousness she got just by being in Naruto's presence once again. This was not the first time since that celebration at the club's room they met, but this time, Koharu had no desire to escape, no desire to hide away so as not to face the blond.

Her heart started pounding madly the longer she stared into those oceanic pools of blue, but even then, she managed to hold her gaze. For some reason, Koharu didn't feel like hiding her face from his'. If anything, she was very happy to see him again, though she did her best not to let it show on her face.

"…Fuyuto-kun, why don't you go inside and fetch us something cool to drink?"

"Ehh? Now?"

"Yes", Koharu insisted, standing up. "We'll be here for a bit. Just talking about… boring stuff."

"Ah… Okay, sure neechan, but don't you start playing without me!"

"We promise!", Naruto retorted, giving the seven-year-old a thumbs-up.

Nodding his head, Fuyuto turned around and ran inside, already calling for his mother before he had even crossed the door. Both teenagers smiled at the child's antics, finding his enthusiasm contagious.

"Ya know… Your ototo reminds me a little of myself when I was his age", Naruto commented casually, chuckling to himself. "Before I started pulling pranks on everybody, all I wanted was to play all day. Make friends and stuff."

"…Did you have many of those?"

"Nah, not really", Naruto shook his head, attracting Koharu's eyes back on him. "I did get to play with some of the kids, but I didn't really make any real friends until I turned thirteen."

Koharu grew silent at that. She thought she could see a semblance of nostalgia in the blond's visage, but it was gone almost as soon as it appeared. She quelled the urge to ask him more about his past life, as she knew there were other matters of more importance than that.

"Naruto-san…", she began, steeling herself. "Why are you here?"

Her bluntness didn't catch Naruto off guard, almost as if he was expecting that question to begin with. "Why? To visit you, of course!", he replied like it was the most obvious answer in the world. "'Sides, I really wanted to check up on you. I really missed ya, ya know?"

Koharu's heart skipped a beat at his sincere words, and this time she could not hold the smile that threatened to adorn her lips. "…I see."

"I'll take that as a 'me too, Naruto-san!", the aforementioned chuckled to himself as he pulled himself up and dusted his pants. "By the way… I have a surprise for you, Koharu-chan."

"A surprise?", Koharu couldn't help but wonder, her previous state now being replaced with curiosity.

Naruto grinned an impossibly wide grin and nodded. "Yup! We'll be goin' on a little trip, just you and me."

The last sentence had the president blushing up a storm, particularly at the implication behind his words.

"E-Eh!? A t-trip!? The t-two of u-us?"

"Uh-huh!"

"R-Right now?", she saw the blond inclining his head in confirmation, and she grew even more embarrassed. "B-But, I… I don't t-think…"

"It'll be fine!", Naruto cut her midway, looking as carefree as ever. "We'll be back before anyone can even notice we're gone. Now…"

"Naruto-san? W-What do you…? Eep!"

Koharu could not even finish her sentence or even see what was going on, Naruto scooted her up in his arms, carrying her up bridal style. "Hold on tight, Koharu-chan! And whatever you do, don't let go!", was all he told her before he propelled himself up the ground and towards the roof of a nearby building.

A scream escaped Fujiwara's mouth as her arms flung around his neck instinctively, holding onto him for dear life.

None of them really saw the young, seven-year-old kid who'd just witnessed Naruto making an impossibly high jump with his sister in his arms.

"Sugee…"

---

Koharu had to stop herself from screaming any more than she already had, holding onto Naruto for dear life. She could feel one of his strong arms under her legs, the other behind her back, and the wind blowing against her face, but she still refused to remove her face from the shinobi's chest.

"It's all right, Koharu-chan, you can trust me", she heard the Uzumaki say, his tone laced with something akin to amusement. "I won't let you fall."

Koharu squinted one eye open but shut it close again, tightening her hold on him after seeing how high above the ground they were at the moment. She could not bring herself to look, and even though she wasn't particularly afraid of heights, the speed of Naruto's movements made it very difficult not to grow afraid.

"W-Where are you taking me?", Koharu couldn't help but wonder.

"Hehe! I told you, it's a surprise!"

"Couldn't we have walked there instead of… of… this!?"

Despite not being able to see, Koharu could practically feel the young man's muscles tensing up as he ran from rooftop to rooftop. The latter let out a snort, and said. "Nuh-uh. It'd have taken us hours to get where we're goin' otherwise", he explained, making it sound as this was the only possible means of getting to their destination.

"W-What about other people? Aren't they-?"

"I've got that covered!", Naruto interjected, almost as if he had read her mind. "I'm using a very basic genjutsu I learned at the academy. It doesn't work on other shinobi, but it works wonders on civilians. If they try lookin' our way, they'll only see a blur. Anyway, hang in there, Koharu-chan. Not far off now!"

Koharu felt her own intrigue growing to unsuspected levels. She couldn't begin to fathom what was going on, or how on Earth Naruto was able to practically jump and run over long distances as if they were nothing, much less why he'd resorted to carry her bridal stile.

The last thought had her cheeks growing impossibly hot. The harsh wind against her face and the rapidness of his movements made it tough for her to fully relax in his arms, but the feeling of his warmth did soothe her nerves. She could hear his strong heart beating against his chest, and it was something that filled her with an indescribable sensation.

Koharu tried not to focus on that, though, and merely tried to get herself as comfortable as possible. Of all things, she had not been expecting to be carried like a bride all across the city that day, much less by Naruto of all people. But for some reason she didn't feel like complaining. If anything, all she wanted at the moment was to see what the blond was meaning to show her.

No further words were exchanged between the pair for a while, with Koharu daring to take a peek every now and then at the ever-moving surroundings. At some point, the distinct noises of the city vanished and the president allowed her eyes to flutter open, noticing not only that Naruto was moving at a more comfortable pace, but also that they were in a forest of some sort.

Koharu finally pulled her head away from his chest and allowed herself to glance around the place, quietly taking in the rather green scenery that stretched in all directions. 'Where are we…?', she inwardly wondered, trying to make sense of the place around her. She slightly regretted not having paid attention to where Naruto was going earlier, as it could have given her an idea to where exactly he had taken her.

All the while, Naruto skipped from branch to branch effortlessly, an act that made Fujiwara wonder just how often did he do such a thing. He made it look so easy it was almost like second nature to him. 'Incredible… this is exactly how shinobi moved in Menma Hissatsukenden!', the realization had hit her almost by surprise, but it did serve to shed some more life on shinobi and the way they used their powers.

Naruto took them both through the dense and peacefully quiet forest, soon approaching an area where the trees parted and gave way to a clearing ahead. There was a huge lake near the center of the area, with some deer calmly sipping on the crystalline water the lake had to offer.

The deer didn't seem to acknowledge the intruders' presence even after Naruto had landed on the ground with a soft thud, or had gently put Koharu down.

"We're here!", the blond announced once the beautiful girl before him was able to stand on her own two feet.

"Naruto-san, what is this place?"

Koharu took a look around, and immediately spotted the many craters across the ground on both sides of the lake. They seemed the result of multiple explosions, or as if meteors often fell down from the sky on that particular area.

"This is where I do all my training", Naruto casually commented, placing both arms behind his neck. "It's where I work on all my jutsus and try to come up with new ones."

The revelation soon had Fujiwara spinning around so as to face Naruto again, surprise written all over her face. "Really?", her eyes sparkled with something akin to excitement, and noticing just that made the blond chuckle.

"Yup! Been using this place for years now."

"I can see why you'd choose somewhere like this", Koharu said. "I bet not many people frequent these parts, which allows you to train without being seen."

Naruto grinned his foxy grin in response. "That's right. But just to make sure, I always come here before dawn. Gives me plenty of space and time to go all in."

A nod was the first answer the blond got, with Koharu growing giddy at the thought of Naruto sharing such a secret place with her. But then, a sudden thought crossed her mind, and that previous joy deflated. "Did you bring Okazaki-san here, too?", she couldn't help but ask, inwardly feeling a small twang of jealousy burning inside herself.

To her surprise, the blond started laughing in a rather awkward manner at her question. "Ah, no, not yet. I was meaning to, someday, when I tell her who I really am."

Despite the contentedness Koharu felt at learning that, she quickly put that feeling aside. It wasn't a good idea to indulge in something like that, or to pretend as though she had not been trying to put some distance between her and Naruto all that time.

Instead, she turned away from the blond, hiding her expression from him.

"That's not good, Naruto-san", Koharu told him, hearing him grow silent almost as soon as he heard her words. "If you're really serious about Okazaki-san…"

"I am! One hundred percent!"

"…Then you should tell her about you being a shinobi. It's something she needs to know. I mean, if I were your girlfriend…", Koharu bit her lip at that part, "I wouldn't like it if you hid something this important from me."

From her position, she could not see the conflicted look on the Uzumaki's visage, nor the way he glanced down at his feet. "I know that, Koharu-chan, but I'm a bit afraid of what she's going to do after she learns the truth about me", his tone grew soft, and so did his features. "I don't want to lose her… she's far too important to me."

Koharu felt like the blond had plunged a dagger to her heart, her lips curling slowly into a sad smile. Even without glancing his way, she could hear how much the gal meant to him by the tone of his voice, and though that didn't come as a surprise, it still hurt for some unspoken reason.

Realizing Naruto was probably waiting for her reply, the raven-haired took a deep breath to steel herself before speaking up once again.

"Naruto-san, I don't know Okazaki-san as well as you do… But even I can tell she won't break up with you just because of who you are."

"…Why?"

"Why? Because she loves you, Naruto-san", despite the multiple tears gathering round the corner of her eyes, Koharu managed a soft laugh, one that reflected how she felt at the moment. "Do you really believe Okazaki-san will care you have chakra and can do things normal people don't? If anything, that'll only make you look cooler in her eyes."

Naruto's eyes widened at her confident proclamation, surprise filling his being. "Y-You think so, Koharu-chan?", he already knew what her opinion on the matter was, but he felt like asking just for confirmation.

"I know so", the aforementioned girl stated simply, folding her arms over her chest. "At least… that's how I feel when I look at you."

Her words had been uttered on a level merely above a whisper, but Naruto had heard them loud and clear anyway. "Koharu-chan…", the blond muttered, a bit taken aback. He soon allowed his lips to curl into a sincere smile, feeling strangely grateful at her words.

"A-Anyway, I hope you can work that out", trying to ignore the beating of her heart, Koharu felt the urge to change the topic before she lost whatever composure she had. At the moment, the girl wanted some answers to questions that'd been on her mind ever since Naruto'd arrived at her house. "If you don't mind me asking, Naruto-san, why exactly did you bring me here?"

Naruto seemed to recall the reason behind his actions after processing her inquiry, his features brightening in realization. "Ah, right!", he said simply, before running in the direction of the lake ahead. Koharu allowed her pale eyes to follow the blond as his actions finally alerted the deer to his presence, the latter running away the instant they saw him coming.

As he reached the edge of the lake, Naruto glanced over his shoulder and gestured for her to come closer.

Growing curious, the girl did as she was told and was soon standing beside the Uzumaki, her feet dangerously close to the water. "Koharu-chan, look here. What d'ya see?", the blond motioned towards the lake, which reflected the sun above on its surface.

Koharu squinted her eyes at the mass of water before her, not really sure what she was supposed to be seeing. "Uhm, a lake?", she offered gingerly, but quickly guessed that was the answer Naruto was expecting if the grin that reached his lips was of any indication.

"Yeah, well done!", he clapped his hands in delight, almost in a child-like manner. "And say, what would happen if you tried stepping on the lake?"

"Eh?", Koharu stared at Naruto like he'd grown a second head all of a sudden, unable to understand where he was trying to go with all that. "…I guess I would get my foot wet?"

"Correct again!", Naruto nodded his head, evidently pleased with her deduction. "So, technically, the same thing would happen if anyone else tried to do that, right?"

Fujiwara was about to ask the boy if he was feeling alright, fearing he'd gone crazy or something similar, when the grin on Naruto's lips stopped her in her tracks.

What he did next, though, had Koharu gasping in complete and utter shock.

Making sure she was watching attentively, Naruto took a step forward, raising his foot over the water in a careful motion, before stepping onto it as if there was some sort of solid surface that allowed him to practically stand on the lake. He then brought his other foot forward, placing it directly next to the other one, and remained still for a while, shocking Koharu even further.

"W-W-Whaat!? N-Naruto-san you're…!"

"I am… what?", the aforementioned shinobi inquired, feigning ignorance.

"T-That!", Koharu insisted, her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. "H-How do you…?"

"Ahhh, this?", Naruto's mouth curled into an 'o' shape as he lowered his eyes to his feet. "It's easy! All you've got to do is keep your chakra flowing steadily on your feet", his simple explanation was met with an incredulous look from Koharu's visage, who could not believe what she was seeing. "And I can do much more than just stand still. Look, I'll show ya!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Naruto started taking small steps around, slowly increasing his pace as he headed for the center of the lake – the water rippled under his motions. At some point, he allowed himself to jog so as to show Koharu he could also run and not fall into the water.

His movements were followed closely by the president's shocked gaze, a feeling which only grew as she saw him jumping up and down on the water. "Hey Koharu-chan! Are you watching me!? Isn't this cool?"

Koharu didn't reply right away, too caught up as she was in her own daze. Slowly, very slowly, her previous shock turned into amazement, and a big smile reached her lips. "I-It's… incredible, Naruto-san!", she shouted back, hearing Naruto laugh heartily at her response.

"Haha! I knew you'd like it!"

As she watched Naruto flashing the peace sign her way from afar, Koharu couldn't help but feel a strange longing in her heart, one that made her wish she too could walk on water so as to reach the distant blond.

---

Naruto and Koharu were currently sitting by the edge of the lake, their bare feet submerged in the cool, crystalline water. A peaceful silence had settled between them as they contented themselves with staring at the forest up ahead, the sound of birds chirping and other animals could be heard in the distance, yet it only added to the rather soothing ambience.

Fujiwara was feeling completely at ease by Naruto's side, almost as if there was no other place she'd rather be at the moment. Almost an hour had gone by ever since they'd left her house, and even though she knew her mother and brother were surely terribly worried, she didn't want to leave just yet.

Not without enjoying her time with Naruto to the fullest. And get to ask him more about shinobi, too.

"Ne, Naruto-san", Koharu spoke up, feeling the young man's eyes turning her way. "Where did you learn to do that? To walk on water, that is."

"Hmm, well, it's something I learned a couple of years ago", Naruto commented, resting his hands on the soft grass around him. "It's a little chakra control exercise Kakashi-sensei taught us after we were able to do tree-climbing."

"Climb trees?", Koharu blinked her pale eyes innocently. "By using your hands?"

"Our feet, actually", Naruto smiled at the way Koharu's face lit up in surprise, a reaction he was expecting if he were to be honest. "Much like water walking, tree-climbing is something you can only do if you have some control of your chakra."

The raven-haired girl by his side was sincerely impressed by what she was listening to, which was usually the case whenever she learned something new about Naruto. "Is it hard?", she could not help but ask.

"Very", he admitted. "Tree-climbing in itself is not that difficult once you realize its surface is mostly even and firm, but water itself is an entirely different thing. It ripples at the slightest touch, and if you're not careful, you'll sink. Honestly, I lost count of how many times I got soaked while trying to keep my chakra steady, haha."

Koharu nodded her head, trying to imagine the process one had to go through in order to achieve something as mind-blowing as walking on water. She rose a hand to her face and stared at it for a while, wondering whether she too could be capable of doing what Naruto did if she tried to.

"…Heh, seems someone really wants to draw out their chakra!"

Blushing profusely at being caught, Koharu dropped her hand to the side and refused to meet Naruto's amused eyes, looking away. "I-I w-wasn't trying to", her feeble attempt at pretending the blond was wrong didn't manage to fool said teen, who merely chuckled.

"Sure you weren't", the blond brought a hand to her shoulder, making her stiffen. He didn't seem to notice her reaction if the grin he was now flashing her way was of any indication. "I could teach you how to tap into your chakra, if you want to."

Almost a second after those words left his lips, Koharu's head snapped his way and her face began reflecting the excitement welling up in her own body. "Ah! Really? You would?"

"Yeah, why not? I can tell you'd really like to learn, so I'll be happy to!"

Koharu could not help but feel incredibly giddy Naruto was now willing to teach her the very same things she'd been desperate to learn more about all that time. Honestly, she was so enthusiastic at the prospect of using her own chakra she had the sudden urge of pulling Naruto into a bear hug.

But it was that thought alone that made her halt and realize something, something she'd been ignoring all that time and that she needed to face.

"I… I appreciate the offer, Naruto-san, but I can't accept this."

"Huh? What d'ya mean?"

Koharu took a deep breath, steeling herself. It was not easy to say what was on her mind, but given how important Naruto was to her, the least he deserved was some honesty. "I… don't deserve this, your kindness", she mumbled softly. "You've been nothing but nice to me even after how mean I was to you. All this time, I've tried to avoid you, to stay away from you."

"…"

"Aren't you even a little mad at me?", this time, her big pale eyes turned to him, boring into his deep azure ones with great intensity. He could see the mixture of emotions reflected in them, most of those surfacing after being undoubtedly bottled up for Kami knows how long. "I was so selfish; I didn't even take your feelings into consideration when you came looking for me all those times so… why? Why're you still so nice to me?"

Naruto settled himself for listening to her every word, seeing the pained look on her usually kind visage and realizing that must have been troubling her for quite some time. Multiple tears were gathered round the corner of her eyes, and she seemed on the verge of letting them run freely down her cheeks.

"…I'm not angry at you Koharu-chan", Naruto told her sincerely, gently squeezing the shoulder his hand was still holding onto. "At first I thought you've gotten tired of me, that you didn't want to hang out with me anymore."

"No, that's not true, Naruto-san!", a horrified look crossed Koharu's features as she bore her eyes into his', hoping he would see how serious she was about it. "Please, don't think that way. I… I just…"

Yet no matter how hard she tried, the words she wanted to say would not come out. Her eyes fell and her cheeks burned, but she couldn't bring herself to open up her heart and say what she'd been struggling to say all that time.

"It's okay, Koharu-chan. Whatever is it you want to tell me, I won't get mad. You know why?"

"…W-Why?"

The Uzumaki mustered up a wide, bright smile and flashed it to her. "Because you're my friend, Koharu-chan", he said simply. "Unless you never want to see me again, I'll never give up on you. You're too important to me to just forget about you."

Naruto did not notice it, but Koharu's heart had skipped a beat not only at his words, but at the sincerity in his tone and eyes. The latter shone with genuine care for her, which made her realize just how naïve she'd been. All that time, she'd continuously tried to push him away from her, to try and put some distance between them because she couldn't bear herself to face Naruto after learning he and Miku were an item.

"I… I understand…", the girl lowered her gaze, feeling as a warm sensation spread all over her being, one that was urging her to say or do something, something that would show Naruto what she thought of his support and care for her.

And what she did in the end, managed to catch said teenager off guard.

"Koharu-chan…?"

Blinking his azure eyes, Naruto took a moment to process the feeling of Koharu embracing him tightly, and the strong beating of her heart.

"The reason why I tried to stay away from you…", she began, refusing to raise her eyes to meet Naruto's stare, "is because every time I saw you and Okazaki-san together… my heart ached. It ached so much I couldn't bear to see you in her arms."

"…! Koharu…"

"I like you. I like you so, so much it hurts", the words were blurting out her mouth before she could even try to stop herself. It was already too late to hold back, to pretend those feelings of her didn't exist or to make Naruto forget about the matter. "I've never felt this way about anyone else… I didn't really know what to do…"

"…"

"I'm r-really sorry, for everything", the girl muttered, burying her face in his strong chest. She was practically shaking now after pouring her true feelings over Naruto. "You're i-important to me too. More than you could ever know…"

"Koharu-chan… I…"

"J-Just p-promise me y-you'll never s-stop being my friend…"

Naruto heard the girl sobbing in his arms and finally managed to get out of his shock. He'd been having trouble to believe what he'd just heard, much less to accept that Koharu Fujiwara, one of his most precious people, liked him. He finally understood what Miku meant all those times she'd said Koharu felt jealous or confused about things, but the realization didn't make him want to get away from her.

If anything, now that Naruto knew how she truly felt about him, he saw that there was only thing for him to do, which was not to disregard her feelings as though they didn't matter, but acknowledge them and be honest with her.

As the Uzumaki finally relaxed and returned the hug, his hand reached up to her head, where he began stroking her hair soothingly. "Thank you, Koharu-chan, for telling me how ya feel", his voice was merely above the level of a whisper, but he was sure she'd heard him just fine. "It makes me happy, knowing you care so much about me. And even though you know I can't return your feelings, I promise I'll always be there for you, as your friend."

The tears that Koharu had been trying to hold back were given free rein to fall from their confines and onto his clothes, as the girl sought comfort in Naruto's warm embrace.

And as she indulged in the comfort the shinobi provided, Fujiwara finally let go of all her fears and worries of getting rejected and forgotten by Naruto. Gone was her previous anxiety and her heart felt so much lighter now that she'd come out and told him the truth.

Instead, only relief and acceptance remained.

'I'm sorry, Naruto-san, for making you worry. I was so stupid', despite knowing she had no chance of conquering his heart, nor any desire to get in between him and Miku, she allowed her lips to curl upwards into a sincere smile. 'But… as long as I get to be an important person to you, that's quite all right with me.'

---

Enoshima was a small island located around 70 kilometers away from Tokyo, with beautiful, white-sand beaches and touristic areas that many people around Japan or other parts of the world used to frequent, especially in summer.

Normally, getting there would take anyone approximately one hour by train, or a little bit more by car, but to a trained shinobi like Naruto Uzumaki that trip had only taken less than 20 minutes.

He'd even allowed himself to go at a slightly slower than usual pace so as to see the sights the prefecture had to offer on his way there.

Naruto jumped down from the rooftop he was standing on, only dispelling the genjutsu concealing him from sight when he made sure nobody was actually looking in his direction. As soon as he did that, he allowed his azure eyes to roam around the crowded beach before him. The scorching sun had free reign of the skies as only a handful of clouds floated lazily above, which meant the temperature that day was quite high.

A huge body of water extended after the beach for as far as his eyes could see, and even from his position he spotted tons of people swimming in the clear waters or playing near the edge, where the water was shallow. It was an inviting sight; one he'd not seen in a very long time.

"Sugeee… This place looks amazing!", Naruto told himself. He could feel the warm sand under his feet even through the flip-flops he was wearing, and his nose caught a whiff of a salty smell coming directly from the sea.

An excited grin reached his lips at the prospect of all the fun he could have that day. But before that, he needed to find the place where Miku worked which, according to the gal, was somewhere within the limits of the beach.

'Hi Naruki! You can find me at Umi-no-le. That's the place. Already missin' ya!'

Reading the last message Miku had sent him a while ago, Naruto nodded to himself and returned his phone to his pockets, intending to go and have a look around while he searched for the place.

Naruto passed by many people in his way down the beach, not really seeing all the looks he was attracting, especially from the female population that caught sight of his muscular frame. Multiple whispers were exchanged among girls round his age and older women alike as Naruto idly glanced around, and even some of the former blushed at the impressive physique the young blond sported.

He didn't pay them any mind, however, too engrossed as he was trying to find his destination.

As he walked, Naruto failed to notice a group of teenage girls playing beach volleyball not far away from his position. One girl in particular jumped high in the air as the ball was pushed up for her to smash over the net against the opposing side, but just as her hand connected with the ball, a player on the other team propelled herself upwards and blocked her shot, deviating the trajectory of the sphere.

Due to the force of the first girl's impact, the ball was deflected and flew off the court, right in the direction of an unsuspecting blond who was calmly making his way past the area.

"Ah, watch out!"

One of the players saw what was about to happen and tried to warn him, but Naruto's body reacted before he could even realize what was going on; his hand shot up and intercepted the ball with ease, holding it safely against its palm.

"Huh?", Naruto blinked innocently, only then seeing what was on his hand. "Where did this come from?"

"Are you okay!?"

"We're so sorry!"

"You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

The blond swiveled his eyes in the direction of the group of teenage girls who was now running his way with worried looks on their faces. He merely stared at them as they approached him and when they were close enough, smiled. "I'm fine", he said simply, throwing the ball back at one girl in particular with short, brown hair.

"What a relief~"

"Ne ne, that was so cool~ The way he caught the ball in his hand like that!"

"I know right?"

"Do you know how to play? Maybe you could join us for a match~!"

The smile in his lips only grew awkward as the group of girls began bombarding him with question after question, not really sure how to deal with all the sudden and unexpected attention he was getting.

"Ah, gomen, I don't really have time for that right now", Naruto apologized, eliciting looks of disappointment from all the girls surrounding him. "I'm actually looking for a bar called Umi-no-le. It's where my girlfriend works."

"Ehhh!? You have a girlfriend!?"

"Mou~ Why are all the handsome guys always taken?"

Naruto had the decency of looking mildly embarrassed at the reactions his answer had caused on them, wondering if they were just messing around with him for some unspoken reason.

"U-Uhm, yeah, so… does anyone know where I can find that place?"

A short silence ensued his question, in which all the players glanced at each other before one of them, the one that had blocked the shot earlier, nodded her head. "It's actually that place just ahead", she gestured towards a building not too far ahead which, apart from a roof covering the whole area, had no walls separating the interior from the exterior.

Naruto shielded his eyes from the sun to take a better look at the bar, and with his augmented vision, he was able to spot a sign reading 'Umi-no-le'.

He broke out in his trademark grin and gave the group of girls a nod. "Thanks! See y'all around!", and before any of them could do so much as say something, the blond gently pushed through the group and walked away, excited to see Miku in her job.

---

Miku Okazaki sported a huge, cheerful grin on her juvenile visage as she darted from table to table, serving the many customers filling the bar.

"Here ya go~ One beer and one order of yakisoba~"

"A-Ah, t-thanks."

"Waah, you saw that chick? She's so hot!"

"Y-Yeah.. Hey, do you think I should ask for her number?"

"Hahaha, nah, you'll only embarrass yourself. Gals are something else, they only date the most handsome guys! You are mid at best, man."

"O-Oi… You didn't have to say it like that, that hurts…"

Dutifully ignoring the pair of slightly older teens, Miku took a look around the establishment to make sure all costumers had their orders taken. As she was doing so, her emerald eyes caught sight of a couple sitting side by side, their arms practically touching. They practically couldn't take their eyes off each other as they chatted idly, immersed in their own little world.

The sight had Miku pouting. "Man… I wish Naruki was here", she said aloud, leaning on her elbows by the bar. "He sure is taking his sweet time…"

"Hehe~ Ya sure miss Naru-kun, huh?"

Miku let out a silent sigh at Hana's knowing remark. The latter gal was currently taking care of all the dish-washing at the kitchen, with Makoto lending her a helping hand. The three of them had agreed to swap tasks every now and then so as not to get overwhelmed.

And with so many costumers going in and out Umi-no-le that day, it'd be difficult to find some time to catch a break.

"I do!", Miku complained, shaking her head. "I mean, I kinda spend a ton of time with him the other night and yesterday mornin', but still! I wanna have lots of fun together at the beach. And show him the cute bikini I picked up just for the occasion."

As the blonde gal's thoughts shifted to Naruto's possible reaction at seeing her, her lips curled into a dreamy smile and her cheeks flared to life. It was a sight that made both Hana and Makoto exchange a look, one that showed equal levels of surprise.

"Wait, time out, hold on a sec."

"Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"…Eh?"

"Did you and Naruto-kun…", Makoto began, her expression growing excited for some reason.

"…do it?", Hana finished, raising a hand to her mouth.

Miku blinked her emerald eyes. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Until the implication behind their words hit her mind and her blush grew tenfold. She was relieved nobody was paying attention to them, otherwise they'd have immediately seen her current state.

Or the way Makoto and Hana squealed in delight.

"I knew it, I knew it! Our little Miku-chan did it!"

"Ahhh~ When did she grow up so much!?"

Miku's embarrassment only increased at seeing her best friends so excited. Both were currently jumping up and down in glee and laughing all the while, this time managing to attract a few curious looks their way.

The only reason why they pulled themselves to a stop was because they realized there was something more important. Something they had to know.

And in the blink of an eye Miku found her friends now leaning towards her on the other side of the counter, their eyes sparkling with interest.

"So? How was it?"

"Yeah yeah! Was he, like, romantic and gentle or rough and wild?"

"Kyaaa~ Don't tell me Naruto-kun pretends to be all shy and stuff but has a secret, bolder side!?"

If before Miku was blushing, now her face was so red she could definitely put a tomato to shame. She stood there, agape, as Makoto and Hana began speculating about Naruto right in front of her, not even waiting to hear her reply.

Still, all of that was put aside the moment Miku heard a very familiar voice ringing somewhere right from the other side of the bar, one that made her nervousness vanish as soon as she noticed whom it belonged to.

"Miku-chan!"

Her previous blush disappeared like it had never been adorning her cheeks in the first place and was soon replaced by a happy smile, one she turned around to flash in his direction.

"Ah, Naruto-kun! There you-"

She was about to go and greet him properly, but Hana and Makoto beat her to it, already on the move before she'd even seen Miku's boyfriend coming.

"Heeey Naru-kun~ Miku told us ya'd be comin' over."

"H-Hah… Hey Hana-chan."

"Ooooohh look at these muscles", Makoto said slyly, grabbing a hold of his arm so as to feel his biceps. "So strong~ What kind of training do you really do, Naruto-kun? Must be very hard…"

"Ufufu. Strong guys are totes my type. Too bad ya're taken… Haha, just kidding, just kidding~"

Naruto was growing a bit uncomfortable at the gals' relentless teasing and the feeling of their hands rubbing his arms, but he didn't even need to voice said feeling as someone else was promptly pulling him away from Makoto's and Hana's clutches.

Miku engulfed his arm in between her breasts the moment he got within touching distance, her face contorted into a dangerous look she sent her friends. "Hands off my Naruki", and as if to further emphasize her claim, she pressed even tighter against him, making the blond blush slightly. "Only I get to touch him like this."

A sudden silence ensued Miku's statement, one in which the people closest to them turned to glance their way with curious eyes, and the gal bore her emerald eyes into her friends' orbs, hoping to make herself clear without having to say it again.

"Oh my…"

"D'ya hear that Mako-chan? Seems like we made someone jealous~"

"Hehehe. That we did~"

Giggling to themselves in secret delight, the gals watched with mischievous eyes as Miku huffed indignantly and pulled Naruto to an empty table close to the kitchen. She dutifully ignored the many looks they were now getting as she waited for Naruto to take a seat, and then plopped down next to him, seizing his hand under the table.

"So… You finally came to see me, Naruki. For a moment there I thought you'd forgotten 'bout it~"

Perhaps due to the previous surprise seeing Miku acting the way she did evoked on him, Naruto needed a moment to come out of his stupor and realize she was now talking to him. "H-Huh? Ah, yeah, sorry Miku-chan. I was planning to come yesterday, but..."

"I take it you talked to Koharu, then?"

A nervous smile found its way to his lips at what had been more of an assumption rather than a question. "Yeah", he admitted. "She had some… stuff to say. But it's all good! I heard her out and now we're friends again."

"Hmmm? By stuff, ya mean she told you how she feels about you, didn't she?"

Naruto immediately grew shocked at hearing Miku's confident claim. His azure eyes widened and faced her way, ignoring as two equally astonished Makoto and Hana grabbed a seat on the other side of the table.

"Ehhhh!? Fujiwara-chan likes Naruto-kun too!?"

"Are you for real, Naru-kun!? This is big!"

The blond immediately hushed the excited pair, afraid someone else that knew Koharu might have been eavesdropping on their conversation. "O-Oi, quiet it down a bit", Naruto told them in a scolding tone, one that seemed like he was dealing with a pair of children.

"Gomen ne, Naruto-kun, but… the famous president of the student's council, a girl many other boys would totes kill for, is secretly in love with you?", Makoto shook her head in disbelief. "Man, I bet that was a hard pill to swallow."

"It was", Naruto confessed, leaning back.

"What did you do?", Hana pressed on, desperate to hear all the juicy details. "Ah, could it be this was Naru-kun's plan all along to have his own harem!?"

Naruto had a flabbergasted look on his face as Miku's friends inched his way with intrigued eyes, the former exhuming a dark aura that quickly had him sweating bullets.

"O-Of course not!", the Uzumaki firmly denied the accusation. "I just told her I couldn't accept her feelings, but I know that's what she was expecting me to do. After all", his eyes inadvertently turned the way of Miku, "I love someone else already."

"Kyaaa~ That was so sweet~!"

"Mou~ I'm sooooo jealous right now! Why can't I have a boyfriend like Naru-kun!?"

"Naruto-kun…"

Miku's previous aura receded back into her body and, instead, an angelical smile took its place. She had the sudden urge to take Naruto to the back and kiss him with all the love she felt for him, but knew that'd not be possible with all her coworkers around, so she settled for giving him a tight hug.

"I love you, Naruto", she whispered into his ear, making sure nobody but him could hear her as she said those three words that she liked so much saying to him.

"I l-love you too, Miku-chan", Naruto felt himself blushing, which only caused the gals on the other side to squeal even louder and attract more attention onto themselves. It was something that made the blond even more embarrassed than he already was, and to try to change the topic before things could get worse. "B-By the way, won't your boss get upset if you're not working?"

"W-Well… Now that you mention it…"

"Ups, almost forgot we were still on our shifts", Hana pulled her tongue out childishly. "Then, we'll catch up with ya later, Naru-kun."

"Yeah, let's- Hey, wait, I have an idea", Makoto placed her hands on the table, suddenly looking excited for some unspoken reason. "Yuuta is coming to see me today too. Why don't we all have a group date or somethin'?"

Miku immediately brightened at the idea, inwardly thinking she'd finally have the chance to show her handsome boyfriend to other people. "Hoh~ Now that's a great plan. Count us in!", she said, giggling to herself as she rested her chin on Naruto's shoulder.

"Awww, but Mako, ya know I don't have a boyfriend…"

"It'll be okay! We'll hook you up with one of Yuuta's friends", Makoto waved her hand dismissively, flashing her best friend a girly smile.

"Yeah, Hana!", Miku agreed. "We know that guy, Kohei, was totes into you!"

As the trio of gals went on and on about the list of boys Hana could hook up with, Naruto used his hand to scratch the back of his head. He didn't like the plan. Not one bit. And the only reason he didn't was because Makoto's boyfriend, Yuuta, would be involved.

He and Naruto couldn't stand each other. After the latter had pranked him, Yuuta had all but sworn he'd get back at the Uzumaki someday. Now Naruto was not afraid of him in the slightest, heck, he could wipe the floor with him or his stupid friends any day of the week, but he didn't want to ruin Miku's and Makoto's day by getting into a fight with his 'senpai'.

"…That's why, we're telling ya Hana, it'll be lots of fun!", Miku finally realized her beloved blond was not voicing his opinion on the matter and turned to him. "So, what d'ya think Naruki? Wouldn't it be great to go out on a triple date?"

"I don't know…", Naruto replied, immediately showing his uncertainty.

"Com'on Naruto-kuuun, I know ya're worried, but as long as I'm around Yuuta-kun will behave himself. I promise."

"Yeah, or else, I'll bonk him on the head! Just like this!"

Hana punched the palm of her hand as if to prove her point, with Makoto raising a delicate eyebrow her way. "No, you won't. It's my boyfriend we're talking about, Hana", a sly smirk reached her lips then. "But I can punish him and will, if I need-"

"Oi, aren't you the waitresses of this place? We've been waiting forever to get our orders taken!"

Makoto and her fellow gal shared a quick look before they stood up in a blur, fixing the aprons they were wearing over their swimsuits. "That's right~", their voices came out at the same time, as if in sync. "Sorry to keep you waiting~"

They were gone a moment later, leaving Miku alone with Naruto at the table, the former looking intently at Naruto's unsure expression. She saw the worry in his eyes, but instead of trying to convince him, Miku rubbed his arm comfortingly.

"It's okay Naruto-kun, we don't have to join Mako and Yuuta."

"We… don't?"

"Nuh-uh", she shook her head, smiling a sincere smile at the blond who was now looking her way. "It was just an idea. 'Sides, spending time the two of us, together, is even better."

Naruto's features fell even as Miku planted a loving kiss on his cheek. He didn't really feel like having to spend time with a guy he disliked so much, but he could see this was something Miku wanted to do. Furthermore, going out with other people was something couples did sometimes, so wasn't it a bit selfish of him to outright refuse?

'No, I have to do this', Naruto resolved inwardly. 'I know it'll make Miku-chan happy, so I'll put up with it. For her.'

With that course of action in mind, the blond turned to Miku, looking as determined as only he could be. "Let's have that triple date, Miku-chan."

"Eh?", Miku blinked, taken aback.

"You heard me. I'll do it."

The gal stared long and hard at Naruto as if trying to analyze what had brought about this change of heart, before shaking her head. "I know you're doing this for me, but it's fine! I don't really mind."

But Naruto had already made up his mind. "Seriously, Miku, don't worry about me", Naruto caught her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm willing to give it a shot. Who knows? It may actually be fun!"

"Are ya totes sure you wanna do this?"

"Yup!"

"For real?"

"One hundred percent!", Naruto chuckled, his words easing the gal by his side, who visibly relaxed.

"All right, then! Thanks, Naruki~ You're the best!", giving him a quick hug, Miku stood up from her seat, knowing she'd already spent more time away from her duties than she should have. "I gotta go back to work now, though. Ah, almost forgot, why don't ya order somethin'? It's on me today!"

Naruto flashed his beautiful girlfriend one of his trademark grins, before nodding his head.

"Sure! I'll have… a nice, big bowl of miso ramen, please!"

"Hehe. Why am I not surprised?", Miku produced a small notebook and a pen from one of the side pockets on her apron, shaking her head humorously as she noted something down on it. "Got it! One order of ramen, coming right up~"

Naruto nodded his head, already salivating at the thought of having a nice bowl of ramen. He was practically starving after not having eaten anything since breakfast, and some of his favorite food would definitely hit the spot….

…If Miku ever decided to get a move on and take his order to the kitchen.

"Uhm, Miku-chan? Is everything okay?"

As Naruto gazed at his unresponsive girlfriend, he noticed the way she currently had her arms behind her back and was staring intently at him, almost as if expecting him to do or say something.

"Yeah, Naruki, why wouldn't it… Oh! My pen dropped! Gotta pick it up now…"

The young man furrowed his eyebrows as Miku purposely let the pen fall from her hand to the ground, bending down slowly to pick it up.

It was also an action that gave Naruto a tantalizing sight of her massive cleavage, one that was only accentuated by the bikini she was wearing that day.

"…Uhm, Miku-chan…"

"Ah, I can't find it, I think it went in your direction."

Barely managing to conceal a smile, Miku inched closer to her beloved blond, so close Naruto soon found her breasts practically in front of his face. It was something that made him blush up a storm and gulp sonorously.

"Hehe, where're ya lookin' at, Naruki?", Miku giggled knowingly, utterly happy at the reaction she was eliciting from him. "It's okay… Look aaaall you want. I'm not goin' anywhere…"

Naruto tried his best to ignore his hormones as they began threatening with acting up at the proximity of the beautiful gal. It'd take all his willpower to get out of that one in one piece.

---

Naruto wasn't sure what to expect at first. He'd initially hoped Yuuta Amano had somehow gotten over his grudge and would accept going along with this 'tripe date' idea Makoto had come up with, or at least that the older teen would be willing to endure the whole thing like he himself was planning to just to make Miku happy.

Of course, nothing was ever that simple in life.

"…What's this guy doing here?"

"Hey, Yuuta-kun!", Makoto ran up to her boyfriend side, placing her arms around his frame. "How was summer school today?"

But the young man did not even bother to grace the gal with a proper answer, too busy as he was glaring daggers in the Uzumaki's way. If looks could kill, Naruto was sure Yuuta would've already tried to do so.

"Neee, your face is really scary right now, Yuuta-kuun~"

"You didn't answer my question, Makoto", he said sharply, a tone that made Naruto narrow his eyes. "Why is Uzumaki here, with you?"

"A-Ah, Naruto-kun came to see Miku. They're dating now!"

Her obvious cheerfulness was not shared by Yuuta, whose juvenile features twisted into an open scowl. By his side, his two, smug-looking friends snorted disdainfully. "Ha! Ya hear that Yuuta? That prick got such a hot chick all for himself."

"Unbelievable, right!? It seems Makoto's friend likes losers!"

Naruto was unfazed by Yuuta's friend comment, having been called worse in his time at the academy. Miku and Hana, however, seemed to take offense at that.

"Hey!", Hana pumped her fists by her side, stomping her foot on the sand. "That's just rude!"

"Naruto is not a loser!", Miku tightened her hold on Naruto's hand, her expression growing angry. "He's waaay cooler than you could ever be, you baka!"

"EH!? What did this bitch just say to me!?"

Hearing someone making fun of him was okay and something he'd practically gotten used to, but when anyone dared to insult the person he loved the most, that was something he could and would not allow.

"Who're you calling a bitch, you teme!?", Naruto all but shouted, attracting a couple looks of the people around at the beach. "You say that again, I'll kick your ass!"

"Just you try, Uzumaki, we'll-"

Before the second guy by Yuuta's side could do so much as finish his threat, Yuuta raised an arm to prevent him from speaking any further. His friend rose his eyes in surprise so as to see what'd gotten into him all of a sudden, before he saw the look in his face.

It was a look of utter contempt aimed in the direction of Naruto Uzumaki.

Makoto, who had remained silent up until then, saw things were getting out of hand and tried to step in before the boys would end up fighting each other. "Now, now, let's all just calm down", she rubbed one of Yuuta's arms soothingly, hoping it'd have the effect she was looking for. "I know you and Naruto-kun here have some differences but…"

"Why are you even calling him 'Naruto… kun?", Yuuta suddenly interjected, turning his angry stare onto the dark-haired gal, who flinched in slight surprise. "What? You like him now or something!?"

If before Makoto was surprised, now she was completely taken aback. So much so she had trouble believing what he'd just suggested. "W-What? No! Why would you even say something like that? Naruto is my friend!"

By the side, Naruto, Hana and Miku all exchanged silent looks, none of them liking Yuuta's attitude one bit. They all knew he didn't exactly like the Uzumaki because of what had transpired between them in the past, but that display of downright hostility on his behalf was surprising to say the least.

"A friend!? Are you serious, Makoto!?", Yuuta snapped, turning the way of his girlfriend. The aforementioned felt her eyes widening as she took a step back, clearly afraid at seeing him so upset over something so trivial. "You know how much I despise that guy! I can't even stand being in the same room as him! And yet, you went behind my back and made friends with him!?"

Naruto grew tense at the scene, hearing Miku gasping. He could tell she was becoming afraid at what could happen to her best friend, and it showed in the way she unconsciously clenched his hand. Hana too, had inadvertently sought some refuge by Naruto's side, her delicate hands holding onto his exposed arm.

By then, practically the whole beach was staring their way, attracted by the angered cries of Yuuta Amano. But not even the dumb pair of friends had noticed said fact, both too busy staring in Naruto's way to make sure he'd not run away before they could give him a beating.

Those two still had to get back at him for that last time he'd pranked them.

"I…"

Yuuta's scowl deepened at Makoto's inability to come up with a proper response, his anger reaching to unsuspected levels. His hand stretched out in her direction and he forcefully seized her right arm, pulling her back his way. "Why!? Why did you do it!? I'm your boyfriend, you're not supposed to go against me!"

"Y-Yuuta… You're h-hurting me.."

At seeing the mixture of pain and fear in Makoto's usually happy face, Naruto could not take it anymore. "Hey!", he shouted, not caring in the slightest if he was attracting more unwanted attention their way. "Let her go, you teme! It's me you have a problem with so, let's settle things, right here, right now."

"N-Naruto-kun…"

There were tears now gathering in the corner of Makoto's eyes, a sight that sent a twang of anger to Naruto's heart. If there was something he hated with a passion, was seeing girls cry.

By his side, Hana and Miku glanced his way with equal looks of gratitude, thankful to have someone as brave as Naruto willing to step up for their friend. It displayed his bravery and loyalty, two qualities not many could boast about.

"You stay out of this, loser!", Yuuta snapped once again, sending a hateful glare his way. "This is my girlfriend, not yours! You'd better focus on that slut next to you!"

"That… slut?"

"Yeah, you heard me right! Okazaki is nothing but a slut! Why else would she go out with a pathetic idiot like you!?"

"Shut up!", Miku screamed, releasing her hold on Naruto so as to turn Amano's way. She was very upset if the frown etched on her face was anything to go by. "You know nothing of Naruto. He's the best guy I've ever met… He's kind, funny and brave. And he'd never treat me like you treat Makoto! If anyone's pathetic, that's you!"

"You're going to regret ever speaking that way to me, you-"

"Yuuta, stop it!", despite her previous state, Makoto gathered enough courage to stop Yuuta from running his mouth any further. She yanked on his arm, her face contorting into a pleading look. "Please, just… let it go, okay? Please. Do it for me…"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears, a realization that very soon hit Makoto's mind the moment Yuuta pushed her aside, ignoring as his friends snickered at the sight. "Get away from me, you back-stabbing bitch", the young man spit every word as if they were venom, this time making his girlfriend visibly flinch. Fresh tears were quickly falling down her cheeks after that. "And you! Are you happy now!? You managed to put my girlfriend and her friends against me!"

Naruto did not respond, and Hana could feel him trembling.

"But I bet they just feel pity at how worthless you are. Wake up, Uzumaki! Everyone hates you! Did you ever think anyone would ever like you!?"

"That's right, Yuuta!"

"Well said, dude! The only way that could ever get some friends is if he paid them. And even then, they'd not stick by his side for long!"

By that point, Miku could not stand it anymore. She was so angry her curled fists were beginning to tremble. She wanted to teach those three a lesson so badly it didn't even matter anymore if they were three against one, and she'd have done just that if not for Naruto, who gently pried his arm off Hana's clutch and took a small step forward. Then another and finally one more, until he was face to face with Yuuta Amano.

Naruto's expression was hidden from view by his own hair, which didn't let anyone see the look on his face, not even Yuuta could see it – the latter now sneering at the blond before him.

"Oh, what's the matter, Uzumaki? Gonna cry?", no response. "What? Surely, you're not so foolish as to think you can beat the three of us in a fight!", Yuuta chuckled confidently, standing his ground. He glanced at his friends, looking for support, which he found in the form of nods and grins. "But by all means, just try! I'd love to be the one to finally put you in your place."

But the certainty in his remark didn't seem to affect the Uzumaki, not one bit. He didn't even flinch at his words and instead began slowly raising his head, revealing more and more of his face.

And when his features became visible, the group of teens who had once been so confident gasped in barely concealed fright at what they saw.

"…I dare you to say all that again to my face", Naruto all but mumbled, producing a small, menacing smirk that almost made Yuuta piss his pants. "Go on, say it again. I'll promise you, that'll be the last thing you'll ever do…"

His voice had grown deeper out of nowhere and it had resembled a growl of all things, something that sent shivers down the spines of the three-gals present.

On the other trio, it just induced utter fear.

"W-What the hell!?"

Yuuta took a hurried step back, but since he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings he tripped and fell on his butt, hard. His friends also tried putting some distance between them and the blond, yet their eyes could not look away from what they were witnessing.

"A-Are y-y-you guys s-seeing this!? T-This g-guy's a m-mo-monster!"

"What's the matter?", Naruto suddenly shortened the distance between him and the trio, his smirk widening. "Don't tell me you're afraid of me…? But I haven't even started on your beating yet…"

"…"

"…"

"By the time I'm done with you three, you'll wish you were never born in the first place…"

Yuuta's heart froze in his chest at the horrifying sight he was being forced to stare upon, his bladder unable to hold back anymore as he pissed his pants.

"R-Run! Run for your lives!"

Yuuta let out a high-pitched scream as he hurriedly crawled away from Naruto, getting back on his feet as soon as he was able to do so. He ran away a moment later, followed closely by his screaming friends. All three of them ran as fast as their legs could carry them, dodging all the people in their way.

And as they left, Miku, Hana and Makoto watched in shocked silence as the Uzumaki slowly inclined his head down, his chest heaving up and down as he just stood there, almost as if contemplating whether to chase after them or not.

"Naruto?"

The blond instantly perked up at Miku's voice, standing to full height. He carefully began turning around the way of the other gals and what they then saw, made them and the closest people to them gasp in shock.

Naruto's eyes were now a deep shade of red, with his pupils having become elongated and slitted, resembling those found in the eyes of animals. The six marks on his cheeks had grown thicker and darker, and his canines were visible under his upper lip.

People all around began whispering among themselves, and some of them were even inching back in clear fear of the young man.

"Is… Is that a demon!?"

"Kami-sama, what on earth happened to him!?"

"Stay back, don't come any closer!"

All the while, Naruto didn't seem to be paying any attention to them, his crimson red eyes focused on one person and one person only.

His beloved Miku.

"Miku-chan…"

And when he saw the uncertainty, the fear in her face, Naruto felt as if the whole world came crashing down on him.

Shutting his eyes in anguish, Naruto mustered his chakra, before crouching down on the ground. A moment later, he jumped higher he'd ever done to the sky, making some sand fly away in every direction and forcing everyone else to shield their eyes.

"N-Naruto, wait!"

But it was too late, even for Miku, to stop him.

By the time she, Makoto, Hana or anyone else opened their eyes, Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

---

To be continued...

---

Two chapters left guys! Things are getting kind of intense, now, aren't they? How will Naruto handle things after revealing his kyuubi induced form to Miku and co? And what will she do now that she has seen a side of Naruto she never knew existed in the first place?

That and more will be revealed next chapter, so stay tuned for it!

Originally, the chapter of Gal Gohan's manga this is partly based on had Yabe and his nephew (who looks just like him) running into Miku at Umi-no-le, but I changed things up quite a bit. I feel like it turned out okay this way.

Anyway, that's all from me this time. Until we see each other, I wish you all a good day. Luke out!