A couple days later, Naruto and Hinata both laid quietly beneath a willow tree for hours as they enjoyed the peace with their hands lovingly attached to each other's. They had completely lost track of time, and they couldn't have cared less. With a gentle breeze blowing and the evening sun barely shining through the tree limbs and onto their faces, they both felt completely at ease.

It was relatively warm for it being the middle of November, a perfect day to go outdoors and relax.

"I love this." Naruto stated.

"This?"

"You. Us. Laying here and relaxing together. I've never felt so unwinded. Life is usually so busy, ya know? We should do this more often."

"I have every intention of it."

Naruto turned on his side to look upon her softly smiling face. As she turned on her side to look back at him, he was quiet for a moment, his bright blue eyes piercing her pearly orbs.

"I would do anything for you. Do you know that?" He said.

"I do, Naruto. You know I'd do anything for you too, right?" She said with with her face aflame as she brought her hand to his cheek.

"You've already given me everything I've ever wanted."

"You don't mean that..."

"No really, I do. I've never felt so complete before. It's because of you, Hinata."

"But you still have more ambitions, don't you? For example, you still want to be Hokage, right? I can't give you that... I can't give you everything, no matter how much I want to."

"It's true, I do still want to be Hokage some day. But the whole point of me wanting to be Hokage was that I wanted to be accepted. You gave me that long ago, and I was too blind to see it. But now, I could die happy knowing that someone had always accepted me for who I was and not just for what I would become."

"Don't talk like that, like something bad is going to happen to you. You're not allowed to leave me."

Hinata was well aware of Naruto's powerful capabilities, and still she worried for him. If anything, Naruto was more likely to be sent on highly dangerous missions now more than ever. He had proven himself far beyond necessary, and she couldn't help but fear that his limits would be tested because of it.

"I would never." Naruto replied assuringly.

"Promise me. Promise me that no matter how dangerous the road ahead becomes, you'll always come home to me. Promise me you won't leave me in this world without you."

Naruto felt like he was staring at himself in the mirror all over again, envisioning his future with her. Because when he did, he could have sworn that he had seen her staring back at him just as she was now. Aside from becoming Hokage, that future with her was truly all he could ever really want, something that he'd never let slip away or be taken from him.

"I promise. I swear, I'll tear this whole world down before I let it take you away from me, or me from you."

Hinata said nothing as she gently pressed her lips to his, relishing the innocence and warmth of their kiss. As much as she enjoyed when they got hot and heavy, she also appreciated the slow and loving kisses that they shared. It felt good to be able to love each other in different ways.

She then remembered that they were in an open area not far from people, and that they hadn't quite established a public boundary yet.

"That's all I needed to hear." She said as their lips departed.

Naruto ran his fingers through her hair and gently pulled her back in for another kiss. This was all the permission she needed. Hinata gladly returned his kiss, not even slightly caring that someone could spot them at any moment.

She wanted them to see.

She suddenly discovered that she might enjoy public affection more than she had anticipated. The innocence they shared faded rather quickly as the thought of Naruto kissing her... no, claiming her in front of others was beginning to arouse her. She couldn't help herself... she slipped her hand under his shirt and ran her fingers over his toned stomach.

Naruto's reaction indicated that he was more than okay with this. He too let his hand venture beneath her loose jacket, slowly moving it upward as he prepared to feel the smooth fabric of her bra once again, that is, until he realized she wasn't wearing one.

As his hand got higher, he continued to feel nothing but her skin until suddenly he realized that if he went any further, he'd be grabbing directly onto her breast.

"Oh, y-you're not wearing... uh..."

"Is that okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I just... I don't know what to do..."

"You can feel them, Naruto. It's okay. They're all yours."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Touch me, Naruto. I want you to."

When their lips met again, Naruto decided there was no reason to hold back. She wanted him to touch her, and he knew he wanted to. He eagerly grabbed onto one of her soft breasts, fighting the urge to lift her jacket and lay his eyes on them for the first time. Hinata occasionally moaned into their kiss which only excited him further. After experimentally brushing his finger tip over her hardened nipple, she pulled away and let out a sudden gasp.

Interesting.

"You like that?" He asked seductively.

"Y-Yes... keep going." She said before crashing back into him again. She was fighting an urge of her own as she thought back to how Naruto's erection had stood out so clearly from his pants before, and how badly she had wanted to touch him.

Naruto continued to gently trace his finger tip across her sensitive nub while Hinata turned him on further with every little whimper she released. He could tell she was trying to be quiet given that they weren't exactly in a private setting. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him as he grabbed onto her nipple and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Oh shit..." Hinata gasped again as her hand instinctively dropped from his stomach to his pants.

She truthfully hadn't intended on touching him there just yet, but her sudden reaction to a new sense of pleasure seemed to make her urge come alive. She paused for a moment as she realized what she was doing. Her hand was resting completely still against his member, and yet, even through his pants, she could feel him throbbing in her grasp.

"Woah..." Naruto said in response. His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" She replied panicking as she removed her hand.

"I didn't tell you to stop."

"W-what?"

"You heard me." Naruto said as he pulled her back in and kissed her.

Hinata reluctantly moved her hand back to the bulge in his pants, still taken aback that he had been okay with it the first time, and that he had wanted more. Naruto shuddered slightly as her gentle hands worked slowly against him, resulting in a very horny Hinata. They were alike in the sense that they both enjoyed physical responses when they were pleasing each other. In this case, Naruto's reaction told Hinata she was doing a good job.

She became even more excited as she felt him grow larger. She wanted to see it, and to feel the whole thing in the palm of her hand. Maybe... just maybe he would let her.

Not here though.

"Naruto... you wanna go back to your place?"

A wide grin appeared on his face before he replied, "You read my mind. Let's get out of here."

The young couple quickly moved away from their spot under the tree and began walking the path back to Naruto's apartment. Hinata felt nervousness set in as they got closer. What if she didn't make him feel good because she didn't know how? What if he got too nervous and backed out... what if she got too nervous and backed out?

Naruto chuckled to himself as they walked hand in hand.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Did you... did you curse?"

"I... um..."

Naruto laughed hysterically, much to Hinata's embarrassment.

"I knew it! No way, I never thought I'd see it!"

"I didn't mean to, it just slipped out! You surprised me when you... you know."

"It's not a big deal, Hinata. I kinda liked it. It was unexpected."

"What you did that caused it was unexpected too."

"Was it okay though? I mean, did you like what I did?"

"Y-Yes... maybe a little too much."

Naruto made a mental note to remember that. He was learning more and more about her it seemed.

"I hope that's not all you can handle." He replied.

"I can handle more... can you?"

"I have a few ideas..."

As they approached his apartment, Naruto noticed two ANBU Shinobi standing at his front door.

"What's going on here?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Lady Tsunade has summoned you for a mission briefing. Report to her immediately." One of them said before they both dispersed.

"What!? Right now?" Naruto pouted.

Hinata was disappointed at first because of their inconvenient interruption. Then, anxiety set in as she remembered that they were supposed to spend two nights together while her father was away from the village.

"A mission? But, my father leaves tomorrow... what if you're not here when he's gone? We were supposed to spend a couple nights together... it's not fair!"

Hinata looked devastated. Naruto could tell that she was truly looking forward to staying with him, as was he. He hoped they would still be able to... maybe the mission wouldn't take too long.

"Maybe it won't be so bad. Look, I gotta go I guess, but I'll meet you back here when I'm finished with the briefing, okay?"

"Don't take too long."

"I'll try not to, I promise."

Naruto gave her a goodbye kiss before darting off toward the Hokage's office.

"I love you!" He yelled from a distance just before he disappeared from her line of sight.

"I love you too..." Hinata said quietly to herself before using her key to let herself into his apartment.

"Come in!"

Naruto entered Tsunade's office and surprisingly found no other Shinobi present. Which meant either he was the first one there, or he was about to be given a solo mission.

"Naruto! Good to see you again, especially so soon. As you know by now, I have a mission for you."

"What kind of mission? Is it another quick one? Could it be completed today?"

"Listen! Since Pain has been defeated, there has been no form of structure for the citizens of the hidden rain village. A group of rogue Shinobi took full control of it shortly after his and Konan's defeat and have abused its people ever since. With everything going on at the time, we had no idea until now. The other Kage and I are currently working to establish some form of leadership and protection for the people, but we can't do that until the enemy has been cleared out."

"Which I'm guessing is my job..."

"Correct."

"So, you want me to liberate a city all by myself?" Naruto asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Of course not, idiot. You're going to work with a squad, and you are going to lead it."

"What? Lead it!? I've never led a squad before! I wouldn't even know how!"

"That's precisely why I'm putting you in charge of this mission. If you're going to be Hokage some day, you need to learn how to lead. You're bad enough at following orders, you at least need to know how to give them. But don't worry, this should be a good trial for you. From the intel we've gathered, there's only about a dozen of these rogue Shinobi, with moderate levels of skill. They aren't a terribly serious threat, but they still need to be dealt with. Honestly, you probably could do it yourself, but that's not the point."

"Who exactly am I leading? How big is my squad?"

"After some thinking, I have decided to let you figure that out for yourself. I am permitting you to take up to three Shinobi with you of your choice. I suggest you make your choices carefully and consider the different abilities of each person."

"You're kidding, you have to be! I have to pick and choose my own teammates!? Do you have any idea how difficult this is going to be for me?"

"Do you have any idea how often you'll have to create teams as Hokage?"

"I... I never really thought of it..."

"I promise, Naruto, I'm doing this for you. It's important that you learn these things."

"But, how will I know if I've made the right choices?"

"You'll only know when your mission is successful or unsuccessful. That's the hard part of being a leader, wondering if you're doing it the right way and not knowing until the end."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"Try not to overthink it. Like I said, this is a good starter for you. Shouldn't be too difficult. Besides... there is a form of reward if your mission is successful."

"Reward? What is it?"

"If you successfully lead a team to remove the threat from Amegakure, if you can show me that you're ready, I will promote you to Chunin. The sheer volume of your power is a clear indication of your skills, but I need to see that you have the skills necessary to lead before I make that decision."

"Really? Chunin? All right, now we're talking!"

"If your mission is successful, and if you do it as a team. Don't think you can just do everything yourself and call it teamwork. I'll be checking in with your teammates after to see what they think of your leadership skills. That will heavily determine whether or not I decide to promote you."

"I understand... so, what's the time frame?"

"I am giving you the rest of today and all of tomorrow to decide who you will bring with you. The morning after tomorrow, you will report to me with all of your squad members at 04:00. You'll be leaving early, so make sure you get plenty of rest the night before. I'll provide one final briefing that morning, and then you'll all be on your way."

Naruto felt a sense of relief settle in. If he was leaving the day after tomorrow, that meant he could still have Hinata over tomorrow night. One night was better than none.

"Granny, do you really think I can do this? I... I don't know about this..."

"I know you can, Naruto. I remember the first time I led a mission. It wasn't easy, I'll admit, but it was a necessary learning experience."

"Can you give me any kind of advice? Anything that will help me?"

"Hmm... if I were you, I'd try to bring someone with leadership experience, someone who could advise you along the way."

"Any suggestions?"

"Nope. You're on your own there. It's your squad, and it's your responsibility to decide who you're taking."

"Thanks." Naruto said bluntly with a sigh.

"If you don't have any more questions, you've got a team to build and a mission to prepare for."

"Dammit... I guess I'll be on my way then. See you soon."

Naruto turned to exit the office before Tsunade stopped him.

"Oh, and Naruto? One more thing... I would ask that you don't bring Hinata."

"Uh... why?"

"Oh please, you think I don't know? People have been talking about you two for days. Don't get me wrong, I fully support your relationship. I think she'll be good for you. However, I think it would best for you if you didn't bring her along on this mission. It may impact your decision making. I'm not saying you two can never go on missions together, but for your first leadership trial, I really think you should avoid potential... distractions."

"I understand. Thanks Granny." Naruto replied. It sucked that he would have to spend more time away from her, but he also understood that it was for the best. He had always known that he would eventually have to smarten up and learn the know-how before he could reach his dream.

"I believe in you, Naruto. You can do this. AND STOP WITH THE GRANNY CRAP!"

Hinata laid on Naruto's bed and anxiously awaited his return. She watched the clock by his bed as the minutes passed, counting every second that she wouldn't be able to spend with him. When the door finally opened, she shot to her feet and quickly made her way to him.

"How did it go?" Hinata asked. She tried to remain optimistic, but she could see that Naruto was about to tell her something she didn't want to hear.

"Well, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that we still get to spend tomorrow night together. The bad news is that I have to leave early in the morning for a mission the day after."

"Oh... I see. I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed, but at least I still get to stay a night with you." She said with a small smile. It could've been worse.

"Me too, but I was so relieved when she told me I still had a day to prepare."

"So, why did she give you a whole day? Is it... is it a dangerous mission?"

Hinata listened as Naruto filled her in on his conversation with Tsunade. Although she was still a little disappointed about only getting one night with him, she found herself becoming joyful for him. She valued his ambitions and knew that this was a big step forward for him. How could she not be supportive?

"That's great, Naruto! This is your next step toward becoming Hokage! I'm really happy for you!"

"Thank you, but to tell you the truth, I'm terrified! I have no idea what I'm doing."

"That's exactly why this is a good thing for you."

"You sound just like Granny Tsunade."

"I know, but I mean it. I just wish it was better timing..."

"Me too, but since we only get one night, I promise I'm going to make it a good one."

"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me how?"

"You guess correctly. But on the bright side, you get to find out tomorrow." He said with a wink.

"Fair enough. What do you want to do tomorrow? You know, before we come here for the night."

"Since this is the first real mission for me in a while, and because it will likely take a few days, I was thinking we could start with some training together? I'm probably a bit rusty. Although, we can't take too long with training. I still need tomorrow to round up a team. Once I've got that figured out, we can come back here."

"That's a good idea. I'd be happy to help you train and practice before your mission. Can't risk letting you get hurt now can I?"

"You worry too much." Naruto said with a chuckle.

"Naruto... tell me that you'll be safe, even if this mission isn't supposed to be too dangerous. Tell me you'll come back to me."

Hinata was rather relieved that the enemies he would face were believed to not be very dangerous. However, the hidden rain village was about a two-day journey, and anything could happen at any point. She didn't doubt his abilities, but she couldn't help but worry for him.

Naruto brought both of his hands to her cheeks and kissed her forehead lovingly. She always loved when he was gentle with her like this.

"Remember what I told you earlier. I'll never let anything take us away from each other. I will always return to you."

Hinata took his hands in hers and lowered them to her waist, pulling him closer to look him in the eyes she adored so much.

"I know. Just wanted to hear you say it."

Naruto watched as her gaze mirrored his just as it had beneath the willow tree. The love he felt for her, he could see it reflecting right back at him. He was staring into his mirror once again, looking at his future life with her and everything it would entail.

He meant what he said. Nothing would take that future away from him. From them.

"Aren't you somethin' to admire?

'Cause your shine is something like a mirror.

And I can't help but notice,

you reflect in this heart of mine."

- "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake