Upload Date: 06/10/2024

Obligatory statement that these characters are not mine.

Chapter 15 – Cavalier Action

The evening was cold, and it was doing absolutely nothing to ease Naruto's mind, which was still thinking of Hinata, her sweet smile, her words…

And of course, the way that gown had fit on her body.

Such inappropriate thoughts really, especially considering this was her family's home.

He was still debating on whether to head back inside or not when he saw someone quite familiar come outside and light a pipe, turning slightly in greeting, his trademark lazy smile crossing his face.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"Searching for a wife, I gather?" Naruto asked cheekily, extending his arm to Shikamaru as the lazy lord took his hand and shook it hard before embracing him briefly.

"Not at all. This is simply societal decency. What brings you back to Konoha?"

"Orders…" Naruto paused as the realization dawned on him, "Orders that you are probably aware of already."

Shikamaru nodded slowly, blowing a ring of smoke into the night air, delaying his response as was usual for him. "I see. What are you plans?"

"Asides from wondering why the fuck no one uttered a word? Investigation mainly, on the Uzumakis."

"I assume you've gathered assistance with that?"

"My team only at this point. I will do some traveling once I find out more."

Shikamaru nodded and extinguished his pipe, the last remnants of smoke disappearing in the air. "I'm here if you need me."

"Understood. You are the smartest man I know after all."

"Not just in your search with this," Shikamaru clarified, "But in the personal aspect as well. This news isn't easy to make sense of."

For all his points of Shikamaru being an indolent, nonchalant, rather peculiar man, Naruto knew he could trust him and he nodded in acceptance.

"There is something else I'd like to discuss with you," Shikamaru continued, "When you are relieved from your merchant duties."

"Concerning what?"

A loud couple laughed as they walked by, completely ignoring the two men outside. They skirted past them, the smell of alcohol lingering on their bodies as they walked beyond the Hyuuga gate.

Of course, there were many people nearby. It would not be good to have the entire townsfolk aware of this.

Shikamaru motioned for Naruto to step closer and he put his hands in his coat pockets, turning to face Naruto, his dark eyes steady.

"You travel a lot. I can assume you have heard of the Fox?" he asked quietly.

Naruto kept his face impassive. "I have."

"I'm putting together a team with Kakashi Sensei to hunt him down. I'd like to recruit you as part of that team. Your skills will be highly useful."

Naruto allowed himself to feel a bit of pride. Despite occasionally receiving directives from his superiors on missions he had been assigned to due to the convenience of his travels, being sought out for a mission was entirely different.

It was a high honor…even if it was a rather peculiar scenario to attempt to arrest one's self.

"Is this a formal mission?"

"It will be. Kakashi Sensei and I are still in the early planning stages, but we would like to start searching sometime later this winter. I can provide the formal directive then."

At that Naruto smiled, eyes glinting. "Sounds promising. Let me conclude my business in the Land of Waves and we can discuss more."

Shikamaru nodded. "Very well. Although between you and me, hunting down this man seems like a drag."

Naruto hummed non-committedly. Oh, it will be.

All eyes were on them this evening and the couple at the center did not even notice as they were lost in each other's presence.

Tenten spun around the dance floor, her expensive gown floating around her as the light from what seemed like a million candles twinkled around at the edges of her vision.

It was like a dream, and she laughed enthusiastically in Neji's arms as he maintained a wide smile.

"Are you happy my dear?"

"Are you not?" Tenten exclaimed, looking around the room. "We have a room full of people who love you and are excited for your new title."

"They are excited for our nuptials as well." Neji reminded her gently.

"It's hard for me to believe," she admitted. "It's finally happening."

"Soon enough, my dear. Soon enough."

Tenten leaned forward to press her cheek against his, feeling the steadiness of his pulse point against hers.

It was comforting. The very thing she needed in this new life of hers.

The beautiful singer ended the song with a few last subdued notes and the audience clapped as they ended their dance set, walking back to their table.

The Hyuuga discussion had turned to the eligible men left in Konoha, Tenten realized, as neither Hanabi nor Hinata were present, both conversing with other ladies in attendance.

"Lord Shikamaru is quite the candidate. His family is distinguished in intelligence and past members of his clan have had history of becoming generals as shinobi, quite a feat."

"The man has few words for anyone, or did you notice that he did not once partake in a dance?" Hiashi replied to his brother, grimacing, "Hinata is reserved enough as is."

"Lord Sasuke suffers from the same reserved demeanor." Hizashi replied, tilting his head in thought.

"Ah," Hiashi clicked his tongue in disagreement, "But his family status rivals ours, and he had enough decency to ask Hinata for a dance this evening. That shows me he may very well be interested in my daughter."

There was a lull as they all pondered over Hiashi's words before Neji cleared his throat.

"Uncle, what is your opinion of Mr. Uzumaki?" Neji asked while Tenten tried to look nonchalant, knowing exactly what he was pressing for.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" Hiashi repeated and Hizashi turned to face his son with a curious expression.

Neji simply nodded.

"Well…His ignorant upbringing is apparent, but Lady Fifth praises him so I have no doubt he is a skilled shinobi. As friend of the family, I feel this is advantageous."

Tenten opened her mouth as if to ask something, but Neji gently squeezed her hand and almost imperceptibly shook his head.

Neji redirected the conversation to another topic as Tenten gazed at Hinata thoughtlessly laughing in the company of other ladies of Konoha.

Naruto was so outclassed that Lord Hyuuga would not even consider him as anything else.

The following day was a lengthy affair that preoccupied Sakura so much that she did not have much time after her turn at the hospital to visit Lady Fifth.

In a rush amongst the streets and up the Hokage tower, she hurriedly uttered a greeting to Shizune before she was allowed into the Hokage's office.

Tsunade was still there mercifully, waiting impatiently, where they spoke briefly about her grandmother and her relationship with the Uzumakis.

"She did not speak of her family very often." Tsunade lamented, clearing her throat as Sakura waited expectantly for her to continue.

Tsunade had meant to mention it to Naruto directly the day she broke the news to him, but to be quite honest the lad had been so upset that it had entirely slipped her mind.

"Lady Mito Uzumaki," Sakura pronounced, staring at the unfamiliar name that she had just written down, "And Miss Kushina were senior clan members?"

"That's all I know." Tsunade answered simply.

Grandmother Mito had kept most information about her heritage to herself and well…

Tsunade had been wrapped in grief for most of her youth and well into adulthood as more and more of her family had died. Dan, her beloved husband dying less than a year into their marriage had just about killed her and she'd run away, leaving her grandmother to die alone as a consequence of her actions.

Regrets. She was full of them, each one scarring the flesh under her skin as deeply as a physical wound, Naruto being her latest painful mistake.

Sakura silently examined Tsunade's distant expression and she knew her master well enough to know any further conversation was futile and unneeded.

She bowed at her Hokage with a look she hoped conveyed understanding.

"Thank you for the information."

Lady Fifth nodded. "Sakura?"

Sakura turned back with a curious expression. "Yes, milady?"

"How is he faring?"

Sometimes Naruto kept things from her, in fact he probably hid more than he said these days, more than likely to keep her safe and ignorant from his less than legal activities.

But he said most of the things he thought, straight to others' faces, to his detriment or to others so Sakura was sure of her answer.

"Better, but not quite ready to face some of his anger."

"It's understandable," Tsunade acknowledged, drumming her fingernails against the aging wooden table. "Rage is a bit of an Uzumaki trait as well."

It was late in the evening when Sakura arrived at the Uchiha estate.

She greeted Izumi and Itachi warmly before walking into Itachi's office, Sasuke and Naruto in front of her waiting for her to speak.

"So," he started, sitting her down, "What did you discover?"

"The Uzumakis were a large clan at one point," Sakura explained showing him her notes. "Numerous members, and they mainly resided in the Land of Whirlpools according to Lady Mito, Lady Fifth's grandmother. However, from all of my readings it seems most of them targeted and killed about fifty years ago after the Second Great Ninja War."

"That long ago?" Sasuke asked, raising his eyebrow.

"That's what it seems like," Sakura answered curtly, skimming her notes and pointing to a section. "Kushina Uzumaki was considered one of the most senior members of the clan. She was related, albeit slightly distantly from Lady Mito herself. How far down the succession she was, is unclear."

"Interesting." Sasuke murmured to himself and Naruto did not miss the quick manner in which Sakura ignored him.

"From what I can tell, there were a few Uzumaki families that moved away prior to its destruction. Those families may still have living members." Sakura stressed, handing all of her notes to him.

Naruto took a second to breathe, Itachi's large office suddenly seeming quite small as he focused on his teammates. For so long he had considered them the closest thing he had to family. They were siblings in everything but blood to him.

Iruka and Kakashi Sensei were also part of his non-blood family. Granny too, but the possibility of having living family members was almost too incredible to believe. Living family members with the Uzumaki name.

Even so a sliver of hope rose into his chest. Clans meant having history, having stories, jutsu, customs, and traditions that seemed necessary for one to belong.

He had resigned himself to having those bonds through his forged family, but he could have a distant blood one too.

"I studied quite a bit on Lord Fourth's history," Sasuke began, pulling out a large leather padfolio, filled with loose parchment. "Here is his and your mother's will. In it they bequeathed almost everything they owned to you, Naruto."

Naruto's frowned. "Just how much are we talking?"

"Enough for you to make do for quite a few years." Sasuke answered honestly, his eyes crinkling in a sarcastic smile as he saw his loudmouthed friend stunned.

The amount was nothing of consequence compared to his fortune, but it was much more valuable in the hands of his obnoxious friend who had barely been able to feed himself when he was younger. His obnoxious friend who had scrimped and saved for his boat, who battled every day of his life for his and his crew's next good meal.

This was a rare luxury indeed.

"You're serious?" Naruto blurted out.

"I don't tend to fool around with monetary matters."

"There must be some obstacle-"

"To officially inherit? No, there are none for that at least on your father's side, but for Uzumaki titleship the matters turn a bit tricky. If, like Sakura says, there are other Uzumaki family members, the inheritance you received from your mother would be considered clan funds as your mother was a presumed senior member. So, if you do find them your wealth gets that much smaller."

Sasuke paused. "It's impossible for you to become titled without finding anyone else from your clan. And if you happen to find a male Uzumaki older than you, that male will be considered Lord Uzumaki."

"I either share the money and get titleship or keep it all to myself and forget I have family out there?" Naruto asked, his mind hurting as he blinked hard several times.

"Essentially. The choice is yours."

"Sounds like a no-brainer. I'll search for them."

There was what seemed like a long pause as both of his teammates stared at him, momentarily stunned.

Sakura blinked. "I almost thought you'd decide to keep it a secret from anybody you found."

"I thought about it." Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "But in the end, I'm sure they could use the money and title too. And any money I receive will get funneled back to my men or my contacts eventually."

Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other.

"What?"

"Your decision is foolish." Sasuke spoke bluntly.

Sakura glared at Sasuke before addressing Naruto. "It's a bit of a rash decision don't you think?"

Naruto shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to find out."

It had been a long, heavy day, Naruto realized as he opened the door to the washroom.

He supposed that his decision was imprudent. Only time would be able to tell.

There could be no one out there for all he knew.

Ignoring the headache he had, Naruto unbuttoned his shirt and poured water into the basin to wash his face.

A small croak caught his attention and he curiously looked at the small toad that appeared, expelling a small package from its throat.

He grabbed it and made a hand sign to release the summoning before reading the letter.

It was from Hinata.

She had used the fine parchment again, he noted as he pressed his fingers to it again as he skimmed through her letter.

Dear Naruto,

Meet me at the Hokage Monument tomorrow, right before dawn.

Hinata

He took a minute longer to stare at the letter closing his eyes eventually, deep in thought.

Tomorrow at dawn then.

Hinata woke up much earlier than she imagined she would, images of blood staining the excitement that she had felt upon falling asleep.

The nightmares had gotten few and far between as she had fully taken Naruto's advice fully to heart, trying to remember the good.

It had worked for the most part, but when it didn't…

Hinata held her palm against her chest and breathed slowly, her eyes focusing to the darkness as she oriented herself once more.

She was safe, in her home, with family in every room of this house after all.

Another minute and she was more or less refocused, her plan brimming to her mind as she prepared for the morning's meeting with Naruto.

She gathered her bag filled with small items before heading out.

Two stops later and she saw him at the top of the monument, his blonde hair clearly visible as he rested on top of the Fourth's stone face.

Even without her Byakugan she could see him clearly. She walked and waved to him, the uncertainty from before disappearing as she could see him stand.

Naruto smiled as he saw her, noticing her pink cheeks and the puffs of air that she expelled as she breathed.

She looked exceptionally pretty this morning.

"Quite early don't you think?"

She blushed despite herself. "I assumed you would want to leave soon after."

Naruto blinked slowly. Once again, she knew exactly what he was thinking. "That's right."

There was a moment of silence between them before Hinata reddened and shot him a shy smile.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto."

He pulled her close and buried himself in her hair, enjoying the faint traces of flowers as he uttered a quiet thank you.

Hinata reveled in the warmth of his embrace, before separating from him to hold up her bag.

"It's not a huge meal, but I do hope you enjoy it."

Naruto peeked in and the mouth-watering smell hit him almost instantly as his eyes widened. "Ramen?"

"Straight from Ichiraku's," Hinata laughed, enjoying the look on his face, as he served himself a bowl, his eyes twinkling. "I asked them to make a special order for me this morning, before anyone else."

He closed his eyes as the first taste of it hit his lips. "I did not think you frequented those types of shops very often."

"I love ramen. I just unfortunately cannot enjoy it as much as I used to. Hyuuga security remember?"

He nodded and drank the warm broth, a hearty sigh escaping him. "It's absolutely perfect."

She ignored the way his muscles moved as he swallowed, blinking away inappropriate thoughts. "I am glad you liked it. I also made onigiri. For us to share."

"They look like me!", he exclaimed loudly, grinning as he picked one up and placed it next to his face, a wide smile adorning his cheeks, "How did you do that?"

"I'm a decent cook." she answered modestly, unable to fully stop the laugh from escaping her lips. The resemblance was most adorable.

"Better than decent. You've had my crew's food. Yours is amazing compared to theirs!" Naruto declared, making her laugh again.

They sipped their ramen and ate the onigiri as they enjoyed their meal the sun just barely beginning to peek over the horizon.

When they had finished eating, she pulled on her bag to pull out his gift.

"You have something else?" Naruto asked, peering at the object in her hands.

"It's only a scarf," she said, holding it out for him to look. "To keep you warm in case you go out towards Kumo in the new season." She continued, fondly remembering his letter about it being chilly there. "Perhaps it will do you some good."

Naruto took the scarf gently from her, feeling the impeccable soft threads that melted in his fingers. She had used expensive fabric for this and it must have taken hours of her time. He wondered if she had even slept in the last few days to pull this together.

The gift's utter simplicity was everything to him and his entire body felt warm as he gazed into her eyes.

They were soft and smiling, the lavender tint of them seeming endless and a pool of want settled in his chest. Without thinking he grabbed her by the waist, pulled her close and kissed her hard, his mouth urgent, almost desperate against hers.

Hinata let out a soft whimper in surprise that only churned the feeling in his stomach further.

She was soft. She was so soft everywhere and he couldn't get enough of her until the need for air made them separate, leaving them both breathless.

"Was that your first kiss?" he breathed, his forehead pressed against hers.

She was still shaking and he saw the dark blush across her cheeks that made him smile despite himself. "It was."

He still had his arm around her waist and when rational thought hit him again, he let her go, still unable to calm his erratic heartbeat. He had been far too accustomed to take things he wanted freely, thus was his life, a pretty jewel, a good sword, or even a tasty rum, but this was something entirely different.

He'd wanted to kiss her, for no other reason than selfish want.

"Consider it a thank you." he whispered, all too aware of his still fluttering heartbeat.

"I was not aware that was the way pirates expressed gratitude." She murmured, licking her lips unable to ignore both the hot feeling in her chest and the remaining warmth of his lips on hers.

Never had she dreamed that he would end up kissing her, not at all like this. It made her dizzy, almost to the point of fainting but she held on because he was here with her. And this was not a dream.

He'd grabbed her and kissed her.

Kissed her!

But it was clear to her he'd only meant it as a jest. Perhaps it was something that pirates did, a custom? She supposed he might have picked up more from Lord Jiraiya than he had said. And she felt the conflict inside of her rise at feeling hurt from his cavalier action.

Naruto chuckled, and tilted her chin up. "Not all pirates. Just me. Truly, it was not meant to offend."

He swallowed, looking into her eyes again, guilt rearing its appearance for the first time. She still looked shaken and deep down he realized that she probably hated it. "You're a very dear friend to me, Hinata. I'm sorry I did that."

He was sorry. He shouldn't have touched her, not when she was a lady, not when they weren't courting, not when they were nothing but friends. And he'd just compromised her in a way that would shatter her reputation if anyone were to find out.

Idiot, he thought to himself, anxiety rising to the surface. Naruto would hate himself forever if she didn't forgive him. He was still waiting for her to slap him or hit him in anger and leave as she continued to remain silent.

At his apology, Hinata's eyes focused and she looked up at him. She wanted to yell at him. Tell him that she had loved it, even as an impulsive action, but instead she only warily smiled, "You prove once more that you would steal anything."

He wanted to reply, but there was an edge to her voice that hadn't been there before and there was a long silence as the uncertainty rang in the crisp air between them until Hinata spoke again.

"I assume you thank your crewmates with a kiss when they do something well?"

He froze, his face turning red at just imagining it. "Of course not!"

"I do seem to remember a very long kiss between you and Sasuke when we were in the academy." She continued, mockingly pressing a finger to her chin in deep thought. "Quite the scandal."

"That was an accident!" Naruto moaned, hiding his face in embarrassment.

Hinata laughed then and he uncovered his face, seeing the light come back into her eyes. He thought she was kind and sweet, but truly she was merciless.

She was more complex than he'd given her credit for. Even more enticing for him to know.

"You can be quite cruel, Lady Hyuuga." He stated, narrowing his eyes.

Her laughter died down, a wistful smile crossing her face.

Lady Hyuuga, it sounded lovely on his lips.

"Not as much as you, Fox."

He didn't know if she'd forgiven him, but he could clearly see that her eyes held no ill-will towards him, and it was enough to settle his heart.

It was so easy being here with her. He had never imagined conversation between them being so simple and refreshing and in these last few months he'd grown to know her and care for her as she clearly cared for his well-being.

She made him want to tell her everything because he knew deep down that she would not judge.

He slowly took her hand and she looked on, her eyes narrowing in concern as he bit his lip.

"I learned of something recently. Something that I feel I can share with you."

Hinata's gaze softened. He looked anxious, like he was uncertain and she placed her other hand on his.

This must be what had kept him so stoic the other day they had run into each other and by the looks of it, it was incredibly serious.

"If you wish," she whispered, patting his hand in comfort. "You do not have to if it's too great a burden."

Naruto smiled and looked up at her and sighed.

It wasn't any easier, no matter how often he'd had to repeat it recently.

"I am Lord Fourth's son."

Her eyes widened in shock, her hand stopping its motion almost instantaneously and her eyes searched his for a fraction of a second before squeezing his hand again.

"Are-are you alright?"

The question no one had asked of him yet. Shikamaru had come dangerously close to questioning how he felt about it but ultimately had fallen short.

He once again wondered if she could read his mind. Her eyes, they saw through to his soul. He would never tire of her knowing just exactly what she needed to say.

He held her hand tightly. "I'm still angry. I don't think that will go away quickly, but Iruka Sensei said that it would ultimately do no good to keep that anger within me."

"Iruka Sensei is right." Hinata agreed gently. "Is that why you're leaving?"

"Partly. I do have to check on the Land of Waves and see if they've made progress on the bridge. And…" he looked up at her again. "I may have some family members out there. I'd like to search for them eventually."

She could only imagine the uncertainty he faced. Rumors. Scandal. Money. So many things to think about and keep in mind. It was massive news to take in and all at once must've been a harsh blow.

She tilted his head up, all too aware of his tormented gaze meeting her eyes.

Hinata almost forgot what she was going to say, enraptured for an instant by his eyes cloudy like a storm, like the unforgiving ocean...

Like him, who she loved so much.

"Don't forget who you are. At the end of the day, you are still Naruto Uzumaki and you have your friends to help with anything you may need."

He breathed shakily as he stared back at her.

Every agonizing worry flew out of his head and he had the urge to kiss her again. This time he held back, not wanting to disgrace her a second time as the sun finally rose above the horizon.

What was she doing to him?

Why did he feel this way?

Hinata closed the door to her room and threw herself on her bed, burying her face in the fluffy pillows. It was hardly midmorning, and she was already too weary to continue on being awake.

And she did the only thing that was reasonable. She touched her lips, closed her eyes, and remembered feeling Naruto kiss her until she drifted asleep.

AN: Thanks for your patience (and the reviews, faves, and follows!). Next chapter is in the works.