Chapter Four

"So, boss," Konohamaru huffed as he kept up with Naruto on their morning run, "why exactly did she not tell you all this crap immediately?"

Naruto ran the path to the Hyūga compound effortlessly, aided by Kurama's chakra. Konohamaru's question was not meant to be a zinger, but nevertheless, the boy's question stung like a hornet's stinger. "I guess," he heaved, "she had her reasons."

"What kind of reasons?" Konohamaru groaned as they slowed down to cool off on the walk to the gatehouse. "Seriously, I don't get her or you sometimes!"

"The same kind of reasons that anyone would have if encountering an embarrassing situation," Naruto replied as he took several wide steps to stretch his leg muscles. "Image how I might feel if one of my fangirls took things a bit too far – broke into my apartment, started following me on a date with Hinata. Do you think I'd go straight to Hinata or my parents with that concern?"

"Boss, you're the strongest shinobi in the village! No one would do that."

"And Hinata is just as strong," the butterflies circled in his stomach, "and whomever has been stalking her doesn't seem disturbed by that fact." Naruto's own words troubled him. Presumably the stalker knew about him as well. And yet, he chooses to stalk one of the most powerful Shinobi in the world despite all the risks.

Konohamaru's expression turned grim, perhaps in understanding that the situation was deeper than surface appearances. "Good morning, boys!" Hinata's mom, Akemi greeted them at the gate. Despite the seriousness of the day, she appeared alive and vivacious – a refreshing change from the worry from yesterday. At least I know where Hinata gets it from.

"You do realize, we could be impostors," Naruto extracted his ID, including his KIB badge and presented it to the gate guard. Konohamaru likewise presented his ID to the gate guard.

"An imposter wouldn't give his ID to the gate guard regardless," Akemi winked. As Naruto was admitted, she greeted him with a hug. "How are you this morning, son?"

"I'm good, Aunt Akemi," Naruto said as he pulled back. Having grown up close to Hinata, Naruto frequently referred to Akemi as his Aunt much the way Hinata did to his mom.

"Please," she placed a hand on her hip, "sooner rather than later you'll be calling me, 'Mom.'"

"Do I need to give you two some room?" Konohamaru asked; Naruto noted the boy's eyes wandering to a certain younger sister waiting by the main house.

"How about you check in with Hanabi while Naruto and I discuss a few things," Akemi said.

Naruto shrugged, "You heard the lady. Meet up in the Clan Leader's Quarters when you two are done."

"Got it, boss!" Konohamaru ran off toward Hanabi.

"He's going to be a lot of trouble when he turns sixteen," Naruto grunted under his lip.

"I'm more worried about her," Akemi said as she guided Naruto toward the courtyard where Akemi's garden grew in the warmer months. There was still some life in the garden, but most of the summer crops and flowers had been harvested and plowed under. "She's already told me she's thinking of dropping out of the White Kitsune. I can't imagine she'll be any more focused when the two are old enough to start acting like you and Hinata."

The thought of his younger brother catting around with Hanabi soon didn't sit well with Naruto. If they get pregnant first… "Speaking of," Naruto pivoted on the subject, "how is Hinata?" After the meeting at the Hokage's office, there hadn't really been time for small talk with Hinata. Hinata had a forty-eight hour long final practical board exam that started this morning and wouldn't end for two days.

"Shaken," Akemi rubbed her chin. "We've dealt with abduction attempts and near-death experiences before, but this feels so much worse."

"Why didn't she tell me?" he asked without thinking, much like Konohamaru had earlier. Did she not trust me? Have I really let the distance build so much between us?

"The same reason I didn't immediately tell my husband I was on my want to Tsunade's office when Hinata spotted the lump in my breast," she crossed her arms. "There are times a spouse doesn't want to cause a panic, even if alarm is desperately needed." Akemi shook her head, "Sometimes, we do what we think is best without thinking. Aside from it being a secret, I'm sure she had the same reason when she was an active KIB/ANBU agent."

"I'm sorry," Naruto sighed, "I should have been more insistent…"

"On what, Naruto?" Akemi asked, "She kept it a secret from all of us. She wants to be more than some princess collecting dust on a shelf, and I don't blame her."

"I'd never—"

"I didn't say that you would," Akemi again cut him off. "You've been a more than attentive fiancé to my daughter, Naruto. Plenty of couples break up through medical-nin training or over petty things. The fact that you two have endured this well is promising, and I have no doubt that this situation will end like every other one before it." Akemi's eyes darted away, "Although…"

"Yes?" Naruto asked intently.

"Have you two given any additional thought to when you are going to get married?" she asked as she walked past the garden and opened the door to the clan leader's dojo. There was a hint of desperation in her voice as she beckoned him inside the dojo. The place was a far cry from the disused condition it had been in when Hinata became clan leader. Many memories of training here swirled around Naruto like a warm blanket. Soon, you'll train in here as husband and wife. After that, as a father.

Naruto fought the smirk forming on his lips. The day Hinata's board score would be out was the same day he'd pick up the wedding rings. He planned on making a spectacle to match their engagement years earlier. Naruto bit his lips against a grin as he pushed the naughty event back in his mind, "It has crossed our minds, but we also agreed to put the talk on hold until she passed boards officially – not that I have any doubt that she'll pass today."

"I wish you two had stayed married," Akemi lamented, "I know being a medical-nin student while expecting can't be easy, but I wish we'd found some other way." She stared at Naruto, "l'd sleep a lot more soundly knowing you were with her."

"I wish we had, too," he sighed, "but we agreed it was best to wait until we could do things properly," Naruto thought back to the dream Hinata had of them at Hokage Rock. "And that time is not long in coming." He continued to eye the updated training equipment. Like so many things of the once-stagnant clan, Hinata had refreshed it, modernized it, and made it her own. Feels like only yesterday we were all in here training for the Chunin exams. "I promise, when this is done, we will start putting plans to paper."

Akemi stared, scrutinizing him, but eventually smiled, "Now if I could only get Hanabi to straighten up."

"I didn't know she was such a problem child," Naruto chuckled.

"Sadly, as she gets into her teen years, some of her Grandfather's arrogance seems to be seeping back into place." Akemi rubbed her eyes, "One ghost I hoped I had exorcised entirely!"

"Speaking of," Naruto remembered he was here for more than just to escort Hinata to her board exam, "are you able to talk about him for a minute?" Naruto knew it was a sore subject.

"I'm assuming this has to do with Hiashi's petition to reopen the inquiry regarding his mother's death?" she gestured to the end of an exercise weight bench as she sat.

Naruto reluctantly sat and nodded, "I was reviewing the case files when I came across a note made quite some time later." Naruto paused, gauging his second Mom's reaction. "Ichika was not the only unusual death to happen here."

"You can stop beating around the bush," Akemi shifted uncomfortably on the cold stone. "You mean Yukio, don't you?" Akemi's eyes dipped, then closed, hiding from painful memories.

"I read the case file on her, too," he shifted closer to Akemi, putting a hand over her shoulder, "accidental digitalis poisoning according to the medical examiner."

"It was no accident, Naruto," she said bitterly, almost shaking him off before she regained her composure, "Hattori probably dissolved his meds in her tea then took her meds to throw off everyone else!"

Makes perfect sense. "Why wasn't there a further investigation?" Naruto asked.

"With what proof, Naruto?" Akemi wiped away tears, "There was no witness to refute Hattori's testimony, and the pills were same color and similar shape to where they could have been mistaken by someone not paying attention – someone other than Yukio." She shook her head, "With everything that happened around that same time regarding your family, the military police were hardly dedicating officers and resources to a case they considered opened and closed."

Makes sense, sadly. A chill traversed Naruto's spine. Of all the horrible things that happened as a result of his birth, Naruto could now possibly add a murder in the Hyūga Clan. "What was his motive?"

"Ha!" Akemi exclaimed, "All he needed was to feel slighted, and that was enough! I spent the last trimester carrying Hinata in fear for my life. If not for your Mom and Kakashi, I don't think I would have made it through to birth. After that, I had to worry about my daughters and myself. The day the old man died, sad as it is to say, is the first night I slept in this house without feeling afraid."

Naruto couldn't fathom how the family functioned for so long – didn't want to either. "Why resort to murder, why then of all times?" Naruto asked the lingering question.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Akemi asked, pausing her tears.

"He certainly had opportunity throughout his time as clan leader; why did he kill his wife then?" Naruto rubbed his chin, "For that matter, why kill Yukio at all?"

"I can't speak to his mindset, sadly," she replied, "As for Yukio, I certainly believe it had something to do with me."

"How?"

"Naruto, Yukio was the only person, other than Hiashi, who didn't initially treat me like dirt while I lived in this house as a midwife. Hattori blamed her for bringing me into this house! I was the reason he lost his standing as clan leader."

"Then why wait until Hiashi was clan leader?" Naruto asked, "Why poison her then? Why not you and Hinata?"

"Naruto," she stared into his eyes, "you're too young to remember, but until Hattori died, I prepared all the family meals and turned away anything from outside that wasn't hand delivered by your Mom or Teuchi."

"So, that is why you always were working in the kitchen despite being the clan leader's wife," a cold chill crawled down Naruto's spine in realization. He'd always thought it odd that Akemi and Hinata worked in the kitchen so much when he was younger.

"After Yukio died, I didn't want to run the chance of him poisoning Hinata or myself. That is even why I taught Hinata how to cook."

Did a damn fine job, too! "Still, that doesn't answer why he decided to kill them when he did," Naruto put his hand under his chin. "Mom," he said reluctantly, "I know it was a charged time, but think back to the last time you talked to Yukio. Did she say anything, act out of the ordinary, maybe do things she wouldn't normally do?"

Akemi closed her eyes, "I don't know… it's been so long…" Naruto was about to give up hope, but Akemi's eyes opened, "Wait!"

"What is it?"

"Ironically, it was the day you were born," Akemi stared at him as if she were looking through him to events passed. "Yukio and I had been drinking tea in the early part of the day she said…"

"Yes?!"

Her eyes strained as if trying to read lips in a grainy video, "'It's scandalous that a man with a heart as sick as his has already gone back to his old ways,' that's what she said!" Akemi stared with wide-eyes as she relived the conversation.

Naruto traced over the scar covering his own heart. Clearly, it was a clue, and it suggested Hattori was a cock-hound even after the major heart attack he'd had. "So, he liked his women, but there has to be more than just that," he shook his head. "Illegitimate children can't inherit into a clan; so succession wasn't an issue." He rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"I have faith that you'll discover what you're looking for," Akemi got to her feet, "Now come, it's almost time for you to take Hinata to her boards exam." Naruto got up and checked his watch. They were down to only a few minutes; he raced toward the main house.

Hinata had barely touched her breakfast, but she forced down several bites of peanut butter and honey on toast. At least, it wasn't pure carbs like a cinnamon roll, and it contained some rudimentary fat and protein – some protection against an energy crash in a few hours. She ate, careful not to get crumbs on her black scrubs. Forty-eight hours from now, you can feast yourself at Ichiraku's. Forty-eight hours from now you can crawl into bed and not wake up for a full day.

Hinata discarded the rest of the toast in her room's wastebasket, walked to the false panel in the wall, and slid the panel to the side. Inside the small hiding hole was a black bodysuit with a maroon vest, and a white kitsune mask. Hinata only rarely wore the outfit, but she continued to train in addition to her medical-nin training. A reservist can always be called up in an emergency. She reached past the ANBU gear for a black jacket with burnt-orange trim. She slid on the garment. Even years later, the armored jacket still fit. Hinata sniffed, still detecting Naruto on it from when it was his. Hinata zipped up the jacket and buttoned the flap down the midline. It still feels like his embrace. She hugged herself.

A knock at the door distracted her, and Hinata activated her Byakugan despite already telling by the knock that it was Naruto, "Come in!"

The door opened, and Naruto strode inside, dressed smartly in his black field uniform. "Hey, Dr. Purple-Eyes!" He winked, "Nice jacket, by the way!" Hinata flushed as his scent refreshed fond memories they had shared. Forty-eight hours from now, I'm tying you down if I have to!

"It won't be official until after the board grades me," she said, hoping she hadn't betrayed her lewd thoughts.

"Hinata," he strode up to her, "you're going to pass, there is no doubt about that!"

"Is it sad," her voice dropped into a harsh whisper, "I don't give a shit about passing anymore!" She was almost ready to cry, "I'd give anything to be back out on missions with you!"

"Sad, no," Naruto protested, "remember how burned out I was during the end of the Chunin exams?"

Hinata remembered how zombie-like Naruto was like toward the end, except for his birthday. "It didn't help that you had appendicitis and nearly died."

"There was that, too," he shrugged, moving closer to her until he nearly towered over her. "You made the right call then, and you'll do fine now," he flashed a thumbs up, "believe it!"

The return of his boyish optimism was infectious. "Thank you, so very much, Naruto!" For a moment, Hinata was again the master her destiny, and there was no one stalking her.

"I wouldn't be much of a boyfriend if I didn't believe in you, ya know!" Naruto chuckled. "And afterwards…" his grin sharpened.

"Afterwards?" Hinata had all but forgotten that there would be time after the exam was over.

"Afterwards," he took her chin in his hand, "we're going to go to Ichiraku's and feed that migration of butterflies you have in here," his other hand traced under the jacket and scrub shirt and made delicate circles around her belly.

"And then?" her voice shook.

"Well," the hand from her stomach snuck around to her butt and gave her a firm squeeze, "I say we figure it out then!" Naruto planted his lips on her, rendering her helpless to his advances as his fingers traced along her panty line through the material of her scrubs.

"If you two don't stop that right now," Hanabi's sassy voice chuckled, "you're going to miss the exam!"

Shit! Hinata didn't know which was more embarrassing – the fact that Hanabi had walked in on them or the fact that she'd possibly be late to the exam because she was thinking with her pelvis. "Looks like we're taking the short cut!" Naruto grabbed Hinata's bag and white doctor's coat and teleported both of them to the courtyard of the hospital. Already, hopeful medical-nin in training were gathered about. "Well, good luck!" he kissed her one last time for the next forty-eight hours.

"I'll see you after the test!" Hinata ran off toward the proctors to sign in.

Sai observed the courtyard from his vantage point on the rooftop. Hinata and all of the other medical-nin in training filed into the hospital's main building one after another. No one showed so much as a wrinkle out of place – except Hinata. Judging by the wrinkles in her scrubs and Naruto's sudden delivery of her to the courtyard, Sai could guess the two had been intimate on some level just prior to her arrival.

With nothing left to do for the moment, Sai reflected on his situation with Ino. Again, he wondered many things about the girl who had been his friend, companion, and nude model since they both turned sixteen. Clearly, she wasn't shy about taking off her clothes for him. On the other hand, nude models did it all the time for other artists without any meaning. Others, posed regularly for pay or fame. So, why does it feel different with her?

"Hey," Naruto called from behind.

"Everything is clear," Sai nodded, noting the smear of lip balm on Naruto's lips. Naruto's eyes glowed pale, milky blue as he looked through the unusual Byakugan he'd inherited from Hizashi Hyūga. Because it was not fully understood, Naruto rarely used it – giving Sai an idea how on edge the situation was.

"Got it, Sasuke is going to take over here for now."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Sai asked.

"She'll be in a secure hospital with dozens of medical-nin around her looking for anyone trying to act funny. It gives me a short chance to double back to the Hyūga Compound and ask questions," his eyes reverted back to blue sapphires. "I'll be back for the night shift."

"What about me?" Sai asked.

"Check in with Ino," Naruto said, "review birth records from forty to twenty years ago, single out births in which a father was listed as unknown."

"That could be a huge list," he said, "what am I looking for?"

"Unwed mothers with a potential connection to the Hyūga Clan." Naruto nodded, "Either familial relations or former employees."

"You think the old man was into something strange?" Sai asked.

"By all accounts he was a philanderer who couldn't keep it in his pants," Naruto said with disdain so clear even Sai couldn't mistake it. "Check abortion records for the same period while you're at it!" Naruto turned to leave but paused, "Oh, and Sai…"

"Yeah?" Sai leaned his head to the side, puzzled.

"Give my best to Ino. Then get some rest, we have a long two days ahead," Naruto grinned before disappearing in a flash.

"Well, isn't that super," Sai said aloud as he made his way down off the roof and began making for Ino's office. As Ino usually dressed, her deep purple outfit clashed with the long white coat she wore when in clinic. The cropped top and short skirt showed off plenty of skin without being tasteless. For Sai, it didn't matter; he'd seen everything underneath many times. As he walked into the clinic, he knocked on the door to her office. "Hi, pretty lady!"

"Hey you," Ino smiled. "What brings you here?"

"Well for one, Naruto sends his regards," he relayed the message.

"Uh huh," she blushed slightly as if laughing at an inside joke, "and the other part?"

"Naruto sent me on an errand – a records search."

"What kind of search?" Ino tilted her head, curious.

"He wanted me to review records of all births to single mothers between twenty and forty years ago, father listed as unknown. He also wanted me to review all abortion records in the same time period," he explained.

"What is it we're looking for?" Ino asked

We? Ino hadn't exactly been made part of the investigation. Nevertheless, Sai did trust her. "Anyone in that timeframe with a close tie to the Hyūga Clan – either marriage or by employment."

Ino tensed up slightly, "That could be problematic, Sai."

"How so?"

"Not all the charts from that era have been digitized." She sat at her desk and punched up her computer. "Hmmm… although… we have one blessing in this."

"What's that?"

"Until seven years ago, marriage among outsiders was rare in the Hyūga Clan," she keyed up several buttons before raising her eyebrows, "Oh my."

"What is it?" Sai asked.

"Between thirty to seven years ago, there are thirty-eight abortions listed as happening to members of the clan."

"That is – unusually high, isn't it?," Sai contemplated the number. Abortion was legal in all Hidden Shinobi Villages. While it was frowned upon as an elective procedure; high maternal mortality rates until about twenty years ago made it a common procedure any time continuing a pregnancy to term threatened the life of the mother. It was also considered a necessary act in the event a child would be born with an unsustainable birth defect.

"No elective procedures, though," she scrolled down, "twenty-five listed as protecting the life of the mother – five of which still resulted in maternal fatality – another eight due to pretermination."

"Pretermination?"

"The fetus died mid-pregnancy; carrying a stillbirth can be extremely hazardous."

"What about the other thirteen?" he asked.

"Unsustainable birth defects," she shook her head. "One case of acephaly – the fetus failed to form a head – and the rest are all severe heart defects. According to Hinata, heart defects were alarmingly common in the Clan due to significant inbreeding among its members."

"What about illegitimate births? He asked.

"Father or no father?" she asked.

"Try Hattori Hyūga first."

Ino tapped a few keys and shook her head, "No dice, only listed officially as having two live births with Ichika Hyūga."

"What about no father?" he asked.

"That might be a bit trickier," she again keyed an entry or two. "Well, super!" she sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The record is incomplete to where I can't do a computer search on unwed mothers with illegitimate births," Ino paused, rubbing her chin, "but I might… hang on…" she punched a series of keys, "Bingo!"

"What is it?" he asked.

"Birth certificates were thankfully digitized," her printer sprang to life, "and here comes our list of live births without a known father listed." She retrieved the list of children without fathers listed on birth certificates. "Now, comes the hard part."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Sifting through them," she groaned, "and seeing if the mother had any connection to the Hyūga Clan."

"How hard could it be?" Sai leaned his head to the side.

She handed him half dozen pages, each containing about thirty to forty names. "See what I mean?"

"Maybe we can scratch it down a bit," Sai rubbed his chin and scanned the pages, "For starters, highlight anyone with the Hyūga surname." A quick scan later, he came up empty. "Anything?"

"Two, both born approximately eight years ago," Ino keyed up the records for the mothers. "Both active and listed as alive and well, living in the Hyūga Compound."

"Okay," he sat opposite her, "How about any member of a prominent clan?" Again, the list came up short: Fuji Uchiha, son of Sango Uchiha, born seventeen years ago. Keiko Aburame, daughter of Hiroto Aburame, born twenty-eight years ago. "I got two," he highlighted the names.

"Zilch," she said. "Why the focus on prominent clans?"

"If Hattori had a kid out of wedlock, he'd be worried if it was with someone of high status," Sai shrugged, "Not to belittle commoners, but they could easily be bought off or bullied."

"Knock someone up of a certain standing, and the story changes," Ino snapped her fingers. As she did, her wrist watch beeped. "Shit, I have to go proctor boards!" she rose from her chair. "Tell you what, I'll look up the names you found and see if I can dig up any connection to the Hyūga clan, and we can discuss it over dinner after boards."

"Over dinner?" Sai asked.

"You know, dinner and case files," she winked as she walked out of her office. While the white coat hid plenty, Sai could swear there was an extra flare in Ino's hips as she walked by.

The first full day of boards had been deceptively easy for Hinata. Of the live patients she'd seen on day one, none of them had anything more serious than needing sutures for a bad cut and a young couple that needed antibiotics for gonorrhea and a quick lecture on safe sex. There were countless physical exams for the academy students – glorified chart review with a few contraindications thrown into the medical history to make sure you were paying attention.

Of the simulated patients, she'd had to manage a patient complaining of severe onset chest pain in what was clearly meant to look like a heart attack. Hinata was careful to do her full history and exam despite her shaking hands, and she ordered a CT angiogram to her proctor's delight. The patient was actually suffering a dissecting aortic aneurism in the chest. Afterwards, she'd patted herself on the back – treating it as a heart attack would have killed the patient.

As late night fell on the first day, Hinata crawled into a bunk in the student's quarters during a mandatory four-hour rest period, knowing full-well a nasty surprise awaited somewhere in the next twenty-four hours. Somewhere around 0300, the intercom sounded a code blue, and everyone, awake or asleep, had to scramble, not knowing if it was a real emergency or a simulated one. "Bed three, Hinata!" the nurse called as she raced to her station. She grabbed the chart and took off for the room, noting that at least three proctors were following in her wake. Either is a real emergency or a damn complicated simulated patient. As she pulled aside the curtain in the ER, adrenaline kicked in as she was greeted by the sight of a hysterical mother and her child struggling to breathe, covered in hives. "H-Hinata!" The mother screeched in recognition.

"Ayame! When did this start?" Hinata began checking Teuchi's grandson, Daichi, frantically. The boy was covered head to toe in a red rash and was wheezing. Tears and snot drained from the boy's eyes and nose as he struggled to move air in and out. Hinata pulled her stethoscope at listened. Heart is fine, definitely wheezing in and out on respiration.

"It started maybe twenty minutes after I got off work; I thought it was another asthma attack, but then he broke out in hives!"

"Did he get better with his inhaler?" Hinata knew the boy's history of allergic asthma.

"For a bit, but he started getting worse after I put him back to bed!"

Hinata scanned the chart furiously, already putting together bits of data as she watched his vitals on the monitor. Heart rate elevated, oxygen saturation low and falling, definitely anaphylaxis, but what caused it!" Hinata sprinted to the crash cart and pulled a pediatric epinephrine injector. "Daichi, this may sting a bit!" she pressed the injector against the boy's thigh and he let out a displeased wheeze, but thankfully the effect she prayed for was almost instant – the boy's labored wheeze began morphing into normal deep breaths.

"Daichi!" Ayame cried.

"It's an anaphylactic reaction," Hinata assured the woman, "the epinephrine will stop the worst of it for now," she paused, noticing the proctors had pulled out clipboards and were scribbling notes furiously. Ignore them, they're not there! The patient and his mom are! "Nurse Ise!" Hinata called out, and the nurse arrived. "Bring down a dose of pediatric antihistamine, liquid form if possible."

"H-Hinata… thank you!" Ayame cried.

"Ayame," Hinata thumbed through the chart, "can you think of anything that trigged this, especially at this hour of the night?"

"I can't!" the woman cried.

Hinata found what she was looking for – two ER admissions in the past four months, all apparent anaphylactic reactions that improved with emergency care. One episode was late night like this one, the other midday. Hinata stared at the mother, "Ayame, you were working late tonight?" Hinata noted Ayame hadn't changed out of her chef's whites.

Ayame nodded, "I was preparing for the next day's lunch special. Dad and I trade off who stays late to avoid burnout. I came home, woke Daichi up to let him know I was home, and about fifteen or twenty minutes later he was like this!"

"What were you preparing for the special? Not something on the main menu?" Hinata asked.

"Pad Thai," she explained, "Teuchi lets me occasionally experiment with different dishes to see how well they'd be received."

"Pad Thai," Hinata reviewed the chart, "and let me guess, you also made it as the special on or around September third and July twentieth?"

Ayame bit her lip and struggled to think, "Yes, that sounds right!"

"And you didn't change your clothes or shower before the attack?" Hinata asked.

"No… oh god! Did I somehow cause this?!" Ayame panicked.

"I'll need him to go to an allergy specialist to be sure," Hinata raised Ayame's arm to reveal the tan stains of peanut dust. "But I recommend you call Teuchi and see if he can come until you go home and shower and change clothes." Nurse Ise arrived with the medication. "Daichi, I'll need you to drink this; it will be kind of chalky."

"Daichi, do as Lady Hyūga says," Ayame commanded.

Daichi hesitated, "It will help the itching go away," Hinata reassured him. He drank the chalky liquid greedily. Hinata smiled, "That's a good boy." She turned to Nurse Ise, "We check vitals every ten minutes. If he's clear after two hours, we're good to discharge with a referral to see an allergy specialist." She turned back to Ayame, "Phone is by the nurse's station, you can use it to call Teuchi."

"Thank you!" Ayame said as she turned and ran to the phone.

As Hinata reviewed the boy's chart, she noticed rapid scribbling of the three proctors that had followed her. Just a mirage. Nothing matters but you and the patient. "Lady Hinata," Daichi's small, tired voice broke through the haze of adrenaline and clinical thought processes.

"Yes?"

"Thank you!" the boy said with an exhausted heave. His breathing was sounding better.

"Think nothing of it, kiddo," she ruffled the boy's hair.

"Lady Hinata…"

"Yes, son?" Hinata sat beside him.

"Grandpa Teuchi has been wondering if you'll be celebrating your birthday at the restaurant this year? He said Naruto had approached him about it."

"Did he now?" After being kidnapped on her third birthday, Hinata rarely celebrated; instead, she celebrated it on New Years a few days later. Naruto had gotten her to start celebrating her actual birthday two years ago with a surprise preview dinner of the reopened Ichiraku Ramen. "I'll have to pick his brain about it. She smirked lightly, but she soon lost her momentary arrogance. Still over twenty-four hours to go, don't get cocky!

Hiashi Hyūga inspected the clan leader's blade as he wiped it with a lightly oiled rag. Despite no longer being clan leader, he still maintained it with the same care he had as a boy cleaning it for his father. While Hiashi had no love of the deceased former clan leader, some traditions died harder than others.

"Lord Hyūga," Naruto's familiar voice called from the entrance to the armory.

"Ah, Naruto," he turned, noticing a slight wince as Naruto spied the blade. Hiashi sheathed the katana, remembering that it had nearly killed Naruto once. "A pleasure to see you, son."

"A pleasure to see you, too, sir," Naruto bowed slightly. "I'm afraid I'm here on business."

"I'd ask how things are going, but I'm guessing not well."

"How did you come to that solution?" Naruto asked with a twisting of his lips as he rose from the bow.

"For starters, you are splitting your time between guarding Hinata and being here."

"Sai is also watching her right now, and yes, I have a dozen shadow clones watching the hospital. If anything happens, I can be to Hinata in seconds."

"While I find that reassuring," Hiashi gestured for Naruto to follow as he set the sword and scabbard back on its decorative rack, "I'm guessing the questions you intend to ask will not be so reassuring." He walked Naruto out of the armory and to his private office. "Please, would you like coffee, tea?" Hiashi asked as he sat behind the desk and gestured for Naruto to sit before him.

"Coffee, black, no sugar," Naruto sat in a simple chair in front of the desk. Dark circles adorned Naruto's eyes, hinting at an alarming lack of sleep.

Hiashi called an attendant, and soon they both had steaming cups of coffee. "I assume you have questions for me?"

"You were the first one to find your mother, correct?" Naruto asked.

Hiashi sipped his coffee, "Officially, yes." The coffee bit as hard as the question.

"What do you mean officially?" Naruto asked.

"Well, obviously the murderer would have been there first."

"Hiashi, what makes you so convinced it was murder? What would have been his motive?" Naruto asked.

"I can only speculate," Hiashi set down his coffee cup, "as did your mom…"

"Mom?"

"That quip about illegitimate children," Hiashi reminded Naruto of the conversation they'd had with Kushina only yesterday, "was meant about my father. You probably know the stories."

"I've heard them; he was a known player."

"He may also have fathered several children, and ordered their elimination."

Naruto stiffened up, "Go on." He leaned his head in curiosity.

"Sadly, it's been almost thirty years, and I'm struggling to remember," he shook his head, But I remember several young maids being dismissed out of the blue only to later fall victim to mysterious deaths ruled as accidents. The year Mother died, there were at least three maids who were dismissed only to die within a week or two of leaving."

"I don't remember that in the case file," Naruto tilted his head.

"Because Mother's death was ruled an accident, there wasn't a deeper investigation into other suspicious events. I doubt you'd find any record beyond simple obituaries, if even that," Hiashi shrugged. "Two drowned, ostensibly suicides, and the third one overdosed on sleeping pills."

"There wasn't an investigation into their deaths?" Naruto asked.

"There was, but none of the girls had any family of note, and they each had been dismissed without reference and were in the early stages of illegitimate pregnancy," Hiashi sat back in his chair, "Suicide was easy for most people to assume, especially in absence of any evidence of foul play."

"Why change from drowning?" Naruto asked. "Seems like a dramatic change."

"I truly don't know. Maybe the first two were willing to go of their own accord. Father could be quite manipulative." Hiashi sipped his coffee, remembering too well that father had nearly driven him to take his own life a few times after Mom died.

"Hiashi," Naruto paused, gauging his words, "the next questions I have may be difficult…"

"Good ahead, son," Hiashi knew his future son-in-law was walking on eggshells, not wanting to sabotage his chances with Hinata.

"You were the first to find the body; what convinced you it was murder and not an accident? Was there some detail that clicked?"

"Mostly," Hiashi shrugged, "it was the fact that she was found dead in her prized garden, like she was on display."

"Hiashi, think!" Naruto became insistent, "What made you go from 'Mom's had a terrible accident,' to 'Mom's been murdered?' There has to be some detail, something someone did or said that made it click!"

Hiashi closed his eyes, peeling back the layers of time to the days leading up to him walking into the garden that cool spring afternoon when he'd come home and found mother sprawled out on the ground, purple from asphyxiation. He remembered a simple box with a platinum band and a purple diamond setting. "Mom's ring," he whispered incredulous.

"What?" Naruto cocked up an eyebrow.

"The day she died," Hiashi remembered, "she had stopped wearing her wedding ring for a long time, but the engagement ring… it had been in the family several generations. She gave it to me that morning, telling me she had no use for it because of how hateful my father was. She asked me to give it to someone special, and she told me that she'd always love me." Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, but he did not cry. "I knew that she'd been preparing to die."

"You were only thirteen when that happened, right?" Naruto asked. Realization painted itself across Naruto's face.

"You see, don't you?" Hiashi asked, sipping his coffee.

"Yes," Naruto nodded, "but proving it… he may have covered his tracks better than I can trace…"

"Yes, Naruto?" Hiashi sensed something unsaid.

"Why did you ask me to be on this case? This is a huge conflict of interests."

"Naruto, you did not grow up part of a major clan," Hiashi sighed. "While I have no doubt that you love Hinata and she loves you, you'll need to know how to navigate clan politics if you marry her."

"And?"

"And bringing this case to resolution might cement your place at the table as more than just the spouse of a clan leader." He eyed his future son-in-law, "Naruto, has Hinata been teaching you anything regarding Gentle Fist?"

"Hiashi, she barely has time enough to study as of late, let alone train me," Naruto shot back.

"I do wish that I hadn't so strenuously pushed to get her pulled out of the field," Hiashi's eyes sank. Hiashi had been protective of Hinata since she became clan leader. While happy that she was staying out of danger, Hiashi worried how happy she truly was as a medical-nin. "I do hope you two have some time set aside for after this is all over?"

"We will," Naruto with a curt nod, "I have one last question," Naruto paused, "Two, actually."

"Shoot."

"Yukio's death, what would connect it to your mom's?"

"I-I don't know," Hiashi was taken aback. "I thought it was strictly a revenge killing. You agree it was murder?"

"Your wife thinks so, and I have to admit the circumstances of it being an accident are flimsy. By all accounts, Yukio would not have mixed up her medication with your father's." Naruto sipped his coffee and again crossed his arms, "But what was the trigger?"

"What do you mean?"

"Assuming the maids all died as a result of being pregnant," Naruto rubbed his chin, "what would be the trigger for him to kill Yukio or your mom? He had ample time to do it, so why then?"

"They must have known something about his philandering, maybe they threatened to expose him?"

"Maybe…" Naruto took a hard look at Hiashi.

"You said there was something else you had to ask?"

"Your father had dealings with Danzo Shimura according to my father,"

Hiashi's heart jumped several beats at the mention of the disgraced former director of the ANBU. "Yes, you might say that."

"What were his dealings?"

"I not sure how the deal was meant to go down exactly," Hiashi thought back to the night at Hotel Ring My Bell and the confrontation that followed here at the Hyūga Compound. "Danzo was paying my arranged fiancé, Yui Hyūga, for sex. Yui hoped the resulting pregnancy would force me to accept the marriage, and I suspect my father was planning on using the resulting paternity scandal to get me to cede to my brother Hizashi."

"That would have made Neji the clan heir."

"Yes," Hiashi wondered where this was going.

"Hiashi, when my father had Danzo arrested for conspiring to slaughter the Uchiha, he also accused Danzo of helping the Kumo Shinobi in abducting Hinata. He would have used an inside man in that case."

"And you think it could have been my father or my brother?" Hiashi didn't like where this was going.

"Would anyone else have had a motive?"

"Possibly, but unlikely," Hiashi replied. "My father cowed many of the former clan elders; he was not generally liked by them."

Naruto tilted his head back, nodding at a thought process unseen. He closed his eyes, and again nodded in realization with he reopened them, "Thank you, sir. You've been extremely helpful." Naruto finished his coffee, stood, and bowed.

"Naruto," Hiashi stood and bowed, "before you leave, a request."

"Shoot."

"I want you to train with Hinata in Gentle Fist when she finishes the medical board exam," Hiashi stood and returned the bow.

"Gentle Fist?"

"You have the Byakugan now, and you have the potential to take it to places unknown. Furthermore, you have a responsibility as the prince-consort to Hinata, and…"

"And?" Naruto asked pointed.

"… you have a responsibility to your children. They may be born with whatever you've had handed down to you." Naruto's jaw tightened. "While Hinata may be able to teach what she knows, there may be potential abilities you have yet to discover that she won't be able to teach them."

Naruto looked away, "Damn," he sighed. "All right, I'll talk with her when this is done." Naruto looked down to his watch, "Speaking of, I should head back."

"Naruto," Hiashi strained, knowing his son-in-law was facing impossible odds, "good luck."

Naruto stood watch from the roof of Konoha Hospital as two-dozen shadow clones stood watch inside public areas of the hospital and at every entrance or exit. On an opposite wing of the hospital, Konohamaru and three shadow clones were patrolling the rooftops. Too bad the board couldn't make an exception for security purposes; I'd much rather be next to Hinata.

The cool of the late October predawn nipped at him, and he zipped his armored jacket up to his chin and put both hands in his pockets as a guard against the chill. Right now, his mind wandered to a luxurious hot tub and an equally luxurious clan leader's bed. Sweet heaven!

"Jeez, Naruto, just bone her and get it over with!" Nine-Tails chided.

"It's not that simple, Kyuubi," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Bullshit! Do you know how many nights I've had to listen to her fantasizing about her taking you to a remote mountain retreat and mating with you until neither of you can walk!"

Naruto's throat jumped and his pants tightened at the salacious comment. As he grinned, worry replaced satisfaction. Kyuubi, you were able to sense that, why not me? Has she been hiding from us?

"No, you dolt!" Kyuubi groaned, "You have been hiding from her!"

WHAT?! Naruto felt his jaw drop in disbelief. That's not true!

"Just like how you weren't hiding the fact that you were buying the wedding rings, paid from your pocket and without her family's help! Just like how you've been avoiding asking her to train with you on the Byakugan her father gave to you. And don't get me started on the countless times you've hid from her when you both had free time because you were too scared it was going to take away from her studies!"

"I…I…" Naruto stuttered incredulous. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was true.

"Naruto, I know you love the girl with all of your heart, but you're being an idiot about it lately!" Nine-Tails again lambasted

"How!" Naruto grit his teeth in anger.

"You're so damn fixated on being perfect in everything, worried about screwing up a future that is still being written. You didn't have the Byakugan in the future; you also didn't have your right arm according to Himawari! She didn't come back because the future was perfect; she came back because it was broken!"

Naruto froze at the perspective. He and Hinata had talked on the subject before, both worried about significantly altering the world Himawari came from. And yet, she significantly altered it already! Mom and Dad are supposed to be in a grave right now. The whole village was supposed to hate my guts! And Hinata was supposed to faint at the mere sight of me until… "Until now!" Naruto remembered Hinata sharing the conversation with Himawari, and Hima sharing that Hinata would routinely faint near him until she turned seventeen.

"You see, it isn't the grand gestures; it's the little ones. The ones you're missing like mad!"

"Kyuubi," Naruto reluctantly activated his Byakugan, scanning the area, "what got you so interested on the subject?"

"Being that there are two of me now," The fox grinned in Naruto's head, "I seem to be more sensitive to the needs of the two of you lately. I thought a little push was in order!" Nine-Tails laugh.

Naruto took only a few seconds to find Hinata. She was working a simulated patient, getting grilled pretty hard by the look of it. Hang in there, babe, just a few more hours to go! Naruto took the chance to reach out through the chakra link. He noticed a slight pause as she thumbed the necklace with Uzumaki crest he gave her at thirteen. The momentary lull ended, and Hinata exuded a renewed confidence as she continued to work the patient.

The flittering of something in Naruto's expanded vision chilled him. Naruto recognized the ripple of a space-time distortion. Naruto took off running toward the distortion at lightning speed as he drew out a kunai. "Contact on my rooftop!" he called out to Konohamaru. Time for you to show yourself! Naruto reached the site of the distortion, but he saw nothing on his arrival.

Naruto paused and knelt low, feigning inspection of the area. He cleared the blind spot of the Byakugan and saw his target on the opposite side of an air conditioning unit off to his right. Naruto leaped into the air, flipped, and dive-bombed toward his prey. "Surprise, asshole!" Naruto shouted at the kunai drove down on target.

Before he could hit his mark, the target took off and ran like a frightened rabbit. As Naruto gave chase, he noticed the target didn't have a traditional chakra network. Instead, it appeared to be under some kind of remote chakra control. A damn puppet and someone who can do space time displacement! The puppet teleported away, and Naruto willed his clones to activate their Byakugan, giving him a perfect sphere of vision in all directions.

"Where the hell is he!" Konohamaru arrived along with one of his shadow clones.

"Gone, it was a puppet," Naruto continued to scan the area in case it or the puppet master decided to come back.

"Fuck me! He can do that displacement crap?"

"Yeah," Naruto groaned, not letting down his Byakugan, "he can do that displacement crap."

Naruto spotted Sasuke approaching casually, oblivious to what had just happened. "Sasuke is coming," he alerted his younger brother. Naruto locked his attention on Hinata and all avenues of approach to her.

When Sasuke arrived on the roof, he was visibly shocked to see Naruto using his strange Byakugan. "What's got you on high alert? You hate using that thing."

"You were right to be worried," Naruto replied, careful not to turn his attention off Hinata fully. "Someone who can use time-space jutsus sent a puppet up here a few hours ago."

Sasuke went rigid, "Why didn't you call for backup!"

"He had me," Konohamaru replied thick with indignance.

"The target also jackrabbited almost immediately," Naruto explained.

"You two should go home and get some sleep," Sasuke said.

"No," Naruto shook his head, "this asshole can go anywhere, do anything, and slip past any seal we put around her." Naruto's voice shook as he spoke, "That's how he got into the ladies' locker room unseen; that's how he was able to get so close to her a few days ago."

"He knows she's protected," Sasuke said with a dead voice and rubbed his chin, "He's testing us and her for weakness."

"Why hasn't he taken her?" Konohamaru wrinkled his brow in confusion. "He had every opportunity! Hell, I would have just snatched her from her bed in her sleep!"

"That's because you're a perv," Naruto added, "However, that is a disturbing question."

"Maybe he needs her to come of her own will," Sasuke's tone remained flat. He scanned the area, "Or maybe he's especially vulnerable to her abilities and needs her weak to snatch her."

"In any case, I'm not leaving her tonight," Naruto clenched his fist.

"Nor am I," Konohamaru joined.

"Normally, I'd remind you both of the danger of burning yourself out…" Sasuke began.

"But?" Naruto cast a side-eye to his friend.

"But, I think you're right, at least tonight," Sasuke shrugged. "At least after tonight we can more carefully escort her up close. Naruto again stared at Hinata's exhausted form. Babe, just a few more hours!

Sandpaper lined Hinata's eyes as sun came in through the windows of the emergency room. Teuchi's grandson had gone home hours ago, and most of the rest of the night was treating drunks with broken noses and facing repeated simulated patients with a variety of medical ailments. By now, she was jittery from lack of sleep and overloads of adrenaline, caffeine, and vitamins. She checked her watch – 0757 – mere minutes to go.

Despite being near time, Hinata resisted the urge to do anything remotely like preparing to leave. Ino, Mom, and Sakura had all terrified Hinata with tales of Medical-Nin candidates who made it all the way to the last few minutes only to fall asleep and miss the call for a code blue or get so fixated on leaving that they ignored it, figuring it wasn't part of the test – failing at the last minute.

Just hang in there! She gritted her teeth as she fought off dizziness from fatigue. Everything from the top of her head to her aching feet, and the back of her eyeballs hurt with an incessant ache like rusty metal hinges rubbing.

"EXERCISE OVER!" boomed over the hospital intercom, "All residents please report to the registration desk to check out." Excited cheers mixed with disappointed groans as the various medical-nin residents shuffled to the registration desk.

Hinata initially didn't react her mind was so cloudy. She'd had less than four hours of sleep in the past forty-eight hours, and she'd barely eaten the whole time. Hinata had done things worse during KIB/ANBU training and during the war. Being a medical-nin resident had been stressful, but now it was over. Just like the day after the war had ended, everything was surreal and the act of walking was like swimming through a haze. Did any of that just happen? Am I going to wake up in bed only to realize the test starts this morning?

"Everyone remember to retrieve any personal property from your locker on the way out," Sakura called out the residents as they turned in their IDs. The shock of her friend's voice blinked Hinata out of her stupor and she started to move. As Hinata reached the desk to check out, the green-eyed medical-nin gave her a smile, "Well-done."

"It's not official for another week," Hinata sighed as she rubbed her sandpaper-lined eyes and the bridge of her nose. Right now, she could have failed and she wouldn't have cared. She wanted food. She wanted a bath. She wanted sleep.

"What you really want is Naruto," Nine-Tails chuckled.

Fat chance of that. Hinata handed her ID card to Sakura. Until her test score came in, she was officially checked out of the hospital until further notice. "Hinata, are you all right?" Sakura pressed.

"Yeah… just… just tired," Hinata continued to massage the bridge of her nose.

"I've got something that can fix that," she winked, "head out front, and I'll meet you there!"

Hinata's curiosity piqued despite her exhaustion, and she shuffled through the crowd of aspiring medical-nin eager to go home. Hinata opened the door, and sunlight blinded her. As her eyes focused, she froze in disbelief. Three young men stood opposite her: Sasuke, Sai, Konohamaru, and Naruto!

Adrenaline she didn't know she could summon renewed her wobbly legs and exhausted brain long enough to carry her to him, and he lifted her off the ground as he embraced her. "Good morning, Dr. Hyūga." Naruto himself sounded exhausted.

"It won't be official…"

"I don't care, I spent the last two days watching you; you did great!" he rocked her back and forth.

Despite the joy in his voice, Hinata heard the stress in his voice and saw the dark circles under his eyes. He hasn't slept in nearly as long as you. Sai looked slightly less haggard, and Sasuke, ever foreboding, was perpetually frozen as a disapproving statue. Of the group, only Konohamaru retained any level of looking fresh. To be young and hyperactive. "I take it the four of you greeting me here isn't a good sign?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Sasuke spoke up, voice gravelly, "we should find somewhere to have breakfast and discuss what has happened." Sakura arrived, along with Ino, both having shed white coats for street clothing.

"Here, here," Konohamaru chanted in agreement.

"Okay," Hinata slid off her white coat but retained the black armored jacket she wore beneath. "This way." Hinata's legs carried her on autopilot to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Hinata!" Teuchi came around the counter and greeted her with a hug, "So good to see you are done! Thank you for helping my grandson!"

"Think nothing of it," Hinata signed with a smile. "Is the chef's table available?"

"For you and your friends, anytime!" He guided the group behind the counter, past the kitchen, and into a private room reserved for special guest of the chef and owners. The group ordered breakfast quickly and ate in silence initially.

No longer starved of food, Hinata's mind hungered for answers. "So, are you guys going to treat me like a grownup and tell me what has the four of you on edge?" In her exhausted state, Hinata had little energy left to spend on pleasantries.

"Yeah, I'm still a bit in the dark here," Ino added.

"Hinata, last night, whomever this was trying making a pass at you," Naruto explained.

"I didn't notice," she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"We're pretty sure he was probing our defenses, testing us for weakness," Sasuke explained.

"There is more," Naruto spoke up, "He can do space-time jutsu of some type; that's how he got in and out of the women's locker room unnoticed."

"Then what is stopping him from snatching me in my sleep?" Hinata asked.

"That was my question," Konohamaru spoke.

"Possibly you, Hinata," Sai answered, "he may have some unique vulnerability to you and your abilities."

"You mean he's trying to demoralize her? Get her to surrender willingly?" Sakura's green eyes expanded in concern.

"More likely trying to get her to make a mistake that renders her helpless," Naruto said, locking eyes with Hinata. "Last night he sent a puppet; I could tell it's chakra network was not a living creature."

"So, someone with powers on par with Obito wants to snatch me away and turn me into a sex doll," Hinata stretch out her neck, hearing vertebra pop. "Why?" the gears in her head ground heavy against fatigue.

"Women of the Hyūga Clan are known for big boobs," Konohamaru spoke without filter.

"Konohamaru!" Sakura smacked the boy in the back of the head.

"OW! I was merely pointing out the guy might be attracted to the family assets!" Konohamaru rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I mean," Naruto blushed, "you are gorgeous, Hinata." "Having seen you with your clothes on and off, I'm kind of an expert on the subject!" Naruto transmitted via their linked chakra.

It never hurts to get a compliment, but that doesn't answer it fully. Hinata blushed as she spoke again, "But why target me? By now he's clearly aware of how well protected I am. Even if he snatched me from my bed, he'd know powerful people would come looking for me!"

"Perhaps, probing us," Sai rubbed his chin, "is setting us up to be eliminated."

"Or perhaps," Sasuke chimed in, "he has some kind of leverage we don't yet know about." His obsidian eyes stared coldly at Hinata, "Something he can use against you and us to where we can't just act against him."

"And Konohamaru could be right," Ino added, "If he has some kind of obsession or fantasy, he might not be acting in the most logical manner. We could use that against him."

"In any case, what is our plan now?" Hinata asked. After training as a medical-nin, after going through the raw hell of boards and residency, she needed the clinical order of a plan.

Exhausted eyes exchanged glances; none of them had a good answer. Nevertheless, Naruto spoke up, "Hinata, our first goal should be to protect you."

"And eventually flush this guy out and take him down," Sakura nodded.

Hinata turned to Sasuke, "You said, he was testing us for weakness, possibly trying to wear us down?" He nodded in return, "Then our first step is depriving him of that goal." She stared at the rest of the group. "I say we finish our breakfast, grab what sack time we can, and reconvene later this evening to make other plans with fresh brains."

"Agreed," the group replied in unison.

"Ummm… Hinata…" Sai spoke.

"Yes?"

"If we all go to sleep, who is guarding you?" he asked. Dammit, he would ask that in front of everyone!

Hinata bit her lip and decided to overcome the mild embarrassment. No way around it, and the situation is too dangerous to get coy now! "Naruto, I hope you'll volunteer?" she asked, feeling ridiculous about asking him to protect her – to sleep with her.

"Uh, yes, I mean, of course!" He stumbled over his words. My big strong hero.

"If there is nothing else, where are we meeting?" Sakura asked.

Naruto eyed Sasuke, "Do you think Itachi would let Sakura and Konohamaru in?"

"I can square it," Sasuke shrugged, "It wouldn't be the first time we had non-agents in on a meeting."

"KIB headquarters then?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," Naruto said, "Private enough to where we can discuss this and a few other things tonight – say 1930?"

"All right," Sakura stood up, "I think these two may need to discuss a few things. Let's pay our bills and we'll see them tonight."

"I already got the bill, Sakura," Hinata said as the others in the group left her and Naruto at the private table. For an uncomfortable moment, they sat with dirty dishes in silence. Thankfully, Naruto chose to speak first, "Hinata, I don't suppose I could talk you into hiding out at Mount Myoboku for a few weeks until we nab this guy?"

"I somehow doubt it would be any safer than here, maybe worse. Out there, help isn't exactly nearby if he finds me," she shrugged.

"It was just a thought" he shook his head and sighed.

"Naruto," she placed her hand on his, "I appreciate you thinking of me. But right now, I need you more than anything." Hinata fought the urge to cry, "The last few months have been sheer misery! Between boards and then this, I'm at my wits end!"

"Hinata, why the secret?" Naruto asked the question she hoped to avoid.

The question dinged, but he deserved the answer, "Naruto, after everything we survived in the war, after all the sacrifice to get through the program, I had everything I wanted in sight! I wasn't thinking with my brain!" Her shoulders sagged, and she buried her face in her hands, "I just wanted it to be over! Just like the duel with Hanabi!" She stared with tears in eyes, "And my carelessness has hurt you again!"

"Hinata!" Naruto squeezed her hand, "I remember telling my best friend to abandon me to freeze to death in the woods without thinking of what might happen to her if she'd actually listened. I remember letting my lover fall into Obito's hands because I got fixated on getting even with Danzo." His eyes shined with tears, as his other hand brought her eyes to his, "And I remember knowing something was bugging you, but I was too damn scared to make it an issue because I was worried you were having second thoughts about us!"

"N-Naruto!" Hinata's jaw fell. My god, how could he think that!

"So, for one minute," he continued, "stop dragging everything to your side of the bed. We've both been screwing up left, right, and center since this mess started," his eyes glowed pale blue from his Byakugan. "Hinata, we're a team…"

"Naruto!" Hinata clutched him, feeling the embrace she'd needed for months as his arms wrapped around her. "I need you! The thought of being with you was the only thing keeping me standing the past few months! I can't think of how screwed I'd be if we called it quits!"

"No more secrets?"

"No more holding back, especially now?" she asked, and they nodded in unison. "I think we both need a nap," Hinata targeted the Flying Thunder God seal on her bed, grateful the technique worked as they flopped down on her bed.

Naruto took a moment to reorientate himself. "You know," Naruto smirked faintly as he realized where they were, "I could get in big trouble sleeping with a VIP under my protection!"

"Shut up," Hinata sighed, "just shut up… and hold me…" Hinata flopped on her side, dragging him with her, unable to say or do anything else.

"You could face a lot of scrutiny for this, ya know," he said with his own exhausted sigh as he traced her long black hair from her face.

"A clan leader may invite whomever she wishes into her bed," Hinata felt some conviction return. "I'm choosing to exercise that right by having you here, and no one in this clan, not even my parents, have a right to criticize that decision." She ruffled his mess of spikes, "Now, go to sleep already!" she yawned as she passed out in his arms.

Author's notes: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. You may noticed I posted this early. Due to a series of commitments from now until after Thanksgiving, I'm not sure how much I'll be around. Sadly, I may not have the next chapter up until December 9 instead of the planned December 2. I will make every effort to get it up at the earlier date, but I didn't want to leave everyone hanging either.

Again, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you all next chapter. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a good Thanksgiving if you're stateside!