FullMetal*Panic!

Hinata wondered at her rush of emotions.

She had always been so withdrawn, so repressed. It had been her way of getting by. Even after her relationship with her father improved, she remained somewhat reclusive and skittish.

Now, as Naruto pulled her through the ebb and flow of the crowd, each step and every breath brought some subtle or strong shift in her feelings.

Excited. Frightened. Happy. Relieved. Timid. Expectant. Pessimistic.

So much, so fast.

Her senses got in on the act as well. Colors never seemed so bright. It was as if she had lived every prior moment of her life in a room with the blinds closed. In contrast, the sounds around her went unnoticed, drowned out the pounding of the blood in her ears. Random smells threatened to trigger countless snippets of memory, but there was no time for that. She was oblivious to the chill gusts of air tugging at her hair, and took no notice of the people who jostled against her.

The only thing she felt was the warmth in her hand, the one that Naruto was holding.

She thought back to the day that she had hidden behind a light post, watching him leave town for individual training with one of the Legendary Three Sennin.

To be here with him now....

Naruto, for his part, tried very hard to focus on the thought of ramen. It was a familiar and comfortable thought. Plus, he was hungry. Very hungry. Exceedingly hungry. Try as he may, however, he couldn't keep from wondering just what he had signed on for.

Hinata had certainly kicked those idiots' asses. No doubt about it. He wouldn't be forgetting that image any time soon.

But, in the past, when he watched his fellow ninjas ply their trade, he was spurred on by jealousy, when he felt he was being overlooked... excitement, when he felt an urge to get in on some action himself... and comraderie, when saw what his friends and superiors could do for the cause.

Today he felt different things.

He had been surprised by Hinata's attitude, and by her strength. She was so shy looking, and was shorter than he was now. He had been proud of what she accomplished, remembering what her skills had been like when he had gone off with Jiraiya. He would never have said so to her face, but he had never been impressed by any of the female genins in his class.

Until now.

Chuckling, he saw a nostalgic image of the younger Sakura shaking her fist at him. To be honest, she too was impressive by all accounts. That old lady Hokage was not one to exaggerate.

Pushing Sakura out of his thoughts, he realized that he felt a great wash of fondness for Hinata. She was a kindred spirit...... but more than that. She wasn't some kind of syncophant or cheerleader. She had true admiration for him.

She always had.

He had also felt a twinge if interest. Intrigue. A desire to make some kind of connection.

What did it all mean?

Absentmindedly, he ran into the back of an over-sized man with a forest of hair sprouting from his armpits. A sweaty oversized man.

Damn!

THE VERMIN HAVE GROWN TOO PLENTIFUL. THIS LAND IS IN NEED OF A GOOD SCOURGING. IF YOU GIVE ME MORE FREEDOM, I WILL SHOW YOU HOW.

Naruto grimaced. Damn that fox. He wondered if it had been wise to grant it more access to his mind in exchange for those powers. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle. The street was rather crowded, and he had fantasized about making an impossible rasengan tornado and clearing the square.

'Nice try, bastard. If I did that, the Hokage would probably seal you AND me inside some baby. I wouldn't relish sharing a cell with you throughout eternity.'

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. I WOULD EAT YOU FIRST CHANCE I GOT.

'Uh huh. Great way to earn my confidence. You said you wanted more freedom? Baka!' Fortunately, as he didn't yet know how to break a seal of that magnitude, there was no way he could get into trouble. He hoped.

Naruto once again cautioned himself how he dealt with the restrained Nine Tails. As the great beast could give or withhold power at any time, it was best not to aggravate it too much. Then again, he had the feeling that the more he earned the monster's respect, the more willing it became to teach and share. Of course, it could all simply be a ruse. He must always keep that in mind, especially during those moments where he found himself growing almost chummy with the youma.

IT IS MY NINJA WAY

Naruto almost tripped over his own feet hearing that. He stopped short, needing to fight for balance when Hinata ran up against him. That didn't feel bad, actually. But, his mind was preoccupied at the moment.

Had the damn fox been joking? Mocking him? Or making a simple statement of fact in terms he could relate to?

Did it matter?

Not at the moment.

"Uh, sorry Hinata. Are you soft? I mean, are you OK?" Naruto cringed. He also sniffed the air. Perfume? Had there been perfume in the ointment Hinata had put on after her scuffle with the angry mob?

Whatever it was, it almost smelled better than ramen.

"Yes, Naruto-kun." Hinata blushed. But, she didn't step back away from her companion. Remembering times when she had secretly watched other couples, she felt an urge to lean her head against Naruto and put her arms around him. The feeling surprised her. Her hands twitched.

"Ummmm...good. Great. I'm glad." Naruto swallowed. He took much greater note of Hinata's proximity. "But, I shouldn't be surprised. You're tough! Hah hah hah hah hah-h-h-h-h." His defenses had kicked in. He felt kind of stupid, hearing his own words.

"Oh. Tough. Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata's voice was flat. Lifeless. With a touch of sorrow. She felt weak, reacting that way. But, what girl wanted to hear that she was tough at a time like this?

BAH. YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER MATE.

Naruto, to his credit, did not need to hear Kyubi's amused laughter to realize that he had tripped over his own tongue. At first, he didn't care what that stupid fox thought. Naruto was who he was: a ninja who would become Hokage some day. He couldn't be skilled at everything.

Of course, a part of him deep down inside took it as a slap in the face. Couldn't succeed with women, could he?

He'd show that fox.

"Yes, but not just tough." He squared his shoulders, ready to unleash his charm. "Cute, too." That hadn't been so difficult. Ha!

Hinata didn't say anything. She reflexively grabbed hold of the back of Naruto's robe, clenching the colorful fabric in her hands. She felt a wave of warmth wash over her.

He said she was cute.

He thought she was cute.

Her important one had noticed her.

It would have been better if Hinata had made some kind of reply. Any kind of reply. Nature abhors a vacuum. Naruto, as energetic as ever, channeled his excess energy into his mouth. As usual, he didn't know how to stop when he was ahead.

"Yes! If I say you are cute, then you are definitely cute. Not just cute, but very cute." He paused every so briefly when he felt Hinata shiver against him.

"Do you hear that everybody, HINATA IS CUTE!!!" His roar could even be heard above the din of the crowd. A number of people turned to see just what was going on.

Hinata felt as if time had stopped. She should have felt embarrassed, but she didn't. Despite all of the trouble they had gone through... and anything else that might happen... this moment was worth it.

Then, Naruto was Naruto. A leopard cannot change its spots.

"Uh huh. No doubt about it. You're almost as cute as Sakura!" Naruto had gotten a glimpse or two of his erstwhile team seven member over the years. She was turning into quite the hottie. There must be something to those medical ninja arts.

Hinata felt as if she had jumped naked into a snow drift. The whole world around her seemed to start spinning, as if she were performing kaiten again. She couldn't unclench her fingers.

"Yup! Almost as cute as Temari, too; but that girl is too damn pushy. Hah! Shikamaru deserves someone like that." Naruto plunged onward, never once stopping to think. The more things change, the more they stay the same. "Ten Ten... Ino... the girl at the sea food stand.... you'll probably be just as pretty as them some day!!!"

Hinata's breath stuck in her throat. She felt as if she was dissolving, able to slip between the grains of snad and dirt at her feet.

"Don't know if you'll ever be in old lady Tsunade's league, but she's just a fake any way. Of course, she is pretty huge, you know? But maybe she can teach you a jutsu for that or something!" Naruto stopped when he felt something knock against his back. It was Hinata's forehead. She had slumped forward. "Hinata?"

The young girl didn't speak at first. Images flashed before her eyes, a cascade of painful moments throughout her life. Times when she hadn't measure up to someone else's expectations. Instances where she felt she would never amount to anything.

The story of her life.... or at least the story of her life up until the point that Naruto's fight with Neji had opened her father's eyes to both herself and her cousin.

Maybe hard work and self-confidence really didn't mean anything after all. No, maybe just for certain people.

"Hinata?" Naruto tried to turn and look at her, but she still had a firm grip on him. "What? Is something wrong?"

A small spark burned deep within Hinata. As saddened as she was, she was not going to show weakness in front of the one she cared about, even if he didn't care about her. And, a chorus of reason sprung up, chastising her for her reaction. He had said she was cute. Maybe not as cute as others, but cute just the same. Who else had ever done that, other than Kurenai when she was trying to boost her subordinate's self esteem?

"N-N-No. Thank you for saying that I was cute, Naruto-kun." Her voice was still flat. She let go of his back, then impulsively turned so that he couldn't see her face. She coughed to clear her throat.

"Huh?" Naruto was perplexed. There was something wrong. Was Hinata so shy that he had done something wrong by complimenting her? Was it wrong to say she was cute?

What was going on???

He saw an image of Jiraiya in his head. That perverted old sennin might seem like a crazy flamboyant nut-case at times---at best---but he was actually quite insightful, not to mention one of the most decent people that Naruto had ever met. He could hear the echoes of something he was once told: 'think before you speak. Put yourself in someone else's place. Words can hurt even more than weapons. Insults might be held onto long after wounds were healed.'

Now why did that pop into his mind? Just what had he said? He had said she was cute. Hell, he had even told everybody that she was cute. Then....

Oh.

He stood there a number of moments, toying with the latch on his weapons bag.

"You know what, Hinata?" Naruto's voice was pretty flat itself now, quite a rarity.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata still did not face him.

"I still really don't understand what you see in me. I guess I'm really not very smart, right? The light's on, but nobody's home." He sighed, having forgotten entirely about food and a certain obnoxious demon. "I'm not really all that good looking myself. That's nothing new. But it doesn't look like things are going to get much better, huh?"

Hinata turned to look at Naruto. Her eyes widened at what she saw. He was twiddling his fingers, just like she still did in certain moments. He was staring down at his feet, a rather dejected look on his face.

"But you seem to be getting cuter every year." Naruto was trying to make up for what he had said before; but, he realized that he was speaking the truth. He also realized that he had spent a lot of his life comparing things. What was bigger? Who was stronger? Which was faster?

It was strange. For someone who often brought out the best in other people... whose spirit often helped others reach new heights... and who often saw the truth of the matter that others missed... he realized that he sometimes didn't see the true value of things.

'Life's a journey, not a destination' his master was wont to shout at him from time to time. 'Moron. If you run so fast with your eyes on only one thing, you'll miss the things that matter.' That latter held true in life as well as in battle.

Naruto tugged at one ear.

"You're also one of the nicest people I've ever met." Those words also rang true in the young ninja's ears. He looked over at Hinata. "That's impressive, because of the way you've been treated much of your life."

Hinata stared at Naruto. Those words had her close to tears for some reason. The prior words didn't seem to matter any more. What prior words? Had there been prior words?

Naruto.

He really was more than he seemed. It was easy to fall into the trap of believing he was a braggard... or an idiot... or a clueless bore.

She had taken the time to look closer. Deeper. With growing insight. She had done it years before and could do it again now.

His heart was very big. Bigger than that of most people she knew. That was remarkable, given the way he had been treated throughout his life. There was something significant that she didn't know about him, something that she had heard the city women whispering about on graduation day, years back. While she had been forced to deal with the pain ofher father's scorn for a sizeable portion of her life, he had been forced to deal with an entire village's hatred and disregard for many years.

She had turned further inward, and he had turned ever outward.

They were two sides of the same coin.

"Maybe it's best if you don't hang around someone like me." Naruto wondered at the way he felt saying that. Earlier, he felt uncomfortable being around Hinata, as if her near obsession with him was a bad thing. Now, he felt somewhat saddened by thinking that she would be better off forgetting about him.

Hinata looked in Naruto's eyes. She clasped her hands together and bit on her lip. Then, she surprised them both by smiling.

Good things don't come easy.

"You're right." Those words of hers had Naruto nodding his head. "You're not very smart." She almost laughed, seeing the look on his face. "You're definitely not a genius like Shikamaru. You're not as bright as Sasuke was." That last part had Naruto sticking out his lower lip and narrowing his eyes. "I'd have to rank you behind Shino, naturally. Not to mention Kiba, Neji, Lee, Choji...."

Naruto frowned. His mouth fell open, but any possible rejoinder remained glued to his lips.

"But, you seem to be getting smarter every year," Hinata continued. "And I once thought that you were one of the nicest people I had ever met...." Hinata pushed one of her errant bangs out of her eyes. She couldn't keep from grinning.

The two ninja's stood looking at each other until Naruto smiled. He then put one hand behind his head and looked away. It looked like things would be OK. He felt all of his good cheer come rushing back. He might even have learned something from all that.

YES. YOU CAN THANK ME.

Huh? Naruto almost shouted at Kyubi again.

IF YOU'RE FEELING SUITABLY THANKFUL, YOU MIGHT SET FIRE TO SOMETHING. I TRULY RELISH ARSONRY.

Naruto caught himself. Damn windbag fox! He would just ignore it.

INSECT.

The young ninja fought hard to maintain his temper. For all he knew, Kyubi might be trying to provoke him on purpose, just so he could revel in the trouble he found himself in.

It was time to get things back on track.

"OK Hinata, let's go!" He flashed her a trademark smile and gave her a thumbsup. With that, he started on his way, expecting Hinata to follow his lead.

She didn't.

Hyper-aware of her presence at the moment, he stopped and turned. "Hinata?"

The young girl just stood there looking at him.

'Now what?' Naruto snorted, suddenly exasperated.

Hinata frowned.

"Hinnnnn-aaaaa-taaaa...." Naruto put his hands on his hips and cocked his head. He had done his part. He had told her he thought she was cute. He told her that she was nice. He didn't say anything when she said he wasn't very smart. He had even smiled at her.

What else could she possibly want?

How soon they forget....

"Nar...... u...... to...... kun......" The voice had been very quiet. But, it might as well have been fingers down a chalkboard, with the effect it had on the target of Hinata's attention.

Naruto gulped. He felt like a total idiot when he saw Hinata hold her hand out again. He struck himself in the forehead.

"Sorry...." He had intended to walk over all slow and important like, keeping his pride intact. Instead, impulses taking over, Naruto took a number of large bounds. Grabbing hold, he started to pull her along.

"Wait a moment please, Naruto-kun." Hinata dug in her heals to little effect. Fortunately, Naruto stopped before she ended up on her face. Sparing him a brief snappy look, she reached into her utility pouch and took out a spool of barely visible wire. With one hand, she began winding the wire around her and Naruto's clasped hands.

"OK, I get the point Hinata. You can take the wire off, now." Naruto rubbed his nose with his free hand.

Hinata just started walking, dragging Naruto behind her. She marveled at her own audacity, but soon told herself not to think about such things, lest she revert back to her more timid ways. Sure enough, she began to look at Naruto again and again with increasing frequency, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression without letting him know she was looking.

Slowing her steps gradually, she came to a stop. She unbound the wire. Feeling somewhat guilty, she spoke while looking down at a particularly bland looking stone. "That was very rude of me, Naruto-kun. I should apologize. Also, I should not force you to hold my hand if you do not wish to." She pulled her hand away from his.

The two genin stood quietly for a few moments.

"Uh huh. That's a very nice stone, Hinata." Naruto smiled when he saw Hinata blush. He looked up at the sky then and took a deep breath. He nodded his head. "Nice hand, too." He coughed a slight bit, then took her hand in his.

Walking along, hand in hand, the two of them wondered just what the people they both knew might think if they saw the two of them like that.

After passing the first of the food tents, they would get their answer unexpectedly.

"Yo, Naruto!"

The voice came from above. Naruto craned his neck, placing his hand above his eye to block out the sunlight. A hazy image came into view. A man of medium height with spiked hair, his forehead protector pulled down over one eye, and an open book in one hand.

It was Kakashi. Squatting at the top of a telephone pole.

"Kakashi sensai!!!" Naruto's sudden scream had Hinata jumping.

"Ahhh. I wanted to see if it was true." Kasahi spoke in his usual conversational tone of voice, somehow easily heard above the din and ruckus below him. "Wonders never cease...."

"Kakashi sensai, why are you here?" It had been quite some time since Kakashi had brought a message from Tsunade for Jiraiya to read. Naruto found that he missed his one time mentor.

"Well. I got lost...." Kakashi slowly waved one hand.

Naruto's eyes bulged. "LIAR-R-R-R-R-R-R...." That same old spiel. Wait. What did he say? See if what was true?

He looked over at Hinata. She bit her lip and looked away.

"Well, I do have something for you." Kakashi flipped one hand, sending a small scroll tumbling end over end. Naruto caught it and looked back up at his previous instructor. "I will give you some good advice, though. Love is not like the ninja arts. It is good to do things up front. It is not good to conceal things. Don't screw up."

Normally, the word 'love' would have turned Naruto into a statue. But, he didn't have time to dwell on that.

"WHAT-T-T-T!!!" Naruto jumped up and down, shaking his fist at the Copy Ninja. "Would you be saying that to Sasuke?!!!" Kakashi certainly knew how to push Naruto's buttons. "BAKA-A-A-A!!!"

Hinata put her hand over her mouth. Closing her eyes, she chuckled.

"No, I would not. Sasuske usually knows what to do." Kakakshi turned his attention back to his book.

"BASTARD!" Naruto began concentrating chakra on the bottom of his soles, intending to go up to pole and scold Kakashi up close.

"Hah hah hah hah hah hah!" A rich and vibrant voice rang out. "You are hardly one to give out advice, my lifelong rival!" It was Gai. He and Lee were standing on the tiled roof of a stately shop. "Do not listen to him Naruto! As I told you before, I like your style. You deserve better."

Naruto grimaced, as if in great pain. He looked over at Hinata again. This couldn't simply be a coincidence. "Uh... Hinata.... did you tell anyone that you were going out on a date with me?"

Hinata's fingers were twiddling up a storm. She looked down, trying to find another stone of note. "Um.... umm... ummm...."

"Oh. Great." Naruto forced himself to look back up at Gai and his pupil.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!" Lee struck a pose and gave Naruto a flourish and a big thumbs up. "Way to go Naruto! The hot fires of youth burn bright and strong. OOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"

The light shined off his teeth in a blinding flash.

"Lee!" Gai smiled at his protégé. "You will indeed be great!"

Lee beamed. Gai turned to Kakashi. "Of course, I have surpassed my rival in this category as well. But it is not his fault. Not everyone can cut the same figure as me!"

In a quiet voice, Naruto spoke out of the corner of his mouth. "Hinata, would you like me to wear a green stretch suit? Gai sensai gave me one before."

Hinata began coughing.

"Didn't think so...." Naruto rubbed at the stubble on his chin.

"OHHHHH-H-H-H-H-H. Gai sensai is the best. The best!!!" Lee's eyes looked as if they had caught fire.

"Ah! And there is nothing that my student cannot do. Not in his fighting skills, or in his attack on the heart! Kakashi, you finally see the true meaning of being a teacher. It is not merely the art of combat and concealment we are entrusted to teach, but also matters of the heart and mind. You should take this as a lesson for the future, so that those you instruct do not get cheated in life!" Gai put both hands on his hips. His teeth flashed as well. "The future of many a youth depends on your learning the lessons of life to their utmost!"

"Hmmm, did you say something Gai?" Kakashi lifted his head up.

"KAKASHI! My life's greatest adversary. Why do you always do this to me?" Gai took an angry step towards Kakashi, forgetting where he was standing. He plummeted into a trash bin below him. Lee began hopping from one foot to another in concern.

"Hey, Lee...." Naruto called out to his friend, his itch of mischief needing to be scratched. "You go out on a date with Sakura yet?"

Lee froze in his motions. Landing awkwardly on one foot, he slid off the roof, landing hard on Gai.

"Guess not," Naruto said with an evil grin, shrugging his shoulders. "Not everyone can be as bold and forceful as me." He pointed his thumb back at himself. "What?" He caught Hinata's incredulous look.

Kakashi saluted, then was gone in a puff of smoke.

"What does the scroll say, Naruto-kun? A-Are you being called away on a mission?" Hinata sounded a touch concerned.

"I don't know." Breaking the seat, he unrolled the scroll. Reading it, he immediately frowned. Nosy old lady!!!

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto flipped the scroll around, so Hinata could read it.

'Naruto

Treat her right.

Tsunade (Fifth Hokage)'

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and began to giggle. The look on Naruto's face had been priceless.

"What next?" Naruto asked when an exaggerated sigh. Once again, the answer would not be long in coming.

Waiting near the end of an incredibly long line that snaked out from his favorite ramen shop, Naruto knew that fate must have it in for him when he heard yet another familiar voice. He began to feel a bit angry. He was also quite the bit on edge. Even though he had begun warming to the idea of going on a date with Hinata, he was still very much uncomfortable with other people knowing that he was together with her. Even that word sounded ominous to him.

Together.

Ominous, and somewhat embarrassing.

He felt very self conscious at the moment.

"Yes, you were right Akamaru. There they are." It was Kiba's voice.

"I could have told you that, had you been inclined to listen. I placed a female bug in her weapons pouch the other day." That was Shino.

The two genin stepped into view. Naruto balled both hands into fists. Hinata brought a finger up to her mouth.

"K-Kiba-kun. Uh, Shino-kun." Hinata looked at her teammates, then at Naruto.

"Ruf. RRRR-Ruff ruff."

"You too, Akamaru." Hinata added.

"There you guys are. Long time no see Naruto! Things have been way too quiet with you gone!" Kiba walked over and slapped Naruto hard on the back.

Shino nodded his head in Naruto's direction without saying anything.

"W-W-Why are you here, Kiba-kun." Hinata was wondering just how far word had spread. She should have known better than to think that Ino and Ten Ten could keep anything a secret.

"Well, we just wanted to see good old Naruto again." Kiba slapped Naruto hard on the back a second time. "We really missed his presence on our last big mission." He slapped Naruto once more. "And, we both wanted to make certain that you were OK...... if you know what I mean."

He swung his hand again.

Big mistake.

"Underworld Spines," Naruto grumped, working quick hand seals. There had been a reason he let his hair grow long and down his back. Large spikes and sharp pointed spires took the place of his mane.

"Ah SHIT!!!" Kiba pulled his hands away, dripping small crimson droplets.

Akamaru whined, then barked at Naruto. Instead of being angry, Kiba smiled at Naruto, appreciating a good move.

"What did you mean, wanting to know if Hinata was OK?" Naruto looked concerned. "Is she in some kind of danger?" He remembered all too vividly the story that Neji had told him during the third stage of the chuunin exams. The sharingan was not the oly blood limit that other villages lusted after.

"You know. Pretty girl. Hot-blooded guy. Right?" Kiba looked at Naruto, nodding his head. Seeing the blank look on his friend's face, he smiled. "Ha! Maybe you don't. Akamaru...."

"Ruff ruff!" The young dog ran over to Naruto "Snuff snuff sniff snuffsnuffsnuff." He pulled his head back, then sneezed. "Rrrr... nnnn...rrrr... gggggnnnnrrrr.... Nff nff... rrrrrrrrrrr-ruff."

Kiba smiled, then shook his head, his eyes narrowing some as he fought back laughter.

"What did he say?" Naruto had a sour look on his face.

"He said it had been a while since you last bathed." Kiba finally laughed, joined by his canine companion. "It's a damn fortunate thing that I didn't concentrate chakra to my nose in order to find you!"

Hinata blushed, thinking back again to the manner that Naruto had defeated Kiba.

Naruto turned a glare on the young dog.

"He also said that the big one wanted to have pups with the smaller one." That caused Naruto to do a double take. Yes, he was the taller one now, compared to Hinata. Hearing Kyubi's dastardly chuckle, he had no doubt that the damn demon had changed his odor in some fashion.

Naruto couldn't remember ever seeing Shino look surprised at anything before.

"But, he also says that the big one probably doesn't know how." Kiba chuckled. He turned to Shino. "Looks like we have nothing to worry about. Our teammate's safe."

Suddenly, the weight of Kiba's statements hit Naruto. He felt as if his face was on fire. He turned his head away from Hinata.

Hinata froze.

Kiba smiled, remembering seeing her like that on the training fields the morning of the third test.

"Just the same, my measures shall remain in effect." Shino walked over to Naruto. "I dislike repeating myself. I have placed a female bug somewhere amongst Hinata's belongings. In case you ever had a notion to take her some place against her will, we would be able to find her, were she gone long enough to raise suspicion."

"Ummm... r-really guys.... You got it all w-wrong...." Naruto had begun to sweat. "We're uhh... we're just...."

"Uh huh." Kiba ran his hand through his hair. "We won't crowd you guys any longer. Don't forget, Naruto."

Shino nodded, then left with Kiba.

"Hah hah hah hah. That guy. Listening to what a dog says. Right, Hinata?" Naruto stole a glance over at his companion.

"Y-Y-Yes, N-N-Naruto-kun." Hinata was still blushing, staring at nothing in particular.

"If you're not feeling well or something, we can do this another day...." Naruto wondered if that might not be a good idea. He had a real concern that someone else might make an appearance. As Shikamaru might say, this was getting to be quite a bother.

That snapped Hinata out of her trance. "N-No. No! I'm fine, Naruto-kun." She looked over at him, then looked down at the ground again. "They were just looking out for me."

"Yes. It's good to have friends! OK then, let's go. I'm so hungry, I could eat a dog!" Naruto had a particular dog in mind.

Hinata chuckled. She knew just what Naruto meant. Sighing, she vented a bit of stress. She had been a bit worried that Naruto would call things off if their privacy wasn't respected.

Just before Akamaru passed out of sight, Naruto concentrated, reached out over the distance, and transformed the annoying creature into a skunk. It wouldn't last long. But, it would be long enough.

"Man! Imagine those guys. Thinking you were in some kind of danger or something!" Naruto didn't know if he should be annoyed or flattered. He chose to be pleased, instead. It was good that Hinata had trustworthy friends. It was better that they were his friends too. Wasn't it?

Not too far away, secluded in an unnatural array of shadows, a figure watched in silence. 'Danger. It lurks where one might least expect it. The boy had best enjoy his freedom while he could. The time is approaching. The girl might prove useful as well, were she to mean something to the boy.'

That too would bear watching.

Time seemed to crawl for the two hungry ninjas. As usual, Naruto proved to be the most garrulous of the pair, but Hinata was opening up more with each passing moment.

Just before they reached the door of the shop, Naruto wrinkled up his nose and called out in a mock shout. "Iruka-sensai! Shikamaru! Choji! Shukaku! Kabuto! Hey, even Sasuke! Any one else ready to barge right in?!" A number of people turned a gimlet eye to him then, but he just grinned right back at them.

Laughing, he soon found little reason to be amused. The door to the shop closed in their faces. A man walked over to the front window and hung a sign: "Out of Noodles."

"NO-O-O-O-O-O...." Naruto closed his eyes.

"It's OK, Naruto-kun. We can try the next shop." Hinata took his hand again and gave it a squeeze. Was she being to forward? Ummmm. Well, if she was, she didn't care.

"But those were the best. My favorite...." Naruto looked so down-trodden, Hinata could help but laugh.

"Hmmmpppfff!" Naruto frowned big time. "Some girl you are, taking pleasure in a man's discomfort at his time of greatest need!" He was being serious.

Hinata's eyes went wide, then she closed them and began giggling.

Naruto opened his mouth, but closed it. He began smiling sheepishly. He realized what he must have sounded like. He looked over at Hinata and started laughing. She joined him.

"Well, sounds like you two are having a good time." Speak of the Youma.

It was Shikamaru.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't be. The shop ran out of food." That was Choji. Pulling a bag of Crab Chips out of the sack on his back, he tore open the parcel and began stuffing his face.

Naruto and Hinata turned at the same time, then looked towards one another. They both sighed this time.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard it. Naruto with a girl. I suppose even a genius has to be wrong now and then. What a bother." Shikamaru smiled, then gave Naruto a friendly punch in the shoulder. "How much is he paying you, Hinata?"

Naruto growled. Hinata grinned. Choji opened the next bag.

"But, as your one time team leader, let me clue you into a sound strategy." Shikamaru used his shadow art to glue a shocked Hinata in place. He pulled Naruto aside and spoke quietly to him. Munching away, Choji leaned over to listen.

"He's probably going to tell you to go Dutch," Choji said. "That way you can get yourself more food with your money."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "No. the first thing you need to remember, is that the man should always be in charge. Woman are such a pain."

"Ohhh. Ho ho ho." Choji actually lowered his bag. "Should I repeat that to Temari?"

Shikamaru froze.

Understanding dawned in Naruto's eyes. He began to grin, showing all of his teeth.

"If you buy me dinner tonight, I won't tell her." Choji looked frightfully eager. "Beef BarBQ. Just to start with. Mmmmmm." Excited, he squeezed his bag too hard. "Then breakfast tomorrow. And lunch."

Naruto began to smile, filled with a great sense of glee. It felt great, someone else being the center of unwanted attention.

Shikamaru had a particularly unhappy look on his face.

"Hmmmmm. Temari, huh? And your words are good for blackmail, eh?" Naruto began laughing. "I guess I know who wears the pants in that relationship!" He held his belly and began guffawing. It wasn't really that funny, but it just felt good to laugh.

"Shit." Shikamaru brought his hands together. "Choji's my best friend. He can get away with that kind of stuff. No one else. Not even you, Naruto." He wasn't angry, but it was an exceedingly sore subject with him. It was best to nip this in the bud.

Suddenly, Naruto felt as if he was grabbed by unseen hands and placed in an invisible vice. He couldn't move. At least not voluntarily. His eyes able to see Shikamaru's face, he noticed an exceedingly wicked expression. Then his legs began to move.

"Best to school you now...." Shikamaru said, convinced that he was in total control.

Too focused on finding out what was going on at first, Naruto didn't put any effort towards breaking free. Then, it was too late. He could get loose, but not without hurting one or more of his friends. Looking to the side, he saw Shikamaru making the exact same motions he did, but a few steps off to the side and a yard or so behind him.

Naruto's arms went up. His lips puckered. He was headed straight for Hinata.

Choji began reaching in his bag faster and faster. He chewed at a furious rate.

Hinata took a few steps back.

Choji reached into his sack. He took out two more bags and tore them open. Mucus began leaking from both of his nostrils.

Naruto licked his lips, but not of his own accord. His mouth formed words involuntarily.

"Hinata... my dearest... I have secretly wanted you for so long...."

Hinata squeaked. She backed into the wall of a kiosk. She wasn't ready yet!!!

Choji was chomping away like a maniac. Chips were spurting out of his mouth half-eaten.

"I... must... kiss... you...."

Snot fountained out of Choji's nose. Hinata fell to the ground,looking up at the stiffly approaching Naruto. Catching sight of Shikamaru's actions, she figured out what was going on.

She couldn't move.

No, she wasn't caught in the shadow art. Was she simply shocked or afraid? Or, did she want Naruto to kiss her? She wasn't certain herself.

Coming under control of his wildly fluttering thoughts, Naruto decided to teach his friend a lesson. He wasn't just your every day ordinary genin. He wasn't the usual experienced ninja, for that matter. As usual, the fox in his belly was the ace up his sleeve.

'OK, furball. You wanted to start a fire, let's start a fire.' Naruto concentrated with all his might.

There was the faintest smell of smoke. Looking around, Choji found the source. A small bit of flame burned on one of Shikamura's belt loops. It soon grew larger in size, then jumped to the seat of his pants. In a great flash, the fire came to life with a vengeance, scorching the unsuspecting prankster.

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t." Shikamaru danced around. Not having released Naruto, his captive did the same. Hinata watched with wide eyes.

Naruto decided to take things further.

A HUMAN TORCH? AHHH. THE WARMTH WILL BE SPLENDID.

'Wrong.' Naruto smiled, suddenly free of Shikamaru's hold. Accessing another of Kyubi's powers, he took control of Shikamaru's mind, making him see what he wanted him to see. He put the real fire out with a thought.

"No. No. Naruto, I'm you friend. NO-O-O-O-O-O....." Shikamaru ran around blindly. To him, it felt and looked as if his whole body was wreathed in flame.

Naruto chuckled. How about another skill? Sure, why not? He would chance being able to do more than one thing at once. With a low grunt, he pictured a large pool of water. This part was very hard. He could never hold it very long. The pool came in existence in the middle of the square. Wind forms small ripple on its surface.

"Ahhhhhh-hhhh-hhhh-hhhh...." Shikamaru leaped into the pool. He began throwing handfuls of water on himself. When the pool disappeared, Naruto replaced it immediately with a similar looking illusion. Shouting, Shikamaru threw large handfuls of dirt all over himself. "That's better. Much better!"

The illusion of fire died down. The pool disappeared. The unfortunate victim found himself sitting in the middle of the street, uncooked. The last handful of dirt slowly trickled out from between his suddenly limp fingers, forming a small inverted cone on his head. Looking around, he saw that he was ringed by a multitude of laughing and whispering onlookers. At there forefront,

Naruto stood with a huge smile on his face.

"Now we're even," the young scamp said, brushing his hands together.

Shikamaru closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "You're even more annoying than before...."

"Yes, it's quite bothersome." Choji's eyes lit up as he imitated his best buddy. Everybody but Shikamaru laughed.

HUMANS ARE STUPID. THEY DESERVE TO BE KINDLING.

When a chastened Shikamaru left with Choji in his wake, Naruto and Hinata headed off for the next shop.

"I guess I'm pretty smart after all, right Hinata?" Naruto began strutting as he walked.

"Yes, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled over at her companion. He really had a sense for the dramatic. And when it came to pranks and clever ploys, he really was a genius.

"Ha! I knew you'd see it my way. Of course, you easily saw through Shikamaru's trick, didn't you?" Naruto began putting too much energy towards talking and too little towards thinking.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked puzzled.

"I mean, who would think that I really wanted to kiss you!!! AH HA HA HA HA HAH!!!" He missed the sudden look of anger in Hinata's eyes.

Before he knew it, Naruto found himself falling. Hinata had shoved him roughly from behind. The muddy patch of water he fell into was no illusion. When he pried himself out of the muck, it looked as if he were wearing a lumpy brown beard. Large bits of dirt plopped down on his boot tops.

Hinata suddenly felt contrite. She began nibbling on one finger. "S-S-Sorry, Naruto-kun." What had come over her. Naruto was certainly having an effect on her once again.

"It's alright, Hinata." Naruto pushed large slabs of mud off of his sopping robes. Water poured out from his weapons bag and the large summoning scroll he carried at his hip.

Yes. It was alright, Hinata decided. She smiled.

HUMANS ARE TOO STUPID TO BE KINDLING.

At that moment, Naruto was forced to agree.