NaruHina: Duty

Chapter 15: Man Meeting, Or The Testosterone Version of Girl Talk

After their month together, she hadn't even bothered saying good-bye to him. As soon as they were done with their debriefing with Tsunade, she'd left abruptly.

And Naruto was still pissed about it.

But he was even more pissed at himself for feeling pissed about it.

He walked home to his new apartment, opened the door, turned around, and promptly locked it behind him again.

He needed a longer walk, so he found himself going down the steps and heading to his childhood home with the Uchihas. After a long mission, he just wanted to spend it with his family and not by himself.

"I'm home!" he yelled when he opened the door.

Mikoto came flying out and almost knocked him over when she hugged him.

"Don't cry, Mikoto," he said.

"I'm not crying, you ass," she said with an exasperated laugh and smacked him in the arm. "Come inside. This is so unexpected, Naruto! I'm happy to see you, but it's just you and me tonight. You missed everyone. Sasuke's out with Sakura. Your father's still at the police station. Itachi's somewhere. He wouldn't tell me."

He grunted with disappointment.

"I'm hungry," was all he said as he took off his shoes and walked inside, heading straight for the dining room when he saw that she hadn't cleared away her dinner yet. She went into the kitchen to grab more food and placed it in front of him.

"How was the mission?" she asked as she sat down in front of him.

Naruto groaned. "Let me finish my food first and then I'll tell you."

So she waited and then found herself laughing when he was done telling her what had happened the past month.

"Oh, my god!" she said as she clutched her stomach. "I love her!"

He glared at her. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

Mikoto flicked a glance to the scratch on his throat and smirked. "Like you said, she wouldn't have killed you, but I'm not blind to the fact that you strut around Konoha with so much conceit."

"What?!"

"Your pride's just hurt. It's a good thing. You need to be taken down a notch."

He only humphed, picked up the dishes, brought them to the sink, and started washing them.

She was still smiling as she came up, leaned a hip against the counter, and watched him. Naruto glanced at her but turned back to the dishes, quietly soaping them. He seemed lost in thought.

Eyes still sparkling with mirth, she asked, "Hinata Hyuuga. I don't know either if what you feel for her is love or not, but she sounds like she's going to be a lot of trouble for you. Is she worth it, you think?"

"Yes," he said unhesitatingly, stopping to look at her.

She laughed. "Then go for it."

He nodded then started soaping again. But then he turned back to her with a cajoling grin, and asked, "Mikoto, you think you can make me cinnamon rolls?"

Her face twisted into a puzzled expression, but she nodded.

Just then, they heard Fugaku's footsteps at the entranceway.

"I'm home!"

"Mikoto, don't tell Fugaku about my woman troubles yet, okay?"

She grinned at him again. "Sure, baby."