"Hello, Naruto," Hiashi Hyuga inclined his head as he opened the door to the estate.
"Are you and Hinata training today?" the clan leader asked suspiciously, noting the younger man's civilian cloths, backpack, and cooler instead of his uniform and equipment.
"Nah, we're still taking it easy after the Trials," Uzumaki shook his head, "But we don't want to get too out of practice, so we're not just going to veg out like yesterday. We're going swimming, and then I'm gonna make lunch. And we're gonna play the afternoon by ear."
"Well, you two did work hard, I suppose two days off isn't out of the question..." Hiashi told his daughter's boyfriend, only half joking. Then the elder Hyuga glanced sideways, his face becoming pensive.
"Is something wrong?" the teen asked, craning his head slightly to see what Hiashi was looking at. But he didn't see anything, and the clan leader quickly composed himself.
"I just think it would be a bad idea to leave you alone here at this point," he told Naruto carefully. The younger man nodded appreciably.
"Hanabi still in a bad mood?"
"You could say that," Hiashi noted with mixed emotions.
"Naruto," Hinata smiled as she ran up. Like her beloved, she was wearing civilian apparel, and had a backpack designed for recreation rather than combat.
"Good morning, Hinata," the blonde man embraced her happily, but given the audience, withheld the kiss he wanted to lay on her.
"Are you ready?" Naruto asked, and she nodded joyfully.
"You two have fun," Hiashi told them warmly after Hinata stepped outside.
"Thank you, Father, we will," Hinata smiled sincerely at her progenitor.
"See you later, old man," Uzumaki added affectionately, as the couple started to walk away. Naruto reached out and gently took Hinata's hand in his own. They walked in contented silence, until they reached the outer wall of the Hidden Leaf Village.
"Hey," Naruto suddenly remembered, "Did you talk to Neji? What did he say?"
"My brother would not tell us about the council's deliberations," Hinata told him, "But he did say that the results will be announced on Wednesday."
"Great," Naruto frowned, "Now I'll be distracted tomorrow, too."
"We'll just have to find some way to take your mind off the Trials," Hinata suggested.
"Well, we could go back to working on the Doton: Rasengan," he mused, "Even if the earth chakra strings are thicker and less flexible, we should be able to find a way to form the sphere..."
"No work talk today," she told him, pouting sternly, "We need to relax."
"I'm always relaxed with you, Hinata," he squeezed her hand, then joked, "Well maybe not when someone is trying to kill us, but you know, the rest of the time."
She moved in closer, letting go of his hand so she could link their arms and lean her head on his shoulder. After almost an hour of tranquil strolling, the forest around the path began to thin, and the roar of the waterfall could be heard. They broke through moments later, stepping onto the sandy beach surrounding the pool at the base of the falls. The morning sun was especially warm for April, and the cool spray from the crashing water was welcome.
The couple separated to unpack. Naruto checked that the cooler was sealed tightly, then submerged it in the sand and cool water at the edge of the river, to help keep it chilled. Hinata had already set out her towel by the time he returned, and was in the process of removing her skirt and t-shirt. Naruto's jaw and tote dropped in unison.
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A Growing Affection
FanfictionAfter a misunderstanding reveals hidden emotions, Naruto and Hinata begin training together, getting to know each other. At the same time Sakura finds herself jealous. Takes place in a tangent after the Elemental Training Arc of the Shippuden timeli...