It was a blazing hot afternoon, the last Friday in August, when three formless brown masses detached from the forest and shuffled silently towards the main gate of the Konohagakure. Team Anko was on guard duty, and Ino and Choji tensed as the shapes drew closer. Shikamaru observed them, curious, yet decidedly unconcerned.
"I think we should hose you down before we let you back in the village," he informed the invaders, causing his partners to relax.
"Please do," Sakura groaned, lifting her head far enough that Ino could now see her friend's green eyes amidst the muck caking her body, "The Hokage put the knucklehead in charge, and our 'leader' decided getting back to the village to report on our mission was more important than taking a few hours to clean up."
"Come on, Sakura," Naruto's pearly white grin flashed from under the mud and reeds covering most of his face, "You know this mission was for one of Gramma Tsunade's VIP friends, so we had to get back ASAP. And after trekking around that swamp for a week, it will take more than a few hours to get cleaned up, especially without a real shower or a washing machine."
She sighed slightly, unable to refute his point.
"Besides," Uzumaki smirked even more broadly, "I can't wait to see the look on Gramma Tsunade's face when we tromp into her office looking like this."
Choji chuckled in agreement. Hinata sighed at her boyfriend in exaggerated exasperation, but a twinkle in her white eyes showed she was not completely opposed to the prank.
"You're asking for it," Shikamaru cautioned him, but he looked amused by the prospect as well.
"Let's just get this over with," Sakura grimaced, "I'm ready to spend about a week in the tub."
Choji and Ino made way for them, and the blonde Kunoichi made a big production of avoiding them. Naruto stomped forward, proudly filthy, and his teammates followed with much less energy.
"Should we call the Hokage?" Ino asked, knowing they might catch some heat from their finicky commander. Shikamaru just shrugged apathetically.
"I'm just glad they're getting along again," Choji said, opening a bag of chips. Though he had recovered from his battle with the One-Tails Tanuki, he was not yet quite back to his original weight; and Ino was trying moderately to keep him where he was.
Ino and Shikamaru both nodded, recalling the month of May. Though none of the members of Team Kakashi had told anyone else about what had occurred between them outside Naruto's condo, somehow everyone in the village seemed to know that Sakura had made a move on Naruto, that he rejected her, and that Hinata had seen the whole thing. For the next few weeks, Naruto and Hinata had been on eggshells around Sakura, and she around them.
The tension had spread to all of their friends, and battles lines had been drawn. Lee sided with Sakura for obvious reasons, and Ino supported her former rival as a matter of friendship. Temari didn't take sides, but expressed a belief that Sakura had not done anything wrong. Choji and Shikamaru stayed neutral for the sake of their respective lovers. But Shino, Sasame, Neji, Tenten, and Konohamaru's gang all stood with Hinata, though most of them were more outraged than she was. And finally their was the anti-Naruto camp; Kiba and Hanabi were both of the mind that Naruto wasn't good enough for either Hinata or Sakura, and didn't deserve to be the center of a love triangle. Most of the older shinobi, wisely, kept their noses out of the cyclone.
Hinata, meanwhile, expressed to Naruto a feeling of liberation. She was not happy that Sakura had kissed her boyfriend, but she was relieved to finally have everything made public, and immensely happy that Naruto had turned Sakura down. Despite that, they were unsure how to act around Sakura. Uzumaki in particular; the new Tokujo became extremely jumpy whenever he saw the color pink out of the corner of his eye. In the end, it was Sakura who had taken the initiative to resolve matters.
"We need to talk," Sakura said firmly, cutting off Naruto and Hinata's exit from the Uchiha estate. The June afternoon was breezy, and many big, fluffy clouds hung lazily above the winds. Kakashi Hatake had been teaching the trio the rudiments of fire element manipulation, and in spite of himself was surprised by the speed with which Naruto was mastering his fourth element. The Copy Ninja's fiancé had also joined them, taking position between Hinata and Sakura. Yugao claimed her actions were from nostalgia, and to make sure they had even pairs, but none of the teens were fooled. After all four of his students had displayed proficiency in the Fireball Jutsu, he had dismissed them, and after the parents of Rei were out of sight, Sakura had made her move.
"Of course, Sakura," Hinata agreed with clipped politeness, "What is it?"
Naruto did not say anything, but he was obviously more worried than his girlfriend.
"You both know what it is," the medic sighed, knowing they were owed their suspicions, "It's about the night of the promotions, and what I did."
She phrased it to take all the blame on herself, hoping that the admission of guilt would help ease the tension in the air. It did, but only slightly. The pink-haired girl exhaled again, struggling as to how she should proceed. Then her inner self growled, and her infamous temper gave way.
"Look, I shouldn't have kissed Naruto, okay?" she said angrily, struggling to keep her voice low enough she wouldn't attract their teachers' attention, "It wasn't fair to either of you and probably wasn't good for me, either. And maybe I shouldn't have asked Naruto to dump Hinata, but..."
She trailed off, her temper and momentum stolen by her words. She took a deep breath, and continued more calmly, but still just as intently.
"But I needed to clear the air, and get that out in the open," she insisted, "And I needed to hear some of the things Naruto said. Even if I'm still not sure he's right."
"Either way," she shrugged, "I'm done with it. I'm sick of alienating my friends, especially you two. And I haven't hit Naruto for doing something stupid for months. I haven't even been able to tell him off, because I keep getting all googly-eyed."
"Hey!" the blonde teen protested.
"You melted that Akatsuki base!" she growled at him, "Never mind the fact you used a jutsu you didn't fully understand, that the Fox Demon taught you, and made it three times stronger than it needed to be. No, the real issue is that you just up and destroyed the place. Who knows what kind of intel we could have recovered. You're just lucky there weren't any other prisoners there."
She punched him in the arm, and felt immensely more like herself.
"So, that's why I decided," she looked at them earnestly, hopefully, "I'm not going to be in love with Naruto any more."
Both Naruto and Hinata struggled to contain their incredulity. Sakura was not looking at them any more, so she missed their dubious expressions.
"From now on, I'm going back to normal," she informed them, "I'm going to treat you both like I used to before you started dating. And I hope you can do the same for me."
Still facing the ground, she quickly exited before either of her teammates could challenge her. Naruto frowned at Hinata thoughtfully, and the Hyuga scion looked worried.
"Naruto?" she stammered slightly, "Do you think she means it? Can she really just stop being in love with you?"
He shrugged, but his expression didn't change.
"If it were anyone else, I would say no," he decided, "But no matter how often or how coldly Sasuke dismissed her, Sakura still expected they would still fall in love. And even after he became a traitor, she believed that some day she, or I, or Kakashi-sensei would find the right words to convince Sasuke to come back. To return to the village, and to our team. She can be insanely stubborn, and so I think if she really sets her heart on going back to how she used to act, she probably can."
Hinata nodded, mostly convinced. But something else troubled her.
"Naruto, what you just said... Does that mean you don't believe in Sasuke anymore?" his girlfriend asked.
"No," Naruto shook his head, "Even before he gave his body to that snake, I didn't believe. I still wanted to keep my word, and held on to an ember of hope, but in my heart and in my mind I knew he would never come back."
"I think we should do the same thing as Sakura," she requested, "Put it behind us, and try to go back to something like the way things were."
The realization that she was drawing close to the Hyuga Manor pulled Hinata back out of her memories. The next few weeks had still been somewhat tense; but as the heat of July burned away the last days of June, somehow acting like everything was back to normal stopped being an act. The Byakugan user still detected a spark in Sakura's eyes from time to time when she looked at Naruto, but otherwise she and the medic were back to being friends. Sakura even supported her teammate's relationship, more or less, except for any public displays of affection. But she didn't give Naruto and Hinata any more grief than she gave Ino and Choji, or Tenten and Neji.
Thinking of the last couple made Hinata ironically pause. She and Naruto were set to have dinner with her cousin and his partner tonight, so she needed to hurry. But that also forced her to remember her current sorry state. Though it had been amusing to go along with Naruto's plan, she had no desire to spread the muck over her family's home. After almost two days of travel, it still wasn't totally dry, and she felt sorry for the servants who would be forced to clean it up. So, she diverted into a small park, and used her earth chakra to divest herself of the worst of the mess. She still needed a shower, and then a bath, and then probably another shower, but at least she wouldn't spread filth to anything she touched.
When Hinata Hyuga entered her clan's stronghold, one of her greatest worries was realized. Not two steps into the door, she nearly collided with her father and grandfather. She subtly and quickly danced back, inclining her head and murmuring a greeting, before hurrying off to her room.
"What was that?" Hyouta Hyuga sniffed imperiously, watching the young woman retreat.
"Hinata has just returned from an important mission," Hiashi asserted, "which unfortunately required her team to trek through a swamp."
"How unbecoming for a member of this clan," the elder sniffed again.
"It was an A-Rank mission," the Hyuga leader said, trying to keep down his annoyance. He also felt a kernel of shame, realizing he had been the same way only a few years ago.
"Recovering the personal holy symbol of the High Priest of the Rising Sun temple is a very prestigious task, regardless of where the thieves hide," Hiashi continued.
The older man turned away, letting the matter drop as unworthy of his attention. He began to stride away, and his son had to hop to keep up.
"I believe we were discussing your nephew and the disenfranchised girl," Hyouta pretended to recall.
"Yes," Hiashi shifted gears quickly, "Tenten has accepted Neji's proposal. I gather you disapprove?"
"Not at all," the chief elder of the Hyuga clan said smugly, "With no clan to oppose us, it will be easy to... bring... her into our family. And her genetic heritage offers interesting possibilities. She is a fine match for Hizashi's son."
"However," the older man changed the course of the discussion again, "I am dismayed that you have allowed your first daughter to continue this farce with the Jinchuriki."
Hiashi forced himself to remain neutral. Despite the negative connotations of the phrase, his father's tone had remained even and conversational, so Hiashi could not react without appearing in the wrong.
"I cannot imagine what you mean," Hinata's father laced his voice with confusion, "I do not believe Hinata knows a demon vessel."
Then with just a hint of condescension, Hiashi pretended to understand, "Oh you must mean Naruto. You must have forgotten the Kyubi merged with him almost four months ago, creating a new Kekkei Genkai."
Hyouta sniffed again, and turned away from his son, his face growing tight with concealed rage. But his visage cleared just as quickly.
"Whatever that punk might be," the grandfather of Hanabi said dismissively, "we have the future of the clan to consider. And to that point, there is something we need to speak on in private. Come, Hiashi."
The former clan leader led his son back to the clan head's office.
Hinata wore a simple cyan sundress, and matching sandals. Instead of her usual braid, she had pulled her hair into a simple ponytail. Her cheeks where lightly blushed and her lips glossed, but she did not like to wear a great deal of makeup, nor did she need it. She also wore the silver and emerald bracelet Naruto had given her, and matching earrings. Hinata carried a deeper blue purse, small enough to only contain the essentials; a small amount of cash, her lip-gloss, emergency feminine hygiene products, and a single kunai.
The Kunoichi looked around, wondering where Neji was, it was getting close to time for them to leave. Just as she was getting ready to look for him, he rounded the corner. Hinata's eyes widened in worry.
"Is something wrong, my brother?" she asked, noticing instantly that he was wearing his uniform. She wondered if he had received an emergency call.
"No, nothing is wrong," Neji frowned, "Why do you ask?"
"You are wearing your uniform," she pointed out, slightly concerned, "I thought perhaps you and Tenten had received an emergency call and would need to cancel."
The Jonin shook his head, "No, nothing of the sort."
"Then why are you dressed like that?" she prompted.
"My Hyuga clan robes are the most formal outfit I own," he said defensively.
"Formal?" she frowned in confusion.
"Naruto invited Tenten and I to join the two of you for dinner," he reflected her uncertainty, "How else would I be attired?"
"Neji," she suppressed a smile, understanding finally, "Think about what you just said. Do you really think Naruto would host anything too traditional? This is just a casual get together. I doubt Naruto will be wearing anything more than a t-shirt and shorts."
"Do you think I should change?" he felt foolish.
"It's up to you," she said gently, her lips turning up, "I'm sure Naruto won't care either way, so wear whatever makes you most comfortable."
"Perhaps I will change then."
As it turned out, Hinata was wrong. Naruto was also wearing an apron, over his orange t-shirt and blue jean shorts. He kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, and then stepped back to allow the three of them to enter.
Neji had changed into a deep blue polo shirt and khaki shorts, and when they picked up Tenten, she was wearing a shot sleeved, tan blouse and black, denim skirt. The male Jonin was immediately thankful to his cousin for her advice.
"You're late," Naruto chided them happily, "But I guess your timing is pretty good, I was just getting ready to throw the ribs on the grill."
"My apologies," Neji offered stiffly, "I had to change my clothes."
"Don't worry about it, I was just kidding," their host was surprised by how literally his rival took him, "Have a seat, I'll be back in a minute."
"I'll help you," Hinata closed the gap between them, and collected the platter with the meat. Neji moved tensely to one of Naruto's love seats, and settled in almost mechanically. Tenten sat next to him, much more naturally. She leaned in close, and whispered, "Relax, Neji. It's just Naruto and Hinata."
"I know, but they are the first people we are telling, outside of our team, your parents and my uncle," he murmured back.
"Are you really worried about how Naruto and Hinata will react?" the weapons mistress prodded her lover, both vocally and physically. He did not answer, just watched them through the patio doors. Hinata laughed as Naruto accidentally sloshed sauce on his apron.
"We don't have to tell them tonight," Tenten offered, "We could wait until we tell everyone."
"No, I want Hinata to know," he managed a slight smirk, "and that means telling Naruto as well."
"Telling me what?" their host asked, hanging his red stained apron on a hook by the patio door. Hinata followed after him, with a look of expectation. Tenten glanced at Neji hopefully, and he gave her an exaggerated sigh, and then nodded.
"Neji and I are getting married," the recently promoted Jonin informed them, slipping on her ring and showing it. Hinata squeaked happily, and embraced her friend. Naruto shook Neji's hand with a rueful look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" the Hyuga Jonin asked suspiciously.
"I guess I was just hoping you would hold out a little longer," Naruto smirked.
"This was not the first time I asked her," Neji admitted, and both the younger teens turned to stare at Tenten.
"He asked me last year, too," she informed them, "But I wasn't ready."
"She told me that she would not marry me until we were both full Jonin," the ranking shinobi added.
"I expected he would ask me again on the day the promotions were announced," she frowned at him slightly, "But he made me sweat it out for two months."
"Man, it seems like everyone is getting engaged," their host noted, "First Kakashi-sensei and Yugao-sensei, then Iruk..."
He trailed off when he saw Hinata's frightened look, but it was too late.
"Iruka and Anko are getting married?" Tenten demanded in excitement.
"No," Hinata shook her head weakly, "Of course not. You know what Anko-sensei is like. Don't you think she'd laugh in Iruka-sensei's face if he proposed?"
"Probably," Tenten was forced to agree.
"And even if they were just moving in together, and had exchanged promise rings," Naruto said firmly, "You wouldn't have heard it from me. Umm, because they wouldn't trust me not to tell everyone, right?"
Uzumaki started strong, but his too specific denial grew unsure at the end. Tenten smiled broadly at him, and both Hyuga cousins looked dismayed in their own way.
"I better check on the ribs," Naruto quickly excused himself, even though the pork had not been cooking for much more than a minute. After the door closed, Tenten closed in on Hinata.
"Did they really exchange promise rings instead of getting engaged?" the weapons mistress asked directly. Hinata nodded and Tenten prompted, "Why not?"
The pale beauty struggled for a moment, and then softly said, "Anko-sensei says she can't marry Iruka, or have his children, while she still bears the Curse Mark."
"I can understand why she would say that," Neji stated, and both girls looked at him perceptively.
"Please, don't tell anyone else," Hinata pleaded with them, and both of the older teens smiled kindly at her.
"We won't," the other Kunoichi assured her friend, "But we just have to hassle Naruto a little."
"Don't give him too hard of a time," the pale beauty requested more sternly, "Naruto has been worried that he and I have been taking things to slowly, especially with everything happening between our teachers, plus Temari and Shikamaru moving in together."
"Neji, go help Naruto," Tenten ordered. He raised an eyebrow at the command, but she glared back at him, and he managed to exit without looking too rushed. Tenten locked the door behind him, drawing a surprised look from the chef. Then the weapons expert rounded on her friend with an intense expression.
"Hinata, don't tell me you two aren't sleeping together yet?" Tenten demanded incredulously.
"Well..." Hinata tapped her fingers together for the first time in over six weeks. Tenten sighed at herself for pushing her 'student' too far, and at the younger couple in general.
"We haven't even gotten much past second base," Hinata confessed softly
"You've been together for almost a year," the Jonin said more gently, despite her shock, "And that's not counting the four months you spent feeling each other out... So to speak. What's the matter?
"I think Naruto is afraid if he goes to far, he will scare me away," Hinata admitted, "I think he might have decided to wait until we're married. And no matter how much more forward I may have become, I'm just not sure I can seduce him.
"Wait for marriage?" Tenten's eyes grew like saucers in amazement, "Naruto Uzumaki? The biggest pervert in the village?"
"Tenten," Hinata barked angrily at the insult. Then her expression softened a little, and she added, "You and I both know that Ino Yamanaka is the biggest pervert in the village."
The new Jonin chuckled, unable to refute the statement.
"And leaving aside Ino, and Master Jiraiya, and certain others," Hinata continued, "Naruto hasn't really earned his reputation. Yes, he used to be a peeping tom, but that was to perfect his Sexy Jutsu. But what else has he done to earn to be labeled a pervert?"
"He did help the Pervy Sage write his 'books'," Tenten pointed out smugly, "Have you read those things?"
"N... no..." Hinata stammered, blushing slightly. Then she regained control, and asserted, "Naruto only did that because Master Jiraiya was too caught up in 'writing' to train him. And Naruto has never peeked on me, no matter how many times I try to get him to look."
"Hinata!" Tenten exclaimed, both proud and scandalized. Then she turned up only one side of her mouth, and implied, "Maybe he's gotten an eyeful, and you just didn't notice."
Hinata grinned back, and activated her Byakugan.
"Maybe not," Tenten conceded, and then another thing occurred to her, "So does this mean you've taken a look at what Naruto has to offer?"
Hinata turned bright red, and hid her face in her hands. But she did not counter the query, and behind her palms, her smile widened a little.
"You're not denying it," Tenten needled her friend, and Hinata pushed her face deeper into her hands. The older girl prepared to press the issue, but then Naruto knocked on the glass door to the balcony.
"Don't think you're off the hook," the weapons mistress whispered as the Hyuga scion composed herself and turned to open the door.
"I still cannot believe you cooked that, Naruto," Neji said again, as the four teens approached the front door to Naruto's abode, "That was better than most restaurants."
Dinner eaten, and a romantic comedy enjoyed, the Jonin couple prepared to take their leave. Naruto and Hinata escorted them to the exit, though the younger Hyuga was not ready to leave just yet.
"The Pervy Sage is pretty picky," Naruto shrugged unhappily, "If I wanted to learn, he had to be well fed. That might be part of why I don't like cooking. Not to mention all the hassle with prep and clean up."
"That reminds me, I still need to do the dishes," Hinata noted softly.
"You make her do the dishes?" Tenten demanded, annoyed.
"No," Naruto shot back, "I don't even want Hinata to do the dishes. But she insists."
"It's only fair," the younger Kunoichi asserted, "And if I don't, he'll just shove everything in the dishwasher anyway."
"That's what it's for," Naruto mumbled defensively.
"Besides, I like doing the dishes," Hinata smiled slightly, ignoring her boyfriend, "I don't get to do anything like that at home."
"Well, we better get going," Tenten said, "Are we still on for tomorrow, Hinata?"
"Yes, of course," the younger teen nodded at her coach happily.
"Are you training with Kakashi tomorrow, then?" Neji asked Naruto in polite curiosity.
"I would be," the blonde grinned ruefully, "but in revenge for making a mess of her office, Gramma Tsunade is sending me on a C-Rank delivery mission with Konohamaru's team. So I'll be gone the next two days."
"Well, then we really better give you two some time alone tonight," Tenten winked at Hinata and shoved her fiancé out the door, pulling it shut behind her. Naruto locked the door, and turned to his girlfriend with a roguish look.
"Dishes first," she shook her head regretfully. But Naruto caught her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace, enjoying the shape of her body against his.
"How about a little dessert first," he suggested, "then I help you with the dishes, and then a little more dessert?"
Before she could answer, he kissed her deeply and passionately, letting her feel how much he had missed her lips while they were in the swamp. Her resistance melted, and she pressed herself firmly to him.
"That works too," she panted after he released her. He grinned and lifted her, carrying her to the couch.