V2.0 Author's Note: Thanks everyone who pointed out the errors in this chapter. They have now been edited.

The sun rose over the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The citizens of the oldest and most storied of the shinobi villages prided themselves on their discipline and spirit of community; their Will of Fire. However, sense of community was a human creation and as such was flawed. The most obvious manifestation of this tragedy was Konoha's reaction to the wounds of the Kyūbi's attack. The bijū's wrath had fallen upon the village without warning or reason. At least, this was the belief of the village at large. Their sense of community unified Konoha in mourning, even at the expense of a child.

Uzumaki Naruto was this child.

He walked amongst the villagers and was seemingly impervious to their apathy, their sneers of derision, and their cruel whispers. Naruto continued to walk towards his destination with a broad smile adorning his face. The aspiring ninja reached the building and threw open the door.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Hong, owner of one of Konoha's largest blacksmith shops, emerged from the back room. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and pulled a scroll out of his interior jacket pocket.

"It's just re-introductions. I know how it'll go. The girls will go nuts over Sasuke. Shikamaru will sleep through it, Kiba will blab about Akamaru, and I'll just be bored," Naruto scoffed as he pushed a bit of chakra into the scroll. There was a puff of smoke and a dozen storage scrolls appeared on top of original scroll.

"Storage scrolls within storage scrolls?" Hong snorted.

"Try not to think about it too hard. Always gives me a headache," Naruto confided in the blacksmith.

"Eh, kid, how many people know you are good at fuinjutsu?" Hong asked as he checked the storage scrolls.

"Old Man Hokage, you, and Iruka-sensei," Naruto answered. "Now, if my scrolls have passed your visual inspection…"

"Same quality as always," Hong said appreciatively. "I'll probably sell out by the end of the week. What with a Chuunin Exam coming up and all."

"So I've heard," Naruto said with a smile. "How many more will you need?"

Hong counted out a number of ryō notes. "As many as you can make," the blacksmith handed the bills over to Naruto.

"A pleasure doing business with you," Naruto said with a huge smile as he finished counting the bills. The blacksmith nodded and took the scrolls. Naruto didn't let his smile slip into a grimace until he was in sight of the Academy. The Academy wasn't the source of his annoyance. It was Hong. Naruto had seen the mark-ups the blacksmith had put on the scrolls Naruto produced. Hong was making a ridiculous profit on the scrolls.

'He could afford to give me a few more ryō per scroll,' Naruto thought in annoyance. However, all he could do was grin and bear it. Hong was the only customer he had found for his scrolls. Naruto had attempted to offer his services to several other shops, but had been refused entry. Naruto had taken the hint and searched elsewhere.

The outcast orphan pushed open the Academy doors and expected to get some kind of reaction for his forceful and late entry. Instead, there was a crowd hovering around the middle of room. Naruto always preferred to be the center of attention, so he made his way to the gaggle of his classmates. As he headed to the confrontation, he noticed that Iruka-sensei wasn't in the room.

'Probably why this is even happening,' Naruto observed as he jumped up on a nearby desk to get a good view of the action.

"What?" Naruto heard Sasuke ask.

"I said no. Is that so hard to understand, Sasuke-san?" a girl's voice said rather firmly. That really got Naruto's attention. Naruto would have never expected a girl to turn down Sasuke.

Naruto chewed the inside of his lip as he tried to place the girl's voice. 'Ah, I think it's that Hyūga girl. I can't really remember her name, either Hikari or Hinata. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the second one.'

Naruto wasn't really familiar with Hinata. She mostly kept to herself and was really quiet. Naruto had heard that she worked hard and he could respect her for that. That being said, she had never registered much to Naruto. Naruto had just never paid her the attention he did to Sakura. Though, Naruto admitted, it was probably because Hinata had been in one of the other classes until recently. There had been a number of 'weed outs' recently and the Academy had consolidated the three classes into one final class.

"What's going on?" Naruto whispered to Tobio.

"Sasuke just got rejected. I never thought I'd see the day," Naruto's classmate said quietly. Naruto snickered. This was going to get good.

"I don't understand. I asked you on a date," Sasuke said in a flat, disbelieving tone. "The other girls would be thrilled for the opportunity."

"Unlike the others, I refuse to be a prize. I am not content to be decoration," Hinata spoke resolutely. Naruto was rolling with laughter. He wasn't going to regret coming to class today. Mizuki could talk about why egg prices in Suna matter to Konoha and Naruto wouldn't complain too loudly. The look on Sasuke's face was making it all worth it.

Naruto wiped a tear from his eye. "Sasuke…got burned by a girl. Oh man, this is great!" Naruto cackled and bathed in the looks of annoyance and ire he was getting. He was the center of attention now. His existence was the one being confirmed. Sasuke and his fangirls shot Naruto a glare that could have caused a bijū to quail, which caused Naruto to just erupt into a new batch of laughter. Naruto just cheekily bowed to the group before jumping off the desk.

'Oh man, that really made my day…made up for getting shafted by Hong again, even,' Naruto thought contentedly. 'I'm so glad I decided to come in today.'

Naruto looked to the back corner of the room and watched as Hinata sat down. The way she carried herself seemed odd to Naruto. Hinata had sounded really confident when she shot down Sasuke. However, as she sat down, Naruto noticed that she was clearly trying to calm down. 'Weird, it's almost like she didn't want to be the center of attention,' Naruto thought. He was about to head over and find out more details on Hinata's humiliation of Sasuke. Instead, Iruka and Mizuki reentered the classroom.

"Everyone to your seats!" Mizuki barked. Most of the class scurried to their seats. Sasuke, however, threw one last glare at Naruto before taking a seat.

"And thank you, Naruto, for finally deciding to join us," Iruka said in concerned exasperation.

"A man's got to pay his bills," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Regardless, I hope you arrive on time from now on. Naruto, you cannot be tardy on the first day, it sets a bad tone for the rest of the term!" Iruka admonished.

Naruto shrugged again and took a seat in the middle of the classroom. He just hoped things stayed interesting. 'Oh well, if things get boring I can always work on some seals,' Naruto thought as Iruka launched into a congratulatory speech commending the class for surviving the latest round of cuts. 'Yeah, I'm going to be practicing seals, I just know it.'

Hinata had finally calmed down after the incident with the class. The attention of her peers was fully on Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. She was confident in her abilities, but was still uncomfortable in large groups. Hinata was an introvert and had accepted that fact years ago. She was proud of the strides she had made since that fateful day when she was six.

'But was that really him?' Hinata asked herself. 'It had to have been, Iruka-sensei called him Naruto.'

Hinata still remembered that day like it was yesterday. She had been defeated by Hanabi in a spar. The defeat at the hands of her sister was not what crushed her, however. It was the look of utter disapproval from her father that caused Hinata to burst into tears. Hinata's shame and disappointment had driven her from the Hyūga Compound. She ran for what seemed like hours before running into a group of older Academy students. Hinata's carelessness had offended them greatly and they dragged her into the woods. She had been humiliated and forced to grovel.

Then Naruto had arrived.

He was everything Hinata wasn't at that time. Naruto had spoken with conviction. Hinata could barely whisper to her own father. Naruto had stood up straight. Hinata shrank into herself. Naruto had dared the bullies to look him in the eyes. Hinata wished to simply disappear. The other boys had mentioned that the adults disapproved of Naruto. Instead of looking down, Naruto had smirked and restated his desire to be Hokage. Hinata was in awe of the fact that Naruto was supremely confident. He had started the fight and drawn first blood. Even when all three bullies had attacked him at once, Naruto hadn't given up. He had kicked and wrestled even as they held him down.

Hinata had also made her decision. She had resolved to help Naruto. Hinata leapt to her feet, but before she could step in, Kō arrived and the bullies fled from Hinata's Chūnin guardian. Naruto had taken one last blow to the head before the bullies had fled and was unconscious as Kō dragged Hinata away.

"Stop," Hinata whispered. She had blushed when she realized she had spoken out loud. That had been her first command. Sadly, by the time Hinata had convinced Kō to go back and help Naruto, the boy had been found by someone. Hinata did not have a chance to thank him, but was grateful he had been watched after.

That day had changed Hinata. She had decided to find a shred of Naruto's determination within herself. It had been difficult at first, especially after the influx of refugees from Kirigakure and the Land of Water. Many of the children had entered the Academy and Hinata's year had been split into three classes. Hinata and Naruto had been placed in different classes. After a few days, Hinata had begun to falter. She was slipping back into depression. One day, Hinata changed. It was a sudden and unexpected thing. She had been in a conversation with two branch members about the meal for a ceremony. Hinata had researched the guests and realized they had certain tastes and that the suggestions the servers were making would likely offend the visiting dignitaries. Normally, Hinata would have never spoken up. That day she had been moved to protect the Clan even if it was from a wealthy merchant's peculiar pallet.

She still remembered the looks of shocked approval from the older women. Looking back, Hinata could not believe that had been the moment she had begun to assert herself. Her actions had even won the first sliver of approval from her demanding father.

Hinata had started taken small steps forward, and before long had realized she had made true progress. Most importantly, the growth had been driven by Hinata's desire for change. She may have had Naruto's example, but she alone had accomplished so much.

'I wonder if I'll get a chance to thank Naruto for being such an inspiration?' Hinata thought to herself.

"I hope you enjoy your lunch! We need you all back at the bell, because there will be a group assignment," Iruka announced. The class mostly acknowledged Iruka and began to file out of the classroom. The teacher shook his head and walked up one of the aisles. He watched as Shikamaru woke up after being prodded by Chouji.

As he reached the top of stairs, the teacher took a seat. "I'm glad to see your progress, Naruto."

"Thanks Iruka-sensei," Naruto responded as he looked up from his seals. "I was really planning on being here on time…Hong, well; Hong is really trying to screw me over."

"Hokage-sama and I are aware. If it makes you feel any better, Hong is notoriously dishonest. Haruno Mebuki of the Refugee Commission is leading the charge to put him in his place."

"Heh, hearing that he's screwing everyone over and not just me does make me feel better," Naruto confessed.

Iruka laughed. "Let me guess, Hong didn't leave you enough time to get lunch?"

"N-No," Naruto admitted. Iruka frowned at Naruto's hesitant tone. Naruto valued his independence and was a very proud young man.

"Don't worry. I have a bit extra today. Come on, I'll share." Iruka stood up and motioned to the door.

Naruto returned Iruka's smile as he packed up his fuinjutsu supplies. "Thank, Iruka-sensei. So, is this group assignment going to be really boring? I mean, I'd rather work on my fuinjutsu! Did you know I'm almost got a B-rank down!"

"That's great Naruto! Which B-rank?"

Naruto started bouncing on his feet as he explained the basics of the Fūka Hōin to his favorite teacher. The arrived in the teacher's lounge quickly and Naruto chowed down. Iruka laughed at the boy's enthusiasm even as he chided Naruto's lack of table manners.

"You haven't answered my question, though. What's this group assignment?" Naruto asked as he leaned back in the chair.

Iruka smiled. "Jutsu practice. Everyone will be partnered up to judge weaknesses and to help with the Substitution."

"Ha! That's awesome. We get to throw things at each other!" Naruto exclaimed.

"There's a bonus for you," Iruka said with a smile. "You are partnering with Hinata."

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Really?" Iruka nodded. "That's going to be fun. I wonder…"

"Naruto, you haven't been in her class since you were seven. Unless you've been running into her when I'm not around…she might shoot you down like she did Sasuke."

"Oh ye of little faith! I'm the next Hokage. Iruka-sensei, I have a plan."

"Should we start panicking yet?" Mizuki asked from the doorway. He smirked at his friend and the boy.

"Actually…not yet, Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto assured the other teacher. "This has almost nothing to do with a prank."

Mizuki snorted. "Almost nothing is a step up. I guess I shouldn't get too hopeful for 'absolutely nothing', then?"

"Nah, this is more of a passive prank. No seals, no water balloons. Heck, I'll be behaving as part of it."

"You're not helping me avoid panicking, Naruto," Mizuki grumbled. The blond-headed boy simply smiled as Iruka started to guide him back to the classroom.

Uchiha Sasuke had already finished eating and was attempting to use his time productively. He had spent part of the previous night searching his Clan histories for useful jutsu or information on activating the Sharingan. Sasuke had not uncovered any additional insight into the Sharingan, but found a scroll hidden in the tiles of his cousin Renji's bedroom. The scroll was details on the Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu. It was a great boon for the young Uchiha. The technique was a simple C-rank, but was very versatile. Sasuke could certainly see the potential in it. More importantly, it was a sign of progress in his pursuit of Itachi.

The practice also helped him focus on a positive instead of his embarrassment earlier in the day.

Sasuke really had no interest in Hyūga Hinata. Truthfully, Sasuke believed pursuing a relationship while Itachi was alive to be a cruel risk to both himself and whoever Sasuke became involved with. It was just Hinata was the most palatable of the girls in the Academy. She was driven and successful. Then there was the advantage that Sasuke could eventually call it off due to 'biology'.

Hinata simply couldn't bear proper Uchiha children. There had been a few Uchiha-Hyūga unions in the past. Most had simply borne 'normal' children that completely lacked the Dōjutsu of their parents. There was a single case of a child bearing both the Byakugan and the Sharingan, but she had been killed on her very first C-rank mission. There were many theories about the circumstances. The most common theory was that the Hyūga Elders and Uchiha Madara had both decreed that the child's existence was a black mark on both Clans. Purity had to be maintained and so, the young woman had met a tragic fate. Worse, at least in Sauke's mind, were the unfortunate children who had tragically been born blind and…challenged due to the complications of the genetics behind both Dōjutsu activating in a single person. The myriad of risks of an Uchiha-Hyūga union were just too much to build a new Uchiha Clan upon.

Despite Sasuke's beliefs that Hinata would have simply been an amusing fling and a buffer against the annoying fangirls, her adamant and swift rejection stung his pride.

'Still, she's one of the few students at the Academy who aren't doomed to failure. I can count on one hand the students who won't be an embarrassment,' Sasuke thought. Once again, his pride was stung that one of those who wasn't clueless to the realities of the Shinobi World was Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto's antics earlier had amplified Sasuke's embarrassment. It galled Sasuke that Naruto, an insufferable loudmouth, prankster, and punk who held no regard for his academic standing was one of the most prepared Academy students for the real world. The Uzumaki trained as hard as anyone in the Academy in taijutsu and was mastering a rare and valuable Shinobi Art.

'Fuinjutsu…that should be way too advanced for someone who can't even bother to write his name on his homework half the time,' Sasuke thought to himself.

The bell rang and Sasuke reestablished his perfect emotional control. Hopefully, the day would conclude without any other embarrassments.

Hyūga Hinata quietly sat down in her usual position at the back of the room. The other students were slowly making their way into the room. She went through the motions of unpacking her school supplies as a cover to allow her bangs to hide her eyes. 'Byakugan.' Hinata's awareness expanded to encompass the entire classroom, the Academy, and most of the Village. She quickly focused her attention on her immediate surroundings. Ino and Sakura were waffling in their internal debates about approaching Sasuke. The Uchiha was fuming about the earlier rejection. Hinata had no regrets about shooting Sasuke down, but her heart raced with nervous energy. The other girls had looked absolutely furious when Sasuke asked Hinata out. Their rage had quadrupled after Hinata had the 'audacity' to reject Uchiha Sasuke.

Hinata was still galled by his presumptions. She was not an object to be paraded about to act as a buffer between Sasuke and the shallow girls of the Academy.

She was currently looking for Uzumaki Naruto. He had stood up for her when she was young and his unflappable nature had been the catalyst for Hinata's personal growth. Today, despite it being a self-centered act honestly, Naruto had helped Hinata yet again. Hinata may have discovered self-confidence and become comfortable with herself, but she still was a naturally introverted person. She was not a fan of crowds. The accusatory glares cast at her back were also an uncomfortable reminder of her early childhood and the painful days of her father and clan's extreme disapproval. Naruto's outburst had given Hinata a welcome reprieve.

Naruto arrived as Hinata imagined he would: full of pride and without a single worry about how others would judge him. She truly admired his unshakable sense of confidence. Hinata's own confidence had solidified and grown over the years, but she knew it was nowhere near as concrete as Naruto's confidence.

Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei entered the room and Hinata focused on Naruto for a fraction of a second before turning her attention to the teachers. Naruto's action brought a blush to her cheeks. 'Did he wink? He has to have impressive attention to detail to be an adept with seals. M-Maybe he noticed me?'

That potential line of thought faded away when Hinata looked up and noticed Iruka-sensei shook his head mirthfully and Mizuki-sensei rolled his eyes. The wink wasn't likely aimed at Hinata. It caused her to relax for a moment.

"I hope everyone enjoyed their lunch," Iruka announced. "Now, we're going to have a partner exercise."

Almost everyone in the room perked up at the news. Almost all of the girls were whispering excitedly at the prospect of being Sasuke's partner. There were very few people who weren't wondering about their partners. Nara Shikamaru knew that at the end of the day, the current partner wouldn't matter. Aburame Shino was professional enough to adapt to any situation. Hinata was also a consummate professional, but would not deny she had preferences for her partner.

Of course, Uzumaki Naruto knew exactly who his partner would be and was trying not to gloat.

"I will begin by announcing the partners for the exercise. First, Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka began. A sudden tension formed in the air. Naruto watched as many of the girls and a few guys leaned forward in anticipation. The budding seal master took a quick glance to a few of his friends. Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji all had a look of complete indifference. Kiba, in fact, was focused more on Akamaru than anything else.

'No surprise there,' Naruto thought. His next 'target' was Hinata. He was strangely pleased and relieved that she was sitting quietly with her hands folded in front of her. She was completely different than every other girl in the class. Granted, Naruto's main exposure to the fairer sex over the past few years had been Sasuke's 'fanclub'. Now that Naruto thought about it, they weren't exactly the best examples. Sure, some of them had been really pretty: Sakura and Ino came to mind.

"…and Higarashi Tobio." Iruka finished. A great wail rolled from almost all of the females in the classroom. Once again, Naruto was extremely pleased by Hinata's reaction. Instead of disappointment, relief colored her stance.

"The next pair is Hyūga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka announced. There wasn't much of a reaction, though Naruto thought he heard one or two guys from the other class complain. The most telling reaction was Hinata's. Naruto had been 'observing' her since lunch ended. She had been professional when the situation demanded it. She had been relieved when she had been spared the awkwardness of being paired with Sasuke after she had rejected him hard core. 'Which is still funny,' Naruto mentally added. Now, there was a bit of tension in her shoulders.

Naruto couldn't help but smile, not his exaggerated 'look at me' smile, but an easy natural smile. His studies in fuinjutsu and pranking had given Naruto an eye for detail.

And he definitely liked the details he was seeing in Hinata.

Hinata had never deactivated her Byakugan. She had refocused on Iruka-sensei as he called out Sasuke's partner. It was hard to describe her relief at avoiding being trapped with Sasuke. Her expanded awareness had alerted Hinata to where Naruto's focus was glued.

It wasn't Iruka. Naruto's attention had never wavered in its focus.

On her.

There was a quiet intensity in his focus that birthed a powerful heat in Hinata's cheeks. Naruto wasn't the first boy to show interest in her. It was just none of the other boys had looked at her with anywhere near the same intensity.

Hinata vaguely registered the other partners being announced. The order and reactions were fleetingly recorded in her memory. They were quickly pushed away as the classroom stirred to life. Hinata quickly deactivated her bloodline inheritance and began to head to Naruto's seat.

"I guess we're working together, Hinata," Naruto's voice interrupted Hinata's thought and brought her world screeching to a halt. She paused in the aisle and was shocked at how close she was to Naruto.

This was the first time Hinata had gotten a good look at Naruto since their 'reunion'. His blond hair was the first detail Hinata noticed. It was a brighter and more vibrant shade than the Yamanaka Clan's hair. Naruto's hair was also as unruly and untamed as his personality. The boy was wearing an orange and blue jumpsuit. Hinata quickly flicked her eyes up and down Naruto's body. He was wearing standard shinobi boots with steel toes. His jacket was unzipped and she could see the blue and white t-shirt worn underneath. The t-shirt was emblazoned with the swirl-pattern found on the backs of Konoha's flak jackets.

All those details could not possibly hold Hinata's attention when compared with Naruto's eyes.

They were an electric blue. Electric was the only adjective Hinata could think of to describe Naruto's eyes. No word fully captured the energy in Naruto's vibrant eyes.

"I-I suppose we are," Hinata managed to force out.

Naruto grinned and took his first real look at Hinata. It wasn't her appearance that drew him in first. It was her, for a lack of a better term, aura that caught his attention. She radiated determination. Hinata clearly refused to break. Naruto could tell that she had struggled and fought for everything in her life. It was just something he could tell from a glance. Hinata was earning a deeper respect from Naruto already. Now, the young seal-prodigy took in Hinata's appearance. She was obviously modest as her clothing was baggy and nondescript. Naruto thought that she wore the clothes well, however. The cream-colored jacket Hinata wore had a fur lining at the waist that looked very similar to the lining of Naruto's jacket's collar.

'Heh, maybe we shop at the same stores,' Naruto joked to himself. Once again, his eye for detail revealed a few facts that would be hidden from most observations. Hinata clearly was very fit. Naruto noticed the way that the jacket had moved with Hinata as she had turned around. The blond managed to hide his amusement as he silently compared Hinata to a complex fuinjutsu formula.

"Now that everyone has moved to their partners, I will explain the exercises," Mizuki announced. The class fell silent. Many students wanted to discover the lesson so that they could improve. There were others who wanted to get this torture over with so that they could escape their partners. Naruto and Hinata fell into a final group who were curious about the length of time they would be working together.

"We will begin by heading outside so that you all may practice your Kawarimi no Jutsu, or as it is called by civilians the 'Substitution jutsu'. In this exercise, Iruka and I want you to critique your partners. Do not hesitate out of fear of 'hurting' your partner's feelings. Push each other to be the best you can be. When you are in the field, the enemies of Konoha will try to break your will. As shinobi, you must be strong."

After Mizuki's speech, the class headed out. There were stations with several wooden practice shuriken and a number of simple crates. Naruto and Hinata decided to take the one furthest away from the fangirl-throng surrounding Sasuke and Tobio.

Naruto only partially listened to Mizuki drone on about what the instructions were. "Begin," was all Naruto really registered.

He turned to Hinata and grinned. "Do you want to start throwing or should I?"

"I'll start," Hinata answered. She chose a shuriken and looked up at Naruto with a demure smile. "I am glad we are working together."

Naruto couldn't respond as Hinata had thrown one of the shuriken. It was a minor miracle that Naruto managed to substitute with one of the crates. "Thanks," Naruto finally responded. "It's nice to be with a girl who wants to be an actual ninja and not some damsel in distress Sasuke can rescue."

"The Hyūga have higher standards," Hinata responded playfully. Naruto grinned. Hinata was going to be more fun than he thought.

"Good to hear," Naruto said while throwing a shuriken at Hinata's stomach. He waited a moment until she walked back into view after her substitution. "So, any stories from your class before the last weedouts?"

Hinata smiled. "I'm afraid my class was very professional and did not have the drama of your class."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not surprised. Your class had most of the refugees from the Land of Water. They are trying to prove their worth to Konoha by showing out."

"The refugees are very dedicated. Konoha and the Land of Fire saved them from the practical collapse of Kirigakure and the Land of Water." Hinata looked down and noticed that there were only four practice shuriken left. She exchanged a quick look with Naruto. The boy smiled back in agreement with Hinata's unspoken idea. They quickly grabbed two shuriken each and Hinata threw the first.

"The Bloodline Purges had already started a brutal civil war. The Kaguya Clan killing the Water Daimyo and her family really sent things into the shitter," Naruto agreed as he completed his Kawarimi and threw one of his shuriken at Hinata. The second she emerged, he finished his statement. "I'm not surprised a huge chunk of refugees hit our beaches hard."

The shuriken dance quickly continued. "You are well-informed, Naruto-kun."

Naruto barely got his substitution off in time due to his shock at a girl attaching the 'kun' honorific to his name. "Well, people tend to ignore me when I'm not making them money or seals. They talk about a ton of stuff like I'm not even there."

The Hyūga heiress easily substituted clear of the last shuriken. "Fuinjutsu is a rare and valuable skill. I am amazed that you are so good at it."

"Really?" Naruto asked and Hinata giggled a bit at the dopey smile adorning Naruto's face. "Thanks, Hinata! I'm probably the closest thing to a Fuinjutsu Master in Konoha right now!"

"What about Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin?" Hinata asked with a playful tone. She felt a small surge of pride at how Naruto was reacting to her small flash of girlishness. The demands of Hyūga protocol and her own lack of interest in many of the boys in the Academy prevented her from acting her age.

"He's probably the best, but he's not in the village right now, is he?" Naruto responded cheekily.

Hinata giggled at Naruto practically declaring himself "The Greatest by Default". The verbal spar was abruptly interrupted by Mizuki clearing his throat.

"While your display was…impressive…I believe you should focus on the assignment. It would be…unfortunate if any unfounded rumors would reach your esteemed father."

Naruto had always kinda liked Mizuki-sensei. Maybe not as much as Iruka-sensei, but Mizuki-sensei wasn't as bad as some of the other jerks in the village. His comments directed at Hinata had set off alarm bells. They were as well aimed as a kunai throw. Mizuki was trying to do something. Naruto quickly cast Hinata a glance and saw the tension in her stance.

Naruto didn't like it.

"We were trying to distract each other," Naruto said hotly in defense of Hinata. "Very few enemies are going to give us warning about their attacks."

"I'm surprised by your reasoning. It was well thought out," Mizuki responded and hid his annoyance at Naruto's counter carefully. "Now, you need you to practice the Henge no Jutsu."

"Of course, Mizuki-sensei," Hinata acknowledged gracefully as if Mizuki hadn't made his cheap shot. "Are there any required subjects?"

"No," Mizuki answered. "The main goal of this exercise is to critique each other. Don't hold back, because growth only comes from adversity."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders while Hinata merely nodded politely. Hinata agreed to let Naruto begin. He transformed into a near-perfect version of Iruka-sensei. "So, Hinata…" Naruto-as-Iruka began. He finished with, "What do you do outside of the Academy?"

"You mean, when I'm not learning my Clan's jutsu and traditions?" Hinata asked and received a nod of confirmation from Naruto as he ended his transformation. She did not answer before turning into a young girl with the Byakugan, long brown hair, and an air of innocence. "I enjoy flower pressing and making my own medicinal salves."

"That's awesome! I might bring a few flowers that I've grown for you one day," Naruto said without really thinking. Hinata blushed at the earnestness of the gesture. "Who'd you transform into? Is that a cousin or sister?"

"My younger sister, Hanabi." Hinata revealed. "I am closer to her than anyone else in my family."

"Must be nice," Naruto mumbled. Hinata felt a wave of sadness wash over her. "Heh, since we're turning into 'sisters', I'll show you mine!"

Naruto transformed into a young woman wearing a cook's outfit. She turned around to show off the transformation. Hinata activated her Byakugan and was impressed by the amount of chakra Naruto had put into the technique.

"Who is that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked warmly.

The girl Naruto had transformed into grinned. "I'm Ayame from Ichiraku!"

Naruto dispelled his transformation and beamed. "Please tell me you like ramen!"

"I enjoy it, but I don't eat if very often," Hinata confessed. She flashed through the hand seals and transformed into Mizuki-sensei. Naruto flashed Hinata a thumbs up.

"Hey! Iruka-sensei! Can we start on that stupid Bunshin now?" Naruto shouted, much to the annoyance of several other students.

"Have you practiced the other two required jutsu?" Iruka asked.

"We have, Iruka-sensei," Hinata confirmed. Iruka gave a warm nod of affirmation before turning to one of the partnerships to offer tips on the transformation.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto spoke up. "I'm sure you've got the Bunshin down. I…well; I can't seem to get it down."

"That's fine, Naruto-kun. You can go first," Hinata said with a gentle smile.

"Thanks! Hey, the Byakugan can see chakra, right? Could you use your bloodline to see what I'm doing wrong?" Naruto asked.

"I would be happy to help you," Hinata answered and Naruto was struck by how polite the girl was. No one other than Iruka-sensei and the Hokage had ever been this polite to Naruto! He had to admit, it was a very nice feeling. "Byakugan!"

"Alright! Here I go! Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto cried out…only for nothing to happen.

Hinata had watched the interplay of Naruto's jutsu and Naruto's chakra with her Byakugan. She couldn't believe the sheer amount of chakra Naruto possessed. The closest analogy she could think of was trying to fill a saucer with one of the Nidaime Hokage's Water Release Jutsu. The Bunshin was a jutsu that, like a saucer, was very delicate and had almost no 'volume'. Naruto's chakra and complete lack of control was raw and destructive in its force. Hinata was not sure how to broach the subject with Naruto. He would likely be incredibly successful with combat ninjutsu, but subtle jutsu like the Bunshin and genjutsu would forever be out of his reach.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata began. "I…I have good news and bad news."

'Oh, that can't be good.' Naruto tried not to frown. 'At least Hinata is being nice about this…'

"Hit me with the bad news," Naruto braced himself.

"Well…" Hinata thought carefully and decided to just go with her analogy. She thought it would help Naruto accept her words easier. "You are having trouble controlling all your charka. It's like trying to fill a tea saucer with one of the Nidaime Hokage's Suiton jutsus. The Bunshin is like the saucer. It's fragile and if you hit it with such raw and powerful chakra…the jutsu will just shatter."

In Naruto's opinion, that was the single greatest explanation for his Bunshin issue ever. Naruto's chakra had been compared, indirectly, to Senju Tobirama. Senju Tobirama was one of the greatest shinobi in history and a former Hokage. It was hard to believe how awesome Hinata was turning out to be.

"Any suggestions?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Maybe…maybe you could try making multiple Bunshin?" Hinata advanced an idea.

"I've never thought of that! I thought you were really smart when you shot down Sasuke! I had no idea you're a genius like Namikaze Minato!" Naruto shouted. The Yondaime was Naruto's hero and comparing anyone or anything to the Yellow Flash was the highest praise Naruto could offer.

Hinata blushed. She doubted she was on that level, but the sheer enthusiasm and genuine belief in Naruto's tone made the compliment very endearing. Naruto quickly attempted to create as many Bunshins as he could muster.

He created eighteen. They all were boneless heaps that lasted less than a second. Hinata frowned and was preparing to apologize for a useless suggestion. However, Naruto's face had a look of sheer triumph made the apology die on her lips. In its place, there was a smile. She was helping Naruto. It was a great feeling.

"I actually made a few! Holy crap!" Naruto jumped in the air. "You've done more to help me in three minutes than the Academy has done in three years!"

Hinata blinked owlishly. "I-I didn't do anything special."

'Why the hell was I stuck with Sasuke for all those years? I would have sworn off pranking and eating ramen every day if I could have been in Hinata's class!' Naruto thought excitedly.

"Can we try again! Let me know what I did wrong!" Naruto begged his partner.

"Of course!" Hinata agreed. Naruto tried again. Hinata was struck by the sheer power of Naruto's chakra. He was trying his best to mold his chakra, but there was simply too much for Naruto to handle. There was slight improvement, but none of the thirteen clones lasted longer than two seconds. Hinata gave every pointer she could think of, but after six more attempts little progress had been made.

Naruto latched on and appreciated every ounce of help Hinata offered. Iruka came over and thanked Hinata for her help, but reminded her that she needed to practice as well. The Hyūga heiress quickly created three perfect Bunshin.

"Um, Hinata…I have a question," Naruto chewed over his words. He knew that Hinata was practically royalty in her Clan. "Would you like to train with me sometime? I'd even be willing to teach you some fuinjutsu in exchange for your help with that stupid Bunshin no Jutsu."

"My father is out of the village on a B-rank diplomatic mission," Hinata said with pride. "I will be able to train with you later today."

"You're the best, Hinata!" Naruto praised the girl. He almost missed Hinata blush and look away. "Is there a place you want to meet up for to train?"

"Training Ground Thirty-one is near the Hyūga grounds and is rarely used," Hinata suggested.

Naruto nodded. "I've laid low there a few times after pranks. The training ground is mostly grass used to simulate battles near farms and such. It is boring for actual training, but we don't need terrain."

"What time do you want to meet?" Hinata asked.

"I'm good for whatever's the best time for you," Naruto answered.

"Five-thirty would be the best," Hinata answered. On one level, she really couldn't believe she agreed to meet with Naruto. The Hyūga Elders would likely be opposed to such a meeting. Hopefully, Naruto's training in fuinjutsu would allay most of their concerns. It wasn't a date after all. There was a slight pang of disappointment in that admission as she enjoyed Naruto's enthusiastic praise and the intensity in his gaze.

"Sounds great! I'll see you then." Naruto waved as Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei separated the class into the assigned seats for the rest of the term. They had clearly become sick of the daily squabble over which fangirl would receive the 'honor' of sitting next to Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto spent the rest of the day alternating between working on mastering the Fūka Hōin and trying to see how Hinata was handling sitting next to Chouji. He didn't have anything against Chouji, but Naruto was trying to figure out if there was a way he could convince Chouji and Iruka-sensei to swap the seats.

'Maybe Hinata can help me finally get the Bunshin down!' Naruto thought excitedly as he finished up another storage scroll. He was going to need it to transport the table for later. The day ended much faster than Naruto had expected. He quickly used the Kawirimi to switch places with the trashcan by the door to intercept Hinata.

"Thanks for all your help, Hinata," Naruto said with a smile and a salute.

Hinata shook her head in amusement. "I am glad I could help you, Naruto-kun. I will see you tonight."

Naruto watched her leave before spinning on his heels and basking in the murderous and/or stunned looks of most of the class. He threw his hands up in a 'horned' pattern and backed out of the door with a taunting smile on his face. Naruto made it six steps out of the Academy Classroom before he backed into someone. He slowly turned around so that he could plan his escape.

"Uzumaki Naruto…just the person I was looking for…" a fair-skinned woman with light brown hair and green eyes said smoothly. She wore a serious expression that was at odds with her somewhat delicate looking qipao dress.

"Do I, uh, know you?" Naruto asked and noticed three possible escape routes and only one that would force him to waste a sealed scroll.

"Not personally. My name is Haruno Mebuki and we need to talk about your…side profession," Mebuki said sternly.

'Oh crap, someone triggered that!' Naruto panicked. "The safe-word is banana! But you have to have someone outside the fuinjutsu trap to say it at the same time for it to work."

"I'm sorry, but what?" Mebuki was clearly scandalized that Naruto was up to something that required a safe-word.

Naruto blinked. "By your reaction, I guess you're not here about the fuinjutsu security system I created for old man Genji's shop?"

"No…this is about your arrangement with Hong. The Hokage and I wish to discuss his unscrupulous practices. We feel you would provide…insight…into his dealings," Mebuki explained.

"Oh, so you just want me to talk about how he's screwing everyone over," Naruto realized after a moment.

"It is a bit more official than that," the Haruno woman groused. "Your statement is accurate, however."

"Lead on then! If it helps screw over Hong for screwing us over, I'm all for it!" Naruto declared enthusiastically. 'Yup, I'd have to say that today has been a good one!'

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a long drag on his pipe as he waited for Haruno Mebuki to retrieve Uzumaki Naruto. The Sandaime Hokage took a moment to contemplate the life of the young jinchūriki. Naruto had benefited as much as anyone in Konoha from the influx of refugees from the Land of Water and Kirigakure. Konoha shinobi and civilians were as distractable as any other human being. Originally, the citizens of Konoha had been almost completely united in their desire to ostracize and ignore Uzumaki Naruto. The villagers never dared to defy any of Hiruzen's protective decrees, but they were determined to take some measure of petty revenge against the Kyūbi no Kitsune.

Hiruzen was deeply ashamed of the shortsightedness of his charges. In the manner of a disappointed parent, he attempted to educate his wayward subordinates. The lessons took hold…slightly.

Naruto was becoming a very lonely young boy. He desperately sought to fill the empty void in his heart and soul acknowledgment in many ways. The most common method was pranks and petty graffiti. One day, the few remaining Konoha Military Police patrols had brought Naruto in for another graffiti incident. Hiruzen had been struck by an idea and attempted to direct Naruto's energies in a productive direction. Everyone had heard of Naruto's boasts of becoming a future Hokage. Hiruzen had simply told Naruto of the ninja art known as fuinjutsu. The Hokage had let Naruto know that fuinjutsu was rare and only the greatest shinobi in history had ever truly mastered it. To this day, Hiruzen was grateful that he fought the Daimyo to keep the Military Police active for a few more months following the Uchiha Massacre.

"It will be a valuable skill for a Hokage to have…" Hiruzen had told Naruto. Naruto had taken to the art reluctantly at first. However, the first hundred ryō the boy earned had changed his tune. The purchase may have been a whim made without thinking for the Chūnin, but it was so much more for Naruto. That one hundred ryō represented acknowledgment, value, and independence for Naruto. The purchase validated Naruto's existence. That purchase showed Naruto that not only did his skill have value, but that he had value. Naruto also realized that he could supplement his 'orphan stipend', which in reality was Jiraiya funneling as much money as he could without tipping off his or Naruto's parents' enemies to the boy, with a 'ramen and ninja stuff' fund.

Naruto's fuinjutsu had won him some small measure of acceptance from the shinobi. The Kaguya Clan and the madness of the Land of Water had saved Naruto from the civilians. The Kaguya had always been a violent clan pursuing an ancient and somewhat nihilistic philosophy. Their entry into the multifaceted civil war in the Land of Water had escalated the conflict in ways none of the Kage could have predicted. The Kaguya managed to assassinate the Water Daimyo. The horror of 'Bloodline freaks' killing the ultimate civilian authority had restarted the Bloodline Purges. Thousands of shinobi and civilians had fled the Land of Water for the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning.

The influx of refugees had provided a new target for Konoha's gossip, suspicion, and focus. Konoha hadn't forgotten their ire at Naruto's mere existence, but they were easily distracted. Naruto quickly discovered a niche. He went from a ticking time bomb to a notorious 'punk'. The distinction was lost on many people, but Hiruzen was grateful. It had stabilized Naruto's psyche.

"Hokage-sama," a Chūnin serving as the Hokage's assistant called from the door.

"Yes, Takeo-kun?" the Hokage responded.

"My Lord, Haruno Mebuki and Uzumaki Naruto are here," Takeo reported.

Hiruzen smiled. "Please, send them in." Mebuki entered and bowed politely and with the proper respect. Uzumaki Naruto, however, strolled into the Hokage's office as if he owned the place.

In the young man's defense, Naruto believed that he did own the place. His belief in his future was so unshakable that he'd spit in the face of Uchiha Madara, the Sandaime Raikage, and Hanzō the Salamander if they disputed his declaration.

"Hokage-sama," Mebuki said reverently. Sarutobi responded with a friendly nod.

"Oi! Old Man Hokage, it's good to see you!" Naruto shouted excitedly. "The other villages sent their surrender letters yet?"

"Hello, Naruto-kun," the Hokage laughed. "I'm afraid that the Kazekage's groveling surrender was lost in a sandstorm and the Raikage's letter was frozen somewhere in the Land of Frost."

The back-and-forth was a bit of a traditional greeting between the God of Shinobi and the Jinchūriki. The Hokage motioned to the seats in front of his desks. Mebuki took her seat graciously. Naruto was equally as thankful, but nowhere near as graceful. He flopped into the chair and reclined almost lazily. Naruto's posture had improved over the years. 'At least he's no longer throwing his legs over the armrests,' the venerable Hokage thought.

"Naruto-kun, do you know why we asked you here today?" Sarutobi asked.

Naruto beamed in anticipation. "Oh yeah, someone's finally going to put Hong in his place!"

"He has been taking advantage of the mistrust that lingers against the refugee population. His prices, especially on certain imports of religious and cultural significance, are clearly gouging."

"There are other concerns, but you need not be aware of them, Naruto-kun. All we require is a statement on the supply costs of your seals, the amount Hong purchases them for, and the price Hong sells the sealing scrolls for."

"Do you want me to write it out myself? Or should I have one of you write it?" Naruto asked.

"The laws of Konoha require all sworn statements to be written by the individual giving the account so long as they are physically capable of writing," the Hokage explained.

"I can handle that," Naruto readily agreed. Mebuki and the Hokage watched as Naruto filled out his report. The Haruno woman had heard from her daughter about the Uzumaki's reputation and nature as a prankster and all-around punk. Her preconceptions never allowed her to consider that his handwriting would border on calligraphy. Yes, she had known of his skills with fuinjutsu and the exacting requirements of the art.

It was just very difficult to overcome preconceptions.

"Here you go, old man," Naruto announced with warmth and respect as he finished his report with an artistic flourish.

The Hokage took a moment to review Naruto's official complaint. He was impressed by the details Naruto included, but there was one piece of information that was conspicuously absent.

"Naruto-kun, you are allowed to file a public report. There is no need for anonymity."

Naruto smiled weakly at the Hokage. "You know I'm not popular, Old Man. Hong may be a jerk, but I'm that kid. It's better for everyone this way."

Mebuki was stunned at the depths of her misconceptions. Her family had not fled the chaos of the collapse of the Land of Water to bring discrimination and bigotry to a new land.

'It seems I will have to have a chat with the community about Uzumaki Naruto,' the political campaigner thought.

The two adults talked to Naruto for a few minutes about Hong's business practices before the boy practically begged for permission to leave.

"I am hurt, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen said in an exaggerated tone. "I thought you enjoyed spending time with me."

The Hokage and Mebuki both laughed as the usually unflappable Naruto blushed and squirmed a bit. "I do! It's just I kinda promised Hinata that I'd start training her in fuinjutsu if she'd help me with that dumb Bunshin no Jutsu."

"Well, Hokage-sama…I do believe we shouldn't keep the young man too long. It is important for him to learn not to keep a young woman waiting," Haruno Mebuki pointed out slyly.

"Oh yes, it is a very important lesson." The Hokage took the opportunity to tease Naruto a small bit.

"I do need to get those flowers," Naruto idly mentioned. Mebuki giggled like a school girl. "What is it?"

"I am just impressed by your thoughtfulness," Mebuki gently teased the boy. "Thank you for your statement."

"Uh, you're welcome?" Naruto was unsure how to respond to someone being this polite to him. He was still shocked and trying to figure out what to do about Hinata being nice. An adult being nice was practically unheard of outside of Iruka-sensei, Teuchi-ji-san, and Old Man Hokage! Mebuki's sudden politeness and respectful tone was almost too much for the young man to process in one day! The pair of adults teased Naruto about his 'date' for a few more moments before letting him head home.

As Naruto sealed the flowers away, he started looking around his room. "Why do I get the feeling I've just unleashed something I can't control?"

Hinata smiled and returned the bow of a few of the Cadet Branch members. She was still in a bit of shock about how readily she had agreed to meet with Naruto.

'Maybe it is because Father is out of the village,' Hinata reasoned. 'When he returns home, I will be able to show positive developments. That should address his possible concerns.'

"Onee-sama!" a young girl cried out in excitement. "You're home!"

"I'm home, Hanabi-imouto," Hinata confirmed. "How was your day?"

"It got boring," Hanabi grumbled. "Can we play?"

"Tonight," Hinata promised. "I am meeting a classmate in a little bit. He asked me to help train him."

"With a boy? Isn't that almost like a date? You won't be teaching him any of our super-secret family jutsu, will you?" Hanabi rattled off several questions in a single breath.

"Y-Yes, with a boy, but it isn't a date. I won't be dating for a while. I even turned down a date from Uchiha Sasuke today," Hinata revealed. "Oh, and I'm only teaching him the Bunshin."

"Good! I don't want to share you yet!" Hanabi declared. Hinata hugged her precious sister. The look on Hanabi's face had been completely adorable.

"Naruto-kun, the boy I'll be helping, is teaching me something, too. The skill is called fuinjutsu. I'll be able to make storage scrolls soon," Hinata told her sister as she let go of the hug and walked with Hanabi towards the residential wing.

"What's that?" Hanabi asked her sister.

The elder Hyūga sister smiled. "It is a ninja tool. You put a bit of chakra into the scroll and it can store a large number of supplies or items. With a storage scroll, you could carry around all of your stuffed animals at once."

Hanabi practically used the Shunshin no Jutsu to appear in front of her sister. "All of them?"

"Yes, Hanabi-imouto. All of them," Hinata promised and smiled again at her sister.

The sisters chatted as they walked the halls. 'Did Naruto's example help me earn even this?' Hinata thought.

"Seal!" Naruto cried out. He glared hatefully at the scroll as it absorbed the table. "I can create seals as easily as most of my class can transform. I've damn near invented an original seal and a sealing ninjutsu."

He pocketed the storage scroll, before kicking an empty ramen cup across the room. "Then, how the hell am I being stumped by the fucking Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Naruto took a second to calm down. 'No point in being angry when I show up to train with Hinata. I don't want to turn Hinata into a Hong or some other stupid civilian that hates me for no damn reason.'

The boy didn't get it. He wasn't the best behaved kid in Konoha, but he didn't have a criminal record. Heck, Naruto hadn't pulled a prank in nearly three months.

It wasn't his actions. Naruto knew that much. The attitude of the village was caused by something beyond his control. Naruto knew exactly what happened on his birthday. 'It's kind of hard not to know about the demon rampage that did more damage to the village than the first two Shinobi World Wars combined.'

"I'm not just their bad memories," Naruto declared. "Fuck'em. I'm going to change their minds and they'll love me when I'm the greatest Hokage in history."

He had a great opportunity to start changing minds and earning allies in his quest for the Hat. Hinata was the next head of the Hyūga Clan. If Naruto could get on Hinata's good side, he could definitely get a head start on his dream.

Then there was the fact that he wasn't sure about his original reason for asking Hinata out. Yeah, he still wanted to upstage Sasuke. It was just that Naruto had really started to respect Hinata. She was the nicest person his age he'd ever met. Hinata was really talented, but wasn't arrogant like some of the top students at the Academy.

Naruto was also struck by how pretty Hinata was.

Hinata was so…Hinata. It made Naruto feel guilty for even thinking about seeing her as simply a way to upstage Sasuke. A realization hit Naruto hard. He had started crushing on Hyūga Hinata. Naruto hadn't had a crush in a long time. His first crush had been on Haruno Sakura right after her family had arrived from the Land of Water. She had a unique look that had caught Naruto's eye and worked really hard. Unfortunately, when he asked her out she rejected his request…hard. Naruto had tried a few more times, but she rejected him at every opportunity. Sakura was also a member of Sasuke's 'Fanclub', and that was a strike against her. Still, Naruto carried a bit of a shine for the Haruno girl. The boy even respected her mother.

Still, that flame was just a few flickering embers. Each time Naruto had thought about her tonight, he had begun comparing Sakura to Hinata.

"Yeah…I'm crushing. Wheeee…" Naruto announced to his empty apartment with a mix of sarcasm and excitement. There was no denying that there were a lot worse people Naruto could have become attracted to.

The student of the sealing arts decided there was no point in moping. He focused on the positives. The biggest was a girl he was starting to like treated him like a person. Naruto collected his scrolls and put them in the holster-belt he purchased after leaving the meeting with Old Man Hokage and Mebuki.

Training Ground Thirty-one was a decent walk from Naruto's apartment, but the evening was pleasant enough. The walk also allowed Naruto to clear his head a bit before reaching the training ground. Naruto checked his watch and noticed that he was a few minutes early.

"Good, this will let me set up everything," Naruto declared to the empty field. He unsealed the table and chairs. Naruto followed that up with the various sealing tools and inks. Hinata arrived at the training ground exactly at 5:30. Naruto blinked at Hinata's outfit. The Hyūga heiress was wearing a long-sleeved light blue blouse with a high collar and simple black capris. Hinata's outfit was still modest, but was nowhere near as frumpy as her cream-colored jacket.

"I hope I'm not late, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a polite bow.

Naruto smiled at her and shook his head. "I showed up early to get everything set up. You're right on time."

"Oh thank goodness, I was worried for a moment. Hanabi-imouto needed help with some of her studies," Hinata explained.

"If I had a kid sister, I'd help her too," Naruto pointed out. He wanted to let Hinata know he wasn't worried. Naruto also struggled to hide his jealously. He wanted a family. He wanted a little brother or sister that would annoy him when he was trying to work on seals. He wanted a parent to tell Naruto to take some time and play with his brother or sister.

Naruto just wanted what every other kid his age took for granted.

Hinata noticed the whirlwind of emotion play across Naruto's face. She instantly knew Naruto was lamenting his lack of family. Hinata's heart genuinely ached for Naruto.

As suddenly as Naruto's down mood was born, it died. He looked up with a broad smile. "Before we get started…I gotta say; this is a good look for you."

Hinata's mind locked up as she watched Naruto give her a completely overt once-over. "T-Thank you."

"You're welcome," Naruto answered with a shrug. "Mind if we start with your fuinjutsu lesson? I need to thank you for your help."

"I thank you for teaching me such a rare art," Hinata answered politely. Naruto had walked by a bistro and saw a guy pull the chair out for a lady. It seemed like a small gesture that the chick had liked. So, Naruto decided to try it. Hinata's small smile and thank you were definite points in Naruto's favor.

The pair spent five minutes on calligraphy, another five on introducing the special inks needed, and a final five minutes on preparing the scrolls. Naruto's excitement grew as Hinata started the first very basic practice exercise. It was not a storage scroll, even though storage scrolls were an exceedingly simple fuinjutsu product. Instead, Naruto had Hinata create a seal that simply changed colors from black to green to purple depending on where chakra was introduced to the array.

"You've got it. This is the easiest way to introduce fuinjutsu," Naruto explained. "The more advanced seals actually require specialized brushes that allow chakra to be sent into the inks while putting down the formulas. We'll work on those as you make more progress."

Hinata nodded in surprise and confusion. She was honestly caught off guard by how skilled Naruto was at teaching seals. The Hyūga had seen Naruto work on seals and create them skillfully. Teaching…was a surprise. The confusion wasn't at the high level chakra control Naruto was talking about with advanced seals. If he could create seals of that nature, how was he being foiled by the Bunshin no jutsu?

It was boggling Hinata's mind.

"Shall we begin your Bunshin practice?" Hinata asked.

"Sure! I'm really glad you're helping me," Naruto said truthfully.

"Thank you for teaching me fuinjutsu." Hinata's reply was equally as truthful.

The two Academy students got up and took their positions. Hinata activated her Byakugan. "I don't want you to try the Bunshin no Jutsu yet. Could you mold your chakra?"

"Anywhere?" Naruto asked.

Once again, Hinata was stumped by Naruto's inability to complete the Bunshin no Jutsu. He was aware that he could mold chakra in specific parts of the body. That showed an understanding of chakra control that should allow him to complete the Bunshin no Jutsu with no issues whatsoever.

"Mold your chakra in the gap between your ribs, please." Hinata continued to observe Naruto's efforts. Naruto was demonstrating that he had the chakra control necessary to perform the Bunshin. It wasn't great, but he should be able to do this.

"Naruto-kun, now attempt to make a Bunshin," Hinata said.

"Just one?" Naruto asked and Hinata responded with a smile. He shouted Bunshin no Jutsu and nothing happened at all. "Damn it!"

"I know it's disappointing, Naruto-kun. I saw a great deal with my Byakugan. My earlier observation was correct. You're almost too powerful for this jutsu. The Bunshin is closer to a genjutsu than a ninjutsu. It requires incredibly precise amounts of chakra," Hinata explained.

"Yeah, you mentioned that it's like a saucer and the Nidaime's jutsus…" Naruto complained, but the edge was a bit duller thanks to Hinata's compliment.

"Try creating as many Bunshins as you can," Hinata suggested. "I'm going to see what happens with my Byakugan."

"I'll get it this time!" Naruto declared. "Hey, before I get the jutsu finally, I got a question."

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata tilted her head to the side curiously.

'That's really cute,' Naruto admitted to himself. "The Byakugan can see all around you. What's that like?"

"The best analogy I can think of…is like swimming underwater. You can feel the water all around you. Imagine that feeling, but with your eyes instead of just your skin."

Naruto thought about Hinata's description. It sounded awesome. "That's really cool. Here I go!"

Hinata watched the chakra spread out and split into nearly two dozen little sparks. The sparks started to become Narutos, but they did not become sustainable. The proto-clones flickered and died.

"Crap!" Naruto shouted. "It's almost like a sealing formula that isn't quite right!"

'Of course! Naruto isn't getting the chakra amount close enough…He needs just a bit more chakra control, but he can master this!' Hinata realized. "Naruto-kun, you're a genius! I have an idea that could help you, but it will take a lot of work."

Naruto looked up. "What do you have in mind? I'm not afraid of training!"

"It's an advanced chakra control exercise and a useful ninja skill. Water Walking could definitely help you out!" Hinata explained excitedly.

"Awesome!" Naruto shouted and pumped his fists. "You really are the best, Hinata! Iruka-sensei and Old Man Hokage are the only ones who have done this much for me!"

Hinata smiled and Naruto reached the undeniable conclusion that he really, really liked Hinata.

"I need to return home, but we can continue training tomorrow. I think Training Ground Sixteen would be the best place to meet." Hinata pursed her lips in thought.

"That sounds good," Naruto agreed. "Before you go, I have two things for you. First, here are those flowers I mentioned. They would just wilt if they stayed in my room. I hope you enjoy them."

Hinata smiled warmly at the gesture and gladly accepted the flowers. She knew Naruto wasn't aware of Hanakotoba, or the Language of Flowers, but the flowers were significant. 'Does he have an instinctive feel for reaching people?' Hinata wondered. The flowers Naruto had given Hinata were some Narcissus, Daffodils, and Gardenias. The Narcissus and Daffodils were very similar, but Hinata was familiar with flowers. The message in the flowers was 'respect and self-esteem'. Hinata was inspired to confront Naruto with a truth by the message. The Gardenias brought a bit of color to Hinata's cheeks. Gardenias in Hanakotoba represented 'secret love'. 'Focus on the others! Don't act like Sasuke's fanclub!' Hinata ordered herself, but secretly enjoyed the warmth the imagined message brought to her heart.

"I do…" Hinata began to prepare herself for her little speech.

Naruto wasn't aware of Hinata wrestling for self-confidence and happily continued with his gifts. He handed over the practice seal. "Take your practice seal to your sister. I think she'd like the color changing bit."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said happily. She was happy at the kind gesture and her earned confidence. "Thank you for giving me 'respect and self-esteem' for the second time."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion for a second, but it was quickly replaced by a grin that waffled between pleased and curious. Hinata breathed deeply as she fished for the correct words.

"Right as the first wave of refugees arrived; I was at one of my lowest points. My father and the Clan Elders were about to strip me of my title as heiress. I had lost to my little sister in a spar. It is embarrassing to admit that now, but Hanabi-imouto has always been wonderfully talented. I was so upset that I ran from the house. I collided with a group of bullies and they humiliated me. They were probably going to hit me, even though I was on my knees apologizing."

Naruto's smile slipped as he became angry that anyone would try to humiliate Hinata. He honestly couldn't believe she was anything but the supremely confident young woman standing in front of him.

Hinata flinched at the memory, but continued. "I was rescued. I wasn't saved by a member of the Hyūga, the Konoha Military Police, or any of the Academy teachers. It was a young boy with blond hair and more confidence than I could even dream of…it was you. You were fearless and fought the three older boys without hesitation. You took down one of the boys, but couldn't beat all of them at the same time. Naruto-kun, you never gave up. They were scared off by Kō-san, my tutor at the time. I tried to go back for you, but an Uchiha teenager was carrying you toward the Hokage tower. I wanted to thank you the next day, but the Academy was split from one class into three. It has taken me years to properly thank you, but I wanted you to know that you have inspired me every day since then. Thank you."

Naruto was struck dumb. He was still processing every word Hinata had said. He vaguely remembered that encounter, but had no idea just how significant the moment truly was. The only part of Naruto that was racing faster than his mind was his heart.

'This is coming from a girl. A pretty girl.' Naruto tried to open his mouth to say something, even a simple 'You're welcome'. He was still rooted in place by the glorious feeling of such powerful acknowledgment. Naruto was fundamentally lonely and starved for any sort of validation of his existence.

Hinata had not acknowledged Naruto's existence, but confessed that his existence had made her life better.

"Good night, Naruto-kun." Naruto felt a shock begin on his left cheek and spread throughout his body. Hinata flushed a bright red and dashed off. She stopped at the edge of the training field and shyly waved. Naruto was pretty sure he waved back. The fog in his head made it hard to really register anything other than the fact that a girl had kissed him on the cheek.

He watched Hinata walk towards the Hyūga Compound for a few moments before he collapsed into the grass. Naruto started laughing and knew that there were a few tears mixed in with his chuckles.

His existence had been acknowledged. More than that, it was valued and treasured.

As he realized the depths of what happened, Naruto became ashamed. Hinata was too precious…too valuable to simply be a stepping stone.

He needed Iruka-sensei…and a new plan.

Author's Note: Here is the #1 choice from Solvdrage's 2014 Plot ADHD Asylum! You guys went nuts over this fic and given how monolithic this chapter is...so did I! Remember how I said this fic will be shamelessly NaruHina? This is going to be shamelessly NaruHina. As in...they'll probably be mutually and openly romantically involved very very soon. Like...pre-Wave soon...

Be prepared for gigantic chapters. I'm going to be aiming for a minimum of 8,000 words per chapter for this fic!

Again, please review! Reviews fuel my muse! A strong review response on any and all of my stories encourages me to write! Reviews are life!

Oh, a few notes...

1)I loved writing this chapter. Only Misstep and the first few chapters of "Forward the Windward" were this much fun to write. Like I said above, please review as a single review does more to motivate me than a thousand favorites and alerts.

2)Meet the Hyuga will be published shortly. Keep an eye out for that. It'll be my first published harem fic. Don't worry: This story and all my other currently posted stories will remain purely NaruHina! I will never alter those stories to be harems! If my character listing says Naruto and Hinata alone in the brackets, it'll stay that way as long as I am breathing! The ONLY harems I will likely ever write will be Meet the Hyuga and "Overlord NaruHina". ALL MY OTHER NARUTO FICS WILL BE ONLY NARUHINA.

3)The next "Asylum Escapees" to be posted will be "Naruto the Fifth Hokage", "Naruto has a Twin Sister", and "Overlord NaruHina". "Naruto the Fifth Hokage" will likely be the only one published before the New Year.

Please review!