The bed felt strange.

It wasn't what he was used to. The reason was simple enough. It wasn't his bed.

Great. He was in the medical center again. He knew what that meant. Nosey nurses, hospital gruel, and a bed pan.

Naruto yawned. His eyes grew heavy again. Before he knew it, he slipped back into one of his dreams from the night before. Not long after that, his eyes snapped open. He blushed, looking around. No one was in his room except him.

Whew. If anyone could read his mind!

He pulled the blanket back over him. To be safe, he put a pillow on top of him, covering his lower half. The image had been so real! It was like Hinata was standing over him… wearing next to nothing… bending over to give him a kiss. It was definitely a dream. Some of the dream girl's more obvious attributes were like those found on Tsunade rather than Hinata.

Once again, he found himself drifting off to sleep, courtesy of the medications that he was receiving. This time, however, the dream was anything but sexy. "I don't like that dream," he grumbled, snapping awake. "Maybe Hinata won't be so mad at me." In that short series of dream vignettes, he had been slapped, berated, driven out of town by angry girls, and forced to watch a heart-broken white-eyed girl sob pitifully.

Naruto turned on the TV, found his favorite anime channel, and piled up his pillows behind him. Propping himself up, he swore that he would not fall asleep again. Despite the fact that an episode was playing that he had never seen before, and had been waiting for months to watch, he slumped over snoring. When he awoke again, he rubbed his chin, grinning. "Well, that one was much better."

The dream revolved around Neko Janis, and the cat's trick with Hinata. Throughout most of the dream, he had been kissing Hinata again. But, he also had a sense that he came close to kissing the Queen Cat herself, not to mention Manda, Gama Bunta, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and even that damn Ero-sennin. "Stupid cat and her stupid tricks." Maybe that dream wasn't so great after all.

"On second thought…" Naruto put his hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and snuggled himself deep within his stack of pillows. Memories of an earlier dream filtered into his conscious thoughts. "…Good kittie." He smiled, feeling somewhat adventurous, deciding it was OK to enjoy some of his racier fantasies. He was a normal guy, after all!

In the one particulardream, Neko Janis had played the part of Cupid and Kankourou rolled into one. The cat demon had manipulated the two of them like puppets, making them strip down to their undergarments, before ending up entirely naked. They never would have ended up in that state on their own. Chuckling, he pictured Hinata in frilly underwear of the type worn by some of his favorite anime girls. He felt his pulse racing, when she removed her bra and panties. Next…

"It's good to see that you're awake this time!"

Naruto sat upright so quickly, he felt somewhat nauseous. His face grew warm, as if he had just been caught doing something bad. Jiraiya had walked in, and was holding a large box of chocolates.

"Tsunade said that things had been close for a while, but that your healing ability would help pull you through." The Sannin sighed. "That woman's insufferable when she's right!" He grinned. "But, your injuries ought to work to your advantage."

"Huh?" Naruto made a face. He knew that his former sensei must have some kind of perverted angle on things.

"First, she'll put of your punishment for a while longer. That will allow you to enjoy life a bit longer, before they send you off to the prison facilities." The older man chuckled, knowing that Naruto would get a rather memorable scolding, but nothing more. "Second, because of her maternal instincts, she might even come in to baby you when no one is looking." He held both of his hands at chest level and pantomimed squeezing something. "I bet they're softer than any pillow…"

"Shh-h-h-h-h. Keep it down you big jerk!" Naruto shook a fist at his mentor. "If Granny Tsunade hears you, I'll probably end up being the one who pays." Staring at the chocolate, his stomach rumbled. He wondered how long he had been in the hospital, and what the staff had been feeding him. Usually not a big fan of chocolate, he came close to drooling.

"Fine," Jiraiya said, waving his hand in the air. "If you don't want me here…" Seeing the look on Naruto's face, he took off the top of the candy box and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and grinning. Taking out a couple of sweets, he plopped them in his mouth and began chewing. His voice was somewhat garbled until he swallowed. "…I'll mrphlll be grblifrb on my frblrgl way (gulp)."

"Wait!" Naruto fought the urge to hold his hand out. He was not about to let the perverted old frog hermit see him squirm. There was also something very much on his mind now. "How is Hinata doing?"

"Ahhh… is that who you've been dreaming about from time to time. It was really quite amusing, watching the way you cuddle your pillow. Some of the things you were saying almost made me blush like a schoolgirl…" After laughing loudly, Jiraiya plopped another few bob bons in his mouth, and then two more. "Mrblgbrl mrph. (gulp). Heh heh heh heh. You do me proud, boy."

"ERO-SENNIN!" Naruto's shout had Jiraiya cringing. "You…" He saw the bed pan next to him, and thought about throwing it. It was bad enough, his saying something like that! Worse, the insufferable mooch had already eaten more than half of the candy.

"Shhh-h-h-h-h…" Jiraiya waved his hands, holding the chocolate box in his mouth. "Keep it down. There are a lot of pretty nurses on shift today. If Tsunade hears that kind of commotion, she might send them home and bring in the male nurses."

"Too damn bad," Naruto said, folding his arms over his chest. He grimaced. It hurt to do that.

Jiraiya ran a hand through his huge mane. "So-o-o-o… I take it that you don't want the Hyuuga girl to catch wind of your nocturnal escapades…" He chuckled, seeing Naruto turn red. Grabbing a handful of bon bons, the Frog Hermit demolished them in the wink of an eye. "Damn. This stuff is pretty good. Want one?" It was an accurate question. There was only one left.

"Sure…" Naruto replied in a sullen tone. "Gee, thanks…" One. At least that was better than the old reprobate usually did.

Naruto pulled at one earlobe, thinking back to the days that he trained with the other ninja. Jiraiya would always let him taste the expensive bottles of Sake, but never have any to drink. He'd make of with the money purse, buy a whole roast goose or duck, and then throw a wing and maybe a drumstick to his hungry apprentice. And, he'd bring him along to some of the finer burlesque shows, but make him wait outside.

"Did you say something boy? Too late…" He held the last chocolate in his teeth for a moment, before wolfing it down. "Frglbllmrbll (gulp).It's just as well, you know? The stuff's not good for you. Even though I'm not your sensei anymore, that doesn't mean that I won't look after you!" There was a serious undercurrent to that statement.

"Great…" Naruto said, shaking his head. Some things never change. Then, he brightened up. "Yeh… it is great. When they bring me that crappy hospital food, you can eat that for me too."

"No way. That stuff is what keeps people in the hospital." The Sannin tossed the empty box to Naruto. "You still need a lot of training, Naruto. Surviving hospital food is part of it." He nodded his head, smirking. "Hyuuga Hinata is doing fine. She returned unharmed."

"Good…" Naruto said quietly, feeling somewhat relieved.

"You on the other hand…" Jiraiya looked rather serious for a moment, before getting a mischievous look in his eyes again. "I can't remember the Fourth ever returning home all banged up like this…"

"Maybe I did get beat up pretty good." Naruto frowned, thinking back to the forest. "But at least I didn't get tricked by some woman, so that I wasn't at full strength in my battle with Orochimaru and Manda." He waved his hand in the air much the way Jiraiya had. "I might not have gotten hurt at all, if some jerk hadn't called up Gama Bunta before I could."

"That was all part of the training, too…" Jiraiya managed that with a straight face. He took out a box of candied fruit from under his robes. Opening the box, he sniffed the delicacies. "Heavenly. If only they allowed Sake in the hospital. These would go perfectly with a nice daiginjo…"

"Say… honorable Jiraiya, sir… you don't think…" Naruto motioned towards the box. His stomach rumbled again.

"No, I don't think. Not if I can help it." The Sannin said, laughing as if he had told the funniest joke known to the Leaf. "At least that what Tsunade claims." He handed Naruto the box. "You really don't need any more gifts, actually. Look behind you. It seems that you have a lot of friends. I can't figure out what the see in you." He smiled fondly down at his former student.

"Oww-w-w-w." Naruto begain to swear. It hurt to turn his back and neck. Eyes watering from pain, he took note of the long table standing behind his bed. It was covered with flowers, baskets of fruit, cards, and other items. He thanked Jiraiya, when the older man walked over and handed him a basket of pears and peaches, along with a tin of fudge.

"Here's the deal," Jiraiya said, sneaking a piece of fudge. "If you tell me everything that happened in detail, I'll place an order for Ramen, and then sneak it past Tsunade and the nurses." Jiraiya sat back down, his face serious this time.

"R-E-A-L-L-Y?"Naruto let a half-eaten piece of fudge fall down his hospital gown. "Thank you, master!" He was close to tears. Wiping an eye, he began he told his tale, starting with Kakashi's visit to his room.

"Hah! Marvelous! I take back everything bad I ever said about you, even thought it was the truth." Jiraiya's face showed more joy than Naruto ever remembered seeing, except for the time that the old pervert had rescued a set of beautiful triplets and their broken down Sake cart. "Yondaime never did anything like that. I'm proud of you, boy!" The story of Orochimaru and the Thousand Years of Pain was a big success. "Here. I was saving this for your birthday. I think you're ready for it now."

Naruto caught something that Jiraiya tossed. It was a new copy of the latest Icha Icha book. He promptly forgot about the Ramen. "Thanks!"

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After the older man left to see to business, Naruto tossed his book over on a small cabinet next to his bed, and then lay back.

He thought about Hinata some more, wondering how things stood between her and her family. He had played a role in that mess too, indirectly. He could only imagine what people must think about him.

As it turned out, none of his friends acted any differently towards him when they came on their visits. Happily chatting away, he told them all about his adventure, eager to tell them about his triumph over Orochimaru. A few were incredulous, but most simply congratulated him. Lee looked close to tears, saying that he wanted a mission to save a girl from evil monsters and shinobi. None of them had seen Hinata since she returned, including Neji.

"I kind of wish Hinata would stop by to see me," Naruto sighed. She probably didn't want anything to do with him, after his obtuseness and the betrayal of her trust. She might be embarrassed after that involuntary kiss. Or, after all of the excitement of the battle had worn off, she might have found herself thinking just what kind of person he really was. "I guess I can't blame her." Naruto closed his eyes, ready for a little self-examination. Just how much had he changed, after returning to the village and helping to defeat Akatsuki's scheme?

There was a rapping at his door frame. Naruto looked up expectantly. It wasn't Hinata. But, it was someone he recognized: Onoda.

"Master Naruto, may we speak with you a moment?" The retainer stood at respectful attention.

"Sure," Naruto replied. "We?" He didn't see anyone else at the door.

"Of course. What did you think? Onoda had some reason to come see you?" It was Hanabi. She made her way into the room.

"Maybe," Naruto said, suddenly looking rather smug. "It doesn't matter who brings me the vouchers for my Ramen, I guess." He put his hands behind his neck. "Unless you have some bowls waiting for me in the hallway." He managed to sit up, sniffing the air, trying not to get his hopes up.

"I don't owe you any noodles, imbecile." Hanabi stamped her foot. "I said that I would gladly give you all the noodles I promised you if you brought Hinata back. You didn't. She brought you back. Hmmmpppfff!" The small girl made it a point to fluff her hair.

"WH-WH-WHAT?" Naruto clenched his hands, grabbing his covers tightly. "You little…"

"I think that 'brat' would be the best word. The other options might be considered somewhat off color." Onoda gave Naruto a sympathetic look. "Technically, Miss Hanabi, he did go out to find Miss Hinata. You know that she would have died without him." The man placed a large wicker basket on the floor near Naruto's bed.

"Onoda!" Hanabi snapped. "Be quiet!" She put her hands on her hips. "A deal is a deal is a deal." She scowled at Naruto. "There was no boyfriend for him to discover. So there are no noodles for him to eat. Period."

"Y-Y-You…" Naruto set his jaw. A creature of habit, he did not like to lose, whatever the competition might be. Verbal sparring was a battle of sorts, too. "Well, if you didn't come to bring me my noodles…" He blew Hanabi a kiss, causing her eyes to go wide. He chuckled when she blushed. "You found me out. I didn't go off for noodles. I wasn't thinking about Hinata. I went because of my forbidden love for you."

Onoda's eyes lit up. He smiled in a way that he hadn't smiled in years. Hah! Hanabai had walked into that buzz saw on her own. He had asked her to treat Naruto kindly, given the ordeal that the boy had been through. But, she was a creature of habit too. It would be interesting to see how she reacted to this kind of banter.

"Kiss me, my darling…" Naruto held his arms up and puckered his lips.

"K-… K-… K-…" Hanabi's arms twitched. She looked up at Onoda. Naruto was kidding, right? "Kiss?"

"Touching lips together," Onoda said. "I suppose thatI should have told you before…" He scratched his head. "…But, the young man asked me to keep his illicit longing a secret." The manservant fought to keep a straight face. "Your father will be quite displeased with you, beginning a romance at your age. You should have realized that much on the night your sister left."

"I know that I said that you were too young to be my girlfriend. I was wrong!" Naruto broke out laughing after that. Despite his best efforts, the manservant soon joined him.

Hanabi looked at Naruto and frowned. She looked back at Onoda and scowled. Looking between the two of them, she furrowed her brow. "You big jerk!" That wasn't nearly enough. "You… big… jerks!"

"Oh!" Onoda feigned shock. "The ancient Hyuuga words of endearment. Now, there will have to be a wedding!" That set the two men off again. The manservant looked contrite when the Naruto grabbed his side and grimaced. "I apologize. Does it hurt to laugh?"

Naruto nodded. "Owww… yeh… a bit…"

Onoda gave Hanabi a gentle shove in the back. The girl's mood changed, when she realized that Naruto was hurting. Somewhat shyly, she walked over to the edge of his bed and placed a hand on the rail. "I…" She took a deep breath. "I was worried." She flicked away a couple of tears. "Thank you for going after my sister." She turned away, and then went to hold onto Onoda.

"Hey! It's OK!" Naruto felt his throat tighten some. He was touched by the Hanabi's reaction. "You know, if you're good… and you bring me some noodles… I'll tell you the whole story… especially the parts about Hinata."

Onoda gave Naruto a subtle salute. His respect for the young man had led him to bring Hanabi on this visit, despite the trouble he might get in should Hiashi find out.

Hanabi smiled, and then looked down at the basket. As she began reaching for it, a book caught her eye. "What's this?" The small novel was within her reach. Naruto moaned terribly when he tried unsuccessfully to stretch that far. "This looks like the book that Copy Ninja guy was carrying."

"You… put… that… down!" Naruto could only imagine what might happen if Tsunade, Hyuuga Hiashi, or Hinata might do if they walked in now. Naturally, they would blame him. "Rightnow!" Of course, that was the wrong course of action with Hanabi, not that anything would have made her comply.

"Miss Hanabi, that does not belong to you." Onoda's disapproval spurred her own with equal effect.

"What's the big deal, anyway? It's just a book. I don't…" Hanabi blushed. Her hands trembled as she turned the pages. ""Wh-Wh-What…" She blinked rapidly, and then placed a hand over her heart. "You read this kind of thing?" She ducked, when the retainer made a grab for her. "I wonder if my big sister knows…"

"She will soon enough," Onoda said under his breath. First it was fortune cookies. Now it would be 'the book'. He was getting too old for this.

Naruto opened his mouth to shout. He realized that it wouldn't do the slightest bit of good, and might attract unwanted attention. "By the way, how is Hinata? No one can tell me. Do you know?" The tone of his voice had Hanabi placing the book back down.

"No," Hanabi said, her eyes tearing up. "She hasn't been back home. That was one of the reasons that we visited." She sniffed. "I thought that you might know something." She made a face again, feeling a resurgence of spunk. "There's a first time for everything…"

"Master Hiashi was concerned," Onoda said. "This trip was not entirely of Miss Hanabi's prompting. In fact, I was supposed to visit you on my own. You, and the Hokage." He looked Naruto straight in the eyes. "After I speak to the Hokage, I will tell you anything I find out. I promise."

"Thank you," Naruto replied. "I would really appreciate that."

"Oh! I almost forget. Maybe being stupid is contagious." Hanabi walked over to the bed. "I brought something. They are for you and Hinata, together." She rattled one of the bed rails and then picked up the basket. "At… the… exact… same… time…" She made a face. "I want your promise. It's…"

"Your Ninja Way," Onoda put in first.

"O-N-O-D-A-!" Hanabi shook the basket angrily. There was a crinkling noise inside.

"Huh? What's in there? I'm not going to promise until I see." Naruto screwed up his face. Pain or no pain, he was not about to get suckered in by some young girl.

"He's afraid," Hanabi said. "Geeez. No wonder big sister had to bring him back. He was probably hiding under a toadstool or something!"

"You…" Naruto clenched his teeth.

"'I'm going to be Hokage someday'" Hanabi imitated Naruto's voice, inflection and all. "Unless it's too scary."

"You little…" Nartuto shook his fist. No one should mock his dream. Not even as a joke.

"This bowl of Ramen is too hot…" Hanabi sniffed. "This bowl of Ramen is much to cold…" She sniffed two times more. "I'm afraid to see if this one is just right…"

"You little twerp!" Naruto sighed when he saw Onoda shake his head in disapproval. "Ok. I promise. Sheeesh."

"Good. What took you so damn long?" Hanabi sat on the foot of the bed and began unfolding the kerchief that covered the basket's contents.

"MISS HANABI!" The manservant shook his finger at the girl. She had no business sitting on a boy's bed. She certainly had no need to be throwing the word 'damn' around like that.

"Listen up. I'm only going to say this once. If you're too dumb to remember, I'll let everyone know you were outfoxed by a girl." Hanabi's smile faded. Her father had told her about Kyuubi. "I didn't mean…"

"It's alright. Hinata knows too." Naruto sounded somewhat glum, wondering once again what Hinata must think of him. It was funny. A few days ago, he was fighting his own feelings, trying to find out the identity of a boyfriend that didn't exist. Now he was relegated to a hospital bed, wondering if hr would ever be any girl's boyfriend.

Hanabi had a solemn look on her face for a few moments, before resuming her usual bubbly and cantankerous persona. "In any case, these are fortune cookies."

"Shit." Naruto closed his eyes. Great Fortune cookies. This whole mess really wasn't his fault. It was a damn cookie's fault! "Just what I need."

Hnanabi opened her mouth to shout. She didn't. Her sister had trained with Naruto. She had too, in her own fashion. "I'm asking you a favor. Please."

"Alright," Naruto said grudgingly. It wasn't as if anyone would believe what was in the cookies anyway.

"Goody!" Hanabi brightened, until she saw the look on Onoda's face. What? Oh, that 'Goody'. She stiffened up, speaking as if she was trying to instruct a toddler. She held up one cookie wrapped in orange and black plastic. "Orange. Black. Na… ru…to. Not Hinata." She grinned, holding up a white-wrapped one. "White. Hi… na… ta. Not Naruto." She turned quickly, catching a smile on Onoda?s face. "Hmmmpppfff. You should be setting a better example than that, old man!"

There were a dozen white-wrapped cookies, and a dozen of the others. Before Hanabi and Onoda left, Naruto promised to open them with Hinata. He fell asleep shortly after that. A loud clatter of dropped bedpans down the hallway woke him from his slumber moments before someone else walked up to the doorway and stopped.

It was Hyuuga Hiashi. After looking around the room, the clan leader turned to leave. Anxious, he had come by to check on his own instead of waiting for Onoda's report.

"Sir." Naruto sat up.

"I apologize if I disturbed you," Hinata's father said in a very perfunctory manner.

"You were looking for Hinata." Naruto asked, feeling his anger grow. "Because she never returned home?"

"Have you seen her?" Hiashi asked, speaking brusquely again.

"No, I haven't." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Why do you hate your daughter, Sir? I know why people like you hate me. I would have thought, that after losing someone you love, you would treasure those precious ones remaining."

"Who cares what you…" Hiashi caught himself. It was not dignified, arguing in a hospital like a fish wife. He felt a twinge of conscience. He had thought a lot about his daughter over the past couple of days.

"Yeh. I know. Who cares what the boy with the fox might think?" Naruto sighed. "I guess I don't understand that, either. My master told me that Yondaime made a plea, asking people not to hate the baby. He said that the child was a hero, a sacrifice of sorts, made to save the village. He died during his sacrifice. I'm still living mine." Naruto clenched his fists. "He said that everyone loved the Fourth. If they thought so much of him, why did they ignore his wishes, even after he died to save everyone?"

"That's…" Hiashi had heard that argument before. He usually had an answer for it. Standing there and facing the boy who had been that innocent baby, he found that the words clove to the top of his palate. "That horrible creature…"

"Is right here…" Naruto pulled up his hospital gown, pointing to his abdomen. "But, it's not here…" He pointed to his heart. "…Or here." He pointed to his head. "Why do I have to keep proving that to people? Why did I have to grow up hated and alone?" He shook for a moment, his face clouding over. "Is Hinata going to have to go through the same thing, too?" His voice became husky. "Again…"

"She…" Hiashi clenched his fists. That was none of that boy's business. Him least of all! But, his conscience tugged at him again. The boy had gone off to save Hinata, after she had run away from home. "That's a family matter."

"I hope so," Naruto said sadly, his anger being replaced by sorrow. "It would be nice if she actually had a family… not just some people related to her." Naruto sighed. "Though, I would settle for that. I never had a family. Everyone related to me is dead, or so I've been told." He looked up at Hiashi. "Maybe that's why my friends became so precious to me… when I finally had some. It's easy to fight for those who care about me. I guess the hard part about being Hokage might be learning to fight for those that hate me." Why was he spilling his guts to someone like that?

"Hokage…" Hiashi's eyes narrowed. He was about to tell the boy to forget such a silly dream. But, that wasn't really his right, was it. He stared at the young man, remembering that he had been instrumental in bring the Fifth Hokage to Konoha. If the stories were correct, he also faced a sand demon during Orochimaru's last attack on the village. He was here under care now, after having helped avert another attack as well… with help from Hinata. "Yes, a Hokage has to care for all." He left, feeling troubled. There were more things for him to think about. "I don't hate my daughter…" Those words were barely audible to Naruto.

Naruto sat there wondering what had just taken place. He had said what he could, regardless. About to shrug everything off, he froze. He thought about his dreams involving Hinata. He remembered Hanabi leafing through the Icha Icha book.

It was a good thing that the Hyuuga Blood Limit allowed Hiashi to see tenketsu, not read minds.

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The streets were becoming more and more crowded.

Pedestrian traffic had to step around a smallish girl, who stood staring at the front of the hospital. She had been standing that way for a long time.

Hinata fought the urge to rub her fingers together. It should be no big deal, simply walking up the steps… opening the door… and entering the building. After that, it would be child's play to visit the admissions desk… find out the room number… and then make her way up another flight or two of stairs.

"Naruto-kun…" She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the breeze caress her face. Her mind went back to the kiss she had shared with Naruto, under Neko Janis' control. She also thought back to the way that she had felt when her father's actions caused her to learn the truth about Naruto's deal with Hanabi. There was also the truth about Kyuubi to consider.

'You weren't exactly honest with him, either'. The Hokage had stated that bluntly during their talk. She had gone on to give a short lecture on motives and responsibility, followed by a much longer talk touching on a large number of topics. Hinata had left that meeting with wobbly legs and a spinning head.

"Well… aren't you going to go in?" Sakura walked up, ready to start in on her shift. "Shizune told me that you've been standing there for a while." She smiled. "He asked about you…" She didn't need to mention who 'he' was.

"It's…" Hinata sighed. Why was she finding it hard to talk with her friend, now? It felt as if she had taken a few steps backwards, leaving her much the way she had been before her training with Naruto. "I just…"

"Hmmmm?" Sakura pursed her lips. "I have a few minutes, yet. Why don't you come into the lobby with me? You could get out of the sun that way."

Hinata followed her friend inside. An orderly was kind enough to run and get them soda to drink. The two girls sat in a pair of old over-stuffed chairs, set in a recess away from the more modern-looking couches and chairs that filled the lobby and waiting areas.

"Tsunade says you haven't been in to see him even once." Sakura pulled at her hair. "She also said that you haven't been home. You're staying in the girl's dorm, right?"

"Yes," Hinata said. "I'm not… I don't feel ready to return home yet." She sighed. "I haven't seen Naruto…"

"I see," Sakura said, rubbing her chin. "You snuck in to see him the last time that he was injured badly. You know, the time that the guys went out to bring Sasuke back." Her eyes took on a distant look for a moment. Sasuke was back now, somewhere in the village. She wasn't allowed to see him. No one was being told anything yet. "You never let him know that you did, right?"

"I almost got Naruto killed… because of a cookie…" Hinata's words rushed out. She grasped the sides of her chair, fighting down a sob. She forgot what question her friend had asked.

"Hey-y-y-y… we all played a role in things, right?" Sakura reached out and tapped Hinata's hand. "His role was probably even bigger than yours, that moron!" She shook her finger at her friend. "It's really easy to say 'what if'. I did that a lot, after Sasuke left."

Hinata nodded.

"Are you still upset, because of the way that he and Hanabi conspired behind your back?" Sakura checked her watch. She had time. If she was a little late, Tsunade would understand. "Is that one of the reasons you haven't stopped in to see him?"

"I… it might be… I'm just…" Hinata bit her lip, emotions were all mixed up. Her feelings and thoughts had wrapped around her again and again, leaving a hopeless tangle. "If I see him, I might…"

"You might simply whisper 'Naruto-kun' and then whitewash everything as if it never happened?" Sakura toyed with her hair again. "That's not a good idea." She furrowed her brow. "Are you afraid that you might not care about him any more?"

"I… ummm… I don't think so…" Hinata let out a long sigh. That had been one of her fears, but her answer rang true. "Just the same…I can't see him the same as before…"

"Oh-h-h-h… I get it…" Sakura nodded. "I get it. He's not a knight in shining armor, that's for sure." She squeezed Hinata's hands. "It's easy to make assumptions, or to see what you want to see. I used to think he was a real freak. He was nothing but an annoyance to me. He certainly wasn't Sasuke." She sighed, thinking of the Uchiha boy again. It was funny how her old feelings returned, despite the many ways that she had changed over the years. "It took a while for me to see how great Naruto really is. And, I don't mean his abilities…"

"I…" Hinata didn't know what to say. Sakura was right. Naruto had always been a beacon of light to her… a shining star well beyond the realm of reality. That had been the case, even though he painted graffiti on the stone Hokages… created perverted jutsus… fought with Sasuke over everything… acted like a mooncalf around Sakura… and made a nuisance out of himself with his brash actions, rash words, and talk about becoming Hokage. "I guess it was kind of unfair, always using him as my inspiration."

"No." Sakura shook her head. "We all do what we have to do. No one really wanted to make the connection for the longest time; but, it's pretty obvious looking back. He helped you deal with a lot of things, without even knowing it. It wasn't just his encouragement at our first Chuunin exams." She looked her friend in the eyes. "He came to mean more than that, too. Right? And you were brave, taking those steps, no matter how things turned out."

"I guess so… but…"Hinata shook her head involuntarily. "My actions…"

"Other side of the coin?" Sakura was very shrewd. Studying with the Hokage had helped improve her in that regard, too. "You're embarrassed by the way that you tricked him?" She pursed her lips, made a face, and then smiled. "If you really used him as your inspiration, you can certainly forgive yourself for picking up some of his habits. He's rather unpredictable, you know. "I think that he need to need to be tricky just as much as he needs to et, breath, and sleep."

"My behavior… it was… different." Hinata swallowed hard.

"Yes. You were dishonest, even if you never actually lied to him. You were also human, taking a chance on something that you were afraid you were going to lose. I think that he will understand that." She put a hand behind her neck. "Hey. In time, I think he might even appreciate the effort. No doubt he'll say something like 'You rock, Hinata!' Just you wait and see."

"But… even though I was following suggestions… my actions were still cowardly…" Hinata sighed again. She knew that Naruto would never appreciate a coward. Her actions in the forest might have been dramatic; but, they were the result of necessity and happenstance. When he sat down to judge her, he might pay more attention to the way she trained with him, without ever saying how she felt. "My running off… that was terrible, too…" She gave Sakura a brief run down on the events that took place at her father's house.

"Hinata, don't be so hard on yourself, OK?" Sakura sounded concerned. "You were really shocked. And really hurt. It must have been very hard, finding out that you had been misled. While Naruto never came out and said that he cared about you, it's easy to see why you might have gotten your hopes up so high. To have everything come crashing down that way…"

"I also got him in trouble…" Hinata felt tears coming to her eyes. "The Hokage had been very angry with him before, after I first summoned the cat. But, in our talk, she was even more angry with his actions than she was with mine. Her face… it looked…it was so…"

"I know…" Sakura said, shivering. "I've seen that face too many times. Believe me!" It was her turn to sigh. "Naruto is a work in progress. He's very high maintenance. She knows that. We all do." She punched Hinata lightly in the arm. "But, don't blame yourself for anything that he chose to do. No one held a kunei to his neck!" She scowled. "If he ever tries to blame you, I swear that I will break him in half. He gets really angry sometimes… and has a habit for speaking before thinking… but, when he takes the time to work things through, he is always kind and considerate, and he always admits his mistakes."

"Yes." Hinata couldn't help but smile. She remembered hiding behind a training post, making a bold gesture that no one else would consider all that brave. She had told him how he was a 'proud failure'. After that, he had nearly shattered her psyche, saying that he had thought of her as a shy, dark weirdo. He obviously never considered what effect those words might have. But, he also went on to say that she was someone that he could like. Like a rose, he had his share of thorns.

"I know that kind of smile," Sakura said, causing her friend to blush. She immediately changed tack. "Is there something else bothering you?"

Hinata nodded. "My family."

"I figured as much, since you didn't go home, and after hearing that story." Sakura had once been very unhappy, not having been born into one of the major families. She loved her parents; but, their life had been difficult at times, and she always had to work hard to help out, in addition to her duties. Now, seeing what went on in some of the founding clans, she was quite content with the life she had. "I know Neji supports you. I suppose you might be a little put out with your sister…" She paused, watching her friend's face. "But, it's mostly your father, right"

"Yes." Hinata went on to speak in more detail, describing how her father's actions made her feel. "It… it will be hard going back," she admitted. "I shamed myself in my father's eyes, running off. But, I have rarely done anything that truly pleased him." She folded her hands in her lap. She kept holding out hope that things could be like they once were; but, she didn't know how long she could have faith, seeing how things kept turning out. "He sounded upset, simply considering that I might have a boyfriend. He was particularly enraged, realizing that Naruto was someone I cared about. I know why now…"

Sakura nodded. She mouthed the word Kyuubi and saw Hinata nod too.

"He also said that I could not have anything else to do with Naruto." Hinata closed her eyes for a few moments.

"But, Naruto saved your life…" Sakura hated injustice. She hated to see Naruto ostracized. She hated to see her friend hurting. "That's so unfair. He's such a good guy. There might be others that try as hard or care as much; but no one tries harder, or cares more than him."She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe if you ask Tsunade to talk with your father…"

"No." Hinata shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together. "I can't… ummm… I shouldn' t expect others to sort out my problems for me. Besides, it's a Hyuuga issue. My father would never listen to outside advice, not even from the Hokage."

"Oh." Sakura's face fell. "Don't give up hope. People can change, right? You're a great example of that."

"I guess so." Hinta sighed.

"Is there something else on your mind, too?" Sakura asked, thinking that the smaller girl had more than enough things to worry about as it was.

"Well…" Hinata rubbed her fingers together.

"No holding back anything, girl." Sakura narrowed her eyes, looking too much like Tsunade for comfort.

"You see…" Hinata blushed, making any denial pointless. "We both…" She felt flustered all of the sudden. "It wasn't our doing… mostly…"

"An-n-n-n-n-d…" Sakura leaned forward in her chair, eyes intense. "Did he make some kind of mushy apology?" If he had, he would never live it down! But, there was no need to tell Hinata that. "Did he shout out some kind of brave boastful challenge in your name?" She smiled, and then focused on the words 'wasn't our doing.' Our. The two of them. Together. "He didn't… he didn't kiss you or something…did he?"

"No!" Hinata waved her hands in front of her, and then looked to see if anyone had been listening in on their conversation. "Well… yes…" She began twiddling her fingers again. "But it wasn't us, really…"

Sakura smiled. Her face gave credit to her name at that moment, opening up like a blossom. "So-o-o-o-o… let's have all of the details…"

Hinata gave a brief synopsis on the battle. She finished with a description of Neko Janis' possession of the two Sound ninjas, followed by her kiss with Naruto.

"Ooooo-o-o-h… I don't care much for cruelty; but, that's one cat whose tail I'd like to set on fire!" Sakura looked really miffed. "Your first kiss. It's bad enough that it had to be with Naruto." She winked. "Hah! But, his was with Sasuke. Remember?"

"Yes." Hinata smiled. Sakura hadn't thought that the accidental kiss was funny back then. She and the other girls had berated Naruto somewhat fiercely. Every girl except Hyuuga Hinata, the only one who never had a crush on the Uchiha boy.

"Well, I bet you liked it anyway, right?" Sakura sighed, dreamy eyed.

"I…" Hinata blushed again. She couldn't help but smile, even embarrassed as she was. "You see…"

"Maybe I should get that cat a big bowl of milk instead!" Sakura checked her watch again. She really needed to get going. "Of course, with Naruto… he will probably come up with a dozen or more reasons why he didn't like it, emphasizing that it was never his choice." She smiled. "The more he denies things… the more he liked it…"

After that, Sakura excused herself. Hinata sat alone in her chair a little bit longer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sound of cursing could be heard.

"Damn thing! It probably doesn't work." Naruto kept pressing on the call button attached to a long cord. It was supposed to signal someone at a nurse's station. All it probably did was keep track of how many times he pushed. No. Every time he pushed it, they probably added more time until they decided to check in on him.

Hinata stood outside the door, hesitant to show herself. Maybe she should come back later. Naruto sounded rather upset.

"Is it such a big deal, to walk down the hall, and help a guy pick up the pillow he knocked off the bed?" There was more cursing. "This sucks. This really has me pissed off. Wait until they see what I put in the Suggestion Box!" He smirked. Nobody said it had to be the small paper forms. He could think of numerous better things to cram in there.

Hinata took a step, and then halted. She could get his pillow for him. That would start things off on a good foot, wouldn't it?

"I hate being in this place. Why don't they let me go heal at home? At least I have my manga there. Instant noodles, too." He smacked his fist against the railing. "Stupid Hinata…" He was simply angry that she had never shown up. He had been looking forward to her visit, while dreading it at the same time. Even if she never cared about him again, there were some things that he wanted to get off his chest. "Ahhh-h-h-h…"

Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. She slumped against the wall. Why did she have to be there when he said that? Maybe it was for the best. proud that she hadn't been driven to tears, she turned to leave unannounced.

"Stupid Hinata!" Naruto began clicking on the call button again. "Why didn't she come to visit me? Everybody else did. Damn!" He sighed. ?"Guess I really can't blame her, though. Makes it kind of easy to guess how she must feel…"

Hinata froze. What? He was not angry at her because he hated her. He was upset because she never came to see him! OK girl… you won't get a better time to walk in than this. No. Maybe I can listen just a while longer. Who knows what he might say? She blushed, thinking like that. But, it was merely intelligence gathering. A shinobi was expected to be adept at such matters.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage?" Naruto grumped. "Hah, more like Uzumaki Naruto, big time loser. Man, I really messed up this time. Geeez, I'm glad Sasuke isn't here right now. He would just stand there looking all smug and condescending, telling me what a dumb ass I am." He sighed. "Well, I had it coming to me. I didn't get a bridge named after me, by trying to trick people." He scratched his head. "Hey. But it was not all my fault!"

Hinata swallowed hard. Maybe she had waited too long. Should she keep listening?

"That's right! Man. It's not like I didn't keep asking her who her boyfriend was. I mean, that was what I was trying to find out, wasn't it?" He rolled up his blanket for a substitute pillow. "And I can't forget that trick with the fortune-tellers, with everyone trying to get them to convince me that I should like the girl I was training with. It wasn't as if I really believed any of that stuff, though. No way. Sneaky… under-handed… conniving…"

Hinata blinked rapidly. If Naruto kept going in that direction, might he convince himself that she wasn't someone worth liking? Should she go in now, before it was too late? No! If her face gave her away, and he realized that she had been eavesdropping, that would make things even worse.

"But, they were right…" Naruto admitted to himself. "Whether it was a trick or not..." He banged on the railing again, too hard. "Shit! That hurts." He thought a moment. "I really am a dumb ass." Performing hand seals, he created a single clone. He asked it to retrieve his pillow for him. "Why don't you go get me a soda or something?"

Hinata looked for some place to hide. There were none. She was not about to slide down a laundry chute, or try and fit on the bottom of that covered cart.

"Ahhhh. Never mind. Here, help me fix the bed. And don't give me a look like that. It could be worse." Naruto chuckled. "If I was Ero-sennin, I'd dress you in a nurse's outfit… after making you look like the Sexy No Jutsu girl." He sighed. "Maybe I should have made you look like Hinata…"

Hinata smiled. That was really sweet. He must really want to see her.

"Hey! What are you smirking like that for? I didn't mean having her dress up like the nurses in those animes!" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't care that he was fussing at one of his clones. He chuckled. "But…I bet she'd look really great… know what I mean…"

Hinata froze again. She had seen previews for some of the anime shows that had woman dressed in nurse's outfits. Naruto hadn't been able to coax her into watching anything like that! And…well…ummm… he was thinking about her, looking like the nurses had?

"Hello, Hinata."It was Shizune. Hinata had been so frazzled, that she never heard the medical ninja walk up. "Is there something wrong? Were you just in to see Naruto? He's been annoying the personnel at the nurse's station with his buzzing…"

"Hinata!" That was Naruto's voice. "Hey, Shizune… is Hinata out there?" He sounded a bit frantic. "If she is…how long has she been out there?"

"Well let's go in." Shizune gave Hinata a gentle shove. As the two of them walked in the room, the older woman wondered what had Naruto looking the way he did. Maybe it was the fact that he was still dressed in a hospital gown. He was such a sweet shy boy at times, despite his usual behavior. "Well, Naruto. Everyone was busy, but I asked to come and see what you wanted, since Tsunade wanted me to check in on you again anyway." She smiled at Hinata. "But, I bet that Hinata wouldn't mind acting as a nurse while she visits."

The word 'nurse' had the two teenagers reacting, each of them thinking back to Naruto's words when he thought he was only talking to a clone. Hinata tripped over the leg on a mobile table, sending it rolling into the wall. The clone caught her, before popping out of existence. Naruto slid slowly under his covers.

Shizune did a brief examination of Naruto's wounds, and went over some of his reports with him. After that, she left, but not before disconnecting the room's call buzzer. Hinata and Naruto were left alone together.

Naruto stared at Hinata. For the first time, he felt nearly naked, sitting there in a hospital gown. He didn't know what to say. Even if he did have something to say, he couldn't find his tongue at the moment. Hinata stood rock still, her eyes blinking rapidly, and her breath coming in quick bursts. She couldn't take her eyes off of Naruto's face, and was equally incapable of articulate speech.

"Well…" Finally, Naruto made a breakthrough. He was a guy. And, he would be Hokage someday. But somehow, he didn't think that anyone would be throwing him a parade any time soon, just because he managed to say a single word.

"Ummm… yes?" Hinata kept from fainting. Her muscles were frozen, otherwise she might have thought about finding something to stand behind.

Naruto frowned. That was two words. Hinata had topped him!

"I know exactly what you mean." Naruto felt like shouting. Six whole words. Hah! Why stop there? "It's nurse to see you… I mean nice to see you!" That put them both back at square one. Naruto was having a hard time looking at Hinata, who was not wearing her chuunin vest. Hinata was having a difficult time standing there, realizing that she wasn't wearing her chuunin vest. For just a moment, she felt like the village's biggest hussy.

"I'm… well… you see…" Hinata bit her lip. This was silly. She had no trouble talking with Tsunade or Sakura. Why should it be any different with Naruto? Especially after all of the time that the two of them had spent together. "I'm sorry I didn't stop by to see you earlier." She could have come by when he was asleep, after all. "I could have been there when you woke up… if you needed help with something…"

"Oh. Hey. You were here when I woke up. Heh heh heh…" Naruto felt as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him. Perverse as always, his mind showed him images from his steamiest dream. "What I mean is… well… It's not what you think…" He felt like clubbing himself in the head. How could she possibly know what he was worried about? "It's… I was thinking about you…"

"Really?" Hinata found herself smiling. Despite everything that had happened, she was happy that Naruto didn't hate her. At that moment, nothing he had done wrong before seemed to matter. They had both made mistakes. "I'm… I'm really happy to hear that, Naruto-kun." She blushed. "I hope you can think about me more and more…"

"Uhhh… you do…" Naruto had to clear his throat. He also needed to clear his head. He had no business thinking those kind of thoughts about Hinata... at least not when she was in the room. "Well…Hinata-chan… I thought that you might actually…" He felt somewhat tense. "I thought that you might hate me or something…"

"I was very upset, Naruto-kun." Hinata took a few steps closer to him, feeling herself loosen up some. "It was hard finding out that you didn't really care anything about me. But, it was my fault that I got my hopes up." She looked down at her feet. "I was caught by surprise when my father told me about Hanabi's activities. He also said…" She shook her head, not wanting to think about that now.

"Hey, it wasn't easy for me either, you know." Naruto's pride had him speaking with a little bit of fire for a moment. "I mean, come on! Do you think it was fun, getting to really like a girl, but thinking she already had a boyfriend? That…" His words finally caught up with him. His mouth fell open. The sweat beads sprung up incredibly quickly. "Besides, you aren't quite as innocent as you pretend." Images from his dream jumped into his mind again. "Well…yes you are… in certain things. I mean…not in all that mess."

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata wondered just what Naruto might be thinking. She felt a warmth creep through her, when she understood the full meaning of his accidental confession about 'really liking a girl.'

"It's the medicines. They have my thoughts all jumbled." Naruto rubbed his head. It was partially true. A little bit. At least it had been when he woke up that morning. As he lay back down, he grimaced. The sunlight now came in at just the wrong angle, catching him square in the eyes. "Uhhh… Hinata-chan… could you close those blinds for me? My eyes are bothering me…"

"Sure." Hinata did as she was asked. Turning back to Naruto, she caught sight of a stack of reports that someone had brought by for Naruto to look over. She had been given a similar stack herself. "If your eyes are hurting you, would you like me to read to you?"

"Huh?" Naruro frowned, remembering that he was supposed to corroborate some intelligence data when he was feeling up to it. "Oh. Sure. It would be nice to hear a kind voice for a change." He sighed. "You know, because everybody's been getting on my case and all. You'd think they could wait until I got better to scold me!"

He wasn't paying attention. Hinata had picked up a book that caught her eye. The artist's rendition of a boy chasing after a girl had peaked her curiosity and started her blushing at the same time.

Naruto rolled to the side, his eyes going wide. Why had she picked up that? Why hadn't he hidden it after Hanabi had left? "Hinata, not that book…" He was too late. Hinata had started reading, out loud.

"Welcome again, faithful readers. Icha Icha Tactics is the book that you have been patiently waiting for. Before we get to the art of seduction… let's make… some things… clear…" Hinata stopped reading out loud.

"You really don't need to read that, Hinata. It's probably not something that would interest a girl, you know." Naruto started to reach out to swipe the book, but stopped when he felt a strong twinge of pain.

Hinata's face felt like it was on fire. Just what was this book? Part of her felt dirty, just picking it up. Another part felt shocked, as if she had reached to pick up a stick for a campfire, but had picked up a snake instead. But, something in her wouldn't let her put the book down. She continued, reading silently to herself:

'If you're completely satisfied with the quantity and quality of the girls you're hooking up with… or if you don't want to get any action at all… or if you believe there's something morally wrong with being a master of seduction… then you should stop reading right now. However, if you're like me, and you think you might like to add a few panties to your collection…well, I think you'll find this book remarkable!'

Hinata felt as if the world was swirling around her. Everything looked blurry and elongated. The words on the pages seemed to dance about, jump, and then slide from view. She pinched herself, hard. She was not going to let this conquer her. "Is this the kind of thing you like to read, Naruto-kun?" Hinata felt her hands twitch. When she had visited Naruto's apartment, she had been She had been more than a little embarrassed seeing some of some of the manga in his collection.

"I… it's… you see…" Naruto took a deep breath. His words came out in a rush. "Ero-Sennin… I mean, Jiraiya… he brought that by for me today." He swallowed hard. "He's always had that kind of stuff around… but I didn't make it a habit of reading it…" That was true. But, he had made a habit of trying to read it.

Swallowing hard, Hinata turned to the first chapter after the introduction. She read aloud. That might give her the courage to continue. "Flirting is much more than just a bit of fun. Trust me! It is a universal and essential aspect of human interaction. Anthropological research shows that flirting is to be found, in some form, in all cultures and societies around the world. I've made it a point to visit as many as I possibly could."

"Well, I think that's enough for now. I can't keep my eyes open, Hinata-chan. No need to read any more." Naruto felt very edgy. He closed his eyes, hoping that Hinata would see.

Hinata looked over at Naruto. If anything, his behavior annoyed her. What, was he putting on another act around her? Part of her wanted to give it, wondering if he thought so little of her. Another part realized that he was feeling a bit uncomfortable himself. That had her smiling a quick smile. "Flirting is a basic instinct, part of human nature. This is not surprising. If we did not initiate contact and express interest in members of the opposite sex, we would not progress to reproduction, and the human species would become extinct."

"Naruto opened his eyes again. "Hey, Hianata. You're blushing. You're turning as read as a beet!" He waited a moment. That should have had Hinata putting the book down and rubbing her fingers together. It didn't. Maybe he should try being more forceful. "Put that book down now, Hyuuga Hinata. I wouldn't let Hanabi read it when she stopped by."

"Hanabi?" Hinata narrowed her eyes for a moment. Just reading about flirting gave her butterflies in the stomach. But, mention of her sister had her feeling strange. That wasn't jealousy, was it? "Wh-Why would she st-stop by?"

"You know. She was worried about me. So was Onoda. She brought that basket." Naruto went on to explain what Hanabi had done. Rubbing his chin, he thought of a way to change the subject away from the book. "I can't believe that she actually got me to start believing in that mumbo jumbo. All that time I spent with Mai Jing tiles was some kind of big joke. I mean, I remember getting a Three Bamboo Toad tile. 'Issues involving sickness and medicine are indicated by this tile. This tile also indicates recovery from sickness.'Bogus! I'm injured, not sick."

Hinata sat quietly, without answering. She would put the book down. She should put the book down. What might her father or the Hokage think of her, if they caught her reading such a thing? Still, she held onto it.

"I also had to sit through hours of Kumalak, while some faking old shakerjan played around with his beans. Damn. I bet those were just going to be his dinner that night. I got a number 'three' result once, associated with the air. Geeez. That was supposed to represent the three realms of nature…animal, vegetable and mineral…and symbolize journeys, encounters and joining of forces." He stopped a moment. That certainly could describe the incident with Orochimaru. "Something like that is just too vague. We're ninjas. Stuff like that happens all the time."

Hinata didn't say a word. Naruto certainly was rambling on. The book really had him rattled. Maybe he felt embarrassed with her reading that kind of thing around him. Was that a good thing? Did it mean he liked her? Would he be speaking loudly and boasting, if some other kunoichi was reading this? How would he be reacting around Sakura?

"And I had to waste my time with that physio-… phygiono-… physiognomy stuff. I was such a jerk to fall for that routine. The guy said that the shape of my nose meant that I am 'happy to provide support and protection to my loved ones.' It also indicates 'generosity and a willingness to share'." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, everyone already knows that, right?" He narrowed his eyes. "The guy also commented on my eyebrows. It's not like I'm Lee or something. He said that they suggested that I have a 'chaotic and unconventional mind'… hat I can be tactless at times… and that I get embroiled in a lot of unwanted arguments. Can you imagine that?"

Hinata wasn't about to answer that last part. She didn't want to get into an argument. Those fortunes had her feeling a bit twitchy. They certainly did describe Naruto. But, the shop owners that he mentioned were not among the ones that she and her friends had rigged. "It sounds like you are very unhappy about the time you spent with fortune tellers, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry. That was my fault…"

"That's OK Hinata-chan." Naruto tried a 'good guy' pose, but quick when the pain had him sucking in air. "But, I bet you aren't as sorry as I am. After all, the things that I did had you running from home and hiking off into the forest!"

Hinata's face fell. Naruto hadn't made it sound as if he was ashamed of her because of her actions. Just the same, she felt an urge to change the subject. She looked down at the book again. That would do the trick.

"According to some evolutionary psychologists, flirting may even be the foundation of civilization as we know it. They argue that the large human brain is the equivalent of the peacock's tail. It might very well be a courtship device evolved to attract and retain sexual partners. Our achievements in everything from art to Ninjutsu may merely be side-effects that developed as means to charm and influence others."

"That's all very interesting, Hinata-chan. Well, I'm sure somebody would find it interesting." Naruto feverishly sought some other means to change the subject. OK. That would do. "You know, you never told me what you learned from Granny Tsunade about summoning. I wonder if it's the same kind of stuff that the perverted hermit taught me. That Neko Janis is sure a character. She's not half bad, for a girl! A girl demon, I mean…"

"She told me a lot…" Hinata squared her shoulders some, and then closed her mouth. She had to continue what she had started. It was her Ninja Way. Besides, it was kind of fun, seeing Naruto look anxious like that. Most of the time, she was the one who hemmed and hawed through things. "When you feel better, maybe we can compare notes." Taking a deep breath, she resumed reading:

"Flirting is also an essential element of the mate-selection process, and when you are 'flirting with intent', rather than just 'flirting for fun', you need to be a bit more selective about your choice of target. In mate-selection flirting, there are two rules you should remember about who to flirt with. If you remember these rules, you will increase your chances of success, and reduce the likelihood of embarrassing rejections." Hinata looked over at Naruto. He looked like he had been struck on the head with a large wooden mallet. "Initiate fl-flirtation with p-people of roughly the same level of attractiveness as y-yourself." The whole idea of 'mate-selection' had her beginning to stammer some.

Naruto reached for the nurse buzzer. That was one way he could get Hinata to put down that stupid book! Wait. He had forgotten. Shizune disconnected the buzzer!

"This will give you the best chance of compatibility. Most successful marriages and long-term relationships are between partners of more or less equal good looks. Studies have shown that the more evenly matched partners are in their attractiveness, the more likely they are to stay together." Hinata paused for a moment. She thought about that. She was hardly the best looking girl in their group. Probably quite the opposite. But, to be honest, Naruto was kind of scruffy looking himself. That had her smiling.

"What are you grinning about, Hinata?" Naruto saw how she had looked sad for a moment, and then perked up after looking at him. "Never mind." He frowned. Hinata was a lot cuter than he ever realized, now that he looked closer and paid attention. And while he fancied himself to look a bit like the Fourth did, he knew that he wasn't particularly handsome.

"Don't flirt with people who are unlikely to return your interest. Even if you are not looking for a long-term mate, you will enjoy flirting more with someone who is interested in you. So it makes sense to approach people who are likely to see you as at least a possible partner, rather than those likely to dismiss you as unsuitable. For example, short, less attractive women may be a bit more restricted in their choice of potential partners. But, there are many exceptions to rule like this, and confidence and charm can outweigh apparent disadvantages." Hinata fumbled the book, but managed to keep her page.

"You're a lot more confident these days, Hinata-chan." Naruto gave her a thumbs up sign, smiling, only then realizing how his words might have sounded. "But, that doesn't mean that you're not attractive…" He tensed up. "I mean… well… it's good that you are starting to trust yourself more." He busied himself peeling an orange from his fruit basket. "Want a slice, Hinata?" Naruto split the orange, squirting himself in the eye with juice. "Crap!"

Hinata began giggling. She couldn't help herself. Before sides.

"Sure. Very funny. Sick guy blinds himself with juice." Naruto shook his head, barely managing to keep from managed to keep from grinning. It was nice to hear Hinata giggle like that. It made her seem more like other girls. "You done reading? Not that I'm interested or anything!"

"Maybe one more," Hinata answered, leafing through the book. She was looking for a chapter titlke that might catch her eye. "The final chapter is titled 'Bingo'." She began to read aloud again. "Contrary to popular belief, the dating scene is not the best way to get women into your bed…"

"Yo! Excuse me…" That voice had Hinata jumping in her seat. Naruto felt his ears catch fire. It was Kakashi. The Copy Ninja looked at the Icha Icha book, at Naruto, and then Hinata. He took out his book, and flipped to the last chapter. "Yes. That's true. Contrary to popular belief, the dating scene is not the best way to get women into your bed. Take it from the Legendary Hermit of Love. The techniques I told you about in this book will teach you honest, straightforward, and practical ways to get results. Stop sitting all alone at night, while the other guys get all the action." He closed the book.

Hinata crouched down low, as if that might make her invisible. She began bobbling the book like it was a red hot coal. She dropped it and missed, trying to kick it under the bed.

"Nothing like a close call with death to get one to realize how short life really is." Kakashi shrugged. "I know what Gai would say. He would strike a pose and talk about the burning youth of Konoha." He grinned underneath his mask. "Maybe I should find time to read that chapter to Kurenai. Purely for Hinata's sake, of course."

"Eep!" Hinata's squeak reminded Kakashi of the sound a rabbit makes when its caught by a fox.

"Kakashi-sensei… it's not what you think…don't go embarrassing Hinata like that." Naruto made a belligerent face. "C'mon!"

"Oh. I get it. Sure. Nothing happened." Kakashi gave Naruto an 'OK' sign. Actually, he had no doubt how things lay between the two. Just the same, Naruto could use a little shaking up. He had gotten much too complacent after the downfall of Akatsuki. "I'll only tell Jiraiya. He always wants to know if the book is working." He nodded. "If it can work for Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto, it can work for anyone…"

"I… I… I…" Hinata put her hand to her forehead. The room looked like it was spinning.

"Hey. Stop kidding around!" Naruto was riled up enough to try getting out of bed. He grunted in agony, doubling over.

"Naruto-kun…" Naruto's cry brought Hinata's thoughts back into focus. She rushed to help him back in bed. After that, she turned and looked at the Copy Ninja. "That's not the kind of thing he needs right now. You're his friend and teacher. You should know better." She even put her hands on her hips. No one was more surprised by that telling-off than she was.

"Right." Kakashi actually smiled, closing his one uncovered eye. He did a passable imitation of Naruto. "Hinata, you rock!" He looked over at Naruto. "Here. I stopped by to give you this. It's what Sakura and I will be working on when she has time for training outside of the hospital. Read it when you can, so you won't be too far behind. Later!" With that, he tossed Naruto a scroll and then left.

For the next few minutes, Hinata stared at the ceiling, and Naruto counted the number of hairs on one arm. Just as they were both about to speak, Tsunade walked in.

"What's the matter with you two?" The Hokage asked. "It looks like you saw a ghost or something."

"N-Nothing…" Naruto said, his voice cracking.

"N-Not a thing, M-Ma'am…" Hinata turned beet red.

"Oh?" Tsunade looked down at the floor, her eyes drawn to a bit of color. It was an Icha Icha book. "Glad to hear it. I came by to say that the physical therapists are all running late. If you want, I could ask Shizune. Or, since you and I still have things to talk about, I can help you take a short walk around the garden." She tapped her long fingernails against her thigh. "Unless I can find another volunteer…" She raised one eyebrow.

"I can help him, Ma'am." Hinata looked over at Naruto.

"Fine." Tsunade gave Hinata a run down of the things that she wanted Naruto to do, telling her to be certain that he didn't overdo anything. Then, she slipped in a sly one. "When you're done, find me and tell me how things went, so I can write it in his records. One thing more. I suggest you leave the book in the room. You might want to put it in a drawer or something." She grinned. It wasn't often that she got to see Naruto speechless.

When they were alone again, Hinata unwrapped a pair of hospital slippers for Naruto. As the waste can was over near Hanabi's basket, she picked the latter up after throwing away the plastic wrap. "Should we do these first?"

"Yeh. Sure. Why not?" Now that the book was out of sight, Naruto felt his usual perky and self-confident attitude returning. He reached into the basket, and pulled out a handful of orange and black wrapped fortune cookies. Frowning, he reached back in, and handed a number to Hinata. The two of them cracked their cookies at the same time, taking out the message.

"It looks like Hanabi must have baked these," Hinata said. The cookies were misshapen, each looking different than the others. "The message is in her handwriting." Hinata blushed, and then looked up at Naruto.

"Really? She's a sweet kid, in her own way. Let's see, what does this say?" He read the message, and then looked over at Hinata. Without saying anything, he proceeded to open all of his cookies. The messages were all the same. He coughed. "What does yours say, Hinata?"

"It says 'Naruto likes Hinata'." She looked up into Naruto's eyes. "Y-Yours?"

"It says 'Ramen does a body good. Eat as much as you can, while the opportunity is there.' Well, that's certainly true." He looked away. It was a good thing that he wasn't a poker player

Hinata frowned. She stared at the strips of paper in Naruto's hand.

"OK." Naruto sighed. "It says 'Hinata likes Naruto'." He was about to make some kind of joke, but stopped.

Hinata spun the message strip around her fingers, and then straightened it out. She looked out the window, seeing a bird soaring in the distance.

"Maybe there's something to be said for fortunes after all. Right, Naruto-kun?"

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THE END