The following series of events take place after the Fourth Great Shinobi World War. At the epicenter of the war, the original Kage Summit that it was announced at, became not only ground zero to its end but also the place where the shrine was built to honor those invaluable to bringing its end and those lost during those battle ravaged times. Among the heroes of the war, the names of many Konohagakure ninja were listed: Kakashi Hatake; Shikamaru Nara; Neji Hyuuga; Sakura Haruno; Shino Aburame; and Naruto Uzumaki. Many more from Konoha died in battle and were greatly missed.

However, turbulent times such as these not only bring grief and the gongs of funeral bells, but also great happiness with the chimes of wedding bells, as all wars of its magnitude do. Shikamaru and Temari of the Sand; Kakashi and Anko Mitarashi (before their deaths in battle); Rock Lee and Sakura; Neji and Tenten; Ino Yamanaka and Sai (deceased); all got married and many of which now have children.

During the final battle of the war called "The Battle at Shinobi Mountain", Naruto and Sasuke finally had their showdown. At an astoundingly even match, the two had worn each other down to their very end, even barely able to commit to their respective forms of taijutsu. Not much of the landscape surrounding the summit remained in its original form, the two, now, men with their clothes and bodies in tatters looked into each other's eyes reflecting both burning hate and somber grief back at each other. It was Sakura who dealt the final blow, showing up at the very last moment, to the surprise of both rivals. Sasuke's final words to them on that day were: "I promise, you will both see that village burn to the ground, just as you and all of your friends' lives will burn!" Naruto and Sakura left Sasuke still breathing, but barely what most would call "alive."

Seven years passed and Naruto no longer felt the weight of his scorned friendship. Along with the other Konoha eleven, he had decided that if Sasuke should return looking for revenge again, he would not bear that burden alone. With this freedom came an eagerness for life even the number-one knuckle-headed ninja had not known before. Now known throughout the village as a hero and great shinobi, he no longer unconsciously saw any one person as a part of the crowd that he wanted to prove himself to. He now saw people as both a part of the community and as an individual. Naruto found himself constantly re-introduced to many of his old friends, the one he looked forward to seeing the most: Hinata Hyuuga.

It all began after the war, during which Naruto and Hinata had been separated by entire nations nearly throughout the conflict. Just before the war started Hinata had confessed her love for him while trying to rescue him from Pain. This had shocked him because up to that moment he had been oblivious to her feelings for him. He wanted to talk to her after the battle but she had been unconscious in the hospital for days, by which time mention of Sasuke's presence abroad led him away from his would-be date and he wouldn't see Hinata again for seven years. After the war ended and all Konoha ninja were called home, they were on their way.

While it was now clear to all that Naruto was regularly on Hinata's mind, few knew that what Hinata said had reached his thoughts often too. When all of the Konoha ninja returned, the entire village celebrated. He walked through the crowds, occasionally putting up with being carried on others' shoulders. He found it all to be like a dream, and his mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of the title of Hokage being just within his grasp, until he saw her.

The sea of people seemed to open up for him in that instant, and in the corner of his eye he caught the tiniest glimpse of long, dark blue hair. This was something he regularly saw in his dreams, although entirely a phenomenal occurrence to him. She stood across the street from him and for that one instant when the crowd gifted him with the clear path of sight he almost didn't recognize her. She wore a short, white dress kimono with orange flowers all over it and the formal okobos, which many of the higher-class women wore. Much of her hair was neatly tied up in a bun on top of her head; a few lucky strands had escaped the prison he longed to free them all from.

Hinata was talking to Kiba and Shino when she too looked across that fateful window and saw the man she had wanted to see for so many years. Over time she had often fantasized of what he might look like after what she felt was eons of time had passed. Just the two years he spent away with his master Jiraiya had drastically changed his appearance into something less of a man and more of a god, so what could more than seven years do?

She spotted a shade of yellow that she had not seen in ages and recognized it immediately. The geta, or wooden sandals, the man wore as his master did before him made him look older, wiser and experienced in battle. The long coat his father, the Fourth Hokage, traditionally wore hung down to his feet where the fire design flared, and the gi, which sported the Whirlpool Nation's crest, rested easily over his muscular body. An ache took over her body which long ago was simply too strong for her mind and would cause her to pass out, on this night it gave an older and wiser Hinata one hell of a head rush. She glanced up to catch a glimpse of the eyes in which she could either dive into and swim for an eternity, or fly straight through and never have to look back. When her gaze reached its destination she found that the sea and the sky were both already looking her way. Their eyes met for that instant and both so thoroughly and quickly blushed it's hard to imagine there was blood left for their toes.

The curtain of people immediately closed back up and both parties slapped their hands to their mouths and dropped down, crouched below the crowd. Both had expected that they might get to see one another at the celebration, but neither imagined that they would be caught checking the other out. Kama, the son of Kakashi Hatake and Anko Mitarashi and pupil of Naruto stared at his Jinchuuriki master.

"What happened sensei, did you stub your toe?" he asked, "Or did you see that pretty girl too?" A suggestive and devious smirk crept across his face.

Kama had been under Naruto's supervision since he was two years old, after Kakashi's death, early on in the war. His mother had been sick for a long time before she and Kakashi publicly admitted to their relationship. They were both very private people, but with Anko in the hospital on a regular basis, they knew it would be discovered eventually. Anko gave in to the disease which had afflicted her a year after Kama was born. Another year later Kakashi died at one of the most important battles in the war. Naruto had since taken to training Kama and teaching him as Kakashi-sensei had taught him. Naruto played both the role of father and teacher to Kama, to keep his promise to the Copycat Ninja.

Naruto took a deep breath, stood up with his chest out and composed himself. "Kama, you go and order some ramen for me. I'll be right in."

"Ooooooh! So I was right!" Kama beamed, "Do you know who she is?" He then did an impression of Hinata's stance, hand on hip, and puckered his lips, making kissing noises. "You should go and talk to her! Or better yet, I'll go and bring her over here, just wait here sensei." Kama then began to march as though he had been sent on a mission.

"KA-MA-HA-TA-KE…!" Naruto's face of stone appeared terrifying inches in front of Kama's, the boy then turned and ran for his life.

Across the street Kiba and Shino stared at their teammate who had just frozen midsentence, looked into the crowd for a short moment and then nose-dived into fetal position.

"Hey! What was that Hinata? Last time I saw you do stuff like that was whenever Naruto was… wait." Kiba lifted his nose into the air and sniffed twice. "NARUTO!" He shouted in excitement then jumped on top of Akamaru's back to see over the crowd. "Hey, Naruto! Get your ass over here! I… We haven't seen you in forever!"

Shino stood next to Kiba, physically unperturbed, but secretly looking forward to the reunion. He hoped that Naruto might recognize him firsthand this time. As an Aburame, he would not make it easy for the Uzumaki.

"Kiba-kun… do not embarrass me, please." Hinata begged.

Kiba then shouted over to Naruto in a suggestive tone: "And Hinata's over here! –OOF!"

A swift and stern jab to his stomach from an agitated Hinata knocked Kiba down, and Naruto mysteriously walked out of the forest behind them and helped him up. Shino couldn't help but notice that Naruto's demeanor had changed drastically from the last time he had seen him. He looked heroic and almost regal in his composure. Kiba's nose said otherwise. Naruto was nervous on the inside. But he hid this quite well, Kiba noted.

"It has been a long time hasn't it Kiba? I assume you didn't get all of those scars just from Hinata did you? You must have seen quite a number of battles out there." Naruto grinned, still unable to turn towards Hinata.

"HA! Hinata just wanted to be the first to call you over and I took all the glory, isn't that right Hinata?" Kiba smirked across Naruto to the anxious woman.

"Good to see you again, Naruto," said Shino. Unfortunately for the oftentimes dim-witted ninja, Shino looked just as familiar as a new jacket could look. Naruto stared at the man who stood before him pensively, rubbing his chin with his fingers.

"Let's see… Let's see… Do I know you?" Naruto questioned.

Shino dropped his head, "Naruto, you recognized-" Naruto cut Shino off with an explosion of laughter:

"Baka! Of course I remember you Shino! What kind of comrade would I be if I didn't?" Naruto laughed as Shino's depressed, sulkiness evaporated back to… regular jacket and goggles.

A giggle from behind Naruto diverted his attention once more, "Do you recognize me, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto turned to see the beautiful, lavender-eyed princess to his right, "Undoubtedly, Hinata." They locked their gaze together for what seemed to them only an instant, but to Kiba and Akamaru, an eternity of awkward silence. Shino stared off towards the market.

Akamaru whined to Kiba, "Ha-ha! Well, we gotta get goin', Akamaru's hungry. Shino, I bet Shikamaru, Lee, and Sakura are back as well. Let's go say 'hey.' See-ya 'round Naruto, see you later Hinata!" Shino nodded his head in agreement and then bowed graciously to Naruto and Hinata, then was on his way. Halfway through his step Shino turned back around and asked in a serious tone: "By the way, Naruto, why do you have clones surveying the perimeters?"

The trance was broken when Naruto looked over to Shino and Kiba, both clearly aware of the dozens of his kage bunshin in the forest, and then gazed at the night sky pensively. He gave the shortest possible answer: "Well, I guess… old habits from the war, you know?"

With that Kiba, his monstrous wolf, and Shino were off, leaving the two alone. Hinata became brutally aware of that when she felt Naruto catch her staring at his bare chest presented by the gi. This would have been less embarrassing for her if she had known that Naruto thought he had just been caught running his eyes up and down her curvy body as well. The two blushed and looked down and then into each other's eyes again, hypnotized for a second time. Before long Naruto spoke… barely.

"It's.. uh… good to see you got out alright. I mean, I was worried about you, -AHEM!- er… you're looking good… good to see you doing okay… Hinata." He stumbled over just about every word.

Hinata took a breath remembering her new courage, "Thank you Naruto-kun, you look handsome tonight as well. Oh! And congratulations on your victories in the war, I hear that without you we couldn't have made it through." Hinata smiled graciously, trying to peer into his eyes again, but Naruto had his head down to hide his blushing.

"Thank you Hinata… uh, walk with me, it's too loud and crowded around here," Naruto's obvious attempt at a heroic voice.

Hinata giggled silently, "Okay, follow me." Hinata took Naruto by his hand, thoroughly surprising him, and lead him through the crowd. Naruto couldn't help but notice the softness of the kunoichi's fingers, and the warmth of her palm. It sent a tingle up his spine and turned his stomach into jelly.

Hinata's heart rushed at the touch of Naruto's hand, tough and calloused, yet warm and strangely invigorating at the same time. Once outside of the markets, they walked side by side, both secretly wishing that the crowd had been larger. Naruto had managed to compose himself once again, and would share subtle, flirtatious looks with his company in silence for most of the midnight stroll. Then they both swayed from the looks that were quickly becoming dangerous and let their minds wander.

"Hinata, I cannot tell you how much I missed this place while I was gone. After Pain attacked Konoha, I was afraid to come back." Naruto smiled, fearing what he had just said might be misinterpreted. Before he could further explain Hinata replied.

"Oh… well, I guess I understand…" Hinata frowned and sank back down from her excitement.

"No, I mean…" Naruto jumped in, "I mean I was afraid to come back because if I did I might endanger everyone's lives again. Everyone I cared for…" Naruto considered his next words twice over, fearing her response after seven years, "Especially you, Hinata."