Oshiro Fumio was a simple man. He ran a small furniture store and was active in the Civilian Sector of Konoha. Fumio loved his wife of twenty years and doted on his two grandchildren. 'Old Man Ottoman' paid his workers generously and treated them very well. Shinobi frequently visited his shop and were grateful that he was one of the few successful merchants not to treat D-ranks as an advertising ploy or a way to avoid hiring civilians who needed work. That was not to say Oshiro-san never commissioned D-rank missions. It was only when he had little other choice.

Such as today.

His wife was visiting her elderly mother in a small civilian village to the south, and his store's assistant manager was at home taking care of his sick infant son. Old Man Ottoman had a large shipment arriving from the Eastern Hans of the Land of Fire and was unwilling to anger his suppliers by making them wait. So, he quickly went to the Hokage's Tower to request a D-rank.

The team that arrived at 8:30 that morning stunned Fumio to the core. First, the kunoichi of the Genin Cell was the Hyūga Heiress…the Hyūga Heiress. The Hyūga were easily the most powerful clan in Konoha, especially after the tragedy of the Uchiha Clan. They may have only risen to the true pinnacle of power recently, but they had always been exceptionally wealthy due to a combination of frugality and incredible negotiation abilities. The next shinobi was a young man of the Inuzuka Clan. The Inuzuka were easily one of the most well-known clans in all of Konoha. Fumio had not had interacted with the Inuzuka a great deal, but they were widely respected for their loyalty.

Old Man Ottoman was only vaguely familiar with the final member of the Genin Team. He had met him once, when a Hyūga had come in to buy some furniture. Uzumaki Naruto had been a very young child at the time. Mr. Oshiro remembered the boy choosing a chair and begging his guardian for it. The chair hadn't been the most expensive or the most popular type of furniture in the store. However, the boy had latched onto it. Fumio did remember that the boy was very polite in begging for the item. He had not expected to see the boy ever gain.

Even more astounding, even Fumio had heard of this Genin cell. As a civilian who wished to avoid looking too deeply into the shinobi world, Fumio limited his interaction with ninja to business transactions. The rumors and tales of Team Four had even reached his ears. Team Four had evidently defeated a particularly reviled enemy of Konoha. A member of the Aburame Clan who visited Fumio's store had been talking with an associate about Team Four's triumph over someone known as Shimizu Den. Rumors were also circulating that Team Four had prevented an assassination attempt against a member of the Daimyo's family.

Team Four was easily the most famous Genin Cell in Konoha. Only Team Seven, under the infamous Hatake Kakashi, was nearly as famous. That team was responsible for the liberation of Wave and contained the Last Uchiha and Aburame Heir.

As Fumio watched the Uzumaki boy direct a number of duplicates in moving the shipment, the old man realized why so many of his contemporaries used D-ranks. It wasn't just vanity, but a form of celebrity worship.

"Excuse me, Fumio-san," the Hyūga heiress interrupted Fumio's thoughts. The older man took in the young woman and was frankly stunned. She was cleary very pretty and incredibly polite. It was almost hard to reconcile the teen speaking to him with the killer she undoubtedly was.

In that moment, Fumio realized why kunoichi were the most feared assassins in the world. Nearly everyone lowered their guard for a pretty girl. Men like the sorely-missed Fourth Hokage were feared as soldiers. Kunoichi…kunoichi were assassins.

"May I help you, Hyūga-sama?" Fumio asked carefully.

Hinata smiled warmly. "Yes, I just need you to inspect your shipment and sign off on our work today. Naruto-kun and Kiba-kun have unloaded all the items according to your instructions. We wish to receive your approval on our performance."

"Of-of course," the man responded carefully. He fulfilled the request and spoke politely with the two young men. It was disorienting how polite and friendly the Genin were, given that they were widely hailed as the future strength of the entire village.

Fumio was very impressed with the performance of the Genin and gladly signed the paperwork signaling the end of the mission. Team Four's Jonin arrived and asked a few questions on the performance of his Genin. The shinobi left and Fumio was left in awe.

Team Four was relaxing at a small café in the civilian sector of Konoha after finishing the day's D-rank mission. Yuji-sensei had practically given them the day off. He had also used the Shunshin to depart practice. Yuji-sensei never did that.

"I think the client recognized us," Kiba mentioned as he rested his chopsticks on his plate.

Naruto laughed. "I kept thinking he was going to ask Hinata-chan for an autograph."

"He did seem a bit awe-struck," Hinata acknowledged uneasily.

"Well, it's not hard to be awe-struck by you," Naruto said casually. "I mean, you're the single most amazing person in the history of ever."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Flirt when you're alone. I've got news."

"News?" Naruto and Hinata asked at the same time. Kiba rolled his eyes good-naturedly again. The couple had started holding each other's hands.

"So, I've been talking to some members of my clan. My cousin, Emi, is dating a guy in Interrogation. They are prepping for a lot of foreign visitors and I think he'll have a role in the actual Chūnin Exams."

"Awesome," Naruto said with a grin. "I wonder if that's what Yuji-sensei is doing today?"

"Signing us up?" Kiba asked. "I hope so."

Naruto leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Even if he doesn't, I still think it's pretty cool that we're almost ready as Rookies."

"We have certainly accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time," Hinata pointed out. "The only mission-rank we have not completed is an S-rank mission."

"Rule number one: Hinata-chan is always right," Naruto announced.

Kiba laughed and Akamaru let loose with his howl of amusement. "So…when are you two officially getting married?"

Naruto was the first to recover. "I-I don't…I don't think there's a yet…yet."

While Kiba and Akamaru caused a complete scene with their uproarious laughter, Hinata's mind could only process a single word Naruto had uttered.

Yet.

Wantanabe Yuji watched as yet another Jonin nominated an experienced team. There were a few confident Jonin, but Yuji could tell that there was doubt. True shinobi could detect that doubt. Team Four were true shinobi one and all. He could not doubt his team lest they doubt themselves. The experienced Jonin respected Team Four and believed in their potential too much to doubt them.

"I, Hatake Kakashi, nominate Team Seven consisting of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Aburame Shino for the Chūnin Selection Exams." Kakashi's announcement set off a veritable riot. The Hokage held up a hand and military discipline was reestablished.

Next, Sarutobi Asuma stepped forward. "I, Sarutobi Asuma, nominate Team Ten consisting of Akimichi Chouji, Yamanaka Ino, and Nara Shikamaru."

After the scribe recorded Asuma's announcement, Might Guy took a powerful step forward and sucked in a deep breath. "Yosh! I, Might Guy the Sublime Green Beast, nominate Team Nine consisting of Hyūga Neji, Honiden Tenten, and Rock Lee for the Chūnin Selection Exams!"

'Now or never,' Yuji admitted to himself as he stepped forward. "I, Wantanabe Yuji, nominate Team Four consisting of Inuzuka Kiba, Uzumaki Naruto, and Hyūga Hinata for the Chūnin Selection Exams."

The final nominations filtered in and there was an undeniable energy in the room. Sarutobi Hiruzen rose to exit and the assembled Jonin bowed. Cliques formed the second the Sandaime had left the chamber. Team Four's Jonin sensei found his way over to Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai.

"Glad to see you nominated Team Four," Kakashi said in lieu of a hello.

Might Guy flashed a thumbs up and a brilliant smile. "As am I! My precious little team speaks very highly of Team Four and their youthful endeavors."

"Thank you, sempais," Yuji responded with a nod. "With students like ours, being a sensei is a reward."

Asuma took a drag on his cigarette. "You've got that right. I think there is a huge amount of potential in this generation. Kurenai, Team Eight is just as solid as any team. I'm surprised you held them out."

"I am proud of Hibachi, Kenji, and Miho." There was no hesitation in the rookie Jonin's voice. "Team Eight just doesn't have the practical experience or the Clan background of your teams. We only completed our first C-rank a week ago."

"I take it there was no missing-nin ambush waiting for Team Eight?" Kakashi asked.

The genjutsu genius shook her head. "Only bandits, but my genin are experts in traps and genjutsu. They pulled off a beautiful counter-ambush. I was very proud of them."

"How have your Genin responded to their first?" Yuji was curious.

Asuma ran a hand through his beard. "Ino took hers surprisingly well. Shikamaru is intellectually ahead of the curb so he handled it well. Chouji's just such a good kid that he was hit hard. His teammates helped him through."

"Team Seven has responded well. Sasuke is…uniquely prepared. Shino's your typical Aburame and his homelife is fantastic. I ran into his uncle a few days ago. That Clan is tightknit. Sasuke's been there for Sakura."

"Yosh! We are truly blessed to have the Flames of Youth burn so brightly in our charges! I look forward to seeing them all become splendid shinobi!" Guy declared.

Asuma looked to the ceiling. "They already are, Guy."

Naruto was feeling even more energetic than usual. He could barely keep the smile from his face and he wasn't entirely sure why. 'Maybe I'm just excited about the Chūnin Exams and my date?' He thought. 'That was dumb; of course that's why I'm excited.'

The Hyūga Clan Ward bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for a number of merchant carriages to pass. He quickly crossed the street and approached a small shop. Naruto fought the urge to pulls his wallet out and double check everything.

'There's enough in there, Naruto! Shimizu Den was an A-rank Missing-nin. That bounty was huge!' Naruto thought to himself. 'I just hope it is still there.'

The young shinobi paused in front of the door. Passers-by could have sworn the temperature outside the jewelry shop dropped a few degrees. Two shinobi stood at the door and silently appraised each other. One was wearing a long-sleeve orange collared shirt under a navy blue sweater vest and khakis. The other had donned an outfit reminiscent of the defunct Uchiha Military Police.

"Naruto," Sasuke said in a half-greeting, half-challenge.

"Sasuke," Naruto replied with a confident smirk that returned the sentiment perfectly.

The two flicked their eyes at the display in the window. The Uchiha and Uzumaki were both perceptive young men and widely hailed as the most talented shinobi of their generation. It was clear that their attentions landed almost in the exact spot.

"I take it this means things are serious between you and Sakura?" Naruto found his voice first. His voice was surprisingly even, cordial even.

Sasuke grunted and nodded. "I am content with our relationship."

Naruto remembered how Sasuke had raised some thick emotional walls after Itachi lost his mind. 'That was a pretty big admission there.' The Uzumaki simply nodded. "Congrats."

"Finally getting something for the Hyūga girl?" Sasuke said in the closest thing to a friendly tone Naruto had heard out of Sasuke ever. There was still a confrontational overtone. Naruto realized they weren't even on the verge of battling for the door because of the number of spectators hanging around.

"I haven't had the money to buy something worthy of Hinata-chan. The bounty I got for getting rid of Shimizu Den was pretty big." Naruto carefully watched Sasuke's reaction carefully.

The Uchiha nodded approvingly. "A powerful foe. Team Seven defeated Momochi Zabuza and his B-rank apprentice and liberated Wave Country from the criminal Gatō."

"We were really put through the ringer," Naruto replied with a shrug. 'We'll probably face each other at the Chūnin Exams.' "So, what are you buying?"

There was a collective intake of breath from a few of the spectators. Naruto and Sasuke both prepped themselves for potential conflict.

"Jeweled headband," Sasuke finally admitted.

Naruto allowed himself to relax. "Tanzanite necklace."

The two shinobi nodded at each other and entered the small jewelry shop. It did not take long for the owner of the shop to rush up to the two young men.

"Welcome, gentlemen. I am glad to see that you have both returned," the older gentlemen said with a respectful bow. Naruto smiled and bowed. Sasuke lifted his chin, but the gesture was strangely polite. The jeweler wasn't sure which of the proto-celebrity Genin he should attend to first.

"Go ahead, I can be in multiple places at once," Naruto admitted. In order to drive home the point, he created a pair of Kage Bunshin. The Last Uzumaki in Konoha grinned at the Last Uchiha and the jeweler. Sasuke turned his attention back to the jeweler and crossed his arms.

"I apologize that my assistant is not here, Uzumaki-san. She is out of the village for her cousin's marriage," the jeweler explained.

Naruto waved off the man's concerns. "It's cool. I'm going to browse."

"Now, Uchiha-sama…" The jeweler began and led Sasuke off to the side. The Last Uchiha was barely listening to the platitudes of the shop keeper. As the older man went through the craftsmanship, that was admittedly impressive, Sasuke could only focus on what the act of his purchase represented.

It was indisputable proof that Sasuke had accepted his bond with Sakura.

Publicly, Sasuke had always declared his intention to revive the Uchiha Clan. It had, sadly, been part of the reason for his horde of fangirls. Privately, Sasuke had been fearful of moving to begin the revival of his clan while that man still lived. Sakura had worked her way past his defenses.

'Defenses I may not have truly wanted,' Sasuke admitted while verbally, and idly, agreeing with the jeweler about the uniquely skilled goldwork in the headband.

As Sasuke was guided towards the register, he considered the mystery of Sakura. She had approached him in the Academy for help in her rivalry with the Hyūga heiress. He had accepted out of curiosity at first. The possibility she was just trying to treat the training as a date had been a very real possibility. Sasuke had been very pleased by how seriously Sakura had taken the training.

He had been grateful for the Hyūga and Inuzuka throwing around their political weight to set up Team Four. It had guaranteed that Sasuke and Sakura would be on the same team.

As Team Seven grew, Sasuke had come to the somewhat horrifying realization that Sakura was becoming more than his best friend. He recalled the terrible truth spoken on that night as he paid for the ornate headband and made a decision.

'To hell with Itachi's words. I will find my own way.'

Sasuke nodded politely at the jeweler. He started to head for the door, but stopped. "Naruto."

The other Genin looked up and let a questioning hum escape his throat. "You need something, Sasuke?"

"I'm sure you know about the Chūnin Exams." Sasuke was glad to see Naruto nod in confirmation. "I look forward to having an opponent I can respect there."

Naruto stood in open-mouthed shock at Sasuke's declaration and challenge. It took his mind a moment to reboot as the store owner approached him.

"Is everything alright, Uzumaki-san?"

It wasn't hard to smile at the man. "Yeah, everything is great. Now, about that necklace…"

Hinata stood in the middle of the Main Family Dojo. Her father, uncle, sister, and several other of her allies were watching her carefully.

'I can't believe I'm nervous,' Hinata admitted to herself. Though, she knew her nervousness was not unwarranted. The scroll that was unfurled at her feet had nearly killed her.

She had memorized the hand-seals; practicing several times a day in preparation for this moment. Hinata took in a deep breath as she finished the sequence. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

Hinata was surprised by the chakra drain. She had expected there to be some, but nowhere near this much. The Hyūga heiress realized that her affinity for the Jūken arts allowed her to compensate for her lack of chakra reserves.

She heard the murmurs of her family. They likely saw through the chakra-smoke and caught a glimpse of her summon before Hinata. 'I don't have the reserves to activate my Byakugan,' Hinata pouted. It was her summon! She wanted to be the first to see it.

The condensed excess chakra finally faded and Hinata got the first look at her summon. It was a chameleon, just like the Summoning Contract described. Hinata's summon had green knobby skin. The creature's protruding eyes swiveled around the room to take in every detail. Eventually, they settled on Hinata. The Byakugan Princess looked the chameleon straight in the eyes. Its facial features were unique. There were ridges and bumps on the reptile's face that resembled a beard. In addition, there was a magnificent crest at the top of its head. He, Hinata assumed it was a he, had basic shin and forearm guards on both sets of legs. The chameleon was also standing on its hind legs. There was a strange stone club-sword clutched in the summon's right hand.

"We were beginning to worry that you would not summon us, Hyūga Hinata-sama."

Hinata flushed at the respect in the quiet, chirping voice. "I-I needed to recover my chakra after releasing the Castle."

"Nisenokabe was impressed. You were so small…" The chameleon whispered.

"W-What is your name?" Hinata asked.

"Boisuchen," the Chameleon, now known-as Boisuchen, revealed.

Hinata bowed. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Yes," Boisuchen chirped. "We believe you will be worthy. The Chameleons will accept you, but we wish for you to summon another of our Camouflage."

"Of course, I would be honored to meet other members of your 'Camouflage'. I will seek to recover my chakra and summon another as soon as possible," Hinata promised.

"Let us speak of our heritage so that our Camouflages may better work together," Boisuchen suggested.

Hinata smiled and motioned towards her family. "The leaders of the Hyūga Clan have assembled so that we may show your Camouflage the proper respect."

As she looked to the assembled members of the Hyūga Council, conveniently all allies of her father, Hinata saw the looks of pride in their face. More importantly, Hinata felt pride in herself.

Hanabi sat on the edge of her sister's bed with an amused grin gracing her lips. "Are you sure about that dress, onee-sama?"

"W-What is wrong with it, Hanabi-chan?" Hinata asked nervously.

"The dress exposes your arms. Scandalous!" Hanabi teased.

The Hyūga Heiress looked at herself in the mirror. As she twirled, her sister's teasing dawned on her. "Well, Father approved."

"He did?" Hanabi asked in disbelief. The dress was a long, form-fitting dress an unlike anything else Hinata owned. There was an undeniable air of elegance to the dress, however. Hinata's dress was made out of a dark blue silk and adorned with a floral pattern on the front. There was an area above Hinata's bust that transitioned from the rich blue silk to a delicate, semi-transparent lace before finishing in a silk collar. The back of the dress was unique as well. There was a silk kimono-style bow resting at the small of Hinata's back. The back also was ruffled below the bow.

"He wasn't against it," The elder Hyūga sister confessed.

The younger sister sniggered. "Father knew you'd only wear it on dates with Naruto-nii. There's no risk of 'funny business', because everyone knows how much Naruto-nii worships the ground you walk on."

"Well, it wasn't worded like that," Hinata admitted. She would never admit it, but there was a small part of her that wanted to see if Naruto would try to take that next step.

"At least Father likes Naruto. I mean, it won't be that big of an adjustment to welcome him 'officially' into the family one day," Hanabi verbally prodded her sister. The teasing sister was rewarded when Hinata went as rigid as a board and red as a ruby.

"Hanabi!"

The only response was raucous laughter from the youngest Hyūga prodigy. After a few moments, Hanabi calmed down enough to speak. "The Elders, even the jerks who don't agree with Father, were really impressed when you summoned Boisuchen today."

"All of the elders?" Hinata asked in surprise. Only Hiashi's allies had been invited to the summoning. "Word reached the rest of the Council that quickly?"

Hanabi nodded as she mused on both Hinata's dress and the events of the day. "The only one who wasn't happy was Yoshinori, but he's a jerk."

The elder Hyūga girl nodded. Yoshinori worried her greatly. There were rumors that his psyche was cracking. Yoshinori had never truly recovered from the losses suffered during the Kyūbi's attack. Naruto's constant presence was driving him over the edge.

Hinata had already chosen Naruto over Yoshinori. She considered the Hyūga Elder a stain on the Clan. Hinata remembered how Yoshinori had egged Takeshi's obsession with her mother on. It was not a pleasant thought.

So, Hinata decided to focus on a pleasant thought: her date with Naruto.

"I wonder if Naruto will have to fight off a rival for you like Souma did on his date with Wakana…" Hanabi offhandedly as she stared out into space.

Hinata cocked her head to the side as she faced her sister. "What are you talking about, Hanabi-chan?"

"Oh! I forgot you don't you read Palace Hearts!" Hanabi exclaimed in a fit of apologetic disbelief. The young girl launched into a retelling and summary of her favorite manga. The sisters simply enjoyed the time together away from the pressures of their expectations.

Naruto grinned broadly as he lined up for his turn. "Ready," the blond-headed ninja announced.

"Four-six!" Kiba barked quickly. Naruto immediately threw his dart and hit the target grid. "Sounds like this is a big date."

"Just a bit," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes as he switched places with his friend. "Hinata-chan's the best part of being connected to the Hyūga Clan. Two-five. The Chūnin Exams are coming up and I'm not sure when we'll get another chance. I mean, Chūnin take solo missions and when we all get promoted, who knows when we'll get chances like this?"

"Good point," Kiba said after he hit his target. "I know Hinata and I will get tracking or bounty missions. You're pretty flexible. Kage Bunshin is pretty useful. Eight-one."

Naruto had taken Kiba's place at the line. He quickly hit his target. "Yeah, it really is. I wonder if you'll be able to learn it soon?"

"Maybe," Kiba admitted as he went to the line.

"This'll be the last round. I've got to head out. Eight-seven." Naruto watched his friend hit the target. The Uzumaki grabbed his black suit jacket and put it on.

"Four-three," Kiba announced and Naruto threw it on target. "That's a nice get-up, man."

"Thanks," Naruto said appreciatively. "If I'm going to be with the best looking girl in the village, I might as well dress the part."

Naruto had certainly pulled out all the stops, by his standards, for the date. He was wearing a black vest and an orange silk striped tie over a white dress shirt. Hinata and Naruto had decided to dress in a foreign style. A new restaurant had opened recently and from Naruto's guesses favored the styles trickling in from the southern continent.

"I like the style. It's foreign, but I gotta admit, it's badass looking," Kiba complimented the outfit while Akamaru added an agreeing bark.

The teammates left Naruto and Kō's apartment. Naruto left a Kage Bunshin behind to straighten up the apartment. "See you, Kiba. Bye, Akamaru!" Naruto shouted as the boys separated. It wasn't a very long walk to Hinata's ancestral home. Naruto remembered Kiba's words from their talk during the C-rank to escort Naho-sama.

'Huh, I am getting scoped,' Naruto acknowledged. He was a bit surprised. His relationship with Hinata wasn't exactly a secret in the village. Heck, his display earlier in the week was no doubt one of the bigger pieces of gossip among the Genin and younger Chūnin. 'I can't blame Hinata for not liking it. I wouldn't like guys checking out Hinata-chan, either.'

Naruto arrived at the Hyūga Compound a full fifteen minutes before the agreed upon time. Naruto could have shown up much earlier and none of the Hyūga would have been surprised.

"Good evening, Naruto-san," Natsu greeted Naruto. Naruto had always liked Natsu. She was very polite and had always treated Hanabi and Hinata well. Natsu had been one of the Hyūga that had done the most to help Hiashi's daughters through their grief after Hiromi-sama had passed.

"Good evening, Natsu-san," Naruto replied with a winning smile. "How are you?"

"I am doing very well. I must say…you are looking very handsome tonight. A lovely young couple such as yourself and Hinata-sama will no doubt be the talk of Konoha." Natsu smiled at Naruto's reaction to her compliment. There was no hiding the young man's blush. He was also very curious about what his girlfriend was going to wear. Hinata-chan had been unusually evasive about what she was wearing.

"Thank you," Naruto managed to force out.

"You're welcome. I will go inform Hiashi-sama and Hinata-sama of your arrival," Natsu promised with a curtsey.

Naruto took a deep breath and exchanged the occasional polite greeting with members of the Hyūga Clan. After a few moments, Hiashi approached.

"Good evening, Naruto." Hiashi responded to Naruto's bow with a polite incline of the head. The Hyūga leader was of higher social status than Naruto. "What are your plans for the evening?"

"Hinata-chan and I will be eating dinner at Nansei," Naruto revealed. He quickly filled Hiashi in on reservations, the security in the area, and his own precautions to ensure Hinata's safety. The Hyūga Head was pleased and wished for Naruto and Hinata to have a great evening before walking off.

Naruto promptly forgot just about everything he had ever known when he saw Hinata emerge from the residential wing of the Hyūga Compound. His mind couldn't really process the details of Hinata's dress other than it was probably the single most gorgeous thing Naruto had ever laid eyes on.

"Uh, well, hi?" Naruto managed to force out. He was well aware of how lame he sounded, but his mind wasn't really functioning at the moment.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Hinata returned the greeting. The Hyūga heiress was aware of the effect she was having on Naruto, and it caused her pride to swell. "I really like what you are wearing, Naruto-kun."

"Thanks, you…well…I didn't think you could be more beautiful than usual, but you are definitely pulling it off," Naruto responded in complete awe.

Hinata blushed furiously at her boyfriend's earnest words. Naruto crossed the distance and offered his arm to Hinata. The Hyūga beauty graciously accepted Naruto's arm, and the couple went off into the night.

The two lovebirds pretended not to notice Hanabi flashing them a double thumbs-up.

Naruto and Hinata arrived at the restaurant several minutes early. The young man recognized that Natsu's prediction that Naruto and Hinata would be the talk of the town wasn't far off. There had been numerous appreciative, and in some cases jealous, glances in the couple's direction. Naruto decided to drive home the fact that his relationship with Hinata was very serious. He rested his hand on the small of Hinata's back right behind the large bow. Hinata tensed for a moment, but Naruto caught a very pleased glint in her eyes.

'Must have done something right!' Naruto congratulated himself.

The hostess, who was conservatively but attractively dressed, guided the couple to their table. Naruto followed the etiquette Kō and Naruto's own studies had drilled into his head. He was continuously struck by just how deeply everything Hinata did affected him. Truthfully, Naruto knew it was almost universally positive. It just struck him to the core how fundamental that truth was to his very being.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-kun? You were deep in thought," Hinata pointed out gently.

"I guess I was. I'm just really happy right now," Naruto revealed. The Byakugan Princess smiled, but didn't really respond as the waiter arrived. The couple went through the familiar rituals for eating out. The conversation, by conscious choice, avoided talk of missions and most training. Hinata mentioned Hanabi's budding obsession with Palace Hearts and her curiosity about how tonight's date would turn out.

"If that happens, I'll be sure to let you take the lead in 'explaining' to the other guy how big a mistake they made," Naruto promised. He had learned a great deal about Hinata over the years. There were many positives. She was beautiful and kind, for example. Hinata was also an incredibly hard worker. Even though Naruto considered her to be as close to perfect as any human being could get he wasn't so blind as to think that Hinata lacked faults. Her determination sometimes crossed the line into stubbornness. Naruto also recognized that he was also a stubborn person. Hinata was also very proud. She didn't have an ego, per se, but she could not stand perceived slights against her hard work.

Hinata was so wonderfully human that Naruto couldn't help but love her.

'And there it is. I finally admitted it to myself,' Naruto thought with smile. The waiter brought their meal, an unusual noodle dish covered in sauce. Hinata's was thick, flat noodles covered in a cream-based sauce with chicken. Naruto's dish was a bit odd, in his opinion, it was like a square noodle stuffed with meat and cheese covered in a tomato sauce. It was odd, but really good.

"I'm surprised by how good all this foreign food is," Hinata said as she finished.

"Same, we'll have to come back in the future. I think Neji would like some of the seafood 'pastas'." Naruto grinned at his statement. He knew how much Neji loved Herring Soba. There might be something on the menu his prodigy friend would like.

The boyfriend and girlfriend exchanged some idle talk and simply enjoyed each other's company. Naruto decided it was time. He reached into his jacket's interior pocket and pulled out a small velvet box with a small metal latch. Hinata gasped a bit. She could tell a jewelry box when she saw one!

Naruto smiled as he handed Hinata the box. "I hope you like it."

Hinata opened the box. Naruto was very pleased by the gasp that escaped Hinata's lips. "This is beautiful. You shouldn't have, Naruto-kun. All I need is time with you," Hinata pressed. She held up the tanzanite pendant on a white-gold chain.

"I'm glad you like it," Naruto replied genuinely. "I wanted to get you something special. There's probably some set of rules on when you can give birthstones, but I just knew that tanzanite was one of the December birthstones and that it was one of your favorite colors."

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata was touched by the thoughtfulness of the gift. She shot Naruto a knowing look. Even for someone as occasionally dense as Naruto, there was no mistaking that kind of look.

"Check please," Naruto said quickly.

Naruto and Hinata had wandered through the streets of Konoha towards a civilian district of Konoha. They were chatting happily about anything and everything. Eventually, they entered a small public garden.

"I enjoyed tonight, Naruto-kun." Hinata spun and enjoyed the feeling of elation and the cool night air. "The moon is beautiful."

"It can't compare to you," Naruto confessed. Hinata fixed her gaze on Naruto and blushed. There was something a bit different than Hinata's usual blushes. There wasn't a chance for Naruto to add a new entry to 'Weird Hyūga Girl Stuff', because Hinata acted in that instant. She kissed Naruto with a fiery passion that Naruto wasn't sure he'd experienced before. He returned the kiss with every ounce of passion he could muster.

Which, given Naruto's personality, was quite a bit.

"I love you," Naruto half-choked out, half-shouted.

Hinata's eyes went wide and tears formed in her eyes. "I-I love you, too. Naruto-kun…"

"Then you are a fool," a cold, but near hysterical voice interrupted the moment. Naruto immediately put himself between Hinata and the voice. A spring-loaded kunai shot from Naruto's sleeve and into his grip.

The source of the voice was a foreign shinobi wearing a black tunic and black ninja pants over a layer of mesh armor. He had an off-white wrap looped over his shoulders along with a thick leather bandolier. The bandolier served as the strap for an oversized gourd. Naruto and Hinata also noticed that there was a Sunagakure hitai-ate attached to the bandolier near the unknown shinobi's hip. The most striking feature of the shinobi, however, were two details on and around his eyes.

First, there were dark rings around his eyes. They accented both the sea-green color of his irises and the insanity lurking in their depths. Second, the kanji for 'love' was carved into his forehead. Naruto felt the Kyūbi stir within its seal. 'Is this guy like me? Does he have something sealed inside him too?'

"Our kind can only rely on ourselves. True strength can only be found when we are alone. I will prove this to you once I kill the woman and remove your distraction."

Author's Note: Here's another chapter of The Hyuga's Hound! I hope you all enjoyed it! I should have the final Plot ADHD Asylum Escapee posted very soon! So, keep your eyes open for that!

A few notes about this fic... 1)Obviously, we've reached the Chuunin Exams arc. So, yeah, plot advancement! 2)How's that for a cliffhanger? 3 and the most important bit) I'm going to be going back over this fic and doing some editing work. Nothing will change plot wise, but I'm going to deal with all the mistakes from the previous chapters and make a few edits to descriptions (Sakura's parents, some of Neji's dialog, etc).

Please review!