An Unexpected Visit

Naruto came home from training one after noon to find Hinata at his door crying. Naruto knew she loved him but because of her shyness he was surprised she would do something this bold. While she had lost some her shyness over the years she was still a little shy around him.

"Come in," said Naruto as he opened the door.

Hinata came in and she looked around as Naruto shut the door. She blushed because she sometimes had fantasies about coming to Naruto's apartment.

"What's wrong Hinata?" asked Naruto.

Loosing herself in the moment Hinata threw her arms around Naruto and replied still crying, "Help meNaruto, you're my only hope. Please help me!"

What's wrong Hinata?" repeated Naruto.

"My father has arranged a marriage between me and Takeo Usagi," said Hinata still crying.

"I take it you don't like the idea," responded Naruto, "Who would? He was the biggest jerk in our class."

"Not only that," replied Hinata, "I L…"

She couldn't finish the sentence but only blushed. Naruto knew what she was saying.

Not only that," continued Naruto, "You love me. Is that why you came to me for help?"

"Yes!" said Hinata quietly blushing deeper, "I'm not sure what you can do about it though."

"Maybe Grandma Tsunade will know what we can do," answered Naruto.

When they arrived at the Hokage's office they told Tsunade the entire story.

"Sorry," said Tsunade, "There is nothing I can do to stop it, Hinata has to get married.

"Well thanks for nothing grand ma," responded Naruto.

"I didn't say that I can't help," said Tsunade, "Just that I personally can not do any thing to stop it. There is however something the two of you can do."

Both Naruto and Hinata sighed with relief.

"There is a little known and seldom used law that allows Hinata to challenge the marriage," continued Tsunade.

"Why have I never heard of it?" asked Hinata.

"You would not have been told," said Tsunade, "The only reason I know about it is that the last girl to invoke the Right of Challenge was my grand mother about 100 years ago. Girls aren't even told about it any more. It's still on the books though. I looked it up out of curiosity one day."

"So what's this Right of Challenge?" asked Naruto.

"The Right of Challenge is an ancient tradition that was deigned to protect a girl. To exercise the Right of Challenge Hinata will have to invoke it at the engagement party. She then needs to choose a champion to fight the arranged groom for her. That is where you come in Naruto."

"I could beat Takeo in my sleep easily," responded Naruto, 'This will be a peace of cake."

"Before you go running into this, there are a couple of things you should know," declared Tsunade, "First of all it's a fight to the death. No rules, no referee, the two combatants just fight until one is dead or quits."

"Then there is a chance that I won't actually have to kill him," responded Naruto.

"Fortunately odds are you will not have to actually kill him," said Tsunade, "Most of the time the arranged groom declines the challenge and the champion wins by default. Even when there is a fight the loosing combatant is usually smart enough to quit before getting killed. Most deaths only occur because the loosing combatant doesn't see it coming."

"Well that helps," responded Naruto, "I don't think he's that dumb enough to force me to kill him."

"One more thing," said Tsunade, "If you do this and you win, upon winning you will have to immediately marry Hinata.

"M… m... marry," responded Naruto, "I need to think about that."

"Is there any reason you would think," asked Tsunade, "That marrying Hinata is a bad idea?"

"Well no," replied Naruto, "She's pretty and a great cook. You don't see than often. I've just never gave any thought to it before."

Naruto thinks I'm pretty, thought Hinata.

"Why don't you two meet me here tomorrow after lunch, I'll send a messenger to get you." said Tsunade, "And one more thing this should kept a secret until Hinata makes the declaration at the party.

"Great," said Naruto, "See you then and I promise not to tell any one."

A vary nervous Naruto then walked out.

"D… do you thing he'll do it?" asked Hinata.

"Yes," responded Tsunade, "Because he hesitated. You've known Naruto for years, have you ever seen him hesitate about any thing."

"Well no," responded Hinata.

"Then you have your answer," finished Tsunade, "When Naruto is opposed to doing something he flat out says so. If he were really against marrying you he would have immediately rejected the idea but he did not. I think he just needs time for it to sink in and for him to get use to the idea. Remember the notion of marrying you was just dumped on him and not as a would he consider it some day way, but that he needs to fight a guy to the death and then marry you in two weeks. I think he's just in state of shock. He started out trying to help a friend and now he's told that if he really wants to help he needs to marry that friend. It's a lot to take in"

"OK. But, I've seen the guest list," responded Hinata, "and neither Naruto nor any my friends are on it."

"No problem," replied Tsunade, "The girl has the right to have her fiends at both the engagement party and wedding. Just insist that they be added to list. If you father refuses it would give you the ability to cancel the engagement. Either way you win."

"Not really," commented Hinata blushing, "The way we're planning it I end up married to Naruto."

"One more thing you should know Hinata," said Tsunade, "If you two go ahead with this challenge the moment you become Naruto's wife you will no longer be in the Hyūga clan but you'll be in the Uzumaki clan. That means you'll no longer be the Hyūga clan heiress. That will automatically fall to your sister Hanabi.

"Let her have it," responded Hinata with surprising boldness, "Poverty with Naruto is better than wealth with Takeo Usagi."

To be continued.