A/N:

Time for some Shakespeare, Naruto-style….

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A tinkling sound could be heard.

The ring of ice falling into tall glasses was followed by the glug glug glug of a fresh cocktail being poured.

Mask on and forehead protector covering his sharingan eye, Kakashi made his way out of a dimly lit kitchen into the well illuminated living room area. A large table had been pulled out into the middle of the room, and was piled up with papers, scrolls, and maps.

"So, you're being serious?" Kakashi placed one of the drinks in front of Kurenai. Impishly, he had put a little paper parasol in it, something he had picked up at one of the social clubs that Jiraiya spoke so effusively about. "You give me your word? You'll actually go on a date with me before we get busy proctoring the chuunin exams?"

The masked ninja stood looking at Kurenai, who was busy leafing through the exam questions that she had written. He had never approached his fellow Jounin romantically before, since she had been interested in Asuma, before his untimely death at Akatsuki's hand. He wondered if she would ever get over that loss.

"Mmmmmm." Kurenai didn't bother with a verbal answer. Pushing away the hair that swung in front of her eyes, she crossed off a question that seemed too insipid.

The Copy Ninja took out his Icha Icha book and held it aloft. The words he spoke came from an old play, not from that bawdy text. "Four happy days bring in a new moon; but, methinks, how slow this old moon wanes! She lingers my desires, like to a step-dame or a dowager, long withering out a young man revenue."

"Whatever," Kurenai said, tapping at the tabletop with her pencil. "Let's see. How should I word this. OK. Which of the following refers to one who gathers enemy secrets by listening to rumors and gossip, A) Kusamono. B) Kikimonoyaku. C) Kyodan. D) Kakashi. E) Kobushikata.

"Ahhhh-hhh-hh-h… to be immortalized as a wrong choice. How fitting." Kakashi sighed like a bad actor. He flipped through his book, looking for something to do until he worked up the desire to return to his stack of questions.

"Yes. Fitting." Kurenai tapped the pencil eraser against her chin, fighting the temptation to nibble on it. "Kaze Arashi Ryu, the Wind Storm Tradition, is a system of combat for use against multiple skilled opponents. The empty hand arts and weapons arts include which of the following. A) Aiki Ju Jutsu. B) Atemi Jutsu. C) Ken Jutsu. D) Jo-Bo Jutsu. E) All of the above.

"Aiki Ju Jutsu techniques are swift, efficient, and powerful, while exhibiting grace and beauty. Much like someone I can think of," Kakashi said, smiling when Kurenai blushed and then made an angry gesture. "Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; four nights will quickly dream away the time; and then the moon, like to a silver bow
New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night of our tryst." He smiled under his mask. He might be the last person that anyone expected to spout poetry. That's precisely why he was doing it now.

"Let me tell you something about that tryst." Kurenai took out the small parasol, fought a smile, and then shook a finger at her fellow ninja. She felt a pang of guilt, pictured her late lover's face, and then shook it away. "If you consult that book just once during our date, it will be our last date." She leafed through a few more sheets of questions before continuing. "If any of the other women find out you were doing that, it might be the last date you ever get." She grinned an evil grin. "Except maybe Anko. I think she dreams of you some nights."

Kakashi began choking on a sip of cocktail he had just taken. He had to cough before speaking. "Tis torture, and not mercy: heaven is there, where Anko lives; and every cat and dog and little mouse, every unworthy thing, live there in heaven and may look on her; but Hatake Kakashi may not." He shuddered. Anko conjured different image at different times, either as a fetching leather-clad temptress, or a snake dressed in a revealing dress. She was the last woman in Konoha that he would go out with, unless he was very desperate, very horny, and very drunk.

"How very tragic," Kurenai said, grinning at the act that the Copy Ninja put on. She was well aware that he was a jokester and free spirit at times; but, she never would have guessed that he had this lighter side. "Alack, and fie for shame! Young men will do it if they come to it. By cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, 'Before you tumbled me, you promised me to wed.' He answers, 'So would I have done, by yonder sun, an thou hadst not come to my bed'." She sighed, and fluttered her hand dramatically. "I might have lost my heart in just such a fashion, had I not learned of your love for Anko beforehand." Well, that ought to show him that two can play at the same game. "Be certain that I'll tell Anko how you feel."

Kakashi put his book away. "Don't even joke that way!" He shivered. "Are you looking to take over Ibiki's job, saying something like that?" He shook his head. "Rumor has it that he really got his scars on a date with that Mitarashi woman."

There was a rapping on Kakashi's front door. It was rather forceful, not the timid or respectful knock that any of the shinobi other than Naruto might make.

"If that's Anko, I'll gladly leave.…" Kurenai smiled. When Kakashi opened the door, she was as surprised as he was.

"Hatake Kakashi, may I speak with you." It was Hyuuga Hiashi. He looked very intense. But, that was nothing new. "I had great respect for your father. Word is that you are equally worthy of respect."

Kakashi showed the clan leader into his home, and offered him tea, which he politely refused. He, Kurenai, and Hiashi exchanged ritual pleasantries before the older man brought up the reason for his unexpected visit.

"I come here fully and truly vexed, because of my eldest daughter." Hiashi looked over at Kurenai, to whom he had handed the care of his child back when he washed his hands of her. "As a clan chief with the responsibility to strengthen the family as best I can, I plan to wed my daughter to a suitable husband." He turned to look at Kakashi. "You are the team leader for two boys that stand at the center of this. I am hoping that your words will help them see the necessity of my plan."

Kurenai and Kakashi exchanged glances. They would rather bring the dead members of Akatsuki back to life and fight them alone, naked and blindfolded, instead of getting caught up in whatever machinations Hyuuga Hiashi was involved with.

"I… well…" Kakashi wondered if Hiashi had come here of his own accord, or with the blessings of the Hokage and the village council. "You know… Kurenai has a very good relationship with Hinata. Her words might be even more important than mine." He swallowed hard, seeing the look on the other jounin's face.

"Stand forth, Uchiha Sasuke," Hiashi said. The dark-haired boy did as he was requested. "This man has my consent to marry my daughter." His satisfied smile gave way to a look of sheer displeasure and disdain. "Stand forth, Uzumaki Naruto." An extremely sour look on his face, Naruto did just that, despite Hiashi's order. "The otherboy has bewitched my daughter in some fashion, stealing the impression of her fantasy, turning her heart and obedience against me, her lord and father."

"I think the fact that she wasn't good enough for you, and you kicked her out of the house, was what turned her heart against you." Naruto shook off the hands that the Hyuuga guardsmen tried to place on him. He was no longer at the Hyuuga estates. They would touch him again at their own risk! "Somehow I doubt that my support of her, or the way that her life and hers cousin's have turned around for the better, really counts as bewitching. That's just my Way of the Ninja. " He looked out through the door. "No. Not just mine. It's our Ninja Way."

Hinata walked in the room, looking very upset. She refused to meet her father's gaze as she hurried to stand near Naruto. Behind her, a number of Kemai Butai shouldered their way past the Hyuuga retainers, wanting to bear witness to the proceedings.

Kakashi looked at the growing crowd and closed his only visible eye. Just how serious were things? Did the presence of the Konoha constables suggest that Naruto had committed some kind of crime in response to Hiashi's demands, or indicate that some grand and glorious legal pronouncement was pending the puffed-up man's pleasure?

"Your insolence would not serve your case well, if you so much as had a case." Hiashi said to Naruto. He nodded to Sasuke, and then addressed Kakashi. "As it is within my rights as Hyuuga clan head, I invoked the ancient privilege of our ancestral homeland. By those old laws, my daughter is mine, to dispose of as I choose."

That word 'dispose' had Hinata cringing. Naruto made a low guttural sound in the back of his throat. Kurenai brought a hand to her mouth. A sweat drop formed at the side of Kakashi's face, before soaking into his mask.

"I can choose to give her to either of these gentleman, or neither, however I see fit!" Hiashi looked Hinata for a few moments, angry at her prior refusal. "If she fails to accept my choice, I have the right to put her to death, immediately if need be." He didn't bat an eye. Even though he did love his daughter after his own fashion, he would forfeit her life, in order to maintain the tenet of strict obedience that he saw as crucial to his clan's survival in this changing day and age. There had been far too many cracks appearing in the proud traditions, the ones he had been charged with protecting.

"Hinata, do you want to marry anyone at this time?" Kurenai knew how much Naruto meant to her former pupil. But, she also knew that her friend was emotionally young for her age. Even if she wasn't, very few shinobi even began considering the idea of marriage while they were nineteen years old.

Hinata shook her head. "N-No. I do n-not. Naruto and I only began dating a f-few months ago." That had been a dream come true for her. Now, she felt as if she had been plucked out of the real world and dropped into a nightmare.

"It matters not, whether or not she wishes to wed," Hiashi said, somewhat testily. He was acting within his legal rights. No one should question his right, or disobey his word. "It is immaterial if some unremarkable boy has given her rhymes, sung by her window in the moonlight, or exchanged love tokens with her." Those words had everyone but him blinking rapidly. No one could picture Naruto doing those things. Then again, how many of them would have pictured the Copy Ninja quoting poetry?

"I see," Kakashi said, looking over at Sasuke, who had yet to utter a single word. "Did Sasuke approach your clan with the idea of marriage? Or, was this your way to seek an advantageous alliance, Sir?" He knew how important the Uchiha clan was to Sasuke. Now that Itachi was dead, the young man's focus had shifted to the idea of starting things over again. He had the support of the village elders, seeing how valuable an asset that family's Blood Limit was.

"When the young man returned to Konoha, and the full nature of the hardships he had been laboring under came to light, I was one of the first family leaders to sponsor his chance at redemption, and to have hope for his restoration." Hiashi stood taller. Before the village spin doctors had worked their magic, he had been one of the first calling for the former missing-nin's involuntary exile. "It…."

"Hardships, my ass." Naruto sneered. He was not about to watch his choice of words. "His clan was wiped out by his psychopathic brother. He damn near went psycho himself, all caught up with revenge. He got stuck with a curse seal by that bastard Orochimaru, but still decided to seek the jerk out so he could become stronger, even though the creepy jerk had promised to destroy the village, and would become incredibly strong if he took over Sasuke's body." He remembered the sadness he had felt, back when his friend had tried to kill him and Sakura, stating that he didn't care if the evil Sannin took over his body, if that was what it took for him to have his revenge.

Naruto glared at Sasuke. Sasuke gave him a look of total apathy. That made Naruto even angrier. He knew that the other boy had been through a lot. So what? He had been through a lot, too!

"You of all people should never speak of someone putting the Leaf at risk," Hiashi said to Naruto. He had to clench his hands and clamp his lips closed, so that he didn't make mention of the Kyuubi. "In truth, you have very little to offer this village of ours other than boasts, while Uchiha Sasuke is the head of a famous clan, one with a Blood Limit that would be sorely missed should the family line die out all together."

"Don't even go there!" Naruto clenched his teeth. Hinata didn't know about his relationship to Nine Tails. Just as he had been the last to know about her crush on him, she was the remaining member of the Rookie Nine who had yet to stumble on his guarded secret. It looked as if he would have to tell her that secret sometime soon. "I had things done to me that I never asked for, too. But, instead of taking things out on the people around me, or looking for some way to take vengeance on the people who treated me like dirt, I worked hard to get better. Just who do you think it was who risked his life trying to stop Sasuke from leaving in the first place? Who played the major role bringing him back?" he folded his arms across his chest and lifted his chin a smidgen. "Guess!"

"Naruto…." Kakakshi held up his hand. He realized sadly that nothing Naruto could say would change Hiashi's mind, even if it were said in a calm and respectful manner. But, the last thing that any of them needed was Hiashi worked up to such a degree that he acted out of anger and spite alone. As a clan leader, the man had a great deal of political and legal power at his command.

"Kakashi-sensei… but it's… this isn't… he's…." Naruto twitched. "Hinata…she's…." Naruto pleaded with his eyes. He felt as if he was ready to explode. If anyone would help him, it would be Kakashi. Right?

"This is all so very instructive," Hiashi said with an imperious smirk. "You can see which boy stands honorably, and which miscreant looks ready to start a confrontation in your very home." The older man's face hardened, looking as if it had been chipped off of a block of flint. "Seeing that you've spent time training the Uchiha boy in private, I have no doubt that you are well aware of his greater potential." He knew that the Copy Ninja had been spending a great deal of time with Sasuke, trying to learn what skills he had learned from Orochimaru, and wanting to find out just where his heart and loyalty lay.

"Let me work through this, if I may." Kakashi tried to frame his thoughts. He caught Kurenai's eye, and gave her a meaningful look. She nodded, and went to whisper in Hinata's ears, trying to sooth the nervous girl. He looked over at his younger teammate. "Naruto. I will ask you to behave like a shinobi of this village. If you can't do that, you will show everyone that Jiraiya's efforts and my hard work were for nothing. You will have me thinking that Hyuuga Hiashi is correct in his judgment of you." That was harsh, but he hoped it might have Naruto exercising better restraint.

"But…." Naruto trembled. His face changed colors and his breathing quickened. Making a Herculean effort, he brought himself under control and nodded his head. He turned a questing look on Sasuke, wondering why his friend was going along with this. It wasn't all that difficult to figure out. A reborn Uchiha clan, under the protection of the Hyuugas, would be a tremendous blessing to his teammate. But, was this newest obsession going to prove even more costly than his actions as an avenger? Not for the first time, he wished that he knew how he could crack through the cocoon of pain that the other boy had spun around himself.

Hinata stared at Kakashi in disbelief. Tears came to her eyes, despite Kurenai's assurance that Kakashi would try to do what was right and fair. She was too upset to think things through at that moment. Mind jumbled, there was no way she could fathom that the Copy Ninja was working for her best interest when all was said and done.

"Now… Hinata…." Kakashi turned and spread his arms wide, as if trying to calm a young child by offering her the wisdom of an adult. "Let's think this through as an adult… and… a kunoichi sworn to protect this village."

Hiashi smiled in approval. He really didn't want to see his daughter die. But, he couldn't allow anyone to defy him, not even one of his children. If she listened to Hatake Kakashi, a terrible tragedy would be avoided.

"I know you had difficult times in your childhood," Kakashi said. "But, you saw them through the eyes of a child, not with the vision of someone who is looking out for what's best for an entire clan." He was relieved when Hinata stood tall, wiping away her tears. He hoped that Naruto would continue to hold his tongue. "But, after making genin and then chuunin, you have seen why it may be necessary for one person to give up his life for others. I have no doubt that you would do that for your teammates and friends."

"Y-Y-Yes…" Hinata nodded. "But… they would do it for m-me too… since I'm important to them…" She looked up at her father, her words an indirect challenge to him. Had she ever been important to him? Or, were those romanticized dreams of a little girl?

"You can say that again!" Naruto said, ignoring Kurenai's shushing. Hiashi had already gone stiff after hearing his daughter's words. He made a show of straightening his robes to cover his reaction.

"Kurenai has told me that your life improved, once you returned to living under the same roof as your family." Kakashi paced about rubbing his chin, acting as if he were deep in thought. "Believe me, I'm not the only one in this room to know about the importance of having a family. I would gladly make great sacrifices, if doing so would bring my parents back."

Sasuke stood unmoving, his eyes following Kakashi. The mention of family had him thinking back to the time that he had seen his mother and father dead at his brother's hand.

"I wish I could… ummm… I wish I could bring my m-mother back…" Hinata's words came out in a rush. "I wish my father… I wish things could be the same when my mother was still alive…"

"It's hard to grow up," Kakashi said. "It's hard to lose family." He looked over at Sasuke, wondering if the boy would ever return to the way he was before. Without the burden of vengeance, he could go on to great things. If. And it was a big if. If he could somehow learn to treasure people the way that Naruto did. "It's hard to see your friends taken from you." He tapped his forehead protector over the eye that his teammate Rin had taken from Obito and placed where his own ruined eye once was. "But, growing older brings its own rewards, in addition to difficult challenges." He paused. It wasn't easy, playing this game. He had to act like a puppeteer, tugging on emotions. "Wouldn't you like to be a mother some day?"

Kurenai held her breath. She wondered just what Kakashi had in mind. He was walking a razor sharp line. If he wasn't careful, he might sway Hinata closer to accepting her father's demands. That wasn't his goal, was it?

"Y-Yes.…" Hinata looked over at Nauto. Seeing that, he immediately looked away, counting the number of tiles on Kakashi's ceiling. "B-But… I want to raise my children with love. I do not want to t-t-turn them into possessions…." She had trouble looking over at Sasuke or Hiashi. "I don't want… it's not my dream…" She fought back a sob. "My life matters too…"

"I'm certain that you would love your children either way," the Copy Ninja said. "Love is very important. But, don't forget that laws are what make our village possible. As ninjas, we are expected to uphold those laws. If we fail to do that, we would lose the trust of the ones we fight for."

"Yes… but…" Hinata brought a hand to her mouth.

"Who's going to look out for our best interest?" Naruto grimaced. "If…"

"Be quiet." Kurenai said, moving to talk with the irritable young shinobi. "Shhh-hh-h.…"

"Your father has chosen someone for you that every girl in the village once dreamed about. He is a worthy young man, and his talents would benefit your family… you… and the children you might have with him." Kakashi watched as Kurenai strained to hold Naruto in check. "He's done all that for you, in addition to feeding you and giving you shelter." He coughed. His muse took over. "Shouldn't he be unto you as a god, one that composed your beauties, and one to whom you are like wax, to be figured or disfigured as he sees fit?" Those words weren't his own, but they sounded dramatic. Hiashi ought to like that. Let the man think that things were going his way.

"Well spoken," Hiashi said. "Very well put!"

"Kakashi… I thought you were my friend…" Naruto let out a small yelp when Kurenai pricked him with the pencil she had been using earlier. He rubbed his aching buttock with a black look on his face.

"There are some that would see Sasuke as worthy." Hinata's voice made it quite plain that she was not one of them. That had Sasuke's eyes looking vulnerable for the briefest of moments, before they once again seemed more appropriate on a doll or a puppet. "But, Naruto is worthy too!" She blushed, after speaking so forcefully.

"Yes he is," Kakashi said. "Though many do judge him unfairly, by no fault of his own." That had Naruto calming down, pulling at one ear. He would do his best to stay quiet. He had to trust his sensei. "But, in this instance… where your father's wishes are involved… and the good of your clan is at stake… shouldn't Sasuke be seen as even more worthy?"

Hiashi nodded. He had done well to bring his daughter and the two boys out here. The man they called the Copy Ninja was a skilled speaker.

"He wouldn't be seen as more worthy, if my father looked with my eyes." Hinata said.

"But, shouldn't you look with your father's judgment, instead? You never really wanted to be a ninja. Marriage would allow you to live a quiet and safe life again. Is your father correct in his assessment of you, thinking that you are nothing more than a nuisance and a hindrance to the others in your team?"

Kakashi crossed his fingers mentally. If Hinata caved in, seeking an easy way out, his words would have backfired. While nothing that she might say would sway Hyuuga Hiashi today, there were words that needed to be said.

Naruto began growling. No one should say those kind of things about Hinata, not even Kakashi. Orange chakra began swirling around him. His canine teeth felt longer and sharper. Kurenai walked over and got a spray bottle that Kakashi used to water his plants. She dowsed the boy as if he was a misbehaving kitten. Sasuke noticed, rolling his eyes before his usual persona snapped back into place.

"No." Hinata swallowed hard. "I'm… ummm… I'm usually very modest. I don't know why I feel bold enough to say this…."

"It's the truth," Naruto said. "That's why. It usually works for me. I wish it worked for everybody." He spared Sasuke an affronted look. His friend had never lied to him; but, he ought to know right from wrong.

"Whose truth?" Hiashi asked with a touch of venom. "A boy who has few manners, and no clan?" He shook his head, wondering why he was bothering to mention something so painfully obvious. "A girl who was bested by her sister, five years her junior? Someone who shows but a fraction of the talent that her cousin does, him a member of the Branch Family?" Hiashi's anger dredged up old memories and unflattering opinions. He was a reasonable man when it came to the members of his clan, but a tyrant when it came to his offspring. In quiet moments, when he put the leader's mantle aside, he often hated himself for that very reason. Maybe it would have been better if Hizashi had been the first twin born.

"If I'm worth so little, father, why would it be good for Sasuke to marry me?" Hinata began rubbing her fingers together, despite great efforts not to. "Is it because you see me as a tool… or a game piece… not a daughter…." Tears fell again. There was nothing that she could do to stop it. Kurenai held Naruto back, telling him that Hinata needed to do this on her own.

Hiashi's eyes widened. His lips twitched. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and put on his clan leader's look again.

"I was thrown out of my home… the only place I had ever known…" Hinata swallowed hard. "Only one person showed me kindness at first." She looked over at Kurenai. "Everyone else ignored me. No one cared about a shy, dark weirdo who couldn't meet their eyes."

Naruto shuffled his feet a bit, remembering when he thought that way. It was true. Hinata was growing cuter by the day. But, in the past, she couldn't compare to Sakura and the other girls. And, while her grades had been good, her martial skills had been terrible at the start.

"That's why you should be grateful that a worthy suitor has stepped forth at my invitation," Hiashi said. "Who else… other than a worthless troublemaker with questionable judgment… would seek you out on his own?" His eyelid twitched. He was being dramatic. Truth be told, rumors had it that a number of young men in the Hyuuga clan had been commenting on how attractive she had become.

"Naruto is not worthless," Hinata said with some fire, catching everyone by surprise. "He never had a family. I don't know why he was hated by adults when he a young child. When I watched him, I saw someone else who didn't fit in. But, he never gave up. He never tried to hurt anyone weaker than him. No one saw that… no one but me…" She wiped her eyes, and turned to face Naruto instead of Kakashi. "When I was a genin, I didn't do well in my missions, despite excellent training from my sensei. I never put my heart into things… afraid that I would fail… since I didn't have any confidence in myself. My father had decided that I was worthless. I thought he must be right."

"Good job, loser." Naruto muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Hiashi to hear him. "You probably don't even feel guilty for what you did." Hiashi scowled. He was not going to dignify that insult with any kind of response.

"Go on…." Kakashi said softly, when Hinata paused, staring at a small jar of ointment she had removed from her pocket. She held it up and showed Naruto, who gave her a thumbs up.

"I wasn't learning as quickly as Kiba and Shino. I didn't think that I could ever be kunoichi. I thought I would die on a mission before ever becoming chuunin." Hinata sighed. "I never really thought I had what it took tobecome chuunin." She looked at her father. "My cousin Neji had a difficult life, too. But, because he is a genius, one who would later make jounin, he was welcomed back into the family. That's why I was allowed back in. It would have looked bad, if my father's nephew was accepted, but not his eldest daughter."

Hiashi clenched his teeth. It was precisely this kind of self-centered and emotional thinking that made Hinata unfit to be the Hyuuga Heir. To prevent Hanabi from being infected by such nonsense, he had been forced to separate the two sisters until he had enough time to shape his youngest child sufficiently.

"The chuunin exams brought about a lot of important changes, didn't they?" Kurenai spoke up, seeing that Hinata had gone quiet. She had spoken a lot more than she usually did. So had Kakashi for that matter. The irony would have been amusing under different circumstances. They were chattering away like myna birds, but Uzumaki Naruto was being relatively stingy with his words.

"Yes," Hinata said. "When I was paired up against Neji, he tried to injure me severely, despite being the one who had been assigned to protect me. He wore the Hyuuga curse seal because of me. His father died in place of mine, after the Kumo no kuni no Shinobi Gashira was killed while kidnapping me." She squared her shoulders, and then ran a hand through her hair. "Kiba told me to forfeit, if I matched up with my cousin. I would have quit, had Naruto not called out to me. I didn't give in, even when I was close to death. He showed me that I could change. He showed Neji that he wasn't trapped by his destiny."

"What are you trying to say?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto did that," Hinata replied. "No one else." She looked over at Sasuke. "When the sand demon Shukaku appeared, it was Naruto who stopped him and Gaara, not Sasuke." She looked back at Kakashi. "Naruto even helped change the heart of that strange boy. He later rescued the Kazekage from Akatsuki, while Uchiha Sasuke was still training with Orcohimaru, the killer of Sarutobi, and the enemy of our village."

"Don't forget to mention who brought back Granny Tsunade," Naruto said, sticking out his jaw. He cursed when Kurenai poked him harder with the pencil, breaking it in half.

Sasuke sighed. He would never live that down in some people's eyes. The only thing worse than being held in contempt for his earlier mistakes was being slavishly idolized despite them.

"Some might consider those acts as penance for earlier sins," Hiashi said, unwilling to change his views. "Others would rightfully claim that it was his duty to do what he did. While those actions may have benefited others, but they did nothing to change what he is." In his eyes, Uzumaki Naruto was the Kyuubi, not the child serving as the demon's living breathing prison cell.

"You are wrong, father." Hinata shook her head.

"Who are you to judge that?" Hiashi said with a imperious air. "You are nothing more than a child."

"Naruto keeps growing stronger. He d-dreams of being Hokage some day. The Fifth believes in him. She gave him her g-grandfather's necklace, because of who he is." Hinata smiled at Naruto, suddenly feeling exceedingly shy for some reason. "He trained with one of the Legendary Sannin, the man who trained Yondaime. No one can mean to me what he does." Her face fell. It would be very hard to speak the next words. "I know the worst that can happen to me in this case, if I refuse to your choice. That won't change my mind."

"Tell me someone who's stronger than Hinata!" Naruto spoke with a sudden rush of pride. "Having people like her in the village makes being Hokage worthwhile."

"Naruto-kun…." Hinata smiled, despite everything she was being put through. Those words meant everything to her.

"I have a suggestion," Kakashi said to Hiashi. "I would recommend a third choice. Marriage… death… or the cloister." He might not be Shikamaru; but, as a tactician, he had few equals.

"That is very clever," Hiashi said after a few moments of consideration. "It would satisfy each and every point of honor. I will indeed offer my daughter that additional option."

"Huh? Cloister?" Naruto scratched his head. "What the heck is that?" It sounded like some kind of shellfish.

"A place devoted to religious seclusion," Sasuke said, breaking his silence. He couldn't help himself. "Dumbass." For a brief moment, he felt the way he once did, before being bitten by Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. "A monastery, convent, or nunnery."

"How's that, Kakashi-sensei? How would Hinata go on missions, if she had to live in a cloister?" Naruto was still perplexed.

"She wouldn't," Hiashi said. "My daughter would spend her time in religious pursuits… study… or manual labor. It would be a life of poverty… chastity… and obedience." His face softened some. "But, she would be alive."

"Hinata could marry when she quit being a nun, right?" Naruto looked at Kakashi, then Kurenai, and finally at Hinata. "How long would that last?"

"By necessity, it would last until she died," Hiashi said firmly. "If she failed in her noviciate… and was not accepted to the convent… she would be faced immediately with the choice of marriage or death. If she was admitted after her trial period, she would take a lifelong vow to remain there."

"It is not your choice, Naruto." Kakashi spoke firmly. He looked over at Hinata. "To die a sad death. To abjure the society of men forever. Those are two difficult choices. Think what it might be like to endure the livery and barren life of a nun in some shady convent, chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon, withering like a flower on a vine."

"Ahem." Kurenai's cough was indeed a word. Kakashi was laying it on a bit too thick.

"I would rather die or live my life in a monastery," Hinata said quietly, trembling eve5r so slightly. "I won't yield my… ummm… my…" She fought to get the next word out in anything louder than a whisper. "I won't yield my v-virginity to someone my father selects for me against my w-wishes." Her eyes widened. She caught sight of Naruto. He was blushing! "It doesn't matter how many other women might give themselves to a man, if he is not the one I choose."

"I see. That's your heart speaking. Perhaps you need to think with your head." Kakashi rubbed at his chin. "Why don't you take time to consider maters at length, perhaps to the next new moon. I'm certain your father would allow you that much." Kakashi looked over to Hiashi, who grudgingly nodded his head. The clan leader hoped that the Copy Ninja's words would take root and bring his daughter to her senses.

"When we meet again, you should be ready to do one of three things." Kakashi sound stern, as if he were a magistrate passing sentence. "Swear marriage to Sasuke. Give yourself over to an austere and unwed life. Accept death at your own hands, or the hands of someone legally appointed to that task." The Copy Ninja felt a few sweat drops run down his sides from his armpits. It had taken some doing, but he had won a short stay of execution, literally and figuratively speaking.

"You should give in to reason, Hinata." Sasuke said. "You might learn to love me. And, you would be doing what's best for the village we live in." He sounded like he believed what he said. "Naruto, you think things through for once, and yield her to me. What would her life be worth, if she were to die before she came into her own as a woman and a shinobi?"

"You have Hiashi's love, Sasuke." Naruto stuck out his lower lip, sounding belligerent. "Why don't you marry him?"

"Scornful boy!" Hiashi glowered. "It's true, he has my favor. What father wouldn't be proud to have his daughter help resurrect the Uchiha clan. And, I can't help but imagine what my grandchildren might be like." He'd had more than his fill of Naruto's insolence. "Be sure I will give my daughter to him, should she choose marriage!"

"Pompous old jerk!" Naruto countered. "What daughter would want to have a father like you?" He was fed up with selfish honor-bound aristocrats like Hyuuga Hiashi. "Neither Sasuke nor I have a clan. Maybe I don't have some coveted Blood Limit like the Uchihas or Hyuugas; but, I have something that the genius over there does not have." he folded his arms across his chest. "I care about Hinata. I would be true to her if she were ever my wife. Sasuke would only use her to get his children. He'd probably find some way to justify having bastards with other women, so the clan would grow faster."

"Sir, perhaps it would be best if you, Kurenai, and myself continued this discussion amongst ourselves." Kakashi hoped that the man would wave off that suggestion and head home.

"That is a very wise suggestion," Hiashi said. "In fact, I think that I will accept your kind offer of tea now."

Naruto spoke briefly with Kakashi. Hinata had a few words with Kurenai. Sasuke nodded to Hiashi, received the man's nod in return, and then headed off on his own. Shortly thereafter, Hinata and Naruto left.

"Hinata-chan, you look so pale." Naruto observed.

"I feel… I guess I feel like a flower that never gets enough water…" Hinata began crying again. She threw herself into Naruto's arms, catching him by surprise.

"Hey… well… you know… it looks like there's plenty of water now…" Naruto put his hand to Hinata's cheek, bringing it back wet with tears. He didn't know what else to say.

"Yes…" Hinata began sobbing, her body shaking. "I hope you can swim. You might get washed away."

"It will be okay, Hinata-chan. If things were easy, then we would need to be worried. That's just not the way our lives usually go, right?" Naruto sighed. Why did something like this have to happen to Hinata? She was the sweetest person that he knew, bar none. Hadn't the two of them been through more than their fair share of heartache in their short lives? "But… because…" He was interrupted.

"Our Ninja Way," Hinata said, predicting his next comment correctly.

"Uh huh," Naruto said, glad that Hinata knew him so well. "Something will turn up. It always does." He put his chin down on the top of Hinata's head. " I'm going to be Hokage some day. You're going to be there to see it. I promise you."

"Hey!" That was a girl's voice. " Naruto…. Hinata…." It was Sakura. She had just gotten off of her first hospital shift of the day. On her way to get a bite to eat, she had spotted her friends. "Is something wrong?"

"Her father," Naruto answered, his lips curling up. "Him and Sasuke. I almost wish that we didn't bring him back. Maybe the scars aren't worth it after all." The battle against Orochimaru and a new Sound Five had been brutal beyond reckoning. Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi had all spent time in the hospital. If Jiraiya hadn't showed up at the end, the Leaf might have lost Team Kakashi in its entirety.

"Why? What happened?" Sakura went on to look shocked and upset, as Naruto and Hinata relayed the recent events. "Sasuke-kun…." The color drained out of her face. She brought a hand to her mouth. "I can't believe that he'd do that." Her eyes misted up. "I don't think that Tsuande would let something like that happen!" She squared her shoulders and then pushed the hair out of her face. "I'll talk to her, Naruto. This just isn't right."

"She probably can't do anything," Hinata said, her voice muffled. "I doubt my father would have done what he did, unless he was certain of his position."

"Maybe," Sakura said, clenching her fists. "But, people were certain that we couldn't bring Sasuke back alive. They were certain that he wouldn't even want to come back." She sighed, thinking back to her days as a genin. "There were plenty of people that looked at me as if I was useless, once." She placed a hand on her friend's arm. "They thought that about you once, too. Right?"

"This probably hurts you too. Right, Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked at his teammate, remembering the days when he had a crush on her. She still had a terrible crush on Sasuke, one that had picked up right where it had left off. "Sasuke doesn't give a damn about love. He just wants to build back what Itachi destroyed. Whatever the cost. That's the only way he can get revenge on his brother now." The elder of the Uchiha brothers had died during one of the battles against Akatsuki.

"We don't know what he went through, Naruto." Sakura rushed to Sasuke's defense automatically, before hanging her head and sighing. "I guess we don't really know who he is, do we? It was hard enough getting close, before." She looked over at Hinata, who had managed to reach out and squeeze her arm in return. "I don't have a strong clan behind me. I wish I did. But, it certainly hasn't been a blessing to you."

"Things like that are going to change someday," Naruto said gruffly. "I already promised Neji that I would make changes in the Hyuuga clan when I was Hokage." He kicked at a stone under his one foot. "I don't care how hard it will be, dealing with all the laws, tradition, and crap."

"You can't change everything, you big idiot." Sakura wiped away a tear. "But, I'm glad that won't ever stop you from trying." She looked up at the moon, which was barely visible against the sky. "Life's not always fair. I remember a loudmouthed boy who chased after me. It was 'Sakura-chan' this and 'Sakura-chan that'." She smiled fondly at Naruto. "If I had felt the same way, I would have been very lucky. But, someone else would have been heartbroken." She nodded at Hinata.

"Yeh. Well. It was 'Sasuke-kun' this and 'Sasuke-kun that'," Naruto countered automatically. "Now I wish that he did return your feelings back then." He took a deep sniff. There was a faint scent of Ramen broth on the early evening air. The night time restaurants were getting ready to turn their café lights on. "Now he's hoping to win the hand of a girl that doesn't care about him, but does care about the guy that was once chasing you." He let out an explosive rush of breath. "This is just like one of those damn plays that Hinata drags me to see!" He flinched. "Oh… sorry Hinata-chan… I mean…" He stopped, catching sight of something. A group of city constables were heading their way, turning on their electric lanterns.

"Those men are probably coming to escort me home," Hinata said.

"Maybe Sakura will have to escort the bunch of them to the hospital," Naruto grumped, preparing for Kage Bunshin. Sakura recognized the all too familiar hand seals.

"That won't help anything, numbskull. Honestly!" Sakura made a disgusted face. "You use the same trick for everything. If all you have is a hammer, treat everything like a nail, right?" She put out a hand to still Naruto. "Not now!"

"It's alright, Naruto-kun. I'll think things over tonight." Hinata didn't expect to get a single minute of sleep. "We can meet tomorrow and talk." She blushed. Looking at Sakura, her blush deepened even more. "In the forest outside the Great Wall. You know. In the place that.…"

"Oh…." Naruto looked down at his feet and fidgeted some. "Yeh…." He thought back to the last time the two of them had wandered through those woods. "OK." That was where the two of them had shared their first kisses.

After the members of the Kemi Butai apologized and insisted on leading Hinata home, Sakura ran off to tell everyone about the plight of her two friends. That left Naruto standing alone in the street.

He looked up at the faces of the stone Hokages. He thought about the parents he never knew. He wondered why the Fourth had chosen him. This was just one more thing.

"Why me?"