EPILOGUE

The sun was shrinking towards the horizon.

In the distance, the plaintive call of a killdeer grew fainter as the bird flew from earshot. The sounds of the city grew quieter too, as workers headed home and the daytime shops began to close.

For most of the denizens on the streets, the day had been nothing special, and the night would be nothing remarkable. They were not ninja. It was not their task to protect their village, their fellow men, or the way of life that they lead.

The same could not be said for everyone, of course. For the shinobi, missions did not simply end at the fall of the evening. In fact, since the cover of night could be as much a blessing as a curse, it was not odd to have groups heading out under the cover of darkness. Tonight, as it turned out, the ever fickle black of night was now their biggest foe.

"Hurry! Hinata!" Naruto sped through the people-lined avenue, dodging the populace and taking to the rooftops when necessary. "If we fall too far behind, there will be no chance to succeed!" There was a strong sense of urgency in the boy's voice.

"Hai!" Hinata kept pace with Naruto, running less than two feet from his side. She had been heading home from training when Naruto happened upon her, short of breath and carrying hastily scribbled mission orders.

"I can't believe this," Naruto said as they flashed beneath the Great Gate of Konoha. "I wonder if that damn pervert is involved. It won't be revenge just against the Old Lady. It will hurt all of us."

"Maybe the others will find the thief and set off a signal," Hinata ventured, feeling very worried. Naruto had told her that messengers had been sent out as quickly as possible, once word had been received. Their friends should be amongst the many ninjas scouring the countryside.

"I hope so!" Naruto led them into the forest. Speeding along the treetops, they would be better able to avoid detection. If the escapee had run this way, he would be caught. If he had taken to the winding road, they would be able to head him off, he told her. If , that is, he hadn't already handed the pilfered goods off to an accomplice. And, if he wasn't a skilled shinobi himself. "Stupid Sai! I can't believe he kept all that stuff! How could he just leave it laying around? Why did he have to go home and write down everything that happened from memory?"

"He probably didn't expect anyone to steal his things, Naruto-kun." Hinata had no difficulty keeping up with Naruto. She had come a long way since her father handed her over into Kurenai's care. Watching her companion out of the corner of one eye, she was almost happy, despite the dangers at risk. Looking for Sakura and Sai, he had stumbled upon her. She had another chance to do something with him. A common goal!

"I guess so," Naruto said. "That's one of the things I like about you, Hinata. You're very kind." After saying that, he watched as the girl lost her footing and almost plowed into the bough of a massive tree. "But I bet you won't be so forgiving if a ghostwriter and publisher get all that stuff. There will be a printed book." He leaped through the crown of leaves, wanting to take his bearing before things got too dark. "An account of our Spin The Bottle game. Probably spiced up with stuff that never happened." Running through the low light was tricky. But, they had trained for this many times. "And with pictures!"

"That…." Hinata lost her balance hearing that. She had to focus! Before she knew it, that small misstep had become magnified one hundred fold, as each subsequent stride had trouble gaining good purchase. Fearing for the worst, she felt someone grasp her hand and pull her back onto a safe arboreal trail. "Th-… Th-… Thank you… Naruto-kun." She was still distracted though. He hadn't let go of that hand.

"Hey! Sorry! I forgot to let go." Naruto released Hinata's hand. It filled him with a subtle sense of regret. Why? "We can't run as fast that way, and you can do alright on your own if you concentrate." They ran into a less dense area of the forest. He knew this area. They were on track. "Focus, Hinata! Keep your head in the game!"

"Sure!" Hinata felt more than just a twinge of regret. But, what could she expect? In the months that followed the game they were all tricked into playing, she had been lucky enough to see Naruto a number of times. However, in the times that they had run across one another, there had never been any mention of their moonlight kiss. There was never anything that served as the sign of a potential relationship.

She still had wonderful memories from that embrace, and did not want them ruined by greedy men. So many questions ran through her head, but during a headlong rush like this, there would be no time to think. How had someone known what Sai had written? Where would they take their prize? When might the book come out? What would her father do?

"You know… this might not be just about money…." Naruto made a prodigious leap, spanning a large gap between towering oaks. "It could be any enemy plot to make Granny Tsunade look bad. To make the whole Leaf look bad. If customers think that's the kind of training we do, who will want to hire us?" He concentrated chakra on the soles of his feet and ran up one particularly large tree, gaining access to better pathways. "That book could go everywhere!"

"We'll stop them, Naruto-kun!" Hinata could feel her heart beating a staccato rhythm in her chest. Part of it was the exertion, of course. The erratic beat was also due to her being with a certain someone. But, most of all, it was a sense of fear and dread that was at fault. The further that book got, the more people that would read it. It would be impossible to stop circulation, once enough copies made their way onto the streets. "We… we have to…." She forced herself to remain calm. She was ninja. This was a mission. They had faced greater tasks in the past. Besides, there wasn't even a book yet. If they could retrieve the pilfered notebooks, all would be back to normal.

"There's no telling what we might be up against," Naruto said, running down a tree and heading for the ground. They were coming upon an open area of the countryside. "We will have to be ready to fight, just in case there are henchmen involved, or enemy shinobi." The sun was barely peaking over the mountains. It was growing cooler already. Soon, they would be running in complete darkness. "Are you ready?"

"Hai!" Hinata promised to give it her all. She would fight for her honor, and for the honor of her village. She would do her very best, because her precious one ran at her side. She wondered if they were all following the same trail. More than that, she wondered how Naruto knew where to run. It didn't matter. He would know what needed to be done. She trusted him.

"We will have to react quickly, Hinata." Naruto led them along a deep and wide gully, once the bed of a large river. It would serve as a roadway, supplying all the landmarks he needed. "If we are the first ones on the scene, there will be no way to know if we are the only one who will find the place. We will need to gather information quickly. Waiting… or striking immediately… might make the difference between success and failure."

"Yes," Hinata replied. "And if our friends are already there, we will need to meet up with them for a coordinated attack." There were only two of them, but there still needed to be a team leader until they became part of a larger group. She would follow Naruto's lead without question.

They left the flat and open riverbed and headed up a slope of lose rock, dried shrubs, and shifting sand. The low growth soon gave way to scattered small trees. Not long after that, they were amongst wooded surroundings again, heading up into mountainous terrain. If it had been daylight, Hinata might have recognized where they were.

"I think I know where they're headed," Naruto said. "Crazy bastard. He would choose that place for a rendezvous. Jiraiya must be involved, after all. Who else would pick that place?"

"Where?" Hinata was impressed with Naruto's ability to find clues at this hour. How was he doing it, with so little light? But, that wasn't the foremost question. Just where were they headed? What kind of trap might they be headed into? If they had to go up against a Legendary Sannin, could they retrieve the stolen items without a fight? Facing the Frog Hermit alone, could they hope to defeat him? "Naruto-kun…."

"No time for talk now, Hinata." Naruto was very curt in his response. "I'm sorry. I have to put all my attention towards finding our way. If I take a wrong turn, we won't make it in time!" They continued to run up a long twisting mountain trail. "We still have a good distance to go."

By the time they neared their destination, the moon was high in the sky. It was huge and luminous, much the way it had been on that me memorable night at the encampment. Hinata wanted to mention that fact to Naruto, but just couldn't bring herself to do so. Some things never change.

"We're here!" Naruto stoped at the crest of the hill to catch his breath. They had both been pushed to the fringes of their endurance. Walking slowly, he was the first to leave the path and walk along the grassy top of the plateau. "I never thought that I would be forced to come back to this stupid place."

"Naruto-kun?" As Hinata followed after Naruto, she began to make out ghostly outlines in the darkness. Buildings. Not just any buildings! Huts, supply sheds, and longhouses. "This is…." They were back at that place. Yes, there was no doubt about it. They had run to the same camp where they had played the game.

"Shhhh-hhh-hh-h…." Naruto created a number of clones. He was shushing them as much as he was shushing Hinata. He smiled. It was more fun shushing the girl. He owed her that. "We have to be very careful now. There could be traps. The enemy could be anywhere." There was no sign of light. There were no telltale sounds. There was no scent on the air that would give even the slightest hint of the forces they might face.

'What should we do?' Hinata tapped out that code with her finger on Naruto's wrist. 'Split up or stay together?'

'That building.' Naruto tapped in return. 'It would serve them as good as any. Better, if they see humor in the coincidence.' He was referring to the longhouse they had used during the first night of their prior trip. 'I will go in first. Cover me.'

"Naruto-kun…." Hinata mouthed that word as Naruto's shadow merged with the blackness. Straining her ears, she listened for any sign of danger, or any clue that he might need her help. It didn't take long. Suddenly, without warning, there was sound of a struggle.

"Hin…." That was all that Naruto was able to get out.

Hinata had to think quickly. What should she do? If she rushed right in after him, she might meet the same fate. But, if the unseen adversary or adversaries intended to kill their opponents, any delay might result in Naruto's death. She had to act! Now!

Swiftly, she made her way to the rear door, the one opposite to the one Naruto entered. Weapons out, she activated her Byakuugan as she entered the building. There were numerous bodies, all standing around a single form prone on the floor. She would have to….

"S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E-!" That concerted shout came just before the lights were turned on.

"But…." Hinata stood in utter shock. This was not what she had expected. Not at all. Reality sinking in, she knew that was exactly the way that Naruto had intended things to be.

"Hah!" Standing, a weary looking Naruto pointed at her and smiled. "Gotcha! Gotcha, Hinata!"

Hinata took in all the faces. Neji was there. Ten Ten, too. Ino. Shikamaru. Choji. Kiba. Shino. Sakura. Lee. Sai. In addition to her friends, there were four genin girls that she did not recognize. The significance in the numbers hadn't sunk in yet.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," Kiba said to Hinata. "Or someone pulled down Naruto's pants again."

"Just keep it up, Kiba." Naruto cracked his knuckles. "You'll be the one wearing the melons on the way home this time."

"Did we have to bring them?" Ino looked over at Ten Ten and Sakura. "We should have brought some cute boys."

"Too late now." Sakura sighed. It was only half in jest. Lee was here again.

"You… you all knew…." Hinata's question was aimed at the other girls.

"Of course," Ten Ten said. "It was our idea."

"I'm sorry that we didn't just come out and tell you," Ino said. "Some of us thought that you might refuse…." She lowered her voice. "Even if you knew that you-know-who would be here."

"We also thought that you might enjoy a little time alone with Naruto…." Sakura made a face at Ino. What was the big deal with saying Naruto's name if they kept their voices down? "An adventure for just the two of you."

"A chance to impress him," Ten Ten said with a wink. "If you know what I mean." She smiled when she saw Hinata blush.

"Are we going to do this?" That was Shikamaru, sounding as depressed as usual. "As bothersome as it's going to be, its even more bothersome to spend all this time waiting."

"Ohhhh-hhh-hh-h…." Lee struck a pose. "The blazing comet of opportunity waits for no one. Gai-sensei says…." He was cut-off.

"Who invited him?" That was Sai again, practicing his humor. He smiled when everyone laughed.

"Lets' get started, then." Choji pulled a large bottle of fruit juice from his snack bag, upended it, and drained the rest of its contents in the span of a heartbeat. Finished, he put the bottle on the floor. "Who spins first?" He grinned over at Ino, who flinched and looked away.

"You have forgotten something," Neji said, turning to face his cousin. "No one has asked if Hinata wants to join in. She was tricked into coming here." He subtly nudged Naruto with his foot. Clueless as he might be at times, Naruto got the point. He should be the one to ask.

"Hey! Hinata!" Naruto walked over to stand in front of the white-eyed girl. "You want to play Spin The Bottle?"

"Ummm…." Hinata rubbed her fingers together. She had dreamed about having another chance at kissing Naruto. But, last time, she had no choice but to play, since they all thought they were under orders.

"If you remember," Shino said. "We repaired the closet before we left the last time." Everyone turned to glare at him. This was no time to make a joke like that! Like Kiba, he should know Hinata better than anyone there. No doubt she would back down now.

"I…." Hinata looked down at her feet. It was so hard, balancing desires, instincts, and the habits of years. Before, if her father had found out, she could have truthfully told him that she had played in duress, thinking it was her duty. Tonight, whatever choice she made, it would all fall on her shoulders.

"We made Sai leave his sketch pad at home," Ten Ten said.

"But…." Hinata closed her eyes, so that she couldn't see all the people crowded around her. She listened to a small voice, the one deepest inside her. Pressing her hands to her chest, she said "OK."

"Way to go Hinata!" Naruto gave the shy girl a 'V' sign.

END