Naruto 1. New Feelings awaken

**The Foxes of the Village Hidden in the Leaves **

**This story has been prowling around in my head for a few years now, so I thought that it was about time that I freed it from its cage and let it roam free upon. Its set after the time gap in the show but that's about all and follows both Naruto and Hinata as they learn about an unique bond that exist only between them in addition to profound life altering affect that it will ultimately have upon both of thier lives. As always I welcome all opinions so plz R&R. **

Some romances are fleeting not lasting for very long at all but than there are those lucky few that are eternal and last for all time, this story is about one of such loyalty and profound love that not even a little thing like being forever sealed inside the body of an ungrateful host could ultimately keep him away from the one he once held most dear.

" "- Talking

_**Kyuubi/Sora **_

_Thought _

**Disclaimer; I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter one,**

**New feelings awaken**

In his small one bedroom apartment, a spiky blond haired ninja wearing an orange and black jump suit was laying down on the beaten up old sofa, that had come with the apartment when he first moved in, staring up at the ceiling with a glazed over look in his eyes as he tried to think of something that he and Hinata could do together that day; since it was still a little to early to go and pick up the soft spoken beauty outside of the gates of her clans massive complex in less than two hours. Naruto Uzumaki had not been assigned a single mission in nearly two weeks and he was beginning to get annoyed, actually bored was more like it. Naruto had just seen off Neji, Shino, Kiba, Tenten, Sakura, and Gai-sensei the previous morning. If Sakura had not ask him to she her off, Naruto wouldn't have gone in the first place but now he was glad that he had because for the first time ever in his life he was happy, for Neji had given him the job of protecting his cousin and apple of Naruto's eye, Hinata Hyuuga. Naruto closed his eyes as he thought about how wonderful the pervious day had been with his indigo haired angel and only hoped that these joyous days would not end when her cousin had returned from the mission he was currently on.

***** Flash Back*****

"Naruto, I have a favor to ask of you," Neji said as he gave his friend a one armed hug.

"And what would that be, Neji?" Naruto asked the longhaired Hyuuga genius.

"I would like you to keep an eye on my cousin, Hinata, while I am away," Neji said as he pulled away from Naruto and stood in front of his friend, "As her sworn protector, it's my duty to leave her protection to someone whom I feel is capable, when I must leave for any missions. So Naruto what do you say, will you do this for me?"

"Don't you usually have Rock Lee do that," Naruto said before he could stop himself.

"I thought that he could use a little break," Neji said, noticing the slight twinkle that suddenly appeared in the depths of Naruto's eyes, "If you do this for me I will treat you to all the ramen, you can eat when I get back."

Naruto turned and looked over at where the indigo haired heiress, was standing. Hinata looked down at the ground when she noticed Naruto looking at her, to hide the deep blush that was quickly spreading across her cheeks. Naruto could fell his own face beginning to get warm the longer he continued to look in her direction, and knew that if he didn't look away, soon his blush would rival her own; the feelings that arose in him every time he was close to Hinata, where new to him but he somehow knew that they were different from anything that he might have felt about Sakura. Naruto slowly turned to face Neji, and nodded his head in agreement. Then Neji thanked him, and left to join the rest of the group who were already walking through the open village gates. Naruto watched until the group turned the bend in the road, before walking over toward Hinata.

"So what do you want to do now, Hinata?" Naruto asked the indigo haired heiress, as he stood beside her.

"How about we go for some ramen, Naruto" Hinata suggested not meeting her crushes eye.

"That's the best idea, that I have heard all day," said Naruto as they began to walk down the street in the direction of his favorite ramen stand.

"There you two are," said Ichiraku as he placed two bowls of miso ramen in front of Naruto and Hinata, a short time later, after having arrived at the food vendor and sitting down on the two vacant stools, told him what they wanted, "Have a nice day and enjoy your meal."

"Idatakimasu," Naruto and Hinata said in unison they each broke apart the pair of chopsticks that sat across the top of each of their bowls.

"So, tell me Hinata do you come here often because the way Ichiraku friendly smiled at you makes me think, that you must frequent this place almost as much as it do," Naruto asked awkwardly feeling unbelievable nervous, even thought he knew that he had no reason to be that way.

"I do come here from time to time, Naruto, but I haven't been here in a little," Hinata answered back only briefly meeting the honest blue pools, that he had for eyes before retuning to the contents of the bowl on the narrow counter top directly in front of her, "Not since your last mission anyways, I heard from Sakura that you had a spot of trouble with some bandits on the way back home."

"Yeah we did but it was nothing that I couldn't handle," Naruto said reassuringly swallowing what he had in his mouth before flashing the beauty sitting on the stool beside him a goofy grin causing her to giggle unexpectedly, "This is fun, just the two of us hanging out together like this, we don't get many chances to do this and it would be nice if we could do this again sometime. Even if Neji isn't away on a mission, I would still like to spend some more time with you Hinata, that is only if you would not mind spending it with me."

"I would like to do that but I don't think that my father, would like it that much," said Hinata as she plucked some noodles out of her bowl.

"Hinata, are you always going to let your father control your life," said Naruto as he snared some noodles between his chop sticks and lifted them out of his bowl, "You nearly died because of his arrogance during the Chuunin exams. I could have killed Neji for what he did to you that day and probably would had no problem doing so, if Rock Lee had not stepped in-between the two of us when he did."

"That's very touching, Naruto,' said Hinata' as she stirred the contents of her bowl with her chopsticks and watched as they danced in the flavorful rich amber broth, "But if you killed Neji, than my father would have no choice but to kill you as well."

"It's not like it would have, really mattered all that much, if I lost you," Naruto muttered under his breath, hoping that Hinata would not hear him.

"Did you just say something, Naruto?" Hinata asked unsure if she had just heard what could have possibly been the closest thing to a confession of love for her from Naruto, of all people.

"So when we finish here, what do you want to do?" Naruto said thinking very quickly, to get his mind off the day that he had almost lost Hinata for good.

"It really doesn't matter, to me," said Hinata as a few ideas of how the two could spend the day together popped into her head, "We could do what ever we want, just as long as I am home before my curfew."

After they finished eating Naruto pulled his frog shaped wallet, which earned him another cute little giggle form Hinata, out of his pants pocket and paid for lunch, before the two of them hopped down from there stools and walked in the direction of the village training grounds. Naruto leaned against a tree as he watched Hinata get into her fighting stance, in a secluded corner of the training grounds, a short time later. Hinata found it extremely hard to concentrate solely on her training with her longtime crush watching her but she was also determined to show Naruto just how much she had improved since her match in the Chuunin exams. Quickly getting bored after just ten minutes of watching his secret angel agilely follow form one from of her gentle fist style to the next one, Naruto whistled to get Hinata's attention before walking over to were she stood in the clearing and taking a fighting stance opposite her, motioned for her to come at him with all that she had. Hesitating for a few moments by her crushes actions**, **the Hyuuga maiden quickly re-took her first stance before charging forward in an attack.

Even as she ran toward him, the spiky blond haired teen could tell by the look in her eyes that she was holding back no doubt afraid to seriously injure him and easily side stepped her charge, taking her down by sweeping out her left leg from underneath her while she past him, a few moments later. Feeling a surge of energy course though out his entire body as she took hold of the hand that he had offered to help Hinata back to her feet, Naruto pulled her right into his chest where the two teen's lips met in an unexpected kiss. Losing themselves in the shared happiness of the unexpected intimate contact, the heiress slid her arms up the front of his chest and wrapped them lovingly around his neck while he tenderly embraced her with his around her waist. Both blushing profusely as they broke apart for air, a few moments later, they both tried to apologize at the same time only to laugh at there own antics. Reluctantly braking their lovers embrace, a few minutes later, even thought she got the feeling that both were enjoying it, Hinata was incredible happy that the two of them had just kissed yet knew that she couldn't allow it to go any further than that, thought she dearly wished that she could always feel as safe as she had a few minutes earlier whilst tenderly held in the arms of her crush. Taking her fighting stance opposite Naruto the two resumed sparring, both pushing the blissful joy and happiness of their inadvertent kiss to the back of their minds, a few moments later.

Later on that evening, pale moonlight flooded the village streets as Naruto carried Hinata back to the Hyuuga Clan complex because she had fainted right into his waiting arms, completely tired out after five hours of non-stop sparing with him. As far as training sessions went it was one that he would not forget for a long time to come and it just wasn't because of the kiss that they had inadvertently kissed either but that moment certainly did stand out, even though Naruto easily bested most of her attacks there were the odd one or two that hit there mark and to help boost her confidence allowed the Kyuubi to slowly recover the charka points that had been blocked. Glancing down at the angelic maiden that lay cradled in his arms, Naruto could keep himself from smiling when he saw just how beautiful she was as she slept and found himself thinking that he wouldn't mind waking next to that look every morning. If Hinata could ever think of them as more than just friends as he had come to think of her in this way for quite sometime now but had been to afraid to admit his true feelings toward her out of fear that she would reject him, not to mention that even if she did feel the same way about him that he felt about her, the odds were stacked against them because there was no way a clan political driven man like her father, Hashi Hyuuga, would ever approve of a union between the two of them. Holding her body a little closer to his since he probably would never chance to hold the this close again anytime in the near future or even have the chance to hold her in the lovers embrace that he longed to, Naruto stopped and leaning down planted a tender kiss upon her forehead before straightening up and continuing to walk toward her clans massive complex.

Stifling a yawn with her right hand as they stood outside of the massive complex's front gate, a short time later, Hinata rubbed her eyes with the other and cheerfully smiled up at the whisker marked checks of the person that was carrying her. Thanking Naruto for the fun day she had, had and for carrying her all the way back home as he gentlemanly set her down on her sandaled feet, a few moments later, the Hyuuga maiden slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him squarely on the lips. Wrapping his arms around her back as the two teen's boldly kissed outside the gates of the Hyuuga clan complex, where any member of either the branch or main family could have come walking out and catch them locked together, Naruto interlocked their fingers and pulled her as close as physically possible. Playfully rubbing her nose other the side of his as they broke apart, a few minutes later, before someone from either family caught the two of them, Hinata slowly slid her arms over the front of his jacket whilst she told him that she was looking forward to the next day and couldn't wait to see what he had planned for the two of them to do. Deep within the spiky haired teen's subconscious, where the Kyuubi resided sealed within his cage, even the russet dog recognized the seductive edge in her voice as Hinata had said this to his host and just knew that it would go right over his head, the thick headed idiot that he was oblivious to even the most subtle signs of the silver-eyed vixens true feelings toward him but that just wasn't it, for the demon couldn't quite put his paw on it yet but he felt as if he had a strange connection to her as well.

Reluctantly breaking their tender embrace, a few moments later, Hinata bid Naruto goodnight and waving goodbye to him opened the door, which was set inside the much larger double door gate of the clan complex and stepped inside. Feeling a slight chill wash over her as she closed and barred the door securely behind her, the maiden rubbed both of her hands over her crossed arms in an attempt to wipe it away but it stubbornly remained. Once inside the reception area of the main house, Hinata removed her sandals and jacket, placing both in there proper place before turning right down the first hallway off of the reception area, to where her bedroom was located on its connected hallway on the other side of the main clans family home with the other chambers that belonged to her little sister and just slightly older cousin at one end and her fathers larger one at the other end.

"Your late," Hinata heard a voice behind her say as she slid her bedroom door closed behind her and turned on the light switch, a few minutes later.

Turning around on the ball of her slipper covered feet terrified that she might meet her father's angry face with hers, only to see her eleven year old sister, Hanabi Hyuuga, sitting on the edge of her bed instead.

"I am not that late, sis, I am?" Hinata said as she walked over to her bed and sat down on its edge.

"You are nearly two hours past curfew, missy," Hanabi said sternly standing on her slipper covered feet and waving a finger from side to side, doing a pretty good imitation of there dominating father, "Who or what could have, possible kept you out this late?"

"I was busy training and just lost track of time, that's all, Hanabi," Hinata said as a slight blush adorned her cheeks as she thought about all the fun that she had training with her crush, not to mention the caring love she felt deep within him the two times that they had kissed despite her knowing better than to get either one of their hopes up like that but a girl could dream couldn't she, "Naruto was helping me with my gentle fist, he's such an excellent sparing partner."

"Oh, well no wonder you are home so late, sis," Hanabi said now mildly interested, "So how did he react when you told him, that you liked or should I say loved him?"

"I never got the chance to tell him, besides if you have not noticed I was half asleep when he dropped me off this evening," Hinata said as she felt her cheeks warm even more as she sat down on the edge of her bed and lightly traced her lips with the fingers of her right hand unbeknownst to her, "But we did kiss thought, twice, and it made me feel all warm and tingly on the inside and I felt so safe and protected in his arms, that it was as if the rest of the world around us completely disappeared for the minutes that we spend locked together."

"Now its official, there's no denying it Hinata, you're definitely in love with him," Hanabi sad sitting back down beside her older sibling as placing her right hand upon her left one which sat at top her thigh, "So what are you going to do next, sis?"

"Even if I did confess the true depth of my feelings toward him and he did return them in kind, Hanabi, what are the odds that a political motivated man like our father would approve of the two us dating, let alone contemplate a more serious commitment such as marriage," Hinata said an edge of sadness coming to her voice as the image of her and Naruto wearing traditional ceremonial kimonos' standing before a priest formed in her minds eye only to by tore away a few moments later as the cold voice of her father rang out, loudly shouting that no daughter of his would ever marry such a social outcast and especially not one as lowly as her spiky hairedbeloved, "Maybe it would just be better for the both of us, if I just grew up and forgot all about this silly school girl crush of mine but even if I did that that we would still have good memories of our first kiss, that was truly one magical moment that I'm sure I'll never forget no matter how hard I try."

"I've never had the pleasure of being in love, sis, but even I know that means you're suppose to be with that knuckle head," Hanabi said knowing that it was granted to get a proactive response from her older sibling, "If you are truly at your happiest when your are with him then it shouldn't matter what our father thinks, you should do what makes you the happiest."

"Naruto is not a knuckle head, I mean sure he can be excitable sometimes but for the most part he's a kind, forgiving, honest and all around great guy that any girl would be lucky to be able to call there one and only," Hinata said raising her head high and looking her younger sister directly in the eyes while silent tears threatened to fall from her own, "On top of that he will always have my support even if I don't have the pleasure of being that one lucky girl."

"Now there's the, Hinata, I know," Hanabi said lifting her right hand from where it sat upon her older sister's thigh and began to wipe away the tears that pooled in the corners of Hinata's eye, "Never stop fighting to make your dream come true, not even if it means having to leave our clan just to be with the one you hold most dear. Come now, no more tears, we can't have you crying unless there tears of happiness that is, just remember that you get to spend a whole day with the one you love tomorrow and everyday until Neji returns. So when an opportunity arises to confess just open your heart and let the whole world knew just how much you love him, it's unhealthy to keep things like this penned up inside."

"Thanks, Hanabi, I really needed that and who knows perhaps your right," Hinata said a cheerful tone returning to her voice, "There's no way for me to really know just how much Naruto cares about me, if I don't tell him now is there. Ok it's settled I will tell him the first chance that I get tomorrow."

"And I have no doubt that his answer will surprise you, my sister," Hanabi commented smiling knowingly at her older sibling as she stood up and began to walk toward the open bedroom door, "Well good night, Hinata, I just know that you will have very pleasant dreams now without a doubt."

"Hanabi, what do you mean by that his answer will surprise me?" Hinata asked causing her younger sibling to stop in her tracks, "What is it you know, that I don't? If it's about Naruto or his feelings toward me, I have ever right to know."

"Do you promise me that you would get mad at me, Hinata?" Hanabi asked slowly turning around to face her sister.

"That all depends on what exactly you know, Hanabi," Hinata stated more bluntly, then she had intended, and could tell just by the look upon her younger sister face that she had stung her, "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to mean it in a harmful way toward you, it's just that I'm rather touchy when it comes to him."

"And you have every right to be, Hinata, but you must understand that I was only doing this out of concern for you," Hanabi said folding her hands together and placing them behind her back, "When you weren't back by curfew, I got worried at what father might do if he caught you, so I snuck out to look for you but it wasn't until I was on my way back home that I spotted Naruto carrying your sleeping form in arms with your head resting sweetly against the front of his left shoulder. Given how late it was and since he didn't seem to notice me, I followed at a respectful distance and then watched as he stopped roughly two hundred feet of the clan complex, leaned down kissed you on the forehead and I think whispered 'I love you' into you ear before he straighten up and continued walking. I'm not entirely sure about that last part but I know what I saw and he must definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, lovingly kissed you upon the forehead."

"Naruto, Naruto kissed me on the forehead," Hinata said in a state of shock that he would ever do that to her, that which could be seen as an intimate exchange between two lovers depending on the person, and in her current state of mind could mean one thing, that he cared about her almost as much, no more than she could have ever possibly dreamed of, finally realizing that she had been tracing her lips with the fingers of her right hand and lowering it, "Hanabi, please tell my that I haven't been doing that, this entire time and you never told me?"

"If by 'that' you mean lightly rubbing the fingertips of your right hand over your lips, then I'm afraid to tell you that you have, Hinata," Hanabi said smiling warmly at her seated older sister, "Now I'm no expert when it comes to stuff like this but it seems as thought you long to feel the touch of Naruto's lips against yours one last time maybe while he gently lays you down in your bed before you know, he makes a woman out of you," Hanabi added teasingly, clutching her sides in laughter as she watched Hinata's face slowly turn such a bright shade of red that she resembled a tomato as the image of her and Naruto making raw sensual passionate love formed in her minds eye.

"Hanabi, would you please stop saying stuff like that about me and Naruto, we're no were near lovers yet we're not even official a couple," Hinata said once she recovered from the very vivid mental picture her younger sister had painted of the tow of them, a few minutes later, "I do love Naruto that's for certain but even I would never think of doing something like that until both of us were ready and that's the truth."

"But you do, sometimes find yourself longing to feel his touch in the most intimate of ways don't you, Hinata," Hanabi asked while wiping a laughter induced tear away with her left hand as she watched a deep blush cover her older sisters checks once again and had forced herself the stifle the snicker that wanted to burst forth from her mouth at the site.

"Hanabi, I don't know what's come over you suddenly but this is not how a proper younger lady of the Hyuuga clan is supposed to act," Hinata said whilst blushing profusely as the mental image of her passionately raking both her hands over her beloved back as Naruto took her in the shallow pool of a natural hot spring basin formed in her minds eye, "Even if I did have those particular feelings toward my beloved, this is not the sort of things a girl especially one as young as you should be thinking or knowing anything about until your much older."

"Your one to talk, I bet your thinking about that very thing right now," Hanabi jest right back.

"I'll have you know, that I'm thinking of no such thing," Hinata said her voice fluttering even thought she knew her face very likely showed otherwise.

"If you aren't then how come your face is starting to resemble a tomato again," Hanabi said finding it increasingly difficult not to laugh at the site of her blushing sister, "You're thinking indecent thoughts of you and Naruto right now, aren't you?"

"So what if I was, it's perfectly acceptable for me to be thinking of such thoughts of the one in love, however it unacceptable for a youngster such as yourself," Hinata said sighing openly acknowledging that she, on occasion did have those types of thoughts about her spiky haired love and half hoped that he did have times when he thought of her in such ways as well, "But seriously Hanabi, you're way to young to be thinking about such things. Come now its getting pretty late and father will be pissed if he catches both of us still up at this hour."

"True enough, Hinata and I didn't mean to cause you any embarrassment about wanting to be intimate with Naruto, I just merely wanted to see how you would react to my suggestion," Hanabi said finally regaining control over her silent fits of laughter, "I know that you would never do anything like that, until both of you are comfortable with the prospect of it."

Softly smile as she stood up while the blush the covered her face began to fade, Hinata walked over toward her younger eleven year old sister, whom bore a striking similarity to herself only her eyes had more of violet hue like there father then her silvery-white which were just like her late mother, and wrapping her arms around Hanabi embraced her sibling in a hug. Releasing the hug, a few moments later, the two sisters bid one another pleasant dreams and after escorting Hanabi out of her bedroom, slid the door closed behind her. Slipping behind the changing screen in the adjacent corner on the left of the door, the mature sixteen year old Hyuuga maiden, changed out of her training cloths and into the violet tank top and black leisure pants that she wore as sleep wear. Normally Hinata would usually take a bath before she even thought about getting changed and going to bed but given how late it was, she decided that it wasn't worth risking getting caught and jeopardizing her time with her crush so she made up her mind that she would get up earlier the following morning and just take her bath then. Stepping out from behind the privacy screen, a few minutes later, Hinata turned off her bedroom lights and crawling under the thin cotton sheets of her futon, closed her eyes and sailed away into a world of Naruto filled dreams.

Meanwhile in a slummy apartment building on the other side of the village, where the poorest of the poor lived, lone figure walked inside the pitch black interior of his messy apartment, lost in thought about the wonderful day he had just spent with the quiet spoken Hyuuga Heiress and how happy it had made him feel, when the two of them had inadvertently kissed and how complete he felt with her embraced against his chest.

_**You know, that you did not have carry her all the way across the village, tonight,**_ cackled the Kyuubi's voice from the back of the teens mind as Naruto walked into his dark apartment, _**You, could have just brought here, back to our den. It would have been closer, and you probably would not be in such a fowl mood, either. **_

"Did I ask you for your option, you stupid fox," Naruto snarled back at the demon that dwelled within him as he unzipped his jacket and hung it up in his foyer closest.

_**No, I just thought I would add my own two cents to our recanting of today's fun,**_ mentally retorted the Kyuubi, _**But it would appear that I have touched a rather sensitive nerve, instead. How interesting. **_

"There is nothing interesting about," Naruto hissed moodily back as he kicked off his loosened sandals and jammed his feet inside a pair of slippers, "So keep your muzzle out of this, it does not involve you."

_**Correction, kit, everything that you do involves me. For I am a part of you as much as you are a part me, thanks to the seal that blasted fourth Hokage used to seal me inside of a knuckle head like you. Whom is so oblivious when it comes to vixens, that you didn't even notice the seductive edge, that silvery eyed beauties voice took on when she said that was eagerly looking forward to what ever you had planned for tomorrows activities**_ Kyuubi bit back tactlessly burying his razor shape claws into his vessels subconscious, sick and tired of the teen's thick headedness when it came to the harem of vixens that he had in his life and especially the intimate desires of one in particular, _**I can think of a few things that would make that silvery eyed beauty very happy indeed and you as well. Just imagine It, the feel of her silken skin underneath your fingertips as you slid your hands over the wonderful curves that she tries to hid under that bulky clothing she wears, feeling it erupt into goose bumps at your most gentle touch, the velvety softness of her lips as their pressed against yours. The soft moan that she cry's into your mouth as you slip your tongue inside of hers and get a taste of her luscious body, that's just begging to be tamed by the man she dearly loves. **_

"Kyuubi, would you please stop speaking of Hinata in such a disrespectful manner," Naruto stammered in response as the mental image the demonic fox described formed in the back of his mind, only to be further indulged by his own personal desires as well to include the image of Hinata lustfully raking her nails across the flexing muscles of his back as she moaned out his name. Feeling his checks and the tips of his ear warm at what the mental image was implying, the spiky blond haired teen couldn't deny that he found the woman that Hinata had grown into, while he was away to be very attractive nor could he deny that it would make him extremely happy beyond to measure to have someone as beautiful as her as his girlfriend or maybe even his wife but the odds against him were to overwhelming for even him, with the help of Kyuubi, to emerge victorious on the other side and so he kept the true depth of his feelings for her hidden from all except himself and the demonic fox, of course, "She and I are merely just friends and that's all we shall ever be, knowing her family that bastard of a Father she has, has probably promised her hand to someone better off and more socially acceptable than me."

_**I can't explain why but I feel as thought that silvery eyed vixen may hold the key to both of our happiness for many countless years yet to come, kit, so don't give up your dreams of possessing her just yet things may turn out for the better, youngling, **_Kyuubi said his voice taking on a kind understandingly fatherly tone,_**Tomorrow is a brand new day filled with endless possibilities, so if an opening should appear where you can comfortable tell her how much you really like her, than don't let it slip through your fingers. Speaking from experience, sometimes you only get one shot at true happiness and only a fool would allow a beautiful vixen like her got stolen away from him but I'm afraid that's a story for another day. **_

"Yeah she sure it breathe taking isn't she but then again she has always been that way, every since our days at the academy," Naruto said as intimate image of the two of them faded and his thoughts drifted back to days he had spent learning the basic skills every shinobi needed to know at the local ninja academy and the way that Hinata would always turn to look the other way or look down at her desk top ever time that he would cast his eyes in her direction or the adorably cute way that she used to fidget her index fingers together when ever she would get nervous just being close by him, "Will she has certainly blossomed into a beautiful proper young lady, while we have been away with that total pervert Jiraiya and as far as I can tell all she needed was a little confidence boost to do so."

_**So you're not as dumb as you look sometimes, kit, and here I thought for sure her subtle seductive cues today went totally over your head**_, Kyuubi said a slightly snickering tone mixing in with his surprising fatherly one that he continued to speak in,_** Not to mention that I thought for sure you could only feel this way about Cherry Blossom but now this silver eyed beauty has entered the race as well as, you and I both knew which of the two is the better fit for us but ultimately the final decision is up to you to make, youngling, so choose wisely when it comes to matters of the heart especially when it involves a vixen. **_

"I used think Sakura was the one for me but ever since that day during the Chuunin exam plumaries and the terrible way that her own cousin was treating her, I guess it flipped a switch somewhere in my subconscious and I haven't been able to think of any other girl in the way that I do about, Hinata," Naruto commented truthfully thinking back about all the missions that Tsunade had send the two of them one together or allowed him to tag along with Hinata's squad and the way that he often would find himself stealing glances of her or feeling a strong desire to protect her at all cost despite the risk it was to him, "But your right about earlier today, Kyuubi, my angels seductive edge did go completely unnoticed by me."

_**That's why I'm here, kit**_, Kyuubi said devilishly grinning as the demonic fox peered into the teens thoughts from a few minutes earlier and came across the mental image that had was the reason they were having this conversation to began with, _**Oh and nice touch by the way, adding the long drawn out moan as that silvery eyed vixen you pine for, racked her nails over your back**__._

"Kyuubi, don't do that without telling me you are going to first," Naruto scolded the demon fox while a deep red blush crept across his cheeks and he felt the tips of his ears begin to warm, "Those thought's are private, you don't see me casually snooping through your inner most desires do you, not that I could possible think of any reason to do so, other than to discover if you had a sound reason for nearly obligating the only home that I have even known."

_**I can't help it, being a fox its natural for me, to be curious about the thoughts and inner most desires of my vessel**_, Kyuubi answered back quickly**, **_**I'll have you know that the door swings both ways, kit, if you really wanted to you could look into my thoughts and memories just as easily as I can with yours, with a little bit of mental training that's all.**_

"That's a very tempting offer, Kyuubi, but it also sounds like a trap so that you can possess me without any or very little resistance on my part," Naruto said contemplating the idea for a few minutes but then thinking better of it, decided it was probably best just to leave things the way they currently were and call it a night before it got any latter, "I think that the way things are between us currently will suffice for now, well it's time we called it a night don't you think so after all tomorrow we have a very busy day, not that I have any idea of what we're going to do together but I'm sure I'll come up with something once I have gotten some rest."

_**If you can't think of anything, kit, I have a few suggestions that might by of use to you**_, Kyuubi said, _**And the best part is that there good clean fun nothing to indecent at least not yet anyway, neither one of you are prepared for the way something like that can drastically change a relationship. **_

"Kyuubi, no offence intended but I think it would be best if you left the ideas up to me, for now," Naruto said as he pushed the door to his bedroom open, "Even if Hinata and me did become a couple, I don't have a clue how to even explain you're presence within me to her. For all I know it could be the very thing that would destroy our possible relationship as it has most of my life. I only wish that I knew why the fourth Hokage choose me, surely there must have been another child at the village orphanage that he could have chosen instead."

_**I'm sure that's a secret that you will learn the truth to in good time, kit, but I shall say this you do bare a striking similarity to the man that sealed me inside of you, maybe he chose you because he knew that you were destined to do great things with my unlimited power in the future**_, Kyuubi suggested, his voice returning to its fatherly tone from before only this time it had a consoling feel to it, _**What ever the future holds for us now, I get the feeling that our fates are destined to be intertwined but once again I can't explain why I feel that way. Pleasant dreams, kit. **_

The voice of Kyuubi faded as the demon fox retreated back in to the depths of his subconscious where he belonged, Naruto changed out of his training clothes and into his usual sleepwear of a black t-shirt and blue leisure pants before throwing himself down upon the covers of his queen size bed and falling asleep. A soft smile formed on his face as he rolled over on to side and began to dream of the ideal existence he could have with Hinata, if she would have him that is.

*****End flash back*****

Opening his eyes Naruto stood up and taking one long look at the dump that he had no choice but to call home, deeply sighed knowing that there was very little chance that he would ever have the pleasure of calling Hinata his girlfriend, let alone parish the thought of having her as a wife with practically no money to his name and next to nothing that could sway her father in his favor. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he began to think back to the events of the day before and how wonderful it made him feel just to be able to spend an entire day with her, the softness of her velvety skin as her fingertips gently wrapped around his neck, and the lovely tenderness that he felt in her lips as the two of them shared an unexpected yet welcome kiss. He missed his beautiful indigo haired angel, just thinking about Hinata's cute little smile as he held her in his arms in that secluded corner of the training area made him forget about his crappy apartment and all of the hardships that he had to endure everyday from most of the villagers; whom still hated him because of the demon that called his body home. Just then there was a knock at his apartment door.

'Nar…Naruto, are you there?' an angelic voice suddenly asked through the apartment's front door. 'Naru…Naruto, please…please answer me, it very im..important.'

Bolting straight for the door, there was no denying that sweet, stuttering voice it could only belong to one person in the entire world, and that person was, Hinata. Throwing the front door of his apartment open, a few moments later, Naruto saw the beauty woman that he longed to call his standing in front of him, fidgeting her index fingers nervously like she used to do when she was really close to him. Smiling down at the very attractive young woman that stood before him, Naruto noticed that she was staring directly down at the floor of the hallway and he just couldn't have that, so he gently placed his right hand upon the top of her slender shoulder and tucking his other under her nicely rounded chin lovingly lifted her head until there eyes locked together.

"There, now that's better, don't you think so, Hinata," Naruto commented tenderly as he removed his left hand from underneath the Hyuuga Maiden's chin, only to use the very same hand the lovingly brush a few loss strands of her long indigo hair that had fallen in front of her beautiful face off to the side, "A beautiful flower such as yourself should never be afraid to keep their face hidden for the warmth of the sun, this is sort of awkward for you to come visit me like this, so I'll just come right out and say it, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, what was it now," Hinata said flustered still in the process of recovering form Naruto's loving actions and the fact that he thought she was beautiful and for the next few moments thought back to the kiss they had inadvertently shared and how happy not to mention safe, she felt held there against in his chest and the words of Hanabi encouraging her to never give up on chasing down her dream even if it meant having to leave the clan repeated themselves across her subconscious, "Oh, now I remember, Lady Tsunade wants to see you in her office right away."

"Then how come she sent you, not that I'm complaining that its," Naruto commented teasingly making Hinata blush lightly, "But this is something that she usually sends a runner to tell me."

"If your already to go, Naruto-k I mean Naruto, than I shall be more than happy to take you to see her," Hinata said catching herself before the affection title had slipped out completely and hoped that her long time crush didn't notice it, "So much for spending our day together and I was really looking forward to whatever you had planned for us too."

"To tell you the truth, Hinata, I was drawing a blank on how we spend today and was sort of hoping that maybe you might have come up with something just in case but it looks as if I will have to give you a rain check," Naruto said an edge of sadness in his voice as stepped out into the hallway joining her, "I was really looking forward to spending to whole day with you too, of all the times to be assigned a mission, I've got to have the worst luck of anyone in the village."

"I'm sure your luck is bound to change before you even know it, at least we will get to spend sometime together today even if its just walking toward Hokage Tower," Hinata said smiling cheerfully up at Naruto as he closed the door to his trash strewn apartment behind him, "You should look forward to getting back sooner rather than later because I plan on cashing in that rain check, the very first day you return and if you show me a good time, than maybe, just maybe I'll show you one as well."

"Then I'll be sure to hurry back as quickly as I can, you foxy little minx you," Naruto said wrapping an arm around the back of Hinata's waist, feeling the slender curves of her figure which were hidden underneath it, as the pair of them walked toward the buildings elevator away from his apartment and couldn't kept his mind from drifting to the full figured woman that she was underneath her bulky clothing, "Now what do you say we get a move on, I wonder what type of mission, the old lady will have for me this time, I hope that it's something nice a simple so that way I can get back to you all the sooner."

"Me, too," Hinata said nestled against Naruto's side as the two of them stepped onto the elevator, a few moments later and he pressed the lobby button.

Stepping off of the elevator as its doors opened to reveal the shabby Lobby of the equally as shabby building, a few minutes later, Hinata rested her head against the front of Naruto's chest as she had seen many lover's do with their significant others in movies or when she spotted couples out on dates at the village park, not really caring whom might see them and given its early hour very few villagers would.

**As far as opening chapters good, I think that this is one of my better ones but you readers are a better judge of that than me, so plz R&R.**


	2. A new mission

**Now I know that the opening of this chapter doesn't quite match up with where I finished the first one but trust me once you start to read it, it well make sense by the end of it. I wouldn't make a habit of writing to many chapters in this fashion as it's a pain to get the tie in with the previous one just right but thought that it would be nice to give it a shot, so plz tell me how you think I did, in that regard. As usual I welcome all opinions, so plz R&R. **

**Disclaimer; I don't own any of the characters **

**Now our adventure continues, back to the story **

**Chapter Two, **

**A new mission**

The following Hinata had woken up earlier than she normally would on any given day; faint shades of orange and purple were just barely visible through the tree tops in the twilight of pre-dawn. Stiffing a yawn with the back of her left hand as she sat up in her bed, a few moments later, the Hyuuga maiden sleepily threw back the cotton top sheet of her futon and sliding her feet into her slippers, stood and fumbling walked over toward the changing screen in the corner. Feeling the edge of last panel of the four paneled, wood framed and rice paper lined privacy screen underneath the fingertips of her right hand, a few minutes later, the mature heiress stepped behind it and began to undress. Pulling the white silk robe, that had previously been draped over top of the first panel, over her smooth alabaster skin, less then five minutes later, Hinata securely cinched its matching silk belt around her waist and switching out her fabric slippers for a pair of traditional wood block sandals, stepped out from behind the screen. Walking toward her bedroom door, she quietly slid it open and closing it equally as quiet behind her, headed in the direction of clans private hot spring bath house; since it was still quite earlier in the morning Hinata would likely have it all to herself and that was just what she wanted right now, sometime to just be left alone with her thoughts.

Reaching the bath house, ten minutes later, and sliding both it's entrance door and the door to the actual bathing area open, discovered that she was the only one there and so hanging the main families 'in use' sign over the hook on the outside of the entrance door, slid it closed behind her as she went back inside of the medium sized rectangular shaped building. Loosening the belt of her silk robe as she slid her feet out the leather thongs of her wood block sandals, a few moments later, Hinata pulled the silken garment off her full figured body, allowing it to pool on the floor at her feet. Casually running the fingertips of both her hands over the curves of her shapely form, that she often keep hidden underneath far bulkier cloths than was necessary, the heiress was proud of the woman she had grown into from the little girl that she had been when her crush had first left on his long term training mission and had grown in confidence as well but there were still times whenever she was around him, that she would revert back to the little girl she was before he had left; not be true to the confident, young woman that she was now and decided that was all about to change starting today. Feeling a mischievous grin briefly sneak across the features of her face as she formulated a plan for telling her beloved ninja, just how much she really felt about him and the lengths of which she was willing to go for the two of them to one day become one, if he returned her feelings as well, ceased her wandering fingertips and stepped inside the bathing area. Grasping one of the bamboo pails from the stack's against the partition wall, which separated the two areas of the bath house, after sliding the door of the bathing area closed behind her, Hinata dunked it in to the depths of the temperate water basin along the right side of the tiled room and dumped it over herself before setting the pail upside down on the tiled floor to drip dry and she eased herself into the warm water of the hot spring feed pool the dominated the rear of the room. Closing her silvery-white eyes as she leaned her slender shoulders against the side of the pool, a few moments later, the young woman smiled to herself as she thought of how it would be a more wonderful the experience if she and her spiky blond haired crush could share it together, just once.

Climbing out of the pool, forty-five minutes later, Hinata wrung the water out of her long indigo hair over the pools rounded tile edge as best as she could before walking back toward the dressing area door and sliding it open. Wrapping a towel about her bosom and another around her hair, a few moments later, the young woman sat down on the bench in the middle of the room and began to dry her naked body. Tossing the two damp towels, toward the large oval wickerwork hamper on the other side of the room after thoroughly drying every curve of her full figured body, not missing a single droplet of water and drying her luscious locks, Hinata picked up her robe from where it lay upon the floor and pulling it loosely on, slid her feet back into the leather thongs of her wood block sandals before more securely tying the belt of the simple silk garment about her waist. Sliding open the entrance door of the bath house, less than a minute later, she brought the main families 'in-use' sign back inside and hanging back on it's usual wall hook, slid the door closed behind her as returned to her bedroom to get dressed. Hinata was busy running the fingers of her left hand through her hair and looking up at the sky as the warm bright orange glow of the rising sun shone through the trees when her former sensei, Kurenai, suddenly appeared standing directly in front of her.

"Good morning, Kurenai-sensei, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you on this wonderful morning?" Hinata asked ceasing playing her hair and taking one step backward, bowed respectfully at her former teacher and mentor before straightening up and standing at her full height.

"Why is it that a teacher can't simply, drop by unexpectedly out of the blue, just to have a little chat with one of her former students to see how she is doing," Kurenai commented sighing lightly at how greatly the young woman's perceptiveness had improved for what it was only a few years before, "Hinata I must say that you have certainly grown into a well mannered and proper young lady, that your mother would be very proud of but you are quite right I have come to ask a favor of you, on behalf of Lady Tsunade. She would like you to go and tell, Naruto to come to her office as soon as you can, do you think that you can do that."

"My Naruto-Kun has gotten a mission, hasn't he," Hinata asked an edge of sadness coming to her voice as all of her excitement over spending the entire day with her crush vanished.

"More than likely, that's the case, Hinata," Kurenai said noticing that there was something amiss with the maiden that stood before her as her voice quickly went from happy to sad, "But I'm sure that it's nothing that he can't handle, so why do you look so sad suddenly?"

"Before Neji left yesterday, he gave Naruto permission to take over being my sworn protector until he got back and after what happened while the two of us were sparing, I was sort of looking forward to getting to spend a little more one-on-one time with him," Hinata said as her thoughts drifted back to their first kiss and how wonderful it felt and how much safer she felt there tightly held against his chest, "But I guess I can't be helped, if Tsunade needs to send him out on a mission then it most by very important for the village."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hinata, I didn't know that," Kurenai said realizing the source of the girls happiness and sadness was once again being taken away from her, when he had only just returned home from his long term training mission not even month ago and was now being send out again, "You still deeply care about that boy don't you, oh I know, how about I go back and tell Tsunade that Neji gave Naruto his duties while he's away, it might be enough to sway her to assign it to someone else."

"No that's okay, Kurenai-sensei, if she needs my beloved for this mission then I doubt she will be easily swayed by the pining of one girls heart or the duties of her sworn protector," Hinata said a slightly happy tone returning to her voice, "I will pass the message onto him after I have changed and had something to eat, at least I'll still get to spent sometime with my beloved even if it's just walking with him to Hokage Tower."

"Now whatever the mission is, don't got yourself to worried about Naruto, he will return safely just as he always does," Kurenai said a motherly tone coming to her voice briefly as she stared down into the slightly shorter young woman's eyes and watched as a glow of happiness returned to them, "And when he dose, I'm willing to bet that he would have come to his senses, about how special you are to him and finally make all of your dreams come true, young lady, even your most deviant ones."

Stiffly a giggle with her left hand as she watched a deep red blush began to spread across her former students cheeks over the manner of which she chose to finish her last sentence, Kurenai could only imagine the types of thoughts the suggestion caused the sixteen year old young woman to think up, especially given the strength of the crush that she had on the boy in question as it had no doubt only grown stronger while he was away. Getting Hinata's attention by playfully ruffling her damp hair, bring the young woman out of her dirty minded thoughts brought on by the older woman's suggestion, a few moments later, Kurenai inclined her head respectfully at the Hyuuga maiden before thanking her for accepting her favor and with that departed just as suddenly as she had her pace slightly, Hinata hurried back to her bedroom and flicking on the lights after having slid its door closed behind her, five minutes later, the maiden brushed her hair and changed into a clean set of her usually training attire, so that she would be able to work out her frustrations after her spiky haired crush had left to complete his assignment. Checking her reflection in the oval mirror of her vanity table before she left for the kitchen to get a quick bite to eat before she had to leave for Naruto's, Hinata ran a brush through her flowing indigo locks one last time before dawning her slippers and turning off her bedroom lights went to get something to eat. Feeling the pit of he stomach getting upset just at the mere thought of eating at a time such as this and knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to keep anything down even if she forced herself to do so, changed her mind and decided that it would be for the best if she passed Lady Tsunade's message on to him first, then maybe she might be able to eat something without having to worry about it coming back up. Pulling on her white and violet jacket and swapping out her slippers for her sandals, left for Naruto's apartment building on the other side of the village, where the poorest of the poor lived just barely sneaking by on what little money they managed to make.

As Hinata got closer to this area of the village, it clearly showed by the sat of the buildings exteriors', many of which had long cracks in their simple plaster facing and some even had the bare wall beneath clearly visible where the plaster had fallen away completely and the owner just simply couldn't afford to get it fixed so they just left like that. Now this wasn't by far the first time that she had walked these streets, for she knew them like the back of her hand from her days of her youth when she used to spy on Naruto because she lacked the courage to actually talk face to face with him, but even with this extensive knowledge that she had managed to gain about him by doing this she had never stepped so much as an inch within his actual apartment building itself but knew exactly where he lived so at least she didn't have to ask for directions. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves since this was the first time that she was actually going to be entering her beloved crushes apartment building, as she stood in front of the plain looking exterior, forty-five minutes later, Hinata grasped the handle of the front door and pulling it open walked inside. The buildings foyer was a quite large and with the exception of the run down front desk which looked like it hadn't been used for many years by the broken and disrepair state that it was in, was completely empty and she could see why her beloved preferred being out on missions rather than being home most of the time; if this was the first thing that greeted her upon her return home from any mission but a particularly lengthy one especially, than she would rather constantly by out on assignment as well. Quickly dashing across the dumpy looking foyer and pressing the up arrow on the elevator on its other side, boarded the small enclosed metal box the instant its mechanically operated door slid back and pressed the button for the third floor, a few moments later.

As the elevator was pulled upward by its mechanics toward the story that her crush lived on, the heiress felt the butterflies in her stomach began to flutter restlessly once again. Stepping off of the elevator as it came to somewhat jerky and unnerving stop and its single door slid back, a few minutes later, Hinata checked the list of residents and their corresponding apartment number that was posted on the opposite wall, just barely able to read what was written upon it due to its almost completely faded text but activating her Byakugan was clearly able to make out the badly faded writing. Locating Naruto's name after a few moments and his apartment number, the young woman deactivated her clan's bloodline ability and turned left down the hallway toward it. Feeling like she was about to faint as Hinata stood in front of Naruto's apartment door, a minute or two later, she took another deep breathe to claim herself down just long enough to get over what had brought her there in the first place before raising her right hand and knocking upon the graffiti and slur covered door.

"Nar…Naruto, are you there?" Hinata asked as she knocked, inwardly cursing at herself for stuttering, she thought that she had grown out of doing that so why did she on occasion continue to do it especially in front of him, "Naru…Naruto, please…please answer me, it very im..important."

Briefly meeting Naruto's honest blue eyes as he pulled the door open, a few moments later, before looking down at the floor Hinata could tell just by the happiness in his eyes that he was happy to see her and she couldn't deny that she was extremely happy to find herself back in his comforting presence once again even if was just for a little while. Feeling her dizzy spell beginning to fade as her crush lightly traced the right side of her jaw line with his left hand before lovingly tucking it underneath her chin while he gently embraced her slender left shoulder with his other and slowly began to raise her head until there eyes locked together.

"There, now that's better, don't you think so, Hinata," Naruto commented tenderly as he removed his left hand from underneath the Hyuuga Maiden's chin, only to use the very same hand the lovingly brush the bangs that had fallen in front of her beautiful face, off to the side, "A beautiful flower such as yourself should never be afraid to keep their face hidden for the warmth of the sun, this is sort of awkward for you to come visit me like this, so I'll just come right out and say it, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, what was it now," Hinata said flustered still in the process of recovering form Naruto's loving actions and the fact that he thought she was beautiful and for the next few moments thought back to the kiss they had inadvertently shared and how happy not to mention safe, she felt held there against in his chest and the words of Hanabi encouraging her to never give up on chasing down her dream even if it meant having to leave the clan repeated themselves across her subconscious, "Oh, now I remember, Lady Tsunade wants to see you in her office right away."

"Then how come she sent you, not that I'm complaining that its," Naruto commented teasingly making Hinata blush lightly, "But this is something that she usually sends a runner to tell me."

"If your already to go, Naruto-k I mean Naruto, than I shall be more than happy to take you to see her," Hinata said catching herself before the affectionate title had slipped out completely and hoped that her long time crush didn't notice it, "So much for spending our day together and I was really looking forward to whatever you had planned for us too."

"To tell you the truth, Hinata, I was drawing a blank on how we spend today and was sort of hoping that maybe you might have come up with something just in case but it looks as if I will have to give you a rain check," Naruto said an edge of sadness in his voice as stepped out into the hallway joining her, "I was really looking forward to spending to whole day with you too, of all the times to be assigned a mission, I've got to have the worst luck of anyone in the village."

"I'm sure your luck is bound to change before you even know it, at least we will get to spend sometime together today even if its just walking toward Hokage Tower," Hinata said smiling cheerfully up at Naruto as he removed his right hand from at top her shoulder and reaching behind his back with it pulled the door to his apartment closed, "You should look forward to getting back sooner rather than later because I plan on cashing in that rain check, the very first day you return and if you show me a good time, than maybe, just maybe I'll show you one as well."

"Then I'll be sure to hurry back as quickly as I can, you foxy little minx you," Naruto said wrapping an arm around the back of Hinata's waist, feeling the slender curves of her figure which were hidden underneath it, as the pair of them walked toward the buildings elevator away from his apartment and couldn't kept his mind from drifting to the full figured woman that she was underneath her bulky clothing, "Now what do you say we get a move on, I wonder what type of mission, the old lady will have for me this time, I hope that it's something nice a simple so that way I can get back to you all the sooner."

"Me, too," Hinata said nestling against Naruto's side as the two of them stepped onto the elevator, a few moments later and he pressed the lobby button.

Stepping off of the elevator as its doors opened to reveal the shabby Lobby of the equally as shabby building, a few minutes later, Hinata rested her head against the front of Naruto's chest as she had seen many lover's do with their significant others in movies or when she spotted couples out on dates at the village park, not really caring whom might see them and given its early hour very few villagers would. Searching for and locating his left hand with her right as he gentlemanly pushed the front of the door open so that the two of them could step out into the street, a few moments later, the young Hyuuga woman intertwined their fingers relishing the warm and comforting feelings that were beginning to spread throughout her body as they held hands. Reluctantly unlocking their intertwined fingers as they began to climb the long staircase toward the main entrance of Hokage Tower and beginning to equally put some space between them just as reluctantly, thirty minutes later. Naruto and Hinata stood a full five inches apart by the time they walked through the large square entrance of the building that marked the center of the village, a few minutes later, still within reach of the other yet afraid to make any gesture that might be seen as romantic. The space between that two teens grew significantly however as Shizune, Tsunade's best friend and faithful assistant, motioned for the two of them to follow her in to the Hokage's office, five minutes later.

Glancing around the room as he took a seat in one of the two chairs that had been placed before Tsunade's report and scroll covered desk and Shizune left to return to the small reception area outside, Naruto's gaze lingered on Hinata, whom now stood next to her father and current head of the Hyuuga clan, Hashi, before scanning the odd group of individuals that stood inside of the office. The sannin Jiraiya, leaned with his back against the over following bookcase to the right of the offices double doors and standing next to him eyeing the perverted bastard warily was the auburn haired, Kurenai Yuki, Hinata's former sensei, with her arms crossed over her chest. Standing directly opposite them in front of the other bookcase that was equally jam packed, stood Hashi Hyuuga, with an expression on his face that he clearly had better things to do than be there, and beside him was Hinata, casting secretive glances in Naruto's direction periodically. Drawing every ones attention in the office toward her, by clearing her throat loudly as she set down the file that she had been reading when the spiky blond haired teen had first entered, a minute or two later, Tsunade sighed heavily and closing the file before speaking.

"Hinata, if you would please step forward and join Naruto, this involves you as well," Tsunade said motioned for the young woman to take the open chair to the right of Naruto, "Both of you are about to go on a very special mission for me with Jiraiya," Tsunade added once Hinata had sat down in the open chair next to Naruto, a few moments later.

"If I may ask, what type of mission is this going to be exactly?" Hinata asked the busty woman that sat behind the desk in front the two teens, concealing the happiness she felt on the inside reasonable well.

"Lets just say, that it's a little bit of everything, Hinata," Tsunade said easily decoding the happiness that filled the young woman's voice, flashing her a faint understanding smile before looking over there heads at where Jiraiya stood, "Jiraiya, the floor is now yours."

"Thank you, Tsunade," Jiraiya said putting away the note pad that he had been scribbling upon inside his tunic before address the room as a whole, "As a select few of you already know, the Akatsuki have been after tailed beasts and there respectful vessel for quite awhile now and it is unclear, just how many they might already be in possession of, since all of our current raids on there known hide outs have been unsuccessful thus far. So for the safety of the entire village and all of its inhabitants within it, I think that it would be for the best if we get Naruto out of the village and into deep hiding as soon as we can, until we have a better grasp on the situation at hand."

"That's all good and well but what does Hinata have to do with this?' Kurenai asked her gaze squarely upon the girl in question, 'To my knowledge, there is nothing in her past that would make her a possible target by the Akatsuki."

"You are correct, Kurenai-San, there is nothing in her past that would make her a target for the Akatsuki," Jiraiya said confirming what she had just said, "So far Hinata's role is not yet known, nor is the reason why the Akatsuki have taken a sudden interest in her but for her safety as well as the village as a whole, she must leave just like Naruto. It is imperative that the three of us leave immediately. They are already quite deadly on there own as it is but if they are indeed in possession of even one of the nine tailed beast than where as good as dead and the odds swing further in there direction of they have two or more. I didn't need to remind any of you, of the devastation that the Kyuubi brought to bare upon our little village and it was only because of the fourths brave actions that we managed to scrape by last time but unlike then there isn't a shinobi alive today that can defeat them and the secret technique to do so died with the Third Hokage."

**If you all only knew the reason that I attempted to wipe this place off the map, you would don't be so judgmental ** Kyuubi commented bitterly in a hushed tone from the depths of Naruto's subconscious.

"Kyuubi, did you just say something," Naruto inquired, certain that he had just herd the demonic fox say something in response to what Jiraiya had just said.

**In good time, kit, all in good time but now isn't the time or place,** Kyuubi answered back in his fatherly tone.

"Naruto, are you with us," the spiky haired blond heard a soft voice ask as its owner placed a hand upon his left shoulder and turning his head to face that direction saw a concerned note in the silvery-white eyes of Hinata, cut his internal conversation with Kyuubi short and coming back to the real world, gave his secret crush a quick reassuring smile as she pulled back her hand.

"As much as it hate to admit it, Jiraiya-San's plans is probably the only option left to us but I must object that you hold off this mission until Neji returns," Hashi said, five minutes later, after contemplating what the old sannin had said and realizing that they had been backed in to a corner by the savage band of powerful rogue ninja with only the one course of action available to them.

"Hashi, the longer this mission is delayed the greater the risk to our village, surely even you can see that," Tsunade stated bluntly intensely staring the head of the Hyuuga clan down, wonder what could be his reason for wanting to put the mission on hold, when as far as she was concerned everything had been settled and was ready to deliver her final instructions to the two teens before sending them on there way to gather their supplies, "So what possible reason could you have for delaying this vital mission?"

"A very valid one, Lady Hokage," Hashi said placed his hands into the wide sleeves of his kimono not conceding an inch to the village leader, "A few months back, on Hinata's sixteenth birthday, to make amends for his near lethal actions toward her during the Chuunin exams, Neji swore an oath of loyalty to be her protector for the rest of his days."

"And before he left yesterday, Neji gave Naruto permission to take over his duties while he was away, isn't that right, Hinata," Kurenai said interpreting the head of the Hyuuga clan before he could find another reason to delay the mission briefing from concluding peacefully.

"That's correct, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata said acknowledging what her former sensei had just said with the nod of her head before she turned to look at her father over her left shoulder, "He wanted to give Rock Lee a well deserved break and since Shino and Kiba were both on the same mission with him, he gave it to Naruto. That was good enough for him and so it should be good enough for you as well, father."

"Now if no one else has anything to say against the objectives of this mission, then its agreed that the mission shall proceed as planed," Tsunade said in a commanding tone of voice, signifying that all the matters had been settled and after waiting a few tense minutes, to see if there were any more objections before concluding the mission briefing with her final instructions for the two teens seated in the chairs before her desk, "Good, than you two have three hours to gather the supplies that you will need before meeting Jiraiya near the village's main gates. While both of you are on this mission, you are to listen to him and follow any orders that he may give you. Do both of you understand?'

Naruto and Hinata nodded their heads in unison. Just then Hinata realized that Tsunade had yet to mention to length of her up coming mission with Naruto, so she asked.

"Just out of curiosity, how long will do you think the two of us are going be away?" Hinata asked nervously as she stared down at her folded hands, which lay in her lap.

"As it currently stands, the length of time is unknown it could be as short as two months, to as long as five years or possibly even longer," Tsunade said softly smiling at the happy glow that the young woman's eye emitted upon hearing this little tit-bit of information, "So you two had best get comfortable with one another's training and fighting styles, since you two could be away for quite sometime. So that means both of you should pack lightly because if the Akatsuki do somehow manage to track you down, you'll have to leave your current location as quickly as possible."

With her eyes glowing happily, Hinata raised her head and tried to conceal her happiness as best as she could while in the inside, the Hyuuga heiress was jumping for joy that she was about to be spending anywhere form two months to five years or possibly longer on a mission with her childhood crush; it was as if all the plants had a lined to grant her most precious of dreams and the deepest desires of her heart in that one moment. She felt like fainting but pulled herself together and quickly cast a warm sideways smile at Naruto before standing up and walking toward her where her father stood, stony faced leaning against the jam packed bookcase. Feeling her skin erupt into excited goose bumps as she felt a hand take hold of her left wrist before she even took half a step toward her father, a few moments later, Hinata turned her head in that direction and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw that it was none other than Naruto, whom was holding her back. Rendered momentarily speechless by the happiness that he saw filled her beautiful silvery-white eyes and the feel of her silky smooth skin underneath his fingers, the spiky blond haired teen could feel the eyes of everyone else in the room boring in to the two them and swallowing hard plucked up all the courage that he could muster in that moment before finally asking it was okay, if the two of them could gather the supplies that they would both need for there mission together, since they only had a few hours to get ready before they had to leave. Turning to face her father with a hopeful expression spread across her features, Hinata awaited his answer and allowed a cheerful smile show just the hint of happiness she felt on the inside when Hashi nodded his head approvingly.

"Thank you, father," Hinata said her voice practically oozing pure happiness whilst she thought _'Maybe he's not that cold hearted after all, if that's the case then he might allow me marry Naruto instead of some jerk whom just wants the power and influence of the Hyuuga clan behind them. Either way I am not going to allow this opportunity pass me by, no matter how long or short it happens to be, I vow that my Naruto-kun will know just how I feel about him before its over and who knows if I play my cards right and this does go on for quite some length, we might just return home a couple. That would be really nice but I mustn't get to ahead of myself, first I have to tell him how I feel and see where things go from there', _"I will see you again when Naruto and I get back from our mission, so please don't worry, I assure you that Naruto will keep me safe."

"Naruto, I am trusting you to bring my daughter back to me in one piece and just as pure as she left, when this is all finished," Hashi said noticing the sparkle that only seemed to fill them whenever she was truly happy, like back when she was young before her mother had died, and now was only present in the company of her crush. It made him happy to see it again, he had almost forgotten how brightly it made her beautiful eyes glow, "Have a safe trip and be on your best behavior."

"You have my word, that no harm shall come to, Hinata," Naruto said reassuringly, standing on his feet and inclining his head respectfully toward the head of the Hyuuga clan before straightening up and turning to face Tsunade asked, "May we be excused to gather our supplies now, Tsunade?"

"But of course, Naruto," Tsunade answered caught off guard by the teens sudden properness, when he usually would just leave without asking if it was ok for him to do so, "You and Hinata are free to leave."

After exchanging a quick glance between the two of them, the two teens respectfully bowed toward the Hokage before walking out of her office and quickly crossing the small reception area outside of it, dashed toward the entrance/exit of the tall towering building. Standing at the top of the high staircase that both had climbed up a half hour earlier, Naruto and Hinata wrapped an arm around one another's waist form behind and leaning toward each other, caught the others in a gentle loving kiss. Romantically cuddling up against her crushes chest after they broke apart, a few moments later, the heiress and village outcast descended the stairs, openly displaying the love that they held for one another neither caring whom saw them, heading in the direction of his apartment building first since it was a little closer to Hokage Tower than the Hyuuga clan compound. Pushing open the door of his apartment with his free right hand, thirty minutes later, the two teens walked inside of small one bedroom dwelling that he called home since the solitary days of his youth. Looking around the confined quarters as Naruto went to pack his supplies, a moment later, Hinata saw that it wasn't in any better state of repair than the rest of the building as a whole but it had a good layout even if there wasn't much actual living space to speak off and with a lot of work she could almost see herself comfortably living there with him.

Unable to resist her own curiosity after exploring the narrow kitchen, which cupboards were mostly filled with a seemingly endless supply of instant ramen not that it surprised her and checking the density of the cushions upon the beat up looking sofa in the main living area with her hand, made her way down the short hallway that separated the bedroom from the rest of the apartment and discovered the bathroom behind the first door she opened. Knocking on the partially open door, a few feet away from that of the bathroom, the heiress pushed to door open wider as the voice of her beloved said that she could come in if she liked. Compared to the rest of the apartment, the bedroom was equal in size to the kitchen and living area combined and was dominated by a king sized bed, that had clearly seen better days and more than likely just like the sofa in the living area, probably came with the place when it was given to him. Sitting down on the edge of his bed as he stood on its left side supporting his pack with his right hand while he had has other stuffed inside of it.

"So far today hasn't quite turned out, the way either of us expected it would, huh, Hinata," Naruto said extracting his hand of the inside of his pack, a few moments later, after double checking that he hadn't forgotten to pack anything of vital importance and pulled its top over the main compartment cinched its leather strips into there corresponding buckles upon the packs front, "There we go, I'm all packed and ready to leave, now lets head over to your place and get you packed."

"Um, okay, sure that sounds great, Naruto-kun," Hinata said in a dreamy tone of voice while she a glazed over look to her eyes before fully coming to her sense and correcting herself, "I…I m...mean Naruto."

"Hinata, can I tell you something?" Naruto asked laying his half closed pack down on top of the bed before walking around to the foot of the mattress and sitting down beside her, only continued after she silently nodded her head in a yes motion, "Now I know that this might come as a shock to you but then again given the way that both of us have behaved around one another these past two days, it might not. I guess what I am trying to say Hinata, is that I love you with all of my heart and would be devastated if I ever lost you but of course I shall completely understand if you would prefer that remain just friends."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, I feel the same way about you," Hinata squealed joyously turning to face her crush and throwing her arms around his neck, locking the fingers of her hands together, pressed her lips against his in a deep sensual kiss, the likes of which she had only previously ever dreamed of planting upon him, "You have just made this the greatest day of my entire life," the heiress added in a breathless voice while she rubbed her nose over the side of his, after the two teens broke apart for air, a few moments later, "If you're okay with me calling you Naruto-kun from now on, I'm fine with you calling me, Hinata-chan, if you'd like."

"You have no idea how long that, I've been wanting to do that ever since I got back home or the shear number of times that I have to filter myself these past two days, to keep it from slipping out unexpectedly," Naruto said wrapping his arm left around Hinata and pulling her in to his lap, "But what about your father not to mention your clan, somehow I don't think that they will ever approve of a relationship between us even if its just as boyfriend and girlfriend, let alone if things got really serious and we, you know."

"My hand hasn't been promised to anyone just yet and even if it was, my love, I would find a way to break off the engagement so that I can be with the only man I truly love and that's you, Naruto-kun," Hinata said sliding her legs in to place on either side of his thighs while relishing that she was the soul focus of all his attention, "Beside's they wouldn't even know about us or how close we might be getting until we get back, so feel free to do with me whatever you desire as far as I'm concerned, I'm yours and yours only."

"Do you really mean that Hinata-chan," Naruto asked slowly running his hands up and down the back of her jacket, "But what about what your father just told me, you know all that stuff, about returning you in one piece and as pure as you left."

"Naruto-kun, you asked my yesterday if I was going to allow my father to control my life all the time and today I finally have an answer for you," Hinata said beginning to slowly rock her hips from side to side teasingly grinding up upon him while warmly smiling at the excitement she clearly noticed in her boyfriends questioning voice, "As of the moment you told me that you loved me and that I was essentially the most important thing in your life, just a few moments ago, I stand by everything that I have said to you since because your happiness is my happiness. I don't need the power and influence of a clan to make me happy, all I truly need for that, is for you to be at my side."

"Hinata-chan, I don't mean to alarm you or come of sounding perverted or anything but if you keep rubbing up on me like you are than, I'm going to have to change out of these pants pretty soon," Naruto said, a faint blush crept across his checks, as the blond haired teen suddenly noticed that the seat of his pants was beginning to tighten, in-between his girlfriends spread legs as she continued to grind against him, five minutes later.

"Is that so, Naruto-kun," Hinata said seductively and leaned in close toward her boyfriends left ear before adding in a breathless whisper just loud enough for only him to hear her, "You're not alone in that regards, my love, so why not take hold of my hand and together we shall take our first steps down this new path before us.

Powerless against the subtle begging undertone of his girlfriend seductive breathless whisper, Naruto settled his hands upon the small of her jacketed back and went along for the ride, enjoying the new playfulness that Hinata was exhibiting. Arching her back and pressing her body against her boyfriend's chest as climaxed, ten minutes later, the heiress lovingly smiled down at her beloved as he grunted a few moments after her, finally releasing his own long withheld load inside his tight pants. Holding on to one another for support as their bodies adjusted back to normal following their little taste of physical contact, Naruto and Hinata tenderly kissed, eagerly looking forward to spending as much time as possible together on this mission and making the most of it. Meanwhile in the depths of Naruto's subconscious, Kyuubi sniffed the air as the heavily pheromone laced scents of the two teens began to fill his seal encircled cage and couldn't resist the urge to widely smile as his highly atoned nose detected the faint traces of a scent, that he was all too familiar with, underneath that of his vessels beautiful silvery-white eyed girlfriend's own and suddenly it became all to clear why the Akatsuki were now targeting her they were going after his mate, Sora, the fabled tenth tailed beast and the only one that was able to actually control the individual powers of the other nine. Unable to believe that he was in the presence of the mate, which the demonic fox thought for sure he had lost nearly twenty years earlier only to discover that she had been right in front of him this entire time, the wide smile disappeared from his snout and was replaced by an expression of deep shame as Kyuubi thought about all the innocent blood that his claws had spilled in his thrust for vengeance following her sudden departure out of his life and all of the hardships that his vessel had to endure just on account of him being sealed inside of his body. However this pity feast didn't last long as the demons thoughts turned from the mistakes of his past to the bright future that lay before the two of them, if they could somehow manage to awaken the vixen that resided within her and then went on to teach her how to control Sora's vast chakra supply. Feeling slightly happier than he had from a few moments before, Kyuubi remembered the words that the beautiful vixen had spoken to him the night that the two of them had become mates, about how their love would last for all time and thought to himself, _don't worry, my love, we shall be reunited once more and that's a promise. _Thinking about all of the happy memories that he had of the pure white furred vixen and especially the night they went from being traveling companions to mates, a warm smile found its way toward Kyuubi's snout again as the demonic dog eagerly awaited the day that the two were reunited with both of their vessels willing help, hopefully.

Feeling happiness emitting from his caged furry little friend, Naruto pondered what the demon fox was thinking about, since the teen rarely felt anything other than anger and hatred toward most living things pouring out of him so to suddenly sense a deep profound happiness, caught the spiky haired blond off guard. Returning his attention to the beauty nestled in his arms, a few moments later, Naruto began to ponder if it could possible have anything to do with Hinata or the semi-intimate act the two teens had just engaged in but pushed those thoughts in to the back of his mind as they shared one last kiss before she crawled out of his lap and told him that she would be waiting for him by the front door. Pulling the door to the bedroom closed behind her, a minute or two later, the heiress walked toward to front door of the apartment with a light skip in her step, happier than she had ever been in her entire life; now it was official she and Naruto were finally a couple, step one of her plan was successful now to proceed with step two, becoming lovers. After changing in to a fresh pair of black pants and boxers underneath, five minutes later, Naruto finished closing his pack and met up with Hinata. Taking one last look around his apartment as the two teens stood by the front door, a few moments later, Naruto hoped that it was the last time that he would see the god afoul place for quite awhile, little did he know of what Kyuubi had planned for the two of them, now that the demon knew just why the Akatsuki were after their beloved vixen, in both regards. Intertwining her right hand with her boyfriend's left as they walked out his apartment and down the hallway toward the buildings elevator, happy expression covered both Naruto and Hinata's faces as they made there way toward the vast Hyuuga clan compound on the other side of the village.

Slowly opening the door that was set inside the far larger main gates of the Hyuuga clan compound, forty-five minutes later, Hinata separated herself for Naruto and after quickly checking to make sure that the coast was clear, motioned that it was safe for him to enter the grounds. following his girlfriend as she led the way toward the front door of the vast main house and then her bedroom beyond it, Naruto couldn't believe just how massive the place was, having never been within its walls before but it certainly spoke of the power and influence that the clan held within the villages long stored history that was at one point only rivaled by that of there neighbours the Uchiha's; who's own estate had since become a ruin of it once former glory during the years since Itachi massacred all of its members except for his younger brother, Sasuke, whom was presently no better off than his outlaw of an older brother. Sliding back her bedroom, a few minutes later, Hinata told her boyfriend to sit down on the futon while she got changed and then the two of them could begin to pack her supplies afterward before sliding the door to her bedroom closed behind and walking over toward her wardrobe. Tacking off his pack and leaning it against the wall as she stepped behind the four panel dressing screen, a few moments later, Naruto stared determining at the wooden blanks of the floor directly in front of him so that he wouldn't be tempted to watch as Hinata changed in to fresh slacks and panties. Despite his best efforts to resist temptation, the spiky haired blond, glanced toward the dressing screen just as she unzipped her weighted jacket and casually threw it other the top edge of the screen, revealing the womanly curves of her torso and revealed even more as she began to remove her soiled slacks. Looking away before he saw a little too much, Naruto felt a faint blush spread over his checks at how lucky a guy he was to have such a woman as his girlfriend. Noticing the hint of blush that remained upon her boyfriends cheeks as she stepped out from behind the dressing screen, a couple of minutes later, it was clear that he had sneaked a peak while she was changing not that she minded though, actually she found the sight of him sitting there on the side of her futon idly twiddling his thumbs sort of cute. Standing in front of Naruto, a few moments later, Hinata took hold of both his wrists with her hands and placing them upon her slender hips slowly guided them over her thighs.

"Naruto-kun, you have no reason to be embarrassed if you find my body pleasurable," Hinata said encouragingly as she began to slid her boyfriends hands in circular motions over the front and sides of her thighs suggestively, "As I told you earlier, I'm yours to do with as you please, so please don't feel bad about sneaking a peak of me as I changed or any dirty thoughts you maybe thinking right now because I'm actual quite flattered that I have that kind of effect on you cause there have been times when I have found myself thinking about you in a similar manner."

"You have, Hinata-chan," Naruto said getting to his feet suddenly, sliding his hands up his girlfriends back in the process, a deep relived tone filling his voice, "What a relieve that it is, just allow me to say that it wasn't my intention to sneak a peak in the first place but your just such a foxy little minx, that I couldn't resist."

"Why thank you, Naruto-kun, and I think you are quite handsome as well," Hinata said wrapping her arms around his waist and locking the two of them in place by intertwining the fingers of both her hands together, "But we really should begin to pack my supplies, our time is almost up."

"And so we shall but I didn't see the harm in us sharing a kiss before you we get down to the reason we're really here, do you," Naruto said leaning toward the slightly shorter maiden whom he held in his arms.

Enjoying the warmth and safety she felt wrapped in her boyfriends arms, Hinata leaned her head back slightly and relaxed into the tender lovingly kiss as the two teens lips meet, a few moments later. Licking the tip of her tongue over his lips begging for entrance as the kiss deepened within a matter of seconds, the maiden waited with baited breathe for her lover to respond which he did a whole minute later and opened his mouth. Slithering her tongue inside of Naruto's parted lips without even a moments hesitation, Hinata briefly dueled with her lover before he yielded to her and victoriously licking his palate discovered that he tasted wonderfully like ramen, which was no surprise to her since it was what his diet mainly consisted of but even so she still found it to be quite pleasing. Being on the receiving end as her boyfriend repeated the actions upon her, after she had withdrew from his mouth a few moments later, the maiden made him wait for a whole minute and a half before finally parting her lips. After a furious duel with his girlfriend, she conceded defeat and licking his tongue over her palate was pleasantly surprised to discover that she tasted wonderfully like vanilla with the subtle undertone of lavender, which suited her perfectly. Playfully rubbing nose over one another's as the two teens broke apart for air before they got side tracked to far, five minutes later, Naruto and Hinata eyes said all they needed to say to each other before finally breaking their lovers embrace and beginning to pack her supplies.

With the two of them packing her supplies they were finished in ten minutes and after helping Hinata put her pack on, dawned his own before walking over toward the door and sliding it open stepped out in to the hallway. Taking hold of one another's hands after she had slid the door to her bedroom closed, a few moments later, Naruto and Hinata exchanged a quick warm smile between themselves before headed from the compounds front gate and the designated area where they were to meet up with Jiraiya by the village's main gates.

"You two are cutting it a little close don't you think," commented the gruff voiced sannin as Naruto and Hinata joined him near the village gates, a short time later, "So are you two ready to set out, have you said all your goodbyes to your friends or left them a note or something because we might not be back for quite sometime."

"Most of our friends are currently out in the field on their own assignments," Naruto said shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly while flashing Hinata a warm sideways smile, "but I'm sure that Tsunade will tell them, when every they happen to return."

"True enough, then lets go shall we," Jiraiya said catching the sideways smile Naruto had shoot at Hinata and inwardly sighed because if his instincts were right and they usually were, than this was going to be one very long mission.

Nodding their heads that they were ready to leave, the two teens followed Jiraiya as he turned and walked through the villages main gates, a few moments later. Taking a step closer toward one another as the trio walked down the hard packed dirt road that led away from the village, Naruto and Hinata took hold of each others hand and lovingly intertwined their fingers, both truly happier than they had ever been in there entire life before this. Arriving in a medium sized town as the sun began to set later on that evening, Jiraiya decided that they would stop and the group went to look for Inn to spend the night. As it turned out the town had a vast selection of Inns and Hotels to choose from but they eventually settled upon one of the smaller out off the way ones, since they only planed to stay the one night. Telling Naruto and Hinata to wait for him in the tea shop next to the Inn, Jiraiya went inside to get there accommodations settled.

"According to the guy I talked with at the front desk, right now is usually there busy time of the year form them son he wasn't sure if he could find space for use but fortunately a couple of guests had checked out just this morning. Now I would have preferred to have one room for each of us but since were only staying the night I thinks it safe for both of you to room together, so I hope that's alright with you," Jiraiya said tossing a key down on the top of the table that Naruto and Hinata sat at drinking tea, five minutes later, "Also on that note, both only have one double sized bed so that means I expect both of you to behave especially if you chose to sleep in the same bed, that is unless one of you choose to sleep in their sleeping bag upon floor. Either way I shall leave that decision up to you two."

"And just what's that suppose to mean, Jiraiya," Naruto said glaring at the womanizing sannin, "I'm not some womanizing jerk like you, there is only one girl in this entire world that I love and she's sitting right across the table form me, thank you very much."

"Oh, I know, Naruto, you two haven't been able to keep yourselves apart since we left the villages this morning," Jiraiya said looking across the table at where the young Hyuuga lady sat sipping her tea, "I'm just merely saying that you two should be careful not to get to close, knowing her family I wouldn't be surprised if Hashi already has a suitor chosen for her to marry upon our return home."

"Jiraiya, just how far or how close we chose to get during this mission is none of your business, so just butt out," Hinata said in a voice of controlled anger, as she set her tea cup down so that she wouldn't break it, "I'm going to live my life, the way I want to from now on and if my father doesn't like it then that's all on him. So unless you are going to order something to drink then get lost, Naruto and I were having a great time together until you sat down with us."

"I am parched but I'd prefer something a little stronger than tea to quench it," Jiraiya said while he slid out of the booth, "I'm going to take a look around the town, Naruto could I talk to you outside for a moment."

"Hinata-chan, if you'd excuse my, I'll be right back," Naruto said setting his own tea cup down at top the table, "I sure this wouldn't take long."

"Ok, see you when you get back, Naruto-kun," Hinata said picking up her tea cup again before lifting it to her lips and taking a sip of its warm contents as she watched her boyfriend slid sideways out of the booth.

"So what is it, that you wanted to talk to my about, Jiraiya?" Naruto asked in a slightly annoyed tone as they stepped outside of the tea shop, a few minutes later.

"Its in regards to your training, Naruto," Jiraiya said not wanting to take up to much of the teens time especially since he seemed rather annoyed, "I am very proud that you have learned to finally control, you know who's chakra but that was always intended to just be first step in teaching you how to tame him and that's the task I ask of you now. Taming Kyuubi wouldn't be easy and may forever change you in ways, which you never expected so be prepared for anything that includes being rejected by Hinata. Both of you are walking a very fine line as it already is, so just be careful okay."

"Jiraiya, we have been just through this, our relationship is none of your business nor is how far or intimate we chose to take it, so would you please just leave us be in that regard," Naruto said getting even more annoyed that the sannin couldn't leave there budding relationship alone, "And just for the record, Hinata-chan has told me that she's prepared to leave her clan if it's the only way that we can be together. Kyuubi is convinced that she has a link to us somehow and that could possible explain why the Akatsuki are after her as well but if they are serious about going after her than they are going to have to get through me and Kyuubi first and I swear to you that as long as there is still breath in these lungs and my heart continues to beat, there is one way they are getting so close as to actually lay so much as I finger on my girlfriend."

And as with that Naruto turned on his heel and walked back inside the tea shop, leaving a stunned Jiraiya standing outside. Noticing that her boyfriend was in a sour mood as he sat back down on the bench seat opposite her, few moments later, Hinata slid out off her side and sitting down beside him cuddled up against him hoping that it would return him to his usual happy go lucky one. Walking by the window the two teens both was behind, five minutes later, as he went it search of a sake bar to take the sting of Naruto's words off his mind and seeing the two of them snuggled together on one side of the booth, knew that he had over stepped his boundaries when it came to their relationship, especially if Hinata was indeed prepared to leave the wealth and privilege of the Hyuuga clan just so they could be together and so decided that he wouldn't interfere with it any longer just like they had both asked of him. After a second pot of tea and quite a bit of gentle loving cuddling, Naruto had returned to his usually self so the two teens paid their bill and remembering to take the room key with them, walked back over toward the Inn and check out there room for the back the door of there room, after checking in at the front desk, Naruto and Hinata stepped inside and turning on its lights, closed the door behind them before helping one another remove the others pack and leaning them against the wall. As far as rooms went it was minimally furnished with just a double bed flanked on either side by two low side tables against its right wall and a pair of four drawer dressers placed along its adjacent wall, a shuddered window was set in the back wall and beyond the only other door inside of the room was its three piece bathroom.

Deciding to call it a night since Jiraiya would likely want to head out early the following morning, both teens opened their packs and dug out their sleep wear. Still some what uncomfortable with changing in front of each other yet knowing that they would have to get used to it especially since there might be times, when they wouldn't have the privacy of a bathroom to do so upon the road, the two teens turned away from one another and began to get changed. Furtively stealing brief glances of one another's body as they changed out of their training clothes and in to their sleeping ones, Naruto and Hinata could already imagine what a pleasure it would be, to feel the touch of the others over their skin as they made love. Turning off the lights, ten minutes later, the blond crawled underneath the covers of the bed and lovingly wrapped an arm around the angelic indigo haired heiress, whom already lay beneath them, as she snuggled up against him intimately slipping her right leg in between his own. Closing their eyes, a few moments later, Hinata snuggled a little closer to her boyfriend as she felt him slip his right hand underneath the back of her tank top and sighing happily fell in to a deep sleep almost instantly.

**Well there you have it, now that Naruto and Hinata are a couple just how far will there relationship blossom? And what role will Kyuubi and Sora play in it? These questions as well as many more shall be answered in future chapters. As always I welcome all opinions, so plz R&R. **


	3. The vixen reveals thy self

**I****'****m fairly certain that the title of this chapter is self explanatory and as always I welcome all opinions, so plz R&R. **

**Disclaimer; I don****'****t own any of the characters**

**Now back to our adventure, we pick up the story three months into the mission. **

**Chapter Three, **

The Vixen reveals thy self

What had originally been a simple overnight stay had grown into a lengthy three months and counting. As it turned out the town was known for its constant presence of travelers from all parts of the country, hence all the Inns and Hotels that dotted the place, and since three more wouldn't look out of place amongst them the old sannin decided that they would extend there stay as long as possible. To further blend in with the crowds of travelers both teens had died and cut their hair, Hinata now had black shoulder length locks but still retained a few of her original indigo as highlights as for Naruto, he now had rich auburn hair which he styled in short spikes, in addition to the Gen-jutsu that Hinata had taught him to hide the whisker marks that graced his cheeks. In the days and weeks that had past since there arrival, Naruto and Hinata had grown quite comfortable with the pace that their relationship was steadily growing everyday and had gone out on several dates but neither one was ready to take that plunge into the next phase of their relationship just yet and that was just fine with them for now; after all as long as the Akatsuki were after the two of them there was nothing to stop them form taking that next huge step, at there own leisure and that was just what Kyuubi was hoping on but not until after Sora had awaken from her slumber, deep within his vessels beautiful slivery-white eyed vixen. Ever since the initial discovery of his mate sleeping within her, the demonic fox spend most of his waking hours pacing back and forth inside his seal encircled cage thinking about the past or possible ways to awaken Sora, leaving him vulnerable to mental intrusions from his vessels continued attempts of ultimately taming him.

Then one Wednesday morning after Jiraiya had left the two teens to train in a secluded forest clearing twelve miles north-west of the town, telling them to be careful as well as reminding them to check in with him when they got back later on that evening on his way out, Naruto sat down cross-legged just inside the wide entrance of a natural cave that Hinata affectionately called, their den; a vast open area underneath two huge slabs of angled granite that were supported by a pile of massive boulders near its back to pervert the heavy slabs from collapsing in upon themselves and judging by the claw marks that covered its interior sides had been used by several animals before them in the past but looked as thought its had been abandoned for a few seasons now with no signs of its last resident having ever returned. A part from providing the two of them with a nice place to sit in the cool comfortable shade while taking a break from there training or sheltering them from a passing autumn rain storm during which Kyuubi noticed made Hinata, or Sliver Eyes as he had taken to calling her, especially jumpy at every tiny little sound and would only calm down once she was nestled right up against Naruto's left side, it presented the two teens with a picture perfect view of the entire clearing from its large triangular entrance. Watching his girlfriend as she practiced the moments of her clans gentle fist style of fighting, in the middle of the clearing from where he sat, Naruto placed the palm of each of his hands atop either knee and thinking peaceful thoughts prepared yet again, to attempt taming the demonic fox within himself by engaging the creature in mental combat, closed his eyes and slipped inside his own self conscious. Opening his eyes, a few moments later, Naruto looked around at his surroundings and found himself floating amongst the canopy of a forest. Cautiously landing upon a branch of the closet tree, unsure if it would support his weight, the auburn haired teen placed his left hand against the trees trunk and tried to figure out just where or when he was, since his current surroundings were not exactly where he expected to be. Sensing approaching danger targeting him from behind, quickly leapt toward the branches of the tree directly in front of him as a volley of eight fireballs impacted the very spot that he had been standing, only a few moments earlier. Looking back over his shoulder as his sandaled feet reached the safety of the next branch, Naruto stood a gasp as his eyes fell upon Kyuubi staring back at him from the branch that he had just jumped from, on much smaller scale than the teen was used to seeing him yet found it just as menacing especially with the furious snarl that covered his snout, revealing the demonic foxes sharp dragger like teeth between which the odd jet of red flame would blast.

**Kit, I****'****m in no mood to play games with you right now**, Kyuubi snarled jumping gracefully on to the very same branch that his vessel stood and advancing toward the teen forced him against the trunk of the tree back first, **Haven****'****t you ever heard of knocking first, don****'****t you know that its very rude to just enter someone minds without asking permission to do so first. This memory in particular is very special to me, it****'****s the day my beloved Sora and I first become traveling companions. So get out, these are not for your eyes to see. **

"It doesn't feel nice to have someone jump into your thoughts suddenly does it, Kyuubi, now you know how I feel when you do it to me all the time and especially when I'm thinking, you know who," Naruto answered back getting right up in the demonic foxes muzzled face about it, "So this is what it feels like to be inside someone else's mind, huh, its different but I'm not leaving until you give me some answers and since your particularly fond of this Sora, we shall start there. So tell me was she important to you?"

**Yes, she was and still remains important to me, she is very important to both of us actual**, Kyuubi said relaxing his guard slightly as he took a step back from the teen but retained intense eye contact, **Fate brought us together once before and now it has once again, Sora is a beauty of a vixen with warm slivery-white eyes, silky smooth pure white fur, ten tails and a kind loving nature whom I believe. No, whom I know for a fact, sleeps within Sliver Eyes and that****'****s the reason she is now hunted by the Akatsuki. **

"Kyuubi, even I know that there are only nine known tailed beast," Naruto said tactfully waiting to keep the conversation civil for a change, having grown to respect the demonic fox, over the two and a half years that the teen had spend mostly learning how to control its very powerful chakra without completely losing his own being to the demon, "But I suppose, that its possible a tenth could have existed, not that I doubt your Sora was this fabled ten tailed beast but she certainly dose sound quite eye catching indeed."

**Kit, since you wouldn****'****t take my word for it, than I guess I have no choice but to show you,** Kyuubi said completely lowering his still raised defenses'', figuring that he might as well since the teens presence within demonic foxes memories meant that he had been out foxed and ultimately tamed by his vessel, not that the teen had quite realized it just yet, **Now keep up with me, I shall take you to where our mate awaits. **

Naruto watched as Kyuubi then turned on the spot and leapt in to the branches of the tree to the left of the one they currently stood in and continued heading in that direction. Not wanting to fall too far behind and with plenty more questions that he wished the demonic fox to answer, Naruto quickly followed. Catching up with Kyuubi as the russet dog landed on the branch of the tree that over looked the splintered remains of another which appeared to have been struck by lighting recently, a half mile from where the two had started, Naruto cautiously placed his left hand upon the back of the demonic foxes neck as he sat down upon the branch unsure of how Kyuubi might react to his touch. To his surprise Kyuubi growled softly and even seemed to snuggle against the side of his leg, almost as if the slightly lager than a wolf sized fox recognized him to be his master. Further testing this theory to make sure that his mind wasn't simply playing a trick on him, Naruto began to pet the Kyuubi over the back of his neck and head and watched as the demonic fox closed his piercing blood red eyes at the gentle sweeping motions of his fingertips; Naruto had no idea how he had done it but somehow he had managed to tame the demon that resided within him. Sitting down on the branch next to the demonic fox, a few moments later, Naruto scratched Kyuubi in-between his ears as he rested his head upon the teens lap after the fox casually lounged upon the thick branch himself as well.

"I take it this means, that I have tamed you, Kyuubi," Naruto said continuing the lovingly pet the demonic fox in-between his ears and over the back of his neck, taken back by the softness of the russet dogs course looking fur, "So if this is the place our mate awaits, then where is she?"

**Yes, kit, you have tamed me, **Kyuubi said happily flicking the end of his tail, in a carefree manner, **Your mere presence here, in my memories of far happier days, is proof of that. As for our mate she****'****s currently trapped below the shattered remains of that tree down there, you can****'****t see it any more but there is an entrance to a small underground cavern located near its base. **

"If she's trap inside of there, than what are we doing sitting here, doing nothing," Naruto said ceasing his gentle petting and glaring down in to the narrow oval pupils of Kyuubi's blood red eyes, "Surely there is something that we can do to help, she's our mate and we have to save her."

**Don****'****t worry about it I have everything under control, kit, as you****'ll ****soon see. I should be arriving shortly, to save the day, **Kyuubi said reassuringly glazing up at his vessel, his fully raised ears dropping slightly at the sudden harshness of his vessels tone, **Even if we did attempt to save her it would be pointless, we are but mere shadows within my memories. Reliving the events of the day, that fate first brought me Sora into my life. Just watch closely, here I come now. **

Looking down at the forest floor beneath the branch they sat upon, Naruto watched as Kyuubi came in to view, in portions similar to the creature whom presently snuggled with him atop the branch, and seeing the shattered remains of the lighting struck tree, pulled the large limb that had fallen upon the ground in front of it revealing the very entrance that the demon had told him about. Quickly comparing Kyuubi to the size of the hole, that the fox needed to enter, the teen thought for sure that there was no way he would be able to fit, he was just to big but then he watched as the demon used his wide forepaws to make the entrance to the underground cavern big enough for him to fit his bulk through. Nearly falling out of the tree as he watched Kyuubi squeeze inside of the hole, a few moments later, Naruto anxiously waited to learn if Sora was ok. Seeing the occasional bit of dirt fly out of the hole as he waited on pins and needles to learn to fate of their mate, the teen breathed a deep sigh of relieve as Kyuubi back stepped out of the underground cavern, five minutes later, dragging an unconscious ten tailed vixen with him by the scruff of her neck. Awestruck by how beautiful she was Naruto wasn't surprised that Kyuubi fell in love with her even thought some fresh dirt clung to her pure white fur, she was still quite a sight to behold in the soft filtered light of the forest.

"Kyuubi, I'm sorry that I ever doubted you, she's breathtaking," Naruto said as he watched the Kyuubi below them gently nudge the vixen with his snout and saw a relieved look in his blood red eyes as she touched her nose to the side of his snout before instinctively licking him back, "She appears to find your presence very comforting, I trust that she wasn't seriously injured."

**As you can see for yourself, by the time that I reached her she had slipped into unconsciousness and apart from the injury to her left hind leg from where the boulders had fallen upon her when the lighting bolt struck the tree, she was mostly unharmed, **Kyuubi said gazing down at the other him as it pulled the injured vixen over toward the base of the tree they sat in before pulling the fallen limb back over the hole, concealing it once more, **Fortunately that same lighting blot that was the cause of her injury also saved her that night because it caused that massive limb fall directly over the hole sealing her inside and preventing the cavern from filling up with water or else she would have drowned to death from the massive thunder storm that passed over the area the night before. Ever since that night, Sora has been especially wary of thunder and lighting storms no matter there size, just the sound of crackling lightning literally makes her shake with fright and I have even seen her attempt to keep from hearing the loud clash of thunder by holding her forepaws over her back swept ears. **

"Come to think of it, Hinata was pretty frightened by that passing thunder shower, we waited out, a few days ago," Naruto said resuming gently petting Kyuubi as the demon warmly watched his other self gently lay the injured vixen over his broad back and bolt off through the trees with her in the opposite direction disappearing from view, "In all of the times that we cuddled, she has never held on to me as tight as she did for those three hours, it scared me to see her in that state."

**Sora would act very much in the same manner until I nestled down beside her and lovingly wrapping my tail around her sleek slender body while pulling her close with my forepaws as I rested my head across her shoulders, soothingly told her that she was safe and sound with me and had nothing to fear, **Kyuubi said returning his attention back to his vessel, a warm loving tone filling his voice that reflected the happiness that the demon felt during those days, **After that she would calm right down and Sliver Eyes behaved the same way, when you comforted her those few frighten hours. Back then I was a far happier creature, than the tortured soul that was forcible sealed inside of you, Master.**

"Kyuubi, just because I have now tamed you, it doesn't mean that you have to start calling me, Master, I like kit so could you please just keep on calling me that," Naruto said warmly smiling at the demonic foxes muzzled face, "So just how are we suppose to awaken Sora, if she's managed to keep her very presence within Hinata hidden from her all this time?"

**I don****'****t know, kit, but I am not going to lose her a second time, I have already experienced that pain once before and being sealed inside of you, is where it got me, **Kyuubi said slowly standing on his paws, **But I sure with both of us finally working on the same goal, were bound to come up with something. Kit, I really enjoyed this talk with you and I****'****m sorry for all of the pain and suffering that you have been forced to experience on account of me being within you. **

"Kyuubi, don't worry about it, I'm sure the villagers would have found another reason to hate me if it wasn't for you," Naruto said getting to his feet as well and smiling friendly down at the russet dog that stood beside him, "So tell me when every I see you from now on are you going to take this form because I like it."

**Sure why not, I find this form very pleasing as well, **Kyuubi said softly smiling back up at his vessels happy smiling face, **I****'****ll have you know that I mounded Sora in this form and both of us find it quite satisfactory, of course that was after I nursed her back to health and we traveled together for sometime. **

"Kyuubi for a demon whom was supposedly heartless, you just light up with happiness and warmth every time Sora's name slips from your lips," Naruto said reaching out his left hand an gently patting the demon upon the crown of his head, "I promise you, that I will do everything that I can to assist you in awakening her, so before I go is there anything else that I should know about her?"

**Sora excels in healing techniques but don****'****t think for a moment, that she wouldn****'****t turn around and use those very same skills to rip apart an enemy in battle from the inside out. Also she is the only one that can control the abilities of the over nine tailed beast without being killed in the process, **Kyuubi said briefly closing his blood red eyes as the teen worked his fingers over the top of his head, **Her main element is water specializing in ice based moves, has an unlimited charka supply within her and despite excelling in healing techniques, they can only be used on others however her own healing is accelerated but not to our degree. And if I remember correctly Sliver Eyes main element is water as well, marking yet another thing she has in common with Sora. Now if we could only awaken her than those two would truly be a force not to be trifled with and with the two of us fighting along side them, the two of you would make one top notch team. **

"Kyuubi, there's no doubt about it the two are one in the same, Hinata is the vessel of Sora. Now I'm counting on you the keep me informed if you sense any changes emitting from within Hinata and before you know it, we'll have the two of you reunited somehow," Naruto said removing his hand from atop the demons head, "So until then don't give up your hope of every being reunited with to one you love and remember that you are not alone in this struggle because you will always him me and Hinata here to support you. We'll talk again in a little while but I have got to be getting back, so goodbye for now."

**Goodbye, kit, **Kyuubi said playfully nosing the palm of his vessels left hand lightly, **I look forward to your next visit. **

Then Naruto watched as Kyuubi faced the direction that his other self had carried off their future mate and half crouching jumped the huge gap between the tree that they were standing in and the tree beyond the lighting struck one. Closing his eyes the demon fox landed safely on the distant branch, a few moments later, Naruto left the world of Kyuubi's memories behind and returned to the real one. Briefly catching sight of a worried looking Hinata interrupting her intense training and rushing toward him as he came back to the real world, mere seconds later, Naruto blacked out. Making it just in time to gently catch her boyfriend as he lurched forward, the heiress laid him down upon the cool floor of their den and taking off her weighted jacket folded it in to a make shift pillow, lifted his head and gently placed it upon the ground beneath it before laying his head back down. The moment she pulled her hands away, Hinata watched as a cocoon of dark red chakra completely enveloped him and instantly began to transform his body from that of a human into that of a humanoid fox covered in rich russet fur from head to tail, forcing some of the seams of his clothing to tear apart from the beastly transformation. Unsure of what to do, as the cocoon faded one tense minute later, the heiress lovingly took hold of the wide right forepaw that had replaced his hand and clasping it between both of her hands hoped that he would pull through what ever was to blame for the animalistic transformation because it didn't matter to her what he looked like on the outside, she would love him regardless just as long as the two of them were together.

Five anxious and worry filled minutes later, Hinata felt the forepaw she grasped getting unimaginable hot almost as if it was dancing amongst invisible flames but she pushed through the pain, refusing to let go and then the heat was suddenly gone just as quickly as it had come. Gazing down at her boyfriend, the heiress saw that he had returned back into an almost normal human except that he now bore the ears and tail of a fox covered in the same deep russet fur, that had up until only a few moments before had covered his entire humanoid fox body. Feeling warm blood running down her arm as she lowered her head and pressed her forehead against his clasp hand between her two, relived that he had pulled through safely, Hinata removed her right hand from where it clasp the palm of her boyfriends and could clearly see the outline of his paw burned deeply into the palm of her own hand and where its subtle leather pads had sat. Gently placing his right hand upon his stomach, a few moments later, the heiress reached across him and picking up his left one, placed it with his right before lovingly caressing the left side of his face with her burned her right and leaning down tenderly kissed him upon the lips. Briefly rubbing her nose over the side of his as they broke apart, a minute later, Hinata knelt back down at his right side and taking out the small first aid kit that she had in her kunai and shrunken holder with some difficulty due to her injury, she spread some of her special homemade ointment over her burns before bandaging up her hands.

Knowing that she needed to get help yet not sure leaving Naruto unattended was a good idea given his condition, the heiress poured all the charka she could spare in an attempt to create two shadow clones that could search the town for Jiraiya while she tended to her boyfriend but could only successfully manage one, which even took her by surprise especially given the state her hands were in. Telling the shadow clone to begin its search for the sannin with all the sake bars and hostess clubs in the town before widen its search to the remainder of the populous, gave it strict instructions to bring him right back there by any means necessary, if he refused to come willingly. Nodding its head to show that it understood the instructions given it, the shadow clone was off on a flash heading in the direction of the nearby town that the group was hiding out in. Growing slightly concerned as Naruto began to shake as if he suddenly had the chills Hinata carefully lifted him up and unzipping his large orange and black jacket, gently pulled it off of him before softly lying him back down and draping the jacket over top of him to him keep warm. Feeling a sense of relieve as his shaking stopped, a few moments later, the heiress extended her left arm and lovingly stroked the fingers of her bandaged hand through his messy hair, causing his right ear to twitch as her hand inadvertently grazed against its side. Softly smiling down at the new face of the man she dearly loved with all her heart as she pulled back her left hand, the heiress briefly traced the whisker marks upon his right cheek lightly before lovingly placing it at top his right and waiting for her shadow clone to return with Jiraiya. Meanwhile deep within the core of her very soul, a pure white furred ten tailed vixen began to stir, awaken from her deep slumber by the presence of her long lost dog's chakra and scent briefly swirling about her before disappearing once again.

Feeling someone place a hand atop her shoulder, two hours later, the heiress rubbed her free right hand over her sleepy eyes before looking up and seeing the wild haired sannin kneeling down on one knee beside her with a concerned looked upon his face. Thanking her shadow clone as it puffed away, a few moments later its mission completed, Hinata took a deep breath and lovingly gazing down at a still unconscious Naruto told the sannin what she had seen and how come both of her hands were now wrapped in bandages. Slowly raking his eyes over the spiky haired boy, after the heiress had finished telling him exactly what had happened to Naruto, his gaze lingering on the bold fox features the teen now bore, Jiraiya noticed that in addition to his new ears and fluffy tail, the whisker marks which had previously adorned his cheeks appeared to be slightly longer; giving Naruto an even more fox-like appearance than ever before, especially now that he had the ears and tail to complete the look. As startling as these changes were to the sannin, what took him by complete surprise was the way that Hinata could still look upon Naruto with love reflected in her eyes despite the drastic changes he had undergone right before her yet her feelings toward him remained unraveled. Watching as Hinata moved her hands in a loving fashion as she used Gen-jutsu to hide Naruto's new fox ears, tail and lengthened whisker marked cheeks, a few moments later, there was no doubt about it in Jiraiya's mind any more, that if she could still look upon him with such profound love after having sat by and watched the beastly transformation that he had underwent than she would have no second thoughts when it came to leaving her clan if it was the only way for the two of them to be together.

Carefully scooping up Naruto in his arms, a minute or two later, the sannin back stepped out of the cave formed by the huge granite slaps in either side of him and adjusted the unconscious teen's weight in his arms once standing outside. After pulling her own jacket back on, the heiress stood and walked out of the cave as well, gently caressing one of her boyfriend's whisker marked cheeks briefly as she joined Jiraiya standing just outside of caves large triangular entrance, the group headed back in to town so that Naruto could recover from his ordeal. Sitting down on the edge of the bed in there rented room after Jiraiya had laid Naruto down upon its fresh clean sheets, a short time later, Hinata warmly smiled down at his unconscious body as she reached across him and began to release the Gen-jutsu she had applied, revealing his handsome fox features once more. Bidding the two teens goodnight, a few moments later, the sannin slid the door to there room closed behind him as he left and entering his own just across the corridor from there's, sighed heavily as he prepared to record everything that the heiress had told him down on a scroll while it was still fresh in his mind; to be delivered to Tsunade later on at the conclusion of there current mission.

Feeling silky smooth skin touching his own as he came to his senses the following morning, Naruto stifled a yawn with his right hand before looking down and seeing Hinata's naked body intimately snuggled against him. Lovingly draping his new fur covered appendage over the small of her back and gently caressing the voluptuous curves of her womanly body with the rest of its length, the auburn haired teen relished the way it made her skin erupt into goose bumps under the mere touch of its rich russet fur. Gently sliding the fingers of his right hand over her in tender sweeping motions up and down her back, a few moments later, Naruto's bright blue eyes locked with a pair of love filled silvery-white ones as Hinata awoke herself**.** Leaning toward one another for a good morning kiss, the heiress slipped both of her arms around to the back of her boyfriend's neck as their lips met in a tender kiss, mere moments later. Deepening the kiss accordingly as Hinata felt the main body of her boyfriend's tail slither playfully over the small of her back while the rest of it slid over the outside of her left thigh in an equally teasing manner. Noticing the bandages that covered the fingers and palms of both his girlfriend's hands out of the corner of his eye as the two teens broke apart, a few minutes later, while she playfully rubbed her nose over the side of his, Naruto dipped the rounded tips of his vulpine ears slightly in guilt, somehow just knowing that he was the one whom had inflicted the injury, marring her previously unblemished alabaster skin.

"Hinata-chan, I'm sorry about what happened to your hands," Naruto said a sad tone in his voice as he stopped all of his tender loving actions and even withdrew his tail from were it continued to rest draped over the small of her back shamefully, "I bet that I must look something afoul, after taming Kyuubi."

"To the contrary, I think your new fox features make you even more dashing, in a devilishly handsome sort of way, Naruto-kun," Hinata said lovingly cupping his whisker marked cheeks in both of her bandaged hands, "As a matter of fact I wish that I had a set myself, so that way we could match. To me it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside just along as what's on the inside of you doesn't change, I would have even accepted you if you had remained as that humanoid fox because you looked really cute and your rich russet fur was so plush and soft. I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life, having that warm furry body to snuggle up against every night."

"Hinata-chan, you truly must be an angel sent down to earth from the heavens above because you are one of a kind," Naruto said lovingly draping his tail back over the small of his girlfriend's back as the tips of his ears lifted happily, "And you just might get your wish one of these days because according to Kyuubi and I'm strongly inclined to agree with him, you are the vessel of Sora, the mate he dearly misses. I'm fairly certain that is how come the Akatsuki are after you now as well."

"Somehow I've always known there was a reason I felt so drawn to you, Naruto-kun, and being the vessel of Kyuubi's mate would certainly explain it nicely," Hinata said in a tone as if she had subconsciously known this fact her entire life but just had not put the pieces of the puzzle together until that moment as she lay there in bed tenderly caressing the cheeks of her foxy lover, "That gives me a truly wonderful idea, now just hear me out, darling, what if I could find a way to tame Sora like you have recently done with Kyuubi. If I did and was successful, would you been open to reuniting the two them, despite any further beastly transformation that we might undergo as a result of doing so."

"Kyuubi has not told me quite what he plans on doing, once Sora awakens from her sleep within you but I think that he just might have something like that in mind, Hinata-chan," Naruto said subconsciously following the curve of her hip with the tip if his tail and snaking it in between the small amount of open space between their naked bodies, began to teasingly sweep it over her pussy, "So you aren't mad with me for not telling you about being the vessel of Kyuubi or that I have been secretly trying to tame him ever since the first day, after we stopped here in this travelers town?"

"Naruto-kun, I could never get mad at you, at least not for very long, anyway," Hinata said closing her eyes briefly as she felt the tip of her boyfriend's tail move from sweeping over her loins to slithering inside of them instead and beginning to thrust in and out of her, "You've certainly seemed to have gotten the hang of controlling your tail and as pleasing as it feels, I would rather have something harder and more fleshy inside of me."

"Hinata-chan, your one foxy little minx, you know that," Naruto said staring lovingly up into the eyes of the woman he dearly loved all the while increasing the pace and depth of which his tail probed her loins, feeling them growing ever tighter and wetter around the fur covered appendage with each passing second.

"It takes one, to know one, my foxy lover," Hinata seductively whispered into her boyfriend's right ear in a breathless tone, closing her eyes briefly as a soft moan slipped from her mouth, "I'm all wet and ready for your taking, darling, now make a proper woman out of me."

Biting down upon the tip of Naruto's right ear as she lifted her head, a few moments later, curious to see what might happen the heiress watched as her boyfriend leaned his head back and closed the honest bright pools that he called eyes as a soft growl escaped from his mouth. Sliding into a straddling position above her foxy lovers waist while her bite distracted him, Hinata reached down with her left hand and gently tugging at his tail removed it from her slickening loins, replacing it with his soft fleshy member instead before settling down on top of him and releasing his ear. Warmly smiling down at Naruto as she felt him lovingly loop a portion of his dampened tail over the small of her back, supporting her with a surprising amount of strength for such a weak looking appendage, while he tenderly followed the curve of her left hip and leg with what remained. Gently placing her bandage hands at top his chest as he lightly swept both of his hands over either side of her naked body, a few moment later, making her moan softly at the tender embrace of her lover, Hinata began to ride him. Moaning and groaning with increased volume as the heiress felt him member grow in both length and gruff deep inside of her tightening pussy as she rode her boyfriend cowgirl, she resisted the urge to scream out in pain he burst through her hymen, a couple of minutes later, taking her purity with it.

Additional supporting his girlfriend as she rode, by placing a hand upon the top of either hip as she increased her pace, Naruto added his own grunts and groans to that of hers. Briefly raking her fingernails over top of her boyfriend's chest as she climaxed, fifteen minutes later, Hinata leaned forward and caught his lips in a deep lustfully passionate kiss. Rubbing her nose over the side of his as they broke apart, a minute or two later, more lustful than playful in nature this time, imploring that she was far form satisfied just yet slid her hands behind his neck eager to continue their naughty adventure. Lost in the heat and pure lust of the moment, Naruto used his tail to roll the two of them over on the spot and in one fluid motion began to plow Hinata once more. Wrapping her legs around her foxy lover's waist as he drilled her barely recovered body, a few moments later, the heiress tenderly swept the fingers of her right hand over the velvety fur that covered the back of his left ear, never wanting to joy and happiness she felt completely envelope her writhing body to ever stop.

Raking the fingernails of her right over the flexing muscles of Naruto's back lustfully while she balled the ruffled sheet underneath the two of them with her other as she experienced her second climax. Pulling her boyfriend into a sensuous kiss as she lovingly wrapped her arms around his neck while she felt him fill her with even more of his seed, a few moments later, Hinata had never felt more happier or physically whole in her entire live than she did there in the company of the man she dearly loved. Sighing dreamily, happily content with how far they had progressed their relationship as they broke apart, a minute or two later, the heiress rubbed the tip of her nose over his. Pressing her curvaceous body as close as she possible could against her foxy lover's right side as the teens resumed their cuddled position upon the beds ruffled top sheet, a few moments later, their naked bodies still intimately connected Hinata giggled softly as she felt Naruto tenderly drape his tail over the small of her back and following the curve of her left hip with its tip gently rested the rest of it against the outside of her leg.

*** A few days later ***

As a reward for taming Kyuubi, Jiraiya gave the two teens a short three day break from training but when they awoke earlier that morning there break was over and it was time for them to get back to training. After stretching to limber up and a very brief sparing session, Naruto and Hinata took to the branches of the trees as they engaged in mock combat against one another; after all training was pointless if one could not skillfully use it in an actually fight and the Akatsuki where as deadly as them came. Now that Naruto possessed complete control over Kyuubi his fox features were not the only thing had changed about him, he was as light as a feather on his feet, possessed superior hearing, eyesight, and agility. Easily dodging the handful of shrunken that his girlfriend threw toward him as she back flipped through the air after having skillfully avoided a barrage of kunai from him, watched in horror as she sloppily landed on a patch of decomposing leaves that sat upon the tree branch she had picked to make her next attack from, only to slip off and fall backwards, clipping the back of her head on the limb below it just enough to knock her out.

Calling upon the full power of Kyuubi as he dived after her, Naruto felt the stitches of his clothing tear apart in some areas as he transformed from human into humanoid fox. Digging the claws of his foot paws into the trunk of the very same tree that he had just jumped out of and using it like a spring board, leapt toward the trunk of the tree directly opposite it. Picking up even more speed as he leapt from tree to tree in this manner to intercept Hinata's falling body, his oval pupils never left her once during his lightening quick descend. Clasping his jaws upon the coiler of her weighted jacket three feet above the forest floor below, Naruto instinctively wrapped his beastly transformed body protectively around her unconscious one. Crawling out from beneath his girlfriends back as they skidded to a halt at the base of another tree five feet away from were she had fallen, after having been buffed from trunk to trunk, Naruto lightly placed his right forepaw upon her side and could just barely pick up a faint heartbeat; the blow to the back of her head was far more serious than it looked. Hoping that Sora's survival instincts would kick in to save her, even if the vixen was still asleep after such a hard hit, Naruto carefully threw Hinata up on to his broad back before running as fast as all four of his wide paws would carry him in the direction and reasonable safety of their den.

Gently rolling Hinata off of his back and on to the cool shaded floor of their den, a short time later, the beastly transformed teen used the tip of his tail to pull down the zipper of her jacket and opening his by the same method, clamped down on one of its sleeves with his jaws pulled his off before laying it over her for added warmth. Knowing that she would likely die if he didn't go get help, if Sora still slumbered within her yet unwilling to leave her side in the condition she was in, Naruto used a pulse of Kyuubi's chakra to blast the ripped and tore clothing that tightly clung to his beastly form away and discovering that it was more animal-like than human in nature, granted her wish to snuggle with it by resting his large head across her chest while he lovingly wrapping his tail around the other side of her, nestling her even closer to his fur covered body. Whining loudly as he felt silent tears began to well up in the corners of his predatory eyes threatening to fall at any moment, hoping that by some miracle his mere presence in that form and the immense body heat it naturally emitted, would somehow awaken the vixen and save the woman he loved more than anything else in the world; ensuring not just his overall happiness but Kyuubi's as well.

Hearing a loud whining noise rolling endlessly in the depths of her mind while at the sane time feeling a slightly rough tongue licking her face, Hinata snapped her eyes open. Angling her gaze downward, to see just what it was that was licking her awake, the heiress firmly gasped the ground beneath her hands and pushing herself into a seated position, hurriedly back crawled away from the beast that loomed over top of her badly startled. Hinata had just barely managed to feel relieved when the pure white furred, ten-tailed vixen suddenly noticed that she had come too and had put some distance between the two of them.

**Come now, Hinata-sama, I mean you no harm**, the ten-tailed vixen said advancing toward the base of the tree where the heiress had backed herself against and sat down upon her hindquarters before the frightened girl, a few moments later, before continuing in a more gentle tone, **Oh where are my manners, my name is Sora. I believe that you are quite familiar with my name already, am I right, youngling? **

"I am Sora, you are the mate of my boyfriend's, Kyuubi," Hinata said feeling slightly more relaxed than she had from a few moments before because despite her fierce appearance the vixen actually gave off a sense of comfort and kindness, "But what are you doing inside of me and where am I?"

**My, my you****'****re just full of questions aren't you, **Sora commented chuckling at her own joke, causing a cute giggling growl to slip from her snout, **Ah, I see that will certainly help things along nicely but first let me get a look at those bandaged hands of yours, after that I shall****answer all your questions, I promise. So tell me what has, Naruto-san told you, about my Kyuubi and our relationship. **

"Not much really, Sora," Hinata said as she unwrapped the bandages from her right hand with her left, allowing the strips of cloth to fall on to the ground near her sandaled feet, "The only thing that I know for sure is that your Kyuubi's mate and that the Akatsuki are after me because of you, that's about all of it."

**The pattern and shape of those burn marks, they look like the pads of a paw, **Sora commented as the last strip of fabric fell away, a minute or two later, revealing the deep burn which cover the palm of the heiress right hand and watched as she began to removing the bandages from her other, **It also looks to go pretty deep as well, I****'****m surprised that you are even still able to mover your fingers, let alone use your hand to begin with. Just what were you holding onto when you got this? **

"I was sandwiching the paw that had replaced Naruto's right hand in-between both of mine hoping that he would survive the beastly transformation that he had undergone from human to humanoid fox," Hinata said a soft smile coming to her face as she remember how wonderful his soft plush fur felt against her silken skin, "Then suddenly I felt his paw get really hot, like it was burning with invisible flames but despite the searing pain I refused to let go and then it stopped just as suddenly as it had begun."

**A humanoid fox, huh,** Sora said thinking back to the reason she had awaken from her sixteen year sleep while the last wrapping fell away from Hinata's left hand, revealing a deep burn upon its palm also only this one looked exactly like fur, with each strand clearly visible burnt into her skin, **So that was how come I could briefly detect my Kyuubi****'****s chakra and scent, some of it must of entered your body when you steadfastly held on to Naruto-san****'****s paw and thanks to that I was finally able to awaken. Hinata-sama, I take it that you care about Naruto-san very much, and would dare I say, do everything within your power to spent the rest of your life with him, correct? **

"Naruto is the love of my life and I haven't ever wanted to be with anyone else since I very first laid my eyes upon him, all those years ago," Hinata said holding her arms still as the vixen lovingly supported them from underneath with one of her ten tails while she tenderly caressed the tip of another two over the deep burns that covered both of her hands, "Sora, to me a life without him in it is a fate far worse than death itself, and if I had to chose between a life of wealth and privilege without him at my side or one of poverty and destitution with him, than I would chose the later because then at least I would happy."

**I was hoping that you would say something like that because I have felt the same way about my Kyuubi ever since the day we first met, **Sora said as she began to pour chakra in to the two tail tips that hovered in the air above the heiress burned hands, making them glow bright white as the healing process began to return her hands to there pervious pristine condition as if she had never been injured in the first place, a few moments later, **Ever since the day we became separated I have missed him dearly and by the time that I had recovered from the injures that I had suffered, thanks in large part due to your kind loving mother, he had moved on leaving me behind. Oh, long have I waited for this day to come, the day that I could finally be reunited with him. So tell me if I sent you back after where finished here, as a humanoid fox yourself, would both you and Naruto-san by willing to help reunite the two of us by re-consummating our bond as mates, sealing both of you in your alternative forms until your dying days? **

"I don't think it will be a problem, having already suggested the idea to him myself, not that long ago," Hinata said as she clenched and unclenched both of her healed hands, a couple of minutes later, before reaching out the palm of her right hand toward the vixen friendly, "He mentioned that might just be Kyuubi's plan as well but if he dose need any extra convincing that it's the right path to follow, then I will just have to use some of my vixenly charm upon him."

**Judging form what I have seen over these past three days, you shouldn't have any problem doing that, Hinata-sama, **Sora said leaning her large head down and pressing its brow against the palm of the heiress' outstretched hand briefly before pulling away and standing on her paws closed the distance between the two of them before laying down on the ground beside her and resting her head upon Hinata's lap, **Now as promised I shall answer all of you questions, youngling. First you wanted to know what I am doing inside of you and secondly you wanted to know just were you are, correct? **

"Those are the most important two right now, Sora," Hinata said lovingly draping her left arm over the vixens slender shoulders, placing her hand at top her paw, while she tenderly petted her right over the back of the vixens head and neck, "You have beautiful silken fur, you know that, and are so kind natured, no wonder Kyuubi fell in love with you. It would be my honor to help reunite the two of you, in anyway I can."

**Hinata-sama, you bare a striking resemblance to your mother, she to was a kind, loving soul as well, I only wish that she would have allowed me to heal her than she never would have had to leave you behind in this world, **Sora said growling softly and briefly closing her slivery-white eyes as the heiress finger tips gently swept through her fur, **Her death truly made the world a little darker but we****'****re getting of topic, I shall answer you second question first since it wouldn****'****t take as long as your first one. The simplest way the best describe where we are now, is that we are in the very core of you soul. When you hit the base of your skull upon that branch, you were nearly killed but before you could completely pass on I grab your spirit body and brought you back here. I****'****m sorry if I was a little rough on you and I****'****m glad that you****'****re willing to help me because it****'****s the only way that you can return to the world of the living. **

"So that means," Hinata said getting choked up by wave of silent tears swept over her as realization suddenly hit her, "The whining I heard just before I wake up to you licking my face, it must belong to my Naruto. Oh this is just terrible, I can already imagine how worried he is about me."

**I take it from the overwhelming sense of concern I feel emitting from you, Hinata-sama, that this is not the first time he has had to endure such pain before, **Sora said lifting her head from where it sat upon the heiress lap.

"No, this isn't, Sora," Hinata said staring deep in to the vixen's slivery-white eyes with her own and could already envision what she could possible look like as a humanoid fox especially given what a beautiful creature Sora was in her own right, "He told my that he rarely got any sleep while I was in the hospital recovering from a match I was forced to fight against a member of my own family which left me just barely clinging to life as I was carried from the arena. Fortunately the medical ninja where able to get me to the hospital and save me, just in time but after I heard of the pain it caused him to feel, I vowed that he would never have cause to feel so lowly and alone in his life ever again, so please Sora I am asking you to sent me back."

**There is still quite a bit that I have to tell you, but I shall grant your request, Hinata-sama, no one should have to experience the same gut wrenching pain twice in there lifetime, **Sora said understanding the pain that the heiress was going through perfectly, having been powerless to intervene when a grief stricken and revengeful Kyuubi returned to unjustly braise the over-wise peaceful ninja village to the ground, **If everything goes as planned, than the next time we chat both of our mates shall be present and we shall be able to pick this back up from were we are leaving it off. Now we can get you back this one of two ways, I can either clamp my jaws around your neck and force my way into your body or we can simply pressed our foreheads together and we two shall become one, so which way would you prefer, youngling. **

"Despite our rough beginning everything since then has been quite peaceful so why ruin it by shedding unnecessary blood," Hinata said smartly while dancing the fingertips of her right hand over the underside of Sora's snout tenderly.

Leaning toward one another, a few moments later, Sora swept her ears back as both of their foreheads met in the middle and closing her eyes began to merge her soul with that of the heiress'. Closing her own eyes as she felt the pure white furred vixen's chakra begin to pour into her body, healing any other past injures that it came across along the way, the last thing Hinata remembered seeing before she felt herself being pulled back in to the world of the living was the image of Sora giving off a brilliant almost heavenly glow. Feeling his beloveds body arch upward unexpectedly, Naruto sprang to his paws and perched up his lowered ears as a deep cough slipped from her mouth as the breath of life returned to her previously almost lifeless body which could mean only one thing; not only had Sora been awaken but Hinata had also tamed her as well despite her weakened condition. Curling his tail against the side of his body as he sat down beside Hinata and watched as a cocoon of blinding white light engulfed her entire body, a few seconds later, the beastly transformed teen narrowed his silted pupils to watch the metamorphosis that was happening within. Catching only a brief glimpse of the beastly transformation that his girlfriend had undergone before he had to shield his eyes with his left forepaw as the cocoon of brilliant light blasted away, a minutes after it had surrounded her, Naruto lowered his paw and was rendered speechless by the sight he beheld. For there standing before him, shaking off the tattered remains of the clothing and footwear, was a gorgeous vixen covered with pure bright white fur and a warm loving glow in her beautiful slivery-white eyes that he now noticed also had tiny specks of lavender to them as well. Pouncing at top the vixen, a few moments later, Naruto lovingly tackled her on to the cool floor of their den and nuzzled her heatedly relieved that she was okay yet sexual aroused by her at the same time.

"Naruto-kun, I take it that you approve of the change that I have undergone," Hinata commented as a cute giggle like growl slipped from her snout as he now lovingly licked his tongue over the underside of her snout while she teasingly swept the tip of her tail over the hidden pouch that concealed his loins playfully, "I am sorry to have made you worry so, darling, as you can now see, you and I are the same. So how about we reunite those two and make them just as happy as we are?"

"Hinata-chan, here you've only been a breath taking vixen for not even a minute now and you already want to reunite my Kyuubi with your Sora," Naruto said feigning shock even though the tone of his voice clearly showed that he approved of the idea greatly, "I could never say no to you, so I'm game if you are."

"You have just made this vixen, very happy and I'm sure that Kyuubi feels the same way Sora does," Hinata said beginning to lick her boyfriend and soon to be mate back, in a lustful nature as she felt Sora's penned up hormones wash over her new vulpine body causing it to react in new and unexpected ways to her russet companions actions, "Sora made me well aware of the further alterations both of us might go through but it will all be worth it because both us will be with the ones that we hold dear in this world, not to mention that they will be free from any threat that those vial Akatsuki could ever pose currently or in the future."

Both closing their eyes as the two shared a deep sensuous kiss, a few moments later, Hinata softly growled into the snout of her lover whilst feeling her pussy began to get wet at the first touch of her mate in sixteen years and relaxing the muscles of her lower back, spread her hindquarters as far apart as she was physical capable further commutating her bodily desires. Taking notice of the dancing flames of lust and passion that filled the depths of the pure white furred vixen whom laybeneath him as they broke apart, a minute or two later, Naruto felt a lustful shiver run down his spine as she seductively licked the tip of her tongue over the sides for his snout before rubbing her nose over his. Caving to the sexual desires of both their individual vulpine's as several moments past with just the two of them staring deep into the others eyes, it was clear what they both wanted from the other and so slipping his tail underneath the vixens hindquarters, lifted them off the floor of their den and gently introduced his fox to the inside of her warm wet den. Wrapping her tail as best as she could around him, for a little extra support, a few moments later, Hinata swept her ears back and closed her eyes as Naruto began thrust his member in and out of her, causing a series of moan and groan like growls escaped from the mounding couples snouts.

Tighten her wrapped tail around him, driving his fox-hood even deeper inside of her, as she came fifteen minutes later, Hinata slipped her forepaws over the back of Naruto's neck and lustfully nuzzled her mate. Lustfully nuzzling her right back as he filled her garden with his seed, a few moments later, Naruto feel in even deeper love with her, be she gorgeous vixen or beautiful angelic woman Hinata was the only one for him and he for her. Slowly uncoiling her tail from around her mate whilst she still had her forepaws slipped over the back of his neck, a soft growl slipped of her snout as she felt his fleshy shift slid out of her, cascading a small waterfall of their combined juices onto the den floor beneath the two of them. Not wasting a second, the moment her hindquarters touched the den floor, the heiress pulled back her forepaws one at a time before rolling onto her paws underneath her mate and pressing her back against his underside guided his member back inside of her slick loins with the end of her tail, ready to go again. Hearing a sharp lustful growl escape from her snout whilst she back swept her ears as he deeply buried his fox inside of her warm den, a few moments later, Naruto lightly caressed her left flank with his tail, feeling her silken fur stand on its end excitedly at the simple gesture. Blissfully unaware of the late autumn thunderstorm that was brewing outside the warm confines of their den blanketing that entire area in heavy sheets of rain accompanied by the occasional fork of lightening, the two beastly transformed teens now listening to their animal instincts over their human ones spend the next several hours ebbing away Kyuubi and Sora's penned up hormones until they were all gone.

Both panting heavily by the time they were finished, Naruto tenderly bite Hinata upon the tip of her right ear before leaning forward and lovingly rubbing his cheek over hers. Lovingly licking her mate back while he nuzzled her, Hinata knew deep within in her heart that by his side is where she belonged and there she would remain until her death. Growling softly as she felt Naruto remove his knot from her lions, a few moments later, causing a seemingly endless waterfall of their combined essence to pour out of her now that the plug which had held them back was no longer there to do so, soaking the moss and lichen covered ground beneath the two of them whilst perfuming the already heavily pheromone laced air inside of their den as well. Practically asleep on his paws Naruto fully withdrew his softening fox-hood from his mate and laid down upon the dampened floor for their den, too physically exhausted to seek out the dryer outer edge to rest upon. Feeling not that much better than her russet companion, Hinata used her snout to roll Naruto over onto his side before laying down beside him, feeling a warm smile spread across her muzzle as she felt his softening member begin to stiffen whilst she pressed her back against his underside. Lifting his head from where it sat atop the den floor as he felt his mate intimately snuggle against him, Naruto used the last bit of energy he had left to gently rest his head upon her shoulder and intertwining their tails together, instinctively curled them back over their nestled bodies. Happily content with the path that they had chosen the follow for the rest of their lives going forward, the vulpine couple closed their eyes and feel into a deep restful sleep knowing that the happiness they felt was shared by their individual foxes as well.

**This chapter was a change from what I usually write but it turned out better than I thought it would after having to redo what I had originally done. And I know that I have left Hinata****'****s biggest question unanswered but simply put I felt this chapter had enough going in it already ,that Sora****'****s answer would have just over complicated the story line, worry not however as the answer shall be relieved sooner rather than later. That plus I like the idea of showing more of Kyuubi****'****s soft side, so look forward to that answer in possibly the next chapter. As usual I welcome all opinions, so plz R&R. **


End file.
