Naruto 1. A Birthday Wish

Wish Upon a Star

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this fanfiction. The basic idea behind it isn't mine, either. Kudos to Kage Bijuu for coming up with such a great idea for a Naruto fanfiction. I hope both our fics can be successful. That being said, this will not be a carbon copy of his fic, and a lot of things will be different, but the basic idea was thought up by him, unless there is somebody else who thought it up as well that I'm unaware of.

Chapter One

_A Birthday Wish_

At Naruto's apartment, October tenth, twelve years AK (After Kyuubi)...

Naruto was sad, once again. It was his birthday, but nobody seemed to care, like every year. How could they? After all, this was also the day Kyuubi attacked so many years ago. Today was a sad day, so why should anybody have to celebrate his birthday? He couldn't ask people to forget what happened that terrible day, just to celebrate his birthday, right? _"They could have done without the dirty looks, though...I lost just as much as them that day, after all,"_ he thought to himself.

There were some people who tried their best to make him happy on his birthday, though. They were few, but it made him happy to know there were people who cared. _"I really can't wait for Auntie Izumi and Hanabi-chan to come with the cake! They always make the best cake for me! And Uncle Hiashi might be a grump sometimes, but it would be awesome if he came too!"_

Just as he was thinking that, there was a knock on the door, and a sweet voice called out, "Naruto-chan! It's me, Izumi! Are you home?"

Naruto grinned, and rushed to the door. He pushed a little chakra in a special locking seal near the doorknob, and called out, "I put my chakra in just now. You know the drill, Auntie Izumi!"

Izumi did what she was told, then frowned sadly for a moment while the seal on her side reacted with the one on Naruto's side, unlocking the many locks on the other side of the door. _"It's so sad, that he has to take such measures to protect himself..."_ she thought to herself, somewhat upset at the fact. As soon as Naruto was taught to be able to put his chakra into seals, the Sandaime had a special seal made to keep intruders out of the boy's apartment. It created a powerful barrier that kept people out, and only a select few besides Naruto himself were capable of entering the residence without Naruto's permission, herself being one of them. Naturally, though, she would always ask permission before entering, as it was polite to do so.

As soon as the final lock unlatched, and the barrier fell, Naruto opened the door. "Hi Auntie! Heya, Hanabi-chan! Did you get taller while I wasn't looking _again_?" he greeted.

"Naruto-niichan!" the smaller of the visitors cried out, then pounced on the boy. "I missed you, Naruto-niichan! I've been training a lot, but there's nobody to play with at home when I'm taking a break! It's boring!" she complained.

Naruto laughed as he got the girl off his chest, where she had landed. "Are those Hyuuga Elders still trying to ban fun from the compound?" he joked.

Hanabi pouted. "It sure seems like it sometimes!" she huffed.

Izumi smiled at the two kids' antics. "Hanabi-chan, you're supposed to wait politely for your host to invite you in before you enter," she scolded lightly, then asked Naruto, "May I enter, Naruto-chan?"

Naruto nodded as he got up. "Sure thing! Uncle Hiashi couldn't come this time, then?" he queried.

Izumi sighed. "No, he was held up with the council. He sends his best wishes, though. You understand, don't you, Naruto-chan?" she explained, entering the boy's home as she did so.

Naruto looked down, somewhat saddened. "Yeah. The council waits for no one, I guess," he replied.

Izumi smiled sadly at the boy, then gestured to the plastic container with the homemade cake in it. "Well, let's eat this ice cream cake while it's still cool! We wouldn't want it to melt before we can enjoy it, right?" she suggested.

Naruto gasped audibly. "You made ice cream cake for me?! Thank you so much, Auntie Izumi!" he shouted happily.

The older woman simply smiled at the boy, happy he was having a good time.

And so, the three went over to the table to eat the cake...

An hour and one cake later...

"Whew! I'm stuffed! Everything you make is wonderful, Auntie Izumi!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I helped make it too, Naruto-niichan!" Hanabi said happily.

Naruto grinned. "Well, no wonder it tasted so good, then! Two of my precious people helped make it, rather than just one!" he laughed.

Izumi smiled at the boy's explanation, then asked, "How was the academy today, Naruto-chan?"

Naruto calmed down a bit, though he kept his smile. "Iruka-sensei went easier on us than usual today, and went over subjects that don't bore me. I think that was his way of showing he wished me a happy birthday. He called on me a few times more than usual, too! But..."

Izumi frowned. "But what, sweetie?" she asked.

Naruto sighed. This was what was eating at him earlier. "I asked Sakura-chan out on another date, and, well, she hit me, but this time she said something really mean..." he murmured.

Izumi's frown deepened. "What did she say, sweetheart?"

Naruto was almost close to tears now. "She...she said she wished I hadn't been born, or that the kyuubi had killed me with my parents..." he said, then broke into sobs.

Izumi went from her seat to the boy's side, Hanabi close behind her. The older woman pulled Naruto into a hug, allowing him to loose his tears upon her kimono, not caring about the potential stains it would bring. "There there..." she said softly, kissing the top of his head through his sun-colored hair. "Let it all out..."

Hanabi frowned while, on the inside, she planned on getting revenge on the pink-haired girl for hurting her niichan so badly. _"Oniichan might not be able to get away with hitting back, but I sure as heck can! That kunoichi wannabe is going down next time I see her!"_ she plotted silently. And she could pull it off, too. Hanabi was very strong for her age, and skilled in Juuken.

Almost half an hour later, Naruto was mostly done crying, though Hanabi was definitely still plotting vengeance. Izumi picked the undernourished boy up in her arms, and cradled him like a baby. "Naruto-chan, I want you to stop asking Sakura out on dates, and to not interact with her, if you can help it. It's not emotionally healthy for you to let somebody treat you like this, and Hokage-sama has shown me your medical records enough for me to realize that those punches she lands on you are damaging your brain little by little, even with that weird healing ability of yours. I know you'll find somebody better eventually. You're a good boy, and I'm sure your mother and father up in heaven are proud of you, so don't feel so bad. I'm sure someday some lucky girl will realize how amazing you are, and will love you for it," Izumi said with confidence.

Naruto sniffled a little, then looked up to Izumi hopefully. "Really?"

Izumi nodded. "If Hanabi were a bit older and didn't already see you as a big brother, I'm certain she would be happy to be your girl, and even marry you. You are one of those boys that only comes around once in a lifetime, and I can only hope Hanabi-chan finds a boy half as good as you when she grows up, because if she doesn't, I may try to arrange a marriage between you two, to ensure that she will at least be well taken care of. Right, Hanabi-chan?" she explained.

Hanabi turned slightly red, then said, "Boys are icky, but Naruto-niichan isn't like other boys, so I might be okay with that..."

Izumi smiled. "You see, Naruto-chan? You've at least one pretty girl who thinks you'd be a nice husband, so that's got to count for something, right?" she said.

Naruto nodded, then wiped his remaining tears, and replied, "Thank you, Auntie Izumi, Hanabi-chan..."

Izumi nodded, then turned for the door. "Hanabi-chan and I have to leave now. You have enough food for the night, right? I don't want you to go out for ramen if it's getting late. You know what tends to happen when you do that..._especially_ tonight," Izumi asked, then warned.

Naruto nodded. "I have enough instant ramen to last a while, so I should be okay," he answered back.

Izumi nodded, then walked over to the boy, lifted his goggles away from his forehead, and placed a small kiss where the headgear once was. "Get plenty of rest tonight. You may not have class tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you don't need the sleep. Turn the TV off after eight, remember to brush your teeth, and if anybody tries to break in, you activate your emergency seal, okay?" she reminded the boy.

Naruto nodded, laughing lightly at how Izumi fussed over him like a mother hen. "I know, I'll remember. I hope you and Hanabi-chan have a good time at the festival," he said softly, a true smile on his face.

Izumi smiled. "If you want us to, we will gladly stay here and keep you company," the Hyuuga Matriarch offered.

Naruto waved his hand, shooing her a little. "Don't bother. You two deserve to enjoy yourselves tonight," he chided.

Izumi nodded, then picked little Hanabi up in her arms. "Come along, Hanabi-chan. We have to get ourselves cleaned up before we go out!" she said.

Hanabi giggled, then leaned down and kissed Naruto's cheek before her mother moved away. "We'll see you later, Naruto-niichan! Happy Birthday!" she called out happily as the pair left the small home.

Naruto smiled, waving after them. He knew the kisses they gave him weren't out of romantic love, but getting kisses of familial love and filial affection made him happy too. After they had left, Naruto went to his bedroom and turned on the TV, hoping to find something good on...

An hour and a half later...

After watching the last of an old black-and-white movie called Beauty and the Beast, Naruto was feeling somewhat tired, and...something else. His heart hurt a little, and he couldn't seem to ignore the feeling completely. "Well, at least the Beast was able to find love...If he can, then why can't I seem to find somebody for me?" he asked himself sadly. He looked up at the night sky, and upon seeing a shooting star, he figured he'd try that wishing trick Izumi told him about a few years back. "Hey, shooting star up there? I know this is kind of a selfish thing to ask of you, but I wish there was a girl who loved me, that I could love in return. Maybe make her like Auntie Izumi, but more my age, like Hanabi-chan? That would make me really happy..." he said softly. The star seemed to twinkle extra brightly in response. "Thank you, wishing star..." he murmured, smiling before he went to his bathroom to brush his teeth, closing the door behind him.

A few minutes later, while Naruto was still in the bathroom, a deafening crash was heard, and the foundation of the apartment building shook! Naruto opened the door of his bathroom to find that almost the entire place was destroyed, and the floor and walls were gone, with a crater at the ground level beneath where his floor had been! The boy coughed as dust blew in his face, and he ventured out into the hole that had been made, to see what had caused this.

He finally climbed down to the bottom of the hole, to find a beautiful girl with indigo hair, apparently the same age as him, coughing lightly as she struggled to get up. The weirdest part about it, though, besides the fact that the girl seemed to have fallen from the sky, was that she was STARK NAKED!

The girl rose from the ground, finally, then looked at Naruto and smiled warmly, revealing pupil-less lavender eyes, obviously Byakugan eyes. "H-hello, Naruto-kun...A-ano...K-Kami-sama told me to say, y-your wish has been granted..." the girl said softly, stuttering slightly.

Naruto nodded dumbly, then looked away, embarrassed. "I guess I should have wished for some clothes for you, too..." he said nervously.

The girl looked down at herself upon hearing this, then turned bright red and let out a sound like a squeak before fainting. Noticing what happened, Naruto quickly caught her before she hit the ground, then gently laid her down. Spotting one of his jackets nearby, which seemed to have survived the blast, he quickly grabbed it and put it on her, zipping it as soon as it was in place. He smiled softly at the girl in his arms, and picked her up gently, hoping to get her somewhere where she could rest comfortably. Unfortunately, the mob of people that had come to investigate the crash had other ideas.

"Hey, demon brat! What the hell did you do to make that star fall out of the sky?" somebody asked angrily. Naruto turned his head, carefully hiding the girl on the opposite side of his body, hoping the darkness of the night would help keep what he couldn't fit behind him invisible to the mob's eyes.

"Wait a minute! The little monster summoned a meteor from the sky! We should kill him before he brings more of them down, and destroys our village!" somebody else shouted.

Naruto knew enough to know what would happen next, so, with the girl still in his arms, he bolted, with the mob on his tail.

"After him!"

And the chase was on...

Half an hour later, near one of the training grounds...

Naruto panted slightly, a little winded. The girl wasn't heavy, but carrying her made maneuvering through the village a little more difficult than usual. "First thing's first. I've gotta hide this girl somewhere safe before they get here," he said to himself. Noticing the Heroes' Memorial Stone off a ways near the edge of the training field, Naruto carried his new friend over there. Putting her down, he noticed she was starting to stir.

"Unnnhhh...Naruto-kun? What's wrong?" she murmured, noticing the boy's nervous face.

Naruto quickly put his finger to his lips. "Shhh. Be quiet and stay here. You'll be safe," he said softly.

"...Safe...?" she asked softly, feeling confused as the boy put her down. She watched as the boy moved away from her and ran out into the open.

"There he is!" somebody shouted, startling the girl. She couldn't see Naruto from where she was, so she activated her Byakugan and watched as a huge crowd emerged from the forest on the other side of the clearing, and surrounded Naruto.

Naruto stared back at the crowd, knowing to keep silent, if not for his sake, then for that girl's.

"You little brat! You gave us quite a chase, but it's over now!" one of them said, brandishing a glass bottle.

"We're going to kill you, and finish what the Yondaime started!" another shouted, holding a pitchfork that he had found somewhere.

Naruto simply stood there, staring back at them, Slowly, the true monsters moved in, getting ready to end the blond prankster once and for all...

With Izumi...

The Hyuuga Matriarch had activated her Byakugan and found Naruto as soon as she had gotten Hanabi home. "Oh, Kami-sama, no! They've already surrounded him!" she shouted, a group of ANBU following her as they headed to do their job and, on the Sandaime's orders, protect Naruto and arrest the mob. "I hope we're not too late..." the Hyuuga Matriarch said softly, clutching her right hand on her kimono over her heart and deactivating her Byakugan to save energy as they leapt quickly across the rooftops towards the scene of the crime...

With the mysterious girl...

She watched, for a moment, her eyes wide with horror, as the crowd surrounding Naruto closed in, and began to beat, stab, and bludgeon him. For a moment she watched, but no more after that. She couldn't stand and watch the boy she loved get hurt like this. Standing up, and not caring about the fact that she wore nothing but Naruto's jacket, she rushed into the crowd, pushing through the group until she got to the center, pushing the people closest to Naruto away. "I won't let you hurt Naruto-kun anymore!" she shouted, startling most of the crowd into silence as they moved back to get a better look at this girl.

"No! What are you doing?! There are too many of them for you to take alone!" Naruto shouted, worried for his new companion.

The pale-skinned girl breathed in a bit, smiling lightly. "I'm just being selfish," she said softly. "I don't know how, but I KNOW you, Naruto-kun. I...I've only just been born, but I've watched you for years...I've always wanted to be with you, to walk side by side with you. Your smile, and your wish, gave me life, and meaning! That's why I'm not afraid to fight for you, or die for you..." she continued, then softened her voice so only he could hear, and said, "That's why...I love you, Naruto-kun..."

The crowd, growing angry and impatient, began advancing again. Just as they were about to reach the two children, though, the girl grabbed onto Naruto, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him tightly. She then began spinning, and emitted a huge amount of chakra.

"GRAND HEAVENLY SPHERE!"

The dome grew and grew, knocking every single member of the mob back, and sending them flying. The dome grew until it was easily seen from beyond the forest the training ground resided in. Despite its great size, though, it did not harm the three training posts or the Heroes' Memorial Stone, stopping before its great energy touched them.

This is the scene Izumi and the squad of ANBU came upon when they got to the training ground. The massive sphere of chakra dispersed, and Naruto and the girl landed in the crater it caused, the former of the two fully healed somehow. The girl, weakened from using so much chakra, fell a bit, held up only by Naruto's arms.

"Hey, are you okay?" the blond jinchuuriki asked, panicking slightly.

The mysterious beauty in the boy's arms nodded. "I'm just really tired after using so much chakra...Before I fall asleep, though...Could you name me, please?" she asked tiredly.

Naruto smiled softly, a lone tear of happiness falling from his eyes. "Hinata...I'll call you Hinata...for the sunny place you brought me to," he said softly.

Hinata smiled. "I like my name, Naruto-kun...Thank you...I love you, Naruto-kun..." she said softly.

Naruto nodded. "I think I love you too, Hinata-chan," he said warmly, laying the girl down on the ground as he passed out next to her...

End Chapter One


	2. The Wish is Granted

Wish Upon a Star

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this fanfiction, including, but not limited to, the stick that's shoved up Sasuke's ass sideways.

Chapter Two

_The Wish is Granted_

In the Hokage's office, later that night...

Izumi sat with her immediate family members, Hiashi and Hanabi, as Naruto and the mysterious girl, Hinata, relaxed on the couch, unconscious. It had been easy enough to bring the two children to the Hokage's office, but as soon as their unconscious bodies had been placed near each other, they put their arms around each other and refused to let go. Hiashi and Hanabi, having been concerned for Naruto, had met up with Izumi shortly after Naruto and Hinata had been brought in.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was confounded. This girl, who seemed completely infatuated with Naruto, had apparently fallen like a meteorite from the night sky, with enough power to not only break through the barrier surrounding the young jinchuuriki's home, but the home itself, along with a good portion of the ground beneath it. It just plain didn't make any sense. Children don't simply fall from the sky, after all, and if one were to, it certainly wouldn't survive. Yet this girl was resting with his grandson-figure, and obviously had nothing wrong with her. She was most definitely human, as Izumi could attest to, but the most startling thing was just who she supposedly was.

"...Are you certain, Izumi-san?" the aged Kage asked.

Izumi nodded. "There's no doubt about it. I do have photographic memory, after all, and I've seen my own body almost everyday of my life so far. This girl's body is an exact replica of mine, back when I was twelve years old," she explained. Meanwhile, Hanabi was trying to get some snuggle-time with her niichan.

"Come oooooon! I wanna snuggle with Naruto-niichan! Let go, space-alien!" Hanabi pouted as she attempted to separate Naruto and Hinata. Suddenly, Hinata reached out unconsciously and grabbed Hanabi, quickly sandwiching her between herself and Naruto. "Mommy! They're squishing me! Help!" came Hanabi's muffled cry from between the two preteens.

Hiashi smiled. "Well, she doesn't seem to be a threat, at least," he chuckled as Izumi went over to the three children and fussed over the one that was awake. Soon enough, she managed to get all three not only in her lap somewhat but also, more importantly to her, in her arms for a hug. She just loved giving hugs to the people she cared about most! She really didn't know why...

Soon enough, Hinata opened her eyes. She could feel two pairs of warm arms around her, and a small body sandwiched between hers and another person's. When her eyesight cleared enough that she could see properly, she smiled at the unconscious form of Naruto on the other side of somebody's lap. _"Probably Izumi's, if I know anything about Naruto-kun's friends. And that means..."_ She looked down to find little Hanabi still attempting to escape her grasp. "S-sorry, Hanabi-chan!" she exclaimed, moving so that the girl could get away.

Hanabi leaped back and pointed a finger at Hinata. "All right, space-alien! Who are you, and what do you want with Naruto-niichan?" she exclaimed. Hinata couldn't help but giggle a little at the girl. She then noticed the breeze passing between her legs, let out a squeak, and used a Transformation Jutsu to appear to be wearing pants.

The Sandaime cleared his throat. "We have several questions for you, actually, miss...?"

Hinata nodded. "My name is what Naruto-kun called me, Hinata. I d-don't have a family name, but due to my place of o-origin, I suspect I could go by the name Kami no Hinata. I was created by Kami-sama to f-fulfill a wish for Naruto-kun, namely to give him somebody for him to...l-love romantically, and to love him in return. I-I've been shown Naruto-kun's life from his conception to when he made the w-wish that conceived me, so, well...I'm more than certain that I love him, so p-part of the wish is being fulfilled already...The rest would be up to him actually f-falling for me," she said, then looked fondly over at the boy and added, "He thinks he loves me, b-but in truth, he has to get to know me in order to truly feel that way about me, l-like I had to do for him.

"I was given a personality that is very compatible with Naruto-kun's, along with a body that would be...well...a-attractive to him. Kami felt that, since Naruto-kun finds a simple joy in seeing Izumi-san when she comes over, her body would be one that Naruto-kun would be a-attracted to..." Hinata blushed heavily at this point, and mumbled, just loud enough that everybody with shinobi-trained ears could hear, "Also...m-my inner m-measurements were m-made to match u-up with N-Naruto-kun's...man-part..." At this, the Sandaime, Hiashi, and Izumi all blushed heavily.

Hanabi looked confused. "What? What did she say? I couldn't hear her!" she whined.

Izumi shushed Hanabi. "I'll tell you when you're older, Hanabi-chan," she said sweetly. The young girl huffed, and went over to Naruto to snuggle with her niichan.

Hiruzen sighed. "Is there anything else you need to tell us, Hinata-san?" he asked, sounding somewhat tired.

The girl in question nodded. "I'm a little late in t-telling you this, because I've already taken care of it, but, well...I have to first r-remind you that I'm exempt from _that_ law, due to my lack of Leaf citizenship, though said law won't be needed anymore...K-Kyuubi's soul has been removed from the seal and sent to the afterlife, though its chakra is still there, and Naruto-kun's p-parents' souls have been placed within his mindscape, so they can raise him how they w-wanted," she explained.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "That would mean that you know who Naruto's parents are..." he said suspiciously.

The younger blunette nodded. "I was shown Naruto-kun's life from the very start, so I saw when he was...b-born..." she answered softly, blushing bright red upon remembering. She smiled softly, and added, "He was an adorable baby, and K-Kushina-sama and Minato-sama will be h-happy when Naruto-kun visits them in his mind..."

Sarutobi frowned. "That would mean you know a double-S-class secret about Kushina as well, along with what really happened that night, which is unknown to anybody alive in Konoha, including myself. I'm going to have to ask that you tell me what you know of the event, but first..." He turned to Hanabi at this point, and said, "I'll need you to leave for a bit, dear. Hinata seems to have sensitive information that could bring you in harm's way if you hear it."

Hanabi nodded, and said to her mother, "I'll wait outside, Mommy."

Izumi nodded, and the little girl left. Hiruzen turned back to Hinata, and asked, "Please, tell us what you can."

Hinata nodded. "W-well, things were going as you and Yondaime-sama had planned, and Naruto-kun was born without any m-major complications. However, a man in a mask, wielding the Sharingan, managed to get into the birthing c-chamber using a space-time ninjutsu...He took Naruto-kun from the doctors there, after killing everybody but Naruto-kun and his p-parents, and...he threatened to kill Naruto-kun. M-Minato-sama was able to get him back, b-but that man used the distraction to take Kushina-sama...I-I don't know how he did it, since my v-viewpoint was focused on Naruto-kun, but the man in the mask managed to extract K-Kyuubi from Kushina-sama...Minato-sama managed to get her back afterwards, using the Hiraishin to track her, and he took her to where Naruto-kun was.

"A w-while later, Minato-sama returned, a-and he brought Kushina-sama and Naruto-kun to where Kyuubi was. K-Kushina-sama helped him restrain it, using her chakra chains, but in the time it took to prepare the Shiki Fuin...K-Kyuubi managed to get one of its forelimbs free, and Minato-sama and Kushina-sama...They took the b-blow meant for Naruto-kun, getting mortally wounded in the process...Y-you saw the rest from outside of the b-barrier they'd put up, H-Hokage-sama..." the girl explained sadly, becoming overwhelmed with tears by the end. Izumi gestured for her fellow blunette to come over to where she and Naruto were, and embraced Hinata as she wept.

The aged Kage sighed. "Oh, my Biwako-chan...I know what happened that night, but I'm nowhere nearer to figuring out who killed you and caused the catastrophe that ended the lives of so many," Sarutobi muttered sadly. It was then that a knock came from the door, and he called out, "Enter! And tell the girl out there that she can come back in as well!"

Hanabi and a Chuunin messenger entered the room. "Hokage-sama, the council is demanding a meeting," the messenger said, then added, "They seemed pretty uppity. You might want to hurry over there before they do something stupid about Naruto again."

Hiruzen groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Very well. Izumi, please take Naruto and Hinata to your home with you and Hanabi. I'll send some of my ANBU to make sure nothing happens on your way there. Hiashi, let's get this over with," the Professor commanded.

With that, everybody headed on their way...

A few minutes later, at the Hyuuga Estate...

Hinata smiled softly at the still-sleeping boy she had fallen for. "Naruto-kun, you're sleeping so soundly...I'm certain your parents are happy to see you again, and that you're happy to see them as well," she mumbled happily as she rubbed his whisker-marks. They were in a guest room, and Hanabi had decided to stay with them, since she didn't trust the Elders around her big brother figure. She could tell, from her lessons in reading body language, that this girl, Hinata, didn't mean any harm to the sleeping blond.

"Ne, Hinata-san? Can I call you Neechan?" Hanabi chirped from her seat nearby.

Hinata giggled. "That would be nice, Hanabi-imoutochan," she replied happily, then added, "In all honesty, though, you're older than I am."

Hanabi pouted. "But that would feel weird, calling you my baby sister!" she huffed softly, then approached Hinata, and, poking the blunette's breasts, asked, "How can I call you younger than me when you have bigger breasts? Mine haven't even started growing yet!"

Hinata gasped in surprise. "D-don't do that, Hanabi! T-they're very s-sensitive!" she exclaimed.

Hanabi giggled at Hinata's outburst, but she stopped. She turned to Hinata with a curious look on her face. "Hey, what's it like to be in love? I know I'm not old enough to understand completely, but I wanna know!" the smaller girl whined cutely.

Hinata smiled. "B-being in love, when it's really love you're f-feeling, is a p-powerful thing...It will drive you to do things you'd have never d-done otherwise, for the sake of that warm feeling in your heart...It can be very scary, but it can also make you feel happier than anything...It can be very painful, too, because you share your partner's pain...but you share their happiness, too!" she explained, then brought her hand to the center of her chest, placing it over her heart, and added, "This heart...even though it isn't truly mine...when I see Naruto-kun in pain, it hurts...and when I see him happy, it soars...Love isn't really something that can be explained in words. You have to feel it for yourself."

Hanabi gaped for a couple of seconds, then closed her mouth and smiled. "I hope I fall in love someday," she said softly, blushing a little.

Hinata hugged the smaller girl. "I hope so too, Hanabi-imoutochan. I'll be rooting for you," she replied, smiling warmly. The blunette was startled, though, when she felt a hand brush her arm. She turned around to see Naruto reaching out with his hand in her direction, still asleep. "I-I guess Naruto-kun wants to s-snuggle..." she stuttered upon seeing the questioning look on the heiress's face.

Hanabi sighed. "Oh, brother...You can snuggle with him, but I'm going to as well. I don't want you two trying anything funny too soon, okay?" she replied, tugging the celestial being with her into the bed, getting on the opposite side of the former jinchuuriki from her. "At least I know _he_ won't try anything," the brunette teased.

Hinata simply nodded, snuggling into Naruto as he put his arms around her, and doing the same with him, as Hanabi snuggled against the boy from behind. They were all soon sound asleep...

Meanwhile, with the Konoha Council...

"What do you mean, the demon is gone? I saw the brat walking around alive and well just a few minutes ago!" one of the dumber civilian council members exclaimed.

The Sandaime sighed. "What part of Naruto-kun's body, besides the birthmarks on his cheeks, looks even remotely like the beast that attacked twelve years ago?" he asked in a tone one would take when small children asked the more annoying questions. The council member who had spoken simply sputtered for a moment, and Hiruzen took that opportunity to unseal a scroll from his arm. "I have here a way of checking on the Shiki Fuuin on Naruto-kun's stomach remotely. It is very reliable, and has served me well for all the time it's been around. However, the seal is now gone, with nothing inside of it, so I no longer need it," the wizened Hokage explained, opening the scroll to show that it was blank.

"NOOOOO! THE DEMON IS FREE! IT'S GOING TO KILL US ALL!" one of the other civilian council members panicked, until an eraser piece pelted him dead in the forehead, startling the man out of his outburst.

Sarutobi groaned. "Inu, please return my errant eraser to me," he commanded. The mentioned ANBU member appeared on top of the appropriate desk, picked up the rubbery object, and tossed it back to the Sandaime, who caught the tiny object between the tips of his thumb and index finger. He made a show of erasing something from a piece of paper laying on his desk. Ignoring the looks of the council, the Professor then explained, "I assure you, if Kyuubi were on the loose in this village, I'd know about it. We do not hear people screaming in terror outside, nor is there any oppressive murderous intent in the air, so I'd have to assume this girl did what she said she did, and banished Kyuubi to someplace where it cannot harm us. The beast's chakra is still there, from what I've been told, and Naruto-kun's parents' spirits have been placed inside of his soul. I'm fairly certain you will be hearing an earful from them soon enough. Kami knows I'm not going to get off scott-free after being unable to protect the boy properly...Most of that was the fault of many of you, and I'll be certain to tell them."

Shikaku Nara, the head of the Nara Clan, groaned. "When those two find a way to manifest in the real world, which they undoubtedly will...I don't want to even _think_ about how many beatings that woman is going to give out," he muttered.

One of the more arrogant civilian council members huffed. "Why should we worry? They were probably a couple of nameless idiots who would pose no threat to us," she snipped, her pink hair signifying that she was a member of the Haruno Merchant Guild.

Shibi Aburame let a tiny grin appear on his face. "You should be very worried about them, Asura-san. Why, do you ask? They were two of the most powerful shinobi this village has ever had in its service. I speak of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Namikaze, of course. Kami have mercy on you who called for Naruto's death, because they certainly won't," he explained, his inner swarm buzzing in amusement.

"Wait, Kushina Namikaze? I thought her last name was Uzumaki," one of the village elders, Homura Mitokado, said in confusion.

Hiashi, who had been silent for a good long time, smirked. "They married in secret. Naturally, you, Koharu, and Danzou were not invited to the wedding. Such a shame. There was some very good food served there, and the scenery made me grateful I had my Byakugan to take it all in," he answered, proud to have been invited to such a very important event.

Asura Haruno paled. "T-they're kidding, r-right? T-there's no way the brat's parents are...them..." she stammered, looking to the Hokage in the hopes that it was all a joke.

Hiruzen frowned at the pink-haired woman. "They ARE his parents. And I can't exactly punish them if they decide to exact vengeance on the crueler people of this village, seeing as they're already dead. Besides, if they were alive, I wouldn't have the authority to do so anyway, and I wouldn't want to stop them, either. I believe the saying 'you reap what you sow' applies here quite well," he replied, meaning every word of it.

Danzou, while fuming on the inside, appeared calm. "Why weren't we informed of the boy's heritage?" the old war hawk asked.

One of the civilian council members nodded. "Yeah! Why didn't you tell us, Hokage-sama? We would have treated the boy better!" he shouted.

Sarutobi eyed the man with a critical glare. "Would you have, Hideki-san? I had announced to the public that Minato-kun's last wish was for Naruto to be seen as a hero. You spat on his last wish, so why would the fact that the boy was his son make any difference?" he asked, silencing the man, then asked, to the whole of the council, "Are there any more matters that need to be brought up?" After a few seconds of silence, he stated with finality, "Then this meeting is adjourned. Hiashi, send Naruto and Hinata to my office tomorrow morning at ten. I will see you all some other time."

The council members left, heading for their homes to sleep for the rest of the night...

Meanwhile, in Naruto's mind scape...

Naruto smiled softly, held in his parents' embrace. "I'm so happy now, Mom, Dad...So happy..." he said softly as he went slack in their arms, heading to the realm of his dreams.

He was happy, but how long would this happiness last...?

End Chapter Two


	3. Confusion and Bonding

Wish Upon a Star

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this fanfiction, including, but not limited to, Naruto's verbal tic. I can sure as hell say it, though, dattebayo!

Author's Note: Double Post with Solvdrage is a Double Post.

Chapter Three

_Confusion and Bonding_

The day after Hinata landed, a little outside of Fire Country

Jiraiya leapt through the treetops, clearly in a hurry. "I can't believe the gaki's place got destroyed! What the hell could have had enough force to penetrate that barrier seal?!" he exclaimed as he continued on his way to Konoha. He had one stop to make before he got there, though, and after that, he was going to have one of the toads reverse-summon him so he could use the long-distance teleportation pool on Myobokuzan to get to Konoha as quickly as possible.

"_I just hope the Boob Wonder hasn't skipped town yet..."_ he thought to himself as he sped towards his destination. Spotting a flash of blond, and another spot of pink near it, beneath him, he quickly halted and dropped to the forest floor.

The blonde, pigtailed woman in front of him scowled a bit. "Jiraiya...What's got you in such a hurry to see me?" she asked, sounding a bit agitated.

The old super pervert sighed. "Normally, I'd say something stupid, and get put in the hospital for a few days, but I don't have time to be hospitalized," he said, sounding just as agitated as his friend. "I was checking up on our favorite brat last night with my special viewing orb, and I don't know what, but _something_ hit his house hard enough to get past the barrier seal and destroy it," he explained, causing Tsunade, Shizune, and even Tonton to gasp. "I'd appreciate it a lot if you headed there, just in case he's in need of medical assistance. I'm going to use the long distance teleportation pool to get a head start, so I won't be coming along. But, please, help me help our godson?" he asked, bowing his head to the ground.

Tsunade's gaze hardened. "Shizune! Change of plans! We're headed to Konoha, NOW!" she commanded.

Shizune nodded, set Tonton down, and the three of them leapt to the trees, headed in the direction of their home village. As soon as they left, Jiraiya summoned a small toad and, within minutes, was at Myobokuzan...

Meanwhile, in Konoha

Naruto awoke to a foreign sensation. Two pairs of arms were wrapped around him from both in front of him and behind him, and...he was so _warm_. Not warm in a way that it was stifling, but in a way that made him feel extremely comfortable. He could tell from the size and mumbling of the figure behind him that it was Hanabi, which made him chuckle a little, but the one in front of him...A head of indigo hair rested against his chest, snuggling and letting out happy murmurs every few minutes. He soon remembered. _"Hinata-chan...Thank you so much,"_ he thought to himself happily, soon putting his arms around her.

Hinata's eyes opened, a sleepy look showing in them for a moment as she looked up at Naruto. Soon enough, though, she realized that she wasn't dreaming and became very flustered. "S-s-sorry, Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, scooting away. Unfortunately, she was close to the edge of the bed, and tumbled off. "Wah!"

Naruto got a little chuckle in, then gently pulled Hanabi's arms off him and went to check on his new friend. Hinata had apparently hit her hip on the way down, and was rubbing the slightly sore spot cutely. Soon enough, though, a small bit of white chakra filled the area where she got hit, and when it dissipated, the girl simply smiled, and got up to stand with Naruto. Blushing lightly, Hinata said, "I hope your reunion with your parents was a happy one, Naruto-kun."

Naruto nodded, smiling softly. "They're awesome, Hinata-chan..." he said quietly, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her tightly and started sobbing. "Thank you...thank you _so_ much!" he said between sobs.

Hinata, however, was beginning to have trouble staying conscious. One of her faults was that, when brought so close to the object of her affections, she became very light-headed, and passed out. She'd heard it was often called 'fainting'. Somehow, it even managed to happen to her when she was in her soul-form, watching Naruto's life. Souls aren't supposed to pass out unless they're inhabiting a body! Yet hers would do just that...

"Hinata-chan? Are you okay?" Naruto asked worriedly. She'd suddenly become very still in his arms. Unfortunately for Hinata, hearing her love interest's concerned voice calling out to her was the straw that broke the camel's back. She passed out, mumbling his name incoherently.

Hanabi's voice kept Naruto from panicking. "Huh, looks like she fainted," she said, slightly amused.

Naruto turned to Hanabi, gently lowering Hinata back onto the bed. "Why would she do that? She slept well, didn't she?" he asked, not knowing any better due to not having encountered such a situation before.

Hanabi grinned, being reminded that, despite their age difference, she was at times more knowledgeable than her big brother figure. "Some people are like that, Naruto-niichan. When they're exposed to too much attention from somebody they like, they pass out, like Hinata just did. You have to expose her to your kindness and such more often, so that she'll get better at staying conscious over time," the tiny girl explained matter-of-factly.

Naruto grinned. "Still, Hinata-chan's pretty awesome! She protected me from a bunch of bad guys, ttebayo! She must be really strong!" he exclaimed.

Hanabi's grin quickly turned into a frown. "I still don't know why they treat you like that, Naruto-niichan..." she said sadly.

Naruto smiled softly at her, putting his hand on top of her head, and ruffling her hair a bit. "Don't worry about it, Hanabi. I found out about it last night, when I met my parents inside my head. I'll be sure to tell you about it later, when I've gotten everything figured out, okay?" he said warmly.

Hanabi smiled, both from how Naruto affectionately patted her head, and from the look of peace he had on his face. "Thanks, Niichan," she said happily.

A clicking sound was heard, and Naruto and Hanabi saw a flash of light. Blinded for an instant, they soon saw what caused the phenomenon. "Mom!/Auntie Izumi!" they exclaimed.

Izumi giggled. "I just love seeing you two act friendly with each other! It's too cute for words, so I try to take pictures, naturally!" she exclaimed, then looked further into the room, where Hinata was lying on the bed. "How is Hinata-chan doing? Is she still asleep?" she asked curiously.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "She was awake for a bit, but I was apparently too affectionate when I hugged her, and she fainted," he said, chuckling nervously.

Hanabi grinned, putting her hands on her hips proudly. "I made sure they didn't do anything inappropriate, Mama!" she said, feeling satisfied with her accomplishment.

Naruto grimaced. "Hanabi! Are you accusing me of being a _pervert?!_" he asked, startled.

Hanabi made a tiny 'humph' noise. "No, I'm saying that _she_ might be a pervert!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Hinata.

Naruto looked confused for a moment. "But Hinata's a girl! How can she be a pervert?" he asked, curious.

Izumi giggled, despite her embarrassment. "Naruto-chan, girls can be perverted too, you know," she explained.

Naruto looked even more confused now. "But girls _hate_ perverts! How can they be something they hate?" he inquired.

Izumi smiled. "Some people are just hypocritical. After all, you've had problems with perversion yourself, and you still hate perverts. That's just one example," she explained, hinting at Naruto's confession a few months back about having a 'weird dream'.

Naruto groaned. "I get it, I get it, can we drop the subject now?" he asked, very embarrassed now.

Izumi nodded. "Sure. Now let's just wake sleeping beauty over here, and I'll show you two where you'll be staying while you're with us," she said warmly, moving over to Hinata and gently shaking the girl.

Hinata awoke within a minute, and immediately started blushing. "S-s-sorry! I-I faint s-sometimes," she said, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Naruto grinned. "That's okay! We'll just have to work on that, right?" he exclaimed, holding his hand out to the blunette. Hinata smiled, still blushing, and took Naruto's hand as he helped her up.

Izumi clapped her hands together once, getting everybody's attention, and said, "Now, Naruto-chan, Hinata-chan, you can't stay in bed for so long normally. Luckily, it's the day after the festival, so classes are canceled, but Hokage-sama wants to see you two at ten, so I'm going to show you your room, and give you some clothes and washing supplies to get ready, and then we'll have breakfast and I'll take you to see him. Does that sound all right?"

Naruto nodded, but Hinata blushed. "W-we s-share the same r-room?" she questioned nervously.

Izumi nodded. "Not the same bed, though. Not unless one of you needs the other's comfort, and you can't do anything inappropriate. I can't watch you two all the time, but I don't want you starting something you're not ready for, okay?" she said warningly. Hinata simply nodded once, blushing heavily, and Naruto grinned his affirmative. Izumi nodded. "Now, come with me and Hanabi, you two. We'll show you around."

A while later, in the village

Hinata frowned slightly. She had a bad feeling, and it had nothing to do with the stares she'd been getting from boys her age, though she had to admit, she'd prefer that only Naruto looked at her...like that. She'd have to find a coat to wear over the outfits Izumi had given her.

She didn't really know how she'd get her appointed jobs done. She was painfully shy, to the point that she almost tried to hide herself behind Naruto, but that had only gotten people to stare more.

It didn't exactly help that she was also very distrustful of the people around them. They'd glare at Naruto, saying cruel words under their breath, and, sometimes, she was torn between following in Naruto's shadow and going up to some of these people and giving them a piece of her mind. Hopefully, news of Naruto's heritage would get around soon and change their minds, but she doubted the people would view him any differently in reality.

"Hinata-chan? What's wrong? You're gripping my hand kinda tight," Naruto's voice questioned, pulling the girl out of her thoughts. She looked to his face to see a worried expression.

Hinata frowned slightly, lowering her eyes. "I r-really don't like these people, Naruto-kun. I don't like how they glare at you with such hate, and I don't like the things they're saying in hushed tones," she explained, then gained a more saddened look, and said, "I know why they're doing it, but I still really don't like it..."

Naruto nodded, replying quietly so nobody would hear. "I know what you mean, Hinata-chan. I used to hate them, too. But if I'm ever going to become Hokage, I'm going to have to learn to love each and every one of them. The fact is, if you think about it, a lot of these people aren't bad. They're hurt, and they don't know how to deal with it. It's true that the ways they go about it sometimes are bad, but overall, they love their families, their friends, and they get along with so many other people. The only reason they hate me is because they don't understand me, and they're afraid. Really, the fact that they don't know me means they _can't_ hate me," he explained, then grinned, and said in his louder voice, "After all, you can't say you hate or like a food if you've never tried it! Naturally, I'm going to have to introduce you to Ichiraku Ramen, -ttebayo!"

Hinata smiled softly. "I'm glad you feel that way, Naruto-kun. A candidate for Hokage has to think hard about things like that, after all," she replied softly, blushing at the megawatt grin Naruto gave her for her compliment.

Looking up, the two realized they'd reached their destination, the Hokage's tower. Soon enough, they went inside, and headed for the elder Sarutobi's office. Upon opening the door, and seeing not just Hiruzen, but an old man with long, spiky white hair as well, Hinata suddenly left Naruto's side, roaring in anger, and began attacking the strange man!

Startled, Naruto could only watch as Hinata chased the man around the room, attempting to get at him. "You!" she shouted.

"Me?" he asked back.

"Yes, you! Where in the world were you! You were supposed to take care of Naruto-kun! You're his godfather! Why weren't you around for him!" she screamed, raging at the man.

Eventually, the man was cornered. However, his hair, of all things, suddenly extended, and wrapped around Hinata, effectively binding her. Struggling against her restraints, Hinata eventually stopped and settled for snarling at the man. "I guess I shouldn't be too angry," she said, then taunted, "After all, it's because you did nothing for him that I was brought into existence to be here for him."

The old man, apparently Naruto's godfather, growled slightly. "You say I did nothing?" he asked. Then, he pulled, seemingly out of nowhere, a crystal ball and a thick book. Activating the crystal ball, the people in the room were treated to a view of Naruto, standing there.

Naruto, upon seeing this, looked around for any hidden cameras, and began goofing around with his image a bit. The old man quickly put the crystal ball away, slightly disappointing the boy, and explained, "I wasn't able to see every misdeed done to Naruto, but I saw a lot of them. In this book are the names of the people who have wronged him while I watched, along with what they've done and any dirt I've dug up on them. Right now, I'm here to help put a barrier seal up wherever Naruto's going to be staying next, since you apparently ruined the last one, and, while I'm here, I might as well get him some training, as well as use my right as his godfather to put these people to justice. I was very busy with my job, but whenever I could, I checked up on the little runt, and you do not know how many times I wanted to just abandon my job as a spy-master, and just run back home to take care of him. I can tell you, that thought crossed my mind a LOT!"

Hinata frowned slightly, no longer angry. Lowering her head, she mumbled. "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama. I know all too well what it feels like to watch him with worry in your heart and not be able to do anything. Please forgive my outburst, and allow me to help you with caring for Naruto-kun."

The now-named Jiraiya nodded, and released the hold his hair had on the girl. Hiruzen cleared his throat. "It will take a bit of time and money to refurnish it and restock its food supply, but the home Minato and Kushina shared is still around and available. Until that's done, you may stay with the Hyuuga, as I'm certain Izumi has already picked out some guest rooms for you. Also, Jiraiya, I accept your request to bring justice to those who have mistreated Naruto. We can have the council meeting for that tomorrow. I'm certain, with recent revelations, that you won't have too much trouble having those people punished. Also, I'm giving you from now until Naruto's graduation off, seeing as you've done well in gathering information. Hinata, you will be allowed to attend classes with Naruto, but I have decided to officially give you the rank of Gennin. You're probably more powerful than the average Gennin, but I'm certain you'd like it better being assigned to Naruto's team than being given Chuunin or Jounin rank, and being unable to stay with him. Now, why don't you three spend some time together? I'm sure you'd like to get to know each other better, so I'll let you binge on Ichiraku's, my treat!" the elderly Hokage said, smiling warmly at the end.

Naruto grinned. "Sweet! Ichiraku Ramen, -ttebayo!"

Meanwhile, in Naruto's mind scape, Kushina frowned slightly. "I miss Ichiraku Ramen, -ttebane..." she complained sadly.

Minato reached out to comfort her. "As long as you remember the taste, you should be able to recreate some in this plane for you to eat!" he reassured, patting his wife's back.

Kushina grinned, and a pool of her favorite ramen appeared. "RAMEN, -TTEBANE!"

Naruto chuckled slightly at the exchange going on in his head, and he, Hinata, and Jiraiya headed off.

Later, at Ichiraku Ramen

Hinata ate at a pace that got even Naruto to stare. He, however, soon stopped staring, and started chowing down as well, seeing Hinata's appetite for ramen as a challenge. Jiraiya didn't stop staring, however, and people were wondering if he was going to swallow a fly like that. If not for the occasional twitch, he might have entered Sage Mode by accident!

Finally, after twenty-three bowls, to Naruto's fifteen, Hinata was full, and it looked like Naruto was about to quit, too. "You...you ate more than Naruto..." Teuchi whispered in awe.

Hinata smiled sweetly, blushing a bit at the attention she was getting. "Th-thank you for the m-meal," she said softly.

Naruto, slamming down his sixteenth and final bowl, grinned. "Kami-sama sure knew what She was doing when She made you to be my perfect girlfriend, Hinata-chan!" he exclaimed.

Jiraiya frowned slightly. "You were really made by Kami-sama Herself?" he questioned.

Hinata blushed and nodded. "Y-yes...As I'm s-sure Hokage-sama has t-told you, I've witnessed all of Naruto-kun's l-life, i-including when he was in K-Kushina-sama's womb. Th-that's how I knew y-you were his Godfather. I've been made to cover N-Naruto-kun's faults, a-and I have f-faults of my own that w-were intended to be fixed b-by Naruto-kun. After all, l-love has to go b-both ways to w-work," the blunette explained, pressing her index fingers together.

Jiraiya grinned. "So does that make you some kind of angel? Oh, boy, don't let go of her, Naruto! She's gonna be a hottie someday!" the old man exclaimed perversely.

Hinata growled slightly, glaring at Jiraiya. "Don't you dare think of using me for one of your perverted novels, Jiraiya-san. Only Naruto-kun can think about me like that!" she snarled, then blushed heavily and gained a gob-smacked look on her face upon realizing what she'd said right in front of Naruto.

Turning around to see Naruto's reaction, Hinata was mortified to see him blushing slightly. "You know, Hinata-chan...we should really try to control those kinds of feelings at this point..." he said nervously, scratching a whiskered cheek with his index finger.

Hinata fainted dead away, and Jiraiya laughed heartily at the mess before him, as Naruto tried to rouse the girl...

Later, at the Hyuuga Compound

Hinata awoke to see the moon shining through the window of the room. Looking around, she saw that she was in the room that she and Naruto had been given. Groaning lightly, Hinata rose from the bed. She was startled that she slept for so long, but then, she was still getting used to her body. She was aware that she'd be tired for a good portion of the beginning of her life, but she hadn't realized she'd ever be out for so long.

A knock on the door was heard, and Naruto's voice called through it, "Hinata-chan, are you awake?"

Hinata smiled softly. "Yes, I'm up Naruto-kun," she called back.

"Do you mind if I come in?" he asked, sounding a tad nervous.

Hinata blushed softly. "G-go ahead. I j-just woke up, so I'm d-decent," she answered, having realized shortly after awakening that she was still clothed in what she'd been wearing earlier that day.

Naruto entered, grinning slightly, though that was hard for him to pull off, considering it's Naruto. "I got you a nice jacket while I was in town with Ero-sennin," the former jinchuuriki said happily.

"Ero-sennin?" Hinata questioned, then giggled when she realized what he meant.

Naruto huffed. "He's strong, but it didn't take long for me to figure out that he's a pervert!" he complained, then smiled again and continued, "But, yeah, I got you a jacket, since you don't seem to like guys staring at your...um...figure. And I asked Izumi-baachan to sew the Uzumaki Clan symbol onto it! I really don't know if I'll fall in love with you or not, but you're precious to me, and I want you to be part of my family either way!"

Hinata gave Naruto one of the warmest smiles he'd ever seen in his life. "Th-thank you, N-Naruto-kun," she said softly, lowering her head slightly as her soft, moon-colored eyes peered at him from beneath her bangs.

Naruto smiled back at her. A warm, pure smile. "I was happy to, Hinata," he said happily, dropping the suffix for once. Jumping onto his bed, he grinned at her. "Why don't we get to sleep?" he asked.

Hinata blushed slightly, and replied, "I-I'm not sure if I'll be a-able to...My b-body may appear to be the same a-age as yours, but I'm t-technically still a n-newborn, and my body hasn't gotten adjusted to s-sleeping at the right t-time yet..."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Then I guess it's my responsibility to stay up with you, ne?" he answered, more than willing to do so for his new friend.

Hinata blushed slightly. "M-Maybe if you c-cuddle with me a b-bit, I m-might fall asleep," she said nervously.

Naruto nodded, then got up off his bed and headed over to Hinata's. Moving over, the pale-eyed girl let her crush enter the bed with her, and Naruto put his arms around her, pulling her against him, so her head was resting against his chest. "Like this, right?" he asked, slightly nervous.

Hinata nodded against his chest, suddenly feeling sleepy. "Y-Yes...Th-That's just...*YAWN* perfect, N-Naruto-kun," she yawned, falling asleep as she did so.

Naruto knew he wasn't supposed to sleep with Hinata, but they both had their clothes on, and she was asleep, so nothing weird was going to happen. Besides, it felt so...right...

"G'night, Hinata-chan," he said softly as he, too, fell asleep...

End Chapter Three


	4. Academy Shenanigans

Wish Upon a Star

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this work of fanfiction, including the fan-made events in this chapter concerning the history of the Uzumaki clan. I'd also disclaim my horrible update speed, but I know you all would call BS if I did.

Chapter Four

_Academy Shenanigans_

The next day

Hinata awoke with a smile on her face. "I slept well," she mumbled to herself, only to blush horribly and backpedal off the bed when she saw a sleeping Naruto right in front of her. Looking up from the floor, she saw Hanabi giggling as she stood there.

"You're really shy, aren't you, Neechan?" the small brunette giggled.

Hinata nodded. "Y-yes...Do you need something, Hanabi-chan?" she asked, getting up and brushing herself off.

The smaller girl shook her head. "Nope. I just came to make sure you two got up in time to get ready for the Academy," she explained, then shouted, "Naruto-niichan! Teuchi-jiisan and Ayame-neechan are going on vacation for a few months, and you can only get more ramen from them for another hour before they leave!"

The blond sprung out of bed, shouting, "Ramen-chan! Wait for me!" He then realized where he was, and that Hanabi had probably just said that to wake him up. "That's not funny, Hanabi-chan! Don't joke about stuff like that-ttebayo!" he scolded.

Hanabi and Hinata both found themselves giggling. "You should have seen the look on your face, Niichan!" Hanabi laughed.

"I have to a-admit, it was quite comical seeing you g-get all worked up," Hinata stammered.

Naruto sighed. "So, Hinata-chan and I have the Academy to go to today. That's what you woke us up for, right, Hanabi-chan?" he asked.

Hanabi nodded. "Yup! Also, Father got you some decent clothes, since we can't have Konoha shinobi going around wearing bright orange, and your wardrobe has been destroyed for the most part anyway, so don't be too surprised when you find a nice-looking outfit to change into after you get out of the bath. Father says not to worry about paying him back, since he's sure you'd have nice clothes already if the shopkeepers would have treated you respectfully from the start. Now, we all need to get ready for the day, so why don't we get going?"

Naruto and Hinata nodded, and the three of them left the room.

Later, at the Academy

Naruto grinned at Hinata, who seemed somewhat hesitant to enter the classroom. "Don't worry, you'll be fine, Hinata-chan. You're already a gennin, so you don't have to worry about answering questions or tests or anything!" he excitedly encouraged her.

Hinata shook her head. "It's not that...I'm just worried that people won't like me..." she mumbled.

Naruto smirked. "That's what you're worried about? They'll love you, Hinata-chan! And if people do give you trouble, I'll beat them to a pulp-ttebayo!" he exclaimed, punching his palm.

Hinata giggled, suddenly feeling better. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I know I can count on you, at least," the blunette replied happily. With that, the two of them entered the classroom.

Naruto went to take a seat, while Iruka gestured for Hinata to come over to him. She handed him a note from the Sandaime, and after reading it, Iruka addressed the class.

"Class, this is Hinata Hyuuga. She's been ill for a long time, and unable to join the Academy because of it, but she's recently recovered, and is going to be with us for the rest of the year, so please treat her well," Iruka explained.

Hinata bowed slightly. "A-ano, I look forward to learning here," she said to the class.

Naruto smiled. _"Good job, Hinata-chan! I only hope I can remember your cover story well enough that I don't slip up at any point,"_ he thought to himself.

Before reaching the Academy, Hiruzen had sent an ANBU to give them information on Hinata's cover story, along with a note for Iruka. It would be bad for Hinata if the wrong people found out about where she came from.

Hinata walked up the row to sit next to Naruto, who sent a smile her way. Ino, who was seated behind Hinata, decided to speak her mind. "So, Hinata, was it? I'm Ino Yamanaka. How come I've never heard of you? I'm pretty sure I would have seen you around town at some point, but that's not the case," the Yamanaka heiress asked.

Naruto frowned. "It's because the elders of her clan are jerks. She's from the Head Family, but since she was born so weak, the elders didn't want people to know she existed, since they thought it would make the clan look bad. The only reason I didn't tell anybody about her is because Hinata-chan didn't want me to get in trouble with them. She's really sweet, and she recovered really well, so she's pretty strong right now, too," he explained, grinning near the end.

Hinata smiled softly. "The only reason I wasn't s-sealed is b-because I'm the eldest child of the clan head," she explained.

Ino nodded. "Yeah, I never really agreed with the whole idea of that seal your family uses," the blonde admitted.

Hinata nodded as well. "I hate it. It's a disgusting tradition that I wish would just go away," she replied, meaning every word she said this time.

Naruto frowned. "Yeah. I made a promise to Hinata-chan, Hanabi-chan, and Neji that I'd do everything I could to get rid of the damned thing when I become Hokage," the former jinchuuriki said, his voice full of conviction.

Shikamaru, who was sitting nearby, sighed. "Come on, Naruto. Even if you do become Hokage, those old windbags won't just let you push them around. Then again, if I heard correctly, your name is going to hold quite a bit of sway by the end of the week, so you might at least get that hat you've always wanted," the shadow-user said.

Ino frowned. "What do you mean? Do I hear some juicy gossip? Come on, Shikamaru, cough up whatever info you're hiding!" the girl said, grabbing Shikamaru by the lapels of his jacket and shaking him violently.

"Ahem!" Iruka coughed from the front of the class, gaining the four kids' attention. "Save the chatter for lunch break, please. We're having class right now."

The four gave their various apologies, and class resumed.

Later, at lunch

Naruto and Hinata sat together, enjoying their lunch, which Izumi had been happy to make. As soon as the lunch break had started, Ino dragged Shikamaru away somewhere to grill about what he'd let slip in class, and Chouji, being their friend, decided to follow in case things got messy between the two. Ino and Chouji didn't know it, but their minds were about to be blown.

"Mmm! This is good! Auntie Izumi always makes the best food!" Naruto exclaimed.

Hinata giggled. "Y-yes, her food is very tasty. I can cook some of her meals too, though. Maybe next time I should cook your breakfast!" the blunette suggested, then grasped Naruto's hand, and telepathically told him, _"I forgot to tell you a couple of things. When we're touching like this, we can speak to each other telepathically. Also, I wasn't kidding about being able to cook some of Izumi-sama's dishes. Anything she can do right now that my body is capable of mimicking, I can do as well. It's one of the reasons I was able to use the Rotation technique the night I was born."_

Naruto smiled, then looked down at his and Hinata's hands and grinned. _"Ne, Hinata-chan! You're suddenly very bold! Holding my hand like that out of the blue!"_ he replied. Hinata blushed heavily and took her hand back, putting it to her chest as she tried to keep from fainting. "Hehe! Now that I have an idea of what makes you turn red like that, it's kind of fun to make you blush-ttebayo!" the blond exclaimed.

"Hey, dobe!" a voice exclaimed. Naruto and Hinata looked up to see Sasuke Uchiha and his fanclub had approached them while they weren't paying attention. "What's a loser like you doing with a Hyuuga from the main branch? A clan-less orphan like you has no right hanging out with a noble like her," he said, then turned to Hinata and added, "Why don't you hang out with somebody more successful in life, like me?"

Inside of Naruto's mindscape, Kushina growled. "Who does that little brat think he's calling a loser-ttebane?" she shouted, then raised her fist and yelled, "Mikoto-chan would be ashamed of you, Sasuke-chan!"

Minato smiled sheepishly. "Um, you realize he can't hear you, right, dear?" he asked nervously.

Kushina turned to Minato, a vicious glint in her eyes. "After school, you and I are tutoring Naruto-chan so he can take that Uchiha butthead down-ttebane!" she exclaimed, leaving no room for argument.

Meanwhile, outside of Naruto's brain/soul/whatever, Naruto had stood up, and pointed at Sasuke angrily. "Hinata-chan can hang out with whoever she feels like, Teme! Also, she just so happens to be my girlfriend!"

Sakura, who had been standing at the front of the crowd, laughed. "As if! Nobody would date a moron like you, Naruto!" she crowed.

Hinata, who had been sitting silently this whole time, suddenly stood up. "Hinata?" Naruto said quietly, dropping the honorary suffix out of nervousness.

Sasuke smirked. "Hn. Seems like she found somebody better to spend time w-" whatever he was going to say was interrupted when Hinata roughly pushed past him and walked straight towards Sakura.

Sakura gasped. "What the heck?! Why did you push Sasuke-kun like that?!" she shouted, then raised a fist with the intent of clobbering the smaller girl.

Hinata caught the rosette's fist in the palm of her hand. "You don't know what you're talking about, Sakura Haruno. Naruto-kun is a wonderful boy, but you...You beat him up all the time, just because he shows you affection. I really don't like that," she replied darkly. Hinata then gave Sakura a quick punch to the gut, and the pink-haired girl fell to the ground in a heap.

Sasuke, who was ticked off when Hinata pushed past him like he was nothing, came at the blunette from behind. Hinata, sensing his approach, flipped him over her shoulder on instinct and slammed a palm into his stomach. Then Hinata realized the scene she made. She began turning redder and redder by the second in embarrassment, then shouted, "I can't believe I did that! I'm so sorry!"

"What's going on out here?" Iruka called out, having come over shortly after the crowd of Sasuke fan-girls had gotten too close to where Naruto was sitting, worried about his sort-of-younger-brother.

Several of the girls immediately pointed at Hinata, and told Iruka how Hinata had knocked out both Sakura and Sasuke. Iruka sighed. "Why would you do that, Hinata?" he asked.

Hinata frowned, feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei. I shouldn't have reacted so violently," she said softly.

Naruto, seeing what was going on, decided to stand up for Hinata. "Hinata-chan only got so angry because they were saying mean things about me-ttebayo! I don't know if her hitting Sakura and Sasuke was right, but you know, Sakura hits me all the time for a lot less, and I haven't seen her get in trouble for that! As for Sasuke, well, I think that was Hinata-chan acting on reflex. He was right behind her, about to do something to her, and she flipped him over her back and knocked the wind out of him-ttebayo! It might have been a little violent, but I don't want to think of what the teme would have done if she hadn't noticed him behind her-ttebayo," the blond explained, wanting to keep Hinata out of trouble.

Iruka frowned. "What were they saying that got you so upset, Hinata?" the scar-nosed Chuunin asked.

Hinata frowned. "A-ano, it's more that what she said w-was a single straw on top of a large bale of hay...I've heard how Sakura-san has treated Naruto-kun for the longest time from my mother, and occasionally from Naruto-kun himself, and I g-guess I've been a-angry at her for a very l-long time. As for what she was saying this time, w-well, she was saying how nobody would date Naruto-kun, referring to him as a m-moron in the process, and Sasuke-san had said before that that Naruto-kun was a...ano...c-clanless o-orphan...and that h-he had no b-business associating with me," she explained, not enjoying the amount of attention being paid to her.

"Well, he is!" one of Sasuke's fan-girls quipped.

Iruka's frown deepened. "Tell me, class, what is it that Konoha values among its shinobi the most?" Iruka asked.

Nobody seemed to know where Iruka was going with this, but a guess from Hinata and Naruto in unison seemed to get Iruka to brighten up.

"Teamwork?" the two said together, then blushed and looked away from each other with small smiles on their faces.

Iruka grinned. "Well, it looks like these two, who don't exactly have the best scores at the moment, have beaten the rest of you out! Yes, teamwork is an important part of how our shinobi work. Now, as unlikely as you all probably think it is, Naruto here will likely be one of your fellow shinobi. If you all treat him with such cruelty, what do you think that will do to your teamwork? I'll answer this myself; your teamwork with him will suffer, and it will be of no fault of his own. Naruto is actually quite friendly, in case none of you noticed, so a lot of your verbal and physical assaults on him are unprovoked. Yes, he pranks a lot of us, but let's face it, those pranks are harmless, and teach us to pay attention to our surroundings," he explained.

One of the kids frowned. "My mom says he shouldn't be a shinobi in the first place. She says his parents left him because of what a freak he is, and that he's a menace to society," the girl said.

Suddenly, Naruto's body jerked. He seemed to be having trouble with something for a second, and then his hands formed a single hand-seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted, and then suddenly, Kushina appeared next to him, and Naruto's struggling seemed to be over.

Kushina flexed her arms for a second. "What do you know, it worked-ttebane!" she exclaimed, then turned her gaze on the girl who had been speaking a few seconds earlier. "Let's get this straight, little missy. I did NOT leave my baby boy alone all these years willingly-ttebane! I wanted to raise him, play with him, feed him...I even wanted to change his diapers! But I was killed by Kyuubi, along with Minato-kun, and now I'm back! The two of us wanted one thing, one little thing when we died, and that was for our son to be treated well. And your mom, and so many others, SPAT ON THAT WISH! If Naruto-chan wasn't born, you wouldn't be alive today, you little jerk!" she shouted, then got down to the kid's level, applied a little killing intent, and said, "Now tell me where you live, so I can have a chat with your mother."

The little girl nearly wet herself, and mumbled her home address. Kushina was off in a blur of red.

Iruka stood there, gaping like a fish, when a hand landed on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Chuunin Umino. My wife likes you. After all, even though you didn't like him at first, you've become one of my son's few friends, and for that, you have my thanks and respect," a voice said from next to him.

Iruka turned to face the speaker, and his jaw went from gaping to dropping to the ground. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, stood before him. Iruka then looked at Naruto, who seemed in awe, then back to Minato, then repeated the process a few times. When he was done, he face-palmed. "Why didn't I see it before? It's RIGHT THERE! I look at Yondaime-sama's face every morning when I leave my house and see the monument on the way to work!" he exclaimed.

Minato grinned. "I suggest you get these kids back in class, and give them a lesson on the Uzumaki Clan, which Naruto is a part of. I'm sure they'll find it...enlightening," he said, then looked off in the distance where Kushina was still leaping from rooftop to rooftop and added, "My wife and I will be busy for a bit." With that, he vanished in a yellow flash.

Hinata frowned, and looked at the assembled children and the few teachers that were around. "If any of your parents are attacked by those two, I can only say that they brought it upon themselves," she said, then added, "Let that be a lesson to any of you that think it's all right to make fun of orphans. I can assure you that even if their parents don't somehow come back and deal with you, Kami-sama will when you pass on to the afterlife."

Hinata wasn't kidding. She'd seen Her do it.

Iruka sighed. "Well, that was crazy, but Minato-sama has authority over me, and since that man used Hiraishin, he was most definitely the real deal, so let's get inside and get class started again," the scar-nosed Chuunin said.

And with that, the kids were herded inside, all while Kushina and Minato were out making people believe in ghosts.

A few minutes later, in the classroom

Iruka frowned. "Now, this lesson is from before my time. The other teachers and I were taught about it back in the day, but in the past decade, it's been taken out of the curriculum by the civilian council for some absurd reason, and we teachers were forbidden from teaching it. They told us that we weren't allowed to teach it because it was a shameful part of our history, but thinking back, I get the feeling they just didn't want Naruto here to know how special he is," he said, feeling ashamed that he helped keep the existence of one of the greatest clans in Konoha's history a secret.

Sasuke, who was finally awake, asked, "What's so special about the dobe, then?"

"Yeah!" Sakura asked, "What could be special enough about Naruto's family that it was in history books? He's just some no-good orphan!"

Ino looked at Sakura with a horrified look on her face. "Have I really treated Naruto _that_ bad all this time?!" she wondered out loud.

Sakura looked at Ino like she was crazy. "Why do you care? It's just Naruto!" she asked.

Shikamaru groaned. "Sakura, shut up. You weren't awake to see Naruto's parents appear as shadow clones, so you don't know how stupid you and Sasuke sounded just now, but don't worry, you'll get your minds screwed with like the rest of us when Iruka-sensei is done with his lesson," he said, then sat back in his seat and told Iruka, "So get with the lecturing. I want it done with quickly so I can get back to my nap."

Iruka looked baffled. "You're staying awake for this lesson? _Willingly?"_ he asked incredulously.

Shikamaru sighed. "Naruto's mom sounds like a troublesome woman. She'd probably get on my case if I didn't listen to the story of her clan, and this happens to be one lesson I've not read in a book before, so I can't use the excuse that I've already gone over the material if my mom asks about it. Women really are troublesome sometimes," he explained, sounding very bored, then yawned and added, "Try to make it interesting and/or quick, Sensei."

Iruka shook his head, sighed, and got to it. "Now, the Uzumaki clan was not one of the founding clans belonging to Konoha, but that's only because they had their own nation and shinobi village back then, Uzu no Kuni and Uzushiogakure no Sato. They put together the framework for the government our village is run by, and even gave us many of the seals used to protect our village, being masters of a lesser known but highly valued form of jutsu, called Fuinjutsu, or Sealing Jutsu. Even today, our village's walls are reinforced by their techniques, and we even use their techniques to detect intruders entering the village.

"The Uzumaki clan have always been allies of the Senju clan, long before the founding of Konoha. The clans themselves were distantly related to one another, and helped each other through hard times. And that continued after Konoha was founded. Mito Senju, the Shodai's wife, was originally Mito Uzumaki, one of the great-granddaughters of the clan head at the time. She lived to the ripe-old age of one hundred thirty-two, until she died of old age. You might think that she lived a long time, but the fact of the matter is that there were many of their clan that lived to be over two hundred, so she actually died kinda young for an Uzumaki. While members of their clan weren't immortal or anything, it was really hard to take them down, something our enemies learned many times the hard way. They had a passive bloodline that gave them huge longevity, along with the ability to heal from things that would kill most of us. Heck, it even gave them the stamina to run for days without stopping! But the thing most visible about an Uzumaki clan member was their fiery red hair. Obviously, Naruto got his father's hair, but almost all of the clan members had hair as fiery as their tempers," he explained.

A lot of Naruto's classmates were looking at Naruto like they never had before. Shino, despite how introverted he was, raised his hand. "Please, Iruka-sensei, tell us of some of the accomplishments of the Uzumaki clan during their time," he said, startling some people who forgot he was in the room.

Iruka sighed. "There were so many things they did, from what I remember. But I only remember two lessons that were taught to my class well enough to relay them to you. I'm sure we'll be learning about more of them once Naruto's mom gets the council to change the curriculum, but I'll tell you of the tales I know about.

"During the second great shinobi world war, most of our forces were out in the field, fighting the good fight. Many of the great hidden villages were vulnerable during this time, but it was an unspoken rule that the main forces of each army leave the villages themselves be until the war was over, so we weren't too worried. Unfortunately, Iwa decided to break this rule, and sent a large force to Konoha. Uzu got word of this, and sent a huge number of their shinobi to our village. Now, I've been to the ruins of their village, so I know how far they had to go to get here. It takes five days to get there at normal shinobi speed, taking into account the time spent resting during the night. Iwa was already at our doorstep throwing Doton techniques at our walls when Uzu reportedly started heading out. Only a day later, Iwa's forces were caught between our forces, who were relatively fresh, and a large group of angry redheads, who were just as fresh despite having run straight here all of the day before. The Iwa group was routed, and then one of the Uzumaki managed to make one of the Iwa survivors tell them that there was a group headed to their village as well, and they all ran back for another day and defeated the Iwa forces at their village gates the next day.

"And the other lesson I remember is how the Uzumaki clan was defeated. Now, there's something you should know about shinobi life in general. When you're feared enough, people will want you gone. Fear of the Uzumaki is what drove Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri, along with several smaller nations, to amass an army of ten thousand some shinobi, and wipe Uzushio from the face of the earth. Even now, shinobi I've come across from enemy nations who survived that assault refer to the Uzumaki they saw that day as 'laughing, redheaded demons'. As I said, there were over ten thousand shinobi in the enemy's forces. The Uzumaki had somewhere around five hundred able-bodied shinobi. Everybody else was evacuating, heading to Konoha. As I said before, it's a five day trip for normal shinobi to get from Uzu to Konoha. The Uzushio refugees were almost all civilians, so they took ten days. Uzushio was unable to send for help from us due to their enemy shooting down any messenger birds that left the place, so we only knew they were fighting when the first of the refugees got here. I don't remember all the details, but before the fighting over there was over, the generals of the enemy's forces were bargaining with the remaining Uzumaki to join them. The Iwa-Kumo-Kiri group went from ten thousand-some shinobi to five hundred-some, and the remaining twenty-seven Uzumaki clan members reduced that number to two hundred-some with an attack that took their remaining lifespans and turned them into fuel for a bomb.

"The last Konoha saw of the Uzumaki clan was an enormous explosion off in the distance the day the refugees arrived, and the only reason we know how it went down is because before going out with a bang, the head of the Uzumaki clan used a special fuinjutsu to seal his memories of the past two weeks in a scroll that was given to Naruto's mother, Kushina Uzumaki, by the refugees. We had to wait a full day after the scroll was received for all the memories to transfer to the scroll before she could open it, and the clan head at the time, Arashi Uzumaki, named Kushina the new head of the Uzumaki clan. Ever since we learned what happened there, the white swirl on the backs of our flak jackets, which has always been the symbol of the Uzumaki clan, was replaced with a red swirl, to represent the blood of our allies, and our shame for being unable to save them," Iruka finished, then turned to Naruto, bowed, and said, "I'm very sorry you had to learn about your family like that, Naruto. I'm sure, though, that they'd be very proud to call you one of their own. Even without the red hair, you are most definitely an Uzumaki!"

Naruto couldn't believe it. He was sad to hear that they were dead, even in tears over it, but he was so proud to know his family was such an awesome bunch.

Hinata nudged Naruto, worried. "A-are you all right, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly.

Naruto shook his head. "No...but I will be," he said, smiling softly at the end of his statement.

In a flash of yellow light, Minato appeared with Kushina in his arms. Putting his wife down, the shadow clone of the Yellow Flash shook Iruka's hand. "I'm very happy to have a man like you teaching the future generation. I hope you don't mind, but Kushina-chan and I need to borrow Naruto and Hinata for some official business. I assure you they'll be back tomorrow, and if they have any homework that needs to be done, they'll do it," he said, then turned to Naruto and reiterated, "Isn't that right, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed. "The two of you live in my head now. Do you really think I can get away with not doing my homework anymore?" he joked.

Kushina interrupted anything else her fellow former jinchuuriki had to say by grabbing his and Hinata's hands. "Come on! I wanna brag about my son in front of the council-ttebane!" she exclaimed, dragging the two of them out of the room.

Minato gave the class a grin and left after his wife.

Sasuke picked his jaw up off the floor. "The dobe's the Yondaime's son?" he asked incredulously.

Iruka nodded. "Yes. But that doesn't mean class is letting out. Now everybody, let's review the Transformation Jutsu," he said.

And so, class continued, unfortunately for Iruka's students...

End Chapter Four


	5. Time Spent with Family

Wish Upon a Star

Disclaimer: I disclaim all that is used in this work of fanfiction, except for my laptop. It is mine, AND NONE SHALL TAKE IT FROM ME!

Chapter Five

_Time Spent with Family_

In a house in the heart of Konoha

Naruto, Hinata, and his parents reappeared in a room that was strangely clean, considering how long it had been since anybody had been inside of the residence. Kushina proudly exclaimed, "I knew those cleaning seals would still be working decades after I'd placed them!"

Minato smiled. "I never doubted you, Kushina! After all, you're the one who taught me most of what I know about fuinjutsu," he replied happily.

Hinata gasped. "Th-this is..."

Minato smiled gently. "Yeah, this is the house Kushina and I lived in before..." the blond said, trailing off at the end.

Naruto's eyes widened. "So, this is where I would have lived if you two hadn't died?" he questioned, then began looking around, taking note of the pictures and knickknacks in the room.

Kushina nodded. "Yeah...It's a nice place, isn't it?" she said softly, feeling nostalgic.

Hinata smiled. "I remember seeing this place from when I viewed Naruto-kun's life. The loveseat Kushina-sama sat in when he'd get fussy and kick more than usual is still here, and I'm pretty sure some of the instant ramen he'd give her cravings for is still sitting in the pantry. And I know for a fact some of the toys Minato-sama bought for him are around here somewhere," the blunette said happily.

Minato nodded. "Now, Kushina and I have to go see the council. You two should be safe staying here, in case some of the people of Konoha decide that 'Kyuubi is tricking them' or some such nonsense, so just relax for a while, okay? Don't go outside until we come back unless you have to," the elder blond said sternly.

Hinata and Naruto nodded, and Minato and Kushina disappeared in a flash of yellow light. The Byakugan user turned to Naruto and smiled. "I'm going to see if I can make something for us to eat. Minato-sama and Kushina-sama kept most of their food in seals to keep it fresh for as long as possible, so I'm sure I can find ingredients for something to eat, even without running water or power. Please, though, try to keep from looking around too much...There are things here that might upset you if you see them, and I don't want you to be alone when you're overcoming your past, okay?" she told her crush, frowning slightly in a stern manner near the end.

Naruto nodded, not realizing just how curious he'd get while waiting for Hinata to prepare a meal. Thus, a few minutes later, Naruto was fidgeting in his seat impatiently. _"I know Hinata said not to go looking around, but one room couldn't hurt, could it?"_ he wondered to himself, then got up and decided he's just look into the first room he came across. Walking over to a door on the other side of the room, he opened it, and almost immediately regretted his former thoughts.

There in front of him was a nursery, _his_ nursery, or at least the one that had been intended for him. His eyes teared up as he looked at all the stuffed animals and other toys that sat in a bin, the orange-colored wall with yellow star patterns, and the crib that was obviously intended for him to have slept in, with a toad-themed mobile hanging above it. As he stepped further into the room, he accidentally stepped on something. Looking down, he saw that it was a banner that said, "Welcome Home, Naruto!", that had obviously been hanging from the ceiling for some time, until age and gravity caused the strings to break.

The former jinchuuriki fell to his knees, realizing that, because of the Kyuubi attack on the night of his birth, all this was taken from him, and from his parents as well. The regret began to eat at him, knowing that if things had been different, he would have lived a happy, normal life with his parents, and he began to feel an intense pressure in his chest as his tears became more and more plentiful.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a pair of arms wrapped around him. "Shhh...It's okay now, Naruto-kun," Hinata's voice said from behind him as she held him. "Things will be different from now on. You may have lost the first half of your childhood to horrible circumstances, but your parents and I will see to it that you have a very happy life from now on," she continued as she nuzzled her face into the back of his neck, then added, "Besides, your life wasn't _all_ bad, was it? Izumi-sama, Hiashi-sama, and Hanabi-chan did their best to make your life better, along with Sandaime-sama, Teuchi-san, and Ayame-neechan. Try to remember the good things, and think about how things will start getting better now...Now why don't you come with me and relax on the couch? I'll help you dry those tears."

Naruto nodded silently, the only sound coming from him being the sniffles from his crying. Hinata led him to one of the couches in the family room where he'd started out at, where he absently noticed there was a pair of sandwiches sitting on plates on the coffee table. The sandwiches forgotten for the moment, Hinata sat down on the couch and had Naruto lay on it with his head in her lap. The blond was pleasantly surprised when Hinata began running her fingers through his hair, which helped him relax immensely. He smiled lightly as he rested, feeling touched by his new friend's kindness. "Thanks, Hinata," he said softly.

Hinata smiled, then blushed, and hesitantly leaned down and gave Naruto a kiss on his cheek. "You're w-welcome, Naruto-kun," she replied shyly, then continued her ministrations to his hair.

Naruto smiled as the girl whose lap he rested against continued showing him affection. After a while, he got up, and said, "Why don't we eat our food, and then I'll return the favor!"

Hinata blinked at the sudden statement, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "Y-You don't h-have to, but it w-w-would be nice..." she replied softly, twiddling her index fingers a bit.

Naruto grinned upon hearing this, and quickly wolfed down his sandwich, while Hinata ate hers at a more sedate pace. "That was really good, Hinata-chan!" he exclaimed, then grinned wider and added, "Now come over here! I wanna try that thing you did before!"

Hinata nodded, her blush magnifying as she rested her head in Naruto's lap. She made a tiny cooing noise when Naruto's digits began gently running through her hair. Soon enough, she was smiling, although just with a tiny smile, but it showed plainly that she enjoyed being the one getting pampered this time. "This feels nice, Naruto-kun," she said softly.

Naruto nodded. "It's pretty relaxing for me, too," he replied, then grinned mischievously and asked, "Are you ticklish, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata gasped, then looked up and saw the grin on Naruto's face. Smiling nervously, Hinata began moving to retreat a little. "N-Naruto-kun...What are you..." she managed to get out before the boy pounced, tickling her for all he was worth. Hinata's peals of laughter were music to the former jinchuuriki's ears. She laughed and laughed and laughed, then suddenly got a grin on her face that was just as mischievous as Naruto's, and Naruto found himself tickling a pillow.

Startled by the sudden use of the Substitution Jutsu, Naruto whirled around just in time for Hinata to pin him and begin her counterattack. "Hey! No fair! You used ninjutsu!" he exclaimed between laughs.

Hinata giggled. "All's fair in love and war!" she replied happily. Soon enough, though, their tickle war exhausted them, and they rested next to each other on the couch, catching their breath.

"That was fun," Naruto breathed with a smile. "I'm glad I have you to hang out with, Hinata-chan," he said happily. His answer, however, was some soft breathing, and Hinata's head leaning on his shoulder. The girl had fallen asleep, tired from the day's activities. Naruto smiled softly at her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, lying his head on top of hers as he, too, let sleep take him.

Meanwhile, with Minato and Kushina

Minato frowned at the council, having killed Danzo the instant he entered the room. "I can't believe you let him get away with the things he's done," he said scornfully.

Kushina nodded in agreement, immediately moving to stop the collateral damage sealing technique the deceased elder had on his body, and then revealing the Sharingan eyes and the face of Hashirama on his body. Several members of the council gasped, a few looking ill, and Koharu and Homura looked away, ashamed that their colleague had fallen so far right under their noses.

Hiruzen frowned at the corpse of his rival, then smiled at Minato. "Thank you, Minato-kun. I can only imagine what he intended to do with those unnatural attachments on him," he said to his successor, then got up from his seat, walked to the pair, and bowed his head to the ground, motioning to the rest of the council to do the same. "I beg your forgiveness, both of you, for not doing more for Naruto-kun. I can only hope you have some kind of idea to help me make up for my mistakes. If you were willing to take this hat from me, I'd gladly train Naruto when you're unable to! Even if you don't, now that the village will approve of it, I'll gladly help train him during my free time!"

Minato and Kushina smiled. "Get up, Jii-san. We know the only reason Naruto suffered was because the council stopped you at every turn, and you did enough behind their backs that we know what your intentions were," the redhead replied, then turned to the civilian council, and said, "You people, on the other hand, have done everything you could to make my boy's life a living hell, and Minato and I are going to hit you where it hurts! Your wallets-ttebane!"

One of the members of the civilian council tensed. "W-what do you mean?" he asked nervously.

Minato gestured for the council members who had decided to bow to return to their seats. "Aside from some of the people of the village, people who have treated Naruto like a normal human being, I propose a tax be paid by the citizens of the village for twelve years to my son, to make up for the atrocious behavior towards him. I put this forward for a vote," he announced.

Hiruzen smiled. "For my own sake, I will make an amendment. Those who are not required to pay the tax may still opt in to pay the tax anyway if they feel like it," he suggested.

Hiashi nodded. "I, too, would like to pay the tax in the event that my family is not asked to pay it. I second Hokage-sama's amendment to the tax," he added.

Minato smiled, and he and Kushina bowed lightly towards Hiruzen and Hiashi. "All for the tax?" he asked. All of the clan heads, Hiruzen, the elders, some of the guiltier-feeling civilian council members, and Jiraiya, who had sneaked into the room at some point, raised their hands. Minato grinned. "Well, it seems that this new tax will go through. Don't worry, if I know my son as well as I do, he'll be giving a lot of that money back to the community. Hiruzen, if you would?"

The Sandaime nodded. "The new tax will be put into effect later this month. A letter will be sent to the villagers who it will affect, and people may opt in at any time. This meeting is adjourned. ANBU, take Danzo's body to the lab, and search his home. We need to know how deep his roots run," he commanded.

With that, everybody left, with Jiraiya and Hiashi deciding to join up with Minato and Kushina at their home, though the latter decided to gather his immediate family to come with him first.

Meanwhile, with Naruto and Hinata

The two young lovebirds had finally woken up, and Hinata had decided to show Naruto the training room in the basement, where they were currently going over his katas. Hinata was saddened upon seeing how flawed his taijutsu was, and was doing her best to teach him the proper stances.

Occasionally, when Hinata moved Naruto's arms and legs to correct a stance, the blunette would accidentally brush against him in ways she hadn't intended, and would practically teleport to the other side of the room, where she became a blushing, stuttering mess for a moment or two. Naruto would grin unintentionally whenever this happened, as he found the girl's actions to be incredibly cute. Even if being shy like that was considered by some to be a character flaw, the blond honestly hoped that his new friend would always have at least a little bit of shyness in her personality, because he was definitely enjoying seeing her blush.

Hinata was amazed by how strong Naruto was once he got around to using the right technique. "I can't believe so many people missed this, Naruto-kun! You're learning so quickly, and you're so good at what you've learned, too!" she exclaimed, then nodded and added, "But the Academy taijutsu style is only a basic form of taijutsu. I know for a fact that your parents have some scrolls for taijutsu styles they've used around here somewhere. It would be starting from scratch, but you'd have a much more powerful fighting style if you learned one of them."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He wasn't used to so much praise. "Hehe! Thanks, Hinata-chan-ttebayo! I'm glad you think I'm so awesome! Now, why don't we find some of those taijutsu scrolls?" he said happily.

"No need-ttebane! I can just get them for you!" Kushina said from the doorway, grinning happily.

"Mom!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing over to give the woman a hug. Upon seeing his father behind her, Naruto pulled the elder blond into the hug as well. "How did the council meeting go?" he asked curiously.

"Well, a traitor to the village, who wanted you to be trained to be a weapon, is dead now, and we managed to pass a tax that will have many of the people of the village paying for how they treated you all these years," Minato explained.

Naruto's eyes widened. "People are going to be paying me a tax? But I don't need a lot of money! What will I do with all of it?" he asked, panicking a little.

Kushina smiled. "Don't worry, sweetie, your father and I had an idea we thought you'd like. You can give a bunch of the money to charity and those in need-ttebane! There are many veterans of the previous shinobi wars that could use help, and if I remember correctly, the orphanage could use better supplies and a better building. Giving some of that money to the hospital would be nice, too, obviously," she elaborated.

Naruto grinned. "That sounds like a great idea-ttebayo! How about I give seventy-five percent back to the community each month? Does that sound like a good amount?" he asked.

Minato gained a thoughtful expression. "How about you keep what you get from the people who opted into the tax willingly, like Sandaime-sama and the Hyuugas, since it's a gift from them, but the rest you give back?" he suggested, then continued, "You won't get as much to keep to your name, but like you said, you don't need that much. You don't want your reputation in the village to get worse because you're keeping more money than the villagers are happy with, but eventually, when you start getting liked better in the village for good deeds, I'd say keeping twenty-five percent, like you first suggested, would be acceptable."

Naruto nodded. "That sounds good. Thanks-ttebayo!"

Kushina nodded. "Now, let's get onto that training!" she exclaimed.

Later, at the Hyuuga estate

Naruto grinned as he relaxed in the hot springs. "You were right, Dad! Resting in a hot spring is great when you've just finished training!" he exclaimed as he rested his muscles.

Minato nodded. "Yeah...Thank you for having us, Hiashi-sama," the shadow clone of the deceased Hokage said.

Hiashi smiled. "It's not a problem. Just as long as Naruto knows not to peep while he's here," he said, sending a frightening glare in Naruto's direction.

The younger blond, completely unfazed by the glare, replied, "Relax! If I go near the divider, it's because I wanna talk to Hinata-chan or somebody, not because I wanna peep on them!" He then chuckled and added, "Besides, if what Hanabi-chan and Aunty Izumi told me is true, we have to worry about them peeping on us, too!"

Hiashi scoffed. "Surely, you don't think my wife and daughter might be peeping on us. My Izumi-chan is married to me, and quite faithful, and Hanabi is far too young for such impure thoughts," the Hyuuga Patriarch refuted.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you have a point, but the fact of the matter is, there are other women in this compound, most of whom have the same eyes as you have, and if I remember correctly, my dad had quite a fan club while he was alive..." the former jinchuuriki said, trailing off at the end.

Minato grinned. "Don't worry about that. Kushina's really good at keeping the fangirls away," he replied, completely relaxed, and obviously confident in his wife's ability to keep pesky peepers at bay. He then turned a lazy eye in Naruto's direction, and teased, "But you know, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't do anything if, say, Hinata were to peep on you, Naruto."

The younger blond snorted. "Please! Hinata-chan's not going to peep on me! We're definitely getting married someday, though, and we both love each other, so it wouldn't really matter if she did, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't-ttebayo!" he replied happily.

Hiashi smiled. "I'm glad you found somebody for yourself, Naruto, even if she was acquired differently than most significant others..." the Byakugan user chuckled.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I'm really lucky I wished on that star that night," he replied softly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the divider

Kushina smirked from her spot on top of a mound of Hyuuga women who had attempted to peep on her husband. "That should teach 'em-ttebane!" she exclaimed.

Hinata and Hanabi clapped and stared in awe, amazed at the show of power the Uzumaki woman had made. "You're so strong, Kushina-sama!" Hanabi exclaimed.

Kushina frowned. "Don't call me "Kushina-sama". You're practically family to Naruto-chan, Hanabi-chan. Just call me Aunty Kushina, or just Aunty!" she exclaimed, leaping from on top of the pile back into the springs.

Hanabi nodded. "I guess, but you know Hinata-neechan's going to be the one who's going to _really_ be family to you someday!" the only brunette in the group said, then turned to Hinata and asked, "So, Neechan, when do you plan on doing something more than hugging and cuddling with Naruto-niichan?"

The younger of the two blunettes in the room blushed, and began poking her fingers together. "W-well...H-honestly, we haven't even k-k-kissed yet..." she stammered softly. Hanabi, Kushina, and Izumi all gasped.

"You two haven't even kissed yet? What's taking you so long?" Kushina asked, somewhat irate.

Hinata turned red. "I-it's not like I d-don't w-want to..." she said softly.

Kushina grinned. "Looks like somebody wants some lovey-dovey action with my son-ttebane!" she exclaimed, then headed over to Hinata to give her a hug.

Hinata began stammering. "I-I c-couldn't do things like...t-that with him! N-Naruto-kun doesn't l-love me the s-same way I l-love him, s-so doing that with him w-would be taking advantage of h-him!" she exclaimed as Kushina hugged her like she was a plush.

The redhead grinned. "Come on, you really think he doesn't love you? Take it from somebody who's currently living in his mind scape, he's head-over-heels for you! Besides, I want grandbabies in a few years, and the more you two spend time with each other," Kushina teased with a wink, then continued, "the easier it will be when you finally decide to make some!"

Hinata began twiddling her index fingers. "Babies with Naruto-kun..." she mumbled softly, imagining adorable children running around the house, calling her Mama and Naruto Papa, then shaking her head to get the fantasy out of her mind. "B-but, Naruto-kun and I have only just started to get to know each other! We can't m-m-m-make love so s-s-soon!" she exclaimed.

Izumi nodded. "She has a point, Kushina. Hinata-chan and Naruto-chan shouldn't take such a big step so early in their relationship," the Hyuuga Matriarch agreed, then added, "Kissing would probably be fine at this point, though."

Kushina waved her hand dismissively. "Then they should go on a bunch of dates and get that stuff over with! I WANT GRANDBABIES-TTEBANE!" she shouted.

Hinata, Hanabi, and Izumi all blushed heavily upon hearing Kushina's shout. Kushina, upon realizing how loud that was, face-palmed. "I have to stop getting so excited," she said dejectedly.

Hinata sighed. "Maybe we should get out..." she added softly, and wordlessly, everybody decided that was a good idea.

That night, in Naruto and Hinata's room

Hinata blushed heavily upon remembering the conversation she had in the bath with Kushina and the others. _"Obviously, it's too early to do something like _that_ with Naruto-kun, but maybe...Maybe he wouldn't mind a kiss?"_ she wondered. She was startled out of her thoughts, however, when Naruto walked out of the bathroom, having finished changing into his pajamas.

"Hinata-chan? What's wrong? Why aren't you in bed yet?" he asked, worried for his girlfriend's well-being.

The Byakugan user blushed even more, looking down slightly. "W-well, it's j-just that...We've seen each other naked already, a-and we've s-slept in the same b-bed, but we haven't...k-kissed each other yet...It's b-bothering me a little bit..." she replied softly.

Naruto nodded, knowing exactly where Hinata was coming from. "That makes sense that that would bother you. It bothers me a bit, too. Normally, those things come after kissing, not before," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

The blunette smiled softly. "Maybe we could kiss now?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that could be nice. A goodnight kiss-ttebayo!" he replied excitedly.

He walked closer to her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders as she crossed her hands behind his neck. Gazing happily into his blue eyes, the fledgling angel inched her face closer, as her partner did the same. As their lips touched, there were no fireworks. Fireworks, after all, are loud and explosive. This kiss was not meant to be either of those. The kiss was gentle, and gave feelings of comfort and happiness to both halves of this one whole. The kiss lasted but an instant, however, in that instant, it told both the lovers what they needed to know about their partner.

"_She's the one for me..."_

"_He's the one for me..."_

After they pulled apart, Naruto and Hinata went to their separate beds, knowing that that kiss would keep them both until morning, when they'd turn to a new page in their lives.

And at that same time, a crazy redhead was plotting how she'd be able to get grandbabies, while her husband tried to keep her from doing something drastic...

End Chapter Five


End file.

Naruto, Romance