HSA: Hotel Resort [Part F]

Midnight Fever

Hinata felt weak in the knees as she sauntered hand-in-hand with Naruto through the receding crowd. But weariness was a small price to pay for the sexual fulfillment that emanated from her aura. And she would trade nothing for the perpetual heat that lingered between her legs — a constant reminder that what she shared with Naruto was real. He made her feel so extraordinary that reality often times seemed like a dream, a nightmare in the making.

"How do you feel," he asked with a smile, veering them from a collision course with oncoming people.

"I-I'm okay..."

"Just 'okay'?"

Hinata felt her face heat, and she glanced down at her sandals for a brief moment, aware of the heat that lingered at her core. "I-I feel fantastic!"

Naruto grinned, battling with the blush that forced its way into his cheeks — and they would've triumphed, too, if not for the fireworks that suddenly decorated the night's sky.

The crowd looked up in awe, gasping as fireworks of many colors and designs exploded in the sky. Toddlers screamed in exhilaration, trying to point out all the different patterns to their family and friends. To them, this was a spectacular miracle that brought a delight unparalleled.

But Hinata looked pass the fireworks — beyond the man-made lights — to the galaxy of stars that sat in the motionless sky. She sought frivolously through streaks of blue and white for their names in the constellations without success. However, her disappointed did not come without closure.

Gently, Naruto pulled her against him. Together, they watched as the full moon — the ever-vigilant deity — illuminated them with her divine glow, as if chanting a silent prayer for the couple's longevity. And they would be together forever...

"Are you ready to go," he asked in an undertone, his fingers caressing her side.

"Hn," Hinata nodded her head once, her heart diving into a sudden gallop.

Her body was still a tad sensitive from her orgasm, but for this sensual princess, one orgasm would not suffice.

"Oh, before we go... there's something that I need to take care of."

He took off.

"W-Wait, Naruto-kun," Hinata spluttered, an edge of question in her tone.

"Stay there," he cast her a brief glace over his shoulder. "I'll be right back."

She hung her head and pouted. He could have at least given her a vague explanation so that she could keep herself preoccupied, trying to wrap her head around it.

"I'm back!"

Wow, that was quick. "Na-Naruto-kun... what was it?"

"Oh, it's nothing — I just thought I saw someone I recognized, that's all. Shall we," he offered her his hand, which she took tentatively.

Hinata allowed Naruto to steer them back to the hotel. In between their observations, commentary, and questions, she thought about his words earlier. He said he had something special in stored for her. The princess wondered what he meant by those words, but her inner-goddess knew, and her body hummed in anticipation to the promise.

Finally, our lovebirds were back at their temporary home. As Hinata tilted her head back, to look at a recently placed billboard, she felt Naruto lagging behind, and then his hand released hers. She turned around to find him waving at her with an enigmatic grin, his eyes closed in that classic countenance. Why was he saying goodbye?

"Head back to the room from here," was all that he said before dispersing in a fluffy cloud of smoke.

Hinata stood dumbfounded for a while, trying to get over the initial panic and shock before attempting to wrap her head around what just happened. Was her date a Kage Bunshin all this time? Where was the original? Could it be that he was in some sort of trouble?

She took a deep breath, collecting herself, pushing aside her pessimism. A decision had to be made — should she turn around and search for him. No. The clone had demanded that she head back to the suite. Moreover, it was ideal to search here first. Hopefully, it wasn't a trap.

Her highness pulled open the glass door and hurried across the lobby, ignoring the leers and other dreadful forms of gazes she received from the females. What was their problem?

Before she could round the final flight of stairs — to her surprise — she noted red foliage on the steps, which called for a frown. "Could this be... rose petals?"

They led her along a narrow path through the poorly lit corridor and continued into the slightly ajar door of the suite. Hinata held her breath, astonished. Surely, Naruto couldn't be doing what she thought he was. Her heart swelled with each step she took.

Slowly, the princess pushed the door opened and her lips parted in silent awe. The suite was in darkness, permeated with the flicker of warm candlelight. And the soft volume of alternative music called from the entertainment center — Enrique Iglesias: Hero.

Hinata sighed as her eyes roamed. She couldn't draw a full breath into her chest and marveled at Naruto Uzumaki's ability to keep the flames of her interest ablaze.

She continued following the bed of rose petals. They went all the way into the bedroom and bathroom. She paused, staring at the open tub filled to the brim with water. Petals floated atop the surface. They were scattered all around the bathroom, too.

The girl never imaged that she would ever be a part of such a romantic scene and, at this very young stage in her life to boot. She only read about these things in romance novels, but for it to come true...

The princess couldn't find the right words. There were so many emotions, so many thoughts swirling around right now — she couldn't isolate the right elements with which to express her fascination. So she stood motionless, looking to all the candles placed in the tiled haven, allowing herself to sink and fall back into the arms of reverie.

It was already clear what Naruto meant when he said he had something in stored. The ambience was perfect, the mood was set, and her body was calling out for attention. But her knight was nowhere to be found.

"Na-Naruto-kun..."

All of a sudden, he appeared out of nowhere, as if he had been summoned — materializing by the sound of her voice. He hugged her from behind in his magical descent, a steely erection poking her buttocks in the warm embrace. "I've been waiting for you," he whispered against her ear.

For a brief moment, Hinata was alarmed, petrified, but upon registering his voice, she reclined her head with a low moan at the caress of his warm breath. Naruto inhaled deeply, filling his nose with the lovely scent of her hair, even as his hands did quick work to untie her sash. Then slipping into her garment to cup and crush her chest.

The princess lets out a cute mewl, her body humming with rejoice at the current that discharged from him to her. It consumed her, fueling her desire, building her heat, making her wet. She moaned, her breasts filling his large hands, her nipples vulnerable to his merciless fingers. And Naruto thrusts with his erection, eager to be inside, desperate to be coated with her juices.

"A-All this time..." Hinata panted as he grounded the haori-jacket and pushed the sleeve of her garb across her shoulder and down her bicep, kissing every increment of skin as it was revealed to him. "W-Was it a Kage Bunshin that was with me at the festival?"

Naruto allowed the yukata to fall and puddle around her feet. Then he knelt in front of her, drawing a line with his nose up the delicate length of her thigh once he had taken off her stocking. "Of course not," he muttered against her inner-thigh, moving now to her other leg with a hot sigh. "Remember when I took off and said I thought I saw someone I knew? Well, I substituted with a clone at that moment, and then hurried back to get everything ready."

Hinata all but screamed in delight when he shifted her underwear to a corner and latched onto her bubble with his lips — sucking, licking, nipping, and pulling her into insanity. Her body trembled, and she staggered on her feet, her breaths thick and heavy.

Slowly, regretfully, Naruto rose before her, his eyes smoldering. She watched him, overwhelmed, and then she bit her bottom lip. He licked his, tasting her again and Hinata blushed.

"It's our last night here — I want it to be mesmerizing and memorable." his eyes dropped to her cleavage, and a sly smile spread across his face.

With one finger, he pulled down the crest of her elastic tube top, one side and then the other. Hinata's breasts pushed up, ripe, exposed, and vulnerable. Naruto leaned forward to kiss and tug at each nipple in turn with warm, soft lips. The princess watched him, swamped with pleasure, her hands limp as he sampled the flavor of her chest.

Finally, the sage lifted his head and took her lips, offering her a taste of what he had sampled. Hinata tasted herself, knew the potency of her desire, and she moaned in his mouth as his hands squeezed her buttocks.

Before she could stick her tongue into his mouth, he pulled back reluctantly and reached for her hand. He led her silently into the bathroom — a telling haste in his strides — and then released her before climbing the steps to the bathtub. Hinata looked onto him with lust and praise as he opened his bathrobe and cast it aside. Her face went up in flames at the sight of his nudity, and her center pulsed out of control. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the lean length of him.

Naruto smiled. "Join me, "he commanded sweetly, breaking her trance.

Hinata's eyes popped opened when she noted he had caught her ogling at his arousal. But the princess went on to give him a heart attack — slowly taking off her tube top and panties, her cheeks bright, her eyes coy. Naruto was unsure whether she was giving him a show or being casual, but his erection pulsed in excitement. And even more so when she gave him her hand and stepped into the broad bath. He stepped inside, too, sitting behind her with his length throbbing on the base of her back.

Hinata couldn't find her focus. All her senses, all her feelings, fixed at that one point where his hardness touched her, and her eyes half-lidded in her rising fever, her breathing hot and fast through parted lips.

She blinked rapidly in surprise, when she felt his hands fumbling in her hair, trying to unfurl it. And she closed her eyes and smiled. What she felt when Neji combed her hair couldn't compare to the sensations she felt as Naruto undid the coils and pleats of her silky mane.

Since the moment she confessed her love to him on the battlefield, Naruto Uzumaki was the driving force that held her to this world, not gravity, and even more so when he confessed his love in turn. She would be anything and do anything for him. No matter the distance, she would always find her way to his side, ready to dispose herself to his bidding and answer to his desires as he does for her.

All of a sudden, the subservient princess felt as her hair dropped to her back with Naruto quickly filling his nose with her unique fragrance. "I don't think I'll be able to go a day without being able to smell you like this," he said softly, his arms coiling around her through the warm water.

"Then don't," she replied, her appetite evident in her tone.

She felt his lips stretched against the side of her neck, and then his thumb slowly rolled the end of her nipple, elongating it. Hinata moaned, feeling the sweet sensation all the way between her legs. "Naruto-kun." his name rose from her lips automatically, and he said hers just as softly, just as smeared with intoxication.

His hands hovered upward beneath the smooth, creamy curves of her breasts, pushing them up, massaging them a bit, squashing the flexible skin between his fingers. His eyes lit up with enjoyment, and his fascination grew as his arousal did. "These are so soft," he whispered, pushing them together now, wishing he were smothered between her cleavage.

"Na-Naruto-kun... I want to touch you, too," she informed, even as she seized one of his busy hand and brought it between her legs.

"And you will," he assured in amusement, locking his arm around her, his forearm crushing the ripened fruits of her chest.

His lips raced across her wet shoulders and up the side of her neck. There, he lightly nipped her ear lobe and Hinata moaned aloud, her body pushing against him in her delight.

Naruto's fingers circled her outer g-spot, round and round. Reflexively, Hinata's hips started to circle, mirroring his hand, as excruciating pleasure spiked through her blood like adrenaline. The princess closed her eyes, trying to keep her breathing under control, trying to absorb the disordered, chaotic sensations that his fingers unleashed on her, fire coursing through her body. She moaned again.

"You're so plump down here," Naruto whispered to her ear. "I love it."

Hinata's brain froze over, stunned into inactivity by his naughty confession. She stared down through the water at his hand between her legs, unable to articulate anything — even her subconscious was silent.

But when he stood — water rippling down his hard body — and sweetly requested the use of her mouth, the princess shook off her shock. She turned around and sat on her heels in the tub, her eyes fixed on what every fiber of her craved, saliva flooding over her tongue in anticipation to having him in her mouth.

"Open wide," he demanded seductively.

Hinata blushed lasciviously, looking up at him beneath her thick lashes. She sat innocently with her hands rested atop her legs, like a docile child, waiting patiently to be fed by her guardian. And she parted her lips for him, closing her eyes in gratification as his crest slid across her lips and filled her mouth.

In his elation, Naruto ordered her not to participate with her hands. He gathered up a fistful of her hair as he slowly, gracefully, meticulously, eased in and out of her mouth, reveling in the delicious warmth she offered his hard muscle.

An electric thrill hummed through Hinata, alarming the butterflies that slept in her belly, compelling them to flight. And Naruto's eyes burned bright with wild excitement as the enthusiastic princess moaned around the width of him. He watched the erotic play between his vessel and her mouth, trying to keep the carnal, animalistic beast within him restrained.

His stomach clenched and his jaw drooped when the amorous goddess defied him. She coiled her fingers around his lean, veiny length and stroked him repeatedly, sealing his destruction with the aid of her tongue. "Hinata," he groaned — a warning, a pleading, praise.

The princess was too caught up in the spiraling heat of desire to care. She licked and sucked him as if nothing else mattered but bringing him to an explosive climax — savoring his masculine nectar along the way, desperate to drink of his sacred elixir.

And as her mouth played fiercer around his crown, Naruto couldn't help but bestow upon her this glorious reward — tucking himself in deep, pouring his rich essence down her throat. Hinata whimpered adorably against the strong hold of his hands, gladly swallowing the treasure he was so kind as to part with.

When he released her with sag of contentment, she held him in her hands and kissed his tip, sucking the remnants of protein from his pride. The young princess seemed to pout as she did, her eyes gleaming — screaming "stingy" in a frivolously manner.

Naruto watched her with a smile of appreciation, his eyes alight with a telling warmth. And he cupped the side of her face, brushing locks of loose hair behind her ear. "Why are you so amazing?"

"...Because Naruto-kun wouldn't want it any other way."

They shared a smile, and then the well-satisfied warrior relaxed at the edge of the bath, sitting in wait for Hinata to bring herself over to him.

He licked his lips in sweet anticipation, watching in amusement as she concealed her breasts and his gourmet meal down south with her tiny hands. She made her way coyly toward him, her face hot, her body flushed.

"Na-Naruto-kun," she averted her eyes shyly. "D-Don't stare — it's embarrassing."

"I can't help it — you're just too sexy!"

"Se-Sexy," the princess was astounded.

"Irresistible..."

"I-Irresistible?"

"Divine..."

"D-Divine?"

"Please don't make me wait any longer..."

The girl bit her lip, slowly inching toward him, but as soon as she was within reach, Naruto grabbed her voluptuous figure and pulled her close, like a ravenous predator that hadn't consumed for far too long.

The princess gasped, her eyes wide, but her inner-goddess vibrated anxiously on her feet, eager to be swept away by the swirling tides of desire once more. And Naruto didn't keep her waiting for too long.

Subsequent to running his nose through soft, downy hair and along the smooth, rotund length of her southern cheeks, he stuck his hot, wet tongue beneath her sensitive button, licking upward as he sampled her unique flavor in a wild frenzy.

Following a sharp, broken gasp, Hinata clasped fistfuls of his hair as though she were rooting up wild weeds from her garden. Drunk with elation, the princess pulled his face harder against her pulsing center, hungry for an even greater import of ecstasy. She didn't care about limitations. More was what her loins screamed — a desire, a demand that echoed just as potently in her mind.

Naruto savored her feminine nectar as his tongue laved between the sweet valley of her swollen hot-pocket. And Hinata trembled violently, breaking apart as he made the journey over and over again, her intoxicating scent breathing new life into his erection.

His tongue couldn't delve deep enough. Her flow wasn't as consistent as he pleased. Naruto wanted to overwhelm her. He wanted to hear her scream and chant his name. In his frustration, he gently took her g-spot into his mouth and rapidly shifted his head from left to right, pulling her down into a whirlpool of rapture. Hinata couldn't catch her breath. She was charged for detonation, and she willingly surrendered to the powerful current. For a brief moment, the princess felt a profusion of ecstasy and sexual fulfillment. She screamed in satisfaction as every cell in her body was injected with a hefty dose of pleasure.

Naruto freed her from his lips, tasting her delight upon them. He tasted danger, too, his body drugged by her defiant pheromones. His heart accelerated, blood gushing like fiery hot magma through his veins, melting away the iron bars that imprisoned the true beast that was his desire. The creature inhaled deeply, and then grunted, animalistic, needy.

Naruto knew what would come next, knew the scent that had excited the amorous beast. But he held the creature at bay — his restraint held on a threadbare leash — desperate to allow his princess to crawl back to rationality.

"Na-Naruto-kun," she breathed meekly, a bent index finger hovering to her sultry lips.

....

Naruto threw Hinata down on the bed, flinging himself on top of her — wild and passionate.

It wasn't enough. Ten minutes of kissing, licking, and sucking her wasn't enough. Deeper, he needed to dig deeper and delve farther until they both went up in flames.

Naruto held that explosive part of himself at bay, but the effort came a fraction of a second too late. The fire in him was already swelling, having burnt through the fragile tethers of his self-control.

Still wet from their soak in the tub, he found and sank his lean, rigid length inside her sensitive quarters, sharing the heat of the flames that consumed him. The princess responded with a hearty cry, her eyes glazed with shock and delight. She squirmed beneath his dominating weight, seeking his mouth in a bruising kiss as he deepened himself within her. She tried to arch off the bed in a futile attempt, squeezing his buttocks with her tiny fingers, pulling him even deeper into her core.

More. More. More — only a deeper reach would satisfy this insatiable thirst, a reach that she remembered well. There... right there! That's it! Hinata screamed aloud, her muscles clenching deliciously as a rippling orgasm gushed through her, illuminating her nerves like fireworks.

Naruto allowed but a single breath. Then he reversed onto his knees, pulling his exhausted princess onto him. Her legs bounded around his waist desperately, securing his hard steel within her pulsing center.

The princess smiled openly in satisfaction, clinging to him as he drove her into sweet madness once more. The air was charged with sexual energy, their heat intermingling, bodies molding into one. It was hard to breathe, but Hinata found the breath time and again to sigh his name.

In her high, she smoothed her fingers across his back, spreading the salty beads of sweat that layered his hot, russet skin. Then she bit her lip, whipping her hair back as he crushed her buttocks harder in his large hands, thrusting her harder and faster along the length of him.

Surely Naruto was the epitome of pleasure and ecstasy — a god with limitless carnal and sensual energy at his disposal. His boyish charms, his glamour, his charisma, transcended that of their peers. He was the perfect male figure for her — a gem of perfection.

Each time they made love, he would effortlessly lift her to the peak of a higher mountain. He made her feel on top of the world. For a few amazing hours, nothing else mattered outside the sphere of their suite.

Hinata pursed her lips and arched backward in his arms as another fierce orgasm claimed her. But when he took her nipple into his mouth, suckling on that hard, ruddy peak, she parted her lips on a moan. The sensation echoed in her loins, and she felt as her center tightened around him — a grip that nudged him closer to the edge of his sensual quest.

Her highness's head lurched upward, her eyes popping open as Naruto penetrated her from behind. Her legs still weak from her previous release, the princess clung desperately to the bed's canopy as he drove his hot thunderbolt within her tight confines. Her breasts danced in the candlelight.

She smiled openly, drunk with pleasure as Naruto entered her askew from all different angles. Deeper. Push even deeper inside. She couldn't get enough. Hinata wanted to crush her breasts, pinch her nipples, rest her hand atop his, or caress her button. But she had to keep holding on to maintain her equilibrium while her heavenly prince conjured a storm between her legs.

"I'm close," he uttered in a hoarse tone, leaning over onto the arch of her back to cup and squeeze her chest in his hands.

"I... I want to feel Naruto-kun inside," she requested breathlessly.

Naruto slammed into her in a spasm of excitement, stirring her walls and thick elixir. Suddenly the canopy tore from the wooden beams, sending the enraptured couple hurling helplessly to the floor, coiled in the silky fabric. But this didn't sully their passion — no, it added to the intensity of their arousal. Their blood boiled beneath their skin, surging like electricity through their veins.

Hastily, Naruto made his way above her, slipping his hard, coated length inside the addicting tightness once more. Hinata moaned and embraced him tightly, her weary legs locking around his waist in the wild fury of his grand conquest.

The hungry sage dipped his tongue into her mouth — even as she fought to breath against his weight and delightful pounding — sampling the texture of her tongue, testing its flexibility with coaxing strokes.

Desire was a domineering entity in the room, collaborating with the princess's inner-goddess to charge her bar of ecstasy to the max, securing an orgasm that would surpass all others.

The couple rolled around in a hot, sweaty, naked embrace as candlelight illuminated them in gold and shadows. Hinata found her way on top of him periodically, riding him into madness with sinuous motions, her back a perfect arch. The candles flickered and flared, fueled by the force of their passion, which burned like a wild fire within the room.

The princess felt like she was being sucked into the vacuum of space; the import of pleasure made it hard to breathe. Her body was a raging furnace, searing with heat and sexual satisfaction — an overwhelming mixture of force that was more powerful than a nuclear explosion.

And then she detonated — feeling the truth of it — the devastating blast rendering her world to nonetheless. Only pleasure remained. In its richest most inviting form, only pleasure existed or mattered. For this suspended moment, Hinata forgot how to breathe. The electrical signals in her brain sparked with delight, sharing the reception with each and every cell of her being.

The instant she found her breath — calling out his name, clinging helplessly to him — Naruto followed suit, plummeting from the ledge into a ripping climax. He groaned heavily, offering her his weight, and Hinata's body jerked violently as his warm essence spewed into the deepest reaches of her core. Her head couldn't stay still, and a cute whimper grew in her throat.

Disoriented and saturated with dark satisfaction, Naruto and Hinata surrendered to the symphony of an all too familiar flute. It was unconsciousness, beckoning to them with ghostly hands, enticing the couple with a serene world padded with fond memories.

Hinata's quelled desire was so thick that Naruto could taste it in the air. He wanted to tell her how amazing she was and how much he loved her. But as the exhaustion accumulated over these four days knitted with sex dawned upon the couple — following their grand conclusion — they couldn't help but drift off into sweet unconsciousness.

Homecoming — tears and raindrops.

Morning.

As much as Hinata wanted to see the aquamarine gleam of his eyes and hear the soft, velvet chime of his voice, she didn't want the sun to rise — bringing with it the dawn of a new day. She didn't want their date to end, rendered to mere history. She didn't want to have to sleep alone in her bed again, to bear the night's cold without him.

But dawn did come, and she reveled in his company.

The princess gathered her things slowly, much slower than necessary, to preserve their time together in the suite for a bit longer. Just a bit...

She could feel the aches and numbness of last night's intimate ceremony, but the heat that lingered at her core had faded by time's hand. What was this change? Why did she need him so much more than before? Was it because she had now felt the warmth of his hand — the warmth of a... boy? Truly, his touch was addicting.

Hinata took one last look at the suite, making a mental note of all the places they had made love together: in the bathroom — first the shower stall, and then the open tub — on the bed, around the table, and on the carpet next to the fireplace. She blushed at the recollection, small waves of desire flickering below her navel.

Naruto led her downstairs once his counterparts had departed with their luggage. She was too disgruntled about his and her leave to be concerned with the typical leers associated with being in the lobby. Even if the girls should breathe an infernal fire from their mouth, the princess would not feel the blistering heat against her skin. There was too much on her mind — matters far more important than selfish grudge.

Soon, they were leaving the festive town behind, steadily climbing the lush hillside that led into the all too quiet forest. Hinata couldn't recall traveling this path, but neither this or grudges mattered to her right now.

Naruto strode in silence beside her, watching her surreptitiously through the corner of his eye. He could clearly sense her depression. The young shinobi had an idea what troubled her, but he hadn't a clue what to say. Was there anything he could possibly tell her, which wouldn't only make matters worse?

He thought about that for a while, wrenching his brain into the delicate process. But then his mind was thrown into disarray when he spied the pained look sullying his princess's lovely countenance — her eyes were fixed to the ground quivering, her lips pursed to a thin line.

Naruto slowed to a stop, frowned his concern, and then her name rose from his lips, sullen, like the overcast that consumed the clear skies. The thick clouds shuffled across the heavens, hanging somberly overhead, casting the forest into a dark imbue, which reflected Hinata's broken heart.

She halted a few paces ahead of him, her head hung, her eyes veiled in the dark shadow of her hair. Before, worrying they wouldn't get as much time together, once they returned to the village, was nothing but a somewhat dormant thought at the back of her mind. But now that they were actually on their way home, the notion made its way to the forefront, tormenting her incessantly.

"Na-Naruto-kun." her voice was almost made inaudible by a sudden clap of thunder. "What will happen to us... once we're back in the village? What if lady Tsunade still hasn't regained consciousness? What will the elders decide to do with Konoha's Jinchuuriki? What if they decide to lock Naruto-kun away, to protect him from Akatsuki?"

"Hinata..."

Her fingers curled into fists, and then her arms trembled. "I... I can't do this anymore. I can't be away from Naruto-kun again. After so many years of feeling like a disappointment to my father's expectations... the Hyuga's expectations, I've finally found a place that I belong." she spun around, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears as she looked at him, a wanly smile curving her lips. "It's with you, Naruto-kun..."

As tears spilled over her eyelids, ripping down her scarlet cheeks, the rain started pouring — lifting the heat from the ground, stirring many different odors in the air — but the couple made no attempt to find shelter. Instead, Naruto dropped the bag pack with their lunch to the ground and marched over to her, pulling the princess fast against his chest in a passionate embrace.

"Naruto-kun..." she felt her body sag, her nerves singing at the familiarity of his masculine aura. If only they could run away from everything...

"I've said it once before, haven't I —" he smiled, his cheek bracing against her head softly — "we can no longer be friends. Since the very first day we slept together, I became yours and you, mine. There is no force in this world that could possibly keep us apart now."

Hinata gasped. She could feel the warm certitude of his words, potent and all consuming. Through the pelting rain, his love and affection towered like a pillar of flames, its heat making her heart swell. The girl couldn't help but strap her arms around him. "I love you," she whispered, sobbing at the bittersweet flicker of emotions that skipped around her vulnerable heart.

"I love you more," Naruto said with challenge, hoping to lighten the mood. Then he slowly pulled her from the comforting wall of his chest and sought for her eyes. "From here on out, the only tears that I want you to shed are those of happiness..."

"Naruto-kun..." she muttered in awe, distracted by her sudden growing awareness of just how close their bodies were to each other.

Gently — using the back of his index finger — Naruto brushed the wet fringes of Hinata's bang sitting lazily across her forehead. "I don't know why... but when your hair is wet like this, it makes you even more irresistible."

The velvet sound of his voice awakened scattered memories that shot through her mind in a barrage of images: she and her prince, caught in a tangle of sheets, fiery passion, gnawing need, kissing, caressing. His deep, sky-like gaze dancing in the golden candlelight as he moved gracefully on top of her. His hands fondling her chest as she rose and fell above him, their panting breaths filling the room.

Hinata clung to his jacket then, her brilliant eyes burning into his with a request, a need that only he could fulfill. "Naruto-kun... I need you to make love to me," she demanded between her tears, her grip tightening. "Make love to me right here, right now."

Instantaneously, he seized her head and then kissed her — deep and romantic — savoring the pink curves of her perfect, unpainted lips. As his tongue swept, like a flame, over hers, laying claim to her mind, body and soul, Hinata moaned cutely in her throat and frantically sought to unzip his jacket so that her hands might explore.

He pinned her against a nearby tree, emotionally traversing the threshold of no return. Then he withdrew suddenly, allowing her to pull a deep, jagged breath of air into her empty lungs.

"Have me right here," she panted raspingly. "Let me never forgot these three days we spent here together. Show me who I belong to!"

Without a word, Naruto brought his hand around to the soft arch of her nape and pulled her closer. He bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers in a delicious seal. There was no tentativeness, no meek beginning, as their lips came together and meshed into a fevered kiss that was familiar and righteous as it was intoxicating.

There was no room for restraint or anxiety in this carnal adventure. All that mattered was letting go and seeking mutual satisfaction.

Finally — driven, blinded by her growing fever — Hinata's hands drifted beneath Naruto's T-shirt and vest, her fingers smoothing over the fascinating plains of his torso. She could feel his heat mingling with her own, making her snow-white skin feel as though it had been touched by flame.

Naruto's pulse hammered hard in his veins, his greed swelling, ripening as much as her own. His mouth was wet with hunger for her, his sex going tight and heavy with desire, desperate to be nestled within her world.

He splayed one hand into her thick, raven black hair and she tilted her head to give him better access to her neck, her short, neat nails scoring into his shoulders as his free hand delved beneath her loose jacket and the waistband of her pants. Hinata shivered as he trailed his mouth and tongue along the delicate line of her throat, mewled a sweet little cry as his fingers dipped into the velvety cleft of her sex. She was already wet, hot and gloriously responsive to his touch.

Her legs widened as his fingers explored. And as much as she was weakened by his sensual touch, the princess reached for his pants and fumbled with his zipper until the lean, steely length of him was in her hand. But she didn't get to savor the feel of him.

In an echo of her feat, he pulled her pants down just enough to ease his rigid muscle within her impatient quarters, pushing her apart to accommodate his thick beast.

Hinata screamed at his delicious entry, her hot center clenching moistly around him as if intent on imprisoning him there forever. But Naruto did not intend to remain still. With his strong hands, he cupped her buttocks and pulled her up against him, his hard, hot steel delving deeper.

A broken gasp escaped Hinata's gaping mouth. Then she pursed her lips, struggling to stay on her toes as he pounded his mighty length and width in and out of her pulsing pocket.

He pressed his lips against the buttery soft skin of her throat, and the princess sighed sweetly, her panting breaths filling his ear, her fingernails branding his back. "Amazing!" her voice sounded hoarse and foreign to her.

Naruto lifted her higher as he drove them both to the peak of ecstasy, slamming hard and deep within her in an explosion of passion that warded off the bitter cold. "So tight..."

Hinata couldn't spin a cohesive thought in her mind, but she knew he wouldn't stop thrusting until they both surrendered to the rippling waves. She was breathless, and yet she couldn't stop panting, moaning, and uttering his name.

In this blistering eruption of love, there was no room for pause or teasing. Naruto's pace only grew faster, and Hinata knew nothing but pleasure. She buried her face in his neck at its excessive import. But suddenly, she found herself being bent over, her hands bracing against the rough tree trunk.

She swiveled her head to look at him, her lips tight, her cheeks glowing. The girl moaned amorously as he drove his hand down hard on her bottom — once, twice, three times. A blend of pain and pleasure licked her body, like a sensual flame, and she smiled openly in the bittersweet sensation.

The princess sucked in her breath as the broad crest of his rock hard pride nudged her, cleaved her, pushing deliciously past her double-doors. With a slow push of his hips, he was sliding inside of her, burying himself in a long, gloriously deep thrust. Hinata cried out, arching up to take all of him within her sacred cambers, needing him to fill her completely. He stretched her tight, his lean length touching her very core.

"So good," she panted as they found a familiar rhythm, fitting together in perfect symmetry.

He was a ferocious lover; she knew the truth of it already and reveled in his deep, dark, animalistic intensity. Every hard stroke made her shatter just a little. Every low moan and growl sent a shiver coursing through her veins.

He knew just how to move with her, just the right tempo to wring every ounce of pleasure from her body. Hinata felt the first tremor of release streak though her like tiny bolts of electricity in her blood. Her delicious spasm played around his width, coaxing his own impending explosion.

Naruto felt the girl's fingers digging into his thigh as the stiffness of his lever pushed deeper within her convulsing channel, breaths rasping in soft, shallow pants against mahogany wood. His senses filled with her. A low, humming burst of passion flowed into him, sexual ecstasy he felt roaring through his cells and into every fiber of his body. Deeper still, into the fabric of his very soul, the core of his entire being.

Hinata's nectar splattered about, trickling to the ground in droplets and rolling down her thighs as Naruto dominated her like he god he was. Desire blazed from the black pupils nestled in the pits of raging seas. He could feel his soul mate's delight, the spike of her emotions — her love and affection — reverberating in his own veins as he strode to meet her out on the windy ridge.

Flames spewed and erupted all around — a preternatural fire that couldn't be cooled by the frigid winds or extinguished by the icy rain. With one final thrust — hearty and deep — Naruto stilled, snarling, and Hinata cried out. His body went taut and shook as his essence filled, mixing with her elixir.

A deeper sense of appreciation and masculine duty in Naruto came alive as though had been asleep all his life and now overflowed with profound awareness for this girl — now and forever. An eternal stomp, a bond wrought of spiritual power and sensuality.

With the afterglow of their previous lovemaking still warm in their tummies, Naruto and Hinata journeyed in the rain, until they made their way back to the crude hut. The princess didn't mind the dust and spooky cobwebs that much anymore, not while Naruto was within her midst — she had far better things to think about while she was in his precious company.

Time passed, and it wasn't long before the rain lifted and the clouds scattered, enabling the rich rays of sunshine to shower down upon the thoroughly bathed lands.

Naruto wasn't Kiba or Akamaru — he couldn't read the weather like they could — but he quickly made use of the sunlight, just in case there was another impending downpour. With haste, the couple secured their wet clothes in a neighboring tree, and then resumed shelter in the abandoned hut.

"Here you go," Naruto offered compassionately, retrieving a spare jacket he had folded in his bag pack. He didn't mind waiting in his boxers until their clothes were dry, but Hinata obviously seemed to be struggling with the resolve.

"Wh-What about Naruto-kun," she stuttered, her stance awkward, her small hands poorly concealing creamy breasts.

"Don't worry about me," he reassured boldly, covering his eyes with one hand while the other held out the garment for her to take.

Hinata pursed her lips in a prim manner, her cheeks flushed. While it would've no doubt given her immense pleasure to wear his jacket, to relish in its smell, the princess didn't feel comfortable taking his only means of warmth.

"Take it. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, if you caught a cold."

Her Majesty's eyes widened. She hesitated, but took the jacket from his hand. She supposed it would've been more of an inconvenience for him, if she were to get sick. And she couldn't imagine doing without him for the time it would've taken her to recover.

With a salacious grin, Naruto peeped discreetly through his fingers as Hinata shyly revealed her breasts before shrugging into the warm garment and pulling up the zip.

She sighed — mission accomplished!

Her beauty made the hut seemed almost inhabitable, Naruto thought absently. Then he swallowed and had to work hard to ignore the bolt of lust that shot through him with the image of her half-naked body, the swell of her breasts protruding through his jacket, beckoning to him.

"Na-Naruto-kun?"

Simultaneous to her nervous call, he crossed his legs, eager to conceal his growing erection. But the princess was more concerned with tugging down at the jacket to hide her underwear, to notice anything — especially his riotous candy bar.

"You look great," Naruto murmured, sweating bullets as he tried to subdue his arousal with conversation.

"D-Don't say that, Naruto-kun... it's embarrassing."

"Mmm... everything about you — your voice, your mannerisms, your postures, your shy gazes. Everything. I find them adorable!"

Hinata gasped, her eyes widening, then they slitted with a gleam that spoke of impending tears. "Naruto-kun... I—

"Sit. Let's rest until our clothes are dry; we still have a bit of a ways to go until we arrive at the village."

"H-Hn."

Hinata sat two arm's-lengths away from him, leaning against the wall. It was already hard enough to coop with the arousal induced by the scent of his jacket; she wouldn't be able to keep still, if she sat any closer to him.

For a moment, the couple sat in silence, then Hinata finally got tired of meddling with her fingers. They may have left Fuugetsu but, this was still a part of their vacation; she couldn't afford to waste these precious moments with him. There would be plenty of time for silence and solitude, once she was home alone. Again.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Mmm...?"

The silky edge to his tone made her heart skip a beat. "Wh-What does it feel like... to have the Kyuubi sealed inside you?"

The question took him by surprise. "Erm... well, I'm not sure — the Kyuubi was sealed inside me since I was a baby, after all." he smoothed his hand over his belly, his eyes narrowing with bitter memories. "But I suffered a lot as a kid. I was always alone, and people looked at me as though I was some kind of monster."

Hinata's heart clenched and she bowed her head. "The Kyuubi, too," she added in a quiet whisper, her eyes soft and sympathetic.

"Mmm?"

"The Kyuubi must be suffering, too..."

The creature's ears twitched a little at Hinata's sentiment. Then it shifted a little in its cage, its head resting comfortably on crossed arms, eyes closed.

Naruto thought about that for a while.

All forms of life — no matter the species — were born into this world with innocence. It is only after being socialized does an individual develop his or her personality and ambitions. Like Pain, the Kyuubi, too, must have had a tragic past for it to conform to such evil. But, despite the darkness, a glimmer of good must still exist within the beast — and the sage intended to find it... one day.

The Kyuubi have always been there watching over him; it was the least he could do.

One day, they would become good buddies.

Naruto smiled enthusiastically, winning Her Highness' utmost attention. "Something tells me that — before I can attain the Kyuubi's power — I'll need to learn about its past first." he hung his head, his smile suddenly glum. "It's ironic that I've been living with him for sixteen years and yet, I don't really know anything about him. On the other hand, he knows almost everything about me."

"Naruto-kun... I know being the host of a Bijuu has brought you unfathomable pain but, surely, there were times when you were grateful for its existence, as well."

Naruto watched her luscious lips as she spoke, admired the way her glossy hair cascaded down her back. Damp tendrils still curled at her cheeks, her eyes warm and compassionate.

"I recall, in the Chunin Exam, it was the Kyuubi's power that helped you to win against Neji-niisan — a victory that Naruto-kun wanted more than anything else at the time." A smile touched her pink lips. "...I think the Kyuubi deserves a chance to be saved. It deserves a chance at happiness."

"...I think so, too, Hinata."

Her eyes softened as that burst of confidence dissipated, and then she began fiddling with her fingers again. "I...I think the Kyuubi and I are similar..."

Naruto felt his eyebrow quirk up in curiosity.

"We have both been watching Naruto-kun for a very long time. I wonder what he is like. I...I would like to meet him... one day."

In a dimension far beyond Naruto's subconsciousness, in a deep, dark realm, the Nine-Tail's lips stretched into a small smile, its eyes closed in a cool, humble countenance.

The princess averted her eyes sheepishly when Naruto flashed a brilliant and disarming smile. Despite their talking, her arousal hadn't dwindled. Instead, his voice only made it feel as though she was lying in his arms, and the sight of his half-naked figure didn't exactly help to fend off her wayward illusions.

"I'm sure you'll get to meet him... sooner than later." Naruto's eyes bored into hers intensely, smoldering. He could smell her arousal. The humidity seemed to conduct the electricity that charged the atmosphere, and a muscle worked in his jaw as he fought to suppress his growing hunger.

Hinata stood suddenly. She could sense the danger; feel the static energy gushing from him to her, overclocking the beats of her heart. She secretly craved what would come next — but her embarrassment activated that dormant mechanism to flee.

She tugged the hem of the jacket downward, trying to hide the fact that her panties were wet. But Naruto's eyes were far too keen to fool. "Umm — I...I'll go and check to see if Naruto-kun's clothes are dry," she spluttered, carelessly lifting a hand to her lips.

Naruto flung his hands up in surrender and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, for the love of—"

Hinata screamed aloud as he lunged toward her. A few hundred birds in the immediate area upped and flew away with alarmed cries.

Homecoming

The instant Naruto and Hinata made their way into the village — pass the sentry — they were ambushed, painfully torn apart by the gender-assorted mob. Would they be killed, or worse yet — interrogated to death?

"Naruto, you bastard," Kiba said derisively, his fangs bear. "You and Hinata have been gone for three whole days! Did you both go somewhere together?"

"Naruto," Chouji followed suit, shaking him frantically. "Does this mean you two are officially going out? How far did you get with her in these three days? You have to tell us!"

"Oi, Naruto, we've been pals since we were kids; you can't keep these things away from us,"Shikamaru added coolly.

Shino said nothing, pushing his head closer to the young sage in a demanding gesture. Awkward.

Suddenly, Akamaru let out a high-pitched, almost whimpering cry. "Akamaru says that he can smell Hinata all over your skin. Not your clothes, but your skin! Naruto! Just what the hell happened between you two? Hinata's apart of team 8; we deserve to know!"

"I don't owe you any explanation," Naruto denied, frowning his irritation as he tried to break free from the ground where they had him pinned.

"Naruto-kun! If you're dating Hinata-san, then rest assured — Sakura-chan will be safe in my hands!" Lee grinned, both his teeth and thumbs-up-gesture twinkling bizarrely.

"Hinata," Ino said breathlessly, her eyes wide with worry. "Chouji told me that you went off with Naruto to a fancy hotel in the hot spring country."

"What happened," Ten-Ten demanded eagerly, her anxiety swelling as much as Ino's. "Did that pervert do anything to you?"

Hinata blushed fiercely, trying to bury the erotic memories the girl's inquiry had conjured. "Umm—"

"Did you guys sleep in separate rooms?" Ino showed no restraint to pry out as much as she could, but the shy Hyuga wouldn't utter a word.

"Oh, my god," Ten-Ten exclaimed, a flush staining her cheeks. "You shared the same bed, didn't you?"

Hinata pursed her lips, averting her eyes to the side in her embarrassment. She could feel her pulse throbbing in her ears, her nerves inching toward meltdown. She closed her eyes, cringing. Naruto-kun... help me.

"Wait, is that... Naruto's jacket you're wearing?"

"Hey," a husky, familiar voice rose behind the inquisitive girls, and Hinata's eyes flashed open with an ecstatic smile. "I think you guys have someone very important to me here."

The princess hurried to his side and clung to his arm, like a child, who had just been traumatized by a duo of wild dogs. She smelt relief as she hid behind his back and buried her face in his jacket, feeling courage as he peeped over his shoulder at the dumbfounded girls.

Naruto and Ino's gaze held for a while. In his mind's eye, the blonde could see the event that transpired between them three days past. She had tried to kiss him, but soon discovered that he was nothing but an exhausted shadow clone that had more than played his role.

A defiant blush crept into the girl's cheeks, and then she found herself unable to hold his sharp, knowing eyes. Had she fallen head-over-heels for Naruto? But why? Why was she now seeing him in a different light? Why were his lips suddenly so desirable? Why were his blue eyes suddenly so unnerving and influential? Why was his body suddenly so attractive?

Naruto held Hinata's hand and turned his back. "Your suspicions are right, by the way," he said coolly. "Hinata's now my girlfriend."

The princess gasped, as did Ten-Ten and Ino.

"I'll see you guys later."

He left.

"Can you believe that guy," Kiba said, annoyed. Akamaru seemed to share his sentiments. "He stole Hinata away, right under our noses."

Ino shook off her shock as the boys came to a halt, irritated that this turn of events would affect her so much.

"If you think about it carefully, Naruto and Hinata were destined to be together," Shikamaru explained in a lazy tone, leaning against a nearby tree.

"What do you mean," Ten-Ten frowned curiously.

"Well, Hinata has always been watching Naruto from a far since we were kids — admiring him, sympathizing with him, cheering him on — but considering her personality, she wasn't brave enough to approach him. Meanwhile, Naruto only noticed Sakura, who was already in love with Sasuke. It was really but a matter of time before Naruto noticed Hinata after being neglected by Sakura so many times, and it finally happened. We ought to be happy for her."

Ten-Ten sighed. "I guess you're right. First, he saved the village singlehandedly and now he has a girlfriend. You have to admit, Naruto has gotten pretty incredible."

Shino's eyebrows twitched a little. "Once again, Naruto has surpassed us in more than just strength."

"Lucky bastard!" Kiba grinned, patting Akamaru on the head tenderly.

"Naruto-kun! Hinata-san — I pray that you two will share happiness together for the rest of your days." Lee grinned with glee. "Pray that Sakura-chan and I will be just as blessed."

"But Shikamaru, don't you think Naruto has taken advantage of her?" Ino asked in a pessimistic tone.

"Naruto may act crazy sometimes, but he's not the type of guy who would do that to someone. It may seem strange, but I respect him more than anyone."

Ino grunted, gazing at the couple sauntering together in the distance, hand-in-hand. It was a strange pairing, like fire and ice.

"I agree with Shikamaru," Chouji muttered, dunking potato chips into his mouth as if it were a basketball hoop. "Naruto isn't the type that would manipulate others."

Ino smiled, trying to seem wholehearted. "First the village's hero and now this — next, he'll be getting married."

"Or having kids," Ten-Ten added regretfully.

"Naruto a dad? Hilarious!" Kiba chuckled.

"Oi, Naruto," Kakashi drawled from atop a nearby tree he was quite relaxed in, like he were sprawled out on his own living room couch.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto grinned, looking up at the man obscured by the shadow of the tree's canopy. It was hard to believe that he had died by the hand of Pain. When Tsunade made that clear, he couldn't accept it.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon."

Naruto tousled the back of his hair apologetically, Hinata's hand still cupped in his own. "I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was leaving the village."

"Don't worry about it," the man smiled through his mask. "Shizune told me what happened."

"Ka-Kakashi-sensei," Hinata greeted timidly, her free hand being careless again.

"Oh, Hinata... did you enjoy the hot spring country?"

"H-Hn," she nodded her head nervously. "It was amazing."

Kakashi sighed in astonishment. He was eager to learn what the next paragraph in his book entailed. This was a critical chapter in the story, and it had his curiosity peaked. He was reading a new novel called "Hinata's Sensual Adventure: Kurama's Obsession", and there was another book in his hand titled: "Sakura's Forbidden Love".

"Kakashi-sensei, I didn't know you read other books," Naruto said, astound, trying to focus on the book's cover page.

"This author's young and a bit rusty around the edges, but I think his imagination is interesting."

"Well, that's nice," Naruto shouted from a distance, already dragging Hinata a few yards away from the tree. The princess wasn't pleased by his rude endeavor to bolt, but she hadn't much of a choice.

Kakashi frowned his tedious frown, and then sighed with disappointed as he watched the young couple ambling farther into the village. "The spark died," he murmured sullenly, gazing down into his favorite pastime in hand. "Well, I guess I'll just have to start from the beginning." he closed the thick book then flipped the cover page open, blazing through the prologue.

"Kakashi!" A familiar, husky, and upbeat voice came gushing from the ground. "My best friend and eternal rival — I demand that you challenge me to a ten mile race!"

The copycat ninja heaved a long, unenthused moan, tucking his books into his pouch. It was either he accepted the challenge or have Gai annoy him for the entire day. Both alternatives were troublesome. If only he could flee into the dimension in which is Manenkyo Sharingan was associated at will.

Ever since Pain's attack, there's practically been a challenge every day. He supposed everyone needed a means of staying preoccupied, to forget about their Hokage's unfortunate state, if only for a moment.

Naruto and Hinata looked around in amazement. It was incredible just how much work had been done in the village in the three short days that they had been away. At this rate, Konoha's reconstruction would be complete in a few weeks, especially if Naruto continued supplying hundreds of willing workers to assist with the labor. He would, but after getting some well-deserved rest and a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's.

"Na-Naruto-kun," Hinata muttered morosely, averting her gaze as they approached the path leading to the Hyuga's territory.

Naruto yanked her hand, pulling her into his chest with a pizzazz that took her breath away. "Don't forget what I said," he whispered sweetly to her ear, his warm breath sending shivers up and down her spine. "Oh, and Neji offered to take your stuff, which is why he wasn't with the welcoming committee."

Hinata frowned at his metaphor. They were more like an assertive interrogation team, and surely, Neji had his long mental list of questions to tackle her with as soon as she got home. Not something she was looking forward to, and she hoped he didn't breathe a word to her father about her whereabouts for these last three days. No, he would never do such a thing.

"Naruto-kun..."

"Until I find a way to sneak into your room at nights — without being seen — I expect you to be at my apartment as much as possible."

The princess's eyes flashed open in undisguised delight, her heart racing, and they exchanged a warm smile. "I-I love you."

"And I love you more..."

"Ki-Kiss me," she blurted out, desperate, adrenaline storming through her veins, her blood boiling beneath her skin. "Kiss me one final time..."

Naruto fell still for a moment, then he tilted his lady's chin, her eyes drifting close as his parting lips neared hers. She moaned softly in frustration as he reminded her the flavor of his lips. Lightly, imperiously, he kissed her over and over again, teasing, sampling.

Unconsciously, Hinata's arms slowly ease around his waist, eager to prolong this moment for an eternity. But as his kiss deepened, she tasted intoxication — danger. Still, the princess craved more. Her body was a trembling mass of aches and needs. She hoped he would lose control and desire as much as she did — anything, so long as he led her back to his room and had his way with her in however way he pleased.

Hinata inched her mouth closer, hoping to feel the sleek weight of his tongue upon hers in a dark, consuming kiss. But Naruto's lips reclined as he sought for words. "This isn't your last kiss," he corrected softly. Then he pressed his lips to her forehead, cautiously pulling back from the insidious quicksand at his feet.

The unsatisfied Hyuga lowered her head and moistened her lips, tasting him again. It was hard to say goodbye...

"This isn't goodbye, either," he clarified, effortlessly pilfering the strength from her knees. "Let's have a bowel of ramen at Ichiraku's tonight. Whaddya say? My treat!"

The girl's mouth stretched into an open smile, and her eyes went wide with growing excitement. "Hn!"

"Then it's a date," Naruto grinned, leaping backward to throw his hand up in a thumbs-up-gesture.

He watched her depart, a reluctant stride in her steps as she made her way onto the Hyuga's holy land. His smiled faded.

Eternal Sedative

Naruto had his hands tucked into his pockets as he ambled home along a deserted path. All he could think about was Hinata and the sad gleam that veiled her innocent eyes as she turned to leave. Surely, the girl would be fine until their dinner date tonight. He would have to send another messenger frog later, to convey an ideal time upon which to meet.

Suddenly, there was a rumble of thunder, low and ominous. It appeared a storm was brewing, and Naruto regarded that fact with a straight face. Apparently, the rain clouds had followed them from the north. This was going to impede work on the village, but it wouldn't stop him from seeing Hinata again. He'd sneak into her bedroom tonight, if he had to.

"Naruto, you won't believe what happened while you were away," Sakura shouted blissfully as she ran up to our pensive hero. She hugged him briskly, and then pressed a hard kiss to his cheek.

Naruto gasped, his eyes popped open with shock at the girl's rare affection and unusual enthusiasm. He felt more than shock, however, when he noted Hinata's devastated expression at the supposedly intimate scene she had just witnessed.

"Hi-Hinata..."

Broken, incredulous, grief-stricken, the princess ran off in an echo to a strident clap of lightening, and Naruto took off after her.

Through her glee, Sakura could feel the hint of incongruity that emanated from her uncharacteristic behavior. In that brief instant, could she have lost two of her very best friends... forever?

Naruto... I'm sorry,she frowned, leaving herself vulnerable, unprotected against the relentless prick of guilt that seized her weak heart.

The murky clouds shuffled wildly overhead, leaving a traumatized Hinata in shadows about the desolated area in which she stood — a visual representation of her lonely heart.

Bolts after bolts of lightning slithered through and about the thick sheets of clouds that eclipsed the sky, brightening the atmosphere. And a single droplet of rain fell upon her cheek as she tilted her face to the heavens, a warning of what was to come. But Hinata had no intention to move.

An intense shower pelted down upon the unsuspecting earth. The water slaked the thirst of the parched land, but the princess bore an insatiable thirst that only one could fill.

It was odd that she hadn't fainted, but her heart pounded hard in her chest nonetheless, and time seemed to still to this moment.

She knew it was unavoidable, knew it was imminent, and the heat and constriction that lingered in her throat, in her chest, in her heart, and in her stomach did well to justify that fact. Tears rippled down her cheeks.

The instant the reality of everything came crashing down upon her, Hinata abruptly dropped her hands to her sides and started wailing to the skies, her adorable voice bouncing off the wreckage of Pain's hand.

Naruto paused, their hearts tied, sinking together. He watched her, hurt, torn, as rain trickled from his lips and spiky hair. "Hinata... it's not what you think," he tried to explain, standing but an arms-length behind her.

The goddess' cry — her sullen symphony — dwindled to a sob at the sound of her counterpart's pained voice, and she bowed her head, hugging herself at despair's icy breath.

Naruto held her compassionately from behind, his arms coiling slowly around her tummy, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of her neck as he sought for her ear lobe. "I love you," he whispered softly, a vocal salve that sedated her damaged heart.

When his hands loosened, Hinata turned around to look into his eyes, frowning with disapproval at the anguish quivering in their dark depths. She could see the truth of his words beyond the chaos, and she started to feel it in her bones, too.

But was it really the sturdiness of his faithfulness that worried her? Was it not the possibility that they would no longer have the same special moments they shared over these past four days?

With a smile of solemn intent, Naruto got down on one knee before her in the thick mud, his smoldering eyes steadily holding hers. He was drenched, his jacket unzipped and open, his golden hair drooping with erotic appeal. Water cascading over his lips...

"Na-Naruto-kun... your clothes," she said with evident worry, her eyes quivering, her hands reaching for him tentatively.

He ignored her with ardent resolve and gently held her fingers in his hand. "Hyuga Hinata... would you do me the tremendous honor of becoming my bride?"

...

Hinata froze, dumbfounded, flabbergasted. For a long moment, she had no breath to speak and hardly enough to breathe. Her heart was jackhammering in her chest and her knees almost felt like jelly beneath her. Then her face quirked, her eyes dilating as her face rapidly turned pink. "Na-Naruto-kun's... b-bride?"

Suddenly, her hair puffed into a disheveled afro, as if she had been struck by a bolt lightening. Then she fainted in his arms.

Naruto remained silent, pokerfaced. Then he began shaking the girl comically, her head swaying back and forth. "Hinata! At least answer before you faint! HINATA!"