A NARUTO FAN FICTION STORY:

THE WAY OF THE NINJA

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto

Hey, Naruto Lovers!

I'm Arturo Garza from Monterrey, Mexico. Here's my first ever Fan Fiction story. This isn't just a NaruHina story, it's also like a full blown Naruto epic. Preventing a secret invasion, withstanding the power of the demon inside him…, and trying to get closer to his newfound crush! All in a day's work for everyone's hyperactive knucklehead ninja (Other great anime: Bleach, Inuyasha, and Cowboy Bebop). We also have a little SasuSaku in the mix. The story starts out three years after Sasuke leaves the village to find Orochimaru. We'll see Naruto and friends all grown up. Since this is my first fanfic ever, I want to know what you think. I've been thinking about it for several months. Hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 1: THE SWEETEST THING

'Wow, I never knew that the view up here would be so beautiful! Do you come here a lot, Naruto?' asked Hinata while standing next to the spiky haired ninja.

'Yeah, I come here sometimes to watch the sun go down… or when I need to think,' Naruto answered. 'It's one of those places that really make you feel lucky about living here.'

'Yes, you're right. You know, it's kind of funny that I've been living in the village all my life but I've never thought about coming up here. It was a great idea, don't you think?'

'Of course,' Naruto blushed a little at Hinata's response.

Both ninjas were standing at the top of Hokage Mountain, enjoying the magnificent view before their eyes. The sun was setting, turning the blue sky into a vivid mixture of orange and yellow. The entire village of Konoha could be seen from where they were standing. Most shops were starting to light their lamps. The treetops from the forest on the horizon were visible from that point as well. It was the most magnificent view the both of them had ever seen.

'Well, what is it?' asked a shy Hinata as he eyed the blonde ninja. He turned around with a questionable look.

'What do you mean, Hinata?'

'I mean… you brought me here for a reason, didn't you?' She said while nervously playing with her index fingers in front of her, one of Hinata's well-known habits when Naruto was around. The Shinobi grinned sheepishly and placed his hand on the back of his head. Hinata could tell he was nervous about something. He mumbled to himself for a short while and inhaled sharply.

'Are you all right?' Hinata asked with concern.

'Oh, yeah I'm fine. It's just that…well,' he paused briefly before continuing 'Look Hinata, I'm not very good with words, but here goes.' Hinata let out a short, quiet gasp. Naruto's eyes, blue as a cloudless sky, glowed with the light in the pre-dusk sky and drifted towards the horizon. He took a solemn tone, but still sounded happy.

'I'll cut right to the chase, Hinata. I don't know why, but I trust you more than anyone in this village.'

'Really? Why?' Hinata seemed surprised by his words despite having an idea on what was he going to say.

'I don't know. Maybe it's because no one has ever been so nice to me as you have.' As he spoke, the kunoichi smiled and her eyes drifted downward while her face turned crimson red. 'You don't really mean that, do you?'

'What's wrong?' Naruto asked, standing a few inches away from Hinata.

'Yes, I do.' Naruto was looking right into Hinata's pearl blue eyes. She could feel him walking closer to her. She thought of stepping back but felt like her feet where nailed to the ground. She gulped and put her arms in front of herself.

'Something wrong?' Naruto asked.

'Oh…I…well…It's nothing. Sorry. Please continue.' She said struggling. She put her arms down again. It was hard to contain her nervousness.

'Ok, as I was saying, I don't know if it's just in your nature to be a good, kind person or whatever,' Naruto continued talking, 'but either way, it's pretty cool.' Hinata gasped and felt her heart flip as she tried to process those words in her head. 'He thinks I'm…COOL?' She thought to herself. Now her face was red hot.

'Anyway Hinata,' Naruto turned around and faced the village below again, 'these last few days have been something priceless. I had no idea I could have so much fun hanging out with you. We can go anywhere and have a good time without any problem whatsoever. I can have a perfectly good conversation with you without you saying stuff like 'you're annoying' or 'you're such a loser' or 'go away, you freak.' And when we train together, it really pays off. I actually have fun working out or practicing complicated jutsus. Thanks to you, I have better Chakra control. Thanks to you, I'm a better fighter than I thought I was. You have been just awesome.'

He paused for a moment, trying to think on what to say next and how to say it. He knew he had to do this right, even if he had no idea how. Hinata's heart felt like it was going to burst from the speed it was thumping her chest at.

'Hinata' he faced her again, looking into her eyes, so full of kindness, happines, and beauty, 'I can tell I was missing out on a lot of things when we were just kids at the Academy. Maybe if I had thought about reaching out to you back then, maybe life wouldn't have been so hard for me. ' He stopped once again. The Hyuga girl couldn't take any more of the overwhelming excitement building up inside of her.

'Remember back when I was going to fight Neji in the Chunin exams?' Hinata nodded in agreement. She was playing with her fingers again. 'I've been thinking a lot about it, and looking back on it know, I don't think I would have won the match if I hadn't run-in with you before I got there.'

'What?' Hinata asked looking very surprised again. 'Please Naruto, you're being too modest. You didn't need me to win. You're one of the strongest ninja I've ever met. In fact, I think you could even go against my Father someday.' She continued shyly.

'Yeah, I would really like to do that someday,' said Naruto laughing while throwing his arms behind his neck. His laughter was quickly silenced, 'but seriously, Hinata,' He was talking more slowly. He too was very nervous, 'You have changed my life.' Those words echoed loud and deep inside Hinata's mind. Both her hands were resting on her chest, feeling her own heartbeat. She knew she was important to Naruto, but not that important.

'Unlike anyone else in this village, you have always believed in me, motivated me when I felt like giving up, giving me strength to keep moving forward, no matter how many times I screwed up. Not even Iruka-Sensei gave me such high hopes. You've inspired me to become better each and every day. You truly have made me better.' Hinata's mind was a huge blank. She was completely speechless at the words of the ninja at her side. She was struggling to don't let the tears forming on her eyes to star rolling down her face. Naruto turned around and grabbed her hand. Hinata felt like fainting but managed to keep it together.

'Hinata Hyuga, you are the coolest person I've ever met.' Hinata Hyuga? Coolest person? Hinata felt like screaming, but made a strong effort to contain it.

'You're smart, brave, kind, thoughtful, happy, you give great advice, you're an amazing fighter, your cooking is awesome, and to top it all of, you're very beautiful.'

'Naruto, please!' Hinata walked back and giggled bashfully. 'You're making me blush!' She took a deep breath before she slowly spoke, 'Do you really…do you really think all that about me?'

'Of course,' he answered as he took the Hyuga's heiress' hands.

They were now standing so close together, even Naruto was starting to feel the heat, 'which is why I would be deeply honored if you say 'yes' to the following question.' He inhaled and exhaled deeply. He was getting just as nervous as the girl in front of him.

'Hinata Hyuga, I love you…more than anything.' Hinata felt her heart was going to explode at these words. 'Will you be my girl?' There was only silence for a few seconds.

Hinata looked down to her hands. They were being held by the man she always dreamed of being with someday, the man who she had always wished the best for and prayed that one day she would be the woman he would be with the rest of his life. His touch was warm and sincere. She felt her fear slowly going away. Her tears were now rolling down her face. She looked back up towards Naruto, who was still waiting for an answer.

'Yes.' That was the only word she thought of saying. 'Yes, I will be your girl…Naruto Uzumaki.' The next thing she knew she was tightly wrapped around Naruto's arms. Hinata couldn't fight the feeling inside her anymore as well. She knew she had to hug him back. After a hug that felt that lasted forever, the couple finally looked back at each other. Hinata looked deep into her loved one's clear blue eyes, full of so many wonderful emotions like, strength, courage, pride, kindness, and love. She found herself getting closer and closer to his face. She closed her eyes. The next second seemed to last forever. It was their first kiss. Neither ninja thought that feeling someone else's tongue against yours could be so romantic. It was so wonderful.

After what seemed to be hours, the two separated. The couple was smiling strongly at each other. Hinata loved Naruto's smile, but this time he looked happier than ever. 'Right now. I must be the most important person in the whole world.' Naruto said.

Darkness had fallen over the Village of the Hidden Leaf. A thick blanket of dark storm clouds blocked the moon and the stars. Everyone had gone inside their homes with the fear of the coming rain. All but one man was walking on the streets that night. A tall man dressed completely in black that looked almost invisible in the dark weather. His spiky, blonde locks covered the Leaf Village symbol in his headband. His sky blue eyes looked to the ground in exhaustion. Several scratches and deep cuts were on his arms. The pain was slowly worn away as the wounds seemed to heal by themselves. The ninja had just returned from a mission, a rough one apparently. He arrived at his apartment as the rain started to pour outside. The faraway glow of lightning was getting brighter and the low growling of thunder was becoming louder. He locked the door behind him and slowly walked towards his bedroom. He slipped off his sandals with his feet, landing on the floor with a quiet thud. His hand reached for the light switch, but stopped suddenly. A quiet breathing was coming from his bed. The silhouette of a woman lay underneath the bed sheets. The man slowly walked towards the sleeping beauty, turning on a few dim lights along the way. The woman on his bead was truly gorgeous. Long, dark locks that shined with the lightning flash through the window curtains and skin white as snow. The young man stroked her hair softly and smiled. She looked so enchanting even in her sleep. The feeling of his hand on her hair slowly waked the dormant kunoichi. Her eyes opened slowly, revealing her enchanting eyes.

'N-N-Naruto?' Hinata asked, still half asleep. 'Sorry I'm late,' answered the shinobi, 'The mission took a bit longer than expected. We had to take a little detour in the Land of Tea for supplies after Shikamaru lost them. He was supposed to watch them while Choji, Kiba and I were getting some information on our target on a nearby village. He fell asleep and someone saw the opportunity to walk in and have his share.' Now he was sitting on t0068e edge of the bed, stroking his girlfriend's hair with his left hand and slowly sliding it to her face, stroking her cheek, softly.

'It's late. Your father must be worried, don't you think?'

'I don't care,' said Hinata, looking more awake, 'I was worried about you. I had to wait for you until you came back.' Naruto chuckled softly. 'Much appreciated Hinata, but seriously, your father will kill us if you don't go home now. We can do this tomorrow night.'

'My father thinks I left on a mission today.' I won't be going back home for at least a week.'

'Wow. Good one, but you don't have to do this. I want you to be safe and if your dad catches us, we'll be-'

He couldn't finish. He felt his train of speech was lost, the heat in his face was rising, and his heartbeat and breathing were intensifying. His eyes were blown wide open as he observed Hinata slowly sliding off the covers to reveal a little surprise for Naruto. She was stripped down only to her undergarments, a scarlet cotton brassiere with matching panties. She rose from the bed and stood in front of Naruto. The astonished ninja couldn't help but to stare at her succulent, perfect figure. Physically, Hinata had what any man would want on a girl. She wasn't as slender as others, but was still very generously proportioned. He kept examining her slowly from top to bottom until her eyes met his. He stood up and held her hands. It was as if they were talking among themselves without ay words but they each new the message perfectly.

'Please Naruto,' Hinata begged, 'it was three years today when we had our first kiss. We are now both 18. They can't do anything to us now if they find out we…' even after her sexy surprise, she still felt a little embarrassed to finish that sentence. Naruto smiled warmly, tightening his grasp on Hinata's hand.

'You're worried your father might find out, right?' She nodded. The girl started to feel her loved ones arms wrap around her back. 'Look into your heart. Do what you think will make you more happy.' Hinata looked into him. His eyes were shining with the increasing blast of lightning outside. On his face, a seductive smile was drawn. She didn't think twice. She wrapped her own arms around her man and they both embraced in their most passionate kiss ever. A kiss that felt like a million years. They both dropped into bed. Hinata giggled playfully as Naruto gently kissed her neck. They continued locking lips and turning over each other. An urge of passion was flowing through them like a mighty river. Both of them didn't care anymore about what would be the consequences of their actions if anyone would find out.

They were in love. Nobody could take that away from them. The next minutes felt like an eternity. It was so sweet.

'Hinata?' The kunoichi heard a female voice ringing in her head.

'Hinata?' The voice grew louder and louder until it was the only thing she could hear. In a flash, the scene in front of her eyes vanished and Hinata was lying on her own bed with covers over her head. It was Hanabi who had awakened her from her most romantic dream ever.

Hinata tried to ignore her little sister's voice calling her until she eventually lifted the covers to reveal the dark haired girl curled up around her pillow. She was trying as hard as she could to stay in that sweet fantasy, but soon realized she was just forcing it for no reason.

'Come on, it's almost 11:00. Time to get up!' Hanabi continued. Hinata finally gave up and opened her eyes. She was blinded by the intense sunlight cracking through her bedroom curtains. She rubbed them hard and blinked as she explored her room looking very confused. No longer was she inside the brick walls of Naruto's apartment. The walls in her room were smooth and wooden. Her room's sliding doors were dark blue, and in front of them was an old, but beautifully woven floor mat. A full body mirror was in the corner, next to her closet. On the other corner, cabinets with Hinata's ninja gear, makeup, and other of her personal belongings was found. The window had purple curtains and it was right above her bed. It was so familiar, yet it felt so strange to be there. Her dream was so sweet, it almost felt real.

'Father expects you for lunch at noon. Better start getting dressed,' said Hanabi as she left Hinata's room, sliding the door shut behind her. Hinata stepped put of bed clumsily and slowly walked towards her bedroom mirror. She was looking a bit more awake as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Many thoughts were flying around her head like crazy. It was hard to think about a single thing at a time. She slowly reached for her pajamas' blouse and pulled it over her head to reveal her sculptured body. She pulled down her pants and observed the long paor of legs coming out if her. Hinata stared at her reflection deeply. It was hard for her to believe she looked that good. She imagined that Naruto was in her room right now. What would she do? The girl simply smiled at herself in the mirror and started to make sultry poses at herself imagining that the Ninja of her dreams was watching her in action.

Hinata stopped checking herself out until she felt she had enough. She opened her closet doors and pulled out a black blouse, her jacket, and some pants. After getting dressed, she grabbed a wooden brush and gently straightened out her long, dark, raven hair. She opened one of her drawers and pulled out some makeup.

She normally didn't wear any makeup at all, but sometimes, she enjoyed feeling pretty. Today, she only powdered her nose and her cheeks. She was ready to start her day. She picked up her blue sandals beside her door and put them on, ready to go down for breakfast. As she slid the door open, she looked back towards her bedside table, where she keeps her diary. She felt like she needed to meditate on her bizarre dream.

She slid the door close and reached for the drawer. Hinata pulled out a small, dark purple notebook, with tiny white flowers drawn around it. She opened it to the last blank page and started to write:

Saturday, September 22

Dear Diary:

Last night, I dreamt about Naruto again. I really enjoyed it but something felt very strange. Sure, any dream with Naruto in it is like being in paradise, but this felt a little different. Normally, all that happens in a dream about me and him is just us holding hands, talking, going for walks, going to places, having fun, or just holding each other embracing ourselves in a kiss. But this time, my dream was a lot more…well…dirty. First I pictured how our first kiss would be, which was SO amazing, but then, everything changed. I was being sexy. I was trying to seduce Naruto. We were going to have sex. I never felt such passion and longing for my Naruto like his before. It's completely new to me. Thinking about that dream makes my heart pound intensely at my chest, which is common when I think of him. Only this time, it was stronger than before. Could it be my feelings for him are intensifying?

Oh, if only he knew how I felt. If only he knew he's the guy I think about every day, the one I admire most, the one for who I have always wished the best for, the one I prey for every night, the guy who has done so much for me and I would never be able to pay him back. I sometimes like to think about my future. I see myself as Mrs. Uzumaki. We are both very happy, but then are days were I picture myself growing old and lonely watching him share his love with somebody else because I wasn't brave enough to tell him how I felt about him. What if I never get an opportunity? What if I did tell him and he turned me down?

OK, this is no time for misery. I have to straighten out my act. I need to think better about myself, increase my self-esteem. Then again, what if I tell him and he doesn't like me back?

I know he has always liked Sakura, despite the fact she's in love with Sasuke, even though he ran off with Orochimaru. Sakura is very beautiful. Does Naruto find me beautiful? I mean, I am curvy, maybe not as slender as others, but still nice. My breasts are big, but not too big. I have long legs and my butt is cute. My skin may be pale, but I think that looks very good on me. I have to admit I'm pretty sexy. I have let my hair grow out and I have a pretty face. My Father says I am beautiful, but he's not just looking at me with a father's eyes. Everyone in the Hyuga clan agrees that I will be a beautiful ruler when my time comes.

But what about me as a person? I must admit I'm shy and introverted and Naruto finds that weird sometimes, but sometimes being myself has really paid off when I'm with him. I'll always remember that morning when he was on his way to the Chunin Exams three years ago. He was feeling very down, which isn't like him at all, but I managed to convince him that he was an incredibly strong ninja and that I knew he could win the fight against Neji. We've also have had our share of fond memories, like when me, my team, and he went off into the woods to look for a special kind of bug that was really hard to find. Naruto told me he thought my cooking was awesome and that when I get married, my husband would be pretty lucky to have that food served to him every day. Just thinking about that makes my face go all red. I'll never forget when I rescued everybody from those Insect Ninjas and everyone, including Naruto, were watching me fight. He was really impressed about my new technique. I can still feel his arms wrapped around me as I was falling to the floor because of exhaustion. One thing that really impresses him is great fighting skills. I already am very pretty, he's ok with the kind of person I am (he told me himself he actually likes people like me), and I am training hard every day to make myself better, all thanks to him. With all this going for me, my dream may become a reality. With all this potential, there's a better chance I'll finally be with the love of my life…