*~Let's Back Up~*

By Vi

A/N: For a while now, I've been making and reading NaruHina like because I love reading and making up ideas to make this couple realistically work…then I realized, when it's realistically worked out…this couple isn't FUN. I love this pairing so much because although it'll possibly turn out that they'll end up together, there's still that strange gap between personalities that make them so-damn-interesting!! A NORMAL way for them to get together is not enough!! Anyway I Felt ambitious, and I actually finished this story—that's right! I'm done with it—edited it in a rush, but definitely done. Even though I'm done, reviews are always appreciated~!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Besides, even if I did, I'd probably make it into a terrible Romantic Comedy….OoOoOoOoh, just like this FAN fiction. Come on, people, if I were the creator would I really be posting this stuff on FAN fiction dot net? Think about that.

Summary: "Naruto, do you even know what a 'backup spouse' is?" "Of course I do!" "Well, then you're a jerk!" "Ok…wait, I lied. I don't get it, I guess…" (NaruHina)

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Naruto was never good at fully understanding anything that was complex. From complex emotions to complex plans for a mission, this boy just got out the bits of imformation he thought he needed before tackling the thing head on. Maybe that's why he survived as a ninja--with his non traditional fighting style and his abrupt bluntness of things. However, the biggest misunderstanding of a complex plan that Naruto totally rearranged in his head was the plan called a 'Back up Spouse'.

It all started when Kiba dragged Naruto, Sakura, and Sai into the Konoha hospital. The dog nin was unusually hyper and happy that day, and it didn't take long for them to guess that Kurenai sensei had finally had her baby. Despite the terrible Akatsuki attacks just a few months ago, the arrival of the baby definitely put some needed spirit into the air.

"He's just so cute." Kiba said, Naruto snickered at the out-of-place word, while Sakura clasped her hands and started awing. "I just can't believe he got so cute so fast—I mean, the time he was fresh out of the womb—all sticky all over, and red in the face… I mean. Ew. Just ew."

"That must mean you must've looked horrendous when you were born." Sai said in his oblivious voice, "For you still have red on your face."

"This is face paint you moron." Snapped Kiba, he even made it a point by smudging his fingers through it—something he usually doesn't get offended over. His mood quickly changed as he motioned for everyone to hurry up as he bounded up the stairs.

"I don't understand. Why must you use face paint? Paint is for paper. Is your skin that dry..?"

"Just shut up and get in." snapped Kiba, stopping almost abruptly and pointed toward a hall way that led into a brightly lit room.

"Oh, she got a nicer room." Sakura stated happily, as she stepped into the hallway. "This is where special members of the council get their treatment."

"That's thanks to Hinata." Bragged Kiba outright, "She convinced the head of the hospital with her sweet talk…but I'm sure her family's influence helped play a role in getting this room. I hear Hinata herself was born here." He chatted just before opening the glass door that let all the warm light into the hallway. Once opened, they heard the laughter of two happy women—a very good sound that hummed in the air even after it stopped to recognize their new guests.

"Naruto-kun! Sakura-san! Sai-san!" Hinata greeted standing up very slowly. It turned out she was holding the new-born; Kurenai-sensei and the late Asuma sensei's son, Kouta Sarutobi.

"What good timing!" the new mother, who looked slightly odd without her signature red lipstick and thick mascara, said as she snuggled deeper into her large pillows. "Kouta just woke up, we don't have to use in-side voices. Not that that stops us." She turned toward her favorite student and winked while Hinata shook her head almost guiltily.

"We should try to be quieter…for Kouta's sake." Hinata's soft voice said, glancing at the baby in her arms.

"Haha! Right!" Kiba said loudly, plopping himself next to his teacher and already starting an in-depth conversation with her, while the rest of Team eight started to huddle around the shy heiress to see the new baby.

"I heard Shikamaru talking about him. I can see what the hype is all about." Sakura said, though—strangely enough her words sounded like it would come from Sakura, her very tone of voice had sweetened so much, it was unrecognizable. Naruto had to narrow his eyes and give the pink-haired girl a look before looking back at the baby. Why are women so weird around babies?

"Oh I know." Hinata said breathlessly, "He's beautiful. I just can't wait to have my own."

When Naruto looked at Hinata, it was with more respect. She looked absolutely beautiful herself, as her eyes twinkled and her lips curved into a content smile. She just looked so happy—he would always remember her face as she stared down at the infant. She patted the baby's stomach affectionately before looking up and catching Naruto's eye, blushing a bright red before dragging her eyes away from his to look at Sakura.

"Would you like to hold him?"

Sakura was squirming. "Can I? I mean—he looks so delicate."

"He's soft." Kiba piped up from where he sat. "And hey—I got to hold him, so why not a brute like you?"

"Kiba." Kurenai warned before Sakura could scream words back at him, "Sakura of course you can hold him. Hinata'll make sure you hold him right. She actually had to re-teach me several times." She added with a blush as she shook her head.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, Sensei. She had to teach me too." Kiba grinned as his teacher playfully socked him in the shoulder.

Sakura held her arms out almost too willingly and her eyes lightened up as the squirming child came closer. Hinata positioned her arms before laying the baby on top, and Sakura's only response was a long, drawn-out 'awwww'.

"Shino-kun even took off his sun glasses off, he thought it'll scare Kouta." Hinata said.

"No way!" Sakura gasped, "Did he look weird?"

"He actually has very handsome eyes." Kurenai sensei piped up. "Sort of Hazel-green."

"Awwww, I missed it!" Naruto groaned aloud.

"I don't understand this 'hazel-green'… is it Hazel, or green?" Sai said, intrigued more by the color of Shino's eyes than he was to the baby—in fact, Naruto recalled that the stoic boy actually shrugged when he saw Kouta, as if saying—'what's the big deal?'

"Both, duh." Naruto snapped before turning away to look at the baby, trying to find what part looked more like Kurenai, or Asuma. He always had difficulties before, but it seemed to blossom right before his eyes as the baby scrunched it's face. The baby definitely had Asuma's 'when can I get a smoke' face. Naruto inwardly chuckled.

"Both…. Hazel…and green? Like… like throw up?" Sai blurted.

"Sai-san, repeat what you just said in your head, and I'm sure you'll want to take that back." Hinata said softly.

Sai fell into silence, obviously taking Hinata's advice before he blurted, to everyone's surprise. "I apologize."

This actually made Sakura and Naruto look up and gape over at their oblivious stand-in partner.

"I meant to say 'like the edge of a turning leaf'."

"How poetic." Kurenai said, impressed.

"That was good?" Sai said turning almost excitedly toward everyone else. His strong point was never poetry or anything that had to do with literature. "I—I must write this down!" for the first time in a long time, he looked seriously happy, and without even checking his Ninja pockets for his usual rolls of parchment—he scampered out of the door.

"Ugh. He's going to get lost up here." Sakura groaned. "I'll chase after him. Can someone take Kouta?"

"I will!" Naruto volunteered.

"No way! Kurenai-sensei, thank you so much for letting us come and see him. He's just beautiful." Sakura gracefully handed the child toward the new mother.

"Thank you Sakura-san." Kurenai blushed as she pulled her baby into her arms.

"Heeeey~! Why couldn't I hold him?" pouted the orange-clad ninja as Sakura brushed passed him and ran after Sai. "Kurenai-sensei…"

"He's actually getting kinda sleepy." Kurenai explained almost apologetically.

"Yeah, give him a break, Naruto." Kiba said in a joking manner, but Naruto still wasn't pleased as he pouted and sat himself down on the bench next to Kiba. He didn't realize it till now—but he's never held a baby in his life.

"I need practice too, for when I have kids." Naruto muttered.

"Heh. You having kids. That's funny." Kiba taunted, while Hinata, suddenly feeling awkward played with her fingers.

"Yeah!" Naruto almost shouted, only to be shushed by Kurenai. "I'm going to have ten kids when I'm Hokage." He said this a little quieter, but the impact of the words caused yet another uproar, this time, from Kiba.

"HA! What? You too? Hinata said the same thing today!" he flung his head back and laughed while Naruto snapped his gaze back on the quiet girl with a new interest sparkling in his eyes.

Hinata, now red in the face pulled her hands up in a defensive mode—shrinking into her jacket as she shook her head. "N-No! That was—and I mean—I-- Kiba-kun! Shhhh!"

"Huh? Wha—oh." Kiba looked at Kurenai sensei who was glaring at him as Kouta started to finally fuss.

"Since you couldn't shut your trap. Here, shush him." Kurenai announced and placed the baby in Kiba's care. "Don't come back in here till he's asleep, you hear?"

"Aaah, but my sensitive ears, Sensei…" Kiba whined, but with another death glare, he sighed and took the baby before turning toward the glass doors.

During the duration of the baby's outburst and Kiba's endless taunts, Naruto's eyes were glued to Hinata's blushing face—as if he was in a trance.

"Ah—" Hinata felt the gaze and couldn't stand them there. "I was just, speaking out of…I wasn't really even thinking about how many kids I want...It was a joke."

"It's true, Naruto. This girl changed her mind, saying she only wanted five." Snickered Kurenai, Hinata rounded up on her teacher, shocked and completely at loss for words. She could excuse Kiba's horrendous behavior, because—heh, well, that was just him, but she wasn't expecting her teacher to be on his side.

"That's so COOL! I'd kill to have that many! Oh!" Naruto shot out of his seat. "I just remembered something GREAT!"

He scampered over toward her and gripped Hinata by the shoulders with such raw excitement pouring off of his smile that it made Hinata very nervous.

"Wh-What?"

"Hinata, do you know what a back up is?"

Naruto and Hinata both didn't catch the look of horror cross Kurenai's face the moment Naruto popped the question.

"A-A plan or a copy that something or someone could fall back on…?"

"Exactly! A plan. Everyone has back ups—and I just realized that YOU are my perfect back up!"

Hinata was stumped. "I'm sorry, I don't think I understand."

"It means, when we turn a certain age, and we're not married already, we marry each other—just so we can accomplish our goal of having five kids minimum!"

Hinata finally realized exactly what kind of 'backup' Naruto was talking about, and gaped like a fish.

"Y-y-y-you m-m-mean a b-ba-backup S-s-sp-sp-spouse?"

"YEAH! Oh so you have heard of it! Kakashi-sensei just gave me a brief explaining yesterday." Naruto touched his chest in a sign of relief. "Thank god he told me yesterday or else I would've totally forgotten about 'backup spouses' and all that sort!"

Hinata was torn.

She had dreamed of something similar to this. Of course, she wasn't being asked to be a backup but was asked to just right-out marry him. Being the second choice was a terrible, terrible feeling—especially when you want so desperately to be the first choice that...Hinata didn't know how to answer. She wanted so badly for Naruto to acknowledge her…she just couldn't see herself turning this 'offer' down without turning him down as a potential boyfriend all together. All her dreams were on the line in her next few words…

"So, how about it? Would you be my backup spouse?"

Hinata held her breath.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to laugh.

She desperately wanted to say no and yes.

Was 'can I think about this' appropriate in a situation like this? Would it just make Naruto forget about it… it probably would, and then she'd feel stupid for bringing the subject up again.

"Sure." Hinata breathed out, and this time she saw Kurenai smack her forehead loudly.

"Great! Ah! It's like I got this weight off my chest! Now we just got to choose a year. When do you think I'll become Hokage, 'cause I was thinking I would like to be a ninja for the next five years before being stuck with paper work for a while…"

Hinata wasn't even listening, she suddenly felt—glum. It was the only word to express her total and utter emptiness that was resting so snugly in her stomach. She had just literally cut the invisible red string that she fantasized was connected between her pinky and Naruto's. It was also crushing for Kurenai to see, that she just had to step in.

"I need to get dressed now, Naruto—can you go?" Kurenai said.

"Oh, yeah, yeah—sure! Hey, see ya around, 'back up'!" he grinned at Hinata before waving merrily and bouncing out of the room.

The moment the glass doors were shut, and there was definite evidence that the orange-clad ninja was a good distance away, Hinata burst into tears.

"Oh sweetie…" Kurenai cooed, "He's just really dense, I'm pretty sure he doesn't realize…"

"That's just it." Hinata sniffed. "He doesn't realize what he does to me. He—He doesn't care."

"That's not true… oh, sweetie…"

It was then that Kiba came into the room and snorted.

"Do I have to 'shush' this baby too?"

Kurenai responded with a death glare.

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To be continued. Indefinitely.