359"Another day off… just great."
Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze headed upstairs to change his outfit yet again; His small fox yipping in laughter at his attitude towards it, this was the fourth time in two weeks that he forgot.
"I should really put these things on calendar you know?" Naruto muttered to himself as he came back downstairs wearing a navy blue v neck shirt with gray cargo pants and the standard ninja shoes. Kyoshi wastes no time jumping up and wrapping around his neck as Naruto decides to put his hitai-ate on his arm this time.
"Alright! Now let's go get some ramen," Naruto said as Kyoshi licked his face in agreement.
(Hokage Tower)
Tsunade Senju.
Godaime Hokage of the great Konoha. The third and still alive member of the sannin, powerful strength and incredibly sharp mind and the best medic nin in the whole of Konoha and possibly the elemental nations.
"Sake...gamruto tsuky...hmmgrilber."
Was a sleep and mumbling incoherent sentences currently?
Yes, yes she was. Leave a message after the …
SLAM!
Tsunade lifted her head up in a rush as Shizune came in, hiding her giggle.
"Tsunade-sama, the ambassador for Kumo has arrived."
Tsunade rubbed the cold from her eyes as she nodded in approval.
"Send her in." she replied. She then snapped her fingers and called the ANBU to get the best person she could think of for this mission.
"Get me Naruto."
(Ichimaru Ramen Booth)
Naruto smiled as he put his fourth ramen bowl down on the counter and patted his belly before looking down at his foxy companion also finish his bowl on the floor.
"Sure do pack them tight don't you Teuchi-san?" said Naruto as he chuckled.
"Only the best for my number one customer," Teuchi stated with a laugh.
Naruto smiled before a voice called him. The same voice from all those years.
"Dobe."
Naruto closed his eyes and paid no attention to the voice.
"When you start calling me by my given name, that's when I'll acknowledge your presence," Naruto said with a smirk as his best friend, Uchiha Sasuke sat down at the ramen stand and ordered a miso ramen.
"Hn. I'll think about it. But until then, your name will stay the same…dobe," Sasuke replied as he picked up his chopsticks and began eating.
Naruto sighed before smiling.
"So how was the mission? Gained another fan-girl?" Naruto said, causing the Jonin besides him to sigh. After a few years of returning to Konoha, the girls just wouldn't leave him alone. While it wasn't on the same scale as Naruto (which he joked on him about it to no end) it still wasn't far off from the academy days.
"Shut up," He replied as he continued eating.
"So when is the wedding?" Naruto jested with a straight face. After a few years of playing the scene, Sasuke finally smartened up and got together with Sakura. Naruto wasn't as crushed as he thought he would be, but felt happy that his friend at least told him of his decision.
"We aren't getting married yet you baka," Sasuke mumbled.
"Yeah, I know… it's still funny watching her make you carry her bags, by her products, wait for her at the salon…" Naruto laughed as Sasuke tried to stab him with chopsticks.
Sasuke stopped and smiled before looking downwards into his bowl.
"Who knew that rebuilding a clan would be so hard? Takes a lot of patience and politics. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."
Naruto smiled and nodded in understanding before a small and unnoticeable twitch occurred on his left eyebrow before he drank a glass of water with a small smirk.
"Ahh, so how can I help you Anbu-san." Naruto said without looking up before the figure appeared in a blur.
"The Hokage has requested you in her office," The ANBU stated.
"Alright! Maybe I can go on a mission now!" Naruto said with a smile before giving Sasuke a pound, placing his money on the counter and wishing the old man at the counter a goodbye as he scooped up Kyoshi and used a shunshin to head to the office.
(Hokage Office)
"So how was your trip?" Tsunade asked the ambassador.
"Pleasant. Cannot complain, no disturbances, just ready to do what needs to be done for my village," Replied a female toned ambassador, her voice clearly sounding a bit bored.
Tsunade gave a knowing smirk as she wrapped her fingers together and put them under her chin.
"Are you sure you're doing this for your village or for yourself?" Tsunade said with a smirk.
The female said nothing but the small blush was enough to answer her. She currently wished that something would come and save her from being asked anymore questions about her real reason for being there.
Luckily, it came.
Suddenly both looked up and to the window as wind flew in the office, whipping around paper and bringing a huge gust of wind before it suddenly stopped. Revealing Naruto in full ninja gear, flak jacket with a navy blue long sleeved turtle neck, black slacks, straps on both legs holding his special daggers and combat boots with his eyes closed leaned on the window seal, elbows folded in his 'cool sage mode' pose.
"You called baa-sama?" Naruto asked in his smooth voice, wind blowing his hitai-ate and chopstick twitching in his mouth.
Before losing all of his points as he was bashed into the ground from a growling Tsunade.
"You've sent all the just stamped papers to the floor Gaki!" Tsunade growled as she grabbed Naruto by his flak jacket.
"Like you actually read those pieces of paper, I bet you just woke up from your day time nap, granny," Naruto growled in return as he was lifted in the air before being placed on his feet.
"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Tsunade said as a knot formed on her face and she bashed her forehead into Naruto's and growled.
"Not to call you that before your daily glass of milk as you get grumpy. WELL I'M NOT SCARED GRANDMA!" Naruto shouted as he grasped his hands into a fist.
"GAKI, I'M GONNA KILL YOU AND REVIVE YOU TO KILL YOU AGAIN!"
"BRING IT THEN! I DON'T MIND HITTING AN ELDERLY LADY!"
"OH YEAH?"
"YEAH!"
"Ehh uhm."
The argument was cut to a sudden halt as the two gazed at the blank –faced sweat dropping ambassador. Naruto blushed in embarrassment as Kyoshi was laid in the Kunoichi's lap and was currently purring in contentment as the person stroked his fur.
The awkwardness was stopped as Tsunade was in her desk in a flash and Naruto was still standing in his standard Jonin outfit. But he remained staring at the familiar Kunoichi from Kumo.
Pale blond hair in a bowl cut style but longer stopping around her shoulders with electric blue eyes. She had on a semi-tight grey shirt, confusing Naruto as he bust threatened to break through the shirt, short black skirt that stopped at mid thighs, revealing her slender legs. She had a standard katana on her back with a leather strap and her Kumo hitai-ate wrapped on her right bicep. Her blank look at Naruto reminded him of the looks Neji, Gaara and Sasuke all seemed to fancy.
Naruto's face turned a bit red as he quickly turned away and addressed the Hokage.
"So what's the mission baa-sama?" Naruto said as he crossed his arms and got serious, if only to impressed the cute kunoichi.
Oh how he was failing.
"Your mission is simple. You will be escorting Samui-san here around the village and keep her entertained," said Tsunade with a small smirk as she knew Naruto would come dressed for a full mission.
Naruto stared at her before looking at Samui, then back at Tsunade then back at Samui before face palming.
"This is the last time I come dressed in mission garb." Naruto mumbled as he pulled his neck and instantly his ninja garb was torn off his body, revealing his outfit from before.
The two Kunoichi looked at him in confusion at this change.
Naruto stared in confusion as well.
"What? I get bored. So I got a nice seal that can put me in ninja gear on my wrist. Anyway, come on Samui-chan, let us paint the town orange." Naruto didn't give her a chance to respond as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, making her blush a little. With Kyoshi already on his shoulder, he used a wind shunshin to mess up the papers some more, laughter fading with him.
'I am going to kill him… Minato, your son will be joining you soon.' Tsunade thought as she called some Genin in to clean the mess up.
(Village)
Naruto walked with the blank-faced Samui throughout the village, thinking of what he could do to get her to be entertained while ignoring the looks the female population kept giving him and glaring at the male population for looking at the Kunoichi like a piece of meat.
"Alright, I got it! I'll take you on a tour of the village, I'm sure you didn't get the chance to look around seeing as how we kind of had an invasion," Naruto said with a smile.
"Sure thing Goldy," Samui mumbled in a bored tone as she stretched her back complaining about her back issues. Naruto looked at her with a squinted eye and open mouth, making her smirk.
But that was all he was going to get from her.
"You don't laugh much do you?" said Naruto suddenly as he leaned into Samui's confused face.
"What is there to laugh about? If it is funny, I will laugh. Now back up, you are too close to my face and I need space." Samui said as she slowly pushed Naruto away.
Naruto smiled a bit, it has been a while since he met a female that didn't smile, not since Koyuki and Shion…
(Demon Country)
ACHOO!
Said person opened her eyes from her meditation before a small blush and smile appeared on her face.
"It is time for Naruto to help me," She said in a low voice.
(Spring Country)
"I don't want to get married to any of these men!" Koyuki said as she threw all the pictures of bachelors to the floor. The hundreds of pictures being spread on the floor. She finally turned to the advisor who looked at her in surprise.
"I need a strong man, a determined, charming man who knows me and loves me for me, I need…" Koyuki looked at the picture on her desk; a small smile appeared on her face.
Then she sneezed.
"Koyuki-sama?"
Koyuki lifter her face up and made her way out of the office.
"Call my carriage; I'm going to get Naruto Uzumaki!"
(Konoha)
"ACHOO!... ACHOO!" yelled a voice.
"Tissue?" Samui said with a look of small interest as she held it up. Naruto looked at the tissue before giving her an embarrassed grin and taking it.
"Thanks." He said as he wiped his nose and put it in his pocket before smiling at her in a very suggestive manner.
"I know what I'm going to do for you," Naruto said as he stopped walking.
"Oh? And what is that?" said Samui in a serious tone, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"Simple. I'm going to make you laugh." Said Naruto as he walked on. Samui looked at him before shaking her head.
"Good luck." She whispered as she followed along.
"I've actually got a lot of good luck. You should ask baa-sama," Said Naruto as he was now behind her. She had no chance to ask how he got behind her or how he heard her as she felt her hand being grabbed again and led to a place she had no idea.
"Alright Samui-chan, let's go have some fun." Naruto said as he ran off. Samui looking at him for a few minutes before smirking again.
'Maybe… just maybe. It won't be so bad.'
(Hours later)
Samui finally cracked.
She finally laughed.
But Naruto…
Naruto was not laughing with her.
He had taken her everywhere. The training grounds where he cracked jokes about Team 7, receiving blank faces, the mall where he met Rock Lee and Gai and saved Samui from the horrid Genjutsu of them hugging, the shopping districts, where he cracked jokes about his old outfits, the arcade, where he beat her in every game, the academy, where he told her of his class clown tendencies, producing a lowlysmirk, then went to Ichimaru's for lunch, trying to get her to laugh by playing around with his food and now they were back at his house and all it took for her to laugh was for him to slip on a banana and crash down a flight of stairs?
"This is so not funny. Can you at least help me up so I can take you to the final place for the day before my 'mission ends?" Naruto said with a groan. This fall was so not cool. Kyoshi just loved to leave fruits on the floor at the most inopportune times of life.
At least she laughed.
"Sure," Samui said as she extended her hand.
Then pulled it back, causing him to crash onto the floor again.
Naruto grumbled as she walked past him.
Or she would have if he had not grabbed her ankle and brought her crashing to the floor.
"Ha! Now who's laughing now?" he replied as he got up, and then in turn got leg tripped.
Samui smiled as she crawled over towards him and bashed his face to the ground.
"But the floor brings out your eyes," She said in a joking tone. Naruto looked up in shock.
"You… just told a joke?" Naruto said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. I did, I can be fun if I want to, I just like to make people work for it," Replied Samui as she attempted to get up. Naruto sprang into action as he tackled her down and began wrestling with her.
"Well, looks like I'll have to work some more," Naruto said with a smile. The two began wrestling before Naruto touched her side, causing her to laugh. Naruto stopped and a cruel smirk appeared.
"Ticklish are we?" Naruto said as he began moving his fingers in the air. Samui's eyes widened before Naruto plunged his fingers into her sides, causing her to burst into loud laughter. She flipped it on him and the two began laughing some more before Naruto and Samui stopped with Samui on her back and Naruto on top of her.
"Told you I can get you to laugh," Naruto said as he gazed in her blue eyes.
"I suppose you were right," Samui said with a smirk. The room turned silent as the other looked deep into the others eyes; literally sparks flew from the amount of peering the two were doing. Unconsciously, one began to lean into the other, not knowing what was about to happen, but not willing to stop it. The lips felt dry yet urgent to connect, and the passion that began to emerge from simply looking at one another was unbearable.
But a loud yip broke the chemistry that was formulating between the two and just like that the moment was over.
It was then that they noticed the position they were in and the two literally flew off of one another.
"U-uh… let's go. I want to take you to one more place," Naruto said quickly as he grabbed a nice trench coat and lead her outside, not making eye contact.
Samui looked at him with a thoughtful expression.
'Very respectful, surprising considering who his sensei was. Fun, but knows how to be serious, strong, determined. Maybe he can be the one,' Samui thought as she was led outside.
The two walked in silence, as she knew if she asked where they were going that he would not answer.
Eventually the two came up a flight of stairs. After some climbing, Naruto walked her to a cliff before Samui caught sight of the most amazing view.
"This is the top of the Kage's monument. I used to come up here and watch the view and still do from time to time. This is the best part of the village. Sitting here on my father's head and watching the village. It's like I'm letting him know that I'm watching and protecting Konoha for him you know?" Naruto said as he sat down and patted for her to do the same.
As she sat down, the two made small talk as she told him about Kumo and he in return talked to her about Konoha. Eventually he got her to actually break into a natural genuine smile.
It was better than the view of the village.
"You should really smile more often." Naruto whispered as he removed his coat and wrapped it around her before resting his elbows on his knees, missing her small blush.
'Who would have thought he'd be such a gentleman.'
Naruto gazed at the village with a relaxed expression. this whole day was pretty fun he had to say. Learned a lot about Samui and really wanted to hang out with her, let alone see her again.
Eventually Naruto smiled and extended his hand.
"Let's get you to where you're staying for the night. I'm sure you're exhausted from all the walking." Naruto said as he stared at her eyes.
Samui looked at his hands before slowly placing her hands in his and her face went from impassive to brief shock as he used his strength and tossed her onto his back before catching her thighs and turning towards the cliff.
"Hold on tight," was the only warning she got before he jumped off of the faces, surprising Samui as he took her on a peaceful ride throughout the village.
Eventually and sadly, in Samui's opinion, they reached the inn she was staying and Naruto put her down in front of her door.
"I hope you enjoyed the tour of Konoha. Maybe we could hang out again you know?" Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head.
Samui said nothing before slowly walking up to him. Naruto began to get nervous as most of the times, the females he knew would approach him to hit him.
So he began to panic.
"I-I mean, only if you want to… I mean, I don't want to uhh…"
He was silenced by a chaste kiss to his whiskered cheeks, causing his eyes to widen and him to flush. Slowly touching his cheeks he turned to see her smiling at him with her hands clasped in front of her.
"Thank you for the trip around the village Naruto-kun."
'And for making this decision so much easier… I didn't even know it, but you are the one…the one I've come to Konoha for.'
Naruto smiled, not having a clue about her thoughts before watching her walk towards the inn.
"Anytime." Naruto replied as he turned away and walked away silent, hands in his pocket and eyes towards the moon.
Samui looked at him before remembering his trench coat was still wrapped around her. She decided to keep it so she'd have another excuse to see him.
Besides, she'd be here for the next year so she'd have many opportunities.
Naruto smiled as he lay in his bed staring at the ceiling with Kyoshi curled up on his stomach.
"Best mission ever."