The bell rang again as the door closed behind him.

Naruto stood a moment in the busy street, not noticing the angry look that people gave him as they tried to get past. The only thing that mattered at the moment was the box that he carried.

He had done it. It had taken a lot of thinking, but he had done it. Of course, the woman behind the counter had walked him through things, but he had made the final decision.

That's what counted!

"It's beautiful." He spoke aloud, gratified to be speaking the truth.

The small jeweled pin inside the box was indeed lovely. But that wasn't what the star-struck shinobi was talking about. The shop owner's daughter had told him that the presentation of a gift was in some ways more important than the gift itself. She had given him a wonderful box, and had worked hard to curl and shape the ribbon she tied around it. Taking the box out of the bag, he grinned like a loon as he looked it over yet again.

The gift was for Hinata. They had been dating for a few months, following the destruction of Akatsuki and his new leaf on life. It hadn't been something that he ever would have expected, but Fate had brought the two of them together, and the timid girl turned out to be very possessive when it came to him.

"I hope she likes it." He felt a slight tightening in his throat. As confident as he was, he couldn't shake off every vestige of doubt.

Naruto's frog purse was empty. The jewelry had been expensive, but he wanted to do things right. It was his Ninja Way. Besides, he had discovered how good it made him feel to see Hinata's shy smile.

That fact still amazed him to no end.

They were supposed to meet for dinner that night. In Konoha, that particular evening was traditionally the most romantic night of the year. Some of the civilians almost seemed to think that it was odd for the ninjas to put so much stock in the old ceremony of gift-giving, since they were always so fierce, and seemed so obsessed with the village's defense. But, to Naruto, that was why the night had significance to him.

Who could say when he or Hinata might die on some mission? While he and Hinata had both grown very strong, Fate can easily take away any gift it gives. That truth made it easy for him to appreciate the small things in life.

"Yo, Naruto!"

Naruto looked up, seeing Kakashi sitting on a large verdigris awning. His mentor had the newest Icha Icha book in his hand.

"Kakashi sensei! What's up? Do we have a mission or something? I hope not. At least not tonight! " Naruto felt his pulse go up. His heart was racing. It would be just his luck to buy Hinata a gift, then have to wait to give it to her on some other ordinary night.

"No. Not a mission. At least, not that kind of mission."" Kakashi made a dismissive motion with his free hand. "I just wanted to make certain that you hadn't forgotten about tonight's significance." He rubbed his head. "Let's just say that Kurenai has been bugging me all day to check up on you. You can't imagine how persistent that woman can be."

"Huh?" Naruto scowled, and then stuck out his lower lip. He did not like bossy women. Just why was Kurenai sticking her nose into his business? "What's it to her?"

"Think about it," Kakashi said, his exposed eye showing amusement. "You haven't just gotten stronger, you've gotten smarter, too. Haven't you?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. He nodded his head. It had to be something to do with girl stuff. "Hinata," he said.

"Yes," Kakashi answered. "There's hope for you yet." He lowered his book. "Apparently, Hinata is very excited about tonight. I hope you have picked out an appropriate gift." He sighed. "If you haven't, I will probably get an earful from Kurenai. "

"I did great, Kakashi sensei! It's perfect! No one could have done any better!" Naruto's natural enthusiasm flared up to new heights. It had Kakashi smiling under his mask.

"Good. And be sure you present it to her in a very respectful and romantic manner. Girls like to talk amongst themselves. Whatever you give her… and the manner in which you give it to her… will be common knowledge by tomorrow evening." After saying that, the Copy Ninja went back to reading.

Naruto ran off, wanting to place the present safely in his dormitory room. The prospect of his actions being fodder for communal gossip didn't faze him one bit. A few years ago, he would have been mortified; but, after everything he had been through in the past year, he had stopped sweating the small things.

The urge to eat overwhelmed the need to secure his gift. However, that didn't mean that he was going to be cavalier with Hinata's gift, or lose track of his duty. He kept the box on the table in front of him, as he polished off bowl after bowl of Ramen.

"Is that for Hinata?"

It was Sakura. She had seen Naruto through the shop window and wanted to say hello. Knowing what day it was, she doubted that he would want to do any training. But, it didn't hurt to be sure.

"Yeh!" Naruto spoke with his mouth half full, but tried again after he swallowed. "It is." He eyed Sakura carefully. She might be feeling kind of sad now, since she didn't have a boyfriend.

"Well, I hope it isn't something stupid!" Sakura scowled. "I know how you are, Naruto!" She smiled, but her eyes looked a little watery.

Naruto shrugged. He was feeling a little uncomfortable. For years, all he could think about was Sakura. It had been Sakura-chan this and Sakura-chan that. But, back then, she had never shown the slightest bit of interest in him. Now that they had been part of a team again, and had been through some harrowing situations together, the girl had shown subtle signs of being interested in him.

"It's nothing stupid, Sakura-chan!" He felt a little angry defending himself, but forced himself to breath deep and to remain calm. "I did a really good job!"

"You?" The pink-haired girl looked skeptical. "It better not be something cliché like chocolate, or something sappy like a gift card to this shop!" She shook her fist at him. "And it better not be something that embarrasses her!" Her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to have to show you that punch again."

Naruto grimaced, thinking of how strong Sakura had become. She was well on the way to becoming the next Tsunade. These days, it proved very wise not to annoy her.

"It's a jeweled pin, shaped like a butterfly. Hinata loves butterflies." Naruto stuck his chin out. "The woman at the jewelry store said that it was exquisite." He brushed off his sleeve, as if to say 'take that!'

"Oh!" Sakura's eyes went wide. Her grin was a little forced, but she did truly seem happy that Naruto had made a good decision. He really was becoming someone amazing. "Well, I'm certain that I'll get a chance to see it. We girls are meeting tomorrow, and I bet that Hinata will wear it." She shook her finger at Naruto. "Just be sure you don't do anything tacky when you give it to her. Girl's don't ever forget that kind of thing!"

After the two of them had parted, and Naruto had paid for his meal, he headed on his way. Given what Kakashi and Sakura had said, he started to worry just a little. The gift was great. He was sure of that. But, how should he give it to Hinata? What did Uzumaki Naruto know about mushy stuff? This was going to take some thought.

"Ah! There you are! I figured I could find you leaving one of the noodle parlors!"

It was Jiraiya. The Frog Hermit was dressed in his usual flamboyant outfit. He was carrying a large bag at his side, and was waving for Naruto to stop.

"Eh! Ero-Sennin!" Naruto was happy to see the Legendary Sannin. He actually missed the older shinobi, now that he trained so infrequently with him. Jiraiya had taken to wandering, gathering his research. "What's up? Did we really get all of those bastards?"

"Shhhhh! Don't call me that! Especially not so loudly! Idiot!" Jiraiya frowned when he saw all the looks that people were giving him. He sighed when he saw a number of young ladies cross to the other side of the street. "Yes, it looks like they are all dead, even Itachi. By all accounts, he gave up at the end, allowing his brother to kill him. I'll never figure that guy out."

Naruto felt relieved. Even after Akatsuki had been destroyed as an organization, he worried that some of its members might hold grudges, or formulate new plans.

"I have a mission for you," Jiraiya said, smirking. "A-class. If you're brave enough to handle it." He held up his bag,

"Huh?" Naruto screwed up his face. "What kind of mission. You better not want me to go to any other village! Not tonight!"

"No. It's nothing like that, Naruto. As it turns out, I have to leave Konoha tonight. But, there is something that I need to have delivered." The older ninja chuckled. "It's become a kind of tradition, every five years or so."

"Why don't you deliver it before you leave?" Naruto sounded very suspicious. "What's going on, Ero-Sennin?"

"Well… let's just say that it is not in my better interest to be there when Tsunade opens the package." Jiraiya smiled, seeing the look on his former pupil's face. "Her face will be a sight to see, though…." He sighed. "It's merely my way of joking…" Jiraiya sounded somewhat wistful, making Naruto squirm a bit.

The older man's unrequited feelings towards the Hokage were no secret.

"Hah! You would get a chance to run out of town. But I would probably get in some kind of trouble. No thanks!" Naruto put his arms across his chest and shook his head.

Jiraiya scowled. But, he was soon smiling again. "What if I buy you a week's worth of noodles, putting it on account for you?" He made a sweeping gesture, showing his magnanimous nature.

Naruto simply shook his head. The Sannin tugged at his huge unruly mane. The boy was probably holding out for something better. "Tell you what. Just hang around after Tsunade opens the gift. Tell her to make certain that it's to her liking. If you feel brave enough, ask her if she might like to share it with you." Jiraiya grinned. He held up a large red heart-shaped box that he had removed from the bag. "That alone ought to make it worth your while…."

Naruto shook his head. Given the box, the gift was probably chocolate. He was not going to risk getting his ass kicked for chocolate.

The Frog Hermit frowned, setting his jaw. He would have to use the ultimate enticement. "I will teach you a really powerful jutsu when I get back in town. I think you may finally be ready for it." He threw out his chest and struck a heroic pose. "Few could actually hope to master it." That ought to set the hook. "All I ask is that you bring the gift to her tonight, after she gets off shift at the Medical Center." He told Naruto the time that Tsuande would be done that night.

Naruto tried to keep from grinning like an idiot. A new jutsu! A powerful new technique. Yes! There would be plenty of time for him to see Hinata and give her his gift. After that, he could make his delivery to the Fifth. "OK!" He practically shouted his answer. Damn! He flinched, hating to sound so immature and predictable.

Waving, Jiraiya left the village, after passing along the bag to Naruto. To make things easier to lug around, the young shinobi tossed Hinata's gift in as well. Whistling happily, he headed back to his place, to shower, put on some nice clothes, and then think up an appropriate gift-giving strategy.

As it turned out, he ran across Lee and Neji, and began talking with them about the gifts that they had gotten their dates. Neither had done as well as he had! They were joined by Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, and Choji, all of whom all had similar things to discuss. He made it a point not to say anything about his choice of gifts to Kiba and Shino, as they might let something slip to Hinata.

When Gai's booming voice could be heard around the corner, Lee and Neji took off, not wanting another lecture on Burning Hearts or the Shining Beacon of Love. Looking at his own watch, Naruto cursed, only then realizing just how long they had all been shooting the breeze.

Bouncing off of building and jumping from telephone poles to trees to building tops, the young ninja flashed in a speedy blur, finally ending up at his dormitory. When his preparations were done, he left, moving in a slower and more stately manner, headed for the Hyuuga estate.

Swinging the bag as he walked, Naruto came up with his idea. It was perfect. Yes! It was just like something out of those plays that Hinata dragged him to see. She really ought to get a kick out of it. He would need to get there early, since she had originally planned to meet him on the street outside the main house.

It shouldn't be a problem. He wouldn't get too sweaty by running the distance. The real trick would be getting past the Hyuuga guards. It would also be a challenge to sneak by the dogs that patrolled the grounds after dark.

Kakashi would have been proud of him. The genjutsu and ninjutsu skills he chose were well selected and perfectly executed. That was no small accomplishment, given the quality of the Hyuuga guards, and the real need the clan had to keep its Main Family members safe and its secrets secure.

Making certain that no one would overhear him, Naruto threw a handful of pebbles at Hinata's window, hoping she was still in her room. The light was on. She might be getting ready. If she came out to check on things, she would probably make use of her balcony.

That is, if she didn't call for her family retainers, or use a whistle to summon the dogs.

Naruto kept the fingers on one hand crossed. When there was no response, he was actually glad. He had thought of something. Quickly scaling the wall, he left the bag in the middle of the tiles just outside of her door. Back on the ground, he tossed more rocks, and then crossed the fingers on both hands.

There was movement! He saw Hinata walk past a window. The door to her balcony opened, and she peered outside.

"A present…."

She had obviously seen the bag. For a moment, Naruto felt a bit frantic. He had left both boxes in the bag! Shit! But, the box for Hinata had a tag on it with her name. It was done in rather nice calligraphy.

"Psssst. Hinata…." Naruto tried to keep his voice low. "Hinata… it's me…."

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata kept her voice down too. "What are you doing?"

"I… well… you know…." Naruto cursed under his breath. He was babbling like an idiot. "I wanted to try something romantic… something special…."

"Oh!" Hinata sounded pleasantly surprised. "Is this present for me, Naruto-kun?" The sound of someone manipulating the bag could clearly be heard.

"Yes," Naruto replied with a big grin. "I spent a long time looking for it. I wanted the nicest one. It had to be something just right for you!" He couldn't help but brag. "The woman in the shop said that it was exquisite. She wished that she could have kept it for herself. When she tried it on, I knew that it was perfect!"

"Can I open it now?" Hinata was almost breathless.

"Sure! I would hope so. I really want to see you put it on!" Naruto tried not to sound overly eager. "I've been thinking about it all day."

"Ummm… OK, Naruto-kun. I wonder what it is…." That was followed by a gasp. The gasp was followed by complete silence.

Naruto wondered if she had been overcome with emotion. Maybe she was even crying. He wished that he could have seen the look on her face. The silence stretched on. And on. And on.

"Hinata?" Naruto called up, feeling a bit concerned. "Hinata, don't you like it?" He felt like a craven, but couldn't help himself. He had to make her understand how hard he had tried, if she didn't like the pin. "I thought I did a good job. It took most of my money. I was pretty sure you'd like that kind of thing."

"Y-Y-You did?" Hinata's voice caught in her throat. "B-B-But… I… you… we never…"

Naruto felt his heart falling. Didn't she like it? Had it been too much? Was Hinata saying that they really weren't as close as he thought they were? "I thought you cared about me, Hinata." He sounded dejected. "I'm sorry if I was wrong. I don't want to bother you tonight, if…." He wondered if Hinata wanted to see him any more. Maybe she had done a lot of thinking, considering what night it was. Even though Akatsuki was gone, he still had Kyuubi sealed behind his navel.

"I do care, Naruto-kun!" Hinata rushed that assurance out automatically. "More than you can guess. It's just that this… it's so…."

"I just wanted to get you something that showed how I feel about you, Hinata." Naruto was feeling a bit defensive now, even though he also felt relieved, hearing that Hinata cared. "But, if you don't like the gift… or don't want to wear it for me… I will accept that." He scratched his head. "Maybe it will mean more to you later if we're together longer."

"Y-Y-Yes…." Hinata's voice practically came out in a squeak. "It… ummm… might…."

Naruto sighed. He just had to be patient. There was so much that he didn't understand about women or relationships. "Could you maybe… you know… just try it on tonight, to see if you might like it some day." Naruto kicked a stone around with his foot, feeling a little silly to be begging like that. "If you don't think you will ever really want it, I can return it and get something else." He nodded his head. "Maybe we could pick something out together" He thought a moment. "Or, you could return it, and make the decision yourself."

Hinata started coughing. It was a while before she could speak. "Th-Th-That's OK, Naruto. I… I… I don't need to do that!" She coughed some more. "I will try it on. But…" Her voice went up an octave. "You stay down there."

Naruto smiled. Maybe his efforts weren't wasted after all. Once she had the pin on, he was certain that she would like it. After a while, he called up to Hinata again. "Hinata… psssttt, Hinata….." When she didn't reply, he tossed larger rocks, careful not to make too much noise.

There was still no answer. He began to get worried. Either she was really upset… or she had hurt herself. No, that was silly, wasn't it? What could she do to injure herself in her own room? Still, Naruto's paranoia got the best of him. In the blink of an eye, he was on the balcony. Soon thereafter, he pushed aside a curtain and walked into Hinata's room, feeling a bit uneasy doing so.

"Hinata? Are you OK? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" As he stepped around one corner, he heard Hinata say "Eek" and got the shock of his young life. She was standing in front of an ornate mirror. The heart-shaped box was at her feet, opened.

Blood threatened to gush out of his nostrils. He had to place his hand firmly over his nose. Staggering, he stepped backwards, falling heavily into an unseen chair. The loud noise the chair made against the wall echoed in his ears.

Too shocked to move, Hinata stood facing away from Naruto. But, what she didn't turn to show him, was reflected all too well in the massive mirror. He had to close his eyes. His lower anatomy was soon in a rather uppity mood. Hinata was wearing a rather small piece of fabric, stretched to fit over her otherwise naked body. The box had contained risqué lingerie.

"Hinata! What was that noise?" There was a banging on her door. "Hinata? Are you alright?" It was Hyuuga Hiashi. "If you don't answer, I'm coming in…."

Naruto felt his heart jump up in his throat. If Hinata's father came in and saw her like that… and found him anywhere near her… he would never live to be Hokage.

Hinata had already blushed across her entire body. Impossibly, she turned an even darker shade of red. "N-No… I'm OK, Father… I'm just fine… I tripped over a chair again…." Her voice cracked a number of times.

There was a moment of silence that seemed deafening to the two teenagers. Finally Hiashi said "OK. Be more careful." The sound of retreating foot steps brought Naruto back from the edge of passing out. When he opened his eyes back up, Hinata was wrapped in a large fuzzy robe, hiding partially behind her dresser. She actually looked to be trembling.

"Wr-Wr-Wr….." Naruto couldn't get the words out at first. He was glad that Hinata had covered herself, but was also disappointed that she had done so. "Wr-Wr-Wrong box…." He pointed a finger at the bag on the floor. "Th-Th-That one was for Tsunade. Yours is still in the bag."

Hinata's eyes went wide. She brought her hand to her mouth. "Y-Y-You were… you were going… you were going to give that to the Hokage." Hinata's face fell.

"NO!" Naruto cringed, hoping that no one heard his exclamation. "No. I was just going to deliver it for that stupid perverted hermit!" He pictured what Hinata may have: Tsunade wearing that skimpy piece of nothing. His nose threatened to spurt blood again. Damn Jiraiya!

That had better be one great jutsu!

"Your box is in the bag, Hinata," Naruto repeated, turning away from Hinata, unable to keep his eyes from wandering. What had Kakashi and Sakura said? Oh crap! What a way to mess up,. Hinata would never forget any of this.

Hinata sent Naruto back onto the balcony, closed the door, and drew a second curtain over the first. In no uncertain terms, he was told to sit out there, facing away from the house. She would bring out her present when she was fully dressed again. Sitting on the railing, looking at the scattered lights in the distance, Naruto's mind kept replaying the image of Hinata in the nightie. He likely wouldn't forget any of this either.

But, it was probably best that no one ever got wind of what took place. There had been only nine members of Akatsuki. He had no idea how many Hyuugas there were. When the door opened back up again, and Hinata stepped outside, Naruto swung his leg around and stood up. He bowed to her, blushing, having no idea what he should say.

"Hinata….. I… " He shook his head, then started again. "Hinata…."

"It's…" Hinata cut him off, looking down at her feet. "It's OK, Naruto-kun. I should have looked more closely…."

The two of them were quiet a long while after that, neither able to look at the other. Eventually, Naruto began sneaking peeks at her, unable to control himself. That had Hinata blushing again. But, her curiosity finally got the better of her.

"The wrapping and box are beautiful, Naruto-kun." She smiled. It was easy to focus on the gift, as lovely as it was. "May I open it now?"

"Well…." Naruto's mischievous streak didn't know when to leave well enough alone. "You already opened one present. Maybe I should give that one to Tsunade…."

Hinata surprised him by grinning briefly.

"Go ahead, Hinata…." Naruto said, being serious. "I hope you like it. I really wanted… you know….. your present to be perfect…." He heard earlier words echo in his mind, and could only imagine what they might have made Hinata think when she opened Tsunade's box.

Hinata had similar thoughts. She twiddled her fingers for a moment, and then opened the gift. Her eyes went very wide, and her hands trembled for a good reason this time. The look she turned on Naruto had him speechless.

"It's beautiful, Naruto-kun." Tears came to her eyes, but a large smile lit up her face. "I love it…."

"Well….. yes…." Naruto didn't quite know how to deal with the situation. He was very happy that Hinata liked the gift, but he was feeling kind of strange inside. "You know me… Uzumaki Naruto… expert at giving gifts…." Hinata's incredulous look had Naruto frowning for a moment. Then he thought back to the lingerie. Oops! "I mean…." He sighed and shook his head. Then, a thought struck him. "What are you going to do with the….. well…." He scratched his head. "It was for Old Lady Tsunade, but you… uhhh… tried it on and all…."

Hinata fumbled the pin, but didn't drop it. She swallowed hard, but got herself under control. What wasshe going to do with that naughty bit of clothing? If her father ever came across it, or her snooping sister made an shocking discovery...

"I…." She blushed. "It might…." Biting her lip, she tried to finish her thought. "Something like that might… ummm… might be nice for my honeymoon some day…."

Naruto's eyes bulged. It was bad enough to wonder what a honeymoon with Hinata might be like. The very fact that she had used that specific word had him numb. Honeymoon implied marriage. Could she be thinking… that kind of thing… some day… with him? Even if something like that might be in their future together, he certainly wasn't ready to think about it now!

Hinata grinned, seeing Naruto begin to sweat. She stored away her discovery for use somewhere down the road. It was nice to see that there were things that made such a rough and tough boy a bit weak in the knees.

"Ha ha ha." Naruto tried to sound like he was unaffected. "You're right Hinata! You did look really good!" That had them both going scarlet again.

Hinata eventually found herself grinning again. She would not share that event with anyone else any time soon, and doubted that Naruto would either. But, seeing how scandalized she had felt before, she decided that he deserved to feel something similar himself. "I should at least stop by and talk to the Hokage tonight." She smiled. "It would be wrong, if she never realized that Jiraiya had sent her a gift. I will show it to her."

Naruto went as pale as a sheet.

"And, I can't wait to show it to the other girls." Hinata fought hard to keep from smiling. Her joke was working.

Naruto's face was priceless.