* * * * * * * * * *
The next day, Naruto was sitting on the couch across from his mother, who was staring intently at her son. The atmosphere felt slightly tense, causing the surprised blond to break out in a light sweat.
Finally, after several seconds, Kushina spoke: "So, you have a date with that cute girl with two buns in her hair and a decent talent for fuinjutsu, did I get that right?"
Not wanting to say anything wrong, Naruto simply nodded silently. Observing her son's expression, Kushina chuckled softly. "So, you don't know what to do on a date, and that's why you're asking your beloved, smart mommy for advice?" she said, winking playfully with one eye while gazing at him with a mischievous squint from the other.
"Yes," Naruto nodded again in response.
"Yes… what?" Kushina leaned slightly toward her son, staring intently into his eyes.
Letting another few drops of sweat slide, Naruto hesitated but finally replied: "Yes, I want my b-beloved and… smart mommy… to help me."
"Hm-hm!" Smiling broadly, Kushina nodded with satisfaction. "Now that's more like it."
Hearing her words, Naruto seemed to relax, but then her voice came again: "But," Kushina's sharp gaze returned, making him tense up again, "I'm curious—why didn't you come to me when you started dating that cutie Hinata?" The crimson-haired woman's gaze became sharper again.
Understanding that avoiding an answer would do no good, Naruto, as a dutiful son, decided to explain everything honestly to his mother: "Well,…" he scratched the back of his head, "You see, Mom, with Hinata, it just kind of happened naturally. I didn't expect her to confess so directly, without any dates or romantic things… Now that I'm saying it out loud, it's like she was… rushing?" Naruto placed a hand on his chin, pondering it.
Watching her son, Kushina was practically bubbling with joy inside, although she didn't show it outwardly. Her little boy not only had a girlfriend but might soon have a second one. The mere realization filled her with laughter because, as the gods knew, everyone who had known her remembered how fiercely she defended her Minato when some girl tried to flirt with him.
But now, with her clan gone and having sacrificed herself to protect her child, missing out on her son's entire childhood and the chance to be a proper mother, she wanted him to have everything to make him happy. And if it led to the restoration of their clan, even if not at its former strength, all the better.
Thinking about this, Kushina made a mental note to encourage her son to search for any surviving Uzumaki clan members. She believed that if he could find a pure-blooded Uzumaki girl, there was a chance to preserve their full lineage, allowing her to face her late relative and mentor, Mito Uzumaki, with pride.
Finally, when both mother and son had finished their separate musings, Kushina said: "Alright, son, I hear you. Your beloved, beautiful, and modest mommy will teach you all the nuances of dealing with girls and what to do—and not to do—on a date. Listen carefully and remember everything!"
Hearing her words, Naruto smiled sheepishly, as his mother could sometimes be overly smug. Nodding in agreement, he began to absorb this ancient and incredibly complicated art known as 'dating.'
* * * * * * * * * *
At the moment, Tenten was with her newly formed temporary team, completing a practical exercise. These training exercises turned out to be quite unusual. For all these days, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was on an actual ninja mission. Only a few days remained until the end of the week, but she was confident they could complete their task today.
Because of this, all her thoughts were occupied with what awaited her afterward.
"I have a date with Naruto..." A light smile appeared on the girl's face. "Ah, because of this, I can't focus on the task! If I don't put in some effort, this exercise will definitely drag on." She glanced at her teammates.
In her team was a girl who fancied herself the class beauty—someone with whom Tenten didn't have the best relationship—and a boy who thought he was a weapons expert on par with the Hokage, which was far from true. She still wondered why she had been placed on a team with the only two people she got along with the least.
Sighing to herself, Tenten shook her head, thinking: "Still, over these few days, we've managed to find some sort of common ground. If we didn't work as a team, we wouldn't have gotten this far." Receiving a signal from her teammate, Tenten nodded and, pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, leapt toward their target. She was determined to finish this exercise in the next few hours.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hinata was currently observing the confrontation unfolding before her with intense focus. Their team had finally completed all the minor tasks, and they now faced their teacher's nin-ken, Kuramaru.
This large and extremely intimidating dog possessed truly frightening strength and speed. He was clad in special shinobi dog armor that didn't hinder his movement in the slightest. Additionally, one of his eyes was covered with a black patch. The dog carried the item they needed, and their task was to retrieve it.
Fortunately for the team, Shino's skills proved to be extremely useful, as he could restrict the dog's movements, giving them a better chance to strike. Even so, catching the dog off guard was nearly impossible. They had to exert maximum effort just to get close, let alone touch him.
Initially, their teamwork had been quite weak due to poor communication skills. But eventually, they overcame their shortcomings and began making attempts to interact and coordinate to accomplish their goals.
The most frustrating part of all this was how Tsume-sensei constantly laughed at their clumsy attempts to catch her nin-ken. It was obvious she was greatly enjoying watching their struggles. This was irritating, but nonetheless, they gradually started understanding how best to combine their strengths, which ultimately allowed them to finally touch Kuramaru.
Hinata was confident it wouldn't be long before they managed to capture the dog and obtain the item they needed.
Catching her breath, Hinata rejoined the team to ensure they didn't have the chance to catch their own.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ino was annoyed. The team she had been assigned to was exactly what irritated her most in the world. One extremely loud and overconfident boy constantly tried to show off in front of her, while the other was the embodiment of laziness.
Throughout all the tasks Hayate-sensei gave them, these boys had been a constant headache for her. The only saving grace was that, somehow, they managed to complete every mission Hayate assigned. To her, it was a miracle.
Over time, she began to understand that Shikamaru's analytical skills and Kiba's sense of smell were incredibly effective for their missions. This didn't change the fact that getting along with these boys was extremely difficult for her. Fortunately, at some point, Kiba realized she wasn't interested in him—or in relationships in general at the moment—making being on this team more tolerable. Even Shikamaru began to show more initiative during missions, sharing his observations or opinions on various matters.
If Shikamaru's calculations were correct, they would finish their assigned mission by tomorrow and return home. She would need at least two hours in Konoha's best spa. It had been far too much stress for her over the past week.
* * * * * * * * * *
Finally, after absorbing all his mother's wisdom and advice, Naruto was ready to meet Tenten for his first official date.
Looking at the photo in his room, where he was surrounded by his new friends, Naruto smiled warmly. Nodding to himself, he left his apartment and headed toward the girl's house to finally meet her and go on their date.
He planned to take her on a walk through Konoha's entertainment district, followed by a picnic in a forest spot he loved, where he often enjoyed the fish he caught. He had personally prepared all the dishes using recipes he found in a cookbook. He hoped she would enjoy everything, as it was his first time offering his cooking to someone.
Patting the scrolls of sealed food in his leg pouch, Naruto just smiled impatiently and quickened his pace towards Ten Ten's house.
* * * * * * * * * *
Finally finishing her practical training, Tenten sat at the table with her father, recounting the adventures of the past few days. The man listened to her words with a stony expression, but inside, he was incredibly proud of his daughter. He wasn't a shinobi himself, but since he often traded with them, he knew firsthand how dangerous the profession could be. Hearing about his daughter's success on what was essentially a simulation of a real mission filled him with a warm sense of pride.
When Tenten finished her story, she returned to her room to prepare to head to Naruto's home. She wondered if his training was over or if he was still busy. After all, her team had finished a bit earlier than expected. Considering she was a year older, she wouldn't have been surprised if his group was still completing their task.
With these thoughts, she began sorting through her clothes, trying to decide whether to wear something different for a change or not rush the decision. After all, she wasn't even sure if the blond was home.
Just then, Tenten heard her father shout: "Peanut, Naruto's here for you!"
Blushing furiously at the nickname, she yelled back: "DAD! I told you not to call me that!" Quickly, she left her room, her face full of embarrassment and irritation.
Reaching the main hall, Tenten first shot a glare at her smiling father before turning her attention to Naruto, who stood there scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. Sighing, she grabbed Naruto by the hand and quickly led him to her room. Her father watched them go with a slight smirk.
Once in her room, Tenten immediately locked the door. Sitting Naruto down on the couch, she stared at him and asked: "How did you know my team finished our training early?"
Looking surprised, Naruto answered: "Honestly, I didn't even think about that. I kind of… didn't consider that you might not be home." The blond gave an awkward smile. "I guess I was completely sure you were already done."
Hearing his words, Tenten froze for a second, then looked away with a slight blush. Such confidence in her abilities was incredibly flattering. Truth be told, she subconsciously believed Naruto had also finished his task early. Maybe even earlier than she had.
After spending so much time training with him, she had come to fully understand his skills and abilities. Returning her gaze to the blond, Tenten realized that an awkward silence had fallen between them.
They both knew why Naruto had come, yet neither of them said anything. It was an extremely awkward moment for both. Just as Tenten began to panic, Naruto finally mustered the courage to speak: "Tenten!" His gaze turned sharp and confident. "I came here today because I wanted to ask you something important." He extended his hand to the girl and looked warmly into her eyes. "Would you go on a date with me?"
Finally snapping out of her previous awkwardness, Tenten looked at Naruto, smiled warmly, and nodded: "Yes, I'd love to." This was much better than she had expected. Before, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had pressured Naruto into taking her on a date, but now, Naruto had made it clear that he was the one asking her out, which had a much more pleasant and meaningful effect than she cared to admit.
Still, her deeply romantic nature had always longed for something like this, no matter how she acted on the outside.
Hearing her answer, the happy boy smiled brightly and, unable to contain himself, said: "Great, I'll make sure it's the best date ever, dattebayo!"
Smiling, Tenten was about to leave with him when she suddenly realized she hadn't chosen what to wear. She really didn't want to go in her usual clothes. So, she abruptly grabbed the surprised boy, pushed him out the door, and shouted: "Wait for me a bit, I need to change!"
The confused boy stood there with a bewildered look and quietly replied: "But you were already wearing nice clothes..."
"I said I need to change!" the girl snapped back, already rummaging through her closet.
Not wanting to argue, Naruto just shrugged and leaned against the wall, waiting for her to finish.
Five minutes later, Tenten emerged in a completely different outfit than usual. She wore a cropped white hoodie that matched his, along with khaki shorts with a shuriken-shaped belt buckle, which was very much her style. Naruto couldn't help but think the outfit suited her personality perfectly.
Remembering all his mother's advice, Naruto straightened up and, smiling at the slightly blushing girl, said: "You look great. It really suits you."
Pleased with his reaction, Tenten rubbed the tip of her nose with her finger, then quickly grabbed the blond's hand and said: "Ah, stop it, but thanks." Tenten blushed. "Now, let's hurry. I don't want to hear any teasing from my dad."
Nodding in agreement, Naruto and Tenten left her house and headed into the streets of Konoha. Following his plan, Naruto led her to the part of the village filled with entertainment venues.
As they walked, many people glanced at them. Some looked at them with the usual disdain, but others were more neutral or even positive. The latter came from older folks who, seeing the young couple, reminisced about their own youth.
Once they reached the entertainment district, the pair decided to try out some of the local games. Of course, in all the games involving accuracy, Tenten showed an impressive ability to clean out the prize shelves, much to the dismay of the stall owners.
Fortunately for Naruto, Tenten didn't plan to carry all the prizes with her, and they gave most of them to the children nearby. Naruto particularly liked this, as some of the kids were clearly from the orphanage, just like he had been. He was glad to give them a little joy. Maybe in the future, he could help kids like them even more. The main thing was to achieve all his plans.
After finishing the games, the pair picked up various sweet snacks from the stalls, and then Naruto finally decided to take her to a spot he had loved since he was younger.
He chose an unusual way to get there. Approaching the riverbank, Naruto took Tenten's hand, and together they stepped onto the water's surface. Seeing the puzzled look on the girl's face, he said: "The river will be a great path for us." Naruto smiled and extended his hand to her.
Although Tenten wasn't as skilled at walking on water, holding Naruto's hand made it much easier. Standing on the water, Tenten felt exhilarated, as walking on a river wasn't something an ordinary person could do. Moreover, it was both training and a date in one. For her, this was the best kind of date, no matter how strange it might seem.
With happy expressions and holding hands, the pair glided along the river's current as if skating on ice. The current created this effect, helping them move forward. Though, without Naruto's training in water walking, this would have been a difficult feat.
The walk along the river turned out to be quite interesting. Along the way, they encountered many animals coming to drink. There were bears, deer, rabbits, foxes, and even animals they didn't recognize.
After some time, the pair reached a small clearing by the riverbank, where, to Tenten's surprise, a picnic blanket was already laid out with a basket of fruit and bread.
"Wow, when did you have time to prepare this?" Tenten looked at the blanket in surprise as she approached it with the blond.
Naruto just smiled carelessly and replied: "Not long ago. I sent a clone to get fresh fruit and bread a little before we got here." As he said this, Naruto sat on the blanket and patted the spot next to him, inviting the girl to sit beside him.
Seeing this, Tenten immediately sat down next to the boy, feeling quite embarrassed. She had never sat this close to a boy in such a setting before.
Making sure she was comfortable, Naruto finally pulled out a couple of scrolls and, laying them out in front of the surprised girl, he formed the necessary seal, and the scrolls unsealed, revealing a variety of dishes.
Looking at this, Tenten couldn't help but ask: "Did you... make all this yourself?" This was her first thought, as all the dishes looked homemade, and their appearance was far from restaurant-quality.
Nodding, Naruto smiled brightly and replied: "Yep. I made all these dishes myself, following recipes from a cookbook. I really hope I didn't mess anything up and that you'll like it." Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, then pointed to the food. "By the way, I didn't know what you liked, so I made a lot of different dishes to make sure I didn't get it wrong, dattebayo."
Tenten was touched by his effort to please her, but she was sure she would have liked almost anything he gave her. Still, looking at the abundant "feast," she doubted they could finish it all between the two of them.
"Maybe if Hinata were here, then..." Tenten thought for a second, then shook her head. "God, what am I thinking? This is my date with Naruto, and my personal time with him!"
Nodding to herself internally, Tenten looked at the blond and said: "It looks incredibly appetizing. I can't wait to try it!"
Pleased, Naruto unsealed a pair of chopsticks for them and replied: "Then let's not waste any time. Enjoy your meal, dattebayo!" The blond said the last part with his hands clasped together.
Tenten also thanked him for the food and began eating with Naruto. The food was indeed delicious. She was even surprised how Naruto, with all his training, had managed to learn to cook so well. It wasn't restaurant-level, but in her opinion, it was still incredibly tasty.
As they ate, they talked about various topics, sharing funny moments from their lives and discussing future plans. It was during this part that Tenten felt the need to finally clear the air and figure out her feelings and the future of their relationship.
Putting down her chopsticks, Tenten looked intently at Naruto, causing him to stop eating in confusion. Noticing the change in her mood, he also set his chopsticks aside and waited for her to speak.
Finally, gathering her thoughts, Tenten began: "You know, Naruto... I don't want to beat around the bush. That's not my style," she said, shaking her head. "I've been thinking for a while now about how I feel about you and what this means." She paused, looking directly into his eyes. "We've spent a lot of time together. We've talked about a lot of things, and we even promised to help each other achieve our dreams. Honestly, that was a pretty funny moment, but also kind of sweet." Tenten gave a small smile.
Naruto listened attentively, his posture shifting to a more formal seiza position, with his hands resting on his knees.
Tenten continued: "So, after spending so much time with you, I finally realized that I like you," she said calmly and without hesitation. "Enough to want to be someone special to you. I even thought about asking you out myself, but who would've thought Hinata would beat me to it?" Tenten shook her head with a strange smirk. "Still, her agreeing to your dream surprised me even more. After all, she's the heiress of a major clan. It seems she really loves you if she agreed to something like that."
At these words, a slight blush appeared on Naruto's face, but he tried to maintain his composure.
Smiling, Tenten went on: "And then I started thinking about how I would feel about your future dream. Could I be a part of something like that?" Tenten lowered her gaze. "And to be honest, I wasn't sure I could be a part of something like that."
These words made Naruto tense up a bit, but he understood her perfectly. It was indeed a selfish dream from the perspective of a relationship. He had no right to complain or say anything.
"That's why, when I found out you were with Hinata, I kind of... hinted that you should ask me out," Tenten said, coughing awkwardly into her fist. "I wanted to see what it would be like to be in a relationship with you. Could we have a good time outside of training and studying? Do I like you enough to accept something like that?"
Naruto swallowed nervously, waiting for her to continue.
"And after spending this date with you, you know what I realized?" Tenten looked at him questioningly.
Naruto shook his head, prompting her to go on.
Letting out a small laugh, Tenten smiled warmly and said: "I realized that I don't just like you. Apparently, I've completely fallen for you. Just like that. No drama, no fuss."
As soon as she said this, Naruto's face lit up with joy, though he tried to contain it. At that moment, Tenten spoke again: "With feelings like these, I think I could give this a chance. After all, what I feel for you is something truly special, and I don't want to let it go. But now, I need to know one important thing," she said, looking intently at the blond. "Do you like me just as much? Or not?"
"I do!" Naruto didn't hesitate for even a second before answering. There was no doubt in his voice.
His quick and confident response caught Tenten off guard, but after a few seconds, she let out a small laugh and said: "Ha-ha... I see. Then, I don't see any reason to delay this further."
With that, Tenten reached out, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and pulled him toward her, their lips meeting in a sudden but surprisingly gentle kiss. For Naruto, it felt like déjà vu.
Though the kiss was unexpected and quick, it was surprisingly tender and pleasant. Finally accepting the reality, Naruto responded to her initiative, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. While it was just a simple, innocent kiss, for Naruto, it was something entirely new and incredible. In the past, he could only dream of something like this.
As the river murmured and the leaves rustled, their kiss came to an end. Pulling away, they awkwardly looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh at how red their faces were.
Once the laughter subsided, Tenten and Naruto sat on the blanket, holding each other and watching the sparkling river. They didn't feel the need to talk just yet. The only thing on their minds was their future together and how everything would work out between them. For now, though, no one was in a hurry to bring up those discussions.
Inside the seal, two observers couldn't help but smile. Their boy was truly making progress in his interactions with girls. Though Minato and Kushina found it difficult to maintain a visual connection to the outside world, it was worth it to see their son getting along with a girl he liked. While they were sad they couldn't witness his first confession with Hinata due to the seal's restrictions, this was a good substitute.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails inside Naruto was in a strange state. On one hand, he was curious about what was happening in his jailer's life, but on the other, such thoughts felt beneath him.
Still, he could admit that his jailer had the potential to become a far better person than his previous hosts. Snorting at his own strange thoughts, the fox closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep, something he had been deprived of in his other jailers.
* * * * * * * * * *
From the Author:
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