Requested by:
JanaeH

A/N: Hey guys! One of my favorite authors of Naruto has requested a oneshot based on the main couple in her Naruto books! And I have to say, I was really pumped up about writing this one!

So to all the NaruNia fans out there, this one's for you! ≧ω≦

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Nia felt like she was on cloud nine. The very last thing she expected was for Naruto to reciprocate her romantic feelings for him. But here she was, holding hands with the boy of her dreams as they strolled along the streets of Konoha. The wide thoroughfare was buzzing with liveliness as soft giggles and squeals were heard from little children who were playing tag, occasionally bumping against the passersby without bothering to mutter an apology in return. Owners of different food stores chirped cheerfully in hopes of gaining customers, the aroma of ramen and dango wafting across the road.

The wind starts picking up in the forenoon as a gentle breeze passed by, accompanied by the birds tweeting merrily as they flew through the clear, blue sky. It was a day anything but out of ordinary. The scenario seemed to be that way except for the dark skinned kunoichi.

Why? Well, the reason resides to the blond knucklehead ninja beside her.

It would be understandable to witness his peevish and grouchy behavior either because of not fulfilling his desire of eating at Ichiraku's or someone pissed the heck out of him which is most likely caused by Sai's insensitive nature or Konohamaru outranking him in the Sexy Jutsu Technique. If that's the case, then it's less surprising since he's being his usual self.

Unfortunately, the current situation gives off a contrasting view. Whenever the couple would cross paths with a random guy, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to shoot him an icy glare and mutter inaudible nonsense under his breath while keeping a firm grip around Nia's waist, a gesture which silently says, 'This girl is mine, back off!'. The said guy only shuddered in fear as he scrambled off to the opposite direction.

"Tch! Since when did this street have so many guys?! Now that I think about it, they're everywhere wherever we go!" Naruto fumed, his teeth clenched as his eyes wandered frantically from left to right as if trying to locate his prey.

As much as Nia wanted to appreciate his overprotectiveness towards her, his behavior is growing out of hand. She had been aware of this for the past few days. At first, it was hilarious to witness such a sight, something that can't be seen in an everyday occurrence. But as time pass by, his attitude became more assertive and insistent gradually. This sort of incident had made the kunoichi quite uncomfortable, not knowing how to deal with something that never happened to her before.

Naruto huffed loudly, his arm never leaving her waist. "Sweetie, are you sure you need to buy something else? We've already got our hands full, ya know!" He exclaimed, gesturing to a heavy paper bag on his other arm filled with groceries which were actually a bunch of cupped ramen.

Nia sweatdropped at that, but smiled coyly at her boyfriend. "Honeybun, when I said earlier about buying groceries, cupped ramen is far from what I mean. You seriously need to start eating healthy food other than ramen. I'll get even more worried if you don't fix that habit."

She then turned away, knowing that he'll protest and yap nonstop about how ramen is the best food in the whole world and how heavenly the dish tasted like. But his next actions caught Nia off guard. She squeaked like a mouse as she felt herself being pulled close to someone's chest. It didn't take long before she realized Naruto was hugging her. His free arm was enclosed around her possessively, as if unable to let her go.

"Ahhh, hearing you say that makes me feel warm and tingly inside, ya know?" He lets out a contented sigh, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head affectionately with a squirmy smile on his face. "I think my heart just went ba-dump!" He added with a childish grin.

"N-Naruto! We're in public!" She protested, a red hue noticeable across her cheeks despite her toffee colored skin. She tried to pry the blond off of her but he only squeezed her tighter in return, making her cheeks feel like they're on fire. She buried her face in her hands as she caught weird stares from people passing by.

Naruto chuckled, the deep sound reverberating from his chest. "Then let them stare. I want them to know that you only belong to me." He purred, tucking a strand of Nia's hair behind her ear before leaning, pressing a sweet kiss on her cheek.

Steam came out of Nia's face, nearly melting in her boyfriend's arms as she was in a state of euphoria. Naruto smiled softly, finding her girlfriend's reactions quite adorable to his simple but sweet gestures.

"Man, you're just so cute, ya know? I won't ever let you go, sweetie!" He proclaimed, gently removing her hands from her face before planting soft kisses all over Nia's face enthusiastically; her nose, forehead, chin, and her closed eyelids. Her eyes went wide when his lips lingered on hers for a bit longer. When Naruto pulled away, she was left flabbergasted, all the blood rushing to her face in an instant.

"Kyahh, baby you're too much!" Once more, Nia buried her face in her hands probably muttering a series of gibberish words to herself. Naruto let out an amused chuckle when she heard her mutter something like, "I can finally die happy in heaven."

The genin gave her a playful wink. "And you'll always be too much for me, sweetie. That's how much I love you." He bumped his shoulder against hers in a teasing manner.

"S-Stop," She uttered weakly. "You're making me feel shy again, Naruto."

"I know," He said, and she could tell he was smiling. He placed his hands over hers that were covering her face. "Don't hide your face from me, Nia." He cooed.

Nia shook her head vigorously. "B-But the way you're looking at me is way too intense for me to handle." She admitted shyly.

A faint blush appeared on Naruto's whiskered cheeks as he bit on his bottom lip, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "Ugh! I can't take this anymore!" Abruptly, he grabbed her arm and dragged her to the direction of his apartment. Surprised at his sudden outburst and actions, bewilderment replaced on Nia's features.

"W-Wait! Why are we heading back? We haven't finished buying groceries yet!" She exclaimed.

"That's not important right now, sweetie!" He said, walking briskly while dragging his whining girlfriend. "I haven't pounded on you in a while ya know?! Just thinking about getting inside you once more has got me feeling all ecstatic and pumped up!"

"AHHH! You're too loud, Naruto!" Nia shrieked, clamping a hand over his mouth as she jerked her head from left to right, looking agitated. Her face turned red upon seeing a few people eyeing them in disgust.

She then focused her attention back to her boyfriend, who was protesting in a muffled voice. "You seriously need to keep it down! You're making a scene!" Nia whisper-shouted in a pleading tone, hoping that Naruto would listen to her like an obedient boy.

Unfortunately, he's as stubborn as a rock. He pulled Nia's hand away from his mouth. "Eh?! But why?!" He whined childishly, sticking his bottom lip out. "I need to let those jerks know that you're only mine! They've been sending us looks and it's giving me the vibe that someone intends to steal you away from me!"

Nia's face flushed, but she quickly shook the giddy feelings swarming in her stomach off. "The only reason why we're getting their attention was because you're giving me a PDA."

Naruto tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion. "What's a PDA?"

She fiddled with her fingers as her gaze landed on the ground. "Public display of affection."

Hearing this, his eyes sparkled. "Oh, I get it now! I never knew something like that exists!" Nia perked up and swallowed thickly when Naruto sauntered towards her, backing her up against a wall when she instinctively stepped back.

"N-Naruto...?" Nia was only able to realize how small her voice sounded.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I never thought I would experience my first kabe-don moment so soon!" Nia screamed in her thoughts.

She flinched in surprise when he slammed a hand on the wall just above her head. "Well, let's do it then."

Nia's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "DO WHAT NOW?!"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "It did mean public display of affection, right? That means I could do this." Before she could process Naruto's words, he had already dipped his head into her neck and peppered it with kisses. She was sure that she'd be liquefied into a puddle of mush if she didn't grabbed him by the shoulders to halt his actions.

"Hiyaaah! Hold up a minute, honeybun!" She's fully aware that her face looked like a bright red tomato from the warm sensation she was feeling on her cheeks. "One thing I haven't told you about PDA is that it's not usually a good practice."

The blond ninja pouted. "But I want you now in my arms, ya know! I can't hardly wait!"

The kunoichi blushed deeply. She placed her hands behind back and swayed timidly from side to side. "T-Then maybe we can do it at your apartment..." Her voice grew quieter at her own choice of words, although she wondered how Naruto was able to comprehend her sentence fully when he can't even understand a single word from the shy Hyūga female, Hinata.

Naruto gawked like a blowfish. "Wait, really?!" Upon receiving a bashful nod from his girlfriend, he pumped his fist in the air with a huge grin. "AH, YEAH! I CAN PRACTICALLY FEEL MY DICK TWITCHING HAPPILY IN MY PANTS, YA KNOW!"

Nia's eyes turned pure white as her blush traveled all the way down to her toes, her body practically glowing. She almost feel like her soul is close to leaving her body.

"You don't have to announce it to the whole world, you know! Sheesh!" She suddenly wished that she could dig a hole on the ground, escape from there and die of embarrassment as the public began murmuring to themselves, a mix of disbelief and shock on their faces.

However, this went unnoticed by the blond ninja as he held onto her hand, intertwining his fingers around it. He grinned brightly at her. "Well? Let's get wild, sweetie! I'm gonna make sure you won't be able to walk for weeks!"

Nia was left shell-shocked as her jaw almost dropped on the ground. She rubbed a hand over her face, sighing exasperatedly.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you, Naruto?"

~♥~~♥~~♥~

On the following day, Nia was found in the forest, training all by herself. She delivered a series of punches and kicks on a tree trunk to test her own strength. She'd mentally cheer at her progress whenever a satisfying sound of the small fragment of wood would get chipped off, boosting her confidence. An hour or two had passed before the kunoichi had fell on her knees from exhaustion, sweat dribbling down to her sideburn and neck. Tiny wounds formed around her knuckles and on her feet, but she didn't care less when her taijutsu is drastically improving.

As she lay on her back on the grass, gazing up at the clouds, a brown messenger hawk flying through the sky caught her attention. Nia sat up abruptly.

"There must be a new mission coming up. I wonder if I'll get called in by Lady Fifth? It's been a while since I've been in action." She mused, rising on her feet to head back to the village.

Fortunately, her prayers were answered when he spotted Naruto standing by the street that leads to the Hokage Tower. He seemed to be looking for someone from the way his head kept glancing from left to right constantly. His perplexed features turned into a childish grin upon seeing Nia. He ran towards the kunoichi.

"Nia! I have good news!" He exclaimed happily, halting his pace once he was in front of her.

Nia smiled, greeting him with a small wave. "Hey, Naruto. What's the occasion?" She inquired.

Naruto jabbed a thumb towards the Hokage Tower. "Granny Tsunade called us in for a new mission." He cracked his knuckles, his blue eyes brimming with determination. "It's finally time to kick some butt! I'm all fired up now!"

His girlfriend chuckled at him out of amusement. "That's sounds a lot like you."

By the time they arrived at the Hokage's office, Tsunade looked like she'd been expecting them as she acknowledged them with a nod. Nia stood up straight, making sure to look proper in front of one of the leaders of the Great Five Nations.

"Lady Fifth." She greeted politely.

Naruto on the other hand, placed his arms behind his back, grinning in a vacuous manner. "Yo, Granny Tsunade!" He said casually.

Tsunade had grown accustomed to Naruto's childish and mindless antics so she remained unfazed, her elbows propped up while her chin rested on top of her hands. Shizune stood beside her desk, prepared to assist her with anything at any moment, while the pig, Tonton was sleeping soundlessly on top of the pile of books on the floor Tsunade had borrowed from the library. She cleared her throat, her solemn gaze focused on Naruto and Nia.

"The reason why I only called you two today was because the mission sent to me is a C-ranked one, so I assumed this wouldn't be too difficult for you."

Naruto was unable to hide his deflated expression, hoping to get an A-ranked mission this time. Nonetheless, he didn't protest since he'd rather go on any mission instead sulking at his apartment out of boredom.

Tsunade pulled out a rolled map from her drawer, uncoiling it across her desk. "Now as for your mission, your job is to protect the jewelry merchants from the Hidden Stone Village at all costs," She paused to point her finger at the continent of the Land of Earth found at the upper left corner of the map. "Until they reach their destination, and that is at the Hidden Hot Water Village." She pointed at the small continent on the right side of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Do we need to guard them because bandits will possibly target their jewelries?" Nia asked.

Tsunade gave her a knowing smile. "You're half-right, Nia."

Naruto looked puzzled. "What's your point, Granny Tsunade?"

"The bandits aren't exactly after the whole merchandise of jewelries, what they're after is a certain ornament to fulfill their desire."

Nia's eyes narrowed, catching on quickly. "Please explain further, Lady Fifth."

"Miners in the Hidden Stone Village discovered a rare type of rock deep into the caves. Apparently, it's not any like an ordinary rock. At first glance, it may look like normal pebble but once someone gets hold of it, it will start glowing in a particular color." Tsunade explained.

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Wait, a glowing rock? I've never seen anything like that before." He commented.

"By a particular color, you mean that rock reacts differently to whoever acquires it?" Nia spoke up.

The Fifth Hokage gave her a impressed smile. "You catch on quickly. The color of the rock depends on the persona of the possessor. Yellow symbolizes your carefree attitude, blue symbolizes sadness, violet for humility, red for love but on the other hand, if the holder receives a black color, it can only mean that person doesn't have a pure heart."

Naruto seemed dissatisfied with her explanation as he crossed his arms. "They didn't want that glowing rock just because it's different from the other rocks, do they?" He asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Tsunade smirked. "Good to know that your brain is working well today, Naruto."

This irked the blond ninja. "Hey! I'm not that dumb, ya know!"

She chuckled. "Anyway, to point out what Naruto said earlier, yes they didn't want the rock just because of it's uniqueness. There's another reason."

"So, it has another capability." Nia said.

"That's right. After the discovery of the rare rock, jewelers decided to engrave it on a gold ring, turning it into an accessory. And because of its rarity, they sold it a very high price that no one can even purchase it. Although, one person was able to before anyone can beat her to it and that is the daughter of the Hot Water Feudal Lord, Princess Eri."

"Oh, so that's why we need to head to that village. But why does she want it?" Naruto asked.

"I was about to tell you why. The rock also possesses eternal youth and beauty to whoever owns the ring and most likely, women will be the ones who'll do anything to obtain it." Tsunade said.

Naruto and Nia's eyes went wide. "That's..." The blond ninja trailed off.

"Unbelievable." Nia finished the sentence for him.

"The possessor will only become young and beautiful if she has a heart of gold. Otherwise, she'll turn into an old woman if her heart is unpure."

Naruto frowned. "So that's the only reason why Princess Eri wanted the ring? I mean if she's a princess and all, why does she need it so badly? Well, she technically had the royal blood flowing within her."

Tsunade's features turned into a somber one in an instant. "Princess Eri thinks that the rock is her only solution to her problem. And her problem is that she feels unpretty."

This seemed to hit a nerve on Nia as she perked up, a stunned look found on her face.

I guess I'm not alone about the whole issue of being insecure of my appearance.

"As the future Feudal Lord of the Hot Water Village, she felt that she needed improve on her appearance because she had a fear of judgement. As a princess with no confidence, she felt that the weight on her shoulders is too big and heavy for her and by getting the ring, it will be the end of her insecurities."

Nia exhaled. "Lady Fifth." Her stern voice mildly surprised the Hokage while Naruto gave her a questioning glance. "I think... I personally want to save her." She suddenly found herself growing anxious. She knew better than anyone the importance of accomplishing a mission, and yet her emotions are getting in the way.

"This may sound childish but I wanted to make Princess Eri see that beauty isn't based on the opinions of others. This time, I wanted it to be my turn to save someone and be their light, just like how Naruto saved me from my own darkness." She said with a determined look in her eyes.

Although, it faltered in an instant when Tsunade regarded her with a grim expression. Nia gulped nervously, fearing that she'll replace her with someone else in the mission.

"F-Forget what I--"

"Do as you wish." Tsunade cuts her off, her features turning into a smile.

Nia blinked multiple times. "Pardon...?" Her brain couldn't fully process the Hokage's words or rather, she was in a state of incredulity.

Tsunade's smile broadened. "There's no way of stopping you, right? After all, you've become as stubborn as Naruto."

The blond ninja grinned, placing his hands on his hips. "That's my girlfriend, alright." He sent a wink at Nia, making the kunoichi blush.

The Fifth Hokage clasped her hands together. "Now, it's about time you two will move out."

"Yes, Lady Fifth." Nia answered politely.

Naruto stood up straight and raised his arm in a salute like a military soldier. "Osu!"

Just as the couple were about to leave the office, Tsunade stopped them. "Before I could forget, the glowing rock in the Hidden Stone Village is called the chromatic stone."

Before the genin and chuunin could propose any more questions, the Fifth Hokage had dismissed them.

It was around twelve in the noon the moment Naruto and Nia walked out of the gates of Konoha. They sauntered along the clear, dirt path that divided the forest, an audible crunch noise resounded from their footsteps beneath the rough surface of the ground. The smell of damp moss, rain and wet tree trunks entered Nia's nostrils, the pleasant odor making her sigh in satisfaction. Other than that, the gentle forest sounds felt quite pleasing to the ears; the sounds of bubbling brooks, remote and close sounds of chirping birds, buzzing insects, and croaking frogs.

The atmosphere itself was comforting and carefree and Nia wouldn't lie when she said she's a nature type of person.

"It would be nice to write in my diary once in a while in a forest." Nia thought.

"Haah, I'm on a mission with Nia and it's just the two of us." Naruto seemed to be lost in his own world of La La Land as hearts floated above his head, his cerulean blue eyes sparkling with exhilaration.

She chuckled, a light blush coating her cheeks. Nia took the time to observe her boyfriend who's stuck in what seemed like a spellbinding trance, her heart skipping a beat when he began muttering a bunch of gibberish nonsense to express his elation of being with his girlfriend.

Nia released a dreamy sigh, placing a hand on her cheek as she tilted her head. "He's so cute." She thought.

She surveyed the way his spiky blond locks would bounce when he'd create exaggerated hand movements, his blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean, the adorable whisker marks across his cheeks, and his signature grin that would make her heart pick up its speed everytime. Nia's gaze leisurely moved downwards and she nearly bled through her nose upon witnessing the outline of his muscles under his baggy orange-black jacket. Without thinking, her gaze descended once more and she choked on her own saliva when it accidentally landed on his crotch area.

She quickly whipped her head away, blood dribbling down her nose when the image imprinted in her mind. Immediately, she wiped the red liquid before her boyfriend could witness it. The kunoichi sighed. "I'm acting like a pervert right now."

Choosing to push away those thoughts, she focused her gaze on the road, worried they might get lost if she keeps daydreaming. Luckily, she had read the map closely before leaving the village so she knew which path to take after seeing two tracks in front.

Nia placed a hand under her chin. "As far as I can remember, heading right is the obvious choice." She mused.

"Naru--" She cuts herself off and gawked in mere stupefaction at the predicament her boyfriend is in.

His hands were behind his back while wearing a closed eye grin and the tanned color of his face had turned into a shade of bright red. He was abruptly snapped out of a daze when he collided into a tree trunk in front of him.

"GUWAH!" After the harsh impact, he landed on his back, his arm and leg in the air, twitching uncontrollably. His eyes had gone pure white and his mouth was left hanging open.

Nia gasped in shock and immediately jogged towards him, crouching down next to his twitching body. "Oh my gosh! Baby, are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" She asked frantically, fumbling on his arms and stomach for any signs of injuries.

Naruto tensed slightly under her touch, the blush remaining on his face. He sat up and scratched his cheek awkwardly, a gesture that Nia found extremely adorable. "Y-Yeah, I just got lost in my fantasies." He admitted, clearing his throat when he emphasised the last word.

"I can't let her know that I've been fantasizing about making love with her in my bed room." Naruto thought.

The kunoichi looked genuinely confused as her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"N-Nothing!" He answered in a panicky tone, heightening Nia's bewilderment. "A-Anyway, we should get going, sweetie." He was about to rise on his feet when Nia tugged onto his jacket, pulling him back down gently.

"Hold on a minute, I'm sure that your forehead took the hardest impact. Let me see it."

Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. "Thanks for worrying about me but I'm really fine, I'm wearing a protec--" He stopped himself when Nia shot him a stern look.

He sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. Have it your way, sweetie." He lifted his forehead protector slightly, revealing a tiny purplish bruise.

His girlfriend frowned before slipping her backpack off of her shoulders, unzipping it. "Jeez, you should watch where you're going, Naruto. You'll end up hurting yourself."

Naruto chuckled bashfully. "Hehe, sorry about that."

Nia fished out a small towel and a cold water bottle before pouring the liquid on the fabric. After doing so, she pressed it against the blond's forehead gently.

Naruto jumped slightly at the cold sensation. "Damn, that's pretty cold." He commented but stayed still, allowing Nia to tend his bruise.

"Take it easy, Naruto." She said, leaning in a bit to inspect his minor injury.

He developed a pink tinge on his cheeks at their close proximity, his eyes wide at the size of saucers. Nia seemed busy applying the cold towel on his forehead as her eyes were narrowed in concentration, too absorbed to notice the awkward situation. Naruto swallowed thickly as his gaze landed on her slightly parted lips, itching to kiss her. His heart pounded loudly against his ribcage at that thought.

"T-Too close... If this continues any longer, I might won't be able to hold back..." He thought, biting down on his bottom lip, trying to fight off the sweet urge.

After a while of struggling in holding onto his sanity, Nia finally finished treating his bruise and placed the wet towel back into her bag. Unfortunately, Naruto's relief was rather short-lived when she dipped her head in, planting a quick kiss on his bruise. Her boyfriend felt like his heart could burst at any moment.

The kunoichi smiled softly. "There you go, I'm sure it'll heal at any moment. After all, loving can heal, right?"

The blond froze, recalling the sensation of her soft, plump lips against his skin. "Her lips feel so nice..."

"N... N..." He trailed off, a shadow casted over his eyes and his ears were beet red.

Nia raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What's wrong, Naruto?"

"NIAAAAAAAA!!" Out of nowhere, he glomped onto her, caging her body into his secured grip. He nuzzled his nose into her shoulder affectionately.

She blushed. "N-Naruto?!"

He inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm his loud, beating heart. "It's just that... you're so kind and gentle. No one has ever treated me this way before, you're the only one who's been giving me the special treatment." He confessed, a small smile making its way to his lips subconsciously.

His grip on her waist tightened slightly, his eyes fluttering shut at the feeling of her warm figure. "It drives me insane, ya know? My heart always melts whenever you give me those kind gestures... it makes me feel special. It's like I'm the only one who really matters to you in the whole world."

Nia felt the sensation of butterflies fluttering in her stomach when he pecked her on the cheek. "And it's one of the reasons why I grew to love you. You make me feel alive." He moved his head to the other side of her face to press his lips against her left cheek. "I'm gonna keep saying it so that you wouldn't forget it. I love you, Nia."

Nia felt overwhelmed, an emotion so strong swirling within her. The feeling was intense that she felt like it was taking her over, shutting out everything surrounding her excluding the warm, protective arms holding her close. She smiled, finally wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face on his chest.

"Don't be silly, there's no way I'd ever forget what you said. And I love you too, Naruto. Always and forever." She uttered genuinely.

Naruto released a contented sigh, relishing the feeling of his girlfriend in his arms. Nia pets the top of his head softly, earning a hum from the male. Her fingers played with his blond locks, loving the feel of his fluffy hair. He pulled away from the girl's shoulder after a moment, but his arms remained around her waist. His forehead rested against hers, blue and brown pairs of eyes staring at each other lovingly.

"Can I kiss you, Nia?" Naruto asked softly, reaching up to caress her cheek.

Nia blushed profusely, a sheepish smile coming up on her lips. "Yes you may, Naruto. Just don't go further than that." She warned.

Naruto chuckled nervously. "We'll see about that."

With that, the couple shared a sweet, passionate kiss, enjoying each other's warmth and company.

A few hours had passed when they arrived in front of the gates of the Hidden Stone Village. Outside the gates was a large wooden wagon, a green cloth enclosed around a certain object placed on the heavy four-wheeled vehicle. Three merchants stood around the wagon, all wearing similar uniforms which consists of gray shirt and baggy pants, brown sandals and a blue robe to compliment their topwear. One of the merchants caught sight of the couple.

"Oh, you must be from Konoha judging by your headbands. We're supposed to be the merchants you'll be guarding." He said, walking up to them.

He had shoulder-length jet black hair and brown eyes. He extended a hand towards Nia. "My name is Toshiro, by the way, a pleasure to meet you two."

The kunoichi offered a polite smile. "I'm Nia, nice to--" She was about to comply to the handshake when Naruto grabbed Toshiro's hand instead.

A dark aura formed around his figure, a red irk mark found on the side of his forehead. He grinned, though it looked forced as his eyes glared daggers at him. "Mine's Naruto, nice to meet you too." He uttered venomously, squeezing Toshiro's hand tightly as if planning to crush it.

"Naruto!" Nia scolded, prying her boyfriend's iron grip off of the poor, frightened merchant. "Sorry about that, he tends to get a little overprotective at times." She apologized meekly.

Toshiro smiled nervously, rubbing his aching hand. "A little, huh?"

Another raven-haired merchant seemed busy with tying the rope around the covered object on the wagon but was kind enough to introduce himself as the couple were sauntering towards the vehicle. "Nia and Naruto right? I'm Ryouta, looking forward to working with you guys." He said with a slight bow.

Nia mirrored his gesture. "Likewise, Ryouta."

Naruto stayed silent, scowling at Ryouta coldly. The girl sighed and scooted beside the genin. "You need to quit that Naruto, they'll think that you're being rude."

His blue eyes narrowed, refusing to tear his eyes from the male. "I have to keep an eye on every guy I encounter with. We'll never know what's gonna happen, sweetie."

Nia frowned. "I'm not going anywhere, honeybun. I'll be by your side throughout the mission." She tried to reassure him.

Ryouta was unfazed by Naruto's pessimistic stare as he smiled at the pair. "So you guys are a couple, huh? You two look great together." He commented.

The kunoichi glanced back at her boyfriend. "See? Nothing bad's gonna happen." She whispered so that no one else could hear her.

Naruto's expression didn't change. "He's just saying that to lower down my guard."

Nia sweatdropped. "He's not gonna change his mind. Although, I love seeing this side of him." She smiled softly.

The last merchant seemed younger than the other two as he leaned against the wagon, shifting on his feet awkwardly. His green eyes were trained on the ground, refusing to make eye contact with the couple. He had messy, shaggy chestnut brown hair and it was obvious he didn't bother fixing his hairstyle as it stuck out in different directions. Nia was quick to realize he was rather a shy and anti-social teenager. Carefully ambling towards the timid boy as to not startle him, she flashed him a friendly smile.

"Hey, you look kinda young to be a merchant. What's your name?" She asked kindly.

He played with the hem of his shirt anxiously, his eyes glancing at Nia every so often. "H-Haru..."

The kunoichi stopped herself from squealing out loud as her eyes sparkled. "He's so precious! I wish I could adopt him and make him my little brother!"

Nia suddenly found herself grinning widely. "That's a nice name you got there, I'm Nia, a ninja from Konoha." She said, jabbing a thumb at her forehead protector and she took note of Haru's eyes widening slightly in awe.

She then placed a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch. "And I promise to protect you guys and your jewelry so you can rely on us, okay?" She said sweetly, as if talking to a child.

Haru nodded slowly, completely astonished. "O-Okay..."

Nia grew alarmed when she felt the carefree atmosphere growing forbidding instantly. When she looked over her shoulder, Naruto was beyond pissed off.

He gave his knuckles a good crack. "What do you think you're doing getting all cozy with my girlfriend, hm?"

Haru's face went blue. "I-I wasn't doing anything, mister." He stammered, placing his hands in front of him in defense.

"Baby, I was just introducing myself to him. His name is Haru, isn't he a nice guy?" Nia attempted to cool off Naruto's sour mood.

Before the genin could utter out a reply, he was abruptly interrupted by Toshiro, who was ready to push the wagon in front. "I think we should get moving now. It'll be dangerous if we don't arrive at the Hot Water Village before night time."

The girl nodded in agreement. "Right. We'll be surveying the surroundings to ensure your safety."

Toshiro and Ryouta were pushing the wagon in front as they held onto a long handle while Haruto supported them from the back of the vehicle. Naruto and Nia guarded the area from seperated sides, making sure to stay alert at all times. After what seemed like an hour of inspecting nothing but a bunch of trees, the couple decided to engage a conversation with the merchants while keeping on guard. Nia ambled beside Haru who was silent the whole time. 

"Hey, Haru. I'll help you out." She offered, pushing the back of the wagon next to him.

"Um, thank you, Miss Nia." He replied quietly.

Once more, Nia's eyes sparkled. "He called me Miss Nia! How polite of him!"

"No problem!" She chirped. "Can I ask how old are you?"

"Fourteen." The boy answered softly.

"That's pretty young. Doesn't being a merchant seem difficult for you at that age?" She inquired.

Haru shook his head. "My family is rather poor so this job is my only option to take at a young age. My mom didn't have a job but she does everything at home while my dad is a miner, so I wanted to help them out as much as I can, even going far as sacrificing my dream..." His voice grew softer upon saying the last three words, his head hung down.

Nia eyed the boy sadly, a pitiful look shown on her features. "May I ask what your dream is?"

His next words surprised her greatly. "To become a ninja." Haru wore a crestfallen look on his features, refusing to make eye contact with the kunoichi to see her reaction.

She cracked a smile. "That's a wonderful dream, I'm sure you'll achieve it."

His eyes widened, but his frown remained. "But my parents don't have enough money to enroll me to a ninja academy. It's hopeless."

"I think it's too early to lose hope, Haru. You've got a big future ahead of you and there's still so much that can be done when you're young. Besides, I know how I can help you with that." She said, giving him a wink.

His face flushed momentarily. "You don't have to, Miss Nia. I hate being a burden to others."

"Don't be silly, you have good intentions so don't ever think about that. Plus, it's a ninja's duty to help out their clients." Once again, his forest green eyes seemed to twinkle at the mention of a ninja.

Nia watched him out of amusement. "He really wanted to become a ninja, huh?"

"The weather is really nice today, don't ya think?" The girl nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Naruto out of nowhere, walking beside Haru. His fake smile and the way his left eye twitched tells her that he was close to going berserk.

Haru's face paled. "Y-Yes it is, mister." He answered nervously.

Naruto's smile widened, though it almost looked like it came right out of a horror movie as Haru felt shivers running down his spine. "So, what are you guys talking about?"

Nia decided to play it cool. "I was just asking Haru why he chose to become a merchant." She said, sending a smile at the brunette which only heightened the blond's jealousy.

His eyes narrowed dangerously at Haru, who shyly returned Nia's smile. "Why won't she pay attention to me? Her smile only belongs to me!" He thought.

It was as if a light bulb had lit up as a plan popped up in mind. He smirked secretly. "Knowing her clueless but kind nature, there's no doubt that this would work."

Naruto groaned as he clutched at his forehead protector, pretending to sound like he was in pain. "Ow, damn it hurts so bad." He even squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth together.

This caught the kunoichi's attention as she whipped her head towards her boyfriend, genuine concern found on her features. Automatically, she had rushed to his side. "Are you okay, honeybun? Is your forehead still hurting?"

The genin did a victory dance in his mind, stopping himself from revealing his smirk. "Mission accomplished."

He groaned once more, jerking his head from side to side like a lunatic for added effect which made Nia even more worried. "I-I think so. Can you take a look at it, sweetie?"

She nodded vigorously. "Of course." Gently lifting up his headband slightly, she leaned in, inspecting his purplish bruise that was slowly returning to its normal skin tone. "I think it's starting to hea--"

She was interrupted by an arm enclosing around her waist, stopping her in her tracks. Before she could process what's going on, Naruto pressed his lips against hers, kissing her sensually.

Haru blushed at the romantic scene before turning away immediately and continued pushing on the wagon, pretending that nothing happened.

Nia's eyes were wide and filled with shock, while her boyfriend seemed relaxed with his eyes closed, too caught up in the moment.

"Mmphh!" Her protests were muffled by the kiss as she delivered jabs on his chest, trying to get him to pull away but her actions were futile. She almost melted in his arms when he deepened the kiss by tilting his head for a better angle and sucking down on her bottom lip in a suggestive manner.

Finally, Naruto pulled away from the steamy kiss after for what seemed like forever, panting softly from the lack of oxygen. He eyed his girlfriend with pride upon witnessing her flustered expression.

He flashed her a playful wink. "Heh, got'cha sweetie." He said, grinning impishly.

She buried her face on his chest, her cheeks on fire. "N-Not cool, Naruto!" She exclaimed, her voice slightly muffled.

Naruto chuckled, hugging her close. He brushed a few strands of her dark locks before kissing the top of her head sweetly. "Sorry, I just can't help it when my girlfriend is being so cute."

Nia's blush deepened. "And I can't take my hero's romantic gestures when he's so handsome."

Not only her words made his heart race but it boosted his ego as well. He sighed happily. "Ahhh, you never fail make me feel good with your sugar coated words, sweetie! Say that again! Say that your hero is so handsome!" His tone sounded more assertive and demanding, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck.

Nia was on the verge of fainting due her face overheating but she kept herself together. "M-My hero is so handsome..." She responded timidly.

She yelped in surprise when he pecked the base of her neck. "Again, sweetheart! Let me hear you say it!"

Swallowing thickly, she complied to his request. "My hero is so handsome."

This time, he kissed her collarbone. "Louder this time!"

Her knees were wobbling uncontrollably and she would've collapsed if it wasn't for Naruto holding her up with his arms around her waist. "M-MY HERO IS SO HANDSOME!!"

Naruto went silent for a moment. The only sound that Nia's ears picked up was his irregular breathing. She waited in anticipation, wondering if she didn't satisfy him. Not before long, she felt a faint painful but oddly pleasurable sensation on her neck that made her squeak. It was the moment when Naruto pulled away did she realize he had given her a hickey.

He grinned proudly at the spot where he had bitten her. "Now, that's your reward."

Her jaw dropped when her fingers brushed against a teeth mark on the curve of her neck.

"He gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey, he gave me a hickey." Those words repeated in her mind like a broken record as steam came out of her ears, much to Naruto's amusement.

"Oi! You two!" Ryouta called out, though it sounded faint, considering that they were already off at a far distance, the realization soon crossing in Naruto and Nia's mind. "Are you guys just gonna make out in the middle of the street or what?" He teased.

Nia grew flustered. "S-Sorry! I'm coming!" Without sparing the blond a glance, she ran up ahead of the road, catching up with the merchants.

Naruto stifled a laugh, placing his hands behind his head with an amused smile. "Ahh, she's so cute when she's embarrassed." He mused dreamily.

It was around three o'clock in the afternoon when the merchants decided to take a short break due to unbearable heat of the sun. The two ninjas complied as they settled on a spacious, clear area where trees hovered around it.

In the mean time, while Toshiro and Ryouta were taking a nap, Nia offered to teach Haru how to handle ninja weapons, arousing his excitement as he shyly took the kunai from her hand.

"Oh! Hold on a second!" She exclaimed, drawing a tiny circle with her kunai on the tree trunk in front of them. "That will be your target." She pointed out, earning a nod from the brunette.

"Now, throwing a kunai is one of the most basic attacks of a ninja," She began, twirling a kunai in her hand. "First thing's first, hold the kunai and put it in the spot you feel most comfortable throwing it."

Haru nodded slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he lifted the kunai over his shoulder, his eyes trained on the target. Nia took the time to fix his posture, the brunette blushing slightly at the physical contact on his arms and back.

"For throwing, extend your arm and forward then release once the blade is pointed at your target. I'd also recommend not to put any spin on the blade using this method since you might injure yourself. Alright, give your first try." Nia said, stepping back at a safe distance to observe his posture.

Haru exhaled, following her instructions as he threw the kunai rather inadequately as it flew tediously, the blade hitting the ground before it could even reach the trunk. He frowned in disappointment. "I was sure that it would hit it perfectly."

Nia smiled. "You have good targeting skills, Haru. The only problem is your inability of applying force in your throw. Since you're unable to experience a real ninja training and gain a formidable body built, you can't unleash your full strength. But don't worry, I can help you with that." She reassured.

The brunette's eyes lit up in excitement. "R-Really? Thank you so much, Miss Nia." He said, bowing slightly to express his gratitude.

The kunoichi grinned, placing her hands on her hips. "No problem. Now let's get started, shall we?"

The whole time Nia was mentoring Haru with throwing kunai knives, Naruto was unable to hide his immense jealousy as he scowled at the younger teenager as if he had plans of assassinating him. He sat against a tree not too far away from them Indian style, his arms crossed. His indignation was building up rapidly especially at the fact that his girlfriend wouldn't even glance at him.

He pulled at the roots of the grass aggressively, directing his annoyance towards his activity. "Tch! What's so special about that guy? First Aki-trash, now Haru-trash who keeps getting in my way and stealing my girl. Hmph!" He grabbed a twig beside him, snapping it into half effortlessly.

Throwing the kunai countless times have proved to be exhausting for Haru as sweat poured down his sideburn to his neck, his dominant hand growing numb. Nia noticed his symptoms of fatigue so she allowed him to rest for a while. She went up to her boyfriend and chuckled softly upon noticing his grumpy behavior.

She sat beside him. "You know, you look like an old geezer with your face all wrinkled up like that."

Naruto frowned, turning to his girlfriend. "Sweetie, why were you hanging out with that Haru-trash? I'm right here, ya know?"

Nia's cheeks puffed out, trying to hold in her laughter. "It's so funny how you nicknamed Akihiko and Haru after trash."

"Because they're trash!" The blond exclaimed, flailing his arms around comically as a red irk mark appeared on his head.

The girl raised an eyebrow, amused. "What is it for you that makes them count as one?"

"Well, they keep getting your attention, they steal you away from me, they make you leave by my side, they take your cute smiles from me, and they get to have you all to themselves like that annoys the heck out of me, ya know?! Like one minute, you were in my arms and in a blink of an eye, you disappear like poof! The moment those trashes appear out of nowhere! It's almost as if everybody wanna steal my girl and everybody wants to take her heart away, I mean there's a couple billion girls in the whole wide world! So they should find another one 'cause she belongs to me!" He uttered confidently, puffing his chest out to look manly. Nia's heart raced at his words and without hesitation, she kissed him on the cheek.

"Even if that were the case, even if my attention is on someone else, even if my eyes are not on you for a moment, my heart will always belong to you and only you, Naruto. Don't ever forget that." She said genuinely, flashing him a sweet smile.

Naruto's cheeks turned red as he gawked at his girlfriend, astonished. His lips then stretched upwards, smiling idiotically to himself as hearts floated above his head. "Ahhh Nia..." He uttered dreamily.

The kunoichi giggled softly, simply admiring his hopelessly in love boyfriend.

The romantic moment was abruptly interrupted when a kunai flew right above their faces, the blade stopping at the tree trunk. Nia's eyes widened when she noticed an explosive tag attached on it.

"Look out!" Alarmed, she jumped out of the way, same to Naruto who acted out of reflex before it exploded, a drilled hole now found on the trunk.

Haru grew anxious as he rushed behind Nia. Toshiro and Ryouta woke up from their slumber and shot up from their position, equally startled. "What's going on?" Toshiro asked.

"Hide under the wagon! Now! You too, Haru!" Naruto instructed sternly, his features serious and grave. The three nodded dumbly as they settled under the four-wheeled vehicle for safety.

The couple stood, back to back, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Where are you?! Show yourself!" Nia exclaimed, a kunai in her hand for defense.

A maniacal laugh from a woman broke through the peaceful silence of the forest as two dark silhouettes leaped from the bushes at the speed of lightning, landing at a safe distance from Naruto and Nia. Two women came into view; a long-haired blackette with onyx eyes, wearing a red jacket and black pants, and a short, white-haired woman with blue eyes, sporting a navy blue off-shoulder fishnet top and a gray skirt similar to Sakura's underneath her black tights.

Nia glared at them. "Let me guess, you're here for the chromatic stone."

The dark haired woman smirked, responding with an applause as if she had finished watching an orchestra. "Bravo, you got it sweetie." She said in a sweet, sickening voice that disgusted Nia to the core.

On the other hand, the snow haired woman remained unfazed and emotionless, though there was a strong glint of desire in her eyes. "Give us the chromatic stone. Now." She demanded.

Naruto stepped up, flashing them a grim look. "Why do you guys want it? Besides, there can only be one holder of the ring." He pointed out.

"Indeed, you are correct. But it's not us who wants the ring. It's our leader, whom we've been serving her for years in an organization we're in." The dark haired woman stated.

"Rogue ninjas?" Nia asked, noticing they aren't wearing a forehead protector.

"That's right. Our village is not our home anymore, not when we have a new one where it gives us what we need," The snow haired woman said, her blue eyes nearly turning black. "Power."

Naruto gritted his teeth, his body trembling with rage. It seemed like her words triggered Naruto's strong desire.

To bring back his friend, Sasuke.

He chuckled dryly. "The village is not your home, huh? Then what about your families and your comrades?! Don't you ever consider their feelings when you guys left your village? Have you ever thought about the bonds you have formed with them?! You'll never know they might be waiting for you to get home! Or even chasing after you to get you back to your senses!" He exclaimed, his hands balling into fists.

The dark haired woman snorted, eyeing him in disgust. "Comrades? Bonds? Home?" She said those words as if it gave a bitter taste to her tongue. "Suck it up, Leaf ninja. We have different ideologies about certain things and that's reality, accept it." She snapped.

"Why give us that talk when you know nothing about us? I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself, blondie." The snow-haired woman added.

Naruto was fuming at this point, his face red from anger. "You...!"

Nia placed a hand on his shoulder, effectively snapping him out of his rage. "Stay calm, Naruto. They're just provoking you to gain the upper hand in the battle." She said softly.

The genin exhaled, his features softening. "My bad, Nia."

The kunoichi returned her attention to the two enemies in front of them, keeping her composure as she formed into a defensive stance. The snow-haired woman narrowed her eyes.

"I'll take the girl on, Akane. She seems like an formidable opponent."

Akane, the dark-haired woman nodded. She smirked at Naruto. "Fine by me, Yuki. I need to teach this boy a lesson anyway for being an annoying loud mouth."

Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance, glaring at Akane. "Let's give it all what we got, Nia!"

Nia smiled confidently. "Roger that!" With that she took the initiative to attack first in the battle.

She performed a hand seal, her eyes trained on Yuki. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" A faint whooshing sound was heard from the distance accompanied by the smell of saltwater before a large current of the ocean came surging in from the trees, the stream heading towards Yuki.

Yuki was unfazed by the attack as she mirrored Nia's actions, doing a quick hand seal. "Ice Style: Freezing Touch!" She exclaimed, the water current turning into ice instantly after touching it.

Nia failed to hide her surprise. "She's most likely from the Land of Water if her Kekkei Genkai is ice. In that case..."

Her next actions made Yuki grew alarmed, though she reacted quickly by forming her arms in an X-shape when Nia delivered a roundhouse kick to her face. "I may have ice as my kekkei genkai, but that doesn't mean I'm not a master of taijutsu." She deadpanned.

This irked the kunoichi as she looked slightly troubled. "I've got to defeat her no matter what. Losing is not an option!"

Meanwhile, Akane had taken the offense position in the fight as she performed a hand seal. "Earth Style: Rising Stone Pillars!"

A deep rumbling sound occured underground and suddenly, cylinder-like stone pillars broke through the surface, rising up before the direction changed as it charged towards Naruto with incredible speed like missiles. The genin was quick on his feet as he jumped out of the way, focusing his chakra on his feet before running through the pillars as a way to get closer to his opponent. Upon arriving at the edge, he formed his hands into a seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A poof sound was heard before his shadow clone appeared next to him, assisting the real user of applying chakra on his palm to form the rasengan. A swirling ball of light floated on his palm before the shadow clone disappeared. With that, he leaped from the pillar, landing straight towards Akane.

"Rasengan!" He screamed from the top of his lungs, aiming it at her.

Akane smirked, standing in a relaxed manner. "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" In an instant, a wall of mud rose in front of her before the rasengan could reach her.

"Dammit!" Naruto thought, infuriated as he landed on the ground with ease.

"Do you think a mere rasengan can bring me down? Well, think again, blondie. With my ninjutsu skills, you have no chance to get near to me."

On the other hand, Nia was struggling in her battle against the ice user. She had been delivering punches and kicks but Yuki proved to be an excellent dodger, not to mention she's pretty agile and fast. At one point, Nia lost her concentration, gaining an advantage for Yuki as she crouched down, spun around and delivered a kick on Nia's shin, making her cry out in agony as she collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Nia!" Naruto had a horrified look on his face at the current predicament of his girlfriend.

"Your opponent is right here, dumbass!" Akane yelled as she performed another hand seal. "Earth Style: Great Mud River!" A mud of river came rushing in towards Naruto, the genin being swept off by the, current before his back made a harsh impact against a tree, making him grunt in pain.

"Naruto!" Nia called out, forcing herself to rise on her feet despite the stinging pain. "Don't worry about me! Just focus on your battle!"

Naruto eyed her worriedly, ignoring the pain on his back. "B-But...!"

"Believe in me, Naruto! Believe in me as much as I believe in you, okay?" She said, flashing him a reassuring smile.

The boy's eyes widened as realization struck him. He then squeezed in shut, as if debating on something in his mind. "Just please... Be careful." He pleaded.

She gave him a thumbs up. "We'll win this thing."

Nia turned her attention back to her opponent and racked her brain for a moment. "I've gotta do something. Something that'll completely change the momentum in this battle. I may not be a genius like Shikamaru but I just need a simple strategy to shake her up."

Her eyes wandered around the trees closely. "I've got to make use of the battlefield as much as I can."

"Ice Style: Frigid Ice Needles!" Yuki suddenly yelled and out of nowhere, giant ice needles rained from above, making Nia's eyes grew wide in shock. She tried to dodge, but her bruised shin was being a burden. As she was near to losing hope, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, a warm body hovering above her.

"Ughh!" Naruto let out an agonizing scream as the needles pierced through his skin.

"Naruto!" Nia called out shakily, supporting his body with her weight. Just as when she thought that the genin had lost consciousness, he lifted his head from her shoulder, grinning at her.

"I'm all good, sweetie! I'm just glad you're okay." He uttered softly, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

Nia blushed, leaning into his touch. "Just don't do something like that again."

Naruto chuckled nervously. "I can't make any promises on that."

Once the couple had recovered from Yuki's attack, they formed a plan in mind to defeat their respective opponents. Nia then performed a hand seal. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" A current of the ocean came rushing in at her command.

Yuki rolled her eyes, mildly annoyed. "And I guess you're an idiot as well just like your partner."

"Heh, we'll see about that." Nia said confidently.

Before the ice user could say anything else, the current was near to swallowing her up so she had no choice but to freeze the water stream. Just as it turned into ice, Yuki was startled to find Nia skating towards her through the ice structure of the ocean current.

"Take this!" She yelled, aiming her fist towards Yuki. Luck seemed to be on the snow-haired female's side as she barely had the time to tilt her head to the side before Nia's fist could touch her. At the last minute, Yuki delivered a jab across her stomach, making the dark-skinned kunoichi groan in pain. Yuki's celebration was short-lived when Nia turned into a puff of smoke, revealing a log when it cleared up.

"What...?" Yuki said in disbelief, searching for the girl frantically.

"Right here, slowpoke!" When Yuki looked over her shoulder, Nia had used her water whip to wrap it around a tree branch before propelling herself towards Yuki, landing a punch right on her face.

Yuki was sent flying from the solid impact as she crashed at a far distance through the trees and was found knocked out, much to Nia's pleasure. Naruto's motivation heightened after the intense battle of his girlfriend as he summoned about a hundred shadow clones, the army of Narutos charging towards Akane.

While Akane's stone pillars technique had the capability to catch all the shadow clones, it provided Naruto the distraction he needed. The genin had leaped from a pillar once more, his rasengan technique ready.

"Hah, pathetic! That doesn't work on me, idiot!" Akane said, creating a mud wall in front of her.

Unfortunately, the moment the rasengan made contact with the mud wall, a poof sound occured as Naruto vanished. It wasn't before long before Akane found him in mid-air, a rasengan already prepared to go.

"Where are you looking at? Naruto Uzumaki's right here, ya know! Rasengan!" Akane shrieked as the attack made contact against her chest, knocking her out completely.

Nia sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, we managed to pull it off somehow."

~♥~~♥~~♥~

They were now face to face with the daughter of the Hot Water Feudal Lord, Princess Eri who sat across from the couple at the table in the living room of the Feudal Lord's mansion. The three merchants sat behind them,  with Haru holding the chromatic stone ring under a small cloth. Princess Eri was rather a skinny and frail lady, with brown hair that matched her eyes. Despite her eyes being large and rounded, her flat nose and dried, cracked lips, Nia was curious as to why she views herself as unpretty.

"May I see the ring?" Princess Eri inquired politely.

Haru nodded, handing the ring to the princess. When she removed the cloth, her eyes widened. A plain pebble was carved into a gold ring, but she knew it would start to glow once she gets a hold of it.

"Princess Eri," Nia spoke up, her head lifting up to meet the princess' eyes. "Before you wear the ring, I'd like to say something. Is that alright?"

Princess Eri blinked a few times, wondering why she'd need to say something when their mission is almost complete. "G-Go ahead."

The kunoichi exhaled. "Listen, I may not be in position to say this but please hear me out." She began nervously, hoping that she wouldn't offend the princess. "... I know how you feel. Your insecurities towards your looks, the negative judgement of others, how they gossip and make fun of you behind your back. I know how it all feels like, and I know that it hurts. Your confidence and self-worth... It's all crushed, right?"

Princess Eri's eyes widened, biting on her bottom lip as she nodded slowly. "There are times where I would look in the mirror and ask myself, why was I born this way? What did I do to deserve this harsh treatment and cruel reality? Why do looks and outer appearances matter to everyone so much? Should I just end my life?" When Nia said the last question, Princess Eri burst into tears as she buried her face in her hands, sobbing quietly. Naruto was quick to rush to her side, patting her back gently.

Nia perked up and stopped herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--"

"Please continue." Princess Eri managed to say in croaked voice, silently thanking Naruto's kind gesture.

"O-Okay," The girl cleared her throat awkwardly. "I was close to giving up on my life, my purpose and on trying to accept who I am. But then Naruto came into my life, and it's like everything around me brightened instantly." She smiled sincerely at the mention of her boyfriend. Naruto grinned sheepishly as Princess Eri gave him a surprised glance.

"He was the one who saved me from the darkness, he helped me accept who I am, he made me realize the meaning of true beauty. Even though, I've been distant and cold to him at first, he still stayed by my side. He became my light." Nia's smile broadened upon saying this as Princess Eri had stopped crying, astounded at her words.

"What I'm trying to say is that, even if a thousand, or maybe, millions of people don't accept who you are and how you look like, there is always an odd one out in a sea of people and one person is already enough to make you feel special."

"Nia..." The princess was stunned, and she soon finds herself smiling sweetly through her dried tears. "You're so lucky to have find that person. And thank you for saying that. It's really a relief that I'm not the only one who struggles with this problem." She then glanced at the chromatic stone ring.

"Although, it's kinda a waste for buying this ring when it's so expensive. Would it hurt if I try wearing it? I'll take it off if my appearance changes completely."

Nia looked unsure but she shrugged. "Up to you, princess."

When Princess Eri puts the ring on, everyone was shocked to find that the stone was glowing at a red color. A light red aura flowed around the princess' figure but her appearance didn't change. Instead, her dull brown eyes was twinkling with hope while her chestnut hair wasn't as dark and boring anymore and her lips didn't seem dried and cracked.

Naruto was shell-shocked. "Red means love... But love for what?"

The kunoichi smiled, realization hitting her. "Love for oneself."

With that, the couple was glad they were able to not just accomplish the mission, but helping the one who was tainted in darkness and despair as well.

~♥~~♥~~♥~

Night arrived and Naruto and Nia were laying beside each other on a king-sized bed. Princess Eri was kind enough to offer them a free one night stay at one of their hotel resorts, much to the couple's excitement. After the hot spring bath that healed their injuries, they were currently resting in one of the rooms.

Nia smiled as she wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, pulling him close. "This feels nice." She said, letting out a satisfied sigh at their closenses.

"Mhm. You smell nice too, sweetie." Naruto said, kissing the top of her head.

Nia pecked at his neck in return. "I'm sorry for having to be protected by you." She said, a frown crossing her features.

His grip on her waist tightened. "Don't say that, Nia. I'm always willing and happy to protect you. I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't."

Nia didn't say anything, but Naruto could tell she appreciated all the things he does to her. She snuggled into his bare chest, inhaling his masculine scent. "Naruto?"

"Hm?"

Her cheeks went red, a smile tugging at her lips. "I love you."

She could hear his heart picking up its speed, and she was happy she made him feel that way towards her. It made her feel special that his heart only beats for her. Naruto caressed the back of her head, releasing a soft sigh. "I love you too, Nia."

He gently tilted her chin before his head dipped in to meet her lips. Nia hummed softly in response, reaching up to tug at his blond locks. The genin kissed her hungrily as if there was no tomorrow as he made sure to keep an iron grip on the girl's waist to keep her close. Soon, the couple was lost in each other's warmth as they sensually expressed each other's love and secretly, Naruto was exhilarated that for once, Nia's attention was only on him throughout the night.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

A/N: Damnnnn I didn't expect it to be that long but oh well! Hope you guys enjoyed it hehe!

NaruNia Forever! 😍💖💕

P.S. I might need to take a break from this book cuz I feel like my head's about to split into two in every oneshot that I write lol. Ciao!

Word count: 11,222