Naruto looked on at the two, ready to fight. He was about to listen to Hinata's advice for a split second and flee, when his ego hit him like a punch to the face.

Wait a second! I should be defending her! Not the other way around! This jerk isn't going to push anyone around! But how do I get his attention? And how do I look...

Looking on at the warrior, Naruto smiled. His robes held a glove, for what he didn't know, but he knew what to do. Smiling, he walked towards the warrior, who sheathed his sword in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"N...Naruto-kun?"

"You," Naruto began, as he reached for the glove, Su Huan-Jen still surprised by the rash behavior of the teen ninja, "insulted my village, my date, and then you threatened to kill her!"

"Date?" Hinata whispered to herself. Naruto-kun thought this was a date? She swooned at the thought.

"And your point is?" Jen asked.

"YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME!"

*THWAP*

Covering his bruised face, Su Huan-Jen asked "Did you just slap..."

*THWAP*

"You little ingrate!" Jen shouted, reaching for his sword. He had known this ninja for all of 5 minutes and already he was annoying the normally calm and serene warrior to no end.

"You want to duel someone, then fight me! I challenge you to a duel, and if I win, I want you out of my village!"

Still holding his bruised cheek, Jen answered "I accept, and when I defeat you, I will take the monster's head and yours!"

"First," Naruto replied, "Hinata's not a monster, and second, you won't win!"

"We shall see," Jen boasted, walking away. "We meet here at dawn! If you do not show, I will destroy this entire village!"

Hinata could only look on dumbfounded. "N...Naruto-kun, no one has ever defended me like that." It was true, her family would have never done such a thing.

"He had it coming," Naruto answered back with a smile. "Besides, I know I can beat him."

Overjoyed at his actions, Hinata picked up Naruto and embraced him in a bone-crunching hug. "Oh Naruto-kun, of course you'll win! You're so brave! And so selfless! And so handsome!" she continued, praising her knight in orange as he struggled to breathe.

"RIBS! NEED RIBS!"

"Oh!" Quickly, Hinata removed the immense pressure, relieved that her hero was still in one piece. She could only smile, looking on at him.

"You'll win Naruto-kun! I know it!"

"You'll cheer me on, right?" Naruto asked with a grin, his confidence never seeming to fade in light of the situation.

"O-of course!"