Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata (NaruHina)
Summary: Hinata, a shy and good-hearted Hyuga visited Naruto whom she looked up to since childhood. It never acquired to her that a friendly visit to the Hospital would of progressed their relationship for the better, or even, slightly worse.
Konoha Hospital, 2:17 PM
Sakura sighed, wiped the sweat on her forehead with her hands before fixing her pink hair into a ponytail, then at last sat down on the wooden bench beside a familiar raven-haired, who was shyly biting on a red apple in her pale hands grasp, looking nervously around for something as if it was the last task of her life.
''Hello, Hinata,'' Sakura greeted softly. Hinata gave a small yelp, the apple nearly falling out of her fingers. ''What are you looking for?''
Hinata looked at her, immensely flushed. ''W… What?''
''What are you looking for? You were looking around the park as if you would have died if you wouldn't of. What were you looking for? I could help you look for it…or them,'' Sakura offered gladly, but added soon immediately after the other widened her eyes, ''if you want, of course!''
Hinata shook her head. ''No, no, it's okay, you can,'' she reassured. ''I was looking for N…Naruto-kun. I heard he got injured on a mission last Monday…and…and that he will be here to recover for the next few days so…um, I thought I'd wait for him to come down here and give him some rice balls and ramen to take back with him to his room to eat, since he's been having the same food all th…these days and not getting a chance to taste his favourite ones,'' she placed the picnic basket on her lap that was previously lying next to her, on the other side of the bench where Sakura was, and nudged her head at it, signifying that all the food was packed inside.
The picnic basket was slightly open; causing Sakura to see a rice ball that somewhat resembles Naruto's face. Sakura giggled faintly.
''That's nice of you. I don't think he even deserves what's inside the basket or your kindness, given that Sai and I told him we'd take care of the two lasting ninja's on the ground, but he wouldn't listen and just charged at them. Now look at the result of that,'' Sakura scowled. ''Anyways, did you tell him that you'd be here waiting for him at this moment? Because to me it seems — if you did tell him — that he's late,'' she got up and cracked a knuckle, ''wait here until I find him and knock up some sense into his empty brain for making someone like you wait this —''
''No...! I didn't tell him that I... I'd be here, I was only thinking that he'd maybe want some fresh air and come down here...and I would've just presented him the food. I th...think it's better than knocking on his door and giving him the basket. This…this is less embarrassing,'' admitted Hinata quietly, after getting up and holding Sakura's hand, resulting the basket falling from her lap and onto the floor, half of rice ball of Naruto's face on the floor, the other inside.
Sakura looked at the mess on the floor and bended down soon immediately to pick up the basket and Naruto's head off and into the wooden box. ''Oh, I'm so deeply sorry for that Hinata!'' she handed it back to the kunoichi after putting everything neatly back in. ''I'll fix it! I'll cook...''
''It... it's okay! You don't need to trouble yourself!'' Hinata argued quickly, given that she had heard the rumours of Sakura's cooking skills. ''It's alright. Really.''
''No, I insist! Give me the recipe, and I'll…'' Sakura stopped, noticing a female figure enter the park. Sakura rolled her eyes at the blue eyed blonde and whispered to Hinata hurriedly before going inside the Hospital once more, ''Just fought with Ino half an hour ago. I can't stand seeing her ugly face for another second, so I have to go. See you around Hinata.''
Hinata nodded as a response and sat on the bench once again, but this time instead of eating a red apple she finished minutes ago: the raven-haired cleaned the fallen rice ball from the grass that stuck to it. She bit her lips, thinking, would Naruto-kun still like it after it's in such a state…? Maybe she should come back tomorrow, when the food is in a better shape…and more edible.
Yes, she should leave.
She got up, clutching the basket in her hands tightly. She chewed on her inner cheeks as she made her way to the training field, considering it would be nice to eat there after training for a couple of minutes, in view of the fact that today's weather is quite brilliant; light wind that she loved the feeling of when brushing on her skin, sun that was shining brightly, sharing it's warmth with the village, and she would even love it more when arriving at the training field, where there are many species creating noises that were music to her ears.
N…Naruto-kun…
Hinata stopped abruptly still. Her head turned hot, her heart skipping as many beats as it could as a blonde figure was at sight, training eagerly with his dark-haired teammate. But she didn't dare to interrupt them and merely continued watching them with her pale eyes from behind a plant.
''Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy on me Sai, I didn't recover fully yet!'' Naruto shouted at his teammate, when three gigantic dogs made their way to the blonde, ready to devour every single flesh of him.
''Am I supposed to apologize?'' Sai said confusedly, stopping his dogs from attacking. ''Apologize, and then comfort you? How should I comfort you Naruto-kun if that's the case? I read that they use hugs for comforting if someone's about to cry, or are mad,'' Sai carried on with suggestions, making his way towards his teammate, who was backing away ever so slowly.
Naruto shook his head rapidly. ''I don't need comforting! Let's…!''
Sai raised an eyebrow and simply stared into distance, before suggesting once more with a soft smile, ''How about kisses then?''
''No kisses either! A guy — '' he pointed at himself, ''and another guy — '' this time at Sai, ''don't share kisses. Never, ever share kisses!'' Naruto explained furiously. ''…only if they have interest in the same gender, which I don't!''
''Oh, good evening Hinata,'' Sai welcomed, noticing the girl standing behind one of the trees observing them both while Naruto explained things he had never heard before. ''Why are you watching us? I read somewhere that it's impolite to just stare.''
Hinata remembered to breathe from her mouth and nose. She blushed and made her full body visible by moving from the tree, towards the other two. ''I... I'm sorry. I was only…uh, um…I'm sorry,'' she lamely clarified herself. Looking anywhere but at Naruto, she moved her gaze to the basket in her hands after seconds of staring at the green grass at her feet. ''I… I brought food, if you two are h...hungry?''
To Hinata's surprise, Naruto beamed at the offer. ''Hell yeah! Who would deny your cooking, Hinata?'' Naruto snatched the basket enthusiastically before lying down on the ground and opening it up hungrily, looking like a child that was about to receive their first Christmas present. ''…won't you two eat?'' he looked up at them. Sai shook his head.
''I have some things to attend to, and I'm on a diet, actually,'' Sai confessed, blushing a little.
Naruto stared at him, mouth opened in a slight shock. ''Diet? You're already skinny! You're skinnier than me!''
Sai shook his head calmly and said in the smart-sounding tone, ''I read that you must experience having a diet once in your life because…''
''Yeah, whatever…let's eat. Come on Hinata sit down,'' Naruto cut him off and clapped the empty space of ground next to him as he took out the warm rice ball which resembled his face. ''This looks exactly like me!'' he examined it gingerly. ''Wow, you're so talented Hinata…but, I don't really want to eat myself…you eat it,'' he handed it to her when she had sat down, inches away from him. He took out the next thing from the basket. ''You even cooked a rice ball with your features. I'll eat yours, then. We'll eat each other.'' He grinned.
Hinata blushed at that comment. Eat each other…? She took Naruto's rice ball into her hands and stared it before taking one bite from Naruto's rice ball ear. I... I kind of feel bad…it's as if I'm eating him alive…
Finishing nearly half of Hinata's head, Naruto looked up at Sai who was gazing at Hinata, thinking deeply. ''What's wrong, Sai?'' Naruto asked, concerned.
Sai looked up and smiled. ''I was thinking for a nickname for her…and I think I found the right one, but I'm not entirely sure. I want to figure out a suitable nickname before I leave,'' he answered before he was lost again in his own thoughts. ''Naruto's fan-girl?'' he said, after minutes of staring at the shy Chunin.
Hinata's face turned into the darkest shade of red she had ever turned. As the red was gone, Hinata stuttered out a response, ''E… E… Excuse me?''
''Yes, I think it fits just right. Well, I'll be going now. Good bye,'' he said positively certain and vanished away with a fake smile.
Naruto took another piece of rice ball of Hinata's face after finishing the third one already, and gulped it down before suggesting excitedly, ''You know what'll be awesome Hinata? If at the time I become Hokage you'll open a shop that sells rice balls with my face on them, and give the people a free Hinata rice ball when they buy more than five of me, since I tasted my rice ball just now but I have to admit that you taste much better, you know that?''
She could feel her head getting hotter and hotter every single second Naruto continued talking about her rice balls. Hinata couldn't help but wonder if she was going to faint, she awfully hopes not. She wouldn't stand missing such a moment with Naruto-kun just because she had fainted for a silly reason.
Hinata turned to Naruto and smiled. He was taken aback by the sudden face, but still responded to her with a kind, soft smile, similar to hers.
''Thank you, but to me you t…taste better,'' Hinata murmured, Naruto hardly hearing anything and just continued swallowing down the ramen he only just found at the bottom of the basket.
Naruto stretched after finishing the snack. He grinned up at the cloudless sky and waited for Hinata to finish as well, before thanking her, ''Thanks Hinata. It was really refreshing to eat something pleasant other than the rubbish they force us to eat in the Hospital…on top of that: Sakura even forced me to eat the food that she tried to cook yesterday for me and it was…disgusting. But this is way awesomer, you're definitely an amazing cooker!''
Her smile widened, nearly turning into a slight grin. ''Y…you're welcome, Naruto-kun, If…if you want I, um...I can cook for you every day until you recover?'' recommended Hinata thoughtfully. She was hot in the face, fidgeting her fingers rapidly, while waiting nervously for a positive answer.
Naruto didn't even need to think twice about what he was going to say — not that he thought twice before saying anything. ''Are you kidding me? Of course!''
Many minutes were passed between them as they talked about food that they'll be eating tomorrow, complaining about the garbage that they call hospital service (which was mostly Naruto) and fascinating missions that they've experienced this past year. They've only noticed they've spent a large number of time with the others company until Hinata sadly seen the sun beginning to set.
''I have to get going, father will be worried.'' Hinata stood up hurriedly after putting everything that's left untidily back into the basket. Naruto followed her out of the training field, but before they even stepped a foot out of the area, they noticed two familiar figures sitting on the grass playing a game of Shougi, and it seems — which was not shocking in the least to the two — Shikamaru's winning and his opponent was extremely stuck.
Temari bit on her nails as Shikamaru announced that it was her move. She scanned the wooden table carefully, not leaving a single piece on the board out of her teal eyes, thinking deeply of what move will be appropriate next. ''You don't expect me to win, do you? It's not really fair…''
''You agreed to play when I asked you, so simply just accept that I'm better than you at something, troublesome woman.'' Shikamaru rolled his eyes, he's been getting all kind of comments from her about how it was unfair, couldn't women play with their mouths shut?
Soon as sounds of footsteps met her ears, instead of her hands making contact with a piece on the board to make the next move, it traveled to her pockets for a kunai. ''Who is it…? Oh.'' She placed the kunai back to its place when a blonde and a raven-haired came to her view.
Naruto held up both his hands, all fingers upward. ''We were only passing by. We don't have any intentions of interrupting your date.''
Shikamaru straightened up lazily, wondering why he even bothered to open his mouth to explain to Naruto, since it was obvious from experience that the other would forget everything he was about to say, ''Naruto, I told this each and every time you say the exact thing whenever you see us both together, and I hope this time it sticks to your head: Temari and I are not dating and never will. I hope that message stays here,'' he pointed to his brain. ''And aren't you supposed to be at the Hospital, resting?''
Temari didn't even bother to share a response with the blonde and just took this opportunity to change the board a little to her liking while Shikamaru's looking away and more interested to chat with Naruto than to examine the piece of wood. She presented Shikamaru a wide smirk after Naruto and Hinata made their way out of the field.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at her odd behaviour, and asked, ''What are you smirking about, troublesome woman?''
''Oh, I don't know…maybe because I'm winning?'' she looked at the board with her dark eyes, held a piece in her hands and moved it, whispering proudly, ''checkmate. Women are better after all.''
''W…what? Those pieces weren't there…''
''You're getting old, Nara, you start forgetting where your pieces were, so what?''
''For your information, you're older than I am.''
''That doesn't…''
Shikamaru's lazy and Temari's strong voice died away as the raven-haired and blonde got closer to the training field's exit. The light wind that Hinata loved turned into strong and forceful when they entered her neighbourhood, resulting the bandages on Naruto's palm to fly away. The basket that was once full and heavy was now as light as it was before she had placed anything inside it, it almost seems as if it was an hour ago when she had cooked and decorated the rice balls.
''It was really great being with you today, Hinata,'' Naruto stated gleefully and in a slightly disappointed tone as Hinata's house was into view from a great distance.
Hinata looked at Naruto from the corner of her eyes but didn't say anything from embarrassment and kept quiet until they had reached a familiar building to her eyes that was larger than any other building beside it.
Naruto became aware that they were in front of the Hyuga household when Hinata stopped abruptly alongside him. ''I'll see you tomorrow, then? Don't forget the food!'' Naruto waved goodbye and walked away hurriedly, not giving a chance for Hinata to respond, fearing what would happen if Grandma Tsunade knew he ran away with Sai's help from the Hospital.
It was ten fifteen, four hours after Naruto accompanied her home and she still wouldn't stop herself thinking about him every ten seconds: his blonde hair, eyes of blue as the sky, his confidence that she adored so much, and much more. Every little tiny feature of his, she couldn't stop it filling her brain. Hinata couldn't wait for the next day to arrive so she could see him, see him eat her food that she cooked for him with every passion she had. Waiting to see her food that she made from her own little hands make him happy. And him, making her happy. With all those thoughts, she closed her eyes and waited to drift into sleep.
Tell me if you'd like a continuation. :)
