He had always watched her from afar.

Always. From the way she tapped her fingers together to her beautiful dark hair. From her pale eyes to the odd way she stumbled her words when speaking. From her patience to her timid nature. He had noticed her so long ago, and he had known she was special in her own tiny way.

He respected her in every sense, silently cheering her on as she learned to face her fears. He knew what it was like to be the odd one out. He was loud and obnoxious, and yet she seemed to understand him so much. That was what made her even more special.

Uzumaki Naruto was an odd-ball, but he always noticed the shy girl, Hyuuga Hinata.

He silently admired her. He spoke of many goals, but the one that mattered would always remain a secret.

Nobody cared about Naruto, and nobody noticed his silent aches for the girl's attention.

"Is that a Hyuuga? She's so weak..."

"Of course she is. She has no talent..."

"Why bother raising her..."

So many insults were thrown in the girl's direction. Each one tore into Naruto's very soul, and he didn't know why. At times he wanted to defend her, but they would no doubt laugh at him. Nobody cared about the boy with the Kyuubi in him. They were stupid, and they hid behind insults.

Naruto knew all of this, and he knew he couldn't help.

At times he wished he could stand up for her, and that she would notice him back. But she was so quiet, he never knew what she was thinking. Naruto wasn't the type to notice the obvious, with his squinting eyes and goofy expressions. Instead, Hinata was the silent watcher, with her hidden eyes and nervous sighs.

They were so different.

And yet they were very much the same. Naruto had grown up hated for the Kyuubi. Hinata had grown up hated as a weakling. Both were different, and yet both were so much alike.

But Naruto couldn't talk to her. Not like he wanted. He cheered her at her battles, and he defended her when he could, but whenever he spoke with her, he couldn't even think. She was always staring down, and he was always rubbing his head.

Naruto was loud, with too much anxiousness for Hinata. While he went too far ahead, she stayed behind in the safe zone.

They were too much different.

But Naruto felt he had to try. He had to, after all of the years seeing her sitting quietly in her seat. After all of the times she fell, and he hadn't been there to help her back up. After everything, Naruto wanted to try.

So he had smiled.

No, not one of his sloppy grins.

A real smile, one he saved for rare occasions.

She had fainted.

Naruto hadn't known what to think, but he kept smiling each time he thought nobody else but her was looking. He would smile his best, putting his heart into it. She would stare in awe, and then he would turn away, afraid to see any further.

Naruto hadn't known what he was doing. And then he found himself walking up to her one day. Her face had turned downwards, and he had rubbed his head like always.

His lip hurt from the clench of his teeth.

"So, um... Hinata-chan, would you like to go to Ichiraku's with me? It's got great ramen, and..." His face boiled over, but her's had as well. He had been amazed to find her eyes staring into his.

"Hinata-chan?"

Her nod had been the breaking point of his happiness, and the smile she gave only added to the effect.

Hinata had said yes.

He had wanted to whoop in joy.

[[to read the other side of the story, visit my one-shot, Her Love---