Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

AN: I just can't get this plot bunny out of my head after watching episode 192 of Shippuden. I hope you like it too. AU, ignores the Shinobi War arc.

Kunoichi in Distress

It was a relatively cool night when Hinata Hyūga was returning home after a tiresome mission. The A- Rank mission was a success but could have gone better. The entire team sustained multiple injuries when an enemy with a troublesome kekkei genkai was after the Intel Hinata's team was in possession of. She wished their clan compound wasn't so far away from the central village. She also wished that she had more chakra but she was walking slowly way past midnight.

She was almost at the edge of the forest across which the Hyūga compound was located but her relief was cut short. A hand clamped her mouth shut, another covering her eyes giving just enough space to breathe. It looked like she was being kidnapped, again. The saddest part was, she could easily take them out had she had a little more chakra.

"Looks like we caught someone from the main branch of the Hyūga clan." Her captor said gleefully. "Looks like our diversion worked."

"Idiot, it's not just any Hyūga. It's the Hyūga heiress. Boss is gonna be sooo happy." Another man said. "Quite pretty too. Such a shame she's gonna die so young." She felt her hair being tugged by the second man. Disgusting. Her captors were idiots working for some Byakugan- wannabe. She could almost hear Neji scoff at her for being so careless. She hated herself for being useless.

"Let's take her away before we get caught." The second man said before she felt a blindfold and a gag. Her hands were bound behind and she felt being lifted off the ground. At least she was not knocked out, which meant with enough time she'd get her chakra back. She was sure she could fight them off then.

A few minutes passed with them making rude comments and lecherous laughter that would put Jiraiya's to shame. Hinata was sure that had Sakura or Ino been in this situation, the kidnappers would be dead by now.

"Hey look. We're almost out of the Fire country. Only five more days till be reach Hidden Cloud and the hide out." One of them said giggling. Hinata was confused; it was certainly not possible to be outside Fire country so soon. It was barely possible to have left Konoha. Would Kumo stop at nothing to get the Byakugan? She had almost lost all hope, giving in to exhaustion, when a familiar voice rang throughout the—wherever they were.

"Hey, stop right there!" Her hero in orange called out. She felt her carrier stop. A stupid move.

"Beat it, brat. We are kidnapping the little princess." One of the idiots said. Hinata didn't feel guilty for calling them 'idiots' inside her mind because they really were idiots. Telling a potential enemy and possible threat, the mission objective is the worst thing you can do during an abduction/ assassination. She couldn't believe she was recalling Iruka- sensei's lesson at a time like this.

"Eh, you're kidnapping Hinata?" Naruto asked, adorably confused. Hinata had seen that expression with the matching tone way too many times at the academy.

"Yes. Now be a good brat and leave."

"No way. Hinata's one of my precious people. LET HER GO!" Naruto said in his usual assertive way. He was doing it for Hinata, there was nobody else he was saving this time.

"Why don't you get her?" One of them said quite rudely. "Mezi you go ahead with the little girl." Hinata felt the uncomfortable movement of her captor running.

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU." Naruto cried.

"Zoku, there are two brats. Am I going blind?" Mezi asked. It felt good to finally know their names. There was a loud sound of a foot colliding with a face and she was being hoisted up in the air. She thought she was going to fall when a pair of arms caught her gently. Her hands now free held on to something available for support.

"Don't worry Hinata, I've got you now." Naruto assured her, his voice was quite close. Too close in fact. She was in Naruto's arms; this seemed like one of those stories Hinata's mom read to her when she was young. She could clearly smell him. She felt her face and neck growing hot, there was a familiar ringing in her ears…

Must

Not

Fain-

Then everything went black.

The first thing Hinata's mind registered when she woke up was that she was in an entirely unknown place. She became alert and quickly activated her Byakugan. The bed was quite lumpy and the walls- she remembered last night vividly. Embarrassed, she left the room, walking towards what seemed like a small kitchen- the only place there was a presence.

"Naruto?" she called shyly, standing outside the door.

"Oh Hinata, you're up already?" Naruto asked, giving her his signature sunshine smile. "I'm out of instant ramen, so I thought I could make it at home and brought the stuff but I don't know how to make it."

This was her chance. Her family knew she was on an A- Rank mission so unexpected delays happened all the time…

"I can prepare it…" Hinata said without stuttering in font of Naruto for the first time.

"Are you sure? I mean I don't want to stop you from doing whatever-"

"It's ok Naruto. Think of it as my 'Thank you' for last night."

"Really? If you insist!"

"Could you tell me where the bathroom is? I just need to freshen up..."

This was indeed the best day for Hinata. She was actually talking in full sentences in front of Naruto and making him ramen in his kitchen. After all, he deserved it for rescuing her so heroically...

OMAKE

Naruto was returning home from his usual midnight ramen run when he saw a familiar dark blue hair swishing in the air. He had kicked her captor who easily let go of Hinata. She had fainted as soon as he told her she was safe. Then again, she was Hinata and Hinata was weird like that. It was probably her disease, the poor girl.

"Damned brat. Did you kill her?" Zoku panicked.

"Of course not!" Naruto cried horrified. "It's probably her disease."

"She has an illness?" Zoku was surprised.

"Yeah. It's really weird. She faints all the time but no one tells me what it is." Naruto confided. "It's probably real serious."

"Mezi, I don't think the boss wants tainted Byakugan. Let's just leave!" The two Kumo nin fled.

Naruto didn't know what to do. He had no idea where Hinata lived, so he carried her to his apartment. Everyone gave him weird looks on the way but he didn't mind, he was used to them. He did find it odd that Hinata weighed almost nothing; she probably ate vegetables and not ramen. After all, Ichiraku ramen was the secret of his real strength.

Now eating delicious home cooked ramen by Hinata as a thank you for something he couldn't figure out didn't matter. It was almost as good as Ichiraku's.

"This is delicious, Hinata!" Naruto said putting on seconds. "Almost better than Ichiraku's. Will you teach me?"

Maybe it wasn't the best idea because she fainted again. He wondered why Tsunade hadn't been able to fix it. He would have to ask Baa- chan later. Now it was time for fourths...


A few days later in Kumo, everyone was aware of the Hyūga heiress' disease. They never attempted to kidnap Hinata again.

~The End~


AN: Hope you liked it!

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