So this is a little story let's see if I get anywhere with it. Anyways it takes place after the mission to the moon, Naruto got to confess but their kiss never happened ;) Enjoy. ALSO NEJI IS STILL ALIVE BECAUSE I CANT IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT HIM OKAY! Anyways... sorry for that here we go!
Upon returning back from the mission Naruto had his eyes glued to the back of the small girl's back and she walked in front next to Sakura and Sai. He got to confess his feelings finally but it was all interrupted with the actual mission itself. The best place to tell someone you love them was definitely not in the midst of a super crucial mission.
Shikamaru noticed his friend staring absentmindedly at Hinata. He sighed, he really didn't feel like getting involved in a situation like this one. He himself was not very skilled in that stuff. But seeing as they were all coming of age for that kind of "stuff" it was only appropriate. The world was finally peaceful and life must go on.
Giving up he whispered lowly at Naruto.
"Are you going to keep sulking while creepily staring at her or are you going to talk to her.?"
Snapping out of his trance Naruto looked at Shikamaru raising his eyebrow at him with a guilty look on his face at the same time.
"What do you mean?" He tried to play it cool. Shikamaru scoffed.
"Really?" Looking defeated he explained how he confessed his feelings for Hinata but that it was interrupted when Toneri took her away.
"I just don't know what to do. Or tell her.? She's not even looking at me!"
"You want my advice?"
"I'm desperate at this point so what harm could it do."
"Rude. Well if I were you I'd probably wait until we were alone, ya'know no mission fiasco on the mind and try to redo the scenario. Right now she's probably too caught up on her little sister."
An invisible bulb lit up in his mind.
"You're a genius Shikamaru!"
"I've been told before. Just be sure to give her time and you know don't screw it up."
"I'll try my best I guess" he grumbled away.
...
When they were finally able to report back to the Hokage, each person was instructed to write down their own report on the accounts. When told this Naruto found the perfect excuse to seize the opportunity to speak to Hinata. How specific was he supposed to get in the report? Should he write down that he told Hinata he was in love with her? Would she write down that she had him confess to her?
Hanabi was put to the hospital to rest her eyes and have them heal properly. Sai stayed back with the Hokage to discuss Anbu related missions. Sakura exhaled loudly as she stretched her arms forward just outside the Hokage tower where everyone was just about to disperse. It was a hard mission for everyone after all.
"Well I am going to go home and take the longest soak ever! This mission took a lot out of me!" She sighed loudly and excused herself from the group.
With that she disappeared. The only three left were Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata. Shikamaru wanting to leave the two to their privacy knowing Naruto's dilema excused himself as well. Great. Now it was just both of them. Alone.
He turned towards her and she was clutching the zipper to her high neck top and smiling at him all the same time.
"Hinata, would you mind walking with me please. There's something I want to talk to you about."
She looked up at him smiled and nodded. They walked for a while with no real destination set in place. Just two people walking in what seemed like comfortable silence but on the inside Naruto was dying. She wouldn't say anything she just walked by his side with her arms folded behind her sweetly. He stopped abruptly turning towards her, she looked up at him quizzically.
"Hinata, erm... uhm do you remember what I was saying back on the moon before Toneri took you away..?" He looked at her anxiously.
"I do." Her answer came out in a somewhat curt manner. Naruto stood there anticipating more than that...
"Naruto-Kun I made you the scarf to
show.. My love to you. It was a demonstration, It has been over three years since I made my feelings clear to you." She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes.
She whispered hoarsely
"I just... I don't think you really love me..."
"But Hinata I-"
"Hinata-sama, I was looking for you. Uhm-Sorry am I interrupting something.?" Neji eyed the pair they both looked like they were about to cry.
Naruto laughed uncomfortably breaking the tension a bit.
"Nah we were just talking about how crazy that mission was! Anyways I'll catch up with you guys later! Bye" With more uncomfortable laughing Naruto walked the opposite direction from them, completely at a loss. What was he to do now. He needed some advice...
"Anyways. Hinata-sama we should go visit Hanabi-sama in the hospital she is being seen by Tsunade-sama"
"Of course!" She sweetly smiled at her 'brother.'
They walked a bit in silence until Neji broke.
"Are you going to tell me what really happened? Upon arriving you two looked very.. intense."
Walking side by side he peered over his left shoulder to see her reaction. Unsure of what to make of her facial expressions.
"Naruto-kun told me he loved me."
Neji scoffed. "Only took him three years. I thought you'd be happy, why did he look so upset."
"Ano... because I told him that it wasn't true.. I don't think he really loves me."
"You questioned his word of love to you.? That's very bold of you Hinata-sama"
"What do you mean.?"
"For all we know you crushed his spirit and maybe his heart." Neji smiled not completely hating that idea. But when he looked on to her she stopped dead in her tracks with her head hung low sulking.
"I-I didn't mean to hurt him! I just wanted to let him know how I feel about his confession. Do you think he hates me nii-san?!"
"Probably" Hinata yelped at his casually cruel answer.
"Nii-San!" Neji gave out a small laugh.
"Don't worry yourself about these things, you're far too young."
"You're only one year older than me, and I'm 19"
"You can wait another 19 I think."
Hinata smiled at Neji, he always knew how to cheer her up with sibling-like banter. It's true Neji was still over protective of Hinata, even more so when it came to an intimate love life. The thought of her starting one and possibly getting hurt made his head ache.
They reached the hospital to where her father was in bed being treated, he was hurt but not badly enough to take him out. Hinata sat by his bed side as Neji stood agains the wall with his arms crossed and a foot against the wall behind him.
...
"SHE REJECTED YOU?!"
"Yea yell a bit louder I don't think they heard you IN SUNA"
Naruto met up with Kiba on his way back he found him at a nearby store buying food for Akamaru. He went to Kiba and explained his little predicament to her teammate.
"Sorry sorry, it's just, how could she say no. It's you! And she's... well she's Hinata!"
"She didn't reject me! She told me she doesn't think I really truly love her."
"Well do you?"
"YES of course! It only took me so long to figure it out because... I never realized how much I was loved before, she cared about me before I become this big known hero."
"Well if you ask me it sounds like you need to convince her you love her back. I doubt she doesn't love you now as it is."
"Well she made me a scarf and told me it demonstrated her love for me."
"Seeeeee! That's good you just have to wow her."
"Okay well how the hell do I do that!?"
Kiba shrugged his shoulders.
"Beats me."
...….…...
Hiashi was discharged and was finally able to come back home, so they decided to visit Hanabi. She was not so lucky she still had to stay hospitalized, they sat around her bed. Her eyes were still bandaged as she needed time to recuperate.
"Ne- sister did you finally give Naruto-sama the scarf you were making him!"
"Ah. H-hai. I did." Hinata was a little embarrassed discussing this with her young sister and basically brother in the room. Hanabi was always pushing her to tell Naruto how she felt and be bold, the thought of having to tell her sister what happened on the mission tightened her stomach.
"Annnnddddd?"
"Hanabi-Chan Naruto-Kun told me he loved me." There was a slight pause of silence.
"YESSS, You see Neji-nii I told you! I knew he wasn't that much of a dunce.!" She pointed to the window on her right but Neji was on the opposite side of her bed in front of her. Neji merely gave an annoyed face not that she could see it.
"So what happens from here on? When is your first date!" Hanabi started asking a million questions on love and plans for the future. It made Hinata queasy she hadn't even finished talking to Naruto yet since Neji interrupted.
"Hanabi. Naruto-kun and I are not together."
"Eh. Why not? Did you do something embarrassing?"
"Hanabi-chan I-"
"Hanabi-sama you are much to young to understand these things or even be asking about them. Please refrain yourself from asking any further questions."
"Neji-nii you're no fun!" Hanabi frowned.
"I'll be leaving you both to it. I have some things I need to take care of. I will see you both soon, Hinata-sama." He bowed.
"Hanabi-sama." He bowed again. With that he left the room.
"He means well Hanabi-Chan. I just really don't want to talk about it. Right now you are my priority." Hinata brushed Hanabi's hair back with her hand and smiled, they sure were very different.
...
Naruto sat at home, he had lots of time to brainstorm ideas on how to win Hinata's heart. He was going to prove to her he was in love with her. But he needed help, he hadn't got a clue what it is girls want or like or how to 'wow' one. Maybe Kakashi-sensei? No he'd probably base his advice off the Icha Icha series.
And if Naruto knew one thing. That was that, THOSE specific actions are done a whole lot later on in the relationship. Naruto realized that his mind wandered off somewhere it shouldn't have and he felt his collar get hot all of a sudden.
"GAH! NO NO NO. BAD NARUTO! I can't think about Hinata like that! At least not yet..? UGHHHH this is hopeless!"
He needed step by step guidance. Maybe Sai? There has to be something in one of those books he reads, maybe something on girls and relationships?
He'd decided that maybe making it public knowledge was not a good idea. He already told Shikamaru about his confession but he doubted he'd be the kind of person to gossip and spread that kind of thing around. With that Naruto hit a bookstore.
...
A few days passed, and Neji was absolutely done with hearing his teenage cousins rant and moan and groan about Hinata's love life. Naruto needed to set things straight with Hinata, and prove Hinata's statement wrong. After Neji took care of his evening errands he left his room and walked out of the Hyūga compound to have a little 'chat' with Naruto.
He wanted nothing more than Hinata to be happy and she was too upset over the possible idea that she ruined things with Naruto forever that she didn't want to leave her room or go outside in fear of having an awkward run in with Naruto.
Neji walked up to Naruto's apartment door and knocked. Naruto answered the door looking very sleep ridden and rough. Neji raised his eyebrow, Naruto's hair was clearly very uncombed, he had dark circles under his eyes, and he had a slight shadow of facial hair forming. Had he not left his house the last three days as well?!
"Neji! What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you to discuss... Certain things. May I come in?" Without waiting an answer from him he made his way passed Naruto and what he found left him absolutely surprised.
He had 'girly' magazines spread all over his table, he had fancy flower arrangements, sweets, and presents elegantly wrapped.
"What's all this.?"
"I'm going to prove to Hinata that I love her! I've been reading and researching the last three days to try and understand what girls like"
Neji reached forward to one of the magazines placed. 'Secret sex moves to drive her crazy.' Neji's blood started to boil. On the underside of the magazines was a roll of condoms...?
"What the hell is this?! Is this how you plan to 'prove' your love to Hinata-sama? You've barely been on one date!"
"No no no no no Neji! You have the wrong idea, I got those for... after. When we get there ! I mean!"
"So you plan to have relations with her regardless?!"
"NO I mean yes... I mean I don't know! It was suggested in one of the magazines to always be prepared. Girls like a guy that's protected and ready y'know."
Neji's glare bore through Naruto's skull. He couldnt believe what he was hearing! He stepped closer to Naruto and pointed a finger to his chest.
"You will fix this with Hinata-sama because for whatever reason being she has loved you for a very long time and has no intentions of stopping any time soon. Get a hint and realize you need to take things slow with her and prove yourself worthy to her. That's why I am here today, to state the obvious to you."
Neji headed out the door leaving a stunned Naruto in his apartment. Unaware he had pocketed the condoms when he got all up in his face. How could things get any worse.