A short NaruxHina fic. Takes place about a half a year after the start of shippuden, so the characters are around 16 years old.
Disclaimer: I do own Naruto. Just kidding. If I did, it would probably suck.
Hinata was worried. Naruto had not been himself lately. About a week ago, he had snuck out of the village on his own for a secret mission, not telling anyone about it. No one knew where he went, or why he had gone, but he returned, three days later, his hands empty, and beaten half to hell. In the hospital, he refused to answer any questions about how he had gotten hurt. Since then, he had shut himself in his apartment, not speaking to anyone. No one had even seen him in four days. So, Hinata took it upon herself to check in on him.
She paused in front of his door, her hand raised to knock, when apprehension took hold of her. 'M-maybe he just needs to be alone for now,' she reasoned with herself. 'I probably shouldn't disturb him. Besides, why would he want to see me, anyway?' She was about to turn away, when to her surprise, the door opened to reveal a disheveled looking Naruto. "N-Naruto-kun!" she gasped.
"Hinata-chan? Is that you?" He opened the door a little wider. His hair was unkempt and messy, having not been taken care of in days. He wore a wrinkled t-shirt and grey sweatpants. A short haze of blonde stubble covered his chin. As he looked at her, his eyes seemed duller than usual.
Hinata nodded, taken aback by his appearance. "I... I was just coming to see how you were doing." After a short pause, where she stared down at the floor, she said, "Um, well, I think I should maybe go now."
She turned to leave, when he took hold of her hand. "Wait," he said, "Don't go yet." She stopped, looking down at their hands touching, and blushed. "C-come on in."
Naruto motioned for her to come in, and she followed him inside. Inside, his apartment was as in as much disarray as he was. Scrolls, equipment, and clothes lay scattered across the floor. In the kitchen, several half-eaten cups of ramen sat on the table. Hinata noticed a photo album on the floor in front of the couch, labeled 'Team 7'.
"Sorry about the mess, Hinata-chan. I..." Naruto's shoulders slumped, and his voice wavered a bit. "I just haven't been quite myself lately..."
Hinata placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and lead him to the couch, gently pushing him down into the seat. Sitting down beside him, she layed her hand on top of his. When he looked up at her, she whispered, "Naruto-kun... What happened when you were gone?"
Naruto looked down, then out the window, his eyes far away and unfocused. "It was Sasuke," he answered. "I found out where he was, and went after him." Hinata felt his hand tense, so she gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to comfort him. After a moment, he continued.
"When I found him, I tried to pursuade him to come back. But nothing I said could change his mind. He was intent on destroying the Leaf. I realized that I couldn't say anything to bring him back, so we fought." He shook his head. "But our difference in skill was huge. I was going all out, and he wasn't even trying. He beat me until I was an inch away from death. Then, he leaned down, and said to me, 'Of all the people in the Leaf that I want to kill, you're the one I want to kill the most.' And then, he just left, not even bothering to finish me off. It made no sense. But, it allowed me to see what I hadn't before. Sasuke isn't coming back. And nothing I can ever do will change that."
Naruto buried his face in his hands. "God, nothing in my life will ever go right." Hinata looked at him sadly, then down into her lap, wringing her hands together.
"Naruto-kun, it's not your fault. Sasuke-kun may have been evil, but he was still your best friend, and even if he isn't any more, that bond still holds. You only wanted your friend back. There's nothing wrong with that. And Sasuke, even if he doesn't know it, still holds that bond. No matter what he may say, he still cares about you. That's why, despite what he said, he spared you."
Naruto looked up at her, and a slight smile formed on his face. "Hinata-chan... Thank you." Without warning, he pulled her into a hug. Hinata froze, surprised by the sudden contact, but then slowly relaxed. She slipped her arms around the back of his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed like this for a while, comforting in each others embrace. Finally, they separated, their arms still around one another. As Hinata stared into his eyes, she could feel her heart quicken. Then, she did something that she had always wanted to do, but never thought she would have the courage to.
She kissed him, a short but sweet, tender touch on the lips. After a few seconds, she pulled away, blushing deeply. 'Was that the right thing to do?' she thought, looking down at the floor. Her question was answered a few seconds later, as Naruto pulled her close, and kissed her deeply, a soft, passionate kiss. She melted in his arms, returning the kiss with just as much passion. Their surroundings melted away, leaving only the two of them, locked in their loving embrace. Their toungues twisted and swirled against each other, as if dancing inside their mouths. The only reason they finally broke away, was because they had run out of air, and had to stop to take a breath.
Hinata smiled, looking into Naruto's eyes. "Naruto-kun, I've always wanted to tell you... I love you. I love you so much." A small tear began to form in her eye, but Naruto reached up and wiped it away. He placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.
"I love you too, Hinata-chan," he whispered.