"Hokage-sama, my presence is helping him more than anyone else, and I don't want to leave him. Just make it a mission so that I can stay by his side."
Tsunade sighed, relented, and watched as Neji bowed and left her office. It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Sakura walked in and asked what was wrong that she even noticed she was brooding.
"It appears our Naruto has a suitor."
"Neji?"
"Yeah"
"Hmm…"
"What?"
" I
was just wondering why we didn't think of it before. It's almost
perfect."
"How so?"
"You weren't here before, so you didn't know Neji back then, but he was different, very different. Before Naruto, Neji was bitter, cold. He firmly believed that destiny could not be changed, a 'dropout will always be a dropout' in his words. Naruto changed all that. Naruto fixed him. That's his power, Neji's different now."
"Very" Tsunade agreed.
Naruto-kun!"
Naruto looked up from studying the ground and smiled at the approaching figure of Neji before running into his arms. He loved it when Neji held him; he felt so safe, so loved.
"Hush Naruto, it's alright." It was not until that moment, when Neji spoke softly in his ear, that Naruto realized he was crying.
"S-sorry Neji"
"It's alright, I don't mind, really."
"Neji, I've just realized something." Naruto nuzzled into his neck.
"What's that?"
"I think I love you."
"Neji tightened his arms around Naruto and whispered in his ear "Me too."