Please review and tell me how you liked it! I've always loved the NaruHina pairing so let me know if you think it should be more than a one shot!

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS!

I can't believe it's finally happened… Hinata sighed as she glanced up at the moon leaning on the pillars at the gate just outside her compound. HER compound.

She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She had finally become the clan head. She was finally recognized by her father and the rest of her family as a more than capable heir.

"I'm proud of you Hinata" Those were the last words she had expected to hear from her father. Especially in front of all the Hyuga elders. Her eyes widen and her jaw dropped slightly before she could regain her composure

"Thank you Father"

She smiled at the memory. It is likely that she will never forget that day. She had just gotten released from the hospital after returning at the end of the war, being one of the many honored with the title of Jonin after their services and sacrifices, and was called into a meeting with the Hyuga higher ups. The meeting was for… praise. Something that Hinata never got from her family. It was the meeting where she learned she would become clan head.

Hinata was of course the heiress when growing up but had constantly been put through hardships and challenges on the way and had doubted her father would ever instill the honor upon her, instead opting to make her sister Hanabi head.

The ceremony was short but beautifully symbolic; Hiashi giving up his role as head and becoming an elder and Hinata accepting the responsibility for the welfare of her clan. At that moment the Hyuga's could tell their new clan head was a new person. The Hinata standing before them was no longer the shy unconfident woman they had known, she was standing tall and making eye contact with all who gazed her way. She had gained an air of authority and used it with certainty and grace.

Of course Hinata felt it too. With this new responsibility she didn't feel weighed down, she felt liberated! Her dreams had come true!

Well… most of them.

New memories rushed to her as her gaze dropped to the street below; it wandered along her compound walls and to what little of Konoha's market district she could see and it then swiveled around to look through the branches of the forest next to her home.

When she had jumped down to help Naruto against Pein she didn't originally have any intentions of revealing her feeling for him, but being there and protecting him and seeing him so helpless, she felt fiercely protective of him. She wanted to make his hurt go away, destroy his doubt and insecurity... She wanted to tell him how much he had affected her, and how much he meant to her.

While she was angry with herself for not being much use in that particular battle she was thankful in the end for her, and him, having survived it.

Hinata felt the familiar sadness that crept up to her when she remembered what happened. She hadn't spoken to Naruto much since the fight with Pein seeing that right after he went on missions and went away for more training and then the war started. She didn't expect anything to come from her confession although a part of her yearned for his acceptance and recognition. She still held on to her dreams of being with the blond Kyubi container, but was slowly accepting the fact that they may just be dreams.

The war had officially ended 2 years ago and everyday life had slowly returned to normal. Konoha citizens had grown a strong camaraderie for each other and the villagers had high spirits and complete confidence in their protectors; a new respect was had for all the ninja. Hinata and all her friends were around 20 and they were all thankful the war was over and they could begin making lives for themselves.

So much has changed

Hinata's eyes focused on the figures walking along the street in the market. Groups of teens chatting with friends, couples enjoying each others presence, and sets of ninjas out after a hard day's work all walking through the restaurants and stores, people waving over friends and exchanging gossip. Life at its most peaceful.

Hinata was once again smiling. No matter what her love life was (or lack thereof) she couldn't be sad about it anymore. A new peace found its way around Hinata. Life Goes On. It's going to get so much better

I can finally start making my own way!

Taking a large breath of the chilled air she let it out and refocused her attention on the moon.

Are you looking at it too, Naruto?

"Hinata?"

Her head snapped back down as she watched a figure approach her from the market, quickly recognizing the familiar spiky blond mop of hair. Naruto was still squinting as he emerged from the darkness he was in his ninja pants but was without his normal jacket opting instead for a skin tight black shirt.

"Hi Naruto-kun, are you out with friends tonight?" She giggled at the look on his face as he entered the area lit by a small lamp on the wall opposite her head.

He looked at her finally with good enough light to see her fully " I just finished having some ramen with Kakashi at Ichiraku's" He smiled then "I was walking through the market making small talk, you know. Thought I saw you down here so.. here I am!" he finished with a thoughtful look on his face. "What are you doing outside your compound?"

"Just getting some fresh air, enjoying.. well everything I guess" She lightly blushed then and tried looking elsewhere, apparently her reaction to the blond hadn't changed much, aside from her obvious lack of a stutter.

"I heard that you're clan head now?" when she glanced back at him and saw that he was staring intensely at her.

"Yeah, actually the ceremony ended not that long ago" smiling Hinata went to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"That's great Hinata-chan!" Hinata blushed then "I always knew you could do it! Just glad your family realized how... amazing you are" he added with a grin.

She couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm "Thank you Naruto-kun, that means a lot to me." Though silently she was wishing HE could realize it too.

"Of course! So hey, how about we get all the gang together tomorrow night and have dinner? To celebrate?" He asked. She was looking at the street and slowly brought her gaze from his toes upwards till she met his eyes

"I would love that" she said quietly. Naruto noticed how sincere she sounded and also how she had looked at him.

He stepped forward and lifted his hand and Hinata stiffened and held her breath as he tucked the strand of hair she had tried dealing with earlier behind her ear.

"And I think you are truly amazing too"

"Na-Naruto- kun..." her heart was thundering in her chest as she willed her eyes to meet his. His hand had moved to cup her cheek and she had to take another sharp breath as she saw the almost heartbreaking look in his eyes.

"After you said you loved me and I thought you died… I lost it... then I was so relieved when I found out you were okay… and it was like I could feel you in my heart. I-I could sense you from that point on." His face had turned from a look of despair to one of longing.

"Throughout the war and when I was gone training, I would tell myself I was fighting to protect my friends and the village, but one face that stood out from the rest was yours. At first I took your confession as a friendly love, and I was thankful for that. You were the first person to ever say to me I Love You." His eyes filled with tears and her hand moved from her side to rest on his chest

"Naru-" She tried talking but he shushed her with a finger pressed upon her lips. His hands ran up her arms and around her back and pulled her suddenly to him. Hinata was frozen with one arm still on his chest and the other half way holding him.

She could hear in his voice the tears on his face that she couldn't see. " As time went by I slowly came to realize and understand your feelings for me. I remember those times when I saw you watching me, or the little instances you showed you cared, the small things that I never even thought about before."

He released his hold of her slightly allowing her to look up at him but still holding his arms around her. Once she saw his tear streaked face she brought her hands up to cup his face to gently brush his tears away, and he nuzzled into her touch. She looked at him as he finally met her eye contact he began talking once more.

" My own feelings festered for the longest time. I was away constantly and didn't confide in anybody, but in reality, it just made me think about you more and more. My thoughts drifted from how awesome and inspiring you were in your fight with Neji, to remembering how you would give me your ointment to cure my scrapes and burns… I Eventually found myself thinking about..." He paused and Hinata realized she had stopped breathing. He took a hand from around her and brushed it through her hair starting just above her ear while using the other hand to lead hers to above his heart.

"Lately, whenever you take over my thoughts" she smiled at this "I think about… how soft your lips looked the last time I walked past you in the market"

His hand that had finished running through her long locks had went to hold her closer to him "Or how I miss running into you, and seeing that blush spread across your face" said blush took the time to resurface as he smiled down at the pale-eyed beauty.

"Or, what I think of most, is how I just want to come up to you, and hold you… look you in the eyes and tell you that after all these years I long for you, and want to hold you forever, and that… I love you too."

Hinata's heart stopped as she stared into his eyes searching for something. Is this real? She took her hands and brought them up his sides and around his back and holding him as close to her as possible. "Are-are you sure Naruto-kun?" she asked with uncertainty.

He began stroking her hair and grabbed her face in her hands and looked into her eyes " Now that I'm with you here tonight, I feel like like I never want to let you go. I mean, I know it's crazy that I feel so strongly for you even though this is the first time I've gotten to hold you. But I feel you. You are just so… perfect. You are my angel Hinata-chan, and I'm so sorry I took so long to realize it, but now that I have, I don't ever want to let you go. I love you!"

Tears formed in her eyes This day has been so perfect. ALL my dreams have come true now

"Naruto-kun, you've made me so happy. I love you" she said gently as the tears fell from her eyes as she held his gaze. A soft smile spread across his face and then slowly onto hers.

"Hinata-chan can I kiss you Please?" he didn't have to ask as Hinata lifted up onto her toes to bring her lips closer to his and he closed the gap between them. Both melted as years of hopes and dreams were brought to life as they kissed their lovers. They let out soft sighs of content as they parted and Naruto held her closely to his chest.

"I Love You"

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