Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto series or characters.

Look at Me

I sit down beside her on a warm summer night. The wind ruffles the grass ahead and the sky is absolutely clear. Leaning back a little, I take a deep, mild breath.

We're all alone.

She stares down, as usual, her dark bangs sweeping over her forehead. And she doesn't look at me, which isn't a surprise. But I can't help but hope.

…That's my wish, you know. My one selfish wish as a stupid human being- that, for even just a moment, she'd look at me.

Hinata turns her gaze to the sky, where a few stars twinkle in the distance.

"Looking for him?" I ask, and she immediately jumps.

"For… um, who?" she whispers, but I can tell that she knows who I'm talking about.

"Him," I repeat. "Uzumaki Naruto." Hinata tenses up a little. She always does when she hears his name.

Naruto's been on some journey for about a year now. He's a great guy, I guess, even if he is a little slow sometimes. No matter how hard I try, I can't find a good reason to hate him. Even though it's selfish, I wish that I could have some sort of reason to despise his guts… a justification or a cause . But the only thing that I feel towards him now is… well, envy.

At first, I thought that his absence would let Hinata settle down a little. That was a dumb thought, I know, and reality proved me wrong yet again. Hinata's been more attached to him than ever, and the only thing I can do is stand by and offer moral support.

…Which I'm happy that I can provide for her, at least. That's one thing that Naruto-kun can't give, at least right now.

I hear Hinata sigh beside me. It's not a dramatic sigh, nor is it loud or demanding. It's a genuine breath, just one that suggests a tangle of confused emotion behind it.

"The stars are the same," she says softly.

"Huh?"

"Well, if I'm looking at this sky, and… Naruto-kun is, too… then we're looking at the same sky. We're seeing the same stars."

I take this into consideration for a moment. "So, in a way, you're connected," I mutter. It's a beautiful thought, and yet it hurts a little to think about it.

"I guess so…" Hinata says quietly, and I know that's what she was thinking the whole time. Even though she doesn't say much, it's pretty easy to know what's on her mind. Everything shows on her face. Naruto's either a complete idiot or just amazingly dense to not pick up on it.

"That's really nice," I add, "But, then, if Gai-sensei was looking at the sky right now, that'd mean you were connected to him." I crack a joke and realize that I just ruined her moment there. But before I can hate myself for it, Hinata giggles.

"I guess that's true," she says simply, and I laugh quietly along with her.

"So, are you going to admit it?" I ask, half teasing and half serious. "You love Uzumaki, don't you?"

Hinata looks down, her cheeks red, and she doesn't deny it. Which hurts, probably more than it would've if she had said something.

"Never mind," I tell her. "No need to get all worked up about it, right?"

"Oh. Um, yeah."

I open my mouth in an attempt to break the silence, but surprisingly, Hinata speaks first.

"Do… do you have anyone?" she asks.

Ah.

It's my turn to play dumb. "Anyone what?"

She shifts towards me and smiles weakly. "Anyone… you love."

"Oh, that." I try to stall a little. "That's what you meant." What do I say? I can't just lie to her, but I wouldn't gain anything from telling her the truth. "I, ah…"

Hinata laughs and I blush in spite of myself. "What?" I ask.

"Sorry," she giggles, "but you just look so flustered."

"Oh… ah… yeah…" I guess I'm not exactly Mr. Subtle either. "Is it obvious?"

She smiles and nods. "Who… um, if you don't mind me asking, who is it?"

Ack.

I shrug and look into her eyes. "It's a secret." Hinata seems a little disappointed, but how was I supposed to respond to the question, anyway? With a confession? "It's getting pretty late," I mention, standing up carefully.

"Oh. Y-yeah, it is." I offer a hand and help her to her feet.

"Shino never showed up, huh," I mutter. Okay, I know this is a silly attempt at changing the subject, but I pull the card anyway.

"Yeah," Hinata weakly agrees. The conversation kind of dies as we begin walking back towards town.

The air is crisp and clear, and for a moment, I can't help but glance over at my teammate. She looks especially cute right now for some reason—her straight hair almost touching her shoulders, her pale skin practically glowing.

I avert my gaze. Don't look at her like that, I scold myself. Stop it already.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, we finally approach the gate to her house. "Well… uh, bye," Hinata mumbles awkwardly. She turns to leave, but I can't just let this unsettling feeling linger.

"Wait."

She stops and looks back towards me. I internally slap myself for making this move.

"I'll… I'll tell you everything someday. Someday soon, okay?"

Hinata blinks, confused, but the words suddenly register. "Oh! Okay!" Her face breaks into a bright smile. I grin in return, and the troubling moment dissolves into something I can't quite describe.

"Good night," I shout as I begin to walk away, feeling a little lighter.

"Night!" Hinata replies. I turn back to get a final glance of her. For a brief, surprising moment, our eyes meet.

And just this once, she's looking at me.