A/N: This is my first fanfiction. That being the case, I would greatly appreciate any tips, comments, ideas, critiques, reviews, and the like. Thank you for your time.

Disclaimer: The characters in the story are not mine. This is fanfiction; we should be aware of this fact.

I hate this holiday.

The large ballroom was crowded with people, most of whom were dancing, and it was decorated with multiple shades of pink and red hearts, some dangling from the ceiling, others glittering on the tables around the candles. There were a few bowls of red punch on several of the tables, with small desserts on plates around the bowls. It was quite an impressive display. Most people would have been fully caught up in the Valentine's Day mood at the sight of it.

However, a certain blonde haired shinobi wasn't paying any attention to the decorations, the food, or the music that was slowly playing in the background. Naruto didn't care about any of it. His entire focus was directed at a certain pink-haired kunoichi, who was currently wrapped in the arms of a black-haired shinobi. Sakura was a girl that Naruto had had a crush on for several years. Sasuke was Naruto's best friend and had been his rival for years. And while it wasn't doing Naruto any good to watch them, he couldn't pry his eyes away from the pair. He was too pissed.

He wasn't exactly mad at them; he actually was a bit glad that Sakura had actually got her wish. And they both seemed really happy, as well. No, Naruto was more frustrated with the holiday in general. Holidays were usually Naruto's least favorite days; they always reminded him that he didn't really have anyone to share them with. He had no family and few friends. But on holidays, these friends always spent time with their respective families, so Naruto had nowhere to really go. He had started to spend them with his old teacher Iruka, who had taken up a role somewhere between surrogate father and older brother.

But Valentine's Day was different. It wasn't a day to spend with family; it was a day to spend with those especially close to you. Naruto didn't have anyone like that. He just sat on a bench by one of the walls watching his friends enjoy the company of their respective dates. He brushed some of his blonde hair out his face. Usually his spiky hair was restrained by his forehead protector, but since this was a bit of a formal occasion he decided to leave it off. Not like anyone cares about me here anyways, he thought to himself.

On the far wall to Naruto's left, a quiet, indigo haired girl sat on a bench, nervously fidgeting with her hands. She was wearing a light purple dress that went down to the middle of her calves. It was sleeveless, and it had a very subtle pattern in it. The dress was very slightly loose on her, but it followed her curves well. And curves she had. Much more so than most of the girls present at the party.

Her long hair fell down to about the middle of her back, and there was a jeweled clip in the back of her hair. The clip was decorated with a crystal flower, with purple gems for petals and a while gem in the center, and it was more for decoration than anything else. Her hair framed her face well, and it contrasted with eyes.

Her eyes were something special. They had no pupils and essentially contained only pale lavender irises. These eyes were generally focused down at her hands. Every now and then, however, Hinata would glance up at the blonde ninja directly in her line of sight and then her gaze would return to her hands.

She picked up a small, cube-shaped box next to her and started fiddling with it. That's his 16th trip to the punch bowl now. But who's counting? She smiled ruefully to herself. It had been close to six years since she acknowledged to herself that she was enamored with the boy. Though despite all that time, she still hadn't managed to tell him. It wasn't hard for her to see why she admired him; he was everything she wasn't. He was loud, confident, and capable of almost anything, yet he had been born an orphan and had been dealing with the angry glares of the adults in the village for years. She was shy, quiet, and severely lacking in self-confidence. She was the heir to the Hyuuga clan, the most powerful and influential clan in the village. Yet her father constantly rubbed her face in the fact that he was disappointed with how "weak and incapable" she was. Leading the clan was never something she particularly wanted to do. She hated the arguments, conflicts, and rules that came with the clan system. She would have loved for a way out of it. Hinata looked back up at where Naruto was sitting and watched him for a moment.

Naruto got up from the bench he was sitting on and headed around the corner towards the bathroom. He was a bit glad for the distraction; if kept watching his two friends any longer he was going to break something. When he finished, he headed back to his seat and almost dropped himself on it when he noticed something was there. There was a small box, covered in light pink and lavender wrapping, with a tag on it.

For Naruto-kun.

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"What am I doing here?" he muttered to himself. It was a clear night, and the moon was almost full. Not perfect, but close. Naruto had been wandering around the garden for several minutes now, lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't really pleased with his reason for being here, but he did appreciate having one so that he could get out of that damned ballroom. He was tired of the looks he was getting; they were the same ones that Sasuke himself often got, though he never cared. And Naruto, quite frankly, didn't care either. It wasn't too many years ago that they had all looked at him with hard, angry eyes, just like their parents had given him.

Granted, he did turn into something worth looking at. The boy that was once known as a shrimp now easily broke 6 feet. Years of harsh taijutsu training had hardened his physical form into something that would impress most guys and cause almost any girl to swoon. The suit he was currently wearing emphasized his broad shoulders and his cut physique. His bright golden hair framed his chiseled facial features well, and his piercing blue eyes gave off an energy that was almost palpable to anyone that saw them.

He kept wandering aimlessly through the garden, fiddling with a small folded note and rubbing it between his fingers, as if to make sure that it was actually there. When he had found a small box in his seat, he almost didn't want to open it. Probably from one of my newest admirers, he had thought bitterly. But his curiosity had won him over, and he had been shocked to find that there wasn't anything in it. He almost crushed it in his hands right then, but he noticed that the "bottom" wasn't really the bottom; it was a note. He slipped it out and gradually unfolded it.

Naruto-kun,

Please meet me in the garden beside the building. I have something important to tell you.

And that was all. It seemed to be written by someone that just couldn't keep their hand still. He wasn't really interested in whom this person was, and he certainly was in no mood to play games. But any excuse to get out of the place was good enough for him.

He was at least content that it was in the garden. He appreciated being able to walk around all of the different plants and flowers, naming them off in his head. He loved taking care of plants. It gave him a bit of pride to know that he had taken something smaller than his thumb and helped it grow into something spectacular. It was always a bit of a small wonder to him. He remembered when he had first started to develop a fascination with gardening.

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"Ano sa, ano sa! What kind of plant is this?" Naruto shouted.

"Oh, you like that one, do you?" the Third Hokage asked.

"Well…, yeah, kinda," he said while scratching the back of his head. He had always heard that boys weren't supposed to like flowers, so he felt bad for admitting it. Flowers were a girl thing, but there were so many different varieties and colors that his young 8-year-old mind couldn't help but get a little excited about them all.

"Hmm…. Well, I believe that one is called a daffodil," the Third replied.

"Daffodil?" Naruto asked curiously. It was a very pretty yellow, and he kind of liked the odd petal arrangement of the flower. He thought it was strange to see the middle section cup out the way it did. Most of them were yellow or yellow and white, but there were a few that were orange and white.

"Mm-hmm. They are often the first flowers to bloom in spring. They grow from large teardrop shaped seeds called bulbs. When autumn comes, the flower dies, but the bulb lives on through the winter and a new flower blooms in spring. When given as a gift, they often are thought to mean respect and admiration. They also may be called narcissi, as they are one and the same. Narcissus is simply a more general term. The narcissus is also the birthday flower of December."

Naruto nodded, trying to take in what the old man said. He wasn't sure he understood how they grew from giant seed things or how the seed things lived when the flower died, but he did think it was cool that they meant respect.

Suddenly another flower caught the boy's eye. It was one of the weirdest flowers in the room. It was shaped similar to the daffodil in that the middle part stuck out, but it was ruffled and crinkled-looking, and the back petals were ruffled. It was also a deep purple color. "Ano sa, ano sa! What about that one?" Naruto asked.

"That is an orchid. It is an interesting flower, as there are so many different types. Some don't even look like this orchid at all, but they are still orchids."

"Different types…?" Naruto asked questioningly. His bright blue eyes were wide with curiosity. "What do you mean 'different types'?"

"See that flower next to it?" the Hokage asked, pointing to a small flower with smooth round back petals and two petals in the center curled into a sphere in front of it. It was white, with just a bit of deep red around the center.

"Yeah, what about it?" Naruto asked, trying to figure out what was so special about it.

"That flower is also an orchid," the Hokage stated.

"Whaa?! They don't look the same at all!" Naruto exclaimed.

The old man next to him nodded. "You're right; they look almost nothing alike, yet they are in the same family."

"Same family, huh…?" Naruto muttered, bringing his head down. "Hey, old man."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think there's anyone like that with me?"

The old Hokage seemed a bit taken aback with this question. He thought for a moment before placing a hand on the small boy's shoulder. "You never know. There may be someone out there who seems to be almost the complete opposite of you, but deep down, you're one and the same. If you find that person, take good care of him or her. Those people are hard to find, and they can mean the difference between everything and nothing."

Naruto looked up at the old man for a second before letting his face break into a smile. "Okay, I'll do what I can to find that person!"

"Good. Now do you want take any of these home with you?"

"Yeah! I want that daffodil, that other orchid thing, and that plant thing over there."

"Are you sure you can take care of all of them?"

"Yeah! You bet!"

"Mmm. Alright. We'll get you those. And take these cards, too. They should have all the information you need on how to take care of them."

"Alright! I'll make sure that they look the best ever!"

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Most of the flowers here in the garden were taken care of by the Yamanaka family, who owned the local flower shop. As such, they were placed well to accommodate maximum blooming and the best color coordination. Flowers of all kinds and colors. Red, purple, gold, orange, blue, and white were all represented in full force. Naruto was about to start his third lap around the garden when something caught his eye, something different from the colors of most of the flowers. He turned himself to look, and as soon as he did, he froze in shock. His iridescent blue eyes widened as he looked towards his visitor.

"You…" he said softly.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat. Standing right in front of him, with her hands clasped together in front of her, was Hinata. Her head was bowed slightly and angled a bit to her right. Her fingers were fidgeting slightly and seemed to be shaking. Her dark blue hair was covering most of her face, but Naruto could barely see through it enough to know she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

Naruto wanted to move. He was desperately trying to will his muscles to work, to walk closer to the woman that was standing right in front of him. But his body wasn't listening. He just stood there staring at the shy, quiet woman before him, while trying to make sense of the situation. Naruto was in a state of shock. He couldn't take his eyes off of the trembling girl that had brought him here. Though even in this state, he couldn't keep a thought from running through his brain. She looks…wow.

Naruto was jolted out of his thoughts by a quiet sniffle. Oh crap, she's crying. He hated it when girls started crying around him; he had no idea what to do. Girls were usually only mad at him, and when they were, he could just take the punishment and it would be fine. Crying was different; Naruto was completely unfamiliar with being near a crying girl, and his instinct to help kicked into overdrive. He had to make sure Hinata was all right.

He carefully moved towards her, resisting the childish urge to run forward and shake her to see if she was alright. Probably isn't going to work here, Naruto thought. Maturity was one of his more notable improvements in character.

However, when Hinata noticed him moving closer to her, she let out a squeak and took a step backwards, turning slightly pink-faced and keeping her head bowed. Naruto froze for a moment when she moved suddenly, but he kept walking towards her after the brief pause. When she saw he wasn't stopping, she turned her head to look at the man stepping towards her. When she did, her eyes locked with his, and her whole body stopped moving. If it wasn't for the blood rushing to her face or the pounding in her ears, she would have thought her heart stopped as well.

Their eyes remained locked as Naruto closed the distance between them, and even after he finally reached her, they just stood there for a few moments, looking into each other's eyes. Neither one said or did anything. While Hinata's mind had short-circuited, Naruto's was in overdrive. I need to say something, dang it! Say something, say something, say something, SAY SOMETHING!

"Umm…" Naruto started.

Hinata was jarred out of her shock by the sudden sound. Her gaze quickly turned to the ground at her side, afraid that if she looked at him much longer she was going to lose it.

"Do you want to… uh… sit down or something?" questioned Naruto hesitantly.

Hinata looked at his face again. "U-um…, s-sure, Naruto-kun," she stammered before giving a slight hint of a smile.

Naruto's face relaxed a bit and he took her hand. Blushing lightly, Hinata allowed herself to be led over to a nearby wood-slat bench. They sat down next to each other, neither one speaking a word. Naruto was looking at the sky, staring at the tremendous amount of stars above them. Hinata had her eyes on her hands in her lap, making occasional glances at the man beside her. After a few moments of silence, Hinata noticed Naruto smiling at the sky. Her face flushed a bit at this. He's so cute when he smiles.

Naruto brought his face down to look her in the eyes, still keeping that smile on his face. "Hey Hinata, you remember when we first met?" Naruto asked, the laughter evident in his eyes. Hinata blushed red and smiled slightly at him. "Of course I remember, Naruto-kun." It was one of the few memories of her childhood that didn't pain her to think about.

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"Ha! You'll never catch me! I'm awesome!" shouted the 6-year-old kid as he sprinted through the halls of the academy. His blonde hair was ruffling from his speed, but the two adults behind him were still gaining.

He turned a corner and almost ran headfirst into a small, dark-haired girl in a peach kimono. Skidding to a stop, he saw a nearby closet. "Don't tell them I'm in here! Please!" the boy pleaded before ducking into the closet.

The young girl stared at the door for a moment before turning towards the corner in time to see two adults tear around it. "Hyuuga-san, did you see a small boy run past here? Which way did he go?"

The small girl didn't know what to do. She stammered out a small "U-um…" before pointing further down the hall.

"Thank you, Hyuuga-san." He turned to his partner. "Come on, hurry. We can't let that brat get away!" he stated before rushing off.

After a few moments the closet door was opened and a mass of blonde hair stuck out. "Are they gone?" the boy asked.

The young Hyuuga murmured her assent and the boy stepped out of the closet, shutting the door behind him. "Whew. Thanks, that was close," the blonde said, letting his face split into a wide grin.

The small girl bowed her head a bit before smiling a bit. She couldn't help but get caught up in the boy's energy. After a moment, she asked the boy, "Ano, why were t-those men chasing you?"

"I guess they think I did something wrong," he said noncommittally.

"Um…w-what do they t-think you did?"

"They think I was the one who painted shapes on the Hokage tower."

The girl was surprised. "Why would they t-think that?"

"'Cause I did," he stated with a huge grin.

The girl's eyes widened at the brazenness of his statement before she burst into giggles.

At the sound of her laughter, the boy's grin fell and was replaced with a look of mild shock. He listened to her quietly for a bit, and when it was apparent that she wasn't laughing at him, he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ano sa, ano sa! What's your name?" the blonde asked excitedly.

The girl looked at him slightly abashedly. No one had ever asked for her name before. "Ano…I-I'm Hinata."

"Cool! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be Hokage someday!" he said, grinning wider than before, if it was possible.

Hinata's eyes widened at this. Hokage?

Naruto noticed Hinata staring at him and before he could say anything else he noticed her eyes.

"Ne, ne, you're eyes are cool, Hinata!"

"What?" Flushing at the compliment, she didn't know what to say. People seemed to treat her special because of something about her eyes, and her family always talked about them with pride. But Naruto just smiled and called them cool, not special or unique.

"Yeah, they're all white and purplish. No black in the center at all. It's really cool!" Naruto seemed to radiate as he flashed his trademark grin.

If Naruto was radiating, it was nothing compared to what Hinata was doing. She was practically blushing flames.

While Hinata was still struggling with something to say, Naruto pressed on. "Hey, why'd you help me anyways?" he questioned the girl.

Hinata regained her pale complexion again before answering. "U-um…," and then she stopped. Why had she helped him? She just… did.

Before she could say that, she heard running footsteps and shouting.

"There he is! Get away from her, you brat!" The two adults from before were sprinting back down the hallway.

Naruto jumped at the noise. He turned to the noise and let out a yelp before taking off in the opposite direction. "See you later, Hinata!"

"Come back here, you! You're not getting away this time!" the grown-ups shouted before giving chase. They flew by Hinata with a quick "Excuse us, Hyuuga-san" before rounding the corner after the boy.

Even after the sound of them running had died away, Hinata was still standing dumbstruck in the hallway, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

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"Oh wow, did I ever get in trouble after that," Naruto said with a small chuckle.

Hinata giggled at the memory, too. "I'd never been more disoriented in my life before that point."

Naruto laughed again; Hinata loved that laugh. It wasn't forced or pained, like most of his laughter recently. It made her flush just a bit.

Naruto just sat back and stared at the stars again. Hinata looked at them as well. She would have been perfectly content to just sit here with him for the rest of her life, even if it was in perfect silence. Naruto, however, had just remembered something.

"Ne, Hinata, what did you have to tell me that was so important?"

Hinata jerked her head away from the stars and stared wide-eyed at Naruto's face. She began radiating with a new level of redness, which, considering the records she had broken in that category up to this point, was pretty impressive.

"U-um… well…"

A/N: So, how was it? If you made it this far, that most likely means you read it, and that in itself is a compliment. But again, any reviews or thoughts on the quality of this would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks, guys.