It takes a lot, a naruto fanfic

Mashu: "I love motivation. I got this done in less than a week as you will see."

Lord Cynic: "I had some of this, too. I had to type it!"

Mashu: "I did all the writing, though. I had more work than you."

Cynic: "Bah. Will you be writing more of this stuff?"

Mashu: "Nah, my insecurities are cured. This was just for fun, after all."

Cynic: "4000 words just for fun… oy…"

Mashu: "We don't own Naruto. And I apologise for any OOCness in advance. Um… enjoy:

Information:

Title: It takes a lot

Author(s): Mashu (Cynic for typing - don't ask)

Inspiration: Hinata 39 of the Love Hina manga (how appropriate)

Idea conceived: 24/07/06

Brainstorm period: 24/07/06 – 25/07/06

Draft period: 25/07/06 – 27/07/06

Typing period: 29/07/06 – 29/07/06

It takes a lot

It takes a lot to shut Uzumaki Naruto up.

Exhibit A: Ramen. The mere mention of the food drives Naruto into frenzy. If he is not leaping around yelling "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" at the top of his voice, he is complaining about the half hour he's had to endure without it. By chance that it is within his reach and he has not been restrained (the smell is enough to wake him from slumber or rouse him from unconsciousness), he will trample over everything and everyone to obtain it. When he is actually eating it, the sound of his slurping is, to be blunt, noisy and grotesque. Seconds later, if he is in Ichiraku, he will wave his bowl around the holler "Seconds, old man!" The cycle repeats until he is either full, out of money, or dragged away kicking and screaming.

Exhibit B: Training and/or New Jutsus. Naruto thrives in the opportunity to become stronger. When in sessions with his team or his sensei(s), he is literally bouncing off the scenery, eager to get started. His abnormally plentiful energy allows him to punch, kick, scream at and blast everything around him. Oh, and anyone unfortunate enough to be in his path of destruction. The same goes for new techniques. The different in damage to the surrounding area is still yet to be accurately calculated.

Final Exhibit: Authority. Naruto has little to no formal respect for his superiors, even/especially his teachers and the Hokage(s). He called the third Hokage "Ojisan", he calls the current Hokage "Obaachan", and almost or all his teachers are admitted to be perverts, so he doesn't hesitate in declaring them so. The blonde boy knows the legendary Toad Summoner, Jiraiya, in particular as "Ero-Sennin". Naruto lacks proprieties, which, although that is no fault of his own in any way, leads to a lot to be desired when it comes to politics and generally knowing when to keep quiet.

Naruto grins as he digs into the first of eight bowls of various ramen. He is especially famished after a gruelling training session - well, if demolishing an entire training ground with Rasengans can be considered 'training'. Nonetheless, it was very strenuous and draining, and Naruto considers his 'small' lunch order a just reward for his hard work.

"Hey, old man," he yells after draining his first bowl, "make the next one miso!"

"Coming right up!" the genial order of the establishment calls back.

Naruto grins and decides that it is turning out to be a great day.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto is wandering around pointlessly. Since he is finished training for the moment, there's just nothing to do. He hasn't seen that damn Sasuke since the morning, so he can't annoy him for a spar. For some reason, he doesn't want to ask Sakura-chan to hang out, but that might be because she had threatened to send him to Wave country if he bugged her. Without his team mates, he is just plain bored.

"Hey, let me out, then. I can have loads of fun."

The stupid Kyuubi isn't helping matters either. The fox demon might be the most feared being on Earth, in any living form, but he is a downright nuisance. A pain in the ass, if you will. Always wanting to come out and kill people or destroy things… if Naruto doesn't know any better, the stupid fox really needs a hobby…

The sound of masculine giggling (if that's possible) knocks Naruto out of his reverie. He knows only two people who giggle like that: lazy Kakashi-sensei or Ero-Sennin. A recurrence of the sound is heard in the direction of the hot springs, and the mystery is solved. With an almost animalistic growl, Naruto dashes off to locate and punish the culprit.

Naruto reaches the fences of the hot springs to a somewhat predictable but no less tasteless sight: Jiraiya, a.k.a. one of the Legendary Three, a.k.a. Ero-Sennin, peering into the women's baths. And giggling. And scribbling notes. And being a damn pervert.

"Such young lovelies," is clearly heard from the frog summoner, which only serves to further fuel Naruto's ire.

The blonde boy glowers at the back of the "Icha Icha" author's head. He briefly wonders whom the old man is talking about (the "young" thing isn't so uncommon, but it was the way the pervert said it), but quickly squashes the thoughts. This isn't the time or the place. Justice must be done.

Very quietly, Naruto summons two Kage Bunshin to appear in front of Ero-Sennin. He hears a distinct snort from his sensei.

"What are you doing, brat?" the old man asks irritably.

"This!" the clones shout, before, "Sexy no jutsu!"

Naruto uses the distraction to sneak up on Jiraiya. He carefully avoids eye contact with his clones (still in their disguises) as he produces a pin from his pocket (don't ask). He squats behind the pervert and grins wickedly.

'Inspired by Kakashi-sensei,' he thinks before shouting, "Anti-ero no jutsu!"

Poke.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Naruto listens carefully for the loud splash. It is followed by surprised and horrified screams. The screams are quickly followed by the sounds of Ero-Sennin getting the crap beat up.

Satisfied about a job well done, Naruto flashes a good guy pose.

"Take that, Ero-Sennin!"

It takes a lot for Hyuuga Hinata to act for herself.

Exhibit A: Hyuuga Hiashi. Out of the whole Hyuuga clan, Hinata's stern, intimidating father is her main source of distress and despair. He has declared her weak, a letdown and a weakness in the family. He has pressed upon her the importance of being the Hyuuga heiress, yet has long overlooked her for her young sister, Hanabi. Despite, or due to his constant criticism, Hinata is unable to defend herself against his words.

Exhibit B: Confrontations. Hinata is extremely uncomfortable around strangers, and it shows. She keeps her head down and stutters frequently, telltale signs of awkwardness and uncertainty. That often causes people to look at her strangely, which in turn make her more uncomfortable. Even with people she knows or is familiar with, she doesn't say more than is necessary, and it's usually in a whisper that would get carried off in the a gale.

Final Exhibit: Confidence. Hinata's worst enemy. Because of the abuse from her Exhibit A, her confidence is severely lacking. She suffers from self-degradation and undermines her own abilities. Even when she excels in her duties and her training, a part of her (probably in her father's voice) disapproves of her methods and skills. As a result, she apologises easily and is often downtrodden and hesitant. She lacks a fierce intent, preferring to avoid violence if necessary. In fact, her gentle nature would make her a target in the enemy's eyes, thus making her feel more useless afterwards, despite reassurance from her team mates, her teacher and her friends.

(1)

"Remember that even if your abilities as a ninja are pitiful, you must uphold the honour of the prestigious Hyuuga clan. You may leave."

Hinata sighs inwardly, but simply nods to her father before retreating from the room. She quickly escapes from the Hyuuga estate, pointedly ignoring the nonchalant frown on her sister Hanabi-chan's face, or her cousin Neji-nii-kun's slightly concerned gaze. After the daily analysis/criticism from Otousama, she doesn't feel like facing more family members. She just wants, needs, to get out.

Thankfully, no one opposes her and she succeeds in reaching the main streets. She immediately sees Sakura-san(2) looking forlornly after Sasuke-san(3), who appears to have blown her off again. The Haruno girl sighs, before visibly perking up and punching the air. Hinata assumes she is giving herself a confidence boost, and wishes she could do the same. Even to confess to the boy she likes… Naruto-kun…

"What was that about Naruto?"

"Eep!"

Oh Kami-sama, did she say that out loud? Hinata blushes brilliantly at the inquisitive and sly smile on her crush's teammate's face. She must've uttered Naruto-kun's name aloud when she didn't mean to. It's bad enough she can't even say anything to him without blushing and stuttering like an idiot. This is so embarrassing.

"Oh, don't worry," Sakura-san says consolingly. "Everyone except the blockhead knows, but we won't say anything."

The rest of Hinata's body fills with a dark crimson, but a loud "Forehead girl!" rescues her. She notices the glare on Sakura-san's face and the twitching vein on her forehead as Ino-san and Tenten-san approach. However, like always, Hinata doesn't say anything. It's not like Sakura-san and Ino-san will try to kill each other in broad daylight, right?

"Ino-pig! What the hell do you want?"

"U-Um…" Or maybe they will…

"Hey guys, not in public," Tenten-san warns, before there is a pink and blonde massacre. Sakura-san and Ino-san relent, albeit very reluctantly, and Hinata and the weapons mistress breath sighs of relief. "Good. It seems that everyone's having a day off today."

"I know what you mean," Sakura-san concurs. "Kakashi-sensei took two hours to meet up with us, and then he told he we had no missions. Argh!"

"Yeah," Ino-san says. "Shikamaru-kun and Chouji-kun probably haven't moved since this morning."

"Knowing Neji-kun and Lee-kun, they're probably training anyway," Tenten-san muses. "You'd know about Neji-kun, wouldn't you, Hinata-chan?"

"Y-Yes," Hinata squeaks. She is startled by her abrupt inclusion into the conversation but manages to answer. "H-He is at home, p-probably tr-training with O-Otousama." The girls continue to stare at her and she realises she hasn't mentioned her team yet. "K-Kiba-kun wasn't happy when K-Kurenai-sensei told us we had the day off. Sh-Shino-kun didn't say anything, though."

"Well, since we're all here," Sakura-san says, a gleeful gleam in her eyes, "let's go to the hot springs!"

"W-What?" is all Hinata manages to utter before the other girls drag her along, laughing merrily all the way.

Hinata sighs, half in bliss, half in exasperation as she soaks in the steaming water. She is glad to be away from the leering eyes of her clan, but her present company isn't too reassuring. Sakura-san and Ino-san are splashing each other (for fun or not, Hinata can't tell), and Tenten-san has long since given up mediating.

"Say, Hinata-chan," Tenten-san speaks up, causing the blue-haired girl to jump, "how's it going with Naruto?"

"H-H-Huh?" If anything, this is totally unexpected. "T-T-There's nothing to… to tell. W-We're… we're not… that is…"

"Ah." Tenten-san doesn't say anymore on the subject, prompting Hinata to wonder exactly what that was about.

"He wouldn't know she likes him unless the confession was in a bowl of ramen," Sakura-san says. It seems that she and Ino-san have stopped playing around.

"Or if it was a jutsu," the blonde girl agrees. "Love confession no jutsu!"

Hinata blushes and pokes her fingers together. This isn't where she thought this would go. "U-Um… N-Naruto-kun isn't… isn't that bad…"

"Oh, of course not!" Hinata bows her head, missing the gleams in the pink and blonde-haired girls' eyes. She snaps her head up however when Sakura-san adds, "After all, those whisker marks are adorable! Right, Ino?"

"That's right!" Hinata can't believe what she's hearing, but it doesn't end there. "And those eyes… they're like looking into the sky!"

Hinata is more than halfway into hyperventilation before Tenten-san decides to take her out of her misery. However, even the elder girl's voice smacks of teasing as she 'scolds' the other two. The gleams in Sakura-san and Ino-san's eyes refuse to vanish as well, doing little to reassure the shyest member of the group.

"Yeah, okay," the pink-haired girl concedes. Wait, was that a wink? "I'm sure you've thought about what Naruto can do with his Kage Bunshin though, right, Hinata-chan?"

Ashamed and mortified as she will be when she admits it, Hinata has occasionally had those kinds of daydreams. In fact… no, no! Bad, naughty Hinata! That is unbecoming of a Hyuuga heiress! … Still…

"I'd say that, judging by her nosebleed, she definitely has," Hinata hears Ino-san say, bringing the pale-eyed girl back to reality.

"U-Um… m-m-maybe," the Hyuuga girl confesses shakily, wiping her nose and sporting a dark blush. "B-But… u-u-um… N-Neji-nii-kun would…"

"Oh, that'll be no problem," Sakura-san says casually, cutting Hinata off. "Tenten will set him straight if he tries anything. Right, Tenten?"

"W-What?" Hinata is surprised to see the weapons girl blush. "What… are you talking about?"

Sakura-san opens her mouth to retort, but a masculine scream cuts her off. All the girls snap their heads in its direction, only to be freaked out by a white-haired old man who falls into the water. Their mortified screams fill the air for a good few seconds, drowning the pervert's attempts to explain himself.

Finally, Hinata distances herself as she senses the killer intent radiating from the other girls. She cowers where she sits when her friends descend upon the man. However, as they beat him to a pulp, she hears a faint shout that sounds very familiar.

"Take that, Ero-Sennin!"

"Who was that?…'

"A victory against perverts, brought to you by Konoha's next Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto grins wildly as he returns to the bustling streets. Giving the pervert hermit exactly what he deserves was exactly what the doctor ordered to cure the blonde's boredom. He'll have to thank the old man later… if Ero-Sennin survived the pummelling.

That in mind, he struts through the village, nothing to do, no place to be. He ignores varying glances of contempt and/or bewilderment from the civilians, too upbeat to care. For some reason, he feels really good today. Awesome, even.

Which is why, when he encounters Shikamaru and Chouji, he doesn't scowl for once. On the contrary, he grins and waves to the lazy genius and the 'big-boned' boy. The grin widens when the pair acknowledge him with waves, even if the actions are somewhat half-hearted.

"Hey, guys!" the ramen fanatic greets enthusiastically, once again ignoring disapproving glances from the public.

"Hello," Shikamaru responds, raising an eyebrow. Chouji went straight back to his bag of chips, so he says nothing. "You're… happier than normal," the Nara boy observes.

"Well, yeah," Naruto agrees eagerly. "It's a day off, but I think I've managed to help the wellbeing of our village anyway."

Shikamaru nods, but doesn't say anything about it. "Hokage-sama is looking for you."

"Obaachan?" Naruto misses the lazy boy cringe, instead closing his eyes in thought. "I wonder what she wants… oh well. Thanks, Shikamaru." Without waiting for a response, the blonde ball of energy sprints off towards the Hokage's office.

Naruto reaches the office in record time. He doesn't even notice the people around him before barging through the door with a typical "Obaachan!" Anyone familiar with the routine will not be surprised (or disappointed) when the rowdy greeting is met with a fierce thump on the head from the irate female Hokage.

"Damn it, Naruto," she screeches, "show some restraint and respect!"

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde boy grumbles begrudgingly, rubbing the bump on his head. "So what did you want?"

"It was you who annihilated one of the training grounds, wasn't it?" Tsunade demanded, getting straight to the point.

"Huh?" Naruto's expression slowly transforms from mild confusion to realisation when he regains his short-term memory. He scratches the back of his head. "Eheh… yeah."

He continues to get frowned at by Tsunade, and simple laughs awkwardly. Finally, she heaves a sigh and slouches slightly in her chair. Naruto remembers how old Obaachan really is, and temporarily becomes serious.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama," he offers, for once using her proper title. Something tugs at the back of his mind and the cheeky grin returns instantly with a vengeance. "Hey, hey, I've got something you might wanna hear."

"If it's about Jiraiya, I already know." Naruto's face brightens at Tsunade's smile. "Anti-ero no jutsu, huh?"

"Eheh…" Naruto scratches the back of his head again. "Um… is that all?"

"Yeah, go, brat," Obaachan says, waving off the blonde boy with her hand.

Naruto's grin returns, and he dashes out of the office, eager to concoct ways to wreak non-threatening havoc. However, he's barely outside when he collides with another figure. On instinct, he reaches out and grabs the person's hand. When he opens his eyes, he is surprised to find –

"Hinata-chan?"

"Yes?" After Naruto recovers from the shock, he watches in amusement as Hinata-chan's eyes travel from his feet to his face. For the life of him, however, he has no idea why she blushes everything she looks at him. "N-N-Naruto-k-kun!" Or why she stutters like that. Weird girl.

"That's me!" he announces, puffing out his chest. His posture loosens quickly, though, and he grins slyly at her. Predictably, he is confused again by the blush that darkens on the girl's face but assumes that's just how she is. "Say, say, come with me!"

Completely missing the almost inaudible "U-Um… b-but…" from the timid girl, he grabs her hand and hauls her away from the busy streets. He's not sure what's provoked him, but he has always followed his heart and has no reason not to this time.

(4)

When Hinata recovers from her stupor ('Naruto-kun is holding my hand…'), she finds herself standing on the Hokage monument. To her combined horror and delight, she also discovers that Naruto-kun hasn't let go. His hand is… so warm… so strong…

"What a view, huh?" her crush comments, finally letting go of her very lucky appendage to walk around. "The best thing is, there's no one around to annoy the crap out of us."

Hinata can't help but agree as she treads carefully. Everyone else is down below, oblivious to the young kunoichi and shinobi above them. The atmosphere is calm, soothing, and Hinata feels a sense of freedom that has long been smothered in Hyuuga households. She wonders if that's what Naruto-kun thinks as well. But why did he bring her up here? The way he's walking around, his head held higher than usual, it seems like the idea is one of his personal secrets.

"Ah, it feels great!" the blonde boy cries blissfully, inhaling the fresh air. He turns to look at Hinata, who blushes terribly at the energetic grin on his face. "Don't you think so, Hinata-chan?"

"Y-Y-Yes, i-it does feel good," Hinata agrees timidly, and she means it. However, something continues to gnaw at her curiosity. Despite the overwhelming company and her coy nature, she speaks up. "N-Naruto-kun, why… why did you let me… j-join you?"

"Huh?" Hinata is surprised when her crush pauses in mid-step, his eyes closed. Suddenly, he plops down on the ground and sits Indian-style. "Hmm… hey, Hinata-chan, mind coming over here?"

Hinata blushes at the invitation, but complies willingly. She nervously looks over at the blonde boy at the corner of her eye, and her cheeks warm to dangerous levels at the expression on his face. She has rarely seen him so peaceful, so relaxed, so… happy. His eyes are open, revealing clear blue orbs, and his mouth is curved in a smile that's gentle and deep instead of cocky and obnoxious. It is a massive difference from the clumsy, somewhat hollow grin he usually wears, and Hinata suddenly feels very overwhelmed. In fact, she almost misses what he says next. (5)

"You know, out of all the places I like, this is one of my faves." Hinata waits for Naruto-kun to continue, and isn't disappointed. "The view's awesome, and I can look down at these people like a real Hokage."

"Um…" Hinata's throat almost becomes lodged by the question she is desperate to ask. "Why… why me?"

"Hmm…" Naruto-kun's eyes close briefly in contemplation, before snapping open again. A twinkle in them mesmerises Hinata. His answer completely stuns her. "I thought you'd, you know, appreciate this. Even if we don't know much about each other (Hinata blushes, knowing that's not entirely true), somehow I thought you'd like this." He chuckles, darkening Hinata's blush. "Strange, huh?"

Hinata can't begin to fathom the (admittedly) unexpected consideration on Naruto-kun's part. Summoning up all her courage, she reaches out and grasps one of his hands resting beside him. She nearly melts at the adorable confusion in his face, but before they both know it, she closes the distance between them.

'Naruto-kun…'

It takes a lot for Hyuuga Hinata to act for herself.

Solution: Uzumaki Naruto. His wild, yet friendly nature can break Hinata out of her shell. Through his influence, she can open up and may perhaps one day take people by surprise.

Naruto smiles contently as he gazes into the village. For some reason, he isn't shocked by his revelations to Hinata-chan. On the contrary, he is really glad to share something like this with her. Even though she's weird, she's really nice. She doesn't look at him with hatred like most of the village, and has never laughed or mocked his dream of becoming a Hokage.

'It's almost like… nah, couldn't be… not her…'

Suddenly, he feels someone's hand on his own. He turns sharply to discover none other than Hinata-chan looking at him. But she's not looking at him with the shy expression she usually has. Her (soulful and pretty, he realises) lavender eyes are staring into him with a tender intensity, and the serene smile on her face is a sight to behold. Despite his confusion, he is unable to tear his eyes away.

'Hinata-chan…'

When she closes in to kiss him, he decides that it's as good, no, better, than a day's worth of ramen.

It takes a lot to shut Uzumaki Naruto up.

Solution: Hyuuga Hinata. Her calm, although hesitant nature can placate and silence Naruto effectively. Especially if she catches him off guard with a kissing display.

The End

(1) - It's sort of a tandem thing with the first Naruto POV. Both POVs occur at roughly at the same time, as you saw.

(2) - I'm just assuming Hinata calls the girls "-san" instead of "-chan", to be polite. They call her "-chan", but she calls them "-san" since that's the case.

(3) - I'm not sure whether Hinata would call Sasuke "Sasuke-kun". He'd probably try to kill her. Hey, you never know… and since Naruto doesn't like him so much, she probably wants to stay on his good side and avoid the "-kun" honorific with Sasuke.

(4) - I initially had this scene set on a rooftop. But meh, looking back at the draft, that doesn't sound as special a place. So, I changed it.

(5) - And this is where the Hinata 39 thing comes in. For those who don't know the scene I'd be referring to, the boy (Keitarou) and the girl (Shinobu) are sitting on a roof, and when Keitarou has his glasses off, Shinobu's inner monologue is, and I quote, "When he removes his glasses… and his lips look so pretty… and so soft…". I won't spoil anymore, but that's what got me (Mashu) to writing this thing. Oh, and in case you want the chapter title: "Kiss me, Sempai! (Love heart)". Heh…