By the Light of the Moon

The moon has always brought solace and comfort to those who are troubled, and Naruto Uzumaki was no exception. He wasn't sure if it was because of that… monster inside of him, but passing like a shadow in the night through the rebuilt streets of Konoha always helped him reflect on his problems. "Aren't I lucky…" thought Naruto; "I've got a full moon to think by tonight… where should I start though?"

As Naruto wandered from rooftop to rooftop, he noticed how many of the landmarks he grew up with were now gone, replaced with temporary huts or completely new structures. "God… I was the only one who could stop Pein, but I was just too slow." Mused the blonde. "Not only that, Hinata almost died for me! And she said she loves me… no one's ever said that before." The young ninja was suddenly brought back to reality when he strode up the back wall of the Hokage's building. The view before him was breathtaking! The Leaf Village was bathed in a cold and pure white light. Shadows had become sharpened black knives, cutting through the battle scared streets. From Naruto's point of view, the entire city was gravitating towards this lone rooftop. But what kept him from breathing for a few more seconds was the beautifully pale face that was upturned towards the moon. "It's Hinata! ...I don't think she realized I'm here…"

-- A few minutes earlier—

"It's such a beautiful moon tonight… I wonder where Naruto-kun is? Maybe he's out under this same sky as me?" Hinata sighed loudly. She knew that the only answer she would get would be that of the wind drifting calmly through the trees. Full moon nights like this had always helped the Hyuuga heiress think about what was troubling her. She would always cast her gaze skywards, with the hope that Naruto would be looking at that same moon at that same moment. Then it would feel as if he were right beside her, and all the problems in the world would disappear. This particular night was different. Hinata felt much more tense and edgy than usual. No amount of staring at the white orb in the sky seemed to relieve the stress she had been feeling since Pein had tried to take Naruto away. Before she could stop herself, the raven haired girl began vocalizing all the thoughts that were running circles in her head. "Naruto-kun… I've always had these feelings for you. It was just a crush back in our academy days, but now… there's no way I could deny how much I love you. Especially since I told you I want to be with you…" Hinata paused for a moment as all the loneliness she had bottled up for years began to wash over her. "I love your goofy smile, your gorgeous sky blue eyes, and I especially love how you would do anything to make your loved ones smile again." By this point, Hinata was softly weeping while glaring at the moon above. "Why can't I be someone you love? I don't want to be alone anymore…"

It was when Hinata whispered these last few words that Naruto truly understood how similar this heart broken beauty was to him. They both had the greatest friends in the world, but no one to call their own. She had been chasing his shadow for so many years now… it was time to finally make her hard fought dream come true. Naruto calmly walked to Hinata, wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders, and softly spoke into her ear. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Hinata-chan."

Hinata had been so adsorbed in her own thoughts that Naruto embracing her was the shock of a lifetime. She froze, her heart skipping a beat. "Naruto-kun? No.. there's no way this is happening! I must have dozed off! I'll probably wake up any second now, and this will never have happened!" In spite of her disbelief, Hinata forced herself to speak up. "Naruto? ...Is that r-really you?"

"In the flesh, Hinata-chan… you've been fighting since the academy to make yourself better for my sake, you nearly died for me, and you've waited so long to be by my side… I think it's high time you finally get what you've wanted for so long." The stunned girl could only sit in disbelief as the love of her life gently tilted her backwards and locked his lips with her own.

In all her years of hoping, in all her fantasies and half remembered dreams, Hinata never imagined a moment as perfect as this. The world around her disappeared as she closed her eyes. The only sound was of her heartbeat and his, two rapid drums racing like there was no tomorrow. She poured all the love she had for this man into this one kiss, and time slowly ground to a halt. After what seemed like hours, the new lovers eventually eased into a tight embrace, with Hinata resting her head on her love's warm lap.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata sighed.

"Yeah?"

"It doesn't matter where we go in our lives from now on; whenever I see a full moon like this, I'll always remember this moment… will you?"

Naruto softly laughed, and cast his cerulean eyes towards the silvery disk that was now low on the horizon. "Without a doubt Hinata. Because this is the night that I finally learned I'm not alone anymore."

And under the light of that bright moon, in the dark trench of morning, the new lovers kissed one last time before returning to Naruto's messy apartment and dozing off in each other's arms.

Author's notes: Alright! Finally finished! This has been in production since the beginning of Summer here in Colorado, and has been all the way to Anime Expo in Los Angeles with me. Funny part is all this was inspired by a simple little "I miss you" card that I've had for years but never gotten the chance to use.

So! I hope you enjoyed my little addition to the Naru-Hina universe, and I guess this is goodbye. Until next time! -SeibuGunman