ok, little NaruHina oneshot that I had to write out cos it was tormenting me. Not sure where the inspiration came from exactly.

This is modern day so no chakra

I do not own Naruto

"You two are nothing but trouble" Mizuki yelled at the two ten years olds before him. Hinata and Naruto were the worst pupils in the school. What annoyed him and every other teacher was their complete semblance of innocence, no one could ever catch them, no one could ever prove that what went wrong was their fault. He'd think they were geniuses, if he hadn't seen their SAT scores.

It hadn't always been this hard to teach here. At first Hinata had been a rather good student, clever enough and almost painfully shy, she had never even dared to pass a note in his class although that might have more to do with her lack of friends than her obedience. She had showed a light rebellious streak when faced with subjects she didn't like but as she never received any encouragement to be anything but good she did nothing, she just put her head down and worked hard usually coming out with the best answers and results in the class.

And then Naruto came to the school.

He had appeared like a bright sun to Hinata but a dismal cloud to Mizuki and the other teachers. He turned their world upside down, his eyes had quickly noticed the shy Hinata for what she truly was, a rebel yearning for the bravery to show it. He had plonked himself down beside her and quite literally offered her his hand in friendship. From that moment on every time something was thrown at the teacher, or the school hand bell was missing its clapper they knew where to look. Hinata and Naruto both sat with matching secretive grins never ratting on each other but never letting one go with punishment (rare though it was) without the other. No one ever understood why someone as bright as Hinata would want to be friends with Naruto, he wasn't all that smart and he managed to make a mess out of whatever work he was doing but when it came to planning pranks Naruto actually showed signs of being a mastermind.

Today had been one of their worse moments and yet there was no evidence that it was them. They'd been sure of that.

"Wipe that smirk off your face Naruto, you may think this is funny but because of you thee teachers are at the hospital and most of the others are not going to be able to teach for the rest of the day." Hinata stifled a giggle, it had all been so easy and her cooking skills that her father practically beat into her, had finally been of some use. Friday was cake day in the staff room and smuggling in a sumptuous chocolate fudge cake (they had known that their favourite teacher Iruka was allergic to chocolate, hence the decision on its flavour) had been the teachers' undoing.

They had begun dropping in first class, ("obviously too greedy to wait for lunch" Naruto had hissed to Hinata as Jiraiya left the room with a hand on his stomach) "That'll teach 'em!"

As it turned out only the really greedy ones would be badly affected. The dosage in a normal size slice of cake was just over what would normally be prescribed to someone so it would only put them out of action for a couple of days (ruining their weekend and ensuring no weekend homework for the students). The ones that had been carted off to hospital would be fine but it was obvious that they were the ones who had eaten an extra slice.

"We didn't do it!" Hinata argued knowing that there was no way they could prove it was them. Even the cake had been made in the utmost secrecy at the dead of night and smuggled in it's tin onto the back step where (despite heavy rain) Naruto had picked it up and cycled it to the school to be hidden behind the gardening sheds, he got dropped off early every morning and would get it into the school later when there were the bare minimum around.

It was unlikely any of their parents would know about a single thing they had done, Hinata's house was large so the baking was unheard and her parents would never notice the missing ingredients as they never did the cooking, the housekeeper liked her and would keep quiet. Naruto's parents were heavy sleepers and wouldn't have woken if Naruto had run through the house singing Kung Fu fighting at the top of his voice so getting in and out had been a breeze.

"Do not lie to me" Mizuki threatened staring down at the once quiet girl hoping she would break

"I'm not lying" she stared back defiantly, in danger of losing his temper Mizuki turned away from Naruto and walked into the assembly hall where the six remaining teachers and seven dinner ladies were trying to control the rest of the one thousand plus pupils. Four of the remaining teachers were already looking very unwell, he didn't know how long they would last.

As soon as the door closed behind him both children collapsed to the ground laughing helplessly "Lets go" Naruto clasped Hinata's hand in his and gave her that smile that made her flush red every time he gave it.

They sprinted down the corridors still laughing at their teachers' misfortune, it was the end of the year so punishments wouldn't be too bad and after the summer this incident would still be remembered by the rest of the school. They had quite a reputation when it came to pranks and their latest would bring their status to a higher level than ever before. Outside in the playground they looked for an escape, the large gates were shut and there was a guard in the way anyway, the bike path gates were chained shut…

"This way" Naruto pulled Hinata along to the back entrance that few knew about and the way he had smuggled the cake in last night, it was an alleyway where the dustbins were kept, there was a small wall on one end but the bins that were kept on either side of it made for easy climbing especially when unhindered by a large cake tin.

"Oh Gross!" Hinata yelled as they landed with a squelch on the other side, the muddy path which was unpleasant when dry, after a night of heavy rain had become a river of mud

"I know! Let's race!" staring down the muddy lane both children's eyes brightened at the prospect before them, they both knew that neither of them would make it down there upright unless they walked slowly. "From here to the end of the lane" A race promised a muddy mess that would get them in a lot of trouble with their parents but it promised moments of complete delight…

"I'll get in trouble" Hinata decided finally

"Chicken" Naruto taunted making suitable clucking sounds and an appropriate wing imitation with his arms.

"What's the point in racing when there is no prize!" she returned not wanting to be thought a wimp.

"Fine" Naruto agreed "We decide our own prizes… If I win, I get a kiss"

The words that Naruto found himself uttering pulled both him and his friend up short, whilst she gave him a momentary wide eyed stare he covered his own shock with his usual cocky grin.

"And what if I win?" Hinata's retort showed a little more of her normal bravado.

"I'll…" he paused trying to think of something

"If I win you have to kiss Kiba!"

"What? No way!" he held his hands up looking repulsed

"Fine I'll kiss Kiba" it wasn't that she wanted ether of them to kiss the boy but she was keen to see Naruto's reaction.

"No to that too!" Finally Naruto gave in to her triumphant grin "Fine, I'll kiss him"

"Really?"

"Really, Ready… Set… GO!" They both ran, each one determined that they would win, Naruto was the first to fall, slipping helplessly and watching as Hinata ran triumphantly on ahead before she too fell, having caught up to her Naruto was beside her when she fell a second time and determined that he wouldn't win Hinata grabbed hold of his jacket and pulled him down with her. Using the pull Hinata got back up in no time and was across the finish line as Naruto managed to stand.

"Cheat!" Naruto yelled as finally Hinata danced around at the finish line

"Loser!" she called back equally happily, Naruto didn't even bother to get to the finish line he just sat down in the mud and sulked, instantly Hinata felt bad, Naruto had been called loser a lot at school even by Mizuki himself, walking back to him she sat down beside him and gave him a short hug "I did cheat… you don't have to kiss anyone. We'll say there was no winner" she leapt back up to her feet with ease and held out a hand to help him up.

"Do I get my kiss?" Naruto asked hopefully as she pulled him to his feet and they walked back towards the school.

"Ew, No!" Hinata pushed him away and giggled at his hangdog expression… she didn't want to kiss him… but at the same time… hitting him on the arm she got ready to climb up onto the bins and back into school when two voices caused them to freeze in fear.

"HINATA!"

"NARUTO? YOU BETTER GET BACK HERE NOW!"

"It's my mum" Naruto hissed looking at the wall that separated them from the playground

"And mine…" Hinata looked down at their clothes "we are so dead!"

"Better give me that kiss before we both die" Once again Hinata hit him.

They were fifteen when the request for a kiss came up again.

A little older now their pranks had mainly been forgotten, they were good friends as ever but they were growing up. their intentions for the future needed to be considered. Naruto planned to be in the army just like his father, he trained all the time running laps and joining all the sports teams he had time for. Hinata was interested in teaching, she was very good with young children partly because she knew all the tricks of the trade herself and also because she was a naturally caring person. At school they often sat with different groups of friends and it was rare for them to be together, Hinata would watch as girls flirted with her childhood friend hoping for a chance with him, at these times she would occasionally catch his eyes and she would raise one brow significantly making him laugh aloud. Whenever this happened her own friends would accuse her of fancying him to which the response was always a disgusted and far too emphatic 'no!' they were friends and she was sure that was all they ever would be.

It was when he ran laps that they would see each other, every morning they would wake early and meet at the park they used to frequent. Together they would run the first three laps before Hinata would warm down and sit correcting his homework. Once he was finished his own six or seven laps he would sit with her and eating a small breakfast they would go over his mistakes. It was mid May when the subject came up, they were discussing a future race when Naruto asked "If I win, do I get a kiss?" As with the first time there was shock for her but this time for him it had seemed natural "Well do I?"

"No!"

"Oh come on!"

"You almost always win those things… tell you what, you get over eighty per cent on your next maths test and I'll give you a kiss."

"That's not fair" Naruto's maths history was a steady 51% only just scraping a pass.

"It is to me, you better get studying"

"What if I don't get eighty percent or over What happens then?"

Hinata laughed, what should she receive if he failed "If you fail to get higher than your usual mark, you have to kiss Sasuke" she smirkd as he instantly picked up his maths book and began to study.

A few days later Naruto held his Math test result in his hands, he should have been happy, it was his highest ever grade in this subject, it just wasn't enough, leaning against his locker he groaned miserably next to a surprised Sasuke "77% is really good Naruto, if I were you and all I usually got was a low pass I'd be thrilled."

"It's not enough though" he moaned miserably.

"Are your parents threatening to ground you again? cos I seriously doubt they set the bar at anything over sixty percent."

"Hey guys!" Hinata walked up to the two of them and smiled "How'd you two do in Maths?"

"Naruto got seventy seven" Sasuke proclaimed knowing Hinata would be pleased for their friend even if Naruto himself wasn't

"That's amazing!" Hinata exclaimed happily

Sasuke nodded relieved someone else finally agreed with him "I know, but he seems all upset about it"

"It isn't high enough, is it?" Naruto asked Hinata miserably, Hinata smiled and shook her head.

"Not this time, but I am proud of you, you did really well"

"What about the other end of the deal" Naruto questioned nervously glancing at the boy next to him, Hinata went off into a peal of laughter and shook her head.

"I'll let you off, after all my rule was that you had to get higher than usual"

"Oh thank God!" They exchanged smiles "I'll get what I want one day" Naruto told her, she grinned and tilted her head to one side.

"Maybe…"

They were eighteen when he asked again.

War had been declared and young men were being asked to sign up, Minato was already in the military and left before the decision to go to was even declared. He was in the field on the first day, one of the first leaders out and one of the best. Kushina knew that Naruto would be the next to go, he was of the right age to sign up and had the skills to go, she was right, he had signed up the moment his father left home.

The war had been going on for a few months when Hinata and Hanabi walked down the path to find Naruto standing at his front door wearing a catalogued uniform and talking with his mother, upon seeing her he gave her a half hearted smile "I was gonna call you"

He hadn't told anyone he had signed up, it wasn't until he got the call telling him he was to be picked up tomorrow that he told his mother. She had wept crying out how she wished she could join her husband and son in the field but the only consolation Naruto had in the war was that women were only allowed to sign up if they had medical experience or past experience in the military. That counted out the two women he loved the most.

"No" Hinata shook her head and ran forward "Y-you can't"

"I have to" he placed a hand on her arm and pulled her away from his mother "I need you to keep an eye on her for me, my mums all alone now."

"You go out there to fight and I'm coming right after you" she threatened "I'll…. I'll dress as a boy and follow you."

"NO!" Naruto took her face in his hands and stared into her pale lilac eyes, lilac eyes that had entranced since the first time he saw them, eyes that had made him want to be a better person, eyes that had twinkled as they played pranks together, eyes that had watched him encouragingly, eyes that would never see the horrors he would have to. He gazed into her light eyes longingly "You stay, you watch my mother, you only fight if the war comes here. Right?"

"I can't do this all alone, how do I cope without you, who'll make me laugh and smile everyday?"

"I will…, when I get back" he moved away from her to pick up his backpack

"Promise me" Hinata begged as she held Naruto's uniformed arm, he turned around and faced her "Promise me you'll come back" she gave him a brave smile "Who'll I kick around if you're not here? Hanabi's not as tough as you"

He grinned in response and placed a hand on her soft head of hair running his fingers through the silky strands "If we win, do I get a kiss?" as he spoke a jeep rolled up outside and a horn sounded, he ignored it "Well, do I?"

"Yes you perv" she hit the arm she had been holding and smiled at him "If we win, you get a kiss." There was no mention of if he didn't win this time. He embraced her in a tight hug, he gave Hanabi a one armed hug telling her to watch her sister, kissed his mothers cheek and picked up his pack.

Turning around Naruto then walked down his front path and climbed into the awaiting jeep, she stood at the end of the path watching until he was out of sight. The minute he was gone she dropped to her knees and began to cry, Kushina watched with eyes filled with pity as the younger sister ran to embrace the older, they all knew the statistics one in three men were dead the first month they were out there, of the rest only one in ten usually made it past a year. Minato was already out there and now Naruto was too, the Namikaze men might soon be just another statistic.

Kushina walked down the path and helped the young woman to her feet, she led both girls back to the house listening as Hinata in a whispering voice begged Naruto to come back. It broke her heart.

Everyday Hinata would revisit sites where she and Naruto had spent time, one day she went back tot heir primary school, good old Iruka still taught there and had recognised her immediately, he had been injured in the war and sent back almost immediately, he was one of the lucky ones. People were dropping like flies and what made it harder was that you didn't always find out who had died. Communications between home and the field of battle were appalling and quite often you'd hear of a death months after it happened. Iruka had known even before Hinata told him that Naruto must be out there, the sparkle had left Hinata's eyes and only smiled when remembering Naruto. She ended up visiting him at least once a week, they became very good friends. They spoke of Naruto often when they met up and one day Hinata's thoughts turned to the cake incident.

"We were the ones that made the laxative cake" she admitted with a small smile

"We all knew that" he laughed at her confession "Why did you make it chocolate, you knew I wouldn't eat it?"

"We liked you sir" she smiled at him in a sunny way "You were always understanding when Naruto didn't get things, he appreciated it."

"I'm glad, he was a good kid, just not all that academic"

"He asked me to kiss him that day" Hinata didn't know why she said it, she just wanted to tell someone what was bothering her

"Did he?" Iruka was gentle, not prying but letting her know she could continue

"I didn't, he's asked me three times in all and I never did" Hinata looked down at the floor guiltily

"You feel bad about that?"

"I should have done it, I love him sir."

"I always thought there was something between you two" he smiled at her gently "Some boys are unable to handle feelings till they get to the right age, others know instinctively who they love. I guess he knew before you did, it's usually the other way around you know."

"What if he stops loving me? I made him wait so long"

"Hinata feelings like that don't just disappear, when he gets back you'll know what to do. It'll be instinctive."

Victory was declared after three years of war, most people had not heard from loved ones since they left, only a very few ever found out if their family members were dead. Minato had returned home with a broken shoulder a year after Naruto left, he had never seen or heard of his son on the battlefield, it didn't look good for his son but he did not inform his wife of this. Instead he tried to hope that Naruto would make it, if not for Kushina then for the dark haired young woman that visited them every day occasionally with her sister but usually alone.

It was becoming more and more unlikely that Naruto would return.

Hinata would stand in the kitchen helping with household tasks and chatting as cheerfully as possible but even Minato could see how much thinner she was, it worried him but she was eating just like normal, it was as though without Naruto's company her whole life was fading away, it was in the kitchen one day as she and Kushina stood doing the dishes that Hinata let out a small scream and dropped the casserole dish she'd been cleaning. It fell to the floor smashing into a thousand pieces.

"Hinata?" Kushina gave her a worried glance before turning to look out window, the saucepan in her hand sloshed back into the sink as she turned and began to run for the front gate calling for Minato as she went.

Naruto climbed down from the jeep and was about to walk down his front path when the door was flung open and to figure came running towards him. Blonde and red hair seemed to haze together to him as his parents engulfed him in a long embrace, tears were on his mothers face as he kissed her forehead, he seemed even taller than before but also a lot thinner, he held his parents close until his eyes fell upon a figure in the doorway, he turned his tired smile towards his old friend. His parents tactfully melted away whilst Hinata walked towards him.

"I came back" Naruto whispered "Just like I promised"

Hinata said nothing, she just walked forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, slowly she moved forward and kissed his mouth in a hesitant gesture, pulling back she bit her lip and looked at his chest not daring to look him in the eye.

Placing a hand on her chin Naruto lifted Hinata's head up so they faced each other, then moving down he kissed her back. His arms wrapped around her pulling her off her feet as he took all of the kisses he'd ever asked for and more.

Finally they broke apart and he gave her a sad smile "Was that because we won?" he asked his face downcast

Hinata smiled and nodded her head "Yes"

"I see" heartbroken he put her down and was about walk away when she grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Do you still want me then?" she asked timidly, telling him with her sorrowful eyes that she had been longing for him ever since he left, this exposed state she was in worried her, she was so sure he'd moved on, changed his mind, or given up on her. "You still want to kiss me?"

It was the first time he'd ever noticed her vulnerability, she'd never let him see it properly before, holding her face in his hands he nodded "I want to spend the rest of my life kissing you" they looked at each other and smiled each thinking along the same lines "Of course we'll need to break for air every now and then"

"And schedule suitable meal breaks" she added

"Not to mention bathroom breaks"

"And sleep" they laughed happily and Naruto lifted her off the ground again and kissed her.

"Better start now then!" he mumbled, he was tired and fell to his knees still holding her. Hinata moved with him expecting this embrace to break but he never stopped kissing her as she joined him to kneel in the middle of the path.

Complete mush but there we go, that happens sometimes.

Please R&R