She gently caressed the bruises and calluses mapped across her red hands. A slimey, growing knot had wormed its way in her stomach. As if a tidal wave was slowly approaching or maybe a vortex had taken a hold of a her insides. Twisting and churning them, mixing them into a mushy mess.

After a harsh training session she was broken down from the pressure. She ran away from home. Her bold decision caused a cold sweat to flow down her back as fear held her heart hostage. Laying against a tree she curled into a ball in order to reserve warmth. Her cheeks and ears flushed in bright pink from the cold. Breathing slowly she watched small clouds form from her warm breath.

Squeezing her eyes together caused her mind to run somewhere else. She was dreaming of soft butterfly kisses and warm cookies from her mother. Imprisoning hugs from her father, filled with love. The cold exterior of her cousin would melt away leaving a strong pillar for her to rely on. Pure childlike wonder flushed back in her sister eyes.

Those pales eyes of Hanabi's would look up to her with mirth and pride.

A loud shuffling sound woke Hinata up from her slumber. A boy with golden hair and bright blue eyes was staring at her like a curious cat. Hinata's face burned with embarrassment, how long had she been sleeping?

Where even was she?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He looked concerned for the pale eyed girl, it seemed like he was waiting for her to wake up.

His face contorted into a bright smile within seconds. "I know you, your.." His words started off strong only to end in a mumbling trail as he realized he couldn't recall. "Er, what's your name again."

"Hinata Hyuga." She stated slightly breathlessly, his eyes were so close to her own. She couldn't help but blush, the person she idolized for so long was talking to her.

"Oh, well my name is Naruto Uzumaki, but you probably already knew that!" He put on a cheeky grin in excitement.

"W-where am I.." The place was dim and had the faint scent of ramen. The bed also very warm, all these things reminded her of Naruto. This couldn't be where Naruto lived and she wasn't just sleeping in Naruto's bed 5 seconds prior, right?

Right?

"This is my apartment, it's a bit of a dump, but it's home." The blonde flashed a bright grin that made the pale eyed girl turn tomato red.

Hinata's heart was beating fast and the growing red hue on her face made it seem like she was glowing. She was practically on the verge of fainting, the very same news Naruto stated so nonchalantly.

They really were opposites.

"I found you sleeping near the training grounds in the middle of winter, so I brought you here since, I didn't want you to freeze." Naruto looked at Hinata seriously, seemingly worried for the girl's health.

Hinata had shifted uncomfortably, the silence reigned in for a long minute and Naruto was now just staring at her, obviously wanting her to talk about why she was sleeping near the training grounds in the first place.

"You don't talk much do you?" Naruto sighed, he was starting to get bored. "You really shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of nowhere."

"... I-I know." Hinata really didn't want to talk about why she ran away, she was already starting to feel tears rise up.

Naruto quickly taken notice of Hinata's mood and began to speak. "O-oi, don't be sad." He didn't want to feel responsible for making a girl cry.

"I-I'm s-sorry I just-" Her speech began to become drowned out by globs of tears and heavy heaves for air.

Naruto's eyes softened. "Ya know, I used to cry all the time, like when going to the bathroom it's important to relieve yourself of a little water." His grin widened as he noticed the small giggle that escaped from Hinata.

"But, even if you are left with nothing, I realized, sometimes you need to stop crying and you need to realize what you want to do next." Naruto looked at Hinata with serious eyes.

After a minute Hinata reduced her crying into small hiccups and puffy eyes. Naruto was right, she needed to take the step to go home. The Hyuga were probably off looking for her anyway.

But a inkling of small rebellious thought took over her mind. "I don't want to g-go home yet."

She looked at Naruto with determined eyes indicating she would not budge.

"Well.. you can hang out with me for awhile, as future Hokage it's my duty to make the people of this village happy." Naruto puffed out his chest, he thought he was acting mature and thoughtful, like a Hokage.

Naruto reached out his right hand towards Hinata. "Let's go to Ichiraku's, they always cheer me up."

Hinata wiped her face, patted down on her waist and grabbed on to Naruto's hand to get up. In a small and still shaky voice she

said, "Ok." and they walked along together.


She poked at the food, it was nothing like the food served at the Hyuga household however if Naruto adores ramen so much, it must be decent.

She timidly began to mince on the noodles as if she were a mice, trying to appear as polite as possible in front of her crush. However by the 30 second mark she was already finished with 3 bowls, she had turned into a hungry animal in mere seconds.

Naruto couldn't help but snort at the sight of a horrified Teuchi and a vicious Hinata.

"N-naruto this ramen is r-really g-good!" Hinata couldn't but gush over the ramen, she had never tried anything like it.

"Iruka takes me here from time to time on special occasions." Naruto grinned boastfully, he usually would never get a chance to brag about anything.

"Y-your lucky, m-my father w-would never let m-me h-have this, h-he's always on my back.." Hinata suddenly felt a little bitter, she didn't really want to think about her father.

"I don't have a real father but I think Iruka is pretty close." A sad smile appeared on Naruto's face. "He's always nagging but I guess it's his way of showing he cares, I know that I matter in his heart."

Hinata stopped eating for a minute and instead mulled over what Naruto said. "Y-your very s-smart Naruto…" She felt like a weight was shed off her shoulders and it was all because of him.

"I-I am… I mean, of course." He laughed boisterously, he didn't even think what he said was smart.

Take that Sasuke.

"I actually ran away b-because of my father said, but repeating your own words it's because h-he cares." Hinata smiled, her father

just wanted the best for her.

"D-do you think we c-can hang out like t-this again." Timidly she looked away, she felt weirdly sweaty to.

"Of course, were friends aren't we!" Naruto was called smart and made a friend in one day, he was sure amazing.

"Y-yes!" She was friends with Naruto! Before today she could barely stutter out his name and now their friends, good friends.

"Hinata-sama!" It was Ko and he did not look happy, quite the contrary actually. His voice was strained and drown out by exhausted heaves.

He must've been looking for her, she really would have to apologize.

"I should g-get going, hanging with y-you was a lot of fun!" She smiled, it was a weird fun, she did things and thought about things that never came across her mind. But it was also good fun.

"Sure, I'll see you Monday!" Naruto waved goodbye with eyes full mirth. Hinata was a weird girl, with a strong appetite and apparently a knack for sleeping in the middle of nowhere. But he liked her.

He liked his new friend a lot.