Do you know what a sunshine smile is? It's one of those smiles that acts like sunlight on a gloomy day. It brightens everything around you. When you see a sunshine smile, you just want to smile along, you just want to laugh, and see the good. That was the smile he always had… the one she could never conjure…

"umm…"

Two little fingers game together, up, apart. Together, up apart. They did this dance every day, if not every few minutes. The hands that pushed these fingers together were trembling, white eyes turned down.

"umm…"

She was biting down on her lip now. That was a bad sign. Kiba-kun had even made a chart showing stages of her levels of nervousness (he was so rude!). By the symptoms she was as far as stage four. Incapable of any word but 'umm', fingers doing that strange nudge thingy, chewing on her lip, scuffing her feet in the dirt, and unable to make eye contact.

"umm…"

'This was ridiculous!' she thought. How long was she going to stand here just saying umm? She could do this. How many times had she gone over what she was going to say? How many times had Kiba-kun given her that sort of reprimanding pep-talk (that is, if you could call in inspirational)? This was going on long enough, she would take her stand! She would say something!

"Umm… Naruto-kun…"

He turned around, "Oh, Hinata! I didn't see you there!" he said with a smile. She gave the smallest of smiles back, and tried with every mental exercise she had, not to blush. He cocked his head at her silence and scratched the back of his head. "So… what's up?"

"W-well. I-" she trailed off, feeling embarrassed again. Why couldn't she say anything in front of him? It always made her feel so… idiotic. He was so good at saying exactly what he was feeling. So much, it would get it in trouble more often then not. Why couldn't she be more like him? "I-"

"Listen, Hinata, I'm really sorry, but I've really gotta be somewhere. Sakura-chan is gonna rip my head off if I'm any later."

"Ohh…" she said sheepishly, not being able to stop the red flush now. A small voice of bitterness sighed, 'Of course, wouldn't want to make dear I Sakura-chan /I upset…' reprimanding her terrible thought she began to fiddle with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Well, I just wanted to say…"

"Yeah?"

"It's a really nice day, Isn't it… Naruto-kun?" she said with a soft smile.

He gave her a strange look. "Yeah, I guess it's pretty. Now that you mention it, the sun is pretty bright, the sky is really blue. Yeah, you're right Hinata!" he said with a grin. She smiled and clasped her hands together.

"I was wondering…" she said softly, trailing off again, looking to the ground. As suddenly as she looked down, a face leaned over to intercept her eye sight.

"What is it, Hinata…chan?"

Here eyes widened and she gave him a look of suprise. "I was wondering… Well, I know how you like Ramen… and… Here!" she thrust out a piece of bright red paper. He cocked her head and took it.

"What's this?"

"You see, at a shop, I won a free ramen dinner. I thought… you would like it more then I would," she stammered, avoiding his eyes. "Would you like it, Naruto-kun?"

"Gee thanks Hinata! You're the best!" he grinned; She gave him a small smile, and a wave of the hand.

"Good by…. Naruto-kun."

'With that he took off, probably making plans of dinner to go with Kakashi-san, or perhaps even Sakura,' whispered that bitter voice in her mind. Yet, she paid no heed to it's angry whispers. She clasped her hands over her chest, and sighed happily, leaning back against the building.

"Hey, Hinata!" called the leader of her team. She stood up suddenly, and gave a sheepish smile.

"Yes Kiba-kun?"

"Come on! We've got to go meet up with Sensei!" he said in his infamous gruff, irritated tone. She gave a short bow, and ran up to the two. He gave her a strange look. "What's got you so perky?"

She looked at him for a moment, as if registering what he had said. She shook her head and murmured, "oh, nothing."

And as the three walked off, her hands were not doing their dance of fright, her feet were not scuffing, her lip was un chewed, and she was wearing the loveliest sunshine smile of them all.