Naru/Hina fluff! ^_^ I don't like Naruto himself very much, but I do love what a perfect foil Hinata is for his craziness. Enjoy!
Somehow whenever he visited this place, no matter the reason, he couldn't help but think of Sasuke. Even though the Uchiha's name was not engraved on the onyx marble, Naruto felt it only fitting to remember his friend in this sacred place. Naruto came to the monument whenever his full schedule permitted it; he had tried to adopt the chronic lateness of his former sensei, but after the pummeling Sakura gave him for missing his first mission briefing as a Jounin he decided against it.
Naruto ran his fingertips over the cool polished stone surface, the names of people he had considered friends and family seemed to call out to him as he touched them. There were more every year, it seemed. But the freshest marks on the stone cut him the deepest, and he could not bring himself to touch them, yet. He hadn't been able to since they had first added his name three months ago. But he had to face it, the man he had respected as a shinobi and loved as a father was gone. Iruka-Sensei… I'm sorry that I wasn't here. Maybe things would've turned out differently…
"Naruto-kun," a small, sweet voice pulled Naruto out of his dark thoughts, "I thought you might be here. Sakura-chan was worried you wouldn't go straight to the hospital after turning in your mission report." Hinata slipped her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I'm fine, Hinata." Naruto shrugged off her indirect request, but his heart was warmed by the silver-eyed kunoichi's quiet concern and affection. "I'm hungry. Wanna go get some ramen?" Naruto turned to her and grinned hugely, hoping to quell any lingering worries she held.
"A-after you go to the hospital? P-please? Your shoulder is bleeding." Hinata blushed lightly as he quirked his eyebrows at her, still smiling.
"Oh all right. I guess I forgot about that scratch on my shoulder." Naruto winced as he looked at the blood stain seeping through his jacket. They walked hand in hand back to the Konoha Hospital.
Naruto was in better spirits that night after a few bowls of ramen. He even reminisced a bit about the countless times he and Iruka-Sensei had come for a bowl together. Naruto finished Hinata's bowl off as he often did and the two shinobi went for a walk along the streets of Konoha.
Naruto had to coax the silver-eyed kunoichi to tell him about her work at the Ninja Academy, since they had been together Naruto had learned that if he didn't stop and ask her something, Hinata would just let him talk and talk till the cows came home. At first he hadn't noticed, he just figured he was a pretty interesting guy to listen to, but Sakura had kindly let him know that it might be good to let Hinata get a word in once in a while. He'd had that lump on his head for days…