It was a random afternoon in Konoha and one-by-one, twelve different shinobi arrived at the academy as they were asked to do. They were all very familiar with one another from their various missions throughout the years, but as they talked and caught up with each other, they still had no idea why they were summoned.
A few minutes later, Might Gai and Kakashi Hakate – former senseis to six of the twelve who were in the classroom, walked in together.
Lee looked excited, Neji rolled his eyes, and Shikamaru said, "What a drag."
"Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto to his ex-team leader. "Why did we all have to meet here?"
"I have an announcement to make," said Gai, before Kakashi could answer Naruto. "Let me preface this announcement by saying that this is totally optional for all of you, but since we have all worked together in the past, I thought we could work together on our new task."
"New task?" asked Ino.
"What is it?" asked Kiba to Shino, as if he should have known for some reason or another. Shino just stood there stoically as he always did.
Lots of discussion broke out among all the shinobi.
Gai and Kakashi continued to stand at the front of the room. Kakashi rolled his visible eye. "If you aren't quiet, we can't fill you in on what's going on," he said matter-of-factly.
Everyone quickly got the message and the talked died down to a mumble.
"It seems that the Fifth Hokage has made plans for a festival," said Gai.
Again, everyone starting talking. Kakashi loudly cleared his throat, which had the intended effect on the audience, who quieted down once again.
"She has noticed a lack of motivation and somewhat low morale in some of her shinobi teams," said Gai.
"After all, post-war our numbers were lowered, but the number of missions increased so that the damage from the war could be repaired. To help our neighbors as well as to not let anyone think we were as decimated as we were, she agreed to take on most of the missions," explained Kakashi.
"Although hard work is great for a man's body and soul, it can wear you down after a while," added Gai. "She has agreed to give everyone a week off…."
Everyone in the room cheered.
"…and to hold a festival in Konoha in which each of you will participate in some way or other. Any money raised will go towards the Konoha orphans fund."
"But Gai-sensei, isn't that just more work?" asked Tenten.
"It is what you make of it, Tenten," answered Gai.
"Depending on what you want to do, it could be a lot of fun," said Kakashi.
"Like what?" asked Sai.
"Well, um,'" started Kakashi. "How about a booth to sell flowers? Or if you like to cook, you could set-up a food stand?"
"Kakashi-sensei! What about a booth where you can play games? Like a ball toss…or a ring toss?" asked Naruto.
"That's the idea, Naruto," he said with a very encouraging voice. "Now I don't think it would be very efficient for all of you to work at one booth, but if you split up into a few groups who all like the same idea…"
By the time he said this, however, they were all excitedly talking amongst themselves about what they favored or not and who should work with who.
Ino, Tenten, and Sakura all started talking together in the corner. Hinata didn't even notice them until they called her over.
"Hinata!" said Sakura in an urgent, yet quiet manner. "Hinata! Come here!" Sakura waved her friend over to where the girls stood.
"Are you guys all going together?" Hinata asked.
Hinata joined the group. "I think we should all set-up a kissing booth!" said Ino excitedly.
"That is such a great idea, Ino," encouraged Sakura.
"I don't know girls," said Tenten.
"What's wrong, Tenten? Haven't you ever kissed anyone before?" asked Ino.
"Of course I have!" Tenten answered defensively.
Hinata blushed pink as she watched her friends discuss the idea in front of her. She wasn't for it either, but was much too shy to say anything.
"Then what's the problem?" asked Ino.
Tenten could only grumble. "I guess its alright."
"It's settled then. A kissing booth it is. We just have to decide on the rules," said Sakura. "But we can do that later."
How am I going to get through this one? though Hinata to herself. She had never been kissed before, nor did she pretend that she even knew how to kiss. She had had a crush on the same shinobi in the village for the past few years now and it was most definitely unrequited. She really wasn't interested in kissing anyone but him.
OlOlOlOlOlO
As they had discussed, the four kunoichi met at Hinata's house three days before the festival was set to begin. Hinata's place was chosen because of the space it afforded them to begin building the actual booth that would become the kissing booth. Ino, Sakura, and Tenten all lived in town and had little room whereas Hinata still lived on the Hyuga family estate and had a ton of room to build on.
"I brought a long skinny table with me," said Ino.
"…and I brought some wood we could attach to the table," added Sakura.
Tenten merely lifted up the paint she had brought with her for her contribution.
"I've got all the glitter and ribbon," said Hinata. "Oh, and I've got the tools as well."
"Great job ladies. We'll have this done in no time," said Ino.
They immediately got to work on their booth and gossiped the whole time they were there.
"Ino, you aren't dating anyone right now, are you?" asked Tenten.
"No, but I've got my eye on someone," Ino replied.
"Oh? Who?" asked Sakura.
"Choji," she replied.
"Is that really a good idea?" asked Tenten.
"What do you mean?" asked Ino.
"Dating a teammate….," answered Tenten.
"Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black?" snapped Ino.
Tenten blushed pink. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, snap out of it, everyone knows you've been dating Neji," said Ino.
"You knew? We've been trying to keep it a secret," said Tenten. "He's kind of sensitive about letting other people know. I think he thinks the other guys will tease him."
"Why Choji?" asked Sakura. "If you are going to date a teammate, I would think Shikamaru would have been the better choice."
"Perhaps you like Shikamaru?" asked Ino of her pink-haired friend.
"No, I don't," said Sakura.
"Anyway, I think I could really go for Choji. Shikamaru is much too serious for me. Choji is light-hearted and funny. Plus he's really a family kind-of-guy…he loves to be around family just as much as I do. Shikamaru will always be a loner," said Ino.
"I saw Shikamaru with that sand kunoichi the last time she was in town. What was her name….Temari?" said Tenten.
"Noooo!" both Ino and Sakura said at the same time.
"Yes, I think they really click," said Tenten. "That's what I heard anyway."
"So Sakura, who do you like?" asked Tenten.
"I'm not….I haven't…," she started, but starting tripping over her own words.
"Are you still not over Sasuke yet?" asked Ino.
"To tell you the truth, I don't think I'll ever be completely over him," Sakura replied solemnly. "I know he is most likely never coming back, but my heart hasn't listened to me yet. It will take a very special man to make me forget him."
"I'd hate to be that man," said Ino light-heartedly.
"Poor Sakura," said Tenten.
Sakura turned to the only member of the party who didn't seem to have anything at all to contribute to the conversation. Hinata had been silently working on the kissing booth the entire time the three others were gossiping.
"Hinata….is there anyone you like?" asked Sakura.
"Oh, I, um…uh," she fumbled her words.
Ino and Tenten now turned to look at her trying to answer Sakura's question.
"Uh, I pretty much still like….Naruto," she said barely as loud as they could hear her.
"You are still stuck on that knucklehead?" asked Sakura jokingly.
"I guess he's not a bad choice…look at all he's done for the village over the last few years," said Tenten.
"But still, I don't think I could put up with his thick-headedness," said Ino.
"That's because he's just not your type," said Sakura jabbing Ino in the ribs as she said it. "Hinata, I think it is sweet that you've liked him all this time. He has been a great teammate and he'll make a wonderful boyfriend for you someday."
"Oh, uh, thanks," said Hinata meekly.
"So how is this kissing booth going to work?" asked Ino, changing the subject.
"We'll have two stalls…first Ino and I can go, and then Hinata and Tenten," explained Sakura. "It'll be a ryo for a peck on the cheek, two ryos for a peck on the mouth, and ten ryos for a French kiss. Actually, we could make a sign for all sorts of kisses and the prices that go with them."
French kiss? thought Hinata to herself.
"Sounds good to me," said Ino.
"We should have some breath freshener on hand just in case," said Tenten.
"For us?" asked Sakura.
"No silly, for the guys. I'm not kissing any boy with bad breath," said Tenten, laughing.
OlOlOlOlOlOlO
The kissing booth was soon completed and put in a storage space on the Hyuga estate. Ino, Tenten, and Sakura waved good-bye to Hinata as they walked back towards town and their homes.
Hinata's knees buckled to the ground and she sat there for a minute or two. I'm am going to be so embarrassed! I need to either learn how to kiss…or learn how to get out of this!
She decided to go for a walk to clear her head a bit. Perhaps a brilliant plan would come to her so she would not have to do this. She could be a no-show, or just fake an illness. However, she would feel very guilty doing either of these….after all, all the proceeds were going to go towards the orphans in Konoha.
What to do? What to do? BAM!
Hinata had just walked into something….or someone. She had been walking with her gaze down towards the ground and definitely hadn't been paying attention. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. Then she looked up to see what had happened.
"Hi Hinata," said the blonde-haired shinobi she had accidentally run into.
"Oh, hi Naruto," she said meekly.
"What's wrong? You look like something is bothering you," he observed.
Hinata was at her wit's end about what to do about this kissing booth she had signed up for and here in front of her was none other than her crush. She had always thought Naruto was not only cute, but also a really nice guy. Before she knew it, she was spilling her guts out to him.
"I'm kind of nervous about what Ino, Sakura, Tenten and I are doing for the festival," said Hinata.
"What kind of booth did you guys decide on?" he asked. "Are you guys going to sell something you cooked? I've always liked Sakura-chan's cooking."
"Um, no," she replied. "It's a…kissing booth."
"You're kidding!" he said with his eyes wide. "That's a great idea! So what's the problem?"
"I….I have never kissed anyone before let alone kissing a bunch of guys all in a row. I don't even know how to do it properly," she explained.
"Ohhh, I see," he said now realizing what her issue was. "So if you knew how, you would be ok with it?"
"I kind of wish I didn't have to do it at all," she said. "But I couldn't do that to the orphans who will get the money we raise. I just don't want to make a fool out of myself."
"Well, I could probably teach you," Naruto offered.
"What?" said Hinata. She wasn't sure she heard that last sentence correctly.
"I said I could teach you. I've kissed a million girls. It's not that big a deal – I'm sure you'd pick it up pretty quickly, too," he said.
"You'd….teach me?" she asked.
"Sure, I said I would and I don't go back on my word!" he exclaimed.
"O…K…," she said hesitantly. "When?"
"Oh, I can't tonight," said Naruto. "I'm going out with a few of the guys. How about I meet you at my place tomorrow after dinner. I live alone, so it should be pretty private."
"Thanks Naruto," Hinata said with a smile on her face. She had found the perfect teacher…someone obviously experienced, and someone she liked.
OlOlOlOlOlO
Naruto ran across Konoha to get to a specific building he had visited many times before.
Knock-Knock
"Coming!" said a voice from behind the door. "Hello?"
"Sakura-chan, if you're not busy, I need a favor….," Naruto said.
Sakura closed the door after Naruto entered her apartment.
OlOlOlOlOlO
Hinata knocked on Naruto's door after dinner the next night. She was very nervous, but knew she would have to go through this to get what she needed to not make a fool of herself at the kissing booth. In her early years, even being near Naruto would cause her to pass out. She would just have to try to stay conscious this entire evening as he taught her the fine art of kissing boys.
Knock-knock
Naruto opened the door. "Come on in!" he said cheerily.
"T-thanks," she said with a smile on her face.
He showed her to the couch in the corner. She sat down. He sat next to her. Yes, it was a bit awkward.
"So Hinata, let's see here. Where to start?" he said mainly to himself. "I know. So you've never kissed anyone before, right?"
"Well, only my sister and my father, but that can hardly be called kissing…not the way that a kissing booth would need a kiss to be," answered Hinata.
"I would think if you are kissing your sister or your father, it is mostly on the cheek, right?" asked Naruto.
"Mostly," said Hinata.
Naruto leaned over and pecked Hinata on the cheek. She glowed a healthy pink afterwards.
"Like that, right?" he asked. "I would think a peck on the lips is also something that a family member might give you as well."
He leaned over once again and pecked her on the lips. It was quick, but all the same it was Hinata's first kiss with someone who was not a family member. She registered it in her mind…her first kiss was now in the books, and it belonged to Naruto. No one could ever take that away from her, even if it wasn't really anything special.
"Do you know in some countries, they kiss on both cheeks? And it doesn't matter if it is two guys, two girls, or a guy and a girl. It's kind of a show of respect and friendship," explained Naruto.
He leaned over and kissed her on both cheeks….she got the hint quickly and kissed him on his opposite cheek at the same time.
"I know…nothing too exciting, but still good to know either way," said Naruto.
"I-I didn't know that they did that in some countries," said Hinata. "At least now I will know what to do if I ever visit a country and that is what they do when they greet me."
"You won't have to worry about this one as much, but in other countries, a man may kiss the back of a woman's hand," said Naruto.
He grabbed her hand and held it lightly to his mouth and kissed it. Her blush had been going away, but came back furiously after that one.
"Um, Naruto, I really appreciate you telling me all of this and all, but…," started Hinata.
"And that's where romantic kissing comes in," he interrupted. "You were saying?"
"I was just going to say that I didn't think most of what you've told me thus far is really going to help me at the kissing booth," she admitted.
"So you are really going to have to…French kiss?" he asked.
"If that's what the customer wants," she said, turning her eyes to the floor. "If it's for the kids, then I'll do it."
Naruto sighed. What Hinata didn't know was that Naruto was pretty nervous as well. He had fibbed the day before and he was nearly as inexperienced as she was.
"I see," he said. He took a deep breath, then exhaled loudly. "I suggest that we give this a try first and see how you do. Then I can give you some pointers."
"Ok," she agreed.
Naruto leaned over slowly and Hinata did the same. She wasn't sure what to do, so she let him take the lead. His mouth lightly brushed over her closed lips.
"Open your mouth," he pulled back and whispered. She immediately complied.
He leaned in again and pressed harder into her. He took his tongue and circled her lips.
She pulled back. "That feels weird," she said lowly.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"Hm-hmm," she mumbled, leaning in once again.
This time, he let his tongue enter her open mouth. She could feel it with her tongue and she let her tongue move across his. It felt amazing. So this is what a real kiss feels like, she thought to herself.
Naruto pulled back once again and Hinata whimpered a bit at losing him, even if for a second.
"The rest is just…instinct," he said. "You kind of 'go with the flow'," he explained.
Hinata pretty much jumped him as soon as he was done talking and kissed him deeply once again. As they continued to kiss, the situation became cloudier to both of them – they were losing themselves to the passion of the act.
Finally, Hinata broke the kiss and stood up abruptly. Naruto looked at her – she looked as if he had done something wrong.
"I-I really need to be going," Hinata said quickly. She made a beeline for the door.
"Is everything ok, Hinata?" Naruto asked.
"Just fine," she replied. The smile on her face was obviously forced. She turned to face Naruto, who was still sitting on the couch. She bowed to him. "Thank you very much for showing me all this. I'm sure I will be able to properly handle the situation now." Then she bolted out the door.
Naruto leaned back on the couch and smiled.
OlOlOlOlOlOlO
The day of the festival arrived and the girls were setting up the booth they had constructed. Next to them, Neji and Lee were setting up an arm wrestling table while across the way, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino and Kiba were going to cook barbeque to serve to their patrons.
It was soon time to start the festival so Ino and Sakura took their positions at the kissing booth.
As was expected, many of the village's men lined up to get a chance to get a kiss one of the beautiful kuniochi who were manning the booth. After an hour, it was time to switch off.
Hinata stood off to one side, nervously waiting for her cue to sit where Sakura was now sitting.
"Tenten, are you ready?" asked Ino.
"Sure thing!" said Tenten.
Another shinobi came up behind Sakura and tapped her on the shoulder. "Sakura, are you ready to switch off?"
"Yes, sit right down," said Sakura.
Hinata looked at her pink-haired friend with some confusion.
Sakura got up and walked past Hinata. "Sakura, wasn't I supposed to take your place?" Hinata asked.
Sakura held up 1000 ryo and showed it to Hinata. "This will make a great contribution to the orphan's fund, won't it?"
"Where did you get that much money?" Hinata asked somewhat confused.
"Let's just say that your services at the kissing booth have been completely spoken for," said Sakura.
Flashback – 2 hours ago
"Sakura – here you go, as we agreed. 1000 ryo and Hinata is mine for the day, right?" asked Naruto.
"She's all yours loverboy," said Sakura.
"Thanks again for those kissing lessons the other night," said Naruto. "Without those, I wouldn't have had a clue what I was doing."
"It wasn't a problem," said Sakura. "Anything to help a teammate." She smiled at him. Sakura was happy that Naruto was really starting to like Hinata and he was downright giddy about kissing her.
End – Flashback
Hinata whirled around and caught sight of her crush standing behind her with a sneaky smile on his face. He bashfully waved at her. "I hope you don't mind, Hinata."
Hinata ran over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.
"Thank you, Naruto."