Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Edit: I took the liberty to edit all of the chapters in this story. I went through and fixed as many mistakes as I could and added/deleted a few things that I needed to. Needless to say, it's just the way that I want it to be. I hope you enjoy my story.

Chapter 1: Hope

She felt the cold rain hit her face as she heard him shouting. Freddie was always louder than he needed to be.

"I'm tired of you fucking everything up, slut! You have one job and you can't manage to even do that? How about next time you fuck up, I toss your ass out of here! Is that what you want? Do you want me to leave you to fend for yourself, for once?"

She did not want to answer him. She just wanted some rest. They were in an alleyway between two large buildings. She was sitting on the ground with her feet tucked under her and her back against the concrete wall. He was standing in front of her intimidatingly. She subtly looked over Freddie towards the city skyline, ignoring him. The tall skyscrapers of the city jutted high up into the sky and she always loved looking up towards the tops of them. The steady rain washed over her bruised face. She usually enjoyed the rain, but not today. It was cold and grimy, much like the city sometimes felt. She loved and abhorred this city. There were both beautiful memories and awful nightmares etched into its existence. One of those worst nightmares was surely Freddie and his ugly mug. His words did not mean anything anymore. She was so tired of it all. Tired of the beatings. Tired of the yelling. Tired of the idle threats. She did not feel fear anymore. She did not feel anger, either. She had been stripped barren by Freddie's constant berating and was unsure of feeling anything. All she felt was weariness; being tired. So tired. However, she could not tell him that. It would only make things worse. She finally directed her attention back to him. She had been taking awhile to answer his rhetorical question and she could detect it was making him excessively irate.

"No, Freddie. I'm sorry, Freddie," she mumbled.

Freddie grinned. He knew how to handle his whores, he thought. He was not the most successful pimp in the city for nothing. She was his most popular girl, but she was always fighting her customers or leaving with the job unfinished. He knew he could not actually let her go but she probably wasn't even aware of that. She was a stupid bitch, after all.

She did know, however. She was perfectly aware of the fact that she was not expendable. She would always feign ignorance around him, of course. She knew that she could outsmart him any day as long as he underestimated her.

"Good. Now stay there. I got a potential customer asking for you," Freddie said.

Freddie walked over to a tall, dark-skinned man. The man was actually not that tall but he was taller than Freddie. Freddie was short and pudgy. He had a shaved head and beady eyes. Those eyes were feared and loathed by almost every woman that had ever laid eyes on them. At least, that is what he liked to tell himself. This dark-skinned man was tall and well-built, but Freddie was a hard man to coerce. He glanced up at the man.

"Sorry about that. Sorry about doing this out in the rain, too. I hope she will be worth it to you," Freddie said grinning sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I just need to fuck that cute face, man. I'm dying over here. How much is she?" the man asked.

Freddie said the amount and the man handed him a wad of cash.

Freddie grinned happily. "Have fun! Take her down the other end of the alley though, would ya? I hate seeing business happen, ya know?"

The man nodded only half-interested and stomped towards the woman. She looked up at the man impassively. She was so tired.

Naruto was walking home from work. The rain was violently splashing against his orange umbrella as he trudged along the flooded sidewalk. His nice, white button-up was soaked and the bottom half of his khakis were just as sodden. His shoes were practically ruined and he had just purchased them the other day. He could not wait to get home to his nice, dry apartment. It had been a long day and it was almost time for dinner. Those students' were tough and he was still sore from all the sparring, he thought. He was still in better shape than Sasuke was, though. Poor guy could barely keep up with all those teenagers. Naruto grinned at the memory of a beaten and bruised Sasuke. The normally stoic Sasuke was always smiling when he sparred. Naruto liked that about his best friend. He had invited Sasuke to his apartment for dinner earlier that day, but the dark-haired teacher had refused. So now Naruto was walking home alone in the heavy rain. As he was passing a familiar alley, he heard a sudden cry of pain.

"Ow! You bitch! I'll fucking kill you for that!"

Naruto suddenly saw a young woman bite a dark-skinned man's hand. The man screamed and punched her square in the cheek. The man's pants were down and it was apparent the woman was in trouble.

Naruto set aside his umbrella, immediately ran over, and grabbed the man's shoulder. "Hey, man. I recommend you don't do that again. You shouldn't strike a lady. Leave now or we're going to have a problem."

The man glared at him. The girl stared at Naruto with a shocked expression. "Who the fuck are you? No way! I paid for this bitch."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Please do not call her that. I won't repeat myself again. Leave."

"Fuck you!" The man yelled as he swung at Naruto. Naruto quickly ducked under the swing then swiftly performed an uppercut straight into the man's chin. The man stepped back due to the strong force of the punch. The man then leaned forward holding his chin and Naruto then pushed his knee so hard into the man's face that an audible crunch was heard. Blood gushed from the man's broken nose. He stared wide-eyed up at Naruto.

"My nose! You broke my nose! I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!" The man swung with his right arm towards Naruto's chest. Naruto casually stepped back, away from the punch then stepped forward and slammed his fist into the man's neck. The man immediately fell to the ground; gasping for air. Naruto shook his head in disappointment. His students could have taken this guy without breaking a sweat. Naruto then turned his gaze to the girl that he had defended. He began to take note of her appearance. She had dark hair that was matted and unkempt with a stunning pair of lavender-colored eyes. She appeared to be in her early-twenties. She was extremely beautiful and if it were not for the bruises all over her, he would have easily mistaken her for a model. She was wearing a tight and worn-out, one piece dress that looked like it had not been washed in years. He could not help but feel pity for the poor girl. There was also another sensation that he felt when he saw her. Something he could not simply describe in that moment, but he did know that she needed help.

"I am very sorry that you had to go through that, miss. Please, let's get out of this rain. My apartment is only a few blocks away and you look like you need some food and rest." Naruto's tone was calm and soothing to the ears.

Her eyes widened in surprise at his proposal. She was in awe of this man. No man had ever showed her such kindness. Who was this guy, she thought. What did he want? He must have wanted something. She gazed at him and analyzed his features. He was devilishly handsome and seemed to be in his mid-twenties; not much older than her. He was tall and broad-shouldered with spiky blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes. She was instantly captivated by those eyes. They promised comfort and safety and...something else. Something she could not describe exactly. He also had the most dazzling smile she had ever seen. She was so unused to this. "But...but I'm a whore," she whimpered. Why was she whimpering, she thought. She did not feel anything, remember? This man was making her do things she had never done before. Who was he?

"I figured as much, but it seems like you did not want this guy anywhere near you. I can tell you didn't ask for any of this. I can't blame you there. This type of business isn't usually anybody's first choice of employment. I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I just left you here. So please, come with me." He smiled warmly at her.

That smile made her cheeks warm but she still could not fully trust this man. She was exhausted and hungry, however. Freddie barely let her sleep and she did not get to eat much. She certainly did not want to go back to Freddie. This suave man was promising the rest and relaxation she desperately needed. Even if she could not trust him, he was way better than a livid Freddie. "OK," she mumbled.

Naruto grinned happily and took her hand. He placed his orange umbrella above them and they stepped over the dark-skinned man moaning on the ground; grasping his neck. He was definitely not getting up anytime soon. Naruto locked arms with the girl and led her towards his apartment. "My name's Naruto. What's yours, young lady?"

"Hinata," she uttered softly.

Naruto smiled brightly as they strolled under his umbrella. "What a beautiful name. It is very fitting for such a gorgeous young lady."

She blushed from the kind compliment. Why was she blushing? Guys would give her empty compliments all the time. What was with this guy? How was he able to make her feel this way? How was he able to make her feel anything? "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Hinata."

A few minutes later, Naruto opened the door to his apartment and they shuffled in. It was a lovely two-bedroom apartment, fully furnished. It had an exquisite kitchen with a breakfast bar and a dinner table next to it. The bar had an elegant marble counter with a large stove fixed into it. Adjacent to the kitchen was the living room. The living room was furnished with nice, leather couches and a big screen TV. There was a hefty ironwood coffee table in the center of the living room. The floor was comprised of gorgeous and oiled hardwood planks. All of the walls had beautiful paintings and pictures ordained on them. Hinata had noticed that some of the pictures were portraits and some were photos of outings with various kinds of people. Naruto was in all of them smiling happily with his friends. The whole home had a gentle, but extravagant feel to it. Hinata had never seen such an apartment.

"Welcome, Hinata. Please, make yourself at home. I hope you like pasta. It's not my favorite but I hear it's one of my best dishes," Naruto declared.

"What is your favorite then?"she asked with genuine intrigue. Now she was curious? When was the last time she was ever curious?

"Ramen," he exclaimed cheerfully. He escorted her to the breakfast bar in the kitchen and pulled open a chair for her. He got her a towel to dry herself off and proceeded to make dinner for the two of them. Suddenly, an adorable Beagle came running up to Hinata's chair.

"What a cute dog! What's his name?" Now she was happy? She did not really mind this emotion, though. She loved dogs.

"His name is Kurama. He's a Beagle, so he has enough energy to tucker even me out," Naruto stated as he gathered all of the ingredients for the pasta.

Kurama licked Hinata's hand excitedly and tried to jump into her lap. She kept him down but proceeded to pet him. Hinata then looked at a specific picture on the counter. It showed Naruto and a dark-haired man standing behind a group of rowdy teenage boys. They were all wearing karate uniforms. Hinata grabbed the photo to look at it more closely. "Oh, I see. You're in karate, huh? That explains how you took out that guy so fast. You were really good." She could not believe she was giving out compliments now too but, then again, he did save her. He probably deserved it. It was an impressive spectacle, after all.

Naruto grinned sheepishly as he was cutting up some tomatoes for the sauce.

"Thanks. I teach the Karate Club at the high school where I work. I have been training ever since I could throw a punch. My godfather was an 8th degree black belt and taught me everyone he knew. Although, I'm still only at a 6th degree currently. When I was in college, my godfather took me to train under the masters in Tokyo. Those were some of the best times of my life. Hold on, I think I have a picture somewhere." Naruto glided over to the ironwood coffee table and picked up a photo. He presented it to Hinata proudly. "This is my godfather, Jiraiya, and me during one of our trips." Naruto's grin was wide and proud.

The picture showed a strong and very tall middle-aged man. He did not look older than 60 in the photo. He had broad shoulders and long, spiky white hair. He had a large grin on his face as he had one arm around a college-aged Naruto with an equally large smile upon his face. The backdrop of the photo was the ever-recognizable Mt. Fuji. Hinata smiled warmly at the photo. "He looks like a wonderful man. Does he live here?" Her question sounded innocent enough to her.

Naruto's face suddenly became solemn. He narrowed his eyes, looked slightly down to the floor, and slowly lent out a sigh. "No. He died during a championship match a few years ago. It was one of his former students that killed him. He fought with everything he had but, unfortunately, it wasn't enough."

Hinata immediately regretted her question. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." She did not want to hurt this man's feelings for some reason. Maybe it was because he had come to her aid or...maybe it was something more. She did not know for sure and she was getting sick of this feeling of uncertainty.

Naruto's expression changed as suddenly as it did before. He smiled brightly and fixed his eyes on Hinata. "Don't worry about it. Oh man, where are my manners? You probably want a shower and a change of clothes, huh? Here, let me show you the bathroom."

Naruto quickly grabbed Hinata's hand and escorted down a hall leading to the rest of the expansive apartment. They walked into a large bathroom with an ivory white interior. It was quite clean. There was a bathtub built into the floor that was so large that Hinata thought it was a hot tub, at first. Next to the tub was a big glass shower with a steel showerhead. The faucet and toilet were next to the shower and seemed to fit with the general design of the room. Naruto gestured to the tub. "If you would rather take a bath, please do. Otherwise, the shower is available as well. Take as long as you want. I'll leave some fresh clothes outside the door. They probably will be too big for you but they will be better than that wet and sleazy outfit you were forced to wear. Dinner should be ready soon. Please, come out when you are finished."

Hinata thanked him and he closed the door. Once she was sure he had left the hall, she stared at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She never liked mirrors. She never liked her appearance, either. Men would say she was healthy looking and attractive. They would say her chest was perfect and her curves were in all the right places. She never believed them. They only said that to take advantage of her. A prostitute never trusted her customers, especially their insults. She always had to defend herself from those creeps, but then Freddie would get upset because they had already paid. It was a never-ending and vicious cycle. She hated it. She hated Freddie. She hated this city. She hated herself. She hated everything. She could not hate him, though. The blonde savior didn't seem like a bad guy. She did not know why but she really believed that he was a good person. He understood that she did not choose this life without her even having to tell him. She was confused in how he came to that conclusion. He was a discerning man and highly skilled, but that still did not explain his intentions. She could not trust Naruto. She could not open up to him. She had tried that before with little benefit to her efforts, afterwards.

She sighed and turned away from the mirror. She undressed herself and turned on the shower. She stepped into the glass shower and let the scalding water cascade over her. She could not remember the last time she took a hot shower. It felt so different from the frigid rain she felt earlier that day. She would get spoiled if she stayed here too long. She could not get attached to his home, or even worse, Naruto. Freddie would hurt him if he found out. Freddie had dealt with guys who had tried to help his girls before. If they did not wind up dead, then they were never seen again. Naruto was strong but Freddie had many dangerous friends; too many for Naruto to handle. She could not repay his kindness with Freddie's wrath. She would never forgive herself if something bad happened to him because of her. She would need to leave soon. Once she felt satisfied and clean, Hinata stepped out of the shower and dried off. She opened the bathroom door and found the clothes Naruto mentioned before. She glimpsed back at the mirror over the sink. God, she hated mirrors.

Hinata later entered the living room in an over-sized, grey T-shirt and sweatpants with a towel wrapped around her hair. Kurama was fast asleep on one of the couches in the living room. Naruto had just finished making the pasta and was setting the dinner table. Naruto beamed at her.

"Look at you! You're so radiant even in my old workout clothes. They're clean, I promise. I just thought they would be comfortable for you. You know, I never understood how women put their hair in a towel like that."

Hinata giggled at his statement. She giggled?! She was definitely not herself around this man. "It's really simple, actually. You kind of just figure it out, once you have long hair."

"You will have to show me some time." Amusement glistened in his cerulean eyes.

Hinata looked at the dinner table in wonder. Not only was there a delicious looking pasta, but also some fresh-baked brownies. The food looked amazing and her stomach was rumbling. Everything was laid out on fine china. "Oh my. This all looks amazing. Did you do all this?"

Naruto was serving an already awake Kurama his dog food in the kitchen when he answered. "Yes, ma'am. What would you like to drink? I got it all: water, juice, milk, and every alcoholic drink you can conceive of."

"Water is fine, thank you."

Naruto fetched her some water from the fridge and set it on the table. He gently pulled out her chair and she rested on it. He went to the other side of the table and perched himself across from her. As they began to eat, Hinata observed the china and the apartment as a whole. Her curiosity was getting the better of her.

"I don't mean to offend you, but this is such a beautiful apartment. How did you afford this? A teacher can't be paid well enough to compensate for all this, right?"

Naruto chuckled. "You are correct. We do not get paid very well. My family is very wealthy because my father used to be the mayor of this city."

Hinata gasped as she realized. "Your father was Minato Namikaze? He did everything for this city! He brought public transportation, better laws, built extra hospitals and public buildings, and even more health benefits to all of the citizens. His name is legendary around here."

"Yeah, that was my dad. He also outlawed prostitution but that changed when the next mayor took over." Naruto's expression darkened. "I wish I could do something about that awful man. That mayor is a monster that needs to step down. He's been in office for almost my entire life," Naruto declared with animosity that leaked forth from his mouth.

"I can't stand him either, but he brings so much money to the city that many bureaucrats don't want to see him go. Didn't your father pass away years ago? I forgot what happened to him? How old were you when he died? Do you remember him?" Why was she asking so many questions? Why did she care so much about him? This guy was really messing with her head.

"I do not remember him at all because my parents passed away in a car accident when I was still a baby. When they died, I inherited all of the money because I had no other immediate family. My godfather raised me and took care of me until I was of legal age. I hate politics so I never carried on my father's legacy. Which is fine. I love my job. Being a teacher is great and I could not imagine myself doing anything else."

"Wow, I'm so sorry you grew up without your parents. You must have been really lonely with just your godfather," Hinata mentioned with the most sincere tone she could muster. She understood loneliness better than most people. She knew what it was like to never think that anyone actually cared for you. That was true loneliness.

"Oh no, not at all. I had a ton of friends growing up and they have been with me my whole life. We all went to school together and even on to college. We have always been close. I have gone to all of their graduations and weddings over the years. They're the best friends I could have ever asked for," Naruto chimed happily.

'That's wonderful. Speaking of marriages, where is your wife? You must be married." Why did she care about that? So what if he was married? What girl wouldn't want this amazing guy? He had to have been married.

"Nope. Still single," Naruto proclaimed. Hinata's surprise was noticeable. Naruto smirked a little at her expression and continued. "I've just never gotten around to it. I dated one of my best friends for a while but she ended up leaving me for my best friend. It's fine, though. I knew she always loved him but I wanted to deceive myself into thinking otherwise. We're all still great friends, however. I promise." Naruto's face had become a little sad when he had said that but it quickly changed to a smug look when he saw Hinata's apparent face of regret about asking. Maybe he was being a little too open. He dropped his fork and continued to grin at her. "You're so curious, Hinata. It's very cute."

Hinata blushed profusely and attempted to dissuade him but she ended up letting out a long yawn instead. This dream was about to end it seemed. Freddie would beat her senseless when she returned, but at least Naruto would be fine if she left now. Naruto, however, stood up from his chair in a dramatic fashion.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. I forgot you must be exhausted. Please, you can spend the night in my guest bedroom. It's the least I can do."

"No, please. You have done so much for me already. My boss, Freddie, will be so angry with me and I don't-" Naruto's face contorted into anger at the mention of her boss. Hinata could not help but show some surprise to that reaction. He did not even know Freddie, but she knew the anger was definitely not misplaced.

"No, I insist. That man is a vile human being that deserves justice for what he has done to you and other young ladies of this city. You can trust me to protect you. We can talk about him in the morning. Please, come with me," Naruto stated with slight authority in his voice.

Hinata wanted to protest further but his powerful words and actions convinced her better judgment. She could only slowly nod and follow him to the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. The guest bedroom was furnished with a king-sized bed. The bed was probably the most beautiful thing to Hinata, at the moment. She did not even bother to observe the rest of the room because she quickly flopped onto the bed and snuggled into the warm sheets. Naruto smirked at her. "Goodnight, Hinata." His voice was a whisper, floating gently in the air only to glide back down to earth.

As Naruto shut the door softly, Hinata smiled gently into her pillow. This man was amazing but she was unclear of what the morrow would bring. She did not know what to do about Freddie and she still could not believe this handsome savior of hers even showed up. Why was he so nice, plus a complete hunk!? Was he just doing this so he could sleep with her? She was a prostitute, after all. However, for some reason she could not help but think Naruto was not like that. She could not be certain, but she really wanted to trust him. She had to be careful, though. She could not open her heart again. She had to guard her heart. Vulnerability was not an option. Who knows what events this guy would start? She figured only time could tell that. All she knew right now was she was exhausted and her bed was extremely comfortable. The last thing she thought of before her mind drifted away was a certain blonde teacher's dazzling smile. God, she was tired.