juntomatsu:...gawd...i'm such a freak'n doodle-bug...i'm thinking that i should change my pen name to the doodle-bug...(da-da-daaaa)...that was a battle-cry for the doodle-bug (incase you were wondering)...i kid...but still darn plot-bunnies...it's not my fault please don't shun me...-begs on her knees-...what...no wait don't leave... come back...-sits and pouts-...i kid again... so...uh...yeah...another one-shot...doodled by yours truly...-chuckles-...

disclaimer: -weeps-...juntomatsu doesn't own Naruto or it's characters...-shouts-...there are you happy now...just had to bust my bubble of happiness...-stomps her foot and runs out crying-...(sheesh...i'm such a cry-baby tonight)

warning(s): -pokes her head back in-...ah ha...uh yeah...this is a one-shot...hina-naru-one-sided...and as always -starting to sound like a broken record here this fic contains au, ooc-ness, bad grammar, horrible spelling, fluff...(beware the fluff)...and no plot...so there...if you are a thrill seeker…craving action, death, suspense...remember the no plot warning...i was not lyin-chuckles-...then read on-

O.o"

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Over time

She was lost in her thoughts as she continued to walk silently, enjoying the nearing of another peaceful night in Konoha.

She looked over to her side and spotted her orange and black clad friend, scampering up to her.

She smiled to herself; she and Naruto had come accustomed to meeting up in the park at least once a week, followed by dinner at Ichiraku's and then a nightly stroll around Konoha.

She smiled once more, this time it was directed towards the young out of breath blonde shinobi.

"Evening, Hinata-chan… sorry that I'm late but that Obaa-chan wouldn't let me leave until she proof-read my debriefing," he then puffed out his cheeks, " really, I can't understand why everyone else gets to give a verbal report but I have to hand in a written one!".

Hinata chuckled; poor Naruto-kun.

"Ah…Naruto-kun, perhaps she's only trying to help you out, you being a possible candidate and seeing how the Hokage's position always deals a lot of reports that need to be written and filed …" she let it trail off there, surely he could put the two together.

He smiled "Thanks Hinata-chan, you always…" he then grimaced; his face turning red, "Aaahhh..." Naruto abruptly started to jump up and down, shaking his fist in the direction of the Hokage's office, "She just made me do her report for her so she wouldn't have to, that lazy old obaa-chan, just wait until I see her again!"

Hinata laughed softly into her hand, she's always known that Naruto was a lot smarter than most people gave him credit for, granted he wasn't a genius, he just needed a 'push' in the right direction every once and a while.

Naruto continued to mumble under his breath at the unfairness of it all as Hinata silently walked beside him, suddenly caught up in a thought.

How long have they been doing this, she wondered silently and when did it become 'normal' for her to talk to him like this?

A little more than a year ago, after his return, did she not squeal and hide, not ready to see him again after all that time and then ended up fainting because the experience was just to overwhelming for her when he ended up finding her?

And did she not try to avoid him afterwards clearly embarrassed by her actions, or lack of?

It wasn't until a few months later that she spoke to him again, this time she wasn't fast enough to 'hide' from him with out him noticing.

Apparently he had been searching for her.

She could still remember that day just like it was yesterday.

At first she could feel her heart beat a mile a minute at the thought of Naruto searching for her.

Of course at the time she had imagined him coming to tell her that he always cared for her and was madly in love with her and only her then they would live happily ever after, so naturally her heart and her stomach were in a race to see which could fluttered about the most.

As he stood there trying to explain the reason he was looking for with such a troubled expression on his features, her mind gradually caught up with everything and she managed to calm herself down- modestly.

Why was he looking for her? Was it a mission? If not, then maybe the Hokage was looking for her? Maybe it was about her request to study some medical techniques like Sakura.

No that wouldn't explain why he was anxious; so then why was Naruto acting like he was uneasy about something, he never acted like this…unless it was the first thing that popped into her head!

She internally squealed with delight.

This was it; he had finally seen her more than just a precious person, he had realized that she was his precious person just like he was hers. This was the moment she was waiting for all these years.

But then her heart fell into the pit of her stomach and shattered into a million pieces as she heard the reason, he want her to help him to get Sakura to notice him as more than just a friend.

Apparently he had been trying over the months to get her to notice him and he felt like nothing was happening, and even though he had been rejected in the past by her this time it was different and he didn't know why. He claimed that this time, every time that it had happened, his heart felt a twinge and his soul empty.

Of course, she said that if he needed help then she would be more than willing too, even though she didn't really want to, every bit of her shattered heart opposed to it, but the majority of her mind reasoned she would want him to be happy even if it wasn't with her.

However there was a small part in her mind that refused to let him go, and in this diminutive part it was confident that she still had a chance; if they spent more time together; becoming closer then he would finally fall for her.

And as she continued to gaze at him and half listen to his heartache she silently ignored her last thought, what kind of friend was she?

Then just as he suddenly appeared in front of her, needing someone to talk too; dropping his heart shattering bomb and started discharging all his concerns and anguishes on the matter to her, he unexpectedly stopped, smiled and hugged her while thanking her for her help, told her he needed to be going, then asked her to pick a day that they could meet up to continue this 'talk' and then walked merrily down the street.

To say that Hinata was confused was an understatement. She was completely perplexed; she didn't remember really giving any counsel to him in the matter.

She sighed, of course she couldn't blame him, he never knew about her 'crush' on him, she lost her courage every time she tried to tell him and to him she was nothing but a good friend.

In the aftermath her mind finally received it's chance to catch up; Naruto had told her to pick a day in which they would meet up at Ichiraku's and discuss his 'problem', she simply chose Saturday because it was the day after her and her assigned teammates were scheduled to return from their mission.

That following Saturday they met up for dinner and to begin discussing his 'problem', although talking was the last thing on their minds, Naruto was doing nothing but eating ten bowls of ramen while Hinata blushed every shade of red, meekly poking at the contents of her one bowl.

After that failed attempt at discussing his 'problem', they decided that maybe taking a walk would be less 'distracting' in which for Naruto it meant no ramen in front of him, for Hinata it meant that she could focus on something else besides her failed long-time childhood crush.

That was much better for the both of them; they were able to focus somewhat on what they needed to, although now that she thought back on it, neither one really had a clue at relationships, both having never been in one before.

When Hinata was younger she didn't have time for boyfriends or anything else for that matter, since she was three her father strictly trained her during her free time. Because she was always so busy training she didn't have very many friends and she was always shy around others.

And as for Naruto, she thought, even though he was the exact opposite of the shy type he didn't any friends it seemed, and never did… until recently and even now there were still a lot of villagers and fellow shinobi that seem to have a strong dislike for him.

Yet, somehow… someway two outcasts had started to try to woo Sakura; well one wooed while the other did what she did best, gathered information unobserved on said pink-haired kunoichi and after a few months things seemed to be turning around for Naruto.

Sakura was slowly coming around. It was small things at first such as a warm smile instead of a fist to the head; a light chuckle instead of a horrible near death experience for the blonde shinobi.

And gradually over time Hinata's and Naruto's effort paid off, because soon the cherry blossom and Konoha loudest shinobi became an official couple.

And to this day Naruto still constantly thanks Hinata for helping him; she doubts even now that she had much of anything to do with it.

And as she calmly entered Ichiraku's behind Naruto she came to realize something.

She didn't recognize when but slowly she came to grasp that her adolescent dreams and fantasies about her childhood crush were only that, and would never be anything more.

Hinata paused at that thought, she didn't know if she should be happy or sad.

She was both she had to admit.

Happy and sad both because in a way that she finally understood this and knew that it was time to move on and that she could move on with nothing holding her back. There were no what if's … she knew that even though she was a precious person to Naruto, his heart was not hers.

She smiled cheerlessly.

"Oi, Hinata-chan what kind of noodles do you want to try today?" Naruto asked jolting her out of her gloomy thoughts.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "Meso is fine for tonight, Naruto-kun."

As Naruto order for the both of them, she took her normal seat beside him.

Her smile brightened as she watched her best friend argue with the owner about a new type of ramen that he heard about.

No matter just because all of her dreams and fantasies didn't come true, some of it did and for that she would always be grateful and cherish every moment of it.

O.o"

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juntomatsu here again...see told you no plot...i'm a plot less doodler...(and i sorry that Naruto and hinata didn't end up together)...-snickers-...ah i think that this also ties into my dream a little dream au although i'm thinking that that's enough of that...hmmm...-grins- maybe not...i think that i favor that au just a little too much...-nods her head- can't be healthy...can it?...well plz review or don't or you can flame...and as always prepare yourselves...-glomps all readers-...ah well off i go...ack no another freak'n bunny...must run away...juntoma-...i mean doodle-bug dash...-dashes out-

(ah and i am kidding about changing my pen name...-notices doubtful stares- no really i am...juntomatsu will always be juntomatsu...no really -whimpers- why don't you believe me...)