The following days were like heaven for the young girl. She would wake up and greet a smiling Naruto every morning at the breakfast table. Then the two of them would spend all day riding down the slopes together followed by a cup of hot chocolate at the nearest café. It was days filled with laughter, exchange of deep eye contact and accidental touches between the two of them. However, the following night would change everything for the two of them.

It was a night filled with games and competitions. It was a game of 'partners' with Naruto and Hinata versus Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto and Hinata was way ahead of their opponents when Kakashi came and tapped Hinata on the shoulder.

"Hinata, there is a phone call for you"

"Right, thank you Kakashi-sensei" she got up from her chair and gently said

"I will be right back." Naruto followed her with his eyes and would occasionally look over at the door, waiting for her return. Moments passed and Hinata still hadn't returned. Naruto was getting worried, she had mentioned that something was going on at home, but when he questioned her further about it, she would suddenly change the subject saying she didn't want to talk about it, maybe this phone call was about that. He grew impatient and tapped his fingers on the table while changing his glance from his friends and the doorway. Finally, Hinata walked through it but something was terribly wrong. The smile she left with was gone from her lips and all happiness that used to fill her eyes had disappeared. She looked down at the floor but as she made eye contact with Naruto, he could see she had cried and her eyes was not emptied yet. She ran out the door again and he quickly got up and task after her. She ran outside towards the woods.

"Hinata! Wai-"

"Naruto, let us handle this." He was stopped by Kakashi Sensei who grapped his shoulders to prevent him from running after Hinata.

"Let me go Kakashi-sensei! I am going after her"

"Naruto, stop this"

"Just let him go Kakashi-sensei" it was Shikamaru and Sasuke who now stood beside them.

"You know you can't stop him when he gets protective" Sasuke exclaimed. Kakashi sighed.

"You better get her back safe, Naruto"

"Of course I will!" He ran as fast as he could after Hinata. She didn't know where she was running, she just needed to get away. She could hear Naruto shouting for her to stop, but she couldn't, she just couldn't. The tears were flying from her eyes, making her vision blurry from all the water. She ran as far as she could but eventually she tripped and fell to the ground. Naruto ran through the forest, ignoring all the branches that got stuck in his clothes. He didn't care if he was scratched or if anything of his was ruined, he just needed to get to Hinata. He heard a scream and a thud and ran even faster than before.

"Hinata! Oi Hinata, are you hurt" he kneeled down in front of her trying to help her up. Her cries got heavier and her leg hurt like hell. He realised he couldn't get her up on her feet, so he sat down beside her and picked her up in his lap and tucked her into him so that she could cry out, all the while he was holding her and tried to soothe her.

"She's dead" Hinata cried out

"Who is?" He asked her carefully

"My mom... *Sob* she's dead and I wasn't there for her" she cried even more. He held her tighter and didn't say a thing all the while he was running his hand down her hair continuously. When she had calmed down a little, he asked her carefully.

"What happened?"

"A few months ago... My mom suddenly fell ill... She was more tired... And she didn't even have the power to get out of bed... The doctors they..."

"They what...?"

"They couldn't figure out what was wrong..."

"Hinata I am so sorry" he said as he hugged her tight.

"My sister and I have done all the chores at home... In hope that it would help my mom... So that she didn't have to think about it..."

"I bet she is very proud of you"

"I told her I didn't want to go on this trip... That I couldn't leave her side when we didn't know when it would get worse..."

"..." Naruto said nothing.

"She told me that I had to go... That I couldn't miss this trip... She tried to convince me that this... This would be the best trip of my life" she started crying again.

"I know that this has been the best time of my entire life" Naruto quietly said. Hinata couldn't get a word out of her mouth.

"I am glad your mom made you go on this trip... I know you wanted to be by her side, but I know for certain that you haven't regret going..." Hinata had stopped her crying and silently listened to what Naruto had to say.

"Ya know... I grew up without a mom and dad... I had no one to take care of me..." This was something Hinata didn't know about Naruto, how he lived alone with no one to care for him.

"How... How did it happen...?" She asked hesitantly.

"It was a car crash... I was four at the time... I was in the backseat... My mom sat next to me and my dad was driving the car... I remember how we sang along to the songs on the radio, having the best time of our lives. That was when another car, a drunk driver, decided to crash into us from the front. My mom threw her arms around me, in hope that it would shield me from harm..." Hinata had unknowingly wrapped her arms around him as he told his story.

"Naruto-kun... I am so sorry..."

"Don't be." There was a moment of silence before Naruto began to talk again.

Chapter 5
"How do you do it?"

"D-do what...?" She asked

"How do you make my heart race like horse running free on the meadows" Hinata blushed and looked at him

"Hinata, how do you make me feel like... like I want to be with you every single second of the day. How do you make me feel like I want to hold your hands when we ride the lift or when we sit at the café or just walk around... How do you make me feel... So... happy... You make me forget all my worries and my fears... You make me feel so warm and I just want to... hold you tight or.."

"...or...what...?" She shyly asked. She wanted him to describe the exact same feelings she has for him.

"Or… kiss you..." That was the end of Hinata, her eyes was filled with tears once again.

"Oh no, I am sorry Hinata! I didn't want to make you cry again! Ugh, you stupid idiot Naruto, you made the girl you love cry, you are such a fool" while Naruto punished himself for what was obviously tears of joy from Hinata, she did something she would never think she would ever do. Naruto's Words came to a stop when he felt something pushing against him. Hinata had her lips on top of his, with her whole body pushed up against him. Naruto was lost for words, he thought she hated him for suddenly telling her his feelings. Their lips parted ways again, much against their wills.

"Hina...ta..." He looked at her in surprise. Her eyes were once again filled with joy and her smile was the cutest he has ever seen.

"Naruto-kun... You have no idea how long I have dreamt of you saying that... It was always in my dreams and I would have never thought that you would once say those words to me, the girl who nobody notices."

"I've noticed you... Ever since I saw you for the first time" he took his hand and cupped her cheek, drying away the tears falling from her eyes.

"I've felt the need to protect you ever since we started in school together when we were 6 years old."

"And now I finally understand why... You are the only one for me, you are truly the one I want to spend the rest of my life with" as he said these words both his hands were now cupping her cheeks and his face moved closer to hers

"Hinata... I... I love you" he briefly stopped just before their lips touched and he looked her in the eyes.

"I love you too, Naruto-kun" and with those words he smiled and closed the last gab between their lips. It was a kiss filled with love and affection, it was as if they were flying in front of the beautiful full moon, it felt as if they were the only humans in this entire world. As their lips parted, they simply smiled and gazed into each other's eyes. Hinata, with a blush across her face, was simply lost for words. However, a cold breeze made her shiver, waking Naruto up from his love-trance.

"Oh my gosh, Hinata! You are freezing cold! I am so sorry!" He quickly took of his sweatshirt and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"It's okay Naruto-kun, but thanks" he stood up and offered her a hand. She gladly accepted it, but as she tried to get up she fell to the ground again in pain.

"Hinata, are you alright?"

"It's me leg... I... must have hurt in when I fell..." Naruto didn't hesitate for a moment. He picked her up in bridal style with ease and held her tight.

"Yush! This should do it!"

"Naruto-kun! Please, I am too heavy"

"What on earth are you talking about? You are not at all heavy! Besides this way I can warm you better and occasionally sneak some glances at you" he said the last bit as he winked with his eye. Hinata couldn't help but giggle at his joking personality.

"Just hold on tight"

"Hai"

"Promise me you won't let go" he looked at her with kind eyes.

"I will never let you go Naruto-kun!"

They got back safe and sound and was greeted by worried friends. They did wonder however, how come they left in such sadness and worry, but returned with such happiness. This was definitely something that Sakura, Ino and Tenten would try to figure out later that night.

When their fieldtrip was over and they were back in Konoha, Naruto attended the Hyuuga funeral together with Hinata. He held her hand as he mom was put in the earth. In the end, they were the only ones left at her grave. Hinata stepped forward and quietly began to talk in between sobs.

"Mom... It's hard for me to figure out what to do without you in my life. I am so grateful that you make me go on this fieldtrip, you were right, it was the best trip, no, the best time of my life. I promise you, that I will take care of Hanabi, and Father, on your behalf. I promise that I won't let anything knock me down..." There was a moment of silence before she continued

"Before I say goodbye for now, I would like for you to meet your son-in-law." Naruto stepped forward and grabbed Hinata's hand.

"Hello Mrs. Hyuuga. I am sorry we didn't get to meet before... That might have been because of me, because I haven't taken myself together to tell your daughter about my feelings. I promise you that I will cherish Hinata until the end of the world. I will bring her flowers every day and I will give her all the love and support that a man can possibly my give a woman. I won't ever let anyone or anything harm her, I will be her shield..." he looked Hinata in the eyes

"... If she will be my sword" she nodded with a smile before she gave him a light kiss on the lips. He turned to the grave once again and said

"Thank you for giving birth to the love of my life" the two of them stood there in silence, when a breeze followed by cherry blossom pedals flew around them. Naruto took this as a sign, that he had been accepted into a family, the family he had always missed.

*10 years later*

Naruto, now a full-grown man, stood in front of two tombstones with the names "Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina" and "Namikaze Minato" written on them.

"Mom, dad, how are you. I just got a huge promotion today... unfortunately, this means that I can't be at home as much as usual, but your daughter-in-law supports me fully, even though I originally wanted to turn down the offer, she kept telling me that this was what I've always wanted and that I should never give up on my dreams. She definitely is a lot like you mom. You always told me to find a woman like you, and I definitely have. I am sorry that you can't meet her, because I know you would have loved her. She is the funniest, kindest, most beautiful woman I have ever seen and I hope I show her enough of my love every single day."

"Dad, dad! Mommy has promised us Ramen on our way home" a little boy came running and jumped up on his back.

"Yush, Boruto! Let's eat a lot of bowls so that we can tank up our energy for when Himawari comes out from mommy's belly!"

"Yaaay"

He felt something grab his hand. He squeezed it tight and looked Hinata, his gorgeous wife, in the eyes.

"Are you ready to go dear?" She asked

"Yeah… I'm ready" they both bowed in respect of his parents and left with a hand each, holding their son, who looked back and gave the biggest smile to his grandparents who stood and the graves waving at them.