DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!!! If I did, then this would be the main paring.

Winter in the Woods chap 4

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING WITH A BOY!" Lord Hyuga shouted at his daughter. "YOU ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO OUR FAMILY!" He sat down as his daughter stared at her raging father. "We didn't do a thing!" the Hyuga heir said in her defense. "This is what happened. I went to the ramen shop to find Naruto-kun. The cook gave us a big bowl and we ate…" Her father raged, "You and that swine at from the same dish!" Hinata put her finger on her father's lip in an action of shushing him. "Well after that we took a walk and talked about the test we are to be taking in a few days." Hinata purposely left out the part of her fainting and the hugging of Naruto. "That's all?" her father questioned. "Yes. That's all," Hinata said. "You had me worried. I thought he had maybe attacked you or something." Hinata shrugged and left the room. She hoped that her father would not ask the cook about that incident.

Naruto walked in the cold breeze. Snow sputtered from up above. Naruto wrapped himself tighter in his jacket. The nights had grown shorter and colder. Old Man Winter was about to pay the Village Hidden in the Leaves a visit. An old man stood in one of the alleys. He came out at the sign of Naruto and begged for money. Naruto had known what it had felt like in his place. He gave the man twenty Yen; good for a bowl of ramen. The man thanked him profusely and headed off in the direction of the ramen shop. Naruto entered the district of the city where he lived around ten o'clock. He unlocked his apartment and turned around at a sound.

Shikamaru was walking with a blond-haired ninja from the sand village. "Hey Shikamaru!" Naruto called out. Shikamaru and Temari turned around to see Kohana's loudest ninja. "Yo Naruto!" Shikamaru returned. Temari smiled. She clung to Shikamaru's arm. The two ninja walked over to Naruto and sat on a bench. Temari stayed close to Shikamaru. Since she was from Suna, she never had experienced cold snaps. Naruto smiled. It looked like Shikamaru had just had his first successful date. Naruto didn't want to remember the Ino experience.

Naruto waved at them as he walked into his apartment. He looked out the window. Shikamaru and Temari were walking off in the distance. "Good for Shikamaru," Naruto said taking off his shirt. He replaced it with a nightshirt. He did the same with his bottom. Naruto last put on his dog-sleeping hat. Naruto slid undercover and relished the warmth. He thought of the day's events. Hinata had hugged him twice. She had been the first person to ever show him affection. He placed his hands behind his head. He wondered why she liked him.

A familiar voice rumbled in his head. "You don't question love kid," the Nine-Tailed Fox said. Naruto pictured the fox snuggling up in a corner of the cage it was kept in. Naruto had seen the fox in the cage when he had needed the chakra to summon Chief Toad. "Why? I have you inside of me. Everyone in the village shuns me with the exception of a few." Naruto said. "Don't question it. Most of the time, love is an once-in-a-lifetime thing. The girl has always admired you. Not only for your talents but also for your courage. She has never had any." The fox said drifting off to sleep. Naruto chewed this thought for a while before drifting to sleep.

Naruto woke the next morning to the shine of the sun. He moved his hand over his face to block the light. He looked around the dimly lit room. Naruto got out of bed and stretched. He touched the ceiling. Naruto look in a drawer and grabbed a box of matches. He lit one and lit a few candles. Naruto also grabbed a new outfit of black, orange, and patches of red. Naruto changed and noticed something on the floor. He picked a letter up. Naruto opened it and read:

To: Naruto U

Concern: The Jonin Test

You are to report to the new training field #99 today at noon. Your partner has also received this letter.

Anko

Naruto remembered the second part examiner, Anko. She had cut his face with a knife and licked it clean. Naruto placed the letter on his nightstand and walked out.

A man sat on a porch steps with an instrument with six strings over a hole attached to a long shaft. He had a small rounded triangle like object and was strumming the strings of the thing with it. He sang:

No one can make me cry
Make me laugh
Make me smile
Or drive me mad like she does
It's like a curse that is the cure
Better or worse, one thing's for sure
It's real love and I don't know what I'd do
If I lost it

He held his hat out asking for money. Naruto tossed a few coin into the man's hat for his song. The song reminded him of Sakura and Sasuke.

Naruto walked past and turned a corner. He ran right into Hinata. Hinata blushed as Naruto caught her. "Thank you Naruto," the young Hyuga thanked. She squeezed his arm with her head and shoulder. Naruto helped her back on her feet and apologized for running into her. "Hinata, you hungry?" he asked. His answer came in the form of a growl emitted from her stomach. Naruto smiled. He was beginning to like the shy girl. The two ninja walked down the street and hooked a right. That landed them right in front of the ramen shop.

The cook looked at his costumers. They had already taken seats. He turned on the grill and threw raw pork on it. He also put water in a bowl and set it on boil. Naruto pulled out his toad purse and prepared the money. The cook handed the bowl to the two hungry ninja and took the money. Naruto and Hinata ate the ramen with out the incident that happened yesterday. The two ninja left the shop and headed, hand in hand, to the test.

Note: I did not make the song. Kenny Chesney sings it.