"Hey old man Teuchi I'll have a Miso ramen, and keep em' coming!" Shouted Naruto joyfully walking into the ramen shop.

"If it isn't my favorite customer...and his friend" said Teuchi smiling widely when he said the last part and Naruto blushed.

"Hehehe" he chuckled nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Konichiwa Teuchi-san" greeted Hinata smiling.

"Ah what good manners. How'd you ever get Naruto?" Said Teuchi thinking.

Naruto was getting very defensive.

"HEY I-"

Hinata put her hand in front of him as if to stop his talking.

"Naruto-kun, he's just teasing." Hinata told Naruto.

Naruto pouted cutely and folded his arms across his chest. Hinata thought it was the cutest thing She'd ever seen.

"Wow I'm impressed." said Ayame.

"You were able to control Naruto-kun...that's amazing...you guys are so cute together! ...Wait are you together!? Please tell me your together?" Pleaded Ayame.

"Well I don't know I mean it's pretty complicated..." Naruto's voice faded away.

Hinata turned away as well blushing.

"Now, now, lets drop the subject and lets eat!" Shouted Teuchi restoring the happiness in the restaurant.


"...Who does he think he is...who does she think she is...who do they think they are!" Said Sakura sobbing and screaming at Ino.

"Sakura before you go on rambling about this can you at least tell me what it is?" asked Ino.

"I'm talking about Naruto and Hinata!" Said Sakura furious.

"Well what about them?" Ino asked again.

"Well-"

(A/N: Let's just say for the sake of this chapter and the sake of time that while you are reading this Sakura has told Ino what happened at Naruto's apartment in chapter 2 and chapter 6, and that when you finish reading this she will have told her everything.)

"Sakura you can't be serious" said Ino.

"I know right I mean just who-"

"I'm talking about you" said Ino interrupting her.

"N-Nani?" asked Sakura not believing her ears.

"I said you can't be serious you know how much Naruto means to Hinata-"

"Well maybe he means a lot to me too!"

"Sakura stop kidding yourself! You know you only care about him as a teammate-maybe even a brother...but...no one loves him like Hinata does." Ino said growling.

"So what I'm lying?" asked Sakura.

"YES! YOU'RE LYING! I'M NOT GONNA SUGAR COAT IT OKAY! I THINK THAT WAS A REAL STUPID MOVE FOR A FRIEND TO MAKE! WHAT DID HINATA EVER DO TO YOU? WHY DO YOU TRY TO TAKE AWAY HER ONLY HOPE AND LOVE? OR SHOULD I REMIND YOU THAT HINATA IS ALIVE BECAUSE OF HIM AND THAT HE IS ALIVE BECAUSE OF HER? I MEAN DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF RIGHT NOW? GOING OFF BECAUSE HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE! EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON AND YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT HE'S MOVED ON WITHOUT YOU!" Shouted Ino once and for all.

Sakura grabbed her umbrella and walked out the door.

Ino sighed.


Hinata and Naruto had finished eating ramen and were deep in conversation.

Naruto was listening intently for once and asking her questions about herself since she already seemed to know so much about him.

"What do you like to do in your free time?" He asked her.

"Well I like to train. I spar with Neji a lot actually" she informed him.

He lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Hinata, Hinata" he said cheerfully "We can be sparing partners!" he suggested.

"Naruto-kun are you sure about that" she asked quietly.

"Yeah! ...Unless you don't want to..." he said sadly and quietly.

"No Naruto-kun I would love to be your sparing partner...I just don't think you'd be interested in being mine" She whispered the last part.

"Why would you think that" he asked softly.

"Well because...I'm weak." She said, defeated.

Hinata didn't expect what happened next.

Naruto had embraced her in a caring hug and told her "You're not weak Hinata-chan. You're strong...you're so strong." he told her caringly.

Hinata, finally, had willed herself to hug him back and say

"Arigatou, Naruto-kun"


"Shizune come here please" said Tsunade.

"Come take a look at the winner of the Hokage candidates."

Shizune glanced at the official letter.

"you don't mean-"

"Yea that's exactly what I mean" said Tusnade looking at the paper.

Shizune began to stutter "H-H-How-"

"How did this happen" Tsunade finished hopelessly.