"Laughter is the fireworks of the soul"

[Laughter]

The last week was horrible. Naruto had to go from one station to the next. He was left in Iwa just in case. Well, that was one thing, the other being that he just wasn't ready to go back yet.

"You are an idiot." Sakura stated over the phone.

"Thanks a lot…" the blonde slumped further into his mattress in his lonely room.

The barracks were almost empty by now, he just finished and was more than ready to relax a bit. He shifted under his blanket and left the phone on his face. He was way too lazy and tired right now even to hold that up.

"I mean," she fidgeted with something, and Naruto could hear the sound of clinking of plates. "just come back already."

He grunted in response and pulled his light blanket higher. "How is everyone?" he finally asked when the girl didn't seem to pay him any further attention.

"Everyone seems to be fine," for a moment the line broke, she must have replaced her own device. "well most of them, Iruka-sensei was overboard with you leaving. Not to mention when he, told Kakashi-sensei his thoughts about our involvement." she chuckled.

Naruto himself had to smile a bit. The temper of that man was no joke. He already saw one time when he wrote a letter to his squad leader. Kakashi-sensei's face was priceless. "I bet it was phenomenal." he concluded.

"Right on point." a yawn escaped her lips before she continued. "I think Kakashi-sensei has been kicked ou- ah, damn…" she cursed and Naruto could hear something hitting the floor. "Sorry."

"What happened?" he felt hot, the sheets under him cling to his skin and the blanket was heavy. Yet he remained still.

"I dropped the damn tray…" she hissed.

She was about to make dinner when Naruto called. Now she was already on the line with him for the last ten minutes. The low rumbling from her stomach noted her to try to proceed while talking. Well without effort.

"So, Kakashi-sensei is on a flat hunt now, well between his shifts."

"And the others?" Naruto finally asked when the girl fell silent again.

"Are you trying to ask about Hinata in a roundabout way?"

Naruto froze in his doss. He was, the whole call was about Hinata off course. False, he definitively needed to know about everyone. Hearing from home was nice, but if he said he was equally interested in everyone. Yeah, that would be lying.

"Because, you should get way better in that aspect." a small chuckle escaped her lips.

"I'll work on it." he gave up. Just let him know already. "So?"

"So what?" her voice resembled Ino's as she drawled on.

"Sakura-chan…" he almost pleaded now.

After a long time, she finally answered but the answer wasn't to Naruto's liking. "I don't know."

"Why?" he sat up in an abrupt motion. Forgetting that the phone was laying on his face. So the device descended from his head, and while he tried to grab at it, Sakura went on.

"She didn't leave the Hospit-"

He finally caught the phone, but the force just broke the call. He froze on his doss, hands held forward clumsily clenching his phone. Panicking he called Sakura again, but the girl seemed to ignore him for now.

Why was Hinata still in the Hospital? Didn't Sakura-chan say that she was alright?

He jumped from his doss hesitating for a moment before he called the pinkett again. She ignored his call again. If this was a new kind of punishment, it worked perfectly. His throat clenched, he stayed here knowing that Hinata was back in safety. Back in Konoha, in the Hyuga Manor with a family guaranteeing her wellbeing.

The past week he had time to think through everything, from every angle. This was rather hard, taken Naruto was never the over thinking type. He knew that. Which made it even more hopeless.

After all the time he spent thinking the only thing he finally understood was, why Hinata avoided touching him. As glorified as this bond, link, soulmate thing was as frightening it felt for him. He tried his best to talk about it with Sakura-chan. But he could never finish once he started.

He grunted while he fished his duffle bag under his doss. He pushed his littered belongings to it and swung it over his shoulder.

He wanted to see Hinata. He needed to see her.

This was something frightening too. He never felt this kind of pull for anyone before. It must have been the soul link they shared. His mind made an effort to remind him every time. He sauntered to the door. The barracks were empty due to the fact that rations and letters just came in. So everyone was in the canteen or in the common room.

He was stationed on the border right now. Seemingly Kakashi tried his best to placate Iruka-sensei. Because he was moved from the explosion site rather fast. He remembered the quarrel he had with his squad leader over this, till the old man finally sighed. Placing him here was so he could have an eye on the guy, who pushed his boundaries single handed, without a concern in the protocol of the army.

It wasn't good that just now he was about to kick up yet another rule, finally deciding to go home. Because after all Sakura-chan was right, he was an idiot.

When did he ever think before doing anything? He had an impulsive personality. His teachers told this to the way too aggravated Iruka-sensei every time he was called by the school. He smirked, if he wanted to see Hinata, he just should go.

He stopped by the office, his heart picking up pace again. Or should he? He slumped to the ground, with a loud sight.

She must have known that he was her soulmate, was she happy about it? Did she feel the same impulse of emotions when they touched? Was she alright? Have her injuries vanished by now?

His stomach clenched at the thought. He had seen her in his dreams. Covered in blood and filth, or even worse, dead. But what scared him was the fact that she never cried. Not even once, neither in his dreams neither in reality.

She was strong.

He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. But it disappeared just as fast.

Was this something that she was anticipating, something she was trained in? He remembered Sakura-chan telling him that the Hyuga family was always cautious in this regard. What did that mean exactly?

All those questions remained unanswered. The only person who could answer them was the Hyuga heiress herself. And he was the only one who could ask all these questions. With newfound resolve, he jumped up.

I

After the right amount of head washing from Kakashi, he was out of the camp. His squad leader reminded him that he should take his remo seriously this time. Naruto understood that this meant that he could not lift a dog tag the coming two months.

He huffed, he did push the limits of that perverse man, who seemed to pin after his guardian. He smirked well good luck with that.

It was really late when he opened the kindergarten's door.

He asked one of the ration delivery group to take him as close to Konoha as possible. To his luck, one of the guys lived here. In the outskirts so he just needed to walk his way back to his home.

He heard hushed voices from the dining room and he headed there. Loudly exclaiming his arrival.

The voices stopped right away, then he heard the sound of hostile steps. He braced himself when Iruka-sensei came to view.

"Good evening…?"

He dodged the kick, the muscular leg colliding with his forearm. He was sloppy, however because he couldn't evade the left hook coming to his chin. He clasped his eyes shut, but the hit never connected.

So he squinted an eye probing his luck.

Iruka stood before him, heaving his eyes on fire. "GOOD EVENING?" he shouted, his shoulders trembling.

"Iruka-sensei the neighbors…" the blonde tried rubbing his stinging forearm.

The teacher's flamed up, and Naruto knew he made the wrong step again. "I…I AM HOME!" he cried already bracing himself for another lashing.

To his surprise Iruka just smiled a bit, his eyes clouded with tears. "Welcome back…" he finally croaked from the withheld sorrow.

Naruto felt guilty now. He let his duffel bag hit the ground and enveloped the teacher in his arms. When the older man hugged him back he knew that the unspoken apology was taken.

"Ah, Naruto welcome back!" Ino beamed, hugging the corner.

"Ino?" he asked still holding the teacher in his arms, who didn't seem to let go anytime soon.

She waved again a predatory grin on her lips.

"What are you doing here?"

Iruka finally let him go. His whole body relaxing again, he grabbed his bag and padded away. He said something to Ino and the blonde's face lit up. She thanked the teacher and bowed a bit.

Finally, she turned to the dumbfounded soldier by the door. "I wanted to borrow the place." she finally stepped out of the shadow of the wall. Walking up the boy who tried to toe off his boots.

"Why do you need the kindergarten?" he asked already regretting when the blonde's face became even more amused.

"I need it for a party," she grinned. Acting the most innocent Naruto ever seen her. "You are invited too." she offered.

"What kind of party?" he grunted.

It was way too late now to go anywhere. He hung his head in defeat. Not like the girl would be home. Did she stay in the Hospital even at night? If she was alright why was she there in the first place.

While he mused Ino answered.

"Chouji's birthday. May 1. Don't. Forget." she added more force to every word. When the boy didn't answer she went for the kill.

Her hand shot out, grabbing the boy's shirt ripping it up. Before Naruto could escape she was already examining his soulmarks.

"You know it's, bad to tip off a soldier who just came from the battlefield?" the question was rhetorical of course.

"Yeah," Ino stepped back, her head crooked to the side as she watched the tall boy. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Naruto eyed the girl and side stepped her, trying his best to avoid eye contact. Yamanaka Ino was psychic after all. Well that was what he believed in high school. The girl was just too accurate at anything considering her friends. Or even strangers.

"About what?" he lost the minute the girl sized him up, back then in high school.

He remembered her smirk growing every second while Sakura introduced him. Making him feel outnumbered, even though it was just the two girls.

"About Hinata?" she leaned against the far wall of the dining room, pointing at the chairs before her.

Naruto freezed to that. "How do you-"

"Sakura." both of them said in unison.

"You can't be angry at her," Ino chided before the blonde boy could storm up the stairs. "She said you took it badly."

She sat down by the table, her hands on the wood. The most open gesture that she knew, glancing at the chair right before her. Signaling the guy to sit down too.

For a moment, Naruto debated if he should just have run the moment he heard this honey covered voice. With a shrug, he slumped down across the girl.

The silence was heavy between them. Naruto was reluctant, he liked this girl. She was Sakura-chan's best friend. He himself thought of her as a friend. Yet this was way too personal just to flung it in the open.

"You can start anytime," she said with an amused smile on her lips. When he didn't comply she went on. "You know I'm learning psychology, right?"

He nodded.

"Good, because somehow, every one of you seem to forget in the most inconvenient times." she huffed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "I want to help people to understand themselves better and their marks." she fell back in the chair, her hands in the air, just she was about to give up. "God help me, my friends never tell me what's wrong so I have to meddle!" she snorted at her own dramatic skills.

"Okay! Good!" he grumbled but felt a small smile tug at his lips. Ino Yamanaka was someone who wasn't defeated easily. "Let's talk about Hinata." he gave up.

"Let's," Ino smiled, remembering an awfully similar conversation a month or so back when she pulled the whole truth out of Hinata too.

And they did. Naruto told her about the Hospital, how he found Hinata and Toneri. What it felt like when he realized that it was her. However when he got to the part which tortured him the most, he fell silent.

"Are you scared?" Ino asked in his place.

He didn't answer and she took it as a reaffirmation. "It's okay, you know," she smiled her fingers tapping on the wooden table. "It is scary, the feeling of belonging somewhere, the need," she smirked when Naruto reddened. "It is scary."

Both of them fell silent for a moment. Then she continued. "But, if you ask me it's not just your soul link that causes this."

"Then what?" Naruto deadpanned.

Ino looked at him, her eyes filled with mischief. "Who knows, I am not psychic." she grinned at the blonde's expression. A mixture of disbelief and anger, maybe? "I want to visit Toneri in the Hospital tomorrow. Wanna come?"

To this Naruto's head snapped up.

"Hinata will be there, I'm sure."

"I'm going."

He literally had to toss the laughing mess of a girl out of the old building.

I

The next afternoon came faster than he expected. When Ino stood in their garden hugging a bouquet, he didn't feel ready at all. The foxy girl, on the other hand, dragged him to the train station. Their ride was quiet, none of them wanted to talk. It was relaxing in a way Naruto rarely felt. When he traveled he was the first to speak if silence kicked in. Not today.

Today he felt his heart beat faster and faster with every passing minute. He still couldn't place it though.

When they arrived at the Hospital his legs rooted into the ground. Ino glanced at him before she spotted what caused the boy to stop. They watched, Shino was hugging a bawling Hinata just before the front door. After a moment Kiba hauled the two up, his signature howling laughter bouncing off the walls.

"Honestly, that is some scene…" Ino giggled holding a flower bouquet to her chest. She shot a sidelong glance at the blond guy on her side.

Naruto was watching with a goofy smile playing on his lips. Yeah just like the girl said, that was something. Something mesmerizing.

He felt like after a week he could breathe again. Like the air he took in before was just an ugly replica of the thing that he could inhale now that he saw Hinata.

Ino nudged his arm, finally breaking his stare. He felt his ears heat a bit at his own stupidity. But Ino didn't seem to comment on that. She just smiled smugly as she was about to closed the gap between them and the trio.

Naruto stopped the girl a soft smile plastering his face when he saw that Hinata was still clinging to Shino. Her hands balled on the guy's light jacket.

"What now?" Ino grumbled replacing the flowers in her arms.

"You invited them too right?" his gaze never left Hinata's lightly shaking form. "To the party."

"Well off course?" Yamanaka retorted with a question, one of her finely picked eyebrows quirking at her companion.

"Good," he said pushing his hands deep into his pockets, slowly tearing his eyes from the trio. „I am going home."

"Naruto?" her voice was filled with pure disbelief. "You are kidding, right?" she jumped before the leaving boy. "Don't you want to talk with-"

„Later…" he looked back at the dumbfounded girl over his shoulders.

I

When Ino said party, she meant business. The old building was filled to the brim with people, who were here to celebrate Chouji's birthday. Naruto had to slip through a horde of strangers just to get to his refrigerator. Where no surprise, the whole crew were leaning to the counter.

Kiba hugged Shino from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. Ino was bickering with Sai who seemed to enjoy it to no end. His eyes scanned the kitchen and the living room. It was obvious who he was searching for and Ino just couldn't contain herself.

"You look good." she said swatting a small piece of cotton from his button down shirt. "Good thing, you rolled that up." she patted his forearm.

"Is that a compliment?" he asked playing the shocked.

She mocked him, crossing her arms before her chest.

Yet before she could say anything Sai chimed in. "Sun girl is in the back garden."

Causing Ino to almost drop her beverage.

"Sun girl?" her voice was filled with confusion. "If you want to stick an orb to her so desperately, it's obviously Moon!" she clapped her hand to her mouth. But she was lucky, Naruto was already gone after Sai's declaration.

Said boy was already cutting through the crowd, greeting this and that. He heard Sakura-chan explode into the scene from somewhere far. He nodded to Shikamaru's direction who was linked to a sun blonde girl's waist. Guarding her, and sporting his always bored expression.

It took longer to get to the back door than he thought was necessary. After saw her at the Hospital, he wanted to meet the girl. This feeling just getting stronger when he got back to home, regretting his decision to leave the girl alone. He went to see Toneri the next day, the guy was alright, as much as it hurt him to confess at first. He seemed nice, even though their first meeting was still annoying him a lot.

However, his attempts to meet the girl were fruitless. When he jogged to the Manor he was ushered away by Ko-san. He said that Hinata was still under house arrest, just in case. He tried to soothe him when he came again the following day.

Even here, he wanted to be the one to greet the girl when she arrived. He missed his chance, and he would have rather not disturbed Ino's planning so he had to wait. After they congratulated Chouji the party jumped to full power. The music was loud but here in the suburb everyone knew everyone. So when Iruka-sensei told them that they would hold this little 'festivity' they just smiled.

The back door was left open, so the air could get in. There were at least forty people in the building after all. He stepped out hesitating, there were only two people outside and one of them was Hinata.

His heart skipped a beat when he finally saw her face after almost two weeks. She was smiling, her eyes glued to her partner as they spoke quietly.

Naruto gulped then stepped to the porch. "Hello ladies." he said awkwardly.

His face flushing when those pale opal eyes met his, a light dust of pink gracing her porcelain skin.

The other girl spun around, her dark red hair was put up in a messy ponytail, her golden eyes glaring at their intruder. When Karui recognized Naruto she sighed and pushed herself up.

"Yo!" she said sidestepping the boy and leaving them alone.

Naruto looked after her, till a little chuckle shook him back to the present. "What was that about?" he asked sitting down next to Hinata. Leaving a rather big place between them.

"Karui-san is hard on the outside…" she answered leaning a bit forward now finally beaming at him. The dust now a full on blush.

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat, this was just too much. He was about to say something, just to break the ice when the girl resumed.

"Thank you." she looked up, to the dark sky over them. Even though the music boomed in the house they could hear each other clearly.

"Huh..?"

"I didn't have the chance to say it." she smiled again turning to his direction now.

Just like a month ago, he took the words, without any coherent answer to them. He just hummed nodding and they fell into silence again. He stole glances at the girl who was humming to the song that played inside.

His hand inched a bit closer, their shadows were already holding hands. He yearned for it, he wanted touch Hinata. To feel that frightening excitement again. He wanted to ask all his questions, he wanted to-

"Naruto-kun," she paused like she was contemplating something before she nodded to herself.

This amused Naruto, picking on cords inside him he didn't know about. He waited patiently for the girl.

"Shall we dance?" she held her hand out for the boy to take. Her eyes averted for a second before she looked back at him.

"I can't dance." he blabbed, mentally kicking himself for turning down the girl's hard work. „I mean, yes the game is alright but the whol-"

Hinata stood up and Naruto's blood freeze. He didn't want her to leave, he wanted to talk and he wanted to touch. A cold shiver run down his spine as the girl stepped before him. Her hand still held out.

Even sitting on the low porch, he was almost taller than the girl. She had a smile on her lips, and for the first time, Naruto realized that she was just dreamy. She was standing there barefoot, her heels left on the porch. Short skirt, way too short to his liking. Or not? She was cute in it. She had long slender legs. Did he like it after all?

She was wearing a denim blouse, the sleeves rolled up just like his. Couple wear. He heard Sakura-chan say it back in high school once. While wearing the same dark patterned shirt as Sasuke.

The memory jolted him back, watching the girl's eyes almost plead. Even though her stance looked confident her doe eyes were of a frightened deer.

"I can teach you?" it was more of a question than a declaration.

Her voice trembled a bit and she was just about to lower her hands when Naruto finally grabbed them.

There it was, the same electrifying feeling, sending shivers through his entire body. The girl gasped at the contact but held his hand bravely. Her eyes locked with his.

"So we are…" she had almost not believed it. Mark there or not.

"Yeah…" the blonde boy kicked off his own shoes and stood before the tiny girl.

They stood there watching each other in silence, hand in hand. Naruto felt his throat clench. He breathed out and listened to the song. It was just perfect it was a fun song. About dance, how fateful was that.

He looked down at the girl who seemed rooted for the moment.

So just like back at that evening he had to make her laugh right?

"I hope I don't have to step on your foot to show me." he waited.

The Hyuga chuckled then, leaning forward, her shoulders shaking a bit.

"Imagine it," he urged "You leading me, I know you are strong but…". He smirked when the dark haired girl snorted.

Before long she was shaking from laughter. Her eyes shimmering as Naruto went on. Painting the picture of him standing on her foot just like in movies when the daddy danced with their princesses.

That sealed it, Hinata finally relaxed.

"Let's just do what the song says…" she chided holding both of Naruto's hand.

Already singing along the song and making Naruto swing with her. It was more of a hop to the sides than dancing but it was fun. The grass was cold under their skin and the night was warm. The street lamps light made their shadows long, and when Naruto glanced up he saw their silhouettes dance on the wall.

Hinata's voice was like magic, she laughed, her cheeks pink, and before Naruto knew he twirled her. His other hand feeling lonely already, but the little yelp and chuckle was reward enough. The tiny girl twirled one more, her hair and skirt swaying in a tantalizing movement.

Her chuckles became words again, breathily singing along the song, which was slowly coming to its end.

"Don't you know .We can do this together." she stepped back then forward again imitating their hopping to the side. Closing the gap between them again and again. "Bet you feel better when you're dancing,"

Naruto stopped her when she was close again, his chest rising from the movement and the joy of their little charade they called dancing.

Hinata didn't seem to mind as she finished the song a bit quieter. "Feel better when I'm…"

He saw this in movies so many times, this was the moment when the boy would confess to the girl before him. And they lived happily ever after. He smiled, happily ever after with Hinata. She always next to him, hugging, kissing, touching and then at night-

Wait.

His face became beet red at the thought as the remnants of a long forgotten dream's flooded his mind. Too vivid to his liking, and his current position. Looming over the girl, who was now herself red, her eyes wide in realization of their closeness.

Naruto's heart raced, and the song changed to a slow one.

If he thought his thoughts were dirty till now it just to spiral down.

Hinata took his left hand and put it on the small of her back, lingering hers on his shoulder. Their right still interlaced, she gripped down on it a bit. "Imagine a box," she said stepping back, leading Naruto a step forward then to the left. "One, two, three…" she dropped the words to the beat of the song.

They swung clumsily to the rhythm. Well, Naruto knew he was clumsy but after a few beats, he felt confident enough to lead the small girl under his fingers.

Which prickled, by the way, the denim fabric felt thin under his touch and her silky hair breezed at his skin every step.

She smiled a bit, looking at him, eyes locked.

And he was an idiot, Sakura-chan was right. Here was this adorable moment, this truly pure gesture from his soulmate. It amazed him how brave she was, taking the first step to touch him. And here he was. Glued to her lips. His breathing heavy.

"Now out of the box…" she instructed quietly.

"Wha-" he asked when the girl tugged him.

Finally waltzing in their back garden, under the stars, barefooted. If he watched this at evening with Iruka-sensei, he would find it sappy. But not now. Now it was the best thing ever.

Hinata didn't have to tell him to twirl her, he just did, slowly. Already missing the touch, so he tugged her closer, her chest flush against his and she gasped, before chuckling again.

This was bad.

Naruto felt his body flame up from the soft touch on his chest, not to mention the small chuckle. Too much like the dream.

"Dip me…" she said still smiling innocently.

Not even a hint of her knowing the turmoil inside the blonde boy.

He complied and dipped her lightly. Nothing grandiose like in said films. No, it was cute, how she leaned into his touch fully. Her left hand resting on his flexed one as he held her there. At that moment he finally heard the music again, no that wasn't true he heard them all along. But the lyrics finally got to his brain.

'Kiss me, under the milky twilight'

He froze there, remembering the girl's words. Of course, they were meant for the song before but, his mind just decided that it was fun tearing him apart. "Let's just do what the song says…"

The girl looked at him, her brows tilted a bit at the pose they were still in. She dipped back, Naruto leaning over her.

'So, Kiss me'

"Naruto-kun?"

He finally regained his consciousness and pulled the girl back up, stalling in their opening position. The song was over. A new upbeat one followed yet he stood there still holding the girl to his chest.

He looked down again just to curse at himself when he found the galaxy of eyes staring at him in confusion. He stepped back slowly letting go of the girl, a lopsided smile on his face. It felt cold, the places that were held by the girl till now felt cold.

"Hey!" Kiba howled from the porch. "We are about to rock it up inside!" this was an invitation.

And Hinata sighed, almost sounding relieved. Smiling, she glanced at Naruto for one more time before walking up to the porch to get her heels. He heard himself answer too and start too, before stopping altogether again. Watching the small girl disappearing behind the door.

He clenched his fist a few times, then shook them. Just like this helped his nerves. He was already afraid to close his eyes this night.

Yet he wanted to see more, wanted to dance more, so he almost jumped inside to glomp Sai.

This soulmate business was bad.