Disclaimer:- All Characters From Naruto belong to M. Kishimoto

Hard Love

Chapter 11

Healing wounds...

"Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion." - Buddha

oOoOo

Previous Chapter. ..

His blue eyes roamed her sleeping face and then focused on her pale pink lips. They looked so enticing that his body just moved on its own accord, as his own lips pressed gently against hers. Feeling satisfied, he yawned then snuggled back into bed, but now his hand was now gently grasping hers as he drifted off back to sleep.

Lilac eyes flickered open, her cheeks slightly tinged pink as she felt her now parted lips with the tips of her fingers. Was that real? Or was that a dream? The sensation to her lips was pleasant, and her heart was fluttering wildly, like a swarm of butterflies. Her lips curved into a gentle smile as she noticed that her hand is being gently held within his, which made her blush more prominent in colour… Maybe it was real after all?

oOoOo

The morning rays of the sun leaked its natural glow in to the room, stirring the sleeping boy who had a rare good night's sleep. His blue eyes opened, taking in his familiar surroundings, wondering briefly what happened. He couldn't recall coming to bed at all, in fact most of yesterday seemed quite a blur to him, until he remembered the outing yesterday. That memory made his face turn pale once more.

He could remember seeing those familiar eyes. Those that were once a gorgeous shade of green to him. At first the eyes that looked at him looked, genuinely surprised, but then they glanced towards who he was, and that made her eyes pierce him like an icy knife. The same intense glare filled with hate and fury that took him back to that very night, the night when he had been hurt by those he thought he could love and trust the most.

Since that night, he kept remembering the events like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to decipher each piece and interlock it in place to try to make sense of everything. He never understood why Sakura became the person she was that night, but had a feeling it had to deal with Shion somehow.

His thoughts drifted to how he had reacted, his eyes suddenly grew wide at the sudden realization of what he had done. He had felt panicked, anxious, expecting the same thing to happen to him like it did that night. But it was the words that had echoed in his head, the words of the girl that he had genuinely fallen in love with.

" B-but why?... W-why are y-you doing this?... I…. I… I love you…. I…. thought you l-loved me?..."

"Oh…you poor, poor child...you are so naive...ha!...you disgust me...but then again... you thought I loved you?... I never fucking loved you to begin with. Why you ask?...heh…Well that's easy...it had all been an act from the very start, in order to break you!... well look at you now! So fucking pitiful!…I had my fun, for now…. But I will be watching you from now on… I will make sure that you will forever remain miserable and I will destroy anyone or anything that comes to love you… but then again...who would come to love someone like you?...hehe… I will make sure that you never know happiness… EVER"

Those words still haunted him. When he saw Sakura, even though her hair was no longer the shade of petal pink but of a deep chocolate brown, her eyes was something that he could never forget. The rising panic flooded him completely that he realized he had pushed Hinata away. He had told her to keep away from him. He didn't want them to go after her. He did that to protect her, that gentle smile that seemed to attract him to her like a moth to the flame.

The very thought that Hinata could be targeted by those that did those horrifying acts frightened him more, as he gripped the Orange sheets tightly in his hands, gripping it with all the strength and inner rage he had been hiding for so long. He suddenly caught the faintest smell of lavender and brought him back instantly from his thoughts, as his mind drifted once again to the dream he had dreamt the night before. He could swear that it felt so real to him, but there was just no way, just no possibility that it could be.

The dream he had last night was of the girl he couldn't stop thinking about. She haunted his thoughts constantly, no matter how hard he had tried to keep his distance, his mind and body wouldn't allow him. She was like a drug to him, she was refreshing. The way she was with his family, the way she made them all feel relaxed, as though a warm light had appeared within the room drawing them to her. Her soft and gentle smile that showed the childlike innocence that wasn't false, but completely genuine, drew them all and he couldn't help but want to follow her, want to know her more. However, he was frightened that he would be hurt once again, remain vulnerable and miserable, while all his friends moved on with their lives. He didn't want to be like this forever.

He knew he had no chance with her. Why would she like him, after all that he had done? He apologized after feeling the immense guilt, but then soon after he pushed her away again, although he did it to protect her more than anything else. He didn't want her hurt just because of him. It would dare he say it, devastate him, if that happened and he was the cause.

The dream he had, he could secretly reflect on and enjoy the feel of her soft lips that sent delicious shivers throughout his body and made his heart a beating mess. It felt to him as though it was real, but he knew it couldn't be. Not after everything he did. Why would she be here looking after him?

The door opened, making him jump slightly, as two figures stepped inside. Naruto looked and saw his mother and aunt Karin standing by the door, just looking at him, their facial expressions said it all. Naruto swallowed, not knowing what to expect as his mother came closer, sitting down beside him, her eyes looking tired and solemn.

"M-Mom!?" Naruto stuttered, surprised.

"How are you feeling?" Kushina's soft voice asked with worry and concern.

"I-I'm fine mom.." Naruto reassured

"Baka!.." Karin shouted, shocking Naruto completely, as he saw his aunt's face. Her eyes showed the anger and hurt within them that made the blonde feel guilty.

"Naruto...we know what happened to you" Kushina said softly, seeing her son's whole body stiffen, shocked that they knew his secret he could never bring himself to tell.

"Why!?..." Karin choked, her tears falling, as her anger dissipated being replaced by anguish.

Naruto just stared at the aunt that he was once so close to, who was only a few years older than him, but he had drifted away from since that incident occurred.

"You're my nephew...I would of been there for you...I should have been there for you...but I didn't know..."Karin sobbed as she hugged him, weeping and holding him tight.

Naruto felt overwhelmed, seeing how worried his mother and aunt had been. He had seen all his friends and family be concerned over him, but all he did was keep it to himself and take it all on by himself, just to protect them from any possible threats that could endanger them. But seeing how hurt they both looked by not telling them to begin with hurt them even more. He could see that now.

"Please rest today, Naruto" Kushina told him

"But mom, I'm fine now honestly." Naruto protested.

As soon as he let those words out, he regretted it, as he felt the atmosphere turn dangerous. His eyes widened as he saw his mother's face and knew she was not to be messed with when her faced turned like that, as her red hair seemed to rise, giving it the illusion that it was on fire. He could see why his father never went against her words as beads of sweat ran down his neck.

"You...young man will stay in bed today...understand?" Kushina commanded once more, her voice held a warning tone that Naruto knew all too well that he couldn't disobey.

"Y-Yes mom"

Kushina relaxed as she smiled, giving him a hug then kissing his cheek, as she brushed his hair back with her hand. Karin grinning slightly, knowing that her big sister won quite easily, which was normal. They didn't call her the 'Red hot-blooded Habanero' for nothing.

oOoOo

Hinata awoke after a whole night of restlessness. She had remained sitting beside Naruto until the early hours of the morning, deciding to return to her own room after she was certain the blonde was alright. All she kept thinking about on the way back to her room was that gentle sensation she felt on her lips, and how even though it felt strange, it had also felt pleasant. It was indescribable to the young girl, as the recurring memory kept replaying to her.

She had been certain that it must have been a dream, as her cheeks began to blush a deep pink, until the moment she saw her hand gently held by his, and it was then she knew it was real. The faint smile came to her lips, remembering how warm his hand was and how peaceful he looked as he slept.

Hinata glanced at her clock, noticing it was breakfast and quickly got up and dressed, making sure she was looking presentable. As she headed down stairs, she wondered if Naruto would be down this morning? Hinata noticed that Minato wasn't at the table as he would normally be, and neither was Itachi. She wondered where they were, as the dining hall looked emptier than usual.

Hinata saw Sasuke sitting down, currently eating a piece of toast, as Temari was next to him, drinking a cup of black coffee. They immediately noticed her presence and smiled as they saw her come towards them, while Temari poured her out some coffee. Hinata took a seat next to Sasuke. She wanted to discuss with him her plans and see if he could help her with some things.

"A-Ano...Sasuke-kun, I have t-thought about what y-you told me yesterday, and I was w-wondering if there were any c-cookbooks here?" Hinata asked.

"Cookbooks?" Sasuke repeated

"Y-Yes...are there a-any here at all?" Hinata asked again, hoping that there was.

"What do you want a cookbook for?" Temari asked intrigued.

"I-I was g-going t-to make N-Naruto-kun s-some ramen t-to eat" Hinata nervously admitted, a prominent blush graced her cheeks.

"Wow...that's such a fantastic idea Hinata-chan" Temari encouraged the shy indigo haired girl.

"Yeah, it is. We all know how much the dobe himself loves the stuff" Sasuke replied with a sigh.

"I'm not sure if we do have any though… especially on ramen." Temari reasoned, still thinking.

"Yes we do. The dobe had a book on it somewhere in his room. So after we've eaten, we will go find it" Sasuke announced.

"B-But I...w-want it t-to be a surprise" Hinata admitted

"Fine, I will look while you talk to him" Sasuke stated with a sly smile gracing his lips.

"W-Wait...h-he may n-not want t-to see me!" Hinata exclaimed nervously.

"You will be fine" Sasuke reassured her.

Hinata bit her lip, slightly hesitant at the suggestion, but nodded her head nonetheless. Hinata knew that she had to make a start somewhere and if that's what she had to do to make a start, then so be it. She had promised to help him recover, so she would, regardless if he wanted to see her or not.

OoOoOo

Naruto meanwhile was feeling bored. He was currently still in bed due to his mother's insistence. He was still shocked over the fact that his parents knew what happened and he knew by the look in his mother's eyes that she was hurt that he hadn't told her what happened and had kept it hidden within him. He knew that they had both been worried about him, it was clearly seen by him, but he didn't want to bring any more problems on their shoulders.

His mother at the time was suffering due to the losses of her friends, coping with growing guilt regarding one of them and not being able to get justice for the other. He tried to be there for her, as did everyone, especially his dad who was up all hours trying to find information on the killings but there was nothing. Kushina began to throw herself into work, helping to promote Rasengan industries and find new clientele.

She would be gone for days and weeks on end, working to rid the many demons in her mind. His dad had businesses to run and watch over and talk to the many contacts that his godfather Jiraiya built up through his spy network. They hoped one day a lead would come up that would help them bring justice and retribution to those they loved and cared for that had been lost.

Naruto knew that his friends were trying to find them. Those crazy vindictive bastards of the sound four. He knows they haven't found anything yet though, including the locations of Shion and Sakura. His thoughts drifted away from them, he didn't want to spend every minute and every second thinking of them anymore. He had remembered enough. He was thankful that his mother and his aunt hadn't brought up the taboo subject, there was a silent understanding between them that made Naruto at ease.

His thoughts did drift to other matters, namely the dream he had last night that to him felt so real for some reason. The truth of the matter was, he had been experiencing many dreams of the indigo haired beauty that was living with his family for some time now. He dreamed many nights of being beside her, talking to her, making her laugh, hearing her sweet angelic giggles that he couldn't help but give one of his trademark grins to. In those dreams he felt happy, and content, something he hadn't really felt like before.

The dream he experienced last night, however, seemed so real. He could even remember how soft her lips were against his, the slight scent of lavender that always seemed to calm him. He could still feel how soft and warm her hands were when held against his own. Naruto still deep in his thoughts, didn't hear the knock on the door and the call of his name as the door opened and whomever came inside until he heard the familiar voice that could always push his buttons.

"Good morning dobe..what's got you looking all goofy?" Sasuke teased, breaking the blonde out of his thoughts

Naruto instantly blushed as he glared at his raven haired friend, who was grinning widely in amusement much to his annoyance, that he began to retort.

"Teme I'm not looking..go-" Naruto retorted until he realized another person was in the room, specifically the girl who was currently in his thoughts all the time.

"You were saying dobe?" Sasuke asked again, seeing the blush on his friends cheeks grow more prominent in colour as he tried so hard to act normal, but was failing miserably.

Hinata could see that Naruto looked a lot better this morning, which was a relief to her. As soon as she walked inside, she immediately noticed his deep blue eyes looked so lost in his thoughts and hoped he wasn't thinking on what had happened to him. When Sasuke spoke to him, it brought him to his senses, and she could see that he hadn't noticed her yet. That was until he stopped mid sentence, when his eyes caught hers. She saw the slight widening of his eyes that looked completely shocked at her being there which made her worry, especially when he told her to stay away from him yesterday.

Naruto was stunned that Hinata had come to see him. Why? After what he had said and done to her yesterday, he didn't think she would look at him again, let alone visit him. He noticed that she seemed to look tired and slightly agitated and felt guilty. It was most likely his fault to begin with.

Sasuke had taken his friends distraction to his advantage, looking for the ramen book that he was sure his blonde friend had in his possession somewhere in his room, but so far he couldn't see it. He wondered where the idiot would have kept it and wondered if he should just tell Hinata to go see if Kushina had one lying around somewhere, seeing as he didn't.

"I-I..hope you are feeling better N-Naruto-kun" Hinata softly asked

"Y-Yes I am, thank you" Naruto managed to reply, a little stunned

Hinata smiled as she noticed Sasuke shake his head, feeling disappointed that he couldn't see the elusive book in the room.

"Hinata-chan... ask aunt Kushina. Maybe she could help you?" Sasuke stated.

Hinata nodded and bowed, leaving Sasuke behind to keep the blonde company. Naruto watched her leave. Part of him wanted her to stay, but he couldn't find the words and plus he felt embarrassed to do so. Sasuke watched his friend, who seemed to not notice he was still present. He knew his friend was finding it difficult. He could see that he was hesitant and cautious with his growing feelings for the girl.

But to the raven haired man that knew him and had been by his side since they can remember, could easily see through the act he was putting on. Naruto, to Sasuke, was like the sun to his darkness. They both had a unique bond, where they both seemed to know what the other was clearly thinking, and when they were trying to hide certain emotions from others.

"So...how are you really?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto, who was still gazing at the door, suddenly realized that he had been staring at the door since her departure. The blonde knew that his friend could see through him and gave a deep sigh, his eyes closing briefly, then meeting black opal orbs that locked on to his blue.

"I don't know...I see that my past is now out?" Naruto queried

"We couldn't exactly hide it anymore, dobe...Besides what happened back there?" Sasuke asked. Naruto once again sighed as he brushed his hair back with his hands.

"I apologized to Hinata about that night...she accepted my apology, and I felt relieved. It had been eating me away on the inside. She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as she began go talk about the various plants, specifically orange ones" Naruto chuckled softly

"I happened to see a bunch of orange flowers that caught my attention. They were so vividly vibrant y'know. When my eyes followed them to the shelf that they were placed on, I happened to see someone at that very moment look towards me as though they knew me. It wasn't until I noticed the colour of her eyes that I knew who it was" Naruto confided

"Sakura?" Sasuke answered for him already guessing, thanks to Hinata and the smell of perfume.

Naruto's head nodded, confirming their suspicions that it was the woman that once was a friend to them all.

"What did she do?" Sasuke asked, his tone of voice was cold curious to the answer.

"When our eyes met, I couldn't believe it y'know. I didn't think she did either, but then her eyes went from surprised to practically glaring daggers at me. That's when Shion's last words to me surfaced in my mind, that warning about anyone I could care about. About how they would be hurt. I...I...panicked...I know she happened to see Hinata, I saw her eyes change quickly and I...wanted to protect Hinata!" Naruto confided.

"That's why you pushed away...and warned her to stay away from you?" Sasuke repeated the words he used, much to the blondes grimace.

"I...know...I..I..just apologized to her and then I...and then I pushed her away from me. Then I had to say those horrible words. Those words hurt her, didn't they, teme?" Naruto stated, defeated.

"But you did it anyway...because you wanted to protect her didn't you...dobe?" Sasuke softly replied, his hand now on his friends shoulder, as Naruto nodded his head agreeing.

"I'm honestly surprised that she came here just now y'know...she did look tired though. Hey Sasuke is she...is she ok?" Naruto asked with concern.

Sasuke hid his smile, seeing the genuine concern in his friends eyes. That looked so much like the old Naruto that he missed, finally shining through.

"I expect it was because she was worried about someone" Sasuke hinted, wondering if his dense friend would notice.

"Worried?...About who?" Naruto asked, and his best friend felt like face palming.

Why was the blonde idiot so oblivious that she was genuinely worried about him, but then again, they both were, Sasuke thought. He was surprised that his friend hadn't noticed the kun that she added at the end of his name.

"Yeah...whom, I wonder?"Sasuke whispered under his breath.

"Huh!?"

"Never mind dobe." Sasuke groaned.

oOoOo

Hinata searched around the Namikaze estate for Kushina, hoping that she could help her. She couldn't help thinking about the idea she came up with, making Naruto his favourite meal. Would that cheer him up? Hinata had to admit, once she tasted those cinnamon buns the day after she arrived, she was hooked. She blushed slightly at the fact that she had easily eaten most of them, and since her arrival the sweet delectable buns had become a firm favourite of hers.

Hinata noticed the familiar voice she was looking for coming from one of the living rooms. The door was partially open. As she peaked inside, she saw the woman that had accepted her with open arms and showered her with kindness and love that she could not help but embrace, looking out of the large window that opened up to the front of the estate. Her voice seemed broken. She was talking to no one in particular that Hinata could make out, so she remained where she was listening, curious to who she was talking to.

"I wish you were here with me...both of you" Kushina announced softly

"I know if you were both here...you would help me and tell me what I can do to make my boy smile again" Kushina continued.

Hinata couldn't miss the worry in her voice, as she knocked softly on the door, alerting the woman that she was present as she stepped inside. Hinata could see the frantic movements of her arms, making sure she wiped away any evidence of her flowing tears.

"Aunt K-Kushina?" Hinata gently called out.

The red haired woman turned around, facing her. The slight red around her eyes was evidence that she had been crying, her face changed to a warm smile as she looked at her.

"Oh Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" Kushina asked

"Ano...do you happen to have any cookbooks?" Hinata questioned politely.

Kushina paused, silently puzzled. Why would she want cookbooks for?

"Cookbooks?...Why would you want cookbooks for Hinata-chan?" Kushina replied, puzzled

Hinata nervously took a breath, deciding to confide her idea, and hoped she would tell her how she could do it.

"Ano...I..I..was told b-by Sasuke-kun that Naruto-kun loves ramen and I t-thought it w-would surprise him i-if I made him some. S-so I w-was wondering if y-you had a-any cookbooks to make some ramen and h-how I can make it for him?"Hinata quietly admitted.

Kushina couldn't help but smile at the indigo haired girl. She was so much like her best friend who she missed so dearly, and her genuine kindness to help others shined through that. It took all the worry she had been feeling away at that very moment, knowing that it was such a good idea and might very well work for her son.

"Hinata-chan...that's such a wonderful idea!...Come with me. I will help you make it...we will make it together, how's that? Kushina answered with a huge smile.

Hinata smiled and nodded her head in agreement, as they both headed to the extremely large kitchen, to see what they had to work with. Kushina knew that there was enough men still on the estate. They could call into a store to get the ingredients they needed, if they didn't have it already.

oOoOo

Naruto remained in his room, worried he would anger his mother if she caught him out of his bedroom, although felt frustrated as he was completely bored. Sasuke had remained beside him throughout. He wondered if Hinata had found Kushina, as he knew she liked ramen just the same. Her son was so much like her, although he looked a lot like his dad.

Naruto decided he wanted to go to his game room, which was practically next door. He needed something to do to take his mind of things regarding his encounter with Sakura that he had relayed to Sasuke, and his growing thoughts on his dream about Hinata.

Sasuke thought it was best, seeing how bored the blonde was, and thought it would help him more than staying still in his bed. That wasn't really Naruto's style. They both entered inside, seeing a few of the gang inside. Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba and Choji was present along with the Subaku siblings. They immediately stop what they were doing as they saw their blonde friend step inside.

"Naruto-kun, should you be up out of bed? Aunt Kushina told us you would be resting today." Ino asked as she approached them both.

"I'm fine Ino-chan. I just needed to get out for a bit. I'm bored and would rather play a few games on the console than sit looking at my bedroom walls" Naruto answered honestly with a sigh.

Everyone didn't comment further regarding what had happened, deciding to leave things for the moment, clearly seeing the blonde wanted to take his mind off things which to them was understandable. They all began to talk amongst themselves and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere for now. Naruto, however, wondered where Hinata was, seeing as both Ino and Temari were both here made him curious.

Most of the day passed by with small talk and laughs at some of the jokes, playing games that seemed to ease the blonde further, seeing his friends all around him. The door opened revealing Karin, who looked at her nephew rolling her eyes, knowing that her hunch was right and that her blonde nephew would be inside here as she walked inside.

"Dinner's ready, everyone so please go down to the dining hall" Karin announced to the room.

Everyone was feeling quite hungry as they made their way out of the room. Naruto also about go follow behind but was stopped by Karin, her eyes telling him that he had to go back to his room.

"I'm fine Karin-chan. I feel quite hungry" Naruto assured her

"Your mother has insisted that you are to stay in your room, so... if you are feeling quite brave to disobey her then please...feel free to follow your friends." Karin stated, seeing the noticeable flinch in his body at her words, and she knew that her point had gotten across.

"But I'm starving!?" Naruto moaned out loud

"Just get back to your room... a meal is being brought up for you" Karin answered back.

Naruto grumbled, but obeyed anyway, and followed his aunt back to his room, seeing that one of the many maids was preparing his room for him to receive the food.

"So what's for dinner anyway?" Naruto asked, feeling his stomach rumble.

"Oh...it's a surprise" Karin answered with a sly smile.

"A surprise?" Naruto repeated.

"Yes...so you will have to wait and see, but I will give you a hint if you want?" Karin teased

That got Naruto intrigued. He was curious by nature, so Karin knew she had his devout attention.

"So the cooks have made me something special?" Naruto asked.

"Something like that, they wanted to make you something" Karin replied

Naruto got back on to his bed as Karin watched him. She had been witnessing what had been happening in the kitchen downstairs and was quite amazed at how natural Hinata seemed to be with cooking. When Hinata had remarked she had only been watching the many cooks work back at her father's, she thought she was lying, which Karin thought was absurd. It didn't seem like Hinata could even lie if she tried.

But seeing the young girl listen intensively to Kushina and gather the ingredients that by chance they actually had already, Karin could see that she put her all in the meal. Kushina had actually let her do it but helped her in the areas that she needed help in. Karin could see she put a lot of thought and care into cooking that meal for her nephew and it made her smile warmly at the scene.

Karin, like the others, had seen the subtle looks her nephew had given the girl since she had arrived back with Kushina. She felt forever indebted to Hinata. She was finally seeing her older sister wanting to smile again a with a genuine smile, not a fake one that she had been giving to everyone for. The smile that only Minato and she, herself could see through. but since she had met Hinata, she was finally smiling happily once more. Karin hoped that the shy girl that had appeared and was accepted into her family, would be able to mend her nephew's broken heart and fix his forgotten smile.

The sound of the door broke her from her thoughts, as she opened up the door, seeing Kushina along with Hinata with a trolley of dishes. She stepped aside and let them through, watching her nephew out of the corner of her eyes. Naruto was very surprised seeing his mother come in with Hinata that his mouth was slightly agape.

The aroma of a familiar smell filled the room that the still shocked Naruto's stomach growled loudly, and made the blonde snap out of it and become embarrassed, as his mother along with Hinata giggled. Hinata placed the food on the small table as Naruto finally got up off the bed

Naruto saw his favourite food in a large bowl, piping hot ready for him, with a large dish full for the second and third helpings. His mother had told Hinata to prepare more for him, knowing her sons appetite to ramen in particular. Naruto couldn't believe it, knowing he doesn't have ramen a lot at home, seeing as he always went to Ichiraku's everyday to get his ramen fix, but not much since after what had happened. He was genuinely surprised and the smell was so good, that he immediately sat down to taste the food, grabbing his chopsticks parting them and then digging in.

Hinata watched him and smiled, seeing him look so surprised worried her slightly but then seeing Kushina and Karin grin seemed to calm her as she watched on. Naruto was in heaven. It tasted so lovely, sucking up the noodles and tasting the full flavour of the broth, he forgot how much he missed it. His food of the gods.

"D-Do you l-like it N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata nervously asked him.

Naruto hearing Hinata ask him about the food along with finally hearing -kun added to his name made him stop in his tracks. He had a mouthful of food so he nodded his head yes while he swallowed.

Hinata smiled so warmly that it almost made Naruto choke on his noodles, seeing how radiant her smile was. It was solely at him and that made his cheek grow slightly pink at the bewitching sight. To Hinata, she was just so happy and relieved to see that he was enjoying the food so much. She had done something to help him in her own sweet way, even if it was small.

"Come on Hinata-chan, let's leave him be and go down for our meals" Karin announced, feeling hungry herself.

"O-Ok Karin-Chan" Hinata replied softly.

"Yes, I will stay with him so make sure there is some left for me...Oh before you go Hinata-chan, I think Naruto has something to say to you" Kushina announced bending down to her sons ear.

"Thank Hinata for your meal. She cooked it only for you y'know!" Kushina whispered to her dense son.

Naruto felt his face grow even warmer as the words sunk in and his heart raced fiercely in his chest. His eyes were wide with surprise as he took in the slight pink on the girls cheeks rising brightly on her creamy skin, it could rival his very own.

"Um...t-thank you H-Hinata-chan" Naruto managed to answer as he witnessed her blush intensify to her whole face.

"T-That's...ok...N-Naruto-kun, please enjoy it" Hinata squeaked, bowing her head, then disappearing quickly with a grinning Karin following after, leaving a smiling Kushina watching behind.

Naruto couldn't get his heart to stop beating frantically inside him as he stared at the spot Hinata once stood, still shocked she had cooked him a meal, and it was ramen nonetheless. His absolute favourite and it was delicious! He could even say it was better than Ichiraku's! Kushina watched her son and knew that his son seemed to like Hinata and she hid her smile quite well. Naruto realized his mother was still in the room, watching him, and quickly recovered continuing to eat his food. He was still shocked that Hinata had made this for him and the thought of her cooking for him everyday popped into his mind briefly, making him blush fiercely. He hoped that his mother would not notice him blushing, but he highly doubted it. He just hoped the subject would not be brought up.

But luckily for, him his mother remained silent and just continued to quietly watch him eat with a small smile. She had seen the looks her son had given to her best friend's daughter and could see that he was interested in her. Kushina could also see that Hinata was curious about her son too. She had listened to her all afternoon, telling her ideas to help her son, and she couldn't help but hope that this girl would be the one finally be able to bring her son back to the boy she so had dearly missed seeing.

oOoOo

A/N:- Hello to all my readers following Hard Love! Again my thanks go to my beata reader gio08 for his help he has been fantastic! Thank you to all my readers that has added my story as their favourite and to those following and your reviews have been amazing! They are keeping me going and I'm stunned that so many of you are enjoying this story.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter I will update again next week so until then peace and love to all my readers bye bye for now cc please review!