Hey everyone, it's the long awaited chapter! Enjoy and please please review! I would like to know what you have to say about this chapter, and I think you will have plenty to rant about! He he ;-)

Enjoy! And thank you for the many reviews left for me for the last chapter. :-) you are all amazing!

LOtsa love,

IamMu-chan

Chapter Twenty One

Just wanna be with you

Hinata stood frozen to the spot, watching as Naruto relaxed his shoulders slightly, allowing a long sigh to escape his lips. Hinata sighed as well before taking a step towards him once more. He turned to face her once she had reached his side, and instinctively wrapped his arms around her. She tensed slightly in surprise, but soon melted into his arms with a smile upon her face. Naruto always felt so warm and comforting; she didn't know how she had survived without his touch for so many long years.

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, talking quietly into her ear. She shivered as his hot breath caressed her neck.

"Hmm?" she answered dreamily.

"Did something happen between you and Kiba?" he asked, and she pushed away from him quickly, surprised at the question.

"No! I mean…what do you mean by 'something'?"

"You know," he suggested nervously, "Like…do you like Kiba?"

"What? Of course I like Kiba Naruto-kun! He's my teammate, and we've become very good friends over the years…"

"No, no, I mean…do you like Kiba?"

Hinata blushed at the thought of her liking Kiba in the way Naruto was suggesting, but quickly shook her head in response.

"No, I don't like him in that way Naruto-kun; Kiba will always only be my friend. At least, I hope so…"

"Has he been bothering you?" Naruto asked, quickly taking her around the waist again, pulling her closer. Hinata stammered slightly; she would never get over the fact that Naruto wanted to hold her in this way.

"U-um…" she considered, not wanting to get Kiba in trouble, but feeling obliged to answer Naruto nonetheless, "Yesterday, after you left he scared me a little…"

He narrowed his eyes, and Hinata could immediately feel his shoulders tense up again. She quickly avoided the subject to ask something she had been wondering as well.

"What about you Naruto-kun? Did something happen between you and Kiba since I last saw you yesterday?"

He nodded, gritting his teeth and setting his jaw firmly, his hands balling into fists and starting to shake. Hinata noticed, and immediately reacted, placing her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek to his.

"Please Naruto-kun, don't worry. Neji-nii-san stopped him before anything happened to me. And whatever happened between you two…please don't let Kiba mess with your emotions; he's only doing it because of jealousy. He's noticed that we've been spending a lot of time together, and he feels that it's a competition to win my affection. He just wants to hurt you Naruto-kun because-"

She took a deep breath, biting her tongue slightly. It was time to say it. Naruto had already admitted the night before that he liked her; he hadn't elaborated on it of course and she was therefore unsure of how deeply those words were meant. But she had to say it. Who knew when the next opportunity would come along?

"Because he knows how I feel about you…"

She felt Naruto grip her shoulders firmly, pushing her back so as to look at her face, a puzzled expression upon his features.

"What do you mean Hinata-chan?"

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata breathed, her heart thumping in her chest, "Last night you…you said you liked me, right?"

He nodded.

"In what way did you mean that exactly? Because Naruto-kun, I like you too…in a very different way to how I like Kiba. I like you in…in that way…"

Naruto's eyes sparkled as realization hit him. Hinata meant what she said; she wasn't just trying to cheer him up in the park yesterday, nor was she just spending time with him out of pity. She genuinely liked him, no, she loved him! And he didn't just like her either…the feeling that had erupted in his chest yesterday had been building for weeks before that, and he felt like kicking himself for not realizing it sooner. He loved her…

Hinata waited for his answer to her question, her eyes on her toes and her hands fiddling with the end of her long ponytail. She was embarrassed beyond belief; she had just admitted her feelings to Naruto…she was now facing her biggest fear. Would Naruto return her feelings? Or had she just ruined all her chances of a strong friendship with him? If he didn't accept her feelings she wondered whether she would be able to bear it…to bear spending her life without Naruto by her side as either a lover or a friend. Why was he taking so long to answer? Why-?

"I love you Hinata-chan!"

Suddenly she was swept up off of her feet, her arms pinned to her sides by the embrace Naruto was enfolding her in. Wait? Had he said he loved her? Was it only her imagination or had it really happened?

"I love you, I love you Hinata-chan!"

It was real. All of a sudden her eyes were brimming with tears as she pressed her face into his neck with joy, taking in his smell, his warmth, his entire being.

"Oh Naruto-kun!" she sighed, tears spilling down her cheeks now, "I love you too! I always have, for all these years I have loved you!"

The two broke apart, Naruto still holding Hinata by her waist and Hinata unlocking her arms from his grip and placing her arms around his neck. Naruto lent forward, placing his forehead against Hinata's.

"I've been feeling something different about you for months now…I wasn't able to figure out what it was. I caught myself staring at you so often, and thinking about you when I was supposed to be concentrating; this feeling that I have for you Hinata-chan, can only be described as love. And yesterday at the park…something happened between you and me. We reached a point of change. And I've been trying to ask you all morning Hinata-chan, but I was too scared you'd laugh at me: I want to be with you. I want you to be mine. Hinata-chan…I want to love you, protect you and care for you for as long as I can; for as long as you'll want me, and beyond that even! Hinata-"

"Shhh…"

Hinata shushed him by placing a finger to his lips. Her heart was overflowing with happiness, and she was bursting with fresh confidence. All those years of fainting and stuttering seemed foolish to her now; this moment wiped all of her fear away, and she felt fully comfortable with Naruto now. There was no need for awkwardness and child-like fears. He loved her! And she loved him more than he'd ever known. She understood him entirely, and agreed with his request. She wanted to be with him as well. She wanted to love him, protect him and care for him for all of her life.

"I understand Naruto-kun. I want to be with you as well…for so long I've wanted just that. You've made me happier right now than what I've ever been before…you're my source of happiness Naruto-kun and I-"

This time she was silenced as Naruto drew her fingers away from his mouth and pressed his lips to them once more. He kissed each finger on her small, soft hand, and that blush that he so loved to see on her crept into her cheeks once more. He lowered her hand and placed it at his back, pulling her closer to him. He wanted to do it. He'd been dreaming about kissing the girl with silver eyes and strawberry scented lips for months now, and here she stood before him.

Hinata felt Naruto pull her closer, her hands automatically sliding around him to his back, her face upturned to those gorgeous baby-blue eyes that had ensnared her at first glance. She immediately knew what was on Naruto's mind, and she didn't mind in the faintest. The first words that rushed through her mind were 'Don't faint!' as soon as she felt her cheeks begin to burn. He placed his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer, and she was reminded of their dance the previous night which had forced her as close to his body as she was now. He then placed his other hand beneath her chin, gently tilting her face up to his. He smiled and she responded with a softened stare, her heart rate increasing by the second. He lowered his face slowly down to hers, and her eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. She could feel his warm breath upon her lips. He was no more than an inch away…

"Naruto!"

Naruto stopped short, straightening up in surprise at the voice that had interrupted them. Hinata's eyes snapped open and Naruto quickly let go of her, forcing her to step backwards to regain her balance; she had been standing on tiptoe in order to reach Naruto's lips sooner, and now she was back to her normal height, redder than ever.

The two of them turned their heads towards the voice that had stopped them, suddenly realizing that they were still in the middle of the busy street. They had been so immersed in the confession of their feelings that their surroundings seemed to drift away from the main focus of their affections. It hit Hinata full force now however, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. What would her father say if he found out that she had kissed a man in the middle of a busy street from one of the villagers? She wondered who could already have seen her and would be spreading the news.

But all of these thoughts were soon wisped out of her mind when she saw who had interrupted them. Lord Jiraiya, the toad sage, was sitting cross-legged at a nearby café, sipping a small glass of sake in the one hand, and a pen which was poised to a notebook in the other.

"Wait!" he shouted from across the street, causing passers-by to stare curiously, "On second thought, don't mind me! Carry on, carry on! This is great material for my next novel!"

"Ero-sennin!?" Naruto shouted, first in joy because of his teachers long absence, and then in annoyance as he remembered the interruption, "Ero-sennin! You idiotic old fool, why the hell did you do that?"

Hinata nodded her head in agreement, Naruto's annoyance quickly affecting her. Jiraiya's eyes motioned to the left of them, indicating a person standing at a stall a few feet away. Hinata noticed the person immediately; it was one of the maids that worked in the Hyuuga estate, and she would have been sure to inform her father about her actions as soon as she could. Hinata blushed red again, and then sighed in relief. It seems as though the interruption had been necessary after all; although it was terribly annoying.

"Jiraiya-sama, thank you!" Hinata said quickly, rushing over and bowing obediently before him, "You have saved me a great deal of trouble from my family."

Naruto wandered over feeling confused. What were they talking about? Hinata quickly filled him in on what would have happened if they had just kissed, and he immediately felt grateful to the perverted hermit as well.

"Thanks Ero-sennin!"

"Naruto, must you call me that name in public?" Jiraiya protested feebly.

"I'll call you what you are and you are Ero-sennin. End of story." Naruto said, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly. Jiraiya shook his head and turned back to Hinata instead.

"You are most welcome Hinata-san," he said in a sweet voice that immediately made Naruto suspicious, "I wouldn't want you to be getting in trouble because of this oaf of a ninja, now would I?"

"Ero-sennin," Naruto interjected as Jiraiya took Hinata's hand in his, intending to kiss it lightly, "I know what you are thinking, and don't you even begin to consider it! Hinata is my girlfriend, she is not a new research project, you got that?"

Hinata's heart jumped at Naruto's use of the word 'girlfriend', and she wrapped her arms around him before she had even realized what she was doing.

"I would never do that Naruto; the young and innocent relationships don't interest me at all! Although…" he eyes Hinata dangerously, "It does seem to be getting a bit hot on your end…"

Naruto felt the fire jump into his cheeks as he flinched away from Jiraiya, pulling Hinata's arms from around him and forcing her to his side, where he wrapped an arm around her shoulders instead. Jiraiya eyes him this time, from top till bottom, his eyes lingering too long on a point low below his belly button.

"Very hot I see…"

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto whined in embarrassment as Hinata giggled. She knew exactly what Jiraiya was referring to; it seemed she was not the only one who felt attraction in the relationship she now shared with Naruto. He seemed very interested himself.

"Let's get out of here Hinata-chan, before this pervert starts asking any embarrassing questions."

"Wait Naruto, there's a reason for my being here you know? I was looking for you. The Hokage has requested you meet with her urgently. It's about your new mission." Jiraiya said, draining the last of his sake and standing up.

"You have a mission Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, slightly disappointed. She had finally gotten him to herself, and now he would have to leave before they could really start their new relationship.

"Na, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, waving a hand casually, "It's just discussing tactics for this and that, nothing is set in stone just yet."

"Oh, alright," she said, her spirits lifting again, "Then I'll see you later?"

"Of course Hinata-chan!" Naruto said with a wink, "I'll come by your house once I'm done, okay?"

"Okay!" she agreed excitedly, then quickly stood up on her tiptoes and gave her new boyfriend a peck on the cheek, "I'll see you later!"

With that Hinata ran off in the direction the had come from, determined to get back home and tell her sister the good news about her and Naruto. Naruto watched her go, raising a hand up to tough the warm area on his cheek where her lips had been only a moment before.

"Come on Naruto," he heard Jiraiya say, "As much as I am proud of you for finally becoming a worthy student of mine we must get to the Hokage immediately."

"What do you mean by me finally becoming 'a worthy student'? Naruto asked, watching Hinata's ponytail whip around the corner.

"Naruto, I honestly thought you'd never catch on to that girl's feelings for you. I began to think you were a complete lost cause in the field of romance!"

"Wait! You knew? You knew Hinata-chan liked me?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

Jiraiya laughed boisterously, causing the people in the small café to look up from their meals.

"Naruto! Everyone knew!"

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