The moment Hinata brought Naruto onto the Hyuuga premises, he was accosted by Niko and every Hyuuga child under the age of fifteen.

"Nii-chan, is it true that the Kyuubi is in your stomach?" said Kaori, forcefully pressing poor Naruto's belly with her hand and probably bothering the Kyuubi.

"Nii-chan, does your stomach hurt because the Kyuubi's inside it? Is it like being pregnant?" (Whoa, what?)

"Nii-chan, you have nice hair. It's so pretty and yellow."

"Nii-chan, when is your birthday?"

"Nii-chan, what's your favorite color?"

"Nii-chan, can you give me your autograph?"

Then Niko kicked off the physical attacks by jumping onto Naruto's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging on his hair. It was a chain reaction. Konoha's Number One Super Ninja was no match for a mob of hyper children.

Within seconds, he was completely buried under cries of "nii-chan!"

Hinata cleared her throat. "Everyone, please calm down. What will Naruto-kun think of us if we attack him every time he visits?"

Her words had a calming, magical effect on the hyperactive kids. They backed off obediently, though a few kids muttered "Nee-sama is mean" under their breath, earning them a sharp look from Hinata.

A girl wearing an orange flame pattern kimono snickered gleefully as Naruto extricated himself from the kids. Hinata ignored her.

Naruto looked on, impressed at her authoritative demeanor. She'd done that on the mission he'd been on with Team 8 too.

Wow, Hinata is really great at handling people. He shook his head at the intrusive thought. Where did that come from?

He cleared his throat. "Hinata, it's okay. I don't mind."

He smiled reassuringly at the kids. Dozens of white eyes shot him adoring looks.

Whoa, they were way too much like the mobs of Academy kids who would jump him every time he was passing by the road near the school. Or the hordes of people who would beg him for autographs whenever he was shopping for ramen. He liked the villagers and all, but he didn't get why they all wanted his autographs like Niko did. He had terrible handwriting thanks to his right hand being gone. But whenever he tried to explain that to them, they looked at him like he had sprouted the horns of Six Paths Super Gramps, then went right back to asking him.

Kurama sighed in exasperation inside his mind. He'd been doing that a lot lately, but whenever Naruto had asked him why, he'd just mutter about stupid jinchuuriki and go back to sleep.

The kimono girl grinned evilly at him.

"Hello, Naruto nii-san. My name is Hanabi," she said. He had no idea why she was emphasizing the "nii-san" part, but before he could ask, Hinata grabbed his hand and began to lead him to her room again, with Hanabi following.

"I'm sorry about that, Naruto-kun," Hinata said when they were all safely in her room, away from the piranha children. "They've become really excitable lately."

Before he could respond, Hinata's little sister spoke up.

"Is your blood type B?" she asked.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"Nee-sama told me," Hanabi said.

"Oh yeah! I think Hinata's blood type is A!" Naruto exclaimed. "Right, Hinata?"

"Yes..."

"Hmmm, you really do have all of the A group personality traits," Naruto mused. "You're kind, sensitive, shy, and kind of reserved, but you can be stubborn and put your foot down when things get out of hand!"

Now Hinata was looking at him like he'd grown horns like Six Paths Super Gramps. Why though? Everything he said was true. Hinata was awesome!

Hanabi was looking at both of them like she knew some top secret that they didn't.

"Yep," she said in a voice that was a bizarre mixture of sadistic and sunny. "And blood type B people are supposed to be selfish, erratic, irresponsible, unpredictable, unforgiving – "

"Hanabi!" Hinata snapped. "That's not true! Don't insult Naruto-kun like that."

"But nee-sama, I'm only describing what's in all of those blood type personality things in magazines!"

"Oh, really?" Hinata said. "Then why did you leave out how B type people are also cheerful, relaxed, flexible, unpretentious, and creative?"

"Are you sure about that, nee-sama?" Hanabi teased.

"Yes," she said firmly. "Naruto-kun has the best and greatest traits of blood type B."

Naruto opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. Hinata...really believed that about him? Even their friends thought he was erratic and unpredictable...though maybe not selfish and unforgiving.

A lump formed in his throat.

Hanabi looked at both of them with an expression that could only be described as checkmate.

"Naruto-kun, would you like to see my flower collection?" Hinata asked, quickly steering the subject onto safer waters.

"Oh, yeah! How did you get an osmanthus anyway? They're rare in Konoha. I've been wanting some for my collection," Naruto chirped.

"Mmm, but we have many rare plants in our Hyuuga flower garden."

And just like that, it was like they were both lost in their own little world. And, Hanabi noted, neither of them even realized it.

After Naruto took his leave (after having red bean soup with cinnamon rolls for a snack – what a surprise that Hinata and Naruto both liked the same desserts), Hanabi flopped down on the bed.

"Nee-sama, I think Naruto nii-san likes you," she said.

"Of course," Hinata replied calmly. "We're friends."

"No, I mean he likes you."

Hinata frowned. "Why do you repeat yourself?"

"Wow, nee-sama, you're dense. I mean he loves you," Hanabi said, as though she was talking to a toddler.

"Yes." Now Hinata was talking to Hanabi like she was the toddler. "I also love him. He's my friend. We've known each other for a long time."

"Gah!" Hanabi hid her face in her hands. "Do you need me to break this down for you into little pieces?"

Hanabi took a deep breath.

"Nee-sama. How do you feel about Naruto nii-san?"

"He's a very precious person to me. I would give my life for him without a second thought," Hinata said confidently. "He inspired my ninja way – we both never go back on our word. I would like nothing more than to walk by his side and hold his hand."

Hanabi looked nauseated.

"Okay, that's...um...very mushy...and gross. Ugh, why did I even ask?" she muttered.

She stood up and took Hinata's shoulders in her hands.

"See, you have all of these intense feelings about him, but what are you doing to act on it?" she asked. "So many people have been inspired by his ninja way, as you put it, nee-sama. And so many people would like to walk by his side and hold his hand and all those horrifying things you mentioned. Just look at all the demon children who attacked him today. But don't you want to be special to him, nee-sama?"

Hinata gaped at her.

Hinata stared up at the ceiling, the room illuminated only by the cold, pale moonlight streaming in from the bedroom window.

Don't you want to be special to him?

Her stomach churned with unidentifiable emotions. Didn't she…?

The string of bizarre dreams plaguing her subconscious danced around in her mind.

Naruto mussing up her rain-drenched hair. Naruto slurping up the noodles she fed him. Leaning her head on his shoulder. Basking in his smile.

She remembered that rainy night during the war a year ago.

I will be by your side, holding your hand…walking with you! Please wait for me!

Maybe...maybe she did...want to be...special to him.

Only a few miles away, Naruto also stared up at the ceiling, illuminated only by the cold, pale moonlight, streaming in from the bedroom window.

Naruto-kun has the best and greatest traits of blood type B.

When Hinata had said that, his breath caught in his throat. He felt like he was staring directly into the sun.

Hinata always had this strange habit of dropping bombshells on him and turning his whole world upside down. And the thing was, she didn't even seem to realize it.

In my eyes, you're a proud failure!

I'm not afraid to die protecting you...because I love you.

Stand up with me, Naruto-kun. Never going back on my word is my ninja way, too.

When I look at you, I get an intense feeling in my heart.

She was getting an intense feeling in her heart? He was the one who was always left feeling that way!

Kurama sighed. "Naruto. Think very carefully about that phrase she used. You know, 'I love you.'"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Don't you love her too?" Kurama asked.

"Of course! Like I told Sakura-chan the other day, life without Hinata is like ramen without broth!" Naruto said.

"Okay, just...listen. Naruto, stop with the ramen metaphors. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Naruto pouted at the hulking fox in the corner of his mind. "What's wrong with what I said? Whenever I see Hinata, I get this warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart, like when I met Old Man Teuchi for the first time ever and he let me have a free bowl of ramen."

Kurama slammed his paw into his snout.

"...What?"

"Why did I even tell Old Man Six Paths that I'd watch over you? I'm just one fox, damn it," Kurama grumbled. "I don't get paid for this insanity! Every day, ramen, ramen, ramen. Miso ramen for breakfast, shio ramen for lunch, tonkotsu ramen for dinner, and all those ramen snacks in between meals. Now you're comparing your friends to ramen!"

"I don't eat ramen all the time anymore!" Naruto protested. "Ever since Hinata asked me to, I've been eating cherry tomatoes too!"

Kurama sighed for what must have been the millionth time in the past year. "You're such a stupid jinchuuriki...just...just go to sleep. I guess you'll learn about this sooner or later."

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, VeAryaMuse, Iwik, starfiction123, BirdieWolf15, El Publicano, Lila08, and ms chocoholic19!

To El Publicano: Yeah, I agree. I don't see why the younger Hyuuga would hate Naruto. Actually, I don't see the older generation hating Naruto either. Yet it happens frequently in some fics...

To Iwik: I know you wanted Hanabi to get a taste of her own medicine, but it didn't happen in this chapter...Sorry. But I hope you like it anyway. :)

Next chapter onwards will follow the storyline of the Last movie! :)

I thought a lot about Hinata's feelings for Naruto while writing this chapter. I mean, she has liked him since they were both 5 years old, so I think it's possible that after loving someone for so long, it can be difficult to figure out when those feelings evolved into something else, and why. She only approached him in the Last movie (which was set 2 years after the end of the war) to start a relationship and not sooner, so I'm sure she had a lot of doubts and insecurities along the way.

Also, the blood group personality stuff is very popular in Japan and I actually got the personality traits from a site called Tofugu. I didn't make any of it up. Sorry, blood type B people reading this...I'm sure you're nice people. Please don't shoot the messenger. :)