"…so tomorrow morning I'll be training with Kiba-san." Hinata finished speaking, taking a deep breath. That was a long yarn, so she indulged herself with a sip at her strawberry milkshake.
"Amazing, Hinata! I wish I could be trained by a war hero!" Sora's gleaming blue eyes twinkled. He was lying half his body over an outdoor table. They were hanging out at a small ice-cream shop. "I bet he knows a lot of stuff! I'm so jealous."
"That was very mean of you, Sora-kun!" Their sensei, Yuumi, moaned dramatically. The young woman swatted back a lock of white hair. "I'm your teacher, you know. I also knot loads of things!"
"I didn't mean it like that, Yuumi-sensei." Sora apologized sheepishly. "But still, I think it's a one-off!"
"Well… I guess I don't have much to teach you guys anymore. You're totally grown-ups." Yuumi wept ruefully. "I want to go back to the old days…"
"You'll always be my favorite teacher, Yuumi-sensei." Hinata reassured with a smile, earning another one from her. "It was you with whom I completed my first mission. Sora-kun too."
"Hinata! And what about Hokage-sama?" Sora sang, this time lowering his voice. Yuumi gasped and nodded in approval. "What did he say? Did he ask you out again?"
"Sora-kun! Why would he do something like that…" She said, blushing for what it could be the millionth time.
"Yes! That! Tell us, Hinata-chan!" Yuumi drawled with complicity. "Don't be shy."
"Of course, he didn't say anything like that! He did it before because he clearly saw I was feeling really hot. I c-couldn't say no to him. It would have been disrespectful."
"Well, of course he sees it in you. You're so pretty." Yuumi said giving her a look. Sora hummed with a tiny smile. "Ah, your blue hair is so flossy!"
It took some seconds for Hinata to catch on. "What! It isn't like that! Stop making fun of me!" She said with a frown, slamming her drink on the table rather loudly. Something rare. Sora looked at her with jazz hands, visibly alarmed. Yuumi eeped fearfully. "It was out of mere courtesy and that's that. Please, can we drop the subject?"
"Jeez, Hinata-chan. You're so scary when you get angry." Sora said nervously. "I'm sorry."
"Poor the man who dares anger you." Yuumi chimed in prophetically. Both she and Sora shared a sideways glance.
Hinata sighed.
"I accept your apologies. But I think it's time I left." The blue haired girl said, having finished drinking. Sora shot her a questioning look. "I need to tuck in early, Kiba-san said to meet him in the training ground 70 very early, but I want to warm up first."
"You're always so responsible, Hinata." Her teacher said slyly. "Try not to overdo it, alright?"
"That's right, Hinata-chan. See you later!"
Hinata's commissures went up reluctantly. She couldn't stay mad for long.
…
Faithful to herself, Hinata did arrive early in the training ground. She wanted to be as ready as possible, that is. She had even grown out of her embarrassment and stashed away her baggy clothes, switching to a pair of violet shorts and a simple white t-shirt with a light blue jacket. They were formfitting and almost made her back out, but she wasn't going to drop dead due to dehydration. Besides her team and some family members, no one had ever seen her like this. But there was a first to everything, right?
So, ignoring her self-consciousness, she started with light cardio after stretching her whole body. She did some routine exercises any ninja would know and then, she started doing yoga shamelessly. It was something frowned upon by most ninja, but she loved it.
She knew she had arrived at an ungodly hour sometime before sunrise, and didn't feel time go by until the first sunrays started to touch her eyes. She dimly realised she was as good as fully relaxed. Frowning to herself, she quietly wondered whether it had been a good choice to have chosen yoga.
And at that very moment, she felt a presence approaching. It was like a gush of wind, as though it had been biding its time. Hinata's inner alarms shot loudly as she quickly stood up and gathered her bearings again. A crack of leaves behind her almost gave her a heart attack, so she spun around as fast as she could, scolding herself for being so careless. But it was so sudden, impossible to predict!
Her troubled state of mind cleared straightaway as soon as she saw that none other than the Hokage was standing in front of her, right where the clearing where she came from began. He smiled sheepishly at her as his silhouette appeared.
"Hokage-sama?"
"Yo, Hinata."
She was speechless for a moment. What was he doing there? Was it just a coincidence that he just happened to run into her? In that training ground, at that hour, and on this specific day?
"Kiba told me you would be here." He was fast to say. He had walked up to her and was looking more handsome than yesterday. And quite tall, she needed to look up. Oddly, he wasn't wearing his Hokage cape. "He was caught up in some of… his clan's affairs. And, er, well, he looked in on me… and asked me to substitute him. He's away on a mission as of now."
Hinata couldn't believe what she had just heard. Kiba was gone; that was surprising, to say the least. And obviously, the fact that Naruto was here to replace him was mind blowing. The blonde man had bothered enough to put on hold whatever important matter he has to deal with and decided to assist her. Hinata needed to comment on that… but she couldn't overlook that Naruto was rocking his attire. He had put on those popular criss cross t-shirts that adhered to one's body tightly, and dark orange sweatpants. And as per usual, his sandals were there.
"His toes are cute…" She thought.
Hinata blushed and took a moment to put her hand on her cheek. Something was definitely escaping her. But she simply couldn't focus on that right now. They were alone in the forest. Is this what usually the Hokage does with his ninja?
"I need to say something!" Hinata reprimanded herself. The situation was just about to start getting awkward. "I-Is that so…!" Hinata felt like dying. "Thank you…"
Naruto's gaze was serene. Not that Hinata could see it; but he was hardly containing himself. He apprised her, making sure she didn't catch him. Sakura's words echoed through his musing and he remembered that, as a ninja, everyone is considered an adult as soon as they earn their ninja headband.
He took notice of her attire and how good it suited her. It was almost kinky, but yet again, perhaps that was his mind's doing. She was wearing plain clothes, after all.
"Not for Hinata-chan…"
"Naruto… This is your chance. Do it. Take her."
"Shut up, furball." Naruto hissed mentally. "I would rather kill myself before doing anything like that."
"…Hokage-sama?"
"Yes! Anyways, we'd better start with the training already." Naruto quickly said. He took another look at her. "I see that you've warmed up already. Good job, Hinata."
"Y-yes!" She blushed faintly before wising up. This was the Hokage himself who would give her notes. "I am honored! What will you be teaching me? K-Kiba-san wanted to work with my taijutsu and see whether we could modify the gentle fist to suit me better, or t-try new different fighting styles altogether."
Naruto visibly blinked and tried not to scowl upon the mention of Kiba. Yes, that surely would've been the best choice, but taking up that mutt's work didn't sit well with him. Naruto was doubtful how Kiba's fighting style would be useful to Hianta. Wild and unrefined, he shuddered at the thought of her growing fangs and spinning around like a beast.
But maybe he wouldn't teach her like that. Against all odds, Kiba wasn't the obtuse he appeared to be. He had a good knowledge of fighting styles a good jounin would, and experience to back that up. Naruto would rather teach her something he wouldn't be able to without struggle… like elemental jutsu. Naruto had a disgusting arsenal to spare.
This was the first time in a while he did this, but it was clear something on the smallish side would do. He had rushed into this, but may he never be called Uzumaki Naruto again should he fail to teach something to his ninja. Specially Hinata.
"Well, how about something he can't teach you?" He said amicably, stressing the can't. Naturally, Hinata didn't notice, and looked at him expectantly. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, but I say we leave that to him. That's all he's good at, mostly" He snickered while crossing his arms. She smiled slightly, unfazed. "How about some jutsu classes? The Hyüga are mostly caught up in close combat range and you only have one long range technique. Right?"
"The Vacuum Palm, yes." Hinata said diligently. "Although I am yet to master it… or even try it."
Naruto smiled brightly and clapped loudly.
"All right! That settles it!" He stated but stopped upon Hinata's face. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong?"
Her words almost whizzed past her lips as a slur, but she managed. "U-Um… It's just, I don't know my elemental a-affinity yet…" She said embarrassingly. She cringed further when Naruto shot her a surprised look. "Please don't misunderstand, Hokage-sama! Yuumi-sensei d-did try to teach me some elemental jutsu, but I declined. I wanted to master the Gentle Fist first." Though now she was pretty much regretting it.
Naruto needn't hear anything else. Hinata adverted her eyes just the slightest as she said that.
"Her confidence problem is a huge burden on her. I thought they had watered down their stupid stuck up traditions but she must be feeling pressured by the Hyügas some way or another because she hasn't mastered the Gentle Fist. And then if she started learning elemental jutsu…"
"She'd get called incompetent and branded useless… Well, she's already on her way there if she doesn't step up." Kurama finished his thoughts with a hum. Naruto couldn't find anything else to say back.
"Don't you worry, Hinata." Naruto gleamed, making her focus again. "I understand, and I know all ninja specialize differently, but knowing one or two elemental jutsu can save you or a teammate. It's what could make a difference in a life or death situation." And despite his serious words, his voice felt so warm. "Don't feel less, got it? And if anyone dares say something to you, tell me. I'll get that bastard's ass."
"…" Hinata was silent for a moment. She then chirped up. "Yes, Hokage-sama. Thank you so much."
An almost invisible shade of red appeared on Naruto's cheeks. She was so cute. "Alright then, now! Let's find out your elemental affinity."
"Yes! Do you have any affinity paper with you, Hokage-sama, or are we going to try with different techniques until I know?" She asked curiously.
Naruto casually stepped closer until he was before her and replied.
"No, I don't, and trying at random would take too much time and would drain your reserves. No need for that! I know a way." He said as Hinata gulped mentally.
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and then both his eyes became toad-like. Before Hinata's impressed face, he made a show of doing something and faked concentration. When in fact, he already knew her affinity was water. It was one of the things he didn't need to take a peek at her report for. His sage mode was more than sufficient… but that made him feel like a pervert. Not that he stopped doing it, though.
"H-Hokage-sama…?" Hinata asked when a whole minute in silence dragged on.
"Y-yeah, water is it? Yep, let's go with that!" Naruto blurted, looking away hastily.
"That's amazing! That was Hokage-sama's famous Sage Mode? I can't believe I got a chance to see it. Thank you very much!"
Naruto cleared his throat but otherwise didn't downplay her compliment.
"Then, let's start."
…
"Yes… just like that. Focus and then… do the Water Bullet…"
Hinata breathed heavily and tried not to make a hesitant face. She was used to Yuumi-sensei's intricate explanations whenever she would train either as a team or individually. It was as though the woman knew exactly what she needed to be told in order to work out the problem.
But now, the situation was quickly slipping beyond her reaches. She knew Naruto meant well, and she would never admit it… but his instructions weren't amounting to much. It wouldn't have made a difference should he be replaced by an elemental jutsus book, or by her older cousin Neji, to whom she had always considered herself inferior.
Naruto had showed her the hand signs slowly, and she was rather ashamed to confess she took the chance to stare at his countenance since he was distracted making sure he wasn't messing up neither the order nor the technique (how could he?). He gave her some vague pointers and then smiled brightly.
"Don't worry! Don't feel bad if you don't get it right away! I had to train my ass off to be where I am right now. Failure means nothing when you make it."
Hinata had never questioned that. It is well known among everyone that the Hokage is an extremely hard worker. Beneath the layers of goofiness and carefreeness laid a hell of a man, who sweated blood, went against fate, and even challenged a goddess, coming out victorious. He managed to score a win every single time. And that person manned this village, protected them… and had taken a moment to waste on her.
She wasn't letting him down.
So clearly the problem was her. It always was, indeed. Sora would've made progress at this point, undeterred. Neji would've had the tree in front of her reduced to shreds already. This was a constant battle against herself, her inability to rise to the occasion. They could see something she couldn't.
What that was, she has been spending her whole life to figure out. But if there was anything she could get out of this, was strong drive.
"Water Bullet Jutsu!" She breathed heavily and strengthened her belly, where she had felt her chakra clustering.
Her inner frustration seemed to have paid off, for a small water bullet materialized out of her mouth and sped across the training field. It dented the nearest tree before dispersing with a loud splash.
Naruto, who was stationed at a couple of steps away from her, cheered along.
"Nice, Hinata! It didn't take too long! You've already bested me!"
Hinata flushed and didn't make an attempt to refuse his compliment. Although honest, she was sure that was taradiddle to encourage her. Still, her accomplishment stood its ground.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"Ah, come on! Just call me Naruto, already!" He whined, his face as expressive as ever. "You make me feel old!"
"I could never do that, Hokage-sama." She said back serenely, happy over her accomplishment. It had only taken 2 hours to produce a bullet!
As Naruto pouted and kept on bellyaching, she did her best not to lose focus over her endearment for him and prepared herself mentally.
The sun was high up already when she made a major breakthrough, and they kept it up until high noon. She had pushed herself to her limits and had consumed one soldier pill already.
Her technique hadn't improved that much. So far, she was only able to make the bullet faster and slightly harder, but it was a long way till the myriad of bullets experimented ninjas could produce with the jutsu of range D. Nonetheless, she had pushed her chakra reserves to their limits and had consumed a soldier pill already. Her gasps for air deafened her senses as Naruto egged her on.
It seemed this was as far as she could go in terms of chakra training. The ANBU that suddenly appeared kneeled behind Naruto seemed to have the same train of thought, as he apparently relayed something to him she couldn't quite perceive. But if the pale look on Naruto's face were anything to go by, she guessed it wasn't something pleasant.
She was worn out when Naruto decided to call it a day.
"Good work, Hinata." He said approvingly. Hinata smiled timidly as she approached him. "This is my cue to go. Gotta take care of some… paperwork." He mumbled weakly. "I will see you tomorrow, all right? Bye!"
And just like that, both of them vanished in a swirl of leaves.
"…"
Hinata stared at the spot they were just a moment ago listlessly.
"… Tomorrow?!"
…..
It turns out, Kiba didn't show up the next day either. He was still away. When Hinata arrived at the training ground, Naruto was already there, waving at her. She had to struggle with her blush all the way to standing in front of him. She wasn't even the first one to get there, he had beaten her to it.
When she expressed her concerns as to how it was possible for him to be there again, he brushed her off. He always had time for Konoha's people, and for one of his favorite ninjas more so. She reddened madly upon his remark.
The following hours went by diligently as Hinata drowned herself in her lucky affair. She was aware that Naruto was famous for dispatching hundreds of clones to the village to help out with miscellaneous stuff. But running into a clone mostly entailed luck. The fact that the Naruto in front of her was a clone wasn't a stretch whatsoever. But also, the fact that it was for her only made her feel dizzy. He could've sent it anywhere else, but he didn't.
However giddy, Hinata would never allow for such a chance to go past her. She quickly realized that inquiring for Kiba wasn't a good idea, as Naruto would unnaturally get cross with him (she didn't know how that was possible). Instead, she would chat with him as they did the initial stretches, and warm up with some trotting and basic katas.
Before her head went into overdrive due to bashfulness, the chakra training would start right away. She wasn't one for cutting edges and hated it when her own antics got in the way. Despite straining herself to the last cell every time, Hinata still soldiered on with more training hours beside the ones she had with Naruto.
With him, she performed the jutsu until her lips hurt and chakra exhaustion took over. She would relent but try again later that day until she couldn't any more.
And then, the training diversified. She was clearly growing out of her tiny training regime, so Naruto started throwing friendly spars to the mix. He also taught her chakra control and discussed some useful battle tactics he of course had devised himself and not stolen from Konoha's, and probably the world's, smartest person and his advisor, Shikamaru Nara.
A whole week worth of dreamy training sessions brought her to this point in time, a decisive look on her face. Opposite from her, the Hokage stood with an equally serious look, though she knew he was just trying to match her mood. The challenge was on her and only her.
Upon an unspoken agreement between the two, Hinata activated her Byakügan and dashed forward.
Hinata immediately started with a flurry of strikes. She went to his arm but he deviated all of her strikes with quick hand motions. She went for everything but he stalled her with ease. Becoming increasingly frustrated with herself, Hinata amped up the speed, pulsating more chakra through her finger tips and tried her best to pinpoint them like a needle.
Naruto was forced to step back, but she didn't give him room to breathe. When he landed, she was there. For a moment, everything went smoothly until a wheel kick almost beheaded her. Panicking but keeping calm, she ducked and got ready to get up, but an axe kick from the Hokage followed suit in that instant. The length of the Hokage's leg was something to behold, and it foretold pain would ensue should she take it carelessly.
Hinata rolled on the ground and jumped away, quickly going through familiar hand seals as she flew in the air.
"Water Bullet Jutsu!"
A dozen water bullets skyrocketed towards Naruto, who had just hopped off his spot and into the near grove a moment before.
Hinata breathed heavily, feeling her chakra being drained. She could use it twice before using up her reserves if she kept up using chakra in her gentle fist. But she wasn't going to let that happen.
Her Byakügan gave her the upper hand amongst the trees. Her soles had just landed on a bough when she had to leap away again, dodging a blur of shuriken tossed at her. She ricocheted off some trees before appearing behind the Hokage, who had been taking cover behind a tough bark.
Ready for another bout, she propelled herself towards him using a branch, her eyes flashing furiously. Naruto smiled and got ready, intercepting a kick that aimed for his face. Naruto simply hastened his fingers on her ankle and spun her, throwing her body into the air again.
Hinata missed a reddish streak on his cheeks as a sound akin to a vase being smashed into a million pieces shrieked within her head. She was able to squat against a tree in the nick of time before going in again, this time with her palms ready. Naruto stepped aside and she was on his back, aiming for the main pressure point in his right shoulder.
Hinata wasn't about to fool herself when her fingers hit its objective. She had felt the string of chakra travelling across the canopy, and her Byakügan confirmed her suspicions an instant later. Wasting no time, newly water bullets barreled towards the Hokage's new position on the ground as the Naruto in front of her exploded in a cloud of smoke and left behind a lump of wood.
"Yikes! Quick thinking, Hinata!" Naruto said as the bullets pierced the greenery and apparently hit him.
But she knew better. She burned a breath and bolted after him again, who was shaking some leaves off his hair.
Hinata threw a bunch of kunai and shuriken at him, narrowing his escape. He pulled out one kunai of his own and safely blocked the ones that were about to hit him, but he wouldn't be able to parry Hinata's palm aimed at his chest. He stepped back and went for a quick kick again, but she was ready this time.
Hinata ducked and made for a sweeping motion with her leg. Naruto vaulted and attached his feet to a tree before throwing more shuriken at her. Hinata rolled over and didn't hesitate spring after him again.
She was shocked to see Naruto doing the same thing and cutting the distance between them in a flash. Before she could even catch herself, her hands automatically moved.
"Water Bullet Jutsu!"
Hinata felt herself flailing about as she produced more water projectiles. She had hit her limit. She then realized she wouldn't be able to properly face whatever would be coming towards her. Whether Naruto would dodge or block, she would still be clashing against something.
Seconds went by as her mortification seemed to solidify, and she couldn't help shutting her eyes tightly. When no pain seemed to flare her senses, and comfort appeared instead, she opened her eyes.
She clumsily made head and tails of a shredded tree some meters away, but that didn't keep her attention for long. Naruto's face was looking down at her, a bunch of centimeters away from hers. He was holding her bridal style with an inscrutable look. Naturally, he had dodged the bullets and saved her from ramming against said tree with speed beyond her comprehension. There was silence for some moments.
It was as though the weight of the universe dangled atop of her cheeks. Hinata slowly gaped, befuddled and her pupils started to tremble. Some seconds went by and it didn't look like he was to let her go anytime soon.
"H-Hokage-sama…" She whispered wistfully, utterly frozen. "I'I-m alright, s-so p-please…"
"You are beautiful, Hinata."
Air refused to past through her throat. She thought she had turned mute.
"H-Hogake-s-s-sama! Wha-w-what…?!"
But he had nothing else to say. She met his gaze after some seconds of massive disconcertedness, and suddenly twigged. The intensity of his eyes and the solemnity of his visage, what they entailed. Why he had told her that.
What surely couldn't be, right? How could he ever…? Yet again, how could she deny him? She waited for something that would rebuke her inner thinking, her ridiculous hopes. Something to validate her wishful thinking with.
So time stopped right in place and nothing else mattered. A bubble surrounded them as Hinata became aware of Naruto locking his eyes on her lips. They were bashfully reddish, begging for someone to ravish them. His impulses were taking over and he didn't once fear there wouldn't be a way back after this. Such a thought drifted faraway into a nook of his mind.
Hinata's demure whimper rattled his heart. She really couldn't tell when was it that the started to inch closer towards her face, but it was too late when it hit home. His breath caressed her mouth and she had an exclusively astonishing close up of his features. Her bangs stroke his forehead and his nose nuzzled hers.
It felt surreal when their lips connected, innocently so. Something that had been meaning to occur had come to pass at long last. She idly wondered when she kissed back softly. Her hands had grabbed his jaw softly and her lips pruned like a bride who had practiced continence her whole life until her wedding night.
This was all Naruto needed to sense her willingness. He hugged her almost overbearingly and let out a tiny gasp, separating himself from her not quite yet. His hands expressed what his mouth couldn't say. Incredibility, acceptance… and a spark of desire.
They broke apart gradually after an eternity of unspoken feelings, unwillingly. But Naruto didn't really want to leave her space like that, so his forehead fell onto hers like a piece falling into place. Hinata's flush vied for her strongest yet, but there was something extremely enthralling about Naruto's pink cheeks and the way his ears trembled.
"Hinata… I…" He babbled, his eyes showing traces of tears.
"P-Please, Naruto-kun…" She whispered, making his cerulean eyes twinkle with shock. "Do it again, please… K-Kiss me once more…"
Something went through an overhaul as Hinata mumbled those last words. All of his buttons had been pressed and smashed into being stuck.
He was quick to obey. He swooped down on her face and reunited their lips again. And as the fire lightened, they were no longer superior and soldier but a man and a woman who had found one another.
….
Hinata asked herself when their reconvening had turned into rendezvousing.
There was something very sweet about how Naruto looked at her with his now seemingly permanent blush on his cheeks. How he would meekly greet her and offer a simple gift. How he made sure to turn away his ANBU and ensured no one was around before taking her away in his arms.
The further they were from everyone else, the closer it drew them.
The place would change every time they would meet, but the feelings withstood the change of pace. Hinata would glance at him in a daze, noticing his awkward posture and the fumbling of his hands. The way the table had turned and the mess he would become in front of her presence.
They talked for hours on end. No one truly batted and eye upon her long spells of absence beside her team and Naruto didn't have too much problem tricking his ninja at the Hokage tower into thinking the man behind that desk was the real Naruto. He was the strongest ninja she knew of.
And he would become self-conscious, and would talk too much or way too little, but still end up with chapped lips. His eyes always sought hers and she was happy to comply. Intimate topics weren't anything to be ashamed of during those moments.
Why, they would objectify intimacy not long after. When Naruto encompassed her small frame with his arms from her rear, he had a hard time letting go. He would interrupt her with a candid kiss whenever she was speaking, and she loved that very, very much. She liked running her fingers along his back and watching him getting goosebumps as a result.
Hinata missed him terribly when they weren't together. She had developed a severe case of attachment that had been fueled by her already existing love for him. She wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed when Naruto confessed that he felt the same, and how it got people asking him if he was okay when he stared into the nothingness. Of course, he was thinking about her. He abhorred sending a clone to spend time with her, knowing very well the object of her affection wasn't himself. Waiting for the clone to vanish grated on his nerves, too.
It was silly to believe she could keep this from her team forever. Yuumi-sensei and Sora knew something was off before long, but they could never be able to properly guess the scope of the situation. Hinata had to settle with taking care of her duties as a ninja and keeping up appearances. Similarly, she felt guilty for lying to them, but she was certain Naruto was doing the same with his friends and the people close to him, so failing him like this was off the table.
However, she knew they would hit a bump in the road soon enough.
"I won't be able to meet you like this for a while." Naruto's voiced rung bitterly in the middle of the night. "The Kage summit is in two weeks and it will get very crowdy."
Hinata was silent as she felt his heartbeats rapping against her back. Nothing could make her uneasy when he held her like this, but this piece of news was adamant to prove otherwise.
"People will surely start arriving as of tomorrow, including tourists and ninja." He went on, biting his lips. "I already caught wind of squad of ninja from Suna crossing the borders of the Land of Fire. Gaara and the others will be here soon."
They both knew it would be far too reckless to try and sneak past strong people like that. The risk of being caught would never be higher than this. Besides, this was a delicate moment where Naruto needed to focus to make sure everything went without a hitch. This summit was special in that it was the one that would put an end to the war period with a flourish. The kages had agreed to meet once again with nothing but cordiality in mind. It was just a formality. A necessary formality.
"It's okay Naruto-kun…" She replied quietly. "You don't have to worry about me. You will always be the Hokage first and foremost. I will support you no matter what."
Naruto chuckled in response.
"Heh… When did you drop your stuttering? I kind of miss it, it made look so adorable." He said longingly. She giggled. "I know that, but don't you go thinking you're any less. You matter in a very different way to me. A lot…"
"I think you are one of the most important people in my life." She said honestly, blushing slightly.
"Just one? Surely there ain't no man in your mind, uh?" He said teasingly, frowning.
"Never!" She cried, appalled. She waited as Naruto laughed, pouting. "Yuumi-sensei and Sora-kun are very important to me, too. But you matter in a different way as well."
Naruto snickered, but it was a front to hide the red that had crept up to his ears. He swallowed before resting his head on her shoulder gingerly.
"I know."
She hummed approvingly and closed her eyes. There was a pregnant silence before Naruto broke it weakly.
"I'll miss you."
She opened her eyes and stared out at the dazzling moonlight that bathed them.
"I will miss you too."
…
I'm sorry for the delay…
Some have asked about ages, but I think you're best off without knowing them. This way, your imagination fills in. Better, right?