I'm not a native English speaker

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Hinata tried her best not to fidget in her sandals. Her faint blush appalled her to kingdom come but the owned it up. How could she not blush? She straightened her back and tried to keep eye contact even though she wasn't being looked at.

"Ah, Hinata always does an amazing job being a tracker!" The Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki exclaimed with a smile, leafing through her hefty report. "But, maaa, no need to be so detailed with these. I already know it went smoothly."

Hinata beamed upon his recognition.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." She replied serenely and patted herself mentally for not stammering. She has put on a lot of work to overcome that. "But if I have a say… The crooks weren't that h-hard to find." She cursed mentally.

Naruto looked up from the clipped bunch of papers and at her. His blue eyes slapped Hinata in the face. They were so beautiful she had to still her face so it didn't look stupid. Then he smiled and Hinata couldn't help blushing harder. God, she was so obvious.

"Don't sell yourself short, Hinata." He replied seriously. Hinata blinked when he stood up from his recliner seat and casually strolled towards her.

He loomed her silhouette cosily, the Hokage cape giving him an authoritative aura even though he didn't look like that at all.

"Good job. And I'll say it a thousand times more if it's necessary."

Hinata held her breath and pressed her hand against her voluminous chest. It was too much and she couldn't do it. Naruto's smile fade slightly and he stared at her intently.

"Hinata… are you alright? Your face looks too red!" He said worriedly, leaning closer to have a better look.

She didn't answer, and felt that she must have stood there for a while now. God, how she hated the way she reacted around him. It was so unbecoming of a ninja. But they were very close, weirdly so. She was gaping and he was raising one puzzled brow. His face was beyond adorable, but most of all, handsome.

"Y-y-yes!" She shouted a little bit louder than she would have liked. She took one step back and fought heavily against the urge of fainting. It hadn't happened to her for a while and today would be no exception. "It's j-just the weather! It can get very hot!"

"Hm… Is that so…" Naruto mumbled to himself, scratching his chin. Then, he seemed to think of something because his face lightened up. "Then, what about going for an ice? My treat!" He offered with a grin. "I also need to cool down. I think the air has broken down, that damned Shikamaru! I told him to call up someone!"

Hinata's usually pale face had gone from red to blue. Has she just been invited out by the Hokage? Her heartthrob? She ran through many scenarios where she spent an amazing afternoon with the man of her dreams, talking about anything, laughing about stupid jokes and him promising her to take her away…

But there was just a small problem…

"U-um, I don't think that'd be a good idea." She broke her own heart after saying those words. Naruto's lips frowned in surprise.

"Uh, why? Don't you wanna come with me?" He said with a sad flourish, switching to his puppy eyes.

Hinata wanted to die right there. Was he for real?

"N-No! Please, no! That is not what I meant!" She cried dramatically, deeply hoping she didn't offend him. He smiled at her again, this time questioningly. "It's just… I don't think you should leave the Hokage's office just for a mere girl like me." She said quietly. "Besides, you must be really busy…"

That, and there was just about another big problem… And that was pretty much the rest of the feminine ninja and civilian population of Konoha. Naruto was seen as some sort of jewel embedded in a pedestal that should not be touched. Only the strong could get away with trying to approach him. After all, every single person was dying to find out who the person the Hokage would someday wed might be. Hinata, a 'feeble lass', as how hurtfully she would sometimes be referred to, stood no chance. She didn't want to push her luck.

"I'm not accepting a no as an answer!" Naruto suddenly decided.

Before she could even retaliate, three clones appeared in a cloud of smoke out of blue. Hinata could only stare in amazement as how he pulled off such feat without even moving. She was temporally enthralled.

"Done. These guys will take care of everything while I'm gone." He said cheerfully, gazing at the trio of sullen-looking clones behind him. Their whispers of 'Lucky bastard', and 'I wish I was the original' went unnoticed. "Well, let's get going!"

"But…"

Hinata couldn't finish her sentence as she was delicately dragged outside the door by a strong grasp. Hinata choked inwardly and went mute. They both exited the office and walked a couple of steps in the circular hall before making it to the new and bigger secretary nook.

Naruto's head peeked in, startling Moegi who was reading a bunch of documents. "Moegi! I'll be out for a couple hours!" Hinata hid her face in horror, even though she couldn't be seen.

"Hokage-sama?!" The surprised voice of Moegi was heard. "Leaving this early? I don't know if you should…"

"Don't sweat it. Just leave all the paperwork you want on my desk. I've already left some reinforcements back there." Naruto answered dismissively, turning around and chuckling with complicity. "I promise I'll work hard once I come back!"

A resigned sigh was heard. She gave off the impression to be well used to this kind of behaviour. "Well, Hokage-sama does work hard. Alright. I'll take over just for two hours! But you ought to come back! Please, and don't forget this time." She reprimanded softly.

"Yeah, yeah!" He spun his head towards his companion. "Let's go!"


Hinata fiddled with her fingers and she tried to relax under the shade of a tree. She was currently sitting on a pretty wood bench that did nothing to soothe her inner nervousness. Naruto had walked them both to one of Konoha's most flourished plazas. After Pein's utter destruction (she still shuddered upon the mention of that name), this one place was one of the few which was built first.

It was all greenery. There were some stone paths and a dozen of sakura trees. Every single colour marvelled her sight, but all of them were defeated by the unmistakable striking blond of her love interest's hair. He was trying to buy a pair of popsicles from a very elated old woman who couldn't believe the Hokage himself had stopped by. When he was finished, she entertained herself by watching how Naruto was constantly either greeted respectfully or bowed to passers-by and even ninjas. He was a sheepish as ever. She was secretly glad that no stupid fangirl kept him.

She couldn't help feeling pride herself. There, afar from her stood the strongest ninja there is right now. Well, there also was Sasuke Uchiha, but she wasn't sure about that. In any case, he was there with her and she was having a hard time believing that.

But it all ebbed away as soon as he approached her with a goofy smile. He was endearing, but that did next no nothing to placate the attention they were gathering. Hinata wasn't used to this and hated herself because of it. She would love to think of this as some sort of date that was possible in her crazy little head, but feeling a bunch of stares as Naruto sat beside her and offered an orange flavoured ice proved to be too much to fully ignore.

"It's my favourite. No, not because it's orange!" He joked, swiftly sticking his own orange palette into his mouth. "Eat it before it melts! Come on."

Hinata smiled weakly and grabbed the popsicle by the stick. Their fingers touched for an instant and she felt stupid for liking it. He however seemed unfazed. She slowly brought the dessert to her lips and started licking it.

Unceremoniously, they spent a bunch of minutes in silence. Hinata felt slightly uncomfortable and panned herself for not making conversation. When will she get another chance like this one again? She peered at him discreetly. The sunrays reflected on his face, making his everlasting tanned skin swarthier. Naturally, his blue eyes ascended from deep sky to a striking sapphire colour. She was now oblivious of everybody but him. The other may be damned.

"Hinata! Are you listening?" Naruto's voice brought her back. He was once again leaning a bit towards her, wearing another puzzled face.

Was she listening? No. But she would never say something that could possibly hurt him in any way. Perhaps she was exaggerating, but she wasn't going to take any risks. Also, it is common for her to get lost in her musings, so she has experience bouncing back.

"Of c-course, Hokage-sama." She smiled in spite of the horrible blush that creeped through her cheeks. She tried to make an escape by focusing on the ice.

Naruto beamed up and she felt guilty immediately. "Whoops! My bad, but you've got that expression you make when you're lost in thought. What's going on in your mind, anyways?" He voiced himself.

Hinata was taken aback. Did he notice that? Usually, most people would peg her blushing as some sort of medical condition, so as not to deliberately say 'stupidity'. It is something she has learned to overcome.

"I'm just t-thinking about what I'm going to do this weekend." She replied. It wasn't a lie. She was totally free. "If I m-may ask, what are your plans, Hokage-sama?"

"Please don't call me like that." He cut her off curtly. She looked at him with surprise. "It makes me feel way too much important. Just call me Naruto. Will you?"

They both shared a pregnant silence. His gaze was intense. "I… could never…"

"I'm happy you said yes!" He said gaily. "Me? Well, I still have to work on weekends. And I usually sleep Sundays away…"

Hinata didn't know how to respond to that at first. She had finished her ice when he said that, and not having anything to hold on was getting on her nerves.

"I'm sorry I was inconsiderate. Y-You are always looking after all of us… Surely you must be busy every day."

Naruto snickered.

"Well, that is true! But don't mind me. What about your team? Hit them up for some sparring sessions or whatever!" He suggested. Hinata took a moment to consider the idea, but Naruto misunderstood it. "…Are they ignoring you? They'd better-!"

"N-no! All of them are away." She was quick to interrupt. "Yuumi-sensei is on a mission and Sora-kun has left Konoha for a week. He told me something about a very special cave with incredible gems stashed inside. He should be coming back today, now that I think of it…"

Hinata smiled after remembering her teammates. They were an odd group. Just two students and one teacher. Both Hinata and Sora joined the academy awry, right where there were no spaces to fit in in first year. Skipping years was not allowed anymore. So they simply were given slightly different timetables. It was a special arrangement that was possible thanks to her clan and Sora's. So they both graduated as a pair and were lucky enough for a jounin to volunteer to teach them.

"Oh, well, I shouldn't have gotten so worked up over nothing…" He said awkwardly and Hinata smiled sweetly. She appreciated it. Naruto was still for a moment before he opened his mouth. "Hinata, what are you do-"

"Hinata-chan!"

Naruto stopped amid his sentence. They both turned towards the shouting voice of a brown haired boy who was approaching them in the distance. Hinata immediately recognised him and smiled broadly.

"Sora-kun!"

Said boy didn't take much to stand in front of them. He didn't take any time to bow to the Hokage, either. Naruto was still recovering from his interruption, oddly.

"Hokage-sama. Good afternoon." He said respectfully. This time, Naruto did cotton on the situation and tried his best to come back to the conversation.

"Welcome back, Sora." Naruto acknowledged with a short nod, his face inscrutable.

Sora smiled brightly in response. He then stood straight again and turned to Hinata. His blue eyes were suddenly sizzling with energy. "I didn't know if you'd come back from your mission yet, so I came here and found you. How did it go?!"

Hinata blushed a bit as she was the centre of attention once more, but smiled nonetheless. Her answer didn't portray her shy visage.

"I didn't face any problems. Actually, it was kind of easy! I could find and incapacitate those crooks." She said eagerly. "How was your trip? Did you find something interesting in the grotto?"

Naruto's neck got stiff of trying to keep up with the convo. They both started talking so animatedly that his presence was ignored momentarily. He carefully watched how Hinata successfully engaged in a conversation without coming close to stuttering. Her blush had subdued, too. Him being there was out of place.

So he immediately knew this was his cue to go.

"Well, I'd better get going."

The young ninja froze in their spots and then met Naruto's strong gaze, realization hitting them. Hinata couldn't put her finger on the feeling that his eyes bore. A horrible sinking feeling took over her chest.

"H-Hokage-sama, I'm really so-"

"It's fine." He smiled kindly. She felt worse. "You two take care, alright? And Hinata, I suggest you to take some days off. Believe that you work way too hard! "He said before spinning on his heels and slowly strolling away. "See you around!"

Hinata and Sora watched him get further from them until Naruto mysteriously disappeared after his silhouette was covered by a civilian for a moment. And with him, the small bubble of happiness that surrounded her was also gone. She was now aware of the people getting about in the square. They were as nosy as ever.

Sora sighed regretfully.

"Sorry. I just ruined your moment with him." He said ruefully, looking down.

"IW-what are you saying?!" Hinata's crestfallen face suddenly shrieked in a deep red, hiding behind her hands. "We were just t-talking!"

"Come on, you know it wasn't like that. Hokage-sama is barely seen out of his office with people other than his friends. Actually, why were you two here?" He frowned in confusion.

Hinata reckoned her answer for a moment. "He… treated me to an ice lolly…"

Sora's eyes widened. "What?! No way!" He exclaimed, amazed. "Way to go, Hinata-chan! I'm happy for you!"

"We were just talking!" She said defiantly. Sora didn't feel convinced. "But he looked angry when he left." She murmured, sulking. She was still happy, but she could tell that Naruto's smile earlier was forced. "I need to apologize…"

"Uh… me too. I blundered it…"

They both shared a long silence. Sora's stepped up to be the one to talk first.

"Don't worry. Maybe he is really tired. You know, I think it's amazing that Uzumaki-sama is our Hokage, but he seems kind of young. He took over a bunch of months ago, didn't he?" He reasoned.

A tired-looking Naruto flashed through her mind. She could have sworn she had seen rings below his eyes, but was it her imagination?

"Also, there's a rumour that the civilian council is peacefully suggesting him that he weds someone so that he can start his lineage. There must be a lot on his back."

Hinata fleetingly wondered how come Sora had noticed all those things and she hasn't. He must really pay attention. Plus, he might also be into gossiping.

"Naruto-kun…"


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