She froze as she felt his warm lips press softly against her cheek. Once his lips left her red cheek they were placed on her forehead as he gave her another gentle kiss. He pulled back looking at her pearly eyes that were now wide and smiled.

"You said I owe you two, right?"

She was in pure bliss, her whole body shook. She was speechless. She thought that holding hands with him was magical but feeling his lips on her cheek and her forehead was better that anything she has ever experienced in her life. Before she could think about what to say because Naruto was looking at her concerned because she's just been standing there not saying a thing, a man's voice broke the spell she was in.

"Lady Hinata, welcome back." Hinata's caretaker walked up to them.

Hinata looked at him still flushed. "Oh, t-thank you Ko." She bowed.

Ko looked at Naruto with curiosity. Naruto met his gaze. "Um…hi, nice to meet you." He said awkwardly.

"Uzumaki, right?" Ko asked calmly.

"Hyuga, right?" Naruto responded with a slight smile.

Ko chuckled then looked at Hinata. "Lord Hiashi is expecting you."

"Yes. Right away." Hinata replied nervously then looked back at her crush. "I have to go, Naruto."

"Meet me as soon as you can next to the same tree we sat under last time, okay?" He smiled at her.

"Yes, I will see you later." Naruto winked at her making her blush return, then started to walk away.

She rushed inside the compound. As she was getting closer to her father's study the knot in her stomach became tighter, her palms started to sweat and her steps became slower. Eventually she was standing in front of the door, and just as she lifted her shaky hand to knock…

"Come in." Her father's voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

She gently slid the door open and walked inside closing the door behind her. Their pupil less silver eyes met.

"I have received the mission report from Lord Hokage…well done, Hinata."

What? Has she heard that right? Did he just praise her?

She stared at her father. Her parted lips quivering, her eyes wide, her hands were clutching the hem of her jacket. That expression was so unladylike, especially for a Hyuga. But her father didn't respond to it. But he did respond to the state of her appearance.

"Your outfit is rather filthy…I suggest you change. Dismissed."

"Y-yes."

She bowed and left the study, and the further away she got from it the faster she walked. She rushed to her room and quickly got clean clothes. Black pants similar to the ones she was currently wearing, a lilac shirt and a gray and yellow jacket she used to wear before she graduated the academy. After a quick but thorough bath in the Hyuga hot springs she was sure she was clean enough for her crush. She rushed back to her room and brushed her freshly dried hair. She got up and walked to the door, putting her hand on the knob she stopped. She turned towards her vanity and bit her lip in thought. She walked towards it and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a bottle of her favorite lavender perfume. She sprinkled a little bit of it on her, put it back in the drawer and headed out the door.

Meanwile, on the other side of the village Naruto was in his bathroom, drying himself from his shower, looking in the mirror. Why did he suddenly get an urge to brush his hair? He never does that anyways, why now? He was just going to meet Hinata, his teammate…and the first girl who kissed him…and the first girl who was nice to him…and the first girl who wanted to…spend time…with him…

…oh boy…

"Why do I feel so…funny?" He asked his reflection. "Maybe I should brush my hair just a little…" The conversation with his reflection continued. "Would she be surprised if I didn't wear orange for once?" He stopped talking to himself and thought for a bit. "Yeah." He grinned.

He went to his bedroom and rummaged through his closet. "AH-HA!" He grinned pulling out a light blue shirt with a red swirl on the front. He paired it with black shorts. He stuffed Gama-chan (His frog shaped wallet) in his pocket along with his key after he locked the door then he bounced off towards the Konoha park.

In the Konoha park, Hinata was sitting under their tree fidgeting with her fingers thinking about her eventful day. Her father finally acknowledged her! On top of that…the wonderful kisses…

She closed her eyes and leaned back on the tree.

"Naruto…" She whispered dreamily and blushed. She squealed slightly as she pinched her forearm. Was this really happening? He ignored her for years at the academy even though that was partially her fault for not having enough courage to talk to him, but now she could feel a bit of his confidence inside her own soul. She had almost stopped stuttering not even realizing it and she hasn't fainted ever since she kissed him that night in front of the tent. When she was with him she would forget about everything else and focus purely on him. His voice, his laugh, his smile, his touch, his warmth, his eyes…

And just as she thought her day couldn't get any better she was about to spend the whole day with him again. As soon as he shows up her problems will be forgotten. Her clan, her father-

…father…uh-oh… Her father wouldn't approve of Naruto, would he?

As a member of the main branch of the Hyuga clan she was supposed to marry a successful, noble man. And yet, the wallflower has fallen for a bad boy. Naruto doesn't fit her family's standards at all…But that's exactly what she likes about him. She didn't want a rich, emotionless husband, she wants to be loved. And when Naruto said he would always be there for her she knew he meant it, so if she wants to always be there for him she needs to stop acting like a timed bomb around him, ready to explode as soon as he got near her. She needs him…and he needs her too. He didn't deserve to be lonely. Thankfully, now that he has her, sensei and even Sasuke he won't be lonely ever again.

She inhaled the fresh air and opened her eyes again only to see someone approaching her in the distance. She narrowed her eyes to see who it is and blinked rapidly as she recognized the figure. It was Naruto.

The closer he got the wider her eyes became. His wild spikes were slightly tamer and there was no trace of orange on his clothes. She had never seen him like that before.

And he had never seen her like this before. She wasn't wearing her baggy jacket but a slightly more fitted one making her figure more apparent and making the blonde blush.

Once he got to her he smiled and stretched out his hand. She smiled back and took it and he pulled her up on her feet.

"Let's go get some cinnamon buns and we can come back here, ok?" He suggested.

She nodded in agreement.

After walking to a nearby bakery, purchasing their treats they walked back to the tree and finished their buns with a light conversation admiring their peaceful surroundings. It was very convenient that there weren't many people in the park when they decide to hang out there. Hinata was glad about that because she needed to be alone with him in order to answer a question that has been on her mind ever since they finished their mission in the Land of Waves. She couldn't wait any longer, there's no way to tell if she will be able to be alone with him again anytime soon so she didn't want to waste her chance. She gulped clutching the hem of her jacket.

"Na…Naruto?" She stammered out quietly.

"Yeah?" He looked at her with a slight smile.

She got even more nervous "W-when y-you were f-fighting Haku…a red chakra came out of you…"

His heart skipped beat and he gulped, mortified.

She saw the terrified expression on his face but decided to continue. "That c-chakra…it was incredibly s-strong…so strong that it was visible to the human eye…"

His hands started to sweat and a chill ran down his spine…here it comes…the question he did not know how to answer…

"What was that, Naruto?" She faced his horrified expression.

"I…umm…It's…I…" His mouth opened and closed a few times.

She shifted sitting in front of him, putting her hands on her lap. "Please, Naruto. You told me I could ask you anything…please answer…" She begged. "That chakra was horrible…and if…if it's h-hurting you…" She trailed of as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

She felt Naruto quickly place his hands over hers, looking up their eyes met.

"It's not hurting me…it's nothing, you don't have to worry about it." He answered in a shaky voice.

"P-please do not lie to me… I can see it in your eyes…you were scared just now…please…" Even more tears came.

He sighed closing his eyes and looking away from her. "Ok…tell me…what do you know about the Nine-tailed fox?"

She blinked way the tears confused. " I do not…what does that have to do with…"

"Please answer." He interrupted in a serious tone.

"It was k-killed 13 years ago, that's all I know…"

"Do you know when?" He gripped her hands a bit tighter as his started to shake.

"It was…on y-your b-birthday…" She stammered out almost inaudibly.

His eyes went wide. "How do you know that?" He asked slowly.

"Because…it is your birthday, after all…" She blushed, and her blush was mirrored on Naruto's cheeks too.

He almost smiled but the knot in his stomach tightened as he decided to continue.

"It was a lie, Hinata…"

"W-what was?" She felt his hands shaking.

"The fox wasn't killed…it was too strong…so it had to be sealed …" His head was dropping lower with each sentence.

"…In a new born…"

"Oh, G-God…" She whispered as all the pieces came together. That's why the villagers dislike him…that…is why…

"Now, before you run off in fear I gotta tell you something…this is an S-ranked secret so you can't tell anyone…so please don't… I don't want anything to happen to you…" He let go of her hands and turned away sadly.

He closed his eyes and just as tears started to sting he felt her fingers trace over his whiskers.

"That does explain these though." Hinata said softly.

He opened his eyes and slowly looked at her. She put her hands on top of his.

"I do not hate you, Naruto…and I never will…you are so sweet and kind…I know you would never hurt me… I know you would never hurt anyone…the villagers do not know you but I do. You are an amazing person, you're generous and cheerful. You never give up and you always keep your promises. No matter how hard you fail you always get up again…that is what I see when I look at you…I do not see the fox. I do not see claws or a tail, let alone nine of them! I do not care what anyone else thinks, I will always be your friend."

A tear has escaped from Naruto's eye and was quickly whipped away by his hand. He smiled and looked at her.

"Thanks, Hinata…that means so much to me!" He enveloped her in a hug. "You're the best!"

"No need to thank me, Naruto…" She whispered softly, her voice a little muffled as her mouth was pressed against his shoulder.

He slowly broke the hug and they grinned at each other.

"So…what do we do now?" He scratched his neck.

" How about…we just take a walk?" She suggested.

"Sure." He got up and pulled her up on her feet.

As they were quietly walking Hinata decided to break the silence. "Um…Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"H-Have you always known about the f-fox?" She asked a little scared hoping that she didn't offend him in some way.

"Actually…no." She looked at him. " I found out on the day I graduated."

"Oh." She exclaimed. "How? I-I mean…h-how did you graduate? Y-you had f-failed the t-test s-so…I mean I'm really, really glad you passed! It's just that…" She trailed off fidgeting with her fingers hoping that he didn't get her wrong.

"Well…" He started. "After I failed Mizuki came up to me…"

"Mizuki-sensei?" She asked surprised.

"I don't think you should call him that." She gave him a confused look. "let me finish." He smiled at her and continued. "He came up to me and told me that there is a secret way to graduate. He told me to steal this scroll and learn a jutsu from it then show it to Iruka-sensei and he would let me pass. But it turned out that it was a sacred scroll with forbidden techniques and the reason he wanted me to steal it is because he wanted the power for himself. "

She was shocked. Her own sensei?

"But he thought that I was so stupid that I wouldn't be able to learn a jutsu from it, but I did! Believe it! And then Iruka-sensei found me. It's weird cuz he was the only one who managed to find me when the jonin chased me after my pranks. But when he did Mizuki showed up and attacked him. And then he told me about the fox and that Iruka-sensei hated me, just like everyone else…" His voice became sad but was quickly replaced with a foxy grin. "But then Iruka-sensei said some nice things about me and that he cared about me so I ended up kicking Mizuki's butt with my clone jutsu!" He pumped his fist in the air as he finished his story.

"Wow!" she exclaimed with admiration and surprise. "But wait…your multi shadow clone jutsu was the forbidden jutsu from the scroll?"

"Yep! That's why no one else knows it!" He flexed his arm proudly.

"That's very cool, Naruto." She said softly.

Naruto blushed and scratched the back of his head with an awkward chuckle making her giggle.

But their moment was interrupted as they heard an argument in the close distance. Looking up they saw team 8: Sakura, Shino and Kiba. Sakura and Kiba were yelling at each other while Shino just shook his head in annoyance.

"I mean, you're a mutt so chasing a cat shouldn't have been so hard for you!" She yelled.

"Then if you're so much better why didn't you catch it?!"Kiba yelled back. Akamaru barked in agreement.

Their argument continued until they crossed paths with Hinata and Naruto. The two noticed they had some scratches on their arms and faces.

Kiba and Sakura barely recognized Naruto without his orange jumpsuit.

"Uh…hey guys what's go-"

"No, I will not go on a date with you!" Sakura yelled out rudely interrupting Naruto.

"That's not what I…" He waved his hands in front of him.

"Just leave her alone, dude…she's in a bad mood." Kiba shook his head while Akamaru whined.

"But I…never mind…" Naruto sighed. " So what happened to you guys?" He pointed at the scratch on Kiba's nose.

"It's the Fire Lord's cat…that thing is impossible. I mean, we did catch it but damn…"

"Tell me about it…" Naruto added. " It took us 3 hours to catch her, but you guys look worse than we did."

"Then if you showed a better ability of capturing Tora I suggest you take the task next time." Shino joined the conversation.

"Nope, not doing it again…not any time soon anyway, we have a couple days off." Naruto explained. Hinata nodded in agreement.

"How'd you get days off?" Kiba wondered.

"Well, we just came back from a C-rank mission." Naruto scratched his cheek.

"How did you get a C-rank so soon? It must be because Sasuke is on your team!" Sakura crossed her arms. " How did the idiot get a C-rank mission before us?" She turned to Shino but then turned to Hinata as she spoke.

"Because he's not an idiot." That was a surprisingly clear sentence for the usually tongue-tied kunoichi.

Sakura looked at her surprised. "Whatever." She flipped her hair.

Naruto was fed up with her rudeness. He was used to her being rude to him but he wouldn't let her be rude to his teammate.

"No wonder Sasuke doesn't like you…let's go Hinata." He said calmly grabbing Hinata's arm and dragging her away.

"See you guys later." He added before walking away.

Those words hit Sakura like a thousand bricks. She froze as she repeated them in her head. Naruto was always nice to her, she didn't think that he would ever say something like that.

"That's what you get for yelling at him for no reason. " Kiba started walking.

Shino followed. "I think we have wasted enough time. We are required to report to Kurenai-sensei for training."

Sakura followed, her head facing the ground and her hands clutching her dress. "R-right…" Her throat suddenly felt very dry.

Hinata and Naruto weren't in the park anymore. They were walking down the somewhat quiet street. He walked silently with his hands in his pockets.

"Na…Naruto?" Hinata whispered in concern. "Are you ok?"

"You're wrong, Hinata…"

"Huh?" She was very confused. "About what?"

" I am an idiot…I can't believe I liked her…"

"You are so silly…and so is she…she just needs to get to know you."

"Like that's ever gonna freakin' happen…"

But as she was about to put her hand on his shoulder and comfort him…there was an explosion on the other side of the village. They simultaneously looked in the direction of the explosion to see a large cloud of black and gray smoke rise into the sky.

"What the heck was that?!" Naruto shouted looking at the smoke.

"I-I will check. Byakugan!" Her eyes widened and her mouth opened as she pinpointed the source of the explosion. She let out a small scream. "Oh No!" Her byakugan deactivated as she started to shake.

Naruto put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her in concern. "What?! What is it?!"

"T-The e-explosion…"

…came f-from the H-Hyuga Compound…"