"You know…" She whispered. "You have become rather overprotective towards me."
He lifted his head but just enough to look directly into her silver orbs. "I protect everything I love."
Her heart stopped.
But just for a bit before it continued racing faster than a waterfall.
They were lost in each other's eyes. He moved away a bit to see her face which was getting redder by the second.
"L-l-l-l-love?" She barely managed to choke out that word…THAT word…one of those three words that flashed in front of her eyes every time she saw him…every time he smiled at her. The three words she just could never say to him…the words that were permanently in her heart but never made it out of her lips.
She couldn't even blink but even though her eyes were getting sore from not blinking she could clearly see Naruto's eyes closing and his face slowly moving closer and closer and closer...
…Until she finally felt his lips gently touch hers…
…but just for a second as their heart melting moment was interrupted when two nurses burst through the door. Their faces displayed shock and it only increased when they saw Naruto looking at them in surprise and confusion.
"We…are you alright? Your heart monitor was going crazy!" One of the nurses finally spat out looking at the now frozen Hinata in concern.
Hinata's neck turned towards the nurses like a rusty gear and her mouth opened and closed a couple of times but nothing came out.
As she didn't respond and her heartbeat slowed down a bit Naruto said: "Yeah, she's ok, no need to worry. Believe it."
"Are you sure? She doesn't look well." The other nurse asked.
"I-I-I-I am f-fine…" Hinata finally choked out swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Well, we need to check your injuries anyway." The nurse slightly glared at Naruto. "What did he do to her?" "I'm sorry, but the visiting hours are over."
Naruto raised an eyebrow but shrugged and turned to his shy teammate. "Well, I guess I gotta go." He pecked her on the cheek gently which actually calmed her heartbeat then he got up and took the empty ramen bowls.
"I'll see you later, ok?" He smiled at her. She slightly smiled back and nodded and with that he walked out and closed the door behind him.
The two nurses exchanged glares before smiling as they turned back to their patient.
After checking everything and making sure she was healing properly they left the room leaving the still shocked Hinata alone. She was still in pure bliss from what happened just minutes before…
Her and the love of her life kissed… not on the cheek, or forehead…but on the lips… Naruto actually KISSED HER. It did last just for a second but it finally happened! And it felt absolutely incredible! She had dreamt that Naruto would be the one to steal her first kiss and one of her biggest dreams just came true!
She slowly laid back down gripping her cover and closing her eyes as her cheeks turned rosy. She let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding and a tear escaped her eye.
"He loves me…he loves me…he loves me…he loves…ME...not Sakura…me…"
The tear became a thick stream that soaked her pillow when she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow sobbing uncontrollably… but out of happiness as the realization stuck her.
"He's in love with me…"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Naruto lay in his bed with his hands over his flushed face. "What was I thinking kissing her like that?! Hinata doesn't…" His thoughts stopped there as he gathered up the facts. She was the only girl that kissed him and the only girl who would let him kiss her. He remembered that one time back at the academy when he tried giving Sakura a kiss on Valentine's day and got his butt kicked. But Hinata would never punch him for it…in fact she seemed to like it. And it would explain why she had his picture in her precious locket. "Does she…"
Oh…
"Well I guess we won't have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend in front of Konohamaru and the others anymore…"
"You requested my presence, Lord Hokage?"Kakashi asked as he stepped into Sarutobi's office, but there was someone else there and to his surprise it was someone whom he hasn't seen in a while. "Lord Jiraiya?"
"Long time no see, Kakashi." Jiraiya smiled at him.
"Not to be rude but what are you doing here?"
"I have a mission for those brats of yours, but it can wait after the chunin exams. But the reason I am here now is because I need to get to know one of them before that."
Kakashi merely looked at him. "Naruto…"
"AAAAH-CHOOO!" Naruto wiped his nose on his sleeve and continued eating his ramen.
Teuchi chuckled. "You know, they say that when you sneeze it means someone's talking about you."
"You believe that?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Anyway, so she's set to leave the hospital in two days?"
"Yeah, she said that she's recovering well. I'm glad Hinata told me that before the nurses told me to leave."
"Oh boy."Ayame shook her head. "So, you seem to get rather excited when you talk about her, hmm?" She teased her favorite customer.
Naruto blushed and scratched his cheek. "I…umm…well…"
"Oh? Something you want to tell me?"
"Well…umm…I guess we…sort of…kind of…kissed…" He blushed even more.
Teuchi's head whipped towards him and his eyes widened in surprise. "Well, well…"
"Eeep!"Ayame ran over to him and hugged him. "I'm so happy for you!" She squealed. Then she turned to her father. "Looks like I won't be washing the dishes for the next month." Teuchi sighed.
"You…made a bet on us?" Naruto scratched his head.
"You two are so cute together, it was bound to happen!"
"Well, it's not official yet…"
"But you like her, don't you?" Ayame asked sweetly.
"Yeah." Naruto blushed. "Do you think she likes me too?" It was almost a whisper but Ayame was quick to respond.
"Of course she does! Ooh, this is so exciting! You two are so different but perfect for each other!"
"Ha-hah! My boy's got a girlfriend! Today's bowls are on the house!" Teuchi laughed proudly.
Naruto grinned. "Are you serious?! This is the best day ever!"
Teuchi laughed again.
Naruto's grin was replaced with a soft smile and his heart rate increased as he thought about his favorite girl. "It really is the best day ever."
The next day Naruto walked down the street happily with a box of cinnamon buns. He was headed to the hospital to visit Hinata so he wanted to surprise her. "Hmm, should I get her flowers too? Yeah, but those pretty arrangements at Ino's are expensive…Ah! I know!"
He jumped over the roofs until he got to an empty field in the village. There was a waterfall there but there were also lots of flowers. He smiled ear to ear when he saw all the colorful flowers, putting down the box of cinnamon rolls on a nearby rock he proceeded to pick them and arrange them in a bouquet. After tying the large bouquet with some long leaves he smiled at his work and went to pick up the box…but it was no longer there.
"Huh?" He blinked in shock before his face turned into anger. He put the bouquet down where the box was and started to look for it. Taking a few steps into the woods he heard messy chewing sounds. Climbing onto a larger rock he looked behind it only to see a large man with long white hair sitting there with his legs crossed, eating his cinnamon buns. "What the shit do you think you're doing?!" He yelled out in rage causing the man to jump.
"You talking to me, brat?" The man appeared to be ignorant.
"Yeah I'm talking to you! How dare you steal my food?!"
"Oh, were these yours?"
"Yeah! They…were?" Naruto looked at the box…which was now completely empty.
He looked at the man with pure rage. "You…" A menacing growl rumbled from his chest and the air around them suddenly grew cold.
"Well maybe you shouldn't leave your food wherever." The man tried not to let his shivers show as he knew where the growl was coming from.
"Well maybe…YOU should eat food that you found…WHEREVER!" The growl became deeper as Naruto charged the man but he dodged at an incredible speed and jumped over the trees laughing. "Face it kid, you could never catch me!" He disappeared into the trees.
Naruto was about to run after him but he was snapped out of it as he felt pain on the back of his head and a piece of a branch falling to the ground behind him.
Turning around he saw three girls in bathing suits covering themselves with towels.
"Wait, you're not the old coot." The girl that threw the branch at him spoke.
Naruto raised his brows."The old guy with white hair?" The girls nodded. "Was he spying on you?" They nodded again.
"You know what. I'll take care of the bastard!" He shouted angrily grabbing the bouquet and storming out of the woods. "What is wrong with that psycho?!"
On the other side of the village Sarutobi was in his office talking to his guest when someone stormed through the door.
"Old man I need-" Naruto stopped mid sentence. His gaze went from the surprised Hokage to the man standing next to him.
"YOU?!" He dropped the bouquet. Red with anger he turned to the Hokage. "Naruto, what is this all abo-"
"He's the one I came here for!" Naruto pointed towards the man.
Sarutobi looked at his guest. "I thought you said you didn't meet him yet, Jiraiya."
"Oh, we've met alright! You need to keep this old fart on a leash!"
Sarutobi put his pipe down and blinked in shock. "Is there something you need to tell me, Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya paled in embarrassment. "Well I…heh…"
"This old bastard was spying on girls who were bathing!"
"What?!" The Hokage growled.
"And that's not all! He stole the cinnamon buns I got for Hinata and ate them all like a jerk!"
"Jiraiya! Explain yourself at once!"
Jiraiya started to sweat. "You see…I was…just… doing some… research for my book!" He said pulling out an orange book out of his pocket. "This edition is my best seller so I wasn't doing anything wrong."
Naruto looked in shock at the orange book in his hand. "You're the one who wrote the porn Kakashi-sensei is always reading?!"
"Excuse me?!" Hiruzen lifted his hat to make sure that Jiraiya saw the rage on his face. "Naruto, could you please leave us alone now."
"Sure thing, but not before I get money for the buns he ate!" Jiraiya sighed and threw a couple of bills at him. Naruto caught them. "Sock him good Old Man! I'm going to visit Hinata at the hospital now!" Grabbing the bouquet again he headed towards the door.
"And who is this Hinata you are talking about?"Jiraiya asked, his voice still a bit shaky.
Naruto looked at him. "My girlfriend!" And slammed the door shut.
Hiruzen looked at the door in shock. "His girlfriend?"
"Isn't he a little too young for a girlfriend?"
"Don't think we're changing the subject Jiraiya!"
Hinata slowly bit into her bun wide eyed as Naruto continued his story. "And now Old Man is talking to him. I hope he teaches him a lesson!" He bit into his own bun.
"Naruto…do you know who Lord Jiraiya is?"
"What do you mean 'Lord'?" He swallowed his bite.
"He's one on the three legendary Sanin."
"What? You're joking? That old perv?! Gah!" He fell off his chair.
Hinata giggled. "Come sit on the bed…next to me." She blushed.
Naruto smiled and sat next to her and winked.
It had all worked out. When he walked into her room she got excited about the flowers and the cinnamon buns, but them an awkward silence prevailed as the two didn't know what to say to each other. Naruto broke the silence by asking her to go out with him after she leaves the hospital. Then a bit of happy tears later the silence was replaces with Naruto's story about the pervert who stole her cinnamon rolls.
"You know…I've got to make this date special. Cuz if you look at it, we've kind of went on a lot of dates already. It's just that we didn't look at them as dates."
"You do not have to do anything special for me, Naruto. Just being with you is enough." She twiddled her fingers.
"But…"
"Really, you don't…"
"Ok, but we're going wherever you like then." He smiled at her.
She nodded. "So…are you training for the exams?" She asked timidly.
"Yep. Kakashi-sensei got me this trainer, he seemed like a loser at first but he's not that bad. And ironically he seems to be a pervert too…" He made a face that made Hinata laugh.
"Shall we change the subject to something more…umm…cheerful?" She suggested.
Naruto thought for a minute but nothing came to mind. Until he looked at the cinnamon buns left in the box. He smiled mischievously and took a piece, putting half of it in his mouth. And then he turned to her with a grin.
"Bite."
"Naruto!"