Story Disclaimer: Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and its universe are not my creation nor do they belong to me. The following story is solely for the entertainment of this author and subsequent readers.

(orange cap)

They were late, and cutting through the crowd was proving to be quite difficult.

Hinata could hear the cheering and booing from the end of the wide poorly lit hallway. The teleprompter hovering over the betting lines showed the fight that had already started.

Neji was striding in front of her, clearing their way towards the bleachers surrounding the area.

They needed to get a close look at the fighters, so it took them several minutes to walk down, pressing themselves between the excited conglomerate of people until finally stopping three rows before the security line.

As soon as she laid eyes on the octagon, the first thing she saw was the blond male mid movement taking his opponent and himself down onto the mat with a precise swip of his right leg. Wasting no time, the blond rolled over on top of the other man's back, and locked the struggling body between his legs and neck between his arms–their bodies glistened in sweat as the crowd got louder.

She watched the muscles of the blond's tanned arms and back contracting as he applied pressure around his adversary's throat. There was no possible opening to counter the move, she knew before any calls that the round was over.

"Quick and clean." Neji mumbled to himself next to her, his voice barely audible amidst the noise.

The Hyugas were from a long lineage of fighters specialized in martial arts. They owned the largest gym chain in the Fire Country, and they prided themselves on the make of elite professional fighters. Hyuga Hiashi, Hinata's father and retired hapkido champion, would often send her and Neji to scout upcoming fighters - if not for recruiting, for measuring future competition.

Hinata herself did not actively compete in any tournaments. She enjoyed martial arts for self-improvement purposes. She would much rather teach and train others than enter the ring herself. Still, she was trained to be observant and knowledgeable in almost all arts, making her one of the best at scouting jobs–hence why she was here tonight.

Neji, on the other hand, was more personally invested in their little excursion this time around. He had successfully debuted in the MMA pro league last year, and in front of them was most likely his upcoming competition.

They had gotten the tip that Jiraiya, also known as Sannin, was coming out of retirement with this underdog kid from the back district of Konoha as his new apprentice.

Hinata could see him, the old coach on the sidelines, yelling out profanities. His white, long hair moved wildly as he gestured. Her attention, however, did not remain on the man for long. Her job was to evaluate the fight unfolding on the octagon as another round ended in favor of the blond fighter.

No wonder they nicknamed the guy as Kitsune, she thought. He had unusual whisker marks (from birth or tattoos, she didn't know) on each side of his face. He would grind his teeth in concentration and effort at times, showing his canines and mouth guard - making his face look even more animalistic and close to a fox in resemblance. He would also move subtly till he found or created the opening he needed to advance with brute yet calculated strength. And even when he struggled, he would make his adversary sweat.

Hinata could identify specific times–even if they were very few–when he was sloppy or lacking, but she was still impressed by his ability to compensate for his weaknesses.

She was intrigued by the rawness of his fighting style.

As the rounds progressed quickly, the fight was unsurprisingly concluded with the blond's victory.

The tanned man stretched out his arms upwards in a victorious stance, and his face was stamped by the brightest and goofiest smile Hinata had ever seen–a huge contrast from his expressions before.

The Hyuga girl couldn't help but feel curious about the man and his personality.

Again, it wasn't everyday that one would see such unknown talent.

Being able to have a better look at him now without the other MMA fighter all over him, she noticed how tall he stood, how short his blond hair was trimmed, and how young he looked. He was most likely her age, and he sported an intricate spiral, black tattoo that resembled a sun around his navel.

She felt a churning feeling in her stomach when he cheered again, swiping the sweat off his face with a towel thrown to him–the crowd unifying with his roar.

"Uncle was right." Neji interrupted wherever her thoughts were taking her. "Uzumaki will definitely be a wild card." He said while pushing her out of the crowd gently so they could try to leave unnoticed.

Yes, he was right.

She glanced back at the octagon one last time.

They would definitely be seeing more of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Did you see that, old man?" Naruto yelled excitedly at his coach once they entered the cold changing room.

"That wasn't too bad, kid. But don't let this victory get to your head." Jiraiya tried to hide his own pride by keeping a composed expression, but Naruto could see the corner of Jiraya's lips twitching up slightly.

"Like you would let me." The blond laughed it off, not at all affected by his coach's pretend lack of enthusiasm.

"You are a bloody mess, get your ass in the shower." Jiraiya dismissed him, answering his ringing cell phone and stepping out of the room.

Naruto took his time in the showers, relaxing his muscles and reliving the recent fight. He knew he still had long ways to go, that he made mistakes tonight, but he also knew the long way he had already covered.

He smiled at himself in front of the mirror, spotting the bruises that were already forming. All worth it, he thought.

When he was fully clothed in a gray sweatsuit and a pair of obnoxiously orange sneakers, his phone lit up with a text.

Not bad, idiot.

"Sasuke, you bastard." He chuckled while typing out a reply.

Whatever, come boxing so I can kick your ass.

Hn. Sasuke texted back with the flipping off emoji, which made Naruto's laugh echo in the empty room. An attachment soon came in, surprising the blond since the Uchiha never sent out pictures or videos. It was an unfocused image, probably taken from where Sasuke was standing during the fight. He had circled two long haired figures close to the front of the crowd. The Hyuga cousins were out scouting tonight.

Naruto's mouth hung open for a moment. He had heard of the Hyugas. He didn't know much about them considering how much of a hooky he was, but Jiraiya had told him enough to be aware that being scouted by them meant in their world.

His insides filled with pride.

Naruto had yet to debut in the MMA pro league. Heck, he had only fought at small casinos or dingy betting houses so far. He was definitely the underdog no matter from what angle you looked at this resume, a hookie.

But he was being scouted.

By Konoha's MMA legacy family, nonetheless.

As pride bubbled inside of him, just as fast, a different feeling overcame his being. His stomach felt queasy, almost nauseated.

Other fighters who were more proficient and high in status were now watching him closely.

He could not mess up.

It was not like he cared about others' opinions, at least not anymore. But he had a purpose now, and being acknowledged just like tonight made him feel his worth. He wondered if that is how his father had felt.

Naruto shoved his phone in his duffle bag and immediately took off to meet with Jiraiya at the parking lot. They had to talk about his next fight and adapt his training regime according to the new oponant. He was too pumped to waste any time. He never wasted time.

And he was not going to disappoint.

Believe it.

"Aren't you guys a little obsessed with him?" Hanabi teased her family as she caught them all replaying the Kitsune round kicking someone on a Youtube short. She had already seen the move countless times on TikTok for the past two weeks and knew it was still trending in many forms including as a meme. After all, the guy was not only proving to be quite a skilled fighter but also an entertaining one. People loved watching him fight.

"Really, Hanabi?" Neji raised an eyebrow to her.

"Kiba's a friend and trains with one of our gyms. He asked me for some pointers." Hinata offered an explanation with a gentle smile. "So, I wanted Neji's input and father wanted to hear what we both had to say." She finished, stepping away from behind her father's chair now that the video was over.

It had been six months since she went out scouting the Uzumaki with Neji. Since then, they've been following the new fighter's status on the internet. Even though he hasn't entered a televised match yet, social media gave more than enough coverage. After all, he was gradually and steadily gaining a fan base that would post clips and pictures of his fights on all platforms.

Hiashi Hyuga wouldn't say aloud, but whenever the Uzumaki was a topic of conversation these days, he would stop to–Hinata dared to say–curiously hear it.

"His next fight will surprisingly be at the Wind Country." The older man said while hovering over the unpause button on his computer screen. "Sabaku Gaara is a formidable opponent. It's quite shocking that he agreed to participate in an un-televised event with someone from a different weight category." Hiashi said more to himself than for the rest of the room.

"I've heard that it was actually Sabaku's own idea… Lee told me that Gaara wanted to fight Uzumaki for his own entertainment." Neji shared with everyone in the room, making his uncle narrow his eyes slightly at his computer screen.

"Suna will set Uzumiki's course for a pro league debut." Hinata heard her father finally say, and she bit her cheek to stop herself from smiling. She could tell her father was too nonchalant as if trying to hide how interested he was on the topic behind his analytical façade.

"Yes, it will." She nodded in agreement, exchanging a humorous look with Neji at the older Hyuga expense before moving towards Hanabi. She side-hugged her younger sister while taking Hanabi along with her out of their father's office. "Let's go?"

"Yes, please." Hanabi answered while rolling her eyes at the men in the room.

"So where do you need me to drop you off again?" The older woman asked.

"Just at the university's library. I have an Econ study group that I'm gonna be late for." Hanabi was a freshman at the local university, aspiring to be a business major, just like Hinata and Neji did in their academic days.

Hinata navigated the large campus without problems. After all, she had just graduated a couple of years ago and was now working alongside her cousin in managing the family business as well as mentoring special martial art classes at some of their gyms.

Fifteen minutes later, she parked in front of the large library building, a little nostalgia hitting home. I should call Ino and Sakura, see how they are doing. She thought foundly.

"Thanks, Hina." Hanabi said while gathering her stuff. "You'll be home for dinner?"

"No, I'm going back to my apartment. I need to get some work done without you interrupting me all the time." She teased lightly.

"Whatever!" Hanabi pouted childishly. "Not my fault I don't have a car. And I still don't get why you moved out anyways. We all live in the same city!"

"I like having something of my own, pay my own bills." Hinata shrugged her shoulders modestly. "You'll get it when you are twenty three."

"I still think you'd get a better deal just moving back with us, sis." And with that Hanabi left, waving while walking towards the main entrance.

Hinata just smiled to herself while pulling away from the curb. She knew her sister just missed her in the house.

Back in her apartment, the Hyuga realized how sad her pantry looked, and her fridge didn't look any better either. The last few weeks had been so busy, that she couldn't remember the last time she ran errands for herself.

Looking out her living room window, she decided it was still early enough to venture to her local groceries store.

Hinata simply loved her neighborhood. It was in a different district from her family home, more modest but still safe. She chose walking instead of driving, so she could take in the freshness of the early spring evening.

The roads were not very busy, with few cars driving by every once in a while. A nearby playground filled its surroundings with children's play and laughter. Some local businesses were closing for the day while others were opening for the night. Hinata held onto her bright orange cap, fixing it to shield her eyes better from the last rays of sunshine.

She took a deep breath of the cool, beginning of April's evening–inhaling the nice atmosphere.

As much as she loved Hanabi, Hinata didn't think of moving back into the Hyuga state anytime soon.

Naruto was following google maps to the nearest grocery store. Just yesterday he moved to a new part of town. Moving boxes and furniture was not an activity he would recommend after a MMA fight, but he honestly felt fully recovered from the encounter with the Inuzuka even though Sakura urged him to take it easy. However, he was considered to be a faster than average healer. Besides, he was happy to be finally here with some time for himself.

For the past year, Naruto had been saving the earnings from his monthly matches and side jobs for Jiraiya to move out of Konoha's back district. Jiraiya's gym was now just in the neighboring district, and Sasuke and Sakura lived only six blocks away.

Shikamaru was also helping him with budgeting to buy a car soon. Naruto beamed with the possibility. He honestly didn't mind the bus and subway, but the car would make his commutes even easier. For now though, he was trying to find his way through this new part of town, and he almost felt lost if it wasn't for the handiness of smartphones.

He spotted the modest store between a flower and a barber's shop. Inside, he started filling his basket with Jiraiya's groceries list for him. He also snuck in some instant ramen there. The old man would kill him, but Naruto felt like he deserved it.

Feeling a little guilty, he decided to head over the produce section for some celery.

"Speaking of the devil…" He muttered to himself when his phone vibrated with a text from his coach.

Distracted by Jiraiya's upcoming plans for him, he wasn't watching his way when he bumped into something or someone, sending whatever it was straight to the ground.

Looking around confused, he felt immediately embarrassed when he noticed the young woman sitting on the store's floor tiles still processing what had just happened to her, a few of her own items scattered around them.

"I'm so sorry miss, erm.. I'm such a goof!" He apologizes while setting down his own basket to offer her his assistance.

The woman blushed before looking up and accepting his gesture, a little hesitant.

He gulped hard, feeling his throat dry.

She was beautiful.

Her attire was simple–black leggings with an oversized white sweatshirt matched by sneakers of the same color. But her face–her face was what caught his attention the most. Framed by long indigo hair and bangs that touched her eyebrows, her skin was as white and clear as porcelain, her delicate features easily complemented each other, and her eyes…

Naruto had never seen eyes of that color before. At first, they seemed to be a light shade of gray, but then he noticed a hue of lavender popping in contrast with her dark long lashes.

"Hmm-I… thank you." She fumbled with her words softly when he propped her up to her own feet which showed him how pettite she was, her full height hitting around his shoulders.

"The least I could do after sending you flying like that." He chuckled apologetic again as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Here, let me help you with these." He said while squatting down to collect the food items that flew out of her basket.

"Thank you, Uzumaki." She said while freezing almost instantly.

"Huh?" He looked up at her, surprised. "Do we… Have we met?"

Oh my God. Hinata felt mortified. She hadn't meant calling him by his name.

They had never been introduced before!

What was she thinking?

Right. She wasn't thinking.

The moment she looked up from the ground, she recognized the man immediately. There was no doubt that this was Uzumaki Naruto. But what caught her off guard and turned off her good sense was his eyes. They were so blue.

Hinata could feel her face turning different shades of red, clearly embarrassed. She clasped her small hands together to prevent her childhood nervous tick of tapping fingers from surfacing.

Normally she would avoid eye contact in a situation like this, but for whatever reason she couldn't. The cerulean pools drew her in, keeping her gaze locked in them.

She watched his expression change from surprised to amused, but not in a mocking way. He was patiently waiting for an answer from her as her brain struggled to form coherent words.

"Hmm… Well, I-not exactly." She struggled to finally say, but an honest confession followed suit. "Actually, I've watched you fight before." Naruto arched up his eyebrows at her word but couldn't stop a wide grin from wrinkling his whiskered cheeks.

"Oh well, that explains it then." He said while resuming his task of gathering her stuff. "I just hope it was a good fight, not one I had my ass handed to me." He said with humor.

She let out a breathy giggle at his self-tease.

He looked at her, still similling, while offering her the orange cap. "Here."

"Oh, thank you!" She clumsily accepted it, totally forgetting about it during her fall and their exchange.

He stood up with her basket pointing at the cap.

"That's a really cool cap, by the way." He said honestly. He really did love the color orange. And damn, it did look insanely good on her dark hair. But of course, his opinion was pretty biased.

"Thanks." She said politely, looking down momentarily and chuckling lightly at what she saw. "It matches with your sneakers." She smiled while resuming eye contact.

"What can I say? Orange is my favorite color." He shrugged his shoulders and watched her adjust the weight of her basket in her hands. "You know," he started after a moment of silence. "You know my name, but I don't know yours." He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Unless you wanna keep it a secret or something." Ah, so lame, he thought dejectly.

She blushed lightly as he did not break eye contact.

"Maybe I should." She hid her smile behind her hand, but he could still see her dimples. "But I don't mind disclosing that information to you." Was he blushing? He felt the back of his neck warming up under his hand, maybe she wouldn't notice it. "I'm Hyuga Hinata, it's a pleasure to officially meet you, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto wanted to high-five himself. It would look stupid, he knew that. But he couldn't help but feel proud of himself for not looking like a fool in front of Hinata yet. Well, besides their initial encounter. For now, they were holding a pleasant conversation after paying and exiting the small grocery store.

"So, are you new to the area?" She shyly asked as they walked past the now quiet playground. They just happened to be going in the same direction.

"Yeap. I just moved like yesterday."

She looked somewhat shocked. "I don't mean to be a stalker, but weren't you recently in a fight?" Hinata wouldn't openly reveal information of whom she's been scouting, but she was just so surprised that he could recover so quickly. She knew first hand that Kiba was still recovering.

"Ha! If a Hyuga is stalking me, I would be flattered." So he does know about my family. Hinata thought feeling less awkward with her sudden comment. "So, you guys are really scouting me, huh?" He chuckled while giving her an eyebrow wiggle, his face full of mirth.

Hinata smiled secretively in response but said nothing. Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and he felt butterflies in his stomach.

"I'm not usually chatty." She offered a little bit about herself as if it were a secret.

"Only when surprised?" He teased, and she blushed softly.

They easily held small talk for a couple of blocks, and stayed quiet for another one, simply enjoying the night sounds from the streets–Hinata occasionally pointing at something interesting in their neighborhood.

He felt comfortable. The occasional silence wasn't awkward. But it was strange how conscious he was of her company. His eagerness to just be there with her, a complete stranger.

At the intersection she pointed east, and his stomach sank a little.

"I'm going this way." She said with a polite smile.

"Oh." He let some disappointment escape. "Y'know…" He started after making a quick decision, one hand rubbing the back of his neck again, another clutching at his bags. "I just moved to the area, and it was really nice chatting with you."

He watched Hinata look at him quietly. "Do you think we could see each other again? You could show me around." There, he finally said it.

A small smile adorned her face, and Naruto took it as an encouraging gesture. Still, he wanted to hear her answer before asking for her phone number.

"I think that would be fun." She said after a brief moment of deliberation. He seemed nice, and they were soon to be running in the same circles. And there was perhaps something else that she wasn't willing to admit, not yet anyway.

Naruto smiled and he shifted his bags to his other hand so he could better grab his phone from his pocket. They exchanged phones to input their information in each other's devices, and he noticed Hinata's soft blush throughout the whole interaction. He wondered if she always blushed like that, she did it quite often in their short time together. Whatever the case was, he liked it a lot.

"It was nice meeting you, Uzumaki." She said upon receiving her phone back.

"Please, call me Naruto." He laughed good naturedly. "Uzumaki is so formal, makes me feel like I should be working an office job, and God knows how I'm not fond of either."

"Me too, to be honest." She confessed shyly. "Very well, Naruto." His name sounded foreign in her lips but so familiar at the same time. He smiled, and Hinata could swear his eyes twinkled a bit.

"It was nice meeting you too, Hi-na-ta." He slowly enunciated each syllable of her name, returning her polite words with a small wave before turning west, towards his own place.

Hinata said nothing more, simply waving him back with her timid smile before taking the first steps in the direction she pointed to earlier.

She adjusted her hold on the plastic bags and let a soft humming sound out into the quiet night.

to be continued.

Kitsune: according to Japanese folklore, foxes that possess paranormal abilities and can transform into humans, or fox yokai.

A/N: Looking forward to hearing what you think. Please review :) I thrive on feedback! And I already have the next few chapters written and mostly edited. Next update should be within a week. Stay safe!