Summary: After a long mission, all he really wanted to do was get a bowl of ramen from Ichiraku. However, that wasn't the only thing fate pushed his way.

Pairings: Naruto/Hinata

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei.

As Time Passes

Over a Bowl of Ramen

"See you guys later!" shouted a familiar blonde as he waved back at his teammates, too happy to care about anything else. Surprisingly, he didn't single out Sakura and greet her goodbye, nor did he single out Sasuke and insult him once more before going off to whatever he had to do. He was simply overjoyed because they were finally back home after a week-long mission to the Tea Country to deliver some important scrolls. They were all Chuunin now but were still occasionally under the command of Kakashi. "Ramen! Ramen! Ramen!" he sang out loud as he rushed to Ichiraku.

"I wonder if there's anything wrong with him. He didn't greet me goodbye," said Sakura as she watched the back of Naruto.

"Why, you want him to?" sneered Sasuke as he crossed his arms, looking over at the pink haired girl beside him.

"No. Just not used to him doing that," said Sakura simply before tugging on Sasuke's arm to get him to go with her somewhere. Kakashi stared at the sight before him when Sasuke agreed to. Shrugging it off, he pulled out a familiar book and began walking home. Or perhaps, grab the latest copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

Meanwhile, Naruto half-ran to Ichiraku, saying hello to a few people he knew. Life had been much kinder to him since he had become a ninja of the leaf. He only had to become a Jounin and then prove his worth before he would become Konoha's Hokage. It wasn't long until that happened. Suddenly, a familiar face caused him to stop. It was Hinata.

"Hey, Hinata! How are you doing?" asked Naruto as he approached the girl. The Hyuuga heiress reddened as she saw Naruto approach her.

"N-nothing m-much. I w-was j-just o-on my w-way to g-get s-some ra-ramen," stammered Hinata as she looked down, trying to suppress the blush that was already rising.

"Oh! Care to join me, then? It's much better eating a bowl of ramen with a good friend," invited Naruto as he motioned for her to follow him. Hinata's confidence deflated slightly. So that was all she was to him? A friend? Better than an enemy, at least, but she wanted to be more than that.

"O-okay t-then."

Dinner was uneventful, if not for the fact that Naruto had three bowls of ramen and was already on his fourth. Hinata was barely even halfway through her first bowl.

"N-Naruto-kun, a-are y-you sure y-you c-can fi-finish that?" asked Hinata timidly as she leaned forward, trying to peer into his bowl. Naruto nodded and turned his head, only for his lips to meet hers.

Hinata was in seventh heaven. Here was her crush and her first kiss! He tasted faintly like ramen. Of course, he always ate the stuff. Naruto's mind was reeling. Hinata's scent was intoxicating and she tasted sweet. After what seemed to be like an eternity, they pulled apart.

"Sorry about that!" apologized Naruto profusely, scratching the back of his head. Hinata's head was still bent, the redness of her face obvious on her pale skin. "I didn't know!"

"I-it's o-okay, N-Naruto-kun," she spoke softly, her hands grasping the cloth of her pants tightly.

"Good! I'll walk you home, after this, okay?" offered Naruto as he finished the rest of his ramen, "And I won't take no for an answer!" Hinata laughed slightly, her opalescent eyes glittering. Naruto caught the smile. Looking at her, he offered her a simple grin before speaking. "You know, you should smile more often. You look prettier with a smile." It was Naruto's turn to blush slightly while Hinata reddened even further.

"Okay, I will then."

Owari

A waffy Naruto/Hinata fanfic as a peace offering for the one-shot called Torn Apart.

This is dedicated to cherri-chan! Hope you like!

And I've had an idea about Naruto, Hinata and ramen for ages but never really felt the inspiration to right it until now.

In any case, these stories aren't going to be long, since they're the type devoid of any major storyline. If these one-shots inspire you to write any more, by all means go ahead.