Thanks again to everyone who's reading this! Thanks to reviewers who keep encouraging me and giving me great feedback! I'm having so much fun writing, it's been my break from my regular work these days to give my brain a chance to have fun. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Special thanks to the creators of Naruto for giving us such a great Narutoverse to enjoy : )

Japanese Terms: Daijobu (It's okay) ne (huh? Don't you agree?) oniisan (brother) ganbatte (go for it, keep at it) So des (I see) Jamatane (goodby, see you later)

Awakenings 6

Hinata sat again in the secret meeting spot up in the trees at the edge of the Konoha city streets. She sighed and shook her head. Her little breakdown yesterday had cost them a day of training. She sat in waiting, her mind processing at hyper speed the flood of thoughts that ran through her head. She wasn't sure how to feel, what to do, and she had never felt so nervous about seeing Naruto before which was a level of anxiety that surprised even her.

Then she saw it, the spiky, yellow hair making its way toward her. Her heart sank again when she saw Sakura's pink hair bobbing along next to his again. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around herself as if the air had just dropped 20 degrees. This time, though, she didn't look away. She stared at them, watching them walking, talking, and smiling. She took a deep breath, like the night she told Naruto about how she admired him, and her eyes stayed fixed on them.

She watched as they waved goodbye to each other. Sakura stopped and turned to go down the street to her left as Naruto headed straight into the forest. Hinata bit her lower lip. She realized this was just like the fight with Neji, she had the choice to either see it through to the end or run away. She was torn both ways.

Naruto's cheerful blue eyes poked up again from the thick of branches like they had yesterday. She looked into his face as he came towards her smiling. Simultaneously she was filled with fear and terror of the pain he could inflict upon her and the hope and beauty of how happy she would be if he would let her love him and love her in return. She got up and stood her ground. She wanted to trust him. It was time to run the last stretch, even if it would leave her devastated in the end, she would at least know in the end that she had given it her all and then some.

"Are you feeling okay today?" Naruto asked carefully as he examined her.

"Mmh," she said, giving him the most cheerful smile she could muster.

"Ano, sorry about yesterday, I made us miss our training session."

"It's okay; I think we needed the break. Missing our session yesterday and your father not being able to teach this morning seemed to allow my chakra to be fully replenished. I think I've been running on low for awhile."

He gave a toothy smile as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. He felt nervous. The affection he had shown her yesterday made him wonder how he was supposed to act now that things were "back to normal" so to speak. His every movement in front of her right now felt awkward to him.

"Let's go then!" Trying to shake off the discomfiture he felt, Naruto jumped up onto the branch next to her and took off silently to the next tree beginning their hidden journey to their secret training grounds. In mid-air, he felt something soft, warm, and slightly rough slip into his hand. When he landed, he realized Hinata stood next to him on the branch of the next tree, her hand firmly wrapped around his. His eyes grew wide for a moment as he processed what had happened. Then he blushed and, unable to look at her face, he looked slightly downwards shyly. His fingers wrapped around hers as well and they took off, branch to branch, tree to tree, hand in hand.

In the thicket of trees, they formed the seals and hit the ground with the palms of their hands. Their respective trees that had started as tiny germinating plants a week ago were turning out nicely into full grown trees.

Naruto stood looking thoughtfully at his tree, his eyes narrowed pensively.

"Was the first hokage an extreme ninja gardener or something? Cuz I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with this technique," he pondered out loud and scratched his head.

Hinata laughed, her amusement ringing through the air like wind chimes blowing in a light breeze. Naruto smiled awkwardly, not quite sure what it was about what he said that had made her laugh so. Hinata felt again the urge to hug him and comfort him.

"Your tree looks a lot healthier than mine," Naruto said with a tone of dissatisfaction.

It was true; Hinata's tree had a lusher, greener foliage and looked significantly larger than his. He looked disappointedly up at his own tree and was about to turn and give Hinata another embarrassed smile when he felt two small arms wrap around his neck and Hinata's soft cheek pressed up against his.

"Daijobu, I cheat and use my byakuugan to better control the chakra," Hinata said in her delicate and shy yet cheerful voice into his ear, "but you'll get better than me because a Hokage can't lose to a Hyuuga heir, ne?"

Naruto felt chills go up and down his spine, his face burning hot. He was a bit frozen in place.

"Ganbatte…Naruto."

With that, she let him go and went back to her own tree, her face burning hot as well. So many times in the past she had wanted to do that. She trembled slightly as she formed the seals again and guided the growth of her tree. She heard Naruto's hands striking the ground as well with renewed enthusiasm and determination.

A little while later, Hinata stopped.

"We should probably start with new trees because the ones we've grown are too green for autumn," Hinata said thoughtfully.

"Mmh, you're right," Naruto agreed, then smacked his forehead and said, "Ah, I forgot, I have to meet with Jiraiya again today by the river."

"Oh, okay. Um, my parents said to invite you for dinner tonight."

"Great! I'll be there."

Naruto paused a bit, looked at her with an awkward smile, and then hugged her.

"I'll…I'll see you later then."

He let her go.

"Okay," she smiled and then watched him as he ran off.

Hinata heaved a sigh. She didn't know what she was in for and was afraid to feel happy, but she smiled nonetheless. Her hands came up and covered up her warm cheeks as she started to make her way out of their secret training spot.

Soon she was walking into down town under the late afternoon sky, heading for her next appointment of the day. She smiled a crooked smile, scared and happy and confused at the same time, not sure what to make of everything. Her hands were habitually clasped in front of her.

"Hinata?"

She turned at the sound of her name.

"Oh, ano, hi Sakura."

"Hi. I was wondering if you had a moment to have some tea with me. My treat."

"Um…" she looked up at the position of the sun, "yeah, I think so."

Hinata mustered the best smile she could as she tried to control the trembling in her body.

They sat down at the table outside of the tea shop on the corner of the street. Their drinks were served. Hinata watched as the condensed water slid down the side of her glass cup of iced green tea. Sakura sipped her red ice tea.

"Sorry, to bother you like this Hinata, I know you've been really busy with a lot of training."

"No, no, it's okay."

"I just happened to see you right now and wanted to ask you something that I've been curious about for a long time."

Hinata looked at her, silently wondering what in the world Sakura, the smartest kid from their graduating academy class, would want to know from her?

"Well, you've always been so quiet, but you know, it's always been really obvious, at least to us girls, that you really like Naruto."

Hinata bit her lower lip and looked back down at her drink. She took a sip of the cool green liquid from the straw that pointed towards her.

"Well, you see, it seemed like all the other girls in class were all into Sasuke, him being top of the class and so good looking and all."

Sakura continued with an embarrassed laugh, "We always thought Naruto was such a loser. Dead last Uzumaki, you know."

Hinata nodded her head slightly, still biting her lower lip as if to keep from saying something she shouldn't.

"I was just wondering why you liked Naruto and not Sasuke?"

Sakura gave her a furtive look before going back to sipping her own drink then looking casually out at the people passing by on the street.

Hinata looked up directly at Sakura, surprised at this most unexpected question. She took another sip of her drink, watching the ice cubes in her cup shift and clink against each other in the green liquid.

She took a deep breath. Might as well, she thought. She was on a roll today.

"I guess I ended up admiring Naruto so much because even when he failed, he kept trying so hard. Even when everyone made fun of him, he stood up to it. So I had thought to myself, that's what I want to be like. Someone who can face failure."

"So des…" Sakura said thoughtfully.

"I admired Sasuke, too. He was always so smart and did so well in school. He worked really hard, too. But I guess now that I know more about Sasuke and what happened to him, I sort of hate him."

"Why?" Sakura wondered how shy and quiet Hinata could ever end up hating someone like Sasuke, someone she had never had anything to do with.

"Because he abandoned Konoha, his friends, neighbors, and teachers, when we needed him the most. Because of him, Shikamaru-kun, Chouji-kun, Kiba-kun, Neji-oniisan, and even Naruto almost lost their lives trying to bring him back."

Sakura's eyes grew wide, and then a look of pain fell over her face.

"Sasuke wants revenge on the person who took everything away from him," Sakura said, with a hint defensiveness in her voice.

"I…I don't know what happened to Naruto's parents, but if Naruto took the same path as Sasuke, taking revenge on those who made him suffer, he'd have to destroy Konoha. Instead, Naruto wants to be Hokage, the ultimate protector of this village."

Sakura cringed at these words.

"I never understood and still don't understand why all the adults treated Naruto so badly. I mean, shouldn't a child of our village receive extra help from everyone if they have no parents?"

The two girls sat in silence for a moment, each taking a sip or two of their drink.

"Sorry, Sakura, I have a meeting with my father at main office."

"Oh, yeah, sorry to have bothered you. Thanks for talking to me."

The two finished up their drinks.

"Thank you for the tea, Sakura."

Sakura shook her head.

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

They both stood up to go.

"You know, Hinata-san, I always thought I was the shrewdest one in class, but you're smarter than I'll ever be."

Before Hinata could open her mouth in protest and list all the times Sakura scored the highest in class, Sakura threw her a friendly yet sad smile and said,

"No wonder Naruto likes you so much! Jamatane."

Sakura gave her a wink, waved and walked away, leaving Hinata standing with her mouth slightly agape.

Hinata opened the front door of her house and let Naruto out of the Hyuuga family compound after dinner. She stepped outside with him. He turned to look at her a little puzzled; she usually just opened the door for him and stayed inside. He watched as she left the door ajar behind her.

After all that had happened and everything she had heard today, Hinata wanted to finish something tonight that she realized she might not be able to do on another day. She was really on a roll.

Naruto smiled at her, glad to have a moment with her alone before he had to say goodbye. The two of them were bathed in full moon light, and they glowed ethereally against the night sky. He reached out and shyly but tenderly took her hand in his with an awkward smile on his face.

"Naruto, thank you for helping me feel better yesterday."

Before he could say it was nothing, Hinata was up on her tippy-toes and her lips met his. Naruto's eyes grew wide and had barely processed what just happened when Hinata again, for the second time that day, wrapped her arms around his neck. She held on. His eyes softened, and he put his arms around her as well, burying half of his face in her hair while she buried her face in his neck. After a moment, they released each other, and stood facing each other, both of their hands sliding down the others' arms into each others hands.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata-chan," Naruto said with the happiest smile he's ever had in his life spread across his face. He could barely contain his joy.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Naruto-chan," Hinata said cheerfully with a smile, her timid, sweet voice saying his name like a beautiful melody floating past his ears.

Naruto bounded off into the night. Instead of walking like he usually did, he flew from roof top to roof top, his heart soaring like it never had before. He never knew he could feel this way.

Hinata looked on, watching him take flight into the night, smiled with a mixture of fear, sadness, and happiness swirling around inside of her, and went back into the walls of the compound.

The fighting action is on its way, I promise : D You'll never guess who it's going to be between :P Okay, um, maybe you will.