I'm Not Usually Like This

* Disclaimer* I do not own Naruto, this is a work of fan fiction

~ So many of you have asked for a chapter in The Mission from Naruto's POV. I hear you and I might in future right a short series of snapshots that give you just that. But for now I want to keep the story and tension as they are. In apology for this, I've written you this short stand alone from Naruto's POV to hold you over. All my love, Luna~

It's her laugh, tickling that back of his neck as it reaches his ears. She's down the street walking with her genin team and he studiously keeps his eyes from her. It's been a little over a year since she confessed her feelings. He meant to approach her sooner, meant to speak to her and thank her. As hours turned to days and days to weeks and so on he kept planning to find her. But the fight never seemed to end and then there was more training. Then Neji was killed and he really was going to go see her and check that she was okay.

Kami, all the times he wanted to approach her but couldn't quite get the words out. Couldn't quite think of what to say even though he tried to play the whole conversation out in his head a million times.

This day, he listens to her low voice as she speaks to her students. She's the perfect teacher, gentle and compassionate but with an iron strength underneath. Her students love her, and obey her mostly because they like the personal attention she gives each of them. They would do anything for her. His eyes betray him as they flash up to catch a glance of her, but she's rounding the corner and all he sees is the back of her jacket and the black curtain of her hair. He has a momentary thought that he should go after her but she's with the kids.

"It's not the right time" he mumbles to himself and continues on his way to meet Lee. There's training to do.

...

It's her lavender eyes, they see right through him. He knows she can see the unease in him but he smiles his foxy grin and brings his arms up to clasp the back of his head as he talks boisterously with Sakura. She's there with the rest of them, the group who all graduated from the academy together. Her eyes look away and his grin falters. There's this nagging voice in the back of his mind, 'Just talk to her', but he can't bring himself to say anything.

"It's not the right time" he mumbles to himself and when Sakura asks him what he means he waves the words away with his usual broad gestures and changes the topic to Kakashi-sensei.

...

It's the smell of her blood, the kunai that came too close. She's holding her arm and the blood drips down and it's too much. The chakra spins out of control like it hasn't in years, even as his rational mind tries to rein it in. The attackers die quickly and the irrational part of his mind is furious they didn't suffer more, but he has to check her. Has to make sure she's alright.

He's reaching for her, hands sliding over her arm. Assessing the injury he keeps his eyes from her face. She's tense, from pain he assumes and after wrapping her arm with a bandage he helps her carefully to her feet. She seems steady enough but he keeps his hands inches from her shoulders ready to help.

His eyes betray him again, the deep blue now a blazing orange and he doesn't want to look at her face. Funnily enough it's not that he expects her to be afraid of him, she never has been. It's not that he thinks she will judge him for losing control either but he's sure his feelings, the ones he still can't quite admit to himself are there. He can't let her see that way, needs to find the words to tell her. He owes her that much after her own brave confession.

"Are you alright?"

"Hai, Naruto-kun"

'It's not the right time', the words whisper through his mind and then they are moving through the trees. Reaching Konoha to complete the mission, he leads her to the hospital first before going to file the report. His eyes are blue again but he still can't look at her and neither of them speaks as he leaves her in the medic's capable hands.

...

It's her voice that finally forces the issue. She's nervous, fingers twisting as she speaks and her eyes are anywhere but on his face. She's speaking quickly, her words stuttering here and there as she tries to get them out before he can interrupt or leave. Her face is flame red and she's shaking a bit.

"Naruto-kun. I...I wanted to say I'm sorry. I know we haven't spoken of it since the battle with P...pein but I know that it's made you uncomfortable since. I am not sorry that I said it, I meant what I said. B...but I'm sorry that it's caused such a rift between us. Not…not that there was anything between us before, I'm not assuming. I…I mean that I think we were at least friends before this and now you won't speak to me unless you have too and I'm sorry."

He's staring at her, at the porcelain of her skin and dark sweep of her hair framing her reddened face and he knows he should speak. She's apologizing because it's who she is, to feel awful if she's upset someone. He tries to open his mouth, manages a bare second before she finishes her rush of words with,

" Can we go back to that? To friends if nothing else, I understand you don't feel the same and I don't expect any..thing from you. I try to keep my distance so that you don't have to f..feel awkward but we have to work together at times , gomen."

She stops twisting her fingers and bends at the waist in a slight bow before turning on her heel to move swiftly away. He's reaching for her arm but she's too far away already and he's so off balance internally that he stumbles when he takes a step after her.

"Hinata!" he calls but she's gone and he stands there like an idiot.

...

It's her scent, wafting through the curtains of Ichiraku. He's off the stool, leaving his half eaten bowl sitting on the counter. She's just past the stall when he makes it through the curtains. He reaches out and catches her arm lightly as he says her name.

She spins in surprise, hair flying around her and he realizes that she's not alone. Ino and Sakura are walking next to her and seem as surprised as she is. He feels warmth suffuse his checks and color the bridge of his nose and he drops his hand quickly.

'It's not the right time' the traitorous voice in his head whispers but he hears himself say,

"Gomen, Hinata-chan, could I talk to you for a minute?"

Hinata blinks and then nods a moment later turning to say something to her companions but they are already waving as they move brillant on their faces and her cheeks are flaming now.

She turns back to him and he's rubbing the back of his head because now that she's there and he has her attention the damn words won't come again. They stand there awkwardly, on the side of the busy street with people casting curious glances or ignoring them completely.

"I…." he tries to start but there's a block of something in his throat and he tries to clear it but it won't go away.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" She's standing there clasping her hands in front of her, eyes cast down and he can't get the words out. As the silence starts to stretch he gives in, reaching forward he catches her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up to look at him and meets her eyes.

"Gomen, I'm not usually like this but I can't…." he's caught in her lavender eyes and he wishes she could truly see through him, just like he always feels she can. And then there's a shift in her body language, a tensing and he's afraid she's going to leave.

Without letting himself think about what he's about to do he bends his head, lips hovering just above hers. He always has words but he can't find them this time so he gives her the choice. There's a second's hesitation on her part then she lifts her face further and brushes her lips over his.

They are both scarlet when they pull away. It's no passionate confession in the middle of a battle but the small smile spreading across her lips triggers his own and they stand in their moment while the rest of the village moves around them and he's happier than he's ever been before.