He's been studying for a very long time.

His eyes waver between the paper in front of him and the clock. The ticking sounds echoing off the walls of the room. It's been approximately three hours. He's been staring at the same scroll for thirty minutes now, and he's bored .

Each time he enters the room, Shikamaru has more textbooks than before, placing them on top of the desk next to him.

"Knock yourself out" comes the usual remark, and then he would walk right out to attend to his matters. A deep yawn passes through him, and he fists his eyes to keep himself awake.

He could go for some ramen right now.

He needs to get out of here; staying in one place for several hours was not the move. Especially if he was only reading. He couldn't concentrate for the life of him. This was worse than training for sage mode!

He dislikes studying at the Hokage tower. He never has the 'free will' to do anything the way he wants to. There was always something that he was doing wrong that Shikamaru or Kakashi would point out, and it was aggravating. His lips parted as another sigh escaped his lungs.

He'll never get out of here.

The stillness of the room irks him, the piles of textbooks staring right into his soul. He's been looking at the same scroll for thirty minutes now, and he's come to the conclusion that desperate times call for desperate measures-

Ramen.

The only problem was that he needed to get past the Nara, which wasn't going to be easy. He could either go with option A: annoy the shit out of him until he has no choice but to kick him out. Or option B- except there isn't an option B because he's a little slow when it comes to forming ideas. It has to come naturally. Therefore, there was nothing more genius than the first one.

He waits a little while for Shikamaru to return with whatever scrolls or documents that are left, and scrunches his face at the clock when fifteen minutes pass by. If Shikamaru isn't returning any time soon, then he thinks that maybe, just maybe, he can casually slip out.

Besides, there wasn't any harm in taking a break. Especially if it's a ramen break.

He gets up and stretches, and casually makes his way towards the door. He stops however when he feels a familiar chakra presence right alongside Shikamaru's.

Hinata!

He inquires that she probably just got back from a mission. He thinks that she would be tired and worn out...but then again... maybe she would like to go out for ramen?

It's been a few days since their spar, and Naruto decided then on that she would become a regular sparring partner. Just like how they were regular ramen partners.

In all honesty, he just needed to get out of this damned room, and Hinata was a potential outlet.

Besides, he wants to talk with her anyway, he likes talking to her. Whatever conversation that comes to mind was easily conveyed with her. She was that good of a friend. That easy to talk to. He found that spending time with her was rather enjoyable. Not that it wasn't enjoyable before, but after the war, they were more close than what he previously deemed, and he's happy about their progress as friends.

"Hey, Hinata!" He steps out of the room and walks towards the pair, Shikamaru's silent glare telling him to get back, study, and simply go away .

She stops mid-sentence and looks over to him with those pale lavender eyes, a small smile appearing on her plump lips, a light pink glistening on her cheeks. A deep and exaggerated sigh that can be heard from kilometers away escapes the Nara's lips.

Naruto approaches them with a grin on his face, his hands behind his neck in a signature pose. "You just got back from a mission right? Wanna get some ramen?"

Shikamaru shakes his head disapprovingly, an annoyed expression masking his features. "It's best if she gets some rest, Naruto. She just came back from a mission. You on the other hand.."

"Yeah? I think that's for her to make that decision, y'know! What's it gonna be Hinata, resting all nice and cozy in your little bed-

"I don't think that's helping your case-"

"-ooor getting some ramen with yours truly!?" Naruto shoots her a prominent grin, a smile he knows she wouldn't refuse. He can practically hear the shadow user's eyes rolling to the back of his head. Sure he sounded a little smug, but who cares. Studying will be the death of him if he doesn't leave this damn building.

Hinata looks down in thought before giving him an answer. "Shikamaru-san is probably right, I should probably get some rest...but m-maybe next time, as in tomorrow afternoon?"

"Tomorrow? No no no today Hinata! I'll pay if that's what it takes?"

"Naruto" Shikamaru cuts in, "you have thirty minutes left until you can do anything. What's the point of wasting unnecessary time by getting ramen now, just to come back and remain here for a short amount of time?"

"Look, I know where you're going with this, and you are exactly right. But hear me out...I wasn't planning on coming back."

"Of course you weren't."

"I'll stay with him until he's finished if that's okay" Hinata mumbles.

Shikamaru shoots her a questioning look. "I thought you needed rest?"

"A-at first sure, but I think I'll be fine, so no need to worry" she assures. "Would you like that, Naruto-Kun?"

Shikamaru gives what Naruto thinks to be a knowing look at Hinata, however she looks away with a crimson face. She can be a little weird at times, but besides the point- she wants to stay with him to study! The shadow user turns back towards Naruto, "so no ramen is what I'm guessing now, right?"

Naruto instantly beams at her request and grabs her wrist, dragging her into the office space.

"On second thought you're right Shikamaru! I got thirty more minutes to spare, y'know?" and then he shuts the door, leaving the Nara in his thoughts.

He pulls up a chair next to the desk and urges her to sit down. She takes a seat, gazing at all the unopened books and sprawled out scrolls on his desk. Seeing his desk like this now that Hinata was here was a little embarrassing, it looks as if he didn't care about his surroundings (which he doesn't). It was pretty messy.

"So uh, how was your mission?" he asks to start a conversation. "Did it go well?"

"Yeah, it was to deliver a few documents, nothing more. But it's a lot of walking. The village was really pretty though, so we did a lot of sightseeing. Which is a little weird for a mission, but technically I don't count delivering anything to be a real mission."

Trying to keep a steady composure, Naruto wiggles in his seat, he just can't keep still today. "Heh, yeah. I can't wait until my next mission, did I tell you about how I'm getting assigned to more S-rank missions? I'm even leading some of them!"

She nods her head. "I hear a lot about your accomplishments, Naruto-Kun, and I'm very proud of you." And then she gives him a smile that's so genuine. He always felt like he was undeserving of her smiles, but she still pampered him with them. Everyone was proud of him- they tell him that every day. But hearing it from her warms his heart. Little sweet Hinata, being proud of him.

He smiles at her, gathering a few scrolls in his hands. "Thank you, y'know. It means a lot, coming from you."

Her eyebrows raise at this, her eyelids slightly rising. "Coming from me?"

"I mean yeah, we're close right? It's always better when people close to you recognize your improvements because that means they've watched you grow from the start, and they witness your achievements."

"You're right," she looks thoughtful, as if she's contemplating his answer, "I never really thought of it that way."

"But you have! Remember when you called me a proud failure? You told me that I make mistakes, but I had determination and stuff like that.. and I never gave up. You said something along those lines, y'know. It made me feel really good inside!"

"Of course I remember" she giggles, "you were headed to the chuunin exams to go against Neji-Nissan. You know...I wanted you to win, and I cheered you on, secretly hoping you would prove my cousin wrong. You were such a big inspiration to me back then" she pauses and looks at him, frantically waving her hands dismissively as if her previous statement was an insult. "N-not that you're not an inspiration now! I was just...reminiscing I guess. Sorry..."

His heart swells at the tender compliment. Where would he be without a friend like her?

"Thanks..that means a lot, Hinata. But enough about me. What's up with you? Have you been feeling better recently or what?"

"I've been okay so far, everything's been...up to par I guess. Hanabi and I have been working to improve our rotation techniques, which is proving to be quite the struggle" she laughs quietly to herself. "Neji-Nissan was such a genius, being able to acquire it all on his own.."

He listens to her talk and watches how her eyes light up when talking about her late cousin. He smiles inwardly at her, she's being cute as usual. While listening though, he takes in her appearance. She recently got back from a mission with team eight, being sent to an pretty village along the outskirts of Konoha.

Tired lavender eyes waver between him and the desk with her back slouched against the seat. So not Hinata-like, he notes. She usually sits up straight with an elegant posture. He spots the faintest bags underneath her eyes, and he can feel her leg brush against his.

In all honesty, she looks like she needs a nap, and he feels bad for keeping her with him. Even though she offered to stay, he thinks that she needs to rest. But at times like this, he feels a little selfish. He hasn't seen her in a while, so why not keep her a little while longer? It's not like she was going to be here forever.

He's pretty sure she said something, but he's too focused on his thoughts to care.

He can smell the faintest hints of vanilla coming from her, and it stirs something in his gut. Even after a mission, she still manages to have that lingering scent on her, and it affects him in ways that he doesn't like.

"Um...Naruto-Kun? Are you okay?" He blinks into reality and looks at her. Was he spacing out? Just how long was she talking for? "I'm sorry Hinata, what was that? I think I spaced out a little bit" he sheepishly laughs, trying to cover his embarrassment. He didn't want her to think that she was staring at her (in which he was). She probably thought he wasn't listening to her!

"Oh, I was just asking if you need help with your studies? ...I was thinking if there was anything you were confused about, I could probably touch on? If that's okay with you of course.."

"Oh yeah! Heh, I honestly thought we were gonna kill some time by doing nothing, but studying works fine too" he shrugs.

She nods her head in understanding, "Okay then, what do you need help with?

As time goes on, Hinata touches on subjects that he wouldn't dare ask Shikamaru or Iruka, and maybe even Kakashi. He knows they're only trying to help him, yet he can't help but feel that they are internally judging him and the stupidity of his questions. But with Hinata, it felt good. She explained things so gentle to him, and she was very patient when it came to listening to his thought process.

She was so nice to him.

And she was intelligent as well! She knew a bunch of topics that were related to Hokage's work. Such topics being international relations and economic/environmental studies, considering that she was the alleged heir.

But of course, she would know these things. She's a Hyuga, so naturally, Hinata was really smart, like...Shikamaru and Sasuke smart. Smarter than he'll ever be. She had a good sense of judgment and was very perceptive, always knowing what to say. She was such a good friend to him. Not to mention how pretty she is...

But that's besides the point. Maybe she could help him with studying more. So why not ask?

"Wanna be my study partner?" It was a risky question to ask, knowing how busy she is. But deep inside, he was hoping that she would say yes. Not that he would be sad if she said no or anything, but it would be nice if she agreed...

She appeared to be deep in thought, and he wondered if he'd be a hindrance to her schedule.

Her hands absentmindedly glide over placed scrolls, tracing the dried ink with her fingers.

"We don't have to study here all the time. We could always go back to my place y'know?"

He watches her face turn a crimson red, and now he's a little worried. Did he say something wrong? Was he making her uncomfortable? Downhearted by her lack of response, he switches the conversation.

"Forget I said anything-"

"We could do it at your place-"

Oh?

They stop talking and look at each other, a surprising look dawning on their features.

"Have you changed your mind...do you not want to study with me anymore?" she quietly says, seemingly dejected.

"No no! You just um... took a long time to answer is all."

"I'm sorry Naruto-Kun," she looks into his eyes, seeking forgiveness.

"You're okay! I just thought you didn't want to, which is okay if you don't wanna. Now that I think about it, helping me with studying does sound kinda boring."

"Not at all! I enjoy your presence…" her cheeks flush at the words coming out of her mouth, "spending time with you is always fun, no matter what we do'' she whispers the last part of her sentence quietly as if she didn't want him to hear.

As if it couldn't get any worse, the swelling of his heart feels like it's about to burst. She was so, so nice to him that it hurt. Sometimes, he felt selfish. Her compliments felt like they were reserved for him only. He likes hearing them from her because it makes him feel good. And so naturally, like the smug person he is, he wants to know why she likes spending time with him. He probably already knows the answer- they were close friends. But he wants to hear it from her.

"So you like spending time with me huh...like specifically what?"

"Ah well um, y-you know" she's getting more flustered by the second. He smirks at her franticness. He likes to evoke these types of responses from her, she always had the cutest reactions. "Like eating ramen with you is nice, and our recent spar was pretty fun."

"I thought our spar was fun too, which is why there'll be more in the future y'know" he winks at her.

She fidgets under his gaze and plays with her hair, looping midnight tresses around her fingers.

"Your presence is comforting, too…"

That's new.

Usually, he's kind of a chaotic individual to be around, always creating havoc during gods know what.

"Really?"

"Yes..but I'll study with you from now on if that's what you want, Naruto-Kun," she looks up at him flushed, showcasing a small but reassuring smile.

"Great! I mean, my place is not a great environment for studying, but it's still great y'know? I got the best instant ramen on the market that you gotta try!"


At Sakura's new apartment, he was helping with the boxes. She recently moved out of her parent's home, and claimed that she was getting a 'fresh start.' As if she needed a fresh start!

"Make sure you read the labels Naruto. I don't want to have to carry different boxes to different rooms, or open up a box of kitchen supplies in my bathroom!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" he pauses for a minute and takes in what she said. "I can read y'know! What type of guy do you take me for?"

"A guy that doesn't read you, bonehead. There are about three more boxes outside, so make sure to bring those in as well!"

Mumbling under his breath, he went to retrieve the boxes, making sure that he was reading the labels.

"By the way, Naruto" Sakura calls out to him from inside one of the rooms, "why haven't you been coming in for checkups? Tsunade has been looking for you!"

"Tell granny to shove it! I'll come when it actually hurts!"

"You idiot, that's not how it works! We need to check if the arm is adjusting to you well. It's only been like a year, and even though you don't feel anything bad-"

"Okay, okay! Damn, I can never get a break from that hospital. It's like I'm there every other week."

He picks up a few boxes that are labeled 'kitchen' on them and places them on the counter. He opens it and starts taking out dishes, spices, and a few commodities. She has a lot of weird stuff for kitchen supplies. Naruto picks up a bottle.

Palm oil.

The hell even is that? Oil from the palms of her hands..? And why does this gigantic spoon have holes in it? Did she put them there...because that was just weird? What's the point of having holes in a spoon if all the broth from the ramen is gonna spill out of it!

"Sakura-chan, you have a lot of weird shit, not gonna lie."

Sakura enters the kitchen, snatching the spoon right out of his hands. "Or maybe, you don't know how to cook anything else besides ramen," the Pinkett says in a petulant voice. She picks up an open box and moves towards the other side of the kitchen.

"Heh, you can't cook either!" He picks up a pill jar from inside the box, "Remember those food pills you brought me? I swear, that shit was nasty as-"

A spoon comes flying towards his head, hitting his frontal. Naruto slouches over in pain, cupping his forehead. "Ack! Sakura-chan that hurts."

"You were saying?" she raises a sly eyebrow, with a teasing smirk appearing on her lips.

"Nevermind. Ugh…" he picks up a new box with a bunch of seasonings neatly stacked in it. "Where do you want these to go?"

As they work in her kitchen, a realization struck him that he doesn't own anything in his kitchen except for eggs, milk, cereal, and some commodities. But then again, the only thing he ever ate was ramen.

"So" Sakura begins, sitting on the countertops. "What are we doing for your birthday? It's your 19th! We need to do something big!"

"Woah Woah Woah! We did something big last year for my 18th. This year I wanna keep it simple y'know?"

"Simple?" Her face scrunches up, "since when were you ever a simple guy? You turn 19 and don't know how to act huh?"

"Cut me some slack okay? I was thinking we could eat out together- me, you, Sai, and Kakashi-sensei and try one of these fancy restaurants in town."

"I'm surprised you're not taking us to Ichiraku"

"Heh, ain't no complaints if that's what we're doing, but I kind of figured you guys would want to do something special for a special occasion" he grins.

"And you're right about that" Sakura crosses her arms, an amused look on her face. He shakes his head in agreement, but suddenly he watches her expression change into a concentrated look.

"What do you have planned for the entire day? Is that all you're doing, besides maybe going to the memorial site?"

"Well, I was gonna treat it as any other day, like I usually do. It's only during the night when things get fun."

"So there's nothing else huh…" Sakura muses.

"Just what are you tryna get at y'know?"

"Nothing nothing! It just seems to me that you're becoming more and more mature as the years go by...at least you try to be."

"Well, you know what they say!"

"No Naruto, I don't."

"Yeah me neither."

Sakura giggled at his antics, and Naruto smiles. He likes the little moments between them, it was nice to know that he had some family, even if she wasn't blood. It feels the emptiness in his heart, the loneliness disappearing for a good moment, and it's such a nice feeling.

He's thankful for the way their relationship has turned out. Anything further than that would've ended in chaos; they're alike in many ways. They don't balance each other out, together they're fire and fire, creating an eternal flame. They were wild together, and it evaporates all feelings of desolation.


He's exhausted, yet conscious.

Twisting and turning in his covers, for some reason he couldn't get himself to sleep.

The day took a lot out of him.

And now that he's finally in his bed, he's wide awake.

He doesn't like these types of nights.

Because those nights consisted of endless thoughts, sending him deep into an abyss. He hates that he can never pull himself out of it.

It was pulling him in so deep that it felt like he was drowning. Struggling to come back to the shore of reality, he lets the thoughts consume him, wave by wave.

These thoughts touch on subjects that he'd rather not. Such as love.

Naruto knows he's an idiot.

He wasn't the sharpest kunai in the pouch, especially when it came to intellectual matters.

Many people have the assumption that, because he was an idiot, he didn't know the basic concept of love or anything for its matter. But he did. How could he not?

He knows exactly what it is. He knows the difference in its levels of complexity, of what makes love love . An entanglement of emotions that constitutes the feelings within oneself, love was a connection that strays deeper than just the realms of sexual attraction.

Love is everything that is happiness. It was the feeling of all of the stars in the universe squeezed into one. It burns bright within oneself. It's a beautiful emotion that is infinite, timeless.

He grew up with nothing and yet, he felt everything. And everything that has happened through his life- through thick and thin, through good and bad, he experienced what it meant to feel alive.

Love just so happened to be the greatest emotion that he could ever feel.

Of course, he knows there are different types of love that extend to all types of relationships.

He knew the difference when Sakura embraced Sasuke in the hospital. He saw the way she clung onto him, the vulnerability that was showcased at that moment, in their moment.

He knew the difference when he first met his mother; the love he felt when she hugged him when she told him she loved him. It was an unfamiliar, yet comforting feeling. She wasn't there for his first steps or his first words, but at that moment, he felt the bond between mother and son.

He knew the difference when Hinata rushed in during his fight with Pain. When he laid there, pinned against the haggard soil of the ground, she came in to save him, almost dying in the process. Like diving headfirst into shallow water, she was reckless, yet brave. She knew she wouldn't win...and yet...it was all for friendship. He never knew the extent that Hinata cared for him as a friend, coming to his aid was a suicidal mission and she did it anyway when there was nobody else.

Because...I love you.

Yeah... friendship…

She did it because he was in danger, she told him she loved him out of friendship...

But then again...there was this thought that lingered in his brain, that that wasn't what she truly meant.

A thought that was so bizarre that he suppressed it to the furthest depths of his mind.

A thought that was so dangerous that it could destroy this perfect reality.

There was nothing more to it, he knew that already.

But then again…

Was there an ulterior motive behind it? Could she have meant something more than just friendship? And if she did, then why ? Friends risked their lives for each other. If that's the case, why did no one else come to his aid-but her?

Are friends supposed to do that?

Did she mean...

No.

He can't keep dwelling on this thought. Not when things are so good between them now. Not when everything is finally going right in his life.

He left it alone for three years- and it's going to stay that way.

He needs to keep reminding himself that there's nothing more to it.

No one has ever seen him in that way. He couldn't win the heart of a certain Pinkett or any girl for that matter during that time, so it's pointless to even think that…

He deeply exhales into the stillness of the night, his right hand dragging along his face as he lay underneath his covers.

There were fangirls, sure- but they're all fake. Not real enough in the sense to know him for just being him- Naruto Uzumaki. They only know him as the savior of the shinobi world. They claim to love him, but what about him before he became that title?

What more can he receive if it's only an infatuation? It means nothing, he would know.

There was nothing going for him when it comes to that type of love.

He hates when he gets like this when his thoughts leave him in a spiraling mess. He feels bitter and slightly agitated. He hates thinking about love. It hurts his brain and leads him to conclusions that just weren't possible.

Everyone around him told him that he didn't understand and that he will never. He was to remain clueless in the eyes of his friends and to remain everyone's favorite knuckle-headed, unpredictable ninja.

That's just the way things are.

Of course, he knows that not everyone thinks this way, but there was a good amount.

Love wasn't hard to figure out. He knew that for sure. He could find love if he really wanted to, but did he deserve it? Was he meant to be lonely for the rest of his life?

Now he needs to stop thinking. He just needs to meditate, just breathe and count shurikens to sleep. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Naruto shuts his eyes tightly, and a deep black takes his sight. No more thinking about that topic. Tomorrow, or rather today, is a new day.

...one shuriken...two shuriken...three shuriken...

She fit perfectly underneath him, looking into his cobalt eyes with deep lavender ones.

...four shurikens...five...

The feel of her body underneath his pelvis left him frozen.

...shuriken...seven shuriken...eight...

The way her hair was sprawled out on the ground, the feel of his hand clasping around her thin wrists.

...ten shurikens...wait, did I skip six?

..six shuriken...seven shuriken...

Her soft, breathy pants felt so heavy to his ears. The way he could see her larynx move slightly against the steel of the kunai in his hand.

Fuck .

It was just plain wrong, so so wrong.

And yet, he just couldn't get himself to stop thinking about that day.

Was it wrong if he kept these thoughts to himself? He wasn't Pervy Sage, it's not like he's an open pervert. At least he tries not to look like an open pervert.

But being a closeted pervert is not any better.

She's a friend, a precious comrade. Sweet, caring, and gentle Hinata.

She was everything pure in this tainted world. And yet...

The way she felt underneath him was sending him into overdrive. It was messing with his mind, messing with his sleep. Messing up his counting...

He shouldn't be thinking about her in this way. But he can't stop.

When he was on top of her, holding the sharp blade against her pale flesh, he felt a little weird .

It was bothering him that he couldn't figure it out.

She was so soft, something akin to luxurious pillows...if that was even a thing?

He gruffly sighs and tugs at his golden locks.

He was down bad.

Comparing Hinata to pillows? Was he serious right now?

He can't compare her to pillows...maybe something else like...wait no! Nothing else! He can't compare her to anything because then he would be objectifying her! And that was the last thing he wanted for his dearest friend.

A precious comrade. Hinata was much more than just her body, he knows that.

He can admire her from a distance, but what he's doing right now, thinking about her in ways that he shouldn't be, needs to stop. Careless thoughts can lead to careless actions...luckily he knows how to restrain himself.

He won't let these dirty thoughts take control of him! That's not who he is! He was going to prove to himself that Naruto Uzumaki is not a pervert!

Sure you're not.

Shut up fox!