As Kō sets her down on the steps outside the compound she turns to him, her anger towards Naruto's injustice still there.

Ever since the merge, which feels so long ago, even though she knows it's only been a couple hours, half a day at most.

She feels different more her, like she's finally found her true purpose, she has never realized how obsessive she could be, now that she knows what the future holds the budding admiration turns into desperation, while she knows she'll never be that Hinata, she can only hope Naruto will still love her.

Why is she worried about Naruto loving her?

Because she wants the small glimpse of what she saw could be, but better.

She wants to have those cute children who she saw were hers.

Before the merge she would always be envious of women and people who were able to carry children, despite her youth at the time or adolescence, she's not sure on her age if she's honest, she knows what a teenager could think like she does, but she feels like an 6 year old.

She Knows she's still Hinata, she just feels more…

Now, she has the chance to both make her future better and to make her the Woman she was meant to be, the question is how?

She's only 6.

She has so much time to grow up, she needs to worry about more immediate things, like her father being on the other side of the door to his office.

She takes an unnecessary breath before knocking, idly wondering if he could sense her, most likely.

"Come in" With that she opens the door, stepping into the tidy room an abundance of scrolls and other various trinkets gifted to him by her mother decorate the office.

"Father" giving a slight bow to her father and clan head as taught, but not too low as the heiress.

"Hinata, How was your first day? I apologize for not being able to take you personally" Hiashi asks, his genuine interest hidden by his mask of a clan head that he can't seem to break.

"Father, can I speak freely?" He quirks a brow, for she has never been so forward before.

"You may" curious, and pleased to see his little girl seems to be gaining a backbone.

"I-I made a friend…He was so sad and lonely, papa!"

"As I was walking to him, I-I heard-d them saying mean things. I ignored them…"

"What do you mean they said mean things!" Hiashi thunders misinterpreting his daughter's words for her being bullied.

Hinata doesn't know why she's so emotional but she can't stop the tears that have started.

She can't help but see that sweet bright grin dull every time he walks home alone, or gets rejected from basic human interaction.

She wants to be Naruto's rock. Like he had, and is for her.

She wants to stand beside him as he becomes hokage, she wants him to look at her the way she sees, could be, even if it's only little glimpses of it.

Those three beautiful children are worth it.

They say a mother's, or possible future mother's determination is a powerful tool.

"To naruto!" She responds with ferocity.

"Now-"

"No! What is so bad about him? Everyone is so mean!" She is embarrassed by how little control she has on her feelings, once she has started all the built up hurt anger and disappointment casting her to spill out more that she intended.

"You've alway told me I need to grow a spine, you've always said I need to gain some skill! To get some friends…I'm trying father! I want to make you proud!" she closes her eyes, " Please! I'll train hard. I just, I can't…" the mean things said to her before naruto had saved her, or attempted but got beat up in her defense.

"…He's the first person to tell me I'm not worthless, I-he stopped those boys from pulling my hair and-"

"What…" Her fathers frosty voice makes her flinch.

"…Oh, Hina-chan" Hinata is suddenly engulfed in a warm hug.

When was the last time her father hugged her?

The stress of everything makes her more brash than she intended, and spilling more than she thought she would.

"Hina-hina, my sweet lotus, it's alright, papa's here" the nickname from her toddler years made her shake, causing her to be pulled further into his embrace.

"You're my daughter, I'll always be proud of you, just for being my daughter, nothing will ever change that. I know I've been horrible with showing you that, I just wanted you to be strong, I didn't think it would….I'm sorry for being so hard on you, my child" he whispers the last part softly. His heart in his throat at the thought of making his daughter think she's worthless.

How could he be so blind.

How much damage has he done to his daughter, and can he fix it?

Could this friendship with the Kyuubi boy be worth it?

Could he risk his clan being called playing favorites?

For his daughter, the answer is simple, especially as he stares at the picture of his late twin.

How could he live with himself if he didn't honor his brother's sacrifice.

his nephew comes to mind, making his guilt intensify.

"Hinata, I wasn't going to ban you from being friends with Naruto," he was, but what she doesn't know doesn't hurt her.

"I just want you to understand the dangers," gently wiping the tears away from his precious daughter's eyes, hating that he's a part of the reason there's red around them.

"The villagers have animosity for the boy, for reasons I'm not allowed to say…that doesn't make it right." He interrupts his daughter before she can say anything.

" if you're to be his friend, you'll be a social pariah"

"I don't care, father. He's worth it" His daughter stated simply, a determination he's not seen before.

'No, I've seen it in Himato' thinking of his late wife.

'Maybe a friendship with this boy isn't such a bad thing?' For his daughter has come home this feisty after a single encounter with someone she finds worth sticking up for.

And if he is doing this for a certain Red Habanero, well only he will know.

"Alright, I'll allow it, but," he starts before she can get too excited, "you're gonna have to take your training seriously as we step it up." Not going to allow his daughter to slack if she's going to put herself into danger by being friends with the Kyuubi container.

"Hai, father!" He can't help but return the exuberant grin with a fond one of his own.

——-

Naruto sits on the swing anxiously waiting for Hime-Chan.

He can't wait for her to show up. he believes in her promises of meeting him, he knows she won't let him down.

He hopes.

"I can't believe they let the demon child enter"

They don't matter. The mean teachers don't either.

"I hope the hokage sends him on a suicide mission"

The moisture in his eyes doesn't mean anything.

The mocking words of the children will change when he shows them he's a true ninja.

He's gonna be the strongest, so what if they don't believe him.

So what if they despise him, he doesn't need anyone he's never had anyone to begin with.

Naruto hates how the teachers glare at him, he hates how the class mocks him for not being able to do the reading they can, saying he's just pretending that he's a loser who wants attention.

He did mean it, and he's not a loser.

He's not.

He's not.

He-

"You're not what? Naruto-Kun?" The voice of an Angel breaks his growing panic.

Snapping his head up he meets the warm eyes of his Hime-Chan.

He's never seen an expression on someone's face pointed towards him before.

He really likes it.

His Hime-Chan is the best, believe it.

"Hime-Chan! Dattebayo" he springs, catching her in his arms. The relief that his first friend isn't ditching him is overwhelming.

"Naruto-Kun?" Hinata whispers, the subtle killing intent she was starting to elude dissipates in the face of Naruto's brightness she's being basked in.

'No wonder his Therapy-No-Justu will work so well in the future'

'Wait? Hime-Chan!' Young Hinata feels a flush build at the endearment, knowing how Naruto nicknames his people.

She can't help but feel her resolve harden in her determination to protect, who she thinks deserves the world.

"Naruto, my father allowed me to stay out for the day…" she pauses, nervous that he wouldn't want to share his favorite food with her.

"…And I'm not allowed to be outside often, so do you know any good places to eat?" only to be blinded by the excitement in Naruto's eyes.

"Yatta! I know just the place, Dattebayo" Naruto grabs Hinata's hand and starts pulling the stunned purplette along to Ichiraku's.

Naruto is ecstatic to be able to share his favorite place with his favorite girl, with that innocent thought he pulls Hinata faster.

Wait till he finds how much those words affect his Hime-Chan in the future.

—-

"Mmmhmhmmhh mhh" naruto says through a mouth full of noodles causing Hinata to stare, it's one thing to watch it on tv, it's another to see it in person.

"I'm sorry?" She says between her giggles at his expectant face, the noodles hanging from his lips.

With a big almost nauseating swallow Naruto speaks "I said, didn't I tell ya? Ojisan makes the bestest food!"

The earnest eyes of Naruto can make her say one thing, even if she'll regret it later

"It's delicious, may I have another misou please, Teuchi-san." Turning to the amused chef.

"Of course Hime-Chan!" The man sings Naruto's endearment to her embarrassment, luckily the low lighting keeps her blush hidden.

"Naruto, thank you" she says, turning to him as she watches him slurp the last of his noodles causing liquid to flick everywhere.

"Uh? Oh! It's nothing, Dattebayo!" He says giving her a grin she's never seen before, making her heart pound as she stares into the bright grin and closed eyes.

"'Everyone deserves to eat the ramen of the gods!" He exclaims like it's a fact.

"Plus, you're my precious person, I can't let you not have the amazingness that is ramen!" he finishes like it's nothing.

Like he hasn't just declared Hinata important to him in their short time together.

"Naruto-Kun" whispering his name like a prayer.

She watches as he orders another ramen bowl with a gaze full of contentment basking in his sunshine-like aura.

She wonders if it's fate, or is it that he latched on to the first person that gives him attention?

'No', she won't disrespect Naruto by thinking so low of him.

Though, she selfishly hopes she doesn't have to deal with the Sakura crush.

She doesn't know if her jealousy could handle the child's impulses.

Not to say she'd hurt Sakura, but she doesn't understand why?

Why would Naruto like someone who acts so rude to him?

But she isn't one to control people, if it's meant to be, it's okay.

"So, why are your eyes like that Hime-Chan, can you even see?" Naruto breaks the spell.

"A-are you saying my eyes are weird" purely wanting to see Naruto flounder, and to distract her from her thoughts of Sakura.

"Wha-! No, no, they're amazing! I just.. they…ugh! Hime-Chan!" He whines realizing she's just teasing.

Hinata just lets out a laugh, his flushed face as he tries to placate her is so cute.

"I'm sorry Naruto-Kun, it was too easy" She doesn't catch the mischievous light entering Naruto's eyes.

"Hinata, you have really pretty eyes, they're like..like Pearls!" He started serious but ended up shouting.

"I've seen them on those really smelly women near my apartment. '' Naruto finishes oblivious to the shocked face of Hinata.

He hates the weird smell that comes off of them as he goes to his apartment. They always go into an apartment with some man and then there's a bunch of noise and he's never able to sleep so he's late then he gets yelled at, and he-

"Naruto-Kun, l think your eyes are beautiful, like the sky" she finishes lamely.

Naruto can't remember the last time he's ever been complemented.

"Really? Dattebayo" whispering like he is asking the biggest secret.

"Yeah, really, I really love your whiskers, Naru-Kun" she whispers back.

"Naru-Kun?" He says back in reverence.

Hinata may never know how much her innocent compliments have just altered Naruto's perception, she may never know just how truly important she became to naruto, just for spending a single day with him.

Notes:

I hope I showed some flaws and side effects of the merging.

I've always felt Hinata had a obsessive personality when it can to naruto, in that she can be narrow minded in regards to him, but her timid self and caring heart stops her most of the time.

I'm not sure if it's just fandom or canon but she has been seen to stalk him or follow and admire from afar.

I feel with a more "mature" and slightly sense 17 year old "boy" merging with a kind hearted emotionally undeveloped child who had just started to obsess over her savior makes for an interesting combo.

I don't want to make her a yandere but I do like the flaw in her character being that she can forget about the big picture in her own selfishness.