„Speaking"

„Thoughts"

Disclaimer: I don´t own Naruto~!

Road:

Chapter 8

"…N-Naruto?" A timid voice asked and Naruto, who was cooking right now, while his Shadow Clones kept the others busy, looked down to see the lowered head of the shy Hyuuga. With a fond shake of the head, he answered.

"Yeah? What do you need, Hina-chan?" He made sure that his voice was gentle and soothing. He knew that at this time she was painfully shy and would be easily scared. Hinata blushed as she looked up. Her lavender eyes looking up at him with admiration.

"C-Can I help you c-cook? I used to d-do it sometimes w-with m-my mother…" She asked with sad eyes as she looked down again. Naruto´s eyes widen in realization. He smiled at her sadly and nodded, trying to ignore the stab in his heart at her broken expression.

"Sure! I could use the extra help! Thank you for helping me, Hina-chan! If you could maybe wash the Salad for me, please?" He requested with a wink. She perked up and nodded quickly moving towards the sink.

"…Wh-What was your m-mother like, N-Naruto?" She whispered quietly when they fell into a comfortable silence. Naruto blinked a few times, going still for a few seconds and Hinata was already ready to apologize for asking such a personal question when she didn´t even know him and she was so stupi-.

"I…only met her once, but it was the best experience I could have asked for…" He admitted softly with a warm smile as he remembered it. Hinata was watching him in the corner of her eyes, paying full attention.

"I always tried to image how she would look and how she acted…" He continued with a faraway expression on his face. Hinata just wanted to hug him, the loneliness didn´t suit him. She liked him better with that bright grin of his that reminded her of the sun.

"Then, when I met her for the first time… I had mistaken her for something other and she laughed it off at first, but then she started to feel insulted when I just rambled on and then came her fist. She hit me over the head so I would listen to her…" He chuckled at that, but Hinata failed to see the humor. She frowned.

"Th-That´s not nice!" She stated, starting to dislike the woman. How could one hit their only child on their first meeting? She would never ever do something like this!

Naruto only gave her an amused smile. "Nah, I was pretty mean to her at first and kind of deserved it. She was the one who I got my temper from!" He explained with a sheepish grin. Hinata slightly calmed down at that but still had a frown on her face.

"Anyway, she started rambling too, about how she wasn´t who I thought she was and then she started saying, ya know! That´s something I always do and then I knew, just who she was. That simple catchphrase of mine, made me realize instantly who she was thought I have never seen her or heard her before. It was like opening your eyes the first time and seeing the world, ya know!" He told her cheerfully. Hinata seemed fascinated, hanging on his every word.

"She then began to tell me how she hoped I wouldn´t have gotten any weird quirks from her or her temper and she seemed embarrassed. I was so happy. I finally met her. I just jumped and hugged her and then she shot me that warm smile and- and I felt so protected by her and it was like I got everything I ever wanted in that moment." He breathed out, eyes clouding over with the memory, but his smile so small, but so full of content.

Hinata nodded, eyes shining with happiness for him. She was glad that his mother wasn´t such a person like she at first thought.

"What h-happened then?" She asked curiously. Naruto turned to her and petted her head. The food was almost ready.

"We talked about her childhood, about how she met my dad and how they fell in love. Then she looked at me with that expression. So full of unconditional love and adoration and then she uttered the words as she hugged me for the last time. They made me instantly feel happy and warmth surrounded me. I also cried." Naruto chuckled embarrassed. Hinata´s eyes widen.

"What did she say?" She asked excited and Naruto noticed how she didn't even stutter this time and it made him feel happy. She was finally getting out of her shell!

"She said: I love you and thank you for being born to me and my dad. She seemed so sincere and her embrace was so warm. It was like I had the courage to do everything I ever wanted, even if she died soon after that." He said gently and Hinata´s eyes widen and a smile broke across her face, even if she felt a sad at the last part.

"What did she look like?" She asked looking at his grin and she couldn´t help but grin back. It was contaminous. She imaged that she had to be beautiful, after all Naruto was so bright and nice and warm, that she couldn´t be ugly.

As Naruto moved a few plates from the shelf to set the table with Hinata helping he stared at her.

"How about I show you a picture of her later?" He asked. Hinata nodded quickly.

"I-I would like that!" She blushed a bit at how eager she sounded. Naruto only petted her head fondly.

"Well, she had really long silky red hair. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue, sometimes seeming violet in the light." He began and Hinata tried to picture it. She smiled to herself. It kind of seemed to suit her picture of his mother.

The others came in when Naruto called them for dinner and after that Naruto showed Hinata the picture like he promised.

Hinata blushed as she gazed at it. She was so pretty! Maybe she should let her hair grow out?

"She´s beautiful…" She muttered and Naruto only nodded. "I think so too!"

"Th-Thank you…" She stated softly as she set the picture down and quickly hugged Naruto. Naruto blinked a few times, he had no idea for what she was thanking him for, but chose not to question it.

"No problem, Hina-chan! Do you want to help me make dinner now every time?" He asked as he hugged her back. She nodded shyly.

"I miss her so much, but I want to be strong like Naruto…he only saw his mother once and is still happy and not grieving like me…" She thought with determination. She would make her mother proud! Being sad was okay, but not feeling down all the time!