Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Author's Note: I'm sorry if it took a long time, before I upload this chapter… Gomenasai…
I also like to take this opportunity to give my sincerest gratitude to all who gave their reviews… Arigatou!
I didn't succeed in finishing the story in one week. So I'm sorry… It's just that, midterm came and then there's so much project to do, like the darn syntax analyzer which making me crazy and all those assignments and the tight schedule and all….
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Naruto sighed as he looked at Hinata who was again quiet a she tried not to looked at him. The blonde-haired boy was already feeling awkward and wanted to break the uncomfortable silence between them…
"Nee, Hina-chan!" he called just to pushed away the odd feeling he's starting to feel. That odd feeling he always feels when he's beside her, or when he think of her or when he look at her.
"Hmm?" Hinata whispered still trying to avoid glancing on his way. She was blushing madly and Naruto abruptly remembered what had ero-sennin told him about girls.
FLASHBACK
'Naruto, you're so dense! If a girl blushes in front of you, that mean either two things' Jiraiya said, gesturing two fingers in him.
'what!' he said loudly as his face turned into a frown. He even remembered Hinata who always blushes whenever he's around. The thought drove his curiosity.
'First, she can be shy because she like or maybe love you… VERY MUCH. Second, she may be EMBARRASED because you're around and she DON"T LIKE others to see you with her. Got it!" Jiraiya said, emphasizing the last two statements with his wide smirk.
"Hey, just what do you mean by that!" he shouted.
END OF FLASHBACK
'What? It's either she like me, or she don't like me so much that I embarrassed her…' he thought as his heart felt like doing acrobatic inside his chest.
"I-I'm just wondering… what do you like… about me?" he asked diffidently with a little crimson in his cheeks. Then he looked at Hinata, and saw her even redder as she twiddled her fingers.
"Doshte…?" she replied with a question that made Naruto trapped in a complex situation.
"N-nandemonai… It's just that … It's just that I've always been wondering, how fast things can be… It's just like yesterday I felt so alone and always wondered why nobody had ever wanted and cared for me, but now, I got so many friends that I have always wanted. More friends than what I once dreamed I could have…I can't asked it to anybody except you… Because I know you'll tell me…" he said as another reason played in his mind.
Upon hearing his serious tone, the Hyuuga heiress fled back to the time before the final test of her first chuunins exam, when he had also told her his insecurities. It felt oddly similar to what happened that time. And again… she felt the sudden urge to show him how much she care…
She was thinking though if she have enough courage to tell him what she think of him. She looked at him, and again, just like what always happen, he gave her enough courage to go on. As she mustered all her strength, she said,
"I-I like you because you're you… You never tried to show others that you can't… You stand up every time you fall down. I-I l-like you because you're full of courage that I'm lack of… And every time I look at you… somehow you share me your courage… that I feel the will to stand up too when I fall down… That I feel the desire to fight and live… That it make me see that it's up to me … and the world is not such a bad place to live in, rather it's beautiful…"
"I-I d-did?" he asked, his voice shaking that he wondered how he could still speak words. His eyes are watery that he had to wink to stop tears from falling.
Hinata nodded.
"I look at you every time Naruto-kun. I admire you for being a good person, a good friend and a great ninja…" she said as she looked at the stars shining on both of them.
"I admire your courage… you strength… even your weaknesses. For me, you are like the sun, that I always looked at…and always give me light…" she paused
'You are like the sun, Naruto-kun…the sun that I can't have and I can't reach…' she wanted to say, but decided to keep it in herself.
"I- I l-like e-everything about you… "She finished as the blush never leave her face. The purple-haired kunoichi looked at Naruto and saw that his mouth turned agape while he stared at her. She flushed more.
As he saw the so-red color on Hinata's face as she turned her glance away from him, he woke up. Yes… he woke up of that magical dream that had happened just a minute ago. He can't believe that that's what she think of him, that he mistook it as a dream. He suddenly had the will to ask her to pinch him. His heart is full of that warm, comfortable strange feeling that his mouth turned agape in happiness. Funny indeed, because there's something so deep within him, he can't figure out…
"Nee, Hina-chan…"
She looked at him.
"A-arigatou…" he continued as his eyes crinkled into a smile. He felt water droplets that escaped from his eyes as he gave her his words of thanks. He was so happy that he got the desire to share it to her, lock her in his arms and kissed her as if he hadn't kiss anyone before.
Naruto looked up and said," You know Hina-chan…I-I also like you…Very much… Maybe because I think you're like me…Maybe because I know you're always there if I needed someone to talk to…Or if I needed someone to be with me… I really don't know… demo… I-I'm really glad you're there…"
He looked at her again and smiled. With that never-ending blush on her face, she smiled back.
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As they reached the Hyuuga household, Naruto tugged her close to him, enfolded her in his arms and said, "Oyasuminasai Hina-chan… Arigatou…"
Hinata caught in surprise, open her mouth in shock as another hint of red appeared on her features.
Naruto let her go, turned his back and was about to run when Hinata called her. He stopped dead on his tracks and turned around. His eyes widened when he had kissed her again in the lips.
Hinata's eyes bulged as Naruto's lips brushed her's again… It had been a mistake…she shouldn't have stand close behind him and called him. She hadn't expected it to happened… Realizing the kissed had lasted long enough, she pushed him gently.
"I-I… it's an accident… I-I… Gomenasai…"Naruto said in panic though blushing. He was afraid that she would hate him again.
"Iie…It's an accident… Gomenasai…" Hinata bowed her head in embarrassment. Naruto, however, sighed in relief.
Dead silence followed as they looked at each other.
"I…I… Oyasuminasai Naruto-kun! Jane!" Hinata said as she run away from him, hiding her blush and smile.
Naruto watched her until she totally disappeared in the darkness. He sighed as he brushed his fingers into his lips, remembering the feeling of her soft mouth into his.
'I like everything about you…' he remembered her said.
Unconsciously, he smiled and yelled, "Yahoo!"
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Hinata woke up at the loud calling and continuous knocking of Neji on her bedroom door. She was so happy yesterday that she found it hard to sleep that night. She stood up and said in a ruffled whisper, "Chotto matte kudasai…"
As she opened the door, she greeted, "Ohayou, Neji-niisan.." Her white eyes were closing frequently.
"Ohayou, Hinata-sama… Looks like you haven't got enough sleep, eh? It's 9:30…"Neji said teasingly as he looked at her sleepy appearance.
"Hmm…"she whispered.
'Maybe this one will wake her up...' Neji said as the wide smirk formed in his handsome face.
"Nee, Hinata-sama, Naruto's here fetching you for rehearsal…" he said mischievously.
"Hrmm…'kay…" she nodded still heavy-eyed. Neji, in return leave after giving her a confuse look as he smiled while he shook his head, trying to suppress his laughter.
After the thought slowly fed her lethargic mind, she said, "Nani!"
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Hinata is getting comfortable with Naruto, much to her delight. At least now, she had been able to form up words with less stuttering that she once thought is impossible. Besides, she's getting more sensible in front of him that she had been able to talk to him about many things. On the contrary, her feelings are growing bigger and bigger that it seemed impossible to stop. Nevertheless, she had been able to accept that, she, Hyuuga Hinata... is very much in love with the loudmouth ninja of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto…
Naruto, on the other hand, is happy that she's getting out of her shell already when he's around. Though him, as the dumb and dense person that he is, is still tying to push the idea of Hinata being in love with him. For him, yes, Hinata said she like him, but like is different from love and he don't want to hope for something that wouldn't come true. Because that means risking his heart getting hurt. He's also wondering and confused about the peculiar feeling he always feel with or without her around. It's just that, the mere thought of her is enough to make his heart thump so fast. It's enough for him to feel that warmth and desire that brings him happiness. And slowly, he's getting afraid, but don't want to lose the chance of knowing what is that weird feeling.
However, the idea of being in love with her is out of his mind. Or at least, he's trying to push it out of his mind. He was frightened by the fact that he don't know what true love means and don't wanted to risk hurting her or his self. What if it's just an infatuation? What if it's just an obsession? What if it's just a huge crush? There's so many what if's on his mind, that suddenly his simple world started to become so difficult.
"Naruto-kun?" he heard her called him. They were walking towards the chapel when he got lost on his trail of thoughts.
"Ha?" he asked dumbfounded. Hinata just smiled.
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As they arrived at the Konoha main chapel, all eyes turned at them. Maybe because they looked good together or maybe because there's some sense of romantic air between them. Whatever the reasons are, Hinata and Naruto actually don't know. And they don't care. They didn't even saw the strange look and eerie smiles that everybody's giving them.
"hey, Hina-chan!" a male voice called, he was Kiba with big Akamaru beside him.
Naruto gasped in surprise, "Kiba! How dare you put Akamaru on this chapel! Will you also bring him in the real wedding day!"
"Naruto, why don't you just mind your own damn business? Akamaru is always with me wherever I go, and this place is not an exception. That's our family's trade mark." Kiba replied giving Naruto a deathly glare.
"Gah! You mean, even in the comfort room? Or maybe in the bedroom?" Naruto gave him a frown, thinking that if he infuriates Kiba, he would leave him and Hinata alone.
Kiba did'nt replied, but gestured something to his dog. Akamaru, the ever so-naughty dog, suddenly bite him on his left hand.
"What the-! Hey, Get off me!" Naruto screamed while Hinata gave a timid smile. The others however broke into laughter.
"Nee Hina-chan! Ike!" Kiba suddenly halted Hinata, much to the purple-haired kunoichi's surprise.
Naruto on the other hand, couldn't helped but just extend his other arm and called, "Hinata-chan!"
Unfortunately,the words came out of him like a whisper in the wind.
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