It's been so long! Whew! After agonizing over this chapter for weeks, it is finished. I was very proud of it once it was done. I would like to thank The Prime Minster(an excellent writer by the way, go check out the Naruto story under the name.) for helping me out so much with my grammar and writing of late. Without your help, this chapter would not have been completed. I also want to thank all those who have kept up with the story. Some of you seem to think i should have more reviews. I think it would be wonderful, but I enjoy those I do get .
I will try to move a little faster with the next chapter of this story. I took a little more time with this chapter and editied it within in inch of it's life. I think you'll be happy with the results compared to earlier chapters. I also have to post the revised versions of the old chapters. They read a lot smoother and cleaner now that the kinks are worked out. Hope you enjoy!
And now. . .
Naruto - Threads of Fate
Chapter 7 – Now You Caught my Heart for the Evening. . . .
"Come on, Ino. Hurry up!" Shikamaru called up the stairs as he glanced at his wallet. It was one of the few days off their team had, and he didn't want to waste it waiting on Ino to crimp herself. He, Choji, and Ino decided to spend the day together for old time's sake and eat at a restaurant in town. Now he and Choji were at Ino's place to pick her up, and they had been waiting for twenty minutes.
"I'll only be a moment," Ino hollered back. "It's still early, and we have the whole day, so I don't know why you're in such a hurry."
"Women are so troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled quietly. He glanced over at Choji, who was trying to suppress a few chuckles at Shikamaru's impatience. "She takes longer now than she used to when we were all Genins."
"Just like old times, eh?" Choji said as he nudged Shikamaru in the side.
"Hey! Watch It!" Shikamaru told him as he covered his side with his arm. "You're too strong to do that stuff now."
Indeed, Choji wasn't the same as he was when the rookies were first assigned together as a group. He shocked everyone by asking Gai to take him as an apprentice. Gai-sensei was ecstatic that he had yet another student to follow in his footsteps and happily accepted Choji. He began to train with Lee in the arts of Taijutsu and over the last year, and Choji's skills and strength soared. He found he was best suited for grappling holds and power punching, so he mixed several holding maneuvers with his Taijutsu moves. While everyone was impressed with his inventiveness and his growth as a ninja, what truly shocked everyone was the effect his training had on his appearance. He was still big and broad, but the flab he accumulated as a genin started to develop into muscle. Instead of being bulky, Choji was now stocky and solid. Muscles now showed underneath his clothing and his broad shoulders made him look powerful. His face lost the baby fat and gave him a more square-jawed appearance. To go with his new look, Choji cut his hair into a crew-like box. Choji had also grown taller during the past summer and now towered over most of his teammates. All of these changes for Choji had another side effect no one expected: Choji had become popular among the girls of the village. They never seemed to tire of his new feats of strength and appeared to adore his new look. His newfound popularity didn't hurt his confidence, and it was rare he could go somewhere without at least one or two girls following him around.
"I guess I don't know my own strength," Choji told his friend with a slight grin.
"I doubt that's the case, Choji. I've seen you in action," Shikamaru told his brawny teammate. He was actually very happy for his friend and thought he was very deserving of all of the attention. "Growing older has been very good for you."
"I would agree. Choji is a lot stronger and I think he's very handsome. However, another ninja I know has gotten handsome as well."
The two friends turned to look up the stairs at the sound of a feminine voice. Ino stood at the top of the stairs, smiling at them. Their eyes couldn't help but widen as she started to saunter down the steps, her cerulean gaze never leaving Shikamaru.
"I'd say growing older has been good to Ino as well," Choji whispered out of the side of his mouth to Shikamaru. The usually laid back Shikamaru was trying his best to keep his cool as he watched the female beauty. More trouble headed my way. He thought grumpily. The young girl had become something of a bother to him as of late. She liked to tease him constantly and she seemed to flaunt herself whenever she was around. Nothing was unusual about Ino being flirtatious or playful; but Shikamaru did not enjoy the fact that he seemed to be her favorite target. Today looked like it would be no different as he could see a devilish sparkle playing inside her pale-blue, crystal eyes. Not that Shikamaru could see them both clearly. Now that her hair had grown back from when she cut it off when she fought Sakura during the Chuunin exam, Ino let her gold locks flow freely. Ino's loose hair now partially draped over the right side of her face.
Shikamaru inspected Ino's face closely. He realized something was different about her, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He silently gulped when he realized she was wearing cosmetics. She looks older than 14 with that stuff on her face, He thought. The young chuunin's eyes roamed over Ino's body. When did she get that outfit? He wondered while taking in the effect Ino's purple top and skirt had on her curves. The outfit was similar to her usual training attire, yet it was cut differently and showed off a lot more of the female ninja's body. She looks WAY more mature in that.
"That's a new look for you, Ino," Shikamaru commented noncommittally.
"Oh, you like? It's part of my training," Ino said as she brushed up against him slightly. She grinned wickedly as she locked eyes with the young chuunin, causing Shikamaru to raise a brow. "Kurenai-sensei suggested I get used to wearing make-up and experiment with it."
"What sort of training would you need to learn how to wear make-up?" he asked her with a puzzled expression.
Ino ran her hand through her hair lightly, just barely giving Shikamaru a complete view of her face. She leaned closer to him just slightly before touching his chin with her finger tips.
"Seduction tactics," she said, emphasizing each word with her painted lips. "An excellent way to extract information from the enemy. . . among other things." Ino's last words hung in the air, her breath dancing across Shikamaru's skin. The young girl narrowed her eyes at Shikamaru and gave him a playful smile as she lightly grazed a finger across his lips. The finger came to rest on his lower lip for a moment as Ino studied his reaction. The amused expression her face indicated Ino was clearly enjoying the effect she was having on Shikamaru. The hapless young man said nothing and put on his poker face, but the sweat forming on his brow betrayed his thoughts; at the moment his brain was telling him that he was a very flustered young man. Ino finally let him off the hook and slid away from him, walking towards the door. "Ready, boys?" she asked over her shoulder.
Choji let out a low whistle as they followed the girl out of the house.
"I told you – nothing but trouble." Shikamaru whispered to Choji.
"Yeah, but if I were you, I would try to get into as much of that kind of trouble as I could," he replied. The two male ninjas walked up next to Ino, one on each side of her. The young girl cut her eyes towards Shikamaru and gave him a slight wink.
"Just like old times, eh?" she asked him coyly.
"Nothing like old times," he answered her. Truthfully, Shikamaru felt a little uneasy around Ino. In battle, he would trust her with his life, but she had developed a new habit which he found unnerving. She had taken well to her new role as a spy; so well that she seemed to know just a little too much about everyone and everything now. Kurenai had mentioned on more than one occasion that she was more than impressed with Ino's progress, and her praise only seemed to encourage Ino's behavior. Often times Shikamaru would go to brief the team on a mission and Ino already knew the details. What bothered Shikamaru the most was how Ino was integrating her new techniques and skills into her daily life. She loved to toy with him as if she always knew something he didn't. She seemed to get a kick out of teasing Shikamaru and pushing his buttons.
Perhaps what scared him most was that her pushing his buttons excited him.
Ino was already confident and smart before she became a spy. Now the young blonde was positively calm, collected, and cunning at all times. The allure and mystery suited her personality, and it seemed to add a bit of intrigue that touched off something within Shikamaru. While he couldn't help but come to grips with her attractive appearance, he found her presence distracting to him. She did not help matters by being coy with him. Ino's attitude and actions made Shikamaru feel like he couldn't figure her out. . . like he wasn't in control of himself and his feelings.
Control was something Shikamaru had come to appreciate since becoming the field commander of the team. Before he became a Chuunin, he thought the job would be a bother and a chore. He hated worrying about things, and being in charge brought with it the big "r" word: Responsibility. However, he learned he had a knack for leading others. He was an excellent planner, and his main goal was to always bring everyone back from a mission safe and unharmed. He had done so amazingly well over the past two years and had found pride in his accomplishments. However, Shikamaru learned he enjoyed having control but didn't like giving it up too easily. It made him uncomfortable to leave someone else in charge, which was why it had been a bit of an adjustment when Tsunade had placed the team of Neji, TenTen, and Lee with the rest of the rookie team. After everyone on the team passed had passed the Chuunin exam, Tsunade felt it would be a good idea to deepen the roster of the team. Because of the size of the unit, the Hokage had given Neji the rank of second-in-command. This allowed the group to run separate missions simultaneously. This wasn't so bad in itself, but it provided an issue for Shikamaru when they trained. Having a second-in-command meant having to confer with someone and trust someone to help lead. For over two years the team has been HIS unit. Now he was forced to worry if the other part of his team would make it through a mission alive. However, things worked out well in the end. It turned out that Neji was a VERY capable leader and was even more dedicated at keeping his team alive than Shikamaru was. Shikamaru rested easier knowing Neji was such a capable and dependable second field commander.
Shikamaru snuck a peek at Ino's face and saw her trademark playful smile dancing across her lips. Her eyes found his and her smile only grew brighter. He quickly turned his head, embarrassed she caught him looking at her. What is it about this girl that makes me feel so frustrated? He thought to himself. It's like I can't be myself when I'm around her.
"What are you thinking about?" Ino asked Shikamaru as she slipped her arm through the crook of his own.
"Oh, nothing," he replied.
"You can tell me," Ino pleaded.
"I most certainly cannot tell you."
"Then it must be about me."
"Why must it be about you?"
"Because you won't tell me."
"Ever think it might be official business?"
"Like I wouldn't know about any official business," Ino winked as she spoke.
"Troublesome!" Shikamaru cursed under his breath.
Naruto leaned back against the railing and yawned. Where is she? The blonde ninja wondered as he sent another rock skipping across the river's surface. He had been lounging in the same spot for the past ten minutes. Naruto found it odd that he was waiting for someone; he was usually the one everyone else waited on to arrive. He found it even odder that it was Sakura he was waiting on.
The blonde chuunin tried to think back to the last time he had to wait on Sakura. She's always complaining that I'm the late one, he mentally grumbled. The normally-prompt Sakura was late for their weekly little get-together. Usually in the middle of the week the two friends met up at the old bridge they used when they were Team Seven. Naruto didn't believe it was on purpose they met there; it had just happened one day and they never bothered to change it. It was never a formal thing or officially set in stone, they both just knew to meet up about the same time each week. They didn't do much other than talk; mostly they discussed whatever had happened recently with the team or whatever mission they had been on. However, the little meetings Naruto had with Sakura meant a lot to him, and he believed she felt the same way. There was something about the time he spent with the pink-haired ninja that helped hold him together; something he couldn't quite figure out but made him happy nonetheless.
He stared off into the distance at the setting sun and grinned to himself. It was one of the few times he actually smiled lately. Everyone told him that he didn't smile like he used to, or he didn't play jokes as he had done when he was in the academy. Most people chalked up his mood change to maturity. Naruto allowed people to think this and never said or did anything to make them feel otherwise. The truth was Naruto didn't feel much like smiling anymore.
The truth was Naruto was lonely.
Most of his life, Naruto had been alone. Growing up an orphan, the idea of being by himself was nothing new to the young shinobi. Add that to the fact the whole village shunned him because of the Nine-Tails demon sealed inside his body and it was easy to understand why Naruto was used to having no one around. That all changed when he was placed with Team Seven along with Sakura and Sasuke. The three of them traveled together, fought alongside and for each other, and risked their lives together as not just a team, but as friends. Team Seven had provided Naruto with a balance and routine the shinobi had never had in his life before. It was the happiest time in Naruto's life, and he loved every moment as a member of Team Seven. Now those days were gone.
Naruto's thoughts drifted off to the memories of his old squad and the times they shared together. His face ran a gauntlet of emotions as he thought about the good times, the bad times, all the fights he had with Sasuke, and all the times Sakura yelled at him for doing something foolish. His eyes threatened to form tears when the images from the last time he fought Sasuke played in his memory. Damn that idiot, Naruto thought to himself. When I bring that idiot Sasuke back here, I'm going to beat his ass for making me and Sakura worry about him!
A slight change in temperature caused Naruto to come out of his trance. He felt a shadow slide over him and block the sunlight. He glanced up to see pink strands of hair falling into Sakura's smiling face.
"I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" she asked playfully as she took a seat next to him.
"No more than usual," Naruto told her.
"You're the one who's usually late; you can wait on me for a change," Sakura told him before sticking her tongue out at him.
"I don't mind waiting on you, Sakura-chan."
"I usually don't mind waiting on you either, Naruto-kun." Sakura had recently taken to referring to him as 'Naruto-kun'. She didn't know why and neither one of them ever questioned it.
"What do you mean, USUALLY?" Naruto asked, feigning hurt feelings.
"Well, it's not like I don't have better things to do than to sit here with you," she replied coyly. "But I feel like I could spare a few moments of my time every so often out of the kindness of my heart."
"Humph. Don't do me any favors," Naruto grumbled as he turned away from the pink-haired girl, hiding the smirk on his face.
"Don't be like that, Naruto, you know I love our little talks," Sakura told him soothingly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She loved to tease Naruto from time to time. It was a little game they played with each other, and Sakura always found it humorous how Naruto would act like he was getting worked up over nothing. "Now quit pouting and tell me why you stopped training with Kakashi-sensei. You said you were doing really well with him teaching you."
Naruto turned back around to face Sakura before he spoke. "I was doing REALLY well under Kakashi," the blonde began. "But he felt that I was progressing faster than he could teach me, so he asked Jiraiya to take over my training."
"Jiraiya? Isn't he the one who trained you before the Chuunin exams?" Sakura asked. While she had seen Jiraiya and heard the Fifth refer to him, she herself had very little contact with him. She always remembered Naruto referred to him as the perverted hermit so she always thought of Jiraiya as some strange man who could be just as puzzling as Naruto and as perverted as Kakashi.
"Yeah. He's gotten really strict on me since he took over as my sensei. . . but not strict enough to stop peeking at women while I'm training," Naruto fumed as he spat out the last part of that statement. "You wouldn't know it by the way he acts, but he's a really powerful ninja."
"Wow, Naruto, you're getting a lot of training."
"You are getting the same thing from the Hokage," Naruto said. "I watched you during our last mission; you were really something, Sakura-chan."
"Thanks," Sakura blushed. "I just wanted to be useful for a change. Now I feel like I can actually help you and Sasu-"
She covered her mouth before she finished her statement. Naruto looked at her with a venomous grimace before his expression softened into one of remorseful pain. I just screwed up big time, Sakura thought. I didn't want to hurt Naruto. Sakura winched inwardly as she saw Naruto's expression. She knew he still felt a lot of regret and guilt for not bringing back Sasuke like he promised. Whenever someone mentioned their former teammate, Naruto would get a hollow look in his eyes and become very sullen. Sakura didn't like seeing her friend so upset so she never mentioned Sasuke around Naruto unless he did. The few times the blonde boy did say something to her about their old friend was usually to reassure her that he had not forgotten his promise.
"Naruto, I'm sorry," Sakura apologized.
"It's ok, I know what you meant."
"No, let me finish," the pink haired girl began. "When it was just the three of us as a team, I always felt like I was never of any help to you two. The stronger you two got the weaker and more useless I became. When you were sent to bring back Sasuke, I felt more helpless than ever because I was left behind. When I came to visit you in the hospital after you returned, I saw how hurt you were. I knew you felt like you let me down, and I never once felt like you did anything wrong. I was always grateful for you for being so strong and willing to try. I never told you this, Naruto, but I was always glad you came back safely."
Sakura's words left Naruto with a bewildered expression. In all the time after he came back to from his fight with Sasuke, no one ever seemed actually HAPPY he was back. "R-Really?" Naruto stammered.
"Yes, really. I didn't realize it until a little while later, but I was so happy you weren't seriously injured. I even felt a little guilty about you being hurt because I know how seriously you take your promises. Remember what I told you the first time you found me training in front of the Memorial Stone a little over a year ago?"
"Yeah."
"I meant what I said about helping you bring Sasuke back, and not just because of how I feel about him, but because I want to help you out. You've become a big part of my life now and I can't imagine it without you. I also couldn't stand being left behind again when you are out risking you're life. If something was to happen to you and I didn't try my hardest to help, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."
Sakura's voice was close to breaking by the time she finished. She lowered her head as tears blurred her vision. However, she felt Naruto's fingers on her chin. He gently tilted her head up so she couldn't look away from him. The young man pushed a few strands of hair from Sakura's face and then wiped a tear from her wet cheek. Sakura didn't resist Naruto's gaze, and she felt his navy blue orbs pierce her own jade eyes.
"Sakura-chan, please don't cry," Naruto whispered. "You were never weak and I never thought you were. You have always been a big part of the team and you are an even greater part of our new one. You're also a bigger help to me than anything else. You've helped keep me grounded when I felt like I was going crazy."
"Why do you say that?" Sakura sniffed.
"Because without your friendship, I wouldn't be strong enough to keep going after I lost. Sasuke's leaving the village took someone away from me. It took away OUR team. I didn't have much to begin with, but our team was the one thing I could always count on and look forward to. Sasuke took that away when he left, and I wanted it back. That's the only reason I trained so hard. I wanted to beat him so I could make him realize what he gave up and at the same time took away. But it hurts, Sakura-chan. It hurts because I know even if I find Sasuke and defeat him things won't ever be the same. It hurts because more than likely I'll have to fight my best friend one day. It hurts knowing that the next time I see Sasuke, he will no longer be my best friend." Naruto stopped for a moment, his face full of remorse. "When you came to visit me in the hospital that day, I seriously thought about running away from the village because I felt like I failed you. I was so determined to make it up to you – to everyone. I felt I had to change in order to become stronger. I felt I had to be more like Sasuke in order to defeat him. That's why I asked Kakashi to train me."
Sakura stopped crying as she listened to her Naruto's explanation. She looked at her friend as she thought about how his behavior over the past year. All the times he would get moody when he trained with their team or how he seemed so withdrawn during missions, how it only seemed like he listened to Kakashi-sensei; it all made more sense to her. "Is that why you've drifted away from the rest of the team?" she asked him.
"Mainly," Naruto replied. "But another reason is because Kakashi told me not to use the full extent of my power unless it's a dire emergency. He didn't want me showing off and he didn't want me to hurt anyone during team training. It's hard to have to hold back when I know I can do better. I also want everyone to know that I have the power to protect them if things get tough during a mission. They still think I'm unreliable after all this time. Don't get me wrong; they treat me better than they used to, much better, but it's not like how you and Hinata acknowledge me. You two are the only reason I don't go crazy around here, and knowing you were glad I returned from that mission means more to me that you would ever know, Sakura-chan."
The pink-haired girl gave her friend a warm smile. He doesn't know how great he is, she thought fondly. I wish I had seen it sooner. Sakura reached up around her friend's neck and hugged him tightly.
"You aren't alone, Naruto-kun," Sakura whispered softly in his ear. "As long as I'm around you'll never be alone."
Naruto fought the urge to run and hide from this feeling Sakura's words and actions gave him. It had taken him quite a while to just get used to her nice to him on a regular basis. Why am I so afraid if this feels so . . . good? he wondered as he returned her hesitantly returned her embrace.
"Sakura-chan . . . thanks." Naruto whispered to her.
"No, thank you, Naruto-kun, for being such a good friend."
Sakura slid away from the embrace and scooted closer to Naruto. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. The flight-or-fight alarm in Naruto's mind went off, but he ignored it and he sat there in silence. He contemplated whether or not he should use this time to tactfully slip off, but he felt Sakura's warm hand slide over his own before he could make a move to leave.
"Just stay with me a little while longer," she said breathlessly as if reading his mind. "I don't want you to leave yet."
Naruto smiled without looking at her as they both watched as the last of the sun's light fading over the horizon.
"If you say so," he replied.
The full moon illuminated the tiny alley leading to Naruto's apartment. The bright light reflected off Hinata's dusty black hair, giving her head a slight glow to match that of her ghostly pale eyes. She had grown her dark hair out well below her shoulders at Sakura and Ino's insistence, and now her silky mane surrounded her head and curled inwards at the ends. The two girls told her it made her look more mature, which was reason enough for the shy girl to consider keeping the style. But the real reason Hinata kept her hair at its current length was because of Naruto.
"I like the way you look like that, Hinata-chan," the young boy had told Hinata when he realized her hair was growing out. "You should keep it that way." After Naruto's comment the girl had gone to great pains to make sure her hair was always in immaculate condition, especially whenever she knew she was going to see Naruto. This trip alone to Naruto's apartment had her in front of the mirror for over an hour.
Where is Naruto-kun? She wondered as she nervously twisted a few strands of hair around her index finger, a habit she had taken up recently. He's not usually this late. Her eyes darted between the entrance to the alley and the ground in front of her. Then a shadow began to stretch out towards her and she saw a figure make its way down the street. She smiled as she recognized the outline of Naruto's head.
"Oi, Hinata-chan," Naruto almost shouted when he saw her sitting on the steps. "It's that time of the week already?"
"Yes, Naruto-kun," the dark-haired girl squeaked.
"Eh . .ok, Hinata-chan," Naruto hesitated as he scratched his head. "But I didn't train much today so I'm sure my bruises aren't nearly as bad as usually are."
"Well, someone has to make sure you take care of yourself," she told him as they both made their way up the stairs. It had become routine for Hinata to come by Naruto's place and check the injuries he received from training and missions. At least twice a week she made a visit to the blonde boy's home, and she recently noticed her visits were paying off. The last time she came by, she noticed Naruto didn't seem to be in as bad of shape as the first time she noticed his scars from sparring with Kakashi. However, Hinata's visits had an ulterior motive: they allowed her to spend time alone with the blonde boy.
Naruto opened the door of his apartment and turned on the light. Hinata sighed at the sight of his clothing tossed around the living room.
"Can't you keep your place clean for a whole week, Naruto-kun?" the girl asked with mock annoyance as she began picking up the discarded garments. She always got on him about his house keeping, but she would always pick up behind him whenever she came over. However, Hinata had to admit the apartment did look much cleaner than when she first started making her visits.
"You don't have to clean up after me, Hinata-chan," he told her while taking a stack of clothes out of her hands. "You do way too much for me as it is. Besides, it's not like you don't scold me enough about cleaning while you are here." The blonde flashed a warm smile at Hinata and placed his dirty laundry in a hamper near the washing machine.
"Well, someone has to do it," she told him as she returned the smile. "Now sit down so I can have a look at you." Hinata's usual shyness had all but disappeared over the years. She had grown very comfortable around him because they were teammates and she had no problem getting on him about his bad habits if she felt like he needed it.
Naruto took a seat at the kitchen table and pulled off his shirt. He turned his body so that he was leaning on the back of the chair. Hinata examined him closely and looked at the scars he had developed over the last two years of training.
"Well, none of the new marks seem permanent," she told him. "It seems like you're finally listening to me about soaking your body after training sessions."
"Yep," the blonde squeaked with a goofy grin. "I feel a whole lot better now, too. I always feel more relaxed when I sit in the tub for a while after sparring."
"That's great. You've done a lot better than you used to, Naruto-kun." Hinata began to rub some of her ointment on his back. "I'm really proud of you."
Naruto looked over his shoulder at Hinata with a beaming smile. He never knew why, but he always felt at ease with Hinata around. "Thanks, Hina-chan!" he shouted, using his special nickname for her. "Because of you, I've been a lot healthier, and I can fight for longer periods of time."
Hinata giggled at Naruto's sudden burst of excitement. His energy never ceased to amaze her. "I'm glad you find me so helpful, Naruto-kun," The white-eyed girl told him with a warm smile. She stood up and stepped away from the boy. "There, all done."
"Awwh, you don't have to go, do you?" Naruto whined. "Hey, why don't you stay and make one of your meals? Your cooking is great!" Naruto jumped up from his seat and walked towards his friend. He gave her a pleading look and leaned down as he looked at her. "Come on, pleeeeeese?" he begged.
"W-well, if you really want me t-to," Hinata stuttered. Whenever Naruto seemed to want her to do something, the old shy Hinata returned and she couldn't help but feel nervous. "How about I make your favorite dish?"
"Alright!" the boy blonde shinobi exclaimed as he scooped Hinata up by the waist and hugged her. Hinata could only blush as her teammate spun her around in his embrace before putting her back on solid ground. "Tell you what, I'll finish cleaning up and set the table while you cook."
"S-sounds good," the Hyuga heiress told him while turning away to hide her flushed cheeks.
Naruto scurried around the apartment and picked up the mess on the floor. As he cleaned, he happily chanted his ramen mantra. Hinata could only smile at her friend's obvious joy. She didn't mind cooking for him at all and was going to offer to do it anyway. Hinata usually offered to cook, this time he just beat her to it. However, it made her feel good that he enjoyed her cooking, and it made her even happier that he didn't want her to leave. She treasured the time she spent alone with Naruto because he always seemed happy when he was around her. I wonder if he's this way with anyone else, Hinata pondered as she fired up the oven and stirred the contents of the wok. He always seems so happy when I'm around. A twinge of selfishness crept into her mind at the idea of Naruto acting happy just around her. Of course she wanted her friend to be happy all the time, but the idea that only SHE made him happy was a pleasant thought even she couldn't resist.
Over the last two years, Naruto and Hinata had grown very close. The blonde shinobi was very protective of her during missions, and she in turn seemed to fight fiercely whenever he was nearby. Naruto loved Hinata's natural thoughtful and sincere personality and had come to think of her very highly of the young medic-nin. She had grown very fond of the blonde boy and spent a lot of her free time around him. Hinata had even gotten enough courage to invite him to her thirteenth birthday party at the Hyuga estate.
The age of thirteen was big deal for the Hyuga family. It was considered the age where you took on more family responsibilities, especially if you were the family heir. Hinata's progress as a kunoichi impressed her father so much that he no longer praised her younger sister over his eldest daughter. He went to great lengths to make sure Hinata's party had been a grand event. The whole family attended the party, and all of her teammates showed up dressed in their best attire. It was a shock to her father when Naruto showed up at the front gate of the estate dressed in a traditional red Chinese silk shirt and black pants with his normally unkempt hair combed down and neatly in place. Hinata brought him in and introduced him to her father, who reservedly shook the blonde boy's hand. Hinata remembered being proud of the way Naruto stood his ground when he met her father and did not appear intimidated by him. Most people went overboard in trying to appear humble around her father, but Naruto was very cordial and polite without looking like he was trying to impress him. She saw a look of respect in her father's eyes as she watched them talk to each other.
"Ramen time!" Naruto exclaimed as he finished placing the dishes on the table. His outburst shook Hinata out of her daze. She turned around from her cooking to see a smiling Naruto sitting in front of a plate looking up at her with hopefully eyes. She couldn't help but laugh at his actions.
"Ok, ok, just a minute," she told him as she served him.
"This smells great, Hina-chan!" Naruto eagerly rubbed his hands together before digging into the bowl of Ramen in front of him. Hinata grinned as she watched her friend eat happily. "Thanks a lot, you're the best!" the young boy managed to mumble with a mouth full of food.
"I'm glad you like it so much," she said warmly. "As long as it makes you happy."
"You always make me happy, Hina-chan," he replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you around."
Hinata's face warmed as she felt her cheeks redden.
"I try to do my best." The young girl's words were barely a whisper. "That's what I learned from you: to always do my best no matter what."
"I can see that when you fight," he told her. "You've grown a lot, Hinata-chan."
"Thank you, Naruto-kun."
When the meal was finished, the two friends moved over to the couch and continued their conversation. Naruto was telling Hinata about his last mission when she noticed how Naruto's attitude seemed to change. Gone was the happy-go-lucky Naruto she was so fond of, and in his place was the colder, more reserved Naruto she saw whenever they were with the rest of their team. To Hinata, it seemed like there were two people sharing the same body.
"Naruto-kun," she interrupted. "Are you happy?"
The young boy paused to think about her statement. He quirked a brow as he pondered his answer. "Happy?" he mumbled softly.
"I mean, are you happy with everything in your life as it's going now?"
"Well, I never really thought about it, Hinata-chan," Naruto's voice trailed off as he struggled for the words. "I mean, I like the fact that I'm getting stronger and I like our team, but I guess something feels. . . out of place sometimes."
"What feels out of place?" Hinata nervously chewed on end of her finger as she tried to read her friend's body language.
"Well, I guess I just feel like something is missing and I still don't know what it is," He mused. "I mean, I like that me and Sakura-chan are good friends now, and I love that you and I are so close." The blonde seemed to perk up at the end of his statement. His sapphire eyes flashed as he looked up at her with a grin. "In fact, you are one of my precious people."
"Precious people?"
"Yeah, my precious people mean the world to me," he explained with a serious look in his eyes. "I would protect them with my life, no matter what the odds are."
"Y-you really think that way about me?" Hinata eyes softened at his words.
"Of course. Hina-chan, you've been there for me through thick and thin and always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You have never treated me badly, even back when we were in the academy together. Plus you look after me and accept me for who I am. I'll always treasure that about you, that and you make great ramen." Naruto put his hand behind his head and showed her his trademark grin and she instantly laughed. "In fact, I would say I'm happiest when I'm around you."
Her heart threatened to jump of her chest, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she could admit her feelings to him. However, she kept her silence as her rational thought won out over her impulse, but she still gave him a hug. Partly it was a thank you, but it was mostly to release some of her pent up affection for the boy. He just doesn't know what he does to me, she thought.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said tenderly. "I think that is the nicest thing anyone has every said to me."
"You make it easy to be nice to you, Hina-chan."
The young girl regretfully broke her embrace and got up to clean up the dishes. She turned on the water and let the dishes soak and then glanced back over at Naruto. "Well, I'm really honored you think so highly of me, Naruto-kun. You mean a lot to me as well and I think of you as my precious person. . . . You don't know just how much you really mean to me," Hinata fumbled over her words as she thought of what to say next. "I sometimes feel like I can't be without you. . . . ."
She was interrupted by the sound of a snoring ninja laid out on the couch. Hinata sighed, but smiled all the same. Let him sleep I guess. I'll have to wait to tell him how I feel another time, she thought. The dark-haired girl quickly finished with the dishes, then crept up to Naruto's room. I'll just get him a blanket, she told herself. She slowly pushed open the door at the end of the tiny hallway and found herself inside the love her of her life's room. She shook her head at the items haphazardly thrown around the room: weapons tossed on the floor, clothing on the bed, and even a few empty cups from ramen were sitting on the dresser. She grabbed an orange blanket from underneath the clothes pile on the bed and was about to leave out when something caught her eye. There were two pictures on Naruto's night stand: one of him with his old teammates when they were genin, and the other was of her and Naruto taken at her birthday party. I didn't know he had this, she thought as she picked up the photo and examined it. She remembered the white kimono with the floral pattern she wore that day. She noticed she had a slight smile on her face as she stood next to Naruto, the blonde shinobi looking very serious and studious in his formal clothes. Hinata thought he looked handsome and noble. It made her feel good he kept the picture after all this time.
Hinata slipped back out the room and made her way to the sleeping Naruto. The blonde was snoring loudly and looked rather odd as one of his legs was hanging off the couch and one arm over his head. She placed the blanket over him and beamed. He looks so peaceful. . . and totally silly, she thought. As she stood there and look down at him, a wicked idea crept in her mind. Should I do it? She wondered. No, that would be wrong. . . . Oh, well it won't hurt if I do this at least. Hinata hesitantly leaned down and looked at him closely. She glanced at his head for a moment before finally gathering up enough courage, then took the plunge and placed a very soft and tender kiss on Naruto's cheek. The dark haired girl didn't move for a moment, and when she was satisfied that he didn't wake up, she quietly slipped off towards the door and let herself out.
"Goodnight, Naruto-kun," she whispered sweetly before opening the door. "I love you, always."
(A/N):Hmmm. . . what's going on here? Have to see, now, won't we? Next chapter will have more Sasuke and the action is about to pick up some. Expect some reunions and realizations. . . .I hope you enjoyed this installment. Until next time!