NaruHina-Confessions of love. Chapter 2

Hinata

For the rest of the day Hinata floated on cloud nine. She was constantly fiddling with her necklace and touching her cheek. Oblivious to all else around her. As she walked down the sunny street she bumped into Sakura, the pink haired kunoichi, who was also her best friend.

'Sakura! sorry i didn't see you there' she apologized. Her hand subconsciously jumping to her neck to check her necklace was alright.

'It's okay' Sakura smiled, her keen eyes following Hinata's hands and noting the necklace. 'Thats a pretty necklace Hinata, where did you get it from?'

'Oh this, ano, ano.' Hinata blushed but knew she had to tell her. After all Sakura was her best friend.

'N-Naruto kun gave it to me' she stammered, fiddling with the necklace. 'It was a gift.'

Sakura was surprised but didn't show it. She hadn't known Naruto could actually be thoughtful.

'Really? That was nice of him.' she stated, studying Hinata carefully to see how she responded.

'Yeah, it was' Hinata smiled dreamily, her eyes vacant and her expression oddly strange, as though she was remembering something wonderful. Sakura had never seen Hinata with an expression like that before , but it kind of suited her, and she had no doubts who that expression was for.

'Yes it was.' Sakura repeated slowly, and then deciding to be upfront about it, 'What exactly has happened between you to?'

Startled by the question Hinata snapped out of her dream like trance. 'Ano, ano, nothing.' she responded desperately trying to avoid the question. Sakura fixed her with a ''don't give me that'' sort of look and taking her firmly by the arm, led her over to a bench in a secluded spot, far away from other people.

'Now go on, tell me' she demanded, 'we're best friends, you can tell me Hinata, i won't tell anyone.' Staring straight into her eyes Sakura gently bullied her into spilling. 'Go on, something happened between you and Naruto, right?' she prompted Hinata, this time in a gentler voice.

'Hai' Hinata murmered, blushing a rosy pink.

'So what happened' Sakura prodded her, 'pleeeease Hina, please.'

Hinata sighed, knowing Sakura she wouldn't give up until she got an answer, she would just have to give in and tell her if she wanted any peace and quiet for herself.

'Well,' she began, her face became reminiscent and once again her eyes went vacant and starry. 'I was just walking through the park when i heard Naruto kun calling me, so i stopped and he came up to me and asked me if i would like to go to ichiraku's with him..'

'ON A DATE!' Sakura interrupted, squealing loudly. Hinata nodded and blushed. Sakura grinned, she had had an inkling about Hinata's crush on Naruto for a while but hadn't said anything, just in case. Turned out Naruto returned the feelings, although you wouldn't think it from the way he had always seemed so ignorant about anyone else's feelings but his own. But then again, thinking back she realized he had been a little different lately, a bit more, sensitive. She grinned to herself and then indicated for Hinata to go on. Blushing even darker Hinata continued. 'Yeah and so we sat down and for a while it was quiet, but then he spoke and he said, ano, he said, so Hinata and he paused for a while but then he went on and told me he really liked me, and thought i was truly strong and that i was beautiful inside and out.' She blurted out in one long breath. Going crimson she stared at the ground. 'But, but that doesn't do him justice because what he actually said in full was a lot more beautiful than that, i just can't remember it word for word', she murmered, which wasn't strictly true, she could remember it almost exactly but she still wanted part of what had happened to stay between just her and Naruto.

Sakura nodded.

'And how did you respond?'

'I , i blushed and couldn't speak for a while but then i could and i managed to tell him that i, ano, tell him that i, ano, that i like him a lot too.' She finished, taking a deep breath. Looking awkward she started to twiddle her thumb and forefinger together. Sakura giggled, 'well i think you two make a good couple, and i take it he gave you that necklace as well?'

'Hai, you really think so?'

'Yep, course i do, your extremely cute and shy and he's well, he's cute in his own way and he's nowhere near shy, you compliment each other.' Hinata giggled too. 'He's more than just cute' she grinned and blushed.

'Reeeally Sakura laughed, 'if you say so.'

'I do!' Hinata giggled again pushing Sakura gently. Chuckling Sakura pushed her back and then held her hands up in truce. 'But seriously, how much do you like him?' She asked curiously. Hinata leaned back and closed her eyes. 'A lot' she stated simply, 'a lot.'

Smiling Sakura took Hinata's hand, 'then I'm gonna arrange another date for you two tomorrow.' Hinata's eyes flew open, shaking her head she protested. 'No, don't do that, what if he says no.' Sakura laughed, 'he won't trust me, you go home and I'll go tell him now.'

'N..' Hinata began but Sakura was already gone. Shaking her head she turned and started to walk home. She was anxious to get there soon, just in case Sakura called to tell her his answer. Despite herself she actually felt happy Sakura was doing it anyway, I mean after all, if he does say yes I'll get to see him even sooner, she thought to herself happily. Hurrying along the pavement even quicker in her hast to get home.

Naruto

Naruto walked casually along the street feeling like his chest would burst from happiness, his cheeks were still warm from the fact that he had kissed Hinata, even if it had only been on the cheek, and his mind was filling with up with all sort of possible second dates. However for a while after their date he had regretted slightly that he had run off after kissing her, that was until he had seen Hinata walking home, her face content, and had watched her run her finger over her cheek where he had kissed her while playing absent mindedly with the necklace he had given her. So that now he was feeling especially satisfied.

Just then he spotted Sasuke on the other side of the street, and dying to tell him everything, ran over.

'SASUKE, SASUKE DOBE, over here.' He shouted as Sasuke looked over at him running across the street and rolled his eyes.

'Naruto, what do you want?' Sasuke demanded impatiently, knowing full well he wouldn't get any peace until Naruto had told him whatever it was.

'Well' Naruto began, dragging Sasuke over to a bench further down the street.

'I asked Hinata on a date and she said yes' he beamed. Sasuke nearly choked.

'What? you asked Hinata on a date and she accepted?' He shook his head, 'What about Sakura?' he asked sceptically, but even as the words had left his mouth he realized that Naruto hadn't actually mentioned anything about liking Sakura for a long time. Maybe Hinata was the reason behind that. But still, Naruto and Hinata, what an unlikely couple he pondered. They were both polar opposites. However opposites did attract. Like him and Sa.. quickly pushing that thought to the back of his mind he concentrated instead on Naruto's response.

'What about her?' Naruto responded defensively. 'I don't like her, I like Hinata.' He paused and blushed. 'For a while i didn't notice her, but then she started to become more obvious, you know like in the chunnin exams and that fight with Neji, i started to see her differently.' He blushed even deeper. 'Besides i think she's way prettier than Sakura anyway.' He finished and scratched the back of his head nervously, embarrassed by what he had said.

Naruto? Sasuke thought shocked. I never knew you were actually able to be serious for a change, and Hinata isn't prettier than Sa... quickly he pushed this thought away to join the other one.

'So you really like her then?' he asked, already guessing the answer.

'Hai' Naruto nodded, 'a lot'.

'I see' Sasuke thought for a while and then coming to a decision started to walk away in the other direction, back to where Naruto had just come from.

'Hey' Naruto called after him. 'Hey DOBE!, where are you going?'

Sasuke just sighed and kept on walking.

'Sasuke!' Naruto shouted, again, running over to join him. 'Where are you going?'

'To ask Hinata on a second date for you.' Sasuke replied impatiently, annoyed at having to explain it to him.

'What?' Naruto exclaimed confused. 'Why?'

'Because you obviously like her a lot, dobe' Sasuke muttered, without hesitating in his step.

'Oh...' For a moment Naruto looked shocked, but then his indignation kicked in. 'Well why didn't you just tell me? Don't i have a right to know what your doing about my business?'

He had a point, Sasuke had to admit, but then again he was doing Naruto a favor, so in his opinion he didn't have to justify his actions to him as he was actually benefiting him by what he was doing.

'No, because i am doing you a favor teme, so i don't have to justify myself to you.' he answered, voicing his thoughts. For a while Naruto remained silent but then he simply said, 'by the waterfall' and walked off. Sasuke couldn't contain his surprise. Naruto had just acted shockingly out of character. He shook his head in disbelief and carried on walking. Normally Naruto would have argued his case passionately but instead he had just given in, maybe Hinata was changing him for the better, although she probably didn't realize it. Sasuke had understood perfectly what Naruto had meant by what he had said, he had wanted the second date to be by the waterfall. So it looked like he had Naruto's permission to ask Hinata after all. Walking briskly, Sasuke carried on heading towards Hinata's house, his mind working overtime about everything that had just happened with Naruto.

Meanwhile Sakura was walking in the opposite direction. She had just been told by someone that they had seen Naruto a little while ago heading in that direction so she was going that way, hoping to find him and ask him on a second date, for Hinata. What she didn't know was that Sasuke was coming towards her, on his way to see Hinata to ask her on a second date, for Naruto.

'Sasuke?' Sakura called, surprised to see him coming her way. Before she had met up with Hinata she had seen Sasuke walking in the opposite direction, so it was weird that now he was coming back the way he had just been. Her heart started pounding, maybe, maybe he had noticed her and had decided to come back to speak to her, after a lot of thinking as he had been to shy before, she thought wildly but as soon as the idea had come into her mind, she knew it was only wistful thinking. His expression was purposeful and when he saw her, instead of pausing he carried on walking, making it clear his business wasn't with her. Slightly deflated she carried on walking, but then stopped. A thought had struck her, it was possible Sasuke knew where Naruto was, after all the two where good friends, and Sasuke had just come from the direction where Naruto was supposed to be.

'Sasuke' she called running over.

'What?' he asked, irritated at having to stop.

'Ano, i was wandering if you knew where Naruto was?' she said quickly, trying to ignore his obvious irritation, which of course was caused by her speaking to him.

'Oh' Sasuke uttered, caught of guard. He hadn't expected that. Despite himself he was used to Sakura always asking him on a date, or if they wanted to train together, and he tried to ignore the odd feeling of disappointment that was swelling in his chest, because she hadn't asked him. Even though he would say no as always, their was something within him that craved attention from her, something that scared him. So he would always push it away and answer the same each time. But why was she asking after Naruto? Was it possible that now, as soon as his attention had swayed from her to Hinata, she realized she missed it and how she felt about him and so was going to win him back? As soon as he thought it, he realized it was bizarre, but he still felt the need to reassure himself it was wrong.

'Why do you want to know where he is?' he questioned her, trying to look casual and not insecure, as he really felt.

'Because' Sakura stated, she was in no mood to be questioned by Sasuke, she was getting fed up with being treated so coldly by him. Each time it hurt a little more and she just wanted it to end. For a moment Sasuke was dumbstruck. Had she really just spoken to him like that. Again, despite himself, he was hurt. When had she become so brash with him?

'I just wanted to know' he retaliated, rolling his eyes to hide how he truly felt.

'Well, I'll tell you why, if you tell me what your doing' she retorted back, recognizing an opportunity to glean some information about what Sasuke was doing retracing his steps back from the place he had just passed. He paused and considered, coming to the decision to tell her, realizing his need to know why stronger than he had though.

'Fine' he muttered, 'I am on my way to Hinata to ask her on a date, for Naruto, but you can't tell anyone' he told her.

'Oh' Sakura laughed, 'well thats a coincidence, seeing as i was just on my way to ask Naruto on a second date, for Hinata.'

'Oh' Sasuke echoed. 'Well then i guess we can just go back now and tell them, Hinata said yes, and Naruto says by the waterfall, tomorrow at sunset.'

'Hai' Sakura agreed. 'Thats a good idea' still smiling, she waved goodbye and set off, back the way she had come, to tell Hinata the good news.

Sasuke watched her go and felt oddly relieved. So she hadn't been interested in Naruto, she was just doing her friend a favor. Satisfied he walked back the way he had come, to tell Naruto the good news. A second date had been arranged.