Hey, long time no see, right? I had a lot of stuff going on. Finished up my third year of school, went on vacation, fell into the Fire Emblem fandom, all good things. But I didn't forget about this.

Enjoy.

She is everything he dreamed she would be.

During visiting hours, Hinata always greets him with a tender smile. They are the same ones she'd give him in his dreams when she would caress the side of his face and stare into his eyes lovingly. He remembers it so clearly.

When she moves to sit on the chair next to his bedside, she's so close to him that he can get a whiff of her lavender scented shampoo. Every movement she makes is elegant, from the way she crosses her legs to how she shyly tucks a lock of dark, silk-like hair behind her ear.

She's as kind as she was in his dreams too. She listens to every single word that leaves his lips; she laughs when he tells her a joke and nods her head lightly when he speaks of something serious. She asks questions and is genuinely curious about him.

That made Naruto feel important for once in his bleak and murky life.

Naruto is grateful for Hinata. Watching the white wall of his hospital room day and night with little company was tiresome, and what's worse was that after seeing Hinata for the first time, his dreams of her never came back.

He was miserable – to have the woman of his dreams slip through his fingers without ever knowing if he'd ever see her again crushed him. Waking up in the hospital each morning without those dreams of Hinata drove him mad. At that point, Naruto thought he had lost it all.

Naruto wanted so badly to take back all his frustrations and every terrible thing he had ever said about his dreams. So what if they weren't real? They were real enough for him, but it was too late. Hinata was gone, and all he had to remember her by were those lucid dreams.

That was what he had originally thought until the day Hinata stood by his bedside to comfort him.

His chest begins to tighten at memory as a small smiled spreads across his face. Hinata came back for him. She came to follow through with her promises in his dreams; to make sure that he is never lonely again.

Naruto can't bear to tell her about the dreams he's had about her. What if he scares her off again? With that constant fear in the back of his mind, Naruto decides to keep the dreams to himself, and instead, finds other things to talk to her about. While his hospital room can be a little drab, Naruto is content as long as Hinata is by his side.

"Uzumaki-san," she calls out to him, "what are you smiling about?"

Although he says she's everything he's dreamed of, there are a few small differences. For example, he hasn't gotten used to the way she calls him "Uzumaki-san." It sounds so foreign to him. He gives a low chuckle, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"Ya know, Hinata," he starts, "you don't have to be so formal around me. We're friends, aren't we? And besides, I've been really informal with you, so it's only fair." It seems he's caught her off guard as he watches her eyes widen in surprise while a light pink colors her cheeks.

Slowly, her eyes drift away from him as she shifts in her seat. "Um… is Naruto-kun okay?"

This sounds more like her. "Yeah," Naruto grins. "It sounds perfect!"

"So, what were you smiling about? Did you remember a funny joke or something?" The color on her cheeks are now gone and she's looking at him once more. Now it's his turn to blush as he thinks back on what actually made him smile in the first place.

Would it have been cliché for him to say, "You"?

"No, I was just thinking about tomorrow. The nurses say I'll get to leave in the afternoon." It isn't a complete lie. The good news made its way to him this morning, and the jovial feeling hasn't left him yet. Being able to move around freely would be one step on the road back to his normal life.

"Oh my," Hinata chirps as she claps her hands together. "That's wonderful. I'm very happy for you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto can't help but grin goofily at her. She's so genuine about everything that it's easy to put his trust in her. "Thanks, I am too," he says. "Hey, I know you said you'd visit me every day, but does that extend to my time outside of the hospital?"

Her lips part to say something, but nothing comes out. He's caught Hinata off guard again, because she wears the same deer-caught-in-headlights look that she did just minutes ago. Naruto's brain flies into a panic. There's a big chance that Hinata is only visiting him because she feels bad about what happened. He's probably making her uncomfortable at this point.

"Well, I…" she begins, but Naruto cuts her off.

"Hey, hey!" He laughs boisterously. It makes Hinata squeak in surprise. His large grin is forced, but it does a decent job of covering up his blunder and masking his fears. "I'm just teasing you, don't sweat it! Visiting someone everyday would get really tiresome, right?"

Besides, Kiba and Shino told him just what a big deal she really was. Studying out of the country? Taking up a job at a big name company? Hinata is set to do wonderful things in life. She's much too busy to be hanging around him, and the fact that she even gives him the time of day is rather astonishing.

"But, what about your arm?" Hinata asks. Her eyes are filled with concern. "It's still in a cast and you live alone. How will you take care of things?"

She's right.

It isn't as if he can stay in the hospital until he fully recovers. His bills must have been outrageous by now, and any more time spent here would result in crippling debt. He can't work, he can't earn money and he can't pay bills. He's stuck in a tight spot.

Despite this, Naruto doesn't show her his pain.

"Don't worry," he smiles. "I'll think of something."

It's worse than he expected.

His small apartment is looking as dingy as ever. The same dirty laundry litters the floor while beer bottles and empty cups of instant ramen can be found in the most obscure places. The newspaper from a few months ago is still stuck to the table.

A long sigh escapes him before he attempts to remove the paper with his left hand. When part of the paper is lifted, a little brown roach is uncovered. It twitches its antennas at him before it scurries off in the other direction.

Naruto backs away from the paper, and makes a sound of disgust as shiver climbs down his spine. Everything here is revolting. He needs to clean up, but instead, Naruto finds himself lying on his bed belly up, stressing about everything he needs to get done.

He's low on pocket money. There's hardly anything to eat here. He could pull money out of his savings, but what will he do when that runs out. There isn't much money in there either. It's impossible for him to work at a ramen shop with only one arm – especially his non-dominant one. And Teuchi can't keep him on paid leave forever.

Naruto would have to be replaced eventually, and the thought of it leaves a steady feeling of uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He could always reach out and ask for help, but who would be able to support him for a little while?

If he was being honest with himself, it felt weird ticking off his friends on his fingers and determining which ones were more reliable. They did all they could to make him happy during his time in the hospital. Naruto is beginning to feel like he's crossing a line somewhere.

Slowly, his mind drifts to thoughts of Hinata. It turns out that he was able to leave the hospital bright and early this morning instead of in the afternoon. What if she stops by later to see him? The receptionist would undoubtedly tell her that he's been discharged. It hasn't been an entire day yet, and already Naruto misses her.

His hand moves towards his cluttered night table to grab his phone. Crumpled papers and miscellaneous items fall off the table, but he pays no attention to them as he stares at the screen of his cell phone. His thumb moves across the screen to search for her number, and when he finds it, he's a bit hesitant to press the call button.

A million excuses flood his mind as to why he shouldn't call her right now, but his heart yearns to hear her voice again, even if it's only for a minute. His heart speaks louder than his mind does, and his thumb taps the call button before he presses the phone to his ear.

It rings several times, and each time it does, Naruto starts to regret this decision a little more. That is until after the fifth ring when she actually does pick up, and a soft, "Hello?" can be heard from the other end of the phone.

"Hinata, hey," he speaks. "Sorry about calling out of the blue."

"Don't worry about it. A phone call from you is a pleasant surprise," he can almost hear her smiling on the other end, and this prompts him to smile as well. "Is everything alright? Did you need something?"

Instinctively, Naruto attempts to move his hand to scratch the top of his head. He's forgotten that his arm is still healing, and the sharp twinge reminds him of this. He hisses in pain, which doesn't go unheard by Hinata.

In a voice laced in concern, Hinata asks, "Naruto-kun, are you okay? What happened?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" He assures her. "I just moved my arm too fast. But don't worry! Uh, actually… I called to tell you that I'm already out of the hospital."

"Oh! I'm so happy for you, but I thought you were leaving a bit later."

Naruto isn't sure, but is sounds like there's a hint of disappointment in Hinata's voice. "Yeah, I thought so too. Were you going to visit or something?"

"…Yes. I had something that I wanted to give you," she pauses momentarily. "But, maybe another time then? You just got home, so you must be tired."

"No, no! Today's fine!" Naruto practically shoots up out of bed. "I've been resting for weeks now, and I'd really appreciate your company."

"That would be wonderful!" Any trace of disappointment in her voice is gone now. "Should I make my way to your house?"

One quick glance around his room causes him to sweat nervously. "Er… how about we meet up at the park? I'm really craving fresh air since I've been cooped up in bed for a while. Does that sound good to you, Hinata?"

Her small laughter on the other end of the phone is so sweet. "Kiba-kun and Shino-kun were right about you. Staying in one place isn't really your style. But the park sounds like a good idea. I'll see you there soon?"

"Yeah, I'll see you."

The call ends, and Naruto breathes a sigh of relief. How embarrassing would it be to bring Hinata into a home like his? The thought of them sitting together on his couch was a nice one, save for the horrible smell, heaps of garbage and dirty laundry as well as bugs that crawl about the place.

Naruto doesn't give the terrible idea another thought before leaving his room to jam his feet into his shoes. Who knew something as easy as putting on shoes could prove to be somewhat of an annoyance without another hand?

Once his shoes are on and he's out the door, his eyes look for his bicycle. "Oh, that's right," he murmurs. His bike was absolutely totaled in that accident. And even if it was in perfect condition, his arm was not.

Naruto sighs.

Today was supposed to be his first step forward into his normal world. In just a few hours of being out of the hospital, it feels as if he's taken two steps back.

Hinata sits on a bench in the park alone.

Idly, she kicks her feet. The heels of her shoes scrapes on the gravel path underneath her. Her fingers grip the flimsy, rectangular box that rests on her lap ever so lightly. Time seems to pass so slowly while she's here. Five minutes have passed since her arrival, but it feels as though she has been waiting for Naruto for hours.

Maybe it's her anticipation to see him again that has her so worked up like this.

Last night, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about his question. Did her promise really extend to his time outside of the hospital? Naruto certainly does have a habit of catching her off guard with questions like those. In any case, it isn't exactly hard for her to admit that he's grown on her.

It is his charm and good sense of humor, she is sure of it.

But beneath all of that, Hinata knows that there's some part of him that hurts. It's hard to explain, but she can feel it. The aura around him feels different when she asks him questions about his life currently. Although he gives her those large grins that practically brighten up her day, sometimes she can't help but notice how dull they look from time to time.

Hinata wants to extend her promise into all aspects of his life, but it seems as though Naruto wants to keep her out of it. It's all so peculiar to her. In her nightmares, he would always beg her to save him. The desperation in his voice was so life like.

In this reality, however, he doesn't want her help. Maybe, Hinata thinks, the reality of all this is that she really is useless and Naruto knows it this time. After all those countless times he's perished in her nightmares, it makes plenty of sense that he's learned by now.

Momentarily, Hinata contemplates leaving. Facing him now would just be too much to handle.

But it seems that the gods wanted her to suffer today, because as soon as she stands up to leave, Naruto is calling out to her in such a boisterous voice. He smiles at her, and waves his left arm freely. He's so carefree in this moment; so happy to see her. She forgets her worries at the sight of him, and allows a small smile to spread across her face as he gets closer.

"Hey," he greets her, "I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"

She shakes her head no. "Not at all. Actually, I was just thinking about taking a walk since today's weather is so nice." Hinata feels bad for lying, but it was the only option that didn't make her sound like a complete fool. "But now that you're here, I don't have to."

He scratches the back of his head. "I mean, I don't mind taking a walk with you. It is a pretty day after all."

"Oh. Well, I wanted to share my gift with you," she says. Her eyes look at the box in her hands, and then at him. "I don't want them to get cold since they're not as good like that."

"Right, you did get me something!" He does it again – that signature squinty eyed grin that Hinata loves so much. He takes a seat on the bench, and motions for her to sit with him. "What are these anyway? They smell really good."

Hinata opens the box to reveal six cinnamon rolls, all topped with vanilla icing. "I love cinnamon rolls, and I thought that maybe you'd like them too. I get them from my favorite shop –"

"The Bread Pan," Naruto says, and initially, Hinata is taken by surprise.

"How did you know?"

He starts to sweat. Hinata's never told him about her favorite bakery. At least, this one hasn't. The Hinata in his dreams told him all about it when she sat in his lap and left the faintest kisses along his neck. The thought of her in his lap makes him gulp.

"H-how did I know?" He repeats. "Well, I mean… it's the best bakery in Konoha City, isn't it? And it's mine too." Actually, Naruto has never set foot into the store, but he's willing to say anything at this point if it meant saving his own skin.

Hinata doesn't catch his lie, and her eyes practically light up. "Oh, is it really? Then I'm sure you'll love these." Her hand automatically reaches for a cinnamon roll, but she stops herself. "Ah, I forgot. We aren't in the hospital anymore, so I don't need to feed you."

"I don't really mind," Naruto winks. Hinata's cheeks begin to grow warm, and he chuckles. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

"Oh, right! O-of course!" Is all she manages to stammer. As Naruto swipes one of the cinnamon rolls, Hinata covers her face in embarrassment. To think that she almost said yes to him – she's lucky that she wasn't as quick to answer.

"Woah, these are really good!" Naruto cries, and Hinata removes her hands from her face to look at him. She wants to laugh. He's got icing on the corners of his mouth just after a couple of into the sweet treat. "I should buy these more often, they're so amazing!"

Hinata giggles and pulls her handkerchief out of her pocket. "Naruto-kun is like a child," she says before she wipes the corners of his mouth clean. "You've even gotten a bit of icing on your nose too. How did that happen?"

Naruto gives a sheepish chuckle. "I dunno. I guess I'm just a bit messy. But hey, I've got you to take care of me, right?"

She cleans the icing from the tip of his nose before she really thinks about his statement. Although she's sure that Naruto means it in a frivolous way, he isn't wrong. "Yes, it's true," Hinata smiles. He'd have her around to care for him from now on.

"So, I was thinking we'd all have a get together since it's been so long since everyone's seen each other," Kiba grins. Naruto doesn't care much, as his focus is on his bowl of ramen in front of him. His frustration is aimed at his struggle to even hold his chopsticks in his left hand, let alone pick up noodles.

At this rate, Naruto thinks he'd be better off drinking ramen out of a straw.

"Yo! You're not even listening to me, what the hell?" Kiba cries.

"Do you not see me struggling to eat with only one functioning arm?" Naruto counters. "Of course I'm not listening to you, I'm trying to concentrate!" He can only roll his eyes as his friend flings his arms up in the air in exasperation.

Honestly, Kiba is more dramatic than he cares to admit. "I'm talking about a meet up with everyone else! Chouji said we should have dinner at Yakiniku Q, and Ino agreed. I dunno how those two and Shikamaru never get tired of eating over there, but whatever. Anyways, everyone's gonna be there!"

Dinner at Yakiniku Q? Naruto isn't so sure. It's one thing to see all his friends in one spot again, but his wallet is practically crying out in pain. His medical bills are higher than expected, and since he's currently out of a job, he can't pay for that or his rent.

Teuchi already found a new replacement for him, not that Naruto holds it against him. If anything, it's his fault that his old boss was losing money for a stupid kid who went and got his arm broken chasing after a woman.

So, there's no more money coming from there either.

And the only reason Naruto is sitting at Ichiraku Ramen, enjoying (or at least trying to) a big, hot steaming bowl of miso ramen is because Teuchi is kind enough to let him eat for free. Somehow, Naruto is beginning to feel like a moocher.

"I dunno, I'm not really feeling barbeque," Naruto says. He tries to use his chopsticks again, only to have the three noodles he's picked up to slip out of his grasp and plop back into the hot broth. He lets out a small sigh at his failure. "And for once, I don't really feel like going out either. Kinda just wanted to relax this weekend."

Kiba watches as Naruto barely gets to slurp one of his noodles. "Do you like… want help with that or something?" He asks with narrowed eyes.

"I can do it on my own." Naruto states in a matter-of-fact tone.

"If you say so. Jeez, you're so stubborn," Kiba says. "Anyways, what do you mean you're not going? This is the first time in a while everyone's gonna get together all in one spot! Sides, you complained that me and Shino never bring Hinata to hang out with everyone, and now that she's tagging along too, you don't wanna go."

Naruto turns to face Kiba, and the surprisingly large number of noodles he's caught this time slips out of his chopsticks. He doesn't take notice. "Hinata's going?" He asks. Kiba doesn't see the big deal, but he nods anyway.

It's been a while since he's seen her in person, but they always do manage to talk to each other on the phone, even if it is for a short period of time. Work has her tied up these days, and he kind of envies her for it.

"If you're so adamant about it, I can show up this weekend, no problem," Naruto grins. While Kiba argues that he isn't being adamant about it, Naruto thinks about how he'll get to see Hinata again.

When the sun sets and the fluorescent streetlights flicker on one by one, the city almost turns into a different place completely.

Neon signs give Konoha that pop of color it's been looking for all day, and the people who occupy the streets with their edgy fashion sense look like they fit right into the scenery. Heels click against the concrete sidewalk while street vendors pack up and go home for the night. Taxi's pull up at night clubs as some people stumble in the streets with flushed faces.

In Yakiniku, the atmosphere is just the same as it is in the streets. It isn't overly crowded, but just enough so that the place feels lively. Through all the hustle and bustle, it seems as though the table where Hinata is sitting is the loudest, not that she really minds.

They way that all these different people clash and meld together is so interesting to her. Have they always been this close? Briefly, she wonders if there's any room for herself to fit in with such a tightknit group of friends.

"Hey, Hinata," a blonde woman calls out to her. Her brow is furrowed, and she gives a small smile that somewhat comforts her. If she remembers correctly, this person's name is Ino. "You're so quiet. What's wrong?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm okay. Honestly."

"Ah, don't worry about her," Kiba grins. "Hinata's always been a quiet person!"

"How does someone so loud make friends with two of the quietest people around?" Sakura asks.

Shino takes a sip of his beer before saying, "Kiba just stuck around us long enough that eventually, we had to come up with a title for what we all were."

"You get some alcohol into your system and suddenly you're reckless at the mouth, huh?" Kiba fires back while the rest of their table laughs good-naturedly. Not many people knew, but Shino did possess a sharp tongue and witty remarks.

He's just hardly ever given the chance to show it since everyone else's voice is so much more overpowering.

"Oh, there you are! It's about time you showed your face!" Ino cries, and Hinata looks up to find that Naruto has finally arrived. Her smile widens, and she finds herself just a bit more excited about this little outing.

"Sorry about that," he laughs, "I got the times mixed up."

Sasuke's eyebrow quirks up in question. "How? I sent you multiple text messages."

"Yeah, I meant to check those, but I figured you were yelling about something, so I ignored it."

"I was yelling about something – your tardiness."

Kiba snickers. "It's hard to take Sasuke seriously when he says words like 'tardiness.'"

Naruto gives a big laugh of his own and the two pounds fists as Sasuke gives a sigh of exasperation.

"Don't do that over the table before you knock the drinks over!" Shikamaru scolds them.

"My bad, my bad," Naruto apologizes before squeezing himself at the very end of the booth, right next to Ino. It just so happens that he's sitting right across Hinata as well, and it's a good thing too because tonight, she's even more breathtaking than usual. "Hinata! Hey, you look really nice tonight!"

Slowly, her cheeks turn a light shade of pink and she casts her gaze away from him. He's so casual about these things, but it's even more embarrassing because all eyes feel like they're on her. It takes her a while to mumble a small, "Thank you."

"My, my, Naruto. Aren't we suave tonight?" Ino teases with her right hand resting daintily on her lips.

"Why is it that we don't get complimented?" Sai interjects. Naruto can't tell if he's genuinely asking or if he's following Ino's lead. Either way, it's annoying.

"Because why would I compliment you?" Naruto sneers.

"Hey, hey!" Chouji cuts in. "Now that Naruto's here, can we order? I'm starving!"

Naruto's sneer shifts into a look of confusion. "Wait, you were all waiting for me?" Once they all confirm, Naruto starts to feel a little bad for his "tardiness," as Sasuke would say. "I'm really sorry guys, but you shouldn't have waited… I already ate."

"You're kidding," Sakura says, deadpanned. When Naruto sort of shrugs pathetically, everyone knows he's struck a nerve. "You knew you were coming here to eat, why did you even bother eating right before!? Is that the real reason why you were late? Because you were stuffing your face beforehand?"

"No, no! I really mixed up the times, I swear!" He tries to reason with her.

"Yelling's not gonna make us any less hungry," Shikmaru says with an air of nonchalance. "We'll be eating in no time, so relax."

"Just out of curiosity, what'd you have for dinner anyway?" Chouji asks. "Was it anything good?"

Before Naruto can answer, Sasuke murmurs, "Probably the same instant ramen he eats every day." It causes a good amount of chuckling from most of the table while Naruto makes a face. He'd say something, but everyone does seem to be a lot calmer – even if it is at his expense.

Shikamaru is right. It feels like time has hardly passed when Naruto watches his friends grill assortments of delicious beef, dipping them in miso-based dipping sauces. The aroma gets his mouth watering, but he can only take a sip of his water as the steady growling from his stomach is masked by all the commotion.

Naruto is starving, but no matter how hard his empty belly cries for food, his wallet is just as empty, and there's no fixing that.

"Naruto-kun?" He can barely hear her over the mishmash of voices surrounding them, but they don't completely drown her out. His eyes dart over to her, and he's staring into lavender eyes that look at him so tenderly. Her arm is stretched out, and a piece of freshly grilled meat is caught between her chopsticks. "Would you like to try a little? It's very delicious."

She's a saint, he thinks. An absolute angel.

Just as he's about to take her up on her offer, Kiba, with a mouth full of food, cuts in, "Hey, didn't you eat already?" Naruto could kill him right now.

"Oh, Kiba-kun… It's just one piece. It doesn't hurt to try one," Hinata says before placing it down onto the empty plate before him. Naruto watches as she turns to pick up a napkin and begins to dab the corners of Kiba's mouth. "Sheesh, you're such a messy eater. You have sauce all over you," she scolds him lightly.

In this moment, Naruto thinks about how kind and motherly she is. His gaze moves from her to the single piece of meat on his plate, and his eyes soften. Hinata really is an incredible woman inside and outside of his dreams.

This time, he only has to try once to pick up the beef between his chopsticks before eating. The flavor is impeccable, and he chews slowly, savoring every second of it before it's gone. When it's gone, he hungers for more, but his self-control is the ultimate winner.

"Oh, was it good?" Hinata asks. She's finished taking care of Kiba, and her attention is solely on him.

"Yeah," he smiles, "It was delicious."

The conversations and laughter carry on into the night. Glasses that overflowed with beer are now empty, and the plates filled with beef are all cleaned out. The bill rest in the middle of the table, but no one has a chance to look at it properly yet. Instead, they all sit back and let tonight's dinner digest properly.

"Man, I'm stuffed," Chouji pats his stomach. "We should do this again sometime."

"Agreed! It's been much too long. Maybe we can strive for something like this once a month?" Sakura suggests. "Hinata, you'll be coming again to hang out with us too, right?"

Touched by the invite, Hinata smiles. "Yes, I'd love to."

"Wow, really?" Shikamaru asks. "I'm surprised some of us didn't scare you off."

One of Ino's eyebrows raises. "Why did you look my way when you said that?"

"I wasn't looking at you," he tells her. "Just in your general direction."

"Uh-huh…" she retorts.

"Say," Sai begins. "My bill for tonight looks pretty big. Naruto, would you like to treat a friend to dinner for tonight?"

He's got that same shit eating smile on his face that makes Naruto snort. "Yeah right. You just don't want to pay."

Sai's smile turns from jeering to sheepish in just seconds. "Haha, caught me red handed."

"Please, you're asking Naruto to pay for your dinner?" Sasuke smirks. "He can't even foot his own bill for tonight and he didn't even eat."

Although a few chuckles emerge from the table, Hinata can see Naruto's brow furrow in anger as his eyes narrow and he begins to scowl. She wants to reach for his hand from underneath the table and assure him that everything's okay, but he's faster. "Would you fucking knock it off already!? You're not funny!"

The unexpected uproar shocks Sasuke, and his lips curve into his usual frown. "What's your problem? It's a joke, I'm sure you've heard of one."

"Are you actually being serious right now?" Naruto cries incredulously. "I'm so tired of you – you always pull this crap and then play the, 'oh, I was just messing around' card every time!"

"Don't start to twist this shit on me and start causing a scene –!"

"Sasuke-kun, wait a moment," Sakura attempts to get him to calm down, but he isn't having any of it right now. His attention is solely on Naruto at the moment.

"Are you actually offended about some stupid joke about a bill!?"

"I just got out of the hospital and I've been out of a job for weeks, what the fuck do you think!?"

"Wait," Kiba cut's in, "is that why you didn't eat tonight?"

"Kiba!" Shino scolds.

The table has gone eerily quiet, and Kiba's question makes him realize that he's aired his entire dirty laundry to all of his friends. His eyes gloss over his friends and the obvious secondhand embarrassment they're showcasing to Sasuke's mangled look of pity and regret. Then he sees Hinata and the look of shock across her face hurts.

His cheeks immediately turn a shade of red. "I… I gotta go," he manages to stammer before slipping out of the booth. He can hear Ino and Chouji try to call him back to the table but it's too late. He can't go back and look anyone in the eye at this point.

"Maybe… maybe you should say something to him, Sasuke-kun," Sakura says.

"I feel like it'd just make it worse," Shikamaru tells them. "Maybe Naruto just needs some time to cool off – you saw how angry he was."

Hinata doesn't agree with this. She wants to go out there and find him. He couldn't have gotten too far, and it's very likely that he hasn't gotten too far. It's as if Shino can read her mind, because he tells her, "Don't worry. Naruto just needs to be alone for now."

No.

Hinata knows that being alone is the last thing that Naruto needs.