So right now I'm officially in college (that's why it took so long to post this)! So here's a new chapter :P

"Hey! You're early!" Naruto exclaimed, opening the front door wide.

"I'm sorry. Does that trouble you?" Hinata asked, not entering yet, fearing she had come when he was not yet ready.

"Not at all! I'm glad I didn't have to wait long to see you!"

Hinata let a small blush rise to her face as she stepped through the doorway. She, with her many ingredients in hand, had insisted on coming to Naruto's apartment to make him dinner once again. Ever since the night he ate at her house, Hinata had fretted about Naruto's nutrition and lack of home cooked meals in his everyday diet, so she proposed the other night that she come over and make him a meal herself. He had politely declined, mentioning how it really wasn't a big deal and he wouldn't mind having another ramen bowl that evening. But Hinata had persisted on coming, lightly scolding him on his eating habits and defining what a good, nutritious meal actually was. Naruto didn't mind at all, he LOVED Hinata's cooking; he just felt bad she had to go out of her way to do this. He did get a chance to make a compromise; as thanks for the prepared meal, Naruto promised he would treat Hinata to a dinner of her choice anywhere in the village at a later date.

"The only thing you can't have is a meal prepared by me!" He said. "I would never even wish upon you an Uzumaki home-cooked meal!" Besides this promise, there was another benefit for Hinata for doing this as well. It got her out of the Hyuuga house for a bit. Lately she had been attending numerous clan meetings with her father, dressing in stifling formalwear and dealing with the conflicts alongside the elders and other clan members. She was learning and doing well in her lessons and hands on assignments distributed by the higher ups of the Hyuuga. Not that she didn't like the processes or duties in general, they typically weren't so bad since she was acquiring skills to improve herself in the specific areas, she just had very little free time to herself nowadays.

As she was already eighteen, she would soon be ready to take over the clan, relieving her father, Hiashi, and so the pressure had been building. Tired of the stress, Hinata was glad to see Naruto and especially spend another night with him. Spending time with Naruto made her forget all of her trouble and problems at home. For this, she was grateful. And she had a lot of fun with him; she couldn't remember a time before the past month where she had smiled or laughed more. It really was incredible. He really was incredible. He made her feel pretty wonderful.

There was also a downside to seeing Naruto so much; something inside Hinata's heart ached at times when she was with him. She would black out momentarily and then realize later on that there was a scratch on her leg, or a cut on her lip. Coming to the sickening conclusion, she knew what was happening. She just didn't know why it was happening. Her past haunted her, that she could also figure out, but she was terrified to try and explore it. Naruto would imply that they had known each other well before he left when Konoha was destroyed, he had been mentioning that fact less now, though. However, Hinata had no recollection of anything about the boy except for a few brief encounters in their academy days. She didn't even remember them speaking to each other in their mid-teen years.

So, she concluded there was something she was keeping from herself, a subconscious barrier that held any memory of Naruto inside of her head, refusing to come out any time soon. And seeing as it pained her to even think past that conclusion, she decided it really wasn't important. What mattered now was matters of the present, and the very true feelings that were developing inside her heart. Naruto was exceptionally kind, enthusiastic and good natured, carrying a lot of qualities Hinata found she rather admired. He had grown into a handsome young man as well, which was also a plus. And there was something about his smile that often caught her off-guard, in a good way though.

Her cheeks would burn and her heart would skip a beat. And it would happen every time she peeked a glance at him. This flustered her even more; the first time it happened, she almost had to sit down for fear she was coming down with a fever or head cold or something. But the symptoms went away quickly, it was just bothersome that she couldn't explain them.

She had actually run into her old teammate Kiba and his large dog, Akamaru, and in the midst of conversation asked him what he thought of these symptoms. He had hesitated, just watching her with a strange expression and when she matched him with an utterly confused expression on her face, he guffawed loudly.

"It's just something that may be explained in time. Otherwise, just go with it like you used to."

That gave the clue that she had experienced this before, had survived it, but had also forgotten it. It was another piece of evidence mysteriously lost from her memory, also relating to Naruto. She took Kiba's advice and decided to ignore the constant heating up in the face and racing pulse. She tried to make the best of it, persuading herself that these reactions must have been normal in the past, especially since Kiba hadn't seemed at all phased, let alone worried, and therefore were normal in the present time. It was something to think about when she was more ready, she concluded with finality. 'Ready for what, I haven't a clue,' she thought, entering Naruto's small kitchen.

Naruto came in, propping his arms up on the counter. "So what are we having?" He couldn't help but sound excited; he felt like a child, standing barefoot on the cold tiles of the kitchen while he waited for a treat or a story to be told. He wouldn't ask Hinata right out for that though; but he wouldn't hide his curiosity or happiness that she was there.

She gave him a knowing, but very cute smile, where her cheeks rounded and created the small dimples by her temples. "It's going to be a surprise!"

"Aw man!" Naruto feigned disappointment. "It shouldn't take long to prepare, though, right?" He asked, his mood picking up instantly.

Hinata gave a laugh and said, "We'll see, Naruto-san. We'll see..." She spread the ingredients out on the kitchen counter, a whole assortment of goods, and began washing some vegetables.

Watching her clean, cut and peel like it was the most simplest task, Naruto asked, "Do... you need any help?" Hinata looked a bit surprised, but she smiled brightly with a blush flitting quickly across her cheeks.

"S-sure! If you want to help, that'd be great!"

"Alright!" Naruto rolled up the sleeves of his dark sweater. "What do you want me to do?"

'He looks really good...especially with his forearms showing like that...' With another blush and a stutter, which she was getting fondly used to, Hinata motioned to the cabbage she had set aside, "T-take that." She handed him a knife. "And t-this too. And you're going to cut that up until it's ch-chopped into bits."

They prepared various vegetables, like corn, green onions, bean sprouts and even anori (dried seaweed). Hinata mixed a gooey batter with flour and tempura crumbs.

"Could you get the pan?" Hinata asked.

Naruto turned on the stove and placed the frying pan on top. Hinata poured the batter skillfully, without splashing or quivering at all. The goo sizzled in the pan, rounding into a pancake shape. "Naruto-san, could you get the bonito?"

"Oh man!" Naruto exclaimed in realization, retrieving the fish shavings. "You're making okonomiyaki! That's awesome!"

"Y-yes..." She blushed. "I had a hunch that you would like it."

"Are you kidding? I love it almost as much as ramen! You really are something, Hinata-chan!"

"Naruto-san, I think you compliment me too much." Hinata added the sauce, running around the kitchen now that the okonomiyaki had started cooking. She didn't look at him, keeping herself busy as she said it; all of his compliments made her extremely happy but a little uneasy. In all of her life, she was rarely complimented, it was a miracle if her father ever praised her for doing something right. Now with Naruto's frequent exclamations of praise, Hinata became fidgety, fighting the urge to smile stupidly and fiddle with her fingers. Afterwards, she would always think about how strange that urge was.

Naruto could only smile as he started making the noodles to go along with dinner. "I don't think you get complimented enough..." He mumbled under his breath.

"Nani?" Hinata asked.

"I don't think you get complimented enough." He repeated. He looked her in the eye with a sideways glance, his tone sincere and crystal clear. Hinata locked gazes with him, the cerulean in his eyes glinting from that angle. Her gaze then dropped back to her frying pan; she added the red ginger with a coincidentally red blush.

"A-arigato, Naruto-san..."

They were quiet for a while, the food hissing and bubbling as it contentedly cooked. That wasn't what Naruto intended; he wasn't trying to make her uncomfortable. Maybe he was too forward. Yea, that was probably too bold to say at the moment. He didn't even know why he had said it. At the same time, something else was plaguing him, but he didn't know how to confront it, especially to Hinata. And breaking the thick silence with his own inquiry would probably just make it worse.

"Ah, Naruto-san..." Hinata suddenly said. Naruto's attention was caught. "Is that...a small bonsai tree?"

Naruto looked in the direction to which she was referring. Sitting on his windowsill was another plant he had bought. This spot in the kitchen was perfect for the small tree since the sunlight poured in through the window for the majority of the day.

"Uh, yeah," He laughed. "It is."

"It's lovely." Hinata admired the plant, observing in approval the rich brown color of the bark and the round, greener than green leaves protruding from the multitude of thin branches.

"Thanks. I have a couple of plants scattered around the apartment now. But this one is definitely one of my favorites."

"I can see why; this one is so green and healthy! Naruto-san, I didn't know you enjoyed taking care of plants!"

"Eh, it's a fairly recent hobby I've taken up." He gave a chuckle. She giggled softly, prettily as usual, and they were silent again. But this time, the silence was much more comfortable. A good passage of time elapsed while they made dinner, humble and quiet, content with just one another's company. Every now and then one would make an observatory comment, or ask the other a minuscule question, and then they'd succumb to the quietness once again, smiling to themselves as they did so.

"..And Sakura-san?"

"Hn?" Naruto slurped a noodle down. They were eating now at Naruto's small table next to each other. He had cleaned and scrubbed the kitchen area meticulously before Hinata arrived so it looked spotless, a quaint atmosphere to eat in. He also exclaimed loudly that on his plate was the absolute best okonomiyaki ever before and after he had taken his first bite. Halfway through their meal, they had begun talking simply about their day when Hinata brought the subject of Sakura up.

"H-how has Sakura-san been? You mentioned you saw her today."

"Oh. Yeah, that. Sakura-chan...She's been alright. Kinda angry. Sometimes. Irritated easily, and never lets me forget it!" He let out a dry laugh.

"Sounds like she's not doing so well. Do you...plan on leaving soon?"

"...uhm. No, not really. We have nothing to go on yet. I think she's just frustrated about all that Sasuke-teme crap. Plus, he did try to kill her, which I'm sure she's still obviously freaking out about-"

"He tried to kill her?" Hinata cut in, looking absolutely stunned.

"Yea, she went after him, actually to kill 'im herself. But she hesitated and he went to strike. She was lucky I was there to save her!"

"Oh... you saved her?" For some reason, Hinata became disheartened, her mood falling instantly. But why? Sakura-san was a nice friend, even to Hinata; neither had anything against one another, or so she thought. But every time Naruto mentioned Sakura's name, Hinata wanted to cringe. Funny, she couldn't fathom why.

"Uh-huh. That was a little while ago though, I figured she'd get over the whole Sasuke deal by now anyway. I think it's kind of dramatic...but I guess she really loves that teme after all, for whatever reason..."

Hinata tried to catch up, the conversation getting confusing. "So Sakura-san loves Sasuke-kun, but she tried to kill him?"

"Y-yeah, I guess it sounds a bit silly..."

"Why didn't she just tell him how she felt?"

"Huh?"

"Why didn't she just confess to him?"

After she said it, both of them stopped, feeling pangs in their chests. 'Confess.' Hinata thought, suddenly biting on her thumb hard. '...A confession...'

For Naruto, confession reminded him of many things. Of many things, indeed. "Uhm." He started. "I guess I really don't know..."

Hinata noticed his downcast expression, "Naruto-san? W-what's wrong?"

"Oh, uh, nothing. It's just...weird. It was weird then and it's still weird now."

"Why is it weird?"

"It's weird because, right before Sakura went after Sasuke to kill the bastard, she confessed to me."

Hinata was dumbfounded and suddenly extremely angry. "W-what?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head and shrugged as if it were the most nonchalant topic, even though it probably couldn't have meant more to him. "She confessed her love for me."

It was quiet for a moment. Hinata swallowed, her throat sore and eyes beginning to burn. Maybe it was the odor of the mayonnaise or ginger on her plate that irritated them; she rubbed them with a sleeve-clad fist. "Wha-what happened? H-how did she...how did s-she tell y-you?"

Her stutters were more frequent as she tried to use her voice, which now was strained; she felt like her throat was closing.

Naruto looked at her with a concerned look, a serious mask stretched across his physical stature and features. "She just arrived with Kiba and Lee. Kakashi and Yamato were there too. It was snowing." He looked back to his hands and placed his chopsticks down next to his plate, remarkably losing his appetite. "She just came up to me, and told me she was over Sasuke. And that she was in love with me, so I should just stop chasing him. She told me everything she should have said. She even hugged me. But..." He paused.

"It wasn't sincere. She was lying. I could just tell. And...ever since then, she's been bitter towards me. Going after Sasuke is not just because of my promise to her...it's for me as well. But I..."

Hinata waited, unable to continue eating as well. Naruto's voice cracked, "But she didn't do it for me. She would never see me that way. She did it for herself, maybe to relieve herself of the guilt that she was dragging me along on this frikkin' tireless rescue mission; that I was sacrificing so much for this. She felt bad for me...And that's the last thing I want."

His fists clenched. His form slouched, his shoulders quivering. He was tormented by pity. He didn't ask for pity. He asked for acceptance. To be looked at as an equal or even looked up to, one worthy of acknowledgment and care. That was really it.

"You wanted her to see the worth in you."

Naruto looked at her with tears glistening in his eyes. Hinata looked directly at him, seeing only him. "Y-you wanted her to accept you as you were, for her to really see you." She leaned closer and reached a hand out, having it linger above his shoulder. When she finally placed it down, her hand so small compared to the bulk of his muscled shoulder, Naruto leaned into it, releasing his tensions at her simplest touch. Her fingers travelled down towards his neck and past it to the opposite shoulder as he leaned in closer to her. His face fell, pressing his forehead into Hinata's chest. At first she was surprised, then wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his soft blonde head. "Y-you wanted to be acknowledged by her most of all because you felt like you always tried so hard that maybe you earned a little bit of attention." Naruto let out a shaky breath.

"H-how can you tell?" He said.

"...I can see it in your eyes Naruto-san. A sight I used to see in the mirror everyday...in my own eyes."

Naruto felt a painful throb in his chest. He heard Hinata continue, "I-I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that. I can't even recall a time when I felt that. I-"

"I'm sorry."

Hinata shushed him, "No, don't be... it's-"

"No, damnit. I'm sorry. I can't...not now. Soon. Okay? Just wait a little longer...Uh-until I can..."

"Alright, alright. It's alright," She soothed him like he had comforted her in the past. "I can wait. I can wait as long as you need me to, Naruto-san..."

He nodded into her chest and then went silent, thinking it better not to speak for a while. He wasn't so sure she could wait, like she said she could, not all alone at least. He had a hunch about her memory, a feeling he couldn't put into words. But he was going to help Hinata. He just didn't know how yet. Naruto knew now after spending so much time with her, even forgetting about Sakura's temper and Sasuke's rescue just to be with her, her past hurt her more than he had ever imagined. And he had been too stupid to realize it at the time when she was in her deepest despair. What an idiot he was.

" 'N-nata," Naruto raised his head, becoming nose to nose with the young woman. She blushed involuntarily at the proximity. "I-it's not because it was Sakura. My feelings are dispelled. It was a feeling that I could never grasp, that feeling of deserving something, that I really wanted. And I thought Sakura was going to be able to let me get it...It just...didn't work out that way. My feelings for Sakura are completely gone."

Hinata looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Okay." She said slowly. "Good for you, Naruto-san. She didn't deserve you anyway." She smiled, but that was all. He hadn't gotten through to her. Or maybe he had, but she was still missing a key point from her memory. He couldn't tell her, not yet. She would have to wait a little longer, but he promised himself that he'd be around this time to keep her company, while he figured out what to do.