DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters!

A/N: There are made up characters and places in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it! :) P.s there's no infidelity in this story. I'm a new writer here and I'm still trying to figure out the right tagging of characters, etc. Thanks for all the reviews though, I really appreciate it.


Chapter 2

"I'm here because I want to be. This time I'm going to save you Naruto! I was always crying and running away before even trying. I made the wrong turns so many times. But you helped me find my way and take the correct path, Naruto. I always chased after you. I wanted to catch up to you. I wanted to walk beside you all the time. I wanted to be at your side always. Your smile is what saved me. That's why I'm not afraid to die if it means I can protect you. Because . . . I love you, Naruto... I... Love... You..."

Woken from his dream, Naruto turns to look at the clock. 3:37AM. "Great, now I won't be able to go back to sleep," he sighs. He quickly dresses and leaves the apartment. A walk… yes a walk is what I need right now, he thought to himself.

Since THAT day, he's been having dreams, dreams of her. How could I have been so blind? He ponders at the thought. All the 'what if's' ran through his head, making his heart heavier at each thought. "But what does it matter now," he mumbled.

Looking up at the moonlight, he closes his eyes and envisions her before him: navy blue hair that falls swiftly on her shoulder, bright ivory eyes, flushed cheeks, and her smile… he takes in a deep breath… that smile. I wonder how she's doing now…


(6 months after the Fourth Great War)

"Naruto! You're summoned to the Hokage's tower at once!" Sakura bangs on Naruto's apartment door.

"I'll be right over, Sakura-chan" Naruto hollers back as he quickly dresses. It's a nice early morning and Naruto had just gotten out of the shower. He figured he would do some training but now that he was summoned to the Hokage's tower, he wonders what Kakashi-sensei has to say. "Definitely not a mission; he just got back yesterday," he thought to himself."Kakashi-sensei, did you call for me?" Naruto asked loudly as he enters the Hokage's office to see Hinata and Ryo, a genin, also inside. "Ohiyo, Ryo. Hinata-chan," he chirped cheerfully.

"Naruto-kun… Hi," Hinata whispers, cheeks brightened.

"You three are assigned to a C-rank mission to retrieve a stolen artifact from the Daimyo in the Village Hidden in the Grass. The thieves are currently heading to the Mountain's Graveyard. It's an important treasure to the Daimyo; I need you all to retrieve it and return it safely," Kakashi explained.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's just a C-rank mission, do you really need two jounin for this mission," Naruto asks. I just got back from a mission yesterday; I haven't even gotten myself some Ichiruka's ramen yet!

"Hinata will be captain for this unit; her Byakugan will be useful. And you, Naruto, you were requested by the Daimyo specifically. When you're a hero, you become a celebrity. They all believe that only you can do the job," Kakashi smirked. "You guys are to leave at once." The unit nodded in understanding and left the Hokage's office in agreement to meet in an hour at the west gate.

After a day of traveling, Hinata stops the group for camp before they continue with their mission. It's going to take them another half a day before they reach the Hidden Village in Grass; she wanted to make sure the unit is well rested before catching up with the thieves. With her Byakugan, Hinata found a good ground location where they could rest for the night.

"Ryo-kun, start the fire for camp and I will go onto the river to fetch some fresh water," Hinata orders. "Naruto-kun, please set up our tents."

"Hai, Hinata-taicho," Ryo said.

"I'm going to make myself some ramen," Naruto blurted excitedly.

Later that evening, the unit sat down and Hinata laid out her plans for what is going to happen the next morning. The moon is bright enough to produce light for them to see each other. As she spoke, Naruto notices things he's never before. Her long blue, silky hair falls perfectly on her shoulders and her bangs frames her face nicely. Her eyes are as white as a pearl and her cheeks are rosy. Her nose is small and cute. Her lips are… Wait, why am I looking at Hinata's lips… Naruto straightens up as he tries to concentrate on Hinata's talking. Naruto has never actually been on a mission with Hinata as captain so he is quite shock that she is handling the situation so well. He'd always thought that she was a shy, awkward girl but something about her was different tonight. She is filled with confidence and that attitude is drawing him in, seeing Hinata in a different perspective. He couldn't help but stare at her while she talks... her mouth.. Why am I looking at her lips again?! His hearts beats faster each time he catches himself staring at her for too long. What is wrong with you Naruto? This is not like you; you need to focus! Naruto screams inside his head.

As Hinata talks, she noticed that she got Naruto's full attention. His eyes glued on to her face and she couldn't help but blush. His focus on her is making it hard for her to act straight. The more he stares at her, the more she can feel her face reddens. Oh, I got to finish this quick… why is he looking at me like this tonight... She figured he's probably judging her from the way she is handling the unit. I really need to end this so we can all get some rest, she assures herself.

The unit pursued the thieves and retrieved the treasure back in no time. They returned the treasure back to the Daimyo in the estimated time and soon they were heading back to the Leaf Village. Hinata was glad that this wasn't a tough mission since this was the first time she'd been captain for a mission with Naruto. She didn't want him to think that she was not strong like the other jounin konoichi and that she isn't fit to be a captain. Once returned, they reported back to the sixth Hokage and soon they were on their separate ways once again, going on separate missions.

Ever since their mission together, Naruto found himself wanting to hang out with Hinata more often. He saw something in her that he's never felt before and he wanted to find out more about her. He would casually walk over to their training area and ask Team 7 to have lunch together. Or sometimes, he'll just "accidently" walk in during her training session. He thought it was interesting that her cheeks are always so red.

~Months later~

"Hinata-chan will you go on a date with me!"

Slowly, Hinata turns to face the familiar voice. Face as red as tomato, Hinata froze; she wanted to run away and hide under a rock but she couldn't move a single limb. WHHHHAAAAT?! No I must be hearing things…What should I say? Oh, what should I do? Nothing came out. She can't move and she can't talk. What is going on?! Hinata's mind blurred.

(An hour ago)

After contemplating for weeks, Naruto finally gathered up the courage to do it; he is going to man up and asks Hinata to go out on a date with him. TODAY IS THE DAY! He cheered to himself.

"Alright Naruto, this is the plan. You are going to casually "bump" into her as she finishes her trainings. Then you're going to invite her to dinner, just casually. Then at dinner, start off with small talks, and then slowly get into deeper conversations. Ask about what she does during her off days, what she likes to do for fun, and what her favorite color is. Then casually tell her that you think she's really cool to hang out with. Then CASUALLY ask if she's seeing anyone. Then CASUALLY… wait, no, no this is a dumb plan," Naruto exclaimed Just do everything casually huh... After months of rehearsing, he still doesn't know how to approach her and what he is going to say. She's probably going to think that he's dumb and impulsive, he thought to himself. Naruto looks at the time and it's about time Hinata finishes her training. "Dammit, there's no time. Alright, I'm just going to wing it!" And off he goes to casually meet Hinata.

"Will you go out on a date with me!" Naruto blurted again. She's not responding! I knew it, she's going to say no. Ahh, this is such a dumb move Naruto!

After what felt like a lifetime, Hinata slowly nodded and a small "yes" came out. Abruptly, Naruto's smile went from ear to ear. "Let's have Ichiruka's Ramen," Naruto cheerfully said, "it's my ultimate favorite restaurant." A small smile crept up and she nodded at the overexcited blonde boy.

Off the two walked to Ichiruka, awkwardly, side by side. Both of their hearts ready to jump out of their chests.

After dinner, Naruto offered to walk Hinata home. On their walk, they had short conversations here and there, talking about their missions, and laughing about Kiba and Shino. Naruto felt a different feeling that he has never experienced before, but this feeling felt great and he liked it. As they approached the Hyuuga's estate, Naruto slows his pace and eventually comes to a stop.

"Hinata-chan, I was wondering if you'd like to hang out with me again. Maybe this weekend after I come back from my mission." Naruto asks, trying hard not to shake his tone.

"Sure, I'd like that," Hinata replied, sounding more confident than ever.

Head shot up to look at Hinata, Naruto's eyes widen and grinned brightly. "Okay! Thank you for going out with me tonight! I will see you this weekend then!"

Hinata nods and starts to walk towards the gate. She looks back as Naruto wave excitedly at her. He shouts, "see you this weekend!" just right before she closes the gate. Smiling to herself, Hinata's heart leaps over and over again, hoping for the weekend to come faster.

Months flew by and as the weather warms up, the village became busier. Naruto has been assigned on missions back to back and has no time for himself. He's been meaning to ask Hinata to lunch some time but when he's back at the village, she'll be out on missions. Also, there hasn't been much happening after their last "date". He doesn't even know if it's considered a date. He did the talking most of the time and she only listened. Maybe she probably doesn't even like me and isn't comfortable with me, he thought to himself. He couldn't stop thinking about her though. Her smile is what gets to him all the time; he just can't get her off his mind! And he wants to confess his feelings to her, but… there's that 'what if' that he is afraid to face.

TIME JUMP (4 years after the War)

Hinata is returning today from her training with the Village of the Sand. Naruto dressed quickly and hurried to the main gate of the Leaf village. Not only is Hinata returning, but also his great friend Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are visiting Konoha too. There's not a better day than today, since today is the day that Naruto will finally confess his love to Hinata. He waited a year for her return to finally tell her what he should have done a long time ago.

After all the formalities with the two Kages and the elders, all the old friends gathered to celebrate their reunion. Everyone was there and the vibe was great. Naruto only had a few drinks and has been eyeing Hinata the whole night, waiting for the perfect timing. She looks amazing and so beautiful. Those three months of training was perfect for her. Her radiant confidence was sensed throughout the room. She definitely is the most beautiful woman in the room. When, just when is the right time to go, Naruto?! You have to be smooth, and you can't catch her off guard. I mean, you guys haven't spoken in months, but you need to relay that the feelings had been the same this whole time, buddy.

"Naruto, my friend, how are you doing?" Gaara interrupts his thoughts. "I've been so occupied all day, we didn't even get to have a conversation."

"Gaara," Naruto acknowledges and smiles at his long-time friend. The two caught each other up and spoke of their genin days, reminiscing about all of their trouble-making days. Now they are both heroes to the ninja world and they feel so grown up. Talking to Gaara was great; Naruto finally had a quick break from stressing about when to confess to Hinata.

"Naruto, because you are my great friend, my first true friend that taught me how to care and love others, I will share my great news with you first."

Naruto nodded and beamed brightly at his old pal.

"Actually I came to Konoha this time is for a reason," Gaara said. "I came to ask for Hinata's hand in marriage. She had always intrigued me since we were young, but the year she spent in my home made me truly understand my feelings. I love her and I want to protect her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Obviously, I am going to confess and propose to her first before brining it up to the elders. I want to do it properly, Naruto. I want to make her happy. I'm going to do it tonight."

Naruto, shocked of the news, couldn't say anything but nod at this heart-wrenching confession. THIS is Gaara speaking. THIS is Gaara in love. He loves her, Naruto can tell, and he's happy. Naruto has never seen Gaara this happy and excited that Naruto almost wanted to be happy with him.

"Does she love you," Naruto manages to ask, but not really wanting an answer.

"She's never said the word, but I've been receiving positive feelings. I guess we'll find out tonight right," Gaara said hopingly.

"Good luck buddy," Naruto said honestly. "I think I've had too much to drink tonight; I'm calling it a night. I'll see you tomorrow Lord Kazekage."

Naruto strolls under the moonlight, hearing Gaara saying "I love her" over and over again.

FOLLOWING NIGHT

Exhausted from thinking all day, Naruto laid on his bed still thinking, thinking hard about what to do or what to say, considering if he should do or say anything at all. Maybe he should talk to Gaara and confess his feelings, or maybe he should confess to Hinata too and let her choose… What should he do?

Gaara is his friend. No, Gaara is his brother. They've grown so much together, fought against each other, fought together, and won the war together. For goodness sake, he even went through so much trouble saving Gaara's life. The two have a special bond that Naruto doesn't with anyone else in the Leaf village; they UNDERSTAND one another. Gaara IS his friend. Let's think about this rationally, Naruto. First, this marriage will benefit the Leaf village by solidifying the two nation's relationship. Second, this marriage will bring strength to the Leaf village with the Sand's support. Third, this marriage will protect bordering countries. Fourth… Gaara will be happy. That's it! That's all Naruto want for his friends: happiness and peace. Naruto knows Hinata is good for Gaara; he knows Hinata can and will make him an even better person, an even more respected Kage. Hinata can make anyone a better person. Hinata will bring light to Gaara's life. Hinata can… Hinata…

*Knock knock* Who could it be? Naruto isn't expecting anybody tonight. He lazily walked to the door and surprisingly found himself an unexpected guest.

"Ohiyo Hinata-chan," Naruto greeted her shyly. "What are you doing here?"

"Naruto-kun, can I come in?"

"Yes. Yes, of course. Come in, and please don't mind the mess." Naruto's mind isn't straight; he's been thinking way too much to even believe Hinata is in his home right now.

"After all these years, it's my first time in your room, Naruto-kun."

"Hai. Sorry I never invited you over. It was just a small space and you're probably not used to it since the Hyuuga estate it so huge…" Naruto responded awkwardly, not sure where the conversation is heading.

After chatting for a bit, talking about nothing in particular, Naruto found out that Hinata had built a great relationship with the Kazekage during her time at the Sand village. He saw her eyes lit up as she talk about their training sessions and the things they did together. As a matter of fact, this is the first time she's ever talked so much, but only this time, it's about his friend.

"It's getting late, I should probably go." Hinata said as she gathered herself up.

"Yea, sure, I'll walk you out," Naruto quickly stands up and follow her to the door.

Turned around to face Naruto head on, Hinata said so quietly is almost sound as she was whispering. "Tell me to stay."

Huh?! Naruto caught off guard didn't know how to respond.

It felt as though hours had passed within those few minutes that they stood staring at one another. Finally with a deep breath, Hinata turned to the door. With her hand holding onto the door knob and her head looking down onto the ground, she led out another deep sigh. "Good bye Naruto-kun." And just at that, she left. She's gone.

"I hope you're happy, Hinata. No, please be happy." Naruto whispered, heart sinking into the ground, finally understanding what had just all happened.


PRESENT TIME

Naruto walks through the quiet neighborhood towards the Hokage Rock. The cool air feels refreshing on his face and the dark night calms him down. Since Hinata left Konoha, Naruto had been keeping himself busy. He would go on long missions and leave the village as soon as he comes back. He didn't like staying home much, it reminded him of her too much. He had his chance and he blew it. He was a coward; he was too afraid, and he gave up before even trying.

As long as they're happy... Finally giving in at beating himself up all night, he walk towards the Hokage's tower, ready for another mission to be assign to him.


A/N: Hey guys! Apologies for taking so long to get this chapter out. A lot has happened and I just didn't have time anymore. I also was thinking about not writing anymore but, somehow I'm back here, lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know the time jump can get confusing here so hopefully you all followed along okay. Naruto is one of the main character in this story so I want to layout his position in this story. I'm hoping to start Chapter 3 soon but there are no promises here. Thanks for the support! :)