Naruto lay silently with arms wrapped around a frail body, tight and protective. He felt her squirm in his grasp and his breath caught as she unconsciously scooted closer to his body, delicate hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. He wasn't sure how it was possible for her to sleep through the loud thumping in his chest, but he could hear her deep inhalations and feel her warm breath against his chest and couldn't help but smile fondly.

"I would choose him every time." Her words had reverberated through his mind endlessly since she'd cried herself to sleep in his grasp, and he rested his chin gently on the top of her head with a sigh and frown on his face.

What the hell was I thinking hugging her like that, right after she told me she did all this for another guy? Kami, I'm such an idiot. Sasuke was right, I think– I think…I'm in love with Hinata.

"Naruto…" she mumbled in her sleep, sighing dreamily against his chest and he felt his heart constrict in his chest.

I'm in love with Hinata, he thought sadly as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He ran a finger lightly down the length of her cheek, enjoying the feel of her smooth, milky skin under his touch before sighing. But she doesn't love me.

What was so special about this guy that Hinata loves him so much? Naruto didn't think he was too bad looking, and he was arguably the strongest ninja in the world. And he didn't really like to pull this card (he pulled it all the time), but he did restore peace to the world and that seemed like a big enough deal to him for him to catch her eye, right?

"It's obvious to everyone that Hinata is already in love with-"

Naruto clenched his fist in anger. Was it really obvious who Hinata is in love with, because he sure as hell couldn't think of anybody. Or maybe he just didn't think anyone else was worthy enough to deserve her love. Or maybe he didn't want her to be in love with anyone that wasn't him. He tightened his hold on her, trying not to notice the curves hidden beneath the fabric of her clothes as he ran his hand up and down the length of her back lightly, smirking when she shivered under his touch.

If this is the only time I'll get to enjoy having her in my arms, then…I might as well…enjoy...it. And with the scent of lavender in his nose he drifted off to sleep with her warm body pressed tightly against his.

"N-Naruto…Naruto, wake up."

"Mmrph, Hina," he mumbled groggily, rolling over on the couch and squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

"Naruto," she giggled softly at his behavior as she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. She inhaled sharply when he found her hand and captured it within his own larger one, opening his eyes drowsily.

Her heart quickened in her chest and she felt her cheeks heat up as his gaze met hers and she couldn't help but think how adorable he looked when sleepy, with his bright eyes trying to focus on the world around him and his hair a tangled, jumbled mess. She bit her lip nervously, trying to ignore her desire to run her fingers through his hair and crawl back between his arms. Another blush streaked across her cheeks at the memory of waking up wrapped between his arms, her hands clutching his shirt while his own wrapped around her back and held her head so close to him.

He was only comforting me, she told herself. He knew I was upset, and was just being a good friend. It didn't mean anything… She sighed.

"N-Naruto, I made food. I-if you're hungry, that is, I-I mean you don't have to eat any," she sputtered out nervously as he rubbed his eyes with one hand, sitting up slowly.

"What time is it? I guess I fell asleep," he blinked a few times to wake himself up before turning his gaze to her.

"It's, um, about 6 o'clock," she replied. "A-Are you hungry? I made some ramen."

"Ramen?" he repeated, instantly perking up. "I'm always hungry for ramen."

"Okay," she smiled, moving to stand before suddenly stopping. "Um, N-Naruto?"

"Mhm?" he replied, looking at her curiously and she blushed lightly.

"Y-You're, um– you're holding m-my hand," she said quietly and his eyes widened before quickly shifting his gaze down to their hands and finding hers, indeed, locked within his own.

"Ah, s-sorry!" He replied, quickly releasing hers and attempting to hold back a blush and grinning nervously.

She smiled and stood, turning to walk into the kitchen while he sat up straighter and stretched his arms above his head. She must have woken up awhile ago, he thought as he noticed her change of clothes from her kimono into a loose black cotton shirt and tighter, mid-thigh length spandex shorts. Her hair was put up into the casual but cute bun he liked on the top of her head, and couldn't help the heat that rose to his cheeks as he pretended not to notice the way her shorts hugged her curves in all the right places. However as he realized the position she must have woken up in, wrapped tightly in his arms and pulled close to his chest his face flushed brightly. He coughed before standing and following her into the kitchen.

She stood at the stove silently, pouring noodles into two bowls (he smiled as he noticed one was extremely large to fit his appetite) with a thoughtful expression on her face. He leaned against the door, frowning as her expression between confusion and sadness.

"Hinata, I'm uh, sorry for– you know– falling asleep with you like that. T-That was probably weird, I'm not a pervert or anything," he finished lamely, wanting to make that point clear since everyone seemed to think he was some kind of sexual deviant.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, a bright blush appearing on her cheeks and she almost dropped the ladle she held in embarrassment. "Y-You don't have t-to apologize, Naruto. I, um, I really didn't m-mind."

"You didn't?" he repeated with surprise and she shook her head softly, preoccupying herself with the ramen to hide her red cheeks while he smiled brightly.

"W-Would you like to eat outside?" she looked at him and smiled weakly. "I think…I think I owe you an explanation, f-for the meeting and with Kiba..."

"Yeah," he replied hesitantly, carefully taking the bowl she held out to him and following her out of the kitchen.

Hinata… he looked at her sadly as she led him further into the apartment with a small smile on her face, though her eyes were empty and sad.

"I'm okay, Naruto," she said as though reading his mind, looking sideways at him with a reassuring smile that he couldn't return. She bit her lip before sighing. "Well…I will be. I promise."

She slid open a door to reveal a large yard in the back of the apartment, surrounded by high walls and trees with a wooden patio. He noted a plethora of flowers covering one third of the area draped in the evening sun, while wooden posts and various weapons were scattered about the rest of the area.

"I usually, um, train back here on my own. To improve on my clans techniques," she told him softly as she took as seat at the edge of the patio, beckoning for him to sit next to her which he obligingly did.

"You garden?" he motioned towards the flowers and she blushed lightly.

"Y-Yes. My mother…when she was alive she taught me."

"I with I hath thime fur a 'obby like that," Naruto mumbled though a full mouth and Hinata giggled.

"Hanabi is kind enough to care for them while I'm away on missions…she'll make a great Head."

Naruto swallowed and saw her gazing at the flowers with a faraway look in her eyes, lost deep in thought. Her hands were clenched tightly on her thighs, shaking lightly and her eyes began to glimmer with the threat of tears before she blinked them away and looked down at her bowl silently.

"Hinata…what happened? Why did you give up becoming Head?" Naruto looked at her with confusion and she sighed.

"The Elders…they never wanted me to be Head. Hanabi was always their favorite, she's always been tough and strong; she has everything that is needed to run the clan. I-I just thought that with the improvement I've made that…that they might feel differently now."

"What did they tell you?" he beckoned her to continue and she looked at him hesitantly, but unable to hold his gaze looked towards her garden again.

"Th-they said that they had to take into consideration that I'm the eldest, f-for tradition's sake, and that it might be allowable for me to rule the clan if I c-chose a suitor."

"A suitor?!" he repeated in disbelief. "They want you to get married?!" Naruto set down his bowl, and moved his head in her line of path to force her to look at him. She nodded hesitantly and he felt his fist clench at his side and his pulse quicken as anger coursed through his veins.

"I told them…I told them that I refused to be forced into a marriage imposed upon me, and that I could lead the clan on my own. B-But they said that I'm too soft, too kind…that the Hyuuga need a leader who will be firm and represent the clan with a strong will, and that unless I had an approved suitor to marry that they would not allow me to be Head. I told them there was only one man I loved and that I refused to marry another."

"But you could have married this guy and been happy and become the Head!" he exclaimed, chest aching with each word and she looked away from him and laughed lightly at his response.

"N-not only did they not approve of him, he barely notices I exist to begin with," she folded her hands together over her lap.

He barely even notices she exists in the first place, Sakura's words echoed in his head and he pushed them to the side. Stop trying to convince yourself that you might be that guy, idiot.

"Why didn't they approve?" he asked hesitantly, conflicted on whether he should be happy that Hinata was not allowed to marry this guy or feel guilty that he was happy when it caused her sadness.

"They said I couldn't wed outside of the noble clans. His, u-um, his…past had caused then to dislike him a long time ago. They refused to look past these events and deemed him unsuitable, so I revoked my standing as heiress and turned down the position."

"Well if he's a bad guy I don't think he's good enough for you either," he mumbled grumpily and she surprisingly giggled which caused him to look at her in confusion.

"He's not a bad guy. In fact, he's done much for the village and is probably one of the greatest shinobi of all time," she looked up at the sky, a small smile on her face and he scowled jealously.

"You're not in love with Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei, are you?" he asked her accusingly and she flushed a bright red.

"N-Naruto! N-no, I'm not in l-love with Sasuke or K-Kakashi-sensei!" she sputtered out hastily, shaking her head in embarrassment as she raised her hands to cover her cheeks. "They're both already involved with someone!"

"Just making sure, I can't really think of anyone else in the village that could be one of the greatest shinobi ever, other than me," he crossed his arms with a pout and watched as another wave of red invaded her cheeks and she turned away from him quickly.

Tell him you love him! Tell him that he is the person you're talking about! You've said it once already, what's so hard about saying it again? She goaded herself, though she did admit that it was a lot easier to confess her love to the boy of her dreams when she was sure that she was about to die rather than now when she'd be forced to face his rejection.

"Tell me about him."

"H-Huh?" she stuttered out, looking at him with wide eyes as he stared at her seriously, his mouth a hard line and she felt heat once more rising to her cheeks that she questioned why it didn't just stay there permanently.

"Tell me about this guy that you love," he repeated, looked at her with a brow furrowed in concentration.

"U-Um, I don't r-really know where to start…" she had to tuck her hands under her thighs to resist the urge to poke her forefingers together, an old habit that she was sure she'd gotten rid of that (of course) Naruto would bring up in her again.

"Does he live here?"

"Y-Yes, he lives here in the village."

"Hm," he said shortly, bringing his legs up to cross them Indian-style and resting his head in his palms, looking at her so intently that she was sure she would faint. "Do I know him?"

"Y-Yes, you know him v-very well."

"Very well, huh? And he's our age?"

"Y-Yes, he's the same age as us…"

"…Do you love Kiba, Hina?"

"K-Kiba?" she repeated in complete shock, and blinked in confusion while thinking she saw a tint of sadness in his eyes. "N-No! I would never feel about h-him that way. Kiba is like m-my brother."

She swore she saw him sag in relief, and his eyes brightened significantly for a moment before all the color drained from her face.

"It's not Shikamaru, right?"

"N-Naruto!" she blushed again but could not hold in her laugh as he stared at her in horror.

"Why are you laughing?! Kami, it's not really him is it!? You can do way better than that lazy ass!" he looked at her anxiously and she shook her head while raising a hand to her mouth to try to stifle her giggles.

"Shikamaru is d-dating Temari, Naruto!" she placed a hand on her stomach as shook lightly with fits of laughter and he sighed audibly in relief before joining her in laughter, grinning widely as he enjoyed the melodious sound of her voice.

"H-He's very funny," she smiled dreamily, looking down at her lap with a small blush on her face. "He's also very kind and compassionate, and is always striving to improve. H-He never let's anyone bring him down and is very protective of those he cares about…He's extremely charismatic and has a lot of determination. A-And most of all…he never goes back on his word."

Naruto looked away from her, unable to continue looking at how happily she talked of this guy. I'm all of those things, he told himself bitterly. So why can't Hinata love me?

"You seem…like you really love this guy," he said quietly, breaking her from her reverie and causing her to look at him suddenly in surprise. Her cheeks flushed and she looked at him sadly.

"I've…I've loved him since I was a little girl."

"Hm. Well whoever this guy is," he paused to look at her fully, grazing his hand over hers lightly. "He's really lucky."

She flushed brightly, suddenly noticing how close he was and feeling the warmth of his hand over her own and a million other details that sped up her heart and stopped it simultaneously. She opened her mouth to stammer out a response while the sound of her heart deafened her, and she could have sworn he was leaning towards her and his lips seemed really close now, and was time slowing down? "N-Naruto…"

"Nee-san, can I talk to yo– oh!"

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata exclaimed pulling away suddenly, her hand jerking forward and successfully knocking her bowl of ramen right onto Naruto's lap. "A-Ah, N-N-Naruto!"

"If you two are busy I can always come back later–"

"NO!" Hinata and Naruto shouted simultaneously, causing the young Hyuuga to smirk amusedly as she watched the two scramble to compose themselves and clean off Naruto's drenched, ramen smelling clothes.

"I-I'm so s-sorry Naruto, did I b-burn you?" Hinata stuttered, taking a deep breath to calm here rampant thoughts as she looked at Naruto sympathetically, relieved when he grinned in response.

"It's okay, Hinata. Really, I can just wash them," he said as he removed his jacket to reveal a simple black t-shirt with an orange spiral underneath. "What are you doing here anyway, Hanabi-brat?"

"I told you not to call me that," Hanabi blushed, stepping out onto the patio as Naruto stripped off his pants with no shame, sighing in relief when she saw the black shorts he wore underneath. Hinata looked like she might burst if she turned any redder, staring pointedly at the ground. "I came to talk to nee-san."

"M-Me? Why, is something wrong Hanabi, are you okay?" Naruto watched as Hinata approached her sister with concern, running her hand through Hanabi's hair and anxiously looking her over for any injuries. Naruto smiled at the sight.

"I'm fine, stop worrying so much," Hanabi pouted in annoyance as Hinata fawned over her younger sister, lightly slapping away her hands and walking over to take the seat next to Naruto, and much to his surprise smiled at him shyly. "How's it going, dobe."

"Baka Hanabi, you've been hanging around Sasuke-teme too much!" Naruto yelled, putting her in a playful headlock and shuffling her hair while she giggled, as Hinata took the seat next to her.

"I didn't know you two knew each other that well," Hinata smiled, tilting her head curiously at her sisters playful and downright odd behavior.

"We saw each other a lot while you were gone since he kept coming over asking about y-ow!"

"Heh heh, I had to deliver messages from the Hokage and so we saw each other a lot!" Naruto silenced her with a swift punch to the head and Hanabi smirked mischievously.

"What did you want to talk about, Imouto*?" Hinata asked with a confused expression that Naruto found extremely cute.

"I wanted to talk about the meeting," she responded, giving Naruto a look clearly saying go away and stop flirting with my sister while Hinata looked at her in surprise.

"I'll just, uh, take these to the kitchen," he said awkwardly, shooting Hinata a quick smile (which she blushed at) before picking up the bowls and walking across the patio.

Of course he did not take the bowls directly to the kitchen and instead, in true Naruto fashion, hurriedly closed the door behind him before pressing his ear against it to listen in on their conversation.

"Is it just me, or does Naruto seem a lot cuter all of a sudden?" he heard Hanabi ask casually and nearly dropped the bowls onto the floor.

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata gasped in surprise, clearly having forgotten that her sister was indeed affected by the potion. "Y-You wanted t-to talk about the m-meeting, not N-Naruto's looks."

"But still, he's pretty hot." Naruto shifted uncomfortably at the thought of Hinata's 12 year old sister thinking he was attractive. "You would have made a great head, you know." He heard Hinata sigh.

"It's already decided, Hanabi. Nothing you say will change that."

"For him though? I mean, I know you've been in love with him forever," Naruto frowned. "But he doesn't even know your feelings!"

"Because it's not right for them to continue persecuting him for something that was out of his control!" He was surprised at her loud tone. "It doesn't matter if he doesn't know of my feelings, I will always support him if someone speaks badly against him. After everything he's done for the village–"

"Yeah, yeah…Father is proud of you."

"W-What…? Why?"

"He says that he is proud of his eldest for standing for what she believes in."

It was quiet for a minute and he was sure Hinata was smiling.

"I still think it's dumb."

"Hanabi!"

"But it's not fair!" he heard Hanabi exclaim. "It was always going to be you! Neji–"

"Neji would have been proud that I made my own decision instead of letting the Elders run my life…and he would have thought you'd make a great Head, just like I do." It was silent for a moment.

"I promise I won't let you get sealed," he heard Hanabi say shakily between sniffles and he knew she was crying. "I'll get rid of it, I swear."

Naruto froze. They…there's no way they'd put the curse seal on her. They can't! Deciding he didn't want to hear anymore he picked up the bowls once more he carried them into the kitchen with a furrowed brow, dropping them in the sink more roughly than he meant. His hands gripped the edge of the sink tightly, knuckles turning white. I won't let them touch her. He stood lost in thought for a few minutes until he heard a door open and footsteps coming down the hall.

"Bye, idiot." He turned just in time to see Hanabi hug him, and he started in surprise. He patted her back, unsure of what else to do before she pulled away with a small blush. He noticed the redness in her eyes and wet spots on her cheeks where he was sure she'd roughly wiped tears away and smiled sadly.

"Bye brat," he waved as Hinata led her to the door and, after a final hug, closed the door behind her. She lingered with her hand on the door while he leaned against the kitchen entryway.

"How'd it go?" he asked her and she turned to him with a small smile.

"Good," she said with a happy nod, heart fluttering nervously as they both noticed they were alone once again and the reality that yes, he was indeed about to kiss her before they were (rudely) interrupted, hit him like a ton of bricks.

Kami, what is wrong with me today?! His arm itched as he resisted the urge to slap it across his forehead.

"Hinata–" "Naruto–"

They both laughed awkwardly as they spoke at the same time, Naruto scratching the back of his head and Hinata rubbing her arm with a small blush on her face, both all too aware of the tension in the room

"I know you were listening," she looked at him shyly and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "H-How much did you hear?"

"Whaaat, I–I wasn't…listening," he laughed nervously, coughing when she gave him a sly, accusing look.

"You can't r-really spy on a Hyuuga," she said, her lips curving ever so slightly at the corners and he grinned sheepishly, very much liking her tease-like behavior. "You're chakra is v-very eye-catching."

"What does it look like?" he crossed his arms curiously and she flushed lightly.

"Kind of like, um…a firework. A f-firework bursting against the night sky..." He liked that a lot, he decided with a grin. "How much did you hear?"

"I didn't really hear much," he winked mischievously and she shook her head with a small smile on her face, peeking at him from the corner of her eye as she walked into the kitchen as his eyes following her wherever she went. He leaned his head back against the wall as she ran the water in the sink, rinsing off the dishes he'd tossed in.

"She's exactly what the clan needs. She will be a good Head," Hinata said proudly as she scrubbed at one of the bowls.

"You would have been, too." He saw her hesitate, hands tightening around the bowl slightly, and approached her slowly.

"…I-It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway," she said softly, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. "I wouldn't h-have been able to do the things I love."

"Hinata…" he said softly as she methodically scrubbed at a dish.

"I couldn't g-go on missions with m-my team," she continued with a sniffle. "I'd be w-way too busy running the c-clan. I wouldn't have much t-time for training, so I c-couldn't advance as a kunoichi."

"You wouldn't like being stuck with those baka Elders anyway, they're too old and crabby," he told her and she laughed lightly, a couple tears streaming down her cheeks and she bit her lip to stop it from quivering.

"I think I would like teaching at the Academy. Or maybe working at the hospital," she almost whispered.

"I think that would be perfect for you…being around people who can appreciate how amazing you are," he told her and she let out a soft sob. He reached for her face, resting his hands softly against her cheeks and turning her to face him. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs while she stared up at him sadly.

"D-Do you t-think they'll really s-seal me?" she sobbed and he furrowed his brow and shook his head resolutely.

"I won't let them."

Then tenderly, sweetly, he leaned down and kissed her.

He pressed his lips against hers as though they were glass, cupping her face ever so softly as he felt her freeze beneath his grasp in shock. He thought he could feel the heat on her cheeks beneath his palms and almost pulled away until he felt her clutch the front of his shirt tightly. She pulled him towards her softly, desperately longing for the warm and comfort his touch brought her and he gladly obliged by tangling one hand in her hair and slinking an arm around her waist, pressing his body tightly against hers.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, whether they were from happiness or sadness she didn't know, but her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as he kissed her deeply. She lifted her arms and locked them behind his head, tangling her fingers in his hair and found that she didn't care whether her face was red or that she wasn't heiress anymore or even that she might get sealed. All that mattered was here, right now, wrapped in Naruto's arms. All that mattered was passionate kisses and silent promises and tangled bodies and finally a chance at happiness. Everything else in the world was insignificant in that moment, and she fell into a love with Naruto Uzumaki deeper than she ever knew could exist. And just maybe, with him by her side, everything would be okay.

At least, she thought it could be until he suddenly pushed her away from him.

"I-I shouldn't …I mean, I didn't–" he shook his head, taking a step away from her with a conflicted look on his face. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I shouldn't have–"

"N-No, N-Naruto, it's o-okay," she sputtered out, cheeks brightly flushed, watching as emotions flickered across his eyes quickly. She reached her hand out for him, and pulled it back in surprise when he stepped out of her reach quickly.

"Kami, I'm an idiot," he groaned, slapping his hands to his forehead. "I shouldn't have done that, you love someone else and you're probably not even thinking straight 'cus you're upset, and I shouldn't even feel this way about you in the first place."

He clutched his hair, trying to calm the turmoil of emotions raging through his mind as she looked at him in shock, taking a hesitant step towards him.

He shouldn't feel 'this' way? Maybe…could he…feel the same as I do?

"N-No, Naruto, you d-don't understand! I-I told you before, b-but you don't r-remember that t-the one I love is y–"

"Don't," he interrupted her suddenly, shaking his head and holding his hands up to stop as he continued backing away from her. He didn't want to know, he couldn't know, he decided as he felt the sudden desire to escape. "I need to go."

"G-Go?" she repeated with surprise. "N-No, you can't go out there! The longer t-the potion is in effect the harder they're going to find you, it's not safe," she tried to reason with him desperately, wondering how something so perfect could go so suddenly wrong while he shook his head and turned away from her, trying to drown out her pleas. "I just, I don't u-understand–"

"I'm sorry, Hina."

"Naruto n-no, p-please just let me talk to you–" she pleaded with him, reaching to embrace him only to be met with empty air, immediately feeling the coldness of a now empty home.

"Kami, you're an idiot Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto exclaimed to himself as he walked down the street angrily, kicking at random stones. "You just had to go and kiss her, even though she straight up told you she loves someone else."

He slumped against a tree in defeat, closing his eyes tightly as wave after wave of confliction hit his mind. All he could think about was kissing her; how soft her lips were, the way her hands felt against his skin as they tangled in his hair, how tight her body was pressed against his,

How utterly perfect it felt.

He stamped out the thought guiltily. He knew Hinata was conflicted and upset and he kissed her anyway, completely taking advantage of her moment of weakness. He was only a friend to her, and he'd betrayed her trust by messing with her emotions.

So maybe he thought their bodies fit together perfectly. So maybe he thought she was amazing and perfect and beautiful. So maybe he wanted to kiss her again.

None of it mattered, because she loves someone else.

"Naruto n-no, p-please just let me talk to you–" he heard her cry out to him in his head. As if I need another reason to feel bad he told himself, beating himself up for so rudely disregarding what she was trying to say to him. What was with him that he always ended up falling for the girls who already loved some other guy, he asked himself grumpily. When is it my turn? When do I get someone to love me back instead of always ending up alone…

He lifted the tips of his fingers to his lips, lost in thought. They felt cold and empty in her absence, and he was sure that they'd never feel the same ever again. So long as she wasn't his, he would long for her lips, her touch, the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, her body against his.

But for a moment…he almost thought she wanted him kissing her, he almost thought she liked it.

Tch, get over yourself. That potion is probably just starting to affect her, that's all. She's just like all the other girls now…

And with the resolute decision to stay as far away from Hinata Hyuuga as possible, to put his feelings aside forever for the sake of her happiness, to never mess with her emotions again; he lifted his fingers into the Ram seal and appeared in his home.

*Imouto - little sister