The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki
VI. A date with Naruto, part two
He held her hand as they walked down the street.
"Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes of bliss at Naruto's side. He'd drawn her closely beside him holding her entire arm near his side along with her hand. He kept his steps short to accommodate her shorter stride, and he took the outside of the walkway just as a gentleman should. She felt protected and cherished.
"You'll see." He gave her his trademark wide grin.
She considered his obvious enjoyment of the situation. "Naruto, did you have this planned? You said you didn't know what to do on a date."
"Yeah, sorta. I knew I wanted to take you to dinner. I just didn't know what to do afterwards. I wasn't sure what you'd want to do."
"Are you disappointed that I don't want to do any of the things you mentioned tonight? You're not hiding your real thoughts, are you?" she asked worriedly. She wanted this date to be just as memorable for him as he apparently wanted it for her. If he didn't enjoy himself then she couldn't either.
"Hell, no. We can do all that another time," he said dismissively.
"We can?"
"Sure. This is just our first date." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Another wonderful promise. Hinata couldn't believe how completely her mood had changed just by seeing Naruto. He hadn't said a single thing or given her a single look that suggested that she was just a temporary fling—a filler until the real thing came along. Kiba must have been wrong. She wouldn't allow him to send her into that downward spin of doubt and unhappiness again. If necessary she would tell Kiba to mind his own business—in her own very gentle way, of course.
They walked along comfortably together until Hinata realized that Naruto was leading her to one of the nicest and most expensive restaurants in Konoha.
"Naruto, this place is too expensive," she protested softly. She stopped and tugged on his hand as he led her to the door. "Why don't we go to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar?"
"I don't care how expensive it is," he said stubbornly. "Only the best is good enough for our first date. I can't promise to take you to such fancy places very often in the future, but our first date must be spectacular. Believe me, we'll see a lot of Ichiraku's in the future, but this is where I want to take you tonight."
Her heart swelled at his insistence, and she quelled her protests. That Naruto wanted the best for her was incredibly endearing. It didn't matter what they did or where they went she'd never forget this evening as long as she lived.
They were seated at a table for two in a secluded alcove. Although it was still light outside, the restaurant was dark and lit by candles. The atmosphere was definitely very intimate and romantic.
With her blessing, Naruto ordered for both of them. He ordered kōcha (black tea), gyōza (dumplings) and shabu-shabu (meat and vegetable fondue) for two. He'd eaten at this particular restaurant once before so he ordered exactly what he'd eaten then knowing those particulars foods to be very good. At that time the prices had been a shock, but he was prepared today. He had his lucky frog wallet plumb with money ready to spend whatever he needed to give Hinata a date she'll never forget—a date which any other date she had been on or might ever be on would compare completely unfavorably to her date with him.
Hinata watched him with delight. He was making her feel very special. If this was what being the rebound girl was all about, she couldn't imagine how he could possibly treat a real girlfriend any better. He was being sweet, flattering and attentive in all the ways she'd always hoped he'd treat her one day.
After completing the order, Naruto's attention was once more exclusively on her, and Hinata felt unaccountably shy again. It took all of her willpower not to duck her head, and play with her fingers to avoid his warm glance. She couldn't fully enjoy this date if she allowed herself to back away when her comfort level was breached. This was what she'd always wanted—Naruto's attention completely on her. It was scary, but thrilling at the same time. She had to make the most of it in case it didn't last.
"Hinata," he said looking at her with pleasure after the waitress had set down a teapot and two cups. He poured the tea for them both while he thought about his next move. Finally, they were here on a date. Now what?
"Naruto," she responded with her usual shy smile.
"I feel a little nervous," he admitted. He wanted Hinata to like him better than any other guy she knew (Kiba came to mind). He felt some pressure to impress her, and he didn't know exactly how to do it. She knew him. How could he possibly impress someone who'd known him in his unruly youth, knew his faults, and knew a lot of the stupid things he'd done in the past. It might have been easier with a strange girl he barely knew—he could hide the things he didn't want her to know. But Hinata had witnessed almost every crazy, stupid, foolish thing he'd done in the last few years. What could he possibly do to make an impact on her?
"You do? Nervous? Of me?" She pressed her hand to her chest. She couldn't believe Naruto could be nervous especially of her. He had to be teasing her.
"Yeah. What if I screw up? What if you don't like dating me?"
She gave a little laugh. That was completely impossible. "I like it very much so far."
"That's good because you had me worried, you know. You looked a little sad when you opened the door to me at first. I thought maybe you didn't want to go out with me after all." She hadn't stayed sad looking, but it had still worried him a little. He hadn't known what to say at the time to cheer her up, but he hadn't needed to say much of anything for her to begin looking happy.
She shook her head. "Oh no! This is the only place I want to be."
He reached across the table, and put his hand over hers. "Me, too. This was all I thought about when you were gone recuperating so long. I didn't know when I'd see you again, but I missed you every day."
"Me, too," she echoed.
"You've become very important to me, Hinata."
"You've always been important to me, Naruto."
He looked pleased. "Yeah? Really?"
"I've always taken courage from your example. I wouldn't be where I am today without you."
"I wish I'd known. I could have been—I don't know—more encouraging or something."
"You were encouraging just by being you."
The waitress interrupted them by bringing their first course. Naruto quickly withdrew his arm from across the table. It was too dark to read the waitress's expression, so he reasoned that she hadn't seen anything. He wasn't usually embarrassed by much—considering all the gaffs he'd made in his life he'd grown a thick skin—but he didn't want Hinata to feel uncomfortable.
"I guess our next step with this dating stuff is to find out more detailed things about each other," he began after chewing a bite of gyōza. "Although I've known you for over six years, there are many things I don't know about you."
"What things?" she asked in anticipation. She was eager to tell him whatever he wanted to know.
"Well—like—when's your birthday?—what's your favorite color?—what are your hobbies?" He listed off the top of his head. If he were an organized person, he would have researched what he should do on a date. He would have talked to more experienced people. He would have written things down. He would have been more prepared for his first date. But that wasn't who he was. He never thought this dating thing would be difficult. He was with Hinata not some strange girl he hardly knew. It should be like rolling off a log.
"December 27th. Blue. Gardening," she answered quickly. "I know your birthday to be October 10th. I think your favorite color must be orange. I don't know what hobbies you have—except eating ramen," she ended mischievously.
He stared at her. How did she know all those things about him? She was much more observant than he was. "Yeah, that's right. I like gardening, too, but I don't have much chance to do any. I don't have a garden, and out on missions all the time, I can't keep a house plant alive. I noticed the plants around your house—ajisan, satsuki, hagi, butan—did you plant those?"
She was pleased by his observations. He did have an interest in gardening just like her. "Yes, I did. When my father gave me the house it hadn't been used in a number of years. Everything was overgrown. I replaced many of the plants. I like flowers so I planted ornamental shrubs, and flowering vines."
"How long have you lived there?" He wasn't sure when his questions might become too intrusive. He'd stop if he noticed her becoming uncomfortable, but he was simply very curious about her. He knew things from others, but he wanted to hear her tell her story.
"I've lived there since I was accepted by Kurenai as a genin. I live independently from the main house, but I join the family for special celebrations or occasions," she explained.
"I know you have a father, sister and cousin—how many other family members do you have?"
"In the main family there is only my father, my sister and me. There are several cadet branches that look to my father as the head of the clan."
"Shouldn't you be the head of the clan one day?" That was something he didn't fully understand. She'd told him something of it a while back, but he'd found the Hyuga family puzzling since he'd first fought Neji in the chûnin exams. Neji's defeatist attitude was due to the way the Hyuga clan treated its cadet branches to protect its kekkei genkai. He hadn't liked what Neji had told him about the way the Hyuga main branch controlled the cadet branches. That day he'd proven to Neji that sometimes a loser could win. He promised that when he became Hokage he'd put an end to such practices.
She shook her head sadly. "My father doesn't consider me proper leadership material. He's decided to favor Hanabi over me for the position of clan leader."
He frowned. "Isn't she a lot younger than you?"
"Five years only."
"What happened to your mother?"
"She died in childbirth with Hanabi." She couldn't keep the sadness from her voice.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I'm not very good at this kind of thing," he apologized. Damn! He'd made her look sad again.
She smiled at him. "It's alright, Naruto. I don't mind. I don't remember very much about my mother except that she smelled nice, she liked to sing to me, and she was very beautiful. I only know that my father became sterner and more distant after she died. He lost the two people closest to him within only a few years of one another. He must have been overwhelmingly grief stricken."
He shook his head at Hinata's sympathetic forgiving attitude. He didn't know if he could feel so kind in her place, but he knew nothing of family dynamics. He wished he did, That thought made him remember that he just might have a family to talk about when his turn came to share.
"Who else did he lose?"
"His twin brother, Hizashi, Neji's father. It was because of me. I sometimes wonder if that's why he doesn't like me," she said objectively.
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"When I was three I was kidnapped, and my father killed the kidnapper to rescue me. The family of the kidnapper was from another village. They demanded retribution in the form of my father's death. Since they were identical twins, my uncle Hizashi took his place. I sometimes feel my father blames me for his death."
"That's crazy, Hinata. How could he blame a three year-old child for something she had no control over? You should forget about that idea, Hinata. He'd be a really despicable person to blame you for that."
"I know that Neji blamed my father for his father's sacrifice. He's been bitter ever since."
"That's different, Hinata. It's completely understandable for Neji to feel resentment if his father was forced to sacrifice his life in your father's stead. The cadet branches are supposed to protect the main branch so he didn't have a choice, did he?"
"I don't know. Neji seems to have reconciled with my father so there must have been more to the story than that. If so they haven't shared it with me."
"I'm sorry you have such a strained relationship with your father. I'm sorry I even brought it up if I've upset you. I don't want you to feel any unhappiness on this date."
She smiled at him. "No, no, I've grown accustomed to it. I don't usually let it bother me anymore. I want you to understand my relationship with my family, Naruto. You can ask me anything you like."
"I would say I'm glad I haven't had a family if they cause so much trouble—except that I just might have one after all," he said cheerfully.
"What do you mean?"
"Granny Tsunade introduced to me to a girl this afternoon who just might be my cousin."
"Really?! Tell me about her."
"Well, her name is Naomi Uzumaki, but she's got my coloring. Granny Tsunade thinks that strange because I guess I don't look like an Uzumaki. She's going to run some tests to find out if she really is who she says she is."
"Naruto, that's wonderful. What else do you know about her? Have you met her yet? When can I meet her?" she asked eagerly.
He laughed. "Yeah, I met her this afternoon. Granny Tsunade wants me to keep an eye on her. She's 14, and she lived all her life in a small village with her aunt who wasn't really her aunt. Guess who she was?"
She shook her head. "I can't imagine."
Naruto paused as their main course was served. He waited until they'd eaten a bite of the fondue before he continued his story.
"Her aunt was the Third's wife, Yukari Sarutobi," he announced.
"The Third's wife? I thought she was dead."
"Naomi had a picture. Granny Tsunade recognized her. She thought she'd died, too—the night the nine-tailed attacked the village."
Hinata thought about the strangeness of this revelation. What could it mean? "Why was she living with the Third's wife? Why has she come here now? Why the mystery?"
"Naomi doesn't really know anything about it. She was told to by Yukari Sarutobi to come here after she died. Naomi didn't know she had any other relatives. It's all still pretty much a mystery," he said with a shrug.
"Naruto, I still think it's wonderful that you have some family. No one ever says anything about your family. You never talk about family. I always thought it very sad that you were all alone."
"I'd always thought that strange, too. Jiraiya and Granny Tsunade told me about my parents a few years ago. There are some things about me that aren't supposed to be general knowledge—like my heritage. I'd like to tell you, but I'll have to ask if it's okay for you to know. I was really surprised when I found out. What I can tell you is that I'm named Uzumaki after my mother's family. She was a kunoichi from the Land of the Whirlpool. Apparently, she had red hair and a temper to match."
Hinata stared at him round eyed. She didn't realize Naruto knew so much about his parents. He'd never even hinted that he knew so much. "What was her name?"
"Kushina Uzumaki. That name won't mean much to most people. Only a few people in the village know my entire history, but I want you to know everything," he told her earnestly. "I want you to know all about me. I'm sure Granny Tsunade will agree."
"I'd like that."
They were quiet as they continued to eat. Naruto wished he'd thought to ask the Fifth earlier that day if he could tell Hinata his history. If he'd been more prepared for his date, he would have done. He didn't think there'd be a problem for Hinata to know. Too many families had lost loved ones to the nine-tailed to make his entire history generally known to the villagers. Even his team mates didn't know everything, although they knew more than most. And now with this new addition to the family, apparently no one but the dead knew the entire story.
Hinata made sure to give Naruto the majority of their shared meal. She didn't have a large appetite, and she knew he did. She was careful to take only small pieces, and chew slowly. She knew with his generous nature, he'd insist that she ate what he thought was her share. She would be hard put to deny him his pleasure in seeing her enjoy the meal as heartily as he did, so she made certain he didn't notice.
She loved watching him eat. He took so much pleasure in his food. She would enjoy cooking for him. It couldn't be healthy to eat ramen all the time. She would see that he ate more vegetables and fruits. She wanted so much to take care of him. She could tell by his everyday appearance that he had no one to take care of him. His hair grew too long before he cut it. He often had stains on his clothes. His clothes were never mended. That thought made her think back to their earlier conversation.
"I like to sew as a hobby, too," she said suddenly.
"Yeah? What do you sew?"
"I embroider pillows mostly. But I can mend tears in clothing and sew on buttons."
"I wish I could do that. I usually throw out my clothes when they get too many tears," he said ruefully.
"I'd be happy to mend your clothes for you, Naruto," she offered.
"You will? No, I can't ask you to do that, Hinata. That would turn a hobby into a chore."
"I wouldn't mind. Please. Bring me some things to mend. I'd enjoy it."
He scratched his head. Girls were strange creatures. "Well, I'll do that if you let me help you garden. I can do all the heavy work for you."
"That would be wonderful. I'd like to add a water garden to the back of my house. Would you help me do that?"
"Of course. On our next free day, we can make a date to work on your water garden. I'll bring you a few of my torn clothes, if you really want me to?"
"I do want you to," she said happily. She wanted to begin taking care of Naruto right away, but she would take it slowly. She didn't want to scare him off with her eagerness. They were just beginning their relationship. She knew where she wanted it to end up, but Naruto might not be thinking along those lines yet. She had to make him see how nice it would be for her to take care of him. The next time they were together, she'd cook for him, and mend his clothes. It would almost be like they were married. What a wonderful thought! Good thing it was somewhat dark in the restaurant so Naruto couldn't see the rosy blush flooding her cheeks.
The sun was setting as they left the restaurant.
Naruto took Hinata's hand again as they walked slowly towards the park in the center of the village. If Hinata wanted to walk or sit in the park, then he would make that wish come true. He really didn't mind at all that she didn't want to do anything on their first date that involved other people. He'd spent plenty of time with her around others. Now he wanted some alone time, too.
There were very few people walking about as they made their way through the twilight towards one particular park bench that Naruto knew would be dark and deserted. It was set back in the trees catching little light. He discovered this bench by accident one night. Despite his excellent night vision, he'd almost tripped over it when he wasn't paying attention. He'd never forgotten the position of that bench since he'd stubbed his toe on it. That had been better than falling on his face, although it had probably hurt just as much since he'd broken his big toe. But, of course, it had healed quickly.
They walked quietly just enjoying each other's company. The silence wasn't at all awkward for either of them. Both savored the fine dinner they'd just eaten, and the pleasant conversation. They each had new things to think about each other. Naruto was happy to do just that until he had a sudden thought.
"I wonder how the guard duty is split up tonight," he mused aloud.
"What do you mean?"
"From what I understand, Sakura, Ino, Kiba and Shino are on guard duty tonight. The only one of that group I wouldn't mind running into is Shino. I don't really want to meet up with any of the others tonight. I wondered if they're taking turns at the main gate or patrolling the streets."
"That's right. Lady Tsunade told us this morning that she had teams of four on guard duty. She didn't tell us exactly how the duties were divided, but taking turns at the main gate and patrolling seems the obvious strategy. I hope nothing unusual happens while most of the jônin are away." She'd forgotten all about the immediate Konoha concerns while on her date. She almost felt guilty, but not quite. She wanted this first date with Naruto to be perfect. Forgetting impending doom and disaster was the only way to do it.
"Not all the jônin. What about us?" he teased.
"Of course," she smiled. "Congratulations on your promotion, Naruto."
"Congratulations on yours, too. We'll have to celebrate. I never thought I'd get advancement so easily."
"It wasn't exactly easy. We all worked hard. Wouldn't tonight be considered a kind of celebration?"
"Unh unh. Tonight is our date alone. We'll plan another night for a celebration."
"What can we do to celebrate?"
"I'll think of something. Give me a few days."
"Okay," she agreed happily.
They arrived at the secluded park bench a few minutes later. Once Hinata was seated, Naruto sat down and rested his arm across the back of the bench behind her. He stretched out his legs, and leaned back to look up at the stars. "Hinata, relax. Rest your head on my shoulder. We can look at the stars. I like looking up at the stars, don't you?"
Gingerly she laid her head in the crook between his shoulder and arm. It was most comfortable. She was very aware of Naruto curling his arm around her to hold her against him. She felt him scoot closer to her. For awhile they sat silently staring up at the sky until they heard an animal-like noise and a rustling in the woods behind them. They both sat up to listen, but the noise stopped before they could clearly make it out.
"It must have been some animals fighting. Cats, maybe," Naruto murmured. Now that Hinata was looking at him not the stars, he drew her closer, and cupped her chin in his hand. He tilted his head, bent down and kissed her. She closed her eyes letting touch be her guide.
She tasted just as sweet and soft as he remembered from their last kiss. He felt her melt against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He couldn't seem to get close enough, so he scooped her up and set her on his lap all the while kissing her. She'd stiffened in surprise when he first moved her, but then settled back into his arms her head almost resting against his shoulder. She smelled like flowers. He moved his mouth against hers, and traced her mouth with his tongue gently nudging it open to taste more of her.
His hand felt hot resting on her thigh. She stroked the back of his head enjoying the feel of his unruly hair beneath her fingers. She felt his other hand move from the back of her neck to her shoulder and down her arm. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm before wrapping his own arm more tightly around her. She could barely breathe as she felt the rough texture of his tongue slide along hers, and she moaned softly into his mouth.
She didn't know where Naruto had learned to kiss like this. She simply followed his lead, and learned what pleased him and herself. She didn't know she could kiss like this either—not without pulling away from embarrassment. But it was Naruto. She felt warm, excited, and desired. Naruto seemed to enjoy kissing her, and she loved it. She'd never imagined being so close to him or doing anything so intimate. She loved him so much. She didn't care what happened as long as she was with him.
Finally, he broke the long kiss. Breathing heavily, their faces still only centimeters apart, they stared at one another in a bemused amazement.
While he recovered from that intense kiss, he caressed her cheek, and traced her mouth with his thumb. The way she responded to his kiss made him wonder that he'd ever thought her timid. He wanted to kiss her, and caress her even more, but not in public. Even a dark, secluded park was still a public place where anyone could come up to them. He'd hate for one of the patrolling shinobi to discover them. This was too new and special for them to be discovered this way. He didn't want Hinata teased even worse then she had been on their last mission. He didn't want any unpleasantness to be associated with their burgeoning relationship.
As he sat there with Hinata on his lap, his attention was wholly taken up with the softness of her skin, the plumpness of her mouth, the sweet smell of her hair until he was startled back to reality when she suddenly grabbed his hand to stop him.
"What?" he asked in puzzlement.
"Shush! Listen!" she whispered.
The night was still. Not even a breeze rustled the leaves. Far away, they could hear someone laugh, a door slam, a cat meow. Much closer, in the woods behind them, as they listened, they heard a low, moan. It didn't sound like an animal this time. It sounded like a person in pain or distress.