AN: (After watching Naruto the Last Movie I went back and did some changes to the NaruHina Scene! So enjoy...or don't…whatever really ;P )
Chapter 11 Not Love...Yet!
Dodging and weaving through different stray objects throughout the village, Ino was able to remain hidden while following the oblivious man and woman in front of her. After walking for almost twenty minutes, Naruto and Hinata finally reached the lone red bridge just outside of Training Ground Nine. Ino was able to jump up into a nearby tree just before the beginning of the bridge, while Naruto and Hinata walked to the middle over the water, but still within Ino's range of hearing.
'What the hell is going on!?' Ino thought with a glare as she pushed some leaves away for a better view. 'Why did she march his ass all the way out here!?'
Ino bit her lower lip in anticipation as there seemed to be an awkward silence between the couple for the moment. They had been complete chatter boxes on the way here, but as soon as their feet hit the surface of the bridge their voices seemed to have been stolen away. Hinata had her back leaned against the support bar, keeping her from plummeting into the icy water below. Naruto was leaned forward against the same railing, instead choosing to look down at the sparkling stream below that glowed in the moonlight.
Neither of them looked at each other, and both kept still as if they were frozen in time. Ino watched with narrow eyes as a bead of sweat trailed down the side of her face, becoming extremely confused at how quiet the pair had become out of nowhere.
'Did I miss something?' Ino thought with a raised brow.
"So… What's up, Hinata?" Naruto spoke up, slightly turning his head to look over at the shy brunette standing next to him.
'Finally!' Ino thought. 'I was thinking this show would never get on the road!'
Hinata blushed and turned her head as well, locking eyes with the taller blond man.
"What do you mean, Naruto-Kun?" Hinata asked quietly. "I already told you about my day and what the meeting with Father was ab-"
"No… I mean… why did you ask me to come here with you, Hinata?" Naruto interrupted with a cheeky grin and snicker, earning a blush.
Hinata also smiled after resettling and turned her eyes to the floor and let her body relax back into her leaned position. Naruto studied her calm demeanor with growing anticipation, and he began to wonder if what she was going to talk to him about was what he'd thought all along.
"I'm sorry for dragging you out like this on such late notice, Naruto-Kun… I just felt I couldn't wait on this matter much longer." Hinata spoke sweetly but not turning her eyes from the floor.
'Kiss ass,' Ino thought with rolled eyes.
"It's alright, Hinata…" Naruto said with a soft smile that Hinata didn't see, her eyes still on the floor. "I wanted to come; you didn't force me anywhere."
Hinata nodded slightly and took a deep breath, leaning her back even further into the railing behind her. A soft breeze moved through the trees and brought a calmness to the situation, which helped the flustered brunette find her footing.
"N… Naruto-Kun… may I ask you a question?" Hinata asked, gulping quietly.
"Shoot," Naruto responded, doing a playful finger gun with his hand.
"Do… do you remember what happed during the Pein invasion?" she asked, turning slowly to look up at him. "Or… more so… what I said to you?"
'Huh? What the hell is she bring up something like that for?' Ino thought with a scowl.
Naruto turned to look back down at the water below, seemingly like he was trying to avoid the question. Finally, he answered.
"I love you…" Naruto whispered out with a blank tone.
Ino froze, not daring to take a breath or blink. Shock etched her face and she sat there, not knowing how to respond to what he just said.
'N… Naruto-Kun… Y… you love….' Ino thought with a waivered voice.
"That's what you said to me…. right?" Naruto finished after his long pause, earning a nod from Hinata and a sigh of relief from an unknown source.
'Jesus, I almost had a heart attack!' Ino thought, patting her chest softly.
"Naruto-Kun… why… why didn't you ever come talk to me after I confessed to you?! I tried so many times to talk to you after that day, but it always seemed you didn't want to, or were avoiding me all together. That is… Until tonight…" Hinata spoke with a whimper in her voice, obviously trying to hold back her emotions. "So… why?"
Unfallen tears glistened in Hinata's eyes and she quickly wiped them away with her palm. Naruto's shoulders slouched and his eyes lost emotion, still not breaking from the water's surface. He looked tired to anyone who gave him a glance, but was it physically… or emotionally?
"Hinata… I'm sorry," Naruto said in a soft, emotionless tone. "It wasn't right for me to block you out like that after what you said, but… please hear me out as to why I did so."
Hinata didn't respond, simply staring and politely waiting for him to continue. Ino leaned forward with anticipation, thinking how amazing it would have been to have some popcorn right then, because things were about to get heavy.
"Hinata… When you confessed to me during the fight with Pein… I have to admit it, was one of the most badass things I think a woman could have ever done for me! I'm not a very romantic guy, but I would say hands down that was about as romantic as it gets, in my opinion." Naruto said with a smile.
'Noted,' Ino thought.
Hinata frowned and stepped closer to Naruto.
"But then, why didn't you come talk to me!?" she asked, quite loudly for her usual tone.
Naruto closed his eyes and clenched his fist tightly.
"Hinata… I… I guess I was scared," he said softly.
"Of what, Naruto-Kun?" Hinata asked with a raised brow, truly not understanding what could have shaken him.
There was a silence between the couple as Naruto pondered how to answer. His blond spikes and her ebony locks moved slightly with the breeze.
"Hinata… Not once in my entire life had I ever had a person tell them they love me… not one… until you." Naruto said with a crackle in his voice, his eyes now hidden behind his bangs. "I grew up alone and had to fend for myself. I never had someone to nurture me… or give me compassion. I grew up without love."
Hinata looked down with a frown and Ino let her body droop with sadness. Both were understanding of the young man's past, but neither had ever thought he could be emotionally challenged because of it.
"So to be quite honest with you, Hinata… I was afraid to talk to you… because I honestly have no idea what love even is."
Hinata looked up with sad eyes, watching the man she cared for stare blankly into the river below. Ino grasped at her top directly above her heart, trying to keep herself from getting emotional.
'Naruto-Kun…'
"But, Naruto-Kun…What about Sakura-San? You loved her since we were kids!" Hinata pleaded.
Naruto vocally scoffed and let a sad smile grace his face. Hinata blinked a few times at his actions and let her shoulders slouch with the sad feelings Naruto was giving off.
"No… that wasn't love. Sure, I had a crush on her, but… it was more of a want or fondness more so than 'Love'," he said, using his hand as air quotes. "But then again… I don't know what love is, so it might have been, HAHA!"
Hinata frowned at that but also felt comforted to hear those words leave his lips. For years, she had seen herself as inferior to the pink bombshell. To hear her love say he never truly felt anything for her… it made her heart flutter.
"Hinata… can I ask you possibly the most cliché thing that will ever come out of my mouth?" Naruto asked, turning his head to look her in the eyes.
Hinata's eyes widened at the request for a moment before nodding with a smile, already knowing his question.
"Hinata…what's…Love?" he asked, playing with his bangs shyly.
Hinata turned her body so she was no longer leaning against the railing with her back but now with her stomach and arms just as Naruto was doing. She looked down contently as the water rushed below them. She smiled and brushed her bangs aside.
"Love is when you care for someone more than you care for yourself. It's when you get all fluffy and warm when you're near that person, and when you're not with them, you feel lost… like a piece of you is missing," Hinata said sweetly, earning a smile from her blond companion.
"Love is the willingness to do whatever it takes to make that person happy. Love is when you wake up to thoughts of them and fall asleep to dreams of them. Love is when your entire being… only lights up when that person is with you. Love is…"
"Me," Naruto cut in with a sad smile on his face.
Hinata looked quickly over to Naruto who was staring at her deeply, making her blush the hardest she had done all evening.
"Y… yes," she responded, fidgeting and mumbling unintelligibly under her breath. "Love… is you."
Naruto smiled and turned his body so he was now standing upright right in front of her, his dark blues locking with her trembling violets. She held back a breath as Naruto leaned in slowly, inching his face closer to her own, his face still seeming distressed.
"N…Naru-"
His lips softly meshed with her own, cutting her from her remark. The night stood still as Hinata's head reeled with thoughts and emotions. After a moment of complete shock she leaned in grasping the back of his orange shirt, deepening the kiss.
Ino watched with shaking eyes as tears threatened to fall. Her shoulders shook and the grip on her shirt over her heart tightened, making her fist shake violently.
"N… no…" she mumbled with a trembling voice. "Naruto-Kun….. Why….?"
Naruto leaned away, breaking the kiss silently. Hinata slowly opened her eyes and stared up at Naruto with an extravagant smile. Her whole world had just been lit up, and she had no idea how to contain herself. That is… until she realized Naruto's expression.
"N… Naruto-Kun?" Hinata asked in a worried tone, watching Naruto's dull sad eyes look back into hers.
His face seemed pale and the bags under his eyes seemed to somehow darken. He cast his eyes downward, not wanting to look at her.
"I'm sorry, Hinata…" Naruto whispered as he lifted his hand to rest gently on her left cheek.
Hinata leaned into his touch.
"What for, Naruto-Kun? Is it because that was your first kiss? Because it was mine, too! So it's okay if yo-"
"Hinata…" Naruto cut in, making Hinata's mood drop at his tone.
She could feel the hurt in his voice. The way his hand trembled next to her cheek. How his eyes didn't shine like they should have… Naruto was… hurting.
"I don't… Love you."
Hinata's eyes widened as well as another blond pair of eyes a little ways off. Hinata immediately took a step backwards away from Naruto. Her cheeks immediately became covered in falling tears. She stood frozen as Naruto stared with complete sorrow on his face to the bridge below. He looked as if his whole world had just shattered.
Hinata was not far from the feeling as well.
"W…wha…" she stuttered out, her voice not finding its volume.
Hinata shook with emotion, lifting her arms to cradle herself. Her throat became heavy, and her vision blurred. She felt like her heart had just been ripped from her chest.
"When… you were mentioning all of those meanings for love… I never once could picture you, Hinata. I tried so hard to see you in those roles… but it never fit. It felt wrong to me… we didn't match or blend in my eyes… To be honest… someone else kept popping in my head. Your face kept being replaced with hers… but… I didn't want to leave any doubts, Hinata –"
"SO YOU KISSED ME!?" Hinata yelled as tears flowed down her face and her body trembled.
Naruto turned his eyes to the floor once again and tried to hold back his emotions.
"I wanted to see if my head was being stupid and my heart just wasn't getting through to me…. I wanted to see if I kissed you….. if I would feel anything," Naruto mumbled as hidden tears threatened to squeak out, yet never fell.
Hinata balled up as she fell to her knees, crying as her eyes faced the floor. Her chest burned and her arms shook trying to support her crouched over position.
"You… (Sniffle)…. You didn't feel anything, did you?" Hinata asked in the most composed tone she could muster at the moment.
The silence that followed was all the answer she needed.
Slowly lifting herself to her feet, Hinata made sure not to look up at Naruto.
"Thank you…" She spoke with a shaky voice that sounded as if it could fail on her at any moment. "Even though this was not the answer I was looking for… I am glad I was able to share my first kiss with you, Naruto-Kun… It hurts… but there would be no point in us dating if you didn't feel for me like I do for you."
Naruto stayed in his position, unmoving. His unfallen tears dried and his eyes became a lot more distant as time passed on. He felt like all the progress he had made in the last couple weeks was being washed from him the more she spoke. He had never meant to hurt her… he never meant to wrench her heart and his own out and throw them to the birds. He just wanted… well… not even he knew what he wanted at the moment.
Hinata turned and began to walk away with heavy slow steps, before Naruto's heavy and hollow voice stopped her.
"I'm so sorry, Hinata…. I'm so, so sorry," Naruto whispered out, making Hinata look over her shoulder, tears still falling. "I never… ever… wanted to hurt you… NEVER!" he choked out, trying to keep himself from breaking down.
"I'm so sorry…" he said once again, his head shaking slowly side to side to emphasis his point.
Hinata looked back at him with blank eyes before turning her head away and facing towards the direction they had previously walked. She stood silent yet tall as the wind blew her hair. Her tears dried with the breeze and she felt somehow happy for some reason.
"I'm not," Hinata said confidently, making Naruto look up quickly and stare at the back of her small form.
His mouth hung open slightly and his eyes shook.
"This was the closure I was looking for, Naruto-Kun…" she said calmly with sniffles breaking her words briefly. "I needed this so badly. Even though I'm hurting… and I'm trying my best to keep myself from sobbing like a child… I understand I can move on now with my life.
"I will always and forever hold a place for you in my heart, but now I get to move on… with no regrets. I did get to finally kiss you… which is kind of a win in itself," she said with a smile, earning a small one from Naruto.
Naruto continued to stare, his eyes becoming more focused and his posture becoming more upright. Yet he remained unmoved from where he stood.
"I'm also happy for you, Naruto-Kun," Hinata said in a much more calm tone.
Naruto flinched at this and raised his brow. How he could even imagine a woman getting her heart ripped out and taking it so well he could never understand, but then again… this girl was a lot different from Ino and Sakura.
"Happy… for me? What could you possibly be happy for?" he asked in a shaky tone. "I just broke your heart…. how could you possibly be happy for me?"
Hinata smiled and wiped her eyes, still facing down the road.
"You said for yourself that when I was listing all the ways you can know you're in love, you kept having someone pop in your head. So that means you must love someone, right?" She asked closer to her usual tone.
Naruto blinked slowly as he too wiped the tear streaks from his eyes.
"I… don't know if I necessarily love her… but I definitely think…. I think…"
"You could?" Hinata finished with a soft tone.
Naruto nodded to himself, which Hinata couldn't possibly see with her back turned at the moment, before his voice spoke up again.
"I don't know if I even like her like that!" he said loudly. "I just… I just like being around her… even right now I have no idea what to do, and I wish she was here to help me! She would know how to handle this and help me get through these feelings! She's… special like that… she's been kind of my wall lately."
There was a silence after that as Hinata, Naruto, and even Ino all didn't move. The emotions had finally reached their tipping point.
"Then I'm happy for you, Naruto-Kun," Hinata said with a hidden smile. "She's a very lucky lady to have your attention."
Naruto became frustrated at her words and balled his fist, taking a step forward aggressively.
"Who cares if I'm happy, Hinata? I'm already pretty fucked up as it is! What about you!? Are you going to be okay? I don't want you ending up like I am! I don't want you hurting like I do every day!" he blurted out.
Hinata let a smile spread across her face.
"I'll be fine, Naruto-Kun… I just need time… You're going to be okay, as well… We both are. You've got a strong head and a big heart to guide you. You just need to get your feet moving in the right direction… which I have no doubt you already have."
Naruto frowned slightly.
"And I… I will be just fine as well. I'm hurting… but I could never let this keep me down. It's kind of like you said in your speech… I have just run across a failure in my life. I have fallen… but I will get back up. Because I… just like you… will stand and tell life I'm no quitter! That's what we do… right… Naruto-Kun? That's… who we are."
Hinata looked back over her shoulder to lock eyes with Naruto.
"So don't let this keep you down either, Naruto-Kun, because… just like always… I'm following in your footsteps. I'm… right behind you."
Naruto looked back with awe. His frown slowly rose into a grin and his posture rose to his normal stature. With a wink and a thumbs up, Naruto giggled.
"We never go back on our word! Because that's our-"
"Ninja way," Hinata finished with a large loving smile on her face.
"Thank you… Naruto-Kun," Hinata whispered, earning a more loving smile from her hero.
"No… thank you… Hinata," he whispered back
Hinata turned towards the path away from the bridge and began to walk away before stopping only after a few steps.
"Naruto-Kun… may I ask you one last question?" she voiced, turning to look over her shoulder to see Naruto nod in approval.
"May I know who she is?"
Naruto's eyes widened and his cheeks flared up. He quickly began to scratch the back of his head with embarrassment.
"Well, I, uh… I mean…" Naruto stumbled over his words, trying to find a way around the question.
"I'm only asking so that I can go kill her myself," Hinata interrupted, making Naruto's eyes go wide with shock.
They stood still staring at one another before both smiled and burst into a fit of giggles, despite the groggy mood that seemed to be finally dissipating between them.
"Ha-ha, sorry Hinata… but for now, it's a secret!" Naruto said, placing a finger over his lips playfully. .
Hinata pouted before sending another sweet smile and wink.
"Alright then, Naruto-Kun, if you say so. Just make sure she isn't crazy… okay?"
Naruto nodded and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, earning another giggle.
"Call me when you're ready to go get Molly, Naruto-Kun. I'm still going to help you," Hinata said sweetly as she began to walk away. "And never look back, Naruto-Kun! After all… you are and will always be my hero.
Naruto smiled at this before placing his hand gently over his heart and closing his eyes.
"Thank you, Hinata," he whispered happily. "Truly."
At that, Hinata disappeared over the hill back towards the village, leaving Naruto standing there alone. He did one last effort to wipe the tears from his eyes before letting his arm drop to his side lazily. With a turn of his head Naruto looked up and over to a tree just past the entrance to the bridge.
Naruto's mood turned back into a more reserved and sullen demeanor after the departure of Hinata. He did a well enough job holding himself together through the heart wrenching encounter. Yet he was finally allowing the pent up sadness to release. His entire being seemed to do a complete turnaround.
"Are you planning on staying up there all night?" he asked with a sudden sternness in his voice.
With a sudden gasp of air that could be heard from yards away Naruto stood still looking up towards the large tree. The leaves dancing with the breeze creating a beautiful white noise in the air.
After a moment the eavesdropper dropped down from the tree above and landed elegantly on the forest floor. Ino fidgeted with a platinum blond strand around her finger as a giant pink blush crept upon her cheeks. A goofy grin was plastered on her rosy face, letting an embarrassed giggle creep past her lips.
"He… he… N… Naruto-Kun! How unexpected to see you here of all places!" Ino said cheekily, trying to play off as if she had just arrived to the location.
Opening her eyes from her embarrassed cheeky grin, she locked gazes with the obviously unamused man, who glared back at her with a calm, yet penetrating gaze. Ino gulped at how shockingly stern Naruto was holding himself and looking upon her. If she wouldn't know any better, she would have guessed he was upset with her.
"Come here, Ino…" Naruto ordered out in a shallow and aggressive voice.
Ino watched as Naruto's gaze narrowed, showing he was not playing around at the moment. She walked slowly with calculating steps as she made her way up the bridge and stopped a few steps away from the still glaring Naruto.
With an extremely awkward silence in the air, Ino looked down at her feet not wanting to look at the man who she could feel was still not breaking his eyes from her. With a gulp, she rubbed the back of her head, trying to find her voice.
"I… I guess you knew I was there the whole time huh?" Ino said in a joking tone, trying to lighten the mood.
She risked a glance upwards. Naruto didn't respond as he continued to glare at her with a completely expressionless face. The only emotion was Naruto's eyes, which at the moment could bring anyone to their knees with the anger that shone within them. It shook Ino, never having seen Naruto look at her like this.
"N… Narut-"
With three quick steps, Naruto stepped forward and embraced her in a large warm hug making her flinch. He dug his face into the crook of her neck immediately. Ino stood still with her arms still at her side, her face turning bright as a tomato. Reaching slowly upwards, she wrapped her arms carefully around his upper back and leaned into the embrace.
"I don't know why you're here… but I'm glad you are," Naruto whispered out with a mumble.
Ino blinked a few times, not knowing what to say. She had been hugged by Naruto before, but this felt… needing… loving. Well, at least in her own little world it did… or maybe… it really was.
"Sorry… for just latching onto you all of a sudden," he mumbled into her neck, his warm breath making Ino tickle slightly. "I just needed to either punch something or have something to hold, ha-ha."
Ino smiled and rubbed his back gently, allowing him to relax into her. She rested her chin on his shoulder, taking in the smell of his cologne once again.
"I think you two handled that quite well, if I do say so myself," Ino whispered into his ear, a few inches from her lips.
Naruto leaned back, breaking the hug and allowing both of them to step apart. Naruto held a somber look to him as he kept his eyes to the floor. Ino moved her hair from her face and gave the man a supportive smile even though he didn't see it.
"You okay, dummy?" she asked in a cute tone.
Naruto looked up with a smirk that said he was doing his best to show he was alright, but no one would actually buy it.
"I'll be fine, Ino, thank you… here, I'll walk you home… it's late," Naruto said gently, using his arm to motion for them to begin walking back towards the village.
Ino smiled with tinted cheeks before poking Naruto playfully on the cheek with her finger.
"Na, ah, ah!" she smirked, waving her finger in front of his face. "You're the one who needs an escort after your day! I'll walk you home!"
Naruto actually blushed at this and could only laugh slightly to himself.
'Only you Ino could possibly think I would need help home, ha-ha' he thought with a smile, secretly very appreciative that she had thought for his wellbeing before her own.
"Now come on, Idiot!" Ino said playfully as she grabbed the collar of Naruto's shirt, yanking him forward off towards his home.
As Naruto was dragged home, his eyes softened, looking back at the platinum blonde's head. He relaxing into the aggressive yanking at let his face glow with his sudden happiness.
'You know… I could get used to having someone like Ino around more.' Naruto thought with a smirk.
"Hurry up, I'm starving! You better have something I can fix up at your place!" Ino said over her shoulder, shooting him grin.
Naruto's face slowly contorted into a shocked frown as he swallowed back a dry hard gulp.
'M… m… my place!?'
20 Min Later, Uzumaki Residence. –
Finally able to insert his key into the lock without having his wrist shaking, Naruto opened the door to his new two bedroom apartment that was now located on the ground floor, which was much better than his one room, top of the building junk shack he used to call a home. His new apartment was in a very nice, well-maintained complex, just outside the market district.
As soon as the door was pushed open, Ino barged in and patted her hand on the wall next to the door frame until she located the light switch. With a flick of her wrist, she cast the entrance hall into light. She did a quick glance of the entrance hall, noting the only furniture was a small door side table where guests could put there keys or other amenities. Naruto walked in behind her and closed the door gently. He turned back to the now sitting down Ino, who was unzipping her knee high boots. Noticing the awkward gaze upon her, Ino pulled of her boot and placed it on the floor before looking up with a raised brow.
"Is there a reason you're just standing there staring at me?" Ino asked in an aggravated tone.
Naruto blinked a few times in embarrassment before he quickly pulled of both his shoes in a blur and bolted into the kitchen, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.
"N… no reason he… he! Sorry!" Naruto announced from the other room, earning a scowl from Ino, who now had to fix her hair.
"Idiot," she mumbled under her breath.
Able to straighten herself out after Naruto's sudden burst, she took off her second boot and turned to make her way down the hall. She had never been inside Naruto's home before, but had heard from many a bitching from Sakura, it was usually absolutely filthy.
'Seems rather normal thus far,' Ino noted as she continued onward into the apartment.
She made her way with slow, easy steps, taking in the atmosphere. She noted the smell of the home first. Every home had its own unique smell, and Naruto's was no exception. It had a soft scent of as far as she could tell was some kind of cologne or body spray. It was not the same smell she had encountered earlier when close to the man, so she figured it was another he owned.
'Smells nice…'
As she made her way to the end of the short wooden floor hallway, she couldn't help but notice how all the walls were lacking in pictures or even paintings. There was nothing but the slight off-white beige color the original decorator had painted them.
'I guess growing up as an orphan doesn't really leave you with a lot of family photos, huh?' She asked herself with a sigh.
Making her way to the end, she noticed the hall broke off to make the shape of a capital T as she could best picture it. With her back to the short hall that lead to the front door, to her left led to a small, half kitchen, half living room area, where she could clearly hear Naruto knocking over pots or perhaps pans for some reason. She then turned to her left to see another short hall that had one closed door on the left wall another closed door opposite the first on the right wall. Lastly was a larger wooden door placed directly at the end of the hall, which she guessed to be Naruto's room.
Spinning on her heels, she walked into the kitchen/living room area Naruto was currently in. She scanned the room from right to left, taking it all in.
Starting from the right, there was a three seated couch that was set against the far back right hand wall of the room. In front of the couch was a fairly large entertainment setup with a large flat screen T.V. mounted onto the wall above a rather nice looking shelf that held a D.V.D player, assorted movies, and lastly some kind of game console that she had no clue about. In between the couch and T.V. was a notch in the wall where a rather nice fire place stood, that looked to have been untouched by Naruto thus far.
She looked away from the living room setup to now go over the left side of the room, where the kitchen laid. The kitchen was a fairly decent sized cooking area with the main shape being a U that hugged the walls of the room. The cabinets that ran along the walls of the kitchen had a nice, cherry oaked finish to them. The counter tops were a cocoa brown-colored marble, all of the appliances being made of stainless steel. There was a small island in the center of the U-shaped kitchen, where a large bowl of fruit had been placed.
Smack dab in the middle of the room between the kitchen and a living area was a small, round table with two wooden chairs tucked underneath.
Ino blinked a few times going over the room once more before able to think of how to describe it.
'This is where Naruto-Kun lives!? This is rather… nice! Hell, I could even live here!' Ino thought with a smile before a small blush brushed her cheeks at her last thought.
Pulling herself from her little flutter fest, she noticed that there was a key person missing from the room at the moment.
'Wait… where did Naruto-Kun go?" she thought while scratching her chin. "I know he went in here… and there isn't really a way out besides squeezing into the fire place…'
But before she could really dive into the mystery, a small door disguised to look like a carpet mat opened up in the kitchen, revealing a slightly dusty Naruto who popped his head up just past the floor's surface. Ino looked down at the man from across the room and he looked back up at her with a goofy, embarrassed smile.
"W… what… what, uhh… what are you doing, Naruto-Kun?" Ino asked with a raised brow and flabbergasted tone to her voice.
"I was getting you something nice to drink… I think..." Naruto said in a wishy-washy voice.
Ino raised her brow even higher at his answer and she walked over to stand just outside the small entrance Naruto currently stood in. She stood practically right over him, and if she had been wearing a skirt, Naruto would have been able to see all of her cash prizes.
"A drink? And where exactly are you getting me a drink from?" she asked with a little disgust on her face.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head as a cheeky embarrassed smile spread on his face.
"From my wine cellar," Naruto mumbled out allowing one of his eyes to peek open and look up at the now once again flabbergasted woman.
"You have a freaking wine cellar?!" Ino asked loudly, earning a wince from Naruto.
"Well… ya! Ero-Sennin left me a lot of his fortune when he passed, so I was able to purchase this really high-end apartment. Which I didn't even realize until later… had a wine cellar. It's not that big, more like a room with some shelves, but it does the trick!" Naruto explained with a blank face.
Ino blinked a few times, still quite blown away.
"But… you don't even drink!" Ino responded with wide shocked eyes.
"Ha-ha! No, I don't, really! But after the war, a lot of people gave me all sorts of weird gifts and left them on my doorstep and stuff. So I've been collecting all the wine, sake, and other alcoholic beverages down here ever since I found it!" Naruto said with a smile, shaking out the dust from his hair.
Ino stepped back to allow Naruto to climb the small ladder back into his kitchen and shut the small wooded door, letting it once again lay flush with the floor. Standing up, Naruto revealed a rather dusty bottle of wine he had been carrying under his arm. Placing the bottle onto the island, Naruto looked back towards his guest with a rather broad blush on his cheeks.
"He-he… welcome, Ino!" Naruto said embarrassingly as he rubbed the back of his head.
Ino looked at the bottle with squinted eyes and a raised brow before turning to look at Naruto with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Okay, Naruto-kun, what the hell is going on? You've been acting weird ever since we entered your place, and now you go and get this fancy bottle of wine.' Ino glared at the squeamish Naruto before a large blush spread over her cheeks.
"A… are you trying to seduce me?" she asked with a shaky voice.
Naruto's eyes immediately shot open from his embarrassed smile. He waved his arm in front of him in a wishy-washy motion, vigorously trying to deny her question.
"Nonononono… not at all, Ino, it's just that…. uh…" He trailed off, leaving a still taken aback Ino.
"Just?" Ino asked with a little more reserve in her voice, not sure if she felt uncomfortable by the thought or incredibly excited.
Naruto let his arm fall back at his side heavily as he looked away and towards the bottle on the counter.
"Honestly, Ino… you're my first female guest outside Sakura-Neechan," Naruto stated in a somber tone.
Ino scrunched her lips at the answer and allowed her arms to unfold.
"So?" she asked sternly.
"Well… I've never really known how to treat a lady. I know you wouldn't treat them like you would your guy friends… I at least know that much! But Ero-Sennin always said I sucked when it came to woman. So he told me if I ever had a member of the opposite sex over at my place, I should break out a nice bottle of wine and make her feel cozy. So… I'm trying to do that," Naruto said in the most innocent voice he could muster.
Ino smiled softly and without answering his explanation, turned and began to open up the cabinets behind her. Naruto looked back with a questioned face.
"What are you doing?" he asked in quizzical tone.
"I'm looking for your wine glasses." She closed one cabinet and opened another.
"My wine… glasses?"
Ino turned away from the cabinets to give Naruto a loving smile.
"Well ya, sounds like your Sensei was pretty wise when it came to women, so why don't we crack open that bottle if he said it's the way to go?" she asked in a loving tone.
Naruto blinked slightly before smiling back at her brightly.
"Okay! I don't really have wine glasses…. but there's a couple coffee mugs in the cupboard to your left!" he stated happily, pointing to the cupboard in question.
Ino sweat dropped at this but decided to let it slide, knowing Naruto had absolutely zero experience when it came to romance… If that was the direction he was even trying to go with this.
Pulling out the two white ceramic mugs, Ino placed them upon the counter and watched as Naruto pooped the bottle open. Surprisingly, he had little trouble despite only having one hand.
"Have you ever tried wine before, Ino?" Naruto asked nervously as he poured the two drinks.
"Never tried it before," she responded, watching the red liquid fall into the mugs.
"Oh! Well, Ero-Sennin forced me to drink it on my fifteenth birthday when I was on my training trip with him. Just picture it as a slightly bitter grape juice, and it isn't that bad, ha-ha!" Naruto said with a smile, handing her the mug filled about half way with the blood red alcohol.
Ino raised her cup to her nose to give a sniff before cautiously slipping it between her lips and taking a slight sip. As her face puckered up immediately after tasting it, Naruto began to laugh and had to put down his own mug to keep from spilling.
"What the hell?! This stuff tastes really bitter!" Ino complained as she stuck out her tongue to show her dislike of the drink.
"HAHA! Oh come on, this is actually a very expensive wine! Some merchant gave it to me a couple days after we got home from the war. He says it's valued at around 10,000 Yen!" Naruto said with a smile as he took a sip himself.
Naruto smiled and took the mug away from his face.
"Oh ya, this is a thousand times better than that stuff Ero-Sennin made me chug down, ha-ha!" he said, swirling the drink in his hand in a circular motion.
Ino puckered her lips again as she tried to take another sip of the drink. Placing the drink onto the counter top, she scowled at the mug.
"Maybe wine just isn't my thing," she said with a slight frown. "Sorry"
"Na, that's okay, Ino! It's certainly not for everyone! I have some sake, champagne and some assorted beers as well down there. You want to give them a try?" Naruto asked finishing off his glass with a gulp.
Ino made a face as if she was giving it some actual thought but both parties were broken from the conversation as a slight grumble emitted from Ino's midsection. She quickly looked down with a flustered look and blushed.
"I… I guess I forgot I was really hungry for a second," she mumbled out, rubbing her stomach.
Naruto smiled and placed his empty mug on the counter top.
"Well then, the drinks will wait!" He placed the cork back into the bottle and set it next to the two mugs. "What're you in the mood for? Sakura-Neechan was getting on my case about my diet, so I actually went grocery shopping last night. So if you can think it, I can make it!"
Ino looked at Naruto like he was the biggest liar she had ever met in her life. Throwing her finger in his direction, she gave a scowl.
"You cook?" she asked in the most you're full of shit tone.
Naruto shot back a frown and narrowed his eyes playfully.
"Well with that attitude I sure the hell won't! But if you don't act like an ass about it, yes, I can cook quite well, thank you! Very much" Naruto shot back with a hurt tone, turning his face away with a pout.
"I don't count instant ramen as cooking, dumbass!" Ino replied as Naruto turned to walk to the fridge.
Vocally scoffing at her remark, Naruto opened the fridge and began to take out random items and ingredients as he saw fit. Ino watched for a moment, not understanding what he could be planning to make.
"So, you gonna let me in on what you will be preparing for us this… well, early morning?" Ino asked, looking at the clock on the wall by the kitchen table.
Naruto continued to pull out supplies until he placed and pot on the stove and turned on the burner.
"Since you didn't pick, I figured some spicy curry and rice would do the trick!" he stated as began to add some of the earlier ingredients to the pot. "So why don't you go make yourself comfortable? I'll have this simmering soon."
Ino raised her brow and decided to just drop the bickering. She actually really enjoyed curry, being that she herself made it for Ezra quite often at home. She turned on her heel and made her way to the living room. With a sigh, she sat herself onto the couch and pulled out her phone to prowl the social webs.
She lost track of time and the spicy aroma of curry lofted through the home, bringing her from her scrolling. Looking up, she could see Naruto stirring away at the thick broth inside the countertop pot. He was humming a soft tune to himself, which made Ino smile and watch sweetly.
"Is it almost ready, Naruto-Kun?" she asked, watching Naruto turn off the burner.
"Just finished, Ino!" he replied happily.
Ino got up from the couch and walked over to sit at the dining table. Just as she pulled out her chair and sat down, Naruto placed a hot plate of rice and spicy beef curry in front of her. Taking the chair opposite of her, he watched Ino carefully, not wanting to take a bite himself until he saw her reaction.
Ino picked up her spoon and took a small portion from the plate and lifted closer to inspect it. She glared at the food on her spoon, taking every precaution before she ever dared to put it in her mouth.
'Smells normal… doesn't look as if it would kill me…' she thought cautiously, eyeing her spoon carefully. 'Even appears to be cooked correctly.'
With one last glance at the staring and smiling Naruto, she slowly put the food into her mouth and swallowed. Naruto leaned in closely, watching her slowly chew the food and swallow; the anticipation was killing him.
His waiting was rewarded though as Ino's eyes lit up and she quickly stuffed another spoonful into her mouth. She continued to do this quickly as Naruto watched with the brightest smile on his face.
"Told you I can cook, 'dumb ass'," Naruto said cheekily.
The sudden comment made her stop her gorging mid bite and glare at Naruto. With a huge swallow so she could speak she let her scowl fall and gave him a smile.
"I'm sorry I doubted you, Naruto-Kun! This is amazing! How did you ever learn to cook like this?" she asked before stuffing another spoonful into her mouth.
Naruto swallowed his own bite before answering.
"Ero-Sennin and I were always on the road, so I became rather decent at making my own meals while we were between cities. I guess just after a while, I gained some talent at it, ha-ha!" he said with a smile.
"Well, I can honestly say this is some of the best curry I've ever had! So thank you so much, Naruto-Kun!" Ino said happily, finishing off her plate. "I'm really tempted to get seconds, but I'm still on my diet!"
Her last comment made him look up from his meal with complete bafflement on his face. He placed down his spoon and looked at her with deep eyes.
"Why the hell are you on a diet?" he asked in an aggravated tone.
Ino blushed at the question and turned away with a scoff, pointing her nose to the roof.
"I have to make sure I look good, idiot! I can't let my figure get away from me!" she responded in a matter of fact tone.
Naruto rolled his eyes and scoffed before continuing to eat his food. Ino became upset at that reaction and turned back, slamming her hand onto the table.
"What's that reaction for, huh!? You got something you want to say!?" she hollered, but earned hardly a reaction from Naruto who continued to eat peacefully.
Finishing his last bite, Naruto placed his spoon down and stood from his chair as Ino continued to glare at him. Grabbing both of their plates, he turned to make his way to the sink. Ino hollered once more, making him stop and look over his shoulder calmly.
"Well! You seem to have a comment on my choice of eating!" she blurted out.
Naruto looked back with calm eyes before he smiled and turned back to the sink.
"I just don't get why you need to diet at all, Ino… you're already one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life" Naruto informed calmly, pulling the nozzle to allow the sink to fill with water.
There was silence in the kitchen after that as Naruto cleaned the dishes. After a few moments of not hearing Ino speak, he turned to look over his shoulder to see her staring with the biggest blush he had ever seen on a woman before. He smiled at this, knowing he had gotten his point across.
"T…T… thank you Naruto-Kun," she eventually whispered, looking at the floor to help hide her flustered face.
Naruto only smiled and continued to finish the dishes, letting her sit and bask in his compliment.
After about five minutes, Naruto turned off the water and dried his one hand on a towel that was placed next to the sink. Turning to walk back to the table, he stopped, noticing Ino was staring at him. She held no emotion on her face, but rather she was just staring, clearly lost in her own thoughts. Naruto felt uncomfortable under the gaze.
"Naruto…" she asked in a monotone voice.
"Uh… ya?" he responded, taking his old seat at the table across from Ino.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" she asked, placing her chin in her hands, leaning with her elbows onto the table top.
Naruto leaned in as well, staring back into her unwavering eyes. He gave her a look that he would allow her request and Ino took a breath.
"May I know who the girl you mentioned to Hinata on the bridge is? I'm curious…" she asked, batting her eyelashes a few times for effect.
Naruto could only stare back with a blank face as a slow pink blush made its way up his face.
"Why?" he responded blankly.
Ino just shrugged casually. "Like I said, I'm just curious."
Naruto was able to shake the flutter from his body. Turning back to look at her Naruto watched as Ino's eyes didn't move from his own. She wasn't going to let him out of this without an answer.
"I… I, uh… the girl I was talking about…. Was, uh." Naruto stuttered out, trying to find a way out of the question.
"It was….y-" Naruto was saved from the embarrassing answer as a knock at the door sounded loudly.
Ino flinched at the sudden sound and Naruto immediately got up and bolted for the door, opening it quickly. Ino frowned with anger, knowing she was cheated out of what she thought would be a confession by her crush.
After a moment, Ino heard the door close, and not long after Naruto walked back around the corner with a scroll in his hand and a confused look on his face.
"Who was it?" she asked with a raised brow, still slightly put off.
Naruto walked forward and placed the scroll in front of her.
"It was the Anbu Black Ops…they told me to give you this immediately," he explained still with a baffled look, scratching the back of his head. "I really want to know how they even knew you were here…?"
Ino only shrugged, picking up the scroll and reading it to herself. She frowned while reading and sighed in exasperation, rolling the paper back up.
"What did it say?" Naruto asked in concern, not liking being left out of the loop.
"Says that I have to go on an escort mission in the morning with Shika and Choji…" she said in a bitter tone. "Guess I'll need to head home to prepare.
"Wait… but we all just got back from a mission! How could they expect you to go on another one!?" Naruto asked in a put off tone.
Ino calmly stood and pushed her chair in with a slight screech as it skid across the floor. "Ya, but we weren't as injured as you were, Naruto-kun. So it isn't that big of a deal for the three of us to be sent out again."
Naruto stood as well and followed Ino to the front door where she sat down to put on her boots.
"Well, that still sucks! Ugh… well, I'll at least walk you home, then!" Naruto said confidently, reaching for his own shoes.
Ino quickly swatted his hands away though, giving him a glare.
"No I already told you, you aren't allowed to walk me home tonight! I won't allow it!" she ordered.
Naruto glared at her and pulled his arm back to his side.
"Whatever…" he mumbled, not liking how he wasn't allowed to be gentlemanly to her tonight.
"How long you gonna be gone for?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.
Ino stood and patted her bottom to get the dust off of it. She then turned and gave Naruto a smile.
"Probable about a week or so… why do you ask? You gonna miss me?" she said playfully, getting Naruto to blush.
"Ha! As if! I was only asking so I could know how long I will be able to enjoy my time off from you being back in the village!" Naruto said snobbishly.
Ino growled at this and spun and slung the door open with a bang, making the wall shake. Before she could storm off, Naruto reached out and grasped her hand. Ino turned back with a scowl on her face before noticing the smile Naruto had on his face.
"You know I was kidding, ha-ha!" Naruto said making Ino pout.
"Whatever…" she replied with a roll of her eyes.
There was a break in conversation as Naruto's grip on Ino's hand tightened slightly, making her blush.
"Naruto-Kun… you okay?" she asked, noticing the serious tone Naruto had suddenly gotten.
"You'll be okay, right?" he asked quietly.
"H… huh?" she responded with a squeak.
"You'll be alright on this mission? I mean… you won't get hurt or anything, right?" he asked again, turning his face to the floor to hide his expression.
Ino looked at him with glossy eyes as she filled with happiness, knowing Naruto was going to be worried about her.
'Naruto-Kun… You…'
Ino smiled before leaning in and placing a soft peck on his cheek, making Naruto look up with wide eyes and a solid red face. He lifted his hand to touch the spot she kissed.
"I'll be fine, Naruto-Kun… thank you for caring." she said sweetly before turning and walking out into the night air. "Also, thank you for dinner… it was lovely."
Naruto watched her take a few steps out the door before he could find the right gears to call out to her.
"H… hey! Ino! Before you go…" he yelled but slowly let his voice grow softer as he spoke.
Ino turned with a smile, watching Naruto fidget in his doorway, not wanting to make eye contact with her.
"I never answered your question… of who the girl was."
Ino looked back with a more intrigued look, waiting for Naruto's answer. She watched him play with his hair and look in every direction to avoid her own gaze.
"She... She's um…" He paused. "She's the coolest person I think I've ever met and I would be honored if she would join me for dinner after she gets home from her mission!"
Ino could only stand and stare as she slowly began to understand what Naruto was saying. Her face grew warm and her hands clammy. Both of them just stood like stones, staring at one another.
"That is, if she even likes me to begin with! I'm not very good with these things, and I honestly don't even truly understand how I feel right now… but all I do know is it sucks when I'm not around her. I want to get to really know her… and see if I can put a name to these feelings…" Naruto blurted out, watching the still dumbstruck Ino.
After his heartfelt slight yelling way of asking Ino out on a date… well he never really did say it was her, but even an idiot could figure out what he was trying to say. She just stood there with the blankest face. Naruto looked at her and the longer she said nothing and held that look of disinterest, the more his chest hurt.
Eventually, a large bright smile spread over Ino's face. She let her eyes soften into the most loving ones Naruto had ever seen in his lifetime. She gave him a playful wink before turning and facing down the road with her back to him.
"Well… I definitely don't know who you're talking about, since you never actually said a name…" she responded playfully.
"But… if I had to guess… I would say she would text you when she got home and that she would expect you to pick her up in front of her house at seven sharp. She would then also say that she expects to be taken to a nice restaurant that's not Ramen-based, and then she would also say to dress nice." She turned to look over her shoulder and smile deeply at him.
"But what would I know, right? I didn't even hear you say the girl's name, he-he," She finished with a wink.
Naruto just stared back with an absolute look of shock before he slowly made the goofiest loving smile Ino had ever seen. It melted her heart slightly.
"Well then, I would tell her it's a date!" Naruto said happily, giving his signature closed eyed fox grin.
Naruto opened his eyes slowly and they stared into each other's eyes before Ino turned her head away and began to walk home in preparation for her mission.
"Good night, Naruto-Kun… see you soon," She whispered.
"Bye, Ino-Chan… be safe," Naruto responded sweetly before closing his door with a creek.
Ino walked home with a casual pace before finally letting her cheeks burst into flame and doing an inner dance for joy. After a moment of skipping and humming to herself happily, she stopped her trek to look up at the moon that was surrounded by bright twinkling starts that seemed to dance alongside her in the night.
She smiled.
"He called me… Ino-Chan."
END CHAPTER !