Author's Note: I don't own Naruto. Also this is only a one shot meant to be my contribution for Naruto's birthday. Of course it's gonna be NaruHina related. Anyways, let's get this shit started
To Swap a Headband
October 10th, a day of celebration of the Fourth Hokage's heroic victory over the Kyuubi that costed him his life. A day for mourning those lost on that horrible night. A day for someone to be reminded that he was alone. Naruto walked gloomily through the streets. A 16 year old young man shouldn't be sad. But here he was walking back to what was his home, even after his heroic deed of defeating Pain, some villagers, practically all the elders who were nothing but old scarecrows, hated him. Not all the elders though. One of the elders, Hiashi (surprisingly enough), respected him and even offered him his eldest daughter's hand. He politely declined the offer, stating that he didn't want a marriage where he didn't love his future partner (if he was lucky enough to get married). Hiashi told him the offer was still there and if he decided to ask for his eldest's hand, Hiashi would give it to him. That bugged him slightly. Why on earth would Hiashi want to offer Hinata's hand to him? Of course she loved him to death and back. But he didn't know where he stood in his life at the moment. Hinata had chosen to give her whole heart to him. Even her life. He didn't want to break her or use her for his own advantage. He had decided that Hinata might be better off with one of her teammates or some noble, not some orphaned, Hokage's son. But then again Hinata was dead set on her choice. It would be so much easier to convince her that she would be better off with someone else if she wasn't so stubborn on this. Hinata Hyūga never let anyone else take Naruto's place in her heart.
Speaking of Hinata, she wasn't too far away from where Naruto was walking. In fact she was inside his newly rebuilt apartment, cooking him a birthday meal. She wished she could do so much more. Like swap headbands with him. Swapping headbands with a Shinobi meant the two were now bound together and they had action. Doing such an action meant she would have the probability of bearing his and her offspring and keep the lineage of the parents going even if the parents both died. Hinata didn't want to think about the last part. She wanted to watch her children grow and become amazing people like the man she wanted their father to be. She also wanted him to be there with her. This was probably going to be her only real shot too. She was told earlier that week that she was going to be married off to a nobleman if she couldn't swap her headband with a ninja in her home village. This went without her father's knowing and there was nothing he could do about it either. The elders had the support of almost the entire main branch. Hanabi being an exception. Hinata didn't want to be with this nobleman. He was said to be in love with her but that was because he wanted to take advantage of her body. Use her as a plaything. It also didn't help the fact that she had until tonight at midnight to swap a headband with someone. She had just finished up her surprise birthday meal when Naruto walked into his home. "Gah! Hinata what are you doing here?" "Oh N-Naruto-kun I was j-just finishing a birthday meal for y-you." Hinata stuttered out. 'Dammit why do I always have to stutter in his presence?' Naruto looked down at the meal prepared for him. His eyes got big as he saw that Hinata had just made him a full course meal with ramen being the main dish. "Gee thanks Hinata." He said with a grin. He grabbed the chopsticks and brought his hands together "thanks for the food" he said as he dug in. His eyes got big as he looked up at Hinata. Hinata blushed at the sight of him staring at her gawking. "Hinata, this is the best ramen I ever had and the other things you made are just as good too!" "Th-thank you Naruto-kun." Naruto brought some of his noodles up and started moving towards Hinata. "N-N-Naruto-kun th-that's for you to eat n-not me." Hinata stammered out. "Nonsense, you should try some of your own creation too!" Naruto said as he shoved the bite into Hinata's open mouth before she could protest. Hinata instinctually closed her mouth as Naruto removed his chopsticks from her mouth. Hinata started chewing. It did taste good. Nothing like her mom's but still good. Naruto finished the rest of his meal and finally looked up at her. "Hinata why did you make this for me?" "B-because it was y-your birthday and I wanted to surprise you with some gifts. You already had one gift. So h-here's the second gift." Hinata reached for her headband and pulled it off her neck. Naruto was confused by her actions until he realized she was offering him her headband. Naruto looked down at it, then back up at the Hyūga girl in front of him. "Hinata I can't take this. Unless you want to swap headbands- oh dear lord please tell me you don't want to swap headbands!" Naruto stared into her eyes. Hinata looked back at him and a strange light filled her eyes. She was determined and had made up her mind. "But Hinata, I'm just an orphan with no family and no real money. Why would you want to swap headbands with me? You would be better off with a-" "DON'T SAY THAT I WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITH A NOBLEMAN! ALL NOBLEMEN ARE THE SAME! THEY ALL WANT TO USE ME!" Hinata shouted. It didn't take much for Naruto to become silent. "Naruto-kun, earlier this week I was told that I would be married off to a nobleman if I didn't swap my headband with someone tonight. You're the only person in my heart that I will share a marriage with. Please just take my headband and give me yours. Please, I'll be used to no end if you don't."
Naruto looked down at the hand that held the headband then to the girl who was pleading him with her eyes. In his mind, battles were being fought over whether to accept or reject this gift. In all of his battles, something rugged at his heart. In his head, he heard a woman's voice. "Naruto, don't leave her side. You two were bound together before you two were born." Naruto didn't know where the voice came from but then he stared into her eyes once more. Then something clicked inside him. As if someone threw the red thread and bond the two together. Naruto stopped and looked down at the table deep in thought with the red thread attached. Then he made up his mind.
Hinata stood there waiting for Naruto to respond or anything other than what he was doing. But then she grew worried that he would not accept her offer. Her heart wrenched as she saw his hand raise up. But then it reached up to where his headband was and removed it. He then took her headband and placed it on his head. He looked up and smiled a gentle, warm smile. "I'll take your headband, and your hand." He said as he grabbed her hand. "Hinata, will you walk beside me for the rest of my life?" It was an odd way to propose but Hinata knew exactly what he meant. Tears filled her eyes. She saw exactly what he was doing. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" Hinata started to cry. It wasn't out of sadness, but out of joy. Hinata got out from behind the table ran over to where Naruto sat and promptly tackled the blond. She held his headband so tightly in her hand like her life would end if it was forced out.
Naruto quickly dispatched a clone to let Hiashi know that if his offer was still up, he had decided to take it. The clone discovered that Hiashi had still had the offer for his eldest's hand to Naruto. The clone informed Hiashi that Naruto would accept the offer and that Hinata had swapped headbands with Naruto. When Hiashi asked why, the clone informed him on the plot for Hinata to be married off to a nobleman that wasn't exactly liked by the Hyūga head. To say that Hiashi's fury in the clan council was over the boiling point was an understatement. Hiashi full on slaughtered the clan council and the Nobleman who had shown up to do some suspicious business with the council. The incident would go down as The Second Hyūga Affair. And people started to have a great respect for Hiashi after the incident.
Back at Naruto's apartment, well things got spicy between Naruto and Hinata. The result was Hinata got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy. Neji, would often spoil this kid and the boy's younger sister and make Naruto have one hell of a headache when he got home from a mission. As payback, Naruto spoiled Neji's son and made sure Neji's son gave Neji twice the headache. Neji almost countered with spoiling Naruto's kids even more, but it took Hinata and Neji's wife, Tenten, to get the two to settle down. Eventually, the two men came to an agreement, don't do anything to piss off the wives.
Hinata stood there watching her husband fulfill his dream. There was no way to describe the pure joy she felt as she saw Naruto stand there, a Hokage now. After the ceremony ended, Naruto disappeared only to reappear beside his wife and children. She turned to face her husband and smiled. Her husband's headband gleamed in the sunlight. She was so glad he had to decided to swap a headband.