Sparks Fly

by Lynns

It's been three years since Electricians Naruto and Hinata have seen each other. Will sparks fly between them as they endure the cold up north at the Konoha Energy Oilfield Site? Or will the obstacles they face be too much for them to take? Based on the Characters of the series Naruto and Naruto Shippuden in an Alternate Universe

16. Chapter 15

Series: Naruto

Pairings: NaruHina

Author: Lynns

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi

Type: Alternate Universe/Romance

Sparks Fly

Chapter 15

The truck was quiet and cold.

Kiba knew that he should head in, but for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to leave quite yet. Almost fifteen minutes ago, he had dropped Sakura and Deidara off at the front entrance to the camp, and now here he was in the far parking lot, dreading the cold walk back. However, the freezing weather wasn't the only thing holding him back.

I'm an idiot . . . I'm such a fucking idiot . . .

When Hinata had asked him if they were dating, his heart had started to flutter, and for some reason, he suddenly got the stupid idea that maybe he still had a chance with her. Feelings that he thought were buried unexpectedly came bursting forward, and before Kiba could stop himself, he had attempted to do something he had desired to do for the last five years . . . kiss her.

However, whatever feelings had suddenly arisen in him quickly died on the spot when he saw her reaction and the look in her pale violet eyes . . .

Even if she didn't remember rejecting me, I could clearly see it in her eyes when I leaned in like that. God damn it, what is wrong with me?

His forehead hit the steering wheel for probably the twentieth time, and he bit his bottom lip while staring down at his legs. The answer was quite simple and one he hated to admit.

He was lonely.

He had flirted and dated many women for years, but none of them ever held his interest. They mostly all felt the same; fake and only dating him because he had a good job with decent money. His relationship with Keiko had also been fun at first, and after really looking at their relationship recently through clear eyes, Kiba had to admit that he never loved her. She was fun to roll around in the sheets with, but even back then, he knew their relationship was not going to last and chose to ignore his rational side.

He was even starting to have his doubts when it came to Hinata. After she rejected him, he tried to take a long hard look at his feelings for her. Her kindness knew no bounds, and she had such a caring nature about her. Kiba always felt drawn to her, but perhaps compared to any other woman he talked to up here, Hinata was the kindest of them all; or at least the ones he had spoken to so far. He recalled one morning when he had been heading down for breakfast and had kept the door open for the person behind him, who just happened to be one of the female welders. He had expected a nonchalant thank you or no response at all, but instead, he got an earful about how she was a capable woman and didn't need a man to open the door for her. She had tried to tell him how he was being a toxic man, but he hightailed it out of there as fast as he could.

It also didn't help with his work schedule that he wasn't really able to meet anyone. When everyone else was relaxing on their days off, he was at Inuzuka Veterinary Clinic helping his Mom and sister. While he wasn't a veterinarian, his family appreciated his help in the front. He would greet their customers, manage any sales and transactions, feed the animals, and do any other miscellaneous jobs that needed to be done. Kiba enjoyed the work. In fact, there were times he wished it was something he did full time. However, until he could catch up on some of the family's deep debt that had been left behind by his old man, Kiba knew he needed to keep working up here.

That fucker just up and left us, only leaving behind his unpaid bills. If I ever see him face to face, I'm slamming my fist into his nose. But . . . at least by next year we should have it all paid off . . . any maybe I will need to take a long hard look where I want my life to go . . .

A chill ran up his spine, bringing Kiba back to his senses. He let out a sigh and gave himself hell for just sitting in the cold truck for nothing, especially when he could have contemplated all of these thoughts in his warm room instead. Then, letting out a frustrated growl, Kiba grabbed his phone, stuffed it into his jacket, and exited the vehicle. When his boots hit the crusty snow, he hit the button to lock the doors before starting his long trek to the camp doors. The cold air bit at his skin, and he suddenly regretted not bringing any mitts or a toque along. He had left those winter garments behind at Pad #12's Trailer.

Kiba ducked his head down a bit in a futile attempt to block his face from the wind. Instead, he kept his eyes downward and focused on getting inside as fast as possible.

Maybe I could also ask Kakashi if I could get switched back to Front Shift. With Naruto leaving next month, perhaps I can take over his position. I miss being able to hang out with Shino and all my other friends on days off. So it couldn't hurt to ask, right?

The sound of a vehicle approaching suddenly caught Kiba's attention, and he turned around to see where it was. A white truck had just come around the corner to where he had parked and was slowly coming towards him on his right side. Kiba moved moreover to the left so that the truck would have plenty of room to pass, not really thinking much about it since it was just probably someone on the night shift crew. However, when the vehicle gave a short honk at him, Kiba's dark eyes glanced down at the company logo on the door and finally realized it was a Hyuuga Electric truck.

Kiba stopped, and the white truck pulled up right beside him. The driver's side window rolled down, and the lead hand couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, along with a huge smile. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Good evening, Kurenai."

At the beginning of his apprenticeship, he, Shino, and Hinata had been under the mentorship of Kurenai. She was an excellent electrician and had been an amazing teacher to them. However, once they had all gotten their journeyman tickets, she had transferred to the maintenance crew. However, Kiba did see her the odd time on site and always made sure to say hello, followed by a brief catch-up chat. The last time he had talked to her, though, had been over two years ago when she had been 6 months pregnant, and it was her last shift before going on maternity leave.

"I believe it's morning now, Kiba. Good morning, and how are you?" Kurenai asked with a mirroring smile to his.

Kiba chuckled. "Doing alright, I guess. I take it you heard about Hinata and Deidara?"

Kurenai nodded solemnly. "Are they doing alright? You took them to Fort McMurray?"

"Both Sakura and I did. Deidara is fine. He's back at camp. On the other hand, Hinata's got a minor concussion and memory loss. No memories of what's been going on the past month, at least. Her sister and cousin came to get her, and when I said goodbye, Hinata at least had recovered a little bit, but some things she doesn't remember yet. The doctors figure that she will have all her memories back by tomorrow afternoon or evening, but she'll still need to take it easy."

His old mentor sighed. "Well, I'm glad to hear she's okay. I tried texting her, but I haven't gotten a response yet."

"Ah, well, she doesn't have her phone. Hinata's boyfriend has it. He was put in charge of packing up all her stuff and will be taking it back to her tomorrow."

Kurenai's eyebrow arched in amusement. "Hinata's finally dating someone? She certainly didn't mention anything to me last time we talked."

Kiba laughed. "I think she's still in shock that she's finally dating the man of her dreams. Probably hasn't sunk in yet, which is why she's keeping quiet about it."

Kurenai's eyes were full of delight. "Oh? Would it happen to be a certain blonde electrician that she's had a crush on for a long time?"

"The one and only. By the way, what are you doing up here, Kurenai? I thought you would be home with Mirai. She turned two this year?"

"That she did, in September. I'm sure you've seen Asuma up here. He's been working harder than ever with the Christmas season approaching. I'm actually only here for a few months with the night crew maintenance team; granted, there are only five of us. Back in November, Hiazashi gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in coming back for a few months. Someone on the night crew had a medical emergency and needed time off immediately. My parents live close by, so they have been watching Mirai for the seven days that I am up here. By the end of January, I should be back home and playing housewife."

Kiba laughed but then shivered as the wind blew past him, and he suddenly realized how cold he really was and that he had lost feeling in his hands.

"Oh my word, Kiba! I am so sorry! Hop in! We'll give you a ride to camp so you don't freeze out there!"

Before Kiba could say a word, Kurenai was suddenly talking to her passenger and telling them to move over while rolling up her window. He suddenly felt a tinge of guilt for not noticing the other person, but he had been so focused on Kurenai that he hadn't even realized someone else was with her. Walking around the vehicle, he reached for the passenger side door and pulled it open. Sitting in the middle was a young woman with long brown hair that had been pulled back into a low ponytail. He didn't know anyone on the night shift maintenance crew, but whoever this woman was, she gave him a big smile, and she patted the seat beside her. "Come on in, I don't bite."

A light blush dusted his cheeks, and without hesitation, he took the seat beside her. Kurenai then shifted the truck into drive and started to head over to the camp entrance. However, the maximum speed limit in the parking lot was 30km/hr, and since it was a one-way, it meant she had to take the long way around.

The inside of the cab was at first quiet. Kiba tried to keep his gaze ahead, but his eyes kept darting to the woman sitting beside him. She was staring at him, and for some reason, he just couldn't quite shake the feeling that she looked familiar. The lead hand tried to rack his brain on where he would have seen her before, but he just couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Around camp, maybe? No, if she works on the night shift, then we have completely opposite schedules. Maybe at a Christmas Party a few years ago? No . . . I don't think that's it either.

"You don't remember me, do you, Kiba?"

Kiba froze, and the colour drained from his face. He turned his head to look at her, and chocolate eyes were shining with amusement while Kurenai was trying to stifle her giggles. Finally admitting defeat, Kiba shook his head.

The woman didn't get mad but instead pulled out her phone, tapped on the screen a few times, and then turned it to him. "My name is Tamaki, and four weeks ago, I was at your vet clinic with my cat Momo. I was a blubbering mess and thought my cat was going to die."

His dark eyes stared down at her phone, and he immediately recognized the cat. Almost instantaneously, he remembered that day, and he could now see Tamaki's face as clear as day in his memories. It had been a typical, busy day at the Inuzuka Vet Clinic. A few people were waiting in chairs for their pets to be seen, and just as Kiba had finished taking a payment from a client who had brought in his old Golden Retriever for a checkup, someone came bursting through the door. The woman was crying and bawling her eyes out, holding a motionless black and white cat. Through her sobs, Kiba depicted that the poor feline had been hit by a car and was not responding. He immediately shouted for Hana, who came running out from the back to come over and assist him. It had been so heartbreaking when they had to take the cat from her arms, but his Mom needed to look at the feline as soon as possible. The woman began to cry even harder, to the point that she was almost gagging and throwing up. Kiba picked her up and carried her into one of the rooms reserved for clients for privacy when discussing matters with their pets. He told the rest of the customers to remain calm and that he would be with them soon. The woman clung to his shoulders and sobbed uncontrollably against his chest when the door closed behind them. At first, Kiba debated setting her down in one of the chairs, telling her everything would be okay and that he needed to get back to the other clients. But . . .

How would I feel if someone told me that? Or just left me by myself if I was upset about Akamaru?

Kiba dropped down to his knees so that the woman was seated on his lap. Through her tears, she told him that it was all her fault that her cat was hurt. While grabbing groceries and bringing them inside, she hadn't been paying attention to where her pet was. On her last trip to the car, she had opened the door wide, and the cat had escaped, almost immediately heading towards the busy road outside her home. The only thing Kiba could think to say was that his Mom would do everything in her power to help, not wanting to give her false hope and say, 'everything will be alright.'

He wrapped his arms around her tightly for support, gently rubbing her back. Then, hoping to calm her down, Kiba started to tell her stories of his dog Akamaru, who was actually fast asleep beside the front desk where he had previously been. He told her a few tales where he almost thought he would lose his best friend, but thanks to the skills of his Mom and sister, he had lived to see another day.

How long they stayed on the floor like that, Kiba wasn't sure, but soon enough, his sister came into the room with a smile on her face and said that the cat was okay. The woman in his lap then started to cry happy tears. Finally, she released him and stood up, but not before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and telling him she appreciated his kindness and support. His mother, Tsume, then came in and said she could see her cat Momo now.

The woman quickly followed after his Mom and sister into the back while returning to the front to deal with the customers. There was quite the lineup when he returned to his desk, and he apologized profusely to the clients. However, most of them understood and told him not to worry about it. After that, the day continued on as usual until closing time. He knew the woman was still in the back with her cat, but Hana had told him to head home and that she would take care of everything. And that was the last time Kiba saw her. When he had returned home and started making supper, he briefly wondered what the woman's name was, his fingers gently brushing the spot she had kissed. Kiba wasn't sure what to make of her gesture but decided not to dig too deep into it.

Kiba shook his head to bring himself back to reality.

"Ah! Yes! I remember you now! How's Momo doing?"

Tamaki smiled and put her phone away. "He's doing very well. Your Mom and sister did an amazing job, and I never did really thank you properly for supporting me like that. I really did think my cat was going to die, and I was just a complete mess. When I told Kurenai about it a few shifts ago, she told me that she knew you and that you worked for Hyuuga Electric too. So I was hoping that as a thank you, I could treat you to dinner? Or perhaps coffee?"

A dark blush crept onto his cheeks. "Ah . . .well . .. you don't have to do that. I was just doing my job and . . ." His hand was rubbing the back of his head out of embarrassment, and while Tamaki looked a bit disappointed, but Kurenai was straight out glaring at him. His face then paled. He recognized that look all too well and knew he would be in deep trouble if he ticked off his old mentor. "B-b-but! I-I would really like that! I'm not off till Sunday for the Christmas Holidays, but I'm not returning until January 5th. So, maybe sometime in there, we can meet up?"

Her chocolate eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled out her phone to get his number. As he gave her his contact information, he couldn't help but notice that her cheeks had turned a light shade of pink as well. Just then, they finally pulled up to the front of the camp.

"Thank you so much, Kiba. Do you mind if I text you a little bit before we meet up?"

Kiba shook his head and whispered. "N-no, not at all."

"Great! Well, I'm glad we were able to run into you tonight!"

He nodded. "Me too. Well, I'd better head in. It's been a long day."

As Kiba slowly climbed out of the truck, Kurenai said, "Hey, don't be a stranger, you hear? Someday you, Shino, and Hinata should come over and see Mirai. I know Hinata has seen her a few times, but I know you and Shino haven't."

Kiba let out a nervous laugh. "That's my bad. I'm usually just so busy on my days off."

"I understand, Kiba. But sometime while you're off for Christmas, you should come over for a visit! Heck, bring Tamaki with you too!"

"Kurenai!" Both Kiba and Tamaki cried at the older electrician.

She only laughed and motioned for Tamaki to move back over to her seat. "I'm only kidding, partially that is, but you have a good night, Kiba. Get some rest, and I will see you later."

Kiba nodded and waited as Tamaki closed the passenger door, but not before giving him a wink first. He stood there for a moment and watched as the white truck drove off and towards the main road. Even though the cold was nipping at his bare skin, Kiba didn't even notice. For some reason, he felt unbelievably happy.

It's just a coffee get-together, Kiba, don't overthink it. She just wants to thank you for being a decent human being, right? Right?

As Kiba walked inside for some well-deserved sleep, he couldn't help but maybe hope, just a little bit, that maybe things between him and Tamaki could become something more.

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The belts on the baggage carousel moved slowly by him, his blue eyes scanning each bag as he waited patiently for his luggage. Naruto felt exhausted. However, sleep was the last thing on his mind. He had barely gotten any sleep last night with maybe an hour or two, but after he had woken up and seen numerous messages from Neji and Kiba, he hadn't been able to shut his mind off. After talking to his two friends on the phone and learning that technically Hinata was fine and would be home the next morning, he thought he would feel more relieved and maybe even be able to rest some more. However, it had the complete opposite effect on him.

On auto-pilot, he reached forward and grabbed his orange suitcase off the carousel and placed it beside the growing pile of bags he would need to carry to his truck. He already had his carry-on slung over his shoulder and one of Hinata's violet suitcases as well. So now, he was just waiting for her other rolling one and her tool bag as well. Briefly, his blue eyes darted around the area to see if he recognized anyone beside him, but there was nothing but unfamiliar faces.

Since Kiba had come back so late in the evening, he wasn't allowed to come into work today. The protocol was that if you arrived back to camp less than 8 hours before your shift began, you were forbidden from working the next day. Even though Kakashi had promised he would be on the first-morning flight back home, all of those plans went spiralling down the drain. It had been awful enough having to go into work without barely getting a wink of sleep, but it only got worse when he was told that Sasuke was needed on Pad #15 to go over some details with the operator. Meaning that he would be the only lead hand on Pad #12 for the entire day. After hearing all of this from Kakashi from Shino's office phone, Naruto could only remember feeling numb and not reacting to the news. On the other hand, his foreman stepped in and told Kakashi that it was unfair to Naruto and tried to play up that since he was in charge of all of Hinata's belongings, he should be able to leave as soon as possible. However, the Back Shift Project Manager held his ground and told him there were no other options.

It almost felt like his old friend had taken a knife and stabbed him in the side with it. It was painful, but it was just a minor stab wound, and he would be able to survive it. He just needed to get through half the day until he was able to go home with everyone else. But then, Kakashi's following words took the knife that was plunged into his side and gave it a swift twist when he told Naruto that he would be on one of the later flights that didn't leave until 3pm, meaning he wouldn't get home until around 5pm. At this point, Naruto finally came to the conclusion that over the last nine days, the entire world had come together to conspire against him to see just how much they could push him to his limits.

Numerous times he had done a job he didn't like or was asked to complete a task at the very last minute or finish the paperwork that he had been told initially needed to get done over the next few days but, in actuality, needed to be done before the end of the day. This wasn't the first time he had been frustrated by Kakashi, but usually, the incidents were few and far between, meaning he would have time to get over his frustrations by either hanging out with his co-workers or having a beer at the bar. However, this time, it had been nine days of hell, and he was once again contemplating stealing a truck and just heading home.

Once Shino hung up, he apologized to Naruto and told him that he would ask Konohamaru to step into his shoes for today, insisting that the blonde electrician just take it easy and said he didn't even mind if he chose to play phone games all day. However, Naruto knew it was part of his job as Lead Hand and told Shino that he should be fine for the day. On the other hand, Shino had looked less than convinced and still insisted that Kono be his assistant for the day. Reluctantly Naruto agreed, and then the two of them headed over for the morning meeting.

The rest of the day had been . . . interesting, which was one word to describe it. Usually, Home Day was busy, and everyone on Front Shift would be chattering about what they would do on their days off. However, as Naruto and Kono made their rounds around the pad, it was eerily quiet. There were still, of course, the loud sounds of machinery going on all around the pad, but the talking amongst the trades, especially the electricians, it felt like Naruto was walking through a cemetery.

When the two friends had returned to the trailer, Naruto had made an offhand comment that it was weird how quiet everyone was and that he had a sneaky suspicion they were gossiping about him and Hinata. In fact, Naruto was quite surprised that not a single person on their crew had come forward and quizzed him on his new relationship. However, he figured since his girlfriend was injured that maybe they all had the decency to keep their mouths shut for the time being.

Kono suddenly looked nervous, and after a bit of prodding, the third-year electrician admitted that he was most likely the cause of everyone's silence for today. He admitted that last night during supper, the talk of all the tables nearby had been about the man down the incident, with the electricians filling the other trades in on what they had heard happened. Suddenly, the talk switched to Naruto dating the niece of Hyuuga Electric, and of course, only the foulest and nastiest words were spoken about the couple. Almost everyone with Hyuuga Electric had received a text from Deidara that they were screwing around and had been keeping it secret the entire shift.

At some point, Kono finally had enough.

The third-year apprentice had stood up and, with a loud bang, slammed his tray against the table. Perhaps if he had been the only one to do it, no one else would have paid attention, but then another loud bang was followed when Udon stood up and slammed his tray down too, followed by Lee, Guy, Ino, and Choji. The entire dining hall suddenly became quiet, but before Kono could even speak a word, it was actually Ino that interjected. She called everyone out and told them they were only jealous of the couple and how dare they mock the two when an incident had occurred on site. With the dining hall still quiet, Kono then spoke out how he had witnessed his friend completely break down at the news that his girlfriend might be dead and that if the two of them were only messing around, he wouldn't have reacted the way he did. Needless to say, after Kono's and Ino's outburst, the Dining Room Hall had become unnervingly quiet.

Perhaps on any other given day, he would have thanked Konohamaru and even maybe given him a hug for standing up for him. However, Naruto just felt so numb that the only thing he could do was nod his head before taking off his winter gear so he could start his paperwork.

At 1pm, everyone on the front shift crew left for days off. Ebisu, the Back Shift Foreman, usually was a bit of a stickler, and Naruto was prepared for the man to watch him over his shoulder with everything he did for the next two hours. However, after Ebisu quickly looked over his paperwork from the day, he patted Naruto on the shoulder and told him to take it easy until his flight was ready to leave at 3pm.

Throughout the day, he had been texting Neji to see how Hinata was doing; the relief he felt when the Hyuuga told him that his girlfriend was well and slowly regaining her memories felt like a weight lifted off of his shoulders. Now that he had a bit of free time on his hands, he decided it was probably time to get in touch with everyone else that had been trying to get in contact with him. He first started off with his parents, then Jiraiya, who had heard about the news as well, followed by a few of his friends who were in other trades on site.

The next couple of hours felt like a blur, being driven back to camp, gathering up all of his and Hinata's belongings, and then awkwardly trying to carry and push it all to the awaiting bus that would take them to their flight home. Usually, this flight was reserved strictly for operators only; the plane was slightly smaller and had a few more perks than regular flights, such as more free food and even alcohol. It was difficult trying to move all the luggage. However, a few of the operators gave him a hand, and he ended up sitting beside two gentlemen that knew his Dad and Mom very well. During the flight, he tried to be cheerful and have a friendly conversation with the two men, but Naruto was screaming at the top of his lungs in the back of his mind. He wanted nothing more than to be left alone and perhaps catch a few winks of sleep before landing back home.

And here he was now.

The small airport was now pretty much empty, except for a few others waiting for their remaining bags with him. Naruto rubbed the back of his head and briefly contemplated what he would do for the rest of the day. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he was thankful that no one was standing too close to hear it. Food was definitely at the top of his agenda, but he was rather desperate to see Hinata as soon as possible. Neji had been a bit vague, but by the sounds of it, he would be able to see his girlfriend while dropping off her belongings. However, how long he would be able to stay was still up in the air. If she was sleeping, would he be able to see her at all? Would her father not want him there for very long and ask him to leave immediately?

He didn't know Hiashi very well, but with the few conversations he had with Hanabi, maybe she would be on his side more and convince the older Hyuuga that he was genuinely concerned for Hinata. On the other hand, Naruto wasn't sure how he would react if he wasn't allowed to see her at all. Would he turn with his tail between his legs? Or put up a huge fight that would grab the attention of the entire neighbourhood? He really hoped it wouldn't come to that, but considering the over-protectiveness that Hiashi seemed to have with his daughters, Naruto wasn't sure.

Just then, he caught sight of Hinata's other suitcase and her tool bag. As the luggage came closer and closer, Naruto reached forward and grabbed her tool bag first. He suddenly remembered how heavy the bag was and awkwardly swung it on top of the other suitcases. Then, without looking, he released it and tried to reach for Hinata's other bag before it got too far away. However, just as he was grabbing the handle, he could see the pile of baggage was mere seconds away from tipping over out of the corner of his eye.

Cursing under his breath, Naruto tried to lunge forward and stop the pile from toppling over, but with how tired and worn out he was, there was no chance he was going to make it. Then, suddenly, someone was in front of him, and they caught the unsteady tool bag and secured the other luggage so it wouldn't go rolling off. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and took the few steps needed toward the stranger that had helped him.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that." Said Naruto, sliding the last bag in beside the others.

"Not a problem, Naruto. I sure wish they had the luggage carrier carts like at the bigger airports, but I suppose not many of us usually carry this much baggage."

Naruto froze and whipped his head up to see who had helped him. The voice was eerily familiar, and it somehow rubbed him the wrong way. Standing next to him was Toneri. His white hair was mainly concealed underneath a black toque, but his pale eyes were a dead giveaway. Naruto tried swallowing down the sudden lump in his throat and wasn't sure what to say to the operator; the last time he had seen the guy was in Hinata's office.

How the hell did I not recognize him on the plane?! Well, I guess I was distracted by the two guys I was talking with, but still!

Toneri only smiled and grasped onto two of the suitcases before him. "May I lend you a hand? I only have my backpack, and it seems to me you could use a little help with all of this."

Still unsure of what to say, Naruto only nodded his head.

The two men walked out into the parking lot, with Naruto taking a slight lead to show Toneri where he was parked. While the city wasn't as cold as up north, it was still chilly enough that you at least wanted gloves on your hands. The white-haired operator didn't say a word as they approached his truck, and Naruto pulled out his keys so he could not only unlock the vehicle but also hit the automatic starter.

As Naruto piled the bags into the back, Toneri still remained quiet and only looked at him with a soft smile. He wasn't sure what to make of the guy, and the only thing he knew about him was that he had kind of harassed Hinata last shift by asking her out and that their families were business partners. It still irked him that he had embarrassed Hinata like that, but she had taken care of the matter, so there was really nothing for him to say or do about it.

Tossing in the last bag and shutting the back passenger side door, Naruto did the civil thing and turned to the operator with an outstretched hand. "Thank you for giving me a hand. I greatly appreciate it. I hope you have a Merry Christmas."

Naruto wasn't sure how the other man would react but was surprised when Toneri kept his smile and clasped his hand tightly.

"Not a problem, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well. Please give Hinata my regards, and I hope she is feeling better. Are you off to see her right now?"

Naruto pulled his hand back and nodded. "I hope too. Her cousin told me that she's feeling a lot better, so I would like to see her as soon as possible."

"Well, safe travels to you then. I did hear that Hinata was diagnosed with short-term memory loss. However, like you said, it's been over twenty-four hours now, so I'm sure she's back to her normal self now. Besides, I know better than anyone that the person she's going to want to see the most is you."

Toneri gave him a curt nod before he turned and started to head towards his own vehicle.

"W-what makes you say that?" asked Naruto.

The operator smiled. "I witnessed Hinata slipping on the ice, and while I was by her side waiting for the paramedics to come for her, the last thing she whispered was your name. You're very lucky to have her, Naruto."

And without another word, Toneri briskly walked away before Naruto could say anything back. He stood there for only a moment but then let out a sigh before walking around to step inside his truck.

What the hell did he mean by that? Is he jealous? Frick, I'm too tired for this . . .

Placing his phone into its holder, he punched in the address Neji had given him to see how long it would take to get there. Surprising, yet not surprisingly, the location he was heading for was only a ten-minute drive from Hinata's apartment complex.

That's right . . . she did mention that the only reason she was able to move out without such a fuss was that her new place had to be close to her family.

Naruto stared at the screen for a few minutes and contemplated what he wanted to do.

The thought of seeing Hinata, for however long that was, and then returning to his parent's cold and dark house just didn't sit right with him. Not that his childhood home was awful, but right now, he just wanted to be as close to Hinata as possible. Blue eyes glanced over at the digital clock to see that it was almost 5pm.

If I leave now, I might just be able to get to her house at 5:30pm. Then, if luck is on my side, maybe I can stay there till at least 9pm and have some time with Hinata. But I don't want to go back to my place . . . ah screw it. So I'm just going to spend the night at Hinata's apartment. I've got some extra clothes in my bag for at least one night away. I really don't feel like driving to the other side of the city just to get an overnight bag for myself.

Decision made, Naruto shifted the truck into gear and began following the directions on his phone.

It took longer than he would have liked, but by 5:45pm, Naruto pulled up into a cul-de-sac with a massive house at the end of it. According to his GPS, that was where he needed to go. His eyes quickly darted around at the other homes located on this dead-end street; most of them were huge as well, especially the one beside Hiashi's place; it almost looked similar in size. Not wanting to block any traffic, Naruto drove up into the driveway and shifted the vehicle into park. While it was pitch black outside, the lights from the two-car garage and door illuminated enough for him to see the walkway up to the front door. The two-story house was enormous, and Naruto couldn't help but feel it almost looked like a mansion.

Well, Hiashi does own his own company. So it makes sense he would have a large house for his family.

A few lights were on inside, but he couldn't see anyone by the windows. Taking a few deep breaths, Naruto tried mentally preparing himself for what he was about to say to Hinata's father. Did he try and keep it light and chipper? No, that didn't sound right, especially since Hinata had been hurt. Did he keep it serious and to the point? No, that wasn't his style either, and it wasn't like Hinata had died or anything.

As he stepped out of the vehicle and opened the back door to retrieve Hinata's belongings, a chill suddenly ran up his spine that he was being watched. Blue eyes suddenly darted around the other houses close by, and while he didn't see anyone, it still felt like there were many eyes on him. Another lump formed in his throat, and Naruto tried to shake the feeling as he grabbed Hinata's two rolling suitcases. Then, shutting the door behind him, he looked up at the front door and had to bite his tongue from letting out a yelp.

Hiashi Hyuuga stood there at the top of the stairs with a serious look on his face. Perhaps it was the lighting or the all-black garments the man was wearing, but to Naruto, he looked like the final villain you faced off against in a video game. As Naruto began to approach, the older Hyuuga didn't say a word and only stared at him with a stern expression. The blonde electrician bit his tongue and wracked his brain and what he needed to say.

This guy seems so agitated and peeved, but I haven't done anything! Is he really that ticked that his daughter's boyfriend is bringing her stuff home?

Just as Naruto was less than ten feet away, and his brain was about to have an aneurism, all tension suddenly disappeared when the older Hyuuga sighed and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you so much for coming out all this way and delivering my daughter's things. You have no idea how much my family and I appreciate it."

The sudden shift in mood caught Naruto entirely off guard, and the only thing he could think to stutter was, "Y-you're welcome."

Hiashi opened the front door and motioned for Naruto to drop the suitcases there. "I take it she has a few more things?"

Naruto nodded. "Her tool bag and backpack. The backpack has her wallet and phone in it."

Hiashi sighed. "You've already done so much, but after you bring those items up, could we ask you for a favour?"

Naruto's eyebrow arched in suspicion. "I suppose."

"You see, we ordered pizza for tonight at Pizzeria Gaga. However, the delivery driver forgot to take our order while rushing out the door. The owner called and apologized profusely, but he doesn't have another driver to bring it to us. Since your truck is already warmed up, could you please go pick it up?" asked Hiashi.

Naruto shrugged and said. "Um, yeah. I can do that."

Before Hiashi could say another word, Hanabi suddenly appeared like a ghost at the front door and nearly scared the hell out of them. "Now, father, don't word it like that! Tell Naruto that he's invited to join us for pizza too! We made sure to order enough for him as well!"

The older Hyuuga nodded and reached into his pocket. "Don't jump scare people like that, Hanabi! But yes, I was just getting to that." He turned his attention back to Naruto. "We would like for you to join us, and please, while you're out grabbing the pizza, there is a liquor store close by. So please pick up any beverage you would like to drink."

Naruto was speechless and stared at the money that Hiashi was handing him. At first, the blonde almost wanted to decline and say that he could pay for the pizza and his own beer; however, with a gut feeling and the small glare that Hanabi was giving him, he figured it was best just to agree with the offer.

He accepted the money and placed it into his winter jacket.

After returning the rest of Hinata's things, Naruto jumped back in his truck and headed off to play pizza delivery guy. It didn't take long for him to find the pizza place, but Naruto was almost held up for five minutes as the owner abundantly apologized for his employee's mistake and would not stop giving him coupons.

With the pizza safely in his truck, blue eyes fell on the liquor store that was right next door. He wasn't sure how comfortable he felt drinking in front of Hinata's family. Perhaps it was wise to just drink water and pick up liquor later when he was alone in Hinata's apartment. However, wouldn't it seem rude if the rest of them were having drinks and he wasn't?

This whole situation has been tough on me, but I can't even imagine how it's felt like for them. Hinata is part of their family, after all, and I'm sure they've all been under a lot of stress because of this. So I guess having a beer or two in front of them couldn't hurt . . .

Naruto cursed the holiday season and their Christmas sales at the liquor store; the price of a 24 case of beer was cheaper than 12. He placed the large cardboard container of beer in the back and prayed that the Hyuuga's didn't think he was an alcoholic.

Once he returned to the cul-de-sac and parked in the driveway, he carried the pizza and beer up the stairs towards the house. Again, he suddenly felt that eyes were staring him down and spying from a distance. When he reached the front door, he turned around to see if anyone in the neighbourhood was looking at him, but there was not a soul to be seen.

Naruto bit his bottom lip and started to wonder if he was just being paranoid or if perhaps the lack of sleep he had gotten was catching up on him. Letting out a sigh, he raised his hand to knock on the dark wood door, but before he could even touch it, suddenly it opened, and Hanabi's smiling face was there to greet him. "Welcome back! Did you find the place okay? Oh, you like Molson Canadian? Good thing you went and bought some; our second cousin Akio always drinks them all when he comes over for New Year's Eve. Come in, come in!"

The blonde electrician stepped into the warm house and passed the pizzas off to Hanabi. While dropping off the bags, he hadn't really gotten a good look at the inside of the house, but now his eyes scanned the interior of it. The main floor was primarily open concept with the living room to his right, the dining room was off to his left, and the large kitchen in full view. Straight ahead was a staircase that led upstairs, along with a hallway that led to other rooms he couldn't see. Hiashi, Hizashi and Neji were sitting at the island in the kitchen, and all had their eyes on him while he awkwardly tried to remove his coat and boots.

"Welcome, Naruto! Thank you so much for grabbing the pizza! I see the owner gave us quite a few coupons! Come on in and grab a seat beside Neji." Hizashi waved him over and then pointed to the cupboards above the sink. "Glasses are up there if you prefer to drink out of that instead of the beer can."

After placing his coat on the rack, Naruto slowly walked towards the kitchen, blue eyes quickly darting around to see if there was any sign of Hinata yet. When he didn't see her, his line of vision came in contact with Neji, who gave him a knowing smile. "We haven't woken Hinata up yet for supper. She's been sleeping most of the day, and the doctor said that by the latest tomorrow morning, she should have all her memories back."

Naruto took a seat on a barstool next to Neji and nodded. "I see."

Hanabi opened up all five pizza boxes so everyone could select what they wanted to eat. "There we go! Now, I'll just quickly head over to Hinata's room and wake her up for supper!"

A chill suddenly ran down Naruto's spine. While he was eager to see his girlfriend, a strange part of him was also afraid.

What if she still doesn't remember about us?

The way she had looked at him back at the hospital, her pale eyes full of anxiety and uncertain at the sight of him . . .

"M-maybe we should wait! As much as I want to see her, I think it's better if we let her sleep some more. When you have a concussion, I've heard that rest is the best thing for you." Naruto stammered out as Hanabi started to leave.

The young Hyuuga woman paused for a moment, staring at him with a concerned look before turning to the rest of her family. "Father?"

Hiashi stood up from his seat and grabbed a plate off the counter. "She has been resting all day, but Naruto does have a point. Perhaps we should let her relax until she wakes up on her own. There will still be plenty of food left whenever she awakens."

Hanabi looked like she wanted to say something, but her uncle interrupted her. "Let's just give her a few more hours, my dear. You can get her if she's not up by around 8pm. You said she had lunch around 2pm? I'm sure she will be hungry and want something to eat by then."

Neji nodded in agreement and motioned for his cousin to grab some food. "Besides, the only reason you want to wake her up right now is to give her a hard time with Naruto here. She's been through enough the last few days, Hanabi. She doesn't need you teasing her about her relationship."

Both Hanabi and Naruto turned red. While the younger Hyuuga stuttered out excuses and finally agreed to let her sister sleep, Naruto ducked his head down and fetched a beer from the cardboard box. As he watched the family dish up their plates, the blonde electrician waited until they were done before he would take his turn. His fingers snapped the tab on the can in his hand, and the light fizzing carbonated sound almost made him smile. It had been a while since he had consumed any alcohol, and now that he had a beer in his hand, Naruto had the sudden urge to drink his stress away.

Without even thinking, he tipped his head back and began to gulp down the brown, fizzy liquid. As soon as the cold beverage hit his tongue, he released a soft moan of approval and downed the entire can in a matter of seconds. Naruto let out a refreshing sigh when it was empty and gently placed the beer can on the counter. Unfortunately, the kitchen was dead silent, and it took Naruto a moment to realize that everyone was staring at him.

He released the can, rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment, and let out a soft laugh. "I uh, sorry about that. It was a really rough shift, and just with everything going on . . . I really needed a drink."

Great . . . first time having dinner with Hinata's family, and they probably already think I'm an alcoholic!

All of the Hyuuga's were looking at him with a sombre stare. Neji silently sat down beside him while Hizashi and Hiashi took their seat as well. Hanabi placed her plate of pizza down on the island before silently walking over to the fridge and reaching inside to grab something. Naruto sat there awkwardly and berated himself for giving in to temptation.

While pondering what to say next, Naruto kept his eyes downward and maybe thought this was their silent way of telling him he was no longer welcome here. But then, just as things felt like they couldn't get any worse, the sound of a glass bottle being set down caught his attention. Hanabi was now smiling at him as she placed down five shot glasses and filled them with clear sake that she had just retrieved from the fridge.

"You beat us to the punch, Naruto. Figured we'd have a small toast to your new job before we all started chugging the liquor." The young Hyuuga slid a shot glass in front of him before distributing the rest to her family. "Cheers!"

The other Hyuuga's around the island raised their glasses to him before downing the sweet liquor. Naruto quickly followed suit and downed the liquid in front of him.

"It's been a tough few days for us all, but I imagine the last nine days have been hell for you, so go ahead and crack another beer. Hanabi, I'll have some of the dark rum on the rocks, please. Tomorrow is going to hell trying to get all the paperwork in order for the man down incident," sighed Neji before he took a bite of his pizza.

Naruto slowly stood up from his seat, his eyes wide from the sudden shift in atmosphere. It seemed like they were annoyed with him one moment, but then the next, they were cracking jokes. As he approached the pizza boxes and grabbed the second last plate, Hanabi gave him a slight nudge with her elbow. "Sorry if we are teasing you too much. I know we seem like a serious family, but really we are quite easy to get along with."

Hanabi's whispered words made Naruto smile a little, and as he dished up his plate, he could slowly start to feel himself begin to relax. The conversation at the island was relatively peaceful and casual. Neji and Hizashi talked about a few things that happened at the head office. Hanabi teased him a little bit about Hinata slapping him at the hospital, which her father didn't seem too impressed with, and told her to stop teasing him.

The topic then switched to his new job that was coming up in January, to which he tried to explain the details as much as he could, but there were still some things he wasn't sure about, like where exactly he would be going after Saudi Arabia. He felt a little self-conscious about not knowing every little detail about his job, but thankfully Hizashi saved him.

"I'm sure not even Orochimaru knows where his work takes him all the time. We used to work with him back in the day, and from the odd conversation I've had with him over the last few years, sometimes he knows where he's going, sometimes a month in advance, or sometimes it's only 24 hours, depending on where it is. So I imagine you will spend quite a bit of time in the United States, but I have heard he does go to Australia the odd time along with Mexico. But who knows where he will end up taking you."

Naruto nodded before taking another bite of pizza and cracking his third beer.

As the food was consumed and the liquor bottles being emptied, the blonde electrician took note that Hiashi, who was seated to his left, was pounding back the sake a bit more than anyone else at the table, including himself. He wondered if maybe the older Hyuuga was having a tough time dealing with his daughter's injury, but before he could think about it more, Hanabi suddenly bombarded him with a strange question. "So your Dad's last name is Namikaze, but you use your Mom's surname Uzumaki. Why is that?"

Neji suddenly started to choke on his pizza, and the older twin brothers almost spit out their sake; they both had to turn their heads and make a mild attempt to swallow the liquid and not spit it out.

Naruto, on the other hand, was calm and took a quick sip of beer.

"H-Hanabi! T-that is very rude! A-apologize now!" coughed Hiashi, trying to clear his throat from the sake going down the wrong tube.

The young Hyuuga looked very confused and gave him a questioning stare.

It was a question that Naruto had been familiar with ever since he could remember, and it was always fun to hear people guess why he had a different surname than his father's. Rumours had ranged that his parents had been secret lovers, and by the time his father had found out he was born, his mother had already named him with her last name. Also, even stranger assumptions like his father had deadly enemies, so his name had to be different so people wouldn't assassinate him. Naruto always got a chuckle out of other people's speculations, but the truth was more tragic than anything.

Putting his beer down, Naruto interjected before Hanabi's father demanded that she apologize again. "Well, you see, when my mother was little, she lost her entire family in a tragic fire incident."

The entire table went silent.

"It was at a family wedding; they had candles all over the place for the evening reception. Anyways, Mom said she was only eight at the time, and she went to her parent's car to have a nap while everyone else was dancing and drinking. No one's really sure what happened, but somehow some of the candles got knocked over, and with the building being old, it went up in flames pretty fast. The only people to survive were my Mom and her great uncle, who was having a smoke outside. So I guess you could say she is the last Uzumaki of her family.

"After my parents got married and found out they were having me, Mom was pretty insistent that any children they have should have her last name, which is why she didn't change her last name either when they got married. Some of Dad's relatives didn't like it, but he didn't mind since he's still got his family, and I've got a few cousins to pass on the Namikaze name. Mom was set on having lots of kids, but since she had so many complications while delivering me, the doctor told her that if she tried for a second child, it would most likely kill her."

Naruto took another sip of beer and smiled at everyone sitting at the island. "But uh, yeah, that's why my last name is Uzumaki. Pretty simple."

For a few seconds, everyone was silent, but then Hizashi let out a huge sigh and covered his face with his hand before mumbling, "I really need to stop listening to the rumours that go around about my workers."

The blonde electrician laughed. "Oh, I've heard some real dandy speculations. I can only imagine what the gossip is around the head office."

Laughter filled the room, and Hizashi started telling Naruto tales of his and Hiashi's escapades when they were young electricians working up north. Stories ranged from when they pulled a few pranks to horrid stories of some of the camp conditions they had to live in. Hiashi would tell his brother to be quiet a few times, but the younger twin would ignore his older brother and continue on with their embarrassing stories.

As the clock stuck at 8:15pm, the kitchen was now becoming quieter as the pizza was divided up, so they didn't take up as many boxes, and the empty ones were thrown away. Now, they were all silently sipping on their drinks. With a loud yawn, Neji was the first to stand up. "Well, everyone, tonight has been a great refresher, but I must hit the sack. I should probably head into the office at a decent time tomorrow. Have a good night."

Naruto waved his friend good night, and soon the twin Hyuuga brothers stood next.

"I should head in tomorrow with Neji too. I will also need to talk to someone with Konoha Energy to see what protocol needs to be followed after this man down incident." Hizashi said as he stretched his arms above his head. "Are you retiring too, brother?"

Hiashi nodded. "I didn't sleep well last night, so it's probably best I head to bed as well." As Hinata's father stood up, he swaggered slightly and gripped the island's edge to keep his balance.

Hanabi sighed. "I thought you were drinking the sake pretty quickly there. Look, the bottle is practically empty! Let me help you get to bed. Naruto? Can you be a sweetheart and grab a large glass from the cupboard and fill it with water?"

Naruto nodded silently and watched as everyone else slowly vacated the room, with Hizashi and Neji heading left down the hall. At the same time, Hanabi wrapped an arm around her father and led him up the stairs. He sat there awkwardly for a moment, looking down at the seven empty cans in front of him and realizing he had quite the buzz going on himself. Then, shaking his head and trying to focus, he slowly stood up and did as Hanabi had asked.

Not even a minute later, the young Hyuuga reappeared, thanked him, and then disappeared upstairs again to deliver the cold beverage to her father.

Blue eyes stared around the now empty kitchen. He had been so engaged in the conversation with everyone that he had almost forgotten that they needed to wake up Hinata. However, Naruto also felt it was better to just let her sleep and recover at her own pace. The room was slightly spinning, but it didn't stop him from opening another beer and slowly making his way to the dining room window.

Soft snowflakes were falling from the sky, and the street was rather dark now. The feeling that he was being watched was gone, but there was just something off about this neighbourhood that made Naruto feel a bit uneasy. His eyes glanced at all of the houses nearby before falling onto his truck that was parked in the driveway. He silently gave himself hell for drinking so much, now he wouldn't be able to drive to Hinata's apartment. A part of him briefly contemplated just chancing the ten-minute drive in his condition, but he stomped down that idea and didn't want to take the risk. He wanted to stay and wait for Hinata to wake up, but it was probably rude for him to stay with everyone else retiring for the evening.

Pulling out his phone, Naruto started searching for a taxi number and debated whether he should just get a ride to Hinata's apartment or take the forty-five-minute journey to his parent's house on the other side of the city.

Just as he was about to hit the number for Yellow Cab's, he suddenly realized that Hanabi was standing right next to him, and he leaped almost a foot off the ground.

"Fuck me!" Naruto hissed as he dropped his phone but kept a tight hold on his beer, not spilling a drop. "Hinata is right; you are like a ninja!"

Hanabi giggled and picked up his phone off the ground. "Years of practice while sneaking around this house. I know every creak in the floorboards and squeaky door hinge in this place."

Naruto wasn't sure if he should be impressed or a bit saddened that Hanabi had to have practice sneaking around her own house. As his heart rate began returning to normal, Hanabi took a step closer to the window and started pointing out the places to him.

"The one right beside us on the left is Uncle Hizashi and Neji's house. Our back yards are literally connected to one another, so they usually just head home through the back. The next two houses on the left belong to two of my dad's cousins, and that third house belongs to my grandpa. Then when you look on the right, my great uncle and aunt live right next door to us, along with a few other cousins in the next three houses over there. So, pretty much this cul-de-sac is just full of our family!" Hanabi said all of this at first enthusiastically, but then she suddenly let out a sigh. "While it is nice to have everyone so close, it also feels claustrophobic. Not that Hinata, Neji, or I were troublemakers or anything like that, but we couldn't get away with anything. Even if our father was busy away with work, if we left to go to the grocery store to pick up some food and weren't back in the appropriate amount of time, one of our relatives would always call us and demand to know why we were taking so long. So after a while, I stopped answering my cell phone, but that didn't go over well with father at all."

He stared at the dark houses around them and suddenly realized why it felt like someone was watching him. It was because, literally, the whole neighbourhood had their eyes on him!

I can see why Hinata wanted to move out of this house. I love my family, but I don't know if I could handle them all living so close.

It was now Hanabi's turn to let out a yawn and stretch her arms above her head. "If you'll follow me, I can lead you to the guest room on the main floor here. It's actually close to Hinata's room. I'm sure we have some spare pyjamas and toothbrushes here if you don't have one in your truck."

A few seconds ticked by before Naruto fully realized what she was saying. "W-wait, what? You want me to spend the night?"

Hanabi gave him an annoyed look. "Well, yeah. You're still working on your beer there and are definitely in no condition to be driving anywhere, so I'll be hiding these until morning." She waved his truck keys in front of him before placing them into her pocket.

Naruto's hand immediately dove into his hoodie pocket and was shocked to find that his keys were not there.

When the hell did she do that!?

The young Hyuuga woman smiled at him. "Besides, you've had a really long day, a horrible 9-day shift, and I know you're anxious to see my sister. I passed by her room, and it looks like she'll be waking up soon. So why don't I show you to your room, get your nighttime attire ready, and you can either have a shower or I can show you how to use the TV in the entertainment room in the basement. You can have it as loud as you want. The basement is soundproof." Hanabi gave him a little wink.

The room was still spinning, and Naruto wasn't sure how he felt about spending the night in the Hyuuga house. However, his options were minimal, and he doubted that Hanabi would like the idea of him calling a cab and leaving.

"I-I have a few things in my bag, but I'm not sure where they are in my suitcase. " Naruto answered honestly.

Hanabi smiled. "Then I will find you some extra clothes! We always have spare ones here when family comes to visit!

"Oh? Even though everyone lives so close together?"

Hinata's younger sister began to lead him out of the dining room and down the hallway. "Well, most of our family is here, but for New Year's Eve, everyone comes to visit. We do have quite a few relatives out of town, but since everyone here lives close together, we have guest rooms to spare! This house has three actually, one upstairs, one on this floor, and one downstairs; all of them have their own ensuite bathrooms. When Father and Uncle were building their houses, they wanted to make sure it was big enough to have our families over."

"I-I see." Mumbled Naruto.

Hanabi suddenly slowed down, and a sombre tone suddenly took over. "Well . . . I suppose that's only half the truth. Honestly, dad wanted to build this house for a huge family of his own. I think him and Mom were planning on having like four kids, but . . . all of that came to an abrupt end when the . . . when the accident happened."

The hallway was dark, and Naruto couldn't make out the young Hyuuga's facial features, but from the melancholy way she spoke and from previous conversations with Hinata, the death of their mother and aunt was still painful.

It was already tragic enough to lose one person that you loved, but two in one day?

I can't even imagine what they all must have gone through.

Hanabi suddenly stopped and glanced at the closed door on their right. Naruto was about to ask if this was his room, but she wordlessly opened it and motioned for him to follow. Once the light switch was flipped on, he soon realized that this wasn't a guest room but an office/library room. There was a desk at the far end with a computer on it, a medium-sized couch close to the door, and the rest of the walls were packed with mostly books, but a few had pictures on them.

The young Hyuuga walked forward, stopped in front of the nearest shelf with pictures on them, and signalled him to come over. Naruto was slightly confused, but he followed her and looked at the frames on the wooden shelves. Most of them were old.

There was a triple frame that showed Hiashi and Himari's wedding day, and on the second triple frame beside it, Naruto took an educated guess that it was Hizashi and his wife's special day as well. On the shelf below were two large family pictures. One was of Hiashi, Himari, Hinata, and a baby Hanabi, but Naruto suddenly felt the colour drain from his face as his eyes fell onto the other photo. The smiling faces of Hizashi and Neji were already heartbreaking, but the smiling face of the pregnant woman standing between them made his gut clench.

Hanabi glanced up at him and softly said. "Judging from your expression, I take it Hinata didn't tell you the full details of how our mother and aunt passed away. I'm sure she told you it was a tragic car crash, but there's more to it than that. I was only a baby, Neji and Hinata were also quite young, but we've heard the story enough times from our other relatives. It was pouring rain that night, father and uncle were busy with a business meeting at the head office, and of course, that's the exact moment my aunt Yuki went into labour. They tried to get a hold of my uncle, but he didn't have his phone on him. So, my Mom asked our Dad's cousin if he could watch over us kids while she took my aunt to the hospital.

"Since it was raining so hard and mom was more focused on my aunt than on the road, she didn't see the semi-truck that ran through the stop sign, and it . . . well, I'm sure you can put two and two together." Hanabi's voice cracked, and she slightly turned away from him.

There was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, and Naruto was slowly connecting the dots and finally seeing for the first time how broken the Hyuuga Family really was.

"Needless to say, father was devastated, but I can't even imagine how Uncle Hizashi felt; not only losing his wife but unborn daughter as well." Hanabi slowly walked over to the other shelves that had a few pictures on them. "Our dad was furious. I can only count a handful of times over the last twenty years that I've ever seen him smile or act happy, and most of those occurrences have been over the last two years. Of course, it also didn't help that Hinata was the spitting image of our mother, which for some reason made him act cruel to her at times. But, I'm sure you know mostly about that situation?"

There was a huge lump in his throat, so the only thing Naruto could do was nod.

"For the longest time, Father refused to hang any pictures up of our mother. I'll never forget the time Hinata questioned why we didn't have any of her in the family room, and well, Father sure gave her a tongue lashing, and she was sent to her room without any dinner." Hanabi let out a sorrowful chuckle. "I never did stand up for my sister for the longest time. I didn't want father to yell at me, I more so wanted him to be proud and praise me . . . so I pretty much did whatever he said . . . even if that meant striking my sister during our karate sessions. I knew Hinata didn't want to hit me, and I . . . took full advantage of that."

Naruto could hear the regret and sorrow in Hanabi's words. The usual chipper and spunky woman that he had gotten to know was now on the brink of tears as she talked about the past.

"T-there was one time. I honestly thought my sister had committed suicide. . ." Hanabi whispered softly.

The blonde electrician froze.

Wait . . . what did she just say . . .?

Hanabi took a deep breath. "I can't remember what father had yelled at Hinata for; she could just do the simplest thing, and it would tick him off, especially when she was in High School. She'd stayed in her room all evening and hadn't come for supper. I felt bad, and when father wasn't looking, I made her a plate of food and took it to her room. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I figured she had fallen asleep on her bed, and I walked in. To my surprise, she wasn't there, but I could see steam coming out of her bathroom, so I thought she was having a shower. I left the food on her bed and poked my head in just to let her know I brought her food . . . but . . . what I saw next was pretty haunting. Hinata was lying in the tub, her eyes were closed, and there was red liquid in the water and the floor."

When he thought Hinata was dead, the sick feeling he had felt yesterday suddenly came flooding back to him, and Naruto had to place his hand over his mouth.

No . . . no that can't be! Hinata . . . Hinata would never ever do something like that!

Hanabi let out a trembling breath. "I'm sure you can imagine what I thought was going on. I screamed and ran over to my sister, thinking the worst had happened. But, as soon as I touched her, she sat up with a jolt and was confused about why I was crying." She let out a small laugh and turned to him. "Hinata had only fallen asleep in the tub, and she had accidentally knocked over her body wash which was red since it was scented cherry. I should have known she was never the type to take her own life, but the image I saw . . . well, after that day, let's just say I didn't want to chance that possibility ever happening. That's when I started to go against my father a bit and be nicer to my older sister."

She then pointed to the following three shelves. Each was designated to a single person; one had pictures of Neji, the next was Hanabi, but the last shelf barely had any pictures of Hinata. While he didn't feel sick anymore, Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly angry that in Hiashi's office, he only had a few pictures of his eldest daughter up. The only four pictures he had were one of her as a baby, one where she seemed to be five years old and had the biggest smile on her face. The third was Hinata wearing her karate uniform, but there wasn't a smile anywhere on her face. But it was the last one that made Naruto's heart clench; it was her graduation photo. She donned the black and red graduation gown, holding onto her diploma, and had a small smile on her face, but he could spot a mile away that it was forced. Next, his eyes darted up to the many pictures of Hanabi and Neji, showing them at their graduation parties, martial arts tournaments and holding up any awards they had gotten at school.

Hanabi caught his attention when she raised her hand and wiped a few tears from her eyes. "Hinata was vice-president on the student council team and was valedictorian at her high school graduation. While she never fought seriously against me, she did win a few karate and judo tournaments back in her Middle School and High School days. But, looking at the shelf here, you wouldn't know all that, would you? Hinata didn't even attend her graduation party because it was a busy week at the office, and father made her file paperwork to help the receptionist out. Plus, for some reason, he didn't like that Kiba and Shino were only friends; male friends no less."

Naruto didn't say anything.

Moments ago, he had been laughing with the Hyuuga Family in the kitchen and had a great time getting to know them. But now, he suddenly had an urge to march over to Hinata's room, carry her out of this forsaken house and take her away as fast as humanly possible.

Hanabi slowly turned away from him and sat down on the couch along the wall, staring down at her clasped hands sitting in her lap.

"Why? Why are you telling me all of this?" Naruto asked softly. While he did know most of what Hinata had gone through over the course of her childhood, it was still tough to hear about it from someone else, not to mention also seeing a visual representation of how little Hinata's father seemed to care about her.

She let out a soft laugh. "I guess because, well, we all seemed so chipper and happy eating together tonight. So you'd think we were just a normal, overprotective family, right? I'm sure Hinata has told you some things, but I think it's best if you knew the whole story instead of bits and pieces." Her pale violet eyes shifted up to look at him. "I know you're probably mad at us right now, and quite frankly, I don't blame you. I've seen how you look at my older sister, and I can tell that you love her more than anything. You'd probably want to protect her from anything that would hurt her, even her own family.

"I know we've had a rocky past, but please believe me when I say we're working on it. Father has changed a lot, and once we started seeing our therapist, things slowly got better. I know he's seen the error of his ways and has even apologized to my sister, but I know the scars she carries still affect her and will probably never go away. Even when we brought her home this morning, Hinata refused to look father in the eye. Instead, she kept a blanket over her head and told him she wasn't feeling well. I know he looked extremely annoyed on the outside, but inside I know he was hurting greatly from it. His eldest daughter had a mild concussion and didn't even want to look at him."

Hanabi's pale violet eyes glanced over to the desk at the end of the room, and she let out another sad, tired sound. "We're a broken family that has been recently trying to put the pieces back together. But I didn't want you to get the wrong idea that everything is fine and dandy between us all. I know Hinata wasn't trying to keep any of this a secret from you, but she's always been the type to not say bad things about her family, no matter how mean we were to her."

Naruto looked back towards the shelf that contained the few pictures of his girlfriend and made a silent vow. No matter how tired or what kind of mood he was in, if Hinata wanted him to take a picture of them together, he would not dare complain.

We'll take lots of pictures together. And I'll make sure the day we move in together that our place is covered with photos and happy memories.

Hanabi stood up and pointed to the door. "Sorry about that. I'll show you to your room and the entertainment room like I promised. Oh, and for the record, there are more pictures of Hinata, but she's got them stored at her apartment along with any awards that she's won. I'm pretty sure she just keeps them in a drawer somewhere in her bedroom."

Naruto wordlessly followed after Hinata's sister, turned off the light in the office, and closed the door behind him. He was then shown to his room, and Hanabi pointed to the drawers containing extra clothes he could use. She showed him where the towels, toothbrushes, shampoo, and body wash were that he could use. Then she gave him a quick tour of the enormous entertainment area that was in the basement. Not only was there a large screen TV that had access to countless movies, online networks, and sports channels, but there was also a dartboard, pool table, and an air hockey table as well.

Perhaps in a different scenario, Naruto would have been more impressed and shown more enthusiasm, but his mood was still rather sour after his conversation with Hanabi. He could only nod his head and confirm with the young Hyuuga that he understood how to operate the tv and soundbar.

Once they returned upstairs, Hanabi wished him a good night and let him know that her room was on the second floor if he needed anything. He softly wished her a good sleep before slipping into his room and closing the door behind him.

Blue eyes fell onto the clock beside his bed and read the time of 8:40pm. He felt tired and drained, but at the same time, his mind was wide awake. Naruto glanced down at the beer still in his hand and realized that the buzz he had been feeling was slowly fading away. He contemplated whether he wanted to have a shower and head to bed or perhaps follow Hanabi's suggestion and go downstairs to watch TV.

No . . . what I really want is . . .

As quietly as he could, Naruto turned back around and headed out into the hallway. Within six steps, he was in front of Hinata's room, his hand already reaching for the handle to turn it open. But as his fingers touched the metal doorknob, he paused and stared at the wooden entrance before him. As much as he wanted to just walk into her room and see her, the more logical side of his brain told him to be patient and that she needed her rest.

With a sigh, Naruto pulled his hand away and headed toward the kitchen.

When Hinata wakes up, she's going to be hungry; so I'll just wait in there for her. Besides, after what I just learned from Hanabi, I could use another few drinks.

While walking down the hallway, Naruto recounted what he had learned moments ago from the youngest Hyuuga, and for some reason, the anger he had felt earlier had dulled a bit. Moments ago, he had felt furious and had almost wanted to go upstairs to Hiashi's room to give him a piece of his mind. However, he knew that would not sit well with his girlfriend. It bothered Naruto only a little bit that Hinata hadn't told him everything, but at the same time, they only had been dating for less than a month.

He thought back to when they first started working together. Over the course of four years, at both school and on site, Hinata was actually very quiet about her family. She rarely mentioned her father. Sometimes she would reference her Uncle, but she mostly talked about her cousin and sister. Granted, he had never pestered Hinata too much about her family either. From what he had gathered, her father just seemed strict, and she was shy because of that, end of story.

I shouldn't be reading too much into this. Clearly, from Hanabi's reaction just now, it was hard for her to even talk about it. I can't even imagine how Hinata feels . . . I'm sure she would have told me eventually.

As Naruto rounded the corner to step into the kitchen, he froze when he saw that someone was already sitting back at the island. His long dark hair was no longer tied back, and he was sitting on the barstool wearing black cotton pyjamas with grey slippers. He was at first staring at the dark countertops where a small brown leathered photo album sat while holding onto the almost empty sake bottle that Hanabi had put away, but when Naruto had entered, his pale violet eyes fell on him with no reaction.

"Can't sleep either?" asked Hiashi, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a small sip.

Naruto slowly approached the island and nodded his head. "Y-yeah. I was just going to have a few more before going to sleep."

The older Hyuuga chuckled softly. "You don't have to lie to me, boy. I can see that you want to see Hinata; this is the first place she will come when she wakes up. I know that because I was hoping for the same thing."

Sitting across from Hiashi, Naruto took a sip of his beer, and an awkward silence slowly filled the room. As the minutes ticked by, the only sound that could be heard was whenever one of them took a sip from their drinks. Although Naruto had another 16 full cans sitting beside him, Hiashi's bottle of Sake was on the brink of being empty. Deep down, he still harboured some anger towards the old man, but Naruto knew now was not the time to act like an ass in front of his girlfriend's father, so instead, he decided to be polite. "Is there another bottle in the fridge I can get you?"

Hiashi chuckled again and let out a heavy sigh. "There is. But I'm not sure if it's wise I should have anymore. I usually don't drink this much and only stop after a few glasses."

Wordlessly, Naruto stood up, opened the fridge, and spotted a bottle that was identical to the one in the old man's hands. He pulled it out, snapped open the lid, and then placed it in front of Hiashi. "I haven't drank this much in a while either. But, I think under the current circumstances, as long as we don't get alcohol poisoning, it's okay."

As Naruto sat down, Hiashi reached forward to grab the bottle and took a swig from it. Silence again fell over the room, but it was brief this time. With his current beer can empty, Naruto reached down and grabbed a new one, but just as he was opening it, the older Hyuuga spoke.

"I get this feeling that you have something that you want to say to me."

Naruto looked up at him, confused. "Sir?"

Hiashi let out a small laugh. "It's written all over your face. I have this feeling that after I left, Hanabi told you about the darker side of our family and what we were like in the past. So, if you want to let me have it, go ahead. I deserve it."

To say Naruto was shocked would be an understatement. A few minutes ago, he would have given anything to give Hiashi a piece of his mind, but now . . .

The stern father I met at the airport and the man sitting here in the kitchen with me are almost two different individuals. He looks so miserable and guilty . . .

Biting his bottom lip, Naruto internally debated on what he wanted to do. A part of him still wanted to yell at the older Hyuuga, but maybe it was the liquor clouding his brain, so he suddenly felt the need to sympathize with him.

Taking a sip of his newly opened beer, Naruto sighed. "I broke her heart over three years ago."

Hiashi paused from taking another drink and looked at him with a blank stare.

Naruto continued, "It was after we had written our Red Seal Exams. We were all drinking at the campus bar and celebrating that we were now full-blown electricians. Hinata pulled me aside and asked if we could talk outside. She told me that she liked me and I was a complete idiot. I blame the alcohol, but my stupid brain thought she was only referring to me as a friend. Which is what I told her, that she was a fantastic friend and great to work with. Took my sorry ass a while to figure out what she really meant; Konohamaru literally had to slap me upside the head and called me an idiot.

"I'm so grateful that your daughter is kind and understanding. She forgave me and even let me have a second chance with her. I'm sure she could have chosen any other guy out there, but she decided to be with me, and I couldn't be more thankful. I love her so much." Naruto finished with a whisper.

Hiashi continued to stare at him, his eyes softening a bit as he looked at Naruto with gratitude. "Whenever she speaks about you, her eyes light up in a way that I have not seen since she was a little girl. When her m-mother was still here, she would always smile and laugh."

Naruto placed his beer down and rested his elbows on the table. "I'm not going to pry or get angry. The past is in the past. Hinata did tell me bits and pieces of what happened, but tonight I got the full story from Hanabi just a few minutes ago. I understand that your family has suffered a great loss; grief has an interesting and different effect on everyone. To me, it seems like Hinata has forgiven you, but I would be lying if I said I still wasn't a little irritated over how you treated her."

Hiashi hummed in agreement. "I think I would be more disappointed if you weren't cross with me. I just remember being so angry back then. . ." His pale eyes began to stare off into the distance. "My brother and I worked hard to get our businesses off the ground. There were many nights I was so scared we wouldn't make rent or have food on the table. My father was especially hard on Hizashi and I; we were always told kindness and compassion were weak traits. And yet, he and I ended up marrying the most kind and compassionate women we had ever known. When our businesses finally became a success, I was so happy that I would be able to create a good life for my family. Which is why I pretty much bought the whole lot here in this cul-de-sac. Even though some of the family here I don't get along with, I wanted all of us to be close. I thought if I did that, we would eventually all grow more close together. The New Year gatherings that we do now only really started becoming enjoyable over the last few years here. Honestly, they used to be horrible, and it was just an event where we would all try to one-up another or put down relatives who weren't as successful.

"But, what I meant to say was . . . Hizashi and I were just riding on cloud nine. Our businesses were taking off, we had wonderful wives, Neji was born, and Hinata was on the way, we finally got to build our dream homes . . . everything was just falling into place. And then . . . in one night, my whole world crumbled. Not only was my wife dead, but so was my sister-in-law and unborn niece. All of our hopes and dreams were crushed in an instant."

Hinata's father let out a shaky sigh before taking another drink and then covering his face with his hands. "My eldest daughter is so thoughtful and kind, which was just a constant reminder to me of the woman I had loved and lost. She was gone and never coming back . . . and it just infuriated me. I took my anger out on her for years and years, but no matter how cruel I was to her, the hole in my heart just wouldn't go away. I know it seems like I favoured Hanabi all the time, but I was pretty harsh on her, too, just not as bad as her sister. By the time I realized my mistakes, they were already grown up and wanted to move out of the house. I can't change the past, but I hope I can at least have some relationship with my daughters in the future."

Naruto sat there as Hiashi spilled his soul out to him. He had a feeling that the older Hyuuga was usually not like this and was probably more reserved and quiet. However, alcohol had a way of flipping a person's behaviour and turning them into someone completely different. A grim silence fell over the kitchen, and Naruto honestly didn't know what to say. He wracked his brain, trying to think of some comforting words, but nothing was coming to mind. Granted, he too was also feeling light-headed from all the alcohol he had consumed. Usually, when he drank, he became more comical and cracked lots of jokes, but even in his intoxicated-filled brain, he knew that this was not the time for it.

After a few moments, Hiashi removed his hands down from his face. While he wasn't crying, Naruto could definitely tell he was close to it. Hinata's father cleared his throat and then pushed the small album in front of him towards the blonde electrician. Naruto looked down at the brown-leathered album and then back up at Hiashi.

"If you were in my office, that means you saw that I barely have any pictures of Hinata up. This . . . this was an album that Himari started for her, and then one of my cousins took over, Ko." Hiashi whispered, his eyes looking down at the album as if it was man's most treasured item.

Naruto reached forward and pulled the album towards him. His fingers opened it up, and in the pages were pictures and pictures of Hinata. The album went in a timely order, from when she was a baby being held by her mom, to when she was in elementary, middle, and high school.

So . . . he does have quite a few pictures of her . . . but then . . .

Hiashi took another sip of his sake. "You'll notice that the pictures are glued in the album. That's how you kept pictures back then, and I think Ko was just trying to keep the album consistent instead of using the clear pages you can use today. I'm so scared to try and remove them. I have no idea what happened to the negatives, and I fear they accidentally got thrown away. A few family members have suggested I try scanning them so I can print more pictures of Hinata, but I'm nervous about letting someone just take the album since it might get lost."

Naruto flipped through the pictures one more time. A feeling of nostalgia overcame him as he looked at the older album and was reminded of the many times his mother had shown him pictures of her family.

An idea suddenly popped into Naruto's head.

"Do you remember what I said while we had pizza tonight? About my mom's family?"

Hiashi took another drink and nodded his head.

"Well, she had a similar problem with her family photos. They were in albums like this, and she had a hard time trying to make copies of them. One of her friends does this kind of thing for a living; she's got this huge high definition scanner that she uses to put pictures on discs or USB drives so they can be printed or saved on a computer in case something happens to the originals. So if you're okay with it, I could probably ask if she'd have the time to do this album quick. Usually, she's busy this time of year, but I could probably ask for a favour and see if she could get it done before I come back for that dinner on the 30th." Naruto offered.

He wasn't sure if he was overstepping his boundaries or not. However, if there was even the slightest thing he could do to make Hinata smile, he would do it without hesitation. Naruto looked up at Hiashi after a few moments when he didn't respond and saw that the old man was staring at him in wonderment. It took Naruto completely by surprise.

"You . . . you'd be willing to do that?" Hiashi asked quietly, his pale eyes looking back and forth between Naruto and the album.

"Well, yeah. I know this would mean a lot to Hinata too. In her apartment, she's got many pictures of her family and friends; it's nice to be able to look back at the memories over the years, even if they weren't all good. Does . . . does Hinata even know about this album?"

Hiashi shook his head and let out a sad laugh. "No. Honestly, I never used to have any pictures up anywhere in this house, especially in my office. But, as things started to change around here, I thought it was best to stop running from the past and try to embrace it. Which is why you see lots of pictures in there right now. However, it also made me realize I didn't take many pictures of my eldest daughter. I've tried asking other family members for them, but they either got lost or told me they gave them to Hinata. And I . . . I don't know why I'm so nervous to ask my daughter if I can borrow the pictures she has but . . ."

This time, Naruto interjected. "You're just a coward. I know if you were to ask, she would be over the moon to hear that. By not asking, it just makes it seem like you don't care, especially when you look at the shelves in your office. Just admit that you were an asshole, that you want to make amends, and to start, you want as many pictures of her as possible!"

Silence fell over the kitchen again, and Hiashi looked at him with a shocked stare; his pale eyes were wide as saucers.

Naruto's brain suddenly caught up with what came out of his mouth, and at that moment, he felt embarrassed and wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole right this second.

Way to go, Uzumaki! You at first just barely stepped over that line, but now you've leaped right across it! You went from being the nice, understanding boyfriend to a complete ass hat! Good job, idiot!

Blue eyes suddenly darted downward, and he quickly tried to think of an apology or attempt to reword what he meant to say nicely, but the sound of Hiashi's soft laughter brought him out of his internal meltdown.

The older Hyuuga was laughing softly to himself with his eyes closed. "That was quite blunt, Naruto, but, it was true nonetheless. I have been a coward, and I really should do what's right for my eldest. Once she is feeling better, I will have a heart-to-heart discussion with her over this. For the time being, though, I would be forever grateful if you could take that album to your family friend. I still feel scared that if I were to show this Hinata now, she would just take it away and keep it with her other treasured items. I know that sounds silly, but to keep my mind at ease, I would prefer if they were scanned first. Then, I trust you will bring it back in one piece."

Naruto sighed. "Well, I would have to disagree with you there. If Hinata saw that album, I'm sure it would make her very happy. I'll take it and bring it back to our family friend, but I think you should show it to her first. Tell her how much it means to you and what you have planned for it. Sound good?"

Hiashi looked surprised again, but the older man nodded in agreement.

After another drink from his sake bottle, Hinata's father stood up and slowly staggered to the fridge to return it.

"Um, sir?"

"I think that's quite enough sake for me tonight. I already had lots during supper, but now I've really overdone it. So I should really retire for the night." Hiashi said softly as he slowly made his way towards the stairs.

"B-but, what about Hinata?! Didn't you want to see her?" Naruto stood up and attempted to assist the older Hyuuga but had to stop and grasp the counter to support himself. The room was spinning so fast that Naruto felt he was on a ride at the carnival.

Hiashi laughed softly again. "I'm not a fool, boy. The person she wants to see first is you; I know that very very well. I will have my time to see and talk to her tomorrow. When you do see her, please let her know that we are all worried and concerned for her." His hands gripped the railing tightly, and he made his way upstairs one step at a time. "Oh, and Naruto?"

Naruto kept trying to help Hinata's father, but the farthest he could make it was the doorway into the kitchen. He looked up at Hiashi with a questioning look.

The older Hyuuga was now looking down at him with a serious expression. "I know you and Hinata are adults and in a relationship, but, under my roof, I would appreciate it if you could . . . keep things 'PG' when you're alone together."

His face already felt warm from consuming so much liquor, but now it was beet red, and he couldn't form a proper sentence. "T-that's . . . I-I mean I wouldn't . . . I-I hadn't thought. . ."

Hiashi chuckled as he finally reached the top of the stairs. "Good night, Naruto. I will see you in the morning."

Naruto watched as Hiashi disappeared from the top of the stairs, and with the soft click of a door being closed, he knew the man was safely in his room. With a sigh, Naruto slowly made his way back to the kitchen, mentally giving himself shit for drinking too much again. When he reached the sink, he opened the cupboard above and grabbed a tall clear glass.

It's about time I started sobering up.

The oversized stainless steel fridge had a water dispenser on the front of it. Placing the glass underneath the sensor, Naruto poured himself a glass of water, then downed the liquid quickly before grabbing another. After his fourth glass, he no longer felt dehydrated, but he still poured a fifth before taking a seat back at the island.

After the events of yesterday and today, Naruto wasn't sure how to describe how he felt. Exhausted was the first word that came to mind, but he had felt that earlier in the morning. Now with everything that had gone on at work and here at the Hyuuga Residence, he didn't know if there was a definition he could use to describe how fatigued he was. Both his mind and body were now in complete agreeance that he should head to bed, but his heart and sheer willpower were determined to stay awake just a little bit longer.

Blue eyes glanced at the digital clock on the stove and saw that it was 9pm. He debated again whether to wake her up but quickly brushed off the idea and reminded himself that he needed to be patient.

After taking another sip of water, Naruto suddenly heard the sound of a door opening. He froze, and his eyes darted to the entryway that led to the hallway. His heart started to pound faster with anticipation when he heard the sound of feet quickly moving across the wooden floors.

And then, there she was.

Her dark hair was tangled from sleeping all day. She was wearing fuzzy pyjamas, and her pale eyes were locked on him.

"Hinata . . ." Naruto breathed. He tried to stand up, but the room began spinning again. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on walking forward.

No . . . I have to get to her! I have to tell her that . . .

Hinata's familiar arms suddenly wrapped tightly around him.

Naruto's eyes shot open to see the top of Hinata's head just under her chin. He hadn't been sure what to expect to happen after she woke up, but this certainly had been near the bottom of his list.

"Hinata? Do you . . . ?" He was almost too scared to ask if she had all her memories back.

She nodded her head against his chest. "I do. And I'm so sorry I slapped you like that. I was just . . ."

Naruto released the breath he had been holding on to and immediately enveloped Hinata in a hug. He nuzzled his nose against her ear, taking a deep breath of her natural scent, which he had missed so much. Suddenly, the emotions that he had felt during the man down and seeing her in the hospital came flooding back in one massive tidal wave. He bit his bottom lip and tried not to cry.

"Y-you scared me. I-I thought you were . . . Christ Hinata, I thought I would never see you again." Naruto stuttered out, trying to hold back his tears. His arms gripped her even tighter. "Don't ever fucking do that again, you hear me?"

Hinata hummed against him, her fingers tightening around his hoodie. "I'm sorry. But I'm sure you would have done the same thing if you were in my shoes."

Naruto pulled away and gave her a playful glare. "Hey! That's different! I'm the idiot here! You're the one that's supposed to be smart and know better!"

She giggled softly, and it made his heart flutter.

God, I've missed her so much.

Hinata was looking up at him. He wanted to criticize her more on how she could have really hurt herself, but his eyes fell on her lips, and a shiver suddenly ran up his spine. Naruto suddenly realized how desperate he was to touch and kiss her. Acting on impulse, he leaned down and locked her lips with his. She let out a surprised noise, but the moment his hand cupped her cheek and his arm snaked around her shoulder, Hinata melted against him.

Naruto lost himself in their kiss.

He had almost forgotten what she had tasted like and the soft sounds she made when their lips danced like this. His brain was already foggy from drinking, but kissing her just made him spin deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Naruto pressed himself towards her, pushing her against the closest appliance, which happened to be the refrigerator. He leaned his head slightly to the side so he could kiss her deeper, but in doing so, her head lightly hit the metal behind her, and Hinata let out a soft, painful cry.

He suddenly pulled back.

Hinata let out a soft whimper as her hand reached to touch the back of her head.

Realization quickly rushed over him, and gave himself shit for acting so rashly.

You stupid . . . why are you so . . . god damn it, Uzumaki, stop being a thoughtless idiot!

Naruto gently grasped Hinata's shoulders. "I am so sorry! I wasn't thinking! I got carried away when I saw you, and I missed you, and . . ."

Hinata silenced him by placing a finger on his lips.

"It's okay, Naruto, I promise. Unfortunately, the spot is still just a little tender, so I have to be careful."

Naruto nodded and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm still sorry. I'll try and be careful from now on."

Hinata giggled softly, and as she opened her mouth to say something to him, her stomach let out a loud growl. So loud that it practically echoed throughout the dining room and kitchen.

Naruto tried to hide his smile while Hinata covered her face in embarrassment.

"T-there's lots of pizza still left in the fridge," Naruto muttered, biting the inside of his cheek in an attempt not to laugh.

Hinata lightly nudged him. "I-it's not funny! I haven't eaten since lunchtime!"

Naruto finally released the laugh he was holding but kept his voice down so he wouldn't wake up the other residents in the house. "I'm sorry. It's just the look on your face was priceless." He moved towards the fridge and pulled out the leftover pizza.

"How long have you been here?" Hinata asked softly.

He placed the boxes on the island, "Probably around 6pm, I would say. I brought all your belongings back, and then the pizza your family ordered got left behind, so I got to role-play a pizza delivery guy. Say, maybe we could try that sometime when you're back at your apartment." Naruto smirked, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Naruto!" Hinata squeaked out embarrassingly.

The blonde electrician chuckled. "All joking aside, I got to spend time with your family, and we had an interesting time together. Got to eat pizza and have some drinks."

Hinata smiled and reached forward to grasp his hand, "I'm very happy you got along with my family. Also, thank you so much for bringing my bags and tools back here."

Naruto nodded. "Oh, and your phones in your backpack. Just in case you wanted to check it for messages, I know everyone is worried about you."

Hinata shook her head. "Tomorrow I will look at it. Right now, I want to spend time with you. I know we were supposed to go to that hotel after work that day, but . . ."

"Yeah, things got really fucked up, huh?"

A blush spread across his girlfriend's cheeks. "I know that you're . . . I mean, it's been a while since we've been . . . intimate. I was so tired that shift from testing all those transformers, dealing with Deidara, and not being able to see you. I know you would have liked to have s-sex that night, but I think I probably would have passed out in your arms as soon as my back hit the bed."

Naruto chuckled. "I thought about that after you were taken to the hospital. You should never feel like you have to have sex with Hinata. If you're too tired, just tell me so." He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. "As much as I would love to ravish you right now, I know you're still recovering from your concussion and . . . well, perhaps here isn't the most appropriate place for it."

Her cheeks were a beet read as she hummed in agreement and then turned her attention to the pizzas on the counter. "I'm starving. Maybe we could head downstairs? While I eat, you can watch something on the TV while we snuggle?"

The way she asked the question was so adorable that it made Naruto's heart melt. "Of course. There's also cinnamon rolls that Hanabi said were yours, and sake too; shall I grab them?"

Hinata briefly bit her bottom lip, unaware that that simple gesture caused another shiver to run down his spine. "The cinnamon rolls, yes, but I don't think I should have any alcohol yet. As much as I would like to celebrate never having to work with Deidara again, I should just have water.

Naruto nodded before scooping up the pizzas and the box of cinnamon rolls while Hinata poured herself a glass of water.

Just as they were leaving the kitchen, her eyes fell on the album still sitting on the island.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

Naruto gently tugged on her hand. "Just leave it for now. That's something your father wants to have a nice long talk to you about."

Hinata gave him a questioning look but did not argue and followed him to the entertainment room downstairs.

The blonde electrician had to admit that his girlfriend could really pack away food when she was hungry. One pizza box had been full and the other only at half. Not only did she finish off the half-full pizza box, but she was already munching on a piece from the full one; not to mention she had also eaten a few cinnamon rolls too.

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment when she caught him looking at her instead of the sports bloopers on the TV. "Don't judge me, okay!? I'm starving, and not to mention it's my favourite place to get pizza." Hinata whined softly.

Naruto chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. "Trust me, I'm not one to judge. You should see how many bowls of ramen I can pack away in one sitting."

"Is that a challenge? One day we'll have to find a good ramen place and have an eating contest." Hinata said rather confidently.

He grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Oh, you're on, little lady. Before I head back to work, we'll head to Ichiraku Ramen. It's a little hole in the wall downtown, and while it is small, they do serve the best ramen in the city!"

Hinata smiled and took another bite of her pizza.

Once her belly was full, his girlfriend snuggled up next to him, and they continued to watch the sports highlight reels or bloopers, which were usually played on repeat during the early morning hours.

A few times he would kiss her, and even at one point, she ended up in his lap when things became really heated between them. Just as his hand was about to slip under her pyjama top, he pulled his hand away and tried to distance himself from her before things went too far. This occurred a few times on the large couch, and each time was more torturous than the last. He wanted her so badly, but he would quickly remind himself that she was still recovering from an injury, and he had made a promise to her father, the latter one stopping him more than anything.

In the end, they fell asleep in each other's arms with the TV softly playing as background noise.

This is where Hanabi found them early in the morning and loudly announced that the pancake breakfast she had prepared was ready.

00000000000

Three and a Half Weeks Later . . .

The city airport was bustling with people in the afternoon rush. Naruto dropped his luggage onto the conveyor belt after grabbing his plane ticket and watched as it disappeared around the corner. He let out a satisfied breath that one step of his travel journey was complete, and the next step would be getting through customs. Gripping his leather folder tight that contained all the documents he needed, he walked over to the entourage of people waiting for him.

His mother looked like she was about to cry, while his father had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Sakura and Sasuke were quietly talking to one another, although he had a sneaky suspicion that it was about them planning a vacation. The couple had never travelled anywhere before, and he knew that Sakura was just itching to go somewhere. Jiraiya was laughing about something with Kakashi, and finally, there was Hinata, waiting beside his mother with a sad smile on her face.

"Well, all set?" Kakashi asked him.

Naruto shook his head. "Nope, not at all!"

Everyone laughed.

"Orochimaru said your tools that we shipped two weeks ago should be arriving tonight. So by the time you get there, you will be good to go." Jiraiya informed him.

"Thanks, Jiraiya. And, also, thanks for letting me have this opportunity." Naruto said appreciatively.

His old mentor or friend stepped forward and enveloped him in a huge bear hug. "You stay safe, you hear me? I know Orochimaru is a professional, but if he tells you to do something you're not comfortable with, just say no. I would rather have him complain to me about you than you coming home in a coffin."

Naruto tried to laugh at Jiraiya's words, but he couldn't help but notice the mortified expression on his mother's face and the fact it looked like she was about to faint. "I promise I won't do anything dangerous.

After releasing the old man, Kakashi grasped his hand and pulled him in for a brief hug. "Stay safe, and we'll miss you at Konoha Energy. I can already hear the guys asking when you'll be back."

"I'll be back before you know it."

Sakura then came forward and gave him a tight hug. "I'll miss you, you idiot. But, don't do anything stupid."

Naruto smiled and returned the hug. "Same goes for you. Also, make sure that moron doesn't cause an arc flash in any live panels again."

The pink-haired woman slapped his shoulder lightly before Sasuke approached him with a sharp nudge to the ribs. "I heard that. Try not to piss off the locals with your idiotic ways. Perhaps they'll send you back because they're tired of your shenanigans."

He chuckled and gave his best friend a quick hug as well. "I'm going to miss our sparring matches."

Sasuke smiled. "You better find someone to practice with then. The moment your feet land here for good, we're having a match; and I won't go easy on you."

As he said goodbye to each person in front of him, Naruto was starting to find it hard to speak with the lump forming in his throat.

His father hugged him tightly and told him how proud he was. The hug lasted a little longer than the rest as Naruto tried to hold in his tears, but his attempts were in vain when his mom hugged him and started crying softly into his chest.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry! I promised myself I wouldn't cry, but now that we're here . . . I don't want you to go." Kushina cried softly.

Typically, people may have found the scenario quite weird, but it was considered quite common here at the airport. Naruto tried to hide his tears and even hissed at Jiraiya that this was not funny at all, even though the old man was cackling his ass off.

After a few moments, his mother calmed herself, wiped away her tears, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Naruto. Please be safe and don't concern yourself with Jiraiya. I'll kick his ass once we are back in the parking lot."

Naruto laughed and quickly kissed her on the cheek too. "I love you too, mom."

His blue eyes fell onto the last person he needed to say goodbye to. She was smiling at him, but he could clearly see unshed tears in her eyes.

"Well, we'll give you two some space. Naruto, have a safe flight, and don't forget to keep in contact! You better keep in touch at least once a week, or I'm tracking your ass down, no matter where you are in the world!" Sakura threatened with a smile on her face.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I promise. And I'll give you guys as much heads up as I can when I know my days off and when I can come home for a bit."

After a few more last-second hugs and handshakes, Naruto watched as his friends and family slowly walked away while he stood there grasping Hinata's hand tightly.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto gently tugged on her hand. "I think we have enough time to have lunch together before I go. Shall we?"

Hinata nodded silently and followed him towards the food court located before the security entrance.

They purchased a couple of smoothies and bagels before trying to find a quiet, secluded spot for them to eat and talk. They managed to find a bench in the corner near a small hallway leading to a janitor's closet. Just as he set their food down on the bench and was about to take a seat, Hinata suddenly pulled on his hand and tugged him towards the janitor's closed door. Before Naruto could react, her lips were on his, and her fingers were clinging to his shoulders, gripping the material of his jacket. He hummed approvingly and gladly delved deeper into the kiss while his hands explored her body.

The last two nights he had spent at Hinata's apartment, and over the last 48 hours, they didn't leave the place, or barely the bedroom for that matter. Even though Naruto knew what they were doing was inappropriate and that someone could catch them at any moment, but as his hands gripped her bottom tightly, he couldn't help but wonder when he would be able to touch her like this again.

After a few more minutes of heavy petting, the couple pulled apart slightly to catch their breaths, foreheads resting against each other.

"I promise to call you every day." He panted softly, his breath fanning against her cheek.

Hinata wiped away a few tears and shook her head. "I know you mean well by saying that, but I'm sure every day will wear on you. So realistically, even if you just send me a brief text that you're okay and we either talk or facetime once every few days, that will be more than enough."

Naruto let out a sigh and kissed her cheek. "I don't want to go. I should just stay here. Screw my luggage and tools. If we leave now, we can . . ."

"Naruto . . ."

He sighed again and shook his head. "You're right. Sorry, I'm just . . . nervous and excited, but also, scared and worried at the same time."

Hinata nodded understandingly. "If you ever need to talk, you can always call me."

The couple took a few moments to straighten their close and finally took a seat on the bench to have their lunch. Naruto was pretty sure that no one saw them, but a security guard by the one door gave him a knowing, not happy look.

When the smoothie containers were empty, and the bagels were eaten, Naruto and Hinata stood up before slowly making their way toward the security gate.

"Make sure you try and rest on the flight to Saudi Arabia. It's a twenty-four-hour flight, so I'm sure you'll be jet-legged when you finally get there."

Naruto nodded. "I know. And the two layovers I have in Houston and Qatar won't help either. It sure is going to be a real difference from being in the cold here to the heat over there."

All too soon, they stood before the security gate.

Naruto turned to his girlfriend and enveloped her in a tight hug, pulling her so close he was pretty sure Hinata was having difficulty breathing. However, she was holding onto him just as tightly. They stayed like that for a few minutes before pulling away a little bit so they could share a tender kiss.

Tears started streaming down Hinata's cheeks; before Naruto realized it, he was crying too.

"I love you, Naruto. I love you so much. I'll miss you." Hinata whispered, touching his face as if it was the last time she would ever see him.

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat. "Me too . . . I love you so much . . ."

They kissed one final time before softly saying goodbye.

He slowly backed towards the gate, not taking his eyes off her until he reached the ticket scanner. Naruto scanned his ticket and continued to walk slowly into the security area. A few passengers grumbled at him for being so slow and told him to move out of the way, but he didn't care. As he was rounding the bend, he realized this would be the last time he would see Hinata for at least a month.

Not caring about his surroundings, Naruto loudly shouted. "I LOVE YOU HINATA HYUUGA!"

Many people stopped and stared at him. Some were confused by his shouting, others were laughing, and the one security guard nearby just glared at him.

As for Hinata, she was beet red and had her head ducked down in embarrassment. Naruto felt a little bad, but at the same time, he had no regrets. Then, just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly heard . . .

"I-I LOVE YOU TOO, N-NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

A large grin spread across his face, and Naruto laughed before giving his girlfriend one last wave goodbye. People were pointing at them and laughing even, but he could have cared less. He finally followed the crowd down the marked row before Hinata disappeared from his sight. A part of him wanted to sprint back and into her arms, but he knew that was not the right nor sensible thing to do.

He had a goal to accomplish.

It wasn't going to be easy, and there were times he would want to quit. However, he was an electrician, an oilfield electrician. It was a line of work that was not easy, and you had to endure lots when facing the worst elements of Mother Nature while working far away from your family and friends. Now, he was about to face his most formidable challenge of all.

Gripping his carry-on bag tightly, Naruto marched forward towards his new adventure.

To Be Continued . . .

Author Note: This chapter took a bit to write. I started at the end of May, but that's also when I found out I was pregnant with my second child. As a result, I was hit hard with nausea and exhaustion. Just playing with my one-year-old would wipe me out, and when I would sit down to write, I would maybe get a paragraph out before needing to lie down.

Also, Grammarly, the editing tool I use, was having a sale on their premium edition. So I purchased that and went back to really look over and edit my previous chapters. Sometimes I would read them on my phone to get inspiration to write, and I would find so many mistakes. But when I would get to my computer to fix them, I completely forgot which mistakes were with which chapter. However, they now should all be set and good to go. I wanted to make sure I got the previous chapters edited and posted first before uploading this one.

And one other thing I have to mention, more of a confession, if you will. I have never watched all of the Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, or Boruto anime series. Something about the anime just rubs me the wrong way, and I only watched it the odd time for my favourite fight scenes. However, I am a huge fan of the manga and own all 70 volumes, plus a few extras. Sometimes, I have to do a little research on characters that I don't see in the manga, like Tamaki, for example, who is Kiba's girlfriend. I had no idea who she was until my husband was watching some Boruto clips on his computer, and I happened to walk by and see Kiba standing with someone. While writing this chapter, I got curious and found out who Tamaki was. If I had known about her sooner, I probably would have written her in earlier, but what's done is done.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!