Naruto awoke from the sound of Shinobi packing their things and falling into formation. He could hear the five Kage outside, announcing orders and changing the organization of the different regiments. He stepped outside and mentally prepared himself for the journey ahead.

If he was lucky, he hoped he might get to travel next to Hinata, or at least one of his other friends, but he knew that was highly unlikely. He would probably be put in a random position and have other Leaf Shinobi to talk to.

Tsunade caught sight of him and called him. "Naruto Uzumaki, front and center!"

As he approached, she said, "Listen kid, I know you're still in chakra recovery but I want you at the head of the formation. You'll be positioned next to me and the top Jonin."

"Uh, okay, but... why?"

"We can't be certain of what lies ahead. If there's any sort of surprise attack or ambush, you're most fit to take them on. Our sensory ninjas detect no threat, but we can't be too careful. Also, as soon as you can comfortably activate Sage Mode, I'd like you to periodically scan the land ahead for threats. I'm counting on you, Naruto, and so is everyone else. I had several requests from different Shinobi to place you up front. To be honest, I couldn't have agreed more with them. If Jiraiya were here to see how far you've come, he'd be prouder than ever before." She said with a comforting smile.

His smile spread from ear to ear. He had gone from being the village loser to the most powerful human on the face of the earth. He knew Tsunade had a sweet spot for him, but even still, she was putting the safety of the entire Leaf Shinobi in his hands.

She continued, "Furthermore, we aren't entirely sure what the current state of the village is. When we arrive, be ready to fight just in case people took advantage of our absence. Do you understand your orders as I have given them to you?"

Naruto laughed on the inside. It was rare to hear her talk so formally, especially to him, but this wasn't the Hokage's office. He knew there were far too many of her subordinates nearby, and that she couldn't show her normal motherly love to him. No worries, he knew everything would return to normal as soon as they could.

And when they did, Naruto decided that he would spend as much free time with Hinata as she let him. He had to see her; he couldn't bear the thought of not being next to her the whole way home. He needed to grow closer to her. He needed to know. The energy she had given him... he couldn't stand to be away from it. She was so caring to him, and he was sure it could never be the same from anyone else. It had to be her.

"All in good time, Naruto. All in good time." He told himself.

"I understand. I won't let you down, granny!"

"I know you won't." She said smiling at him. "And stop with the 'granny' crap, or I'll send you to the very back!"

Some things never change, do they?

The Leaf Shinobi were about halfway through with their journey, making far better time than expected. At this rate, they would be home before it got too dark to see. They could start rebuilding the village today if they wanted to.

Hinata was deep in thought as she zoned out, the monotony of running eating away at her. She had seen Naruto get sent to the front and was wondering what he was thinking of.

"Earth to Hinata, hello?" A familiar voice said.

"S-Sorry, Sakura. What were you saying?" Hinata responded, still running.

Sakura laughed. "I wasn't saying anything, I could just tell you were out of it. You alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I just..."

"Miss him already? Wow, you really are hopelessly in love."

"Sakura!" Hinata said as a small blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Relax, he's not going to hear. Not from way up there. So... how are you two?"

"We, um... we're friends..."

"Oh come on, seriously? Did you even take my advice?"

Hinata blushed further as she remembered their "more than friendly" interactions that ultimately she had caused.

"I did, actually."

"Oh? How did it go?"

Hinata told Sakura about how she had boldly pushed Naruto's buttons in just the right way, and how he had reacted.

"Oooh Hinata, very well done. Not gonna lie, I didn't expect that from you."

"That makes two of us. I'm still not entirely sure how he feels about me, though. It seemed like he was interested in what we were doing, but he also seemed uncomfortable..." Hinata said with worry in her voice.

"That's because you caught him off guard. You're making him think about things he hasn't thought about before."

"What about you? I mean, doesn't he still kind of have a thing for you?"

Sakura laughed even louder this time. "Hinata, Naruto never really liked me the way most people think. He told me himself, he had a childish crush on me that was more for attention than anything. As far as I know, he's never really loved anybody. Trust me, every bit of that boy is all for you."

"R-Really? So, I really do have a chance?"

"A chance? Ha! I bet he's up there right now thinking of all the different things he wants to do to you. He may not understand it, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel it. If he really reacted the way you say he did, I'm willing to bet he's just itching for you to do it again. You should've pulled him into your tent and let him show you himself."

"I thought about it..." Hinata admitted.

"I don't doubt it."

"Sakura, what if he doesn't feel the same? What if all this is for nothing? Or what if he just wants to do... that."

"You're an amazing person, Hinata, and I'm sure Naruto knows that. He probably already has feelings for you and just doesn't understand them. Trust me, just be patient with him. You're off to a good start, but remember to make all your intentions clear, and not just the fun ones. He doesn't seem like the type to want a friend with benefits, but if you really love him, make sure he knows it. He'll come around."

Hinata smiled as she said this. It was really nice to have a friend she could talk to about this.

"Thank you, Sakura. I really needed that."

"You're welcome, Hinata. You can always talk to me, I won't bite."

Sakura's words were certainly reassuring, but the sudden realization that he really might come to love her too... well, Hinata wasn't quite ready for that. She had loved him for so long and at one point had begun to think it was destined to be one sided forever. But now... there was a chance. And if there was a chance, there was no reason not to take it.

The only thing holding her back was herself.

As the formation approached what was left of the village gates, they saw a large crowd full of friends and family members waiting for them. Upon breakage of formation, everyone rushed to feel the sweet embrace of reunion. Everyone then realized, that the village walls and buildings didn't make this place home. It was the people they had been prepared to give their lives for that made it home.

Naruto realized this too, and he watched as all around him, people hugged, cried, and laughed together. He grew depressed as he remembered his reanimated father saying his final goodbye, and he slowly began to see that his welcome home would be much different than the rest of his comrades.

He found himself quickly disappearing from the large crowd of people. He didn't really know where he was going, he just needed to find a place where he could be alone. Then, he remembered the grassy spot above Hokage Rock, where he used to sit as a boy and look out over the village, wondering if it would ever really feel like home.

After he reached the top, he sat on the edge and let his legs dangle off. The view was nothing like it used to be. He used to be able to look and see all the different buildings and markets. As a young child, he couldn't venture into those areas without being shunned away. Now, there laid only rubble and debris. As he looked across the village, he saw people break away from the gates, and shortly, houses began to pop up out of nowhere, likely from Yamato.

"N-Naruto? What are you doing up here?" An all too familiar voice said from behind.

"Hinata! How did you find me?" Naruto said as he rushed to his feet.

"I-I was about to come up to you and say hello, but you suddenly left... you seemed upset so I followed you... I'm sorry." Hinata said, mistaking his shock for anger.

"No no, it's okay, I didn't mean to sound upset. I just... you scared me, ya know? This used to be my favorite spot when I was younger. I liked it because nobody else came here. I wasn't expecting you to show up."

"So then, why are you hiding up here? The villagers are asking where you went. Everyone is excited to see you." Hinata said as she approached him.

Naruto sat back down on the ledge again, and Hinata could see sadness in his eyes.

"That's... what I'm afraid of. Until now, I never felt like I belonged here. Now that everyone has accepted me, I can't help but feel that it's just because I saved them all. It doesn't feel genuine. I feel like I had nobody to come home to. I had nobody waiting for me. I'm just... here."

Hinata sat down next to him, close enough to where their legs were almost touching.

"Naruto, I know it's hard to believe, but I don't think they're going to turn their back on you again. I was down there... they seem very thankful for you. Several of them talked about how wrong they were for treating you like that when you were little. I think you've really won their hearts, Naruto."

He said nothing as he stared at the ground below him.

Then, Hinata sucked in all the bravery she could, and grabbed Naruto's hand. His gaze turned away from the ground below and toward her. As he met her eyes again, Hinata's heartbeat quickened, but she didn't let her anxiety stop her.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore. Things are different now, and everything is gonna be okay from now on. And even if they never speak to you again, you will always have me to come home to, and I will always wait for you."

Naruto looked completely dumbfounded. Why was she treating him like this? Why was she the only one? She took it upon herself to follow him up here just because he looked upset... why? What did she see in him that he didn't see in himself?

What did it mean?

"Hinata... I..." Naruto trailed off as tears began to fall down his cheeks. It was too much, the affection she showed him. He didn't know what to do with it, or how to interpret it. Was it love? Was it just comfort? Dammit, he needed to know!

Hinata stood up, her hand still holding his, and began to pull him onto his feet and away from the ledge.

"You are not alone Naruto, and I want to make sure you never feel that way. I don't want you to bottle things up, I want you to talk to me. I want you to trust me."

"I... I do trust you, Hinata." Naruto wiped his tears. He felt better knowing there was someone there for him. Hinata was there for him, as she had always been even if he hadn't realized it.

"I'm sorry I ran off without saying anything to you. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Naruto said once his tears were gone and he calmed down.

Hinata laughed as he said this. "Naruto, you never have to make anything up to me. But if you insist, I have... an idea..." she said smiling at him. Naruto laughed as well as his iconic smile came back to meet hers.

"And what would that be?"

"Well, since there's not enough housing for everyone yet, I was thinking we could have our next campfire tonight? We can grab some supplies and come back up here, where we'll be... all alone." She said as she stared into his eyes. God, he loved when she looked at him like that. It was intoxicating.

"I really like the sound of that, Hinata. You're the camping expert, you lead the way! I wouldn't even know what stuff to grab."

"How about this, you stay here for now, and I'll be back with the supply scroll. If you go back down there, the villagers will keep you as long as they can. I want you all to myself." Hinata blushed furiously as she said this. She wasn't lying though.

"O-Okay, um, I'll be here then..." Naruto said nervously.

"I'll be b-back soon..." Hinata said, finally letting his hand go and making her way back to the villagers.

"Don't take too long!" Naruto yelled as she waved from a distance.

As soon as she was gone, Naruto felt himself becoming more and more excited. And at the same time, he was extremely nervous knowing he was about to spend another night with Hinata. He had a smile plastered on his face that wouldn't go away if he tried. He noticed that his heart was throbbing and his breathing was shaky. Nobody had ever made him feel like this, and for some reason, he couldn't get enough of it.

This feeling, he could tell it was something more than friendship. When she had finally broken their stare and started to walk away, Naruto had immediately longed for her eyes to meet his again, and as he did, he knew that he wanted to forever be entranced by her passionate gaze. He never wanted to look away, and he never wanted her to look at anyone else like that. This feeling, he wanted it to only exist between them, for each other and only each other, and he wanted nothing more than for her to feel the exact same way about him.

He didn't quite understand what this meant, and that only made him more terrified than before. But one thing was for sure, Hinata made him feel something he had never felt before in his life, and he was already becoming addicted to it.

He just needed to figure out what that something was.

He had come a long way and made many friends, but in the end, he hoped that Hinata would be the one that made this place his home.