So I've been on a Naruto kick lately. I truly love this show, and the characters are incredible. This is my first story for this category and I hope you will all enjoy it. If not, I hope you will tell me why! It is a one-shot, although, I may continue with the concept in the future. I will warn you now, there isn't a whole lot of plot, it is more of a character study and a deeper look into my version of Naruto and Hinata's relationship. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own only the concept, or plot if it can be called that. Everything else is borrowed mostly for my own amusement.

XXX

Sasuke was surprised to see not Naruto but Naruto's wife open the door. Hinata smiled kindly at him as she ushered him through the door.

"Naruto is running an errand but he should be back soon," she said in her soft tone closing the door as he toed off his sandals. She led him into the brightly cheerful living room and gestured for him to sit on the couch. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, her gentle voice and quiet mannerisms not quite meshing with the loudly colored room. She practically seemed to melt into the wall, barely holding Sasuke's focus, and she was the only other person in the room!

"No, thank you," he grunted out, hoping she would leave him alone. To his great relief, she simply nodded her head and turned to retreat to the kitchen when the front door slammed open.

"Nata! I'm home!" Sasuke winced as the loud voice filled the small apartment.

Hinata moved to meet Naruto in the entrance hall and tell him their guest had arrived, but wasn't able to get the words out before Naruto swept her up in a deep kiss. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his friend's ridiculous behavior and the pitiful surprised squeak Hinata let out. He watched with a bored expression as Hinata pushed lightly on Naruto's chest to break the kiss. The blond was obviously reluctant and fought her, but she managed to mutter a quiet, "Sasuke's here," when she turned her head to the side, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

Naruto looked up, over her head, and spotted his friend on the couch. He smiled his great big, face-splitting smile and loudly greeted his best friend, not at all ashamed of the fact that he had had an audience when he had tried to eat his wife's face off.

"I'll start some tea and leave you alone. Call me if you need anything," Hinata told them both smiling at Sasuke before slipping into the kitchen.

Naruto thumped unceremoniously on the couch opposite Sasuke and propped his feet up on the coffee table between them, his hands folded behind his head.

"So," he started off in his usual loud, blunt manner. "How was your mission?"

"Fine," Sasuke replied evenly. "Uneventful."

"When is it any different for you?" Naruto laughed good naturedly.

Sasuke shrugged and vaguely noted Hinata slipping from the kitchen and into the back bedroom. "How has life been here?" he asked. He really was trying to care about this village.

"Fine, uneventful," Naruto answered cheekily, a foxy grin on his lips.

Sasuke gave him a withering look, unamused with his stupid antics.

Naruto shrugged, ignoring his friend's annoyance in favor of his good mood. "It's the same as it always is. Kiba and I spar, Shikamaru watches clouds, Ino gossips, Sakura never leaves the hospital. Same old, same old."

Sasuke nodded once and then let his head drop back onto the couch.

"Speaking of Sakura…" Naruto began suggestively.

Sasuke closed his eyes and held back a sigh before lifting his head to look at Naruto. "Yes?"

"Have you asked her out yet?" Naruto asked bluntly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No, Naruto."

"Why not?" Naruto asked loudly, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.

"Why are you so insistent on this?" Sasuke asked heatedly. This was not the first time Naruto had bothered him with this subject.

"Why are you avoiding it so much?" Naruto countered. "For years you wouldn't shut up about 'restoring your clan'. Who better to do that with than Sakura? She's smart, she's pretty, she's a damn fine kunoichi. She loves your sorry ass from here to Suna and back."

"If she is so wonderful, why did you marry Hinata?" Sasuke countered back.

Naruto look like he'd been blindfolded, taken across country, dumped in a random ditch, spun around and told to find his way home.

"What?"

"Well, you can't stop singing her praises. And you're right. She is smart, she was top of the class, and she was Tsunade's apprentice. She is pretty, everyone agrees. She has become a great shinobi since our genin days." He chose to ignore Naruto's last point. "So why didn't you marry her. You've pined after her for as long as she's pined after me."

Naruto stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "What are you talking about?"

"Why did you finally give up on her and marry Hinata? Kami knows they are nothing alike. Sakura is strong, and Hinata… well, she doesn't run around shattering mountains. Sakura's personality matches yours much better. You're both insufferably loud and never stop yelling. Hinata hides every chance she gets."

Naruto squinted at Sasuke, trying to wrap his head around what he was saying. "Sakura loves you," he repeated.

"So, what?" Sasuke asked. He was honestly curious. He had been absolutely shocked when he had returned to Konoha to find a wedding band on Naruto's finger. He had been even more shocked to learn that its match was on Hinata Hugo's finger and not Sakura Haruno's. He wanted to know what had happened to land Naruto with the shy, quiet, and overall unimpressive girl.

"Are you telling me you gave up on Sakura? You decided to settle? I suppose the only real difficulty was getting around Hiashi? If the rumors when we were kids were true, I take it Hinata jumped at any bone you threw her?"

Naruto recoiled as if he'd been stung and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.

"No."

Both boys turned to the archway leading to the kitchen. Hinata stood stiffly in the doorway, a tray of tea in her hands. Her normally gentle face had a hardness to it Naruto had rarely seen. It was completely foreign to Sasuke.

When had she left the bedroom?

"You are wrong, Sasuke-san," Hinata said in her quiet manner, but her voice carried an underlying current of steel. "I would not have 'settled'. If I knew that Naruto still loved Sakura-chan, I never would have entertained a relationship with him, let alone married him. I do not enjoy torturing myself, and a life like that would have been the worst kind of torture." She set the tray on the coffee table between the boys hard enough to rattle the dishes and then stormed out of the room. Naruto glared at Sasuke when they heard the front door close loudly.

"She's right."

Sasuke jolted out of his stupor and turned back to Naruto.

"She never would have settled for me. Kami knows I'm not good enough for her as it is. She's stronger than you think. She grew up… a lot like us."

Sasuke shot him a skeptical look, but Naruto's glare hardened and made him question himself.

"How much do you know about the Hyuga? Not much, I'd guess? You've never been concerned with any clan but your own," Naruto muttered, throwing an arm across the back of the couch, getting comfortable for the tongue lashing he was about to deliver. "Let's just say it's not the happiest family to grow up in.

"Hinata was raised with everyone around her telling her she was a disappointment. I guess in that way you and her have nothing in common, but it gives her and me a hell of a lot of common ground. Where you two are similar is that everyone expected miracles from you both. Everyone told Hinata she was a failure, and then still expected her to know the taijutsu forms, and the clan traditions, and proper etiquette, and everything else. And she did.

"You had already been taken by Kakashi to have your curse mark sealed during our first chunin exam, so you didn't see her fight. She had to fight Neji. Remember him? He was one of the few you considered a 'worthy opponent'. He was the Pride of the Hyuga. And he wasted no time in ripping her mind to shreds within moments of their match starting. He took every single flaw and insecurity her family had nurtured in her since she could understand them, and smothered them in her face. He took great delight in reminding her that he was the prodigy and she was the worthless heiress. And when she stood up to him and refused to forfeit her match, he almost killed her."

Naruto's eyes were hard, in a way Sasuke had rarely seen as they bored into him. Sasuke could tell he was restraining himself, trying to calmly explain something he felt Sasuke needed to understand.

"When Pein invaded I didn't get back to the village until it was a crater. I don't know if anyone's told you that story, but I failed to beat him pretty miserably. I was pinned to the ground, about to be captured to have Kurama taken from me, and the next thing I know, the most unlikely person in the entire village is standing between me and him. I told her to run away. I told her over and over that she was no match for him, that she couldn't beat him. I told her that! And she straight up ignored me. When I thought he had killed her," Naruto choked off his sentence, his eyes taking on a far off look. He paused, his fist shaking slightly on the back of the couch. "When he ran her through with that chakra rod, I lost control of Kurama in a way I never have before." It was another moment before he raised his eyes to Sasuke again.

"Yes, Hinata is quiet, and shy, and often times she goes so far as to be demure. And yes, Sakura is her complete opposite, in just about every way. But that does not make Sakura better than her. They are different, a lot like you and I are different. They can't really be compared. They have both worked incredibly hard for what they have, and they are both incredibly dedicated to being shinobi, and I love them both very, very much. But I have never, in any way settled for Hinata. In fact, I married very, very high above myself.

"It's not that I gave up on Sakura, or settled for Hinata," Naruto said heatedly, practically spitting out the word 'settled'. "It's that I finally opened my eyes. Sakura was never going to look at me past you, even when you weren't here. I finally figured out that one of the reasons I wanted Sakura to like me, be with me, was because it would mean that someone would really care about me. They would be able to see past golden boy Sasuke Uchiha and find something worthwhile in Naruto Uzumaki. It would mean that I had beaten you at least once."

Sasuke stared at Naruto as if seeing him in a new light.

"Hinata gave me that without ever having to compete with you. She gave me something no one ever has before in my entire life. And she did it in a way that no one ever has before. She never asked for anything! I've never had to work for Hinata's affection like I have for everything in my life. And because of that, it makes me want to work even harder for it. I want to prove to her that I'm worth it, that I'm worth her just handing me everything she has."

Naruto chuckled a little before continuing.

"Did you know, she's the first person that ever said 'I love you' to me?" At Sasuke's startled expression he huffed another almost breathless laugh. "Yeah, she's the first person. And she did it staring down Pein! She told me she wasn't afraid to die protecting me, because she loved me. Sakura's never done anything like that. So, I guess you're right, Teme. Hinata and Sakura don't match up, but it's because Sakura can never compare to my Hinata."

Naruto surged to his feet. "Now get out of my house," he said, not unkindly. "I have to go find my wife and make sure she's only pissed off at you and not me!"

XXX

A knock on the door made Kurenai looked up from the salad she was preparing for lunch. Listening to Asami's happy chatter from the living room she crossed to the front door. She was not at all surprised to see Naruto Uzumaki on the other side.

"Hey, Kurenai-sensei," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Is Hinata here?" he asked hopefully.

She decided to make him sweat a bit. She leaned against the door and leveled him with her crimson glare.

"Yes, she is," she replied icily. She bit back a smile when she watched him wilt a little at her tone.

"Is she that mad at me?" he asked quietly. He reminded her of a kicked puppy.

"She showed up at my door a half hour ago very upset," she informed him aloofly, her arms folded tightly across her stomach as she feigned waiting for an explanation.

He cringed in front of her and took a step back. "Can you…" he started. He cleared his throat before trying again. "Can you tell her I'm sorry?" he asked her, his blue eyes looking into hers pleadingly.

"Tell her yourself," she replied kindly, a small smile appearing on her lips. Naruto's surprised expression made her laugh lightly before she told him, "She told me it was Sasuke's fault. Come on in."

Naruto stepped passed her and hurriedly toed off his sandals before stepping farther into Kurenai's small apartment. He paused in the archway to the living room.

Hinata sat on the small couch, little, three year old Asami on her lap, babbling away with an upside-down book in her hands. Naruto was struck by the image of Hinata with a child. He could just imagine Hinata sitting on their couch at home, a beautiful little girl that looked just like her on her lap, playing with a stuffed frog. His heart ached for that image to be real.

Hinata wasn't really paying much attention to the toddler. She was leaning back into the couch, glazed eyes staring at the book over Asami's shoulder. She jumped a bit when Asami shrieked "Na'to!" and violently flung herself out of Hinata's lap to run to Naruto.

She squealed when he caught her under her arms and lifted her into the air, tossing her lightly before catching her and pretending to eat her neck. She shrieked and laughed loudly, kicking her legs against his chest and pushing his face away from her, calling for help. He pulled away, still holding the toddler securely against his chest as she laughed and looked warily toward Hinata.

She seemed rooted to her spot on the couch, staring at him with her big beautiful eyes like a cornered doe. He noticed she had clasped her hands in her lap, a habit that had replaced her finger-poking sometime when he had been of with Jiraiya, and she looked ready to wring her fingers off.

"Naruto, will you join us for lunch?" Kurenai asked, hoping to break the tension that was obviously brewing between the couple. Naruto tore his eyes away from his wife and began to decline but she cut him off. "Excellent! 'Sami, why don't you help me in the kitchen?" she demanded, pulling her daughter from Naruto's arms and promptly walking into the kitchen, leaving the young couple to sort out their Uchiha problem.

Naruto watched the doorway to the kitchen for a moment before turning back to Hinata. She hadn't moved, but still balanced on the edge of the couch nervously, still wringing her hands together.

He opened his mouth to apologize when Asami's loud screech and continuous babble cut him off. Again he looked toward the kitchen before turning back to Hinata. "Can we go for a walk?" he asked softly.

Hinata nodded mutely and carefully rose from the couch. She followed him toward the front door and as she slipped her shoes back on Naruto called to Kurenai. "We're going for a walk, we'll be back soon."

"Ok, have fun," was all he got in answer.

Naruto opened the door for Hinata and allowed her to step outside before him.

Kurenai lived in an old apartment building that had survived the invasion from Pein. It had been on the edge of the village and therefore outside of the blast zone. Few buildings had survived that day, but some, like the Hokage tower and the Hyuga Estate had been lucky. The apartment building was backed by the woods, the enormous trees that gave Konoha its name, and not far into the trees, the river rushed past. By some unspoken agreement the couple wandered into the trees. They knew each other so well, words were often unnecessary, even with thick tension between them. Even when they didn't work, Naruto and Hinata worked, perfectly.

They reached the bank of the river and stopped, neither having mustered the courage to look at the other.

Suck up your pride and talk to your mate, Kit, Kurama growled inside Naruto's head.

Stay out of it, he bit back. He knew Kurama cared about Hinata. He was extremely protective of the Hyuga, oddly enough. He liked her, and because of how attached Naruto was, it was inevitable that some of those feelings would leak into the demon harbored inside him.

You need to fix this. It was your bastard friend that upset her.

I know! He shouted back and just as he opened his mouth to apologize, he was again interrupted.

"I'm sorry!" Naruto gaped at Hinata. What the hell was she sorry for?

"'Nata," he started quietly, but once again, she cut him off.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get angry with him. I didn't mean to yell at him!" she exclaimed, her back still to him.

"Yell at him?" Naruto guffawed. Hinata had spoken her mind, and there had definitely been anger in her words, but she had not yelled at Sasuke.

"I know he is your friend, and I shouldn't have snapped at him but I was just so angry!" she continued, and Naruto wasn't even sure she had heard him. "I love you, Naruto, but I would not have married you if I thought you didn't feel the same. I would never have been able to live with myself, knowing every time you looked at me, or kissed me, or laid down next to me each night you wished I was someone else. I know I'm not like Sakura. I know what Sasuke said about her is true, but I did not settle for you."

"'Nata!" he called, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to face him. "I know," he told her, resting his forehead against hers. "I know you didn't settle for me." Despite the fact that he knew she had settled for him he wanted to placate her. He knew she saw so much good in him, and she would never accept that she had gotten the worse end of the deal when she married him. "And nothing Sasuke said was true. The teme had no idea what he was talking about."

She looked into his blue eyes, a doubtful expression pulling the corner of her mouth down. "Sasuke is still trying to readjust to the village. He has stuck to the people he knew before he left, which is pretty much Kakashi, Sakura, and me. He's seen how Sakura has grown, and I think he may really have feelings for her. He's seen how much she's grown but with you he has nothing to compare to. He never noticed you when we were younger, and he doesn't see how much you've grown."

"He doesn't think I'm good enough," she admitted quietly.

Naruto shot her a questioning look, silently asking her to elaborate.

"He doesn't think I'm good enough for you. He thinks Sakura would have been better suited for you, feelings or not. And he's right."

"What?" Naruto violently recoiled from her. Where the hell was this coming from? "'Nata, what are you talking about?"

"You told me yourself you thought I was quiet and dark and weird," Hinata reminded him, pulling away from him, a panicked look in her eyes. "Sakura is bright and pretty and everyone loves her. You want to be Hokage, Naruto! You couldn't ask for a better companion than her."

He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"I don't need to ask for a better companion!" Naruto exclaimed. "I have you! I love you, 'Nata! Why would you doubt that?"

A shocked, horrified expression washed over her features now. She violently shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. "No, that's not what I meant! I know you love me, I do! I thank Kami every day that you do!" Naruto knew a 'but' was coming.

"But just because you love someone doesn't always mean they are the best for you."

There it was. He could see the tears in her eyes as she took another step away from him.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself, trying to think rationally. He knew he was in very dangerous waters, only a few wrong words away from losing his wife. All because Sasuke was an ass.

"Hinata," he began slowly, "I have never once in my life compared you to Sakura. Yes, you are completely different. Yes, you both have your own strengths and weaknesses. But I was always meant to be with you." Watery eyes stared back at him nervously. "Sakura and I… we don't work. I mean, yeah, we can fight together. We're a great team on the field, but we barely manage to be friends. If we hadn't been forced onto the same genin team we never would be where we are now. We've been through hell and back, for Sasuke, and we have a bond from that. But in a relationship between her and me, it would never work.

"She gets too angry with me. I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with all the time. But somehow you manage it. You are always so patient with me, and so sweet. Where Sakura would hit me, you hug me. Where she would scream at me, you smile. And she could never even dream of comparing to your kisses," he told her, a slight grin breaking across his lips.

She still kept her distance, but he saw her shoulders relax a little.

"Even if you were right, you're not, but even if you were, and being with Sakura somehow made my life easier," he said doubtfully, "I'm used to working hard. I want you in my life, believe it!"

A watery laugh bubbled out of her chest at his old catch-phrase. Naruto surged forward, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. He swayed back and forth, relishing the feel of her in his arms and her sweet smell filling his nose. "No one could ever feel this perfect in my arms," he whispered into her neck.

He relaxed when he felt her arms wrap around him like steel cables. It was the best feeling in the world. He pulled away just enough to slide his lips over hers sweetly. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, smiling into her gorgeous eyes before a grumble from somewhere between them made him glance at his stomach.

They both laughed, the tension between them gone. He stepped away but caught her hand in his, tugging her back toward the village.

"Come on, one thing I will have to settle for is Kurenai-sensei's boring cooking for lunch instead of yours."

XXX

Now that I have done my part, I hope you will play along. Let me know what you thought! Please review and leave some sort of comment! Point out spelling and grammar mistakes, tell me your favorite part, tell me your least favorite part, were the characters true to their character? If not, what did I miss?

Much Love - Tenneyshoes