AN: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy the story! This is a side piece to a Naruto/Bleach crossover that I am working on. While the chapter(s) to this will not have any bleach characters in it, it does help set up and develop the relationship between Naruto and Hinata for the crossover. This takes place between the pro log and chapter 1 (Post Pein attack) time wise of the crossover as well if anyone is curious. I will start posting the crossover sooner rather than later, I am just working out a few kinks in the little bit I have written so far. Thanks for reading! Now for some NaruHina!

Chapter 1

Naruto stretched his work tired muscles. It had been a long morning helping to rebuild the village. He was glad for the work though, It had kept his mind off of the nightmares that have been plaguing him, but also from his meeting that morning with Baa-chan and Hinata's father. Now that it was mid-day and time for a break, that morning's conversation rushed back to him.

"I wish for you to marry Hinata Naruto-san."

Naruto sighed, scratching at the back of his head as he headed off to find some lunch, his thoughts racing. Here he was, the newly named hero of the village, wandering around dazed and a bit confused. Hinata's father wished for him to marry his daughter, the same young woman who was the unfortunate star in his most recent nightmares. Not because she did anything wrong, or that he thought she was scary or something. No, it was because of her incredibly brave choice to try and save him and her near death. The way Pain had cut her down like she wasn't more than an unimportant insect that was buzzing around him was the reason for the dreams. She was so determined, something he had never seen in the shy, quiet kunoichi, and so brave, but still had stood no chance against him.

He feared that the image of her lifeless body bleeding on the ground would be forever burned into his mind. Always there to remind him of how weak he still was, and to take a page out of the Kyubi's book, how pathetic. And now, by some strange twist of fate, he was betrothed to her at her father's request. And to top it all off, he wasn't allowed to talk about it with anyone. Baa-chan had insisted that it was for her safety, so that the Akatsuki wouldn't target her to get to him. 'I wonder if she even knows yet.' He thought as he walked along through the construction site.

He heard a whistling sound seconds before a kunai embedded itself in the dirt just in front of him. It had a message tied to it. Quickly picking up the kunai, he untied the note and read it.

Meet me at the edge of training ground three at sunset. There is much to be discussed.

Naruto's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. 'What's there to be discussed?' He thought. Looking up into the direction that the kunai had come from, he saw a figure standing in the shadows. The figure, seeing Naruto looking his way stepped into the sunlight briefly, revealing him to be none other than Neji, Hinata's cousin. He gave a slight nod of his head to acknowledge that he was the sender of the message. Naruto stared for a moment before returning the gesture, indicating he received and understood the message. With that, Neji quickly disappeared from view.

Naruto sighed again as he pocketed the note and kunai as he once again continued back from the construction site in search of food. He decided that Shikamaru might really be onto something at that moment because all he could think about was how 'troublesome' his day was turning out to be.

Naruto trudged through the edge of the village, moving at a fairly slow pace towards training ground three. The sun was sinking below the western horizon and a waxing moon was rising to the east. It promised to be a fairly dark night, with the exception of the slowly strengthening moonlight.

Naruto sighed. He had spent all afternoon worrying about what Neji might have to stay to him. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that it didn't have anything to do with his recent betrothal. Oh no, he knew it had to be about that. Why else would Neji want to talk to him out here with no one around?

As Naruto arrived at the meeting place, he looked around for the young Hyuga. Spying someone standing in the tree line, their back against a large oak, he moved forward until he was standing only a couple of feet from him. "Hey Neji, you wanted to talk?" He said with a growing lump in his throat as he observed Neji as he looked at him, his byakugan active.

Neji looked at Naruto, quietly scanning the area before returning the greeting. "Hello Naruto. I am glad to see you were not followed, there is much to be discussed this evening." He said, relaxing his stance and deactivating his Byakugan.

"Hehe, yeah… so what do you want to talk about?" Naruto asked nervously causing Neji to glare at him for a minute before letting out a sigh.

"You know very well what needs to be discussed Naruto. Hiashi-sama has informed me of the betrothal, with Hokage-sama's permission of course." He said, cutting off any retorts from the blonde shinobi. "Hiashi-sama believed it would be wise to inform a select few in the clan of the betrothal for Hinata-sama's safety. He chose me to act a messenger and chaperone for you and Hinata-sama so that the two of you can communicate with each other safely."

"Chaperone?! Whoa, I'm not… I mean I would never…" Naruto began all flustered, placing his hands in front of himself as he took a step back.

"Relax Naruto, no one is saying you would try anything… inappropriate." Neji said, interrupting the blonde. "My duty is more to ensure you and Hinata-sama have some privacy, so the two of you may talk freely to each other. When in the village, or on a mission you're both expected to act like nothing has changed of course."

"Oh." Naruto replied. After a moment to digest that little tidbit of information he continued. "So, ah…,, does….. does she know?" He asked hesitantly. Not quite sure what answer he was hoping for.

A small grin appeared on Neji's face at the question. "Yes, she has been made aware. Infact, Hinata-sama is waiting to talk to you." He said, indicating the slightly more dense thicket of trees that they were standing by. "Do not worry though, you are well within the range of my Byakugan. No one will be able to approach without my knowledge." He said, reactivating his kekkei genkai and leaning back against the tree.

Naruto eyed the thicket warily causing Neji to chuckle. "What is wrong Naruto, you're not scared of Hinata-sama all of a sudden are you?" He asked, a slight teasing tone evident in his voice.

"No, it's not that." He replied, attention returning to the Hyuga next to him. "What do you think of all this Neji?"

"What do I think? Well…. I think this could be a very good thing for the two of you." Neji replied. "I cannot think of anyone I would rather see my cousin with, and the same goes for you. Now, get going. She has been a nervous wreck all afternoon. The two of you need to talk." He said, dismissing the blonde shinobi as he leapt up into the tree to keep watch.

Naruto gulped nervously before a small, unsure grin formed on his face. 'At least I'm not the only one that is nervous.' He thought as he stepped into the trees, within seconds he was lost from sight from all but Neji.

It only took him a minute to find her in the thick undergrowth. She was leaning against a large tree on the far side of a small clearing in the undergrowth, her eyes were closed and she had her hands clasped at her chest. She looked deceptively calm, but on closer inspection, even Naruto could pick up the slight trembling that she was desperately trying to control. 'Neji was right, she is a nervous wreck.' He thought, his own nervousness intensifying.

Hinata could feel his presence approaching through the trees. There was always something about Naruto that drew her attention. Whether it was his silly jokes, his bright smile or his determination, he always had drawn her eyes to him. She kept her breathing steady with her eyes closed as she fought to keep herself as calm as possible. Her body trembled with nervousness. Was he as nervous as she was? Was he upset with the arrangement? So many questions danced through her head. She had been shocked when her father had told her earlier that day. While she was nervous, part of her was happy at the thought of being betrothed to Naruto. Which, ironically enough, made her nerves worse as she was unsure of his reaction.

Naruto stopped a few paces away, nervously shifting his weight slightly from foot to foot. "H-hey." He said, his voice sounding nervous and unsure even to his own ears. He watched as she took a deep breath and opened her eyes to look at him. Her eyes shown with nervousness. Unasked questions seemed to dance around in their depths like fish in a pond. He gave her a smile, hoping that it might help her calm down.

Seeing his smile, Hinata gave him a small smile in return, her cheeks heating up under his gaze. "H-hello Na-Naruto-kun." She said shyly. They stood there, and awkward silence enveloping them.

"So… how have you been?" He asked lamely trying to break the tension between them.

"I-I have been well. H-How about you?" She asked in return, watching the blonde shinobi in front of her.

"I'm alright." He said. Silence enveloped them again as they searched for what to say next. Naruto was the first to find his voice as he continued. "So… your dad told you then?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Y-yes he did." She replied, her voice quiet in the stillness of the woods. "A-are you ok with it Na-Naruto-kun?" She asked, her nervousness intensifying with the question that had be dominating her thoughts all afternoon.

Naruto watched her for a moment. Had her trembling intensified, or was it just a figment of his imagination? He wasn't sure, but her eyes shown with nervousness, doubts and a vulnerability that he was not used to seeing. He could feel the lump start to reform in his throat. How was she going to react? Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he decided to go with the band aid approach. Best to just say it and be done with it, even if it might sting a bit. "Well, I am a bit confused but…. I am alright with it." He said. He felt relief wash over him as he watched her visibly relax, her nervous trembling, unusual even for her, subside and a small smile graced her face. "How about you? Are you ok with it?" He asked.

"Y-yes I am." She replied, her voice returning to the quiet, almost melodic tone that he was used to hearing. "I-I am glad that you are ok with the betrothal Na-Naruto-kun." She continued shyly. "I k-know it can be a bit much to take in, but I h-had hoped that father hadn't upset you with it."

Naruto grinned as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, your dad was cool. He's a bit intimidating thought." He said with a chuckle. "Baa-chan was the one that was being pushy. Said if I ever want to be Hokage I need to learn to make tough decisions quickly." His smile faltered a bit as he searched for what to say next. After a few moments he decided on a more general topic. "So, how are the injuries you got from the fight? I know I should have asked sooner but…" He trailed off, feeling ashamed for actually forgetting about seeing to her health. It made him feel very stupid to have forgotten something so important.

"I-I am doing well. Besides being a bit s-stiff and sore I am almost fully healed. Shizune-san check on me yesterday morning, she says I can return to duty in a few more days." She replied, blushing a bit at the personal question. "H-how about you?" She asked.

"I'm fine, all I needed was a hot meal and a good sleep!" He said, his smile returning full force, seeming to light up the darkening woods. "Well, I guess you know why I heal so fast now though don't you?" He said, deciding to look up at the sky through the tree branches. He barely noticed that the stars were starting to come out as the last glow of sunset started to fade away. This had been weighing on his mind as well today. A part of him was still worried about how she might react to him being a Jinchuriki. He was confident that if they had been just friends that she would be fine with it, she was the nicest kunoichi he knew after all. But their situation was now different. They were betrothed, they would marry soon and have a family together someday. He was not so foolish to think that his status as a Jinchuriki wouldn't cause problems.

Hinata watched him for a moment, even with the coming darkness she could see the change in his body language. As he looked towards the sky, his stance had gone from fairly relaxed to stiff and on edge, like he was ready for an attack. The look on his upturned face spoke volumes to her, his bright confident smile had slipped. She was sure if she could see his eyes, they would be guarded, not shining with his usual confidence or mischief. She pulled herself away from the tree and moved forward. Her training allowed her to move the few paces to his side without making so much as a sound. Nervously, she placed her hand on his arm, feeling the strong muscles underneath. Her gently touch brought his attention back down to her. His eyes were guarded and wary, like a those of a wild creature ready to flee at the first sign of danger. She studied those eyes for a moment before allowing a small, gentle smile to grace her lips. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze, hoping to give him some comfort. "Na-Naruto-kun, it's ok." She said, watching his eyes closely. "I do not fear you, nor have I ever. Y-you have always been and always will be nothing more than just you. You are Naruto Uzumaki. S-someone who is precious to me, someone who is strong and caring and someone I know I can trust with anything, even my life." She said, lowering her eyes as her shyness overcame her once again. Her face flamed brightly as she turned her face away, but she forced herself to continue. "I-I know there will be things that will come up, but you d-don't have to face them alone anymore. We can face them together."

All he could do was stare at her. He watched the weak, dappled moonlight dance across her as he took in her words. He didn't know how to respond. After a moment he realized that she had done it again. She had somehow known just what to say to make him feel better, and she said it with such conviction, such open honesty that he could do nothing but believe her. He sucked in a deep breath before he tried to talk. "Hinata…." He breathed, his voice barely audible. He felt the lump reform in his throat so he did the only thing he could do. Quick as lightning he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him causing her to let out a squeak of surprise. "Thank you." He whispered as he buried his face in her hair and breathed in her soft scent.

Hinata stood there frozen with her face in his shoulder and his breath tickling her ear. She breathed in his scent, a mixture of sweat and the smell of wood from the construction he had been doing all day and relaxed. She had not been expecting the show of affection from Naruto, but it made her happy to know that her words had reached him and made him feel better. Slowly she moved her arms, placing them around him and returned the embrace. She blushed brightly, her head even started to feel a bit light like she might faint, but she fought it off as she buried her face more firmly into his shoulder by the base of his neck. "You're welcome Na-Naruto-kun." She said, her soft voice muffled slightly by his jacket.

The clearing of a throat nearby caused them to jump apart like the others touch burned. There faces both flamed bright red as Neji walked into the small clearing. "I hate to interrupt such a touching moment but we need to be returning to our tents Hinata-sama. Your father will worry if we are out much longer." He said as he looked at the two before him, his Byakugan still active and a small smile upon his face.

"Of course Neji-niisan. It was my fault for losing track of time." Hinata replied softly, her cheeks still glowed but her eyes showed her hesitance to leave. She looked over at Naruto for a moment before giving him her farewell. "I am sorry but we must be going now Na-Naruto-kun. I hope we can meet again soon." She said looking him in the eyes.

"Definitely." He said as he watched her turn and start to walk away.

Hinata had almost disappeared into the trees when she turned once again. "Be safe Naruto-kun." She called back before turning and taking the final steps into the undergrowth.

He smiled at the woods where she had disappeared. His smile was warm and real as he returned the farewell to the quiet woods. "You too Hinata. You too." And with that he too left to find his own tent.