Author's Note: And we're back! I already mentioned wanting to do a rewrite for this a while back because as most of you already know, the story fell off a hell of a long time ago. But with the help of the lovely and amazing hinatagirl18 who has been going back and forth with me on how I can improve the story and giving me ideas, I can now finally do the rewrite. So, a major thank you to them for their help. Now then, on with the new and improved Opposites Attract.

Opposites Attract: Chapter 1 – "I like you! Please go out with me!"

He couldn't help but pace anxiously on Uchiha Bridge that crossed over Senju Creek. He didn't take notice of the bystanders who glanced at him and his worried expression. He continued to pace. He was sure he'd been pacing long enough to carve his path into the boards so he was constantly checking every fifty steps. Once assured he hadn't done any actual damage – as if he could – he continued to pace.

He groaned as he rubbed his face with his hands and rested his elbows on the railing of the bridge. He looked down at the stream that reflected the full moon hovering overhead and he let out a depressing sigh, "I should've known she wouldn't come." He looked down at his reflection in the stream, his bright blue eyes staring back at him and his expression showing his acceptance of defeat. His blonde hair even seemed to sad unnaturally with the acceptance.

"Naruto-kun!"

He looked up from the stream and to his left to see her standing a few feet away. She stood there with her hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath. Her hair that'd been so nicely done was starting to fall apart, the two pins in her silky purple hair barely holding on. He saw the sleeves of her kimono were rolled up and her sandals were in her hand. When she looked up at him finally, he saw the beads of sweat on her forehead and the sweat that rolled down her neck.

She stood upright and gave her traditionally sweet smile. "I'm sorry I'm late."

He looked at her for a moment. He wasn't sure to say seeing as his heart was pounding against his chest more fiercely than it had before. His palms were starting to sweat and his mouth felt dry. He'd been preparing for this moment for weeks and now that it was finally here, he couldn't say the words he'd rehearsed almost a million times. He saw the confused expression on her face as she continued to wait for him to say something but nothing seemed to come out.

He swallowed hard. "Hi-Hinata!"

Hinata stood upright and tightened her fingers around the straps of her sandals. "Y-yes?"

They stood across from one another on that bridge. It was just the two of them, many the festival participants having already made their way to the viewing grounds for the fireworks display. Naruto stood there with his cheeks a bright pink and slowly, Hinata's cheeks began to match his. She began to fidget with her fingers as the anticipation continued to build between them.

Naruto clenched his fist tightly and took several very rigid steps towards her. He stopped so that there was only a few inches between the two of them. He saw how much Hinata was blushing and the longer he waited to get the words out, the more impossible the task felt. The way Hinata looked up at him with those gentle eyes, they made Naruto feel like he was melting.

And the same went for Hinata. Her heart was beating against her chest, not because of the running but because of being there with Naruto. She had read and reread his letter at least a hundred times she'd he'd given to her yesterday. It took her a while to come to the realization of its message and the purpose of meeting him there but when she figured it out, she couldn't help but debate with herself. She knew what she wanted but she also knew what her father wanted.

"Hinata." Naruto took ahold of Hinata's hands and squeezed them gently. He inhaled deeply and let out a long breath to calm his nerves. A charming smile came onto his lips and Hinata was sure her heart stopped for a moment at the sight of it. As he opened his mouth to speak, the first firework launched into the air and exploded.

Despite the explosion drowning out Naruto's voice, Hinata could read his lips and know what he said. Her face turned completely red in response and she unknowingly tightened her grip around Naruto's hands. She opened her mouth in anticipation of answering him but instead, his lips found hers. She hesitated mainly due to the shock of the situation but she eventually recollected herself and returned his kiss. They stood there as the fireworks display continued behind him.

And as quickly as the kiss began, it ended. Naruto was the one to pull away and as they both opened their eyes, they both saw just how red the other was. It didn't take long for Naruto to realize what he had done before he let go of Hinata's hands and clasped them together and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry Hinata! I-I didn't mean to do that so suddenly!" he apologized profusely and repeatedly. He was sure Hinata would run away screaming about how much she hated him but instead, he felt her soft hands clasp his. He looked up and saw the look on her face. "Hinata?"

"I'll be your girlfriend," she answered and saw how quickly Naruto's grin returned to his face. She smiled at his reaction and just like before, was once against caught off guard by Naruto's actions. He took her face in her hands and pressed his lips against her again. She could respond a little faster this time and placed her hands against his chest.

Their kiss this time wasn't as timid as the one before. It felt natural and Hinata could feel the goosebumps on her skin rise as Naruto's hands moved from her face to her waist. He brought her body closer to his own, her chest pressing against him gently. Though embarrassed, Hinata didn't pull away.

"Lady Hinata, where are you?" a familiar voice called out from not too far away.

Neither one of them were excited about being interrupted but they stepped away from one another. They shared a smile with one another before Hinata reached into the sash of her kimono and held out an envelope with a Kurama sticker hold it closed with Naruto's name written on the front.

"Happy Birthday," she said as Naruto took it and looked it over.

"Thank you," Naruto smiled at her and could hear the familiar voice call for her again. He tucked the envelope into his back pocket. "I better get going. I'll see you soon."

Hinata watched as Naruto ran off and made it off the bridge. She turned around and watched as her cousin approached with a disappointed expression on his face. "Neji-nii-san."

"Honestly Hinata," he dropped the formality and folded his arms across his chest. "You should've told me you were coming out here to see Naruto. I could've at least made an argument about how you felt sick and needed a moment. He has everyone looking for you and he's not exactly thrilled about it either."

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized as she put a hand on Neji's shoulder and slipped back into her sandals. She rolled her sleeves back down and smoothed them out and pulled the pins out of her hair. She took a handkerchief from Neji and dabbed at the sweat on her neck and forehead before handing it back to him and watching him slip it back into the sleeve of his own kimono. "Where is Father now?" she questioned as the two of them began to walk in the opposite direction of where Naruto ran off.

10 Years Ago

"Kurama! Come back! Wait already!" Naruto called out in frustration as he continued to run after the puppy his parents had given him for his birthday. The puppy was already halfway down the steps that led to Uchiha Bridge when Naruto made it to top and spotted him. "Kurama!"

"Young Master! Young Master, where are you? Answer us!" one of Naruto's attendants called frantically. "Young Master!"

Naruto pursed his lips as he looked over his shoulder towards where his name was called and back towards Kurama who was two-thirds of the way down the staircase. When he saw his attendants come into view and spot him from atop the steps, he grinned and began his way down the last set of steps.

"Young Master! Wait!" one of the attendants called after him.

"Kurama!" Naruto managed to get onto the railing and slide down the entirety of them to close the gap between the two of them. When he got off at the end, he stumbled but managed to catch his footing before falling face first into the gravel. "Get back here!"

Kurama continued to run ahead. He was halfway across the bridge when he spotted a little girl sitting down by the railing. He slowed down and approached her before taking a seat in front of her and tilted his head to the side. The little girl looked at her, he expression matching his.

"Hello," she spoke quietly as she held out her hand and watched as Kurama sniffed her hand. She smiled when Kurama gently licked her hand.

"Kurama!" Naruto called again as he made it onto the bridge and continued to run towards him. When he caught up, he put his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. As his breathing slowed down, he looked up and saw her sitting there. "Who are you?"

"Hyuuga Hinata," she answered as she stood up and picked up Kurama. She held out the pup and saw the way Naruto lit up at the sight of a still Kurama. "Is he yours?"

"He is," Naruto answered as he took Kurama and giggled as Kurama licked his face. He looked at Hinata with his large grin. "Otou-san and Okaa-chan gave him to me for my birthday. His name is Kurama."

"Kurama?" she repeated and saw Naruto nod. She looked at the pup and tapped his nose gently. "No more running away from…"

"Uzumaki Naruto," he filled in the blank for her and saw her smile. He blushed a little in response and looked away as Hinata continued to scratch Kurama's head and belly.

"Young Master!" Naruto's attendants finally caught up, both out of breath. One of them sat on the ground while the other leaned against the railing.

"I got Kurama!" Naruto declared as he held out the puppy. "Look Kakashi, Iruka!"

Kakashi let out a heavy sigh as he stood from leaning against the railing. He glared down at Naruto before reaching into his pocket and removing a collar and leash. "That's why we told you to put him on a leash in the first-place Naruto."

"I don't want to," Naruto argued as he puffed his cheeks and held Kurama.

Iruka looked at Naruto for a moment before standing up and standing beside Kakashi. He leaned forward and rubbed the top of Naruto's head. "The least you could do is at least not put Kurama down again okay? He's just as energetic as you and really hard to keep up with. You wouldn't want to lose him so soon after getting him from Sir Minato and Lady Kushina, right?"

Naruto nodded.

"You're too soft on him, Iruka," Kakashi complained as he put the collar around Kurama's neck. "Just keep Kurama's collar on so if he gets lost, whoever finds him knows where to return him."

"Thank you Kakashi," Naruto said.

"Lady Hinata!"

The lot of them looked up and saw Hinata's own attendant, Hyuuga Kou, approach. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Hinata and fell to his knees and hugged her close.

"Don't run off like that again!" Kou warned as he let go of Hinata and looked her over. "Do you have any idea how worried your father is right now?"

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized. "I lost you and didn't know where you were so I came here," she said as tears began to come to her eyes.

Kou flinched at the realization of his error and began to panic at the sight of Hinata crying. "D-Don't cry! Please! I'm sorry for being so careless! Forgive me?"

Hinata looked at him as she wiped away her tears. She nodded and sniffled as Kou rubbed the top of her head.

"Come on," Kou stood and picked up Hinata into his arms. "Let's get you to the Overlook. The fireworks are starting soon."

"Huh?" Iruka checked his watch and groaned. He took Kurama from Naruto's arms and ran off towards the viewing grounds. "We're going to be late!"

"Iruka? Wait!" Kakashi called after him as he picked up Naruto and began to run. "Naruto's heavy you know!"

Naruto managed to wiggle an arm out and wave to Hinata who was looking back at him. "Bye-bye Hinata! Thank you!"

"Bye-bye," Hinata said but not nearly as loud.

Present Day

"Happy Birthday!" they all shouted in unison as Naruto entered the house. Simultaneously, they popped streamers and covered the room in confetti and streamers in no time at all.

Naruto laughed as he closed the door behind him and shook some of the confetti and streamers out of his hair. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked around to see everyone was in attendance. He gave his traditionally large grin. "Thank you."

"Naruto, hurry up and come up here already," his grandfather, Jiraiya, ordered with a gesture of his hand. He stood on the main staircase with his wife and Naruto's parents, a space between Jiraiya and Minato that Naruto filled as he approached.

"What took you so long to get here?" Minato whispered as he handed Naruto his cup of sake and took an extra from Kushina so they all had one.

"I got caught up with something," Naruto answered before he felt Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked at him and could already see the sentimental look in Jiraiya's eyes. "Oji-chan."

"I hadn't even said anything yet," Jiraiya argued and the room laughed. Jiraiya rolled his eyes at Naruto's grin before looking at the remainder of the room.

Minato chuckled along with the rest of the room. When he took a step forward and stood on the same step as Naruto, the room grew silent. Minato looked at Naruto for a moment before looking back at the remainder of the room, "Naruto, seventeen years ago, today you entered our lives and I couldn't be more thankful for that. I still remember the day your mother told me she was expecting you and at the time, I was a collection of ecstatic and even worried. I was ecstatic because I was going to become a father and worried because I wasn't sure if I would be a good father."

Every year on Naruto's birthday, Minato was known to give these small speeches. Every year it was a little different but the impact was still the same.

"And I also remember how ecstatic your mother was when we found out you were due on the day of the Kurama Festival," the sarcasm was clear in Minato's tone as he glanced over at Kushina.

Kushina puffed her cheeks and looked away. "I wanted to go to the Kurama Festival dattebane."

Minato smiled as the entirety of the room chuckled. He watched as Kushina looked towards the two of them and came over, Minato and Kushina switching places so she was next to Naruto.

"Still, I'm glad you were born on the day of the Kurama Festival," Kushina admitted as she put a hand over Naruto's heart. "You are strong and resilient like he is and I couldn't ask for anything more in my child. You are kind to everyone you meet and you do everything you can to help someone, friend, family, or stranger. And even though you drive me up a wall at every turn for the past seventeen years, I'm lucky and proud to have you as my son."

"Okaa-chan," Naruto pretended to get teary-eyed and laughed when Kushina punched his shoulder. He chuckled and hugged her. "I love you Okaa-chan."

"I love you too," Kushina said as she hugged him back. When she let go, she turned to everyone and raised her cup of sake and everyone mimicked her. "To my son Uzumaki Naruto, the future head of the Whirlwind Yakuza, may he continue to grow and prosper through the years."

"May he continue to grow and prosper!" the Whirlwind Yakuza of Konoha said in unison as they all drank their sake.

Naruto coughed as the sake went down his throat and laughed when Jiraiya patted his back. He listened as the room began to sing "Happy Birthday" as Kakashi rolled out a cake from the dining room. Behind Kakashi was Kurama who immediately tried jumping on Naruto despite his massive size. Naruto laughed and allowed Kurama onto his back and groaned as Kurama licked his ear and face.

"Kurama that's gross," Naruto groaned as the song came to the end. He scratched Kurama's sides as he stood there thinking of what to wish for. He smiled for a moment as he thought about what his wish had been for the last couple of years. He nodded. "I've decided." He inhaled deeply before blowing out his candles in one breath. He grinned as the room cheered.

"What did you wish for?" Jiraiya questioned as he does every year.

"It's a secret," the rest of the room said in unison as they repeated Naruto's answer for the last four years.

"I already got what I wanted," Naruto answered which left the entire room confused. He laughed at their reactions and let Kurama down off his back. "Are you all just going to stand there and stare at me or are we going to party?"

The entirety of the room looked at one another before wearing their own grins and cheering. At that moment, the music began and Kakashi cut the first slice. He handed it to Naruto before stepping away and allowing everyone else to swarm and start cutting and handing back slices in an organized fashion. Naruto managed to get out of the way before he was caught in the swarm and took a seat on the steps beside Minato.

Naruto held out the extra fork he snagged from the table before it was too late and watched Minato take it and smile. Both he and Naruto took a bite of the cake at the same time and wore the same expression on their face.

"Congratulations," Minato said as he picked away another piece from Naruto's slice of cake.

Naruto flinched and looked at Minato. He saw the same Minato smiled at him and he immediately turned as red as Kushina's hair. "H-H-How did you know?"

"It's a secret," Minato answered.

To Be Continued…