A/N: It's been WAY too long. I didn't want to put this one on hold, but I had to finish up my other fic "She Who Loves Only Herself" (Fem!Gaara x Naruto). Well, I'm back to finish this one before beginning my last ever fanfic. This story won't be super long (probably 12-ish chapters), so I think I should be able to get it done in around two weeks.

Time for chapter 5

Enjoy!


Hinata smiled to herself as she breathed in the fresh morning air. It was a weekend, and she was finally free to wander about as she pleased. Her curfew still applied on such days, but with an extra hour extended on the end. At present, it was hardly past seven in the morning, and she had awoken earlier than usual. Preferring to start off her daily endeavors early rather than continuing to sleep in, the girl had taken her time in dressing and cleaning herself before setting out into the village. It had been roughly eight days since the beginning of her strange, but functional companionship with Naruto Uzumaki, and her moods had been nearly twice as positive for it.

Things weren't quite close or intimate enough to truly fulfill her years-long desire of being romantically involved with the blonde, but for the first time, things actually seemed to be progressing in that direction. In the three instruction-filled days that had passed since Hinata had inadvertently crossed the physical boundary of contact when assisting Naruto in the making of an origami bird, they pair had remained seated next to one another. Wonderful as it was, however, it did force the Hyuga girl to be quite careful with certain things. Gazing at him was far more difficult when he was a mere two feet from her, and the drawings in her notebook needed to be routinely hidden.

She had also had the infuriating misfortune of witnessing the subtle damage the disrespect and jeers of their classmates inflicted on Naruto. It was difficult to notice for the most part, but there were small things that changed whenever a jab was thrown his way. For the briefest of moments, his face would fall, his body would tense, and an almost imperceptible sigh would escape him. It would all vanish in an instant, but it was always there just below the surface. On one such occasion, Hinata had unconsciously reached out and grasped his hand underneath their desk. She had realized what she was doing when he accepted the gesture and squeezed her noticeably smaller palm.

The moment had been both selfishly gratifying, and incredibly sad. On one side of things, Hinata had accomplished a thing she had always wished to do, that being to hold onto his hand for no reason other than a desire to do so, but on the other, it had been a depressing revelation of just how much Naruto needed support. He was an excellent actor from a distance, but up close, his pain was visible at nearly all times. These memories brought Hinata mixed emotions, but as a whole, she was glad to have seen what she had seen.

'One day, I'll get up the nerve to make you understand how wrong they all are. You're my sunlight.' she thought to herself, kicking a stone aside as she walked along the dirt street. The heiress had half a mind to seek Naruto out at his apartment, where he likely still was given that it was still the earlier hours of the morning, but she decided against it. For as much as much progress as she had made in finally becoming a confirmed friend of his, it still felt intrusive to seek him out in such a way. Then, another idea sprang into her mind just as she was rounding a corner to reach her destination.

'Perhaps I could bring him home with me one of these days. He'd be guaranteed a meal that way, and Father seems to be accepting, or at least neutral, toward him. Neji-niisan is a mystery, but I suppose he has no real reason to dislike Naruto-kun.' she pondered. A few moments after these considerations, Hinata entered a small cafe, which she had been seeking throughout her walk. The small bell atop the door rang at her entrance, notifying the three active employees to her arrival. The heiress gave them all a smile and a wave before searching for a table at which to situate herself. After a brief scan of the room, she spotted a familiar face.

"Iruka-sensei?" she called to her teacher who was sitting in the corner of the cafe with a cup of coffee in his left hand. The man glanced up from the book he was reading and smiled jovially, motioning for her to join him. Taking the invitation gratefully, Hinata quickly walked across the establishment and sat down across from Iruka.

"Good morning, Hinata. What brings you here? Breakfast, I assume?" the instructor inquired as the heiress made herself comfortable in her seat. She gave a nod and politely ordered a glass of water from the waitress.

"Yes, but I'm g-going to wait a bit before e-eating." she replied. Iruka set his book aside and studied his shy student for a few moments.

"You've had a new partner in class the last few days." he said vaguely, letting Hinata put together the verbal puzzle herself. Once she did, her face turned a light pink color.

"Oh, uhm...I suppose s-so. He sat b-by me earlier this w-week, so I've been as friendly as I c-can be. I...q-quite enjoy the c-company, really." she said awkwardly. Her teacher chuckled a bit at her clear discomfort at the topic of Naruto Uzumaki.

"Maybe I'm out of line by saying this, but I've got a hunch you've been waiting for a chance to be that nearby to him for quite a while." he said, causing Hinata to redden another shade darker. She then started habitually poking her index fingers together.

"Am I really t-that obvious?" she asked quietly, clearly quite embarrassed by the prospect of her affection for the blonde being common knowledge. Iruka sighed sympathetically.

"You stare at him daily, you blush every time he talks, and your notebook is full of heart-rimmed drawings of him. You're a walking heartache, Hinata." he said honestly. The heiress leaned her face on her palm dejectedly and groaned slightly.

"I can't help h-how l-lovable he is. A-at least...I don't have m-much competition." she muttered, her tone saddening quite a bit at the last half of the statement. Her instructor tilted his head to one side.

"How did the two of you get involved? I've seen you having lunch with him too. I really appreciate you being so kind to him, but I'd still like to know how this started." he asked curiously. Hinata collected herself and took a deep breath. It was a fairly simple thing to recall, but the emotions it had invoked in her were still quite powerful.

"On the day where you a-asked us to write d-down the person w-we would most like to spend o-our last h-hours with, you g-gave N-Naruto-kun cleaning duty as a p-punishmnet. I forgot my t-things and came back to get them." she began, taking a sip of her recently-delivered glass of ice water in between.

"Speaking of which, there were two people who didn't turn in their slips for that activity. One of them was definitely Naruto, so there's still a mystery slip. Was that you?" Iruka asked as she finished her small consumption of water. Once she was done, Hinata nodded reluctantly.

"Y-yes. I was paranoid that he would...f-find out, somehow." she said meedly. Iruka smirked and leaned across the table.

"You wrote down Naruto's name, didn't you?" he asked, well aware that he was exactly right.

"I did, and I m-meant it wholeheartedly. I also f-felt like nobody else w-was going to write his name. As you k-know, though, I have anxiety p-problems, and I j-just couldn't follow through." Hinata replied somewhat ashamedly. Iruka leaned back into his chair.

"He would have been less likely to find out if you had turned it in, actually. He never would have seen it. You keeping it increased the chances of him catching sight of his name on your slip." he explained. The Hyuga girl looked puzzled for a brief moment, but quickly recognized the logic behind the man's line of thinking. When she did, her eyes widened with panic at a mistake she had made.

"I...actually l-left my t-things in the classroom that d-day. That's why I r-returned to f-find Naruto-kun cleaning. Do you think he s-saw?" she asked quietly. Her instructor thought for a moment before giving an indecisive shrug, indicating that he did not have a concrete answer to her question. At this, Hinata pursed her lips and considered something.

"If he did see, d-do you think he would even k-know how to r-react? Would he react at a-all?" he pondered. Iruka drummed his fingers on the wooden table pensively. It was a pertinent question, though one that seemed to be without an answer at present.

"He's still capable of feeling things, Hinata. He'd definitely have a reaction if he saw, but maybe not one that would make a ton of sense to you. If I had to guess, he'd have been more confused than anything else. Other than myself and Hokage-sama, he's more or less on his own. I don't think he's ever really considered the idea that somebody could be interested in him the way you are. Not that I can blame him. He's never been given any reason to think that kind of thing is even on the table for him." he replied. The heiress took another sip from her glass of water and sighed.

"That makes sense. It's also very s-sad. I j-just don't understand why p-people are so cruel to him. Sure, he's a little loud s-sometimes, but he's really quite wonderful w-when you actually t-talk to him. Very s-sweet person, really." she said, her voice growing more quiet the longer she spoke. Iruka's expression softened.

"I'm glad you feel that way, but the reasons for people treating him the way they do have nothing to do with his personality. It's all because of something he had no way to control. Something he didn't ask to be associated with. Frankly, your classmates probably aren't aware of it either. Most of them were told by their parents to avoid or shun him with no context. Kids are cruel, and they tend to take things further than they should. Sadly, Naruto's been feeling that reality since the day he learned to speak." he said depressingly. Much to his surprise, Hinata did not react with shows of sadness or shock. Instead, she clenched her jaw and curled her hands into fists.

"So, that's it? They're just using him as a doormat for the fun of it? Cruel wretches, the lot of them." she hissed darkly. Iruka flinched and did a double take. It was foolish to think that even the sweetest people lacked the capacity for darker thoughts, but it was still surprising to see such a shift in demeanor from Hinata. He then recalled back to a memory from the previous year. A prelude to what he was seeing now, in a way. Naruto, for all that his tardiness was common, hardly ever missed class entirely. He tended to show up, if a little late most of the time.

The year beforehand, however, he had been forced to stay away from the academy for the entirety of a school week due to sickness. From Monday to Thursday, the majority of the class had found great humor in mocking a variety of things about the blonde in his absence. Anything from his poor testing scores to his lack of well-ironed clothing. By this point, Iruka was aware of Hinata's fascination and dedication to Naruto, but he had not truly known the extent of it until the Friday of that week. At the end of every week, there was an hour of hand-to-hand sparring. That week had been no different, with students being randomly selected to face one another in short matches.

Hinata, after having been silent at the repeated slander of Naruto, was paired with the worst perpetrator in Sakura Haruno. Iruka had known that it was a mismatch when he had drawn the names, as Hinata was far and away the most skilled taijutsu practitioner in the class in spite of her shyness. He had fully expected Hinata to outclass her. What he had not expected was for the heiress to take her time comprehensively battering the poor girl. She kicked her legs to shreds, drove knees into her gut, snapped her head back with punches and palm strikes, and eventually kicked her in the neck to knock her half-way out. It was a beating. A brutal one.

The message had been clear. To Iruka, at least. Naruto Uzumaki was not to be mocked or belittled. Not in the presence of Hinata Hyuga. Funnily enough, she had returned to her meek ways and habits immediately upon returning to her seat. It was quite clear that release of anger was foreign to her. Returning back to the present, Iruka intently watched Hinata regain her composure and collect herself.

"I understand how you feel. It isn't right, but it's also unavoidable. Tragedy breeds fear, which breeds hate. Naruto was just unlucky enough to be the recipient. But, people like you and I know how false all of that is." the instructor said. The heiress frowned and furrowed her brow. Something he had just said had bothered her.

"What do you mean 'tragedy'? What d-does such a thing have to do with N-Naruto-kun?" she asked skeptically. Realizing he had likely said a bit too much, Iruka glanced around the cafe and then back to his student.

"It's not my place to say, and I wouldn't suggest asking around. All you need to know is that it isn't his fault, and it never will be." he said vaguely, his tone making it clear that he was unwilling to expand on the topic any further. Hinata then stood up from the table.

"Do you t-think he's awake y-yet?" she asked. Iruka shrugged his shoulders and finished the last of his drink.

"No clue. He could be, he usually is by seven-thirty on weekdays, but weekends are a wild card. Only one way to find out for sure." he replied with a wink. Hinata needed no further prompting. She thanked the waitress with a polite bow and quickly exited the cafe. As he watched her leave through the glass siding of the restaurant, Iruka chuckled to himself.

'Weird girl, but probably what Naruto needs. She won't press him too hard, but she won't let him get away with trying to isolate himself. And when push comes to shove, she'll defend him. Violently, apparently.' he thought to himself. Footsteps then caught his attention.

"Would you like to order something, sir?"

The instructor looked to the waitress and thought for a moment, giving a nod after considering his self-imposed monthly budget.

"Sure. I'll take some ramen, if you have it."


Naruto grinned proudly as he held up his yet-unfinished creation. It was about halfway completed, and it would likely take him several more hours to full finish given his current level of skill and polish, but the final result would be worth the struggle. Waking up before nine o'clock on a saturday morning was far from standard for the blonde, but when there was work to be done, he had found that doing it earlier rather than later was far more practical. He had even taken the time to shower. There had been no assignments given out by the academy for the two-day break they were afforded each week, which was a rarity.

He had no plans for the following two days beyond his basic routines of exercise, which almost always took place at night. Seemingly in direct correlation with the wide-open nature of the coming days, he received an unexpected knock on his door as he observed his small project. At the sound, he flinched and glanced at the door. It was still somewhat early, and a visit was unusual. The list of possible candidates for who it could possibly be also consisted of less than five people. Putting away his small project in a kitchen drawer for the time being, Naruto walked to the door.

When he opened it, he was met by a surprising but not unwelcome sight. Standing just outside his door frame, looking classically nervous, was Hinata. She looked as she always did, with her slightly oversized jacket and generally clean appearance, but she was also standing a tad straighter than usual. She still lacked anything resembling outward confidence, but it was a start. Figuring that it would be a mercy to the terminally awkward heiress to begin formalities himself, Naruto was the first to speak.

"Didn't expect anybody this early. 'Morning, Hinata." he greeted her with a jovial smile. The heiress bowed politely and returned the smile.

"F-forgive my early intrusion. I s-simply wanted to s-see you. I've b-been given a d-day to myself by my f-father." she said, earning a blank look from Naruto.

"So, you aren't here to give me something I forgot or anything like that?" he asked skeptically. Hinata shook her head and glanced around uncomfortably.

"N-no, nothing of the s-sort. Is that a p-problem? I u-understand if it is." she replied. The blonde scratched the back of his head and shrugged.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that, I just wasn't expecting it. I, uh, don't really have anything I was planning on doing, so we can do something if you want." he said, stepping aside to wordlessly invite the girl inside. Hinata gladly accepted the silent invitation and stepped into his apartment. Once she was inside, she took the liberty of closing the door herself.

"A-actually, I'd just like to s-spend some time with you. Perhaps all of t-today, if you'll let me." she said. Taken aback by the proposal, Naruto looked on in confusion as Hinata's face gained color under his gaze.

"If you want to, be my guest. I'm probably not gonna do anything all that fun today. Just exercise and some walking. Might get ramen later too. Nothing super interesting." he said, still not fully understanding why exactly the heiress was insistent on accompanying him.

"I don't care. A-as long as we c-can talk and be n-near, it's good enough for m-me." Hinata said as firmly as she could without her voice breaking from her nerves. Deciding that attempting to unravel her logic was pointless, the blonde made his way to his couch and sat down, prompting Hinata to follow him. When she arrived at the piece of furniture, though, she stopped, seemingly stuck on something.

"I already ate breakfast, so if you want something to eat, there's probably cup ramen in the fridge." Naruto said, momentarily oblivious to her struggle. When she didn't answer him, he glanced up at her and frowned slightly.

"Hey, you alright? You look kinda lost." he said as the Hyuga girl simply stared at him in a stupor. His words shook her from the seeming trance.

"N-no, I don't need a-anything to eat. I w-was just wondering...is it o-okay if I s-sit next to you? On the c-couch, I m-mean." she asked shyly. Naruto glanced down at the couch he was sitting on and nodded.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be? That's kinda why I sat here. Way more comfortable than the table." he replied. After a moment of self-gathering, Hinata gingerly seated herself next to Naruto on the couch as far from him as was possible.

"T-thank you for your h-hospitality, Naruto-kun." she said gratefully as she made herself comfortable. Naruto nodded and stretched his upper body for a few seconds.

"Be honest with me. Is it actually okay for me to be sitting next to you in class and stuff? I mean, I saw some people giving you weird looks when you left class yesterday. That's normal for me, but they've never looked at you that way before." he asked. The heiress furrowed her eyebrows at this.

"Of c-course it is. I c-could care l-less if they judge m-me for being near y-you. Them n-not appreciating y-you is their loss." she said with a look of concern. The blonde picked at a stray seam on his shirt.

"Thank you, but also, I just don't know if it's good for you. Like, your family is super famous. If people see you hanging around with me, couldn't that get you guys a bunch of flack?" he asked. Hinata shook her head.

"T-that doesn't matter at a-all to me. Me s-simply spending time w-wtih you isn't going to t-tear down the reputation of the Hyuga. Besides, my F-Father doesn't mind me being around you, s-so the rest of the clan h-has no say regardless." she assured him. The blonde shifted his gaze away from her and down to the floor.

"I've never even met your dad. How would he know anything about me?" he pointed out. Hinata thought back to her conversation with Iruka at the cafe. More specifically to the information regarding Naruto's treatment that she had learned.

"M-Most adults in the village seem to k-know who you are, and Father is very w-well informed. He clearly k-knows enough to understand that there's nothing w-wrong with my...desire to be around you." she said. Her classmate gave no response. Sensing that words were hardly the easiest root to getting her point across, given both her awkwardness and Naruto's inability to accept or understand her genuine appreciation for him, Hinata swallowed her fear and scooted herself across the couch to close the gap between them.

With her heart practically pounding a hole in her chest, the heiress leaned her weight on him and rested her head on his shoulder. The contact immediately snapped Naruto to attention. He slowly turned his head to look at her, causing their eyes to meet as Hinata looked at him from his shoulder.

"Now, I'm n-not sure how he'd f-feel about me l-leaning on you t-this way, but that w-would apply to anybody. N-Not just you. You're a p-perfectly acceptable and delightful boy, N-Naruto-kun." she said softly. Slowly but surely, the rigidness drained out of Naruto's body as he silently accepted her sentiment.

"Why're you being so kind to me? We barely talked at all before this week, and now you're...making me feel worth something. Why?" he asked quietly. Hinata gently squeezed his arm, which she had carefully attached herself to.

"I've a-always thought you w-were worth s-something. More than just 'something', actually. Lots. I just n-never knew h-how to engage w-with you. I'm v-very nervous and awkward in g-general, but especially around y-y-you." she said, kicking herself mentally for the awful verbal screwup she had suffered at the end.

"Why? Are you scared of me or something?" Naruto inferred. Hinata sighed and closed her eyes to enjoy a level of contact with him she had only ever dreamt of previously.

"If I were a-afraid of y-you, I wouldn't b-be pressed up against your body. 'Why' doesn't m-matter right now. Just k-know that I appreciate you, N-Naruto-kun." she said warmly. The blonde shifted a bit, but did not make any move to change their current situation.

"Okay, I guess. I'm glad you're not scared of me. It would suck if my only friend was afraid of me." he said. Hinata nodded, but she was hardly listening to him anymore. She was completely taken by the glee she felt being fully latched onto him with no resistance. As such, the pair sat in silence for a few moments. Eventually, Naruto spoke.

"Can we stay like this for a while? It's warm and feels nice." he asked innocently. More than happy to oblige, the heiress nodded, causing her hair to rub against his cheek lightly.

"Of course, Naruto-kun."


A/N: I was gonna wait longer before starting this one up again, but I couldn't resist. I love writing lighter stuff once in a while. I won't be updating this daily, but It'll be getting chapters on Sundays and Fridays from now on. Tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review :)

See you next chapter! Read and Review!