Final chapter. Oh so short, but yet so sweet? We'll see.

Captured swan.

Naruto was practically fuming, a rage he hadn't felt before was growing inside him. How could Kiba do this? He knew how important Hinata was to him…

"H-how dare you!" He was so mad that he almost couldn't make out the words he wanted to say. And that moron just stood there, wide-eyed, gaping at him. He wanted to smash his sorry face… something cold touching his balled fist drew his attention away from Kiba. It was Hinata looking up at him, with pleading eyes.

"P-please Naruto-kun!"

He took a step away from Kiba to show that he was listening to her.

"I think we need to talk…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Hinata lead Naruto through the garden of the academy, the lights from the party inside glowing in the dark.

"This is far enough." Naruto spoke with a voice so hard he sounded like a stranger. Hinata's legs felt like they couldn't hold her, so she sat down a stone bench right under a big tree. Naruto sat down beside her, scowling out in the dark night.

Hinata didn't know how to start, so she spoke of the thing that had been bothering her ever since she saw him on street on Neji's birthday.

"U-um, I saw you…"

Naruto was still scowling out in the night, angry at everything.

"What do you mean, saw me?"

"I saw you with that girl…"

Naruto touched a spot at the back of his head absentmindedly. Which girl was she talking about; Tenten? No that didn't make sense…

Then he understood.

"Sakura!"

Hinata looked horrified. He knew Sakura, and Sakura knew Naruto?

Naruto was still rubbing the back of his head. He must've had been hit real hard when the car crashed into him. He had forgotten about the whole meeting with Sakura. He had done her a favour, or at least she thought, and she'd been really happy about it. Then… she had kissed him on the cheek, and Hinata had seen that. What a mess…

"We weren't out on a date, if that's what you think. She approached me when I was buying some soda from a vending machine, telling me she'd seen me with Sasuke. Then I got the whole story. I get a lot of those."

Hinata nodded vaguely, not getting the whole picture yet. Naruto threw a glance at her and continued; "By stories I mean girl telling me how handsome and great Sasuke is, and if I maybe could help them get to know him. Sakura is one of those girls…" Then he did a grimace.

"So that's how…"

Sakura likes Sasuke

Naruto looked at her quizzically.

"Sakura is one of my best friends…"

"Waah, for real?" Naruto let out a bark of laughter.

Hinata smiled nervously beside him, relieved that some of the tension was gone. But she still had to explain why she'd been kissing Kiba. Naruto quieted down and looked at her, Hinata pushing her index fingers nervously together. She figured it was best to just cut to the chase.

"I-I'm so sorry!"

The laughter from a few seconds ago died away from Naruto's eyes. He turned his gaze away from her and started to circle the smooth surface of the bench with his finger.

"Why?"

That was a question she'd not been expecting, and she didn't know how to reply right away.

"I was mad at you I guess…"

Naruto flinched; that was the answer he didn't want.

"…but mostly because I was scared, you just disappeared, I couldn't reach you, and then I broke my phone... I just needed someone who was there, so when Kiba-kun kissed me, I couldn't resist. It reminded me of you, but it was nothing like you… so I finally realised, I didn't feel anything when Kiba kissed me…"

She stopped to take a breath, hoping she'd explained well enough, but she knew it was unforgivable…

Naruto just stared at her with his mouth open.

"You didn't feel anything?"

Hinata blushed, "No, absolutely nothing."

He reached out and cupped her chin, turning her head towards him.

"You have something on your face…." Then he kissed the corner of her mouth, with such passion that Hinata knew had they been standing, she wouldn't be able to stay up on her feet.

"…me" he said, while smiling. "Did you feel anything now?"

She bit her lip, while her eyes where brimming with tears.

"Of course I did, I love you!"

Now it was her turn to surprise Naruto.

"You… You love me?"

Hinata pressed her hands against her mouth, while nodding.

I'v never told him that!

Naruto sat a few seconds in a daze, letting his brain comprehend what she'd just said.

Woah, that really knocked the air out of me!

Hinata was trying to read Naruto's facial expression, but it turned out to be impossible. She didn't have to wait that long for the reaction though.

He leaned in, whispering in her ear; "I love you too…"

She blinked.

I love you too…

"B-but I…"

He stopped her by placing his lips on hers, making her say lots of muffled words, before she kissed back.

"Wait, hold on, broken phone?" He raised an eyebrow while embracing her.

"Um, yeah… It sort of had a meeting with my dad's forehead…"

"Ah, I underst… Wait, what!"

"Well, he was calling you scum and I got a bit upset…"

Naruto stared at her, and then he threw his head back, laughing.

"I can't believe you did that!"

Naruto placed a kiss on her forehead, while she was blushing like crazy.

"Thank you."

(A/N) Sniffle. It's the eeeend. Tadaaaa. My longest fic yet, and it took so looong. Well now I can focus on other fics. Review, and no flames!