Disclaimer: Same ol', same ol'. :)

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Chapter 6

The Touch

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Hinata's eyes fluttered open.

She squinted as the bright sunshine raided her vision. The morning light granted warmth on her fair skin, and it felt heavenly. The fragrant, fresh air elated her sense of smell, too, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air with a lovely melody.

All in all, it was really a fine start to her day.

She rose from the comfort of her bed and walked towards the window. Her eyes gazed through the transparent glass at the bright, blue sky above and the newly bloomed cherry blossom trees. The sunlight illuminated the scenery, emitting a kind of a natural, radiant glow on the landscape.

A small smile formed on her lips.

The atmosphere of spring began to enclose the Blue Moon Town, including the Crescent Moon Palace, and Hinata welcomed the season endearingly, for it was one of her favorite seasons.

Spring reminded her of her mother; of her graceful looks and sweet personality, as Kurenai often recounted to her. To meet her mother was her secret wish—a desire beyond her reach that she kept silently.

Her petite hands traveled to her chest, and she clutched something under her nemaki's fabric. Carefully, she pulled it out and opened her grasp. On her palm rested a beautiful, intricate, blue, cloud-shaped symbol with a small peach selenite gemstone on the middle. The symbol was attached to a silver necklace she wore around her neck.

The necklace was a present, a gift from her dear mother. Kurenai gave it to her on her seventh birthday, and it was truly the best birthday gift she ever received. The woman said that the selenite gemstone on the middle meant that her mother would always protect and watch upon her.

Her mother gave a message through the moonlike stone that she wanted the wounds on Hinata's heart to heal, and then turn into feelings of acceptance and forgiveness.

Hinata cherished that necklace; she always wore it wherever she went. It was a memoir, a proof that the former princess loved her daughter sincerely. Whenever Hinata felt sad, the necklace acted as a reminder of her mother's love, and a reminder to never be resentful towards the Town's inhabitants for treating her cruelly. But most importantly, the necklace served to always remind her to be happy.

Hinata missed her mother, even if she never got the opportunity to meet her.

The young girl sighed as a feeling of longing swelled in her chest, blissful yet poignant.

Knock, knock.

Hinata blinked curiously at the knock, charily tucking the necklace back behind her clothes.

"Hinata, are you awake?" a voice called behind the door. The princess smiled when she recognized that cheerful, friendly, feminine voice.

"I am," she answered. Her voice was as soft as ever, but it had a loving tone as an addition. Even if her visitor was behind the door, she could somehow feel that the person was smiling.

"Great!" the voice jovially replied. "You know, I was kind of afraid since you rarely woke up this late. It's nine in the morning already! I thought you were kidnapped or gone or something."

Hinata giggled as she heard a dramatic sigh from behind the door.

"Anyway, I'm coming in, alright?"

With a clicking sound and a creaking noise the door opened, followed by a familiar figure with soft, long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Her pale blue eyes twinkled slightly as she entered the room and a playful smile was plastered on her face.

She curtsied in a playing manner. "Good morning, My Lady."

A small laugh escaped Hinata's lips as she imitated her friend's action. "Good morning, Ino-san."

Ino folded her slim arms while raising an eyebrow, and Hinata giggled at her friend's antics. She always loved Ino's visits in the morning. The blonde girl's enthusiastic personality never failed to further endow her with an optimistic aura; it made her heart flutter with the same cheeriness that the flaxen maiden seemed to radiate.

"So, care for a stroll?"

Ino stretched one arm, and Hinata grabbed it while laughing along. They both left Hinata's bedroom and headed outside.

This was a game they liked to play sometimes, just for the fun. Ino liked to say that royal mannerisms were kind of troublesome, and that the dark haired princess' studies about them were too strict. Hinata replied that they were quite fun sometimes, and showed Ino a small part of the demureness. Thus the little entertainment began.

The young princess didn't really mind this whole etiquette business. In all honesty she couldn't mind—not when she was a part of the royalty, even if she didn't consider herself to be much like one. More than anything, the lessons she received had to mostly do with decorum, anyway.

However, sometimes she did wonder whether or not the lessons Kurenai-sensei taught her were necessary. It was not that she doubted Kurenai's instructions, but it was the fact that the education she obtained would probably be little of use.

Many years ago she had had had her first meeting with a sovereign, and as far as she was concerned, that one meeting had potentially been the last as well for the very same reason the civilians avoided her.

Hinata shook her head, trying to dismiss the uncomfortable and hurtful memory of the past.

…But even when that time comes—if it ever comes—when she would become a true part of the royalty as she applied these mannerisms, would she be able to handle it? Would they stand being in the same room with her?

Would she be able to… prove herself?

She didn't have the answers, but she somehow felt like she could… try. She was not feeling all too afraid of people anymore. She figured that maybe… maybe they could try to understand her as well. They could try to… accept her the way she was.

Before, such thoughts never occurred to her even in her wildest dreams. But these past days, she was somehow feeling a bit more confident in herself. The self-degrading habit she used to possess was starting to disappear slowly, like traces of footprints on the sand being washed away by the ocean's waves.

She didn't know exactly why, but somehow she had a feeling that it had something to do with… with his presence. It… could be, right? Perhaps it was his—

"Hinata?"

Ino's voice blurred her muse and questions, dragging her back to reality. She blinked several times, startled at first.

Ino let out a gust of breath from her nostrils. "I knew it. Something is bothering you."

A small, but visible blush grew ever so slowly on the princess' cheeks. Sometimes the way her best friend predicted her so precisely enthralled the raven-haired girl. As if there was nothing she could hide completely in front of Ino. The blonde lass could read her easily, like she was an open book with pages filled with big-sized letters.

But Hinata tried nonetheless, not to show her uneasiness. "N-No, I… I'm alright, really."

Ino narrowed her eyes, doubting her hesitant, not-so-assuring assurance. After a while, she finally sighed and gave in to Hinata's words.

Although, guessing shouldn't hurt, right?

"…Does it have to do with Naruto?" she asked slowly, wondering if it was the right thing to ask.

Hinata was caught off guard.

Betraying the princess' will to not answer the sudden question, her blush turned into a deeper, darker shade of crimson. Witnessing her friend's reaction, understanding and amusement dawned on Ino's visage. A small smirk grew on her lips.

Oh, this seemed like fun.

"I see," she said in a very slow and melodic tone—much to Hinata's awkwardness. The towheaded girl's smile broadened; turning into a playful grin. "It's classic tale, you know—the Princess falling for her Knight."

"I… Ino-san!"

The said person laughed, clearly enjoying herself in teasing the pale-eyed princess a bit. Hinata, however, hung her head lower to her chest, letting the dark wisps of her hair hid the reddish blush on her face. "It's—it's not like that… I-I… It… wouldn't be proper. I just… We…"

She trailed off, at a loss for words. Chuckling, Ino pinched the nervous girl's cheek lightheartedly, "Relax, Hinata! I was just messing with you," she smiled. "But it really was him in your mind, right?"

Hinata blinked several times. Was she really that obvious?

She sighed inwardly.

Naruto…

It has been two weeks and four days since he came to the Palace, and during those days as well she began to feel the small, little changes in herself. Maybe it was his words that helped grew her formerly dim self-assurance. After all, everything seemed to start from… that night.

"I like your ideals… they're better than the reality."

He liked… her ideals?

Certainly, she was surprised at first, but she couldn't hold back the feelings of… gladness… of relief and bliss. She couldn't stop smiling, and the words rang continuously in her ears afterwards. She reminded herself that it could be something she misheard, or something he didn't mean to say. She was not even worthy of… of such kind words.

But it felt really, really pleasant.

It was a feeling she rarely grasped, and she almost felt like she didn't ever want to let go of it. Maybe it was the fact that he said there was a thing about her which he liked at their first day of meeting. He was the first one to ever do so. It made her feel that perhaps she could have the same luck with other people, too.

The fear of meeting someone new was still there, nevertheless, and she was aware that she was not a kind of person people would approve of right away. However, now she felt like she could strive to overcome that apprehension.

She wanted to return the favor.

Nevertheless, Naruto himself seemed to put up a barrier around him, as if he wasn't comfortable with letting anyone getting too close. He was starting to get along with the people around him, however, yet he still seemed so far. She had yet to see him smile, or see his eyes gleam even with the slightest joy. And his sadness… it worried her.

She wanted to help him, to erase the loneliness she saw. She wanted to be his friend; someone who could lend him a shoulder when he needed it.

She wanted to see him smile.

He was such a mystery to her. He looked indifferent, secluded, and unreachable, yet he somehow managed to be encouraging… and kind. He might not know, but he was able to change her with only simple words.

She felt really thankful to him.

A giggle distorted Hinata's thoughts. She turned her head to face the blonde girl beside her, and couldn't help but smile along with the pretty lass. Ino glanced at her with a particular gleam in her aquamarine eyes.

"Well, it seems that I'm right, after all." She grinned. "You should absolutely tell me if there's really anything between the two of you—lately there's been no real good gossip around here!"

"I-Ino-san! It's-It's not like that," Hinata chided softly while laughter chimed in Ino's maw. Oh, was her blonde friend still in the teasing mode? She could feel her cheeks heated up for the umpteenth time, and she squeezed her fingers to ease the awkwardness.

Moments after, she found that they were standing in front of the Dining Room. Suddenly, Ino grabbed the princess by the arm and pulled her into the building. She smiled, and then replied to Hinata's questioning look.

"Well, Princess, you missed breakfast, didn't you?"

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Punch. Kick. Jab. Punch.

Jiraiya watched intently as colors of green and golden flashed in front of him. It was training time, and he had put Naruto in a spar session with Rock Lee. It has been around two weeks or so since he trained the golden-haired young man.

His stamina amazed the older man. He could spar with Lee for a considerable amount of time and then spar with Kiba or Shino afterwards, and if that wasn't enough, he could still do more push-ups or tracking right after. However, what even more bewildering was that when Naruto was done with all of the training, his tiredness didn't show all too much.

But then again, this wasn't all that surprising since, after all, Naruto was the warden of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

It surprised Jiraiya at first, of course, when he heard about the creature residing in the young man's navel, but living in the Palace with the orphan kids taught him not to judge people based on their pasts. Admittedly, the golden-haired guard didn't seem dangerous at all, which was an entirely different for the being inside him. He even seemed quite nice—well, if only he talks more and frowns less.

The grey-haired old man observed as Naruto jumped, dodging a sweeping low kick from Lee. He was still in midair when he suddenly disappeared in a flash, and reappeared behind the green-clothed guy in the blink of an eye. Luckily, Rock Lee managed to evade from Naruto's counterattack just as fast, and he jumped back to create a distance between them.

Jiraiya rubbed his chin with a finger.

Indeed, Naruto's speed was excellent as well. He even matched Lee, if not slightly faster. It seemed that flash steps were not a difficult thing for him to do. He did them with such ease and effortlessness, which made Jiraiya ponder if he had taken any special trainings in those skills.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, trying to get a more detailed vision of the quick-paced brawl in front of him. The dust from the Training Field's grounds did haze his sight, but he could still catch Lee and Naruto's figures who were now staring at each other attentively, both panting from controlled exhaustion.

For what seemed like a long moment, both just kept standing silently, like their feet were fixed on the ground. Their eyes were set on each other with fierceness lingered on their irises, searching for any opening.

And suddenly the two disappeared from sight, before reappearing again simultaneously in a split second after. Fist met fist, the blue-eyed young man and the thick-browed guard gritted their teeth, conveying the strength that they had to their clenching palms, further utilizing the power.

Not bad. A corner of the old man's lips tugged. He seems to have less skill in controlling his chakra, but…

They tied, for a moment, before a kind of battle cry escaped Lee's mouth and Naruto suddenly flew back. A thudding sound appeared to be echoing in the air as he collided with the earth, his back crashed against the sandy ground.

Jiraiya frowned, drawing his eyebrows together.

Naruto's mind seemed to wander off the battlefield just before. That resulted in the lack of equal strength as an opponent and unbalanced chakra-control. He wondered what may have troubled him—today he actually lost against the self-proclaimed youthful young man. They usually had the tendency to tie.

Jiraiya clapped his hands twice. "Okay, great job, guys! That's all for today."

He walked towards Naruto and Lee—who was helping Naruto stood up from his laying position. The man with golden hair hissed as pain bit him, most parts of his body felt sore and worn out. Seeing the exhausted man, Jiraiya concluded that it might be best for him to take a rest. He was about to inform Naruto about the flaws he saw in his Martial Arts skills, but he decided it might be better to tell him another day.

He patted Naruto on the shoulder gently, so not to cause him ache. "Not bad, kid. You have some things to work on, but I'll keep it for the next day. You should go to the Infirmary now, get your wounds tended."

Naruto shrugged. "It's not really necessary. Besides, I'm alright."

Jiraiya smirked. He grabbed Naruto's wrist and pressured a spot, making a low growl came from the blond as his wrist flinched from pain. Jiraiya arched his eyebrows, as if saying, 'See what I mean?'

Naruto grimaced, but he still stood by his opinion. "The bruises would heal soon, anyway."

At that, Jiraiya was slightly interested and surprised. He knew that the Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto could heal his injuries, but the blond was saying it so casually. He seemed to have accepted the fact a long time ago and perhaps came to terms with it. Though the old man couldn't help but wonder what it took him to do so.

Nevertheless, as if proving that his advice was right, Jiraiya let go of Naruto's wrist and the younger man wobbled, staggering back.

The impact caused when his head bumped with the ground might have been the reason why his head hurt and felt woozy. Lee's vigor was never to be taken lightly, after all.

"Wounds and scratches might be healed, but you'd still need a rest for that head of yours to stop spinning," Jiraiya chuckled, "no matter how hard-headed you are."

Naruto tousled his golden locks and shrugged. "… I guess."

When Naruto was about to leave, Jiraiya paused him, "Naruto. Is there anything bothering you? You seemed unfocused today."

The younger man's eyes narrowed a little, and a deep frown formed on his forehead. A glimpse of surprise surfaced ever so slightly in his cerulean orbs. But he shook his head and averted his gaze away from his instructor. "No. I'm just… a bit tired, that's all."

Jiraiya nodded—still doubtful—and Naruto left the Training Field to head for the Infirmary. He watched the young man walk towards the building—which was not too far from sight. Well, 'tired' seemed like a reasonable reason, and the Toad Sage decided not to mull over it for any longer.

He suddenly felt the temperature rise when he glanced at Naruto's all-black clothing.

Sheesh, why on earth did he wear such dark color in a sizzling day like this? Not only today, actually. It appeared that he wore them every day. Even his sleeveless black top seemed to be trapping the heat above his skin, which was glistening with sweat.

The old man noted to self that he would change that. Well, someday.

He turned his head to look at Lee, who was stretching himself to alleviate his muscles. "You're not going to the Infirmary, too, Lee?"

"Nope! I want to spend some youthful time first with myself in the Baths." He grinned, showcasing his natural sparkling white teeth. "Besides, Sakura-san is not here today, right? It's her training session with Lady Tsunade."

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

Lee tilted his head a bit to one side with a thoughtful expression, "Now that I think about it… Sensei, aren't you supposed to be guarding the Shrine since Lady Tsunade is not going to be there today?"

Jiraiya blinked.

…

And paled.

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"Yes it is!" Ino exclaimed with a laugh. Her voice reverberated in the empty Dining Room. "Kiba was profoundly dumb, I think. No, I mean it!" she assured eagerly when Hinata laughed at her statement.

The dark-haired young lady giggled softly. "But it was years ago already, right, Ino-san? He was still a little kid…"

"Yeah, well… A very, very annoying kid with a show-off attitude," she added, crossing her arms, "and a small brain. Do you remember when he challenged me in an arm wrestling game?"

The Princess smiled.

The 'do you remember?' topics were always fun to chat about—for her, at least. She could keep reminiscing about the things she and the other kids did back then on and on without feeling lackluster. They were memories she held dear to her heart. Although… she'd rather think about the events that occurred after the others came to the Palace, than when she was still alone there with stern guards.

Even so, her childhood was becoming much more cheerful gradually with the presence of her friends. She would always love having them by her side.

Smiling fairly lighthearted, she answered Ino's question, "I remember. I-It was really fun watching the two of you…"

"Psh. It was fun for me when I won against him."

Hinata laughed, which made the blonde young woman chuckle too. "Did you see the look on his face after that, Hinata? I bet he was really embarrassed that time. Ha! He'd know that he wasn't the best out there."

Her raven-haired companion giggled softly, "But… even so, he's still the best to you, right?"

Ino's jaw hung open, and Hinata's giggle grew louder as the towheaded girl's ears turn red. "Wha…? What do you mean by that? I mean, of course not! Why would that dumb kid..."

Ino mumbled and grumbled while the Princess put a hand on her mouth, trying to stifle her small laughter. She may not admit it openly, but Ino seemed to care for the brash young man, as Hinata believed her to be. Ino always chattered that Kiba was her mortal enemy, but Hinata thought differently when she saw the way her best friend's blue eyes looked at him.

The blonde lass pouted and frowned, slight colors of cherry adorned her cheeks. "A-Anyway, what time is it now?"

Hinata chuckled lightly at Ino's attempt to change the subject. Replying to the question, the pale-eyed girl glanced at the clock on the wall, "It's… ten fifteen."

"Really?" Ino's eyes widened. "Oh, shoot! I'm going to be late for work," she said, hurriedly standing from the chair. She ran to the doors and right before going outside, she waved to Hinata and gave her a smile. "I'm sorry, Hinata! We'll talk again later, okay? Wish me luck so I can catch the last carriage to Town!"

The young Princess smiled and waved back at her, and with that, Ino darted off.

Hinata sighed, still smiling.

She admired her cheerful friend. Ino was amazing, really; she had a flower shop in Town, and she worked hard throughout the day to earn some money so the Palace would still have meals on the table every day. She still spared some time to tend the Garden as well, and never once did she neglect her friends. All this, yet she never whined about anything.

Of course, Ino was not the only one who worked for the Palace's expenses and the needs of its inhabitants. Sakura worked three times a week, too, at a local clinic in the Blue Moon Town. Tenten also worked for a blacksmith in a weapons shop. Shino and Kiba worked part-time in a bookstore—which Kiba often stated that he did not enjoy the job in any way. Lee with Jiraiya-sensei sometimes filled in for absent budō instructors in a small dōjō.

Simply put, everyone worked hard to maintain the Palace's financial balance; everyone, except… her.

It frustrated her oftentimes, how she seemed to be a burden for everyone. She wanted to help, too, but was always reminded about Lady Tsunade's order. Because of that, she has never been anywhere outside the Palace, not even the Town. Not even out of the gates.

She wished she could see the outside world for once. To not become a burden and help the people she wanted to help the most. She hoped and hoped that one day everyone could finally accept her.

She would imagine herself being in the Town, finally recognized, loved, and acknowledged by the people. The children would wave at her, and the others would greet her with a genuine smile. Oh… and she would smile back too; finally covered in true, utter happiness

Then again… it was just a reverie—a lovely dream far away from her reach.

A small ache shaped inside her chest as her wishful thoughts ended. Her sight was starting to blur when she blinked, but she tried to hold back the droplets of salty mist on the corners of her pale eyes. She quickly wiped away the tears on her eyelashes.

She had to stay strong. She promised herself.

The Dining Room's door opened abruptly, startling the Princess.

"Hinata-chan!"

Hinata spun her head around to see the person who called out to her. "…Tenten-san!"

"Good morning, Princess!" she greeted with a cheerful smile. "Thank goodness I found you. I've been looking for you everywhere!"

The raven-haired young lady glanced at her friend. She was huffing slightly, and her cheeks were rose red from the heat.

Hinata couldn't help but feel guilty.

The raven haired young lass hung her head down and clutched her kimono's long sleeves. "I… I'm sorry."

Those words formed a small frown on Tenten's brow and a small, yet audible chuckle fled from her lips. "Don't be, Hinata-chan! There's nothing to be sorry for, anyway."

"B-But…" she replied softly, "because of me, you're feeling tired now, so—"

She was unable to finish her sentence as Tenten wrapped her in a tight, warm hug. "It's not because of you," she stated, releasing her embrace. "It's not like you forced me to look for you. And Hinata-chan, don't put on that sad face! I have this huge urge to squeeze you every time you have that expression."

She giggled at her own remark, and eventually the Princess giggled along "Um, Tenten-san… Why were you looking for me? Is… Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Well…" Tenten took a deep breath, and said, "You see…"

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Naruto opened the white wooden door which led to the Infirmary room. He crinkled his nose a little when he smelled the faint scent of herbs and medicines. He entered the white room and glanced at the floor—this was probably the only room that didn't have tatami mats as the flooring.

Across him was a small bed, covered with clean white fabric. It was placed right next to the wall, under a window which showed the Training Field. He closed the door and approached the bed, wincing slightly when his stinging legs asked for attention.

Finally able to sit on the bed, he leaned his back against the wall and opened the casement so that the outside air could enter the room. His tresses waved gently as the wind passed by. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander.

What bothered him, exactly?

He groaned and covered his face with his hand. He could have done so much better in the sparring session, yet… he let his mind wander off in the middle of the battle. His concentration was blurred.

It was the thought about Kyuubi—the Nine Tailed Fox, which intruded his muse.

These past days, he was getting more and more perplexed. The people in the Palace—they were very… open. He hadn't lived there for a long time, but they seemed to have already welcomed him and treated him like one of their own. That baffled him, for he was never been taken care of in such a way.

It bothered him. It bothered him because of the rare kindness they have shown, and because of the fact that he had Kyuubi in him.

What was even more troubling was that he began to find comfort in their display of kindheartedness. He felt… contented with them, though he knew that such ease shouldn't have been there in the first place. Thus a certain question often nested in his mind these days.

What would it be like… if they knew about the Nine Tailed Fox?

Would they hate him?

The faintest yet familiar feeling of anxiety and apprehension rose in him.

He groaned yet again. This would not do at all. Since when did he care about what other people may think about him? He had stopped his concern for others a long time ago; he had turned himself into an empty shell of apathy.

When did he turn into a softie?

His duty was his priority, and he shouldn't let himself being carried away in this kind of a new place that was… slowly lulling his guard.

He shouldn't. He couldn't.

No.

"Naruto-kun? Umm…"

The very familiar voice tenderly called out and trailed off. A clicking sound on the door made him open his eyes, letting the azure irises show from under his eyelids. A strange frisson traveled down his spine as the voice reached his ears.

There was no other person in the world that would call him that way.

Dark soft locks showed up behind the white entrance, followed by a fair-skinned face and pearly, tender moonlike eyes.

It's her…

"Ah, you're here…!" she looked at him with a worried expression, hurriedly stepping inside the Infirmary in her soft blue kimono with patterns of white bamboo grass. She approached him and sometimes clumsily stumbled against the floor tiles as she rushed.

"Are… Are you alright? Does it hurt badly? I—"

"I'm well," he interrupted her array of words, and she paused. Her eyes were full with worry, gleaming with concern. Naruto felt his chest tighten as he stared into the pools of white-lavender. It was as if the rich feelings on her eyes affect him, too.

It was most overwhelming.

He blinked and broke their eye contact, turning to glance at his scratched and bruised arm. He could see that the scratches were closing very, very slowly and that the bruises were starting to fade little by little, thanks to the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra. But Hinata did not see it, perhaps, for her eyes widened.

Worriedly, she scurried across the room to a medicine cabinet next to a washbasin, and walked back towards him several moments later with a first aid kit in one hand, and a bowl filled with water on the other hand. She placed the kit on the bed right beside him, and the bowl on a small chair nearby.

She took out a handkerchief from her kimono and drenched it in water. The Princess spared a small glance at him for a moment, and her cheeks changed color into rosy red.

"Umm…" she hung her head down, "Please h-hold still."

Very gently, she touched Naruto's arm and cleansed the wounds with her handkerchief.

Naruto shivered.

Her touch was very tender and cautious, though her movement was awkward at times. A weird feeling stung his chest, and a lump seemed to grow in his throat. He found it hard to breathe—as if the said lump blocked the lungs' way to his nose.

Hinata placed the handkerchief on the bed, and scrambled through the medicines in the first aid kit. She took out a very small blue bottle, and gently let the somewhat brownish liquid fall upon the cuts on his skin.

He hissed as the antiseptic fluid seeped into the wounds.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry! Please hang in there…" said Hinata, staring worriedly yet reassuringly at his eyes.

…Strangely enough, he found it hard to speak, much to his bewilderment.

He tried to swallow the lump instead, and nodded.

His eyes widened, suddenly, as the shivers revisited him when Hinata's soft breath tickled the skin on his arm as she blew the remaining liquid that clung on his lesions. The warm air somehow eased the hurt, and the urge to just flee from the room—from her, increased.

He could have just told her about the Kyuubi and its healing ability to not worry her. She would stop as well—trying to tend his wounds, but…

Deep in his mind and conscience he was still afraid. He knew that if she found out about it, she would probably start to hate him.

Naruto flinched when he felt something cold caressing his bruises. He glanced to his arm and found Hinata's fingers tracing the bruises with a kind of balm on each of her fingertips. She noticed his stare, and her cheeks flushed.

"T-This was an ointment Kurenai-sensei taught me to make…" she said awkwardly, struggling with her words. "It's not as good, but… I tried my best and I… I hope it could make the bruises feel better…"

Naruto sighed inwardly and he let the familiar shivers run down his spine.

He found her ethereal touches to feel… oddly… nice.

He knew he should not have felt like that.

He kept reminding himself to keep it together; if he began to feel contented with the contacts of their skin… he would probably forget his goal yet again. He couldn't let himself grow any kind of fondness towards this young girl in front of him.

Yet it was surfacing ever so slightly. Deny it as he may, he knew that somehow… he was beginning to get attached.

He shut his eyes tightly, flinging the last of his persistence before he finally gave in to the tenderness of her touch. His shoulders slumped down and his muscles relaxed against his will.

Suddenly his vision blurred, as his head throbbed and ached from the bump earlier. He felt lightheaded all of a sudden… and his body lost its balance.

He felt his body wobbled and turned feather-weighted.

"…Huh?" he blinked his eyes drowsily several times. Why did he feel… warm?

"Eep! A-Are you alright? Ah…"

The faintest scent of wild flowers entered his nose, and he couldn't help but wonder why. He blinked again, and his vision began to clear gradually. And right in his sight was… white lavender spheres.

Hinata grabbed both sides of his upper arms firmly, trying to prevent him from falling down. He suddenly collapsed forward. Hinata was very surprised. Her heart began beating erratically, pounding like a mad hammer against her chest. Her cheeks were deeper than red and she shuddered when his warmth began to embrace her.

They were so close…

The blond young man groaned quietly. The pain was starting to get worse, and in an attempt to lessen it he brought a hand to his head and rubbed the sore spot. At the same time, he uneasily pulled back from her grip. "My head… hurts."

"Eh?" her eyes widened. "Oh no… Please lay back, you should rest…"

Her petite hands led his body to lie on the bed, all the while he kept his eyes closed. He felt somewhat more at ease when his throbbing head rested against the spongy pillow. His ears flinched ever so slightly when he heard a soft, faint sigh coming from Hinata's lips. There was a sound of relief in it.

She sat on a nearby chair with a frown lingering on her forehead, along with the concerned gleam in her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was as soft as a whisper; worry radiating from her tone. "Are—are you feeling any better…?"

Her earnest concern and the velvetiness of her voice made him feel somehow… at ease. The honest gleam in her eyes, and the kindness that just trickled from everything that she did made him forget about all the negative things on his mind that just loitered there. It made him feel as if he already belonged… as though gloomy memories about the Black Swan, Danzou, and Kyuubi faded to the back of his mind.

And those were much to his frustration.

"Yes… I'm alright, you can leave now."

She seemed to be taken aback. He didn't mean to say it with that kind of tone, and the expression on her visage clearly showed that she was surprised. Maybe that was kind of rude, to her, but that's better. Rather than having any kind of… connection, he'd rather have her dislike him—though that thought somehow bothered him slightly. He hoped he could dislike her too, but she was really a person you could not easily have an aversion to.

He thought she would leave at that instant, but he saw the astonishment from her face faded and softened, yet an unfamiliar determination displayed on her usually gentle features. Her eyes glimmered with a soft conviction he couldn't describe.

"N-No, I… I'd like to stay here."

He was stunned and confused at the same time. "Why?"

"Because…" the reddish color crawled to her cheeks again, "I… I'd like to be here if you need anything."

Naruto was surprised, and he felt her sincerity made its way to him. By the looks on her pale lavender tinted orbs, she didn't seem to have any intention of leaving.

Her insistence somehow gave him an uninvited comfort. He was tempted to leave the room himself, away from her, but all of the kindness that she offered gave him a rare kind of ease… and he was slowly giving up.

He tried to push her away, yet, somehow, she always managed to find a way back towards him.

His weariness finally let down the barrier he put up around him, and he finally gave in, even if slowly.

Perhaps… just this time…

The gentle breeze that sneaked through the window's cleft passed through his face and skin, caressing him tenderly. He closed his eyes, and let the warmth and comfort finally envelop him.

He nodded.

Hinata blinked several times at his simple, short answer. Then a smile, a truly genuine one, grew on her lips. Her voice was rich with gladness as she replied.

"Thank you."

::

~:~:~:~:~:~:~

::

Silence enclosed the two of them, and the wind's whistle was the only audible sound. The quietness was soothing in a way, and Hinata sat quite comfortably in the silence. Her pale eyes gazed through the windowpane, grasping the spring scenery with a light heart.

She wished to stay by his side. It was her of own free will, and she really wanted to be his friend. She wanted to change the sadness in his azure irises into those of… happiness.

Her eyes drifted to him, sparing a glance. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell along with the rhythm of his steady breathing. He looked peaceful in his rest. The knowledge of this gave her a feeling of relief that traveled through her heart. Hinata could only hope that he would get better soon.

Her muses did not last any longer, though, for Naruto's voice broke the silence. "Hey…"

Hinata's head snapped up in surprise and she glanced at him with curiosity glimmering in her pearly eyes. "Y-Yes?"

His eyelids heaved open. "I… can't sleep."

"E-Eh?" she replied in a baffled tone. She had the feeling of wanting to reduce his restlessness but… she couldn't think of anything that might do so.

What could she do?

Then, the strangest idea came to her mind. She gathered the bits of her courage, and played with her fingers as her nervous feelings reappeared within her chest. "Should I—um, can I tell you a story?"

Naruto glanced at her with a confused yet curious look. His eyebrows furrowed.

Hinata found her cheeks reddened to yet another stage of crimson red. She felt the speed of her heart increasing again, banging and pounding against the wall of her chest. Awkwardness conquered her feelings, and she hung her head down whilst her fingers clutching the kimono fabric even harder.

"W-Well…" she spluttered, feeling the need to answer his questioning look. "K-Kurenai-sensei used to tell me a story before bedtime… It—it usually helped me to sleep, so… I thought…"

She sneaked a glance towards him behind the strands of her raven hair. He was staring out through the window, and an indescribable look tangled in his cerulean eyes. This was the first time, and perhaps she was mistaken, but she felt that she… saw softness in the ocean spheres of his.

It was somehow breathtaking, and with the sunlight illuminating his figure…

Hinata took a deep breath quietly as her chest tightened.

Naruto closed his eyes and answered with an almost gentle, whispering voice. "…Tell me."

The young princess' eyes shone as the words reached her. She was sort of afraid of his rejection if he refused her unordinary offer. She was filled with relief and… tingles everywhere.

So she told him her most favorite story: 'The Ugly Duckling'.

She recounted how the poor duckling was chased out by everyone because of its terrible appearance; how it felt sad and lonely, always traveling alone. But as she got to the part where the duckling transformed to the most beautiful swan and felt the happiness it never tasted, she could almost see the far-fetched look in his eyes.

Longing for the same kind of happiness.

Hinata smiled and released a gust of breath softly. She had, actually, never told a story to another person. This was a first, and nervousness ran through her veins as well. But she was glad, and delighted, too, to be able to do so. It felt… great.

She spared a fleeting look at the young man resting on the bed in front of her. His eyes were open, staring quite intensely at the ceiling above. Those cerulean orbs of his gave a dazed look, as though his mind was somewhere else far. He seemed to be wandering deep, deep in thought.

And suddenly his gentle, raspy voice broke the thickening stillness.

"It was… a nice story."

Thump.

The ever so familiar scarlet color tainted Hinata's cheeks. Her eyes were no longer glancing at him at the moment—they were locked to his figure; to the rare mildness and vulnerability that radiated from his blue eyes. To the same, faint sadness she often saw in him.

He slowly closed his eyes, and let a gust of breath fled from his lips inaudibly.

Tranquility displayed on his features, all the while Hinata found herself unable to speak.

Thump.

Her heartbeat's sound rang loudly in her own ears, echoing throughout. It was very silent in the room, and she couldn't help but wonder if he could hear the noise of her heart ramming against her chest. He then yawned, feeling the restlessness dwindle to the point he began to feel lighter. Slowly, he fell into slumber.

The Princess' nerves relaxed quite a bit, too, as she saw him drifting to rest. The sound of his breathing rang softly in her ears, soothing her in a way she could not explain.

Her eyelids began to get heavy as well. She held back a yawn, feeling somehow drowsy and tired. Unable to resist, she leaned her brow against an empty space on the bed, resting her head and arms beside Naruto's shoulder.

She was starting to doze as well, closing her heavy eyelids to hide her white lavender-tinted eyes. She could still hear the gentle, slight shift of his body, and the words that he muttered under his breath:

"…Thank you."

Eyes still closed, Hinata smiled wholeheartedly and a pleasant feeling washed upon her. Her chest tingled, and her heart fluttered unexplainably.

I want to be his friend…

… And she went into a deep slumber.

::

~:~:~:~:~:~:~

::

Jiraiya stood at the white door's threshold, slightly interested at the sight before him. There lay the Princess, sleeping tranquilly beside her Knight, who was resting in a deep sleep with a slight snore coming from him. Both looked peaceful, illuminated by the soft light that the sun exuded.

A smile played upon the older man's lips.

He turned around, intending to leave. That was a rare scene, and he'd rather not change it, yet. He glanced at the Princess, with her raven hair falling gracefully upon her back. She seemed to be happy with her slightly bright visage and rosy cheeks, and he was relieved when he saw it. The kind girl deserved such happiness.

I'll wake Hinata-chan later.

He softly closed the door as quiet as possible, trying to not produce any noise.

There's a chance something might grow between them. He chuckled silently, feeling rather amused. I'd be glad to see that development.

::

A/N:

Nemaki : Japanese sleepwear, similar to a kimono.

Selenite Gemstone: Selenite gemstone is a protection stone. Its glow much resembled a moon, earning it the name Selenite which was taken after a goddess named Selene, the Greek goddess of the Moon.

Peach Selenite Gemstone: In addition to the properties of white selenite stone, peach selenite helps to heal old emotional wounds and transforms this negative energy to healing, forgiveness and acceptance.

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I am so, so sorry for not updating since a long, long time ago. I hope you would forgive me, what with my sporadic, long-distanced updates. Please bear with me—wish me luck so I can finish this story until the very end! I will try to do my best, too. Also, I'm thinking of rewriting the earlier chapters from this story since I feel they need more improvement and there are so many errors. D:

Thank you all for reading, for waiting, or even just for passing by. Thank you for always supporting me! Much loves. (":