Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any related franchises and publications. This is a non-profit work of fan-fiction.

Friendly Help

"He states that he can't remember anything since his final burst of Sage Mode, and I think he's telling the truth." Sakura sighed. "It seems that too much of the Kyuubi's chakra was circulating in his body because he was already pushing chakra exhaustion. Some of it managed to leak into his Gate of Opening, making his memory fuzzy."

She smiled sadly at Hinata, who looked absolutely crushed. Thankfully, Naruto is too busy around the village to attend their meeting, what with his new status as village saviour.

"Never mind, Hinata!" Lee rushes to reassure his friend. "I promise you, we will help Naruto-kun to understand the affection you share for him, so that the two of you can come into the beautiful forest of youthfulness."

Kiba gags, but the Rookie 11 are strangely receptive of the idea. They agree, much to Hinata's quiet dismay. But she's too nice to protest, especially because it has been far too long since all her friends have been so happy to work on something. And there is the tiny corner of her heart, which selfishly wants them to succeed.

She wonders, though, how exactly it is that her friends know of the confession. Neji shifts, feeling an inexplicable shiver go down his spine.

Looking at his friends squabble amongst themselves at the prospect of playing matchmaker, he rues the day he told Tenten of the matter.

LEE

"NARUTO!" Lee finds his friend outside the newly rebuilt ninja store, helping a bunch of kids paint the sign. For a moment, he stands and observes how naturally Naruto interacts with the kids and how similar to Hinata he is in that respect. And then, of course, his brain-to-mouth filter turns off for the rest of the day and the Flames of Youth kick in again. "It seems that I find you in the full burst of Youth! I must share with you news that will make your day explode with the fires of manliness!"

"Lee?" Naruto turns around to show Lee that the entire right side of his face has been painted orange. When the kids turn around and display that they're much the same, Lee realizes that Naruto is the perpetrator, and not the victim.

"YOSH! Naruto-kun, you are so youthful, to help these little children bloom into the spring of their lives! I shall imitate you too, to fan my own inferno!"

"I dunno, bushy-brows. That sounded rather dirty to me, what you're saying…"

But Lee has already seized the can of paint and a brush, telling himself how he'll paint an exact half of his face or pay with 5000 pushups. The kids shrink away from him and Naruto reassures them with a grin. They relax, but little Hanako produces a kunai out of nowhere just in case.

When he's done, Lee remembers that he has a duty to do, and jumps to it. "Naruto! I think I know of another partner with whom you can engage in such youthful activities!"

"As long as it's not with little kids…" Naruto mutters, but Lee is too far gone to care.

"This person who I speak of is a true genius of hard work! Like you, Naruto, this person never gives up despite failing, and endeavours to keep every promise they make!"

Naruto squints for a second, trying to think of who Lee's talking about.

"Ah," his face clears, "you want a spar, bushy-brows?"

Lee stops mid rant. An opportunity to spar with the Hero of the Village, the man who single-handedly beat the Six Paths of Pain?

"YOOOOOSH! I shall fight you until my Flames of Youth overflow and explode unto the world, Naruto-kun!"

Naruto grimaces, but heads out to the training grounds, leaving behind some Kage Bunshin with the kids. The things he does for his friends…

Lee's duty is forgotten as he recovers in the hospital for the next week.

Tenten

Tenten catches him in the Academy training grounds, helping the chuunin teachers set up the obstacle course again. Naruto's chatting with Iruka when she appears, but the older man excuses himself with a smile and leaves.

"Yo, Tenten! How can I help you?" Naruto is, as always, enthusiastic and raring to go. Tenten takes an idle moment to wonder about how Hinata will enjoy that, before she turns her attention back to it. Considering that she and Neji are the only ones in the Konoha 11 who have a stable, normal relationship, she has no doubt she'll succeed.

"Naruto," she returns his smile, "I hear you're being called the Hero of the Village now?"

To her surprise, Naruto blushes and reaches up to rub the back of his head. "Aw shucks, you're my friend, Tenten. Don't start calling me that too!"

"Oh, but I thought you'd like it?" she pouts mockingly. "All of the young, impressionable girls in the village fantasizing about the strapping young hero of Konoha?"

"T-Tenten, what are you saying?" Naruto takes a step back, and the chuunins lean in shamelessly so they can eavesdrop better.

"I'm saying that I know somebody who admires you very much and would be just perfect for you, Na-ru-to…" she drags out his name, making him stumble and look around wildly for help. There is none forthcoming.

Take the hint, she thinks. Come on, ask.

But perhaps Naruto is smarter than she gives him credit for, because realization settles on his face.

"Tenten." Why is he acting so serious? "Listen, you can't do this. You're with Neji, and he loves you very much. This isn't right, ok?"

Tenten's brain takes a while to process what he's saying. "You idiot!" she hisses, her face lighting up like a flare, "that's not what I was talking about. You've got it all – "

But he just hastily mutters that it's best they never speak of this again and vanishes before she can set him right. To make matters worse, he avoids her for the rest of the week.

Neji

Neji is not up for this. Oh no, he is not. The others can be excited about setting Naruto up with Hinata, but he isn't. Not one jot.

He grits his teeth when Hinata smiles slightly at him across the table at dinner. He grinds them when Gai winks at him during training and whispers thathe's the one Gai is betting will be able to make Naruto understand, considering how they've already exchanged their youth in the chuunin exams. What the hell isthat supposed to mean?

He almost gnashes them into dust when Hanabi fixes him with a glare and tells him that he must do his best for their sister – how the hell does Hanabi even know? – or she'll put frogspawn in his shoes again. He curses Konohamaru (and by proxy Naruto) for his influence on the young girl.

Neji dreams about beating up the man who dares to even think himself worthy of Hinata-sama's affections. He has already planned out how he will systematically crack every bone of that man, as is his place as her bodyguard, before sending him flying to the hospital with a well-executed Kaiten. The worst part is that he may not succeed, if that man is Naruto.

So no, Neji will not help in this hare-brained scheme, not even when Hiashi-sama himself calls him in for a private meeting and tells him of how Hinata's nindo has made her stronger over the past few years, and asks if he should invite Naruto Uzumaki over for dinner sometime.

He is at the end of his straws after three days have passed. Then he makes the misfortune of deciding he wants some dango for lunch.

"I hear some girl has already been putting the moves on Naruto-kun," the villages whisper in excitement, when years ago they would have frowned instead. Emboldened, the speaker continues. "And she's a very strong ninja too. Budding weapons mistress of Konoha, she is. Maybe you've seen her around the village, she wears her hair in these two buns…"

Neji does not stop to listen to the rest.

"NARUTO!" the villagers bowl over themselves to get out of his warpath. "I WILL END YOU TODAY!"

He joins Lee in the hospital bed thirty minutes later, cursing toads to the high heavens. Lee sympathises.

Kiba

Kiba, of course, is as brash and direct as ever.

"Oi, Naruto!" he yells, landing next to the blonde when he's doing his groceries. "I need to tell you man, Hinata likes you."

Naruto looks at him like he's stupid. It is a disorienting experience, concerning the source. "Well, of course. Hinata-chan and I are friends."

"No, you idiot! I mean she likes you more than that!"

"Of course, we're great friends! I'm going to have to ask her about that ointment of hers, sometime!"

Kiba somehow stops himself from spontaneously combusting. "You idiot!" he roars. "MORE! She likes you more!"

"Best friends?" And Kiba feels something in his brain break. Naruto puts a finger on his chin to think. "Well, I guess." Something in his eyes soften. "She did step in to save me from Pein."

"And do you remember anything from then?" Kiba seizes on the lifeline enthusiastically, eager to get this over with before he jumps Naruto and puts himself into the hospital. Neji tells him that he's lucky he's never had to use a catheter.

Naruto thinks deeply for a second, and Kiba almost reluctantly begins to hope.

"Well if it isn't my little brother and his friend, Mr. Hero?" Not for the first time, Kiba considers tearing his elder sister into a thousand little pieces.

"Hey, Hana, right?" Naruto turns and greets his sister. "You're from the clinic, yeah? Did you set it up ok? I sent some of my clones over to help, but I don't think they lasted all the way through…"

"Oh, they lasted long enough." Hana grins sultrily at his friend, and Kiba feels bile rush up his throat. Then Hana continues and makes it worse. "I'm sure you would have lasted much longer. Why don't – "

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Naruto's proud grin falters a bit when Kiba turns on his sister and practically mauls her face.

"What does it look like I'm doing, little brother? Get out of my face, but don't crimp my style!"

"Crimp your style?! You're three years older than him, and he's my friend!"

"So? I'm woman enough for him. Besides, I'm sure we could become much better friends, Naruto." She winks at the blonde, who is as clueless as ever and gives her a confused thumbs-up.

"NO!" Kiba roars, drawing the eyes of the entire store. "Hana, you and I need to talk. Naruto, I'll catch you later." With that, he drags his protesting sister of and leaves a thoroughly confused Naruto behind.

He stops for a second at the second aisle and wonders if bleach will really help him forget the memories of his sister flirting with Naruto.

Shino

Shino has been tailing Naruto for a while to come up with an optimal plan. He seizes his chance when Naruto is left off-kilter by Kiba and his sister, and accosts him at the checkout line.

"Naruto," he inclines his head at the blonde. Why? Because it is proper to greet one's friends before engaging in conversation. "I need to speak to you. Why, you wonder? It is because I have a secret to disclose. What is it? I shall spare you the time and give you the answer. 'Tis Hinata, my friend and teammate. How did this happen, you think? Well, she has admired you afar ever since her childhood days, and her affection has deepened into love with the passing of the years. What will you do now that you know this…?"

He trails off. Naruto, he realizes, has been examining his face closely, and not paying any attention to what he's saying.

"I know!" Naruto's face brightens. "Shino, right?"

Shino melts into the shadows and cries.

Ino

Ino accosts Naruto at the Training Grounds, eager to make him see the light before Billboard Brow can. He finds him meditating atop the water, looking strangely at peace with the world with his hands resting on his lap and his back arched straight like a bow.

For a moment, she just hangs back and observes. Naruto has grown up well.

"Oi, baka," she strolls over to him after deciding she's had enough eye candy for then, "let's talk some." She makes a show of examining her fingernails. "I've noticed that you've been single forever now, and I've decided that as the Hero of Konoha, it's time you got a romantic life. So I've decided…"

She trails off, realizing that the idiot isn't listening to a word she's saying. He's sitting there without moving, and for a second she thinks he's fallen asleep. But his back is not relaxed, and she comes to the conclusion that he's ignoring her. It does not make her happy.

"Naruto, you idiot!" she lands a forceful punch on his forehead, making his eyes snap open. Naruto flails his arms to try and keep his balance, before making a horrified choking sound.

Suddenly she notices the grey travelling up and his features distorting, and dread overtakes her. Naruto gains control of his senses and releases the nature energy at once, thankful that he's mastered Sage Mode. Without Fukasaku around and without full training, he could have been a sitting duck if he didn't know how to staunch the flow of natural chakra.

"Ino, you idiot!" he hisses, feeling uncharacteristically angry. Ino is shocked and takes a step back. "You could have killed me! Sheesh, can't a guy get a moment's peace around here to train?"

Ino regains her equanimity a second later, and then her face twists into a frown. The two blondes begin yelling at each other, and her job is forgotten.

Chouji

Chouji finds Naruto sitting on top of a building under construction, watching the sun set over the village. He smiles at the boy he now knows will become Hokage, and moves to join him at his post. Naruto turns around and greets him with a smile. He's always been nice to Chouji, even when he was in school and (more) insecure about his body.

"Chip?" Naruto agrees and pulls out a few to munch on. For a second, the two boys watch their beloved village, before Chouji makes his move.

"Dad's been telling me to get married," he offers, and Naruto turns to him in surprise. Years ago, he might have jumped up and yelled, but Chouji is proud to see that his friend has grown into a considerate young man. "I'm not too sure what to think."

"Marriage, huh? There's still time for that. Unless you've got someone you've set your mind on?"

Chouji blushes a bit, but shakes his head no. Naruto shrugs in acceptance.

"But you know," he pretends to muse for a second, "If I ever had a wife, I'd want her to be gentle and kind. Not to overbearing, but with a firm opinion of her own, all the same." He's fairly certain that he's described Hinata without mentioning her even once, and even Naruto should understand what he's hinting at.

"Gentle and kind, hmm?" Naruto's eyes gain a far off look, before he smiles mischievously. "So Chouji-kun does have somebody in mind, un?"

"No, no," Chouji waves his arms wildly in embarrassment, and Naruto seizes on it with a wide grin on his face.

"Ooooh! Chouji's got a crush! Chouji's got a crush! Come on, who is it, who is it, who is it?" Chouji wonders why he ever thought that Naruto could be serious and considerate.

"Come on, you can tell your old pal Naruto! Is it Sakura? No, she's not too gentle. I'd say Ino, but she's not very kind, is she?" Chouji does not rebut this even though Ino is one of his closest friends. "Hmm, maybe Hinata?"

Chouji perks up at that. Maybe Naruto will finally get a clue now.

"Naw," the blonde concludes, running an eye over him. "I can't imagine the two of you together. She'd look like a twig next to you."

The temperature around Naruto seems to fall twenty degrees before the blonde can fully realize what he's just implied.

Chouji rushes his friend with a roar and becomes the third occupant of Room 17.

"Naruto?" Neji asks, nursing his cast angrily.

"Naruto," Chouji agrees. He's slightly mollified when he finds a bag of chips and an orange soda next to his bed the following morning, though.

Sakura

Sakura knows that she's the only one who'll succeed in their self-appointed mission, because she's the one who's known Naruto longest and she's also the smartest woman amongst her peers. She puts her immense IQ to the test and comes up with the perfect solution.

"Naruto," she drags the protesting blonde into her chambers, "you need to get a check-up. You were never really treated after your fight with Pein, and you're long overdue anyway."

She barges into the room and startles Hinata, whom she's craftily invited beforehand without any solid reason. Naruto, oblivious as ever, greets a pink Hinata, who stutters out a reply before trying to shrink into her jacket.

"I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Hinata, you need some more hands-on practice, so you'll be the one checking Naruto up, alright? Now take off your jacket and put on your coat, you know it's protocol, right?"

Hinata turns so red that Naruto wonders if it should be her getting the check-up instead. Nonetheless, the Hyuuga heiress manages to shed her jacket and put on the coat. Sakura is sure she sees Naruto start in surprise, and grins triumphantly.

"Come on, Hinata, I know you can do this. I believe in you." Hinata, much to Sakura's surprise, nods and focuses on her job after that. She is surprised at how well the two feed off each other, and is the slightest bit jealous at how Hinata looks at Naruto with eyes full of adoration when he isn't looking.

Hinata does well, even though her hands are shaking and Naruto is right there, sitting so close next to her and peering at her through his golden bangs. And then she realises she has to tell him to take his shirt off, and oh god, Hinata isn't ready for this.

"Off with the shirt, Naruto!" Sakura, who's come to much the same realization, helps her out a bit. Naruto flashes them both a cheeky grin and complies, exposing his chest to Hinata.

Hinata smiles at him, takes in the view, and then passes out. Sakura manages to catch her before she hits the ground, and wipes away the nosebleed before Naruto can notice.

Her plan has failed, but Sakura decides to make something of it anyway.

"So, Naruto," she ventures, "why do you think Hinata just fainted?"

Instead of yelling, Naruto surprises her by taking a moment to think about it. "Hmmm," he mumbles, rubbing his chin and pouting in thought. Sakura is once again struck by how cute her teammate looks, and wonders if she's really behind this plan at all.

Hinata's fingers inexplicably dig into her arms, driving her out of her thoughts. She finds the girl still unconscious, but is slightly freaked out anyway.

She turns around to find that Naruto has substituted himself with a doll of himself. He curses Kakashi for indulging Naruto's request to learn about special substitution items but decides to keep it. Hinata's birthday is in 2 months.

Shikamaru

Shikamaru, ever since his disastrous first mission, has viewed Naruto as a good friend and a staunch ally. So when it is decided that the Konoha 11 will help him to gain a little perspective on his love life, he agrees despite his misgivings.

Naruto, he knows, is a fiercely independent person. What his friends don't realize is that the blonde would hate it if he ever found out that his friends had conspired to set him up with somebody without asking first. It might even jeopardise his entire view of Hinata.

So Shikamaru decides that he will only hint at shadows and offer suggestions to his friend, and nothing more.

He catches his friend lazing in the training ground after a workout, and lays himself down next to the grass.

"Hey, Naruto," he says at length, examining the clouds above him. "If you ever try to find a girl, make sure she's not troublesome."

With that, he rolls over and falls asleep.

"…Ok?" Naruto wonders if all his friends have gone crazy and forgotten to send him the memo.

Sai

Sai finds Naruto and Shikamaru sleeping on the grounds. He wonders if he should even bother about trying to help Naruto establish a romantic relationship with Hinata, when he is so obviously suppressing his homosexual tendencies. Somehow unwilling to wake his teammate (dare he say friend?) up, since Naruto has been so heckled recently, he settles for sketching the sight before him instead.

He is a bit irritated when Naruto messes things up by snorting and rolling onto Shikamaru, who snorts but throws a lazy arm around Naruto. He settles on starting again.

Sai has decided to get an apartment in Konoha, hopefully near his friend-teammate, so he has taking to selling drawings in his sketchbook. Surprisingly, his latest drawing fetches the highest price ever, and he's forced to make 28 copies before the day is over, with advance copies for over fifty more. Even Hinata's younger sister gives him a commission, though she does not ask him why she needs two portraits of the drawing.

Shikamaru and Naruto wake up, spring apart, and promise never to speak of it again. And then they walk into the village and find out what all the girls are squealing about.

Sai takes the final bed in room 17.

"Naruto?" Both Neji and Chouji ask.

"Shikamaru too," he answers, surprising them both.

. . .

The next week, the meeting of the Konoha 11 is rather subdued. Hinata doesn't need to look at any of their faces to know they've failed. She can't bring herself to be angry, not when a quarter of their number look so pathetic in their variety of casts and splints.

"We're sorry, Hinata," Kiba says, while wondering at the same time what happened to the rest of the guys. Shino is too busy filling in the last lines of his angsty poem, though he has apologised to Hinata beforehand.

"Oi, guys! There you are, I'm sorry I was late. Konohamaru wanted to train again!" Neji growls, but wisely decides not to make anything of it. He can still feel the phantom of the rubbery tube whenever he goes to the bathroom.

To their surprise, Naruto makes for Hinata when he jumps into the clearing. To their further amazement, he looks almost…shy.

"Hey, Hinata," he mumbles, making the other ten frown and lean in to hear better. "I…I just wanted to thank you for what you did, against Pein. I can't remember most of it, but I know you jumped in even though you knew how tough he was!" He finds his courage along the way, and bows deeply to the girl, who squeaks in shock.

He straightens and pulls something out of his pouch. "Hinata!" he smiles cheerfully, "this is for you. It was my master's first book, and I think you'll like it very much!"

Everyone in the village is well aware of who Naruto's master was.

"NARUTO!"

Naruto snaps. He's had to put up with the fawning of civilians, the demands of the council and the rigours of rebuilding. His friends have been acting strange throughout the week, and now they ruin it when he takes Tsunade's advice and thanks Hinata with what is probably his most prized possession.

Naruto creates a dozen clones around him and decides it's time to pull out the ol' Sage Mode again.

In between cries of wrath (Naruto's) and yells of pain (the others'), Hinata opens the book hesitantly and looks inside.

To Naruto

In the hopes that you will carry on my legacy and complete my quest.

Love forever,

Jiraiya.

And below that, in a fresh, dirty scribble…

To Hinata

Because we share the same philosophy, and because you stepped in to remind me of it.

Naruto

Hinata smiles. She should never have doubted the man she loved.

And then she decides it's a good time to pass out.

Bonus Omake – Hiashi Hyuuga

"Uzumaki." Naruto turned to find himself facing another of those stoic Hyuuga's. "I am Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata's father." That catches his attention. "It has not escaped my notice that you have become friends with my daughter."

"Of course!" Naruto nods enthusiastically. "Hinata-chan is one of my most precious people, and I won't ever let anybody harm her."

Hiashi twitches a bit, but manages to mask it well.

"That is good." He pauses to gather his thoughts, before sighing. "For the longest time, I thought my daughter was a weakling. I found her lack of talent appalling, and shunned her training to concentrate on my younger daughter." Noticing the storm brewing in Naruto's face, he quickly continued before the blonde blew his top. "But then I realized that what I had passed off as weakness was her greatest strength. Hinata is kind and gentle, just like her mother. She is as beautiful as my late wife, too." Hiashi sneaks a quick glance at the boy to see if he catches the hint.

"Hmmm…" Naruto meets his eyes and he's surprised to find empathy in the blonde's eyes. There is a strange echo of 'Talk no Jutsu!' around his ears, but he brushes it off. "It must be really hard to look at your daughter and see your wife every day, huh?"

Hiashi starts in surprise.

Fifteen minutes later…

"And it's just so hard!" Hiashi yelled, tears streaming down his face. "Every day without her! I never got to say goodbye, to grieve¸ to adjust to how my life had tilted off its axis!" He took a deep breath and rubbed the snot off his nose, "It's not fair! It's not fair at all!"

"There there," Naruto mumbled, patting the man on the back. Hiashi hiccupped and started crying even harder.

"I just want to be loved…"

Hiashi's retainers exchanged quick looks and vowed never to speak of it again.