Naruto waited for Hinata to wake up, sitting against the wall in the corner of her room. He leaned back, arms resting on his bent knees, eyes half-closed as he let the quiet settle around him.
The soft day light filtered through the paper screens, casting gentle golden bars across the tatami mats and the low table beside her futon.
The faint scent of cherry blossoms drifted in from the garden outside, mixing with the clean smell of Hinata's room—lavender incense and polished wood.
He stared at the ceiling, mind turning over the moment.
'Would this work?' he asked himself silently. 'From the looks of it, Hinata's still pretty shy around me.'
'Yeah… I think doing it now would ruin things. I mean, we haven't even built any chemistry. I don't wanna do it like the anime.'
He exhaled slowly through his nose, fingers drumming lightly against his knee. Patience. That's what he needed. Rushing would break whatever fragile thing was starting between them.
Many minutes later, Hinata stirred—eyelashes fluttering, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she slowly came awake.
Her white eyes opened—pearl-like, unfocused at first—then darted around the room in sleepy confusion. When her gaze landed on him in the corner, she froze.
A deep blush exploded across her cheeks instantly—pale skin turning vivid rose in seconds, spreading to her ears and down her neck. She sat up quickly—too quickly—hair tumbling loose over her shoulders.
'I passed out again, right?' she thought, mortified, hands flying to cover her face.
"Sorry about that, Naruto-kun," she apologized suddenly, voice small and trembling, bowing her head so her bangs hid her eyes.
Naruto raised both hands, palms out, signaling there was nothing wrong. "It's okay," he said gently, voice low and warm. "I did sort of surprise you there."
She peeked through her fingers—saw his easy smile—and managed a tiny, nervous chuckle. He smiled back—soft, reassuring—and the tension in her shoulders eased just a fraction.
He stood up slowly—joints popping faintly—and brushed off the back of his pants.
"Would you like to go out?" he asked, tilting his head. "Have something to eat?"
Hearing that, her blush deepened—cheeks turning scarlet, eyes widening like he'd just asked her to the moon. She opened her mouth, closed it, then nodded quickly—small, shy, barely visible.
"Y-yes… I would like," she replied, voice so soft it was almost a whisper.
Naruto stepped closer, offering his hand. "Alright, let's go."
Before Hinata could even reply—before she could process the warmth of his palm against hers—they both vanished.
The next second they appeared in Ichiraku Ramen.
The familiar scent of rich broth, simmering pork, and fresh green onions hit them immediately.
The small wooden counter, the low stools, the steam rising from Teuchi's pots—everything exactly as Naruto remembered. A few afternoon customers glanced up in surprise at the sudden arrival.
Hinata wobbled—dizzy from the shift—her free hand clutching his sleeve as her knees buckled slightly.
Naruto caught her instantly—one arm wrapping around her waist, steadying her against his side. "Sorry about that," he apologized, voice soft, thumb brushing her side reassuringly.
She shook her head—still blushing furiously—but managed a small smile. "It's nothing."
They slid onto two stools at the counter—Hinata sitting close enough that their thighs brushed under the wooden ledge. Teuchi—old, kind, apron stained with broth—looked up from his pot and broke into a wide grin.
"Naruto! And Hinata-chan! That's an unlikely pair. The usual?"
Naruto nodded. "Two miso pork specials—extra chāshū for me, extra narutomaki for her."
Teuchi chuckled. "You got it."
Hinata's blush hadn't faded—she kept her eyes on the counter, fingers twisting nervously in her lap—but every few seconds she stole a glance at Naruto.
He caught her looking once and winked—making her squeak softly and look away again, cheeks somehow turning even redder.
Steam rose from the bowls as Teuchi set them down—rich broth swirling with green onions, thick slices of chāshū glistening with fat, narutomaki floating like little pink-and-white wheels.
Naruto picked up his chopsticks. "Dig in. You passed out earlier—gotta refuel."
Hinata nodded—small, shy—and lifted her own chopsticks with trembling fingers.
They ate in comfortable quiet for a minute—only the soft slurp of noodles and the clink of bowls breaking the silence.
Then—quietly, almost too quiet to hear—
"Thank you… for coming to see me, Naruto-kun."
He looked at her—really looked—and smiled.
"Anytime, Hinata."
Outside, the sun dipped lower—casting long shadows across the village.
But right now, in Ichiraku's, it was just them—two bowls of ramen, two smiles, and the slow, careful start of something real.
『 A/N : I wrote the scene and honestly kinda hated it. Felt fake. So I scraped it off for now. Until the right time comes. Which is just a few chapters after this. 』
.....
After eating ramen, Naruto and Hinata perched together at the edge of a tall building, legs dangling over the side, high enough that the village sprawled beneath them like a glowing map of lanterns and rooftops.
The evening air was cool, carrying the faint scent of woodsmoke and distant cooking fires. The sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep indigo and fading orange streaks, while the first stars began to prick through the twilight.
Naruto leaned back on his hands, palms flat against the cool tiles, jacket unzipped against the breeze. Hinata sat close—closer than she ever had before—her shoulder brushing his, lavender yukata fluttering slightly at the hem. Her dark hair spilled over one shoulder, catching the last of the dying light.
"Did you hear about the war?" Naruto asked her suddenly, voice low, almost casual, but with an undercurrent of weight.
Hinata turned to him, white eyes soft and wide. She nodded slowly.
"Yes… my father told me." She paused, fingers twisting in her lap. "It scares me, to be honest."
Naruto exhaled through his nose, gaze drifting back to the village below—lanterns flickering like fireflies, children running through streets, shinobi patrolling rooftops.
"That's understandable," he said quietly. "I'm also shitting bricks. I mean… what if I lose someone important there? I don't think I'd be able to live with myself."
He turned to her slowly, blue eyes meeting her pale ones, a small, honest smile tugging at his lips.
"I don't think I could handle losing you."
Hinata's breath caught. A soft blush bloomed across her cheeks—gentle pink spreading like ink in water, reaching her ears and the tips of her fingers. She didn't look away. Their eyes held—steady, searching, the world narrowing to just the two of them on that rooftop.
"Me too," she responded, voice barely above a whisper, trembling with the weight of everything she'd never said aloud.
Naruto pursed his lips, then smiled—small, reassuring.
"But I'm sure everything will go well. I'll make sure I do my part. You should do your part as well. Don't let anyone make you feel weak. You aren't." He leaned in a fraction closer, voice dropping softer. "I'd argue that you might be the second strongest kunoichi in our village."
Hinata's blush deepened, but she chuckled—quiet, shy, the sound like wind chimes in the evening air.
"You think?" she asked, tilting her head, a tiny spark of curiosity in her eyes. "Who's first?"
Naruto shrugged, grin turning playful.
"I was told to never say another girl's name while with another girl. So I'd like to plead the fifth."
Hinata blinked, head tilting further.
"What's that?"
Naruto paused—realizing mid-sentence this wasn't Earth. He smirked, shaking his head.
"It's nothing," he said, turning back forward, elbows resting on his knees as he looked out over the village lights.
Hinata watched him curiously—head still tilted, brows furrowed in that adorable way she did when something puzzled her—but she let it go. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she leaned a little into him—shoulder pressing fully against his now, warmth seeping through their clothes.
"I don't want to make any promises before war," she said softly, "because I heard that's a bad omen."
Naruto turned his head toward her—close enough now that he could see the faint freckles across her nose, the way her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks.
Then—without warning, without hesitation—Hinata reached up. Her small, gentle hand slid along his jaw, fingers trembling just slightly as she cupped his chin.
The next second her lips were pressed to his.
Naruto's eyes widened—surprise flashing through him like lightning—but he sank into it immediately. His hand came up instinctively—cupping the back of her neck, thumb brushing the soft skin beneath her ear as he kissed her back.
Hinata trembled against him—lips quivering, breath shaky—but she didn't pull away. Instead she leaned in more—small, brave—pouring everything she'd never said into the kiss.
Her fingers tightened slightly on his chin; her other hand rested lightly against his chest, feeling his heartbeat thundering under her palm.
'Well… that's a development I didn't see,' Naruto thought, heart slamming against his ribs.
TO BE CONTINUED
『A/N: This feels more natural.』