Love

Naruto Uzumaki sat at his desk in the Hokage’s Tower.

The Hokage’s desk.

He was sitting in the Hokage robes, at the Hokage’s desk. He was the Hokage.

Yet, he sat there with a pen in his hand and a frown on his face. He tapped the pen, frustrated, on the desk, sighing somewhat irritated. He wasn’t doing paperwork. It had already been done for the day. What the 21-year-old Hokage was trying to do was write a novel.

He had thought it a fitting thing to do in Jiraiya’s memory. However, he’d decided long ago it wasn’t going to be as perverted as the Icha Icha books; he had slightly more morals than that. It would be an action novel, with, and he’d conceded, passion and love.

That was his problem though. He didn’t know love. He’d never known love. He was perfectly able to admit that his feelings for Sakura growing up were no more than a crush, and that was fine. But he was frustrated because he was going to write about love, but he didn’t really know what it was. He hadn’t been fortunate enough to have those feelings, and he’d never been around anyone that had. He’d never known his parents, and all the people that had ever accepted him, were single.

“Gah, what am I going to do?” Naruto snapped, flailing his arms in the air. “Maybe,” He said calming down and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I should ask one of my friends. I’ll ask Sakura, she seems pretty happy with Bushy-Brows.”

And with a puff of smoke, and a notepad and pen in his hand, he was gone.
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Naruto knocked politely at Sakura’s apartment door. A few moments later, Sakura opened it, looking frustrated and hurried. Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but she ran passed him.

“Not now Naruto, I’m late for a night-shift at the hospital!” She cried over her shoulder, before leaping onto a nearby roof and disappearing out of sight.

“Naruto friend!”

Naruto turned and was slightly shocked at the fact that Lee was standing in Sakura’s doorway, hair rumpled and green spandex suit amiss. Instead in their place was a green button-up shirt and black cargo pants. The shirt however, was hurriedly closed, buttons done up crookedly. It was obvious why Sakura was late.

“Bushy-Brows…uh…hi…this is awkward…” The blonde said, scratching the back of his head.

“Nani? Not at all!” Lee grinned, oblivious. “What’s up? Can I help you with anything?”

Naruto thought about it for a moment. “Actually, yeah! I need your help Bushy-Brows! What is love?”

“Love?” Lee paused, and Naruto readied his notepad and pen. “It is a seed that must be nurtured! If not it will die, but when cared for correctly, it will bloom into a beautiful flower! Such youth! Such energy!”

Naruto looked confused. “Uh…arigato. Not exactly what I was looking for, but it’s a start. Ja ne Lee!”

“Goodbye my youthful comrade!”
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Shikamaru, Choji and Ino were sitting inside Ichiraku Ramen when Naruto found them.

“Oh thank goodness, you guys can help me!” Naruto said, sitting down beside Ino, who was sitting across from Choji, who was sitting beside Shikamaru in a private booth.

“”What’s up Naruto?” Choji asked in between slurps of ramen.

“I’m writing a book, in memory of Ero-sennin, but I need to know what love is.”

“The Icha Icha books aren’t about love Naruto, they’re about…well…sex.”

“And how would you know that Shikamaru?” Ino huffed, crossing her arms.

Naruto looked nervously between Ino and Shikamaru. “Um…bad time?”

“They’re having a lover’s quarrel.” Choji said again, taking a sip of sake.

Ino huffed again, and turned her head away from the men at her table. Shikamaru sighed and leaned back in his seat, muttering something about ‘troublesome’.

“Anyway…” Naruto said, breaking the silence. “My book’s not going to be about the sex, mine’s going to be an action novel, but there will be love in it. The hero needs love. But…what is love?”

“Love is finding the perfect pork chop.”

Naruto looked at Shikamaru. “Do ‘you’ have any ideas? You’re the genius.”

“It’s a highly debateable topic. When does love occur, what stage in the relationship? I am assuming you’re talking of romantic love, rather than familial love. Who felt it first? When did the feeling begin? Can it be defined? Does it really exist-”

“Of course ‘you’ would say that, baka!” Ino snapped. “He’s right Naruto, he doesn’t know what love is, and at the moment, I don’t think I could answer that either.” She said vehemently. “Maybe you should go ask Hinata.”

“Why, is she in love?”

He couldn’t help the jealous chill that ran through his body. As such, he failed to see the expressions on both Ino and Shikamaru’s faces, and the fact that Choji had stopped eating to look at the hapless blonde.

“Hai…” Ino concluded. “Has been for a long time. She’ll know what love is.”
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Walking down the road towards the Hyuga estate, Naruto was lost in thought. He was thinking of Ino’s last statement. Hinata was in love?

“With who though? He can’t possibly be worthy of her. No one is good enough for Hinata. She’s perfect. He must be one lucky son-of-a-bit…I wonder if it’s Kiba? Meh, whoever he is, he’s lucky.”

Speak of the devil.

“Hey Naruto! What you up to this lovely evening?”

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts by a deep bark. “Kiba…Akamaru…and Shino! Konbanwa.”

“What are you doing on this side of town? Heading over to see Neji and Hinata?” Shino asked.

“Well, Hinata actually, Ino said she’d be able to help me with m problem.” He gauged for Kiba’s reaction, looking for jealously.

The wild young man was picking his ear.

“No…I don’t think so.” Naruto thought.

“Are you having a problem?” Shino continued.

“Yeah…but maybe you guys could help me too. What is love?”

There was silence for a few moments, before Kiba started barking his dog-like laugh. Naruto frowned slightly, and Shino remained stoic.

“You’re…you’re asking us? Us?” Kiba laughed. “That’s hilarious! I could tell you about lust…heat…mating. But love? Nah, I’m a ladies’ man!”

He brushed a hand through his hair, trying to act cool. Akamaru whined pityingly, a huge feat for a huge dog. Naruto tried not to laugh out loud, and even Shino’s lips curved up slightly in a smirk. After a few moments of hilarious silence, Shino spoke.

“Ino-san is right, you should go ask Hinata.”

Naruto looked surprised. “Why, coz she’s in love? Who with?”

And Kiba laughed again. Even Akamaru sounded like he was amused. Shino however, was more dignified.

“That is not our information to disclose. If you want to know, you should ask Hinata.”

The males of Team 8 waved at Naruto before heading off back down the street Naruto had come from.
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Arriving at the Hyuga gates, he knocked politely and waited. A few moments passed before the gate opened, heralded by a Hyuga branch member.

“Hokage-sama! What a pleasant surprise! May I summon Hiashi-sama, or maybe Neji-san?” The Hyuga said politely.

Naruto shook his head. “No, I’m here to see Hinata, is she busy?”

“Hinata-sama? No, I do not believe she is. If you wait here for a moment, I have someone escort you to her room.”
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Another Hyuga branch member led Naruto down the winding passages of the Hyuga mansion. They stopped outside a door, and the branch member knocked politely.

“Pardon me Hinata-sama. You have a visitor, may I send him in?”

“Hai, arigato.” Came a soft voice from inside.

The branch member smiled at Naruto before whispering. “She’s always so nice. Never had a cross word from her. Her sister on the other hand…”

The young man left with a shudder. Naruto watched him leave before opening the door slowly. Poking his head inside, he couldn’t see her. As he entered the room completely, Hinata suddenly appeared from the adjoining bathroom. She was brushing her hair, clad in a beautiful kimono.

“N-Naruto-kun…a-ah, g-gomen…H-Hokage-sama.”

Naruto was transfixed however. Hinata was wearing a beautiful silver, deep blue and silver kimono. It was a form-fitting outfit, accentuating her curves, and her eyes…and her hair…lips…

Nose.

Skin.

“Breasts…GAH!! Bad thoughts, bad thoughts!” Naruto screamed in his head, aloud however, he was much more composed. “Onegai Hinata, it’s ‘Naruto’ when not on official business.”

“I-It’s not official business? It’s a social c-call?” She blushed.

He grinned. “Yeah, I guess it is.” He paused as he gave her a once over, which she didn’t fail to notice…and it made her blush more. “You look great Hinata.”

“A-Arigato N-Naruto-kun. I-It was for a meeting. Otou-sama told me to keep my head down and mouth shut. That I was only needed as eye-candy.” She gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth, thoroughly embarrassed.

Naruto was furious. Her father made her dress up so some pervy old men could look at her all night. It made him sick and angry.

“That’s not fair! While you do look amazing Hinata, you’re much more than a pretty face. You should have been able to contribute to the meeting. You’re a fantastic ninja, and a great ambassador! It’s demeaning to treat you like an object!” He turned away from her, heading for the bedroom door. “I’m going to give Hiashi a piece of my mind!”

“No!” Hinata said, running forward and grasping at his robe’s arm sleeve. “No, o-onegai, just…just leave it.” Naruto turned back towards her, eyes softening. “Arigato for your words, they mean a lot. B-But you going and talking to my Otou-sama will make him th-think I asked you too. He’ll b-be angry.”

He sighed, taking hold of the hand holding his Hokage robe. “Okay, I won’t go.”

There was a comfortable silence as the two stood looking at each other, Naruto holding one of her hands.

“W-Was there a reason y-you came here Naruto-kun?” Hinata asked softly, hoping he wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“Actually, yes, I need a question answered, and only our friends who gave a serious answer, told me to come and see you.”

“M-Me? What’s the question?”

“What is love?”

Hinata blushed. “N-Nani?”

“What is love? Shino and Ino said I should speak to you. Do you know? Are you in love?”

Hinata became light-headed. Just hearing the word ‘love’ come from his mouth made her heart flutter and her breath stop. When his last question reached her mind, she blushed hard.

“L-Love…I think is a precious gift. It is given, it…it can be taken away, b-but when you have it, it’s wonderful. Love means you’re w-willing to do anything for your other half. Even…even if it means letting them go, so they can love whom they want. When…when you find love…find your love, you feel complete. You realise you’ve been empty till that moment in time, and you wonder how you ever coped without them. True love is…pure. It is unselfish, and stems from feelings of admiration and respect, rather than lust or beauty. Loving someone in spite of their flaws…no…because of their flaws, that is true love. Love is…love is when you’re willing to put their life before your own, b-because in some way, they are your life. Love is completeness. It is exhilarating and uplifting. That’s why if you lose it, or it’s torn from you, it hurts so much.” Hinata closed her eyes, controlling her blush before looking Naruto in the eye. “Love means being able to wait. And I’ll wait, I’ll wait forever.”

Naruto was still, frozen in place. As her words mulled through his head, he smiled at her.

“They were right, Shino and Ino, I did need to come and see you. That was perfect Hinata, it was truly…” He trailed off, unable to think of word to do it justice. “But, I asked them if you were in love with someone…and they said I should ask you. Who are you in love with Hinata? Who is lucky enough to receive such feelings as the ones you described?”

The spell was cast, he was so close, she was already feeling light-headed, and he was repeatedly using the word ‘love’. She leaned closer to him, looking him in the eye.

“You Naruto-kun. I love you.”

His mouth dropped open and he blushed pink. “N-Nani? Nani, Hinata…why? What did I do to deserve-”

“You were born. And then I met you. And who you are a-and what you believe in. I respect you, and I’ve admired you, and y-your courage…your strength, since the beginning. You want to protect the people of this village, d-despite the fact that they used to be so horrid to you. I love you for who you are…Naruto Uzumaki.”

“B-But, I’m an idiot! An orphan! A jinchuuriki!”

“Love means loving you for your flaws…but I’d hardly call those flaws.”

“The Kyuubi?”

“Is safely sealed away in the bravest, most amazing man I know. Why…why are you trying to convince me I don’t love you?”

“I-I’m not. It’s just…I never expected someone to feel that way about me. Ever. It’s unbelievable.”

“Believe it.”

Naruto chuckled, leaned down, and kissed her soundly on the lips, running his hands down her sides. Pulling away from the kiss, he smiled warmly at her.

“Let’s try. Onegai. I want to try. I can’t say I love you too yet, but-”

“I already said I’d wait forever. I’ve already lasted over 10 years, I can wait a little longer.” She smiled, blush on her face.

He leaned down and kissed her again, only looking to the future.

To love.