Confession in The Forest
"Naruto-kun...I love you!"
"Naruto-kun...I love you!"
"I've always loved you, Naruto-kun!"
"Naruto-kun, you're the only one for me! I love you!"
"My feelings for you are very strong, Naruto-kun. They have been growing ever since I was a child."
"Ugh! How do I say it?!" Hinata buried her face in her hands and sat on the tree stump behind her. She'd loved and admired Naruto for many years and after much deliberation, she'd decided to tell him how she felt.
It was simply impossible for her to hide the truth about her feelings for him any longer. Now, if only she could say it the right way!
Perhaps it would be silly to some that Hinata was in the forest, practicing how she was going to reveal this to Naruto, but everything had to go perfectly. She told him to meet her in the forest at three o'clock because she had something very important to tell him. This wasn't a confession that needed to be told in front of an audience.
Hinata had purposely arrived at the rendezvous an hour earlier so she could find the right way to phrase the words before Naruto came. So far, she was at a loss on how she should go about it.
The blue-haired kunoichi looked up at the sun. From its placement, she could tell that it would be three very soon. "Come on, Hinata! You can do this!" Standing up, the girl took in a deep breath.
Just speak from the heart.
"Naruto-kun, I'll never forget the first time I met you. Some boys from the village were bullying me and you came to stop them. I remember how awful I felt, seeing them hurt you and being taken away while you lie there on the ground. I felt so ashamed...but the first time I felt like I could do anything was when you encouraged me that day of the Chunin Exams when I fought Neji. Even though I lost to him, I never forgot how you swore to defeat him in my stead. You've always been so kind and encouraging to me. You've inspired me more than anyone I've ever known. I used to be such a big crybaby and was afraid of everything, but time and time again, you have given me the strength I need to carry on. I started out as just admiring you, but my feelings have grown so much since then and now I...I love you."
Tears slid down Hinata's cheeks when she finished, as she was simply overwhelmed by her confession. If only Naruto were here!
"Hinata?"
The kunoichi froze in place and slowly turned around until she was face to face with the boy she loved.
"N-Naruto-kun?"
He stepped forward, eyes wide with surprise. "Do I really mean that much to you?"
She blushed and looked down at the ground. Why did she feel so faint? Struggling to keep it together, Hinata's lavender eyes snapped up to gaze right back in Naruto's blue ones. "Y-yes, you do..."
The poor girl was horribly embarrassed at his finding out this way. What would he do now that everything was all out in the open? Afraid of being rejected, Hinata quickly spoke. "B-but that doesn't mean you have to feel the s-same way, Naruto-kun. I don't expect you to return my feelings."
The tears had begun pooling in her eyes again and Hinata felt like running away to escape this situation. Just when she was ready to turn and go back to the village, she felt a light pressure on her cheek.
Startled, the girl stared at the blonde ninja in shock. "N-Naruto-kun...? D-did you just kiss me?"
Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I did. I can't say that I feel the same way, Hinata, but..." Something flashed in his eyes and he took one of her hands in his. "I do like you...a lot. Maybe one day, I can even learn to love you back as well."
Hinata's cheeks were bright as a tomato from this sudden display of affection. She thought that she might be in a dream of having a strangely realistic fantasy. In all of her hopes and wishes, she never imagined that Naruto Uzumaki, her Naruto, would say such things to her.
"Naruto-kun...you-you..." She wobbled a little and in a few seconds, she was falling to the ground. Naruto caught her before she fell, though, and he shook his head.
"Ah, Hinata." He brushed strands of hair away from her face and smiled down at her unconscious form. "I hope you get over this fainting stuff soon. It's hell on our conversations." Then he scooped the Hyuuga Princess up in his arms and carried her back to the village.