57Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Authors note: Last chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. Enjoy the last chapter.
Guess I have to face reality sometime. I have been stalling all day long. I mean who knows? She might actually like what I bought her. Today's the day that I confess my feelings to Hinata. And then perhaps, if I'm still alive I'll give her the present. What could go wrong? A lot...
Naruto thought about this a little longer and then resumed wrapping Hinata's present with a sheet of baby blue wrapping paper. When he finished, he tied a little purple bow on it and attached a tag that read: "To Hinata, From Naruto" in messy cursive script.
I'll go get some ramen for dinner and then go by her house. That's it! I'll go by her house first, and then invite her to dinner...Then after dinner, I'll walk her home, give her the gift, and tell her how I feel about her. I'm a genius!
He grinned happily to himself and continued to fiddle with the transparent tape stuck on the walls. Don't ask how it got there.
30 minutes later: "Okay. I finally made it to my door and I'm ready to go."
He said to himself, taking a deep breath as he twisted the doorknob and opened the door.
20 minutes later:
Naruto was almost on the other side of the village when he realized something very important...
He had no clue where she lived.
"Why is this happening to me? Why? What did I do to deserve this! WHY ME!"
He yelled, pounding the snow covered ground in childish frustration.
After realizing that such a crucial part of his plan was missing, Naruto lost all hope.
What am I supposed to do now? There's no use. I have no idea where she lives and its almost seven pm. Hinata and her family will be eating dinner by now.
Naruto thought glumly, trudging down the slippery street.
Guess I'll go to Ichiraku alone. I should have asked Sakura or someone else that I know.
After a few more minutes of walking, Naruto made it to Ichiraku. But it took him about ten more minutes to realize that he wasn't alone in the almost empty shop. There was another person, But, give him a break, He was seriously depressed, alright?
Hinata was deadly still as she sat on the stool on the other side of the bar, waiting for her order.
"Hinata-channnn! You were here all along"?" Naruto said, totally surprised.
"H-h-hello to y-y-you t-to... -kun." Stuttered Hinata, slowly turning pink.
" I was looking all over for you! I was going to ask you if you wanted to eat with me, but since you're already here I guess we can eat together after all!" He replied, happy as a lark.
"O-oh...Of course." She stuttered back, turning five shades redder than before.
"Great! Oh, and marry Christmas!"
"A-ano... M-merry C-christams... N-naruto-kun." Hinata was totally overwhelmed. Was this a dream?
They spent about thirty minutes eating their ramen. Naruto ate about ten bowls and Hinata just barely finished her first. Hinata couldn't believe thst it was really happening; but if it really was a dream she didn't want to wake up. After Naruto finished his 12th bowl, they were ready to go.
"Ready to go Hinata-chan? It's getting late. I'll walk you home!" Naruto asked, eager to give her his gift.
"Y-yes...A-and t-thank you for walking me home. Y-you're t-t-too kind..." She replied, still wondering if she was dreaming.
"It's no problem! Anything for a girl as cute as you, ne?" Naruto laughed when Hinata blushed redder than ever.
The walk to Hinata's house was surprisingly quiet considering Naruto was with her. But for once even Naruto couldn't find anything to say.
I should tell her now. We're getting close to her house.
Naruto thought, walking ahead of Hinata.
I need t give this to him. But how? He's walking in front of me, does he not like me? Or maybe I offended hin somehow...This is it, I'm...I'm giving him his gift and telling him...telling hin that...
Hinata drew a deep breath and prepared some words in her mind. She opened her mouth and...
"Hinata-chan?"
"Naruto-kun?"
They spoke at the same time and blushed after realizing it.
"A-ano...y-you can g-go first..."
"Hinata-chan...I... bought this for you..." He told her shyly, holding out the messily wrapped baby-blue box.
"Naruto-kun! T-t-thank y-you v-v-very much !" She replied, her face turning red again, taking the box from his shivering hands, but not opening it. She stared at it, not sure what to do.
"Hinata-chan, I have something to tell you...I...uhmm...I...Uhhh... Hinata...I l-l-l-love you!"
He finally yelled out, to embarrassed to look at her.
"N-now I k-know I-I'm dreaming...Right?" She replied pinching herself on the arm, but to her surprise, it stung.
I-it hurts. I-I'm not dreaming a-am I Naruto-kun? B-because I l-l-love y-you t-to-too..."
She sputtered, turning different shades of red in front of his eyes.
"H-Hinata-chan...You will...open the present...won't you?" Naruto pointed at the box she clutched in her hands.
She looked confused for a moment and then looked at the box.
"Oh! O-of c-course...I-I'm s-so s-silly."
She slowly took off the wrapping paper and opened a velvet box to reveal a golden bracelet with a pendant hanging down from it. As she was examining the pendant , she saw that it had the word Sweetheart engraved in it in fine cursive script.
"Naruto-kun, i-i-its beautiful!" She exclaimed, holding the necklace up to the light of the nearby lamppost.
"I'm glad you like it!" Naruto chirped proudly.
"Oh! I a-almost f-forgot...T-this is for you N-Naruto-kun." She smiled sheepishly handing a neatly wrapped rectangular package to him.
Naruto made quick work of the orange wrapping paper. He pulled the stuffing paper out of the box and pulled out... a sweater...It was a bright orange one that said I LOVE RAMEN in bold letter.
"Thanks Hinata! I love it" He exclaimed happily and proceeded to put it on, bright yellow hair matching brillantly with the orange.
"Y-your w-welcome."
"It's freezing. Let's get you home before you catch a cold."
With that, they both scurried to the warm shelter of the Hyuuga mansion up ahead.
When they reached the large metal gates, Naruto kissed her good-bye and ran off, leaving her giggling at his retreating orange clad back.
"SHIKAMARUUUU! GET UP AND LET ME IN THE HOUSE NOW! YOU HEAR ME!" Ino yelled at Shikamaru, who promptly slammed the door in her face as soon as he saw it was her.
"Ino. Christmas gifts are to troublesome, so go away! He yelled back.
"SHIII-KAAA-MAAAA-RUUUUU! LET ME IN THAT HOUSE RIGHT NOW! I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT SO LET ME IN! ITS FREEZING! I'M GOING TO DIE AND IT'LL BE ALL YOUR FAULT! To emphasize it, she began to pound on the heavy wooden door.
"Fine, fine fine. Don't break down the door the door. Please. It's too troublesome to fix. But then you're out. Ok? He murmured, slowly opening the door to let her in.
"Fine! If you really must be such a jerk." ino sniffed, walking into the warm house and sighing as the frostbite instantly left her body.
"There. I hope it won't be too much trouble to open it and thank me." She snapped. Thrusting a package into his arms.
"This is so troublesome...and stupid." He replied inaudibly y, tearing off the wrapping paper. After ripping off a layer of blue wrapping paper, he found a gray box. Opening the box he found a red book that read 100 ways to be less lazy in dark green print.
Ha. Ha.
"Very funny, Ino. Here, this is yours. Open it and leave...Please, I want to go back to bed. It's to cold to get up so early."
Ino just barely caught the dark purple package that was thrown at her head,. She was so surprised that he got her something at all. But, she masked her surprise with feigned indignance.
"You didn't have to throw it you know!"
She quickly tore away at the wrapping paper, anxious to see what was inside. When she finally saw the gift, her face was contorted into a mixture of anger ane surprise.
"Shikamaru."
"Ehh...w-w-what?..."
"Run. And for your sake, run fast."
"Ino...W-what are you going to do with that knife?" He asked, fear flooding into his voice.
"HOW DARE YOU GET ME SOMETHING LIKE THIS! YOU WILL PAY! She screamed, throwing her present at him and chasing him down the snow covered street.
"Shikamaru dear?...Huh? Where'd he go? What's this? Hm?" Shikamaru's herself as she picked up a bright blue book that read 1000 Ways To Be A Less Troublesome Girl in bold letters.
"Sasuke-kun, is that you?" She called. Curiosity getting the best of her.
"Hn?..."
Yeo, thats definitely Sasuke-kun. What in the world is he doing out here though? He could get sick out here.
"Sasuke-kun, you should be inside. You might get the flu or even Pneumonia." She said, concern edging its way into her voice.
"It's none of your business why I'm out here."
" You don't have to be rude...I was just worried about you."
Hm? Did she just argue with me? I'm glad to see she got a backbone at last. I was sure she would wail.
"Are you busy right now?" He asked.
"Uh-huh...I-I mean...No...I was just going home. Why?"
"Then come with me." Sasuke said curtly, already walking away from her.
"Wait! Where are we going!" She yelled, sprinting to catch up to him.
"You'll see."
Where are we going? Why is he acting so funny? First, he was just standing in the middle of the road. Then, he started getting mad at me because I said he should go inside! Argh! He's so confusing!
Sakura tore her gaze up from the street to Sasuke's back and wondered where he planned on taking her.
And now he's dragging me somewhere in the cold. Does he want me to freeze to death?
BAM! Sakura slammed right into Sasuke's back.
"Oww. Why'd you stop?"
"I stopped because we're here." He replied in a matter-of-fact-tone.
Here? Wait a minute! This is where Sasuke and I talked for the first time! He said I made him sick! Why in the world did he bring me here?
"Here. Merry Christmas." embarassment was evident on his face and in his voice. He shoved a red package into her chest and turned away.
"Y-you got this for me?" She asked in pure bliss, her mouth agape.
"Are you going to open it, or stand there looking like a fish." He said impatiently.
"Uhhmm...Sure."
Sakura nervously unwrapped the glossy paper. Carefully, as though it would break she finally lifted the lid of a pink box. Nestled safely on velvet padding was a beautiful golden chain, on th end of it was a pendant in the shape of a cherry blossom petal.
"Oh, Sasuke-kun! It's beautiful, I love it!" She cooed in a singsong voice. Sasuke smirked at this.
"Hn."
Uhm...Here. I got this for you but I wasn't sure you'd accept it. Will you?" Sakura asked quietly holding out a package, a shy blush spreading across her face. Sasuke nodded and took the package from her. He slowly untied the silver ribbonand started to tear off the indigo paper. He finished tearing off the paper and opened the lid to the box. Inside was a black kunai. When he looked carefully, there was a something written on it.
On the handle of the kunai was a kanji sign for protection and then her message. The message said:
Please be safe on all your missions Sasuke, I love you/
"Thank you Sakura." he said to the anxious Sakura, his voice filled with gratitude.
"You really like it?'
"Aa."
"Yay!"
"Come on, I'll walk you home. Knowing you, you'll probably get lost."
She wisely chose the latter part of the offer.
"Okay! Thank you, Sasuke-kun!"
Later that night at Sakura's house...
oh, I'm so exhausted! This has been such a great day. I can't believe Sasuke-kun got me a gift.
Sakura squealed in delight as she looked at her gift for the thousandth time. She was polishing it when she noticed a scratch on the back the cherry blossom.
Oh no! It's scratched, I can't believe this! It didn't feel scratched earlier. What could've happened? It was in it's velvet box!
When she turned the necklace over she found something very surprising. Her necklace wasn't scratched... There was something engraved on it, in tiny letters. Sakura looked closely and made out the message.
It simply said:
"I love you."
FIN
Authors note: I hope that you liked this chapter, it's the last. I still plan to re-edit this entire story when I have time. Thanks for reading, please leave a review.