Since one of the most beautiful love confessions of mangas is about to be animated, I decided to write this fic. Please, review me.

The chapter is now corrected with the help of Maipigen.

When you see things in italic, it means they're someone's thoughts.

When someone talks, the speech will be written between " ".

Chapter 1: The girl who saved me

After the celebration, Naruto went to a quiet place in the nearby forest. He was exhausted, after all that had happened during the day.

I did it, Ero-sennin. Naruto thought with a proud smile on his face, your student, Nagato, finally broke free from the cycle of hatred. So did Konan. I wish you could have seen that.

The blond teenager didn't know how to explain his feelings. He was relieved that he'd managed to defeat Pain, happy that the Rinnegan user abandoned his plans of revenge, more than amazed that Kakashi and the others had come back from death. Proud of the fact that fourth Hokage was his father.

Also, the attention the villagers now gave him really surprised the boy. Used to being hated, Naruto had suddenly become Konoha's hero. He had finally received the acceptance he'd wanted his entire life. Everything seemed so strange, so unreal.

But in the midst of all these things on his mind, there was still one thing that Naruto couldn't forget: Hinata.

She jumped in front of me to protect me. She knew she didn't have any chance against Pain... and she told me... she didn't fear death because...

The idea scared Naruto. Hinata said she's loved me for years. She loved me... she loves me. Naruto couldn't get his mind around that, remembering his unpleasant past. I was just the kyuubi boy that everybody hated; the looser that everyone laughed at. The annoying kid everybody scolded. How could Hinata love me?

Naruto remembered the first time he had seen Hinata. He had just been admitted in the ninja academy. He was walking through the halls, since he didn't want to be alone at the ceremony that was being held for the new students.

From that day on, Naruto would live in his own little apartment and receive a monthly payment until he graduated from the academy. He no longer needed to live in Konoha's orphanage.

It doesn't matter, Naruto thought, since nobody in the orphanage liked me anyway. The fact that I'm going to live alone now doesn't change the fact that I've been alone as long as I can remember. At least, Naruto told himself, trying to cheer up a bit, I'll no longer have to deal with those nasty eyes that people send my way every hour of the day.

Naruto really hated those people. He didn't want to hate, but he couldn't avoid it. People were always so unfair and horrible to him that he sometimes wondered why he should care about them at all.

Abruptly, Naruto stopped walking. "Why do I have to go to ninja academy in the first place?" He muttered to himself. "The people of Konoha never did anything for me! I wish I could make the villagers pay for all the misery they-"

Naruto's attention was caught by a little girl sitting alone on a bench. She had dark hair and white eyes. She seemed scared.

"Hey, girl!" Naruto called out to her. "What's the matter?"

The girl looked at Naruto in a shy way, then she said "I... I don't know where my classroom is."

"Is it your first day?"

"Y-yes."

"Why aren't you in the ceremony in the garden?" Naruto asked, curious as to why the little girl was all alone like him.

"The thing is... my father didn't want to come with me." The girl was staring her feet.

Naruto was surprised. "Why wouldn't a parent want to come to his child's ceremony?"

The girl looked even more embarrassed than before when she timidly answered, "My father said that I'm not worth it. He would just waste his time."

"That is horrible!" Naruto was shocked. He always thought having parents was the most wonderful thing in the world. People to love you unconditionally and support you in any occasion. He was envious of people who had parents, but that girl seemed to have a horrible father. He didn't quite know what to think about that.

"He's right, you know?" the girl stated. "I'm weak and graceless. My taijutsu and ninjutsu are ridiculous. Everybody has looked down on me ever since I can remember. I shouldn't have entered the academy. I'm not able to become a ninja. I should just give up on everything."

"If you don't think you're able to be a ninja, then why are you here?" Naruto asked, looking serious.

"You will laugh at me." The girl whispered, still not looking at him.

"I promise I won't."

"Well... I thought that if I could graduate from the ninja academy and become stronger, I would be recognized. I would be respected and prove that I'm worthy of people's attention.

Naruto went pale when he heard that. He had never thought about that possibility. Was it even possible for him to be recognized by people if he became a splendid ninja? Could he prove everybody was wrong? Could he prove that he was worthy of people's attention as well?

"I knew it would sound ridiculous." The girl said in a low voice when Naruto didn't reply immediately.

Naruto frowned. Then, he said "Don't say that! What you said was the most inspiring thing I've ever heard! You know what? I'll join you in this purpose!"

The girl looked at him with surprise showing vividly in her pale eyes. Naruto continued, "That's right! We can become stronger! We can become stronger than any ninja in the whole world! I want to be stronger! Maybe someday, I can even become Hokage."

"I'm sure you would be a wonderful Hokage." the girl said without hesitating. Naruto heard it. It was the nicest thing someone had ever told him. That girl had made him realize that people weren't as horrible as he thought. At least that girl wasn't.

"Thank you." Naruto told her. "I'm sure you would be a great Hokage too."

"I-I don't want to be Hokage... If I could be accepted as the leader of my clan... or at least be recognized by the others then..."

"Clan? You're a member of a clan?" Naruto asked interested, she was the first clan member he'd ever met.

"Yes." The girl answered and then added shyly, "I'm member of the Hyuuga clan. I'm Hyuuga Hinata."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto introduced himself with a beaming smile. "Nice to meet you, Hinata."

Hinata went red suddenly. The sudden wave of red worried Naruto.

"Did I offend you or something?" he asked nervously.

"N-No." Hinata stuttered, "It's just that... I'm not used to people calling me 'Hinata'. They usually call me 'Hinata-sama'."

"Really? Everybody calls me 'Naruto', but it's probably because nobody respects me. But, since you're some kind of noble, does it bother you being called just by your first name?"

"No. I like it, Naruto-kun."

This time it was Naruto who turned red. Naruto-kun? Nobody has ever talked to me with so much respect. He really liked that girl.

Naruto suddenly got an idea. "Hey, Hinata, why don't you come with me to search for our classroom?"

"S-sure." Hinata agreed in her shy way.

Naruto came back to the present, standing immobile in the Forest. I remember now, he thought, The very first person to recognize me was Hinata. Then, came Iruka-sensei. It was Hinata who made me want to become Hokage. If it wasn't for her, I would have fallen into the darkness. She said my smile had saved her, but her kindness saved me first. Even not speaking very much; even if she never got too close to me, she always treated me well. She always believed in me. She was like the moon in the darkest night.

Naruto sighed and ran his hand through his spiky locks as he kept thinking deeply. But I never realized any of it until she did that; until she put herself in danger to protect me. When I thought she had died, I became so desperate... when Katsuyu told me she was alive, I was so relieved. Without realizing it, Hinata filled my heart with good things. She became a very special person... perhaps..."

Naruto looked back at the village. Everything seemed to be calm now. It was night and the people were sleeping. Since the village was destroyed, everybody was camping.

"Hinata must be sleeping now." He said into the darkness, "it was a tough day for her too. I didn't even get the chance to talk to her... Tomorrow... I'll tell her... Everything...".

Naruto fainted. He slept on the grass until the next morning. The morning when he would have his conversation with Hinata.