Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

This is my first story submission. After reading other entries for some time I thought that I would write down a story idea that has been floating around in my head recently. Reviews will be appreciated, but I ask that you be respectful since this is my first attempt at writing. Let me know if you think this should just stay a one-shot or is worth continuing a little further.

This time of year has always been hard for Naruto, who grew up without knowing his parents or what it was like to be part of a family. Most years he would just go out to the training grounds till he was nearly too exhausted to walk home and try to sleep in the next day as late as he could. Some years though the loneliness would be too much and he would not be able sleep, so he would go out and wander the streets. He would even peek in on his friends, watching them with their families, trying to imagine what it must feel like to be with family during the Solstice celebration.

The three years he had spent away from the village training with Jiraiya had been the best on his youth, because the old sage had made him feel like he was part of a family for the first time in his life. Jiraiya would put off researching for the day and the two would train together, or just indulge themselves at a hot spring. Though when Naruto would go to bed on those nights he would wonder how a certain young girl was doing and what sort of gifts she might be getting that year.

This year was going to be different, Jiraiya was dead, the Fourth Shinobi War and the time of chaos resulting afterwards was finally over, and everyone seemed ready for some peaceful celebration. To add to his trouble, the girl he had spent all those years thinking about had finally gotten her wish and she was dating Sasuke. He had done his best to hide his breaking heart when after the war was declared officially over, his two teammates had embraced. He had went over, wrapped his arms around his friends and gave them a great big smile while welcoming Sasuke back, but the whole time his heart was screaming so loud that Kurama had threatened to take over and tell her just how hurt seeing them together really made him feel.

A short time later it all went to hell, and he had taken as many missions as he could that would keep him away from the village and especially away from her because he just couldn't see her anymore. He didn't want to see how happy she was now, especially with him no longer disrupting their lives. Unfortunately, he was now between missions and Granny Tsunade refuses to let him go on any more till he has spent some down time at home, here in the village. She has said that his performance had become reckless, even for him, in the last several months and she feels that he needs some time to get his head on straight.

So here he is walking the streets alone, the day before Solstice celebration and even though it was lunchtime the thought of Ichiraku's ramen could not bolster his spirits. His feet took him there anyways, out of habit, while his mind was focused on matters of the heart. He was about to step through the curtain when he hears a familiar laugh that makes his chest tighten painfully, it was her and she was eating at Ichiraku's shop. Out of old habit he nearly finishes stepping through, but the memory of the last time they spoke comes back to remind him of why he has been away for so long and stops his hand inches away from the curtain. He then hears Sasuke's voice as well, telling her to eat out of her own bowl. 'They sound so happy together.' Naruto turns around quickly to walk away and bumps into someone, knocking them to the snow covered ground.

"I am sorry, please let me help you up." Naruto whispers as he reaches down to help his victim back on their feet, but the whole time he is looking over his shoulder back towards the ramen shop, silently hoping that they have not heard the commotion and come to investigate. He turns back as the girl stands up and finds his face is just inches away from a familiar pale-eyed, blushing girl. "Hinata? I am so sorry for knocking you down. I should have been paying better attention to where I was going. Are you okay?" Naruto asks quickly, the whole time worried about what he will do if Hinata faints.

Hinata just nods her head ever so slightly. "I-I-I am alright, Naruto-kun. It was my fault really, I saw you walking around earlier and was about to say hello when you turned around. I should not have gotten so close before I made my presence known." In fact Hinata had been following Naruto from a distance for a while now and had finally gotten enough courage to walk up to him when he made a sudden retreat from his favorite ramen shop. Hearing the familiar voices coming from inside she now understands why he has stopped from going inside and was trying to retreat. She knows about his heartbreak and had seen the pain in his eyes that day, but has lacked the courage to go to him and offer him comfort and support. Afterwards, when he was spending most of his time away from the village, rumors had begun to spread on the real reason why the Hero of Konoha was never home, and that he might be giving up his dream of becoming Hokage to become a hermit like Jiraiya. The rumors of why all seemed to center on the head of one certain pink-haired girl, but Sakura would brush people off and walk away whenever the topic of Naruto's continued absence would be discussed.

Tenten had told Hinata that on a recent mission she had done with Naruto, that he had charged into a group of bandits like a man who didn't care whether he survived or not. He came out of the fight covered in as much of his own blood as the bandits, and he just stood there holding a bloody kunai looking like some sort of feral creature searching for new prey. His training had become more intense as well, and he had ended up in the hospital for nearly a week in Suna after he and Gaara, the Kazekage, had a match against each other. They had done some intense sparing, and it had gotten out of hand when he had lost control. The rumors were that he had somehow broken through Gaara's defense and broke the Kazekage's arm, nearly killing himself in the attempt. That was when the Hokage had called him home for a much needed vacation.

Her father had mentioned to her that the council was becoming worried about his state of mind and whether they might have to reseal the Kyubi inside of him, just in case he lost complete control and destroyed the village. A few hardliners just wants the Hokage to keep sending him on longer and longer missions, in hopes that if he did lose control it would be far from the village, but the Hokage has refused all their requests, saying that she will handle the matter personally. Hinata has been there in the council meetings with her father as part of her training to become the next head of the clan, and has seen the worry and concern on the Hokage's face each time the subject of Naruto comes up before the council.

Motion catches Hinata attention and she can see the curtain starting to be pulled aside. So she grabs Naruto by the arm and drags him down a nearby alley. At first he acts like he is going to protest, but as he looks where her eyes are focused, and who is most likely coming out of the ramen shop, he goes numb and just allows himself to be pulled along. Hinata ignores her body's normal reaction at having him so close and instead she focuses on her desire to protect Naruto. After a few minutes of twists and turns down several streets she stops and leans up against a wall to catch her breath.

"Hinata, thank you for getting me out of there before…" He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. "Why did you… "

She wants to tell him that she knows the truth about what happened that night. She wants express how much she is concerned about him, but as she looks into those blue eyes filled with such loneliness, her heart feels like it is going to drown in that pain, so her old habit returns and she begins to stammer. "I-I-I just thought that you d-d-didn't look hungry and instead you might want to…" She looks around desperately for something nearby to use as an excuse and sees a shop that might work. "It has been so cold lately and I thought that you might need something warm to wear till spring." She realizes just how stupid she sounds and hangs her head down in shame.

Seeing that she is trying her best to not point out the obvious reason why he was running away, Naruto truly smiles for the first time in maybe a year, and looks down at the Hyuga girl. No, she has become a young woman while he has been away. "You know it has been really cold these last few nights, so maybe I do need something a little warmer. I'm not really good at shopping for clothes and stuff, do you want to help me find something warm to wear?" He is trying to be nice, but in reality he is hoping she will say no so he can just go back to his apartment and just sleep till the Hokage will let him leave again, maybe on a much longer mission this time.

Hinata looks up into his face and nods, "S-s-sure, I'll do my best." She didn't expect for him to say yes, and now she is caught and has no idea what she is going to do or talk about, but she is going to do her best to help him, like he has done so many times for her in the past.

The two of them would have made a comical sight if any of their friends had seen them together, one full of self-doubt and the other self-destructive. They spend the next few hours together looking at clothes and wandering from store to store. Slowly, as time wears on, their conversation grows from just a word and a nod to nearly complete sentences. Before long the sun is starting to set and the snow is falling in large, fat flakes.

Naruto's stomach gives out a great growl of hunger and he blushes before scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I forgot to eat lunch today and I guess it is catching up with me now. Would you like to get something to eat? It will be my treat for all the help you gave me today picking out my new gloves and scarf." He holds up his hands to show off his black and orange leather gloves and points at the matching wool scarf. He is surprised that he actually does feel hungry and hopes that she will say yes about having dinner together, if for no other reason than not having to eat alone for a change.

They go to Ichiracu's for dinner and afterwards Naruto offers to walk her home. Her reply is interrupted by a snowball that nearly misses Naruto's head.

In the middle of the street are three figures; a boy wearing a long blue scarf, and girl with orange pig tails and another boy with brown hair and glasses. "Naruto, you have been avoiding me for too long, and now I challenge you to a ninja snowball fight to prove who's the best in the village. You may have won our last battle over 5 years ago, but I know a whole lot more than I did last time, so prepare for your defeat Uzumaki." The other two kids nod their approval at their leaders challenge.

"Konohamaru, normally I would love to get into a snowball fight with you, but I'm just not feeling it tonight." His answer is a snowball to the face and derisive laughter from the kids.

That was all it took to get Naruto going and he starts flinging snowballs at the three genin as fast as he can make another snowball. Releasing his pent up frustration feels good, which increases his enthusiasm as he lobs even more snowballs at the kids who quickly begin to run down the street with Naruto on their heels.

Hinata follows behind, watching the joy come back into his sad blue eyes for the first time today. When the kids finally stop their retreat in the middle of the park Hinata immediately senses something is wrong.

Naruto stands up on a rock, holding up a large snowball, and grins down upon the three young shinobi. "Give it up Konohamaru you have lost, again." His smile fades when he sees that the three youth are laughing too.

"You fell into my trap Naruto and now you will finally taste defeat." The boy lets out a loud whistle and dozens of young shinobi step out from behind trees and rocks. "That's not all either sensei." He makes a hand sign, and after a puff of smoke three Konohamaru shadow clones are standing there beside the original. With that cue the other young shinobi use the clone jutsu, with various amounts of success and within a few moments Naruto and Hinata are surrounded by over a hundred smiling genin.

As Naruto starts to use his own shadow clone jutsu he is hit by dozens of snowballs, interrupting his concentration. Just as he is about to completely lose his temper, the waves of snowballs stop. He digs the snow away from his eyes he can see that Hinata has activated her byakugan and is intercepting the icy missiles.

"Thank you Hinata-chan. Do you think you can keep that up for a little longer?" He has a nasty trick in mind for the mischievous genin, and if she can hold out long enough to let him put it into action it will be epic.

She was so focused on what she was doing it took her a few moments to realize that he had said 'Hinata-chan' and not just her name. With a burst of happiness she doubles her efforts to protect him from any further attack. She begins to whirl around him in a beautiful dance that causes many of the genin, and their clones, to stop and watch in awe at the beauty in motion. During her dance she takes a glance at Naruto and can see the familiar markings around his eyes that he has entered sage mode.

"MEGA-MULTI-SHADOW-CLONE JUTSU." Naruto's shout was so loud Hinata wonders if it could be heard over most of the village as he uses his sage mode chakra to call upon hundreds of shadow clones of himself and Hinata. The shadow clones start to rain down snowballs upon the quickly over matched genin, till many of them were literally buried under a mound of icy missiles. The shadow clones quickly run out of snow in the area, so some of them run away and bring back armloads of more ammo from the tops of nearby houses and streets. A nearby security team comes to see what the shouting is about, but quickly decide that they want no part of a ninja snowball fight. The security force then goes in search of someplace warm to wait out the war unless innocent bystanders, foolish enough to get too close, are harmed.

It was finally over when Konohamaru holds up his scarf on a stick to signal his surrender. Naruto walks closer with a cheerful smile. "Nice trick with the ambush, and it would have worked had I not had a good partner backing me up." Naruto puts an arm around a blushing Hinata, and they walk off together as some of the clones hold up long icicles to form and arch for the victors to walk under together.

As they walk away Naruto starts to snicker, then chuckle, and before too long he begins to laugh so hard that it takes on a hysterical tone. Hinata at first was happy to hear his laughter, and even giggles along with him, but as he seems to lose control she begins to worry. Hinata pulls him into the nearby playground and gets him to sit down on a bench. By this time the laughter has turned to tears and he begins to cry openly, letting the tears fall like drops of rain on the frozen ground. The laughter seems to have finally cracked the dam he has built up over his heart, and now that he has allowed one emotion to seep through the cracks, the wall has broken and everything seems to be coming out in a torrent.

He has held in all his sadness and frustration for years, back to the time when Sasuke ran away. He has been too busy trying to get strong enough to save his friend and then save the village. Not really being able to take the time to truly grieve when Jiraiya's died and then trying to stop the Akatsuki, then the Fourth Shinobi War and then losing what he had fought the hardest to protect. Running away from those emotions and venting his frustration against an enemy had been much easier than thinking about all he had done and sacrificed, for nothing but a smile that said 'I'm sorry.' After all of the fights he had won and enemies he had defeated he finally found the one obstacle that he could not overcome no matter how hard he tried. It had left behind a wound deeper and greater than any kunai or jutsu. That one thing was the fickleness of a young girl's heart.

She had tried to talk to him once shortly after the war, but he knew those green eyes better than his own soul and he could see what she was about to say and knew his heart would not be able to bear the burden of her confession. He had just laughed and said he was busy on an errand and had avoided the subject till that fateful night. Afterwards he had gone away, and stayed away till Baa-chan had ordered him to come home. Not that she could have forced him to return, but he came anyways out of a sense of loyalty, to her or to the village he could not truthfully say.

Now he has nowhere to run and sits in his little apartment all alone, like some sort of caged animal in a zoo. Kurama might have even been able to sympathize with how trapped he is feeling these days, if they had been on talking terms. Unfortunately, after a particularly nasty argument the great Nine-Tailed Fox had gone deep within, and only offered chakra when his host's life was in peril. Kurama's silence has only help to deepen Naruto's feelings of loneliness.

Hinata holds Naruto as he finally lets out his emotions, and says nothing while her own heart aches to see the one she loves crying over the pain caused by someone he had cared about. She guides his head to her lap, where she gently strokes his hair like her mother had done to her when she was a small child. The motion must have been comforting to him as well, because shortly after she starts stroking his hair the sobbing stops and she can hear his breathing take on a much deeper rhythm. She increases her chakra flow and wraps her arms around the sleeping boy to keep him warm while he sleeps. She loses track of how long they have been sitting on the bench and has even begun to doze herself, when the sound of a loud bark wakes both of them up. They look over and see a large white dog standing there wagging its tail. A few moments later Kiba, holding hands with Ino, walks through the entrance of the playground to see what Akamaru has found. He and Ino have been dating for a few months now, and as their eyes lock with Hinata's and see the slowly awakening Naruto they just smile and walk away leaving Hinata alone with Naruto once more, Akamaru gives a happy sounding pant before chasing after Kiba.

Naruto sits up a little bleary-eyed and his face goes pink when he realizes where his head has just been. "Hinata I am sorry. I guess I have been training too hard lately and was exhausted. I am not normally like that so I hope you will forgive me for…"

She places a warm hand on his cheek to stop his rambling. "It's okay Naruto-kun. You have always been there when I needed a little extra help, and I am just glad to be here for you when you needed someone." She wants to wrap her arms around him and lend him what little strength she has to support him, but the fear of rejection holds her at bay.

Changing the subject, he looks about and feels the tug of a nearly forgotten memory. "It's funny us ending up here tonight. My only really happy memory of this time of year as a child was on this playground. It was the evening of the Solstice, all of the kids had gone home and it was snowing much like tonight. I remember sitting on the swing over there when a little girl wrapped up so tightly she could barely move sat on the swing beside me, and we did not say anything for a long time till she asked me if I would like to make a snow angel. I did not know what she was talking about, so she took me over to where the snow was undisturbed and she made an angel in the snow, and I was so amazed that I made one right beside hers. We didn't get to talk much more because her mother showed up to take her home. I knew that it was over and her mother would get worried and say something about her not playing with me, and that would be the end of my fun." He hung his head down at the memory, of so many times growing up being pushed to the side not knowing why he was being picked on by the adults and the other children.

"I started to walk away because I did not want to hear it again, but the little girl told her mother she made a friend today and the woman called me over. I was expecting to be yelled at or even physically attacked, but she was not like that, and to be honest you remind me a lot of that woman. She had a kind smile like yours Hinata and she reached into her shopping bag and gave me a box of candy and said…"

'Everyone deserves a gift this time of year.' They both said in unison.

Naruto looks at Hinata all confused. "How did you know what she said to me Hinata?"

"That was my mother Naruto-kun. When I was younger, I was so shy that the other kids would pick on me so my mother would bring me to the playground in the afternoons sometimes so that I could play in peace. That was the last Solstice before she died, my father took control of my daily upbringing afterwards and I was not allowed to go back to the playground since it took time away from my training."

Two of the mysteries of his childhood had been finally solved tonight because he had wondered for so many years what had happened to that little girl, and her mother, and why she had not kept her promise to come back and play again.

It had been years later when they attended the ninja academy that she had been able to talk with him again, and when he did not recognize her she was afraid he would be angry with her for not keeping her promise, so she did not remind him of who she was and had kept silent all these years.

"For just for one moment I thought I knew what it felt like to have a parent, and it wasn't until I went with pervy sage that I had that feeling again. It was nice to feel some kindness from a stranger for once in my life." He reaches out and gives the surprised girl a warm hug trying to hide the tears that were threatening to come back. "You know I always considered that little girl my first friend."

"He was the first person I ever thought of as a friend too. The little boy on the playground never made fun of me or said an unkind word." That is when she fell in love with him, but it was not till later as she got to know him and watch him from afar, that she realized how meeting him that day had affected her life. Hinata, pushes aside her fears and wraps her arms around the person she has loved for most of her life. He never played a trick on her like he had so many of their other classmates, and now at long last she was embraced in his arms. She let him hold her as long as she would, trying not to do anything that might cause him to want to let go and go away. She is afraid that if he leaves the village again that he might never return. It was this concern for him that gave her the strength to ignore her nearly overwhelming shyness.

He clears his throat and looks at her with a genuine smile that touches his eyes. "I have an idea." He stands up and points towards a patch of undisturbed snow. "We made a promise as kids that we would meet here again and make snow angels. I think that we should finally fulfill that promise we made, because it is my nindo to never go back on a promise."

Smiling, she walks over to where they had made angels as children and together they flop backwards into the snow, flapping their arms and legs back and forth spreading out the white powder to leave the image of an angel behind. Naruto helps her to carefully get up and she holds him tight as they look down at their handiwork, giggling like school children. She looks up into his blue eyes and without a single stutter asked, "Naruto-kun, let's make a promise that we will do this together every year. Will you do that for me; will you promise to be here next year and make another angel?" She knows if she could get him to make a solemn promise, that maybe she could pull him away from the edge, so that he can find the old Naruto she grew up admiring.

Looking down at her he feels something that he thought was gone, he cares, and he knows if he makes that promise to her that he would have to stop trying to get himself killed. To do that he would have to finally let go of the painful memory of what happened that night, and start acting more like an adult. 'That is what Baa-chan had meant when she said that I could never become Hokage until I learned to put everything else second to the needs of the village. She has suffered so much pain and loss in her life and she has put all that aside for the good of the village.'

Licking his suddenly dry lips he stares into Hinata's pale eyes and dares to take a chance. "Hinata, would you like to have ramen with me again tomorrow?"

She smiles, but it quickly goes away when she remembers what tomorrow night is and the prior commitment that she cannot miss. "I can't, we have a family dinner every year for the celebration and I have to be there since I have been officially named my father's heir." He smiles and says that it is okay, but she can see the pain behind that smile and nearly begins to cry. "I have an idea, Uzumaki Naruto as the next head of the Hyuga clan it would be an honor to have the hero of the Fourth Shinobi War as our guest, and it would bring dishonor to our clan if you were to decline my offer."

"But won't your father be upset if you bring an outsider to the family dinner?" The thoughts of upsetting the highly strict and easily angered Hyuga leader was something that Naruto, even at the most mischievous stage of his youth had not dared to attempt.

She smiles at seeing that there still was something that could make even him nervous. "Guests for dinner are allowed, and have happened from time to time when a dignitary from another country was visiting the village. It is seen as a great honor to be seated at the table of one of the Leaf Villages most influential families." She gives him a gentle poke in the chest to make sure he is paying attention. "Having you as our guest for dinner would also be seen as an honor, because I do not believe that you have given that honor to any other clan in the village." Hinata thinks that her father might enjoy rubbing that under a few noses at the next council meeting, if he is not too upset with Naruto's last minute invitation. 'Father doesn't like surprises, but hopefully he will make an exception for the village hero, I hope.'

"Okay, I would love to have dinner with you and your family." The thought of sitting around a table with a family and sharing a real meal was so foreign to him, which makes him feel a little nervous. Yet his inner child was filled with excitement to at long last know what it was really like to do something that to most people was a normal everyday occurrence.

Without realizing that they had been walking for quite a while, Naruto and Hinata are a little surprised when they look up and see the gates to the Hyuga compound coming into view. The guards give Naruto a long look, but say nothing as the two of them near the gates. One of guards opens the gate for Hinata, but before she steps through the threshold she walks back to Naruto. "I am glad you bumped into me today and I had a really good time tonight. I hope that those little genin will be alright." They both share a laugh at the thoughts of the young shinobi scattering like leaves in the wind. "I forgot to tell you something about tomorrow night's dinner. It is not required, but it is customary to bring a gift, not for everyone, but at least for the clan leader. It just so happens that father is allowing me to take over the leadership role for this year's festivities, so I hope you have something nice in mind. I already know what I plan on giving you tomorrow night." She gives him the lightest kiss on the cheek and quickly disappears behind the gate before he can protest.

Walking away, and not noticing the stares of the guards as he rubs the warm spot on his face, Naruto ponders on his new dilemma. "Present, she said present. I don't know anything about buying presents, especially for a girl."

The guard who had opened the gate looks over at him. "Uzumaki-san, you do know that her birthday is coming up soon as well, right? The party is not going to just be for the holiday, it is to celebrate her birthday as well."

Panic overtakes Naruto, and he runs away into the village hoping to find someplace still open this late where he can find a gift worthy of a clan heiress. "I have never bought a gift for anyone before, let alone a birthday present for a girl, what I am going to do?"

The other guard watches the fleeing boy and then looks over at the guard who had spoken to Naruto. "Why did you tell him about her birthday? Won't that just encourage him to come around more?"

The guard who had warned Naruto turns and looks at his fellow guard. "I made a promise to Neji before the war, that if anything happened to him that I would make sure Hyuga-sama was happy, especially if a certain boy was involved. All I am doing is keeping a promise to a fellow clan member so his spirit may be able to find some peace."

For the first time in a while Naruto's pain was forgotten and he is actually looking forward to seeing the sun rise on another day. Hopefully he can finally find some peace and move forward towards his ultimate goal of becoming Hokage.

A/N: I hope you liked the story.