Author's Note: Aaand we've come to the end! I'm happy to finally wrap this fun little story up and eager to get on to finishing my others. I hope you've enjoyed and laughed along with the story as much as I did while writing it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Epilogue

It had taken a few weeks to settle the rumors that had spread before and after the large confrontation at the restaurant. The Konoha rumor-mill was especially active now that there was no longer a constant threat of war from one of the other major nations. It was unfortunate, therefore, that the absence of important political gossip allowed for a rise in gossip surrounding scandal - real or imagined.

Naruto's shouting to the entirety of the restaurant that Sasuke and Hinata were sleeping together did not help matters. It had come from the mouth of the savior of the shinobi world himself! Who was now apparently dating the woman in question. Which made more tongues wag and more whispers spread.

Luckily they had Ino, queen of Konoha gossip, to help spread the truth. Or, at least try.

Naruto announced to the Hyuga head that he was now dating his daughter. And Hinata had to explain - with so much blushing and stuttering she might as well have been a six-year old again - that she had not been sleeping with Sasuke, was now seeing Naruto, and had no plans of causing any scandal of any kind for the rest of her life. Her equally mortified father had kindly taken on the task of reassuring the Hyuga elders that there was not, in fact, a possible paternity scandal on the horizon and informing them of the approved new relationship between his daughter and the future Hokage.

Kiba and Shino stopped avoiding Hinata, now aware that she was not doing anything unspeakable with the last Uchiha, and apologized to her for not verifying before reacting - no matter the source - and for how they had subsequently reacted. Hinata instantly forgave them, but would never stop teasing Kiba for his disbelief when she had announced that she and Sasuke were friends. He had already thought for months that they'd been sleeping together! Was a friendship somehow less likely than that?!

Sakura and Ino admitted to Hinata why they had been there that evening in the neighboring booth. Hinata had teared up, telling Sakura that she would never do that to her and had never stopped loving Naruto, though she had given up on the idea of them ever being together romantically. She explained what had happened that night out, why she had ended up at Sasuke's, and everything that had led to Naruto's misunderstanding.

Hinata and Sasuke remained friends, though they abstained from one on one outings for a while until the rumors had sufficiently died down. In fact, it became a tradition to have Naruto and Sakura over when Hinata and Sasuke cooked together. She secretly enjoyed watching Sasuke get flustered when Sakura was especially complimentary about an aspect of the meal that he had prepared. It was almost like their dinners were double dates, though the stubborn Uchiha still refused to admit his feelings out loud to his female teammate. Hinata wasn't worried, though. She knew that the pink haired medic was becoming aware of Sasuke's feelings, however emotionally constipated he would remain.

On the evening of the now infamous confrontation, Naruto had convinced Shino and Kiba to let him walk Hinata home. Her teammates had been understandably hesitant to hand over their still reeling friend, but had acquiesced when they recognized the true feelings showing through his eyes. They cared for Hinata deeply, but they were not her keepers, nor would they want to stand in the way of something they knew she'd been wanting for most of her life.

Naruto had settled the tab - the restaurant not charging for the majority of the meal because they felt somewhat responsible for allowing the situation to happen in their dining room in the first place - and scooped Hinata into his arms before jumping onto the roofs and as far from prying eyes as he could get in a short amount of time.

Upon setting her down, he scratched the back of his head and looked sheepishly at her.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata," he said. "It's all my fault! If I hadn't taken what you said the wrong way then - "

She silenced him with just a touch.

"It's not your fault," she countered, shaking her head. "I can see why you might have gotten that impression. And apparently there were rumors before that. I hadn't realized how things might look and how everyone would talk."

"Still, I'm the one who told Kiba and Shino. At the time I hoped they might talk you out of it. But that's kinda bad too because really I should have respected your choice. Or, what I thought was your choice. I dunno, it's all kind of confusing."

Hinata smiled at him. "I appreciate that," she said. "I'm sorry if you've been hurting because of e-everything."

He had sounded so nervous and so sincere earlier. If he felt like he said he did, then he'd probably been having a hard time thinking she was with his best friend. Even if it was a misunderstanding, the heartache was real.

"Yeah," Naruto half smiled, "I felt kinda shitty thinking I was in love with my best friend's girl. I mean, who does that?"

Love. He'd said it again. She bit her lip in an attempt to keep from crying, but her eyes filled with tears anyway.

"You might not be with Sasuke, but I'm still kinda late. Even if you don't still feel the same, I'd like it if you would give me a chance."

"Naruto," Hinata choked, fat tears now falling from her moon-like eyes. "Of course I still feel the same. Even after I told myself you would never love me, I couldn't stop myself from loving you. It's a part of me. You're a part of me."

He'd started to panic when he saw her cry, but her words and smile removed any worry that she was upset. Naruto wasn't well versed in romance. His teacher had been a pervert so he'd just dismissed all his advice as gross and focused on getting stronger. He didn't know what he was supposed to do in this situation. So he did what he was best at - he acted on instinct.

Naruto pulled Hinata to himself and wrapped his arms around her. He laid his chin on her head as she cried with joy and clung to his shirt. After a while, her tears had calmed.

"Hinata?"

She nodded her head, threading her arms around his torso and burying her face as far into his chest as possible out of embarrassment. In all her dreams of Naruto confessing his love, her response hadn't been to cry until his clothes were drenched. But after everything that had happened that night - the confusion, the insecurity, the mortification, etc. - the overwhelming joy that washed over her at his declaration of love had opened the floodgates.

Naruto smiled softly, guessing her train of thought. He leaned back a bit and maneuvered his hand beneath her chin, gently lifting her head so that he could see her face. Her cheeks and nose were red, and her eyes a bit glassy, but he had never felt so happy to just gaze at someone. He groaned internally at how lovesick he felt, though he didn't regret it. Not at all.

"So, you're not with Sasuke," he said.

Hinata shook her head.

"And you still love me?" he asked.

She nodded.

"And I love you," he added, smirking a bit when her cheeks flushed darker at the declaration.

"I'm not really familiar with all of this, so you might have to teach me things sometimes. But I'll be the best student ever! Believe it!"

At the sound of his catchphrase, Hinata couldn't help but break into giggles.

Naruto was so excited and nervous he felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. When Hinata clenched her fist and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, he almost stopped breathing. Unfortunately (or rather conveniently), Hinata also almost stopped breathing at her daring to touch her lips to his face and he had to wrap his arms around her to steady her. He was a little worried about the fallout from all this and a little more worried about the girl who was trembling in his arms and how she was faring after the craziness of the evening, but as she brought her arms slowly and shyly around his torso he knew things would work out for the best. Believe it!