The Fox and the Rabbit

Mission 1) The Simplest Reason

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"The simplest reason why can often be the best explanation."

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He was always strong, he was always brave, and he might have been just a little stupid.

But she loved it when he acted like that. He loved to show off, to spin the threads of his journeys and fights, accentuated with the occasional sound-effect. She would giggle and blush as he did, watching his overblown gestures and mile-wide grin.

"You should have seen it, Hinata! I gave him a left--and a right--and then hit him with my shuriken! It was so awesome!"

And she would laugh and say, "I b-bet it was!"

She didn't care if everyone else hated him.

She didn't care if the crowds would glare poison daggers at him and she didn't care when they all wondered why the princess of the Hyuga clan was hanging out with this loser.

Because she loved him.

She loved his odd habits, his cute pouts, and his live-and-let attitude. She loved how he treated her as a friend. She loved how he would give anything to protect those he loved and do it with style.

And it was as simple as that. She loved every little thing that Naruto Uzumaki did, and would continue to love him, even if he never acknowledged her.

Of course when he did…she figured she would love him even more.

--FIN--