Just a Little Nudge in the Right Direction…

NaruHina

We had camped out for the night as we headed back to Konoha after our recent Anbu mission. Our four man cell other than myself included Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruto.

I wasn't too pleased with this but Tenten had been called home at the last minute for a family emergency and Naruto had been the only other Anbu level ninja not out on a mission and available. And Anbu always worked in squads of four, so we were stuck with him.

This pissed me off because Naruto still followed me around and harassed me to go out on dates with him just as he had when we were genin's on team 7. While I had gotten over Sasuke after his defection, Naruto though persisted asking me out on dates even though Hinata had been stalking him for several years now.

I was pissed off with her too, because with Naruto on the mission she got nervous and we couldn't even have a decent conversation about the mission without her stuttering. And she screwed up a lot whenever she saw him looking at her. Hinata almost never screwed up, but on this mission it had happened a lot since we had them paired to work together hoping that Naruto would finally notice her.

But he was still as dense as a brick wall and I felt like tearing my own hair out, well, tearing his hair out.

"Naruto…" Ino called as I readied myself to rip his scalp off. He darted away apparently realizing his dangerous situation. "Naruto, I need you to go check on Hinata while Sakura and I go and check the perimeter, can you do that?" She asked seriously as if this were a life or death situation, Naruto just nodded excitedly and took off toward the river.

"Ino what are you doing? Hinata is going to freak out, she's over there washing up." I said to emphasize that she wasn't over near the river to get some water.

"Sh, forehead I have a plan." I just looked at her skeptically, all her hair-brained idea's started off with 'forehead I have a plan.' And most of them were completely screwy.

"What is it this time Ino-pig?" I asked in a flat voice.

"Well, first step is to get Naruto over to where Hinata is practically naked, at which point he'll realize what a sexy body she's got and then Hinata will faint and Naruto will jump into the river to save her from drowning." She then held up two fingers. "Second step is that he's going to bring her back her to the campsite which will be vacated because we will supposedly be checking the perimeter. And Naruto will have to stay with her and if all goes well, keep her warm while we're gone. I know he wouldn't just leave her passed out there if he thinks there's some sort of threat, especially if she's half naked at the time." Ino grinned gleefully before continuing. "Then part three is where you an I come in, you watch my body while I perform the mind body switch and have them talk to each other, mostly Hinata since she'd never say a word otherwise."

I grinned, I was starting to like this plan, screwy or not. "Come on lets go see how its going." I giggled and we sped stealthily after Naruto.

I leaped through the tree's heading in the last directing that I'd seen Hinata go, she couldn't be far. As her partner on this mission it was my responsibility to make sure she was alright, Ino hadn't said anything but if she was checking the perimeter that meant that something was up. I wouldn't have to worry about them though, Sakura was strong and Ino was pretty capable. But Hinata was alone, and if she was ambushed… No, I shook my head, Hinata had the Byakugan she was a Hyuuga and could see practically everything. But still I was worried, I didn't understand why, I knew that Hinata could handle herself.

I jumped out of the trees, my fox inherited abilities able to smell Hinata nearby. I looked around and headed toward the river where I could smell her.

She stood in the middle of the river humming to herself as she ran a soapy cloth over her body. Her figure visible from the hips up. I saw the smooth swell of her hips as it tapered into her narrow waist and then back out again for her full breasts. I tried to swallow as I watched her, I told myself to call out to her. But my mouth was suddenly dry and I could barely breathe let alone speak especially when she dipped the cloth beneath the surface and washed herself between her legs.

My pants were suddenly very tight, and the night which had been cool was suddenly much too hot. I nearly had a heart attack when she pulled the cloth back up and lathered up her breasts grasping them firmly and rubbing the cloth over them much more than I thought was necessary.

Hinata suddenly stilled and looked up in horror, finally sensing my presence. She dropped the cloth and her mouth dropped open, it opened and closed a couple of times as redness swelled over her features, her entire body in fact until she was as red as a tomato. Then her eyes fluttered shut and she fell face first forward into the river.

"Ack! Hinata!" I yelled finally able to move and speak I ran forward into the water and grabbed her sinking form. I snatched her out of the water and shook her a bit as she sputtered and coughed up water. She looked up at me and then down at herself once more before promptly fainting again.

"Augh! Hinata, are you all right? Hinata!" I shook her some more but she didn't wake up. 'I gotta get her back to camp Sakura will know what to do…'

We watched as first Naruto practically came in his pants watching Hinata in the river and then as he splashed in to save her, we looked at each other and grinned. We hadn't really counted on her being naked but it worked out well as she passed out again and he ran through the woods back to camp calling for Sakura.

We followed discreetly, which wasn't hard with all the noise Naruto was making. Though I didn't blame him, there was a naked unconscious girl in his arms.

He got back to camp and shouted for Sakura but we hid in the bushes ignoring him as he wrapped Hinata's shivering form in one of his blankets. He finally gave up and built a small fire and moved Hinata closer to it before stripping off his own soaked clothing. When he was down to his boxers he rubbed his arms nervously and looked down at the girl in front of him that was still shivering, then he crawled under the blanket with her spooning her from behind.

Sakura and I would have high-fived each other at that moment except that we would have been caught and dragged out of the bushes by a half-naked Naruto.

So instead we grinned at each other and jumped into a tree nearby while doing a little victory dance. This was working out even better than I'd planned!

"Ok Sakura, I'm going to do the mind body switch on Hinata now, make sure I don't fall out of the tree." I whispered, she just nodded with that ecstatic look on her face. I performed the hand seals aiming directly at the couple and thinking of Hinata, it didn't really matter that they were so close together so long as I knew which mind I wanted to enter and they were directly in my line of sight.

Hinata stirred as I sighed and shifted behind her making a small moaning sound as if she were in pain.

"You alright, Hinata-chan?" In response she gave a small squeak and jumped a little bit away from me.

"Na-Naruto-kun? W-what's going on?" She looked confused and shivering some more.

"Here lean back against me, let me wrap my arms around you and you'll be warmer." I said shifting so that my left arm rested under her head and my right wrapped around her waist and pulled her back closer to my chest so that we could share body heat. She gave another startled squeak and then relaxed.

"N-Naruto-kun, wh-where are my c-clo-clothes?" She asked her voice a bit higher now, she sounded worried.

"Uh, sorry about that but I guess I left them back at the river in my hurry to get you back here to camp." I let out a nervous laugh and ducked my head behind her neck so that she wouldn't hit me. "If you want I can go back and get them, or if you have any extras in your pack I can grab some for you." I suggested when I realized she wasn't going to hit me.

"N-No, please d-don't leave me a-alone here n-n-naked!" She stuttered out emphatically shaking her head and grabbing my arms so that I couldn't go anywhere or maybe just so that I couldn't try anything perverted with my hands.

"Well what about from your bag? Do you have anything you want from that?" I asked trying to pull back again.

"N-no, their all d-dirty, th-that's why I w-was down at th-the river wa-washing. I t-took m-my bag th-there w-with me." She blushed crimson as she finished.

"Well you're cold, is there anything else I can do maybe if we get closer to the fire…"

"Na-Naruto-kun, you- you're very warm…" She said and then passed out again.

We stared as Hinata held a conversation with Naruto naked under that blanket, Ino had never even gotten to initiate her Shintensen no jutsu and I was shocked and yet very pleased.

We watched in stupefaction as Naruto wrapped her in his arms pulling her even closer to him. I thanked the fact that we were anbu and could read lips otherwise I'd have never known what they were saying. They looked very snug under that little blanket.

Ino looked pleased but a little disappointed at the same time. Then her expression brightened a few minutes later as Hinata began rousing once again.

"Alright, round two, I'll try Naruto this time!" She whispered. "Success will be ours!" Then we giggled as she again formed the seals.

I squirmed a bit waking to the delicious warmth surrounding me all over. I opened my eyes remembering what had happened and the things that I'd said, I blushed again squirming a little bit further away from the hard muscled body behind me.

"N-Naruto-kun, I sh-should get up." I said finally gathering my courage enough to speak.

"Do you really want to?" He asked in reply, that deep voice of his startling me with his words and the seductive lilt in his voice. "You did just tell me that I was warm and you don't really have any other clothes to put on right now, when Sakura and Ino get back one of us can go get your stuff from the river…" His voice trailed off. There was that casual mention of Sakura again. Oh, how I wished that I could be her! Her confidence and strength and especially Naruto-kun with his gaze directed at her.

"Na-Naruto-kun, why d-do yo-you like S-Sakura-san?" I forced myself to ask squeezing my eyes closed and expecting to hear all the attributes that I had just thought about.

"Oh, Sakura-chan? Because she's my teammate." He replied without any hesitation. "She's family." I was surprised by that next comment.

"B-but are-aren't you in l-lo-love w-with her?" I squeaked out. My heart beat even faster and I had to remind myself to take slow deep breaths so that I wouldn't faint again.

"Well, don't tell Sakura-chan, but Sakura's like a sister to me. I do love her, but not like that." I could practically feel his frown against my shoulder.

"T-then why do…do you al-always ask h-her out o-on dates?" I asked slightly confused.

"Well, that's a little complicated. See she's had a crush on Sasuke-teme ever since we were kids, and it's been years since, you know, he left the village. I just thought that if I bugged her enough about dating me she would realize that she didn't love Sasuke and would at least give someone in the village a chance." He shrugged behind me his arm sliding up and down my waist with the movement causing heat to rise up in my face again.

"B-but how would you b-bugging her get her to re-realize she d-doesn't l-love him?" I asked still as confused as ever.

"Well, I dunno really. I just know that she ignores me and I don't like it so I try to get her attention. And she doesn't pay attention to me unless she's angry at me."

"W-well, she usually ignores y-you because sh-she thinks that you are g-going to ask her o-out again." I said stumbling over my words, as I remembered what Sakura had said a couple weeks ago when she was running away from Naruto.

"Ah, then maybe I should stop that…" He said letting his voice trail off as if he were thinking. I wanted so badly right then to just turn around and face him, but I knew I couldn't. I would only pass out again. I wished that I could say something, that Naruto would look my way for once the way I looked at him, in admiration, respect, and love. My thoughts were choked off as Naruto slid his face into the curve of my neck and shoulder.

"You know, I don't know if this is right but I just get the feeling that you want to say something." His face was buried in my hair and his voice was just a husky whisper that filled my ear. I froze as a thousand words seemed to flow through my mind and crash into each other.

"I-" I swallowed trying to get rid of the lump in my throat and tried again. "Nar-Naruto-kun I…I lo-…I love you." I whispered finally amazed that the words finally made it past my lips, and even more amazed that I hadn't fainted.

"Thank you, Hinata." He said squeezing me tighter to his waist and burying his face in the back of my neck and my long hair. I could feel his body shaking and hear his constant whispered words of, "Thank you."

It was startling to realize that the strong man at my back was crying, such a vulnerable thing to do. Something that I'd never seen him do, but was used to doing many times myself. And somehow that gave me the courage to move, to turn toward him and pull him to me in a tight embrace not caring that his face was pillowed on my exposed breasts or that his tears were running down them. I just held him my arms wrapped lovingly around him stroking his hair and his back. I lay there feeling like the happiest and luckiest woman in the world.

I stared at the couple down there as Ino finally roused from her technique.

"What happened?" She asked drowsily one of her hands coming to her head as if she had a headache.

"What do you mean? That wasn't you?" I asked incredulous as I pointed to the crying couple that had just shifted to tender kisses.

"I missed." Ino said sheepishly, ducking her head and staring wide-eyed at our two teammates.

"So you mean to tell me that he only asks me out because of some screwed up plan to get me to date!?" I whispered in a high pitched voice. Ino looked at me trying to shush me so we weren't spotted. I looked back over at the two beside the campfire, they were groping each other now, Hinata's hands were on his chest and Naruto looked like he was grabbing her ass.

"Uh-oh, I don't know about you but maybe we should break this up…" I whispered, still thinking about what Naruto had said about me not really loving Sasuke and giving other guys in the village a chance. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that his dumb plan had actually worked! I had realized long ago that Naruto was like a brother to me and that Sasuke was in the same category, two very troublesome brothers. I had just never told Naruto and since nobody asked me out on dates anymore other than Naruto I hadn't gotten into any relationships of that nature. 'Well I guess I'll have to go home and ask somebody out on a date or something.'

"No way, if we break this up now we'll never get another chance like this!" She hissed her eyes never leaving the couple down below.

"Oh, you little voyeur! Have you been hanging out with Kakashi and Jiraya?" I accused, but still I couldn't take my eyes off of the two, as Naruto moved his lips down to Hinata's breasts and she arched underneath him in pleasure…Naruto must've learned a lot from Jiraya while he was away…I thought perversely not wanting to look but almost having to.

"Come on Ino we should give them some privacy, and we should go get Hinata's bag before wild animals tear it to ribbons." I suggested pulling on her sleeve.

"Yeah, sure." She said in a daze and I chanced a look back to see Hinata's hand sneak down to caress him atop his boxers. I tore my gaze away as Naruto groaned in pleasure and dragged Ino out of the tree behind me running full tilt away from the romantic scene behind us.