^Hey everyone! So this is a story both me and TheWolf-RabbitDoubt are working on together. So I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing this!^

Chapter 1: A Birthday Gift

'Oh Naruto, why don't you recognize me as more than a friend? I've had a crush on you forever... why?' Hinata Hyuuga was again following Naruto Uzumaki. It was true. Ever since she had met him in the Academy, she had had a hard crush on the energetic, over-enthusiastic boy. She had always admired him for his courage, bravery, skill, everything she didn't have. She had also at one point pitied him for his loneliness, and she wanted to help him except she wasn't allowed to and she didn't have that bravery to disobey her cruel father.

She was standing just outside Ichiraku Ramen when she made her pursuit to attempt talking to Naruto. Of course, it had to be ruined by the person he was meeting up with to talk about training. Sakura Haruno was basically her opposite: calm, talkative, and all the other things guys like in a girl. She was a sweet girl indeed, but Hinata envied her because of her luck to be on Naruto's team since graduating the Academy.

"Hey, Hinata!" she shouted out to her when she saw that Hinata kept taking glimpses into the ramen shop. "What are you doing out here? It's nearly lunch! Hey, how 'bout you join Naruto and me for some ramen? We just have to talk about battle plans and such... fun stuff..." she stated in a very sarcastic tone.

"Oh! Um... I-I have to m-meet my father f-for... uh... extra training..."

"Oh ok. Well hope it goes well! See you later, Hinata!"

'That was the worse thing she could've done to me! She even made it obvious for my crush to know I was 'stalking' him. Oh, how am I ever going to explain this to Naruto...?' was all Hinata could think about when trying to run away and hide. 'Why does she embarrass herself so much? Especially around Naruto. It's nothing to talk to him... or at least, for him to talk to someone else.' But that curiosity did not continue to flow through the business-aimed girl's mind. She had to get down straight to the point so she could get out of this quickly.

"Hey, Sakura! How's it going?" the over-excited blond called out.

"Oh, fine I guess. But let's cut to the chase: what does Kakashi need us to do?"

"Oh uh, ggget to know each other better! I mean, like, he explained the better we know each other, the better we are acquainted to fight as comrades in a heated battle... if you get what I mean..."

"Oh for goodness sakes, Naruto! I thought this was urgent! I even got out of helping my family with chores and everything and you only wanted me to come so we could 'get to know each other!' PITIFUL! ABSOLUTELY PITIFUL, NARUTO! I'm out of here!"

"Uh, wait Sakura!" he called out, leaving his ramen to get cold. "I wanted to give you something!"

Sakura stopped in her tracks. "What could you ever have to give me?"

"Well... uh... I heard it was your birthday today so I... uh... got you this..." He handed her a small box in plain pink wrapping paper and a hot pink bow. Now this curiosity overwhelmed her as she couldn't guess what her teammate could have gotten her. And as it turned out to be, it was a cherry blossom hair pin. "When I first saw it," Naruto started narrating to Sakura, "I instantly thought of you. It's blooming season for them..."

"I know. I hang out with Ino," she rudely interrupted, still starring at the flower twirling in her fingers' grasp. "Oh, well anyhow, I thought of you not only blooming in skill, like you told me in the hospital you were going to get stronger, but... I've seen you bloom in beauty ever since the first day we talked, the first day we were assigned our squads."

Shocked, she turned her head to her present-giver and saw he was blushing a lot, in his position of one hand behind his head, just starring down at his feet while taking quick glances at her. She had to say; she was grateful, and altogether, quite shocked that he would go through with this. He definitely wasn't the most romantic, and she knew he had had a crush on her for a while, but this was beyond what she imagined.

"I...I don't know what to say..."

"Just a thank you would be nice," he said, still blushing at his feet. He never would have expected this, but she nearly jumped on him to give him a hug of thanks.

"Thank you, Naruto."

Sideline watching, Hinata's feelings toward Sakura only started to make her cry again. She wanted to be the one with Naruto. She wanted to be Naruto's lover. 'What did I do wrong?' She had to get her out of her way if she wanted her chance. But she was still too scared to say anything to him... "What are you doing back here?" A chill went down her spine as she felt cold breathing go down her neck. "I... I..." she didn't know how to respond. It sounded like her father, but how could she even be sure if it wasn't just Jiraiya or Shino or someone else? "You really need to stop stalking people like that. Getting caught twice for the same thing in the past, what, twenty minutes?"

"I-I didn't mean any harm..."

"Of course you didn't. You're Hinata Hyuuga. No one has seen you hurt a fly. You don't even fight, you injure. You seriously gotta start watching your back because people are going to attack you one day. Don't you have the all-powerful Byakugan? Start using it." She could hear him starting to walk away. He sounded wise. Maybe he could help her be stronger, unlike her family has previously done.

"Please, I-I know I'm weak but... d-do you t-think y-you could h-h-help me... uh... get stronger? I-I know it m-might be h-helpless b-but..."

"Nothing is helpless. First of all, you need to start off with confidence that you can do something, even the smallest of things. Meet me by the front gate at midnight and I'll help you learn to actually fight. Save your boy problems for later." And with that, his presence was gone. Hinata had tried activating her Byakugan in the middle of the conversation, but her vision was blurry and all she could see was a mist. 'Who could this guy be? Do I even know him?'