BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
The sound was sharp. Penetrating. Insistent. A mechanical buzz right in his ear.
BZZT. BZZT—
"Ugh... I'm coming... shut up..."
Naruto rolled over, fumbling for the source of the infernal noise. His hand hit something hard.
Wood. Cold.
He opened his eyes. One eye, really; the other refused to wake up.
He wasn't in his bed. Oh, right. He didn't have a bed anymore. Well, he did, but it wasn't his.
He was on the floor. The floor of his own apartment.
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
The sound was coming from the small, square alarm clock on the makeshift nightstand (an empty cardboard box) next to the bed. It was... five o'clock.
"Damn it! I'm up, I'm up!" he muttered, clumsily getting to his feet. Every vertebra seemed to creak in protest. "Five in the morning. Who invented five in the morning? It should be illegal. It should be... punished."
He rubbed his eyes.
Then, he smelled it.
It wasn't the usual smell of his apartment.
It was... fish? Grilled fish? And rice? And... something sweet?
Was he dreaming?
His stomach roared in response to the smell, a hollow, painful sound. "No. Not a dream. This is... torture."
He heard a soft sound. The low sizzle of something cooking in a pan. The almost silent clinking of ceramic. The quiet bubbling of rice cooking.
He moved with stealth, infiltrating his own home. He peeked around the edge of the small partition toward the kitchen.
And he saw her.
Hinata was there. Her back was to him.
She was already dressed, in a simple pale lavender long sleeve blouse and dark pants. She wore a small white apron tied at her waist.
She was deftly flipping small golden rolls in a square pan, checking the steam rising from a rice cooker with a wooden paddle, and at the same time, with her other hand, forming perfectly triangular rice balls on a clean cutting board.
She looked focused, but her movements had the slight slowness of recent sleep. The dim light from a small oil lamp he didn't remember seeing before (had she brought it?) illuminated her profile, the rising steam framing her pale face.
Naruto stood still, watching her for a moment.
"Whoa."
She looked... different.
He felt a strange pang in his chest. Guilt? Gratitude? It was... confusing. It was too early to feel confusing things.
He finally spoke. His voice came out low and hoarse from sleep.
"Hinata?"
She jumped so violently she almost dropped a perfectly formed onigiri. The spatula she was using to flip the eggs hit the edge of the pan with a clank.
"Ah! N...Naruto kun!"
She spun around quickly, a hand to her chest, her pale eyes wide with surprise. The stutter was back, triggered by the startle.
"G...good morning! I... I didn't mean to wake you. Really. I tried to be very... very quiet."
Naruto stood up fully, stretching with a loud back crack that made him groan. He approached the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, trying to look more awake than he felt.
"You didn't," he said, his voice still hoarse. "The smell did." He pointed at the pan. "It smells... amazing. What are you doing?"
He gestured to the dark window. "It's five in the morning. Not even the sun is working this hour. It's probably still asleep!"
Hinata looked down, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She spoke more slowly now, the initial stutter fading as she regained her composure.
"I... I remembered you had your training."
"My training?"
"With Temari san," she said. "At six. You... you mentioned it last night."
"Ah. Yeah." Naruto grimaced. "The morning execution. Or... combat. Or whatever she calls it. Don't remind me."
"And... well," Hinata continued, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her apron. "I thought... you would need to eat something first. For... for energy."
She looked up, her expression serious and worried. "The training sounds... intense. Temari san seems very strong. Very... determined."
Naruto looked at the food she was preparing. The perfectly triangular onigiri, some with a strip of nori, others plain. The golden, shining tamagoyaki rolls in the pan. The grilled fish cooling on a rack, looking delicious and smelling even better.
Then he looked at her face. He saw the sincerity in her pale eyes. The genuine concern.
"Whoa."
The word came out as a whisper.
"Hinata... you... you did all this." He gested at the food. "Now. This early. For me."
She blushed again, looking down. "I...I wanted to. It's... it's important that... that you're strong. So you... so you don't get hurt. So you're careful."
Naruto felt strangely moved. A warmth spread through his chest.
"Nobody."
Nobody, except maybe Iruka sensei a long, long time ago, had ever worried like this about his breakfast before... well, before anything.
"Wow," he repeated, his voice a little choked up. "Thanks, Hinata. Really. Thank you so much."
His stomach roared again, louder this time, in perfect sync with his words.
"It smells a thousand times better than my usual breakfast!" he said, trying to lighten the moment. His gaze landed on a perfectly formed onigiri. His hand moved on instinct.
"Again!"
A soft swat on his approaching hand.
Naruto pulled his hand back, surprised. "Hey?"
Hinata looked at him. The blush was still there, but there was a small smile on her lips. A shy smile, but a real one.
"N...not yet! It's almost ready. Give me... give me five more minutes."
She pointed to the clean table. "Sit. I'll make tea."
Naruto blinked. Did she just give him an order? And swat his hand?
He grinned. "Okay. Got it. I'll wait. But hurry up! My stomach is going to eat itself!"
He sat at the small table. It was spotless. It even had a small glass with the dried flowers he had smelled earlier. "Where did she get flowers?"
Hinata moved quickly and efficiently. She finished cooking the eggs, turned off the heat under the rice cooker, served the fish on a plate. She prepared two cups of steaming green tea.
She placed a plate in front of him.
Naruto stared at it.
"It was... beautiful."
Two perfect onigiri. Three golden tamagoyaki rolls, cut on a diagonal. A generous piece of grilled fish, the skin slightly crispy. And a few pale pink pickled vegetables he didn't recognize.
"It was... neat. Balanced. Pretty."
"Whoa," he said again. "This looks like... real food. Food that doesn't come in a plastic wrapper."
Hinata sat across from him with her own cup of tea. She had no plate. Just tea. She watched him nervously, her hands around the hot cup.
"I...I hope you like it." Her voice was barely a whisper.
Naruto picked up his chopsticks. He grabbed a big piece of fish. He hesitated for an instant. Then he shoved it into his mouth.
His eyes closed for a moment.
"Mmmmfff!"
The flavor was incredible. Salty. Sweet. Slightly smoky. Perfect.
He chewed quickly and swallowed.
"Delicious!" he exclaimed, talking with his mouth full. He grabbed an onigiri. It was perfect. The rice was warm, lightly salted, and had a small piece of umeboshi plum in the center. "Hinata, this is amazing! It's... it's... magic! Where did you learn to cook like this?"
Hinata blushed slightly, taking a sip of tea. "J...just... the basics. At the Hyuga compound... I sometimes helped in the kitchen. When... when Father wasn't training me."
The mention of her father briefly shadowed her face, but it vanished quickly.
"'Basics'?" Naruto grabbed an egg roll. It was lightly sweet, fluffy, perfect. "This isn't basic! This is Kage level! Ramen God level! It's way, way, way better than the dry, sad onigiri Shizune chan gave me!"
Hinata let out a soft giggle. "Shizune san is very busy. And... probably worried about you."
"And don't even get me started on Tsunade sama's pill!" Naruto continued, ignoring the defense of Shizune. "This is a Daimyō's feast! A banquet!"
Hinata smiled shyly, clearly pleased by his exaggerated compliments. She took another sip of tea. "I'm glad you like it, Naruto kun."
Naruto kept devouring the food with his usual speed, but this time, there was a genuine appreciation in every bite. It wasn't just fuel. It was... good. Really good.
"How did you make the egg like this?" he asked, pointing to the last tamagoyaki roll on his plate. "It's... sweet! And it's rolled! It's... egg magic!"
Hinata explained quietly. "I...it's called tamagoyaki. Y...you just need... well, eggs, a little sugar, mirin, soy sauce... and a special square pan. To... to roll it."
"I need one of those pans!" Naruto declared. "A magic egg pan! I could make... orange omelets! Ramen flavored!"
Hinata smiled at the idea. The image of Naruto trying to use the delicate square pan was... comical. "Maybe."
Naruto finished his plate in what seemed like record time, even for him. He put his chopsticks down with a satisfied clack and slapped the table with his palm.
"That was delicious! Absolutely delicious! Thanks, Hinata! You're the best!"
He stood up, feeling full. Energized. "I feel... invincible! I could fight a hundred Temaris! I'm ready to kick her ass!"
Hinata's smile faltered instantly. The worry returned to her eyes. "P...please be careful, Naruto kun. She's... a Jōnin. And... and she uses wind..."
Naruto saw her concern. He felt bad for his bravado. "I will! Don't worry! It'll just be a training match! To... to assess my skills! And... and for her to see how great I am!"
He tried to give her a confident grin.
"Now!" he said, changing the subject before she could worry more. "Time to prep the bento for battle!"
He headed to the kitchen with renewed enthusiasm. "The warrior's lunch! Full of... fish! And... broccoli!"
Hinata backed up a bit, standing up nervously as she saw him approach the bento prep area with such chaotic energy.
"H...help me?" she stammered. "T...that's not necessary, Naruto kun, I'm almost done... I was just waiting for you to finish eating."
"Of course it's necessary!" he said, puffing out his chest. "I'm a committed man! Responsible! The husband helps! It's... it's...!"
He searched for an impressive word he'd heard Asuma use once. "...domestic teamwork!"
Hinata blinked. "D...domestic teamwork?"
"Exactly! Cooperation! You cook amazing, and I... I cut things! And... and I put them in the box! It's perfect!"
He pointed at the cutting board where half a carrot remained. "Now, step aside! I'll handle the vegetables! I'll cut them... tactically! With ninja precision!"
He grabbed a kitchen knife. It was big. Too big for the carrot.
Hinata looked at him with growing panic. "N...Naruto kun, that knife is for... for meat..."
"Nonsense! A ninja can use any tool!" He gripped the knife. "Observe! Ultimate Uzumaki Quick Cut Style!"
He started cutting the carrot. Or rather, attacking it.
The cuts were wild. Uneven. Some pieces were huge and clumsy. Others were paper thin, almost transparent.
"Again!"
A triangular piece of carrot went flying through the air.
It hit Hinata gently on the forehead and fell to the floor with a plink.
"Ow!" she yelped, putting a hand to her forehead.
Naruto stopped. The knife hung in mid air. He looked at the piece of carrot on the floor. He looked at the red mark starting to form on Hinata's forehead.
"Oh, no!"
Horror filled his face. He dropped the knife, which luckily landed flat on the board.
"Hinata! Are you okay? I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! That carrot... it was rebellious! It had... murderous intentions! I swear!"
He rushed toward her, waving his hands.
Hinata rubbed her forehead, but she was smiling faintly. The red mark was barely visible. "I...I'm fine, Naruto kun. It... it didn't hurt. J...just... be careful. Please."
"I will! I promise! Extreme caution!" he said, feeling terrible. "Okay! Plan B! The tamagoyaki! You said it was easy! Just eggs and sugar!"
He moved toward the special square pan Hinata had used and left on the small stove.
"I'll make an orange one! To match my jacket!"
Hinata stepped forward, her voice filled with nervous urgency. "W...wait, Naruto kun, the pan is still a little hot and you need to beat the eggs first in a bowl with the sugar and soy sauce and mirin..."
"I got it! Trust me! I saw you do it!" he said, full of completely unjustified confidence.
He grabbed an egg from the small basket Hinata had brought. He hit it against the rim of the hot pan.
CRACK! SIZZLE!
The egg splattered directly into the still hot pan. The white sizzled violently, turning white instantly. The yolk broke.
"Oops!" said Naruto. "Okay! Rookie mistake! More eggs!"
He grabbed two more eggs and cracked them enthusiastically into the pan. Bits of shell fell into the bubbling mixture.
"Perfect! Now... orange!" He looked around frantically. What was orange? He saw a bright red pepper on the cutting board. "Almost orange! Close enough!"
He grabbed the pepper, chopped it awkwardly with the giant knife (leaving huge, uneven chunks) and threw them into the pan on top of the eggs that were starting to cook.
The mixture began to smoke almost immediately. An acrid smell of burnt egg and raw pepper filled the small kitchen.
Hinata started to cough softly from the smoke, fanning the air in front of her face. "N...Naruto kun... I think... it's burning a little. Or... a lot."
"No!" Naruto said, waving the smoke away, his eyes watering a bit. "It's... it's the special 'roasting'! Suna style! It adds flavor! A... smoky flavor!"
He grabbed some long chopsticks. "Now to roll it! Like you!"
He tried to get the chopsticks under the burnt mass to start rolling it.
It broke.
It disintegrated into black, yellow, and red pieces. Bits of eggshell were exposed.
Naruto stared at the charred, multicolored disaster in the pan. The smoke stung his eyes. He coughed.
"OKAY."
Hinata looked at him. "Okay?"
Naruto dropped the chopsticks with a resigned clatter. "Maybe... maybe domestic teamwork... isn't my thing." He let out a long, defeated sigh. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I wanted to help. I really did."
Hinata moved closer. Calmly, she turned off the flame under the smoking pan. She put a gentle hand on his arm. Her touch was light, but reassuring.
"It's okay, Naruto kun."
He looked at her. There was an amused smile on her lips. She wasn't mocking him. She was... amused.
"I really appreciate... the intention. It was... very brave to try. The... the tactical carrot cutting was... memorable."
Naruto looked at her. Her laugh was pretty. "Really?"
"Yes," she said. "But maybe... for the 'teamwork'... why don't you just sit... there?" She pointed to the chair. "And... watch me finish the bento? Your... your moral support is very helpful. And... less dangerous for the vegetables."
Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his neck, feeling relieved and a little silly. "Yeah! I'm great at that! Moral support and tactical observation! I'm the best at it! I'll do it!"
He sat back down in the chair, watching her as she, with calm and unflappable efficiency, began to prepare a new tamagoyaki (completely ignoring the burnt pan for now, a failed science experiment she would clean up later).
Naruto watched her work. Her hands moved with a grace and precision he had never noticed before. It was... hypnotic. Meticulous, she placed each piece of food in the two tier bento box as if she were arranging flowers.
She was an artist.
"Whoa. I would have just jammed it all in and hoped it didn't mix."
"Hey," he said, breaking the focused silence. "What's that green stuff?" He pointed to small green florets she was placing next to the fish.
Hinata didn't look up. "Steamed broccoli." Her voice was quiet now, focused. "It's good for... stamina. And it has vitamins."
"Broccoli?" Naruto made a face. "Seriously? You didn't have any... octopus shaped sausages?"
Hinata looked up, a look of pure confusion on her face. "Octopus... shaped... sausages?"
"Yeah!" he said, perking up.
"I can... I can try to learn how to make them. If you want. I can... look up the recipe."
Naruto looked at her, surprised by the offer. "Really? You'd do that?"
"Yes," she said simply. She went back to packing the bento, placing the broccoli carefully.
Naruto watched her in silence for a moment. He felt that strange warmth again.
Hinata closed the lid of the bento box. It was a large, black lacquered, two tier box. There was clearly a lot of food inside. She wrapped it expertly in a pale blue cloth (furoshiki) with a wave pattern.
"Whoa, that's huge!" Naruto said, regaining his enthusiasm. "I'm definitely going to need all that energy to not die against Temari!"
Hinata looked up. She was still a little sleepy, but there was a small, sly smile playing on her lips.
"I made a little extra."
"Extra?" Naruto's eyes lit up. "For me? Awesome! Lunch and dinner! I'll survive bankruptcy!"
"Not exactly," she said. She hesitated an instant, as if unsure whether she should say it. "I thought... well... maybe... you'd want to share."
Naruto froze. He stared at her. "Share?"
He repeated the word, completely incredulous.
"Share... my... lunch?"
"Well... our lunch," she corrected gently.
"With who?" he asked, genuinely confused. "With the ANBU squirrel in the courtyard? With the rat thing in the basement?"
Hinata let out a soft giggle. "No. With... with Temari san."
Naruto stared at her. Jaw dropped.
"Share... with Temari?" His voice was an incredulous squeak. "The scary boss lady? The one who's going to beat me up at six in the morning?"
"Well... yes." Hinata shrugged shyly, avoiding his gaze. "I thought... training is hard. For both of you. Right? And... she works hard. Like you. Late."
She looked up, her eyes serious. "Maybe... a kind gesture... would help. With... with the working relationship."
Naruto looked at her, astonished. He didn't expect that. At all. He thought Hinata would be afraid of Temari. Or resentful. Or just ignore her.
But she... she was being thoughtful. Of Temari.
"Wow, Hinata." His voice was soft. "That's... incredibly kind of you."
She blushed.
Naruto smiled. A wide, genuine smile, full of a new and growing admiration for the girl sitting across from him.
"You're amazing, Hinata. Thanks."
She blushed even more, but she smiled back at him.
Naruto looked at the clock on the wall (another new object he didn't remember). It was almost five forty five.
"Crap! I'm late!"
He jumped to his feet. He grabbed the carefully wrapped bento.
He ran to the door.
"Well... I'm off." He stopped, hand on the knob.
Hinata stood up too, walking toward him. The worry was back in her eyes. "Please be really careful, Naruto kun. Really."
"I will!" he said, trying to sound confident, though her worry was contagious. "I'm strong! I'm tough! And I ate broccoli!"
He gave her a reassuring grin. "Wish me luck. I'll try not to die! Or at least, not too much! I've got work to do!"
Hinata looked at him. Her pale eyes widened with genuine alarm. She took a step toward him.
"D...don't say that! It's not funny! Naruto kun, don't joke about that!"
Her voice trembled.
"Promise me," she said, her voice barely a whisper, "promise me you'll be careful. That... that you'll come back."
Naruto looked at her. He saw the real fear in her eyes. He felt bad for joking. Really bad.
"Hey." His own voice softened. "It's okay."
He took a step toward her, closing the small distance between them. He hesitated an instant. The atmosphere in the small entryway changed. It became... intimate. The genuine concern in her eyes, the way she worried about him, about his breakfast, about his safety, even about his opponent... It was overwhelming.
The impulse hit him. Hard. Unexpected.
Before his brain could process it, before he could think about Hiashi, about Hanabi, about the rules, about the fake nature of it all... he leaned in.
It was fast. Awkward. He almost missed.
His lips brushed her cheek. It was more of a graze, a huff of warm breath against her cold skin, than a real kiss.
It lasted a fraction of a second.
Naruto pulled back abruptly, startled. His face was on fire. Red. Uzumaki red. He was as surprised by his own act as she probably was.
"I'LL BE BACK!" he yelled, his voice an octave higher than normal. "I PROMISE! ON RAMEN! BYE!"
He yanked the door open and sprinted out of the apartment, slamming it shut behind him.
He ran down the hall, letting out the air he didn't know he was holding in a whoosh.
"What did I just do?!"
His heart was pounding against his ribs.
"I kissed her! Well, almost!"
He put a hand to his lips.
"In front of Mr. Ukki! If he were alive to see it!"
A stupid grin spread across his face.
"I'm an idiot!"
"But... it felt... good."
Inside the apartment, Hinata stood frozen. Motionless in place. The closed door still vibrated slightly from the slam.
Slowly, very slowly, she raised a trembling hand to her cheek. Right where his lips had brushed her skin.
She felt a heat. A heat that had nothing to do with the stove or the tea. A heat that spread from that spot, across her entire face, down her neck, to her chest.
An intense blush, the deepest she had ever had, stained her skin a vibrant red, from her collarbone to the roots of her dark hair.
Her lips parted in a silent, shaky breath.
And then, a small, radiant, absolutely stunning smile slowly formed on her lips as she stared at the closed door.