• As the darkness covered Konoha with a blanket of purple and blue, silence fell over the sleepy village. The nights had become cooler as fall started to approach with its chilly grasp.

    All the villagers were in their cozy homes, settling in for the night except for two Shinobis. A young boy with dark brown hair and red marks on his face was walking alongside a girl whose hair dark as the night sky and skin as pale as the moon.

    They had gone on these walks before, but each walk was special in its own way. "Kiba-kun...isn't tonight a beautiful night?" the dark haired girl asked.

    "It's even better with you, Hinata." Kiba put his hand over his face; a red tone started to cover his face.

    Putting her hand to her mouth, Hinata giggled, "That's alright, Kiba-kun, that was a sweet thing to say." Feeling a bit relieved, Kiba took Hinata's free hand and gave it a loving squeeze.

    Walking along the path the pair could see a dim light shining in the distance. "Kiba-kun, I'm starting to get a bit hungry, would it be too much trouble to stop and have some ramen?" Hinata asked looking up at Kiba with a hopeful face. Her eyes in the moonlight giving them an opal like glow.

    Looking into Hinata's eyes. He couldn't say "no". Giving her hand another squeeze, Kiba agreed, "Not at all and its my treat!"

    Ichiraku Ramen Bar was the staple of everyone's diet in Konoha. The smell of the ramen filled the air, giving it a rich meaty aroma. Lifting the curtain with his left hand, Kiba waited for Hinata to enter. They were both greeted by familiar faces.

    "Hello! Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen Bar, please take a seat. I will serve you in a moment." Ichiraku said as he turned back to the ramen noodles, getting them ready for the hot water bath. Six bar stools ran along a low counter, inviting people to seat themselves for a hot meal.

    While taking their seats, Kiba and Hinata saw another familiar face sitting in the last seat to the right. "NARUTO! How are you?" Kiba asked excitedly. Hinata blushed at the sight of her old crush, as he turned in their direction.

    "Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered, while playing with her fingers.

    "Kiba! Hinata! Its been a long time. How are you both doing?" Naruto asked after slurping up some ramen into his mouth.

    "I'm doing great! We have some great news. We're going to be getting married in spring." Kiba announced taking Hinata's hand.

    "That's so great! I'm so happy for you both!" Naruto's smile was truly genuine, making Hinata feel relieved.

    "What about you and Sakura?" Kiba asked after placing an order of miso ramen for Hinata and himself.

    "Oh, we aren't talking about marriage right now. She is still doing a lot of medical ninja training. Baa-chan has kept her really busy with new research," Naruto said with a sad tone in his voice. Staring down at his now cold ramen, Naruto truly looked depressed. "But hey! We aren't in any rush. Besides, I just got assigned into Anbu and right now our jobs take us away from each other. But you two are getting married and that's something truly special!" Naruto's manner had changed, but as Hinata watched him she could see his sadness.

    "Congratulations, Naruto. That takes you one step closer to your goal." Hinata whispered softly.

    "Did you say something Hinata?" Kiba and Naruto asked simultaneously.

    "Oh, no, just waiting for the food. Sorry..." Hinata blushed and looked back down at the counter. Naruto tilted his head, unsure of what just happened. Within seconds, the smell of fresh ramen filled their noses. Ichiraku placed two miso ramen bowls in front of them. Loads of assorted tofu, seaweed, and noodles covered the bowls, which were already filled to the brim with broth.

    "This looks great! But before I eat, let me pay..." Kiba reached into his pocket and found it to be empty. Checking all his pockets again and again, realized he didn't have any money on him, "Oh crap!"

    "Kiba-kun, what's the matter?" Hinata asked putting down her chopsticks.

    "I forgot to bring money. I'm so sorry Hinata. Listen I will be right back, it wont take me long." Kiba said, as he stood up from his stool.

    "Kiba-kun, you don't have to, I can pay for it this time," Hinata insisted, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out her wallet. Just as she was about to pull out the money, Kiba put his hand on hers.

    "No, that's your money. I'm not going to accept you paying for the meal. I will be right back," Kiba said giving a squeeze her around the shoulders before running out of the ramen bar.

    "That was really nice of him to do that, Hinata. It just proves he only wants the best for you." Naruto said softly, as he slurped more noodles into his mouth.

    "Yes, I'm very lucky." Hinata smiled, as she looked into the ramen bowl seeing her reflection.

    "Listen, Hinata, I just want to tell you again how happy I am for you. For the longest time...this is going to sound crazy but...I've wanted to tell you that I've always cared for you." Naruto's eyes looked directly at the wall in front of him, not making eye contact with Hinata.

    "Naruto-kun?" Hinata's face was blood red, unsure of what to say. "But why...didn't you ever?"

    "Because," Naruto paused, thinking of the right words, "Because…I was fool. I didn't realize that you had tried your hardest to prove your worth to me, and for that I'm sorry. I only saw it after you became the Heiress of your clan. It was a big step for you." Naruto said, while pushing his ramen to the side. Turning on his stool, he was looked directly at Hinata, with true passion in his eyes.

    "Naruto, I don't know what to say, I mean, I have always had admiration for you and a slight...well...you know…" Hinata started to play with her fingers, taking her gaze off Naruto.

    "Listen, I'm not trying to say I'm better for you or that I don't love Sakura. I'm just sad I didn't realize it sooner. Please understand and accept that I am happy for you." Standing up from his seat, Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out some money. Placing it down on the bar, he called to Ichiraku, "Hey, old man, this should be enough for all three meals!"

    "Naruto! You don't have to do that," Hinata blurted.

    "No, I should have been the man for you a long time ago. I was too late, and now, you have a real man." Taking his leave, Naruto smiled at Hinata one last time before leaving the bar.

    As Naruto left, Hinata looked at her now cold bowl of ramen. "All this time he truly cared?" Within seconds, Kiba returned.

    "I'm so sorry Hinata, I just forgot to grab some money before we left. Hey, where's Naruto?" Kiba asked, taking back his seat on the stool.

    "Oh, he left a few moments ago...and he paid for as meal too..."