Right Off The Bat (NaruHina)

28 - What We See

Sakura tipped on her toes and pulled out a book from the tall shelf. She smiled at the book and its contents.

"Surely this will help me prepare" She thought as she closed the book and hugged it to her chest.

She took several steps and looked around the library to look for any free spaces where she can sit nearby.

The exams are right around the corner, and this exam will literally be their key to a brighter future.

Not that Sakura hated studying, no, it's not like that at all. It's just that the struggle is real.

Her green eyes widen in surprise, "Is that... Naruto?"

And there he was, his nose buried in the book as he kept on jatting down notes with piles of books beside him.

"Mind if I sit here?" Sakura asked as she sat in front of him, not waiting for an answer, Naruto looked up and said her name in acknowledgement "Sakura"

Sakura's ears twitched as she heard Naruto's pen scribble away and his book turning pages, "Huh... So Naruto really is studying"

She recalled him not sleeping in class anymore since the beginning of second sem, and how he even started becoming more active and answers properly during lessons.

His grades were higher than everyone else's by now, no doubt, even Sasuke admits.

She couldn't help but wonder, "Hey, Naruto? Why are you suddenly studying, you know... Properly?"

Naruto's eyes never left his book as he said "I can't let Hinata down"

Hinata.

Of course it was Hinata.

She saw his phone wallpaper, and she did see numerous new selfies of Hinata and him plastered on his wall. Hell, there was even a cut out of Hinata from her latest photoshoot safely tucked away in his wallet.

She smiled.

"Did you tell her? About your feelings?" Sakura asked.

It was obvious to everyone who knew the both of them. They both love each other, but both are oblivious of the other's feelings. It's frustrating, really.

Sakura also recalled Hinata's phone wallpaper, and it was a selfie of Hinata and Naruto from who knows which of their weekly meet-ups.

She was starting to wonder if the two of them saw each other's phones yet.

- - -

Sai's watchful eyes carefully analyzed Naruto's movements.

"Good job, Uzumaki!"

"Oh wow, he's even better than before" Ino said as she bit on her energy bar, sitting on the bleacher's, Sai nodded and said "Yes, his stamina has increased by multiple times fold and his percentage of homeruns have leveled up massively"

Ino looked at the pom-poms in her gym bag and said "I guess people like Naruto needs a different type of cheerleader, huh?"

She recalled Naruto openly cursing her cheersquad in the middle of the school during lunch for being so distracting, yelling his name during matches.

She also remembered Hinata at his latest match talking to him before the game. Ino remembers how determined and pumped up Naruto was after Hinata gave him a good-luck hug and how he pointed at her when he won the league for the team.

Sai looked at Ino and smiled "I think you're a wonderful cheer captain"

"Tsk, I know that I am!" Ino confidently said.

- - -

Kushina smiled as she looked at Naruto from the corner of her eye as she passed him the dishes to rinse.

She doesn't quite get why, but she's grateful.

Eversince she allowed her son to be out during weekends, Naruto started helping out at the house chores and even started waking up on time.

She recalled waking up early to clean up Naruto's room, only to see it almost spotless with the blonde already getting ready for school.

And even his grades, oh was she so proud.

"Naruto, sweety, go and clean yourself up, I can handle the rest" Kushina said as they were down to their last few soapy dishes, Naruto nodded as he wiped his hands "Sure thing"

Minato watched as Naruto passed him, his son surely was growing taller and more obedient.

"Did you promise I'd cook ramen or something?" Kushina asked as she washed her hands, Minato shook his head and said "I thought it was something you did, in all honesty"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Their son was growing up into a fine man.

"And because of that" Kushina said as she passed the apron to her husband "You cook ramen for dinner while I watch TV with my favorite son!"

Minato only sweatdropped as he let his wife happily skip away and yell their son's name as she run up the stairs excitedly.

"Ramen it is, then" He said to himself as he got to work.

- - -

"I-It's almost nine, I should get ready for bed" Hinata said as she spun on her office chair and look out the window, smiling as she pressed her hand against her window, "We'll talk again tomorrow, okay, Naruto?"

"Yeah! Can't wait!"

Hinata giggled as she pulled her phone away from her ear and look at Naruto's name on the caller ID.

She could only giggle as she knew both of them was wondering who would end the call first.

"Good night, Naruto"

"Yeah, good night to you too, Hinata"

And with that, they both ended the call. Both of them wondering who got to click the red button first.

Hinata looked at her phone with a blush and a smile, her eyes looking at her wallpaper.

Naruto's just so adorable.

She could remember how he was like when she first met him. He was still as loud as ever.

He was still kind, generous, caring, and gentle. He was also very patient.

In contrast to what Sakura, Ino, and miss Kushina was saying, he was no way rowdy nor insensitive, not even disrespectful and mocking.

She didn't know if it's true or not, though.

But surely, she'll still like to see that side of him, even if it's a bad side.

"I wonder what Naruto's up to, now..." She thought as she washed her face "Probably getting ready for bed, too"

Hinata changed into her pyjamas and brushed her hair, humming a soft tune to the speed of her brush.

"I hope he's doing great" She patted her bed gently and fluffed her pillows "I wonder if he's actually studying like he promised"

Lifting the covers up and crawling underneath it, she pulled it up to her nose and smiled at the moon behind her closed curtains.

"Good night, Naruto"

- - -

Naruto put down his phone at the table as he dropped on his bed, looking at the moon outside his window.

He grinned brightly, "Life's great!"

He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Good night, Hinata"