A/N - Hey guys! I'm here with another bonus chapter! I know a lot of you would prefer HIY to be updated but I've been busy with other things to get that chapter in particular finished but in other news, this story is at 376 THOUSAND READS!! Let's do our best to get it to 400k AHHH!

Anyway, as usual, this chapter takes place while naruto and Nia are traveling with Jiraiya. Please remember to comment and vote and enjoy ❤️

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BONUS CHAPTER #17: Nia's Tears

"Curly Brow, look at me..." Naruto gently spoke as Nia's face was wet with tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," The girl said as she looked away.

Naruto cupped her chin in his fingers and made her look at him.

"Curly Brow... Tell me what's wrong? Why is my sweet, little Curly Brow crying?"

Nia swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Tell me... did someone hurt you?" Naruto asked.

"U-Uh huh," The girl nodded, although her shoulders heaved as she took a finger to wipe her tears.

"What... did they say this time?"

"T-That I was ugly and h-hideous. It was a group of guys I had walked passed by while in this small village. A-And when I tried to smile at a different guy, he just... he just gave me this look of disgust then l-looked away."

"What?!" Naruto growled.

"I just feel... I just feel so... hideous, Naruto," Nia cried.

"Curly Brow, don't say crazy things like that! You're not hideous. These people who have the nerve to call you ugly and make fun of you are just awful people, ya know!"

"B-But they're telling it as it is. I really am ug-"

"STOP IT, CURLY BROW!" Naruto gripped the girl's shoulders.

Nia became startled and her eyes widened due to the intense look in her friend's eyes.

"I... I hate it... I hate it when you call yourself ugly!" Naruto barked. "It drives me crazy cause I just you're so... I mean..."

His eyes softened as his cheeks reddened.

"I just think you're uh... Oh I don't know... adorable? Sweet? A great person?"

Nia reddened, but she turned her away from his gaze.

"You're just saying that cause... cause... you don't want to hurt my feelings," She dismissed his words.

Naruto gripped her hand in his and held it between their chests.

"Curly Brow... I love you! I love you more than anything else in this world, ya know!"

"But you're just... saying that," She didn't believe him.

"Curly Brow, you've become one of my best friends. Of course I'm gonna love you. I can't stand to see you sad."

"Oh Naruto..." Nia whimpered as she again locked eyes with the blond.

"There's nothing in this world that could make me stop loving you."

"You say that, but... the person you love most is Sakura..."

"Curly Brow... Quit bringing up Sakura..." Naruto ran a finger down Nia's tear stained face.

"But..."

"No "buts", sweet Curly Brow..." The genin told her. "I told you a thousand times that the way I love you and Sakura is completely different."

"But how is it different?" Nia questioned. "I want you to love me more than her. In fact, I want you to only love me."

"But Curly Brow..."

"If you don't learn to love me and only me, I'm gonna leave you eventually..."

"WHAAAAT?!" Naruto screamed. "What're you talking about, Curly Brow?! You can't mean that!"

"Oh yes I do!" She crossed her arms and turned her head with her eyes closed.

"But you're my sweet Curly Brow! You can't just leave your protector!"

"Well I'm gonna if he keeps obsessing over Sakura just cause she's pretty and fit!"

"Curly Brow, look at your protector!" Naruto cupped her face in his hands. "You are not leaving him! He loves you way too much for you to be leaving him!"

"Well I love my protector too but if he keeps chasing after Sakura then I'm going cause he clearly doesn't love me as much as he says he does!"

"But he loves you with all his heart! He would give his life for you, ya know!" Naruto panicked.

Nia's heart skipped a beat as her face reddened immensely.

"Oh Naruto..." She melted into a puddle of mush. "You really do love me..."

"Cone here, sweet Curly Brow," Naruto held his arms out as Nia immediately went into his arms.

Naruto snuggled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Your protector will always be here for you, okay?"

"M-Mhm..." Nia smiled against his chest.

"My sweet Curly Brow is everything to me..."

"I love my protector..." The girl said dreamily.

"I need for you to be strong, Curly Brow..." Naruto told her. "I know it hurts you when someone points out how unattractive they think you are, but... you gotta have better self esteem or you'll never last too long in this world."

"But Naruto-"

"No, sweet Curly Brow... You gotta stop being your own worst enemy."

"But-"

"Curly Brow, stop already..." Naruto held the girl and rubbed her back.

Nia felt as though she could melt into his chest. He felt so comforting to her... so warm.

"If my hero were to love me then I'm sure... then I'm sure I'd be a stronger woman."

"But you shouldn't need my love to be a strong woman. You have to be a strong woman for yourself..."

"But I just want my protector to love me... If he were to love me then I wouldn't care what any other man thought of me cause his love would be enough..." Nia mumbled.

"Oh sweet Curly Brow..." Naruto gushed. "Your protector already loves you."

"But I want him to love me in a different way," Nia complained.

"Curly Brow... I don't understand what you mean."

"Naruto, why can't you understand? Aren't my feelings obvious to you?" Nia blurted.

"What, sweet Curly Brow?" Naruto didn't hear her.

"N-Nevermind," Nia got too scared to tell him how she felt in fear of rejection.

"Just let your protector hold you when you're sad. You'll feel a thousand times better after he keeps you close to him."

"I wanna be in his arms for a long time this time..." Nia told him.

"For how long, sweet Curly Brow?"

"Forever..."

"Oh sweet Curly Brow..." Naruto reddened.

He then cupped her chin again in his fingers and gazed into her eyes lovingly.

"I love you..." He breathed.

A squirmy smile plastered onto Nia's face as hearts floated above her head and her legs felt like jelly.

"I know you're hurt, but just know... you're loved," The blond said.

"Oh Naruto..." Nia nearly collapsed to the floor if it weren't for the blond keeping her on her feet.

"Curly Brow, you almost collapsed! Be careful, ya know!"

"B-But my protector says... My protector says he loves me and that he'll protect me even if it means giving up his life for someone like me..." Steam rose out of the girl's face heavily, her large smile still on her face and her head leaning back in Naruto's arm as he helped sit her up on the floor.

It was obvious the girl was lovestruck, but that all failed to register in Naruto's head. He didn't know why she was acting weird but it did make him feel warm inside to have her be filled with such joy over his intense care for her and her well-being.

God, she loved him but he was just as dense as a rock. Why couldn't he just understand that she was crazy for him? It was absurd.

Again, Naruto brought her in his arms.

"Now tell me, Curly Brow... Who were the guys that hurt your feelings and called you hideous?"

"I... I don't know them," The girl whimpered.

"Do you remember what they looked like?"

"Not really. They only passed by me in the village streets and I wasn't fast enough to get a look at them thanks to everyone else blocking my view."

"Damn it..." Naruto muttered.

"What is it?" Nia looked at him.

"Nothing... I was just gonna confront them and beat them up for hurting you the way they did."

"Oh Naruto!" Nia gushed as hearts shot out of her eyes. "You're just so... You're just so protective of me!"

"Of course, Curly Brow..." Naruto kissed her cheek. "I love you so much, ya know?"

Nia only kept smiling stupidly to herself.

"Now then... Tell your protector that you weren't serious about leaving him," Naruto urged.

"Well..." Nia hesitated.

"Curly Brow, you are NOT leaving me!"

"But you keep only loving Sakura!"

"But I already told you I love you and her in different ways, dammit! Don't you listen?!"

"I'm a damn good listener, thank you very much!" Nia spat.

"Then why can't you understand my love?!" Naruto argued.

"Because you don't understand MY love!" Nia replied.

"I sure damn do, ya know!"

"No you don't, Naruto! You're so oblivious!"

"Curly Brow, don't argue with your protector!"

"Well my protector needs to understand that he irritates me sometimes!"

"Irritates you?! You're the one who's irritating! You literally cry about everything all the time. On top of that, you're extremely insecure and have about the lowest damn self esteem I've ever seen, ya know!"

Hearing this, Nia's eyes watered as Naruto's face immediately showed regret.

"W-Wait, I meant-" He tried to come up with something to say to get him out of the mess he was in.

"You think I'm that irritating?" Nia whimpered as there was a lump in her throat. "Does that mean... you actually don't love me like you claimed you did?"

"H-Hold on! You got the wrong idea! I didn't mean to say all that I did about you pretty much being a crybaby and frustrating."

"Naruto, that's it! I can't take it! You hate me now! I'm leaving you!" Nia stomped to the door as tears fell from her eyes.

"WHAAAAA?! NO! NO! DON'T LEAVE! DON'T LEAVE YOUR PROTECTOR! HE'S SORRY!" Naruto ran to the door and blocked it before Nia could reach the handle.

"Move!" Nia demanded.

"No!" Naruto yelled.

"And why not?!" The girl questioned.

"Cause I love you!" Naruto said in desperation.

"You don't love me..."

"Yes I do! I'm sorry about what I said, Curly Brow!"

"My protector hates me," Nia sobbed.

"No he doesn't! Don't ever say that, my precious Curly Brow!" Naruto yelled. "Your protector loves you!"

"N-Nuh uh..."

"Yes he does..."

"B-But he thinks I'm a crybaby who's irritating."

"You're his precious Curly Brow..." Naruto cupped Nia's face in his hands.

"I... I wanna be his e-everything," Nia whined.

"You are his everything..."

"N-No I'm not. The only man who loves me despite how I look is A-Akihi-"

"YOU GET THAT PERVERTED COCKROACH OUT YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW, DAMMIT!" Naruto snapped.

This in turn made Nia cry harder.

"B-But-"

"No "buts" Curly Brow! Stop thinking of that guy!"

"But you think i'm-"

"Precious? Adorable? Yes... Yes I do."

"T-That's not true though..."

"Yes it is, sweet Curly Brow. Your protector thinks good of you."

"But you always say that you o-only like pretty, fit girls..." Nia sniffled.

"So? What's that have to do with my love for you?"

"What do you mean?! That's literally your type which means you don't love me!" Nia became angered.

"Sweet Curly Brow..." Naruto embraced the crying girl. "I like pretty, fit girls but..."

"But what? I'm not pretty nor fit which means it's impossible for someone like me to win you over."

"You didn't let me finish..." The blond breathed. "I think girls who are kind-hearted and loving are even more beautiful..."

With that, Naruto brushed his lips against Nia's forehead.

Immediately, Nia's face flushed as steam poofed out of it. Suddenly, her legs felt weak and before she knew it, she was flat on her back as her eyes became black circles.

"I... I might... I might have an actual c-chance... with... my protector..." She babbled as Naruto gasped and dropped to his knees, helping the girl to sit up.

"Curly Brow, are you okay?! Oh man, you just passed out!"

"I c-can't believe my protector might... might... actually l-like me. Me... of all girls..."

"Curly Brow, don't speak. We need to lay you down on the bed and give you some water. You must be really dehydrated, ya know!"

"I... I change my mind. I... I wanna stay with my protector," Nia spoke loud and clear enough for the genin to hear.

"Sweet Curly Brow..." This prompted him to grin and blush. "You really wanna stay with your protector? Even if he hurt your feelings just now?"

Nia nodded.

"Yes... I love him.

"Oh sweet Curly Brow..." Naruto breathed dreamily before kissing her cheek.

However, when he did, Nia's head dropped back as she once more passed out.

"Gah! What the heck?! Curly Brow! Curly Brow! C'mon! Don't pull a Hinata on me!" Naruto patted her cheek.

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A/N - Okay everyone! That's the end of that! I finally gave a fluff chapter with no sexual actions for once lol. Anyway, please remember to comment and vote and have a great rest of your day ❤️

QOTD:

1. Fave Part?

2. Fave Line?

3. How in love does Nia seem in this? Why?