A/N - Hey guys! This chapter is another bit of a repetitive one but it was really cute in my mind so I wanted to write it out in this scenario.

Please remember to leave some comments and vote and enjoy ❤️

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BONUS CHAPTER #39: Naruto's Wounds, Nia's Confession

"Oh Naruto..." Nia had tears in her eyes as she ran her finger down Naruto's face as he laid in a hospital bed.

He was injured, sporting a black eye, and a bruised, cut cheek. He also had bruises and wounds on his body.

"Nia, how did he even get this banged up to begin with?" Jiraiya asked as he sat on a chair.

"A group of guys were saying awful things about me and it really hurt me and when Naruto saw how upset I was, he confronted the guys but they continued to make fun of me so out of anger, Naruto swung at them and he brawled all of them. They were really strong. He ended up winning, but he was left with some wounds," The girl explained.

"Geez... that guy will stand up for you no matter how dangerous it could be for him."

"It's my fault he's hurt! Because I was too weak."

Jiraiya stared at Nia's minor injuries.

"Don't say that. You tried to jump in and help him..."

"Yeah but when they attacked me, Naruto became furious... He got so mad, I was worried he'd transform... or that he'd kill those guys."

"Nia."

"Hm?"

"Does it ever cross your mind on WHY Naruto is so adamant on protecting you?"

"It's because he feels bad for me... and because he hates bullies."

"Sure... but do you know what the REAL reason is?"

"Um... because I'm defenseless?"

"No... listen Nia... this is the truth... The reason Naruto is so protective of you is... because... whether you wanna believe it or not... he has... feelings for you."

"Hm?" Nia blushed heavily.

"Yes, I said it. Naruto's in LOVE with you!"

Hearing this, Nia's heart raced.

"In love... with me?" She pointed at herself.

Jiraiya nodded.

"With... ME?!" Nia responded. "Nia Umino?!"

"Yes!"

"B-but Jiraiya-sensei, that CAN'T be right! I mean look at me! You really think he'd fall for someone who looks like... this?!"

"I mean... well, I can tell he likes you."

"But I'm HIDEOUS and FAT!"

"Maybe Naruto doesn't mind what you look like."

"But-"

"Nia, stop," Jiraiya scolded. "Just cause a lot of guys tell you or think you're unattractive doesn't mean EVERY guy will think that. There are some guys who can look passed the exterior of a woman once he gets to know her."

"But..." Nia clenched her lap as she sat on a chair beside Naruto. "Naruto's handsome... and he's athletic... and he's kind... and empathetic... and outgoing... and loud... and funny... and easygoing... and strong... and brave... and-"

"What's your point?"

"Well... he's too good for me. Someone like him... could never notice a girl like me," Nia croaked.

"Nia..." Jiraiya sighed. "You know... you're your own worst enemy."

"But you know it's true! Someone who looks like me doesn't deserve Naruto!"

"But... what if... you are deserving?"

"Huh?"

"Sure... lots of people probably wouldn't think you're deserving based off your looks, but I say... to hell with them. Listen... I know I myself may seem... a little shallow at times, but Nia... even I know... it takes more than a pretty face for me to get serious with a woman. You see... remember when I talked to you about Tsunade? The woman I truly love? You see, she's a beauty... but that wasn't all I loved her for."

"But she's still beautiful... I'm not. That means no guy will bother to talk to me in that way. You can't just win someone over with a good personality. You need to be at least decent also... which I'm not..."

"But what if... Naruto does find you beautiful... or at the very least... cute?"

"..." Nia lowered her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya questioned.

"I'm sorry... but I just can't believe that..."

"Why not?"

"Because all my life I've been made fun of for how ugly I am... All my life guys rejected me. All my life no one reciprocated my feelings. All my life I was never truly beautiful. All my life I was invisible, never chosen..."

"I understand that, but... I really do believe Naruto loves y-"

"He doesn't love me like that, Jiraiya-sen-"

"Errrgh... Curly Brow... Curly Brow..." Nia and Jiraiya heard Naruto groaning in his unconscious state.

"Naruto!" Nia grabbed his hand.

"Pr-protect you... I'm gonna protect... you..."

"Huh?" Nia blushed.

Naruto had his eyes shut but he was wincing.

"Love... love you... I love you, Curly Brow..."

"KYA!" Steam poofed out of Nia's dangerously reddened face.

"And thereeeee we have it," Jiraiya said.

"WAIT!" Nia threw her arms up. "HE... HE DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! WE SAY I LOVE YOU AS FRIENDS ALL THE TIME!"

"Please... hold you... let me hold you..." Naruto babbled.

"Hold me?" Nia looked at him blushing.

"Eeergh... Curly Brow... be with me... In love.... I'm in love with you, ya... know... rrgh.... I'll... pr-protect you... I... I swear..."

"N-Naruto!" Nia melted in a puddle.

"Look at you... you oughta smack yourself right now. Didn't I tell you so? He's madly in love with you," Jiraiya said.

"B-but how? I'm not sp-special... I'm a nobody. A huge failure of a person."

"And he felt that way at one point, too. You see, Nia, you and him are quite similar. Having been picked on... having been ostracized, an outcast... having felt like a failure... having been wanting to be liked by others... having felt like you were alone in the world... having... the need to be loved and accepted for who you are and not by what you look like, the outside of you... or in Naruto's case, the host of the Nine-Tails... the inside of him."

Nia lowered her eyes again.

"You love him because you feel you can relate to him to a certain extent, do you not?" Jiraiya asked.

"KYA!" Nia covered her face in her hands. "L-Love?!"

"Oh give it up, Nia. Anyone could tell just by seeing how you are with him that you're madly in love with the guy."

"KYAAA! I-IT'S THAT OBVIOUS?! I... I MEAN-"

"Stop denying your feelings and confess to the man already!"

"But what if he rejects-"

"He's not gonna reject you!"

"But he will cause he loves Sakura!"

"Did you not just hear him babble. He's in love with YOU, Nia!" Jiraiya pointed.

"Wait! I get it now! It's a dream! This is all a dream! I just need to pinch myself! That's it!" Nia proceeded to pinch herself. "Ow!"

"It's reaaaal! Go get your man, Nia!"

Nia's eyes turned into black circles and she swayed side to side.

"S-somehow I'm starting to f-feel dizzy."

"Don't pass out now!" Jiraiya approached and shook her. "You can do this! Breathe! Naruto's in love! He's in love with you!"

"But-"

"DAMMIT! NO EXCUSES! TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL ALREADY!"

"Okay! Okaaay!" Nia shouted. "Just stop shaking me already!"

Jiraiya let her go.

"Thank you! I'll take a step outside. When I come back, I'd better hear you two are a couple."

"..." Nia just watch him close the door behind him.

When he did, Nia turned to the blond.

"U-Uzumaki?" She called.

Naruto didn't respond.

Nia grabbed his hand.

"I know... what I'm about to say won't make any sense to you, nor do I think it will make you like me more, but... I have to get this off my chest!"

Nia paused briefly.

"Naruto... Naruto, I like you! I like you a lot! No, I REALLY like you... no, okay, I admit... I'm in LOVE with you! I'm... REALLY in love with you!" She started. "I don't know how this started... I just... I... I don't know! Ever since I got to know you, I knew... I knew you were different real fast... even if I didn't wanna believe it. You have such a caring, loving heart. You were always so empathetic to people like me... so protective. You're always willing to befriend someone despite their appearances or sometimes even, how they act, or how they're viewed by others."

Nia gazed at the genin.

"It's obvious to me you're closest to people who you feel can relate to your past in some way, shape, or form. Since I experienced a similar yet different experience than you growing up, you felt close to me... even if I did push you away at first. Even though I'm annoying, mean, ugly, fat, disgusting, a complete failure, and a nobody, you still... offered to be kind to me. I don't understand why you did, but even so, it meant a lot to me."

Nia squeezed his hand.

"Naruto, I don't care if you have some evil beast inside you. I don't care that you think if you transform while I'm around, that you can kill me by accident. While I do understand the concern, what I care about most, Uzumaki... is your heart. How you make me feel. You see... you make me feel incredible. Everytime I think about how mentally strong you are, it makes me wanna be strong. Everytime I see how confident you are, it inspires me to be more confident. Naruto... I honestly think you're an AMAZING person. Seeing how you are, how you love others, how you strive to stay positive, and how you don't give up on yourself... makes me feel really at awe with you. I think you're such an inspiration and I strive to have at least a fraction of love you have for others and yourself for my own self and others around me."

Tears gathered in Nia's eyes.

"You see... I understand that someone like me... can never win a guy like you over... but even so... I still like you. I still want to be with you. I still want you to like me... to just... acknowledge me. I want you to notice how I feel and feel how deeply I care for you. I know I may sound obsessed, creepy, or crazy, but..."

"C-Curly Brow..." Naruto mumbled again in his unconscious state.

Nia's heart skipped a beat.

"Naruto? A-Are you okay? Can... you hear me?"

"..."

He didn't say nothing.

Nia cupped his cheek in her hand.

"Uzumaki... I can't... I can't stop. I just... like you. Even if you weren't to like me back. I care anyway because I... truly love you for who you are. I just... want you to be happy... safe... aliv-"

Suddenly, Nia started crying. Her tears ran down her face and dripped onto Naruto's face. She swore she was the biggest crybaby when it came to him. She had no idea why she liked him so much but for some reason she did. She just couldn't get over him... no matter what she did. Nia truly loved Naruto for all he was... even if she believed he could never love her back.

However...

"Love you..." She suddenly heard him mumble again.

"Hm?"

"I... love you... Nia," She heard him again.

"Na...ruto?" Her heart thudded as her eyes widened.

"So pure..." He weakly fluttered his eyes open. "Your love... so pure, ya know..."

"?" Nia blushed.

She saw as the young man had a soft smile on his face, his oceanic blue eyes gazing lovingly at her midnight brown eyes.

Nia kept his gaze, unable to move.

"You say you're undeserving of me... when that couldn't be farther from the truth. You see... I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."

"Huh?" Nia blinked.

"Curly Brow, I'm constantly the one messing up. You had all these feelings stored inside you yet I was completely clueless to it all. In fact, I was so clueless, I'd literally talk about loving another girl in front of you so many times. Talking about how pretty and fit she was. I was such... an idiot."

"..."

"Curly Brow... I... I'm sorry. I should've known."

Nia didn't say anything. She just listened.

"Hear me out," Naruto sat up, before wincing.

"Naruto, you shouldn't move so suddenly," Nia leaned forward. "You'll hurt yourself even wor-"

Naruto tugged her wrist, bringing her to his chest.

Nia blushed heavily at his affection.

"Nia..." He tightened his hold on her. "I love you... I love you, Nia."

"N-Naruto... this... this isn't a joke?" She croaked, tears springing in her eyes. "You love me?"

"I love you."

"You love me, LOVE me?"

"I love you, LOVE you."

A tear slipped down Nia's eyes.

"Oh Naruto..."

Naruto smiled.

"You really do care for me. You really do truly love me for who I am. You truly do accept me. You really don't care that I'm the host of the Nine-Tails. For that... I love you... I love you so much, Nia."

Hearing this... Nia started to sob again.

Naruto only held onto her, rubbing her back.

"Naruto... does this mean... you're not gonna chase after Sakura anymore?" Nia asked.

"I'm gonna... try and let her go. I just... can't give you up to any man. Thinking of you leaving me after hearing how you feel... It's unbearable for me to even think about, ya know?"

"Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"You can really see it?"

"See what?"

"My love?"

"Oh... ya. Definitely. You're crazy in love with me," Naruto grinned.

"That doesn't... creep you out?"

"What?! Of course not! I'm touched. I'm SO touched, Curly Brow!"

"But why? Aren't I... not your type?"

"You're beautiful..." Naruto responded.

"Beautiful?"

Naruto nodded.

"Practically everything about you is beautiful. Your love, your kindness, your forgiving heart, your loyalty, your weirdness, your realness, your awkwardness, your shyness... even things you hate about yourself like your eyes, your lips, your nose, your textured skin, your hair, your teeth, your chubbiness, your breasts, your butt, your stretch marks-"

"Okay, no more talking about my stretch marks," Nia interrupted.

"The point I'm trying to make, Curly Brow... is that I love you and think you're beautiful... flaws and all," Naruto said.

"You... really mean that, Uzumaki?"

Naruto nodded.

"Yes... you love me for all my flaws, too, right?"

"Of course!" Nia chirped.

Naruto smiled brightly.

"I guess... that means I should make you my girlfriend, right?!"

"KYA!" Nia squealed. "FOREAL?!"

Naruto blushed.

"Yes."

"OH NARUTO!"

With that, Naruto made Nia lock eyes with him, and cupping her face in his hands, he closed his eyes, leaned forward, and planted a sweet kiss on her lips.

Nia's face exploded with steam. However, bravely, she pressed more into him and returned the kiss.

After a few moments, they released one another and leaned their foreheads against eachother.

Nia blushed at the sight of Naruto's smile.

Stop staring... stop staring, Nia. He's gonna change his mind about you if you keep acting weird!

Therefore, she averted her eyes. Naruto cupped her chin.

"Curly Brow... look... look at me," He whispered.

"But... I'm shy."

The blond kissed Nia's forehead, making her heart thud hard.

"I can't believe... you care so much," He said. "About me... even though... I'm nowhere near perfect."

"But you're incredible, Uzumaki. I can't think of anyone else who's cooler than you."

"You really love me, Curly Brow?"

"Yes. I love you... with everything I have."

Naruto blushed heavily.

"Naruto?" Nia mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"I tend... to fail... at everything I try. At everything I do..."

"?"

"I was scared that... I'd fail at winning your heart, too. You see... I'm the biggest failure there i-"

"You're not a failure," The blond interrupted.

Nia looked at him.

"You're not a failure," Naruto breathed. "You see, Curly Brow, something I like about you is that when you're trying something new or trying to achieve a goal, you try your best... even if it seems hopeless. You do it till you just can't no more. You always lift others up and care about their success... sometimes even before your own. As far as winning my heart... well..."

Naruto brushed his lips onto Nia's again.

"I am in love with you," He told her. "Even if you have trouble seeing your worth. I still love you... for every flaw and perfection you possess, ya know."

Tears rolled down Nia's face.

"So me... me like this... flaws and all... is enough for you?" She asked.

Naruto smiled and nodded.

"You're beautiful, Curly Brow. I love you."

"Oh Naruto..."

"Sweet Curly Brow..." Hearts floated out of the blond's head.

He appeared love struck.

"I just.... I just can't believe you love me..." Naruto said. "What did I do to deserve this? To deserve you?"

"Naruto, I'm no catch," Nia replied. "The real question is what did I do to deserve someone as amazing as you?"

"I swear you're perfect," Naruto had a dreamy smile.

"But Naruto, you know that's not true. I have more flaws than anyone on this earth."

"All we gotta work on is your self esteem and how fat you ar-"

Immediately, Nia bursted into tears.

"WAAAAHAAAAA!"

"GYAH! CURLY BROW!" Naruto yelled.

"No matter what, all you do i-is call me faaaat!" Nia sobbed.

"Wait! Curly Brow! C-Chunky is a better way to describe you! Not fat! Not fat!"

"No! You just want someone who's fit and not me!"

"I want you! I want you!"

"Then why did you make that comment about my weight?!"

"You're beautiful! You're beautiful just the way you are! I love you so much, ya know!"

Nia sniffled.

"Liar. You wish I was fit. You don't like me the way I am. You want to change everything about me."

"Curly Brow, the main issue is just your insecurity and self esteem. Even if you're chunky, I still love you."

"Do you really mean it, Uzumaki?" Nia blushed.

Naruto kissed her forehead.

"Yes," He was red also.

Hearing this, Nia smiled to herself. Naruto stared dreamily at her.

I can't believe my luck... a really cute girl likes me...

"Anyway, Curly-" He tried to get up but then hit his head atop a shelf that was above him, a heavy vase cracking atop his head. "OW!"

When it crashed onto him, his arms flung and hit Nia, making her fall over her chair and hit her head on the ground and knocking her out. Because the vase had fallen on Naruto's already injured head, he fell back into a state of unconsciousness.

When they awoke, they saw as Jiraiya was in front of them.

"Huh? Pervy Sage? That you?" Naruto rubbed his head. "Damn my head hurts. What happened?"

"That's strange. My head hurts, too," Nia said.

"Sweet Curly Brow! Not you, too!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh Naruto... are you okay? I can just faintly remember you protecting me from some men who were making fun of me."

"I found you two both knocked out cold. What happened to you two?" Jiraiya questioned.

Nia and Naruto exchanged looks.

"I... I don't remember," Naruto scratched his cheek lightly.

"I don't either," Nia added. "But it sure feels like something important happened."

"You're probably right," Jiraiya was serious. "Tell me... did you guys confess your love to one another yet?"

"WHAAA?!" Naruto and Nia turned bloody red.

"Naruto, when you were knocked out, you were groaning about how you love Nia."

"I SAID WHAAA?!"

"N-Naruto said he loves me!" Steam poofed out of Nia's face.

"Nia, you don't remember us hearing him say that?!" Jiraiya looked at her.

"I... I don't remember a thing."

"It's because it never happened!" Naruto was embarrassed. "Besides, we ALL know I talk nonsense in my sleep."

"So what you're saying is... you don't love me, Naruto?" Nia had tears in her eyes.

"Gah! Wait a minute! Don't jump to conclusions! I never said I didn't!"

"So then... you do love me?!" Nia's eyes sparkled.

"I never said that either! Listen... I understand you don't see me that way, Curly Brow, and that's why... I've decided to confess my love to Sakur-"

"WAAAAAHAAAAA!" Nia bursted into tears.

"GUAH! WAIT!" Naruto panicked.

"I KNEW YOU DIDN'T LOVE MEEEE!" Nia stood out of her chair then left the room in tears.

"WAIT! CURLY BROW!" Naruto screamed, hopping out of bed but in a lot of pain. "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOUUU! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

When he took another step forward, he tripped over his blanket and fell face first on the ground.

"OWWWWW!" He groaned.

"That's what you get for acting so oblivious," Jiraiya scolded.

"S-Shut up..." Naruto attempted to crawl forward. "C-Curly Brow... CURLY BROOOW! COME BAAAAAACK! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU, YA KNOOOOOW!"

"Too late. She's gone," Jiraiya replied.

"CURLY BROOOOOOOOOOOOW!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs.

Unfortunately for him, Nia would be to herself for a couple hours before returning back, her heart still broken from what the genin had said. It would take Jiraiya pulling her aside privately and reassuring her that there was still hope for her to get with Naruto for her to get into high spirits again.

For the next several days, she stayed at Naruto's bedside, taking care of him until he was completely healed of his wounds.

———

A/N - Yep! Another love confession chapter! But yet again, they forgot their memories of it ever happening.

Please remember to leave some comments and vote and enjoy!

QOTD:

1. Fave Part?

2. Fave Line?

3. What you think of this alternative of them confess their love? Personally I think it's one of the cutest scenes I wrote.