Yay! New Story! Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: The song You Found Me belongs to Kelly Clarkson and Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto blah blah blah
START!
You Found Me
Why Can't I Find You? –oneshot-
Naruto sat at Ichiraku Ramen, naturally. Donned in his new black and orange clothes, with his the ties of his headband falling down to his shoulders, Naruto picked at his noodles, which had Teuchi and Ayame staring at him.
After all, it was only his ninth bowl.
But he was thinking about something other than ramen. For once.
No, today Naruto's mind wandered to the thought of the indigo haired kunouchi who had fainted yesterday. Ever since he had seen her again, he couldn't get her out of his mind.
Is this a dream?
Hyuuga Hinata. Her image had been imprinted in his mind ever since he had left on his extended training mission. Wasn't she the only who had wished him good luck in the last few minutes in the village two years ago?
If it is…
But it was wonderful to think about her. The way her hair caught the sun's rays, and the way her lilac eyes held so much emotion, unlike the cold ones of the rest of her family. He felt somewhat happy, carefree. She was like a drug he couldn't give up.
Please don't wake me from this high.
He had become used to the cold stares and whispers of the people. Turning their backs on him. Ignoring him. Hating him. The thoughts of his childhood still haunted him. But he had become frozen in that part of his mind. Numb, one could call it.
I've become comfortably numb.
Until she came and – dare he think it? – believed in him.
Until you opened up my eyes
Trusted him. Assured him that everything would be alright.
To what's it's like,
When everything's right.
Fought for him. Stood up for him. Perhaps even liked him?
'As a friend,' he warned himself hurriedly. 'She is the Hyuuga Heiress, after all. She would never like a dumb goof like me.'
But still, she was there.
I can't believe…
He stood up from the stool, and threw some money on the counter. Ayame and her father stared in confusion as Naruto stalked out, his hands thrust in his pockets in a stoic manner that put Neji's stolidity to shame. Like when guys were, well, quiet.
But she had found him, when he was trying to run away from the Chuunin Exam Final. How did she know?
You found me.
No one else had cared that he was running away.
When no one else was looking.
But she was there, there to tell him not to give up, to tell him that he could get through.
Naruto bounded across the town, not caring to think where he was going, just putting one foot ahead of the other. He apologized to those he bumped into, and somehow he found himself on top of the Hokage Mountain.
How did you know just where I would be?
She had been standing, watching him train. How had she managed to always know where he had been? But, he realized, he had never looked for her. He had never known where she had been. How he wished he knew now…
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
She had managed to convince him to go back and beat up Neji. Good thing he had, too, or Neji might still be that fate and destiny jerk he had been back then. Neji was okay now, though.
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
She never left him. She was always there. Smiling, giggling. Blushing that strange fever of hers whenever he got close.
I guess that you saw what no one else could see
Guess she did, though. She must've seen something inside him with that Byakugan of hers...She was clever, and smart, and pretty. Oh God, he was going off about her now...
You found me...
He kept walking, one foot in front of the other, higher and higher up the mountain.
He stopped dead.
You found me...
"Hinata?" he asked, scarcely believing that she was there, right in front of him.
She gave a small jump, then turned, Byakugan activated, hands placed in a Jyuuken stance. Her face still showed determination that had been there before, but she had seemed to have gotten bolder over the two years.
"Naruto-kun?" she asked.
'She stopped stammering,' he mused, stepping closer.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, in that light fragile voice of hers.
That voice he loved.
"Despite what people say, I do think," he joked. "I come here to think." But his cheerful voice was laced with melancholy.
"Oh," she said with a forced giggle, sensing his sorrow. "I come up here too. Sometimes."
Naruto sat down by a tree nearby, arms crossed behind his head.
"What do you think about?" he asked.
"About my family, about how life is here," she said sinking carefully to the ground beside him. 'About you' she thought, mentally berating herself for her shyness.
"What about your family?"
"My father and the elders," she replied, arms going around her knees, chin resting on her them, pale eyes facing the village. "How they… treat me."
"Do they hit you?!" Naruto shouted, bolting up.
"N-no!" Hinata stammered, startled. "I meant that they only see me as the Hyuuga Heiress. Not Hyuuga Hinata. Not…"
"Not you. As you," finished Naruto, staring out at the horizon. "Yeah, I know how that feels." Indeed, he did.
So here we are…
And that's pretty far,
When you think of where we've been…
Both the shinobi and kunouchi remembered how Naruto had joked and caused commotion in classes. How Hinata had blushed furious red and stammered a blue streak at everything. How Naruto had sometimes never known Hinata existed.
No going back
I'm fading out
All that has faded me within
But, you're by my side
Now everything's fine.
I can't believe...
"Hinata?" said Naruto, shattering the silence.
You found me
"Hmm?"
When no one else was looking.
"Why were you always so nice to me?"
How did you know just where I would be?
"How could you always find me, when I was going to give up?"
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
"How did you manage to convince me not to quit?"
I guess that you saw what no one else could see
Hinata stared in shock at the outburst of questions, then turned slightly pink.
"I guess," she said, choosing her words carefully. "I guess it was because I never understood…
I never understood why everyone treated you so harshly. I didn't want to be one of those people... I wasn't able to be like them even if I tried. So I did whatever I could do to make it a little bit better."
'It's partly true,' Hinata told herself. 'I mean, I never did understand...' Hinata remembered the day she had graduated. Naruto sat on that lone swing, watching the rest of the happy rejoicing families that were showering love on their children. Hinata watched as he looked at them, as he hoped that one of them might turn around and bestow some of their affection on him as well. How she wished to do just that. But she truly was way too weak. How could she possibly attain enough courage to go up to him, let alone bestow love? Hinata blushed at the thought.
She continued.
"Maybe it was because I was treated the same way. I was always expected to become strong because I was the heiress. I was, in a way, a disappointment to my family. My father hated the way the elders looked down on me, so he also took in the habit of telling that I too weak so I might get stronger that way. I really don't think that that worked. I thought that maybe, we were alike in a way" Her voice was poisoned with unhappiness.
Naruto totally knew how that felt. But he had never let it show. He always had that silly mask of happiness on. Did she know of the true face behind that disguise as well?
"You always found me, Hinata," said Naruto, face to the ground.
You found me
"How, and most importantly, why?" he looked up at her.
Hinata stared. It wasn't everyday that Naruto interrogated her...
You found me
'Just tell him...' Hinata told herself sternly. Gathering her courage, she parted her lips.
"Because...I've always liked you, Naruto..."
Naruto looked at her, those deep blue eyes big. 'Like a friend,' he told himself, not daring to hope.
"No," Hinata said, looking to the sky, and thought how they reflected the same liveliness in Naruto's eyes. "More than 'like'..."
"I've always loved you."
'Did she just say that? Or am I imagining things again?'
He said nothing. How could he say anything? He didn't even know what was going on!
She loved him?!?!
A few unspoken seconds passed.
"I...I understand, Naruto," Hinata whispered, her voice cracking as she was about to cry, tears threatening to fall.
The indigo-haired kunoichi stood up suddenly, fighting back tears.
She hadn't cried in two years. She was NOT about to start now, and especially not in front of Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto finally caught hold of the situation.
"Wait!" Naruto called out, his voice stung with bitter sorrow.
Hinata spun and bolted with amazing speed, blinking rapidly to fight back tears.
With great agility and skill, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. He tugged so hard that she spun and was thrust into his shoulder.
His arms went around her waist as he buried his head into her tiny shoulder.
Her breath caught.
"You always found me," Naruto whispered, again. Hinata felt her clothes starting to get wet as she realized that Naruto was crying. He shook slightly. Hinata felt like her tears had come back up again.
The sadness overtook her in small waves, little by little. She felt like she was going to faint.
Yeah, you found me...
"I want to be the one to find you."
You found me...
"I love you, Hinata."
END
XOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
(A.N.)
Wow...
That was a lil sad and angsty...
So watcha think? Too much fluff? Too much angst? I personally did'nt think so, but please tell me your opinion, it helps a lot.
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!! I WANNA KNOWWW!
Now click that bluish-purplish button down there THIS INSTANT!!!
Tnx 4 reading!!!
Ja Ne!
xo4evagurlxo (lub lub!)
