I don't own Naruto, blah blah blah, etc etc.
Prologue
She ran.
Head down, eyes screwed shut, with her breath escaping in short gasps, she ran.
She could never please Father. No matter how harshly he commanded, she could not muster the will to strike her own sister. No matter how hard she tried, her Jyuken remained flawed, weak. Her kind nature was regarded with scorn, unbecoming of a member of the Main Family. The more forgiving Branch members said she was too mild for the life of a kunoichi. Others said she was a traitor to her heritage. Her father said nothing, but whenever she saw the cold light in his glaring eyes as they bore down on her with enough force to bend her spine, she knew. She was an insult to their expectations.
So she ran. In her peripheral view, objects flew past on either side. People, banners, doorways, fences. None of it mattered. How could she face Konoha when her own family couldn't accept her?
All of a sudden, she crashed into something warm and yielding, stumbling back with a short cry. Looking up, she saw three older boys standing before her with shocked expressions on their faces. Then they looked down, and she spotted the spilled ice cream cone on the street.
"Hey, you!" the largest of the three growled at her. "Look what you made me do!"
She cringed back uncertainly. "S-sorry," she mumbled.
Within moments they had ushered her into a small dark clearing in the woods, not far from the path, and surrounded her. She refused to meet their gazes, instead staring past folded hands at her own feet.
"Hey, she's a Hyuuga, isn't she?" one of the boys observed. "Look at her eyes!"
"A Hyuuga, eh? I'll bet she's just like that Neji," another one added. "Those noble types are all the same, always thinking they're above everyone else."
She shook her head in protest, still refusing to look up. "N-no. I'm not like that," she squeaked. As she realized what was approaching, she felt a bolt of fear run through her, and suddenly her legs were moving, trying to take her away, anywhere without those glaring eyes.
A hand caught her by the shirt and dragged her back roughly. "Hey, wait you brat!" one of them said. "You can't just run away without apologizing! Now you've pissed me off!"
A hand clapped down on the top of her head, forcing it down until she fell to her knees and had to put out her arms to prevent herself from sprawling on the ground.
"C'mon, apologize already!" one of the boys ordered.
"Make sure you do it properly!" said another.
She tried to breathe, but her throat was constricted, admitting only a wheeze. "I'm sorry," she mumbled again.
"Oi, that's no good! Put some feeling into it!" the boys commanded. The hand was back on her head, pushing it down farther. "I said apologize already!"
Fear filled her, and with it came the familiar lash of shame. Once again, she'd failed to live up to the expectations of others. Was she destined to forever seek forgiveness from others for her shortcomings? Could anyone be so pathetic and worthless?
"I'm sorry," she said, as tears began to leak from her eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Quit it!" At the sound of that voice, her head came up in shock, wet tracks adorning her cheeks. That hadn't been one of the three boys she'd run into!
In their midst had appeared another child who looked to be about her age. She'd seen him before, on the swing in front of the academy. Those blonde spikes and blue eyes were unmistakable, as were the whiskers on his cheeks. He was easily dwarfed by all three of her tormenters, but he faced them so fearlessly!
The boys turned to face the newcomer. "And who might you be?" one of the drawled.
"Oh, he's that!" said the large one. "That good-for-nothing everyone hates because he's always causing trouble."
"Oh, that kid!" the third one said. "Yeah, 'that'" said the first.
"I'm not a 'that'!" the blonde boy yelled. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage! Remember it!"
The three boys leaned back, incredulous. "Hokage?" they asked together, before bursting into mocking laughter.
She kept her eyes on the blonde - Naruto, he'd said his name was. How he could stand there and declare his dream so freely was beyond her comprehension. Even as the three bullies laughed at him, he stood tall and defiant. How could anyone be so strong?
Her musings were interrupted as one of the boys resumed his taunting. "A brat like you can never be Hokage!" This time, the words were followed by a punch that went into Naruto's face, knocking him to the ground. She gasped, fearful for her would-be savior.
But he just stood right back up, wiping blood from his mouth and grinning madly. The boy who'd struck him tensed, unsure. "You wanna fight?" he demanded.
Naruto's grin widened. "Alright, just don't run crying afterward!" With that, his hands came together in a seal.
The three boys leaned back further, suddenly wary of the tiny child before them. "That's..."
"Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto cried. A loud puff of smoke appeared, clouding their vision. As it slowly dispersed, the clone within came into view. It was pale and wobbly, and immediately sank to the ground pitifully.
The three boys erupted once more into laughter. "What a joke!" they cried.
Naruto used the distraction to tackle the closest one, barreling him onto his backside and landing across his stomach. "Hah! You let down your guard!" he yelled. "I'll definitely become Hokage," he growled as he started raining punches on the larger boy, "and show up people like you!"
She could only watch in dread fascination at the violence that had unfolded before her. This boy had jumped head first into the fray without any consideration for his own safety - all for her sake! No one had ever defended her feelings before. The Branch members watched to maintain her safety. Her Father watched to maintain her bearing and composure. Her cousin watched to maintain his superiority. Nobody watched to keep her spirits up. Nobody could.
Naruto had done it anyway. Even though the fight had gone beyond her own predicament, it was nevertheless perpetuated in her defense. She was so overcome by the thought and the feelings that welled up behind it that she could do nothing but bear witness.
Unfortunately, it wasn't going well for the little blonde. His victim's two friends had overcome their shock and joined the fray, dragging him out onto the dirt where they could administer a proper beating. She remained where she was, still overwhelmed by her fear. She could only avert her eyes, hoping to drive the scene from her mind, but the sounds persisted. The dull thwack of fists meeting flesh came again and again, and she flinched with each blow as though she were taking them herself.
"Hinata-sama!" a voice cried. She recognized it as that of her cousin and caretaker, Totsu. Startled, she looked up and spotted the chuunin running toward her, Byakugan active and clearly expecting trouble. The three boys who had been pummeling Naruto looked up as well and cried out in dismay, quickly running before they could meet punishment.
Finally coming to a stop before her, Totsu let his Byakugan deactivate and looked at her gently. "Hinata-sama, are you alright?"
She gazed at him silently, then looked down at Naruto, lying bruised and bloodied on the ground, unconscious. Totsu's gaze followed her own, and he started in recognition. "This boy..." he murmured. Immediately her hand was in his grasp as he pulled her to her feet. "Let's go, Hinata-sama."
She looked up at her cousin once more. "Wait, he helped me!" she cried desperately. How could he think of leaving Naruto like that? He was just a child, like her!
Totsu's gaze and tone became sharp. "Do not concern yourself with him! Let's go!"
"B-but-!" she protested weakly. However, her cousin's pull was irresistible, and she found herself being taken farther away from her rescuer. "Wait!"
She looked back, hoping that Naruto would miraculously wake and follow so that she could properly thank him, but to no avail. The small blonde continued to lay on the ground, unmoving. She was struck by how frail he looked when he wasn't yelling or running or fighting. It suddenly occurred to her that she'd never seen anyone care for Naruto the way her family cared for her - even if they were just attendants. Who were his parents, and where were they? Why did everyone seem to hate him?
The boy had stood up for her, for no reason than she was being bullied. Much like himself, she realized. At that moment she decided that if nothing else, she would not hate him. Somehow, she'd have to show him that there were people in the world who could accept him for who he was. Even if the entire village hated him, he'd have at least one friend. Maybe that would be enough?
She nodded to herself firmly. Tomorrow, she'd track Uzumaki Naruto down and deliver her thanks in person. And maybe she'd ask if he wanted to play while she was at it.
Whew, it's been a while. This story is obviously based on the flashbacks during Hinata's part of the battle against Pain, but as you may guess from the title I have something else in mind. I hope you'll enjoy the later entries!
