Legend:
-Thoughts-
Narration
"Talking"
(With Certain Character or Scene Change)
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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything relating to it, but I do own this plot!
I Always Knew
Chapter 1: Leaving and Promises
-She's fallowing me again like she does every day in her spare time. She loves me that much is obvious, and I can't deny that I have feelings for her too. However, she can never know that I know these things. We've been like this since the first time we met in the academy, but I knew that her family would never approve of their heir with going out with an orphan someone who didn't even know their own heritage, so I became the village idiot to push her even further away. Only now do I and no other, except for those who were there during the Kyuubi attacks, know the truth that I am the container of the nine-tailed demon fox that destroyed our village and the Fourth Hokage.
But for some unfathomable reason she still clung on to me so I pretend to be in love with Sakura, but still she had hope. I did the only thing I could think of to protect her; I tried to crush her dream of ever being with me by seeming to go after Sakura whole-heartily. I would endure the pain of Sakura's rejections and punches for as long as it takes and the inevitable loneliness that I know that I cause myself later for all of eternity if only she would forget about me and move on with her life.
She was the first person, other than Iruka-sensei, to acknowledge my existence and believed in me. She never saw a failure, but a proud shinobi, who would one day accomplish his dream of one day becoming the greatest Hokage that this village has and will ever see. I may never forget her, no not may because she is impossible to forget and the entire village may think that I don't notice her, but in reality I am the one that notices her the most and I know in my heart that I will always love her and no other. This at least I accidentally showed her during the chunin exams.
Kami, all I ask is that you make her forget all about me, make her turn her beautiful kind eyes from me forever, and make sure that she lives a happy life without me ever to interrupt it again. Good-bye my love, my everlasting light, my guardian angel, my sweet sensitive beautiful Hinata.- Poof!
Naruto was suddenly gone in a cloud of smoke to a dark girl's surprise. What had surprised her was that the one that she had been following all day had somehow gotten away from her. What mystified her even more and slightly embarrassed her was the fact that, since this was a clone, he must have known that she sometimes fallowed him but never bothered to tell her. Quickly she activated her byakugan to see where he might be, to her dumbfound surprise he was almost at the east gate on the opposite side on the village with a pack, alone, and leaving. As fast as her feet would take her she raced where he was praying that it wasn't too late to stop him. Naruto then suddenly poofed before her and she stopped dead in her tracks as he grabbed both her arms gently and looked deep and meaningfully into her pearl-like eyes. "Hinata," he spoke, "I need you to please promise me two things."
"S-s-sure Naruto w-what is it?" she asked in her soft voice as a blush crept onto her face.
"Promise me that you won't tell anyone that I left or which direction that I am going, not even the Hokage," he asked softly.
"O-okay n-no problem, what's th-th-the other thing?" she inquired shyly willing to do anything that would be of use for him.
"Forget about me; move on with your life. I've known about how you've felt about me since we met, and it seems that no matter what I do, your feelings for me just seem to grow. I don't know what to do anymore, so I've decided that the best way to protect you is for me to leave and to have you forget all about me," he explained solemnly.
"B-b-but Naruto w-why would y-you ever need to protect m-m-me?" she asked both deeply flattered and confused, but most of all concerned at the strange request -Is he in some sort of trouble? What could he be protecting me from?-.
Naruto then lowered his head beside hers and cupped his hand around her ear and gently whispered so that none of the others that he had long sensed hiding nearby would hear, "The nine-tailed demon fox was not destroyed like you were told, but sealed inside me just a few short moments after I was born. The Third made it a law that no one was to speak of it or to even tell me, but Mizuki did. That's why all of the villagers hate me so much, and it would make both you and your family a bigger target. I cannot bare to be the cause of that, so please for my sake and peace of mind forget that I ever existed and move on with your life."
Tears were rolling down both their faces, Hinata's because of her sudden realization of Naruto's feelings and what he was asking and doing for her and her heart was breaking; Naruto's because he could feel his heart break all over again at the fact that he had made her cry with what he was asking of her, it almost caused his resolution to crumble. "B-but Naruto I'm not strong enough t-t-to promise that," she whispered head down.
Putting his hand under her chin he gently forced her head up to look into his cerulean blue eyes and assured her, "Hinata, you are the bravest, kindest, most forgiving, most gorgeous, sweetest, and strongest person I know. I know that you can do this, please forget that I ever existed and move on with your life."
"Oh Naruto! Please don't make me do this," she begged her stutter now gone as she boldly hugged him.
"Hinata, please, I need you to do this for me," he said stiffly not use to such contact while gently untangling Hinata's arms from him and reluctantly pushing her away.
"Naruto I can't promise that I will forget about you, but if it means that much to you I'll promise to try to forget and move on with my life, though I know that it will be the hardest thing that I will ever have to do for as long as I live," she whispered dishearteningly then the clone poofed away, but this time she knew what she had been talking to, for she had had her byakugan activated through-out the entire conversation and she broke down and wept deactivating her bloodline limit not wanting to see him go.
