Disclaimer: I do not, have not, and never will own Naruto. Though I sincerely wish I did, so I could make these two get together.
A/N: Hello, everyone, this is Michiko. Natsumi-sama was nice enough to give me this, and asked me to post it for her. I hope that you all like it. If you could be so kind as to leave a comment for her, we would all greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Enjoy.
She stared across the yard, her pale eyes filled with sadness, her lips forming a forlorn pout. She waited dejectedly on the swing, awaiting her father.
The tests had just come back, and she'd scored a measly 89 out of 100. Father would not be proud. Her eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of the upcoming lecture.
I'm a Hyuga! she thought to herself. I should be doing better than this. I should be surpassing my classmates and get out early! How else will I be able to uphold my family's honor? I should be like Neji-nii! If I were, then Father would finally be happy and maybe tell me he's proud of me!
A lone tear made its way down her face, which she hastened to remove. Ninja don't cry, she reminded herself. Her resolve lasted for a moment before all the stress she'd been force through her long eight years finally broke her, and she curled up into herself as she allowed herself this one cry.
Hinata was so deep in her grief she faded to notice the residential outcast's approach. His face was a little dirty from his brief tussle with Kiba and his clothes were in slight dishevel, but overall, outside of his new bright orange shirt and dirt covered blond hair, nothing was out of the ordinary. He had been walking by, grumbling about cheating dogs when he spotted her on his swing. At first he bristled over that, but upon closer inspection he grew concerned as he realized he was crying. He scurried over to see what was wrong with her.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, bending forward.
Hinata gasped, startled out of her silent sobbing. Her eyes widened as she frantically tried to right herself. But even after she brushed away her tears, more came, replacing those she'd cried before.
Naruto, in true male fashion, panicked at the sight of the poor girl's tears. Waving his hands frantically, he said, "Hey, don't cry! Why are you crying? Are you hurt? Should I get Iruka-sensei? What's wrong? Stop crying!"
He floundered about until she finally spoke.
"N-nothing, I'm..." she trailed off, her soft voice disappearing into nothingness as she cried helplessly and curled into herself again.
Naruto, to his credit, only freaked out for a little longer before he remembered something he'd seen Iruka-sensei do.
"Wait here!" he said before rushing off to a nearby rosebush. Quickly, he shoved his hand in only to pull it back moments later with a yelp of pain. He glared at the bush before plunging in again, biting his lip until he finally was able to grab the base of one of the flowers. Then, he rushed back to Hinata, a rose in hand.
He nudged her again, and when she finally looked up, he presented to her the rose, with a determined look.
"For you," he said, finally smiling.
She blushed deeply, taking it after he shoved it into her hands.
Her mouth opened the words thank you on the tip of her tongue. But for some reason they wouldn't come out. A slight smile, instead, made its way across her face.
"Hey, you're not crying anymore!" Naruto exclaimed, his normal big grin now on his face. "That's good. Pretty girls shouldn't have to cry. That's what Iruka-sensei always says!"
Her blush deepened. She went to say something when Naruto suddenly took off with an "uh oh," followed closely by a yelling, mud covered Iruka. She stared dumbly at the place that he had been moments before, then back down at the rose he'd given to her.
Its color was a soft pink, and it had just begun to bloom. The thorns were sharp against her skin, and the pedals were a little wrinkled from his harsh treatment. But to her, it was the most beautiful things he'd ever been given.
A smile graced her blushing face as she stared after him, a warm feeling filling her up. In that moment, she forgot about the upcoming lecture and disappointment that she'd have to face when her father came. She forgot her shame, her shortcomings and her anxieties. Instead, she stared after the boy who, with one jester had managed to unintentionally steal her heart.