SHY LOVE
FULL SUMMARY
Hinata Hyuga has been feeling depressed and ashamed of herself ever since Pain's defeat at the hands of the newly declared hero of the Leaf Village: Naruto Uzumaki
She confessed her undying love to him and tried her best to protect him with the little strength she carried and yet... No response. It was already bad enough that she wasn't any match for the powerful leader of the much feared akatsuki but to also have no response from Naruto about her confession was a bit, well... heartbreaking. Rumors had been going around about her love for Naruto and few to many have also approached her on this matter to find if what the rumors were spreading are true.
Naruto, having not been given a chance to speak to Hinata due to his new celebrity-like status, is hopelessly and utterly confused about the past recent events. Hinata, a shy but extremely kind and beautiful young woman had professed her love for the blonde, loudmouth, hot-blooded young shinobi. Naruto was sure that Sakura was the woman that he loved with all his heart but was that really the truth? Does he really love the pink-haired kunoichi or was his feelings a cover up for something else? What about Hinata? Why did he feel so torn up and at rage at the thought that she had been killed at the hands of Pain and why was he in tears when he figured out that she was alive and well? One thing is for sure: Something triggered within him since that unforgettable day.
Can Naruto sort out this strange feeling? Will he be able to get the chance he needs to have a talk with Hinata about the confession?
A/N- Some NaruSaku is gonna be in this. Also, this takes place around episode 220. In this story however, imma just pretend like Madara hadn't announced a war. So there will be no war or anything like that. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto :)
Chapter 1: Hinata's Depression
She was sitting on top of a small boulder, dangling her feet above a stream of clear clean water. She was in a secluded area near the village where her teammates, Kiba Inuzuka, Akamaru, and Shino Aburame would often relax at after finishing a exhausting mission. Hinata Hyuga sighed, placed her elbows on her thighs and rested her chin on top of her palms while looking at her reflection in the water.
"My eyes has been looking more tired lately..." She mumbled to herself.
The kunoichi wasn't wrong. For the past two weeks, her normally lighted lavender pupiless eyes was now losing its touch. Bags has been forming around her eyes; though they weren't entirely noticeable and easy to spot. Hinata's hasn't really eaten much of anything in a few days which resulted in her losing a few more pounds from her already thin frame. Her skin seemed a bit pale and this bothered the sixteen-year-old. Hopping off the boulder, Hinata splashed water on her face.
"Better." Hinata stared at herself.
"Hey Hinata!" A voice called out.
"Kiba! Akamaru!" Hinata looked behind her to see her teammate with his dog next to him. "Good morning. How are you two?"
"We're doing fine. We actually was looking for you."
Hinata blinked. "Huh? For me? What for?"
"Apparently, the hokage wants to have a word with you." The brown-haired young man placed a hand on his hip.
Hyuga stood up and stretched. "I guess i'll have to see what she wants."
"Yeah." Inuzuka nodded.
A gust of wind blew as Hinata strolled her way through a path to the village. Kiba watched her leave with a suspicious expression.
"She hasn't been seeming herself lately, huh Akamaru?"
Akamaru barked in response.
Meanwhile...
Naruto made his way throughout town to the newly constructed Ichiraku. Of course, while he was traveling to the restaurant, numerous fellow villagers have stopped him in order to get a autograph or photo with him. Though Naruto was glad that he was finally being acknowledged by his village, all he wanted right then was to fill his belly with his all time favorite meal: ramen. In the shop, he slurped every single strand of noodles he could take in. This time, every meal he ate was on the house. Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, insisted for Naruto to receive their special gift as thanks for him defeating Pain.
"Another one! Right here, old man!" The hero slammed his finished bowl onto the counter.
"Hey, we said that your meals were free for today but we never said you can go slamming the bowls on the counter!" Ayame scolded Naruto, "You can end up shattering them."
"Oh right..." Naruto rubs the back of his head. "S-Sorry about that."
"Ah, don't sweat about it Naruto. One lousy bowl being shattered won't do anyone any harm." Teuchi replied while handing another bowl of miso pork ramen to Naruto, who gladly accepted it.
"Thaaaaank you." Naruto then began to quickly devour his fourth bowl.
Ayame crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. All this ramen and yet... he never gains a single pound. Lucky guy.
Outside, Hinata slowly walked thoughout Konoha in deep thought.
I wonder why Lady Tsunade wants to see me. Maybe she wants me to go on a mission alone or something?
As she passed by others, they would all gawk at the teenager then whisper to the person that they were currently by.
"Isn't that the girl who supposedly told Naruto that she was in love with him?" A middle-aged woman with black hair asked another woman with brown long hair holding a baby in her arms.
"Yeah." The woman with the baby replies, "I've also heard that she's from the main branch of the Hyuga clan."
The black-haired woman gasped. "What? No way! "
"It's true. Look for yourself! She definitely has the byakugan eyes."
Seeing Hinata's eyes closely, the childless woman agreed. "Yes, yes... I can see it. She's definitely a Hyuga girl alright but... Do you think Naruto is this girl's boyfriend?"
"No way!" The other woman scoffed. "Trust me, those Hyugas are way beyond proud and arrogant. Why would the hero of the village want to be with a girl like that?!"
Hinata's head hung low. She overheard the womens small talk and brought her closed fist gently over her heart.
It wasn't too long ago that everyone shunned Naruto for thinking that the nine-tails inside him made him a monster. However... they do make a point. I'm not nearly good enough to be Naruto's girlfriend.
With her bangs covering over her eyes like a dark shade, Hinata began to reflect on memories of a past event.
Flashback
"Naruto Uzumaki! Where have you been?" Iruka Umino glared daggers at the seven-year-old version of Naruto who had just arrived late to the academy.
"Sorry sensei, I uh... uh..." Naruto tried to remember his reasoning for being late as usual, "Oh yeah! I overslept!"
"Really now? Again?"
Naruto nodded.
Iruka sighed heavily. I guess it can't be helped... he's just a kid with no parents to wake him up. It's a miracle he even comes to class at all.
"Just take a seat and pay attention." Iruka dismissed.
Naruto frowned but then began searching for an open seat.
NO! Someone took the spot next to Sakura already! Man, I should've came earlier!
"Naruto, there's a seat next to Hinata at the back. Please hurry and sit down, you're already distracting my class."
Hinata? Naruto looked around. What? Who's that?
Ino Yamanaka, getting irritated with Naruto blocking her nice view of Sasuke, pointed at the main heir of the Hyuga clan. "She's right here, dummy! Now hurry up and stop blocking my view of Sasuke!"
Naruto immediately spotted the blushing girl Ino was pointing at and smiled slightly. Of course, this made Hinata look down and turn as red as a tomato.
N-Naruto s-sm-smiled at me!
Unfotunately for the two of them, Naruto took her shyness and nervousness as a sign that she probably hated him just as badly as the others did.
Great... another one. Why shouldn't I be surprised?
Sitting in his seat, Naruto couldn't help but notice how fidgety Hinata suddenly got. He chose to ignore her weird action and rested his chin on the table while staring at his teacher while he gave his lectures.
This is boring. Why can't I be hokage already? I mean I totally got the abilities for it!
Hinata, who couldn't help but gaze at the boy she admired, couldn't stop smiling. This was her chance. Her big chance to finally say something to her crush. But what could she say? A small sentence would make her feel on top of the world. Even something as simple as: Naruto, do you need a pencil or paper? Would make her feel like an accomplished young girl.
A-Alright! This... T-This is it!
Preparing herself to say something, Hinata froze completely when Naruto's innocent blue eyes made contact with her lavender ones.
"Hinata, right?" The boy spoke, "I don't have any pencils cause I lost them. Do you have one I can use?"
Speechless. That's the one word to use how Hinata was feeling. Naruto had actually SPOKE to her. With her pulse racing and her palms sweating, she shakily handed Naruto her lucky pencil. Since Naruto was expecting Hinata to plain out say no, the small child's eyes grew wide.
"T-T-This is m-m-m-my lucky pe-pencil. Y-You c-c-can have I-it, N-N-N-Naruto."
"Thanks." Naruto grabbed the purple pencil with an orange eraser and grinned. "For a moment there, I thought you were gonna say no to me like everyone else but you didn't. This is actually the nicest thing someone has done for me."
Hinata's heart hammered. Not only did Naruto GRIN at her but he THANKED her AND said she's done the nicest thing for him so far. With her immense shyness in play, Hinata didn't respond and kept looking down.
"Maybe Sakura will give me one of her own pencils if I ask...? That'll be the best thing ever if she says yes." Naruto said loudly enough for Hinata to hear.
CRACK!
That was the sound of Hinata's heart breaking in half. The boy she had been crushing on since she was a toddler had just revealed that he had a thing for the popular Sakura Haruno. For the rest of class, Hinata became even quieter than usual and felt a bit of sadness entering her.
End of flashback
Oh Naruto.
The blue-eyed male have already had a certain someone in mind and that someone wasn't Hinata. No... It was Sakura.
Of course he loves Sakura. She's more popular, prettier, smarter, and more skilled than I am as a ninja.
Distracted by the negative thoughts running through her mind, Hinata didn't even notice that she was beginning to walk past Ichiraku.
Inside the shop, Ayame and her father noticed the kunoichi making her way past the shop.
"Huh? Isn't that the girl everyone is saying told you that she was in love with you, Naruto?" Ayame asked as Hinata disappeared from her sight.
"So the rumors are true then, huh? You got yourself a lady?" Teuchi added in.
Immediately, Naruto began to choke on the soup that was left after eating the ramen. When he managed to catch his breath, Naruto quickly stood up and looked around.
"Hinata!"
Ayame tilted her head and pointed her finger to her left. "She went that way if you're-"
"Thanks for the free meal, guys! I'll pay you back when I become hokage!" The jinchuuriki sprinted out of the noodle shop. Quickly he spotted Hinata who was unaware of Nauto's presence.
"Hey Hina-"
"Naruto! Naruto Naruto!" A group of children ran up to the young man, stopping him from going after Hinata, "Can we get your autograph! Pleaaase?"
"S-Sorry kids, I really can't right now. I'll have to do it another-"
"WAAAAAAAH!" The group of kids cry loudly.
Oh man... What do I do now?! I gotta talk to Hinata but these kids are crying so loud, it feels like my ears are going deaf!
"Sorry but I really can't stay!" Naruto tries to free himself after having his legs tightly latched on to the crying children.
"No stay!" They cry out at once,
"I said hands off!"
Looking ahead of him, he caught a glimpse of Hinata's slumped posture. To him, it looked kinda odd.
"Hinata!" He calls out to the navy-haired girl again.
This time, she turned around and gasped in shock when she saw Naruto.
I c-can't b-b-believe it! It's Naruto!
"Hinata! We need to talk! It's important!"
T-Talk? W-Wait! Does he mean...
Images of her battle with Pain returned to her mind. Out of nervousness, Hinata took off quickly, leaving Naruto behind with the clingy children.
"No! Hinata! Wait!" Naruto cried out as he dropped his guard long enough for the kids to bring him to the ground.
"Gah!" Naruto smacked his chin against the ground. The kids then sat on top of him to make sure he would stay in place.
M-Man ... my chin...
Author's Note: This is the end of my very first chapter of my Naruhina fic! Please let me know what you guys think of it in the review section below. Thanks for reading! :)