-1Hinata looked at the tranquil serene world of her domicile. It seemed so undisturbed, like no human life form had ever walked it, and yet so beautiful you could hardly stand not to stare at its exquisiteness without contentment. Hinata sucked in the fresh smell of flowers and ramen slowly as she stared at the loveliness of the land in awe for several minutes as adventures and feelings of the time she had while she was living here floated through her mind, feeling her senses more then the warm breeze and the gentle smell of her hometown. It occurred to her how much the land had changed over the mast of some years, and yet how beautiful it still was.
'I wonder how much I've changed;' she wondered as she meandered over to a sparkling clear stream near her home. She knelt down beside the clear blue waters, peeking down at her reflection and puzzling over the girl who was staring back up at her.
Over the course of only a few years she had grown up, probably faster then she should have. Many thought of her as a very mature and beautiful young woman, although she saw the same child-like spark behind her deep eyes. Sometimes she did not recognize herself, and this was one of those times. She stared at the mirror image that seemed so anomalous and isolated for many minutes in awe, curious of why she didn't even recognize herself anymore even though she was still the same shy, confused girl she had always been.
Sighing heavily she pushed herself up, not wanting to look at herself anymore for fear she would see something she did not like come up to the surface and replace the gentle image peering back at her. She brushed herself off, never looking upward until she took a step forward and was surprised to be face to face with her sensei, Kurenai, who was smiling the biggest, shiniest white smile she had ever seen on her pale face.
They stared at each other in anguish for several moments, both wondering and nervous of who would be the first to reply, and what they would speak of. Finally, after many of what seemed to be brutal minutes, Kurenai was the first to reply. She put another big smile on and then excitedly said," Hinata-Chan, I've got some wonderful news for you, if you're willing."
She sounded a little too happy, like there was a catch, but Hinata couldn't help asking what it was, and replied," W-What is it, Kurenai-Sensei?"
Kurenai let the minutes tick by, and Hinata's imagination wander, stimulating the matter as more time went by. Finally, Hinata just couldn't contain her wonders and excitement and asked once more," W-What is it, Kurenai-Sensei?"
Kurenai smiled brightly again -obviously glad Hinata was the one to break the silence- and took out a scroll that looked so old that you'd think it'd break to pieces as soon as you touched its fine, course paper.
After seeing Hinata's puzzled, but curious face, Kurenai asked," You have no idea what this is, do you?"
Hinata shook her head.
"This. . .why this is a notice for all you little ninjas in Konoha. Want to read it?"
Hinata nodded, and Kurenai handed her the scroll gingerly, making sure it didn't fall to pieces before Hinata could even set her eyes on the text inside.
Hinata was astonished at the handwriting inside, for it was so neat and brilliant looking. Hinata wondered who wrote it and asked," Who wrote this, Kurenai-Sensei?"
She smiled again, but this time, it seemed to be with pride. "The Hokage wrote it! Go on, go ahead and read it!"
Hinata glanced at Kurenai, puzzled by her sudden excited personality, but then locked her eyes on the paper to read. Kurenai giggled quietly as she watched Hinata's eyes grow large in interest, but still showed slight worry.
Hinata looked up at Kurenai when she finished, obviously awestruck by what the scroll had contained. "What do you think of the news?," Kurenai asked kindly.
Hinata stared at Kurenai with a look of such sadness, it was painful to see, and replied," I don't want to do it. I'm too weak. They'll kill me out there. Don't you even understand that?"
Kurenai was absolutely surprised by her reaction. She hadn't stuttered at all, and had added an angry hiss to her voice, much to Kurenai's dismay. Kurenai knew Hinata wouldn't want to do it, but hadn't expected that. The Fifth Hokage had wished for the ninjas of Hinata's standards to train more, so she had ordered they all meet at the training grounds to train together every weekend, and stay all weekend, and Hinata didn't agree to this, for none of the other ninjas really liked her, and the scroll had explained the entire situation of the training grounds.
Kurenai looked at Hinata with some sympathy, but then saw it was becoming twilight, and said to Hinata," Hinata-Chan, I need to go, so please just go to the training grounds tomorrow."
Kurenai then squeezed Hinata tightly, sprinted to the trees, and then leaped from tree to tree to the unknown.
Hinata awoke, and evoked her senses to feel that sense of her homeland smell. She laid in her warm, comfortable bed for several moments, and then slowly pushed herself off the side of it in much agony. She did not want to go to the training grounds at all, but knew Kurenai just would go into deep depression to not see her there. Hinata stretched her weak muscles and got dressed in her training clothes, but it seemed every move she made pained her beyond belief. After several painful minutes, she finished getting dressed and headed downstairs.
Hinata was consternated to see her mother up that early, and amazingly, cooking breakfast too. Her mother heard Hinata's footsteps and turned around. "Oh, aren't you going to the training grounds? Well, good morning, and eat some breakfast before you go."
Her mother extended her hand to reveal a plate full of delicious food to Hinata. Hinata was absolutely astonished to see her mother like this. She was usually nefarious or just plain grumpy, and never seemed to be kind. After a few moments, Hinata gingerly took the plate of food her mother offered. "T-Thank you, mother," Hinata whispered as she sat down at the wooden table they ate at.
Her mother for one of the only times in her life smiled a bright, kind grin. "You're very welcome, Hinata, but you need to eat that quickly so you may make it to the training grounds in time."
Hinata ate the last bit of an egg roll, and then gave her mother a quick hug as she left quickly.
Hinata walked up to the gigantic training grounds, but was sickly surprised to see it was deserted. She walked up and down the fields, but to no prevail. There was none of her pupils there to spar with.
She then just walked up to a small stump and rested her joints and muscles, for they ached uncontrollably. After a few lonely, boring moments, she was happily surprised to see a classmate far off in the distance. Being too weak to return home, and the kid being closer, she ran -at full speed- to the mysterious classmate.
Hinata's eyes opened wide as she saw who the kid was. There, shooting fire at random stumps and doing flips and such, was Sasuke, who wasn't even supposed to be back in Konoha yet. He turned his head and stared at her, his sharingan eyes staring deep at her in such a mixture of emotions it startled Hinata. He snickered as he saw the fear in Hinata's eyes, and then returned to attacking random stumps, looking like a lunatic acrobatic to Hinata.
After many uncomfortable moments, Hinata looked at Sasuke and said, "Sasuke?"
He turned his head to her, but you could tell he really didn't care. He then sighed and added an angry hiss to his voice as he said harshly, "What?"
This startled Hinata, but she forced herself to be brave and ask," Will you spar with me?"
He rolled his eyes, but then pushed back his bangs and smiled evilly. "Oh, sure, of course, Hinata-San."
Hinata's heart beat fast and her eyes grew wide as he said that. His evil smile seemed to suck all of her freewill out of her, and she found herself frightened, and many of her emotions mixed and not making sense. She fell to the ground, and just before that, glanced at Sasuke to see him smiling nefariously.
Hinata awoke to find herself lying on the ground where she'd fallen, and Sasuke not far away, eating bento. She tried pushing herself up, but only to fall back down, for she felt more weak and pained than ever before.
Sasuke looked in her direction, seeing she was awake, and surprisingly set down his food, walked up to her, looked away, but held out his hand for her to grab so she could get up. She grabbed it, and forced herself up with much agony, but it was easier with Sasuke's slight help.
"T-Thank you, Sasuke-San," Hinata stuttered out, not being used to talking to Sasuke yet.
He looked at her, put on a small smile, turned around to where he didn't face her, and then said," Feh. It was nothing."
Hinata couldn't help but smile at his strange reactions, and giggled quietly and grinned.
Hinata awoke the next day, but to find herself on a bed of leaves, instead of the bare ground. She looked in the direction of the now rising sun to see Sasuke not far off in the distance in a cherry blossom tree, eating an orange. The sun made his hair have a golden sheen, and his clothes a fiery crimson, and he looked remarkable in the pose he was in. He turned to see her, and his sharingan eyes posed a bright, fiery look, looking more demoniac than ever before, and he looked . . . Beautiful, as strange as it sounded. After several moments, Sasuke jumped out of the tree, and walked over to Hinata, and much to Hinata's dismay, he looked normal again.
Sasuke handed her an orange and sat down beside Hinata. As they ate, Sasuke looked at Hinata and said," Are you healed yet?" with a actually caring tone.
Hinata's eyes opened wide, for she hadn't expected that question, especially in that tone.
Hinata tried calming herself down, and then stuttered out," W-Why, Sasuke . . . San . . . ?"
Hinata watched as Sasuke tried to hide his emotions as he spoke, but she could tell he cared. He turned away from her, and then whispered, so quietly, in fact, that Hinata had to perk her ears," Because . . . Because . . . You've been so sick lately . . . And . . . I can't let me comrades die, I have to protect them with my life, and you're my comrade, Hinata-Chan . . ."
Hinata was completely dumbfounded. He'd actually cared, and he'd used "Chan" instead of just normal "San", to top it off. Then, suddenly, it hit her. 'He . . . Does he . . . Love me, just the shy, dumb Hinata?;' Hinata thought, completely speechless.
She let that thought settle, and watched as Sasuke just sitting there, patient. Then, a thought she swore would never enter her mind came. 'Do . . . Do I love him . . . ?;'
She glanced at Sasuke, and then thought, 'He really can actually be nicer, and definitely smarter than Naruto. He's stronger too, and I have no chance with Naruto anyway. I . . . I think I do love Sasuke . . .;'
She glanced at Sasuke one more time, him meeting her eyes with his dazzling ones, and then Sasuke leaned over and kissed Hinata's cheek, and they both blushed a fiery crimson.