A/N: Hello wonderful readers! Welcome to my very first fanfiction; I hope it's not as bad as I think it is! This situation happened to me, so I know how it feels. . Just so you know this is pre-Shippuden, because it worked better that way to me. Anyway, please review and critique! It helps me write better. xD
Fear is the greatest enemy of the human psyche. It warps a person's usually boastful thoughts, distorting them into visions of self-loathing and hatred, a paranoia no one is able to bring you out of, no matter how hard you try. These thoughts cannot be stopped by reassuring words, prayer or loving embraces.
No, these fears you have to conquer for yourself.
But for Hinata Hyuuga, getting over her nerves was, for lack of a better word, impossible.
Pacing inside the Hokage's office, Hinata's hands trembled as the normally spacious quarters began to petrify her more than a skilled genjutsu as the walls slowly closed in around her, seeming to take away every breath she took; before long Hinata's face looked red as a rose, nothing but the sound of her wheezing (nearly hyperventilating in the process) coming out of her mouth. W-why did Tsunade have to have me give the village update? She knows how much I hate public speaking! I-I don't even like talking to Naruto-kun, so what makes her think I can do this? A few sparse tears rolled down the young Hyuuga's cheek, and as she wiped them away, her mind continued to tell her how unqualified and unprepared she was, even when none of the above was true; she had been told countless times what she'd need to say, and (as if she didn't already have that memorized) a spare piece of parchment rested on the edge of Tsunade's desk, and on it Hinata had written her entire speech down to the letter. Closing her milky white eyes, Hinata concentrated hard on what she needed to do, but all of the color drained from her face as she cleared her throat and attempted to recite her speech.
"P-people of K-Konoha… I-I-I…" She stops herself out of embarrassment, bringing her hands up to her lips in a familiar gesture she used when she was younger, and still uses when she got really flustered. Her eyes fill up with tears once again, though she makes no attempt to stop them now. "Oh… I- I just can't d-do it!" Trying to hold back a flood of tears, Hinata starts to cough uncontrollably, and soon she claws at her throat to keep herself from choking, eyes blurry with salty, unshed tears.
"Hey Hin- HINATA!" A voice called from behind her, and soon she was slammed into from behind, sending the Kunoichi sprawling to the floor with a screech. "GAH! Hey, t-that hurt- wait, N-Naruto? Why are you here?" Hinata asks, a light blush crossing her checks. "Well, Grandma Tsunade said that you were giving the village address today, and I knew you'd be all choked up, but I didn't think it'd be this bad! Ha!"
Chuckling despite the corny pun, and the fact that he thought it'd be funny to joke about her near death experience, Hinata smiled and looked away, feeling slightly dizzy at the thought of Naruto actually being worried about her. "W-well thanks for coming, N-Naruto." She stammered, daring to take one look back at him. "I-I would've been in s-some trouble if you hadn't come…"
Naruto scoffed. "That's not true at all! Well, maybe when you were choking, but still, you're one of the strongest Kunoichi I know! Besides, Sakura and Ino are training to be healers; you get to fight off bad guys like this, believe it!" He grinned, striking a karate-chop pose. A soft laugh vibrates up Hinata's vocal chords, and as she leans back to rest her head against the wall, her eyes flutter closed for a few seconds, indicating that she was extremely close to fainting as Naruto got closer.
Luckily, she managed stayed awake this time.
Naruto watched Hinata intently, his eyebrows furrowing with worry as he watched her eyes shut like they normally did when he did nothing but look at the poor girl. But as Hinata's creamy orbs opened once again, he grins. "Hooray, you didn't faint very much this time!" Realizing that it was a bad choice of words, Naruto rubs the back of his head nervously, taking a moment to mull over his words before he speaks again. "Anyway, I just came here to cheer you on! I know you're going to do great." He patted her head and then headed towards the door, but a miserable squeak causes him to stop in his tracks.
"I'm not doing it."
Naruto frowned and pivoted around on his heels to face Hinata, azure eyes pooling with irritation. "What do you mean you're not gonna do it? You can't quit just because you're a little scared! I mean sure, you usually faint when you try to talk to other people, but it's just a speech! All you have to do is hide behind the paper if you get nervous." Seeing Hinata's crushed reaction to his failed attempt at humor, he crosses the old wooden floor to the trembling Hyuuga, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.
"Look, I wasn't trying to offend you. I was just trying to make a joke? See?" He stuck his tongue out and pretended to punch himself repeatedly. "Silly, stupid me." Hinata smiles a bit this time, but then looks away.
"Well Tsunade even said that it was a mission. I have to do it. B-But..." Tears fill her eyes once again, and she removes her hand and turns her back on Naruto, shoulders shaking with tears. "But everyone will t-think I-I'm terrible and hate me… M-my voice cracks now and it's n-not pretty and everyone will hate me because I-I'll faint and Tsunade will have to d-do the reading for me and I'll f-f-fail!" Her words become even more fractured and unrecognizable as she continues, and as Naruto comes to hug her, she resists, deliberately backing away from the Jinchuriki. "N-Naruto-kun, I know you're trying to help, but… I've made my decision."
Naruto, refusing to go down so easily, stamped his foot and takes her shoulders, shaking them furiously. "Listen to me Hinata: you can do it! This isn't going to ruin your reputation. A simple speech doesn't make you a great Ninja. What makes a person legendary is their inner strength, and how they can overcome any obstacle because, even if they're ever afraid, they can pull through and stand their ground. Like this, remember?" He sets her down and puts his fists out in front of him, demonstrating the first move every Genin was taught. Hinata, dizzy from the constant shaking, waits a few seconds before responding, but the words caught in her throat as she stood mesmerized by the pose, and the memory that came with it.
Not too long after they had become Genin, Hinata had spent countless nights without sleep, training and practicing exactly what Naruto had done (well, the good things he had done). Her knuckles had become so bloody people actually started to notice her, and most of the scars from those long nights were still visible today. Her father had always thought she was useless, but she knew she could prove him wrong! She wanted to make her sister proud, and prove to Neji that she could be the Hyuuga heiress the clan deserved.
"-And that's why I really enjoy beef ramen in a cup, way more than that vegetable kind, yuck!" Naruto sputtered, and Hinata chortled as she realized that he had gotten way off topic.
"Umm- Naruto?"
Naruto gazed at her worriedly. "Yeah, Hinata? You kind of spaced off there."
Hinata's already pale skin went sheet white as she shakily pointed to the clock. "I-It's time! Oh no, I-I don't think I can d-do this, I'm going to be terrible… I'm." Little did she know that Naruto had already charged outside, and was wailing to the gathering masses below.
"Hey! Since Grandma Tsunade is so lazy, Hinata gets to do the announcements! So give it up for her!"
Hinata blushed. Did he really just do what I think he did? He called me out! N-Naruto-kun! Oh, why, why on earth would you do that? Either way she was being summoned, so she frantically grabbed the paper and rushed outside. Nudging the curtain that stood between her and the crowd below, she hesitantly waved to the crowd, a soft smile weaving its way across her lips. Naruto saw Hinata and smiled, taking her hand and leaning in close so he could whisper in her ears. "Hey if you ever get scared, remember…" he abruptly pecked her check, then squeezed her hand even tighter.
"I'll always be there for you."