Hinata stood behi
nd the tree trunk, admiring the blonde ninja gorging on ramen. He was everything the young girl wanted to be strong, proud and not afraid to state his opinion. Yet she could not, her father had made her so afraid of anything out of tradition that she's become the shyest girl in the village. With the blood of the strongest clan in the village coursing through every vein, Hinata has the Gentle Fist style at her disposal, a style invented for utilizing their blood heritage perfectly. Yet with such power she cannot even summon the strength to tell someone her feelings.
The young girl sighed. She would gladly take a hundred blows from Neji just so she could summon the courage to ask Naruto out. She kicked at the dirt thinking why she couldn't be more like Ino or Sakura who would tell the person they like the second they saw them. It was basically what they did constantly when chasing after Sasuke, which ended after seeing him betray the whole village.
Naruto paid for his fifth bowl of ramen, slapping the yen down harshly on the wooden table. "Thanks old man! I'll be back later for dinner!" Naruto waved good bye, brushing a hand through his hair. It was really just a bad habit that he developed at a young age. He saw a lot of movie stars do it which made girls goes crazy. He did it to impress Sakura, but in the end it did nothing. After awhile it just became a habit and he did it whenever he was finishing up a task or starting a task.
Come to think of it, Naruto had a lot of weird habits. He started to think, and instinctively his arms went to the back of his head. His eyes started to wander again, boredom overtaking his entire body and brain. He spotted Hinata, trying to hide in the trees. His arms went to his side quickly and blinked. What was she doing hiding behind a tree? "Hinata-Chan? Is that you?" He inquired in his same idiotic voice. Naruto wasn't necessarily dumb, but you could just say he's ignorant. He can never tell when something's going on or not.
Hinata blushed deeply, something she did very often around the blonde ninja. "Hai, Naruto-Kun." The Hyuuga Heir nodded a bit; her body language suggested huge amounts of embarrassment. Any normal person would've detected it but Naruto was pretty ignorant.
"What's the matter Hinata? You look like you need to go to the washroom..." He asked, adjusting his forehead protector. His eyes were dimly scanning around, not really looking but were just emptily looking everywhere out of boredom.
"Oh it's nothing Naruto-Kun." Hinata smiled at the blonde ninja. Her cheeks flushed red almost instantaneously as Naruto returned the same smile.
"Okay then. I need to find Shikamaru, he said he was going to teach me how to use Shadow Copy no Jutsu. He's probably lying though..." Naruto started to muse and mumble words under his breath. Most of it was very random but some of it held some sense.
"Ano... Naruto-Kun?" The young girl said.
"Yes Hinata?" Naruto replied with his same smile. Hinata was planning to ask if Naruto had a date for the Winter Festival, which was coming in a short month. But her nervousness overcame her and she just shook her head.
"It's nothing Naruto-Kun!" She bowed.
"Oh, all right then. I think Shikamaru's at his usual hill, staring at stupid clouds. Alright I'm off!" With a quick wave, Naruto disappeared with incredible ninja speed.
Hinata sighed and mentally beat herself for screwing up again. Every single time she wanted to ask Naruto something, whether it be something simple like asking him for a pencil or asking him if he was doing anything on Saturday. She would always screw up somehow. 'No!' The young girl thought defiantly. 'Next time I WILL ask Naruto-Kun if he's busy on the day of the Winter Festival!' She put on a strong face and started back home for the Hyuuga Mansion.
Shikamaru lay on his back staring at the clouds. His mind wandered aimlessly. It was what he did; many people would wonder what the hell was he doing. Wouldn't it get boring everyday? Shikamaru was in fact not just staring at clouds but pondering about life and it's meanings. He was always a deep kid, maybe it was a source to his intellect or he was just born that way. Either way he just sat and stared at the clouds, wondering how they were and how he was. It was the same everyday except that Chouji was no longer sitting next to him, asking him random questions while chomping down on chips. "Chouji..." he muttered. He missed his large friend. He was gentle and strong but never had great self-esteem. If only Chouji himself could see through into his own greatness.
"Man..." Shikamaru wiped a single tear from his eye. Without a doubt it was his own bad strategy that led to his friend's untimely death. That was what he told himself everyday contrary to what all his other friends would say. 'It wasn't your fault' or 'He chose his own destiny'. But Shikamaru didn't see it that way; he saw it as his own fault. He saw it as because of him... Because of him his best friend died!
"You shouldn't beat yourself up" Shikamaru heard his other teammate behind him.
"It was my fault wasn't it...Ino?" He turned around to see the same purple clad, blonde hair, Sasuke-chasing ninja. She was still as beautiful as ever, but her bust was starting to kick in hard and her Sasuke chasing days ended on the same day Chouji died.
"You're a brilliant strategist Shikamaru, you did your best..."
"My best wasn't good enough. If I was... If I could've thought of a better strategy I probably could've been able to save Chouji... I just needed more time!" Shikamaru slammed a fist against the grass.
"Have you figured out a strategy that could've saved Chouji?" Ino asked, her voice not breaking up at all. Even though she was recalling one of the most painful moments in her life, he voice and body stood strong. She cannot show weakness when she was trying to comfort a friend; it would spoil the whole thing.
"No... Every strategy that I've thought of after the incident has proved to either lower the chance of Chouji surviving or just have myself or failing in the pursuit of Sasuke."
"Chouji died happy, you saw him lying there against the tree. He was smiling. He wanted you to be happy." Ino said. Out of anything she wanted in the world at that very moment, all she wanted to do was to break down and cry like a baby. But she couldn't, she can't not now.
"Yea..." Shikamaru got up, his muscles getting used to movement after being idle for so two hours. "Thanks Ino... I really needed that." He patted her on the shoulder before heading back down the hill.
"Shikamaru...?" Ino said, tilting her head downwards so you can't see her eyes.
"Yea?" The lazy Jouuin said as he turned back, his eyes in his pocket again. He saw that Ino was on the verge of breaking down and crying her eyes out. The young kuionichi opened her arms for a hug. Shikamaru hesitated for a moment but a part of him really wanted to hug her. Not just to make her feel better but to satisfy something inside of him. Kicking away all hesitation, Shikamaru stepped up and hugged her.
"Thanks Shikamaru..." Ino whispered into Shikamaru's ear. She continued to cry and cry. Her tears not stopping and beginning to soak Shikamaru's shoulder. "I shouldn't have kept on calling him a fat ass. He never did like it when I said it, but that's all..." Her words broke up into incoherent mumbling as she continued to cry. Shikamaru patted the back of her head and led her home slowly. On the long way back, many onlookers stared at the sobbing ninja.
"What the hell are you guys looking at? Can't you see she's in pain?" Shikamaru suddenly lashed out in anger. He didn't know why he said such a thing. Being the lazy jackass he was he would've normally just ignored it and guided Ino home (which was already something the old Shikamaru would've had done anyway). But the Jouuin felt incredibly angry at the whispers and awkward stares that were given at Ino.
Shikamaru couldn't help but mentally hit himself. He was being irrational, something he has never ever done in his life. 'I must be tired from all the work... that's all.' He sighed. Being assigned as a Jouuin so shortly after becoming a Chuuin surprised Shikamaru, but the better pay would help him pave an easier life. It also made things harder which irritated the lazy ninja.
"Thanks Shikamaru..." Ino whispered once again into her friend's ear. Soon they were at the flower shop in which Ino lived. Shikamaru helped her up the stairs and into her room. She continued to sob as they sat on her bed.
"Look Ino... Chouji died happily just like you said." Shikamaru's intellectual brain couldn't help but laugh at this bit of irony. He was comforting her whereas ten minutes ago it was vice versa.
Ino slowly stopped crying while Shikamaru continued to comfort he with kind words and soft pats on the back. 'Jeez, I'm not good at this comforting thing!' Shikamaru thought to himself. 'Man women are troublesome... but I guess I can't blame her...'
It was at least ten at night when Ino finally dozed off from all her crying. Shikamaru went back home. Surprisingly, Ino's parents knew why she was crying and even told the young ninja that she's been sobbing about it for many days now.
Hinata was standing in the Hyuuga Mansion's courtyard. She stood at the edge of the small tranquil pond, her reflection staring back at her. She was trying her best, picturing that she was talking to Naruto and mustering all he courage to ask him if he was free on the Winter Festival. She was doing so well at the reflection she was even thinking about asking Naruto-Kun out to the Winter Festival. But the second the idea emerged from his brain she blushed and almost fell into the pond.
Naruto sat next to Iruka-Sensei slurping at his ramen and almost finishing his bowl in a matter of seconds. In a single gulp he ate his entire bowl and gasped in pleasure. "Ah! I love it when you buy me ramen Iruka-Sensei!" The young boy said as he stretched his arms. Kakashi had him doing some harsh exercises involving Kage Bunshin No Jutsu and learning how to use it in conjunction with simpler jutsus to make sneaky but good tactics.
"Well it's good to see my favorite student doing so well as a ninja." Iruka-Sensei smiled at put a hand on the blonde hair ninja's head. Naruto smiled back proudly. He was happy being acknowledged even with a simple head pat.
"So you got a date for the Winter Festival Naruto?" Iruka sneered.
Naruto was definitely caught off guard by the sudden question. He turned to face another bowl of ramen and picked up his chopsticks again. He slowly ate the noodles, contemplating on the hard question. "Well... I was planning on asking Sakura-Chan out... but I know she'll just reject me." Naruto sighed.
"What? The great Naruto backing down because he knows rejection?" Iruka-Sensei sneered again as he teased his former student.
"Hey! Hey! It's just that... Sakura-Chan doesn't acknowledge me the way I want her to. She sees me as a friend, a teammate and a complete moron. I want her to see me... "Naruto faded.
"Ah... Well I have one question for you Naruto" Iruka pulled his arm up to his heart and clutched it. "Does it hurt here whenever she says something mean to you or she rejects you for a date?"
"Well..." Naruto stopped to think. "Yea a bit, but not as much pain as a kunai in my hand or being punched by Kakashi-Sensei."
Iruka smiled and started to eat his ramen again. 'Well at least he isn't really in love. If it doesn't hurt as badly as he says, then it is definitely not true love." Iruka mused.
Time quickly passed and Naruto found himself waving good bye to his teacher while walking back home. It was quite dark, the people who were suppose to light up the lamps along the street popping up from their houses with long poles with a small flame at the tip. The young ninja smiled, thinking that his life couldn't be better. He was happy, he was getting stronger everyday and Sasuke no longer wants to kill him.
"Life is good... Nothing can possibly go wrong now." Naruto smiled.
As the young ninja opened up the door to his apartment building, he spotted Sakura just coming home and rustling through her bags for the keys to the door. Naruto had a slight glint in his eyes when he thought of the chance he had.
"Sakura-Chan!" Naruto said, waving at his teammate.
"Oh Naruto-Kun! What are you doing?" Sakura said, brushing a strand of hair from her face behind he ear.
"Oh just getting home after dinner... Uh... I want to ask you something Sakura-Chan! Would you go to the Winter Festival with me? Huh? Huh?" Naruto said, trying to put on his most casual face possible.
"Oh! Well..." Sakura put her hand to her chain, thinking about the idea for a moment.
Temari stood in front of the gates, a single bag full of clothing at her feet. She was alone, without the escort of her teammates. The doors slowly opened as she walked into the Hidden Leaf village. Since she was an ally of the Leaf Village and had proven her loyalty by saving Shikamaru's ass, she was very welcome. Well maybe not very welcome, as each guard made sure to keep their eyes on her. Her huge fan was still slung over her shoulder, as if it was a normal accessory to a girl's wardrobe.
"Now where would that lazy oaf be...?" Temari asked herself. She then spotted Shikamaru, waving good bye to some people inside a flower shop. He started walking home. It was so like him, not using his Ninja speed but instead taking it easy... just walking. Temari gripped her bag and fan then started for the lazy Jouuin.
Ino almost woke up with a gasp; her eyes snapping open like she forgot something deadly important. "Shikamaru!" the young girl got up and looked out the window.
'I forgot to ask him to the Winter Festival! Or at least drop hints so he would take me!' Ino knew it was a terrible time to take advantage of the poor Jouuin but she really was starting to develop feelings for her teammate. She quickly scanned outside her house.
There he was, the Jouuin already walking home. She opened the window completely open and jumped down, her strength returning after crying so much.
Kicking up dust as she landed, Ino caught the attention of the lazy ninja, who turned to see the blonde hair girl, tears completely gone from her face.
Shikamaru cracked his neck, receiving a very long but quite interesting tale from Ino's parents. Though they added very annoying comments and useless details, it came down to Ino being upset about Chouji. Shikamaru knew that, and tried his best to escape the conversation, get home and sleep. But Ino's parents were just like their daughter: loved conversation. Finally he got out after a good ten minutes of stupid comments and a story that he already knew.
"What the...?" Shikamaru suddenly saw Temari; her fan slung over her shoulder and a travelling bag in he other hand, rushing towards him. "Now what does she want?" Shikamaru was hoping she didn't come to brag about saving him, cause that would be a major pain in the ass. But she wouldn't come all this way just for that, no way. Must be something else. The heavy make-up and seductive smile said otherwise. Then it hit him; she was giggling slightly and even blushed a bit when he put his arm over her shoulder as a crutch.
No way is he getting into a relationship, this lazy ass Jouuin was not getting into a boyfriend-girlfriend thing anytime soon. He was about to turn when a dull thud of sandals against sand hit his eardrums. He turned around to see Ino, almost with the exact expression.
"Damn it!" He cursed in his mind. An image of his father being bossed around by his mother suddenly popped inside of Shikamaru's head. Suddenly he replaced his father and Temari and Ino replaced his mother. 'I am so screwed...' the ninja thought as he shifted his view from Ino to Temari.
