Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Hunger
Hinata watched Naruto go.
She stared as he left the one he loved behind, shoulders slumped in defeat. He walked slowly and tiredly, like a man burdened by the world and unable to be freed from its weight.
She noticed Sakura observing him as he left, arms wrapped around herself in comfort. For a moment, a surge of hate streaked through her heart. She felt hate for the one who received such love and refused it, bludgeoning Naruto's heart. The Hyuuga stared as the pinkette bowed her head, tightening her arms around herself.
Hinata's gaze softened.
The young medic shook, silent sobs wracking her body.
She immediately felt guilty for her momentary despise of the other girl. She, too, suffered from unrequited love. The team 7 kunoichi had lost the one she loved and struggled everyday with her own ambivalent heart. After all these years, she still grasped at the remains of Sasuke's presence, aching for his return. Yet, she saw sometimes how the pink-haired girl looked at her teammate, longing and sadness in her gaze. Why? She could only speculate. However, she knew that devotion such as the one Naruto showed her could not leave one's heart untouched.
Hinata blinked as a drop of water wet her eyelashes. She tore her gaze from the medic and looked up at the sky. A few more drops fell before rain started pouring, wetting everything it touched within seconds. The Byakugan user pushed her increasingly wet hair back over her shoulders and gazed once more at the pink-haired girl, cloaking herself better in the shadows.
The medic tilted her head back, letting her face be soaked with the rain, which quickly washed away the proof of her sorrow. Sakura let her head fall forward until she stared at the ground, head bowed. Then, she turned and left.
A part of the young heiress whispered that she should comfort the young woman, only understanding all too well her feelings concerning Sasuke. Yet, a bigger part whispered that it was someone else she should follow.
Naruto.
Hinata's gaze immediately sought out the rapidly disappearing form of the fox-container.
"Byakugan..." She whispered softly, yet quite certain the heavy rain would muffle any sound she might make. With silent chakra-enhanced steps she closed the distance between them, and jumped on the roof of a house bordered by two perpendicular streets, giving her a better view of the ninja walking by. Crouching, she watched him make his way past her and turn left, going towards his apartment.
The rain fell on him harshly, soaking further his already wet hair and clothes. The droplets falling on his skin hid his tears from all but her. She could sense them in the way sadness and pain emanated from his form. She could see them from the way he bowed his head, clenched his jaw, and tightened his fists.
He did not really know her, but she...
She knew him.
She had spent years watching him from the shadows, hopeful he would see her, but too scared to make herself known.
And so, she knew that he would bury his feelings, that he would smile, that he would pretend. He was so good at hiding what he felt, but she could see underneath the fierce grin, the determined set of his shoulders, and the defying jut of his chin.
As he moved, flowed and fought, she had seen his hidden strength, his thinly walled-up sorrow and his struggling hope.
And through all of the years she had watched him, she had noticed one unchangeable thing.
She had seen that he hungered.
He hungered for what had been denied to him; a family, love and respect. She had seen him fight tooth and nail for each and every of these things. She had also watched as they slipped between his grasping fingers like water, so close yet unobtainable.
He was an orphan, born from unknown parents who had seemingly disappeared without a trace.
His newfound family was broken, Sasuke out of his reach, too focused on his hatred to see what is offered to him.
The woman he loved was too blind to SEE him.
The village still whispered behind his back as he saved them, fought for them, and bled for them.
God she saw him.
She saw his hunger.
.
Hunger.
.
Hinata, herself, knew that word well.
She knew it so well some days she couldn't even think of anything else.
She hungered for acknowledgement. She wanted it until it felt like her own soul would be consumed with it. She was a failure to her father, an average ninja unworthy of leading his clan, too soft and too weak to be deserving. She was a burden to her teammates, stronger than before, yet still lagging behind as they moved in leaps and bounds.
And thus, she hungered for strength.
She trained and trained, grasping for the power she knew to possess. Yet, no matter how much she pushed and pulled, no matter how much she bled and sweat, she was unable to surpass the standards set upon her.
And so, she hungered for freedom.
She wanted to be free from her father, from her clan, from their rules and their greedy desires. She wanted to escape their clutches, their plans for her future, the tapestry they had woven for her since her birth, always changing a thread or another to suit their pleasure.
Hunger defined her, shaped her, and moulded her.
It had been her friend and her enemy as she grew up, always within her, always whispering in her ear.
Every day she hungered, forever reaching for things that she could never seemingly grasp.
And...
She hungered for him.
She hungered for his acknowledgement, having tasted the warmth of his smile and his admiration before. She hungered for his love, the one that he gave so freely to his pink-haired teammate, the one that was so beautiful and unconditional, the likes of which she had never experienced before. She hungered for his touch, for those tan hands roaming her skin as he kissed her sweetly one second, and passionately the next.
The long-haired girl pushed soaked bangs away from her eyes, and paused. The object of her hunger had disappeared down the street, out of her sight. She sat back on her heels, staying in the shadows and listening to the sound of the rain hitting the streets and the rooftops.
"Hinata?" The voice nearly startled her out of her skin and she embarrassingly fell on her back.
"Ki-Kiba-kun!" She breathed out in a rush, sitting up quickly, her cheeks flaming red. The young woman pushed chakra to her feet and stood up carefully, now secure that she wouldn't fall on the slippery roof. She felt humiliated at having been caught spying, even more so when it only proved her to be lacking, and to someone she fought alongside of in the battlefield.
"Oi! Whatcha doing on the roof of my house at this time of the night?" The brown-haired boy stood next to her, brushing his hand through his increasingly wet hair and looking around curiously. He turned his gaze back to hers, prompting her to look down. The young kunoichi felt her cheeks grow warm again. She breathed out slowly, trying to calm her racing heart.
"I'm-I'm sorry I woke you, Ki-Kiba-kun." He shrugged, giving her a warm smile. She noticed one of his fangs peeking out from between his lips and looked back down in the vicinity of his neck, incapable of looking at him in the eyes, too embarrassed by the whole situation.
"I'll b-be on my way..." With these few words, she pushed more chakra into her feet and sprinted away, leaving her teammate behind.
The Inuzuka watched her go, his smile gone, and his eyes dark with hunger.
End one-shot
Well then, this was a short follow-up piece to my story, Faint.
I'm trying my hand at shorter pieces before doing a longer story in this fandom. As such, any criticism would be appreciated, especially concerning my grasp of the characters, as well as my writing style.
I hope you enjoyed!