This is a special collab between me and my good friend Dragonfly Glimmers! Please check out her stories as well! She's an amazing writer!
We do not own any part of Naruto, and all of the rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Although if we did, Naruto and Hinata would be married!
Red Herring
i. prologue
The smell of marshmallows being burnt filled the air as five girls took turns telling ghost stories. As it would turn out, two girls - one with beautiful violet hair and the other with two buns plastered to the side of her head - were clinging to each other, practically scared out of their wits as a blonde with a ponytail and a peekaboo bang expertly told the story. Flashlight in hand, the young woman suddenly flashed it on the two scared girls, ending her story with an anti-climatic, "Boo."
Both the girls shrieked as a pink-haired girl punched the one telling the story. "Ino! Don't be a jerk, can't you see Hinata and Tenten hate horror stories?"
Another blonde with an interesting hairstyle rolled her eyes and hoisted herself up on a log. "Sakura, the story wasn't that scary anyway. They're just babies."
"But Temari," The storyteller known as Ino said expertly, "you can't deny that it's also the fact that I'm the best storyteller!" Ino was about to continue, accentuating it with a hairflip, but the sound of sniveling interrupted her. The three girls turned to see that Tenten, who had recently released her amethyst-haired friend, was staring at a slightly crying Hinata.
Sakura huffed, "Hinata, grow up." The pink-haired girl crossed her arms, staring at the wimpy girl. She was so pathetic.. "You would never be able to survive in the wild, on your own!" The loathing in her voice made the group wince.
"Hey," Ino said softly, punching Sakura's shoulder lightly, "You could've said it a little nicer..."
"S-Sakura," Hinata stood, sniffing and wiping her eyes with her sleeve, "You're always so mean to me...I-I..."
"I'm just trying to toughen you up, Hinata!" The emerald-eyed girl said, walking towards Hinata. The other girls glanced at each other, not daring to snap the tension, for it was as thick as a barbed wire. "You're just absolutely pathetic Hinata. You have no defense mechanics whatsoever. Look, you wouldn't even be able to handle a punch like..."
Sakura stopped herself, swinging a punch at Hinata. The purple-clad girl narrowed her eyes, ducking and quickly popping up, shoving an elbow in the middle of Sakura's solar plexus. As the pink-haired girl stumbled back, Hinata rose her leg to kick the girl right in the stomach, and then resumed fighting stance as Sakura crumpled to the floor. "A-Ah...Sakura...I didn't want to hurt y-you, b-but I just got s-s-so scared..."
The emerald-eyed woman rose, clenching her fists. Temari and Ino also stood, preparing to hold the girls back. However, an icy glare from Sakura froze them in their tracks. Her stare...it held such... Sakura broke the glance, and turned back towards to Hinata. "Hinata, that is such crap! You act all nice and sweet but that's just an act!"
"H-Huh?" Hinata seemed genuinely confused, backing up slightly as Sakura loomed over her. "W-What are y-you-"
"You've had such a charmed life," The pink-haired girl spoke, breathing the word 'charmed' as if it had a contagious disease, "What with Neji protecting you all the time." In the corner of Hinata's eye, she could see Tenten wince. However, she didn't have time to console her friend as Sakura barked, "Oh, that's right: he's dead now."
The bright-eyed Hyuga frowned as a spark of courage mustered up within her, staring Sakura down right in the eyes. The other girl flinched, unused to Hinata's valor. "Don't talk about my-"
The bushes moved.
Tenten was the first to shriek, grabbing onto Temari, who promptly shoved her off. "Guys, what was that?"
It was followed by a few screams, and then swallowed by darkness.
R&R!