Title: Old Friends
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other Naruto-verse characters. I just borrow them and make them do my evil bidding (insert evil laughter here)
Summary: Everyone's coming back to Konoha village for their class reunion!
Rating: PG-13 ish? I guess that'd be teen….
Author Notes: Well I started this when I'd only seen about maybe 1 thru 40 episodes of naruto, which in reality is barely scratching the surface of this great and awesome anime! So yeah….. I'll be making it up as I go because I'm really lame that way. Enjoy I guess, and erm…. Leave feedback so I can live. Starving artist/writer that I am! Also this is gonna be HinaSaku, so if you don't like girl-on-girl then I'm sorry. Don't bother reading.
Why was this so difficult? Couldn't two old friends meet up and talk about their new lives now? Hyuuga Hinata could not understand this.
It's just going to be a reunion of old friendships.' She told herself, 'It's not like you'll see someone you were involved with.' Ha, Hinata couldn't help laughing at that, if she had ever been involved with someone back in Shinobi School it was to do homework, exchange notes, or to complete assignments.
But there was one person who she had felt strongly for. If only she'd had the courage to tell them sooner!
'Sakura has probably been with Sasuke for years now. No use in dreaming of things that are impossible.'
It had been several years since they had all become Jonin and moved on to bigger and better jobs. Hinata, although gaining a confidence that she had lacked in school, had lost some of her old contacts. So when she had received an invitation from her old Shinobi school in the Konoha village where she used to live, she decided she would go and see what everyone was up to these days.
And this was how she had gotten here. Lost. In a forest she was sure was near her old village!
"Why don't I remember any landmarks?" she asked herself irritably, stopping on a tree branch to look around, and sighing when she couldn't see any recognizable signs, "I'm lost." She admitted, sitting back on her heels and resting in the shade of the tree.
Her body, having relaxed, tensed as she heard the rustling of leaves and branches. Her legs were ready to spring from the branch she rested on, when a familiar blonde someone jumped from another tree to land on the branch she was currently about to jump off.
In her initial surprise at seeing Naruto in so long Hinata made a half jump, slipping off the tree, but landing in a crouch at it's base. "Naruto!" she exclaimed in surprise, after having regained her breath, "Hinata-San!" Naruto grinned, jumping from the tree and landing beside her. "Are you here for the class reunion too?" he asked, Hinata could see his face clearly now.
He had three long and thing scars across his face in a diagonal slash. They were white and very visible against he complexion, his blue eyes-although they sparkled with delight at seeing her now- were somewhat duller and one could tell they had seen much tragedy and hurt. His hair was a bit longer, but not too long, to the point of being a bit all-over-the-place messy.
"Yes, I've come for the reunion, I thought I might see how everyone's doing these days." Hinata grinned, almost forcing it to show. Reunions were okay, but not when some people were there. "But right now I'm just lost." She sighed in annoyance.
"Ha, that's okay, I didn't recognize these woods either, but I got to the village okay so I was walking when I ran into you!" Naruto explained, to which Hinata dryly replied, "Walking, huh?"
"Whoa, I think I liked shy Hinata better!" he was joking now, and Hinata smacked him in the arm, "Please, I am so over you by now, Naruto!"
And it went on like this as they made their way back to Konoha village. Hinata asked about Sasuke, to which she got a full report on 'the great Sasuke's' deeds, but when he asked about Sakura Naruto avoided the subject by asking if she wanted to get some ramen to which she declined, instead finding the place her old Sensei Iruka had set up for her and all the others who were traveling. Apparently she was sharing a room, but her roommate hadn't shown up yet. Hinata hoped it wasn't Ino, the girl had been obnoxious enough in school, she had yet to see her now.
Hinata unpacked her stuff and changed from her travel-worn clothes and into something more comfortable. Deciding to explore that new forest she and Naruto had just come through.
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As she walked through the forest, Hinata found herself wondering more and more about Sakura. Why had Naruto avoided the question? Why had he not told her?
She tried to remember the look on his face when she had mentioned Sakura's name, perhaps she could read the look on his face, but it was no use, she couldn't read anything except and apologetic sadness.
Hinata's musings were interrupted by the rustling bushes. At first she thought it might just be Naruto playing a trick on her. But then the rustling stopped, 'Must've been an animal…' she thought to herself, continuing to walk when the rustling sound was heard again and out of the bushes behind her came a dark-clad ninja, it rushed her with katana raised.
"Hinata, no!" Cried a familiar voice, and Hinta looked up to see Sakura stagger onto the small pathway.
Her distraction cost her dearly, as the ninja slashed the sword through the air, severing her neck. "No!" Sakura screamed, dropping to her knees, watching as the blood spurting everywhere turned into smoke, and when it cleared two logs fell to the ground where Hinata had been standing. The dark ninja looked around, he had been fooled by the replacement jutsu technique. He looked behind him, he must have been a rookie to be caught off guard by that. As his head jerked this way and that in search of the disappearing foe a kunai flashed through the foliage, sinking into the exposed neck of the dark ninja who gave a startled cry, dropping to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Hinata jumped from her hiding place, running to Sakura who was trembling slightly, "Sa-Sakura-San?" she asked quietly, a piece of her shyness creeping back into her at the sight of her old classmate. Sakura looked up, making Hinata gasp in surprise, she looked scary. Her eyes were dark and sunken in from hunger and exhaustion, her face had splatters of blood trailed across it. Sakura gripped her right arm, "Hinata-Chan…" she breathed before passing out and falling to the dirt. Hinata saw then why Sakura had been gripping her arm, it looked like a pin cushion with all the shuiken and kunai sticking out of it.
Right then she rushed to the fallen Jonin, hoisting her over her shoulder-careful not to push the kunai and other weapons deeper into her arm- and taking off towards the village. She would leave the body of the dark ninja and come back for it as soon as she got Sakura to safety.
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"I don't know what kind of ninja he is…." Iruka was saying, they had unmasked the black ninja, but there was no headband proclaiming what nation they were from, "And you say he wasn't prepared for your replacement technique?"
"No, he didn't know what I had done, he dropped all his defenses in looking for me." Hinata explained, still puzzled over the whole thing. "H-How is Sakura-San doing?" she asked timidly, absentmindedly grinding her toe into the floor. It was amazing for even bringing up her old classmate made her shy again.
"She's asleep, but our healers managed to clean her up quite well, there's not even a scar where the kunai punctured her skin!" Iruka told her, patting her on the head, "Why don't you go watch over her?"
Hinata nodded dumbly, entering Sakura's room, vaguely noticing that it was hers also. So Sakura was her roommate. She pulled a small stool up to Sakura's bedside, resting her elbows on the bed.
Sakura didn't look so scary now, her eyes were closed and didn't look so hollow, and the blood was washed off of her face, her hair seemed to be all over the pillow. And Hinata realized with a throb of her heart what sharing rooms might mean. Sakura had been her secret love. Sure Naruto had been there. but when she had seen him pining after Sakura... It had killed the small spark that had every existed for him.
"Why is Sakura always going for Sasuke? It makes me sick!" Naruto complained, he hadn't realized Hinata was behind him, and he jumped when she cleared her throat quietly, "Wh-what's wrong with her liking S-Sasuke?" she asked. "What's wrong with him?! He's just... That guy bugs me!" Naruto practically shouted, grumbling as he walked away.
'What's so great about Sakura? What does she have that I don't?' she thought to herself, thinking of Sakura's good qualities.
"Well, she has pretty pink hair..." she ticked off one on her finger, "And she is pretty smart," that was two, "She's very nice, but not to Naruto," that was three, "and helpful, like that onetime she helped me on that technique I wasn't getting," now four, "she just seems so much better at everything..." Hinata stopped counting, realizing with a jolt that Naruto was right in wanting to be with Sakura... because she did too!
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Sakura slowly opened her eyes, feeling someone else was in the room with her. She sat up, seeing Hinata with her head on the edge of her bed. 'Had she stayed and watched me sleep?' she wondered, smiling at the devotion the Hyuuga girl showed to almost anyone. 'She's so sweet...' still smiling, Sakura brushed a lock of Hinata's deep violet hair out of her face, eliciting a shiver and a soft smile to come to Hinata's lips. Sakura found herself staring at those lips.
'No!' she shook her head to clear it, 'You've had a rough time as it is, no need to add more heartbreak to that hardship!' she told herself firmly, 'Besides, everyone knows Hinata likes Naruto...'
A moan came from Hinata, and Sakura jerked her hand away from her face, "Sa-Sakura-San?" She asked sleepily, "Y-you're awake?"
"Good morning, Hinata-Chan!" Sakura said, with forced bubliness, "It was nice of you to keep watch over me!" Hinata blushed deeply, twisting her fingers out of shyness.
"It's o-okay Sakura-San, would you like some breakfast?" Hinata asked, getting up from her position by the bed and offering a hand to help Sakura out of bed.
"Yes, please, I'm starved!" Sakura exclaimed, remembering her empty stomache, "C'mon, Hinata, I'll treat you to ramen!"
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End chapter one, How'd ya like it kiddies? review and MAYBE I'll write another chapter on why Sakura's so heartbroken and crap like that. Sound good? The Secret Ninja Plushie