Author's Note: Yes, it is me! The Clarineteer lives! So, I am back, with another angsty KibaHina one-shot! Yay.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters featured in this work of fiction. I do, however, own the plot, so no theft!
Key: Bold text indicates flashbacks.
Italicized text indicates thoughts or words empathsized for dramatic effect.
Hinata started running. She didn't have a destination; she didn't have anyone to run to.
She was just running.
Running from her own failure.
Something wet splattered on her head. Cocking said limb upwards, she was rewarded by yet another splash. The sky was dark and rumbling. Perfect, the Hyuuga thought. Terrible weather to complete this terrible day. Sighing, she reflected on her misfortune.
"Hinata!" She heard her name being called. Turning towards the home she couldn't call a home, aforementioned girl was startled to see her younger sister, Hanabi, on the steps, knowingly interrupting her sibling's training.
"Yes, Hanabi?" Hinata meekly answered, wondering why she was needed.
Smirking, her response was, "Father wants your presence," before disappearing into back through the threshold. Heaving a sigh, Hinata balance her hands on her knees to help herself stand. Once she had accomplished, she began the trek inside.
"Ah!" Hinata shrieked quietly, as she felt the world slip out from under her, and become intimate with the wooden floor. Raising her head, she watched as Hanabi stood arrogantly above her.
"Hurry up, big sister," she sneered. "Father's waiting."
Once again pushing herself off the ground, Hinata bowed her head, and stared at her feet carry her to the door of her father's study. Timidly knocking, she waited until a voice stated, "Come in," before pushing through the barrier.
Hiashi sat his desk, looking through very seemingly official documents, and did not look up at the interruption. "What do you want?" he demanded.
"Um… You wished to see me, father…?" his eldest daughter replied, her eyes fixed on an insignificant spot on the wall behind his shoulder.
"Hinata." He uttered, allowing that one word to settle in the silence, filling the room, a word which could mean any number of things. And he gave that one, ominous remark to sit there, collecting significance, and allowing the person who bore that name to sweat through it for several minutes, before pulling his head up from the papers.
"Hinata." He repeated. "Yes, I called for you." Leaning forward in his seat, hands clasped together under his chin, he looked straight in her eyes, forcing her to do the same. "We need to discuss your performance, and the issue of the heritage of the Hyuuga clan."
This startled Hinata out of silence. "Father! What do you-"
Hiashi muted her with a glare, a menacing glower which held the obvious statement 'Don't interrupt me.' Continuing his earlier speech, he said, "It has come to my attention that you haven't been performing well in the missions your team have been assigned and are often the one that causes the most hindrance. Is this true?"
Her face burning with shame, the most Hinata was able to manage was a weak nod and a submissive and affirmative "Yes, father…"
His face stonily cold, he questioned, "And it is true that it was your two mongrels of teammates you had to support you through the preliminary rounds of the chunnin exam?"
Faced with her shortcomings, the girl under interrogation felt her head bowing lower and lower on her neck, and managed to force out, "Yes, father."
Mercilessly, he did not stop, nay, he bored through her layers of flesh and clothing on her body, to her very soul, her weaknesses revealed. "And, it is true…" The words hung in the air, savoring the taste of all of Hinata's flaws and fears. "And, is it true, you lost to your cousin Neji in the chunnin examination, who is of the Branch House, the one who was assigned to your protection so many years ago. It is true you suffered a bloody and humiliating defeat, marring the Hyuuga name?"
Holding back tears, Hinata muttered, "Yes, father," as an answer to what should have been a rhetorical question.
Nodding, Hiashi inclined back against his chair, and spoke, "I suppose we shall have to put your place as the Hyuuga heiress under close examination then." Waving his hand in dismissal, Hinata backed out through the door in which she came in, and closed it gently. Feeling the tears begin to stream down her face, she began running towards her bedroom, when she crashed into a figure.
Sniffling, she averted her eyes, when she saw it was her elder cousin. "So," Neji began, "Branch house scum isn't good enough to make eye contact with, is it?" Accusing her silently, he stared at Hinata. Despair spilled out of her, and she pushed him out of the way, and ran, she ran until she was in her haven, and cried herself dry.
Feeling her eyes well up again, Hinata moved her face from the sky, as if she was unworthy of being in its sight. Reaching a large tree, Hinata collapsed under it. When she saw the abandoned clearing used by Team Seven, she was convinced that the rain wasn't going to be the only thing to wet her cheeks.
She peered out from behind the tree, staring through her hair at the glorious boy, with eyes of a clear sky, hair of sunshine, and a personality to match. Seeing him, Hinata's heart gorged itself with a bit of that sunshine, managing to fool herself, at least for a short amount of time, that the events of that morning, that dreadful morning, had not occurred at all.
Smiling softly, she watched as Sasuke reprimanded Naruto, the boy of sunshine, for some foolish antic, which Hinata had personally found adorable. Giggling quietly, she missed the footsteps that signified the approach of someone behind her. "What are you looking at, Hinata?" the voice asked kindly.
Startled, she jumped, and nearly collided with Sakura, who was staring at her curiously. "Oh… Nothing, Sakura-san… Nothing at all…"
With a puzzled expression, Sakura stated, "Alright…" before heading to join her teammates. Pulling away from the tree, Hinata started to jog, to get away from the boy of sunshine and the girl of flowers.
Before she was out of hearing range, though, she heard a cry of, "Sakura-chan!" It was a cry that was overflowing with love.
Hinata heard the sound of glass shattering. Shaking her head in every direction, she futilely attempted to find the source, before looking down to be greeted with her own hand gripping her shirt. At that moment, Hinata understood.
The sound she heard was her heart breaking.
The memory forced the tears out of her pearly eyes. It mingled with the rain, and together they created a peculiar odor of salt, dust, and misery.
Bringing her hands up, she covered her face, her shame, and sobbed openly. Someone… she whimpered silently, Someone… Help me… I've fallen… "I don't think I can ever get up…" she lamented aloud.
"Not on your own…." A detached sound floated over her head, as the rain left, leaving only salt and misery. Slowly, she lifted her stained face, and was greeted with concern.
"Kiba…" she whispered. "What…?"
His left hand gripped an umbrella, sheltering her from the harsh rain, as the right one offered an invitation. Gripping it out of instinct, Hinata felt herself being pulled close to a warm, larger frame.
"Not on your own…" he murmured into her ear. "You may not be able to get up on your own… Let me help you, Hinata. Let me help you…"
Hinata, though slightly shocked by his presence, felted soothed and at home. Pressing her face into his shoulder, she moaned, "Can you help me get up, Kiba? I think I need help…"
Kiba wrapped his arms around her and did not say a word.
But it didn't matter. Hinata got her answer from his actions alone.
She may not be able to stand, but with her crutch, she would be up again, up an running.
This time, though, she wouldn't be running from her failure. She would be running towards her future, whatever it may hold.
Author's Note II: So, how did you like it? Did you not like it? Have any errors to point out (grammer or otherwise)? Tell me in a reivew!
Oh, and before anyone asks, this is a one-shot. AKA, a completed work of fiction. DO not ask about more chapters, because it isn't happening! Seriously.
Also, sorry about how the characters were so cruel to Hinata. I know they are probably not too bad in the actual world of Naruto, but this is set before the finals, so Neji still hates her, and as for Hanabi and Hiashi... I have taken artistic liberties on them.
Please review!