Hey everyone! I'm ba-ack! (Hey, stop playing that Jaw's theme song) I apologize for taking so long, but honestly, I was out of ideas. Writer's block is a beeeeeeach. Like my two previous fics, I had to wait patiently while a golden idea struck me. Inspiration can come from funny places; mine came from a bag of sour patch fruits. Okay, enough with my blabbering. I hope this fic will follow the steady trend that's been going on; each of my fics just gets better and better (according to the reviews). So, enjoy! Hope you like it :
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, ya da ya da yaChapter One: In the rain
She was standing in the rain, leaning against a pole. The pole. The one where he had talked to her, and changed her the day of his Chunin Final Match. She liked coming here; if she closed her eyes, she could almost smell his scent. Or it might just be her imagination. Hinata mentally did some calculations in her head; he had been gone for two years now…To Hinata, it seemed like a lot longer than two years. Every second felt like an hour.
Her whole body seemed to melt into the wood, and they looked like one. The pole stood strong against the whople of her weight, resting against its sturdy reassurance. Her hands wove around the back of the pole, where they were clasped. Her feet were pointed towards each other in a shy, subtle way. What was it she was supposed to do when it rained?
Flashback
Hinata stood by the gates of Konoha, hugging a tree. She looked on from her hiding spot. Kakashi picked Naruto up by the armpits and twirled him around like a little boy. His face turned green and his eyes became little swirls.
Sakura rammed Kakashi out of the way with her man power and squeezed him so hard that his eyeballs poked out of her head. Kiba rubbed his fist into Naruto's head, which provoked him into a state of extreme animalistic rage. Sakura pounded him on the head to stop him; his rampaging was causing clouds of dust to cover them.
Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Lee, Shino, Tenten, and Neji each said good bye in their own separate ways (Tenten game him a very warm, motherly hug while Shino just nodded) before turning around and leaving. Naruto looked at them sadly for a second before breaking out into a huge smile and jumping up while waving.
The white haired Sanin tapped his foot annoyingly. "Hey brat, let's get going! How many more friends could you have? I'm getting tired of waiting!"
"Just wait, Ero-Senin! I think I left some ramen at home."
"Wait! Are you kidding, that's enough to feed that one 'big-boned' friend of yours! And I told you, call me Jirai-"
"Yah yah, what ever. Just go without me, I can catch up." Naruto started batting his eyelashes at him.
"Ew, sick!"
"I'll do my Sexy-no-Jutsu for you!"
There was a cloud of dust that Jiraiya left behind. "Meet me at the halfway mark by noon, or I'll call the toads to look for you!"
"Alright, alright! Just get out of here."
Hinata leaned against the trunk of the tree. What could he possibly be waiting for? It couldn't be more ramen; another bowl, and he would topple over.
"HEY HINATA!"
Hinata flew from the tree and landed on her cheek. Her legs twitched in the air.
"Woa! Sorry!" He picked her up by the arm. They stood there, awkwardly, just looking at each other.
"So why didn't you come out? How come you're just staying behind that big tree?"
Hinata felt the heat rise into her puffy red cheeks. "Ano…you see…well…I tried-" She stopped abruptly as she felt something cold on her forehead.
Naruto tilted his head back, letting the rain pour into his mouth. "N-Naruto-kun, what are y-you doing?"
GargleSplishSploshGurgleSplash
She gave him a weird confused look. Naruto swallowed and ran around in the rain like a little boy (well…technically, he is still pretty young…he's only 12 D:)
"Come on, try it, Hinata!" She looked a little uneasy.
"I remember someone told me that the rain purifies you. It's supposed to cleanse your inner…something. If you tilt your head back, like this, and let it fall into your mouth, it'll renew you." He scratched at the back of his head. "I can't remember who told me though."
Hinata smiled gracefully. She brushed aside the wet strands of pair covering her eyes. "You're g-going to get s-sick." Naruto flashed her a thumbs up.
"Uzumaki Naruto never gets cold!" His teeth would've pinged, but they just weren't as bleached white as Lee's and Gai's. He coughed.
"W-When…when are y-you…coming back?"
"In about three years. I'm going to get strong…and hopefully grow." He took a kunai and slashed at the tree about a foot above her head. "I'm going to be this tall! You'll see."
She doubted he could grow a whole foot, but she had learned a long time ago that nothing was impossible with Naruto. He kicked at the mud with one foot and shoved his hands in his pockets. For the first time, he looked a bit uneasy. "Well…I better get going, or the pervert will lose his head…"
She absentmindedly twiddled her fingers. "G-Good bye, Naruto-kun…" She mumbled something that was drowned out by the rain. He leaned his ear towards her mouth. His wet hair tickled her nose. Hinata closed her eyes; she would have to remember the way it felt…for three years.
"What was that?"
"I'll grow strong too, Naruto-kun…because…"
She had to fight the urge to ran away and snuggle under her covers with Mr. Ru bear. "…you make me want to get stronger…"
He gave her a genuine, subtle smile that etched itself into her memory. Hinata felt warm in the rain, even though she was soaked to the bone. Even hours after he left, she stood there, hugging the "Naruto" tree.
End Flashback
Hinata pushed her wet bangs out of her eyes. Slowly, she tilted her head back until it was resting against the wooden pole, and closed her eyes. She breathed in the cleansing fragrance that always accompanied the rain. As the drops of rain pitter-pattered onto her porcelain face, slowly, she opened her mouth.
The rain fell into her mouth. Hinata felt a tranquility wash over as the drops of rain that collected into her mouth threatened to overflow. Like Naruto had down, she swallowed them down along with her doubts and worries. She opened her mouth again.
And that was how Neji found her; with her eyes peacefully shut, and her head bent towards the heavens. He could've sworn she was asleep if not for her open mouth. Neji stood her, giving her a weird confused look. Hinata opened her eyes and looked at him. A small laughter filled her eyes.
"The rain purifies you. It's supposed to cleanse you. If you tilt your head back, like this, and let it fall into your mouth, it'll renew you, too."
Neji nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps another time. Hiashi was getting worried."
"Okay."
As they walked back in a comforting silence, Neji looked up towards the sky as the drops fell onto his eyelids. Maybe…one day, he would walk with her in the rain. And they, too, would let the rain fall down on them, with their heads bent back, and their mouths open wide.
"Hinata, why this spot."
"Because I like it." Kiba grumbled while he spread the cloth over a grassy little hill. Hinata took a sandwich out of a woven basket and sat herself in front of a large tree, nibbling happily on the sandwich.
Shino pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and looked up at the mighty tree. His eyebrows rose slightly when he saw a slash on the tree. It was clumsy, and crooked. Like a child's. And, about five inches down, was a similar mark, only it was much neater and straight.
Kiba followed his gaze. "What's up with the tree? Are there like squirrels in the area?" Akamaru barked angrily; he hated squirrels. Hinata simply shook her head, smiling on the inside. Shino decided not to bother him with an explanation.
After eating a cheese hamburger (more like twenty…), Kiba was starting to get bored. He made Akamaru fetch logs and boulders, but that too grew tedious. He saw Shino sitting down with his knees brought up. His elbows were resting on them. Kiba's gaze wandered to Shino's sunglasses, which glinted in the sun. "Hey, how come you never take those off?"
He blinked (er…from what they could tell). "There's only one person who's seen me without them."
"Let me see!"
Shino's eyes (from what they could tell) flashed dangerously. "I would, but then I'd have to kill you."
"Kiba pouted. "So, who's the person?" Shino tilted his head towards Hinata.
"Really! Tell me Hinata, what's he hiding behind them?
Hinata's eyes rolled over to the tree, and rose to the two lines carved into the trunk. A smile played across her face. "Some things…are just better left unexplained."
This chapter is just about Hinata waiting for Naruto. It'll get to the part in my summary, so don't you worry! Give me an R! Give me an E! Give me a V! Give me an I!…and so on…
…
…
…
What does that spell! R-E-V-I-E-W! O Don't she shy; praise me, flame me, bore me with your mindless babbling!
