"A Push Towards Growth"
'Ten thousand people, in a small, uneventful little town in the Yamanashi prefecture - you've probably never heard of us before. We've probably never heard much about other towns as well. Few eventful things happen here, and there is plenty of peace. Children grow and play in the fields outside town, and eventually leave for the bigger towns. People come and go, and pass through paying us so little notice that it is sometimes hurtful. But in spite of this, I truly love Nanbu, my hometown. It is here, my family has lived for generations. It is here I went to school, and I still attend. It is here, I found a love of gardening. And it's here I found...the person I admire most.
My name is Hyuuga Hinata. My father is the owner of several plantations in the prefecture, and for a few short years I have lived here in Nanbu with my cousin, attending the local High School. I never had much of a desire to succeed the family business - not that my father would have chosen me over my sister anyway. I always found myself to be too...passive for such a responsibility, I guess is what I'm trying to say. It's fine, though - I'm happy with the way my life is going. Every day, I am able to help my cousin Neji out with his field, before and after school. It's difficult work, and he is always saying I don't need to push myself so hard, but I enjoy it a lot. When I work on the field, nurturing the plants and helping them grow stronger, I feel something greater in myself. A sense of purpose. I wasn't always able to see it that way, but I came to realize it.
Every day has been peaceful, and enjoyable. It's not a very lively place, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe before I met 'him', I thought differently. The world certainly seemed more dreary before his smile came into my life...'
"Hinata-sama, you don't need to pull so hard to remove the weeds." Neji knelt down next to his cousin, nearly dropping the basket of sweet peas he'd just harvested from the vine. Pulling her hands out of the dirt, the boy sighed in slight disappointment. "You're doing more damage by being so hasty, Hinata-sama. You can't grasp that deep into the ground, else you risk disturbing the healthy vegetables as well."
Hinata shook her head, blushing from embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, Neji. I didn't mean to, I-"
He began to help pluck the roots, and Hinata kept a keen watch on him as he did so, eager to learn from her mistakes. "You just need to make sure when you dig, you don't start pulling till you've reached the bottom of the root, and that you stay within the center of the weed. When things need to be planted, that's when digging them out a little recklessly is fine, but when you're just protecting the other vegetables from them, you have to be more careful."
The girl nodded and wiped her brow, dirt smearing across her forehead. "Thank you, Neji, for being so patient with me. I must be such a hindrance to you, though."
Neji nudged Hinata with the basket of peas and shook his head. "Don't worry about that. You're from the main branch of the family, so you haven't worked for as long as I have in the fields. It's almost time for you to head off to school, so why don't you just finish up by harvesting a few more green peas over there before you leave?"
She nodded, her dark hair nearly flipping out of the scarf wrapped over her head as she did so, her eagerness swiftly moving her over to the tall stalks of peas nearest the high road. She looked to the road for a moment, wondering how she would look to those up there who passed her by - covered in soil, ragged clothing, a head cover fashioned from an old thin cloth. Even though she didn't care too much about looking cute or pretty like many of the girls her age, she still felt she must look a sight, especially with her origins. Putting the thought in the back of her head, she began to search through the stalks, leaning over and holding the pods over her line of vision, towards the sun. "Two ripe and one not ripe...maybe it's ready anyway?"
A loud, excitable voice sounded in the distance, in the direction of the rising sun. Pulling the pod from the vine, she looked out to see the source of the commotion. There, walking along the road, was Haruno Sakura - one of her classmates - walking alongside a boy she had never seen before. Even in the few years she had lived here, the town was small enough that she could remember almost every face that called Nanbu home. 'Is he new?' she thought to herself. He seemed to know Sakura fairly well, judging by how loudly and happily he was talking. He was so cheerful, it almost made her want to smile.
Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, and she looked down to see her soil covered clothes. Tugging on the bottom of her work shirt nervously, she felt a need to hide - she couldn't let others see her dirty like this. It would be too embarrassing! Scurrying behind the stalks of peas, she ducked and peered around the corner of the crop, waiting for them to pass. Her eyes didn't once leave that boy, however. Something about him seemed both warm, and almost familiar. Noting the two of them were in their school uniforms, however, she realized she was going to run late.
"Oh no..." she muttered, scurrying to harvest as many peas as she could quickly. "Neji-nii will scold me for spacing out like that, I...I..."
She felt a hand rest upon her shoulder, and turned around to see Neji, placing his other hand upon the basket. "Hinata-sama, you don't need to worry about that. It's the first week of the new school year, so go on."
Hinata felt grateful that her cousin was so understanding. She really shouldn't have lost track of time like that - had Sakura and that boy not walked by, who knows how late she would have been to class that day?
'It was the first time I had seen him, but it almost felt like we had known each other in another life, another world - that's a weird way to put it, I guess. Still...It's funny; I was mesmerized by his gentle smile at first because I envied him for it. I smiled so little in those days. I never considered my life to be worse than anyone else's, but due to things back home I...just couldn't find much to smile about. Working in those fields made me happy, but it just didn't seem to help me with that. Looking at him though, in that one moment where his smile was surrounded by the morning sun, I felt strange. Almost like I wanted to smile with him. I remember asking myself - 'who is that boy'? I wanted to know. So did many other girls in my homeroom, as I found out later that day.'
"Sakura, just who is that loud mouthed blond guy who showed up today?" said a girl with a long, blond ponytail. Hinata couldn't help but think she was putting emphasis on the fact that he was blond only out of envy - aside from the Principal, Ino had long been the only blond in the school, and took pride in that fact even. "Is he a foreigner or something? Because he talks so loud all the time! It's obnoxious!"
Hinata looked to Sakura, gauging her answer from across the room as she ate her lunch. Sakura's face looked a bit agitated, and Hinata hoped it wasn't from thoughts of the boy. "Uzumaki Naruto. He's an old friend, and he moved here recently from Fujinomiya. Lay off him a bit, alright? I know he's a bit annoying, but he hasn't done anything wrong, has he? He's new, so treat him well." She said this before wolfing down a piece of honey breaded chicken.
Ino waved her off. "Calm down, calm down. Alright, maybe I came off a bit meaner than I wanted to with that. I mean, aside from his big mouth, he is kinda cute. Uzumaki Naruto, huh? Wonder what kind of person he is. Sakura, won't you tell us?"
A girl with hair buns barged into the group as well, leaning in towards Sakura. "Yeah, yeah, and tell us more about where he came from. He doesn't seem like he's lived far from the city for very long, I mean, he's got to have had some history in Tokyo or something. You can tell us, come on!"
Sakura looked as though she was struggling to finish chewing her food before replying. "Don't bug me about it, at least not while I'm eating. If you're so interested, the least you could do is go talk to him or something."
Hinata stared at the glazed cinimon roll clutched in her hands for a moment, as she went over the scenario of talking to this boy in her head. Any way she looked at it, even though she didn't know him, she was always intimidated by meeting new people. Would someone with such a genuine smile find someone like her to be strange? Maybe it was best she didn't test that theory out, she thought.
'I had seen him walk by every morning that week and the weeks that followed, and each day that passed, my curiosity heightened. I overheard many things - he was the talk of the school, after all, but...just not for the reasons some would expect. He'd been seen picking fights with several of the boys in his own homeroom - even some from mine. He was always being made fun of for doing that, and worse, for his school work. He didn't seem like a delinquent to me - he actually did all his assignments. But the teachers, they weren't so forgiving on his grades, announcing them to the entire class, even in the classes we took together. It was cruel, and I wanted to speak out. I'm sort of glad I didn't, and as selfish as that might sound, it's true. If I did, I would have never seen his heart and determination, leaping out of him as he stood up for himself, and yelled 'Don't underestimate me!'. He was the same with anyone who doubted him. Some in my class were calling in arrogant, even hating him more for it. But...I just couldn't see it that way. It was admirable, like the traits one would see in a hero of a shonen manga. It was something I'd never seen before in a real person. And...it made me want to try harder at everything I did.
I felt grateful. Even if I was making mistakes, I could feel myself improving little by little. I became less of a burden to Neji-niisan, and he even began to entrust me with more responsibilities. I remember, it was nearing the end of Spring, and Neji-niisan asked me to harvest the remaining sweet peas to make room for the tomato plants he wanted to grow, while he prepared one of the new greenhouses. It may not seem significant to some people, but Neji-niisan never let me harvest without him being there to check up on my work before. I gladly took to the chore, all the while, I kept thinking about that boy. I wondered if he had made any friends yet. After all, he was new to town. It must have been difficul, to be alone in a new place, having to leave my old friends behind. If it wasn't for Neji-niisan, I wouldn't have befriended Haruno-san. I was glad we at least had a friend in common. I had no idea when those thoughts went through my head that what happened next would come to pass...'
If she didn't know better, she'd have been in a frenzied haste, trying to pick and check the pea pods in a timely manner. Neji was relying on her to get the job done, and she wasn't about to betray his trust. It was such a shame - smaller gardens were always overshadowed by the prospects of what larger plantations had to offer.
Nobody wanted to work at one of the lesser gardens, so Hinata was the only one who Neji could count on for help during the harvests. Not that she minded at all. It was a nice change of pace, being relied on.
"Let's see..." She began to peer through a pod, just like she had the morning she first saw Naruto, staring through the translucent plant to see if the peas were ready.
"Whatcha' growing here?" came a voice from behind her. Turning her attention meekly toward the direction of the voice, her heart skipped another beat when she spotted that boy, Naruto Uzumaki, standing by the crop of peas.
"Ah-P-please don't touch them!" she shrieked, reaching out to grab the boy's hand just as he reached for one of the pods. "I didn't grow them, my cousin did and...and..." Several things invaded her thoughts at once, as she realized exactly where she was. Her hand, wrapped around Naruto's wrist. His bright blue eyes, locked with her pearl eyes, and looking her over nervously.
She shrieked again and fell back with a thud, nervously stretching her shirt over her work pants as best she could - as if it could hide the dirt stains she had already gained. 'Oh no, why did he have to see me like this? This isn't a good first impression, I didn't want to meet him this way. He'll probably think I'm weird or something...'
The boy flashed that same smile she had quickly come to admire, and reached his hand out to help Hinata to her feet. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to freak you out. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. You?"
She was rendered breathless for a moment, almost having to think about whether or not she wanted to take his hand. "Hyuuga...Hinata! Um...and thank you, Uzumaki-sa-"
"Don't be so formal." He pulled the girl to her feet, and gave her a thumbs up. "Just call me Naruto, kay? I don't care much about all that stiff formal stuff."
"Th-then, thank you very much, Naruto-san." It felt so strange, being so informal with someone. At the same time, it felt comfortable as well. Familiar, even.
He threw his hands back behind his head and turned back to the crop. "So, your cousin grows these?" he asked.
"Y-yes! Oh, right, you asked what they were, they're..." she pulled one of the pods from her basket, which she thankfully hadn't spilled from falling over. "Peas, see? These ones are small, but that means they're sweeter. You can tell by looking through the pod holding it up to the sun, and seeing how big they are. W-would you like to try?" Somehow, it was easier to talk to him than what she had played out in her head before. It felt almost natural.
Naruto nodded and held the pod up to the orange sunlight, just as she had been doing when he approached her. "They're barely touching the sides of the pod...that's good, right?"
Hinata nodded. "Yes! Peas are more flavorful when they're babies. The larger ones are a little more bitter, but more suitable for soups. Neji-niisan's crops are famous locally, he is...a lot better at growing them than I am."
"I doubt it. They look real healthy, so you must be taking good care of them, Hinata. I don't know too much about gardening - only what my godfather taught me. But even I can see that the plants are grateful to you for making them grow up so strong."
Hinata's smile returned briefly, and she pulled her scarf over her face to cover her blush. "N-no, really. I'm not doing anything special, I..." It was rare that she ever received a compliment from anyone. Even Neji wasn't quick to praise others.
She clutched her chest as it began to feel heavier. "I um..."
He placed the pod in the basket resting on the ground next to her. "You know, I saw you around school before. You always kinda sit by yourself at lunch, right?"
"Huh? Y-yes, I do."
The boy threw his hands behind his head. "There isn't much time left in the school year, but from now on, why don't we eat together? I don't usually sit with anyone either. I mean, sometimes I'll sit with Sakura-chan, but she's usually off doing her class president stuff."
Was this actually happening? The girl had a mind to pinch herself right about now just to find out. Instead, she merely nodded. "Yes, that sounds great, Naruto-san."
"Hinata-sama!" Her eyes widened with the sounding of Neji's voice coming from one of the nearby greenhouses. "Can you come here for a moment, I need help finding the hummingbird feed."
"Oh, I-" She turned to Naruto, who instinctively nodded and threw his backpack over his shoulder.
"It was awesome finally meeting you, Hinata! You know, at first I kinda took you for a weirdo, what with how you were always kinda gloomy looking and a loner."
A cloud of gloom suddenly opened over her head. 'He really does think I'm weird after all'.
He turned away for a moment, kneeling down to pick up his backpack off the ground. "But you ended up being a really nice person. I really like people like you."
'People like you'
As he walked away, that smile of his never fading even with his back turned, his words began to sink in, and she felt her lips mold a small but genuine smile; the first she had felt in years. Hinata, unable to fathom just what happened, was awestruck at the exchange she had just gone through. She didn't even notice the all-too-familiar hand resting upon her shoulder, gripping it firmly to get her attention.
"Hinata-sama, are you in a daze again?"
She became flustered, and shook her head once more. "I...I'm sorry, Neji-niisan, I did it again, didn't I?"
Neji held up a small bag with an illustration of a hummingbird on it, and Hinata realized that once more, she had acted too slow. "Don't worry about it, I found it soon after I called you. This doesn't happen very often though. You don't just doze off like that all the time. Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm feeling fine, honest! I'm just a little...distracted." Yet at the same time, she felt glad for the distraction as well.
'What I felt that day was like a seed being planted in my heart. It was like a little prick at first, that began to grow as time when on. I felt weak, yet strong, whenever I saw his face from that point on. I felt inspired, my doubts clearing little by little, each day feeling like a new one. Nothing ever happened in this town, but it was beginning to feel like anything could happen.
And...in a good way! Weeks passed, and I continued to feel this way as I watched him. His smile never faltered, so I thought he was doing quite well for himself. From the first planting at the end of Spring, to the beginning of the Summer break, I saw him each day as he walked by the fields in the morning, using that as an alarm of sorts for when I needed to head to school.
We ate lunch together almost every day, just as we said we would. I sometimes helped Naruto-kun with his studies. Yes...I did start calling him Naruto-kun not too long after that, didn't I? It was strange enough for me to be so informal but...it felt more like trust than informalities.
On the way back to Neji-niisan's place, sometimes, when Haruno-san had to assume her duties as class president after school, Naruto-kun would walk along with me...or rather, maybe it was I who walked along with him. Days like these were the happiest for me, and as Summer came around, it made me a bit sad that we wouldn't be spending as much time together. It felt almost tragic to me - I had really come to love the company we shared on those walks.
I wondered if we would see each other over the Summer break. No, I wondered more if I would even have time to see him. The Summer that year was so dry and hot - Neji-niisan needed so much help keeping his fields tended to, I doubted I would get a chance to see Naruto-kun. I was glad I was wrong about that.'
Hinata wiped the sweat from her brow and began to fan herself. The sudden extreme change in the weather worried her a bit. Monsoon season was almost here, but there hadn't been a drop of rain in almost three weeks, and the merciless heat had come to everyone in Nanbu as a surprise. Even the farms that took advantage of new technology were facing an unavoidable problem - this was a drought, and water had to be used carefully and precise. She looked over the field with an almost woeful expression.
Theirs was among the few fields that didn't have a full sprinkler system, and thus many of the crops had to be watered almost entirely by hand. To make matters worse, Neji was away taking care of errands in town. He entrusted the care of the fields to Hinata for the day and she didn't want to disappoint him, but she wasn't sure just how effective she'd be on her own. Confident or not, she was only human.
Still, as her pearl colored eyes set their sights on the task she had yet to do, she began to dread she may never get done before the day was over. The watermelon patch before her was well and watered, but she had little over a third of an acre to cover.
"Hey, what's goin' on, Hinata?"
That voice. She reeled around to face the road, her eyes widening at the sight of his warm, familiar smile. "N-Naruto-kun!"
The boy hopped off his bicycle, resting it on the grassy hill. He nearly stumbled over, trying to run up to Hinata, causing her to giggle. Whenever he was around, nowadays, she had found it easier to laugh. Regaining his composure, he noted the watering can in her hand. "You waterin' the watermelon today or something?"
Hinata shook her head. "Well, um…no and yes. Actually, Neji-niisan is gone for the day, so I have to water everything while he's away. It's…" She was hesitant, but looked again at the hopeless job she had yet to cover. She didn't want to make him worry, as she knew by this point he'd be if he knew she was working in this dreadful heat alone. "It's …nevermind… Oh, and um…we have a lot more than watermelons too!"
She gestured at a large row of dark green vines, growing around cylinders of chicken wire. Along the vines, tiny green fruits could just barely be seen from where Naruto was standing. "They aren't ripe yet, but we're growing a lot of tomatoes, too. We end up selling a lot of them to the local stores and restaurants every year, so we have tons on the way."
He was quiet for a moment, staring out into the fields. "So wait…how much of this do you have to water?"
She began to fidget in place a bit. "Um…well, we only have the Northeast field fitted with an automatic sprinkler system. So…pretty much anything that isn't the tea leaves and the daikon? D-don't worry about it though, I can handle it! I mean…" She habitually tightened her scarf, once more trying to hide her blush. She regretted saying anything – she felt like she was guilt tripping him now, by telling him just how much work she had ahead of her.
Naruto walked past her, and picked up a green watering can from the side of the greenhouse. "Need help then? I've got the entire day."
"Wh-what? No, no, I couldn't let you do that, Naruto-kun! I'm okay, really! I can handle this, I—"
He shook his head. "No, I know you can handle it, Hinata. But I can't just run off to buy manga in town while you're working your butt off. And besides, if I help out, you can stop working sooner and we can hang out a little. Sound good?"
With has hot as it was outside, she expected her feverish blush to overheat her body. But all that came to her face as he said these words was another smile, bigger than the last time. "Y-yes, it sounds very nice, in fact. I um…" She pointed once more to the tomato plants, tilting her head to the side. "Let's start over here, and we'll move around the field."
Naruto saluted her excitedly, and sprinted over to the crop. Hinata's face almost sank when she saw how recklessly the boy was dumping the contents of the watering can on the tomato plants. "W-wait wait! Stop!" She dashed over and grabbed his hand before he could react, their eyes meeting once more. Looking away, she let go of his hand and slowly moved it to the bottom of the watering can.
"When watering, you need to pay careful attention to the soil. You want it to turn dark, but you don't want the water to pool on the surface. Wait for the ground to soak it up a bit, then sprinkle more on it until the ground stops absorbing. Don't forget to get the leaves – they need a bit of cooling off too."
Naruto threw his free hand behind his head and scratched. "Eheh…sorry about that. I didn't know it made that much of a difference. My godfather was always tellin' me just to make sure the ground was soaked, and left it at that."
Hinata sighed. "It might be what some do, perhaps. But Neji-niisan is very strict about how much water is used on the crops. That, and we're going through a drought. We need to be extra careful about how much water we use during times like this."
"Right, of course. I get that now. So uh…like this?" She observed Naruto as he followed her instructions precisely, steadily pouring water till it pooled upon the surface. He was certainly a fast learner, in spite of his initial mistake. That, and he didn't dwell on it at all.
Nothing like her, she thought.
"So…after I water all these, where to next?" Naruto asked, snapping Hinata out of her daze.
"Huh? Oh! Um…I'll tell you what. Let's water the crops together, and I'll move in the order they need to be in. Is this okay with you?"
"Sure! Why wouldn't it be?"
The girl nodded, and within minutes after starting, what seemed before like a daunting task now looked manageable. Time wasn't such an obstacle with the two of them working together, and before they knew it, they had moved from the tomato plants, to the daikon, and finally to the potatoes. Each time, they moved almost symmetrically on opposite sides of the crops, occasionally glancing at one another through the green leaves.
It was like they were trying to see if the other was truly right there, next to them. That was, until Naruto playfully splashed the watering tin at Hinata, causing her to squeal and run off giggling as he chased her; just for a bit. She had always been content with tasks like this, but she'd never really found them to be 'fun' – until now, that is. It was easy to smile, with him around.
By the time the sun had begun to set, the two of them had finished their task with time to spare. Hinata looked out at the crops, trying to look for an area they hadn't gotten to yet – almost wanting it to continue. Turning to the blond boy, she gave an approving nod, and pulled her scarf off of her head. "Naruto-kun, thank you. If you hadn't come along, I don't even think I'd have been halfway done by now."
The teen rubbed his nose. "Heehee. No biggie, Hinata. I'm just glad I came along when I did. I hate the thought of you toiling out here on your own. And now that you're done, you can hang out for a little while, right?"
Hang out? Outside of school, or walking home from it? "I…I guess I have time, yes. Oh! Before I do…" She began to dig in her pockets, feverishly looking for something. Naruto looked at her curiously, till she held her hands out to him, bowing her head. "P-please accept this, as a reward for all of your hard work today." In her hand rested four thousand yen, of her own allowance. She knew Neji wouldn't be able to pay Naruto, but she didn't want Naruto to feel his work was unappreciated either. It would be horribly rude of her, she felt.
She was startled when she felt his hands close around hers, her fingers wrapping around the money and being lowered. Looking up, he flashed that famous smile of his and gave her a thumbs up. "Don't worry about that. I don't need to be paid for helping out a friend."
"B-but you must!"
"But nothing! I know you're tryin' to be polite, Hinata, but I don't need to be rewarded for doing the right thing, because doing the right thing is its own reward."
She looked at him curiously for a moment. He almost did seem like a foreigner in moments like this, when he cast traditions of manners to the side for what he believed was right. Many Japanese would find turning down a gift of payment to be rude. All her life, manners were stressed upon her, and even in this moment it felt strange to forsake them. But as she pocketed the money, she began to think.
He was right.
"So what do you wanna do now?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I…don't know." She'd never really been one to 'hang out' with anyone, even with her friends at school. Maybe it was due to the fact that most of her friends had responsibilities. Maybe it was because of her own responsibilities with Neji's plantation. She didn't have a clue where to go from here, regardless of why.
"We could always go into town and get a snack. Maybe look at some manga." He walked over towards the hill, picking his bike up off the ground and walking it up to the road. "Come on, Hinata. Hop on – I can push us both no sweat!"
"Wh-what? You mean ride with you?"
"Yeah! Come on, we've got a bit of time to go into town, but we're losing daylight here."
She felt wary, as Naruto gestured for her to hop on the back of the bike seat, which he had graciously scooted up enough for her to sit comfortably. Even as she wrapped her arms around him – just to keep herself from falling off as the bike began to move – she felt as though this moment was unreal. Her heart began to race a bit as their speed increased, whether from the excitement of riding a bike or being so close to him, she couldn't tell.
But she didn't care, either. All that mattered was in this moment, real or not. This boy, the tended fields, the setting sun – this moment was perfect to her.
'It wasn't even a week later that the drought had ended, the heavy rainfall of the monsoon season rolling in. What a mess it was, that year. An overabundance of rain always threw the growth cycles of the fields out of whack. One day, when I was working in the fields, Naruto came by to visit again. I didn't need any help that day, but he insisted on helping me anyway, so I could get done faster and 'hang out' again.
Even though I was used to his kindness by that time, it still felt strange, receiving help from someone who refused payment in any form. But it was welcome. I enjoyed the help, and the company.
I just wish there was something I could do in return for him…'
"Whaaaat? You mean you don't read Tokyo Majin?" Naruto said in mock disbelief, flailing the mud upon his hands from side to side.
Hinata giggled. "No, I prefer manga that is less violent. I like stories that are more 'slice of life', I think that's a good way to put it. Shoujos, like Kimi Ni Todoke"
Naruto rubbed his nose, getting dirt all over it. "Well, Shoujo is okay I guess...but Tokyo Majin has a good story, it isn't all about the gore. Even I don't like manga like that, really. I like the heroes, though. That's what really makes me like a manga. Oh, and the artwork – can't have a good manga without good art."
Hinata nodded in agreement, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a pair of cutters. Kneeling down in the watermelon patch, Naruto, who was nearby weeding the tomato garden, watched her curiously. "What are you doing now, Hinata?"
She held one of the baby watermelon sprouts between the blades of the cutters, and paused. "I'm pruning the watermelon patch. See, in order to make some of the melons grow larger and sweeter, we're supposed to cut the weaker, smaller fruits so that more nutrition goes to the strong ones. I…don't like doing it very much. I feel terrible throwing the little baby melons away before they even have a chance to prove what they can do."
Naruto noticed her smile drop, and he inched over to her and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder. "That's because you're a good person." He comforted. "I'd feel the same way. I think everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves, and everyone can become something great if they're given that chance. My godfather believed that too."
Hinata didn't even mind the dirt on the boy's hands, and unconsciously rested her own hand upon his. "Your godfather sounds like a really good man, Naruto-kun."
"Yeah…yeah, he was."
Her eyes widened a bit. "Was?"
Naruto stood up suddenly, walking away from her a bit, his back turned. "He um…died, last year. It's the reason I came to Nanbu. He took me in after my parents died, and we used to live here, till he got a job in Fujinomiya. Last year, he became real ill, and passed in his sleep. He wanted me to return to Nanbu, saying I should finish up my education here."
She felt really foolish. She couldn't have known better, but that fact didn't make her regret bringing it up any more. "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"
"Sorry for what?"
She turned around, his smile baring back at her, still as genuine has it had been all day – and since the day they first met. "He always told me it's not good to dwell on things. There are some things that should be held on to, and others that shouldn't. Death is sad, but…it doesn't stop others from living their lives. Besides, we have to take that chance we've been given, and show the world what we have."
Hinata looked back down at the vine clenched between the blades in her hand, suddenly releasing the pressure. 'Maybe it's against the book…' she thought to herself, pocketing the cutters. 'But everyone deserves a chance'. She stood up, smiling right back at him. 'Maybe I deserve a chance as well.'
It never ceased to amaze her how much the boy inspired her. He had suffered the death of his parents, and even his godfather, yet somehow still managed to look towards the future with an optimistic smile, and unyielding faith.
'I looked back on the events in my life that led me to this moment. My life before I moved here, and before I met him – I looked back, and I saw myself as pitiful. My father's expectations to succeed the family's business and run the plantations, his disappointment when I failed so many of his tests for me, my lack of business sense; everything in those days came crashing down on me. It destroyed me.
But, looking at it now, I was so pitiful to let that consume me and make me withdraw into my shell. If I had only known Naruto-kun earlier in my life. Maybe I'd be different today?
No…looking back, I truly am different today. I had changed, because of his inspiring ways. As Summer turned to Autumn, the seed inside my heart began to sprout. We continued to spend time together. To laugh. To learn. I taught him so much about the field. He taught me more about life. I think I had grown more as a person in those months we spent together than I had alone in my sixteen years of life.
I know it sounds silly, but it's how I really felt. I wanted to challenge new things, to live life just like he did. Before the first snow of that year, I had come to realize what was happening.
I was falling for him. Or maybe I already had…'
"Hinata-sama, you haven't even taken a bite of the stew."
"Huh? Oh, I'm just thinking about something."
"Hrm…" Neji paused for a moment, cooling off the spoonful of daikon stew in his hand. "By the way, our income has improved a lot this year. Starting in the Spring, I'll be able to pay you for your help."
Hinata shook her head. "You don't need to do that. You're family – I'm helping you because it's the right thing to do."
Neji rose an eyebrow inquisitively at his cousin. "That's…an oddly Western take on it. Have you been chatting with foreigners lately?"
"What? No, I just…fell that doing the right thing for the right reasons is more rewarding. That's all." She swiftly silenced herself, turning her attention to the meal in front of her. Neji had a suspicion about what was troubling her lately. He knew about her friend, who had been helping her quite often in the fields lately.
"You know…I could probably afford to hire some help for the Spring. Know anyone who would be interested in earning a little money?"
"Neji-niisan, you know we technically aren't allowed to have jobs during school. It isn't like you to suggest such a thing."
"It's not really a 'job', if you look at it another way. Think of it more like…a gift." Hinata looked up, Neji nodding at her when the realization hit. She'd wanted to repay Naruto for his kindness, maybe this was something she could do. He already helped them out quite a bit, and surely he needed some extra money, because he lived alone.
But he'd already turned down the offer to be paid once. Neji was trying to help her out right now, she could tell that much. What would she do?
Wait...that was it!
"Neji-niisan, this is going to sound…kind of awkward, and off topic." She set her spoon down, and began to fidget a bit once she saw he was paying attention. "Um…we have the guest room, but never use it so…what if we were to hire someone and offer them a place to stay with us?"
Neji narrowed his eyes for a moment, as if he was trying to absorb everything she just said. "That's…a bit of an odd request, Hinata-sama, I'll admit. But you have a point. That room never sees use. And it would help to have an extra hand always nearby. I guess if you have someone in mind, I can trust your judgment. After all, you're a hard and honest worker. I think, if Hiashi-sama saw you now, he would take back many things he said."
"Father would…what?" She didn't quite understand where he was coming from with that statement, but Neji smiled at her as he said this. "I don't…"
"All I'm saying, Hinata-sama…" Neji stood up, taking his empty bowl off the table and patting her head as she went by. "…is that you've changed a lot since you first came to Nanbu. For the better. And your father would be proud of you for it. This is why I also believe I can trust your judgment now. So…who did you have in mind?"
Her heart began to race. Was she really considering to offer Naruto a place to stay, with her and Neji? What would Neji think, if the first words out of her mouth were 'Naruto-kun'?
"You mean the boy who I see helping you out from time to time?"
She clasped her hands over her mouth. Did she just say that out loud?
"I knew you were thinking about him. He's an important part of your life these days, judging by how often you two are seen together."
'We are together a lot, aren't we?' She smiled warmly at the thought. "Neji-siisan...thank you, for understanding."
Neji nodded. "It doesn't take much. You're both very much alike, I've noticed. Hard working. Honest. Kind. I'd say you're a good match. But just because I'm offering this, don't get the wrong idea. If he takes the offer, there will be a few rules..."
"Neji-niisan!" She turned scarlet at the sudden implications her cousin was suggesting.
"I'll be keeping a close eye to make sure you both aren't doing anything that you would be looked down on for. Not that I believe you two are the type to be that rash under my roof, but I'm just saying...and two, I'm going to expect even more work out of the both of you. He'll have to earn his keep, but I won't be unfair."
She took control over her blush, and got up to run over and hug her cousin. "Thank you so much, Neji-niisan."
'I would never forget that kindness my cousin had shown to him. To me. But even moreso, I was grateful for the moment in which I extended our offer to Naruto-kun, who no longer had a family, who lived alone in spite of all the good he did for other people.
He had helped me grow so much in that past year alone, I was glad to finally be able to show him kindness in return.
I was so light headed from mustering up the courage to tell him, I barely remember how it went. But I do remember his expression; his usual, famous smile turned to a look of awe, and to tears. I almost felt guilty again, I thought I had somehow offended him. But...I soon discovered his tears were of joy, pure and positive. I knew this because, as he wept happily, he reached out and hugged me. And he thanked me. He thanked me again, and again, and again.
I felt something accompany my feelings, deep within. For once, it was me who was showing compassion, doing what was right even if it seemed strange. It was me, who was showing Naruto-kun that he deserved a chance to prove himself, by offering him the chance to work for Neji-niisan and trusting him to live in our home alongside us.
And after he finally settled down, we walked from the end of the road, back home.
"Let's go home, Naruto-kun."
It was the first time I said those words. And it would be far, far from the last. There was more to the story, but...I'm sure you're bored of hearing about how Naruto-kun came into my life. After all, we live in Nanbu. It's a small town, of over ten thousand people, in the Yamanashi prefecture.
Chances are, you've never heard of us. We've probably never heard much about other towns as well. Few eventful things happen here, and there is plenty of peace. Children grow and play in the fields outside town, and eventually leave for the bigger towns. People come and go, and pass through paying us so little notice that it is sometimes hurtful. But in spite of this, I truly love Nanbu, my hometown. It is here, my family has lived for generations. It is here I went to school, and I still attend. It is here, I found a love of gardening.
It is here, I found Naruto-kun.
And it is here, I found myself.'
~ END
AUTHORS' NOTE: THIS. IS. MY ENTRY! My entry for the NaruHina Sunflower Love contest, which was announced last year, the deadline being, oh, tonight - that being March 19th.
...I hate it. I really do. If I'd been able to scrounge the time and inspiration to truly truly finish it, I would have. Instead, I kind of copped out, I'll admit. T_T The concept began so good, and I had an idea of where I was going with it, but time and writers block would not permit! Yes yes, I know there's been MONTHS to write this, but I didn't get this idea till just earlier this month. My girlfriend gave me ideas when she was talking about agriculture in rural Japanese towns, and it started off so strong. But I realized in order to make the story truly work the exact way I wanted it to, it would need about 15 more pages worth of material. Maybe I'll come back to this and make it a multi-chapter fic and add the little plot I was planning...
ANYWAY, a few things; AU, meaning the characters take on roles not native to the Ninja World. In this case? Literal modern Japan, with a real town called Nanbu. Fun fact; there really is almost nothing to do there, aside from a fire festival in the Summer. The high school is also an Agricultural High School, but I left that out because people would get the idea that it only teaches farming, which isn't entirely true. (Heavily, but not entirely).
I wanted to expand on their backstories, add more interactions and references to the original duo, and even toss in the Akatsuki as a construction company that wanted to buy out Neji's plantation if it can't make enough revenue, etc etc. Deidara would SO be the demoman for that.
But again, time and inspiration would not permit. I've been so busy between work, school, personal studies, my girlfriend, and five bags of Cheetos to do it exactly how I wanted to. T_T I know it's not going to win, but I did my very best, so I'm hoping at the very least people find it to be sweet.
In case you're all wondering what happened to 'Mutual Dislike', IT WILL BE UPDATED! Be patient, I've had a lot on my plate for the past several months. V_V
I hope, in spite of how bad it is, it was at least enjoyable. Please read and review, I LOVE YOU GUYS! 3 3 3
I dedicate this fanfiction to my wonderful girlfriend, Satomi, who inspired me with the idea and kept me on track. In spite of the distance and trials between us, the barriers that stand in our way, my feelings for you are stronger than the strongest steel~!
DISCLAIMER: If you and a sister, and a dog, I'd choose the dog - because I don't own Naruto, Hinata, Neji, or any mentioned characters.