UNKNOWN.
In a world where they haven't met… yet. NaruHina.
**UNKNOWN**
She sat, quietly.
Watching the sparkle of the moonlight reflect on the millions of water drops free falling off of the cliff into the depths of the lake below.
It was still the most beautiful thing the nineteen year old had ever seen.
Shuffling gently on the solid rock underneath her, Hinata got comfortable. Spreading her arms out behind her to lean on, she silently regarded the view with her pale eyes.
This was her one place of solace.
Where she could relax.
Breathe.
Drop all of her barriers and stop faking. Stop pretending. It was here where she could be herself.
Only here.
Hinata stood up, pulling a small rock into her nimble hands and stared at it. With all her strength, she threw the rock deep into the lake.
And turned, walking away from the sight of water droplets splashing into the air like glitter.
Besides. She could never be herself for long.
Reality was always just around the corner.
**UNKNOWN**
One foot at a time. Just keep going. An attempt of positive thinking ran through her head as the sun began to light up the horizon. Hinata breathed, stepping back into her village, holding her head high and posture stiff.
She was the vision of strength.
On the outside.
But that was all Hinata needed – outward strength.
"Ah, Hinata-sama. Are you on your way back from another solo mission?" She turned towards Kotetsu who was standing at the gate, smiling half-heartedly at her.
"I don't see how that's any of your business."
"Ah," Kotetsu sighed, looking away so he could roll his eyes without Hinata noticing, "Of course, Hinata-sama."
Hinata's eyes averted to the floor for a moment, Kotetsu's blatant distaste of her plunging deep into her heart. She only needed the smallest of moments to steel her expression, and turn back to nod narcissistically towards the guard, before turning to walk into the village.
Head held high.
But she didn't judge him. It was all a part of the reputation she'd built up for herself.
"That's Hyuuga-sama, to you."
**UNKNOWN**
Naruto grinned wide, the large-toothed smile covering approximately seventy percent of his face. "Don't worry about it, Sakura-chan! We can celebrate getting nominated for the jounin exam some other time! Tell your Kaa-san happy birthday for me!"
"I will! See you tomorrow at training!" His pink-haired teammate smiled back at him, waving at him over her shoulder as she disappeared in the crowd of Konoha's busy main street.
He should've known she had something better to do on a Friday night than to hang out with him. Hell, Sai had already rejected his idea of a celebration dinner earlier that day.
Turning towards his apartment, Naruto let his grin drop off of his face. He sighed quietly, and silently flitted through the crowd – remaining unnoticed by all but himself.
He didn't have a mother who's birthday he could celebrate, or a family to go home to. All he had was a small empty living-space that couldn't be called a home by anyone's standards. It looked just the same as it was when he first entered the building around thirteen years ago. Dirty yellow lounge. Table. Bed. Fridge. And bathroom.
All cramped up in a seven-by-ten metre apartment. Three rooms – none of which will ever make him feel better about himself.
He wasn't going to settle down, personalise the place, because he knew it wasn't worth it.
He was the only one to ever see it, and that was only to sleep at night.
Naruto didn't even eat here anymore unless he absolutely had to.
Lying his head back on his springy mattress, Naruto stared absently at the ceiling. He vaguely wondered what would happen if any of his friends knew what his personality was like when he was alone. If his friends knew that the way he acted around them was just that – an act.
That he was really just a lonely nineteen year old kid, with an empty apartment that so small it made him claustrophobic.
And that wasn't going to change.
Even though, at one point in time, Naruto had been a dreamer.
And to a certain point, he still was.
He still wanted to be Hokage, to protect this village with his life. But he knew that was an option for him. That if he tried hard enough, he could strive and accomplish that goal – because he was a good ninja.
But despite his dreaming ways, he was also a realist.
And he knew, deep down, that he was never going to have a family of his own.
He'd never had one in the past, so why would that change any time soon? He wouldn't be able to look after anyone but himself. He couldn't be a father to any kids. He could barely support himself financially, let alone anybody else.
So, he gave up on that fruitless hope.
He will always be lonely.
**UNKNOWN**
"Hey beautiful, wanna go out with me later tonight? I know a great restaurant!" A breath of stale alcohol washed across her cheek as an intoxicated chuunin attempted to put an arm around her shoulders. However, he miscalculated the distance in his drunken state and sent himself toppling onto the ground in a mess of brown hair.
"I'm not interested." Hinata huffed angrily, not once faltering in her steps. At times like this, she was grateful for the pretentious ruse she held for everyone to see. In reality, the blatant discourtesy she received from some of the men as she walked past was disgusting and made her feel horrible about herself and disrespected. At least while she spent her time acting stoic and selfish she could pretend the words didn't affect her.
But they did.
"Dude!" The drunken brunette's friend leaned over the chuunin's fallen body, pulling him back up to his feet as he glanced between the Hyuuga and her admirer. "You don't even know what you're doing!" He laughed loudly, "You don't want to get anywhere near her! That's Hinata Hyuuga man! Tight ass bitch that wouldn't blink twice before kicking your ass!" He whispered so loudly Hinata was sure half the people on the street could hear him.
She sighed quietly, composing herself at the insult. Don't take it to heart. She told herself silently. This was your idea to portray yourself this way, don't blame others for seeing you the way you want people to see you.
"It's cool man! She probably just needs to get laid." Her admirer broke Hinata out of her thoughts with his vulgarity, of which she was so shocked she didn't have enough time to avoid the arm that snuck itself around her waist and pulled her indecently close to the drunken shinobi. "Ain't that right, sugar?"
Despite what everyone thought of her, and the way this man was treating her, Hinata didn't want to hurt him. It wasn't like she didn't deserve the treatment anyway. I brought this upon myself. "Look, sir, I don't want to have to hurt you." She told him tiredly, trying to shuffle out of his embrace.
But it was clear he was a shinobi, and despite the fact that he was a chuunin to her jounin status, he had quite a grip on the situation.
Literally, Hinata internally cringed at the sudden grope the brunette attempted.
In all honesty, despite the fact that Hinata knew she could throw this guy on the ground without a second glance, Hinata just wanted to cry. She was in her home town, her village. Realistically, it should be the place that she should feel the safest. Yet instead, here she was, being accosted by men that should – and maybe one day will – be her comrades in battle.
"I don't know about you, but I don't think that's the right way to treat a lady."
Hinata's eyes widened as a new voice joined the fray, and she turned to see a blonde man walking past the scene they'd just produced, a judgemental eye on the hand that was currently attached to her breast.
"Don't worry," She told the blonde man, "I have it handled." And before the man could blink, she gracefully tripped him back onto the rocky ground of the street, and had his chakra points closed off. In his condition, he would only be a harm to himself and others if he chose to attempt jutsu.
"Heey lady!" The drunkard rolled into a sitting position, attempting to redeem himself. "What's that f'r?"
"I told you I'm not interested." She said monotonously, and continued walking on her way, not taking a second glance at the shinobi or his friend who had purposely stayed a solid five metres away from Hinata throughout this entire exchange.
"Are you alright?" The blonde from before skidded up beside her until they were at the same pace, and she immediately know by his steps that he was a ninja, probably a jounin by the sheer chakra he was radiating from his body, but she wasn't certain. He might've been higher up. Hinata knew that ages were barely a factor in shinobi status in this day and age, and despite the fact that this blonde looked approximately the same age as her, she could feel the strength in him as if it were visible.
"I'm fine."
"What's your name? I'm Naruto." The blonde smiled as they walked, his whiskered cheeks turning up as he grinned.
"It's Hinata." Hinata tried not to be affected by his good looks, but boy, was this man attractive. Not that it really mattered, it wasn't as if she'd ever actually be able to have a say in what happens in her personal life. "Thank you. For intruding." She muttered politely.
Naruto looked at her, confused. "Why? I didn't do anything. You had it perfectly handled. I was just wondering what was taking you so long to do anything about him."
Hinata shrugged, "Still," She sighed, "It's nice to know that there are still people out there that would stop an attempt at sexual harassment." In reality, Hinata was shocked with the way she was acting. After nineteen years of pretending to be this massive bitch, this one man comes along and she just stops completely. Starts acting nice. Real.
This was new.
But then again, Hinata was tired. She was sick of being treated poorly, and treating others poorly in return. But it wasn't like she had any other choice.
"Of course they're are people still willing to help out someone in need." Naruto looked at her, shocked. "I'm not-" He paused for a moment, his mind flashing back to all the times he was attacked and ridiculed as a child, and barely a single person coming to his aid. "Actually," He sighed, dropping the fake smile he was wearing more and more these days, "There aren't many out here these days. People get an opinion about you – sometimes before you've even met, and will treat you accordingly. Respect is pretty hard to come by with strangers."
Hinata smiled humourlessly, "And not just strangers."
Naruto glanced out the corner of his eye at the beautiful stranger. He wasn't stupid. He'd heard stories whispered about her clan by people he knew and overheard stuff from people he didn't. Especially the fabled Hinata Hyuuga which happened to be the woman who was standing in front of him. In reality, he had known who she was the moment he stepped out onto the street and noticed her being accosted by a handsy drunk.
But he was shocked by her actions. She just stood there and let that man grope her. By what Naruto had heard, and the absolute control over her body that he had felt from the woman, he knew she could remove the drunk without a thought, but it was as if the woman felt she deserved the punishment. As if this was her fault and the drunk had a right to accost her.
It made him angry.
So, of course, he got involved.
Now he was just curious. Hinata was nothing like the rumours. She had an air of elegance, but not bitchiness. And when she spoke in her monotone, all he had to do was glance in her eyes to see the abundance of emotion that she held within her. It was as if she just didn't want people to see it. And in some ways, he understood it.
The necessity to act a certain way.
But Naruto was getting sick of it.
"Hey, Hinata. I was heading to Itchiraku's for tea, did you want to join me?"
Hinata glanced up at him, shocked, "Is that the small ramen stand out by the shopping district?" Feeling rather enamoured by the offer, she blinked at the blonde.
"Yeah, so you want to come?"
Her father would hate it.
"Gladly, Naruto."
She didn't care.
**UNKNOWN**