AN: I have not written a story on here in so long. This is heartbreakingly nostalgic. In a good and bad way.
I am going to be very honest here, and say that I have not watched any of Naruto Shippuden other than the first two or three episodes. I am not well versed in the intricacies of the Naruto world and the characters that reside there in terms of their physical abilities while fighting - eg. Huuyga fighting is all about chakra networks. That is the extent of my knowledge. There. That is why this story is focused on a world where Itachi did not betray the village, there was no Uchiha coop d'etat, and everyone is just living their life as if they were normal people. Sort of. This also means there are no negative feelings between Itachi and Sasuke, other than the ones that naturally develop between siblings as they progress through puberty and both happen to be angsty motherfuckers.
It may seem weird that I am writing stories for Naruto after just admitting I'm not a huge fan of the manga or show, but I did watch the 300 episodes in the Naruto before Sasuke came back into the picture! Though I feel like those were probably the most unimportant episodes in the development of the storyline, haha. Anyways, I've been reading a lot of Naruto fanfiction, specifically centred around Sasuke, Hinata, and Itachi, either alone or in combination. They are honestly the most interesting characters to me. I can't stand Sakura. Naruto is fun, but he's also annoying. But it is because of these three characters that I am so enthralled in Naruto fanfiction, and of course, they inspired this piece that I am trying to write.
Please give me feedback. I need all the help I can get.
They met for the first time under the thick cloak of night.
The cool night air embraced her in its velvety cloak, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. Twigs crunched sharply under her even footfalls. There was no need to be quiet in this area of the woods; it was a great weight off her chest. The ends of her thin, cotton nightgown blew raggedly in the wind as she continued forward, no clear destination in sight, but a feeling burned in her that night which pulled her further and further into the earthy arms of the woods.
The decision to leave her bed had been an innocent one. She was far away from the land of sleep, her mind too awake and running through thoughts. It was the typical nightly reflection where Hinata felt as if her mind had been let off its leash. A unwanted replay of the day's events focused primarily on moments of embarrassment or anxiety and the tiny girl let out a particularly loud groan of frustration as she recalled the how she had stumbled in front of Neji, and had rather ungracefully steadied herself with the desperate flailing of her arms. Hyuuga weren't suppose to stumble, much less flail. Her cheeks burned even as she laid in complete darkness, snuggled under sheets and blankets. Hinata knew from habit that fighting the natural whirling rumination of her mind would do nothing but prolong her wakeful state. Trying to remain as silent as she could, the pale-skinned girl swung her legs to hang off the side of her bed as she sat up, before padding with soft steps down the hall to get herself a glass of water.
It had been on her way back to her room when she looked out a window and noticed the moon, full and bright, staring back at her. The craters, marred by distance, were nonetheless illuminated and appeared like the sunspots that had dotted her late-grandmother's skin, while the reflected light of the moon was so bright in some areas that it looked to be glittering. Darkness had turned the sky into a deep, deep blue, and she reached out fingers as if to touch it. But all she could grasp was air. The motion made her hands seem so empty – achingly so.
In a manner so uncharacteristic of herself, she left the Hyuuga estate without second thoughts. Her feet carried her through the hallways, into the courtyard, and out the compound doors. She had no idea what had possessed her to walk outside, much less leave the compound, when she was finding it a near daily struggle to get out of bed in the mornings. Every morning, she woke up in a state where she found herself weighed down by burdens, worries, the presence of others, the noise, and it took everything in her to rise from under her cozy covers. But nighttime seemed to make her lose all inhibitions. She felt comforted in the dark, the silence. She could hear herself breathe.
Hinata quickened her pace to surround herself in the forest by her home. The lush greens of the daytime seemed more beautiful in the dark. In the glare of sunlight, the leaves were too bright, waving in the breeze, seeming so fragile in its translucence. Now, they hung off branches, thick and steady in the wind, confident. As she continued to walk into the depth of the woods, she could feel her mind slowly unwinding, letting loose all the mental tension it held during the day. In the past few months, Hinata had been put on a sleuth of rotations between missions outside the village, and heiress duties within the Hyuuga compound. One gave way to the other and she was forced to remain present - always vigilant, constant wary. During the day, all she wanted to do was hide away in some dark hole so everyone would just leave her alone yet every evening, much like tonight, insomnia plagued her until the early hours of dawn. It was tiring, and Hinata could feel herself burning out. The wick of her candle was drowning in wax, and she could see the flames sputtering. I wonder what they'll do when it goes out, she had thought to herself.
By the way the trees were thinning out in front of her, Hinata knew she was getting to the end of the forest which lead into a clearing, and it was only upon setting foot on the dense grassy field that she allowed herself to collapse on her back to breathe. A stream bubbled nearby and Hinata basked in the clarity of this night, her body pressed down on the damp softness below her. She laid there, feeling her chest expand and shrink with every breath, as the stars shone bare above her. Please don't let morning come, she begged wordlessly.
And then she heard it: splashes of water. Purposeful splashes of water. She could feel fear slowly creeping into her chest, but she picked herself up and trepidly walked towards the sound. Standing in the stream was a figure in all black, even the hair. The broad shoulders, wide-footed stance gave him away as a man. Hinata squinted. The person was trying to wash off dark splotches that covered his entire outfit. Blood. The metallic smell reached her nose, and she couldn't suppress the sharp exhale and wrinkling of her nose. His head snapped over to her and she froze. A crow mask covered his face. Anbu. Her eyes widen involuntarily and her breathing became shallower. Though members of Anbu are purported to be elite ninja whose purpose is to protect Konoha under the Hokage, Hinata knew better than to think that they would do her no harm. Their top priority is their mission, and should she have compromised it in any way, there is no question that she would be dealt with accordingly.
"Hyuuga-san." He acknowledged her, but she remained immobile. Unable to move, unable to speak. The silence suddenly weighed heavy on her.
"Hello." She whispered hoarsely.
He could tell she had forced the words out of her throat with much effort. Forced them out of her delicate, pale throat. He wondered what it would look like as it snapped under the pressure of his fingers. Would it appear just as feminine? It was surprising that anyone would be in the area at this hour, much less the Hyuuga heiress. While the pale complexion and the stark whiteness of her eyes were reasonable indicators of her heritage, it was the long, midnight blue locks that left him without a doubt of her status. Only the heiress of the clan diverged from the standard brown locks customary to Hyuuga clan-members. Though the lack of light made it hard to see, a tint of blue still reflected off the top of her head, which was currently tousled to give her a wild appearance. She looked like a startled animal.
"It is late. You should be sleeping." Though his voice was quiet, it was firm. There was no mistaking the command in his words. But Hinata remained still. Her instincts screamed for her not to turn her back to this man.
Seeing the resistance, the Anbu slowly took off his mask to reveal pale skin, a delicate but high nose, and blaring red and black eyes. "You should sleep."
Hinata didn't remember closing her eyes, or collapsing on the ground. She did not recall the man's arms sliding under her arm, under her knees. She opened her eyes groggily, drowned in her covers, feeling as though she had woken up from an odd dream. Or weirder still, that she had woken in a dream.
She can't help herself staring on his bright smile, examining the lines resembling cat whiskers on his face. In her dark world, he was the opposing sun. She'd felt the gravity of him since her youth, barely recognizing then how her shadowed Earth started to revolve around him. She knows now, but it's too late to change anything. She's gotten so used to the warmth of his presence; it's not something she could see herself giving up. A faint blush rises to her face when she realizes she'd been looking at him for too long. She tilts her head forward to hide behind the cascade of her dark, silk hair.
Naruto rarely noticed her lingering gaze but the sharp-eyed Uchiha sure did. He scoffed quietly, wondering how so much foolishness could have taken root in the heiress of a powerful family, such as the Hyuugas. What a waste, he thinks, that a girl swayed so heavily by orange jumpsuits and profound stupidity will one day lead them.
" Hinata!" Kiba yelled, startling them all. "Come with me. We need to go see Shikamaru." He grabbed her by the shoulders and started to steer her in the direction of the village center.
"Wh-what's going on?" She said, more than a little caught off guard by Kiba's energy.
"He just came back from the Land of Water in the east, and he brought a delicacy back for Choji. If we don't hurry, the bastard will eat it all without us." Kiba said with a sense of urgency.
Hinata frowned. "Bu-but Shikamaru brought it back for Choji. Why are we trying to eat it?"
The confused frown on Hinata's face turned to one of dissatisfaction. She had worked hard on getting rid of that stuttering habit of hers from her childhood. It was embarrassing for a princess to spill words like a 5 year-old spilled milk from a cup. But sometimes when she was caught off guard and wasn't careful, her tongue would trip over itself – muscle memory, she was sure.
Testing her words out on the tip of her tongue before she said them, Hinata inquired, "Does this have anything to do with Ino?" Two weeks ago, Akamaru had wandered into the Yamanaka gardens without anyone knowing. Ino had discovered him peeing all over a patch of flowers, and trampling over others. In an all too predictable fashion, she lost her cool and literally kicked the clueless dog out of the flowerbeds. Kiba, hot headed as he was, had been picking fights with Ino ever since – this was an obvious ploy to upset her through her teammates. Hinata felt sorry for poor Choji.
Kiba grinned back, baring his teeth. "I don't know what you could be talking about. Now let's go."
"Hey, what's this I hear about food?" A bright-eyed blonde bound over to them. "You know, I could never give up Ichiraku Ramen but I have been eating there an awful lot lately. I'll come along!"
Hinata chocked on air. He was so close she could smell the citrus scent of his soap. Without her permission, blood rushed to her cheeks as they warmed. Her tense body immediately turned herself away from the blue-eyed boy, and she tried to keep as still as possible, as if hoping he wouldn't notice her there. It was like a scene you'd see when a bear stumbles into the path of the villagers; they would stand as still as possible, avoiding eye contact yet still being all too aware of the bear's movements until it passed.
"Are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto sounded concerned.
"Yes," she answered in a flustered voice. "I'm fine."
Naruto was much easier to fool than a bear so upon hearing this, he smiled easily and turned his attention back to Kiba. "Okay, well let's go get food."
Suddenly, he turned as if remembering Sasuke was still there. "C'mon teme."
Sasuke glared at his jubilant friend, before giving a firm "No, thanks."
Hinata smiled weakly at Kiba. "I'm actually feeling like heading home. I have to get through some scrolls before my fathers return on the solstice." In truth, she just didn't want to get involved in the feud with Ino. Though it meant she would have to give up time with Naruto. Slightly torn inside, Hinata still decided it was best to sit this excursion out. She didn't want to get on the Yamanaka's bad side.
"Awww, Hinata. C'mon. Who wants to sit around and read scrolls all day? And you can always do it later. I'm sure you haven't eaten yet." Narutos voice was pleasantly rough. There was a certain gruffness that always made Hinata weak in the knees. This time was no exception.
"Um…"
Sasuke was thoroughly annoyed. The woman had no backbone. Pathetic. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants, he walked away from the scene.
Hinata was heading home in a hurry. She stayed out later than she had intended. Kiba, Naruto, and her had paid Choji a visit on the training grounds across from the academy. He had been sitting in the dirt, decidedly not training but portioning out pink pieces of meat –at least, that's what Hinata had thought it most resembled – into bento boxes.
"Oi," Kiba called out. His canine grin was back. "What have you got there, Choji?"
The larger boy looked up at the newcomers. "Oh, it's you guys."
"Shikamaru brought by this preserved meat from the Land of Water. It's called SPAM. It doesn't look like meat to me but man, is it good."
"What are you doing with it?" Naruto said peering over Kiba's should into the bento boxes.
"Oh, I'm trying to make something with it. I guess you could called it onigiri."
"Looks good. Can I try some?" Kiba reached over and conveniently grabbed the box with Ino's name on it. And before Choji could utter a word of protest, Kiba started wolfing down the seaweed wrapped rice and meat. Naruto didn't skip a beat, and immediately joined Kiba.
Had the two been eating Choji's portion, the situation would have turned out very differently, but as it was, the pudgy ninja stared a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders and stacking the rest of the bento boxes on top of one another.
"Wait Hinata, you haven't had any. Here." Naruto took a piece of onigiri and shoved it in Hinata's face as if to feed her. The blush came back full force, and Hinata swore Naruto could probably feel the heat drifting off her face.
"Uuh…" And before she could think up of an appropriate response, he had popped the rice ball between her pink lips. With no other choice than to chew, Hinata muttered a faint "Arigato." She had sworn she was going to faint any minute.
Thinking back on the event made Hinata blush again as she trudged down the dirt road to the compound. A slim satisfaction found it's way into her chest. Naruto had brushed her lips with his fingers when he fed her. Secretly, she wondered what he would have done if she had forgone the rice ball, and wrapped her lips around his finger. She decided that one-day, she would find out.
The heiress' arrival back at the compound was not received well by Neji.
"Where have you been?" She flinched inwardly at the sound of his monotone voice.
"I was with Kiba and Na-naruto…" A silence hung between them.
Neji sighed lightly. She was hopeless when it came to Naruto. No doubt that's why she stayed out so late. He thought the blonde was extremely good-natured, and Neji was certain the boy only had good intentions, but he was incredibly stupid and Neji thought his cousin deserved better than a stupid boy. There was no way to describe it – Neji Hyuuga held Naruto in the highest respects. The boy was a great ninja, there was no doubt about that. But something about picturing Hinata with Naruto made him twitch. She was so soft, and timid, and kind and he was loud, and obnoxious, and… stupid. So very stupid.
"You should go to your room and get ready for bed." He said, not feeling like lecturing her tonight.
"Hm." Hinata voiced her agreement and scurried off to prepared for sleep.
It was a full moon that night, and the light shone bright in Hinata's room. She laid awake, eyes wide open. Nighttime made her restless. She twisted in her bed, full of unease and energy. It was like being a stagnant river that missed the rushing movement of a bubbling stream. A thought stuck in her mind to leave the bed and go explore the forest - immerse yourself in the world, it seemed to whisper and for some reason, this didn't seem as absurd a suggestion to Hinata, who laid swathed in sheets, as it would have just hours before, when the dying sun was in the midst of sinking behind the landscape. Gingerly, Hinata stepped out of bed, out of her room, down the halls, and out the doors and just like she had done the night before, she headed for the forest.
A passing thought flickered in her mind that this walk seemed strangely familiar, but the night woke up something wild inside of her, and eased her inclination for caution. She quickened her pace, enjoying the crunch of the branches under her feet and the feeling of stepping on tree roots, and soft grass. Her hair flew wildly around her and she giggled silently thinking how she must have looked like a madwoman scrambling through the woods. This was a different Hinata from the one in daylight. Her movements were airy, she stood taller, her eyes brighter. Had someone stumbled on her now, they would have mistaken her for a close relative of the Hyuuga princess. She laid in the clearing again, just as she had the night before, feeling the air move in and out of her chest. Any resistance to sleep disappeared with the cool breeze of the late summer night, and she tacitly gave herself up to her dreams.
At the edge of the forest, hidden within the leafy treetops, crouched the crow Anbu. He was silent, still, the face behind the mask a perfect stone cold porcelain expression. Eyes gazed at the sleeping girl, her midnight hair spread out around her, caressing her slender arms, her soft cheeks, and her jarring collar bones. The wonder of how it would feel to break those collar bones, crush it beneath his hand, lashed out in his mind; it was there then gone within a blink of the eye, but it's departure left an imprint in his mind. It gnashed into his conscience, and disturbed the quiet recesses where his self laid, but did not surprise him. What could he expect, having worked to cultivate instincts to hurt and wound and kill for the past 20 years of his life.
Soundless leaping down to rest next to the sleeping princess, he brushed the hair back from her face and trailed along the flesh of her neck. It would have looked affectionate, had the shake of his hands on her skin not given away the effort he put into making sure he didn't squeeze his fingers around her throat until her lungs burned out.
I feel like this read so much better on Microsoft Word on my laptop. Let me know what you thought by REVIEWING :) :)
