Disclaimer: no, kira doesn't own Naruto, yes she wishes she does, and yes this is her original plot (or at least, it is since I didn't read any fics that made me think of this…but if there is, I didn't copy. glare)
Message for Beta: I didn't wanna mess with your work time, so kira just posted it. If you see any messups though, let me knows, kk? hugs nee-chan thanks!
Saru mo ki Kara Ochiru
Even Monkeys Fall From Trees
He never did like me crying. I couldn't help it though. Not this time. The memories kept coming, almost like if they were to stop, apocalypse would occur. The memories wouldn't leave me alone.
Flashback: begin
Hinata stood outside the academy, waiting nervously for him to appear. With every second it took for him to get there, she got more and more nervous. Today would be the day.
"---Hinata-chan!" a voice called in the distance. Turning to look, she saw him, running for his life worth, and looking completely out of breath.
"N-Naruto-kun!" she ran up to him, hoping he was ok.
"I'm back from my mission Hinata! Tsunade-baa-chan works us like slaves!" Naruto exclaimed jovially. Despite his dirtied form, he was fine, having just come back from an 'urgent delivery' mission that turned out to be more of a 'bring Icha-Icha Paradise the newest copy to the Daimyo of the Fire Country or else'.
"Ano…Naruto-kun?"
"Yeh?"
"Do you still like Sakura-san?" She asked, tenting her fingers. Since most of the Rookie 9 had turned eighteen, Hinata had done her best to become a bit more outspoken. Hanging out with Sakura and Ino so much more definitely paid off.
"Um…," Naruto scratched the back of his head, "kinda…"
Hinata's heart sank.
"But now, it's more like I love her like a sister, y'know," Naruto turned to look at her. "Hey Hinata-chan, why do you want to know?" Naruto was vaguely suspicious. Was that question some sort of trick?
"Um…well…because…" giving up on words, Hinata simply settled for leaning in and kissing him.
Flashback: end:
Remembering back to that time, she had to laugh. How young they were then. Although it had only been three years, it felt like a life time ago. After kissing Naruto, she had promptly run when she noticed his lack of response.
"Hinata-san," Neji had come up behind her while she was thinking. "Come back home. It will get cold out very soon." She had failed to notice the growing darkness.
"Hai, Neji-nii-san. I'll be back in an hour or so. Just-"
"Everyone knows you were among the worst hurt by his death." Neji cut in. Hinata winced at his choice of words. "There isn't anyone who hadn't met him who isn't grieving."
"But he didn't want us to…" Hinata trailed off quietly. Neji tilted his head, not quite understanding. He knew he probably wasn't the best equipped to talk to her, as he had never been very good at comforting people. "He wouldn't want us to be sad…" Hinata finished.
Flashback: begin
Hinata couldn't keep the tears in any more. It was excruciatingly hard for her to see her team come back in pain, especially since she hadn't been with them. It didn't help that her beloved had been with them.
Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around Hinata, encasing her in a hug. Startled she spun around.
"Ow…." Naruto let go briefly to rub his cheek with one hand. "Hinata-chan sure packs a punch!"
"Oh my gosh! Summimasen Naruto-kun! I didn't mean to honstely!" By turning around so abruptly, her head had collided with his cheek.
"It's fine, just remind me not to get on your bad side!" He joked
"Weren't you in the Emergency room earlier?" The memory of Naruto being carried in by Kakashi's search and rescue team, filled her with tears yet again.
"Yeh, but Tsunade-baa-chan decided to go work with Kiba. He broke his leg in three places. Shino's ok, but he has a concussion. I think it was two degree." He frowned looking carefully at Hinata. His eyes widened.
"Ano sa, ano sa, Hinata-chan they'll be fine! Tsunade-baa-chan'll heal them up real quick! Don't cry Hinata-chan!" He panicked.
"G-gomen ne," She choked out. It had been their first mission as an ANBU team. If they came out of that the way they did, what would happen when they got the harder missions? That prospect scared her.
Naruto turned Hinata to face him. "Hinata-chan, don't cry! You're too pretty to cry! Crying makes me sad! Like, like, umm…oh I got it! Like I don't want people to cry at my funeral!" he rambled, trying to comfort her, and ended up completely befuddling her instead.
"Huh?" Was all she could say.
"Oops, that didn't really come out right," He said sheepishly, "Well what I mean is that since people are always so sad at funerals, I was thinking after Sandaime's. I mean it's great that he sees that we loved him, but if he saw us there, wouldn't he be depressed too? I probably won't have half as many people care, but I don't want anyone to cry at my death! As weird as it sounds, I want people to celebrate, cause…what was that quote? Right: Don't cry because it's over, laugh 'cause it happened. Yeh kinda like that!"
Hinata laughed quietly. Naruto had the weirdest methods of cheering people up, yet no one could raise her spirits like he did.
"You know Naruto-kun, neither do I."
Flashback: end:
Neji sighed. Hinata was a hard person to talk to. Neji liked her. Everyone did, really. But it was always hard to comfort her, since it was usually one of them who had hurt her feelings in the first place.
"Hanabi-san would be better at this." Neji muttered. After all, hadn't Naruto help bridge the rifts between Hanabi and Hinata, just as he had with Neji?
Flashback: begin
He found her at the river, staring morosely into her reflection.
"What's wrong Hinata-chan?" With those simple words, she turned and threw herself into his arms, sobbing like no tomorrow.
"Hanabi hates me. She hates me Naruto-kun! I don't understand!"
Naruto's expression darkened. He was used to being hated, as sad as it was. Hinata wasn't used to it. Sure she wasn't the most popular person in the Hyuuga clan, or at least, not as a fighter. Neji hated her at one point. Or at least, he had hated what she stood for. But that had changed. Hinata was just too hard to hate. And she wasn't used to it.
"What makes you think that?" He couldn't think of anything else to say that would be somewhat intelligible.
"She told me. She told me, Naruto-kun. She didn't take it back, she didn't blink. She just…said it like she didn't care! And she doesn't Naruto-kun! I know she doesn't! But she's my sister! After Father died, she's my only sister, and she's my only tie to father! But-"
Naruto cut her off by putting an index finger over her mouth. As Hinata stared at her through tear-filled eyes, he came to a conclusion. "You look a bit red," and placed his hand on her forehead, using a sleeping jutsu Sakura had taught him the hard way. He had never been good at being subtle.
He brought her back to the gates and passed her off to a guard, who looked at him accusingly. He didn't notice.
'I won't see Hinata-chan like that again.' And resolved to corner Hanabi the next day.
Flashback: TBC
Heyas people! New fic! Guess what, it might actually have more than a chapter! xD Obviously, since I hate it when people stop updating after the first chapter. Anyways, hopefully some people enjoyed reading this, and stuff. I was really bored and inspiration hit. xD I'm sorry in advance if I don't post another chappy soon, this story will be pretty short, maybe like…5-10 chaps. Don't know. Maybe more. Maybe less. Probably less. Both ways, if I don't update, just hound me on my DA user or something. xD
Kira