Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's existing characters. Masashi Kishimoto has all rights to this, I only own this plot line.
Chapter 1: Just the Girl Next Door
I heard a loud sigh from behind me, I was on the computer in my bedroom, typing up the homework for history class.
"Is something wrong?" I turned to the brown haired girl laying on my bed, a hand over her eyes, in a slightly dramatic fashion.
"I am so bored," she replied heavily, I raised an eyebrow, it's not like I was making her stay here with me, it was her choice, besides she look like she was dressed for a date.
"I'm not forcing you to stay here you know," I pointed out, about to turn back to the computer, when she suddenly sat up. I drew back in alarm.
"I've got it….why don't you come out with me tonight, Neji is taking me dancing," she said.
"Tenten, I-I don't know," I replied, fully turning back to the computer. "Besides you know I can't,"
"Oh, come on, it'll be fun," Tenten replied. "Besides Kiba will be there,"
"I don't know," I repeated, having an uneasy feeling about all this.
"Please, come on Hinata-chan, I don't as a lot," Tenten said with a pleading gaze.
"I can't dance," I said firmly as I saved my work, knowing I wouldn't finish it tonight.
"Please….it'll be so much fun, I promise," I then got a full dose of Tenten's puppy face, now I know why Neji is a sucker when she pleads. "Please?"
I gave a heavy sigh, trying to fight it, then gave in as I always do, my shoulders slumping. "Fine…..but if I get hurt, I'm holding you fully responsible," I paused. "Besides it's not like I'm even dressed to go out dancing,"
"That's easily fixed," she replied, hopping off the bed and going over to my closet and began rummaging through it, swearing once when she stubbed her toe on the door. Then she reemerged, holding a pale blue dress, that I'd gotten from my mother to wear in the spring, I'd never worn it yet. "This will do just fine," she said handing it to me, then went back into the closet to look for shoes to match. "Go change," she ordered.
---
My name is Hyuga Hinata, 17 years old, I live with my mother, Kari Tendo, after the divorce and she gained custody, my father Hyuga Hiashi moved to Kyoto, and remarried Hana my step-mother, and they had a daughter my younger half sister, Hanabi, who my father likes more.
Tamura Tenten, is one of my only girlfriends, she is dating my older cousin Hyuga Neji, which was how I met her. Neji-nii-san is more like my older brother than a cousin. My best friend's name is Inuzuka Kiba, he's loud, a bit arrogant, brash and sometimes obnoxious, but he's got a couple soft spots, one for dogs, and of course one for me, seeing as we've known each other pretty much since birth.
--
I looked at myself in the mirror in my adjoining bathroom, pale face, pale lavender eyes, framed by long inky black hair, which is common among the Hyuga's.
I then looked down at the dress, noticing how it clung to my body, how it reached just above my knees, and how low cut it was, it made me uncomfortably self conscious. I spread my fingers across my flat stomach. I shook my head then went back into my room, only to have a pair of black ballet flats shoved into my hands. I then found myself being steered out of my own room. "Tenten….?" I then realized where we were headed and found myself in my mother's room, my mother had a brush in her hand. I was then led to a chair in front of her, and sat down. "Kaa-san, you're in on this?" I asked incredulously.
"Just doing your hair dear," my mother said, as she began to pull the brush through my hair.
"Ok Hinata-chan, stay still so I can apply your makeup." Tenten said, and I did so. About fifteen minutes later, I was allowed to look in a mirror. My mother had done a good job on my hair, it was up in a simple twist, my bangs done over in a side sweep. As for the makeup, just eyeliner, light purple eye shadow, some blush and some lip-gloss…..it was applied lightly, but it made me look….pretty.
"Jeez Hinata-chan, I am so jealous of you," Tenten said, shaking her head. "Jealous?" I asked. "Of what?"
"You," Tenten replied. "I mean you don't even have to try, you're just naturally pretty," Tenten's compliment made me blush. No one, apart from my mother ever told me that.
"I'm not….pretty," I said, staring down at my interlocked fingers.
"Oh, yes you are honey," my mother said, rubbing my shoulder. "All right, I know you'll be with Neji, but I still want you to be careful, and have fun tonight ok,"
"Hai kaa-san," I replied with a smile. Tenten then proceeded to pull me from the room, I was glad I still had the flats in my hands. We got to the genkan, and we put our shoes on, then grabbed our coats from the hook, and went outside, and down the driveway, to where a black Mercedes was idling.
"Hey Hinata-chan, you look nice," I heard Kiba say, as he opened up the front door and opened the back door for me, in a gentlemanly manner. I smiled at him. "Arigato Kiba-kun," I said as I got in, sliding over to make room for him.
---
Everyone assumes that because Kiba is my best friend, that we're dating, but that's completely wrong, for three reasons. First, because I asked him out when we were fourteen, having finally gained the courage, and he'd looked embarrassed, and politely turned me down, so we didn't ruin our friendship, it hurt at first but I eventually got over it. And secondly, because he's already dating Yamanaka Ino, a very pretty blonde girl, with a mouth as big as Kiba's.
The third reason is because, two years ago, when a young man, and his adopted son moved in next door. The young man, Hatake Kakashi, is our current English teacher, and his son, Hatake Naruto, is the third reason I can't date Kiba, because I don't know when but, somehow, I fell for him.
It sucks that I can't tell Naruto my feelings, I'm way too shy, and also because he is currently in a relationship with the prettiest girl at Konoha High School, Haruno Sakura. Sakura is nice, but I don't think she really deserves Naruto, I mean he totally adores…erm I mean, adored her, and she just took it all for granted, and is dating his best friend, Uchiha Sasuke as well. The reason I used past tense, is because I can tell the two are drifting apart.
---
"Wow, Tenten how'd you manage to get Hinata-chan to come tonight?" Ino asked, as we approached. I kind of envy Ino, because she has long silvery blonde hair, and pretty blue eyes, and the curves and bust of a goddess, which was how she'd snagged Kiba. She looked truly surprised to see me walking with Kiba, Tenten and Neji as we walked over to her booth.
"A lot of begging," Tenten replied, with a wink towards me. "And some pleading didn't hurt either." Ino then hooked her arm with Kiba's, looking up at him, with a smile. "Let's dance," she said, her big blue eyes sparkling. "Ok, sure," Kiba replied, allowing himself to be pulled out to the dance floor, as a ballad began to play.
"Oh, I love this song," Tenten said, turning to Neji. "Well, do you want to dance?" He asked, she nodded, then turned to me. "Are you gonna be ok, Hinata-chan?" She asked, I nodded making shooing gestures with my hands.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," I said. "Go have fun,"
"All right, next dance is for you," Tenten said. "I mean a faster one that is,"
"Just go, before you hurt yourself," I said, and Neji pulled Tenten out to the dance floor. I sat down at the booth with a slightly depressed sigh, I was envious of every girl on the floor, because they all had someone who cared for them. I didn't realize I was zoning out, until I heard a voice that ceased the working of my lungs, and my heart pound unnaturally hard against my ribcage.
"Um, excuse me, is this seat taken," I gulped and looked up into cerulean eyes, surrounded by messy blonde hair. "Excuse me," I quickly turned red. My friends told me I turn red so fast it should be in the world records book.
"U-Um, n-no, that seat is open," I answered, looking down at my fingers, which lay on the table.
"Thanks," he said sitting down.
"Not to sound, r-rude, b-but, why are you here?" I asked. "I mean with me,"
"Oh, my girlfriend cancelled on me," he replied, not sounding too sad about it. "Why are you all alone?"
"Oh, my fr-friends are out dancing," I replied, feeling ashamed of my stuttering, it only happened when I was around a boy that I liked.
"How come you aren't dancing?" He asked, sounding truly curious. "I mean, didn't your boyfriend ask you?"
"N-no," I said.
"Oh," was it my imagination, or did he sound disappointed.
"I d-don't have a boyfriend," I said, blushing again. "Are you okay, your face looks a bit red?" He said, sounding concerned.
"N-no…..I'm fine," I replied, turning redder. I was still unable to look at him, because I was afraid that I would loose it and faint, and I haven't done that in awhile.
"Do I know you, you seem familiar," he said, though he sounded like he was lying.
"I'm in your class at Konoha High," I replied, trying to master my stutter.
"Oh, right! You're Hyuga Hinata, your cousin is upper classman, Hyuga Neji right?"
"Yes, th-that's correct," I said, my nervousness ebbing away slightly.
"You live next door, right?"
"H-Hai," I said, feeling like this whole night was a plot against me. My blush reappeared, when the song ended and I heard Tenten and Ino coming over. "Hey Hinata-chan," Tenten said, I looked at her, and she smirked. "Why are you blushing like that?" She asked, then she spotted the blonde boy, sitting across from me. "Oh, hello Hatake-san," she said with a polite bow of her head.
"It's Naruto," he replied, she smiled at him.
"Hinata-chan, scoot over and let me sit with you," Tenten said, and I slid over to the wall, as Naruto stood up and allowed Ino the seat across from me. "So, Naruto, what are you doing over here, shouldn't you be with Sakura-san?"
"Well I was supposed to, but she texted that she wanted to take a rain check," Naruto replied, Ino snorted in a very un-ladylike fashion, which made us all look at her, she turned slightly pink.
"Well, I wonder what Forehead could possibly be doing, that wouldn't involve you Naruto," Ino said, reigning in the confidence she was known for, Naruto only shrugged. I looked away quickly, when he looked my way, blushing a hundred shades of red.
When Kiba and Neji returned with drinks, another ballad had started, and Ino pulled Kiba back out, claiming she 'absolutely loved this song' and then Tenten followed, leaving me, alone once more with Naruto. "Excuse my forwardness, but would you like to dance?" Naruto asked, I looked up at him, my face felt hot.
"You want to d-dance, with me?" I asked, feeling short of breath suddenly. "Well you're the only one here aren't you?" He asked, with a smirk.
"I c-can't dance," I said, looking back at my fingers.
"It's not hard," he said, standing up, then gently pulling me to my feet. "Here, I'll show you," he then pulled me out to the floor, and put one of my hands on his shoulder, then put one hand at me waist, causing me to turn red once again, then with his other hand he took my other hand, and slowly guided me along. After a couple seconds, he smiled down at me, seeing as I was a full head shorter than he was. "See you're dancing," he said, and I felt light headed.
"Y-You're right," I said, looking to the side, unable to meet his eyes again, or else I really would faint. "Pardon my rudeness, but why are you being so nice to me, you hardly know me,"
"Actually I know you more that you think," he replied, I then made the mistake of looking back into his eyes, and my head swam.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my tongue felt swollen. Then suddenly all I saw was black.