Masashi Kishimoto sat at his desk in awe and disbelief that he had been discovered, somehow at the bottom of his heart he knew one day they would find out and his world would fall to pieces. That the trust he had gained from the people of his village would be lost. And now the day had come and here in front of him was a letter, it had not been here when he had left his office, locked the door, and flew out for a meeting with his publishers.
Kishimoto,
The village of the hidden leaf has discovered that our battles and history are no longer hidden due to certain betrayals. Due to the Hokage being unable to forefill her roles in her current state I, Shizune, have taken it upon myself to write this letter. To inform you of the sadness and anxiety you have enforced upon Konoha.
Using the unfortunate events that Konoha has been landed with, you have used us to make a great deal of fortunes for yourself. Allthough it still remains a secret that our lands, shinobi,ninjutsu,genjutsu & battles are real, it is still with heavy hearts that we must admit you have taken our trust for granted and we will not be bestowing the trust back to you.
In the recent fall of Konoha we are trying to mend the ruins that Pein left us with. The information that we have been given is that you have used, the history and present of the leaf for your own benefit . If it were not for Uzumaki Naruto many lives would have been lost in our recent battle and you have put only more devastation on us. If it is ever to be known that our shinobi world is real then not only will you be banished from entering our lands, but a team of ANBU will be sent forth to rid you from existence.
It is with great shock and disgust that we have discovered you have been spying and reading our every move. You are no longer considered a citizen of the Hidden Leaf.
Shizune.
Kishimoto sighed and put his hands to his face, " The end of what i was hoping was going to be a great story, for it was not just for wealth i saught out the story of that village, but to share the losses and the braverie of the people of Konoha. Fear not Konoha, i will not betray you again and the truth of the Shinobi world will never be known."
" NANI? IS IT TRUE! MASASHI SAN betrayed Konoha?"
"Yes baka Naruto! i've already been through this once! Kami, Naruto, you're still such a child." Sakura sighed, only with a light smile on her face. Since the destruction of the hidden leaf Sakura had learnt not to be so hard on Naruto. After all, he was the one who saved the village.
Sakura frowned then, thinking of the way Masashi had always been so kind. He had always been there when she was troubled and had listened to everything. But that was just it. He needed everything, Sakura looked down. Though the shinobi world would never be discovered by the outside world, she still felt ashamed at all the times she had cried so many tears over Sasuke. And to none other than Masashi himself. The other world she did not know probably knew more about her than she did herself.
Naruto pulled her out of her Reverie, " WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON HIM, WHEN I'M HOKAGE HE'S GONNA WISH HE WAS NEVER BORN!"
Kakashi's bored face looked up from his book, "Naruto,their has already been an arrangement made, if Masashi Kishimoto so much as utters one more word about the shinobi world, and it some how slips about the truth, he'll be executed."
That brought Naruto up short, his mouth fell open. " Heh. I still can't believe it Kakashi-Sensei, all those times at Ichiraku's place, Masashi-San would treat me and he'd ask all about missions, i always thought he was weird." Naruto frowned indifferently.
"Actually, i did make some enquiries," Kakashi dropped in with a bored tone, " Hokage-Sama and I discussed Masashi and it came up into conversation that he always had a journal in his bag and spent most of his time talking to most of the villagers, mainly the shinobi ofcourse..."
Kakashi sighed, "Well, he is banished now and there is not much for us to do but carry on rebuilding the village, which reminds me, Sakura you're to report to your tent to proceed with helping the injured, Chouji will be there to assist you."
"Hai, Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura darted off, eager to get the guilt that was fraying at the edge of her heart off of her mind by helping the injured.
Kakashi considered Naruto for a moment, "Naruto, there isn't much else that isn't being attended to," he paused and thought for a moment. " However, Lady Hinata has no assistant at the moment, and i'm sure she would appreciate the help." A faint smile was forming under Kakashis mask.
Naruto raised his arm and scratched the back of his head grinning sheepishly.
"Uhhh Kakashi, i um, i'm not sure thats such a good idea."
Kakashi sighed in a knowing voice. "Naruto Uzumaki. You've spent your life running around after a love thats lost. When it comes to love the world is dead to Sakura other than Sasuke, she will never stop believing he will come around to her. I suggest you find yourself and figure out what you really want. Hinata-san may be just what you do want, as well as need" Kakashi laughed at Narutos confused face, "even if it is just to be a true friend to her."
"Hai Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto swallowed hard as he began to walk towards to east side of the village where Hinatas tent was based. He had tried not to think about her confession the day she tried to save him from Pein, he was truly grateful for her attempt, but the words she said confused him. She told him she wanted to walk beside him, that his smile had saved her, and the most confusing ...she had said... she loved him.
He strained to think of signs he could have missed and thought of only the way she stuttered his name, blushed when she saw him and collapsed at his touch. Naruto thought this was a strange way to act if you loved someone... he loved Sakura didn't he? He would always ask her on dates and never give up on her... but the more he thought about it the more he saw how Sakura-chan didn't seem to treat him kindly or look up to him the way that Hinata did. And as he thought about it more, it seemed that the way he acted with Sakura was the way someone described a silly little crush and that maybe, just maybe Naruto didn't know how it felt to love someone, to love some one the way Kurenai-sensei had loved Asuma-Sensei.
Naruto shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts, when he reached Hinata's tent he coughed " Uh, Hinata? Kakashi-Sensei sent me to help you..." " Hai, come in, Kurenai-sensei informed me they'd sen...send s-someone to h-help, N-n-Naruto-Kun." Hinatas heart pounded behind her chest and she couldn't help but blush at the intensity in Narutos deep blue eyes. He looked troubled, she instantly thought that it was a pain for him to be here and that he'd rather be with Sakura-san, her eyes dropped from Naruto's gaze as he stood in the door frame of the tent.
Naruto thought for a moment that Hinata-chan looked different to him in so many ways after she had made her confession, he looked at her through different eyes, and he saw that she could be just as pretty as Sakura-chan if not more, he pondered that he had never truly looked at her features, her long dark hair, fair skin and the kind of weird but beautiful wide eyes.
Hinata suddenly looked up at him fiercely " Aragato, N-Naruto-Kun. Could you p-please use a cleaning jutsu to steralise the utensils?" she smiled weakly. He grinned sheepishly " umm, how do you do a cleaning jutsu Hina-chan ?" She looked up at him in wonder at where that nickname had come from, and noted how much she liked it when it was Naruto-Kun who used it.
"Y-you just focus a thin layer of chakra outside of your palms and hover over where your cleaning," Hinata demonstrated the jutsu as Naruto stared at her intently, after an hour or so Naruto pretty much had the jutsu O.K and Hinata smiled and sighed "Naruto-Kun..." under her breath when he yelled "Hina-chan! I've got it!" with a huge grin on his face. Little did she know he had caught the mumble of his name and he wondered why she had called it out, and then it hit him, the confession, that nothing had changed and that she still loved him, and that his smile had truly saved her.
After assisting Hinata with the patients by handing her utensils and fetching necessities that she needed Naruto decided Hina-chan and himself should take a break and go eat."Hina-chan, hey, its nearly time for lunch, so i thought we could take a walk to where they've just finished rebuilding Ichiraku's?" Naruto smiled a crooked smile. Hinata gasped and bit her lip, blushing a deep red, " T-that would be nice Naruto-K-kun." "Good, cause' i'm STARVING, and everyone knows i love ramen" he beamed.
Naruto stepped outside waiting for Hinata to get her coat so they could leave for Ichiraku's, as he was standing there Kiba walked by the tent with his hands in his pockets and Akamaru in toe, " Yo, Kiba!" "Naruto, I see you're helping Hinata, are you going for lunch break now?" "Uhh, yeah bu-" "Great we'll come too!" Kiba chipped in grinning. "Actually Kiba i wanted to go for a walk with Hina-chan i've got to show her something first so..." "Oh," Kiba sighed, "O.K i'll just catch up with Shino." Then Kiba snickered," Ahhh I see Naruto, heh!" " If you hurt Hina-chan, myself AND Akamaru will see to you. So, don't. See ya" Kiba strolled off with Akamaru. Naruto frowned, he didn't know why he had said that, but he didn't want Kiba around for some reason. This left him feeling even more confused.
Hinata walked out of the tent looking up at Naruto, 'He's grown!' she thought. "Lets walk Hinata" Naruto smiled.
"I love Sakura blossoms" Hinata sighed,as they walked past a huge old tree " they're beautiful" "Yeah, Hina-chan lots of things are beautiful aren't they, like the moon at night and the stars and- and" "Hai, N-Naruto-Kun they are..."there was silence for a minute or so and tension seemed to grow in the air.
Naruto looked at Hinata for a moment while they walked and decided that he was just going to be normal with her, he figured he didn't want to freak her out and bring something up that was awkward for them both. 'After all there may be consequences if Kiba finds out I've made Hinata feel uncomfortable I guess' he thought to himself.
" Hey Hinata, what's your favourite ramen ?" Hinata smiled and was glad for the change of subject. "Well I l-like miso ramen Naruto-Kun" Naruto smiled widely " Yeah me too but I also like pork and well, most other types of ramen," he laughed and scratched the back of his head. "So uh if you like miso ramen and I do I guess that's something we have in common right?" Hinata looked up at Naruto and a dusting of pink colored her cheeks " Hai Naruto-K-Kun"
"Thats awesome Hina-Chan!I'm starving lets run!" Naruto clasped her hand in his and took off running towards Ichiraku's. Hinata was taken by suprise when he tugged on her hand and she gasped "N-Naruto-Kun w-what are you doing?" but she giggled and ran along beside him, Naruto glanced at her and grinned, he liked it when Hina-Chan laughed. It gave him a strange feeling in his stomach, nothing the nine tailed beast had ever caused but more like trapped adrenaline, and he got this feeling every time he saw Hinata laugh or smile. Naruto felt like his heart was stumbling on things that he didn't know. Ever since he fought Pein he had felt like this, but he didn't understand what it meant...
Naruto and Hinata reached the store abouta minute after they started running, Ayame was watching Ichiraku's for her father. "AYAMEEEEE, where's the old man? I wanted to tell him how grateful i am to his place is back up MAAAAAAN two weeks without Ichiraku's ramen I felt like i was gonna die!" Hinata stiffened at this as she remembered Naruto faced down pinned to the floor. He was helpless and she had ran to him and sworn to herself she'd buy him some time, or die trying to protect him. " ...well tell him i said I've missed this place LIKE HELL when you see him Ayame!"
Ayame sighed, she had a lot of respect for Naruto since Pein. But he would never change and he was always like a little cute yet annoying brother. Ayame's eyes fell on Hinata and she wondered whether Naruto had come to his senses and forgot about that Sakura bitch. " O.K Naruto what would you and this pretty little thing be ordering today?"
"Huh pretty? I guess you are pretty Hinata I've just..." Naruto's gaze slipped from Hinatas wide eyes to her cute nose and then to her full pretty pink mouth. Her lips looked soft and he had a sudden urge to touch them to feel how warm they were and to feel the soft texture on his finger tips ' ARGHHH I am NOT perveted like Ero-Sennin!'.
Naruto shook his head and finished his sentence, "-i've just never really looked at you that closely I guess." Oblivious of the effect that he had on Hinata he smiled a large smile as Hinata and Ayame stared at him, Hinata looked distraught and was blushing like crazy. Where as Ayame was giggling to herself. "Anyway I'll have pork and Hinata will have Miso ramen, arigato Ayame!" She sighed at how oblivious Naruto could be " On the house Naruto." Ayame called as she began preparing their lunch. Naruto put away his bulging frog shaped wallet and yelled " WHY! Ayame you're AWESOME! What did i do to deserve this?"
Naruto pumped the air with his fist with a "WOOP!" Hinata wondered why Ayame was treating them, she guessed it was because Naruto had saved the village. Ayame sighed " what you've done Naruto, is chosen the right girl." She muttered under her breath with a smile.
"You know, you really are pretty," his eyebrows raised," I wonder why i never saw it before..." Hinata's eyes stayed on the counter they were sat at. "I-I aragato Naruto-Kun..." Naruto gulped and realised what he'd just been saying and how it might tye in wit her confession, Naruto wasn't ready to drop that into conversation just yet. Ayame set the food down and they began to eat, much to Naruto's gratificaton. As they ate Naruto and Hinata became conscious that their legs were touching ever so gently beneath the counter top.
For once Hinata got a boost of confidence and decided she was going to act oblivious and do something she never before had the courage to do. Naruto seemed nervous as she turned to him staring him in the eyes intently but he couldnt cut their gaze. " Naruto, I-I know this is strange coming from me but could you wrap your arms around m-me? You see its c-chilly," Naruto stared and the corner of his mouth twitched up, " uh sure, Hinata..." Naruto stood from his seat and so did Hinata and he wrapped his arms round her waist, his arms seeming to fit their like a jigsaw. She leant her head into his chest. He felt her breasts press against his body, and his face grew red... 'where did THEY come from?' he thought. They both liked the feel of their bodies pressed close against eachother. Naruto pressed his nose to Hinatas soft indigo hair and took an intake of breath, she smelt like strawberries and he liked it. A whole lot." Naruto-Kun you're s-soooo warm." Hinata sighed.
She found it easier to be confident in his arms and had been dying to be there since the day he passed the academy. She loved that way he smelt and the way she could feel the muscles in his shoulders which her arms were now flung around. She found herself gazing up at him into his blue eyes, her face a little pink. He held her gaze for a moment and then broke it looking away to the side but still keeping her in his arms. Naruto felt confused, he'd never felt this strange before and he wished the pervy sage was here for him to talk to about what he was feeling. Someone needed to explain this to him.
With a quiet gasp Hinata realised Naruto was frowning, and she jumped away from their embrace. Naruto was angry she felt her eyes grow wet. She knew this would happen! She ran as fast as she could back to the tent and tried to forget her foolishness, how could she think Naruto would ever want her as anything more than a friend? Hinata groaned and then the tears came.
Naruto called "Hinata wait, what's wrong!" he didn't understand what just happened. Didn't she like being that close to him ? Did she just want be friends? Naruto's confusion from the day increased ten fold. He left a tip for Ayame on the counter and began walking, kicking the dirt beneath his feet as he went.