Still trailing through the night sky, the siblings were now in an atmosphere that it was comfortable enough for them to fly on their own without the help of Naruto. They managed to keep up enough behind him that Naruto hadn't any need to look back for them anymore. And though Neji was keeping his eyes on Hinata, Hinata's vision was locked on the scenery around her. She was closer to the stars than she had ever been before. It was unbelievable. Who knew flying through the night sky with a mysterious boy could be so wonderful? This was truly an unforgettable experience, by far.
"Hinata," Neji called from behind her. She turned to head as Neji made his way by her side. His look was quite serious. "When exactly do you plan on going home?" His tone remained the same as before the left the house.
Hinata looked at her brother with disappointed eyes. They hadn't even arrived yet and he's already thinking about home. How was that even possible? "But Neji," Her voice upset, "We haven't even gotten there yet."
"Hinata." His tone was sharp. "We can't stay here, we have a home and it's nowhere near where we're going."
Hinata's eyes locked onto his. Her look, even though her face remained young and cute, it was easy to see the seriousness in her eyes. "A home should be a warm, happy place." She said. "When's the last time we've all been happy together." Her voice squeaked, forcing back the lump in her throat.
Naruto glanced back to see the Hyuuga brother and sister talking. His eyes landed instinctively on Hinata, her expression looked upset and unhappy. It made him worry. What were they talking about, he wondered? He saw Neji try to console her, but still she maintained that face. He turned back around to give them some privacy, repositioning the young girl that he carried on his back.
He grinned. "You're not as light as you look." Naruto told the sleeping child.
It was then the little pink fairy motioned for Naruto's attention. "What is it Sakura?" She smiled as she eagerly pointed below them to the island that they both called home. Naruto's face lit up immediately, as he spun himself around and headed towards the siblings leaving Sakura alone. She watched Naruto go and frowned as he paid no attention to her. Sakura angrily followed Naruto's lead, struggling to keep up behind the young blond boy.
"Hinata, that's not-"
"Hinata!" Naruto's voice dared to interrupt Neji's. Both sets of lightly shaded eyes watched as Naruto approached them. He soon grabbed Hinata's hand causing her cheeks to heat up. "Come, I wanna show you something." He grinned. Without waiting for a reply from the young maiden he tightened his grip on her hand and sped her away.
Neji continued solo, alone and annoyed at him. Sakura, who had finally arrived, was brushed past by the urgency in Naruto's flight. She looked back to see that he was giving special attention to that girl once again and rolled her eyes before muttering a few unpleasant words to herself. Neji, who was close enough, commented on her remarks. "Tell me about it." Though he still didn't understand the tongue in which Sakura spoke, he understood that she wasn't too pleased about them being together either.
Naruto brought her over to a place with a clear view of what's below. Hinata kept her eyes on him completely confused, but before she started to speak, Naruto pointed towards the ground below them. Hinata followed his finger and her face completely falls.
The beautiful dark blue waters with reflections of the night sky amazingly complimented the enchanting appearance of the island as the moon's light shown off of it. The waterfall glistened off the side of the island as little hints of light flickered around its perimeter.
"Is this Neverland?" Hinata managed to speak, still refusing to remove her eyes from the sight.
"Yup!" Naruto grinned. "Cool, huh?"
"It's beautiful," She gasped, as her eyes continue to scan around below her. While gazing over the sea that surrounded the island, her eyes came in contact with a familiar object. "Naruto," She asked, having him turn to her. "Is that a pirate ship?"
Naruto looked at Hinata's eyes and followed them downward. He laid his eyes on the ship himself, which caused an uneasy tension in his stomach. He instinctively squeezed Hinata's hand. Her eyes went to him, but his were too focused on that ship. It began to worry Hinata, and she would've spoken up if Naruto hadn't beaten her too it.
"We have to hurry." He told her as he began to pick up his speed. Hinata, forcefully, followed. She looked back to see Neji trying to hurry behind them but little by little he was getting further and further away.
"N-Naruto wait, Neji!" She said, looking back and forth between the two boys. Naruto looked back to see that Neji was a decent distance away from the two so he slowed his pace down. They both faced the direction where Neji and Sakura were coming from. The two waited as the exhausted duo arrived. Neji was breathing deeply and Sakura managed to get to Naruto's shoulder before settling down to rest.
"Are you alright?" Hinata asked, sticking her hand out to aid Neji. He glared at Naruto, still taking breaths as deep as before.
"What the he-" Neji was interrupted by his body begging for air. He continued with his deep breaths as Naruto and Hinata looked at him a little worried. After a couple of breaths and few coughs, Neji's composure came back to him. "What are you running from?"
Naruto looked over at Sakura who gave him a somewhat concern look. Naruto shrugged and smiled. "You caught me." He grinned as he laughed. "I was trying to ditch you."
Neji grabbed Hinata's hand as he pulled her closer to him. "I don't like you." He grimaced, lowering his gaze. Hinata bit her lip as she glanced between a smiling Naruto and an angered Neji. When she looked back at Naruto once more he winked at her before traveling onward with Sakura on his shoulder and Hanabi on his back.
Hinata watched and slowly started trailing behind him. Neji frowned as he followed after his younger sister. The group made their way towards the center of the island.
"What is it?" Neji gave the 'thing' in front of him a questionable look.
Naruto, Hinata and Neji, along with Sakura were all back on the ground safe and sound. They were currently standing in front of what appeared to be the remains of a tree in a terrible storm of some sort or something like it. It was poorly cut down, so the act of Mother Nature was the more just cause. It had a door, but the stub of tree that remained was nowhere wide enough and barely tall enough for a living space.
"Our home," Naruto said, turning to Sakura who nodded her head alongside him.
Neji glanced at him then back at the tree. "You live in a tree…?"
Hinata frowned at the rudeness of her older brother and turned to Naruto. "I think it's great." She complimented, even though secretly she too questioned how one could live in a place like this.
Naruto smiled. "Thanks Hinata."
Neji headed for the door. "Let's hope it looks better on the inside." He humored himself. He placed his grip on the handle, twisted and pulled. The door opened, but the inside was pitched black. He looked around the tiny area space with great confusion. "You live here?" He questioned again.
A snicker came from the fairy and the magical boy. Hinata looked at them oddly. Naruto pressed his index finger to his lips, as a sign of telling her to be quiet. She obeyed. Naruto handed the sleeping child off to Hinata and turned to face Neji. She watched Naruto raise himself up from the ground and fly over to Neji quietly and unnoticed.
"Seriously... what gives? Wha-!" Neji's weighted was immediately pushed forward by the touch of Naruto's hand, causing him to fall forward head first into the hole that hidden the blackness. The scream of Neji's voice echoed throughout the entire tree while the loud laughter of Naruto and the muted version of Sakura's were joined in on the noise. Hinata immediately ran over to the hole and spoke.
"Neji!" She called down the hole. "Neji, are you alright?" She turned to Naruto with a terrified look. To which Naruto only responded with a grin of his own.
"Okay," Naruto giggled, trying to calm down. "It's your turn Hinata."
"W-What?" Hinata gawked. Naruto grabbed Hanabi from Hinata's arms and held her bridal style.
"Go on," He encouraged her. "Don't worry, it's fun."
Hinata looked at Naruto, and then back at the black darkness. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. It was no secret that she was frightened. She bit her lip as she glanced back at Naruto. Her eyes widened, he was examining her. The way his eyes scanned her made her even more self-conscious. He took a step forward toward. Hinata turned herself around as a reaction and continued to look inside the hole.
"Hey Hinata," Naruto's voice spoke behind her. She didn't turn around. "If you're scared, I'll go we can go together."
Hinata spun around so fast, her hair caught the breeze. She met Naruto's sincere eyes alongside his whitened smile. "O-Okay…" She smiled sheepishly back. Naruto smiled as he removed the girl from his back and handed her off to Hinata. "Um, how is this going to work?"
"Easy!" Naruto assured. "Sit by the edge and hold her on your lap." Hinata nodded, and sat on the edge of the hole. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Hanabi, as the young child was placed on Hinata's lap. Naruto watched before heading over to place himself. He watched the way Hinata positioned her arms around Hanabi and without warning mimicked the image on Hinata. Hinata jumped at his touch, but let his arms make their way around his waist. Still, she couldn't help but blush.
Naruto snickered. "Hinata, you're perfect!"
Hinata turned to face him, but seeing how close his face was she turned back around immediately. Her cheeks darkened, embarrassed. "I-I am?"
Naruto's hands began to tighten around her waist. "You fit perfectly in my arms! You're like the perfect size."
"T-Thank you…?" Hinata responded.
Naruto nodded, when suddenly a realization hit him. "Hey Hinata, isn't this kind of like that hug thing you showed me today?" Naruto asked.
Hinata eyes shifted down towards her waist. The sun kissed arms of the boy were wrapped around her. Though it wasn't a proper hug, in some way it was. "I guess…"
"Ready to go?" Naruto asked. Hinata's eyes looked down at the dark pit below her. "I bet Neji's waiting for us." Hinata nodded, but the knot in her stomach remained. Naruto leaned his head forward a bit to see Hinata's face, still looking as frightened as it did before. "Maybe it'll help if you close your eyes." Naruto suggested.
Hinata nodded. "Okay." She shut her eyes, but her heart began to pound. So hard in fact that Naruto could feel it as he held her.
"Whoa… your heart's really pounding…" Naruto said quietly, still Hinata could hear his words as she gripped Hanabi tighter. Naruto smiled. He grabbed Hinata tightly and held her up against his body. The warmth of his touch calmed Hinata down only a little, but at least it was something. "Don't worry," He assured her. "I'll protect you." Hinata smiled and Naruto sighed.
"Okay! On the count of three," Naruto told her. Hinata nodded. "One," Hinata then felt Naruto's weight push up against her and force her completely off the edge. They were falling. The knot in Hinata's stomach tightened as she gripped Hanabi with all her might. Normally one would scream but Hinata's stomach was so tight and her heart pounding so hard that she couldn't even attempt to make a sound. She opened her eyes for a split second only to continue to see darkness. In the background she heard the joyous, boisterous laughter from Naruto. She immediately shut them as gravity continued to pull her down. Her throat choked up as she tried to gain courage for herself, but then her butt hit something soft.
She was no longer falling or moving in general. Was she dead? She couldn't be; she could still hear Naruto's breath behind her, as well as an array of new, younger voices joining in. She opened her eyes and loosened her grip around Hanabi to see Neji arguing with a small boy and girl. She glanced around to see that she had landed on a soft pile of leaves, and she was in a spacious, colorful room with chairs, hammocks, curtain doors and more.
Feeling and hearing the shifting of the leaves Hinata turned around to watch Naruto get up from the pile. He took Hanabi from her arms and placed her on his back once again. "Mind if I put her to bed?" Naruto asked, offering her hand. Hinata nodded as she accepted Naruto's gestured and help herself up with it. She stood there silently as Naruto headed over to one of the doorways that were covered by red curtains. Suddenly, Naruto was intercepted by the young red haired girl with huge ribbon pig tails that defied gravity at the tops of her head. Her facial structured had rosy cheeks and huge black eyes. The bottom half of her legs were covered up but white clothing. He wore a green dress so short that it reached the top half of her thighs, but underneath were small brown shorts keeping her from exposure. Her wrists were decorated with stones, as if it were a bracelet, and on the other it look like flowers tied together. She grabbed Naruto's arms given him an upset look.
"Naruto, he's mean." The girl whined, pointing to Neji. Naruto looked over at him. Neji was currently in an argument with another boy with brown spikey hair and goggles around his hair line. Around his neck was the black scarf, which accompanied his head sleeveless shirt. His pants were long, but baggy and just like the girl, his feet her bare.
Naruto smiled at the little girl. "Don't worry Moegi, he's just a grouch." He told her. Moegi nodded as another boy approached them, while wiping his nose on his sleep. He wore glasses, had brown hair that hung a bit over his face and looked a little weaker than the others. He had a long sleeve gray shirt on, and kaki torn up shorts. But unlike the other two, he appeared to have white sock that covered his small feet. He stepped to the other side of Naruto and pointed to the girl resting on his back.
"Naruto," He sniffled, "What's on your back?" He asked.
"It's a girl you idiot." Another voice came from the back. The group, excluding Neji and the spikey haired kid who were stilling arguing, turned to the last unknown child on the couch. He was small enough to fit perfectly on the two cushions, making him the smallest out of them all. He wore a hat that was bigger than his entire head, leaving only enough room for the edges of his dark brown spikey hair to appear. On his body was a small red vest that exposed his bare chest area. His shorts were black that made it a little ways passed his knees, and also appeared to have no footwear on.
"Is she dead?" Moegi asked, peeking her head around for a closer and more attentive look.
Naruto looked at the sleeping child on his back. Though her eyes were closed, he could feel the light breeze of each breath on the tips of his hair. He smiled. "Naw, she's just sleeping." He said, making his way to the bedroom again.
"Who's she?" Moegi's voice began once again. Naruto turned around to see the entire group of kids giving a stare down to Hinata. Hinata looked around nervously as all eyes, not including the bickering duo, rested upon her. Slowly they watched as she raised her hand and gave them all a tiny wave.
"H-Hi." She greeted nervously with a smile. Naruto smiled back at how nervous she was.
"That's Hinata," He spoke, not removing an eye from her. Hinata looked into his eyes, feeling somewhat reassured in them. "She'll be living with us from now on." He told the kids.
Moegi glanced over at Naruto and then back at Hinata, analyzing her. "You've never brought a girl home before." Moegi stated.
Naruto looked at her curiously. "I brought you home, didn't I?" He reasoned with a smile.
"Yeah, but this girl's actually pretty." The boy besides Neji entered in. Annoyed by his response, Neji gave him a light tap upside the young one's head, causing him to grip it with discomfort. He turned around to glare at Neji, but Neji just snorted at his childish antics.
"Shut up Konohamaru!" Moegi shouted from across the room, before sticking her tongue out in retaliation. Konohamaru responded with the same action, but was once again smacked by Neji.
"Quit hitting me!" Konohamaru protested.
"Grow up." Neji responded sharply.
The boys continued to bicker like a pair of siblings as the group watched. The smallest member, Inari, looked over at Naruto and pointed his finger towards their direction, specifically at Neji. "Who's that guy?" Inari asked.
"That's, erm…" Naruto hesitated, trying to force himself to recall the name of Hinata's elder brother. He continued to ponder for a while, which made Hinata giggle. She then turned her attention to Inari and answered for the young child's question in his place.
"That's my older brother Neji." Hinata explained. Inari nodded, as he continued to watch Neji and Konohamaru. His eyes then made their way over to the little person who rested on Naruto's back peacefully. He glanced at back at Hinata. "Is that your sister?" He asked. His eyes following the path back to the sleeping child.
Hinata nodded. "Yes. That's Hanabi." She answered.
Moegi stared at the youngest child as she circled around both her and Naruto. "She's so lucky." Moegi awed, "I've always wanted to have an older sister."
Naruto looked down and smiled kindly at the red-haired girl. "Well Hinata can be your older sister." Naruto said, looking over at Hinata. She blushed as her name escaped his lips. "In fact, she can be everyone's older sister, and Neji can be our older brother." Naruto smiled.
Moegi cheered as she ran over to grab Hinata's hand. Moegi looked up at her new 'older sister' with a smile so big and so pure that Hinata couldn't help but smile back in reflex. Neji sucked his teeth as he turned his away from Naruto, showing dissatisfaction in his face over the previous statement.
"I'd rather not." Neji muttered. His words still audible and his tone, disgusted.
"Neji!" Hinata scolded; her voice so soft.
Inari looked over at Hinata and shook his head reassuringly. "It's okay," He told her, "We have Naruto here anyways."
"Yeah!" Konohamaru's voice joined in. "He's the one we look up to the most! He's kind of like our big brother. " Neji's eyes began to roll as the boy continued to speak. "Plus, now that you're here you can be our sister! That way Moegi has someone to show her girl stuff."
Hinata looked down at the little girl whose hand was still in her grasp. Moegi's big eyes glanced back up at Hinata as a smile became apparent on her face. "You'll be my big sister, right?" Hinata couldn't help but return the expression to the little one beside her.
"I'd be honored Moegi." As soon as the words left Hinata's mouth, Moegi embraced the Hyuuga girl in the tightest squeeze she had ever felt. It felt so wonderful that she couldn't help but be overtaken by laughter and joy. She, in return, wrapped her arms around the young child.
"Hey Moegi!" Inari spoke up. "What are you doing with Hinata?"
Moegi looked confused as she was examined the position was she currently in with Hinata. They're arms were wrapped around each other. "I don't know…" Moegi answered honestly. "I don't know why I did this, but it felt right."
Hinata smiled, remember that Naruto also hadn't known what this was. "It's called a hug." Hinata answered. "You do it with someone makes you really happy and you just can't help but hold them."
"Yeah!" Moegi smiled. "I was so happy, I couldn't help myself!" She grinned.
Hinata's head looked up to see Naruto's face smiling down at her. She briefly smiled back at him before refocusing her attention to Moegi. "But I must ask why you all are up so late?" Hinata questioned, remembering that it was the darkest time of night when she was journeying to Neverland. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
A sniffle came from besides her. She looked to see the boy with glasses, Udon, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. "We stayed up so that we can be told our stories."
Neji's eyes rolled, as he folded his arms to block off any adorable charms that the children would try to possess him with. "You have got to be kidding me." He rudely commented.
Ignoring him completely, Moegi looked up at Hinata with a puppyish face. "Hinata, you'll tell us a story won't you?"
Hinata looked down at her, somewhat unsure of herself. Her eyes made their way around the room to only see the rest of the youth population staring back at her. Accompanied with Naruto's and Neji's eyes as well, Hinata looked at them all. "W-Well, I'm not that g-good at telling stories." She answered.
Naruto could see the uneasy expression on Hinata's face, which caused an unhappy one to be placed upon his own. "Hinata," He spoke. The resonance of his voice commanded the entire room's attention. "She had a really long night, so she'll tell us a story in the morning okay?"
The children looked around the room at each other. Udon at Moegi, Inari at Udon, Moegi at Konohamaru, Konohamaru at Inari, and so on as each child keep switching glances with the next. One by one they returned their attentions towards Naruto and smiled. "Okay!"
Hinata smiled as she looked over at Naruto to see the same thing. Naruto used his head to beckon Hinata. "C'mon, I'll let you sleep in my bed tonight."
A dark, cold aura immediately made its presence known throughout the entire room. It sent a chill down everyone's spine, except for Naruto who was completely oblivious to ill-feeling emotions. The blonde boy, unknowingly, turned around to become face to face with the oldest Hyuuga. His was face cold, stern and beyond scary by any means. Behind the blonde kid, Hinata hesitantly attempted to calm Neji down.
"N-Neji…" Her voice shook.
"Where did you say Hinata will be sleeping tonight?" Neji grimaced. Naruto looked at Neji blankly, without any concern.
"In my bed," Naruto casually repeated. "Is that a problem?" Naruto smiled. Neji looked down at him with intensity and pure annoyance.
"That all depends," He said, getting closer into Naruto's face, leaving only enough space for them to breathe. Neji's eyes looked intensely into Naruto's, almost as if he were trying to dig himself greatly into Naruto's soul. But the blonde just stood there, keeping his eyes calmly on Neji, though the smile on his face was removed. "Where do you intend on sleeping tonight?"
"Where he always sleeps," Moegi spoke up from behind Hinata. Hinata watched as the small red head placed herself between the two bigger males. Their attention remained on one another, though it was clear that they acknowledged the girl's presence. She pointed over to the big grand chair that remained in the corner of the room. "Naruto sleeps in that big chair over there so that he can keep an eye on us while he's sleeping."
"Is that so…?" Neji inquired, still keeping his eyes on Naruto. Naruto stared back, engaging him in his own staring contest, when Hinata butted in, grabbing Neji by the hand.
"Neji…"
He continued to let Hinata shake his hand, pleading for his attention, while Neji kept his eyes on Naruto. "And where will I be sleeping?" Neji asked.
"On the couch," Naruto answered, nudging his head that direction, which gave Neji's eyes a place to follow. "That alright with you?"
Neji's eyes shifted slowly over to the couch. It was a two cushion couch, which would barely be able to fit Neji's entire body. He was too big for it, which was an obvious sight, but it was definitely the best option besides the bed. Still, he'd rather be placed in the room with his sisters than out there alone with the kids. "I'm obviously too big for that tiny thing." Neji commented harshly.
Hinata's grip tightened on Neji's hand. "Neji!" She said; her voice clear. She turned over her shoulder and smiled meekly at Naruto. "Thank you Naruto. He actually really appreciates it." She assured him.
Naruto's eyes were locked on Neji as he gave him a blatantly fake smile. "He should." Neji's glare hardened at the young blonde, but his attention was already too focused on Hinata to notice. "C'mere Hinata, I'll show you you're room." He grabbed her hand as he led her to the room behind the red curtain.
As Hinata followed his lead, she glanced over at her brother briefly as she saw the stone cold look on his face. Her eyes were too frightened that she turned back and kept her gaze locked on the child that remained sleeping on Naruto's backside. It triggered something. "T-Thank you Naruto," she said politely. "But, I really would prefer to sleep in the same room as Hanabi."
Naruto looked back, giving her a largely toothed smile. "Of course!" He grinned. "You both can share my bed." Hinata smiled back and nodded, as Naruto used his free hand to part the curtains and lead them to the inside of his room.
Neji frowned as he watched Hinata and Naruto walk calmly away from him. The happy look on Naruto's face made him even more disgusted with the kid. First he brought his sister to this Neverland, without any reason, and now he was letting her sleep in his bed. There was something wrong with kid, and Neji could sense it.
Below him, Moegi was watching as Neji looked at Naruto with pure annoyance and hatred. Even with her young age, she blushed in awe at what was happening. Neji wasn't happy. Neji was upset that Naruto was spending so much time with his sister, and didn't want him to do anything to harm her. He was so protective of her, and it was coolest thing Moegi ever saw.
"I wish I had a protective brother," Her thoughts spoke from her lips. Neji looked down at the young child, who only returned him with a smile. His eyes rolled which was joined by his annoyed expression. He walked past the girl and took his place on the couch, scrunching himself up so he'd be able to fit it.
Behind him, a conversation between Konohamaru and Udon took place in a whispered tone.
"What's he protecting her from?" Konohamaru asked.
"Naruto, I think." Udon responded back.
"Why?" Konohamaru continued to question. Udon shrugged his shoulders, as they looked at Neji. His back was facing them as the front of his body was turned towards the back wall of the couch. Even from his back it was apparent that he was angry. The two boys stared a moment longer before turning around to get to bed, leaving the displeased Hyuuga alone.
Hinata carefully lifted Hanabi from Naruto's back, cradling her in her arms. She gently placed her younger sister on the full sized bed that was placed before them. Once placed, Hanabi fidgeted in her sleep to get comfort. Hinata took a seat beside her and caressed the hair away from her eyes. The touch of Hinata's hand caused a more calm expression to come across Hanabi's sleeping face. Naruto smiled at the adorable scene.
"You're sister sure can sleep." He commented, remembering the long journey that they had been through in just one night and how Hanabi missed it all. Hinata nodded, still looking gently at her sister.
"She had a long day…" Hinata told him, still recalling the soccer incident that occurred early. Clueless, Naruto smiled.
"We've had a long night." Naruto came back. A small, light laugh escaped Hinata's lips.
"We did."
Naruto leaned in, his lips directly into Hinata's ear. "And it's not over yet." He told her, leaning out as her head whipped around. He flew back a bit, allowing Hinata enough room to stand up carefully, avoiding waking her younger sister.
Carefully and questionably, Hinata made her way over to him, leaving about a three foot distance between them. "What do you mean?" She asked.
Seeing that Hinata stopped, Naruto filled in the rest of the distance on his own, leaving them about a foot apart. He looked behind him at the curtain as his eyes scanned down below, which would reveal if someone was standing right behind it or not. It was clear. He glanced over Hinata's shoulder at her younger sister to make sure she was still sleeping. She was. He then looked back into Hinata's eyes.
"I really need to show you something." He told her.
Hinata's eyes widened. She looked back at Hanabi, who she had finally put to bed, then back at the boy. "Right now?" She inquired.
Naruto nodded, as he gripped the Hyuuga girl's wrist. "Yeah, c'mon!" He pulled her to the other side of the room, aimlessly Hinata followed. He let go of her hand for a moment to push the table opposite of the bed over a bit. Hinata watched curiously as the table was moved and behind it a dark hole was revealed. Her eyes widened as she remembered the last hole she entered, but her memory was interrupted by Naruto's laughter. "Don't worry Hinata, you climb up this one." He said, bending down to enter the hole.
"W-Wait!" Hinata stopped him. Naruto froze, only turning his head to face Hinata. The girl looked back at the sleeping child in the bed and then back to him. "What about Hanabi?"
Naruto uncurled himself so he could stand up straight. He scratched his head unsurely as he looked at Hinata, sheepishly. "I kind of wanted to show this just to you." He answered honestly. The sincerity in his voice caused Hinata's face to glow. His eyes gazed deeply into hers, which forced Hinata to turn away from discomfort. She looked back at Hinata, uncertain of what to do. Naruto could see the troubled emotions in her eyes. "Besides," He began. "It's not like she'll be alone. The kids are here, and so is your brother!"
Hinata looked back. "But-"
"Hinata," Naruto stared directly at her, not wavering at bit. To Hinata, it felt like he was staring right through her, like he could see all of her. "Please…" He begged.
His expression was so pleading it looked like an adorable puppy dog begging for attention. Hinata bit her lip, as thoughts scanned throughout her head. She glanced back and forth between the two. The sleeping younger sister, who she couldn't help but protect and defend, also her promise to never leave her, would she be breaking it? Then again, her eyes landed on Naruto. The beautiful, magical boy with the golden locks and the ocean blue eyes had created such a breathtaking journey for her tonight. To disappoint him now would also be a disappointment to her, which is far from what she wanted.
Hinata stared wearily into Naruto's eyes. "It won't take too long, will it?"
Naruto smiled as he took his head. He placed his two dominate fingers up. "Scouts honor." Hinata smiled, and nodded.
"Okay, let's go."
The two managed to sneak out of the house through the hole in Naruto's room without being noticed. The moon was still high in the sky as Naruto led the way through the jungle-like arena. Hinata followed, step over objects and ducking underneath the branches that Naruto would hold up for her. She questioned why it wouldn't be easier for them to just fly, but Naruto complained that it would ruin the surprise for them.
"Naruto, where are we going anyway?" Hinata asked, attempting to get an answer out of him. They've been walking for a while and were definitely far away from the home site. Naruto just kept walking, as Hinata struggled to keep up behind him.
"You'll see…" Naruto came back, the grin shined through even in his voice.
They kept walking. Hinata began to worry whether or not this was the right decision or not. Why did she decide to leave Hanabi for Naruto, she'd never done something like that before? What made him so special that she would disappear on her sister for him? Yes, she had Neji, but still, she couldn't help but worry.
"Hinata," Naruto called out, regaining Hinata's attention. He smiled at her softly. "Close your eyes." He told her. Hesitantly, Hinata did what she was told. She heard the footsteps of Naruto in the grass approach her. He stopped close enough that she could feel the warmth from off his body pass through her own. "I'm gonna carry you now, okay?" He warned her. Hinata nodded as she felt him warm his arms around the knees of her legs and lift her up bridal style. She kept her eyes close as she hugged her arms around his neck for safety. The touch of his body was so warm, it felt nice. Even with her eyes closed she could feel the breeze of the air caressing her face, making it easy to determine that he was flying. It made her smile, the image of his carrying her through the starry sky, what she would give to see it. She felt Naruto place her feet on the ground.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Hinata asking, believing that they were now here. Naruto grabbed on to Hinata's hand once again, pulling her alongside him.
"Not yet." He answered. Hinata kept her eyes shut, even placing her free hand over them, as she allowed Naruto to lead her around. They walked for a while. She could hear the sounds of crickets chirping, as well as an owl or two calling to one another. Her ankles were tickled from the extended grass brushing up against her. And even though Naruto did his best to push a pathway for them through the bushes, there were times when Hinata was overcome by their branches. Still, with Naruto's hand, she still managed to make it through.
"Hinata," Naruto said, stopping. Hinata also stopped, and with her eyes still closed she turned her head in the direction of Naruto's voice. Naruto looked at her and smiled. He took the hand that she had covering her eyes and gently removed it from her face. It was too dark for him to see the blush on Hinata's face. "Okay, open your eyes now."
Hinata's eyelids rose up, revealing her beautiful, lightly colored eyes. She glanced at Naruto first, who was staring right at her. It was clear he was awaiting her expression. He nudged his head in the direction that he wanted her to look at. Hinata's eyes went there and her mouth immediately dropped. Her eyes widened with amazement as her hands rose up to her mouth. "Naruto…" She gasped. "It's beautiful…"
The waterfall the she had seen early when she first flown into Neverland was now a clear view placed right in front of her. It was beautiful as the sounds of the water hit the river that was placed below it. The water was lit to glow by the light of the moon, as the sprinkles of water looked like little twinkling stars before it came in contact to the big body underneath. In the middle of the wide river, though it was small enough that the other side of land across from it was still visible from where they were, stood a tall tree on a small platform. The tree was beautiful and well nurtured. It glistened, which Hinata believed was due to the spattered water from the waterfall and light that shined from the moon above. Little fireflies added to the scenery by dancing around the glowing tree, making it only that much more magical.
"So, what do you think?" Naruto asked after watching Hinata's eyes stay glued to the scene for a while.
Hinata kept her eyes on the scene in front of her, only shifting them to take a look around. "It's amazing." Hinata awed. "It's so light, and pretty. And the fireflies-"
"Fireflies?" Naruto intruded in on her statement questionably. He looked around trying to find them, but wasn't able to. "Where do you see fireflies Hinata?"
Hinata looked over at him briefly and unsurely for a moment. She them pointed to the lights flying around the tree. "There." Naruto looked at them, really focusing hard, but he still couldn't see what she was seeing. Hinata glanced over at him, realizing that Naruto still had no idea on what she was talking about. "Those lights that are flying around the tree," Hinata added in explanation.
Naruto snorted. "Those aren't fireflies, they're fairies." He informed her.
It was Hinata's turn to look intently at the flying dots. "Fairies…?" She inquired. Her eyes squinted for a clearer view. "They're really fairies?" Her voice seemed somewhat nervous and shaky.
"Of course," Naruto responded. "You haven't forgotten about Sakura already, have you?"
"Sakura…?" Hinata gasped, covering her nose as a reflex. Her eyes scanned the dark sky in front of and behind her. Naruto smiled, attempting to hold back his laughter, but a few giggles managed to slither out. He knew that Hinata was acting like this due to her first encounter with Sakura, which wasn't exactly pleasant.
"Don't worry," Naruto chuckled. "She's not here."
Hinata looked at Naruto with uncertainty. "W-Where is she then?" Hinata questioned, feeling as if she wasn't safe until she knew Sakura's exact whereabouts. Though she kept her main focus on Naruto, whose look seemed to be as if he were deep in thought, she still managed to use her peripheral to examine the area around her.
Naruto shrugged and scratched his head. "I don't really know," He answered truthfully, not wanting to lie to Hinata. "She wonders off a lot, but I don't really question it since she comes back eventually." Naruto continued, "But I know for sure she's not here."
"How do you know…?" Hinata reacted, still not believing him completely.
Naruto frowned. "You don't trust me?"
"I-It's not that." Hinata muttered, looking away towards the ground. She then felt her chin be lifted up by some force. That same force turned to head to come in eye to eye contact with Naruto, who gave her a quite serious look. Even in the night, his eyes were still so blue. But before he could speak, Hinata turned her head away, out of Naruto's hand. "I-I'm sorry!" She apologized, trying to calm down her emotions and heart rate.
Naruto smiled. "You're funny Hinata." He grinned. "Come on," He said grabbing onto her once again. "Let's go."
Hinata watched and felt as both pairs of their feet got lifted freely off the ground. She felt a nice breeze guide them as they headed for the tree in the middle of the water. As the got closer, Hinata was able to get a more in depth look at the creatures that were flying around the glowing tree. It was true what Naruto had said, they were little fairies, each as stunning and graceful as the one next to it. One fairy, which had a blue glow to her, with long, beautiful black hair, came up to Hinata and appeared to be examining her. Hinata stared at her, frightened and unsure of what stunt she was bound to pull, but she just smiled sweetly. Distrustfully, Hinata did her best to smile back. She assumed it was accepted because after her attempt that fairy flew away, back down towards the water.
After that Hinata started to examine each fairy in particular. She realized that there were even male fairies, whose elegance was only accompanied by their masculine appearance. Her eyes even caught on two a pair of fairies, one boy and one girl, who appeared to be a couple. Through their motions, Hinata interrupted that he had asked her to dance and she had hesitantly accepted. Together, they soared through the sky, spinning and twirling hand by hand as the glittered that had trailed behind them, one red and one yellow, interlocked into one orange color. They danced right past Hinata's face as they flew above her. Her eyes followed, even Naruto glanced over at the two fairies and smiled. They both watched as the fairies disappeared with stars and the others in the night sky. It was also at the moment Hinata realized how close they were to the glowing tree. It seemed like they were about to even enter into the leaves and branches of the large tree, but in the end they took a left turn and Naruto grabbed Hinata bride-like and placed her on a branch that was shaded by the leaves but was still on the outermost part of the tree. He sat beside her, scooting a little closer.
"Naruto, this place is so…" Hinata was at a loss for words as the blue fairy from earlier, came back to her side. In her hands was a light purple water lily that was assumingly from the river below. She held it out for Hinata. Hinata smiled as she raised hand to take it, but drew it back as soon as she saw the fairy start to move again. The blue fairy smiled as she placed her in Hinata's hair right behind her right ear, as a sort of decoration. When she moved away, she made a rectangle with her hands using both her pointer fingers and thumbs. She nodded, as a sign of accomplishment and smiled, before flying off again. Hinata felt the flower in her hair and looked over at Naruto for approval.
"It looks great on you Hinata." He assured her. Hinata smiled bashfully. He grinned, as he faced outward. Their bodies facing the direction of the waterfall, and the fairies that were dancing around it only made it even more dazzling. Little by little the fairies would come over to greet Hinata and Naruto. Whether it was a wave, or a smile, they each showed their respect to the two humans sitting in a tree.
"Naruto…" Hinata said, still paying attention to the fairies that flew by, but still managed to glance over at him every so often. "What are they doing…?"
Naruto smiled. He scratched his shoulder nervously, and slowly moved his hand to the back of his neck. The scratch then turned into a rub as he answered Hinata's question. "I've kind of talked to them about you before. So, they're a bit excited to meet you."
Hinata looked at him. "You've talked about me?"
"Yeah," Naruto answered. Hinata's lips quirked up. "I told them about how good of a storyteller you are." He added on, causing Hinata's lips to frown a bit, but she quickly fixed her face, not wanting to allow Naruto to see it. Another fairy with blonde hair and a scarlet dress that perfectly matched her scarlet head came down towards the two. Her hair was tied back in a little pig tail. She got right in Hinata's face causing Hinata to lean back a bit. The little fairy looked her up and down a couple of times before nodding. She then made her way over to Naruto and used her little hand to pull on his ear before whispering to him. Hinata watched as the fairy and Naruto conversed with one another. "Yeah… I know…" He smiled. "Yeah, she was." Hinata watched as the fairy glanced back at her once more before she whispered one last phrase into Naruto's ear. "You're right, she is…" Naruto grinned, glancing over at Hinata. With that, the red-dressed fairy made her exit, leaving the two children alone once again.
"What did she say?" Hinata inquired, looking off into the direction in where the fairy disappeared to. Naruto shrugged.
"Nothing much, just that Sakura probably wouldn't like you very much, since you're friends with me." Naruto responded. He smiled over at Hinata. "And that she thinks you're really pretty."
Hinata smiled shyly. She swung her feet that were dangling from the branch, as she looked out at the waterfall. "R-Really?" She responded modestly. She started to play with the flower that the blue fairy had placed in her hair. "Say, Naruto…" Hinata started, "Why are there so many fairies on this island?" She asked, "Why aren't they anywhere else?"
Naruto looked over at her and dumbfounded. "Why would they go anywhere else?" Naruto asked, as if that were an irrational question to be made in the first place. "These fairies created Neverland, why would they want to leave?"
"They made this?" Hinata awed at Naruto. Naruto nodded. His feet began to swing as well. At first they were going at the opposite times of Hinata's, but as time went on, little by little they began to sync up.
"They've created everything here." Naruto explained. "In fact, they each have important talents that help to keep this island running. Like there're water fairies, and light fairies that create the stars and lights, and gardening fairies that make the plants…"
"I had no idea…" Hinata said in amazement. She watched as the fairies played around together, dancing and having a great time with their other magical being companions. "What does Sakura do?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know," He answered. "She's never told me." Hinata just kept her eyes on him. He looked over to face her, giving her a happy expression. "I'd figure she'll tell me when she wants to."
Hinata smiled, "Naruto…" Her eyes were soon captured by the dancing duo she had seen early. It was the pair with the red boy fairy and the yellow female one. They were still dancing together so beautifully, and were still creating that orange dust. They flew so close that Hinata was able to stick her hand out and collect the orange dust that came from both of them. Naruto looked over to see how entranced Hinata was by the couple, and it gave him an idea.
Naruto cleared his throat, attracting Hinata's attention towards him and away from the pair. Hinata looked over and watched as Naruto removed himself from the branch the two were sitting on, causing it to wobble a bit, and start to float in the air, directly in front of her. He smiled at her as he held his hand out.
"Would you care to dance, my lady?" He cheesed. Hinata smiled, as she graciously nodded. She gently placed her hand into his. With that gesture, Naruto pulled her from off the tree branch, forcing her into his arms, causing the fairy dust in her hand to spill all over. Some of it landed on the two of them while the rest landed on the ground below. Hinata watched for a brief moment as the fairy dust she had held trickled to the ground below, but turned her attention back to Naruto soon enough who was smiling at her brightly. She couldn't restrain herself from forming a smile of her own.
With his abilities, Naruto lifted the two outwards, closer to the waterfall. The air there was definitely cooler and moister. Properly, Naruto grabbed Hinata's right hand with his left, and placed his own right hand around her waist. Hinata, following protocol, placed her left hand on Naruto's shoulder. She looked up at him to see that he was already staring at her. Soon, they began twirling through the air together, dancing. The fairies that once surrounded them slowly began to dimmer away, leaving the two kids to their own little world. They twirled endlessly, but their eyes remained focused on one another. Hinata's lilac, big, moonlike eyes were lost in Naruto's sea-blue, mystical ones. And for some reason, it felt like they belonged there.
Still, something wasn't right. "Naruto," Hinata's voice spoke softly.
"What is it?" He responded.
They continued to twirl in silence for a bit. Hinata's voice then continued to converse once more. "Why did you bring me here?" She asked quietly.
"I thought you wanted to come with me to Neverland…?" Naruto recalled. His voice sounded audibly confused.
"N-No," She smiled lightly. "I mean here, to this place."
"I wanted to show it to you." Naruto claimed. Hinata shook her head. She knew what she was asking what really what she wanted to say. It's what she really wanted to know, she wasn't able to say. She wasn't sure if she understood his feelings, or her own in fact.
"N-No, I-I mean... Why are you treating me like this?" She spoke, bravely.
"Like what?" Naruto inquire.
"Like-" She bit her lip and thought to herself for a second. She let out a deep sigh, revealing her defeat as she chose to just leave it as was for now. "Never mind..." Her grip on Naruto's hand began to loosen as she unconsciously placed her head on Naruto's shoulder. "I guess I'm just a little tired." She yawned in his ear.
"Hinata…?" Naruto called, as he looked at her on his shoulder. She had completely lost her grip on his left hand and the only thing keeping the two together was Naruto's hand that was wrapped around her waist, and her head that was placed on Naruto's shoulder. "Hinata?" He called out once again. He turned his head even more to get a better view of the girl. His eyes first widened then relaxed as his expression faded into a smile. The girl had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
As Naruto lowered the two of them to the ground, repositioning her to carry her in his arms, fairies fluttered around them, smiling and giggling at the sight that two of them had created. Naruto couldn't help smile and laugh quietly along with them, as he thought of how they looked.
"It's kind of like that Sleeping Beauty story," He whispered to himself once they finally reached the ground. The fairies continued to huddle around the two and laugh as Naruto placed the young maiden in the grass below. He quietly hushed the laughing fairies around him, in fear of their joys waking Hinata up. They nodded, and obeyed, but still chuckled silently. Once gently placed, Naruto sat alongside her, watching her as she slept. She looked so peaceful, and her skin looked so white, as the moonlight kissed it purely. She looked almost too delicate to touch.
He gently lied down next to her, trying not to stir the grass beneath her. His eyes were up at the moon, focusing on the stars in the sky. Next to the moon stood a pair of stars that reflected to where Hinata's homeland is located. Each star twinkled separately as Naruto recalled what an adventure it was bringing Hinata here. He turned over on his side to come face to face with the sleeping girl. He stared at for a while, watching her sleep.
"Don't worry Hinata," Naruto whispered to the sleeping Hyuuga. "You'll stay here with me," He reached for her hand and grabbed it, curling his fingers around it, "And together, we'll never have to grow up." He then removed the rest of his fingers, leaving only both their pinkies connected. "I promise." He swore, closing his eyes and joining Hinata for a nice, night slumber.
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