I don't own Naruto.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed for me and please continue to support my story. Reading your reviews really motivate me. I had quite a hard time writing this chapter because my brother kept talking to me, it was so frustrating because I kept forgetting what to write!

A bit of Hinata's stubbornness in hopefully shown in this chapter. I've read many fics that capitalize on her shyness (which is cute), but lots of people somehow forget that Hinata has a strong fighting spirit. She's really a complex character and she's so hard to figure out.

Break Me, Destroy Me, But Don't Leave Me

Chapter Three

For years I've been watching and waiting. For days I've been longing and yearning. Perhaps it is time that I stop. No, you taught me never to give up. And so, I vow never to give you up.


Block. Dodge. Strike. I back flipped as Naruto nearly slammed his fist into my chest. It had been months since I last sparred with him and he had already gotten so much faster that I could barely keep up with him. My chest rose and fell with my deep breathing, I was having difficulty catching my breath and there was Naruto, standing in front of me hardly panting at all. He flashed his fox-like grin at me, causing me to breathe even harder. That smile was still able to send me blushing after all these years. I gave him a nervous little half smile as there was nothing much I could do. All train of thought had already left my mind the moment he smiled at me and my body was rendered immobile by his dazzling teeth and delightful blue eyes.

"Hey Hinata, you alright? Need to take a break? Your face is kind of flushed."

Say something funny. Something interesting. I commanded myself. Make him laugh.

"N-no, w-we should… ah… continue," I told him, my eyes on the ground, feeling my blush creeping to my ears.

"Alright. Let me know when you want to stop."

I was irritated with myself, I felt like some stupid fan girl going gaga over some guy. I should not waste my time over such trivial matters.

Naruto was moving in for an attack and I watched his movements with my Byakugan, concentrating on how to counter him. This was not the time to act like a raving fan girl, this was serious business. He came charging head on towards me, both fists balled up by his sides. I held my ground, waiting for him to come closer because the Jyuken fighting style was a close combat technique. Closer. Closer.

Both my arms moved around me swiftly in a blur, Naruto was trying to attack me from all angles and it was times like this when I would thank God for my Byakugan vision. He lashed out his left leg, catching me off guard, tripping me and I fell gracelessly onto the rough sandy ground. Apparently, I was not concentrating hard enough, I should had seen that kick coming since I had 360 degree vision.

Stop messing around, Hinata. I told myself angrily. I have to become stronger, for the clan's sake, for my father's sake… for my sake. I cannot disappoint Naruto. I promised him that I'll be stronger. Yet, here I am, fell by a single, effortless kick. I've got to be tougher than this. I may be born a weakling, but that doesn't mean I must live as one. That doesn't mean I must die as one. I have to prove them all wrong.

I got up almost immediately, ignoring the sharp pain going through my shin as I readied myself for another attack. I sidestepped and avoided Naruto's incoming punches, spinning around his sturdy frame; I managed to deliver to two strikes to his unguarded back before he could dodge. Dodging, he tried stabbing my legs which were open to attack with his kunai. I leaped out of the way just in time only to grabbed and pinned down by Naruto. What? A clone. I was fighting a clone all this while, I should have seen him perform his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. What was wrong with me? How could I have fallen for such a simple trick? I felt my cheeks glowing pink once more as I realized how close I was to Naruto. He's holding me in his arms, I was practically screaming in my mind. He looked straight into my pallid eyes, his azure eyes gleaming, suddenly filled with concern.

"Ermm… Are you hurt?" He asked me, eyebrows arched uncertainly.

"O-oh, I'm fine. Y-you can let me go," I responded, ashamed of myself.

He let me go hesitantly, as though afraid that I would fall once his arms left me. As he pulled himself away, I felt my ribbon snap and my hair fell to my shoulders. Naruto gasped in horror as he stared wide eyed at me. Noooo! Why does he have to see me with my horridly cut hair? My mind panicked, I had decided to cut my hair some other day and tied it up, hoping that no one would notice. I massaged my temples soothingly, trying to calm myself down. A kunoichi should not be having such useless and vain thoughts; I should be focused on my training to become a better shinobi. Naruto seemed to take notice of my grief stricken face and looked extremely guilty, making me feel even more so guilty about myself.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan, I'll buy you a new ribbon."

So he wasn't aware of my bad hair? Or was he just being nice to me? Either way I was thoroughly embarrassed.

"Its o-okay, Naruto-kun," I assured him as I desperately tied up my hair with what was left of the black ribbon.

"Oh, alright. Hey! It's almost dinner time, why don't we go eat?" He seemed to recover rather quickly from the earlier shock.

I nodded in agreement and followed quietly behind him as fresh new thoughts flooded my mind.

"I wonder what kind of hairstyle Naruto-kun likes?" I mumbled to myself unknowingly.

Oh my God, did I just say that out loud?

"Huh? What hair, Hinata-chan?" Naruto turned around and stared at me.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything."

Maybe I should really ask him.

"Really? Hehe, maybe I should get my ears checked, eh? Sometimes I can't even hear what you say," he grinned at me and continued walking towards Ichiraku Ramen.

Sometimes he could not hear what I was saying? How many times? Half the time? All the time? I looked up at his retreating figure and hurried after him.

The usual dinnertime crowd greeted us when we arrived at the ramen house and we took our seats. Naruto, being his usual loud self, screamed his order excitedly. I could feel myself shrinking and squirming uncomfortably in my seat as the entire restaurant turned to stare at us. A friendly nudge to my ribcage made me look up and murmur my order hastily.

"Stupid dobe. Why do you always have to be so loud?" A familiar voice shot out, catching both of our attention.

A teen clad in a navy blue cast an irritated glare at Naruto, his cold face scowling irately. Sasuke? Here in Ichiraku Ramen? I thought he didn't like ramen, at least that was what Naruto had told me.

"You baka! Why do you have to go whenever I go? Are you stalking me?"

"Why the hell would I do that? Anyway, I came here first you know," the Uchiha gave Naruto a smug smirk.

"Sasuke! You think you can make me look stupid!"

"But you are," the raven haired boy taunted.

"Since when did you eat at Ichiraku Ramen?"

I kept my eyes on the bowl of miso ramen placed on the table before me, my fingers fiddling nervously with my chopsticks. I was famished from the training earlier, but still I did not touch the food. With so many pairs of eyes looking this way, I was too nervous to eat.

"Naruto you don't have to shout all the time. Look, you're embarrassing Hinata."

I immediately turned my head the moment my name was mentioned. Naruto stared at me with his liquid blue eyes, making me wish that I hadn't looked his way. My heart was already on overdrive and my cheeks were burning.

"I'm not embarrassing you, am I?" Naruto pouted, sending my blush ten times deeper.

"N-no. Of course not."

"See?" Naruto turned back to Sasuke, sticking his tongue out childishly.

"Che. She's just being nice."

"Oy, Sasuke! Lighten up. So how's training? Think you can defeat your bro?"

My insides churned unpleasantly at the mention of the older surviving Uchiha and my appetite suddenly diminished. It was funny how a mere reference to Itachi could have such an adverse effect on me. It had made me feel sick enough to run home. Why? It was probably the fear. Fear had a way of being paralyzing. How many missions in the world were left uncompleted because of it? How many lives lost? How many families destroyed? I had left so many things undone just because of fear.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sasuke growled.

"Why do you have to kill him anyway? I think making his life a living hell would be a better revenge."

Sasuke and I turned at looked at Naruto incredulously. Since when did Naruto ever think this way? Sasuke continued to look at Naruto, unmoving. His mind seemed to be processing the many thoughts running through it, his lips moved vaguely, trying to muster up a reply. But Sasuke remained silent and walked off abruptly, leaving two of us and a cold bowl of half eaten shrimp ramen behind. Naruto merely shrugged and moved on to his second bowl of ramen.

"N-naruto-kun?" His name drifted from my soft quivering lips.

I bit my lip in frustration, exasperated with how nervous I was in his presence. Why was I making myself feel so depressed? Shouldn't I be overjoyed by just sitting beside him eating ramen? Why did I find it so hard to ask him a simple question? Why can't I be like other girls who are brave enough to announce their affections towards the one that they love?

"Yeah?" Came the muffled reply.

"Do-do y-you… like…erm t-t-think I look b-better with…ah… s-short or l-long hair?" I silently cursed my stutter.

"Huh? I don't know… you always had short hair so I wouldn't know how you would look like with long hair. But Sakura looks good with long hair so maybe…"

I felt as if time stopped and somehow the noisy buzz of the ramen house seemed to fade away. My heart sank and my throat when dry, my gut was entangling itself into tight, painful knots. For minutes I sat stiffly on the stool, at a loss, not knowing how to react or feel. I had kept my hair long since I was fourteen and the last time my hair in a short tomboy style was a year before that. Hadn't he noticed me all these years? Didn't he say that he liked me during the chuunin exams? I clenched my wavering fists so hard that my knuckles were white, my fingernails dug into my palm, imprinting thin red marks. Was I so blinded after all these years? Of course he still liked that pretty pink haired Sakura. A bitter lumped had already formed in my throat and the tears in my eyes were threatening to flow freely. I breathed sharply, trying to suck off any agony displayed on my face, trying to block out all negative thoughts, willing myself to be strong. I forced my legs to move and bowed to Naruto, indicating to him my departure and scurried out of the restaurant.

I was oblivious to my surroundings as I made my way home, my mind numbed but my heart was slowly being ripped apart with the sudden realization. It was not so bad, was it? At least he's my friend. Somehow that thought further amplified the torture going on in my heart. It had hurt so much for him to be by my side knowing that I could never have him. I was walking faster and soon I found myself running home, defeated. My sloppy steps tapped the hard pavement unsteadily, the erratic rhythm reverberating in my ears.

I was not special to Uzumaki Naruto.

I scampered clumsily.

I never was.


My pillow was soaked with my tears but I did not bother shifting my head which rested sadly on its cottony softness. I lay there for hours, pearly eyes closed with a steady stream of crystalline tears ever flowing. The Hyuuga household had turned deadly quiet moments ago and all sign of activity had long ceased. I stayed motionless, emotionally exhausted, trying to hopefully drift into a pleasant slumber, wishing to leave my current nightmare. Sleep overcame me comfortably, but I was soon tossed into my constantly disturbing dreamscape.

I was still crying but when I looked up, my ragged sobs were gradually reduced into tiny sniffs. I was sitting beside a calm meandering river, captivated by the clear greenly waters that revealed several fish with their silver scales glimmering delightfully. For once my dreamscape had such a peaceful setting and I basked in its soothing atmosphere, listening to the tranquil rush of running water. Alas, the relaxing mood took an ominous twist when I felt the hairs on my back rise, sensing the unwelcome presence. The air around me stirred uneasily, growing thick and heavy, dispelling all sense of serenity.

Before I could turn to see the intruder, I felt myself locked in a warm embrace. How comforting it was, it reminded me of how my mother used to soothe my childish fears. It was not an awkward hug like the one I shared with my cousin Neji the night before. In fact, it felt so right that I buried my head into the velvety folds, seeking solace. I inhaled the heady forest scent, feeling my arms creep up to return the embrace.

"Feeling better, Hinata-chan?" The soothing male voice purred into my ear.

Male voice? My body halted all movement.

"Surprised to see me, hmm?" Pale slender fingers caught my chin, turning my face upwards, "I hope it's a pleasant surprise."

"Itachi."

He nodded faintly in response, a chilly smile forming slowly across his defined features. He seemed to take immense delight in terrorizing me, my previous nightmares were no doubt less disturbing then this.

"Why do you cry so?" He continued his nerve wrecking interrogation, fingers stroking my face gently, causing my body to tremble violently under his touch.

This is just a dream. This isn't real. I managed to calm myself. Its alright, perhaps I could wish him away or something. Go away, go way, go away. Ack, he's still here. Everything seems so real, I can practically feel his sinister touch on me.

"He broke my heart. Naruto-kun…" I told him, surprising myself that I could even speak, even more shocking was the disappearance of my nervous stutter.

"Why?"

"I love… but… he doesn't," my voice finally broke as I choked on my tears.

It pained me so much to think about it. Why did everyone I love leave me? Even my first childhood crush was long dead.

"He never saw me there," I whispered biting my lip so hard that I tasted blood.

"That's because it wasn't meant to be, Hinata-chan."

"I can change…" I assured myself, trying to break free from his vice grip

"You don't have to. Hinata-chan, do you remember your first love?" Itachi smiled cynically at me as he questioned me, he made no effort to stop my struggles.

"He's dead, now please, let me go," my muscles strained under the effort I put them through as I wiggled my way out of the embrace.

"You sure of that?"

I started walking away from him, yet the Uchiha continue to sit there, crimson eyes boring into my back. My mind raced back to my depressing childhood, thinking of a certain boy who had saved me once. It was silly, I didn't even know his name, I remembered that I merely followed him around sometimes. I turned to Itachi and he remained perched on the rock eyeing me carefully.

"You killed him."

"When?"

"The Uchiha massacre." I stated blankly. If only I was this confident in real life.

"Who was he?" Itachi stood up, the bored look had disappeared from his features and he seemed mildly intrigued.

"I… don't know," I felt like the stupidest person in the world.

"Feh. I see," he stood in front of me, "You know, Hinata-chan. You used to follow me around when you were little," he mentioned a matter-of-factly, waving his hand as though dismissing the thought.

No way! I was never in love in Uchiha Itachi. How could that sweet boy grow into this, this insane psychopathic killer? That boy was nothing like this cold, crazed blood lusty creature before me. Well, he did look like him, but he was an Uchiha so the family resemblance must have been there.

"Hinata," he glared at him with those petrifying pair of eyes.

Please God, just make me disappear now. Make me wake up! A glare like that could have me scarred for life!

"Hinata!" He grabbed me forcefully, shaking the life out of my tiny frame, "How dare you cut your hair!"

"What?" The word barely left my lips as he spun me around to have my back facing him.

I felt a brutal tug to my hair and a quick swish of a blade near my neck.

"You will grow your hair long again. For me," Itachi hissed menacingly into my ear.

I sat up in my bed, cradling my dizzy head, hugging my shuddering, perspiration drenched body. It was a just a dream, I chanted shakily to myself over and over again. Taking small timid steps, I crept towards my bathroom, turning on the lights before I entered. Splashing cold water onto my face, I looked at my pitiable reflection in the mirror.

My blood froze.

I felt my jaw slacken in terror as my hands touched my new evenly trimmed hair. It was a dream. It had to be.