"Hail and Farewell"
(Part One)
Prologue
The phrase, I'm supposed to remember the phrase. I've been here before, a hundred times it seems.
A beautiful location in the mountains.
A young farmer wading through the tall stalks.
She meets a weary traveler who is limping and covered in bandages.
He is now carrying the girl oblivious to his own injuries.
A large Maple tree. Long branches swooping down protecting its inhabitants. Fuchsia leaves covering the couple in its protective grasp.
Who are they?
"Hinata…" I hear the blond boy say.
Oh yes, the girl's name is Hinata.
Swirling clouds. The sun behind a dark mountain. Shadows blanket everything.
It is now dark.
Words are spoken but I can only understand the emotions behind them.
It is almost time. What is the phrase?
A present. The boy gives the girl a bright blue gem. It lights up the darkness.
Gratitude. Longing.
"Naruto…" The girl says.
Naruto. Why does that name sound familiar?
The feeling of wind on my back. Crickets singing in the background. The smell of pressed flowers. The girl's face near mine.
Quickly, it is time. I need to remember.
Our eyes close yet I still see her. Her lips come closer to mine. Or am I gravitating towards her?
Desire. Fruition.
The boy abruptly moves his face away.
Soft-warm lips on my cheek.
Surprise. Agony.
He gets up but I stay next to the girl. I do not want to leave her side.
Realization. Determination.
The girl stares at the boy. The boy looks at the girl. I watch them both.
He opens his mouth to speak.
Compassion. Truth.
I know the phrase. I remember it.
The boy and I both say, "Hinata, I think that, I really…"
-/-
'…Love you.'
Naruto sat up sweating profusely. He breathed in and out trying to adjust his mind to the waking world.
He is in a wooden room lit copiously from the window behind him. Through the swaying branches in the outside, light flooded the space casting moving shadows on the wall in front of him.
He hardly noticed, however, as he was trying to decipher the dancing shadows in his own mind.
'I love you.' Naruto kept thinking in his head. The thoughts would not leave.
He then heard the sound of dishes clanking in the next room. With the smell of cooking food, he could not help but realize how hungry he was.
Focusing on the day, he lazily got up hardly caring about the stiffness in his movements.
Upon arriving, twin ebony eyes bore into him. Usually, Naruto would have been afraid of Yamato's infamous glare, but with all the thoughts racing through his head, he barely noticed.
"Hey…" his captain said to him, "We're leaving in twenty minutes. We'll have to run hard throughout the rest of the day and night if we're going to catch up to the Raikage."
'Raikage,' Naruto thought to himself. Suddenly, the fog lifted from his mind. Thoughts of yesterday's events rushed into his head: Danzo as the new Hokage, Kumo ninjas asking for permission to kill Sasuke, Sakura crying, Hinata at…
Naruto shook his head trying to remove the cobwebs from his mind.
Something bothered him, "Yamato-taichou, I thought we had another day of travel to catch up to the Raikage."
"We did," was his captain's terse reply.
When Naruto just looked confused, Yamato continued, "Naruto, it is almost four in the afternoon. You have been asleep for about eighteen hours." Despite, his calm demeanor, Naruto could not miss the irritation in his voice.
"Seventeen minutes. I suggest you wash up and pack your stuff quickly. Kakashi-san will be back soon; we'll eat, and then we're going to be running all night."
When his subordinate did not so much as blink, Yamato sighed.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. It's not your fault. We must have severely underestimated your injuries. Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
"Huh?" Naruto replied waking up from his thoughts. He quickly recovered. "I'm fine. I feel good as new!" The blond ninja then smiled brightly while flexing his arms.
With his usual optimism, he said, "Sorry about that. We'll definitely catch up to the Raikage!"
As he walked over to the washroom Naruto had to accept something before leaving, else he would not be able to accomplish the mission. It is the same thing that has been bothering him since he woke up and he did not have the time to ponder it.
Pushing the latching thoughts away and resigning them as a cruel fantasy, Naruto admitted to himself, 'It was just a dream, just a damn dream.'
In the ensuing weeks, the couple in paradise would all but be forgotten.
Chapter 3: "Homecoming"
"Why is it that hate comes out so easily, yet...love? It gets trapped inside." ~ Author Unknown
On the outskirts of Konoha, a compound was recently built. Within the grey walls houses upon houses were erected in a square fashion. With the exception of a gap right after the main gate, large enough to allow carriages through, as well as a small escape route at the opposite end, the houses were interconnected. Taking their duty to heart, the Branch Families built their homes as a natural barrier to protect what is most sacred to them.
Dead-center in approximately equal radius from each of the houses, lays the largest and most lavish of the edifices. The size of a mansion, visitors have compared the Main Family's complex to that of a small wooden palace.
In the middle of the residence, exists a unique structure only available to the main family. A sand garden, it is maintained by specially trained members of the Branch Family, but its secrets are only known to the main family. Two servants watched in passive fascination as their master trained in the garden.
Their master wore a simple Iromuji typical of the Hyuuga clan. Mahogany hair with a single strand bisecting her forehead, the black attire drew out the Lilac color of her eyes.
Always striving for the approval of her father, she wanted nothing more than to figure out the secrets of the sand garden. In fact, it infuriated her how her cousin, a mere branch family member, unlocked the secret of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, the ultimate Hyuuga technique which closes all sixty-four chakra points in the body, rendering the victim unable to utilize their vital energy for anything but normal Taijutsu.
"Hanabi," a familiar voice said breaking her concentration.
"You've been working very hard all day. Why don't you take a break and have some tea with me?"
Not looking at her, she replied, "Oneesan, I cannot. Otoosan expects me to learn this technique."
"When?"
"He did not say, just that he wants me to learn it."
"So if not right now, then why don't you have some tea with your Oneechan. I bet clearing your head will help you to learn the secrets of the sand. Plus, it's been awhile since we've talked alone together, Hanabi."
Hanabi looked to her sister and then visibly sighed. Sticking out like a sore thumb, she wondered why her father allowed Hinata to wear her gaudy lavender outfit within the compound. Furthermore, she was carrying the tea-table herself.
'That's what the branch families are for,' Hanabi thought incredulous.
As the two sisters sat down, Hanabi could not help but stifle a scoff as her own Oneesan poured tea for her. Hanabi looked to her right, and almost laughed watching the Hyuuga servants walk forward. They wanted to approach the table to serve the tea, but once Hinata did it for them, they retracted quickly. Hanabi knew they were confused.
"I'm used to doing things for myself. Plus," her sister said with a smile, "Okaasan used to do this for me."
Mentioning her mother's name brought a little sadness into Hanabi's heart. She was jealous that her older sister knew her whereas she was too young to even remember when she died. But then again, if her sister is an indication of what her mother was like, then maybe it was better that she did not know her. Hanabi instantly regretted thinking negatively of her mother, but she excused her blasphemous thoughts in the name of become stronger for the clan.
Yet, watching her sister's easy smile and kind eyes did have a soothing effect on her soul.
'Is this what it's like to have a mother?' Hanabi could not help but notice the grace in Hinata's subtle movements. She observed in passive fascination as her older sister poured the tea, followed by cupping it with both hands. Looking into the cup as if it was the last one she would ever drink, she then slowly put it to her lips; blowing kisses to a lover beyond the drink.
'This could not be the same Oneesan who Otoosan deemed as the failed heiress of the Hyuuga clan; the one who I was more powerful than at three years of age. Otoosan always judged her as useless, unnecessary, and in general, an embarrassment to the main family,' Hanabi thought to herself while discreetly watching her sister, pretending to sip her own tea.
'However," Hanabi then thought to test her sister.
"Oneesan, any news on Uzumaki?"
The Hyuuga have always been respected for their uncanny ability to cut through illusions, and this time was no exception. Hanabi smirked as Hinata coughed choking on the tea in her mouth. She almost dropped the cup but quickly set it down before covering her own lips. Unfortunately, she was not fast enough and some of it leaked through her fingers, spilling onto her jacket.
As she quickly recovered, Hanabi noticed two servants run forward hesitantly and then quietly back away again.
"Hanabi, ww-why, d-do you want to know about Naruto-kun?"
"Why not, he's obviously important to you? Plus, did you not spend some time with him at the rice fields?"
Hanabi watched as Hinata gasped trying to pretend it was tea in her throat rather than a lump in the form of her sister's words.
Hanabi said, "Your favorite servant, I forgot his name, the one who was assigned to protect you."
"Ko…he told you?"
"He had to. As a branch member he has to answer if I ask him," Hanabi said feeling devious.
"Otoosan, does he know?"
"No, he does not. I am surprised though at how apathetic he was towards you. Two members of the Hyuuga clan missing for a week, one his own daughter, and he did not even mention your name."
Hanabi scanned her sister's face as multiple emotions flashed through it.
"Why do you want to know, Hanabi?"
"What, I cannot ask Oneesan about her love life? You know I do not get one and I would love to hear about the infamous Uzumaki. Of course you, Oneesan, would be the kind of person who would date, or dare I say, marry outside the clan. I wonder what Otoosan thinks about this." Hanabi said the last statement almost to herself, playfully putting a finger to her lips.
Hanabi quickly realized her mistake when her older sister, despite the blush in her cheeks, instantly clammed up, folding her arms against her chest.
"Oneesan, I think Uzumaki is going to be back in a week, just in time for the festival," she said hoping to assuage the situation. "The Fire Country is going to honor him."
Although keeping an impassive mask, Hanabi could tell by mentioning her lover's name that Hinata was at least slightly paying attention to her.
"While Tsunade-sama was still in a coma, the council, insisted by the Fire Country Daimyo, wanted to throw Uzumaki a special festival in honor of him. I do not know the exact details but it was supposed to commemorate his accomplishments and show how the Country of Fire always supported him."
"That's not true!" Hanabi jumped at her sister's unexpected outburst. "Only recently have people noticed Naruto-kun. Growing up, almost every…one…"
Recovering quickly, Hanabi snuffed her sister's little tirade with a wave of her hand. She hated being interrupted.
"Oneesan, the council knows this. When Gondaime woke up, she said essentially the same thing, but even the great Tsunade-sama could not refuse the Daimyo's wishes, especially considering all the resources he put into reconstructing Konoha."
Seeing her sister distressed, Hanabi sighed before continuing, "However, being a Hokage does carry some weight. She at least changed the theme from worshipping Uzumaki, and instead, to a new year's celebration in honor of the rebuilding of Konoha."
"Wait I thought Danzo was the Hokage…" Hanabi noticed her sister trail off and then become closed off again. Yet, behind her blank stare, Hanabi knew there was a torrent of thoughts rushing in her mind.
"Danzo was killed by Sasuke," she said simply as if just telling Hinata the weather. "Thankfully, Gondaime awoke and is in charge again. Otoosan and I would hate to see what idiot the Daimyo would pick to be the next Hokage."
Despite laughing herself, Hanabi was dismayed at her sister's well-practiced stoicism. Her only reaction was a slight downward curl of her lips, an obvious frown to a Hyuuga observer; it could have easily been missed by anyone else.
"What?" Hanabi said, "I attend the council meetings with Otoosan. I'm supposed to know these things."
She then grinned trying to goad a reaction from her sister. However, when Hinata kept her face still, she became desperate.
"Please Oneechan! I want to hear about your Naruto-kun,'" Hanabi said in baby-talk. She also grabbed her sister's hand and tugged on it, the way she used to when they were younger. She held onto them, knowing that if she released them, then her sister would fidget and become shy. Hanabi also stared into her sister's gentle eyes, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Hinata's weakness would force her to surrender to her own wishes.
"Okay…Hanabi," she barely heard her sister's whisper. Although grinning, Hanabi could not help but feel joy when her sister not only caved in, but also acquiesced a small but genuine smile was well.
Hanabi listened as Hinata told her about her experiences at the rice fields. Keeping her opinions to herself, despite wanting to ask her sister why she would even demean herself with the lowly work, she knew that Hinata was purposefully avoiding sharing her experiences with Uzumaki.
Bored, Hanabi quickly realized that she would have to prod if she would ever hear the juicy details.
"Oneechan," she said guilefully, "I've never met Uzumaki in person before. What is he like?"
Hanabi idly listened. Hinata gave her the typical girl-crush descriptions such as strong, handsome, courageous, etc. She pretended, however, to pay apt attention so that her sister could keep on talking and opening up.
When she thought her sister was done talking, she held Hinata's hands tighter and put on the sweetest and cutest face she could come up with.
"Oneeechann," she whined purposefully, "what's it like to…to kiss h-him?"
"Hanabi! Well, I, uh, don't really, we, never, um…kissed."
"That's not what I heard," she said springing the trap.
"It's true!" She heard her sister squeal.
"Then what really happened, Oneechan?"
"Why, do you want to know, Hanabi?"
"I already told you," she said suddenly on the defensive. "I just want to know—"
"Are you going to tell Otoosan? If you're trying to get me in trouble, Hanabi—"
"No," she said as tears welled up in her eyes. Hanabi quickly looked away embarrassed and mortified with herself.
'This was not part of the plan,' she thought wondering why she started crying.
Hanabi did not realize she let go of her sister's hands until she felt a firm but gentle grip on them. She looked into Hinata's compassionate eyes and felt a river of calm wash over her.
"Then, what is it?" She heard her sister say gently.
"I already told you…" Hanabi said disheartened. "I mean I just want to know what it's like… to-to fall in love.
"Okay, Hanabi."
The two clansmen assigned to watch over the two main family daughters did so with a seemingly impassive stance. Yet, as all attentive servants and guards, their eyes scanned everything, every detail. Both noticed how their masters' demeanors changed from tense civility to absolute relaxation.
The younger of the two, Hanabi-sama, held her sister's hands while she barraged the other one with questions. The elder Hyuuga smiled and almost hesitantly answered her, yet, as the conversation wore on, Hinata-sama talked more and the younger asked less.
As the day passed, they noticed that neither one of their masters touched their tea, since they spent all of their time smiling and talking. The servants became so absorbed in the two ladies' smiles that they failed to hear the sliding door close behind them.
The guards hesitated, as they felt a rush of cold air, when another Hyuuga purposefully walked in-between them, not stopping until he was right in front of the two princesses.
Their inaction was a grave mistake.
"How romantic, Oneechan! However, there's something that bothers me."
"You mean the fact that he was just a clone?"
"No, no, I mean yes a little…but Oneechan you let him massage your foot?"
"No! I told you. He was putting on ointment—"
"I can not believe he massaged your sweaty and bloody foot. How scandalous! Did it feel…"
Suddenly, both girls stopped talking and looked at the intruder. The sister with the blue hair smiled.
Before she could greet him, the other exploded, "You! How dare you interrupt us! You should no better—"
"Hanabi! Stop this. Ko, it's okay…"
"No it is not!" Hanabi stood up livid. Even before she could turn to tower over the servant, Ko had already prostrated himself, kneeling before his master, as low as possible.
She walked to the left side of his head.
'Ko. I remember him now. This is the one who father mistakenly kept around Oneesan for too long.'
"Oneesan, apparently this one has not been fully trained in his duty and he needs a fervent reminder."
Before Hinata could act, blinding pain was sent to Ko's forehead. A special Hyuuga jutsu reserved solely for use on Branch Members, it is the Main Family's way of protecting the secrets of the clan because they can use it to destroy one's mind before an enemy can steal their traits.
Concentrating on her task, she was surprised when her usually timid and kind sister shook her.
"Hanabi, Hanabi, stop this. You're hurting him!"
'She yelled at me,' Hanabi thought momentarily dazed by the surprising actions. Woken up by her shaking, her temper flared. It was one thing to show weakness as a main family member, but it is treacherous to intercept one, especially the future heir.
'She would never do that to Otoosan,' Hanabi thought betrayed. Furious that her sister would interfere, she turned her anger on her.
"Oneesan, you, this is your fault! This is why the branch families lack discipline. You're too weak. Without our strength to guide them, our clan would surely fall. They lack the power protect the Hyuuga from those who would hurt us. This is why father passed you over for me!"
Hanabi stared at her sister with as much power and strength she could muster, bolstered by anger.
'I am not weak,' Hanabi thought glaring at Hinata. 'I am the future heir, the one chosen by Otoosan. I have to do this!'
The silence between them was palpable, and if it were not for Ko's groans, then the garden would have been devoid of sound.
Staring into her sister's eyes, Hanabi was surprised that Hinata was not cowering in fear like she usually would around their father. Instead, it almost seemed like her sister's eyes were scolding her, pitying her for her childish actions.
This infuriated Hanabi even more, and she would have said something, had it not been for a succinct cough which drew her attention.
'What is he doing here?' Hanabi thought staring at the interloping servant dressed in white, standing with a serious scowl on his face. She would have disciplined him too was it any other branch family member. Yet, even Hanabi knew to be a little wary of Neji the head of the branch families. Not only was he considered the genius of the clan, but he had her father's ear. Furthermore, in recent years he has only been loyal to the main family, and even she would not use the curse seal on him without salient cause.
"Pardon the interruption Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, and please forgive Ko's insolence."
She saw him turn his gaze on Ko. "How disappointing that you could not even deliver a simple message from Ojisama. Get up and out of sight. I will come find you once I figure out a proper punishment."
Hanabi watched as Ko, respectfully as possible, fled the room.
'I was not done with him yet,' Hanabi thought annoyed. 'Well at least Neji will ensure that he will be properly disciplined.'
"Neji," Hanabi did her best to keep her voice civil. "What did Otoosan need from me?"
"Forgive me, Hanabi-sama. He actually wants to speak with you, Hinata-sama."
Hanabi swore that she heard her sister gasp her last breath, as if her father's summon sealed her doom.
'Finally,' Hanabi thought fighting to show her smug satisfaction. She was wondering when her father would confront her sister about the "Pein Incident." It has been a few weeks since Hinata was almost killed attempting to save a boy who never even talked to her before. Although she personally found it quite romantic, as her father's protégé she knew that it was extremely embarrassing to the clan.
Hanabi watched her sister listlessly walk towards the sliding door. Her eyes narrowed, however when she accidentally spied a slight pause when Hinata passed Neji. If she turned towards the table and took a sip of her now cold tea, she would have missed the gesture. Instead, she saw her cousin's scowl deepen and then contract quickly, which meant he was momentarily caught off guard.
As Hinata reached the sliding doors, Hanabi irritatedly called out, "What did you say to him to him, Oneesan."
She then became infuriated, when her sister instead of answering her, just slid the screen and took a step.
'How dare she,' Hanabi thought as her own sister defiantly ignored a question in front of branch family members.
"I'll just ask Neji then. You know he'll tell me if I ask him." Although knowing it was petty, she then said, "Or I can ask your favorite servant. I bet he would love to see me again."
"Thank you."
Hanabi lost control of her face and allowed herself to look genuinely perplexed, which is the very feeling she always tries to hide whenever she's around her sister.
"I told him thank you for saving Ko from you…from us."
The younger sister then scoffed audibly, forgoing all acts of royal dignity. She wondered what her father would do in this situation. Having her authority challenged and arguing in front of branch families is, to say the least, disgraceful if not blasphemous.
Hanabi did not have time to ponder what actions she would have to take to remedy this situation as Hinata then spoke, "Hanabi-sama, the secret to the garden is harmony. No matter how hard you train, if you do not understand that key concept of balance then it is useless. If you really want to impress Otoosan, then I highly suggest you talk to Neji-niisan. He mastered our treasured technique on his own, without the guide of the garden, and definitely without Otoosan's help."
This time, Hanabi needed to control her face else the shock of her sister's words would be etched like a curse seal upon her face. What bothered her the most, however, was how Hinata figured it out.
'Did her Otoosan tell her?'
Hanabi did not know it now, but what really ruffled her feathers was the fact that her sister may not be as weak as she thought.
She then looked up as she heard the sliding door close.
-/-
A hiding shinobi, jaded and angry, crouched in the shadows as his team entered Konoha. He watched with passing interest as the first three ninjas walked through the gates to be greeted by a host of smiling lords and guards. The remaining two ninja trailing in the rear, he gazed at with mixed emotions, most specifically the kunoichi.
His mind automatically returned to the event. He carried that shaking and crying kunoichi as she clung onto him, like a long lost lover finally reunited.
'She lied to me,' he thought very bitterly remembering the tactic she attempted to trick him into coming home.
'They all lied to me, my friends I cannot believe—'
Suddenly, Naruto heard a commotion just inside the walls of Konoha. A minor rustling from a tree, he was surprised to find a familiar face peering at his team. Watching her kind smile, unexpected moistness appeared in his stony eyes. How many times had he wished he could have seen her smile before he left home?
He knew he should just ignore her, like he planned to do, and kept telling himself over and over again.
And yet, Naruto could not help but stare at the girl his heart missed. He knew her pupil-less eyes were watching him and he could not ignore his old desire to see her. Familiar thoughts crept back into his consciousness, ones he used to fantasize about but bitterly repressed.
'Maybe I should at least talk to her.'
That was all it took to undo weeks of convincing himself to forget about her.
He then vanished.
Hinata watched Naruto's team enter through the east gate. On top of a small hill just inside the main wall, which rose a little higher than the height of the border, she hid behind an old-large tree, one of the few to survive the blast from Pein's devastating technique.
She ignored the throbbing in her shin, from when she almost tripped on an exposed root, as she heard an unnatural rustling in the bushes.
Her attention snapped back however as Team 7 came close to the gate.
She watched smiling. The two in the back, one with short pink hair she knew to be Sakura and the other a boy similar to age with his bleach white skin must be Sai the newer member on the team. The two in the front with the elite Jounin rank flak jackets were his two captains Kakashi and Yamato. The former had silver hair and an eye patch, and the latter with short brown hair and a metal face guard which crowned his face.
Yet, the one she kept her eyes on she could describe him by heart. Blue sandals, orange and black jumpsuit, bright blue eyes, sun blond hair, and the smile she always cherished.
Watching the five shinobi enter Konoha, she felt nostalgic. How many times had she watched him leave and enter the city from other vantage points? Despite her actions, she always wished that he would notice her, disregarding the obstacles, as if he had a Byakugan of his own.
Lost in her thoughts, Hinata's heart pounded furiously when Naruto turned his head and peered directly into her eyes, smiled, and then winked at her.
She did not have time to react, however, because two hands covered her eyes while a tickling breath intimately mocked into her ear, "You can't see him."
'No, not now!' she thought to herself. Assuming it was just Kiba her teammate playing a trick on her again, as he often liked to do, especially when they were younger, she did waste any time on removing the hands, and just activated her Byakugan to see through it. It has been forever since she last saw Naruto and she did not want to miss him again.
Sadly, the boy and his team were already walking away behind a building, and even though Hinata could still see Naruto, he was no longer looking at her. She watched him anyway completely ignoring the benign hands covering her eyes as he was welcomed by a small host of people, probably lords. Hinata smiled as Naruto answered questions with his usual big grin becoming animated as he talked, rubbing the back of his head, and even blushing a little when one of the lords gave him a compliment.
She would have completely forgotten about her lack of normal vision had it not been for a new and pleasant sensation emanating around her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, the surge of extra blood to the area made the nerve endings extremely sensitive. She failed miserably to suppress an involuntary shudder as the interloping fingers minutely caressed along the exposed nerves. Not wanting to get lost to the tingling sensations, Hinata quickly thrust her face forward, tearing her head away from the hands.
As she raised her head up, Hinata exclaimed, "Na-Naruto-kun!"
Hinata then saw the same boy she was spying on earlier down the street. Similar looking with the same attire, hair, and of course eyes, nonetheless this Naruto seemed different. Hinata could not pin point the exact difference, but this one appeared…mature was not the right word, maybe aged or even wearied. She always thought of Naruto as a "warm" person, and it was easy to see when he always wore his heart on his sleeve, but the one in front of her seemed to keep his heart where it should be, and it gave her the impression of almost being cold. However, Hinata knew this was not true as his eyes bore into her, channeling all his usual warmth at one thing. It kept her unbalanced and frankly a little uncomfortable.
"Um, Hi, Hinata," he said with a tight smirk.
Relieved that at least his voice was the same, she ran to him and gave him a big hug, one worth three weeks of separation.
As she melted into him, Hinata felt her worries start to disappear. 'It's going to be alright,' she thought. 'I can talk to him about it.'
In her reverie, she did not sense Naruto's rigid body, or the hesitant way in which he gingerly placed his arms around her shoulders.
"Uh, Hinata nice to see you too."
While the time passed, Naruto started to feel a little awkward. Before he could gently protest, Hinata pulled herself away quickly and turned around, facing the gate.
"Naruto-kun, you didn't have to send a clone. I would have been happy seeing you when you had some free time."
"Huh?"
"The clone. The last time you saw me it was just a clone." Hinata spoke softly referencing the time with him at the rice fields so long ago.
"Hinata," Naruto spoke tentatively, "I promise when I saw you at the hospital it wasn't one of my Kage Bunshin." He was truly perplexed and a little hurt. Why would she think that he would use a clone to see her?
She then turned around as she spoke, "No, not at the hospital, at the rice…" Hinata trailed off when her eyes met his. She could not detect any mirth, just bewilderment. She of all people knew Naruto could be a little dense, but he was not unfeeling.
Suddenly, it all clicked into place as the tiny wedge of hope gave way and the boulder of realization crushed her heart. Hinata turned away while doing her best to stifle tears.
'He doesn't remember,' she thought to herself too afraid she would cry if she said it aloud.
"Hinata…" Naruto had no idea what he did, or what was upsetting her. He usually put his hand on a friend's shoulder for reassurance, but this time his hand just hovered awkwardly above her jacket. In front of him was a girl, a friend in pain, and yet his heart told him not to bother. She was no friend of his.
Instead, he just mumbled an apology and carefully stepped backwards waiting for her to collect herself. As he cautiously watched her, Naruto failed to notice the exposed root which tripped Hinata earlier.
One minute he was watching the back of her head and the next he is on the ground with her kneeling right next to him.
"Naruto-kun, Naruto-kun are you okay!" Hinata frantically exclaimed.
Dazed, Naruto muttered a "yes" hoping to get her to stop yelling.
He then idly observed furious and determined movements over his left palm. When his gaze saw what she was fussing about he became annoyed. She was already putting ointment on his hand. Although a relatively deep gash, with his healing ability it would disappear soon without any treatment.
Naruto attempted to tell relay that fact while fighting the cobwebs in his head. "Hinata, you don't…it will heal…please…there's no…."
"Hinata!" Naruto all but yelled, yanking his hand from hers.
Looking into his eyes, she saw something that has never been directed at her before from her childhood love: anger.
Naruto watched as she hid her pupil-less eyes behind her bangs.
"Na-na-ru-to-kun-I…" Naruto listened dumbfounded as she kept muttering. It seemed like she was trying to apologize but he was still dazed.
Fortunately, his head cleared as he saw Hinata walking away from him.
"Hinata, wait!" Naruto demanded. She kept going.
He then grabbed her hand, not feeling the way it shuddered against his touch, and said, "Please wait, Hinata. I'm sorry."
Naruto felt her hand slacken against his yet she did not look at him.
"Truth is, I was going to get some ramen and I wanted to invite you. My treat."
As Naruto waited for Hinata's response, the dichotomous part of him wondered why he even bothered to talk to her in the first place.
"O-okay, Naruto-kun," she finally said. "When am I going to meet the real you?"
"What?" he replied confused.
"How soon am I meeting "you" there? I don't eat with clones."
'What is it with you and my Kage Bunshins?' Naruto thought genuinely annoyed.
"Hinata, it's me."
Seeing the incredulous look she gave him, Naruto then outstretched his palm. He saw her eyes widen when she realized that the gash already closed.
"Unless I give specific orders to a Kage Bunshin to not vanish when injured, they will generally disappear even if it's just a scratch because it saves chakra."
"Then what about the Naruto I saw entering Konoha?" Hinata said bewildered.
Naruto then sighed, "He's the clone. Kakashi-sensei told me that they were having a festival for the restoration of Konoha, and also for my deeds. They wanted to welcome me as soon as I got in, but I didn't want to…" Naruto trailed off closing his mind to it.
"I'm confused, Naruto-kun. Isn't that part of your dream? Didn't you want everyone to acknowledge your existence?"
Seeing the unhappiness in his eyes, Hinata saw that this was not a new development, and in fact it seemed that Naruto has been struggling with this even before he got here.
He then surprised her when he said, "Ramen, first, please," holding his out his again.
Although extremely difficult, Hinata ignored the shallow gesture and instead, walked passed Naruto heading towards Ichiraku's. When Naruto caught up, she kept stealing glances at him wondering who this boy was and what happened to "her" Naruto.
Unbeknown to Hinata, Naruto already went through this about her. He used ponder the same thing, torturing himself for the last few weeks, on a mission far away from home. Now, his heart was closed, and he wanted to get some answers from the girl, no the only person he thought he could fully trust, as to why she betrayed him.
-/-/-
Things were still awkward at Ichiraku Ramen. Even rebuilt, it was little more than a kitchen, counter-top, and bar stools. Yet, it was always Naruto's favorite place to go, or so it was said, but Hinata could not tell.
At first everything was fine. After a heartwarming greeting from Ichiraku they, sat down to eat, but before they could dig into their food, a few bypassing villagers asked him for his autograph. Hinata thought it would cheer him up, but the hooded look he gave showed otherwise. A tense silence ensued and it was not until the man said it was for his son that Naruto acquiesced. Soon, however, word spread and a small army of people formed a line to meet him. They told Naruto all kinds of heartwarming lines, words that she herself would have loved to hear. However, Hinata noticed that each compliment seemed to wound him, something she was very familiar with when her own father used to berate her with insults. The only time he ever saw Naruto genuinely happy to give an autograph was when it was asked by a child. It was only then that his old warmth returned and he would become animated, often telling the children that they can grow up to become strong like him too. Unfortunately, those instances were few and far between and it even came to the point where he was just signing paper not even bothering to smile or acknowledge their presence.
Hinata became very relieved as Ichiraku himself, sensing his best customer's obvious unhappiness, kicked everyone out telling all the flatterers that he was closed. When the onlookers complained, he reminded them that Naruto was going to be doing a meet-and-greet in fifteen minutes in the main part of town, and that they should give the hero a chance to eat first. (This was all true but they did not know it was Naruto's clone that would be there instead).
Afterwards, Ichiraku excused himself when he realized that Naruto was not yet in the mood to eat. Hinata did not miss the fleeting look he gave her which meant, "You're his friend. Help him."
Both lost in their own private thoughts, she hardly touched her now luke-warm ramen bowl. When she looked over she was surprised – to say the least – that his looked like hers.
'This is not good,' she thought.
"Naruto-kun," she quietly asked, "is everything okay?"
"Huh, oh yea…"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Hinata waited a long thirty seconds for his answer. When it was obvious that he was not listening, she started blaming herself.
'He probably wants to be alone.' She thought dejected. Then her old instincts of self doubt kicked in, 'Maybe he just doesn't want me around.'
"Na-Naruto-kun, maybe it would be be-better if I leave?"
Accepting his silence as a definitive yes, she quickly paid her bill and left the stall. Taking a few hesitant steps, glanced back through the swaying flap and watched Naruto while he stared languidly into his untouched bowl.
When the curtain closed, and she could not see him anymore, the obstacle between them triggered a painful memory.
'A wall of people,' she thought, 'around him, watching him, talking about him, laughing, and spreading rumors.' She saw Naruto sitting on a swing, hiding in the shadows, rejected and alone with a depressed face unlike the one she saw now.
'And I did nothing.'
Galvanized, she reminded herself that even if he does not remember their time at the rice field, then he must recall visiting her in the hospital. She promised him that she would always be there as a friend, and just like Naruto, she would be damned if she ever went back on her words!
Naruto jarred out of his own memories when he felt a soft but firm hand on his shoulder. Looking to his left, he could see his companion looking intently at him.
"Talk to me," was all she said.
"I don't know, honestly…I mean I don't know why it bothers me," was Naruto's deflated reply.
"Well, let's start with why you're here with me instead of being acknowledged by the villagers with your team?"
"It's stupid, really," Naruto said with a slight smirk.
"It's not if that's the way you feel," Hinata replied. How many times while growing up had she wished that someone would have told her that. It was okay to cry, to feel sad. Just by having a friend who cared, it could have stopped her cycle of doubt and low confidence.
Naruto noticed how the grip on his shoulder never eased, even a little bit.
Sighing, he gently patted her hand immediately followed by a little grin.
He was about to confess, to bear everything to the one who hurt him the most, until he heard his past calling for him.
"Uzumaki Naruto, I know you're in there. Come out and face your rival!"
"Oh no, not now," Naruto muttered.
Hinata, seeing that he was truly worried frantically asked him, "Naruto-kun, are you okay?"
"Orioke no jutsu!" the voice outside yelled.
"Stay here," Naruto commanded. Despite being curious, Hinata could not help but listen to his demand.
Sensing danger, she tried to peek through the moving screen, but there was no sign of Naruto or the interloper.
Then she heard, "Baka, what are you doing?"
"Oh come on, don't you think I look absolutely cute?" Hinata heard a very sultry voice.
"Not here, not now!" She heard Naruto whisper desperately.
"Why? I haven't seen you in so long and you didn't even say bye to me before you left," said the seductively whiny voice.
"You're not with "monster girl" are you?" The voice suddenly squeaked in absolute terror.
"No, I'm not with Sakura."
"Then what's the big deal?"
Hinata was too curious for her own good. Ignoring Naruto's command, she went outside to investigate and maybe even lend some aid.
"Eeeeepp!"
Both persons whipped their heads around at the unexpected squeak.
Naruto, horrified, asked her, "Hinata, are you okay?"
"Naruto-oniichan, I thought this technique only worked on men."
The look he gave his rival shut "her" up quickly.
Confused, Hinata did her best to control her breathing as well as a new and unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. She closed her eyes which helped to steady her but did nothing to stifle the unknown sensation in her core.
At least somewhat under control, she decided to face the danger.
Unfortunately, she was greeted by two sets of mahogany eyes as the girl with Naruto treated Hinata to her full glory.
Like a trapped deer suddenly found by a hunter, Hinata froze too paralyzed to even run away.
"Hello!" the young girl said. She then winked, and as she did, Hinata noticed how her oversized breasts bounced unnaturally from such a minuscule action.
"Huh?" Was all she could murmur. Becoming weak in the knees, Hinata fell over into a lap of orange.
"Konohamaru, will you change back already!" Naruto yelled.
Head being cradled, she looked up into blue irises. Never being able to resist him, Hinata finally fainted.
-/-/-/-
"…no the technique wasn't bad. It was actually better than last time. You've improved."
'What is going on, where am I?' Hinata thought dreamily.
"Yea, I'm working on the dimensions. She's still not as sexy as yours though."
'Sexy dimensions?'
"No, your dimensions are about right. Your problem is actually the look." Hinata heard some laughing followed by, "What? It's true. It does not matter how sexy the body is if the look cannot seduce him. Think about it."
'Are they talking about that overly pretty girl who I saw naked?'
"Oniichan…I guess it makes sense. I think, though, that you take this whole seducing men thing a little too far."
'Oniichan? Naruto does not have any siblings that I know of.'
"Look who's talking! You have been trying to seduce me ever since I met you!"
"Yea, with your technique! One of these days, I'm going to transform into a girl so sexy that besides defeating you, everyone will acknowledge me as your superior."
"Superior in perversion, that's fine with me, Squirt!"
"Yea, but they will all know that you were my sensei. You can be the new Ero-Sennin."
"Hey! Don't call me that."
"Okay, Ero-nii."
Hinata then heard loud raucous laughter quickly followed by lots of shameless slurping.
"But seriously, do you always need to do that technique whenever you see me?"
"You started it, Oniichan, and don't act all innocent either since you're the creator of Harem no Jutsu. At the very least, I never showed "my girl" to a Hokage. But then again, Ojiichan was Jiraiya-jiichan's sensei, so I guess it makes sense how he was susceptible to the jutsu."
'Harem no jutsu? Naruto created a technique similar or more powerful than the naked girl? And it defeated a hokage?'
Hinata opened her eyes. She immediately noticed that she was back inside the ramen stall. Back against the wall, her legs were propped-up and casually held. Not yet fully awake, she just listened.
"Don't give me that look Oniichan. It's because of your sexy technique that Jiraiya-jiichan took you on as your apprentice."
"That's true I guess."
The feeling in Hinata's stomach came back with a vengeance.
"Also, I would never have trained as hard if you did not defeat Ebisu-sensei. But then again, I don't think there's a single male ninja in the five great countries that wouldn't be defeated by mass clones of that signature sexy-blond bombshell of yours."
"Oh, shut up."
Hinata stopped paying attention to assess her situation. She idly heard talking mixed in with dishes clanking and lots of belching.
'Okay, so I went outside. I saw Naruto-kun arguing with an absurdly gorgeous, not to mention naked, girl. After she surprised me, I essentially fainted.'
Hinata was upset with herself that she did not stay conscious. 'So that girl really was a boy, and he developed this jutsu because of Naruto?'
As Hinata tried to make logic of her recent experience, the churning in her gut intensified instead of getting better. 'Naruto, the original creator of this perverted jutsu, used it to seduce one of the Legendary Sannin. That's how he convinced Jiraiya-sama to become his master?'
Hinata was dumbfounded. She noticed that the monster in her stomach became virtually uncontrollable, but she could not stop her line of thinking. Believing logic would be her salvation, she kept chimerically following the train of thoughts.
'This same jutsu was so powerful that it defeated "the" elite Jounin teacher Ebisu-sensei? Impossible…but then the boy said that it also defeated the Sandaime Hokage. No way! Sarutobi-sama was known as the "Professor" because he mastered so many techniques, and is also considered one of the most powerful ninjas in history. Yet, he was defeated by a young Naruto because he transformed into a sexy girl?'
That was the breaking point.
Before she could prepare herself – or even open her eyes – an uncensored sound escaped from her lips. Sounding like a mouse being chased by a hungry piggy, wave after wave of squeaks and snorts escaped from her belly.
Both Naruto and his sidekick in perversion Konohamaru immediately looked at the girl they thought was sleeping to their right. Doubled over, clutching her stomach, if it were not for the sounds she was making, they would have thought that she was in excruciating pain.
Hinata could not stop herself from laughing maniacally. It was as if there was a being inside her, tickling her and eating away all her shyness. Tears streaming from her eyes, the first thing she noticed when her vision cleared, were piles and piles of ramen bowls. As she looked left, Hinata saw two "twins" – one blond and one brown haired – staring at her with wide eyes and mouth full of ramen.
Reminding her of chipmunks, more stifled squeaks filled the small space. Hinata turned her head to the right to get rid of the image, but it stayed in her mind's eye. Trying to get a hold of herself, she then pivoted her body to the left, but forgot Naruto was holding her legs. She snorted a laugh while falling towards the ground.
However, she did not hit the floor, and instead, felt a firm pressure on the nape of her neck. Looking into the face of the blond squirrel, she kept laughing as Naruto tried to mumble something with a mouth full of ramen and worried eyes. On top of it all, Hinata could not tear her eyes away from a taunting noodle on his whisker mark as it danced precariously to the rhythm of his mouth.
It was not until Naruto gently sat Hinata back up on the stool that she finally calmed down. The demon inside her was completely exorcised, only when the comical chipmunks disappeared as the boys swallowed their food.
A tense silence ensued where Hinata felt the two boys boring into her soul. Purposefully avoiding their gazes, she already knew what they were thinking.
'Weirdo, misfit, strange, odd…' Hinata vividly remembered those same looks as they were forever burned into her soul from her father and more recently her sister.
Feeling sorry for herself, she even recalled the leering stares of some of the branch family members.
'Pushover, weakling…'
Naruto watched conflicted as his friend bit her quivering lip. Despite Hinata's watering eyes, he still hesitated, torn in inaction. He would later recall that he would have let her cry had it not been for Konohamaru's interjection.
"Hey, Oniichan, was she laughing at us?"
Naruto watched as Hinata turned her head towards them with a perplexed look on her face.
Offhandedly, he answered, "Yea, but don't you prefer that to her being angry with us?"
"Or hitting us," was Konohamaru's sly reply.
Gesturing his rival and all-but-blood younger brother to pass him a bowl, Naruto reflexively caught the sliding noodle dish just as it arrived in front of Hinata.
Feeling something soft on his hand, his eyes became locked with hers. Naruto did not even notice the scalding heat in his palm, nor the soft lingers of Hinata's fingers. Lost in the moment, there was something important he wanted to remember. Discreetly scanning her pale eyes, it was not a specific event he was trying to recall but a feeling he needed to explore.
"And I love…er, I mean I would love to hear her laugh at us rather than cry any day." Not tearing his eyes away, Naruto casually said, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yea, Oneechan, you can laugh at Naruto-oniichan all you want. Trust me, it's fun!"
"Baka, you've only just met her and already you're flirting!"
"No, I mean it. And don't be jealous, Oniichan, because I know she's your girlfriend."
Breaking the trance, both Naruto and Hinata yanked their hands away from the bowl.
Oblivious to his companions awkwardness, Konohamaru ceremoniously exclaimed, "Itadakimasu!" and dug noisily into his food.
Hinata inconspicuously watched Naruto eat his ramen; building momentum until his ferocity matched that of his younger brother. In no time at all, both Naruto and Konohamaru were chatting away.
She was surprised that it was Konohamaru that tried to include her in their private conversations, often asking for her opinion. Shyly, she either quipped a quick but unsatisfying reply, or just stammered until she looked away embarrassed. Usually, people would just leave her alone after that and ignore her. However, the young boy would not let her be, and instead, incessantly included her in the conversation as much as possible.
It was not until the jokes and insults ensued between Konohamaru and Naruto that she finally caved in. Hesitantly laughing at first, once she realized that she was not being judged, she allowed herself to enjoy their company.
Recognizing the growl in her stomach, Hinata took a sip of her now cold broth. Hinata was genuinely surprised as she liked the bowl she was eating from, and interestingly, she relished in the fact that the food for her soul tasted divine.
-/-/-/-/-
'A moment of weakness; that's all it was,' Naruto thought to himself bitterly. While all of them were laughing and enjoying their meal, he remembered Hinata asking if he was planning on going to the festival tonight.
Before he could respond, Konohamaru had answered for him, "Yea, of course he is! We all know this festival is in honor of him!"
Trapped between the pleading and exciting looks from his younger brother, and the…well he did not know what kind of look Hinata was giving him, Naruto realized his resolve was broken even before he could build it. He agreed to go.
Through the swaying flaps, Naruto spied Konohamaru and Hinata, virtually joined at the hip, as they walked away. He watched her ruffle Konohamaru's hair and then place her hand around his shoulder. He saw her kind smile and the way it seemed to brighten Naruto's day a little, even though it was not intended for him.
He tried to convince himself to be careful, that she was no better than a snake, no worse actually, because she toyed with his emotions. On the other hand, he could not ignore the sincerity of her actions, and especially the way he felt earlier. Hinata's mere presence had a soothing effect on his soul, and it drew Naruto towards her even when his head screamed for him to leave her alone.
'I need to talk to her,' he said resolved.
When the flap closed and the sound of rustling paper brought his attention back to reality, Naruto did not realize that he was already standing, seemingly ready to catch up to her else he would miss his chance again like weeks ago.
Sitting back at the bar, he never saw Hinata wave to him, hesitating to leave even as Konohamaru tugged on her hand.
Unfortunately, as Naruto stared at the check, the problems he hid from abruptly appeared as an unstoppable wave. All the memories of his now dispersed clone came back to him, and like an unhappy mob, they dunned him for attention.
Ichiraku immediately became worried as his best customer groaned into his hands. He was planning on treating Naruto, but with the reconstruction costs he could not afford to splurge on seven stacks of ramen bowls.
'He could always pay me back later,' Ichiraku thought, 'or even wash dishes for me.'
However, it was not the extra zeroes on the bill that bothered Naruto, but the myriad of smiling faces that appeared suddenly in his mind, and like sycophantic wolves they all tore pieces from him.
'Poor guy,' thought Ichiraku as he watched Naruto put his now deflated Gama-chan back into his pocket.
'I wonder if he'll have enough money to enjoy himself at the festival.'
He then thought about the Hyuuga girl, and although he could count the number of times a member of one of the royal families ate at his establishment, on his stirring hand, he knew all of them had money.
'By the way she acted around him; I bet she would help him out.'
Ichiraku then turned around to tackle the insurmountable pile of dishes. Putting two stacks into the sink, he put his mind at ease as he thought, 'Yes, she will definitely take care of him.'
-/-/-/-/-/-
Naruto looked into the mirror in his "room," or the new quarters given to him since his old one was reduced to rubble by Pein's attack. He considered it home as much as he would his Konoha-issued bedroll for use on long missions. Sparsely decorated and bare to the point of a monk's taste, the only possession from his former apartment was an old wooden trunk. Found buried under the wreckage, the rescue volunteers knew it was Naruto's due to his signature swirl branded on the anterior wood.
In the chest, he only kept his most precious but practically useless items, almost all of the possessions once belonging to his parents. Pieces of a puzzle stripped from him, he kept them as the last link to his deceased family.
Taking two items out, he studied one in the mirror. A Yukata, baby blue and littered with orange patterns of his trademark swirl-designs, it also had a large ochreous symbol of his country of fire emblazoned the back. Judging by the style and color, he thought it could have been his mother's kimono, but it fit him pretty well so maybe it belonged to his father. Having not known them, he quickly and bitterly put his fantasizing to an end.
If the kimono was an enigma to a history lost, then the second item was its opposite. Although not once belonging to his parents, the object was a poignant and painful reminder nonetheless. Laying face down on a near by table, he stared at its white plaster with bloody specks of paint.
The thing was the reason why he hated going to festivals as a kid, and subsequently the same reason he did not want to go tonight. Yet, disregarding the painful memories, Naruto was surprisingly calm if not a little elated to wear it.
As Naruto waited for his two companions to arrive, he looked out into the night sky. Despite the warm summer evening, he was amazed to see an opaque blanket of clouds above him. Sporadic lamps illuminated random streets, turning certain alleyways adumbral.
Naruto noticed a pulsing cerulean light slowly coming towards him somewhere below. When the source of the glow emerged from the nebulous corridor, Naruto was temporarily blinded as the last vestiges of the day disappeared into his eyes.
Once his pupils dilated sufficiently to the night, he was dumbfounded to see the luminous blue object directly below him. Partially covered by the darkness cast by the balcony, Naruto had to bend over the guard to see it. It reminded him of something important, but he could not place his finger on it.
"Hey Naruto-oniichan, what are you doing?" a familiar voice said curiously.
Startled, Naruto lost his balance and fell over the railing, barely catching the last rung after a painful summersault.
Hearing the commotion from above, the girl looked up shining her silvery-lavender eyes at him.
'Hinata!' Following the glint, Naruto's gaze inadvertently lowered into her cleavage. He realized quickly that the thing was some kind of jewel, and then tore his face away abashed.
'Did she see me look?' He thought as he dropped down in front of her.
"Na-Naruto-kun…" Hinata said as she shyly turned away.
'I guess she did,' Naruto thought turning red. "Uh…Hinata…um, it's not what you think."
Seeing her adjust her kimono, Naruto took it as a sign that she was upset with him. Turning around to avoid worse embarrassment, he instead found more trouble.
"Naruto-oniichan," Konohamaru said, "what did you do to Oneechan!"
"Um, it was an accident..."
"That you were staring at her breasts?"
"I thought I saw something."
"I bet you did, Ero-nii."
"Whatever, squirt. You've been the one flirting with her the entire time."
"At least I wasn't peeping! Shame on you…you've been holding back on me." Hinata heard his voice actually crack. "What did Jiraiya-jiji really teach you?"
The two of them went at it for a few good minutes. Once Hinata calmed herself, and knowing the two of them could argue the night away if not intervened on, she maternally grabbed both their arms and led them away to the festival.
Gently wiggling out of her stern but caring grasp, Naruto said, "Oh wait, you two go on ahead. I forgot something."
Naruto caught up with his friends right before they could enter the festival grounds.
"What took you so long? Were you doing something naughty while thinking of Hinata-oneechan?"
Hinata blushed.
Ignoring the verbal jab, Naruto simply said, "I had to get my mask."
"Oh, let me see!"
"How about both of you show me yours first."
There is a tradition in a new year's festival where people wear masks depicting a diabolic act or monster on them. By wearing it, the person is effectively hidden from the evil and protected for the upcoming year.
Naruto scoffed when Konohamaru showed him his Noh mask.
"Baka, are you going to be in a play? This is a festival!"
"Whatever, Ero-nii, even though the theme is "new beginnings" it is not actually the new year."
"Naruto-kun," he heard Hinata chime in softly, "the masks are optional. The point is to have fun, right?"
"So what's yours?"
Hinata put hers on. The face of a black and white cat, it matched her Hyuuga eyes perfectly.
"Hinata, you're scared of cats?" Naruto asked hoping he was not the only one following tradition.
"Well…no I just think it's cute."
Both boys laughed at her expense.
"And, I-I wa-wanted to wear something cute since my Houmongi is…well..."
"I was wondering why you were wearing an old woman's kimono," Konohamaru bluntly stated. A swift slap to the back of his head from Naruto and he quickly apologized.
Hinata just smiled. "It belonged to Okaasan. Otoosan gave it to me claiming that it was her favorite one to wear during evening celebrations, but I don't know if that was true. Even though we Hyuuga typically wear modest clothing, I remember Okaasan always wearing beautiful kimonos."
Naruto then studied her Houmongi more closely. Having seen numerous kimonos in bathhouses or around brothels, on his training with Ero-Sennin, Naruto could immediately tell by the shine of the silk that her kimono was very expensive. Mostly indigo in color, it was intricately laced with expensive black designs. The only bright part of her attire, on her otherwise pitchy dress, was her ivory Obi around her waste.
'Why is it so dark?' Naruto then noticed that her mother's kimono fit Hinata perfectly, and that it actually looked cute on her in a dark and dreary kind of way.
Catching him studying her, and fighting her spreading blush, Hinata quickly broke his reverie by saying, "Naruto-kun, what about your mask?"
"Oh yea," Naruto said dreading this moment. Despite his smile, he still hesitantly turned around and put it on. When he faced his companions again, he laughed when they both gasped audibly.
The mask Naruto wore was that of a demon fox. Menacing, it was beautifully painted to depict all its malice, anger, and destruction. Every detail was done in virtual flawlessness, from its cruel yet smiling white teeth to the vibrant fur on its cheeks.
Nine tails fanned out, from a focal point at the top of the mask, haphazardly down around the face. Meant to depict an unnatural force of nature, the tails were drawn as eye catchers. This was done by having the background, directly around each tail, be distorted and almost unrecognizable. Each tail-end pierced the ground, planting itself in the once serene and beautiful village of Konoha. Razed buildings, corpses, or piles of bloodied Hitai-itai's littered what one could assume to be the ground, but it was debatable since the supposed soil was crimson and flowing like a river.
In the background, at an oasis of peaceful Evergreen trees, one man defied the cataclysm around him. So far in the distance, an admirer could only make out the golden color his hair and the white of his cloak. However, the trees and the man were only a minor mole painted on the cheek, for the true mastery of the art was seen when one looked the wearer in the eyes.
The artist centered everything around the user so that when a person looked at his eyes, the totality of the carnage was thrust into her face. Its aim was to invoke fear similar to that of actually seeing the Kyuubi itself. The only blemish to the masterpiece was a large copper stain around the mouth. If it was red paint it would have helped the scene nicely, but because it was just dried blood it only darkened the color a little bit.
Looking to each other for support, Hinata asked first. "Naruto-kun, why are you wearing that mask?"
"Why not," Naruto answered elated. He was surprised that at how easy it was to keep his tone light.
"Bu-but, Naruto-kun, nobody else…" Hinata trailed off at a complete loss for words.
"I like it," Konohamaru blurted out with a smile. "It's really cool looking. Where did you get it?"
"Here, a long time ago."
"How, was it expensive?"
"Some guy gave it to me, and yes its cost was high…"
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata started to say, but when Naruto snapped his head towards her she had to turn away.
Laughing, Naruto then said, "Plus, nobody would ever guess it was me behind the mask!" 'They never have before.' "It's a fool proof disguise."
'You're wrong,' Hinata thought sadly.
"Naruto-oniichan, why do you want to avoid the people?"
Instead of replying, Naruto just ran past them into the limelight of the festival.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Hinata was wrong. Catching up to Naruto as he approached the first food stall, she immediately noticed the crowd's shocked faces. Yet, even though she saw people gape at him, or obviously talk behind his back, Naruto was either oblivious to their insulting actions or just plain did not care.
When a disgruntled onlooker confronted Naruto, Hinata became surprised, astounded even, when Naruto approached the man and his entourage and just struck up a casual conversation with them.
He then he ran to the next food stall. Getting caught up in the exciting energy, she saw Konohamaru immediately join him. Not really having a choice, she just followed them.
The trio toured the festival grounds at a frenzied pace. Lost in her own thoughts, she would have been a third-wheel had it not been for Konohamaru who never left his new sister's side. Whenever she would trail behind to study the enigma that was Naruto, Konohamaru would look behind him and excitedly wave her back up to the duo.
They stopped at several stalls where they sampled delights such as yakitori, onigiri, and dango. In between food stops, Naruto and Konohamaru played games. Hinata could not stifle a laugh as she watched both boys fail miserably at catching a fish with a rice-paper net.
During a rare moment when she had time to think, while waiting in line for the lottery game, Hinata wondered why they did not run into any of their friends yet. Masks aside, both Naruto and she should be able to spot them in a crowd.
'Could Naruto be avoiding them?' The paranoid thought just popped into her head.
With the astounding atmosphere around her, not to mention all the fun her companions were having, a big part of Hinata wanted nothing more than to mentally blind herself and just get caught up in the festive mood. Closing her eyes, she listened to his heart-warming laugh, almost convincing herself that "her" Naruto was next to her smiling and offering his hand.
Hinata then opened her eyes and studied him more closely. It was maddening, watching the dichotomy of Naruto's frivolous actions and the ambience around him, against the Armageddon that was on his face.
'It's just like the curse seal,' sudden realization hit her with such impact that even while Naruto had his hand in the lottery basket; he still looked back at her.
When the attendant hesitantly gave Naruto his prize, Hinata watched as he intently regarded the plush doll.
Seeing how cute it was, Hinata wished that Naruto would give it to her, but he surprised her instead when he nonchalantly tossed the plushy somewhere into the shadows.
Hinata would have retrieved it had he and Konohamaru not already bolted away to their next stop.
Gaining on the two, she idly wondered, 'If the mask is like the curse seal, then who's activating the jutsu; who's hurting him?'
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
It was during their third stop, where they decided to take a break at a cafe, that Hinata found herself alone.
Remembering that they went to get some drinks, she absentmindedly picked at her dango, not really tasting it but just eating it to give her something to do.
"Here you go," she heard Naruto's voice.
"Where's Konohamaru?" Hinata asked.
"Oh, he'll be back. He ran into some of his friends and is just catching up.
"Okay," she replied softly. She did not know if Naruto heard her or not since the ambient noise around them made it hard to hear, much less think. Usually, Hinata would be thrilled to be alone with Naruto, yet all she could do was stare at her dango.
"Hey, Hinata?"
"Yes, Naruto-kun?" She reflexively looked up but immediately looked away again once she looked into his eyes.
"Relax, Hinata," not missing the irritation in his voice, "it's just a mask. Plus I wanted to ask you something."
"It's not the mask…"
"I know."
A few agonizing minutes passed in cacophonous silence. Although keeping her eyes on her food, every ounce of her was focused on the boy in front of her. She wished that he would ask to talk to her in private and finally open up to her so she could take his pain away, or at the very least, understand what was going on with him.
Hinata also knew that she could be the one to instigate the important conversation they both wanted to have with each other. She could grab his hand, take Naruto for a walk away from the festival, and remove his mask. However, something, some obstacle, was preventing her from taking the initiative.
'It's just my lack of self-confidence,' she thought to herself while staring at her dango.
Later that night, while she lay sleepless in her bed, Hinata would realize that it was not her usual weakness that prevented her from confronting Naruto.
It was fear.
Abruptly, Naruto got up.
"Naruto-kun, where are you going?"
"Don't worry, Hinata," he chirped happily, "I'll be back soon. I wanted to get you something, and, uh, don't worry, because I think you'll like it. Oh, and I'll get you more punch."
Before she could reply, Naruto left.
Hinata sighed at the sugar-coated ball in front of her. 'At least we'll have some time to talk eventually.'
A few minutes passed where the untouched dessert sat triumphantly on her plate.
Hinata looked up when she felt a presence sit in front of her.
"Naruto-kun, what did…" Her eyes widened when she realized it was not him.
"Hiya, Hinata! Wait, did you say Naruto? I've been looking for him everywhere."
"Kiba-kun, he's not here. He we…went to get me something," Hinata replied softly.
"Oh, so you and Naruto, eh? It sure took him long enough. Only the poor girl who would fall in love with Naruto would have to resort to almost dying for him to finally get his attention."
"Kiba-kun…" Hinata whined at her friend's playful teasing. Since they were teammates, Hinata learned to take it with a grain-of-salt, however, she did not want to talk about Naruto and she's supposed relationship, especially since he was supposed to come back.
"Where's Akamaru?" Hinata deflected the conversation to Kiba and she's favorite canine companion.
"He's at home." She then heard him exasperate, "Do you want him?"
Hinata looked at her teammate like he was crazy for even joking about giving away his treasured dog.
"What? He's always nice to you. He's been grumpy lately, and honestly I think he's reached the age where he wants to find a mate. I constantly have to make sure he does not pee on people, especially since I taught him the Dynamic Marking Technique. Can you imagine the mayhem if I brought him here?"
Naruto heard two unique sounds over the dissonant voices around him. One, sounding like a snorting mouse, and the other he knew to be Kiba's laugh due to its underlying arrogance, Naruto used his shinobi skills to observe them.
"…remember how we all met at my place? I didn't tell you at the time but we needed you because you are the only person he has always behaved around. You're mere presence distracts and keeps him calm. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I swear that he was in love with you."
Naruto breathed in and out heavily. Fighting the tears, he instead cursed himself for being naïve enough to be betrayed twice.
"…it would have worked too had the monster not run away before we could maneuver you into position."
Hinata turned around when she heard a glass break.
"Naruto-kun!" She yelled. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun, but I have to go."
"Wa-wait, Hinata…" But she was already gone.
'How did she know it was Naruto?' Kiba thought confused.
The only thing he saw in the pile of broken glass was a small plushy heart.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Hinata searched frantically for Naruto, but she was severely hampered while weaving through the crowd. The loud music and glaring lights only added to her rising anxiety.
Suddenly, Hinata became quiescent as all the noise abruptly ended. Disoriented, it was not until she heard a booming voice, accompanied by a shuffling of people towards the stage, that she continued her search.
"Hello citizens of the Fire Country! As most of you know, we are celebrating the newly rebuilt Konoha. Are you all having fun?" Hinata barely listened to the emcee as he built up the crowd's excitement.
"…also, it is the emergence of our very hero Uzumaki Naruto. As such, we would like to invite him to the stage to give a few words. Come on, Naruto-san, we know you're here."
Intuition told Hinata that this something very bad for him. Byakugan activated, her search became desperate. Unfortunately, she had to contend with the newly formed mob as they also hunted for him. As if fighting a wave, Hinata was pushed and tossed until she accidentally found reprieve at the boundary of the festival, far away from the stage.
"You caught me!" Hinata looked at the stage, knowing it was too late. Worried and confused, Hinata approached the platform never taking her eyes off of him.
'Something's not right,' Hinata thought. Little nuances, she knew from a lifetime of watching him that, 'the dimensions are off.'
This Naruto was a tiny bit shorter, blonde hair not as wild or spiky, and his eyes were obviously one shade too dark. As she stared, "Naruto" then glanced at her, winked, and mouthed, "Oneechan.".
"Konohamaru!" Hinata whispered.
Strength rejuvenated, she quickly scanned the faces of the people around her wishing to find him. However, as time went by, Hinata started to lose hope. Trying to gain a new perspective, she instead spent a few minutes pondering today's events.
Staring at a bush outside the lights of the festival, she thought about the plushy heart and how, despite the intense way he regarded it, just threw it away into the night.
'There was a trash can right next to him.'
She then remembered how she felt when she first saw Naruto that day, even while his hands covered her eyes.
'You can't see him,' she suddenly recalled his words now realizing that they were more than just a mocking phrase.
Hinata gasped, knowing where she had to go.
Tentatively, she put her hand into the shadows, fighting the stygian shiver as it caressed its way up her spine. Steeling herself, she ran into the night to find the boy she loves.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Walking towards him, the only sound that invaded the tranquility of the night was the clack-clack of the Geta on her feet.
Naruto made no sounds, not even as Hinata watched him idly push back and forth on the swing, a slow moving silhouette upon the void of the night. How many times had she watched him sitting on that very same swing, hanging from an old tree, next to the Konoha ninja academy? How she desperately wanted to be able to see him!
She then gasped when Naruto lifted his head and she looked into his intensely clear eyes.
"Still afraid of my mask, Hinata?" Naruto asked.
"Not the one in your hands," she replied shyly but pointedly.
He then smiled, not the special one that warmed her heart, but the one she knew Naruto gave to his enemies as a sign of respect. Hinata could not shake the feeling that he thought of her as that, and cautiously approached him on that assumption.
"What's going on, Naruto-kun?" Hinata said as she carefully kneeled in front of him.
"Nothing," he said. "Why do you even care?"
"You know that I do." She replied.
"Do I?"
"Naruto-kun, what's going on?" Hinata spoke firmly with all the concern in her heart. "What's wrong?"
"This," Naruto said and tossed the mask in front of her.
Picking it up, the lack of light did nothing to assuage the heavy burden she felt when holding it.
"Where did you get this?" Hinata asked tentatively.
"Are you sure you want to hear this? I mean do you actually care because…"
"Naruto-kun," she said softly too absorbed in her friend's pain to feel the insult.
"Fine, I warned you, Hinata."
Naruto took a deep breath. "When I was younger…"As Naruto told his story, Hinata listened to the words vividly imagining them in her head.
In her mind's eye she saw a younger Naruto. Very similar to Konohamaru's personality, if not a little more extreme, she remembered a brazened obnoxiously-rude boy with his even louder orange and blue jumpsuit and goggles he used to wear before he graduated from the academy.
Through the eyes of the preteen, she could see the lights of the festival and hear the excitement of the crowd around him; new, wondrous, and vivid images as the boy wandered the streets. His bubbling excitement was hardly contained while he wanted to do and eat everything, wishing he could be everywhere at once.
Yet, as the boy tried to sample the food or play games he was brusquely turned away. Some even went so far as to throw objects and meals at him.
Doing her best to avoid the barrage, Hinata flinched when she felt scalding oil burn her back.
Suddenly, her avatar was gone and instead Hinata became fully immersed in Naruto's story. She imagined herself wandering the festival grounds lost and terrified. Hinata maneuvered around tall legs, and those bodies she was too slow to dodge roughly pushed her aside, often with enough force that her knees and even her face scraped against the ground.
One particular moment when she felt too weak to get up, she found herself surrounded by people. It was then, that she truly felt despair. It was not the cuts, scrapes, or even the food in her hair that bothered her for she was always treated that way. No, what hurt her most, what almost destroyed her soul were the looks of the "innocent" bystanders. She watched the children, peers no different than her, hide behind their parents. They in turn held their young back, protecting them from her – the beaten, ugly, and unwanted child on the ground.
Envious, she looked at the adults, the children's guardians appealing for help or even mercy. Instead, each of the stoic faces observed her with pity and sometimes even condemnation keeping her trapped with their glares. Some even turned their heads away too ashamed to acknowledge her.
Unfortunately, more than a few were more aggressive. Mixed-in with the families, the instigators hurled objects at her, calling her names, never caring that she was just a child.
Not having a choice except to flee, Hinata ran away while a cohort of people chased after her. Wearing bloody-red masks in various forms of detail, they kept her in the blight, not allowing her to escape into the safe acceptance of the shadows.
Desperate, Hinata sprinted into a dark alleyway, poorly lit with ruby-colored lights. Scared and wanting nothing more than to go home, she inadvertently bumped into someone.
Since Naruto could not remember his face, Hinata just saw a really large belly of a man towering over her. Smelly and drunk, Hinata felt a large meaty hand thrust something into her arms.
As Naruto described the first impressions of the mask, she felt the hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end. Vivid images of death, gore, and blood – lots of blood – horrified her avatar, as if she was holding carnage incarnate.
Hinata flinched as the mind's eye version of her was suddenly and cruelly punched squarely in the face.
The scene abruptly shifted – as Naruto regained consciousness – to the same mask being held in front of her bleeding face. The crowd finally found the child and they stalkingly encircled her. Terrified, Hinata looked to each of the bloody foxes for support, but those that were not yelling and cheering were just regarding her with cold stares.
"Rem-ber, thisss whoyu are," the fat drunk said to her.
Closing her eyes, she felt the mask touch her face.
"Remember!" She heard his invidious voice clearly. "And don't-don't forget because…"
Then Hinata saw a huge foot tower above her, ready to completely annihilate her into the ground.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
"It was a whore," Naruto said abruptly filling the still void with echoes of his laughter. Hinata, still cowering in fear from the foot above her in her mind, refocused her eyes to reality.
"Right before he could hurt me, a woman came from behind and whispered something into his ear. She cooed him, soothed him, and he agreed to leave me alone.
"Then as he went to pick up his mask, I for some reason would not let it go. With all the strength I had I held it close to my body. I stared at him, with utmost hate in my eyes, even while he threatened to stomp on me again. Suddenly, the whore was there again mewing into his ear, with her arms all over his fat body, somehow constraining him without physical strength.
"While she was seducing him, my eyes followed her arms up to my savior. Hinata, I do not know how to describe the look she gave me. It was a mix of pity and understanding, shyness and desire, but ultimately acceptance. To my young self where almost everyone hated me it meant the world. "
He then laughed again and if Hinata's eyes did not already adjust to the dark, she would have thought him crying.
While Naruto chuckled wildly, Hinata tried to make sense of his anecdote. She assumed that he was still in the academy, but the way he described the experience did not add up to the Naruto that she knew, for her Naruto was always laughing and showing off. He would not have backed away to anyone, least of all a drunkard.
As she looked back up to his face, Naruto stopped laughing and said, "I was five."
Hinata gasped. Only five years old and already treated like a monster.
The tears flowed. It took all her effort not to jump up and hug him, console him, and promise to make it all better.
She slowly moved her hand towards his, ignoring the logical part of her brain telling her to hesitate. A small gesture, at least it would show him that she cared and empathized with his pain.
Before her hand could connect to his, however, Naruto propelled backwards on the swing, keeping himself out of her reach.
As if slapped, Hinata withdrew her unwanted hand. She looked at Naruto with a mixture of hurt and confusion. Her gaze wavered against his; the moment prolonged as they heard jovial yells in the distance.
Steely blue irides trapped her, and for a split-second Hinata knew that she was going to finally find out the truth.
When the voices died out, Naruto spoke, "You know what really bothers me, Hinata? It's not so much the villagers who now all love me, or even the Lords who claim to have always supported me," Naruto pointed in the direction of the festival with his head, "as it is my supposed friends."
Forgetting about her sadness, Hinata looked genuinely perplexed.
"Don't pretend like you don't know."
Barely managing a whisper, Hinata said a word that resembled, "what?"
"Not even a full day after getting rejected by the Raikage, I was intercepted by Sakura, Sai, and Kiba." Naruto said her teammate's name accusingly at Hinata.
"Sakura tried to convince me to forget about Sasuke and go home with her."
"How…"
Naruto looked at Hinata condescendingly, like a teacher regarding a dim-witted child.
She quickly pushed forward, "H-how co-could anyone convince you not to re-rescue Sasuke?"
Hinata could tell that Naruto's anger abated a little at the unexpected question. For a fleeting moment, bewilderment splashed across his face, and Hinata dared to hope that her Naruto was still somewhere there.
She should have steeled herself instead.
"Apparently, while I was lying unconscious from taking a beating from Kumo ninjas who wanted me to betray Sasuke, all of you had a meeting. With the "genius" Shikamaru as the leader, you all convinced Sakura to go behind my team's back, my back, and kill Sasuke!"
Hinata heard more yells and cheers in the background, as if an unseen audience were goading him on.
"I should have known the meeting with the Raikage was a waste of time."
Hinata tried to analyze, to think of a solution to help him understand the truth, but Naruto's ragged and heavy breathing flustered her. One minute she was listening to his painful past and the next she was at the brunt end of a vicious verbal assault from the person she so desperately wanted to help. In the darkness, everything was spiraling out of control, and the only thing she could grab onto was Naruto's wrath.
Barely managing a whisper she said, "I wasn't there. I have no idea what—"
"Liar!" Naruto spat the word venomously at her.
"Why would I ever lie—"
"I searched for you," Naruto's voice was heavy with tight fury, "everywhere in Konoha."
"Naruto-kun, please…"
"I didn't see any of you!" Naruto's voice was higher echoing into the vastness of the night, "Not Sakura, not Kiba, and especially not you, Hinata. I personally scoured Konoha for hours with my Kage Bunshins. To think that I actually wanted to see you…"
"I wasn't there!" Hinata yelled trying to get through to him.
"Then where were you? Sakura told me that all of our friends met and that as a group it was decided to be in Konoha's best interest to kill him before he hurts anyone else."
"I was at the Rice Fields," Hinata's voice was frantic. She then desperately pleaded, "Don't you remember, Naruto-kun?"
This time Hinata saw no hesitation in his eyes.
"Stop lying to me," he said with an edge to his voice. "I hate liars."
"I'm not! I—"
"I already know the truth, Hinata. I just want to hear it from you. Did Kiba talk you into it, or did you honestly think you were doing me a favor by betraying me?"
"I would never betray you!"
"I heard what you and Kiba said about me; that I was some "monster" you were supposed to distract!"
"W-we weren't tal-talking about you, Naruto-kun. We we-were ta…"
Hinata could barely speak through blinding tears and the sobs which precariously hung at the edge of her eyes. Staring into the firestorm of fury in Naruto's irides, she knew that there was nothing she could say to convince him of the truth.
Yet, even though it was hopeless she wanted to say one thing, "I-I lo-lo—"
"Fine, let's just say that I do believe you. You were not there when they all met. But, let's just say that you were. What would you have done? Would you have stopped them, said anything to them, or just do what you usually do and go along with whatever they decided?"
Her anguished cries finally escaped.
For the very first time in her life, Hinata wished that she would faint and just let the blackness take her. Then, she could wake up and tell herself that this was just a horrible nightmare inspired by her family problems. Never in her life would she have thought that the one person she wholeheartedly loved would ever hurt her. It was too much to bear.
No, it should have been too much to bear, but life has a quirky way of pushing people to be strong; just when they need to be.
Naruto watched as she hugged her knees; Indigo hair covering her face. Rocking back and forth, he could hear her weeping openly. He let her cry. He did not take pleasure in it, but nor did he do anything to assuage her sadness.
Naruto stared at her, listening more than looking, for his mind was elsewhere.
'I would have forgiven her if she didn't lie to me.'
Naruto did not mean to be so cruel. Hinata has never been anything but honest and kind to him, so when she blatantly evaded the truth, the raging words escaped his usually tongue-tied mouth.
He was jarred out of his thoughts when he did not hear her cry anymore. Only hearing slight sniffles, a bit of pity invaded his heart when he saw Hinata turn to lay away from him, holding herself together in a protective ball.
Naruto looked away too ashamed in himself to even gaze at her.
'Did I do that to her?' He then turned around. 'But all I did was confront her lies. Why is she so hurt from being called a liar?'
Watching her listless body, he suddenly wanted to take her off the ground, carry home, and put her safely in bed.
'What if she's telling the truth?' The sharp knife of doubt cut a crack in his stony heart.
"Hinata…" Naruto did not know what to say as regret burdened him, "I—"
Faster, much faster than he thought possible from the prone girl in front of him, Hinata's body blurred suddenly. Since normal human eyes cannot track movement as easily in the dark as it could in the day, Naruto watched as the black strands of her hair caught up with her and swung around her face. Behind the strands, twin moons bore into his eyes, into his very soul.
Attention captured, he barely noticed when his hand suddenly felt something soft. Behind it, he could feel a strong rhythmic beating, and curious, Naruto closed his eyes to listen to it better.
It was warm and strong, yet fragile, and the longer he held it, the safer he felt. It was as if the percussion was speaking to him, inviting him to know its secret. Just before he could decipher what it was saying, his hand suddenly felt cold.
Opening his eyes, Naruto could not help but ask, "What was that?"
"The truth."
"Which is?"
Hinata took a step back and simultaneously removed both their hands from each other's chest.
"That I am a fool, Naruto-kun."
As Hinata backed away, Naruto gasped for breath while clutching the pain in his chest. He gazed at her with a mixture of hurt and confusion. He then noticed her hand, resting on her chest, faintly glowing azure.
Besides the Byakugan, the Gentle Fist Style taijutsu is another attribute known only to exist in the Hyuuga clan. Instead of traditional taijutsu where hard and fast strikes inflict physical pain, the Hyuuga's style attacks underneath the muscle and bone to destroy the vital organs. In fact, a Hyuuga with great chakra control would only need to softly touch a person's body to hurt if not kill them.
"What did you do to me," Naruto whispered desperately with a hoarse voice.
"Nothing," she replied without turning her head. "I would never hurt you Naruto-kun. You should know that…should have remembered."
Naruto wanted to believe her but the burning in his chest overwhelmed him. He could barely look at her while he fought the pain.
"I just wanted to know if you still had a heart."
"And?" Naruto breathed out the word meaning only to keep it in his head.
"Goodbye, Naruto-kun."
Naruto watched her leave. For some reason, he could not help but ponder what he felt earlier when he was holding her heart. He listened to the clack-clack of her slippers as they became softer.
It was not until the clouds parted that he finally understood. As moonlight bathed the park, Naruto had to shield his eyes from the sudden ambience. Squinting, he ignored the pale crescent in the sky, and instead focused his gaze on the girl walking away from him.
'Hinata?' Her attire was no longer fit for an elaborate moratorium, and instead, a kimono made for a princess. "Bright" was the only word Naruto could think to describe the dress as his dilated pupils could barely register a single color. His eyes were not the only parts of Naruto burning for he finally understood the burning embers in his heart.
"Hinata, wait!"
"No, Naruto-kun," he heard her speak softly without a hint of malice in her voice. "You're right. I would not have done anything. I'm too meek and weak a woman for you, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry."
He called out to her again but she ignored him. How could he convince her to stay? Watching the illuminated scenery around him, he felt foolish.
'How could I have not seen? It was so obvious.'
Naruto gazed at her. Even though the dress was a poignant reminder, he knew that Hinata did not need it for him to realize that she was his light, his warmth.
However, his source of light was leaving him. Naruto shivered as the encroaching night threatened to take him again.
'Maybe it would be better if she left,' he thought. 'I hurt her, someone who loves me. I hurt her more than any of my friends before, even Sakura.
Naruto resolved to just let her go. He tried to make peace with the darkness, but he could not help but shudderer at the tenebrific night.
It was not until Hinata reached the end of the park that his heart acted on its own accord.
"Hinata, please don't go! I'm sorry. I just realized it now but you're—"
"Naruto," he heard her calm voice clearly in the night, "if you truly have a heart then you will let me go. I do not want to be here anymore." His eyes idly watched the throb of her dress as it illuminated the passionate red of the brick arches above her.
"Please?" Naruto heard the crack in her voice, echoing the simultaneous crack in his heart.
'You're being very selfish. Just let her go!' He yelled in his head. He knew he was doing it again; hurting her.
However, when he opened his mouth to respond, his heart answered instead, "Tomorrow. Can I see you tomorrow, Hinata?"
As soon as he said the words, Naruto immediately thrust his head into his hands. Of all the stupid and useless things to say, how could he have the gall to ask to see her again after what he did to her tonight? He imagined Hinata scoffing, and then if not running away then definitely stomping away. He almost wished she were more like Sakura so that she could just punch him in the face, for that would be a minor reconciliation for the agony he caused her.
Resolved to just go home and try to make it better tomorrow, Naruto wondered if Hinata would even talk to him again.
He was surprised, however, when as he lifted his head his source of light was still standing there, at the edge of grounds, within in Naruto's presence.
Head turned with an absolute-stony face; her pale eyes stared at him.
Even as Naruto's heart thumped wildly in his chest, the only look he could muster was genuine bewilderment as he could not fathom why she has not left yet.
'Maybe she will punch me,' Naruto thought paradoxically relieved and mortified at the same time.
He then barely noticed a miniscule gesture, so small in fact, that if he blinked he would have missed it.
It was an affirmative nod.
While his heart soared, Naruto watched as Hinata's stoic mask suddenly shattered and she began sobbing. He did not know what to do as she literally held herself together on her feet.
Jumping out of his swing, he prepared himself to run over to her to make sure she would not fall over. Just as his feet touched the ground, however, he was suddenly blind as his source of light fled, leaving him in his darkness.
"Training grounds!" He yelled into the night, wondering if Hinata heard or him or if she would even care.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Shinobi bless the night for it keeps them safe from harm, especially during dangerous missions where the only thing protecting them from torture and death, was the still shadows. For Naruto, however, he could no longer stand them. Once accepting, it was now demanding. Formerly safe, it was now precarious. Deceptively warm, it was now bitterly cold.
Naruto hid his heart in the darkness, unaware of his unconscious actions even while he hurt his friend. That same friend, instead of reinforcing the lies he thought about her, protected him, showing his heart light and genuine warmth.
'What had it cost her?' Naruto sat up in bed, staring at bright blue sky, in the warm summer morning.
He then remembered Hinata crying, holding herself together, and staying in his darkness even though she had the opportunity to leave him. He wondered what was going to happen today, if he would get to see her again.
'What have I done?'
Author's Notes:
Wow, well that took a damn long time! I wish that I could say that I took a break and only spent the last three weeks writing this chapter, but that would be a blatant untruth. This is not the "original" chapter three, so I essentially spent about eight and a half weeks writing a finished first draft for chapters four and five on top of this completed one.
I honestly do not know how this chapter will do with the readers considering it's not the typical "cute" Naruto – Hinata romance that I usually see. Also, it is not action oriented and has lots of heavy drama in it. Furthermore, I think I may be a bit jaded from spending almost nine weeks constantly thinking about the same chapter, so I feel like this update may not be as good as the other two. But, no matter how you may feel, thanks again for reading, especially if you were one of the unfortunate ones who waited nine weeks for an update.
Shout Outs: I should have done this in Chapter Two but better late than never
Kyuki of the Amethyst Shadow: Your review from Chapter 1 is still the kindest and sweetest review I have ever heard. I hope you're still reading and I secretly wonder if my writing still lives up to your standard.
Rose Tiger: Because of you, I am paranoid and I do my best to double check my spelling, especially the Japanese words. Thank you!
Dragon Dance, Arie-chan, Annasuki : Your reviews from my two chapters captured the totality of my aim, which is to write something deeper and meaningful. Thank you and I always try to keep my literature exciting and interesting
Going Ghost: I'm sorry that I kept you up, lol
Okazaki323: Your out of the blue review made me really happy. I did not get one in a month, and everyday I was not finished with my story, I thought of you and how I need to get this done, lol.
To all my other reviewers. Please do not be offended if I did not mention your name. I read every single review and every time I check my email I harbor some hope that someone else enjoyed my story and decided to review it. I actually get a little sad when I don't see a notification in my inbox. Anyway, the more poignant or ponderous the review, the more compelled I feel to reply. It's not because I want to but because guilt grows, hence, why I am just now doing a shout out on reviews from three months ago. :P Last, each review affects me and keeps me writing. Thank you!
Fun Facts:
I debated with myself for awhile if I should keep the main conflict of Naruto getting angry at Hinata in this chapter. At one point, I even made a list of pros and cons to see if it would be better to not include Naruto being upset about the autograph which would mean taking away the "mask." However, Konohamaru and Hinata learning to laugh were some of the original concepts for this chapter.
Updates: What everyone waits for.
I first turned Chapter Three into two Chapters, and the Fourth Chapter was originally supposed to be included as part of this Chapter. Now there are thrice parts to this Arc, and since Chapter Four is a mediator between this one and Chapter Five, I want to keep it as short as possible.
I already wrote the main Naruto – Hinata moment in that chapter, and now I just have to add a few more scenes to make it relevant.
However, I am going on vacation for three weeks, so an update may not come for awhile.
As always, I firmly believe in quality before quantity so I apologize in advance if it takes a long time. On the other hand, there are tons of better stories out there, so it should not be too bad waiting for my update.
Thanks again.
"You have no idea how much it means to me that you read my story,"
Malakas.
