Hey, guys. It turns out I have more time than I thought. So here's a new update! This chapter is really important to me and hope you all like it!
Enjoy!
Chapter 4: A Different Perspective
Naruto parked his Dodge in the school parking lot. It was an early, sunny morning with the birds chirping happily in the autumn chill. The trees circling around the school were dressed in vibrant colors of reds, oranges, purples, and yellows. Surrounding, the school grounds were the tall skyscrapers of downtown. People could be seen walking to work and bustling around on the streets. It was still an hour before school would officially start, so there weren't many students at the school yet. The parking lot was still pretty vacant for the moment and Naruto was happy to be at work. It wasn't an easy job but he really enjoyed his students. Today was a special day of work because he had a companion accompanying him this time. He turned to the passenger seat where a stylish Hinata sat, a little nervous of the future events that were to unfold. She was wearing a matching sweater and skirt with black stockings. She also had a purple wool scarf that she was quite fond of wrapped around her neck. She gave Naruto a gentle smile over the scarf she was wearing when he looked over at her. Naruto was wearing a blue-green sweater vest over a white, button-up shirt and some blue slacks. He grinned at her brightly. "This is going to be fun. There's no need to be nervous, Hinata. Come on, I'll introduce you to my principal first."
They exited the car doors and made their way to the front office adjacent to the parking lot. As they got closer, Hinata noticed that the high school was massive. The main building in the middle was five stories tall and there were other smaller buildings connected to the main one through hallways. If you considered the hallways, the whole school was one humongous building. Hinata gawked at the splendor of such great architecture. They entered through the double doors of the office to find a short, dark-haired woman who appeared to be in her forties. Her expression was warm and inviting and she smiled cheerfully when she saw Naruto. Naruto waved to her with his characteristic grin shining.
"Good morning, Shizune. How are you?" Naruto asked with genuine sincerity.
The secretary, Shizune, gave him a warm smile. "I'm doing very well, Naruto. And who might your friend be?"
Hinata smiled softly at the secretary and gave a small wave of her own. "My name is Hinata. I will be assisting Naruto today in his classes."
Naruto put his arm around her and brought her close, making Hinata blush profusely. "She sure is. We're here to see Tsunade about an approval for her as my teacher's assistant," Naruto announced.
Shizune smiled and nodded. "Ok, that's fine. Hinata if you would sign in, please."
Shizune pointed to a booklet on the front counter labeled "Visitors". After Hinata signed in, Shizune phoned the principal letting her know they were coming. When Shizune gave the go ahead, Hinata followed Naruto to the office. The duo waved goodbye to Shizune and entered into the principal's office. Sitting at the labeled desk was an elegant older woman who looked to be in her late forties. She had long, blonde hair and a healthy figure. She was sorting through some papers when the duo walked in. She looked up at Naruto with obvious annoyance in her expression. However, Hinata detected a fondness directed from those eyes too. The woman gave a small sigh. "Alright, Naruto let's make this quick. What can I do for you?" she asked.
Naruto beamed brightly at her. "Hey, Tsunade! You look great. This is my friend, Hinata. I would like for her to be my assistant."
Tsunade gave him a soft smile when he had beamed at her but it disappeared when he gave his request. "I don't know about that,' she said coolly. "You already have an assistant plus this girl has not gone through the proper channels to be helping you. Is she qualified? Has she gone through a background check? I can't just hire her out of the blue, Naruto."
Naruto's smile had gotten softer but there was no worry in his expression. "She's not doing this for pay. She's a volunteer. Plus, I take full responsibility for her actions. Come on, Tsunade. You can totally trust her and I can always use another assistant. Kakashi barely does anything, anyways."
Tsunade had a subtle smirk on her face that hinted she knew he was going to say all that. To Hinata's surprise, Tsunade nodded. "You think of everything, don't you, Naruto? Ok, fine," she agreed, the smirk still evident on her lips. "But if the district breathes down my neck for this, it's going straight to you. But I doubt they'll do that. They probably won't care because it's you, after all." Tsunade folded her hands in front of her and appeared to be in a pensive state of mind. "You're lucky that your parents told me to look after you."
Naruto grinned sheepishly at his godmother. "Thanks, Tsunade. You're awesome. The students will just love her, I know it." Naruto directed Hinata out the door and waved to Tsunade as they left.
Tsunade had a wry smile on her face when they had left. That boy had it bad, she thought.
As the duo was walking to Naruto's classroom, Naruto was telling Hinata all about his classes. He told her about his students and how bright they all were. He mentioned how much he was impressed by them and how much fun they were to be around. He told some funny stories about them that made Hinata giggle a few times. When they reached Naruto's classroom, he unlocked the door and escorted Hinata in. The classroom was filled with motivational posters and titles of famous novels. There were also some hand drawn posters and sketches that must of been made by the students. There was a wall that was lined with bookshelves and had a plethora of books filled in them. The front of the classroom had a big whiteboard fixed onto the wall. The student desks were neatly aligned into groups and spaced out between each other. Hinata felt that the atmosphere of the room was cozy and welcoming. On the other side of the wall with the bookshelves, was a work desk with a comfy chair stationed next to it. There was a similar looking desk adjacent to the other one. Naruto strolled over to the back of the room and grabbed an extra chair. He put the chair in between the two desks and put a student desk next to it. Pointing to the desk, Naruto smiled.
"This will be your temporary work station until we get you something more permanent. The desk to your right is mine and the other one is my assistant's. He should be here soon. He used to always be late until Tsunade threatened to fire him. Ever since then, he usually shows up on time." Hinata was about to say something when the door opened.
A silver, spiky-haired man came in with, to Hinata's shock, a mask around his mouth. The man looked at Hinata and gave her a small wave. "Hey there. Don't be alarmed by the mask," he stated simply. Hinata must have been more obvious in her surprise than she had initially thought. "I have some bad scars on my face and it frightens the students. My name's Kakashi Hatake. Pleased to meet you." The man, Kakashi, had a stoic expression but when he turned to Naruto his eyes lit up a bit. "You're bringing women here too, now? I'm fine with that but what if a student walked in?"
Hinata's face turned a bright, crimson shade at Kakashi's suggestion but Naruto just laughed at his statement. "I'm not like you, sensei. I don't sneak women into my classroom and fool around with them. That's why you're not an official teacher, anymore. This is Hinata, my new assistant." Hinata's confusion was apparent on her brow and Naruto attempted to relieve it.
"Kakashi-sensei, used to be my other karate instructor," Naruto declared. "He was also my English teacher when I was a student here. He lost his job as a main teacher when he was caught fooling around with one of the female teachers by a student. Tsunade didn't want to just fire him so she made him my assistant. When he actually does some work, he's an amazing teacher. Anyways, this is Hinata. She's our new assistant. She will be sharing your work load, sensei." Kakashi shrugged and took his seat at his desk.
"Sounds good to me," Kakashi replied when he leaned back in his chair. "It's too bad, though. I was hoping you did bring a girl in here." Hinata couldn't believe that this man had helped make Naruto as strong as he was. He looked to be about the same age as Shizune and didn't look that impressive. He was wearing a beat-up, brown leather jacket and some cargo pants. While Hinata was studying Kakashi, Naruto looked up at the clock. It was almost time for first period to start.
At that moment, some students had already begun to enter. They all stared at Hinata curiously, whispering to each other about who she was and why she was here. Hinata took her seat and appeared to be apprehensive about the whole situation. Naruto welcomed each student at the door and they all responded positively to him. Kakashi waved to the few of them that acknowledged him from his desk. Hinata observed all of the teenagers that gradually trickled into the room. They seemed to be about 16 or 17 years-old. They were all garbed in their autumn clothes and were all friendly to one another. They quickly forgot about Hinata in the room and started to chat to each other. After a few minutes, all of the students were in the class and Naruto got their attention.
"Hello, class. I hope we all had a great weekend. Today, we have a new assistant. Her name is Hinata." Naruto gestured towards Hinata that was sitting at her desk. All of the students turned to Hinata. Hinata tried to give a welcoming smile with all those pairs of eyes staring at her. It was not an easy task. She gave a small wave to them. They all had blank expressions observing her, at first. Some of the guys leered at her and some of the girls had envious looks but most of them seemed indifferent. Naruto directed their attention back to him. "Ok, so today we're going over the reading for Frankenstein. Did everybody read?" Naruto inquired. Some students groaned apathetically while others smiled and nodded. Kakashi leaned over to Hinata sitting next to him while Naruto instructed the class. "He's actually a great teacher so you barely have to do anything as his assistant. Most of the time, we just hand out papers while he talks. The students love him." Hinata nodded her understanding and listened to Naruto's instruction.
"So turn to your elbow partner and answer the question about a theme of the novel that I've written on the board. I'll give you one minute." As the student's turned to talk to each other, Hinata gazed at Naruto. He was in his element and Hinata could only marvel at him. He had a bright smile on his face the whole time as he circled around the students listening to their ideas. Hinata's face grew warm when he smiled at her from across the room. "OK, that's enough time. Steven and Emily, what did you guys discuss?" Naruto was staring at two students who shuffled uncomfortably; clearly they had not discussed the question.
"Um, well, we were talking about how wrong it is to judge people. Like that family that kicked out the monster because he was ugly or whatever." The girl of the pair stated. Naruto shook his head a little disappointed.
"We've talked about that already, Emily. It is a theme in the story but that's too surface level. I know you can do better than that. You're a very bright girl. Do you have anything else?" Naruto's expression was serious but he had a twinkle in his eye. He was enjoying himself.
The boy, Steven, spoke up. "Well, ice and snow appear a lot in the book. Isn't that one of those motif things you talk about?" Naruto nodded with a grin on his face, motioning for him to continue with his thought. "Yeah, it seems to show up when Victor Frankenstein is scared or anxious about something. Does the ice and snow symbolize something like that?" Naruto beamed at him and nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, kind of. You see…" Naruto continued on with his discussion with his students. Hinata had witnessed a whole new side to Naruto the rest of the morning. He was a master teacher and really cared for all of his students. They laughed at his jokes and seemed like they understood what Naruto was saying. She felt like she was learning some new things too from his lessons. During one of the later periods, the students were writing in their journals and Naruto approached Hinata at her desk.
He whispered to her. "Once they're done here, we will go to the cafeteria and get lunch, OK?" Hinata nodded and a few minutes later, everybody went on lunch break. Naruto escorted Hinata to the cafeteria with Kakashi following behind them. On their way, they encountered teenagers of all sizes. The hallways were packed with adolescence and hormones. Boys were flirting with girls and girls were huddled up with friends, gossiping about the latest news. Most kids were on their cell phones, walking to lunch or another class. A lot of students waved to Kakashi and Naruto as they strolled by. Hinata felt like the school reminded her of her old high school. That had been a long time ago, Hinata thought. She was a different person back then. She had been a shy and timid girl that hadn't been broken yet. Things had definitely changed since then.
When the trio finally entered the cafeteria, Hinata gawked at the size of it. It had three levels all filled with students and staff seated at lunch tables. The clangor of the great room was loud but not unbearable. Hinata and Kakashi followed closely behind Naruto as he got in line for their food. They got their trays filled with food and found an empty table and sat down. Hinata looked down at her food. It actually looked appetizing and when Hinata took a bite, she found her hypothesis correct. Naruto couldn't help but admire Hinata while she was eating. He found her so adorable and gentle. He must of been staring too long because Hinata looked uncomfortable and wasn't looking at him in the eyes. Naruto apologized and turned to Kakashi who had a wry smile showing through his mask. Suddenly, Naruto noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye. She was here.
Naruto cleared his throat and faced Hinata. "Excuse me, Hinata. Sensei and I need to discuss something about the next class really quick. Do you mind if we leave here for now? I'll be back to take you back to the classroom so you don't get lost." Hinata agreed with a head nod. Kakashi didn't seem to understand what was going on but he shrugged and followed Naruto away from the lunch table.
As soon as the two teachers had left, a young girl took her seat opposite of Hinata. Hinata widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden action of the girl. The girl had short, golden hair and deep, blue eyes. She was probably around seventeen and had a healthy frame. She had a warm and welcoming smile on her expression. "Hi, sorry. I hope I'm not bothering you," she expressed apologetically. "My name is Marcy. You're Mr. Uzumaki's new assistant, right?" The girl, Marcy, had one of the brightest smiles that Hinata had ever seen.
"Yeah. I'm Hinata. You're not bothering me. What can I do for you?" Hinata was really curious. Why was this girl talking to a stranger? What could she want? Did she have a crush on Naruto?
Marcy's bright smile softened a bit but it kept a certain radiance that made Hinata feel comfortable. "Well, you see, I think Mr. Uzumaki is amazing and the greatest teacher I've ever had, she disclosed with a sweet smile. "He's helped me through so much. I've been through some really awful things in my life and that man has helped me through all of it." Hinata was unsure of what this girl's purpose was. She spoke about Naruto like a girl would speak about a father or a big brother. There was no sense of romantic interest in her voice. This girl said she had gone through horrible things in her life. Something Hinata could relate with. She understood pity and suffering better than most. But why was she telling Hinata all of this? The girl continued. "Can I tell you something important to me? I hope this doesn't seem inappropriate but I find it to be necessary, so bear with me, OK?" Hinata quirked an eyebrow and the question but allowed it. "I grew up with a hard life. My father was really abusive to me when I was little. He would hurt me and my sisters. He would also do the same thing to my mother." Hinata was completely taken aback by this girl's words. Why on earth was she saying these things? What did she expect Hinata to say?
Marcy's tender, dark-blue eyes started to tear up and she struggled to continue on. Hinata felt so awkward being in front of the girl. If she had been through so much, why was she talking about it? People are not supposed to talk about their problems. They have to bottle them up and never show them, that's what she had done, anyways. The girl attempted to proceed with her story. "I'm sorry...I...my father…he also sexually abused me and my sisters when we were little," she conveyed with a lowered voice. "He was an awful man and I hated him for most of my life. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I ten years-old and my father had no idea what to do. He ended up leaving my sick mother and she had to take care of me and my sisters by herself. My mom died two years ago and I ended up having to take care of my little sisters. I had deep depression because of all this." Small tears trickled down Marcy's face and Hinata could feel her heart ache for the poor girl. "My mom was gone and I had loved her so much. She was such a sweet and kind lady. Words can not truly express how much I miss her." If Hinata ever felt sadness and pity for a human being before, it was nothing compared to what she felt now for this girl. This girl was opening up and being vulnerable to her. It was so foreign to Hinata and she had absolutely no idea what to do in this situation.
Marcy was weeping by this point but she kept her voice steady and calm as she went on. "I abhorred my father for years for what he had done. Then I met Mr. Uzumaki, he saved me from my pain and hate. He told me that I had to stop hating my father. It wasn't doing me any good to have great animosity towards him. He had said that I had to let my hatred go." Marcy had stopped crying but she had a sad smile appear on her face. "Mr. Uzumaki said that I should never forget what my father did but that I should ultimately forgive him. It wasn't easy but I eventually was able to forgive what he had done. It was a gradual thing and, before I knew it, I didn't hate him anymore. Part of it, was having someone listen to what I had to say. Mr. Uzumaki listened to me." The sad smile was still there but there was also a glint of joy in Marcy's watery eyes. "I told him everything and he listened. He said that being vulnerable was the first step towards healing and that he was proud of me opening up." The smile wasn't so sad anymore "I will always remember that. That was the greatest lesson that he ever taught me. I ended up seeing a therapist and got some more help. But it all started with Mr. Uzumaki listening and helping me. He saved me from my depression and suffering. I still miss my mom but everyday gets a little better and a little easier. If I'm not having a great day, then I tell someone I trust about it. It really helps." Marcy's bright smile formed on her lips again and Hinata couldn't help but smile back. "I thank Mr. Uzumaki every day for that and will always see him as the father that I never really had." Marcy looked past Hinata and grinned. "Thanks for listening. I gotta go." Marcy left so abruptly that Hinata didn't have the chance to say anything.
She wanted to thank Marcy for telling her all that and why she had said anything at all. She was gone though and Hinata felt a presence behind her. She turned around and saw Naruto standing there with a somber smile.
Hinata smiled knowingly. "This was your plan, wasn't it? You sent her to me so I could hear her story, huh?" Naruto nodded slowly and sat next to Hinata at the lunch table.
"Yeah, I thought you needed to hear what she had to say. You should have seen her when her mom had died. She was so sad and not that much different from you. She hated the world and herself. She wouldn't open up to any of the teachers and would push people away." Naruto looked tired but he had a gentle smile on his lips. "Eventually, I managed to break through the walls she had put around herself. She finally broke and told me everything. I told her being vulnerable was the key to heal from the pain and misery that had controlled her life. After that, she got some more help and became one of my best students. I visit her and her sisters often and help them out. They're great and are so much happier now that they have a strong leader like their sister. I couldn't be more proud of her." Naruto gazed into Hinata's eyes and she couldn't help but admire this man's sensitivity and understanding for people.
Hinata wasn't sure what to say but she felt she needed to say something. "But why? Why did you make her come over here and tell me all of this?" she asked.
Naruto chuckled softly and never took his gaze away from Hinata's pale eyes. "Because you are just like she used to be. You've been so hurt by what the world has done to you but won't tell anyone about it. Vulnerability is not about spilling all of your problems to everybody but finding those few close people to talk to. It's opening up to those you can trust and letting out what needs to be said. It's about having an open heart." His eyes were starting to hypnotize her and she was getting lost in his words. Was what he was saying true? Should she try becoming vulnerable? Hinata wasn't sure anymore. "You can trust me, Hinata. You can tell me anything. Honestly, I want to help you."
Hinata's face felt hot and she wanted to cry from all the emotions she was having. She turned away from Naruto for a moment. She hoped no one was staring at them but, to be honest, she didn't really care about that so much right now. She thought about opening up to Naruto. She thought about actually being vulnerable to someone. She was so scared. What if he didn't want her anymore? What if he left her? Everything she had said would mean nothing then. But maybe he was right, maybe being vulnerable meant to try to open up to people and surrender your emotions. Maybe the end would justify the means. She took a deep breath and returned Naruto's gaze which had never stopped its intensity. "OK, I'll trust you. I'll open up to you and tell you everything. But not now. When I'm ready, OK?"
Naruto's smile was as dazzling as ever as he felt a great relief from her response. "Oh, thank goodness. Please, tell me whenever you're ready. I'm just so happy that you finally agreed." He stood up from his chair. "Come on; let's get back to my classroom." The duo left the cafeteria and while they struck up conversation along the way, Hinata couldn't help but feel like a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulder. Even as the day went on and the school day ended, she felt that something was changing inside of her. This man was helping her and she was so grateful for him. After all, vulnerability was about having an open heart and maybe it was high time to open up hers.
As you can see, this chapter was pretty heavy and I hope everyone understood the gravity of it. This chapter was really difficult for me to write but I found it to be necessary. As always, please rate and review. Thanks, guys.
-CM
