Hey you guys! Thanks so much for the reviews : I really don't deserve half of them, but thanks anyways. They make me feel great.
School's being retarded. Never take AP Bio. It can and will ruin your life. And sleep. And hopes and dreams. And I'm pretty sure it'll suck out your soul while it's at it…
Here's the next chapter.
I hope you enjoy!
Humbly yours,
--K
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Oddly enough.
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Hinata blinked. She couldn't see anything.
"Where am I?" She bolted straight up. A candle flickered at the far side of the room, casting a dancing shadow on the wall.
Suddenly Hinata's memories came flooding back. She breathed a sigh of relief. She flopped back down on the hotel's bedroll. As she remembered how she had fainted, she grit her teeth. She had faintedagain? What did Naruto-kun think of her now? Had she embarrassed herself again?
Hinata heard a rustling from the other side of the room. She stiffened, and then relaxed again. It was probably just Akamaru. Maybe Kiba had left him behind after all?
"Akamaru! Here boy!" Hinata called out, her voice cutting through the darkness.
"Oi? Hinata? You're awake?" Hinata almost fell over from fright. That certainly wasn't Akamaru.
"Na-Naruto-kun?" Hinata whispered, her voice barely audible. What would she do if it really was Naruto? "I can't faint again!" she firmly told herself.
"Yeah? What is it, Hinata? Do you need something?" Naruto picked up the flickering candle and carried it over to Hinata. She felt her face grow exponentially warmer with every step that Naruto took towards her. She grasped fistfuls of her bedroll.
Don't faint. Don't faint. Don't faint, she chanted inside her head like a mantra. Hinata felt her insides go rubbery. She was alone in a dark room with Naruto-kun. The very thought made her tremble even more.
Suddenly Naruto was beside her, the candlelight flickering shadows across his face as he set it on the wooden floor. "Hinata! You're shaking like a leaf! Do you have the flu?"
Luckily, this time, Naruto didn't reach over to feel her forehead. Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat. Don't faint. Don't faint.
Hinata grimaced and shook her head. No more running away, Hinata! she angrily reprimanded herself. Prove to yourself and – more importantly – to him that you've changed. You can do this!
She took a deep breath, and turned to face Naruto in the dim light. She smiled shyly. "No, Naruto-kun. I'm fine."
Naruto smiled. "That's good."
Hinata cleared her throat. "So… where's everyone else?"
"Oh, they went to the village's bath house. Kiba used your idea with Akamaru after all. Shino went with him. Ero-Sennin – er, I mean – Jiraiya-sama probably went to look for girls," Naruto said. "I volunteered to stay behind to look after you. After all," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "It was sort of my fault that you passed out again."
Hinata tipped her head to the side. "Wasn't Jiraiya-sama injured badly? Isn't that why he delayed us?"
Naruto shrugged. "Ero-Sennin was probably faking most of his injuries. He probably just wanted you guys to stay to distract me so that he could run around town and do his stupid 'research.' That's what he's doing now…"
Hinata frowned. Wasn't Jiraiya supposed to be a legendary San-Nin? Why would he want to trick a few genin?
Naruto noted her confused expression. "Don't worry he does this stuff all the time. You just have to get used to it."
Well if Naruto-kun isn't worried...
Hinata smiled. She hoped that Shino and Kiba and Akamaru were having a relaxing time at the baths.
"Hinata? Did you want to join everybody else at the baths too?"
Hinata jumped. What could she say? No, Naruto-kun, want to stay here alone with you? Absolutely not. She blushed as she said, "Well, if you want to go, Naruto-kun…"
Naruto stretched his arms over his head. "Nah. I'm too tired from training today. Besides aren't you injured still?"
Hinata moved her shoulders in what she hoped was a shrug and bit back a wince as she moved the bandage over the wound on her arm. "It's alright. I can stay here."
Naruto frowned. "Alone? No, it's ok, Hinata. I'll stay with you then."
Hinata smiled shyly. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."
Naruto was pleased with her reaction. "Ah, it's no problem, Hinata-chan."
The two sat in a companionable silence for a few moments. Naruto broke the silence.
"Oh, Hinata I forgot to tell you," he said with a wide grin, "those were some nice moves you showed during training today. You've gotten so much better than I would've guessed!"
Hinata smiled. "Y-you too, Naruto-kun. You've improved so much. I-I'm so proud of you."
Naruto laughed lightly. "Thanks, Hinata! Ero-Sennin's a really harsh sensei," he stuck out his tongue. Hinata laughed in return.
The two continued to talk about Konoha business, and Hinata waited for Naruto to ask about Sakura, but his questions about the pink-haired kunoichi were mysteriously absent. Hinata didn't want to bring up her rival for Naruto's attention, so his silence on the subject pleased her. Finally out of topics, the two lapsed back into silence.
"I like your new jacket, Naruto-kun," Hinata said in a desperate attempt to break the silence. Naruto lifted his chin proudly.
"Thanks! I like it too! You know how I got it?" Hinata shook her head. "Ero-Sennin told me that he wouldn't be seen with a ninja who wore so much orange. I told him that I wouldn't wear any other color. Finally we compromised."
Hinata laughed. Naruto smiled in return. "I like your new jacket too, Hinata."
Hinata blushed lightly. "Oh, I outgrew my other one…" She petered off. No use in telling him what part of her outgrew her old jacket. In the past two years, Hinata had finally filled out a womanly shape, complete with a full bust-line. She cleared her throat. "You've grown too Naruto-kun. You got taller."
"Yeah,everybody got taller. Your teammates too."
"You're right. But… I'm around them so much that I hardly notice," Hinata said thoughtfully. "But I haven't seen you in over a year and a half… I missed you a lot." Hinata almost hit herself. I shouldn't have said that! He probably thinks that I'm stupid or something!
Hinata glanced up. She noticed a slight blush radiating off Naruto's cheeks.
"I missed you too, Hinata."
Hinata almost melted into her bedroll. She could feel the blood rising to her cheeks before she could stop it. He missed me too! She thought gleefully.
"Th-thank y-you, Na-Naruto-kun…" Hinata's nervous stutter was unusually pronounced. She cursed herself. What was wrong with her? How could she want to be with Naruto-kun if she could hardly stand fifteen minutes talking to him – and stutter over half the time. How could she stay awake at night, staring at the ceiling, and thinking only about him if she couldn't act normally whenever she was with him? How could she possibly love him and earn his love in return if she feared what he thought of her to such a ridiculous extent?
"How can you love someone so much, and fear being with them so much at the same time?" Hinata murmured, still trapped deep in her own thoughts. Suddenly she stiffened with realization. Oh God, I said it out loud!
Naruto didn't miss a beat. "That's easy. Even though you love them, you love them so much that you get worked up all the time, worrying about what they think about you."
Hinata allowed herself to breathe again. She blinked. What he said was actually true… She did get worked up over seeing him, and when she finally got to talk to him, she couldn't think of anything to say, lest it make Naruto think that she was stupid or even worse – weak.
Suddenly Naruto grinned slyly. "I know who you're talking about, Hinata." Hinata's world froze.
She gulped, and her pulse skyrocketed. Oh God, he knows that I'm talking about him! Don't faint! Please don't faint!
Naruto wagged his finger at her. "You're talking about Neji aren't you?"
Hinata bit back hysterical laughter. Instead, she let out a shuddering breath. "Neji-nii-san… Yes, how did you know?"
Naruto looked pleased with himself and grinned. Suddenly he frowned. "You know, Hinata. You shouldn't care so much about what other people think about you. I mean, I don't, and look at me!"
Hinata did look at him. She took in his bright blue eyes that sparkled in the candlelight and his warm, comforting smile. He was… happy. Hinata looked down at her lap. Was she happy?
Naruto continued. "And besides, other people who make you feel uncomfortable… you shouldn't hang out with them. It's bad for your self-confidence."
The irony of his statement was not lost to Hinata. You're describing how you make me feel, Naruto-kun, she thought.
"Self-confidence…" Hinata mused out loud. She looked back at Naruto, accidentally locking eyes with him. She felt the world grind to a halt. She couldn't hear or see anything else besides Naruto and his smile. Hinata felt her insides collapse into a puddle of mush. Naruto looked back, and she could tell that he felt the same way. She wanted the moment to end, but – at the same time – hoped that it would last forever.
Naruto broke the connection first. He glanced away, still smiling. Hinata looked down at her hands. She fought the urge to push her index fingers together and apart. She sat on her hands. She dared to look back up at Naruto.
He was frowning. Hinata felt the bottom drop out of her world. He hates me now. I know it, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "Na-Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry. It was an accident. I-I won't do it again. I-I promise…"
"Hm? No, I'm not mad at you." Hinata's eyes flew open. Naruto was smiling shyly at her. He glanced away. "That's just never happened before… Not even with Saku–" He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"Sakura-chan?" Hinata finished for him. She clamped her hands over her mouth. Sakura's name had popped out of her treacherous mouth before Hinata could even blink. How could she be so stupid?
Naruto looked away. "Yeah. Sakura-chan. She's never looked at me the way that you do, Hinata. When you looked at me… it was so…so tender and exposed at the same time. I don't know how to describe it properly," Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously.
Hinata smiled briefly, and looked away. Beside her, Naruto sighed.
"You probably think that I'm stupid now, don't you? Everybody else does…" Naruto petered off. Hinata glanced up sharply.
"Naruto-kun… The only thing that I've ever felt for you is the utmost respect! That and…" Hinata willed her voice to fail her before she could get herself into any deeper trouble. Her heart was hammering a mile a minute, and her cheeks were aflame. Thank god for dim lighting.
But Naruto didn't miss her last words. He perked up. "And what?"
Hinata looked away. She gazed fixedly into the darkness. "And nothing… Just forget I said anything. I take it back…"
Naruto tipped his head to the side. He smirked. "Hey, Hinata, what's your nindo?" Hinata felt her heart sink. What is my Way of the Ninja?
Hinata sucked in a long breath. He still remembered her words after all these years? Obviously! They were his words to begin with. You just copied him, she viciously thought to herself.
"My nindo is to never take back my words," she said dejectedly, hanging her head. Nindos didn't count at times like this! Only during battles and promises and things like that!
Naruto grin widened as he nodded his head. "Mhm! So what were you going to say?"
"I-I think you're…very nice?"
Naruto laughed and shook his head. "I don't think that's what you wanted to say, Hinata," he said as he leaned forward. He tipped his head to the side, and leaned closer to her face. Hinata avoided his probing gaze and looked down. Don't faint! Don't faint! Oh my god! I'm going to faint!
"Hinata! Don't faint on me again!" Naruto took her by the shoulders. Oh, god… how did he know that I was going to faint? She desperately thought. She avoided his eyes again, feeling an incriminating blush creeping into her cheeks. He's too close!
"Na-Naruto-kun… I-I…"
"Hinata, what did you want to tell me?" Hinata dared to glance up. Naruto's eyes were riveting, concentrated on her and her alone.
Hinata felt herself panic. Naruto still held her shoulders – firmly, but tenderly. She felt trapped. "Na-Naruto-kun… I-I…"
"What do you think about me?"
I can't tell him! I can't tell him the truth! He'll hate me forever! He doesn't like me back! He'll avoid me, and never look me in the eye, or ever talk to me ever again! If he stopped treating me like Hinata, I could never look at myself in the mirror ever again. If we stopped being friends, I would cease to exist. I would loathe my very existence. I would lose who I was. I would lose… Naruto-kun…
If I tell him what I really feel… he'll hate me … always and forever…
"What, Hinata? What did you want to tell me? Don't be afraid!"
Naruto's words echoed through her mind. You know, Hinata. You shouldn't care so much about what other people think about you. I mean, I don't, and look at me!
"Look at me! Hinata, look at me please!"
Will I live the rest of my life in fear that I'll drive away Naruto-kun? Will I continue to follow him around like his shadow, or will I step into the spotlight and take the chance that he will love me in return? Love is a risk… will I take it?
"Hinata!"
Hinata jerked her gaze back to Naruto's blue eyes, now sparking and engaged.
Before she could stop herself, she let all of her pent up words come. She let them flow out of her mouth before she could have second thoughts. Before she could second-guess her actions… like every other time that she hadn't dared to tell Naruto how she really felt.
"I've always loved you! Always and forever!"