Descriptions Part 4- Failings and Misunderstandings
Happy NaruHina month! And thank you to Ayrmed, madeyemoody95, Ironinkpen, Corpus-luteum, Fher34, and kika04 for reviewing last chapter. This one isn't necessarily based on interactions between the two, but rather little incidents that relate.
enjoy
Tiny, pale hands gripped the hem of an oversized lavender sweater. The little seven year-old trembled, racked with a nervousness so crippling, she was stuck. She literally could not move from behind this itchy, pine tree. (Which was really odd because she was usually so nimble, you know, being a Hyuuga and all.) She chastised herself. This was utterly unseemly for an heiress.
It was just five syllables. On second thought, it didn't even have to be all five, one syllable would be fine. And she closed her doe-like, lavender eyes shut, telling herself that when they were open, she would be out from behind this tree. She would be in front of Na-Na…him and she would tell him. Her cheeks were on fire and she could feel beads of sweat running down her back, making her shoulder length hair sticky. (She had grown it out since she was three, hoping to look more like the princess in fairytale.)
She took a deep breath.
1,2,3…
She felt her feet move and she opened her eyes, hopeful.
Nope. She was not out in front of the blonde ball of sunshine. Nope, she was actually farther behind the tree than before. She wanted to scream. She wanted to stamp her feet in frustration and beat her fists against the stupid tree. But she was a Hyuuga, and such behavior would be unseemly for an heiress.
She peeked around the trunk, her pale fingers picking at the crumbling bark. There he was. Working and training hard as always, and even if he failed to hit the target, or failed to do another push-up, he kept going. She sighed audibly and for a moment, she died…literally died. Her heart stopped because he had heard.
Sharp, azure (Beautiful) eyes turned in her direction. She had gone back behind the tree, but she wondered if he had seen her. He held a kunai at the ready, cautiously approaching her tree.
'Please, please Tree-san, don't let him find me.' She prayed, silently apologizing for calling the pine stupid.
A twig snapped and a gray mourning dove flew from the intricate branches of Hinata's hiding spot, the soft coos sounding very similar to her sigh. Naruto visibly relaxed, brushing off the muffled sound as coming from the bird. He decided that was a signal to head back home for a shower and lunch.
Hinata nearly fell over in relief and she patted the bark affectionately. It seems Tree-san had forgiven her after all. She waited a few minutes, not daring to look back behind the tree just yet.
This was it. She would have to do it now, or else. It was now or never. Come on Hinata!
And she took a deep breath, the largest she had ever taken in her life. It felt so dizzying, exhilarating and amazing. It felt like the air in her lungs could make her light, so light that she would float up…up and away to the sun and the moon and the stars.
1,2,3…
And she shut her eyes, hoping and praying. She kept her eyes shut and shouted with all her muster.
"H-HI N-NARUTO-K-KUN!"
No response…She opened her eyes ever so slowly, worried at what she would see. Why was he so quiet?
What if he thought she was weird? What if he thought she was making fun of him? What if he thought she was…was…well, it did not matter. All that mattered was that she had finally said hello to him. To him who was like the sun and the sky and everything good in life.
She opened her eyes and she almost died a second time; this time of mortification. She could see her tombstone now. "Here lies Hinata Hyuuga, Died of Embarrassment."
Naruto was gone, not there. He had left before she had even spoken the first syllable, before she even stepped out from behind Pine Tree-San. And always the positive one, Hinata decided to find the bright side of the situation.
At least if he had been there, she had had the courage to say the full five syllables, eight if you counted the stuttering. Yes, that was definitely progress. And for that day, Hinata contented herself with this fact, not knowing that one day, years from now, she would tell him her feelings in three.
It was a year later when Hinata entered the Ninja Academy. At eight years old, her shyness was still ever present and her admiration of the Uzumaki boy had only grown. She was smart, she told herself. She would make her father, and her sister, and Neji proud. (She hoped they would upon her then with something other than scorn.) She would show Naruto just how grown-up and strong she was.
And so it was on the tenth day of class that Hinata decided to give him a letter. It was a finely crafted letter with glitter and hearts and her feelings decorating every inch. She had even put it in a special envelope; golden stationary 'borrowed' from a Hyuuga elder. A heart shaped stamp sealed the deal and now the whole thing was carefully tucked into her lavender jacket, ready to be given at any moment.
Unfortunately, this was also the year Uchiha Sasuke had enrolled in the academy, and that meant a class full of squealing, fighting, blushing fangirls. Hinata looked on disapprovingly as they all surrounded the dark, brooding boy. She pitied him honestly and felt herself blush at the unladylike behavior of her fellow future kunoichi. A quiet, passionate evocation of feelings was much better in her opinion.
It was soon lunch time, and Hinata had taken to huddling in a well shaded corner of the yard. She carefully pulled out the gilded envelope, making sure not to be seen. Again, unfortunately, a nosy, gossipy, and very well-intentioned Ino Yamanaka had happened to come across the timid Hyuuga.
She saw the golden letter and the blushing, hiding girl and came up with three conclusions.
One, Hinata Hyuuga was adorably shy.
Two, She had a love letter for someone and she was too shy to give it.
Three, Hinata Hyuuga loved Sasuke Uchiha. (Because after all, what girl wouldn't love him.)
So she decided to help out this cute shy classmate of hers. And even if she was another rival for Sasuke-kun's affections, she was just too nice and timid to be much of a challenge. So she would help her give that love letter, after all Ino was an expert, having given several herself. Who knew? Maybe this could help boost the girl's confidence.
She huffed, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder and patted herself on the back. Sometimes she was just such a nice person. She approached the huddled girl and smiled brightly, her shadow looming menacingly over the oblivious Hyuuga.
"Hey there, you're Hinata right?"
Hinata looked up startled, eyes wide in fear. She looked for all the world like a cornered bunny. (Ino had to fight down the squeal clawing its way out of her throat. She looked as adorable and in need of a friend as Sakura had when they first met.)
Hinata quickly stuffed the letter down her pocket, nodding slightly to affirm the blonde's question.
"I see you have a letter there. Who's it for?" Ino said slyly, and a kind smile appeared on her face. (At least, it was meant to be kind, but from Hinata's perspective, it looked like a shark's grin. A shark ready to eat her and tear her limb from limb.)
Hinata turned an incredible shade of red. Ino wondered if that was even physical possible. Apparently it was.
"It's for Sasuke-kun, isn't it?" Ino asked again, kneeling down to be on the same level as the trembling girl.
Hinata was so shocked at the insinuation; she could not even negate this ridiculous idea. She liked Naruto Uzumaki; bright, cheerful Naruto Uzumaki. But she did not, could not, and would not say this out loud.
So Ino took her silence as a yes. "AHAH! I knew it! Ahh, you're so cute Hinata-chan!"
She patted the girl's head, marveling at the softness of the shoulder length strands of indigo. What an odd color.
Hinata realized the girl meant no harm and was stunned that she would be so inviting to a seeming rival. It did not make sense. Then again, nothing seemed to make sense when it came to liking someone. She smiled softly, shyly at the Ino-chan, hoping to show her willingness to be friendly. She was so content to have made a new friend, that she did not notice when said friend slipped the envelope from her jacket pocket.
Ino held up the shining paper in her hand, marveling at the texture and heaviness of the letter. "I'm going to help you, Hinata-chan. Because I like you, and you're so kind and shy."
Hinata looked up mortified, having said nothing the whole time. "B-but.."
"No buts Hinata! We're giving this to Sasuke today! And he probably won't respond, but at least you'll have had the courage to do it." Ino smiled kindly. "Besides, you should have more confidence in yourself."
Hinata babbled at the turn of events and lunged for the letter. Ino simply danced away, giggling. "Don't worry Hinata, your letter will reach its destination!"
And Hinata could only watch in horror as her new "friend" skipped off, holding the sum of her feelings for Naruto-kun in her hands. Ever the positive one, all she could do was think that at least she had not incriminated herself in any way. It was anonymous.
That did nothing to lessen the mortification after lunch, when Sasuke Uchiha came to find a pile of perfumed, glittery envelopes on his desk, her golden letter of affection right on top. And they all ended up in the trash, unopened.
At least no one had read the contents.
It was also after lunch that Ino had decided to give Hinata tips on the quest for Sasuke Uchiha's affections. Number one on the list of things Uchiha Sasuke liked in a girl was long hair.
The next day, Hinata came in with her indigo locks chopped off, a bobbed hairstyle just like when she was three.
Needless to say, Ino no longer thought that Hinata liked Sasuke.
Naruto stopped in his tracks, the glint of something incredibly bright catching his attention. And like a curious cat, he backtracked, tracing the shine to an envelope, resting squarely on top of a whole bunch of other ones.
He frowned, blue eyes narrowing in annoyance. Sasuke Uchiha and his dumb fangirls, always filling up the trash with these nonsense papers. But still, the gilded envelope was very pretty, too pretty for the likes of someone like Sasuke. What a shame it was in the trash.
Growing curious as to what such a beautiful envelope could hold, he plucked the thing from the waste bin. Luckily it had been at the top, and was only slightly stained by something that smelled like ketchup.
He carefully opened the flap, carefully ripping the heart shaped stamp and pulled out a glittery folded piece of paper. He smiled surprised. There was no heavy scent of perfume and the sparkles were tastefully done, placed in swirls of color.
And the handwriting was ever so neat. Cute and compact with elegant loops, it conveyed a kind politeness. There were no silly heart-dotted I's or simpering declarations of undying love. The letter was simple and exquisite. Something even he could appreciate once in a while.
There was no name, at all; not the sender's nor Sasuke's. It was completely vague. He continued reading, surprised at this unusually humble and quiet admirer.
As he read the simple lines, he felt the words reach up and cradle him. He almost felt as if it was all meant for him, for some unspeakable reason. And he relished the experience, enjoyed the supportive and flattering sentences wrapping him up in a cloak of warmth.
The last few lines almost had him wishing that it was meant for him.
When you laugh, it makes me float up to the moon. You never give up and I am happy that I know you. I hope your wishes come true, and I know you will be an amazing Hokage.
Sincerely, yours truly, and Forevermore,
A friend."
Blue eyes widened in amazement. Sasuke never laughed and he had never expressed any particular wish to be Hokage. That was his dream and he had made sure everyone knew. Could this letter be meant for him?
He would never know for sure, but just in case...
Naruto left the academy that day feeling lighter than he had in a long while; the shine of the setting sun illuminated a golden envelope lovingly tucked into his pant pocket as he walked home.
