SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm going to be gone this week and the next.
So I updated earlier, and there won't be a chapter next week.
But don't worry, when I return, I will hopefully have two chapters ready to update for you!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto . . .
Chapter 4: Advice from Shikamaru
"Hanabi, hide me!" I squealed as I pitifully scrambled to under the small table.
"What for?" she said. She got up and walked over to the sliding door. "It's only my sister. She's home." With that, she opened it and went outside to greet Hinata.
I squealed some more and scrambled out of the table. Oh, why wasn't there an invisibility jutsu or something? I looked all around the room to see if there was anything I could use to hide in. But it was hard! The room was so plain--no closets, attic doors, hidden ways. Nothing!
"Hey, Hinata. Someone's here to see you." Agh! That was Hanabi's voice! And she's coming over to this room! That little Hyuga twerp! I can already see her smug little smile on her smug little face!
Gotta hide, gotta hide! I ran around the room desperately searching the walls for anything. Suddenly, I had an idea. I quickly performed it.
-----
"He's not here?" Hanabi looked all over the room, but couldn't find her guest that was just here a moment ago. He couldn't have escaped; anybody would have seen him and then caught.
"Hanabi, what are you looking for?" asked Hinata. She had a worried look on her face as she watched her little sister concentrate on a wall.
"Not what," Hanabi replied distractedly. "Who."
"Oh, then who?"
"Na--"
"Lady Hanabi, your father wishes to see you. Erm, why, may I ask, are you sprawled on the floor?" Neji entered the room to see his youngest cousin examining the ground intently.
Hanabi looked up. "Uh, no, you may not ask. Now, what does Father need?"
"He, um, wants to talk to you. And Lady Hinata." Neji shot a glance at the said kunoichi.
"Okay. Let's go, Hanabi." Hinata beckoned her young sister over, who reluctantly left the room. They followed Neji to a different room.
None of them seemed to have noticed the extra pillow lying on top of the spot where Hanabi sat.
After they had left the room, I transformed back. It was scary seeing Hanabi search the place. She was determined to find me!
I saw Hinata again! She looked taller from my perspective. But she still looked incredibly beautiful! I thought I was sweating, and I was sure Hanabi would have seen the wet pillow if she examined some more.
I quietly opened the sliding door, looked around, and then quietly exited. I tiptoed past all the rooms that I passed, because any one of those can contain those three long-dark-haired ninjas. I shuddered at the thought of what Hiashi would do to me if he found out I was tiptoeing around his house. Make that four, since even the head Hyuga has long dark hair.
I finally reached the door. I put on my shoes and went out, letting out a breath of relief as I did so.
I don't know why I hid. Why should I hide? I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I shouldn't be afraid of anything! As I told myself that, an image of the new Hinata popped in my head and my knees went wobbly. Agh! Is this what "love" feels like? I was always in love with Sakura, but I never felt this weak. I blush and turn soft, but I've never fainted or hid from her. What's different about Hinata?
I shook my head. I gotta eat some ramen; maybe that will help me clear my mind.
-----
Guess who was at Ichiraku's?
"Hey, Shikamaru," I said when I entered the shop. He lazily looked up at me and replied with his lazy greeting. He doesn't have his ramen yet.
Not knowing why he was here, I ordered my favorite ramen and waited.
I did ask him eventually, though.
"So, why are you here?"
"Tmry," he muttered.
"What?"
"Temry," he said again, but more clear.
"C'mon, Shikamaru!"
"Temari!" he finally said.
Confused, I asked him another question. "What about Temari?"
"Asked me to come here," he replied somewhat gloomily. "Girls are troublesome . . . " You got that right.
But I cleared my throat. "Shikamaru, your dad knows some things about girls, right?"
"Depends. Why?"
"I . . . have some girl troubles."
"Just ask her out again, Naruto. If she refuses--again--then give up on her. Sakura might never see you as more than a friend."
I blushed at what he said. Don't know why, though. "Um, it's not about Sakura."
Shikamaru lazily cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Who is it then?"
"Uh . . . Hnta."
"What?"
"Hinta."
"C'mon, Naruto!" He had a small smile on him as he said this.
"Hinata!"
"Hinata? Really?" He chuckled. "I see you're also shy about real love." During this time, Shkamaru's ramen came.
"What do you mean also?" I asked suspiciously.
"Uh, nothing. Anyway, what's your trouble with Hinata?"
"Well, um, when I saw her, she kind of, um, changed." Curse the stuttering!
"'Changed,' huh? So what's your problem?" he asked again.
"Whenever I see her, or know she's close by, I always run away," I answered guiltily.
"So you're shy around her?"
"Yeah . . . " Shikamaru nodded.
"Well what you need is some info on Hinata."
"Why?"
"So you at least know something about her when you ask her for a date."
"What?!" At this time, my ramen came.
"Luckily for you, I do know something about her. I looked at all the ninja's info while I was organizing the Chunin Exams," he said, ignoring my surprise.
"B-b-but! What do you mean by 'date?'" I asked.
"Hinata is a shy and sweet girl, so you'll have to go slow with her," he continued, completely ignoring me now. "Don't shout at her, don't get angry at her, don't force her to do something you know she can't. You have to be gentle with this one. On the good side, she's like a loving mother; she'll care for you and love you no matter what happens. She'll rarely get angry at you, unless you really did something wrong."
"Where are you getting this information? That doesn't sound like something on a ninja card!" I shouted at him. On a ninja card, it wouldn't say "Good girlfriend; like a mother."
Shikamaru looked lazily at me, and then he shrugged his shoulders. "I've dated her before."
"WHAT?!?!" Shikamaru? With Hinata??! AAAGH!
"Hm, so you're that in love, huh?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE DATED HER BEFORE??!!" I screamed.
"I was just testing you, Naruto. It was to see how much you were into her. And you're into her a lot." He smiled again. "A lot seems like such a small word."
Tricked again! Next time, when someone says they've dated Hinata, or Hinata's dated before, I'm not falling for it. "So how do you know about Hinata?"
The genius shrugged his shoulders again. "She's been to the Academy before, you know as a 'baby sitter' you can say. She helps me with the kids. She's really nice--like a real mother. She's the kids' favorite."
I nodded my head slowly. So Hinata is like a mother, eh? I mused over the picture of Hinata in an apron making breakfast. That picture turned into a scene: she was making eggs and calling to her kids. The kids came down. Strangely, a boy with Hinata's dark blue hair ran into the kitchen with a lot of energy. An older girl with long blond hair and Hyuga eyes walked slowly into the room. Behind her was a strong man who looked a lot like the Fourth Hokage . . . with whiskers.
Not much of an ending, but whatever.
I rushed through this chapter, so I hope it's still good!
Sorry there's not update next week.
But there will be two the week after!
Please review!
