CHAPTER 3:
A HUMBLE HYUUGA IS NOT AN OXYMORON
"He doesn't see it, does he? He's so dense, that idiot," Ino remarked casually as she sat down next to Sakura during their break.
"Who doesn't see it?" Sakura asked, looking up from the book on poisonous plants that Ino had gotten her. It was lunchtime at the academy, a few days after she had given her gift to Sasuke. The playground was filled with the students.
"Naruto, of course. Who do you think I mean?"
"Ino, there's more than a few idiots in the class. Look at Kiba."
Ino chuckled. "True." The Inuzaka was probably Naruto's rival in being loud, obnoxious, and dense. And while Kiba shared Naruto's energy, he didn't share the orange-clad kid's drive and tenacity. "But I meant Naruto. He doesn't realise it, but he's got his own fangirl."
This was news to Sakura. Naruto, the loud and obnoxious class clown, had a fangirl? If she'd been eating or drinking, she might have choked. "And who's that?" she asked, once she got over her shock.
"Over yonder, see?" Ino said cheekily, indicating near where Naruto was holding forth in some animated discussion between him and the rotund Chouji Akimichi, with the bored-looking Shikamaru Nara merely lying on his back, looking at the sky (as was his wont). Nearby, looking pensive, and seemingly considering whether to talk to the blonde boy, was a girl with dark blue (almost black) hair, and the distinctive pearl-coloured eyes of a Hyuuga.
Sakura recognised her instantly, of course. One tended to recognise the members of the more famous clans and what their families were famous for. Ino's clan, the Yamanakas, were famous for mind-transfer techniques. Naras, like Shikamaru, were noted for their strategic minds and their shadow manipulation abilities. Akimichis were noted for being rotund and fond of food, but also expanding parts or all of their body to assist with their taijutsu. The Inuzaka used trained dogs as partners, while the Aburames were living hives of special insects. She remembered what she had learned about the Uzumakis, about their high chakra reserves and talent with seals.
The Hyuuga were one of a rare clan with a doujutsu, or eye technique. The only other one she knew of, offhand, was the Sharingan of the Uchihas. The Sharingan or Copy Wheel Eye allowed the user to see and anticipate the moves of their opponent, as well as copy jutsus.
The Hyuugas, however, had the Byakugan, or White Eye. When activated, it could see virtually anything around the Hyuuga using it, in what was said to be a complete 360 degree circle. Not only that, but they could see the chakra network of people around them. It was this that was a key element of the Hyuugas' taijutsu style, the Juuken or Gentle Fist, whereby they use their own chakra to close off the chakra release points of their opponent. The name came from the fact that only a light touch was necessary to close these points, but the effect could be devastating, and certainly lethal. Certainly not as gentle as the name implied.
The Hyuuga clan had something of a reputation for aloofness at best, and at worst, unmitigated arrogance. But you could not say that of the Hyuuga whom Ino and Sakura were observing even now. Hinata Hyuuga was, if anything, the complete opposite of what one expected from a Hyuuga. Humble, shy, self-effacing, and rarely able to speak without stuttering. An introverted, shy Hyuuga with self-esteem issues…well, all things were possible in the world.
"What does she see in him?" Sakura asked. It wasn't meant to be a cruel question. She was honestly curious.
"Well, I think he saved her from some bullies once(1). You know, that whole 'knight in shining armour' thing. And, well, she doesn't have much confidence, whereas he has it in abundance. Plus, for all I know, he's probably pranked the Hyuugas, and she's probably enjoyed her family being taken down a peg or two. God knows they need it with the stick they have up their…well, never mind about that," Ino said.
Ino's assessment of the Hyuuga's attitude was spot on, even if it nearly went into a crude direction. "You've been near Kiba too long, haven't you?"
"Yeah, I guess. Guy's got a potty mouth on him."
Sakura chuckled. The brash Inuzaka did have a tendency to turn the air blue. It had gotten him into trouble with the teachers on more than one occasion. Turning her attention back to Hinata, she watched the shy girl. Naruto had finished his discussion with Chouji, and was walking near Hinata. Sakura chuckled as a blush bloomed on the Hyuuga's face. Naruto actually looked concerned, and put his hand on her head, apparently checking her temperature. Almost instantly, the girl fainted.
"Oh dear," Sakura said in a rather deadpan tone, as Naruto panicked, calling for Iruka to help her. "She's got it bad for him, hasn't she?"
"Well, when you're fainting whenever you get too close to the object of your affections…" Ino chuckled. Sakura echoed that chuckle. Poor Hinata. And even though Naruto seemed oblivious towards the Hyuuga's affections, he was nonetheless concerned for her, you had to give him that. A clueless idiot and obnoxious prankster he was, but his heart was in the right place.
Iruka came over and managed to revive Hinata, Naruto looking on in concern. As Hinata got back to her feet, Sakura frowned. "Do you reckon she has a chance with Naruto? I mean, with the way the Hyuuga act?"
"Honestly? I have no idea," Ino said. "He's an orphan with no clan name known to him. She's probably the heiress to the Hyuuga's. She's certainly from the main house."
Ah yes, the main house. One of the…quirks of the Hyuuga family (Sakura thought it a nasty little tradition) was that it was divided into two separate wings of the family, the main house and the branch house. Those in the branch house were inflicted with a special seal on their forehead, a manji that allowed the main house to inflict pain on branch house members. Perhaps more usefully, it also destroyed the eyes of the branch house members upon their death, preventing their adversaries from stealing the Byakugan.
In the year above them was a Hyuuga from the branch family with that very seal, a Neji Hyuuga. He had something of a reputation for being, frankly, a fate-obsessed dingus who was nonetheless a genius when it came to taijutsu in general, and the Gentle Fist in particular.
Sakura thought back to her conversation with the Hokage. He had allowed her to tell Naruto about where his surname came from, so she guessed it was alright to tell Ino. "Actually, the Uzumakis were once the top clan in Uzushio."
"Whoa, really?" Ino asked.
"Yeah. They were known for really high chakra reserves and fuinjutsu expertise," Sakura said. "But most of them died when Uzushio was invaded. He's probably one of the few left."
"What, is that true?"
"I can show you books in the library, it's in the history books and all."
Ino whistled, impressed despite herself. "I stand corrected, Sakura. Do you think anyone else knows about the Uzumakis?"
"It's not well-known, I think," Sakura said. "The Hyuugas might know, and I know the Hokage knows. Naruto didn't know until I gave him a book about it on his birthday. It really excited him."
"I'd bet," Ino said quietly. Then, her nose wrinkled. "But he's such a brat!"
"I know, right?" Sakura laughed. "Still, better watch out if he ever gets good at sealing like his clan was. He'll definitely use it in his pranks."
"Do you think he'll be any good?" Ino asked. "I mean, he goofs off, and doesn't show much skill."
"True, but if he gets motivated enough, well…" Sakura shrugged. "Look at it this way. If he has big chakra reserves, imagine the jutsus he can pull off. Especially the higher-ranked ones."
Ino whistled. "…I'd be afraid whether there'll be anything left of the village if he gets his hands on stuff like that. He's enough of a pain now."
Sakura had to concede that much. Eventually, she asked, "Should we help them?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she likes him, but he's a clueless dunce. Should we help her find a way into his heart?"
Ino seemed intrigued. "But," she said quietly to herself, "if she's main branch Hyuuga, would she get into trouble for being with Naruto?"
A fair point. "Well, we'll just tell her to play the Uzumaki clan card. That'd give them pause for thought. I mean, they're a bunch of stuck-up snobs, right? If Naruto's family really were the former rulers of Uzushio, then it'd mean marrying her with a family that has some prestige."
"Yeah, but he's a buffoon and a prankster," Ino said. "All the Hyuuga tend to be quiet and reserved, even Hinata."
An impish smile crossed Sakura's face. "All the better. I mean, you belong to a clan, Ino. Aren't there occasions when your family wants to see the Hyuugas taken down a peg or two?"
Sakura's smile was soon matched on Ino's face. Only for it to fall. "Even so, I don't want Hinata to get the Caged Bird Seal. I don't want her to get into trouble."
True enough. Sakura didn't want that to happen to the shy girl. But neither did she want to sit by and watch this continue. "Look, we can just make sure that they're friends. They don't have to be anything more. If the Hyuugas stick that seal on her just for being friends with him, then they're idiots. And we'll be behind her. I mean, it's not like she wants Sasuke."
Ino frowned. "…Yeah, why not? I mean, it gets a bit boring, trying to get Sasuke to notice us. Let's do a bit of shipping elsewhere."
Hinata Hyuuga was beside herself with embarrassment. Time and again, she had tried to work up the courage to speak to the object of her crush, but she either dithered from afar, or when she did approach him, she ended up fainting, or getting ridiculously tongue-tied. Usually the latter more than the former, but even so…
She was being checked by the school nurse, despite her (admittedly quiet) protests, and a concerned Naruto having been ushered out by Iruka. Inwardly, she cursed herself for being weak. Well, it was what her family saw her as, but Hinata was trying to defy that. And yet, here she was, unable to pluck up the courage to talk to Naruto. Most of the time, she stuttered. A few times, she fainted. It was bad enough that her family looked down on her, but for this to happen…
She was ushered out by the nurse, only to find the pink-haired Sakura and the blonde-haired Ino waiting for her. "Umm…what are you two doing here?" she asked.
"Moral support," Sakura said.
"We saw what happened," Ino said.
As Hinata began to panic, Sakura said, "And we'd like to help."
Hinata blinked in confusion. It was Sakura who took the lead. "Look, Hinata, we saw how much you liked Naruto."
Ino took up the reins of the conversation. "And we'd like to help."
"Really?" Hinata asked.
"Well, yeah. Look, Naruto's pretty dense. Unless you go up to him and say it outright, he isn't going to understand," Sakura pointed out.
"Though he's pretty chivalrous for a knucklehead," Ino said. "The moment you passed out, he was all worried and stuff. The sad truth is, though, he's not going return your affections unless you make it clear."
"And to make it clear to Naruto, you've got to tell him outright."
"B-B-But what if he says no?" Hinata stammered. "W-w-what if he doesn't l-l-like me?"
"Well…there's plenty of fish in the sea, as the old cliché goes," Sakura said. "We're still young, right?"
Hinata was a little wary. She wasn't stupid: Ino was one of the most vocal Sasuke fangirls, while Sakura was, if less vocal, still one of those who idolised the boy. A tiny paranoid notion bloomed in her mind: what if she was being set up?
"Hey, we'll be right behind you when you tell Naruto how you feel," Ino said. "Look, you don't have to say you have a crush or that you love him or something. Just say that you want to be friends with him. That should be enough for the moment. I mean, you just want him to notice you a bit more, right?"
Hinata nodded mutely, not trusting herself to speak.
"Well, come on then!" Sakura said, and she and Ino, firmly but gently ushered Hinata to the classroom.
Operation: Hinata Shipping went off surprisingly well, Sakura reflected. Hinata, bolstered by Sakura and Ino backing her up, approached Naruto, and managed to convey, through a blizzard of stuttering and stammering, that she wanted to be his friend.
Naruto, at first, had seemed disbelieving. He had thought this to be some sort of joke, especially with Sakura and Ino nearby. But Hinata denied it so vehemently that Naruto had been convinced (though if she had been acting, it was too easy to set Naruto up). So it was with a yelp of joy that the exuberant blonde brat wrapped his arms around Hinata in a happy embrace.
It was probably their presence and thus their moral support that ensured that Hinata didn't actually faint, though she seemed perilously close to doing so. You could see it in her eyes, Sakura thought. You could see her thinking 'He's hugging me! He's hugging me! He's hugging me!'
Hinata, from that day on, managed to speak to Naruto without fainting, though the stammer never really went away. And she became part of Naruto's admittedly small circle of friends, as well as becoming friends with Sakura and Ino. She became the peacemaker of the trio when Sakura and Ino began to argue about things, especially about Sasuke Uchiha.
And Naruto…you could see a protectiveness in him around Hinata. He had taken Hinata's desire to be friends seriously. Naruto was simple, true, but he had a desire to protect others from harm admirable in any wannabe Hokage.
You could say that at that point, they became friends, of a sort. Naruto's obnoxious and attention-seeking behaviour did still piss the girls off, and they yelled at him when he pulled off yet another prank, but they at least knew of the decent core within the prankster.
Even Sakura, knowing what she did of the Kyuubi, could see that. As much as he was an obnoxious brat, Naruto was not the Kyuubi. Indeed, towards his friends, or at least those who treated him with some small kindness, he was loyal, to the very end.
CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS NO JUTSU!:
And let the Naruto/Hinata shipping commence. It's nowhere near the romantic level, for obvious reasons (they're 10-11 years old!), but it's the foundation of a childhood friendship that will lead to a romance. Why do Sakura and Ino help? Well, for one thing, Hinata is no competition to them. After all, it is Naruto Hinata admires, not Sasuke. Secondly, because Sakura isn't quite as overtly competitive with Ino as to winning Sasuke's heart, they're still friends at this point, and thus more willing to cooperate. Sakura is still trying to win Sasuke, but she's also being a bit less forceful and a bit more sensible about it. Finally, Sakura has a slightly better opinion of Naruto here than in canon: she'll still whack him for being an idiot and a brat, but she's also willing to help him out. This is partly because she knows of his burden, and partly because she is less impulsive.
I've been skimming through some of the later volumes (and by that, I mean ahead of what I have actually read) of Naruto, trying to look for key character scenes so that I can understand the characters as they were in canon (aside from what fanfic I have read), and I found the scene in Volume 11 where Naruto and Hinata have a discussion prior to his match with Neji. I thought it was rather sweet and nice. I wanted to kickstart the romance, though, by establishing the actual friendship earlier.
By the way (and please don't flame me for this), I'm strongly considering Sakura develop her own type of ninjutsu, one that I have in mind. Now, before you all go up in arms, there's a few good reasons for that. The first is that Sakura, while not actually completely useless in canon, is nonetheless less prominent in battles. Hell, as far as I can remember, her first actual badass moment is in the Forest of Death while protecting Naruto and Sasuke from the Oto genin team.
The second reason is that this version of Sakura is actually partly inspired by Hermione Granger as she is presented in The Arithmancer, which is an excellent Harry Potter fanfic by White Squirrel (and highly recommended by me). Because this story is Sakura-centric, I want her to have her chance to shine alongside Naruto and Sasuke.
The reason why I wanted her to have this was because I wanted her to contribute something more to the fight with Orochimaru than in canon. As far as I know, this type of ninjutsu has never been used in canon. It may have been used in another fanfic, but I'm unaware of it. She won't be able to defeat Orochimaru with it, not by a long shot, and whether she'll be able to prevent him from giving Sasuke the Cursed Seal is doubtful. But it will certainly surprise the snake bastard. Sakura's greatest weapon in this story will be her brain. That, and her chakra control. Those would be two vital components to creating new jutsu.
1. I'm pretty sure that this is fanon rather than canon. But it suits Naruto's character, and it gives Hinata a catalyst to like him, so I chose to use it.
