Love From Innocence
By: Li
Summary: Iruka-sensei wasn't the first to acknowledge Naruto and give him hope, so who was it? His lover, of course.
A/N: Fourth drabble in To Love From. I'm glad all you people like them, but I personally don't think they're better than adiquiate... -sighs then smiles- Enjoy, though!
A small, shadowed figure sat on the small wooden bench, staring with dull blue eyes at the gathering group of parents their children. It was their first day at the academy -he'd been there a year already- and classes were already over. They were the same age as him, but ignored the spiky haired blonde or went out of their way to tease and taunt him.
He was alone, and he knew it.
Sure, his teacher and the old man who visited him every so often were nice, but even as young as he was, he could see the wariness behind the slightly warm gaze. The villager's eyes were cold and their comments icy; he didn't know why they hated him so much, and could never really make out their gossiped comments.
He was young, but innocence was one thing he didn't have.
Suddenly, he looked up and everyone was gone. Iruka had left earlier, not even bothering to make sure all his pupils went home, sure that their parents would come and get him. Staring at the silent, empty playground, Naruto sighed. It just wasn't fair.
He wouldn't be going anywhere for some time.
The soft noise of small padding feet caused him to look up, and he saw a pale-eyed child staring curiously at him. There were tear tracks down her face and her eyes were slightly puffy, but it was obvious she'd tried to whipe it all away. The blonde wondered what the girl was still doing here. Wasn't her family suppost to take her home, ask her about her day, and upon seeing the shadowed figure tell her to stay away from him? That's what usually happened...
"What're you doing?" she asked softly, voice small. She stared shyly at him, leaning closer.
Naruto backed away, leaning into the swing's woven string, colapsing sideways onto the ground when his perch tipped unevenly. The dark haired girl giggled, hiding mouth with a small hand, eyes sparkling merrily. The blonde just grumbled, knowing the innocent student was not mocking or making fun of him, just a mused at his possision.
She stopped laughing and gave him a hands-up, shyness forgotten as she smiled and pulled the slightly taller boy to his feet. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata. What's your name?"
To say the least, Naruto was surprised. No one had asked him that without laughing cruely afterward or making a snide joke. Why was this girl being so...nice? He eyes weren't cold; they were warmer than the grown ups who tried to care, and had no resentment to speak of. If anything, she was naive enough to risk getting scolded by her parents for talking -even touching (he clutched the hand he didn't want to release, thinking she would disappear if he did)- to him.
"U-Uzumaki Naruto..." he stuttered, staring at the ground, tone void of this usual cheerful confidence. The girl just blinked in confusion, then smiled again.
"Nice to meet you, Naruto-kun!" Her grin widened. The blonde just stared.
Naruto-KUN?
He'd never had that suffix added to his name before. He kinda liked it...
"Same to you..." he trailed off, not knowing what to call her. His mind settled to return the favor. "...Hinata-chan..." He said the last hesitently, earning a surprised blush from the girl he addressed.
Clueless as ever, Naruto just (charmingly, to Hinata) smiled.
"Hinata-sama!" an unfamilair male voice called.
Both children turned to see another Hyuuga, but he didn't look related to her except for the male eyes and dark hair. Hinata cringed slightly, back to her usualy nervous shyness.
"I-I have t-to go, Naruto-kun," she whispered. The boy nodded, looking down trodden, and released the girl's hand. Turning to his swing, but before he could settle down comfortably, he felt a small yet incredably soft warmth on his right cheek. Glancing at out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Hinata's retreating, blushing, smiling face. She then rushed off, leaving him to hold his cheek in wonder at what she'd just done.
A slow smile crossed his face, and though small, held an inner joy and hope that would have touched the hearts of any who saw, even the cold-eyed Villagers who hated him for some unknown reason.
He rose from his perch and walked in the direction the sun was setting, the beams illiminated the shadow of a future hero on his way home. Unknown to the world, Uzumaki Naruto had just found a knew hope, and his smile later became one Hinata would admire. In his mind, in his small world...
...suddenly he didn't feel so alone anymore.
Looking back on this, one of his most pressious memories, Naruto just smiled and held his lover's body even closer to his chest. Brushing stray hairs away from her face, the man in his late teens gazed in the dim light of a full moon at his koi's angelicly peaceful face. He consontrated on her warmth and followed her into sleep, and the dreams they always shared.
E/N Cute, ne? This time I'll answer all the reveiws so far. If you left a comment, look for your name below!
Patch5129: (1) Glad you like it, and I took your advise and made a sequel series. But how should I end it? Any suggestions? (from anyone is fine...)
(3) To explain it, Hinata knows everything about Naruto, including the Kyuubi. Should I explain it in a later drabble? Maybe I shouldn't make them all so fluffy. It might get real old real fast, ne? And yes, Hinata is possesive. In earlier years, she was like an innocent Inner-Sakura type (just not as violent) but her father's berating pushed down her selfconfidince. Hanging around someone like Naruto is changing her for the better, I think. Just hope she doesn't pick up the temper... -starts to sweat- What would happen then?
Esther: (1) I did write a sequel. And a few more chapters (2, a third to come soon) because I got reveiws! -sweatdrop-
(2) Yes, Shika-san is behind everything! Accually, Naruto went to Nara-san for advise about his feelings, and Shikamaru (I always think of the last part pronouced MAru for some strange reason) decided to watch. But being as lazy as he is, he spied on them before bed instead of waiting for Naruto to tell him, or ask someone. He finds second hand information troublesome. -sweatdrop- Glad ya like it, Esther-san!
Daniel of Lorien: (1) Is the sequel interesting? Tell me, please.
JCK : (2) Kawaii, eh? I guess it's cute...I don't really comment on my own stories...
(3) Yes, different. And I will!
BrokenAngel,ForgivenDevil: (2) I know about the spelling mistakes. I first post the draft, then have my betareader edit it, then repost it again. And I'm glad you like the drabbles (find the adorable, even), and I'm trying to make a new one every two days or so... You don't have to love me forever...Just enjoy the story! Love your name, btw!
Kawaiineziumi: (3) Glad you find it cute. Many seem to... -happy smile-
Aikuchi Shikaku: -stares at metled puddle of goo- No! Don't desolve! -strays solid stray (BOGO with every perchace of SPAM-quick mix!) on Aikichi- There! You're solid now! Enjoy the more fluffly scenes to come! -happy happy dance!smiles nervously- Yeah...NaruHina 4ever...I think... -sweatdrops- I will keep writing, since the muse of mine, Lita, and the one character from Naruto who has invaided my brain, Kyuubi, keep telling me to even when I just want to sleep... -I'm as lazy as Shikamaru if I don't have something to do- '
Laters, reveiwer people! Next chapter soon, if I get ideas...Should I have another flashback when they're older or have a current time fluff thing (they're 16)? Let me know!
Li