Chapter 7: Freedom
"You and I haven't gotten much of a chance to talk, Sakura-chan. How are you? And what happened with you while I was away?" Sakura popped her knuckles while she thought about what to say.
"Nothing super amazing happened while you were away. We didn't go on any crazy missions. Maybe they were dangerous, but never really exciting. I did train with Tsunade though. That was such a huge learning experience for me. She is an amazing teacher. I'm much stronger than I was before. I don't want to hold back the team." Naruto glanced down at Sakura whose mood had clearly shifted.
"Oh come on, Sakura-chan, that's not the way you talk. Besides, you're so much cooler than Sai and I are." Sakura smiled up at him.
"Cool can only get you so far. What you and Sai have is better. Determination is much more important." Although Sakura's acknowledgement was what he had always wanted, Naruto couldn't help but feel as though what she was saying was forced, and that bothered him. He preferred honesty over what people thought he wanted to hear any day. Not wanting to pick a fight, Naruto elected to bite his tongue. Before long, they had arrived at Ichiraku, and were greeted by Ayame as they walked in. Ayame looked cheered when she saw Naruto, but appeared surprised when she saw Sakura.
"Hi Naruto-kun. Sakura-san." Ayame wiped at seats near the kitchen for them to sit at.
"Hi Ayame-chan. I'm back!" Ayame smiled, and then her eyes glanced over Sakura. Deciding on a plan of action, Ayame smiled stiffly at Sakura, and then smirked at Naruto.
"You've been coming with Hinata-chan, and now you show up with Sakura-san? You're not being a player, are you Naruto-kun?" Ayame tilted her head and smiled widely, but her eyes soon slid over to Sakura who stood there watching her with mouth agape. Ayame smiled at her before turning her attention back to Naruto, and pouting playfully. "I won't like you as much if you're playing with poor girls' hearts. I'll have to disown you as my little brother. You wouldn't like that would you?"
"Ayame-chan! You know it's not like that." Ayame laughed happily.
"I know. I was just kidding. Anyway, can I take your orders?" With that, the brown-haired waitress pulled out a writing pad and pen from the depths of her apron and waited.
"I'll have two chicken ramen and one beef, please!" Naruto handed back his menu promptly. Sakura mulled over hers before deciding.
"I'll have a bowl of vegetable ramen please, with pickled plums added." She handed the menu back with both hands. Ayame smiled at her as she took the menu back, but Sakura thought she saw a steely flash in her eyes. Sakura frowned at the behavior, but didn't think much of it in the end. Once Ayame left, Sakura and Naruto reverted to silence, uncertain of what to say. Sakura fiddled with the wrapper of her chopsticks, regretting her choice in asking Naruto for lunch. Finally, it was Naruto who spoke up.
"So you were telling me about your time with obaa-chan?"
"Tsunade-sama taught me a lot about my chakra. And how to fight. I've gotten a lot better. The specifics are really complicated though." Sakura began expanding on the complex nature of highly specific chakra control, and Naruto listened.
Hinata stood at the front gate with Neji as they waited for Hiashi and his traveling party to arrive. They were both dressed in traditional attire. Hinata never understood why her father insisted on this every time that he departed, but he did. Hinata had learned not to question his eccentricities.
"Are you ready for him to be gone?" Hinata turned to Neji.
"I will miss him." She answered simply. Neji turned his cold eyes to Hinata.
"You didn't answer my question." Hinata looked away and refused to answer. The truth was that she couldn't wait for her father and sister to leave. With them gone, she would once again be able to spend more time with Naruto.
"How long do you think they'll be gone?" Neji smirked and shifted a bit. Then he shut his eyes and activated his Byakugan.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask them yourself? They're here." With that, a group of five Hyuuga members leapt into the open. Hinata knew that they hadn't heard her. The Byakugan was a gift of eyesight, not of hearing, but she still wanted to know the answer to her question.
Once Hiashi fully faced them, they both bowed. "I'm glad to see you both here. Before we depart, there are just a couple of things. This time, we will be gone for two weeks' time. Hinata, I will want to see some improvements in that time. Neji, please make sure that matters around the compound remain uninterrupted." Although it stung to know that her father had little, if any faith in her, Hinata was happy to know that she would be relatively free for two weeks.
"We shall be going now." At those words, Hinata and Neji once again bowed, and the next moment, the travelers were gone. Neji turned to Hinata.
"Well, I'll leave you be then. See you later." And in a gust of wind, he was gone as well. Hinata sighed, and decided to walk down the road like a normal person.
Hinata didn't care to go home quite yet so she went strolling on the main road that ran through the village. As she went, she mulled over every thought that crossed her mind. She really was a quiet person. In part, that was why she had initially been so surprised with her infatuation with Naruto. He had always been someone who was in all ways, larger than life.
She loved that about him. She loved that he feared nothing and loved endlessly, and she wanted nothing more than to be loved by him. And, despite the fact that she had grown closer to him recently, he was still a far off dream that was just out of reach. The longing she felt made her heart ache, and for a moment, she thought she could feel her heart breaking within her chest.
"Look at you! Don't you look nice!" A loud, familiar voice called to her, and Hinata glanced up as a cheerful bark greeted her. Kiba stood in front of her, smiling broadly, and Hinata waved as Akamaru came up and said hello with slobbery licks.
"Hi Kiba-kun. Hello Akamaru!" She laughed cheerfully as Akamaru jumped up tp lick her face.
"Oi, Akamaru! Quit stealing kisses." Kiba grabbed Akamaru by the collar and pulled him away. Akamaru let out a slight whimper of dismay, but calmed down.
Once a giggling Hinata had wiped her face clear of slobber and got a good look at Kiba, she realized that he was also dressed nicely.
"Oh! Kiba-kun! Why are you all dressed up?" He was also wearing some formal garb. Kiba just laughed.
"I could ask you the same thing, but I know that dressing up comes with the name." Kiba stretched to the sky, showing off the extent of his finery. "I just came from a clan meeting. It was the most important one of the year, so we all had to dress nice."
"Ah. My father just left for two weeks." Hearing it out loud, Hinata couldn't help but smile.
"Really? Does that mean I can finally take you out on a date?" Hinata turned to him so quickly, she nearly gave herself whiplash.
"Kiba-kun!" Her glare made Kiba nervous.
"I was just joking. I already know that your heart is taken by Naruto." He broke out into booming laughter at the mortified look on Hinata's face.
"Don't say that so loudly. Someone might hear you." Hinata nervously looked around checking to make sure that no one had heard her most diligently protected secret.
"No one heard. There's no one around for a bit. I just came out this way to walk Akamaru. He hates being all cooped up in those meetings. Don't you pal?" Kiba reached down to scratch Akamaru's ears. "Anyway, since we're all dressed up already, maybe we should go grab some late lunch-early dinner to celebrate your newfound freedom." Kiba's toothy grin made Hinata smile.
"Okay. That sounds nice. Let's go." The trio arranged themselves in a line and began to walk at a leisurely pace through town.
"What are you thinking of getting? I'll eat anything, but I'm sure you have more refined tastes." Kiba snickered and Hinata rolled her eyes. If there was one person in the world that could get away with teasing her, it was Kiba. The two had gotten close after becoming teammates, and had soon become like brother and sister. She felt completely comfortable around him, and knew that he felt comfortable around her. There was none of the painful embarrassment, and bright cherry blushing around Kiba. Kiba was her safe friend to go back to and for that, she was grateful.
"Mmmmm." Hinata brought her fingers to her mouth and lightly tapped her lips. "How about we go to the barbeque buffet? You and Akamaru like that place. There it doesn't matter if I don't eat that much. You and Akamaru eat more than that place can probably afford." Hinata watched for his reaction out of the corner of her eyes.
"Are you calling me and Akamaru fat?!" Hinata couldn't contain herself and began to laugh. Soon, Kiba and Akamaru joined in her cheer.
Naruto wasn't certain why he had agreed to accompany Sakura for lunch. Lunchtime at Ichiraku had suddenly turned into a one-sided conversation in Sakura's favor. A couple of times Naruto had looked at Ayame hopefully, but Ayame just made a face. 'You got yourself into this…' Not getting any sympathy from Ayame, Naruto was glad when Sakura finally finished eating her vegetable ramen.
"We should probably head out to meet Sai and Kakashi-sensei." Sakura walked ahead of Naruto, as always, leading the way. Naruto said nothing in reply, and ducked under the curtains at the entrance of the kiosk, only pausing to wave farewell to Ayame who looked at him with a smirk. Once he was out into the bright sunlight, it took Naruto a moment to get adjusted, but before his eyes had completely recovered, he heard a familiar laugh. Turning to the source, Naruto's eyes adjusted just in time to see Hinata and Kiba walking along the main road together.
'Where are they going? Why are they both dressed so nicely? Are they on a date?' Naruto stopped in his tracks to watch them go by. Sakura who had walked much farther ahead, still babbling on, suddenly realized that Naruto was no longer near her and turned to look for him. She saw him stopped, and looking down the road, a strange look on his face. Sakura glanced down the road as well, and saw Kiba and Hinata walking away, laughing and chatting as they went. Sakura glared at the scene, upset that she was being ignored.
'She has never laughed like that with me. Are they together?' Naruto couldn't help the questions that were flooding his mind. Unfortunately for him, Kurama was there to answer him.
Jealous that your little friend doesn't want to spend her weekends with you too? Think about it, Boy. She's the daughter of one of the most powerful families in the ninja world. Don't you think they would have her associate with someone as close as possible to her caliber? The Inuzuka have been around for ages as well. They'll want her to only spend time with someone that has a prestigious background. Someone from a powerful clan. You on the other hand, don't even have a family. You're no competition. Kurama's words seared deep into Naruto's soul. He didn't want to think about how unworthy Kurama's words and his own thoughts made him feel. Naruto also hoped that Kurama didn't have access to every little feeling he had.
'Che. I'm not worried. She can talk to or date whoever she wants. It's none of my business.' Sakura's voice cut through the air.
"If you stand there looking lost any longer, we're going to be late for training." Sakura scolded Naruto, only mildly successful in concealing her irritation. Naruto slowly turned to her and smiled.
His smile was so sad that Sakura was briefly caught off-guard. "Alright, let's go." Naruto jogged to get to Sakura, and they set off, walking to the training grounds.
Hours later, Naruto got home dirty and tired. As he stepped through the door, he shed his jacket and shirt tiredly. Standing there in his mesh undershirt he relished the coolness inside his home. Briefly, he wondered if Hinata and Kiba were still out together. He wished that he wasn't such a nobody. If he was important, then her father would allow them to spend more time together. Then maybe she wouldn't have to hide the fact that they were friends. Naruto walked over to his bed and fell down face first onto the mattress. He just didn't want to think. Although he wasn't particularly tired, he used sleep to escape his reality, and soon all he could remember was closing his eyes and falling.
Hinata woke up slowly and happily on Sunday morning. It was nice to not feel pressured by anyone to get up quickly, or to go to training. Kiba had been good company the evening before, and she had enjoyed the time. However, she couldn't help but wish that she had gotten the chance to see Naruto, to let him know that she would be free to meet with him much more frequently. She wanted him to know that she wanted to spend time with him.
The blue-haired girl continually thought of this as she proceeded to get ready for her day. On her days off from training, Hinata would wear semi-formal garb to keep up appearances. That was one of the things that Hinata liked about being a Hyuuga. Beautiful clothing was never in short supply.
Hinata had acquired a taste for beautiful things from her mother. She could still remember some conversations that she had with her mother when she was very young. Occasionally her mother would even dress up when there was nothing to do, except dress up. Hinata could remember asking why she did.
"Because dressing up can make a bad day better. Sometimes, if fate deals you a bad day, then you need to find any way to make it better. Dressing up is mine." She would then take a gorgeous Kimono out for Hinata and dress her. Hinata had never felt happier than the days her mother had dressed her, except for her days spent with Naruto.
Hinata slipped into a simple light blue kimono adorned with a pattern of waves. Smiling at her unbruised face that required no medical ointment, Hinata stepped out. Since she had nothing to do, she decided to just wander around, hoping that she would bump into Naruto, or one of her other friends.
Remarkably, she adventured for only an hour before Naruto appeared. He had yet to notice her, and he was sitting on a park bench, watching as people went by. As Hinata got closer, she could tell that the expression on his face was not a happy one. Concerned, Hinata sped up her approach.
Naruto was so in his own mind that he still hadn't realized that Hinata was right next to him when she was arms' distance away. Hinata gazed at him nervously. Gathering all of her courage, she reached out and gently rested her hand on his shoulder to draw his attention. Naruto lethargically turned his head to Hinata, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Hi, Hinata-chan." His voice was quiet, and his face looked tired. This was nothing like the Naruto that she was used to.
"Hi Naruto-kun. Are you alright?" Hinata asked worriedly as she took a seat next to him. Naruto looked straight ahead and nodded slowly.
"I'm okay. How about you?" He turned his blue eyes to Hinata, and as usual, Hinata felt her heart burn.
"I'm fine." She stopped answering, needing to gather her senses. Naruto chewed the inside of his lip, contemplating whether he should ask the question that was bugging him. He didn't know why it bothered him so much.
"I saw you with Kiba yesterday. You guys looked nice. Were you on a date?" Hinata turned in surprise to Naruto, her eyes wide. He looked back at her, a strange mix of emotions that she couldn't quite place crossing his face. Although it was a very serious situation, Naruto's question with the look on his face, and the thought of dating Kiba made her want to smile. Her smile developed into a giggle, and the giggle soon turned into full-blown laughter. Naruto watched her in surprise. He had never seen her laugh so hard, and while he was charmed by her joy, he still wanted an answer to his question.
Hinata took a few breaths to calm herself before answering his question. "Oh. I couldn't date Kiba-kun. He's like a brother to me." Naruto couldn't explain the relief that flooded over him at Hinata's answer. However, what she said next made him falter. "No, I have someone else that I like very much." Hinata felt her cheeks turning bright red, and willed herself to remain calm. She also refused to look at Naruto's face, desperately wanting to avoid seeing negative emotions on her face. Naruto didn't say anything, and to save herself, Hinata changed the subject.
"I'm glad that I ran into you Naruto-kun. I wanted to let you know that my father and sister have gone out of town, and will not be returning for a couple of weeks. Hopefully we will be able to find the time to train together for longer considering that my schedule is considerably more flexible." Naruto felt excitement and happiness bubbling in his chest. Any moment that he spent with someone meant a moment that he didn't have to spend alone, and being that this was Hinata, he was even more content with the situation.
"I look forward to it, Hinata-chan." Hinata felt warmed by his words and allowed herself to smile.
Hanabi ran calmly next to her father, the other Hyuuga members were not in immediate sight, having created a perimeter around the members of the main house in order to protect them. Her father and she had not said a thing to each other, and Hanabi could feel boredom crawling into her mind. She was still only ten after all, and her attention span was not very large despite her impressive maturity. After another hour of traveling in silence, Hanabi could no longer bear the silence. She sprang ahead enough to be able to have a direct conversation with him.
"Father, what do you intend to do on this trip?" Hiashi stayed silent for a few strides. Hanabi waited for his answer, knowing that her father would answer when he wanted to if he did at all.
"I need to introduce you to our allies as the new heiress. Our allies must be updated on new information. If they find out from any other source, they will be highly offended. I do not care to make enemies at this time. Fortunately and unfortunately we have many allies, and so we must travel much within a short amount of time." Hanabi nodded, and fell back to her place. The trees continued to pass by at a rapid pace, and it was many hours before they arrived at the first home.
The large compound belonged to an overweight, wealthy, middle-aged man who was in control of a large troop of soldiers that he had trained in a variety of martial arts and weapons training. Although he did not pose a major threat to anyone, especially not the ninja population, he could be a nuisance if he cared to. For this reason, Hiashi decided that he and his daughter would pay the man a visit.
When Hanabi and Hiashi arrived, their host waddled his way out to meet them. He looked at them joyously, but appeared surprised when he saw Hanabi a little bit better.
"Hello, Hiashi-san. And who is this?" Hiashi put his hands on Hanabi's shoulders.
"This is my youngest daughter, Hanabi. I have named her heir instead of my eldest daughter, Hinata, who you have previously met." The warlord looked concerned.
"Why is that? She's alright isn't she?" Hiashi looked at the man oddly.
"Yes, she is fine. I have just decided that Hanabi is more up to the task." Silence took over the time before a chuckle broke the air.
"Ah, I see. You figured out the marriage potential in your eldest, didn't you? You are a wise man." Hiashi appeared confused.
"I assure you I do not know what you are talking about."
"Of course you do! Beauty like that of your eldest daughter does not come often. Marrying her off could result in a very lucrative outcome for you. Especially considering that she possess the Byakugan. Why, if I wasn't so poor, I would consider petitioning you myself right now. Hahahahaha." Hiashi stared at the laughing man venomously. Hanabi felt self-consciousness rise up within her, and instantly hated the man that they were visiting. "Anyway, please come in for a short while and rest." The large man turned and led them to his home.
That sums it up for this chapter. I hope that you enjoyed it. A few more developments occurred within this chapter, and the fleshing out of more characters is being explored. Thank you for reading. Please leave reviews and thoughts. Thank you.
