Stella T. Whiteney- Prior to the events in Chapter 1 Naruto and Hinata had been apart (in terms of dating) for in between a year or two, I never specified, but it wasn't so long that their feelings for each other waned in any way. Hope that cleared up some of your confusion!
Chapter 7: Searching for You
The drops of blood slipping down past his knuckles never felt so satisfying.
Naruto straightened his fists out, ignoring the mild throbbing and cracking that came with clenching them. After all, the look upon Toneri's face had made it all worth it.
He had finally casted fear into his eyes. There was no way he could cover up the look with smugness or fake smiles as he had done so many times in the past, not when he caught the brief fidgeting of his hands at trying to block each of his blows.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Naruto questioned, watching a trickle of Toneri's blood slide down from his lips onto the cavern's floor.
Toneri opened his mouth to retort, an insult practically burning at his tongue and ready to roll off until he looked again at the glare Naruto was sending him and faltered. His fist was already rising in preparation to strike again, cerulean eyes dark and taunting him to speak up.
'I dare you to…say another comment about me or my relationship with Hinata. Question why none of the options you have tried to use to break us up have worked.' Naruto challenged him silently, jabbing his fist into his stomach before he could utter a thing.
Toneri let out a loud wheeze, garbled gasps for breath echoing into the walls. His stomach tightened from the impact and he quickly suppressed the urge to vomit and spit out the blood coming to his mouth as a painful thought occurred to him.
He was going to lose this fight.
Toneri straightened himself up to stand, gritting his teeth at his body's refusal to keep him steady. He was already beginning to feel dizzy and numb from how long it had seemed the fight had been going on, only the faint sound of footsteps approaching made him try to stay awake.
Naruto stopped his approach to listen in as well; the footsteps were getting louder; beating like a drum against the thick grass of the forest. It was then that they both recognized who was getting closer: Hiashi and his men.
Toneri chuckled in spite of all that had just happened, leaning back into the dampness of the cave's walls to relax. "Once he sees us, who do you think he'll believe; me or you?"
Naruto only snorted at the remark, eyes shifting back towards the entrance with a scowl. His mind slowly just beginning to swirl with where his misdeeds would take him this time. It wasn't like this was going to be the first time Hiashi insulted him or would find a way to get underneath his skin.
'You're not going to go after Toneri alone, are you?' Hinata's voice echoed to in the back of his mind from last night, lilac eyes watching, shimmering over with a worry he had seen so many times before.
That he would again start up his ugly habit of lying to her again when he felt it was necessary.
Naruto stiffened; the thrill of the fight quickly fading and all at once his senses overwhelmed with the odor of the blood he couldn't mask, anxiety that made him sweat, and the musky scent of the mud and shrubs he had gone through all for the sake of revenge.
'I was doing this for Hinata and Hanabi though, so I have no reason to feel guilty, right?' Naruto questioned himself, frowning when even that semblance of an answer didn't sway his mind over still taking vengeance where he felt it was deserved.
The news would eventually get back to Hinata and how would she react then? Loathe him that he used violence? End this affair they were having for good?
'I thought you weren't feeling guilty?' A bitter part of his thoughts reminded him, but he couldn't dwell on the thoughts for very long when the flicker of a flashlight shined past his eyes followed by an array of shouts of his name along quicker stomping.
Nothing about Hiashi's approach or style he gave off had changed as Naruto figured. Of course he had set his sight on him first out of the two, white eyes trying to silently pierce and coerce him into talking. The rest of his aides were already creating a barrier around the entrance; he definitely had no choice in hearing what he had to say now.
"Let me in, I have to speak to father!" Hanabi cried out, trying to push past the blockade of Hiashi's men. She had been the one to guide them in the right direction in the first place so why were the pushing her away now?!
Neji paused in tending to Toneri's wounds to stop Hanabi's actions, slowly pushing her hand back out of the cave. "You should be at the villa resting and getting cleaned up."
Hanabi simply scoffed, pushing away the hand he tried to reach out to her. "Why are you even tending to his injuries…after all that I told you what he's done; are you going to just pretend it was nothing?!"
She absolutely hated how cracked and tired her voice sounded in trying to be defiant and rebellious once more, how much of an effect Toneri appeared to still have over her family.
"Stop trying to push yourself or act mature. Look and think about what having an attitude like that can get you into." Neji spat back coldly.
Hanabi opted to cover the hurt at his words by biting her tongue; how had Hinata made it look so easy before? A part of her achingly wondering if it was only because she had grown accustomed to the verbal abuse and the constant struggle she had for father to see things from her point of view in matters that went beyond academics.
They both knew his response though was going beyond her recent foolish behavior; he was subtly jabbing at Hinata as well for apparently picking Naruto over family; over order.
She said nothing more as she watched Neji return back to Toneri. His eyes had opened briefly to catch her own and she shivered at the ghostly smile that graced his lips so slightly as if he had committed to one last objective before all of this had even happened. 'No, don't tell me; he didn't…!'
He silently mouth the answer to her query, that he had shared with everyone in room all of Hinata's dirty secrets including the exclusive photos; meaning Neji and Hiashi truly knew. Tears sprung to her eyes that this time she didn't push away; Hinata's once most private moments would soon become the perfect gossip for the elders of the family to whisper over.
And she had unknowingly been a part of it all; the catalyst that could lead Hiashi and Neji eventually to Club 81's doors.
Hanabi quickly shook the the thoughts away, forcing herself to focus back on Hiashi and Naruto. Hiashi had already leaned down to whisper something close by his ear and all of a sudden, it seemed like the color escaped Naruto's face; eyes growing wide and fists beginning to tremble.
His reaction was too anticlimactic and bizarre; no witty remarks or silly grins. All Naruto did was nod in response before Hiashi allowed his assistants to let him leave without anymore trouble.
"What did you say to him?" Hanabi questioned quickly, her father's face remained unreadable and dread started creeping back into her with how long he was taking to respond.
Soon enough, Hiashi shook his head and sent her a small smile. "Nothing for you to worry about, everything has been settled…I have-"
She didn't hear the rest of what he said, tuning it out his mindless ramblings only meant to keep her from causing another disruptive scene.
Instead, her thoughts began to race at the sharp change in Naruto's abrupt devoid expression. Maybe this might had been Toneri's plan from the get go, possibly knowing from the get go it would mean his own secrets would be revealed in the process.
Hiashi on the other hand was a man of power with it came silently boded his time; waiting for the moment when his opponent would slip and he would strike.
And in this case, it was the opportunity for him to truly separate Hinata and Naruto.
She let out a shaky breath, reluctantly following Naruto's silent retreat from the cave in a daze. The air surrounding the cave had grown warmer with the afternoon heat approaching, but she felt just as cold as if she were still pinned against the dampness of the cave's walls. Hanabi hugged herself tightly at the chill that came over her, sinking her head to gaze down along the forest trail shamefully. She had let slip another chance to defend Hinata and Naruto, been too weak to protect herself and Hinata's privacy, and trapped on the same repetitive thought that made her dizzy with worry.
'Naruto, why didn't you fight back father?'
-X-
"Say something to cheer him up!" Sakura hissed out, nudging Sasuke's arm once more. Her voice was too loud to even be considered a whisper, her gaze flickering back and forth between the two men beside her.
They had been lucky enough to somehow drag Naruto out of his apartment to Ichiraku's, especially considering not even Hinata had been able to commit to such a feat. Nobody had heard from him over the past few days since the Hyuga family's return from their mountain vacation and dammit she was going to get some answers before today was over!
Sasuke scowled, gently pushing her fingers away. His expression remained indifferent as he took in Naruto's appearance; blonde hair still disheveled and in unkempt from when they had awoken minutes earlier. He casually slurped at his noodles, paying no mind to his staring or towards the broth and stray pieces of meat that were falling onto his shirt and jacket.
He had never questioned him nor wanted to know about whatever went on in his relationship with Hinata and he wasn't about to ask now; no matter how strange the circumstances got.
Sakura pouted at his action before smirking. Of course if it was up to Sasuke they would all probably just sit here all day waiting for Naruto to speak up over why he was acting so eerily quiet and odd.
'Fine, I guess I'll have to be the one who gets things started.' Sakura considered, pulling out her phone and scrolling through it with feigned interest.
"Ah, I'm getting a call from Ino; I'll be right back!" Sakura suddenly chirped out in dramatic fashion, hopping out of her squeaky chair and heading off into the crowds with a small wave behind her.
Naruto turned slightly to watch go, arching a eyebrow curiously. "You know...she could've at least pretended to make her phone ring."
Sasuke merely shrugged at her antics, but couldn't help but smile a bit at her ridiculous attempt to get one of them to talk. At least with Naruto finally speaking up it meant that he wasn't going to have to be the one to try and initiate the conversation.
"So, how do you feel?" Sasuke started, swirling at his own bowl slowly. It was barely into the afternoon hours, but already it felt too hot to continue eating the rest of his ramen, the steam resonating from the brew making him uncomfortably sweaty.
"Like shit." Naruto grumbled, sighing as he saw the stains upon his clothes from splashing the broth around. 'Great, I'm going to have to do another load of laundry when I get home.'
"What exactly happened while you were up there at that resort? The last time we saw you in person you claimed you were out for revenge all high and mighty." Sasuke asked, moving straight to the point.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, leaning his head against his palm. "Who said I didn't get what I wanted and more?" 'It's one of the reasons I'm in this situation in the first place.'
"From rumors I've heard, Toneri has skipped town or at least has been lying low. Apparently even with the controversy surrounding Hinata and I, it's bad for the Hyuga's businesses knowing all he's been involved in and have to cut ties with him." Naruto continued on. It was probably the only positive thing he had gotten out of following Hinata on her trip.
Sasuke shifted in his chair, treading his next words carefully. "That doesn't explain why you've been so mopey or avoiding Hinata."
When Naruto said nothing, Sasuke grunted under his breathe. " If you're still keeping something from her; this means it doesn't involve Toneri anymore; right? Her family has never really stopped you from sneaking around to see her so why all of a sudden are you trying to stay hidden?"
Naruto scratched a hand through his hair, chuckling lightly. "Wow Sasuke, I think that's the most words I've heard you say in probably the past year!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at his change of the topic, he had to have guessed correctly going by that reaction, but it left him without answers. He traced Naruto's gaze towards the clouds passing overhead, his stare appearing to stretch out far out beyond the sky towards something maybe only he could see.
"I can't get close to her right now, Hiashi, Neji, and whoever else they have working for them are making my life hell right now to try and dig up on answers on what we've been sneaky about. So, Hinata shouldn't get involved in any of that embarrassing stuff or problems. They already know we've been hooking up again and it...it would screw up all she's worked so hard for if I told her what they may do." Naruto mused so quietly Sasuke wondered for a moment if he was still talking to him or more to himself now.
Sasuke sat up straighter in his seat, it wasn't a full answer to his question;but it was all he was probably going to get for now.
"I assume this doesn't change the fact you'll still be using Club 81's services again to meet up?" Sasuke mused.
Naruto let out full blown laugh at that, beginning to smile his first real grin since they had met up. "Of course not, that remains our private secret no matter how much they try to interrogate me or search my favorite spots for clues!" Sasuke quirked a brow at his strained smile, but shrugged it off; he wasn't about to pressure him anymore.
He was guarding and wording his speech pattern differently and Sasuke subtly looked around to look for suspicious passerby's; anyone nearby now could easily be working for the Hyuga's.
Sakura meanwhile smiled at the pair from afar, surprised at how quick Naruto was returning back to his normal behavior. She couldn't make out their conversation from her position, but she knew Naruto had said something juvenile telling by Sasuke's flat expression while Teuchi laughed along with him.
'I knew if one person could break him out of his funk it would be Sasuke. Now hopefully he can give me some answers that I can pass along to Hinata.' Sakura thought, grinning growing wider when met Sasuke's frown for her to hurry up and join them back already.
-X-
"You're call has been forwarded to an automated message. Please leave a message at the-" Hinata sighed, clicking the call off before she could hear the repeated message once more.
'Why won't you respond Naruto? What could father have done to make you abruptly be this distant?' Hinata pondered, running through hundreds of scenarios in her head based on what Hanabi and Sakura had told her.
It seemed like all of them always led back to the dirty photos Toneri had taken of her and Naruto weeks before.
She closed her eyes, blocking out the images before they could make her queasy and ashamed. Without warning, her phone began to buzz again next to her and she hurriedly opened her eyes in surprise to reach for it.
It was only Hanabi.
"O-Oh Hi Hanabi, any new things come up?" Hinata asked, chiding herself for how jittery her voice sounded. Maybe Naruto was having too much of an effect on her if she felt this on edge from assuming he was finally calling her back.
She could hear Hanabi's snicker from the other end of the line and she pouted, already knowing where the conversation was going to head. "What, did you think I was Naruto, hmm? I told you he's not mad at you or anything; father has him under some type of restriction or has been pressuring to spill the beans on your affair that I've been trying my best to find out."
"Naruto has never let restrictions stop him though, and you're sure Toneri has nothing to do with this?" Hinata pressed further.
"I'm sure." Hanabi stated curtly and Hinata fidgeted for a moment at the acidity of her tone. A week had passed now since they're return back to the rush of the city. To go this long now without any complete answers made her realize she had exhausted all she could out of her sister and her friends.
But that didn't mean she would give up because of that.
"If you really want to find him just try your little hangout spot, but I would be careful. Ever since Toneri let loose those photos father and Neji have been closely inspecting and watching the red light districts." Hanabi pointed out, referring to Club 81.
Hinata flustered, glad her sister couldn't see her reddening cheeks. She had never ventured alone into the club without Naruto or one of her friends by her side; they distracted her from all lewdness and perverseness that gave the club it's underlying reputation in the first place. Knowing now her father and Neji would have their assistants keeping tabs on the club and nearby areas furthered her anxiety at how long she could keep her rendezvous spot buried.
"I-I don't know if that's such a good idea, it wouldn't feel right to go there without being sure Naruto was there as well." Hinata mumbled. Especially not with the leers men often gave her no matter how much she tried to cover up.
Hanabi didn't seem to share her sentiment, teasingly mocking at her nervousness. "Oh, what's the big deal Hinata? You've gone there plenty of times before; the nudity shouldn't even be an issue at this point!"
Hinata squirmed at her usual bluntness, clutching at her bed sheets. "Yes, but you know I wasn't there for the dancing and shows...it was for the...the..."
"Yeah the incredible mind-blowing sex and thrill of having a secretive romance with Naruto or whatever. Geez, no need to be shy about saying the truth!" Hanabi finished for her, laughing at her stammering until her voice returned back to seriousness.
"I know going there alone may not seem like a good or even fun idea, but I'm sure the one person who knows where you can corner Naruto to get some answers will be there." Hanabi explained, making Hinata's head perk up in interest.
Between her and Naruto's shared friends, she had little idea of who Hanabi was alluding to until it occurred to her: Jiraiya.
Hanabi laughed at the loud sigh Hinata gave into the receiver. "Are you sure there isn't anyone else I could ask?"
"Nope! We both know he's your best bet; the sooner you find him, the sooner you can get back to your wonderful lovemaking sessions. Don't overdo it though; I don't want to be an aunt just yet." Hanabi purred out tauntingly.
Hinata let out a stream of protests at her innuendos, unable to even properly word them together before Hanabi hung up again on her with a snicker.
-X-
'I knew this was a bad idea.' Hinata repeated to herself, bumping too close again to another person. It was another theme night at Club 81, apparently a men and women's fashion show/ showcase your body was set to be held and she knew like all past similar events, it would rapidly take a turn for the raunchy.
The center stage was decked out for the performance to begin and she couldn't help but admire at least the club's efforts put in to attempting to make it a lavish affair. Gold curtains hid the contestants from the members and the catwalk glittered with the club's logo in the stream of flashing lights. The sex symbols for men and women aligned the judge's tables on both sides of the stage as people began to huddle near the front of the stage to get the best views, sneak peeks, and possible touches.
Hinata had been too caught up in staring until she felt the brush of a hand too close to her breast and she eeped, inadvertently decking the stranger hard with her elbow into his stomach.
The man in question wheezed, sending her a glare as he started to topple to the ground as he slurred out a mix of curses and grunts. "What the hell is your problem girl?! Don't expect to come to a club like this and not get some attention with the clothes and body you got!"
Hinata immediately grew numb, feeling her face flare up at the stares and whispers she got from his loud reaction. She wasn't even trying to dress sexy or appeal to anyone, having gone with a simple sleeveless blue cocktail gown. It was definitely far cry from the birthday dress she had worn weeks before; way too tight and showy.
'Ugh, how am I supposed to find Jiraiya in this sea of people? I don't even know if he's here! Maybe I should go home and try again another time.' Hinata thought, moving to get as far away from the man and the noise as the curtains pulled open.
"Woo-hoo, I can't wait to see what you ladies have in store for us tonight!" A familiar voice crooned out and Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat as she willed herself to turn back around.
Sure enough, she could faintly make out Jiraiya's spiky white hair amongst the crowd, loudly cheering by the men's side of the booth. Not only did he appear to be a judge with his 'official' blue ribbon pinned to his shirt, but this meant it would be near impossible to get close to him without getting close to the action of the show as well.
Hinata slowly took in a breathe, straightening out her shaky legs. "If I can find out where Naruto is or what he's been keeping from me, this will be worth it."
She was going to have to keep repeating that mantra if she was going to make it through the rest of tonight.
The first thing she noticed the closer she got to Jiraiya was the growing scent of alcohol and sweat; not enough to make her nauseous, but enough that she began to feel mildly lightheaded. Glancing around, she realized nearly everyone in the audience had a drink in their hands or a cigarette.
'How does he put up with all of this booze and smoke constantly?' Hinata asked herself, though she quickly found her answer. It was his connections that had allowed it and made it possible for him to get giddily getting caught up in taking pictures with most of the female fans before the show started. She shuddered at the attention he was oddly getting, even his not so subtle groping wasn't getting him slapped or pushed away like it would at probably any other club.
Unsurprisingly, Jiraiya swiftly noticed her before she could say a word. "Oh, Hinata what are you doing lingering around here away from Naruto? I would think he'd be acting as your personal bodyguard with all the men around here tonight."
Even though it had been hard to make out Jiraiya amid the noise, her heart thumped in realization at his inquiring.
Naruto was here as well.
"Where's Naruto at? I've been trying to find him." Hinata asked quickly, scowling faintly when Jiraiya only rubbed his chin in amusement.
"Heh, that tone and face you're making must mean some trouble in paradise, huh? Hmm, I suppose lust and all those other desires can't win you two over all the time, no matter how good it gets in the bedroom. Am I right?!" Jiraiya considered, grin widening at her silence.
He talked about their sex life as if they were just discussing the weather or something mundane.
"A-Anyways, can you tell me where he is already please?" Hinata huffed, ignoring how hot her cheeks were getting.
Jiraiya shook his head, childishly waving a finger in front of his face. "No can do! That boy has been mopey hasn't given me any explanation these past few days and almost brought my mood down with him! If he's done something to annoy you, then have some fun by messing around with him to get even."
Hinata scrunched up her nose, gently pushing his finger away. The pungent smells combined with the blast of the DJ's music close by was becoming a tad too overwhelming now.
Jiraiya's perfectly composed smile wasn't helping matters either.
"You're not going to tell me where he is, are you?" Hinata eventually asked, relieved when the noise surrounding them slowly began to lessen. In the distance, she could slightly make out the head announcer calling for showtime in 10 minutes.
Jiraiya simply chucked lowly, sweeping over her figure with a smirk. "Hmm, well I think you have the bust and hips for it..."
Hinata casted him with a dirty look, causing him to quickly hold up his hands in defense from a possible slap or punch. "Whoa now, don't be so quick to anger! I was only going to ask if you wanted to be a part of the fashion show as well!"
The look she had gave him must have shown too much curiosity because he decided to elaborate further.
"Seems like one of the girls who was set to perform called in sick last minute, want to take her place as the 'angel'?" Jiraiya mused.
Hinata immediately shook her head, taking a far step back from him. "O-Of course not! I never liked seeing any of these gentleman shows or contests anyways!"
Jiraiya huffed, pretending to appear hurt at her words. "Funny though, you don't seem to have any problems using the rooms upstairs with Naruto though...this should be your way of paying me back for enjoying those nights!"
"That's different and you know it! We only come here because my family doesn't know about this place. " At least she hoped they still didn't based on all that had been going on.
Jiraiya remained unfazed, by now nearby club goers on the dance floor and by the bars had headed over to take seats by the stage. He carefully glanced behind Hinata and noticed Naruto's distinct blonde hair on the other side of the club, back faced away from the growing commotion soon about to pick up again.
'Damn it, I am not letting the one chance to get Hinata of all people to join this show. That brat better turn around and see all this effort I'm putting in to get them to at least to see each other before tonight ends!' Jiraiya thought, glancing back towards her and putting on his most charming smile.
Hinata continued to dissuaded, but blushed and faltered at his next lines. "I bet if you put on sexy show, Naruto is bound to come by here. I lost him as soon as we entered, but he'll surely be interested if it's you up there." He lied.
"N-Naruto and I don't need to do things like that openly to get each other's attention...besides you're asking too much of me right on the spot." Hinata murmured, she would not cave in to Jiraiya. Sakura and Ino were one thing, but not Naruto's old mentor.
Jiraiya abruptly reached out to shake her shoulders. "Don't worry about the minor stuff like that! Think of it this way, you can taunt Naruto a bit for how he's been acting and this can lead to new stuff for the bedroom such as cos-play, BDSM, role-play..."
Hinata coughed to interrupt him. not wanting to hear anymore about his endless sexual ideas. "You could find any other willing girl in this crowd to do this and yet, you keep trying to get me."
"Well besides the answers I've already given you, don't you use this club as an escape and measure to break out of your comfort zone and social pressures involved with being with Naruto? Every argument you two may have now and in the future doesn't necessarily have to always be solved with words, actions do go a long way after all, but I'm sure you already knew that, right?"
Hinata bit her lip, internally sighing as she let him drag her towards backstage to get ready.
How was he so annoyingly spot on about their relationship?
-X-
"Leave me alone old man, I'm not going to go watch your stupid sex show just because you're judging it!" Naruto griped, focusing his attention back on the television's recap of the latest sport events.
Jiraiya rolled his eyes, shoving away his nearby glass so hard it nearly teetered off the edge of the bar. "And I keep telling you tonight's show is going to be different! Besides, it's not like you're really focusing on the TV and trying to drown you sorrows doesn't appear to be working, let loose your perverted side a bit tonight like I've taught you!"
Naruto simply snorted at his jab towards his drinking and lechery, taking a glance down into his dark amber glass of vodka. One gulp had been enough to burn at his throat and he nearly choke to the point he almost called the bartender back for water.
"You know Hinata's dad and cousin have been putting me through hell, let me have this day where they can't bother me or know exactly where I'm at." He countered, swirling at the dissolving ice in his glass. He felt like disappearing as well, he had already scoped the area and knew they're wasn't anybody around who would go running off to tell another secret of his.
Jiraiya heavily slammed at his back, making Naruto jump and let out a curse. "Idiot, just get over to the main stage before midnight when the show ends, okay?"
Naruto brushed him off, watching him practically run to go take his place back at the judge's table. He lazily turned his head to peer at the center clock's time. The colorful stream of lights that had once been streaming across the dance floor were no longer in sight and he squinted his eyes to adjust to the darkness and see it was around 10:05 currently.
'Damn, how long have I just been sitting here?!' Naruto thought, stepping away from his chair to stretch his arms and legs out. It wouldn't have looked good if Hinata had saw him like this.
Hinata...
She hadn't tried calling or texting today and a gnawing feeling was brewing up in him that maybe another guy had caught her attention.
'No, Hinata wouldn't do something like that.' Naruto considered, scowling at where his thoughts had taken him.
"Ladies and Gentleman, we apologize for the wait, but we've found our replacement for the ladies side! So sit back and enjoy the show!" Jiraiya's voice rang out, calming the commotion from the crowd.
Naruto rolled his eyes, sinking back further into his seat; out of the corner his eye he could see men and woman dressed in their most provocative attire striding across the stage . Why had he even bothered coming here without Hinata; just trying to not think about her in the one place they were always supposed to meet at seemed pointless the more he dwelled on it.
"And for tonight only, we have our special guest the 'Angel' don't be shy and strut your stuff!" Jiraiya exclaimed proudly, aware that Hinata was trying to remain hidden behind the gold curtains.
'That's an unusual nickname to give just one of the random entertainers.' Naruto considered, turning for a moment to fully actually see the show.
The shock nearly made him fall out of his chair.
Hinata was discreetly trying to stay out of the crowd's stares and the flash of their phones by staying halfway behind the curtains, covering the blue-green sequins adorning her two piece bikini themed outfit. Unfortunately though, the light blue halo and wings attached to her wardrobe was only making her stick out more than she wanted.
'He never said I was going to actually have to walk out on stage!' Hinata thought frantically, gripping at the curtains tighter. It was hard to keep her thoughts together with the audience's yelling of urging her to come out. Even her fellow competitors already out on the stage were waving for her to come out already, but then in the midst of it all cobalt eyes caught hers and a new wave of nausea came over her.
She subconsciously hid herself further into the darkness of backstage to avoid the mix of confusion and surprise upon his face. Naruto's gaze stayed fixed in her direction, only briefly breaking his stare to run over to Jiraiya to chatter and berate him who scoffed before beginning to randomly point as if giving him directions.
Hinata studied his pattern of where his hands were going, eyes widening as she scuffled the curtains closed rapidly and stepped back.
He was pointing him in the direction of backstage and the show wasn't even over yet!
She squirmed at hearing his footsteps approach minutes later, his uncomfortable cough making her finally turn to look at him. Hinata relaxed a little at his embarrassed expression, clearly trying to keep his focus away from her breasts and nether regions.
"Hey...you found me and to think I've been the one trying to find you all night." Hinata greeted softly, trying to say something that wouldn't so awkward after having not spoken in awhile.
It would've been much better if she wasn't half naked at the moment.
"Heh, yeah I did, why is it you somehow always get talked into dressing seductively? I could understand Sakura and Ino talking you into it, but not that old pervert." Naruto asked, brushing a hand through his hair to try and relieve at the tension between them.
Hinata fiddled with the loose strands on her outfit, distractedly tugging at the wings that were starting to make her back itch. "I-I wanted to your attention somehow...granted I know this wasn't the best way to go about doing it, but when Jiraiya told me you were here too..."
"No, no I understand. I'm sorry I've been an ass and keeping things from you lately by ignoring your calls and lying. It's just all this crap your dad's been putting me through I didn't want-" Naruto was quickly cut himself off at the sharp look Hinata sending him.
"Wait, what exact crap do you mean he's putting you through? What he is trying to do now to sabotage our relationship?!" Hinata reiterated, bitterness lacing her tone as she balled up her fists. 'They've been keeping quiet from Hanabi because they knew she would tell me. I'm sure Neji and probably his assistants are in on this as well, why are they going through all this effort?'
Naruto chuckled weakly, patting her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. It was unusual to see Hinata so infuriated, but a part of him was secretly happy she wasn't attempting to take her anger over everything that had been happening out on him.
Hinata huffed, casually moving out of his grip. "You're not off the hook yet Naruto; I'm still mad that you've been keeping all this from me. T-This show was originally also meant to tease you into getting to look, but not touch. I guess Jiraiya's part of coming up with that plan worked out a bit, right?"
Naruto blinked at her suggestion and abrupt stutter, reddening at her peek towards his pants; seeing he was aroused. "Well, it's hard to not get excited around you, especially when you're wearing that!" Naruto emphasized, smirking at her own flustering face. She squirmed when took a step closer again, nearly fumbling back into the wall until Naruto caught her.
"Stop keeping secrets like this from me." Hinata murmured against his approaching lips, moaning lightly when his hands descended underneath her sequin bra.
"I know; I know..." Naruto grunted back, molding their lips together slowly. She reacted back quickly to his slight surprise; fingers reaching to grasp at his shirt, longing to be near him and forget briefly how frustrated she felt over her family.
Naruto was the first to break away, hissing when she agonizingly guided fingers against his clothed erection. He studied her expression carefully as he moved back, searching for the same lust that came whenever their touches became heated; that passion he craved more than he wanted to admit having been away from her for what seemed like so long.
'You can't keep ignoring the reality of your situation, sex can only make you temporarily forget for so long...' His thoughts interrupted before he promptly tuned it out.
"Where can we go?" He whispered fervidly against her neck, shifting to grind their hips together.
"Changing rooms." Hinata bit out, gasping when he abruptly lifted her up to carry her to the area. In a blur he had her pushed up against the closed door, unclasping at her bra in a frenzy. Her vision grew blurry as his lips descending along her stomach and upwards, panting out his name when he finally moved to nibble at her breasts. Hinata continued to messily fumble with his belt until he gently pushed her hands away, unbuckling and unzipping his pants and pushing down his boxers just enough for his erection to be free.
"Wrap your legs around me; we need to be quick and quiet about this." Naruto whispered out, his voice taking a deeper edge at how close they were to intimacy. She nodded her head faintly at his command, following his lead in moving her hips upward as he guided the tip of his member in-
"BANG!"
They both froze at the noise, simultaneously turning towards the door as the loud knock resonated though the air.
"Hey, I'm glad to hear you decided to take my advice Hinata even though you got the crowd excited for nothing! Whenever you two are done taking care of business; I'll be the bar!" Jiraiya's voice cheered out, footsteps fading just as quickly as they had came.
Hinata waited until she was sure nobody else was truly close before she slowly slid off of Naruto, too embarrassed to look at him directly again as she moved to grab her tossed away bra. Meanwhile, Naruto was grumbling curses under his breath as he adjusted his own clothes. 'That bastard interrupted us again...'
"Anyways, let's get out of here and talk somewhere more quietly. We don't need Jiraiya or any other perverts listening in on us or trying to make trouble for us." Naruto eventually spoke up, reaching out to grab her hand and force her too look at him. 'And there's no way in hell I want to hear or see any other guys trying to masturbate or get lucky with her.'
Hinata nervously broke his hold on her again, gesturing towards her clothes hung up in the closet. "At least let me change back into my regular clothes; I don't want to walk around in this anymore."
"Oh, of course!" Naruto stated, turning around to give her some privacy.
He felt tempted to peek over his shoulder and question if she needed help putting on her clothes, partly wanting to finish what they started before their conversation inevitably became serious and romance was the last thing they would be thinking about.
'I'm not going to push my luck; I'm fortunate and content just knowing she hasn't left my side...yet.' Naruto thought, gritting his teeth at the fear that was creeping up on him over telling her what her family was threatening to do. Of the haunting words her father had said to him days before.
"Everything you and Hinata have been working so hard for in school I can make you lose in mere seconds..."
A/N: Hello, I decided to post a bit earlier than normal; I honestly can't think of a time when Hinata was ever seriously mad at Naruto so writing that part was amusing and a bit difficult unless somebody knows lol. I also don't think I can say it enough times, but thank you so much for reading and all the feedback! :D
