: rekindle :

: to make something anew


It was strangely quiet in Konohagakure, and the dark clouds covering the sky made it look dull and cold.

Well- It was dull and cold, actually.

"Something's missing" Ino said as she picked on the tomato in her salad "But I can't put my finger in it"

"Well..." Shikamaru sighed, placing down his tea, "... Maybe it's Naruto. You know... We haven't seen him running around the village for the past week and so"

"Oh, yeah" The blonde said as she nodded "You're right. And come to think of it, I haven't seen Hinata, either..! Did something happen? I mean, they just got back from their mission days ago, right?"

Choji immediately flinched, the meat in between his chopsticks almost falling.

The two males of the team looked at each other with knowing glances, knowing exactly what happened.

Without Naruto and Hinata running around, wreaking some sort of havoc in Konoha, it was almost as if the sun itself disappeared.


"Oh, come on, Naruto! You can't stay in there forever!" Sakura yelled as she continued banging on the old apartment door "We know you're in there!"

"Leave me alone, Sakura!"

"Now that's just childish!" The pinkette groaned as she stomped "Open up!"

"No! If Hinata, the girl who hates no one, hates me, then I deserve to rot alone and die!"

As childish as it sounded to the Haruno, what followed it was just scary, the sound of a flipping table and multiple shatters of glass. He was mad at himself.

When was the last time Naruto this worked up over something?

Well, the last time he got so worked up because a beautiful, Byakūgan wielding, woman frowned at him was during the war, and boy, was that not a pretty experience.

"Commit suicide, that's the fastest way" Sai said "She hates you, no point of trying to turn it around, just kill yourself already"

"Sai!" Sakura gasped before grabbing him by the collar threateningly "What the hell are you doing, moron?!"

"U-Using reverse psychology?" Sai nervously answered before getting shaked violently "SHANARO!!! Reverse psychology doesn't work that way!!!"

"You fuckin' Team 7 always causes us trouble, goddammit!!"

Sakura growled as Kiba suddenly shoved passed her with grump in his steps followed by Shino who was as silent as ever and Akamaru with a terrifying snarl.

"Fuck you, Uzumaki!" Kiba yelled out before having Akamaru break the poor door down into pieces.

"What the-" Sakura was cut off when the fuming brunette marched into the room, kicking everything in his path, even the broken vase shard which he would probably regret later.

Picking up the motionless blonde by the collar from his bed, Kiba threw him down to the ground and punched him.

Naruto, enraged by the sudden intrusion, caught the fist.

"You fuckin' bastard!" The Inuzuka yelled at the Uzumaki on the floor "I always knew you were trouble! I don't know why I keep hangin' out with ya!"

"What's your problem?! I didn't do anythin' to ya!" Naruto yelled back as he caught another punch, then Kiba yelled "Not to me, but to Hinata!"

Suddenly, everything fell silent again.

"You kept building her up just so you could break her, huh?" Kiba asked, pain etched all over his face, agony in his heart, "Why would you do that, huh? Why?! Hinata did nothing but help you! Why are you so ungrateful?!"

Sakura was surprised. The rough-and-tumble Inuzuka Kiba, the person of nothing but guts and confidence, broke down, because of Hyūga Hinata's sadness?

Suddenly, Naruto got pulled out from under Kiba and slammed against the wall by his collar, Shino snarling as he glared at the blonde from behind his goggles, "You're completely stupid if you think we're just gonna stand by and let Hinata suffer of sadness again because of you. Believe me when I tell you that I won't hesitate to kill you if you utter such words of insults about her to her face! Why? Because you don't know the effects of your words. What even gives you the right, huh? Who do you think you are? Hinata's so upset because of you!"

That's an even greater shock. The calm and collected Shino just raised his voice and resulted to violence, not even giving Naruto the benefit of a doubt?

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"

Naruto looked straight into the reflective lenses, seeing himself so weak and vulnerable through the eyes of others, teary eyed with a heavy frown, "She should be upset because she killed someone! Not because someone told her off!"

Sai watched the entire thing go down, and as emotionless as he is, he felt goosebumps.

"When I killed someone, I didn't feel remorse or shit! And people criticizes me all the time and says hurtful words, and I get upset at times!" Naruto yelled desperately, confused, "I feel so sad when I get insulted, but I don't feel anything about the one I killed... It's terrible... W-Why is Hinata like that?! Why is she like me?!"

The blonde felt as if a lump in his throat was preventing him to talk, but he kept going passed the pain, "She should feel regret! She should feel remorse! She should feel something! Anything! How can she overlook taking another person's life just like that?!"

And now they understood.

Naruto could see himself in Hinata. They were much alike. And Naruto's upset at himself.

He saw her as nothing but perfect.

So when her fault could not be overlooked...

"You are a loser..." Shino hissed.

Sakura itched to yell out "That's a low blow", but she held back, preferring to stay back for a while.

"An idiot. You're stupid. You're dense. You're obnoxious. Childish. Annoying. Poor. Informal. Short-tempered. And so many more" The Aburame growled as he pressed the Uzumaki harder into the wall, "But did Hinata ever put you down because of that? Huh?! I don't see her complaining, and I don't see her yelling at you for wanting to return a psychotic guy who killed hundreds! And there you were, yelling at her for killing less than him! You're a hypocrite! She would never fault anyone for their sins and their naivity, why? Because she accepts people for who they are, and not for what they've done... I suggest you do the same"

Tossing aside the blonde, Shino walked away, Kiba and Akamaru grumpily following close behind him, out of the apartment.

"We'll pay for the door" Shino told Sakura without stopping from his silent walk.

Sai stood still as he looked at his friend down on the floor at the other side of the small apartment, fretting over what to do.


Inside a dimly lit room, a lonely silhouette sat by the window with its head pressed against the glass shielding her from the heavy rain raging on outside.

Hinata's eyes reflected the gloomy scenery of her outdoor garden, untouched by her for days.

Terrible. That's how she felt.

With a heavy sigh followed by a small sniffle, she closed her eyes and bit her lip, sliding down further into the window seat as she hugged her knees.

"I shouldn't have insulted him... I was too stubborn and selfish that I didn't even listen..." She thought "I never listen..."

She was deaf to criticism, thus making her blind from her mistakes.

She was confused. How was she wrong? How was he right? Was she not right? Was he truly wrong? Whose fault was it?

No matter... She'll take the blame. All of it.

"... Hinata"

"E-EH?!"

With a loud thud, Hinata fell to the floor, "N-Naruto-kun?!"

Naruto waved at her with a sheepish smile from the other side of the window, wet from his head to his toes.

"W-What- Why-? Y-You'll get sick!" Hinata frantically yelled as she opened the window, letting the blonde in along with the cold air, "W-Wait here, I-I'll get you a tow-"

She got stop in her tracks as she felt his wet, yet still strangely warm, hand grasp her wrist, keeping her in place.

"No" Naruto said, keeping his grip firm, "Please... Hear me out first..."

The bluenette kept her back facing him as she froze in her spot, feeling stuck as she heard the strange desperation and soft volume present in his usually bright and loud voice.

It was as if there was an unseen force gripping her throat, keeping her from talking, hiding her voice for her not to use. Maybe it was her forcing herself to listen... Or it was just her own demons making her feel weak once more.

Either way, she wasn't fighting it. She won't fight... Just this once... For Naruto.

Mentally preparing herself for the worse, Hinata bit her lip hard as her free hand clenched in a tight fist, blunt nails threatening to pierce through soft skin.

"... I'm sorry"

And once again, she was shocked.

"I was a jerk and I oppressed you..! I should've listened to you and stopped talking! I was too self centered and thick headed that I-"

"N-No!" She cut him off, turning around quickly to face him, her teary eyes meeting his desperate ones, "N-Naruto-kun, you're wrong! I was the one who's self centered a-and thick headed! I-I always am..! Y-You were only trying to show me the errors of my way and looking out for me, but I never listen..."

"Hinata, you don't understand" He said, the way his face contorted into a sad frown and his entire form was soaking wet just added to him being completely miserable, "I got too caught up into just seeing your good sides that I never paid a glance to try and look at the bad ones. I-I didn't want you to be like me, 'cause when I took a life away, I felt nothing about it... I thought that... You should feel at least bad about it... I wanted you to be just this gentle and cheerful person that I didn't want to accept the fact that you were a kunoichi that is prepared for anything!"

Hopping down from the window sill and down to the wooden floor, he stood in front of her, taller yet vulnerable, he spoke out his realization "Hinata... That was terrible of me, forcing down a character onto you for you to embody. I only thought of myself and how well you treat me every day, every second that we're together, that I never thought of how you feel, how you think, what you do, and everything else about you... And I'm sorry"

"Naruto-kun..."

"But, this time, I swear... No matter what happens, no matter what you do, and no matter what you did, I'll stop and try to understand everything, dattebayo. I'll accept whoever you are, were, and will be!" Naruto loudly claimed as his deep cerulean eyes pierced into her soft lavender ones, "Hinata, please let me be selfish one more time and let me be part of your life, and you be part of mine..! I want to know everything about you, to hear your stories and mishaps, and I promise, I'll accept you no matter what"

"..." Hinata felt her heart flutter, and at the short moment that she found her voice once more... "On your nindo?"

It was as if that was just the right question for him to hear. He felt as if a large weight was lifted off of his shoulders. So he smiled, so serene and sincere, and shook his head, "On my life. Each and every one of it"

And as if she forgot that he was soaked, she jumped and hugged him, her face buried into his shoulders as she cried out "M-Me, too, Naruto-kun! I-I promise, f-from now on..! I-I'll hear you out, I-I won't turn a blind eye! I-I promise on my life, e-each and every one of it, too!"

And quietly, they slowly were together alone again. Not the sound of the rain, the cold air, nor the puddle of water below them bothered them.

Slowly, yet quickly...

Gently, yet firm...

They reconciled, with just a few exchange of words and understanding.

Well... Naruto did have a talent, afterall, into making everything ten times better... But not before making everything a thousand times worse.

"Hinata... From now on, I won't let go. No matter what the situation, no matter what the cost, and no matter what the day"


"Hahhhh! It's so hot today!" Ino yelled as she slumped into the street bench, fanning herself with her hand, "That's just cruel!"

"Can you be any more loud?" Shikamaru groaned as he laid on the grassy ground "Troublesome..."

"Well, just this time, but I just bought ice cream" Choji said as he handed his two friends a cold dessert each.

"TOOOOOOORAAAAAAA!!!!!! FUCK YOU, YOU CAT!!!!!"

"Naruto-kun, wait for me!"

Shikamaru boredly watched Hinata running after Naruto running after Tora running away from them from the other side of the street.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!! TORA IS ATTACKING, DATTEBAYO!!!!"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Well, I guess those two are back" Ino said as she snacked on the treat, making Shikamaru smile knowingly before feigning annoy as he said "No wonder"


Love is not about seeing your partner as perfect, but is about accepting with no conditions.


Sorry for the wait, you guys!

I think I'm done in the second out of the four phases of this book! We're done with the recovery from the war and forming a bond. Now! All's that left is how they would discover more sides of the other and, of course, the Last part!

Anyway! Character development? Check! Now time for more feelings in the air!

-OrenjiRabenda