Hyuuga Hinata; 3 Years Later

Age 15

-My Knight-

"Do you do this EVERY time Kiba goes on a mission?"

I looked up. Shino was standing over me. After I made eye contact with him, he sat down next to me so I wouldn't have to look up anymore. Kiba was on a mission and was scheduled to come back two days ago. I was nervous about him so I waited outside the Hokage's office every once and a while just in case he returned.

"Not normally." I answered with a smile.

"What makes this time so special?" he asked.

"I'm just worried about him." I replied.

"Well, we know he's not lost." Shino said after a pause.

"Getting lost is impossible for Kiba." I said.

I wasn't really concerned about Kiba getting lost, though. Now that we were older, we weren't required to go on missions with only our team. It was getting lonely only training with Kurenai since Shino couldn't find time to train with me. Kiba was still only a genin, but he went on other missions a lot.

"So what made you come here at this time?" Shino asked.

"I got a feeling Kiba would come back today." I said, hugging my knees.

But he didn't come back.

Shino and I stared down the road at where the returnees usually came from to inform the Hokage they had returned.

I hadn't even really told my father that I was going out. I had been gone over an hour and he was probably beginning to wonder where I was. As much as I wanted to stay behind and make sure Kiba got back, I didn't want to worry my father.

"I should be getting home." I said, standing up.

Shino only watched me stand up and then nodded.

"Are you leaving too?" I asked as I began to walk away, but slowly so I could hear Shino's response.

Shino didn't give a response. He just sat there and didn't say a word. Maybe… he was worried too? After all, there was no reason for him to be in this area.

When I got into my house, my father was there.

I thought he was going to be angry.

"Hinata, I was just looking for you." He said.

Yes, he was definitely going to be angry.

"Your friend, Ino, called." He said.

I blinked.

"She called?" I repeated.

He nodded.

"What did she say?" I asked quietly.

"She says she wants you to come to the local club at seven o'clock for a special surprise." My father replied.

Why was he even relaying this message to me? He'd never let me go.

"Oh…but…I can't go…" I said.

"Why not?" he said.

I thought about this response. Was he saying that it was all right for me to go?

"I guess I can go after all." I said with a smile.

He nodded and left the room.

Seven o'clock? That was only an hour from now! I had to get ready!

I hadn't really done anything strenuous today so I didn't think I needed a shower. I got half dressed and then decided that I should take a shower so I did. As soon as I stepped in the shower, I realized that this meant I would have to blow dry my hair so it wouldn't be wet when I went to the club. I had never been to the club before. I didn't know what to wear.

I got out and hurried to my room. It was impossible to pick out something to wear. What should I wear?

"Hinata?" came a voice as Hanabi's head poked in the door.

"Yes, Hanabi?" I said.

"Are you going on a date?" she asked.

That embarrassed me. "No!" I said. "I'm just going out with a few friends!"

"Are any of them boys?" she asked.

It hit me just then that I didn't even know. I didn't even know if Ino was going to be there. "I don't know…" I said.

"You should dress just in case there is a boy there." She said.

"Hanabi, what do you know?" I said. "You're only ten."

Hanabi shrugged and shut the door.

What if there was a boy there? What if it was…Naruto?

I blushed just thinking about him.

So I decided to dress as if Naruto was going to be there.

At 6:45, I couldn't wait any longer. I had done my hair, but not anything too crazy. If it was too different then it would look like I had someone to impress and I didn't want to look like that. I went to the front door and was stopped by my father.

"What time do you plan on being home?" he asked.

"Um…" I said. I didn't even know what I was going to do once I got there so I didn't know how to answer.

"Eleven." He said.

"Okay." I agreed immediately. That was much more generous than I had expected. If he had given me another moment to answer, I probably would have said nine o'clock. "Bye dad…"

He opened up the door for me and I went outside.

The door opened up again. I was afraid it was my father telling me that I had to be back earlier or that I couldn't go at all, but upon turning around I saw Hanabi standing there.

"I just wanted to see what you were wearing." She said. But then she gasped. "Hinata! You're not wearing any make-up!"

"I don't want to wear any make-up…" I said.

"You have to wear some make-up!" she argued. "At least some lipstick! I'll be right back!"

She shut the door and ran off. I felt like running off too. I didn't want to wear make-up, but I didn't want to make my little sister feel bad. If it was only going to be lipstick, I figured I'd just wash it off when I got to the club.

After a minute or two, she came back outside. But she was carrying a lot more than lipstick.

"Here!" she said, signaling for me to bend down so she could reach my face. I didn't know where she had learned how to put make-up on at her young age, but she caked my face with the stuff in only a few minutes. "There! Now go before you're late!"

"Um…thanks Hanabi…" I said nervously, turning away and going towards the club. I now had no idea what I looked like and was blindly going to a place that I had never been to with a nondescript group of people.

My heart leapt up into my throat when I saw Naruto standing at the entrance, looking around.

"N…n…" I stuttered. I cleared my throat and went over to him. "Naruto! Hi…"

"Oh, hey Hinata!" said Naruto. "I almost didn't recognize you with all that make-up on!"

I felt really embarrassed and put a hand to my face. "Oh…my sister…" I started.

"Hey, have you seen Sakura?" he asked.

"…N…no…" I said. "I just…I just got here…"

"Oh well." Said Naruto. "Maybe she's inside. You want to go inside?"

I nodded. Maybe this was the special surprise that Ino had mentioned.

"Let's sit over there!" Naruto said. "That way, Sakura will be able to see us when she comes in!"

"Oh-okay…" I said hesitantly. Was Sakura all he could think of?

We hadn't been sitting down for more than two minutes when I saw Ino waving to us with Sasuke by her side.

"Hey guys!" said Naruto as they came over.

"Hi Naruto, hi Hinata!" Ino greeted us.

"Hi Sasuke…" I said quietly, but he only nodded at me.

"Hey Ino, didn't you say that Sakura was coming?" Naruto said.

"She said she might come if she felt like it." Ino said.

Sakura really was all Naruto could think of.

"Hey guys!!" yelled Lee as he ran over. "Is Sakura not here?"

It seemed like everyone just wanted to know if Sakura was coming. Lee and the others spoke some more about Sakura, but I was feeling very awkward. Maybe everyone would have preferred if I were Sakura. Especially Naruto. I bet he expected to find Sakura here.

"Um…hey, how about we dance?" Ino said suddenly. "Sasuke? Do you know how?"

"Uh—" Sasuke said. "…Yeah…"

"Okay, let's go!" said Ino, grabbing Sasuke and pulling him up.

Ask me, Naruto…

I wished I could be as confident as that. I wanted to dance with Naruto, but I was too shy to ask him. He was sitting there, looking around the room for Sakura, and Lee was doing the same thing. I touched the condensation on my glass and waited, hoping Naruto would ask me.

Ask me to dance, Naruto. Ask me!

"Hinata," Naruto said. I looked up at him. He was going to ask me! "Do you see Sakura around ANYWHERE?"

I had gotten myself excited over nothing. "No…" I said.

"Maybe she didn't see us when she came in!" Lee said. "What if she's sitting by herself?"

"Let's go look for her!" said Naruto.

"Okay!" said Lee.

Lee and Naruto then stood up and wandered off to look for Sakura.

So then I was sitting at the table by myself.

It was funny. I had waited so long to get the opportunity to spend time with Naruto like this, but now I was kind of wishing that someone else were here.

I shook my head to get that thought out. This was my dream! To come some place with Naruto!

I caught something pink out of the corner of my eye, and turned around to see Sakura standing on the dance floor talking to Sasuke and Ino. She looked angry.

I quickly glanced around the room, searching for Naruto and Lee to tell them Sakura was there, but I couldn't find them.

Sakura then stomped off, almost exactly when Lee and Naruto came back.

"I have NO reason to be here if Sakura isn't." said Naruto. "None whatsoever. It's pointless. All I'm doing is sitting here."

I pleated my skirt nervously. Was this really Naruto?

"Well, at least Ino and Sasuke are having a good time." Lee sighed. I looked over at them, but tried not to stare. They didn't really look like they were having a good time.

"That's not fair." Said Naruto. "I wish Sakura were here."

Ino and Sasuke left the building without coming back to us. Were they really going to leave me alone with Lee and Naruto who would do nothing but wish Sakura were there all night?

"Um…Naruto." I said, standing up. "Please excuse me. I have to use the bathroom. I'm not feeling well."

"Oh, I'm sorry Hinata." Said Naruto.

I waited just a moment to make sure he didn't offer to go with me, but he was already back to searching for Sakura. So I nodded and went off to the bathroom.

I turned the corner and pushed the door open as fast as I could. I ran over to the sink and looked in the mirror, getting a first look at myself with make-up on. Now I really did feel sick.

I felt really stupid as I washed the make-up off my face. I already began to feel a lot better after it was all off and I looked like myself again.

"Naruto…" I sighed. "You're not what I imagined…"

Suddenly, the door opened. Kiba was standing there, looking right at me as if he knew I would be here. He looked really dirty and kinda tired as if he had just gotten back from his mission.

"Kiba!" I said. "You're back from your mission! You're all right!" Then I looked around. "And you're in the girl's bathroom!!"

"Hinata, YOU'RE in the BOY'S bathroom." Kiba said, pointing to the sign on the door.

I felt my face get really hot and red. "I don't believe I did that!" I gasped, running towards the door and under Kiba's arm so I was back out in the hallway. Even though I had only run a short distance, I was out of breath because I was so embarrassed.

"It's all right, Hinata!" said Kiba, coming out as well. "I won't tell anyone!"

"What a coincidence that you're here too!" I said. "When did you get back from your mission?"

"Around six thirty." Kiba replied.

I felt really bad that I wasn't there waiting for him when he came back and that I had been going out to a club instead. I mean, he could have been seriously wounded.

"Are you all right?" I asked. "Any injuries?"

"No." he said, shaking his head.

"Kiba, I was really stupid tonight." I confessed.

"Hinata, I HIGHLY doubt that." Kiba laughed.

I laughed a little too.

"No, I really was." I said with a nod. "But I finally realized something tonight that I should have realized a long time ago."

"Oh?" said Kiba. "And what's that?"

I couldn't say it. How could I tell him that I realized that I didn't actually like Naruto? After all, he didn't even know that I originally liked Naruto.

I shook my head. "Nothing." I said. "It's nothing."

Kiba shrugged. "Okay, Hinata." He said. That's Kiba. He always seemed to know when he needed to press for answers and when it was best to back off. "So… do you want to go home?"

"Yes." I said. "I really do."

"I'll walk you home if you want."

"No," I said. I needed some time to think. Kiba's good at comforting me, but I couldn't always just look to Kiba for consolation whenever I was feeling down on myself. "Thank you, though. I just need a little time to clear my head."

"You sure?" he said.

I nodded again. "Yes, I'm positive." I said.

"All right." He said. "Whatever you want, Hinata."

I made my way towards the exit.

I stopped at the door and turned around to look at Kiba. He was still standing there watching me leave. Maybe now wasn't a good time to be alone.

"Actually…" I said. "Could you…walk home with me?"

He smiled. "Whatever you want, Hinata."