An owl hooted.
For a moment, that was the only sound in the clearing, other than the occasional 'whoosh' of the torch and tentative chirps from the crickets that had gone silent at Naruto's approach.
Naruto watched Hinata. She had become wobbly at the sight of him, and then backed away until she was in the shadow produced by one of the training posts.
"Hinata?" He wondered why she was acting so shy again. It was like stepping back into the past. All of his other friends had seemed older and more self-assured. Hinata was the lone exception.
"Ummm… Naruto-kun…" Hinata stepped back out into the moonlight, allowing Naruto a chance to get a good look at her. "I… ummm… I wasn't prepared to see you again…" She shook her head, as if she had said something nonsensical, or had admitted more than she wanted to. Truth be told, she had never told Naruto how she felt about him, and needed time to arrange her thoughts. Especially after her lonely Waka recital.
Naruto stood staring at Hinata for a few moments, before realizing what he was doing. It was rude. But, like with his other friends, he was interested in how she had changed. "You've gotten taller, Hinata." She had. But, while she had been taller than him when he left the village, he was taller than her now. Somehow, that was a relief.
"You… ummm… you have too, Naruto-kun." Hinata grimaced when she tried rubbing her fingers together as she had once been prone to do. It wasn't because she was resurrecting a habit she had done away with. The motion caused her pain.
"But not in the same ways that you have…" Naruto froze, foot figuratively wedged in his mouth. While the kimono hid the more relevant details, there was no way to avoid noticing that the young woman had matured in ways that girls were prone to do. "I didn't mean… well I did, but…" He sounded like an imbecile.
To cover his embarrassment, he bent over and worked to relight his Lantern. It was supposed to stay lit. What's more, the added light would help him see Hinata better. That is, if he stood closer to her. Striking a long wooden match along the roughened side of his sandal, he opened the door to the decorative fox and lit one of his few remaining candles.
Hinata's eyes stayed on Naruto's face, rather than moving to the small glowing fox form or the bag sitting on the ground near it. "I… ummm… I hadn't heard… I didn't know that you had come back…" There was a catch in her voice, and she was shuffling her feet some. "I hoped…" She had gone to a lot of trouble to look her best, based on a long shot.
"I'm back," Naruto said with a loud exaggerated sigh. He began pulling some thorns out of his robes. Where had they come from? He didn't remember walking through any pricker bushes. "But, only for this festival." He frowned. "The Hokage didn't leave me any choice…"
"You did not want to return?" Hinata asked. "You are not enjoying the festival?" Her voice changed subtly.
"No… of course not… who wants to walk all that way for this?" He nudged his Lantern with his foot, almost knocking it over. "I mean, there were some fun parts, I guess…" He put his hands behind his neck, walking in short arcs. "How about you? Why aren't you down with everyone else?" He bit his tongue. That wasn't very smooth.
"I… ummm…" Hinata looked down at her feet. "I was…" She looked up into Naruto's eyes for a moment, and quickly looked away. "I wanted to get stronger…" She swallowed hard. Naruto might not be the most observant shinobi of the Leaf, but he had a good idea that Hinata was too shy or embarrassed to mention her true reason.
"That's always great," Naruto said, making a face. Hinata's kimono looked even more beautiful when he saw it close up. "But you're dressed up so nice, and your hair…" He watched as the moonlight shone of the faceted crystals again.
"I…" Hinata put her hand to her hair. Her blushing was invisible in the available light. "Thank you…"
"Huh? I wasn't complimenting you," Naruto answered automatically, feeling like a cad. "But… well… you know… there's reason to compliment you…" Why did saying that kind of make him feel funny?
"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata didn't now what else to say. She was feeling very dizzy again.
"Hey, you don't have to keep thanking me." Naruto said. "That's… well… you know…" He looked down at his Lantern again. He should probably broach the subject. It certainly would be something that was easier to talk about. "Didn't get offered a Lantern?" Great. That was even smoother, yet!
"A number of boys offered," Hinata admitted. "But… ummm… they were not…." Hinata looked away from Naruto. "They were not who…" She couldn't get any more words out.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, right?" Naruto said. "That you were asked, I mean." He kicked at a rock on the ground, feeling uncomfortable again. Why? Because he didn't feel a need for bravado around Hinata? That kind of attitude had helped him approach all of the other girls. "As cute as you've become, a lot of guys must have noticed." He flinched. She had become cute. That was unexpected. But, his saying something like that was the real shocker.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun…" Hinata brought a hand to her mouth. Her eyes went very wide, reflecting even more moonlight than before. "Oh… I'm sorry… I said 'Thank you' again…"
"Yes… well… it's not the end of the world or something." Naruto couldn't help but stare at Hinata. She had once been a small, shy, dark weirdo. 'Plain' would have been a very good word for her before. She was still acting kind of weird. Shy too. But, she could no longer be called plain. "So, is there some guy you like, but he asked someone else?" Remarkable. He had done it again.
"I don't know if…" Hinata looked down at the fox Lantern. "I don't think he did…" She felt her heart racing. That was getting much too close to being an admission. She didn't know if she was ready for that.
"So there is someone!" Naruto struck a pose, proud of his deductive reasoning. "But you…" He deflated somewhat. He felt disappointed. He made a face, pursing your lips. "If you don't know whether he offered his Lantern to someone yet, why aren't you down where he could find you?"
"It's… he… ummm…" The pressure was just too great. Hinata trembled slightly. "Did you… ummm… did someone accept…"
"No." Naruto sounded bitter. "I tried everyone that I saw." He clenched his fists. Why was Hinata hanging her head like that? "But, I didn't see you until now…" He was not about to tell her that she had slipped his mind entirely. Something caught his attention. "Why are you holding your hands like that?"
"They're… ummm… it's really nothing, Naruto-kun…" Hinata put her hands behind her back.
"Huh? Nothing?" He made a face. "What's that over there!" He pointed. When Hinata turned, he moved quickly, taking hold of one of her wrists. He turned over her hand. His own hand felt kind of sticky. It's blood. Your hands are bloody!" Sure enough, the skin had been torn away from Hinata's palms.
"It's… I…" Hinata suddenly felt very foolish. "Having waited for Naruto to show up earlier, she had given up and come up here, trying to find some way to get things off of her mind. She chose to practice, since getting stronger was something that the two of them both strove for. The pain in her hands had almost made it easier to overlook the aching in her heart.
"Let me see," Naruto said, picking up the Lantern and shining the light on Hinata's injured hands. He then walked over and illuminated the pole she had been practicing on. There were bloody handprints everywhere. "This is crazy…"
Hinata had felt a surge of warmth spread through her when Naruto touched her arm. But, admonition had her lowering her eyes again. "It was… I just…"
"Hey! Do you have one of your small jars with you Hinata?" Naruto thought back to his fight against Kiba. "You know, the kind you had at the first Chuunin exams."
"Yes," Hinata said, nodding her head. "In my purse." She looked over at the base of one of the further posts. "I'll…" Soon she was talking to thin air. Naruto had flashed away to retrieve her handbag.
"OK. Come sit over here." Naruto pointed to a stretch of lawn. When Hinata had complied with his command, he opened a jar that he had found in the purse. His hand hadn't fallen off, but it had felt strange to rummage inside a girl's purse. "I'll just put some of this on."
"No!" Hinata said, louder than she intended.
"This is no time to be brave or stupid, Hinata!" Naruto scowled. "Now give me your hand."
"That's… ummm… that jar is lip balm, Naruto-kun." Hinata actually managed a shy grin.
"Lip balm…" Naruto closed his eyes. "Alright, so we know who the stupid one is." He handed the purse over to Hinata. "You find it." He didn't want to stick his hands in there again. But, her hands were raw and bloody. "Never mind, I'll do it." Hinata smiled, watching Naruto's antics. That only had him feeling even more self-conscious. "Uhhh… lipstick… errr… who knows… hmmm, this stuff smells like that medicine…"
"Yes," Hinata said.
"Great. Good. Fine." Naruto made a face. "Why don't you have them labeled or something?" He shook his head. "Girls!" He held out his hand. "OK, give me one of your hands." Gently, he began working the medicine into Hinata's wounds, stopping briefly whenever he heard a loud inrush of breath. "Next one!" He repeated the process. "Now, Uzumaki Naruto to the rescue."
He had been told repeatedly 'No weapons.' So, of course, he had placed a small weapons pouch under his robes. Reaching inside that, he brought out a roll of bandages.
"I'm sorry, Hinata. I guess I have hams for hands…" Naruto struggled somewhat with the gauze wrap, leaving Hinata's hands looking as if they had grown to twice their natural size. "I might have put a bit too much on…"
"You were…" Hinata swallowed hard. "They're wonderful." She held up her hands, unable to keep from giggling when she saw them in better light.
"Wow. Great way to say 'Thank you.' Nice." Naruto made a face. That had Hinata giggling any more. She knew that she sounded childish, but couldn't stop. It actually had her feeling good.
"I'm sorry," Naruto-kun." Hinata had to hide a grin behind her hand.
Naruto glowered at Hinata for a moment, until he began feeling foolish. "Are you developing a sense of humor or something, Hinata?" He tugged at one earlobe.
Hinata shook her head. She simply felt so much more alive, now that Naruto was nearby. But, there was no way that she could tell him something like that, was there?
"I heard the poetry kind of stuff," Naruto said, looking for something to say. He had forgotten about his lantern for the moment. "It was kind of sad." Now, why did he bring that up?
Hinata remained seated, and placed her bandaged hands in her lap. She wouldn't lie, if she could help it. That meant silence was her best approach. The silence became uncomfortable to Naruto. That silence stretched on long enough to be uncomfortable for both of them.
"Is there someone you've really come to like, Hinata?" Naruto felt compelled to ask that. He had looked over at the fox Lantern again. While it was OK to ask any girl, he might feel uncomfortable offering the Lantern to Hinata if she had her heart set on someone else.
"I…" Hinata bit her lip. The next words came out on their own: "Did you see Neji… did he tell you…" She tensed up, feeling the urge to run and hide somewhere. Now that she was sitting so close to him, some of her bad habits were returning.
"What? Neji?" Naruto made a face. "You can't actually like your cousin that way…"
"N-N-No…" Hinata shook her head.
"I did see Neji. He wasn't too happy about being made to do this festival stuff, either." Naruto frowned. Ten his eyes widened. "He did tell me that there was a girl I should ask…" He had finally begun putting two and two together. "But, he wouldn't tell me her name, or let me know where to look…"
"Good…" Hinata fidgeted for a moment. "I mean…"
"So… any way…" Naruto was tired of trying to dance around the subject. That was not the Uzumaki way. Usually, he just plowed ahead, letting the chips fall where they may. "Since you don't have a Lantern or anything…" He stopped, thinking back to what Ayame had coached him about earlier. He might as well just throw the Lantern at her and say 'Here, take it!' He coughed. Gift giving is an art form. Friendship, honor, and even gratitude. That was the thing he was supposed to remember. "Wait… let me start again…" He had begun sweating.
Hinata sat patiently, holding her breath. She shivered slightly, but not because of the chill breeze that had swirled around the two of them and then gone on its way. Was Naruto going to offer his Lantern to her? Was her dream about to come true?
Naruto decided to offer a gift before the Lantern. Somehow, that seemed more appropriate. But, what gift? There were three to choose from. Ayame had made it sound like he should decide on only one. Her mother had been of an entirely different opinion.
"Hey, Hinata…" Naruto slowed down. He was supposed to be dignified, or something like that. Reaching into his bag, he tried to recall the points that Ayame had made. "I know this gift is insignificant compared to you, Hyuuga Hinata; but, I would be grateful if you would see fit to accept it from one such as me." He had grabbed one box at random, unable to decide again.
Hinata sat frozen. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Not only had he offered her anv gift, he had done it in such eloquent fashion. She pinched herself, to make certain that she wasn't dreaming.
Naruto began fidgeting. Was Hinata trying to find some nice way to let him down easy? Probably. Why did he even bother to get his hopes up? But, Ayame had told him that some girls will politely refuse a gift once or twice before accepting it.
Hinata reached her hands out tentatively, as if she were going to try and remove a booby-trapped seal or touch something that might be very very hot. A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks, coursing down under her chin. She took the box off of Naruto's hand and cradled it in her arms.
"Thank you for this gift, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled. Her whole face opened up, like a flower about to bloom. "I accept." She wiped one of her eyes, and then the other. "The words were…"
"Pretty clumsy, huh?" Naruto looked down at his sandals. "It was easier learning Rasengan…" Why was she crying? Was she sad that someone else hadn't asked her. Or, was she happy. The look on her face suggested that. Maybe she had been afraid that she would be overlooked and forgotten. He certainly knew how that felt.
"No…" Hinata shook her head. "Very nice…" She worked up the courage to look him in the eyes. "Thank you."
"Hey… well… why don't you wait to thank me until you see what it is…" Naruto twitched. He was feeling really uncomfortable for some reason. "In case you don't like it or something." He coughed again, looking for something to cover his uneasiness. "You know, the box isn't the gift." He felt better, joking like that. "The gift is inside it." Did that sound moronic only to him?
Hinata tried to open the box, but dropped it. That had Naruto making a face and smacking himself in the forehead. "Here, let me help you. I forgot about your hands."
"It's OK, Naruto-kun…" Hinata kept struggling with the box. "I would like to do it." She couldn't explain to him how that would make things all the more special for her. "This…" There was a loud inrush of breath when she saw the small placard inside. "This is so…"
Naruto cringed. He expected to hear Hinata say 'ridiculous' or 'silly'.
"This is so wonderful." More tears raced down Hinata's cheeks. She ran one bandaged hand over the placard. "I had been watching the stars earlier… I had wished on one…" She didn't mention that her wish had come true.
"So, you mean you like it?" Naruto felt relieved. He found himself striking a seated pose, as if he was Lee or Gai.
"I love it, Naruto-kun." Hinata felt her face growing warm, having used the word 'love.'
Naruto felt very strange. Hinata's reaction had touched him. He liked the fact that he had made someone happy. That had him reaching inside his bag again. "I have others gifts too," he said. "I wasn't really certain. So…." He placed another gift in his hands and bowed.
"A-Another g-gift…" Hinata looked to be overwhelmed by an abundance of riches. "But you don't have to…" She shook her head.
"Huh?" Naruto instinctively spoke big. "Well you know, there are some girls that will refuse a gift one or two times before they finally take it." He shrugged. "Doesn't make sense to me. But then, neither do girls…"
"Alright," Hinata said. She smiled, able to talk this way with Naruto. In some ways, he didn't seem to have changed all that much. That was fine, since she had been carrying the same outdated image of him in her head and heart for more than two years. "The gift is on the inside, right?"
"Maybe you're smarter than I thought," Naruto said, suddenly realizing that he was feeling very relaxed. That was certainly a nice change!
Hinata opened the package. She smiled. "These look very nice, Naruto-kun. If you like, I'll share them with you." She offered him a cookie she had nibbled on. Blushing, she pulled it back and offered him a fresh one.
"Thank you." Naruto bowed, causing Hinata to giggle again. If her father had been there, she would have gotten an earful. Giggling was not a noise made by Hyuugas, especially not those of the first house of the Main Branch.
Hinata set the second box aside, and tried to wipe her mouth on a handkerchief that kept falling from her bandaged hands. Naruto grabbed the cloth from her, and dabbed it on the corner of her mouth for her. That had them both coughing and looking away.
"One more, Ma'am." Naruto said, feeling gratified that this fancy stuff was coming easier by the moment. Too bad Granny Tsunade wasn't there to see it. She probably didn't think he had it in him.
Hinata opened the third gift. Her eyes went wide again, after seeing the item inside. This one was perfect too. How had Naruto been able to pick out things that touched her so well, without even knowing who might accept the gifts? Was that Fate? Should she take comfort in that, getting her hopes up?
"It's so beautiful, Naruto-kun…" Her voice cracked. "Its's so perfect, for tonight…" Bowing her head, she spoke a verse filled with emotion:
-
"On the eternal
Course of heaven's river,
Over the upper shoals
Spans the bridge of jewels;
By the downstream shallows
A boat floats ready;
When rain falls
Without a breath of wind
And wind blows
Without a drop of rain,
"Not wetting your skirt,
Don't wait, come to me!"
I cross the bridge of jewels."
-
"Well… hey… I don't know if it's that special…" Naruto tensed up some, not knowing how to feel in face of Hinata's reaction. "I mean… it's just jewelry…"
Hinata shook her head. It was certainly more than just jewelry for her. Fresh tears fell into the box she had just opened, leaving dark spots on the tissue paper within.
"Uhhh… I guess you must have liked them all, then…" Naruto put his hand behind his head and looked up at the night sky. He glanced at Hinata out of the corner of his eyes. He swallowed hard. Her eyes were luminous, reflected the moonlight. His heart skipped a beat. He could imagine her being some kind of creature from the folk tales he had heard as a child. Kitsune and other spirits took the form of women.
Kitsune. The Fox Women. That had Naruto looking over at his Lantern. Now that Hinata had accepted his gifts, the rest was a formality. He smiled. She had accepted his gifts. That suffocating mantle of shame was lifted away! He fought the urge to grab her hands, run with her through the dark, and parade her through the town.
"They are the most wonderful gifts that anyone has given me," Naruto-kun." Hinata's voice was barley audible. "Ever…"
"Oh… yes… good…" Naruto felt a lump in his throat. "Hey. We're not done yet, you know, Here we go." He picked up the fox Lantern and sat it down right in front of Hinata.
"It's so cute…" Hinata smiled, running her and over the Lantern.
"It's not…" Naruto had squared his shoulders, but let them slump back down again. "OK. It is. It's alright for it to be cute, now that it's a girl's."
"Naruto-kun…" Hinata smiled and shook her head. Boys.
Naruto looked at the boxes flanking the glowing fox. He raised one eyebrow, his curiosity getting the best of him. "So… do you know what you want to name your star?"
"Ummm…" Hinata rubbed her bandages together, since she couldn't do the same thing with her fingers. "I…"
"It's alright if you don't," Naruto said, holding up his hands. I mean… how many people go around naming stars…"
"I do," Hinata said, blushing when those words slipped out.
"Huh?" Naruto looked at Hinata as if she had grown a second head. "You do?" He scratched his head. "Do you have a name picked out already?"
Hinata nodded. She looked up at the sky, but didn't say anything.
"Well?" Naruto felt anxious for some reason. He hated having to wait! There was that patience issue, again.
Hinata closed her eyes for a moment, and then shook her head.
"Come on, Hinata." Naruto began tapping one finger on the side of his thigh. "Give!"
Hinata shook her head again, brisker this time.
"Shit!" Naruto's eyes went wide. "Uhhh… sorry…" He tried to sound nonchalant. "So. Why won't you tell me. Not that it's a big deal or anything."
"It's a secret," Hinata said. It was. She didn't want to tell anyone, especially him. She might melt.
"Hey, that's…" Naruto clenched his fists. Girls were so aggravating! But, boys were clever. "Never mind. It's alright." He hung his head. "I guess I'm not the kind of person you can tell things like that too." he sighed.
"I…" Hinata wasn't stupid. She knew that Naruto must be trying to trick her. But, part of her wanted very much to tell him. It was a very small part, but very persuasive. For all she knew, this might be the chance she once hoped for. It might very well be the only chance she might ever have. "OK. I'll tell you." She looked up into his face. "Please don't laugh…"
"I promise," Naruto said. "It's my Ninja Way."
"The star I wished on tonight," Hinata said, needing to use every bit of her willpower to continue. "I think of it as Naruto-kun." She didn't add 'because it's so far away, and means so much to me.' Her face grew impossibly warm.
"WHAT?" Naruto jerked. That had caught him completely off guard. "But… why?" He stared at Hinata. "I hadn't even given you the gifts yet…"
"Ummm… if it's something you don't want…" Hinata's face grew troubled. " I didn't mean… if you wouldn't…" She hung her head, pausing for a while. "I won't make that official with the Registry. You might not want a shy dark weirdo naming a star after you…"
Naruto stared at Hinata again. He held out his hand and spoke very seriously. "Hinata, may I have the Lantern please?"
"Y-… Y-… You want it back…" Hinata felt her throat go dry. She knew that she shouldn't have told him!
Naruto took the Lantern. He stood up and held it close to her face, lighting up her features. "You're not dark, Hinata-chan." He placed the Lantern's handle around one of her hands. "It's OK to be shy." For some reason, it felt very important to reassure her this way. "And you have plenty of time to work on the weirdo part…"
"I…" Hinata made a face. That time it was Nauto's turn to chuckle.
"Didn't your mother tell you never to make faces like that?" He rocked back and forth enjoying his mirth. "It might freeze that way!"
"You can have your Lantern back," Hinata said. She smiled a shy smile. It was impossible not to.
"Really?" Naruto reached out his hand, but Hinata moved the Lantern out of his reach. He scratched his head. "Hey, Hinata. Why did you think about me when you were looking at the star?" He furrowed his brow. "And why that poetry stuff?"
Hinata felt a chill pass through her. She shouldn't be surprised that Naruto asked such an obvious question. She wondered if she had set herself up for this subconsciously. Just the same, she couldn't simply come out and say what she felt. Even if she could get a certain word or two out, that wouldn't begin to encompass everything that he had meant to her.
"When you were in the hospital… after going to bring Sasuke back… I visited you every day." Hinata felt as if it was difficult to breath. "But I only came in the room when I knew you were asleep."
"But…" Naruto wondered where this was going. He kept his mouth shut. He would let her say what she could.
"When you left the village with Jiraiya… I watched you go… hiding behind a telephone pole…" Hinata couldn't look Naruto in the face. "I was too shy to come out and say 'Good bye'."
"There was someone there!" Naruto exclaimed. "I knew it!" He had felt as if there was someone watching him. "But why would you want to watch me, Hinata-chan?" That just didn't make any sense to him.
"Because I've always watched you, Naruto-kun." Hinata spoke so quietly that she needed to repeat what she had said.
"That's because I was your inspiration, right?" Naruto nodded his head, almost as if he wanted that to be the answer. He was beginning to feel somewhat edgy.
Hinata nodded. She opened her mouth, but was afraid to go on. How had she gotten this far as it was? Gathering up every bit of her strength, she pushed on. She had passed the Chuunin exams. She could do this. All she needed to do was keep thinking the words 'last chance' over and over again.
"Yes…" Hinata said. "When we were in the Academy." She looked down at her hands. One held the star pendant. "But… ummm… there was more…" There was no way that she could use the word 'crush.' "You stood up for me against Neji… I started liking myself more…" She wanted to say 'I started liking you more, too.'
"You were very brave," Naruto said. "At least, when you were backed in a corner."
"No," Hinata said, shaking her head. "Kiba told me to quit, if I faced up against my cousin or Gaara. I would have." She looked up at Naruto. "I couldn't… not with you watching…"
"Me?" Naruto asked. This had begun to sound like something more than simple inspiration.
"You helped Neji, too." Hinata's eyes were filled with adoration. "That helped me. I got to go home again." She thought about her family. "Father accepted me back, even though he showed my cousin more attention." She thought back to the arena. After her own match with Neji, she hadn't healed as much as the medical ninjas had hoped. She missed the climax of Naruto's match against her cousin. "You taught him a lesson he was too proud to learn from anyone else."
"Well, it wasn't as if I was really trying to do that." Naruto felt somewhat embarrassed. He wasn't as wonderful as she made him out to be. "I just stood up for what I believed in."
"I know," Hinata said, sighing. "That's your Ninja Way. You stand up for the people you care about, too." She felt a little more at ease, speaking about the things that she had seen or heard about on many occasions. "You helped my cousin. You helped that boy, Gaara. You saved Sakura. You brought back the Fifth Hokage. You went to bring back Sasuke." She hung her head, knowing that most be a sad subject with him.
"I didn't do too well on that one, Hinata." Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't bring myself to kill him, so I was at a disadvantage."
"But he didn't kill you either," Hinata insisted. "He could have; but, he didn't. That's probably because you reached him, too." She almost added 'because you're so wonderful.' Instead, she said "I… ummm… I was so worried for you when you were gone."
"You were probably worried for everyone," Naruto said, clearing his throat. "Right?"
"Yes," Hinata admitted. "But… ummm…not the same way." She pulled at a strand of her hair that had gotten free of the hair net. "I was very sad when you left the village to train. I didn't want you to go, even though I knew it was best for you." She marveled at the fact that she had talked this long and said this much. "When you were gone, I tried to be strong. I tried to get even stronger…" She paused. "Because of you. She paused even longer. "Always because of you…"
"Yeh… right… OK…" Naruto felt even more uncomfortable now. "I guess those are all good reasons to name a star after me." It seemed as if Hinata had come dangerously close to making some kind of confession. Even a dumb ass like him could begin to see what she might be feeling. He didn't know how he should feel,
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata sat up straighter. She hadn't come out and said what she felt directly, but she had done much better than she ever believed possible.
"What?" Naruto fidgeted. She wasn't expecting him to go all personal too, was she?
"When we go back to the festival, will you be dancing?" Hinata looked away, feeling very shy again. "My mother taught me the Awa and Hanui. I… ummm… I could probably teach them to you…"
"Dancing?" Naruto twitched, hating when he did that. "Hey. Dancing is just kind of… well it's…" He made the mistake of looking at her face. Her eyes were so big. She looked like she might break into a million pieces if he said 'No.'
"It might be fun, Naruto-kun." Hinata couldn't cross her fingers, since the bandages were so tight.
"Hey, you know, if our friends are there…" Naruto could make this concession. "Then maybe we should be there too…" That did make sense. It would be nice to see his friends in a more light-hearted setting. "If." He probably did have some kind of obligation to her after all. He did offer his things to her. She did accept.
"If our friends are there," Hinata repeated. Feeling as if things couldn't possibly get any better, she looked down at the fox Lantern. "I never saw a lantern like this, Naruto-kun. Why did you choose a fox?"
Naruto immediately stiffened. His face must have changed dramatically, because Hinata looked worried. Looking down at the Lantern with an accusatory glance, he said "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. It's a secret." He stood up. "We really should get going. Things will probably get started soon."
Hinata stood up, too. She gathered her gifts all together, hoping she could carry them all without losing anything. "May I put these in your bag, Naruto-kun? They won't all fit in my purse." She held back the jewelry, asking Naruto to place the pendant on a chain, and then put the necklace around her neck. He did so while sweating a bit.
"OK! Let's go!" Naruto looked more than ready to get moving again. When he started walking, Hinata stayed where she was. "Hey. Hinata. What's wrong?" He made a face. "You better not be expecting me to carry you or anything. It's just your hands."
"I told you my secret," Naruto-kun." Hinata bit her lip. She was afraid to say anything that might spoil the mood. But, while she never came out and said directly how she felt, she had given as many clues as she could. That had been very difficult for her. "After that… I guess I… ummm…"
"It's different," Naruto said, wanting Hinata to drop the subject. She couldn't possibly have any idea just how different it was. "It's something I have to keep secret." He sighed. "You would be happier if you didn't know. Trust me." Part of him wanted to tell her. No, not merely her. Part of him wanted to tell everyone. In some ways, just getting the secret out in the open was the most important thing, even if more people ended up despising him.
"Naruto-kun… I would listen to any problem you have…" Hinata shuffled her feet some. "I… ummm… if I could help you somehow…"
"That's…" Naruto felt touched by Hinata's words. She really did want to help him. She didn't just want to do what was best for Konoha by doing what was best for 'the boy with the fox,' she wanted to do something for Uzumaki Naruto himself. "Thank you, Hinata-chan." He shook his head. "All those things you said about watching me. You might want to stop watching if you knew."
"No," Hinata said, shaking her head. She looked up at Naruto, a pleading look on her face. It always bothered her, not knowing what Naruto might be doing or how he might be feeling. Now, tonight, at this very moment, it mattered to her even more. "Never."
"It's easy to say that," Naruto said, feeling a strong feeling of trepidation to go along with temptation. "Because you don't know what I do." Naruto clenched his fists. "Some people would accept it. Others would hate me." He spread his hands wide without thinking, a way of saying 'I don't want any of my friends to hate me.'
"Is this a secret you can keep forever?" Hinata asked. "Will I find out later?"
"It…" Naruto kicked at a rock embedded in the soil. "More people will probably find out." He thought about Akatsuki. When they moved, more shinobi would need to know the story.
"I see," Hinata said quietly. "Do you think poorly of me, Naruto-kun?" She was afraid of the answer she might get. "The way that Neji once did… the way that my father still does…" Why did she ask that? She was speaking way too much tonight. To Naruto of all people!
"No," Naruto said quickly. "This…" he turned away and walked off into the darkness, shaded from the bright moonlight and out of the range of the Lantern. He didn't want Hinata to get the wrong impression. But, this was more important than one girl's feelings. Tsunade and others had told him quite plainly, not to tell anyone who didn't need to know. But, that was one more reason to do it, then! He was tired of being told what to do. Especially today, after all the crap he had been through. "OK…" He walked back over to where Hinata was waiting. "This is stupid, but…"
Hinata felt herself trembling again. Naruto was willing to share some great secret with her. What did that mean? Did he trust her? Could he end up caring more about her than he did the other girls? She nodded, and then listened attentively.
"Hinata-chan, what did your father tell you about Kyuubi?" Naruto had to clear his throat. He was an idiot, doing this. But what else is new?
"The fox demon." Hinata's face looked eerie in the red light of the fox Lantern. "That's the greatest enemy of the Hyuuga clan." She shivered, thinking back to all of the tales that her father had told her. "When it attacked, almost the entire village was destroyed. Many shinobi died, fighting the monster. My grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts and uncles were lost, all except my father's brother who…" Hinata paused. Naruto already knew that story. "Many in the Hyuuga clan died. We were once one of the largest families."
Naruto watched Hinata's face. He promised himself to go ahead with things no matter what. Once he started something, he never liked to back down.
"The Fourth Hokage died, killing the Kyuubi." Hinata sighed. "Nothing can ever be as bad as that demon was." She looked over at Naruto. "Why did you ask me that, Naruto-kun?"
"Jiraiya told me that there are nine powerful demons known as Bijuu." Naruto said. "They are beasts of immense power, over-flowing with Chakra. Each Bijuu is identified by its number of tails. The One Tailed Demon , Ichibi no Shukaku, takes the form of a raccoon."
"Shukaku…" Hinata looked over at Naruto. She had heard about the Sand Demon. Was the monster that Naruto faced in the same category as the Kyuubi? How could Naruto have fought that battle to a standstill? No one ever told her much detail.
"Yes, the same Shukaku that the Sand sealed away inside Gaara." Naruto continued. "The Two Tailed Demon, Nibi no Nekomata, takes the form of a cat. The Three Tailed Demon, Sanbi no Isonade, takes the form of a horned shark. The Four Tailed Demon , Yonbi no Sokou, is part reptile and part rooster. The Five Tailed Demon, Gobi no Houkou, takes the form of a dog. The Six Tailed Demon, Rokubi no Raijuu, takes the form of weasel." Naruto rubbed the side of his nose. "Is this part boring you?"
"No," Hinata said, listening eagerly. She just liked to hear Naruto talk. Just the same, she couldn't figure out why he was talking about Tailed Beasts.
"The Seven Tailed Demon, Shichibi no Kaku, takes the form of a badger. The Eight Tailed Demon, Hachibi no Hachimata, also known as Yamata no Orochi, takes the form of a snake. The more tails a Bijuu has, the more powerful it is. That has often been the case, when such creatures fought among themselves." He looked over at the Lantern. "The most powerful of all is the Nine Tailed Demon, Kyuubi no Yoko."
"Is?" Hinata's eyes grew wider. She looked frightened for a moment.
"Yes," Naruto replied. "Kyuubi was not killed. The older generations know that, and have kept it secret for good reason." He placed his hand over his abdomen and took a deep breath. "The Jinchuuriki are the hosts of these beasts. Such people are needed, because the only way to defeat the Bijuu is to seal them within a newborn baby."
"Babies…" Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. "That's so…"
"Right." Naruto nodded. "Terrible." He sighed. "But, it's just another way for someone to do his duty for the Leaf." He swallowed hard, hoping that Hinata would see things that way.
"I don't understand why you are telling me all this, Naruto-kun." Hinata happened to look at the fox Lantern. It made her feel afraid for some reason. There wasn't some kind of connection, was there? Naruto wasn't going to tell her what she now dreaded to hear, was he? He couldn't. He just couldn't!
"So," Naruto said, feeling a sick sensation in his gut. That wasn't caused by Kyuubi, directly. The look on Hinata's face almost made him stop, never to speak on the subject again. "When the Nine-Tailed fox attacked Konoha, the Fourth Hokage sealed it away behind the navel of a baby. That child grew up lonely, and many of the villagers treated him cruelly."
"The child…" Hinata felt a great pressure building up inside her. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, wanting time to stop.
"During a fight with the criminals Zabuza and Haku, the boy was able to use some of the chakra of demon, when he thought his teammate had been killed." Naruto felt somewhat tense. Hinata would have heard of at least some of the things he would relate. "The chakara of the Demon Fox helped him defeat his enemy that day. It saved his life abother time, when he was falling into a deep chasm, by making it possible to summon the Frog Boss." There would be no doubt who he was talking about when he made the final connection. "When he faced his opponent in the Chuunin exams, and was attacked with Rokujuu Yonshou, his inner coil system should have been shut down after the sixty-four tenketsu were touched."
Hinata took a few steps back. She shook her head. This couldn't be true. This couldn't be happening to her. Not tonight. Not tonight of all nights. Not after she had finally seen some rays of hope. Her special person could not be a monster!
"The orange chakra that swirled around me in the fight against Neji…" Naruto said. "…Was the demon's chakra. When I am in danger of a death that would kill him too, the fox will lend me what I need. That's how I was able to stand against Sasuke, even though he had a curse seal."
"No…" Hinata took a few more steps. "Please… no…" The urge to run and hide was overwhelming. This couldn't be true. He was Naruto. The boy she had watched forever. The one that she had come to love.
"Kyuubi is here, Hinata." Naruto pointed to his belly. "He is the reason I went off to train with Jiraiya."
Hinata stumbled and fell down. She quickly got back up again, pulled in so many different directions by her feelings. Even if there was a fox demon inside him, he was still Naruto. He wasn't any different then than he had been in the Academy, as a genin, or the day he left the village.
But, she couldn't help herself. It was too much. Her image of him was shattered, taking with it her greatest dreams. It had been terrible when her mother died. It had been awful when her father cast her aside. This was nearly as bad. In some ways, it was worse. It was all too much.
"I told you…" Naruto's heart sank like a lead weight as he watched Hinata disappear into the darkness of the forest. "Why did I think it would be any different…"
On a night filled with so many frustrations and disappointments, he had walked up here and discovered something by accident. Someone actually cared about him. There was a girl who actually thought he was special. Nothing may have ever come of it. But, something might have! Now, it never would.
"The story of my life…" He looked down at the fox Lantern.
So close, and yet so far.