Author's note: First off, I'd like to say that I am truly sorry for the late update, my computer decided that it would be fun to...mess with me. Following an incident with my computer, a hammer and me, it has agreed never to crap out again, again I'm sorry, I try to update the second I complete a chapter but my time is becoming limited, I've gone back to school and am currently swamped with homework so don't expect quick updates but I promise that I will finish this Fic or die trying. Thank you to all my reviewers for your kind words. This being my first fic, I was amazed that people would like it this much. I'm not sure how long this and following chapters will be but I don't think that they will be much longer or shorter than the third chapter, I'm doing my best to keep this story interesting.
On a story related note: I do intend to have most of the main characters appear at some point in the story. Naruto and Hinata won't be the only pairing that will appear in the story but it will be the one I will focus on ( in case you couldn't tell ) Please read&reveiw and remember that I am open to any ideas you may have.
Crutches: At your request, Neji will appear this chapter
Chibified Kitsunes: Your welcome, I loved your fic, it was one of the best fics I've read alongside, Twohalves, Nindo, etc. Sasuke and Hiashi both appear in this chapter. Would you mind if I borrow an idea or two from your fic? I really think that it could enhance my fic
Here you are, chapter 4. ( Better late than never )
Out of Sight, Center of Mind
Chapter four - Changes in attitude
After a blissful dream, Naruto woke feeling very relaxed. After remembering his dream, Naruto felt very hot in the cheeks, in this dream, Hinata had confessed her love for him, they spent the entire dream holding each other and saying sweet things to each other, The thing that scared Naruto the most was that he almost groaned in disappointment when he realized that it had all been a dream. He sighed deeply and waited for Hinata to come for him. The lack of birdsong outside suggested to Naruto that it was still pre-dawn, Naruto was starting to fully appreciate his sightless state, he never knew how calming the sound of the wind could be or the crunch of dirt beneath his sandals as he walked or the heavenly voice of Hinata,
"Damn it! why do I keep on getting these thoughts, its all that damn perverts fault, he's having a bad influence on me" Naruto grumbled to himself "Besides...its not like she would like me in that way" Naruto added sorrowfully. All of a sudden Naruto felt something rumble around in his bowels
"Oh boy! I completely forgot!" Naruto said to himself, knowing the consequences of having a bowel movement here in his bed, Naruto rolled out of bed and ran to the bathroom, through many nights of staggering around his apartment in darkness, Naruto could walk his way to the bathroom with his eyes closed, well when he could see, that is. On his quest for the bathroom, He managed to hit his foot of the bedside table, walk into the door and knock over a stack of scrolls that were near his door. Naruto proceeded to run into the bathroom and slam the door, to...take care of business.
Hinata awoke from a similar dream to Naruto's, although she 'usually' wakes up from that dream, except when she has dreams of not being good enough in her clan's eyes, looking over at her clock she realizes that it is just after six, she decides to get up instead of risking oversleeping again, She removes the covers and gets up, and walks over to her wardrobe to pick out her clothes for the day, once she decided on her clothes she took them into her bathroom, She removed her nightclothes and stepped into the bathtub and turned on the shower, after she had washed her hair and cleansed her body she stepped out of the tub and dried herself then she put on her clothes for the day, after brushing her teeth and combing her hair she walked out of the bathroom and proceeded out of her room and downstairs to breakfast where she met her father
"G-goodmorning father" Hinata said, feeling her head drop down, Hiashi eyed his daughter
"I have been told that you have walking around with Uzumaki Naruto" Hiashi said unemotionally
"Th-thats t-true, father, but I..."
"And I hear that you stood up to your teammate when he made fun of Uzumaki Naruto" Hinata briefly raised her head, she wasn't sure anymore of where he was going with this
"Yes father" Hinata replied, Hinata could see her father's face and he appeared to be...smiling? Hinata raised her head to get a better look at her father, he was definitely smiling, it was small but there was no mistaking
"F-Father?" Hinata was unsure about her father
"It looks like you are growing more confidant, my daughter. Maybe I was wrong about you" Hiashi said before turning around and leaving a speechless Hinata to her own thoughts
"He has never called me 'His daughter' before, I have never heard him admitting that he might be wrong either" Hinata said to herself after a few minutes of recovery, She decided to continue to the dining hall for breakfast but couldn't keep her thoughts off her father. As she sat down, a servant placed a tray of breakfast in front of her; it was a small breakfast, just a bowl of rice and a plate of small cooked fish with some green tea. As she ate, she felt another presence in the room, she turned around to see Neji walking towards her, she began to feel uneasy, she remembered how she bumped into him the previous day and how she didn't apologize. Hinata sat back around in her chair, waiting to hear what Neji had to say. He drew near and pulled out a chair and sat next to Hinata
"It's that Naruto, isn't it, Hinata-sama" Neji said, Hinata looked toward Neji, he no longer thought of her as an inferior person but now as a caring individual, although he was still easily annoyed, Neji was now a likable guy
'It seems that everyone but Naruto-kun knows' Hinata thought as she smiledwith a faint blush on her cheeks
"Is it really that obvious, Neji-nii-san?" Hinata asked, Neji's face now became very serious
"Hinata-sama, are you sure you want to do it? Remember, you don't have to, there are other ways of becoming stronger, are you sure you thought it through?" Neji asked, Hinata knew what he was talking about
"I know there are other ways, but I've thought it through, I thought about it almost all day on Monday, up until I heard about Naruto-kun, and I have made up my mind" Hinata said
"Hinata-sama, The first time I tried it, my body almost ripped apart, I urge you not to go through with it, I acknowledge that you have gotten stronger but I still think it's too soon" Neji said
"Thank you Neji-nii-san, but my father is starting to have greater expectations of me, I just don't want to let him down again, I want to do this" Hinata said, Neji looked at Hinata with a hint of admiration. At this Hinata stood up and walked towards the door, although it was only half past seven she decided to go out for a walk to think things over.
'I've always wanted to become stronger but I can never seem to amount to anything, now, I'm becoming stronger, I'm changing for the better, I know that I'm ready' Hinata thought
Once Naruto had 'finished' he stood up and washed his hands and brushed his teeth and noticing the smell around him, he searched around for his can of air freshener and sprayed the air, replacing it with a fresh natural smell, he sighed in relief and walked back to his bedroom deciding that it would be the safest place to wait for Hinata, While he waited he thought he might as well change but he had forgotten where he put his clothes last night
"I should really stop throwing my...OH GOD NO! MY BOXERS, SHE'S GOING TO SEE MY BOXERS ON THE GROUND, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?" Naruto shouted as the realization hit him, so he spent the remainder of his time on the floor trying to find his clothes, but he found nothing but his forehead protector which he placed on his bedside table for later, a few more minutes of crawling around on the ground and Naruto heard the locks of his door begin to turn
"Oh crap!" Naruto said to himself. Quickly he got to his feet and got back to his bed, and pulled the covers up to his neck as if he were asleep
'Maybe she won't see them' Naruto thought hopefully 'who am I kidding, of course she'll see them, she's going to have to hand me my clothes after all' He reminded himself. He heard the door open and shut and shortly after he heard his bedroom door open and someone enter, it had to be Hinata
"Naruto-kun are you asleep?" He heard Hinata's sweet voice, Naruto decided to stay quiet, He heard the opening of his cupboard and the clatter of clothes hangers
'She must be getting some clean clothes for the day, I wonder why I didn't think of that?' he then heard a squeak, one that he heard every time he opened his underwear drawer, Naruto gulped silently at this, He heard another squeak only this one seemed to come from Hinata, A few seconds later he heard the drawer and the cupboard close and footsteps approach him
"N-Naruto-kun, Its time to get up" Hinata said, nervous about holding Naruto's clothing. Naruto then felt a hand on his shoulder and gently shake him, Naruto decided to cut it out and 'wake up'
"Huh, Hinata-Chan, is that you? Naruto asked not even noticing that he added 'Chan' at the end of her name, Hinata blushed furiously but responded
"Yes Naruto-kun, it is me, I have some of your clean clothes, seeing as that you have been wearing your other clothes for a couple of days"
"Thanks Hinata-Chan, just put them down on the bed please" Naruto asked
'Something felt different I...Oh crap, I called her 'Chan' It just felt so natural though, and she didn't seem to mind' Naruto thought as he sat up in bed causing the cover to fall down
'I was right, he does look cute in those!' thought Hinata while her blush intensified. Naruto felt his clothes, trying to figure out which piece is what, He found his t-shirt and proceeded to remove his cap and pajama top, Hinata felt like she was going to faint from this, so she decided to wait outside, Naruto heard his door open and close
'Oops! I should of asked her to wait outside before I started getting changed' Naruto thought as he started to blush. He decided that it was easier to get changed while he was lying down, so he didn't take as much time as before, once he was fully dressed he reached out to the bedside table and picked off his forehead protector where he left it a few minutes ago. Naruto swung his legs out of bed so that he was sitting on the bed and slipped on his sandals. Now completely dressed Naruto walked towards the door to where Hinata was, He placed his hand on the handle and opened the door, He heard a noise that sounded like a gasp, he took one step forward before he felt something fall back on him, Hinata was leaning against the other side of the door trying to forget how cute Naruto looked in his pajamas when suddenly the door opened and she fell back, By reflex Naruto stuck out his hands to catch what ever it was that fell on him.
'Oh no! His hands are very close to my breasts' Hinata thought as she looked down to where Naruto's hands were,
"I'm s-sorry Naruto-kun I-I didn't mean to fall on you again I was just thinking" Hinata said as Naruto put her back on her feet
"Don't worry about it, Hinata-Chan, it was my fault, I should of called to you first" Naruto said cheerfully
"Naruto-kun, would you like some breakfast?" Hinata asked her embarrassment subsiding
"I would love some, Hinata-Chan, I haven't eaten since the ramen stand yesterday" said Naruto, Hinata smiled
"Okay then, have a seat at the table and I'll prepare some ramen for you" Hinata said
"You know me too well, Hinata-Chan" Naruto laughed as he sat down, Hinata was starting to get used to him calling her that.
"What would you like to do after breakfast, Naruto-kun" Hinata asked as she prepared the ramen
"Well, I suppose we could go and meet up with my team, I still haven't spoken with Sasuke yet" Naruto said unemotionally
"Okay then, that's what we'll do" Hinata said, pouring the boiled water into the cup of ramen and the rest in a tea-cup so she could have something to drink while she waited for Naruto
"What do you plan to say to him when we meet him" Hinata said, being careful not to say 'see'. She placed the cup of ramen in Naruto's hand and then sat down with her cup of tea
"I'll just wait to hear what he has to say" Naruto replied before eating his ramen, he was getting better at it, Hinata decided that she wouldn't have to help him this time
'Shame' Thought Hinata as she sipped her tea
"Hinata? I've been meaning to ask, What does your family think of you hanging around with me, I know how everyone thinks of me and your family wont be much different, will they?" Naruto asked, Hinata was unsure how to answer
"It's true that my father thought badly of you but know I think he is changing his mind, when I spoke to him this morning he didn't seem angry that I was with you, In fact he is starting to look at me differently" Hinata said, remembering her previous talk with her father and with Neji
"Well that's good Hinata, if he is starting to see what I see then your life should get easier, right?" Naruto said
"I just don't want to let him down, I may be changing but I don't think that I'm getting much stronger" Hinata said a little sadly, Naruto was confused
"Hinata, you are much stronger than you think, You had the courage to stand up to Neji when he was saying that you were nothing and just yesterday you faced down your own teammate when he insulted one of your friends" Hinata looked up at this and smiled
"Thank you, Naruto-kun" Hinata said feeling relieved of her past worries
"Your welcome Hinata-Chan" Naruto smiled his most caring and warmest smiles which made Hinata feel very happy, happy about herself
"Well, I'm finished my ramen, shall we leave?" Naruto said while still smiling
"Yes, Naruto-kun" Hinata replied as she finished her tea and set it down on the table. Hinata stood up and walked around to Naruto and placed his hand on her arm and carefully guided him out of his apartment.
Sakura and Sasuke were both waiting for Kakashi at the bridge where they usually meet, It's the first time they've seen their sensei since they got back from their last mission and Sakura is feeling a bit uneasy since it just didn't feel right without Naruto, Although she was happy that it meant a chance to get Naruto and her best friend to hook up, but she couldn't shake the thoughts of Naruto never being able to see again, This was the first time she was alone with Sasuke without trying to flirt with him, Sasuke notices this and decides to be the one to start talking
"Hey Sakura, Do you know why Naruto isn't here? I haven't seen him since the mission" Sasuke said, Sakura looked up truly shocked, she never knew Sasuke to say anything when he didn't have to
'He doesn't know?' Sakura thought to herself
"Sasuke-kun, Naruto is...injured" Sakura said, unsure of how to tell him
"...Injured?" Sasuke said, his voice had the slightest hint of remorse
"He can't see, Sasuke-kun, When you...When the flames hit his face, they damaged the nerves and cost Naruto his sight, and the chances are not in favor of him getting his sight back" Sakura Explained, afraid she just made him feel guilty
"It's my fault, If I had only aimed slightly to the left, Naruto would still be able to see but now, he will probably never be able to live as a ninja again" Sasuke said looking down in shame
"You mustn't think like that Sasuke-kun, If it was slightly to the right then you would've killed Naruto, He'll be alright" Sakura said, desperate to raise his spirits. They remained silent for another twenty minutes before they heard Naruto's voice, Sakura turned and waved to Hinata and Sasuke stood up straight, knowing that Naruto was approaching, Sasuke shot a glance to Sakura and she looked towards him
"Don't worry about it, Naruto doesn't hold grudges" Sakura whispered to Sasuke, Sasuke merely nodded
"Hi Naruto, Good morning Hinata-Chan" Sakura said cheerfully, Hinata Smiled and nodded
"Hello Sakura-Chan" Naruto said smiling, which dimmed when he felt the presence of Sasuke
"Hey, Sasuke" Naruto greeted, his voice lacking energy
"Naruto" Sasuke responded, an awkward silence loomed over them
"Kakashi-sensei is late again, I...see" Naruto said, breaking the silence, Sasuke decided to say something
"Naruto, I'm...I'm s-sorry" Sasuke struggled to say, everyone raised their heads and looked at Sasuke with awe
"Don't worry about it Sasuke" Naruto said happily, Hinata smiled and looked at Naruto and placed a comforting hand on his. With a smile, Sasuke turned around and looked over the side of the bridge, Naruto expected no less
"What have you two been up to then?" Sakura asked Naruto and Hinata
"Nothing much, Hinata-Chan has just been helping me around" Naruto explained
'Hinata...Chan?' Sakura thought as she broke into a smile, Hinata caught sight of this and blushed, she could tell what she was thinking
"Oh, Okay then. What are you two doing here anyway? I don't think you'll be allowed to do missions in your currant state" Sakura asked
"What? I'm not allowed to visit my own friends" Naruto asked, faking hurt
"Aww, come on Naruto, you know I didn't mean it like that" Sakura smile as Hinata and Naruto smiled back
"Yo, Guys" A voice came from behind them
"YOUR LATE!" Sakura screamed at her sensei, Naruto stayed quiet because he didn't have to be there
"Ahh, well the thing is, I put my forehead protector over the wrong eye and as I was walking, I started to copy a street mime who I saw on the way here" Kakashi said as he acted like he was trapped in a box, Sakura and Naruto were cursing under their breaths while Hinata giggled at Kakashi performing a mime, Given away by her giggle, Kakashi looked toward Hinata, who averted her eyes and then he looked to Naruto, Remembering that he was told by Tsunade that he had lost his sight Kakashi decided to say something
"So Naruto...is my 'cover up an eye with your fore-head protector' style catching on" Kakashi chuckled, Naruto forced a laugh, knowing that he was trying to make light of the situation.
"So what are you guys going to be doing today then?" Naruto asked Kakashi
"Well, that's the thing, I kinda forgot to tell them that there will be no missions for team seven until your condition is decided" Kakashi said, Naruto sensed an intent violent aura coming from both Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto knew what was about to happen so he put his arm in front of Hinata and gently pushed her back while walking out of the line between Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi
"Naruto-kun? What are yo..."
"Trust me Hinata-Chan, this could get ugly" Naruto told Hinata as he awaited the following moments
"YOU MEAN TO TELL US THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE HERE!" Sakura screamed
"And you have the nerve to show up late as well" Sasuke said although not as loud as Sakura it was dripping with anger
"Didn't I tell you about the mime?" Kakashi questioned, once again pretending to be trapped in a box, seemingly oblivious to their intent. Without another word, Sakura and Sasuke charged at Kakashi, screaming like banshees. A volley of kicks and punches were delivered to Kakashi only to have him disappear
"A GOD DAMN SHADOW CLONE!?" Sakura screamed. Naruto decided to try and diffuse the situation before they decided to hunt for Kakashi skin
"Well, since you guys aren't going to train, why don't you hang out with Hinata-Chan and I" Naruto suggested happily
"Sure" Sasuke said un-emotionally, secretly he was happy to be invited, it showed that Naruto didn't care about what he did to him
"I have to agree with Sasuke-kun, I can't g...What? Your actually going, Sasuke-kun? Well my day is free, I'll come as well" Sakura said, It wasn't that she didn't want to hang out with Naruto and Hinata, it's just that she would prefer to hang out with Sasuke
"Great! Lets go" Naruto said as he pumped his fist into the air and began to walk forward, unfortunately he forgot that he should've taken hold of Hinata's arm first, he cursed himself as he tripped over yet another rock sticking out the ground, Naruto fell flat on his face while Sakura snickered at him, Hinata however was a lot more concerned
"Naruto-kun! Are you alright?" Hinata asked as she helped Naruto to his feet
"It seems that every time I let go of you, I fall over" Naruto joked before both Hinata and himself remembered what had happened the previous night, both blushed simultaneously, Sakura noticed this and wondered what had happened
'It won't be long before these two get together' Inner-Sakura laughed. Hinata helped Naruto to his feet and placed his hand firmly on her arm
"Naruto-kun, please try not to move unless you are holding onto me" Hinata told Naruto. Sasuke gave Sakura a questioning look
'Just wait' Sakura mouthed to Sasuke and winked, Sasuke mentally kicked himself for blushing but was relieved to see that Sakura had turned back to Hinata and Naruto with a blush of her own
'Maybe she didn't notice, but why did I blush in the first place?' Sasuke thought to himself, but unknown to him, Sasuke's blush did not go unnoticed by Sakura
'What was that for?' inner-Sakura said, almost unable to speak
"Hey, Naruto, what are we going to do today?" Sakura asked, breaking everyone's line of thought
"Well, we could start by getting some ramen, then decide what to do from there" Naruto suggested
"Fair enough" Sasuke said
"Again? Naruto we spent almost all day yesterday at the ramen stand" Sakura said trying not to sound too irritated
"I didn't say we should spend all day there again, I just thought that we could think about we could do today, at the stand and get something to eat while we're there, besides you always think better on a full stomach" Naruto explained.
"Fine, lets go" Sakura said, taking the lead with Sasuke following after, Naruto started to walk forward as he felt Hinata guide him. The four of them made their way to the ramen stand and listened to Naruto explain his blind training methods. Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata all had their own thoughts on Naruto
'I can't believe how determined Naruto is even after he lost his sight he continues to push forwards' Sasuke thought with admiration
'He's strong and a true friend, I hope he gets his sight back' Sakura thought
'Naruto-kun, You are truly strong, I only wish I had the courage to tell you how I feel about you' Hinata smiled as she listened to Naruto explain about yesterday's training.
When they arrived at the Ichiraku, Naruto was explaining that no matter what happened he would get through this.
"Naruto-kun, we're here...again" Hinata said to Naruto
"GREAT! Well, Lets go inside already" Naruto said, earning him smirks from his companions, Hinata guided Naruto inside and helped him onto one of the stools before sitting herself down, Sasuke and Sakura sat down next to Hinata
"Welcome" Greeted the owner as he looked at his latest customers "What'll it be?" He asked happily
"Miso for me please" Naruto ordered excitedly
"Uhmm...Some chicken ramen for me please" Hinata requested politely
"Same for me please" Sakura asked
"I'll have today's special" Sasuke said. The owner smiled and turned around and started to put the necessary ingredients into the bowls
"So...any ideas yet?" Sakura looked around the group
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I'll take that as a 'no' then shall I?" Sakura said as she rested her head on her propped up arm. The 'annoying' three-minute waiting time for ramen passed and no suggestions had been put forward
"Here you are, enjoy!" The owner said as he placed the four bowls in front of his customers
"Maybe the ramen will help" Sakura said as she picked out some chopsticks and started to eat.
Hinata reached for two pairs of chopsticks and handed one to Naruto
"Do you think you'll mange Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as she broke apart her chopsticks
"I'll do my best, but can I count on your help if I run into trouble, Hinata-Chan?" Naruto asked cheekily
"Of course Naruto-Kun" Hinata replied in the same tone, smiling. Naruto broke apart his chopsticks and carefully lowered them into the bowl
'Strange' Sasuke thought, noticing the interaction between Naruto and Hinata, He filed away his thoughts for the time being and turned his attention back on his food, Naruto was having difficulty with his ramen but not as much as the previous day, today he was able to catch strands of ramen, although everyone was finished before him
"Naruto-kun, I think that I should help you" Hinata said quietly to Naruto, while Sakura had turned her gaze on Sasuke
"Alright Hinata-chan, I guess I do need help, who'da thought that you need to be able to see, to eat ramen" Naruto replied, holding out his chopsticks, Hinata smiled as she accepted them and began to feed him like the previous day. Sakura turned around when she heard Hinata giggling softly at Naruto's slurping. She smiled at the two of them and idly thought about doing the same with Sasuke, She turned to face the center of her thoughts and was surprised to see him staring at her, with his head resting on his propped up arm. Inner-Sakura raised an eyebrow as Sakura mirrored Sasuke, About three seconds later Sasuke realized what he was doing and that Sakura was staring back at him. Another dreaded blush tainted his face, he did his best to hide it but it proved useless as Sakura started to softly laugh at him, Sasuke even smirked at her laughter. Hinata turned around to see what was going on and smiled to see Sasuke and Sakura gazing into each other's eyes, She turned back to Naruto
"Sasuke and Sakura-Chan seem to be getting along very well, Naruto-kun" Hinata whispered to Naruto, Naruto's face lit up in a smile
"Really?" Grinned Naruto
"I think it won't be long until Sakura-chan finally gets her wish" Naruto whispered
"Erm...uhh, N-Naruto-kun? I thought you l-liked Sakura-chan" Hinata cautiously said
"Well as of a few weeks ago, I've given up on her, besides, she loves Sasuke" Naruto explained, trying to keep quiet seeing as though Sasuke was only two persons away
'Did I hear him right? He's given up on her? Then I have a chance!' Hinata squealed in happiness in her mind
"That's very nice of you Naruto-kun" Hinata said, trying not to sound too excited
"Hey, why don't we go to the lake, we could sit on the banks and hang out there for a while" Sasuke suggested breaking everyone's thoughts, secretly he just thought of it to break the silence between Sakura and himself
"That sounds nice" Hinata said, Naruto made an agreeable noise and Sakura smiled and nodded. Sakura and Sasuke stood up and left while Hinata aided Naruto to his feet and soon followed.
As they walked Naruto was wondering about something
"Hinata-chan? why did you come to see me in the first place, in the hospital?" Naruto asked, Hinata blushed and tried to dodge the obvious answer
"Y-You've done so much for me that I felt that it was the least I could do" Hinata replied, She was glad that she didn't lie to him, and that she didn't have to tell him about her feelings for him
"I'm really happy you did" Naruto smiled as he gently patted her arm
After a brisk fifteen minute walk they arrived at the banks of a lake on the outskirts of the village, next to the field where Naruto trained the night before, The afternoon sun was shining down and warming the ground, They walked closer to the lake and sat down on the grass and lay back
"This is nice, Sasuke-kun" Sakura said "It's so relaxing"
"Its the perfect time of day for it as well" Hinata pointed out
"I could stay here all day, this is so relaxing" Naruto said, feeling very comfortable, with the light breeze, the sun shining and the sounds of the waves crashing on the banks
"...mmm..." Sasuke sounded, clearly he was feeling as comfortable as the others
"Come on Hinata-chan, lets go get a few things" Sakura said as she grunted to get up
"Do I have to?" Hinata said really not wanting to get up
"I just thought that if we are going to stay here all day then we might get a few things and bring them here, so you and I could go to my house and gather together some stuff" Sakura explained, dusting off the grass that was on her behind
"Alright, fine" Hinata pouted as she struggled to get to her feet
"Okay guys, you heard me, we'll be back in about ten minutes" Sakura said as the two girls walked off together
Once he could no longer sense the girls an evil grin cracked wide open on Naruto's face
"Sasuke? What do you think of Sakura-Chan?" Naruto could hear the change in Sasuke's breathing patterns
"...well I...Don't think...she's annoying, anymore" Sasuke said picking his words carefully
"Reeeeealy" Naruto said intrigued "So does that mean that you're starting to like her?" Sasuke once again felt like his face was a hot-air balloon
"What about you? I thought you liked Sakura" Sasuke asked evadedly
"Not anymore and don't change the subject"
"I refuse to answer the question" Sasuke said
"So your not saying you don't 'like' Sakura-Chan" Naruto said, grinning like a madman
"..." Sasuke wisely stayed quiet
"HA!" Naruto was ecstatic with his victory but decided to shut up before he was told
The two girls were walking through the streets leading to Sakura's house
"Sakura-Chan? Do you think Naruto-kun would ever go out with me?" Hinata asked one of her best friends
"Well, I'm not going to pretend that I know how Naruto thinks, but I do think that he's growing fond of you, I think your in for a chance" Sakura said hopefully, She smiled as she saw Hinata do the same
"What about Sasuke and yourself, what do you think your chances are?" Hinata asked
"I'm not sure, I think he's starting to notice me but I'm not sure" Sakura said doubtfully
"I wouldn't say that" Hinata said, remembering his attitude at the ramen stand "Just give it time"
"Thanks Hinata-chan" Sakura smiled. They arrived at Sakura's house and went inside, Sakura's mother wasn't home at the time so she was free to gather up whatever she wanted without question, They left the house with a few ground blankets and bag full of snacks and headed toward the field where sasuke and Naruto were left
"Sakura-chan? do you think it was a good idea to leave Sasuke and Naruto-kun alone?" Hinata asked
"Yeah Hinata-chan, sure...erm, well, we'll see" Sakura replied unsure of what to say
Back with Naruto and Sasuke, they hadn't said anything to each for a while
"Sasuke, Why don't you like Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked
"I never said I didn't like her" Sasuke said, He decided he should turn the tables on Naruto before he had a chance to say anything else
"So, if you don't 'like' Sakura then who do you like?" Sasuke questioned
"I don't know, I don't think about these things" Naruto said, for some reason he thought about Hinata and blushed
"Idiot, You really are blind" Sasuke said
"It's your fault!" Naruto threw back
"No, idiot, You can't see what is in front of your face" Sasuke tried to point out that someone liked him
"Of course I can't see what's in front of my face, I'm blind, remember" Naruto said, unable to grasp what Sasuke was saying
"You...they...ARRGH, FORGET IT" Sasuke screamed in frustration, falling back on the grass. Naruto sensed two people approaching
"We're ba-ack" Sakura said in a singsong voice. Sakura set the bag of snacks on the ground and spread out the blankets, Hinata walked over to Naruto
"Naruto-kun, we've brought blankets so you don't have sit on the grass anymore" Hinata told him
"Thanks Hinata-chan" Naruto smiled happily as he held out his arm to Hinata, she helped him to his feet and guided him over to the blankets and let Naruto lie back down, with a smile Hinata turned around and helped Sakura unpack the snacks. Sasuke went unnoticed as he slipped onto the blanket, picked up an apple and crunched into it. Hinata picked up two bottles of water
"Here, Naruto-kun" She said as she placed the bottle in his hand and lay down next to Naruto, trying to get as comfortable as she was before Sakura hauled her up to go with her
"This is nice, So comfortable" Hinata said dreamily, She looked over at Sasuke who had apparently fallen asleep, She decided that it would be best to stay quiet, Sakura had caught on and lay down as well, very close to Sasuke, in the hopes of an accident. Naruto didn't actually fall asleep, he just lay there thinking of what Sasuke said
A few hours went by and the sun was setting and the winds had become colder, No one had said anything, they just felt at peace, not needing to talk. As the air around them got colder they decided to get up and go to Sakura's house before parting ways for the evening, Naruto decided that his training was something special between Hinata and himself and so decided not to do it that night. They walked back to Sakura's house, carrying the blankets and the bag of rubbish. Once again no one spoke but once again, it was a comfortable silence, After the fifteen minute walk, they entered the door of the house and sat down in the living room, Sakura's mother must of been up the stairs
"How 'bout some hot-chocolate, everybody, before you all go home" Sakura asked as they were all comfortable in the seats around the room
"Yes, please, I haven't had Hot-chocolate in ages" Naruto said happily
"That would be nice" Hinata accepted the offer, while Sasuke just nodded
"Great, I've got some in the kitchen" Sakura said as she walked out of the room
"Today's been a good day, don't you think Hinata-chan, Sasuke?" Naruto asked breaking the silence
"Yeah, I don't think I've ever enjoyed doing nothing so much" Hinata joked
"Ts'alright" Sasuke said
"I'm glad that you 'nd I sorted things out, Sasuke" Naruto said
"Yeah" Sasuke seemed unwilling to talk very much. The three of them waited patiently for Sakura to return, Which she did a few minutes later with a tray of mugs and marshmallows, Hinata took a mug and handed it to Naruto
"Here's your hot-chocolate Naruto-kun, would you like some marshmallows with it?" Hinata asked, her hand hovering over the bowl of marshmallows
"Just a few, please" Naruto asked kindly, Hinata dropped a half a handful in Naruto's mug
"Enjoy!" Hinata said, as she accepted a mug of her own with a few marshmallows as well. The atmosphere made by the hot chocolate and the sound of the wind outside made it seem very homely and safe.
"Sakura! You have a long day tomorrow, You'd better get a shower and go to bed" They heard an unfamiliar voice call from up the stairs
"Okay, mother" Sakura called back up " Sorry everyone, I've gotta help a family friend move some stuff out of his basement tomorrow
"Okay, Sakura-chan" Naruto said as he downed the last of his chocolate and stood up, Sasuke and Hinata both stood up afterwards, after Naruto placed his hand on Hinata's arm they followed Sakura out the door
"See you later Sakura-chan" Naruto and Hinata called out while Sasuke just waved a hand over his shoulder
"Later" Sasuke said as he disappeared into the night, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone
"Well it feels like it's getting late so why don't you take me home now" Naruto requested
"Okay, Naruto-kun" Hinata smiled as she guided Naruto through the streets of Konoha, On the way Naruto found pleasure in describing in gory detail how he defeated Neji, of course, he left out the part of him using the Kyubi's chakra. They reached the apartment block just like the night before and proceeded to climb the stairs. Once they had entered the apartment Hinata guided Naruto into his bedroom and near his bed
"I'll leave some more clothes out for the morning" Hinata said as she handed Naruto's pajamas to him, while blushing. Hinata picked out a different set of clothes, A white tee-shirt with a red swirl on the chest and some electric blue trousers, Hinata blushed again as she picked up some more of his underwear, she dumped the pile down on the chair that was in the room
"Naruto-kun, If you wake up before I arrive and you want to get up then your clothes are on the chair" Hinata said and turned around, she was surprised and a little disappointed to see that Naruto had already changed and climbed into bed
"Thanks Hinata-chan, Goodnight" Naruto said as he snuggled up in bed
"Goodnight Naruto-kun, see you tomorrow" Hinata said as she left the room and proceeded out the front door, she locked it on the way out and walked home.
As Hinata walked through the main gates of the Hyugga mansion she was deep in thought
"How should I tell him, should I ask him out, What if he says 'no'...WHAT IF HE SAYS 'YES'!" Hinata screamed in her head
As she entered the house she met with her father again almost in the same spot as that morning
"Good evening Father" Hinata greeted
"Good evening Hinata" Hiashi replied, with the greeting said Hiashi was about to walk away when Hinata suddenly spoke up
"Father, I want to become stronger, I am ready" Hinata said, Hiashi turned his head and smiled at Hinata
"Very well, I shall arrange it" Without another word Hiashi left, Hinata smiled to herself and proceeded up the stairs to her room. Neji, who heard the brief conversation was going over what they had said
'She wants to do it, She truly wants to change, I only wish she would wait' Neji thought as he retired to the Taijutsu gym "I should really stop underestimating her"
Author's note: Done at long last, I've explained the situation at the top of this chapter. Thanks again to the reviewers, I only hope you liked this chapter as much as the previous ones. I'm open to suggestions, (E.G. Character appearances, Daily activities etc.)
Until next time...