100th reviewer - Konosuke15. I wish I could give you something, but I'm afraid this will have to do. THANK YOU!
Okay, long time for an update, I know. But for a while I just couldn't get into the right frame of mind to write. I'm sorry that I cannot write at a speed that suits you all
And because of a loyal reader (Manatheron) I cut this chapter slightly shorter than what I had hoped
Review replies moved to underneath the chapter
I'm glad to see that so many have reviewed, so please continue to do so. Enjoy Out of Sight, Center of MindChapter eight – It's a New Day
The Evening Before
Hyuuga Hiashi sat in his study, meditating over the events of the day when a knock sounded on the outside of his door. Hiashi was slightly annoyed at the interruption, but allowed the person to come in
"Enter" He said plainly. The door opened to reveal a medium sized man, wearing a black cloak, His eyes were of Hyuuga birth. The area around his eyes seemed to be permanently marked from overuse of Byakugan. He was a watchman, one of two Hyuuga who stood atop the Hyuuga mansion with their Byakugan active for a full twelve hours at a time, each. They look for any possible threats or events that are worth mentioning. They are in charge of the guards that protect the estate, they inform them of where to go in the event of invasion. In turn, they are commanded by Hyuuga Hiashi himself
"State your purpose, watchman" Hiashi said, his eyes still closed
"Lord Hiashi, Your elder daughter and one companion approach the estate" The watchman said
"Who is the companion?" Hiashi asked, opening his eyes to look at the man that stood in front of him
"Uzumaki Naruto. He and your daughter seem to be walking together" He informed Hiashi
"Explain to me how this event merits your permission to leave your post" Hiashi said, his voice held annoyance
"They have joined hands and the heir is resting her head on the boy's shoulder" The watchman said. Hiashi straightened up and stared daggers into the watchman's weary eyes
"What are your orders, my lord?" The man asked, feeling slightly intimidated. Hiashi sighed, broke eye contact with the watchman and settled into a meditative stance
"Nothing. Inform the guards to stay out of their way, do not give them any hassle, but keep an eye on them just in case" Hiashi ordered, he was didn't like the fact that Hinata had brought Naruto to the house for the second time in one day, but he trusted his daughter enough, not to do anything
"Yes, my lord" The watchman bowed and left the study
'Why does Hiashi-sama allow the heir to be around the demon, he could easily arrange for someone else to be with the Kyuubi brat' The watchman thought as he made his way through the hidden passage ways to his tower
'I will talk with Hinata tomorrow' Hiashi thought
Following MorningNaruto awoke sleepily, he couldn't quite remember what had happened the previous evening. Mind you, in the morning Naruto had trouble remembering his own name. As Naruto's memory began to return, he remembered that his apartment was trashed, then he remembered Hinata's words to him. The spark of pain felt when he remembered about his home was washed away as he thought back to Hinata. Naruto took note of the fact that he was lying in a very comfortable bed and that his own bed was not in any state to comfort, Naruto was confused. All became clear however, when he heard the angelic breaths of the girl of his thoughts beside him. Naruto smiled and blushed, as he began to realise where he was. Naruto sat up in the bed he was currently lying in and activated his chakra sense, he still couldn't make out everything to the detail but he was improving. He noted that the barely moving form next to the bed on the ground was Hinata. Naruto was very careful as he stood up that he didn't stand on Hinata. Once he was out of the bed, Naruto crouched down beside Hinata and placed his hand on what he hoped was her shoulder. Once his hand rested on her, he gently shook her
"Hinata-chan, time to get up" Naruto said softly. Hinata groaned and rolled over, clearly she didn't like getting up early
"mmm…Naruto-kun" Hinata said still asleep, Naruto sniggered and blushed once again
"Come on, Hinata-chan, get up already" Naruto was shaking her shoulder slightly harder
"mmm…Narut…Naruto-kun! Oh, I'm sorry" Hinata awoke with a start to the face of the one she loved
"Ah, good. Welcome back to the world of the waking, Hinata-chan, I never would of figured you for a heavy sleeper" Naruto joked. Hinata smiled and abruptly yawned, reminding herself of the early hour
"Good morning, Naruto-kun" Hinata greeted as she got up into a sitting position, rubbing a few bruises that had formed during the night. Hinata leaned to the side to look past Naruto and out of the window, there was not much light outside so it was clear that it could only be a little past six
"Did you sleep well, Hinata-chan?" Naruto offered his hand to her so he could help her to her feet. Hinata took his hand and stood up, her knees feeling slightly stiff and her other joints clicking
"Yes, thank you Naruto-kun" Hinata said
"You know, I should of slept on the floor instead of you" Naruto said, not really knowing what to do or what to say to the girl in front of him who was now his girlfriend
"You needed the bed more than me, besides, it's too late to be worrying about that" Hinata explained
"Fair enough, but if this ever happens again, I must insist that you take the bed" Naruto smiled
"Shall we go to the Hokage's office then?" Hinata suggested, she really wanted to get out of the house before they saw Neji, or worse, her father
"Why?" Naruto asked, feeling confused
"A-about you're apartment, Naruto-kun" Hinata knew she should tread lightly around that particular subject
"Oh! Oh right, well, not this early in the morning, Hell hath no fury like Obachan too early in the morning" Naruto said
"I-In that case, do you need to go back to your home to get anything?" at this point, Hinata was desperate to find a reason to get out of the house before an unfortunate meeting with anyone
"Yeah okay, I should really get back before any stray animals decide to move in" Naruto reasoned. Hinata silently breathed a sigh of relief. Without thinking she took Naruto's hand and moved towards her bedroom door. She made it about two paces before she realised what she had done. A deep blush formed on her face, she turned back to look at Naruto. He didn't seem to mind. Hinata smiled and continued towards her door. Hinata slid open her door and peered out to make sure the hall way was clear
"Hinata-chan?" Naruto wondered why Hinata had stopped again
"Oh, sorry, Naruto-kun" Hinata was almost lost in the softness of Naruto's hand but decided that she should get out of the house before she dwelled on such thoughts. When Hinata decided that there was nobody about she walked forwards, leading Naruto by the hand
"Something wrong Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, confused as to why she was almost dragging him around. Hinata turned her head and realised what she had been doing
"N-nothing's wrong Naruto-kun, I just…would like to make a quick start today" Hinata said. A terrifying thought surfaced in Naruto's mind
"You're ashamed to be seen with me" Naruto said sadly "…it's okay, you wouldn't be the first" Naruto continued his negative thoughts. Hinata's blush faded as she began to feel guilty
"I-it's not that Naruto-kun. I would just like to avoid getting into any arguments with my family about…us" Hinata's blush crept beneath her eyes. Naruto adjusted his hand and interlocked his fingers with Hinata's and smiled at her
"Alright, I understand" Naruto said
"I d-did mean what I said last night, Naruto-kun, I-I l-love you" Hinata's blush grew but she managed the words out with ease. Naruto gave his true smile and squeezed her hand in an affectionate way
"I love you too" Naruto replied. He pulled her close for a hug. Hinata felt content in his embrace. She leaned her head against his. Naruto turned his head and kissed her on the cheek, Hinata returned the favour. Naruto pulled his head back slightly as did Hinata so that they were facing one another. Hinata began leaning forward, Naruto could feel her movements and he too began leaning forward. His heart was speeding up, it wouldn't surprise him if his heart now looked like the Rasengan. Hinata was in a similar situation, she didn't know how she got into this, but she wasn't about to stop it, her face was red, her palms were sweaty and her knees could give way at any time, their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath
"Hinata, a word please" The deep oh so familiar voice sounded and shattered Naruto and Hinata's moment together. Naruto was feeling very embarrassed that they had been interrupted and Hinata's 'worst-case scenario' had played out. Her father stood approximately six foot away with his face set in stone looking at the pair of them
"F-f-father!" Hinata's mind went blank
"Boy! Wait in the dining hall, I need to talk with my daughter" Hiashi said. A servant approached Naruto and took his arm. He struggled at first, until Hinata calmed him
"It's okay Naruto-kun, I'll be there shortly" Hinata said as she rubbed his arm. Naruto nodded and allowed himself to be guided away by the servant
After Naruto had been taken away, Hiashi and Hinata stood facing each other, Hinata was feeling very nervous but was determined not to show it.
"Hinata, what is the meaning of this? Why is that boy in this house" Hiashi asked
"I-I have already informed you of my duties to help N-Naruto-kun, during the time of his injuries" Hinata reminded him, being careful not to anger him
"What is he doing here?" Hiashi asked again
"His apartment was broken into last night, he had nowhere else to go, so we came here" Hinata applauded herself for not stuttering, although her words were difficult to hear. Hiashi nodded slightly, one of his questions had been answered but one still remained
"What were you and that boy doing just now?" Hiashi asked
"H-he…I-I…we…erm, we are t-together" Hinata explained, any confidence she had been building up had just been broken
"How does the boy feel?" Hinata didn't see why her father was bombarding her with questions
"He loves me, and I l-love him" Hinata confessed quietly. Hiashi wasn't comfortable with the idea of her daughter and the demon child of Konoha as an item, but if it made his daughter happy
"I shall not bar you from seeing each other, but if he treats you with anything less than love and respect then you will be expected to leave him. But know this, you're first obligation is to the duties of the main house, not to some boy" Hinata was practically in shock, her father hadn't instantly ordered the beheading of Naruto once he had found out that they were in love, plus the fact that he was concerned for her, it was unwarranted seeing as she knew that Naruto would always treat her right, but she wasn't completely in understanding of what Hiashi meant about her obligations
"I shall talk with the boy, you stay outside the hall until I am done" Hiashi ordered
"Yes father" Hinata was uncomfortable with the idea of Naruto and her father alone, but she guessed that she should be more than grateful that her father was going to allow them to be together
Naruto was sitting at the table in the dining hall, although he had been offered food, he refused and waited in silence for Hiashi
"Boy!" Hiashi's firm voice sounded behind him. Naruto didn't even flinch at the unexpected voice. He merely stood to face the voice. Naruto was feeling alone without Hinata by his side, but he decided that he would get through it
"Can I help you sir?" Naruto asked formally
"How do you feel about my daughter?" Hiashi asked
"I love her" Naruto declared with the most serious voice he had ever used. Hiashi's eyebrow twitched the tiniest amount
'I had hoped it were not true, that way I could of kept them apart' Hiashi thought
'I gave my word to Hinata, now I have no other choice than to allow them to be together' Hiashi thought
"Do you promise to protect her, even if it costs your own life?" Hiashi asked seriously. Naruto answered instantly, he didn't need to think about it
"I would go through anything to see that Hinata-chan is safe, if giving my life will accomplish this, then I will gladly do it" Naruto said "…I will not take back my words" Naruto saw fit to use his 'way of the ninja'
"I have explained this to Hinata, and I expect you to understand. Hinata is obligated to the Hyuuga, some day it will be up to her to decide the path of which we take. She is not obligated to you. If she is given the inescapable choice between you and the Hyuuga, she will be expected to do right by her family" Naruto didn't like the sound of that, but he knew that he didn't have a choice
"I understand, Hiashi-sama" Naruto forced the words out with a bow
"One last thing, boy. Does Hinata know about your secret?" Hiashi asked. Naruto was surprised
"Yes, she practically forced it out of me, but in the end I chose to tell her, so any consequences that have to be handed out, should be dealt to me" Naruto said. Hiashi nodded in approval
"That will not be necessary, but it is good that you are willing to take responsibility" Hiashi said
"Thank you sir" Naruto breathed a sigh of relief
"Boy! Know and remember this; I believe that you are not worthy of my daughter, but she seems to be happy with you so I will allow it, but you have yet to earn my respect" Hiashi said nothing more and walked out of the dining hall. On his way out he signalled for Hinata to enter
Hinata bowed to her father on his way out, and then ran into the hall, to see Naruto.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata said when she reached him
"huh? Oh, Hinata-chan. That wasn't so bad, he's actually letting us be together" Naruto said happily.
"Shall we leave Naruto-kun?" Hinata suggested
"Yeah, sure. Come on" Hinata took Naruto's hand fearlessly and walked forwards, at a slower pace than before since there was nothing for her to be afraid of anymore. The pair walked through the estate hand in hand, attracting one or two stares from the house servants but not ones of disapproval. After a brisk walk through the estate, Naruto and Hinata walked outside of the house and approached the main gate. This time Hinata saw that there were a few guards around, unlike the night previous. But Hinata wasn't worried, her biggest fear was her father, and he had approved the pairing of the two. The guards glanced down from their posts briefly, but didn't make any kind of motion to show if they cared at all. The pair walked through the open gates that controlled entry to the estate. There were few people out on the street as they moved through the streets towards Naruto's home. Hinata had to admit, ever since Naruto had started using his chakra sense, the task of guiding him was a lot easier
"Hey, Hinata-chan. How are we going to tell everyone about us?" Naruto said out of the blue. Hinata was about to answer until she realized that she had nothing to say. She had never thought about how they were going to tell everyone
"I don't know" Hinata said. Naruto thought about it
"How about we let them figure it out?" Naruto suggested. Hinata wasn't sure but her lack of better ideas, she agreed
"Okay" Hinata said
The two walked for a bit until they arrived at Naruto's house. Like they had done before, they climbed the stairs. Hinata held onto Naruto but it was a loose grip. After his fight the day before, Naruto had absolutely no problems with using his chakra sense to feel the stairs. Naruto still couldn't feel exact shapes with his full body, and it didn't seem t be improving but he figured that it was good enough, besides, if he had any problems he still could use his hands. Naruto stepped off onto the second story landing with Hinata close at his side
"Hey, Hinata-chan? When are you going away to train?" Naruto asked. Hinata turned her head in surprise
'Oh no! I forgot. And I haven't even read the scroll father gave me' Hinata thought in worry, feeling the scroll in her equipment pouch
"I, guess I'll head home in the afternoon" Hinata said, "…where are we going to meet Jiraiya-sama?" she asked. Naruto couldn't recall that Jiraiya specified a time to meet them
"He didn't say, I guess I'll just go and meet him when you go to train" Naruto explained
"How will you find him?" Hinata asked. Naruto blushed angrily
"Long story" Naruto put bluntly. Hinata and Naruto approached his apartment door. Feelings of deja-vu surfaced as she saw another note attached to the door frame, though this one was put up with a pin, not a kunai
"Naruto-kun…there's another note" Hinata was afraid of what the note might say. She looked at Naruto whose face had gone blank
"What does it say?" he asked unemotionally
"It's your notice of eviction, you little brat!" A stern female voice came from behind them. Hinata turned to look at the woman. She was a small and thin woman, who had very grey hair
"Who the hell are you!" Naruto said angrily, not liking this woman who had barged in
"I 'the hell' am your land lady, Brat!" The woman spat. Naruto looked confused
"I have a land lady?" Naruto asked. The woman narrowed her eyes
"Not anymore. You haven't paid rent in three months, as if that weren't bad enough, I come and find that your apartment is a tip" The woman was clearly angry
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Rent? I have never paid rent, since when do I have to pay rent?" Naruto asked
"You didn't pay rent, but the Third did, every month he'd arrange for some money to be paid to me, and I let you stay. But the Third has passed on, and now, no one is paying me anything, so you are officially evicted, you have till the end of the day to remove your things and leave before I put this place up for rent" The land lady explained
"This is totally unfair, I didn't know about this, you should have told me about it" Naruto was getting angrier. Hinata squeezed his hand softly
"Naruto-kun, please calm down" Hinata whispered in his ear, she didn't want him to get too worked up. Naruto let out a breath
"What if I start paying you rent, will that satisfy you?" Naruto asked
"No, I don't want you in my building" The old women said
"You can't do that, you have no right, if I…"
"I HAVE EVERY RIGHT! This apartment block belongs to me, and I exercise my right to refuse anyone I don't want. Now, unless you're going to get your belongings, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY BUILDING!" The women was clearly angry
"Your lucky I can't see or you'd be sorry. I'll be back, Hag" Naruto said angrily, he turned on his heel and walked towards the stairs. Hinata quickly caught up to Naruto and carefully grabbed his arm in an attempt to slow him down before he might fall down the stairs
"Naruto-kun?"
"That damn hag, She has no right. Where the hell am I going to stay?" Naruto asked
"Let's go see the Hokage" Hinata suggested
"Alright, alright. Sorry Hinata-chan, it just pisses me off when they hold…'Him' against me" Naruto said as he rubbed his seal. Hinata nodded in understanding
"You shouldn't worry about it Naruto-kun, I don't" Hinata said. Naruto didn't say anything but did smile softly. Hinata let go of Naruto's arm and took hold of his hand
"Maybe Hokage-sama can do something about your apartment" Hinata suggested as she put her hand on the stair rail. Naruto sensed the stairs and put his other hand on the rail, like Hinata did.
"Suppose you're right" Naruto said as he slowly descended the stairs "…what time is it?" Naruto asked. Hinata turned her head to look at a clock on the wall
"A quarter-to-nine" Hinata said. Naruto nodded his head
"It's gonna be a long day" He sighed
After the two had left the apartment building they walked through the streets to the Hokage office. Even although Naruto could use his Chakra sense to avoid obstacles, he had no sense of direction in his sightless state and thus, needed Hinata to guide him. Before too long they arrived at the Hokage office building. After entering they headed straight to Tsunade's office. Hinata assumed that Tsunade would be asleep so she didn't bother knocking and just walked in with Naruto. What she saw, shocked her. Tsunade was awake and actually doing her work
"Don't you know how to knock?" Tsunade asked slightly irritated
"I-I'm s-sorry, Hokage-sama" Hinata apologised.
"Have a seat then" Tsunade noticed that the pair were holding hands, she quickly figured that they were now more than friends. She smiled to herself
"So what do you two want?" Tsunade asked with a devious smile after they had sat down. Hinata felt very uncomfortable with the Hokage's attention on her
"Someone trashed my apartment last night and I was blamed and evicted this morning" Naruto put bluntly. The lighthearted attitude quickly vanished from the legendary sucker
"What?" Tsunade was shocked "…what happened?"
"Don't you listen, I just told you" Naruto said trying to prevent Tsunade from making too big a deal out of it
"Who did it?" She asked
"W-we don't know" Hinata said, though that was the half-truth. She suspected that it was the two men that she saw, but she didn't know their names nor if they were involved at all
"I need somewhere to stay, I think that's the priority" Naruto said
"Right, right. Listen, I'll find you a new apartment, I'll send someone to pick up you're belongings" Tsunade explained
"Hey! Can't you just "Persuade" That hag of a landlady to let me stay where I am? I like my apartment" Naruto complained
"Sorry kid, Even if I order that women to let you stay, there's nothing to stop the people who did this from coming back" Said Tsunade regretfully
"Can I at least choose my apartment?" Naruto asked. Tsunade pretended to think about it
"No" She answered. Naruto's eyebrow twitched and a vein popped out his forehead
"Why the hell not!? It's gonna be my apartment, I should choose!" Naruto shouted angrily
"Naruto! I can't just let you choose where you want to stay. The places in this village that would actually allow your presence are few and far between. Not many people are happy with letting the container…" Tsunade cut herself off before she spilled Naruto's secret to Hinata
"It's alright Obachan, Hinata-chan knows" Naruto explained "…She's cool with it" Tsunade was surprised at Naruto
"You actually told someone about it? Do you know how much trouble you could get into?" Tsunade asked
"I'd trust Hinata-chan with my life, I decided that this was something she needed to know" Naruto said before he felt Hinata's hand come to rest on top of his
"What about everyone else?" Tsunade enquired. Naruto shook his head
"They don't know"
"You should tell them, they have a right to know as well" Tsunade said
"You just said I could get into a lot of trouble if I told anyone" Naruto was puzzled at Tsunade's suggestion
"You've already told one person, the punishment can't be increased per head you tell" Tsunade explained "…don't worry about it, being in a position of power as I am in, I will make sure neither you nor anyone you wish to tell is punished"
"Thanks" Naruto said gratefully
"When I find an apartment for you, I'll send someone to show you it, and I don't care if you don't like it. You don't have to look at it. You're blind, remember?" Tsunade pointed out
"Nothing gets past you Obachan" Naruto stated sarcastically
"Don't tempt me" Tsunade clenched her fist "…Just stay out of trouble if that's possible" Tsunade warned
"I'll try" Naruto grinned as he stood up, but he quickly sat back down again as if he lost his balance
"Naruto-kun! What's wrong?" Hinata asked worried. Tsunade quickly analysed Naruto, she knew what was going on
"Nothing, just feeling a little light-headed" Naruto rubbed his head
"You've been overusing the chakra-sense, Haven't you?" Hinata turned to look at Tsunade in surprise
"How do you know I'm using the Chakra-sense? I don't remember telling you" Naruto said
"I created the technique, Idiot! I can feel the chakra that you are emitting, plus the fact that Hinata is putting little-to-no effort in guiding you around. You're light headed because you're beginning to run low on Chakra" Tsunade explained, Naruto didn't fully understand, but he got the basics
"Give your body a rest, and rely on your "friend" Hinata-chan to help you out" Tsunade instinctively winked, she barely realised she had done it. Though Naruto couldn't see the wink, Hinata did and blushed heavily
"n-naruto-kun? S-shall we g-go?" Hinata said quietly
"yeah, come on. Catch you later Obachan" Naruto stood up without the help of the chakra sense, Hinata took his arm and led him out of the room
"As if I have a choice, Brat!" Tsunade descended back into her paperwork. Naruto and Hinata exited the office and proceeded out of the building
"Where do you want to go now Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked
"I don't mind, I suppose we could go find Sasuke and Sakura-chan again, I gotta tell them about Kyuubi" Naruto said nervously. Hinata understood Naruto's nervousness but had every confidence that his team mates wouldn't change their opinion of Naruto through the actions of the demon.
Naruto and Hinata walked through the streets to nowhere in particular, just hoping that they would run into them, like they have everyone else. Naruto was getting used to the chakra sense and now he had to go back to no coordination. Every so often he would catch his foot on a rock that was sticking out of the ground. The two were half way down a street and Hinata felt like she was being followed, she looked behind her to see a perfectly rectangular rock scuffling across the dirt. Naruto was about to ask what was wrong when a small explosion went off inside the box revealing three little coughing kids
"I can't believe it, you got it wrong again" The self appointed leader, Konohamaru said to the others before looking up. The three kids were moments away from doing their introduction before Naruto stopped them. Even without his sight and chakra sense he could tell what was going on
"STOP!" The kids looked at him in disappointment, they loved doing their introduction "…We've heard enough introductions already" Naruto said, remembering Jiraiya's intro. dance the day before. Konohamaru was the first to notice Naruto's blindfold
"Naruto- nii-chan? Why do you have a blind fold on?" Konohamaru asked
"I'm blind" Naruto said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Konohamaru turned to his two friends and quietly discussed something. After they had finished he turned back around
"We have decided to help you out Naruto-nii-chan" Konohamaru said. The thought kind of scared Naruto, who knows where he might lead him
"No thanks, Isn't Iruka-sensei meant to be teaching you guys?"
"He's away on a mission so we have time off, and we will use that time to aid you" Konohamaru declared
"I've got Hinata-chan here to help me" Naruto tilted his head to Hinata. The three kids finally noticed Hinata
"Hey, she's cute. Good work!" Konohamaru praised "…She's a lot prettier than that thick foreheaded ugly girl" Naruto beamed with pride. Hinata blushed, but heard a plate smash from within one of the houses on the street. She looked around from house to house and finally realised where they were
'uh oh!' She thought
"I agree, I like her a lot better than the other one" Udon said
"She may be gorgeous compared to the pink haired bitch, but both of you are nothing compared to me" Moegi said. She had barely finished talking when one of the doors on the street burst off the hinges to reveal a livid Haruno Sakura
"YOU LITTLE BRATS, I'LL KILL YOU!" Sakura was running at full velocity towards the Konohamaru corps.
"SCATTER!" Konohamaru shouted before the three of them ran in opposite directions, leaving an absolutely flaming Sakura ready to punch through a wall. Hinata very cautiously moved towards Sakura, leading a very reluctant Naruto
"Uhmm, S-Sakura-chan?" Hinata said, while keeping a distance. Sakura turned her head and noticed the two. Her bad temper dissipated at seeing two of her best friends
"Hiya you two" Sakura said sweetly. Hinata felt uncomfortable with a sudden mood change "…something I can help you with?" Sakura asked
"N-Naruto-kun has something to tell you and Sasuke-kun" Hinata said seriously. Sakura looked at Naruto and nodded. She turned her head towards her house
"SASKUE-KUN! COME OUT HERE" She shouted. Naruto and Hinata raised their eyebrows in surprise
"Must you always shout?" Sasuke came out of Sakura's broken front door
"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked
"He's helping me train" Sakura said quickly and defensively. Naruto could barely contain himself and let out a few sniggers
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked annoyed. Naruto stopped sniggering and went serious
"Is there somewhere we can sit down?" Naruto asked. Sakura looked at Sasuke then back to Naruto, sure, come inside" She turned around and went inside. Hinata guided Naruto in after her.
Once they had all sat down, Sakura and Sasuke turned their total attention on Naruto. Hinata was sitting next to Naruto with her hand on his. Sakura made a mental note to ask her about it later
"What is it you want to talk about Naruto?" Sakura asked. Naruto mentally prepared himself
"The reason why the entire village hates me" This grabbed the attention of both Sasuke and Sakura
"You of course know about the incident some twelve years ago. When the Kyuubi attacked" Naruto paused
"That was the attack that killed my father" Sakura said weakly, a tear forming at the corner of each eye. Naruto couldn't believe how hard it got, Sakura rarely talked about her family. Now he found out that within him held the demon that not only killed many leaf ninjas but also killed her father
"The fourth defeated it by sealing it in a newborn" Naruto explained
"Then the child died, right?" Sasuke said, remembering the story he was told. Naruto shook his head
"The child still lives" Naruto said "…me" he put simply. Both Sakura and Sasuke were in equal levels of shock. To Sasuke, everything about Naruto's life made almost perfect sense, but he knew that it wasn't his fault, he thought along the lines that Hinata did. Though Sakura didn't
"You killed my father" She spoke with a quiet but harsh voice. Sasuke and Hinata raised their heads to Sakura
"It's your fault that I don't have a father" Sakura was trying to make sense of what Naruto told her, but it all came out as blame
"Sakura, it's not Naru…" Sasuke began saying
"SHUT UP!" Sakura shouted. If it weren't for the situation he would have been surprised that Sakura raised her to a shout at him. Sakura turned her attention back to Naruto
"I see now why my mother hates you. Just get out" Sakura said angrily
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto sounded hurt
"I GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Sakura shouted through clenched teeth
"but" Naruto barely had a chance to talk before he felt a sharp sting across his face, Sakura had struck him. Even though it wasn't much, it still managed to hurt him more than anything else in the world. Hinata was on her feet in seconds in front of Naruto, pushing Sakura back in the process
'How dare she hit Naruto-kun, it wasn't his fault. And she blames him for it? She thinks the world revolves around her. She's not the only one to loose someone in that attack' Hinata thought. Sakura backed down from a very protective Hinata that would not budge. So instead Sakura collapsed on a chair. Sasuke put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. Sasuke looked up at Hinata who had not moved. He tilted his head to signal to follow him. Hinata helped Naruto to his feet and they walked outside
Once they were outside Sasuke turned to them
"Sakura doesn't understand, give her some space, I'll try and explain things to her" Sasuke said. Naruto nodded
"Do your best Sasuke-kun" Hinata said before guiding Naruto away. Sasuke turned around and walked back into Sakura's home
'This could be difficult' he thought to himself
Hinata wasn't taking Naruto in particular, she was just walking for the sake of walking, they had walked for an hour or two, but they didn't really notice the time pass, they had walked clean across Konoha and back again without a word. Hinata didn't know what to say, she didn't know if she should say anything. But she was determined to try and make him feel better
"Uhmm…Naruto-kun? Would you like to get some ramen?" Hinata asked, figuring that a bowl of his favourite food would help him…even if only slightly
"no thanks" Naruto replied quietly
'what else does Naruto-kun like to do?' Hinata thought to herself. Then a thought surfaced
"Maybe you could tell me about another one of your missions?" She suggested. Hinata knew that Naruto loved to tell stories of his missions, almost as much as Hinata loved hearing them from him
"Hinata-chan, I know what you're trying to do and I thank you, but it's not going to work" Naruto said. Hinata hung her head in failure, but raised it quickly. She would not give up
"Please Naruto-kun, There must be something I can do" Hinata said
"No, this was my fault. I was stupid to think that People would accept me after they found out the truth" Hinata didn't want to hear this from Naruto
"How can you think that? I have accepted you, Sasuke-kun has accepted you, I have known Kiba-kun and Shino-kun for a long time and I know that they wouldn't care about it. Everyone that you call friend will accept you for who you are" Hinata tried desperately to get her point across. For the briefest moment, Hinata saw a smile take over Naruto's face. To her, this was a victory. Even if they were still walking around aimlessly and silently.
It was sometime later until Hinata managed to get Naruto to stop. Coincidently, they stopped at team seven's meeting bridge. Hinata noticed and decided not to tell Naruto in fear of a reminder. As she looked around she noticed two people approaching, one with blue hair, one with pink. Instinctively she tightened her grip on Naruto, she would be ready to defend him against Sakura in case she tried to start something. Hinata noticed that Sakura was not looking angry but guilty. She tried to turn around at least twice but Sasuke made her keep moving. It wasn't long before they were standing on the bridge
"Naruto, Sakura has something to say" Sasuke said while motioning to Sakura. Naruto and Hinata turned so that they both were facing them. Sakura moved forward and put her arms around Naruto's neck and cried on his shoulder
"I'm sorry, I-I'm so, so sorry" Sakura cried into his ear. Naruto used his free arm to return the hug that Sakura was giving him
"Don't worry about it" He said happily. Hinata saw his smile and was happy that he was feeling better, though ever so slightly jealous. Sakura broke away from Naruto while wiping her tears
"I'm sorry I blew up at you Naruto, It was just a lot to take in, is all" Sakura explained
"I said it's fine" Naruto said "…Hey! Why don't we go do something together?"
"Sorry, can't, Kakashi-sensei said that he had a minor mission for us today" Sakura said regretfully
"I thought you had the week off" Naruto asked
"Try telling that to Kakashi" Sasuke said. Naruto sniggered
"Ah well, me and Hinata-chan can still do something together, right?" Hinata blushed in embarrassment
"Sorry N-Naruto-kun, I've got to go home to train" Hinata said. Naruto's face fell
"Can you at least take me to the hot springs, so I can meet up with ero-sennin?" Naruto asked
"Hey, that's where we're going to meet Kakashi-sensei, we can take you" Sakura said
"Why is he at the hot springs?" Hinata asked Naruto and Naruto asked Sakura simultaneously
"He's a pervert" was Naruto's response
"Your guess is as good as mine" was Sakura's
"Alright" Naruto said, he turned to Hinata "Come find me later, okay. Good luck" Naruto wished
"Thank you" Hinata bowed before unlinking arms with Naruto. As Hinata dropped contact, Naruto had a mischievous idea. He gently pulled Hinata's arm towards him. For a brief moment he activated his Chakra sense so he could get his bearings. He locked onto his target and pecked Hinata on the lips before allowing her to walk off. Hinata felt her knees go weak and her mind go blank, she slowly walked towards her house and couldn't help but smile. Sakura's jaw was hanging loose, even Sasuke looked surprised. Naruto would of paid anything in the world just to see their faces after he kissed Hinata. Though he really enjoyed the kiss. Without thinking, Naruto began walking. Three paces later…he walked into a lamppost, which completely shattered the mood. Sakura snapped out of it and pounced on Naruto
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?" She squealed while pulling Naruto to his feet
"You didn't ask" Naruto responded. Sakura's reaction was to scrape her knuckles across Naruto's head in a friendly way
"Come on, lets go" Sasuke sounded annoyed. He began walking, Sakura noticed and took a rough hold of one of Naruto's arms to guide him. Even although Sakura's hold gave him guidance, he still preferred when Hinata helped him
"When did you guys get together then?" Sakura asked, eager for the gossip
"Last night" Naruto's voice dropped in volume as he remembered back to the incidents of the previous night. "…after Obachan had replaced my bandages Hinata-chan took me home, what was left of it. Some people broke in and trashed the place, and left a note saying that I was hated by the village. But Hinata-chan was there, she made me feel good about myself again by telling me that she didn't care…that she loved me" Naruto explained, his voice changing from a sad voice to a happy one
"You're apartment got trashed?" Sakura asked
"I've already spoken to Obachan about it, she's doing something about it" Naruto said
"Okay. I'm just glad Hinata finally told you how she felt" Sakura said
"Finally? What do you mean 'Finally'? did you know about this?" Naruto asked
"Idiot! I told you, you were blind. You can't see the obvious" Sasuke said with a smug smile
"That's what you meant!? Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Naruto asked. Sasuke thought of a way to piss off Naruto
"You didn't ask" He put simply, copying the exact way Naruto said it to Sakura. Various veins popped out of Naruto's fore head
"You! If I weren't blind…!" Naruto shaked a fist at Sasuke. Sakura used her free arm and pushed Naruto's fist slightly so that he was shaking his fist at Sasuke
'Damn it' Naruto thought in anger that he couldn't pin point the location of sounds
"Where did Hinata-chan go, Naruto?" Sakura asked, she didn't have an opportunity to ask before.
"Oh, she went home. She's gonna get some training. She'll meet me later when she's finished" Naruto said
"What about tomorrow" Sakura asked
"What about it?" Naruto didn't know what Sakura meant
"Is she going to train tomorrow?" Sakura asked. That thought had never entered his mind. He had just assumed she would train for one day and be done with it
'I'll ask her about it later' Naruto thought
"I don't know" he answered. Team seven had been walking for a while, they began to see the hot springs. At first no one was around. Then Sasuke and Sakura saw Kakashi come out of the building, reading his book. As they approached Sakura wondered what the mission was
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called out. Kakashi's eye looked up then back down at his book
"Kakashi, what's the miss…" Sasuke was asking, but Kakashi held up his hand to stop him. This was to give him time to finish the page. Once he had, he brought out a Pakkun book mark and placed it in the book before returning it to his ninja pouch
"Ah, Naruto! Good to see you" Kakashi said cheerfully
"That makes one of us" Naruto replied. Kakashi smiled
"Okay you two. Get to work" Kakashi said simply, ready to whip out his book again
"Hold on! What are we doing?" Sakura asked
"Ah! Well you see. I was soaking in the hot spring. And a thought occurred that my dogs needed a wash. So I summoned them all in the hot spring water. They had fun. Any way, once they were all clean, I let them go. But on my way out, the manager stopped me. Apparently my dogs are moulting and their hair is clogging up the filter system. So they wanted me to unclog it. But I decided that it was worth a mission for my subordinates" Kakashi explained. He had brought out his book during the story without anyone noticing
"You want us to clean up after your dogs!?" Sakura asked in disbelief. Naruto attempted to sneak away
'If I can make it to the hand rail, then I can make it to the women's side and find the pervert' Naruto planned. He was tip toeing away, when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder
"You're not going anywhere Naruto" Sakura said "…as a part of team seven, you have to help us complete this mission"
"Hell No!" Naruto said. Kakashi nodded his head
"Sorry Sakura, you and Sasuke have to do this alone. Naruto is on the inactive list and does not have to do missions if he doesn't want to" Kakashi said. Sakura was severely annoyed at Kakashi. Naruto had used the time to his advantage and sneaked off down the path to where the pervert "probably" is
As Naruto approached the women's side he heard the perverted laugh that he heard near enough every day when he was training with Jiraiya
"Hey! Ero-sennin!" Naruto said unnecessarily loud. What he heard next were a combination of screams, slaps and girls running away
"What did I ever do to you?" Jiraiya said while hitting him repeatedly over the head
"You got what you deserved" Naruto justified while trying in vain to stop Jiraiya from hitting him. The old ninja eventually stopped hitting Naruto
"So what have I done for you to honour me with you're presence?" Jiraiya asked sarcastically
"Yesterday, you decided that you would help me around today" Naruto reminded. Jiraiya took a moment to answer
"…no" Jiraiya didn't feel like going around with Naruto, even if for a little while
"Come on lets go train" Naruto said eagerly
"Tsunade told me not to take you training in your condition" He had given Naruto a chance
"I thought you weren't going to take me today. That can't be true if Obachan has given you some ground rules" Naruto said, faking curiosity
"Damn you, Naruto" Jiraiya said, giving Naruto yet another bonk on the head
Hinata was beginning to feel nervous. She had busied herself by reading the scroll her father gave her. But this didn't help her confidence very much. The techniques described on the scroll were complex at best. Mind-boggling at worst
'Neji-nii-san was right. If I am not careful, I could severely injure myself' Hinata thought. Fortunately for her, there wasn't anything that she needed to do to prepare. The scroll just told her how to mould and release her chakra for the techniques that she would learn. It wasn't long before her home came into view. Hinata's stomach was twisting itself into knots. She wasn't sure if she could do it. Before her realisation, Hinata had passed through the main gates to the Hyuuga estate. How she wished that the training session would pass as quickly. She saw that the guards noticed her, and she saw the hand gestures that the guards use to communicate to the watchmen, no doubt to inform her father that she had arrived. She walked through the central path that leads to the rear training grounds. When she arrived she saw a lot of training tools; wooden training logs, blunted kunai and shuriken, soldier pills and a life size mannequin, it was the exact build and shape of a human body, on it were marked every tenketsu on the body. As if she didn't feel intimidated enough, all this equipment made her feel worse. As she continued to look around she took notice of the man who would train her sitting on the ground meditating, Hyuuga Hiato. Deciding not to waste any time, she took off her jacket to reveal her purple training robes. A servant took her coat and her sandals as she approached the elderly man. Once she stood in front of him, she took a bow
"G-Good day, Hiato-sama" Hinata said formally, She cursed herself for showing weakness in front Hiato. Hiato nodded to her
"Shall we begin?" the balding man said. "…I trust you have read the scroll that was given to you" Hinata nodded in conformation
"Before I train you, I must decide how much stronger you have grown since last I saw" Hiato said. Hinata didn't like the sound of that
"So…" He walked into a large circle with the yin-yang symbol decorating it. Hiato stood on one of the two parallel lines in the circle. Hinata assumed she had to stand at the other. Once she stood on the line, Hiato continued what he was saying
"…come at me with everything you have, prove to me that you are stronger" Hinata clenched every muscle in her body to keep from shaking. She was expected to fight an elder teacher
"Come!" Hiato said. Hinata activated her Byakugan and ran towards Hiato while keeping a defensive stance. Hinata out stretched her left arm, she was within range of Hiato. Her left foot came to the ground and stopped, her right foot stopped in front of her left hand she brought back her left arm and pushed her right arm forward, charging it with chakra. It would have been a powerful strike, had it connected. But Hiato grabbed her wrist before it did any damage. Hiato gave a small laugh at Hinata's expense. Hinata began to anger, like she did to Hanabi a few weeks before. An image of Naruto appeared in her mind as she struggled to get out of Hiato's grip, then a second image of him in his blind state being beaten up by a group of thugs…alone
'I have to become stronger so that I can protect him if that ever happens' Hinata thought with determination. She continued her effort to get back her right arm but to no avail. Hinata quickly thought of a plan, remembering what she was taught by her father, she gathered a small amount of chakra into her left hand, faster then you could blink she connected with Hiato's hand, the one that gripped her arm. She saw one of Hiato's eyes twitch in pain, his hand began to loosen as it lost strength from the hit. Hinata brought her arm out of his weakening grip and jumped back
"Not bad, you have some skill, certainly better than last time I saw you. You're ready for the first segment of the training" Hiato said
Naruto had been sitting on a bench, impatiently twiddling the knot of his headband while Jiraiya was running back and forth trying to pick up hot girls
"I could have been doing more interesting things than this" He said to himself. He heard another smack and even more curses from the perverted old man
"Hey ero-sennin! Let's do something else" Naruto shouted, unable to sit there any longer
"What! I'm making progress with…no wait! A plan has formed in my brilliant mind. We go back to the hot springs, you wander into the women's changing area claiming that you lost you're way because of you're sight, then I come in and…"
"No!" Naruto was getting very annoyed
'I wish I was going around with the fuzzy-eyebrows' Naruto thought in regret
"Aww, come on, it'll be fun" Jiraiya trying to persuade
"A no, means a 'No!' alright. It doesn't mean, 'ask me again and again until I give in' It doesn't matter how long you try this you're just gonna get the same response from every girl" Naruto sounded extremely bored and at the same time furious
"Can't we just go get something to eat?" Naruto asked hopefully. A glint shined in Jiraiya's eye
"Of course we can" Jiraiya grabbed Naruto by the collar and brought him to his feet roughly "…now, walk" He threw Naruto a few feet in front of him. Jiraiya had managed to get Naruto to walk without the aid of someone else
'I could use my chakra sense but Obachan told me not to' Naruto thought he precariously took step after step
"Today would be nice" Jiraiya criticised the speed that Naruto was walking
"Turn to you're right, blindy" Jiraiya poked fun. Naruto turned and shouted
"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Naruto didn't care too well for the nickname Jiraiya had given him. On the way to the food stand, Jiraiya had made Naruto trip over objects on the ground, walk into a fence and walk through a huge pile of dog dropping. Naruto was ready to kill. At first, Naruto was inwardly grateful that the old man wasn't treating him like a cripple but this was just getting ridiculous. Naruto made it to the food stand in one piece. Fortunately, Jiraiya had made Naruto walk through a puddle to wash off the dog crap so that the smell did not linger. Naruto found his way to a stool, refusing guidance by his "guide" Once he was sitting, Naruto did not say a word. Jiraiya came in and signalled for two bowls. The perverted old man still smiled at his brilliant idea of revenge. The food arrived in record time
"Whoa! They killed the three-minute waiting time" Naruto said with glee. Reaching for the chopsticks. Jiraiya decided not to play "move the chopstick cup" with Naruto and handed it to him. Naruto snatched it and pulled out some. Quickly breaking them apart. He gripped the bowl firmly and dug his chopsticks in and put it in his mouth as fast as possible, he had reached his third mouth full when he realised the disgusting taste
"What the hell is this?" Naruto asked, his mouth full. Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's face after he gave him the news
"Fruit salad" He said. Naruto's face contorted in misery and disgust as he removed what was in his mouth. Jiraiya snapped, and howled
"Where the hell are we?" Naruto asked, after Jiraiya had calmed down
"Salad bar" Jiraiya said
"You deceitful asshole!" Naruto spat viciously. To which Jiraiya sniggered "…you know I hate salad and fruit"
"Yeah, I know" Jiraiya said proudly. Naruto had images of jumping on Jiraiya's crotch with sandals made of rock
"I am sooooo gonna kill you" Naruto said as he stood up. Jiraiya left a sum of money on the counter top then stood and pushed Naruto outside
"When's Hinata gonna get done" Naruto asked himself
Hinata had just collapsed for the second time, she was using large amounts of her Chakra at almost a constant rate. Her skin was covered in red bruises from the overuse of her tenketsus. Whereas Hiato stood, not a hair out of place from the moment Hinata saw him
'Hiato-sama is indeed strong, but I must not show weakness' Hinata thought, she forced her muscles to move, she would of used some chakra to give her a little boost but she knew that her Chakra levels were dangerously low, and that she had to save every last bit of it. Hiato watched as Hinata raised herself from the ground. She eventually made it to her feet and returned to the Jyuuken stance. Though she felt relatively defenceless if Hiato chose to attack. He smiled as he watched Hinata
'She is exactly how Hiashi once was, she will be a good clan head…though she has a way to go' Hiato thought
"Congratulations Hinata-sama, you have completed the first segment of the training, the second segment will be taught to you in a few days by me. The third and final segment will be taught by your father" Hiato explained. Hinata was close to collapsing, her arms felt like mountains were weighing them down. She felt the acid burn in every muscle of her body. But despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, she was proud of herself, Very proud of herself for proceeding in the training. If there was any doubt about her advancement in the past few months, this was proof that she had grown. After Hiato had dismissed her, Hinata picked up her jacket –with some difficulty- and headed towards her room. She walked in and closed the door. Hinata dropped her jacket and collapsed on her bed, not daring to move. She didn't know how long she lay there, with barely enough energy to think. Hinata heard the door open and someone come. She took the Shikamaru way of looking at things, "it's too troublesome to look" The person came into her eyesight. It was Hanabi
"You did well out there Hinata" She said. Hinata smiled
"Thanks" she said.
"You were pretty amazing out there, I never thought you had it in you" Hanabi said surprised
"Sometimes you act like the older sister, Hanabi" Hinata quietly said. Hanabi smiled and took note that Hinata was trying not to move
"Does it hurt?" She asked in concern. Hinata twitched her head in a way that could be described as a nod
"Everywhere from the hair down" Hinata smiled. You should get up and go for a walk. Hinata groaned thinking that was a terrible idea
"Where's you're boyfriend?" Hanabi asked teasingly. Hinata sharply turned her head causing new worlds of pain for her. She had almost forgotten about Naruto, she had to go now. Hinata took a sharp intake of breathe to prepare for the pain that she would feel as she rolled out of her bed. Her legs touched the ground…and it hurt. Hinata shakily stood up
"Jacket please" Hanabi got a clean jacket out of Hinata's closet at her request and handed it to her. Hinata put it on, she was getting used to the pain
"Don't overdo it" Hanabi suggested, she walked out the room. Hinata smiled and left. Out of the door, out of the house then out of the main gates. Hinata Still had the red bruises on her body. She then realised a problem. Where would Naruto be?
After his "meal" Jiraiya had dragged Naruto around, chasing any young women who showed off any skin, trying to win sympathy by using Naruto. Naruto –needless to say- was sick of it, he was close to bolting it. But he knew that it was a bad idea
"Come on ero-sennin, give it up already, you've been at this for far too long" Naruto said feeling extremely bored, even the novelty of being guided into things was getting more boring than infuriating. The streets around them were becoming quieter by the hour. Naruto was listening to the sounds around them. The incoherent chatter of passers by, the evening breeze the scuffle of his feet and that of stray leaves across the dirt path, even the occasional loose stone that he would accidentally kick, he would listen to it skip, roll and come to a rest
'There's no way I would find this interesting a few weeks ago, I need to listen more' Naruto thought. Suddenly, the unmistakeable aroma of gods gift to Naruto: Ramen. Naruto was freely drooling. It hadn't occurred to him how little he had been eating. Naruto didn't want to break orders by leaving Jiraiya but the concept of freshly cooked Ramen was much more appealing than walking around with a pervert
How am I going to get in without any direction. Oh well, if in doubt, follow your nose' Naruto thought. Jiraiya was long gone and Naruto was almost imitating a dog, sniffing around, he walked around and around, the smell was getting stronger
'left' Naruto turned to his left and walked forward. His head hit some fabric
'man, am I lucky or what? This is the Ichiraku, unless my sense of Ramen is failing me' Naruto drooled. He walked forward and sat in a stool. Unfortunately, someone was sitting in that particular stool, much to Naruto's embarrassment. The person had finished their meal and left. Naruto was now the only customer in. He sat down
"Welcome" The owner said "…is everything alright? I didn't see you this morning"
"I didn't see a thing this morning" Naruto joked. The owner laughed
"The usual?" Ayame the waitress asked
"If it wasn't then it would be the unusual" Naruto was trying too hard for laughs. Hearing the lack of laughter
"gimmie a break, I've just been lead across Konoha by the legendary pervert" Ayame smiled as did the owner
"The usual coming up" He said. Naruto sat there alone, missing Hinata's company, missing anyone's company really, but preferring to have Hinata's. Naruto reached for the chopstick cup, it was in its normal place so Naruto didn't have to look for it. He removed a set and broke them apart, quickly digging in. Naruto was doing quite well, a hell of a lot better than the first time he tried it after he lost his sight, though from time to time he would miss a strand, but it was to be expected. Once Naruto had finished the noodles and drank all the water that was left he contemplated over ordering another. He didn't feel hungry anymore, something unheard of when speaking about Naruto. Then again, if he didn't order again then where would he go?
'I suppose I could just go walk about' Naruto thought
Naruto stood up from the stool, he tried to get his bearings, he turned around and stepped towards the door
'This is gonna be difficult' He thought in annoyance. He heard someone enter the stand. The person's presence felt familiar to Naruto. He didn't get much more thought in as he felt hands on his neck and someone's lips pressed against his own. Naruto was taken completely off guard, though the kiss was amazing. The person broke away, much to Naruto's disappointment. He licked his lips quickly, it was a unique taste, one which he had only tasted once before
"Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked hopefully
"Good evening, Naruto-kun" He heard Hinata's voice. When Naruto heard this he felt extremely happy
"I'm sorry that I took longer than I said" Hinata bowed, she had been waiting all day to do that, after Naruto had kissed her before she left. Naruto smiled
"That's okay, it's not like I didn't have a fun day" Naruto said, deciding that telling Hinata of his boring day, it would just make her feel guilty. "…come on lets go"
Hinata locked her arm with Naruto's and guided him out. Naruto not only felt comfortable with Hinata, he trusted her completely, trusted her not to make him walk through dog crap
"Have you been shown your new apartment yet?" Hinata asked
"Not yet" Naruto was still smiling "…Did your training go well?"
"Yes, my teacher was strict but he acknowledged that I was capable. The next training session will be within a few days" Hinata informed, Naruto felt slightly disappointed, though he was happy about Hinata getting stronger, he wasn't happy about going another day without her. They walked for a little while, Naruto talking about the day's events. Slightly altered in the ero-sennin department. He told her about Sakura's reaction and how he wished he could have seen her face and how Jiraiya tricked him into eating a salad, Hinata giggled at this
"Well, I'm just happy you're back" Naruto said, pulling Hinata closer to him as they walked
"Thank you. I'm a bit tied and sore from training but I'm glad I came to find you" Hinata said, still feeling the pain from earlier. The amount of people on the street had decreased, so that they were among the few that were still out. Naruto was focusing his concentration into his hearing, since it was his only form of guidance excluding Hinata, to whom Naruto was thankful. They walked for the sake of walking, having nowhere to be or to go, they just walked, enjoying each other's company and exchanging stories of missions. Naruto was busy telling a story of how he heroically saved Sasuke's life whilst on a mission. In truth, their roles were reversed and Sasuke had to save Naruto from a pack of angry dogs. Naruto of course wasn't going to tell Hinata that. He was telling Hinata this, when a lower class Chuunin appeared in front of them
"Oi, you! Hokage-sama told me to take you to your knew apartment, follow me" The Chuunin said, totally unsympathetic for Naruto's condition. Hinata narrowed her eyes at the Chuunin but he just smiled, before turning around and walking away. Hinata decided that she should follow him. She pulled Naruto along by the arm. She had to walk faster than before to keep up with the Chuunin. Before she walked only as fast as Naruto could. The Chuunin wasn't that far ahead but he was walking quite quickly. Finally they arrived at the apartment building. It was quite new from the looks of it. The Chuunin lead them to the front door of Naruto's new apartment and gave Hinata the key
"All your stuff has been moved here" Was all he said before leaving
"Hey aren't going to show us around" Naruto asked. He got no response
"Hey!" Naruto shouted
"Naruto-kun, he's gone" Hinata said
"oh, right" Naruto said, feeling the disadvantages of being blind
"Come on, let's go in" Hinata said. Naruto nodded. She unlocked the door and walked in, with Naruto holding her hand. Hinata turned on the light for her benefit
'Pink' was the first thought that entered her mind as she noticed that the main room was painted light pink
'It would be a bad idea to tell Naruto-kun about this, what he doesn't know wont hurt him' Hinata thought. As she looked around, she noticed that it was bigger than his old apartment. There was a main room with some new furniture and a table, plus the pink. She saw a door that went into what looked like a kitchen area. Finally she saw a pink door that blended into the colour of the wall. It was easy to look over. She assumed it was the bathroom, seeing as that the only other door on the other end of the room was open and it was the bedroom
"Why don't you go to bed and we'll explore your apartment tomorrow, okay?" Hinata suggested
"Okay, You go home and get some rest" Naruto said Hinata blushed that Naruto cared for her
"Okay then, let's get you into bed" Hinata said, like you would to a child. Hinata took Naruto by the hand to his bedroom. She walked in with Naruto and flicked the light switch. The room was a nice lavender colour. Hinata liked the room's colour
'Hokage-sama must be playing a joke on Naruto' Hinata thought, remembering that it was Tsunade that decided where Naruto stayed
'She must be getting revenge for all the times Naruto-kun called her old' Hinata thought. It was a nice room, a large bed sat in the centre. A tall cupboard stood up against the wall, with a mirror by its side, though what for? And on the other side of the room, by the window sat a chest of drawers next to a desk. Hinata put Naruto next to the bed while she looked for his nightwear. She looked in his cupboard, all of his everyday clothes were up on hangers and his nightwear was on a shelf near the foot of the cupboard. She picked it up and gave it to Naruto, who was softly bouncing on his brand-new bed
"Thanks Hinata-chan" Naruto smiled as he began to undress. Hinata quickly turned around while he did this. She was so tempted just to sneak a peek at him, but her sense of decency wouldn't let her. As her back was turned Hinata took note of the bathroom door in Naruto's bedroom. It didn't look too big, just a toilet and a sink with all of his washing material
"Right, I'm done" Naruto said, throwing his clothes on the floor. Naruto was getting very skilled at dressing himself without his sight.
"Naruto-kun, I'll be back in the morning, though I might sleep in because I'm very tired from training
"That's fine, keep the key" Naruto said as he snuggled into his bed. Hinata was on her way out when a matter of utmost importance surged in her mind
"Naruto-kun, if you need to use the toilet in the night, you have a bathroom here in your bedroom. Up against the opposite wall" Hinata explained
"Okay thanks" Naruto said
"Goodnight Naruto-kun" Hinata turned off the light and closed the door. She also turned off the light in the main room on her way out. After she had closed and locked the front door, Hinata leaned against it and thought about the day she just had
"What a day!" Was all she said to herself before she walked home.
Author's notes: That wasn't easy, but I got there in the end. I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. But you can thank Manatheron for encouraging me to finish now, rather than later. Okay, what else? Have I apologised for the late update? Well in any case, Chapter eight is done. I had troubles because I kept on moving away from "Naruto is blind" But, I will keep on writing. I noticed that this is the first chapter which isn't longer than it's predecessors, in every chapter prior to this, they have been longer than the one before it. Well, not any more. That's all I have to say, till next time
See you in the funny pages…
Hisoka361 – Choosing One's Path? Oh yeah, I remember the name, I just couldn't remember what it was about, It's good to see it back up again
Crutches – Thanks, a few people weren't sure as to her newfound confidence in this fic. But I'm glad that you like how I write her
Manatheron – You like long chapters? So do I. I couldn't believe how much I had written in the 5th chapter, I didn't even realise till I was writing the end notes. Thanks for reviewing. And thank you for caring about when I update
Nonengel – Thanks, I wasn't completely confident with my previous chapter, like you said "It was unnecessary" but I'm glad you enjoyed it
Daniel of Lorien – I enjoy writing, and I hate it when someone doesn't finish what he or she starts, I will continue updating this fic. Until it comes to an end
some guy1 – I assure you, it is bad grammar (LOL) Any way, I hope this bad grammar hasn't greatly affected your reading, someone else has also commented on this subject, thank you for pointing this out though
Gohan Chan – Yes, it would have been funny, but I decided against writing that. (Hinata is still the ever-lovable shy girl) I think people might have had something to say if I wrote that
chibified kitsunes – "…awesome…kawaii…great work…" all those kind words can only mean one thing Chibi-chan, glomp haha! I used your own weapon against you. Thanks for reading
randomreader – I thought that since I wrote a Naruto POV I had to write one for Hinata
moonspirit – Thanks, I'm sorry you had to wait for the update
violentlycheerful – it's alright, time zones can really confuse a person. And I'm glad you agree with me on nfsu2
chibi-sasuke309 – Thanks, I can use all the luck I can get my hands on
kenshinlover2002 – I've explained why there were no guards at the beginning of this chapter. And I'm sorry for making you wait for the update
Alixen – I don't think there are any trucks in Konoha, maybe an ox-cart. I couldn't help but notice that mine is the only Naruto fic. That is on your profile. That makes me feel special
Konosuke15 – I'm glad that you were able to endure that long chapter. And thank you, you think I'm a good writer. Oh, and do you know what you are? You are my 100th reviewer, for that you got a special mention.TopQuark – Thanks, but aren't you gonna read the rest of it?
KyLewin – aw, thanks. I try to explain things as to why no one was around to question them in this chapter
Lone Swordsman27 –Thanks, I try to be original. Enjoy this chapter
Eva-Freak015 – Thanks for reviewing, I try to keep Hinata as 'in character' as possible, while giving her strength to be with Naruto
WildKat25/ShadowWolf13 – Yep, Scotland's my home, and I love it. Some people are a bit off put by the weather but I wouldn't trade it for any other.
You serious? I'm the only Scottish fanfic writer you've read? And this is the best naruhina fanfic you have read? Wow! Thank you. And don't worry, I always finish what I start. Please enjoy the rest of the story you two