Chapter 3: Behind The Myth

(I don't own them)

It was early in the morning when Hinata opened her eyes. The chirping of the birds somehow whispered to her ear that it was time to get up. Slowly, she moved her body and sat on the soft bed she slept from. She immediately noticed that she was neither in her room nor in any room in her house hat she recognizes.

It was a small room. The morning sunlight entered it through the small windows that surrounded the area. Hinata's clear eyes wandered around; she saw a cabinet with some shinobi's equipment, some clothes and other stuffs which looked like from the village.

"Where am I?" She softly said as she still felt some pain in her head. Puzzled, Hinata took off the blanket that was covering her and upon doing so, she noticed that her coat was taken off from her and that she only wore her inner garments. She looked for it and found it on a table beside her. Still weak, she forced herself to get out of the bed and wore her coat.

Not noticing earlier, she found out that the room she was in was just a part of a house which stood in the middle of the branches of a huge ancient tree. Walking around, she found herself on a small terrace where the cool morning breeze greeted the Hyuga girl while the sunlight kissed her tender skin. She was relieved that she was alright and was alive, but who saved her? All she could remember was a faint image that kept telling her that she's going to be fine, after that it was all darkness.

There was only one person she could think of and it was no one else but the Forest Demon everyone talked about. The demon which took the reputation in killing anyone who sees him, but funny that Hinata heard from Iruka-sensei that it protects Konoha, from then she became confused and wondered if the myth was true.

"Did he really save me? Hmmm maybe not, maybe this is just an outpost of the village and a Konoha Shinobi saved me……but what if it's not….," Hinata started thinking of a monster trying to eat her and started to be scared. "Wahhh, I don't um…umm,".

Lost in thought, Hinata was caught unguarded and didn't notice the presence that appeared behind her.

"Hey! You shouldn't be standing already, you took quite a blow, and you should be resting!" Hinata's heartbeat suddenly became rapid and couldn't move she the voice that slowly walked towards her.

"W-what.am I going t-to do.…um…um…," Because she was afraid that the person behind him was really a Demon, she quickly looked back and without glimpsing at the person's face she threw her last remaining weapons at the voice. Each of the weapons was all thrown and after that Hinata slowly opened her eyes.

"! A boy?" Hinata was surprised when she saw a boy about her age standing in front of her holding all of the weapons she threw. At first the boy held a serious face but threw in huge smile at her like nothing happened.

"whew…, that was close, I understand your defensiveness but don't worry I am not what you think I am…," The boy said as he placed the weapons down, got a basket of fruits from the table and threw an apple at Hinata. "Here, you must be hungry, I brought you some fruits, you should not be standing already with the genjutsu(illusion technique) you received,"

Hinata shyly caught it with her two hands and blushed. The boy was right as she felt her stomach was already growling. The boy joined her on the terrace and also took an apple to eat. Hinata just being cautious slightly moved away from him. The boy noticed this and just smiled.

"Don't worry I won't bite or anything, and besides I don't have a grudge against you people who are afraid of me.." The boy suddenly became silent for quite a moment and this made a chance for Hinata to get a glimpse on his face. "Is he the Demon everyone is talking about…he doesn't look like one…h-he's just an ordinary boy just like Shino and Kiba..," Hinata said to herself and shyly asked. "Are you really the one c-called..um…um," She stopped and couldn't bring herself to say the term but the boy helped her to do so.

"Konoha Forest Demon? Right? He-he you need not to worry about me getting angry, it's alright and besides that name actually sounds cool for a shinobi," Hinata was familiar at the boy's behavior, and suddenly remembered someone like him in her childhood but she can't seem to remember who it was.

"Anyway, why did you get of the village at a time like this? You know that the village is on alert status because of Orochimaru's threat," He asked while taking another bite at his apple.

"I..um..um,"

Hinata couldn't answer because they only escaped from the wall guards in order to get out. "Hmmm, maybe you guys escaped from the village right?" Hinata turned red and looked down while her hands showed nervousness.

Naruto chuckled at her reaction. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone about it, anyway I was a punk-ass too when I lived inside the village, Ahhh those days, everyday was fun…," With full enthusiasm , the boy laughed aloud but halted after a while.

Hinata was puzzled and became interest at his history. "…um..so..you also…lived…inside…the village?" As usual, she showed shyness in her conversation.

"Of course, before I was known as Konoha Forest Demon, I was Uzumaki Naruto, the next Konoha Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed.

"but, I think I'll pass that dream, I didn't catch your name, I already told mine so what's yours..,".

"Naruto…his name sounds familiar,Hinata….I am…Hyuga Hinata..," Hinata bowed down.

"Hey, no need for that….I am not someone that you should bow down to. Hmm Hinata-eh sounds familiar…," Naruto tried to dig up his memories but found it hard to look further.

"…uum w-why…did you leave the village?" Curious, Hinata suddenly became interested with Naruto. Surprised with the question Naruto became silent for awhile that made Hinata thought that she said a wrong question.

"I..I am s-sorry…,"

"No…it's alright! Actually it's nothing….well I left the village because…..,"

"That serves him right..,"

"That boy should never be a shinobi…,"

"You are the nine-tails demon that destroyed Konoha..,"

"..because I just wanted to live peacefully and it's much nicer here in the forest," Naruto showed a smile but Hinata noticed that he didn't tell the truth.

"Hmmm, I see you have a lot of questions but I don't mind, it's been a while since I had someone come over at my house….well let's sit inside and continue your interrogation," Hinata agreed and they went on the first floor of the simple but well-made tree house and sat at the dining table with only had 2 chairs.

Naruto made some tea and gave it to Hinata. Hinata awkwardly took it from his hands and took a sip. Hinata coughed a little for it was hot. "Careful..it's hot! Konoha's tea is good for your health, that's what the third said but Hah! I said to him, smoking is dangerous to your health you old-geezer,"

"he-he..," Hinata let out small chuckle. She still had so many questions lingering in her mind about the mysterious person in front of him but she was worried that her father and others are looking for her. Also, she was worried about her teammates, Kiba and Shino and was worried what happened to them. Naruto was not a mind reader but he somehow felt her feelings.

"Don't worry…I promise, I'll take you home….," Naruto gave Hinata a reassuring smile. Hinata smiled at him and nodded. "T-thank you….Naruto..-kun,"

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Meanwhile Shiro and Kiba were also knocked out by the sound-nins. By the time they woke up, they were already in the leaf hospital.

"…huh? Hey who rescued us? Huh Shino..," Kiba shouted aloud at his teammate who also just woke up from slumber.

" hmmmm don't ask me…and pls don't shout inside a hospital…," Shino silently said as he took his glasses beside him and put it on.

"Oh yeah, maybe Hinata was the one who called the anbus and rescued us. Grrrr damn those sound shinobis wait till I meet them again," Kiba didn't lower his voice and instead made it even louder. And as they waited for their parents, Kiba kept disturbing Shino's peace and kept saying that he'll get his vengeance on the sound-nins.

"…sigh…," Shino just ignored him and both became silent when their sensei entered their room.

"Kurenai-sensei," Kiba shouted and saw his sensei's face not in the mood for any joke. " gulp …,".

"So how's my two "great" shinobis doing huh…great at escaping hmmm," Kurenai said as she pinched Kiba's cheeks. Kiba frowned at what she did, naturally he'd retaliate but he was powerless in front of his sensei.

"So sensei, how did you find us?" Shino asked excepting that it was Hinata who called rescue.

"Well, basically since the alert we have deployed scouts around the area and we found you guys fighting with 4 shinobis…so we called in Anbus and when we got there they were going to finish you guys but since our Anbus had the skills, the sound-nins were defeated and rescued you two which leads me to asking where is Hinata?"

Shino and Kiba looked at each other before answering her question. "Then..if you spotted us…Hinata didn't came to the village?"

"There was no sign of Hinata when we rescued you what happened to her?" Kurenai asked seriously.

"Sensei, when the attack commenced on us, we ordered Hinata to get some help and so we thought that Hinata got to the village and was the one who got help…but..now..," Shino looked down after saying his last words.

"What!...Then Hinata is still lost but she couldn't be lost…not if...," Kiba stopped for a moment but remembered the myth. "….she was caught by the Demon! We must save her Kurenai-sensei.

Kurenai-sensei became silent for she knew that there was never a Konoha Forest Demon but only a child who should've been a hero but received quite the opposite. She knew that it was forbidden to reveal the truth behind the myth and so she just went with the flow of the conversation. "If Hinata is with that boy, then she should be just alright, hmm actually there 5 shinobis maybe he rescued her…Demon? That's just a myth you guys..but we must find Hinata at all costs, she should just be out there, don't you worry," She smiled.

"I'll Help! Where's Akamaru? We'll go now! Ouch my wounds….," Feeling the pain he received from the sound-nin's attacks, Kiba again lied down on the bed.

"You too should rest from your wounds, I'll take care of everything, and Kiba, Akamaru's alright he's already with your mother…,"

"Crap…grr…,"

Outside Kurenai told Kakashi what happened. "Hmmm so that's why….but the situation might get worse, the Hyuga sent Neji to get back Hinata, they wanted him to kill the Demon…that nine-tail kid is sure in trouble..,"

"Don't worry, I hear the 5th didn't just let Naruto live all by himself and not have the chance to fulfill his dream…," Kurenai said with a smile. Kakashi didn't know about that and was surprised.

"Hmmm so I see…this is interesting…,"

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Edited: Too much hehe and haha also made me irritated. Thanks for the notice, It's been years since I read the past chapters. Haha oops there we go again.