Chapter 4:My Childhood Friend
(I don't own them)
"D-did you build this a-all by yourself?" Hinata asked the blue-eyed Shinobi who was busy setting aside the cup she used. "Me, well….sort of, it's not much really, not like those houses inside the village,"
"No….it's nice….," Naruto looked back slightly as he heard the complement and turned back to what he was doing. "Thanks…,"
After cleaning up the glass Hinata used, Naruto got his goggles and wore them on his forehead "Well, I think I should be escorting you back home now," He smiled.
"D-don't you have t-the…um.," She asked noticing Naruto wore goggles instead of the mark of the Leaf. "head plate,"
"The head plate? ...sorry but I didn't became a genin, I failed the exams thrice and left after that," Naruto bowed his head but then looked back again smiling at Hinata. "but it doesn't matter anyway..,"
"(….His eyes tell me there is more but since he insists and my father maybe looking for me, might as well go home for the mean time…)…. O-okay…,"
"Well then...let's go…," Naruto and Hinata went out through the terrace. Naruto was about to release chakra to start their trip but Hinata stopped him.
"Hmm..Is there a problem?" he asked with eyes closed while the reserved girl was hesitant to say something. "Are you still feelings the effects of the genjutsu? If yes, tell me, I'll get you to the village in no time,"
"N-no…that's not it um…it's…I would..j-just like to thank you..for s-saving.me and sor..," Before Hinata could utter another word, Naruto cut it short.
"No, you are welcome and about that Demon thing, like I told you, it's really nothing…I should be the one thanking you for visiting me. Let's go?"
"O-ok," Hearing his answer, she smiled.
As the two were about to jump from the terrace, a shuriken aimed at Naruto flew out of nowhere. "Huh?" Seeing the attack, Naruto jumped to a nearby branch and avoided it. "Who the…,".
The attacker didn't waste time and revealed himself from the shadows. He was a leaf genin, and one whom Hinata clearly recognizes.
"Neji-niisan" Surprised yet Hinata knew that it was her father who sent him to retrieve her. Knowing him, she knew that he could misinterpret the situation.
"Hinata! Once I finish this so-called Forest Demon, you will be returning home with me…got that?" Neji released his Blood-line Limit and attacked Naruto.
"But Brother Neji! Y-you don't understand! Stop!" Hinata's cry was too late as the former best Rookie initiated the gentle-fist style.
Not knowing the effects of the style, Naruto blocked Neji's entire 3 palm combo with his arms. "Heh, I've done nothing wrong but seems like you are weak…," Naruto grinned at the Hyuga and was about to counter-attack when he started to feel the after-effects.
"Ugh!" Feeling the pain, Naruto coughed out blood making Hinata, at the distance worried. "Naruto! Brother Neji! Stop this! T-there's no need for this….He sav..," She tried to stop the battle but with just one look of Neji, she became silent.
"Hmph..is this the Forest Demon everyone was talking about, you seem to have been overrated, what I see is just a loser, you are not even worthy to have me as an opponent and for that I'll just carry out my orders which is to kill you,"
"(Ugh…this style..somehow I already knew it….where have I seen this style? Grr…that's not important now, I've have done nothing wrong…I will make this shinobi know who he is messing with)….Haha hehe….kill me? I've done nothing wrong but since you insist I'll show you the true Forest Demon of Konoha,"
With a hand-seal, Naruto used the Kage-bunshin(shadow-clones) jutsu which surprised Neji. Divided into 10 clones, Naruto grinned. "haha, take this!" With his command all of the clones attacked Neji all at once.
"Clones..huh hmmph, useless…," Neji stood firm in his position and easily dodged all of the clones' attacks. "Is this all you've got, heh, give it up…," One by one Neji took care all of the clones leaving the original Naruto open for the attack.
"It's over!" Neji with a killer's intent rushed in to finish the fight.
Naruto wounded, and with loss of charka, couldn't see Neji clearly. "Grr….not this time again..I must make them realize…my existence is not just like this," The hatred that was sleeping inside Naruto for so long was awakened and released all of his charka.
Seeing them fight made Hinata remember things that had been forgotten due to time. The scene was familiar to her and therefore it triggered those memories.
"Naruto-kun….,"
That day was just an ordinary day for the young Hyuga girl. Because she was naturally shy, she played alone in the playground. For her, it was alright, besides she rarely got out because her father trained her.
The swing was her favorite and so she sat there always alone but then a boy came that day. He was also her age. His eyes were blue and his hair was yellow as the sun. He held a wide smile at his face as he greeted her.
"Hello! Can I play with you? Hehe, my playmates left me already, guess their parents don't like me…," Hinata felt something inside, something warm that told her not to leave the boy in front of her. It told her to play with him and so Hinata forced herself to speak.
"umm S-sure why not….," The girl's answer made the boy's heart cry for joy as if she was the first to accept him as a playmate.
"Thanks! Haha I'm Uzumaki Naruto what's yours?"
"um..Hinata….Hyuga Hiinata..," She smiled even though her heart still pounded because of her shyness.
"Yey! Then let's start playing! how about I push you while you ride the swing so it'll make you go faster, is that alright?"
"…I guess so..," She nodded.
"Alright! Hold on tight!" With her nod, he pushed her just fine to lift the swing up high which made her enjoy the air that embraced her.
That was the firs time the two made contact. The both of them had fun even though Hinata still spoke a few lines. It was really Naruto who made it fun through his lively attitude.
"Hey let's play tag!"
"Tag?...but…we're only two….," she was puzzled for she knew that the game tag is normally played with 3 or more players.
"Hehe we don't need anymore players, just the two of us are fine, and besides this is also a great training, you ready, I'll first be the it, you better run for it!" Naruto said as he prepared to run. "Go!"
"..O-okay..," Hinata knew she wasn't that good at running but since Naruto mentioned it, she used her charka to run.
"Hey! using charka huh, I'll also use mine…I'm going to get you Hinata!" He shouted as he ran after her.
Evidently, Naruto had more stamina than Hinata and caught up to her. "Haha tag, you're it! Catch me now!" he shouted as he quickly dispersed from Hinata's sight.
"…I'm…going to get you also," Though she may not be able to catch him, Hinata felt happy not because they were playing but something else, something which she couldn't understand.
"You got to go faster than that! Hahaha come catch me!" Naruto sped up much faster as he ran around the area.
Hinata pushed herself to her limits and accidentally tripped over a rock she didn't see.
"Ahh!" After falling, she slowly sat down and saw a wound on her knees, it was bleeding and it definitely hurt for a four-year old. So she cried that called the attention of Naruto.
"Hinata! Geez..," Naruto looked at the wound. "..Hey don't cry! Let's go to the hospital…I'll carry you,"
Naruto offered his back for the wounded child. She turned red but accepted his help.
"Hey I'm sorry maybe I went a little too fast," Not a word from Hinata was heard as they walked but that didn't stop the boy from talking.
"Hey…you still there, don't worry it's far from your heart, you're going to be alright," Finally, after a few more steps, Hinata opened her mouth to speak. "….thank you Naruto-kun…,"
"Don't thank me just yet we are not even close to the hospital…," He protested while Hinata just smiled. "Um Hinata, want do you want to become when you grow up?"
"..m-me?...I don't know…," She replied as she hold on to Naruto.
"Everyone should have a dream, you should have one too. Ok, I'll tell you mine. My dream is to become Hokage of this village. Once I am Hokage, they shall recognize me and look up to Uzumaki Naruto!. I'll make them see that I am great and I can become Hokage…,"
