-1Thank you for all the reviews! Its been surprising how many I got! Figured I'd snag like 1 per chapter for awhile but made me giddy to see all the "Review Alerts" in my e-mail! Thank you all again!
Alright just a heads up. I know these people are young, still children by our standards but let me explain my reasoning for their behavior. They're allowed to become shin obi early in their lives, why? Because shinobi die. The entire village is aware of this, even they themselves are aware of this fact. Look at Itachi he was what like 13-15 when he was made ANBU? Their society displays what I believe any would in their position.
A rush to things they do. Nobody knew when they'd die, even C-rank missions could turn deadly. The entire society knew this so my guess is that it was just the fact of the matter that teenagers would find love instead of waiting till their 20s. My figures (ie the brainstorming session I had like 2 seconds before typing this) say that they'd probably be dating by 13 and marriage age was along the lines of 16. Again this is all because of how short their lives could be, most ninja don't live long lives. There really aren't that many old ninjas, even middle age ones seem to be scarce. For the simple fact that bodies age, old wounds leave scars, senses dull. K done with my tirade.
Thanks for the reviews! I really enjoy them!
Chapter 3: Subtle beginnings.
Naruto awoke the next morning still somewhat fatigued. 'How in the world did I ever survive in this body?' He asked himself sullenly as he went about his morning routine. Today was the day in between the exam and the team assignments. His first real day to get some solid testing done on exactly how untrained his body really was. Naruto sat in his kitchen as he quietly considered these thoughts eating the ramen he had for so long missed. "That was so good!" Naruto sighed as he finished his fifth cup.
"Mind if I join you?" A voice echoed through the room quietly.
"Nani!" Naruto jumped up, really wishing Kyuubi was awake right now instead of blissfully sleeping. "Who's there!"
"Calm yourself kit." Gideon chuckled as he let his invisibility drop. "Its just your partner in time-crimes." Gideon suppressed the urge to laugh loudly at the dumbfounded look on Naruto's face.
"How did you do that!" Naruto shouted, "Even as I am now I should have been able to pick up a simple cloaking genjutsu!"
"Mainly because its not a genjutsu." Gideon explained as he fixed himself and Naruto cups of ramen. "Its demonic invisibility. And no you can't learn it. Only demons with the approximate power of seven or more tails can understand the complexity involved." Gideon finished as he waited for the instant ramen to finish warming. "Besides its really not that useful, even I can't move too quickly or the effect is broken."
"But.. But.. But.." Naruto stuttered, then changed his attention as Gideon placed the ramen cup in front of himself and Naruto. "uh.. Thanks. Lets eat!" Gideon was glad the food distracted the young ninja, the Angelic Jutsu: Lay Bare had taken far more out of him then he realized.
"Is Kyuubi awake yet?" Gideon asked as the two ate in peace. "I'd like to speak with you two again."
Naruto sighed and grumbled. "I'm still tired from using Magnify and Extend from yesterday, but I'll see what I can do." Naruto created the clone and after a deep breath of concentration whispered "Demonic Jutsu: Magnify." With that the usual red smoke surrounded the clone signifying the change. 'Kuso.. That almost hurt.. Least with Kyuubi's regeneration my chakra reserves grow faster with drains on them like that.' Naruto panted slightly as he and Gideon looked as the smoke cleared. They barely contained their laughter at what they saw.
Kyuubi was curled up on the ground, her silver hair and silver/red tails sweeping around her. The amusing part was that she was still asleep and her hands and feet were still twitching as she dreamt. "Let me wake her up." Gideon chuckled as Naruto nodded in agreement. Gideon leaned over Kyuubi and whispered in her ear. "Time to awaken O'Fox Demon." To his, and Naruto's, surprise Kyuubi didn't awaken but suddenly turned over wrapping her arms around Gideons neck and tails around his legs.
Gideon gulped as she started to mumble, thankful that Naruto couldn't hear her. "Now you're all mine Gideon." A pleasant smile graced her lips, although that smile was one of the most terrifying things Gideon had ever seen.
Gideon gulped again, he knew he was in deep trouble now. "Uh.. Kyuubi time to get up." He said much louder this time. At this her eyes snapped open and for a moment stared into his blue orbs. That moment ended when she used her tails and arms to send him flying across the room, planting him firmly into the wall. "Itai.." Gideon groaned as he slumped to the floor.
Kyuubi was standing a moment later still looking slightly frazzled. "What's going on?" She asked the laughing Naruto.
Naruto could only speak in spurts. "Gideon.. Talk you.. (laugh) Magnify.. (laugh) you sleep.. Gideon wall.." Before he completely broke down, falling to the floor in laughter.
"I believe he means to say." Gideon groaned as he brushed errant pieces of the wall from his clothes as he stood. "That I needed to speak with you, he Magnified you, you were still asleep. I tried to wake you up to which you threw me into the wall." Gideon kept the final bit of exactly how he had tried to awaken her the first time to himself, 'What she doesn't know won't hurt me.'
Kyuubi's composure returned shortly after before giving Naruto a slight kick, signaling he had laughed enough. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Kyuubi asked calmly as she took a seat. But Gideon was all too aware of the ice behind her eyes, he silently thanked the Yondaime for sealing Kyuubi's powers within Naruto.
"Neji was correct." Gideon started quickly not wanting to anger Kyuubi further. "Hinata's chakra coils are different, she's a very fortunate girl indeed." Gideon made the slightest sign to Kyuubi that something else needed to be said about the subject but not to Naruto at the moment. "But I know you've got training to do Naruto, so why don't you go start while Kyuubi and I finish catching up?" Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly at the thought of training his young body all over again but his old vigor was within him again as he sped off around the apartment and out the door.
"Alright," Kyuubi started the moment the door was shut and she saw Gideon put up a soundproofing Jutsu. "What's the rest? Be quick This clone won't last long at the rate he's running towards the training grounds."
"Haldafang the Eight-Tailed Cat, your friend, is sealed within Hinata." Gideon answered quickly and continued just as fast despite the clear shock on Kyuubi's face. "I'm not completely sure why she allowed herself to be sealed. But its her presence within the clan that gives them those Byakugan eyes."
"She.. allowed.. herself to be sealed?" Kyuubi asked confusion and surprise written across her features. Gideon was somewhat relieved that this information had distracted Kyuubi enough not to wonder how he'd gotten it. "How.. How long has she been with them? Does she mix like Naruto and I do? Tell me everything you know."
Gideon sat across the table from her, "The seal only allows the precise amount of Haldafang's chakra through to create the Byakugan. From the looks of the seal she probably helped create it. Its far more demonic in nature then the seal that binds you within Naruto." Gideon took her hands from across the table. "Although somewhere along the line the Hyuuga's must have tampered with it somehow and damaged it, probably trying to get to a higher level of Byakugan." Gideon squeezed Kyuubi's hand's before she could say anything and continued. "Hinata will die before she ages another ten years. Just as those before her have." Gideon could see Kyuubi's eyes become confused and distraught. "But we have a chance.."
Kyuubi snapped her eyes to his, "You mean we can correct the seal? And save Hinata?" Naruto wasn't the only one who had become attached to the pale girl, and seeing Hinata die early again would be devastating to Naruto, and to Kyuubi. "So Neji's assault didn't cause the damage to her coils. It happened from within her.." Kyuubi trailed off as she considered what a relief that would have been to the future Neji. The damaged seal combined with human's 'puberty' phase must have started the breakdown. "How do we help?"
"Its lucky that those two had decided to be together." Gideon could feel the jutsu that created Kyuubi weakening rapidly, "You MUST get Naruto to tell Hinata about you and him before you leave for Wave. She needs to know that and accept it before she'll believe in herself enough. I've got to leave to find the two Sannin so I can't help you with that." Gideon squeezed Kyuubi's hands once again before she poofed back into Naruto's mindscape.
Gideon let his hands fall to the table, "I'll have to take special care of Hinata till Naruto is ready." He sighed, "I just hope I'm right that we can fix what happened." Gideon slowly rose and headed for the Hyuuga complex again. 'I've got to know if they're still aware of the seal or not. Then I'll begin tracking down the Sannin.' With that last thought he began his search.
With Naruto.
Naruto could feel Kyuubi's mind return to within him. He could feel that she was distressed about something, 'Must be something big if I can sense it, she's usually perfect at masking her emotions.'
Naruto entered the training grounds that he remembered Hinata had inspired him before his match with Neji. Naruto slapped his head at how blind he'd been to what she was really feeling, and the words she spoke. He turned back to the more pressing matter though. 'Kyuubi what's wrong? Was Gideon mean to you?'
"You're going to tell Hinata about me being sealed within you before you leave for Wave Country." Kyuubi ordered.
"Nani!" Naruto actually shouted out loud. 'But why!' He knew an order when he heard it but this went against the plan they had so carefully come up with.
"Naruto.." Kyuubi's voice actually turned pleading, something he'd never heard from her before, "Just this once trust me with this decision. I know how horrible you felt for all those years you didn't tell anyone. Please! Please! Trust me without having to know the reason why!"
Naruto was shocked to say the least. Never before in his entire life with Kyuubi had she ever once begged, this was truly disturbing to him. But the war had taught him something that he'd taken to heart and was reminded of as he stood there.
Shikamaru had told him it in an off-hand way during a strategy meeting. "Believe in your friends and comrades. Sometimes blind faith in them is all that keeps us alive now." Those words echoed through his mind.
'Kyuubi..' Naruto started, he could still feel Kyuubi's crimson eyes pleading him to listen. It gave him the shivers to see the powerful demon doing that. 'I promise I will. But I'll need your help to get closer to Hinata so its not so out of the blue.' Naruto could have sworn he actually heard her relieved sigh. 'But how will we alter the plan to include her?' Naruto's body may be small but his mind was still the same from the future, although he had noticed a lot of his old habits begin to force themselves to the surface.
Kyuubi shifted in his mind, "Leave that to me." she offered in a comforting matter, "For now just start to notice her, she is standing behind that tree over there after all, and carefully work your way up." Kyuubi couldn't suppress a giggle as Naruto's head snapped up "Remember kit, gently, she's had a rough life." With that she faded to the back of his mind, although he could still feel her supportive emotions and knew she'd guide him.
Naruto himself was at an in-pass, he couldn't just walk over to her and say "Hi Hinata! Glad to see you're not dead!" No, that wouldn't go over at all well. Naruto suddenly felt Kyuubi push up all his memories of Hinata, of her before and after his three years of training and he knew why. He was always comforted with those memories and everything seemed to clear up. With those he did what his old self would have done. He walked straight towards the hiding girl.
Naruto saw her notice him heading towards her as she issued forth a small "Eep." And disappeared behind the tree. He was glad she didn't run though, it made it much simpler that way.
When he rounded the side of the tree and looked over he was surprised that, with all her actions she hadn't disappeared. The way she had almost turned in on herself, pressing herself against the tree; barely even breathing, eyes closed. Naruto stood for a moment as he took in this younger Hinata. The 'duck-butt' haircut as someone had named it, combined with the two whisps of hair that framed her gentle face. He took in her body, even through the baggy clothes she wore, was already developing the 'assets' that made him stumble in the future. Her own leaf hitai-ate tied neatly around her neck. That combined with all that he knew of her personality only brought one thought, 'Kami, what I fool I was before. Not to truly notice this Goddess on earth.'
"Good morning Hinata!" Naruto had to bite his tongue not to add the -chan suffix, that would come soon enough. Hinata slowly peeked one eye open to look at him then the other slowly.
'I'd forgotten exactly how cute she could be.' Kyuubi grinned to herself. Kyuubi had at first wanted to slap Naruto for never noticing the child and her affections for him. But as the two grew closer in the future she had figured out why. 'Thank you Hinata-chan for teaching him what real true love is. He never knew what it was the first time through, he gets it now.' Kyuubi grinned as she continued to watch and guide Naruto's actions carefully.
"G-Good M-morning N-Naruto-kun." she whispered back with that adorable blush blessing her face. Naruto nearly melted right there, and was barely able to control himself when her cute finger pushing habit started.
'Why didn't I notice this!' Naruto berated himself, 'At least I get a second chance.' Naruto returned his attention to the shy girl before him. "Whatcha doing out so early?"
"I-I came t-to t-train," Hinata stuttered, still unable to meet his eyes, "T-this is w-wear I n-normally t-train." Naruto could feel himself falling in love with her all over again, especially since he'd figured out what it meant to truly love because of her. Everything she did just pulled at his heart, and the memories of her future self that were stored there.
"Oh really?" Naruto grinned, "Sorry I got in your way then, I'll go somewhere else to train." He said this under the gentle influence of Kyuubi, they needed Hinata to come out of her shell and believe in herself years before she had originally, at least enough for Naruto to share his secret. Although Naruto felt bad, but he knew the best way to do that was through his own actions. So he turned to leave, although it tore at him. They had to hurry, they would leave for the Wave Mission in a month.
"W-wait!" Hinata said loudly, for her anyways, "Y-you can t-train here, I-I'll go somewhere e-else." Her sentence ended in just above a whisper.
'Even now she cares more for others then herself.' Naruto grinned to himself. "How about we train together!" He answered in response, "That'll be way more fun then training alone!" Naruto watched with glee as the blush deepened as she slowly nodded yes. With that he grabbed her hand and walked back onto the field. He could feel her hand trembling in his own, that just made him even more happy. 'She had accepted me even in the face of her father telling her to avoid me. She actually liked me before we even met.' Naruto's eyes glistened with tears, 'I'm not wasting it this time round, I won't doubt her; I won't disappoint you Neji.'
"Ano.. N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly as they neared the posts, "H-How did you g-get your h-hitai-ate?"
He turned to her with his biggest smile, the one she had told him years later that she enjoyed the most because he had to squint his eyes so it could fit on his face. "I learned a new Jutsu that impressed Iruka-sensei so much that he gave me his own hitai-ate and I passed!" He answered as he adjusted said hitai-ate. "Wanna see it!" He asked excitedly.
"Y-yes p-please." She nodded.
Naruto took a small step back from her before stating "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" And suddenly with a burst of chakra smoke the entire field was covered in Naurto's. "Heh." The real Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head, "Guess I still need to work on my control a bit."
Hinata however, he doubted she heard him, as her eyes and body were turning in amazement this way and that trying to take in all the grinning Narutos. "T-that's amazing!" She gasped. 'You really are strong Naruto-kun.' Hinata was fully aware of the chakra needed to produce so many clones and was surprised that Naruto was still before her, standing.
Naruto had the grace to blush, "Yeah, way cool isn't it!" He said before dispelling the jutsu, allowing the clones to disappear in multiple clouds of smoke. "Hey Hinata? You wanna spar with me?" Naruto looked down sheepishly, "That is if you wouldn't mind. I'd really like a strong partner to spar with, so I can improve." He had to strain to hear her response.
"Y-You want to s-spar with m-me?" Hinata asked, surprise written across her face. 'Because I'm strong?' She added mentally.
"Of course!" he shouted, blushing again when the girl jumped in surprise to his outburst. "Please say you will Hinata! I can only get stronger if I fight strong people!" He used his best puppy-dog face. 'Plus it'll really start to show me exactly where I am.' He grinned at that thought.
Hinata ducked her head for a few moments as her fingers fought each other. 'Naruto-kun wants to spar with me because he thinks I'm strong.' It was all she could do not to feint right now. 'He thinks I'm strong.' With that thought she raised her head with a small smile, her eyes squinted shut. "Hai." She squeaked, "I-I'd be happy to s-spar with you N-Naruto-kun!"
"Yatta!" He shouted and embraced her in a quick hug before quickly letting go; taking a few steps back before getting into his old ready position. 'I'd forgotten how soft she feels.' Naruto looked down at himself. 'And how freakishly sloppy my form was.'
'Naruto-kun hugged me!' Hinata was sure this was a dream now, but never wanted to wake up from. She noticed Naruto was in a ready stance and shook her head as she took her own ready stance.
"Before we start." Naruto spoke up. "Light sparring only ok? Even I know that if you went full tilt with that chakra stuff you'd beat me in a few seconds!" Naruto could only grin wider as Hinata's blush returned. 'Is this really working Kyuubi?' He asked as Hinata nodded toward him, to which he shouted "Begin!" and started their sparring match.
"Yes kit it is." Kyuubi answered plainly ignoring the mental growl at being called 'kit'.
'How can you tell?' Naruto returned as he blocked a palm-strike from the pale girl.
"You really want to know?" Kyuubi asked with a giggle. Naruto nodded mentally. "For one thing its in her scent."
This caused Naruto to choke, allowing Hinata to land a firm, but pulled, strike to his chest. When he saw fear of her actions start to well in Hinata's eyes, he just grinned broadly. "First point to you Hinata!" And took his ready stance again signaling for the match to continue.
"Although the rest of your body is lacking I have been steadily increasing your senses." Kyuubi answered the unasked question. "They aren't up to what we had them to before but it's a good starting point." Kyuubi grinned when Naruto was able to slip through Hinata's guard and about to land a solid punch to Hinata's jaw, which he stopped in time and ended up only poking her cheek while he grinned. "And then there is her whole stance, its much like the effect when you cheered her at the chunnin examines. It looks so much more relaxed." Kyuubi laughed when Hinata was able to hip-toss Naruto because he overextended a punch. "And the most obvious thing.." Kyuubi held back slightly so Naruto could deflect the sudden barrage of blows Hinata released, "She's smiling, a real smile."
'She is isn't she?' Naruto couldn't help but let his newfound joy slip into his expression. 'Tell me though Kyuubi. Why is it so easy for her to change from being happy but go back to her self doubt so quickly? It never made any sense to me.'
Kyuubi appreciated the fact that Naruto still came to her with problems that he would have normally asked a parent figure. "Its because of how fragile a human's mind can be when they're growing up. Most people aren't like you were Naruto, they don't have such a huge drive behind them." Kyuubi pulled up memories of Gaara for her example so that Naruto could understand clearly.
"She's been told and probably had it 'trained'" Kyuubi let the sarcasm on thick for that word, "That she's a failure and disgrace to her clan. Her whole world before the academy was 'You're a failure Hinata.' 'You're a disappointment to me Hinata.' 'Why aren't you better Hinata?' These things and being surrounded by people who felt the same way while she was still figuring out who she was, scarred her deeply." Kyuubi sighed, "But it's a testament to her own will that she turned out as well as she did. That includes her devotion and admiration for you."
The two continued to spar as the sun reached its peak. "Lets stop for lunch Hinata." Naruto said as he wiped sweat from his brow, catching his breath. He could tell Hinata was clearly winded and tired, had been for awhile, but didn't stop the match at Kyuubi's urgings. His stomach growled to further fuel his reasoning. "I'm about to pass out from hunger!" Hinata could only nod as she breathed heavily.
As they walked around to cool down Hinata, to Naruto's surprise, asked him a question. "D-Do you really t-think I'm s-strong N-Naruto-kun?"
"Of course Hinata!" Naruto responded cheerfully, "I bet I'd have been beaten after that first strike if we hadn't been sparring." Naruto grinned again as Hinata invented a new shade of red to blush. "So you want to eat with me at Ichiraku's? My treat!" When he saw her give a small nod he burst out, "Yatta!" grabbed her hand and started running.
Hinata could barely contain herself. The object of her affections had in one day: noticed her, asked her to spar, told her she was strong several times, and now they were going to eat together. 'Could this be a date!' Hinata smiled to herself as she let Naruto pull her along. 'He did say his treat, but..' Her thoughts wandered to doubt but she was suddenly buffeted by the thought that if it was Sasuke in Naruto's place she would be the envy of most of the girls their age. 'Maybe.. Just maybe..' She blushed deeply as her hopes rose.
When they reached the streets of town Naruto slowed to a walk, Hinata noticed that as he slowed to walk besid her; he didn't release her hand. "Hey Hinata?" Naruto began quietly, when he noticed her tilt her head slightly in response he continued, "C-Could I call you Hinata-chan? I mean I won't if you don't want me to or anything.. And um.. I'm sorry I poked your cheek during our sparing match.. I.. uh.. Just couldn't help myself.." He grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head with his free hand.
"Ano.. I-I don't mind N-Naruto-kun." She smiled, Naruto nearly melted into puddle right then, "I-I didn't m-mind the c-cheek poke either." She said in barely more then a whisper.
"Yatta!" Naruto exclaimed, Hinata giggled at his antics, "Thanks Hinata-chan! We're here lets eat!" He said as he led her into the stand allowing her to sit first before he took the seat next to her.
"Naruto!" 'Old man' Teuchi greeted his best customer, then noticing Hinata beside him, "Who's your girlfriend?" Teuchi grinned.
"This is Hinata-chan!" Naruto responded quickly, "And you treat her good 'Old man', she's a strong ninja just like me!"
Hinata was barely able to control herself enough not to feint right there when she was referred to as Naruto's 'girlfriend' but her blush grew ten-fold when he didn't deny it and when he referred to her as a strong ninja.
"Of course, of course." Teuchi chuckled, also noticing the absence of the girlfriend denial, "So how about I treat you two ninja's to your first bowl of ramen as ninjas!" With that he took their flavor choices, Naruto letting Kyuubi chose true to his word from last night, and turned to making them.
Ayame appeared from the backroom after hearing the commotion, "Well if it isn't Naruto! Congratulations again on passing your exam." Naruto could only grin as he and Hinata began eating. He shoving noodles as fast as he could while Hinata took dainty bites. "Oh and who is this lovely young lady?" Ayame grinned, "Your girlfriend?" She teased.
Naruto took the moment to clear his mouth of noodles while the blush returned to Hinata's face, "This is Hinata-chan!" He introduced before returning to his ramen. Naruto continued to eat bowl after bowl while Hinata only finished her one as he finished his tenth. "Ahh.." Naruto sighed happily, "Now that's Ramen!"
Kyuubi suddenly broke into his thoughts, "Good job Naruto, but I thinks that's about all she can handle for today. Her mental state is shaky at best, better not to push her until you actually tell her about me." Kyuubi could feel Naruto's mental sigh, "I know Naruto I want to see her happy again too, but we have to play this delicately. We still need to try and avoid adjusting the timeline out of where we know it'll go. But you should try to continue to spar with her, its helping you and, more importantly, her."
'You're right, I know.. I know..' Naruto replied sadly, but being careful not to let the grin fall from his face. He desperately wanted to fall into Hinata's embrace right now and just let the future be damned, but he couldn't do that.. Not after Neji and Gaara's sacrifice, he had to right the wrongs done; 'Lucky for me,' He grinned, 'Allowing myself to fall in love with Hinata eventually just happened to be one of those things I get to fix.'
As the pair began walking away from the stand Hinata spoke softly, "T-thank you for l-lunch N-Naruto-kun." Bowing as she spoke.
"My pleasure Hinata-chan!" He grinned, "You want to meet at that same place every day at 6 in the afternoon for more sparring? I'd really appreciate it!" Hinata, for the second time that day, created another shade of red as she blushed. "But since we're going to be ninja and have missions and stuff we'll only wait till 6:30 for the other person to show ok? That way neither of us will have to wait if our day stuff runs long. Besides, we'll be able to meet the next day!"
'He's asking me to be a real sparring partner? Even after seeing how weak I am in fighting?' Hinata nervously pushed her fingers together and looked to the ground, but steeled herself, she couldn't pass this opportunity up. "I'd l-like that v-very much N-Naruto-kun." She looked up to meet his eyes. 'So blue.' And turned away, right into a dirty look from a villager that was obviously directed at Naruto. She had noticed these all the time they had walked through the village, but when Naruto didn't seem to notice she had put them to the back of her mind.
"Yatta!" Naruto exclaimed as he jumped into the air, fist raised. "Alright it's a deal then Hinata-chan! See you tomorrow at the Academy!" With that he ran down the street.
Hinata once again noticed the villagers glaring at him. Not the glare they'd give someone for being loud, these glares were like the ones earlier, full of hate. 'Why do they do that?' Hinata knew of nothing Naruto had ever done to earn such glares. His pranks had been well-thought out as to not hurt anyone or leave permanent marks, so it couldn't be that. 'And why does Naruto have such sadness behind his eyes..?' Hinata's thoughts were broken when a presence appeared behind her.
"Hinata." Hinata's entire body cringed at the sound of Hiashi's voice. "You were not seen at lunch. Where were you?" Hinata could almost feel herself breaking under his glare.
"I-I'm s-sorry O-Oto-san." Hinata stuttered fingers pressing themselves together, staring at the ground, "I w-was t-training and l-lost track of t-time." She bowed deeply to try to emphasize her apology; and to keep from having to look at her father's stern face.
A decided "Hmph." Was all that she received in acknowledgement. "You will have to provide yourself with lunch then, or wait till the dinner hour." With that he and the small group of other Hyuuga's turned away and left the now shivering girl.
Hinata stayed there for several minutes believing she had enough control over herself to trudge her way back to the Hyuuga Clan-house. 'At least Naruto-kun believes I'm something.'
A/N: Grr.. Hinata's family life always pisses me off. I've had friends who were in similar situations. Although since they were just beaten instead of given 'training'. It took intervention from social workers, police, and psychologists plus several years of counseling to become nearly normal human beings again, even then our group of friends could still see the shattered person at times. Not a lot of children in those situations have a hero to derive strength from.
But you know what? I feel pity for people who abuse their children. Cause Karma really is a bh, and I'm personally glad I don't have to answer for a crime that vile to someone who has perfect judgment.
(Eva takes the keyboard from SR) Eva: Sorry delicate issue there, SR nearly lost a friend to a bad situation like that but the friend did recover and their friendship is on good terms.
Pixie: Thanks for all the reviews! We promise to reign in SR a bit from his rants! Seeing he got one in at the start and at the end.
Felichel: See you next chapter!
