I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Kishimoto-san does. If he gave me the Naruto franchise, THEN I'D OWN NARUTO!
Don't sue meh. ( ̄▽ ̄)ノ
The Alphabet with NaruHina!
M is for Modicum
Hinata felt the full weight of Mitsuko's absence.
The snow melts, flowers bloom, and spring came and went just as fast. It was summer. It felt as though a ton of bricks were sitting on Hinata's chest and she couldn't get a proper breath in as the days of elementary started up once more for her sixth year. She had no choice but to continue her education alone, and at the brute end of Naruto's terrorizing. It was now early fall. The leaves were turning golden and orange, a gentle breeze having a touch of summer grazed Hinata's cheeks as she sat and watched the other children play in the fallen bed of leaves. It was the favorite playtime activity for them. It was once Hinata's favorite time of the year as well, but she couldn't enjoy it, not without her best friend. As many times as she'd try to go see Mitsuko, her father always had an excuse.
"Not today Hinata-sama."
"She's feeling a little under the weather."
"We'll call to set up a play date."
It was all taking its toll on her. Hinata hadn't spoken two words after Mitsuko left. Iruka-sensei noticed and tried to comfort her in the best way possible, but nothing seemed to work. She purposely isolated herself from the other kids, hardly participated in activities, and never spoke a word.
There was a boy who took an interest in her, though. Hinata figures it was just sensei forcing another companion on her but it didn't seem like so. He was tall, sporting a bowl cut and thick, bushy eyebrows that brushed against his hair every time he raised them curiously at her.
"Hi! I'm Rock Lee. But you can just call me Lee." He was a grade below her but had the height of a middle schooler. Sometimes he'd ask if they could play during break but Hinata payed him a modicum of attention.
Lee lived in the same direction of her estate so they'd often walk home together. Or more so, Lee would talk her ear off until she slammed the gate to her complex in his face. It was only then that Hinata asked him why he wanted to be friends with someone like her. "Well.." Lee scratched his cheek, thinking for a moment before replying,
"You seemed like you needed a friend! That's all."
Hinata felt that weight of bricks lift from her chest. She looked up at Lee, feeling tears falling free from her eyes. "Gah! W-wait I didn't mean to make you cry.." Lee hands her a handkerchief to dry her face.
"I'm sorry..I haven't had someone be nice to me.. i-in a long time." Hinata whispered into the late afternoon. She stopped in front of her home, waving goodbye to Lee as he ran down the street. He was always so full of energy. It excited her. Mitsuko wasn't like him, always jumping and hopping around. Lee was always excited and talking about how his 'youth' would never run out as long as he stayed active. Hinata didn't understand it, especially when he started talking about workout regimes. It made her head spin like crazy. The peace and gentle times of elementary were long overdue.
Well, it was also very short lived.
Naruto caught wind of the two hanging out and decided to tease Hinata about it every chance he got. "Oh look! It's Bushybrow Lover!" He'd jeer as soon as she walked inside the classroom. Their classmates would laugh and giggle, Ino and her entourage would gossip and spread lies, and Naruto and his gang of misfits would constantly make it all worse.
Mitsuko must've felt this way.
Hinata would think constantly to herself. This raw feeling of rage must've been what always set her off. Hinata just didn't understand it. Why was she always picked on? Why did she have to be made fun of? Why was it always her? It couldn't just have been her eyes. What the hell did her eyes ever do to them?
"Hinata-san! You wouldn't mind being the class president for the week, would you?" Iruka-sensei asks one day. Hinata pointed at herself to confirm what he had just said. She flushed, stuttering out a polite 'yes'. To be class president meant you led the readings of the day, you cleaned the chalk board and desks after school, and most important of all, you got to have lunch with the other teacher aides like Anko.
Lee was the most excited to hear about it. "That sounds so cool Senpai!" Hinata blushed at her newly found nickname.
"I-I suppose it is. I like having lunch with the other teacher aides."
Lee smiles, giving her a proud thumbs up. "I can only ask that you do your best, Hinata-senpai!"
••••
Back and forth, back and forth.
Brush brush, brush brush.
Squeak squeak, wipe.
It was Friday, the last day of her duties as the class president. It was the best week of school Hinata had ever had since Mitsuko had left. She was tidying up the classroom with the help of Lee who insisted on walking her home that day. Hinata concedes, thinking he was just up to his normal rambunctious ways as usual. She stood on a stool to reach for a shelf just too high for her. The chair wobbles, clearly not being able to hold her weight.
"Senpai don't-" Hinata squeals as the chair rocks backward, sending her crashing to the floor. Lee caught her, holding her close before she could ever hit the floor.
"Oh, thank you Lee." Hinata flushed pink.
"Of course Senpai. You can't reach for things you're too short for." The pair smile at one another, the tender moment ruined by the laughter of a certain Uzumaki.
"Gross! I mean come on guys, isn't it just disgusting that Bushybrow and Dead Eyes are together!" Naruto sneers.
"What do you expect from a couple of freaks like them." Sasuke jeers earning laughs from the surrounding company. Hinata felt her fist clench at the sight. Lee must've sensed what she was about to do for he held her back with a look that read, 'let it go'. She considered doing so, if only for a moment. That is until she heard Kiba's laughter in the crowd of boys.
Hinata felt her face grow hot, her fists clenching even tighter. "Why don't you just leave us alone!" She shouts, rendering the laughter to silence.
The boys 'ouuu' and instigate a response from Naruto. "You're just gonna let that freak talk to you like that?"
"Yeah!"
Naruto's face suddenly flushed pink. He quickly closed the distance between the two of them, until Lee stepped in the middle, towering over the older boy. "Move out the way!" Naruto shoved him with all his might.
Lee hardly moves, further blocking his way by holding his arms out. "I won't let you hurt Hinata-senpai anymore!"
"Tch...! People like you piss me off. Protecting pathetic goody two-shoes like that freak!" Naruto hurdled a fist right for his face. Lee dodges and left his foot out for Naruto to trip and fall over. His entourage laugh at him, causing his face to flush an even darker shade of red.
"Tch..! Why don't you all quit standing and help me, ya know!" Naruto scathingly threw over his shoulder. The boys begin to surround Lee. Against only one of them, Lee could handle himself. But now he was faced off against five boys, one of which being nearly as tall as him.
"It's alright Hinata-san. I'll get you out of this." Lee prepared himself. The boys squared off against him, Sasuke being the first to make a move. Hinata could only watch in horror as Lee was beat to a pulp by the bullies. Tears spilled down her cheeks, her lip quivering with a silent sob. Her eyes travel towards Naruto who kicked Lee right in the gut. That same rage from before began to itch at her again. It was the same as before. Hinata could only watch when Mitsuko was terrorized, and here she was; doing it again with Lee. Letting them hurt her friends, letting them ruin her life.
She just didn't understand it. Why was it always her. She tried everything to make friends, to be a good friend, and yet she wasn't even allowed that luxury. Hinata was tired of being weak. She was tired of letting her friends down by allowing them to be terrorized by her bullies. Naruto was always after her, gunning after her happiness at every chance he got.
And she was sick of it.
Hinata's fist clenched at her side. She gets to her feet, staring the Uzumaki down as though she were a bull, and he were the flag weilder. She suddenly charged ahead and knocked him to the ground with a loud 'oomph!'. Hinata brought her fist back and threw it at Naruto's face as hard as she could. She raised her other fist, repeating the motion with even more strength. It hurt but the pain felt good. It felt good to release her anger and cause pain to someone who'd hurt her. She pummels Naruto with her punches, screaming and sobbing in utter rage of being fed up.
"You're nothing but a bully!" She caught herself shouting. "I tried to be your friend, I made other better friends, and you still won't leave me alone..! What do you want from me?!"
"Haha loser! Look at how it feels!" Sasuke yells over the conundrum.
"G-Get her off of me..!" Naruto grunts, pushing at Hinata's face. His hands tug at her short hair, his fingers clawing at her neck. She only bit at him causing the young boy to panic and use his legs to push her off of him. Hinata is sent flying backwards, smacking her head on the edge of a desk. Colors swam and cloud her vision before she eventually saw dark. She could hear voices, the sound of yelling and panic ensuing the longer she lied unmoving on the floor.
"Hinata.." A soft voice called. "Please. Wake up..you have to wake up!" They plead.
"Mmm.." Hinata's eyes flutter open but wince due to the bright lights in the room. Her head hurt very bad.
"Senpai!" Lee gasped, exasperated. "Hyūga-sama! She's awake now!"
Hinata slowly sat up. She touched her bandaged head, ghosting her fingers over the most tender spot on the back of her skull. Her breath hitched at the sight of her father. Hinata fisted the sheets as he asked Lee for a private moment with her. He had always been hard on her, but for good reason. Her mother died after giving birth to her younger sister and when Hinata was just only a year old she caught the flu. Physicians said she wouldn't make it but her father thought otherwise. He believed in her.
Hiashi constantly pushed her to be at her best because he knew better than most what she was capable of.
Hinata fisted the sheets even tighter, her knuckles turning white. She bit her lip as to conceal a sob that threatened to slip. She wasn't strong like he wanted her to be. She wasn't like Neji-niisan or even her younger, more spunky sister Hanabi. She was weak.
"The Hyūga are one of the most prestigious families in Konohagakure. We take pride in that fact. You are to one day be the successor of the family, Hinata. You must always remain strong, dilligent, and take charge where it is needed."
Hinata thought she could fool herself into having confidence. All she ever did was hide behind those who she wished she could be. A certain thought struck her. Mitsuko wasn't there when she stood up to Naruto. Lee couldn't help her when she stood up to Naruto. Nobody did. She did that all on her own.
She stood strong, all on her own.
"Hinata." Her father calls.
She sucked the tears back up, looking up at her father who held a stern yet gentle expression. "Why didn't you tell me, Hinata?" He asked, reaching for her tender head but deciding it might only hurt to touch.
"T-tell you what.." She stammers, her heart ramming in her chest.
"I realize that sometimes I am not the easiest to talk to, but you know that you can always come to me with anything right, my daughter?"
Hinata swallows dryly. Ever since her first day at the Leaf Academy, all she ever had to deal with was hardship. Hinata thought that getting away from private school would be fun, adventurous even; a chance for her to finally demonstrate strength like her father expected from her. But instead she was bullied, slapped, kicked, made fun of, and always always left bitterly alone.
And she never told anyone, let alone an adult who could possibly ridicule her even further.
"I-I thought I was being strong by handling it on my own." She whimpers. "I thought..I thought.." Her father suddenly held the back of her head, pressing her into his chest.
"I am sorry, Hinata. For pressuring you this much. For making you suffer for so long. I am sorry." Hinata knew her father wasn't one for showing much affection. This hug meant a lot. She gripped his fresh button up, her shoulders shuddering with a choked back sob. Hinata cried on and on, knowing there'd be no repercussions for such a weak act in front of her father.
the pot has once again boiled over. now that hiashi knows, what will happen? side note; someone asked about hinata's relationship with her family and i hope this chapter gave some more insight. i still wanted to keep the canon version going but more modern. thanks for reading!
please R&R!
background facts;
i know i technically did the same idea of "victim pounds bully" trope a few chapters ago but i really wanted to show how mitsuko inspires hinata. even without her there, hinata still relies on her best friend. i introduced rock lee as well depsite hinata and lee hardly interacting in the show. lee will indeed come back!
much love,,
