After a mostly silent lunch conversation, Hinata finished her second bowl and moved to clean it. Naruto was still on his fourth bowl, eating ardently. As she cleaned the dishware, she was left to her thoughts. Now that she has declared herself independent, she was unsure what to do next. How does someone go about enjoying their newfound freedom? Her mind shifted to the last time she trained and remembered starting a new technique. It was jutsu to not only stop a person's chakra points, but also immobilize them completely by using your chakra to stun their cerebral nervous system. In theory it sounded simple, but when she began to teach herself, it was more complicated than she first assumed.
She was brought out of her thoughts when Naruto came over to her and place the bowl in the kitchen sink. "That was great hime!" He grinned at the shorter girl.
She smiled and thanked him, then turning back to finish the rest of the dishes. She put the extra soup into a bowl and placed it in the fridge. He didn't own much in terms of wealth, but his little cabin seemed like an ample space for just one or two people. As she turned back around, she met blue eyes and paused. "What do you usually do by yourself in the forest?" She asked.
Naruto hummed and tapped his chin as if in thought. "I train, take from the rich and eat." With a shrug of his shoulders, he named off everything he does to pass the time. Blinking a bit, she shook her head.
"That's not a healthy schedule." She mumbled mostly to herself. "Alright then, I guess I'll do some training as well then." She nodded and pursed her lips with determination.
The smile on Naurto's face was small, but happy, nonetheless. "Come on then, We'll both get some training in then." He nodded his head towards the door, before making his way to the door.
Across the forest in the bustling Hidden Leaf village, Hanabi was growing irritated with the other Hyuga clan members. Word had reached her father's ear that Hinata had been suspected to be kidnapped by the infamous Naruto Uzumaki. Her head band was found along with the fox's signature picture. It was not until that morning that she heard about it and now her fears began to run wild. What if he was torturing her? What if he was making her do unspeakable things?
Not long after she was summoned into a meeting with the clan elders and her father. Now it has been almost two hours and they were still arguing about what to do. Half of the elders were saying to send out help to retrieve the missing girl, while the other half were telling them to let her stay with the fox. Hanabi could feel the makings a migraine and fought to restrain herself from snapping at the elders. Her father all the while remained completely silent, never speaking a word to defend or counter anyone, this made the anger in her boil up.
"She can still be an asset to the clan. Lord Masashi from the Hidden Sand had offered a decent price for her hand." As soon as that sentence left one of the elder's mouth, Hanabi had had enough. She was tired of the treatment her sister had to endure her whole life.
She stood up, silencing everyone at once. Her eyes glowered down at everyone, including her father who watched her. "Enough. My sister is missing and all you are worried about is how much you can sell her for?" She hissed at the elder who suggested such a disgusting proposition. In turn, the older man looked away from the angry girl. "Don't worry about sending someone to find her because I will do it myself. This meeting is over, I don't want to hear another word from any of you on this matter." She was seething with anger.
With that, she turned on her heels and left. She ignored everyone who tried to talk to her and left the compound as fast as she could. She knew that if she stayed any longer, she was going to say something she would regret later. Her feet carried her past the marketplace, past the graveyard where they found her sister's headband, and then up the side of the Hokage monument. When she was finally at the top, she let out a scream of frustration.
She used one of the nearby trees as a punching bag and took her anger out on the poor greenery. With each hit of her palm against the tree, it cracked and creaked under the pressure. When she finally calmed down enough, her shoulders heaved with deep breaths. She relaxed slowly and ran a hand down her face. "I can't believe those- ugh! How dare they treat her like that after all this time, what did she ever do to deserve such hate?" Hanabi groaned out and plopped down onto the ground. She flopped onto her back to stare at the light blue sky, the clouds floated by with no worries for the future.
"What am I supposed to do mom? Dad acts like this isn't his issue, the elders act like she doesn't exist anymore. What is someone supposed to do in a situation like this?" She could feel tears burning the corner of her eyes and tried to swallow the sorrow.
"Tough day?' A deep voice from above made her gasp and sit up. She used her sleeve to wipe her eyes and turned to find the source of the voice. Sitting on the branch of one of the trees, was a boy her age. He has brown spiky hair and brown eyes, his headband rested on his forehead comfortably. Hanabi remembered from her younger years a boy who purposely got himself into trouble for attemntion. He is the third Hokage's grandson Konohamaru Sarutobi. He jumped down from the tree branch, landing nearby.
Hanabi pouted and pulled her knees to her chest. "Is it that obvious?" She grumbled out, looking away from the boy. She heard him walk close and plop down beside her a few feet away.
"That tree you demolished is proof enough." He pointed his thumb at the now snapped in half trunk. Hanabi winced and looked away from the result of her tantrum. "Family issues?" He asked, almost knowingly.
She couldn't help but scoff at him. "More like never ending issues. What gives someone the right to determine another's worth? It is because they don't act how you want them to, or is it because they seem weak in your eyes? I don't understand how people could be so cruel to someone else because of some thing like that. Ugh I hate people sometimes!" She growled and tucked her face into her knees. She didn't mean to throw all her problems on someone else, but he asked, so he is going to listen.
"I never really understood that part. Someone once told me when I was younger, 'if you don't like the hand that fate's dealt you with, fight for a new one.' I've been trying to do that all my life. Being the Hokage's grandson, people expect me to do everything right, they want me to be perfect. But perfect is an illusion that we tell ourselves exist; it is only when we accept our flaws that we understand what perfect is." Hanabi was thrown off by the boy's philosophical words but absorbed it.
She shouldn't have to worry about what the elder's say, because she wasn't going to stop until her sister got the justice she deserves. This boy was right, she shouldn't have to deal with what they throw at her unless she does something about it herself. "You're right. I am going to fight; I'm going to fight for my sister and her happiness. I won't let the elders look down on her anymore." Hanabi pursed her lips and nodded with conviction.
Konohamaru looked at the Hyuga heiress and smiled. When he first saw her climbed over the edge of the monument, the look on her face was enough to tell him that she was not a happy camper. She screamed and proceeded to destroy a tree, tearing it in two. He watched from above, his eyes stayed on the angry girl. When she calmed down enough and flopped onto her back, the pain in her eyes were almost gut wrenching.
Now she seemed even more energetic then before. He smiled as she hyped herself up. "What happened to your sister?" He asked curiously. The dark-haired girl sighed and rested her cheek in her hand.
"She was kidnapped. The person her took her is the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed fox. He left her headband along with his signature on our mother's grave. So now I have to go find her and bring her home." Konohamaru blinked in surprise, Naruto kidnapped Hinata Hyuga!
"Oh man, that's not good." He mumbled. She nodded and sighed. "That is really ironic." He sighed. "The person who gave me the strength to push forward is the same person who has your sister." He watched as she turned to look at him wide eyed.
"Are you serious?" She asked, he nodded in reply. She nibbled her lip in thought, her mind running frantic. He could practically see her calculating a plan of attack. "Can you help me?" She finally spoke, he blinked in surprise. "He might recognize you and agree to let her go. I know that it is a long shot, but she's my sister. I can't lose her." The heiress moved to her knees and bowed with her head to the ground.
He was taken back by the display of a girl who always seemed so confident. "I'm begging you." The crack in her voice made his heart clench and he sighed.
"I'll help you find her, please get up." He gently touched her shoulder, bringing her face off the ground. He could see unshed tears in her eyes and smiled. "Don't worry too much Miss Hanabi, we'll bring your sister home." The smile that lit her face up was like a slap to the feelings.
"Thank you so much Konohamaru!" She smiled and stood up. "I have to go and start planning, but we can meet up here tomorrow at the same time to discuss further plans." He also rose to his feet and held out his hand.
"You got yourself a deal. I'll meet you here tomorrow and we'll go from there." The warmth from her hand as she shook his gave him goosebumps. The now happy girl waved and took off down the monument. He sighed as he watched her disappear from his sight. He wasn't sure what he got himself into, but if it means seeing his bro again, he didn't mind it too much.
He scoffed to himself, it has been almost eleven years since Naruto Uzumaki left the Hidden Leaf. His hand moved to the head band on his forehead, making him sigh. He remembers the day he left like it was yesterday.
"Are you really leaving?" A young Konohamaru watched with tears in his eyes as his big bro stood at the gates of his home.
"I have to leave squirt. No one wants me here, I'm a danger to everyone here." His back was turned to the younger boy who looked ready to break down and cry. "It's okay though kid, I'll be fine." The blond finally turned to look at the boy, a large smile was stretched across his face, as if to pacify the sad boy. Yet he could see the pain and tears behind the smile, the grief knowing that he was not accepted among his peers.
"I know you will be!" The younger boy gritted out, trying hold back the tears. "The day you come back; I'll prove to you that I'm strong too! I'll be waiting for that day!" The dam broke and his tears flowed freely down his cheek.
The blond looked surprised by his words, but the smile on his face said different. "Then I'll wait for that day as well. Take care of yourself Konohamaru." That was the last time he had seen the boy he considered his older brother.
They were alike in some ways, but at the same time, different as well. Naruto had been burdened with one of the tailed beasts sealed inside him. Twenty-two years ago, the Nine-Tailed fox escaped and wreaked havoc on the unsuspecting village. It was stopped by the fourth Hokage, but unfortunately, he and his wife died that night of the attack. When word got around about the fox being sealed into the body of an orphan named Naruto, the village people began to hate him, and they isolated him.
After years of hate, the boy left what he once considered home and never returned. Since then, reports of a blond with strong powers was stealing from rich merchants and politicians. He has been hunted by many of the strongest shinobi, but no one has ever managed to capture the elusive fox. As he grew up, Konohamaru would hear different accounts of his idol doing something insane or stupid and was secretly pleased that despite the hate, he was able to teach a lesson to some of the ones who deserve it.
Now he has involved himself in trying to track down the elusive man, making his confidence wane a bit. He wasn't completely sure that he'd be able to find his idol. The reputation he has made for himself as a merciless bandit has reached the ears of many across the shinobi world. He sighed and ran a hand down his face, this is going to be a long year.
Hanabi's smiling face popped into his mind, and he smiled. If he could see more of her, then he didn't mind it too much. Growing up, he has always watched the younger Hyuga girl from afar. She was so serious and mature for her age, he used to wonder why. Usually kids his age were playing or hanging out, but she was always training or handling clan issues. Today was a first time he had seen so much emotion from her, bringing him to the reality that a lot was expected of her as well. As he laid down on the hard ground to stare at the vast sky, he thought about his days to come.
They were going to be filled, so he had to ask for a while off from taking missions. He was somewhat excited for this new adventure he set himself up for, he may get the chance to see his big bro again and he gets to see the different sides of the aloof girl. The smile on his face spoke a thousand words as he chuckled to himself. Oh yeah, this is going to be interesting.
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