Uzumaki Naruto Chronicles Rewrite
Chapter 72
Author's notes: Special thanks to luisdox, nightwind83, Danny vs A Month, Rose Tiger, DragoFae24, SpiceyWifey, and sasmith for their reviews.
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A week had gone by and Naruto and Hinata had been working on her chakra control all week. She was getting better and could now activate her Byakugan with the use of hand seals. She wasn't near what she used to be, and wasn't ready to start using gentle fist again. Gentle fist users had to have near perfect chakra control.
Hinata was working hard though, and the brace would be coming off in a week as well. Naruto had decided they would take a break for the day, but Hinata was coming along quite well. She still was depressed, and would not let Naruto in. She still wouldn't talk to anyone about what happened.
Naruto had decided that they were going to do lunch with Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, and Temari, who was in town as a diplomat for the moment. Hinata and Naruto left to join the group. Hinata was wearing jeans a tee-shirt and a large hoodie. Now that she was able to activate her Byakugan she wore the hood way over her head, covering her entirely. No one was able to see her face, she was too ashamed to show it anyways.
Naruto was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt with a sweater over it. They walked to the Akamichi barbeque and entered. Going to the back and seeing Choji, Ino, and Shino. They sat down next to each other and began talking with the team. Shikamaru showed up with Temari a few minutes later. They sat down together and all began talking. The food was good, Choji made sure everyone's food was perfectly cooked.
They were all having fun when a figure walked over to them, Naruto raised an eye brow and tensed. "Sai, what the hell are you doing here?" Naruto asked, as a kunai slid into his hand, still hiding it.
The pale ninja gave them a creepy smile, "I read that it was common to meet up with friends."
"Funny thing is, usually you need to be invited, this is kind of a private party." Naruto growled out, his friends giving him a surprised look.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so private." Sai said keeping the same smile on his face. Naruto wanted to wipe it off his face.
"Well it is. So, if you don't mind we would like to keep it that way." Naruto told him.
Sai nodded, still smiling, "Of course, if you wouldn't mind could I have a word with you?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow again, "Fine." He turned to the rest of the group, "I will be right back."
Sai and Naruto walked out of the restraint, "What do you want Sai?"
Sai turned to him, "I left ROOT as you told me, my orders were to report to the Hokage, I did and now I am a normal ninja in this village."
Naruto nodded, "Good you can follow orders."
Sai nodded, "Well I don't really know anyone else, I thought we could be friends?"
Naruto looked at him and laughed, "Sai, we are comrades, both ninja of the Hidden Leaf village but that doesn't make us friends."
Sai nodded, "What would make us friends?"
"Actually hanging out, doing things for each other, favors for instance, stuff like that." Naruto told him.
Sai nodded, "So then, can I not join you and your other friends? I read in a book that friends hang out in groups together to bond."
Naruto raised an eye brow and sighed, "Yeah I guess you can join." With that he took Sai back in with him.
"Everyone this is Sai he is going to join us for a while. Sai that is Hinata, Ino, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, and Temari." Naruto introduced everyone.
They all nodded saying hi to the new guy. Ino spoke up first, "So, Sai you are a ninja right, you seem our age but I haven't seen you around. Did you not go to the academy?"
Sai grinned at her, looking her up and down, Ino blushed slightly. "I had my own special training regime."
Shikamaru spoke up next, "So then you were in the ROOT ANBU then?"
"I'm impressed, did Naruto tell you?" Sai asked him.
Shikamaru shook his head, "No, Naruto has never mentioned anything about you, I guessed."
Sai grinned creepily still, "I am thoroughly impressed then. How did you guess?"
Shikamaru sighed, "I am trained by the Third Hokage, I know just about everything about this village, including ROOT. You weren't trained at any academy, you have that emotionless look on your face, you were trained for it. The only person that would do that is Danzo."
Hinata tensed immediately, "D-Danzo?"
"Indeed, Lord Danzo trained me, you should show more respect for such a great man, he has done many great things for this village, and asked nothing in return." Sai told them.
Naruto growled, "Drop it Sai, Shikamaru."
Sai was confused but stopped, Shikamaru just nodded, "Welcome to the group Sai."
Ino, Shino, and Choji were all incredibly confused but they went with it and started talking again. Hinata was a lot quieter however, her mind taken away from the group, and on the meeting she had with Danzo. She went back to her captivity. She was starting to lose it. She had been having fun until this had happened. Sai had noticed.
"Hinata, right? What is wrong? You seem upset." Sai asked Hinata.
Hinata bit her lip, not that anyone could see, "I-I'm g-going to t-the b-bathroom." The poor girl choked out, everyone could tell she was upset. She stood and limped quickly to the bathroom.
Ino got up, "I'll go check on her."
Sai looked confused, "Was it something I said?"
"She has had it rough lately." Naruto told him.
Sai nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but Naruto beat him too it, "Just leave it Sai."
Sai nodded and they all began to talk again, Naruto glancing towards the restroom constantly, worried about Hinata, barely keeping track of the conversations.
"Choji are you a ninja?" Sai asked.
Choji raised an eyebrow, "Of course why would you even ask?"
Sai grinned, "Well because you are kind of…" Both Naruto and Shikamaru stopped him, holding his mouth shut.
Choji was getting mad, "What was that?"
Naruto finished for him, "You are kind of a great cook. That's what you were going to say right Sai? Choji how do you know how long you are supposed to leave the meat on? I can never seem to get it as right as you do."
Choji's mood lightened immediately as he began to tell Naruto the signs to look for when cooking meat. Both Naruto and Shikamaru sighed, and Naruto said under his breath to Sai, "Don't ever call Choji fat. It is a great way to be killed."
Sai raised an eyebrow and whispered back, "I read that friends were always honest with each other."
Naruto nodded, "Yeah except about stuff like that."
Sai nodded, "So I shouldn't tell Ino she dresses a little floozy? Not that I mind."
Naruto shook his head, "Do Not Tell Ino That."
Sai nodded and Naruto went back to listening to Choji talk animatedly about cooking meat, obviously having gone into his own world. Naruto went back to worrying about Hinata, her and Ino had not come back yet.
Ino was confused she stood in the bathroom as Hinata cried in the stall, "Hinata what happened?" Ino asked.
Hinata continued to cry, "I-I k-know D-Danzo, h-he came to m-me when I-I was i-in the h-hospital, r-right w-when I g-got back. H-He i-interrogated m-me. H-He forced m-me to r-relive w-what happened. H-He called m-me a t-traitor. I a-am a-a traitor."
"Open up Hinata." Ino told her.
Hinata unlocked the door and Ino walked to her and hugged her, "It's okay Hinata, you aren't a traitor."
Hinata shook her head, her hood coming off and Ino saw the seal. Hinata's eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She pulled her hood back up as Ino stared at her, "Hinata, that's the same seal Neji has, the caged bird seal."
Hinata didn't say anything, but looked down at the floor in shame. Ino continued, "Hinata, you were sealed? But they only do that for branch family members. How could they do that to you?"
Hinata still didn't say anything. So Ino went on, "That's why you are wearing the hood, oh god Hinata, I'm so sorry."
Hinata nodded, her head going up and down, but still not talking.
Ino hugged the poor girl, "It's okay, Hinata, I'm here for you if you need anything."
Hinata nodded, as she brought a tissue up to her eyes, cleaning her face. Her eyes still red, she looked at Ino, "T-thank you I-Ino. P-please don't t-tell N-Naruto about this, h-he worries t-too much a-as it is."
Ino raised an eyebrow but nodded, "If you say so. Give me a second then." Ino started to redo her makeup. Grinning at Hinata when she finished. The two girls walked out of the restroom and back to the group, when they got back Hinata didn't notice the look of relief come across Naruto's face.
"Ah their y'all are, I was getting worried, everything okay?" Naruto asked.
Ino smiled at him, "Of course! Hinata was just helping me redo my makeup! Doesn't it look good?"
Sai looked up and noticed, she did indeed look beautiful, though he didn't know why he thought that.
Hinata looked at Ino with shock, why had the girl lied for her. She had asked her not to tell Naruto but this was going above and beyond what was asked of her. She wasn't sure why Ino was doing this for her, but she really appreciated it.
Naruto on the other hand looked solely at Hinata, she didn't seem okay, and he didn't for one second believe Ino, but he wasn't going to make a scene, and contradict what Ino had said. He would talk to Hinata later.
The group continued talking for a while before people started to head out. Naruto and Hinata were the last to get up and start walking home. Naruto grinned as Hinata seemed kind of happy. He didn't know why, nor did he care. She was the love of his life, his best friend, and he hated when she was sad.
When they got home, Naruto asked what she wanted to do, "I-I don't k-know N-Naruto. W-what do y-you want t-to do?"
Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, you want to take a soak in the hot springs down stairs? You have been working hard after all."
Hinata frowned, "N-no t-thank you N-Naruto."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Uh okay, if you say so."
Hinata nodded, "I-I don't h-have a bathing s-suit o-or anything." Hinata lied, really, she didn't want Naruto to see her body, her scarred ugly body. Naruto raised an eyebrow but nodded. She knew it was a weak excuse.
"You and Ino seemed to be getting along well." Naruto said trying to end the awkwardness of the moment.
Hinata nodded, "S-she has b-been r-really nice."
Naruto nodded, "What happened in the bathroom?"
Hinata stiffened for a moment, "I-I helped I-Ino with h-her m-makeup."
"Hinata if you were upset and you don't want to tell me I get it I guess. But come on you don't need to lie to me." Naruto told her.
Hinata nodded, "Y-yeah I w-was u-upset. I-I don't h-have to t-tell y-you everything d-do I?"
Naruto frowned, "No I guess not. Sorry I asked."
Hinata nodded and replied, "Thank you." She turned and was about to limp upstairs, when Naruto spoke up.
"Hinata, you don't have to go upstairs, you don't have to walk away. Come on Hina, don't go."
Hinata turned and looked at him, "I-I'm sorry N-Naruto…I-I want t-to b-be alone." With that she turned around and walked to her room leaving Naruto down stairs and alone.
Naruto sighed and sat down on the couch. He really shouldn't have said anything. He thought things were getting better between them, but clearly, they weren't. Naruto didn't know what to do anymore, Hinata was so important to him he only wanted her. He missed her so much. He was moping when Kakashi walked down the stairs.
"Naruto, everything okay? You seem a little down." The copy nin asked.
Naruto sighed, "It's Hinata, I'm trying so hard, I am there for her all the time, and she gives me nothing. I just miss her Kakashi, I'm always with her, yet I miss her so much. She told me she wasn't the girl she used to be, well maybe she is right."
Unbeknownst to them Hinata had come back downstairs to apologize to Naruto, but she heard him talking. She stopped and hid, eavesdropping. She had just heard Naruto start talking. When she heard him say that her heart clenched as she heard him. Her chest felt like it was tightening and killing her. She bit her lip and began to cry. She ran back upstairs before she could hear the rest of what he was saying.
"Kakashi, I love her so much, I can't live without her. She is just so lost right now and I don't know what to do." Naruto finished.
Kakashi nodded, "She will come around Naruto she is just having a rough time. It's understandable."
Naruto nodded, "I know, I'm just a little down about it."
Hinata ran back to her room and sat at her vanity. She was sobbing, Naruto didn't think she could be the girl he loved. He didn't love her anymore. She didn't know why she cared so much. She couldn't be with him anyways, so why did it hurt so much that he didn't love her. She knew she wasn't that girl, yet she hoped he would still love her. Clearly, he didn't though, Naruto was stuck on the old her. The girl that could never be again. Hinata was so hurt, she didn't know what to do. She just wanted the pain to go away. She got upset and threw her brush into the mirror. It shattered and she immediately regretted it. She cursed sadly, why did she always mess up. Hinata tried to clean the glass but she cut her finger. It stung, as blood dripped from it. She noticed the stinging while brief it made the pain in her heart stop for a moment.
Hinata cleaned the rest of the glass up, before realizing the pain in her heart came back. Hinata grabbed one of her kunai, she pulled her sleeve up and rested the kunai on her wrist. She thought to herself irrationally.
"If I cut myself, the pain will go away. I need this pain to go away, I need all the pain to stop for now. I know I shouldn't but I have too." With that Hinata slid the blade across her skin.
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Author's notes: Well pretty sure I will catch some hell for this chapter. But I think it is pretty realistic. Also, another cliff hanger.