Cuz this is filler... Filler chap! And no one's gonna save ya from my devious little trap!
Okay. I'll stop.
Please read.
0-0
Hinata stood up, causing two pairs of eyes to look her way. As she thought, she was immediately questioned. After all, she had only sat down a few moments ago. Her meal had not been touched. "I... I have to go now," she answered. "I plan to eat while once I leave."
"And what do you plan on doing?" Despite the question, Hyuga Hiashi returned his attention to his meal as if he did not care either way.
"I will… train," Hinata replied. Her younger sister blinked, and then turned her eyes to her father. She remained silent, not speaking her opinion. This was the first time her sister had mentioned training outside the Hyuga household. Hinata usually did not train at home in the first place. Father had made more than a few comments about the disappointment of his eldest. Ever since she had failed the Chuunin exam, she had not trained or sparred with any of the instructors father had assigned to her.
"With whom are you training with?" Hiashi asked. "Your teammates…?"
"No, otou-san. They are not my teammates."
Hinata was planning to meet Naruto at his favorite ramen place, and then start training after eating. After all, they had planned to do this some time ago. Before Naruto had left the village. "Do they know of your weaknesses? You are going to be hurt if they do not," Hiashi responded. Hinata's fist clenched at her sides.
"Why does otou-san always do this?" she thought, lowering her head.
Hinata…
The kunoichi winced, hearing the warning tone from her mind guest. "What can I say, Mayu-san?" she thought. "He's.. the head of the clan." It had been nearly two months since Mayu had come into her life. Because of her friend's methods, she had pushed herself to become stronger. Had her own father noticed? No. He was too busy still believing her to be a failure. Then again, she had been secretive about it. Still, it was her father, head of the Hyuga clan. He was supposed to be the best at detecting things by default. A small frown worked its way onto Hinata's face. Nevertheless, she could not very well come out and voice her opinion. The man was her father. She could not be disrespectful to him.
Whatever! He's not my anything! I'm going to set him straight!
"Wait...!" Hinata demanded, but it was much too late. Mayu had already made the switch.
"Hinata, answer...!" Hiashi's voice made the girl look at him. Hiashi was taken aback at what he saw. His 'daughter' openly frowned at him. She even had the nerve to raise a brow as if a raving fool had the audacity to speak with her. The older Hyuga narrowed his eyes in her direction. As of late, there had been changes in his oldest daughter. On quite a few occasions, he had believed that someone else had been impersonating Hinata. However, that could not be true. There was no way anyone could create a perfect transformation and get away with it under his eyes. No. This was his daughter.
"Actually, otou-san," she began. Her usually meek voice had sharpened and nearly hissed his title. "My friends, Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san, know exactly how strong I am." She crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side. Then she smirked. Hinata smirked. Wait… She was training with the Uzumaki and Uchiha? "And that is why they want to train with me. Perhaps if you had paid attention to my growth, you would have realized I am not the same as yesterday. I have stood tall and strong against my enemies. Do not insult me by implying otherwise!"
"Hinata, you are out of order!"
"Am I?!" Hinata raised her voice. The Hyuga had managed to switch places with Mayu again as her father called her out. He had never said that she was 'out of order' before. Albeit, her voice had never retorted before either. Mayu had retorted to him before. The first time had probably been a shock to him, and so he had not known how to respond. "You are my otou-san. I should be able to talk to you and give my true thoughts. I have grown a little stronger. More, more, more—I have tried my best. And I... want you to acknowledge that. So I choose to train outside of your sight." Nor Hiashi or Hanabi spoke. Both stared back at her, speechless. Hinata bowed her head, and then turned to leave. "Goodbye. I do not know what time I will return. Training with my friends takes time." Without another word, the kunoichi left the room, head held high.
WHAAAAAAAAAT? Hinata-chan, You're a beast! I LOVE YOU!
Hinata blushed at Mayu's compliments. "Thank you, Mayu-san!" After a moment's pause, she smiled. "I... love you, too."
Hehehe… Now, if only you can say that to your Naruto-kun!
"M-Mayu-san...! Please stop teasing!"
0-0
"N-Naruto-kun...!" With Naruto's above average hearing, he had heard her perfectly. The blond shinobi turned around to see Hinata. She pushed the paper flap out of the way and entered the ramen stand. "I apologize for being late. Did you wait long?" Hinata asked. She moved to sit by his side. Naruto swallowed the ramen in his mouth.
"Nope! I'm not even on my fifth bowl yet!" Naruto answered. "Sasuke, here, kept me company!"
"I would rather not have," Sasuke remarked from his position on Naruto's other side. "I only wanted to eat." Finally, his dark eyes turned to Hinata. She nodded in acknowledgement. "Hey, Hinata..." He finished off his ramen after greeting the kunoichi.
"Hello, Sasuke-san," Hinata returned.
The Uchiha grunted, and then shifted his gaze. "Where's Mayu?" he asked. His eyebrow twitched. "She's not with you?"
"Mayu-san is not with me," she stated. "She stated that she had important business to take care of and left. Why do you ask?"
"Isn't it obvious, Hinata?" Naruto asked. He grinned, which caused the Hyuga to blush and look away. "He wants to talk to his girlfriend! I bet he wants to kiss her, too!" The blond did not notice the glare Sasuke sent him. Hinata let a giggle escape her lips. Hearing the small laugh from the girl caused Naruto to laugh along with her. However, their laughter was short lived. Obviously, Sasuke did not like the blatant insinuation. He palmed his bowl, and then struck his teammate's head with it.
"N-Naruto-kun...!" Hinata gasped as the ramen bowl fell to the table with a clang.
"... SASUKE!" Naruto shouted.
"You don't know where she headed?" The indifferent shinobi completely ignored the growling. Hinata laughed nervously at the predicament she suddenly found herself in. "Why wouldn't she come eat with us?"
"Um... Mayu-san saw the two of you here and stopped at one of the nearby stands," she answered. "She may still be there."
"I see..." Sasuke muttered. He turned his eyes away from the two to his left. "What's she thinking?" he thought. The last time he had seen her had been when they had gone to that place. That had been three days ago. For a moment, his eyes closed. He could not believe he was depending on someone else like this. When his team did not have missions, he would usually sit at home or train on his own. Now, he was just itching for something else to do. Mayu typically had something that would erase is boredom. Sasuke inaudibly sighed. She could not be avoiding him, could she? That couldn't be it. After all, Mayu was not the type. If she happened to be angry with him, then she would definitely let him have it. "Then again, that place could be getting to her."
"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HIT ME!" Naruto shouted, but Sasuke only ignored him and stared at the wall. "Why you...!" Hinata interrupted him by placing a hand on his shoulder. Naruto calmed down a bit. Right, right… He had to control his loud emotions. That was the reason he and Hinata decided to train in the first place. Sure, the kunoichi was a strong one and he couldn't wait until they got a chance to spar. However, the main reason they were meeting was that Hinata had suggested meditation. As boring as that sounded, she had told him it would not only regulate his chakra reserves, but it would also help to control emotions, preventing him from lashing out.
Slowly, Hinata slid her hand away from Naruto's shoulder. He had quickly ordered another bowl of Ramen. The Hyuga did the same. The three sat in silence. Well, except for Sasuke. He appeared as though he couldn't keep himself from drumming his fingers against the table. It was beginning to tick Naruto off. He glared at his friend/rival in Uchiha did not seem to care for the glare and continued to drum his fingers. He was deep in thought. Finally, the noise abruptly stopped. "I'm..." Sasuke spoke. "I'm going to go look for her." He rose from his seat as he said this.
"About time," Naruto grumbled. Sasuke huffed lightly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. He began to walk away, but his teammate's voice stopped him. "Hey, remember that our training begins at noon!" he said.
"You're the one that needs this type of training more," Sasuke mentioned. He ignored the growl again, but he could not keep the smirk from his face. "We won't be long. We'll meet at the designated training area."
"Pfft! Yeah, sure you will!" Naruto muttered sarcastically.
Sasuke delivered a final glare to Naruto before disappearing into the crowd. "Here's your order, Hinata-san!" the owner said, breaking the silence. The older man set the bowl of miso ramen in front of Hinata.
"Thank you!" the girl replied, picking a pair chopsticks. "Itadakimasu..." After that, she began to eat.
"Hey, old man! Another bowl!" Naruto shouted. The owner grumbled something under his breath, something like expensive tab. Grinning to himself, the blond did not notice. "And make it snappy!"
"Na-Naruto-kun-" Hinata began to say. However, a loud voice interrupted her.
"NARUTO, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Hey, that's Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, turning around. "Sakura-chan, I'm in here!" he called. Seconds later, Haruno Sakura appeared, gently pushing the flap out of the way.
"Do you know where Sasuke-kun is?" she asked. "I wanted to ask if he would help me with some training." This only made the blond shinobi frown and roll his eyes.
"Who cares?" he murmured, disappointed. He turned his back to his teammate. Without warning, Sakura's arm wrapped round Naruto's neck. Like countless times, his female teammate had gotten him in a choke hold.
"I care, you little brat!" she shouted. "Now tell me where Sasuke-kun is or I'll snap your neck!" Hinata's eyes went wide at the scene in front of her. This was the first time she had ever seen Naruto's face turn blue from Sakura's aggressive antics. "Speak, Naruto!"
"Sakura-san...! Please let go of Naruto-kun!" Hinata requested, a bit panicked. Her jaw clenched, seeing the behavior Naruto had to deal with from his own teammate. Her anger steadily grew. Naruto's skin was beginning to change colors again. The angry look from Sakura's face vanished as she turned her head to Hinata. However, her grip held strong on the struggling shinobi.
"Hinata...? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Let go of Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried out. Naruto's face had turned pale. Sakura promptly dropped him to the floor. She ignored the fact that Naruto struggled to get as much oxygen as possible back into his lungs.
"What are you doing here, Hinata? I didn't know you and Naruto met up like this," Sakura said, but Hinata ignored her and instead of answering, she dropped down to Naruto to see if he was all right. "Don't worry about this idiot, Hinata. He's used to this. He won't die," Sakura said sweetly.
"Are you okay?" Hinata questioned, helping Naruto to sit back on his seat.
"I will be... in a minute..." he wheezed. Hinata frowned deeply as Naruto gingerly rubbed at his neck.
"Sakura-san, please do not be so mean to Naruto-kun!" she said, turning her eyes back to her fellow kunoichi.
"Like I said, he's used to it," Sakura said, waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway, tell me where Sasuke-kun is!" she demanded once Naruto had calmed down.
"How should I know?!" Naruto shouted. "Go find him yourself! He's probably with his girlfriend, anyway!"
Sakura tilted her head forward and furrowed her brow. It had gotten eerily quiet. Her head suddenly snapped up, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in fear. Her eyes had started glowing an angry red! "How dare you?! Sasuke-kun doesn't have a girlfriend!" Her scream of protest was followed up by a punch to Naruto's face. The boy fell out of his chair again. "Where do you get off saying stuff like that to me?!"
"I was just kidding, Sakura-chan! Stop hitting me!" Naruto grumbled. He stood up, holding his cheek. "If you really want to know, Sasuke is with Mayu."
Sakura blinked, mouthing the girl's name. It was Hinata's unusual guest. Again. Every time she had gone to find Sasuke, he seemed to be with that girl. Always. They were friends. She understood that. It was completely fine that Sasuke had friends outside of Team 7. Also, technically speaking, Mayu had been a part of Team 7, right? Well, that had been what the males of her team told her. Truthfully, Sakura did not know the girl known as Ishikari Mayu. All she knew was that Sasuke spent his free time with Mayu. Sakura clenched her teeth, deep in thought.
Hinata, sensing the shift in Sakura's demeanor, quickly moved to leave. "We-We must be going now," she said, curling her fingers around Naruto's wrist. The blond stared down at their skin contact, eyes wide and brow raised. Hinata did not notice. She began dragging the confused shinobi along out of the stand.
"Why her...?" Sakura's eyelids lowered. "Sasuke-kun and her aren't… together, right?" Her incisor grazed her lower lip. "Would Sasuke-kun even say anything if they were?" The kunoichi shook her head. "No, Sasuke-kun's not thinking about stuff like that. He's-"
"Hey, you! Are you going to pay for their food?" the owner demanded. Sakura flinched a bit, snapping out of her response. Only now did she realize that Naruto and Hinata had made a hasty departure. Green eyes focused on the owner of the ramen stand. "That kid always runs off before paying on his tab. You're Sakura-chan, right…? His teammate?"
"What...? I mean, yeah, that's me."
"Then you can pay for the tab this time," he responded, handing her both Hinata and Naruto's bills. When Sakura saw Naruto's bill, her eyes went red in anger again.
"NARUTO, YOU FREAK!" she yelled.
0-0
"There you are, bird brain...!" a voice made Sasuke stop walking. He did not need to look around to figure out who had just had spoken to him. There was only one person bold enough. "Took you long enough."
"Mayu..." Sasuke rejoined. The said girl jumped from a nearby roof and she stood next to Sasuke. "What do you mean?"
"I've been expecting you," she said with a grin.
"What for...?" he asked, mildly curious.
"Follow me, and you'll see… a world of pure imagination!" Mayu crooned. Sasuke rolled her eyes. Grinning, the girl dashed down a nearby alleyway, and then dashed down a nearby alley. Sasuke shook his head at the girl's actions, but followed her none the less.
0-0
Hinata sat under a tree, panting lightly. Naruto stood next to her with a confused look on his face. He wanted to wait until Hinata's breathing became regular before asking her a question. The two genin were at the edge of a forest. A small stream was near. Blue eyes looked around the area. It seemed peaceful here. This must have been the spot where they would train. They had certainly traveled far from town. Without stopping, the two of them had ran to this place. Hinata had not explained their sudden departure. Naruto believed he could finish off, at least, three more bowls. He was sure that Hinata had only ordered two bowls herself.
Hinata put a hand over her heart in hopes to calm it down a little. "That was close," she thought, sighing. "Would Naruto-kun have allowed her to continue thrashing him..." Uncharacteristically, her eyes narrowed at the grass beneath her.
"Hey, Hinata... why did we run?" Naruto finally asked.
"I am sorry, Na-Naruto-kun," she replied, standing, yet still leaning against the tree. Slowly, her eyes lifted to meet his gaze. The blond blinked in response. He couldn't recall a time when Hinata actually looked him in the eye. And with such a serious expression, too. "Why, Na-Naruto-kun…?" This only caused more confusion. "Why do you let Sakura-san treat you that way?"
"Um…" He rubbed the back of his head, averting his eyes. "That's just how she is."
"Does she act that way with anyone else?"
"Well… not really…"
"…"
"Uh…" Well, this was awkward. Hinata seemed to be glaring at him. "Don't worry about it, Hinata. Like she said, I'm used to it."
"Na-Naruto-kun."
"Y-Yes?" Why did he suddenly feel nervous? It was probably her eyes. The Byakugan was an intimidating pair of eyes. Generally, Hinata did not use them to instill intimidation, though. In fact, the few times he had seen her eyes change like this, it had been Mayu in control. But he was sure that Mayu was nowhere nearby. This was Hinata. Was she upset with him? Crap. He didn't even realize what he did.
"If you continue to allow Sakura-san to hit and disrespect you, I will be forced to take action," Hinata continued.
"Eh?" Naruto squeaked. She frowned. She was dead serious. "Really, Hinata, you don't have to do anything."
"I will."
Cripes, she had been hanging around Mayu way too much. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't know a whole lot about the girl, but he was sure Hinata behaving this way now was because of her influence. Well, that wasn't true. Honestly, he did know plenty of Ishikari Mayu. She had been his teammate for over a month in the beginning. She and Sakura were drastically different. His blue eyes lowered. Mayu defended him. She praised him. She had even helped him. Mayu was definitely responsible for the change in Hinata. The assertiveness the Hyuga showed now was admirable. "Hey, Hinata… I know we're… friends and all, but…" Uneasily, Naruto looked back at the kunoichi. "You don't have to go this far. I mean, Sakura-chan is my teammate. This is how our relationship is."
"I have never once hit Kiba-kun or Shino-kun with such malicious intent. The relationship you have with her is not normal or healthy. I will not accept 'this is how our relationship is' because it is wrong."
"Why?"
"Because I care about you, Naruto-kun! I refuse to see you hurt!"
His eyes expanded. He stood there, stunned into silence. That was the first time she had said his name without the usual stutter. Naruto swallowed hard as Hinata continue to stare at him. She did not look away. She did not hide. Her cheeks did not turn red. She was… totally sincere. "Hinata…" Warmth spread through his chest, and he could not understand why. "What you just said…" Was it just him or was his heartbeat in surround sound? The shinobi squeezed his eyes shut. "Thank you. Really, I mean it." Finally, he opened his eyes again. Hinata no longer looked his way. Her gaze was on the ground. A nervous smile tugged at her lips. The familiar redness had returned to her cheeks. Naruto grinned. "Don't worry! Since it upsets you so much, I promise I won't get hurt again!"
"Na-Naruto-kun…" Hinata murmured, feeling embarrassed. She had to refrain from poking her index fingers together. Although she felt like this in front of Naruto, she would not regress completely. She had not meant to say all those things. Her cheeks burned. Still, it was a relief. Uzumaki Naruto never went back on his promises. Never. She would not have to see such an outrageous thing happen to him again. "Shall we get started then?"
"Oh, oh sure! I guess we can start early. Besides, Sasuke and Mayu probably aren't going to show up for a while." The grin didn't leave his face. "So, tell me what I have to do! I'm ready!"
0-0
"Come on, Sasuke!" Mayu called back. "We're close!"
"Why are we doing this again?" Sasuke asked. Clearly, he was annoyed. The girl in front of him did not seem to care, though.
"So Naruto and Hinata can get together!" Mayu answered, causing her companion to grumble. She had said that in a berating tone. "And besides, this way Naruto can stop wasting his romantic affections on Sakura, leaving her free for you." Sasuke lost his balance and fell towards the forest floor. It took a moment for Mayu to notice. "Wah...!" Quickly, the girl stopped hopping on tree branches. She jumped down to her fallen friend. When Mayu reached Sasuke, she bent over and frowned. "You are so lucky we were not that high!" she told him. Instead of retorting, he stared with wide eyes from his place on the ground, not bothering to get up.
"Wha-What did you say about Sakura?"
"I said she would be free for you to date her!" Mayu answered. "I didn't know that you would get choked up over that." The strange Hyuga straightened her form, and then turned around. "Were you just pretending that date was horrible? Or has your feelings gradually turned to love?" She chuckled lightly. It sounded just a bit forced. "Two ships for the price of one."
"I-I do not!" Sasuke nearly shouted. Ships…? He shook his head, ignoring that for now. "Sakura is nothing but my teammate! I was just surprised that you would even think that I-" He stopped, realizing that Mayu returned to staring down at him. "She-She's not my potential baby maker," he told her. "So, just drop it."
"If you give her a chance…"
"I already gave her a chance!" Sasuke stood up from the ground and glared at her. She did not cower under the might. The young Uchiha scoffed, sharply averting his gaze. "Stop trying to set me up with her!" Mayu hummed lightly, drawing Sasuke's focus again. Her upper lip twitched.
"I think that was a good set up, though," she admitted. Sasuke scowled. "You just had to go and ruin it with your 'You should train yourself and stop wasting time.' Hmph!" Her impersonation of him had been equipped with a nasally drawl. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you are the rudest person I know."
"And you're the rudest person I know." Mayu merely crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out. "Point proven."
"No, I'm just slightly immature. You're the rude one in this outfit."
"Still proving that point."
"Shut up, Sasuke!" She uncrossed her arms. "Fine, since you're so against it, I'll stop with the suggesting. No takebacks." Sasuke nearly breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sure Ino is-" The shinobi brought his hand down on her head in a slicing motion. "Oi…! I was kidding! She don't even want you!" Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Anyway, we've got a lot of work ahead of us." She began to make hand seals. "Hinata and Naruto are nearby, so we'll walk the rest of the way." The girl finally made it to the last sign. "Transform!" Smoke shrouded her body. When it cleared, her appearance had altered. Now, she stood, taller, equipped with dark clothing and a plain white mask. The mask had purple hair attached and fell across her back. "How's this?" she asked, voice a bit deeper. "Thuggish enough?" It was a pretty good transformation. Even Sasuke would not recognize that it was Mayu underneath it. Still, he could not understand why she wanted to do this in the first place.
"Haaah… Why do I hang out with you?" he replied. He couldn't see her expression, but judging from her pointing finger, she was not happy.
"Just transform, damn you!"
"Whatever…" Sasuke examined the transformed state of Mayu, and then performed the same jutsu, giving him the same appearance. However, the hair attached to his mask was a dark blue. "This good enough for your ridiculous plan?" He had changed his voice too. The Transformation Jutsu was not something he did often, but it was simple enough. Naruto would not be able to recognize his voice.
"It's not ridiculous!" She crossed her arms and snapped her head to the side. Again, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Hey, wait a minute…"
"What is it now?"
"Aren't you supposed to be in pain? You landed on your back."
"...Well, now that you mention it..." Sasuke said. The word pain finally registered in his brain. "M-My b-back!" He hunched over, gripping his knees.
"You look just like my ojii-san," Mayu remarked. She dodged the swinging kick. "Haha! You even kick like him, too!" she giggled.
Sasuke showed her a very rude hand gesture.
0-0
"Na-Naruto-kun...! Na-Naruto-kun, wake up!" Hinata lightly shook the blond ninja. He had drifted off ten minutes into the mediation. Apparently, he was a heavy sleeper, too. The kunoichi sighed softly. He was still in his meditative position. Hinata slumped back into her sitting position across from him. She, herself, was used to this. Having to do this type of thing since she was very young, it was normal not to fall asleep. However, this was Naruto's first time. Normally a ball of energy, of course he wouldn't last long. "Still, I can't let him sleep." Again, she leaned forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. Once, Mayu had done the same thing to her. If she could take it, then surely Naruto could handle it. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rapidly and hastily shook his upper body back and forth. His head snapped in resistance to her forceful movements.
After a few moments of this, Naruto finally opened his eyes. He grabbed at the offender's arms, quelling the movements that were beginning to cause dizziness. "H-Hinata…! Why?" The kunoichi squeaked and pulled her arms away. She even scooted back a bit. Naruto blinked, and then shook his head. Then he wiped the drool from his chin. His blue eyes looked around. "What happened?" he asked.
"You fell asleep after ten minutes," Hinata answered. "Sorry, Na-Naruto-kun... I know this exercise is troubling for you, but it will help."
"Oh… No, I should be the one who's sorry. I don't have a lot of patience." Again, he rubbed the back of his head. He chuckled nervously. Hinata giggled a bit. She then cleared her throat.
"Okay… Na-Naruto-kun, instead of trying to erase all thoughts from your mind, how about you try to focus on your surroundings?"
"Huh?"
"I was taught to close myself off. However, with you, perhaps it would be better to open yourself to nature," Hinata explained. "Listen… The birds, the wind, the river. Feel everything around you." His eyebrows scrunched together. But he did nod. His eyes closed. "And try to remain still."
"Hinata, this is going to be harder than I thought. "
"I'm sure you will succeed, Na-Naruto-kun… After all, you are the future Hokage…" His eyes shot open. However, Hinata had averted her gaze again. Naruto grinned, anyway. That didn't sound like teasing to him. Did Hinata really believe he could reach his dream? Maybe it was just Mayu's influence, but… The longer he spent with her, the better Hinata became. Chuckling to himself, he tried to focus again. But an obnoxious loud voice entered his ears.
"HEY! YOU TWO!"
Naruto and Hinata both looked towards the trees to see two dark figures, standing on a branch. The two ninja blinked in surprise. They were not expecting to see anyone this far out. "Who are you?" Naruto was the one to question. One of the figures jumped down from the tree and into the light.
"I'll be the one asking the questions, brat!" thug one yelled, pointing. "You are in the lands of the Shisaki Brothers!" Thug two jumped down beside thug one.
"That wasn't exactly a question, moron," thug two said.
"Shut up!" thug one hissed.
"And you're a girl..." thug two continued. "What a stupid name to come up with."
"Boy, if you don't-! Ju-Just stick to the script!" thug one bellowed. The masked person turned back to the two ninja. "Anyway, you are hereby trespassing and so, we must destroy you!" However, it would appear the audience was no longer paying attention. They had even started a conversation amongst themselves. "Hey, listen to me!" Suddenly, thug two threw multiple shuriken at Naruto and Hinata.
The shinobi quickly picked up the kunoichi and jumped to a safer location. "These guys are serious...!" he thought, glaring at the two thugs. "Hinata, this might get dangerous, so-" Naruto began, but Hinata stopped him from talking.
"I'm going to fight with you," she said.
Naruto grinned at Hinata's warm smile. "Thank you..." he whispered, causing Hinata to look on in confusion. "Let's do this!" he shouted, releasing the kunoichi. Hinata nodded in agreement, activating her bloodline.
"Are you just going to stand there and flirt?" thug one yelled. "If you haven't noticed... we're trying to… well, not kill you! Just maim you a little!" Thug two smacked the forehead of his mask. "Get ready!" The two thugs began running at the two genin. "Remember the plan, thug two!"
"Whatever... and don't call me that!" thug two responded. Naruto went in front of Hinata and held up a kunai, but the two thugs just flipped over Naruto and began to attack Hinata. Luckily, Hinata went on the defensive and held off their attacks. "So you're stronger than you look, huh?" thug two commented, jumping back along with thug one. Thug two began performing multiple hand signs. "Fire Style!" The thug sucked in a breath. "Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Fire shot out and it headed straight for Hinata. Naruto saw this and ran to Hinata, knocking her to the ground. The two rolled out of the way just in time. The fire shot pass them, dissipating over the water. Naruto slowly stood, and then turned a glare on the two thugs. "How dare you?!" he yelled. Thug one took a step back. "Do you know what you almost did?!" His shout was equipped with an angry pointed finger.
"Um... perhaps you went a little too far, thug two..." thug one said nervously.
"You're dead!" Naruto snarled.
"This isn't good! Maybe it'd be wise to retreat...!" thug one exclaimed in surprise.
"I told you, moron!" thug two said. "We did this for nothing!"
Naruto didn't hear a word, all he knew was that someone had attacked Hinata... and they must be dealt with. "Enough talk...!" he shouted, going through familiar hand seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Suddenly, about ten clones appeared.
"Oooh! We're in trouble!" thug one whined.
"Don't worry, think of it as training," thug two said, and then charge at the Naruto clones.
"Yosh...!" thug one agreed, grinning behind the mask.
With that battle cry, thug one followed thug two into the fray. They knew their target. The Hyuga. The two quickly dispatched a few of the clones in order to get to her. They attacked in near sync, trying to land a hit. However, the kunoichi kept their fists at bay, blocking or deflecting before she could take a hit. It was an elaborate dance of swinging limbs, with the occasional dodge from one of the Naruto clones. Neither side faltered. Both sides gradually completely synchronized with their respective comrade. Hyuga Hinata was impressive. Uzumaki Naruto was impressive. Unaware, the four fighters wore similar grins.
Then, the kunoichi shifted her stance. She dodged another strike and moved closer, intending to go on the offensive. Naruto followed her lead. Shouting, he increased his speed and launched a swift uppercut. The impact of his fist and her palm pushed the purple-haired thug away. She soared through the air. The blue-haired thug immediately halted, turning on his heel. He ran towards his partner, propelling himself from the ground in order to catch her midair. He managed to catch her before her back hit a tree. The soles of his feet gently touched down on the bark. He held his comrade bridal style.
"You okay?" he questioned.
"I'm-" She coughed lightly, and then reached up to touch the cheek of her mask. "We should retreat."
"… Hn." Thug two nodded his head. He jumped down to the ground in view of Naruto and Hinata. "They've gotten better. I was hit more than expected."
"Mm!" Thug one agreed. Then she raised her voice and pointed a finger at the two Konoha ninja. "You might have won this time, but step foot into our lands again and you'll pay!" she threatened.
"Huh…?!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger right back. "You're just leaving?!" Before he could rant any further, the two disappeared, leaving behind only a swirl of leaves. "What the hell? What was that?!"
"It… was certainly rather strange," Hinata remarked, lowering her arms. Her brow furrowed. The two thugs were no longer in her range of sight. Slowly, the veins around her eyes retracted. The kunoichi hummed lightly. "It felt… familiar as well. Don't you think so…?"
"Well… Now that you mention it," Naruto scratched at his scalp. "Yeah, it kinda did." Then he clenched his fists. "But whatever! They ran away so fast! They were definitely scared of us!" The kunoichi chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with a few fingers. Naruto beamed at her, causing her cheeks to stain red. "You're a beast, Hinata! Let's spar right away!"
"What about Sasuke-san and Mayu-san…?" Hinata questioned, though she felt elated about his enthusiasm.
"They'll get over it," Naruto replied with an uncaring shrug. "Besides, they're definitely only interested in their weird version of flirting. I know that's what they do—they're so obvious."
Hinata chuckled again.
0-0
"Huh…"
"What?" Mayu asked, sitting up.
"For some reason, I have an intense urge to slug my teammate," Sasuke replied from his place at the base of a tree.
"That… can't be normal," Mayu commented. The young Uchiha only shrugged. The two of ditched their transformed states already and were now resting from their earlier bout with Naruto and Hinata. "Strange senses aside, did you see how aggressively Hinata-chan attacked? I'm so proud of her!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, but his lips formed a smirk. "She's definitely the perfect one for the future Hokage! They both complimented each other so well! The progress of NaruHina is truly a glorious road!"
"It's not that amazing," Sasuke said. Mayu glared at him for daring to refute NaruHina. The shinobi huffed lightly. "I mean, we were complimenting each other's fighting styles, too. It's not hard."
"Yeah, but we've known each other's fighting styles for a while," Mayu pointed out. "Besides, there's no such thing as MayuSasu."
"Why does your name go first?"
"Because I'm the boss."
"You wish."
"I'm just saying it like it is. Mayu always comes first!"
"It sounds better as SasuMayu."
"No, it doesn't!"
"It does."
"It doesn't!"
"… What are we even arguing about right now?"
"Honestly, I lost it."
"Stupid," Sasuke remarked with a shake of his head and a slight smile on his lips. "Anyway, Hinata got you pretty bad. You alright?"
"I should be," Mayu said. "I don't believe she was actually trying to hurt me. I'm more worried about Naruto's punch." She lifted her hand to her cheek. "It'll be pretty suspicious if it bruises." Her blue Hyuga eyes shifted to him. "What about you? Did Hinata catch you?"
"Yeah, she got my leg," Sasuke admitted. "Stings a bit."
"Hm…? Let me see," Mayu said, moving to crawl over to him.
"You don't have-"
"Let me see, bird boy," she insisted. Sasuke slid his tongue over his top front teeth, but held out his leg to appease the girl. The veins around her eyes bulged. Her eyes transformed and they stared down at the injured leg. "Hm…"
"What is it...?"
"She made the muscles in your leg tighten," Mayu answered. "She definitely wasn't trying to drastically hurt you. Don't worry, they should loosen up later on. But I wouldn't recommend running anytime soon. All things considered… we all went easy on each other."
"Whatever..." Sasuke responded. Mayu smiled at his reaction, and then lowered her face to plant a kiss to his leg. "Wha-What was that for?"
"My mom used to do it all the time!" She grinned and gave a peace sign. "Whenever I had a injury, she'd said it'll make it heal faster!"
"You actually believe that?" Sasuke asked, looking away from her. He could feel his face grow warm and he did not want to take the risk of her seeing a possible blush. Not that the action had been anything to blush about. It had been childish. And soft. And warm. Sasuke felt himself grimace.
"Well... yeah… I cried and cried whenever I had an injury—I used to get hurt a lot when I first started learning—but my mom kissed it better and I always stopped crying," Mayu said. "Healing kisses are real, Sasuke." Without warning, Sasuke grabbed her arm. The young Uchiha yanked her towards him. Eyes growing wide, she felt his lips press against her cheek. "Eh? S-Sasuke...!" He released her. However, his gaze focused anywhere but her.
"So... it'll heal faster," he muttered. "Or whatever… So, you better not cry."
"Oh." Mayu, too, looked away. "I don't… I don't cry anymore." Her voice had been a mere whisper. She scratched her cheek. For more than a few moments, the two sat there in silence. Finally, Mayu cleared her throat. "Ah… Anyway, we should probably wait awhile until your leg muscles loosen before meeting them." She could feel his stare on her skin, but she did not meet his gaze. She could not for some strange reason. Her body—it felt weird. Her stomach felt like it had just finished riding a rollercoaster. She swallowed hard. "What's wrong with me?" she thought. "I haven't felt this way since I achieved the next rank in my class…" And shouldn't her cheek have stopped tingling by now? It was probably because Sasuke had put pressure on it.
"Mayu."
"Hm…?" She lifted her head.
"Did you eat?"
"… Not yet. How'd you know?"
"Your stomach is growling."
"Oh…" she said. Then she blinked. "Oooh!" Mayu ignored the confused expression Sasuke gave her. "That's why my stomach feels weird. I didn't eat yet," she thought. The girl sighed. That was a relief. She nearly believed something was amiss with this borrowed body. Mayu chuckled. "Maybe we should go back to town and grab a snack?" she suggested. "Oh, but your leg."
"I'm not going to run. Let's go." Sasuke stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets. Mayu stood up as well. "Hey, by the way, I'll probably be outside the village for my next mission."
"How do you know? Ah, Naruto's been complaining, hasn't he?"
"You know the idiot well."
"Good luck then! You're going to need it!"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Why, Sasuke! Haven't you realized? You're hopeless without me!" A haughty laugh left her mouth. The ninja scoffed. "Since you're leaving, can I rely on you to find anything pertaining to Ishikari?"
"Yeah, sure," Sasuke replied. "If Hinata's team gets a mission outside the village, then you do the same. We'll meet up to exchange."
"Yes, sir!" Mayu saluted.
0-0
The random POV switching is hella annoying. How can you all sit through this? I could have switched it to just one person, but right now, I'm really sick, and I cannot focus worth a damn, so you get what you get. I suppose this has been revised enough. Hopefully. I'm getting dizzy. Laterz.