disclaimer: Don't own Naruto!
Rookies.
Uzumaki Naruto. Inuzuka Kiba. Aburame Shino. Nara Shikamaru. Akimichi Chouji. Rock L-
"SISTER!"
Black bushy caterpillars eyebrows. Wide, sparkling round eyes.
Hinata screamed.
"She's turning blue!"
"You're not helping, Naruto!"
Lee pulled back to stare at the newest member of his family.
"Hello, sister Hinata!"
Hinata stared back at him in horror.
"H-How do you know my-"
She heard a familiar rustling sound.
"Hyuuga Hinata, first year, class 1-B,"
Lee held her with one hand on her shoulder and her application in the other hand.
"'Likes to garden.' Ah, so my sister is aligned with nature!"
"Oh!" Naruto shielded his eyes and grinned. "They caught up!"
A fat boy was lying down on his back, panting and drenched in sweat. Another boy stood with his arms crossed and his chest heaving.
Thin dark eyes narrowed at her.
"Is this all?" He scoffed. "All this trouble for a girl on the team,"
Lee stood in front of her, thick brows pushed inwards and a fist pressed to his chest.
"Hinata is our light, our hope-"
"It's worth it," Kiba insisted. "She smells good,"
"-nymph of nature, champion of youth -"
Shikamaru glanced down. "Cho passed out,"
"Hinata-chan,"
Naruto stuck a thumb towards the entrance of the house. "Want to go inside now?"
Hinata looked at the strange boy wearing green spandex striking emphatic poses at the yawning boy sitting down next to the fat boy and patting him on the stomach. Then she looked at the Uchiha home looming ahead. She bit her lip and sighed.
lllll
"I was…ignored," he said.
Kiba didn't need to see through friend's sunglasses nor did he need to see the rest of his face to know that Shino was sulking.
"Offer her some juice," Kiba suggested.
He reached to bury his fingers into Akamaru's fur but frowned when he remembered that Sasuke didn't want "dog fur, dog drool, and filthy dog paws" in his home.
He certainly hadn't voted for that dickless dog-hating weenie but the decision for leader was unanimous after the first incident with the Suna.
Shino cleared his throat.
"Hinata-san,"
His eyebrow twitched.
"Hyuuga-san,"
He pushed his glasses up and inhaled slowly.
"Hinata…chan,"
Kiba groaned.
Shino stared at him. Then,
"Hinata-sama?"
"Just go!"
lll
Naruto roughly scooped out some flour with his hand and dumped it into a large mixing bowl.
"It'll be perfect, man," he shouted over his shoulder as he busily cracked some eggs. "This cake will definitely win Hinata-chan over,"
"I agree wholeheartedly!"
Lee popped open a bag of sugar and passed it to Naruto. "Then she will gladly be part of our family,"
Naruto peeked into the living room where Hinata was sitting on the sofa, back straight and fingers tightly intertwined. She lifted her strange, white, pupilless eyes before quickly shifting them back to stare at her knees.
He pumped his fist, blue eyes blazing. "Don't worry, Hina-chan. We'll do our best to make you comfortable with us,"
"Where is the curry powder?" Lee asked.
Naruto blinked.
"Bottom cabinet next to the oven."
llll
"Hinata-san, would you like some juice?"
Shino cleared his throat again.
"I am Aburame Shino. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Hyuuga-san, may I offer you a beverage of your choice?"
Hinata's unease grew the closer the boy got to her. He was…talking to himself.
Between her kidnappers, the green-spandex boy, the unconscious fat boy and his friend, who was sleeping in the garden, and this creepy boy whose face was almost entirely hidden, Hinata couldn't decide who was better or worse.
Then the fire alarm went off.
"NARUTO!"
Hinata squinted at the smoke clouds blowing out of the kitchen and scrunched her nose at the burning stench.
"I thought it would bake faster that way!"
"RUN!"
lllll
Shikamaru sighed.
They had interrupted his nap/cloud gazing because of Naruto's dumbass.
Naruto was shouting at Kiba and Lee, looking both defensive and scared.
Shikamaru snorted. Sasuke was a bit lenient when it came to his best friend and his limited mental capabilities, but burning down the Uchiha's kitchen?
He vaguely heard the roar of Sasuke's motorcycle and yawned.
Hinata was sitting on her heels, far away from where the noisy ones were. She looked up when his eyes fell on her. He looked away first.
Creepy eyes.
"Hinata-san,"
Everyone stopped and stared at
Shino. His clothes were charred and his nose was smudged black.
He held up a glass of juice.
"May I offer you this beverage?"