A/N: It has been a very busy week for me, so instead of making you wait two weeks for the next chapter I am publishing what I have written and will post the second half next week. Unfortunately that means that the birthday date will be in chapter 9, my sincerest apologies Crystal Moon Princess, I know I promised that it would be in chapter 8, but I hope you find it worth the wait.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto-verse, but I sure wish I did.
When they reach the training ground Naruto pulls out a ceramic bowl and places a few drops of water inside. "Okay Hinata just remember that for now it is not about the amount of chakra you put into the attempt, but the control. Imagine your chakra swirling around inside the bowl as if was tea being swirled inside a cup. That motion will create a current inside the bowl that you can use to move the drops of water. Also, remember that most shinobi take years to master just one element, but I'm sure you will get it in no time."
Even though this is not the first time they had worked together on her affinity practice she listens carefully as if she was hearing his instructions for the first time. "I will do my best, sensei." She gives him a teasing smirk as she takes the bowl and begins to form and swirl chakra inside the container.
After a while she is able to get the drop to wiggle some, but not move. "Ahgh, this is so frustrating. I feel like I am a genin again trying to learn how to walk up a tree." She begins focusing harder on the bowl making a crease form on her forehead.
Naruto can't help but smile at the cute crease and think proudly of the difference the last few days have already made in Hinata. She had put her head down in quiet defeat and apologized for her failure the first day she had tried to move the drop, but this show of frustration was something new. It meant that she has finally decided that she will not give up trying till she succeeds, no matter how long it will take or how hard she will have to try. 'I guess she is picking up some of my bad habits. I guess that is only appropriate since she has said that her nindo is the same as mine.' Deciding to try a different tactic he steps forward and reaches for the bowl. "Here let me…"
Hinata jerks the bowl away and gives him a stern look that surprises him with its intensity. Then realizing what she had just done her face goes red and she holds out the bowl with her head bowed to hide her face. "I-I-I am so sorry Naruto-kun."
"Why do you do that Hinata?" He asks her gently.
"I-I-I said that I am sorry, p-p-please don't be mad." She holds the bowl up higher and bows her head even deeper. 'I knew it, spending so much time together was a mistake. He has become frustrated and tired of my failures like father and everyone else.' She squeezes her eyes shut tightly trying to hold back her tears.
"No…" His voice comes out strained and barely audible.
'That's it, here it comes. I don't think I can bear having him say he is disappointed in my lack of progress.' She prepares herself to run away and hide somewhere deep and dark where nobody will be able to find her until she is old and dead from loneliness.
He clears his throat and his voice now sounds softer and full of sincerity. "No Hinata, why do you always hide your eyes?" He reaches over to her temple and brushes her hair back over her ear.
She leans her face into his strong hand and risks a glance at the serious look on his face, but his eyes tell her a different story. The deep cerulean windows into his soul are soft and filled with genuine desire to help, and something else but does she dare hope that what she sees there is true or is it her own heart being reflected in his eyes.
Naruto knew that while Hinata grew up with a family, genuine love and support had all but died with her mother. The loss of her mother and her father's grief had isolated the young girl who became lost in the families focus on the needs of her infant sister. Being the older child people just assumed that she could take care of herself and so she was shuffled to the side. Thus began her belief that she was unnecessary and that she had nothing worthy to contribute.
In many ways she has changed over the years from that shy little girl who sat quietly in class trying not to be a bother to anyone. After her fight with Neji in the chunin exams Naruto had seen small changes in her that showed a hidden strength, that only he seemed to have noticed, beginning to grow stronger.
After he had returned from his training with Jiraiya he was amazed at the person he saw before him and he could see in her eyes how that strength had grown even stronger. That strength was confirmed when she was the only person who tried to save him during Pain's attack. It makes him sad to see her fall back into her old insecure patterns because he knows that is not the real Hinata, but a mask that she puts on to hide behind. The recent training has only confirmed that belief and he wants everyone else to see the strong person she tries to hide behind that delicate mask.
Seeing her look at him shyly with her face is his hand the stern mask he had put on crumbles and he smiles. "That's better, you should never be afraid to say what is on your mind. I saw the strength that you have inside you during the war and I don't think I would have made it without your strength being there for me when I was at my weakest point. Let other people see that strength and know that they are dealing with Hinata the next leader of the powerful Hyuga clan, and the savior of Uzumaki Naruto the future Sixth Hokage." She blushes and instinctively tries to turn her head, but his hand holds her firmly in place. "Please try to do it for me Hinata. Don't let what is in your past steal the future you deserve."
Trapped by his gaze and supported by his gentle hand she knew that there was nothing that he desired that she would have denied him at that moment. "O-okay, I will do it for you Naruto-kun."
"Good, now let's see about helping you with that nature affinity." He reaches out and places his hands underneath hers; both of them look down at their hands and then back up to the others face. Naruto gives her a big nervous smile and she returns it with a blushing smirk.
"I am going to move the water with my chakra and I want you to watch and feel how I use my chakra to manipulate the drops."
Understanding what he is trying to do, she gives him an impressed smile. "What a great idea Naruto-kun. Let's do it, I want to move to the next level and catch up to you as quickly as I can." She activates her byakugan and watches as he slowly fills the bowl with his chakra. 'I want to become stronger so that I can be by your side and not behind you needing protection like so many others that have come to rely on your strength Naruto-kun.'
She watches as the chakra begins to move and instead of one steady flow like she had been doing his chakra pulses like small waves chasing each other around the bowl. The effect the waves have on the droplets is cumulative and at first they quiver, but they soon start to move. He picks up the pace of the chakra and the water drops begin to ride the waves like a leaves in a stream.
"It's a little different once you start manipulating larger volumes of water because you will infuse it with your chakra and direct its flow. This is a good start because you can practice chakra flow with small amounts before moving onto the bigger stuff." His hands shift a little as he reaches up and pulls away the bowl. "Now I want you to start mixing your chakra with mine and keep in step with what I am doing. With your byakugan it should be easy to monitor and match me exactly."
She adds her own to the mix ever so slowly making sure not to disturb what he is doing and she notices that as hers increase his own chakra begins to fade. She looks up into his eyes and knows immediately that he is letting her take control. Once the water is completely in her control he takes a few short steps back so that he can watch. For a little while she is able to keep the droplets afloat, but as she begins increasing the speed of the droplet's movement they spins out of control and goes flying away in different directions.
Giggling uncontrollably Hinata walks over to Naruto. "I did it Naruto-kun, I cannot believe just how much fun it was to make the water float around. I am going to practice every chance I get till I get it perfect." She reaches over and gives him a big hug and unlike at the party his arms do not hesitate to respond to her embrace.
Neither one of them were really aware of the change in their embrace. One moment it was two friends celebrating a victory and in the next moment it became something more intimate. Hinata's arms slid up to his shoulders as his arms wrapped around her waist and they pulled each other closer. She placed her head on his collarbone as he put his cheek on the top of her head. They lost track on how long they stayed like that just absorbing the other presence and enjoying the others scent.
"Well now, isn't this a welcome sight? Normally, I would not intrude on something so intimate, but since we have been standing here for a while and I have other errands I need to do before dinner I have to be cruel." Naruto and Hinata part quickly and look over to see Tenten standing there with a mischievous smile.
Naruto begins scratching the back of his head nervously and gives Tenten a big nervous grin. "Oh, hi there Tenten we did not see you there we were just…"
"I think that I can figure out pretty easily what you two were just doing and all I am going to say is that it is about time." She looks over to Hinata. "I really am sorry Hinata, but I am here on business from the Hokage. It seems Naruto will be joining my new team when we leave in a few days on a mission and the Hokage said that she wants Naruto to come by the tower starting tomorrow for extra duties after dinner."
"What, a mission already?" For the first time since becoming a shinobi Naruto found himself unhappy about the prospect of leaving the village on a mission. He looked over to Hinata and could see that she was taking the news badly as well by the way she was biting her lip. Seeing her hurt made his heart ache so he turned back to the bearer of the ill news. "You said we earlier, who came out here with you Tenten?"
Hanabi steps from around Tenten with a hand covering her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her embarrassment at finding her sister in an intimate embrace with Naruto. "I am sorry Onee-san, but we just got back from training when the Hokage's orders came and Tenten-sensei said she wanted to come by and wish you a happy birthday."
After Hanabi's previous sensei had gotten hurt in their last mission, and the prognosis was not good that he would be able to return to active duty in the field, Tenten offered to take over as Hanabi's team leader. Everyone thought it was her way of being close to something that reminded her of Neji, and it may be so, but she also knows how to work with a byakugan user so it made perfect sense for her to finish their training and get them ready for the chunin exams.
"Yeah, since Naruto is being a pig and taking up all of your time for your birthday I wanted to come by and personally wish you a happy birthday." She walks over and gives Hinata a hug and whispers in her ear in a teasing tone. "I hope you get everything you want for your birthday." She then gives Hinata a smile and a wink that makes the poor girl go crimson and Naruto just stands there curious about what just happened to make Hinata blush so brightly.
Tenten just waves it off and starts walking away. "While I think it would be fun to stay and watch the two of you train some more I have dinner plans tonight and I really must be going."
Naruto and Hinata look at each other at the same time. "Dinner?"
Hinata touches her hair in panic. "Naruto, I need to get going. Our reservations are in little over an hour and a half and I need to get ready. Hanabi-chan will you please walk Naruto-kun to the gate for me?" She smiles at Naruto as she runs towards the main house. "I look forward to seeing you tonight Naruto-kun."
Naruto just watches Hinata's panic in confusion and shrugs his shoulders after she is gone. "We have over an hour and a half, what's there to be panicked about?"
Tenten being the type of person to never pass up a chance for mischief leans over and speaks in the boy's ear as Hanabi leads them towards the main gate. "You are right Naruto. It's not like you have been training for hours and stink." She is rewarded with the sight of him leaning over and sniffing his armpit and flinching. "Or that you have not already bought flowers for your date and have them ready to hand over to Hinata."
Naruto looks over at Tenten with a confused stare. "Date, it's not a date. I am just taking Hinata out to dinner for her birthday." A hint of concern begins to edge its way into his voice. "Hinata and I are just friends. I don't believe that she thinks of me in any other way. I bought her a gift for her birthday and tried to give it to her at the party the other night, but she asked me to wait and give it to her over dinner on her birthday."
Tenten stops and does her best not to burst out laughing. 'This is just too easy. I really should be ashamed of myself, but I'm not." She puts on the most serious face she can muster. "Let me get this straight. The two of you are going out to dinner together."
He nods in agreement. "Yeah, but she won't tell me where we are going."
"Is she going to be wearing something nice?" Tenten raises a curious eyebrow.
"Yeah, she is going to be wearing the new kimono I got her."
"I bet it is really pretty. Are you going to be dressed nicely as well?" Tenten vows to check out just what kind of kimono Naruto would buy for a gift and really hopes that Hinata is not wearing something horrible just to be nice.
"Yeah, I bought one of my own when Hinata invited me to have dinner recently with her family for the Winter Solstice celebration. I thought that it would be perfect to wear since she is going to be in her new kimono." Naruto was confused about where all of these questions were leading.
"You got her a birthday gift right?" She was relieved to see him nod.
"Yeah, I have it back at my place, I got her…" He feels a sudden intense glare and turns to see that Hanabi is hanging on his every world.
Hanabi smiles innocently and turns back to leading them to the gates. The mystery of the gift had been on her mind since the party and she had nearly used her byakugan that night to take a peek, but her clan has very specific rules about its use and other people's privacy. She remembers well being punished as a child for getting caught looking where she was not allowed. It was part of the clan's agreement with the village and her father took those rules very seriously.
Tenten knew she had Naruto caught in her net and all it was going to take to cause a major panic was one subtle tug. "So let me get this straight. You and Hinata are going out to dinner, a birthday dinner to be more specific, and are going to be dressed up in fancy new clothes. I forgot to point out that this is just a private dinner for two. I mean who does not invite all their friends to come over and celebrate their birthday, unless they prefer to spend that time alone with someone special." She gives Naruto a sly smile when she said the words 'someone special'.
She reaches over and slaps Naruto on the shoulder. "Face it, whether you have realized it or not you are going on a 'date' tonight with Hinata. I am glad you have everything covered, because if a boy showed up for a 'date' with no flowers and stinking like some animal I think I would just cry." She adds a melodramatic tone at the end and covers her eyes as if heartbroken.
Naruto stops moving, frozen in place as he thinks over what his friend had just told him and slowly he comes to understand that what she was saying was true and he had been completely blind. 'Was this really a date? I don't know what to do on a date. I had asked…, her, on hundreds of dates and was turned down every time. What are we going to do tonight? Wait, we are having dinner. What am I going to wear? That's right my new kimono. Flowers, Tenten said something about needing flowers for a date. I AM GOING ON A DATE WITH HINATA, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY FLOWERS!' Naruto's hands grab the side of his face in panic. "Oh crap, I've got to go." He makes a hand sign and disappears in a cloud of smoke.
Hanabi turns and looks at Tenten and bows deeply. "Sensei, it is an honor to watch you work and I am proud to have you as a teacher."
Tenten pats the girl on the head. "That's nothing, you should see what I do to people that I don't like." She looks down at her new student with a smile that cannot hide the pain she is feeling deep inside. "Besides Neji-kun would have done everything in his power to make sure Hinata was happy, and for whatever reason being with Naruto makes her happy. So, I'm doing this for my Neji."
Hanabi's throat tightens at hearing Neji's name said with such love and she can't say anything as she watches her new sensei walk out the gates. 'Nii-san, is this what you really would have wanted for Onee-san?' She walks back to the main house deep in thought about what her sensei had said about her sister and Neji's wish for her happiness.
Tenten bows to the gate guard as he holds open the door. 'Now, what can I do to stir the pot and have some more fun?' She suddenly stops and changes direction knowing exactly where she should strike next.