Chapter 38

Naruto goes ballistic

Naruto just stood there and watched as she left, he normally had no problem saying everything that came to his mind, but this was an exception. She couldn't leave, he tried to reason, hadn't he tried to show her that he liked her? He couldn't understand why she would do what she was doing, and why she thought they were just friends. He knew he hadn't done anything to make it official, but he also thought he didn't need to because his feelings were obvious.

By the time his thoughts caught up with him he decided to chase her down, but what if she didn't listen to him and he was afraid that even if he pursued her she still wouldn't come back with him. The way that she left the village, too, might have been a crime in itself. He would need to go see her father.

He ran back towards Hinata's house and pounded on the door when Lord Hiashi answered.

"Why are you pounding…" he was cut off by Naruto.

Naruto stood hunched over with one hand on the house and the other wrapped around his stomach, he was trying to catch his breath. "Lord Hiashi!" Naruto yelled, "Hinata, she left the village, I need your help, we have to bring her back."

Lord Hiashi had to admit that he felt sorry for Naruto, he could see that he really liked his daughter, "how do you know she is gone?" he asked.

"I went to take a walk and one of her flowers was laying in front of my door, I started to walk here but then remembered she…" that she didn't really want to see me, he thought but didn't add. "So I walked past the gates and I saw her leave the village."

"Did she tell you why she left?" Lord Hiashi asked him

Naruto took his hand off the house and wrapped the other around his stomach as well, trying to keep composure while answering, "yeah" he paused "she did," he said in a disappointed voice.

"Do you think going after her will change her feelings? Is it to make her feel better? Or is it to make you feel better?" He asked Naruto.

Naruto looked up at Lord Hiashi and growled "are you going to help me find her or not?"

"No, I'm not," he answered coolly.

"Fine" Naruto shouted as he started running again, this time towards Kakashi's apartment.

When he reached the apartment he started pounding at the door like he had done at Lord Hiashi's, but no one everr answered. Finally a neighbor opened their door and yelled for Naruto to shut up. Naruto took the chance to ask about the whereabouts of his sensi.

"Where's Kakashi?" he demanded

"How should I know," the person replied "He's been spending a lot of time with his girlfriend lately, maybe you should check with her!"

"Girlfriend? Kakashi sensi doesn't have a girlfriend!" Naruto returned.

"Maybe I imagined him kissing Kurenai" the voice yelled back.

"thanks" Naruto shouted as he began running again. He knew the general idea of where she lived but wasn't sure which apartment was hers.

He made it over to her apartment building and started by pounding on the door again.

When someone answered Naruto shouted "Is Kakashi sensi here?"

"No, Kakashi the Hokage, he's staying with Kurenai, she lives two doors down," an elderly lady responded.

"Okay, thanks granny," he offered as he went two doors down and began pounding again.

This time Kakashi did come to the door. "Naruto, are you crazy, the baby is sleeping!" Kakashi said in a severe tone.

"Sorry Sensi, but I need your help." Naruto started "Hinata left the village, I want to get her back but I need a squad. Can you pull a squad together so we leave immediately?"

"Hmmm, I don't think so," Kakashi responded.

"What do you mean you don't think so," Naruto shouted.

"If you can't keep your voice down…" Kakashi was interrupted "what's going on Kakashi?" Kurenai came out into the living area, she had clearly been sleeping and had just been woken up.

"So you do have a girlfriend," Naruto pointed out.

"Sorry Kurenai, we're just discussing something and then Naruto was heading home," Kakashi returned, he looked at Naruto "Kurenai is not my girlfriend, she's going to be my wife," Kakashi smiled as he said the word wife.

"That's great," Naruto said in a growl, "I'm not going home, who's going to be on my squad to get her back."

"Hinata, is everything okay with her?" Kurenai asked, looking back and forth to Naruto and Kakashi.

"Yes," Kakashi answered. "No!" Naruto shouted at the same time. Naruto stood facing Kakashi and not breaking eye contact and eventually Kurenai just stared at Kakashi too.

"Hinata came to me tonight and asked to be granted leave. She needed to get out of the village for a while, she needed her space. I agreed and have sent her to another village until she feels like returning home." He finished, both Naruto and Kurenai were shocked.

"So I was thinking Kiba and maybe Sai for the squad," Naruto continued.

"There isn't going to be a squad Naruto, she wanted her space and the best way to show her you care is to respect that." Kakashi finished.

"He's right," Kurenai added "I've known Hinata a long time and she has a calm personality. At times though, she is fierce, and when she sets her mind to something it's best to respect her judgment."

"What am I supposed to do? I need to make things right with her, I need to tell her how I feel. I have to find her," he added.

"Give her some time and she will come home Naruto," Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"If it were Kurenai would you give her time?"Naruto questioned him.

Kakashi didn't answer, Naruto had got him there.

"If she isn't back in two weeks then I'm going to go get her and bring her home." He told Kakashi. "Congratulations on your engagement Sensi," he added in a sincere tone as he walked out and shut the door behind him.