Naruto and Hinata walked next to each other. The sun was up as they slowly made their way to school. Only the black-haired girl had a backpack with her, while the boy had nothing. He had abandoned his backpack in his haste to escape Iruka-sensei after being caught setting up the prank.
The blond boy yawned as the academy came into sight. He wasn't used to getting up this early, nor being one of the first students at school. Normally, he was one of the last students to get there, if he even arrived before class started! What he would give to go back to bed right now…
But he decided to walk with Hinata to school, and he wasn't going to go back on that because he was tired! He would just need to wake himself up!
Naruto proceeded to slap himself as hard as he could.
He could see Hinata turn and look at him. Her lovely white eyes look at him, somehow looking tired themselves. "Are you all right?"
"Yep! Just needed to wack the sleep out of me!" Naruto explained with an easy smile. He noticed a glint of disapproval from his companion, but she didn't say anything out loud. Which somehow was worse than her openly condemning him. The silence made it feel like he should explain himself. "I'm not a morning person like you."
Hinata didn't acknowledge his words beyond her eyes moving from him to the snow-covered ground in front of them. The two of them quietly walked into the school – which usually would've given people heart attacks. After all, not only was Naruto Uzumaki at school early, but he wasn't yelling. A quiet Naruto is a dangerous Naruto.
Instead, the few people in the school at this time were staring at him and Hinata, whispering.
"Poor thing, losing her whole clan," one faculty member whispered words of pity to their coworker.
"And the Hokage isn't doing anything about it," the coworker responded in a tone Naruto could barely make out.
"God, she has to walk with that annoying Naruto Uzumaki," an upperclassman said as the pair walked past them on their way to their classroom. There was no pity or concern in the senior, just anger at Naruto.
"I wonder if that child had anything to do with the Hyuga Massacre," one last voice said as Naruto and Hinata entered their classroom. The boy couldn't help but squeeze his fist as he closed the door behind him. He couldn't stand the feeling of being blamed for something he didn't do, especially something as bad as mass murder.
It has always been like this. Those people treat him like he doesn't even have a right to exist as a human being. The toxic venom in their voices and the boiling hatred in their eyes never stopped. Wherever he went, the village treated him like a demon.
Feeling everyone's emotions around you only made it worse. So far, the most physical villagers ever get with him were the rare occasions where he is thrown out of a store or shoved to the side. But he could sense the deep hatred, disgust, anger, and so much more from every person in his vicinity. They burn so dark that Naruto is certain that many members of the village wouldn't blink twice if he died or are just waiting for an excuse to kill him.
Fighting back against these people is useless. Shouts are ignored. Any attempts to defend himself are used against him. Accusing them of wanting him dead left them offended, as if they didn't even realize the hate in their hearts.
Once he becomes Hokage, those things will change. He'll make them all acknowledge him as a human being.
Naruto sighed and looked over the empty classroom.
"Wow! Never been first before – or well, second since you entered first, you know," Naruto muttered as he saw his backpack on Iruka-sensei's desk. He walked up to it while looking around the classroom. "Looks like they wiped away all my hard work."
There wasn't a single trace of his prank preparations in the room, and they didn't give him any of it back. Did they know how expensive all the stuff he needed was? The paint alone cost an arm and a leg. For someone like Naruto, who didn't have a lot of money, it was downright despicable to take the stuff he paid for away. At the very least, put it to good use or something, you know?
"Well, at least nothing is missing from my backpack," Naruto quickly cheered after checking it. He picked it up and ran to the back of the room where Hinata sat. "We don't have a test today or anything, right?"
Naruto watched Hinata's eyes as he sat down next to her. "Cause I'm so not ready if we do. Believe it!"
"No, I don't know how the schedule will change, but we aren't supposed to have another test till next week," Hinata explained while looking down at her desk. "I don't think I'm ready for it either. I'm probably going to fail it…."
"Oi! Hinata!" Naruto started as he pointed his pointer finger at Hinata's nose, getting her to turn toward him. "Aren't you near the top of the class? I'm sure you'll do fine!"
"Maybe," Hinata sounded unconvinced, but at least she wasn't currently putting herself down.
Before Naruto could say anything else, the classroom door opened, and another student entered. The blond boy almost instinctively growled at the black-haired boy. His dark blue clothing and black eyes gave him that cool look tons of girls fell for for whatever reason.
"Looks like I beat you to class today," Naruto told Sasuke with a growing grin. He was never able to stop himself from rubbing his victories against Sasuke in his face – though they almost never happened and certainly didn't happen in any class.
"Whatever," Sasuke muttered as his eye twitched ever so slightly. A feeling of annoyance rose up in the Uchiha. He tried to hide it as cooly made his way to his desk, but he stopped and turned toward Hinata part way through.
Naruto felt Sasuke's annoyance fade and be replaced with something else. His eyes were a mix of pain, sadness, and remembrance.
"I heard what happened to your clan," Sasuke said as deep hatred and loneliness overpowered any other emotions. The feelings were so intense that Naruto was certain most people would go insane if exposed to them. "The Hyuga were strong. Don't forget that."
The boy turned away from the two and walked to his seat.
Both Naruto and Hinata blinked.
"Was that Sasuke's attempt to comfort you?" Naruto asked Hinata incredulously. Sasuke never tried to comfort someone else, nor did he even try to talk to others. Who was this stranger in Sasuke's skin?!
"Yes," Hinata confirmed with a hint of confusion. Apparently, she didn't expect Sasuke to do something like that either.
Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, not sure how he was supposed to feel.
He wanted Hinata to be happy and was trying to cheer her up, and having the help of others would make that easier. But he wanted to be the one to help Hinata. Naruto didn't need anyone's help, much less Sasuke's.
"Hey, Hinata! Let's study for the next test together!" Naruto loudly cheered to Hinata. He made sure to smile as he did so, though it did take much effort. He may actively despise studying, but spending time with a friend more than made up for it.
"If you want, we can do it at my home," Hinata offered.
"Nah, it ain't good to spend all your time locked up in there! Believe it!" Naruto declined her offer. "We can study at my place! I'll show you where I live after school!"
"Ok," Hinata agreed without much fight.
"Did Naruto just willing plan to study?" the disbelieving voice of Iruka-sensei came out from the doorway. He had somehow opened the door without no one noticing and was now staring at Naruto like he'd grown a second head.
"What's with that look? Do you think I don't study or something," Naruto shouted at their teacher.
"Think, I know you don't," Iruka-sensei said as he walked to the two children in a slight daze. "I've tried so much to get Naruto to pay attention, and it only took Hinata a few days to get him studying..."
Iruka-sensei shook his head before turning to look at the two. "Both of you stay after class. There are some things we need to talk about."
"Is it about my prank?" Naruto whined in defeat. He had hoped Iruka-sensei forgot about that and would let them off the hook.
"No, we will be saving that for a later date," Iruka-sensei explained while looking down at his blond student. Don't think you've escaped punishment."
Hinata slowly packed up her school bag. Her movements were robotic and rehearsed. She could feel Naruto sitting to her left, packing up his bag too.
The day had been different, strange.
Just a few weeks ago, it would have been impossible for her to imagine Naruto going out of his way to visit her and walk her to school. If her clan had still been around, they would've never let her spend time with Naruto, much less be friends.
Then there were the stares.
Some people looked at her with pity, but she didn't want it. It made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't deserve their compassion or kindness.
Others viewed her coldly or didn't care. They looked at her once and moved on. Life is much easier when people leave you alone.
The worst was the very small group of people who seemed to hate her or had a grudge against the Hyuga clan. Hinata was used to getting bullied by others, whether it was her own family or outsiders, but this was different. Before, she had Naruto's help or the protection of her clan. Now, she was alone, with only Naruto on her side. And it was like that made these people hate her more because she was close to the loathed demon.
At least Naruto didn't seem to care about the stares or whispers.
Hinata's eyes turned toward Naruto as he finished packing his bag.
He had acted strange today – for him, at least. Naruto didn't interrupt class as much or sleep during it. And he actually took notes once he saw her doing it, though he also passed her drawings and messages. The handmade images were mocking people in the classroom. One was of Iruka-sensei freaking out with a comedic expression.
When some of the other boys snuck out of Mizuki's class to go somewhere else, Naruto stayed. He chose to stay with her instead of going to try and make friends with people who didn't like him. Practicing with him had been nice and something she had wanted to do for so long.
"I wonder what Iruka-sensei wants to talk about?" Naruto asked while leaning back in his chair. The other kids were pilling out of the room. Sasuke was the first one out, running away from his fan club. Somehow he managed to maintain his aloof air as he did so.
It must be horrible to be stalked by people you don't like when all you want to be is alone. Talking with people you already like is hard enough for Hinata. She wouldn't be able to deal with being mobbed by strangers.
"Hopefully, he doesn't have much to say," Hinata answered quietly. The last students poured out of the classroom, leaving the two of them alone with their sensei. The pair got up and walked up to their teacher's desk.
"Naruto, Hinata," he acknowledged them with a smile. "Are the two of you alright?"
Hinata could see Naruto's eyes narrow slightly. The edges of his lips inched downwards. "Of course! Why wouldn't we be?"
Naruto did mention visiting the then-hospitalized Iruka-sensei in passing. He didn't mention what they talked about other than checking up on each other. But it must have left their teacher still worried.
"Sasuke didn't come to school for weeks after… that incident," Iruka-sensei said coldly. "I didn't expect Hinata to be here today."
"Do you not want her here or something?" Naruto partly questioned and partly accused. The expressions on his face were hard to read. The nuances shifted rapidly. One moment he looks worried; the next annoyed. Then there was fear and reluctance. "We can not come if you want. Nobody wants me here anyway."
"She – both of you – are my students," Iruka-sensei explained after… flinching? Instead of yelling, his tone was oddly soft. "I want you both here. I want to see you both succeed."
Hinata subtly looked between the two. Naruto's eyes were filled with hope and fright in equal measure. Iruka-sensei's shoulders were low, making him seem small. Where he normally looked down on his students, he seemed to be trying to stare at Naruto's eyes as equals. The man's hands were clenched as if he was struggling with something.
"Then why did you look at me with those hateful eyes, you know! Why do you always yell at me?" Naruto stopped for a moment and physically shook. Eyes refused to flinch from the teacher's. "Why would you want to see me succeed."
"Naruto… I'm your teacher. That's reason enough."
"NO! It isn't!" Naruto shouted while crossing his arm. Fear and disbelief overpowered hope.
The Hyuga heir's eyes looked down at the ground. It was only natural for a teacher to want their students to succeed. But every teacher ignored him and treated him like a nuisance. For him, normal is to be ignored and ridiculed. An adult wanting him to succeed is something he's never encountered before.
Hinata looked up from the ground and stepped closer to Naruto to show her support. Even if she didn't fully understand her crush, she still recognized his heart better than anyone else. He wants to trust Iruka-sensei, to have an adult that believes him. And he wouldn't let his darkness stop him from getting that –
– because he never gives up and refuses to let himself get dragged down for long.
If only she could be half as courageous as he is…
Iruka-sensei bit his lip and took a deep breath before responding. His shoulders were even lower than they were before. Hinata couldn't read him nearly as well as Naruto, but she knew the shame before her well. She saw it every time she looked in the mirror. "You're right. I – I didn't like you when I first started teaching you – just like the other teachers."
Naruto stared into Iruka-sensei's eyes as he spoke, unmoving yet wanting to be moved. Convinced.
"A teacher shouldn't hate their student. I'm sorry," Iruka-sensei bowed his head to Naruto. The sincerity in the motion caused the orange-clad boy to take a step back; his bright blue eyes grew wide. "As for yelling at you… I do that because I believe in you and want to treat you equally. I would yell at any other student for doing the same things you do. If I don't correct your behavior, no one else will. And you'll never fulfill your dream."
The whiskered boy's eyes glistened on the edges but didn't waver when it came to looking into their sensei's eyes. He still had something else he needed to know.
"Why- why did you hate me?" Naruto asked quietly – something no one would think he could do. Hinata could see his shaking fist. The question he asked was something she didn't even know. Everyone seemed to hate him for some reason and was always told to stay away without explaining why.
Iruka-sensei faltered. His eyes turned down at his desk. The fists he held loosened, and a blankness overcame his face.
Silent seconds turned to minutes. He said nothing for long enough that Hinata thought he wasn't going to respond. But his eyes slowly raised towards Naruto. The blue-eyed boy leaned forward. He looked like someone who was about to have their first sip of water after wandering the desert for years.
"Your whiskers," Iruka-sensei hesitantly started. He was clearly apprehensive about what he was about to say. "They reminded people of the nine-tailed fox's. And you share a birthday with the day it attacked…."
"Are you saying people don't like me because of something stupid like that," Naruto growled lowly. Anger slowly filled him as the seconds passed. He looked so hurt.
Hinata frowned too. It seemed so cruel and unnecessary. People shouldn't treat someone like a monster because of when they were born and how they look. And they picked on someone with nobody as well. At least the Hyuga clan was made up of people sharing the same eyes and possed the power to protect themselves from those who hated their eyes. Naruto had nothing like that.
"Yes," Iruka-sensei answered after seemingly gathering his courage. "People are unfair, Naruto, especially when they're hurt. The pain makes them unreasonable. They latch onto the first thing they can blame and try to hurt it back. Even if it is something as silly as your date of birth and birthmarks."
The anger slowly left Naruto, leaving him staring blankly into space. Trapped in between thought and disbelief. Emotions frozen.
Hinata looked at her crush's face. It was hard to imagine it without his whiskers. They were part of his charm, and he would look wrong without them.
"Naruto," Hinata finally spoke, immediately catching the boy's attention. "I like your whiskers…."
The boy with whiskers slowly turned to look at her. He stared at her for several silent moments. His breath grew deeper before a strained smile slowly formed on his face.
"Yeah! Who cares if people don't like my whiskers?! Hinata does, and that's enough!" He cheered warmly. "Once I become Hokage, I'll make everyone love my whiskers! They'll even be carved into the stone face along with the rest of my excellence! Believe it!"
A flicker of warmth filled Hinata as she listened to Naruto's declaration. It was amazing how even a light compliment was enough to make him so happy and filled with joy. But, this was expected.
Iruka-sensei's eyes darted away from Naruto's as he made his statement, but it didn't take long for them to return to staring into Naruto's. A smile formed on his face.
"You do that, Naruto," Iruka-sensei said as his eyes looked between the two students. His left hand came up from the teacher's desk and made its way toward Naruto's hand. "But don't forget that you can't make people get over their pain. Ordering them to get over their trauma wouldn't do anything. Fixing a wounded heart takes love, trust, and cooperation."
Iruka-sensei's hand found itself on top of Naruto's head. A smile on his face.
Naruto looked at Iruka-sensei's hand in muted shock. Hinata could see the conflict over trusting their teacher ended with warm tears flowing from his eyes. The scene was being etched into his mind for all eternity.
"Gottcha, sensei! Believe it!" Naruto yelled while almost jumping in excitement. His left arm wiped away his tears.
"Good," Iruka-sensei said as he removed his hand from Naruto's head. His eyes turned toward Hinata, and he smiled at her too. "I expect great things from both of you, but don't push yourself. And come to me if you need anything."
Both Naruto and Hinata nodded at once.
Naruto smiled as he walked down an empty street with Hinata on his right side. The evening sun was low in the sky.
He felt lighter than he had in a long time.
The relief he felt at knowing why he was hated couldn't be described.
It wasn't something he talked about with others, but some days he truly believed he'd done something worth being hated. That he deserved to be hated. His life worthless. No reason for his existence.
Now, he knows nothing is wrong with him! People were just unfair, but they will come to recognize him one day! Just like Iruka-sensei did!
And there was that too! Iruka-sensei did care about him! He cared enough to put his life on the line for him!
Just thinking about it filled Naruto with enough warmth to almost begin skipping down the road, though he didn't because of Hinata. It wouldn't be nice to force her to skip down the road to keep up.
The blue-eyed boy looked at his passive friend – who liked his whiskers – and smiled. If only he knew how to make her do so as well.
'But don't forget that you can't make people get over their pain. Fixing a wounded heart takes love, trust, and cooperation.'
Iruka-sensei's recent words played in his head.
While he said he got what his teacher said, that was more the 'don't forget' part. He didn't completely understand the part about fixing wounded hearts, but he figured it was kinda like how spending time with Hinata made him happy instead of sad. So, he can help Hinata simply by being her friend or something!
It would be best to be direct, though, and ask her how she feels first. Naruto Uzumaki is many things, and subtle isn't one of them. Besides, being upfront worked with Iruka-sensei, so it should work here as well.
"Hey, Hinata! How ya feeling!" Naruto blurted out randomly.
Hinata stopped and looked at Naruto, who did the same thing. Her white eyes turned toward the ground instead of him. The golden glow of the setting sun made the empty city road look almost serene. A feeling helped by how quiet it was. The only sound was the brushing of nearby tree branches as the wind blew through them.
"I don't know… muted?" She tried to explain. Naruto only tilted his head in confusion, not really getting what muted meant. It wasn't like nobody could hear her or anything. Hinata talked as quietly as she always did today. "Parts of today felt dreamlike – as if they weren't really happening."
"That's mean, you know! Me taking notes actually happened!" Naruto interjected after remembering some of the looks people gave him when they saw him writing in his notebook. His classmates seemed to think the world was ending or something because he actually focused for once.
Sure, usually, he'd be lucky to show up to class, much less take notes. Today was different, though! Hinata wanted him to go to school and pay attention, so he did. Even if it was totally boring!
Naruto's white-eyed friend only shook her head and began walking again. The lover of the color orange could almost swear she was amused – which was good. If only he could feel positive emotions, too, then he'd know for sure.
Hinata was strangely hard to sense. He could always feel people's negative emotions if they weren't hiding, but she was different. The emotions were there, but he only randomly felt them. Otherwise, she was empty. No one is empty, though, so they must be hiding somewhere or something! Like the last ramen cup at the very back and bottom of his cupboard that he almost always forgets about!
Iruka-sensei was much easier to feel out – older people and higher-ranking ninjas had way more negativity inside than most people his age. Earlier, when talking with his teacher, Naruto felt how the fear and anger faded from the older man. It was replaced with guilt, though – especially when Iruka-sensei told him how people hate him because his whiskers reminded them of the nine tails.
Iruka-sensei shouldn't feel guilty about that. At least he was finally telling him the truth that nobody else could be bothered to tell him. Those bastards…
The feeling of hatred rose up in Naruto. It felt so bitter and angry.
Hatred almost had an addictive quality to it. You would strike back at the cause of the hatred and feel good, almost accelerated. The feeling is then embraced, growing until you have nothing left. The person who carries it left nothing more than a husk. He has seen it happen to multiple people, sometimes because of the hatred directed toward him.
Among all emotions, Naruto was most scared of hatred. His heart was more full of it than anything else.
"Naruto?" Hinata called out his name, causing him to realize she had gotten a ways ahead of him while he was thinking. Naruto quickly ran to catch up with his friend, who continued talking once he got to her side. "Do you think we can train together?"
"Of course!" Naruto raised his hand up into the sky at the change of subject. Training has always been frustrating to him because he never gets anywhere, but it might be different with a friend. "What do you want to train in?!"
He watched as Hinata's solemn eyes fell down on the ground once again. "I'm horrible at my clan's taijutsu."
Naruto frowned slightly. He didn't know how clan kids trained or anything, but was she already expected to be good at her family's techniques or something? And doesn't she have a high grade in taijutsu? In what world is she horrible at it, you know?
"I bet you're way better than you let on!" Naruto told his friend."But yeah, let's work together! We can also study for tests together, though not tonight."
Studying was just as foreign to Naruto as taking notes, but he knows he needs to if he wants to do good. Something he wants now that Hinata and Iruka-sensei expect him to… he may even get another head pat if he does really good!
He didn't want to do it tonight because it was already getting late, and the ramen stand was across town –
"No ramen tonight," Hinata said, seemingly reading his mind. "We've had it every day."
Naruto frowned and crossed his arms, a pout forming on his face. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
"It is. We need a varied diet," Hinata explained as Naruto puffed out his cheeks and gave her a side-eye. "Besides… I wanted to learn how to cook."
Naruto's pout lessened, but he still didn't look delighted. "Ok, but I'm going to help you."
He wasn't someone who'd sit around while someone else did all the work. And and and he could learn to cook ramen. Real ramen, not the microwave stuff. How great would that be?
A silent nod of agreement was all he got in turn, but she did seem to start walking toward the Hyuga compound faster.
Naruto stretched in the Hyuga courtyard.
It had been a few weeks since they'd returned to school, and today was the first day they had a test in that time. The test had been hard for Naruto, even with all the studying he did with Hinata.
Seeing the difference between their notes and how fast they learned stuff was incredible. Hinata managed to condense everything down to the key points, keep her notebook organized, and make everything flow. He, meanwhile, tried to write down everything possible, had writing all over the place, and was hard to follow.
To add insult to injury, Hinata barely needed her notes. She basically absorbed everything like a sponge.
Still, despite his little bit of petty jealousy, Naruto was happy to study with her. He had to have done better on that test than anyone he had taken before!
Now that the first major test was done, and they had no school tomorrow, Naruto and Hinata decided to start practicing Taijutsu.
Naruto would be a liar if he claimed he wasn't the least bit nervous about the training. He had let their plan to practice together slip to Iruka-sensei when he finally got around to punishing them for the prank.
Iruka-sensei had warned him to be careful sparing against Hinata because of the Hyuga's fighting style or something, which is supposed to be super strong, you know.
Why he needed a warning was beyond Naruto. Wasn't it good his partner was strong? It would mean the two of them would be able to get even stronger.
Naruto quietly looked over at his friend, who was seated reading through a scroll. A rare frown was on her face.
The orange-clad boy walked over to Hinata and sat next to her. "Whatcha reading?"
Hinata looked up from the scroll and at Naruto. "It's a clan Taijutsu scroll going over the basics of the Gentle Fist."
"Uh, is it ok for me to be seeing that, you know?" Naruto eyes the text written within suspiciously. Clans were supposedly really uptight about their techniques and stuff, leaving clanless kids like himself with almost nothing. You're just asking to be killed if you try to steal any clan's secrets. He doesn't want to die before becoming Hokage because he read something he shouldn't. Believe it!
The last Hyuga tightened her grip around the scroll. "I know I'm not worthy of it, but I'm now the clan head, and I give you permission to read any Hyuga scroll you want."
"Thanks, you know!" Naruto responded while awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. He was shocked to see her so casual about something normally kept hidden, but he couldn't help but be happy she trusted him enough to let him look at her clan's secrets. Plus, she was totally worthy. "What kinda scrolls you got?"
"The Hyuga clan has most of the Gentle Fist techniques written down in case the current head of the main branch dies before teaching them to their heir," Hinata explained before poking her fingers together for the first time in a while. "Most of them are far too advanced for us, but we can learn from the basic scrolls."
Naruto nodded. Well, now seemed to be a good time to ask how they would train. "So, how ya want to do this?"
"I don't know," Hinata said quietly as she shifted in her seat. "I don't think we should do it how I was taught…."
The blond blinked in confusion. Naruto thought he sensed fear from Hinata for a moment before her emotions returned to nothingness. Whatever her training method was, it must've been bad.
"Reading seems boring, so why don't we just do some light sparring?" Naruto asked happily.
"But, you need to understand the basics first," Hinata countered as she looked from the scroll and into her friend's eyes.
"I already know all that, ya know," Naruto tried to wave her off. "Punch the other person really hard until they can't get back up! And uh, try not to get hit that much."
Naruto never really considered the second part that much. He always heals fast and can take a beating, so he never worries about dodging anything. At most, he blocks the really bad stuff.
"But… I'm practicing the Gentle Fist and showing you the parts you can use," Hinata responded emotionlessly. "We need to practice the basics first."
"Ok," Naruto sighed, not wanting to fight Hinata. Arguing with her felt like the wrong choice. "But what's so awesome about the Gentle Fist?"
The Hyuga explained the Gentle Fist to Naruto. Her eyes never met his as she did.
Apparently, the Gentle Fist was some special fighting style that hurt people by damaging them with chakra and was good at defense. Naruto would only be able to learn the basic things because he lacks the Byakugan – which apparently has special powers beyond looking nice – and has horrible chakra control.
At least it was better than nothing.
"You know, this is pretty cool," Naruto told Hinata while looking at the Taijutsu scroll in her lap. "I guess you're going to be really awesome once you master all this!"
"I don't know," Hinata denied quietly.
"Oh, come on! Aren't the Hyuga supposed to be super strong or something? They got to have a ton of awesome jutsu and stuff!" Naruto said with a flurry of hand moments to accompany his points.
Hinata didn't respond to Naruto's encouragement, causing him to pout.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Let's go inside and read this scroll together! If we do it fast enough, there might be enough time to spar."
"The scroll is long, and you'll need to practice alone first," Hinata stood up with that statement.
"Fine, you're the expert," Naruto fully relented on the sparring. She was the one leading the training, so he'll go along with it. He trusted her enough to believe it was worth it.
The academy's sparing field was larger than the Hyuga courtyard Hinata and Naruto used when they trained together. Hinata stood at the edge of the crowd of students. Iruka-sensei was a few steps in front of them. All eyes were on the two students about to fight – Naruto and Sasuke.
It had been a few weeks since Naruto and Hinata had started practicing together. They still hadn't sparred against each other, despite the former's want to.
Hopefully, the training Hinata and Naruto did together would be enough for him to win. He has never beaten Sasuke before, despite constantly challenging him.
Hinata's eyes turned toward Sasuke.
He had the same frown and glare he always had, except for the time he said the Hyuga clan was strong. That had been the only time she'd seen anything else from her classmate.
All the other girls in the class found him to be attractive, but Hinata thought he was scary and hard to approach. He didn't have the fond warmth of Naruto. Sasuke seemed like he was the opposite of that.
The Hyuga heiress stopped looking at any boy in particular when Iruka-sensei started the match. A cheer from the Sasuke fans rang out imminently afterward. They were calling for Sasuke to kick Naruto's butt. The boys were uninterested in the match – thinking there was no way Naruto would win.
Hinata believed in Naruto but couldn't bring herself to loudly cheer for him.
"Today's the day I kick your ass! Believe it!" Naruto roared with determination. His thumb pointed to his chest as if he was making a promise.
Sasuke only glared at Naruto, who charged right toward him like always.
One punch. Two. Three. Naruto threw before retreating – surprising Sasuke.
The white-eyed girl spent a while explaining to Naruto why it wasn't a good idea to keep attacking without a plan. Doing that left you open to being easily counterattacked while tiring you out.
Sasuke attacked now. His fists were faster than Naruto's but had less force. The orange-clad boy managed to block the first two hits, but the third managed to hit him in the gut.
"Go, Sasuke!" Ino and Sakura shouted in unison.
Naruto endured the punch and blocked Sasuke's next punch.
Hinata's eyes widened as she saw Naruto counterattack and land a punch. His fist hit Sasuke right in the gut.
"I've been training to win this fight, and I'm gonna!" Naruto shouted again.
His movements were better than they were. The budding technique behind his punches and blocking was the only reason he landed the hit.
"How dare he hit Sasuke!" One of the background girls yelled. Hinata could see Sasuke's eyes briefly leave the battle to almost glare at the girl. The glance only lasted a second before his eyes turned back toward Naruto.
"As if you can beat me," Sasuke scoffed. Somehow, he seemed more irritated with the fight and into it at the same time.
"Watch me!"
The two boys clashed again, just much harder. Sasuke was the more skilled fighter, probably having a more solid foundation from harsh clan training. Naruto was the more persistent fighter and unpredictable, mixing up some of the very basics of the Gentle Fist's form he learned with his brawling style. Even without knowing how to inject chakra into an opponent's body with each strike - and currently far from being able to - Naruto still used it to great effect.
"Just stay down, bastard!"
Sasuke growled in turn.
Their spar went on for several more minutes, neither giving ground. Each one gave as much as they got. Punches and kicks flew like shrunken. The attacks slowly grew sloppier and slower as the boys tired themselves out. It became less a spar and more a brawl by the end.
"That's enough," Iruka-sensei stepped in between the two. Both boys were covered in marks from the fight. Naruto had more, while Sasuke's were bigger. They were both trying to catch their breath – their eyes waiting for the other to strike despite their teacher ending the match. "It's a draw."
Hinata quickly glanced at her classmates. The girls were glaring at Naruto. The boys were divided. A good portion of them glared at Naruto like he'd done something wrong. A tiny set of them were more surprised. Shikamaru was sleeping.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted in protest. Sasuke also glared at their teacher with an undecipherable expression.
"No, Naruto! The match is over. Make the Seal of Reconciliation and vacate the sparing zone," Iruka-sensei sternly ordered.
Both boys looked at the other with frowns on their faces. If Iruka-sensei wasn't here, Hinata was certain they would start fighting again until they had a victor. Neither wanted to lose, much less tie. Satisfaction only in victory.
They both scoffed before walking toward each other and making the Seal of Reconciliation.
Hinata almost let out a sigh of relief as Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously broke the Seal of Reconciliation. Naruto walked to her while Sasuke went to the opposite end of the crowd – then was swarmed by concerned girls.
"I was going to win too, you know," Naruto complained as he reached her side.
"You did good, Naruto," Hinata complimented him in turn, causing him to light up brighter than a fire jutsu. The frown on his face disappeared like it was never there.
"Thanks!" He cheered before glancing over at the rest of the class. Seemingly examining them. "It's good to see someone understand how awesome I am! People are sure to see how awesome you are once you go!"
The Hyuga heiress nodded without any conviction. She didn't think that she was awesome or that people would care about her results in a sparing match. At least that meant she wouldn't have to deal with the angry glares Naruto was getting.
Pain rang out through Naruto's entire body as he walked down the path with Hinata. Most of the other kids would've probably given up fighting Sasuke long before they got as injured as he did, but he was hardheaded. Any pain was worth beating the smugness off the bastard's face.
If only Iruka-sensei hadn't gotten in his way.
"Ichiraku Ramen," Naruto randomly moaned as they walked toward the restaurant. Hinata refused to let them eat there more than once a week, and he was going through withdrawals! At least the waiting made the food taste all the better once they ate it.
It would have tasted even better if he'd beaten Sasuke.
The boy sighed in defeat. He may have tied, but at least Hinata won. "Your match went great – makes me want to start sparring with you that much more, you know!"
Hinata absentmindedly nodded without saying anything, but Naruto didn't mind.
"All those other girls were annoying, though," Naruto complained while bringing his hands behind his head. "Getting all upset about me punching Sasuke… They're lucky I didn't break his nose."
Naruto knew that some of them were angry at him for other reasons, especially the boys. They've always treated him like he was somehow both useless and dangerous to be around. Having been told why that is by Iruka-sensei… he couldn't help but feel those emotions were even more callous than he thought they were. But at least he has people who acknowledge him now.
And once he became Hokage, everyone would acknowledge him. Believe it!
The boy who dreamed of being Hokage began to imagine what he'd do when he got the hat. He got so drawn into the fictional scenario that he almost missed the young boy they were about to pass. The only reason he noticed him was because of his intense emotions.
Naruto stopped and looked to his left. The path they took to his favorite ramen shop took them down a path along sized a green area with a lake. From where he and Hinata stood, they were able to look down at the lake and its small pier. The lake glistened orange as it reflected the evening sun.
Sitting at the pier was Sasuke Uchiha. He was silently staring out at the serene water with an angry expression. The hate that fueled it felt so dark and empty. And while it may have been the strongest negative emotion in Sasuke, it wasn't the only one. Others simmered, interlacing with the predominant emotion.
Sasuke somehow noticed them and turned to look at them. His eyes alone were enough to tell them to get lost. Hinata took a step behind Naruto, almost hiding behind him.
Naruto almost turned to scoff and walked away on instinct. The jerk's problems had nothing to do with him… but when he turned his head and saw Hinata, he couldn't help but stop. His eyes turned between her and Sasuke.
His sensei's words about how people needed to work together to heal a wounded heart returned to his mind.
The young boy both considered his own emotions and sensed the negative emotions within himself.
As annoying as it was, he knew that Sasuke was like him – alone. He could tell it whenever they sparred or Naruto even just looked at him. The deep loneliness was the same in both their souls. And their hatred…
Whatever happened during the Uchiha massacre left Sasuke full of hatred.
Just like how his treatment filled him with hatred he didn't want. But there was nothing he could do about it. The rage born of being neglected and abused – treated as a monster – by the villagers couldn't be quenched. The days he spent crying, wondering why he existed in the first place – what his purpose was – were engraved in his soul.
Still, thinking about the people who acknowledged him as a person somehow made it easier to deal with those emotions. They didn't make it grow weaker, only more manageable. Where he once spent all his time lashing out and getting back at people, now he fills his days with his friend and has Iruka-sensei treating him with kindness.
Maybe that was what Iruka-sensei meant. The acknowledgment of others was helping him move beyond the negativity in his heart.
If that was the case, though, who did Sasuke have? He went through the same thing Hinata did but had no one with him. Maybe that's why he's such an annoying bastard, you know?
Naruto took one last look at Hinata before sighing. He wouldn't want her, or anybody else, to be alone. Not even Sasuke.
"I'll be right back!" Naruto told her before sliding down the green hill toward the lack. His friend almost jumped back in surprise when he did this, but he didn't pay much attention to that. The blue-eyed boy had set his sight on the bastard in front of him. Watching every detail of him as he slid down the slope.
He had to hold back a snicker at how wide-eyed Sasuke got when he approached them.
"Oi! Sasuke!" Naruto called out to him once he got close to him. The Uchiha seemed to recoil at being approached and cheerfully greeted by the orange-clad ninja. To be fair, Naruto wouldn't be doing this if he hadn't heard Iruka-sensei's words and understood what Sasuke was going through. Being surprised makes sense.
"What do you want, loser?" Sasuke asked with a frown as he tried to regain his composure. His hands were turning into fists.
"Hey! You can't call me a loser now that we tied," Naruto complained while crossing his arms.
"Please, I would've won if Iruka-sensei didn't interrupt," Sasuke said as his eye seemed to twitch. Apparently, bringing up the tie was a way to rile him up.
"Lies! You were about to get your ass kicked! Believe it!"
"There's nothing to believe. Only the fact that I was winning," Sasuke stood up from the pier now.
"Did I knock a few screws loose in your stupid head? One or two more punches was all I needed to win," Naruto growled as he walked forward until he was inches away from Sasuke's face. He almost went to grab Sasuke's shirt, but he barely managed to remember why he had come here in the first place.
"Whatever, me and Hinata are going to Ichiraku Ramen. Want to come?" He asked with barely hidden annoyance. His hand held out for Sasuke to grab, even if he didn't really want Sasuke to touch him.
Naruto blinked as he noticed a small pause before Sasuke responded. For the briefest of moments, he thought he saw the bastard's lip quiver but his expression soon returned to a scowl. Emotions within ripple. Trying not to. Quickly discarded. "Why would I want to do that?"
"To settle our tie in an eating contest, you know," Naruto told him while mentally patting himself on the back. Now, the blond boy got to settle things with Sasuke while also getting him to join up with himself and Hinata.
"How lame," Sasuke sighed before turning and walking away. "I have nothing to prove to a loser like you."
A gaint mischievous smile formed on Naruto's face.
"I get it! You're just too scared you're gonna lose, lightweight," Naruto added on an insult for maximum effect. "Hinata could probably eat more than you too."
Sasuke stopped for a moment, looking between Naruto and Hinata, who was still awkwardly standing on the road. He gave out a 'tsk' before he started to walk again. The Uchiha's competitiveness was only barely being held back.
"Oh well, I guess I should've expected you to have no taste, you know."
"At least I eat more than ramen," Sasuke said after stopping and turning around. Annoyance radiated off him. The Uchiha wouldn't leave until he'd gotten back at the source of his ire.
Naruto had to hold back his evil laughter.
He got him.
Naruto entered Ichiraku Ramen with Hinata and Sasuke in tow. The whiskered boy couldn't help but grin at Teuchi manning the kitchen.
"Oh, Naruto, brought a new friend along, have you?" Teuchi asked him as he took his seat.
"We're not friends," Sasuke answered while taking the seat on Naruto's right and Hinata the one to his left. "I'm only here for one specific reason."
Naruto couldn't hold back his laugh. Sasuke was way too easy to bait. All it takes is one or two insults, and he'll do what you want.
The blond quickly explained to Teuchi that they were going to see who could eat the most ramen. Fortunately, Naruto had more money than he ever had before because he's stopped eating out so much, so he has more than enough money to pay for his fill. Sasuke and Hinata were both going to pay for their own food – rich clan kids had way more money than him.
As the three ordered and received their first bowls of ramen, Sasuke was – surprisingly – the one who started a conversation.
"Naruto, how did you get so much better at Taijutsu?" Sasuke asked between bits of his meal.
"I trained with Hinata. She's super good at that stuff," Naruto explained as he dug in as well.
"Not really. Naruto is the talented one," Hinata denied Naruto's complement. She was somehow already halfway done with her first bowl.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "I am talented, you know! But so are you!"
"The Hyuga are known for their Taijutsu," Sasuke said with an appraising eye directed at Hinata. "I didn't think anyone in your position would give out clan secrets, especially to idiots."
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked with her eyes directed at her meal. Naruto noticed how she seemed to be trying really hard not to look Sasuke in the eyes.
"Your clan has been assaulted, just as mine has," Sasuke explained as he stopped eating for a moment. Anger flared within him at his own mention of the Uchiha clan. "It would only be natural to keep your clan techniques secret. It will be harder to restore your clan to its former power if its secrets are leaked."
"I trust Naruto with them," Hinata answered slowly. The white-eyed girl moved on to another bowl of ramen.
The blond boy stopped eating for a moment, a smile forming on his face for something other than ramen.
He noticed how Sasuke just seemed to stare at Hinata like she didn't make sense. Jerk. It makes perfect sense that someone would help out their friend, though sharing clan secrets was a little more than help.
"Yeah! I wouldn't share them with anybody," Naruto added in. "And we're helping each other get stronger – as you saw when I beat you up."
Naruto watched as Sasuke's dark eyes stared into his own. The Uchiha's emotions swirled for a moment before returning to their normal darkness.
Sasuke scoffed and returned to his meal.
The Uzumaki frowned, not understanding why Sasuke got so riled up at the idea of people helping each other grow stronger. Not believing it was one thing, but this was different. It was more like he didn't want to accept it.
Well, he can think about that later. Right now, he needed to beat Sasuke in an eating contest.
Beating Hinata was a lost cause. She was already three bowls ahead of them. Nobody could beat her. Believe it!
Sasuke sat down in the same seat he always did. The Uchiha was the first to arrive to class today. He arrived earlier than he had the day before, not because he was annoyed at being shown up by that boy, of course. Most nights, he couldn't sleep for more than a few hours at most. There was no point sitting around his home doing nothing when he could be at school. Staring out the window.
His eyes briefly flashed to the side as he heard the sound of the classroom door opening. Two people enter the classroom.
"Dammit! He beat us, Hinata," the annoying idiot Naruto complained with his hands behind his head.
A brief flash of triumph appeared in Sasuke's heart before disappearing. The black eyes of the Uchiha didn't let this show even as he started in the Uzumaki's blue eyes.
The night before had been… unpleasant. Getting goaded – not that he'd ever admit that out loud – into an eating contest that ended up with a tie was a waste of time. A small hint of fear at that small girl's ability to devour food was all he gained. If all the Hyuga ate like that, then Sasuke had no idea how the village kept them fed.
Naruto Uzumaki might have the distinction of being the most annoying person he'd ever met, surpassing even the fangirls. The blond was loud, annoying, and had a creepy stare. His blue eyes seemed to look past who they were staring at and into something. It doesn't happen every time the idiot stares at him or others, but Sasuke is observant enough to notice when it does. Whenever he felt the gaze on him, it felt like Naruto was somehow reading him. Studying him.
Sasuke knew that Naruto is – was – like him. A loner. Somebody with nobody. An existence without bonds.
The difference between them is that Naruto sought out friends for some foolish reason, while Sasuke had better things to do. Bonds would get in the way of his revenge. Revenge for the death of his clan…
The Uchiha's eyes went toward Naruto's Hyuga friend. She was almost annoying as the idiot was.
Upon hearing about the massacre of the Hyuga, Sasuke thought that Hinata would be like him. That she would try to rebuild her clan and get revenge on the Hidden Cloud. Yet, she didn't seem interested in either of those goals. The last Hyuga was wasting her time making friends with the idiot, going so far as to give him clan secrets. It didn't make sense to the last Uchiha.
Just like how it didn't make sense for Naruto to approach him yesterday evening. Sasuke had expected them to simply glare and scoff at each other before the blond moved up. But for some reason, he reached out to him.
It had been the first time in so long that someone had approached him as Sasuke Uchiha, not the prodigy or poor survivor.
The feelings he got when Naruto reached out his hand were… annoying. They were emotions that he couldn't accept after what had happened. With what he must become.
Sasuke's eyes flipped back to Naruto as the blond approached him, with Hinata trailing slightly behind.
"What is it, loser?" Sasuke glared up at Naruto with a cold, unflinching ferocity. He wanted these two to go away before they made him any more confused. Unfortunately, he couldn't ignore them because the whiskered boy wouldn't stop until he got his attention.
"Nothing, you know!" Naruto answered with a false chuckle. "You're going to need to move."
"Why?" He questioned. Sasuke always sat here. He wasn't going to give it up because some loser told him to.
"Well, Hinata doesn't like sitting toward the front, you know. So, if you going to start sitting with us, your going to have to move to the back!" Naruto happily explained while pointing to where he and Hinata had been sitting for the last few weeks.
"And what makes you think I want to sit next to you?"
"Because I decided you will! Believe it!" Naruto glanced back at the door, then at Hinata. "Besides, we both know you hate being surrounded by those girls. They always stay away from me, though! So, they wouldn't bother you if you sit next to me!"
Sasuke Uchiha immediately froze at the last half of the Uzumaki's explanation. There was nothing he would like more than for the fangirls to leave him alone – well, except for his clan back and brother's head on a spike. But was it worth dealing with Naruto?
Hinata may be confusing and annoying, but she was easy to block out. Plus, she in no way had a crush on him. She would make a great shield against his sworn enemies. The orange-loving fool had also been quieted by her. Outside of when Naruto was challenging Sasuke to do something and free time, he was almost silent. The Hyuga had done the impossible and somehow made the Hidden Leaf's loudest ninja focus on classwork. Sitting next to them couldn't be that bad….
Sasuke's eyes turned away from them and glared out the window. Something was wrong with him if he was thinking about accepting help from anybody, much less the idiot.
The sound of the classroom door opening rang out again before anyone in the room could say anything else. Entering the room was one of their female classmates, Sakura. Her bright pink hair cascaded down her back.
A slightly deeper breath naturally came to the Uchiha.
Among all the fangirls, she was one of the worst. Only rivaled by Ino. The girl utterly failed to understand that she was the exact opposite of someone he liked. She was so focused on dressing herself up and him when a shinobi should be trying to improve themselves.
Sakura looked across the room, her emotions so easy to read as she looked at each person. Hinata was barely given a passing glance. Naruto got a glare before Sakura's face brightened upon seeing Sasuke. The pink-haired girl immediately rushed to Sasuke's side, shoving the blond to the side in the process.
"Sasuke!" She yelled as she clung to him. "Is that idiot Naruto bothering you?!"
"I don't need to read emotions to know you're bothering him a lot more than me," Naruto said while crossing his arms. He looked more annoyed than anything. Being friends with Hinata seems to have dulled the Idiot's crush.
"You're wrong! Sasuke loves when I hug him," Sakura squealed while hugging the poor Uchiha even harder.
Sasuke took one glance at Sakura, then another at Naruto and Hinata. The decision to sit with them was getting more appealing every second.
The last Uchiha escaped the grasp of the surprisingly strong girl and grabbed his bag in one smooth motion. Sakura managed to catch herself before she fell over.
"I have important matters with the Hyuga," Sasuke declared. The dark-haired boy glared at both Hinata and Naruto as if daring them to mention they invited him to sit with them.
"Hey! Don't drag Hinata into your mess!" Naruto complained and moved closer to the white-eyed girl. The blond's eyes turned toward Sakura, who was now staring at Hinata as if she was a rival. A small grinding sound could be heard from the loud girl's mouth.
"I'm not interested in Sasuke," Hinata finally spoke at a volume barely above a whisper. She then walked to her seat in the back of the room, quickly followed by Naruto. He sat to her left, leaving Sasuke to sit to his left if he wanted to.
"Hn," Sasuke hummed and walked to the window seat next to Naruto. Both Naruto and Hinata served as shields from those who'd bother him. Once he sat down, he glanced at Sakura's disbelieving face. That only lasted for a second before he turned toward the window, tuning out the sound of Naruto talking to Hinata.
It was annoying how easily he toppled over and sat next to the pair of classmates by his side. Why does he find sitting next to these two so much more tolerable than fangirls?
Sasuke briefly closed his eyes, and the image of the blond boy with whiskers offering him his hand came to mind.
AN:
Hello, hope everyone's having a good day!
Too lazy to write note.
Only say: Fast-pasted like this chapter for one or two more. Get out of Academy quickly and get to total canon annihilation as soon as possible.
Have a great day!