~Here it is, chapter 2.
(Alasa) Well isn't it obvious?
(okamifusion) Thanks for the advice! I've taken it into consideration in this fic :D
(7) I will try my best to update the chapters as soon as I can. Keep Reviewing!
~On with the chapter.
Kakashi was busy with his paperwork as usual and muttering something about retiring when there was a sudden knock at the door.
"You may come in" with that Kakashi became proper and managed to look like a leader with his back up straight and the cold empty eyes. But relaxed back to his normal state when he saw who it was.
"I'm here for my test" Hinami stated closing his door behind her.
"Ah, it's just you, we would have given you a rank just like that but can't go against these laws for even you"
Kakashi pushed a button under his table and within moments an Anbu was kneeling before him.
"It'll be three tests for you, the first one would be the basic and traditional written test, second one being the physical test and the third one is, well you don't really call it a test but let's say if you make it, which I am sure you will, will be a choice. Fox, take her to the academy, her test will commence in room 33. Good Luck!"
(The Previous Night)
"I knew you'd be here, Hinata"
Her ears perked up as soon as she heard his voice. It couldn't be him, could it? Hinata was certain that no one was following her when she got there, on top of that, she hadn't told anyone about the place. She turned around dreadfully, hoping that she was wrong, but there he stood, Orange shirt, black trousers, the golden locks and the whiskers.
Hinata was terrified, she didn't know what she should do. "The headache I suppose?" stated the blond. Naruto started to close the gap between them, when he was at a meter's distance from her, he started,
"All my life, Hinata, I was hated by those around me, cursed, abused and rejected wherever I went. Everyone was afraid of the demon inside of me, so afraid that they forgot I was a human just like them. I grew up with hate and loneliness, true I made some friends in the academy but I was still the dead last, the failure. Even as time passed, I resented the fact that they hate me for something I am not, but still I never gave up, I was desperate that they acknowledge me" Naruto moved forward and occupied the empty rock which was a little away from Hinata.
She kept her eyes on him all the time, listening to every word he spoke, she already knew about that, about all of that. No one else knew better than her that what had he been through. She herself was rejected by her own clan, called weak and a failure.
She understood how it felt to be rejected, to be declared a burden which is better off thrown away. She could understand just how broken he must have felt all that time.
Naruto was looking straight into the waterfall, he was in deep thought, as if revising something, you normally don't see this side of Naruto, Hinata watched closely a small smile graced his lips.
"Soon, we got into a war, we lost many comrades, people we fought with, people we ate with, everybody had hopes that I would somehow save them again, just like before when pein invaded Konoha. These were the people who had shunned me from my very childhood, but now they all were supporting me. It was a huge achievement for me, to make them acknowledge me"
Hinata remembered it all, she felt nostalgic as everything came flooding towards her, the way Naruto started to gain respect and love which he truly deserved.
"To be honest Hinata, I was scared, even though I never showed it, but I was very terrified. I didn't want to lose everyone, they all had just started to acknowledge me. I started to lose hope when Neji died protecting me. Ever wonder Hinata? Wonder how I came became what I am today?"
Hinata couldn't understand what he was trying to point at, sure she had her own ideas but she wanted him to keep on sharing himself with her. So she let him continue. Naruto took a deep breath, released it and continued.
"From my childhood till today, whatever was it that I went through, there was someone in my life Hinata, someone who accepted me when I was rejected, someone who looked upon me when I was a failure, someone to motivate me, to keep me on my path, to remind me constantly about my nindo"
Hinata suddenly perked up when he said those words, she didn't want to believe where he was going with this, "She was there when I was pinned down by pein and nobody was ready to help me, she was there when neji died, she was there every time to remind me who I was and what was I supposed to do. Do you know who that person was, Hinata?"
Hinata's eyes were threatening to fall out from her sockets. She dreaded every second of silence, she tried to form words, to speak, to embrace what he was trying to say, but she just wasn't able to succeed.
Naruto raised his head, and turned towards Hinata to face her, "That girl was Hyuga Hinata. That girl, was you. Every time Hinata, every single time, you were there for me. It's not that I never understood, it's just that you always outdid me, each time I was left speechless, I got my strength from my comrades, but it always remained a mystery to me, from where did you get yours. And believe me, when I finally understood, It hit me, it hit me so hard that I felt every ounce of guiltiness which I didn't even deserve."
Hinata suddenly blanked out. What could he mean by 'understood'? What was that which he had figured out?
She broke out of her trance when Naruto stood up and started to walk towards her. Hinata was going nuts. What should she do? She wanted to run away and scream as loud as she can, she couldn't handle it anymore, why would he say all this after getting a girlfriend? She was scared to hear what confession he wanted to make because she was not sure if she could handle it now.
Naruto was looking straight at Hinata, he was in deep thought and standing very nervously. Though the words which exited his mouth next were something she hadn't expected at all to hear. One moment he is standing above her, looking straight into her eyes and the very next he is bowing down in front of her. "I am so sorry Hinata! I am sorry to make you go through all that pain, even after everything you did for me, I still broke your heart, made you cry, you deserved so much better but I messed it all up!"
Hinata didn't know whether it was wise to stay quiet and let him continue or to speak up. But then again, what could she possibly say in such a state? A state where she wasn't even breathing properly.
Naruto brought his head up to meet her gaze, her face was that of a shocked person, someone who just came out of a comma, Naruto knew she is surprised and astonished to react or to say anything. He always found her amusing, her will power and her control, everything she did was somehow different to him. The silence was getting awkward every second as it passed and it was yet again the blond who broke it.
"I saw Hinata, saw everything from the start, but still I was so oblivious to realize what it was, when I had finally realized everything, it started getting more simple and clearer, but believe me when I say this, I was nervous for the first time in my life. I had nothing to give in return Hinata, I was stupefied when I knew you still hold feelings for me, just like when you confessed that day in front of pein. That's right Hinata, I still remember it, but I ran away, Love was an unknown feeling to me and when you said something like that out of the blue, I didn't know what to do, and the more I waited, the more my chances to respond to you escaped."
Hinata was awe-struck, she had no idea how to react to this. She never thought she'd see this day, she managed to form sentences but nothing came. Tears started to well up in her eyes. Naruto gently sat on one of his knee close to her and wiped out the tear threatening to fall down. "I want to know Hinata, do you, do you still love me?"
Well even if she did, there was still the fact that he had a girlfriend, someone who he was able to embrace as their own. She regretted that she was hopeless now, but it still didn't change her feelings she held towards him, all she could do was nod in the situation as her answer but she wanted to say so much more! So many questions she had to ask! If he didn't love her then why hurt her, why make her go through it again? Why tell her all this now and why not let her just try to forget everything?
Naruto, without a second thought, after hearing her answer, embraced her in a warm hug. Hinata was stunned, he was hugging her? This was getting ridiculous, and she managed to utter one single word, "Why?"
Naruto looked straight into her shocked, round orbs. He knew he had a lot of explaining to do, Naruto stood up, walked towards the river, hands in his pocket and his back facing towards the Hyuga. "Hinata, hinami chan, she isn't who you think she is."
As soon as he said that, a figure dropped down right besides Hinata from the tree above, it was Tenshi Hinami.
Hinami had arrived a little later after Naruto, Naruto knew she was watching everything from the tree, listening to them talk, watching them interact, but she herself knew everything which Naruto did, felt or thought.
What Hinata was shocked about was that she didn't even notice a presence different from Naruto. Was she that good at infiltrating? Or had she just arrived? Hinata had gone through a lot already for the day. She needed answers and fast. She looked expectantly at the two figures standing before her. That was all they needed to guess that she needs answers.
"He's right, in all actuality Hinata, I am not even a real person"
"What do you m-mean by that?" asked a very confused Hinata.
Naruto turned towards her and what he told her next was practically impossible, or was it that he was joking with her?
"She Hinata, is actually me"