Chapter 3, under the oak tree
Author's notes: OK, listen. This chapter has been a real pain to translate, because I used lots of fancy words and outrageously poetic and complicated descriptions in the Swedish version. Because of that, the grammar and spelling might be really weird at some parts. I beg of you to mail me when you see these obvious errors. I'm just too blind to see the anymore.
Any help with this would be appreciated. My mail is in my bio for you helpful souls
The sun rose over Konoha and, centimetre by centimetre, it gained ground, making the shadows of the night flee before the burning light, flee away over the mountains. Tsunade was already awake and looked down on the village from her office window. Each and every ninja in the village was already awake, and had been since early in the morning when she had been woken by the head of the Hyuga clan. He had sent Shizune to wake her, and when she entered the office fifteen minutes later with dark markings under her eyes, he had just sat there, calmly awaiting her arrival.
She had not been happy, and asked why the hell he had sought fit to wake up her, the Hokage, on a whim. So he had told her, in his usual, cold, matter of fact voice. He thought that Hinata, the heiress of his clan had been kidnapped, although he added, almost to himself, that the report was just a formality. He might not have come entirely clean, but some how Tsunade got the feeling he was relieved. That was why she had ordered every available ninja in the village to search for the Hyuga girl. If he was so weak he didn't want her back, then she would show him, and her, that Konoha did.
The girl's sensei, Kurenai, had smiled mysteriously and suggested that someone should go get Naruto to help in the search. When she heard this, she relaxed a bit. She had a good guess what this was about, the girl being sixteen after all. Maybe the ninja she sent to fetch Naruto would find Hinata there, yet maybe not. It really didn't matter as long as Naruto received the same brisk wakening that she had.
She shook her head. "Genma!"
"Hai!" Genma replied behind her.
She turned around and looked into his tired eyes. He still had that annoying habit to chew on a toothpick all the time. "Go and wake Uzumaki Naruto. He is to assist with the search."
Genma nodded and disappeared. She sat down behind her desk again and sulked. "Shizune!" she shouted furiously. "How is that breakfast coming?"
Genma jumped between the rooftops, headed for Naruto's house. He never thought about why he received his orders, he just followed them, but he couldn't help feeling confused about these orders. Why Naruto of all people? He was hardly the sharpest kunai in the satchel. But, he reminded himself, Orders are orders.
He landed crouching on one of the branches in the tree in the middle of Narutos back yard. He straightened himself and scanned the apartment doors, trying to find the Uzumaki boy's apartment. It didn't take long to find it. Or rather, what was left of it. He shook his head. Someone had bashed the door in, presumably Naruto himself, having forgotten his keys or something. He sighed and gently jumped from the tree and landed softly on the grass patch, and then snuck towards the stairs. You can't be too careful. The first rule of the ninja was to see what was underneath the underneath, after all. In other words, not everything is as it seems.
He carefully climbed the stairs, measuring the density, dryness and tension in the wood, avoiding stepping on the steps that would creak. He stayed against the wall at all times, sneaking past the other apartments until he reached the one belonging to Naruto. He carefully pushed what was left of the door aside. Inside, in the middle of the floor, lay Naruto in his sleeping bag. But he was not alone. Next to him, with a happy smile on her face and her arms around Naruto, was…
"…?" was all he managed to say before his nosebleed knocked him unconscious.
Tsunade was looking out over the village again, half way through her breakfast, when she heard a snivel behind her back.
"Ah, any news regarding Hinata?" she asked, knowing already who stood behind her.
"She's here," Genma replied, which made Tsunade spun around. Genma stood with Naruto and Hinata in front of him, holding Hinata gently by her arm and Naruto by his t-shirt collar. He had tiny paper horns sticking out of his nose, a tell tale sign of nosebleed.
"What's happened to you then?" she demanded. He had dried up blood on his upper lip. He just stared blankly at her, clearly not intending to answer the question. "Never mind then. Where did you find her?"
"At Naruto-kun's place," Genma said without a hint of emotion. Tsunade tensed visibly and turned to Naruto, who was trying his best to mend in with the other furniture.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" she said calmly. "Of all your ridiculously stupid jokes and pranks, this is the by far most stupid. Get rid of that clone ASAP."
"Um…" said the clone that looked like Hinata. "I.. I am no…"
"Yes, yes, wonderful acting performance," Tsunade sighed. "Now dismiss it, or I'll hit it. And I promise you, it will be a direct hit." The Hinata clone got very pale.
"She… Haha… She is… The real Hinata… hehe?" Naruto laughed uncertainly, visibly embarrassed. So, it was as she had suspected. She tried hard not to laugh at the whole thing. Kurenai had known all along. She probably sat somewhere, laughing to herself. Her thoughts returned to Hiashi, and all cheeriness gone away.
"Hinata?"
"Hm?"
"Go outside, please." She waved here towards the door, and Hianta begun moving towards it. When she was at the door, Tsunade added: "I would strongly advice you to keep quiet about this. Especially near your father and Hyuga Neji. You can rest assured that Genma will not say a thing." Genma nodded to her, trying his best to look as if his paper horns didn't bother him at all. "And come back here when Naruto leaves. And no chit chat in the corridor, mind you!"
Hinata hesitated for a while and tried to brace herself for the coming off-telling. It couldn't be anything but an off-telling. Yet, she had to hold on to her nindo and not sway for a minute. She would not feel ashamed for what she did last night. Strangely enough she felt as if she would actually succeed in this. After last nights events, this was nothing… She hoped.
"Hai," she said quietly and left the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto.
Naruto braced himself for the coming onslaught. She would kill him. His face broke into a sweat. Would the first hit land in his guts or on his head? Maybe she would kick him between his legs? That would be more fitting the occasion. He wondered if she would heal him and start over when he passed out.
"Naruto," she said calmly, making his muscles tense as he prepared himself for the coming pain. "Congratulations."
Naruto stumbled forwards. "What?!" he shouted, disbelief written all over his face. "Aren't you going to hit me?"
"No," suppressing a smile, Tsunade went on. "I just wanted to give you an advice." She became serious again. "Be careful. I cannot comprehend how you and Hinata got together, considering you are as moon and sun, but I cannot stress this enough, be careful. Hinata's father won't like it if he heard about it. You aren't exactly the son-in-law anyone would dream about, especially not Hyuga Hiashi who has the reputation and heritage of a clan to worry about." She sighed. "You do have a neck for getting yourself into trouble, Naruto."
"Well, they can try and stop me." Naruto snorted, more defiant than he actually felt. He might have beaten Neji in the chuunin exams, but Neji had underestimated him then, and was more powerful now, while Naruto hadn't improved much at all. Neji wouldn't kill him ofcourse, just make him permanently hospitalized, yet Hiashi… He swallowed. "This I promise you, and I will not back down on this, Old Lady Tsunade. I love Hinata, and her father can't do anything about it… yet…" He seemed to loose himself in thought. Maybe he was a bit unsure about what he felt? Tsunade guessed that was normal.
She nodded at him. "I know that you won't, and if you are ever to become a Hokage, you should stick to that." She nodded towards the door. "You may go now."
His head was buzzing with hundreds of thoughts as he moved towards the door. Hinata's father… Neji… Hinata… Genma's perverted associations… It was his fault that he had gotten that nosebleed, it wasn't like they had been doing anything… unsuitable. They had just shared the same sleeping bag. He opened the door and carefully closed it behind him, looking down the corridor, trying to find Hinata and tell her to enter. He found her a bit further down the corridor and she smiled as their eyes met, but as soon as she realised he noticed, she averted her eyes and hid behind her fingers again. He immediately forgot all about Neji and Hiashi. As long as she loved him he would gladly die to protect her, and Neji or Hiashi could just go to hell for all he cared… Well, he would have died to save her even before he fell in love with her, but that would have been as a matter of principle, rather than because of affection. As he approached her, she started to mumble quietly.
"Na-Naruto, about yesterday…" She started blushing, but he shook his head.
"No chit chat, per Hokage-sama's orders," he laughed. "Don't see why not though. But hey, orders are orders. See you on the plain later."
Hinata looked surprised. "The plain?"
"Yes, you know… Where we ate picnic with Kiba once… I'll bring the rice buns, and I'll see you at twelve!" He laughed and waved farewell. Hinata was so glad she wanted to sing! She had a date… well, sort of. Maybe he didn't think of it as a date? She couldn't picture him on a one, and she really couldn't picture herself on one either. Well, she should at least hurry home and get changed. She realised that the Hokage was waiting for her, and hurried inside.
"Ho-Hokage-sama," she mumbled and bent her head in respect. Tsunade gazed at her over her fingers. Naruto had seemed unaffected by the yeling, but then, he must have gotten used to it by now. I will not be ashamed or sad, no matter what she says! She promised herself.
Tsunade kept inspecting her from behind her hands. She was cute, maybe not as cute as Ino, Sakura or Tenten, but still cute in her own charming way. Yet… The two were as sun and moon. What could they possibly have in common? She guessed she was overlooking something, as she doubted very much that they had some ulterior motives of being together.
"You are wearing Naruto's clothes," she remarked. Hinata just nodded, much to Tsunades surprise without blushing. She didn't meet Tsunade's gaze though. Tsunade was impressed. Wherever Naruto went, people changed. He had that power, which was good for him, because without it he would not have lasted long. God knows how, but he had even managed to change her. "May I ask how you were planning on explaining that to your father?"
Hinata tensed. What was she going to say? She had never lied to her father; there had never been any reason to, as he would quickly recognise a lie from her blushing. Therefore lies were out of question. But could she tell the truth? What would her father say or do? "I… I will tell the truth."
Tsunade cocked her eyebrows. "Do you realise what he will…"
"I will tell him the truth because… Because I cannot lie," Hinata whispered, yet still without blushing. She even looked Tsunade in the eyes now. "I will tell him what he needs to know, and that is that I stayed over at Naruto's place to avoid getting sick, and for the same reason, I borrowed his clothes."
"He won't like it, Hinata."
"No," she admitted. "No, he won't. But he will like it better than the full story."
Tsunade nodded, still with her eyes fixed Hinata's. Hinata wanted to leave, she wanted to meet Naruto again, not stand around here with a Hokage that was trying to stare her down. "Hinata."
"Yes?"
"As a former medical Ninja, I feel that I must tell you…" Tsunade said with her eyes closed. "That you can always talk to me, or any other medical ninja, about… Questions you might have. We have sworn an oath of confidentiality, you know."
At first Hianta didn't know what she was talking about, but when it dawned upon her she couldn't help but blush. Big time. She wanted to sink through the floor… Or escape with Kawarimi no jitsu. Then Tsunade could sit here and spout profanity over a vase while she ran far away.
"I-I… W-We… haven't…." Hinata started, feeling that she had to say this to avoid misunderstandings. "We…"
Tsunade merely nodded. "I suspected that you guys hadn't, but I thought that it'd be best if you knew… You know, for the future."
When Hinata left the office, she didn't know what to feel. It was so strange. She felt embarrassed, yet oddly proud. As if this was somehow an acknowledgment that she was an adult, and that what she and Naruto may or may not do, was… normal…
She started down the corridor, but her mind drifted away though time and place, finally arriving at the time when she'd first laid eyes on Naruto.
He was about to present his Henge no jitsu in front of class, and was failing miserably. The everyone was laughing at him, all but she, who had felt sorry for him, yet still hoping her Henge would turn out better. Then, admist the laughter, he had turned around and started laughing with the class, insisting that it was a joke. Then he tried again. And again. And again… Always failing.
By the time he had worn himself out the class was roaring with laughter, yet when he stopped and turned around to face the class, his composure and burning eyes told Hinata that he had not been defeated. He had merely ceased trying for the time being. He straightened up and amidst the laughter and gleering, he told the class that they could laugh now, but that he would one day become the Hokage.
The laughter increased but he just stood there, facing it. It wasn't as if the laughter had no effect on him, but instead of breaking him it just fuelled his determination. The class had laughed at the boy, they could only see the surface, while she had seen the boy underneath, seen his strength, self confidence and unmatched determination. He was weak in body and mind, and couldn't do the simplest of jitsus, yet he was stronger than anyone in that classroom. He would surpass them all, or die trying.
She was so impressed that she started following him around, meaning to speak to him, yet never dared to. After a while she felt that he, without knowing, was showing her how to believe in herself. Each day spent together with him was to learn something new about herself, whether he knew of her presence or not. Just being close to him made people realise their own strength and abilities, made them believe in themselves. Yet she was the only one who ever noticed. If he were to become Hokage, he would be the greatest Hokage Konoha had ever had. And he would be.
She ventured out in the sun and felt the warmth against her face, smelt the wet sand and leaves after the night's rain. She felt happier than she had been in a long time, she just wanted to skip all the way to the Hyuga compound, but she thought better of it. People would be suspicious if they saw Hinata skipping about with a huge smile on her face, and besides, it wasn't fitting for the Hyuga's heiress to "skip" anywhere. Her father had made sure to tell her that long ago.
The thought of her father did dampen her spirits some. She loved him, but she didn't know if he loved her. He never yelled at her, he just calmly asked her what she had done, what she felt about it and if she thought that it was worthy and Hyuga Heiress to do it. He never asked the last question, but he made that impression. She knew she had always been a huge disappointment to him.
She shook her head. You shouldn't think about your father that way. Besides, she had a date with Naruto. That thought made her happy again. She wouldn't skip, but she couldn't help smiling like a simpleton. She ran down a hard packed sand road with buildings on both sides, feeling the wind blow through Naruto's clothing, and laughed to her self. She jumped of the ground, into a wall, bouncing away and spinning around until she faced another wall, pushed away with her legs and arms, spinning once more and landed on the rooftops. Up here no one would see her skip. She ran towards the river, jumping across alleyways, even across streets at some times, her mind fixed and eyes set on the Hyuga compound. She wanted to get ready for the date as soon as possible and head out towards the great Konoha plain.
She stopped, catching her breath for a minute, and then moved to jump across the nearby alley and continue her journey.
"Oi, Hinata!" she heard a voice call to her from below. Standing in the middle of the street was Kiba and Akamaru, Kiba with his hand raised to protect his eyes from the blinding sun. "Where have you been? Akamaru and I have been looking for you in the forest since seven o'clock!"
Hinata blushed. This was all her fault. Yet she didn't feel sorry at all. It had all been worth it. "Im sorry, Kiba-kun…" she said, hoping the sun at her back would him from noticing her…
"Hinata… Isn't that Naruto's clothing?" he asked confounded. "And…" He sniffed in the air. "You smell like Naruto. Not just Naruto's clothing, but…"
His face went blank. "Oh…" he said. "I see."
Hinata tried not to blush, but failed as usual. "I…"
Kiba couldn't believe it. So Naruto had finally noticed her? Well, they would be good for each other. He had to admit to himself that he had fancied Hinata a while back, but he had then realised he didn't need someone who never opposed him or told him what she thought. He needed someone to yell at him and bash him over the head if he misbehaved. He needed someone like Tenten.
Hinata loked away, her face as red as blood. "I… I must go. Please, don't tell my father about this." She jumped overhead of him, presumably heading home. He followed her with his gaze until she disappeared in the distance. Kiba and Akamaru stood there for a while, watching her, then Kiba looked down at Akamaru. He wasn't a puppy anymore. His head was levelled with Kibas waist when he sat, and he had lost his cute, white puppy fur in favour for a rugged, gray fur, making him look like a small wolf. Yet, he was still the same old Akamaru, even if everyone else failed to se it. Akamaru was looking back at him.
"Scary," He said. Akamaru yelped agreeingly. He got pictures of Naruto in his head, but he knew they hadn't done anything… special. He knew what that smelt like after spending a very embarrassing, clumsy yet wonderful first night together with Tenten. She had had a bit more experience than him, so she had done her thing and when it was his turn he didn't have a clue what to do. Though his highly evolved instincts helped a bit, it was still a pretty bad performance, even if Tenten had insisted that he wasn't too bad.
Akamaru knew that scent too. He had refused to even look at Kiba for the entire day after, probably jealous of sharing Kiba's attention with Tenten. "Well, let's go to Tenten's place." Kiba said. Akamaru whimpered uncertainly, but moved to comply. Some improvements atleast, Kiba thought. He usually refused to move at all when Kiba suggested going to Tenten. Maybe it had something to do with Tenten scratching him behind his ears whenever he allowed it? Kiba too, felt a sting of jealousy. "Nah, I'm just kidding Akamaru. Lets go and train!"
Akamaru yelped excitedly and jumped around Kiba, who lauged at him. Yes, he was still the old Akamaru alright. They ran off together, a boy and his trusting dog, towards the forest. They would have a great time, just the two of them, as they had always had. Alone.
Hinata soon forgot her meeting with Kiba. She knew he wouldn't tell. He was a bit of a big mouth, almost like Naruto… Yet he had never known the pain of loneliness, and thus he tended to look down on people he considered weak, or as he would put it, people who where too noisy and didn't know their place.
He was her team mate though, and despite his flaws he was, she thought, loyal as a dog. She had to jump down from the roof tops when she arrived at the great White River that separated the Hyuga compound from the rest of Konoha; the river was simply too wide to jump across, and besides, she couldn't arrive home via the roof tops, or else her father would really suspect something. And that he must not do. He would never understand. She smiled. Naruto at twelve o'clock. It was just too good to be true, yet it was. She had finally… But wait. Naruto had never said that he liked her. He had never said that it was a date, she had just interpreted it that way.
Maybe he thought that what she did last night was just a joke, or something meant to be no more than friendly? Maybe he thought she was a pervert and didn't want to meet her at all? Maybe he had just told her to meet up with him as a diversion while he hid away somewhere. Her heart sank like a stone, and it was with heavier steps she made her way home. What if she arrived and he wasn't there? What if he told her that he didn't love her, or that he regretted what had happened last night? What if he didn't like her at all, maybe he just thought of her as a cry baby who came to his home, demanding his clothes and bed, and took the liberty of using his body as a personal teddy bear.
She arrived at her front door and opened it, barely noticing when her father asked where she had been with his usual, restrained voice. She didn't listen, so he had to ask again, a bit louder. She told him parts of the story, the crucial parts, but left out most of the Naruto related events. Like their sleeping together. She made it sound as if she had just barged into his house demanding a bed and clothing. Because that was what she had done, in a way. She felt guilty about it, but she guessed her father would approve of that kind of behaviour, considering Naruto was merely a "subordinate." She kept her eyes fixed at the floor, as she always did when talking to her father.
"Where did you sleep?" Hinata stiffened. Had he seen through her? She hadn't thought this question would come up, but she quickly recovered. "I slept in a sleeping bag, father." She answered, praying that he wouldn't ask if she had slept alone.
"Huhm," he said. "So he took the bed himself?"
What was she supposed to answer? If she answered yes, she would lie, and she couldn't do that. Telling the truth would only make him ask why Naruto hadn't slept in his bed, and then she would be really cornered. She opened her mouth, uncertain of what to say, when suddenly Neji approached. She shut her mouth, her heart being immediately filled with the black, all consuming fear she always felt when he was close. Just looking at him made her remember her first chuunin exam and when she had failed her nindo in front of Naruto. Neji had wanted her dead, she was sure of this. He had suffered then, because he was born as a branch member instead of a main family member, suffered because of his father's fate.
He was not the boy he used to be, yet she didn't trust him, and never would. Her mind told her to run away as quick as possible, but her feet wouldn't listen. She just looked at his approach; every step was like the footsteps of doom. She started shaking.
"Hinata," he said with his cool, dark voice, carrying no indications of any feelings at all. "Where have you been?"
She forced herself to look at him, and when she did she was surprised at what she saw. He was dirty, his white body guard dress had been thorn in several places, and was stained with blood from minor cuts and bruises on his arms and legs. "I… I…" had he been training? He seemed so calm, yet ready to lash out at any moment. Like a tiger, hiding in the grass. He made her shiver, and not in a pleasant type of way. She was scared to death. But why was he in such a mess? Had he been fighting?
His face was as cool as his voice, and Hinata couldn't understand why her father had welcomed him into the family. Maybe it was because she was such a disappointment?
"I have looked everywhere for you," he said with the same, restrained voice as her father had. "I am responsible for your well being, yet you run away without telling me where you're going? Hinata, your father has been very…"
"That's enough Neji!" Her father interrupted. "You know your duties! Don't complain because you had to fulfil them. It casts shadow over your sense of duty."
Neji bowed, accepting the reprimand, and Hinata realised her presence was no longer wanted. They would have a philosophical discussion now, and she wasn't welcome to join. Nor did she want to. She just quietly snuck away to her room, closing the sliding door behind her and slumped down on her bed. For the first time in her life he was grateful for Neji. He had saved her life, in a way. He had fulfilled his duty. Well, now she had to choose some good clothing. Should it be something fancy or something comfortable?
Neji watched her leave. He knew she had not told her father everything there was to know, and Hiashi probably knew that as well, even though they didn't know what she had left out or why. He had had his Byakyugan activated after his search for his protégé, and had arrived just in time to see her break into a sweat when her father asked her if Naruto had slept in his own bed. What ever she was about to say would not have been leaving out information, it would have been a lie.
Fortunate for her, he had managed to react in time, or she would have been in real trouble. This way Hiashi wouldn't be able to interrogate Hinata any more about the night's events, having to take Neji aside and have a philosophical discussion about duty and death. As if Neji didn't know perfectly well what was required of him. He shook his head mentally. What ever Hinata was doing, he hoped it wasn't dangerous. He had hated her once, but those times were long gone. He had used to despise her because she was from the main Hyuga family whether as he was born from a branch family. He still had that seal on his forehead but it didn't bother him any more. After living under her roof with her family for three years, he wouldn't trade his fate with her, not for anything in the world.
Her father had great expectations on her, despite her obvious lack of strength. He thought that he was encouraging her to become stronger by expecting her to do the impossible. He thought that it would spur her to improve. Neji, who had seen Hinata outside her home, and had no self imposed blindness to obscure his perception, knew that that was not the case. Hiashi thought that he made her stronger, but in fact, he made her weaker. He made her doubt her own abilities because he never had realistic expectations on her, expectations she could actually meet at her current level, thus imposing upon her the feeling of guilt and failure when ever she didn't.
Neji smiled to himself as he and Hiashi sat down in a secluded part of the garden to meditate. Hiashi may be knowledgeable, philosophical and had combat skills that far surpassed Neji's own. But he wasn't a good father as Neji's dad had once been, and there were probably reason for his failure. Man was not meant to be kept in cage, a lesson Naruto had taught him long ago. Neji's cage had been his bitterness and hatred toward the main family and Hiashi's cage was probably built of expectations he had from the entire Hyuga clan, or maybe even his own expectations.
And without knowing, he was putting his own daughter in a similar cage, a cage built of sadness, insecurity, and the ever present feeling that what ever she tried to do would be a failure. A cage of weakness and despair…
Neji longed for telling Hinata or Hiashi about his observations. But it was not in his place to change peoples' lives. That knowledge was not something you were taught, that was the kind of knowledge you had to come to realise yourself.
Neji sighed inside his head. Naruto… He was the one person who could teach things that one couldn't normally teach. He would be great for this family. He would come here, start screaming and yelling, using that weird word of his, until people started changing around him. And if they didn't, he would bludgeon some sense into their heads.
Hinata decided to go with her regular clothing, as those would go best with anything Naruto threw at her. If it was a romantic meeting, which Hinata had come to doubt very much now, she wouldn't look worse than she used to, and if it was a friendly meeting she wouldn't seem to have expected anything else. And if he wasn't there, she could tell people she meant to go training. She went into her own bathroom and had a quick shower, then she went outside again and got dressed.
She quickly got into some new underwear, simple white ones, nothing special. It felt good to be back in women underwear again. She then put on a white no-strap top and her beige jacket. She picked up her trousers and put on those as well. She didn't mind putting on her protective bandage or her tool satchel, but she couldn't leave home without her forehead protector.
She picked it up and knotted it around her neck as a scarf. She turned around and looked in the mirror. She looked… as usual. Good. She combed her hair a bit and left her room, speeding across the garden, hoping Neji or her father wouldn't notice her leaving. She went down the corridor and almost ran into Hanabi, her seven years younger sister. She stood there in the middle of the corridor and stared blankly at her, not speaking a word. Hinata was used to this. Hanabi was her father's favourite and received much more attention and love. Hinata would really like to be in Hanabi's place, but then, Hanabi was much stronger than Hinata, maybe Hinata wouldn't be able to cope with that power.
She sighed and gently went past her. Hanabi kept silent, it was as if Hinata hadn't been there at all. Once they had laughed and played together and Hinata used to comfort her when she had cried. Hanabi used to admire her, especially when she started at the academy. But now she had come to realise that Hinata was weak. Probably she had heard this from her other friends from the main family… or even her own father.
She went outside, closing the door behind her. She just had half an hour to get to the plains. Plenty of time. She sighed. How did she ever think that Naruto liked her? Naruto was strong, like Hanabi or Hiashi and Neji. She was too weak for him. Suddenly she wasn't at all sure if she even dared meeting Naruto again. She was afraid of what he might say. She drew a deep breath. I can't back down now. I must follow my nindo, she thought to herself. I can't run my entire life. Besides, look at Naruto. He had followed Sakura around for years without giving up. Naruto wouldn't be afraid If Naruto didn't like me, I just have to try harder. Like he would.
She remembered his Henge training. I must try harder. I must… change.
She felt a bit better again, heading across the bridge and on to the main street. When she passed the ramen shop Ichiraku leaned out and waved at her. She could smell the noodles being cooked inside, smelt the spices and heard the clatter of cooking pots as his daughter continued working.
"Hinata-sama! Would you like some ramen?" He asked. "I've just made them."
Hinata shook her head. "No thanks, Ichiraku-uji," she replied respectfully. "Im off to Na…" she shut her mouth, hoping he hadn't heard the last part. He nodded and smiled.
"Tell him from me!" he shouted. "Tell him that he can come here when ever he need some extra cash. That Rasengan of his is perfect for mixing the broth."
"Hai!" she shouted back and continued running down the street, heading for the big gate of Konoha. The guards with their dogs starred angrily at her. Maybe they had gotten the blame for her "kidnappers" escape? She tried not to pay them any heed as she passed them. The huge gate was open, and the guard booth was manned by Genma, who's nosebleed had apparently stopped. He deliberately avoided her eyes, but no one else did this. Apparently he had kept his promise to Tsunade. She stepped outside the village, feeling the wet, cold sand against her bare feet, and a warm, invigorating breeze against her face. She couldn't help but smile. What could possibly go wrong in this beautiful weather? She reasoned.
She slowed down into a stride, not wanting to arrive at the plain running. She started getting glimpses of the plain through the forest, and she finally arrived at the wide stretched plain. She stopped and scanned the grassy plane for a sign of Naruto. She couldn't find him anywhere in the open, but in the middle of the grassy ocean there was a great oak, and she knew he was waiting for here over there, she just knew, and suddenly got a nervous lump in her throat.
She swallowed hard and walked towards the tree, feeling the grass between her toes, smelling the flowers and hearing the honeybees buzzing about. The sun had finally warmed her up enough to make her long for the coolness of the shadow beneath the tree. She hurried her steps, making sure not to tread on any flowers.
When she finally reached the shadow of the oak tree, Naruto were nowhere to be seen. She looked around, trying to spot him, but she couldn't find her anywhere. The nervous lump in her throat got worse as she realised that Naruto might not be here. She considered activating her Byakugan when she suddenly spotted a picnic quilt on the other side of the oak trunk. She sighed with relief. At least he was here, if not for the moment. She sat down in the shade, waiting for Naruto to return from wherever he was at.
"Oy, Hinata." A voice said right next to her ear, making her jump with surprise. "So you arrived!" Naruto grinned at her. He was standing crouched right behind her, as if he had jumped from his hiding place in the tree and landed silently beside her. She needed to learn how to survey her surroundings. Had this been the enemy… She didn't want to think about it. She had been jumped once before, and coated in concrete bee wax… She had obviously not improved at all since then. Or it was because she was too nervous to think clearly.
Hinata knew what she had to say, what she wanted to know, but couldn't find a good way to say it. "Naruto-kun…" She waited for him to interrupt her, but he didn't. He just sat there and waited until she had finished. He even seemed interested. Hinata wasn't used to having someone who wanted to listen to her. She swallowed uncertainly, and he sent her an encouraging smile. "Naruto, about last night..."
Naruto's smile disappeared, replaced by a concerned look, as if he was trapped between a rock and a hard place. "Oh…" He sat down next to her, so close she felt her body tingle from excitement. What if he said that he loved her? What if he wanted do hug her? She would of course faint, but it would be worth it. "I want to talk about that, too. You start."
Hinata swallowed, her excitement replaced by uncertainty again. He didn't seem awfully happy… "I…" She gathered her courage. "I just wanted you to know that…"
"I can see where this is going," Naruto sighed. "I do not feel the same, but that can't be helped I guess. I will not change my mind, and I think you most of all know that, Hinata."
It felt as if someone tried to strangle her heart with a barbed wire.
"Y-You don-don't?" Naruto shook his head. "O-Okay…"
She tried very hard not to cry. Everything had felt so good, she had been certain that… Or she had hoped that he actually… So typical. She had gotten her hopes up, just to get it smashed. She had thought of this as something romatic, a meeting between people who… She had wanted it to be so much that she had lost track of reality. He didn't love her. She looked out across the plains. How many young lovers hadn't come here over the years? How many hadn't had a wonderful time here, just the two of them together? She failed even at normal things like this. This was the one thing she had really tried to succeed with, yet she had failed as always.
She refused to believe it, nothing that felt so right could go so wrong. It was so unfair. She felt tears prickle behind her eyelids again, and she tried not to sob. Naruto… He didn't love her…
Naruto reached for the bag and took out the rice buns which he carried in small white boxes with black hearts drawn on the lid. The hearts looked very… Homemade. "They were like that when I bought them," Naruto assured her. "I bought the boxes… Made the rice buns myself though." He looked embarrassed and she automatically took the box he handed her. She carefully opened it. Inside was three badly damaged, poorly shaped rice buns. She almost started crying for real. Not because they were poorly made, but because each and every one of them were little portraits of her. He had tried his best to make them look good, that she could tell. They were horribly twofaced, had too big lips and one had lost her hair, but he had put his soul into them, no doubts about it.
"Naruto…"
"Do you like them?" he asked uncertainly. "I spent an hour decorating them, you know. I thought it would be fun, since it is almost exactly three years ago that you made me those Naruto-buns. Do you remember?"
"I…" She started crying quietly. What did he want? To torment her? He only wished to be a friend, yet he made her these… Wonderful, romantic and in their own way cute rice buns! She felt a tear running down her cheek, but she discretely whipped it away. She didn't want him to see her cry.
"What's wrong?" asked Naruto nervously, who had seen her cry, despite her discretion. "Do you think they were that ugly? I knew I should have said one o'clock instead of twelve, then I would have made them better. Next time, I'll…"
"They are beautiful," Hinata interrupted him, whipping away another tear. "I…" She felt happy and sad at the same time. He did care about her, just not as much or in the same way that she wanted him to. "I like them, very much..."
"Then why are you crying?"
She faced him, and when Naruto saw the sadness in her eyes, he felt as if he was also about to break into tears. He just wanted to hug her, tell her how much he loved her. She knew that he viewed her as more than a friend, no matter what she felt. It was for her own good that he didn't try and comfort her. She would just push him away, and he couldn't bear that. Maybe it was his fault? He shouldn't have told her that he wasn't sorry for what happened. He should have told her that he too didn't think of it as something romantic; now she was crying because she felt guilty for having him believe that it was. He sighed. He was such an idiot. He wanted so much to comfort her, hold her in his arms until she stopped crying, But that would only make it worse. Could he not have just put her mind to ease, could he not have pretended not to like her? He was an idiot.
He had to do something. He couldn't stand seeing her like this.
"I cry…" She tried to gather the courage to tell him. It couldn't get worse than this, he knew that she loved him, yet he only thought of her as a friend. So why not just tell him, why not explain what she felt? "I cry because…" She couldn't tell him, not even now. She started crying even more and hugged her knees, feeling her heart being eaten away by dark spots of nothingness. She was too weak, to weak for everything. Naruto would never love her like she loved him.
Naruto laid a hand upon her shoulder, and she desperately tried to stop crying, but she couldn't. It hurt too much, it had to come out.
"I…" She sobbed, her face now drenched in tears, trying to keep her voice steady. "I thought that you… Last night I was convinced that you… That you actually… Loved me, that you, that anyone really cared about me. I have loved you since I first saw you at the academy, I have always admired you, I've seen you train and fight even though all odds were against you. I have seen you fight where others, where I, would just have surrendered. You have given me the will to try and fight, try to improve… The little strength and courage I possess I owe to you. I have always admired you from afar, without you ever noticing me, because I didn't dare to reveal myself and tell you what I most of all wanted to say…" She drew a deep, trembling breath. "Last night… I have never felt as happy as when I fell asleep next to you. I felt… Whole. For the first time in my life, I felt as if I had accomplished my dream, I… I never wanted to leave you again. You are the only one for me Naruto. I would give everything for you, just to have you near me… I'd give you the world if only you would love me back!"
She couldn't even sit upright anymore, she just fell into Naruto's arms, crying against his shoulder, feeling his smells and warmth. She wanted more of it. She wanted to have him all for herself, she wanted… She wanted him to hug her, comfort her, and above all she wanted him to love her as she loved him. She dug her fingers into his blond, smooth hair, clung to him as if her life depended on it. She thought about how this would be the last time she could be so close to him, and she knew she would never feel warm inside again.
Naruto leaned his head against hers, burrowing his face in her hair. "I think I might have misunderstood you, Hinata." He was also crying now, two streaks of tears running down his face. He was happy, yet sad at the same time. So Hinata loved him. But would she love him even after he had made her this sad? He doubted it. He put a finger under her chin, and very gently made her look into his eyes. She was still crying, her white eyes looking back at him with that sadness that broke his heart, tears still streaming down her beautiful face. Feeling her trembling breaths against his face, he slowly leaned towards her, kissing her gently.
She abruptly stopped crying, staring at him with an expression of disbelief printed across her face.
The sun stood high in the sky, and the warm wind gently caressed the high grass, making it billow like waves on the ocean. A butterfly lazily flapped it wings and flew away from a flower and in the shade of the great oak tree sat Naruto and Hinata, looking longingly at each other. Two lonely souls, two opposites, two soul halves.
That had finally become one.