Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, it would make Hinata sad.
Notes: The title of this chapter is taken from a famous quote, which I happened to hear on "Xaiolin Showdown": "Even a thousand mile journey begins with but a single step." Master Fong can be deep, for a guy who admittedly gets his wisdom from a day calendar.
This chapter will have many parts devoted to other people's perceptions of Hinata, in order to better show how she's changing.
A Single Step
Part 3 of White Dog Night
A Naruto Fanfic by
Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Uzumaki Naruto yawned loudly as he jogged into the clearing, making no attempt at all to be polite and cover his mouth. As far as he was concerned, anyone who asked him to get up this early had to take the good (his even agreeing to show up) with the bad (any morning breath he happened to bring along with him). He'd wanted to do this later, but for the first time that he could remember, Hinata had disagreed with him, and insisted on an earlier start time.
That was just one of many little changes that Naruto had noticed in the Hyuuga girl as of late. Just the fact that he was noticing her at all was a big change, really; usually she was so quiet that he hardly ever knew when she was around. And while Hinata hadn't gotten any louder, she had begun talking a bit more, especially when it concerned something she needed. According to her, she needed Naruto to train her.
He wasn't sure why she'd chosen him, but the idea of someone hanging onto his every word had of course been appealing. Had it been anyone else, Naruto probably would have refused. But while every other genin (aside from Sakura, anyway) was a potential rival, Hinata was different. She had never expressed any interest in competing with him, and in fact, Naruto was starting to think of her as one of the few trusted friends he had in Konoha.
On the other hand, if she wanted to meet with him this early in the morning, he just might have to find some friends who could appreciate the value of sleeping in.
Naruto was glad to see that Hinata had already arrived as he came closer. She was seated on a nearby log, her tan jacket unzipped just enough so that he could see Akamaru's head and front paws poking out of it. Seeing the dog again reminded Naruto that Hinata still hadn't said anything about her late teammate, Inuzuka Kiba. He thought maybe she was still a bit sensitive about the whole thing, and he'd kept his questions to himself. That only made Naruto more curious though, and he'd tried talking to Hinata's other teammate last week, but talking to Aburame Shino was truly an exercise in futility if he didn't feel like talking back, which was pretty often.
Hinata looked up as she heard his footsteps, and a warm smile instantly spread across her face, complete with a rather cute blush. "Hi, Naruto-kun," she said quietly, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking down to feed Akamaru the last of what appeared to be a cinnamon bun.
"Remind me again why we had to do this now?" Naruto asked, stretching his arms.
"There is something... I need to take care of later on today," Hinata replied mysteriously.
Naruto gave her an odd look, and sensing his steady gaze, she blushed again and ducked her head. "Well, okay. So what is it you want me to teach you, exactly?"
"I want to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Oh, that? Sure, no problem." He'd actually been afraid that she might want to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu instead, and he didn't want Hinata to get hurt trying to master it as quickly as he had. "Any reason why you want to learn that?"
Hinata seemed to grow nervous at his questioning. "It just seems like a very useful skill to have," she answered evasively.
"Yeah, it is," Naruto admitted. "No offense, but I never thought I'd meet a girl who wanted to learn it."
Normally, Hinata might've blushed at such a comment. Today, though, she just made do with a small nod, a solemn look on her face. "I-I just want to be ready. In case... something happens."
"Hmm. Good idea." Naruto nodded a few times, doing his best to look wise. "A real ninja is prepared for any situation. Hey, maybe I'd better teach you more than just that one jutsu, just in case. We want you to be as safe as possible, right?"
"Right," Hinata agreed, her cheeks flushing.
Most of his peers, and quite a few adults, considered Hyuuga Neji to be a natural when it came to deep meditation.
Of course, some things were just harder to block out than others.
"Oh, get over it, Lee! I don't care how cute you say Sakura is, if she can't hold her own in a real fight, you need to find someone stronger!"
"You mustn't talk that way about my beautiful Sakura-chan, Tenten! She is the Loveliest Flower of Konoha!"
Neji's left eye twitched irritably as his two teammates continued to argue about whether Sakura was worth all the time and effort Lee had devoted to winning her heart. Honestly, he didn't know why they bothered. Sakura tolerated, and perhaps even enjoyed Lee's attention to a certain point, but she, like nearly every girl in the village (Tenten being an outspoken exception) was hopelessly in love with Uchiha Sasuke.
And the mere fact that Neji even knew that told him that he needed to put a stop to this gossip before they wasted any more valuable time they should've been using to train. With a frustrated sigh, he pushed off from the tree he was leaning against, determined to change the subject.
He sensed the familiar chakra moments before Hinata stepped into the clearing, her face surprisingly calm, all things considered. Tucked inside her jacket was Akamaru, who Neji hadn't seen her without since their last encounter. The very sight of the headband around the dog's neck stirred up feelings of embarrassment and anger in him. True, Hinata had taken the headband back on her own, even if her methods had been a little unconventional. Yet just the thought that she had been able to wound him bothered Neji. Even now, three noticeable scars remained on his cheek (why he hadn't gotten them healed, he still didn't know) from where her nails (claws at the time, actually) had scratched him.
Tenten and Lee continued their argument, oblivious to Hinata's arrival. Neji would've preferred to keep it that way, but Hinata screwed up her courage and walked towards them. The idea that she'd become that confident, based on the one victory she could hold over his head, only made him angrier. If she thought that single moment would change things between them, she would find out that she was very much mistaken.
"Neji-niisan," Hinata said quietly, stopping a respectful distance away from him. "May I speak with you?"
"I'm busy," Neji replied at once.
She blinked slowly, her gaze shifting briefly to Tenten and Lee before moving back to his face. "I'm afraid it is an urgent matter."
"That makes no difference to me, Hinata-sama."
Hinata's cheeks flushed with embarrassed frustration, and they only darkened in color when Tenten and Lee stopped arguing and turned to look at her curiously. She took a deep breath and trained her eyes on him again. "Neji-niisan... please. This is-"
Without a word, Neji simply turned his back on her. He noted the surprised looks on the faces of his teammates, but said nothing. Not liking Hinata was one thing, but being this rude to her face, in front of them, was quite another.
Suddenly, blinding pain erupted inside Neji's skull, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, writhing like a dying animal. He had never in his life felt anything so excruciating as this. Through the red haze, he could just barely hear Tenten screaming his name.
The pain cut off just as abruptly as it had come, and Neji found himself staring up at the stricken face of his cousin. He had never seen Hinata look so guilty before, and then he knew why.
She had activated his Cursed Seal.
Shock, fear, and outrage warred for control in his heart, and while they were still battling it out, he noticed that Tenten had most definitely decided on outrage for herself.
"You little BITCH! I'll KILL you!" Tenten screamed, doing her best to get her hands on Hinata. Lee was having quite a difficult time holding her back, but so far, he had kept her from moving more than a few inches.
The sheer emotion in Tenten's voice made Neji turn his head and stare at her. He'd never seen her so angry before. Finally, he looked back at Hinata, who seemed close to tears herself as Tenten continued to shriek at her.
"Lee," Neji said after a long moment. "Get Tenten out of here. Even if you have to open a Chakra Gate to do it."
It was all he needed to say. Lee nodded, and with great effort, managed to drag Tenten off, though he could do nothing to keep her quiet as he did so. Only when Tenten's yells faded completely did Neji slowly rise to his feet.
"I didn't want to do that," Hinata whispered. "You must know that I never wanted to do that to you."
"It doesn't change the fact that you did," Neji replied, a trace of disbelief in his tone.
"Why are you still like this? I showed you I could be strong. Why do you force me to treat you like-"
"Like what?" Neji asked sharply.
"Like I'm supposed to treat you, in the eyes of the main house," Hinata answered sadly.
"Why wouldn't you want to treat me that way? Don't you enjoy having power over me?"
"Is that what you really think of me, Neji-niisan?" Tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke. "Do you believe I wanted to hurt you like that, in front of your friends? I know how you feel about the Cursed Seal, and if I thought there was any other way to make you listen to me-"
"Are you suggesting that this is somehow my fault?" Neji interrupted hotly.
To his surprise, Hinata took a step back, even as she began to form a hand sign, then stopped herself. "I hate that you make me react that way to you," she murmured. "All I've ever wanted to do was take away your pain, but you insist on dwelling on it, as if it was my decision to hurt you in the first place."
"What is it that you wanted to discuss, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked, putting as much venom into the title as he could.
She seemed very appreciative of the change in subject, though not the rough way he was still speaking to her. "I want you to show me every jutsu you know."
Neji almost laughed, but reminded himself that he was still furious. "I don't have time to teach you-"
"You misheard me," Hinata interrupted. "I only want you to show me every jutsu you know. Whether I learn them or not is my responsibility."
Though he would never say so out loud, he was impressed with the request. But not so much that he was willing to grant it for free. "Give me one good reason why I should," Neji responded.
Hinata nodded, as if she'd been expecting that. "In return, I will grant you one favor, no matter what it might be. You should think carefully about what-"
"You will never activate my Cursed Seal in front of anyone," Neji snapped.
She seemed very surprised. "But-"
"You said anything, Hinata-sama," he reminded her.
"I know that, but-"
"Will you not keep your word?"
"Of course, but, Neji-niisan... why only ask for that? Why not ask that I never activate it again, at all?"
Neji blinked, and took his time in answering. "I never want to see that look on Tenten's face again. Not because of me, anyway."
That look... Tenten had been afraid for him. She had known, because he had confided in his two teammates, that the Cursed Seal was the one thing he could not counter or defeat. It was the one thing he was completely helpless against.
Tenten had wanted to help him... to protect him. Not because he was her teammate, but because she thought he NEEDED her help.
It was too great an insult. Neji didn't NEED anyone's help. He never would. He had been raised strong, and taught to have only one weakness: the damnable Cursed Seal.
"That is the only weakness my son will ever have," he remembered his father saying to him. "When they put that mark on you, Neji, and make no mistake, they will... let it be a reminder that nothing else can truly harm you. Let it remind you that they need it to be there, because they are afraid of you and your power, just as they were of me. Without that mark, you would be free to do as you wished."
Neji would never forget those words. He lived by them daily, and he always would. He was strong. He only had one weakness.
And Hinata had let Tenten and Lee see it, damn her.
But never again.
"May we start now?" Hinata asked suddenly.
Neji sighed and closed his eyes. "Why not?"
"That all you need, Hana?" Nara Shikaku asked as he pried open a crate. "If you want any more, you'll have to come by in a day or so."
Inuzuka Hana knelt down and peered into the crate, a smile spreading across her face. "No, this should be more than enough for now, Nara-san. Sorry I couldn't come by earlier, but-"
"I know. You've had to look after your mother, haven't you?"
Hana paused and glanced up at him. "Yeah. She's taking it pretty hard. Probably it'll be another couple of weeks before she snaps out of it. She was roughest on him, but Kiba was her baby boy. And we've always worried about Akamaru, him being so little when he came along."
"I figured as much," Shikaku muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "How's Akamaru taking it?"
"Not really sure myself," Hana replied. "One of Kiba's teammates kept him. I forget her name, but she's one of the Hyuuga, I think. Funny, I thought she'd come by eventually, but she hasn't."
"Hyuuga?" Shikaku asked in surprise. "Really? I never figured them as being dog people."
"They aren't, from how Kiba talked about them. But he always used to say that she wasn't like them, somehow. And our family doesn't make mistakes about who we trust." She tapped her nose lightly. "We always sniff out the rats."
"Don't you mean cats?"
"Oh, very funny," Hana said with a smirk. "I'll have you know that I..." She trailed off suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she sniffed the air slightly. In the next instant, she was on her feet. "Akamaru!"
Shikaku nearly tripped as a white blur shot between his feet and launched itself at Hana's face. If the young woman hadn't shouted the dog's name, he would've thought she was being attacked. He turned in the direction that Akamaru had come from, and was startled to see a girl with wide, light lavender eyes staring back at him. "You must be the one that's been looking after him," he murmured. "I'd know those eyes anywhere..."
To his surprise, the girl lowered her head slightly to avoid looking directly at him. He'd met plenty of reserved Hyuugas before, but never had he come across a shy one.
"I am Hyuuga Hinata," she said softly.
Hana studied the girl with a certain gleam in her eyes. "Do you think you could give us some privacy, Nara-san?" She made it sound more like a very strong suggestion than a request, and the message was all too clear.
"Oh, sure." Shikaku glanced between them nervously. "I'll just... be going then." He quickly walked off, muttering, "Good luck," as he passed Hinata. She inclined her head slightly in return, but said nothing else.
From the little she'd seen so far, Hana wasn't really impressed. Certainly the girl knew a few things about taking care of Akamaru: she'd given him Kiba's headband (the familiar scent brought a little moisture to her eyes), and he looked healthy enough, though he was just shy of being plump. She'd probably been feeding him too much and not working him out enough. The dog also felt heavier on her shoulder than she remembered. If things kept on this way, pretty soon no one would be able to pick him up without straining.
"I've got a bone to pick with you, little girl," Hana growled as she stomped over to Hinata. She dug up her fiercest snarl and glared, unnatural as it felt. So long as it had the desired effect, she wasn't too worried about how weird her face might have looked to anyone that knew her.
Hinata looked startled... at first. Then her face softened, and she smiled a tiny smile. "You're so much like him. You act mean, but you're really not."
"Well, crap. There goes twenty minutes of the speech I had prepared for you." Hana sighed in disappointment, then frowned. "Hey, wait. You think Kiba wasn't mean? Really?"
"He... he wasn't to me," Hinata said slowly, looking confused. "He could... be a little loud at times-"
"Oh, they're all like that," Hana interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "But normally, Kiba didn't waste any time messing around with girls. If you don't think my little bro was mean, he must've really liked you."
The girl's cheeks grew bright red. "Oh... that's nice."
"Uh huh. So what have you been feeding Akamaru? I'm guessing you don't have any dog food?"
"Um... no. Mostly just any kind of meat he seems to like. He's really smart, so I figured if something wasn't good for him, he'd let me know..."
Hana rolled her eyes. "Right. Let me clue you in on a few things." She yanked Akamaru off of her shoulder and held him up for Hinata's inspection. "Keep your eyes on his face, now." She poked Akamaru's belly in three different places, and the white dog began to wiggle wildly, his mouth curling into a very obvious grin.
"I haven't seen him do that in a long time," Hinata murmured in fascination.
"Oh, yes you have," Hana disagreed. "He does it every time you've given him something he knows he shouldn't have. You just haven't known what to look for. This is Akamaru's shit-eating grin."
"His... what?" Hinata asked, covering her mouth in shock.
"You heard me. You give him sweets and fatty stuff, you'll see it again. Now, what else have you been feeding him? I know it's not just meat."
Hinata lowered her head and murmured a reply.
"Excuse me? You didn't just say cinnamon buns, did you?"
"I'm sorry," Hinata whispered. "They're my favorite, and... he looked like he wanted them..."
"Of course he wanted them, they're cinnamon buns! But you shouldn't just fork them over!" Hana shook her head. "Honestly, I'm amazed he isn't any fatter! And that's another thing: you haven't been walking him enough! You've been carrying him around like a baby, I can tell!"
"It's just... his weight," Hinata said softly.
"Yeah, he's clearly overweight."
"No, I mean... his weight, in my arms. It's... comforting." Hinata closed her eyes. "When I hold him close to my heart... it's like I can hear Kiba-kun talking to me, and he always sounds so pleased, because we're together, just like I promised."
It sounded like crazy talk to Hana, but she could tell that Hinata clearly had deep feelings for Kiba, and that was enough. She reached out and tousled the girl's dark hair roughly. "You're alright, but you've got too much heart. You can't let Akamaru be the master, okay? Just because he loves you doesn't mean he won't try to put one over on you every now and then."
Hinata's eyes lit up. "Akamaru... loves me?"
"He must, if he'd rather be with you than us. I don't know how you did it, but you must have done something really impressive to win his trust. You don't get that just from cinnamon buns." Hana chuckled. "Although, giving him sweets probably didn't hurt his opinion of you, either."
"I promise to take better care of him," Hinata said solemnly.
Hana still looked skeptical. "Maybe you'd better bring him by once a month, just so I can make sure he's getting everything he needs."
The look on Hinata's face in that moment was something Hana would remember for a long time afterwards.
"I... I don't think I'll be able to do that," Hinata responded, balling her hands into fists at her sides. "You see, there is... a mission I'll have to leave on very soon. I can't say when I'll be back."
It was a lie. At least, part of it was. Hana knew that right away. Genin didn't usually get sent away on missions that took that long, unless they were exceptionally skilled. And if that had been the case, chances were Kiba's team wouldn't have had to back out of the chuunin exam once they lost him. Although now that she'd met Hinata, Hana was pretty sure that no matter how good the girl was, losing Kiba would've made her useless in that kind of environment.
But Hana wasn't going to question the girl on the matter. Not when there was a better source of information, as far as she was concerned. She lifted Akamaru up to her face and stared into the white dog's eyes. "So how about it, Akamaru? You want to go on this mission with her?"
Akamaru barked once, then struggled out of Hana's arms and leaped into Hinata's, where he licked her face eagerly, drawing a soft smile from the girl.
Hana still had her doubts, but if Akamaru was sure, she wouldn't interfere. "If I find out you let him get fat and lazy..."
"He won't," Hinata swore.
"Well, take care of each other. I want to hear all about this mission when you get back."
She didn't miss the way Hinata froze momentarily, but when the girl finally nodded, Hana turned her attention back to the crate, muttering thoughtfully to herself. It wasn't until Hana was alone that she realized Hinata hadn't mentioned anyone else going on the mission with her.
Things had been awkward and tense, but Neji could think of no way to correct the situation without making things even worse in the process. He could no longer look Tenten in the eyes as easily as he once had. Each time he tried, he was reminded of that single moment of weakness, and feared that she would be reminded of it, too.
Tenten avoided eye contact with him as well, though when she did so, her cheeks were often bright red, which was in itself completely unusual for her. When she had to speak to him, her voice was soft and hesitant, so much so that she reminded him more of Hinata then she did herself.
Even Lee, sensing the discomfort, had tried to distract them with numerous antics, but nothing worked for long.
Something had to be done. The lion's share of Neji's usual training regimen depended entirely on Tenten, and if he were unable to work with her, his abilities would eventually suffer. He wished that it were as simple as telling her to forget that day, but it was not. That day had been too startlingly real for either of them to forget, or merely pass off as a nightmare.
While at the forefront of his mind, Neji blamed Hinata for this whole mess, he'd needlessly provoked her in the first place. Of course, Hinata was the last person he'd ever expected to activate his Cursed Seal, but that was no real excuse, either. If he had just acknowledged her in front of his teammates, nothing would've changed.
Perhaps that was why when he next saw Hinata leaving the bookstore, Neji increased his stride until he caught up with her.
Hinata was so startled by his sudden appearance that she nearly dropped the bag she was carrying. "Neji-niisan!" she gasped.
He plucked the bag out of her trembling arms, tucking it under his right arm before grasping her elbow with his free hand. "We need to talk," he said simply as he guided her down the street.
"About what?" Hinata asked, blinking in confusion.
"What you're going to do about Tenten," Neji answered shortly.
Hinata instantly stopped moving. "I... I can't."
His eyes narrowed. "And why not?"
"Neji-niisan... what I did to you isn't the problem. At least, it's not all of the problem." She paused, taking a deep breath before going on. "Tenten reacted that way because... she cares deeply for you."
Neji snorted. "You obviously don't know Tenten as well as you think, Hinata-sama."
"I would say the same for you," Hinata countered. "I have found that using the Byakugan too often makes it harder to see things that should be perfectly obvious, even without it. If you never believe anything else I say, believe that. You're right, I don't know Tenten. But I do know how she feels, because I lost someone I care deeply for. She is upset because she has never known the fear of nearly losing you, until now."
He stared at her for a long moment, considering her words. Even if Hinata was wrong, she was clearly convinced that she was right, and she was almost never that confident about anything. Obviously, Tenten had some feelings that he hadn't been aware of previously, and they certainly might be concerned with him, but to what degree, and in what way? It didn't look like he was going to find out without asking her, but how would he do that if they couldn't even look at each other?
Suddenly, he felt Hinata's hand lightly grip his arm. "If you really want to know how she feels, you have to talk to her. Thank her for being concerned about you... as a teammate."
There was a certain gleam in Hinata's eye as she said that, almost as if there was something she wasn't saying, something that he should know. But she said nothing else on the matter, and Neji sensed he'd gotten all the information he was going to get out of her. Wordlessly, he handed her bag back and turned to leave.
That was when he realized she hadn't let go of his arm yet. "Is there something you wanted, Hinata-sama?" he asked.
Hinata simply stared up at him, as if she hadn't heard him speak. Then, without warning, she stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck and press her lips swiftly against his cheek. By the time Neji realized what she'd done, and what it meant, Hinata had already disappeared.
Hanabi was not asleep when her bedroom door slid open, yet she purposely slowed down her breathing and closed her eyes as her sister crept in. It was her experience that people often gave in to their true natures when they thought no one could see them, and there were many times when Hanabi couldn't even begin to guess what went through Hinata's mind.
She was not at all worried when the bed sank in slightly next to her, or when she felt the hand that tenderly tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. One of Hinata's more obvious failings was that she simply cared too much.
"I'm glad you're asleep, Hanabi," Hinata said softly. "That will make it much easier to say this."
Hanabi waited patiently as her sister paused to collect her thoughts.
"I'm sorry for any shame that I've caused you and our clan. And I'm sorry for not being the kind of sister you could look up to. But you won't have to worry about any of that anymore. I'm going to become strong, like you always said I should. I'll do everything I can to become someone you'd be proud to call your sister. Even if..."
Hinata's voice trailed off for a moment, and when she spoke again, Hanabi could tell she was struggling not to burst into tears.
"Even if it means... you can never call me your sister again."
There was a slight rustling sound, and then something warm and soft was draped over Hanabi's body.
"I'm so sorry, Hanabi-chan," Hinata whispered directly into her ear. "I love you... I'll always love you."
Hanabi was still trying to make sense of it all when Hinata gently kissed her forehead and moved off of the bed. Only when her older sister was gone did Hanabi sit up to find out what was covering her. It was Hinata's tan jacket with the familiar flame symbol on the sleeves. Hanabi would stare at the jacket for nearly an hour before she could bring herself to touch it. Even then, all she could think to do was clench it until her knuckles were sore, a grim expression on her face.
"Mmm... Sakura-chan, what are you doing bathing in a giant bowl of ramen?" a half-asleep Naruto asked, a giddy smile plastered across his face. "Oh, you've got a noodle stuck in your-"
An insistent knocking at his door interrupted Naruto's odd yet pleasant dream. With a frustrated grunt, he dragged himself out of bed. "Hold on! Some people actually sleep this time of night!" he shouted angrily as he yanked the door open.
He was completely surprised to find Hinata standing on his doorstep. "Hinata, what are you doing out so late?"
"I want to tell you something, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly. "But I need you to promise you won't tell anyone else."
"Yeah, okay," Naruto yawned, starting to pull her inside. "Sit down and we'll-"
"No, Naruto-kun," Hinata interrupted, shaking her head. "I can't. I don't have time. I... I just came to say goodbye..."
"You... what?" Naruto asked sharply, starting to sense that something was very wrong. "What are you talking about, Hinata?"
She lowered her head. "I have to go. If I don't... something terrible will happen to me. Promise me you won't say anything for a few days, at least."
"But where are you going? And why can't I say anything?" Naruto demanded.
"There are... evils I hope you never have to encounter, Naruto-kun," she whispered. "I can't tell you why or where I'm going. But if you really want to know, you'll have to ask my cousin, Neji, and my sister, Hanabi."
"No!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed her arms. "You tell me!"
Instead of answering him, Hinata leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly against his. Naruto was too startled to do more than stand there and blink. When she finally pulled back, he merely gaped at her.
"I will never forget you, Naruto-kun," Hinata breathed, her hands trembling as she clutched his shoulders. "I hope that when you think of me, you will do so fondly."
"But... Hinata..." Naruto murmured, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to-" His breath caught in his throat as she brushed her lips lightly against his one last time. He instinctively tightened his hold on her, just as she vanished in a cloud of smoke. "A Shadow Clone?" he gasped in surprise.
A cool breeze from the quiet night was his only reply. Naruto stood in the doorway for a few more seconds, almost as if he were waiting for something to happen, though he had no idea what.
Then, just as he was about to go back inside, he saw it. Something small and white darted across the street and into the shadows, and though it had been too fast for him to get a good look at, he could've sworn it was a dog.
Part of Naruto was glad that Hinata was no longer there. He would've had to explain to her that he was in love with someone else, and he didn't want him breaking her heart to be their last shared memory. He told himself that several times as he closed the door and leaned against the wall. It was then that he finally noticed a loud pounding in his ears, and it would be some time before he recognized it as the rapid beating of his own heart.
Taking a deep breath, Hinata deactivated the Byakugan and absently brushed the tear streaks from her cheeks. She knew it wasn't fair to herself or to Naruto to have a Shadow Clone kiss him, but she couldn't take the risk that he might try to stop her from leaving... even worse, that she might allow him to do so.
Hinata sighed and adjusted the straps of the heavy travel pack on her shoulders. Normally, she would never have packed so much, not even for her longest trips, but then, they didn't get much longer than this. She had no idea when she'd be able to stop, or if there would be a chance to stock up on supplies, but she couldn't risk going back now.
Soon enough, Akamaru ran up the hillside to join her. She picked him up and held him to her heart, trying to reassure herself that she was making the right choice.
"Go on, Hinata," urged the voice from her dreams. "I know you're scared, but I also know that you'll be fine. I'll be with you, whenever you need me."
Nodding to herself, she put Akamaru down and started to move.
"Don't go," said a voice behind her.
Hinata spun around, nearly losing her balance as the weight of pack shifted. But two strong, steady hands grabbed the straps and held her upright.
"Shino-kun!" Hinata gasped in shock as she stared up at her teammate.
"Don't go," Shino repeated as he leaned closer to her face. "Don't go... unless you promise not to let anyone catch you."
Her eyes widened. "What?" she squeaked.
"Don't you know what you are, Hinata? What you'll become if you take one step over that line in front of you?"
She swallowed hard and nodded stiffly. "I do."
Shino sighed and released the straps on her pack. "I'll cover for you as best I can. But you better move quickly. And... good luck."
"Shino-kun," Hinata whispered, her eyes growing damp again. "Thank you..." She stepped forward to hug him, but he gently pushed her back.
"Probably better that I don't have your scent on me when they do start looking," Shino pointed out, a trace of sorrow in his tone. "Go."
Hinata turned around and took a few steps away from them. Then, with a few murmured words, she fell to her hands and knees and suddenly sprang into the night like a wild creature, with Akamaru loping along after her.
Shino quickly headed back towards the village, a sinking feeling in his heart. "You better know where you're taking her, Kiba," he muttered. "I can't watch over her anymore..."
Yuhi Kurenai was having something of a bad morning.
She'd gotten in late last night, so normally she would've gone straight to bed. Unfortunately, there had been some pressing business, in the form of a rater innocent-looking letter from Hinata slipped under her door. Having heard precious little from the girl since Kiba's death, Kurenai was more than a little concerned as she tore open the envelope to read the message inside.
The letter was long, heartfelt, and above all, troubling. Hinata basically thanked Kurenai for all her help (especially with genjitsu), and asked her not to worry too much. She talked about how she had begun to feel more and more that she didn't belong, not only within her own family, but within Konoha as well. In the end, she asked that Kurenai make sure that Shino became the best ninja they both knew he could be.
"Always thinking of someone else," Kurenai sighed, shaking her head.
"I take it you got a letter, too?"
Kurenai didn't even blink as she looked up to find Hatake Kakashi staring back at her. She would worry about how he'd gotten into her apartment later. "Was yours any better than mine?" she asked hopefully.
He shrugged, leaning against the wall. "Shorter, anyway. She asked me to make sure that Naruto became the Hokage, although she specified that he didn't have to be the next one. So, how do you want to handle this?"
"Knowing what I do about her clan," Kurenai said slowly, "I can't in good conscience rush out and alert the proper authorities."
"We give her a three-day head start, then?" Kakashi suggested.
Kurenai smiled. "I was thinking more like a week."
End of Part 3.
Endnotes:
Not actually having seen very much of Hana or Shikaku, I portrayed them as best I could from the very thin descriptions I could find. I'll probably have to come back and edit their part. The only reason I have them knowing each other at all is because I suspect most of the soldier pills in Konoha come from the same source.
I have no idea if Neji's seal was ever activated in the series, although supposedly the magnitude of the pain felt during the activation depends on the intent of the user. But since we're talking about the destruction of at least one brain cell every time it's used, I assume it hurts like hell even at the lowest possible setting.
The symbol on Hinata's jacket (looks like a fireball or a candle flame to me) may mean something along the lines of "sunny place" or "in the sun," both of which are meanings for both of her names. But since she's the only Hyuuga that wears it, I assume it has more to do with her personal name than anything else.
The last scenes with Neji and Hanabi are meant to be a bit ambiguous. If they're not, let me know.
Question: If Hinata's Shadow Clone kisses someone, does Hinata know what it felt like, or does the memory, like the clone, cease to exist after a short period? I played around with that for a long time, and I still can't figure it out. I set it up this way so Hinata would see herself kissing Naruto, if nothing else.