Hime-sama

by: Bakunawa

IV. Ranting

"Hinata!" gasped the blonde little girl in a peach-colored yukata. She immediately scrambled away from her work at the sight of her best friend, leaving papers and pencils flying and a very shocked new tutor.

"Hello Narut-oof!" The tinier girl had to brace herself as the blonde came bouncing her way and glomped her fiercely.

"I missed you soooo much, Hinata!" said Naruto, affectionately rubbing her cheek on the other girl's cheek too, "Why hadn't you come like you usually do on Saturdays? I haven't seen you in like forever too. Do you know that people are making me crazy here and you're the only fun person I know, right?"

The small Hyuuga heir's cheeks pinked at the compliment. Nobody had ever expressed enjoying her company as much Naruto was doing.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to visit. Father started my training a-and it has been taking up most of my weekends. I-I'm sorry, Naruto-hime."

"Training? What training?" Naruto released the other girl from her death-like hug and finally got a good look at her. Hinata looked even smaller and paler. There was a tiredness that was hanging all around her that Naruto wanted to get rid of.

"F-father is teaching me the basics for Gentle Fist style."

"Isn't that your family's ninja fighting style?" Naruto took a step back and Hinata instantaneously missed the warmth.

"Yes," answered Hinata meekly.

"So your going to be busy right?" Naruto's hands were balled into fists on her side as she stared at her bare feet.

Hinata looked at her own hands that were worrying themselves on the sleeve of her own blue yukata. "I might not be able to visit as often as I would like-"

"Or never at all!"

Hinata visibly flinched at the outburst. She felt like crying as she watched her friend tremble with suppress emotions. She knew Naruto would not take this well.

"N-Naruto-hime..." the brunette started but found herself without words.

"Hinata... don't call me that."

The brunette gasped, a hand on her quivering lips. She knew she was going to make a mess of things with the news but at the back of her mind and in the deepest part of her heart, Hinata had been hopeful that Naruto would at least understand. She must have said something wrong or she might not have chosen the right words? And Naruto is suffering for it. Hinata was going to lose her best friend.

What to do? What to do? She asked herself repeatedly in her mind. She had to fix things now with her golden-haired best friend or else Naruto would never talk to her again. She did not know what to do or say however. Her mind was blank and all she wanted to do was cry.

And cry Hinata did.

Naruto was beside her self. Hinata was crying in front of her and she did not know what to do. She must have said something wrong when all she ever wanted was Hinata not to call her princess.

"Hinata, don't cry please..." said Naruto, tentatively taking a step forward.

Hinata continued to sob while trying to say something that Naruto could barely understand from all the hiccuping and the snot.

"I'm not mad, Hinata-chan. Not really. I was kinda mad because I thought you didn't want to see me anymore but then you came and it was actually your dad who held you up because you got training now-which I think is totally awesome by the way-but I still feel sad about it because you'll be so busy now and you're not going to have time for me like my dad who seem to living in his office now instead of his own house..." Naruto paused to breathe, "but at least you get to hang out with your dad now and that's totally cool-"

"N-Naruto..." Hinata had stopped crying without her notice and was looking at Naruto with soft yet puffy pearly eyes, "Your ranting."

"What's 'ranting' mean?"

Hinata broke into a smile and started giggling behind her hand. Naruto pouted in confusion. Seriously, she did not know what the word 'ranting' mean. She heard of it before though but never gotten to ask what it was.

"Hey, don't laugh at me..."

Hinata immediately stopped and scrambled for an apology. "I-I'm sorry, Hime-sama."

"Nah, it's okay..." Naruto took another step forward and embraced her best friend. "Just stop calling me 'Hime'. You always slip up whenever your nervous. Didn't I tell you that before it's just 'Naruto'?"

Hinata nodded her head as she returned the hug. "I'll do my best, N-Naruto."

"That's better." Naruto pecked her best friend still tear-stained cheek a kiss before she let go of the hug. "Seriously though, what does 'ranting' really mean?" the blonde ask again as she led the pink-flushed Hinata by the hand towards the house for some afternoon snacks.

Next weekend came and Hinata cried again when a certain pigtailed blonde girl arrived at her gate.