Author's Note: Well sorry to all of you who've been waiting for the next installment… I've had it written out for over a week. I'm just really lazy. In fact, this'll probably take more than one day to type. I've started Chapter 4 actually too. Well… once again, in study hall… enjoy!
Hinata awoke and quickly dressed herself. Today she would train with Naruto. She had practically begged Kiba and Shino to go along with it. Neither of them were too fond of Naruto, and Shino was still pouting that Naruto hadn't recognized him.
She rushed out the door after a short breakfast, jamming kunai knives into her pouch. She was prepared to show Naruto how strong she had become.
When she arrived at the training grounds, Naruto and Sakura were already there waiting. Naruto was hanging upside in a tree and Sakura was rolling her eyes at him as he laughed. That laugh… that smile… Hinata's mind fought against her and she continued towards them, forcing herself to stay conscious.
"Ah, Hinata-chan!" Naruto called to her, flipping down from his perch. "Where are Kiba and Shino?"
"They should be here soon," she replied, steadying her voice with pure will. As she said it, Shino walked from behind a tree, nodding approvingly to her. He was proud of her for not stuttering, and she became proud of herself for it.
"Kiba and Akamaru are on their way," Shino stated blankly.
"Good," Naruto replied to both of them as he began stretching.
Hinata blushed as his eyes met hers with a look of joy. He smiled widely and turned away as he suddenly heard a bark.
"Sorry we're late," Kiba stated, flipping from the top of a tree. Akamaru sprung from behind him and landed in front, shaking the earth.
"No worries," Naruto said, glad everyone was there. Hinata loved how easy going he was. No matter what, he could take things easily as they came at him. "So… how do we get started?"
"W-well… I was thinking…" Hinata began fearfully. She was afraid of her suggestion. "We could have…" her throat closed up and she stopped talking entirely. She fought to speak and failed.
"We'll have a series of one-on-one matches," Shino interrupted. Hinata knew he was trying to help, but she still scorned him for it secretly. "The goal is to remove one of these flags…" he held up four flags, one yellow, one green, one red, and one blue. "… fro your opponent's person; wherever they choose to put it."
Hinata nodded. Sakura and Kiba also seemed to understand. Naruto, however, cocked his head.
"Anywhere?" he asked curiously.
"As long as you don't swallow it; yes," Shino answered.
"Great!" Naruto stated, "So, who's up first?"
"Well I am not participating. I have a mission tomorrow and I need to conserve my charka for the time being. I was thinking Sakura vs. Naruto and Kiba vs. Hinata."
"Okay Sakura, prepare to be beaten," Naruto said, turning to the pink-haired konoichi. Shino handed Naruto the red flag, and Sakura the green one. As soon as Naruto received it he stuffed it down his pants.
"I give up!" Sakura shouted, throwing her flag on the ground. "I am not reaching down his pants!"
"Well that's no fun," Naruto said, drooping his head disappointedly.
"S-so… Me vs. Kiba?" Hinata asked Shino. Shino nodded and handed Hinata the blue one, and Kiba the yellow one. "O-okay Kiba!"
Kiba stuck his in his front pocket and Hinata had an idea. She took Naruto's lead and stuck her flag into her cleavage.
"Y'know what?" Kiba said nervously, "How about I go against Sakura?" He walked away slowly.
"That is another forfeit?" Shino asked. Then answering his own question he continued, "Naruto vs. Hinata then."
Hinata was finally going against Naruto. She would show him she was strong. But would she really be able to take the flag from his pants?
"H-Hinata?" Naruto asked, "You… You won't smack me if I take your flag from… there, will you?"
Naruto was as nervous as her about the flag situations. Hinata shook her head honestly and stood at the ready. She put her hands in front of her, flattened out and ready to perform the Jyuuken.
"BYAKUGAN!" She shouted as her vision became mostly dark. She could see three distinct chakras aside from her own. Suddenly one disappeared and she was hit from behind. A hand reached over her shoulder.
"Jyuuken!" She shouted as she pushed her hands up into the chest of over her head. The hand pulled away and she caught a small piece of cloth.
She deactivated the Byakugan, looking for Naruto on the ground. Of course, the knucklehead was already gone.
Three kunai knives came from her left side and she caught one, dodging the other two. The two she dodged suddenly dropped, one falling into her cleavage slowly. She wasn't scathed, but the kunai stabbed the flag and began to pull it out. As the kunai pulled out, Hinata grabbed for it, and stuffed the flag from the end back into her shirt.
Without warning, the ground under her collapsed and Naruto came from underground. He reached up her shirt and grabbed the flag, leaping back in triumph as he held the flag.
"The winner is…" Shino began, but Hinata holding up the red flag, opposed to the blue one Naruto now held, interrupted him.
"B-but how?" Naruto asked, shocked.
"W-When you flipped over me…" she answered politely. "I pushed through your chakra system. You shut it down to counter the Byakugan and my Gentle Fist, so you didn't feel it when your…" She couldn't continue so she pointed to Naruto's crotch.
There was a small hole, barely large enough for the crumpled flag to fit through on the seam of Naruto's bottoms.
"The winner is Hinata!" Shino said, thoroughly surprised, impressed and proud of her teammate.
Hinata had beaten Naruto. She did it. She finally showed him her true ninja prowess. But how would Naruto take the defeat?
"That was amazing, Hinata!" Naruto screamed as he ran to her. "You figured out my strategy so quickly… ero-sennin said it even worked on Hiashi-sama."
Hinata wasn't sure how she had figured it out. The only way to fool the Byakugan was to create false systems, or shut your own down. While concentrating solely on chakra, the user can be led to his or her own demise. It's just a simple lesson that chakra isn't the most important thing in a fight, it's ingenuity. Hinata rarely fought hand to hand, and used her Byakugan mainly for parrying long-range attacks so her mind was focused more on her surroundings than Naruto himself.
"G-gomen… I reached up your shirt…" Naruto said, ashamed that she took his flag without touching his pants.
"It's fine," Hinata said, "would… you like to get some ramen with me?" She hoped they could talk more.
"Nope," Naruto replied, smiling widely. Hinata's heart sank into her chest. He said no. Nothing could've been worse than this moment. "I want to take you to Shuya's for some dumplings!"
"R-really!?" Hinata almost shouted it. He did want to spend time with her!
"Yeah, and I'll buy…" Naruto smiled. Then he looked at his pants and sniffed the air. "… but I have to shower and change my pants first." He chuckled, and Hinata giggled.
"AH HA!" A familiar voice shouted from about ten feet away. Hinata turned in time to see Kiba fall through the splits in the earth and Sakura jump over him, pulling the flag from his jacket pocket.
"The w-winner is Sakura," Shino stuttered. Hinata had never seen Shino shaken, or even heard his tone waver. He seemed almost scared.
"Shino-kun?" Hinata asked, "Are you okay? What happened?"
"S-Sakura…" Shino began, "Sh-she flashed Kiba!"
"NANI!?" Naruto questioned. "Is Kiba okay?" He seemed more concerned with Kiba's well-being than what Sakura had done. Perhaps he really was over her.
"Physically, yes," Shino said, still bewildered but regaining his posture, "but neither of us will ever be the same." He turned to walk to Kiba. He lifted him and set him on Akamaru before leaving the clearing quickly. Akamaru then sprinted to Kiba's house.
"I won, didn't I?" Sakura asked, "What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing," Naruto answered. He turned to Hinata, "Anyway, Hinata-chan. I'll pick you up at 7 again?"
Hinata nodded, smiling, and Naruto ran off.
"Another date with Naruto?" Sakura asked. Hinata nodded nervously. "Can I give you a tip?"
"O-onegai…" Hinata would take all the help she could get.
"Well Naruto is a moron," Sakura began, bemused by her own statement. "But he does know what he wants. At one time it was me…" She dropped her head, seemingly ashamed, or perhaps just nostalgic. "… But now it's you."
"R-really?" Hinata asked, afraid Sakura was teasing her.
"Unfortunately for me, yes," Sakura stated, "You're all he talks about lately. Jiraiya-sama said he gave Naruto dating tips though, so be careful." She chuckled quietly at her own joke.
Hinata eased up a little. Sakura was being nice, and truly honest with her. She built up her courage and asked, "So, you're going to help me?"
"I love Naruto!" Sakura almost screamed it. "And now I just want to see him happy…" She almost looked disappointed in herself, "…I can't make him happy, and you can, so yes, for Naruto's sake."
Hinata had never known Sakura to have any feelings for Naruto. Not romantic feelings. Maybe in his absence she discovered them.
"Before you start worrying," Sakura reassured her, "I already asked Naruto out. He blew me off for you…" Sakura was used to Naruto hanging on her every word and action. Hinata wasn't though, and now it seemed that the tables had turned. "It appears he's grown up. Anyway, all Naruto needs is the one thing you have given him for years. I think that's why he's so focused on you now. He needs someone to believe in him. He needs someone, who, no matter what, will stick by his side. Against all odds, even when it seems hopeless, he can do it, if someone believes in him. I could never give him that, but you can. When he gets scared, you need to reassure him, and when he looks like he's about to fail, you need to show him that you love him. He needs to understand that he can do anything, and that you believe he can do anything. With you by his side, he really can." She lowered her voice to a whisper for the last sentence.
Hinata could not believe what she was hearing. Naruto needed her? Before she had a chance to question it, or even thank Sakura, she noticed tears falling to the ground, and Sakura was gone.
She would do it! She would believe in Naruto. She did believe he could do anything. She always had. She ran off to get ready for her date with her long-time crush. Her second date, or was it the third? Did training today count as a date? She didn't care as she got into the shower and began daydreaming about Naruto's lips on hers.