Hello and welcome to my 2nd chapter XD I have decided that since I usually get bored of typing my own ideas I should just go as quickly as possible with this so expect updates once at least every 3 days as I take time to edit and correct my mistakes.
As I said before, I do not own the Naruto series.
The boy was born into a life where he was undermined by the masses of people. The girl was born into a life of high expectations and disappointments. The two while being as different day and night face pain all the same. Up until this moment, fear has always stopped the girl. What happens when the occurance of one event changes the course of history forever?
Chapter 2: One Moment Of Courage Is All It Took
Naruto drowsily opened his blue eyes to the world for yet another day. He sat up and stretched his arms yawning. He got up while rubbing his eyes and headed straight into the bathroom. He washed his face before staring into his mirror. He always looked at himself every morning, trying to search for the reason he was so hated by everyone. To his dismay like every other morning, he couldn't find it.
He started to think back on his apartment and felt himself frowning once again. "So sick of how empty this place feels..."
Shaking himself out of his depressing thoughts, he stepped out and quickly got dressed and ate. After all, he had a schedule to keep if he was going to raise hell for Iruka-sensei.
Naruto locked the door to his apartment and grinned. He quickly ran towards the edge of the balcony before jumping off.
"Watch out Konoha! Your future Hokage is alive and kicking!"
Naruto entered the classroom with his grin stretching to his ears like usual. It did not matter if he failed to perform the Bushin no Jutsu. He was defintely going to suceed this time around. He just knew it. He decided against setting up a prank as he wanted to be 100% focused today. He would even tone his voice down a bit (He was really serious XD). He waved when Sakura came in who rolled her eyes and ignored him. He put his hands in his lap and sat quietly and politely as he could for Iruka and the others to enter.
He couldn't help but notice the odd looks he was getting from his classmates and rolled his eyes. "What's the deal, it's like they've never seen a quiet person before?" Naruto thought annoyed. Finally he looked at the girl with short blue hair and pale pupiless lavender eyes sitting next to him to see her staring as well.
"Any reason you and everyone else is staring at me?" Naruto asked sinding just a tad bit rude. It wasn't his intention to come across as mean after all but it was getting on his nerves.
The girl blushed before she began to poke her fingers in a nervous habit. "I-I'm s-sorry Naruto-kun, it's j-just so weird seeing you so q-quiet." the girl answered very quietly. Naruto really had to strain himself to hear her.
"Hinata is always so weird... She always gets all red in the face and quiet when she talks to me. It's like I make her sick or something... If she doesn't like me so much why doesn't she just speak up like everyone else does?" Naruto wondered as he stared at the girl next to him. "Ya know I can bearly hear you dattebayo. You should speak up next time Hinata." Naruto replied before refocusing his attention to the front of the classroom. Hinata shyly muttered her apologies before looking away and people just shrugged figuring Naruto probably already set up his prank for the morning or something.
Iruka finally walked in and searched the front of the class for anything suspicious. "Floor is dry, seat doesn't have super glue, no genjutsu of paint cans on the ceiling, the chalk board doesn't have a genjutsu hiding any perverted images... Naruto must have done something but just what is it..." Iruka pondered.
"Iruka-sensei, can we just hurry up and start? I want to show up Sasuke-teme on the Bushin no Jutsu today." Naruto complained. Iruka took a long look at Naruto before believing him and smiled.
"Good morning class!" Iruka greeted enthusiastically already in a good mood being spared from one of Naruto's pranks. The students responded less enthusiastic with a bored 'Good morning Iruka-sensei' and class started. Naruto sighed as Iruka began a lecture about the value of chakra control and how it could be crucial to performing jutsu. Naruto almost began tuning him out like usual when he felt a something land in his lap.
He saw a neatly folded piece of paper with his name on it and looked around. Nobody seemed to have put it there that was nearby so he sighed. He decided to open it later because he knew Iruka-sensei would be having them go outside to perform the Bushin no Jutsu. However he wasn't the only one who noticed the note as Hinata was staring at it.
"I wonder who gave Naruto the note." Hinata thought before facing forward again.
"Alright, let's head outside so we can see just how far you've all come with your Bushin." Iruka said before the students headed out the door.
Upon arriving outside Naruto felt the excitement swelling up in his chest. "This is it, today's the day I make a Bushin and totally rub it in Sasuke's face! Then Sakura-chan will have no choice but to see how awesome I am."
"Alright, today we'll have Haruno Sakura go first." Iruka said as he prepared his pen to check off Sakura's name off his clipboard. Sakura nodded before stepping into the center.
"Go Sakura-chan!" Naruto cheered with a thumbs up. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes and chose to smile instead. Suddenly Naruto stopped cheering and looked at her seriously. "Isn't this the part she usually tells me to shut up and stop being annoying or something?" Hinata noticed something was off as well but decided to put it at the back of her mind.
"Bushin no Jutsu!" Suddenly smoke appeared and revealed a perfect replica of the pink-haired Sasuke fangirl that made a peace sign. "Hope you were impressed Sasuke-kun." Sakura thought with a light blush. "SHANNARO! Nailed that jutsu!"Inner Sakura screamed out. Naruto just smiled and clapped with his classmates.
"Excellent as always Sakura, next up, Uchiha Sasuke!" At this point, all the girls started cheering and squealing at a high pitch excluding Hinata and shockingly Sakura. At this point Hinata definetely knew something was up. Sakura blushed and seemed to be stopping herself from doing the same as the other girls.
"Why is everyone acting so strange today? First Naruto-kun is ACTUALLY behaving and now Sakura-san isn't squealing like the rabid fangirl she is." Hinata thought curiously to herself. She had a very bad feeling.
Sasuke silently performed the Bushin no Jutsu and made two perfect copies of himself wearing that same scowl before they both disappeared. The girls went mad and started squealing even louder with cheers of 'You're the best Sasuke-kun' and 'You're so cool Sasuke-kun'.
"Great job Sasuke, as excellent as always!"
Hinata was waiting for the inevitable moment where Naruto would run out there and proclaim his superiority to the Uchiha. He looked at him and saw a very determined look on his face.
"Kuso, he made two of them? I don't even know if I can do one properly. But I can't let him show me up here!" Naruto thought as he quickly rushed out onto the training ground. "Please I've seen way better teme, let me go next Iruka-sensei!" Iruka stared at Naruto before sighing.
"Here we go with this again, he's going to try to make two when he's not even sure he can make one..." Iruka felt bad but if Naruto was so willing to put himself in the spotlight. "Very well Naruto, do your best."
Hinata smiled as she watched Naruto perform the hand signs with his air of confidence. "Do your best Naruto-kun."
"Bushin no Jutsu!" Smoke covered the area before revealing two very pale and sickly clones of Naruto that looked like they could keel over and die. Ironically enough, that's exactly what they did before the disappeared. Naruto growled angrily as the class started laughing at him.
"What a loser. He always talks big and screws up." one of the boys commented.
"Yeah, what a waste of a person."
"That's so mean...but it's true."
Naruto just bit his tongue and decided he wasn't going to yell at the top of his lungs that day. He just silently walked towards the swingset he was so fond of sitting in and sat there while the class continued. Hinata could only stare at him sadly as he shut himself off to the rest of the world wishing once again she had the courage to say something to him.
They were back in the classroom listening to Iruka's lectures when suddenly the depressed Naruto remembered the note and he opened it. He read it's contents and with each word his sadness was fading. In fact it was quickly being replaced with wide smile and growing hope. He almost screamed out in joy before he remembered where he was and more importantly who was in the class with him. So he settled for one of his rare genuine smiles before listening to Iruka with renewed vigour. Hinata saw this and smiled one of her true smiles as well as it was not often she got to see Naruto truly smile about something but she was curious.
"Just what was in that letter?"
After class Hinata decided she would stal- I mean watch Naruto to see just what was in the letter. She followed him to Ichiraku's Ramen Stand to see him have a small conversation with Teuchi and Ayame.
"What brings you here so late Naruto-kun?" Ayame asked smiling. It was obvious Naruto was about to blow up due to his excitement.
"I got a date today from this girl in my class!" Naruto exclaimed which shocked the hell out of Hinata as well as the pair who ran the ramen stand.
"Naruto-kun has a date? But with who?" Hinata wondered feeling herself growing envious of the girl who asked him. She wondered if it had to do anything with the note. Still she couldn't be too upset seeing as Naruto was extremely happy. She decided to watch it to see how it progressed.
She watched as Naruto excitedly ran all over Konoha preparing himself for his date. She could almost feel the glares of the villagers just bounce off of him as it meant nothing to him. Nothing could ruin his day at this point. Hinata felt herself growing more and more envious as he stopped by the Yamanaka's Flower Shop to get flowers or when he came out of his apartment wearing the nicest clothes he had (Which was just a orange and blue hoodie and green shorts but she found it cute nevertheless).
She continued to follow him until he arrived at the center of the village just north of the main gait and he stood by a bench patiently. Hinata listened to Naruto hum happily to himself as he waited. Despite the fact she felt envious of the girl that had asked Naruto asked, she was infected by his happiness so she couldn't help but smile at him as well.
Seconds turned into minutes as they both continued to wait, Naruto in anticipation for his date and Hinata out of curiousity to see which girl asked him out. Naruto started tapping his foot trying to keep patient as possible before he figured he would read the note to pass the time. He kept his grin up despite the fact that the girl he was waiting on was obviously late. However Naruto just figured something must of came up or she was shy. Afterall, she must have been if she didn't give him the note in person.
Minutes turned into hours as the wait became more and more depressing. Hinata began to grow worried as Naruto's grin faded bit by bit as time passed. The sun was starting to set and Hinata knew she should get home but she had to know who the girl was. Naruto frowned as he reread the note, making sure he didn't accidently show up a day early or something. Naruto's patience was wearing thin, it was lucky he had any to begin with.
Finally it had been two hours after the sun set and Naruto was downright depressed. He knew what had happened here but he stubbornly refused to believe it before now. Hinata silently cried for him as she saw him get so sad before he dropped the note and flowers and decided to walk home. It was getting late afterall. Hinata stared as Naruto walked home with his hands in his pockets. Hinata felt her heart ache as she watched Naruto duck his head down when the villagers who were still up and about laughed at him getting stood up. Hinata was about to head home when she suddenly realized something.
"Naruto-kun left the note behind." She realized in thought as she turned around. She decided to walk over to it and pick it up. She unfolded it and read it. She read it and it looked like it was from a sincere secret admirer. However she also noticed it was concealed by a genjutsu and undid it. Her hands started to shake as she read it before she started to get angry. She crumbled the paper in her hands beforestuffing it in her pocket and stormed off to the Hyuga compound. She no longer cared what her father or her family would say about her tardiness as she felt unusually furious.
Still she had a face to put the blame as the person wasn't counting on someone with knowledge of genjutsu to find it. Noone insulted her Naruto-kun like that, not if she could help it.
The next day came quickly as the heiress had a dreamless sleep before quickly getting to the academy. She had calmed down significantly since the night before and tried to forget about doing something bold and embarressing. At least that was her original train of thought.
Naruto walked in with the same clothes on as yesterday with a dead look on his face before he took a seat and place his head in his crossed arms. Hinata felt her stomach twist as she realized Naruto must have barely slept the night before and he looked outright sad. She felt her anger bubbling up again but she knew she would embarress herself if she said anything so she kept quiet.
"Wonder what's wrong with the idiot?" Ino asked with a sly smirk on her face. Hinata looked at Ino and Sakura to see them with similar smirks on their faces. Hinata clenched her fists.
"I dunno pig, let's go find out." Sakura replied as they both walked up to Naruto and Hinata. They stopped in between them and crossed their arms.
"Oi baka!" Ino called out. Naruto looked up tiredly to reply. "You look like hell, what happened?" Naruto didn't respond.
"People were saying he got stood up last night Ino-pig. I bet he didn't even have a date in the first place. What a loser." Sakura replied crudely. Hinata couldn't believe her ears.
"And now they're making fun of him?" Hinata stating shaking as she tried to contain herself.
"You know what Forehead? I bet there was no girl to begin with, and he just made it up so people would feel sorry for him." Ino reasoned with a laugh.
"You kidding Ino-pig? He isn't smart enough to come up with a plan like that. I bet he was just too stupid to remember where to show up." Sakura replied laughing as well. Hinata unconciously activated her Byakugan. The whole class minus Sasuke and Shikamaru were staring at Ino and Sakura make fun of Naruto. "I don't know what any girl would see in him, he's just a parentless loser who fails at everything." Hinata suddenly stopped shaking and stared at Sakura. Ino quickly caught the look Hinata was giving Sakura and quickly shook her friend.
"Uhh Sakura, maybe you should stop." Ino said nervously as she tried to get Sakura to stop.
"Why should I? All he ever says is 'I'm gonna be Hokage so people will forget I'm a loser' What a joke. He'll ne-" Sakura started but was suddenly interrupted.
"Urusei." Hinata spat out loud enough for everyone to hear. Sakura turned to look at her and retort when suddenly Hinata stood up and stood inches away face to face with Sakura. Ino quickly stepped out of the way and everyone stared at Hinata in shock. Even Naruto looked at the usually shy wallflower.
"First you make that horrendous letter to blow him off with and now you rub it in his face? What the hell is the matter with you? Naruto-kun never deserved that!" Hinata exclaimed as she shoved Sakura down the steps towards the front of the class with a chakra infused strike. Sakura fell on her back and started coughing.
Hinata quickly followed her and grabbed the front of her shirt before raising her other hand back. "Naruto-kun was really happy when he got that letter! How could you do something like that to him? And then you're heartless enough to taunt him with it, even making fun of him for not having parents! You're... you're... YOU'RE A HEARTLESS BITCH!" Everyone in the class gasped as she smacked Sakura with her palm causing her to spit out blood. She reached back for another strike. "I would have given anything to have be the person he was waiting for yesterday!" She struck Sakura again. "Naruto-kun deserves someone who cares about him, who believes in him!" Hinata hit Sakura once more. She reached back for a final strike knowing this one would knock her unconcious. "Say something!"
Sakura coughed before turning her bruised face to Hinata. Sometimes being booksmart did not mean having common sense as Sakura proved it with her next comment. "H-how am I heartless when he's the loser who just needs to leave me alone." she spat out in response. Hinata got off of her and walked five steps backwards. Even Sasuke was anticipating her response as Hinata took a deep breath.
"You're in range of my divination."
Everyone who knew anything about the Hyuga either had their jaws drop in shock or they nearly pissed their pants. Usually when those words were uttered it meant certain death to their opponents. Hearing those words from the class wallflower obviously never crossed their minds as they couldn't believe the turn of events today had taken.
"ENOUGH!" a voice bellowed at the top of his lungs. Iruka was seething. He was walking by to start class when he noticed the class was eerily silent. But then he heard a voice that was unmistakenly Hyuga speak one of their most famous quotes that usually ended in death for their opponents. He rushed into the classroom to see a bloodied and nearly unconcious Sakura Haruno with a Hinata that surely looked like she was going to finish the job. "WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED HERE? HINATA, MY OFFICE NOW!" Iruka yelled out. Hinata simply de-activated her Byakugan and pulled a paper wad out of her pocket. Naruto's eyes widened as she threw it at the girl.
"I was going to throw it away but I figured you look enough like trash anyway." Hinata coldly commented before storming off. Iruka picked up Sakura seeing as she could barely walk and decided getting her to the medic nin that acted as school nurse was the better idea at the moment. Everyone sat in a shocked silence before Ino looked at Naruto and bowed.
"I-I'm sorry Naruto, it was my idea and I shouldn't have done it." Ino apologized. Naruto barely heard her because he was too busy looking at that paper ball Hinata threw at Sakura. It slowly began to register in his head what exactly just happened.
"D-dude." Kiba said suddenly drawing Naruto's attention. "That Hinata chick, she totally like, fucked Sakura up for you." Naruto looked to his left at the empty seat where Hinata usually sat and paused in thought to what Hinata said. Shikamaru sighed.
"The only girl who doesn't like Sasuke happens to like Naruto of all people. Mendokuse." Shikamaru complained. Everyone just stared at Naruto who for once in his entire life was completely and utterly speechless. Sasuke smirked.
"I think the wallflower broke the dobe." Sasuke remarked. He got a loud chorus of 'I agree Sasuke-kun' from his fangirls and sighed. This is why he kept his mouth shut in class.
Naruto was completely lost in his own thoughts. "Naruto-kun was really happy when he got that letter! How could you do something like that to him?" her voice rang in his head. "I would have given anything to have be the person he was waiting for yesterday!"
"The hell does it all mean?" Naruto was hopelessly confused as he thought back on everything the girl did. From getting red in the face and stuttering to what she did today. It slowly started to register in his head. "She was... nervous? But why would she..." Suddenly he looked at how Sasuke's fangirls acted around him and slowly but surely he began to see similarities. Suddenly his eyes widened in even more shock. "No way... She LIKES me?" He started to look back and it was so...OBVIOUS! "How could I not have noticed that before? It was staring at me right in the face and I didn't notice!" He was mentally beating himself up before finally he let out the breath he unknowingly had been holding in.
His mind continued to try and fix it's state of confusion as Iruka walked in and apologized for the commotion before starting the lectures but Naruto did not find himself listening. Iruka noticed and while at this point he would have thrown an eraser, he decided to leave Naruto alone. He obviously had alot to think about.
Before he knew it class was over as he found his feet moving on his own towards his home. He walked got about halfway there when he saw Hinata running randomly towards one of the training grounds with tears in her eyes. Naruto stared at her retreating figure as she got further away. His heart beated loudly as he suddenly felt his mind telling him something.
"What are you still standing here for? Go ask her about earlier you idiot!" Naruto found himself thinking. But for some odd reason he felt really nervous. "But what if she's mad at me because she got in trouble?" But nevertheless Naruto wasn't one much for thinking so he pushed he thoughts aside and followed. He just had to know, more than anything else why Hinata stood up for him.
He found her sitting at the base of the post he used to practice throwing kunai and shuriken at crying and hugging her knees. Naruto paused before stepping out into the clearing, trying to understand before shaking his head. He decided to cheer her up first to pay her back for standing up for him.
"Oi Hinata." Naruto greeted meekly as Hinata looked up to see Naruto. She was surprised that she was followed and was even more surprised to see it was Naruto. Suddenly out of nowhere she started stammering out apologies. "Hey hey calm down, no need to say sorry. I... I'm really glad you stood up for me." Naruto said grinning. Hinata sniffled before looking at him with the most hopeful look in her teary pale eyes.
"Y-you are?" she asked. Naruto gave her the nice guy pose (despite not knowing where it originated from).
"You bet. I didn't think Sakura-cha...Sakura was the type to do that kinda stuff. It's really nice to know someone cared enough to call her out on it." Naruto said. He didn't realize it but his opinion of his pink haired crush dropped significantly. "I also didn't think that I had such an awesome girl who cared about me either! I think we should be friends!" Naruto exclaimed waving his arms around wildly. Hinata just stared when she realized Naruto called her his friend.
"Y-you want to be my f-friend?" Hinata asked. "B-but you don't think I'm w-weird?"
"Well I always thought you were a little weird and gloomy Hinata." Naruto explained causing her to droop just a bit. "But now I realize that I like people like you. So as long as you don't mind me being loud I won't mind you being weird. Sound good Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked as he held out his fist. Hinata just stared at it before wiping her own tears with a smile and lightly tapping it with her own fist. Naruto's grin widened as he suddenly picked Hinata upand grabbed her hand. Hinata blushed horribly as she stated at the easily excitable blonde. "I can tell you're almost as hungry as I am so let's go eat ramen!" and with that he dragged her off.
Naruto knew he had plenty of questions to ask her, about some of the things she said when she defended him but he knew right now it wasn't important. He finally had a friend that was his own age after all this time and he wasn't about to let that go to waste. Not on his life. He just figured he would ask her after they ate.
That's the end of this one. I noticed throughout the series both in the manga and in the anime Hinata was always quiet despite wishing for Naruto's safety. She never stood up for him when he needed it, she was never there for him when he was alone, and she never cheered for him out loud when he fought. This fanfiction deviates so much from the original timeline because I wondered, what if just one person his own age showed him that they believed in him? How much would that change things? Would it lead to Naruto training harder? Making better decisions? I don't exactly know but I have an idea. I feel like I'll be learning as well as I type more and more of this.
Now despite the seemingly Sakura bashing, I don't actually support bashing most of the characters. But I remember Sakura commenting on how easy Naruto had it because he doesn't have parents and how Sasuke told Sakura that he found people like her annoying because of it. Before Sasuke told her off I don't think Sakura's opinion of Naruto would have changed. So that is why she acted like she did.
Also as for Hinata blowing up completely out of character, you have to look at it from her standpoint. All she ever did was sit and watch Naruto suffer alone, you can't tell me she didn't start to have negative thoughts about some of her classmates, especially the ones who were constantly picking on Naruto. So he reaction was her finally blowing up and forgetting about Naruto's opinion for just a second and finally standing up for him like he needed her to.
Well I'll try to update often but don't expect it to be twice in one day, I'm absolutely terribly at updating and this was just a one time thing. ;)
Also please review as I would love to read your opinions. More often than not reading those reviews is what keeps me writing because it lets me know someone appreciates my work so even if it's criticism please do so.