Disclaimer: No matter how much I beg, scream, and dance, Naruto will never be mine.
AN: A Naruto and Hinata development chapter...do enjoy.
Warning: Naruto and Hinata might seem a little out of character. I'm very sorry for that, please forgive me?
Also, this is a birthday gift for my friend, The Rockologist, happy 17th! -throws a birthday cake at him- XD
And finally, the standard "Thank you EnduranceInTribulation"...Thanks EIT for your wonderful suppoert and beta skills. NOW enjoy the fic!
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The Power of Youth
By SapphireWhiteTigress
Chapter VIII – My Pain
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Naruto silently stared out of the window of his lonely home, an uneaten bowl of ramen chilled on the table not far from him. He watched as the rain cascaded down the pane of his window in rivers, lost in his own thoughts. Ever since he found out about Sakura's...pregnancy, life just took a turn for the worst. Sakura-chan, the girl he had a crush on since his days at the academy, was going to be gone forever. Not gone in the sense that she was leaving, but gone in the way that she will be out of his reach forever. He knew he wasn't in love with her, but he liked her a lot and he wanted to be the one that was there with her.
It surprised him to no end when he had returned home after training with Ero-Sennin to find out that his old crush was dating the one she once thought was repulsive. They've been dating steadily for six months before he returned. He had asked Lee how did he finally get Sakura to agree to go out with him and the older boy only grinned, sticking his thumb into the air and declared excitedly that hard work pays off in the end. Naruto was confused after that. It made no sense to him. He tried harder and longer to gain Sakura's affection, but she still went after Sasuke. Was it something he did wrong? Was he not good enough?
All these thoughts made his head hurt. He wanted to stop thinking about it, there was nothing he could do. He sighed and pushed himself up from his sitting position next to the window. He wanted to get out of this stuffy house. He wanted to walk in the rain and hope that it would wash away his sorrows and pain. That it would cleanse his battered and worn soul.
He grabbed his fallen jacket that rested on the floor of his dark apartment and pushed his arms through the sleeves. He grabbed his keys off the table and headed to the door, slipping his feet in his shoes. Walking out of his small home, his eyes swept through the darkness and closed the door. Locking it, he wondered why he even bother to. It wasn't as if he had anything worth stealing.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed in a random direction, not really caring where his feet took him. The rain pounded on him mercilessly, but he didn't care. He didn't really care about anything right now. He was so deep in depression that he wasn't sure if he would be able to crawl out.
He suddenly grew angry with himself as he continued to walk through the rain. This was stupid. Why would he be so upset and so down on himself just because Sakura didn't feel the same way as he did? He should be happy for her. But why did he feel so empty inside? Sakura was one of his best friends. One of the very few people that actually cared about him. So, why couldn't he just be happy that she found someone that could take care of her?
...Because that someone wasn't him.
His eyes were lowered to the ground as these thoughts ran through his mind. The rain continued to fall carelessly on him as he walked through the silent streets of Konoha. Only a fool would be out on this rainy evening. And to think that it started out nicely, too. But the rain matched his mood almost perfectly.
A flash of lightning struck overhead followed by a dangerous roar of thunder that shook the sky. He ignored it, though. A thunderstorm was the least of his worries. However, in-between the sound of the thunder and the constant flashes of the lightning, a soft sound entered his hearing. He paused in his walk and looked up. His feet led him to Konoha's park area. Scanning the area for the source of the sound, his eyes landed on a small figure hunched on a bench, the rain casting a mysterious glow around her.
Curiously, Naruto found his feet once again leading him, in the direction of the girl. The first thing he noticed when he reached her was her long, flowing dark hair that looked very familiar to him. With a raised eyebrow, Naruto called out to her, standing only a few feet away.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, his gentle voice being carried with the wind.
The girl snapped her head up in surprise and clear violet eyes met those of perfect blue. She gasped and quickly rubbed at her eyes, feeling foolish to be caught in her moment of weakness. It didn't matter how much she tried wiping at her eyes, the tears still came and she prayed that he would think that it was the rain.
"Hinata-chan?" His voice betrayed the shock of seeing that it was Hinata who was sitting in the rain crying. "...What's wrong?" He asked and took a seat on the wet bench next to her, further soaking his clothes, but he didn't care. Hinata was his friend and right now, she needed someone to be there with her. He pushed all his sorrows and feelings aside to comfort her as best as he could.
Hinata averted her eyes and looked towards the damped ground. "N-Nothing, N-Naruto...kun..." She whispered. Naruto almost missed with she had said.
He tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure? I don't think people cry over nothing."
So he had caught her crying. She sniffled and felt even more ashamed. She didn't want to look weak in front of the person she admired most. She wanted him to think she was strong. "I...I wa-wasn't...cr-cr-crying..." She stuttered, forcing the sobs that threaten to break through her throat down.
Naruto knew he wasn't the smartest person in the village and he also knew that he could be quite clueless sometimes, but he also knew when someone was in pain. He could tell she was by the look she had in her clear eyes. "Hinata-chan..." He started. He wanted to know what was troubling his friend. "...Please tell me what's wrong?"
Hinata stared down at her folded hands in her lap, trying to keep the tears at bay. She took a shuttering breath and willed herself not to cry. She just felt so miserable and emotionally unstable. She just couldn't possibly tell Naruto why she felt this way.
Naruto placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, surprising her. She glanced up into his warm eyes, shadowed by the fallen rain. "It's okay, Hinata." He wasn't sure what he was referring to, but he felt it was something that she needed to hear.
Tears welled up in her eyes against her will and she particularly threw herself in his arms, sobbing openly on his already damp jacket. Naruto was shocked as she did so and after a few seconds, he slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. He allowed her to sob and never once did he push her away. She felt safe in his arms. And he felt needed to have her there.
After a while, the pouring rain slowed to a misty drizzle. Naruto was sure that either or both of them would end up being sick in bed the next morning but he hadn't the heart or willpower to push her away, at least, not yet.
Once her crying slowed to a slight sniffled, he gently pushed her back so he could look into her clear eyes. She had the smallest trace of a pinkish blush on her cheeks as she avoid eye contact. Naruto smiled down at her as he unconsciously lifted up a finger to wipe away a stray tear that fell from her beautiful eyes.
"Are you okay now?"
She slowly nodded, blushing a deeper shade of red as he touched her cheek to remove the tear. Her heartbeat quicken and her breath hitched in her throat. He was so close to her, holding her so tenderly in his arms. She wanted to stay like this forever. To be in his arms for as long as they both lived. Oh, she loves him so much, but he hardly acknowledges her. She was a burden to everyone. He couldn't possibly ever lover her.
Naruto stared at her for a moment, slowly frowning. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong? Why were you crying? Please, tell me." His voice was so sincere and caring that Hinata wasn't sure what to think about it. She wanted to tell him that she loves him, that she always loved him. She wanted to tell him that he was her inspiration, he was her strength. She wanted to tell him that he was the caused of her tears, he was the reason she cried, because she knew that he would never love her. But she couldn't tell him any of those. She just couldn't.
Naruto's frown deepened as she remained quiet. He didn't want to force it out of her, but if she kept it bottled up, who knows what might happen. He wanted to help her solve her problem.
"...Hinata-chan..." He said, taking her chin between his index finger and thumb so he could look into her eyes. What he saw almost frightened him. Those weren't the bright and sweet eyes he was so used to seeing. Her eyes lacked the happiness she always held within them. Her eyes were filled with so much pain and hurt that he wanted to turn away from them, but he remained. He wouldn't allow himself to turn away from her. Not when she obviously needed him. "Hinata-chan...?" He repeated, his own eyes were filled with worry and confusion.
Hinata forcefully closed her eyes and prayed that he'll forgive her for what she was about to do. She was so scared but if she doesn't do it now, she may never get the chance ever again. She took a deep breath and did the unexpected.
She kissed him.
Naruto's eyes widen in shock as her soft, wet lips met his. He couldn't comprehend the action that Hinata was making. Why was she kissing him? He was so confused over it, he wasn't sure how to respond, but before he could do anything, the girl pulled back and stood up away from him. She was trembling as tears fell from her eyes again. All he could do was stare at her in shock.
She raised one unsteady hand to her face and backed away from Naruto. How could she have been so foolish to kiss him. He must hate her even more now. "N-Naruto-k-kun...I'm...I'm...so-sorry..." She cried out before turning and running away from him. Always running away from him...
Naruto quickly snapped from the daze he was in and raised a finger to his lips, where Hinata had just kissed him. He slowly blinked and stood, watching as she disappeared from view. "Hinata-chan? Why...did you kiss me?" His questioned the evening air, his question remaining unanswered. His fingers grazed his lips again and felt something unfamiliar prick inside of him. If he wasn't confused before, he certainly was now.
Naruto ran after her.
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Hinata ran down the damp streets of Konoha with her arm covering her tearful eyes. Why did she kiss him? She was so...stupid! Now he'll hate her more. She loves him so much that it was tearing her apart inside. She just wanted to get away, hide from him and the whole world. She didn't deserve to be happy. She was weak, forever weak. She would never be as brave or strong as Naruto.
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"Hey! Hinata-chan!" Naruto called throughout the now misty streets of Konoha, searching for the girl who had just kissed him. He wasn't sure if Hinata liked him or not, or if that kiss meant anything at all. He silently hoped that it had meant something to her and it wasn't just a whim. He wasn't sure why he hoped that, but he did.
Why had she run off crying?
"Hinata-chan!" He called once more and frowned when nobody answered him, least of all, the person he was calling for. "Where is she?" He muttered, looking around his surroundings. Hinata was nowhere to be seen and he was almost certain that she ran in this direction.
He frowned in concentration and had an idea. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Immediately, the area was filled with fifteen clones. "Alright guys, look for Hinata-chan and when you find her, contact me, got it?" They all nodded and ran their separate ways. It would be easier and faster to track down the girl by using the clones.
Once his clones where gone, he decided to continue his search for the timid girl. After a few minutes of effortless searching, a droplet of water dropped on his blond hair. He looked towards the sky as it started to rain once more. He sighed and was ready to turn around when something caught his attention. Hoping that it was Hinata, he quickly turned to it.
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"It's been a while," His voice was so dead and cold that she couldn't help but shiver as it reached her ears. She stared up at him, still on the muddy ground, her thoughts in a whirl. The rain came again, adding to the eeriness of the situation. She never thought that she would see him again. Why now? Why was he here? So many things ran through her mind and she wanted to ask them, to yell at him for leaving them, for leaving her, but nothing would come out of her mouth.
The cloaked figure tilted his head to the side as his lifeless eyes glanced over her. His mind was blank and his face held no expression as he looked at her. No, he was looking though her. Sakura felt unnerved and wished he'll turn away.
"Sasuke...why...?" She wasn't sure what to say to the boy she once loved. She shook her head and shakily stood up, stumbling away from him. "Sasuke...I...I can't forgive you for what you've done..." She whispers as tears came to her eyes for the second time that night.
Sasuke only smirked, his first sign of any facial expression. "I didn't come for forgiveness, Sakura."
Sakura frowned, trying to hold back the tears. She wasn't going to cry in front of him. She wasn't going to shed anymore tears because of him. She turned away and clenched her right hand in front of her chest. "What...what happened to you?" She asked, turning back to face him.
Sasuke said nothing as he stared at her with those dark eyes of his she once admired. As she closed her eyes to block out those of the youngest Uchiha, an imagine of Lee fluttered into her mind. He was smiling at her, as he usually did when he was around his angel. Seeing his face in her mind gave her strength to stand up against her old teammate. She opened her eyes and glared at him, momentarily surprising him.
His smirked turned into a wide grin. Not a grin you would see on the face of Naruto or anyone who was struck with mirth, but a grin you would see on the first of someone like...Orochimaru. "You've changed, Sakura." He stated in observation.
The girl continued to glare at him, not allowing him the pleasure of knowing how much she was afraid. And she was afraid. She didn't know what to do right now. As she stared at him, willing herself not to cower under his frightening gaze, her stomach lurched painfully. She paled, praying that she wouldn't vomit here, right now, in front of him. Instead, she decided to respond to his statement. "A lot has changed since you abandoned us, Sasuke."
Something flashed in Sasuke's eyes and she thought for a moment that she imagined it for it was gone as quickly as it came. "Is that so?" He said as his eyes shifted to a moving shadow. His frown quickly returned to his face as he reached inside of his dark cloak.
Sakura eyes widen at his sudden movement and was almost afraid that he'll kill her. She couldn't die, not yet...not in this condition. When his hand withdraw from the inside of his cloak, he was holding a kunai. Fear struck Sakura's heart as her blood ran cold. The boy before her causally flicked his waist and the kunai went soaring through the air at an alarming rate. She tightly closed her eyes, waiting for the end. He would kill her and her unborn child. She would never see Lee again and Lee would never become the husband and father that he wanted to be. She silently made a prayer that Lee would find happiness in the future and that he would have the strength to move on.
However, she felt no pain, but instead heard a faint popping sound. She reopened her eyes to see a puff of smoke a few yards from them. Sasuke wasn't aiming it at her, but at a kage bunshin.
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Naruto eyes trailed to the figure he saw and frowned. What was he doing here? Shouldn't he be...? Naruto shrugged and walked over to him, a glare on his face. The other person didn't seem to notice him as he approached and Naruto was glad that he mastered hiding his chakra signature.
"Why are you here?" He demanded, arms crossed over his chest.
The figure in question spun around. "Ah! Naruto! Good to see you again!" He said sheepishly, with a wide grin on his face.
"Why are you here, Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked the pervert again, who was obviously peeking in a girls' bathhouse. Again. Possibly claiming to be doing his 'research'.
Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit, stood up straight and outstretched the palm of his hands towards the boy, declaring to him, "It's research!"
Naruto was none impressed. "I don't really think that anybody would be in the baths in the rain."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and dropped his hand to his side. He turned away from the boy he trained and crossed his hands over his chest. "Since when did you get so smart?"
Naruto grinned and placed both of his hands behind his head. "Even I would know that, Ero-sennin."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Why are you out, anyway?"
Naruto shrugged with his hands still placed behind his head. "I was walking around." He then remembered, "Hey, hey, have you seen Hinata-chan around?" He asked, dropping his arms to his side.
The hermit thought about it for a moment. "Hinata...she's that shy timid girl, right?" Naruto nodded. "Hmm...she's grown over the years..." He said, thinking about it. Naruto's right eye twitched. "She's becoming a woman, ne?"
Naruto glared angrily at Jiraiya and punch him upside the head. "Hey! Don't talk about Hinata-chan like that, hentai!"
Jiraiya frowned and rubbed the growing bump. "...Oh, I see..." Suddenly tears came to his eyes and he grabbed Naruto in a bone-crushing hug. "Naruto! You are truly becoming a man!"
Naruto was take aback by Jiraiya's sudden actions and tried desperately to get away from the perverted man. "Ah! Let me go, Ero-sennin! I gotta find Hinata-chan!"
Jiraiya quickly released Naruto and grinned as he ran off into some random direction. "Ah, to be in love..." He said before turning back around to peek into a small hole that was in the wooden fence. He laughed. "Now, they're sure to come out any minute..." And so, he waited as the rain continued to pour down on him.
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AN: I'm SO sorry if I got Jiraiya wrong because I have never ever written him in a story before and I can't recall any episodes with him in it (and because of my laziness, I don't feel like getting on YouTube to find out). But, anyway, I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! I'll really appreciate it! And when reviewing, give me some tips or point out some of my mistakes so I can become better! And thank you, Kisara the Angel of Music, for pointing out that 'then' and 'than' problem. Hopefully, it's better, for I will read over my story 100 times and if I cannot, then I will...read it 200 times! -strikes a pose-
Next Chapter Teaser: Matsou remained silent throughout Lee's entire speech, observing him. Taking in everything the weird boy had said. What did he know about love? He was only a kid. A stupid, bowl-cut hair, hormone raging teenager. He knew nothing of love.