Sorry everybody for the really depressing cliffhanger! And sorry for not posting sooner like I promised. My laptop screwed up while I was on vacation. Something about it losing its licenses or something. Anyways this chapter is depressing but it is needed for plot development. Actually every chapter to this point has been plot development. Once Naruto gets back is when I will start the real romance, but naruXhina will not happen right away. Hope you have enjoyed the story so far… even though it started off horribly.
Is it true? Do I really feel for him like that? The answer came without hesitation. Yes! I… I lov…
"I LOVE YOU, NARUTO!!" Hinata screamed with all her might.
But it was too late. Naruto was already outside the village and didn't hear a word Hinata had said.
Hinata's resolve crumbled and she sunk to the ground and cried. She cried as if the world had ended, and for Hinata, it might as well have.
She cried harder than she had ever before. Even with all her father's abuse and the disappointment she caused, Hinata had never felt a pain like this.
She kept crying, not even caring that everyone was watching. She cried until she passed out from exhaustion. Fortunately, someone had the sense to notify her family and Neji was sent out to retrieve her.
The next morning, when Hinata woke up, she yawned and stretched like nothing had changed. Suddenly, it all came flooding back to her, like a tsunami of despair. She laid back down in her bed, the tears already flowing.
Neji awoke a while later and came into Hinata's room to wake her. He approached her unmoving figure, assuming she was still asleep.
As he pulled the blanket back, he found himself looking into twin pools of lavender. However, they were red, puffy and filled with tears.
But what surprised Neji most was that even though Hinata's eyes were open, Hinata wasn't really awake. Her eyes were hazy and it was as if the rest of the world didn't exist to her.
The only signs of life she showed was her death grip on Naruto's abandoned jacket. And the constant stream of tears from her eyes.
Neji sighed. He had heard the story from one of the bystanders. Apparently, a old man with white hair and a young boy in bright orange had left the village, and that's when Hinata had began crying and passed out.
Neji knew how Hinata felt about Naruto, he could never have expected her to be this depressed by his departure.
Neji gently shook Hinata and called out her name. However, she showed no signs of hearing him or feeling his touch.
"Hinata, please! I know you can here me! I know it hurts, but you can't stay in bed all day."
Again, Hinata didn't show any signs of hearing him.
"Fine. Do what you want." Neji said and walked out of her room.
( 1 week later )
Hinata had managed to get out of bed and walk outside. She had met up with Kiba and Shino.
"Hinata are you ok? I mean Naruto left over a week ago!" Kiba said.
Shino put a hand on Kiba's shoulder and pulled him aside. "Stop. They say the only person who can heal a broken heart is the one who broke it."
"B-But Naruto won't be back for 3 years!"
"Then all we can do is believe in her." Shino stated simply.
Kiba sighed. "I guess you're right."
( 1 month later )
Hinata was serving dinner to her father, Hanabi, and Neji.
Hiashi spoke in a cold tone. "Hinata, you haven't said a word in over a month. And more importantly, you haven't been training."
Hinata hung her head and bowed to her father. She finished setting the table and left the room.
Neji spoke up, concerned for Hinata. "Hiashi, I'm worried about Hinata. She isn't speaking and she hasn't eaten a full meal in a month."
"Hinata's burdens are her own. She is not a child."
Neji bowed his head. "Yes, Hiashi."
Naruto's POV
"Come on, Naruto! Hurry Up! We're almost into town."
"Shut it, Pervy-Sage! You just want hit on some cute girl!
Jiraya frowned. He had had enough of this Pervy-Sage thing. "Naruto, would you say hitting on girls is bad?"
"Of course! It's very VERY bad!"
"Then why do you constantly try to hit on Sakura?" As Naruto's face fell, Jiraya's ego rose into the clouds.
Suddenly, Naruto stopped walking. His head was lowered so that his bangs covered his eyes. Is that what I have been doing to Sakura? Am I just like Pervy-Sage?
Naruto looked up at Jiraya only to see him squeal with delight and chase after some girl in a mini-skirt.
No! I refuse to be anything like him!
( ½ year later )
"Come on, Naruto! Hurry up! You will never learn this jitsu unless you run faster!"
Jiraya had been teaching Naruto a new jutsu. First, he had made Naruto make a hundred clones. Then he had made Naruto race them.
Since they were all the same person, it usually ended in a 100 way tie.
Naruto crawled over to Jiraya, breathing heavily. "P-Pervy-Sage… I … I can't keep d-doing this! We all r-run at the same speed."
Jiraya stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm…. You may be right." He strode over to Naruto and handed him a large bad. "Here. Put these on."
Naruto opened the bag and pulled out… "Leg weights?"
Jiraya laughed. "Not just leg weights! These are the heaviest leg weights you can get!"
"So… where did you steal these from?"
Jiraya slapped the back of Naruto's head. "You fool! Do you think the great Toad Sage would sink so low as to steal?"
Naruto jumped up angrily. "Yes! That's exactly what I think!"
Jiraya slapped Naruto's head again, driving him into the ground. "I don't care what you think! Put on the weights and run! And you won't stop running until you get first place!"
( 1 month later )
Dear Hinata,
How are you? I'm fine. I was just wondering what you have been up to-
"No!" Naruto crumpled up the letter he had been writing and threw it into a huge pile of crumpled papers. He grabbed another piece of paper. More casual!
Dear Hinata,
What's up? I have been training so hard-
"No! That sounds so lame!" Naruto crumpled the letter and threw into his pile.
Dear Hinata,
Jiraya is such a slave driver! He is always making me work while he goes off to peek at girls!
Meanwhile, Jiraya, who had been peaking into the women's bathhouse, suddenly sneezed giving away his position and resulting in him getting a vicious beating of 20 angry females.
He walked back to camp, discouraged and broken, only to see Naruto sitting amongst hundreds of crumpled pieces of paper.
Naruto was so busy writing that he didn't even notice Jiraya approaching him.
"So… Writing to your girlfriend?"
"AHH! Pervy-Sage!" Naruto quickly jumped up and hid the letter he was writing behind his back. "W-What are you doing back so early? And why do you have a black eye?"
It's none of your business!" Jiraya said and he stormed off.
"Phew." Naruto sighed. He sat back down and finished his letter.
Dear Hinata,
I'm sorry it took me so long to write to you, but Jiraya hasn't even given me a break from all this training. I haven't gotten even an hour's break! My clothes are filled with holes! Anyway, I hope you aren't sad anymore. When I left you were crying really hard. You can't be sad, Hinata. I can't relax until I know that you're ok. I will return soon. I can't wait to show you all the new jutsu I've learned!
From Ramen Lover
p.s. I cant put my real name on this just incase this letter is intercepted.
Naruto read and reread his letter. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to say, but Jiraya had told him not to tell anyone where he was.
Naruto sealed his letter into a small container and tied the container to a messenger bird. He tossed the bird into the air and watched it take flight. He continued to watch it until it disappeared over the horizon.
Naruto shrugged and followed Jiraya for more training.
( 1 week later )
"Hinata! A letter had arrived for you!" Neji yelled
Hinata walked out of her room, snatched the letter from Neji's hand and walked back into her room, all without saying a word.
She is really starting to worry me. Neji thought as he walked off towards the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Hinata sat on her bed, still depressed, and looked at the envelope. Seeing no name or return address, she threw it into her trashcan. However, as the letter hit the bottom of the can it made a loud "Thump!"
Her curiosity peaked, Hinata pulled the letter back out and opened it. She held it upside-down and a piece of naruto fell out. (naruto is an ingredient found in ramen like beef or egg)
Suddenly filled with hope, Hinata quickly pulled out the letter and began to read it.
When she was finished, she eyes were filled with tears and her hands were shaking. She opened her mouth to say the first word she'd spoken in almost a year.
"Naruto…"
( 2 weeks later )
"It's nice to see you outside, Hinata." Kiba said.
Hinata smiled. "I can't be sad all the time." For Naruto's sake.
"Yeah… but you were so depressed. It was heart-breaking. Look! You haven't even cut your hair in a year!"
Hinata curled her finger in her now long hair. It reached all the way to her mid-back. "Actually… I think I kinda like it long."
"Yeah. You look really good with long hair. I'd bet Naruto will think you're so cute!" Kiba teased.
Hinata flinched. She had been thinking the same thing.
"Kiba! Don't tease me like that!" Hinata pouted.
Kiba laughed. "Sorry, my bad!"
( 1 year later )
"And then Hinata successfully defeated the rogue ninja, allowing Shino and me to secure the documents." Kiba reported.
Great job, guys! This is the 8th successful mission in a row!" Tsunade said.
"It's mostly thanks to Hinata. She has been amazing these past few months!"
Hinata blushed. "It wasn't all me! Shino and you did great as well!"
( 1 week later )
"You know, Naruto should be coming back anytime now." Kiba said as he and Hinata were walking home after training.
"I know… Do you think I've changed?"
Kiba laughed. "Of course! Not only as your confidence increased, but you have gotten way stronger too. One of the best kunoichi in the village!" Kiba smirked. "And you certainly have "grown". When was the last time you saw your toes?"
Hinata looked only to see that as long as she was standing straight up, her chest would block her view of her feet.
Hinata's face instantly turned red. "K-Kiba!"
Kiba laughed and walked off. "Naruto's so lucky!" he teased.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Jiraya had finally finished training."
"It's amazing that you could learn this jutsu in just a few years! It took the Fourth almost ten years to perfect it!"
"Wait… So this jutsu was created by the Fourth?" Naruto asked
Jiraya nodded.
"Wow! That just proves what an awesome ninja I am!" Naruto cheered.
"And with this technique you will be even faster than that kid in the green jumpsuit!" Jiraya said.
"Faster than Lee?! No way! I'm so amazing!" Naruto yelled.
"Anyways, we only have a few more months to train. We need to start heading back towards home."
"Home…" Naruto echoed.
That night, Naruto's dreams were filled with images of his home, his friends, and of Hinata.
hope you all enjoyed that chapter. btw im introducing a one sided love relationship in my next chapter. yay! everybody loves love triangles! i should be able to post sooner now that im back home.