A/N: I apologize for not updating in a while.. truth is I got depressed over the lack of reviews for this story here and on dA... *sigh* I don't know maybe this story is really bad and that's why no one likes it... Yet I know there are people out there who read this so for them I have updated... I'm giving this one last try... If I don't get at least five reviews then I might simply delete this story... I mean, one of my other stories already has twenty reviews and only two chapters... I guess the Vocaloid fanbase is bigger or something xD
Well enjoy and review if you think I should continue this story
Like A Blossoming Rose
Chapter 6: I'll Make Him Proud!
Hinata woke up and felt a warm sensation. Immediately by instinct she nuzzled against the welcoming heat. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized that it was NARUTO who was the source of the heat. He was carrying her! He looked down at her with sparkling blue eyes and gave her a broad grin. Of course that made Hinata blush darker than a tomato.
"Hey Hinata, your finally awake." He said cheefully.
"N-naruto?"She said while looking around, "What happened?"
"Yup it's me! Don't worry your safe now we rescued you from those evil thugs!"
Hinata blushed and looked away before she got carried away by those blue eyes of his.
"Ummm N-naruto... Can you please put me down?"
Naruto blushed a little before stopping and putting her down. Hinata innerly pouted but she knew it was for the best. If he continued to carry her she would surely blush and pass out. That would make her a burden on Naruto.
She looked up ahead and noticed Sakura and Kakashi had stopped to wait for them. Kiba and shino were nowhere to be seen. Had she just imagined them when Naruto rescued her? Where were her teammates?
"N-naruto... Where are Kiba and Shino?"She silently cursed at herself for only stuttering on HIS name.
"Ohh, they had to do some stuff for granny Tsunade. They said to tell you to get better and that they miss you."
Hinata smiled brightly. She loved Kiba and Shino as if they were her very own siblings. Naruto was staring at her intensely until Hinata noticed and he turned away.
"You really are close to dog boy and creepy Shino aren't you?" He questioned her while looking in the opposite direction.
Hinata was a little taken a back by his question. Yet she didn't say anything because she was happy he was paying attention to her.
"Yes, they are like brothers to me. They always cheered me on and helped me in my weakest moments." She replied.
"Ahhh..."Naruto muttered, "Well that doesn't matter the important thing is that your safe."
Naruto actually cares about me! She thought as a little victory dance was carried out. Then she blushed furiously.
"See? You're getting red again! Before I used to think you were sick but now I know it's just your personality. Either that or your blood flows irregularly. If that's the case then Sakura should have a look at you." He said sounding totally serious.
Hinata face-palmed. Even after she confessed he still didn't get the hint? She tried to think about something else before she reached her limit. If that happened she would most likely tell Naruto a thing or two while sending him flying with her gentle fist.
"So, where are w-we going" she asked.
"Eh? Ohh... Right. Grandma Tsunade said to take you to the Tea country because there you would be safe."
"Safe?"
"Yea, after you were kidnapped the Hyuuga decided it would be safer if you and your sister where taken into other countries where it would be less likely that neither Kumo nor Kabuto could get you. Originally, our mission was just to escort you there but since Kabuto may strike again we were ordered to stay and guard you..."
Hinata noticed how he went quiet after that, as if he were hiding something. She looked at him questioningly and he sighed and continued.
"Also, we have orders to capture... Sasuke if we saw him. Grandma said he was seen in Otto but we didn't find him."
He looked so sad...
Hinata pondered if she should tell him she had heard Sasuke talking with Kabuto. She knew it would hurt him, but she remembered those instances where she saw Sasuke's composure waver at the mention of his old team. She HAD to tell him; maybe it would help the mission...
"Hey Hinata are you okay? You went more silent than usual." The familiar voice of Naruto asked.
"Y-yes it's just that I remembered something..."She trailed off unsure if she should continue.
"Remembered what?"
"W-when K-kabuto took me to the other hideout after your fight with him... There was someone there."
"Who?"
"Sasuke Uchiha..." She whispered.
Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at Hinata as if she had told him the last ramen in the world was gone.
Hinata didn't realise what happened next. Naruto grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against a tree. Hinata sqeaked and blushed as she was caught in an awkward position. Why was Naruto doing this?
"Where did you see him? Where was he? Was that idiot part of this too? Answer me!" His words seethed with anger and sadness.
Hinata's eyes widened. She looked directly into his wild blue eyes. He wouldn't hurt her would he? He was just mad... That's all...
"Naruto! What are you doing to Hinata! Let her go this instant!" Sakura said, ready to send him flying.
She was running towards him at full speed. She slowed down as she saw the moisture in his eyes. He let go of Hinata and slumped to the ground.
"Naruto?" The pink haired kunoichi asked cautiously.
"He was there. He was part of the plan. That stupid bastard was there! And I wasn't able to see him or bring him back!" He said between tears.
"Who was there?"She asked softly afraid to hear the answer.
"SASUKE UCHIHA!" He yelled from the top of his lungs.
Hinata cringed at the sound of his despair. Sasuke had been his first and only friend...
The silver haired jounin appeared behind Sakura and placed a hand on her shoulder. Though she had tried her best to remain unfazed, silent tears where sliding down her cheeks. Sasuke had been, or still IS, her only love...
Hinata felt a little left out. Even Kakashi seemed saddened by the news. Only Hinata was the outsider to the relationships these three had with Sasuke.
"H-he wasn't part of the plan..." Hinata whispered.
All three turned around to look at her at the same time. Their eyes urged her to continue in silence.
"K-kabuto was injured from N-naruto so he went to what I suppose was Sasuke's hideout. Sasuke seemed mad that Kabuto went to hide there. Kabuto seemed scared that he would turn on him so we left quickly... S-Sasuke still seems to have a soft spot for his old teammates..."
They looked at her in awe. Either they were surprised that Sasuke had been no part of Kabuto's plan and still remembered them, or that Hinata had spoken for more than five seconds AND without blushing! Both were astonishing facts...
"Hinata! You actually spoke for a long time!" Naruto exclaimed.
Sakura smacked him on the head, "Stupid idiot! Read the atmosphere!"
Hinata smiled, happy that her friends had forgotten about their gloomy state earlier. They rose and kept on moving.
"Ehhhhh Kakashi Sensei... How much longer?" Naruto asked.
"Not much more..."Kakashi replied, obviosly tired of this question.
Hinata silently watched Naruto as he ran in pace with her. His jaw was clenched, still angry about what Hinata had said. Sakura and Kakashi, who were in front, suddenly stopped. Naruto also stopped and went to stand infront of Hinata.
"What's wrong Sensei?" Naruto asked.
Hinata activated her byakugan and checked her surroundings. There were three men in the bushes, four in the highest treetops, two underground, and six directly in front.
"Ummm... Kakashi Sensei there is 15 men in total. There are different amounts in all directions... We're ambushed."
"Crap! We fell in a trap!" Naruto exclaimed.
"No, it's the welcoming committee," Sakura said sarcastically, "Of course we're ambushed you moron!"
"Get ready to fight..." said Kakashi.
All four got into fighting stances. Out of nowhere a man materialized in front of them.
"Hand over the Hyuuga heiress and the nine-tails." The man ordered.
"I'm sorry but I don't think so. Thank you come again." Kakashi said with a smile.
"Very well..." He said as he disappeared and materialized about 5 yards away. In an instant, ten men appeared behind them. Wait... Ten? Hinata checked once more and realized that the numbers had doubled. The men kept on materializing and duplicating. Oh no... Her byakugan couldn't sense where the men were going to materialize next! Yet she could see the faint ripples as they STARTED to form.
"Naruto to your right!" Hinata yelled.
Naruto jabbed a kunai to his right where a man was barely forming... cutting him short and forcing him to fully transform.
"Thanks Hinata!" He said cheefully.
Hinata blushed at his compliment and once again resumed her gentle fist stance. Now that Naruto was with her she would have to show him what she could do. She had to show him that she'd changed and was no longer the weakling that had fought Neji oh so long ago.
The number of enemies was multiplying by the minute... Great, now what were we going to do?
Hinata looked at her teammates. Sakura's hands were glowing blue, Kakashi had his sharingan still covered and there were about 40 Narutos. So this must not be such a dire situation.
"They aren't real. They are like shadow clones... Only that the real ones DO have the ability to materialize or be completely invisible whereas the clones can only materialize once." Sakura said.
Hinata's heart sank. She would never be as smart as Sakura... But there is no time to think about that now... Now its time to help Naruto!
"Naruto, watch out!" Sakura yelled, but it was too late.
"Wha-?" He exclaimed as a clone shot a gooey liquid at him which fully covered him from his feet to his shoulders.
"Whaaaa! This thing is strong! I can't move! Why is it always me?" He yelled.
Kakashi and Sakura tried to see which ones were the REAL attackers, not clones. Hinata studied her opponents and noticed the real ones were in the trees while the clones did all the work.
"Sakura! The real ones are in the trees!" Hinata said.
"Right!" The pink head said.
Hinata quickly got in front of both Sakura and Kakashi. "You two can go up there and defeat the main ones... I'll keep the clones busy." Now is my chance, she thought, I can make Naruto proud!
Both ninja nodded and disappeared into the trees. Hinata stood there alone... Against many clones.
"Hinata! You can do it! I know you can do it!" Naruto yelled, even though he was still caught in the goo thing.
Hinata nodded. A look of determination crossed her pale features. She would not let Naruto down!
"Protection of the Eight Trigrams, Sixty Four Palms!"
Hinata began forming a thin web of chakra in front of her and shooting chakra from her palms. They took the shape of thin sharp blades as they pierced clone after clone, taking down five at a time. Her movements became faster, more flexible, making her oppenents crumble. The clones disappeared in a matter of minutes. Since they couldn't materialize again it was an easy task for Hinata.
She fell to her knees, a small sheet of sweat covering her brow. "Hinata you did great!" Said Sakura, from above.
"Yeah Hinata! That was awesome!" Naruto praised, "Ehhh, can someone help me?"
"Let me crack that open..." Sakura said grinning menacingly.
"No no Sakura... I can manage somehow..." Naruto said.
"U-um maybe I can help?" Hinata mumbled while poking her index fingers together.
"Eh, you Hinata?' Kakashi said, currently handing upside down from a tree.
She nodded furiously and turned red. Sakura smirked, "Sure Hinata, all the power to you."
Hinata kneeled by Naruto and activated her Byakugan. Slowly she gathered chakra in her hand and shot a small blade-like light. The chakra cut open the goo cocoon, slowly and carefully dissolving it.
Naruto was soon able to get out of the mold he was in. "Thanks Hinata!" He said, tackling her in a hug, oblivious to the fact that the blushing Heiress was close to fainting.
"Naruto! Let her go or you're going to have to carry her again!"
"Ehhh?" Naruto said as he noticed he had a limp Hyuuga in arms, "Oi, Hinata! Wake up! Come on!" He shook the girl back and forth.
"NARUTOO!" Sakura said as she smacked him, "YOU IDIOT!"
"Master Kabuto, the leaf ninja are now moving towards the Land of Tea."
"Ahhh... I take it that they defeated your clones then?" sneered Kabuto.
"Y-yes." The man stuttered from Kabuto's menacing aura.
"Excellent. Due to the fight I was able to study their techniques a little further. The Hyuuga surprised me, I expected her to fail just like in the Chunin Exams... Yet she is much more promising now..."
The room went eerily silent.
"They don't even know what lies ahead of them."
A/N: So yeah... I don't know if I should continue this... people like CAKEESUKI made me realize that people are still waiting for a new chapter
so thank you to the following:
Cakeesuki
.
ChewieCookies
Anon
RoseTiger
and Az-Sticker for your moral support. I love you guys TuT