Naruto gave Hinata's forehead a gentle poke holding his finger there.

Hinata stilled.

"Let's not be friends anymore", he said.

Hinata flinched and slumped to the ground trembling.

Naruto looked down at her with regret but knew he had to get away before she changed his mind. It would be for the best.

"I'm sorry." he whispered almost to himself, turning away quickly. He felt strangely out of breath. Like it had taken a great deal of effort just to speak. Unwillingly, he recalled the townsfolk whispering, "It's him. His parents died because of him. He's dangerous, that boy. Keep away from him. Keep away..."

He turned away and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He thought he heard Hinata call after him but perhaps it was just the pounding in his ears.

Hinata watched Naruto leave but didn't have the courage to go after him. She was new to the friendship game.

From afar, Neji observed his little cousin with interest. He had tracked her again. His cousin was fairly timid and predictable. Well most of the time anyway. But lately, she'd changed. Where did she learn to stand up for herself? Fighting off those civilian thugs on her own. He thought he had beat all of her self confidence into dust over the years, but yet she surprised him. Clearly he was so much superior than her, so why didn't she just give up? Why be humiliated again and again ? He didn't understand. Something had changed lately but he would find what it was and crush it completely.

Neji had half a mind to go about it right away but he saw another figure heading towards Hinata.

'Tch', he mouthed.

Meanwhile that boy... He had to find out more about him. He turned to leave. He had some more reconnaissance to do. Hinata could wait.

Before long, Hinata felt a shadow fall across her face. A pair of grown up feet shuffled into her range of vision. She felt bone tired.

"Miss Hyuga if you're quite done imitating a quivering puddle, shall we talk ?", said Iruka.

Hinata looked at him warily.

"Yes, sensei", she shuffled to her feet.

"And that's what happened...", finished Hinata. She had told Iruka everything that had happened that day. She sulked, pressing her lips together and scuffing the ground with her boot. She looked up to find Iruka playing with a lady bug on his sleeve.

"Sensei!", Hinata shouted.

"Ah .." She covered her mouth wondering where that had come from.

"So what have you decided to do?", said Iruka calmly.

"Huh? But what do you think sensei ?"

"What do I think about what ?"

"About all of it!"

"Well then, do you want Naruto as a friend ?"

"Yes"

"So what's the problem?"

"He doesn't", she said frustrated.

"Tell me do you choose your friends or do they choose you ?"

"I...", she paused. She hadn't really tried approaching anyone before. All this while she had just been following Naruto's lead. Suddenly, she understood.

'Ah...this time I choose him', she thought quickly.

"Sensei...", she beamed at him in admiration.

"Must be good to be young", Iruka remarked to the lady bug.

He turned away waving a hand lazily.

Neji was surprised. He'd expected this blonde boy to go crying to his mother but instead he seemed to be taking a rather circuitous route heading right for the civilian thugs who had been tormenting him. That mean looking kid was still whimpering from getting mere ointment in his eyes.

"Bah. What weaklings." He cracked his knuckles in anger. How dare trash like that lay hands on a Hyuga. A twinge of confusion pricked him, but he chose not to dwell on it too much.

This was getting boring. The blond kid was doing a decent job of keeping out of sight but he wouldn't make a move at all. Neji had been waiting patiently on a rooftop while the duo went to a local medicine man for treatment. Now they were heading back home by the looks of it. If they headed deeper into the civilian quarters it would be hard not to stand out. He would have to keep off the ground at any cost. He wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place, thought Neji.

One of the boys disappeared down an alley, while the injured one continued to head straight across town till they were almost of the edge of town. A rather run down set of houses were clustered at the end of a clearing. Beyond was nothing but bush and forest.

There were loud voices and sounds of a scuffle and a tall lanky kid was thrown face down in the mud by the now recovered bully. He kicked the prone boy viciously, shouting and cursing at him. He seemed to be shaking him down for money.

Impatiently, Neji looked over at Naruto who was still hidden, expecting him to make a move now. But Naruto seemed to have seen enough and had turned around giving Neji a good look at his face.

'Good heavens. Is he crying ?', exclaimed Neji.

When Naruto did nothing more than continue to stand there and look pitiful, Neji had had enough. This boy was no threat at all. He was even weaker than his cousin Hinata if that was even possible. Angry, Neji dashed off towards the Hyuga compound, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for why Hinata and he, had not finished training this morning. His uncle was going to be very displeased. There was no use hiding anything, the whole of the Hyuga compound had been witness to his shame.

'Damn that girl.'

The girl in question had chosen to arrive at exactly the same moment at the Hyuga compound entrance. Hinata and Neji looked at each other for a moment. Hinata had a glazed look about her.

Perhaps she missed the dangerous look in his eyes, for she came forward with a smile,

"Cousin, you found me!"