Having to do D-Ranked missions for days on end since Team 7 passed irked Natsumi's nerves, but she reasoned that it was still a mission that needed to be done. After two weeks of them, she realized they were nothing more than glorified chores that wielded payment. She did not mind it so much if the person who requested the mission was unable to do said mission by themselves or actually needed the help, but most of the time they were lazy buggers who just had the money to spare. Despite having more spending money than ever before, she was still pissed off. She wanted something more! Something cooler! Something that would make the villagers acknowledge her as a person and a ninja! It did not help matters that Kakashi was constantly late by at least two hours and after they had their fill of D-Ranks, he always dismissed them. When was the training going to be done? Natsumi was always looking forward to that but that day never came.
Still, not everything was bad. Knowing Kakashi would always be late, Natsumi herself would wander off to find Team 8, more specifically Hinata, after she met up with her teammates at the designated time and confirming their instructor was not around. Sasuke could care less about what she did, and Sakura was more than happy for her to go so she could have some alone time with her crush.
***Break Line***
Team 8 thought nothing of Natsumi's presence when she popped up for their training sessions for the first few days but Kurenai grew concerned after a week of her continued presence. Natsumi did not disrupt her training sessions and her presence actually proved to be a positive factor when it came to Hinata, but it was still a cause of concern since she thought Natsumi was ditching Kakashi's own training sessions for nearly two hours every time just to meet up with Hinata. It was even more troubling when Hinata had started making lunches for her everyday and was more often than not caught looking around to see when her best friend was going to drop by. It came to no surprise when Natsumi told her the reason she kept coming to see them was because Kakashi was always late... until the day came when Kakashi decided to break his own schedule of being consistently late due to an 'anonymous' request from one of his fellow Jounins.
***Break Line***
It started out per normal for Team 8 with the exception of Hinata carrying a lunch box with her meant for Natsumi. As always, after they started some warm-ups to prepare for their morning training, Natsumi eventually showed up.
"Good morning, Hinata-chan! Good morning, everybody!" Natsumi greeted them. It was a pet peeve for Kiba since everyone noted how Natsumi always greeted Hinata before addressing everyone else. Couldn't she just use the latter greeting since it involved all of them anyway? Apparently not since she moved straight to Hinata without looking at any of the others.
"Good morning, Natsumi-chan," Hinata greeted back with a bright smile, one that was obviously reserved for Natsumi. Not even Kurenai, who was the closest to her, had been given that smile. "Here, your lunch for today."
"Thanks as al-" Natsumi returned the used lunch box to Hinata from the day before, cleaned of course, and was about to take her new lunch box when another person's hand plucked it away from her.
"Hey Natsumi, what are you doing here instead of where I told Team 7 to meet?" Kakashi asked, surprising everyone except Kurenai with his sudden appearance.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Natsumi exclaimed. "Why are you so early?"
"Now, now, don't say that," he brushed her question aside. "You shouldn't leave the meeting area just because I'm late, you know."
"I'm only doing this because you are never on time, Kakashi-sensei!" she snapped. "Now give me back my lunch Hinata-chan made for me!"
"Hmm... No. I've decided as punishment, you get no lunch from Hinata. Here. You guys have it," he tossed the lunch box over to Kiba.
"Uh... thanks?" Kiba was not sure if he should be happy or not. Hinata certainly was not enjoying the turn of events.
"Give it back!" Natsumi immediately lunged for Kiba, ready to knock him down and reclaim what was hers until Kakashi pulled her away by the collar of her orange tracksuit. "But... Hinata-chan's lunch...!"
"No lunch for you. Now come on. Back to your own team," Kakashi slowly dragged her away even as she struggled violently.
"So, uh... I can share this with Akamaru, right?" Kiba asked Hinata hesitantly once the Genin and Jounin of Team 7 disappeared into the nearby forest. All he got was a depressed nod from Hinata and a whispered request for him to return the box to her tomorrow. As their day went by, the other members of Team 8 were shocked at how poor Hinata's performance was. Her heart was not into their training, and she actually messed up so badly in one of the D-Ranked missions, making her depressed enough that she excused herself to cry for a short while. Hinata had recovered from her depressive state the next day and she did not have Natsumi's lunch with her. Her guess was right since she did not turn up at all, though she could not help but look around anyway. She did not seem too affected by Natsumi's absence this time around and things were back to normal, at least for a while.
***Break Line***
For the past few days now, Kakashi had been interfering with Natsumi's efforts to meet up with Hinata. She obediently waited alongside Sakura and Sasuke without wandering off the day after she got caught, and had to wait three hours before Kakashi showed up. When she tried sneaking off the next day, Kakashi was there waiting for her to wander off and drag her back before she could even get far. She even resorted to using her Kage Bunshin but he still managed to stop her.
"Why do you continue trying to sneak off?" Kakashi finally asked as she walked into a trap that left her dangling upside-down from a tree branch. While he thought it was amusing seeing her shout and rant in frustration at being unable to escape his notice, he still wanted to know.
"Because you're always late, Kakashi-sensei!" Natsumi accused childishly, pushing the blame to him. "If you're going to keep wasting time doing whatever it is you're really doing, at least let me do what I want during that time!" Kakashi stared blankly at her with his one eye as she pouted angrily. She was not in the wrong as in the view of others and even himself on occasion, he was indeed wasting time. He purposely chose to be late without a real reason, so he could understand why she took it as an opportunity to meet up with Hinata for a while. She was not disrupting Team 8 either, only to pick up her lunch and stay a while. The 'anonymous' request however, wanted him to keep her away from Team 8, for Hinata's sake.
"Hmm..." he pretended to think about it before walking away, ignoring Natsumi's demands to untie her.
***Break Line***
Even though Hinata knew Natsumi could no longer come to see her, she sometimes ended up making lunch for her anyway. In the end, she had to give it to either Kiba or Shino because she did not turn up to claim it. Her team knew that Natsumi's presence was always a comforting thing for her, so she wondered why Kurenai always had a worried look on her face whenever she brought along Natsumi's lunch.
"Hinata-chan!" Natsumi's yell echoed throughout the training grounds Team 8 used. Surprised, they all looked towards the approaching blonde. Did she manage to escape from her Jounin instructor?
"Natsumi-chan," Hinata could not help the smile that came to her lips.
"I did it! I finally escaped from Kakashi-sensei!" she bragged proudly.
"Hey," said instructor spoke up from behind her, making her scream in shock as she launched into the air from his sudden appearance. "How many times do I have to tell you not to disturb Team 8 when I'm not around?"
"I don't disturb them! I only came to accompany Hinata-chan for the time I know for sure you'll be late!"
"You're not supposed to do that. I'm sure Hinata must be very happy to have you around but you are disturbing them in a way you can't see," he told her.
"Really?" she asked, surprised.
"Really."
"Then, can I at least take the lunch Hinata-chan makes for me?"
"Well, if that's the only thing you're going to do, I don't see why not."
"Kakashi!" Kurenai exclaimed, appalled he would allow such a thing.
"It's only over a lunch box. Don't be mad over something so trivial," he brushed aside her concerns.
"I'm not mad, just..." she trailed off as she eyed the two best friends exchanging hugs and Natsumi being handed her homemade lunch.
"I know," he understood the unsaid message. "But if just seeing her is enough to raise Hinata's spirits to do better, then allowing her not to just for a lunch box is cruel."
"They have to stop relying on each other like this. Hokage-sama wants them to grow stronger while apart."
"This is merely encouragement. Look at them carefully," he pointed out. "Hinata admires Natsumi and wants to be strong like her, which is why she works so hard. Natsumi, on the other hand, wants to be strong for Hinata's sake just as much as for her own dream. She wants to protect the bond she holds closest to her. That is obvious by how protective she is of Hinata but at the same time not sheltering her. Even just seeing each other encourages the other to strive higher. If allowing Hinata to make lunch for Natsumi daily helps them to grow, I believe it's for the best."
"I understand that, but Hinata has to learn to grow confident by herself. She's very cooperative with Kiba and Shino and performs well with team tasks, but she does poorly when settled with an individual task or when the important parts of a team task fall to her. I will admit those poor performances disappear entirely on the days Natsumi came to visit for the two hours you're late but she can't rely on Natsumi encouraging her every time. They can't keep holding hands forever if they want to grow."
"I see your point," Kakashi agreed. "Whenever Natsumi encounters a problem that can't be solved with brute force alone, she always turns to Hinata for advice. Did you know that according to Iruka's reports on her Genin file, she listens to Hinata more closely than she does for anyone else, even the teachers? She's short-sighted and unable to see the bigger picture in most situations, so she lets Hinata do it for her. She's also bull-headed, always wanting to beat Sasuke at something, anything, and wanting to be the one who leads. That's no surprise since her dream is to be Hokage. The surprise is that Natsumi has absolutely no problems deferring to Hinata. She doesn't jostle for position or even try to argue her point with her. She actually listens obediently to her because Hinata knows how to make it easy to understand for her. She keeps whatever Hinata says in mind. She even chose to listen to Hinata's advice rather than my instruction during the Genin Test. Granted, I was trying to trick them but you get the point."
"Which is exactly why I'm trying to keep them apart and I need your help to do this, Kakashi."
"Don't worry, I will. I won't let Natsumi stay with Team 8 unnecessarily. Just let her come by to pick up her lunch," Kakashi gave her his eye-smile. Seeing Natsumi start scuffling with Kiba in good nature with Hinata giggling in amusement at their antics, Kurenai relented with a small smile. Hinata had already taken a very hard blow from hearing how her own father had delegated all duty of care and protection of her well-being to Kurenai. Kurenai did not need to add to that by denying her the simple joy of making lunch for her best friend.
***Break Line***
Natsumi picking up lunch everyday quickly became the norm for Team 8 until she abruptly announced that Team 7 was finally getting a C-Rank mission outside the village for a number of weeks. Instead of taking the lunch box for later consumption, she quickly finished her food on the spot since she had to be getting ready for her mission. After the morning training of Team 8, Kurenai brought them to the Mission Assignment Room to get their daily D-Rank missions.
"There's also an additional request for Team 8 for a long-term D-Rank mission. The client is very specific as to who she wants for this mission," Hiruzen mentioned after giving out one of the more common missions. "Here are the details of that mission." He picked out a scroll from the table and tossed it over to Hinata. She unfolded it and began reading.
"Natsumi-chan wants me to care for her apartment while she's gone on her C-Rank mission?" Hinata was surprised Natsumi had actually made a mission request for this.
"We can do that? I mean, we can be the clients for a mission?" Kiba was surprised as well.
"Everyone in the village is eligible for a mission request, even ninjas," Kurenai answered.
"You are to stay over at Natsumi's apartment for the period of time she is gone on her mission and you are free to consume any food she has. However, your other missions take priority as this is long-term and you will be treating it as your own home for quite a while. I trust you won't say no?" Hiruzen had a knowing smile on his face as Hinata's face brightened considerably.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Hinata replied.
"You will be payed, of course. This is still a mission."
"If it's for Natsumi-chan, I don't mind doing it for free."
"That's good to hear. Now off you go."
***Break Line***
As Team 8 did their assigned D-Ranks that day, Hinata had a spring in her step and a small but constant smile. Once the day was over, Hinata had to report to her father that she had been assigned a long-term D-Rank mission to care for a client's household and that she was required to stay until the client returned. She tried her best to do so neutrally and avoided mentioning Natsumi's name, but inside she was almost jumping for joy. All Hiashi said was to not disappoint the client and do her mission properly. His voice was cold as always but for once Hinata was not affected as Natsumi would never hold those negative emotions against her even if she did fail.
Packing her clothes almost hastily, she could not wait to finally make Natsumi's apartment into her temporary home. She did not dislike the Hyuuga compound, but over the last few years it had lost the homely feel to it. It had became a place for her to simply return to once the day was over. Even though she rarely dropped by Natsumi's apartment after Natsumi learned to maintain her home properly, Hinata always felt it contained a large amount of the homely feeling. Here, there was nothing to put pressure on her. She could be at ease all she wanted and she would always be welcome there.
When she arrived at Natsumi's apartment, she entered with a child-like joy as she breathed deeply, taking in as much of the homely feeling as it could provide. Natsumi was also considerate enough to buy some packed cinnamon rolls for her to enjoy during her stay according to the note on the table. Since it was nearing nightfall, she headed straight to the bedroom where she quickly unwound herself, relaxing almost immediately when she laid on Natsumi's bed. Looking at the bed top, she saw the team photograph of Team 7. Kakashi and Sakura were the only two smiling at the camera while Natsumi and Sasuke were glaring at each other. She giggled at it before looking at the more prominently displayed photograph. It was the additional photograph they took together. The picture frame was very clean and the glass sparkled as though Natsumi had cleaned it everyday. It was very clear to Hinata that she valued it much more than her team photograph. Even though she already knew how close they were to each other, she still felt very touched by the gesture.
***Break Line***
It had been only two days since Hinata moved into Natsumi's apartment, but the other members of Team 8 could easily see the difference in her. To put it in simple terms, she looked very fresh compared to all the other times since Team 8 was first formed. Of course, those other times referred to the times she came from the Hyuuga compound. A little curious as to why she was suddenly so fresh, Kurenai decided the team would 'aid' with her long-term mission the next day and they would meet up at Natsumi's apartment.
Seeing the apartment very neat and tidy was nothing special since Hinata was always one for cleanliness. What surprised them was Hinata moving around the apartment like she had owned it for years. Remembering where everything was located could be done in two days but not with the practiced ease Hinata had. She never paused to think about where Natsumi's things were as she prepared a simple breakfast for Team 8. After that, she gladly took their offer to help by requesting they help with the shopping. Even the loud Kiba was stunned silent by how efficiently she handled housework. Hinata seemingly forgot about them when she began talking to herself about Natsumi's poor diet and how she had to cook vegetables in a certain manner for her lunches so she could eat them without cringing. A polite cough from Kurenai reminded her of their presence, and an embarrassed Hinata gave her teammates a shopping list. Apparently, shopping was the only thing she could not get done due to their own daily training and missions. She asked them to go on ahead as she stayed behind to finish her cleaning.
"Was that really Hinata?" Kiba finally spoke up once they were sent on their way to do shopping. "I can almost swear she is possessed by some sort of house-keeping spirit."
"Nothing is wrong with Hinata, Kiba," Kurenai replied along with an affirmative nod from Shino.
"I concur. That is because Hinata is at her calmest and most relaxed state while she has been staying there," Shino explained. "These household chores put her at ease."
"Alright, get going, you two. I'll keep watch over Hinata," Kurenai urged them and the two boys picked up their pace as they left for the shopping. Once they were out of sight, she returned to the apartment and saw Hinata dutifully cleaning the floor with a happy smile on her face. Deciding now was a good time to ask, she called for her student to sit with her at the sofa. "Hinata, it is no secret that you and Natsumi are best friends. But from what I've seen, you two are much more closer than that by the way you seem to be pampering her, this apartment included. As your instructor, I have to know in order to help you. Just what is your relationship with her?" she questioned.
"Natsumi-chan is very much family to me," Hinata answered with utmost sincerity. "At first, we were just friends. But for Natsumi-chan, I was no mere friend. Being the only friend her age at the time, I was defaulted to being her best friend. I too eventually considered her my best friend. But after seeing just how poorly Natsumi was treated by the other Academy students and even by the teachers, and then seeing firsthand how much the villagers hated her, I wanted to be something more to her. Natsumi-chan grew up with absolutely nothing and even after entering the Academy, she had nothing but me for a few years. Even though my father is heavily disappointed in me, I still grew up with something. I had the love of my parents and I treasure the things my late mother has done for me. After her passing, I didn't grow in the way my father expects of me. I know in my clan's eyes I am weak. But Natsumi-chan was the first person to ever believe in me and encourage me. She taught me how to never give up. I admire her greatly for her determination. She had nothing, but she grew up to be so strong. Not in skills, but in character. She has helped me so much, yet all I can do is just being her friend? It's not enough, not for me. That's why I don't mind doing these things for her. I like them very much because it will help Natsumi-chan smile. I want her to know the love of a family. I want to give her the one thing she's missing even if it is just an impression. I just want to do that much for Natsumi-chan... because she is family..."
Kurenai watched silently as Hinata broke down into tears at the end of her explanation. She may never truly understand but she could say she now knew. Knowing the relationship between the two girls and understanding that relationship were two different things. It was left unsaid, but Kurenai easily figured out that Hinata was trying her best to emulate her late mother for Natsumi. She wanted to show what it meant to have a family's love. That was why Hinata always made lunch boxes for Natsumi and was gladly willing to do household chores for her. Through such simple gestures, it gave both of them much-needed assurance that they were there for each other. They each held the other at the highest pedestal of their respective lives.
"Hinata, as your instructor, I have made a grave mistake towards you. I am sincerely sorry," Kurenai bowed her head to show sincerity, surprising Hinata and stilling her tears.
"W-Why, Kurenai-sensei? There's nothing to apologize for," Hinata said.
"It was me who requested Kakashi for his aid in order to stop Natsumi from coming to our morning training. I had believed she was giving you false encouragement. The both of you are on different teams, and I feared her dropping by was disrupting your growth as an individual. I was wrong. Her presence allows you to strive harder to be a better person. She encourages you without needing to utter a single word. As a Jounin instructor, I am supposed to understand the Genins under my charge and help you grow. Instead, I am the one who had unknowingly attempted to stump your growth."
"I see... But it's alright, Kurenai-sensei. You had my best interests in mind, so I can understand why you felt that way," Hinata reassured her instructor.
"Thank you, Hinata. ...It seems the boys are back," Kurenai mentioned just before the door opened and revealing said boys. "Shall I help you with preparations for lunch?"
"Yes, Kurenai-sensei!"
***Break Line***
It took just about a month before Natsumi returned from her C-Rank mission. Hinata could tell with a single glance that she had grown significantly during that month, looking more resolute than before. Natsumi talked about how her C-Rank mission unexpectedly turned into an A-Rank because the client lied, and meeting up with the infamous Momochi Zabuza and his accomplice Haku. She spoke about how their deaths changed her beliefs about ninjas and that they were human too and did not deserve to be treated like mechanical tools. Hinata was very pleased to hear that and for her achievements. But then came an unexpected request from Natsumi who had a dead serious look mixed with pleading on her face.
"Hinata-chan, I need you to teach me a long-range technique even if it's a Juuken technique. If I can learn and use it properly, please teach me!"
***End of Chapter***
This chapter is more of an original chapter than adjusted canon events. I only filled in for the time after passing the Genin Test to before Team 7 was granted their first C-Rank mission.
For this chapter, Hinata is the main focus. I also had Natsumi do some mischief with Kakashi in an effort to visit Hinata while he's late. I went more in-depth about the relationship between Natsumi and Hinata, with more insight from Hinata's side of the relationship. Consider the C-Rank mission canon with no changes. There's actually not much I can change about it. If anything is changed, it's Natsumi's request for Hinata to teach her a long-range technique.
Be prepared, readers! The Chuunin Arc is coming in the next chapter! Expect changes, some serious and others funny. A missed scene that occurred in early canon will be brought to life next! What, you ask? It's between Natsumi and Hinata, I'll say that much.
I look forward to getting more readers! Do Follow/Favorite/Review this fanfic, and big thanks for those who are kind enough to do so!