Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any shape or form. The only thing I own are my created characters. Any likeness or similarities between OC's or plot lines are purely coincidental and not an intentional plagiarism.
For the newly formed Team Thirteen, the next few months seemed to fly by as they fell into the normal routine of being genin. Three times a week they met for an all day training session, and three times a week they'd go do D-rank missions. Leaving a day for free time in which they all liked to hang out and have fun around Konoha. Kenshin usually joined them, but sometimes declined saying he had to continue his quest. The rest of Team Thirteen knew what that meant, he was going to try and ask his 'goddess' Kurenai out, then get pummeled as a result.
One time, Naruto happened upon his sensei as he was escorting a duck around town, looking happier than he ever saw him. While his first thought was bestiality, he soon discovered Kenshin had been placed under a genjutsu to believe that duck was Kurenai. Feeling sorry for the guy, he tried to snap him out of it, but was unable to get to him with words, so a hard right hook to the chin sufficed. He was heartbroken to find out that it wasn't Kurenai, but with a sad smile to Naruto he confessed it was the best date he ever had.
"Huh? What do you mean Kenshin-sensei? You were parading around with a duck! You're lucky I stopped ya before you got to the kiss! Ke ke ke!" Naruto laughed.
Kenshin, still holding the duck nodded, slowly stroking the fowls feathers. "It might have been a duck the entire time, but. . . I saw Kurenai. I was really happy then."
Naruto stopped laughing and his smile fell, looking into his sensei's eyes he could see an unspoken longing and sadness behind them. All the time he'd seen his sensei talk about Kurenai it reminded him about trying to chase Sakura, it made him wonder if was that obnoxious about it. But. . . there was a difference. He had never looked the way his sensei did now when he was rejected. He looked like his heart had been ripped out and stomped on violently. With Sakura, he felt an attraction but only so far as a crush. He didn't know if he could call it love, he didn't really know what it was.
"Sensei, do you . . .love her?" he asked, having difficulty saying the 'L' word. His reaction was immediate as a small smile tugged at his melancholy.
He nodded again in response. "Yea, I do. . . I've been in love with her ever since we were at the academy. For ten years, I've tried to forget her or move on, but every time I went out with a different girl I couldn't help but compare her to Kurenai. No matter what I do, I just can't forget I love her."
Silence reigned for a moment, the heartfelt confession echoing within Naruto's heart. Then, Kenshin jumped in shock as Naruto dropped to his knees and began to dramatically cry. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard! Oh man, that sucks!" he shouted, drawing looks from villagers passing the bench they sat on. They couldn't tell what was more strange, a young genin crying or the jonin holding a duck.
"H-hey stop that Naruto!" Kenshin whispered harshly, his face reflecting his chagrin about his idiotic pupil.
"I-I can't help it though! You poor bastard!"
Kenshin slapped his face as he tried to somehow become one with the bench by pressing himself into it harder. Anything to get the villagers eyes off him.
Then, abruptly stopping, Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve and jumped up. Slamming his feet down as he landed, he turned to Kenshin and pointed with his index finger, as though it would deliver his message. "Right then! I'm gonna help you get her Kenshin-sensei! Believe it!" he shouted, ending with his famous phrase.
Kenshin's jaw dropped slightly, shocked at not only how fast he got over his crying fit, but also the care his student was showing for him. But, he shook his head, still feeling depressed. "Naruto . . . thank you but, I can't see how you could help. I can tell she hates me."
"Ha!" Naruto laughed, placing his curled up fists onto his hips. "Clearly you don't know who I am!"
"Uh. . . Naruto Uzumaki?" Kenshin replied, wondering what the hell he was getting at. The duck even seemed confused as it tilted it's head.
"No! – I mean yes, but that's not all! I am. . ." he gave a dramatic pause, as he shifted his body and posed into a dramatic kabuki stance, "Naruto Uzumaki! Legendary Matchmaking Ninja of the Elemental Lands! Toh!"
Kenshin blinked slowly as he stared at the blonde ninja who stayed perfectly still, staring back at him with purpose and a low dramatic hum. "Naruto you . . ." he started, his voice a bare whisper, feeling a surge of emotion rush into his downtrodden heart as he felt the unconditional support the boy radiated. "I think you're the best friend I've ever had, thank you." He finished with a smile he didn't know he possessed.
Naruto shook off the pose and slammed his fist into his palm, a gigantic grin plastered on his face. "Okay! Then just leave it to me sensei! Kurenai will be falling for you in no time! Believe it!" Then, without giving him any warning or chance to reply, he lept away from Kenshin, determined to make his precious person happy.
Kenshin tried to say something before the boy took off, but didn't get a chance. Chuckling to himself, he stood and watched the blonde sprint out of view. "That kid makes me tired just looking at him . . ." he whispered, and his only reply was a light quack. Looking down he smiled at the duck and held him at arms length. "C'mon duckie, let's get you back to the park."
"Naruto, are you okay?"
A voice made Naruto snap his head up from the now lukewarm bowl of ramen. He'd been just pushing the ingredients around as he thought back to earlier that day. Looking up, he saw the wrinkled face of Ichiraku looking at him with some concern. He was the proprietor of Naruto's favorite ramen stand, Ichiraku Ramen. "Yea, thanks for asking Ojisan! Just thinking about stuff." He replied, feeling bashful getting caught off guard like that.
"Stuff? It's gotta be something big to make you stop eating." A female voice giggled, making Naruto's face blush out of chagrin. He was famous around here for his eating abilities after all.
"Ne, Ayane-neesan, don't make fun of me like that! It's really serious!" he pleaded, looking into the older girl's sparkling brown eyes. Ayane was an average girl in all aspects, someone who'd be good for an average guy. She was also the first girl who was nice to her, so he 'officially' adopted her as his sister.
"Oh? Is it now, and what is it? Girl trouble?" she asked, having fun. He was always easy to fluster on the topic. Especially if she started talking about Sakura. She wondered if the girl finally let him take her out?
"Yea, how'd you know?" he replied, his insane level of thickheaded-ness showing through his seemingly innocent question.
She gasped, not thinking that it was really the reason. Leaning forward she put on her best sisterly face. "Okay, Naruto-chan, tell me who the girl is."
"Kurenai, she's being impossible to deal with!"
Her jaw dropped, as she felt her brain go into what-the-hell-did-I-just-hear mode. For a moment all she could do was stutter, being flabbergasted at the young shinobi's declaration. The woman in question had only been in once or twice, but she was still a famous ninja in Konoha.
"What's the matter Ay –"
"N-N-N-Naruto! She's way too old for you! Of course she's going to refuse!" she interrupted, amazed at the boy's attempt to date a woman in her mid-twenties.
For a moment, he just looked at the woman dumbfounded, before the electricity bill was finally paid in his head and the lights flickered on. "Huh? Oh! No not me neesan! Kenshin-sensei!"
Now even more confused, she sighed and made the boy tell her the whole story from the beginning. After it was told, she nodded in understanding.
"So, so, can you help me out neesan?" he asked, slapping his hands together, as if in prayer.
Holding her chin, she tilted her head. "Hmm. . .nope!"
Almost falling from his chair, Naruto grabbed the counter top to balance himself before looking up at his adopted sister in exasperation. "What? C'mon that's not fair! You're a girl, you should know about these types of things!" he yelled, begging her to change her mind.
She sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry Naruto, but girls aren't like boys, we aren't all similar and can be figured out like a jutsu. If he's been trying for as long as you told me, there's probably no way she'll ever say yes. I feel bad for the guy, but he really should just give up." she replied, it was true; she really didn't want the guy suffering, he sounded like a good man.
"No way! I won't take that for an answer! I promised I'd help him and I will!" he yelled, making her smile at his determination. "Right after I finish this ramen!"
She laughed, turning away from the massacre of the noodles. Watching Naruto eat sometimes could be scary. She figured it would be pointless to try and dissuade the boy. And who knows? He's the number one knucklehead after all, maybe he could pull it off!
Later, Naruto found himself taking a stroll through the forest on the western outskirts of town, beyond the wall. Now that he had become an adult in the shinobi world, he was allowed to freely pass the gates. He felt that maybe a nice walk would help him come up with a good solution to his sensei's problem. So far, he hadn't been able to come up with anything besides just straight out begging Kurenai. Somehow, he doubted that would work.
He hadn't been this way before, and was enjoying the sights and sounds of the serene forest. It wasn't much different than the ones inside Konoha, but the trees were devoid of kunai marks and areas where they took abuse from a jutsu test. The ground was all dirt and vegetation, not the hard packed soil that was created from years of being fought on top of and bled upon. Wild animals were also abundant outside the city, as deer and other large game weren't allowed to roam inside the walls. One such animal that danced and played outside the walls was a bright orange fox that was currently trying to catch a butterfly.
Naruto looked at the small animal with a smile as it chased the flying insect with playful gusto. It didn't seem as though it wanted to kill it, just to entertain itself with it. Accidentally, he stepped on a small tree branch, a loud crack resonating through the area.
The fox instantly stopped playing with the butterfly and quickly shifted it's head towards Naruto, it's tail straight on end. Sniffing the air for a moment, the boy was sure the fox would bolt, when it just gave the blonde a strange look and started playing with the butterfly again.
Laughing to himself slightly, he wondered if the reason the fox was okay with him was because of the Kyuubi. The thought of the demon he carried inside him, caused the boy to be slowly plagued with fear and confusion. Ever since he'd been made aware of his 'guest', Naruto had no idea how to handle it. Iruka, Sarutobi, no one had explained to him what exactly he should do about it. How do you live with an ancient demon sealed within yourself?
Grimacing, Naruto felt a little sick. He always had a hunch that maybe he was different in some way. When he turned ten, Naruto started having dreams. Horrible dreams, that were memories that he didn't have. He was sure they were memories because they were just way too realistic to be made up within his dream scape. Dreams of other monsters, hellish landscapes and the suffering of innocent humans. One dream, still chilled him to the bone every time he had it. He'd only had it a few times since he became aware of the Kyuubi, but it had shaken him to his very core every time.
The dream always started the same. He was surrounded by death and gore. In the middle of a forest clearing he stood, his body older and mature with age. As if he had a view of himself, he saw his body covered in a cloak of red chakra that easily resembled a fox. The Kyuubi.
Around him, lay the corpses of disfigured men and women wearing tattered and burned cloth of the Konoha shinobi. In his 'mind' Naruto was screaming in pure horror at the scene, for each time he had it the recognizable faces of a few would change. At first, the only ones he saw were Iruka and the Hokage. Then, the bodies and faces started multiplying, they became his teammates and even classmates in the Academy. Then, his demon possessed self would laugh. Laugh a bloodthirsty and maniacal perversion of the expression meant for joy. As he laughed, more Konoha shinobi charged into the clearing, only to be obliterated by the god-like power 'he' commanded. Crying and screaming, he would resist and fight as hard against himself as he could, but to no avail. Then in the worst part of his dream, which was already a nightmare, he would watch as Sakura would come into the clearing, begging him to stop. Screaming, he would beg her to run away, but he was forced to watch as his evil doppelganger would harshly grasp the kunoichi by her head and shoulder. His hands tightened, his long, sharp fingernails digging into her flesh and bone. Then, he would pull.
Before the inevitable motion would be carried out, Naruto had awoken screaming and covered in a thick layer of sweat and tears streaming down his face. He had no idea what the dream was, or what it meant, but it scared him. Normally, if he was a regular person he could shrug it off as a bad dream. But. . . it seemed like it was something that could actually happen. The very thought caused an icy hand to grip his rapidly beating heart and he could feel himself start to grow fearful. His breathing grew shallow and quick. Could he become that. . . thing? He tightly gripped his shirt that lay over his heart, trying his hardest to remove the clenching grasp that made it hurt.
Then, he was ripped from his thoughts and pain by a loud, piercing female scream that emanated from the forest close by. Snapping his head up, his previous thoughts were all but forgotten by the cry for help. "That sounded like it came from over there, I better hurry!" he yelled, wondering if he was gonna get to play hero as he pushed off his planted foot, flying into the forest. Trying his best to focus on the here and now, the emotions from earlier ebbed away as they were replaced by adrenaline. Still, it hovered in the back of his mind, that no matter how he tried, there it would stay.
Moments Earlier . . .
Hinata hummed happily to herself as she walked through the forest. It was so nice out here. Sure the forests in Konoha were pleasant enough, but sometimes she would be found by her father's servants who would tell her it was too dangerous to be wandering the forest where she could get hit by a stray jutsu. They would force her to follow them back, saying the Hyuuga gardens were more than sufficient to relax in.
She frowned, her good mood being spoiled by the thought of her 'home'. She didn't believe it could be called such. Ever since her mother died, the compound had become a cold, strange place to the princess. Her father, made sure it was that way.
Smiling wistfully, she remembered how he used to be. No one would guess it now by the frigid looks he gave, but he used to smile. He used to pick her up and play with her. To praise her about what a beautiful girl she was turning into and how strong she would become, in whatever she chose. That was her Daddy, not her Father, who scolded her. Called her weak and how shamed he was that she was the heir to the Hyuuga household. No longer did he hold her, but turned his gaze away from her, after a sparring match where he wouldn't show any quarter to the young girl. She would lay on the ground, beaten and bruised from her tenketsu points being shut down. All she could do was cry and hope he wouldn't turn back around to see her.
Hinata sighed, her thoughts growing increasingly dark. Every night she prayed she could get her Daddy back. But, it never came true. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make her Father proud either.
Her brooding was cut short, as a glint of pink cut into her field of vision. Gasping, she wondered if it was the herb she'd been looking for? Running over and kneeling next to a large oak tree, she saw perfectly aged herbs growing at the base of it's trunk. "A dark green stem with bright pink flowers growing along them, this is it!" she happily exclaimed. She'd been looking all over for this specific specimen all morning. Gently cutting the herb from the bottom, she gingerly placed it in a special pouch reserved just for it. Smiling, she sat down against the tree, deciding to take a break from walking.
I finally have the ingredients I need to make the curing balm I've been wanting to make. I wonder if I'll be able to give it to Naruto-kun . . . she ended her thoughts with a shy blush, as she started poking her index fingers together. She would be lying if she said her world didn't revolve around the boy. Either directly or indirectly most of the things she did, she did for him or because of him. He was her inspiration to grow strong. At home, after her father would scold her for being a poor excuse of a Hyuuga heir, she would cry in her room and imagine the blonde ninja comforting her and telling her it'd be alright. That, he believed in her and knew she wasn't weak.
Sighing, she longed to finally discover what it felt like to have that for real. To have him near her, to have him comfort and hold her. She felt her blush deepen as her imagination was allowed to run wild and conjure bright futures that could be possible with the boy.
Possible if only she could get over her accursed shyness. If only she knew why he made her so incapable of speaking to him or even getting near him.
Once, she remembered passing out when following him home one day. She made a mistake and accidentally knocked a trash can over as she walked. She panicked and fled into the alleyway that had luckily been right next to her. Huddling behind a stack of wooden crates, she listened intently as he neared the alley. With each footstep, her heartbeat began to grow louder in her head. Everything else cut off from her senses, the rather putrid smell of trash faded away, and was replaced by the memory of his scent. She couldn't see, as her eyes were tightly clenched. She felt her hands go numb as she grasped her pants tightly. With every step he took, it grew louder, until it was so loud that it replaced her heartbeat and felt like he was actually walking in her head. Then, she went black, pure horror of being caught smashing her heart.
She woke up sometime later, still leaning up against the crates in the dirty alleyway. It took her a moment to recall why she was there, but soon felt ashamed of herself remembering almost being caught. She didn't know why she felt the urge to stalk the boy. She hated classifying herself as a stalker, but that's what she was.
It's because I'm too weak to even try and be his friend. Father's right about me all I am is a coward. She rubbed her eyes, feeling a tear start to create itself in her right eye. Sniffing, she let her control go as she cried into her hands.
"Na-Naruto-kun, I just want to be your friend. . . I-I can settle for that," she cried. It wasn't just her own weakness that made her cry, but the first hand knowledge that she could of prevented his childhood of loneliness if she'd just had the courage to talk to him.
But, if he rejected me . . . I-I would . . .
Then, she was broken from her lamentation by a deep, low growling that creeped into her hearing from her right. Slowly turning her head, fear growing in her with every movement, her eyes widened as she beheld a gigantic bear no further than thirty feet from her. Massive in size, it's brown fur is dirty and covered in battle scars with other animals. It's large black eyes were boring into pupil-less lavender ones. Shining with old blood, the gigantic teeth drew Hinata's attention as she opened and closed her mouth in a silent scream.
The bear once again growled low before standing straight up, easily dwarfing the small girl still paralyzed by fear.
Her brain was on complete shutdown, as it tried to frantically reboot. She couldn't think straight, her body told to her to get up and run but her muscles were rigid and unresponsive. Total and pure fear gripped her tightly like a vice, as her mind played for her the grizzly ways one could die by a bear. Only one thing passed through her mind, Please, help me, someone – Naruto!
Then, the ursine opened it's mouth and unleashed a terrifying, monstrous roar like the loudest thunder clap that promised a horrifying death for the kunoichi.
It was then that her lungs decided to respond, her brain finally allowing two ideas through. Scream. Loud.
The bear fell to it's forepaws and bellowing a battle cry, charged forward. It's massive frame was moved by powerful muscles that could be seen shifting and flexing under it's skin. It opened it's mouth wide, revealing more of it's deadly teeth, ready to shred, rend and devour the princess.
She couldn't close her eyes, she couldn't turn away, she couldn't even scream again. All she could do was stare, transfixed upon the bears gaping maw, saliva being pulled away from the fangs as it ran. She wasn't able to accept her sudden death as she ran her biggest dream through her mind, wanting it to be the last thing she thought.
They say that time slows to an utter crawl when you're about to die, that you get to see your life flash before your eyes. They, are full of shit. Time doesn't slow, it remains the same. Your life does, however, flash before your eyes. But so fast, that instead of being able to enjoy it, it confuses you and makes your imminent demise even worse.
The bear was now only two feet away from the girl. Just as she had finally accepted her painful death, a loud heroic cry pierced the air.
"Uzumaki Style Taijutsu! Ultimate Bear Kick!"
Hinata gasped as she recognized the voice. Looking up, eyes filled with hope, she smiled as she saw a blue sandal connecting with the bears skull. To the heiress, Naruto might as well of been in shining white armor, wielding a gleaming longsword and kite shield. The bear roared in pain as it stumbled back, stopped dead in it's charge.
Looking over, she was about to yell his name when she stopped, seeing him hop around on one foot and holding the other; His face was in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Stupid bear!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the ursine who was shaking it's head. "Why'd you have to go and have such a hard head?"
She stifled a laugh, despite the situation. Even at a time like this he made her laugh.
Hearing the chortle, he looked over and saw the Hyuuga princess sitting on the floor as though she was trying to escape something. Putting two and two together, he deducted the gist of what happened. "Ne, Hinata are you okay?" he asked, receiving a silent nod in reply. He smiled at her and put his foot down gingerly, that bastard's head was tougher than it looked!
The bear had finally regained it's senses and was now growling at the intruder. Seemingly glaring at the blonde, it started to strafe to the right of Naruto, never taking it's eyes of him.
"Hah, like that'll scare me idiot! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Forming the necessary seal, four additional Naruto's joined the scene. "Alright boys, time to kick some ass!" the real one shouted, pulling out a kunai.
"What? No way!"
Naruto's jaw dropped as he whipped around to the clone who dared defy an order. "What? Hinata's in danger! How can you say that?"
"'Cause it's a freakin' bear!" the clone shouted, being joined by the others.
Hard to argue with the clone's logic, but Naruto stopped himself from really thinking that, knowing the clones might catch wind of it. "No, no, no, unacceptable! Get in there, and bring me back a pair of bear shoes!"
"Idiot, you can't make shoes out of a bear."
"Maybe a nice coat." One pitched in.
"Dude, it's totally possible to make bear shoes." Another said.
"Oh really? Maybe moccasins, but not shoes." The first clone replied.
"Are you an idiot? That's the same damn thing!" the fourth shot back.
"Well, think of it this way, have you ever not seen a pair of bear shoes?" the clone in support of bear shoes asked. The other three remained silent until the first spoke up again.
"No, guess I can't say I have."
"See? Then it's totally possible."
"Are you kidding me? That's like saying just because I haven't seen . . ."
Naruto felt his face get hot as he grew embarrassed about his clone's bickering during this serious time. Seeing as how they weren't going to stop any time soon, he dismissed them by punching them all upside the head.
Hinata only looked on, blinking as she watched her hero's strange display. Although to her, it was actually rather funny. Even the bear seemed to stop for a moment.
"Alright! That plan didn't work out too well, stupid clones . . ." Naruto grumbled crossing, his arms. "Then I have no choice but to execute plan number two!" He took a deep breath and formed his hands in the seal of the rat.
Hinata looked on with baited breath as she waited for whatever he was going to pull off. She tried to think if she'd ever seen a jutsu starting with only rat, but couldn't recall one.
"Uzumaki Style Ninjutsu! . . ."
Another created jutsu? Naruto-kun really is . . . she started to think before –
"Run Like You Stole Something!" with that, he quickly scooped Hinata up in her arms and ran screaming into the forest. If it was possible, the bear stared after the boy with a deadpanned expression, deciding it could find food somewhere else.
Letting out a high pitched 'eep!' she felt her face turn completely red as she began to fully realize just what position she was in. Naruto was carrying her bridal style, with her head leaning against his chest. Even with the erratic bumps of him jumping from tree limb to limb, the sensation of his heartbeat was not lost on her. She smiled, despite her growing embarrassment, his heart was strong. Just like it's owner. She knew that by the feeling of her senses cutting short and only focusing on one thing, she was about to faint. Even as she cursed it, she felt happy knowing her vision focused on the orange jacket worn by her crush. Her hearing acutely tuned into his heartbeat and breathing. The smell of ramen and his scent eased into her nose. She could feel his strong arms holding her tight to his chest, as blackness edged into her vision.
Then, she was out; but with a content smile still resting upon her delicate face.
Hinata groggily opened her eyes, trying to recall where she was. Bit's and pieces started illuminating themselves from the darkness of her mind. With a startle, she remembered she'd been attacked by a bear which Naruto had rescued her. Then, she'd passed out in his arms. Blushing a bit, she decided to look around to figure out where she was.
The first thing she saw above her was a small hanging lamp, the light currently off. The room was darkened, the windows to her left having the shades pulled down over it. She felt warm, and looking down saw she had a blanket pulled over her. It was then she noticed she was in a bed. Taking a deep breath through her nostrils, she realized she was in Naruto's bed by the smell of it. She couldn't believe where she was. She fought the urge to pass out again, she wanted to be awake for this moment. Turning her head to the right, she saw a small area that looked like a kitchen, with a refrigerator, oven, sink and a few counter spaces. A worn brown table stood a foot away from the appliances, a dirty white cloth draped over it. Looking over again, she saw a closet about ten feet from the foot of the bed, three pairs of orange jackets and pants hanging from hangers. There were a few other articles of clothing there, but it made the girl laugh to see it. A single door was slightly open to the right of the closet, giving her a glimpse of the small bathroom. To the left of the closet was a small vanity and, by her angle she guessed, a mirror.
Naruto's apartment . . . I can't believe I'm here! She was overwhelmed with the urge to faint at this moment, but for the first time fought it. She wouldn't just take this chance the bear gave her to be this close to Naruto. I must not pass out, I must not pass out . . . she repeated the mantra over and over in her head. Then, hearing keys turn in a lock to her right, she squeaked and shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Sunlight poured over her closed eyelids, making her twitch an eyelid, being used to the dark. Someone walked into the house and closed the door gently. "Oh man, Hinata's still out. . . I wonder if I should of taken her to the hospital instead?" Naruto whispered to himself, walking over to his table and putting down a plastic bag filled with various goods.
She had to stop herself from screaming 'no!'. Instead, she decided now would be a good time to awaken. Repeating her mantra in her head again, she slowly sat up right, rubbing her eyes. She couldn't mess this up.
"Hinata? You're awake! Alright, I was worried there for a moment." Naruto exclaimed.
She looked over at him, still trying to keep up the ruse, and smiled at him. She'd be amazed if she was able to pull this off. . . "N-N-Naruto-kun, where a-am I?" she stuttered, kicking herself for the nervous reaction.
"You're at my place Hinata-chan," he started, picking up the bag he brought with him.
Feeling a huge blow to her self-control, she even started stuttering mentally as she poked her fingers together. D-D-Did h-he just call m-me Hinata-c-chan? Her mind was racing about the possibilities that posed for the girl. Boys only called a girl that for two reasons, either he called her that because he thought of her like a sister or because he liked her. Oh God, p-please let it be the l-l-latter!
Walking over to the bed, he sat down on the edge, making her heart go crazy. Then, pulling out a small purple box he held it up to Hinata. "Ne, Hinata-chan, I got you a bunch of medicine! I don't really know why you fainted so I just went to the pharmacy and got a bunch of stuff." he said, a goofy smile on his face.
While thoroughly embarrassed at his misunderstanding of why she fainted, she couldn't believe how much medicine he had collected. "Naruto-kun, t-this couldn't o-of been c-cheap. Why d-did you b-buy all this?" she asked sheepishly, hoping he wouldn't be offended by the question. She wasn't worthy of this kind of affection.
Smiling at her like it was obvious he placed the bag in her lap, to let her sift through the contents. "Easy, I'd do anything for you Hinata-chan!"
Now, she could barely feel herself hanging onto consciousness, the boy's innocent reply being too much. All she could do was look down as her blush intensified so much, she was sure her face was glowing in the dark room.
At his prodding, she started looking through the medicine, which made her laugh seeing all the various types. He had bought everything from cold, flu, and upset stomach cures to allergy relief and all purpose medicine. For some reason, seeing how much he was trying to help her boosted her confidence again.
"N-Naruto-kun. . ." she whispered, not being able to speak any louder.
Looking up at the girl with a smile he tilted his head, "What's up?"
"Uhm. . . I-I . . ." she started, beginning to panic as she wasn't able to find the words she wanted to. "I-I . . . um . . . w-would you . . ." she tried again, but still her voice wouldn't find itself. Looking into his eyes, she almost expected to see her father's face glaring at her for being so weak. Instead, all she saw was a kind understanding gaze. Perhaps confused, but patient. "What I-I'm asking is, w-would you like to be f-f-friends?" finally, she had came out with it.
He just smiled and shifted onto the bed so he was completely facing her and sitting criss-cross. "Ne, Hinata-chan we're already friends aren't we?"
Already. . . friends? You mean he? . . . Naruto-kun. She couldn't find the words necessary to describe how she felt, but a gentle smile creeped onto her face. The day she'd been waiting for had come.
For the rest of the day, Hinata stayed at Naruto's home. She rarely spoke, as he regaled her with tales of grandeur from his high pranking days to all the D-rank missions he'd been doing with his team. She learned all about his two teammates Kazuma and Shin. Naruto aptly described Kazuma as 'cool guy, who barely talks. Not at all like duck-butt Sasuke. He's way cooler!' and Shin as 'A really polite guy who knows every horror movie ever. He's also really scary with that mace of his!' He had shuddered a bit at the last part. Sparring with Shin was like asking for a broken something or another.
As they talked about his teammates at his table, his sensei's plight struck Naruto like a bolt of lightning. "Ne, Hinata-chan, isn't Kurenai your sensei?" he asked.
Hinata, who was in the middle of eating a cup of ramen he had prepared for her, looked up with some noodles hanging from her mouth. Why would he want to know about Kurenai-sensei? She asked herself, a small pang of jealousy being registered.
Seeing her shocked expression combined with the noodles hanging out of her mouth was too much for him. He held his gut as he began to laugh.
Looking confused, she wondered what he was laughing at when she noticed she had done a very un-ladylike thing. Quickly slurping the noodles, she chewed them quickly. Her face as red as a tomato she tried to just forget she'd done that. "Y-Yes, Kurenai is my sensei, w-why do you ask?"
Getting over his fit, Naruto wiped a tear from his eye before continuing. "My sensei Kenshin is head over heels for her. I need help trying to get them together, do you know what might do it?" he asked, but in the back of his mind a small voice was telling him that Hinata looked really cute like that earlier. Of course, him being Naruto, the voice wasn't able to make it to his perception as it was stopped by a brick wall.
Now understanding why he was asking, she looked thoughtful as she tried to think of something. "W-well. . . I don't r-really know what she likes or anything, so I c-can't help you there, b-but I could maybe try and talk to her about it." she replied, hoping he wouldn't get mad at her for not being much help.
His reply was on the far end of the spectrum as his face lit up with boyish enthusiasm and jumped up from his seat. "Alright! Hinata-chan your the greatest!"
She just smiled back, glad he wasn't angry. Then, glancing over at his clock, she realized because of the darkened room, she hadn't noticed what time of day it was. It read seven twelve. Oh no! Father is going to be furious! She thought, scared out of her mind.
Noticing the look on his female friend's face, he followed her gaze to the clock and the gears in his head turned. "Do you have to be home right now Hinata-chan? I didn't get you in trouble did I? Oh crap Hinata I'm so sorry!" he asked, his sentence growing louder and more frantic as he went on. The horrible look on her fear stricken face was making him feel uneasy as he had no idea what to do.
Despite his rather humorous antics, she wasn't able to laugh as she was terrified for her well-being now. Only once before had she disobeyed her father by being out past curfew. She'd been out late because she'd followed Naruto out on the other side of town. She was supposed to be home at five o'clock every night, but she'd lost track of time and hadn't come home till six. When she came home, he yelled at her for almost ten minutes, then struck her with his palm. Hard. It stung horribly, but even more so mentally, scarring the girl's innocent heart.
Now, dread captured her as she thought of what he'd do if she was late by two hours. "N-N-Naruto-kun, I'm s-sorry, b-b-but I have to g-go!" she yelled, feeling tears well in her eyes. She had to get home as fast as she could and hope her Father wouldn't be too upset. She was fooling herself.
"Hinata, are you . . ." he started, but it was no used as the girl fled from his apartment at full speed, tears now fully streaming down her face. As she bolted down the stairs that led to the street level, she tried her best to avoid anyone so they wouldn't see her cry. She wasn't just crying because of her impending punishment, but also that she had to leave the safety and warmth that Naruto's apartment had given her. Now, she was getting thrust back into the cold unforgiving Hyuuga compound. As she ran, the only thought comforting her was the warm embrace she'd been held in and the memory of their afternoon together. No matter what her Father would do to her tonight, it would be worth it.
Well, there you have it, another chapter down. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'll try to keep the updates frequent, but I have work among other things so I don't always have a lot of free time. But I'll try to at least write a chapter a week.
And you must never break One's Own Rule! Now as an afterthought, I was actually really tempted to include on the flashback with Naruto and Kenshin a Lee and Guy moment where they would run at each other with waves crashing the back as they both shed manly tears. Meanwhile, Guy and Lee would be looking on with manly tears of their own, giving a thumbs up. But I decided not to, as it wouldn't of fit.
Also, If anyone is curious as to where the advertised story in the summary is don't worry, next chapter the gears of this story are really going to start turning. I just really wanted to use this chapter to get a bit more depth in with Naruto's new team and the start of his relationship with Hinata.
Finally, I'd like to give a big shout out to S'TarKan and his story Team 8. He is an awesome writer and an inspiration to me as a writer. It's one of the best Naruto & Hinata fic's I've read. So if you haven't read it, I highly suggest you do, you won't regret it.
'Till next time!